Natural zeolites in diet or litter of broilers

1. This study aims to analyse the influence of adding natural zeolites (clinoptilolite) to the diet or litter of broilers and their effects on growth performance, carcass yield and litter quality.

2. Three consecutive flocks of broilers were raised on the same sawdust litter, from d 1 to d 42 of age, and distributed in three treatments (control with no added zeolites, addition of 5 g/kg zeolite to diet and addition of 100 g/kg zeolites to litter).

3. The addition of zeolites to the diet or litter did not affect growth performance or carcass yield.

4. The addition of zeolites to the diet did not influence moisture content of the litter, ammonia volatilisation was reduced only in the first flock and pH of litter was reduced in the second and third flock.

5. However, the addition of zeolites to the litter reduced moisture content, litter pH and ammonia volatilisation in all flocks analysed.

6. The addition of 5 g/kg zeolite to the diet in three consecutive flocks was not effective in maintaining litter quality, whereas the addition of 100 g/kg natural zeolites to sawdust litter reduced litter moisture and ammonia volatilisation in three consecutive flocks raised on the same litter.

     

Chemical,physical and micromorphological properties of termite mounds and adjacent soils along a toposequence in Zona da Mata,Minas Gerais State,Brazil

Little is known about the effects of neotropical mound-building termites in soil chemical and physical properties. The influence of soil termite activity on soil characteristics was studied by assessing chemical, physical and micromorphological properties of a toposequence of Latosols (Oxisols). Soil samples were collected from the walls and inner parts of termite mounds and also from adjacent soil. A high diversity of termite genera was found in the mounds along the toposequence, together with the inquiline termites and other soil-dwelling arthropods. Chemical analyses showed that pH and the contents of organic C and N, P, Ca and Mg were significantly higher in termite mounds compared with adjacent areas, with an inverse trend for Al content. Significant differences in pH and exchangeable Al were observed between soil and mound across the slopes. The mound density across the landscape was higher at the upper slope segment, followed by the hill top, middle slope and lower slope segments. Considering a lifespan of 30 years and dimensions of termite mounds found in the toposequence we conclude that the textural and chemical uniformity of Latosols may be increased, following the pedobiological turnover during mound building, with local rates varying from 2.1 to 7.5 m³ ha^− 1.     

Cell wall modification during development of mealy texture in the stony-hard peach “Odoroki” treated with propylene

The melting peach cultivar “Akatsuki” [Prunus persica L. Batsh] develops melting texture during ripening, but the stony-hard peach cultivar “Odoroki”, softens and develops a mealy texture when treated with propylene. Cell wall polysaccharides were fractionated as 1,2-diaminocyclohexanetetraacetic acid (CDTA)-, Na₂CO₃-, NaOH-soluble fractions, or the cellulosic residues that remained after solvent extraction. Size-exclusion chromatography of the CDTA-soluble fraction revealed a limited depolymerization of polyuronides in mealy “Odoroki” fruit, accompanying a lower level of endo-polygalacturonase (endo-PG) and a higher level of exo-PG activities compared to melting “Akatsuki” fruit. “Akatsuki” fruit showed increases in the arabinose, galactose and rhamnose contents in the CDTA-soluble fraction. These neutral sugars decreased in the Na₂CO₃-soluble and cellulosic residue fractions during ripening. Similar changes were observed for neutral sugars other than arabinose during softening in mealy “Odoroki” fruit. Arabinose content did not increase in the CDTA-soluble fraction of “Odoroki” fruit; however, arabinose content decreased in the Na₂CO₃-soluble fraction and in the cellulosic residue as observed for “Akatsuki” fruit. A significant increase in α-l-arabinofuranosidase activity, about 10 times higher than for “Akatsuki” fruit, was observed in propylene-treated mealy “Odoroki” fruit. Differences in ripening-associated metabolic changes in the cell walls of these peach cultivars seem to be related to their differences in texture.     

