Antioxidant activity of fresh and processed Jalapeño and Serrano peppers

In this research, total phenols, flavonoids, capsaicinoids, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity (ORAC, hydroxyl radical, DPPH, and TEAC assays) of fresh and processed (pickled and chipotle canned) Jalapen?o and Serrano peppers were determined. All fresh and processed peppers contained capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nordihydrocapsaicin, even though the latter could be quantified only in fresh peppers. Processed peppers contained lower amounts of phytochemicals and had lower antioxidant activity, compared to fresh peppers. Good correlations between total phenols and ascorbic acid with antioxidant activity were observed. Elimination of chlorophylls by silicic acid chromatography reduced the DPPH scavenging activity of the extracts, compared to crude extracts, confirming the antioxidant activity of chlorophylls present in Jalapen?o and Serrano peppers.     

Storage proteins from Lathyrus sativus seeds

The proteins from Lathyrus sativus Linn. (chickling vetch or grass pea) seeds were investigated. Protein constitutes approximately 20% of the seed dry weight, >60% of which is composed by globulins and 30% by albumins. A single, 24 kDa polypeptide comprises more than half of the protein present in the albumin fraction. The globulins may be fractionated into three main components, which were named alpha-lathyrin (the major globulin), beta-lathyrin, and gamma-lathyrin. alpha-Lathyrin, with a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 18S, is composed of three main types of unglycosylated subunits (50-66 kDa), each of which produce, upon reduction, a heavy and a light polypeptide chain, by analogy with 11S. beta-Lathyrin, with a sedimentation coefficient of 13S, is composed by a relatively large number of subunits (8-66 kDa). Two major polypeptides are glycosylated and exhibit structural similarity with beta-conglutin from Lupinus albus. One of these possesses an internal disulfide bond. gamma-Lathyrin, with a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 5S, contains two interacting, unglycosylated polypeptides, with no disulfide bonds: the major 24 kDa albumin and the heavier (20 kDa) polypeptide chain of La. sativus lectin.     

New genetic recombination in hypervariable regions of the white spot syndrome virus isolated from Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) in northwest Mexico

The white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a pathogen of great concern to the worldwide shrimp culture. In comparative studies on the WSSV genome, regions such as the open reading frame (ORF) 14–15 and ORF 23–24, prone to deletions and recombination, had been useful to study the evolutive relationships among viral strains. When looking for the WSSV strains infecting Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone) in northwest Mexico, we found evidence of a genetic similarity in ORF 14–15 to a strain from India and a recombination involving ORFs 78, 79 and 80. Two genotypes were found involving the insertion of a 265 base‐pair segment of ORF 108 into ORF 78 with inversions and deletions within ORFs 78, 79 and 80. The WSSV has an Asian origin and the mutations found could be an adaptation strategy to infect L. vannamei and other crustacean species of the American continent.     

Variation in morphology and seed production of snow clover [<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trifolium pratense</Emphasis> L. subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">nivale</Emphasis> (Koch) Arcang.] germplasm from the Rhaetian Alps,Italy

A recent approach to restoration of degraded mountain landscapes (e.g. ski slopes) recommend to sow seed mixtures including ‘site-specific’ species, i.e. native germplasm adapted to the prevailing conditions and ecologically compatible with the area of intervention. To better exploit the potential of these species and enhance their spread in revegetation projects, deeper knowledge is needed, however, on the existing variation in their germplasm, particularly for economically useful traits such as seed yield. Snow clover is one of the recommended ‘site-specific’ legumes. This study evaluated 12 populations of snow clover, collected in three valleys of the Rhaetian Alps, Italy, to assess their variation and highlight any promising material. The evaluation encompassed a mountain and a lowland site, to verify the behaviour of the germplasm also in one environment markedly different from that of origin. Differences among valleys were observed for flower colour, growth habit and type, flowering time and susceptibility to mildew, although the overall pattern of phenotypic diversity was similar among valleys. Some effect of the evaluation site on the expression of morphological and seed production traits, and on the overall diversity, was also evident. Furthermore, the lowland site experienced very high plant mortality towards the end of the first growing season. Individual populations proved a valuable source of variation for seed production. Some populations, in particular, were worth of attention for a possible selection of high-seed-yielding snow clover cultivars. An assessment of the mating system suggested a lack of self-tripping or an almost absolute self-incompatibility in snow clover.     

Use of raw and acidified biochars as constituents of growth media for forest seedling production

New Forests - In plant nurseries devoted to the propagation of shrubs and trees for landscaping, gardening or forestry it is first concern to produce robust seedlings which resist the stress of...     

