Antioxidant potency of white (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) and Chinese (Brassica rapa L. var. pekinensis (Lour.)) cabbage: The influence of development stage,cultivar choice and seed selection

The accumulation of total phenols (TP, Folin-Ciocalteu method) and total flavonoids (TF, colorimetric assay with AlCl₃) and the evolution of antioxidant capacity (FRAP assay, DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays) have been monitored in juices of Croatian white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) cultivars Vara?dinski and Ogulinski, as well as Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis), at various developmental stages. Measurements were performed every four weeks, starting from planting to full maturity, throughout the course of eight months. In the first 8–12 weeks, the TP and TF contents as well as antioxidant capacity increased significantly in all analyzed juice samples and in most even doubled. This rapid increase was followed by a gradual decrease in values derived from all assays, over the course of 12–30 weeks, to the final values which were in all cases lower than the values measured at week 4. The results also point to significant variability in TP and TF contents and antioxidant capacity at the fully mature stage between white and Chinese cabbage juices and between juices extracted from cultivars Ogulinski and Vara?dinski.     

Chrysoporthe puriensis causing canker and mortality in Pleroma mutabile in the Atlantic Forest,Brazil

Fungi of the Cryphonectriaceae family are globally known to be tree pathogens. In Brazil, several species of Chrysoporthe have been found causing stem and branch cankers in Pleroma (= Tibouchina) spp. Recently, Chrysoporthe puriensis was described as a new species causing stem and branch cankers in Pleroma granulosum, Pleroma candolleanum, and Pleroma heteromallum, all native species of the Melastomataceae family. During an investigation to collect isolates of the Cryphonectriaceae family in an important Brazilian biome, the Atlantic Forest, in Serra do Mar, structures typical of Chrysoporthe species were found in a different host, Pleroma mutabile. Fruiting bodies present in the bark of these trees were collected and isolated. The isolates were submitted on morphological characterization and phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and β-tubulin gene regions using Maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference and Maximum parsimony methods. The isolates collected, for this study, were identified as C. puriensis. Pathogenicity tests on seedlings of Pleroma species and Eucalyptus clones revealed C. puriensis can infect and cause canker in these plant species as mortality. The results demonstrate the importance of delimiting the C. puriensis collection range to track its dissemination in other hosts. No host specificity was observed in the inoculation tests, suggesting this is an important finding, the pathogen causes diseases and mortality in several plants of the Atlantic Forest. Additionally, the pathogen can affect others hosts, such as Eucalyptus clones in commercial plantations.     

Unique genetic features of canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) infecting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in northern Norway and arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) in Svalbard

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAdV-1) is the aetiological agent of infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). In spite of the widespread use of vaccination, CAdV-1 continues to circulate in the dog population. Although a high number of serological screenings have indicated that CAdV-1 is widespread in fox species, little is known about the potential role of foxes as reservoirs of CAdV-1. Furthermore, very little data exist on the molecular features of this virus in foxes. To add to existing knowledge on CAdV-1 circulating in wild carnivores, tissue samples from CAdV-seropositive red foxes (Vulpes vulpes, n?=?10) from the northern mainland of Norway and arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus, n?=?10) from the Svalbard archipelago, Norway, were investigated using a molecular approach to detect CAdV-1 DNA and important structural and non-structural genes of the detected viruses were sequenced and analysed. Amplicons characteristic for CAdV-1 were amplified from 14 out of 20 foxes (7 red foxes and 7 arctic foxes) and spleen and lymph node tissues resulted optimal targets for the viral DNA detection. The nucleotide sequences showed unique features that distinguished the viruses detected in this study from the CAdV-1 to date identified in wild carnivores and dogs. Greater attention should be given to genetically different CAdV-1 circulating in wild carnivores that may be transferred to dogs, potentially causing disease and reducing the effectiveness of available vaccines.

     

Microbial metabolism of fenoxaprop-ethyl

Fenoxaprop-ethyl was found to be metabolized by a mixed microbial population isolated from a leachate from a landfill. Fenoxaprop acid and 6-chloro-2(3H)-benzoxazolone were detected as metabolic products in the culture broths. It was shown that the microbial population could utilize fenoxapropethyl as a source of carbon and nitrogen, but the presence of an additional source of carbon increased the metabolism rate.     

The effect of methyl sulphonyl methane supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress in sport horses following jumping exercise

Background

Exercise induces changes in several organs and tissues, and this process might be due to oxidative damage caused by free radicals and inflammatory mediators. Methyl Sulphonyl Methane, better known as MSM, is a naturally occurring sulphur compound with well-known antioxidant properties. On the other hand, Vitamin C is important in limiting free radical damage in the aqueous phase of the cell, and cellular vitamin C status may be linked to the mechanisms involved in quenching cellular reactive oxygen species. The aim of this study was to determine if supplementation with MSM and vitamin C could alleviate exercise-induced oxidative stress in horses undergoing jumping competition.

Methods

Twenty four jumping horses involved in competition were used. Horses were given the following three treatment diets: control (without supplementation), MSM 8 mg/kg, and combined supplements (MSM 8 mg/kg + Vit-C 5 mg/kg). EDTA blood samples were collected before exercise, upon arrived to the schooling area (control), and each week after last show. Nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, lipid hydroperoxides and the antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione transferase and glutathione reductase, plasma levels were determined.

Results

Competition induced a significant increase in lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide and carbon monoxide. By contrary, reduced glutathione as well as antioxidant enzyme activities, were decreased. MSM administration significantly ameliorated all these exercise-related changes, and this effect was potentiated by Vit C reaching values in some of the parameters similar to those found before competition.

