Spirulina platensis is a high protein content cyanobacterium with known therapeutic properties. Its main protein Phycocyanin is currently as a functional ingredient into various food products to enhance their nutritional qualities acting as food colorant, antioxidant and emulsifier, reducing the use of synthetic additives. The post-harvest treatment of the microalga affects its content of prote...

Vertebrates cannot synthesize carotenoid pigments de novo, so to produce carotenoid-based coloration they must ingest carotenoids. Most songbirds that deposit red carotenoids in feathers, bills, eyes, or skin ingest only yellow or orange dietary pigments, which they oxidize to red pigments via a ketolation reaction. It has been hypothesized that carotenoid ketolation occurs in the liver of vert...

BACKGROUND To our knowledge tattooing has never been thought of as a method of introducing nanoparticles (NPs) into the human body by the intradermal route, and as such it has never been a topic of research in nanotoxicology. The content of NPs in tattoo inks is unknown. OBJECTIVES To classify the particle sizes in tattoo inks in general usage. METHODS The particle size was measured by lase...

drought stress is one of the most important factors limiting the survival and growth of plants in the different habitats of iran. detailed knowledge about the ecophysiological responses of native plants to drought stress could contribute to the success of breeding and re-vegetation programs. six wild populations of anthemis tinctoria, were assigned to four drought treatments, i.e. well-watered ...

The effect of a colloidal solution of Cu,Zn-nanoparticles on pro-oxidative/antioxidative balance and content of photosynthetic pigments and leaf area of winter wheat plants of steppe (Acveduc) and forest-steppe (Stolichna) ecotypes was investigated in drought conditions. It has been shown that Cu,Zn-nanoparticles decreased the negative effect of drought action upon plants of steppe ecotype Acve...

A dedicated field experiment was conducted to investigate the response of a green reflectance continuum removal-based optical index, called area under the curve normalized to maximal band depth between 511 nm and 557 nm (ANMB511-557), to light-induced transformations in xanthophyll cycle pigments of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst] needles. The performance of ANMB511-557 was compared with...