Heavy Metals Contamination in Century-Old Manmade Technosols of Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula

Technosols are anthropogenic soils that may be strongly impacted by heavy metal deposition, which have not yet been described in Antarctica. In this paper, we present a chemical study of what is supposedly the oldest manmade soil from Antarctic Peninsula, developed in the vicinity of Trinity House and Nordenskjold Hut at Hope Bay. Chemical and morphological soil attributes indicate that a former ornithogenic site (penguin rookery) was further subjected to human disturbance, following local exploration since 1903. We detected very high amounts of heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. For the most impacted site, pseudototal concentrations of these elements reach 47, 2,082, 19,381, and 5,225 mg kg^?1, respectively. Enrichment factors were calculated using Zr as reference element, and high values were found for these contaminated sites, qualifying some of them as extremely polluted. Also, both the mobilizable and mobile fraction of Cd and Pb indicate the need of intervention in the affected area. These findings are all consistent with the human impacts and strong contamination. Strong positive correlation between the pseudototal concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn indicates a similar source of pollution. These soils may represent the oldest Technosols in Antarctic Continent.     

万寿菊：铬植物修复的潜在价值

Environmental pollution with chromium(Cr) is harmful to humans, animals and plants, while in plants it causes diminished growth,anatomical alterations and death. In the present study, the potential value of marigold(Tagetes erecta) in the phytoremediation of Cr has been investigated. The randomized experimental design involved the exposure of plants to nutrient solutions containing 0.00,0.04, 0.08, 0.12, 0.16 or 0.24 mmol L~(-1)Cr(Ⅲ). Chromium toxicity was observed at Cr(Ⅲ) concentrations ≥ 0.12 mmol L~(-1) as demonstrated by diminished growth of the aerial parts and reduced density of the root system. Increasing Cr(Ⅲ) concentrations in the nutrient solution resulted in a higher bioaccumulation of total Cr in the tissues, although translocation from roots to aerial parts was not efficient(maximum value of 25% at 0.12 mmol L~(-1)Cr(Ⅲ)). The Cr bioaccumulation was up to 11-fold greater in roots than in the aerial parts. Tagetes erecta exhibited leaf plasticity when exposed to Cr, indicating the existence of a tolerance mechanism to Cr in this species. Chromium caused a reduction in xilem vases, resulting in a plastic effect in T. erecta leaves that increased the metal tolerance in culture solution. Tagetes spp. are potential Cr hyperaccumulators; at Cr(Ⅲ) concentrations up to 0.12 mmol L~(-1), the plants accumulated levels above that proposed for hyperaccumulators and still maintained a considerable growth and even flourished. However, this study was conducted in nutrient solution, and studies on species confirmation as Cr hyperaccumulator should be conducted in soils for further clarification.     

Assessment of platelet function in horses: ultrastructure, flow cytometry, and perfusion techniques

We studied equine platelet function and activation using ultrastructural examination, flow cytometry, and perfusion. The main aim of the study was to evaluate hemostatic mechanisms in horses using these techniques. Ultrastructural observations were done on resting and activated platelets. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate binding of antibodies to major platelet glycoproteins (GPIIb-IIIa, GPIV, and GPIb) and activation-dependent antigens (P-selectin and lysosomal integral membrane protein [LIMP]). Perfusion techniques were used to evaluate the interaction between platelets and damaged subendothelium. Aggregation experiments were done to identify the best agonists for flow cytometry. Ultrastructural observations confirmed that equine platelets lack a developed open canalicular system and that release of granule contents occurs by fusion of adjacent granule membranes that ultimately connect with external membranes. Flow cytometry identified a 2-fold increase in binding of antibodies against GPIIb-IIIa and GPIV after activation. Binding of antibodies against P-selectin and LIMP increased from 2.12 and 1.74% to 15.5 and 11.6%, respectively, in response to thrombin and to 21.86 and 10.50%, respectively, in response to collagen. Annexin V binding increased moderately after activation. Perfusion experiments with citrated blood indicated that equine platelets react more strongly to subendothelium than do human platelets. When blood was anticoagulated with low molecular weight heparin, a marked impairment of platelet interactions was observed. In conclusion, although some differences were observed between human and equine platelet function, some techniques currently used to assess human platelet function may be useful to assess equine platelets.     

Variability of the compression properties of cork

The variability of the compression properties of cork was determined after field sampling covering the main production area in Portugal (10 sites) with samples taken from 20 trees per site at the time of cork stripping. In all cases, cork showed compressive stress–strain curves typical for cellular materials, which are characterized by an approximately “elastic” region up to a 5 % strain, followed by a large plateau up to 70 % strain caused by progressive buckling of cell walls, and a steep stress increase for higher strains corresponding to cell collapse. The radial direction of compression offered higher strength. The Young’s moduli averaged 10.4 and 9.2 MPa for radial and non-radial directions, respectively, spreading from 3.5 to 22.5 MPa for the non-radial and 4.2 to 21.5 MPa for the radial directions. The geographical location of cork production was the major factor of variability. Density, annual growth ring width and chemical composition influenced compression. Cork samples with higher density showed overall larger resistance to compression. The energy absorbed per unit volume to achieve the maximal deformation with full densification of cork is higher when the average annual ring width is smaller. Cork samples with relatively higher suberin content required less stress for deformation. The results encompass the natural variability of cork and are the most extensive to characterize cork. They allow a better insight into the differences that may explain the variation in cork properties and strengthen its use either in the known applications, i.e. as a sealant, or in novel applications.