Sulfuric acid cleanup and KOH-ethanol treatment for confirmation of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls: application to wastewater samples

The efficacy of sulfuric acid cleanup and KOH-ethanol hydrolysis confirmation was studied for 22 organochlorine pesticides and 2 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Mean recoveries for different treatment times are given. The method was applied to analysis of several wastewater samples by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Organochlorine compounds were extracted by using separatory funnels and 15% diethyl ether in hexane as extractant. All the compounds studied could be analyzed except trifluralin, dichloran, dieldrin, and endrin, which were destroyed after treatment with concentrated H2SO4. The pesticides found most commonly in the samples analyzed were fenson, tetradifon, lindane, methoxychlor, and dicofol.     

Potential application of a glucose-transport-deficient mutant of Schizosaccharomyces pombe for removing gluconic acid from grape must

Musts from rotten grapes typically contain high levels of gluconic acid, which can raise severe problems in winemaking processes. In this work, the ability of the glucose-transport-deficient mutant YGS-5 of Schizosaccharomyces pombe to completely or partly remove gluconic acid from a synthetic glucose-containing medium and the potential use of this yeast strain for the same purpose in musts and wines were examined. Surprisingly, the S. pombe YGS-5 strain successfully removed 93% of the initial gluconic acid (2.5 gL(-1)) and 80% of the initial malic acid (1.0 gL(-1)) within 30 h after inoculation. Also, the yeast strain produced no volatile compounds other than those obtained in fermentations conducted with the wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. S. pombe YGS-5 could thus be used to remove gluconic acid present in musts from rotten grapes. On the basis of these results, various ways of using S. pombe YGS-5 to treat musts containing gluconic acid in order to solve the problems due to the high gluconic acid concentrations in botrytized grape must are proposed.     

Yeast-induced inhibition of (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin degradation in model solutions

(+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin degradation in water-alcohol solutions containing Fe2+ and tartaric acid was studied in the presence and absence of yeasts. On the basis of the results, yeast partially inhibited the degradation of both flavans, with much slower formation of browning products absorbing at 420 and 520 nm. In comparative terms, yeast was found to be more efficient toward the degradation products of (+)-catechin absorbing at the latter wavelength. Likewise, the presence of yeast decreased the yield of a group of colored compounds eluting at high retention times in HPLC and indicated these as important contributors to color darkening in white wines. This inhibitory effect may in part account for the resistance to browning observed over periods of several years in sherry wines subjected to biological aging under flor yeast.     

A review of the environmental effects and alternative production strategies of marine aquaculture in Chile

In Chile, fish, mussel and seaweed cultivation has expanded significantly over the last decade. This review considers the accumulated knowledge on the environmental effects of aquaculture in Chilean coastal areas, analyses the capacity of the industry to treat its waste and also gives some insight into new culture technologies and strategies that are currently under research and discussion in Chile. Data relating to the environmental impact of aquaculture in Chile are scarce and much is subject to severe methodological restrictions with regard to sampling design. Results related to the environmental effects show that seaweed cultivation can have an impact on sedimentation processes, increase of invertebrate assemblages and algal epiphytic abundances. It has also been ascertained that mollusc farming causes biodeposition, faunal changes and possible effects related to the introduction of new species, as well as pathogens and other unforeseen species. It has been affirmed that fish cultivation, in particular that of salmon species, also has an environmental impact related to organic sedimentation and changes in the fauna. However, these results indicate that, in general, the current dynamics of bays and fjords seem to be an important factor for the environmental sustainability of the salmon culture areas. Salmon cultivation has also been associated with phytoplankton blooms, but this point was not supported by a monitoring programme in southern Chile. Furthermore, there is concern related to new pathogen introduction and therapeutical applications to the fish cultures, and further research is required in this field. Regulations to protect the environment from the consequences of aquaculture activities have been adopted during the last couple of years. The main regulations are provided by international market standards. Nevertheless, these regulations can only be effective if other human activities, such as urban discharge, intensive agriculture fertilisation and pesticide utilisation, are taken into consideration, in an integrated perspective. On the other hand, the Chilean salmon farming industry in particular, would be in a position to cover the costs involved in the treatment of waste waters, if feeding management were improved in the future. Finally, active research is currently being undertaken into new cultivation strategies, such as the use of integrated cultivation and the recycling of nutrient-rich waters, which should permit the diversification of this economic activity in Chile, while minimising the environmental impact.     

Resistant Starch Formation in Tortillas from an Ecological Nixtamalization Process

The objective of this work was to study the formation of resistant starch (RS) in tortillas from an ecological nixtamalization process compared with the traditional nixtamalization process. The RS increased through all the steps of tortilla production. It was found that the increase of the RS corresponds mainly to the formation of RS5 (V‐amylose‐lipid complex), but in tortillas two major types of RS coexist: RS5 and RS3 (retrograded starch). In general, tortillas from the ecological nixtamalization process gave higher values of protein, lipids, total dietary fiber, insoluble fiber, soluble fiber, and RS compared with tortillas from the traditional nixtamalization process and commercial flour. The highest glycemic index (GI) occurred in the tortillas from commercial flour, whereas tortillas from 0.4% CaCO₃ and 0.6% CaSO₄ were classified as medium‐GI (GI 50–70). Tortillas from 0.6% CaCl₂ had the lowest value of GI. The ecological nixtamalization processes caused significant differences in quality and nutritional properties of tortillas.     

