木薯分支酶活性测定及同工酶电泳技术应用初探

淀粉分支酶(Starch branching enzyme,SBE)是唯一引入α-1,6糖苷键分支点,催化支链淀粉形成的酶,影响淀粉分支程度及淀粉粒的精细结构。本文以3个亲缘关系较远的高产木薯品种(SC124、SC8、Arg7)为材料,利用SBE同工酶电泳及酶活性检测观察木薯块根支链淀粉增长较快时期SBE活性变化动态,结合支链淀粉含量检测分析木薯淀粉同工酶表达特点与支链淀粉积累的关系。结果表明:种植后140d至180d为木薯单株支链淀粉含量快速增加时期;SC124和SC8支链淀粉积累量早于Arg7达到高峰;Arg7各个时期的支链淀粉含量及SBE活性均表现最高。同工酶分析表明,木薯分支酶有SBE-I和SBE-II两个基因位点:SBE-Ι至少有3个等位基因位点(SBE-Ιa、SBE-Ιb、SBE-Ιc),品种间具有多态性;SBE-II为单一条带,但活性大小在品种间和发育不同阶段有差异。初步判定等位基因位点SBE-Ιc和SBE-II可能对SBE酶活性和支链淀粉含量贡献较大。     

木薯采后生理性变质与淀粉特性研究

以华南系列的SC205、SC5、SC6、SC8和SC10五个木薯品种为材料,于采收后不同时间分析其块根生理变质程度、干物质含量、淀粉含量、支链淀粉比例和淀粉透明度等指标,探讨木薯生理变质与块根淀粉特性的关系。研究结果表明：采后生理变质对块根淀粉特性有明显影响,所有品种淀粉特性指标在采后均呈下降趋势,其中下降最快的是SC205。对各指标的相关分析表明,支链淀粉分别与淀粉含量和淀粉透明度呈显著正相关和极显著正相关。可见,生理变质可导致淀粉透明度的下降,影响淀粉的商品品质。     

木薯内源ABA含量与块根淀粉积累关系研究

以淀粉含量不同的木薯品种‘辐选01’和‘华南124’为材料,通过测定木薯内源脱落酸(ABA)含量、淀粉积累过程中的关键酶活性以及淀粉积累量,探讨ABA含量与块根淀粉积累的关系。结果表明:不同淀粉含量的木薯品种其内源ABA含量存在差异,尤其在生育后期表现尤为明显;淀粉含量高的品种叶片、茎秆和块根的ABA含量、块根腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(AGPpase)、蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)、可溶性淀粉合成酶(SSS)及淀粉分支酶(SBE)的活性高于淀粉含量低的品种;结果表明,叶片ABA含量与块根的腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(AGPase)、可溶性淀粉合成酶(SSS)及淀粉分支酶(SBE)活性呈极显著正相关,与蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)活性呈显著正相关。茎秆ABA与腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(AGPpase)呈显著正相关,与可溶性淀粉合成酶(SSS)以及淀粉分支酶(SBE)的活性呈极显著正相关;块根ABA含量与块根腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(AGPpase)、可溶性淀粉合成酶(SSS)活性呈极显著正相关,与蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS)活性呈现正相关,与块根淀粉分支酶(SBE)活性呈极显著负相关。茎叶、块根ABA含量与块根淀粉积累均呈现极显著正相关。可见,木薯内源ABA在块根淀粉积累中有重要调节作用。本研究为高产、高淀粉木薯品种的选育与栽培提供理论支持和实践指导。      

双波长法测定木薯的直链和支链淀粉含量

直链淀粉和支链淀粉含量及其比例是木薯淀粉品质的重要指标。采用双波长法对30个木薯株系的直、支链淀粉的含量进行了测定,根据碘分别与直链和支链淀粉反应生成复合物的吸收光谱,我们最后确定了直链淀粉的和支链淀粉的参比波长和测定波长分别是609和469.5 nm、542和721 nm。根据回归方程得到了30个木薯株系的直链淀粉和支链淀粉的含量。本实验中用于测定木薯的直链淀粉浓度在0~26μg/m L,支链淀粉浓度在0~100μg/m L范围内符合比耳定律。结果表明:SC8不同株系的直链淀粉含量变化范围:14.879%~21.905%,支链淀粉含量变化范围:47.864%~56.955%;SC6不同株系的直链淀粉含量变化范围:15.494%~24.726%,支链淀粉含量变化范围44.292%~57.465%。该方法准确性高、重复性好、效率高,工作量小,适于批量木薯样品分析。     

