Seedlings growth promotion by Azospirillum brasilense under normal and drought conditions remains unaltered in Tebuconazole-treated wheat seeds

The wide use of pesticides in modern agriculture may cause side effects on the non-target microflora. Data on the fungicide Tebuconazole effects on Azospirillum-wheat association are scarce. We analyzed the effects of Tebuconazole on: (a) Azospirillum brasilense Sp245 growth in pure culture, (b) A. brasilense Sp245 colonization of Triticum aestivum cv ProINTA Oasis roots, (c) A. brasilense Sp245-inoculated seedlings growth under normal and water stress conditions in the presence of 20% polyethylene glycol 8000. Seeds were separated in Tebuconazole-free and Tebuconazole-treated lots. Inoculated and non-inoculated seedlings were grown in hydroponics in the dark at 20 °C for 72 h. Root surface, coleoptile length, fresh and dry (DW) weights in both tissues and diazotrophic bacterial most probable number in roots were determined. Water contents and shoot-to-roots DW ratio were calculated. Neither Azospirillum growth nor root colonization was affected by Tebuconazole. Under normal growth conditions most of the growth parameters analyzed, revealed a clear positive effect of A. brasilense on wheat seedlings up to 72 h treatments. The characteristic Azospirillum enhancing effects observed on roots remained unaltered by Tebuconazole. The present study shows that Tebuconazole is compatible with A. brasilense Sp245-wheat inoculation.     

Synthesis of oligosaccharides derived from lactulose and pectinex ultra SP-L

The beta-galactosidase activity of the commercial enzymatic preparation Pectinex Ultra SP-L derived from Aspergillus aculeatus has been used to hydrolyze and transgalactosylate the prebiotic carbohydrate lactulose. During this reaction, new oligosaccharides derived from lactulose have been detected by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). The presence of the trisaccharide 6'-galactosyl-lactulose, the major compound formed, has been confirmed by NMR. In addition, disaccharides and other oligosaccharides with higher retention times have been also detected. The effect of transgalactosylation conditions such as time, temperature, pH, and initial lactulose and enzyme concentrations, as well as product inhibition on oligosaccharide synthesis, has been studied. The optimal conditions for the formation of tri and higher oligosaccharides were 60 degrees C, pH 6.5, 450 g/L lactulose, 16 units/mL of enzyme, and 7 h of reaction. Selective formation of disaccharides was achieved under the same conditions with the exception of pH (4.5). The present work provides additional knowledge on the synthesis of new oligosaccharides with potential prebiotic properties.     

Isomerization of lactose-derived oligosaccharides: a case study using sodium aluminate

Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) obtained during the enzymatic hydrolysis of lactose contain large amounts of glucose, galactose, and unreacted lactose, which do not have prebiotic properties and increase the calorific value of the product. In this work, the isomerization of the GOS mixture by the action of sodium aluminate has been studied. During the reaction, lactose, glucose, and galactose were isomerized to lactulose, fructose, and tagatose, respectively, and in addition allolactose, 6-galactobiose, and 6'-galactosyl-lactose were also converted to the corresponding keto-sugars. The effect of time, temperature, and aluminate/initial lactose ratio has been studied. After 9 h at 40 degrees C and molar ratio aluminate/lactose 3:1, the isomerization yield was >60%, and the amount of final carbohydrates was close to 90% of the initial product. This process considerably decreases the amount of lactose, glucose, and galactose.     

Characterization of an Extracellular Serine Protease of Fusarium eumartii and its Action on Pathogenesis Related Proteins

Proteases have been proposed as part of the invasion strategies of some pathogenic fungi. In this work, a serine protease produced by the phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium solani f.sp. eumartii was purified and characterized. Purification of the enzyme was accomplished by gel filtration through a Superose 12 column, followed by hydrophobic interaction chromatography in Phenyl Superose and gel filtration chromatography through Superdex 75. Analysis of the purified enzyme by SDS/PAGE without heat treatment, revealed a single band, which corresponded to the proteolytic activity detected by zymogram. When this protein was subjected to denaturing conditions, two major polypeptides of approximately 30 and 33kDa were revealed. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of one of these polypeptides showed a high similarity with fungal mature serine proteases of the subtilisin family. This protease hydrolysed in vitro, specific polypeptides of potato intercellular washing fluids and cell walls. The protease was also able to degrade pathogenesis-related proteins from the intercellular washing fluids. The role of this serine protease as part of the fungal strategy to colonize potato tuber tissues is discussed.     

Influence of Botanical Source and Processing on Formation of Resistant Starch Type III

Influence of botanical source and gelatinization procedure (autoclaving or boiling) on resistant starch (RS) formation was investigated in starches from wheat, corn, rice, and potato. RS yields did not vary within the same sample but differed among samples with different starch botanical sources. Differences also existed in RS contents in native and retrograded starches. Slight or minor variations in RS values were found after both gelatinization procedures, although no clear pattern was found in the behavior of samples based on gelatinization procedure. The degree of polymerization (DP) of retrograded samples was assigned using high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detector (average DP 50–60), with no differences between autoclaved and boiled samples.     

