Olive oil mill wastewater treatment using a chemical and biological approach

Olive oil mill wastewaters (OMW) are recalcitrant to biodegradation for their toxicity due to high values of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and phenolic compounds. In the present study OMW, collected in southern Italy, were subjected first to a chemical oxidative procedure with FeCl3 and then to a biological treatment. The latter was performed in a pilot plant where mixed commercial selected bacteria, suitable for polyphenols and lipid degradation, were inoculated. The effect of treatments was assessed through COD removal, reduction of total phenols, and decrease of toxicity using primary consumers of the aquatic food chain (the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus and the crustacean Daphnia magna). The results showed that the chemical oxidation was efficacious in reducing all parameters analyzed. A further decrease was found by combining chemical and biological treatments.     

Use of Trichoderma spp. and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to increase soil beneficial population of bacteria in a nectarine commercial orchard: Effect on root growth,nutrient acquisition and replanting disease

The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of commercial Trichoderma and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-based bio-fertilizers on nectarine root growth, nutrient acquisition and replanting disease. The experiment was performed from 2008 to 2012 in an A. mellea-infected nectarine orchard subjected to the following treatments: 1) untreated control; 2) AMF-biofertilizer applied at planting (120 kg ha^?1) and every year in spring and autumn at the rate of 6 kg ha^?1; 3) Trichoderma spp applied at planting (5 g plant^?1) and every year (in April, May and September) at 2.5 kg ha^?1. AMF bio-fertilizers decreased root diameter and increased root survivorship. Leaf phosphorus concentration increased in AMF bio-fertilizers plots, while no significant treatments effects were observed on other leaf nutrient concentration. Although biofertilizer application did not affect soil microbial population, at the end of the trial (2012) the application of Trichoderma alone increased the population of the fungus.     

Metal ions restore the proteolytic resistance of denatured conglutin gamma, a lupin seed glycoprotein, by promoting its refolding

The susceptibility to trypsin of conglutin gamma, a lupin seed glycoprotein affected by this enzyme only when in a non-native conformation, was used to study the effect of Zn(2+) and other metal ions on the structural dynamics of the protein. When acid-treated trypsin-susceptible conglutin gamma was incubated at neutral pH in the presence of Zn(2+), it became resistant to tryptic attack, contrary to the protein treated in the absence of Zn(2+). The time course of this refolding event has been quantitatively evaluated by SDS-PAGE. Amino acid sequencing of the major polypeptide fragments, produced by trypsin before completion of the refolding process, indicated that only a few cleavable bonds were accessible to the enzyme. This suggested that the presence of metal ions affected the pathway of degradation of the protein, by inducing its folding. Among the other metal ions tested, Ni(2+) also promoted the adoption of a trypsin-resistant conformation of conglutin gamma, whereas Mn(2+) and Ca(2+) had only much lower effects. The relevance of these findings for a deeper understanding of the in vivo degradation of plant food proteins and how it is affected by metal ions are discussed.     

Environmental effects caused by olive mill wastewaters: toxicity comparison of low-molecular-weight phenol components

Olive oil mill wastewaters (OMWs) show significant polluting properties due to their content of organic substances, and because of their high toxicity toward several biological systems. Wastewaters' toxicity has been attributed to their phenolic constituents. A chemical study of wastewaters from a Ligurian oil mill characterized phenolic products such as 1,2-dihydroxybenzene (catechol), derivatives of benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, phenylethanol, and cinnamic acid. The OMWs were fractioned by ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis techniques and tested for toxicity on aquatic organisms from different trophic levels: the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (formerly known as Selenastrum capricornutum); the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus; and two crustaceans, the cladoceran Daphnia magna and the anostracan Thamnocephalus platyurus. The fraction most toxic to the test organisms was that from reverse osmosis containing compounds of low molecular weight (<350 Da), and this was especially due to the presence of catechol and hydroxytyrosol, the most abundant components of the fraction.     

Using linear-bilinear models for studying gene expression × treatment interaction in microarray experiments

In microarray experiments, the global and the specific gene expression in the two-way table of gene x treatments (or tissues) can be studied using linear-bilinear models that incorporate the main effects of genes (G), treatment (T), and gene x treatment interaction (G x T). The plot of the first two axes obtained from the singular value decomposition of the bilinear (multiplicative) term of these models (biplot) facilitates the interpretation of the gene expression patterns. In this study, two microarray datasets were used to illustrate how two linear-bilinear models, the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) and the treatment regression model (TREG) and their biplots can be used to determine the overall gene expression pattern across treatments (or tissues) and for specific treatments. Dataset 1 had 5,339 genes and the objective was to identify genes with modified expression during maize (Zea mays) seed development in response to different parental ploidy levels. In Dataset 2, the aim was to study gene expression in 15 tissue samples with different levels of development of breast cancer when compared with the expression of the genes in noninfected tissues. The results from the analyses of Dataset 1 showed that the biplots of the AMMI and TREG models allow identification of subsets of genes and treatments with noncrossover G x T interaction or with important levels of crossover G x T. Results from Dataset 2 showed that the TREG model and its biplot facilitates the identification of genes with high expression in all tumor cells. Also, the TREG biplots allowed identification of subsets of genes with a low level of gene x tissue crossover interaction.     

