Quantitative studies on the formation of phenol/2-furfurylthiol conjugates in coffee beverages toward the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of coffee aroma staling

To gain a more comprehensive knowledge of the contribution of recently identified phenol/thiol conjugates to the storage-induced degradation of odorous thiols, the concentrations of the sulfury-roasty smelling key odorant 2-furfurylthiol and the concentrations of the putative thiol-receptive di- and trihydroxybenzenes pyrogallol (1), hydroxyhydroquinone (2), catechol (3), 4-ethylcatechol (4), 4-methylcatechol (5), and 3-methylcatechol (6), as well as of the phenol/thiol conjugates 3-[(2-furylmethyl)sulfanyl]catechol (7), 3-[(2-furylmethyl)sulfanyl]-5-ethylcatechol (8), 4-[(2-furylmethyl)sulfanyl]hydroxyhydroquinone (9), and 3,4-bis[(2-furylmethyl)sulfanyl]hydroxyhydroquinone (10) were quantitatively determined in fresh and stored coffee beverages by means of stable isotope dilution analyses (SIDA). Although 2 was found to be the quantitatively predominant trihydroxybenzene in freshly prepared coffee brew, this compound exhibited a very high reactivity and decreased rapidly during coffee storage to generate the conjugates 9 and 10. After only 10 min, about 60% of the initial amount of 2-furfurylthiol in a coffee beverage reacted with 2 to give 9 and 10. In contrast, conjugate 7 was found to be exclusively formed during coffee roasting because its initial concentration as well as the amount of its putative precursor, phenol 3, was not affected by storage. It is interesting to note that the concentration of 8 was increased with increasing incubation time, but its putative precursor 4 was not affected, thus indicating another formation pathway most likely via the chlorogenic acid degradation product 4-vinylcatechol. This study demonstrates for the first time that the loss of 2-furfurylthiol during coffee storage is mainly due to the oxidative coupling of the odorant to hydroxyhydroquinone (2), giving rise to the conjugates 9 and 10.     

The origin of Cu/Au ratios in porphyry-type ore deposits

Microanalysis of major and trace elements in sulfide and silicate melt inclusions by laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry indicates a direct link between a magmatic sulfide liquid and the composition of porphyry-type ore deposits. Copper (Cu), gold (Au), and iron (Fe) are first concentrated in a sulfide melt during magmatic evolution and then released to an ore-forming hydrothermal fluid exsolved late in the history of a magma chamber. The composition of sulfide liquids depends on the initial composition and source of the magma, but it also changes during the evolution of the magma in the crust. Magmatic sulfide melts may exert the dominant direct control on the economic metal ratios of porphyry-type ore deposits.     

Release of the recombinant Cry3Bb1 protein of Bt maize MON88017 into field soil and detection of effects on the diversity of rhizosphere bacteria

A three-year experimental field study with a genetically engineered Bt maize (event MON88017) and three conventionally bred cultivars was conducted to quantify the recombinant Cry3Bb1 protein released into soil and detect effects on the diversity of soil bacteria. Protein extraction and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) allowed a threshold detection of 0.01 ng Cry3Bb1 g^?1 soil. The maximum amount found in field plots with Bt maize was 1.0 ng Cry3Bb1 g^?1 rhizosphere soil. Average concentrations during the growing seasons varied between years from 0.07 to 0.29 ng g^?1. No accumulation of Cry3Bb1 in soil occurred over the three growing seasons. Four weeks after harvest, the major Cry3Bb1 reservoirs on the field were the remaining root stubbles, but their Cry3Bb1 concentration declined by 98.30–99.99% in the following seven months. During the three consecutive years of study there were never significant differences between the rhizosphere bacterial community structure of the Bt maize and the other cultivars, as detected by cultivation independent profiling of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes. The low concentrations of soil extractable Cry3Bb1, its degradation in decaying roots, and the lack of effects on rhizosphere bacteria give no indications of adverse effects of MON88017 cultivation on soil ecology.     

