Gamma-linolenic Acid from Fifty-seven Ribes Species and Cultivars

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6) is a bioactive fatty acid (FA) that exerts several healthy actions; however, its occurrence is restricted to a few oils. The...     

Effects of storage on the physico-chemical properties of corn tortillas prepared with glycerol and salt

Corn tortillas have a short shelf life due to increased firmness and microbial spoilage. Commercial corn tortillas use carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to delay staling; however this gum is expensive when compared to the rest of the tortilla ingredients. Glycerol has been added to bread and wheat tortillas to increase pliability and salt has been shown to mask the flavor of glycerol in corn tortillas. The possibility to reduce staling in corn tortillas by adding glycerol/salt as an alternative to CMC was investigated by monitoring changes in physico-chemical properties during 2 weeks of storage at 25 °C. Molecular and macroscopic changes were followed using thermal and mechanical analysis. During storage an increase in amylopectin recrystallization was observed in all samples. The “freezable” water content of all tortillas decreased over the first 3–5 days of storage with an increase after 7 days, while moisture content and water activity remained constant. Glycerol/salt tortillas exhibited a sharper transition region in the DMA temperature scan suggesting a more homogenous sample. CMC tortillas were significantly stiffer than glycerol tortillas after 14 days of storage. Glycerol/salt combinations may offer at least a partial replacement for CMC since it helped control the stiffness, water homogeneity and distribution during storage.     

Climate change projections of commercial fish distribution and suitable habitat around north western Europe

Under future climate change, modification of temperature and salinity are expected to result in distribution shifts of marine organisms, including commercial fish and shellfish. Changes are anticipated everywhere, including in the seas of many important fishing nations. Species turnover will in turn result in both opportunities and threats to fishing industries. To determine the impacts for northwest European shelf fisheries, we project changes for 49 commercially important fish and shellfish species using an ensemble of five ecological niche models and three different downscaled climate change projections. The habitat suitability and latitudinal shifts projected from the recent past (1997–2016) to two futures (2030–2050; 2050–2070) were calculated for waters around the United Kingdom. Of the species examined, around half were projected to have consistently more suitable habitat in the future, including European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Moronidae), sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Alosidae) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus, Engraulidae). Conversely, it is suggested that UK waters will become less suitable for species including Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua, Gadidae) and saithe (Pollachius virens, Gadidae). Our comprehensive approach using a number of models and climate change scenarios shows that while there are differences in the magnitude of change between models, and while some models perform better for certain species compared with others, overall, the general trends in habitat suitability and abundance are robust across models and climate scenarios. This emphasises the value in using more than one modelling technique with different climate scenarios (i.e., an ensemble approach) to capture the uncertainty or agreement around climate change projections.     

Multivariate analysis of toxicological and environmental properties of soil nematicides

BACKGROUND: In intensive agriculture, the use of pesticides and soil fumigants is necessary to produce economically viable crops worldwide. However, this practice may involve undesirable effects on human health and the environment. In 1995, methyl bromide was restricted by the Montreal Protocol because of possible ozone depletion. The objective of this study was to compare intrinsic environmental and toxicological properties of 11 active substances with nematicidal properties, some of them recognized as methyl bromide alternatives. RESULTS: Four groups of active substances were discriminated by a series of principal component analyses (PCAs): (a) high toxicity to non-target fauna, humans and animals and medium persistence in the environment (cadusafos, ethoprophos and fenamiphos); (b) high toxicity to humans, animals and non-target fauna and high persistence (carbofuran and fosthiazate); (c) low toxicity to non-target fauna, humans and animals and low persistence (carbosulfan, benfuracarb and oxamyl); (d) low toxicity to humans, animals and non-target fauna and medium persistence in the environment (1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin and methyl bromide). CONCLUSION: Evaluating the multiple aspects of toxicological and environmental properties of active substances through PCA is proposed as a helpful tool for initially comparing the complex toxicological behaviour of active substances as plant protection products.     

