Display practices and changes in riboflavin content of non-fermenting palm juice

Changes in riboflavin content of industrially bottled palm juice stored at different light intensities similar to display patterns practised by traders was studied. The loss of riboflavin in the first 24 hours was significantly higher than in the second 24 hours in both transparent (P<0.001) and green bottles (P<0.02) exposed to bright sunlight. Riboflavin loss from samples stored in transparent bottles occurred at a faster rate (24–71% of initial) than from samples in green bottles (0–29%) over a 36-hour period. Further loss of riboflavin did not occur over the next 36 hours due to cool weather conditions. In contrast, only 6% of initial riboflavin was lost after 72 hours of continuous exposure to fluorescent light: this increased by 53% by the ninth week. The data showed that riboflavin loss from bottled palm juice varied with the container, the environmental conditions and period of storage. It is recommended that palm juice should be displayed in dark bottles and protected from bright light.     

Untangling the genetic control of maize plant architecture plasticity

Euphytica - The hard-shelled character of ordinary cultivated Tartary buckwheat has become a factor influencing its taste and nutritional efficacy. However, the local variety, Rice-Tartary, can...     

Rheological characterization of refrigerated and frozen non-fermented gluten-free dough: Effect of hydrocolloids and lipid phase

This work intended to study the rheological and textural behavior of gluten-free dough for “empanadas” and pie-crusts production. Traditionally, these products are made with non-fermented wheat-based dough. They are highly consumed in Latin America, but unsuitable for celiac people. Gluten matrix is a major determinant of the properties of dough, thus it must be replaced with other network forming components, such as hydrocolloids. Different hydocolloids were tested: hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and mixtures of xanthan/guar, and xathan/HPMC gums. Three different kinds of lipid phase were also studied; i.e. sunflower oil and low and high solid content margarine at two different levels (20–30%). Changes in rheological and textural properties during refrigerated storage were evaluated by dynamic oscillatory measurements and puncture and elongation tests on the unbaked dough. Best results were obtained using either of the hydrocolloid mixtures. Besides, the textural characteristics of cooked empanadas were also studied. Freezing before baking did not alter the quality of the crust in the products. ESEM micrographs revealed a continuous matrix formed by hydrocolloid entanglements. Starch granules were homogenously distributed in the dough and acted as inactive fillers. An untrained panel accepted the xanthan/HPMC dough with a 74/90 score and it was significantly preferred over a commercial gluten-free dough.     

Genetic parameter estimates for growth and form traits in common ash (Fraxinus excelsior, L.) in a breeding seedling orchard at Little Wittenham in England

Data from a trial of 36 families at Little Wittenham, North Oxford was used to assess growth traits and stem form in common ash (Fraxinus excelsior, L.). The trial followed a design described by Barnes (Silv Genet 44(2–3):81–88, 1995) as the Breeding Seedling Orchard (BSO). The objectives of the study were to determine variation in growth and form traits and estimate genetic parameters of families. Assessments conducted at 3–8 years for height, diameter at breast height (dbh), straightness and forking showed significant differences (P < 0.05) among families with Guys (19), Settrington (34), Overbury (23) and Grimthorpe (36) being the best performers while Coleford (3 and 5) Gwynedd (27) and Bacheiddon (32) were the least performers. At the overall level, the additive genetic coefficient of variation (CV_A) ranged between 10.2 and 12.7% for height and 1.5 and 2.1% for dbh. Height had a high genetic correlation (r_g = 0.85) with dbh whilst forking had low correlation (r_g = 0.25) with height. Estimates of heritability decreased with age from  = 0.62 at 3 years to  = 0.30 at 8 years for height while values for dbh decreased from  = 0.48 at 4 years to  = 0.27 at 8 years. Some genetic gains are possible despite the low genetic variation among families; height had the greatest potential of genetic gain (12.5% at 8 years). Results suggest that early selection of superior families of Fraxinus excelsior appears to be feasible and it could be possible to achieve simultaneous improvement in both growth and form.     

Adoption decision and use intensity of soil and water conservation measures by smallholder subsistence farmers in Dedo District,Western Ethiopia

Soil degradation in the highlands of Ethiopia is a serious problem that threatens the sustainability of agriculture. Although efforts have been made to develop and promote several soil conservation technologies, their adoption has not been widespread. This study, based on responses from a sample of 101 households which operate on 204 plots in Western Ethiopia, interviewed in 2003 cropping year, employed a Tobit model to identify the main factors influencing farmers' decision to adopt and intensify the use of improved and indigenous soil and water conservation (SWC) measures. The results suggest that area of cultivated land, land/labour ratio, age and education level of household head and distance of the plot from home and slope of the plot provided statistically adequate predictive power on the use and intensity of SWC measures. These results are discussed and their implications for conservation programs are presented in the conclusion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In silico</Emphasis> genomic subtraction guides development of highly accurate,DNA-based diagnostics for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ralstonia solanacearum</Emphasis> race 3 biovar 2 and blood disease bacterium

