No abstract

No abstract

SummaryThis in vitro study aimed to quantify water loss at histological points in ground sections of normal enamel during air drying at room temperature (25• C) and relative humidity of 50%. From each of 10 ground sections of erupted permanent human normal enamel, three histological points (n = 30) located at 100, 300 and 500 μm from enamel surface and along a transversal following prisms paths were characterized regarding the mineral, organic and water volumes. Water loss during air drying was from 0 to 48 h. Drying occurred with both falling and constant-drying rates, and drying stabilization times (T eq ) ranged from 0.5 to 11 h with a mean 0.26 (±0.12)% weight loss. In some samples (n = 5; 15 points), T eq increased as a function of the distance from the enamel surface, and drying occurred at an apparent diffusion rate of 3.47 × 10 −8 cm 2 s −1 . Our data provide evidence of air drying resulting in air replacing enamel's loosely bound water in prisms sheaths following a unidirectional water diffusion rate of 3.47 × 10 −8 cm 2 s −1 (from the original enamel surface inward), not necessarily resulting in water evaporating directly into air, with important implications for transport processes and optical and mechanical properties.

This study evaluated whether supplementation with goat milk whey (GMW) affects the nutritional status, intestinal histology and intestinal microbial composition of female rats fed a westernized diet from gestation to lactation, as well as whether changes can be replicated in the offspring at the end of weaning and at 45 days of life. Pregnant female rats were randomized into four groups: control group (CSAL), control group supplemented with GMW (CGOAT), westernized group (WSAL) or westernized group supplemented with GMW (WGOAT). After weaning, half of offspring were euthanized and the rest of the offspring were maintained under the same treatment applied to dams, up to 45 days of life. Body weight, food intake, intestinal histology and counting of fecal microbial groups were determined in both female rats and offspring. The offspring supplemented with GMW showed decreased body weight at weaning. After weaning, groups supplemented with GMW showed reduced body weight and visceral fat, increased fecal lactobacilli counts in rats and offspring and attenuation of damages induced by the westernized diet on intestinal epithelial cells. GMW supplementation caused a positive effect on fecal microbial composition, intestinal morphology and induced reduction in weight gain and visceral fat in female rats and offspring fed westernized diet. These effects appear to be dependent on the animal's age and period time of GMW supplementation.

Fruits agro-industrial by-products may have a great variety of bioactive compounds that promote health. Thus, the effects of supplementation with acerola, cashew and guava processing by-products for 28 days on retinol level, lipid profile and on some aspects related to intestinal function in rats were investigated. The animals supplemented with different fruit by-products presented similar weight gain, faecal pH values and intestinal epithelial structures; however, they showed higher moisture and Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. counts in faeces compared to the control group. Supplementation with the cashew by-product decreased the blood glucose, acerola and guava by-products reduced serum lipid levels and all fruit by-products tested increased serum and hepatic retinol. The results indicated that acerola and guava byproducts possess a potential hypolipidemic effect. The three fruit by-products increase the hepatic retinol deposition and the faecal populations of beneficial bacterial groups and modulated aspects of intestinal function. The findings of this study can contribute to sustainable fruticulture and support future clinical studies with the supplementation of by-products.