Survey of Vitamin B<Subscript>6</Subscript> Content in Commercial Presentations of Table Olives

For nutritional purposes, a survey of the vitamin B₆ levels from a variety of commercial presentations of table olives was carried out, taking into account the three main processing types (Spanish-style, directly brined, and ripe olives). The analysis was performed by HPLC, following the official French method for vitamin B₆ determination in foodstuffs. In-house validation data for two commercial table olives showed that the method precision was good (coefficient of variation <6%) and recovery was quantitative (104% on average). There was a wide range of values for vitamin B₆ in table olives (0–69.3 μg/100 g edible portion). The highest mean content was found in directly brined olives (33.9 μg/100 g edible portion) followed by Spanish-style (14.4 μg/100 g) and ripe olives (4.3 μg/100 g). On average, samples of the Gordal and Carrasqueña cultivars showed the highest vitamin B₆ content in the case of Spanish-style olives, but in directly brined olives as well as in ripe olives the effect of cultivar was not statistically significant (p?相似文献   

Evaluation of a novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies against Salmonella, employing a stable coating of lipopolysaccharide-derived antigens covalently attached to polystyrene microwells.

Polysaccharides derived from Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide (LPS) representing the O-antigen factors 1, 4, 5, and 12 and the O-antigen factors 6 and 7 from Salmonella choleraesuis LPS were derivatized with the photoreactive compound anthraquinone and subsequently covalently coupled to microtiter polystyrene plates by ultraviolet irradiation. Both polysaccharide antigens could be coupled simultaneously to the same microtiter plate. The coated surface was used in indirect ELISA for the determination of serum antibodies from pigs infected with bacteria of the two Salmonella groups and from uninfected pigs. This ELISA proved itself by having a good long-term durability and a high degree of reproducibility, including low day-to-day variations and low interplate variations. Furthermore, the ELISA showed good specificity and sensitivity when data were compared with the optical density levels of a panel of pig sera as determined by a conventional ELISA on the basis of passive coating of the two Salmonella LPS antigens (the mix-ELISA). The covalent anthraquinone mix-ELISA shows promise as a stable and durable alternative to the existing conventional ELISA for serological surveillance of Salmonella infections in pigs.     

Mycoflora Distribution in Dry‐Milled Fractions of Corn in Argentina

Corn samples and different commercial dry‐milled fractions collected from an industrial mill in Argentina were surveyed for fungal contamination. The percentage of Fusarium isolates in whole corn kernels among all fungi recovered was 2.0–97.0%; in corn grits, it was 2.6–50.0%. Maximum levels in the other fractions were 5.2 × 10⁵ colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) in germ and bran, 5.0 × 10³ CFU/g in C flour, and 2.7 × 10³ CFU/g in corn meal. The high initial contamination from whole corn is reflected in germ and bran, which is destined for animal consumption, but not in corn meal. F. verticillioides and Aspergillus flavus were the most frequent species in the whole corn kernel, but F. verticillioides was prevalent in all the other industrial fractions. Other potentially toxigenic fungi that were isolated included Aspergillus parasiticus, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium citrinum, and P. funiculosum. In this first report about mold contamination in corn industrial dry‐milled fractions in Argentina, the high fungal contamination level observed in the stored corn could indicate the necessity to improve the hybrid quality and the storage conditions to diminish the risk of mycotoxin occurrence.     

Recording uterine motility in the nonanesthetized bitch

Spontaneous and drug-induced uterine motility (UM) was recorded in 5 nonanesthetized bitches for 2 to 4 days. Catheter-tip pressure transducers were surgically implanted in 1 uterine horn, tunneled subcutaneously to exit from the skin over the dorsal lumbar area, and protected by a bandage. On the day after implantation, spontaneous UM was recorded in the awake bitch. Effects of IV prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha (5 micrograms/kg of body weight) and oxytocin (0.05 USP U/kg) and IM PGF2 alpha (25 micrograms/kg) were measured. Estradiol (1 to 25 micrograms/kg) was administered and the study was repeated 24 hours later. In awake bitches, spontaneous UM was 190% greater than UM in anesthetized bitches. Uterine motility was increased by more than 100% after IV PGF2 alpha or oxytocin and by 52% after IM PGF2 alpha. Estradiol abolished spontaneous UM, but did not affect drug-induced responses. Seemingly, spontaneous and drug-induced UM can be documented in the nonanesthetized bitch.     

Benefit/risk considerations in the use of pesticides

The use of pesticides is one of the more controversial of public issues. This is so because their very widespread use produces immediate benefits to a small section of society, the agricultural industry, while the long term risks are shared by society as a whole. This discussion focuses on the contrast between benefits and risks and outlines some of the long term ecological problems that have resulted from the overuse, misuse, and injudicious use of pesticides. Detailed discussion is provided for such ecological disasters as insect pest resistance to pesticides, pest resurgences and the development of secondary pests; together with contamination of food webs and general ecotoxicity. It is concluded that implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) tactics provides the only practical answer to the manifold problems arising from the sole reliance on pesticides for pest control. IPM provides an ecological oriented strategy for pest control that can maximize the benefits of pesticide use and minimize the risks.     

Pasture ecology of barley yellow dwarf viruses at Sandford, Tasmania

Samples of cocksfoot ( Dactylis glomerata ), fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ), phalaris ( Phalaris aquatica ) and ryegrass ( Lolium perenne ) were collected every 4-6 weeks for 2.5 years from two sets of replicated plots, one on a heavy soil and the other on a light soil 200 m away. Rhopalosiphum padi was the predominant aphid species; it was more frequent at the heavy soil site. Sitobion fragariae and Metopolophium dirhodum occurred infrequently during the last 12 months of the survey.
Only PAV (57%), RPV (26%) and mixed infections (17%) of these barley yellow dwarf viruses were detected in the 4100 tillers sampled. Virus incidence increased over the sampling period and was consistently higher at the heavy soil site. RPV only became frequent during the last 12 months.
Virus incidence was higher in fescue (21%) and ryegrass (27%), in which PAV predominated, than in cocksfoot (6%) and phalaris (7%), in which RPV finally predominated.     

Gnotobiotic calves: derivation, maintenance, Thiry-Vella loop preparation, and ethylene oxide gas sterilization

Twenty-four pregnant Holstein cows were used to develop techniques and procedures to obtain calves by hysterotomy and to maintain them in a closed gnotobiotic environment (sterile plastic-film isolators) for as long as 10 days for infectious disease research. Thiry-Vella loop preparation for obtaining intestinal loop secretions was done in a surgical isolator and was successful in 12 of 14 gnotobiotic calves. Ethylene oxide gas was effective in sterilizing heat-labile and moisture-sensitive instruments and equipment.