Alterations of vitamin C, total phenolics, and antioxidant capacity as affected by processing tomatoes to different products

This study was conducted to investigate the antioxidant vitamin C, the polyphenol content, and the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity of tomato juice, baked tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato soup. During the production of tomato juice and during the preparation of the other tomato products, samples were taken after different times, respectively, after each particular production step. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the content of vitamin C. The total phenolics content was analyzed spectrophotometrically by using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The hydrophilic antioxidant capacity was measured by using three different methods: the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay, the ferric reducing antioxidant power test, and the photochemiluminescence assay. The vitamin C contents of the tomato products decreased during the thermal processing of tomatoes. In contrast, the total phenolics concentration and the water soluble antioxidant capacity increased.     

Total phenolics and antioxidant activities of fenugreek, green tea, black tea, grape seed, ginger, rosemary, gotu kola, and ginkgo extracts, vitamin E, and tert-butylhydroquinone

The total phenolics and antioxidant activities of fenugreek, green tea, black tea, grape seed, ginger, rosemary, gotu kola, and ginkgo extracts, vitamin E, and tert-butylhydroquinone, were determined. Grape seed and green tea were analyzed for their phenolic constituents using high-performance liquid chromatography. The total phenolics of the plant extracts, determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, ranged from 24.8 to 92.5 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalent/g dry material. The antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts determined by conjugated diene measurement of methyl linoleate were 3.4-86.3%. The antioxidant activity of the extracts using chicken fat by an oxidative stability instrument (4.6-10.2 h of induction time) followed a similar trend in antioxidant activity as determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Seven phenolics in grape seed and green tea extracts were identified that ranged from 15.38 to 1158.49 and 18.3 to 1087.02 mg/100 g of extract, respectively. Plant extracts such as green tea and grape seed extracts can be used to retard lipid oxidation in a variety of food products.     

Processing strawberries to different products alters contents of vitamin C, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity

Strawberries were processed to juice, nectar, wine, and puree. For investigation of the antioxidant capacity as well as the contents of ascorbic acid, total phenolics and total anthocyanins, samples were taken after different stages of production to determine the effects of processing. The content of vitamin C was measured spectrophotometrically. The total phenolic content was analyzed by using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the amount of total anthocyanins was determined by using the pH-differential method. Two different methods-the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay and the ferric reducing antioxidant power test-were used to determine the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity. This study showed the decrease of all investigated parameters within processing strawberries to different products. The content of ascorbic acid decreased with production time and processing steps, especially during heat treatment. The investigations on total phenolics in strawberry products proved fining to be a mild method to clarify berry juices and wines without removing high amounts of total phenolics. Fermentation did not lead to heavy losses of total phenolics, probably due to polymerization and condensation of monomer phenolics such as anthocyanins. Total anthocyanins and the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity decreased while using high temperatures. Anthocyanins also decreased considerably during the processing of wines, mainly caused by fermentation and pasteurization.     

Novel low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation model: antioxidant capacity for the inhibition of LDL oxidation

A novel model of peroxyl radical initiated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation (LDL oxidation model for antioxidant capacity, or LOMAC) was developed to assess the free radical scavenging capacity of antioxidants and the extracts of natural products. A water-soluble free radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis(amidinopropane) dihydrochloride, was used at physiological temperature (37 degrees C) to generate peroxyl radicals to catalyze lipid oxidation of LDL isolated from human plasma samples. Headspace hexanal, a major decomposition product of LDL oxidation, was measured by a headspace gas chromatograph as an indicator of antioxidant capacity of different concentrations of pure antioxidants (vitamins C and E) and the extracts of natural products (fresh apple phytochemical extracts). All vitamin C and E and apple extract concentrations tested resulted in increasing partial suppression and delay of LDL oxidation. On the basis of the median effective dose (EC(50)) calculated for each compound or extract tested, the LOMAC value of 100 g of apple against LDL oxidation was equivalent to 1470 mg of vitamin E or to 402 mg of vitamin C. This study shows that the LOMAC assay can be routinely used to analyze or screen antioxidants or phytochemical extracts against LDL oxidation to prevent cardiovascular disease. The food-specific LOMAC values will be very useful as a new alternative biomarker for future epidemiological studies of cardiovascular disease.     

Antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts from selected lamiaceae species grown in Turkey

Water-soluble extracts from black thyme (Thymbra spicata L.), savory (Satureja cuneifolia Ten.), Spanish oregano (Coridothymus capitatus (L.) Reichb. f.), sweet marjoram (Majorana hortensis Moench), Syrian oregano (Origanum syriacum L.), Toka oregano (Origanum minutiflorum O. Schwarz et P. H. Davis), and Turkish oregano (Origanum onites L.) were screened for antioxidant properties in a battery of six in vitro assays. Total phenol content and qualitative-quantitative compositional analyses were also carried out. The extracts demonstrated varying degrees of efficacy in each screen. The savory extract was the most effective at reducing iron(III), scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals, inhibiting ascorbate-iron(III)-catalyzed hydroxyl radical-mediated brain phospholipid peroxidation, and site-specific hydroxyl radical-mediated 2-deoxy-d-ribose degradation. The Syrian oregano extract was the most effective chelator of iron(II), while Spanish and Turkish oregano extracts were the most effective inhibitors of nonsite-specific hydroxyl radical-mediated 2-deoxy-d-ribose degradation. All the extracts contained Folin-Ciocalteu reagent-reactive substances, which was confirmed by the presence of polar phenolic analytes (i.e., hydroxybenzoates, hydroxycinnamates, and flavonoids).     

Identification and quantification of phenolic compounds in bambangan (Mangifera pajang Kort.) peels and their free radical scavenging activity

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of acidified methanolic extract prepared from fully ripe bambangan (Mangifera pajang K.) peel cultivated in Sarawak, Malaysia, were analyzed. The total phenolic content (98.3 mg GAE/g) of bambangan peel powder (BPP) was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. BPP showed a strong potency of antioxidant activity and was consistent with that of BHT and vitamin C as confirmed by the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and FRAP (ferric-reducing antioxidant power) assays. Gallic acid, p-coumaric acid, ellagic acid, protocatechuic acid, and mangiferin were the major compounds among the 16 phenolics that have been identified and quantified in M. pajang peels with 20.9, 12.7, 7.3, 5.4, and 4.8 mg/g BPP, respectively. Peak identities were confirmed by comparing their retention times, UV-vis absorption spectra, and mass spectra with authentic standards. The 16 phenolic compounds identified in M. pajang K. using HPLC-DAD and TSQ-ESI-MS are reported here for the first time.     

Antioxidant capacity of lettuce leaf tissue increases after wounding

Wounding induced the accumulation of phenolic compounds in Iceberg and Romaine lettuce leaf tissue. Phenolic concentrations were quantified after holding the leaf tissue at 10 degrees C for 48 h as the absorbance of a methanol extract at 320 nm, and by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Heat-shock treatments applied by immersing tissue in 45 degrees C water for 2.5 min before or after wounding reduced the accumulation of phenolic compounds. Compared to the nonwounded, nonheat-shocked controls, these and other wounding and heat-shock treatments produced leaf tissue with a 4-fold range in phenolic content. The antioxidant capacity of the tissue, measured as DPPH (alpha,alpha-diphenyl-beta-picrylhydrazyl)-radical scavenging activity, or as ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), increased after wounding. The increase was linearly correlated with the increase in phenolic compounds in Iceberg (R(2) > 0.97) and in Romaine (R(2) > 0.95) lettuce leaf tissue. Increased consumption of diets rich in phenolic antioxidants may contribute to reducing human diseases. Treatments that reduce the browning of wounded lettuce leaf tissue by preventing the oxidation of the accumulated wound-induced phenolic compounds may produce a healthier fresh-cut product than treatments that prevent the wound-induced synthesis and accumulation of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties.     

Comparison of the concentrations of phenolic constituents in cane sugar manufacturing products with their antioxidant activities

Polyphenol content and free radical scavenging capacity of seven kinds of sugar manufacturing products (A sugars, clear juices, syrups, massecuite, and A, B, and C molasses) were studied. Seventy-two samples were collected at different stages of the process during two sugar harvests from a local sugar factory (Bois-Rouge, La Réunion). The total phenolic content of sugar products was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Polyphenols of sugar products were extracted with ethyl acetate and quantified by LC-UV-ESI-MS during all of the process. ABTS and DPPH assays were applied to aqueous solution of sugar products, which exhibited interesting free radical scavenging activity. Comparatively, ethyl acetate extracts exhibited higher antioxidant activity. Multivariate analyses (principal component analysis and canonical discriminant analysis) demonstrated a significant correlation between polyphenols and antioxidant activity. Moreover, it was observed that the sugar process results in an increase of the phenolic content and the free radical scavenging capacity of the different products. These products and especially molasses proved to be a rich source of natural antioxidants and may represent an interesting alternative to synthetic food antioxidants.     

