madalinai

Streptopelia decaocto
Simplicity is the highest form of sophistication.
The Streptopelia decaocto is the bird that is said to have " wanted to conquer the world". Hence the high degree of adaptability in lowland, hilly or mountainous areas, from villages to the busiest cities. Thanks to the intelligence of adaptation and survival, the Streptopelia decaocto lives around 20 years.
Anyway, with the song " gu-gu-Pike "(an onomatopoeia called in English" koo-koo-kook"), this winged one does nothing but defend its territory and try to attract a pair!
The names in current use, over time, only partially correspond to scientific distinctions between species. The koo-koo-kook is also called Eurasian Turtledove, Turtledove Turtledove or Turkish pigeon.
Its scientific name, Streptopelia decaocto, comes from the Latin words "streptos" (meaning "collar") + "peleia" (meaning "Dove"), and "decaocto" (meaning "eighteen"in Latin).
The number 18 here has its origin in an ancient Greek legend, in which a poor girl was paid for her work, each year, with only 18 coins. She would have prayed to the gods to make known to the whole world the minuscule amount of money that her mistress gave her, and as a result, Zeus would have created the koo-koo-kook, a bird that cries all the time "deca-octo" (gu-gu-Pike).
According to another ancient legend, Decaocto was a servant who was converted into such a turtleneck by the deities because he refused to pay his annual fee consisting of 18 coins.
In a Christian legend, the Streptopelia decaocto is associated with the thirst that engulfed Christ nailed to the cross. A Roman soldier wanted to buy him a bowl of milk that cost 18 Coins, but he only had 17. Because he was unable to quench the Saviour's thirst, he was cursed and turned into a Streptopelia decaocto, the bird that constantly repeats the number eighteen (deca-octo).
You, Streptopelia decaoctos, who came to us, we love you because the whole universe conspired to meet you. We are sorry that the meeting was extremely short, because of the predator who chased you and hurt you. Thank you!

#opensource

Some research papers conclude that stevia consumption can cause cancer due to DNA breakage and chromosome mutations. However, none of those studies are based on human subjects.
According to a study published in Oncotarget in 2018, steviol significantly limited the growth of human gastrointestinal cancer cells.
#Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://www.bekarmic.com/blogs/knowledge-base/stevia-and-cancer-everything-about-stevia

#science

The use of steviol glycosides as non-caloric sweeteners has proven to be beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), obesity, and metabolic syndrome. However, recent data demonstrate that steviol and stevioside might act as glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists and thus correlate with adverse effects on metabolism. Herein, we evaluated the impact of steviol, steviol glycosides, and a Greek-derived stevia extract on a number of key steps of GR signaling cascade in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in Jurkat leukemia cells. #Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28754349/

#science

Prostate cancer is the second most harmful disease in men worldwide and the number of cases is increasing. Therefore, new natural agents with anticancer potential should be examined and the response of existing therapeutic drugs must be enhanced. Stevia pilosa and Stevia eupatoria are two species that have been widely used in traditional medicine, but their effectiveness on cancer cells and their interaction with antineoplastic drugs have not been studied. The results indicate that SPME and SEME have an inhibitory effect on the viability and migration of prostate cancer cells and do not interfere with the enzalutamide anticancer effect. The data suggest that Stevia extracts may be a potential source of molecules for cancer treatment.
#Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32102219/

#science

Steviol glycosides are currently being used as natural sweeteners by the food industry and Stevia rebaudiana has long been used as a sweet plant in South America for patients suffering from diabetes. In this study, a Stevia rebaudiana ethanolic extract (SREE) was prepared, analysed and tested for antioxidant activity in terms of free radical scavenging properties and antiproliferative effects in cervix (HeLa), pancreatic (MiaPaCa-2) and colonic (HCT116) cancer cells. The antiproliferative mechanism was confirmed by testing the effects on cyclin D1-CDK4. #Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27071804/

#science

Hydroponics offers a viable solution for obtaining plant products that are rich in micronutrients and ultramicronutrients, such as selenium. Selenium plays a crucial role in strengthening the body's immune defense and acts as a potent antioxidant. Low levels of selenium have been associated with an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (SrB), a relatively new crop in plant cultivation, was the focus of the present study. SrB has numerous medicinal and prophylactic properties, and its leaves are rich in macro- and microelements, vitamins, and diterpene glycosides.
#Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37522778/

