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Vulnerability Of Grazing And Confined Livestock In The Northern Great Plains To Projected Mid And Late-Twenty-First Century Climate, Justin D. Derner, David Briske, Matt Reeves, T. M. Brown-Brandl, Miranda Meehan, Dana M. Blumenthal, William E. Riebsame, David Augustine, Hailey Wilmer, Derek Scasta, John Hendrickson, Jerry Volesky, Laura Edwards, Dannele Peck

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The Northern Great Plains (NGP) region of the USA—which comprises Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska—is a largely rural area that provides numerous ecosystem services, including livestock products, cultural services, and conservation of biological diversity. The region contains 25% of the Nation’s beef cattle and approximately one-third of the confined beef cattle, as well as the largest remaining native prairie in the US—the Northern Mixed grass Prairie. With rising atmospheric CO2, the NGP is projected to experience warmer and longer growing seasons, greater climatic variability, and more extreme events (e.g., increased occurrence of large precipitation events). These …

Transcriptional And Antagonistic Responses Of Biocontrol Strain Lysobacter Enzymogenes Oh11 To The Plant Pathogenic Oomycete Pythium Aphanidermatum, Yangyang Zhao, Guoliang Qian, Yuan Chen, Liangcheng Du, Fengquan Liu

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

Lysobacter enzymogenes is a ubiquitous, beneficial, plant-associated bacterium emerging as a novel biological control agent. It has the potential to become a new source of antimicrobial secondary metabolites such as the Heat-Stable Antifungal Factor (HSAF), which is a broad-spectrum antimycotic with a novel mode of action. However, very little information about how L. enzymogenes detects and responds to fungi or oomycetes has been reported. An in vitro confrontation bioassay between the pathogenic oomycete Pythium aphanidermatum and the biocontrol bacterial strain L. enzymogenes OH11 was used to analyze the transcriptional changes in the bacteria that were induced by the oomycetes. Analysis …

Sigma Virus (Dmelsv) Incidence In Lines Of Drosophila Melanogaster Selected For Survival Following Infection With Bacillus Cereus, Meghan L. Bentz, Eve A. Humphrey, Lawrence G. Harshman

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The immune response of Drosophila melanogaster is complex and involves both specific and general responses to parasites. In this study we tested for cross-immunity for bacteria and viruses by scoring the incidence of infection with the vertically transmitted Sigma virus (DMelSV) in the progeny of a cross between females transmitting DMelSV at high frequencies and males from lines subjected to three selection regimes related to resistance to Bacillus cereus. There was no significant difference in transmission of DMelSV among selection regimes, though results suggest that the B. cereus selected lines had lower rates of infection by DMelSV. We found …

Association Between Energy Balance And Metabolic Hormone Suppression During Ultra-Endurance Exercise, Bjoern Geesmann, Jenna C. Gibbs, Joachim Mester, Karsten Koehler

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Ultra-endurance athletes often accumulate an energy deficit when engaging in ultra-endurance exercise, and upon completion of the exercise, they exhibit endocrine changes that are reminiscent of starvation. However, it remains unclear whether these endocrine changes are a result of the exercise per se or secondary to the energy deficit, and more importantly, whether these changes can be attenuated by increased dietary intake. Our goal was to assess the relationship between changes in key metabolic hormones following ultra-endurance exercise and measures of energy balance. Metabolic hormones as well as energy intake and expenditure were assessed in 14 well-trained male cyclists who …

Less-Than-Expected Weight Loss In Normal-Weight Women Undergoing Caloric Restriction And Exercise Is Accompanied By Preservation Of Fat-Free Mass And Metabolic Adaptations, Karsten Koehler, M. J. De Souza, N. I. Williams

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Normal-weight women frequently restrict their caloric intake and exercise, but little is known about the effects on body weight, body composition and metabolic adaptations in this population.