Deep water longline selectivity for black spot seabream (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pagellus bogaraveo</Emphasis>) in the Strait of Gibraltar

Species and size selectivity of the deep water longline traditionally used in commercial fishing of the black spot seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) were studied in the Strait of Gibraltar with four sizes of hooks. Black spot seabream contributed up to 88% of the catch by number. Catch and by-catch rates differed for the different hooks and fishing trials. Significant differences in average fish length between all hooks, except in one case, were found. The comparison of two experimental fishing trials within 4 years indicates a displacement towards smaller sizes in the size frequency distributions. The results of this study show that the fishing gear can be size selective depending on hook size. The fitted selectivity models for each experiments were very different despite having two hooks in common. This is probably due to the very different catch size distributions in the two periods, which suggests that the population size structure changed significantly between 2000/2001 and 2004/2005.     

Application of Six Detection Methods for Analysis of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins in Shellfish from Four Regions within Latin America

With the move away from use of mouse bioassay (MBA) to test bivalve mollusc shellfish for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins, countries around the world are having to adopt non-animal-based alternatives that fulfil ethical and legal requirements. Various assays have been developed which have been subjected to single-laboratory and multi-laboratory validation studies, gaining acceptance as official methods of analysis and approval for use in some countries as official control testing methods. The majority of validation studies conducted to date do not, however, incorporate shellfish species sourced from Latin America. Consequently, this study sought to investigate the performance of five alternative PSP testing methods together with the MBA, comparing the PSP toxin data generated both qualitatively and quantitatively. The methods included a receptor binding assay (RBA), two liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FLD) methods including both pre-column and post-column oxidation, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and a commercial lateral flow assay (LFA) from Scotia. A total of three hundred and forty-nine shellfish samples from Argentina, Mexico, Chile and Uruguay were assessed. For the majority of samples, qualitative results compared well between methods. Good statistical correlations were demonstrated between the majority of quantitative results, with a notably excellent correlation between the current EU reference method using pre-column oxidation LC-FLD and LC-MS/MS. The LFA showed great potential for qualitative determination of PSP toxins, although the findings of high numbers of false-positive results and two false negatives highlighted that some caution is still needed when interpreting results. This study demonstrated that effective replacement methods are available for countries that no longer wish to use the MBA, but highlighted the importance of comparing toxin data from the replacement method using local shellfish species of concern before implementing new methods in official control testing programs.     

2-Vinyl-4H-1,3-Dithiin,a Bioavailable Compound from Garlic,Inhibits Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Proliferation and Migration by Reducing Oxidative Stress

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Organosulfur compounds (OSCs) of garlic have various health benefits including anti-hypertensive effect. It has been described that volatile OSCs uptake occurs...     

The Diversity,Metabolomics Profiling,and the Pharmacological Potential of Actinomycetes Isolated from the Estremadura Spur Pockmarks (Portugal)

The Estremadura Spur pockmarks are a unique and unexplored ecosystem located in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Portugal. A total of 85 marine-derived actinomycetes were isolated and cultured from sediments collected from this ecosystem at a depth of 200 to 350 m. Nine genera, Streptomyces, Micromonospora, Saccharopolyspora, Actinomadura, Actinopolymorpha, Nocardiopsis, Saccharomonospora, Stackebrandtia, and Verrucosispora were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analyses, from which the first two were the most predominant. Non-targeted LC-MS/MS, in combination with molecular networking, revealed high metabolite diversity, including several known metabolites, such as surugamide, antimycin, etamycin, physostigmine, desferrioxamine, ikarugamycin, piericidine, and rakicidin derivatives, as well as numerous unidentified metabolites. Taxonomy was the strongest parameter influencing the metabolite production, highlighting the different biosynthetic potentials of phylogenetically related actinomycetes; the majority of the chemical classes can be used as chemotaxonomic markers, as the metabolite distribution was mostly genera-specific. The EtOAc extracts of the actinomycete isolates demonstrated antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Altogether, this study demonstrates that the Estremadura Spur is a source of actinomycetes with potential applications for biotechnology. It highlights the importance of investigating actinomycetes from unique ecosystems, such as pockmarks, as the metabolite production reflects their adaptation to this habitat.     

Serological evidence of Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi and Ehrlichia canis in dogs from the Republic of Korea by rapid diagnostic test kits

BackgroundEmergent and re-emergent canine tick-borne infections are attracting increasing attention worldwide. The rise in pet ownership and the close relationship between dogs and their owners are the most concerning factors because dogs may act as competent reservoirs for human tick-transmitted infectious agents.ObjectivesThis study contributes to the epidemiological surveillance of canine tick-transmitted infections with zoonotic risk in the Republic of Korea (ROK) by investigating the seroprevalence of the pathogens, Anaplasma spp., Borrelia burgdorferi, and Ehrlichia canis.MethodsFour hundred and thirty whole blood samples from domestic dogs were collected in seven metropolitan cities and nine provinces in the ROK and tested using SensPERT Ab test kits (VetAll Laboratories®) to detect seroreactive animals.ResultsThe seroprevalence rates identified were 9.8% (42/430) for Anaplasma spp., 2.8% (12/430) for B. burgdorferi, and 1.4% (6/430) for E. canis. The risk factors evaluated in this study that could be associated with the development of a humoral immune response, such as sex, age, and history of tick exposure, were similar. There was only one exception for dogs seroreactive to Anaplasma spp., where the risk factor “tick exposure” was statistically significant (p = 0.047).ConclusionsThis serological survey exhibited the widespread presence of Anaplasma spp., B. burgdorferi, and E. canis throughout the ROK. Hence, dogs may play a key role as the sentinel animals of multiple zoonotic infectious agents in the country.