Breeding of Persian melon: Purpose to increase volatile compounds in melon (Cucumis melo) intergroup F1 cross population

Understanding the volatile profile of melon is an ever increasingly important task for breeders for enhancing their flavour component. For this purpose, F1 progeny and parental lines were analysed using headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-based analysis. Diallel analysis showed that most of the investigated compounds were controlled via non-additive genetic effects with general combining ability to specific combining ability ratios of less than 0.4. High heterosis results were observed in alcohols such as ethanol and octanol in both rind and mesocarp samples and benzylalcohol in the rind. It was also noted that the ester-based compounds with high heterosis values in mesocarp samples differed from those with heterosis in rind samples. These observations further emphasize the non-additive control of these compounds. It can be concluded that non-additive genetic control is strongly governing the genetic profile within the studied progeny. This finding indicated that dudaim lines as a valuable genetic material enhanced the volatile profile of odourless commercial types of ameri and inodorus melon.     

Identification and quantification of inhibitors for Angiotensin-converting enzyme in hypoallergenic infant milk formulas

The potential of hypoallergenic (HA) infant milk formulas containing hydrolyzed milk proteins as main constituents to inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in vitro was investigated. Seven commercially available HA products designed for babies up to 4 months showed a potent inhibition of ACE in vitro, with IC 50 values ranging between 3.2 and 68.5 mg of nitrogen/L. For six samples of conventional milk-based infant formulas and three breast milk samples, no inhibition was observed. Inhibitory potential did not correlate with the degree of hydrolysis. Using reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled to electrospray ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS), 15 peptides known to inhibit ACE were identified. Among them, the highly potent ACE inhibitor Ile-Trp (IC 50 = 0.7 microM) was detected and quantified for the first time in the HA samples, representing the most effective ACE-inhibiting peptide that has ever been detected in food items. The overall inhibitory potential of the HA infant milk formulas could partly be explained by Ile-Trp.     

Degradation of ochratoxin a by Brevibacterium species

The ability to degrade ochratoxin A was studied in different bacteria with a well-known capacity to transform aromatic compounds. Strains belonging to Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, and Brevibacterium genera were grown in liquid synthetic culture medium containing ochratoxin A. Brevibacterium spp. strains showed 100% degradation of ochratoxin A. Ochratoxin α was detected and identified by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) as a degradation product in the cell-free supernatants. The degradation of ochratoxin A is of public concern for food and environmental safety, because it could contribute to the development of new biological ochratoxin A detoxification systems in foodstuffs. In this study, the degradation of ochratoxin A by bacteria belonging to the food chain was demonstrated for the first time.     

Bioactivity Improvement of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Olea europaea</Emphasis> Leaf Extract Biotransformed by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wickerhamomyces anomalus</Emphasis> Enzymes

Olive leaves represent a quantitatively significant by-product of agroindustry. They are rich in phenols, mainly oleuropein, which can be hydrolyzed into several bioactive compounds, including hydroxytyrosol. In this study, water extract from olive leaves ‘Biancolilla’ was analyzed for polyphenol profile, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and protective effect on differentiated Caco-2 cells. The efficacy of two enzymatic treatments in promoting the release of bioactive phenols was investigated: a) enzymatic extract from Wickerhamomyces anomalus, characterized by β-glucosidase and esterase activities; b) commercial β-glucosidase. Composition and bioactivity of the resulting extracts were compared. The results showed that the yeast-treated extract presented hydroxytyrosol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity comparable to those obtained using commercial β-glucosidase; however, it was showed the additional presence of hydroxycinnamic acids. In experiments on Caco-2 cells, the leaf extracts promoted the recovery of cell membrane barrier at different minimum effective concentrations. The high specificity of W. anomalus enzymatic extract may represent an effective tool for the release of bioactive phenols from olive by-products.     

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Strawberry Jams

Strawberries represent the main source of ellagic acid derivatives in the Brazilian diet. They are also good sources of flavonoids, mainly anthocyanins, and phenolic acids, to which many beneficial effects have been attributed. However, as the fruit is not available all the year, the objective of this work was to determine whether the jams could also represent a good source of bioactive compounds. In the current study, five different commercially available strawberry jams were characterized in relation to flavonoids, total phenolics, free and total ellagic acid contents, and antioxidant capacity. Anthocyanins were detected only in two jams at very low content. Kaempferol glycosides were the main flavonoids present (from 0.38 to 1.05 mg/100 g fresh weight, FW), while quercetin glycosides were present in the range 0.14–1.20 mg/100 g FW. Free and total ellagic acid content ranged from 0.4 to 2.9 mg/100 g FW, and from 17.0 to 29.5 mg/100 g FW, respectively. Total phenolics varied from 58 to 136 mg/100 g FW, and the antioxidant capacity from 0.55 to 0.76 μmol BHT (Butylhydroxytoluene) equivalents/g FW. Overall, results indicated that jams can also represent a good source of antioxidant compounds, although compared to the fruit important losses seem to occur.     

