Dietary biofloc supplementation in black tiger shrimp,Penaeus monodon: effects on immunity,antioxidant and metabolic enzyme activities

A 60‐day indoor experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation of biofloc on metabolic enzyme activities and immune responses in Penaeus monodon juveniles. Biofloc developed in indoor fibreglass‐reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks (1000 L) was used as dietary supplement in P. monodon (2.90 ± 0.10 g) reared in 1000‐L FRP tanks. Graded level of dried biofloc was included in shrimp basal diets, 0% (control, B0), 4% (B4), 8% (B8) and 12% (B12). The level of metabolic enzymes like malate dehydrogenase (MDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was not significantly different with control up to 8% dietary supplementation. A higher level of total haemocyte count (THC) was noticed in B8 (22.16 ± 2.17 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1) and B4 (21.11 ± 0.56 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1) compared with control, C (14.61 ± 2.74 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1). Biofloc‐supplemented groups recorded significantly higher (P < 0.05) serum SOD and catalase activity (P < 0.01) in comparison with control. The groups fed with 4% dietary biofloc supplement recorded highest relative percentage survival (RPS), 45% after challenge with Vibrio harveyi followed by 36% and 27% RPS in B8 and B12 groups. Based on these results, it can be concluded that supplementation of biofloc even at 4% level in the feed improves immune responses and metabolic activities in black tiger shrimp juveniles.     

Effect of dietary supplementation of periphyton on growth,immune response and metabolic enzyme activities in Penaeus monodon

A 60‐day indoor trial was conducted to study the effect of periphyton supplementation on metabolic and immune responses in tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Periphyton developed over bamboo substrate in outdoor tanks (15 m²) was used as dietary supplement for P. monodon (2.02 ± 0.04 g) reared in 1000 L FRP tanks. Graded levels of periphyton were included in shrimp basal diets: 0% (P0), 3% (P3), 6% (P6), 9% (P9) and P0 diet with natural periphyton (NP) over bamboo substrate. At the end of the trial, P6 and NP showed significantly higher (P < 0.01) growth rate, 23.9% and 20%, respectively, compared with control, P0. Comparatively, lower level of metabolic enzymes, such as lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, was recorded in treatments P3, P6 and NP compared with control, P0. The periphyton‐supplemented group, P3 had significantly higher (P < 0.05) superoxide dismutase (15.83 ± 0.96) and catalase activity (15.73 ± 0.69) compared to 6.88 ± 2.84 and 9.15 ± 0.67 unit mg^?1 protein min^?1_, respectively, in P0. Similarly, higher total haemocyte counts, 32.58 ± 1.30, 28.51 ± 3.12 and 27.26 ± 4.43 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1_, were recorded in P6, NP and P3, respectively, compared to P0, 23.57 ± 1.80 × 10⁶ cells mL^?1. After challenge with Vibrio harveyi, P3 recorded the highest relative percentage survival 67% followed by NP (58%) and P6 (42%) compared with control. However, treatment with highest periphyton inclusion (P9) did not differ significantly with P0 on growth and immunological parameters. This study indicates that periphyton supplementation at 3–6% level improves growth, immune response and metabolic activities in P. monodon.     

Effects of soil moisture and soil depth on nitrogen mineralization process under Mongolian pine plantations in Zhanggutai sandy land, P. R. China

选择章古台地区三块典型樟子松(Pinussylvestrisvar.mongolica)人工固沙林为研究对象,采用实验室好氧培养法测定了不同土壤层次和在不同水分条件下的N矿化过程。结果表明:土壤0-60cm层N净矿化速率垂直变化范围为1.06–7.52mg·kg-1·month-1;土壤层次和含水量及其交互作用对土壤N净矿化速率的影响均达到差异显著(P<0.05);净矿化速率随着土壤层次的加深而明显下降,0-15cm层占总净矿化量的60.52%;半饱和与饱和含水量处理差异不显著,但均高于不加水处理。为此,在半干旱地区必须进一步加强开展调控生态系统N矿化、循环及其收支平衡影响因素的研究。图1表4参20。     

Determination of spore inactivation during thermal and pressure-assisted thermal processing using FT-IR spectroscopy

