Effect of Fe,Zn and Cu on quantity and quality characteristics and nutrient accumulation in wheat

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Wheat is the most important food on earth. Therefore, to produce high-quality products with efficient utilization, the micronutrient groups are needed....     

Growth and nutrient and nitrate accumulation of lettuce under different regimes of nitrogen fertilization

Abstract

For plant growth and composition, the effects of fertilizers including blood meal (BLO), cottonseed meal (CSM), dehydrated cow manure (COW), and urea (UREA) factored with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) of different morphological phenotypes including iceberg, romaine, loose head, and loose leaf were studied in a greenhouse. Lettuce growth increased with increasing nitrogen (N) applications from 0 to 800?mg N/pot (kg), but the top application of BLO, CSM, or UREA suppressed yields. Lettuce grown with BLO, CSM, or UREA had higher concentrations of N than with COW. Nitrate-N concentration in leaves of all varieties exceeded some standards at high application of organic fertilizer or urea except for COW. In general, increasing N application resulted in higher concentration of NH₄-N in lettuce with increases in applications of fertilizers. Organic fertilizers and urea were equally effective in supporting growth and affecting nutrient accumulation in lettuce if sufficient N was supplied.     

Evaluation of serum C-reactive protein level and its related factors in hemodialysis patients in Sari, Iran

Chronic inflammation, as reflected by increased level of acute phase protein such as C-reactive Protein (CRP) is highly prevalent in hemodialysis patients. CRP is a strong predictor of overall and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in hemodialysis patients. This research was conducted to determine the C-reactive Protein (CRP) levels and its correlation to demographic and clinical characteristics and Laboratory values in hemodialysis patients in Sari, Iran. In a cross sectional study, 147 hemodialysis patients were studied. Patients' demographic and clinical data were recorded and also serum CRP, Cholesterol, Albumin, Phosphorous, Calcium, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit levels were measured. Overall, the mean CRP concentration was 15.8 mg L(-1). With considering to the different cutoff point (5, 6.2, 10 mg L(-1)) for CRP level, 107 patients (72.8%) had CRP level >5 mg L(-1), 99 patients (67.3%) had CRP level > 6.2 mg L(-1) and 77 patients (52.4%) had CRP level >10 nmg L(-1). The CRP levels greater than 6.2, had a direct statistically significant correlation with duration of hemodialysis and phosphorus level (p = 0.01). Also, CRP levels above 10 mg L(-1) had a direct statistically significant correlation with age and phosphorus levels (p = 0.02). According to the prevalence of high CRP level and it's correlation with age, duration ofhemodialysis and phosphorus level in hemodialysis patients, CRP level should be screened in this group of patients routinely because of its prognostic importance.     

Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal-Like Cells from Diploid and Triploid Human Embryonic Stem Cells Display Different Gene Expression Profiles

Background:hESCs-MSCs open a new insight into future cell therapy applications, due to their unique characteristics, including immunomodulatory features, proliferation, and differentiation. Methods:Herein, hESCs-MSCs were characterized by IF technique with CD105 and FIBRONECTIN as markers and FIBRONECTIN, VIMENTIN, CD10, CD105, and CD14 genes using RT-PCR technique. FACS was performed for CD44, CD73, CD90, and CD105 markers. Moreover, these fibroblast-like cells, due to multipotent characteristics, differentiated to the osteoblast. Results:MSCs were derived from diploid and triploid hESC lines using sequential 3D and 2D cultures and characterized with the specific markers. IF showed the expression of FIBRONECTIN and CD105 in hESCs-MSCs. Flow cytometry data indicated no significant difference in the expression of MSC markers after 6 and 13 passages. Interestingly, gene expression profiles revealed slight differences between MSCs from diploid and triploid hESCs. The hESCs-MSCs displayed osteogenic differentiation capacity, which was confirmed by Alizarin red staining. Conclusion:Our findings reveal that both diploid and triploid hESC lines are capable of forming MSCs; however, there are some differences in their gene expression profiles. Generation of MSCs from hESCs, as a non-invasive procedure in large scale, will lend itself for the future cell-based therapeutic applications. Key Words: Human embryonic stem cells, Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, Regenerative medicine     

Effects of Peptone Supplementation in Different Culture Media on Growth,Metabolic Pathway and Productivity of CHO DG44 Cells; a New Insight into Amino Acid Profiles

Background:

The optimization of bioprocess conditions towards improved growth profile and productivity yield is considered of great importance in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Peptones as efficient sources of nutrients have been studied for their effect on media development; however, their role on metabolic pathway is not well understood.

Methods:

In the present study, the effect of different concentration of peptones on a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line grown in three serum-free suspension cultures was determined. Six peptones of different origins and available amino acid profiles were investigated regarding their impact on cell growth, productivity, and metabolic pathways changes.

