Microbial quality and bioactive constituents of sweet peppers from sustainable production systems

Integrated, organic, and soil-less production systems are the principal production practices that have emerged to encourage more sustainable agricultural practices and safer edible plants, reducing inputs of plaguicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Sweet peppers grown commercially under integrated, organic, and soil-less production systems were compared to study the influence of these sustainable production systems on the microbial quality and bioactive constituents (vitamin C, individual and total carotenoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids). The antioxidant composition of peppers was analyzed at green and red maturity stages and at three harvest times (initial, middle, and late season). Irrigation water, manure, and soil were shown to be potential transmission sources of pathogens to the produce. Coliform counts of soil-less peppers were up to 2.9 log units lower than those of organic and integrated peppers. Soil-less green and red peppers showed maximum vitamin C contents of 52 and 80 mg 100 g(-1) fresh weight (fw), respectively, similar to those grown in the organic production system. Moreover, the highest content of total carotenoids was found in the soil-less red peppers, which reached a maximum of 148 mg 100 g(-1) fw, while slightly lower contents were found in integrated and organic red peppers. Hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonoids represented 15 and 85% of the total phenolic content, respectively. Total phenolic content, which ranged from 1.2 to 4.1 mg 100 g(-1) fw, was significantly affected by the harvest time but not by the production system assayed. Soil-less peppers showed similar or even higher concentrations of bioactive compounds (vitamin C, provitamin A, total carotenoid, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids) than peppers grown under organic and integrated practices. Therefore, in the commercial conditions studied, soil-less culture was a more suitable alternative than organic or integrated practices, because it improved the microbial safety of sweet peppers without detrimental effects on the bioactive compound content.     

Production of L-lactic acid and oligomeric compounds from apple pomace by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation: a response surface methodology assessment

The potential of apple pomace for lactic acid production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) was evaluated. The effects of the cellulase to solid ratio (CSR), the liquor to solid ratio (LSR), and the beta-glucosidase to cellulase ratio (BCR) on the kinetics of lactic acid generation were assessed, and a set of mathematical models was developed to reproduce and predict the lactic acid concentration of fermentation broths. Operating at low cellulase and cellobiase charges (1 FPU/g and 0.25 IU/FPU, respectively) and short reaction times (10 h), SSF media containing 27.8 g of lactic acid/L were obtained with a volumetric productivity of 2.78 g/Lh. Material balances showed that the SSF processing of 100 kg of dry apple pomace results in the production of 36.6 kg of lactic acid, 18.3 kg of oligomeric carbohydrates (which can be used as ingredients for functional foods), 8.4 kg of microbial biomass, and 8 kg uronic acids.     

Influence of wine pH on changes in color and polyphenol composition induced by micro-oxygenation

The presence of oxygen in red wine leads to the transformation of ethanol into ethanal, which after capturing a proton will react with flavanols to start the process of forming ethyl bridges between flavanols and between flavanols and anthocyanins. Wine pH also conditions the equilibrium between the different anthocyanin structures and may thus affect anthocyanin reactivity. Consequently, the aim of this paper was to study how the pH can affect the changes induced by micro-oxygenation in two wines with different phenolic composition. The differences between micro-oxygenated wines and their controls were, in general, greater when the pH was more acidic. Specifically, the differences between micro-oxygenated wines and their corresponding controls in terms of color intensity, anthocyanin concentration, PVPP index, ethyl-linked pigments, B-type vitisins, polymeric pigments, and ethylidene-bridged flavanols were greater at lower pH. In contrast, the effects of micro-oxygenation when the pH was less acidic were much less evident and sometimes practically nonexistent. These results demonstrate for the first time that the pH of the wine has a great influence on oxygen-induced changes of color and phenolic compounds.     

The birth of an alternatively spliced exon: 3' splice-site selection in Alu exons

Alu repetitive elements can be inserted into mature messenger RNAs via a splicing-mediated process termed exonization. To understand the molecular basis and the regulation of the process of turning intronic Alus into new exons, we compiled and analyzed a data set of human exonized Alus. We revealed a mechanism that governs 3' splice-site selection in these exons during alternative splicing. On the basis of these findings, we identified mutations that activated the exonization of a silent intronic Alu.     

Inheritance of Seed Coat Thickness in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and its Evolutionary Implications

The desi and kabuli chickpeas are characterized, among other things, by their seed coats being thicker in the desi than in the kabuli type. The inheritance of seed coat thickness, and its relation to flower colour and seed size, was studied. Seed coat thickness exhibits monogenic inheritance, the thin kabuli seed coat being the recessive character. Linkage was found between seed coat thickness and flower colour, the recombinant fraction being 0.19. No relationship was found between seed coat thickness and seed size. The role of these characters in the evolution of the chickpea is discussed.     

