Geno-phenotypic diversity in a natural population of Hancornia speciosa Gomes: implications for conservation and improvement

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Hancornia speciosa Gomes is native tree to South America, and its fruits are a source of income for communities and the food industry. The reduction of...     

Effect of Equilibrium Solution Ionic Strength on the Adsorption of Zn,Cu, Cd,Pb, As,and P on Aluminum Mining By-Product

Adsorption onto powdered activated carbon (PAC) is a promising option to remove organic micro-pollutants (OMP) from drinking water sources or wastewater. Since this treatment option requires continuous PAC dosing, sufficient contact time and subsequent separation of the PAC, the integration into existing process chains is challenging. In the present investigation, the pre-loading of a deep bed filter with PAC used as fixed bed adsorber was investigated. The retention and distribution of an exemplary PAC in a pumice rapid filter were determined. Gravimetry combined with combustion of the PAC at 550 °C was applied to differentiate between PAC and filter material residues and revealed comparably high PAC immobilization in the upper third of the pumice filter. Comparative adsorption experiments in batch with suspended PAC and continuous filtration tests with immobilized PAC showed advantageous results for immobilized PAC with regard to the removal of OMP and the sum parameters dissolved organic carbon and UV light absorption at 254 nm wavelength. The results indicate that a conventional rapid filter together with PAC can be effectively utilized as fixed bed adsorption filter.     

Assessing insecticide and fungicide effects on the culturable soil bacterial community by analyses of variance of their DGGE fingerprinting data

To assess the effects of three insecticides (aldicarb, chlorpyrifos, deltamethrin) and two fungicides (tebuconazole and metalaxyl + mancozeb) on the PCR-DGGE fingerprints of culturable soil bacterial communities (CSBC), a greenhouse experiment was carried out with soil samples from an Integrated System for Agroecological Production (ISAP), a Conventional Potato Production Area (CPPA) and a Secondary Forest Area (SFA) close to the CPPA. Samples were obtained at 15 day intervals starting at 32 until 77 days after sowing (DAS) to perform the PCR-DGGE analysis of the CSBC cultured on media amended with soil suspension. Analysis of variance from PCR-DGGE data indicated significant differences among treatments. Regardless the type of pesticide applied, CSBC was disturbed and similarity values varied from 5% to 90% in comparison to the control. Significant shifts on CSBC were only detected among treatments in the first two harvests, while CSBC tended to be more akin to each other at the last two harvest dates. The most significant responses observed were due to different soil sample origins, where values of 5% of similarity to the control were observed on CPPA soil. The use of analysis of variance on PCR-DGGE data was useful to a better understanding of the changes on CSBC induced by pesticides applications.     

EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF BORON DEFICIENCY IN CHESTNUT

This study aims to identify an alternative plant tissue to be used in the early diagnosis of boron (B) deficiency in chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.). A B-deficient orchard was selected, and 16 trees were submitted to two levels of B fertilization. When flowers were in bloom, the following tissues were sampled: leaves, androgynous catkins and flowers. There was a significant increase in B content in plant tissues due to B application. In July, the highest B content was observed in flowers in B0, but leaves had the greatest content in B1. Boron content in the tissues collected in July was positively correlated with B contents in leaves sampled in September. Foliar B concentrations, irrespective of the sampling period, were correlated with chestnut productivity, while the other tissues did not. These results suggest that the leaves, sampled in bloom, were the most efficient tissue for the early diagnosis of B deficiency.     

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of essential oils isolated from Thymbra capitata L. (Cav.) andOriganum vulgare L

Antilisterial activities of Thymbra capitata and Origanum vulgare essential oils were tested against 41 strains of Listeria monocytogenes. The oil of T. capitata was mainly constituted by one component, carvacrol (79%), whereas for O. vulgare three components constituted 70% of the oil, namely, thymol (33%), gamma-terpinene (26%), and p-cymene (11%). T. capitata essential oil had a significantly higher antilisterial activity in comparison to O. vulgare oil and chloramphenicol. No significant differences in L. monocytogenes susceptibilities to the essential oils tested were registered. The minimum inhibitory concentration values of T. capitata essential oil and of carvacrol were quite similar, ranging between 0.05 and 0.2 microL/mL. Antioxidant activity was also tested, the essential oil of T. capitata showing significantly higher antioxidant activity than that of O. vulgare. Use of T. capitata and O. vulgare essential oils can constitute a powerful tool in the control of L. monocytogenes in food and other industries.     