弱光胁迫对不同基因型水稻稻米淀粉RVA谱特征值及直链淀粉含量的影响

以Ⅱ优498、冈优188、冈优527、川香9838、冈优906为材料,研究了弱光胁迫对稻米淀粉RVA谱特征值及直链淀粉含量的影响。结果表明,返青分蘖期和孕穗期遮荫均影响了淀粉RVA谱特征值及直链淀粉含量,孕穗期遮荫影响程度高于返青分蘖期。随着光照强度的减弱,最高黏度、最终黏度、崩解值降低,而消减值增加,直链淀粉含量在弱光下表现为返青分蘖期增加,孕穗期减少的趋势。不同基因型稻米淀粉RVA谱特征值对弱光的反应不同,Ⅱ优498、冈优906经遮荫处理后RVA谱特征值与对照差异不显著,而其余3个品种遮荫处理的RVA谱特征值与对照差异显著。冈优527、冈优188和川香9838的直链淀粉含量对弱光较敏感。综合淀粉RVA谱特征值和直链淀粉含量,Ⅱ优498和冈优906受弱光影响较小,较适应四川弱光寡照环境条件。     

木薯AGPase及其同工酶活性与淀粉积累的关系

采用高淀粉木薯品种辐选01和低淀粉木薯品种华南124作为试验材料,研究木薯块根的腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(AGPase)及其同工酶活性与淀粉积累的关系。通过对比研究可知:木薯块根的AGPase对淀粉积累可能有着至关重要的促进作用,并且木薯块根的AGPase具有四种同工酶,分别为AGP a、AGP b、AGP c、AGPd,其中AGP a、AGP b、AGP c可能是决定AGPase活性和影响块根淀粉积累的关键同工酶。     

不同生长期木薯块根淀粉糊化特性的差异

对木薯品种(系)SC8、南植199、C869、D346和E632在6～11个月生长期的块根淀粉糊化特性进行研究。结果表明,木薯的含粉量随生长期的延长呈先增后减趋势,不同品种的变化拐点各不相同;直链淀粉含量随生长期变化趋势因品种而异,表现出显著的品种效应和生长期差异性;峰值粘度在生长期为8个月后随生长期的延长而增加,其值与鲜薯含粉率、直链淀粉含量呈显著正相关关系;木薯淀粉糊化温度的生长期差异性显著,且变化趋势因品种的差异而略有不同,它与直链淀粉含量呈显著负相关关系。木薯淀粉恩氏粘度与直链淀粉含量呈显著正相关。     

结实期低温胁迫对水稻强、弱势粒淀粉形成与积累的影响

【目的】研究结实期低温胁迫对水稻强、弱势粒淀粉组分含量、积累速率及关键酶活性的影响，明确淀粉合成关键酶活性变化对淀粉积累速率的调控效应，探究强、弱势粒淀粉形成积累差异对水稻产量的影响。【方法】以耐冷型品种东农428和冷敏型品种松粳10为试验材料，设置1个常温处理(白天温度28℃，14h/夜间温度22℃，10 h，7 d)和4个低温处理(17℃，低温处理时间分别为1、3、5、7 d)，分析了结实期低温胁迫对强、弱势粒淀粉组分积累、合成关键酶活性、水稻产量及构成因素的影响，并探讨了灌浆期各阶段淀粉积累差异与酶活性变化的关系。【结果】与对照相比，结实期低温胁迫降低了两个品种水稻强、弱势粒中腺苷二磷酸葡萄糖焦磷酸化酶(AGPase)、可溶性淀粉合成酶(SSS)、淀粉分支酶(SBE)的峰值活性以及支链淀粉和总淀粉含量，提高了齐穗后28~38 d 低温处理3、5、7 d的颗粒结合型淀粉合成酶(GBSS)活性和直链淀粉含量。与对照相比，各低温处理酶活性最高和淀粉积累最快的时间均有不同程度的推迟，低温处理7 d的影响最大，强、弱势粒低温处理7 d的支链淀粉和总淀粉含量分别在齐穗后13、18 d降幅最大，直链淀粉含量在28 d增幅最大。相关分析表明，强、弱势粒直链淀粉含量及强势粒支链淀粉、总淀粉含量与其最大积累速率呈极显著正相关，弱势粒支链淀粉、总淀粉含量还受到其最大积累速率出现时间的影响。AGPase、GBSS、SSS、SBE活性变化与淀粉积累速率和积累时间早晚密切相关，对淀粉及淀粉组分含量的变化有着明显的影响。同时，结实期低温胁迫显著降低了水稻的千粒重、结实率和产量，且随低温处理天数的增加降幅逐渐增大。结实期低温胁迫对弱势粒中淀粉合成关键酶活性变化影响大于强势粒，弱势粒淀粉合成积累减慢，含量降低，导致水稻千粒重显著下降，产量降低。【结论】就品种而言，耐冷型东农428具有较高的淀粉合成关键酶活性，淀粉及其组分含量较高，在低温胁迫下产量能维持在较高的水平。因此，强、弱势粒淀粉合成关键酶活性对淀粉合成起着非常关键的调控作用，淀粉组分和含量及其变化对产量有着十分重要的影响。     

