Selection of In Vitro-Matured Porcine Oocytes Based on Localization Patterns of Lipid Droplets to Evaluate Developmental Competence

Localization patterns of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of porcine oocytes were evaluated as a novel marker for in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes with high developmental competence. Porcine oocytes were cultured in TCM-199, which is a complete synthetic medium, for 44 h at 38.5 C. Localization patterns were divided into 2 classes: lipid droplets localized uniformly in the whole cytoplasm (class I) and those that were centrally located (class II). After IVM in TCM-199, 60% of matured oocytes exhibited the class II pattern. To investigate the relation between the distribution of lipid droplets and the developmental rate of the oocyte, the developmental rates of class I and class II oocytes were compared after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Class II oocytes showed a significantly higher rate of blastocyst development than class I oocytes. These results suggest that porcine oocytes with high developmental competence can be selected based on the localization patterns of lipid droplets.     

Matrine inhibits mycelia growth of Botryosphaeria dothidea by affecting membrane permeability

Matrine is a promising botanical antifungal;however, the mechanism underlying the antifungal activity is yet limited. We studied the antifungal activity of matrine and the underlying mechanism in Botryosphaeria dothidea as a model strain. Matrine strongly inhibited mycelial growth of B. dothidea in a dose-dependent manner. Matrine-treated B. dothidea showed morphological and ultrastructural alterations, including shriveled hyphae, plasmolysis, and leakage of cytoplasm related to cell membrane deterioration. In addition, matrine caused significantly high conductivity and absorbance (260 nm) in extracellular matrices and low lipid contents in B. dothidea, indicating increased membrane permeability. Lipid peroxidation showed that matrine resulted in increased malondialdehyde content while enhancing the generation of reactive oxygen species and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. These results showed that matrine inhibited the mycelial growth of B. dothidea by enhancing cell membrane permeability via membrane lipid peroxidation.     

氮离子注入对仿栗种子当代生理生化性状的影响

研究了不同剂量的氮离子注入仿栗种子对种子内过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶、超氧化物歧化酶活性以及丙二醛的含量、电解质外渗率的影响。结果表明:离子注入剂量在9×1016~12×1016N+/cm2下过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶、超氧化物歧化酶的酶活性达到峰值,丙二醛含量和电解质外渗率最低,在一定程度上削弱种子脂质过氧化作用。结果说明一定剂量的氮离子注入能激活合成自由基清除酶的能力,在一定程度上免受自由基侵害。     

盐胁迫条件下硒对小白菜抗氧化活性及膜脂过氧化作用的影响

采用土培试验的方法研究了盐胁迫条件下硒对小白菜抗氧化活性及膜脂过氧化作用的影响。结果表明,盐胁迫条件下,硒对小白菜的生物量没有显著影响。硒能显著提高小白菜叶片的谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶、过氧化物酶、超氧化物歧化酶的活性以及还原型谷胱甘肽的含量和硒含量,抗氧化活性显著增强。硒显著降低小白菜体内氧自由基和丙二醛的含量;降低了膜脂过氧化作用,抑制小白菜质膜透性的升高。土壤施硒0.9 mg/kg,可提高小白菜对盐分胁迫的适应能力。     

Lipid analysis of three special nervonic acid resources in China

Nervonic acid plays an important role in nutrition and function of the human body. Malania oleifera, Acer truncatum and Xanthoceras sorbifolium are China’s unique woody plant rich in nervonic acid in seed oil. This study aims to investigate the lipid composition of these 3 special resources. Their fatty acids were detected by gas chromatography coupled with flame detector (GC-FID). Triglycerides (TAGs) and phospholipids (PLs) were detected by shotgun-mass spectrometry (shotgun-MS). Results showed that M. oleifera oil presented the highest level of nervonic acid (46.20 ​± ​0.22%) among the 3 oils. Seeds oil of A. truncatum and X. sorbifolium had 3.53 ​± ​0.20% and 1.83 ​± ​0.21% nervonic acid respectively. 53 species of TAGs and 15 species of PLs were identified in M. oleifera oil, with PLs content of 499.94 ​± ​22.34 ​μg/g. In A. truncatum oil, PL and TAG species were twice more than those in M. oleifera oil, and its’ content of PLs was 76.27 ​± ​3.21 ​μg/g. In X. sorbifolium oil, 75 TAGs and 34 ​PLs were detected, with the lowest PLs at 23.84 ​± ​0.17 ​μg/g. The results demonstrated that these 3 vegetable oils have great potential to become nervonic acid supplements for human health.     

Mechanisms associated with tiller suppression under stagnant flooding in rice

Stagnant flooding (SF) during vegetative growth triggers stem elongation usually at the cost of tiller production in rice, reducing grain yield. To explore physiological mechanisms associated with tillering suppression under SF, three contrasting genotypes (Swarna and Swarna‐Sub1, both sensitive and IRRI154, tolerant) were evaluated under standing water depths of 0, 5, 30 and 50 cm. SF significantly suppressed tiller formation but increased plant height, root biomass, shoot elongation (ratio of plant height before and after flooding), leaf emergency and non‐structural carbohydrate (NSC) concentration (in root–shoot junction) in all genotypes at the early stage of development. Chlorophyll concentration in the upper leaves (upper most fully expanded leaf at top) was higher than in lower leaves (lowest green leaf at base), but decreased under SF in both. SF increased hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) at the early stage of treatment, with concomitant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) production by stems and leaves. MDA concentration in root–shoot junction increased but delayed. Tiller number correlated negatively with plant height, shoot elongation, leaf emergency, MDA concentration in leaves and root–shoot junction, root biomass, and NSC concentration in the root–shoot junction. The results suggested existence of compensatory mechanisms between tiller growth and shoot elongation in rice for resilience under SF, where energy is mainly diverted for shoot elongation to escape flooding. The SF‐tolerant genotype produced less H₂O₂ and maintained energy balance for higher survival and better growth under stagnant flooding.     

