Effect of expanded feed with high fish oil content on growth and fatty acid composition of rainbow trout

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were fed three different diets for 110 days — a basal dry diet with 8.4% oil content (BD8), a basal dry diet with 11.1%; oil content (BD11) a nd an expanded diet with 20.7% oil content (ED) — to investigate the influence of high fish oil exp anded diet on fatty acid composition of muscle, and to evaluate nutritional properties of edible tissue. I n fact, the experimental diets were also different in their component fatty acids, with an in creasing content of 3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (3 HUFA) from BD8 to ED. As regards biomet rics data, the condition factor and the coefficient of fatness were higher in fish fed ED in com parison with groups BD8 and BD11 (p < 0.05 ED vs. BD8). On the other hand, hepatosomatic index in group ED was markedly lower than those in groups BD8 and BD11 (p < 0.05 ED vs. BD8 and E D vs. BD11). This could be explained by the lower amount of crude protein in ED or it may indicate an excess amount of essential fatty acids (EFA) in ED. As regards fatty acid composition of fish m uscle, there were only slight differences in fatty acid composition of the edible tissue of fish wh en compared with the differences in fatty acid composition of the diets. The increased amount of fish oil in ED had a positive influence on the final weight of fish (p < 0.05 ED vs. BD8 and ED vs. BD11), but did not affect proportionately the percentage of 3 HUFA (20:53, 22:53, 22:63) and therefore the derived indices of lipid quality: so it appears possible to partially substitute fish oil in the diet with other lipid as a source of dietary fat.     

Bright x-ray flares in gamma-ray burst afterglows

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows have provided important clues to the nature of these massive explosive events, providing direct information on the nearby environment and indirect information on the central engine that powers the burst. We report the discovery of two bright x-ray flares in GRB afterglows, including a giant flare comparable in total energy to the burst itself, each peaking minutes after the burst. These strong, rapid x-ray flares imply that the central engines of the bursts have long periods of activity, with strong internal shocks continuing for hundreds of seconds after the gamma-ray emission has ended.     

A new monomeric α-amylase inhibitor from the tetraploid emmer wheat is mostly active against stored product pests

Journal of Pest Science - The tetraploid domesticated emmer wheat, Triticum turgidum L. subsp. dicoccon, expresses α-amylase protein inhibitors of varying sizes and assemblies, i.e. dimers and...     

NsLTP1 and NsLTP2 isoforms in soft wheat (Triticum aestivum Cv. Centauro) and farro (Triticum dicoccon Schrank) bran

Isoforms of nonspecific lipid-transfer protein 1 (nsLTP1) and nonspecific lipid-transfer protein 2 (nsLTP2) were investigated in bran tissues isolated from caryopses of two cereal crops quite relevant for the Italian market, the cultivar Centauro of soft wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Italian emmer or farro (Triticum dicoccon Schrank). By sequential separation of the bran extracts on cation-exchange and gel filtration chromatographies, fractions containing only proteins belonging to the nsLTP1 and nsLTP2 classes were obtained. The proteins were roughly identified by SDS-PAGE and by immunoreactions in Western blotting experiments. By MALDI-MS and RP-HPLC/ESI-MS analyses we were able to show the presence of several LTP1 and LTP2 isoforms in the investigated species. Bioinformatic searches based on the determined Mr indicated that (i) two nsLTP1s already identified in T. aestivum have Mr and number of Cys residues identical to that of a 9.6 kDa protein present both in soft wheat cv. Centauro and in farro; (ii) two isoforms of nsLTP2 detected in T. aestivum have the same Mr and number of Cys residues of two 7 kDa proteins found in Centauro; and (iii) a nsLTP1 detected in Ambrosia artemisiifolia has Mr and number of Cys residues coincident to that of a 9.9 kDa protein found both in soft wheat cv. Centauro and in farro.     

Gully erosion modelling and landscape response in the Mbuluzi River catchment of Swaziland

In southern African countries soil erosion and the related problems, such as water quality issues or decreasing soil productivity, are the main topics affecting the inhabitants of both rural and urban areas. Therefore, the attention has been recently placed on those problems related to soil erosion. This can also be documented by an increasing number of studies carried out on erosion and by the development and application of erosion models. Nevertheless, gully erosion phenomena have been widely neglected in erosion modelling. This is because the development of erosion models was focused on those regions with an intense agriculture typical of developed countries on the one hand, and because of the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of gully erosion processes on the other hand. This study regards the identification of gully erosion forms and processes in the Mbuluzi River catchment (Kingdom of Swaziland) by using the Erosion Response Units (ERU) concept. The following modelling of gully erosion was done through the stable gully model [Catena 37 (1999) 401]. The input data were obtained through the application of remote sensing techniques (API method) and GIS-analyses. The example from Swaziland shows that the applied methods are able to identify areas affected by gully erosion. Furthermore, it is possible to estimate the amount of soil loss due to gully erosion, which, for example, is not taken into consideration by the USLE-type models.     