The efficacy of microbial inactivation techniques is currently tested using time-consuming and labor-intensive plate count methods, which are the principal rate-limiting steps in developing inactivation kinetic parameters for alternative food processing technologies. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis was used to quantify viable spores and identify some biochemical changes in samples treated by autoclaving, pressure-assisted thermal processing (PATP), and thermal processing (TP). Spore suspensions ( approximately 109 CFU/mL) of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TMW 2.479 Fad 82, B. amyloliquefaciens TMW 2.482 Fad 11/2, B. sphaericus NZ 14, B. amyloliquefaciens ATCC 49764, and Clostridium tyrobutyricum ATCC 25755 were treated by PATP (121 degrees C and 700 MPa) for 0, 10, 20, and 30 s and by TP (121 degrees C) for 0, 10, 20, and 30 s. The concentrations of spores in treated samples were determined by plating (reference method). Models developed using partial least-squares regression (PLSR) for predicting spore levels in treated samples had correlation coefficients (r) of >0.99 and standard errors of cross-validation ranging between 100.2 and 100.5 CFU/mL. Changes in dipicolinic acid (DPA) and secondary structure of proteins were found to occur during inactivation of spores by PATP and TP. FT-IR spectroscopy could rapidly estimate viable bacterial spore levels in PATP- and TP-treated spore suspensions, providing an accurate analytical tool for monitoring the efficacy of sterilization techniques in inactivating spore-forming microorganisms.     

Integration of substrate in biofloc based system: Effects on growth performance,water quality and immune responses in black tiger shrimp,Penaeus monodon culture

To evaluate effect of substrate integration in biofloc based system, a 52‐day growth experiment was conducted using black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon juveniles (3.32 ± 0.07 g). The factorial design consisted of floc, F (with or without) as first factor and substrate (bamboo mat, B; nylon mesh, N; and without substrate) as second factor. This resulted six treatments; F + B, F + N, F, B, N and a control without biofloc and substrate. Shrimps were stocked at 110 nos. m^–3 in Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) tanks and, rice flour was used as carbon source in biofloc based treatments. Incorporation of nylon mesh and bamboo mat in biofloc system trapped 31.3%–38.6% and 8.5%–13.5% total suspended solids respectively and reduced bottom solid deposition. Among the substrate based groups, significantly better development of biofilm with higher microbial population noticed in F + B compared with nylon mesh. Similarly, significantly higher final growth (p < 0.01) was recorded in F + B system followed by F + N while no significant difference in body weight recorded among floc, F or substrate based groups (B, N). Biofloc and substrate integration (F + B and F + N) resulted significantly (p < 0.01) lower feed conversion ratio compared to control and floc. Incoporation of bamboo substrate in biofloc, (F + B) improved shrimp immune responses through higher hemocyte counts and prophenoloxidase activity compared to other treatments. The study revealed that integration of substrate in the biofloc system improved growth performance, FCR and immune parameters in shrimp by trapping the suspended biofloc particles, better water quality parameters, enhanced biofilm growth and provision of quality natural food.     

Effect of varying glucose concentrations during in vitro maturation and embryo culture on efficiency of in vitro embryo production in buffalo

This study was aimed to optimize glucose level at different stages of buffalo in vitro embryo production procedure. Three glucose levels (1.5, 5.6 and 10 mm ) along with a control (0 mm ) were used at three phases of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure viz. in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro culture (IVC‐I) (12–72 hpi) and IVC‐II (72 hpi to 7 dpi). Maturation rate of oocytes was found different under different glucose concentrations, and significantly more number of oocytes reached to MII under 5.6 mm glucose. The glucose levels at each phase (IVM, IVC‐I and IVC‐II) individually had significant effect on blastocyst rate, and the level used at one phase had significant effect on the outcome of next phase. Complete withdrawal of glucose from any of these stages irrespective of concentrations used at subsequent stage/s resulted in significantly lower number of blastocysts. However, the changing levels of glucose had differential effects during different phases of IVF steps. The most prominent effect of glucose level was observed during IVM. The presence of 5.6 mm glucose at all stages was most effective to yield highest blastocyst rate in buffalo IVF system.     

