Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of pentachloronitrobenzene residues in environmental samples

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB), a fungicide and chemical intermediate, was developed using a polyclonal antiserum produced against a hapten-protein conjugate of pentachlorophenoxypropionic acid-bovine serum albumin (BSA). An indirect competitive ELISA of PCNB showed an IC50 of 37 ng/mL and a limit of detection (LOD) of 7 ng/mL. The ELISA can tolerate up to 10% (v/v) methanol, 5% (v/v) acetonitrile, or 5% (v/v) acetone without significant fluctuation of Amax and IC50. The assay sensitivity showed little change in a range of pH from 6 to 8 and concentrations of 0.05-0.2 M NaCl in the assay buffer. Very low cross-reactivities were observed for some structurally related compounds except for hexachlorobenzene (12%). The average recoveries of PCNB from fortified well water, river water, and soil samples were in ranges of 88-94, 80-91, and 70-81%, respectively. The correlations between the gas chromatographic and ELISA results were excellent (r 2 >or= 0.97, slopes from 0.86 to 1.10) for those fortified samples. The ELISA is a good alternative tool for monitoring PCNB residues in environmental samples.     

Formation of hydrogel particles by thermal treatment of beta-lactoglobulin-chitosan complexes

Molecular complexes based on proteins and ionic polysaccharides have considerable potential for encapsulation of functional food components, but their widespread utilization is limited because their structure is highly sensitive to pH and ionic strength. We have investigated the possibility of creating stable hydrogel particles by thermal treatment of protein (beta-lactoglobulin) and cationic polysaccharide (chitosan) mixtures. Mixed solutions of beta-lactoglobulin (0.5 wt %) and chitosan (0.1 wt %) were prepared at various pH's (3-8) and were heated (80 degrees C for 20 min). Prior to heating, the biopolymer mixtures formed molecular complexes at pH values where there was an electrostatic attraction between the protein and the polysaccharide: soluble complexes at pH 4.5; complex coacervates at pH 5.0 and 5.5; precipitates at pH>5.5. After heating, relatively small (d approximately 140 nm) and cationic (zeta>+20 mV) hydrogel particles were formed at pH 4.5, but much larger aggregates were formed at pH 5.0 and higher (d>1000 nm). The thermally treated hydrogel particles formed at pH 4.5 maintained their initial particle size when the pH was subsequently adjusted within the range pH 3-5, but they aggregated when the pH was adjusted to >pH 5 because of a reduction in the magnitude of their electrical charge. This study suggests that hydrogel particles can be formed by heating mixed protein-polysaccharide systems under controlled conditions. These hydrogel particles may be useful for encapsulation of functional food components.     

Ten-year comparison of the influence of organic and conventional crop management practices on the content of flavonoids in tomatoes

Understanding how environment, crop management, and other factors, particularly soil fertility, influence the composition and quality of food crops is necessary for the production of high-quality nutritious foods. The flavonoid aglycones quercetin and kaempferol were measured in dried tomato samples (Lycopersicon esculentum L. cv. Halley 3155) that had been archived over the period from 1994 to 2004 from the Long-Term Research on Agricultural Systems project (LTRAS) at the University of California-Davis, which began in 1993. Conventional and organic processing tomato production systems are part of the set of systems compared at LTRAS. Comparisons of analyses of archived samples from conventional and organic production systems demonstrated statistically higher levels (P < 0.05) of quercetin and kaempferol aglycones in organic tomatoes. Ten-year mean levels of quercetin and kaempferol in organic tomatoes [115.5 and 63.3 mg g(-1) of dry matter (DM)] were 79 and 97% higher than those in conventional tomatoes (64.6 and 32.06 mg g(-1) of DM), respectively. The levels of flavonoids increased over time in samples from organic treatments, whereas the levels of flavonoids did not vary significantly in conventional treatments. This increase corresponds not only with increasing amounts of soil organic matter accumulating in organic plots but also with reduced manure application rates once soils in the organic systems had reached equilibrium levels of organic matter. Well-quantified changes in tomato nutrients over years in organic farming systems have not been reported previously.     