Subjects/Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial in sedentary normal-weight women. Women were assigned to a severe energy deficit (SEV: –1062 ± 80 kcal per day; n = 9), a moderate energy deficit (MOD: –633 ± 71 kcal per day; n = 7) or energy balance (BAL; n = 9) while exercising five times per week for 3 months. Outcome variables included changes in body weight, …

Web-Based Interventions Alone Or Supplemented With Peer-Led Support Or Professional Email Counseling For Weight Loss And Weight Maintenance In Women From Rural Communities: Results Of A Clinical Trial, Patricia A. Hageman, Carol H. Pullen, Melody Hertzog, Bunny J. Pozehl, Christine Eisenhauer, Linda S. Boeckner

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Objective. This trial compared the effectiveness of a web-based only (WO) intervention with web-based supplemented by peer-led discussion (WD) or professional email counseling (WE) across 3 phases to achieve weight loss and weight maintenance in women from underserved rural communities.

Methods. 301 women (BMI of 28–45 kg/m²) randomly assigned to groups participated in guided weight loss (baseline to 6 months), guided weight loss and maintenance (6 to 18 months), and self-managed weight maintenance (18 to 30 months).

Results. Retention was 88.7%, 76.5%, and 71.8% at 6, 18, and 30 months, respectively. Intent-to-treat analyses demonstrated no group …

Nonprofit Pay In A Competitive Market: Wage Penalty Or Premium?, Christian King, Gregory B. Lewis

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Two competing theories argue that the nonprofit sector pays differently: Nonprofit employees may accept lower pay to be able to do meaningful work for a good cause, or they may earn higher pay due to nonprofit organizations’ tax exemptions and weaker incentives to hold down wages. To test these opposing expectations, we use the 2005-2013 American Community Surveys to examine pay differences among registered nurses working for nonprofit, for-profit, and public hospitals. We also test hypotheses that public and nonprofit hospitals have smaller pay disparities by gender, race, and relationship status. We find that pay is highest in nonprofit hospitals, …

Milk Exosomes: Beyond Dietary Micrornas, Janos Zempleni

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Extracellular vesicles deliver a variety of cargos to recipient cells, including the delivery of cargos in dietary vesicles from bovine milk to non-bovine species. The rate of discovery in this important line of research is slowed by a controversy whether the delivery and bioactivity of a single class of vesicle cargos, microRNAs, are real or not. This opinion paper argues that the evidence in support of the bioavailability of microRNAs encapsulated in dietary exosomes outweighs the evidence produced by scholars doubting that phenomenon is real. Importantly, this paper posits that the time is ripe to look beyond microRNA cargos and …

Role Of Oxygen Free Radicals, Nitric Oxide And Mitochondria In Mediating Cardiac Alterations During Liver Cirrhosis Induced By Thioacetamide, G. Jayakumar Amirtharaj, Sathish Kumar Natarajan, Anna Pulimood, K. A. Balasubramanian, Aparna Venkatraman, Anup Ramachandran

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Thioacetamide (TAA) administration is widely used for induction of liver cirrhosis in rats, where reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) participate in development of liver damage. Cardiac dysfunction is an important complication of liver cirrhosis, but the role of ROS or NO in cardiac abnormalities during liver cirrhosis is not well understood. This was investigated in animals after TAA-induced liver cirrhosis and temporal changes in oxidative stress, NO and mitochondrial function in the heart evaluated. TAA induced elevation in cardiac levels of nitrate before development of frank liver cirrhosis, without gross histological alterations. This was accompanied by an …

Healthy Eating: How Do We Define It And Measure It? What’S The Evidence?, Christy C. Tangney, Beth A. Staffileno, Heather Rasmussen

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

A healthy diet can be defined in many ways, including defining one’s food intake by a dietary pattern. As described in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee report, there are several defined dietary patterns associated with lower rates of chronic diseases. These include the Healthy Eating Index, Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, and those based on the Mediterranean diet. This review will focus on guiding health care professionals, including nurse practitioners, how a healthy diet pattern is defined, how it is measured, and a summary of recent evidence supporting the healthfulness of these dietary patterns.

