Nutritional and mineral content of prickly pear cactus: A highly water‐use efficient forage,fodder and food species

Increased demand for food requires us to investigate livestock forage and fodder crops that can be grown over a wide range of locations where their cultivation will not compete with that of the food supply. A large portion of the southwestern United States consists of underutilized semi‐arid land. Crops typically used for livestock fodder or forage have high‐water demands that make them uneconomical or unsustainable for semi‐arid and arid regions. The growth rate and low‐input requirements of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus‐indica) make it an excellent candidate for forage or fodder supplementation or replacement in these regions. Previous reports about forage quality data on Opuntia have been scattered across multiple locations, growing conditions and cultivars. Here, we report on the forage quality and mineral content of Opuntia ficus‐indica grown under both field and greenhouse conditions. Crude protein was 71 and 264 g/kg of dry mass for field and greenhouse conditions, respectively. Field‐grown plants showed higher acid and neutral detergent fibre content than greenhouse‐grown plants reflecting higher cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin accumulation. Nutritional values were also compared to requirements of cattle to determine what deficiencies might need to be addressed through supplementation. These data suggest that Opuntia can be used in combination with other feed sources to reduce the demand of resource‐intensive forage crops for raising livestock in dryland areas.     

Variation in chemical composition and biological activities of two species of Opuntia flowers at four stages of flowering

The chemical composition of hexane extracts from flowers belonging to two species of prickly pear, Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller and Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haworth has been studied by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in four developmental stages of flower: vegetative, initial flowering, full flowering, and post-flowering stages. Remarkable differences were noted between the flowers’ compositions. The main compounds were carboxylic acid (28-97%), terpenes (0.2-57%), esters (0.2-27%), and alcohols (<1.8%).The study of the biological activities showed that extracts were active in vitro towards four bacteria and two fungal strains. It exhibited remarkable activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli.Antioxidant activity of the flowers extracts was evaluated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method.Our findings demonstrate the interest of Opuntia flowers extract as a source of bioactive substances and its potential preservative use in food.     

盆栽榕树害螨为害情况及其田间防控药剂测定

以福建漳州盆栽榕树种植示范基地为观测和试验点,调查分析害螨的为害症状、发生种类和优势种动态时间格局,测定7种药剂对害螨的田间防治效果。结果表明：盆栽榕树种植区的害螨种类有4个科6个属6种,优势种为桔全爪螨;优势种种群动态时间格局分为5类,依次经历发展期、第1高峰期、衰退期、第2高峰期和越冬期。7种药剂对害螨均有一定的防治效果,无药害,15％哒螨灵乳油和73％克螨特乳油对害螨具有较好的速效性,药后1 d防效超过73.00％;11％乙螨唑悬浮剂、24％螺虫乙酯悬浮剂、24％螺螨酯悬浮剂和73％克螨特乳油能持续     

薜荔概述及研究进展

对我国民间传统用于制作凉粉的植物胶薜荔进行研究,简要介绍了薜荔的民间食用途径、药用价值、营养成分和凝胶特性以及开发利用,为其研究开发提供基本参考资料。     

Molecular based assessment of genetic diversity within Barbary fig (Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill.) in Tunisia

In this work, we report for the first time on the analysis of genetic diversity within a set of 36 Tunisian Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. ecotypes using RAPD markers.     

Does the level of forage neutral detergent fiber affect the ruminal fermentation,digestibility and feeding behavior of goats fed cactus pear?

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of forage neutral detergent fiber (fNDF) levels on the voluntary feed intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation and feeding behavior of goats fed diets with cactus pear. Five non‐lactating ruminally cannulated goats fed ad libitum were randomly assigned to a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Treatments consisted of levels of fNDF at 0, 109, 222, 339 and 463 g/kg of dry matter (DM) in cactus pear‐based diets. The intakes of DM and NDF were quadratically affected (p ≦ .045) by fNDF levels. Voluntary water intake (VWI) increased linearly as the fNDF levels increased in the diet. The digestibility coefficients of organic matter, NDF and ether extract and total digestible nutrients concentration were quadratically affected (p ≦ .048) by fNDF levels. The ruminal pH linearly increased (p = .001) with fNDF levels, ranging from 5.44 to 5.81 for diets containing 0 and 463 g fNDF/kg DM, respectively. The fNDF levels promoted a linear increase (p = .006) in chewing time, linearly decreased (p = .007) resting time and quadratically affected (p = .033) rumination time. The inclusion of fNDF in the diets provided favorable conditions for ruminal function, digestibility and feeding behavior in goats fed diets containing cactus pear.     

