Gamma-linolenic Acid from Fifty-seven Ribes Species and Cultivars

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6) is a bioactive fatty acid (FA) that exerts several healthy actions; however, its occurrence is restricted to a few oils. The...     

Effects of huanglongbing on fruit quality of sweet orange cultivars in Brazil

Citrus huanglongbing (HLB), associated with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and Ca. L. americanus and transmitted by the Asian psyllid Diaphorina citri, is the most serious disease of citrus worldwide because of crop devastation and difficulty to control. Since 2004, approximately 3 million trees were eliminated in attempts to limit its spread in Brazil. Where HLB becomes endemic, the disease progression in the orchard and the increasing symptom severity throughout the tree canopy can be relatively fast, greatly reducing the economic life of affected orchards because of tree decline and yield reduction. Although the majority of the fruit from symptomatic branches drop before harvest, a significant amount of affected fruit remain attached, are available for harvest, and can affect juice quality. To quantify and compare the effects of HLB on fruit quality of the most important sweet orange cultivars grown in São Paulo State, 4–6 year-old sweet orange trees from 26 blocks (two of ‘Valencia Americana’, eight of ‘Hamlin’, four of ‘Westin’, seven of ‘Pera’, and five of ‘Valencia’) were selected prior to harvest. In each block, 14–21 HLB-symptomatic trees were chosen. In each tree, the quality of 20 fruit normal in appearance from asymptomatic branches and 20 symptomatic fruit from symptomatic branches were assessed. In general, compared to normal fruit, the symptomatic fruit were small, light, more acidic, and had lower juice percentage, Brix, total soluble solids per box, total soluble solids per fruit, and Brix/acidity ratio. These effects of fruit quality were less pronounced on early and mid season sweet orange cultivars than on late season cv. Valencia.     

Formulation and Physicochemical and Sensorial Evaluation of Biscuit-Type Cookies Supplemented with Fruit Powders

Cashew apple and guava residues from fruit juice industry were prepared as dehydrated fruit powders and used at different levels of wheat flour substitution for cookies formulations. The effects of guava and cashew apple fruit powders supplementation on physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of the cookies were evaluated. The pH, fibre and protein content were significantly affected. Biscuits with 15 g and 20 g/100g cashew apple and guava fruit powders showed the highest scores for sensorial attributes, respectively. The supplementation seems to be suited for wheat flour substitution and it is possible to obtain cookies with value-added food ingredient within the standards.     

The Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Caulerpin,a Bisindole Alkaloid Isolated from Seaweeds of the Genus Caulerpa

The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity of caulerpin was investigated. This bisindole alkaloid was isolated from the lipoid extract of Caulerpa racemosa and its structure was identified by spectroscopic methods, including IR and NMR techniques. The pharmacological assays used were the writhing and the hot plate tests, the formalin-induced pain, the capsaicin-induced ear edema and the carrageenan-induced peritonitis. Caulerpin was given orally at a concentration of 100 μmol/kg. In the abdominal constriction test caulerpin showed reduction in the acetic acid-induced nociception at 0.0945 μmol (0.0103–1.0984) and for dypirone it was 0.0426 μmol (0.0092–0.1972). In the hot plate test in vivo the inhibition of nociception by caulerpin (100 μmol/kg, p.o.) was also favorable. This result suggests that this compound exhibits a central activity, without changing the motor activity (seen in the rotarod test). Caulerpin (100 μmol/kg, p.o.) reduced the formalin effects in both phases by 35.4% and 45.6%, respectively. The possible anti-inflammatory activity observed in the second phase in the formalin test of caulerpin (100 μmol/kg, p.o.) was confirmed on the capsaicin-induced ear edema model, where an inhibition of 55.8% was presented. Indeed, it was also observed in the carrageenan-induced peritonitis that caulerpin (100 μmol/kg, p.o.) exhibited anti-inflammatory activity, reducing significantly the number of recruit cells by 48.3%. Pharmacological studies are continuing in order to characterize the mechanism(s) responsible for the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions and also to identify other active principles present in Caulerpa racemosa.     

Marker-assisted selection efficiency in multiple connected populations: a simulation study based on the results of a QTL detection experiment in maize

Many studies already investigated marker-assisted selection (MAS) efficiency but mainly in biparental populations. Connected multiparental populations address a broader diversity and confer a gain of power for QTL detection which must be beneficial for MAS. Our objective was to compare multiparental connected designs to biparental populations taken separately for MAS and phenotypic selection. We first detected QTL for flowering time and grain yield in an experimental maize design involving four parental inbred lines crossed to produce six different biparental populations and confirmed the advantage of multiparental connected designs over biparental populations for QTL detection. Based on these results we performed stochastic simulations to evaluate the expected efficiency of four generations of MAS and phenotypic selection. Different parameters were considered: trait heritability, genetic architecture and whether QTL were assumed to be known or have to be detected. Genetic gains were higher in the multiparental design than on average over the biparental populations considered separately, especially when favourable alleles were equally distributed among parental lines. When QTL detection was included in the simulation process, we found that type I error risk considered for declaring QTL as significant should be adapted to the design. Type I error risks leading to the best response were higher for the biparental populations than for the multiparental design. Besides addressing a broader diversity, multiparental designs increase the power of QTL detection, which reinforces their superiority over biparental designs for MAS. Application of MAS to multiparental designs therefore appears promising to accelerate genetic gain in plant breeding programs.     

Genetic variability and heterotic groups of Brazilian popcorn populations

The development of successful advanced lines and cultivars in maize is dependent on parental selection and assignment to defined heterotic groups. So, the objectives of this study were to evaluate genetic variability and identify heterotic groups among Brazilian popcorn varieties. Thus, diallel crosses of advanced generations of the popcorn hybrids, IAC 112 and Zélia, and of three open-pollinated popcorn varieties, RS 20, Branco, and SAM were performed. Ten hybrid combinations, the five parents, and five check treatments were arranged in a block design with four replicates in two tropical-zone locations (CWb climate). Both additive and non-additive effects were important for grain yield, plant height, ear height, and husk cover. For popping expansion, only the additive effects were important. Hybrid combinations between the local variety (Branco) and F₂ populations (IAC 112 and Zelia) resulted in the third and fourth highest values for popping expansion. The best grain yields were obtained with hybrid combinations involving SAM. Cultivars Zélia, IAC 112, and RS 20 increased popping expansion, whereas cultivar Branco increased grain yield of hybrid combinations. The following conclusions may be drawn: Brazilian popcorn populations have reduced heterosis and genetic variability to popping expansion in relation commercial cultivars; there is genetic variability among Brazilian popcorn populations that allows the exploitation of additive and non-additive effects for grain yield; it is possible to increase grain yield by using local varieties; but it would be difficult to obtain commercial hybrids from local varieties because they have poor performance for popping expansion.     

Exploitation of Exotic, Cultivated Solanum Germplasm for Breeding and Commercial Purposes

Native potato species (NPS) are cultivated potatoes which do not belong to S. tuberosum ssp. tuberosum. They are maintained by the farmers of the Andes for subsistence under harsh environmental conditions where other potatoes cannot compete. Within the huge phenotypic variability between and within these species certain accessions possess resistances to different pests and diseases, remarkable culinary and processing quality and favourable nutritional properties. We present first evaluation results of a set of NPS for these characters and discuss prospects for exploiting this valuable germplasm for breeding and for developing novel products for niche markets.