Physicochemical and Structural Characteristics of Flours and Starches from Waxy and Nonwaxy Wheats

A waxy spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotype was fractionated into flour and starch by roller and wet‐milling, respectively. The resultant flour and starch were evaluated for end‐use properties and compared with their counterparts from hard and soft wheats and with commercial waxy and nonwaxy corn (Zea mays L.) starches. The waxy wheat flour had exceptionally high levels of water absorption and peak viscosity compared with hard or soft wheat flour. The flour formed an intermediate‐strength dough that developed rapidly and was relatively susceptible to mixing. Analysis by differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffractometry showed waxy wheat starch had higher gelatinization temperatures, a greater degree of crystallization, and an absence of an amylose‐lipid complex compared with nonwaxy wheat. Waxy wheat and corn starches showed greater refrigeration and freeze‐thaw stabilities than did nonwaxy starches as demonstrated by syneresis tests. They were also similar in pasting properties, but waxy wheat starch required lower temperature and enthalpy to gelatinize. The results show analogies between waxy wheat and waxy corn starches, but waxy wheat flour was distinct from hard or soft wheat flour in pasting and mixing properties.     

First report of Pseudomonas aeruginosa causing tumor disease of Populus koreana in China

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - In May 2018, a bacterial tumor disease was observed on Populus koreana in Shuangyang county, Changchun city, Jilin Province. Based on physiological...     

An Octopus-Derived Peptide with Antidiuretic Activity in Rats

Discovering new drug candidates with high efficacy and few side effects is a major challenge in new drug development. The two evolutionarily related peptides oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) are known to be associated with a variety of physiological and psychological processes via the association of OXT with three types of AVP receptors. Over decades, many synthetic analogs of these peptides have been designed and tested for therapeutic applications; however, only a few studies of their natural analogs have been performed. In this study, we investigated the bioactivity and usefulness of two natural OXT/AVP analogs that originate from the marine invertebrate Octopus vulgaris, named octopressin (OTP) and cephalotocin (CPT). By measuring the intracellular Ca²⁺ or cyclic AMP increase in each OXT/AVP receptor subtype–overexpressing cell, we found that CPT, but not OTP, acts as a selective agonist of human AVP type 1b and 2 receptors. This behavior is reminiscent of desmopressin, the most widely prescribed antidiuretic drug in the world. Similar to the case for desmopressin, a single intravenous tail injection of CPT into Sprague-Dawley rats reduced urine output and increased urinary osmolality. In conclusion, we suggest that CPT has a significant antidiuretic effect and that CPT might be beneficial for treating urological conditions such as nocturia, enuresis, and diabetes insipidus.     

中国潜在产出测算实证研究

在对中国潜在产出测算研究状况进行评介的基础上,分别使用H-P滤波法和生产函数法估算了中国1978—2004年间的潜在产出、产出缺口和潜在产出增长率。结果表明:(1)1978—2004年间,中国的产出缺口出现了波动水平正负交替的周期情形;(2)1995年以前产出缺口的波动幅度比较剧烈且较为频繁,1996年特别是1999年以后产出缺口的变化较为平缓;(3)1997年以后,虽然经济的增长率保持较高的水平,但是生产要素的实际利用水平却逐渐降低;(4)生产函数法得到的结果基本客观的反映了改革开放后,中国开始从计划经济向市场经济过渡到市场经济初步建立这一时期的生产要素使用情况。(5)根据H-P滤波法和生产函数法估算的潜在产出,得到1978—2004年间的平均潜在产出增长率分别为9.54%和9.67%。根据估计结果,在今后几年,通过适当的宏观调控,把中国的经济增长率稳定在8%～9%可能是一个较好的选择。     

Immune responses in piglets infected with highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection compromises the host's innate and adaptive immunity. The aim of this study was to investigate the immune responses of piglets infected with highly pathogenic (HP) PRRSV (HuN4 strain) with or without the immunization with CH-1R attenuated PRRSV vaccine. The response was evaluated for the clinical signs, pathological changes and virus load in immune organs, antibody responses and levels of serum IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10. The result showed that in comparison with the piglets received the immunization, the piglets infected with HP-PRRSV alone had the thymus atrophy, decreased serum levels of IL-4 and increased serum levels of IL-10 and INF-γ. These results suggest that elevated IL-10 levels at the early stage of the infection may enhance virus survival and delay the induction of protective immunity, while increased levels of IL-4 induce the effective immune responses and increase the animals' health status.     

三七及竹节参中皂甙的不同提取方法

采用冷浸、回流、微波等方法提取三七及竹节参皂甙,按光密度值分别计算出三七及竹节参皂甙的含量。结果显示,微波提取法与冷浸、回流法相比提取率稍高,并且微波提取法操作简单、安全、省时。因此,微波提取法将使三七和竹节参资源得到更好的开发和利用。     

Molecular cloning and expression of kidney‐type glutaminase from common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and its up‐regulation by glutamine in primary culture enterocyte

Glutaminase (GLS) is the key enzyme of glutamine (Gln) metabolism and utilization. In this study, a cDNA encoding GLS protein was identified from common carp Cyprinus carpio intestine. The open reading frame of GLS cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 595 amino acids, which shows a high similarity with its zebrafish Danio rerio counterpart. Bioinformatic analysis showed the protein belongs to kidney‐type GLS. The putative protein has glutaminase domain and ankyrin repeats domain, which are highly conserved among vertebrate orthologues. Real‐time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the abundance of GLS mRNA was the highest in the white muscle, followed by the brain, eyeball and pituitary. Glutaminase was ubiquitously expressed in all intestinal segments of common carp. The activity of GLS did not distribute uniformly along the entire length of the intestine. In primary culture enterocyte, and the expression of GLS mRNA is up‐regulated quickly and effectively by Gln.