Melanin is a heteropolymer formed by the polymerization of phenolic and indolic compounds. It occurs in organisms across all biological kingdoms and has a range different of functions, thus indicating its important evolutionary role. The presence of melanin offers several protective advantages, including against ultraviolet radiation, traumatic damage, oxidative stress, extreme temperatures, and pressure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe describe the synthesis and a function of melanin in , a nematode-trapping fungus. We tested various culture media treated with L-DOPA, glucose and tricyclazole on fungal growth and melanin distribution using infrared spectroscopy (IS), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). rumen digestion was used to test the environmental stress and then to evaluate the capacity of this fungus to trap nematode larvae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Manage
January 2016
Searches related to global warming have provided important insights into the response of terrestrial ecosystems, but few have examined the impacts on agricultural crops, particularly those associated with the monitoring of agrotoxin residues. In this context, the agriclimatological zoning is an important tool in the planning and consolidation of crops and should be considered in any initiative that involves such planning. This tool is particularly important in the analysis of agrotoxin residues and may be applied by the Program Analysis of Agrotoxin Residues in Food (PARA) created by the National Health Vigilance Agency of Brazil (ANVISA), which enables greater food security and contributes to the improvement of human health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Fasciolosis affects different ruminant species and leads to great economic losses for cattle farmers worldwide. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate bovine fasciolosis prevalence in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, using slaughter maps provided by slaughterhouses and verifying the origin of cattle.
Methods: A map was created based on analysis of epidemiological data.