Population structure of the migratory fish Prochilodus lineatus (Characiformes) from rio Grande basin (Brazil), an area fragmented by dams

• 1. Prochilodus lineatus (Prochilodontidae, Characiformes) is a migratory species of great economic importance both in fisheries and aquaculture that is found throughout the Jacuí, Paraíba do Sul, Paraná, Paraguay and Uruguay river basins in South America. Earlier population studies of P. lineatus in the rio Grande basin (Paraná basin) indicated the existence of a single population; however, the range of this species has been fragmented by the construction of several dams. Such dams modified the environmental conditions and could have constrained the reproductive migration of P. lineatus, possibly leading to changes in the population genetic structure.
• 2. In order to evaluate how genetic diversity is allocated in the rio Grande basin, 141 specimens of P. lineatus from eight collection sites were analysed using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) with 15 restriction enzymes.
• 3. Forty‐six haplotypes were detected, and 70% of them are restricted. The mean genetic variability indexes (h = 0.7721 and π = 1.6%) were similar to those found in natural populations with a large effective size. Fst and Exact Test values indicated a lack of structuring among the samples, and the model of isolation by distance was tested and rejected.
• 4. The haplotype network indicated that this population of P. lineatus has been maintained as a single variable stock with some differences in the genetic composition (haplotypes) between samples. Indications of population expansion were detected, and this finding was supported by neutrality tests and mismatch distribution analyses.
• 5. The present study focused on regions between dams to serve as a parameter for further evaluations of genetic variability and the putative impact of dams and repopulation programmes in natural populations of P. lineatus. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Comparison of Regular and Selenium-Enriched Tortillas Produced from Sprouted Corn Kernels

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Corn kernels were soaked with different selenium (Se) solutions (0, 12 or 24 mg Na2SeO3/L), sprouted for different times and then lime-cooked for the...     

Bioeconomy – an emerging meta-discourse affecting forest discourses?

The term bioeconomy and closely related notions like bio-based economy or knowledge-based bioeconomy (KBBE) are increasingly used by scientists and politicians in the last years. It does therefore have the potential of becoming an influential global discourse. Its role is however so far unclear. The general assumption that guides this paper is that discourses, resulting ideas and arguments are generally said to have performative power. They shape actors' views, influence their behaviour, impact on their beliefs and interests and can cause institutional change in a given society. Thus, the aim of this paper is twofold: first, it aims to analyse whether the ideas used in a bioeconomy discourse differs from those in other global meta-discourses of the last decades affecting forest discourses, such as the ecological modernization discourse or the sustainable development discourse. Second, this paper aims to analyse whether and how the bioeconomy discourse has started (or not) to reshape or overshadow the “classical” forest discourses, such as sustainable forest management, forest biodiversity or forest and climate change.     

Effect of triploidy on quality traits of shi drum (Umbrina cirrosa L.) until the second rearing year

Carcass and flesh morphometric, reological and chemical traits of triploid (3n) and diploid (2n) shi drum (Umbrina cirrosa L.) were evaluated through 7 months. Three age groups, 17‐, 21‐ and 24‐month‐old fish, were investigated. The effects of ploidy were statistically evaluated and the weight of fish was included in the model as a covariate because triploids grew less than diploids. As expected, fish weight was found to be significantly correlated with all the investigated morphometric traits, but showed a negative correlation with some chemical (pH) and colour traits (lightness) of raw fillet. In comparison with controls, triploid shi drums were characterized by different morphological traits that involved a slender body shape. In triploids, a reduction in condition factor, backbone weight, dressing index and an increase in the agility index were also recorded. When the commercial size (i.e. over 300 g) was achieved, triploids exhibited larger coelomatic and fillet (dorsal white muscle) fat deposition than diploids. Among reological traits, colour and texture were affected by ploidy; raw fillet lightness and cooked flesh tenderness were higher among triploids in all the investigated age groups. As fish were fed with a restricted feeding regimen, fillet fat deposition was supposed to be limited. Thus, the effects of ploidy on reological traits may be only partially explained by lipid fillet amount and are supposed to be more related to different fibre muscle architecture.     