低温胁迫对木薯幼苗叶片转化酶及可溶性糖含量的影响

以华南124(SC124)、华南8号(SC8)和阿根廷7号(ARG7)3个木薯品种为材料,研究在持续低温胁迫下木薯幼苗叶片转化酶活性(SAI,NI)及可溶性糖含量的变化。结果表明:可溶性酸性转化酶(SAI)在木薯耐寒品种中(ARG7)活性较高;低温胁迫均能提高3个品种木薯中SAI酶的活性,但是在耐寒品种ARG7中表现为稳定提高。中性转化酶(NI)在木薯耐寒品种中(ARG7)活性较高,低温胁迫也能提高3个木薯品种中的NI酶活性,而NI酶活性均表现为短期提高。初步推断,SAI活性与木薯的抗寒存在一定的正相关。低温胁迫后3个木薯品种叶片蔗糖、还原糖和可溶性总糖的含量均升高,且抗寒品种ARG7叶片的还原糖、蔗糖和可溶性总糖含量极显著高于SC124和SC8。     

北移江西种植的木薯品种鲜薯产量及淀粉品质差异研究

2008年和2009年,以华南系列木薯品种SC5、SC6、SC7、SC8、SC9、SC10和SC205为材料,研究北移江西种植的鲜薯产量及其淀粉品质的差异。结果表明:7个木薯品种中鲜薯产量最高的是SC8,居中的依次是SC205、SC7、SC10、SC6、SC9,最低的是SC5;淀粉含量最高的是SC6,居中的依次是SC9、SC8、SC205、SC10、SC7,最低的是SC5。SC8的鲜薯产量和淀粉含量显著高于对照品种SC205,而SC5显著低于对照品种SC205及其余5个品种。与对照品种SC205相比,SC8和SC5的直链淀粉含量、冷冻稳定性、凝沉稳定性和恩氏粘度较高,淀粉颗粒粒径略大,糊化温度略低。SC205的透明度和粘度高于SC5,但低于SC8。综上所述,7个供试木薯品种中以SC8和SC205北移江西种植的适应性相对较强,而SC5的适应性相对较弱。     

Comparative Assessment of the Efficacy of Various Nitrogen Fertilizers

Summary

The efficiency of N fertilizers is usually poor; often less than 50% of the applied N is taken up by the crop. This review focuses on various N fertilizers with respect to the significance of different N loss pathways, namely (i) ammonia volatilization, (ii) dinitrogen and nitrogen oxide emissions, and (iii) nitrate leaching. Further, the significance of biological N immobilization, ammonium fixation and, finally, the impact of nitrate vs. ammonium uptake on crop yield are also discussed. The reviewed literature shows that N fertilizers may differ markedly in their susceptibility to losses. There is, however, considerable scope to improve N efficiency of each N source by proper N management practices.     

