Cytoprotection by neutral fraction of tannat red wine against oxidative stress-induced cell death

Some of the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet on human pathologies have been attributed to red wine polyphenols. It has been postulated that the antioxidant activity of the latter would be also responsible for the cytoprotective capacity of red wine that has been reported in a few papers. Nevertheless, red wine shows a complex composition, and the active fraction is not known yet. In this context, the protective capacity of total lyophilized extracts of red wine and anthocyanin, neutral, or acidic fractions, was explored in PC12 cells in culture after a hydrogen peroxide insult. Although all fractions showed high antioxidant activity, only the neutral fraction was cytoprotective. The analysis of this active fraction showed that it was rich in the aglycons quercetin and myricetin as well as the glycosides of kaempferol, isorhamnetin, epicatechin, and catechin, some of which are known to be cytoprotective. This is the first paper to reveal the active fraction of total wine responsible of its cytoprotection.     

蛋鸡功能性饲料添加剂配方的筛选

试验选用虫草头孢菌粉、黄芪粉及神曲粉作为原料进行了蛋鸡功能性饲料添加剂配方筛选。结果表明,虫草头孢菌粉和黄芪粉以质量比1∶1的比例混合后再按1%的比例添加到饲料中,可以显著提高蛋鸡产蛋率及鸡蛋品质,并可增强蛋鸡机体免疫能力。与对照相比,蛋鸡产蛋率提高5.84%、料蛋比下降10.08%;血浆免疫指标IgG含量增加23.25%、NO含量增加17.22%、NOS活性增加13.94%、iNOS活性增加6.24%。     

Map- vs. homology-based cloning for the recessive gene ol-2 conferring resistance to tomato powdery mildew

The recessive gene ol-2 confers papilla-associated and race-non-specific resistance to tomato powdery mildew caused by Oidium neolycopersici. In order to facilitate marker assisted selection (MAS) in practical breeding programmes, we identified two simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and one cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker which are linked to the resistance locus and co-dominantly inherited. Aiming to provide a base for ol-2 positional cloning, we used a large segregating F₂ population to merge these markers with all the ol-2 linked amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP^®) markers previously identified in an integrated genetic map. By screening a tomato bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library, we detected two BAC clones containing two expressed sequence tags (ESTs) homologous to the gene mlo, responsible for powdery mildew resistance in barley, as well as an ol-2-linked marker. Chromosomal mapping by Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) revealed major signals of the two BAC DNAs in the pericentromeric heterochromatin of the short arm of chromosome 4, in the same region where the ol-2 gene was previously mapped. The genetic and cytogenetic co-localisation between ol-2 and tomato mlo-homologue(s), in addition to the similarity of ol-2 and mlo resistances for both genetic and phytopathological characteristics, suggests that ol-2 is likely a mlo-homologue. Thus, a homology-based cloning approach could be more suitable than positional cloning for ol-2 isolation.     

Metabolism of the lignan macromolecule into enterolignans in the gastrointestinal lumen as determined in the simulator of the human intestinal microbial ecosystem

Estrogenic plant compounds from the human diet such as the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG, 1) can exert biological activity in the human body upon ingestion and bioactivation to enterodiol (END, 5) and enterolactone (ENL, 6). Bioavailability of lignans is influenced by the food matrix and gut microbial action, of which the latter is subject to a large interindividual variation. In this study, the fate of the lignan precursor SDG, present in the lignan macromolecule of flax seed ( Linum usitatissimum), was determined during an artificial stomach and small intestinal digestion and during metabolism by two different enterolignan phenotypes in a TWINSHIME environment (TWIN Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem). The lignan macromolecule acted as a delivery system of SDG in the large intestine. SDG was only hydrolyzed into secoisolariciresinol (SECO, 2) through microbial action in the ascending colon, after which it was bioactivated into enterolignans from the transverse colon onward. Single demethylation was a first step in the bioactivation, followed by dehydroxylation. Enterolignan phenotypes remained stable throughout the experimental period. The establishment of END and ENL production equilibria reflected the subdominance of ENL-producing bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.     

Pyrosequencing of the rabies virus glycoprotein gene to demonstrate absence of vaccine-associated rabies cases following oral vaccination

Replication competent vaccines have been used successfully for the control of terrestrial rabies, mainly in wildlife; however, these vaccine strains occasionally may induce rabies. In this study, a pyrosequencing protocol for the rapid identification of vaccine-associated rabies viruses was applied to the 2008–2011 Italian epidemic. There was no evidence of vaccine-associated rabies cases following oral vaccination of foxes with the SAG2 and SADB19 vaccine strains.     

