Almond (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) skins as a potential source of bioactive polyphenols

An exhaustive study of the phenolic composition of almond ( Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb) skins was carried out in order to evaluate their potential application as a functional food ingredient. Using the HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS technique, a total of 33 compounds corresponding to flavanols, flavonols, dihydroflavonols and flavanones, and other nonflavonoid compounds were identified. Peaks corresponding to another 23 structure-related compounds were also detected. MALDI-TOF MS was applied to characterize almond skin proanthocyanidins, revealing the existence of a series of A- and B-type procyanidins and propelargonidins up to heptamers, and A- and B-type prodelphinidins up to hexamers. Flavanols and flavonol glycosides were the most abundant phenolic compounds in almond skins, representing up to 38-57% and 14-35% of the total quantified phenolics, respectively. Due to their antioxidant properties, measured as oxygen-radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) at 0.398-0.500 mmol Trolox/g, almond skins can be considered as a value-added byproduct for elaborating dietary antioxidant ingredients.     

Seasonal variation in osmoregulatory and metabolic parameters in earthen pond-cultured gilthead sea bream Sparus auratus

Seasonal variations in osmoregulatory and metabolic parameters were assessed in juvenile gilthead sea bream ( Sparus auratus ) cultured in earthen ponds under a natural photoperiod and temperature. Specimens were sampled, and the plasma, gill, kidney and liver were collected during winter 2005 and 2006 (January), spring 2005 (April), summer 2005 (July) and autumn 2005 (October). Plasma osmoregulatory parameters showed higher values in summer, while metabolic parameters presented different patterns of variations. Gill Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity decreased significantly in winter, while gill metabolite levels showed different patterns of variations among seasons. The enzymatic activities tested did not present a clear pattern of variation [(glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.2) (GDH) and hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.11) (HK)] or significant differences along seasons [glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49)]. Kidney Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity decreased during summer and autumn. Different patterns of variation were observed in kidney metabolite levels while all the enzymatic activities assessed [lactate dehydrogenase-oxidase (EC 1.1.1.27) (LDH-O), HK and GDH] presented the highest values during summer. In the liver, metabolite levels and enzymatic activities did not show significant variations or present clear patterns of variation along different seasons. These results indicated seasonal variations in the osmoregulatory and metabolic parameters of different organs (blood, gill, kidney and liver) in earthen pond-cultured gilthead sea bream ( S. auratus ), which could be mainly attributed to seasonal changes in temperature.     

Molecular survey of selected viruses in Pudus (Pudu puda) in Chile revealing first identification of caprine herpesvirus—2 (CpHV-2) in South American ungulates

Viral diseases jeopardize the health of wildlife in Chile. However, this country lacks health surveillance programs that allow for defining preventive measures to tackle such diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence and the genetic diversity of pestivirus, herpesvirus and adenovirus in pudus from Chile. Blood samples from wild (n=34) and captive (n=32) pudus were collected between 2011 and 2019 and analyzed through consensus PCR. All the samples were negative to pestivirus and adenovirus. Herpesvirus was confirmed in four captive, and one wild pudu. All four zoo animals share the same sequence for both polymerase and glycoprotein genes. Both sequences share a 100% identity with caprine herpesvirus-2, classifying them in the same cluster as the Macavirus group. In turn, novel sequences of the polymerase and glycoprotein B genes were obtained from the wild pudu. Our study reports the first evidence of CpHV-2 infection in Chile and South American ungulate populations. Further research will be necessary to assess the pathogenicity of CpHV-2 in this species. It is also urgently recommended that molecular, serological and pathological screening should be conducted in Chilean wild and captive pudus to understand the impact of the herpesvirus on their populations.     

First results on spawning, larval rearing and growth of the wedge sole (Dicologoglossa cuneata) in captivity, a candidate species for aquaculture

The wedge sole is a target species in the fisheries of the Gulf of Cadiz (Spain). Having reared them to commercial size, we have studied reproduction and breeding in captivity of the wedge sole in this work here. The breeders adapt easily to captivity, and they can spawn in less than 1 year in captivity. The relative fecundity is relatively high, 1.06–2.33 · 10⁶ eggs kg⁻¹ per spawning season (mean 1.6 ± 0.1). Larval SGR is high, 7.2 ± 0.2% day⁻¹ (range 5.8–9.1), similar to other cultured flatfish species. In 1 year, some individuals reach market size and can release eggs, registering SGRs of 1.39–1.66% day⁻¹ (mean 1.56 ± 0.01). This species presents some very different characteristics with respect to other farmed flatfishes (turbot, halibut and Senegal sole, mainly), so that it is necessary to develop new techniques to optimise its cultivation. In the present work, the first results are presented on the biology of the wedge sole in captivity.     

