Characterization of 12 Novel Microsatellite Markers of Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) Identified From Next-Generation Sequence Data

The white-backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is a major pest of rice and has long-range migratory behavior in Asia. Microsatellite markers (simple sequence repeats) have been widely used to determine the origins and genetic diversity of insect pests. We identified novel microsatellite loci for S. furcifera samples collected from Laos, Vietnam, and three localities in Bangladesh from next-generation Roche 454 pyrosequencing data. Size polymorphism at 12 microsatellite loci was verified for 40 adult individuals collected from Shinan, South Korea. The average number of alleles per locus was 7.92. The mean values of observed (H_o) and expected heterozygosities (H_E) were 0.615 and 0.757, respectively. These new microsatellite markers will be a resource for future ecological genetic studies of S. furcifera samples across more broad geographic regions in Asia and may assist in estimations of genetic differentiation and gene flow among populations for implementation of more effective management strategies to control this serious rice pest.     

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Rapid Secondary-Metabolite Profiling of Marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. M2

The ocean is a rich resource of flora, fauna, and food. A wild-type bacterial strain showing confluent growth on marine agar with antibacterial activity was isolated from marine water, identified using 16S rDNA sequence analysis as Pseudoalteromonas sp., and designated as strain M2. This strain was found to produce various secondary metabolites including quinolone alkaloids. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, we identified nine secondary metabolites of 4-hydroxy-2-alkylquinoline (pseudane-III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI). Additionally, this strain produced two novel, closely related compounds, 2-isopentylqunoline-4-one and 2-(2,3-dimetylbutyl)qunoline-4-(1H)-one, which have not been previously reported from marine bacteria. From the metabolites produced by Pseudoalteromonas sp. M2, 2-(2,3-dimethylbutyl)quinolin-4-one, pseudane-VI, and pseudane-VII inhibited melanin synthesis in Melan-A cells by 23.0%, 28.2%, and 42.7%, respectively, wherein pseudane-VII showed the highest inhibition at 8 µg/mL. The results of this study suggest that liquid chromatography (LC)-MS/MS-based metabolite screening effectively improves the efficiency of novel metabolite discovery. Additionally, these compounds are promising candidates for further bioactivity development.     

Mechanical properties of semi-interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) copolymer and chitosan

Semi-interpenetrating polymeric network (semi-IPN) hydrogels based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-sodium methacrylate) [P(HEMA-co-SMA)], and chitosan with different molecular weights were prepared by crosslinking with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and their gelation time, water content, mechanical properties, and morphology were investigated. In consideration of the influence of the molecular weight of chitosan, there is no big difference in the water content, while tensile properties and compressive modulus increased as the molecular weight of chitosan increased. The water content increased and tensile properties and compressive modulus decreased with increasing SMA concentration. Considering the effect of the crosslinking agent, PEGDA had higher water content and lower tensile and compressive moduli than EGDMA. It is suggested that PHEMA/chitosan and P(HEMA-co-SMA)/chitosan semi-IPN hydrogels with different structures and physical properties can be prepared depending on the molecular weight of chitosan, the copolymerization with SMA, and the crosslinking agent type.     

Saccharobisindole,Neoasterric Methyl Ester,and 7-Chloro-4(1H)-quinolone: Three New Compounds Isolated from the Marine Bacterium Saccharomonospora sp.

Analysis of the chemical components from the culture broth of the marine bacterium Saccharomonospora sp. CNQ-490 has yielded three novel compounds: saccharobisindole (1), neoasterric methyl ester (2), and 7-chloro-4(1H)-quinolone (3), in addition to acremonidine E (4), pinselin (5), penicitrinon A (6), and penicitrinon E (7). The chemical structures of the three novel compounds were elucidated by the interpretation of 1D, 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) data. Compound 2 generated weak inhibition activity against Bacillus subtilis KCTC2441 and Staphylococcus aureus KCTC1927 at concentrations of 32 μg/mL and 64 μg/mL, respectively, whereas compounds 1 and 3 did not have any observable effects. In addition, compound 2 displayed weak anti-quorum sensing (QS) effects against S. aureus KCTC1927 and Micrococcus luteus SCO560.     

