Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences

About: Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences is a education organization based out in Wrocław, Poland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & GNSS applications. The organization has 3108 authors who have published 6672 publications receiving 57774 citations.

Revisiting the phylogeography and demography of European badgers (Meles meles) based on broad sampling, multiple markers and simulations

Abstract: Although the phylogeography of European mammals has been extensively investigated since the 1990s, many studies were limited in terms of sampling distribution, the number of molecular markers used and the analytical techniques employed, frequently leading to incomplete postglacial recolonisation scenarios. The broad-scale genetic structure of the European badger (Meles meles) is of interest as it may result from historic restriction to glacial refugia and/or recent anthropogenic impact. However, previous studies were based mostly on samples from western Europe, making it difficult to draw robust conclusions about the location of refugia, patterns of postglacial expansion and recent demography. In the present study, continent-wide sampling and analyses with multiple markers provided evidence for two glacial refugia (Iberia and southeast Europe) that contributed to the genetic variation observed in badgers in Europe today. Approximate Bayesian computation provided support for a colonisation of Scandinavia from both Iberian and southeastern refugia. In the whole of Europe, we observed a decline in genetic diversity with increasing latitude, suggesting that the reduced diversity in the peripheral populations resulted from a postglacial expansion processes. Although MSVAR v.1.3 also provided evidence for recent genetic bottlenecks in some of these peripheral populations, the simulations performed to estimate the method’s power to correctly infer the past demography of our empirical populations suggested that the timing and severity of bottlenecks could not be established with certainty. We urge caution against trying to relate demographic declines inferred using MSVAR with particular historic or climatological events.

The effect of different maturity stages on phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of cranberry cultivars

Abstract: The changes of polyphenols and triterpenoids in three cranberry cultivars (‘Pilgrim’, ‘Stevens’, and ‘Ben Lear)’ from different maturity stages, grown in Poland, were determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and photodiode detector-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Fifty-one bioactive compounds were identified in cranberry fruits, including 48 polyphenols (19 flavonols, 8 anthocyanins, 7 phenolic acids, and 14 flavan-3-ol oligomers) and 3 triterpenoids (betulinic, oleanolic, and ursolic acids). The concentrations of individual polyphenolic compounds during ripening were similar, whereas their values differed significantly. Immature fruits showed the lowest level of polyphenolic compounds, which increased in semi-mature cranberry fruits and did not change remarkably in commercially mature cranberry fruits. The quantity of phytochemical compounds during cranberry fruit ripening depended on cultivar, and the cultivar ‘Stevens’ had significantly higher concentrations of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in comparison to the other tested cultivars.

Gemini ester quat surfactants and their biological activity

Abstract: Cationic gemini surfactants are an important class of surface-active compounds that exhibit much higher surface activity than their monomeric counterparts. This type of compound architecture lends itself to the compound being easily adsorbed at interfaces and interacting with the cellular membranes of microorganisms. Conventional cationic surfactants have high chemical stability but poor chemical and biological degradability. One of the main approaches to the design of readily biodegradable and environmentally friendly surfactants involves inserting a bond with limited stability into the surfactant molecule to give a cleavable surfactant. The best-known example of such a compound is the family of ester quats, which are cationic surfactants with a labile ester bond inserted into the molecule. As part of this study, a series of gemini ester quat surfactants were synthesized and assayed for their biological activity. Their hemolytic activity and changes in the fluidity and packing order of the lipid polar heads were used as the measures of their biological activity. A clear correlation between the hemolytic activity of the tested compounds and their alkyl chain length was established. It was found that the compounds with a long hydrocarbon chain showed higher activity. Moreover, the compounds with greater spacing between their alkyl chains were more active. This proves that they incorporate more easily into the lipid bilayer of the erythrocyte membrane and affect its properties to a greater extent. A better understanding of the process of cell lysis by surfactants and of their biological activity may assist in developing surfactants with enhanced selectivity and in widening their range of application.