Significance of extrinsic factors for the optimization of dietary cobalt supplementation in Tor putitora fingerlings

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - Extrinsic factors play a significant role during aquaculture feed manufacturing practices. Herein, a 90-day feeding trial was designed in triplicate under...     

Discrimination of three Pegaga (Centella) varieties and determination of growth-lighting effects on metabolites content based on the chemometry of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The metabolites of three species of Apiaceae, also known as Pegaga, were analyzed utilizing (1)H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) resolved the species, Centella asiatica, Hydrocotyle bonariensis, and Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides, into three clusters. The saponins, asiaticoside and madecassoside, along with chlorogenic acids were the metabolites that contributed most to the separation. Furthermore, the effects of growth-lighting condition to metabolite contents were also investigated. The extracts of C. asiatica grown in full-day light exposure exhibited a stronger radical scavenging activity and contained more triterpenes (asiaticoside and madecassoside), flavonoids, and chlorogenic acids as compared to plants grown in 50% shade. This study established the potential of using a combination of (1)H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analyses in differentiating three closely related species and the effects of growth lighting, based on their metabolite contents and identification of the markers contributing to their differences.     

Glabridin protects paraoxonase 1 from linoleic acid hydroperoxide inhibition via specific interaction: a fluorescence-quenching study

The enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) binds to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and is responsible for many of HDL's antiatherogenic properties. We previously showed that recombinant PON1 is inhibited by linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LA-OOH) present in the lipid fraction of the human carotid plaque (LLE) via oxidation of the enzyme's Cys284 thiol. Here we explore the effect of glabridin, an isoflavan isolated from licorice root, on preventing LA-OOH's inhibitory effect on rePON1 using the tryptophan-fluorescence-quenching technique and modeling calculations. Glabridin significantly prevented rePON1 inhibition by LLE or oxidized linoleic acid (by 22% and 15%, respectively), whereas ascorbic acid and Trolox, strong antioxidants, had no effect. Glabridin quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of rePON1 in a concentration-dependent manner. Binding parameters and modeling calculations demonstrated a major role for hydrophobic forces in the rePON1-glabridin interaction, indicating that it is not the antioxidant capacity of glabridin that protects rePON1 from LA-OOH inhibition, but rather its specific interaction with the enzyme.     

Mastitis caused by Yersinia pseudotuberculosis in Israeli dairy cattle and public health implications

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis was isolated from mastitis cases in nine dairy cows in Israel. Six cases occurred on one farm (three instances of two cows, 2 months apart) and three cases on one farm each. Seven cows suffered from clinical and two from subclinical mastitis. All but two of the cows were culled. The literature describing cases of bovine mastitis caused by Y. pseudotuberculosis is reviewed and the human public health implications are discussed.     

Study of the Toxic Contaminants Cadmium and Lead in Sardines (Sardina pilchardus) in the Bay of Algiers (Algeria)

The study of the discharge of metallic pollutants into the marine environment through biological material such as sardines makes it possible to evaluate the quality of the biological resources and of the marine environment. The sardine (Sardina pilchardus) is the most popular species for fishing and the most consumed species by the Algiers population. Two toxic metals that can affect human health are studied in this fish. A year of sampling with fishermen was conducted. Sampling was done in the spring, in the autumn, and in April between April 2014 and April 2015. Sampled sardines were grouped by size classes. The gills and muscle were recovered by size classes. The results were explored using a principal components analysis and compared by a Mann-Whitney distribution test. An atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used in the laboratory for analysis. The most important results show that lead levels were higher than those of cadmium in the gills and muscle. For sardines, lead contamination appears to have both gill and food origins. Mann-Whitney comparison tests confirmed this homogeneous distribution of lead between the gills and muscle. The correlation between cadmium in the gills and height or weight is more substantial than that with muscle. The origin of cadmium in sardines is branchial. The food origin appears secondary. From our point of view, the effect of season, i.e., winter (December) and spring (April), favors an increase in metal levels in parallel to the production reserves planned for spawning. The effect of season was observed by use of a biplot. A significant reduction in cadmium and lead content was observed in September. The high temperature, an environmental factor, induced stress that reduced the metal concentrations and the decontamination induced by the issuance of genital products in early summer.     

