Isolation and characterization of neutral lipids of desilked eri silkworm pupae grown on castor and tapioca leaves

The neutral lipid of desilked eri silkworm pupae (Samia cynthia ricini) grown on two different host plants, castor (Ricinus communis Linn.) and tapioca (Manihot utilizsima Phol.) leaves, was extracted with hexane. The oil content in pupae was estimated to be in the range of 18-20% (dry basis). The pupal oil was found to be enriched with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) with palmitic acid as the second major fatty acid. The level of ALA in the oil of silkworm pupae was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.001) when grown on tapioca (58.3%) as compared to those grown on castor (42.9%). Other chemical parameters such as percent free fatty acid, peroxide value, phosphorus content, percent unsaponifiable matter, and composition of sterols were also determined in both of the oils and compared. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of triacylglycerol molecular species showed that the pupal oil is rich in molecular species with equivalent carbon numbers (ECN) C36, C40, C42, C44, and C48. There was a significantly higher level (P < 0.001) of trilinolenin (C36) in the oil of tapioca-based silkworm as compared to castor-based silkworm pupae. Regiospecific analysis of the oil showed a higher level of ALA at the sn-2 position of silkworm pupae grown on tapioca (60.2%) as compared to those grown on castor (47.3%) oil. Thus, the presence of a large amount of ALA and their predominance at the sn-2 position make the eri pupal oil highly nutritious, provided that the oxidative stability is ensured.     

Fermented vegetables containing benzoic and ascorbic acids as additives: benzene formation during storage and impact of additives on quality parameters

Chemical and sensorial changes related to the use of benzoates and ascorbic acid as additives in packed fermented vegetables were investigated. For this, three selected vegetables (green olives, cucumbers, and caperberries) stored under different conditions (glass or plastic containers, ambient or refrigerated storage) were used. In all cases, benzoic acid remained unchanged (glass bottle) or decreased slightly (plastic pouch) at prolonged storage. Ascorbic acid was partially or totally degraded during storage, the degradation rate depending on the storage conditions and the vegetable matrix. Benzene levels higher than 10 μg/L were found in cucumbers and caperberries containing both additives, but only when packed in plastic pouches and after prolonged storage at room temperature. In these conditions, an appreciable browning of brine, related to AA degradation, was also found. The use of benzoate alone had a significant influence on vegetable color, but flavor was not significantly affected at the benzoate levels tested. On the basis of the present study, benzoates should be removed from fermented vegetable formulations containing ascorbic acid to eliminate possible benzene formation during long-term storage.     

Antioxidant properties of crocin from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis and study of the reactions of crocin with linoleic acid and crocin with oxygen

Crocin-a water soluble carotenoid-is found in the fruits of gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) and in the stigmas of saffron (Crocus sativus Linne). For crocin purification, gardenia fruits are extracted with 50% acetone, followed by ether washing, ion exchange, and separation by preparative HPLC. Purified crocin with purity of >99.6% has an antioxidative activity at concentrations up to 40 ppm. At 20 ppm the antioxidative activity of crocin is comparable to that of BHA. The antioxidant property of crocin as evaluated by the thiocyanate method was better than with the thiobarbituric acid method. The adduct between the linoleic acid radical and crocin was detected by LC-MS. When crocin reacted with oxygen in the presence of FeSO(4), intermediates such as monohydroperoxides and dihydroperoxides of crocin were formed and detected by LC-MS.     

Microbiological processes in gray forest soil treated with sewage sludge compost

The effect of compost made of sewage sludge and applied in dose up to 90 t/ha on the microbial biomass, soil respiration, nitrogen-fixing activity, and on the organic matter content and concentrations of toxic metals in the gray forest soil of a nursery forest garden was studied in a field experiment. It was found that the adverse effects of the compost components on the studied parameters of the microbial communities were not observed two years after the compost application; this fact suggested that the soil microbial community overcame the stress caused by this anthropogenic impact.     

