Flowering events in relation to smut susceptibility in pearl millet

In field experiments at ICRISAT, selected lines of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) resistant and susceptible to smut (Tolyposporium penicillariae) were evaluated for the timing of flowering events. In smut-resistant lines, the time from the boot-leaf stage (inoculation) to stigma emergence varied in the range 46–120 h, from boot to anther emergence 105–190 h, and from stigma emergence to anther emergence (protogyny period) 59–131 h; in smut-susceptible lines, the corresponding periods were 62–140 h, 146–200 h and 44–120 h, respectively. There were no significant correlations between timing of events and smut severity. Three cytoplasmically male-sterile lines showed longer protogyny periods and higher smut severity than their corresponding maintainer lines. Four lines having short protogyny periods (22–52 h) and resistance to ergot (Claviceps fusiformis) also showed high resistance to smut. Resistance to smut in most ergot-susceptible lines was independent of the timing of flow ering events, but in ergot-resistant lines it could be closely related to flowering events.     

Biosurfactant-assisted phytoremediation of potentially toxic elements in soil: Green technology for meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Biosurfactants are biomolecules produced by microorganisms, low in toxicity, biodegradable, and relatively easy to synthesize using renewable waste substrates. Biosurfactants are of great importance with a wide and versatile range of applications, including the bioremediation of contaminated sites. Plants may accumulate soil potentially toxic elements(PTEs), and the accumulation efficacy may be further enhanced by the biosurfactants produced by rhizospheric microorganisms. Occasionally, the growth of bacteria slows down in adverse conditions, such as highly contaminated soils with PTEs. In this context,the plant's phytoextraction capacity could be improved by the addition of metal-tolerant bacteria that produce biosurfactants. Several sources, categories,and bioavailability of PTEs in soil are reported in this article, with the focus on the cost-effective and sustainable soil remediation technologies, where biosurfactants are used as a remediation method. How rhizobacterial biosurfactants can improve PTE recovery capabilities of plants is discussed, and the molecular mechanisms in bacterial genomes that support the production of important biosurfactants are listed. The status and cost of commercial biosurfactant production in the international market are also presented.     

马来西亚未尽利用热带水果概况

未尽利用热带水果,即在当地消费和医用的非贸易热带水果,未普及化,生长于野外,季节性强,但富含多酚类化合物、类胡萝卜素、花青素、脂肪酸、矿物质和氨基酸,因而具有一定的开发潜力。在马来西亚,热带水果丰富多样,主要有普通水果、观赏水果、特有水果、野生水果和高地水果,但大部分水果都未能充分利用,其中,典型的有罗望子、巴杖果、砂拉越芒果、钮扣山竹、榴莲、莲雾、挂尼芒果、野红毛丹和蛇皮果。这些水果可以分为3个类型：具有贸易开发潜力的主要包括无花果（Ficus sp.）、罗望子（Garcinia atroviridis）、尖必达（Artocarpus integer）、鲜花木果（Lepisan-thes alata）、野榴莲（Durio sp.）、橄榄木（Spondias cytherea）、菠萝蜜（Artocarpus heterophullus）、槟榔（Areca catechu）、野红毛丹（Nephelium ramboutan-ake）、蛇皮果（Salacca zalacca）和面包果（Artocarpus altilis）;具有适于当地人们利用潜力的水果种类包括木胡瓜（Averrhoe bilimbi）、榔拜果（Baccaurea motteyana）、单贝果Baccaurea macrocarpa）、喃喃果属（Cynometra cauliflora）、西柚（Dialum indum）、黄肉榴莲（Durio kutejensis）、野生山竹（Garcinia hombroiniana）、野檬果（Garcinia parvifolia）、巴杖果（Mangifera feotida）、醋栗（Phyllanthus emblica）、蒲桃（Syzygium jambos）;不具有经济利用开发潜力的水果种类包括哥露比（Salacca conferta）、青枣（Zizyphus mauritiana）、木奶果属（Baccaurea polyneura）、野檬果（Garcinia parvifolia）、番龙眼（Pometia sp.）、赤才果（Leppisanthes rubiginosa）、波漆果（Bouea microphylla）、蛋黄果（Pouteria campechiana）和仙都果（Sandoricum koetjape）。目前,有关未尽利用水果研究仍处于初期阶段,有必要使这些水果更为普及并得到有效利用,因此,政府和私人组织须采取一些措施以促进这些水果的消费。今后需对这些水果的营养成分、抗氧化作用以及疗效进行深入研究。     

