this study was carried out to clarify the feeding biology of the blood cockle ( anadara granosa ). we collected blood cockles from 8 stations in the matang mangrove estuary of malaysia in july and august 2010. the digestive tube contents of the specimens were stained with congo red and observed under a light microscope. the results showed blood cockles take in particles containing cellulose as ...

a study of insect digestive enzymes makes sense given that the gut is the major interface between the insect and its environment. an understanding of gut and digestive enzyme function is essential when advanced methods of insect management such as application of enzyme inhibitors and transgenic plants are developed to control insect pests. the aim of the current research project was to study mi...

Hemoglobin is an important nutrient source for intraerythrocytic malaria organisms. Its catabolism occurs in an acidic digestive vacuole. Our previous studies suggested that an aspartic protease plays a key role in the degradative process. We have now isolated this enzyme and defined its role in the hemoglobinolytic pathway. Laser desorption mass spectrometry was used to analyze the proteolytic...

AIM To investigate the effect of synbiotics, i.e. probiotics and prebiotics mixture, on the gut microbial ecology and digestive enzyme activities in rats. METHODS Forty-eight SD rats weighing about 280 g were used in this study. Rats were divided into three groups according to the contents of probiotics and prebiotics mixture in the feed as control, low and high dose groups. The duration of t...

Natural products such as plant extracts and complex microbial secondary metabolites have recently attracted the attention of scientific world for their potential use as drugs for treating chronic diseases such as Type II diabetes. Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) or Type II diabetes has complicated basis and has various treatment options, each targeting different mechanism of act...

Excessive ethanol consumption is a common risk factor for acute and chronic pancreatitis. Ethanol could lead to the onset of pancreatitis in a number of ways; the most recently discovered is its effect on intrapancreatic digestive enzyme activation, by either sensitizing acinar cells to pathologic stimuli or stimulating the release of a secretagogue (cholecystokinin) from duodenal I cells. Rece...