Acquired Thermo‐Tolerance and Trans‐Generational Heat Stress Response at Flowering in Rice

In rice, pre‐exposure to sublethal treatment followed by harsh lethal treatment is known to improve tolerance of different abiotic stresses at the vegetative stage within and across generations. Our major aim was to test the phenomenon of thermo‐tolerance at flowering across (trans)‐generations and within generation using rice cultivars contrasting for heat stress tolerance at flowering. To test trans‐generational response, plants were exposed to higher temperature at flowering stage and seeds obtained from previous generations were exposed to heat stress during flowering, which recorded significantly lower fertility when exposed to the same degree of stress in their subsequent generations. A pre‐acclimation to moderately high acclimating temperatures imposed over three different durations during the vegetative and initial reproductive stage showed positive response in the tolerant N22, particularly under severe heat stress (40 °C). This finding indicates the possibility of acquiring ameliorative thermo‐tolerant mechanisms at anthesis, restricted to tolerant genetic backgrounds to combat subsequent harsh conditions within the same generation. However, trans‐generational memory was ineffective in mitigating spikelet sterility losses in both tolerant and susceptible backgrounds. Rice is extremely sensitive to heat stress during flowering; hence, similar exercise across other crops of interest needs to be carried out before generalizing conclusions.     

Antimicrobial activity of Securinega leucopyrus

Extracts of the leaves of Securinega leucopyrus exhibited a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity.     

A short review on sugarcane: its domestication,molecular manipulations and future perspectives

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a special crop plant that underwent anthropogenic evolution from a wild grass species to an important food, fodder, and energy crop. Unlike any other grass species which were selected for their kernels, sugarcane was selected for its high stem sucrose accumulation. Flowering in sugarcane is not favored since flowering diverts the stored sugar resources for the reproductive and developmental energy needs. Cultivars are vegetatively propagated and sugarcane breeding is still essentially focused on conventional methods, since the knowledge of sugarcane genetics has lagged that of other major crops. Cultivar improvement has been extremely challenging due to its polyploidy and aneuploidy nature derived from a few interspecific hybridizations between Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum, revealing the coexistence of two distinct genome organization modes in the modern variety. Alongside implementation of modern agricultural techniques, generation of hybrid clones, transgenics and genome edited events will help to meet the ever-growing bioenergy needs. Additionally, there are two common biotechnological approaches to improve plant stress tolerance, which includes marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genetic transformation. During the past two decades, the use of molecular approaches has contributed greatly to a better understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis of plant stress-tolerance and in some cases, it led to the development of plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress. Hence, this review mainly intends on the events that shaped the sugarcane as what it is now and what challenges ahead and measures taken to further improve its yield, production and maximize utilization to beat the growing demands.

     

Effect of amount and source of supplemental dietary vegetable oil on broiler chickens exposed to aflatoxicosis

1. Addition of sunflower oil (SFO) at 30 or 60 g/kg or three vegetable oils, namely SFO, soybean (SBO) or groundnut (GNO), at 30 g/kg to isocaloric and isonitrogenous broiler chicken diets were evaluated for possible counteractive effects against aflatoxin (AF) (0.3 microg B1/g diet) from 0 to 42 d of age. 2. Body weight, food intake and serum concentration of protein were lower in the AF group than in the control, whereas in the SFO and SBO supplemented groups they were comparable with those of the control. Sunflower oil at both concentrations exerted similar effects on growth. Groundnut oil did not improve growth or food intake in AF-fed birds. 3. The serum concentration of cholesterol and triglycerides decreased with AF feeding and was increased by supplementation of any of the three oils both in the control and in AF-fed groups. 4. Liver and giblet weight and liver fat content were increased by AF; these effects were countered by dietary oil inclusion, except for liver weight at 60 g/kg SFO. Weights of pancreas and gall bladder were increased by AF. Oil supplementation reduced the weight of pancreas in chickens given AF. 5. Humoral immune response was depressed by AF and dietary oil supplementation (particularly SFO or SBO) countered this effect. Other variables, namely, serum gamma glutamyl transferase activity, bone mineralisation, weights of lymphoid organs, kidney and adrenals, ready-to-cook yields and fat content in muscle and skin showed little or no effect of dietary oil supplementation. 6. It is concluded that dietary inclusion of SFO or SBO at 30 g/kg may alleviate the adverse effects of 0.3 microg/g of AF B1 in commercial broiler chickens. Groundnut oil, although showing beneficial effects on some biochemical variables, failed to improve growth performance.     

