Modulation of Inflammatory Gene Expression by a Bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.) Extract and Single Anthocyanins Considering Their Limited Stability under Cell Culture Conditions

Studies with nonintestinal models indicate that anthocyanin-rich extracts can modulate inflammatory gene expression and may help prevent development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). This work investigated the influence of a bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus L.) extract (BE) and comprising anthocyanins on pro-inflammatory genes in IFN-γ/IL-1β/TNF-α stimulated human colon epithelial cells (T84) by qRT-PCR and cytokine arrays. Moreover, the stability of selected anthocyanins under cell culture conditions was examined to assess their anti-inflammatory properties. BE and single anthocyanins significantly inhibited the expression and secretion of IBD-associated pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IP-10, I-TAC, sICAM-1, GRO-α) in the stimulated cells. The anti-inflammatory activity thereby strongly depends on the aglycon structure (hydroxylation and methylation pattern) and the sugar moiety. In contrast to anthocyanidins, which were highly unstable in cell culture medium, suggesting that their degradation products might contribute to the inhibitory effects assigned to the parent compounds, anthocyanins have higher stability and may directly contribute to BE's effects.     

A simple and accurate method for determining wheat grain fructan content and average degree of polymerization

An improved method for the measurement of fructans in wheat grains is presented. A mild acid treatment is used for fructan hydrolysis, followed by analysis of the released glucose and fructose with high performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). Not only the amount of fructose set free from fructans but also the released glucose can be quantified accurately, allowing determination of the average degree of polymerization of fructans (DP(av)). Application of the mild acid treatment to different grain samples demonstrated that a correction should be made for the presence of sucrose and raffinose, but not for stachyose or higher raffinose oligosaccharides. The fructan content and DP(av) of spelt flour, wheat flour, and whole wheat flour were 0.6%, 1.2%, and 1.8% of the total weight and 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Validation experiments demonstrate that the proposed quantification method is accurate and repeatable and that also the DP(av) determination is precise.     

Medium‐ and short‐term available organic matter,microbial biomass,and enzyme activities in soils under Pinus sylvestris L. and Robinia pseudoacacia L. in a sandy soil in NE Saxony,Germany

Total, mobile, and easily available C and N fractions, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities in a sandy soil under pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) stands were investigated in a field study near Riesa, NE Germany. Samples of the organic layers (Oi and Oe‐Oa) and the mineral soil (0–5, 5–10, 10–20, and 10–30 cm) were taken in fall 1999 and analyzed for their contents of organic C and total N, hot‐water‐extractable organic C and N (HWC and HWN), KCl‐extractable organic C and N (C_org(KCl) and N_org(KCl)), NH ‐N and NO ‐N, microbial‐biomass C and N, and activities of β‐glucosidase and L‐asparaginase. With exception of the HWC, all investigated C and N pools showed a clear response to tilling, which was most pronounced in the Oi horizon. Compared to soils under pine, those under black locust had higher contents of medium‐ and short‐term available C (HWC, C_org(KCl)) and N (HWN, N_org(KCl)), mineral N (NH ‐N, NO ‐N), microbial‐biomass C and N, and enzyme activities in the uppermost horizons of the soil. The strong depth gradient found for all studied parameters was most pronounced in soils under black locust. Microbial‐biomass C and N and enzyme activities were closely related to the amounts of readily mineralizable organic C (HWC and C_org(KCl)). However, the presented results implicate a faster C and N turnover in the top‐soil layers under black locust caused by higher N‐input rates by symbiotic N₂ fixation.     

Nodulation and N2 fixation of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) after soil amendment with crop residues

The effect of prior soil amendment with different N sources at 50 mg N (kg soil)^—1 on nodulation and N₂ fixation of faba bean (Vicia faba L. cv. Troy) using wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Star) as reference crop was assessed in a pot experiment. Four treatments viz legume manure (LEGM) as clover shoots, cereal manure (CEREM) as barley straw, N fertilizer (FERT‐N) as Ca(NO₃)₂, and no‐manure control (NOMAN) were investigated consecutively at 45, 70, and 90 days after sowing (DAS). Faba bean nodulated profusely, with an increase on average from 629 nodules per pot at 45 DAS to nearly 2.3‐ and 3.3‐fold at 70 and 90 DAS, respectively. Low nodule numbers and nodule dry matter occurred under FERT‐N and CEREM, whereas high values were found for NOMAN and LEGM. Soil amendment affected percent N₂ fixation in relation to N source and plant age. Highest percent N₂ fixation (≥ 90 %) was found under the lowest N‐supplying amendments, no‐manure, and cereal manure, respectively. FERT‐N depressed N₂ fixation particularly at 45 DAS when N₂ fixation was reduced to as low as 23 %. The rise in N₂ fixation thereafter suggests that faba bean adjusted after depletion of mineral N in the soil. N₂ fixation was also decreased after cereal straw application, even though N concentration in faba bean plants was high. The results indicate that plant residues, both with high and low N concentration, applied to soil to raise its fertility may interfere with N₂ fixation of faba bean.     

Brassica sect.Brassica (Brassicaceae)

Summary An extensive crossing program including 10 wild taxa and 23 accessions representing 6 major cultivated forms and landraces of theBrassica oleracea group was carried out. Data for crossability, germination, viability, fertility inF ₁ andF ₂ were studied as well as the meiotic chromosomal pairing inF ₁ hybrids in some combinations. The fertility of hybrids between all cultivated forms and wild populations ofB. oleracea was high and it was concluded that all, including the Chinese endemicalboglabra form, belong to the same biological species. Among the other species,B. macrocarpa, B. montana, andB. rupestris had the lowest andB. cretica the highest fertility values in crosses with cultivated forms. The crossing data do not give any further information as to the genetic differentiation ofB. oleracea during the course of domestication. Introgression between wild and cultivated forms has probably occurred frequently. All members of theB. oleracea cytodeme belong to the primary and secondary gene pools of the 18 chromosomic crops and are as such of great importance for breeding purposes.     

Occurrence of acidic groundwater in precambrian crystalline bedrock aquifers,Southwestern Sweden

The pH and alkalinity of groundwater from 7651 wells drilled in the Precambrian crystalline bedrock of southwestern Sweden has been evaluated. The wells are generally less than 100 m deep. Analytical results were collected from different laboratories and authorities in the region. In areas with thin soil cover or coarse-grained deposits overlying the bedrock, alkalinity is normally less than 100 mg HCO₃ L^?1. Below the marine limit, where clayey sediments predominate, alkalinity sometimes even exceeds 200 mg HCO₃ L^?1. When comparing pH and alkalinity of groundwaters from Quaternary deposits with bedrock groundwaters, the latter always have higher pH and alkalinity values. The most acidic bedrock groundwaters are found in small areas close to the city of Göteborg due to additional factors of high acid loadings, high groundwater discharge and thin soil layers. A study of data from 1949 to 1985 in the province of Värmland suggests that no regional acidification of importance is in progress. However, results from public water supplies support the hypothesis that the groundwaters which are most sensitive to acidification are those where discharge from wells in small bedrock aquifers induces rapid groundwater recharge of acidic surficial water.     

Invertase activity limits grain yield of maize under salt stress

Salt stress reduces grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) due to poor kernel setting but not due to decreased grain filling. In the present study, it was tested whether acid invertase activity is decreased in developing kernels of maize under salt stress, and if assimilate supply is limited. The relatively salt‐sensitive maize hybrid Pioneer 3906 was compared with the more salt‐resistant hybrid SR 12. Salt stress caused a significant decrease in grain yield which was due to a 50% decrease in kernel number. No source limitation was observed, as the sucrose concentrations in kernels were significantly increased under salt stress for both genotypes. In contrast, glucose and fructose concentrations in kernels were significantly decreased. Salt stress caused a significant inhibition of soluble acid invertase activity to 19% in hydroponics 5 d after pollination (5 DAP) and to 50% in the soil culture experiment (2 DAP). The decrease in enzyme activity was the same for both genotypes. In the soil experiment, the highest soluble acid invertase activity was found 2 DAP with a steep decline until 8 DAP in Pioneer 3906. It is concluded that a decrease in acid invertase activity is a key factor associated with limited kernel setting under salt stress but additional factors may be responsible for genotypic differences.     

Mineralization and carbon turnover in subarctic heath soil as affected by warming and additional litter

Arctic soil carbon (C) stocks are threatened by the rapidly advancing global warming. In addition to temperature, increasing amounts of leaf litter fall following from the expansion of deciduous shrubs and trees in northern ecosystems may alter biogeochemical cycling of C and nutrients. Our aim was to assess how factorial warming and litter addition in a long-term field experiment on a subarctic heath affect resource limitation of soil microbial communities (measured by thymidine and leucine incorporation techniques), net growing-season mineralization of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and carbon turnover (measured as changes in the pools during a growing-season-long field incubation of soil cores in situ). The mainly N limited bacterial communities had shifted slightly towards limitation by C and P in response to seven growing seasons of warming. This and the significantly increased bacterial growth rate under warming may partly explain the observed higher C loss from the warmed soil. This is furthermore consistent with the less dramatic increase in the contents of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic N (DON) in the warmed soil than in the soil from ambient temperature during the field incubation. The added litter did not affect the carbon content, but it was a source of nutrients to the soil, and it also tended to increase bacterial growth rate and net mineralization of P. The inorganic N pool decreased during the field incubation of soil cores, especially in the separate warming and litter addition treatments, while gross mineralized N was immobilized in the biomass of microbes and plants transplanted into the incubates soil cores, but without any significant effect of the treatments. The effects of warming plus litter addition on bacterial growth rates and of warming on C and N transformations during field incubation suggest that microbial activity is an important control on the carbon balance of arctic soils under climate change.     

Impact of wheat flour-associated endoxylanases on arabinoxylan in dough after mixing and resting

The impact of varying levels of endoxylanase activity in wheat flour on arabinoxylan (AX) in mixed and rested dough was studied using eight industrially milled wheat flour fractions with varying endoxylanase activity levels. Analysis of the levels of reducing end xylose (RX) and solubilized AX (S-AX) formed during mixing and resting and their correlation with the endoxylanase activity in the flour milling fractions showed that solubilization of AX during the mixing phase is mainly due to mechanical forces, while solubilization of AX during resting is caused by endoxylanase activity. Moreover, solubilization of AX during the dough resting phase is more outspoken than that during the mixing phase. Besides endoxylanase activity, there were significant xylosidase and arabinofuranosidase activities during the dough resting phase. The results indicate that wheat flour-associated endoxylanases can alter part of the AX in dough, thereby changing their functionality in bread making and potentially affecting dough and end product properties.