Lipid composition and deposition of cultured yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata muscle at different anatomical locations in relation to meat texture

ABSTRACT:   The present study was undertaken to assess the lipid composition and deposition in muscle at three anatomical locations in cultured yellowtail and to investigate the effect of lipid composition and deposition on meat texture. Lipid deposition in muscle was studied by histochemical staining of lipid with Sudan dye. Lipid class composition analysis showed that neutral lipids were the main constituents of lipid in cultured yellowtail and accounted primarily for the variation in muscle lipid content with the anatomical location of meat, as well as with season, whereas the polar lipid content remained almost constant. Furthermore, muscle neutral lipid content was correlated negatively with meat breaking strength; however, no correlation was observed between muscle polar lipid content and meat breaking strength. The histochemical study revealed that, in yellowtail muscle, lipid is preferentially deposited in the myosepta and, with increases in muscle lipid content, additional fat is deposited along sparsely distributed thin connective tissue. It was also observed that the greater the lipid deposition in collageneous connective tissue, the lower the meat breaking strength; presumably, higher lipid deposition in the connective tissue resulted in weakening of the muscle structure.     

The effects of rates of application and sources of nitrogen on nitrate concentration in oat forage

A field experiment was conducted during the winter seasons of 1972–73 and 1973–74 to study the effects of rates of application (0, 100, 200 kg ha^?1) and sources of nitrogen (ammonium sulphate, calcium ammonium nitrate, urea, sulphur-coated urea and sulpha-thiazole-treated urea) on nitrate-N concentration in oat (Avena sativa L.) forage. N application increased the nitrate-N concentration, the effects being more marked when the rate was increased from 100 to 200 kg ha^?1 than when it was raised from 0 to 100 kg ha^?1. The highest nitrate-N concentration in the dry matter (> 0·16%) was obtained when calcium ammonium nitrate was applied at 200 kg ha^?1 N. Sulphur-coated urea gave the lowest nitrate-N concentration. In one year treatment of urea with sulphathiazole reduced nitrate-N concentration in oats forage.     

STUDIES ON THE MINERALIZATION OF UREA, COATED UREA, AND NITRIFICATION INHIBITOR TREATED UREA IN SOIL

A laboratory incubation study was conducted with a sandy clay loam soil (pH 7.8) at New Delhi to study the mineralization of urea, coated urea (sulphur-coated urea, shellac-coated urea), and urea treated with nitrification inhibitors (N-Serve, sulphathiazole) a general purpose microbicide (coal tar), and neem (a non edible oil-seed) cake. Coated fertilizers mineralized much slower than urea; urea-N from these materials remaining in soil after z weeks of incubation being two to three times that from untreated urea. However, most N from coated fertilizers was mineralized after 4 weeks. Nitrification inhibitors were quite effective in retarding the nitrification of urea; N-serve being much more effective than sulphathiazole. Neem cake and coal tar extract were less effective than sulphathiazole in controlling nitrification of urea but they did retard the nitrification of urea for z weeks.     

Pharmacokinetics of theophylline in swine: a potential model for human drug bioavailability studies

The pharmacokinetics of theophylline in swine were investigated following die oral and intravascular administration of single doses of theophylline free base. The mean half-life of theophylline following intravascular administration was 11.0 h, and the apparent specific volume of distribution was 0.61 liter/kg. Following oral administration, theophylline in solution was absorbed quite rapidly with a bioavailability of 79%. The similarity of the pharmacokinetics of theophylline in swine and humans suggests that swine may provide a useful model for the study of the bioequivalency of theophylline dosage forms intended for human use. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of theophylline also favor its consideration for usage as a therapeutic agent in swine.