Estrus cycle effect on muscle tyrosine kinase activity in bitches

Estrus cycle is a well recognized cause of insulin resistance in bitches. The insulin receptor (IR) as well as the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor belong to the same subfamily of tyrosine kinase (TK) receptors. The objective of this study was to evaluate basal TK activity in muscle tissue of bitches during the estrus cycle. Twenty-four bitches were used in the study (7 in anestrus, 7 in estrus, and 10 in diestrus). Muscle samples, taken after spaying surgery to determine TK activity, were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and then stored at −80°C until the membranes were prepared by sequential centrifugation after being homogenized. TK activity was determined by Poly (Glu 4:Tyr 1) phosphorylation and expressed in cpm/μg of protein. TK activity was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the animals in estrus (104.5 ± 11.9 cpm/μg of protein) and diestrus (94.5 ± 16.9 cpm/μg of protein) when compared with bitches in anestrus (183.2 ± 39.2 cpm/μg of protein). These results demonstrate, for the first time, lower basal TK activity in the muscle tissue of female dogs during estrus and diestrus, which may represent lower insulin signaling capacity, opening a new field of investigation into the molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance in dogs.     

Nitrate Reductase,Micronutrients and Upland Rice Development as Influenced by Soil pH and Nitrogen Sources

The average yield of upland rice under no-tillage system (NTS), a sustainable soil management, is lower than in conventional tillage (one plowing and two disking). One of the reasons given for this drop in crop grain yield would be the low-nitrate assimilation capacity of rice seedlings, due to the low activity of the nitrate reductase (NR) enzyme in the early development phase. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the soil acidic and nitrogen source in the micronutrient concentrations, NR activity and grain yield of upland rice growing under NTS. The soil used in the experiment was an Oxisol. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial 3 × 4. Treatments consisted of three levels of soil acidity (high, medium, and low) combined with four nitrogen sources (nitrate, ammonium, ammonium + nitrification inhibitor, and control – without N fertilization). The reduction of soil acidity reduced the concentration of zinc and manganese in rice plants. Generally, the activity of the NR enzyme was higher in plants grown in soils with low acidity and fertilized with calcium nitrate. There was a greater response in growth and yield in rice plants grown in soils with high acidity. Under medium acidity, rice plants grown with ammonium sulfate were more productive (no differences were detected with the addition of the nitrification inhibitor).     

Solid-Phase Extraction Embedded Dialysis (SPEED), an Innovative Procedure for the Investigation of Microbial Specialized Metabolites

Solid-phase extraction embedded dialysis (SPEED technology) is an innovative procedure developed to physically separate in-situ, during the cultivation, the mycelium of filament forming microorganisms, such as actinomycetes and fungi, and the XAD-16 resin used to trap the secreted specialized metabolites. SPEED consists of an external nylon cloth and an internal dialysis tube containing the XAD resin. The dialysis barrier selects the molecular weight of the trapped compounds, and prevents the aggregation of biomass or macromolecules on the XAD beads. The external nylon promotes the formation of a microbial biofilm, making SPEED a biofilm supported cultivation process. SPEED technology was applied to the marine Streptomyces albidoflavus 19-S21, isolated from a core of a submerged Kopara sampled at 20 m from the border of a saltwater pond. The chemical space of this strain was investigated effectively using a dereplication strategy based on molecular networking and in-depth chemical analysis. The results highlight the impact of culture support on the molecular profile of Streptomyces albidoflavus 19-S21 secondary metabolites.