Plasma and tear concentrations of antibiotics administered parenterally to cattle

Chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin, oxytetracycline, penethamate and procaine benzyl penicillin were administered parenterally to cattle and the concentrations of these antibiotics in plasma and tears were assayed microbiologically. Concentrations in plasma and tears were significantly correlated for all antibiotics tested but the concentration of antibiotic in tears and the tear flow rate were not correlated. Lipophilic drugs diffused into the tears in higher concentrations than did drugs which were not lipophilic. Concentrations of lipophilic but not hydrophilic antibiotics in tears could be predicted from the Henderson-Hasselbach equation. In cattle, it is possible through parenteral administration of chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin or oxytetracycline to achieve antibiotic concentrations in the tears which are bacteriostatic to Moraxella bovis, a primary aetiological agent of infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis.     

Selection of rhizobacteria able to produce metabolites active against Meloidogyne exigua

This work aimed to select potentially useful rhizobacteria for the control of Meloidogyne exigua, a widely disseminated root-knot nematode found in Brazilian coffee fields. Initially, crude metabolites produced in liquid medium by 69 isolated rhizobacteria strains (previously obtained from several plants collected in the south of Minas Gerais State, Brazil) were tested in vitro for lethality towards M. exigua second stage juveniles (J₂). Substances produced by strains of Bacillus cereus, B. megaterium, B. pumilus, B. thuringiensis, Enterobacter asburiae, E. cloacae and Paenibacillus macerans caused high mortality in J₂. Subsequently, the ten most active crude metabolites were selected and assessed for nematicidal activity in a biotest with M. exigua-inoculated coffee plants. Although strains of B. cereus, B. pumilus and P. macerans caused a significant reduction in the number of root galls and/or nematode eggs per plant 90 days after treatment, the best results were obtained with the application of B. megaterium strain 54-06.     

Evaluating chemical and physical quality indicators for a structurally fragile tropical soil

In tropical regions with well‐defined wet and dry seasons, repeated wetting and drying cycles can harden exposed soils and inhibit root growth. While this phenomenon has been well documented, the relationships between plant productivity and chemical and physical soil parameters have not been well defined. The current study identifies the abiotic parameters that best relate to measures of plant development, specifically to corn productivity. The primary goal of this research was to provide information to improve agricultural sustainability in humid tropical ecosystems. The effects of using plant residues as a cover on a sandy soil were studied. Four leguminous species were planted in an alley cropping system, Leucaena leucocephala, Cajanus cajan, Clitoria fairchildiana and Acacia mangium, and corn was planted in January 2007 between legume rows. We measured the most important chemical and physical soil parameters. Yield indicators included cob weight and the weight of 100 kernels. The application of plant residues altered soil conditions and increased rootable soil volume. This change was associated with an increase by 10% in water retention above field capacity in the uppermost soil layer of the residue‐covered sections of the experiment. In the control sections cobs were up to three times lighter (31.43–93.38 g) in the bare soil control than those from residue‐covered sections of the experiment. Dynamic indicators related to nutrient absorption and crop evapotranspiration, such as the number of days with water stress and rootable soil volume, were the most suitable indicators for assessing soil quality. The response of corn was best related to complex physical indicators, including the amount of N applied via legume residues.     

The effects of gypsum applied to a Natraquoll of the Flooding Pampas of Argentina

Abstract. The application of gypsum to a Natraquoll under pasture was evaluated in a humid area of the 'Flooding Pampas' of Argentina in a randomized block field design. Gypsum was incorporated at 0, 15, 35, and 60 t ha^-1. After the gypsum was mixed into the soil, the electrical conductivity of the soil solution was linearly related to the initial sodium adsorption ratio. The depth of reclamation depended on the amount of gypsum applied. Dry matter yield in all gypsum treatments was greater than the control without gypsum.     

The Simulated Effects of Iron Dust and Acidity During the Early Stages of Establishment of Two Coastal Plant Species

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - In Brazil’s littoral, many iron ore industries are located in areas of restinga, a type of coastal ecosystem; such industries represent stationary sources...     

