Redistribution of 10B Absorbed by Leaves and Roots of Cashew Seedlings

Boron (B) is transported mainly in the xylem, but by using isotopic tracers it was possible to verify that B has significant mobility in the phloem of polyols-producing species. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the mobility of ¹⁰B applied to cashew plants. The experiment was conducted from 05/10 to 07/10/2010 in a greenhouse of University of São Paulo State-UNESP, Ilha Solteira Campus, State of São Paulo, Brazil. 0.5 mg of B L^?1 of soil was used in the substrate. A solution of 255 mg of B L^?1 was used in recently mature and fully developed leaves. The total content of B and and percentage of boron in the plant derived from fertilizer (Bppf%) were evaluated in the old and new leaves stemming at 30 and 60 days after the application of ¹⁰B. As evidenced, B applied to leaves had restricted mobility in cashew tree. However, B applied in the substrate was absorbed and translocated to young leaves.     

Post-fire production of mushrooms in Pinus pinaster forests using classificatory models

This study was aimed at describing post-fire mushroom production in a Mediterranean ecosystem dominated by Pinus pinaster Ait. in the northwest of Spain and assessing the results by classificatory models. During the autumn periods of 2003–2006, fruit bodies from 115 fungal taxa were collected in burned and unburned areas and were further grouped into the following categories: saprotrophic/mycorrhizal; and edible/non-edible. After wildfires, a significant reduction in the number of fungal species and fruit body biomass production was observed. Based on this relevant information, the first simple classificatory model for this aim is provided. Nine alternative models based on classifications according to combinations of edibility and functional groups were fitted, and four fruiting body biomass production classes were defined as possible responses. As explanatory factors, time after fire and climatic variables significantly related to fruit body production were included. The best predictive results were obtained for edible and edible-mycorrhizal models, for which the correct classification rate of production classes was between 92 and 85 %. Moreover, the models obtained were applied to analyse the effect of time after fire on fungal production. Mycorrhizal and edible fungal production after fire was classified into the lowest class, whereas saprotrophic and non-edible species followed a contrary trend. The classificatory models can be useful to optimise management and harvest of these increasingly appreciated non-timber forest resources.     

The relative immobility of fertilizer and native copper in an organic soil under field conditions

Twelve profiles were obtained from a 2 ha field, 6 from where Cu had been applied for 15 yr and 6 from areas not fertilized with Cu. The 30 to 50 cm layers in the profiles in both areas contained similar amounts of Cu indicating a lack of vertical migration of the fertilizer metal under field conditions. A buried layer of humified material was found mostly between 50 and 60 cm depth. Of the mineral elements which enriched this layer during degradation and humification, perhaps a few thousand years ago, Cu, Pb and Mn were apparently retained more than Ca, Fe, Ni, Al, Mg, Zn and K.     

Characterization of symptoms of senescence and chilling injury on inflorescences of Heliconia bihai (L.) cv. Lobster Claw and cv. Halloween

Inadequate temperatures during the shipping and commercialization of cut tropical flowers may accelerate the senescence process and cause chilling injury, leading to symptoms that have not yet been described for Heliconia bihai. The aim of the present study was to evaluate physiological responses in cut inflorescences of H. bihai cv. Lobster Claw (LC) and cv. Halloween (HW) as well as symptoms of senescence and chilling injury. For such, changes in fresh weight, bract color (L*, a* and b*), percentage of absolute integrity (PAI) of cell membranes and leakage of potassium ions (LPI) were determined. The flowering stems were evaluated at five different intervals after harvest (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 d). A refrigerated treatment (RT) with a temperature of 6.5 °C and 85% relative humidity was compared to a control treatment (CT) at room temperature of 24 °C and 66% relative humidity. Both cultivars stored at 6.5 °C exhibited dryness of bract tissue (symptom of senescence) and dark stains that became brownish and evolved to necrosis (symptom of chilling injury). The visual quality of inflorescences decreased with time in both cultivars maintained without refrigeration. The severity of chilling injury increased with the length of storage time in both cultivars. There was a significant reduction in the fresh weight of inflorescences in both treatments (RT and CT) and both cultivars (LC and HW). Bract color changed in both cultivars at 6.5 °C. There was no change in PAI throughout the evaluation period in the inflorescences stored at room temperature, whereas those stored at 6.5 °C for 6 and 8 d had lower PAI values. The inflorescences in the control treatment underwent no change in LPI values, whereas those stored under refrigeration had increased LPI values after the sixth day of storage. The physiological responses of cut Heliconia flowers were influenced by storage period and temperature, as demonstrated by visual symptoms of chilling injury and senescence.     

Grape Seed-Derived Procyanidins Decrease Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 Activity and Expression

Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors are among the newest treatments against type 2 diabetes. Since some flavonoids modulate DPP4 activity, we evaluated whether grape seed-derived procyanidins (GSPEs), which are antihyperglycemic, modulate DPP4 activity and/or expression. In vitro inhibition assays showed that GSPEs inhibit pure DPP4. Chronic GSPE treatments in intestinal human cells (Caco-2) showed a decrease of DPP4 activity and gene expression. GSPE was also assayed in vivo. Intestinal but not plasmatic DPP4 activity and gene expression were decreased by GSPE in healthy and diet-induced obese animals. Healthy rats also showed glycemia improvement after oral glucose consumption but not after an intraperitoneal glucose challenge. In genetically obese rats, only DPP4 gene expression was down-regulated. Thus, procyanidin inhibition of intestinal DPP4 activity, either directly and/or via gene expression down-regulation, could be responsible for some of their effects in glucose homeostasis.     

