Life Sciences Commons^™

Comparing Oxidative Balance Of Summer And Winter Acclimatized Birds, Olivia R. Gulseth

Honors Thesis

The oxidative stress system allows air-breathing animals to deal with the potentially harmful byproducts of metabolism. How this system reacts to the increasing thermoregulatory demands in winter for birds from cold winter climates is poorly understood. The purpose of this project was to compare the oxidative balance of summer (warm acclimatized) and winter (cold acclimatized) phenotypes of overwintering songbirds in South Dakota to determine if there is a significant difference between the seasonal phenotypes and among species. Seasonal differences in oxidative balance were expected due to the increased metabolic costs of elevating metabolism to maintain body temperature during winter. Blood …

Inhibition Of Foxo Induces Oxidative Stress In Osteosarcoma, Kai K. Brown

Theses (2016-Present)

Redox homeostasis is a balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and neutralization by antioxidants. Oxidative stress (OS) results when the generation of ROS exceeds the neutralizing capacity of endogenous antioxidants. Reactive oxygen species are generated during cellular processes such as mitochondrial activity or metabolism of drugs. Expression of endogenous antioxidants is driven by redox-sensitive transcription factors; therefore, redox-sensitive transcription factors are essential for the maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis. There are several redox-sensitive transcription factors that contribute to the expression of endogenous antioxidants. These redox-sensitive transcription factors include nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factors (Nrf-2), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), activator protein-1 …

Investigating The Phytochemical Profiles Of Wild And Cultivated Blueberries (Vaccinium Spp.) In Central Florida, Anisa Khalid

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) are valued for their high nutritional quality and flavor. There are five species in the Vaccinium genus native to the state of Florida, but only three are palatable to humans: V. myrsinites, V. darrowii, and V. corymbosum. While V. darrowii has been studied extensively due to its successful hybridization with northern highbush blueberry cultivars, V. myrsinites and wild V. corymbosum have been understudied. This study aims to 1) quantify the abundance of various phytochemicals in fruits of these wild blueberry species and compare fruit quality both among the wild taxa and two varieties of …

How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Wales A. Carter, Clara Cooper-Mullin, Kristen J. Demoranville, Abigail E. Frawley, Barbara J. Pierce, Megan Skrip

Biology Faculty Publications

Animals dynamically adjust their physiology and behavior to survive in changing environments, and seasonal migration is one life stage that demonstrates these dynamic adjustments. As birds migrate between breeding and wintering areas, they incur physiological demands that challenge their antioxidant system. Migrating birds presumably respond to these oxidative challenges by up-regulating protective endogenous systems or accumulating dietary antioxidants at stopover sites, although our understanding of the pre-migration preparations and mid-migration responses of birds to such oxidative challenges is as yet incomplete. Here we review evidence from field and captive-bird studies that address the following questions: (1) Do migratory birds build …

Comparative Analysis Of Longevity And Stress Resiliency Benefits Of Supplementation With High-Antioxidative Capacity Juices In Organisms That Are Representative Of Humans, Meghan Long

Honors Scholar Theses

Neurodegenerative disease presents itself in a complex array of illnesses that is increasingly affecting the geriatric population. There has not been research on a common cause since there are a culmination of reasons that are probable ranging from genetic to environmental factors. Antioxidants have been known to prevent and protect against the damage that is otherwise caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, high-capacity antioxidant juices supplemented into the diet of animal models such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, rats, and humans will allow for the study of the possible benefits.

Although a conclusion and common causation on the usage …

Effects Of Environmental Factors On Sensitivity Of Cryptococcus Neoformans To Fluconazole And Amphotericin B, Tyler Carlson, Emily Lupinacci, Katie Moseley, Srikripa Chandrasekaran

Open Access Fund Publications

Cryptococcus neoformans is a leading cause of fungal meningitis in immunocompromized populations. Amphotericin B (AMB) and fluconazole (FLC) are common anticryptococcal agents. AMB treatment leads to severe side-effects. In contrast, FLC-based therapy is relatively safe, although C. neoformans often develops resistance to this drug. C. neoformans must adapt to the challenging environment of the human host. Environmental effects on potency of AMB and FLC and development of drug resistance remain poorly characterized. Here, the effects of nutrients, temperature and antioxidants on susceptibility of C. neoformans towards FLC and AMB were investigated. Limited nutrients led to a decrease and an increase …

