Impact of cultivar, harvesting time, and seasonal variation on the content of biophenols in olive mill waste

Olive mill waste (OMW) contains substantial amounts of valuable antioxidant biophenols that can be recovered for possible applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. However, the impact of cultivar, harvesting time, and seasonal variation on the phenolic composition of OMW has not yet been assessed. Total phenols, antioxidant activity, and phenol profiles of OMW extracts from five different Australian-grown cultivars (Barnea, Correggiola, Manzanillo, Mission, and Paragon) were studied at four different harvesting times in the 2004 season. The impact of seasonal variation was assessed by comparing total phenol content, antioxidant activity, and phenol profile of two cultivars (Correggiola and Mission) harvested in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. The phenol content and antioxidant activity at different harvesting times were mainly a function of the olive cultivar. Harvesting time had a quantitative effect rather than a qualitative effect on the phenol profile. Intercultivar and harvesting time variation accounted for a 2-5-fold change in the total phenol and antioxidant capacity, while levels of individual biophenols experienced up to 50-fold change. The phenol content and antioxidant capacity of OMW significantly changed between seasons with different variation patterns for different cultivars.     

伊朗里海森林山坡上生长的欧洲鹅耳根系分布和抗张强度研究

对生长在伊朗北部丘陵地带的8株欧洲鹅耳的根面积比率和根系拉伸强度进行了测定,评估了欧洲鹅耳根系生物力学特性。应用剖面挖掘法测得土层深度为0．1米的样品根面积比率。共用了123份根样品分析根系拉伸强度。结果表明,根面积比率随土层深度增加而减小,变化规律遵从幂函数;上坡面和下坡面根面积比率无统计差别。根系可达到的最大土层深度为0．75米,但是最大根面积比率存在于土层深度0．1米内。下坡面最小和最大根面积比率分别为0．004％和6．431％;而上坡面的根面积比率分别为0．004％和3．995％。上、下坡面根数无显著差异,而且90％以上的根系深入到50-60厘米的土层中。Spearman双变量相关性分析结果表明,根面积比率与根数无显著关系。平均根拉伸强度为31．51±1．05MPa,且根系直径越粗根拉伸强度越小,遵从幂函数变化。图5表1参38。     

Effects of date palm leaf fiber on the thermal and tensile properties of recycled ternary polyolefin blend composites

This work investigated the effects of date palm leaf fiber (DPLF) content on the thermal and tensile properties; and morphology of compatibilized polyolefin ternary blend. Recycled polyolefin ternary blend consisting of low density polyethylene (RLDPE), high density polyethylene (RHDPE) and polypropylene (RPP) were fabricated at different parts per hundred resin (phr) of DPLF. Maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (MAPE) was used as compatibilizer to enhance the adhesion between filler and polymer matrix. The composites were prepared using melt extrusion and tests samples were produced via injection molding process. Thermal conductivity results showed that as much as 11 % reduction in thermal conductivity was achieved with the incorporation of 30 phr DPLF. Highest tensile strength was observed with the incorporation of 10 phr DPLF. The elongation at break was reduced with the addition of DPLF due to impediment of chain mobility by the fillers. Initial degradation temperature increased with the addition of DPLF. Hence, it is concluded that DPLF can be used to develop green and thermally insulating composites. It is hoped that the present results will stimulate further studies on the thermally insulative materials based on natural fibers reinforced polymer composites for applications in the building industries.     

Diversity of root-knot nematodes in Moroccan olive nurseries and orchards: does <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne javanica</Emphasis> disperse according to invasion processes?

Background

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are major pest of olive tree (Olea europaea ssp. europaea), especially in nurseries and high-density orchards. Soil samples were collected from main olive growing areas of Morocco, to characterize Meloidogyne species and to discuss the contribution of biotic and abiotic factors in their spatial distribution.

Results

RKN were found in 159 soil samples out of 305 from nurseries (52.1% occurrence) and in 11 out of 49 soil samples from orchards (23.2% occurrence). Biochemical and molecular characterisation (PAGE esterase and SCAR) revealed the dominance of M. javanica both in nurseries and orchards with minor presence of M. incognita only in nurseries, and M. arenaria in only one nursery. RKN were distributed on aggregated basis. Frequent presence of M. javanica in orchards might have come from nurseries. In contrast, the detection of M. incognita in nurseries alone suggests that this species could not reproduce in orchards because of either the competition with other plant-parasitic nematodes or unfit local habitats. The impact of environmental variables (climate, habitat origin and physicochemical characteristics of the substrates) on the distribution of Meloidogyne species is also discussed.

Conclusion

Olive nurseries in Morocco are not able to guarantee the safety of rooted plants. As a result, olive production systems are exposed to strong RKN invasion risks. Consequently, the use of healthy substrates in nurseries may prevent plant-parasitic nematode induction in orchards.

     

Effects of carbohydrate source and polyethylene glycol on maturation and germination of somatic embryos in walnut (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Juglans regia</Emphasis> L.)

Low efficiency of somatic embryo maturation, germination, and conversion to plantlets is a major problem in many species including J. regia L. Germination efficiency of somatic embryos is very low in walnut. In this study, effects of two carbohydrate sources, sucrose and maltose (each at 3% and 6%), and two kinds of PEG (4000 and 6000) (each at four levels of 1.5%, 3%, 5% and 7.5%) on maturation and germination of walnut embryos were tested. The number of somatic embryos increased conspicuously on medium containing PEG. Furthermore, higher levels of PEG-4000 (7.5%) could remarkably enhance the morphogenesis of somatic embryos and the number of embryos produced. PEG-4000 stimulated somatic embryo maturation of walnut. This stimulatory effect was dependent on the carbohydrate source used. Sucrose in combination with PEG-4000 produced 50% of cotyledonary and normal somatic embryos. Different concentrations of PEG were effective on the number of embryos with a shoot meristem. PEG-4000 7.5% and sucrose 3.0% produced the highest rate (50.0%) of normal shooting embryos. However, PEG (4000, 6000) and maltose caused an unfavorable effect and increased the frequency of abnormal shaped somatic embryos.     

