Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto

About: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Catalysis. The organization has 2143 authors who have published 3674 publications receiving 71071 citations. The organization is also known as: FFCLRP & FFCLRP-USP.

Natural feeding activity of the crab Callinectes ornatus (Portunidae) in Ubatuba Bay (São Paulo, Brazil): influence of season, sex, size and molt stage

Abstract: The natural diet of Callinectes ornatus in Ubatuba Bay, Ubatuba (SP), Brazil, was studied. Influence of season, sex, size and molt stage variation in the diet were also described. Specimens were collected monthly over a period of 1 year, in Ubatuba Bay, using a fishing boat equipped with a double rigged net. The relative degree of stomach fullness, frequency of occurrence, and quantitative scoring (percentage) were determined. Digested material, crustaceans, sediment and mollusks were the principal items of the diet. Echinoderms, annelids, plants, and fishes were also notable prey items, and other food categories (foraminiferans, cnidarians, worms and bryozoans) occurred in low percentages. A non-significant difference was found in many items during seasonal analysis, i.e. plants, foraminiferans, cnidarians, bryozoans and digested material were present at highest percentages during summer and autumn, while crustaceans and echinoderms were consumed in larger amounts during the spring and winter. Males and females consumed a similar diet, although ovigerous females showed a greater tendency to feed on items with soft tissues (fish, squid, shrimp). Juveniles fed more on sedentary and calcareous items than did adults, showing a significant tendency to reduce consumption of foraminiferans, annelids, bryozoans, echinoderms and sediment as the animal increased in size, accompanied by an elevation in the consumption of plants, crustaceans and fish. These crabs are opportunistic predators with a preference for crustaceans and mollusks that is correlated with the availability of prey and the ontogenetic phase of the predator.

The ontogeny of isosmotic intracellular regulation in the diadromous, freshwater palaemonid shrimps, Macrobrachium amazonicum and M. olfersi (Decapoda)

Abstract: To elucidate the osmoregulatory mechanisms underpinning the invasion of fresh water by the palaemonid Crustacea, we investigate the contribution of free amino acids (FAA) to intracellular isosmotic regulation in selected ontogenetic stages of two diadromous, neotropical shrimps, Macrobrachium amazonicum and M. olfersi, exposed to fresh water or to saline media. We also evaluate anisosmotic/ionic extracellular regulatory capability in adult M. amazonicum alone; all data for adult M. olfersi are from McNamara et al. (2004). Adult shrimps show similar osmotic and ionic regulatory capabilities, including elevated hemolymph osmolality in fresh water, moderate isosmotic points, hyper-regulatory capability up to 20‰, and good tolerance of saline media. However, the two species rely on brackish water to different degrees to complete their life cycles: while M. olfersi zoeae 1 and 2 survive well in fresh water, those of M. amazonicum die within two hours. Total FAA titers increase significantly over the o...

Synthesis, Electrochemical, Spectral, and Antioxidant Properties of Complexes of Flavonoids with Metal Ions

Abstract: Complexes of metal ions with the flavonoids quercetin (H2L1), rutin (H2L2) and 3‐hydroxyflavone (HL3) have been synthesized. From the data obtained by elemental analyses, molar conductance, atomic absorption, thermal analyses, 1H NMR, IR, UV‐Vis and EPR spectroscopies one can propose the compositions: [Cu2(L1)(H2O)4]Cl2 (1), [Cu3(L2)2(H2O)6]Cl2 (2), [Cu(L3)(H2O)2]Cl (3), [Fe2(L1)(H2O)8]Cl2 (4), [Fe3(L2)2(H2O)12]Cl2 (5) and [Fe(L3)(H2O)4]Cl (6). We have used the assumption that the electrochemical oxidation can be used as a model for antioxidant activities for the flavonoids. The cyclic voltammograms show irreversible oxidation processes at + 0.58 V and + 0.91 V for (1), + 0.82 V for (2), + 0.89 V for (3), + 0.58 V and + 0.90 V for (4), + 0.78 V for (5) and + 0.86 V for (6) versus Ag/AgCl. These values are lower than those for the free flavonoids indicating a more favorable antioxidant activity. Furthermore, these complexes were also more effective than the uncomplexed flavonoids scavenging superoxide radi...