Slaframine toxicosis in Brazilian horses causing excessive salivation

Ingestion of food contaminated with slaframine, an alkaloid produced by Rhizoctonia leguminicola, causes a mycotoxicosis, characterised by excessive salivation. Twenty‐eight horses demonstrated this clinical sign after the consumption of alfalfa hay which on inspection showed dark patches on many of the stems. The presence of slaframine (1.5 ppm) in this hay was confirmed by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. This is the first equine slaframine toxicosis case reported in Brazil.     

Variants of the recently discovered avian gyrovirus 2 are detected in Southern Brazil and The Netherlands

A genome of a virus preliminarily named avian gyrovirus 2 (AGV2), a close relative to chicken anemia virus, was recently discovered in a chicken in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. To study the occurrence of AGV2 in Rio Grande do Sul and the neighboring state Santa Catarina, a number of adult chickens (n=108 and n=48, respectively) were tested for the presence of AGV2 DNA. An AGV2-specific PCR was developed, optimized and used to analyze DNA extracted from clinical samples. AGV2 DNA was detected in 98/108 (90.7%) of samples collected in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and 29/48 (60.4%) of the samples collected in the state of Santa Catarina. In order to check whether AGV2 DNA would be detected in samples from a geographically distant region, DNA from brain samples of 21 diseased chickens from the Netherlands were tested independently, by the same method. In such specimens, 9/21 (42.9%) brain tissue samples were found to contain AVG2 DNA. Sequence analysis of some of the PCR products demonstrated that the amplified AGV2 sequences could vary up to 15.8% and could preliminarily be divided in three groups. This indicated the occurrence of variants of AGV2, which may reflect differences in geographical origin and/or in biological properties. The data presented here provides evidence that AGV2 seems fairly distributed in chickens in Southern Brazil and that AGV2 also circulates in the Netherlands. Besides, circulating viruses display genetic variants whose significance should be further examined, particularly to determine whether AGV2 would play any role in chicken diseases.     

Ectomycorrhizal inoculation with Pisolithus tinctorius increases the performance of Quercus suber L. (cork oak) nursery and field seedlings

Mediterranean ecosystems are characterized by large arid areas where the patchy distribution of trees offers little protection against harsh climate conditions for seedling establishment. Climate change is predicted to result in an increase in these arid regions, with pronounced effects on vegetation. Production of seedlings with developed ectomycorrhizas is a promising strategy for minimizing the initial transplant shock, thereby increasing plant survival and growth during the first, most critical years of a plantation. One important species in the Mediterranean basin is Quercus suber (cork oak), which occurs, together with other evergreen oak species, in an agro-silvo-pastoral system that represents an example of sustainable land use in Europe. In this study, a Pisolithus tinctorius isolate was used for ectomycorrhizal colonization of cork oak nursery seedlings, and the effects on aboveground plant growth and leaf structural and physiological parameters were investigated. Ectomycorrhizal development resulted in a significant increase in leaf area, dry weight, nitrogen content, and photosynthetic pigments, and mycorrhizal plants showed a higher photosynthetic capacity and water use efficiency. Nursery-inoculated plants established in the field showed increased survival and growth during the first year after transplant. These results indicate a potential for further enhancing the use of mycorrhizal inoculation as a cultivation practice in forest nurseries. Considering the difficulty of soil restoration under limiting environmental conditions, nursery inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungi can be an important advantage for improving the quality of seedling stock and its performance after out-planting in the field, benefiting the regeneration of arid regions and the reintroduction of inocula of ectomycorrhizal fungi into these areas.     

Ivermectin and moxidectin resistance characterization by larval migration inhibition test in field isolates of Cooperia spp. in beef cattle,Mato Grosso do Sul,Brazil

Ivermectin (IVM) resistance of Cooperia spp. in cattle has become an increasing and global problem. The early detection of anthelmintic resistance (AR) is important to propose strategies to slow down the development of resistance and requires sensitive, reliable, economic high-throughput and practical tests. The purpose of the present study was to apply a larval migration inhibition test (LMIT) for evaluating IVM and MOX efficacy against well-characterized field isolates of Cooperia spp. infecting cattle in Brazil. Eight isolates were used for IVM and seven for MOX. The following EC50 values of IVM were observed for the isolates: susceptible, 1.16 ηmol; Nova Alvorada do Sul I, 4.09 ηmol (RF = 3.52); Campo Grande BNA, 3.57 ηmol (RF = 3.07); Campo Grande TBR, 4.09 ηmol (RF = 3,52); Nova Alvorada do Sul II, 2.50 ηmol (RF = 2.15); Bandeirantes, 11.35 ηmol (RF = 9.78); Campo Grande II, 6.03 ηmol (RF = 5.20); and Porto Mortinho, 8.63 ηmol (RF = 7.44). For MOX, the following EC50 values were observed: susceptible, 0.75 ηmol; Campo Grande BNA, 0.93 ηmol (RF = 1.24); Campo Grande TBR, 0.36 ηmol (RF = 0.48); Nova Alvorada do Sul II, 2.57 ηmol (RF = 3.42); Bandeirantes, 1.43 ηmol (RF = 1.90); Campo Grande II, 1.08 ηmol (RF = 1.44); and Porto Mortinho, 0.49 ηmol (RF = 0.65). The LMIT used in the present study can be a useful tool for in vitro evaluation of IVM, but not of MOX. However, such methodology cannot be used in large-scale studies yet. The isolates of Cooperia spp. showed various degrees of resistance to IVM, though remaining susceptible to MOX.     