Results:

In optimized feeding strategies, increases of 136% and 159% in volumetric productivity (for a low-nutrient culture media) and 55% (for a high-nutrient culture media) were achieved. Furthermore, particular sources of peptones with specific amino acid profile developed preferential results for each different culture medium. Two peptones, SoyA2SC and SoyE-110, were the only hydrolysates that showed production improvement in all three media. Casein Peptone plus Tryptone N1 and SoyA3SC showed different improved results based on their implemented concentration for each individual basal medium.

Conclusion:

The amino acid profile of peptones may provide clues to identify the most effective feeding strategies for recombinant CHO cells.Key Words: CHO cells, Culture media, Peptones, Recombinant proteins     

Extracellular production of silver nanoparticles by using three common species of dermatophytes: Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis

Background: To develop a new green approach for biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles, myconanotechnology has been represented as a novel field of study in nanotechnology. In this study, we have reported the extracellular synthesis of highly stable silver nanoparticles using three species of dermatophytes: Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis. Methods: Clinical strains of these species were grown in a liquid medium containing mineral salt and incubated at 25°C for 5-7 days. The cell-free filtrate of each culture was obtained and subjected to synthesize silver nanoparticles in the presence of 1 mM AgNO₃. Results: The reduction of Ag+ ions in metal nanoparticles was investigated virtually by tracing the solution color which was switched into reddish-light brown after 72 h. For T. mentagrophytes, a UV-visible spectra demonstrating a strong, quite narrow peak located between 422 and 425 nm was obtained. For M. canis, a fairly wide peak centering at 441 nm and for T. rubrum, a weak spectrum to decipher were observed. According to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results, fairly uniform, spherical, and small in size with almost less than 50 nm particles were forms in case of T. mentagrophytes. For the other two species, TEM images showed existence of small spherical nanosilvers but not as small as nanoparticles synthesized by T. mentagrophytes. Conclusion: We observed that species belong to a single genus of the fungi have variable ability to synthesize silver nanoparticles extracellulary with different efficiency. Furthermore, the extracellular synthesis may make the process simpler and easier for following processes.Key Words: Nanoparticles, Dermatophytes, Extracellular biosynthesis     

Effect of Exogenous Testosterone,Finasteride, and Castration on Serum Level of Thyroxin

Background: The secretion of thyroxin (T4) as the main hormone of thyroid gland is regulated by androgens. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of testosterone and finasteride administration and castration on serum levels of T4 and to show the effect of this regulation on total body weight, weight of testis, and the weight of prostate. Methods: Male adult rats (n = 32) were divided into 4 groups (n = 8): Group 1 (control), Group 2 (castration), Group 3 (finasteride: 20 mg/kg/day) and Group 4 (testosterone: 5 mg/kg/day). At the end of the study (35 days), serum level of thyroxin, body weight, weight of testis, and prostate were determined. Results: The data showed that the body weight increased in castrated (P = 0.04) and decreased in testosterone (P = 0.00) groups but did not differ in finasteride (P>0.05) group. There were not any differences in the weight of testis among control, finasteride, and testosterone groups but the weight of prostate increased in testosterone group (P = 0.00) and decreased in castrated (P = 0.03) and finasteride groups (P = 0.04). In addition, the serum level of T4 (nmo/ml) decreased in the three groups: finasteride (P = 0.03), testosterone (P = 0.04), and castrated (P = 0.00). Conclusion: Testosterone in both high and low levels decreased the amount of T4 with a time-dependent manner. Key Words: Finasteride, Rats, Testosterone, Thyroxin     

Dietary fatty acid profiling in plant protein‐rich diets affects the reproductive performance,egg fatty acid profile and haematological parameters in female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The influence of dietary fish oil (FO) substitution with blends of vegetal oils (VO: canola, linseed, olive, sunflower, corn and coconut oils) in plant protein‐rich diets on reproductive performance and fatty acid dynamics of embryos was evaluated in female rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) brooders (1.8 ± 0.1 kg). Four diets were formulated in which 20% (FO₈₀/VO₂₀), 50% (FO₅₀/VO₅₀), 75% (FO₂₅/VO₇₅) and 100% (VO₁₀₀) of FO were replaced by mixture of VO. The above‐mentioned diets were administered for a short period prior to spawning (3 months). Fish fed the VO₁₀₀ had the lowest fertilization rate (81.3 ± 2.3), whereas brooders fed the FO₈₀/VO₂₀ diet had the lowest survival rates at eyed embryo stage (83.7 ± 1.6%) and hatching rate (79.9 ± 3.1%). The fatty acid dynamics of embryos were not only affected by embryonic developmental stages, but also they were influenced by the dietary fatty acid profile. Our study confirmed that using blends of different VO sources and FM residual fat in the FO₂₅/VO₇₅ for the short‐term period prior to spawning seemed to be a good strategy in terms of successful reproduction for sparing high levels of FM and FO in diet of O. mykiss brooders.