Speciation of Organic Matter and Heavy Metals in Urban Wastewaters from an Emerging Country

Analytical scanning and transmission electron microscopy, sequential chemical extraction, and pyrolysis?Cgas chromatography on solvent-extractable organic matter are used to provide both direct and indirect speciation of heavy metals and organic matter in sewage-suspended solids and in biofilms taken from an urban sewer in an emerging country. Compared to developed countries where the domestic activities represent the main source of heavy metal pollution in wastewater, the combined sewer system of an emerging country also integrates significant contributions originating from the private drinking water supply system (Zn, Cu, Cr, and Ni), industrial discharges (Cu, Mn), and road dust transported by street washing (Pb). The relative importance of those sources changes drastically over time as evidenced by the difference in metal levels recorded between weekday and weekend effluents. Nevertheless, sewer biofilms are found to provide a good averaging of contaminant loads and they can be used as environmental archives. The speciation study reveals the predominance of neoformed minerals such as sulfides and phosphates and highlights the strong biogeochemical dynamics that takes place within the sewer system. Electron microscope observations of heavy metal-bearing phases proved to be necessary to provide a consistent interpretation of chemical extraction results. The molecular characterization of the solvent-extractable organic matter from biofilms reveals the presence of classical fingerprints of domestic activity such as fecal sterols and detergents but also confirms a major contribution of petroleum by-products consistent with a traffic-related pollution.     

长枝木霉TlCC鉴定及其生物学特性研究

从土壤中分离得到1株木霉TlCC,为明确其分类地位及其生物学特性,对该菌进行形态学鉴定和分子鉴定,并对其生长培养基、光照、温度、碳源、氮源、微量元素和pH等生物学特性进行研究。鉴定结果显示,该菌株为长枝木霉（Trichoderm longibrachiatum）。生物学特性结果表明：菌株TlCC在PDA上生长量最大,查氏培养基和基本培养基上生长量最小;不同光照条件下,菌丝生长无明显差异,但在连续光照条件下可明显促进孢子产生;在15~40℃范围能够生长产孢,在35℃时菌丝生长最快,但产孢量在25~35℃最大;果糖最能促进菌丝生长,果糖、可溶性淀粉最有利于产孢;谷氨酸对菌丝生长和孢子产生都有促进作用;Cu最能促进菌丝生长,而Zn、K和Mg则对菌丝生长有一定抑制作用,Cu最有利于产孢,Zn对产孢明显抑制;在pH值在2~10范围内均可生长,在pH为5时为生长最佳,在pH值3~7范围内最有利于产孢。     

Detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mycobacterium avium</Emphasis> subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">paratuberculosis</Emphasis> in tissue samples of cattle and buffaloes

Tissue samples were collected at random from cattle (Bos taurus) and buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) from an abattoir of the district of Lahore and were analyzed for the presence of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis through acid-fast staining and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Body condition of animals and diarrhea were recorded. Most of the animals were emaciated. Diarrhea was noticed in 15.6% of buffaloes and 19.2% of cattle. Intestinal pathology was observed in 29% of buffaloes and 32.8% of cattle. Number of mesenteric lymph node (MLN) showing gross lesions was a bit higher (35.6%) in cattle than buffalo (31.2%). Acid-fast staining of tissue scraping smears revealed the presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in 17.4% intestinal and 16.4% MLN tissue samples in buffalo, while in cattle 19.2% intestinal and 17.8% MLN were found positive for AFB. In buffaloes, PCR confirmed 12.8% intestinal and 12.4% MLN positive samples for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. However, in cattle, PCR analysis demonstrated 14.2% positive results for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in both MLN and intestinal tissue samples. PCR also confirmed M. bovis in 5.8% of cattle and 5% of buffalo MLN and intestinal tissues. PCR positive tissue samples for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis were from those animals which were emaciated, having diarrhea, and severe gross lesions. AFB were also detected in tissue scraping smears of these animals. It is concluded that infection by various mycobacterium species can be differentiated by PCR, which is not possible by acid-fast staining technique.