Improvement of texture properties and flavor of frozen dough by carrot (Daucus carota) antifreeze protein supplementation

The effects of concentrated carrot protein (CCP) containing 15.4% (w/w) carrot (Daucus carota) antifreeze protein on texture properties of frozen dough and volatile compounds of crumb were studied. CCP supplementation lowered the freezable water content of the dough, resulting in some beneficial effects including holding loaf volume steadily and making the dough softer and steadier during frozen storage. Furthermore, SPME-GC-MS analysis showed CCP supplementation did not give any negative influences on volatile compounds of crumb and gave a pleasant aroma felt like Michelia alba DC from trans-caryophyllene simultaneously. Combining our previous results that CCP supplementation improves the fermentation capacity of the frozen dough, CCP could be used as a beneficial additive for frozen dough processing.     

Transformation of bioactive compounds by Fusarium sacchari fungus isolated from the soil-cultivated ginseng

Ginsenoside bioactive compounds, namely, compound K (C-K), compound Mx (C-Mx), and ginsenoside Mc (G-Mc), were the metabolites of ginsenosides Rb 1, Rb 2, Rb 3, and Rc by intestinal microflora of humans or rats, microorganisms, and enzymes, and C-K showed beneficial effects in vitro and in vivo as an antitumoral agent. The objective of this work was to explore an efficient procedure for biotransformation of these bioactive compounds. Thus, a filamentous fungus, Fusarium sacchari, was first obtained from the soil-cultivated ginseng, which was verified to possess a potent capacity of transformation of C-K, C-Mx, and G-Mc. The optimal biotransformation conditions of F. sacchari with C-K, C-Mx, and G-Mc were obtained as follows: transforming temperature, 30 degrees C; transforming time, 6 days; rotary speed, 160 rpm; pH of the medium, 5.5. HPLC analysis indicated that these three bioactive compounds were key metabolites and their structures were confirmed by (1)H and (13)C NMR analysis. Moreover, the in vitro antitumor activities of C-K, C-Mx, and G-Mc and the in vivo antitumor activities of the transformed product mainly containing these compounds were also evaluated. Among C-K, C-Mx, and G-Mc, C-K exhibited the most potent antitumor activities. The in vivo study showed that the transformed products by F. sacchari had much more antitumor activity than those of commonly used ginsenoside Rg3 and Paclitaxel.     

黑皮油松挥发物季节变化规律

采用室内水枝插法检测黑皮油松针叶在吉林农业大学校园及周边3块样地各季节的抑菌作用,利用水蒸气蒸馏法提取黑皮油松的挥发物,并结合GC-MS技术对黑皮油松针叶挥发物成分鉴定。结果表明：农大林地中黑皮油松各季节抑菌率明显高于其他样地的抑菌率,抑菌率在40.1%～73.4%。由黑皮油松挥发物成分分析可知,黑皮油松针叶中的挥发物有121种,相对百分比超过0.10%的挥发物成分共计34种,其中,夏、秋季节有机物种类及相对百分比较高,主要成分相对百分比中萜烯类最高。各季节黑皮油松挥发物萜烯类相对百分比的变化趋势由大到小依次为秋季(62.86%)、夏季(62.74%)、春季(51.95%)、冬季(51.70%),其中单萜烯相对百分比的变化趋势由大到小依次为夏季(34.21%)、秋季(24.31%)、春季(18.92%)、冬季(11.30%)。     

宜昌早春大棚厚皮甜瓜品种的筛选

为选择适宜宜昌地区早春大棚种植的厚皮甜瓜（Cucumis melo）品种,选择了7个厚皮甜瓜品种与种植面积较广的长江蜜魁进行品种比较试验,通过对生物学性状、果实品质及产量等指标的调查分析,从中选出综合性状表现良好的品种。结果表明,参试品种众天8号产量较高,生育期适中,口感爽脆,抗病性较强,有较强的推广价值;七彩脆蜜因其果肉独特,口感爽脆,有一定的推广价值。     

