Effects of hybrid and bacterial inoculation on fermentation quality and fatty acid profile of barley silage

This study estimated the effects of hybrid and bacterial inoculant on fermentation quality and fatty acid profile of barley silages. Yuyeon (Silkless) and Youngyang (Silking) barley hybrids were harvested at 24.9 and 27.1% dry matter, respectively, and chopped to 10 cm lengths. Each hybrid was treated with or without an inoculant (2 × 10⁴ colony‐forming units/g of Lactobacillus plantarum). A total of 48 silos were prepared in an experiment with a 2 × 2 (hybrid × inoculant) treatment arrangement with four replications and three ensiling durations (2, 7 and 100 days). After 100 days of ensiling, Yuyeon silage had higher (P < 0.05) in vitro dry matter digestibility and C18:3n‐3 than Youngyang silage. Youngyang silage had higher (P < 0.05) acetic acid and C18:2n‐6 than Yuyeon silage. Inoculation reduced the C18:3n‐3 concentration of both hybrids and increased (P < 0.05) the C18:2n‐6 of Youngyang. However, fermentation quality was not improved by the inoculant. These results indicate that Yuyeon hybrid might have better potential benefits on animal performances due to its smooth awn and silkless nature, and higher in vitro dry matter digestibility. Its higher C18:3n‐3 would be better for improving fatty acid profile of meat or milk than Youngyang hybrid.     

Einfluss unterschiedlicher grundwasserstandsverla¨ufe auf botanische zusammensetzung,wasserverbrauch und ertrag auf reliefiertem niedermoor bei differenzierter bewirtschaftung

Die Ausformung der Grünlandvegetation wird in entscheidendem Maße von den Grundwasserständen bestimmt. Die Nutzung spielt aber eine außerordentlich große Rolle bei entsprechenden Modifikationen. Ebenso ist wesentlich, welche Arten im Ausgangsbestand etabliert sind oder im Bodensamenvorrat bzw. als Diasporen vorkommen. Der Gesamtwasserverbrauch von Pflanzenbeständen wird durch komplizierte Wechselwirkungen zwischen Artenzusammensetzung und Nutzungsweise bestimmt. Mähbestände mit zweimaliger Nutzung benötigten in allen Versuchsjahren eindeutig mehr Wasser als Weidebestände, die viermal abgeweidet wurden. Im Ertrag gab es nur geringe Unterschiede zu Gunsten der Mähnutzung. Aus qualitativer Sicht ist das physiologisch jüngere Weidefutter überlegen. Im speziellen Wasserverbrauch bestätigte sich die Weide als wassersparende Variante der Niedermoorbewirtschaftung. Hochwüchsige und massereiche Mähbestände benötigen sehr viel Wasser, das in nordostdeutschen Niedermooren nur über Fremdwasserzufuhr bereitgestellt werden kann. Auch aus der Sicht des Bodenschutzes (Verdichtung, besserer kapillarer Wasseraufstieg, Reduktion der NO 3 -Freisetzung usw.) sollte die Weide die bestimmende Form der extensiven Grünlandnutzung sein.     

Effects of vegetation history on distribution of Al in surface soils of suburban forests in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

This study examined the distribution of water-extractable Al in soils from forest sites near Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. The mean concentrations of water-extractable Al in surface soils varied markedly among sites, with the values at site FGB (126 mg/kg) higher than those at sites FG (11.8 mg/kg) and FCB (33.8 mg/kg). Comparisons of the acid buffer capacity of vegetation at the sites revealed that forest cover has a higher capacity for neutralization than the denuded state. We found that the effects of acidic accumulation in the surface soils of suburban forests might depend on vegetation history, and that forest soils that once had no vegetation cover accumulated labile Al due to acidification. The phenomenon was particularly distinct on granite bedrock.     

