Complementary effect of Phloxine B on the insecticidal efficacy of Isaria fumosorosea SFP‐198 wettable powder against greenhouse whitefly,Trialeurodes vaporariorum West.

BACKGROUND: Insecticidal activities of five photoactive dyes against greenhouse whitefly (GWF), Trialeurodes vaporariorum West., in tomatoes were investigated to improve the control efficacy of an entomopathogenic fungal product, Isaria fumosorosea SFP‐198 wettable powder (WP). Azorubine, Eosin B, Erythrosine, Brilliant Green and Phloxine B were used in this work, accompanying pyriproxyfen emulsifiable concentrate (EC) as a commercial standard for comparison. RESULTS: Phloxine B had the highest control efficacy in glasshouse conditions. The most suitable dose of Phloxine B was determined as 0.005 g L^?1, given the dosage‐dependent control efficacy and phytotoxicity of the dye, and its influence on the germination of SFP‐198 conidia. In field conditions, SFP‐198 WP + Phloxine B (2 + 0.005 g L^?1; tank mix) showed 89.1 and 95.3% control efficacy 7 and 14 days post‐application, which was significantly higher than the efficacy of SFP‐198 WP alone (43.5 and 64.0%), Phloxine B (47.5 and 30.7%) or pyriproxyfen EC (67.7 and 80.2%). CONCLUSION: Phloxine B cooperates with SFP‐198 WP complementarily, possibly in the order of killing action (early: Phloxine B; late: SFP‐198 WP). The dye can be incorporated into SFP‐198 WP to improve its efficacy and applied to other Hypocrelean entomopathogenic fungal products. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Antibacterial Bicyclic Fatty Acids from a Korean Colonial Tunicate Didemnum sp.

Five new bicyclic carboxylic acids were obtained by antibacterial activity-guided isolation from a Korean colonial tunicate Didemnum sp. Their structures were elucidated by the interpretation of NMR, MS and CD spectroscopic data. They all belong to the class of aplidic acids. Three of them were amide derivatives (1–3), and the other two were dicarboxylic derivatives (4 and 5). The absolute configurations were determined by a bisignate pattern of CD spectroscopy, which revealed that the absolute configurations of amides were opposite to those of dicarboxylates at every stereogenic centers. Compound 2 exhibited the most potent antibacterial activity (MIC, 2 μg/mL).     

Tunic morphology and viral surveillance in diseased Korean ascidians: soft tunic syndrome in the edible ascidian,Halocynthia roretzi (Drasche), in aquaculture

‘Soft tunic syndrome’ causes mass mortality in the edible ascidian Halocynthia roretzi in Korean and Japanese aquaculture. In histopathological comparison, there were no specific differences between diseased specimens from Korea and Japan, indicating that soft tunic syndrome occurring in Korea and Japan is the same disease. No bacterial or protozoan cells were microscopically detected in either healthy or diseased tunics suggesting they are not the direct causes of soft tunic syndrome. Attempts were made to isolate virus from affected ascidians taking into account temperature conditions in which soft tunic syndrome is most prevalent in the field. However, no viruses were isolated from diseased or non‐diseased specimens using chinook salmon embryo (CHSE‐214), flounder fin (FFN) or epithelioma papillosum cyprini (EPC) cell lines.     

Acute responses of gill mitochondria-rich cells in Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus following transfer from normal freshwater to deionized freshwater

Acute responses of gill mitochondria-rich (MR) cells to direct transfer from freshwater to deionized freshwater were examined in Mozambique tilapia. Scanning electron microscopic observations showed that apical openings of MR cells were morphologically classified into a small apical pit, a convex apical surface, and a concave apical surface. Following transfer from normal freshwater to deionized freshwater, the sizes of convex and concave apical surfaces were significantly increased at 24 and 6 h, respectively. Meanwhile, whole-mount immunocytochemistry revealed that freshwater-type, ion-absorbing MR cells were functionally classified into MR cells with apical Na⁺/Cl^? cotransporter (NCC) and those with apical Na⁺/H⁺ exchanger 3 (NHE3). On transfer to deionized freshwater, the intensity and size of apical-NHE3 immunoreaction were increased at 6 h, whereas the apical-NCC immunoreaction became enlarged and intense at 24 h. Considering that convex and concave MR cells are activated forms of apical-NCC cells and apical-NHE3 cells, respectively, our findings indicate that preexisting concave MR cells with apical NHE3 enlarge their apical surfaces as an acute response to exposure to deionized freshwater, followed by activation of convex MR cells with apical NCC.     

