Effect of dietary components on the gut microbiota of aquatic animals. A never‐ending story?

It is well known that healthy gut microbiota is essential to promote host health and well‐being. The intestinal microbiota of endothermic animals as well as fish are classified as autochthonous or indigenous, when they are able to colonize the host's epithelial surface or are associated with the microvilli, or as allochthonous or transient (associated with digesta or are present in the lumen). Furthermore, the gut microbiota of aquatic animals is more fluidic than that of terrestrial vertebrates and is highly sensitive to dietary changes. In fish, it is demonstrated that [a] dietary form (live feeds or pelleted diets), [b] dietary lipid (lipid levels, lipid sources and polyunsaturated fatty acids), [c] protein sources (soybean meal, krill meal and other meal products), [d] functional glycomic ingredients (chitin and cellulose), [e] nutraceuticals (probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and immunostimulants), [f] antibiotics, [g] dietary iron and [h] chromic oxide affect the gut microbiota. Furthermore, some information is available on bacterial colonization of the gut enterocyte surface as a result of dietary manipulation which indicates that changes in indigenous microbial populations may have repercussion on secondary host–microbe interactions. The effect of dietary components on the gut microbiota is important to investigate, as the gastrointestinal tract has been suggested as one of the major routes of infection in fish. Possible interactions between dietary components and the protective microbiota colonizing the digestive tract are discussed.     

Natural bixin as a potential carotenoid for enhancing pigmentation and colour in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Discovering natural carotenoids for colour enhancement and health benefits of fish is important to develop new feed formulations. We have purified natural bixin from achiote seeds and evaluated the effect of colour enhancing and pigmentation in goldfish. Varying levels of bixin‐based diets were prepared with 420 g kg^?1 of crude protein and 120 g kg^?1 of lipid content. Our results clearly showed that bixin (0.05, 0.10, 0.20 and 0.60 g kg^?1) based diets significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the skin and fin colour at 30 and 60 days compared to diet without bixin. Interestingly, diet which contains 0.20 g kg^?1 bixin and commercial feed (with astaxanthin) had similar effect on carotenoid deposition in skin. Moreover, total carotenoid deposition in fin was higher than in skin of all bixin‐containing diets. However, 0.60 g kg^?1 bixin‐containing diet had lower specific growth rate (1.01 ± 0.01) and higher feed conversion ratio (2.05 ± 0.19) compared to the control group. The present results demonstrate that achiote bixin can be successfully used as an alternative natural carotenoid source against synthetic astaxanthin in fish feed. Our data indicate that 0.20 g kg^?1 is a suitable dietary level of bixin to ensure strong pigmentation, acceptable growth and feed utilization in goldfish.     

土霉素在黑鲷体内的药物代谢动力学研究

首次报道了黑鲷口服土霉素的药物代谢动力学特征，用高效液相色谱法测定组织中的药物含量，药物在肌肉，血液，肝脏中的平均回归率分别为８５.61%,85.38%,82.005,该方法的检测限可达0.01μg/g，黑鲷１次口服剂量为７５mg/kg的土壤素后，其血液药物浓度－时间数据符合一室开放动力学模型，吸收速率常数（ka)为０.296/h，达峰时间（Ｔamx)为１０.635h,峰浓度（Ｃmax)为１.398μg/ml, 分布半衰期（Ｔ１／２a）为２.339h ,消除半衰期(T1/20β）为46.663h，药时曲线下面积（ＡＵＣ）为１１0.25mg/L.h，黑绸口服药物０.5h后在血液，肥肉，肝脏，肾脏４种组织中就可以检测到药物的存在，药物在１６h的采样点浓度达最高，分别为1.68μg/ml,1.68,2.52,6.77μg/g。     

