A comparison of in vivo and in vitro estimates of protein digestibility of native and thermally processed vegetable proteins

Research was performed to determine the suitability of the rapid multienzymatic assay for in vitro protein digestibility estimation by using a group of native and thermally processed vegetable proteins which constitute the staple foods in developing countries. The in vitro digestibility was assessed by measuring the extent to which the pH of the protein suspension dropped when treated with a multienzyme system consisting of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and peptidase for 10 min, andStreptomyces griseus protease for 10 min more. The best correlation occurred between in vivo rat protein digestibility and the pH of the protein suspension after 15 min enzymatic treatment. The response of different types of proteins to the multienzyme assay was different, and thus distinct equations were derived for the in vitro digestibility estimation of the samples assayed. The first group included nonprocessed cereal grains and oilseeds, and cereal grain-leguminous seed mixtures. The second group was formed by leguminous seeds, and the third by thermally processed cereal and oilseed products. Although highly significant correlations between in vivo and in vitro estimates for the three groups were found, important differences occurred in the group of processed samples; therefore, more research is required with these types of samples.     

Diversity of genus Passiflora L. in Mexico and a particular study on Passiflora biflora Lam. fruit characteristics

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - In Mexico there is a high diversity of species of the genus Passiflora. Present work resumes the number of Passiflora species listed for Mexico in herbariums...     

Cassava common mosaic virus infection affects growth and yield components of cassava plants (Manihot esculenta) in Argentina

Cassava is an important crop with great economic and social significance in many countries. Most of its biomass is usable: storage roots can be destined for industry or fresh consumption, leaves are a source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, and stems can be used as propagation material. Due to its vegetative propagation, cassava yield is greatly constrained by viral diseases. Cassava common mosaic virus (CsCMV), one of the most widely spread viruses in Latin America, is the only cassava-infecting potexvirus able to cause disease in a single infection: cassava common mosaic disease (CCMD). Here, we evaluated the effect of an Argentinian strain of CsCMV on several agronomic traits. Field trials were established in north-eastern Argentina for three successive cropping seasons, 2016/17, 2017/18, and 2018/19. CsCMV presence was confirmed by PCR or ELISA tests in mechanically inoculated cassava plants. The evaluated traits were plant height (PH), total fresh weight (TFW), shoot fresh weight (SFW), diameter and FW of tuberous root per plant (TRD and FWTR), FW of each individual tuberous root (FWiTR), length and number of tuberous roots (TRL and TRN), harvest index (HI), and estimated yield of tuberous root (EY) in both infected and noninfected plants. Significant yield losses were recorded in infected plants. The most affected traits were EY and FWTR (both showing 44.3% of losses), followed by TFW, SFW, TRN, and FWiTR (37.8%, 33.5%, 29.9%, and 24.8% of losses, respectively). These losses are extremely high for Argentina, where this crop provides food security and demand for the raw material is unsatisfied.     

Diversity of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae on susceptible and resistant rice lines in bacterial blight hot spot areas of the Philippines

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Rice bacterial blight is caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), which is one of the most common diseases in most rice-growing countries. The study aims...     

Spherical Bacterial Cellulose/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Nanocomposite with Potential Application in Contaminants Removal from Wastewater by Photocatalysis

Contaminants are often found in aquatic environments, for instance, heavy metals, dyes, parasites, pesticides, hormones and pharmaceuticals. Therefore, large amounts of these contaminants reaches wastewater via industrial and domestic effluents, causing major concern to human health. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a technique for removing these contaminants in order to achieve better efficiency in water treatment. Then, bacterial cellulose (BC) produced in an agitated culture can form spherical bodies composed of nanofibers with high specific surface area. Moreover, Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a semiconductor containing high photocatalytic activity capacity. Thus, the main objective in this work was to produce spherical BC/TiO₂ nanocomposites for contaminants removal from wastewater by photocatalysis process. The incorporation of TiO₂ nanoparticles in the spherical BC matrix was performed by ex situ and in situ methods. In addition, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) were used as tools of morphological, chemical and thermal characterizations of the nanocomposites. Besides, photocatalysis tests were performed in order to evaluate the removal efficiency of methylene blue from aqueous solutions. The results of these tests exhibited a percentage of methylene blue removal of 70.83 and 89.58 % after 35 minutes for spherical BC/TiO₂ nanocomposites both, in situ and ex situ, respectively. Therefore, these results demonstrated that BC/TiO₂ to be a low cost material with high capacity of contaminants removing and a great potential for industrial applications.     