Novel food and non-food uses for sorghum and millets

Sorghum and millets have considerable potential in foods and beverages. As they are gluten-free they are suitable for coeliacs. Sorghum is also a potentially important source of nutraceuticals such antioxidant phenolics and cholesterol-lowering waxes. Cakes, cookies, pasta, a parboiled rice-like product and snack foods have been successfully produced from sorghum and, in some cases, millets. Wheat-free sorghum or millet bread remains the main challenge. Additives such as native and pre-gelatinised starches, hydrocolloids, fat, egg and rye pentosans improve bread quality. However, specific volumes are lower than those for wheat bread or gluten-free breads based on pure starches, and in many cases, breads tend to stale faster. Lager and stout beers with sorghum are brewed commercially. Sorghum's high-starch gelatinisation temperature and low beta-amylase activity remain problems with regard to complete substitution of barley malt with sorghum malt . The role of the sorghum endosperm matrix protein and cell wall components in limiting extract is a research focus. Brewing with millets is still at an experimental stage. Sorghum could be important for bioethanol and other bio-industrial products. Bioethanol research has focused on improving the economics of the process through cultivar selection, method development for low-quality grain and pre-processing to recover valuable by-products. Potential by-products such as the kafirin prolamin proteins and the pericarp wax have potential as bioplastic films and coatings for foods, primarily due to their hydrophobicity.     

Evolutionary aspects of the trade-off between seed size and number in crops

Whereas the concept that availability of resources drives seed production is sound in principle, it is incomplete as there are many solutions to the allocation of resources that derive from the trade-off between number and size. This paper examines evolutionary aspects of this trade-off in annual grain crops. The analysis is centred on the working hypotheses that, for a given species and environment, allocation of resources to reproduction involves (H1) high plasticity in seed number, which allows for variable resource availability, and (H2) a relatively narrow range of seed size that results from evolutionary and agronomic selection. Comparisons between crops and fish are used to highlight common evolutionary elements in taxa where parents provide little or no care to their offspring, with the consequence that both number and early survival of offspring, hence fitness of parents, are partially related to embryo size and reserves.

The plasticity of seed number in relation to availability of resources is analysed against the established relationship between offspring number and parent growth rate during critical stages. The notion that seed size is under stabilising selection is analysed against three conditions: (1) mean seed size is conservative for a given species and environment, (2) seed size affects fitness, and (3) seed size is heritable. Databases from published papers were compiled to analyse the relative variability of seed size and number, and the heritability of seed size. Evidence for and against the link between seed size and parental fitness is revised using the Smith–Fretwell model as framework (Am. Nat., 108, 499–506).

The proposal of high plasticity of seed number and narrow variability of seed size resulting from stabilising natural selection is generally consistent with evolutionary and genetic considerations. Agronomic selection may have reinforced natural selection leading to relatively narrow seed size in species such as wheat and soybean, where cultivated types retained high plasticity for seed number. In contrast, selection for one or few inflorescences in crops like sunflower and maize may have morphologically reduced seed number plasticity and increased variability of seed size and its responsiveness to resource availability in relation to their wild ancestors.     

Citrus Flavonoids in Fruit and Traditional Chinese Medicinal Food Ingredients in China

Flavonoids-enriched tissues of citrus such as peel, immature fruit and flower are consumed as culinary seasonings, tea ingredients in China for centuries. This HPLC quantitative study on the five citrus flavonoids, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, sinensetin and nobiletin on a wide range of Chinese citrus fruits and several Traditional Chinese Medicinal food ingredients in East China, revealed a great diversity in flavonoid composition. Huyou peel (C. paradisi cv. Changshanhuyou) was found to be the best naringin (3.25%) and neohesperidin (2.76%) source; C. aurantium, a major ingredient of several citrus-related TCM, is also a suitable source of naringin and neohesperidin, and a good juice source for flavanone glycosides; the peel of Wenzhoumiju (C. unshiu) is one of the richest local species in hesperidin (up to 6.25%); Zaoju (C. subcompressa) has the highest content of nobiletin (0.59%), a polymethoxylated flavone. LC-ES-MS analysis of Zanthoxylum genus for flavonoids revealed for the first time the presence of significant amounts (0.74%) of hesperidin in the root of Liangmianzhen (Z. nitidum (Roxb.) DC), a relative of Sichuan pepper, which is a spice widely used in China.     

