Mineral composition in the holdfast of three brown algae of the genus Laminaria

SUMMARY: The mineral (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Zn) contents in the holdfast of three brown algae of the genus Laminaria were determined to compare with those in frond and stipe. The wild and cultivated kelps of Laminaria japonica , L. ochotensis , and L. diabolica were used as samples. The K content was markedly high (11.76–14.91 g/100 g dry weight) in the holdfast of cultivated L. japonica; the K/Na ratio (3.88–5.18) of the holdfast was greater than those of frond and stipe as well as the reported values of frond (1.0–2.2). The content of Ca in the holdfasts of these three species was also higher than those in frond and stipe. The content of Mn showed the same tendency. This is the first report showing that the holdfast of L. japonica and L. diabolica is rich in minerals, especially K.     

Isolation of avian bornaviruses from psittacine birds using QT6 quail cells in Japan

Avian bornaviruses (ABVs) were recently discovered as the causative agents of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD). Although molecular epidemiological studies revealed that ABVs exist in Japan, no Japanese isolate has been reported thus far. In this study, we isolated four strains of Psittaciform 1 bornavirus from psittacine birds affected by PDD using QT6 quail cells. To our knowledge, this is the first report to isolate ABVs in Japan and to show that QT6 cells are available for ABV isolation. These isolates and QT6 cells would be powerful tools for elucidating the fundamental biology and pathogenicity of ABVs.     

Complementary process to response bias in the centromedian nucleus of the thalamus

Activity in several areas of the human brain and the monkey brain increases when a subject anticipates events associated with a reward, implicating a role for bias of decision and action. However, in real life, events do not always appear as expected, and we must choose an undesirable action. More than half of the neurons in the monkey centromedian (CM) thalamus were selectively activated when a small-reward action was required but a large-reward option was anticipated. Electrical stimulation of the CM after a large-reward action request substituted a brisk performance with a sluggish performance. These results suggest involvement of the CM in a mechanism complementary to decision and action bias.     

Nutritional parameters in the blood of dams during late gestation and immediately after calving,in the umbilical vein at calving,and in the blood of calves immediately following birth in Holstein heifers pregnant with either Holstein or beef breed fetuses

Dairy cattle management lacks consideration of fetal breed, the effect of which on fetal growth and nutrition are unclear. We investigated blood parameters in 12 late-pregnant Holstein heifers with similar (Holstein, n = 5) or different (Japanese Black [n = 4] or F1 cross [n = 3]; Holstein × Japanese Black) fetus breeds and in their umbilical cords and calves. Samples were obtained from dams 1 week before calving (−1 week) and immediately after calving, from the umbilical vein at calving, and from calves immediately after birth. Dams with beef fetuses had higher serum glucose levels (−1 week; p < .05) than those with Holstein fetuses. Plasma total amino acid, total essential amino acid, total nonessential amino acid, and other amino acid concentrations were lower in the umbilical veins of dams with calves of the beef breeds than in those of the Holstein breeds (p < .05). Furthermore, serum glucose and plasma amino acid levels were lower in the beef calves than in the Holstein calves (p < .05). Overall, nutrient supply from dams to beef fetuses was lower than that to Holstein fetuses. Our findings may facilitate feeding management of dairy cattle pregnant with beef breeds for appropriate fetal growth and nutrition.     

Effects of low and high levels of maternal nutrition consumed for the entirety of gestation on the development of muscle,adipose tissue,bone, and the organs of Wagyu cattle fetuses

This study aimed to investigate the effects of high and low levels of energy intake during the entire gestation period on the skeletal muscle development, organ development, and adipose tissue accumulation in fetuses of Wagyu (Japanese Black) cows, a breed with highly marbled beef. Cows were allocated to a high-nutrition (n = 6) group (fed 120% of the nutritional requirement) or low-nutrition (n = 6) group (fed 60% of the nutritional requirement). The cows were artificially inseminated with semen from the same sire, and the fetuses were removed by cesarean section at 260 ± 8.3 days of fetal age and slaughtered. The whole-body, total muscle, adipose, and bone masses of the fetal half-carcasses were significantly higher in the high-nutrition group than the low-nutrition group (p = 0.0018, 0.009, 0.0004, and 0.0362, respectively). Fifteen of 20 individual muscles, five of six fat depots, nine of 17 organs, and seven of 12 bones that were investigated had significantly higher masses in the high-nutrition group than the low-nutrition group. The crude components and amino acid composition of the longissimus muscle significantly differed between the low- and high-nutrition groups. These data indicate that maternal nutrition during gestation has a marked effect on the muscle, bone, and adipose tissue development of Wagyu cattle fetuses.     

