Major phenolics in apple and their contribution to the total antioxidant capacity

The contribution of each phytochemical to the total antioxidant capacity of apples was determined. Major phenolic phytochemicals of six apple cultivars were identified and quantified, and their contributions to total antioxidant activity of apples were determined using a 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging assay and expressed as vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC). Average concentrations of major phenolics and vitamin C in six apple cultivars were as follows (mg/100 g of fresh weight of apples): quercetin glycosides, 13.20; procyanidin B(2), 9.35; chlorogenic acid, 9.02; epicatechin, 8.65; phloretin glycosides, 5.59; vitamin C, 12.80. A highly linear relationship (r (2) > 0.97) was attained between concentrations and total antioxidant capacity of phenolics and vitamin C. Relative VCEAC values of these compounds were in the order quercetin (3.06) > epicatechin (2.67) > procyanidin B(2) (2.36) > phloretin (1.63) > vitamin C (1.00) > chlorogenic acid (0.97). Therefore, the estimated contribution of major phenolics and vitamin C to the total antioxidant capacity of 100 g of fresh apples is as follows: quercetin (40.39 VCEAC) > epicatechin (23.10) > procyanidin B(2) (22.07) > vitamin C (12.80) > phloretin (9.11) > chlorogenic acid (8.75). These results indicate that flavonoids such as quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B(2) rather than vitamin C contribute significantly to the total antioxidant activity of apples.     

5-(2,6-difluorobenzyl)oxymethyl-5-methyl-3-(3-methylthiophen-2-yl)- 1,2-isoxazoline as a useful rice herbicide

5-(2,6-difluorobenzyl)oxymethyl-5-methyl-3-(3-methylthiophen-2-yl)-1,2-isoxazoline derivative was synthesized, and its herbicidal activity was assessed under glasshouse and flooded paddy conditions. 5-(2,6-Difluorobenzyl)oxymethyl-5-methyl-3-(3-methylthiophen-2-yl)-1,2-isoxazoline demonstrated good rice selectivity and potent herbicidal activity against annual weeds at 125 g of a.i. ha(-1) under greenhouse conditions. Soil application of this compound showed complete control of barnyard-grass to the fourth leaf stage at 250 g of a.i. ha(-1). Field trials indicated that this compound controlled annual weeds rapidly with a good tolerance on transplanted rice seedlings by post-emergence and soil application. This compound showed a low mammalian and environmental toxicity in various toxicological tests.     

Acidification of Red Pine Forest Soil Due to Acidic Deposition in Chunchon, Korea

The effect of acidic deposition on the soil under red pine forest in Chunchon, Korea was investigated. Precipitation, stream water, and soil solution chemistry were monitored at the watershed from 1997 to 1998. Acidity of the open-bulk precipitation was often neutralized by large amounts of ammonia (NH₃) that might have originated from livestock farming and fertilization. Estimated elemental budget at the watershed showed a positive correlation between loss of base cations and proton (H⁺) production due to nitrogen transformation in soil (ΔH⁺ _NT: ([NH₄ ⁺]_in-[NH₄ ⁺]_out)- ([NO₃ ^?]_in-[NO₃ ^?]_out)). When ΔH⁺ _NT increased, concentrations of nitrate in soil solutions also increased. Consequently, pH values of soil solutions decreased, although ion exchange with base cations contributed to buffer reaction. Since acid buffering capacity of the red pine forest soil was small, it was concluded that the input of ammonium nitrogen enhanced nitrification in soil thus causing soil acidification represented by loss of base cations from the watershed.     

Can the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices actively mobilize P from rock phosphates?

Plants colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have been shown to respond positively to the application of insoluble forms of inorganic phosphorus (P) such as rock phosphates (RPs). The mechanism(s) underlying such responses remain(s) unknown and although it has been hypothesized, there is no experimental support for the production of chelating agents by AM fungal hyphae. Here we investigate whether AM fungi can solubilize P from RPs and transfer it to plant roots. Using root-organ cultures of Daucus carrota L. inoculated or not with Glomus intraradices Schenk & Smith and containing P from different RP sources, we predicted that: (1) roots inoculated with G. intraradices would take up more P than those uninoculated; that (2) the amount of P taken up by roots through G. intraradices would be positively correlated with the RP reactivity; and that (3) G. intraradices would have access to RP through localized alterations of pH and/or by the production of organic acid anions that may act as chelating agents. The RP reactivity was positively correlated with P uptake. However, mycorrhizal roots grew initially slower and did not respond differently to any P treatment than those uninoculated. There was no evidence of localized changes in pH in proximity of G. intraradices hyphae, indicating that responses to RP by mycorrhizal plants observed in previous studies do not appear to result from the release of H⁺ ions alone or in combination with organic acid anions.     

Evaluating estimators of the numbers of females with cubs-of-the-year in the yellowstone grizzly bear population

Current management of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) population in Yellowstone National Park and surrounding areas requires annual estimation of the number of adult female bears with cubs-of-the-year. We examined the performance of nine estimators of population size via simulation. Data were simulated using two methods for different combinations of population size, sample size, and coefficient of variation of individual sighting probabilities. We show that the coefficient of variation does not, by itself, adequately describe the effects of capture heterogeneity, because two different distributions of capture probabilities can have the same coefficient of variation. All estimators produced biased estimates of population size with bias decreasing as effort in creased. Based on the simulation results we recommend the Chao estimator for model M _h be used to estimate the number of the female bears with cubs of the year; however, the estimator of Chao and Shen may also be useful depending on the goals of the research.     