Gaba Metabolism Is Crucial For Long-Term Survival Of Anoxia In Annual Killifish Embryos, Daniel E. Zajic, Jason Podrabsky

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In most vertebrates, a lack of oxygen quickly leads to irreparable damages to vital organs, such as the brain and heart. However, there are some vertebrates that have evolved mechanisms to survive periods of no oxygen (anoxia). The annual killifish (Austrofundulus limnaeus) survives in ephemeral ponds in the coastal deserts of Venezuela and their embryos have the remarkable ability to tolerate anoxia for months. When exposed to anoxia, embryos of A. limnaeus respond by producing significant amounts of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This study aims to understand the role of GABA in supporting the metabolic response to anoxia. To explore this, …

Metabolomics Analysis Of Annual Killifish (Austrofundulus Limnaeus) Embryos During Aerial Dehydration Stress, Daniel Zajic, Jason Podrabsky

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The annual killifish, Austrofundulus limnaeus, survives in ephemeral ponds in the coastal deserts of Venezuela. Persistence through the dry season is dependent on drought-resistant eggs embedded in the pond sediments during the rainy season. The ability of these embryos to enter drastic metabolic dormancy (diapause) during normal development enables A. limnaeus to survive conditions lethal to most other aquatic vertebrates; critical to the survival of the species is the ability of embryos to survive months and perhaps years without access to liquid water. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms that aid in survival of the dry season. This study …

Exploring The Potential Of Nitric Oxide And Hydrogen Sulfide (Nosh)-Releasing Synthetic Compounds As Novel Priming Agents Against Drought Stress In Medicago Sativa Plants, Chrystalla Antoniou, Rafaella Xenofontos, Giannis Chatzimichail, Anastasis Christou, Khosrow Kashfi, Vasileios Fotopoulos

Publications and Research

Land plants are continuously exposed to multiple abiotic stress factors like drought, heat, and salinity. Nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are two well-examined signaling molecules that act as priming agents, regulating the response of plants to stressful conditions. Several chemical donors exist that provide plants with NO and H2S separately. NOSH is a remarkable novel donor as it can donate NO and H2S simultaneously to plants, while NOSH-aspirin additionally provides the pharmaceutical molecule acetylsalicylic acid. The current study aimed to investigate the potential synergistic effect of these molecules in drought-stressed Medicago sativa L. plants by following a pharmacological …

Using Isoconversional Methods To Study The Effect Of Antioxidants On The Oxidation Kinetics Of Milk Fat, Khalid Ahmed Alsaleem

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Milk fat is a versatile ingredient because of its nutritional value, functionality, and flavor. During processing and storage, milk fat may undergo oxidation resulting in many undesirable changes such as unpleasant flavor and aroma, and formation of toxic compounds. A common practice to prevent the oxidation of milk fat is by the addition of antioxidants. It is worth to mention that little is known on the effect of antioxidants on the oxidation kinetics. In this work, the effect of selected antioxidants on the oxidation kinetics of anhydrous milk fat (AMF) under non-isothermal conditions was investigated. AMF with an addition of …

Characterizing The Role Of The Mir156-Spl Network In Heat Stress Response In Medicago Sativa, Craig Matthews

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Heat stress negatively impacts plant development by disrupting regular plant functions, including molecular, physiological and anatomical processes, reducing crop production. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is an important forage crop and developing abiotic stress resistant cultivars would help mitigate crop losses. Members of the miR156 family regulate SPL genes, impacting plant growth and development and are involved in stress response. Here, alfalfa with miR156 overexpression (miR156OE) and SPL13 RNAi knockdown (SPL13i) showed increased tolerance to heat stress (40°C) while SPL9 RNAi alfalfa did not. Heat-stressed miR156OE and SPL13i plants had increased antioxidant levels, including anthocyanins. Additionally, …

The Role Of Silver Ions In The Regulation Of The Senescence Process In Triticum Aestivum, Mert Öktem, Yüksel Keleş

