Anthocyanins from new red leaf tea 'Sunrouge'

New red leaf tea cultivar 'Sunrouge' (Camellia taliensis × Camellia sinensis), for which an application for registration was made in 2009, is an anthocyanin-rich tea. The anthocyanin content of 'Sunrouge' was the highest among 4 tea cultivars, and was 8.4 times higher than that of 'Yabukita'. We purified and isolated 6 anthocyanins from 'Sunrouge' by chromatography, and identified them by LC/MS/MS and NMR analysis. As a result, the four anthocyanins were identified as delphinidin-3-O-β-D-(6-(E)-p-coumaroyl)galactopyranoside (2), delphinidin-3-O-β-D-(6-(E)-p-coumaroyl)glucopyranoside (3), cyanidin-3-O-β-D-(6-(E)-p-coumaroyl)galactopyranoside (4), and cyanidin-3-O-β-D-(6-(E)-p-coumaroyl)glucopyranoside (5), and the other two were estimated as delphinidin-(Z)-p-coumaroylgalactopyranoside (1), petunidin-(E)-p-coumaroylgalactopyranoside (6). Compound 3 was found in tea for the first time. In general, anthocyanins have various bioactivities, including relieving eyestrain and antioxidative effects, so it is expected that drinking 'Sunrouge' tea brings in similar bioactivities.     

Inclusion body hepatitis caused by fowl adenovirus in broiler chickens in Japan, 2009-2010

From January 2009 to June 2010, many broiler chicks suddenly died without clinical signs. The mortality rates were from 1.2% to 17.0% in affected flocks. Inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) was detected in 13 prefectures (northern, eastern, western, and southern areas) in Japan. The livers were enlarged and pale. The bursa of Fabricius and thymus had not atrophied. Multifocal necroses of hepatocytes with basophilic intranuclear inclusions were seen in the liver. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in hepatocytes were rare. Focal necrosis of acinar cells with basophilic intranuclear inclusions was found in the pancreas. Basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were detected in intact surface epithelial cells of gizzard and epithelial cells of the small intestine. The intranuclear inclusions of liver, pancreas, gizzard, and small intestine were stained positively for immunohistochemistry of fowl adenovirus (FAV) antigen. Ultrastructurally, basophilic intranuclear inclusions consisted of viral particles approximately 70 nm in diameter and arranged in a crystalline array. FAV was isolated from the liver of chickens affected with IBH. The serotype of most isolates was 2. This study suggests that IBH produced by FAV is epidemic in broiler chicks in Japan and that the present cases occurred as the primary disease without the association of infectious bursal disease virus or chicken anemia virus.     

Disseminated visceral coccidiosis in Eurasian cranes (Grus grus) in the UK

Clinical disease and mortalities due to disseminated visceral coccidiosis were identified for the first time in a group of captive juvenile Eurasian cranes (Grus grus) in the UK during 2008. Presumptive diagnosis was made from the finding of granulomatous nodules in the liver, spleen and other organs at gross postmortem examination, and confirmed histologically by the presence of intracellular coccidial stages within lesions. The species of coccidian was determined to be Eimeria reichenowi on the basis of faecal oocyst morphology and sequencing of 18S rDNA by PCR. A further outbreak of clinical disease occurred in the same enclosure in 2009, affecting a new group of juvenile Eurasian cranes and demoiselle cranes (Anthropoides virgo) and indicating the persistence of infective oocysts in the environment. Clinical sampling of birds during both years demonstrated positive results from examination of both faecal samples and peripheral blood smears.     

Clorgyline inhibits orexin-A-induced arousal in layer-type chicks

We previously demonstrated that intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of orexin-A induces arousal and increased metabolic turnover rates of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin in layer (egg-type) chicks. Because monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) is a potent degrading enzyme of these monoamines, we hypothesized that orexin-A may mediate its arousal-inducing effects through MAO-A. Therefore, we simultaneously injected clorgyline, a specific inhibitor of MAO-A, with orexin-A and examined behavior of chicks. Behaviors associated with arousal were attenuated in the group of chicks that received clorgyline and orexin-A compared with those that received orexin-A alone. For the monoamine turnover rate, enhancement of the turnover rate of serotonin by orexin-A was attenuated by clorgyline. Therefore, we conclude that orexin-A-induced arousal is dependent upon monoamine neural activities stimulated by MAO-A in chicks.     

