Action of benzimidazole fungicides on resorcinolic lipid metabolism in rye seedlings depends on thermal and light growth conditions

The content and homologue composition of alkylresorcinols were investigated in rye seedlings (Secale cereale L.) treated with benzimidazole fungicides and grown for 5 days under various thermal and light conditions. The fresh and dry biomasses of green and etiolated plants were greatly increased by benomyl and carbendazim at 29 °C. At 22 and 15 °C benomyl had an inhibitory action on growth of rye, whereas the effects caused in the presence of carbendazim were slightly dependent on external stimuli. On the other hand, benomyl enhanced resorcinol biosynthesis in green seedlings grown at all temperatures, while carbendazim only at 29 °C. In plants kept in the darkness, both fungicides increased content of alkylresorcinols at 29 °C and decreased its at 22 and 15 °C. The qualitative pattern of resorcinolic homologues was also significantly modified in the presence of benomyl and carbendazim and depended on other physical stimuli.     

The use of bromelain as a feed additive in fish diets: Growth performance,intestinal morphology,digestive enzyme and immune response of juvenile Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)

Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from Ananas comosus and has great potential to affect several physiological functions. The current study examined the effect of bromelain added to commercial feed at concentrations of 0 g (control), 10 g (B1) and 20 g (B2) per kg diet on growth, feed utilization, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme and immune response of juvenile Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) for 56 days. At the end of this experiment, the highest final body weight was detected in fish fed diet of B2 compared to control. The protein content of whole fish was higher in fish fed diet of B1 and B2, but the content of calcium, iron, copper and zinc was noted lower in fillets of fish fed diet of B1 and B2. Supplementation with bromelain significantly increased the height of mucosal folds, enterocytes and the supranuclear zone of the epithelial cells compared to control diet. The enzymatic activity of lipase and pepsin was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in fish fed diet of B1 and B2. The highest activity of lysozyme, total protein level and total immunoglobulin and the proliferative activity of T and B cells were detected in fish fed diet of B2 compared to control, where no significant (p > 0.05) difference was found in ceruloplasmin, metabolic activity of spleen macrophages and potential killing activity of spleen phagocytes between different treatments.     

PCR在安祖花和白鹤芋属间杂交种早期鉴定中的应用

采用以PCR技术为基础的tRNALeuCAA基因内序列细胞核标记和内部改写空间2(ITS2)序列2种方法对7个安祖花属的红鹤芋(Anthurium andraeanum)和白鹤芋属的矮小苞叶芋(Spathiphyllum wallissii)的属间杂交种进行鉴定.使用tRNALeuCAA基因内序列细胞标记共扩增出13个位点,供试杂种中均无父本特异性谱带出现,仅在1个杂种中出现新的谱带,表明该杂种为真正的属间杂种.ITS2序列法扩增出28个位点,杂种谱带表现3种类型:无父本特异性谱带出现;出现新谱带;既出现父本特异性谱带又出现新谱带.应用ITS2序列法有6个假定杂交种均被鉴定为真正的属间杂交种.试验结果表明,tRNALeuCAA基因内序列细胞核标记和内部改写空间2(ITS2)序列2种方法可以用于属间杂种的鉴定.     

Rapid detection of Marek's disease virus in feather follicles by loop-mediated amplification

Marek's disease (MD) remains a serious problem in the production of poultry. The disease is caused by Marek's disease virus (MDV), and despite the ubiquitous use of vaccination to control losses, MD still affects poultry farming worldwide. The aim of this study was to develop a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for the simple and inexpensive detection of MDV in feather tips of chickens. Two pairs of specific primers complementary to the meq oncogene of MDV were designed, targeting the sequence of the very virulent MDV strain, RB1B. Bst polymerase was used for the isothermal amplification of viral DNA at 65 C for 90 min in a water bath. The fluorescence signal was identified in MDV-positive samples after the addition of SYBR Green and ultraviolet (UV) illumination. The sensitivity of LAMP was 2 log 10 plaque-forming units (PFU)/ml of HPRS16 and 10(3) copies/il of plasmid containing the target gene (meq) and was equal in sensitivity to PCR amplification. Due to the use of three sets of primers, LAMP was highly specific for MDV-1 DNA. The developed LAMP technique is a rapid and simple tool for the specific detection of MDV in samples of feathers taken from live chickens. Since the use of thermocyclers is not necessary for LAMP assay, it can be conducted by small laboratories and even field veterinarians.     

