Effects of taurine-zinc on learning and memory abilities of vascular dementia mice

AIM:To observe the effects of taurine-zinc (TZC) on the learning and memory abilities of vascular dementia (VD) mice and to investigate the related mechanism. METHODS:The mice were randomly divided into model group, sham group, and TZC at 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg groups. The mice in drug groups were given TZC by gavage at 10 mL/kg once daily. The mice in sham group and model group were given equal volume of distilled water. VD mice were established by intercepting both common carotid arteries and bleeding at caudal vein after 14 d of gavage. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were detected by ELISA. The levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) were measured via spectrophotometer. Step-down test and Morris water maze test were used to examine the abilities of learning and memory in the mice. RESULTS:TZC at 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS and NO in the brain tissues. In the water maze test, TZC at 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg significantly decreased the error times and latency compared with model group. In the step-down test, the escape latency was prolonged and error times were lowered significantly by treatment with TZC at 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg as compared with model group. CONCLUSION:TZC improves the abilities of learning and memory, which might be related to the reduction of TNF-α, IL-1β, iNOS and NO levels in VD mice.     

果蔬型甜玉米新品种京科甜191的选育

京科甜191是以超甜玉米自交系T68为母本,自交系T6302为父本,通过杂交选育而成的果蔬型甜玉米品种。果穗筒型,穗长19.0 cm,穗粗5.3 cm,穗行数16~18行,行粒数36~38粒,粒行整齐。籽粒亮黄色,外观漂亮。平均每667 m2鲜果穗产量900 kg左右,出籽率约67.4%。鲜籽粒含粗蛋白2.98%,粗脂肪1.37%,总糖6.7%,口感甜脆清爽,皮薄无渣。播种至采收平均85.4 d(天),适宜京津冀及类似生态区种植。     

Assessing vulnerability of New Zealand lakes to loss of conservation value from invasive fish impacts

1. Predictions of invasion risk for seven non‐indigenous fish species, ecological impact scores for individual species, and lake conservation rankings were linked to develop Invasion Risk Impact (IRI) and Lake Vulnerability (LV) indices that help identify New Zealand lakes most at risk of loss of conservation value from potential multi‐species invasions.
2. Species‐specific IRI scores (the product of predicted invasion risk and species impact) highlighted Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) and the brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), as the species most likely to spread and cause ecological harm in lakes. For 3431 lakes >1 ha throughout New Zealand, total IRI tended to be highest for lowland riverine and dune lakes most of which are already colonized by multiple invasive fish species.
3. The LV index indicated that lakes most at risk of loss of conservation value from invasive fish impacts were predominantly (i) in the northern half of the North Island where several uncommon lake types occur, and (ii) along the west coast of the South Island where conservation value is often greater, largely because of low catchment modification.
4. The IRI and LV indices can be used to assist with setting priorities for surveillance monitoring, advocacy, and response planning targeted at preventing the establishment of invasive fish in moderate‐to‐high value lakes most susceptible to ecological impacts. Both indices can be adapted to accommodate alternative impact and conservation scoring systems, providing a flexible tool for local‐ and national‐scale assessments of lake vulnerability to fish invasion impacts.

Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A novel combined recirculating treatment system for intensive marine aquaculture

This study established a pilot‐scale recirculating treatment system that coupled an ecological process with a biological process to achieve adequate water quality and to minimize the water consumption for intensive marine culture. The recirculating treatment system consisted of a settling cell, a biofilter tank, a bivalve tank and gravel beds. The toxic pollutants, threatening the growth of bivalves, were reduced by the settling cell and the biofilter tank, so that the polyculture of shrimp and bivalves could be achieved. The living bivalve tank could function well as a remover of remaining small suspended solids (SS), and other pollutants. As the SS was reduced to a very low level by bivalve tank before the water flowing into the gravel beds, the risk of clogging was prevented. The studies suggested that the system maintained high removal efficiencies of SS, ammonium nitrogen () and nitrite nitrogen () and could contribute to the increase in shrimp yield.     

Sorghum extrusion process combined with biofortified sweet potato contributed for high iron bioavailability in Wistar rats

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sorghum and sweet potato on the bioavailability of iron, gene expression of proteins involved in iron metabolism and the plasma antioxidant capacity in animals fed with whole sorghum grains processed by dry heat or extrusion, combined or not with sweet potato flour with high content of carotenoids. Five experimental groups were tested (n = 7): dry heat sorghum flour (DS); extruded sorghum flour (ES); whole sorghum flour + sweet potato flour (DS + SP); extruded sorghum flour + sweet potato flour (ES + SP) and positive control (FS). The evaluations included: hemoglobin gain, hemoglobin regeneration efficiency, gene expression of divalente metal transporter 1 (DMT-1), duodenal citochroma B (DcytB), ferroportin, hephaestin, transferrin and ferritin and total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC). The ES + SP group showed higher (p < 0.05) expression of DcytB, ferroportin and hephaestin when compared to the control group. The DS group showed high (p < 0.05) expression of DMT-1 and the ES showed high mRNA expression of transferrin and ferritin. The changes in the sorghum physicochemical properties from extrusion process reduced the iron and phytate content, and increased the gene expression of proteins involved in iron metabolism, improving iron bioavailability. The combination of sweet potato and sorghum flour (dry or extruded) improved the iron capture and total antioxidant capacity, probably due to the presence of β-carotene and antioxidant compounds.     

