The effects of mechanically-induced stress and water stress on freezing resistance in lettuce and cauliflower seedlings

Summary

Mechanically-induced stress, applied by brushing young lettuce and cauliflower plants for 90 s each day, reduced the freezing resistance of cauliflower but had no effect on that of lettuce. Brushing reduced fresh weight in both species and smaller plants were less freezing-resistant than larger ones. The levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in the shoots of brushed cauliflowers were slightly less than in unbrushed plants, whereas in lettuce the levels were similar in the two treatments. ABA sprayed onto lettuce plants had no effect on freezing resistance. With both lettuce and cauliflower, freezing resistance, and the osmolarity of sap extracted from the shoots, increased following water-stress and declined progressively following rehydration.     

Modifications of wheat flour proteins during in vitro digestion of bread dough, crumb, and crust: an electrophoretic and immunological study

The proteins of wheat flour have several biological activities that can affect human health and physiology when wheat-based foods are consumed. The modifications of bread crumb and crust proteins during an in vitro peptic/pancreatic digestion process were studied by electrophoresis and immunoblotting with polyclonal antibodies specific for single proteins or groups of homologous proteins of the wheat flour, and the results were compared to those obtained for an unheated dough sample. The results show that baking affects the extent of proteolysis and the immunological and physicochemical features of the digestion products in relation to the level of the heat treatment. Therefore, the results concerning the digestion of the unheated wheat flour or dough are not representative of what happens when baked products enter the human digestive tract.     

The effect of phosphorus supplementation to common carp diets on fish growth

The effect of supplementation of fish diets with phosphorus was studied both in tank and pond experiments. In the tank experiments phosphorus (6.5% di-calcium or mono-calcium phosphates) was added to three diets: two containing fish meal as the main protein ingredient and the third containing algal meal to replace it. Feeding common carp in tanks with these diets significantly increased fish growth rate (P < 0.05) over fish fed the same diets without phosphorus supplementation. In the pond experiments phosphorus was added to a fish meal diet in two different compounds: mono- and di-calcium phosphates (at 1% of the feed). The diets were fed to fish in a polyculture system for two consecutive culture cycles. Due to supplementation with phosphate, growth rate of tilapia (Sarotherodon aureus) increased in both culture cycles. The growth rate of common carp fed phosphorus-supplemented diets increased over the control only in the first cycle, when fish were large and the standing crop of carp exceeded 1.8 ton/ha. At lower standing crops the natural food seems to supply adequate amounts of phosphorus. Silver carp were not affected by phosphorus supplementation, probably because they consume very little supplementary feed. Total yield for the entire season (kg/ha) was significantly higher in ponds where fish were fed a phosphorus-supplemented diet. Di-calcium phosphate, which is soluble only in weak acids, seems to be more efficient than the water-soluble mono-calcium phosphate in affecting the growth of common carp even though this fish lacks a gastric acid secretion.     

Median Lethal Concentration (LC50) of Piscicidal Plants and Their Utilization in Aquaculture

Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Acacia pennata (bark), Catunaregam uliginosa (fruit), Diospyros lenceofolia (fruit), and Sapindus mukorossi (fruit) were evaluated as piscicides on the freshwater fish Danio dangila, Danio rerio, and Puntius shalynius, and the air-breathing Heteropneustes fossilis. Catunaregam uliginosa (fruit) possessed relatively higher piscicidal potency followed by Sapindus mukorossi (fruit), Acacia pennata (bark), and lastly Diospyros lanceofolia (fruit). Catunaregam uliginosa can thus be used for eradicating unwanted wild fishes in a short time span at low concentrations so that the health of aquatic environment is maintained.     

Use of a flexed dorsoplantar radiographic view of the talocrural joint to evaluate lameness in two dogs.

A flexed dorsoplantar radiographic view of the talocrural joint was a useful additional view to diagnose abnormalities of the lateral trochlear ridge of the talus of 2 dogs. This view outlined the subchondral bone of both trochlear ridges of the talus and the apposing cochlea tibiae of the distal portion of the tibia. The tarsus was flexed at the level of the talocrural joint, and an x-ray beam was centered on the joint. With this additional view, fractures of the lateral trochlear ridge were readily diagnosed. This view would help to demonstrate osteochondral lesions of the lateral trochlear ridge.