New rapid diagnostic methods are urgently needed to discriminate the quarantine pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) race 3 biovar 2 (R3B2) from other populations of Rs that lack the adaptation to cause bacterial wilt disease in temperate regions. We used an in silico bioinformatic approach to identify several genome sequences potentially specific to R3B2 strains. Primer sets were designed to PCR-amplify sequences in these regions, and four sets were ultimately shown to be >99% accurate for detection of R3B2 strains. On the basis of these results, several primers were designed to enable development of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay that was rapid, technologically simple, and essentially 100% accurate for identification of R3B2 when applied to a comprehensive collection of geographically diverse Rs strains. We fortuitously found that a sequence in one of the “R3B2-specific” regions has ~90% identity to a sequence present in strains of the blood disease bacterium (BDB), a member of the Rs species complex that infects banana. Alignments of these sequences allowed design of a second PCR primer set that proved 100% accurate for identification of BDB strains when tested on the 22 BDB strains available to us. These results demonstrate the power of in silico genomic subtraction for rapid identification of population-specific DNA sequences and for the development of simple, reliable detection methods for Rs subpopulations.     

Leptospirosis as the most frequent infectious disease impairing productivity in small ruminants in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

Despite the importance of small ruminants breeding in developing countries, milk/meat productivity remains unsatisfactory. Infectious diseases, such as leptospirosis, brucellosis, and small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs), contribute to this scenario. The objective of the present study was to determine the role of each of these diseases in the productivity of small ruminants breeding in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In goats, 343 samples were tested for leptospirosis, 560 for Brucella abortus, and 506 for caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE), whereas in sheep, 308 samples were tested for leptospirosis, 319 for B. abortus, 374 for Brucella ovis, and 278 for Maedi-Visna (MV). Regarding leptospirosis, 25.9% of goats and 47.4% sheep were seroreactive, with serovar Hardjo the most prevalent in both species. Anti-B. abortus agglutinins were found in 0.7% of all samples, exclusively in goats. In relation to SRLVs, 8.6% of goats and 3.2% of sheep samples were positive for CAE and MV, respectively. Leptospirosis was the major infectious problem in the small ruminants sampled and may contribute to impaired productivity of these animals.     

Liming as an ameliorator of copper toxicity in black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.)

This study aimed to assess the effect of liming as an ameliorator of copper (Cu) toxicity in black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb.) grown in soil with a sandy texture. The treatments were soil supplementation with increasing doses of lime (0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 g kg^?1) and two of Cu (0 and 50 mg kg^?1). Pre-germinated black oat seeds were sown for 30 days in the soil, subsequently, the plant height, root and shoot dry mass and concentration of total chlorophyll, chlorophylls a and b, carotenoids and total soluble carbohydrates and starch were analyzed. The dose of 50 mg kg^?1 soil Cu caused a toxic effect on black oat plant growth and development, affected the internal distribution of nutrients, decreased the leaf chlorophyll concentration and increased the leaf concentration of total soluble carbohydrates and starch. Increasing lime doses ameliorated the toxic effects of Cu.     

The phenotypic relationship between residual intake and gain and other feed efficiency traits in Nellore cattle

This study aimed to compare feed efficiency measures of Nellore beef cattle on different residual intake and gain (RIG) classes. We used data from 610 animals weighing on average 236.33 kg and average of 283 days of age from feedlot performance tests carried out between 2005 and 2012. Animals were grouped based on RIG into three different classes: high RIG (>?mean?+?0.5 standard deviation (SD), most efficient; n?=?193), medium RIG (mean?±?0.5 SD; n?=?235), and low RIG (<?mean – 0.5 SD, least efficient; n?=?182). Residual feed intake (RFI), residual gain (RG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency (FE), relative growth rate (RGR), and Kleiber ratio (KR) of animals in each RIG class were compared by Tukey test at 1% of probability. Phenotypic correlations between variables were evaluated as well. Animals on high RIG class showed lower dry matter intake (P?<?0.01) and higher average daily gain (P?<?0.01) than low RIG animals. Consequently, high RIG animals had lower FCR (P?<?0.01) and higher FE (P?<?0.01) than those animals in low RIG class. The most efficient animals based on RIG were also the most efficient animals based on RG and RFI. RIG was negatively correlated to dry matter intake (P?<?0.01) and FCR (P?<?0.01), and a positive correlation was found between RIG and FE (P?<?0.01). Therefore, RIG appears to be a good parameter to select animals with reduced dry matter intake and high productive performance.