Turkish Journal of Biology

The control of senescence has economic importance due to its effects on parameters such as herbal product quality and shelf life. This study is on the control of induced senescence in Triticum aestivum L. `Gu?n-91' plants with silver nitrate (AgNO3) treatments. It was observed that some changes that occurred with dark and indole-1-acetic acid (IAA) treatments could be reduced with AgNO3 treatments. After dark-induced senescence, it was observed in plants that seedling length, relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll, ß-carotene, xanthophylls, total antioxidant capacity, soluble phenol, total soluble protein, catalase (CAT), total superoxide dismutase (SOD), copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) activities, and …

Melatonin Diminishes Oxidative Damage In Sperm Cells,Improving Assisted Reproductive Techniques, Fabián Monllor, Javier Espino, Ana María Marchena, Águeda Ortiz, Graciela Lozano, Juan Francisco García, Jose A. Pariente, Ana B. Rodriguez, Ignacio Bejarano

Turkish Journal of Biology

Sperm preparation procedures are a potential generator of oxidative stress-induced DNA damage, which leads to a dramatic drop in fertility. An increasing number of studies suggest that melatonin reduces the oxidative stress induced by manipulation. However, very little is known about the preservative role of melatonin in sperm preparation medium during assisted reproduction procedures. For this aim to be achieved, semen was divided into two fractions and preincubated with and without 1 mM melatonin. Afterwards, both fractions were divided into two subfractions to perform swim-up in the presence and absence of 1 mM melatonin. Labeling with anti-CD46 and antiactive caspase-3 …

Assessment Of Tick Antioxidant Responses To Exogenous Oxidative Stressors And Insight Into The Role Of Catalase In The Reproductive Fitness Of The Gulf Coast Tick, Amblyomma Maculatum, D. Kumar, K. Budachetri, V.C. Meyers, Shahid Karim

Faculty Publications

As obligate blood‐sucking ectoparasites, to avoid tissue damage, ticks must neutralize the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated from uptake and digestion of a bloodmeal. Consequently, ticks utilize a battery of antioxidant molecules, including catalase (CAT), an enzyme that converts hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into water and oxygen. Here, we investigated the tick antioxidant machinery by exogenous injection of sublethal doses of H₂O₂ or paraquat. The relative transcript levels of selected Amblyomma maculatum antioxidant targets in tissues were determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR following treatment. The results showed 2–16‐fold increases in target antioxidant gene …

Effects Of Acclimation On Temperature Tolerance And Oxidative Damage In Daphnia Magna, Kailea J. Holbrook Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater zooplankton crustacean Daphnia frequently face strong temperature fluctuations in its natural environment, which necessitates adaptive plastic responses. This study focuses on changes in lipid peroxidation and total oxidative capacity in Daphnia tissues in response to long-term and short-term temperature changes.

Long-term acclimation to 28ºC helped Daphnia survive longer at lethally high temperatures. This difference, however, was not accompanied by changes in lipid peroxidation, indicating that it isn’t a good measure of damage or predictor of temperature tolerance.

On the other hand, total oxidation capacity was lower 28ºC- than in 18ºC-acclimated Daphnia, suggesting that acclimation resulted in higher amounts …

Jatropha Curcas Protoplast Isolation And Inhibitory Effects Of Culture, Christopher S. Lukaszewski

Theses and Dissertations

Improvement on the sub-tropical plant Jatropha curcas may increase the use of this drought tolerant oilseed crop for the production of biodiesel. One of the methods for enhancing a species is through genetic manipulation of the protoplast. Isolating protoplasts is challenging and culturing has many obstacles similar to those seen in tissue culture, such as oxidative browning. Successful isolation of J. curcas leaf protoplasts resulted in an average of 3.23 x 106 viable protoplasts/mL. However, protoplasts diminished within 2 days after culturing. A review of the potential solutions used for overcoming the inhibitory effects of culture may reveal further insight …

Testing The Effect Of Antioxidants On The Pathogenesis Of Alzheimer’S Disease Through The Rage/Nf-Kb Inflammatory Pathway, Harrison Snyder, Jonathan Wisco

