Comparison of Regular and Selenium-Enriched Tortillas Produced from Sprouted Corn Kernels

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Corn kernels were soaked with different selenium (Se) solutions (0, 12 or 24 mg Na2SeO3/L), sprouted for different times and then lime-cooked for the...     

Heavy Metal Contents and Distribution in Coastal Sediments of the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy)

A set of ten heavy metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) was investigated in surface sediments (0–5 cm) collected in 21 sites of the Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea (Italy). The aim of this work was to obtain a preliminary assessment about the levels and spatial distribution of these selected elements. Ancillary parameters such as grain size, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen were also determined. The enrichment factor was calculated to discriminate if a natural condition or a status of anthropogenic contamination occurs. In addition, a set of sediment quality guidelines, mean effect low range and effect medium range quotients, was also applied in order to predict the probability of adverse biological effects on the benthic community.     

Studies on the Nutrition of Spotted Sand Bass Paralabrax maculatofasciatus: Effect of the Dietary Protein Level on Growth and Protein Utilization in Juveniles Fed Semipurified Diets

Two feeding trials were conducted to determine the digestibility of a casein-based semi-purified diet and the effects of different protein levels on growth and protein use of spotted sand bass Paralabrax maculatofasciatus juveniles. For trial I, a semipurified diet with vitamin-free casein as the sole source of protein was fed three times a day to apparent satiation, for a period of 20 d. Feces were collected by siphoning each tank. The digestibility of the experimental diet was high: 97% for protein, 89% for lipids, and 84% for gross energy, whereas that of organic matter was 78%. For trial II, seven diets were formulated using vitamin-free casein at graded levels (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55% protein). Triplicate tanks for each dietary treatment were stocked with fish and fed by hand three times a day to apparent satiation for 6 wk. Perfomance of fish fed the different diets was evaluated for survival, percent weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, and protein efficiency ratio. Survival was 100% for all treatments. Growth of spotted sand bass juveniles increased as the dietary protein increased, but no evidence of reaching a plateau was found. The daily feed intake values showed an inverse relation to the protein content of the diets. The feed conversion ratio did not differ among diets containing 40% protein or greater. The results indicate that spotted sand bass juveniles with 2.5-g mean weight need at least 55% dietary protein for best growth when casein is the sole protein source. However, in terms of feed conversion ratio, the requirement apparently could be lower.     

Screening wild plants of Capsicum annuum for resistance to pepper huasteco virus (PHV): Presence of viral DNA and differentiation among populations

Plants collected in thirteen wild populations of Capsicum annuum from Northwest Mexico were tested for resistance to the pepper huasteco begomovirus (formerly subgroup III) (PHV) that is transmitted by the white fly Bemisia tabaci Genadius. Plants were inoculated using both grafting and biolistic methods. Presence of viral DNA was detected by dot blot hybridization and densitometry. Populations varied in their resistance to PHV. Plants of only two of the populations either did not develop disease symptoms or showed very light symptoms after inoculation. In some cases, symptoms appeared several days after inoculation. In plants of these populations viral DNA was detected by dot-blot hybridization assays but they appear to be a good source of resistance (symptomless) for use in breeding programmes. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Chromosomal structural changes in Capsicum annuum L. and C. chinense Jacq.

Summary Wide hybridizations between M. arvensis and Brassica amphidiploid species (B. napus and B. juncea) were carried out in order to incorporate desirable traits of M. arvensis into Brassica crops. Crossing barriers between them were present without the use of in vitro techniques. F₁ hybrids have been produced through ovary culture, when M. arvensis were used as a female parent. Higher hybrid embryo productivity (3.07 embryos per pollination) was obtained in the cross of M. arvensis x B. napus than in that of M. arvensis x B. juncea (0.79 embryos). The hybridity was confirmed by morphology, cytology, isozyme and Southern analyses. The first backcrossing progenies and open pollinated ones were produced.     