PCR test for detecting Taenia solium cysticercosis in pig carcasses

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was employed to detect Taenia solium DNA in muscle lesions for validation of the meat inspection results of slaughtered pigs. Two sets of oligonucleotide primers, one targeted against the large subunit rRNA gene (TBR primers) and the other targeted against cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (Cox1 primers) of T. solium were used in this study. On reactivity in PCR test, the TBR primers and the Cox1 primers yielded products of 286 and 984 bp, respectively, in cysticercosis positive cases. Both the sets of primers were found to be highly specific, since they did not yield any PCR product in negative controls. A total of 225 pig carcasses were screened for cysticercosis by meat inspection, out of which 25 carcasses with visible cysts (16 viable and 9 degenerated cysts) were also confirmed to be positive for cysticercosis in PCR test. However, out of the 35 carcasses with suspected lesions on meat inspection, only two were found to be positive for cysticercosis in PCR test. The detection limits for both the primer sets were analyzed. The TBR primer set could detect up to 10 pg of cysticercus DNA, whereas the Cox1 primer set could detect only up to 1 ng. It is evident from the study that PCR test is an efficient tool for validation of meat inspection results and also to rule out ambiguity in carcass judgment of suspected cases of porcine cysticercosis.     

Differential response of short‐ and long‐duration cassava cultivars to applied mineral nitrogen

The differential response of two contrasting cassava cultivars to different rates of soil‐applied nitrogen (N) on the number of tuberous roots, harvest index, yield, nitrogen uptake, and fertilizer‐nitrogen‐use efficiency was studied over a period of 2 years on a typic Plinthustults in Kerala state in Southern India. The experiment was laid out in a split‐plot design with two popular cultivars of cassava, namely Sree Vijaya (6 months) and M‐4 (10 months) in the main plots, and eight urea‐N rates (0, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, and 200 kg ha^–1) in subplots. Half of the N was applied at the time of planting and the other half 60 d later. The study revealed significant differences between the two cultivars regarding their response to fertilizer‐N application. The tuberous‐root yield of the short‐duration cultivar Sree Vijaya increased significantly up to 100 kg N ha^–1 whereas the yield of the long‐duration cultivar M‐4 increased significantly only up to 50 kg N ha^–1 rate. Also the N‐use‐efficiency parameters (i.e., agronomic, recovery, and physiological efficiencies) were higher in Sree Vijaya than in M‐4 but declined at N rates beyond 100 kg ha^–1. The more efficient N use in the short‐duration cultivar was associated with a higher N uptake and a more efficient internal use.     

Effect of glucose on in vitro rooting of mature plants of Bambusa nutans

A high-frequency in vitro rooting method was developed for Bambusa nutans, one of the economically important bamboos in India. Two clones of approximately 10-year-old B. nutans were used for axillary bud proliferation. The effect of carbohydrate source (glucose and sucrose) and auxins (IAA, IBA and NAA) on the in vitro rooting response was evaluated. Rooting percent, mean number of roots and root length were recorded after 14 days of treatment. Successful treatment (49.0 μM IBA and 88 mM glucose in the induction phase for 3 days followed by MS salts with 88 mM sucrose) was repeated four times each with 100 shoots to ascertain the practical utility of the protocol. Addition of glucose along with 49.0 μM IBA during the root induction phase gave 85% rooting success. Anatomical studies in the nodal regions were conducted to determine the effect of glucose on root primordial development and elongation. It was observed that the presence of glucose in the root induction medium is required to recruit more number of root initials. A simple protocol was developed for the large-scale production of B. nutans, where rooting of microshoots developed from mature tissues is always difficult. This study showed that glucose as carbon source and auxin type IBA is essential for in vitro root formation in the cultures raised from mature tissues.     

Modeling Bromus diandrus Seedling Emergence Using Nonparametric Estimation

Hydrothermal time (HTT) is a valuable environmental index to predict weed emergence. In this paper, we focus on the problem of predicting weed emergence given some HTT observations from a distribution point of view. This is an alternative approach to classical parametric regression, often employed in this framework. The cumulative distribution function (cumulative emergence) of the cumulative hydrothermal time (CHTT) is considered for this task. Due to the monitoring process, it is not possible to observe the exact emergence time of every seedling. On the contrary, these emergence times are observed in an aggregated way. To address these facts, a new nonparametric distribution function estimator has been proposed. A bootstrap bandwidth selection method is also presented. Moreover, bootstrap techniques are also used to develop simultaneous confidence intervals for the HTT cumulative distribution function. The proposed methods have been applied to an emergence data set of Bromus diandrus.