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) is known to have a role in inflammatory processes. When produced in excess it induces oxidative stress by activating a number of ligand enzymes, resulting in the generation of excessive cytosolic reactive oxidant species. This oxidative stress then stimulates Nuclear Factor Kappa-B (NF-kB), which regulates immune response and inflammation. When RAGE is incorrectly regulated, inflammation occurs in otherwise healthy tissue, a process implicated in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. RAGE is found throughout the body and is seen in greater concentration in inflamed tissues; it has also been found in the brain tissue …

Correlation Between Sleep And Lifespan In Drosophila Melanogaster, Courtney H. Fiebelman

Masters Theses

”Sleep has previously been associated with lifespan. Monitoring sleep in any given fly over their lifetime facilitates the ability to predict the lifespan of that given fly. Using this estimate, lifespan can potentially correlate with biological age to identify when health parameters have declined.

To confirm that the prediction algorithm could identify short and long-lived flies, glutathione levels in heads and bodies were compared between two groups. The results showed this to be consistent in the bodies of wild-type Canton S male flies, and showed that glutathione was decreased in the predicted biologically older flies. These data show that glutathione …

Anthocyanin Characterization, Total Phenolic Quantification And Antioxidant Features Of Some Chilean Edible Berry Extracts, Anghel Brito, Carlos Areche, Beatriz Sepúlveda, Edward J. Kennelly, Mario J. Simirgiotis

Publications and Research

The anthocyanin composition and HPLC fingerprints of six small berries endemic of the VIII region of Chile were investigated using high resolution mass analysis for the first time (HR-ToF-ESI-MS). The antioxidant features of the six endemic species were compared, including a variety of blueberries which is one of the most commercially significant berry crops in Chile. The anthocyanin fingerprints obtained for the fruits were compared and correlated with the antioxidant features measured by the bleaching of the DPPH radical, the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), the superoxide anion scavenging activity assay (SA), and total content of phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins …

Kos Modulation Of Mitochondrial Fission And Fusion, Herman Kucharavy

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Passiflora Tripartita (Banana Passion) Fruit: A Source Of Bioactive Flavonoid C-Glycosides Isolated By Hsccc And Characterized By Hplc–Dad–Esi/Ms/Ms, Mario J. Simirgiotis, Guillermo Schmeda-Hirschmann, Jorge Bórquez, Edward J. Kennelly

Publications and Research

The banana passion fruit (Passiflora tripartita Breiter, Passifloraceae) known as “tumbo” is very appreciated in tropical and subtropical countries of South America. Methanolic extracts from peel and the fruit juice of P. tripartita growing in Chile were analyzed for antioxidant capacity as well as for flavonoid and phenolic content. A chromatographic method was developed for the rapid identification of the main phenolics in the samples by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS. The fast fingerprint analysis allowed the detection of eighteen flavonoid C-glycosides and four flavonoid O-glycoside derivatives which were characterized by UV spectra and ESI-MS-MS analysis. Several of the C-glycosides detected are …

Evaluation Of Antioxidative Effects Of Twelve 3-Substituted-5,5-Diphenylhydantoins On Human Colon Cancer Cell Line Hct-116, Ana Obradovic, Jovana Zizic, Nemanja Trisovic, Bojan Bozic, Gordana Uscumlic, Biljana Bozic, Snezana Markovic

Turkish Journal of Biology

Antioxidant effects of twelve 3-substituted-5,5-diphenylhydantoins in concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 µM on human colon cancer cell line HCT-116 were determined 24 h after treatment. The concentrations of superoxide anion radical (O_{2}^{.}^{-}), nitrites (NO_{2}^{-}), and total glutathione were determined spectrophotometrically. Results indicated that treatment with all compounds induced a decrease in O_{2}^{.}^{-} and an increase in NO_{2}^- concentrations in HCT-116 cells. Treatment with all compounds resulted in an increase in glutathione, and this indicates changes in redox homeostasis. Based on the obtained results, the investigated hydantoins act as antioxidants because they decrease the production of superoxide anion …

