Susceptibility of eight Algerian olive cultivars to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bactrocera oleae</Emphasis> infestation – a pomological and nutritional quality perspective

The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi), is the major olive pest in the Mediterranean Basin, being responsible for high losses in olive production. The objective of this work was to study the influence of B. oleae infestation on the pomological parameters and nutritive value (lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and ash) of eight olive cultivars (Abani, Aellah, Blanquette de Guelma, Chemlal, Ferkani, Limli, Rougette de Mitidja and Souidi) from Algeria. The results displayed different degrees of susceptibility of the studied cultivars to this pest. Fruit size (weight) and the Fruit weight / stone weight ratio are significantly correlated with the attack. The statistical treatment of the results (PCA and HAC) highlighted different behaviors from the cultivars, concerning the attack. There are some cultivars more susceptible, being the nutritional value also affected. The lipid and protein contents were positively correlated with the attack and the carbohydrates negatively, suggesting a careful choice by the B. oleae. Ovipositional preference of olive fruit fly females and the success of larval development in different olive cultivars are crucial to establishing new approaches in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) against this pest.     

Growth of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Composts of Olive Oil Mill Waste with Organic Household Refuse

This study highlights the effects of composts of olive mill wastes and organic household refuse with a pH range of 7 to 7.98 and a C/N ratio between 14.9 and 22, to improve the growth and the mineral nutrition of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.). After 7 months of cultivation, plants amended with composts showed higher biomass production than the controls. Compost C1, i.e., the basic compost with no additives phosphate, at 100% and 45% doubled the production of dry matter in comparison with control plants. The rise of root biomass was considerably greater for plants grown with compost C1 without phosphate. In contrast, the shoot biomass was highly significant for composts C2 and C3 enriched with phosphate. The control plants, grown without amendment, showed significantly higher specific root length (SRL) and specific leaf length (SLL). The efficiency of compost application was reflected by the biomass rise, the number of emerged leaves (2.6–4), and the rise in leaf area (3.3 to 6.7 cm²) by improving the mineral nutrition of the date palm. The composts of olive mill waste and organic household refuse supplemented with natural rock phosphate, or not, generated a notable agronomic added value.     

Effect of animal age,postmortem chilling rate,and aging time on meat quality attributes of water buffalo and humped cattle bulls

The study was aimed to investigate the influence of animal age, post‐slaughter chilling rate, and aging time on meat quality of M. longissimus dorsi (LD) of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and humped cattle (Bos taurus indicus) bulls. After slaughtering, one side of carcasses was subjected to rapid chilling (RC) (0 ± 2°C) and other side was hanged in controlled room temperature (25 ± 2°C) for 3 hr, then allowed to the chiller (0 ± 2°C). The meat quality traits were analyzed at 1, 7, and 14 days of storage. It was noted that rapidly chilled carcasses from the younger animals of both species missed the ideal pH/temperature window, which affects the toughness of the meat. Buffalo meat presented higher shear force, color L* values, and lower b* value as compared to the cattle meat. Moreover, meat shear force values decreased while all color coordinates and cooking loss values increased with lengthening the storage time in both age groups of cattle and buffalo. In conclusion, the tenderness of cattle meat was superior to that of buffalo and RC adversely affect the shear force values of young cattle and both age groups of buffalo bulls.     

Carcass yields,muscle amino acid and fatty acid profiles,and antioxidant indices of broilers supplemented with synbiotic and/or organic acids

The objective of the current research was to explore the possible impacts of dietary supplementation with synbiotic and/or organic acids (OA) on the performance traits, carcass yields and muscle amino acid and fatty acid (FA) profiles of broilers. Randomly, a total of 160 day‐old chicks (Ross 308) were assigned into four equal groups (40 birds each), with each group subdivided into eight replicates (five birds/pen). The control group (CON) fed the basal diet with no supplements, while diets of the treated groups were supplemented with OA (Sodium butyrate 40%; 1 g/kg), synbiotic (comprised Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerivisiae, Streptococcus faecium, Mannan‐Oligosaccharides and β‐Glucan; 1 g/kg) and equal mix of OA and synbiotic (2 g/kg). Broilers fed the diets supplemented with synbiotic or synbiotic plus OA produced a significantly higher feed utilization efficiency (p = 0.021) and carcass yields (p = 0.038) than the CON and OA‐supplemented groups. The group fed the diet supplemented with the synbiotic showed lowered serum cholesterol (p = 0.049), triglycerides (p = 0.001) and very low density lipoprotein (p = 0.032) when compared with the CON group. Regarding the polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) of breast muscles, synbiotic‐supplemented birds had significantly lower n‐6:n‐3 ratio (p = 0.047), however, a greater hypocholesterolaemic to hypercholesterolaemic FA (H/H) ratio was reported when compared with the CON group (p = 0.002). Among the essential amino acids, the contents of leucine and methionine in the breast (p = 0.032 and 0.007 respectively) and thigh (p = 0.023 and 0.003 respectively) muscles were greater in the synbiotic‐supplemented birds compared with the CON group. In conclusion, the synbiotic‐supplemented diet improved the PUFA:SFA, n‐6:n‐3 and H/H ratios by altering the FA composition of broiler muscles, which are important with regards to human health.     