Cactus pear fruit: A new source for a natural sweetener

The use of cactus pear ( Opuntia ficus indica L.) to obtain a new natural liquid sweetener was studied. The juice of the fruit (16.5 ° Brix) was clarified with enzymes, treated with active carbon to take out the color and vacuum concentrated to obtain a 60 °Brix syrup or liquid sweetener. Physical and chemical characteristics determined included: aw; reducing sugars (as inverted sugar); glucose (%); ash content (%); sugar composition by TLC; OD (420 nm) and Y, x, y chromaticity coordinates; viscosity (cps) and density (g ml-1). Sensory analyses to determine the relative sweetness were also conducted. Cactus pear syrup contained 52.38% reducing sugar. The syrup had a pH of 4.31, a viscosity of 27.05 cps, an Aw of 0.83, a density of 1.2900 g ml-1, an acidity (as citric acid) of 0.74% and an ash content of 1.4%. Compared with traditional sweeteners such as fructose and glucose syrup, the acidity was greater than that of HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) of 0.035%, and the ash values were considered a little high compared to glucose syrup which is 1.0%; these disparities can be attributed to the different processing conditions employed. Sensory evaluation revealed the same relative sweetness for cactus pear syrup and glucose, but lower than fructose; cactus pear syrup had a relative sweetness value of 67 with respect to sucrose (100).     

细叶榕树干生根的节水效应研究

通过实验,研究了一项种植方式的节水效应.通过诱导细叶榕(Ficus microcarpa L.f.)的树干或树枝部分生出侧根进行种植,然后采用相同的干旱处理,比较这类细叶榕与正常种植细叶榕的叶片含水量和土壤含水量,结果显示:在相同不足的浇水量下,采用这种种植方式的细叶榕及土壤保持了较高的含水量,可见所研究的种植方式具有明显的节水效果.     

盆栽榕树主要根结线虫的发生及其生物防控技术研究

盆栽榕树是福建省主要出口创汇植物产品,近年受根结线虫为害严重。笔者介绍南方根结线虫和花生根结线虫在盆栽榕树上的发生情况,并从抗性品种选育、天敌生物利用和植物源杀线剂研发等方面,解析盆栽榕树主要根结线虫的生物防控技术,以期实现对根结线虫的无公害与可持续控制。     

Laboratory assay of the effectiveness of the entomopathogenic fungus Isaria farinosa (Holmsk.) Fries (Sordariomycetes: Hypocreales) against the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), even under the use of fungicides

The vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is one of the main pests in vineyards. At present biological control of the pest is based on the release of hymenopterous parasitoids and coccinellid predators. The effectiveness of an entomopathogenic fungus, Isaria farinosa, as an alternative biological control agent on vine mealybug P. ficus was investigated by using different inoculum densities and different relative humidity levels. The fungus caused more than 80% mortality at 95% relative humidity and at 1 × 10⁸ conidia ml^?1 inoculum density. The mortality effects of the fungus decreased in lower humidity levels and lower spore densities. The inhibitory effects of common fungicides, used in vineyards, on I. farinosa were also investigated. Sulphur, copper oxychloride, fosetyl-Al and chlorothalonil did not decrease the effectiveness of I. farinosa as a pathogen of vine mealybug. With the application of tebuconazole, penconazole and mancozeb, the most inhibitory fungicides on the entomopathogen, the mortality rates of mealybugs, inoculated with I. farinosa, decreased from 86% to 42%, 34% and 45%, respectively, in the adult females; from 94% to 51%, 45% and 45%, respectively, in the first nymphal stages; and from 86% to 56%, 49% and 63%, respectively, in ovisacs.