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...     

Detection of comorbidities and synchronous primary tumours via thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography and their influence on treatment outcome in dogs with soft tissue sarcomas,primary brain tumours and intranasal tumours

Canine soft tissue sarcomas (STS), primary brain tumours and intranasal tumours are commonly treated with radiotherapy (RT). Given the low metastatic potential of these tumours, recommendations regarding imaging tests as staging are variable among institutions. The purpose of our study was to describe thoracic radiographic and abdominal ultrasonographic findings in dogs with these neoplasms and to investigate association of abnormal findings with alterations in recommended treatment. Medical records from 101 dogs, each having thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound performed as part of their staging, were reviewed. In 98 of 101 (97%), imaging abnormalities were detected, 27% of which were further investigated with fine needle aspiration cytology or biopsy. Nine percent of the detected abnormalities were considered serious comorbidities that altered treatment recommendations, including 3 (3%) which were confirmed as synchronous primary neoplasms. These findings may influence recommendations regarding the decision to perform thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound prior to initiation of RT.     

New cholinesterase inhibiting bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids from Abuta grandifolia

The phytochemical study of the stem bark and wood of Abuta grandifolia (Mart.) Sandwith led to the identification of four bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BBIQs), namely (R,S)-2 N-norberbamunine (1), (R,R)-isochondodendrine (2), (S-S)-O4″-methyl, Nb-nor-O6'-demethyl-(+)-curine (3), and (S-S)-O4″-methyl, O6'-demethyl-(+)-curine (4), together with the aporphine alkaloid R-nornuciferine (5), all obtained by countercurrent distribution separation (CCD) and identified on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Alkaloids 3 and 4 were new. All the isolated compounds were tested for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities. 1 was the most active against AChE, whereas 3 and 4 were the most potent against BChE. Interestingly, all tested alkaloids are more potent against BChE than against AChE. This selectivity of cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition could be important in order to speculate on their potential therapeutic relevance.     

The effect of soil texture on the water use efficiency of irrigated crops: Results of a multi-year experiment carried out in the Mediterranean region

The effect of soil texture on water use efficiency (WUE) was analyzed for six crops cultivated on loam and clay soils. Results were obtained after a long-term study, carried out in a lysimetric set-up, in conditions of experimental neutrality (climate, agro-techniques, and variety were the same for each crop) with the sole exception of the soil texture, which was the variable to be studied.In the case of potato, corn, sunflower, and sugar beet, WUE was reduced significantly when crops were grown in clay soil. The reductions ranged from 22% to 25%. The decrease of WUE in clay soil was coupled with significant reductions in yield and in ET, except in the case of the corn crop. The reduction in WUE in corn depended solely on the yield decrease.A 10% decrease in WUE values was also observed for the soy-bean and tomato grown in clay soil, but it was not statistically significant.Different causes which may reduce the WUE values observed in the clay soil are discussed. It seems coherent to hypothesize that, during the active growing phase, a deficit in water uptake occurs in the plants growing in the clay soil. This hypothesis is consistent with the observations of stomatal conductance, daily evapotranspiration, and leaf surface.In conclusion, the operative development of this study is outlined.     

Benzothiadiazole enhances resveratrol and anthocyanin biosynthesis in grapevine, meanwhile improving resistance to Botrytis cinerea

Pre-harvest multiple treatments of grapevine (cv. Merlot) with the plant activator benzothiadiazole (BTH, 0.3 mM) enhanced trans-resveratrol content in berries by about 40%. An even more striking effect was observed on anthocyanin synthesis, particularly on malvidine 3-glucoside, malvidine 3-(6-O-acetyl)glucoside and malvidine 3-(6-O-p-coumaroyl)glucoside, whose amounts were more than doubled. These data were obtained with a novel and time-saving HPLC method, set up for the simultaneous detection of stilbenes and anthocyanins, using an RF-10Axl fluorimetric detector instrument, with excitation at 330 nm and emission at 374 nm, and a SPD-Avp UV detector with absorption at 520 nm. Furthermore, BTH treatments induced systemic acquired resistance in grapevine, as assessed by inoculating clusters from treated and untreated plants with Botrytis cinerea. Disease severity, estimated according to the percentage of infected berries per cluster, was significantly reduced in grapes from BTH-treated plants. These results indicate that BTH treatments, besides improving the content of two important classes of nutraceuticals, with their well-known antioxidant, antitumoral, and phytoestrogenic activities, could be exploited in vineyard to protect grape against gray mould infection, thereby limiting an excessive use of fungicides     

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.     

