3-Hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone levels in fortified Madeira wines: relationship to sugar content

The maturation of Madeira wines usually involves exposure to relatively high temperatures and humidity levels >70%, which affect the aroma and flavor composition and lead to the formation of the typical and characteristic bouquet of these wines. To estimate the levels of sotolon [3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone] and their behavior over time, 86 aged Madeira wines samples (1-25 years old), with different sugar concentrations, respectively, 90 g L(-)(1) for Boal, 110 g L(-)(1) for Malvazia, 25 g L(-)(1) for Sercial, and 65 g L(-)(1) for Verdelho varieties, were analyzed. Isolation was performed by liquid-liquid extraction with dichloromethane followed by chromatographic analysis by GC-MS. The reproducibility of the method was found to be 4.9%. The detection and quantification limits were 1.2 and 2.0 microg L(-)(1), respectively. The levels of sotolon found ranged from not detected to 2000 microg L(-)(1) for wines between 1 and 25 years old. It was observed that during aging, the concentration of sotolon increased with time in a linear fashion (r = 0.917). The highest concentration of sotolon was found in wines with the highest residual sugar contents, considering the same time of storage. The results show that there is a strong correlation between sotolon and sugar derivatives: furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, and 5-ethoxymethylfurfural. These compounds are also well correlated with wine aging. These findings indicate that the kinetics of sotolon formation is closely related with residual sugar contents, suggesting that this molecule may come from a component like sugar.     

Inhibition of development of exoerythrocytic forms of malaria parasites by gamma-interferon

A specific DNA probe was used to study the effect of recombinant rat, mouse, and human gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) on the course of sporozoite-induced malaria infections. In mice and rats infected with sporozoites of Plasmodium berghei, mouse and rat gamma-IFN's strongly inhibited the development of the exoerythrocytic forms in the liver liver cells of the hosts, but not the development of the erythrocytic stages. The degree of inhibition of the exoerythrocytic forms was proportional to the dose of gamma-IFN administered, but was independent of the number of sporozoites used for challenge. A 30 percent reduction in the development of exoerythrocytic forms in rat liver was achieved when 150 units (about 15 nanograms of protein) of rat gamma-IFN were injected a few hours before sporozoite challenge; the reduction was 90 percent or more with higher doses of gamma-IFN. The effect was less pronounced if the gamma-IFN was administered 18 hours before or a few hours after challenge. Human gamma-IFN also diminished the parasitemia in chimpanzees infected with sporozoites of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax. The target of gamma-IFN activity may be the infected hepatocytes themselves, as shown by in vitro experiments in which small doses of the human lymphokine inhibited the development of exoerythrocytic forms of Plasmodium berghei in a human hepatoma cell line. These results suggest that immunologically induced interferon may be involved in controlling malaria infection under natural conditions.     

Schinus terebinthifolia Raddi: a comparative framework on population genetic structure in a restored area after 12 years

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - The success of restoration projects depends on the genetic diversity of the implanted species. It is a limiting factor, often because the seed sources are...     

Genotyping-by-sequencing of passion fruit (Passiflora spp.) generates genomic resources for breeding and systematics

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - The passion fruit genus (Passiflora) is comprised of more than 600 species with several species admired for their tropical fruit and ornate flowers....     

Soil texture prediction through stratification of a regional soil spectral library