Prebiotics And Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Heather Rasmussen, Bruce R. Hamaker

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Inflammatory bowel disease risk factors include poor diet, and corresponding low intake of dietary fiber, specifically prebiotics, which is fermented by the gut microbiota. Dietary fibers, many of which are potential prebiotics, have hundreds to thousands of unique chemical structures that may promote bacteria or bacterial groups to provide beneficial health effects. In vitro and in vivo animal models provide some support for the use of prebiotics for inflammatory bowel disease through inflammation reduction. Studies using prebiotics in patients with inflammatory bowel disease are limited and focus on only a select few prebiotic substances.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease, Ulcerative colitis, …

Evaluation Of A Dietary Screener: The Mediterranean Eating Pattern For Americans Tool, L. A. Cerwinske, Heather Rasmussen, S. Lipson, A. S. Volgman, Christy C. Tangney

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background: Evidence exists for an association between accordance with a Mediterranean diet pattern and slower rates of cognitive decline. However, an ‘Americanized’ version of the Mediterranean diet screener is needed to assess accordance in the USA. Thus, the Mediterranean Eating Pattern for Americans (MEPA) tool was developed to assess accordance with a Mediterranean-like food pattern when time is limited. The present study aimed to determine whether the MEPA screener captured the key elements of the Mediterranean diet compared to the more comprehensive food frequency questionnaire (FFQ).

Methods: The study comprised a cross-sectional study in which 70 women completed both the …

Variation In Δ15N And Δ13C Values Of Forages For Arctic Caribou: Effects Of Location, Phenology And Simulated Digestion, Lindsay L. Vansomeren, Perry S. Barboza, David D. Gustine, M. Syndonia Bret-Harte

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

RATIONALE: The use of stable isotopes for dietary estimates of wildlife assumes that there are consistent differences in isotopic ratios among diet items, and that the differences in these ratios between the diet item and the animal tissues (i.e., fractionation) are predictable. However, variation in isotopic ratios and fractionation of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values among locations, seasons, and forages are poorly described for arctic herbivores especially migratory species such as caribou (Rangifer tarandus).

METHODS: We measured the δ¹³Cand δ¹⁵N values of seven species of forage growing along a 200-km …

Effects Of Crop Type And Harvest On Nest Survival And Productivity Of Dickcissels In Semi-Natural Grasslands, Tara J. Conkling, Jerrold L. Belant, Travis L. Devault, James A. Martin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Recent focus on climate change and global energy production has increased interest in developing biofuels including perennial native grasses (e.g. switchgrass [Panicum virgatum]) as viable energy commodities while simultaneously maintaining ecosystem function and biodiversity. However, there is limited research examining the effects of biofuel-focused grasslands on grassland bird reproductive success and conservation. In 2011–2013 we studied the effects of vegetation composition and harvest regimens of switchgrass monocultures and native warm-season grass (NWSG) mixtures on nest success, nest density, and productivity for dickcissels (Spiza americana) in Clay Co. MS, USA. There was no effect of vegetation metrics, …

Uncovering Behavioural States From Animal Activity And Site Fidelity Patterns, Peter J. Mahoney, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. Space use by animals has important implications for individual fitness. However, resource requirements often vary throughout the course of a lifetime and are a reflection of the demands associated with daily tasks or specific life-history phases, from food acquisition to reproduction, and emphasize the need to classify resource selection relative to specific behavioural states. Site fidelity is often indicative of behaviours important for individual maintenance (e.g. foraging), species’ life history (e.g. seasonal site selection), social communication (e.g. scent-marking) and species interactions (e.g. predation, competition). Thus, resolving site fidelity patterns associated with key behaviours is essential to accurately quantify behavioural-dependent …