Human impact and slope dynamics evolutionary trends in the monoclinal relief of Adriatic area of central Italy

The present work deals with a large area of the Marche–Abruzzi monoclinal relief which is made up of a clayey sediment succession with sandy–conglomeratic levels alternating at varying stratigraphic heights. The east-verging monocline was generated by an intense Quaternary tectonic uplifting. It differs approximately in the west-east and in the southern directions forming three wide morphostructures. The deep fluvial down-cutting disjointed the monoclinal relief into a succession of high hills which give the area a typical cuesta morphology, with fronts facing the western quadrants.     

Insights into Cytotoxic Behavior of Lepadins and Structure Elucidation of the New Alkaloid Lepadin L from the Mediterranean Ascidian Clavelina lepadiformis

The chemical investigation of the Mediterranean ascidian Clavelina lepadiformis has led to the isolation of a new lepadin, named lepadin L, and two known metabolites belonging to the same family, lepadins A and B. The planar structure and relative configuration of the decahydroquinoline ring of lepadin L were established both by means of HR-ESIMS and by a detailed as extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectra. Moreover, microscale derivatization of the new alkaloid lepadin L was performed to assess the relative configuration of the functionalized alkyl side chain. Lepadins A, B, and L were tested for their cytotoxic activity on a panel of cancer cell lines (human melanoma [A375], human breast [MDA-MB-468], human colon adenocarcinoma [HT29], human colorectal carcinoma [HCT116], and mouse myoblast [C2C12]). Interestingly, a deeper investigation into the mechanism of action of the most cytotoxic metabolite, lepadin A, on the A375 cells has highlighted its ability to induce a strongly inhibition of cell migration, G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and a dose-dependent decrease of cell clonogenity, suggesting that it is able to impair self-renewing capacity of A375 cells.     

Biocontrol of soil-borne fungal plant diseases by 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol-producing fluorescent pseudomonads with different restriction profiles of amplified 16S rDNA

Fluorescent pseudomonads producing the antimicrobial compound 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (Phl) are being studied extensively for use as biocontrol agents of soil-borne fungal diseases. Some of them can produce pyoluteorin (Plt) in addition to Phl, whereas others synthesise only Phl. Here, a collection of seven Phl⁺ Plt^- pseudomonads, seven Phl⁺ Plt⁺ pseudomonads and seven Phl^- biocontrol pseudomonads were compared for protection of plant roots against fungal pathogens. The seven Phl⁺ Plt⁺ pseudomonads were identical by restriction analysis of amplified spacer ribosomal DNA (spacer ARDRA), whereas the Phl⁺ Plt^- pseudomonads and especially the Phl^- biocontrol pseudomonads were quite diverse by spacer ARDRA. Collectively, the Phl⁺ Plt^- pseudomonads proved superior to the Phl⁺ Plt⁺ pseudomonads and the Phl^- biocontrol pseudomonads for protection of tomato against Fusarium crown and root rot (in rockwool microcosms) or cucumber against Pythium damping-off (in non-sterile soil microcosms). There was no correlation between protection in vivo and inhibition of the corresponding fungal pathogen on plates. However, there was a significant correlation between the amount of Phl produced on plates and protection of tomato against Fusarium crown and root rot, but not with protection of cucumber against Pythium damping-off. Interestingly, the minority of strains unable to produce HCN, an extracellular protease, or both, were among those unable to protect plants in both pathosystems. A seedling assay was developed to compare pseudomonads for suppression of Fusarium crown and root rot in vitro, and a significant correlation was found between disease severity in vitro and in vivo. Overall, results suggest that promising biocontrol pseudomonads may be identified based on the ability to produce Phl and/or specific ARDRA-based fingerprints.