Ein neues Verfahren zur Extraktion von organischen Stoffen aus Böden mit überkritischen Gasen 2. Mitteilung

A new procedure for the extraction of organic matter from soils by supercritical gases Extracting soil samples with supercritical gases high amounts of nearly ash-free organic preparations can be obtained. A direct fractionation in classes of compounds with different chemical constitution is achieved by using solvents of variable polarity. Fats and dicarboxylic acids can be solved in pentan, phenols and hemicelluloses in ethanol, lignin and cellulose in ethanol/water. The substances obtained from the pentan extract were identified by GC/MS analysis. The non volatile compounds of the ethanol/water extract were decomposed by permanganate and the products compared with those of the oxidized humic acids. Though there is a high number of different compounds the podzol profile investigated shows typical patterns of distribution for certain components.     

Antioxidant activity of fermented soybean extract

Free radicals are considered to be important causative factors in the development of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. This relationship has led to interest in evaluating the antioxidant capacities of many dietary supplements. Fermented soybean extract is produced by symbiotic fermentation of organic soybean with 20 types of Lactobacillus and yeast. In vitro and in vivo models are used in this study to evaluate the antioxidant effect of fermented soybean extract. Several in vitro models are used to detect the antioxidant capacity of the fermented soybean extract, which is compared to vitamin C and Trolox. The results demonstrate that the fermented soybean extract has strong antioxidant activity against unsaturated fatty acid peroxidation compared to vitamin C and Trolox. By the means of the test system developed by Y. Toshiki et al., it is shown that the fermented soybean extract can function both as an antioxidant and as a free radical acceptor that can convert free radicals into harmless substances through an energy-decreasing procedure. An in vivo study examines the effects of fermented soybean extract on the activity of antioxidant enzymes. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes (AOE) including total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) are measured in liver, kidney, and brain from male Sprague-Dawley rats. The activities of CAT, SOD, and GPX are increased in the liver. However, the SOD activity is decreased in the kidney. SOD and GPX activities are decreased in the brain. These results lead to the conclusion that fermented soybean extract not only has antioxidant activity but also has an effect on the activity of antioxidant enzymes in liver.     

Cleaning heavy metal contaminated soil with soluble humic substances instead of synthetic polycarboxylic acids

Abstract

Soils contaminated with heavy metals constitute a serious and widespread ecological problem but to clean such soils requires strong chemicals such as polycarboxylates; frequently ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and nitrilotriacetic acid are used. However, these compounds are synthetic and toxic and their replacement by natural products such as soluble humic substances as washing agents for cleaning heavy metal polluted soils would be environmentally very attractive. In fact, such a replacement seems possible at least on cadmium and copper contaminated soil inasmuch as humic substances, depending on the concentration, were found to extract up to 45% and 54% of total cadmium and copper from a highly contaminated calcareous soil. Even though higher amounts of the two metals were extracted by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and nitrilotriacetic acid, the humic substances undoubtedly extracted the most reactive fractions. However, the humic substances extracted only 4% of total lead and 17% of total nickel, whereas the percentages for the synthetic polycarboxylates were about 30% for nickel and lead. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and nitrilotriacetic acid may therefore be replaced by humic substances as washing agents for cadmium, copper and maybe nickel contaminated soils, whereas they seem unsuited for cleaning lead contaminated soils, at least if the soils are as calcareous as the soil tested.     