臭氧果蔬保鲜包装技术及试验

臭氧果蔬保鲜技术的关键是如何控制和调节包装内氧气和二氧化碳的体积分数,包装材料气透率是调节包装内气体体积分数的主要因素。综合果蔬呼吸和薄膜透气两个相互交叉的动态过程,提出一种新的果蔬包装薄膜透气率的计算方法。在清水蜜桃、油豆角的臭氧保鲜试验中测试了臭氧果蔬保鲜薄膜不同厚度以及不同保鲜时间的腐烂率、好果率、失重率、可溶性固形物含量、还原糖含量、总酸、维生素C含量、叶绿素含量等指标,结果表明,以上果蔬的保鲜期至少延长2周以上。     

华北平原几种主要类型土壤的硝化及反硝化活性

取用华北平原5种主要土壤进行实验室培养试验,研究不同类型土壤间硝化反硝化活性的差异。结果表明,培养28h后砂姜黑土、潮土、褐土、盐渍土和风沙土的硝化率分别为7.9%、20.8%、46.4%、22.5%和20.3%;148h后砂姜黑土的硝化率为18.7%,其它4种土壤达98.4%—100%,基本硝化完全;培养268h释放的N2O总量分别为0.04、0.27、0.24、0.41和0.45μgN·g-1土。培养650h的反硝化损失量分别为0.6、0.3、0.08、0.02和0.05μgN·g-1土。可见,不同的土壤中砂姜黑土的硝化作用活性较弱,而反硝化活性较强;潮土、褐土、盐渍土和风沙土的硝化作用活性较强,而反硝化活性相对较弱。土壤的硝化及反硝化作用与土壤质地和pH有关,与硝化和反硝化菌数量无明显相关性。     

酸枣花器官结构、花粉形态及生活力比较研究

为了给酸枣花器官研究、花粉生活力的快速测定提供理论依据,笔者测定了不同的酸枣类型花器官结构、花粉形态及花粉萌发率和生活力的差异。结果表明：（1）不同的酸枣类型花序花朵数、花冠直径、蜜盘直径、雄蕊长度等方面都有不同程度的差异。花序花朵数一般在2~9个;单花雄蕊个数为5个;蜜盘颜色一般有淡黄色和黄绿色2种。（2）酸枣花粉比较小,通常在18.86~26.19 μm,以近球形为主,萌发孔以三孔沟居多。（3）不同的酸枣类型花粉的萌发率存在显著差异,其中酸枣4的萌发率最高,为32.54%;TTC法和I-KI法测定的花粉生活力显著高于离体培养法,测定值误差较大,故离体培养法更适合酸枣花粉生活力的测定。     

Neuro-imaging the serotonin 2A receptor as a valid biomarker for canine behavioural disorders

The serotonergic system is disturbed in different mood and affective disorders, with especially the serotonin (5-HT) 2A receptor involved in impulsive aggressiveness and anxiety. The aim of the study was to evaluate the involvement of the brain 5-HT 2A receptor in dogs with different behavioural disorders. Three groups of drug naive dogs were studied: 22 dogs showing impulsive aggressive behaviour, 22 showing normal behaviour, and 22 showing anxious behaviour. The serotonin 2A receptor was evaluated with Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and the serotonin 2A receptor-selective radiopharmaceutical (123)I-R91150. A serotonin 2A receptor binding index (BI), proportional to the cortical receptor density, was calculated. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine cut-off values at which optimal sensitivity and specificity are achieved and to evaluate the general performance of the BI in reflecting the state of the dog, i.e., impulsive aggressive, normal or anxious. Significantly (P<0.0056) altered 5-HT 2A receptor binding indices were found in bilateral frontal, temporal and occipital cortical brain areas of the dogs behaving abnormally, with consistently increased BI in impulsive aggressive dogs and decreased BI in anxious dogs. These results provide clear evidence for a disturbed serotonergic balance in canine impulsive aggression and anxiety disorders. A right frontal cut-off value of ≥1.92 with 86.4% sensitivity and 2.3% (1-specificity) was obtained for the impulsive aggressive dogs. Differentiating the anxious dogs from the rest of the population was possible with a cut-off value of ≤1.73 with 86.4% sensitivity and 18.2% (1-specificity). We conclude that SPECT imaging with the radioligand (123)I-R91150 can be a helpful tool in evaluating the involvement of the serotonin 2A receptor in the complex mechanisms of impulsive aggressive and anxious behaviour. The 5HT-2A binding index of the right frontal cortex appears to be a valid biomarker in differentiating the studied canine behavioural disorders.     

The Impact of Atmospheric Deposition of Non-Acidifying Substances on the Quality of European Forest Soils and the North Sea

In the pilot study ESQUAD the impact of atmospheric deposition of three heavy metals (cadmium, copper and lead) and two persistent organic pollutants (benzo(a)-pyrene and lindane) on the quality of European soils and seawater has been calculated. Calculations have been made of atmospheric transport and deposition using a detailed emissions database for Europe. This enabled deposition maps to be produced to a resolution of approximately 50 km. The distribution of pollutant concentrations in forest soils was calculated for each grid cell using a database of soil property parameters in Europe. For the North Sea, a model was used to map long-term concentrations in water and sediment, which are due to atmospheric deposition and other, non-atmospheric sources. The model calculations allowed detailed comparisons of deposition fluxes and concentrations of the substances studied with critical loads and environmental quality threshold values, including critical loads. Although significant uncertainties were identified, the study gives insight in how threshold exceedance rates in Europe relate to pollutant type, threshold type, environmental compartment and chemophysical phase (adsorbed, dissolved). For all pollutants and for all compartments exceedances were calculated for at least some of the quality thresholds that were chosen.