Polar Lipids Composition,Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Atlantic Red Seaweed Grateloupia turuturu

Grateloupia turuturu Yamada, 1941, is a red seaweed widely used for food in Japan and Korea which was recorded on the Atlantic Coast of Europe about twenty years ago. This seaweed presents eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in its lipid fraction, a feature that sparked the interest on its potential applications. In seaweeds, PUFAs are mostly esterified to polar lipids, emerging as healthy phytochemicals. However, to date, these biomolecules are still unknown for G. turuturu. The present work aimed to identify the polar lipid profile of G. turuturu, using modern lipidomics approaches based on high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The health benefits of polar lipids were identified by health lipid indices and the assessment of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The polar lipids profile identified from G. turuturu included 205 lipid species distributed over glycolipids, phospholipids, betaine lipids and phosphosphingolipids, which featured a high number of lipid species with EPA and PUFAs. The nutritional value of G. turuturu has been shown by its protein content, fatty acyl composition and health lipid indices, thus confirming G. turuturu as an alternative source of protein and lipids. Some of the lipid species assigned were associated to biological activity, as polar lipid extracts showed antioxidant activity evidenced by free radical scavenging potential for the 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS^●+) radical (IC₅₀ ca. 130.4 μg mL⁻¹) and for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH^●) radical (IC₂₅ ca. 129.1 μg mL⁻¹) and anti-inflammatory activity by inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme (IC₅₀ ca. 33 µg mL⁻¹). Both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were detected using a low concentration of extracts. This integrative approach contributes to increase the knowledge of G. turuturu as a species capable of providing nutrients and bioactive molecules with potential applications in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries.     

Organic Matter Removal on Oxide Determination in Oxisols Via Portable X-ray Fluorescence

Many factors can influence the results obtained by portable X-ray fluorescence analysis (pXRF). The effect of soil organic matter on pXRF results is not satisfactory understood. Thus, we conducted this study to verify the effect of organic matter removal on oxide determination by pXRF in Oxisols. To obtain soil material with different organic matter contents and maintaining the same elemental composition from soil minerals, six contrasting Oxisols were heated in a muffle furnace for 30 min at the following temperatures (°C): 100; 200; 300; 400; 500 and 600. After heating, the soil samples were scanned using a pXRF Bruker® S1 Titan LE model (Dual Soil mode) for 60 s and the contents of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, P₂O₅, and MnO were recorded. The soil organic matter presence underestimated the pXRF results for lightest oxides (Si and Al) compared to heaviest oxides (Fe, Ti, and Mn). These oxides are important for tropical soils classification and for many soil-related studies and pXRF technology has been a useful tool for soil chemical characterization. Our findings contribute to more suitable use of pXRF highlighting the possible effect of organic matter.     

High P Availability in Brazilian Cerrado Soils Reduces Nodulation and Grain Yield of Soybean

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of phosphorus (P) levels on nodulation and soybean production components in Cerrado soils. The experimental design was randomized in blocks, with five replicates, and four consecutive crop seasons (2013/2014, 2014/2015, 2015/2016, and 2016/2017), being cultivated in the same experimental field area. In the first three crop seasons phosphate fertilization were carried out establishing the treatments of increasing levels of P: 0, 43.6, 87.3, 131.0, and 174.6 kg ha^?1, and an additional level (farm standard) of 42 kg ha^?1. The results of this work refer to the crop season 2016/2017 without different P application, evaluating the influence of content of previous crop seasons. The dry weight of roots, plant population, thousand grains weight, grain yield, nitrogen (N) and P content in leaves, number and dry weight of nodules were evaluated in the reproductive stages (R2 and R8) of soybean. Increasing levels of P in soil provided significant effects on nodulation, morphological components and production of soybean plants. Levels above 40 mg dm^?3 of P available in soil provided a reduction in the number and dry weight of the nodules that are highly correlated to reduction on grain yield.