Phenolic compounds and saponins in quinoa samples (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) grown under different saline and nonsaline irrigation regimens

Quinoa is a pseudocereal from South America that has received increased interest around the world because it is a good source of different nutrients and rich in antioxidant compounds. Thus, this study has focused on the effects of different agronomic variables, such as irrigation and salinity, on the phenolic and saponin profiles of quinoa. It was observed that irrigation with 25% of full water restitution, with and without the addition of salt, was associated with increases in free phenolic compounds of 23.16 and 26.27%, respectively. In contrast, bound phenolic compounds were not affected by environmental stresses. Saponins decreased if samples were exposed to drought and saline regimens. In situations of severe water deficit, the saponins content decreased 45%, and 50% when a salt stress was added. The results suggest that irrigation and salinity may regulate the production of bioactive compounds in quinoa, influencing its nutritional and industrial values.     

Characterisation of the phospholipid fraction of hulled and naked tetraploid and hexaploid wheats

Phospholipid (PL) profile was determined on lipids extracted from the whole grains of 10 genotypes of tetraploid wheats (Triticum dicoccon Schrank and Triticum durum Desf.) and 10 genotypes of hexaploid wheats (Triticum spelta L. and Triticum aestivum L.) by a liquid chromatography system coupled on-line with an evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD). Phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine were the major PL determined, accounting for more than 70% of total PL. PL represented about 10% of total lipids and were detected in naked wheats at levels of 10.1 and 10.4 g/100 g of lipids (T. durum and T. aestivum, respectively) whereas in the corresponding ancestors T. dicoccon and T. spelta PL amounts were 8.4 and 9.1 g/100 g of lipids, respectively. PL amount in naked wheats was about 17% higher than that determined on average in hulled wheats: 10.2 ± 2.8 vs. 8.7 ± 2.2 g/100 g of lipids, respectively. A hyphenated system HPLC-ELSC was revealed as a useful and more informative tool to identify different PL classes with a minimal experimental workout in comparison to the organic phosphorus assay. The identification of PL molecular species was performed by HPLC, employing as detector a mass spectrometer working in negative ASI-ES mode.     

Persistence of depleted abalones in marine reserves of central California

We evaluated the persistence and possible recovery of two depleted marine mollusks, the red (Haliotis rufescens) and black abalone (H. cracherodii), in central California, USA. Monitoring over 32-years did not reveal increasing or decreasing trends in red abalone abundances and sizes over the past three decades, in the absence of harvesting. Comparisons between marine reserves protected for at least 25 years and sites with open public access showed significant difference in size structure for black abalone, with individuals greater than 8 cm in shell length comprising 14–37% of animals in reserves and 2–11% at open-access sites, and a trend for greater abundances of red abalone within reserves. Despite no increasing trends, protection in one of the no-take reserves, the Hopkins marine life refuge (HMLR), has led to persistence of red abalone populations over multiple generations, at average densities of 0.2 individuals/m². At other locations, both within the HMLR and elsewhere, red abalone densities are lower than at the location where long-term studies were conducted (av. 0.03 animals/m²), and an order of magnitude lower than for black abalone (av. 0.4 animals/m²). These results suggest that continued fishery closure and protection in no-take reserves are effective tools for allowing persistence of abalone populations, though there are no signs of recovery to levels comparable to those preceding fisheries collapse. Such failure to recover is most likely associated with high natural mortality and possibly continued illegal take, but not with processes underlying low abalone population levels elsewhere, including food or habitat limitation, recruitment failure, or disease. Linking current structure and trends to specific processes is a crucial first step towards devising focused strategies for conserving and re-building depleted marine populations.     

Furosine: a suitable marker for assessing the freshness of royal jelly

Fifteen commercial samples of royal jelly, consisting of 10 imported samples, and 5 samples of known origin obtained freshly harvested from beekeepers, were analyzed for protein, lysine, and furosine content. In addition, a commercial sample of royal jelly, at the beginning of its commercial shelf life, was stored for 10 months both at 4 degrees C and at room temperature in order to assess the development of the Maillard reaction (furosine) and relative nutritional damage (blocked lysine). The commercial royal jelly products contained different amounts of furosine, ranging from 37.1 to 113.3 mg/100 g protein, evidence of different storage times and conditions. The average furosine content of the royal jelly samples of known origin and harvesting was significantly lower than that of the imported samples (41.7 versus 73.6 mg/100 g protein, respectively). With regard to shelf life, furosine content increased significantly from 72.0 mg/100 g protein to 500.8 mg/100 g protein after 10 months of storage at room temperature, while it increased to a much lower level (100.5 mg/100 g protein) when the royal jelly was stored at 4 degrees C. However, nutritional damage, expressed as blocked lysine (calculated indirectly from the furosine content), was minor or negligible, 11.9 and 2.3% of total lysine, in samples stored at room temperature and at 4 degrees C, respectively. Lysine was determined by an innovative procedure based on high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). The results showed that furosine is a suitable index for assessing the quality and freshness of royal jelly.     

