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TOTUM-854 Human Circulating Bioactives Preserve Endothelial Cell Function
No full textInternational audienceBackground: TOTUM-854 is a patented plant extract blend characterized by its components that have previously been described for their potential health benefits in limiting hypertension onset. However, most of the literature data remain descriptive regarding the mode of action at the cellular level, especially in humans, and further investigations are required for optimized therapeutic strategies. Methods: We first demonstrated in an L-NAME mouse model that TOTUM-854 supports the prevention of hypertension in vitro and in vivo. Then, we designed an ex vivo clinical innovative approach considering the circulating metabolites produced by the digestive tract upon TOTUM-854 ingestion in humans. Human serum was collected in healthy volunteers before and after the acute intake of 3.71 g of TOTUM-854. The bioavailability of circulating metabolites was confirmed and characterized by UPLC-MS. Human serum containing TOTUM-854-derived metabolites was further processed for incubation with human endothelial cells (HUVECs), in the absence or presence of palmitate (200 µM). Results: HUVEC protection against lipotoxicity was characterized by (1) decreased ACE-1 activity (−32% p < 0.0001); (2) the inhibition of oxidative stress with decreased ROS (−12% observed by DCFDA and DHE fluorescent microscopy) and decreased Nox2 gene expression (−6.7 fold change vs. palmitate, p < 0.01); and (3) the inhibition of an inflammatory response, with a decrease in IL-1β release (−37% compared to palmitate, p < 0.001) and decreased MCP-1 and VCAM-1 gene expression (−93% p < 0.001 and −77% p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Overall, this study provides insightful data regarding the protective role of TOTUM-854 in human endothelial cells. Using an innovative clinical ex vivo approach, our data support the role of TOTUM-854 circulating metabolites in vascular protection in humans
Effects of Panels and Management on Plant Community Composition in Southern French Solar Parks
No full textInternational audienceAims The ongoing increase of solar parks creates and transforms open ecosystems. Solar park ecosystems combine artificial and semi‐natural microhabitats depending on the influence of solar panels. We distinguished microhabitats outside panels (unshaded), inter‐rows between panels (partial shading) and microhabitats under panels (constantly shaded). Furthermore, solar parks need to be managed by grazing or mowing to avoid the overgrowth of solar panels. The aim of our study was to assess the effects of management and microhabitat on plant community composition. Location Southwestern ( Landes de Gascogne ) and southeastern France ( Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur ). Methods We analyzed the vegetation of 20 solar parks, with half of the parks being grazed and the other half being mown. We used a randomized block design with one 4 m 2 plot in each microhabitat replicated in four blocks per park. We identified all vascular plant species and visually estimated their cover. Results The microhabitat effect was significant for species richness, plant cover, and species composition. The plant species richness was on average 34% lower under than outside panels. The dissimilarity between under and outside panel plant species composition was explained by at least 17% of the species. The effect of management was smaller, being only significant for plant species composition but not for richness, cover, or evenness. The management–microhabitat interaction was significant only for plant cover. Conclusions The strong effect of solar panels on plant communities advocates for differential conservation strategies adjusted for microhabitat
Morpho‐ecological restoration in braided rivers: the need to account for geomorphological heterogeneity
No full textInternational audienceBraided rivers display a wide range of ecological conditions associated with their specific morphological and hydrological dynamics. Like other hydrosystems, braided rivers have been altered by human activities, which have led to a loss of their multi‐thread morphology, causing severe damage to their ecological functioning. River restoration has been a major research focus in the last three decades due to the Water Framework Directive recommendations to improve the ecological status of water bodies and encourage researchers to develop indicators for assessing ecological status. However, generic indicators developed to fulfill the WFD recommendations often underestimate the specificities of river types such as multi‐thread braided rivers. In this study, we adapted the current French sampling methodology for collecting benthic invertebrates for a braided alpine river by considering the diversity of macro‐, meso‐, and microhabitats within reaches. We applied this modified methodology to compare invertebrate assemblages (abundance, diversity, taxonomic and trait composition) in a braided alpine river, using one restored and one semi‐natural (i.e., target) reach. Five years after restoration, the target reach was more diversified in terms of macrohabitats (channel types) compared to the restored reach. This resulted in a higher taxa and trait diversity. These results give insights into the significance of channel type diversity in supporting benthic invertebrate assemblages in braided rivers and the need to adapt invertebrate sampling methodologies to consider their multi‐thread morphology
