Postprandial glycemia, insulinemia, and satiety responses in healthy subjects after whole grain rye bread made from different rye varieties. 2

Rye breads made from commercial rye blends lower the postprandial insulin demand and appear to facilitate glucose regulation. However, differences in metabolic responses may occur between rye varieties. In the present work, five rye varieties (Amilo, Evolo, Kaskelott, Picasso. and Vicello) and a commercial blend of rye grown in Sweden were investigated with regard to their postprandial insulin, glucose, and appetite regulation properties in a randomized crossover study in 20 healthy subjects. The rye flours were baked into whole grain breads, and a white wheat bread (WWB) was used as reference (50 g of available starch). Picasso and Vicello rye bread showed lower glycemic indices (GIs) compared with WWB (80 and 79, respectively) (P < .0.05). In addition to the GI, two measures of the glycemic profile (GP and GP(2)) were calculated by dividing the incremental duration of the plasma glucose curve with the incremental glucose peak and squared incremental glucose peak, respectively. Vicello and Picasso ryes were characterized by a higher GP(2) than that of the WWB, suggesting a better regulated course of glycemia. Rye bread made from not only Vicello and Picasso but also Amilo and Kaskelott displayed significantly lower insulin indices (IIs) than WWB (74-82). A high GP and GP(2) and a low GI were related to a lower II and insulin incremental peak. A high content of insoluble fibers and a high GP(2) were related to a higher subjective satiety in the early and late postprandial phase (tAUC 0-60 min and tAUC 120-180 min, respectively). The results suggest that there may be differences in the course of glycemia following different rye varieties, affecting postprandial insulin responses and subjective satiety.     

Uptake of macro nutrients,barium, and strontium by vegetation from mineral soils on carbonatite and pyroxenite bedrock at the Lillebukt Alkaline Complex on Stjernøy,Northern Norway

Carbonatite originating from the Lillebukt Alkaline Complex at Stjernøy in Northern Norway possesses favorable lime and potassium (K) fertilizer characteristics. However, enrichments of barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) in carbonatite may cause an undesired uptake by plants when applied to agroecosystems. A field survey was carried out to compare concentrations of Ba, Sr, and macronutrients in indigenous plants growing in mineral soil developed on a bedrock of apatite–biotite–carbonatite (high in Ba and Sr) and of apatite–hornblende–pyroxenite (low in Ba and Sr) at Stjernøy. Samples of soil and vegetation were collected from three sites, two on carbonatite bedrock and one on pyroxenite bedrock. Ammonium lactate (AL)‐extracted soil samples and nitric acid microwave‐digested samples of soil, grasses, dwarf shrubs, and herbs were analyzed for element concentration using ICP‐MS and ICP‐OES. Concentrations of magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) in both soil (AL) and plants were equal to or higher compared to values commonly reported. A high transfer of phosphorus (P) from soil to plants indicates that the apatite‐P is available to plants, particularly in pyroxenite soil. The non‐exchangeable K reservoir in the soil made a significant contribution to the elevated K transfer from soil to plant. Total concentrations of Ba and Sr in surface soil exhibited a high spatial variation ranging from 490 to 5,300 mg Ba kg^?1 and from 320 to 1,300 mg Sr kg^?1. The transfer of AL‐extractable elements from soil to plants increased in the order Ba < Sr < Ca < Mg < K, hence reflecting the chemical binding strength of these elements. Concentrations of Ba and Sr were low in grasses (≈ 20 mg kg^?1), intermediate in dwarf shrubs and highest in herbs. Plant species and their affinity for Ca seemed more important in explaining the uptake of Ba and Sr than the soil concentration of these elements. The leguminous plant species Vicia cracca acted as an accumulator of both Ba (1.800 mg kg^?1) and Sr (2.300 mg kg^?1).     

Effects of soil acidification on foliar leaching and retranslocation of metals in vascular plants

This paper reports on the seasonal patterns in leaf metal concentrations as influenced by artificial acidification and acidification due to acid precipitation at ambient levels in Southern Norway. The effects of change in soil nutrient availability can be concealed for a long time because of ability of plants to retranslocate mobile nutrients including Cu, Mg, K, and Zn. Exceptions are, e.g., Ca and Mn which are relatively immobile in the indigenous plant species studied. It appears from this work that long-term exposure to episodes of artificial rainfall of pH 3.2, or to acid precipitation at ambient pH levels, may alter the seasonal patterns in tissue metal concentrations of vascular plants. An enhanced retention of Mg and Zn in senescent leaves of deciduous species was observed. Foliar leaching of K on exposure to acid deposition may not be adequately compensated by root uptake.     

Chronic exposure to the mycotoxin T‐2 promotes oral absorption of chlortetracycline in pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate whether T‐2 toxin, a potent Fusarium mycotoxin, affects the oral absorption of the antibiotic chlortetracycline in pigs. Animals were allocated to blank feed without T‐2 toxin (controls), feed containing 111 μg T‐2/kg feed, T‐2‐contaminated feed supplemented with a yeast‐derived feed additive, or blank feed supplemented solely with the feed additive, respectively. After 21 days, an intragastric bolus of chlortetracycline was given to assess potential alterations in the pharmacokinetics of this commonly used antibiotic. A significantly higher area under the plasma concentration–time curve and maximal plasma concentration of chlortetracycline was observed after intake of T‐2‐contaminated feed compared with control. Thus, exposure to T‐2‐contaminated feed can influence the oral bioavailability of chlortetracycline. This effect could have consequences for the withdrawal time of the drug and the occurrence of undesirable residues in edible tissues.     