Temporal Development Of Gut Microbiota In Triclocarban Exposed Pregnant And Neonatal Rats, Rebekah C. Kennedy, Russell R. Fling, Michael S. Robeson, Arnold M. Saxton, Robert L. Donnell, John L. Darcy, David A. Bemis, Jiang Liu, Ling Zhao, Jiangang Chen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Alteration of gut microbial colonization process may influence susceptibility of the newborn/infant to infectious and chronic disease. Infectious disease risk leads to widespread use of non-prescription antimicrobials in household products such as Triclocarban (TCC), an antimicrobial compound in personal care products. TCC concentrates in and is transferred through the milk to suckling offspring. TCC exposure during gestation and lactation significantly reduced phylogenetic diversity (PD) among exposed dams and neonates. Among dams using weighted UniFrac distances, TCC induced significant dysbiosis of gut microbiota by gestational day (GD) 18, a trend that continued after delivery. Similarly, an overall restructuring of gut microbiota …

Diazacon Reduces Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Reproduction In Colorado, Christi A. Yoder, Richard E. Mauldin, James P. Gionfriddo, Kenneth A. Crane, David A. Goldade, Richard M. Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomus ludovicianus) often come into conflict with humans in urban natural areas adjacent to private property by destroying plants and denuding the landscape. There is a diversity of attitudes related to urban prairie dog management in Colorado and interest in non-lethal methods is increasing. Therefore, the development of non-lethal methods that allow the existence of prairie dogs and mitigate damage related to population density is needed.

Aims. The efficacy of DiazaCon (20,25-diazacholesterol dihydrochloride, a cholesterol analogue) as an oral contraceptive bait for reducing reproduction in black-tailed prairie dogs was tested. Persistence of DiazaCon in …

Organ Weights And Histopathology Of Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax Auritus) Dosed Orally Or Dermally With Artificially Weathered Mississippi Canyon 252 Crude Oil, K. E. Harr, Drury R. Reavill, Steven J. Bursian, Dave Cacela, Fred L. Cunningham, Karen M. Dean, Brian S. Dorr, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, Kate Healy, Katherine E. Horak, Jane E. Link, Susan A. Shriner, Robert E. Schmidt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

A series of toxicity tests were conducted to assess the effects of low to moderate exposure to artificially weathered Deepwater Horizon Mississippi Canyon 252 crude oil on representative avian species as part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment. The present report summarizes effects of oral exposure (n=26) of double crested cormorants (DCCO; Phalacrocorax auritus) to 5 or 10 ml oil kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ for up to 21 days or dermal application (n=25) of 13 ml oil to breast and back feathers every three days totaling 6 applications in 21 days on organ weights and histopathology. Absolute and relative …

Chemical Repellents, Scott J. Werner, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Agricultural depredations caused by blackbirds can be managed with various lethal and nonlethal methods, including chemical repellents. For many people, nonlethal chemical repellents represent an appealing approach to managing crop depredation because the depredating birds are targeted but not killed; they are just inconvenienced. An effective repellent application can cause the crop-depredating birds to leave their present feeding site and seek food elsewhere. Where the birds go to feed is immaterial to the producer as long as the birds leave the producer's field. Thus, an effective repellent application will not likely affect the overall size of the blackbird population, but …

Toxic Effects Of Orally Ingested Oil From The Deepwater Horizon Spill On Laughing Gulls, Katherine E. Horak, Steven J. Bursian, C. K. Ellis, K. M. Dean, J. E. Link, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, F. L. Cunningham, K. E. Harr, C. A. Pritsos, Karen L. Pritsos, Katherine A. Healy, Dave Cacela, S. A. Shriner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig released millions of gallons of oil into the environment, subsequently exposing wildlife, including numerous bird species. To determine the effects of MC252 oil to species relevant to the Gulf of Mexico, studies were done examining multiple exposure scenarios and doses. In this study, laughing gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla, LAGU) were offered fish injected with MC252 oil at target doses of 5 or 10 mL/kg bw per day. Dosing continued for 27 days. Of the adult, mixed-sex LAGUs used in the present study, 10 of 20 oil exposed LAGUs survived to the …

