Structure of xylan from culms of bamboo grass (Sasa senanensis Rehd.)

Xylan prepared from culms of kumaizasa (Sasa senanensis Rehd.), a representative species of bamboo grass, was hydrolyzed with-xylanase ofStreptomyces olivaceoviridis E-86. Four arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides and two glucuronoxylo-oligosaccharides were isolated from the enzymatic hydrolysate of the xylan by chromatography on a charcoal column, a Dowex 1-x8 column, a Toyo-pearl HW-40S column, and a LiChrospher 100 NH₂ column and on preparative paper chromatography. The results of the structural analyses of the saccharides showed that the isolated oligosaccharides had the structures of 3²--l-arabinofuranosyl-xylobiose, 3²--l-arabinofuranosyl-xylotriose, 3²--[-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 2)-l-arabinofuranosyl]-xylobiose, 3³--[-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 2)-l-arabinofuranosyl]-xylotriose, 2³--4-O-methyl-d-glucuronosyl-xylotriose, and 2³--d-glucuronosyl-xylotriose. From the structural analysis of the oligosaccharides derived from the xylan, kumaizasa xylan was concluded to be a kind of arabinoglucuronoxylan having not only stubs of singlel-arabinose and singled-glucuronic acid but also stubs of disaccharide units such as-d-xylopyranosyl-(1 2)-l-arabinofuranose.     

Detecting endotoxin activity in bovine serum using an automated testing system

The aim of the present study was to compare the ability of the commercially available portable test system (PTS^TM) to detect endotoxin activity in bovine serum, with that of the traditional LAL-kinetic turbidimetric (KT) and chromogenic (KC) assays. Prior to testing, serum samples, which were obtained from endotoxin-challenged cattle, were diluted 1:20 in endotoxin-free water and heated to 80°C for 10 min. The performance of the PTS^TM was not significantly different from that of the traditional LAL-based assays. The results using PTS^TM correlated with those using KT (r²=0.963, P<0.001) or KC assays (r²=0.982, P<0.001). Based on these findings, the PTS^TM could be applied as a simplified system to assess endotoxin activity in bovine serum.     

Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn、As复合污染对灯心草的生理毒性效应

通过盆栽试验,以现行土壤环境质量标准为浓度设置依据并结合实际污染土壤研究了不同处理水平的Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn、As5种重金属复合污染对灯心草生长、叶绿素含量及保护酶系统的影响。实验结果表明:5种重金属复合污染对灯心草地上部生长有一定程度的抑制作用,在土壤环境质量二级标准上限值处灯心草地上部生物量减产9.15%,<10%,但地下部生物量减产趋势不明显。复合重金属污染抑制灯心草的光合作用使叶绿素含量减少、叶绿素a/b值降低。在接近土壤环境质量标准低浓度设计范围内,灯心草3种保护酶有逐渐被激活的趋势,表现出一定的协调性共同抵制重金属的毒害。但在高浓度处理水平下,酶活性遭到抑制。生长在矿毒水和铅锌尾矿污染土壤中的灯心草地上部生物量分别下降28.23%和37.1%,但POD、SOD和CAT3种酶活性均高于对照。通过应用综合生态环境效益法,以灯心草为指示植物可以将土壤环境质量二级标准上限值设定为土壤中5种重金属的临界毒性效应值。     

Avian predation on wild and cultured sea urchin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Strongylocentrotus intermedius</Emphasis> in a rocky shore habitat

ABSTRACT:   The present study reports the annual variation in consumption of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius by avian predators on a rocky shore where the culture of sea urchins has been conducted. Carrion crow and a few gull species were the most abundant avian predators and consumed a large number of sea urchins. Crows consumed mostly natural sea urchins, approximately 36 kg ww/ha per year on the intertidal rocky bench, but the gull species consumed mostly cultured sea urchins, approximately 100 kg ww/ha per year in the culture area. The seasonal variation in the amount of sea urchins consumed by crows was higher than that by the gull species, presumably because of the difference in foraging behavior in association with the seasonal tidal cycle. The natural sea urchins consumed are an allochthonous input from the subtidal to the intertidal habitat, and thus, crow predation may not affect the natural and the cultured populations of the sea urchin. The gull species consumed much of the cultured sea urchin, and thus, may be regarded as an effective predator causing damage to sea urchin culture. The results suggest that further studies are needed to determine why the gull species selectively feed on cultured sea urchins.     

Ingestion of water-soluble soybean fiber prevents osteopenia and hypercholesterolemia induced by ovariectomy in rats

This study examined the effects of feeding water-soluble soybean fiber (WSSF), a highly fermentable dietary fiber with low viscosity, on intestinal calcium (Ca) absorption, bone mineral content, and serum total cholesterol levels using female Sprague-Dawley rats (5 weeks old) with or without ovariectomy (OVX). The rats in each group were fed a WSSF (50 g/kg of diet) or WSSF-free diet for 4 weeks. Ca absorption was higher in OVX rats fed the WSSF diet than in OVX rats fed the WSSF-free diet. Femoral Ca content in both sham and OVX rats fed the WSSF diet was higher than that in rats fed the WSSF-free diet. The serum total cholesterol levels were elevated after OVX compared with that in the sham rats, and this elevation was prevented by the WSSF diet. In conclusion, ingestion of WSSF prevented osteopenia and hypercholesterolemia induced by ovariectomy in rats.     

单一重金属胁迫对灯心草生长及生理生化指标的影响

通过盆栽试验研究了不同浓度处理水平的Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn、As五种重金属单一胁迫对灯心草生长及其生理生化特性的的影响。结果表明:种植灯心草土壤中的Cd、Pb、Cu三种重金属临界值可分别设定为10mg kg-1、100 mg kg-1、100mg kg-1。灯心草不适合在Zn污染的土壤中种植,土壤中As临界值尚需作进一步的研究来确定。各单一重金属胁迫对灯心草叶绿素的合成均有很大程度的抑制作用,剂量-效应关系明显。灯心草三种保护酶对于不同浓度处理水平重金属胁迫的响应不同:在土壤环境质量低浓度设置范围内三种酶有较好的协同效应能共同抵御重金属胁迫造成的膜伤害,表现出较强的自我调节能力。而在高浓度处理水平时,三种酶活性呈现不同的变化趋势。灯心草生理生化指标对重金属胁迫的响应存在元素种类之间的差异。各单一重金属对灯心草生长抑制及生理毒害效应大小排序为:Zn>As>Cu>Pb>Cd。     

Effect of incubation temperature or maternal antibody on virus growth and mortality of embryonated chicken eggs inoculated with the B1 strain of lentogenic Newcastle disease virus

The effects of incubation temperature on virus growth and mortality patterns were studied in antibody-free chicken eggs inoculated with the B1 strain of Newcastle disease virus. Embryo mortality patterns did not differ much between 37, 39, and 41 C of incubation, although virus growth curves were higher at 39 C and 41 C than at 37 C. Below 35 C, embryo mortality was delayed, although from 48 hours after incubation the virus growth curves were similar to those at 37 C. In eggs with and without maternal antibody, virus titers were maximum 48 hours after incubation, although slightly higher in antibody-free eggs than in eggs with antibody whether the eggs were alive or dead. Eggs with maternal antibody had delayed mortality patterns.