#science

Stevia is unaffected by stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes and the process of digestion. It travels essentially “untouched” by the digestive process until it reaches the large intestine. There it “reacts” with the gut flora. It is then absorbed in the colon and travels to the liver. It is then bound to glucuronic acid via the glucuronidation pathway and eventually excreted through the urine. The glucuronidation pathway is a major liver pathway that detoxifies drugs, pollutants, estrogen, and steroids, etc.
#Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://www.portalsalud.com/cuales-son-los-peligros-de-la-stevia_13092860/

#science

Bladder cancer (BC) is a global health issue that lacks effective treatment strategies. Growing evidence suggests that various natural products possess anti-tumour effects. This study aims to identify a novel agent that can be used in the treatment of BC.
Collectively, our data suggest that stevioside can be a potential agent for the treatment of BC.
#Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35820501/

#science

Trees
A forest does not grow on trees.
Throughout history, trees have been considered sacred and honored, due to their association with the celestial realms, being considered as gateways to other dimensions.
Trees embody the maximum "from top to bottom" . Their deeply rooted roots in the soil and leaves looking skyward are mediators between dark soil and bright sky. This represents Crann Bethadh, the" Tree of life " in Celtic mythology. Also, the roots of trees can feel the acoustic vibrations of water in the soil. They can do this even if there is no moisture in the soil. This means that trees are sensitive to sounds.
Trees teach us to stay on earth even when we ascend to greatness.
In fact, they provide us with clean air, shade, food, as well as habitats essential to the world's wildlife. Their power manifests itself as the air we breathe. Trees teach us a lot about life; they remind us to be grateful, making us realize that the things that really matter are those that are right in front of us. No matter who you are, a tree will give you shade and respite whenever you need it.
Trees have souls and are inhabited by spirits trying to communicate with us.
Tree species, like humans and animals, exhibit different attitudes and "personalities". Some trees, such as beech trees, are bullies, willows are lonely and unshakable. Oaks act as a family and generally trees act as tribes and protect themselves in their own way. What is fascinating is that healthy trees can support their "babies" or weaker members of the "community" by providing them with the necessary nutrients.
Building a network means having communication channels, which is actually a kind of language, the language of trees. Underground, there is the world of infinite biological pathways that connect trees to each other and allow them to communicate.
The forest behaves as if it were a single organism. It can be said that it is a great intelligence.
The ancient people who lived near the forests were aware of this, therefore there are often references to the "whisper" or songs of trees.
About 170,000 pencils can be made from a normal-sized tree. A single tree can produce 118 kilograms of oxygen in a year, enough for a family of 4 people. A single tree can absorb in a year all the carbon that a car emits over a distance of 8,500 miles.
Selected trees thank you for recognizing our positive attitude and accepting us as a part of your surroundings. Through interaction with you I have learned much of your wisdom, including from .the spirits that dwell within you.
Thank you that you exist and do not hold grudges for the sufferings you have had over time. We thank you for the fresh gifts you offer us and we ask you to be with us and almost everywhere, to take our confessions to all worlds together with your confessions, because each family tree of each and every one of us, produced some lemons, olives, a few nuts, a few apples, etc. Thank you and forgive us for everything!

