Phenylphenalenone type compounds from the leaf fibers of abaca (Musa textilis)

A series of phenylphenalenone type compounds, known to play a role as phytoalexins in plants of the Musaceae family, have been identified for the first time in the leaf fibers of abaca (Musa textilis). Among the phenylphenalenone type compounds identified, the structure of a novel compound, (1R)-2,3-dihydro-4,9-dihydroxy-8-methoxy-1-phenylphenalene, has also been described in abaca fibers. Its structure was elucidated by analysis of one- and two-dimensional NMR (correlation spectroscopy, heteronuclear single quantum correlation, and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation) spectroscopic data.     

Treatment of cereal products with a tailored preparation of trichoderma enzymes increases the amount of soluble dietary fiber

Nutritionists recommend increasing the intake of soluble dietary fiber (SDF), which is very low in most cereal-based products. Conversion of insoluble DF (IDF) into SDF can be achieved by chemical treatments, but this affects the sensorial properties of the products. In this study, the possibility of getting a substantial increase of SDF from cereal products using a tailored preparation of Trichoderma enzymes is reported. Enzymes were produced cultivating Trichoderma using durum wheat fiber (DWF) and barley spent grain (BSG) as unique carbon sources. Many Trichoderma strains were screened, and the hydrolysis conditions able to increase by enzymatic treatment the amount of SDF in DWF and BSG were determined. Results demonstrate in both products that it is possible to triple the amount of SDF without a marked decrease of total DF. The enzymatic treatment also causes the release of hydroxycinnamic acids, mainly ferulic acid, that are linked to the polysaccharides chains. This increases the free phenolic concentration, the water-soluble antioxidant activity, and, in turn, the phenol compounds bioavailability.     

Gap disturbances and regeneration patterns in a Bosnian old-growth forest: a multispectral remote sensing and ground-based approach

Objectives

We examined canopy gap structure and regeneration patterns at the landscape scale using a combination of remote sensing and field-based surveys.

Methods

The study was carried out in the forest reserve of Lom, an old-growth Fagus-Abies-Picea forest located within the Dinaric Alps in the north-western part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A high-resolution (1-m panchromatic and 4-m multispectral) Kompsat-2 satellite image was orthorectified and classified through an unsupervised pixel-based classification using an artificial neural network method.

Results

This approach allowed the identification of 650 canopy gaps, ranging in size from 32 to 1,776?m². Only 20 intermediate to large gaps (>250?m²) were identified, and they were mainly present near the perimeter of the reserve. The origin of these large openings was associated with past human-caused disturbances or topographic conditions. The species composition of regeneration within large, human-caused gaps differed markedly from small gaps and non-gap sites in the core area of the reserve. Shade-intolerant species dominated the seedling and sapling layers in large openings. The landscape approach employed in this study confirmed the hypothesis that small gaps predominate at Lom, especially within the core area of the reserve.     

Pestalotiopsis biciliata,a new leaf pathogen of Eucalyptus spp. recorded in Italy

The present paper describes new symptoms on Eucalyptus spp. in Central Italy associated with the fungal pathogen Pestalotiopsis biciliata. This fungal species has been previously recorded in Italy on grape associated with fruit rot. Artificial inoculation trials on leaves confirmed the pathogenicity of the fungus to Eucalyptus camaldulensis. P. biciliata is included in the list of Pestalotiopsis spp. responsible for leaf disease on eucalypts worldwide.     

INTRAVENOUS ALFAXALONE ANAESTHESIA IN LEOPARD GECKOS (EUBLEPHARIS MACULARIUS)

Intravenous alfaxalone, administered at a dose of 5 mg/kg in the jugular vein, was evaluated in 20 leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) to ascertain its ability to provide anesthesia. The induction time, time to loss of mandibular tone, interval of deep anesthesia, and full recovery time were 27.5 ± 30.7 seconds (10 to 56 seconds), 1.3 ± 1.4 minutes (11 seconds to 4 minutes), 12.5 ± 2.2 minutes (11.11 to 15.39 minutes), and 18.8 ± 12.1 minutes (10.4 to 52.31 minutes), respectively. A significant reduction in heart rate (74 ± 12.9 beats/minute) was recorded between 2 and 24 minutes after alfaxalone administration. A significant decrease in respiratory rate (26.8 ± 10.1 breaths/minute) was recorded 2 minutes after alfaxalone administration, and respiratory rate remained lower than the basal rate (31.4 ± 3.1 breaths/minute) for 24 minutes but without statistical significance. The intravenous administration of alfaxalone in leopard geckos achieved a rapid onset of anesthesia and a suitable recovery time. Based on this investigation, an afaxalone dose of 5 mg/kg intravenously proved to be suitable for sedation before tracheal intubation. Moreover, the administration route via the jugular vein, was acceptable in leopard geckos; a species in which other venipuncture sites can be challenging or inaccessible.     

Not the one,but the only one: about <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cannabis cryptic virus</Emphasis> in plants showing ‘hemp streak’ disease symptoms

Interveinal chlorosis and leaf margin wrinkling are widespread symptoms of Cannabis sativa. They are traditionally attributed to the so-called hemp streak virus (HSV), but its existence has not been demonstrated yet. To our knowledge, no molecular investigation has so far been performed in order to identify the causal agent of this symptomatology, we therefore decided to use traditional and molecular virology techniques to better characterize symptoms and pursue the etiological agent. No pathogenic virus was found by using targeted PCR reactions and by RNA sequencing, whereas we were able to detect the Cannabis cryptic virus (CanCV) with both techniques. We, therefore, developed an RT-qPCR assay based on a CanCV-specific TaqMan probe and applied it to a wide range of symptomatic and symptomless plants, using a two-step (for quantification), or a one-step (for fast detection) protocol. Both symptoms and the virus were only shown to be transmitted vertically and did not pass via mechanical inoculation or grafting, though we could not find any cause-effect correlation between them. In fact, the virus was found in all the tested hemp samples, and its abundance varied greatly between different accessions and individuals, independently from the presence and severity of symptoms. The suggestion that hemp streak is caused by a virus is therefore questioned. Some abiotic stresses seem to play a role in triggering the symptoms but this aspect needs further investigation. For breeding purposes, a selection of parental plants based on the absence of symptoms proved to be efficient in containment of the disease.     

Helicobacter spp. from gastric biopsies of stranded South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis)

Gastrointestinal lesions with uncertain etiology have been widely described among pinnipeds. The aim of our study was to investigate the presence of Helicobacter spp. in the gastric mucosa of South American fur seals (Arctocephalusaustralis). Gastric biopsies from thirteen seals, stranded on the shores of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean in Argentina, were evaluated for the presence of Helicobacter spp. by PCR and DNA sequence analysis. Six gastric biopsies were positive for Helicobacter spp. Pairwise sequence comparisons showed less than 95% identity to novel Helicobacter spp. described from pinnipeds from North America and Australia. However, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the South American fur seal sequences clustered with 99-100% homology with H. cetorum, a species isolated from dolphins and whales. The presence of H. cetorum in pinnipeds, if confirmed by its isolation from the gastric mucosa of these mammals, demonstrates the wide host range of this bacterium in the marine environment.