Evaluation and variation in response to infection with Puccinia striiformis and Puccinia recondita of local wheat landraces

The purpose of this study was to identify the species of local landraces of wheat (Triticum spp.), held in the Israel Gene Bank, to evaluate them for basic characters and to assess their response to infection by two rust fungi under artificial inoculation conditions. One-hundred-thirty one seed samples were collected from local or Beduin farmers during 1978–1981 throughout the Galilee, Mt. Gilboa. Judean Desert and the south Negev. The samples were collected and stored in the Israel Gene Bank without any characterization or evaluation. Each accession was planted in a 1 m row at Bet Dagan and grown under favorable conditions for plant growth and rust development. Determination of the species, data of plant height, days to heading and reaction of the landraces to artificial inoculation with a composite inoculum of Puccinia recondita and P. striiformis were collected from each row. A small part of the landraces collection consisted of mixed populations of T. durum and T. aestivum plants, where one of the two species was predominant. One-hundred-fourteen and 17 accessions from this collection represented, respectively, Triticum durum and T. aestivum Israel landraces. Large variations were found for all the characters examined. Of the total accessions, 6.5% (8 accessions) and 32% (42 accessions) were resistant, respectively, to yellow- and leaf-rust. It was concluded that the diversified populations of the local landraces of wheat can be used as a source not only for genes affecting basic characters such as plant height and heading date, but also for resistance to leaf rust and yellow rust. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Role of commercial sanitizers and washing systems on epiphytic microorganisms and sensory quality of fresh-cut escarole and lettuce

Increasing concerns about the possible formation of carcinogenic compounds and the emergence of new, more tolerant pathogens, have raised questions on the use of chlorine in fresh-cut produce. There is a growing need to investigate the efficacy of new commercial sanitizing and other alternative technologies. In the present study, the effectiveness of chlorine and other commercial sanitizer agents (Sanova, Sanoxol 20, Tsunami 100, Purac FCC 80, Citrox 14W and Catallix) was evaluated on epiphytic microorganisms and their influence on the sensory quality of fresh-cut escarole and lettuce. Different sanitizer concentrations (manufacturer's recommended dose and half of this dose) and application systems (submersion and spray) were also compared. The antimicrobial efficacy of the treatments was evaluated, initially after washing, and after 8 days of storage simulating a commercial shelf-life (3 days at 4 °C + 5 days at 8 °C). All the tested washing solutions were more effective in reducing the microbial load than water washes, particularly in fresh-cut escarole. However, the microbial load of fresh-cut escarole and lettuce after 8 days of storage was very similar for most of the treatments despite the different application systems and concentrations of the sanitizers. Clearly epiphytic microorganisms of fresh-cut escarole and lettuce were able to grow rapidly during storage under low temperature, reaching similar or higher values than the unwashed fresh-cut produce at the day of production. The overall visual quality of fresh-cut salad leaves was scored as good or very good (≥6) after 8 days of storage, except for the product washed with Purac. Thus, despite the high number of mesophilic bacteria present in the product, between 6 and 8 log cfu g⁻¹, it was not associated with a detrimental quality. Therefore, the determination of the initial epiphytic reductions of fresh-cut products after washing with different sanitizing agents provides little information about the microbial or sensory quality of the product at the time of consumption.     

Protected areas and native freshwater bivalves are not in the same place in south-east Brazil

1. Bivalves are important components of freshwater ecosystems; however, they are also one of the most threatened animal groups, especially members of the order Unionida. The main threats to freshwater bivalves are habitat modification and invasive species. Protected areas are a common way to minimize impacts and preserve native species, but they are rarely designated with a focus on freshwater invertebrates.
2. The main goal of this article was to describe the distribution of freshwater bivalves in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and the relationship between these species and bioclimatic areas, land use and protected areas.
3. Five native and two invasive bivalve species have been reported in Rio de Janeiro. They occur mainly in bioclimatic areas related to the Paraíba do Sul River and Campista Lowlands. The few records of bivalves inside protected areas are in areas of sustainable use that offer a lower level of protection, and frequently in sympatry with invasive bivalves.
4. Thus, the established protected areas in Rio de Janeiro are not adequately effective for freshwater bivalve conservation, and some species remain under threat even within them. Freshwater bivalves thus remain largely unprotected in the state.
5. The development of new protected areas and management plans should consider other faunal groups that are usually ignored, such as freshwater bivalves, to achieve more inclusive and effective protection.