Gelatinizing,Pasting, and Gelling Properties of Potato and Amaranth Starch Mixtures

Physicochemical properties of mixtures of native potato and native amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus), heat‐moisture treated (HMT) potato and heat‐moisture treated amaranth, cross‐linked potato and cross‐linked amaranth, native potato and heat‐moisture treated amaranth, and heat‐moisture treated potato, and native amaranth were tested at different ratios. Two peaks were noticed in the pasting curves when large differences of swelling factor and amylose leaching existed between individual components in the mixture. It seems that amylose leaching from one starch in a mixture may affect the swelling and much of the granular break down of the other. The mixtures showed stabilities in hot pastes that were higher than the less stable components in a mixture. Some mixtures such as HMT potato and native amaranth showed very specific nonadditive pasting behavior. Mixing 10% of native amaranth to HMT potato starch caused a large reduction of peak viscosity and cold paste viscosity, resulting in a very soft gel. In the differential scanning calorimeter, each component of a mixture gelatinized independently, showing two peaks corresponding to the individual components. When transition temperatures of both components were similar in DSC, the result was a single endotherm. Dramatic changes of pasting and subsequent gel properties resulted when thermal transition of the two components occurred in the same temperature range. Retrogradation enthalpies as measured by DSC were between the two individual components in all tested mixtures.     

Landscape-scale modelling of agroforestry ecosystems services in Swiss orchards: a methodological approach

Context

Agroforestry systems in temperate Europe are known to provide both, provisioning and regulating ecosystem services (ES). Yet, it is poorly understood how these systems affect ES provision at a landscape scale in contrast to agricultural practises.

Objectives

This study aimed at developing a novel, spatially explicit model to assess and quantify bundles of provisioning and regulating ES provided by landscapes with and without agroforestry systems and to test the hypothesis that agroforestry landscapes provide higher amounts of regulating ES than landscapes dominated by monocropping.

Methods

Focussing on ES that are relevant for agroforestry and agricultural practices, we selected six provisioning and regulating ES—“biomass production”, “groundwater recharge”, “nutrient retention”, “soil preservation”, “carbon storage”, “habitat and gene pool protection”. Algorithms for quantifying these services were identified, tested, adapted, and applied in a traditional cherry orchard landscape in Switzerland, as a case study. Eight landscape test sites of 1 km?×?1 km, four dominated by agroforestry and four dominated by agriculture, were mapped and used as baseline for the model.

Results

We found that the provisioning ES, namely the annual biomass yield, was higher in landscape test sites with agriculture, while the regulating ES were better represented in landscape test sites with agroforestry. The differences were found to be statistically significant for the indicators annual biomass yield, groundwater recharge rate, nitrate leaching, annual carbon sequestration, flowering resources, and share of semi-natural habitats.

Conclusions

This approach provides an example for spatially explicit quantification of provisioning and regulating ES and is suitable for comparing different land use scenarii at landscape scale.

     

Frequent human‐poultry interactions and low prevalence of Salmonella in backyard chicken flocks in Massachusetts

The backyard chicken (BYC) movement in the USA has increased human contact with poultry and subsequently, human contact with the pathogen Salmonella. However, to date, there have been few studies assessing prevalence of Salmonella in backyard flocks, despite the known public health risk this zoonotic bacterium poses. The objective of this study was to characterize human‐BYC interactions and assess the prevalence of Salmonella among BYC flocks. We interviewed 50 BYC owners using a structured questionnaire to determine flock and household characteristics that facilitate contact with BYC and that may be associated with Salmonella in the BYC environment. Composite faecal material, cloacal swabs and dust samples from 53 flocks housed on 50 residential properties in the Greater Boston, Massachusetts area were tested for Salmonella using standard culture techniques and confirmed using Matrix‐Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization‐Time of Flight Mass Spectrometer. Microbroth dilution and whole genome sequencing were used to determine phenotypic and genotypic resistance profiles, respectively, and sequence results were used to determine multilocus sequencing type. No owners self‐reported a diagnosis of salmonellosis in the household. Over 75% of a subset of owners reported that they and their children consider BYC pets. This perception is evident in how owners reported interacting with their birds. Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serotype Kentucky ST152 (serogroup C)—a strain not commonly associated with human infection—was confirmed in one flock, or 2% of tested flocks, and demonstrated resistance to tetracycline and streptomycin. We detected Salmonella at low prevalence in BYC. Further study of the health effects of exposure to zoonotic gastrointestinal pathogens such as Salmonella among families with BYC is warranted.     