水稻稻瘟病菌胁迫应答cDNA片段的表达及定位

以抗稻瘟病品系G205为材料,应用cDNA微阵列分别获得了一个受稻瘟病菌诱导的含NBS LRR的cDNA克隆（暂命名为RIM1, rice induced by Magnaporthe grisea）和一个受稻瘟病菌抑制的编码腈水解酶（Nitrilase）的cDNA克隆（暂命名为NIT）,并通过Northern得到证实。RFLP分析将RIM1和NIT分别定位于水稻第2和第3染色体上,它们均位于控制水稻稻瘟病部分抗性QTL区间。     

田间条件下水稻根系分布及其与土壤容重的关系

 采用大田和筒栽方法研究了超高产三系杂交稻协优9308和两系杂交稻两优培九在穗分化期和开花期根系生长和分布及土壤容重对根系分布的影响。结果表明，在田间条件下，土层15 cm内水稻根系占根系总量的89%～98%，深层根系丛间比丛中比例高。不早衰的协优9308根系生长量较两优培九大。土壤容重提高，根系总生长量下降，且深层根系的量和比例下降。就深耕法对水稻根系生长和分布的影响进行了讨论。     

稻田水分管理方式对水稻光合速率和水分利用效率的影响

以超级杂交稻两优培九和中优6号为材料, 设3个不同水分管理措施,在穗分化期、开花期和花后20 d分别测定叶片光合速率和水分利用率。结果表明:不同水分管理方式影响水稻地上部干物重、叶面积指数、光合速率、蒸腾速率和水分利用效率。水分好气灌溉管理地上部干物重和水分利用效率明显增加;水分低水位管理蒸腾速率、地上部干物重和叶片水分利用效率下降。淹水灌溉地上部干物重、叶面积指数、叶片光合速率和水分利用率较低。因此,水稻好气灌溉有利于光合物质积累,显著增产和提高水分利用效率。试验还表明这3种水分管理对稻米蛋白质含量的影响不显著。     

Glu A1和 Glu D1位点高分子量谷蛋白亚基共同缺失对弱筋小麦品质的影响

为了研究高分子量谷蛋白亚基(HMWGS)缺失对小麦品质的影响,以 GluA1和 GluD1位点HMWGS共同缺失材料2GS041410作供体亲本,以弱筋小麦品种扬麦13和扬麦18作轮回亲本进行回交,构建不同遗传背景的BC¹F³和BC²F³群体,测定受体、供体亲本的品质,以及回交群体BC¹F³和BC²F³中 GluA1和 GluD1位点HMWGS共同缺失纯合单株及两位点均正常表达纯合单株的品质。结果表明,供体2GS041410具有较低的SDS沉降值、较短的面团形成时间和稳定时间;在BC¹F³和BC²F³中, GluA1和 GluD1位点HMWGS共同缺失对蛋白含量影响不显著,但可显著或极显著降低SDS沉降值和水溶剂保持力(SRC)。 GluA1和 GluD1位点HMWGS双缺失在弱筋小麦品质育种中具有一定的应用价值。     

白粒小麦品种(系)穗发芽抗性机制分析

为了解小麦穗发芽抗性机制,应用与抗穗发芽有关的功能标记 Vp1B3、 Vp1b2和 Dorm1并结合整穗发芽、籽粒发芽、籽粒+芒、籽粒+穗轴、籽粒+颖壳和籽粒+芒+穗轴+颖壳共6种发芽试验处理,分析了11个小麦品种（系）的穗发芽抗性机制。结果表明,红粒抗穗发芽对照京9428和京冬8号的抗性受粒色、Vp1Bc、颖壳或颖壳抑制物控制;9个白粒品种(系)穗发芽抗性均不同程度的受芒和颖壳或它们的抑制物控制;强抗穗发芽品系CA0431的抗性与 Vp1B3、 Dorm1和粒色无关,而与其他遗传因素有关;强抗穗发芽品系山东046432属于由Vp1Bc和Dorm1控制的基因型;中抗穗发芽品种矮抗58的抗性与穗轴有关;Vp1Bb基因对CA95502的穗发芽作用有待进一步证实;芒和颖壳或它们的抑制物对白粒中感穗发芽品系CA9640、CA0459、CA0493和白粒高感穗发芽品系山东928802和CA0306的穗发芽均有一定的抑制作用,但 Vp1Bb基因型与山东928802和Vp1Bc基因型与CA0306的穗发芽并无相关。     