Long‐lasting impact of biowaste‐compost application in agriculture on soil‐quality parameters in three different crop‐rotation systems

Soil‐quality parameters, such as soil organic matter (SOM) and plant‐available nutrient contents, microbial properties, aggregate stability, and the amounts of heavy metals were carried out in arable soils of different rotation schedules applied with a total of 50 Mg dry mass ha^–1 biowaste compost relative to an untreated control. This was investigated during a 10 y period from 1994 to 2004. Overall, soil‐quality parameters studied appeared to be promoted by biowaste‐compost application. This was evidenced for example by a remarkable increase of SOM and total N content of ≈ 15%–20% relative to the control. Subsequently, amounts of soil microbial biomass and alkaline phosphatase activity were significantly increased as well. In addition, biowaste‐compost application revealed an increase of plant‐available P and K contents and aggregate stability in soil. There was, however, no treatment effect for net N‐mineralization rates. Moreover, in soils of maize and sugar beet rotation schedule a slight decrease was found. Heavy‐metal contents of Pb and Zn were significantly increased in all compost‐treated soils, whereas no significant increase of Cd and Cu contents was measured. However, the investigated amounts were far below of the limits of the German Biowaste Ordinance. It is finally recommended, that biowaste compost may sustain and improve soil quality in agriculture when N nutrition will be considered.     

Effect of labile and recalcitrant carbon on heterotrophic nitrification in a subtropical forest soil

Carbon (C) is an important factor controlling heterotrophic nitrification in soil, but the effect of individual C components (e.g., labile and recalcitrant C) is largely unclear. We carried out a C amendment experiment in which either labile C (glucose) or a recalcitrant C (cellulose and biochar) was added to a subtropical forest soil. A ¹⁵N-, ¹³C-tracing and MiSeq sequencing study was performed to investigate soil gross heterotrophic nitrification rates, carbon utilization for soil respiration and microbial biomass production and microbial composition, respectively. After 2 days, results showed a significant increase of gross heterotrophic nitrification rate in glucose (GLU) (on average 3.34 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), cellulose (CEL) (on average 0.21 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) and biochar (BIO) (on average 0.13 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹) amendment in comparison with the unamended soil (CK) (on average 0.01 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹; p < 0.05). The contribution of heterotrophic nitrification to total soil nitrification was significantly larger in GLU (average 85.86%), CEL (average 98.52%) and BIO (average 81.25%) treatments compared with CK (average 33.33%; p < 0.01). After 2-month amendment, the gross rates remarkably decreased in GLU (average 0.02 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹), and the contribution to total nitrification (average 8.73%) were significantly lower than that in CK (p < 0.05). A decrease in the proportion of heterotrophic nitrification to total nitrification in soil was also observed in CEL (average 38.40%) and BIO (6.74%) treatments. Nevertheless, BIO amendment (compared to CK, GLU and CEL) showed the highest gross heterotrophic nitrification rate, accompanied by a notably higher abundance of specific heterotrophic nitrifiers, i.e. Trichoderma, Aspergillus and Penicillium. These results point to a stimulatory effect of C addition on soil heterotrophic nitrification in the short term, while the stimulatory impact of C amendment diminishes with the decline in easily available C. In addition, a shift of the microbial composition in the long term can possibly be sustained for longer if additional recalcitrant C is available to heterotrophic nitrifiers. The dynamic response of heterotrophic nitrification to labile and recalcitrant C in this study offered an explanation for the positive effect of plantation and plant root exudation on the process.     

Microbial biomass activity of a sodic Lixisol reclaimed with gypsum and clean water irrigation in urban vegetable systems of Burkina Faso

Background

Little is known about the effects of gypsum application to remediate saline–sodic soils in the tropics and the role of microbial indicators in soil reclamation.

Aims

Our study aimed at (1) remediating a highly weathered, irrigated sodic Lixisol under prolonged urban crop production by clean water and gypsum application and (2) to determine the remediation effects on soil microbial indices.