Atlantic cod (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gadus morhua</Emphasis>) larvae can biosynthesis phospholipid de novo from 2-oleoyl-glycerol and glycerol precursors

The dietary requirement of phospholipid (PL) of fish larvae has been suggested to originate in an inefficient ability for de novo biosynthesis of PL based on dietary triacylglycerol (TAG). The main objective of the present study was to investigate whether cod larvae could synthesis PL from sn-2-monoacylglycerol (2-MAG) and glycerol precursors. A tube feeding method was used to deliver equal molar aliquots of 2-oleoyl-[1,2,3-³H]glycerol and [U-¹⁴C] glycerol together with bovine serum albumin (BSA) bound 16:0 (palmitic acid) and 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), with or without choline chloride to the foregut of anesthetized cod larvae and thereafter monitoring the metabolism of these components in the larvae through 4 h following injection. Our results showed that both 2-MAG and glycerol precursors contributed to the de novo synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and the 2-MAG pathway predominated over the G-3-P (glycerol-3-phosphate) pathway in the synthesis of TAG and PC. The molecular ratio of PC/TAG obtained from the 2-MAG and the G-3-P pathways was 0.44–0.74 and 1.02–2.06 within the first hour of tube feeding, suggesting they might have comparable biosynthesis ability of PC and TAG under the conditions of the present study. Furthermore, supplementation of choline chloride significantly increased PC/TAG ratio (p < 0.05) for both pathways. However, further studies are needed to quantify the enzyme activity involved in the CDP-choline (cytidine diphosphate choline) pathway, and the function of choline either in simulating PC synthesis or TAG catabolism or both needs further investigation.     

Egg Quality in Wild and Broodstock Cod Gadus morhua L.

Problems concerning egg viability or egg quality have received increasing attention, in relation to cultivation as well as to the assessment of reproduction of wild fishes. One important aspect of this paper is to discuss the use of cell morphological characteristics as indicators of egg quality in cod. Early cellular malformation rates in egg batches show a positive correlation with their later egg and larval survival, and can be used as a rough prediction of normal development and mortality rates.
The natural mortality rate offish eggs is not well understood, and observed egg viability of captive cod is are discussed in relation to egg viability in the wild. Results from recent work indicated that approximately 10% of naturally spawned cod eggs from both wild fish (planktonic samples) and from a broodstock had abnormal cleavages at the 2–128 cell stage. Eggs with observed early abnormal cell-cleavage showed very poor survival and hatching rates. For broodstock cod, egg viability was highest during the peak of the spawning season.
The North Atlantic cod may provide a good model species for studies of egg viability variations in wild and captive individuals, as its reproductive biology is well studied. It is now documented that the egg production in cod is dependent on fish age, nutritional status, batch number, and stress factors.     

Tackling the issue of environmental survival of live Salmonella Typhimurium vaccines: Deletion of the lon gene

Vaccination is an important measure to control Salmonella contamination in the meat production chain. A previous study showed that both the ΔrfaJ and ΔrfaL strains are suitable markers and allow serological differentiation of infected and vaccinated animals. The aim of this study was to verify whether deletion of the lon gene in a Salmonella Typhimurium ΔrfaJ marker strain resulted in decreased environmental survival. Our results indicate that deletion of the lon gene in the ΔrfaJ strain did not affect invasiveness in IPEC-J2 cells and resulted in an increased susceptibility to UV, disinfectants (such as hydrogen peroxide and tosylchloramide sodium) and citric acid. Immunization of pigs with inactivated ΔrfaJ or ΔlonΔrfaJ vaccines allowed differentiation of infected and vaccinated pigs. Furthermore, deletion of the lon gene did not reduce the protection conferred by live wild type or ΔrfaJ vaccines against subsequent challenge with a virulent Salmonella Typhimurium strain in BALB/c mice. Based on our results in mice, we conclude that deletion of lon in ΔrfaJ contributes to environmental safety of the ΔrfaJ DIVA strain.     

Induction of seroconversion and persistence of Salmonella Typhimurium in pigs are strain dependent

Foodborne salmonellosis is one of the most important bacterial zoonotic diseases worldwide. Salmonella Typhimurium is the serovar most frequently isolated from persistently infected slaughter pigs in Europe. Salmonella Typhimurium pathogenesis is host species specific. In addition, differences in in vitro behaviour of Salmonella Typhimurium strains have also been described, which may be reflected by a different course of infection within a host species. We compared the course of a Salmonella Typhimurium infection in pigs, using two Salmonella Typhimurium strains that were able to interfere with MHC II expression on porcine macrophages to a different extent in vitro. After experimental inoculation, blood and faecal samples from all pigs were collected at regular time points. At 40 days post inoculation (pi), animals were euthanized and tissue samples were bacteriologically analysed. The proportion of serologically positive piglets at 33 days pi was significantly higher in pigs that were inoculated with the strain that did not downregulate MHC II expression in vitro. Furthermore, this strain was less frequently shed and isolated in lower numbers from tonsils and ileocaecal lymph nodes than the strain that was able to markedly downregulate MHC II expression in vitro. We thus found that the delayed onset of seroconversion after oral inoculation of piglets with a particular Salmonella Typhimurium strain coincided with higher faecal shedding and increased persistence. Strain specific differences in Salmonella pathogenesis might thus have repercussions on the serological detection of Salmonella Typhimurium infections in pigs.