Horticultural Characteristics Of Licorice Waste Compost

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) is a leguminous herbaceous perennial. Its root extracts are commonly used for medicinal uses and as a flavoring agent in the food and tobacco industries. After extraction, about 10,000 tones of licorice root residues are accumulated in Israel annually with no recycling outlet. The objectives of the current research were to develop a reliable protocol for licorice root wastes composting, to test the use of licorice compost as a peat substitute in growing media and to study its suppressiveness against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis (FOM) – the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of melon (Cucumis melo L.). Licorice root wastes were cocomposted using temperature controlled forced aeration with the coarse fraction of separated cow manure, in order to enrich both its nutrients content and microbial population. Thermophilic conditions prevailed in the pile for 90 days and the compost stabilized and reached ambient temperature 110 days from start. The physical characteristics of the resulted compost were comparable to that of peat. Nutrient content was high and salinity was relatively low. No phytotoxicity was found in the compost extract, based on the cress germination test. Tomato plants grown in compost showed enhanced development as compared to peat. The number of surviving FOM spores incubated in the compost declined faster then in peat. Fusarium infested melon plants survived much better if planted in the licorice compost, as compared to peat. It is concluded that licorice compost can serve as a peat substitute with preferable qualities.     

Changes of ochratoxin A in grapes inoculated with Aspergillus carbonarius and subjected to chamber-drying under controlled conditions

The production pattern for ochratoxin A in grapes inoculated with Aspergillus carbonarius and changes in its concentration during raisining of Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon red grapes and Pedro Ximenez white grape were studied. Grapes were chamber-dried under controlled temperature and humidity conditions, with and without dipping pretreatments in alkaline emulsions of olive oil or ethyl oleate. Based on the results for the grapes that developed the fungus (Merlot and Pedro Ximenez), a temperature of 50 °C in the absence of dipping stopped ochratoxin A production and even degraded part of the toxin already formed. Both dipping pretreatments facilitated removal of the toxin and led to its virtually complete disappearance. However, dipping in the ethyl oleate emulsion caused substantial changes in the sensory characters of the musts obtained from the raisins, so it should be avoided to ensure the expected quality in the sweet wines elaborated from them.     

Effect of annealing from traditional nixtamalisation process on the microstructural,thermal, and rheological properties of starch and quality of pozole

Eleven maize landraces were evaluated for pozole quality. The microstructural, thermal and rheological properties of annealed starch granules determine most of the quality of pozole. Annealed starch in traditional nixtamalisation has an important role in increasing gelatinisation onset (To), peak (Tp) and final (Tf) temperatures; peak, setback and final viscosity as well as the stability of the starch granule, all of which significantly affect pozole quality. Annealed starch in Cacahuacintle nixtamal (pozole end-use) increased temperatures To, Tp and Tf by >5.2, >3.8 and >4.1 °C respectively, and narrowed the range Tf − To from 13.78 to 12.62 °C. The enthalpy was reduced from 6.76 to 5.85 J/g, while the nixtamal starch in tortilla maize landraces presented fewer annealing effects. The annealing effect in nixtamal starch seems to stabilize the starch granules and avoid their collapse, compared to native starch, as shown by the X-ray diffraction peak intensity and pattern that is similar to unprocessed maize. Starch in nixtamal changes from Type A to Type V pattern in pozole. Kernel physical parameters, although important, affected the quality to a lesser extent, with the exception of the flotation index. Cacahuacintle maize landrace showed the best quality and yield as well as a short pozole cooking time.     

Effect of beta-glycosidase activity of Oenococcus oeni on the glycosylated flavor precursors of Tannat wine during malolactic fermentation

Under traditional wine-making conditions, this work examines the beta-glycosidic activity of Oenococcus oeni on glycosylated aroma compounds of Tannat wines during malolactic fermentation (MLF) by comparing the changes on selected aglycones liberated. MLF diminished the content of all the glycosylated compounds. The level of the free aroma components was slightly modified by the action of the malolactic fermentation so that the cleavage of the glycosidic linkage by the beta-glycosidic activity of O. oeni did not appear to increase significatively the aglycone contents. The consequences of further chemical rearrangements of the algycones under wine conditions were explored using synthesized glycoconjugates on synthetic medium. Bacteria could also be responsible for the cleavage of aroma glycosylated compounds, being the aglycone adsorbed on polysaccharides or peptidoglycans and was released into the external medium. This hypothesis was studied through the evaluation of a stable arrangement of aroma compounds with polysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria. A possible retaining of free-made aroma compounds into the whole cells of O. oeni was also investigated through cell culture analysis. Through the results obtained, we assume stable linkage of aroma compounds with bacterial polysaccharides.     

Regional intravenous limb perfusion compared to systemic intravenous administration for marimastat delivery to equine lamellar tissue

Pharmaceutical agents with potential for laminitis prevention have been identified. Many of these, including the MMP inhibitor marimastat, are impractical for systemic administration. This study compared local delivery of marimastat by regional limb perfusion (RLP) to systemic intravenous bolus dosing (SIVB), and established whether RLP results in local lamellar drug delivery. Six adult horses received 0.23 mg/kg of marimastat by RLP followed by 0.23 mg/kg marimastat by SIVB, with a 24‐h washout period. Lamellar ultrafiltration probes sampled lamellar interstitial fluid as lamellar ultrafiltrate (LUF). LUF and plasma marimastat concentrations (LUF_[M] and P_[M], respectively) were measured for 24 h after each treatment. Regional pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using noncompartmental analyses. The LUF C_max following RLP was 232 [34–457] times that following SIVB. LUF_[M] after RLP were higher than those obtained after SIVB for 18 h (P < 0.03). Median LUF_[M] were > IC₉₀ of equine lamellar MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 for 9 h after tourniquet removal. RLP appeared superior to SIVB for lamellar marimastat delivery (higher LUF C_max,, AUC and T > IC₉₀ of lamellar MMPs). However, frequent dosing is necessary to achieve therapeutic lamellar concentrations. RLP could be used to investigate whether marimastat prevents experimentally induced laminitis. Further refinement of the technique and dosing interval is necessary before clinical application.     