PGF<Subscript>2α</Subscript> and gonadal steroid plasma levels of successful and unsuccessful spawning <Emphasis Type="Italic">Piaractus mesopotamicus</Emphasis> (Teleostei,Characiformes) females

Gonadal steroid and prostaglandin F₂α (PGF_2α) plasma levels were evaluated in successfully (SP) and unsuccessfully ovulated (UN) female Piaractus mesopotamicus. Forty-one females were injected with crude carp pituitary extract (0.6 and 5.4 mg kg^?1 with a 24-h interval between the doses) and sampled to determine the plasma concentration of 17β-estradiol (E₂), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OHP), 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (DHP), PGF_2α, and testosterone (T) after each injection (first—A1 and second—A2), and at the time of ovulation for SP and UN. Two clusters were obtained using multivariate analysis: 1—composed of all A1, all A2, and some UN; and 2—composed of all SP and some UN. Median values of E₂ plasma levels were similar between clusters; however, plasma levels of T, 17α-OHP, DHP, and PGF_2α of cluster 2 (predominantly formed by SP) were higher than those of cluster 1. Since cluster 2 contained all SP and females of this cluster presented higher levels of PGF_2α, T, 17α-OHP, and DHP, here we evidently shown in an unprecedented manner that concomitant increased levels of these substances were associated with successful ovulation in this species, but such an increase was not determinant for successful ovulation due to the presence of some UN females in the same cluster 2. These findings highlight the unexplored potential of PGF_2α to be used as an accessory tool for inducing successful ovulation for fish farming purposes.     

Stock assessment of the blue jack mackerel,Trachurus picturatus,in the North‐eastern Atlantic

A total of 49,151 blue jack mackerel, Trachurus picturatus, (Bowdich) was collected in Madeira Island (North‐eastern Atlantic) between 2002 and 2016 to evaluate possible influence of fishing on landings and reproductive parameters. A decreasing trend in the length composition was observed over the study period and length at first maturity decreased by 2.78 cm TL. Maximum yield per recruit decreased from 2002 to 2016 but the corresponding fishing mortality was constant (F_max = 0.4/year). Considering the fishing mortality level in 2016, it is evident that the stock may be exploited beyond its sustainability limit. Amendments of the purse‐seine fishing regulations and implementation of measures to reduce fishing effort are suggested.     

Proper supply of S increases GSH synthesis in the establishment and reduces tiller mortality during the regrowth of Tanzania guinea grass used for Cd phytoextraction

Purpose

Cadmium has caused serious environmental problems due to its phytotoxicity, requiring solutions to reduce its concentration in the environment. Because S can alleviate the phytotoxicity caused by heavy metals, the evaluation of the effects of S supply is a promising approach to address this problem. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of S in reducing the phytotoxicity caused by Cd to Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania (guinea grass) and to evaluate the potential of this grass for Cd phytoextraction.

Materials and methods

Tanzania guinea grass was cultivated in a nutrient solution to evaluate the combinations of five rates of S (0.1, 1.0, 1.9, 2.8, and 3.7 mmol L^?1) and five rates of Cd (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mmol L^?1), in a 5² fractional factorial design with six replications. Six plants were grown per pot in two growth periods to evaluate the effect of Cd on the establishment (51 days of age) and on the regrowth (18 days of growth) of the plants. During regrowth, Cd was not supplied in the nutrient solution. At the end of each growth period, growth parameters, concentrations of S and Cd, Cd transport factor, and concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, and oxidized glutathione were evaluated.

Results and discussion

On the establishment of Tanzania guinea grass, application of Cd reduced mass production by 39 % due to the increases in the concentration of Cd (30 times compared with the treatment without Cd) and in lipid peroxidation (124 %). During regrowth, the residual effect of Cd resulted in a lower number of tillers (62 %) and leaves (89 %) caused by the increase in concentrations of Cd, H₂O₂ (49 %), and lipid peroxidation, which resulted in a 65 % lower dry mass production. The proper supply of S reduced concentration of Cd and tiller mortality rate due to the residual effect of Cd on the regrowth of the grass. Mass production by the roots was 43 % lower because of Cd, but the transport of Cd from roots to shoots increased. The increase in the concentration of glutathione (GSH) associated with a possible higher activity of antioxidant enzymes alleviated the phytotoxic effects of Cd on the guinea grass.

Conclusions

The supply of S reduces the phytotoxicity caused by Cd to guinea grass, especially during the regrowth of the plant, when the concentration of Cd is higher because of the transport from roots to shoots. Tanzania guinea grass showed to be very promising for phytoextraction of Cd due to its high mass production, even when Cd was largely available in the nutrient solution.

     

Intravenous 15% isoflurane lipid nanoemulsion for general anesthesia in dogs

Objective

To investigate the efficacy of a new intravenous (IV) nanoemulsified isoflurane formulation for maintenance of general anesthesia in dogs.