Hypolipidemic effects and absorption of citrus polymethoxylated flavones in hamsters with diet-induced hypercholesterolemia

Formulations containing citrus polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), mainly tangeretin, or citrus flavanone glucosides, hesperidin and naringin, were evaluated for cholesterol-lowering potential in hamsters with diet-induced hypercholesterolemia. PMF metabolites were also investigated. Diets containing 1% PMFs significantly reduced serum total and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) + LDL cholesterol (by 19-27 and 32-40%, respectively) and either reduced or tended to reduce serum triacylglycerols. Comparable reductions were achieved by feeding a 3% mixture of hesperidin and naringin (1:1, w/w), implying lower hypolipidemic potency of the hesperidin/naringin vs PMFs. HPLC-MS analysis identified high serum, liver, and urine concentrations of tangeretin metabolites including dihydroxytrimethoxyflavone and monohydroxytetramethoxyflavone glucuronides and aglycones. Total liver concentrations of tangeretin derivatives corresponded to hypolipidemic concentrations of intact tangeretin in earlier experiments in vitro. This suggests that PMFs are novel flavonoids with cholesterol- and triacylglycerol-lowering potential and that elevated levels of PMF metabolites in the liver might be directly responsible for their hypolipidemic effects in vivo.     

High affinity of cadmium and copper to head kidney of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

The aim of the present study was to evaluate bioaccumulation of metals in various tissues of the freshwater fish Cyprinus carpio L. exposed to cadmium and copper (a xenobiotic and a microelement). The fish were subjected to short-term (3 h, Cd-S and Cu-S) or long-term (4 weeks, Cd-L and Cu-L) exposures to 100 % 96hLC₅₀ or 10 % 96hLC₅₀, respectively. Blood, gill, liver, head and trunk kidney were isolated weekly from 5 fish of each group for 4 weeks (post-short-term exposure and during long-term exposure). Atomic absorption spectrophotometry technique was applied to measure concentrations of metals (Cd and Cu) in fish tissues. Initial concentrations of copper in fish tissues were higher than levels of cadmium. Cadmium and copper levels increased in all tissues of metal-exposed fish. After short-term exposures (at higher concentration) and during long-term exposures (at lower concentration), similar changes in metal concentrations were observed. The values of accumulation factor (ratio of final to initial metal concentration) were higher for cadmium as compared to copper. Comparison of metal levels and accumulation factors in various tissues revealed that cadmium and copper showed very high affinity to head kidney of common carp (higher than to other tissues), but accumulation factors for cadmium in trunk, head kidney and liver were much higher than for copper. The concentrations of copper in organs of Cu-exposed fish increased only slightly and quickly returned to the control level, which shows that fish organism easily buffered metal level. On the other hand, concentrations of cadmium considerably increased and remained elevated for a long time which suggests that activation of mechanisms of sequestration and elimination of cadmium required more time.     

Folates Stability in Two Types of Rye Breads During Processing and Frozen Storage

High-performance liquid chromatography was used to study the stability of folate vitamers in two types of rye breads after baking and 16 weeks of frozen storage. Bread made using sourdough seeds contained less total folate (74.6 μg/100 g dry basis, expressed as folic acid) than the whole rye flour (79.8 μg/100 g dry basis) and bread leavened only with baker’s yeast (82.8 μg/100 g dry basis). Most importantly, it was generated by a significant decrease in 5-CH₃-H₄folate form. The baking process caused some changes in folate distribution. Storage of breads at -18°C for 2 weeks did not have a significant effect (p < 0.05) on total folates compared to the content directly after baking. After a 5-weeks storage period, a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the content of total folates was recorded and it dropped on average by 14% for both type of breads. After a longer period of storage (16 weeks), a 25% loss of folates in the bread made with baker’s yeast and a 38% loss in the bread fermented with sourdough seeds was found. Retention of 5-CH₃-H₄folate and 10-HCO-H₂folate forms were much lower in the bread made with a sourdough addition than with baker’s yeast only.     

Imidazenil,a new drug for the management of convulsions in organophosphate intoxication in rodents

The summary deals with the anti-convulsant and antilethal effects of a new benzodiazepine receptor partial agonist, imidazenil, in DFP intoxication. It has been demonstrated that imidazenil (2–5 mg kg⁻¹) significantly decreases convulsion intensity, rapidly inhibits seizure patterns in brain bioelectrical activity and significantly increases the anti-lethal efficacy of atropine plus obidoxime therapy. These effects are comparable to diazepam at 5 mg kg⁻¹. However, diazepam exhibits myorelaxant activity at therapeutic doses, which are only observed at 5–10 times the therapeutic doses of imidazenil.