Characterizing the pigmented traditional rice cultivars grown in temperate regions of Kashmir (India) for free and bound phenolics compounds and in vitro antioxidant properties

The purpose of the research was to identify the phenolic and flavonoid compounds of seven different traditional pigmented whole rice cultivars grown in the temperate regions of Kashmir so as to study their relationship with in vitro antioxidant capacities. The completely pigmented rice cultivars were found to have higher phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin contents and exhibited higher antioxidant capacities than the light colored and sparely colored rice cultivars. A total of 40 compounds had been identified in the analyzed rice cultivars that were found to be distributed in 6 major categories with 6-phenolics, 6-flavonoids, 11-hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, 7-hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, 3-anthocyanins and 7-flavonoid glucosides of different flavonoid compounds. Among the free and bound fractions for each cultivars the light and sparsely colored depicted higher content of phenolics and in vitro antioxidant properties in bound faction, while the completely pigmented cultivars showed higher antioxidant properties in free fractions. The anthocyanins quercetin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside and pelargonidin-3-O-diglucoside had been identified by LC-MS existing in the free fractions of the analyzed rice cultivars whereas, the free fraction of acetone + H₂O possessed higher percentage of phenolic compounds as compared to methanolic extracts and bound fractions. The black colored cultivars possessed higher DPPH scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation inhibition.     

Dough rheological properties and noodle-making performance of non-waxy and waxy whole-wheat flour blends

Dough rheological properties and noodle-making performance of non-waxy whole-wheat flour (WWF) with partial- or full-waxy (PW- or FW-) WWF substitution were studied. The substitution levels were 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 g/kg, respectively. FW-WWF reduced the peak viscosity and pasting temperature of WWF blends as its substitution level was increased due to its higher proportions of B-type starch granules and short amylopectin chains, while PW-WWF increased peak viscosity with the increasing substitution level because of its higher amylopectin content. As demonstrated by farinograph and rheometer measurements, FW-WWF interfered with gluten development because of the increased competition for water by arabinoxylans and amylopectin; however, PW-WWF enhanced dough strength due primarily to its increased protein content. Consequently, FW-WWF showed a detrimental effect on cooked noodle texture as the cooked noodle hardness was reduced by 50% at the 1000 g/kg substitution level. In contrast, PW-WWF enhanced noodle integrity and elasticity by increasing cooked noodle cohesiveness and resilience by 10.1% and 14.8%, respectively, at the 1000 g/kg substitution level. The results suggest that with waxy WWF substitution, the changes in starch composition, arabinoxylans, and protein content could modify the interactions among flour components and influence the quality characteristics of noodle products.     

An investigation on the effect of heat-moisture treatment on baking quality of wheat by using response surface methodology

Effect of heat-moisture treatment on quality properties of two bread wheats (cvs. Tosunbey and Bayraktar) were investigated by using response surface methodology (RSM). Temperature and moisture conditions in the experimental design were in the range of 55–95 °C and 13–19%. Heat-moisture treated grains were milled into flour and quality properties were determined. The optimum moisture-temperature combination for the highest dry gluten, Zeleny sedimentation, Alveograph W and bread volume values were estimated as 14%-63 °C for Tosunbey and 19%-55 °C for Bayraktar samples. Alveograph W seems to be a good indicator of baking quality for wheats treated at higher temperatures. In order to describe the relationship between the dependent and independent variables (moisture, temperature), the response values were fitted by second order polynomial models. Significance analysis showed that the effect of both moisture and temperature on dry gluten content, sedimentation and falling number values for Tosunbey; falling number and damaged starch values for Bayraktar were significant (p < 0.05). The effect of temperature on Farinograph water absorption, W and P/G, bread volume and firmness values were significant for both cultivars (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that improvement in baking quality can be achieved and flours with different properties can be produced by heat-moisture treatments on wheat.     

茶树几丁质酶基因的克隆及其在干旱胁迫下的表达分析在干旱胁迫下的表达分析

以铁观音茶树叶片为材料,利用逆转录PCR及RACE法,克隆了茶树几丁质酶基因CsChi(GenBank登录号为KR078345).CsChi基因的cDNA全长为1 192 bp,包含972 bp的开放阅读框(ORF),编码323个氨基酸.生物信息学分析结果表明,CsChi蛋白的分子量为34.33 ku;理论等电点pI为8.44;原子组成为C1519H2285N413O464S18,总原子数为4 699;蛋白质结构分析显示该蛋白有6个蛋白的跨膜区域,属于跨膜蛋白;存在于细胞外;没有卷曲螺旋结构存在;CsChi基因编码的蛋白属于糖苷水解酶19家族,含有保守的ChtBD1结构域,与溶菌酶的保守结构域类似,可能兼具几丁质酶活性和溶菌酶活性,qPCR定量分析结果显示在不同干旱胁迫处理下茶树的CsChi基因的表达量,与对照组相比有所增加.推测CsChi基因在茶树干旱等逆境胁迫中起重要作用.     

茶树MADS-box转录因子基因的克隆与非生物胁迫响应分析

本研究基于茶树转录组数据库,以茶树龙井43为试验材料,通过RT-PCR方法从该茶树的cDNA中克隆得到1个CsMADS1基因。序列分析表明:茶树CsMADS1基因开放阅读框长度为657 bp,编码218个氨基酸,是典型的植物MADS-box家族转录因子。序列多重比对显示,该序列与多个相关物种的MADS-box序列一致性为65.65%,含有高度保守的MADS结构域和半保守的K结构域。氨基酸理化性质、亲疏水性、亚细胞定位预测、无序化分析,以及二级和三级结构分析显示,CsMADS1转录因子是亲水性蛋白,可能定位于细胞核中,无序化程度明显,以α-螺旋结构为主,并与人MEF2蛋白具有相似的三级结构。利用实时荧光定量PCR方法分析了茶树龙井43中CsMADS1基因在非生物胁迫下的表达。结果表明,茶树中CsMADS1基因对高温、低温、干旱和高盐等不同非生物胁迫有响应,且表达存在差异。