Effect of dietary nutmeg oil on heat‐stress tolerance‐related parameters in Korean native chicken reared under hot temperature

This study investigated the effect of dietary nutmeg oil (NO) on growth performance, blood parameters, lipid peroxidation and heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression in Korean native chicken (KNC) reared under hot temperature. We allocated 273 meat‐type KNCs (Hanhyup‐3, 4‐week‐old, body weight [BW] = 539.93 ± 1.75 g) to the following three treatments with seven replicate pens (13 birds/pen) per treatment. Three treatment diets were as follows: (a) Control, basal diet without NO supplementation; (b) NO 250; and (c) NO 500, basal diet supplemented with 250 and 500 ppm NO respectively. Diets and water were provided ad libitum throughout the 6‐week feeding trial. During overall period (0–6 weeks), no differences (p > 0.05) were observed in BW gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion rate (FCR) among treatments. However, the FI at 0–3 weeks decreased (p < 0.05) quadratically with increasing NO levels. Most blood parameters did not differ (p > 0.05) among treatments, although the monocyte level of the NO 500 group was considerably lower (p > 0.05) than that of the other groups. Furthermore, dietary NO did not affect serum triglyceride, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, calcium, phosphorus and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (p > 0.05); however, it linearly decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (p < 0.05). Additionally, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration decreased (p < 0.05) and heart MDA concentration was lower (p = 0.08) with increasing dietary NO supplementation. After a 3‐hr heat (35°C) challenge, the rectal temperature (RT) reduced (p < 0.05) linearly with increasing NO levels. Dietary NO did not affect liver HSP70 (p > 0.05) gene expression. In conclusion, NO potentially enhanced the ability of chickens to alleviate heat stress. Furthermore, our findings suggest that lipid oxidation inhibition by dietary NO likely mediated the enhanced heat‐stress tolerance of the chickens.     

Effect of pre- and postharvest salicylic acid treatment on physio-chemical attributes in relation to the vase life of cut rose flowers

With the aim of extending the vase life of cut rose flowers, we investigated whether the application of salicylic acid (SA), pre- and postharvest, could improve this. For this purpose, two individual trials were conducted, using a completely randomised design, with three replications. In the first trial, aqueous solutions of 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mM SA were sprayed on roses grown in a controlled greenhouse once the flower buds had appeared, and the second stage was performed two weeks before harvest. The preharvest SA application at 1.5 mM concentration prolonged the vase life of cut roses by improving membrane stability, and decreasing the lipid peroxidation properties. In the second trial, continuous exposure to (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mM), and pulses of (0, 5, 10 and 15 mM), SA significantly extended the vase life. Flowers treated with 1.5 (continuous exposure) and 15 mM (pulse) SA showed a significant decrease in weight loss, and antioxidant activity increased, compared to the control solution, but the flowers in the control solution indicated an increase in weight loss. The results show that pre- and postharvest SA application prolonged the vase life of cut roses through improving CAT and POD activity, and decreasing lipid peroxidation.     

花生荚果发育过程中子叶贮藏细胞的形态变化及其与油分和蛋白质积累的关系

花生荚果发育过程中,子叶贮藏细胞的形态和结构皆发生一系列明显的变化。果针入土0-30天,子叶贮藏细胞不断形成分化,体积变化较小,细胞中脂体和蛋白体形成少,而造粉体则形成较多,并大量积累淀粉粒。果针入土30-45天,子叶贮藏细胞迅速生长,脂体、蛋白体大量形成和增大,充满整个细胞。而淀粉粒形成少。果针入土45-68天,子叶细胞生长减慢,脂体则进一步发育,蛋白体持续形成和增大,60天以后蛋白体趋于解体,间质充挤于脂体间隙。未期,子叶细胞停止膨大,并可能因失水而体积略有减小。结果表明,花生子叶细胞的生长发育,是种仁和荚果形态发育的基础;种仁油分和蛋白质的积累则是其体内脂体和蛋白体不断形成和发育的结果。     

日粮烟酸水平对肉仔鸡生长及脂肪代谢的影响

AA肉仔鸡240只,设5个处理,各处理在饲喂相同基础日粮条件下,分别添加烟酸0、15、30、60和120mg/kg。当日粮烟酸添加量由0提高到60mg/kg时,血浆胆固醇、β-脂蛋白、甘油三酯和游离脂肪酸含量分别降低15.4%、18.6%、36.1%、和25.9%;肝脂、肌肉总脂及腹脂含量分别降低35.1%、51.4%和28.0%。提高日粮烟酸水平可降低肉仔鸡血浆雌二醇含量和肝脏苹果酸脱氢酶活性,在本试验条件下,肉仔鸡日粮烟酸添加量以60mg/kg为宜。