Investigation of lactic acid bacterial strains for meat fermentation and the product's antioxidant and angiotensin‐I‐converting‐enzyme inhibitory activities

In the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains screened from our LAB collection, Lactobacillus (L.) sakei strain no. 23 and L. curvatus strain no. 28 degraded meat protein and tolerated salt and nitrite in vitro. Fermented sausages inoculated strains no. 23 and no. 28 showed not only favorable increases in viable LAB counts and reduced pH, but also the degradation of meat protein. The sausages fermented with these strains showed significantly higher antioxidant activity than those without LAB or fermented by each LAB type strain. Angiotensin‐I‐converting‐enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity was also significantly higher in the sausages fermented with strain no. 23 than in those fermented with the type strain. Higher ACE inhibitory activity was also observed in the sausages fermented with strain no. 28, but did not differ significantly from those with the type strain. An analysis of the proteolysis and degradation products formed by each LAB in sausages suggested that those bioactivities yielded fermentation products such as peptides. Therefore, LAB starters that can adequately ferment meat, such as strains no. 23 and no. 28, should contribute to the production of bioactive compounds in meat products.     

Characterization of the cathelicidin cluster in the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

The Japanese quail has several advantages as a low‐fat meat bird with high immunity against diseases. Cathelicidins (CATHs) are antimicrobial peptides that play an important role in innate immunity. The aim of this study was to characterize the CATH cluster in the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). The Japanese quail CATH (CjCATH) cluster, contains four CATH genes, as in the chicken. The coding sequences of CjCATHs exhibited >85.3% identity to chicken CATHs. The predicted amino acid sequences of the four CjCATH genes contained the cathelin‐like domain characteristic of CATH proteins. Polymorphisms were detected in the open reading frames (ORFs) of all CjCATH sequences. Two amino acid substitutions were observed in the antimicrobial region of the mature peptide of CjCATH2, and predicted to influence peptide function. CjCATH1 is expressed in lung, heart, bone marrow and bursa of Fabricius (BF). CjCATH2 is expressed in bone marrow. CjCATH3 is expressed in lung, heart, bone marrow, BF, tongue and duodenum. CjCATHB1 is expressed in bone marrow and BF. This study is the first to characterize CATH genes in the Japanese quail, and identifies novel antimicrobial peptide sequences belonging to the cathelicidin family, which may play a role in immunity in this species.     

Allelopathic potential and an allelopathic substance in mango leaves

The present study was aimed to determine the allelopathic potential of mango (Mangifera indica L.) leaves and to identify allelopathic substances in the leaves. The aqueous methanol extracts of mango leaves inhibited seedling growth of garden cress, radish, rapeseed, foxtail fescue and crabgrass, and the inhibitory effects increased with the increasing extract concentration, suggesting that mango leaves may contain allelopathic substances. The extract was then purified by several chromatographic runs through a bioassay-directed fractionation, and an growth inhibitory substance was isolated and identified by spectral data as methyl-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate (methyl gallate). Methyl gallate at the concentration of 10 mM inhibited 98.6% and 99.8% of root and shoot growth of garden cress relative to the control, respectively, and 94.4% and 49.3% of those of foxtail fescue, respectively. The concentrations of methyl gallate required for 50% growth inhibition (I₅₀) on garden cress roots and shoots were 3.9 and 3.3 mM, and those on foxtail fescue roots and shoots were 1.5 and 9.5 mM, respectively. It is the first report of an allelopathic substance in mango leaves and allelopathic activity of methyl gallate. Therefore, the mango leaves may have potential as a soil additive material for the weed management options.     

Effects of temperature–humidity index on health and growth performance in Japanese black calves

Tropical Animal Health and Production - We evaluated the relationship between the temperature–humidity index (THI) and health and growth performance in Japanese black calves in Japan. Data...     

Purulent Necrotic Dislocation of the Hip Joint Associated with Umbilical Infection in a Foal

A 42-day-old heavy draft horse fell into sudden astasia. Significant swelling and heat sensation of the left femoral region were observed. Because of a friction sound in the left hip, we supposed that the hip joint was dislocated or the hip bone was fractured. Computed Tomography (CT) examination showed that the left hip joint was dislocated and the left femoral head was disjunct. We carried out a pathological autopsy, and made a diagnosis of the foal as fracture of the hip bone and femoral head with suppurative umbilical arteritis. Pathologic changes in the umbilical artery and hind leg were completely unilateral, suggesting that left umbilical arteritis spread to the blood circulation, causing arthritis and dislocation of the hip bone.     