Effect of a continuous hot water treatment of potato tubers on seed-borne fungal pathogens

Summary The viability of five pathogens was decreased by treatment with hot water when tested in vitro.Polyscytalum pustulans was most sensitive andRhizoctonia solani least sensitive. Potato tubers were exposed to 55°C for 5 min in a commercial continuous hot water treatment plant using naturally contaminated seed tubers and tubers which had been inoculated by dipping in comminuted cultures. The frequency of eyes colonised byP. pustulans, Helminthosporium solani, andR. solani was reduced to virtually zero and the effect persisted on tubers subsequently stored at 4°C and at 15°C for up to 16 wk. Results withColletotrichum coccodes were inconclusive. Treatment suppressedPenicillium spp. which, however, rapidly recolonised the eyes during storage, leading to higher contamination levels in the treated than in the untreated tubers. With tubers inoculated withPhoma foveata, good control was achieved when the incubation period before treatment was 10 d but not when the period was 42 d.     

Role of Benzoxazinones in Cereals

Summary

Heterocyclic 1,4-benzoxazin-3-ones and related benzox-azolinones are important natural products of the cereal crops maize, wheat and rye. Much research has focused on the role of these compounds as defensive agents against plant diseases and pests. Studies of a wide variety of biological effects on herbivores and nematodes, plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria are reviewed in this article. Phytotoxic activity of the compounds is also considered with respect to allelopathic interaction with higher plants. Recent investigations of molecular aspects of interactions of cyclic hydroxamic acids and related benzoxazo-linones with acceptor organisms have demonstrated different effective detoxification strategies and tolerance mechanisms. This research has greatly advanced our knowledge about the multiple roles that these allelochemicals play in ecological systems.     

Potential of dry fractionation of wheat bran for the development of food ingredients,part I: Influence of ultra-fine grinding

Wheat bran is an undervalued by-product of white flour and has great nutritional potential due to its high content in fibres and bioactive compounds. Micronized bran could be used as a food ingredient to improve the nutritional potential of cereal products, or be used as a starting material for other processes (bioactive compound extraction or bran fractionation). The aim of this work was to find a way to efficiently decrease the particle size of bran. The influence of the grinding temperature (ambient or cryogenic grinding) on the granulometric distribution of particles, their composition, and their microstructure was studied, at lab-scale and pilot-scale. It showed that the intrinsic characteristics of bran (glass transition within intermediate layers at −46 °C) had more influence on its grinding behaviour than the type of grinding device used: the particles size distributions obtained after grinding at lab-scale and pilot-scale were very similar. At both scales, the granulometric curves were narrow for cryogenic grinding, while for ambient grinding they were spread over the whole particle size range. Ultrafine particles were obtained in both ambient and cryogenic conditions. Negative temperatures, by increasing the material’s brittleness, favoured a fast fragmentation of bran: one step of cryogenic grinding allowed a median particle size of nearly 50 μm to be reached, whereas three successive steps of ambient grinding were needed for the same result. On the other hand, ambient temperature favoured the dissociation of the different constituent layers of wheat bran, and produced less composite particles than cryogenic grinding.     

Multiple use of plants: Studies on selenium incorporation in some agricultural species for the production of organic selenium compounds

The technique of spraying plants with inorganic forms of selenium can be employed for phytochemical production of organic selenium compounds. Fractionation of the plant material makes it possible to produce a highly concentrated and well defined selenium supplement with potential use in animal and human nutrition. The fractionation also gives opportunities to combine production of organic selenium compounds with other products, for example plant fibres. Multiple use of plants can contribute to a more efficient utilization of land area (in comparison to monocultures solely adapted to food production). It also gives the opportunity to develop systems suitable for long term fixation of carbon, as long as the plant material is not reoxidised to carbon dioxide. Plant fibres could provide raw material for the production of paper or building materials in combination with the production of organic selenium compounds preferentially accumulated in another fraction of the processed plant.     

Biological factors influencing the transmission of potato leafroll virus by different aphid species

Summary Macrosiphum euphorbiae, collected in the field from potato plants infected with potato leafroll virus (PLRV), transmitted the virus to fewer potato plants in a field trial than did laboratory-rearedMyzus persicae. In the laboratory,M. persicae was the only efficient vector of PLRV fromPhysalis floridana seedlings, potato sprouts or excised leaves toP. floridana. Two clones ofM. euphorbiae and one clone ofAulacorthum solani transmitted PLRV from infected potato plants toNicotiana clevelandii as effeciently asM. persicae but a clone ofAphis gossypii was an inefficient PLRV vector. An isolate of PLRV, whichM. persicae transmitted inefficiently from potato toN. clevelandii, was also transmitted inefficiently byM. euphorbiae andA. solani.