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.

Ethanolic Extract of Polish Propolis: Chemical Composition and TRAIL-R2 Death Receptor Targeting Apoptotic Activity against Prostate Cancer Cells

Abstract: Propolis possesses chemopreventive properties through direct anticancer and indirect immunomodulatory activities. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) plays a significant role in immunosurveillance and defense against cancer cells. TRAIL triggers apoptosis upon binding to TRAIL-R1 (DR4) and TRAIL-R2 (DR5) death receptors expressed on cancer cell surface. The activation of TRAIL apoptotic signaling is considered an attractive option for cancer prevention. However, as more tumor cells are reported to be resistant to TRAIL-mediated death, it is important to develop new strategies to overcome this resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical composition and proapoptotic mechanism of ethanolic extract of Polish propolis (EEP-P) against cancer cells. The identification and quantification of phenolic compounds in propolis extract were performed using HPLC-DAD and UPLC-Q-TOF-MS methods. TRAIL-resistant LNCaP prostate cancer cells were treated with EEP-P and TRAIL. Cytotoxicity was measured by MTT and LDH assays. Apoptosis was detected using annexin V-FITC staining by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Death receptors expression was analyzed using flow cytometry. Pinobanksin, chrysin, methoxyflavanone, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and caffeic acid were the main phenolics found in EEP-P. Propolis sensitized LNCaP cells through upregulation of TRAIL-R2. These results suggest that EEP-P supports TRAIL-mediated immunochemoprevention in prostate cancer cells.

Semen collection in the ostrich (Struthio camelus) using a dummy or a teaser female

Abstract: 1. We investigated the feasibility of training male ostriches to ejaculate into an artificial cloaca (AC) using a teaser female or a dummy. 2. Male ostriches develop desirable behaviour patterns that allow them to be trained to the teaser and the dummy female. Training success can be high as both methods rely on natural stimulation and voluntary ejaculation into the AC provided suitable individuals are identified. 3. The key factors to successful training appear to be: the teaser method - temperament of male ostriches, the crouching behaviour of the female ostriches for the semen collector and acceptance of the collector by the male; dummy method - courtship of humans, learning ability of ostriches to habituate and then to mount a dummy. 4. Both methods are reliable, yield ejaculates of high quality and give reproducible results. The ejaculate volume was 1.09 +/- 0.13 ml, the concentration of spermatozoa 4.21 +/- 0.27 x 10(9)/ml, the total number of spermatozoa 4.67 +/- 0.62 x 10(9) and motility 4.3 +/- 0.1. 5. Commercial ostrich production that relies on natural mating can take advantage of those methods to develop artificial insemination technologies.

Influence of Osmodehydration Pretreatment and Combined Drying Method on the Bioactive Potential of Sour Cherry Fruits

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of osmotic dehydration (OD) time in apple concentrate on dehy- dration kinetics and quality parameters (polyphenol content and antioxidant activity) of sour cherries before further processing. Additionally, the study was focused on the effects of combined drying (convective drying+vacuum-microwave finish drying (CD-VMFD)) applied to fresh and osmodehydrated sour cherries in respect to drying kinetics, including the temperature evolution of dried material with time, as well as on quality factors of the finished product. Analyses were conducted for four kinds of sour cherries: frozen with stone (FS), frozen without stone (FW), thawed with stone (TS), and thawed without stone (TW), which were osmodehydrated for 180 min in the same operating conditions. The study revealed that the decrease of water loss to solid gain (WL/SG) ratio during OD of frozen sour cherries in apple concentrate associated with in- creased values of WL/SG was considerably enhanced by stone removal and the process of thawing. A logarithmic model was proposed for overall description of drying kinetics of combined drying. While OD time was increasing, the drying constant was decreasing for CD and obtained the maximum value for VMFD at the optimal time of OD, which was associated with achieving the peak temperature of VMFD material. It was found that the best variant of pretreatment of sour cherries, to be used for OD in apple concentrate, was freezing the fruits without stones. These fruits were characterized by a high content of polyphenols, high antioxidant activity, and the largest WL/SG ratio during OD process. It was also stated that the optimal method for sour cherry drying was the combined method consisting of OD (120 min) followed by CD (90 min) and VMFD, while maintaining the initial parameters.