Classification of Ilex species based on metabolomic fingerprinting using nuclear magnetic resonance and multivariate data analysis

The metabolomic analysis of 11 Ilex species, I. argentina, I. brasiliensis, I. brevicuspis, I. dumosavar. dumosa, I. dumosa var. guaranina, I. integerrima, I. microdonta, I. paraguariensis var. paraguariensis, I. pseudobuxus, I. taubertiana, and I. theezans, was carried out by NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. The analysis using principal component analysis and classification of the (1)H NMR spectra showed a clear discrimination of those samples based on the metabolites present in the organic and aqueous fractions. The major metabolites that contribute to the discrimination are arbutin, caffeine, phenylpropanoids, and theobromine. Among those metabolites, arbutin, which has not been reported yet as a constituent of Ilex species, was found to be a biomarker for I. argentina,I. brasiliensis, I. brevicuspis, I. integerrima, I. microdonta, I. pseudobuxus, I. taubertiana, and I. theezans. This reliable method based on the determination of a large number of metabolites makes the chemotaxonomical analysis of Ilex species possible.     

Nitrogen-fixing legume tree species for the reclamation of severely degraded lands in Brazil

The main challenges faced in the reclamation of severely degraded lands are in the management of the systems and finding plant species that will grow under the harsh conditions common in degraded soils. This is especially important in extremely adverse situations found in some substrates from mining activities or soils that have lost their upper horizons. Under these conditions, recolonization of the area by native vegetation through natural succession processes may be extremely limited. Once the main physical and chemical factors restrictive to plant growth are corrected or attenuated, the introduction of leguminous trees able to form symbioses with nodulating N?-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi constitutes an efficient strategy to accelerate soil reclamation and initiate natural succession. These symbioses give the legume species a superior capacity to grow quickly in poor substrates and to withstand the harsh conditions presented in degraded soils. In this article we describe several successful results in Brazil using N?-fixing legume tree species for reclamation of areas degraded by soil erosion, construction and mining activities, emphasizing the potential of the technique to recover soil organic matter levels and restore ecosystem biodiversity and other environmental functions.     

Changes in phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of virgin olive oil during frying

The concentration of hydroxytyrosol (3,4-DHPEA) and its secoiridoid derivatives (3,4-DHPEA-EDA and 3,4-DHPEA-EA) in virgin olive oil decreased rapidly when the oil was repeatedly used for preparing french fries in deep-fat frying operations. At the end of the first frying process (10 min at 180 degrees C), the concentration of the dihydroxyphenol components was reduced to 50-60% of the original value, and after six frying operations only about 10% of the initial components remained. However, tyrosol (p-HPEA) and its derivatives (p-HPEA-EDA and p-HPEA-EA) in the oil were much more stable during 12 frying operations. The reduction in their original concentration was much smaller than that for hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives and showed a roughly linear relationship with the number of frying operations. The antioxidant activity of the phenolic extract measured using the DPPH test rapidly diminished during the first six frying processes, from a total antioxidant activity higher than 740 micromol of Trolox/kg down to less than 250 micromol/kg. On the other hand, the concentration of polar compounds, oxidized triacylglycerol monomers (oxTGs), dimeric TGs, and polymerized TGs rapidly increased from the sixth frying operation onward, when the antioxidant activity of the phenolic extract was very low, and as a consequence the oil was much more susceptible to oxidation. The loss of antioxidant activity in the phenolic fraction due to deep-fat frying was confirmed by the storage oil and oil-in-water emulsions containing added extracts from olive oil used for 12 frying operations.     

Mercury in soils,sediments, and clams from a North Carolina peatland

Mercury concentrations were measured in samples of peat soils, sediments and clams (Rangia cuneata) from a peatland region of the Albemarle-Panlico Peninsula of North Carolina. Total Hg concentrations in peat cores ranged from 40 to 193 ng g^?1 (dw); no depth-related trends were noted. Mercury concentrations in surface sediments from canals draining the peatlands and from the Pungo River that receives this drainage ranged from 8 to 20 ng g^?1 (dw). Selective extractions of these peat and sediment samples revealed that the bulk of the Hg was associated with organic matter-associated fractions (particularly humic/fulvic acid bound and organic-sulfide bound fractions). No Hg was detected in the relatively mobile and bioavailable water-soluble or ion-exchangeable fractions. Total Hg concentrations in the soft tissues of clams from the Pungo River ranged from 25 to 32 ng g^?1 (ww). No concentrations of methyl Hg above the detection limit of a 25 ng g^?1 were measured in soils, sediments, or clams. These data indicate that Hg concentrations in this region are at the low end of the distribution of levels reported for uncontaminated systems and that mining of these peatlands is unlikely to significantly elevate Hg concentrations in the receiving estuarine system.