#fediverse

More than 60 naturally occurring steviol glycosides in the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant share a similar molecular structure with an aglycone steviol backbone conjugated with β- and α-glycosidic bonds to different sugar moieties. These glycosides are naturally produced in different quantities within the stevia leaf. Certain minor glycosides with superior sensory attributes, such as Reb D and Reb M, are found less than 0.1% in traditional stevia leaves. New technologies can now produce better tasting steviol glycosides by using enzymatic conversion of stevioside and Reb A, which are abundant in stevia leaf. Several regulatory authorities recently evaluated steviol glycosides produced by enzymatic conversion of stevia leaf extract and approved them safe for human consumption. Steviol glycosides undergo microbial hydrolysis in the colon to generate steviol, which is absorbed and metabolized into steviol glucuronide, and excreted primarily via human's urine. Previous studies have shown the hydrolysis of highly purified individual steviol glycosides extracted from stevia leaf are converted to steviol in the presence of colonic microbiota of adults. Since colonic microbiota of children may be different from adults, this study investigates the metabolic fate in the colonic microbiota of adults and children of the minor steviol glycosides produced by extraction and enzymatic conversion of major steviol glycosides from stevia leaf. Several in vitro incubation tests were conducted in human fecal homogenates collected from adult and pediatric populations with steviol glycoside test samples comprised of a complex stevia leaf extract, a blend of minor glycosides isolated from stevia extract and two mixtures of steviol glycosides produced by enzymatic conversion of Reb A to larger molecules by attaching glucose units via β- or α-glycosidic bonds. Results from these studies clearly demonstrate steviol glycosides produced by extraction from stevia leaf, or enzymatic conversion of stevia leaf extract, share the same metabolic fate in the human gut microbiota from adults and children. Considering a common metabolite structure and a shared metabolic fate in all ages, safety data for individual steviol glycosides can be used to support safety of all steviol glycosides produced by extraction and enzymatic conversion of stevia leaf extract.
#Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32745585/

#science

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a valuable plant whose products are increasingly used in medicine, pharmacy and the food industry. This necessitates the use of biotechnological approaches for its mass propagation. Establishing optimal conditions for in vitro cultivation is essential for obtaining high biomass and secondary metabolites production. A large number of articles considering the role of plant growth regulators and other additives in the culture medium in the growth and development of Stevia are available in the literature. However, there are no summarized data about the use of nanoparticles in Stevia tissue cultures. Therefore, this review also includes the research conducted so far on the effect of nanoparticles on Stevia micropropagation. Furthermore, the influence of different elicitors on secondary metabolite production and antioxidant activity of in vitro-cultivated Stevia plants have been discussed. By referring to the collected literature, we concluded that biotechnological approaches applied to S. rebaudiana cultivation might improve the agronomic traits of plants and steviol glycosides production.
#Stevia #kombucha #ikombucha_ro #ikombucha
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36616282/

#science

Plants
Our living beings, you may have left our eyes, but you have never left our hearts.
The second largest kingdom, after the animal, is represented by plants. The distinctive feature of plants is obtaining energy from sunlight, through the process called photosynthesis. Most plants have wide flat surfaces - the leaves, at the level of which this process is carried out. Just as there are many groups of animals, from simple worms to complicated mammals, so the groups of plants are also numerous and varied.
Mainly plants are divided into two broad categories – simple plants without flowers, and flowering plants.
Plants never seem to be active. But inside the millions of microscopic cells that form the body of a plant, thousands of chemical transformations take place, forming part of the body's vital processes. Like the body of an animal, the body of a plant has specialized areas to perform certain functions. Roots take from the soil water, mineral salts and other substances necessary for life. The rigid stem supports parts of the plant on the surface of the soil, away from animals on the ground that might eat them, and above other plants so that the leaves capture more light.
The leaves of plants are a kind of small factories that produce food with the help of light. They have a wide surface, to capture as much light as possible, and contain inside a green substance called chlorophyll, which absorbs the energy provided by sunlight. Chlorophyll uses energy to achieve a chemical reaction. Water, absorbed from the soil, and carbon dioxide, received from the air, unite and form glucose, which contains a large amount of energy stored in chemical form. Glucose is then used as a" fuel " for the plant's vital processes. The whole phenomenon is called photosynthesis-a word that means"to produce with the help of light".
The carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis is taken from the air. It penetrates the leaf through small holes located on its lower face, called the stomata. In addition to organic substances, photosynthesis also results in oxygen, which is eliminated in the air.
Living beings need oxygen to live. Plants contribute to maintaining a sufficient amount of oxygen in the air.
We were only able to offer you a small space and positioned on the north-west side of the building, even if it was against our wishes. However, we lived together for a shorter or longer period of time. Thank you for this and for all you have offered. We hope that many wounds can be healed with these words: Forgive us!
Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is but a horizon; and a horizon is nothing but the limit of our sight. - Rossiter W. Raymond

#fediverse