The Caldenal ecosystem: Effects of a prescribed burning on soil chemical properties

Before and after a prescribed burning, the upper 2.5 cm of soil in patches of forage, nonforage, and shrub vegetation were sampled. Then, bulk density, gravimetric moisture, pH in water, available phosphorus, exchangeable cations, cationic exchange capacity, total nitrogen, total, particulate, and mineral organic carbon contents were determined. Maximum temperature ranges reached over the ground during burning were measured and the highest values were registered in shrubs. Results showed that total, particulate, and mineral organic carbon and total nitrogen contents and percent base saturation increased in all soils after burning, without detecting differential effects between vegetation patches. After burning, available phosphorus content increased both for forage and shrub patches. A Na⁺ content decrease was observed for all soils in the different patches while Mg²⁺ content increased. No changes in the other analyzed variables were observed. Prescribed burning, as studied in the present work, might improve the Caldenal soils’ chemical fertility, mainly due to an increase in labile organic matter and some nutrients essential for plant growth.     

Amaranth Peptides from Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion: Antioxidant Activity Against Reactive Species

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - We evaluated the capacity of simulated gastrointestinal digests or alcalase hydrolysates of protein isolates from amaranth to scavenge diverse physiologically...     

Chalinulasterol, a chlorinated steroid disulfate from the Caribbean sponge Chalinula molitba. Evaluation of its role as PXR receptor modulator

Chalinulasterol (1) a new chlorinated sterol disulfate was isolated from the Caribbean sponge Chalinula molitba. Its structure was elucidated using mass spectrometry and NMR experiments. The possible role of chalinulasterol as modulator of the PXR nuclear receptor was investigated but, in spite of the close structural relationship with the PXR agonist solomonsterol A (2), it showed no activity. The structural requirements for the PXR nuclear receptor activity were discussed.     

Hydrocarbon and fatty acid composition of cheese as affected by the pasture vegetation type

The determination of the geographical origin of dairy products is an ongoing issue. In this paper the effects of botanical diversity of two pastures on the hydrocarbon and fatty acid composition of cheese fat were studied, over 2 years of experimentation. Two areas in the Italian southwestern Alpine region, dominated by Trifolium alpinum (T) and Festuca nigrescens (F) vegetation, respectively, were chosen, and milk obtained from cows grazing on these pastures was used to produce a semihard traditional cheese. Cheese samples showed a significantly different composition of most linear hydrocarbons, odd-chain (C15, C17, and C17:1) and unsaturated (trans-11,cis-15-C18:2, C18:3, C20:4n-6, C20:4n-3, and 20:5n-3) fatty acids, according to pasture type. The ratio between C(29) and C(27) linear hydrocarbons, unlike the absolute content of the single molecules, showed a good discriminating ability between the two pastures and was little affected by the natural variability due to the climatic and environmental factors.     

First report of the use of meglumine antimoniate for treatment of canine leishmaniasis in a pregnant dog

Canine leishmaniasis during pregnancy is rarely reported, even in countries where the infection in dogs is endemic. The authors report a case of a 4 yr old bitch with leishmaniasis treated with meglumine antimoniate during pregnancy. The pregnancy and delivery were normal and the bitch presented improvement of the infection during treatment. Three puppies died within 2 days of birth and tested negative via real-time PCR for L. infantum. The two surviving puppies were followed clinically, serologically, and by real-time PCR until 1 yr of age with no evidence of congenital leishmaniasis. L. infantum DNA was detected with real-time PCR analysis of uterine tissue from the bitch at the time of ovariohysterectomy. PCR analysis was performed after an ovariohysterectomy of the bitch that was performed two months after parturition. Meglumine antimoniate use in the pregnant bitch may have prevented vertical transmission of leishmaniasis.     

Malignant melanoma in a seagull (Larus fuscus): morphological and immunohistochemical approach

A common seagull (Larus fuscus) was found near the southern coast of Italy by the veterinarians of the local wild animal rescue center. Physical examination of the bird revealed an ulcerated mass involving a majority of the oral cavity; the mass did not allow for normal feeding. After the bird died necropsy was performed and the mass was histologically and immunohistochemically examined. The morphology and the immunoreactivity for Melan-A and S-100 antigens led to a diagnosis of malignant melanoma. This is the first case of malignant melanoma described in a seagull, and herein we compare the characteristics of the present case with malignant melanoma already described in domestic animals.     