Carbon dioxide exchange of a larch forest after a typhoon disturbance

A typhoon event catastrophically destroyed a 45-year-old Japanese larch plantation in southern Hokkaido, northern Japan in September 2004, and about 90% of trees were blown down. Vegetation was measured to investigate its regeneration process and CO₂ flux, or net ecosystem production (NEP), was measured in 2006–2008 using an automated chamber system to investigate the effects of typhoon disturbance on the ecosystem carbon balance. Annual maximum aboveground biomass (AGB) increased from 2.7 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2006 to 4.0 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2007, whereas no change occurred in annual maximum leaf area index (LAI), which was 3.7 m² m⁻² in 2006 and 3.9 m² m⁻² in 2007. Red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) had become dominant within 2 years after the typhoon disturbance, and came to account for about 60% and 50% of AGB and LAI, respectively. In comparison with CO₂ fluxes measured by the eddy covariance technique in 2001–2003, for 4.5 months during the growing season, the sum of gross primary production (GPP) decreased on average by 739 gC m⁻² (64%) after the disturbance, whereas ecosystem respiration (RE) decreased by 501 gC m⁻² (51%). As a result, NEP decreased from 159 ± 57 gC m⁻² to −80 ± 30 gC m⁻², which shows that the ecosystem shifted from a carbon sink to a source. Seasonal variation in RE was strongly correlated to soil temperature. The interannual variation in the seasonal trend of RE was small. Light-saturated GPP (P_max) decreased from 30–45 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ to 8–12 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ during the summer season through the disturbance because of large reduction in LAI.     

Competence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Frankliniella occidentalis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Frankliniella intonsa</Emphasis> strains as vectors for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus</Emphasis>

The vector competence of Frankliniella occidentalis for Chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus (CSNV) was evaluated. Three vector strains with distinct competences for Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) transmission were investigated, including an artificially selected strain (TsH) that has a particularly high competence (>90 %). Newly hatched larvae of F. occidentalis were given an acquisition access period of 5 days on CSNV-infected D. stramonium leaves, and reared to maturity. Their transmission efficiencies were examined using a leaf disk assay using Petunia x hybrida leaves. Following the leaf disk assay, the virus accumulation in the vectors was examined via a double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) of their bodies. The results showed that the CSNV acquisition and transmission efficiency of the TsH strain did not differ from those of the others, indicating that the competence of F. occidentalis as a vector for CSNV is not related to that for TSWV. The CSNV transmission and acquisition efficiencies of two F. intonsa strains (Hiroshima and Fukuoka) were also evaluated. In Hiroshima strain, 35 % of adults were viruliferous, but only two transmitters (3 %) were observed. In Fukuoka strain, 6 % were viruliferous, and no transmitters were observed. These results indicate that F. intonsa cannot be a major vector for CSNV. The accumulation of CSNV in the adults of F. occidentalis and F. intonsa evaluated using DAS-ELISA showed a significant difference in ELISA values among transmitter, viruliferous non-transmitter, and non-viruliferous individuals. These results clearly demonstrated that only transmitters that accumulated a threshold quantity of virus can transmit CSNV to plants.     

Neutropenia associated with osteomyelitis due to Hepatozoon canis infection in a dog

A 4-year-old, intact male Shiba dog was referred to Yamaguchi University Animal Medical Center, Yamaguchi, Japan, for the following complaints: anorexia, lethargy, intermittent fever, gingival bleeding and abdominal purpura. The dog presented with persistent neutropenia. Histopathological examination of a bone marrow sample revealed round to oval structures that resembled Hepatozoon micromerozoites and formed a "wheel-spoke" pattern. Furthermore, mature neutrophils were observed around these structures. PCR and sequencing using bone marrow aspirate confirmed Hepatozoon canis (H. canis) infection. These findings suggest that the neutropenia observed in this case was associated with osteomyelitis due to H. canis infection. This is the first report of neutropenia associated with H. canis infection. H. canis infection can be included in the differential diagnosis in canine cases of neutropenia in areas where the disease is endemic.     

Characterization of spheres derived from canine mammary gland adenocarcinoma cell lines

There is increasing evidence for the presence of cancer stem cells in several solid tumors, and these cancer stem cells have a potential role in tumor initiation, aggression, and recurrence. The stem cell-like properties of spheres derived from canine mammary tumors remain largely elusive. We attempted to induce sphere formation using four cell lines of canine mammary adenocarcinoma, and characterized the spheres derived from a CHMp line in vitro and in vivo. The CHMp-derived spheres showed predominantly CD44⁺CD24⁻ population, higher expression of stem cell-related genes, such as CD133, Notch3 and MDR, and higher resistance to doxorubicin compared with the CHMp-derived adherent cells. Xenograft transplantations in nude mice demonstrated that only 1 × 10⁴ sphere cells were sufficient for tumor formation. Use of the sphere assay on these sphere-derived tumors showed that sphere-forming cells were present in the tumors, and were maintained in serial transplantation. We propose that spheres derived from canine mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines possess a potential characteristic of cancer stem cells. Spheres derived from canine mammary tumors could be a powerful tool with which to investigate novel therapeutic drugs and to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie tumorigenesis.