Copper and selenium deficiency in cattle: An evaluation of methods of oral therapy and an observation of a copper-selenium interaction

The efficacies of oxidised copper particles, selenium bullets and soluble glass bullets in raising the copper and/or selenium reserves of young cattle marginally deficient in both trace elements were examined. Selenium bullets were associated with a reduced copper uptake when selenium bullets and oxidised copper particles were given together. Responses in liveweight gains to trace-element supplementation and relationships between copper or selenium in blood components and liver are presented.     

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes decreases placenta growth factor (PlGF) levels in rat placenta

The placenta produces several growth factors, including placenta growth factor (PlGF), which are essential for placenta growth and fetal growth. Diabetic pregnancy induces the abnormal placental growth and fetal development. This study investigated whether diabetes in pregnant rats induces changes in PlGF expression in the placenta. Diabetes was induced by a single intravenous injection of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg body weight) on day 0 of pregnancy, blood and tissue samples were collected on day 20 of pregnancy. In the diabetic group, maternal body weight and fetal weight significantly decreased compared to controls. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed that expression of PlGF was significantly decreased in placenta by streptozotocin treatment. Immunohistochemical study showed that the positive signal of PlGF in trophoblast cells was decreased in the diabetic group compared to controls. These findings demonstrate the decline of PlGF in the placenta in diabetic pregnancy.     

Relationships among estrous behavior, superovulatory response and grade 1 embryo sex ratio in superovulated Holstein heifers

In this study, we first attempted to determine whether the timing of artificial insemination affects the sex ratio of seven-day-old embryos in superovulated Holstein heifers. The superovulatory treatment consisted of eight decreasing doses of FSH for 4 days and 2 doses of PGF(2alpha) given with the last two doses of FSH. The superovulated heifers were given a GnRH analogue 48 h after the first PGF(2alpha) treatment and were artificially inseminated 48 h (n=10) or 56 h (n=8) after the first PGF(2alpha) treatment. There were no significant differences in the percentages of unfertilized ova and transferable embryos (grades 1 to 3) between the two groups. The proportions of female grade 1 embryos did not significantly differ from the expected ratio of 50:50 (49.3% at 48 h and 52.5% at 56 h). We then compared the estrous behavior and superovulatory responses of the heifers with a proportion of female embryos of 50% or less (n=7, Low group) to those of the heifers with a proportion of female embryos of more than 50% (n=9, High group). The Low group had a longer duration of estrus and a higher superovulatory response than the High group. These findings offer little encouragement for prediction of the population of female embryos collected from superovulated heifers. Further studies are necessary to evaluate to what degree maternal hormone levels are related to estrus duration and sex ratio.     

Genetic diversity and variation of saponin contents in Panax notoginseng roots from a single farm

Radix notoginseng, the root of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen, has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Its main components, saponins, have been reported to have many pharmacological activities. To test the general assumption that herbs of a single species planted and harvested from a single location are uniform in chemical and genetic makeup, chemical analysis and DNA fingerprinting were carried out. High-performance TLC together with HPLC analysis were used to analyze 17 randomly sampled 3-year-old roots from a single farm for the presence of six saponins. Five roots showed distinct chemical profiles with changed ratios of ginsenosides Rd/Rg1, Re/Rg1, or Rb1/Rg1. The same samples, together with some 1- and 2-year-old samples, were also subjected to fluorescent amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis, and their internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS 2) regions were sequenced. Fluorescent AFLP analysis was found to be much more polymorphic than the ITS 2 sequence and showed clear evidence of genetic diversity within the tested population. In conclusion, genetic diversity and variation of saponin contents between individual P. notoginseng roots have been detected. We suggest that genetic diversity affects the contents of the six saponins. The saponin contents variation and genetic diversity were also found among P. notoginseng root samples collected from China and Singapore markets. Since variable saponin contents may affect therapeutic efficacy, combining the use of genetic profiling with chemical profiling will help ensure greater uniformity in the quality of P. notoginseng roots. The genetic and chemical diversity within a population also provides the opportunity for breeding new cultivars with more desirable chemical constituents.     

QTL analysis for eating quality-related traits in an F2:3 population derived from waxy corn × sweet corn cross

In order to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the eating quality of waxy corn and sweet corn (Zea mays L.), QTL analysis was conducted on an F₂ population derived from a cross between a waxy corn inbred line and a sweet corn inbred line. Ten QTLs for pericarp thickness (PER), amylose content (AMY), dextrose content (DEX) and sucrose content (SUC) were found in the 158 F₂ families. Among them, four QTLs, qAMY4 (10.43%), qAMY9 (19.33%), qDEX4 (21.31%) and qSUC4 (30.71%), may be considered as major QTLs. Three of these, qAMY4, qDEX4 and qSUC4, were found to be located within a region flanked by two adjacent SSR markers on chromosome 4 (umc1088 and bnlg1265), making this SSR marker pair a useful selection tool for screening the eating quality traits of AMY, DEX and SUC. The QTL for amylose content was found to be located between markers phi027 and umc1634, raising the possibility of its identity being the Wx1 gene, which encodes a granule-bound amylose synthase. The new QTLs identified by the present study could serve as useful molecular markers for selecting important eating quality traits in subsequent waxy corn breeding studies.     

Effect of organic and conventional cropping systems on ascorbic acid, vitamin C, flavonoids, nitrate, and oxalate in 27 varieties of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)

This study was undertaken to compare the levels of ascorbic acid, vitamin C, flavonoids, nitrate, and oxalate in 27 spinach varieties grown in certified organic and conventional cropping systems. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-(ESI)MS/MS) of methanolic extracts of spinach demonstrated 17 flavonoids, including glucuronides and acylated di- and triglycosides of methylated and methylenedioxyderivatives of 6-oxygenated flavonoids. The mean levels of ascorbic acid and flavonoids were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the organically grown [40.48 ± 6.16 and 2.83 ± 0.03 mg/kg of fresh weight (FW)] spinach compared to the conventionally grown spinach (25.75 ± 6.12 and 2.27 ± 0.02 mg/kg of FW). Conversely, the mean levels of nitrate were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the conventionally grown spinach compared to the organically grown spinach. No significant effects were observed in the oxalate content of spinach from either production system. The levels of nitrate correlated negatively with those of ascorbic acid, vitamin C, and total flavonoids and showed a positive correlation with the oxalate content. These results suggest that organic cropping systems result in spinach with lower levels of nitrates and higher levels of flavonoids and ascorbic acid.     

Effect of kiwifruit protease on the characteristics of human hair

The feasibility of using kiwifruit protease as a new cosmetic material for human hair care was investigated. The effectiveness of the kiwifruit protease treatment was assessed by optical microscope examination, amino acid analysis, tensile strength changes, and dyeability test. The activated kiwifruit protease removed impurities and dirt from the hair surface without severe changes in mechanical properties. The total amino acid content of the hair samples decreased as the duration of protease treatment increased and as the treatment temperature increased. The kiwifruit protease treatment also enhanced dye uptake due to the improvement in dye accessibility to the hair via the cell membrane complex.