No abstract

The essential oils, with known effects on insects, could be an alternative method to classical insecticides. In the present study, the essential oils of Agastache foeniculum (Pursh) Kuntze, Anethum graveolens L., Cuminum cyminum L., Foeniculum vulgare Gaetner and Satureja hortensis L. were isolated by hydrodistillation method using Clevenger apparatus and their insecticidal activities determined against Callosobruchus maculatus L. adults through fumigant bioassay. A culture of C. maculatus was established on the seeds of Vigna ungiculata at 27 ± 1°C and 65 ± 5 % relative humidity. Results indicated that the essential oils had high fumigant activity on the insect. Responses were different according to the plant materials and their concentrations. The LC 50 values of essential oils from A. foeniculum, A. graveolens, C. cyminum, F. vulgare and S. hortensis against C. maculatus were 25. 476, 12.750, 11.385, 24.944 and 68.728 μL/L air, respectively. On the other hand, the toxicity of oils followed in the order: C. cyminum > A. graveolens > F. vulgare > A. foeniculum > S. hortensis. The results demonstrated that the mortality rate of all essential oils increased with concentration increase. These results suggested that the essential oils extracted from A. foeniculum, A. graveolens, C. cyminum, F. vulgare and S. hortensis can be used in the management of C. maculatus in order to decrease the detrimental effects and risk of synthetic insecticides.

Azarbayjani MA, Dalvand H, Fatolahi H, Hoseini SA, Farzanegi P, Stannard SR. Responses of salivary cortisol and α-amylase to official competition. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 385-391, 2011. This study was designed to determine the relationship between salivary cortisol, α-amylase and total protein response in the official football players during the course of a game. Nine young amateur football players agreed to participate in the study. Saliva samples were collected from each player 30 min and 5 min before the start of the competition, at half time, and then again 5 and 30 min after the end of competition. A significant increase in cortisol (p=0.04) in response to playing the competition was observed including a significantly higher concentration 30 min after match as compared to half time (p=0.016). In contrast, changes in salivary α-amylase changes were irregular, but there was significant decline 5 min after end of match as compared to the 5 min before the beginning of match (p<0.019). No significant difference in total protein concentration was observed. Though salivary cortisol, α-amylase and total protein changes were observed concomitantly, but there no significant relationship between them. We conclude that participation in competition has an accumulative effect on salivary cortisol concentration, but this was not related changes in salivary α-amylase.

Background: Exposure to environmental pollution is a very important factor that disrupts human metabolism. Cadmium is one of the toxic elements of the environment that has deleterious effects on various organs of the body, induces oxidative stress in the cell, and ultimately causes apoptosis. Objectives: The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of endurance exercise along with cadmium consumption on the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax genes in the heart tissue of rats. Methods: In the present experimental research, 25 rats were randomly selected and divided into five groups of five rats (1) control, (2) sham, (3) cadmium consumption, (4) endurance training along with cadmium consumption, and (5) endurance training alone. Groups 3 and 4 received 2 mg/kg of cadmium per day peritoneally and groups 4 and 5 ran on the treadmill for three sessions of 60 minutes per week for eight weeks. For statistical analysis, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, One-way ANOVA, and Tukey's post hoc tests were used (P ≤ 0.05). Results: Cadmium significantly reduced the Bcl-2 gene expression (P = 0.003) and increased the Bax gene expression (P = 0.001) in the heart tissue of rats. On the other hand, endurance training significantly increased the Bcl-2 gene expression (P = 0.002) and reduced the Bax gene expression (P = 0.002) in the heart tissue of the rats. Conclusions: Eight weeks of endurance training can improve the Bcl-2 and Bax gene expressions in the heart tissue of rats exposed to cadmium.

Like many insects, honey bee can increase its cold tolerance through freeze avoidance, using antifreeze proteins (AFPs) to lower its supercooling point (SCP). Proline is the most dominant amino acid in honey bee hemolymph, which can be obtained by the insect through feeding. In the current study the antifreeze activity of this amino acid was evaluated on worker honey bees, immediately before the start of cold season. The experiment was established on four treatments including three different concentrations of proline (1%, 3% and 4.35%) diluted in 1:1 water sucrose syrup, and the syrup without proline (control). Newly emerged worker honey bees were fed on the mentioned diets for 2 weeks, under cage condition, and then 20 bees from each treatment (cage) were selected randomly for determination of cold hardiness inside a cooling bath. Using a CHY data logger, equipped with a K100 sensor attached to the bee's gaster, the SCP, the amount of released heat and the rate of this release as measures of insect cold hardiness were recorded. Proline significantly reduced honey bees' SCP. The lowest point, -7.67 ± 0.2646°C, was observed in the concentration of 1% proline. The amount of released heat and the rate of this release were not significantly different across the treatments.