Space Use And Social Ecology Of Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In A High-Elevation Ecosystem: Relative Stability In A Changing Environment, Suzanne J. Gifford, Eric M. Gese, Robert R. Parmenter

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Coyote (Canis latrans) spatial and social ecology are variable, but have been little studied in high-elevation environments. In these temperate ecosystems, large ungulates are prevalent and coyote pack size may be large in order for them to scavenge and defend ungulate carcasses from conspecifics in neighboring packs. We initiated a study to understand the spatial and social ecology of coyotes on the Valles Caldera National Preserve, a high-elevation (2450–3400 m) protected area in northern New Mexico. Our objectives were to (1) describe the home range size and habitat use of coyotes in the preserve, (2) describe coyote movements …

Testing Of An Oral Dosing Technique For Double-Crested Cormorants, Phalacocorax Auritus, Laughing Gulls, Leucophaeus Atricilla, Homing Pigeons, Columba Livia, And Western Sandpipers, Calidris Mauri, With Artificially Weather Mc252 Oil, Karen M. Dean, Dave Cacela, Michael W. Carney, F. L. Cunningham, C. Ellis, A. R. Gerson, C. G. Guglielmo, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, K. E. Harr, Katherine A. Healy, Katherine E. Horak, John P. Isanhart, L. V. Kennedy, J. E. Link, I. Lipton, Andrew K. Mcfadden, J. K. Moye, C. R. Perez, C. A. Pritsos, Karen L. Pritsos, Thivanka Muthumalage, S. A. Shriner, S. J. Bursian

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Scoping studies were designed to determine if double-crested cormorants (Phalacocorax auritus), laughing gulls (Leucophaues atricilla), homing pigeons (Columba livia) and western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) that were gavaged with a mixture of artificially weathered MC252 oil and food for either a single day or 4–5 consecutive days showed signs of oil toxicity. Where volume allowed, samples were collected for hematology, plasma protein electrophoresis, clinical chemistry and electrolytes, oxidative stress and organ weigh changes. Double-crested cormorants, laughing gulls and western sandpipers all excreted oil within 30 min of dose, while pigeons regurgitated within less …

Demographic And Temporal Variations In Immunity And Condition Of Polar Bears (Ursus Maritimus) From The Southern Beaufort Sea, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Patricia A. Terletzky, Todd C. Atwood, Eric M. Gese, Geoffrey D. Smith, Sydney Greenfield, John Pettit, Susannah S. French

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Assessing the health and condition of animals in their natural environment can be problematic. Many physiological metrics, including immunity, are highly influenced by specific context and recent events to which researchers may be unaware. Thus, using a multifaceted physiological approach and a context-specific analysis encompassing multiple time scales can be highly informative. Ecoimmunological tools in particular can provide important indications to the health of animals in the wild.We collected blood and hair samples from free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea and examined the influence of sex, age, and reproductive status on metrics of immunity, …

Coyote Removal: Can The Short-Term Application Of A Controversial Management Tool Improve Female Greater Sage-Grouse Survival Or Nest Success?, Elizabeth K. Orning, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Greater sage-grouse Centrocercus urophasianus have declined across western North America, intensifying the need for ecological research that enhances management and conservation goals. Predator–prey interactions can have widespread ecological effects but there is a paucity of information about predator effects on sage-grouse ecology. During a two-year study from 2011–2012, we modified the existing framework designed for predator management to test the effects of coyote Canis latrans removal on female sage-grouse survival and nest success in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming, USA, where coyotes were found to be the dominant predator. We used VHF radio-telemetry to monitor female survival and locate nests …