A rapid confirmatory method for analyzing tetracycline antibiotics in bovine, swine, and poultry muscle tissues: matrix solid-phase dispersion with heated water as extractant followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A rapid, specific, and sensitive procedure for determining four widely used tetracycline antibiotics and three related epimers in bovine, swine, and poultry muscle tissues is presented. The method is based on the matrix solid-phase dispersion technique with heated water as the extractant followed by liquid chromatography (LC)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS) equipped with an electrospray ion source. Target compounds were extracted from tissues with 5 mL of water heated at 70 degrees C. After acidification and filtration, 100 microL of the aqueous extract was injected in the LC column. MS data acquisition was performed in the multireaction monitoring mode, selecting two precursor ion to product ion transitions for each target compound. Heated water appeared to be an excellent extractant, since the absolute recovery data ranged between 70 and 78%. The accuracy of the method was determined at three spike levels, using minocycline as a surrogate analyte, in any different kind of muscle tissues considered and varied between 88 and 109% with relative standard deviations ranging between 3 and 11%. Limits of quantification were estimated to range between 1 (chlortetracycline) and 9 ng/g (4-epioxytetracycline), based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 10, and are well below the tolerance levels set by the European Union. The effects of the extraction temperature, volume of the extractant, and washing of the material supporting the biological matrix with ethylenediamine tetraacetic disodium salt on the analyte recovery were studied.     

有机酸处理条件对玉米秸秆热解特性的影响

酸洗预处理能有效改善K^+对生物质热解的影响,该文利用热重分析仪和裂解-气相色谱质谱联用仪进行了玉米秸秆的热解试验,研究了不同有机酸酸洗浓度(3%、5%和7%)、酸洗温度(25、50和75℃)和酸洗时间(1、2和3 h)对玉米秸秆热解特性的影响。结果表明:酸洗能显著降低玉米秸秆内在K^+的含量;经过不同条件的有机酸洗预处理后,玉米秸秆的TG/DTG(thermogravimetry/differential thermogravimetry)曲线均向高温段移动,最大热解速率随着酸洗浓度和酸洗温度的增加逐渐增大,随着酸洗时间的增加先增大后降低,在酸洗温度为75℃时,最大热解速率达到最大值15.49%/min;与此同时,玉米秸秆热解主要产物为酚类、酮类和呋喃类化合物,酸洗后,其酚类物质产率明显增加,在酸洗浓度为7%时达到最大值16.75%,而酮类和呋喃类化合物产率减少,分别在酸洗时间为1 h和酸洗浓度为7%时达到最小值0.10%和7.13%。酸洗后,焦炭产率减少,在酸洗浓度为3%时达到最小值18.79%。通过研究不同处理条件下有机酸对玉米秸秆热解特性的影响,为生物质预处理中酸溶液的选择提供了参考。     

有效维生素C的稳定性研究

通过测定变化前后的维生素Ｃ的紫外吸收光谱，发现利用其差别的程度，即用３３０ｎｍ处的ＯＤ值（ｏｐｔｉｃａｌｄｅｎｓｉｔｙ）可判断有效维生素Ｃ的变化情况。模拟食品加工中的一些条件，运用此法及Ｉ２定量法考察了有效维生素Ｃ的稳定性。结果观察到：碱性下有效维生素Ｃ通过形成新的物质而被破坏；虽然溶液中还原态维生素Ｃ在自然状态下不断损失，且第１０ｄ后损失速度加快，但２０ｄ内有效维生素Ｃ保存还较多；中性盐对有效维生素Ｃ有保护作用，而氨基酸与维生素Ｃ作用产生色变，加速维生素Ｃ的破坏；冻藏能保护维生素Ｃ，加热则破坏维生素Ｃ；由氧化剂Ｉ２介导氧化形成的氧化态维生素Ｃ极不稳定。     