Color characteristics of monascus pigments derived by fermentation with various amino acids

Various pigment colors were produced by Monascus fermentations with separate addition of 20 amino acids. The color characteristics and structures of the pigment derivatives were investigated. When each amino acid was added to the fermentation broth as a precursor, pigment extracts with different hue and chroma values were obtained depending on the content ratios of yellow, orange, and red colors in the fermentation broth. The yellow and orange pigments were identical regardless of amino acid addition. The red compounds varied on the basis of the type of amino acid added. LC-MS and (1)H and (13)C NMR structural analyses confirmed that the derivative pigments contained the moieties of the added amino acids. L, a, and b values of the CIELAB color system for the derivative pigments were measured. Values of hue and chroma were then calculated. The colors of the derivative pigments were in the range of orangish red to violet red. The hydrophilicities/hydrophobicities of the derivative pigments could be predicted from their log P values, which were estimated using computer programs.     

Effect of far-infrared radiation on the antioxidant activity of rice hulls

After far-infrared (FIR) radiation onto rice hull, a methanolic extract was prepared for the determination of antioxidant ability. After 30 min of FIR treatment, the radical scavenging activity and total phenol contents of rice hull extracts increased from 47.74 to 79.63% and from 0.12 to 0.19 mM, respectively, compared to control. Inhibition of lipid peroxidation in extracts was also increased from 41.07 to 47.96%. According to the GC-MS analysis, more phenolic compounds (p-coumaric acid, 3-vinyl-1-oxybenzene, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 4,7-dihydroxyvanillic acid) were detected in FIR-irradiated rice hull extract. These results indicated that FIR radiation onto rice hull could liberate and activate covalently bound phenolic compounds that have antioxidant activities.     

Classification of Ilex species based on metabolomic fingerprinting using nuclear magnetic resonance and multivariate data analysis

The metabolomic analysis of 11 Ilex species, I. argentina, I. brasiliensis, I. brevicuspis, I. dumosavar. dumosa, I. dumosa var. guaranina, I. integerrima, I. microdonta, I. paraguariensis var. paraguariensis, I. pseudobuxus, I. taubertiana, and I. theezans, was carried out by NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. The analysis using principal component analysis and classification of the (1)H NMR spectra showed a clear discrimination of those samples based on the metabolites present in the organic and aqueous fractions. The major metabolites that contribute to the discrimination are arbutin, caffeine, phenylpropanoids, and theobromine. Among those metabolites, arbutin, which has not been reported yet as a constituent of Ilex species, was found to be a biomarker for I. argentina,I. brasiliensis, I. brevicuspis, I. integerrima, I. microdonta, I. pseudobuxus, I. taubertiana, and I. theezans. This reliable method based on the determination of a large number of metabolites makes the chemotaxonomical analysis of Ilex species possible.     

Antioxidant evaluation and oxidative stability of structured lipids from extravirgin olive oil and conjugated linoleic acid

Structured lipid (SL) was synthesized from extravirgin olive oil (EVOO) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) via a lipase-catalyzed reaction. CLA provides a variety of health benefits, but it is not consumed in free fatty acid form. The synthesized SL olive oil contained 42.5 mol % CLA isomers, and the major isomers were cis-9,trans-11-CLA (16.9 mol %) and trans-10,cis-12-CLA (24.2 mol %). The antioxidant activity determined by the radical scavenging capacity with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical was lower in SL olive oil than in EVOO. The oxidative stability was also lower in SL olive oil since it had a higher peroxide value, rho-anisidine value, and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values during 20 days of storage at 60 degrees C. This observation could be due to the reduction in the natural phenolic compounds (97%) and tocopherols (56%), and the incorporated CLA with two conjugated double bonds in the SL olive oil. The oxidative stability of SL olive oil was increased by added rosemary extracts at concentrations of 100, 200, and 300 ppm. The present study suggests that the SL olive oil may be a suitable way to incorporate or deliver CLA into human diets. However, the addition of a proper antioxidant would be required for improving its oxidative stability.     

Aerobic soil metabolism of a new herbicide,LGC-42153

To elucidate the fate of a new sulfonylurea herbicide, LGC-42153 [N-((4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)aminocarbonyl)-2-(1-methoxyacetoxy-2-fluoropropyl)-3-pyridinesulfonamide], in soil, an aerobic soil metabolism study was carried out for 120 days with [(14)C]LGC-42153 applied to a loamy soil. The material balance ranged from 90.7 to 101.5% of applied herbicide. The half-life of [(14)C]LGC-42153 was calculated to be approximately 9.0 days. The degradation products resulted from the cleavage of the sulfonylurea bridge. The metabolites identified during the study were N-((4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)aminocarbonyl)-2-(1-hydroxy-2-fluoropropyl)-3-pyridinesulfonamide, 2-(1-hydroxy-2-fluoropropyl)-3-pyridinesulfonamide, and 4,6-dimethoxy-2-aminopyrimidine. No significant volatile products or [(14)C]carbon dioxide was observed during the study. Nonextractable (14)C-residue reached 14.4-30.5% of applied material at 120 days after treatment, and radioactivity was distributed mostly in the humin and fulvic acid fractions.