Comparative analysis of the effects of locally used herbicides and their active ingredients on a wild-type wine Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain

Herbicides are released to the environment with potential ecotoxicological risks for mammals. Yeast is a good model to elucidate toxicity mechanisms. We investigated how three commercial herbicides (Proper Energy, Pointer, and Silglif) and their active ingredients (respectively, fenoxaprop-P-ethyl, tribenuron methyl, and glyphosate) can affect biological activities of an oenological Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, which may be resident on grape vineyards of the same geographical areas where herbicides are used. The use of commercial grade herbicides employed in Italy allowed us to reproduce the same conditions applied in crops; at the same time, assaying pure single active compounds made it possible to compare the effects obtained with commercial formulations. Interestingly, we found that while pure active compounds affect cell growth and metabolism at a lower extent, commercial preparations have a significant major negative influence on yeast biology.     

Molecular characterization of compost at increasing stages of maturity. 1. Chemical fractionation and infrared spectroscopy

Composted organic biomasses at 60, 90, and 150 days of maturity were studied for changes in molecular composition. Compost samples were subjected to a mild sequential fractionation based on (1) organic solvent extraction, (2) transesterification with boron trifluoride in methanol (BF3-CH3OH), and (3) methanolic alkaline hydrolysis (KOH-CH3OH). The general chemical variations in compost residues following fractionation were monitored by DRIFT spectroscopy, whereas the molecular components separated along the fractionation steps were identified by GC-MS. DRIFT spectra suggested a progressive decrease of biolabile compounds such as alkyls, carbohydrates, and proteinaceous materials with compost maturity. Extraction of unbound components in an organic solvent indicated a considerable reduction of linear and branched alkanoic acids, both saturated and unsaturated, n-alkanes, and n-alkanols with enhancing compost maturity. Extracts of weakly bound molecules by transesterification revealed a decrease, with compost maturity, of components from more recalcitrant plant polyesters, such as omega-, di-, and trihydroxy acids, dioic acids, and n-alkanols. Extracts of strongly bound molecules by alkaline hydrolysis indicated a lower decrease of the same components, suggesting their reduced availability when in stable hydrophobic domains of progressively mature compost. The largest decrease in molecular components occurred when compost was stabilized from 60 to 90 days, whereas its composition did not significantly vary after stabilization at 150 days. The molecular structures of a number of steroids and terpenes appeared to be less susceptible to transformation with composting maturity, thereby resulting as useful biomarkers to trace the fate of composted organic matter in the environment. This work showed that a detailed molecular characterization of compost by a stepwise chemical fractionation enables the evaluation of compost maturity and origin of composted biomasses, as well as the identification of environmental tracers.     

Natural trematode infestation in feral Nebrodi Black pigs: Pathological investigations

Few studies describe the parasites of pigs bred in the wild state, although pigs are a known reservoir of trematode infestation. This article reports the results of a retrospective study carried out from January 2003 to June 2007 on 3021 Nebrodi Black male and female pigs, regularly slaughtered, aged between 8 months and 4 years. Fasciola hepatica and Dicrocoelium dendriticum flukes were detected in 143 (4.37%) of 3021 livers. The predominant histological features were multifocal to diffuse chronic hepatitis, with fibrosis and severely thickened walls of the bile ducts and chronic parietal, sometimes nodular inflammation. F. hepatica infestation was frequently associated with marked hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the submucosal glands. The study results confirm the important role swine play in the transmission of trematode infestations, indicate the prevalence of these parasites in the Nebrodi Park area, and draw attention to the need for a prophylaxis plan to prevent the spread of infestation to ruminants and humans living in the area.     

Evaluation of the oestrogenic potential of oestrone and bisphenol-A on the reproduction of Astyanax bimaculatus males after subacute exposure

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - In the last decades, oestrogenic compounds have often been reported in environmentally relevant concentrations in aquatic environments around the world. Most...     