Genetic variability of Appaloosa horses: a study of a closed breeding population from Argentina

The genetic diversity and structure of 72 Appaloosa horses belonging to a closed breeding population from an ecological reserve in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was investigated using eight microsatellite markers from the International Society for Animal Genetics panel. Our data showed that this Appaloosa horse population had an elevated degree of genetic diversity (He= 0.746) and did not present a significant increase of homozygous individuals (F_IS~0). However, the short tandem repeats, AHT5, ASB2, HTG10 and VHL20, were not in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (P-value<0.05). Genetic relationships between this population and other well known horse breeds showed that Appaloosa horses from Argentina could have had their origin in the horses of the Nez Perce’s people in Idaho while other Appaloosa horses may have had influences from Andalusian and Lusitano breeds. This closed breeding population conserves an important degree of Appaloosa genetic diversity and notwithstanding its particular breeding characteristics, represents a valuable genetic resource for conservation.     

Atmospheric Pollution in a Tropical Rain Forest: Effects of Deposition Upon Biosphere and Hydrosphere I. Concentrations of Chemicals

The effects of atmospheric deposition upon elementcycling and turnover in three rain forest ecosystems ofthe Serra do Mar, a mountain range along the atlanticcoast of Brazil, have been investigated as part of aninterdisciplinary German-Brazilian research project ondispersion, transformation and deposition of airpollutants in the vicinity the industrial complex ofCubatão, State of São Paulo. The projectincluded on-site measurements from 1991 to 1995, fieldexperiments and mathematical modelling with the goalof providing damage evaluation and risk assessment,and elucidating damage mechanisms with respect tosoils and vegetation. The role of the `Soil Module'sub-project reported here was to assess atmosphericdeposition and fluxes with precipitation and soilwater, and to investigate possible soil changesinduced by atmospheric deposition as well asbiological effects of pollutants via the soil path.Part I of this paper deals with concentrations ofchemicals in precipitation, soil water, surface waterand in litter. Part II will cover fluxes of chemicalsand element budgets.Three sites were chosen which differed significantlywith respect to pollution impact. Annual averages ofionic concentrations in precipitation found in openfield and below the tree canopy amounted to 5 and10 mg L<sup>-1</sup>, respectively, for sulfate-S, 0.4 and0.7 mg L<sup>-1</sup> for nitrate, 0.65 and 1.1 mg L<sup>-1</sup> for fluoride,1.8 and 2.6 mg L<sup>-1</sup> for ammonium-N, 0.76 and 2.3 mg L<sup>-1</sup>for Mg, and 3.5 and 7.5 mg L<sup>-1</sup> for Ca at the mostpolluted site. The relatively `clean' reference siteattained 1/3 to 1/9 of these averages, thus clearlyreflecting the difference in air pollution load.Chemical composition in the liquid phase is completelychanged when precipitation infiltrates the soilprofile. Nitrate concentration increases by the factor5 to 20. A clear increase is also found for sulfateand chloride. Concentration changes during ecosystempassage of seepage are interpreted in relation tochemical reactions taking place in differentcompartments. They are characterized by an almostcomplete retention of ammonium and some retention ofsulfate in the upper soil layers, and at the mostpolluted site by mobilization of Al from soil mineralsand very high leaching of nitrate as a consequence ofnitirification of organic matter.     

COMPARISON BETWEEN PROTON MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY FINDINGS IN DOGS WITH TICK‐BORNE ENCEPHALITIS AND CLINICALLY NORMAL DOGS

In vivo diagnosis of tick‐borne encephalitis is difficult due to high seroprevalence and rapid viral clearance, limiting detection of antibodies in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of tick‐borne encephalitis have been reported, however MRI studies can also be negative despite the presence of neurologic signs. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H MRS) is an imaging method that provides additional information about the metabolic characteristics of brain tissues. The purpose of this retrospective cross‐sectional study was to describe brain metabolites using short echo time single‐voxel ¹H MRS in dogs with confirmed tick‐borne encephalitis and compare them with healthy dogs. Inclusion criteria for the affected dogs were neurological symptoms suggestive of tick‐borne encephalitis, previous endemic stay and tick‐bite, diagnostic quality brain MRI and ¹H MRS studies, and positive antibody titers or confirmation of tick‐borne encephalitis with necropsy. Control dogs were 10, clinically normal beagles that had been used in a previous study. A total of six affected dogs met inclusion criteria. All dogs affected with tick‐borne encephalitis had ¹H MRS metabolite concentration alterations versus control dogs. These changes included mild to moderate decreases in N‐acetyl aspartate and creatine peaks, and mild increases in glutamate/glutamine peaks. No lactate or lipid signal was detected in any dog. Myoinositol and choline signals did not differ between affected and control dogs. In conclusion, findings supported the use of ¹H MRS as an adjunctive imaging method for dogs with suspected tick‐borne encephalitis and inconclusive conventional MRI findings.