Importance of chlorogenic acid on the oxidative potential of potato tubers of two German cultivars

Summary Two German cultivars differing in blackspot susceptibility were grown in pots in 1998 and 1999 under control and water stress conditions. Blackspot susceptibility of the tubers was defined as oxidative potential. The effect of free tyrosine, cysteine, phenylalanine, chlorogenic and ascorbic acid on the oxidative potential was analyzed. A high concentration of ascorbic acid led to a decrease in the oxidative potential after harvesting in 1998. No correlation was found between oxidative potential and free tyrosine, phenylalanine or cysteine, respectively. Chlorogenic acid content increased during storage and gave a significant correlation with discoloration, showing that it can have an effect on the oxidative potential of the tuber greater than previously thought. Supplementing freeze-dried potato samples with pure chlorogenic acid increased the oxidative potential. Oxidative potential seems to depend on a series of chemical compounds, and their content is affected by factors including annual variations, cultivar, water availability and storage.     

Phase chemistry, structure, and radiation effects in lunar samples

Phase chemistry, structure, and radiation effects were studied in rock, breccia, and soil samples. The regolith apparently developed in the final stages of accretion and was modified by later impact processes and radiation weathering. Exposure ages indicate transfer of buried igneous rock fragments to the near surface late in lunar history. With a few exceptions igneous rock fragments, soil, and breccia share the same distinctive chemistry, probably acquired before accretion of the moon. The igneous rocks texturally resemble basaltic achondrites, and the soil and breccias contain glassy spheres analogous to chondrules.     

Effect of mixing dietary fibre (purified lignocellulose or purified pectin) and a corn meal on glucose and insulin responses in healthy horses

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the addition of a purified soluble (pectin) and insoluble (lignocellulose) fibre to a starchy meal on post‐prandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy horses. Four horses were fed in a randomized order three different diets: (i) cracked corn, (ii) cracked corn mixed with purified lignocellulose, and (iii) cracked corn mixed with purified pectin. Each diet was adjusted to a starch intake of 2 g/kg bodyweight (BW). Lignocellulose was aligned to an intake of 0.2 g/kg BW, and pectin was fed in a dosage of 0.1 g/kg BW. Each period consisted of a 10‐day acclimatization to the diet (fed once per day); during this time, the horses were fed 1.2 kg hay/100 kg BW/day. Blood was collected after each acclimatization period before and after the test meal was fed, without any hay. The increase in plasma glucose and insulin, peak values, and area under the curves were similar for all diets. The present findings suggest that adding purified soluble or insoluble fibre to a corn meal does not affect post‐prandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy horses. Feeding strategies for horses with a high energy requirement should include a starch reduction per meal, rather than the addition of purified fibre.     

Comparison of three immunodiagnostic tests for experimental Heterophyes heterophyes infection in dogs

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of three in-house diagnostic tests, i.e. counter current immunoelectrophoresis (CCIE), intradermal (ID) and indirect fluorescent immunoassay (IFI), for the diagnosis of Heterophyes infection. One hundred and twenty puppies were randomly divided into eight groups (n=15/group). Heterophyes heterophyes infections were established in these puppies by administering a dose of 50 H. heterophyes encysted metacercariae/puppy by gavage. Forty puppies of similar age and sex were divided into eight groups, of five puppies each and were used as negative controls. Sera pooled from separate infected and uninfected groups were tested against H. heterophyes antigens, weekly for 8 weeks post-infection (PI). The ID assay detected infected puppies sooner than any of the serological tests. Sero-conversion was first detected 2 weeks PI by ID assay and 1 week later by CCIE and IFI assays. ID test performed well till the end of the experiment (sensitivity and specificity: 100% and 90%, respectively). Both IFI and CCIE assays had a sensitivity of 40% and 20%, respectively for early detection of antibody, which was less sensitive than ID but both assays were more specific (100%) than the ID assay. The lowest agreement was between ID and IFI tests (40.3%), whilst the highest was observed between CCIE and IFI tests (67.2%). Of the three evaluated methods, the ID test could be recommended for scientific and laboratory diagnosis of heterophyosis in naturally infected animals. However, since none of the investigated method are optimal (i.e, offers 100% specificity and sensitivity), the choice of test employed must depend on the aim of the study.     

Transmission of bovine viral diarrhoea virus through the semen of acutely infected bulls under field conditions

Epidemiological investigations implicated the semen of artificial insemination (ai) bulls as the only plausible source of infection with bovine viral diarrhoea virus (bvdv) in 10 Finnish dairy herds. The infection was traced back to two northern Finncattle bulls that had been transiently infected when their semen had been collected while they were in a gene bank herd containing persistently infected (pi) animals. The isolates of bvdv from the animals in the gene bank herd, from the semen of the two bulls and from a pi calf born in one of the herds using the semen belonged to a rare genetic type in Finland and, on the basis of the nucleotide sequences in the 5' untranslated region, were identical. Cross-contamination of batches of semen at the ai station and an external source of bvdv were ruled out for the recipient herds. It was concluded that bvdv infection can be transmitted through the semen of transiently infected bulls under field conditions.