Physiological and biochemical aspects of the resistance of banana plants to Fusarium wilt potentiated by silicon

Silicon amendments to soil have resulted in a decrease of diseases caused by several soilborne pathogens affecting a wide number of crops. This study evaluated the physiological and biochemical mechanisms that may have increased resistance of banana to Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense, after treatment with silicon (Si) amendment. Plants from the Grand Nain (resistant to F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense) and "Ma??" (susceptible to F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense) were grown in plastic pots amended with Si at 0 or 0.39 g/kg of soil (-Si or +Si, respectively) and inoculated with race 1 of F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense. Relative lesion length (RLL) and asymptomatic fungal colonization in tissue (AFCT) were evaluated at 40 days after inoculation. Root samples were collected at different times after inoculation with F. oxysporum f. sp. cubense to determine the level of lipid peroxidation, expressed as equivalents of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids), total soluble phenolics (TSP), and lignin-thioglycolic acid (LTGA) derivatives; the activities of the enzymes phenylalanine ammonia-lyases glucanases (PALs), peroxidases (POXs), polyphenoloxidases (PPOs), β-1,3-glucanases (GLUs), and chitinases (CHIs); and Si concentration in roots. Root Si concentration was significantly increased by 35.3% for the +Si treatment compared with the -Si treatment. For Grand Nain, the root Si concentration was significantly increased by 12.8% compared with "Ma??." Plants from Grand Nain and "Ma??" in the +Si treatment showed significant reductions of 40.0 and 57.2%, respectively, for RLL compared with the -Si treatment. For the AFCT, there was a significant reduction of 18.5% in the +Si treatment compared with the -Si treatment. The concentration of MDA significantly decreased for plants from Grand Nain and "Ma??" supplied with Si compared with the -Si treatment while the concentrations of H(2)O(2) on roots and pigments on leaves significantly increased. The concentrations of TSP and LTGA derivatives as well as the PALs, PPOs, POXs, GLUs, and CHIs activities significantly increased on roots of plants from Grand Nain and "Ma??" from the +Si treatment compared with the -Si treatment. Results of this study suggest that the symptoms of Fusarium wilt on roots of banana plants supplied with Si decreased due to an increase in the concentrations of H(2)O(2), TSP, and LTGA derivatives and greater activities of PALs, PPOs, POXs, GLUs, and CHIs.     

Biochemical characterization of white onion landraces (Allium cepa L.) through HPLC analysis of endosperm seed proteins

Water-, salt-, alcohol- and alkali-soluble seed storage proteins, extracted from 21 cipolla bianca di Pompei landraces (Allium cepa L.), were analyzed by anionic exchange-high performance liquid chromatography (AE-HPLC). Chromatographic elution profiles (time range 0–40 min) at 280 nm of water-soluble seed proteins evidenced the presence of 21 peaks, which allowed all the landraces studied to be distinguished from each other. The differences detected were both qualitative (presence/absence of one or more peaks) and quantitative; the water-soluble proteins were useful in differentiating landraces and cultivars while the other seed protein fractions only showed a weak polymorphism. The cluster analysis, based on HPLC data, showed that the landraces clustered with a genetic similarity degree ranging between 69% and 94%. The possibility of discriminating among closely related onion landraces during the course of breeding programmes could allow the identification of biochemical markers linked to useful agronomical traits. As observed by chromatographic analysis, the globulin composition of onion water-soluble seed protein appears to be independent of environmental growth conditions. The biochemical characterization of the available typical onion germplasm may contribute to obtain a community recognition and denomination, such as Denomination of Protected Origin (D.O.P.), Indication of Protected Origin (I.G.P.) or Specificity Attestation (A.S.). The biochemical method here developed resulted of high resolution, cost-effective and time-saving for characterization and genetic purity assessment of the landraces studied.     

Changes in the activity and abundance of the soil microbial community in response to the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP)

Purpose

The application of organic and inorganic fertilizers to soil can result in increased gaseous emissions, such as NH₃, N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄, as well as nitrate leaching, contributing to climate warming and ground and surface water pollution, particularly in regions with hot climates, where high temperatures and high soil nitrification rates often occur. The use of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) has been shown to effectively decrease nitrogen (N) losses from the soil-plant system.