Optimum timing of gibberellin A4/7 sprays to promote cone production in jack pine seedlings

Three-year-old jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) seedlings in pots were sprayed with gibberellin A_4/7 solution during the 1989 growing season. Unsprayed and sprayed controls, and seedlings sprayed with gibberellin A_4/7 at three concentrations (200, 400 and 600 mgL^-1) were tested in each of five different treatment periods based on jack pine morphogenesis. Each spraying period consisted of five weekly applications between May and October. Trees produced significantly more pollen cones than the two controls when sprayed at 400 or 600 mgL^-1 during July and early August. Spraying at 600 mgL^-1 during May–June and June–July produced significantly more seed cones than the two controls, as did spraying at 400 or 600 mgL^-1 during July and early August. The best treatment for both pollen- and seed-cone production was weekly spraying at 400 or 600 mgL^-1 gibberellin A_4/7 from early July, which coincided with the end of terminal shoot elongation, through early August, which coincided with microsporophyll initiation in the pollen-cone buds and initiation of the potential seed-cone buds.     

Promotion of cone production in potted black-spruce grafts, using gibberellins, heat-treatment and root-pruning

Potted 3-year-old grafts of black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] at different stages of lateral shoot elongation were sprayed with different concentrations of gibberellin A_4/7 for a total of six weeks in a heated greenhouse to enhance seed-cone production. Grafts sprayed during the period of lateral shoot elongation produced significantly more seed cones but not pollen cones, while spraying initiated after the elongation did not promote any cone production. Increasing gibberellin did not increase production, but increased graft mortality when spraying was done during the period of rapid shoot elongation. Cone production was highest and mortality lowest with 200 mg l⁻¹ gibberellin A_4/7 spraying that was initiated in the middle of rapid shoot elongation. In a second experiment, potted 5-year-old grafts with or without root pruning were placed either outdoors or in a heated greenhouse during the period of lateral shoot elongation. Heat-treatment during the period of late show shoot elongation had a positive effect on pollen- and seed-cone production in 5-year-old grafts without root-pruning. A combination of heat-treatment and root-pruning appeared to have an adverse effect on cone production. Pollen viability was not affected by the treatments.     

Cancer-preventive peptide lunasin from Solanum nigrum L. inhibits acetylation of core histones H3 and H4 and phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (Rb)

Lunasin, a unique 43 amino acid, 4.8 kDa cancer-chemopreventive peptide initially reported in soybean and now found in barley and wheat, has been shown to be cancer-chemopreventive in mammalian cells and in a skin cancer mouse model against oncogenes and chemical carcinogens. To identify bioactive components in traditional herbal medicines and in search for new sources of lunasin, we report here the properties of lunasin from Solanum nigrum L. (SNL), a plant indigenous to northeast Asia. Lunasin was screened in the crude extracts of five varieties of the medicinal plants of Solanaceae origin and seven other major herbal plants. An in vitro digestion stability assay for measuring bioavailability was carried out on SNL crude protein and autoclaved SNL using pepsin and pancreatin. A nonradioactive histone acetyltransferase (HAT) assay and HAT activity colorimetric assay were used to measure the inhibition of core histone acetylation. The inhibitory effect of lunasin on the phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) was determined by immunoblotting against phospho-Rb. Lunasin isolated from autoclaved SNL inhibited core histone H3 and H4 acetylation, the activities of the HATs, and the phosphorylation of the Rb protein. Lunasin in the crude protein and in the autoclaved crude protein was very stable to pepsin and pancreatin in vitro digestion, while the synthetic pure lunasin was digested at 2 min after the reaction. We conclude that lunasin is a bioactive and bioavailable component in SNL and that consumption of SNL may play an important role in cancer prevention.     

