Characterization of Novel Selected Microalgae for Antioxidant Activity and Polyphenols,Amino Acids,and Carbohydrates

The biochemical composition of three novel selected microalgae strains (Chlorophyta) was evaluated to confirm their potential possibilities as new sustainably produced biomass with nutritional, functional, and/or biomedical properties. Extracts from cultured Pseudopediastrum boryanum, Chloromonas cf. reticulata, and Chloroidium saccharophilum exhibited higher radical scavenging activity of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) when compared to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), but lower than butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Total phenolic compounds and amino acids were determined by newly developed RP-HPLC methods. Total phenolic contents, as µg g⁻¹ of dry biomass, reached 27.1 for C. cf. reticulata, 26.4 for P. boryanum, and 55.8 for C. saccharophilum. Percentages of total analysed amino acids were 24.3, 32.1, and 18.5% of dry biomass, respectively, presenting high values for essential amino acids reaching 54.1, 72.6, and 61.2%, respectively. Glutamic acid was the most abundant free amino acid in all microalgae samples, followed by proline and lysine in C. saccharophilum and P. boryanum, and methionine and lysine in C. reticulata. Soluble carbohydrates in aqueous extracts ranged from 39.6 for C. saccharophilum to 49.3% for C. reticulata, increasing values to 45.1 for C. saccharophilum and 52.7% for P. boryanum in acid hydrolysates of dried biomass. Results confirmed the potential possibilities of these microalgae strains.     

Epidemiological study of Kabuto Mountain virus,a novel uukuvirus,in Japan

Kabuto Mountain virus (KAMV), the new member of the genus Uukuvirus, was isolated from the tick Haemaphysalis flava in 2018 in Japan. To date, there is no information on KAMV infection in human and animals. Therefore, serological surveillance of the infection among humans and wild mammals was conducted by virus-neutralization (VN) test and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Sera of 24 humans, 59 monkeys, 171 wild boars, 233 Sika deer, 7 bears, and 27 nutria in Yamaguchi Prefecture were analyzed by VN test. The positive ratio of humans, monkeys, wild boars, and Sika deer were 20.8%, 3.4%, 33.9% and 4.7%, respectively. No positive samples were detected in bears and nutria. The correlation coefficients between VN test and IFA in human, monkey, wild boar, and Sika deer sera were 0.5745, 0.7198, 0.9967 and 0.9525, respectively. In addition, KAMV was detected in one pool of Haemaphysalis formosensis ticks in Wakayama Prefecture. These results indicated that KAMV or KAMV-like virus is circulating among many wildlife and ticks, and that this virus incidentally infects humans.     

Natural regeneration of degraded soils and site changes on abandoned agricultural terraces in Mediterranean Spain

Abandonment of degraded and marginal agricultural land is a widespread phenomenon in Spain and other Mediterranean countries. To study soil development and site dynamics, a comparative investigation of field groups representing different ages of abandonment was realized in the Meastrazgo region of the Mediterranean province of Castellón. Analysis of soil samples for organic carbon and total nitrogen content and pH showed that a sufficient regeneration of organic matter is accomplished after 20 years of fallow. Contrary to this there is no build-up of ‘available’ phosphorus after abandonment. A fixation of phosphorus in unavailable forms in the first fallow years seems evident, and there is no re-enrichment through solution or mineralization of organically bound P thereafter. The vegetation of the fallow fields develops after passing through a low-cover therophyte stage within 10–20 years to nanophanerophyte-dominated \underline matorral (shrubs), in the best case within 40–50 years to a stone oak juniper association. Under intensive cattle grazing, grasslands rich in hemicryptophytes evolved. Rates of soil erosion estimated through application of the Universal Soil Loss Equation are of medium to low intensity and range between 2·2 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in the first fallow years and 0·6 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ after establishment of vegetation cover. Under grassland erosion is negligible unless vegetative cover is destroyed through treading. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Die Stammbastanalyse als Methode zur Beurteilung des Ernährungszustands von Coniferen

Stem phloem analysis as diagnostic tool to evaluate the nutritional status of conifers During late fall 1975 needles and stem phloem were sampled from 4–10 trees each on 44 experimental plots, belonging to five trials with fertilizer and sewage sludge application in Scots pine and Norway spruce stands in southern Germany. Treating the nutrient contents of both tissues by means of variance, regression and discriminant analysis gave evidence, that stem phloem analysis can be used effectively to evaluate the supply of those stands with N,P and Ca. Phloem analysis has several advantages as compared with traditional foliar analysis: Technical sampling difficulties in older stands as well as the hazard of dilution effects are smaller and the seasonal variation of nutrient contents seems to be less pronounced. Preliminary phloem threshold levels for N and P deficiency with pine may lie around 0,46 and 0,07%, respectively. There is some indication, that spruce suffers from N deficiency if the nitrogen content of its phloem is below 0,42%.     

Beziehungen zwischen dem Ernährungszustand der Fichte (Picea abies Karst.), ihrem Kernfäulebefall und der Pilzhemmwirkung ihres Basts1

Relationships between nutrition and heart rot attack of Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) and the fungistatic effect of its inner bark . The fresh inner bark of Norway spruce stems and roots inhibits mycelium growth of Fomes annosus on malt agar. Nearly all fungistatic substances of the inner bark can be extracted with chloroform and acetone. The acetone-soluble fraction, which amounts to 13–27% of bark dry matter, was analysed. Up to now 12 phenolic substances have been identified, 5 of them have proved to inhibit Fomes annosus in vitro. Open-air-experiments showed, that desiccation of the root-zone, manganese deficiency and nitrogen hypertrophy decrease the inhibitory effect of the inner bark as well as its content of fungistatic substances. The degree of heart rot attack in older spruce stands was found to be negatively correlated with the N-, Fe- and Mn-concentrations in needles.     

Stickstoffdüngungsversuche in einer Fichtenwuchsstockung (Picea abies Karst.) auf devastierter Kalkmergel-Rendzina: II. Verlauf künstlicher Inokulationen mit Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. und Pilzhemmwirkung von Bast und Holz im Biotest

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Standortskundliche Studien zum Tannensterben: Kronen- und Stammerkmale von Probebäumen aus fünf bayerischen Beständen

Site related studies of silver-fir dying. Crown and stem characteristics of sample trees from five Bavarian stands. Trees affected by “fir-dying” are characterized by: - low mean number of needle age classes, little relation between length of the green crown and total length of the stem, the ocurrence of pathological wetwood with positive peroxidase reaction and a persistent reduction of the growth ring width beginning in the late nineteen forties.