Geospatial variation of physical attributes and sugarcane productivity in cohesive soils

Precision Agriculture - Sugarcane productivity is highly variable across space, and knowledge about the spatial distribution of soil physical attributes is important to guide management practices...     

Extracts of Peels and Seeds of Five Varieties of Brazilian Jabuticaba Present High Capacity to Deactivate Reactive Species of Oxygen and Nitrogen

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Jabuticaba has a high concentration of phenolic compounds, which have a significant antioxidant capacity. Methodologies have been developed to evaluate the ability...     

Effect of Freeze-Dried Red Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Leaf Supplementation on Biochemical and Anthropometrical Parameters in Overweight and Obese Individuals: a Pilot Study

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Obesity is an important public health concern and is directly related with chronic noncommunicable diseases that affect the health of millions of people around the...     

Impact of fertilization on cover crops and microbial community on a bauxite‐mined soil undergoing reclamation

The reclamation of bauxite‐mined areas can be favored by the application of organic and/or chemical fertilization to restore the vegetation. Otherwise, the impact of fertilizations on soil microbiota or plant–microbe interactions as land reclamation progresses is less understood. To address this issue, we evaluated the impact of organic and chemical fertilization on plants and soil microbial community within the first 36 months of land reclamation in a bauxite‐mined site. The experiment was set up according to a split‐plot design in which the main plots received fertilizations [non‐fertilized control (NF), chemical fertilization (CF; NPK and rock phosphate), organic fertilization (OF; poultry litter), and CF+OF combined], and the subplots received cover crops [no cover crops (NC), grass (B; Brachiaria), legume (S, Stylosanthes), and B+S combined]. Cover crops biomass yield was assessed annually with five field campaigns per year. We used phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) to infer the impacts of mining and restoration practices on actinobacteria, Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and fungi. Accordingly, PLFAs were determined before bauxite mining (pre‐mining), six months after topsoil reconfiguration (post‐mining), and after 14 and 36 months following the application of the fertilizations and cover crops. PLFAs results indicated that in post‐mining, the living microbiota was significantly lower than in pre‐mining. Cover crops biomass yield was highest for B and B+S fertilized with CF+OF at 14 and 36 months. Both parametric and non‐parametric statistics showed a temporal variation in the response of living microbes to the treatments applied. After 14 months, living microbes showed greatest response to OF, while at 36 months their response was strongest in the treatments with highest plant biomass production (B and B+S). These results suggest that in the early stages of land reclamation, living microbial biomass benefit the most from organic fertilizers. As this initial boost decline, living microbes are more likely to thrive in areas undergoing reclamation where they can develop synergistic interactions with plants.     

Extraction of grape seed oil using compressed carbon dioxide and propane: extraction yields and characterization of free glycerol compounds

The main objective of this work was to compare the extraction of grape seed oil with compressed carbon dioxide and propane on the extraction yields and chemical characteristics of free glycerol compounds. The experiments were performed in a laboratory scale unit in the temperature range of 30 to 60 degrees C and pressures from 60 to 254 bar. The results showed that propane is a more suitable solvent for grape seed oil extraction than carbon dioxide, as higher extractions yields and a very fast kinetic of extraction were achieved with this solvent. In relation to compressed carbon dioxide extractions, both temperature and density presented a very pronounced and positive effect on the extraction yield. The oils extracted were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively with regard to the free glycerol compounds, mainly fatty acids, ethyl, and methyl esters. The results showed that these compounds are present in low concentration in vegetable oil (<3%) and that, in general, samples extracted with propane present a smaller amount of peaks of free glycerol compounds in the oil than samples extracted with carbon dioxide.     

Nutritional evaluation and productivity of supplemented sheep grazing in semiarid rangeland of northeastern Brazil

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Sheep production systems in Brazilian caatinga rangelands require supplementation adapted to changes in floristic and chemical composition as dry seasons...