The genus Dasypyrum—part 2. Dasypyrum villosum—a wild species used in wheat improvement

Dasypyrum villosum (L.) P. Candargy is discussed as a species commonly used in wheat improvement. Chromosomal localization of the potentially useful traits and chromosomal position of some morphological and isozyme markes are shown. The investigations using molecular RAPD, AFLP, SSR, RFLP markers and in situ (GISH, FISH) hybridization experiments on D. villosum itself and in wide hybrids with Triticum are summarized. The article also presents the information about designation of D. villosum chromosomes and the current knowledge on the phenomenon of two-coloured D. villosum caryopses.     

Identification on commercialized products of AFLP markers able to discriminate slow- from fast-growing chicken strains

The European chicken meat market is characterized by numerous quality marks: "Label de Qualité Wallon" in Belgium, "Label Rouge" in France, denominations of geographical origin, organic agriculture, etc. Most of those certified productions have specifications requiring the use of slow-growing chicken strains. The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique has been used to search molecular markers able to discriminate slow-growing chicken strains from fast-growing ones and to authenticate certified products. Two pairs of restriction enzymes (EcoRI/MseI and EcoRI/TaqI) and 121 selective primer combinations were tested on individual DNA samples from chicken products essentially in carcass form that were ascribed as belonging to either slow- or fast-growing strains. Within the resulting fingerprints, two fragments were identified as type-strains specific markers. One primer combination gives a band (333 bp) that is specific for slow-growing chickens, and another primer pair generates a band (372 bp) that was found to be characteristic of fast-growing chickens. The two markers were isolated, cloned, and sequenced. The effectiveness and the specificity of the two interesting determinants were assessed on individuals of two well-known strains (ISA 657 and Cobb 500) and on commercialized products coming from various origins.     

Effects of rhodium heterogeneous catalyst and isomerization conditions on linoleic acid conjugation of soybean oil

Rhodium heterogeneous catalyst was used to catalyze isomerization of linoleic acid in soybean oil to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). A central composite rotatable design with five levels of three variables, namely, reaction temperature, stirring speed, and reaction time, was used to determine the maximum CLA yield. The formation of CLA during isomerization was greatly dependent on the reaction temperature and time. The CLA content of soybean oil increased from 0.63 to 202.42 mg/g oil when isomerization was done at 200 degrees C, with a stirring speed of 200 rpm for 49 min. Analysis of triacylglycerol positions showed that linoleic acid at any position in a triacylglyceride could possibly be isomerized to CLA.     

Zytologische und embryologische Untersuchungen am Nucellus apomiktischer Sippen der Wiesenrispe (Poa pratensis L.)

Zusammenfassung Bei apomiktischen Sippen vonPoa pratensis wurden 165 Samenanlagen auf die Anzahl der in ihren Nucelli ausgebildeten Embryosäcke untersucht. Dabei wurden in 87 Nucelli ein, in 60 zwei und in 18 drei Embryosäcke gefunden. Im Einzelfall sind in diesem Stadium apomiktische von sexuellen Embryosäcken nicht zu unterscheiden; es kann aber aus der bekannten hohen Apomixierate bei Zuchtmaterial geschlossen werden, daß es sich dabei fast ausnahmslos um solche aposporen Ursprungs handelt.Die zahlenmäßige Erfassung keimfähiger mono-, bi- und polyembryonaler Karyopsen erfolgt im Keimapparat auf Filterpapier. Die auf diese Weise ermittelte Differenz zu den mittels embryologischer Methoden erfaßten Embryosäcken ist beträchtlich. Von der Anzahl aposporer Initialen je Nucellus über die Anzahl entwickelter Embryosäcke je Nucellus bis zur Ausbildung keimfähiger Embryonen je Karyopse, ist zahlenmäßig eine starke Verminderung festzustellen.In dem befruchtungsfähigen Embryosack bilden, wie zu erwarten, drei Kerne den Eiapparat, zwei die Polkerne und drei die Antipoden. Durch somatische Polyploidisierung erfahren die Antipoden stets eine auffällige Volumenzunahme, und es kann sich durch zusätzliche Teilungen auch ihre Anzahl erhöhen.

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Cytological and embryological studies in nucelli of apomictic specimens ofPoa pratensis L.

Summary In a total of 165 analysed nucelli of apomictic specimens ofPoa pratensis 87 contain only one embryo-sac, 60 two embryo-sacs and 18 three ones. In no case aposporous embryo-sacs could be distinguished from meiotic ones. However, from the high apomeiotic rate in breeding material the conclusion can be drawn that the majority of them are of aposporous origin.The numerical evaluation of the germinating capacity of mono-, bi- and polyembryonic caryopses was performed in a germinating apparatus. There are considerable differences between the values determined in this way and those ascertained by embryological methods. It was found that during the developmental pathway from the aposporous initial to the mature, full-grown embryo sequentially the number of embryo-sacs per nucellus and the number of embryos capable to germinate per caryopsis are diminished.As expected, in the mature, fertile embryo-sac three nuclei form the egg-apparatus, two ones the pole nuclei and three ones the antipodals. By somatic polyploidization the antipodals always undergo a considerable increase in volume, and in few cases by additional divisions the number of antipodals may be increased also.

