No major effect of the leptin gene polymorphism on porcine production traits

Porcine leptin gene (LEP) and its association with production traits was analysed in the Polish Large White (PLW, n = 135), Polish Landrace (PL, n = 120) and synthetic line 990 (L990, n = 184). Two fragments of exon 3 of LEP were studied with the use of RFLP and SSCP techniques. The frequencies of C allele for the T3469C polymorphic site were 0.11, 0.10 and 0.11 in PLW, PL and L990, respectively. Phenotypic data were collected for the average daily weight gain, the feed conversion ratio, the weight of abdominal fat, backfat thickness (five measurements), intramuscular fat, meat content, loin weight, loin muscle area, ham weight and ham cut weight. The contrasts between TT and TC genotypes at the T3469C polymorphic site were estimated in the unitrait Animal Model with genotype at the RYR1 locus included. The lowest p values occurred for association test between T3469C polymorphism and intramuscular fat content in PLW (0.26 ± 0.14%, p = 0.05) and loin weight in L990 (?0.32 ± 0.13 kg, p = 0.01). We conclude that the detected associations are population‐specific and the analysed polymorphism of the LEP gene does not contribute directly to genetic variability of growth and carcass traits in pigs.     

Fireblight in Békés County (Hungary) in 1996/20021

Fireblight (Erwinia amylovora) appeared in Hungary in 1996. Most damage occurred on apple, pear, quince and medlar, and also on the ornamentals Pyracantha, Sorbus, Cotoneaster and Crataegus. In 1996–2006, an official programme for elimination of infected parts of plants started in Békés county. This mainly concerned trees in towns and villages, since there are few pome‐fruit orchards in the county. Work teams under official direction pruned back or cut down trees. In total, some 13 000 trees were pruned back and nearly 11 000 were cut down. In addition, 21 villages were subjected to special phytosanitary measures. Infection decreased considerably between 1996 and 2002, but over 90% of the inhabited areas in the county remained subject to special measures, because of the very dispersed occurrence of fireblight.     

Metabolic Profiling and In Vitro Assessment of the Biological Activities of the Ethyl Acetate Extract of Penicillium chrysogenum “Endozoic of Cliona sp. Marine Sponge” from the Red Sea (Egypt)

Marine sponge-derived endozoic fungi have been gaining increasing importance as promising sources of numerous and unique bioactive compounds. This study investigates the phytochemical profile and biological activities of the ethyl acetate extract of Penicillium chrysogenum derived from Cliona sp. sponge. Thirty-six compounds were tentatively identified from P. chrysogenum ethyl acetate extract along with the kojic acid (KA) isolation. The UPLC-ESI-MS/MS positive ionization mode was used to analyze and identify the extract constituents while 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy were used for kojic acid (KA) structure confirmation. The antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic activities were assessed in vitro. Both the extract and kojic acid showed potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MIC 250 ± 0.82 µg/mL. Interestingly, the extract showed strong antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC 93.75 ± 0.55 and 19.53 ± 0.48 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, KA showed the same potency against Fusarium oxysporum and Cryptococcus neoformans with MIC 39.06 ± 0.85 and 39.06 ± 0.98 µg/mL, respectively. Ultimately, KA showed strong antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ 33.7 ± 0.8 µg/mL. Moreover, the extract and KA showed strong cytotoxic activity against colon carcinoma (with IC₅₀ 22.6 ± 0.8 and 23.4 ± 1.4 µg/mL, respectively) and human larynx carcinoma (with equal IC₅₀ 30.8 ± 1.3 and ± 2.1 µg/mL, respectively), respectively. The current study represents the first insights into the phytochemical profile and biological properties of P. chrysoenum ethyl acetate extract, which could be a promising source of valuable secondary metabolites with potent biological potentials.     

Fusarium species in soil,thatch and crowns of Poa pratensis turfgrass treated with fungicides

Little information exists concerning the effects of long-term fungicide programs on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of fusaria in turfgrasses and in turfgrass soils. These effects were studied on Poa pratensis L, turfgrasses at three locations, using 14 fungicides, one nematicide, and five mixed fungicide programs. Some fungicides increased the numbers of fusaria in soil and thatch, some had no effect, and others greatly reduced the numbers. Changes in Fusarium species' compositions occurred independently from the changes in propagule numbers. The proportion of Fusarium-colonized turfgrass crowns was generally higher in fungicide-treated than in nontreated turfgrasses.     

The effect of propionic acid on the storage losses of hay

Storage losses in moist hay treated with propionic acid were compared with those occurring in untreated moist hay in two experiments and with field-cured hay in three experiments. Dry matter losses in treated hays ranged from 41 to 8.6% and from 1.7 to 12.6% in untreated hays. Digestible organic matter losses in both treated and untreated hays were generally greater than dry matter losses. Only in one experiment did propionic acid application significantly reduce nutrient losses in moist hays. Nutrient losses, and water-soluble carbohydrate losses in particular, were shown to be correlated with maximum and cumulative bale temperatures during storage in two of the experiments. The rise in hale temperatures during storage was reduced in all three experiments, to a greater or lesser extent, by application of the additive. Loss of propionic acid from the hay during and after application was very large. In the three experiments 86.2, 85.3 and 85.6% of the acid applied was lost by the end of the storage period. Acid distribution studies indicated that variation in acid concentration within bales was as great as between bales. It was concluded that more research is needed into applicator design and position on the baler and into alternative application methods if the benefits of propionic acid as a moist hay preservative are to be fully exploited.     

The effect of urea on the voluntary intake by calves of silages preserved with formaldehyde and formic acid

Perennial ryegrass cv. S23 was preserved by fermentation (C), or with the addition of 8.7 1 formalin (35% w/w formaldehyde) per t fresh herbage (F) or of 9.0 1 equal mixture (by vol.) of formalin and formic acid (85% w/w solution) per t fresh herbage (FF). These three silages comprised the treatments in a three-period, crossover design in which urea (u) was given at the rate of 20 g per kg dietary DM to half the animals. Twelve calves were allocated to the treatment sequences when they were approximately 12 weeks of age from within groups which had previously received diets with or without urea. Calves ate significantly (P< 0.001) less of silages F or FF than of silage C when each was offered alone, but when urea was given, intakes of silages F and FF were significantly (P < 0.001) increased such that the intakes of all three silages with urea were similar (23.6, 19.6, 19.3, 24.2, 24.2, 24.7 ± 0.51 g DM per kg LW for C, F, FF, Cu, Fu and FFu, respectively). Significantly (P<0.01) more of the DM in silage C was digested than in F or FF and the addition of urea significantly (P<0.05) increased the digestibility of DM from silage FF only (73.8, 71.3, 69.8, 74.6, 70.7, 72.5 ± 0.72% for C, F, FF, Cu, Fu and FFu, respectively). When the silages were given alone, calves spent longer eating and ruminating per kg DM ingested with F or FF than with C. The time spent on F and FF was significantly (P<0.01) reduced by the addition of urea (303, 388, 411, 297, 299, 290 ± 18.9 min per kg DM ingested for C, F, FF, Cu and Fu and FFu, respectively). The results presented suggest that urea partially alleviated the reduction in voluntary intake by calves given herbage preserved using formalin, but the mode of action was not clear.