Oogenesis and relevant changes in egg quality of abalone Haliotis discus hannai during a single spawning season

Oogenesis of abalone Haliotis discus hannai was examined histologically during a single spawning season using broodstock of various maturation conditions, which were controlled by effective accumulative temperature (EAT). The quality of eggs spawned was determined in relation to oogenesis. For histological examinations, three to five females were sacrificed at 300, 600, 850, 1050, and 1150 °C days EAT, without induction of artificial spawning. Other females were successfully induced to spawn at 700 °C days EAT and were reared following spawning. Three of these females were then sacrificed every 200 °C days EAT until 1300 °C days EAT. Gonad histology showed that two oocyte cohorts matured in H. discus hannai ovaries during a single spawning season. One mature oocyte cohort could be spawned in multiple times. The second oocyte cohort started developing after the first oocyte cohort had been spawned or reabsorbed, and became fully mature 400 °C days EAT after the first cohort was depleted. For egg quality measurements, three to five females were successfully induced to spawn at 850, 1050, 1150, 1900, and 2350 °C days EAT (Experiment 1). Three females were induced to spawn twice, at 700 and 1500 °C days EAT, resulting in two batches of eggs from the same individuals (Experiment 2). Total lipid and protein content of eggs were measured and were greater in eggs from the second cohort than in eggs from the first cohort. No carbohydrates were detected in eggs and there was no difference in cytoplasm volume between the two cohorts. In hatcheries producing H. discus hannai, it is important to increase post-larval starvation tolerance by increasing the quality of eggs, to yield higher and more consistent survival. The results of this study suggest that H. discus hannai hatcheries should use eggs from the second oocyte cohort, which are of higher quality, rather than eggs from the first oocyte cohort.     

Enhanced Urinary Bladder, Liver and Colon Carcinogenesis in Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats in a Multiorgan Carcinogenesis Bioassay: Evidence for Mechanisms Involving Activation of PI3K Signaling and Impairment of p53 on Urinary Bladder Carcinogenesis

In the present study, modifying effects of diabetes on carcinogenesis induced in type 2 diabetes mellitus model Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats were investigated using a multiorgan carcinogenesis bioassay. Our re sults demonstrated enhancement of urinary bladder, colon and liver carcinogenesis in ZDF rats treated with five types of carcinogens (DMBDD). Elevated insulin and leptin and decreased adiponectin levels in the serum may be responsible for the high susceptibility of type 2 diabetes mellitus model rats to carcinogenesis in these organs. Possible mechanisms of increased susceptibility of diabetic rats to bladder carcinogenesis could be activation of the PI3K pathway and suppression of p53 in the urothelium in consequence of the above serum protein alterations.     

Compositions of fatty acid hydroperoxide positional isomers in sweet smelt, yellowtail and rainbow trout livers phosphatidylcholine

ABSTRACT: Hydroxy fatty acid isomers derived from phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides (PC-OOH) in the livers of three fish species, including sweet smelt, yellowtail and rainbow trout, were determined by selected ion monitoring of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Total molar amounts of all hydroxy fatty acids determined in the present study coincided well with those of PC-OOH reported previously, suggesting that hydroxy fatty acid composition reflects hydroperoxide composition. The total amount of hydroperoxide isomers accumulated in the livers of sweet smelt was much higher than those of yellowtail and rainbow trout. The amounts of certain isomers, including 10-hydroperoxy octadecanoic acid, 12-hydroperoxy eicosanoic acid and 14-hydroperoxy docosanoic acid, were significantly higher than those of rainbow trout and yellowtail. These results suggest that differences in the contents and compositions of certain hydroperoxide isomers, which are possible precursors of a watermelon-like or cucumber-like aroma, result in differences of fresh fish aroma between aromatic fish and non-aromatic fish.     

Geographical variation in skull morphology of gray-bellied squirrel Callosciurus caniceps

The geographical variation of the gray-bellied squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps) was examined using osteometry of skull in Southeast Asia. From the principal component analysis (PCA), the plots of the northern localities from Nan to Kanchanaburi and those of the southern localities from Narathiwat to Kuala Lumpur in male were completely separated. In female, the plots of the locality from Uttradit to Kanchanaburi and those of the locality from Pattani to Negri Sembilan were completely separated. We called these northern localities and southern localities which are distinguished by the PCA as N group and S group. The size and shape of the skulls of these squirrels indicated the differences between N group and S group from t-test and U-test. These results may be influenced by the two transitions of the phytogeography around the southernmost locality in N group and the northernmost locality in S group in the peninsular Thailand and Malay Peninsula. Localities which are located between N and S groups were called the Middle (M) group. From the PCA among N, S groups and each locality of M group, the plots of localities such as Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Trang in both sexes of M group could not be separated from those of N and S groups. We suggest that the sympatric distribution of N and S groups and the hybrid of N and S populations may be seen in these localities of M group.     

Investigation of the change in the flavor of a coffee drink during heat processing

Heat processing is responsible for the change in the flavor of a coffee drink. In this study, the application of gas chromatography-olfactometry of headspace samples (GCO-H) using the vapor fraction before and after heat processing of the coffee samples resulted in the detection of 12 odor-active peaks for which the flavor dilution (FD) factors changed. Eight potent odorants were identified from these peaks by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Among these components, methanethiol (putrid), acetic acid (sour), 3-methylbutanoic acid (sour), 2-furfuryl methyl disulfide (meaty), and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (caramel-like) increased after heating of the coffee sample, whereas 2-furfurylthiol (roasty), methional (potato-like), and 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate (roasty) decreased compared with the coffee sample before heat treatment. In addition, extensive studies have been carried out on the pH effects on the change in the concentration of 2-furfurylthiol during heat processing and in the pH range of 5-7; it was found that the concentration of this compound in the model solutions had significantly changed.     

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