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(Poa pratensis L.)

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A new yam bean (Pachyrhizus spp.) interspecific hybrid

The yam bean (Pachyrhizus spp.) is a legume tuber / root crop locally grown in Central America, South America and Asia. The tuber is usually consumed raw for its refreshing taste and high moisture content. A recently found P. tuberosus type from a small ecogeographic region in the tropical lowlands of Peru has a high tuber dry matter content and this so-called Chuin-Type is consumed like manioc. This study was conducted to determine the possibility to use the Chuin-Type as a source to incorporate high dry matter into the remaining yam bean gene pool. Three P. tuberosus (Chuin) accessions were crossed with 15 P. ahipa accessions from the Andean highlands resulting in six successful interspecific hybridisations. Successful crosses were confirmed by morphological and agronomical traits as well as multivariate statistics. All hybrid plants were fertile and vigorous. Owing to the fertility and vigour of interspecific hybrids it is assumed that a hybrid between P. tuberosus and P. ahipa might already evolved in the area of origin and that interspecific hybridisation is appropriate to improve the tuber dry matter content in the yam bean which might give the crop new forms of food and processing use.     

Excessive oral administration of iron to sheep. 1. Digestibility of rations, results of fattening and carcass yields]

4 digestibility trials (4 male sheep per group) and 2 growth trials were carried out with 24 (V 1) and 32 (V 2) fattening lambs to investigate the effect of abundant oral Fe doses on the digestibility of crude nutrients in a ration of barley + dried green feed and on the results of fattening and carcass yields. Fe supplementation (less than 1400 mg per sheep/day) did not significantly change the digestibility coefficients of crude nutrients. Increasing Fe levels in the concentrates decreased the rates of liveweight increase and food consumption in both growth trials. Well-established statistical evidence was provided for the decline in absolute carcass yields resulting from the lower weight of the lambs at the end of the fattening period after Fe supplementation.     

The protective effect of adsorbents against ochratoxin A in swine

Adsorption of the mycotoxin ochratoxin A by activated charcoal, various bentonites (acid, alkaline, neutral), and hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate was tested in vitro as well as in feeding experiments with pigs. In vitro tests showed that the 1% addition of activated charcoal leads to complete adsorption of ochratoxin A from aqueous solutions. This effect was not influenced by pH-values ranging from 3-8. In contrast, adsorption by bentonite and hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate occurred primarily in the acid range (pH 3-4). Dietary addition of hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (1%) and acid bentonite (1%, 10%) to ochratoxin A-contaminated feed (1.0 mg/kg) had no effect on the blood or tissue levels of the toxin in pigs. The addition of 1% activated charcoal caused a slight decrease of ochratoxin A in the blood, whereas a tenfold dosage resulted in a 50% to 80% reduction of ochratoxin A levels in both blood and tissue. Reduction of ochratoxin A absorption via the dietary administration of activated charcoal (5%) was confirmed in a 16 week feeding experiment. However, this experiment also showed the serum level of vitamin E to be lower than in the controls receiving adsorbent-free feed.     

The pathomorphology and pathogenesis of acute cardiovascular failure in swine. 2. Histopathologic findings in the myocardium of swine of different populations

Histopathological alterations of the myocardium (inflammatory processes, fibrolysis, fibronecrosis, dystrophic calcification, fatty degeneration of fibres, sarcosporidia) were recorded for quantitative evaluation from 200 hearts which had been collected from clinically intact pigs for slaughter of different populations (Leicoma, land race, Schwerfurt breed, Belgian land race). Both incidence and severity of myocardial damage in pigs of stress-sensitive populations were higher with significance than those in the less stress-sensitive Leicoma population oriented to breeding. The highest rate of pathological processes was recorded from hearts of the Schwerfurt breed. These alterations were interpreted as objectively measurable expressions of breed-dependent differences in cardiovascular stability. In this context, rates of damage were higher in hearts of low absolute mass.     

The pathomorphology and pathogenesis of acute cardiovascular failure in swine. 1. Histopathologic findings in the myocardium of swine of different age groups

Myocardia were histologically examined for the presence of pathomorphological processes in 143 pigs of varying age groups (one, three, seven to nine, and 24 months). Some of them had been slaughtered in clinically intact condition. Others had died of non-cardial diseases. Numerous alterations were recorded, with the following among them being more suitable than others for quantitative assessment and thus objective appraisal of the myocardium: inflammatory infiltrations, granular or hyaline disintegration of fibres, fibre necrosis, dystrophic calcification of fibres, degenerative fat infiltration, and sarcosporidiosis. These parameters were increasingly detectable along with growing age of animals. Inflammatory infiltrations were among the most common findings from pigs for slaughter, aged seven to nine months (40.4 percent of myocardial samples or 58 percent of hearts), followed by muscle fibre necroses (26.4 or 42.0 percent). Most of these disorders were but slightly manifest and were considered to be indicators of catabolic or reparative processes in the myocardium. Attention should be given to them, whenever it comes to pigs with cardiac or circulatory disturbances.