Consumer perception versus scientific evidence of farmed and wild fish: exploratory insights from Belgium

The increasing number of marketable fish being supplied from aquaculture is a response to the increasing demand for healthy food and is filling the gap left by depleting natural fish stocks. Little is known about the awareness and perception of the consumer in terms of farmed fish versus fish from capture fisheries. The consumer's subjective point of view is of overriding importance for the production system and product acceptance as well as for future market success. In this paper consumer perception in Belgium is explored and compared against scientific evidence of farmed versus wild fish. Primary data were collected through a consumer survey (April 2003) and focus group discussions (May 2004) with Belgian consumers. The majority of the consumer sample reported no perceived differences between farmed versus wild fish. However, mean perception scores were slightly in favour of wild fish on the attributes taste, health and nutritious value, in particular among consumers aged 55 years and older. The availability of farmed fish was perceived to be better than that of wild fish, while the consumer's perception of safety did not differ between farmed and wild fish. The focus group discussions indicated that consumers’ opinions and beliefs about farmed fish are mainly based on emotion and image transfer from intensive terrestrial livestock production rather than on awareness and factual knowledge of aquaculture.

Short-term effects of aglime on inorganic- and organic-derived CO2 emissions from two acid soils amended with an ammonium-based fertiliser

Purpose

Aglime application can promote carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from acid soils. However, the controlling mechanisms are still poorly understood, particularly the role of fertiliser-ammonium oxidation. This study therefore assessed the effects of aglime on soil inorganic C (SIC)– and soil organic C (SOC)–derived CO₂ emissions from acid soils amended with ammonium.

Materials and methods

Ammonium at three N rates [0% (A0), 0.005% (A1), and 0.2% (A2) w/w] and labelled aglime (Ca¹³CO_3,¹³C 5.94% aa) at three rates [0% (L1), 0.067% (L1), and 0.392% (L2) w/w] were applied to two contrasting acid soils (Nariva series, Mollic Fluvaquents; and Piarco series, Typic Kanhaplaquults) and incubated in 1-l media bottles for 23 days. A calcareous soil (Princes Town series, Aquentic Eutrudepts, carbonate δ¹³C of ??4.79‰) was included as a control that only received ammonium at the three rates.

Results and discussion

The application of ammonium at the A2 rate significantly (p?<?0.05) increased cumulative SIC-CO₂ emissions by 15.8 and 27.1% in comparison to the A0 rate for the Nariva and Piarco soils, respectively, when they were limed at the L2 rate. The lower rate of ammonium (A1), however, had no effect on these emissions, which suggests that enough acidity may not have been generated at this rate to significantly enhance the release of SIC-CO₂. Furthermore, no effect of ammonium rates was observed on SIC-CO₂ emissions from the calcareous soil, which refutes the hypothesis that this amendment plays a greater role in regulating these emissions from calcareous soils compared with acid soils. Also, in contradiction to another hypothesis, the aglime-induced priming effect on SOC decomposition was more apparent in the low-C Piarco soil. This effect was also significantly (p?<?0.05) greater at the L2 rate (above the lime requirement for Piarco), which demonstrates the negative impact that over-liming could have on the sequestration of C in this soil. Our results also showed that ammonium addition may also help to reduce the magnitude of the aglime-induced priming effect in the Piarco soil when it is not over-limed.

Conclusions

Overall, the findings of this study suggest that ammonium fertiliser broadcast at conventional rates may not serve as a significant regulator of SIC-CO₂ emissions from highly to moderately acidic soils amended with aglime. Our findings also indicate a need to consider nitrogen management as an important factor regulating the effects of aglime on SOC-CO₂ emissions.