Effects of food materials on removal of Allium-specific volatile sulfur compounds

Effects of food materials were investigated on removal of several kinds of thiols, sulfides, and disulfides, which arise from vegetables of Allium species during food preparation and eating. Methanethiol, propanethiol, and 2-propenethiol were captured by raw foods such as fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms or a mixture of their acetone powders and phenolic compounds. The odor of diallyl disulfide was remarkably reduced by kiwi fruit, spinach, cutting lettuce, parsley, basil, mushrooms, and, particularly, cow's milk, raw egg, boiled rice, and bovine serum albumin (BSA). This suggests that the removal of diallyl disulfide could be caused by a physical and chemical interaction between the disulfide and foods. Furthermore, milk and BSA captured propanethiol, 2-propenethiol, dipropyl sulfide, diallyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and dipropyl disulfide very well. An enzymatic degradation of diallyl disulfide by spinach and asparagus was also observed. These results demonstrate that the deodorization with foods is achieved by multiple actions including physical and chemical interaction between volatile sulfur compounds and foods, enzymatic degradation of disulfides, and addition of thiols to polyphenolic compounds, catalyzed by polyphenol oxidases or peroxidases.     

Radial variation in partial compression properties perpendicular to the grain of Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi)

This study investigated the densities, average width of annual rings, and partial compression stresses at 5 % strain perpendicular to the grain of air-dried wood specimens, which were continuous in the radial direction from the pith and were obtained from Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) trees with different diameters at breast height in the same stand, to evaluate the radial variations in partial compression properties perpendicular to the grain. The air-dried densities of the wood increased with the distance from the pith. The average width of annual rings of the wood tended to decrease with increasing distance from the pith and those of medium- and large-diameter trees seemed to increase near the pith. The partial compression stresses at 5 % strain in the tangential loading direction tended to increase with the distance from the pith and with air-dried wood density. However, in the radial loading direction, this tendency was not observed. The partial compression stresses at 5 % strain in the radial loading direction tended to be low in wood with a small average width of annual rings. These results indicate that the factors affecting the radial variations in the partial compression stress at 5 % strain differ depending on the loading directions.     

Molecular epidemiology of avian influenza viruses circulating among healthy poultry flocks in farms in northern Vietnam

Repeated epizootics of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus subtype H5N1 were reported from 2003 to 2005 among poultry in Vietnam. More than 200 million birds were killed to control the spread of the disease. Human cases of H5N1 infection have been sporadically reported in an area where repeated H5N1 outbreaks among birds had occurred. Subtype H5N1 strains are established as endemic among poultry in Vietnam, however, insights into how avian influenza viruses including the H5N1 subtype are maintained in endemic areas is not clear. In order to determine the prevalence of different avian influenza viruses (AIVs), including H5N1 circulating among poultry in northern Vietnam, surveillance was conducted during the years 2006-2009. A subtype H5N1 strain was isolated from an apparently healthy duck reared on a farm in northern Vietnam in 2008 and was identified as an HPAI. Although only one H5N1 virus was isolated, it supports the view that healthy domestic ducks play a pivotal role in maintaining and transmitting H5N1 viruses which cause disease outbreaks in northern Vietnam. In addition, a total of 26 AIVs with low pathogenicity were isolated from poultry and phylogenetic analysis of all the eight gene segments revealed their diverse genetical backgrounds, implying that reassortments have occurred frequently among strains in northern Vietnam. It is, therefore, important to monitor the prevalence of influenza viruses among healthy poultry between epidemics in an area where AIVs are endemic.     

Kujigamberol, a new dinorlabdane diterpenoid isolated from 85million years old Kuji amber using a biotechnological assay

A new compound, 15,20-dinor-5,7,9-labdatriene-18-ol (1), named kujigamberol, was isolated from amber, fossilized tree resin from the Kuji area in Japan, has been dated as being 85 million years old (late Cretaceous). Kujigamberol was identified using the hypersensitive mutant yeast (zds1? erg3? pdr1? pdr3?) with respect to Ca²⁺-signal transduction. The structure was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis including 1D NMR, 2D NMR and HR-EI-MS. It was different from known diterpenoids with a similar activity isolated from Baltic amber (agathic acid 15-monomethyl ester (2), dehydroabietic acid (3) and pimaric acid (4)). Kujigamberol showed glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) inhibition activity involving the growth restored activity against the mutant yeast and was cytotoxic to HL60 cells (IC₅₀ = 19.6 μM).     

Immuno-magnetic separation and agar layer methods for the isolation of freeze-injured Yersinia enterocolitica O:8 from water

To develop an effective method to isolate an injured pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica O:8 organism from environmental samples, we compared the isolation of freeze-injured and non-injured Y. enterocolitica O:8 and found that the isolation was more successful when immuno-magnetic separation (IMS) with anti-Y. enterocolitica O:8 antibody was used. Plating onto cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin (CIN) agar and Virulent Yersinia enterocolitica (VYE) agar by means of the agar layer method was found to be effective in isolating the injured cells. The alkali treatment which is generally used for selective detection of Yersinia organism failed to isolate freeze-injured pathogenic Y. enterocolitica O:8 cells. Recovery methods without using the alkali treatment were superior for detecting freeze-injured Y. enterocolitica O:8. Our results demonstrate that the IMS and the agar layer methods should be used to isolate injured pathogenic Yersinia organisms from environmental samples such as water.     