Ozonated water extends the shelf life of fresh-cut lettuce

The use of ozonated water as a sanitizer to extend the shelf life of fresh-cut lettuce and the effect on the antioxidant constituents (polyphenols and vitamin C) were investigated. Fresh-cut iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was washed at 4 degrees C using three different ozonated water dips [10, 20, and 10 activated by ultraviolet C (UV-C) light mg L(-1) min total ozone dose], and the dips were compared with water and chlorine rinses. Treated lettuce was packaged in air or active modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) (4 kPa of O2 + 12 kPa of CO2 balanced with N2) and stored for 13 days at 4 degrees C. Despite its strong oxidizing activity, ozonated water did not stimulate the respiratory activity of fresh-cut lettuce. Moreover, ozonated water maintained the initial visual appearance of fresh-cut lettuce and controlled browning during storage in air. Initially, ozonated water and chlorine reduced the total mesophilic population by 1.6 and 2.1 log, respectively, when compared with water. Active MAP was effective in controlling total microbial growth, achieving 2.0 log reduction in relation to samples stored in air at the end of storage. On the other hand, active MAP caused a 2.0-3.5 reduction of coliforms on sanitized samples compared with water-washed samples. The most efficient treatments were ozone 20 and ozone 10 activated by UV-C, which were as effective as chlorine. Changes in individual phenolic compounds were independent of the washing treatments. In air, chlorogenic and isochlorogenic acid contents increased noticeably after 13 days while monocaffeoyltartaric and dicaffeoyltartaric acids remained unchanged. MAP effectively suppressed accumulation of caffeoylquinic derivatives, whereas caffeoyltartaric derivatives decreased during MAP storage to reach similar levels. The content of vitamin C (ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid) decreased during storage, particularly under MAP. Ozonated water could be an alternative sanitizer to chlorine for fresh-cut lettuce due to good retention of sensorial quality and browning control with no detrimental reduction in the antioxidant constituents.     

大孔树脂分离纯化玫瑰果多酚及其抗氧化性

为了研究大孔树脂对玫瑰果多酚的纯化效果,该试验以玫瑰果多酚粗提液为原料,利用大孔树脂吸附法对其进行纯化,并对其体外抗氧化活性进行了研究。结果表明,大孔吸附树脂纯化较佳工艺为:在20℃条件下,用质量浓度为0.80 mg/m L的玫瑰果多酚粗提液(p H值5.8)以1 m L/min的流速上样200 m L;吸附平衡后用少量蒸馏水洗至洗脱液无色,后用70 m L体积分数为70%的乙醇溶液,以1.5 m L/min的流速进行动态洗脱,洗脱峰相对集中、对称,无拖尾。纯化后,总酚质量分数由纯化前的122.90 mg/g提高到399.42 mg/g。体外抗氧化活性的研究表明:清除1,1-二苯基-2-苦基肼自由基的作用效果顺序为维生素C纯化多酚2,6-二叔丁基-4-甲基苯酚(Butylated hydroxytoluene,BHT)粗多酚;清除超氧阴离子自由基的作用效果顺序为维生素CBHT纯化多酚粗多酚;清除羟基自由基的作用效果顺序为维生素C纯化多酚BHT粗多酚。研究结果为玫瑰果多酚的进一步利用提供依据。     

Effect of different washing procedures on phenolic metabolism of shredded, packaged iceberg lettuce during storage

Different washing treatments applying chlorinated, ozonated, and tap water were examined for their effect on the phenolic metabolism of minimally processed iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) during storage in consumer-sized bags at 4 degrees C for up to 9 days. To eliminate problems associated with raw material inhomogeneity, processing was conducted on a pilot-plant scale under operating conditions of industrial practice. Inherent product heterogeneity caused by diverse lettuce leaf tissues was compensated for by pooling large-sized samples, and frequent sampling ensured significant data about the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and peroxidase (POD), as well as the contents of caffeic acid derivatives over storage time. In the homogeneous lettuce samples, specific responses caused by different washing procedures were detectable. PAL activity in the samples increased for up to 5-8 days of storage. Compared to tap and ozonated water, the use of chlorinated water (100-200 mg/L free chlorine) for washing trimmed heads or shredded lettuce significantly reduced PAL activity and the concomitant rise of 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (isochlorogenic acid isomer) concentrations. The phenolic acids O-caffeoyltartaric (caftaric acid), di-O-caffeoyltartaric (chicoric acid), 5-O-caffeoylquinic (chlorogenic acid isomer), and O-caffeoylmalic were less influenced by different washing treatments. Individual contents either were constant or decreased during storage. Additionally, the novel finding of a further caffeic acid isomer, tentatively identified as meso-di-O-caffeoyltartaric acid, is reported. PPO and POD activities were less affected by different washing treatments and thus were less suitable physiological indicators of stress reactions triggered by alternative processing.     

