2-Alkyl-3-methoxypyrazines are potent attractants of florivorous scarabs (Melolonthidae, Cyclocephalini) associated with economically exploitable Neotropical palms (Arecaceae).

Background: 2-Alkyl-3-methoxypyrazines (MPs) are naturally occurring aromatic compounds involved in insect chemical communication as both pheromones and allelochemicals. Although rarely characterized in floral scents, they have been identified as major constituents in headspace samples from palm inflorescences and evidence pointed towards their function as attractive cues for scent-oriented pollinators, as well as florivores. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of MPs in economically exploitable palms belonging to Acrocomia and Attalea through headspace floral scent analysis and assessed their role in the selective attraction of flower-feeding cyclocephaline scarabs (Melolonthidae, Cyclocephalini) in field bioassays conducted in Brazil and Colombia.

Oviposition-stimulant and ovicidal activities of Moringa oleifera lectin on Aedes aegypti.

Background: Natural insecticides against the vector mosquito Aedes aegypti have been the object of research due to their high level of eco-safety. The water-soluble Moringa oleifera lectin (WSMoL) is a larvicidal agent against A. aegypti.

Dopaminergic cell populations of the rat substantia nigra are differentially affected by essential fatty acid dietary restriction over two generations.

Essential fatty acids play a crucial role in the activity of several neurotransmission systems, especially in the monoaminergic systems involved in cognitive and motor aspects of behavior. The present study investigated whether essential fatty acid dietary restriction over two generations could differentially affect dopaminergic cell populations located in the substantia nigra rostro-dorso-medial (SNrm) or caudo-ventro-lateral (SNcv) regions which display distinct neurochemical profile and vulnerability to lesions under selected pathological conditions. Wistar rats were raised from conception on control or experimental diets containing adequate or reduced levels of linoleic and α-linolenic fatty acids, respectively.

Nutritional restriction of omega-3 fatty acids alters topographical fine tuning and leads to a delay in the critical period in the rodent visual system.

The development and maturation of sensory systems depends on the correct pattern of connections which occurs during a critical period when axonal elimination and synaptic plasticity are involved in the formation of topographical maps. Among the mechanisms involved in synaptic stabilization, essential fatty acids (EFAs), available only through diet, appear as precursors of signaling molecules involved in modulation of gene expression and neurotransmitter release. Omega-3 fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are considered EFAs and are accumulated in the brain during fetal period and neonatal development.