Ornamental Bill Color Rapidly Signals Changing Condition, M. F. Rosenthal, Troy G. Murphy, N. Darling, K. A. Tarvin

Biology Faculty Research

Ornamental bill color is postulated to function as a condition-dependent signal of individual quality in a variety of taxonomically distant bird families. Most red, orange, and yellow bill colors are derived from carotenoid pigments, and carotenoid deposition in ornamentation may trade off with their use as immunostimulants and antioxidants or with other physiological functions. Several studies have found that bill color changes in response to physiological perturbations, but how quickly such changes can occur remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that carotenoid-based orange bill color of American goldfinches Spinus tristis responds dynamically to rapid changes in physiological stress and reflects …

Influence Of Phytophthora Capsici L. Inoculation On Disease Severity, Necrosis Length, Peroxidase And Catalase Activity, And Phenolic Content Of Resistant And Susceptible Pepper (Capsicum Annuum L.) Plants, Esra Koç, Ayşen Sülün Üstün

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study explored the level of infection caused by different inoculum concentrations (10^2, 10^3, and 10^4 zoospores mL^-^1) of Phytophthora capsici in 3 pepper cultivars at days 2, 4, and 6. The effect that the infection induced on the peroxidase (POX), catalase (CAT), and phenolics of resistant and sensitive seedlings, as well as the defense mechanism against the pathogen, were also investigated. The resistance of PM-702 against the isolate used was high, whereas KM-Hot and DEM-8 displayed sensitive reactions. As a result of analyses of the leaves and stems from the 3 pepper cultivars, important changes in biochemical parameters were …

The Antioxidant Activity Of Some Medicinal Plants, Prateek Kumar Jain, Veerasamy Ravichandran, Simant Sharma, Ram. K. Agrawal

Turkish Journal of Biology

The antioxidant properties of the methanol extracts of 10 medicinal plants were evaluated with the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl) test, hydroxyl scavenging test, and lipid peroxidation assay. The methanol extract of Emblica officinalis was the most active according to the DPPH test, with an IC_{50} value of 7.92 ± 0.1 \mug/ml, followed by Asparagus racemosus, with an IC_{50} value of 9.28 ± 0.2 \mug/ml. The minimum free radical scavenging activity was shown by Zingiber officinale, with an IC_{50} value of 44.48 ± 1.8 \mug/ml. The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of the methanolic extracts of various plants was as follows: Asparagus racemosus …

Changes In Growth, Biochemical Constituents, And Antioxidant Potentials In Radish (Raphanus Sativus L.) Under Cobalt Stress, Kaliyamoorthy Jayakumar, Cheruth Abdul Jaleel, Packirisamy Vijayarengan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The effects of cobalt (Co) stress on seedling vigor, photosynthetic pigment content, biochemical constituents, mineral status, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes in Raphanus sativus L. were studied. The plants were raised in earthen pots containing soils amended with different concentrations of Co (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mg kg^{-1}). Growth parameters (root and shoot length, and total leaf area), photosynthetic pigments content (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll), biochemical constituents (total sugar, amino acid, and protein content), mineral content (macro- and micronutrients), and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO)) were …

Reduction Of Sunburn Damage To Skin By Topical Application Of Vitamin E Acetate Following Exposure To Ultraviolet B Radiation: Effect Of Delaying Application Or Of Reducing Concentration Of Vitamin E Acetate Applied, John R. Trevithick, David T. Shum, Sahle Redae, Kenneth P. Mitton, Christopher Norley, Stephen J. Karlik, Alan C. Groom, E. E. Schmidt

Scanning Microscopy

The skin of the skh-1 mouse after ultraviolet B (280-320 nm, UVB) irradiation shows the pathological changes typical of sunburn damage: spongiosis (edematous spaces) around some cells, necrosis of keratinocytes, giving rise to sunburn cells, inflammatory infiltration ofpolymorphonuclear leucocytes, etc. In our previous study, these were accompanied by erythema, increased skin sensitivity, and edematous swelling. The topical application of tocopherol acetate (TA) immediately after the UVB exposure decreased these changes. In this paper, multiple measurements of the skin thickness were made at different locations along the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cross-sectional image of the skin. This permits effects to be …