Methods

A three-factorial on-farm experiment with maize (Zea mays L.) was used to study effects on soil microbial biomass of (1) soil degradation at two levels of salinity, (2) irrigation with clean water and wastewater, and (3) the impact of added gypsum during a typical growing season.

Results

At the high-degradation site, the 0.5 M K₂SO₄ extractable carbon (C) content was 40% higher than at the low-degradation site. In addition, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) were 20% lower than at the low-degradation site, while fungal ergosterol was even 40% lower, leading to a 33% lower ergosterol/MBC ratio. Wastewater irrigation increased MBN but decreased ergosterol content at the low-degradation site while having no effect at the high-degradation site. Gypsum amendment led to higher MBN at the low-degradation site but to lower MBN at the high-degradation site. Gypsum amendment always increased the ergosterol content whereby this increase was stronger at the low-degradation site, especially in combination with wastewater irrigation.

Conclusions

From a microbial perspective, high soil degradation levels should be avoided by treatment of a saline–sodic wastewater prior to its use for irrigation rather than relying on future remediation strategies of affected field sites.     

Effects of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin and tillage practices on yield-scaled nitrous oxide emission from a maize field in Iran

Nitrification inhibitors can effectively decrease nitrification rates and nitrous oxide(N₂O)emission while increasing crop yield under certain conditions.However,there is no information available on the effects of nitrification inhibitors and tillage practices on N₂O emissions from maize cropping in Iran.To study how tillage practices and nitrapyrin(a nitrification inhibitor)affect N₂O emission,a split factorial experiment using a completely randomized block design with three replications was carried out in Northeast Iran,which has a cold semiarid climate.Two main plots were created with conventional tillage and minimum tillage levels,and two nitrogen(N)fertilizer(urea)management systems(with and without nitrapyrin application)were created as subplots.Tillage level did not have any significant effect on soil ammonium(NH₄⁺)and nitrate(NO₃^-)concentrations,cumulative amount and yield-scaled N₂O emission,and aboveground biomass of maize,whereas nitrapyrin application showed significant effect.Nitrapyrin application significantly reduced the cumulative amount of N₂O emission by 41%and 32%in conventional tillage and minimum tillage practices,respectively.A reduction in soil NO₃^-concentration by nitrapyrin was also observed.The average yield-scaled N₂O emission was 13.6 g N₂O-N kg^-1N uptake in both tillage systems without nitrapyrin application and was significantly reduced to 7.9 and 8.2 g N₂O-N kg^-1N uptake upon the application of nitrapyrin in minimum tillage and conventional tillage practices,respectively.Additionally,nitrapyrin application increased maize biomass yield by 4%and 13%in the minimum tillage and conventional tillage systems,respectively.Our results indicate that nitrapyrin has a potential role in reducing N₂O emission from agricultural systems where urea fertilizers are broadcasted,which is common in Iran due to the practice of traditional farming.     

Genetic and environmental variability in total and soluble β-glucan in European oat genotypes

A growing interest in oat (Avena ssp.) soluble fibre (β-glucan) is related to its role in the promotion of human health, and to its utilization in the production of functional foods with increased health benefits. Genetic variability and environmental conditions can exert significant effects on the grain β-glucan content. In this study 658 European oat genotypes grown in different environments in 2008 or 2009 within the European Project “Avena genetic resources for quality in human consumption” were analysed for total β-glucan content; the soluble fraction of β-glucan was also determined in a sub-set of 165 samples. Total β-glucan content ranged from 2.85 to 6.77% d.m. and the soluble fraction from 2.05 to 5.29% d.m. The estimated percentage of the soluble fraction ranged from 50.7 to 87.0%. β-glucan content and solubility were significantly influenced by both genotype and growing environment. Hierarchical cluster analysis allowed accessions with similar β-glucan compositions to be grouped. The accessions with the highest contents of both fractions included Avena sativa varieties from several countries and wild species. Finally, the data obtained were used to develop a NIRS calibration equation to predict the contents of total and soluble β-glucan in both naked and husked genotypes.