Conclusion

These results suggest that jumping exercise could induce harmful effects on horses, probably due to an increase in oxidative damage and proinflammatory molecules. In addition, we have demonstrated that MSM could exert some protective effect on oxidative and inflammatory exercise-induced injury.     

Reproduction of bovine neonatal pancytopenia (BNP) by feeding pooled colostrum reveals variable alloantibody damage to different haematopoietic lineages

Bovine neonatal pancytopenia (BNP) is a recently described haemorrhagic disease of calves characterised by thrombocytopenia, leucopenia and bone marrow depletion. Feeding colostrum from cows that have previously produced a BNP affected calf has been shown to induce the disease in some calves, leading to the hypothesis that alloantibodies in colostrum from dams of affected calves mediate destruction of blood and bone marrow cells in the recipient calves. The aims of the current experimental study were first to confirm the role of colostrum-derived antibody in mediating the disease and second to investigate the haematopoietic cell lineages and maturation stages depleted by the causative antibodies. Clinical, haematological and pathological changes were examined in 5 calves given a standardised pool of colostrum from known BNP dams, and 5 control calves given an equivalent pool of colostrum from non-BNP dams. All calves fed challenge colostrum showed progressive depletion of bone marrow haematopoietic cells and haematological changes consistent with the development of BNP. Administration of a standardised dose of the same colostrum pool to each calf resulted in a consistent response within the groups, allowing detailed interpretation of the cellular changes not previously described. Analyses of blood and serial bone marrow changes revealed evidence of differential effects on different blood cell lineages. Peripheral blood cell depletion was confined to leucocytes and platelets, while bone marrow damage occurred to the primitive precursors and lineage committed cells of the thrombocyte, lymphocyte and monocyte lineages, but only to the more primitive precursors in the neutrophil, erythrocyte and eosinophil lineages. Such differences between lineages may reflect cell type-dependent differences in levels of expression or conformational nature of the target antigens.     

Three-colour flow cytometric detection of PrP in ovine leukocytes

PrP(c) (cellular prion protein, CD230) expression by subpopulations of lymphoid cells has been widely investigated in a variety of species, possibly because of the possible link between transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) transmission and blood transfusion. However, the role of the immune cells in the transmission of the disease is still unclear. Here we describe the optimisation and standardisation of a three-colour staining procedure to detect PrP in association with phenotypic and activation markers in ovine immune cells. We demonstrate a reproducible, flexible and sensitive method and that the combination of isotype-specific antibodies and Fab fragments is feasible. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such labelling of ovine cells. Using this method, we were able to detect differences in levels of PrP expression between blood and lymph node cells of the same animal, and considerable variability between animals. Moreover, we were able to explore possible associations between PrP expression and cellular activation and to identify cell subsets with different labelling patterns. We are currently employing this approach to evaluate variations in immunological parameters during experimental infection in sheep.     

Induction of resistance to gray mold with benzothiadiazole modifies amino acid profile and increases proanthocyanidins in grape: primary versus secondary metabolism

Field treatments of grapevine (cv. Merlot) with the plant activator benzothiadiazole (BTH, 0.3 mM) induced resistance against gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. Both incidence and severity of the disease were reduced. The resistance was associated with an increase of total polyphenols in berry skins, in particular, the proanthocyanidin fraction, that increased up to 36%. The amino acid profile of leaves was also modified by treatments, particularly lysine, that augmented 4-fold. Other amino acids involved in resistance mechanisms to either biotic or abiotic stress increased as well. These results indicate that BTH treatments can be used to control gray mold, thereby limiting an excessive use of fungicides, and could be exploited to increase the content of micronutrients of high nutritional value, arising from both primary and secondary metabolisms.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil aggregation in a no‐tillage system with crop rotation

Crop rotation adoption in no‐tillage systems (NTS) has been recommended to increase the biological activity and soil aggregation, suppress soil and plant pathogens, and increase the productivity aiming at the sustainability of agricultural areas. In this context, this study aimed to assess the effect of crop rotation on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community and soil aggregation in a soil cultivated for nine years under NTS. Treatments consisted of combinations of three summer crop sequences and seven winter crops. Summer crop sequences consisted of corn (Zea mays L.) monoculture, soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) monoculture, and soybean–corn rotation. Winter crops consisted of corn, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke). Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0–0.10 m for analyses of soil chemical, physical, and biological attributes. Spore abundance, total glomalin, and soil aggregate stability index were higher in the soil under corn monoculture. The highest values of aggregate mean weight diameter were observed in the soybean–corn rotation (3.78 mm) and corn monoculture (3.70 mm), both differing from soybean monoculture (3.15 mm), while winter crops showed significant differences only between sorghum (3.96 mm) and pigeon pea (3.25 mm). Two processes were identified in the soil under summer crop sequences. The first process was observed in PC1 (spore abundance, total glomalin, easily extractable glomalin, pH, P, and Mg²⁺) and was related to AMF; the second process occurred in PC2 (aggregate mean weight diameter, soil aggregate stability index, K⁺, and organic matter) and was related to soil aggregation. The nine‐year no‐tillage system under the same crop rotation adoption influenced AMF abundance in the soil, especially with corn cultivation in the summer crop sequence, which promoted an increased total external mycelium length and number of spores of AMF. In addition, it favored an increased soil organic matter content, which is directly related to the formation and stability of soil aggregates in these managements.