平凉市以沼气为重点的农村能源建设现状及发展对策

综合开发利用农村能源,既是实现农村节能减排、保护农村生态环境、提高农民生活品质的重要措施,也是发展绿色循环农业、实施乡村振兴战略的必然要求。总结了甘肃省平凉市以沼气综合利用为重点的农村能源发展历程及建设成效,分析了存在的主要问题,从贯彻新发展理念的要求出发,探讨了今后发展重点与保障机制,为农业农村经济高质量发展提供参考。     

1-MCP结合低温通过调控脆性、叶绿素降解缓解叶类蔬菜采后衰老

为探究1-MCP结合低温通过调控影响品质变化的相关酶来缓解叶类蔬菜采后软化与黄化。分析4 ℃及4、6 μL/L 1-MCP+ 4 　℃复合处理2种叶菜（生菜和瓢儿菜）后,其失水率、膜透性（电导率、丙二醛（MDA）、脆性［脆性、β-半乳糖苷酶（β-GAL）酶活性］、黄化程度［叶绿素、叶绿素酶（CLH）酶含量、脱镁叶绿素酶（PPH）酶含量］的变化。结果表明：常温下2种叶菜贮藏4 d后严重萎蔫失去商业价值,1-MCP+4 　℃保鲜处理后能贮藏至12 d,1-MCP+4 　℃复合处理能有效地降低叶类蔬菜水分散失程度、缓解电导率和MDA升高、缓解叶片脆度降低和叶绿素降解,其中6 μL/L 1-MCP+4 　℃复合处理效果最为理想。6 μL/L 1-MCP+4 　℃复合处理12 d时生菜、瓢儿菜的脆性下降率（14.48%、28.12%）均比对照组4 d时（82.89%、80.12%）低,其β-GAL酶活性分别为15.01 nmol/（min·g）、19.53 nmol/（min·g）,分别上升41.86%、12.74%,而对照组仅4 d就上升2倍左右。贮藏12 d时,6 μL/L 1-MCP+4 　℃复合处理两种叶菜叶绿素含量降解率（23.45%、30.13%）低于第4天时对照组（65.76%、72.37%）。相关的酶活含量数据也正好对应,6 μL/L 1-MCP+4 　℃复合处理生菜贮藏12 d后其CLH、PPH酶含量分别降低42.33%、67.11%,常温贮藏4 d后其CLH、PPH酶含量分别降低55.99%、74.50%。6 μL/L 1-MCP+4 　℃复合处理瓢儿菜后其CLH、PPH酶含量分别降低44.93%、51.49%,常温贮藏4 d后其CLH、PPH酶活则降低53.03%、52.04%。6 μL/L 1-MCP+4 　℃通过有效调控β-GAL酶活性从而延缓叶菜软化的速度,通过影响CLH和PPH酶含量而缓解叶绿素降解,这为探索叶类蔬菜的保鲜机制,进一步利用采后处理技术延长叶类蔬菜贮藏期提供理论依据。     

6种植物源农药防治波纹杂毛虫林间药效分析

为明确6种植物源农药防治波纹杂毛虫的最佳林间配比度和用药量,掌握低空施药技术,在福建省沙县马尾松林建立试验区,开展林间喷雾和喷烟防治试验。结果表明:6种农药的林间喷雾,药后4 d,防治效果均超过90%;最佳林间配比度为:1.3%苦参碱可溶液剂和1.2%烟碱·苦参碱乳油均为1300倍液;1%苦参·藜芦碱可溶液、4%鱼藤酮乳油和0.6%印楝素乳油均为1000倍液,0.5%藜芦碱可溶液为800倍液。2种农药喷烟后3 d,防治效果均超过90%,1.3%苦参碱可溶液和1.2%烟碱·苦参碱乳油与烟雾剂最佳配比度均为1∶9。参试的6种植物源农药可广泛应用于防治波纹杂毛虫幼虫。