药隔期低温胁迫对小麦干物质积累、转运和分配及产量的影响

为探明药隔期低温胁迫对小麦产量的影响,以烟农19、新麦26为供试材料,在小麦药隔期进行不同程度(T1:2℃/4h、T2:0℃/4h、T3:-2℃/4h)的低温处理,研究药隔期低温胁迫对小麦干物质积累、转运和分配及产量的影响.结果 表明:药隔期低温胁迫显著降低小麦干物质积累量,不同抗倒春寒性小麦品种间干物质积累量存在差异,抗倒春寒性弱的小麦品种降幅更大.其中烟农19的T1、T2、T3处理分别降低33.4％、46.2％和54.7％,而新麦26则分别降低了50.1％、59.3％和72.4％.不同处理小麦籽粒、穗轴+颖壳、茎鞘+叶的干物质积累量均低于CK,且随着低温胁迫程度的加重呈明显降低趋势.小麦花前干物质的转运量、转运效率以及花前贮藏干物质对籽粒的贡献率均随着低温胁迫程度加重呈降低趋势.同时低温胁迫显著降低小麦籽粒和穗轴+颖壳的干物质分配比例,增加茎鞘+叶的分配比例.T1、T2和T3处理显著降低了小麦的穗粒数和千粒重及籽粒产量,烟农19的T1、T2和T3处理分别减产56.06％、86.36％和98.10％;新麦26的T1、T2和T3处理分别减产96.15％、98.07％和98.46％.药隔期低温胁迫显著降低小麦干物质的积累量、花前干物质的转运量、转运效率以及花前贮藏干物质对籽粒的贡献率和籽粒干物质分配比例,严重减少光合同化物向穗部的转运和分配,影响穗部小花的正常发育,从而导致穗粒数的减少,这是造成小麦减产的主要原因.     

Cross-resistance and inheritance of resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis toxin Cry1Ac in diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella L) from lowland Malaysia

A field population of Plutella xylostella from Malaysia (SERD4) was divided into five sub-populations and four were selected (G2-G5) with the Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal (Cry) toxins Cry1Ac, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ca and Cry1Da. Bioassay at G6 gave resistance ratios of 88, 5, 2 and 3 for Cry1Ac, Cry1Ab, Cry1Ca and Cry1Da respectively compared with the unselected sub-population (UNSEL-SERD4). The Cry1Ac-selected population showed little cross-resistance to Cry1Ab, Cry1Ca and Cry1Da, (3-, 2- and 3-fold compared with UNSEL-SERD4), whereas the Cry1Ab-SEL sub-population showed marked cross-resistance to Cry1Ac (40-fold), much greater than Cry1Ab itself. In contrast, the Cry1Ca- and Cry1Da-SEL sub-population showed little if any cross-resistance to Cry1Ac and Cry1Ab. The mode of inheritance of resistance to Cry1Ac was examined in Cry1Ac-selected SERD4 by standard reciprocal crosses and back-crosses using a laboratory insecticide-susceptible population (ROTH). Logit regression analysis of F1 reciprocal crosses indicated that resistance to Cry1Ac was inherited as an incompletely dominant trait. At the highest dose of Cry1Ac tested, resistance was recessive, while at the lowest dose it was almost completely dominant. The F2 progeny from a back-cross of F1 progeny with ROTH were tested with a concentration of Cry1Ac that would kill 100% of ROTH. The mortality ranged between 50 and 95% in seven families of back-cross progeny, which indicated that more than one allele on separate loci were responsible for resistance to Cry1Ac.     

欧洲玉米螟雌蛾鳞片提取液对玉米螟赤眼蜂寄主搜索行为的影响

许多膜翅目寄生蜂在寄主栖息地和寄主定位过程中受化学刺激物的支配(Weseloh,1981;Noldus,1989),在寄主定向和接受行为方面,赤眼蜂利用多种来源于寄主的化学刺激物——利它素(Nordlund等,1976)。寄主鳞片及鳞片正己烷提取物可增强赤眼蜂寄主搜索反应和提高对寄主的寄生率(Lewis等,1972、1985;Shu等,1986;Noldus,1989;王锦举等,1990)。玉米螟赤眼蜂是亚洲玉米螟的优势卵寄生蜂(张荆等,1990),引进到德国后经室内研究表明,其对欧洲玉米螟卵的偏嗜性很强,箱笼及温室条件下对欧洲玉米螟卵     

Growth and Apparent Absorption of Minerals in Broiler Chicks Fed Diets with Low or High Tannin Contents

Sorghum grains with low (0.28 per cent catechin equivalent (%CE) or high (1.36 %CE)) tannin contents were used to study the effect of tannin on growth and on the apparent absorption of Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Fe and Co by chickens. High-tannin sorghum caused a highly significant (p0.01) reduction in the weight gain and feed intake of broiler chicks compared to low-tannin sorghum and increased the feed conversion ratio (p0.01). The amount of tannin did not affect mortality. The apparent absorption of Ca, P, Mg, Na, K, Fe and Co was reduced (p0.01) by feeding sorghum grains with a high tannin content.