Ecological and genetic measurements of dispersal in a threatened dragonfly

Leucorrhinia caudalis is a rare dragonfly, threatened throughout its European distribution. The species was formerly widespread in the Swiss lowlands, but only a single population remained in the 1980s. However, a spread has recently been observed, with additional ponds being colonised, sometimes at considerable distance. Despite this evidence of recent long-distance dispersal, it is unknown whether L. caudalis regularly moves among ponds or whether this is a rather rare event. A combination of an ecological mark-resight and a population genetic study was applied to investigate contemporary dispersal and the genetic footprint of the recent population history of L. caudalis in Switzerland. DNA for genetic microsatellite analysis was extracted from exuviae. The mark-resight study and the genetic analysis gave congruent results. They showed that L. caudalis is mostly a sedentary species, with only a few contemporary dispersal events over distances up to 5 km being observed. The genetic analysis was in agreement with the recent population history of the Swiss populations. The oldest and largest population showed large genetic diversity and acted as source population for the recent spread of L. caudalis in Switzerland. Recurrent gene flow among this source population and close populations caused substantial local genetic variation in the latter, as well as low population differentiation. The two recently founded distant populations (?30 km distance) were genetically less diverse and highly differentiated. These distant populations and another recently colonised population also expressed signatures of genetic bottlenecks.     

β-cyclodextrin and caffeine complexes with natural polyphenols from olive and olive oils: NMR, thermodynamic, and molecular modeling studies

Complexes of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and caffeine (Caf) with biophenols present in olive and olive oil (tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, homovanillic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and protocatechuic acid) were investigated by NMR spectroscopy and thermodynamical-molecular dynamic studies to verify the formation of supermolecular aggregates. The obtained results indicated that the investigated biophenols form inclusion complexes with β-CD in a molar ratio of 1:1 in aqueous solution having binding constant values from 10- to 40-fold bigger than those of the corresponding complexes with Caf. Then, β-CD preferentially encloses the biophenol molecule, decreasing its bitter taste and, at the same time, preserving it against chemical and physical decomposition reactions that occur during storage.     

Alternative matrices for cortisol measurement in fish

Plasma cortisol is the most commonly used indicator of stress in fish but, as the blood sampling procedure itself can be a source of stress, it would be helpful to measure cortisol using less invasive matrices. It is also necessary to find alternative matrices as stress indicators in dead fish in which blood sampling is impossible. In the present study, we investigated transport stress in three aquaculture species, European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.), common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum), by cortisol determination (radioimmunoassay) in plasma and other matrices (skin mucus, gut content, lateral muscle and caudal fin). Cortisol significantly increased after transport in all species and matrices, except in the sea bass gut content, where it remained unchanged. The three species responded to transport stress by producing different cortisol levels. In conclusion, the significant correlation found between plasma cortisol and most of the other matrices opens up the possibility of using them to evaluate stress in fish: mucus sampling is a less invasive method than blood sampling, and in addition to muscle and fin sampling, it can be used in postmortem fish.     

QTL mapping of volatile compounds in ripe apples detected by proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry

The availability of genetic linkage maps enables the detection and analysis of QTLs contributing to quality traits of the genotype. Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS), a relatively novel spectrometric technique, has been applied to measure the headspace composition of the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted by apple fruit genotypes of the progeny ‘Fiesta’ × ‘Discovery’. Fruit samples were characterised by their PTR-MS spectra normalised to total area. QTL analysis for all PTR-MS peaks was carried out and 10 genomic regions associated with the peaks at m/z = 28, 43, 57, 61, 103, 115 and 145 were identified (LOD > 2.5). We show that it is possible to find quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to PTR-MS characterisation of the headspace composition of single whole apple fruits indicating the presence of a link between molecular characterisation and PTR-MS data. We provide tentative information on the metabolites related to the detected QTLs based on available chemical information. A relation between apple skin colour and peaks related to carbonyl compounds was established. The two authors contributed equally to this work.     

Rapid tests to assess the antioxidant activity of Phaseolus vulgaris L. dry beans

The antiradical activity of dry beans was evaluated in order to assess the validity of this test and to correlate the results with those achieved with the Folin-Ciocalteu method and with a rapid spectrophotometric method for the analysis of total flavonoids. Four landraces (12 samples) of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), collected in two regions of Italy (Tuscany and Basilicata) in three different years, were analyzed. The EC50 values ranged from 39 to 2810 mg sample/mg 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil radical. The phenolic content of each sample was expressed as gallic acid equivalents; it changed from 1.17 to 4.40 mg/g. The flavonoid content, expressed as mg of (+)-catechin per g of dry seeds, ranged from 0.24 to 1.43 mg/g. The qualiquantitative composition of polyphenols has been also elucidated by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-diode array detection and HPLC/MS. These investigations showed that rapid tests can contribute to assessing the quality of functional food.