Acid scarification as a potent treatment for an in vitro germination of mature endozoochorous Vanilla planifolia seeds.

Background: Vanilla planifolia is the most widely cultivated species of vanilla with high economic importance. However, seed germination under artificial conditions is difficult and yields low germination percentages. The seeds are adapted to endozoochorous dispersal, and we therefore tried to simulate the conditions in the digestive tract by acid scarification of seeds.

Plant Cell Lines in Cell Morphogenesis Research: From Phenotyping to -Omics.

Here we provide an overview of procedures for long-term cultivation, phenotyping, genotyping, and genetic transformation of cell cultures of tobacco cell lines BY-2 and VBI-0, and of A. thaliana, ecotype Landsberg erecta (LE) cell line. Notably, we present an improved protocol for BY-2 transformation and cloning and extend the available plant cell lines methodology toward high-throughput technologies like fluorescent-based cell sorting and transcriptomics.

Glucuronidation of oxidized fatty acids and prostaglandins B1 and E2 by human hepatic and recombinant UDP-glucuronosyltransferases.

Arachidonic acid (AA) can be metabolized to various metabolites, which can act as mediators of cellular processes. The objective of this work was to identify whether AA, prostaglandin (PG) B1 and E2, and 15- and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (15- and 20-HETE) are metabolized via glucuronidation. Assays with human recombinant UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A (UGT1A) isoforms revealed that AA and 15-HETE were glucuronidated by UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A4, 1A9, and 1A10, whereas 20-HETE was glucuronidated by UGT1A1 and 1A4 and PGB1 was glucuronidated by UGT1A1, 1A9, and 1A10.

[Case reports of morbid obesity].

Morbid obesity (BMI over 40 kg/m2) is typically complicated by many serious diseases including early death. Using 7 case studies of morbid obese patients we are documenting severe polymorbidity of these persons including severe manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Using adequate therapy, e.

[Metabolic and hormonal links in obese individuals with and without symptoms of syndrome X].

We carried out statistical analysis of biochemical, anthropometric and anamnestic values at the first contact with 114 patients in the specialized obesity unit. We evaluated metabolic state of different groups varying in the presence of risk factors of atherosclerosis. We disclosed statistically significant differences between those groups, enabling evaluation of the severity of state and early decision on suitability and urgency of treatment.