Reaction of sewage farm soils to different irrigation solutions in a column experiment 2. Heavy metals and their leaching

Heavy metal polluted soils from a recent and a former sewage farm were studied in a 2.5 years‐column experiment under various irrigation regimes and/or liming treatment. The copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) concentrations in the soil and the leaching of these elements were studied. The amounts of the metals leached differed markedly between both soils, however, the effect of various irrigation treatments was less pronounced. The heavy metal content in the soil solid phase depended on the organic carbon content, however these dependencies differed for both soils as well as for particular metals. In lower soil horizons, the amount of heavy metals bound by unit mass of organic carbon was constant. It was assumed that the same amount of the heavy metals can be bound by the unit mass of the DOC. Under this assumption the amount of the DOC in the former sewage farm soil was in general too small to carry all heavy metals leached. Therefore leaching of their cationic forms has been postulated. The amount of the DOC in the present sewage farm soil could carry more heavy metals than these being leached. Therefore, an undersaturation of the DOC in heavy metals could occur in this soil.<?show $6#>     

The effect of ronnel and its oxygen analog on succinate oxidation by rat brain,liver homogenates,and mitochondria

The effect of the thiophosphoroorganic insecticide ronnel and its oxygen analog on oxygen consumption by homogenates, and on succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase activities in the mitochrondrial fractions of rat brain and liver, was investigated. A marked inhibition of blood plasma cholinesterase activity by the oxygen analog was demonstrated, but acetylcholinesterase activity was not affected. In contrast to its thiophosphoroorganic precursor, the oxygen analog caused a significant decrease in oxygen consumption by rat brain and liver homogenates and a decrease in cytochrome oxidase activity in both solubilized mitochondrial fractions. The succinate dehydrogenase activity was reduced only slightly by the oxygen analog in the brain fraction, but was marked in the liver fractions. The results suggest that the toxic activity of ronnel in vivo may be ascribed to its oxygen analog which appears as a metabolite of the former.     

Isolation and characterisation of Mycobacterium avium and Rhodococcus equi from granulomatous lesions of swine lymph nodes in Slovenia

Granulomatous lesions in bovine and especially swine lymph nodes are still frequently observed during routine veterinary meat inspections even though Mycobacterium bovis infections are no longer detected in domestic animals in Slovenia. Different lymph nodes of pigs (n = 260) were investigated using classical bacteriological and molecular methods. Mycobacterium avium alone was isolated in 47.3% of pigs and in mixed infection with Rhodococcus equi in 3.9% of pigs. R. equi alone was isolated in 27.3% and in mixed infection with mycobacteria other than M. avium in 1.5% of pigs. A total of 133 M. avium isolates were typed using the IS1245, IS901 and FR300 PCR. Almost two thirds (60.9%) of isolates belonged to M. avium hominissuis (IS901-, IS1245+ genotype), 33.8% of isolates belonged to M. avium avium (IS901+, IS1245+ genotype) and 5.3% of isolates remained non-typed. Fifty out of 85 R. equi isolates were tested for the virulence-associated antigens (VapA and VapB). Nearly two thirds (60.0%) were positive for VapB while all the other isolates were VapA- and VapB-negative.     

An information retrieval system for VIR's herbarium, St. Petersburg, Russia, as a tool for cultivated plant research

The herbarium collection of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (WIR) contains specimens of cultivated plants, their wild relatives and weedy plants and provides ample opportunities for research. It is a unique special herbarium collection and one of those rare collections having a card index (catalog). For the catalog to be functional, it should reflect the current changes in the taxa names. Only a computerized card file may meet this requirement. The creation of a database for VIR's herbarium was launched in 1995. VIR is carrying out a range of work necessary for providing a wider access to its herbarium and related information for the international scientific community.     

Lead Partitioning in the Bottom Sediment of Rybnik Reservoir (Southern Poland)

Total concentration of lead and its individual partitioning, i.e. exchangeable, adsorbed, organically bound, carbonate, sulfide and residual have been assayed in the bottom sediment of Rybnik reservoir applying AAS. The contribution of particular fractions to the total lead concentration was as follows: carbonates (37%) > sulfides (28%) > residual (14%) > adsorbed (10%) > exchangeable (8%) > organic bonds (3%). The multiple regression analysis applied led to the conclusion that the increase in lead content in the bottom sediment resulted from an increase in poorly mobile forms, notably carbonates.     