Corrigendum to “Evolving landscape and cultural change during the Middle Palaeolithic in Southeast Zagros (Iran): Insights from a micromammal assemblage” [Quat. Sci. Rev. (2024) 1–16/333: 108657]
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WOODIV v2, more occurrences, functional traits, and a time-calibrated phylogeny for Euro-Mediterranean trees
No full textInternational audienceAbstract The WOODIV v1 database provided occurrences at 10 km spatial resolution, traits and phylogenetic data for all 210 species (and 35 subspecies, totalling 245 taxa) in the Euro-Mediterranean Basin. While this reliable and readily accessible database has been of crucial help to investigate macro-ecological and biodiversity conservation questions, important knowledge gaps remained. To fill these gaps, we present an updated and extended version of the WOODIV database. (i) Occurrence data were updated from sources already considered in v1, three additional sources and an intensive field work campaign in Italy where occurrence data were scarce in v1, allowing to highly increase spatial coverage and data completeness. (ii) Besides increasing taxonomic coverage of traits already considered in v1, the traits data set has been extended to 15 new functional traits encompassing morpho-anatomy, reproduction and phenology, using new traits measurements from the field and data compilation from botanical literature not available in other databases. (iii) Finally, a new time-calibrated phylogeny for all 210 tree species was built and made available
Bioactive Compounds Discovery from French Guiana Plant Extracts Through Antitubercular Screening and Molecular Networking
No full textInternational audienceTuberculosis (TB) is still a significant public health threat, with rising drug resistance and high incidence in multiple areas worldwide. In the search for novel antitubercular agents, this study explores the application of a bioactivity-guided molecular networking approach to identify bioactive compounds from seven plant species (Curatella americana, Davilla nitida, Dipteryx punctata, Indigofera suffruticosa, Quassia amara, Tetradenia riparia, and Zingiber zerumbet) collected in French Guiana. Using ultrasound-assisted extraction followed by liquid–liquid partitioning and UHPLC-HRMS/MS analysis, a library of 72 samples was tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The non-polar fractions from Indigofera suffruticosa, Tetradenia riparia, and Zingiber zerumbet showed the highest activity. The integration of metabolomic and bioassay data on molecular networks allowed the prioritization and annotation of active compounds, revealing flavonoids as contributors to the antitubercular activity of the active samples. In addition, the use of computational tools such as GNPS, SIRIUS, and TIMA-R enabled dereplication and increased the confidence in the structural prediction of active metabolites. This approach demonstrated its potential in accelerating the identification of both known and novel bioactive compounds without requiring exhaustive isolation, offering a robust strategy for natural product-based drug development against TB
(Re)mettre les populations locales au centre de la production de connaissances : étude d'un biofertilisant à base de litière forestière fermentée
No full textLa litière forestière fermentée (lifofer) est un biofertilisant utilisé par des paysans dans divers pays du Sud (Asiedu Sud-Est, Amérique latine) pour améliorer les cultures vivrières : germination, croissance des plantes, lutte biolo-gique contre certains champignons. Elle peut être utilisée en élevage comme probiotique, et pour l'assainissementdes bâtiments ou le drainage des sols. L'Institut méditerranéen de biodiversité et d'écologie (Imbe), via le réseauTerre et Humanisme (T&H), a appuyé la réappropriation de la lifofer, peu connue des agriculteurs et peu étudiée enFrance, en Europe et en Afrique. Par ailleurs, l'Imbe a aussi bénéficié des savoirs des agriculteurs pour adapter sarecherche afin de mieux répondre aux questions du monde agricole sur l'usage de la lifofer
Routine LC-MS/MS method for quantifying Alternaria toxins in tomatoes at harvest stage and during processing
