Synthesis and leishmanicidal evaluation of sulfanyl- and sulfonyl-tethered functionalized benzoate derivatives featuring a nitroimidazole moiety.

A series of new nitroimidazole-containing derivatives was synthesized by coupling of 2-[2-(2-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethylthio]ethanol with diversely substituted benzoic acids. Upon treatment with m-CPBA, 12 of these sulfanyl compounds were further oxidized to their sulfonyl analogs. All the 26 synthetic compounds were examined for in vitro activity against Leishmania (V.

State-of-the-Art Chocolate Manufacture: A Review.

The aroma, taste, shine, snap, smoothness, "melt-in-your-mouth" sensation, and texture are all qualities that define chocolate, and all depend on how the cocoa and the chocolate itself are processed. Postharvest handling of the cocoa (fermentation, drying, cleaning, storage, and transport) and its transformation into chocolate (roasting, grinding, conching, tempering, molding, and the addition of core and other ingredients), as well as the packaging, storage, transport, and refrigeration of the finished product all have an important influence on the characteristics of chocolate. The aim of this review was to identify and study the key factors, including microbiological aspects that affect the quality of chocolate, from harvesting the beans right up to the manufacture of the finished products.

[The diet of the neotropical insectivorous fish Creagrutus bolivari (Pisces: Characidae) according to the "graphic" and "relative importance" methods].

The diet ofa neotropical fish species (Creagrutus bolivari) was studied using different methods: the Cortés 1997 graphic method and two relative importance indexes, one designed by George and Hadley in 1979 (% RIi) and another proposed by Cortés in 1997 (% IRIi). Only discrete prey (aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates) were used in the diet analysis. The occurrence (% A), number (% N) and weight (% G) frequencies were estimated for each food item.