This study aims to investigate the biological activities related to hair loss of Equisetum debile extracts, including 5α-reductase inhibition, interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion reduction, and anti-oxidation. E. debile extracts were obtained by maceration in various solvents. Crude extract (CE) was obtained by maceration in 95% ethanol. Chlorophyll-free extract (CF) was the CE which of the chlorophyll has been removed by electrocoagulation. Hexane extract (HE), ethyl acetate extract (EA), and ethanolic extract (ET) were fraction extracts obtained from maceration in hexane, ethyl acetate, and 95% ethanol, respectively. The extracts were investigated for inhibitory activity against 5α-reductase and IL-6 secretion. Total phenolic contents (TPC) were investigated and antioxidant activities were determined by means of 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation was determined by the ferric thiocyanate method. The cytotoxicity of the extracts on dermal papilla cells and irritation test by hen's egg test chorioallantoic membrane assay were also investigated. All extracts could inhibit 5α-reductase and decrease IL-6 secretion in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophage. The antioxidant activity of E. debile extracts was directly related to their TPC. ET which contained the highest TPC (68.8 ± 6.7 mg GA/g) showed the highest equivalent concentration (EC1) of 289.1 ± 26.4 mM FeSO4/g, TEAC of 156.6 ± 34.6 mM Trolox/g, and 20.0 ± 6.0% DPPH inhibition. However, EA exhibited the highest inhibition against lipid peroxidation (57.2 ± 0.4%). In addition, EA showed no cytotoxicity on dermal papilla cell line and no irritation on chorioallantoic membrane of hen’s eggs. In conclusion, EA was suggested as the most attractive ingredients for functional food and nutraceuticals because of the high inhibitory activity against 5α-reductase, IL-6 secretion, and lipid peroxidation inhibition.

Gelatin was extracted from the skin of farmed giant catfish (GC) and tilapia (TP) at a yield of 19.50% and 23.34% (wet wt). It was high in protein (84-88%) but low in fat (0.09-1.24%) and ash content (0.15 -0.17%). The GC exhibited lower emulsifying activity (24-35%), but greater foam ability (98-110%), water holding capacity (477-844%) and fat binding capacity (2541-3314%) than commercial beef skin gelatin (BF) (P < 0.05). GC and TP showed comparable functional properties to BF. SDS-PAGE patterns of TP gelatin showed high band intensity for the aand b-components, while the lowest band intensity of the major component was found in the BF. From the study, it can be concluded that the farmed freshwater fish skin GC and TP is a prospective source for producing a significant gelatin yield with desirable functionalities. Because of these, fish skin gelatin could be more effectively and widely used in food industries as a good food ingredient. Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al. 1094 Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al. Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al. Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al. Different lowercase superscripts (a, b, c) in the same column indicate significant differences (P < 0.05). Different uppercase superscripts (A, B, C) in the same row in difference gelatin concentrations indicate significant differences (P < 0.05).Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al. Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al. Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al. Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al. Fish skin and commercial beef gelatin S. Rawdkuen et al.

Thitipramote, N., Suwanjarat, J., Leigh, C. and Breed, W.G. 2011. Variation in sperm morphology of a murine rodent from South-East Asia: the Greater Bandicoot Rat, Bandicota indica. -Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92: 201-205.In most mammals the male gamete, the spermatozoon, has a fairly consistent, species-specific shape although in a few species some variability is evident. The present study set out to determine the extent of sperm variability in a population of a South-East Asian murine rodent, Bandicota indica, that was sampled during both the breeding and non-breeding periods. We found that, regardless of the time of year when the animals were obtained, males had sperm present in the cauda epididymides but a high degree of variability was always evident including the presence of some grossly abnormal forms. The abundance of abnormal sperm tended to be greater during the non-breeding period. These animals also have relatively small testes, thus the occurrence of the variable sperm populations is consistent with the hypothesis that depressed levels of intermale sperm competition result in a relaxation of the genetic control of male germ cell maturation during spermiogenesis and thus the production of polymorphic sperm populations.

In eutherian mammals, there are marked interspecific differences in sperm head shape and tail length. In a few species, sperm head variability occurs but intraindividual variation in sperm tail length has rarely been investigated or commented upon. Here, we ask the question: Do murine rodent species that have variable sperm head shapes exhibit greater intra-individual variation in sperm midpiece and total tail lengths than closely related species where little, or no, sperm head variability occurs? From three separate lineages, we selected three pairs of murine rodents, one of which has monomorphic, and the other variable, sperm head shape. These were from southern Asia the bandicoot rats Bandicota bengalensis and Bandicota indica, from southern Africa the veld rats, Aethomys chrysophilus and Aethomys ineptus and from Australia the fawn hopping mouse Notomys cervinus and the spinifex hopping mouse Notomys alexis. Cauda epididymal sperm smears were prepared and sperm midpiece and total tail lengths were determined. A linear mixed-effects model was used to estimate intra-individual variance. The results showed that in all three species where there are variable sperm head shapes (B. indica, A. ineptus and N. alexis), statistically significantly greater intraindividual variability of sperm midpiece and total tail lengths occurs (Po0.0001 in all cases). These species all have relatively smaller testes mass compared with the closely related species with monomorphic sperm populations. This suggests that depressed levels of intermale sperm competition may result in the occurrence of variability in not only the divergent sperm head shape but also in the length of the midpiece as well as that of the total length of the sperm tail.