Aquatic Coleoptera and Hemiptera assemblages in three coastal lagoons of the NW Iberian Peninsula: assessment of conservation value and response to environmental factors

• 1. The objectives of the present study were to describe and analyse the composition and structure of aquatic Coleoptera and Hemiptera assemblages in three coastal lagoons of north‐western Spain during a one year cycle, in order to evaluate their relative adequacy to provide information about the conservation value of lagoonal habitats and sites. The lagoons are designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) under the European Union Habitats Directive and two of them are also protected by the Ramsar Agreement. Several abiotic variables, including salinity, were recorded at the time of sampling.
• 2. In total, 67 species (52 Coleoptera and 15 Hemiptera) and 6568 adult individuals (2664 Coleoptera and 3904 Hemiptera) were collected. In all pair‐wise comparisons Kendall's coefficients of concordance between lagoons were higher for Hemiptera than for Coleoptera, indicating that Hemiptera assemblages were more similar across sites.
• 3. Most species recorded had a wide Palearctic distribution and only three species of water beetles could be considered endemic to Iberia: Hydroporus vagepictus, Hydroporus vespertinus and Hydrochus angusi. Similarly, the species collected had a widespread distribution in the Iberian Peninsula as the only species considered to be rare taxa at this scale were Hydrochus angusi and Cymbiodyta marginella among the Coleoptera and Sigara scotti and Notonecta glauca glauca among the Hemiptera.
• 4. The results do not support the idea of distinct aquatic insect assemblages for coastal lagoons in the Iberian Peninsula. Comparisons of the numbers of interior (non‐coastal) and coastal provinces of the Iberian Peninsula where the species had been recorded showed they had been recorded in a larger proportion of interior provinces.
• 5. Salinity seemed to reduce species richness in both groups while the results of a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the majority of species responded negatively to salinity.
• 6. This study suggests that species richness and rarity of aquatic insect assemblages may underestimate the conservation value of lagoonal habitats because their net contribution to catchment biodiversity is likely to be low.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) level on intake,digestion, ruminal fermentation and in vitro gas production in sheep fed maintenance diets

The objective of this study was the characterization of the nutritive value, ruminal fermentation and nutrient digestibility of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) hay (FPH) by‐product through in situ, in vitro and in vivo tests. A FPH diet was administered ad libitum to four sheep (live weight (LW) 38.0 ± 2.0 kg) at four inclusion levels (0, 25, 50 and 75%) over a conventional sorghum grain/oat straw ration in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The in situ degradability of FPH was 67% dry matter (DM), 71% crude protein and 66% neutral detergent fiber (NDF). The inclusion of FPH did not affect (P ≥ 0.05) the DM (61 ± 0.4 g/LW^0.75/day) and organic matter (OM) intake (56 ± 0.7 g/LW^0.75/day). Total DM digestibility (68 ± 2.5%), OM (70 ± 3%), and NDF (60 ± 3%), were not different (P ≥ 0.05) between control and FPH inclusion diets. The diet had no effect on ruminal pH, ruminal ammonia concentration, total and individual volatile fatty acids. The chemical composition and sheep intake behavior indicate that FPH by‐product is medium quality forage when incorporated in maintenance rations.     

Effects of thinning intensity on radial growth patterns and temperature sensitivity in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus canariensis</Emphasis> afforestations on Tenerife Island,Spain

• Context   

The suitability of thinning to prevent forest growth decline as a result of global warming has not been tested extensively in Macaronesian Canary pine (Pinus canariensis Sweet ex Spreng.).     

Chemical constituents of Tolpis species

Phytochemical research of two Tolpis species, T. webbii and T. sp., led to the isolation of three new compounds: 2,4′-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (1) and the triterpenes 21α, 22α-epoxy-20α-hydroxy-20(30)-dihydrotaraxasterol (2) and 3β-hydroxytaraxaster-20-en-30-oic acid (3) together with 16 known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by means of extensive IR, NMR, MS and X-ray analysis and by comparison of data reported in the literature.     

Selecting earlywood vessels to maximize their environmental signal

The anatomical features of earlywood vessels often reflect information about past climatic conditions. We examined the relationships between mean monthly temperature and mean vessel lumen area (MVA) in various categories of earlywood vessels. Subsets of earlywood vessels of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) were selected from a previously reported dataset based on several progressive size-related procedures. To include all earlywood vessels, the minimum size considered was 10,000 microm2. Changes in the correlations between MVA and the mean air temperature in March are described and discussed. The results show that not all vessels embody the same information. The MVA of a proportion of the largest earlywood vessels in each annual ring was most closely related to March temperature, whereas MVA of the smallest earlywood vessels was better correlated with June temperature. This difference is probably a result of the vessels being formed at different times: early spring for the largest earlywood vessels and later in spring for the smallest earlywood vessels. Analyses combining large and small vessels yielded lower correlations between MVA and monthly temperature. The number, size and distribution of vessels can vary greatly from ring to ring. In making year-to-year comparisons, the best information is provided by observations on vessels of contemporaneous ontogenesis. Criteria for the selection and analysis of vessels in the assessment of temperature during the season of wood formation are proposed and discussed.