Teat tip reconstruction by supernumerary teat autotransplantation in cattle

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of use of a supernumerary teat as a pedicle graft to repair experimental teat tip damage in cattle. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. ANIMALS: Mature, non-gravid hybrid cows with > or =1 supernumerary teat. METHODS: The main teat and adjacent supernumerary teat were examined for patency by ultrasound with a 8 MHz linear array transducer. The tip of the main teat was resected at the junction of cistern and canal. The supernumerary teat was partially resected semi-circumferentially at the cranial aspect of the base to maintain vascular supply and transplanted by end-to-end anastomosis. The pedicle of the supernumerary teat graft was amputated in stages starting at 14 days, again at 16 days and separated at 18 days. Reconstructed teat patency was evaluated at intervals by ultrasonography and confirmed at 50 days by histopathology. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the measurements of luminal diameter between days; significance was set at P<.05. RESULTS: All reconstructed teats were patent. Decreased luminal diameters were detected at 25, 32, 39, and 46 days by ultrasonography. On histopathology, granulation and epithelial (mucosal) proliferation contributed to luminal reduction. CONCLUSIONS: In this experimental model of an acute damage to a teat tip, supernumerary teat grafting was successfully used to restore teat anatomy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Supernumerary teat pedicle grafting may be considered as a salvage technique for reconstruction of a damaged bovine teat in cows that have an adjacent patent supernumerary teat. Function of the reconstructed teat in a lactating cow remains unknown.     

Molecular cloning, expression and characterization of a functional GSTmu class from the cattle tick Boophilus annulatus

A full-length cDNA of a glutathione S-transferase (GST) was cloned from a cDNA library of the local Egyptian cattle tick Boophilus annulatus. The 672 bp cloned fragment was sequenced and showed an open reading frame encoding a protein of 223 amino acids. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with GSTs from other species revealed that the sequence is closely related to the mammalian mu-class GST. The cloned gene was expressed in E. coli under T7 promotor of pET-30b vector, and purified under native conditions. The purified enzyme appeared as a single band on 12% SDS-PAGE and has a molecular weight of 30.8 kDa including the histidine tag of the vector. The purified enzyme was assayed upon the chromogenic substrate 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and the recombinant enzyme showed high level of activity even in the presence of the beta-galactosidase region on its 5' end and showed maximum activity at pH 7.5. The Km values for CDNB and GSH were 0.57 and 0.79 mM, respectively. The over expressed rBaGST showed high activity toward CDNB (121 units/mg protein) and less toward DCNB (29.3 units/mg protein). rBaGST exhibited peroxidatic activity on cumene hydroperoxide sharing this property with GSTs belonging to the GST alpha class. I50 values for cibacron blue and bromosulfophthalein were 0.22 and 8.45 microM, respectively, sharing this property with the mammalian GSTmu class. Immunoblotting revealed the presence of the GST molecule in B. annulatus protein extracts; whole tick, larvae, gut, salivary gland and ovary. Homologues to the GSTmu were also detected in other tick species as Hyalomma dromedarii and Rhipicephalus sp. while in Ornithodoros moubata, GSTmu homologue could not be detected.     

水貂DNA指纹的研究Ⅰ．不同遗传群体DNA指纹图谱特征分析

从水貂闭锁繁育的近交群体和开放性混杂群体中采集鲜肝样品，分离基因组ＤＮＡ，制成ＤＮＡ指纹图谱。分别计算各群体中全同胞家系、半同胞家系和不相关个体的ＤＮＡ指纹图谱特征指数，建立不同近交程度下带纹相似系数与亲缘系数的回归关系。结果表明：不论群体近交程度高低，带纹相似系数随亲缘系数增加而上升，且呈直线回归关系，相关系数分别为０．６６（ｐ＜０．０１）和０．７７（ｐ＜０．０１）。但近交程度较高的群体斜率较小，多态性带纹较少，带纹整齐度较高。     

Litter degradation and CN dynamics in reforested mangrove plantations at Gazi Bay, Kenya

The main objective of this study was to assess how mangrove reforestation has influenced litter degradation and concomitant nutrient dynamics in previously deforested plantations. Dynamics of nutrients (carbon, nitrogen and C:N ratios) in decomposing leaves of conspecific species were investigated with litterbags in Sonneratia alba and Rhizophora mucronata reforested treatments using appropriate bare and natural less disturbed treatments as controls. Bare treatments had the lowest decay rates (Kd⁻¹) and thus the highest t₅₀ values (when 50% of the original weight had been decomposed) for both species. The contrary was true for natural treatments, while both parameters were intermediate in reforested treatments, suggesting that other than direct litter input, reforestation has modified site conditions which have enhanced organic matter decomposition. There were significant seasonal differences in decay rates for treatments within the R. mucronata species, with rates being higher during the wet season with accompanying lower t₅₀ values. Decay rates were overall higher (P < 0.05) in the S. alba species and as a result no litter was retrieved from its natural treatment by the 5th week. Higher amphipod colonisation was observed in reforested and natural treatments than bare treatments, which may have contributed to higher decay rates in the former. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in N concentration among treatments with natural and reforested treatments having similarly higher concentrations than bare treatments in both seasons. C:N ratios (an important determinant of nutritional leaf quality) were also similarly low in natural and reforested treatments and higher in bare treatments. Mangrove reforestation thus seems to have enhanced litter degradation and concomitant nutrient remineralisation, suggesting that other than species litter quality, tidal inundation and seasonal factors, specific stand management regimes play an important role in determining the efficiency of these ecological processes in mangrove ecosystems.