No full textInternational audienceA high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and validated to quantify alternariol, alternariol monomethyl ether, tenuazonic acid, altenuene, altertoxin I, and tentoxin, and implemented to better understand the risks associated with Alternaria contamination of tomatoes and fate of the toxins during processing. This method has been developed for routine use, by reducing the cost, duration, and complexity of manipulations. Limits of quantification were below EU recommendations 2022/553, reaching 1.2-3.7 µg kg-1 for alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether and 9.4-18.4 µg kg-1 for tenuazonic acid depending on the matrix. Apparent recovery ranged between 85 and 103%, and intraday repeatability was <15%. Different Alternaria strains isolated from tomatoes were assessed for their toxin production profiles, and the impact of processing operations on Alternaria toxins naturally occurring in tomatoes was evaluated on a pilot scale. Tenuazonic acid was the predominant toxin produced by Alternaria strains and contaminating tomatoes. Processing operations did not reduce toxin accumulation, which demonstrates its thermostability. Additionally, tomato skin and seeds residues, which are reused for different applications, was 2.6 times more contaminated than tomato pulp
Utilising starchy tropical agri-resources through gluten-free bread-making: the case of cassava, green banana and sweet potato flours
No full textInternational audienceThis work evaluated, for the first time, different gluten-free bread formulations using mixtures of cassava, sweet potato and green banana flours. A simplex centroid mixture experimental design with constraints was used to evaluate the role of each flour in the physical properties of dough and bread. Hence, the relationships between the pasting properties of the flours, rheological properties of the doughs and physical properties of the baked breads were investigated. The results showed that increasing the proportion of cassava flour (from 30 to 70 %) enhanced porosity (from 6.36 to 17.89 %) and led to a softer crumb (from 12.48 to 8.07 N); whereas a higher proportion of green banana flour (70 %) resulted in a harder crumb (12.48 N) despite an increase in the bread specific volume (1.33 cm3 g 1). The sweet potato flour input enhanced the staling properties of bread. However, when the input of this flour exceeded the threshold of ~20 %, the specific volume of the bread (<1.16 cm3 g 1) and its porosity (<11.20 %) and textural properties deteriorated. An optimal formulation containing equal proportions of cassava and green banana flours (43.3 %) and a lower proportion of sweet potato (13.3 %) was identified
Prognostic impact of para-aortic surgical staging in stage IIIC1 cervical cancer according to the FIGO 2018 classification
No full textInternational audienceObjective: To assess overall survival in stage IIIC1 cervical cancer patients (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2018 classification) comparing those with and without para-aortic surgical staging, and, secondarily, to evaluate disease-free survival.Methods: This multi-center retrospective study used the FRANCOGYN cohort, covering 12 French institutions and including 2410 patients diagnosed from January 1996 to December 2023. Inclusion criteria were: patients with stage IIIC1 cervical cancer and pelvic lymph node involvement identified by positron emission tomography-computed tomography, histology, or magnetic resonance imaging. Exclusion criteria were: neuroendocrine carcinomas, unavailable imaging, lymph nodes less than 10 mm in diameter on magnetic resonance imaging, and therapeutic management not following practice guidelines. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival distribution. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to account for the influence of multiple variables.Results: Out of 279 patients, 189 (67.7%) underwent para-aortic surgical staging, while 90 (32.3%) did not. The mean age was 51.5 ± 12.3 years, and most patients had squamous cell carcinoma (81.7%). Patients who underwent surgical staging were younger, had lower body mass index, and had smaller primary tumor size. The mean follow-up was 38.8 months (IQR, 14.6-56.8). Positive para-aortic lymph nodes were found in 39 patients (20.9%). There was no significant survival improvement with para-aortic staging for overall survival (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.37) or disease-free survival (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.33). Perioperative complications occurred in 14.8% of cases (3.7% intraoperative and 11.1% post-operative). The most frequent post-operative complication was lymphocele, while ventilatory complications with hypercapnia were the most common intraoperative events.Conclusions: Our study found no significant survival benefit for para-aortic surgical staging compared to radiologic staging in patients with stage IIIC1 cervical cancer. These results challenge the principle of surgical staging in this patient population