Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal‐central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation‐related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data.
Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non‐detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non‐governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer‐reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non‐detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio‐temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large‐scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data.
The aim of this study was evaluating the effects of jabuticaba aqueous extract (JPE ‐ 0.5 g/kg) on serum lipid levels, immune system, and oxidative stress parameters of streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats. Administration of JPE for 30 days, by gavage, was able to reduce serum levels of total cholesterol, non‐high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides in diabetic rats. The HDL cholesterol levels increased in both diabetic and healthy rats after JPE treatment. Total leukocyte and lymphocyte counts reduced in diabetic rats, and JPE treatment prevented these diabetes mellitus (DM)‐induced changes in the immune system. In addition, the induction of DM also led to dysregulation in the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase antioxidant enzymes as well as an increase in oxidative stress markers. Treatments with JPE reduced oxidative stress and modulated antioxidant enzyme activities. These data demonstrate the potential of JPE as an adjuvant treatment option for diabetic patients. Practical applications Considering that it is very common to observe dyslipidemia in diabetic patients and that these alterations, combined with the increased oxidative stress levels, also common in these patients, can lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases, JPE would be an alternative treatment adjunct to reduce these risks. In addition, although more studies are needed, JPE has the potential to improve the count of total lymphocytes and leukocytes, which could assist in improving the immune response of these patients, who also commonly have a higher risk of infectious diseases. Thus, JPE could be used by these patients, in combination with conventional treatment, in the form of a nutraceutical rich in phenolic compounds.
Anuran amphibians are extremely sensitive to changes in the environment and are severely threatened with extinction by human activities. The conversion of natural habitats to tree plantations is expanding in southern Brazil, emphasising the need for both scientists and society to understand the potential effects of this practice on animal communities. Here, we evaluated whether the richness, composition and abundance of leaflitter frogs change among natural forests, plantations of the native Araucaria angustifolia and plantations of an introduced pine Pinus spp. We obtained data on the composition of the leaf-litter frog assemblages by sampling natural forest and tree plantations in the Passo Fundo National Forest, southern Brazil. We sampled leaf-litter frogs using pitfall trap arrays from March 2017 to February 2018. We used generalised linear mixed models to estimate the effect of habitat type on leaf-litter frogs while considering variation induced by season effect and spatial autocorrelation. We recorded 311 individual leaf-litter frogs belonging to nine species and five families. We did not find differences in species richness and composition, total abundance and abundance of the most frequent species Physalaemus cuvieri, P. carrizorum and Rhinella icterica among Pinus plantations, Araucaria angustifolia plantations and natural forests. These results indicate that tree plantations and natural forests can be equally suitable to leaf-litter frogs. Such suitability is promoted by the light levels of management exerted on these plantations, the old age of the plantations and the heterogeneous mosaic of habitat types maintained within this National Forest. Our study shows that some management decisions can preserve habitat quality to wildlife in modified landscapes.
Anthropic effects on natural environments caused by urban expansion or agriculture have been identified as one of the causes for the decline in species richness. In southern Brazil, the urbanization process affects the local fauna and reduces the diversity of mammalian species. This study was conducted from 2012 to 2015 with the objective of gathering information on mammalian species in a peri-urban area. Data was collected four consecutive days each month for 42 months using sand plots and visual searches. Occasional encounters and camera traps complemented were used to complement the data. We recorded 15 mammal species belonging to 10 families. The species with the highest abundance, taking into account all the applied methods, were Didelphis albiventris, Mazama gouazoubira and Cerdocyon thous. Four species were listed as endangered (Puma yagouaroundi, Leopardus guttulus, Nasua nasua, and Dasyprocta azarae).
Complications generated by hyperglycemia present in diabetes mellitus (DM) have been constantly related to oxidative stress and dysfunction in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC). Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), which is present in mitochondria, is responsible for regulating several proteins involved in metabolic homeostasis and oxidative stress. Studies have suggested alterations in the expression of SIRT3 in DM. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of phenolic compounds in jabuticaba (Plinia trunciflora), a berry native to Brazil, on the activity of mitochondrial ETC complexes, SIRT3 protein expression, and oxidative stress parameters in liver of diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin. After type 1 DM induction (streptozotocin 65 mg/kg), diabetic and healthy rats were treated with jabuticaba peel extract (JPE) by gavage (0.5 g/kg of weight) for 30 days. After treatments, those diabetic rats presented impaired activities of complexes I, II, and III of ETC along with an overexpression of SIRT3. In addition, an increase in lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities was observed in the diabetic group. The treatment with JPE was able to recover the activity of the mitochondrial complexes and reduce the expression of SIRT3. Furthermore, JPE treatment reduced oxidative damage to lipids and brought the antioxidants enzyme activities to basal levels in diabetic rats. Together, these results demonstrate that JPE can reduce oxidative stress related to DM by restoring mitochondrial complexes activity and regulating SIRT3 expression. Thus, JPE could become an alternative to reduce the development of complications related to DM.
Studies in trophic and chemical ecology, in particular in amphibians, have gained increasing attention in recent years, given that this is the vertebrate group that has suffered the greatest decline in recent years, caused by the degradation of natural ecosystems and emerging diseases. The assessment of food preferences and prey availability between areas and seasons provides important parameters for the understanding of the population dynamics of leaf-litter toads. The study of the secretions of the parotoid macroglands of these toads also provides insights into the role of these secretions in fighting frog pathogens and their potential applications to combat pathogens that are harmful to humans. In the present study, we describe the trophic ecology of Rhinella henseli (Lutz, 1934), and the variation in its diet between seasons and areas. We also attempt to identify the chemical composition of the secretions of the parotoid macrogland found in the parotoid glands and test their potential antimicrobial activity. We sampled two toad populations in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. The composition of the diet was analysed by season (warm vs. cool) and study area, with the prey items being identified to genus, whenever possible, and classified using the Index of Relative Importance. The parotoid secretions were removed manually from the parotoid glands and analysed via HPLC-MS/MS. We ran microdilution and agar plug diffusion tests to assess antimicrobial activity. The principal prey of these toads are large ants, primarily Pachycondyla sp., which vary in abundance between seasons and, to a lesser extent, between areas. We identified 21 chemical compounds, primarily steroidal bufadienolides. One of the populations presented a subset of 14 of these 21 compounds, reflecting the variation in their spatial distribution. These compounds presented anti-pathogenic properties against Candida albicans and, to a lesser extent, Staphylococcus saprophyticus. Our results indicate that the diet of R. henseli varies significantly between areas and seasons, as do the secretions of their parotoid macroglands between areas. The toxins exhibit antimicrobial activity, although the compounds must be tested in isolation to confirm this.
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