Assessing seed desiccation responses of native trees in the Caribbean

New Forests - Native trees from the Caribbean were tested for seed desiccation responses, by adapting the “100-seed test” protocol. Ninety-seven seed lots of 91 species were collected...     

<Superscript>1</Superscript>H-NMR metabolite profiling of abalone digestive gland in response to short-term starvation

The effect of a short-term feeding and starvation experiment on juvenile abalone (Haliotis rubra × H. laevigata) was investigated (average length = 67 mm; average weight = 48 g). All aquaculture experiments were conducted at The University of Melbourne, Australia. Artificial feed was supplied ad libitum to the fed group, and no feed was supplied to the starved group. A modified metabolite extraction protocol using deuterated solvents was developed for ¹H-NMR-based metabolite profiling of digestive gland in response to the short-term feeding/starvation experiment, to avoid lyophilisation prior to biochemical analysis. PLS-DA revealed that fed and starved abalone are metabolically distinct from each other after 28 and 56 days. After 28 days, the fed group was defined by an increase in arginine, glucose, glutamate, glycine, inosine and uracil (P < 0.05), and the starved group was defined by an increase in N,N-dimethylglycine. After 56 days, the fed group still displayed increased glucose (P < 0.05), while N,N-dimethylglycine remained elevated in the starved group (P < 0.05). Arginine and glycogen were all higher at 28 days compared to 56 days, suggesting decreased anaerobic energy production at the later time point. Only glucose and N,N-dimethylglycine were significantly different between the fed and starved groups after 56 days, suggesting that abalone had not acclimatised to the starvation treatment after 28 days. These results infer N,N-dimethylglycine is a robust marker for short-term starvation in abalone. ¹H-NMR was also conducted on the artificial feed and starved abalone faecal matter, revealing the biochemical differences between them and digestive gland tissue. These methodology and results will facilitate a deeper understanding of the nutritional and physiological requirements of abalone in an aquaculture setting.     

肌肽与维生素E对育肥猪肉品质和抗氧化性能的影响

本试验旨在研究肌肽与维生素E单独及联合使用对育肥猪肉品质和抗氧化性能的影响。试验采用2因素2×3析因设计,设3个肌肽水平(0、50、100 mg/kg),2个维生素E水平(0、200 mg/kg),选择90头体重约为70 kg的“杜×长×大”三元杂交育肥猪,按体重相近、性别比例相同原则,随机分为6组,每组3个重复,每个重复5头猪。预试期为7 d,试验期为42 d。结果表明:1)饲粮中添加肌肽能显著提高屠宰后45 min肌肉的p H和降低贮存48 h肌肉的滴水损失(P<0.05),极显著提高屠宰24 h后肌肉的p H和降低贮存24 h肌肉的滴水损失(P<0.01);维生素E能极显著降低贮存24和48 h肌肉的滴水损失(P<0.01),二者均能显著改善肉色(P<0.05)。肌肽与维生素E在改善肉色和降低贮存24 h肌肉的滴水损失上存在互作效应(P<0.05),且联合添加优于单独添加。2)饲粮中添加肌肽可显著提高育肥猪血清总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)及总超氧化物歧化酶(T-SOD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性(P<0.05),极显著提高谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)活性(P<0.01),维生素E可极显著提高育肥猪血清T-AOC及T-SOD和GSH-Px活性(P<0.01)。在提高血清的T-AOC和GSH-Px活性上,二者存在显著互作效应(P<0.05),且联合添加优于单独添加。3)肌肽可显著降低贮存24 h背最长肌的丙二醛(MDA)含量(P<0.05),极显著降低贮存48、72和96 h背最长肌的MDA含量(P<0.01);维生素E可极显著降低贮存24、48、72和96 h背最长肌的MDA含量(P<0.01),且肌肽与维生素E对贮存48 h背最长肌的MDA含量存在显著互作效应(P<0.05)。综上,饲粮中添加100 mg/kg的肌肽、200 mg/kg的维生素E为最优组合。     

Carbon dioxide degassing by advective flow from Usu volcano, Japan

Magmatic carbon dioxide (CO2) degassing has been documented before the 31 March 2000 eruption of Usu volcano, Hokkaido, Japan. Six months before the eruption, an increase in CO2 flux was detected on the summit caldera, from 120 (September 1998) to 340 metric tons per day (September 1999), followed by a sudden decrease to 39 metric tons per day in June 2000, 3 months after the eruption. The change in CO2 flux and seismic observations suggests that before the eruption, advective processes controlled gas migration toward the surface. The decrease in flux after the eruption at the summit caldera could be due to a rapid release of CO2 during the eruption from ascending dacitic dikes spreading away from the magma chamber beneath the caldera.