Carcinology

The genus Colombocaris is proposed for a new species discovered on submerged mosses of a high Andean lake in Colombia. The diagnostic characters of the genus mainly concern the morphology of legs, particularly the endopod of leg 2, leg 3, the endopodite of leg 4 and the peculiar leg 5, the cuticular windows of body segments and the morphology of the furca. The new genus Noodtcaris is proposed for three species of the Parastenocaris columbiensis-group, viz., P. columbiensis, P. kubitzkii and P. roettgeri, described from the Colombian Llanos Orientales, and for P. tapajosensis from the Brazilian Amazonas. This genus is well defined by the ornamentation of the caudal rami and the morphology of legs 2 to 5. The absence of endopod on female leg 3 is a diagnostic character at least for the Colombian species. A key for the identification of the species composing the new genera is provided.

Most of the collection of Crustacea of the nineteenth century French naturalist, Felix-Edouard Guerin-Meneville (1799-1874), is held in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Considered by some workers to have been lost, the collection is reintroduced here to the scientific community. Surviving in the collection are the types of 68 available species named by Guerin-Meneville (many publications between
1828 and 1857), Abildgaard (1789), Eydoux (1835), Eydoux and Souleyet (1842), Leach (1814), Lucas (1849), Milne Edwards (1852), and Milne Edwards and Lucas (1844). Crustacean groups represented by types are the Branchiopoda and Malacostraca (Stomatopoda, Isopoda, Amphipoda, and Decapoda).

Macrobrachium jelskii (Miers, 1877) occurs in all major Brazilian drainage basins. Considering its wide distribution and the supposed isolation of certain populations, we evaluated phylogenetic relationships among populations from several river basins. Analyses of molecular data using the mitochondrial COI and 16S genes suggest the division of the species into two clades, " Amazonian " and " coastal. " The genetic divergence between these two groups is greater than the genetic divergence within the respective groups. Based on the time of divergence and the probable natural distribution of the species, we suggest two evolutionary scenarios to explain the origin of the coastal clade. The first scenario considers the capacity of M. jelskii to tolerate saline environments. The second is based on Pliocene climate changes that would have caused river confluence from sea level regression. The two clades occur sympatrically but this is a recent condition. The wide geographic distribution and low genetic divergence of the Amazonian clade allows us to propose that the current distribution of M. jelskii is partly due to human activity. Pending future analysis, the absence of a consistent morphological synapomorphy precludes the description of a new cryptic taxonomic entity for M. jelskii.

Background and Aim: The major conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers have anticancer effect, especially breast cancer cells, inhibits cell growth and induces cell death. Also, CLA has several health benefits in vivo, including antiatherogenesis, antiobesity, and modulation of immune function. The present study aimed to assess the safety and anticancer effects of milk fat CLA against in vivo Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) in female Swiss albino mice. This was based on acute toxicity study, detection of the tumor growth, life span of EAC bearing hosts, and simultaneous alterations in the hematological, biochemical, and histopathological profiles.

Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty adult female mice were equally divided into five groups. Groups (1-2) were normal controls, and Groups (3-5) were tumor transplanted mice (TTM) inoculated intraperitoneally with EAC cells (2×106/0.2 mL). Group (3) was (TTM positive control). Group (4) TTM fed orally on balanced diet supplemented with milk fat CLA (40 mg CLA/kg body weight). Group (5) TTM fed orally on balanced diet supplemented with the same level of CLA 28 days before tumor cells inoculation. Blood samples and specimens from liver and kidney were collected from each group. The effect of milk fat CLA on the growth of tumor, life span of TTM, and simultaneous alterations in the hematological, biochemical, and histopathological profiles were examined.

Results: For CLA treated TTM, significant decrease in tumor weight, ascetic volume, viable Ehrlich cells accompanied with increase in life span were observed. Hematological and biochemical profiles reverted to more or less normal levels and histopathology showed minimal effects.

Conclusion: The present study proved the safety and anticancer efficiency of milk fat CLA and provides a scientific basis for its medicinal use as anticancer attributable to the additive or synergistic effects of its isomers.