Production of porcine hemoglobin peptides at moderate temperature and medium pressure under a nitrogen stream. Functional and antioxidant properties

A new hydrolysis method for producing peptides from porcine hemoglobin has been developed. Current processes are based on the use of expensive enzymes or high hydrostatic pressures. In the present study, a cheap and effective process has been assayed to produce peptides from purified porcine hemoglobin. A solution of purified hemoglobin is heated at different temperatures and pressurized at 4 MPa while a stream of nitrogen is injected into the reactor. A total of 82% of initial hemoglobin was transformed into peptides presenting an average size of 3.2 kDa. Some preferential hydrolyzed bonds have been detected. The peptide size distribution was evaluated at different times and temperatures. It has been demonstrated that this technique produces large amounts of peptides possessing good antioxidant properties. Furthermore, functional properties are conserved, and a desirable decrease in color (80%) is achieved.     

Stocktake study of current fertilisation recommendations across Europe and discussion towards a more harmonised approach

The European Commission has set targets for a reduction in nutrient losses by at least 50% and a reduction in fertiliser use by at least 20% by 2030 while ensuring no deterioration in soil fertility. Within the mandate of the European Joint Programme EJP Soil ‘Towards climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soils’, the objective of this study was to assess current fertilisation practices across Europe and discuss the potential for harmonisation of fertilisation methodologies as a strategy to reduce nutrient loss and overall fertiliser use. A stocktake study of current methods of delivering fertilisation advice took place across 23 European countries. The stocktake was in the form of a questionnaire, comprising 46 questions. Information was gathered on a large range of factors, including soil analysis methods, along with soil, crop and climatic factors taken into consideration within fertilisation calculations. The questionnaire was completed by experts, who are involved in compiling fertilisation recommendations within their country. Substantial differences exist in the content, format and delivery of fertilisation guidelines across Europe. The barriers, constraints and potential benefits of a harmonised approach to fertilisation across Europe are discussed. The general consensus from all participating countries was that harmonisation of fertilisation guidelines should be increased, but it was unclear in what format this could be achieved. Shared learning in the delivery and format of fertilisation guidelines and mechanisms to adhere to environmental legislation were viewed as being beneficial. However, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to harmonise all soil test data and fertilisation methodologies at EU level due to diverse soil types and agro-ecosystem influences. Nevertheless, increased future collaboration, especially between neighbouring countries within the same environmental zone, was seen as potentially very beneficial. This study is unique in providing current detail on fertilisation practices across European countries in a side-by-side comparison. The gathered data can provide a baseline for the development of scientifically based EU policy targets for nutrient loss and soil fertility evaluation.     

Membrane-assisted processing of xylooligosaccharide-containing liquors

Liquors from rice husk autohydrolyis, containing xylooligosaccharides, other saccharides, and nonsaccharide compounds, were subjected to two selected processing schemes to increase the proportion of substituted xylooligosaccharides in refined liquors. Nanofiltration through a ceramic membrane with a molecular mass cutoff of 1000 Da allowed simultaneous concentration and purification; this latter derived from the preferential removal of monosaccharides and nonsaccharide compounds. When liquors were nanofiltered to achieve a volume reduction factor of 5 operating at a transmembrane pressure of 14 bar, 58.6% of the nonsaccharide components and 20.9-46.9% of monosaccharides were kept in retentate, in comparison with 92% of xylooligosaccharides and glucooligosaccharides. When nanofiltered liquors were subjected to double ion-exchange processing, a final product with a nonsaccharide content near 9 kg/100 kg of nonvolatile components was obtained at a yield of 10.90 kg/100 kg oven dry rice husks. Alternatively, when nanofiltered liquors were subjected to ethyl acetate extraction and further double ion-exchange processing, a purified product with a nonsaccharide content of 5.66 kg/100 kg of nonvolatile components was obtained at a yield of 9.94 kg/100 kg oven dry rice husks. The nonsaccharide components remaining in the final concentrate were mainly made up of phenolic and nitrogen-containing compounds.     

Characterization of soil profiles and elemental concentrations reveals deposition of heavy metals and phosphorus in a Chicago-area nature preserve,Gensburg Markham Prairie

Purpose

Gensburg Markham Prairie (GMP), a high-quality tallgrass prairie and wetland in the Chicago area, is surrounded by high-traffic highways and residential communities. Anthropogenic inputs are a concern given observed ecosystem degradation around the periphery of the prairie. To understand soil quality and the potential for habitat degradation in GMP, we evaluated concentrations of metals and phosphorus in soil profiles, identified possible sources of contamination, and assessed the likelihood that contamination would impact the prairie ecosystem.

Materials and methods

We collected 15 intact soil cores (to a depth of 120 cm) and 22 surface soil samples (0–10-cm depth), determined the soil type, and measured pH, organic matter, and concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Mg, Fe, K, Ca, and P using ICP-OES. To quantify soil pollution, we calculated the element enrichment factor (EF) and single element pollution index (SEPI) for each sample. We also used principal component analysis (PCA) to interpret relationships between site variables, elemental concentrations, and sources of metals.

Results and discussion

Heavy metals (Pb, Cu, and Zn) and P were found to accumulate in surface samples. The mean EF values for Pb, Cu, Zn, and P revealed significant enrichment of these elements in the soil profiles. However, SEPI analyses indicate that GMP soils have a low level of contamination. PCA revealed that concentrations are highest for samples with high organic matter content near the ground surface and that Pb, Cu, and Zn have common sources of pollution.