Attractants For Wild Pigs: Current Use, Availability, Needs, And Future Potential, Michael J. Lavelle, Nathan P. Snow, Justin W. Fischer, Joe M. Halseth, Eric H. Vannatta, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Populations of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are burgeoning around the globe, and they are currently the target of extensive research and management efforts.Wild pigs are a highly successful invasive species that cause extensive damage to agriculture and native plant and animal communities. Lethal control is the most common management strategy used to reduce wild pig populations and their damage, and many lethal strategies rely on luring wild pigs to a specific location. Most commonly, a food commodity such as corn or maize (Zea mays) is used for attracting wild pigs to a site, but baiting with …

Characterizing The Diversity Of Sweetpotato Through Growth Parameters And Leaf Traits: Precocity And Light Use Efficiency As Important Ordination Factors, D. A. Ramírez, C. Gavilán, C. Barreda, B. Condori, G. Rossel, R. O. M. Mwanga, M. Andrade, P. Monneveux, N. L. Anglin, D. Ellis, R. Quiroz

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Due to its low-input requirements, high yield capacity in marginal soils, and high carbohydrate and vitamin A content, sweetpotato is an important food security crop. For effective breeding strategies, knowing and understanding the traits that drive diversity among varieties is required. In this study, a set representing the diversity of sweetpotato varieties was characterized through multivariate ordination based on growth parameters and physiological leaf traits. The dynamic of light interception, light use efficiency (LUE) parameters, and partition of assimilates to the storage roots of eight representative varieties were simulated through a crop growth model. Leaf mass per area (LMA), N …

Serologic Evidence Of Various Arboviruses Detected In White Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) In The United States, Kerri Pedersen, Eryu Wang, Scott C. Weaver, Paul C. Wolf, Adam R. Randall, Kyle R. Van Why, Amelia P.A. Travassos Da Rosa, Thomas Gidlewski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are an abundant mammal with a wide geographic distribution in the United States, which make them good sentinels for monitoring arboviral activity across the country. Exposure to various arboviruses has been detected in white-tailed deer, typically in conjunction with another diagnostic finding. To better assess the exposure of white-tailed deer to seven arboviruses, wetested 1,508 sera collected from 2010 to 2016 for antibodies to eastern equine encephalitis (2.5%), Powassan (4.2%), St. Louis encephalitis, (3.7%), West Nile (6.0%), Maguari (19.4%), La Crosse (30.3%), and bluetongue (7.8%) viruses. At least one arbovirus was detected in 51.3%, …

Quantile Regression Of Microgeographic Variation In Population Characteristics Of An Invasive Vertebrate Predator, Shane R. Siers, Julie A. Savidge, Robert N. Reed

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Localized ecological conditions have the potential to induce variation in population characteristics such as size distributions and body conditions. The ability to generalize the influence of ecological characteristics on such population traits may be particularly meaningful when those traits influence prospects for successful management interventions. To characterize variability in invasive Brown Treesnake population attributes within and among habitat types, we conducted systematic and seasonally-balanced surveys, collecting 100 snakes from each of 18 sites: three replicates within each of six major habitat types comprising 95% of Guam's geographic expanse. Our study constitutes one of the most comprehensive and controlled samplings of …

Admissions Viewbook, 2017-2018, Illinois State University, Office Of Admissions

Admissions Viewbook

Recruitment booklet created by Illinois State University's Office of Admissions

Chemical Modification Of Ginsenoside On Cell Viability And Cytokine Secretion, Brandi Betts-Obregon, Magaly Salinas, Dale Oladunni, George R. Negrete, Andrew Tsin

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Rb1 is a ginsenoside steroid glycoside found exclusively in the plant Panax ginseng. In an earlier report, we showed that Rb1 increased cell proliferation and reduced VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) secretion by human retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE19) cells.

Objective: In the present study, we hypothesized that chemical modification of Rb1 changes the level of VEGF secretion by ARPE19 cells.

Method: Three derivatives of Rb1 were chemically synthesized by hydrogenation (Rb1-H2), acetylation (Rb1-Acyl), and epoxidation (Rb1-Epoxy). Structural modifications were confirmed by 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra and Mass Spectrometry (MS). To test the biological activity, chemically modified compounds …