Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of capsiate analogues in polar, nonpolar, and micellar media

Synthesis of 10 capsiate analogues was conducted by lipase-mediated (Novozyme 435) esterification of vanillyl alcohol with different fatty acids. The antioxidant activity of the synthesized capsiates was evaluated using three in vitro assays: DPPH radical scavenging assay (polar medium), Rancimat assay (nonpolar medium), and autoxidation of linoleic acid (micellar medium). The objective of this study is to find the influence of structural characteristics of the alkyl chain of capsiate analogues on their antioxidant activity. In these assays, BHT and α-tocopherol were used as reference compounds. Both DPPH and Rancimat assays did not show any specific trend of antioxidant activity with the increase in lipophilicity and also with the type of fatty acids grafted to the phenolic moiety. In the Tween 20 micellar system for the inhibition of autoxidation of linoleic acid, vanillyl ester attached to a C18 alkyl chain (vanillyl stearate, oleate, and ricinoleate) exhibited maximum inhibition of autoxidation of linoleic acid.     

Comparison of the results of soil profiles’ diagnostics performed in three classification systems

Three soil classification systems—the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB), Soil Taxonomy, and the recent Russian system—were used for the identification of 17 soil profiles in southwestern Poland; all the systems put emphasis on the soil properties as diagnostic criteria. Different soils developed on glaciofluvial plains, loessic uplands, and in the Sudetes Mountains were classified. The best correlation between the classification decisions in the different systems was obtained for the most widespread soils owing to the similarity of the diagnostic criteria, which were essentially close although not coinciding. The most prominent divergence between the systems in both the names and the taxonomic categories of the soils was found for the polygenetic soils and for the soils developing from the lithologically discontinuous parent materials. It was also found that the diagnostic elements differ in terms of their taxonomic importance among the classification systems.     

土壤持水特性参数与土壤质地尺度关系的联合多重分形分析

Soil water-retention characteristics at measurement scales are generally different from those at application scales, and there is scale disparity between them and soil physical properties. The relationships between two water-retention parameters, the scaling parameter related to the inverse of the air-entry pressure (αvG, cm-1) and the curve shape factor related to soil pore-size distribution (n) of the van Genuchten water-retention equation, and soil texture (sand, silt, and clay contents) were examined at multiple scales. One hundred twenty-eight undisturbed soil samples were collected from a 640-m transect located in Fuxin, China. Soil water-retention curves were measured and the van Genuchten parameters were obtained by curve fitting. The relationships between the two parameters and soil texture at the observed scale and at multiple scales were evaluated using Pearson correlation and joint multifractal analyses, respectively. The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that the parameter αvG was significantly correlated with sand, silt, and clay contents at the observed scale. Joint multifractal analyses, however, indicated that the parameter αvG was not correlated with silt and sand contents at multiple scales. The parameter n was positively correlated with clay content at multiple scales. Sand content was significantly correlated with the parameter n at the observed scale but not at multiple scales. Clay contents were strongly correlated to both water-retention parameters because clay content was relatively low in the soil studied, indicating that water retention was dominated by clay content in the field of this study at all scales. These suggested that multiple-scale analyses were necessary to fully grasp the spatial variability of soil water-retention characteristics.     

Species composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in two mountain meadows with differing management types and levels of plant biodiversity

Species composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was analysed in two differently managed mountain grasslands in Thuringia (Germany). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were studied in the roots of 18 dominant plant species from a total of 56 (32%). Additionally, spores of AMF were isolated from soil samples. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species composition was analysed based on 96 sequences of the internal transcribed spacer of the nuclear ribosomal DNA, 72 originated from mycorrhizal roots, and 24 originated from AMF spores. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a total of 19 AMF species representing all genera of the Glomeromycota except Scutellospora and Pacispora. Despite a different farming intensity, resulting in remarkable differences concerning their plant species diversity (27 against 43 plant species), the diversity of AMF was found to be similar with 11 species on the intensively farmed meadow and ten species on the extensively farmed one. Nevertheless, species composition between both sites was clearly different. It thus seems likely that the AMF species composition, but not necessarily the species number, is related to above ground plant biodiversity in the system under study.     

Stable resistance against the leaf miner <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leucoptera coffeella</Emphasis> expressed by genetically transformed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coffea canephora</Emphasis> in a pluriannual field experiment in French Guiana

Summary A pluriannual field trial of transgenic clones of Coffea canephora (the Robusta coffee tree) transformed for resistance to the lepidopteran coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella was installed in French Guiana. Fifty-eight transformed clones produced by transformation of the C. canephora clone 126 were planted. They were harbouring the pEF1α constitutive promoter of Arabidopsis thaliana controlling either the Bacillus thuringiensis native gene for the cry1Ac insecticidal protein (eight clones) or a synthetic cry1Ac gene (53 clones). The vectors for the transformation were a strain of the bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens and one of Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The transformed clones were generally independent, presenting different integration patterns of the genetic construct. Four randomly distributed groups of five plants per transformed clone were planted along with 60 untransformed control trees. Over a 4-year period after plantation six releases of L. coffeella were performed. Mines on the leaves are the marks of larvae development and were counted on plants. A majority of the independent transformed clones harbouring the synthetic gene and transformed by the strain of A. tumefaciens displayed constantly much less mines than the control, therefore expressing a stable resistance. The need for complementary research is presented.     