Pharmaceuticals in Rivers of Two Regions with Contrasted Socio-Economic Conditions: Occurrence, Accumulation, and Comparison for Ukraine and France

The goal of our study was to identify pharmaceuticals, their potential sources and consumption level in two different socioeconomic and geographical regions??Bordeaux, France and Kharkiv, Ukraine. These substances were monitored in rivers water during contrasted seasonal conditions with application of passive samplers. The 21 pharmaceuticals (psychiatric drugs: alprazolam, amitriptyline, diazepam, fluoxetine, nordiazepam, carbamazepine, bromazepam; analgesics: aspirin, paracetamol; broncholidator: clenbuterol, salbutamol, terbutaline; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug: diclofenac, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen; lipid regulator: gemfibrozil; stimulants: caffeine, theophylline) were identified in sites upstream and downstream of urban areas and discharge of wastewaters. Caffeine, carbamazepine, and diclofenac were relatively abundant into the surface water and could be considered as potential anthropogenic markers of wastewater discharges into rivers. A mass balance modeling has been applied to calculate approximate consumption rates for carbamazepine, diclofenac, and caffeine in both regions to assess socio-economic factors linked with pharmaceuticals behavior.     

Obtaining Spheroplasts of Armored Dinoflagellates and First Single-Channel Recordings of Their Ion Channels Using Patch-Clamping

Ion channels are tightly involved in various aspects of cell physiology, including cell signaling, proliferation, motility, endo- and exo-cytosis. They may be involved in toxin production and release by marine dinoflagellates, as well as harmful algal bloom proliferation. So far, the patch-clamp technique, which is the most powerful method to study the activity of ion channels, has not been applied to dinoflagellate cells, due to their complex cellulose-containing cell coverings. In this paper, we describe a new approach to overcome this problem, based on the preparation of spheroplasts from armored bloom-forming dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum. We treated the cells of P. minimum with a cellulose synthesis inhibitor, 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB), and found out that it could also induce ecdysis and arrest cell shape maintenance in these microalgae. Treatment with 100–250 µM DCB led to an acceptable 10% yield of P. minimum spheroplasts and was independent of the incubation time in the range of 1–5 days. We show that such spheroplasts are suitable for patch-clamping in the cell-attached mode and can form 1–10 GOhm patch contact with a glass micropipette, allowing recording of ion channel activity. The first single-channel recordings of dinoflagellate ion channels are presented.     

Heterofucan from Sargassum filipendula induces apoptosis in HeLa cells

Fucan is a term used to denominate a family of sulfated polysaccharides rich in sulfated l-fucose. Heterofucan SF-1.5v was extracted from the brown seaweed Sargassum filipendula by proteolytic digestion followed by sequential acetone precipitation. This fucan showed antiproliferative activity on Hela cells and induced apoptosis. However, SF-1.5v was not able to activate caspases. Moreover, SF-1.5v induced glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) activation, but this protein is not involved in the heterofucan SF-1.5v induced apoptosis mechanism. In addition, ERK, p38, p53, pAKT and NFκB were not affected by the presence of SF-1.5v. We determined that SF-1.5v induces apoptosis in HeLa mainly by mitochondrial release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) into cytosol. In addition, SF-1.5v decreases the expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and increased expression of apoptogenic protein Bax. These results are significant in that they provide a mechanistic framework for further exploring the use of SF-1.5v as a novel chemotherapeutics against human cervical cancer.     

Artificial Infection of Rosellinia necatrix with Purified Viral Particles of a Member of the Genus Mycoreovirus Reveals Its Uneven Distribution in Single Colonies

ABSTRACT Rosellinia necatrix mycoreovirus 3 (W370) (RnMYRV-3/W370, described as RnMYRV-3 in this paper), a member of the newly established genus Mycoreovirus within the family Reoviridae, is the hypovirulence factor of the white root rot fungus, Rosellinia necatrix. Two virus-free fungal isolates (W37 and W97) that were somatically incompatible with the virus-harboring field isolate (W370) were transfected with purified RnMYRV-3 particles. Virus infection was confirmed by electrophoresis and northern hybridization of viral double-stranded RNA. RnMYRV-3 was transmissible from transfected strains to their respective, virus-free counterparts via hyphal anastomosis. Virus-transfected strains produced smaller lesions on apple fruits than did their virus-free counterparts. Virus-cured strains were indistinguishable from wild-type strains in culture morphology and displayed approximately the same virulence level on apples. Virus-transfected strains had "mosaic" colony portions consisting of thin, fast-growing and dense, slow-growing mycelia, and grew more slowly as a whole than their virus-free, parental strains. The level of virus accumulation varied among virus-transfected subcultures and within its single colonies. Virus-transfected strains were occasionally cured, as was W370. Such a phenomenon may be ascribed to uneven viral distribution in single colonies and the difficulty in viral transmission to virus-free hyphae.     