Determination of 1-deoxynojirimycin in mulberry leaves using hydrophilic interaction chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection

A simple and rapid method for determining 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), a potent glucosidase inihibitor present in mulberry leaves (Morus alba and Morus bombysis), by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to an evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) has been developed. DNJ was separated from an extract of mulberry leaves on a TSKgel Amide-80 column, which is a representative column for hydrophilic interaction chromatography. During postcolumn detection, DNJ was detected by ELSD and concurrently identified by mass spectrometry. The detection limit was 100 ng. This method is sufficiently sensitive for determining DNJ in mulberry leaves and other related products.     

Effects of Ozone and/or Soil Water Stress on Growth and Photosynthesis of Fagaus Crenata Seedlings

The effects of ozone (O₃) and soil water stress, singly and in combination, on the growth and photosynthesis of Fagus crenata seedlings were investigated. Four-year-old seedlings were exposed to charcoal-filtered air (< 5 nmol mol^?1 O₃) or 60 nmol mol^?1 O₃, 7 hours per day (11:00–18:00), for 156 days from 10 May to 11 October 1999 in naturally-lit growth chambers at 20/15 °C (6:00–18:00/18:00–6:00). During the same period, half of the seedlings in each gas treatment received 250 mL of water at the 3-day intervals (well-watered treatment), while the rest received 175 mL of water at the 3-day intervals (water-stressed treatment). The exposure of the seedlings to O₃ caused reductions in the leaf, stem, root and whole-plant dry weights. The net photosynthetic rate at 350 µmol mol^?1 CO₂, the maximum net photosynthetic rate at saturated CO₂-concentration, carboxylation efficiency of photosynthesis and Rubisco content were significantly reduced by the exposure to O₃. The soil water stress induced reductions in the stem, bud and whole-plant dry weights, transpiration rate and leaf water potential during the midday. The additive effects of O₃ and soil water stress were observed on the dry matter production, leaf gas exchange rates and leaf water potential. As a result, the whole-plant dry weight of the seedlings exposed to both stresses was markedly reduced compared with that of the seedlings exposed to charcoal-filtered air and grown in the well-watered treatment.     

Effects of water activity and lipid addition on secondary structure of zein in powder systems

The effects of water activity (A(w)) and lipid addition on the secondary structure of powdery zein were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Two fatty acid esters, i.e., the linolenic and eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl esters (LAE and EPE), were mixed with the zein powder. The powders were stored in the "dry" state (with silica gel) and the "humid" state (A(w) = 0.9). The powdery zein without the lipids was shown to have a high content of the intermolecular hydrogen-bonded beta-sheet in the "dry" state, indicating the presence of protein aggregates. An increase in A(w) induced a decrease in this beta-sheet, concomitant with increases in the alpha-helix and beta-turn structures. The addition of LAE caused decreases in the alpha-helix and intermolecular hydrogen-bonded beta-sheet of zein when the powder was stored in the "humid" state, suggesting the strong interaction of LAE and zein molecules. However, LAE did not affect the secondary structure of zein in the "dry" state. The addition of EPE hardly influenced the secondary structure of zein, irrespective of A(w). These results are discussed in relation to the antioxidative activity of zein in the powder system, which had studied previously.     

Improvement of the functional properties of sucrose stearate by phosphorylation

Phosphorylated sucrose stearate (SE-P) was prepared by dry-heating sucrose stearate (SE) with metaphosphoric acid. The main product was deduced to be a monophosphosucrose monostearate by chemical analysis and mass spectrometry. SE-P exhibited remarkably higher solubility and emulsifying properties than SE, especially in the acidic region and in the presence of NaCl, and SE-P bound Ca2+ at a 1:1 molar ratio (SE-P/Ca2+). SE-P markedly reduced the viscosity of potato starch paste and inhibited retrogradation, whereas SE did not reduce it so much. It is thus expected that phosphorylation would be an appropriate method for improving the functional properties of SE and that SE-P could be used as a novel emulsifier and modifier with Ca2+-binding ability for starchy foods.