Apo-9′-Fucoxanthinone,Isolated from Sargassum muticum,Inhibits CpG-Induced Inflammatory Response by Attenuating the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway

Sargassum muticum (S. muticum) is a brown edible alga and widely distributed in Korea. This report was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of apo-9′-fucoxanthinone (APO-9′) isolated from S. muticum on pro-inflammatory cytokine production. S. muticum extract (SME) exhibited significant inhibitory effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine production in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and dendritic cells (BMDCs). APO-9′ pre-treatment in the CpG DNA-stimulated BMDMs and BMDCs showed a strong dose-dependent inhibitory effect on interleukin (IL)-12 p40, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production with IC₅₀ values ranging from 5.31 to 13.79. It exhibited a strong inhibitory effect on the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and on activator protein (AP)-1 reporter activity. APO-9′ pre-treatment exhibited significant inhibition of CpG DNA-induced production of inducible nitric oxide synthase. Taken together, these data suggest that SME and APO-9′ have a significant anti-inflammatory property and warrant further studies concerning the potentials of SME and APO-9′ for medicinal use.     

Relation between chemical structure of yellow disperse dyes and their lightfastness

Five yellow disperse dyes were synthesized and their dyeing, fastness and photodegradation behaviors were investigated. It was found that dyes derived from phenylindole and N-alkylaminobenzene showed dye uptake directly proportional to the dye concentration, but the build-up of dyes derived from carbazole and pyridone were not good. The wavelength at maximum absorption, molar extinction coefficient, and the tendency to the photodegradation were strongly dependent on the electron donating ability of the coupling component. The dye, whose coupling component was phenylindole, possessed the excellent dyeing properties and the high degree of lightfastness. UVA had an effect on the inhibition of the photodegradation especially for the easily photodegradable dyes.     

Film preparation by melt- or compression-process using poly(vinyl chloride) powder swollen with dimethylformamide

A melt-process was used to prepare high molecular weight Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films without the use of a conventional plasticizer and heat stabilizer. Rigid PVC powder was swollen with dimethylformamide containing 4∼10 vol% water to reduce its melting temperature. The swollen powder was pressed at a relatively low temperature of 75∼125 °C to form a film shape, and then washed and dried. The visible light transmittance, X-ray diffraction, density and the tensile properties of the resulting films were examined to estimate the success or failure of film formation. The films could be produced by not only the melt-process but also a compression-process using the rigid, highly swollen PVC powder. The resulting films had no voids, which are generally observed in PVC products formed by a solution process. The minimum temperature for these processes decreased with decreasing water content in the mixture: The minimum temperatures according to the water content in the mixture to produce faultless films through the melt-process were 4 %–105 °C, 6 %–115 °C, 8 and 10 %–125 °C, while those through the compression process were 4 %–95 °C, 6 and 8 %–105 °C, 10 %–115 °C.     

Physicochemical Characteristics of Chalky Kernels and Their Effects on Sensory Quality of Cooked Rice

Physicochemical characteristics of chalky rice kernels were compared with those of vitreous kernels, and the effects of chalky kernels on sensory quality of cooked rice were investigated. Chalky kernels were compared with vitreous kernels using image analysis and amylose contents. Because cooked rice is prepared through soaking and cooking, the changes in water absorption index (WAI) during soaking (15, 30, 60, and 90 min) and the structural changes during cooking (0, 3, 6, and 9 min) in chalky and vitreous kernels were investigated using image analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The effects of various proportions (0, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 15%) of chalky kernels on sensory quality of cooked rice were also studied. The chalky kernels tended to be smaller in kernel area, maximum diameter, minimum diameter, and perimeter than vitreous kernels. Amylose content in chalky kernels was slightly lower than that in vitreous kernels. WAI of chalky kernels was higher than that of vitreous kernels. The effects of chalky kernels on the sensory quality of cooked rice were not significant unless the proportion of chalky kernels was ≥15%. A sensory panel agreed that the overall sensory quality of cooked rice with 15% chalky kernels was the lowest among the samples tested.