Knowing the spatial distribution of soil texture,which is a physical property,is essential to support agricultural and environmental decision making.Soil texture can be estimated using visible,near infrared,and shortwave infrared(Vis-NIR-SWIR)spectroscopy.However,the performance of spectroscopic models is variable because of soil heterogeneity.Currently,few studies address the effects of soil sample variability on the performance of the models,especially for larger spectral libraries that include soils that are more heterogeneous.Therefore,the objectives of this study were to:i)apply Vis-based color parameters on the stratification of a regional soil spectral library;ii)evaluate the performance of the predictive models generated from the spectral library stratification;iii)compare the performance of stratified models(SMs)and the model without stratification(WSM),and iv)explain possible changes in prediction accuracy based on the SMs.Thus,a regional soil spectral library with 1535 samples from the State of Santa Catarina,Brazil was used.Soil reflectance data were obtained by Vis-NIR-SWIR spectroscopy in the laboratory using a spectroradiometer covering the 350–2500 nm spectral range.Sand,silt,and clay fractions were determined using the pipette method.Twenty-two components of color parameters were derived from the Vis spectrum using the colorimetric models.A cubist regression algorithm was used to assess the accuracy of the applicability of the initial models(SMs and WSM)and of the validation between the clusters.Fractional order derivatives(FODs)at 0.5,1.5,and 2 intervals were used to explain possible changes in the performance of the SMs.The SMs with higher contents of clay and iron oxides obtained the highest accuracy,and the most important spectral bands were identified,mainly in the 480–550 and 850–900 nm ranges and the 1400,1900,and 2200 nm bands.Therefore,stratification of soil spectral libraries is a good strategy to improve regional assessments of soil resources,reducing prediction errors in the qualitative determination of soil properties.     

Evaluation of Modified Amaranth Starch as Shell Material for Encapsulation of Probiotics

The objective of this study was to develop with thermoplastic extrusion amaranth starch derivatives and to characterize and evaluate their functionality as encapsulating agents of Bifidobacterium breve ATCC 15700 and Lactobacillus casei ATCC 334 during spray drying. The survival of both probiotics during storage at different water activities and at two storage temperatures, their viability in a food model system, and their tolerance to a simulated gastrointestinal tract were determined. Native amaranth starch was chemically modified to obtain phosphorylated, acetylated, and succinylated starch. Starch derivatives were reduced in viscosity, and the solubility in water was increased. In general, the modified amaranth starches and control corn starch did not provide good protection to both probiotics during storage at 25°C. However, there was excellent viability during storage at 4°C for both probiotics. Microcapsules showed a uniform coverage of the cells. Storage for 35 days at 25°C of blends of oat with succinylated amaranth microcapsules with probiotics had a lower reduction. Also, this succinylated amaranth starch containing probiotics showed a higher resistance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The results with food model systems supported the applicability of the modified starches.     

Selection index based on random regression model in ‘Tahiti’ acid lime

Euphytica - Drought tolerance in maize is a complex and polygenic trait, especially in the seedling stage. In plant breeding, complex genetic traits can be improved by genomic selection (GS), which...     

Copper rate and spray interval for joint management of citrus canker and citrus black spot in orange orchards

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Citrus canker and citrus black spot are two of the most important diseases in the São Paulo (SP) citrus belt, Brazil. Canker control was based on an...     

Treated sewage effluent as a source of water and nitrogen for Tifton 85 bermudagrass

The use of treated sewage effluent in agriculture has been a current practice in several countries. However, in Brazil, there are few studies about this subject. This research work aimed at evaluating the potential utilization of secondary-treated sewage effluent (STSE) as an alternative source of water and nitrogen (N) for Tifton 85 bermudagrass pasture. A field experiment was carried out at Lins, State of São Paulo, Brazil, for 2 years, using a randomized complete block design, with four replications and five treatments, as follows: (i) T1 (control) – irrigation with potable water and addition of mineral-N fertilizer (MNF) – 520 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹; (ii) T2–T5 – irrigation with STSE (31.9 mg total-N L⁻¹) and addition of MNF – 0, 171.6, 343.2 and 520 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively. Potable water and STSE characteristics were monitored monthly; above ground grass dry matter yield (DM) and crude protein content (CP) were determined bimonthly. Increases in DM and CP were observed for the high MNF rates associated with irrigation with STSE. STSE irrigation can efficiently substitute potable water for irrigation of Tifton 85 bermudagrass pasture and, simultaneously, save 32.2–81.0% of the recommended N rate without loss of grass DM and CP yield.