This study investigated some aspects of the reproductive biology of male and female greater bandicoot rats, Bandicota indica, in southern Thailand from September 2004 to September 2006. In females, body, uterine and preputial gland weights, occurrences of pregnancies and placental scars, and in males, testicular weights and histology, and sizes of accessory sex glands, were recorded. Pregnancies occurred predominantly, but not exclusively, in the wet season, with a higher incidence pregnancies in the second, than in the first, dry season. Uterine and preputial gland weights tended to be lower in the first, but not the second dry season, with placental scars occurring at all times of year. Males tended to have heavier testes in the wet season but some seminiferous tubules contained sperm even in the dry season. Seminal vesicles, but not prostates and preputial glands, tended to be heavier in animals in the wet season. We conclude that the greater bandicoot rat in southern Thailand shows maximal reproductive activity in the wet season with some reproductive activity, albeit variable from year to year, occurring in the dry season depending upon environmental conditions. This study has also shown that females, as well as males, have large preputial glands, and that males invariably have small testes regardless of the time of year. These observations suggest a similar timing of reproduction, but a different breeding biology and perhaps social organisation, from that of the sympatric ricefield rat, Rattus argentiventer

The pod of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) was value-added by using as raw material for phenolic antioxidant extraction using conventional shaking method. The pericarp part of lotus pod gave the significantly highest values of extractable phenolic content (EPC), flavonoid content and DPPH radical scavenging activity which were equal to 27.15±1.74 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight (dw), 0.59±0.04 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/g dw and 0.65±0.02 mg trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)/g dw, respectively. Response surface methodology (RSM) was further employed to optimize the extraction conditions of phenolic antioxidant from the pod pericarp. Three independent variables, i.e., ethanol concentration (X1), shaking speed (X2) and extraction time (X3) were investigated through two responses of EPC and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The statistical analysis indicates that the three variables and the contribution of quadratic model had significant influence on the all responses (P<0.05). The optimum extraction condition was provided as follows: ethanol concentration 77.6%, shaking speed 223.4 rpm and extraction time 5.2 h. Under the optimized condition, the predicted values of EPC and DPPH radical scavenging activity were 30.00 mg GAE/g dw and 0.74 mg TEAC/g dw, respectively. This could be hence applied in industrial phenolic antioxidant extraction of inedible pericarp of lotus pod.

Perilla seeds contain high amount of oil and protein. This study was aimed to simultaneously extract oil and protein from perilla seed by using three-phase partitioning method (TPP). The extraction conditions were optimized by varying the ratio of crude extract to t-butanol of 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1 (v/v) and ammonium sulfate concentration of 20, 30 and 40% (w/v). The crude extract to t-butanol at 1:2 and 30% (w/v) ammonium sulfate resulted in the highest recovery of perilla oil (35.13±2.67%) and protein (13.18±0.65%). This provided 14 folds of time saving when compared to conventional method of oil and protein extraction separately. The obtained perilla protein and oil extracts were included in the facial serum formulation. Stability and satisfaction of the serum formulation were tested compared to its base formula. The perilla facial serum showed its good stability after accelerated conditions of centrifugation and heating-cooling for 4 cycles. The phase separation and pH changing was not observed. The viscosity and the color were slightly affected by the accelerated condition. The satisfaction test including moisturizing sensory of the serum was evaluated by 20 volunteers. The product was satisfied with average score 5.47 of the maximum 6 level. This study emphasized the valuable perilla seed protein and oil could be extracted by single step of TPP and feasibly included into moisturizing facial serum product.

The hair growth-promoting activities of Thai native red (Sang-Yod-SY and Mun-Poo-MP) and black (Black glutinous-BG and Hom-Nil-HN) pigmented rice (Oryza sativa L.) extracts, including in vitro 5α-reductase inhibition, hair growth-promoting activity on human hair germinal matrix cells, and in vivo hair-cycle-converting activity in C3H/HeMlac mice, were investigated. Moreover, these extracts were determined to be safe via cytotoxicity (HaCaT cell) and in vivo irritation tests. The results showed that SY red rice extract with high contents of proanthocyanidin (1.50 ± 0.16 mgECE/g extract) exhibited significantly higher 5α-reductase inhibitory activity (18.5 ± 9.0 mgFEA/g extract) (p < 0.05). The maximum growth-promoting activity for human matrix cells treated with SY extract reached about 216.2 ± 0.7% (1 mg/mL) relative to control (100%) after 3 days culture (p < 0.05). Moreover, topical application of 1 mg/mL SY red pericarp rice extracts on shaven C3H skin in telogen phase led to significant hair regeneration (97.2 ±1.3%) based on the shaven area, while vehicle application only tended to yield a regeneration of 50.9 ± 11.7%. Red rice extracts were found to be safe, without signs of cytotoxicity and irritation. This research demonstrates the health benefits and safety of SY red pericarp extract when used for hair growing activity and its potential for use as a natural hair growth promoter and 5α-reductase inhibitor.