Evaluation of colostral immunity in swine with commercial anti-leptospira polyvalent whole-bacteria vaccine

The intensity and duration of passive immunity against swine leptospirosis were investigated by the microscopic agglutination test and in vitro leptospira growth inhibition. Twenty-one females at first parturition were divided into three groups: Group A (n=08): received two doses with 30 days interval of the commercial anti-leptospira bacterin A. Group B (n=06) received two doses with 30 days interval of the commercial anti-leptospira bacterin B and Group C (n=07) was the control. In all groups the colostrums were collected. Blood collection of piglets was performed in four different ages. Agglutinin antibodies were equally detected in sera and colostrums for serovars Canicola, Grippotyphosa, Copenhageni, Icterohaemorrhagiae and Pomona (Group A) and Canicola, Copenhageni, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Pomona and Hardjo (Group B). Mean neutralizing antibodies titers were low. Passive immunity was low duration.     

Microscopic observation of charred plant fragments isolated from several Ando soil samples by the specific gravity method

Abstract

Charred plant fragments were isolated from 5 Ando soil samples, containing Type A humic acids, by the specific gravity (s.g.) method using a sodium polytungstate solution as heavy solution. Microscopic observation indicated that the charred plant fragments, which are black or blackish brown, were the main components in both fractions of less than s.g. 1.6 Mg m^?3 that had been isolated before and after HCl-HF treatment of the soil samples. Furthermore, it was suggested that most of the fragments in the < 1.6 fractions isolated before the treatment originated from woody plants. On the other hand, the fragments in the < 1.6 fractions isolated after the treatment were mainly amorphous, although the shape of several fragments was similar to that of vascular tissues of woody and herbaceous plants. The sum of the organic-C contents of both < 1.6 fractions ranged from 4.08 to 47.8 g kg^? whole soil, and 3.8–32.7% of total organic-C of the whole soil originated from these fractions. No constant relationship was observed between the organic-C contents of both fractions and the morphological characteristics of the charred plant fragments.     

Effects of combinational treatment with ethephon and gibberellic acid on rice seedling growth and carbohydrate mobilization in seeds under flooded conditions

ABSTRACT

Early seedling growth, including seedling emergence and vigor, is crucial in direct seeded rice. In this study, we examined the effects of gibberellic acid (GA₃) and ethephon (ET) on the early growth of direct seeded rice, and on α-amylase activity and soluble sugar content in the seeds. Rice seeds were treated with water (control), ET, GA₃, or ET+ GA₃ and were allowed to grow for 21 days. The results showed that ET and GA₃ synergistically improved the lengths of mesocotyl, coleoptile, mesocotyl+ coleoptile, and first leaf. Moderate synergistic effects of ET and GA₃ were detected in the second and third leaves. ET+ GA₃ treatment induced higher α-amylase activities during early post-germination growth, which is consistent with the longer coleoptile, mesocotyl, mesocotyl+ coleoptile, and first leaf. In addition, ET+ GA₃ induced higher α-amylase activity in the seeds, and consequently, higher sucrose and glucose concentrations than other treatments. These results partially explain the regulatory mechanism underlying the synergistic interaction of ET and GA₃ on rice seedling growth in terms of starch and sugar metabolism in the seeds, and this knowledge is expected to facilitate the practical use of ET and GA₃ in direct seeded rice systems.     

Propagation of celery (Apium graveolens,L. var.Dulce)

Summary Propagation of vernalized celery plants cut longitudinally in half to observe seedstalk formation was investigated. Use of an antibiotic spray on the cut surface made little difference in the number of plants lost due to soft rot. Callus tissue formation occurred on the cut surface and the plants resumed normal growth.Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station Article No. 4898.     

Results of crossing Brassica pekinensis (Lour.) Rupr. with B. Oleracea L. Var. Acephala Dc.

Success in obtaining an interspecific hybrid between B. pekinensis and B. oleracea var. acephala was possible through the use of the Chinese cabbage as the seed parent and the use of the growth regulator, N-m-tolylphthalamic acid. The hybrids appeared vegetatively intermediate between the parents except for the inflorescence which appeared more like the kale parent. The F₁ was backcrossed with ease to the Chinese cabbage parent using the hybrid either as the pollen or seed parent. No backcross was made to the kale parent. Segregation in the F₂ was continuous for most characters studied.Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, Journal Article Number 2588.