Fish farming of native species in Colombia: current situation and perspectives

In Colombia and the rest of the world, the decrease in capture fisheries production has turned the aquaculture into an alternative source of protein for the populations food security as well as an important productive activity, generating employment and income for the rural communities. The Colombian pisciculture is based on red Tilapia Oreochromis sp. (Linnaeus), Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) and cachama blanca Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier), which currently represent around 96% of the total national production. The remaining 4% comes from other farmed species such as bocachico Prochilodus magdalenae (Steindachner), carp Cyprinus carpio (Linnaeus) and yamúBrycon amazonicus (Spix & Agassiz). From the three main fish species, cachama blanca is the only native species, which has shown excellent performance in pond farming due to its rusticity, omnivorous habits, docility, meat quality, food conversion and disease resistance. The limited offer of Colombian fish farmed species determines its currently low competitiveness and restricted impact on the international markets; thus making necessary to explore the potential of new fish species in order to introduce them to the pisciculture system and to expand the range of fish farming species. A good alternative is the introduction of native catfish, which have great potential for fish farming activity.     

Tracking bluefin tuna reproductive migration into the Mediterranean Sea with electronic pop‐up satellite archival tags using two tagging procedures

Thirteen adult bluefin tuna were tracked with electronic pop‐up satellite tags during their reproductive migration towards Mediterranean spawning grounds as they entered the Strait of Gibraltar. Fish were caught in tuna traps and tagged either underwater, with the aid of a modified spear gun, or on the deck of the boat. Fish tagged on board initially showed a shallower behavior than those tagged in the water. The pattern of horizontal movements was also different between both groups. Shortly after tagging, the eight fish tagged in the water entered the Mediterranean Sea. Six of these fish reached the spawning ground located southwest of the Balearic archipelago before heading back for the Atlantic, whereas the other two traveled farther east, reaching its easternmost longitudes between Formentera and Sardinia and the South Tyrrhenian Sea, respectively. In contrast, two out of the five fish tagged on board never entered the Mediterranean Sea, and another one did enter the Mediterranean when the reproductive season was already over. These results suggest an impact of the tagging procedure on the post‐release behavior of bluefin tuna. Excluding the tags that popped‐off east of the Strait of Gibraltar, bluefin tuna stayed in the Mediterranean Sea for 22–28 days. Analysis of the median depth indicated a shallow behavior during both day and nighttime throughout the return phase of the fish from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean with the exception of the area around the Strait of Gibraltar, where they showed a deeper behavior that coincided with a marked vertical gradient in the currents.     

Activity,molecular mass and hydrolysis on baker's yeast protein of extracellular proteases from the putative probiotic bacteria Microbacterium sp. strain 8L and Exiguobacterium mexicanum strain 8N

The bacteria Microbacterium sp. 8L and Exiguobacterium mexicanum 8N are known to improve the culture of Artemia franciscana using baker's yeast as food. Using spectrophotometry, sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE), substrate‐SDS‐PAGE and pH‐stat in vitro‐digestibility assays, the activity, molecular mass and hydrolysis on baker's yeast protein of proteases from extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of the strains 8L and 8N along with the pathogenic strains Microbacterium sp. 8R and Vibrio parahaemolyticus 588 CECT (Vp) were studied. The EPSs of 8L and 8R showed one activity band, on which the serine inhibitor phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride (PMSF) had no effect. The EPSs of 8N showed four bands; two were unaffected by PMSF, whereas one was affected, and the other was partially affected. The EPSs of Vp showed two bands, one partially inhibited by PMSF. No inhibitory effects from 1‐chloro‐3‐tosylamido‐7‐amino‐2‐heptanone (trypsin inhibitor) were observed in the protease bands of the studied bacteria. The EPSs of 8L and 8N showed a similar degree of hydrolysis (pH‐stat). The EPSs of 8L had the lowest Dice index of similarity of yeast protein profiles at 1 h of reaction. We conclude that the strain 8L could benefit A. franciscana by providing bacterial proteases for digestion of baker's yeast.     

Effect of light limitation on the water quality,bacterial counts and performance of Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae reared with biofloc at low salinity

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of light limitation on the water quality, bacterial counts and performance of Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae reared with biofloc at low salinity (≈9 g L^?1). Two treatments were designed: T₁ = culture with natural sunlight and T₂ = culture in darkness. After 28 days, in both treatments, the final weight of shrimp was over 0.6 g with a specific growth rate over 7.4% d^?1, and a survival rate over 70%. In both treatments, Vibrio sp. concentration presented low values (culture with natural sunlight = 0.1 to 9.9 × 10² CFU mL^?1, culture in darkness = 0.4 to 11.7 × 10² CFU mL^?1) and Bacillus sp. had high values (culture with natural sunlight = 0.7 to 66.0 × 10⁴ CFU mL^?1, culture in darkness = 0.7 to 65.8 × 10⁴ CFU mL^?1). All water quality parameters remained within the ranges suitable for shrimp culture, except for alkalinity during the first stage of the study. Although in some sampling periods some significant differences were found in bacterial counts and water quality parameters, shrimp productive performance under culture with biofloc at low salinity was not affected significantly by light limitation.