Effects of various wavelengths of light on physiological stress and non-specific immune responses in black rockfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sebastes schlegelii</Emphasis> subjected to water temperature change

We investigated the effects of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on physiological stress and immunity in black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii subjected to water temperature change [20 (normal temperature) → 14 → 20 °C] using progressive stepwise decline [experiment (Exp.) I; 2 °C/day] and direct decline (Exp. II; immediate exposure) in water temperature. We measured stress-related parameters such as cortisol, glucose, heat shock protein 70 and Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase, and immune parameters such as immunoglobulin M and lysozyme. We confirmed nuclear DNA damage using a comet assay. Physiological stress indicators were significantly higher, immune parameters were significantly lower, and the amount of nuclear DNA damage was higher after exposure to low temperatures, but these effects were mitigated by exposure to green or blue LEDs. The direct decline in temperature induced more physiological stress and nuclear DNA damage than the progressive stepwise change. Green and blue LEDs aid recovery from physiological damage in fish.     

Evaluation of different <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pyropia yezoensis</Emphasis> extracts as feed additives for growth and immunity of Japanese flounder <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paralichthys olivaceus</Emphasis>

We evaluated the effects of diets incorporating the red algae Pyropia yezoensis, prepared by several different extraction methods, on the growth of juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. We assessed growth performance, as well as the levels of amino acids, fatty acids, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and interleukins (ILs). Four experimental diets were developed based on different methods of processing P. yezoensis. A commercial feed, laver powder (P), high-pressure heat extraction of laver (HPHE) and acid hydrolysis extraction of laver were used as the experimental diets. Three experimental replicates were established for each diet (40 fish/group, body weight 123.7 ± 1.1 g), and the fish were fed for 6 weeks. We found no significant differences in weight gain, specific growth rate or feeding efficiency among the groups (P > 0.05); however, the fish fed HPHE had the greatest growth performance. Fish fed the laver extracts exhibited the highest protein efficiency ratio compared with the control and P groups. The experimental groups fed P. yezoensis extracts had significantly higher levels of IGF-I (P < 0.05) than those of the control group. High levels of IL-2 were found in the P and HPHE groups, IL-12 in the HPHE group, and IL-6 in all experimental groups. Therefore, these results suggest that a P. yezoensis extract improved the growth performance and immunity of Japanese flounder. In particular, the high-pressure heating process was a useful extraction method for preparing a P. yezoensis extract, which had beneficial effects as a dietary supplement in Japanese flounder.     

In vitro monoamine oxidase A and B inhibitory activity and molecular docking simulations of fucoxanthin

Fucoxanthin is the primary carotenoid found in edible seaweeds, such as Eisenia bicyclis, Undaria pinnatifida, and others. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of fucoxanthin against Parkinson’s disease (PD) by inhibiting monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and B because MAO inhibitors are used in early management of PD. A sensitive enzyme-based chemiluminescent assay and kinetics methods were used to investigate the enzyme inhibitory activities and mode of inhibition. A molecular docking simulation was performed to clarify the binding characteristics of fucoxanthin to hMAO-A (2z5x) and hMAO-B (2v5z). Our results suggest that fucoxanthin shows significant inhibitory activity against hMAO-A and hMAO-B with IC₅₀ values of 197.41 ± 2.20 and 211.12 ± 1.17 μM, respectively. Selegiline was used as the positive control (IC₅₀: 10.54 ± 1.25 and 0.128 ± 0.01 μM for hMAO-A and hMAO-B, respectively). The enzyme-based kinetics results demonstrated that fucoxanthin inhibited both hMAOs in a reversible competitive manner. The molecular docking simulation predicted that fucoxanthin exhibits higher binding affinity towards hMAO-A and hMAO-B through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. These findings suggest that fucoxanthin is a reversible competitive hMAO inhibitor that could be used to manage PD.     

Selecting and applying quantification models for ecosystem services to forest ecosystems in South Korea

There is growing interest in using ecosystem services to aid development of management strategies that target sustainability and enhance ecosystem support to humans. Challenges remain in the search for methods and indicators that can quantify ecosystem services using metrics that are meaningful in light of their high priorities. We developed a framework to link ecosystems to human wellbeing based on a stepwise approach. We evaluated prospective models in terms of their capacity to quantify national ecosystem services of forests. The most applicable models were subsequently used to quantify ecosystem services. The Korea Forest Research Institute model satisfied all criteria in its first practical use. A total of 12 key ecosystem services were identified. For our case study, we quantified four ecosystem functions, viz. water storage capacity in forest soil for water storage service, reduced suspended sediment for water purification service, reduced soil erosion for landslide prevention service, and reduced sediment yield for sediment regulation service. Water storage capacity in forest soil was estimated at 2142 t/ha, and reduced suspended sediment was estimated at 608 kg/ha. Reduced soil erosion was estimated at 77 m³/ha, and reduced sediment yield was estimated at 285 m³/ha. These results were similar to those reported by previous studies. Mapped results revealed hotspots of ecosystem services around protected areas that were particularly rich in biodiversity. In addition, the proposed framework illustrated that quantification of ecosystem services could be supported by the spatial flow of ecosystem services. However, our approach did not address challenges faced when quantifying connections between ecosystem indicators and actual benefits of services described.