On the occurrence,distribution and taxonomy of Cucumis setosus Cogn., an endemic wild edible vegetable from India

Cucumis setosus Cogn. is a rare, endemic, wild gathered or semi-domesticated vegetable restricted to Maharashtra state and border districts of adjoining states in India. Herbarium and literature survey shows that it is poorly collected and inadequately studied. Morphological characters, basic chromosome number and crossability barriers indicate that Cucumis setosus is a valid species, distinct from C. sativus and endemic to western India. Its morphology, basic cytology, crossability relationship with other Cucumis species, taxonomy, distribution, ecology, conservation, economic importance and viability under cultivation are discussed. Besides, a key to distinguish it from C. sativus var. hardwickii (wild and feral form of C. sativus) and other species having sympatric distribution in the area is also presented. Absence of bitter principle in the fruits makes it a potential germplasm for melon and cucumber improvement as well as direct domestication as a future crop.     

The versatile,changing, and advancing roles of fish in sediment toxicity assessment—a review

Purpose  

Sediments serve as integral and dynamic parts of our aquatic systems. Within the last 15 to 20 years, however, the scientific community has begun noticing deterioration of sediment quality at an alarming rate worldwide. Sediments are now harboring hazardous pollutants that can directly influence water quality, thereby creating very stressful conditions for aquatic life. As a consequence, global efforts were initiated in the early 1970s, to find ways to assess sediment quality. Because of their obvious ecological and economic significance, fish have remained a major taxonomic group for appraising the general quality of aquatic systems. However, for sediment risk assessment, fish have lagged behind invertebrates due to their mobility and generally, pelagic lifestyle. To our knowledge, this is the first paper that comprehensively presents and reviews the versatile role of fish in assessing the state of health of aquatic sediments.     

Explanations for the differential response of certain tropical tree species to SO2 under field conditions

Four different tree species, Zizyphus mauritiana, Syzygium cumini, Azadirachta indica and Mangifera indica were analyzed for stomatal conductances, sulphate, protein, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities for one complete year in an ambient environment with SO₂ concentrations ranging between 90 to 10 ug m^?3. The low conductances, declined protein content and enhanced sulphate content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities were the general responses exhibited by these species when compared with to the reference site. The pattern of the results indicate that plants under SO₂ stress develop an ability to detoxify the phytotoxicity by undergoing certain biochemical changes. Plants which posses high intitial POD activities coupled with greatly enhanced SOD activity (Z. mauritiana) or plants which can enhance both POD and SOD activities (S. cumini) were more tolerant/least affected than that of A. indica and M. indica.     

Soils of Ancient Agricultural Terraces of the Eastern Caucasus

Eurasian Soil Science - The morphological and chemical properties and biological activity of soils on ancient agricultural terraces in the middle-high mountains of the Eastern Caucasus are...     

LC/MS analysis and antioxidative efficiency of Maillard reaction products from a lactose-lysine model system

Aqueous solutions of lactose and lysine were refluxed for up to 4 h without pH control. Samples were collected every hour, and the reaction was monitored by measuring the pH, the optical density at 420 nm, and the relative antioxidative efficiency (RAE). The greatest change in optical density and antioxidative efficiency occurred for the mixture heated for 4 h. The 4 h solution was separated into three fractions according to the molecular weights of the components and tested for RAE. The high molecular weight fraction was more colored, and it had the highest antioxidative activity. The low molecular weight fraction was separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RAE values were measured for each purified compound. HPLC coupled with diode array and electrospray mass spectrometry allowed a rapid screening of the solutions and a tentative identification of several peaks. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis allowed the identification of galactosylisomaltol and pyrraline. The resonance assignments for these compounds were revised.     

Effect of red clover on the microbial transformation of phenanthrene and octadecane in the soil

The influence of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) plants on the decomposition of phenanthrene and octadecane in the soil has been studied. Effect of plant root mass on the abundance of hydrocarbondegrading bacteria, the composition of their communities, and the degradation of hydrocarbons in the soil has been revealed. Changes in the taxonomic composition of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria under the effect of red clover are characterized by an increase in the abundance of species from the genera Acinetobacter, Kaistia, Novosphingobium, Pseudomonas, and Xanthomonas. A positive effect of the studied microbial–plant association on the degradation of octadecane and especially phenanthrene in the soil has been revealed.