Bioactive plants from Argentina and Bolivia

Antibacterial and molluscicidal activities of methanol and chloroform extracts of 16 plant species belonging to the families Compositae and Melastomataceae were evaluated. The chloroform extract of Vernonanthura tweediana and the methanol extract of Senecio santelisis resulted to be very toxic to brine shrimp nauplii (LC(50)=1 microg/ml). Chloroform extracts of S. santelisis and Senecio leucostachys as well as the methanol extract of Wedelia subvaginata displayed molluscicidal effects on Biomphalaria peregrina showing LC(100)<100 microg/ml. Moderate antibacterial action was produced by the chloroform extracts of Flaveria bidentis, Grindelia scorzonerifolia and Vernonia incana against two strains of Staphylococcus aureus.     

用于伏尔加河地区矮秆春小麦育种的Rht基因的研究和选择

对小麦品系Ｓａｒａｔｏｖｓｋａｙａ２９的不同Ｒｈｔ等位的一套近等基因系进行了田间试验,以测定６个矮杆基因的育种值。在不灌溉、灌溉并施用不同剂量的肥料（Ｎ１２０,Ｐ１００,Ｋ６０和Ｎ１８０,Ｐ１６０,Ｋ１００）三种条件下测定Ｒｈｔ基因对株高、产量及产量构成因子、品质的影响。结果表明,Ｒｈｔ基因可以用于伏尔加河地区条件下魏杆小麦品系的选育。     

Covariation between plant biodiversity and soil systems in a European beech forest and a black pine plantation: the case of Mount Faito,(Campania,Southern Italy)OA

Both climate and land-use changes, including the introduction and spread of allochthonous species, are forecast to affect forest ecosystems. Accordingly, forests will be affected in terms of species composition as well as their soil chemical and biological characteristics. The possible changes in both tree cover and soil system might impact the amount of carbon that is stored in living plants and dead biomass and within the soil itself. Additionally, such alterations can have a strong impact on ...     

The Impact of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents and Extraction Method on the Co-Extraction of Trace Metals from Fucus vesiculosus

In recent years, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have been widely investigated for the extraction of food and medicinal plants as well as seaweeds. However, the ability of NADES for trace elements co-extraction from natural sources is not well investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of common NADES for trace elements co-extraction from Fucus vesiculosus. All of the tested NADES did not recover As and Co (concentration <LOQ). Moreover, all of the tested NADES provided a low recovery (<9%) of Ba, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Sr, and Zn. The method of extraction had not shown a statistically significant effect on the co-extraction of all elements (excluding Ba and Ca). In contrast, the water content in NADES was significantly affected on the recovery of Ba, Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr, and Zn. The recovery of Al and Cr was relatively high and considerably varied (from 1.5 to 59.9%). NADES comprising lactic acid:glucose:H₂O (5:3:1) provided the lowest contents of all elements, and the highest extracted amounts were obtained employing water contents of 60–80%. The calculated daily intake of all the elements contained in NADES extracts were less than the daily dose risk estimators. The hazard quotients, hazard indexes, and carcinogenic risk calculated for all trace elements and their combination were considerably less than 1. This evidences no health risk, and carcinogenic risk after topical application of all studied NADES. For the first time, the results of the current study demonstrated that NADES extracts of F. vesiculosus contain a lower amount of trace metals and are safer than the extracts obtained with water and 70% acetone. This indicates a significant advantage for NADES compared with the other solvents.     

Bioactivity against Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) of Cymbopogon citratus and Eucalyptus citriodora essential oils grown in Colombia

BACKGROUND: Essential oils isolated from Cymbopogon citratus (DC) Stapf. and Eucalyptus citriodora Hook grown in Colombia were analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) and tested for repellent activity and contact toxicity against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). RESULTS: The main components of C. citratus oil were geranial (34.4%), neral (28.4%) and geraniol (11.5%), whereas those of E. citriodora were citronellal (40%), isopulegol (14.6%) and citronellol (13%). The mean repellent doses after 4 h exposure were 0.021 and 0.084 mL L^?1 for C. citratus and E. citriodora oils respectively—values lower than that observed for the commercial product IR3535 (0.686 mL L^?1). CONCLUSION: These studies showed the composition and repellent activity of essential oils of C. citratus and E. citriodora, suggesting that these are potential candidates as insect repellents. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry