Phylogeny,distribution and pathogenicity of Lasiodiplodia species associated with dieback of table grape in the main Brazilian exporting region

Botryosphaeria dieback is an important disease of table grape in the São Francisco Valley, the main Brazilian exporting region. The objectives of this study were to identify species of Lasiodiplodia associated with botryosphaeria dieback of table grapes in the São Francisco Valley, investigate the prevalence and distribution of the species in the region, and evaluate their pathogenicity and virulence in green shoots of table grape. A total of 112 Lasiodiplodia isolates were obtained from 14 vineyards, located in Casa Nova, Juazeiro and Petrolina. Fungal identifications were made using phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of translation elongation factor 1‐α (EF1‐α) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, in combination with morphometric characteristics of conidia. Eight species of Lasiodiplodia were identified: L. brasiliense, L. crassispora, L. egyptiacae, L. euphorbicola, L. hormozganensis, L. jatrophicola, L. pseudotheobromae and L. theobromae. Except for L. crassispora, L. pseudotheobromae and L. theobromae, all the other species are reported for the first time on grapevine worldwide. The distribution of Lasiodiplodia species differed between the three table grape populations of São Francisco Valley. All Lasiodiplodia species isolated in this study were present in the population of Casa Nova and Lasiodiplodia theobromae was the most prevalent. All species of Lasiodiplodia were pathogenic on detached green shoots of grapevine, with L. brasiliense being the most virulent.     

Effect of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine Supplementation in Semen Extenders on Semen Quality and Reactive Oxygen Species of Chilled Canine Spermatozoa

The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of chilled dog semen processed with extenders containing various concentrations of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC). Ejaculates from five dogs were collected, pooled and evaluated for concentration, motility, rapid steady forward movement (RSF‐movement), viability, acrosomal integrity and by the hypo‐osmotic swelling test (HOST). In addition, superoxide anion (O₂^‐?) production, hydroxyl radicals (OH^?) and total reactive oxygen species (tROS) were determined. The pool was divided into five aliquots, which were diluted to a final concentration of 66.66 × 10⁶ spermatozoa/ml with Tris‐glucose‐egg yolk extender containing one of the following concentrations of NAC (0, 0.5, 1, 2.5 or 5 mm ). The semen aliquots were chilled and preserved at 4°C. Semen quality was evaluated after rewarming at 72 h. Sperm motility was significantly higher with the 0.5 mm concentration compared with the control group (p = 0.001). Rapid steady forward movement was higher with the 0.5 and 1 mm concentrations compared with the control and 5 mm group (p < 0.001). Viability and HOST percentages were not significantly altered. Compared with the control, the 5 mm concentration showed significantly reduced percentages of spermatozoa with normal acrosomes (p = 0.049). None of the ROS values at 72 h were significantly affected by the presence of NAC in semen extenders, although all NAC concentrations showed lower O₂^‐? and OH^? values compared with the control. Only the concentrations of 1 and 5 mm inhibited the significant increase of tROS values after 72 h, compared with the fresh semen value. In conclusion, NAC supplementation of semen extenders is beneficial to semen motility of canine spermatozoa during chilling with the 0.5 mm concentration being the most effective, although no significant ROS inhibition was observed at 72 h.     

Chemical composition of Eucalyptus spp. essential oils and their insecticidal effects on Lutzomyia longipalpis

The chemical composition of essential oils from three species of plants belonging to the Eucalyptus genus was determined and, their insecticidal effects on egg, larva and adult phases of Lutzomyia longipalpis were assessed. The insects were collected in the municipality of Sobral in the State of Ceará, Brazil. Five treatments with different concentrations were performed along with two negative controls, distilled water and Tween 80 (3%), and a positive control, cypermethrin (0.196 mg/ml). The tests were carried out in plastic pots internally coated with sterile plaster and filled with a substrate made of rabbit feces and crushed cassava leaves. The eggs, larvae and adults were sprayed with the oils. The hatched larvae were counted for 10 consecutive days and observed until pupation. Insect mortality was observed after 24, 48 and 72 h. E. staigeriana oil was the most effective on all three phases of the insect, followed by E. citriodora and E. globulus oils, respectively. The major constituents of the oils were Z-citral and alpha-citral (E. staigeriana), citronellal (E. citriodora) and 1,8-cineole (E. globulus). The Eucalyptus essential oils constitute alternative natural products for the control of L. longipalpis since the median effective concentration (EC₅₀) values revealed relevant action as compared with other natural products, some of their chemical constituents are already known for their insecticidal activity and these oils are produced in commercial scale in Brazil.     

The use of mobile devices with multi-tag technologies for an overall contextualized vineyard management

This paper describes a Viticulture Service-Oriented Framework (VSOF) which turns around context elements or tags that are placed in the field and which can be decoded by mobile devices such as mobile phones or PDAs. The tags are used to automatically associate a field location to the relevant database tables or records and also to access contextual information or services. By pointing a mobile device to a tag, the viticulturalist may download data such as climatic data or upload information such as disease and pest incidence in a simple way, without having to provide coordinates or any other references, and without having to return to a central office. This work is part of an effort to implement a large-scale distributed cooperative network in the Douro Demarcated Region in Northeast Portugal, a region in which the effort makes particular sense due to the extremely variable topography and mesoclimates. The possibility of exchanging contextualized information and accessing contextualized services in the field, using well-known devices such as cell phones, may contribute to increase the rate of adoption of information technology in viticulture, and contribute to more efficient and closer-to-the-crops practices.     

Co-feeding of live feed and inert diet from first-feeding affects Artemia lipid digestibility and retention in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) larvae

The present study intended to evaluate the effects of early introduction of inert diet in lipid digestibility and metabolism of sole, while larval feed intake, growth and survival were also monitored. Solea senegalensis larvae were reared on a standard live feed regime (ST) and co-feeding regime with inert diet (Art R). Trials using sole larvae fed with Artemia enriched with two different lipid emulsions, containing glycerol tri [1-¹⁴C] oleate (TAG) and L-3-phosphatidylcholine-1,2-di-[1-¹⁴C] oleoyl (PL), were performed at 9 and 17 days after hatching (DAH) to study lipid utilization. Co-feeding did not affect sole survival rates (ST 59.1 ± 15.9%; Art R 69.56 ± 9.3%), but was reflected in significantly smaller final weight at 16 DAH (ST 0.71 ± 0.20; Art R 0.48 ± 0.14 mg). Higher feed intake was observed in sole larvae fed on Artemia enriched with labeled PL at 9 DAH but not at 17 DAH. At 17 DAH, the smaller larvae (Art R treatment) ingested proportionally more Artemia in weight percentage, independently of enrichment. At 9 DAH lipid digestibility was equal among treatments and higher than 90%, while at 17 DAH it was higher in ST treatment (around 73%) compared to the Art R group (around 66%). Lipid retention efficiency at 9 DAH was higher in the Art R treatment, reaching values of 50%, while these values almost duplicated at 17 DAH, ranging up to 80% in both treatments without significant differences. These results show that co-feeding of live feed and inert diet from first-feeding in Senegalese sole has a toll in terms of growth and lipid digestibility but does not seem to compromise lipid metabolic utilization.     

Anthelmintic activity of Croton zehntneri and Lippia sidoides essential oils

Because of the development of anthelmintic resistant populations, the search for new drugs is essential to maintain the productivity of small ruminants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of Croton zehntneri and Lippia sidoides essential oils and their major constituents, anethole and thymol. The effects of these oils and their constituents were determined by in vitro assays with the eggs and larvae of the sheep gastrointestinal nematode Haemonchus contortus. The two essential oils were evaluated on intestinal nematodes of mice at 800 mg kg(-1) dose. In the last experiment, the mice were treated with larger doses of L. sidoides, 1200 and 1600 mg kg(-1). The essential oils and their constituents prevented more than 98% of the H. contortus eggs from hatching at a concentration of 1.25 mg ml(-1) and inhibited more than 90% of H. contortus larval development at a concentration of 10 mg ml(-1). At a concentration of 800 mg kg(-1), the two essential oils were 46.3% and 11.64% effective against Syphacia obvelata and Aspiculuris tetraptera. At 1200 and 1600 mg kg(-1), L. sidoides essential oil's efficacy on the mouse worm burden was 57.6% and 68.9%, respectively. The fact that L. sidoides essential oil was almost 70% effective against mouse intestinal nematodes indicates it should be evaluated against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep and goats.     