Amount and speciation of N leached from a sandy soil fertilized with urea,liquid digestate,struvite and NH4-enriched chabazite zeolite-tuff

The large use and the bad management of fertilizers that are applied to soil for improving crop production have dramatically impaired soil, water, and air quality. To meet the requirements to reduce nitrogen (N) losses and all the related negative impacts on the environment and food production, it is mandatory to substitute or at least partially substitute the use of inefficient and unsustainable fertilizers with more efficient alternatives. The aim of this paper was to address the amount and speciation of the N released by a sandy soil fertilized with “slow-release fertilizers” and traditional fertilizers (urea and liquid digestate) by means of a series of column leaching experiments. The slow-release alternatives were represented by NH₄-enriched zeolitic tuff and struvite, both obtained by recovering the N from liquid digestate. The treatments consisted of sandy soil fertilized with (i) urea (U) (ii) liquid digestate (LD), (iii) NH₄-enriched zeolitic tuff (N-CHA) and (iv) struvite (STRV). Eight different flushing events were performed over 38 days, leachates were collected and analysed for total Kjeldahl N, organic-N, NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N, NO₂⁻-N and pH. U and LD lost the majority of N within the first 2 flushing events as organic N and NH₄⁺-N, respectively. On the other hand, STRV and N-CHA lost less N over the whole course of the experiment and with more balanced speciation. The mass balance outlined that after the experiment, native soil N was mined in U and LD treatments while in N-CHA and STRV a fraction of N from the fertilizers was still present. The results showed a slow release of N which can be used more efficiently in agricultural applications, minimizing the N losses.     

Italian common bean landraces: diversity and population structure

Phaseolus vulgaris L. is an important species that originated in Mesoamerica. A Mesoamerican and an Andean gene pool are usually distinguished in the domesticated forms. Many bean landraces are still cultivated in Italy and the Department of Applied Biology maintains an ex situ collection of 146 landraces. Although protection schemes are being developed in Italy, most landraces are extinct or at risk of extinction. To facilitate their conservation and use, geographical, morphological, biochemical and molecular (SSR) data were collected and analysed to estimate the diversity and the genetic structure of the collection. Data confirmed that both the Mesoamerican and the Andean gene pools were introduced in Italy and, although a distinction between the two gene pools exists, the Italian landrace diversity is clearly structured in three clusters that are not simply ascribable to the original gene pools. The observed structure appears also to be due to adaptation to the different environmental conditions determined by altitude. This was confirmed by assessing the presence of selective effects for some of the SSR used in this study. Finally, a certain extent of admixture in Italian landrace diversity suggests past (or recurring) hybridisation events among gene pools. The combined use of morphological, biochemical and molecular data clearly distinguished almost all the landraces. The data gathered here can assist landrace in situ protection schemes that are being developed in Italy, be used to register landraces in the European common catalogue of ‘conservation varieties’ for seed commercialisation and contribute to a better use of Italian common bean diversity in breeding for organic and conventional production systems.     

The European seed legislation on conservation varieties: focus, implementation, present and future impact on landrace on farm conservation

After a brief presentation of the European Directives on seed marketing of conservation varieties, data relative to their implementation status are given and discussed in relation to on farm conservation of landraces. Although generally aimed to ensure in situ conservation and the sustainable use of plant genetic resources, the Directives focus on seed production and marketing instead of genetic resource conservation per se. At present, their application has only partially favoured the registration of landraces maintained on farm or preserved in ex situ collections. They can be estimated in thousands in Europe, while only a few landrace with a verified status (51 out of a total of 184 conservation varieties) are presently included in the Common Catalogue. Reasons for this scarce registration are discussed. The European Directives on seed marketing of conservation varieties are a tool to promote on farm conservation of landraces that should be used to a greater extent than at present. Registration of landraces should be strongly and principally promoted by public bodies as a measure to give access to the genetic resources, preserve them on the long term and favour the economic profit of the farmers maintaining them.