Neutralizing antibodies against feline parvoviruses in nondomestic felids inoculated with commercial inactivated polyvalent vaccines

The virus neutralization (VN) antibody titers of serum samples from 18 individuals representing 8 carnivore species vaccinated with commercial polyvalent vaccines optimized for domestic cats containing inactivated feline panleukopenia virus (FPLV) were evaluated against canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV2). In addition, the titers among 5 individuals from 4 carnivore were evaluated against antigenic variants of feline parvoviruses; FPLV, CPV2, CPV2a, CPV2b, CPV2c, mink enteritis virus type 1 (MEV1) and MEV2. The polyvalent vaccines induced cross-reactive VN titers against antigenic variants of feline parvoviruses in nondomestic felids. However, we observed very low cross-reactive VN antibody in lions and Siberian tigers, therefore we should pay attention to CPV infections in these animals even if they were vaccinated with inactivated FPLV vaccines.     

Role of the α subunit of heterotrimeric G-protein in probenazole-inducing defense signaling in rice

 Certain cellular responses to stresses and stimuli are regulated by a G-protein-mediated signaling pathway. A rice dwarf mutant that is defective in the α subunit of the heterotrimeric G-protein was found to be fully protected from blast fungus by the plant activator probenazole (PBZ) despite the 1-day delay in induction of the PR-10 gene PBZ1 by PBZ. These results suggest that the signaling pathway for protection by PBZ is not via the G-protein, although G-protein is involved in the induction of PBZ1 by PBZ. Received: March 27, 2002 / Accepted: August 20, 2002     

Physicochemical properties of water-soluble myofibrillar proteins prepared from chicken breast muscle

The solubility of skeletal muscle myofibrillar proteins in water was examined. The solubility of the proteins was found to be sensitive to ionic strength and pH of the solution. At the ionic strength of less than 12 mM and neutral pH, more than 80% of myofibrillar proteins were solubilized. Heating at a temperature of more than 70°C was required for the proteins to retain their solubility. The solubility of freeze‐dried protein powder prepared from water‐soluble myofibrillar proteins was also examined, and it was found that addition of trehalose and heating were essential for re‐solubilization in water. Amino acid composition of water‐soluble myofibrillar proteins was found to be almost the same as that of myofibrillar proteins.     

IgE reactivity to vaccine components in dogs that developed immediate-type allergic reactions after vaccination

Allergic reactions after vaccination are considered as an important practical problem in dogs; however, their immunological mechanism has not been well understood. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between IgE reactivity to the vaccines and immediate-type allergic reactions after vaccination in dogs. Sera from 10 dogs that developed immediate-type allergic reactions such as circulatory collapse, cyanosis, dyspnea, facial edema, and vomiting within 1h after vaccination with non-rabies monovalent or combined vaccines and sera from 50 dogs that did not develop allergic reactions after vaccination were collected. Serum IgE reactivity to the injected vaccines was measured by fluorometric ELISA using a mouse monoclonal anti-dog IgE antibody. Then, IgE reactivity to fetal calf serum (FCS) and stabilizer proteins (gelatin, casein, and peptone) included in the vaccines was measured in sera that had high levels of IgE to the vaccines. Levels of serum specific IgE to the vaccines in dogs with immediate-type allergic reactions (59-4173 fluorescence units [FU], mean +/- S.D.: 992.5 +/- 1181.9 FU) were significantly higher than those in control dogs (38-192 FU, 92.4 +/- 43.3 FU) (P < 0.001). Of the eight dogs that developed immediate-type allergic reactions and had high levels of serum specific IgE to the vaccines, seven had specific IgE directed to FCS. The IgE reactivity to the vaccines in sera from these dogs was almost completely inhibited by FCS. The other one dog had serum IgE directed to gelatin and casein included in the vaccine as stabilizers. The results obtained in this study suggest that immediate-type allergic reactions after vaccination in dogs were induced by type I hypersensitivity mediated by IgE directed to vaccine components. In addition, FCS, gelatin, and casein included in vaccines could be the causative allergens that induced immediate-type allergic reactions after vaccination in dogs.     

Identification and morphological characteristics of dental neonatal line in sika deer (Cervus nippon)

The dental neonatal line of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) was identified experimentally using chronological labeling methods. In the enamel, prominent dark lines were observed under transmitted light, and the number of increments between the dark line and labeling line was almost consistent with the day-age at the time of labeling injection. Therefore, we identified the dark line as the enamel neonatal line. In the dentin, the bright line was observed under polarized light. Since the bright line corresponded to the enamel neonatal line, we recognized the bright line as the dentin neonatal line. Neonatal lines intersected with the enamel-dentin junction at approximately one-third cervical in the first molar. Using these features, it would make possible to distinguish the neonatal line in wild sika deer.