Oestrogen,Progesterone and Oxytocin Receptors and COX‐2 Expression in Endometrial Biopsy Samples from the Induction of Ovulation to Luteolysis in Llamas (Lama glama)

Endometrial expression of oestrogen (ERα), progesterone (PR) and oxytocin receptor (OR) and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) was evaluated from the induction of ovulation to luteolysis in llamas. Ovarian activity was daily assessed by ultrasonography in five females. Ovulation was induced immediately after the detection of an ovulatory follicle by a GnRH injection (Day 0). Endometrial samples were obtained by transcervical biopsies from the left and right horns on day 0 and days 4, 8, 10 and 12 post‐GnRH. Blood samples were collected daily for progesterone and estradiol‐17β determinations by RIA. An immunohistochemical technique was used to study receptors population and COX‐2 expression which were then evaluated by two independent observers. The expression of ERα and PR was highest on day 0 in the luminal epithelium and stroma in association with high plasma estradiol‐17β concentrations. Thereafter, a decrease in ERα population was registered on day 4 and a new increase of its expression was observed between days 8 and 12 in those cell types. Conversely, PR population was gradually down‐regulated until its lowest expression was reached on day 10 post‐GnRH in the luminal epithelium. Content of OR was similar throughout the study in all cell types. The expression of COX‐2 was highest from day 8 to 12 post‐GnRH in the luminal epithelium, in relation to the time of maximal PGF_2α release. Both steroid receptors populations and COX‐2 expression were similar between horns. Meanwhile, OR expression was higher in the right than in the left uterine horn. In summary, this study showed that the loss of endometrium sensitivity to progesterone by days 8–10 post‐induction of ovulation and the concomitant increase of COX‐2 expression could play a key role in the mechanism of luteolysis and somehow be related to the short corpus luteum lifespan of llamas.     

Effect of supplementing graded concentrations of non-phytate phosphorus on performance,egg quality and bone mineral variables in White Leghorn layers

1. An experiment was conducted to determine optimal non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) concentrations for White Leghorn (WL) layers (22–72 weeks) fed diet containing 38 g Ca/kg.

2. Eight diets with graded concentrations (1.5–3.25 g/kg in increments of 0.25 g) of NPP were prepared. Each diet was fed to eight pen replicates containing 88 birds in each. Performance data was evaluated in three different phases (phase I-22–37 weeks, phase II-38–53 weeks and phase III-54–72 weeks). Optimum levels of NPP were determined by fitting a quadratic polynomial (QP) regression model.

3. Egg production (EP) was not affected (P = 0.059) by the concentration of NPP and interaction between NPP and diet phase was non-significant, indicating that the lowest concentration (1.5 g/kg diet) of NPP used in the study was adequate across the three phases. However, EP was influenced by phase (P < 0.001).

4. Optimum concentration of NPP for feed intake (FI) was estimated to be 1.5, 1.71 and 2.40 g/kg diet during phases I, II and III, respectively. FI per egg mass (EM) or feed efficiency (FE) responded quadratically with NPP and also differed significantly between phases. Optimum concentration of NPP for FE during phases I, II and III was 1.5, 2.56 and 2.32 g/kg diet, respectively.

5. Egg weight (EW), EM, shell weight and thickness were not affected by NPP concentration although all of these variables (except shell weight) were influenced by phases.

6. Breaking strength of tibia and Ca contents in tibia ash were not affected by the concentration of NPP, but bone ash and P contents in tibia ash were influenced (P < 0.001) by NPP. Predicted optimal concentrations of NPP for responses for tibia ash at 44 or 72 weeks, tibia ash P at 44 weeks and tibia ash P at 72 weeks were 1.55, 2.63 and 1.5 g/kg diet, respectively.

7. Based on the results, it was concluded that WL layers required 1.5 g, 2.63 g and 2.4 g, respectively/kg diet during phase I, II and III with the calculated daily intake of 137.3, 278.3 and 262 mg NPP/b/d.