Authentication of farmed and wild turbot (Psetta maxima) by fatty acid and isotopic analyses combined with chemometrics

Fatty acid composition and stable isotope ratios of carbon (delta(13)C) and nitrogen (delta(15)N) were determined in muscle tissue of turbot (Psetta maxima). The multivariate analysis of the data was performed to evaluate their utility in discriminating wild and farmed fish. Wild (n=30) and farmed (n=30) turbot of different geographical origins (Denmark, The Netherlands, and Spain) were sampled from March 2006 to February 2007. The application of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) to analytical data demonstrated the combination of fatty acids and isotopic measurements to be a promising method to discriminate between wild and farmed fish and between wild fish of different geographical origin. In particular, IRMS (Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry) alone did not permit us to separate completely farmed from wild samples, resulting in some overlaps between Danish wild and Spanish farmed turbot. On the other hand, fatty acids alone differentiated between farmed and wild samples by 18:2n-6 but were not able to distinguish between the two groups of wild turbot. When applying LDA isotope ratios, 18:2n-6, 18:3n-3, and 20:4n-6 fatty acids were decisive to distinguish farmed from wild turbot of different geographical origin, while delta(15)N, 18:2n-6, and 20:1n-11 were chosen to classify wild samples from different fishing zones. In both cases, 18:2n-6 and delta(15)N were determinant for classification purposes. We would like to emphasize that IRMS produces rapid results and could be the most promising technique to distinguish wild fish of different origin. Similarly, fatty acid composition could be used to easily distinguish farmed from wild samples.     

Protective effect of vanilloids against tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxidative stress in vero cells culture

This study investigated the effect of synthetic capsiate, a simplified analogue of capsiate, and vanillyl alcohol on the oxidative stress induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH) in a line of fibroblasts derived from monkey kidney (Vero cells). In response to the TBH-mediated oxidative stress, a reduction of the levels of total unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol was observed, and a rise in the concentrations of conjugated dienes fatty acids hydroperoxides and 7-ketocholesterol. Pretreatment with both synthetic capsiate and vanillyl alcohol preserved Vero cells from oxidative damage and showed a remarkable protective effect on the reduction of the levels of total unsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol, inhibiting the increase of MDA, conjugated dienes fatty acids hydroperoxides, and 7-ketocholesterol. Both compounds were effective against peroxidation of cell membrane lipids induced by TBH, with synthetic capsiate essentially acting as a pro-drug of vanillyl alcohol, its hydrophilic hydrolytic derivative.     

Heterotrophic components of biofilms on wood artefacts

Heterotrophic components of biofilms on wood artefacts were studied at the Conservation Laboratory for Wood Artefacts of the University Suor Orsola Benincasa of Naples, Italy. The aim of the study was to add new information on the micro-habitats represented by biofilms formed by wood-dwelling organisms. Light and electron microscopy of histological features of woods used to make the artefacts showed that the woods belonged to species of lime (Tilia sp.), poplar (Populus sp.) and pear (Pyrus sp.). A Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis analysis performed on heterotrophic microorganisms colonizing the artefacts led to identify four species of bacteria, namely Bacillus cereus, B. mycoides, B. subtilis and Microbacterium oleivorans, and seven species of fungi, namely Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus fumigans, A. versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporioides, C. oxysporum, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium chrysogenum. Based on its morphological features, an insect found on some artefacts was identified as the xylophagous beetle Nicobium castaneum (Anobiidae). The influence of wood type and environmental conditions on the diversity of microorganisms was discussed.     

Effect of days postburning and calcium oxide on the fermentation,aerobic stability and nutritional characteristics of sugarcane silage for finishing Nellore steers

In this study, the effects of days postburning and calcium oxide (CaO) on the fermentation, aerobic stability and nutritional characteristics of sugarcane silages for finishing Nellore steers were investigated. Silages were prepared in minisilos from in natura and burned sugarcane that remained in the field 1 and 10 days postburning (1‐day burned and 10‐day burned, respectively). Next, forages were left untreated or treated with CaO (10 g/kg fresh forage). Compared to that in untreated silages, CaO application increased the dry‐matter (DM) recovery of in natura, 1‐day and 10‐day burned silages (p < 0.001) by 67, 179 and 209 g/kg DM respectively. The CaO treatment increased (p < 0.001) the aerobic stability of the in natura and 10‐day burned silages by 62.7 and 24.7 hr respectively. In a feedlot experiment, feeding 1‐day burned silage reduced DM intake of steers throughout the feedlot period (0–93 days; p < 0.05) compared with that of steers fed in natura silage diet, but the average daily gain (ADG) was lower (p = 0.006) only during the adaptation period (?0.16 kg/day; 0–28 days). The CaO application decreased DM intake (p = 0.007; ?1.17 kg/day) and ADG (p < 0.001; ?0.13 kg/day) of steers only during the adaptation period likely owing to low silage palatability caused by increased Ca and butyric acid concentrations (≥11.6 g/kg DM). We recommend feeding beef cattle with CaO‐treated burned sugarcane silages in low‐dietary concentration because of its high butyric acid concentration.