The pulvinar regulates information transmission between cortical areas based on attention demands

Selective attention mechanisms route behaviorally relevant information through large-scale cortical networks. Although evidence suggests that populations of cortical neurons synchronize their activity to preferentially transmit information about attentional priorities, it is unclear how cortical synchrony across a network is accomplished. Based on its anatomical connectivity with the cortex, we hypothesized that the pulvinar, a thalamic nucleus, regulates cortical synchrony. We mapped pulvino-cortical networks within the visual system, using diffusion tensor imaging, and simultaneously recorded spikes and field potentials from these interconnected network sites in monkeys performing a visuospatial attention task. The pulvinar synchronized activity between interconnected cortical areas according to attentional allocation, suggesting a critical role for the thalamus not only in attentional selection but more generally in regulating information transmission across the visual cortex.     

Decontamination of aflatoxin-forming fungus and elimination of aflatoxin mutagenicity with electrolyzed NaCl anode solution.

Electrolysis of a 0.1% (17.1 mM) solution of NaCl using separate anode and cathode compartments gives rise to solutions containing active chemical species. The strongly acidic "anode solution" (EW+) has high levels of dissolved oxygen and available chlorine in a form of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) with a strong potential for sterilization, which we have investigated here. Exposing Aspergillus parasiticus at an initial density of 10(3)spores in 10 microL to a 50-fold volume (500 microL) of EW+ containing ca. 390 micromol HOCl for 15 min at room temperature resulted in a complete inhibition of fungal growth, whereas the cathode solution (EW-) had negligible inhibitory effects. Moreover, the mutagenicity of aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) for Salmonella typhimurium TA-98 and TA-100 strains was strongly reduced after AFB(1) exposure to the EW+ but not with the EW-. In high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, the peak corresponding to AFB(1) disappeared after treatment with the EW+, indicating decomposition of the aflatoxin. In contrast, the routinely used disinfectant sodium hypochlorite, NaOCl, of the same available chlorine content as that of EW+ but in a different chemical form, hypochlorite (OCl-) ion, did not decompose AFB(1) at pH 11. However, NaOCl did decompose AFB(1) at pH 3, which indicated that the principle chemical formula to participate in the decomposition of AFB(1) is not the OCl- ion but HOCl. Furthermore, because the decomposition of AFB(1) was suppressed by pretreating the EW+ with the OH radical scavenger thiourea, the chemical species responsible for the AFB(1)-decomposing property of the EW+ should be at least due to the OH radical originated from HOCl. The OH in EW+ was proved by electron spin resonance analysis.     

Incorporation of C-labeled rice-straw-derived carbon into microbial communities in submerged rice field soil and percolating water

Rice straw is a major organic material applied to rice fields. The microorganisms growing on rice-straw-derived carbon have not been well studied. Here, we applied ¹³C-labeled rice straw to submerged rice soil microcosms and analyzed phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) in the soil and percolating water to trace the assimilation of rice-straw-derived carbon into microorganisms. PLFAs in the soil and water were markedly enriched with ¹³C during the first 3 days of incubation, which indicated immediate incorporation of rice-straw-derived carbon into microbial biomass. The enrichment of PLFAs in the percolating water with ¹³C suggested that microorganisms other than the population colonizing rice straw also assimilated rice-straw-derived carbon or that some bacterial groups were selectively released from the straw. The microbial populations could be categorized into two communities based on the carbon isotope data of the PLFAs: those derived from rice straw and those derived from soil organic matter (SOM). The composition of the PLFAs from the two communities differed, which indicated the assimilation of rice-straw-derived carbon by a subset of microbial populations. The composition of rice-straw-derived PLFAs in the percolating water was also distinct from that in the soil.