Development of functional spaghetti enriched in bioactive compounds using barley coarse fraction obtained by air classification

Barley byproducts obtained by air classification have been used to produce a different barley functional spaghetti, which were compared to different commercial whole semolina samples. Total, insoluble, and soluble fiber and β-glucan contents of the barley spaghetti were found to be greater than those of commercial samples. Furthermore, it was proved that barley spaghetti reached the FDA requirements, which could allow these pastas to deserve the health claims "good source of dietary fiber" and "may reduce the risk of heart disease". When the barley coarse fraction was used, a flavan-3-ols enrichment and an increase of antioxidant activity were reported, while commercial samples showed the absence of flavan-3-ols and a higher presence of phenolic acids and tannins. Whole semolina commercial spaghetti had a significantly higher content of phenolic acids than semolina spaghetti samples. Besides, it was observed that when vital gluten was added to the spaghetti formulation, phenolic compounds were blocked in the gluten network and were partially released during the cooking process.     

Conservation challenges for small-scale fisheries: Bycatch and habitat impacts of traps and gillnets

Small-scale fisheries provide over half the world’s wild-caught seafood, employ over 99% of its fishers, and are frequently promoted as a sustainable alternative to large-scale industrial fisheries. However, few studies have quantitatively examined how possible habitat impacts and non-target species composition vary across gears used in small-scale fisheries, as data are sparse and conservation efforts are largely focused on more iconic species. Here, we quantify and compare the ecosystem impacts of four fishing gears (lobster traps, fish traps, set gillnets, drift gillnets) used in small-scale fisheries of Baja California, Mexico, using at-sea observations and field experiments. Set gillnets had the highest overall impact on both non-target species and habitat, with discard rates higher than most industrial fisheries (34.3% by weight), and an estimated 19.2% of Eisenia arborea kelp and 16.8% of gorgonian corals damaged or removed within 1 m of the net path. Fish traps had the lowest discard rates (0.11%) while lobster traps and drift gillnets had intermediate discard rates (15.1% and 18.5% respectively). In contrast with gillnets, traps caused minimal immediate damage to gorgonian corals and rarely interacted with kelp. Results indicate that ecological impacts depend more on fishing gear type and habitat characteristics than the size of fishing vessels, calling into question broad generalizations that small-scale fisheries are inherently more sustainable than industrial fisheries. Our findings highlight the ecological impacts of artisanal gillnet fisheries as priorities for research, management, and conservation efforts in Baja California and other coastal areas.     

Linking human activity and ecosystem condition to inform marine ecosystem based management

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Determination of free flavan-3-ol content in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) air-classified flours: comparative study of HPLC-DAD/MS and spectrophotometric determinations

The determination of free flavan-3-ol compounds in barley flours (cv. Gotic) and two resulting milling fractions (fine fraction 57% and coarse fraction 43%, w/w) obtained by air classification of dehulled grain is herein described. The determinations were carried out using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with both diode array detection and ESI-MS compared with conventional spectrophotometric determinations (total phenolic compounds by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and free radical scavenging activity with the DPPH assay). Significant correlations among the HPLC quantification, the spectrophotometric data, and the antioxidant capacity of extracts were revealed by Pearson's analysis. Nine flavan-3-ols were identified by HPLC-MS. Catechins and their derivatives were found to make a substantial contribution to the antioxidant power of extracts. The coarse fraction showed larger concentrations of flavan-3-ols (221%) with respect to the fine fraction. This was confirmed by the antioxidant activity of the analyzed flours. The coarse fraction showed the greatest antioxidant activity (1200.1 +/- 66.2 micromol of Trolox equiv/100 g of flour) with respect to whole meal and fine fraction (1025.9 +/- 18.3 and 761.7 +/- 55.3 micromol of Trolox equiv/100 g of flour, respectively).     

Predatory ability of the ant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crematogaster scutellaris</Emphasis> on the brown marmorated stink bug <Emphasis Type="Italic">Halyomorpha halys</Emphasis>

The pest Halyomorpha halys is a recent example of severe worldwide biological invasion. In Italy, after the first detection in 2012, it has rapidly spread and economic damage has already been reported in commercial fruit orchards, eliciting enormous concern for Italian agricultural production. As a long-term solution, biological control investigations are focusing on the potential of natural antagonists, such as generalist predators, in the invaded areas. Due to their biology, ecology and behavior, ants represent one such generalist predator potentially suitable for inflicting mortality on H. halys. In this research, Crematogaster scutellaris was used as a study model. Specifically, the effect of ant predatory behavior on the survival of all H. halys pre-imaginal stages was tested in the laboratory environment. The results suggest that C. scutellaris has a significant predatory impact on all H. halys pre-imaginal stages except for eggs. The reduction of survivorship is between 95 and 85% for instars 1 and 2 and between 38 and 52% for instars 3, 4 and 5. The different levels of predation success suggest that these ants could act as useful generalist predators when associated with other antagonists and/or other control strategies. Although further field investigations are needed, the potential of ants as biocontrol agents of invasive species in agroecosystems deserves consideration in integrated pest management programs.     

A global map of human impact on marine ecosystems

The management and conservation of the world's oceans require synthesis of spatial data on the distribution and intensity of human activities and the overlap of their impacts on marine ecosystems. We developed an ecosystem-specific, multiscale spatial model to synthesize 17 global data sets of anthropogenic drivers of ecological change for 20 marine ecosystems. Our analysis indicates that no area is unaffected by human influence and that a large fraction (41%) is strongly affected by multiple drivers. However, large areas of relatively little human impact remain, particularly near the poles. The analytical process and resulting maps provide flexible tools for regional and global efforts to allocate conservation resources; to implement ecosystem-based management; and to inform marine spatial planning, education, and basic research.