A Diet Rich in HUFAs Enhances the Energetic and Immune Response Capacities of Larvae of the Scallop .

Massive mortalities in farmed larvae of the scallop have been associated with pathogenic outbreaks. An energetic trade-off between development-associated demands and immune capacity has been observed. Given that highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) are essential nutrients for larval development, we evaluated the effect of diets based on microalgae low and high in HUFAs (LH and HH, respectively) on the energetic condition and the immune response of scallop larvae.

Effects of cholesterol on lipid vesicle fusion mediated by infectious salmon anaemia virus fusion peptides.

Studying the variables that affect the membrane fusion mechanism of enveloped viruses is important for developing new strategies to combat viral infections. We analysed the effects of lipid vesicle cholesterol content on membrane fusion that is facilitated by infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV) fusion peptides. Lipid mixing assays were performed to study membrane fusion in large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and cholesterol.

In vitro evaluation and molecular docking of QS-21 and quillaic acid from Quillaja saponaria Molina as gastric cancer agents.

The cytotoxic mechanism of the saponin QS-21 and its aglycone quillaic acid (QA) was studied on human gastric cancer cells (SNU1 and KATO III). Both compounds showed in vitro cytotoxic activity with IC values: 7.1 μM (QS-21) and 13.

Characterization of a new molecule capable of inhibiting several steps of the amyloid cascade in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in elderly people. Existent therapies are directed at alleviating some symptoms, but are not effective in altering the course of the disease.

Methods: Based on our previous study that showed that an Aβ-interacting small peptide protected against the toxic effects of amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ), we carried out an array of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo assays to identify a molecule having neuroprotective properties.