Quantitative determination of dietary lectin activities by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using specific glycoproteins immobilized on microtiter plates

An immunoenzymatic method for the quantitative determination of dietary lectin activities employing immobilized glycoproteins was studied. Lectins from wheat germ (WGA), peanut (PNA), and jack bean (ConA) were added to microtiter plates coated with ovalbumin or asialofetuin and quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with lectin-specific antibodies. ELISA responses for lectin activity were dose-dependent in the concentration range 30-1000 ng/mL for WGA and 80-1000 ng/mL for both PNA and ConA. Inhibition assays carried out with different saccharides confirmed that the binding of lectins to immobilized glycoproteins was specific. The proposed method is specific and sensitive, allowing the quantitative determination of lectin activities on raw samples by simple dilution of the extracts. Examples of application to wheat germ and roasted peanut extracts are reported.     

Improved HPLC determination of phenolic compounds in cv. golden delicious apples using a monolithic column

A rapid HPLC-DAD determination of phenols in apple using an RP monolithic column is reported. Because of the hydrodynamic advantages offered by this kind of column and the use of acidified acetonitrile as eluent, assays of apple extracts can be performed in <21 min. Assays of pulp and peel extracts were carried out without the need for time-consuming sample pretreatment except filtration. Several flavanols, hydroxycinnamic acids, dihydrochalcones, and six quercetin glycosides were identified and quantified. A seventh quercetin derivative, two chalcone-related compounds, and three hydroxycinnamic derivatives were also found. Peels proved to be richer in phenols than pulps, the former being composed mainly of (-)-epicatechin, procyanidin B2, chlorogenic acid, phloridzin, hyperin, and avicularin. In pulps, where the chlorogenic acid was the principal phenolic compound, quercetin glycosides were found in very low amounts.     

Influence of type of starch and feeding management on glycaemic control in diabetic dogs

The present study evaluated the effects of two diets with different starch sources and two feeding methods on the glycaemic control in dogs with diabetes mellitus. The diets had similar nutrient contents (40% starch and 16% dietary fibre), one formulated with 46% of broken rice and the other with 42% sorghum and 10% lentils (as-fed). Ten client-owned diabetic dogs were fed with each diet for 2 months, in a crossover design. Five dogs received NPH human insulin and food every 12 h (feeding method 1), and the other five received insulin every 12 h but were fed three times a day (feeding method 2). In feeding method 2, morning insulin was higher than the evening dose and dogs received the second meal after 4 to 5 h of the morning insulin and meal. Parameters evaluated included insulin dosage, 12- and 8-h glycaemic curves, complete blood count, biochemical profile and urinalysis. Glycaemic curves were analysed by ANOVA with repeated measures. Glycaemic control parameters (fasting, mean, minimum and maximum glycaemia and serum fructosamine) and glucose area under the curve (AUC) were calculated and analysed by paired t test (p < 0.05). In feeding method 1, dogs fed the sorghum-based diet presented lower mean (p = 0.04) and minimum blood glucose concentrations (p = 0.03), and a tendency to lower maximum blood glucose (p = 0.06) and glucose AUC (p = 0.08) than when fed the rice-based diet. When food was provided twice a day, the ingestion of the rice-based diet resulted in higher post-prandial glucose response than the diet with sorghum and lentil. In feeding method 2, there was no effect of diet on the assessed parameters (p > 0.05). No differences in insulin dosage were observed between groups or feeding methods (p > 0.05). Providing two meals a day followed by insulin administration associated with the sorghum- and lentil-based diet improved glycaemic control in diabetic dogs.     

Heat-treated bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) residue meal as an alternative protein source in pelleted diets for Nile tilapia fingerlings: growth,body composition,and physical characteristics of diets

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The study aimed to evaluate heat-treated bean residue meal (Phaseolus vulgaris)—BRM—as an alternative protein source in diets for Nile tilapia...     

Combination of pelleting and monensin does not affect antioxidant properties and fatty acids in milk of grazing dairy cows supplemented with a concentrate containing soybean seeds

This study was performed with the main objective of evaluating the effect of the combination of pelleting and monensin on fatty acids (FA) composition, the concentration of total polyphenols and flavonoids, and the oxidative stability of milk in cows fed a concentrate containing soybean seeds. Eight Holstein multiparous cows were distributed in a replicated Latin square design. The four supplement treatments consisted of the combination of two factors (pelleting and monensin) and one concentrate as follows: (1) unpelleted concentrate with no monensin (CO); (2) pelleted concentrate with no monensin (PE); (3) unpelleted concentrate with 96 mg of monensin/kg of dry matter, DM (MO); and (4) pelleted concentrate with 96 mg of monensin/kg of DM (PM). There was no interaction between pelleting and monensin for milk production and concentration of milk protein, lactose, total polyphenols, flavonoids, conjugated dienes (CD), and reducing power. Fat and total solids concentration in milk were decreased when cows were fed pelleted (PE and PM) concentrates. Feeding cows with PE and PM concentrates increased the CD concentration in milk. Regarding milk FA concentration, there was no difference among treatments for total saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated FA. The most prominent result was that pelleting increased the milk concentration of omega-3 FA. Altogether, the present study suggests that the pelleting process can improve the milk fat quality by increasing the omega-3 FA, while the combination of pelleting and monensin in the diet of grazing dairy cows fed soybean-based concentrate adds no further improvements to FA profiles and oxidative stability of milk.