Effect of dietary bile extracts on serum response of astaxanthin in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): a preliminary study

Effects of porcine bile extracts added at three different dietary concentrations 0, 10 and 20 g kg^?1 were studied on astaxanthin serum concentration in rainbow trout (mean weight 200 ± 7 g). Astaxanthin from micro‐algae Haematococcus pluvialis and synthetic astaxanthin (CAROPHYLL® pink) were incorporated in diets of rainbow trout at a rate of 100 mg astaxanthin kg^?1 of feed. Fish were hand fed twice a day. After 5 days of feeding there was a significant effect of the pigment source on the ratio (total blood astaxanthin per unit body weight to cumulative astaxanthin intake per unit body weight). Trout receiving synthetic astaxanthin showed a significantly (P < 0.05) higher ratio than trout fed algal astaxanthin. Increasing dietary bile extract did not lead to produce any effect on this ratio. The power of the statistical analysis is discussed. Therefore, the interaction (pigment source × dietary bile concentration) showed no more effect.     

Effects of conservation treatment and cooking on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Portuguese wild edible mushrooms

The effects of processing and cooking practices on the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Portuguese wild edible mushroom species (Lactarius deliciosus, Macrolepiota mastoidea, Macrolepiota procera, and Sarcodon imbricatus) were investigated. Dried, frozen, and cooked samples were analyzed for proximate constituents (moisture, fat, crude protein, ash, and carbohydrates) and nutritional value. Fatty acid and sugar profiles were also obtained by gas-liquid chromatography/flame ionization detection and high-performance liquid chromatography/refraction index, respectively. The antioxidant properties were evaluated by several biochemical assays: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity, reducing power, inhibition of beta-carotene bleaching, and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in brain tissue using thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Results of this study show that mushroom species and processing and cooking practices are all effective determinants for either chemical composition or antioxidant properties. Cooked samples proved to have lower nutrient concentrations and lower antioxidant activities than either dried or frozen samples. In what concerns fatty acids and sugar individual profiles, only cooking proved to be relevant: The cooked samples presented higher monounsaturated fatty acid and lower polyunsaturated fatty acid and sugars contents.     

Longer wavelengths of light improve the growth, intake and feed efficiency of individually reared juvenile pikeperch Sander lucioperca (L.)

We tested the effects of monochromatic light on the specific growth rate (SGR), feed intake and feed efficiency (FE) of juvenile pikeperch, Sander lucioperca (L.). Pikeperch were reared individually for 42 days in aquaria covered with blue, green, yellow or red gelatin filters or white paper (control; n =5). Linear regression analysis indicated a significant positive effect of longer wavelengths of light on the condition factor (CF), FE and SGR. The final weight, SGR and CF were significantly higher in fish reared under red than under white light, and FE was better under green, yellow and red light than under white light (Dunnett's post hoc test, P <0.05) while blue was comparable to white light in terms of the measured parameters. After the growth trial, the spectral sensitivity of photoreceptor cells in the retina was tested using microspectrophotometry, which revealed the presence of rods with λ_max at ca. 530 nm and two cone classes, absorbing maximally at ca. 535 and 603 nm, all containing a porphyropsin-based pigment. These results suggest that the presence of mid and long wavelength-sensitive cones enhances visual sensitivity under mid-wavelength and long-wavelength environments, and thus supports the finding that longer wavelengths of incoming light can improve FE and SGR of the cultivated pikeperch.     

Lipid enrichment for Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) larvae: effect on larval growth, survival and fatty acid profile

Results from three larval Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) feeding trials using non-enriched Artemia and Artemia enriched with Super HUFA®, Arasco®, sunflower oil and microalgae are presented and the effects on larval survival, growth and fatty acid (FA) composition are reported. The FA profile of Senegalese sole eggs was analysed to gather information about the nutritional requirements of the early larval stages and a quite high DHA/EPA ratio (4.3) was found. However, there was no evidence of a high dietary demand for DHA or EPA, given that no relationship was found between dietary HUFA concentration and larval growth and survival. When larvae were fed non-enriched Artemia a significantly better growth and comparable survival were obtained than with Artemia enriched with Super HUFA® (containing the highest HUFA level and DHA/EPA ratio). The FA profiles of the larvae generally reflected those of their diets. DHA was an exception, as it was present in high proportions, even in larvae fed DHA-deficient prey. Total FAME concentration decreased during larval development, with SFA, MUFA and PUFA being equally consumed; HUFA appeared to be less used, with its relative concentration being either kept constant (particularly EPA and ARA) or increased (DHA). A specific requirement for ARA in the first larval stages could not be confirmed but it was always present in considerable amounts, even in larvae fed an ARA poor diet.