Development of new antioxidant active packaging films based on ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) and green tea extract

Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) films containing green tea extract were successfully produced by extrusion. The films were brown and translucent, and the addition of the extract increased the water and oxygen barrier at low relative humidity but increased the water sensitivity, the glass transition temperature, and the crystallinity of the films and improved their thermal resistance. An analysis by HPLC revealed that the antioxidant components of the extract suffered partial degradation during extrusion, reducing the content of catechin gallates and increasing the concentration of free gallic acid. Exposure of the films to various food simulants showed that the liquid simulants increased their capacity to reduce DPPH(?) and ABTS(?+) radicals. The release of green tea extract components into the simulant monitored by HPLC showed that all compounds present in the green tea extract were partially released, although the extent and kinetics of release were dependent on the type of food. In aqueous food simulants, gallic acid was the main antioxidant component released with partition coefficient values ca. 200. In 95% ethanol (fatty food simulant) the K value for gallic acid decreased to 8 and there was a substantial contribution of catechins (K in the 1000 range) to a greatly increased antioxidant efficiency. Kinetically, gallic acid was released more quickly than catechins, owing to its faster diffusivity in the polymer matrix as a consequence of its smaller molecular size, although the most relevant effect is the plasticization of the matrix by alcohol, increasing the diffusion coefficient >10-fold. Therefore, the materials here developed with the combination of antioxidant substances that constitute the green tea extract could be used in the design of antioxidant active packaging for all type of foods, from aqueous to fatty products, the compounds responsible for the protection being those with the higher compatibility with the packaged product.     

Uncomposted Sheep and Cow Manures as a Source of Commercial Humic Amendments: An Exploratory Study

Liquid humic amendments are widely used in many countries as an enhancer of crop production (particularly root growth). While leonardite is the main substrate for obtaining these products, there is growing concern about obtaining them from plant-derived residual materials, rich in lignin and polyphenolics, thus making possible a residue valorization. Composting is a necessary step for converting these residues into a source of humic substances. In arid countries, obtaining humic products from sources other than leonardite faces two main challenges: (i) often such countries are devoid of forested areas or tree crops capable of supplying lignin-rich residues in large amounts and (ii) water is scarce (or very expensive if obtained by desalination) and therefore composting on an industrial scale is very difficult. Thus it is essential to find alternative sources capable of yielding humic or humic-like compounds without any previous composting. Here we present the main results obtained using sheep and cow manure, two materials widely available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Both were extracted using potassium hydroxide (KOH) at a variety of concentrations (from 0.25 to 2 M), times (from 20 to 120 min), temperatures (from 100 to 150 °C), and pressures. Sheep manure, much easier to extract than cow manure, appears the more promising as a source of commercial humic amendments. No lengthy extraction times are needed to obtain alkaline extracts; 20 min yields only slightly less humic-like matter than 2 h. The relative abundance of humic-like substances in the extract tends to decrease with time, but some optical indicators of humification (E₄/E₆ ratio, absorption at 280 nm, ratios of absorption at 253/203 and 253/220 nm) tend to increase. Polysaccharides, the dominant form of organic matter in the original manure, strongly resist alkaline extraction: their prior hydrolysis may be necessary to increase the yields of humic-like matter from the studied manures.     

Changes in hot water soil extracts brought about by nitrogen immobilization and mineralization processes during incubation of amended soils

Summary During incubation of an acid cambisol and an alkaline fluvisol, amended with glucose and nitrate, hot water soil extracts were analysed for N content, ultraviolet absorption, and fluorescence. Humic substances in the hot water extracts and in a neutral sodium pyrophosphate extract were fractionated on polyvinylpyrrolidone and measured spectroscopically. Changes in the hot water and pyrophosphate extract compositions were related to changes in microbial biomass, as estimated by substrate-induced respiration, and the hexosamine content of soil hydrolysates. During the incubation, the microbial population in each type of soil developed quite differently, according to the soil pH. Microbial growth and death in the alkaline soil sample induced a maximum of hot-water-extractable ultraviolet-absorptive non-fluorescent substances. The fluorescence of the hot water soil extract increased steadily with incubation time even after the microbial activity was reduced. A similar increase in fluorescence, in accord with the ultraviolet absorption, was found during incubation of the acid soil samples. After 95 days of incubation, the hot-water-extractable fluorescent and ultraviolet-absorptive substances were reduced. N immobilization induced an increase, and N mineralization a decrease, in dissolved organic N. The relative increase in humic substances in the hot water soil extract was much higher than in the pyrophosphate extract. Therefore, humic material, produced by microbial growth and death, is obviously extractable with hot water.