Materials and methods

Non-disruptive laboratory incubation experiments were conducted to assess the extent to which temperature (20 and 30 °C) and nutrient source (mineral and organic fertilizers) influence the rate of carbon (C)- and N-related microbial processes in soil in response to the NI 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP). Furthermore, short-term changes in the ability of microbes to degrade C substrates were evaluated in disruptive soil microcosms using microbial community-level physiological profiling and the abundance of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene as a measure of total bacterial population size.

Results and discussion

DMPP reduced net nitrification after 2 and 4 weeks of incubation at 30 and 20 °C by an average of 78.3 and 84.5 %, respectively, and with similar dynamics for mineral or organic fertilization. The addition of labile organic matter with cattle effluent led to a rapid increase in C mineralization that was significantly reduced by DMPP at both temperatures, whereas no changes could be detected after the addition of mineral fertilizer. The culturable heterotrophic microorganisms showed metabolic diversification in the oxidation of C sources, with organic fertilizer playing a major role in the substrate utilization patterns during the first week of incubation and the DMPP effects prevailing from day 14 until day 28. Furthermore, the copy number of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was reduced by the application of DMPP and organic fertilizer after 28 days.

Conclusions

Our results show the marked efficiency of DMPP as an NI at elevated temperatures of incubation and when associated with both mineral and organic fertilization, providing support for its use as a tool to mitigate N losses in Mediterranean ecosystems. However, we also observed impaired C respiration rates and bacterial abundances, as well as shifts in community-level physiological profiles in soil, possibly indicating a short-term effect of DMPP and organic fertilizers on non-target C-related processes and microorganisms.

     

Where new farm woodlands support biodiversity action plans: a spatial multi-criteria analysis

In many developed countries forest cover is growing and the provision of non-market benefits is increasingly important for forestry management. The benefits provided by a new woodland not only depend on the design of the woodland (local site level), but also on its location in the wider landscape. This paper develops a generic GIS-based method to map the potential biodiversity benefits of new woodlands through an integration of species-habitat modelling for a list of 15 key species derived from a “Local Biodiversity Action Plan”, encompassing the Northeast of Scotland, and spatial multi-criteria analysis. For each selected species ‘Preferred Future Woodland’ maps are produced, indicating the extent to which populations of these species are expected to expand or contract in response to further afforestation. Species are then weighted on the basis of criteria of relative scarcity of suitable habitat and national importance of the regional population. The maps are then combined using this weighting to yield an overall potential biodiversity benefit map, which shows that the areas with the highest potential biodiversity gains are the edges of major agricultural areas (mostly deciduous), the riparian zones (deciduous) and areas adjacent to mature native pine woods (coniferous). It is demonstrated that the use of this map for more explicit spatial targeting of an existing farm afforestation scheme can help to provide much more ‘biodiversity value’ for taxpayers’ money.     

Comparison of fast and conventional GC analysis for citrus essential oils

This investigation concerns the application of fast GC in the analysis of essential oils. These are complex matrixes that usually undergo GC separation with conventional methods involving long columns, slow programmed temperature rates, and consequently, a high cost in terms of time. Fast GC techniques are based on the use of narrow bore capillary columns that allow the achievement of high-speed separations on complex samples while maintaining excellent resolution. This work saw the application of two methods on five different citrus essential oils and the comparison of all the results obtained.     

Effect of the disposal of sludge from olive processing on some soil characteristics: Laboratory experiments

A laboratory experiment was performed during a 40-day incubation period in order to evaluate changes in organic and inorganic compounds of soil amended with two doses of sludge obtained from olive-oil processing waste waters. Differences between the amounts of organic components of the amended soil and those of the control, although related to doses and sampling time, disappeared at the end of the experimental period. On the contrary, the inorganic anion contents were still different for the various treatments, which suggest, especially for NO₃ ^? and SO₄ ^2?, a transient inhibition in the soil-sludge system. A germination test, carried out on the soil amended with different doses of sludge, indicates that after about twenty days even the soil containing the highest dose of sludge did not show toxicity any longer.