BACKGROUND The cephalopod mollusk Sepia officinalis can be considered as a relevant model for studying reproduction strategies associated to seasonal migrations. Using transcriptomic and peptidomic approaches, we aim to identify peptide sex pheromones that are thought to induce the aggregation of mature cuttlefish in their egg-laying areas. RESULTS To facilitate the identification of sex pher...

We investigated the anti-tumor effects of Verbena officinalis extract on H22 tumor-bearing mice and its effect on immune function. Mice model of H22 solid tumor was established, the mice were divided into five groups and administered the extract, later, tumors were removed and inhibition rates were calculated; spleens were removed and spleen indices were calculated, and the sheep red blood cell...

conclusions therefore, our results suggest that although administration of 300 mg/kg of calendula officinalis extract showed salutary effects on anti-oxidant profile, yet its protective effects on anti-diabetic and regenerative properties on nephropathy were ambiguous and require more investigations. background chronic hyperglycemia leads to microvascular and macrovascular complications such as...

The cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, provides a fascinating opportunity to investigate the mechanisms of camouflage as it rapidly changes its body patterns in response to the visual environment. We investigated how edge information determines camouflage responses through the use of spatially high-pass filtered 'objects' and of isolated edges. We then investigated how the body pattern responds to ...

Melissa officinalis L. is a medicinal plant with a large variety of pharmacological effects and traditional applications. This study aimed to evaluate the protective and antioxidant activities of the extract of M. officinalis aerial parts on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under oxidative stress induced by H2O2. Cells were incubated with H2O2 (0.5 mM, 2 h) after pretreatment wit...

The present study was designed to test the hypothesis of an oxygen limitation defining thermal tolerance in the European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). Mantle muscle organ metabolic status and pHi were monitored using in vivo 31P NMR spectroscopy, while mantle muscle performance was determined by recording mantle cavity pressure oscillations during ventilation and spontaneous exercise. Under c...

A moving object is considered conspicuous because of the movement itself. When moving from one background to another, even dynamic camouflage experts such as cephalopods should sacrifice their extraordinary camouflage. Therefore, minimizing detection at this stage is crucial and highly beneficial. In this study, we describe a background-matching mechanism during movement, which aids the cuttlef...

Fumaria officinalis is one of the herbal medicines used in Iran extensively. There are many useful properties recognized for this plant, but there is no information about its side effects especially in long term and at high doses. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of F. officinalis hydroalcoholic extract on the Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine conce...

It is virtually impossible to camouflage a moving target against a non-uniform background, but strategies have been proposed to reduce detection and targeting of movement. Best known is the idea that high contrast markings produce 'motion dazzle', which impairs judgement of speed and trajectory. The ability of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis to change its visual appearance allows us to compare...

In order to investigate the potential of a Sanguisorba officinalis root extract as an active ingredient for wrinkle-care cosmetics, we measured its free radical scavenging activity, elastase inhibitory activity, expression of MMP-1 (matrix metalloprotease-1) in vitro, and type I collagen synthesis in normal human fibroblast cells. To isolate the main components from the S. officinalis root extr...