Vaginal myxoma in a Kathiawari horse

This case report describes a rare case of vaginal myxoma in a Kathiawari mare. The tumour, located on the left lateral vaginal wall, measured approximately 20 cm in diameter and resulted in dysuria, inappetance and loss of condition of the animal. Surgical enucleation of the tumour via a vaginal approach resulted in uneventful recovery of the horse. Based on the gross and histopathological observations, the tumour was diagnosed as a myxoma.     

Saponins from Styrax officinalis

Three triterpene saponins named Styrax-saponin A-C (1-3) were found in pericarps of Styrax officinalis together with the deacylsaponin (4). Structural determinations were achieved using 1D-, 2D-NMR and mass spectrometry.     

A multipronged approach for the detection of leptospirosis in captive sloth bears (Melursus ursinus) in Agra and Bannerghatta sloth bear rescue centers in India

Leptospirosis is an exacerbating factor responsible for the drastic decline of sloth bear population in India. In this study, a multipronged approach based on antigen detection using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) employing G1/G2 and LigBF/LigBR primers, antibody detection using Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) and recombinant LigBCon1-5 antigen based Latex Agglutination Test (rLigBCon1-5 LAT), serum biochemistry using hepatic (serum glutamate oxalo acetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and renal biomarkers (blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and Creatinine) and gross/histopathological evidence in liver and kidneys were employed to investigate leptospirosis in captive sloth bears. A total of 133 serum samples collected from Agra (n=113) and Bannerghatta (n=20) sloth bear rescue centers were screened using MAT and rLigBCon1-5 LAT. A total of 87 and 78 sera tested positive by MAT and LAT respectively. Pyrogenes was the leading serovar obtained using MAT followed by Icterohaemorrhagiae, Javanica, Grippotyphosa, Canicola and Tarassovi. The relative sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of rLigBCon1-5 LAT in comparison to MAT were 89.66%, 100% and 93.23% respectively. PCR performed on hepatic and renal tissues showed amplicon of 285 and 219 base pairs for G1/G2 and LigBF/LigBR primers respectively. Gross evidence (icteric liver, severely engorged hepatic sinusoids, congested kidneys with necrotic white spots on sub capsular surface), histopathology (severe hepatic degeneration and tubulointerstitial nephritis) and elevated hepatic/renal biomarkers were suggestive of leptospirosis. This study suggests that rLigBCon1-5 LAT can be employed as a pen-side test for detecting leptospirosis in sloth bears.     

Emergence of antigenic variants with in serotype A foot and mouth disease virus in India and evaluation of a new vaccine candidate panel

Emergence of genetically and antigenically divergent lineages/genotypes and poor intergenotypic antigenic coverage is a major concern in serotype A foot-and-mouth-disease virus (FMDV) in India. In 2009, to cover antigenic diversity emerged in serotype A virus field isolates, IND40/2000 was selected as the new vaccine strain for incorporation in the trivalent FMD vaccine formulation used in India. Although current vaccine strain (IND40/2000) covers most isolates antigenically, a few VP3(59)-deletion group isolates showed low r-value in routine vaccine matching exercise. The VP3(59)-deletion group within genotype 18 emerged first in late part of 2002 and in 2007 causing outbreaks along with non-deletion isolates of the same genotype. In case of emergence or re-emergence of more antigenically divergent isolates in future, a need for a new vaccine candidate to cover maximum isolates of both deletion and non-deletion group may arise. Four alternate candidate vaccine strains (IND281/2003, IND195/2007, IND360/2007 and IND123/2008) were selected based on set criteria and antigenic relationships with field isolates sampled between 2002 and 2009 were analyzed using a micro-neutralization test. Phylogenetic analysis based on capsid region of serotype A isolates revealed existence of two broad distinct clusters (VP3(59)-deletion and non-deletion group) within genotype 18. The VP3(59)-deletion group has diversified genetically with time giving rise to three different sub-lineages (clade18a, 18b and 18c). The present study indicates that the virus candidates IND281/2003 (VP3(59)-deletion group) and IND195/2007 (non-deletion group) can be used as an adjunct or alternative strain to currently used vaccine strain IND40/2000 in case of emergence of more antigenically divergent isolates in future.     

Natural compounds enhancing growth and survival of rhizobial inoculants in vermicompost-based formulations

The present study demonstrates the usefulness of natural microbial growth-promoting compounds for improving the stability and life of vermicompost-based (both granular and its aqueous extract) bioformulations. Granular vermicompost maintained the number of cells of Rhizobium meliloti Rmd 201 up to 5.9 × 10⁸ after 180 days at 28°C compared with 2.1 × 10⁸ in charcoal (powdered), while aqueous extract of the vermicompost supported the 5.6 × 10⁷ rhizobia numbers even after 270 days. The addition of 25 μL/mL cow urine and 0.01 mM calliterpinone, a natural plant growth promoter, increased the rhizobia number significantly in granular vermicompost and its aqueous extract, respectively.