Monitoring the binding processes of black tea thearubigin to the bovine serum albumin surface using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring

The binding processes of thearubigin, which is one of the two major polyphenols (the other one is theaflavin) that gives black tea its characteristic color and taste, to the bovine serum albumin (BSA) surface have been investigated by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). The mass and thickness of the thearubigin adlayer on BSA surfaces at various thearubigin concentrations, salt concentrations, and pH values have been determined by QCM-D using the Voigt model. Our results show that the adsorption isotherm of thearubigin on the BSA surface can be better described by the Langmuir model than the Freundlich model, suggesting that the thearubigin adsorption on the BSA surface is dominated by specific interactions, such as electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding, as evidenced by the stronger thearubigin adsorption at pH below the isoelectric point (pI) of BSA and shifts in the positions of both amide bands in the FTIR spectra of the BSA surface with and without thearubigin adsorption. The addition of salt can also influence the thearubigin binding to BSA surfaces. The salt concentration-enhanced effect at a salt concentration lower than 0.1 M is explained as that an increase of salt concentration can screen the electrostatic repulsion to a larger extent than the electrostatic attraction between thearubigin and BSA. On the other hand, when the salt concentration is higher than 0.1 M, both electrostatic repulsion and attraction can be significantly screened by the higher salt concentration, resulting in the salt concentration-reduced effect. However, when the salt concentration is further increased to 0.4 M, the addition of thearubigin may promote the formation of a certain type of complex with BSA, resulting in the increases of both thickness and mass of the thearubigin adlayer.     

Ginger and its bioactive component inhibit enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin-induced diarrhea in mice

Ginger is one of the most commonly used fresh herbs and spices. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LT)-induced diarrhea is the leading cause of infant death in developing countries. In this study, we demonstrated that ginger significantly blocked the binding of LT to cell-surface receptor G M1, resulting in the inhibition of fluid accumulation in the closed ileal loops of mice. Biological-activity-guided searching for active components showed that zingerone (vanillylacetone) was the likely active constituent responsible for the antidiarrheal efficacy of ginger. Further analysis of chemically synthesized zingerone derivatives revealed that compound 31 (2-[(4-methoxybenzyl)oxy]benzoic acid) significantly suppressed LT-induced diarrhea in mice via an excellent surface complementarity with the B subunits of LT. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that ginger and its derivatives may be effective herbal supplements for the clinical treatment of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli diarrhea.     

Self-diffusion coefficient of water in tofu determined by pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance

The self-diffusion coefficient of water in soybean protein dispersion and tofu was measured by pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR. A soy protein isolate (SPI) dispersion (6 and 12%, w/w) in water, calcium cross-linked precipitate, and tofu were used for comparison. The self-diffusion coefficient of water (D) in the SPI dispersion, 2.23 x 10(-9) m2/s, was estimated lower than that of free water, 2.6 x 10(-9) m2/s at 25 degrees C, and decreased as the SPI concentration increased. It further decreased by the addition of calcium chloride, reflecting the obstruction effect induced by the precipitates in addition to the hydration and hydrodynamic interaction in the protein dispersion. The two water regions in tofu were interpreted by the two-site K?rger model: D1 and D2 of soft tofu were 2.26 (+/-0.11) x 10(-9) and 6.84 (+/-0.34) x 10(-11) m2/s, respectively. The relative amount of proton (water) was p1 = 0.98 and p2 = 0.02 at 100 ms of diffusion time. The self-diffusion coefficients of water decreased in pressed tofu, and their relative amounts of water changed to p1 = 0.93 and p2 = 0.07. It was suggested that D1 corresponded to obstructed water in the network structure and D2 corresponded to hydrated water on the surface layer of pores formed in the protein network of tofu. The pore sizes estimated from the diffusion length of obstructed water were 21.3 microm in soft tofu and 20.8 microm in pressed tofu. The removal of fat from pressed tofu led to a decrease in D2 from 6.26 (+/-0.31) x 10(-11) to 3.53 (+/-0.18) x 10(-11) m2/s, and the relative amount of hydrated water increased from 0.07 to 0.14, which indicated hydrophobic hydration.