Conclusions

We observed enrichment of Pb, Cu, Zn, and P because of deposition from the urban built environment, but the enrichment levels are low enough that they are not expected to negatively impact the ecosystem of GMP. The detailed soil chemistry data constitute a spatial contamination map that can be used to assess potential long-term impacts on the ecosystem, such as reduction of plant growth and species diversity, and inform site management and biodiversity conservation efforts.

     

Wine distillery wastewater degradation. 2. Improvement of aerobic biodegradation by means of an integrated chemical (Ozone)-biological treatment.

Biological degradation of vinasses, generated during alcohol production from wines and pressed grapes, has been studied in four digesters operating in fill and draw mode. Digesters 1 and 2 were fed with nonozonated and ozonated mixtures of vinasses and domestic sewage (1:10 by volume), respectively. Digesters 3 and 4 operated with pure vinasses at acid and neutral pH values, respectively. The effects of pH, temperature, and ozone dose conditions were studied. Preozonation removed inhibitory compounds and improved the growth of nitrifiers. Ozone dose is the key variable to treat a vinasse-domestic sewage effluent effectively with a combined chemical-biological system. Contois's kinetic model has been applied to experimental results, and kinetic parameters related to the maximum specific growth rate of microorganisms, mu(max), and inhibitory effects, alpha, were calculated and compared for nonozonated and ozonated wastewaters.     

Genetic analysis of resistance of three melon lines to Sphaerotheca fuliginea

Summary The inheritance of resistance of three melon lines to Sphaerotheca fuliginea race 1 has been studied. Negro possesses one dominant gene for resistance. Resistance in Amarillo is mainly controlled by one gene, and resistance in Moscatel Grande seems to be controlled by two genes. These four genes are different from each other and allelism tests showed that the gene present in Negro is different from those described before in PMR5, PI 124111 and PI 124112. The main gene present in Amarillo is different from those carried by PMR5 and PI 124111 and the two genes carried by Moscatel Grande are different from the one present in PMR5.     

Rhodamine-pink as a genetic marker for yeast populations in wine fermentation

Winemaking with selected yeasts requires simple techniques to monitor the inoculated yeast. New high-concentration rhodamine-resistant mutants and low-concentration rhodamine-pink mutants, easy to detect by replica-plate assay, were obtained from selected wine yeasts. The rhodamine-pink mutations were dominant and were located at the pdr5 locus that encodes for the Pdr5 ATP-binding cassette multidrug resistance transporter. The mutants were genetically stable but had lost the killer phenotype of the parent yeast strain. They were genetically improved by elimination of recessive growth-retarding alleles followed by crossing with selected killer wine yeasts. Several spore-clones were selected according to their must fermentation kinetics and the organoleptic quality of the wine. Some spore-clones were tested in industrial winemaking, and they were easily monitored during must fermentation using a simple color-plate assay. They accounted for >96% of the total yeasts in the must, and the resulting wine had as good a quality as those made with standard commercial wine yeasts. The rhodamine-pink yeasts may also be detected by direct seeding onto rhodamine agar or by observation under fluorescence microscopy. These possibilities greatly reduce the time of analysis and make the monitoring procedure for rhodamine-pink yeasts faster, easier, and cheaper than for the genetically marked wine yeasts obtained previously.     

Cultivation affected the level of inorganic phosphorus more than the organic pool of the Pampas soils in Argentina

The effects of land use on soil organic and inorganic phosphorus (P) stocks were assessed in the Pampas, Argentina. Three hundred and eighty-six paired sites widely distributed over an area of ca. 50 Mha were sampled. Land use types included soils under trees, uncropped soils, cropped soils at the pasture phase of a mixed rotation, cropped soils at the crop phase of a mixed rotation, and flooded soils. Slight differences in organic P stocks were found among land uses. Organic P was 21–35% lower in flooded soil than in the other treatments in the 0–100 cm depth. Inorganic P was significantly lower (ca. 27%) in pasture and cropped soils than in the uncropped controls at 0–25 cm depth. The ratios of organic P/inorganic P and organic C/organic P decreased with depth and did not significantly differ among the sites. The influence of cultivation on inorganic P to a depth of 100 cm depended on the initial phosphorus content of the soil. Soils rich in phosphorus lost substantial amounts of their phosphorus stocks, in some cases losses were as high as 70%, whereas phosphorus-poor soils presented only small changes in their inorganic P levels.     

Similarity of fine specificity of IgA anti-gliadin antibodies between patients with celiac disease and humanized α1KI mice

Gliadins, and primarily α-gliadins containing several sequences such as aa 31-49, aa 56-88 (33-mer), aa 57-68, and aa 69-82, are critical in the induction of immune response or toxic reaction leading to the development of celiac disease (CLD). The role of IgA anti-gliadin antibodies (IgA AGA) is unknown. To this end, we prepared several humanized monoclonal IgA AGA using transgenic α1KI mice. Employing Pepscan with overlapping decapeptides of α-gliadin we observed a robust similarity between the specificity of humanized mouse monoclonal IgA AGA and IgA AGA from patients with florid CLD. The common immunodominant region included several sequential epitopes localized in the N-terminal part of α-gliadin (QFQGQQQPFPPQQPYPQPQPFP, aa 29-50, and QPFPSQQPYLQL, aa 47-58). Notably, IgA AGA produced by clones 8D12, 15B9, 9D12, and 18E2 had significant reactivity against sequences localized in the 33-mer, LQLQPFPQPQ (aa 56-65) and PQLPYPQPQPFL (aa 69-80). Humanized mouse monoclonal IgA AGA that have a known specificity are suitable as standard in ELISAs to detect serum IgA AGA of CLD patients and for studying the AGA pathogenic role in CLD, especially for analyzing the translocation of complex of specific IgA antibodies and individual gliadin peptides through enterocyte barrier.