The Optimization for Crop Planning and Some Advances for Water-Saving Crop Planning in the Semiarid Loess Plateau of China

The establishment of water-saving crop planning is an inevitable choice of the water-saving agriculture for the water-deficiency region in the arid and semiarid Loess Plateau of China and the world. The water-saving crop planning refers to the planting structure that centres the adjustment of the crop's adaptation to water, the optimization of temporal and spatial layout for crops, the local natural resources, marketing resources, human resources and financial input to enable region or basin with limited water resources to achieve the maximum economic, social and ecological benefits of planting industry under certain technology and economy. After the analysis on the research progress of optimization theory, optimization goals, optimization methods of water-saving cultivation structure and macro-control measures, it is pointed out that the main deficiencies of the current research of water-saving cultivation pattern optimization are lacking of a strong theoretical basis, and the immaturity of optimization technologies. The future crucial research direction will focus on five aspects such as the special optimization theory system, the division methods by studying the watershed unit and using 3S technology, optimization model based on multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, evaluation of rationality and macro-control measures on the basis of the public participation.     

Partial characterization of polyphenol oxidase activity in raspberry fruits.

A partial characterization of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity in raspberry fruits is described. Two early cultivars harvested in May/June (Heritage and Autumm Bliss) and two late cultivars harvested in October-November (Ceva and Rubi) were analyzed for PPO activity. Stable and highly active PPO extracts were obtained using insoluble poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and Triton X-100 in sodium phosphate, pH 7.0 buffer. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of raspberry extracts under nondenaturing conditions resolved in one band (R(f)()(1) = 0.25). Raspberry PPO activity has pH optima of 8.0 and 5.5, both with catechol (0.1 M). Maximum activity was with D-catechin (catecholase activity), followed by p-coumaric acid (cresolase activity). Heritage raspberry also showed PPO activity toward 4-methylcatechol. Ceva and Autumm Bliss raspberries showed the higher PPO activity using catechol as substrate.     

Ion chromatographic determination of chloride in mustard sauces.

A new, simple, precise, and rapid ion chromatography (IC) method has been developed to determine chloride in mustard sauces using a mixture of phthalic acid, acetone, and water adjusted to pH 5.0 as eluent. Conductometric detection was carried out. The retention time for chloride was 1.5 min. Linearity was obtained up to a concentration level of 100 mg/L NaCl. The method was statistically evaluated for accuracy and precision after being used to assay the chloride from mustard sauces. Within the same samples, the chloride levels obtained by IC were compared with the sodium concentrations quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.     

Flavonoid constituents of Chorizanthe diffusa with potential cancer chemopreventive activity

An ethyl acetate-soluble extract of Chorizanthe diffusa was found to exhibit significant antioxidant activity, as judged by scavenging stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals and inhibition of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced free radical formation with cultured HL-60 cells. Bioassay-directed fractionation of this extract using the DPPH antioxidant assay as a monitor led to the isolation of five structurally related flavonoids (1-5), including the novel compound 5,8,3',4',5'-pentahydroxy-3, 7-dimethoxyflavone (1). Isolates 1-5 demonstrated varying degrees of antioxidant or antimutagenic activity. Two of the compounds, 5,7,3', 4'-tetrahydroxy-3-methoxyflavone (2) and quercetin (4), were subsequently found to inhibit carcinogen-induced preneoplastic lesions in a mouse mammary organ culture model. Inhibitory activity of this type is known to correlate with cancer chemopreventive effects in full-term models of tumorigenesis.     

Comparison of the bioavailability of natural palm oil carotenoids and synthetic beta-carotene in humans

Palm oil carotenoids are a mixture of alpha- and beta-carotenes, which are used as food colorants. They may also be applied as a functional food ingredient because of the provitamin A activity of alpha- and beta-carotenes and their proposed beneficial roles in the prevention of chronic diseases. This paper discusses the results of an incomplete balanced crossover study with 69 healthy adult volunteers to compare palm oil carotenoids with synthetic beta-carotene in their efficacies to increase plasma levels of carotenoids. Four days of supplementation with natural palm oil carotenoids (7.6 mg/day of alpha-carotene, 11.9 mg/day of all-trans-beta-carotene, 7.5 mg/day of cis-beta-carotene) or synthetic beta-carotene (23.8 mg/day of all-trans-beta-carotene, 4.4 mg/day of cis-beta-carotene), added to a mixed meal, resulted in significant increases in plasma levels of the supplied carotenoids as compared to consumption of a low-carotenoid meal (i.e., 7.2-fold increase in alpha-carotene and 3.5-fold increase in all-trans-beta-carotene following palm oil carotenoids; 6.9-fold increase in all-trans beta-carotene following synthetic beta-carotene). As the carotenoid content differed between the treatments, the relative plasma responses were calculated per milligram of beta-carotene intake. These were similar for the two supplements, suggesting that the presence of alpha-carotene does not affect the bioavailability of beta-carotene from palm oil. It was concluded that 4 days of supplementation with palm oil carotenoids or synthetic beta-carotene improves the plasma beta-carotene status substantially, whereas alpha-carotene is additionally delivered by the palm oil supplement.