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Uncontrolled or poorly controlled diabetes mellitus may be a risk factor for the development of oral complications. The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of diabetes mellitus progression on inflammatory and structural components of dental pulp. Male Wistar rats were given a single injection of Streptozotocin (STZ), and induction of diabetes was confirmed 24 h later. Dental pulp tissue samples were taken from central incisors and molars of diabetic rats 30 and 90 days after the STZ treatment. Plasma glucose levels in diabetic rats 30 and 90 days after STZ treatment were significantly increased when compared to control rats (P < 0.001). Nitrite and kallikrein levels in dental pulp tissue were higher in diabetic rats 30 days after STZ treatment than in controls, while only nitrite were decreased 90 after of STZ treatment. Myeloperoxidase activity showed changes 30 and 90 days after STZ injection when compared to controls. The activity of alkaline phosphatase showed significant changes 30 and 90 days after STZ treatment. On the other hand the concentration of collagen was decreased in diabetic rats 30 and 90 days after STZ injection. These results suggest that diabetes is a critical factor that has profound effects upon oral tissues, resulting in expression of inflammatory mediators and modifications of structural components of dental pulp.

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Diminishing fossil fuel reserves and the increase in their consumption indicate that strategies need to be developed to produce biofuels from renewable resources. Biodiesel offers advantages over other petroleum-derived fuel substitutes, because it is comparatively environmentally friendly and an excellent fuel for existing diesel engines. Biodiesel, which consists of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), is usually obtained from plant oils. However, its extensive production from oil crops is not sustainable because of the impact this would have on food supply and the environment. Microbial oils are postulated as an alternative to plant oils, but not all oleaginous microorganisms have ideal lipid profiles for biodiesel production. On the other hand, lipid profiles could be modified by genetic engineering in some oleaginous microorganisms, such as the fungus Mucor circinelloides, which has powerful genetic tools. We show here that the biomass from submerged cultures of the oleaginous fungus M. circinelloides can be used to produce biodiesel by acid-catalyzed direct transformation, without previous extraction of the lipids. Direct transformation, which should mean a cost savings for biodiesel production, increased lipid extraction and demonstrated that structural lipids, in addition to energy storage lipids, can be transformed into FAMEs. Moreover, the analyzed properties of the M. circinelloides-derived biodiesel using three different catalysts (BF 3 , H 2 SO 4 , and HCl) fulfilled the specifications established by the American standards and most of the European standard specifications.

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