Antioxidant activity of the main phenolic compounds isolated from hot pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum L)

Four cultivars (Bronowicka Ostra, Cyklon, Tornado, and Tajfun) of pepper fruit Capsicum annuum L. were studied for phenolics contents and antioxidant activity. Two fractions of phenolics, flavonoids (with phenolic acids) and capsaicinoids, were isolated from the pericarp of pepper fruit at two growth stages (green and red) and were studied for their antioxidant capacity. Both fractions from red fruits had higher activities than those from green fruits. A comparison of the capsaicinoid fraction with the flavonoid and phenolic acid fraction from red fruit with respect to their antioxidant activity gave similar results. Phenolic compounds were separated and quantified by LC and HPLC. Contents of nine compounds were determined in the flavonoid and phenolic acid fraction: trans-p-feruloyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside, trans-p-sinapoyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside-7-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside, trans-p-ferulyl alcohol-4-O-[6-(2-methyl-3-hydroxypropionyl] glucopyranoside, luteolin 6-C-beta-d-glucopyranoside-8-C-alpha-l-arabinopyranoside, apigenin 6-C-beta-d-glucopyranoside-8-C-alpha-l-arabinopyranoside, lutoeolin 7-O-[2-(beta-d-apiofuranosyl)-beta-d-glucopyranoside], quercetin 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside, and luteolin 7-O-[2-(beta-d-apiofuranosyl)-4-(beta-d-glucopyranosyl)-6-malonyl]-beta-d-glucopyranoside. The main compounds of this fraction isolated from red pepper were sinapoyl and feruloyl glycosides, and the main compound from green pepper was quercetin-3-O-l-rhamnoside. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were the main components of the capsaicinoid fraction. A high correlation was found between the content of these compounds and the antioxidant activity of both fractions. Their antioxidant activities were elucidated by heat-induced oxidation in the beta-carotene-linoleic acid system and the antiradical activity by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) decoloration test. The highest antioxidant activity in the beta-carotene-linoleic acid system was found for trans-p-sinapoyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside, which was lower than the activity of free sinapic acid. Quercetin 3-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside had the highest antiradical activity in the DPPH system, which was comparable to the activity of quercetin. The activities of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were similar to that of trans-p-feruloyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside in the DPPH model system.     

Distribution of race-specific resistance against <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bremia lactucae</Emphasis> in natural populations of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactuca serriola</Emphasis>

A metapopulation approach was applied to population studies of a common weed, Lactuca serriola (prickly lettuce). Seedlings grown from seed samples collected from 752 individual L. serriola plants in 50 populations occurring along an east-to-west transect across four European countries (Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands and United Kingdom) were screened for resistance to 10 common races of Bremia lactucae. Based on the recorded reaction patterns, host individuals were characterized into specific resistance (R-) phenotypes. Diversity of R-phenotypes, their variation and distribution among and within European populations, was evaluated at different spatial scales, i.e. from a metapopulation involving the entire European study area to individual plants occurring in local populations. Generally, European populations of L. serriola have been shown to be highly susceptible to B. lactucae. However, large variation in L. serriola resistance was found both among and within individual countries. There was a clear gradient of increasing uniformity of race-specificity moving from central to western Europe, as well as a slight decrease in the diversity of R-phenotypes. Populations in the United Kingdom were the most divergent in terms of resistance structure from other geographic regions, and also were the most homogeneous, most likely a consequence of the relatively greater degree of spatial isolation from other regions. Metapopulation, inter- and intra-population variation in host resistance is discussed from the viewpoint of occurrence of race-specific interactions in this wild plant pathosystem.     

Improving bioavailability and stability of genistein by complexation with high-amylose corn starch

Genistein, like other phytochemicals, has beneficial health effects, but its bioavailability is limited. This research studied the effect of complexation of genistein with starch on genistein bioavailability. Genistein release from these complexes was tested in vitro under simulated intestinal conditions and in vivo in rats fed high-amylose corn starch (HACS)-genistein complexes (experimental group) as compared to those fed a physical mixture of HACS and genistein (controls). In vitro results showed that genistein release is sustained and fits the normal transit time of food in the intestine. The genistein concentration in the plasma was twice as high in the experimental group versus controls; the genistein concentration in the urine was also higher in the experimental group but lower in the feces. These results indicate that starch-genistein complexes increase genistein bioavailability and suggest that starch can affect the bioavailability of additional food components.     

Putative embryonic stem cell lines from pig embryos

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) were first established in the mouse, and they represent a population of pluripotent, undifferentiated cells derived from early embryos that is capable of proliferating without any limitation in an undifferentiated state. These cells retain the ability to differentiate in vitro or in vivo into derivates of all three germ layers, and when injected into blastocysts, they can participate in the formation of all tissues, including gonads (germ-line chimeras). It is possible to transfect them with a gene of interest, and the resulting transgenic cell lines can also be used for production of chimeras. Unfortunately, mammalian germ-line chimeras that can carry an inserted gene into their progeny have only been produced in the mouse. Logically, before application of stem cell therapies into a human medicine, it is necessary to verify the efficiency and safety of these methods with an acceptable animal model. The pig is currently used as a very convenient animal for pre-clinical applications, and therefore establishment of porcine ES cell lines is highly needed; unfortunately, no convincing ES cell lines have been produced in this species (and other domestic animals) to date. In this article, we discuss the recent advances in this field, especially oriented on possible reasons and obstacles why derivation of porcine ES cell lines is still unsuccessful.