Plant recovery of cryopreserved apical meristem-tips of Melia azedarach L. using encapsulation/dehydration and assessment of their genetic stability

A cryopreservation process usingencapsulation/dehydration technique was setup for apical meristem-tips of invitro plantlets of `paradise tree' (Melia azedarach L. var. gigantea,clone `El dorado'). Apical meristem-tipswere cultured for one day on MS basalmedium with 2 M BA and 0.5 M IBAand encapsulated with 3% sodium alginate.The highest shoot proliferation rate aftercryopreservation was obtained whenencapsulated apical meristem-tips werepregrown for 3 days in liquid medium with0.5, 0.75 and 1 M of sucrose for 24 hoursprogressively, desiccated for 5 hours withsilicagel followed by rapid or slowcooling. Survival after freezing in liquidnitrogen ranged between 67–83% andshoot proliferation ranged between 43–60%. This cryopreservation treatmentpreserved genetic stability, when it wasevaluated using the electrophoreticpatterns of nine isozyme systems and RAPDprofiles.     

Nitrogen Mobility at the Sediment-Water Interface of Lake Maracaibo,Venezuela

Nitrogen is one of the two most important elements in the metabolism of aquatic ecosystems. At low concentrations it can limit primary productivity and when present at very high concentrations it can participate in the eutrophication process of these environments. The mechanism of nitrogen transport in sediments is almost unknown, nevertheless it is of vital importance for establishing mass balances in aquatic systems. In the study presented here, we assessed the nitrogen flux in sediments of the central part of tropical Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela, in particular with regard to dissolved oxygen concentrations. Experiments were performed under laboratoryconditions in a batch system, and at varying dissolved oxygenregimes (aerobic and anaerobic). Every two days, during 3 months,overlying water samples were taken to analyze nitrite, nitrate,ammonium and Kjeldahl total nitrogen. Average release rates oftotal nitrogen were 0.86 in aerobic, and 1.06 mmol N m^-2 d^-1 in anaerobic systems corresponding to 41.7% of total N input to the lake. The behavior of nitrogen was strongly influenced by nitrate concentrations under aerobic conditions, and by organic nitrogen under anaerobic conditions during the course of the experiment. A major trend for the release of organic nitrogen during anaerobic conditions, and of nitrate, during aerobic conditions, was observed. Also fluxes of NO₃ ^-, NH₄ ⁺, organic N and Total N across the sediment-water interface were measured. In anaerobic conditions, which are predominant in the hypolimnetic cone of LakeMaracaibo, denitrification was estimated to be 0.02 mmol N m^-2 d^-1, which corresponds to 1.89% of the total N released from sediments.This is to our knowledge the first study of nitrogen fluxes insediments from Lake Maracaibo. The laboratory data presented herereflects conditions in the lake when major nutrients accumulation occurs.     

Effect of beta-glycosidase activity of Oenococcus oeni on the glycosylated flavor precursors of Tannat wine during malolactic fermentation

Under traditional wine-making conditions, this work examines the beta-glycosidic activity of Oenococcus oeni on glycosylated aroma compounds of Tannat wines during malolactic fermentation (MLF) by comparing the changes on selected aglycones liberated. MLF diminished the content of all the glycosylated compounds. The level of the free aroma components was slightly modified by the action of the malolactic fermentation so that the cleavage of the glycosidic linkage by the beta-glycosidic activity of O. oeni did not appear to increase significatively the aglycone contents. The consequences of further chemical rearrangements of the algycones under wine conditions were explored using synthesized glycoconjugates on synthetic medium. Bacteria could also be responsible for the cleavage of aroma glycosylated compounds, being the aglycone adsorbed on polysaccharides or peptidoglycans and was released into the external medium. This hypothesis was studied through the evaluation of a stable arrangement of aroma compounds with polysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria. A possible retaining of free-made aroma compounds into the whole cells of O. oeni was also investigated through cell culture analysis. Through the results obtained, we assume stable linkage of aroma compounds with bacterial polysaccharides.     

Development of a fluorescent latex immunoassay for detection of a spectinomycin antibiotic

There is a need to develop a rapid and sensitive method to detect spectinomycin residues in animal tissues. A latex fluorescent immunoassay was designed using reagents developed for this assay. The spectinomycin antibody was produced in sheep, and the immunoglobulin (IgG) was purified through a Protein G affinity column and was immobilized onto latex particles. Spectinomycin was labeled with 5-([4,6-dichlorotriazin-2-yl]amino)fluorescein (DTAF). The optimum assay conditions consisted of preincubating the latex-IgG with spectinomycin in buffer solutions or in bovine kidney extracts. DTAF-spectinomycin was added and was further incubated. The bound spectinomycin-DTAF/IgG-latex complex was separated by centrifugation at 4000 g for 10 min. The fluorescence signals of the unbound spectinomycin-DTAF in the supernatant were measured at 485/535 nm excitation/emission. The measured signals were directly proportional to the concentration of spectinomycin in the samples, and spectinomycin was detected at 0-100 ppb with minimum detectability of 5 ppb. The mean regression correlation of four trials in buffer was 0.936 when the % bound complex vs spectinomycin concentration was plotted. Analysis of the kidney extract spiked with 0-100 ppb spectinomycin had a regression correlation of 0.959. This assay provides a rapid screening method for low ppb detection of spectinomycin.     

Association between major histocompatibility complex microsatellites, fecal egg count, blood packed cell volume and blood eosinophilia in Pelibuey sheep infected with Haemonchus contortus

The objective of this study was to assess the correlation among traits associated with resistance or susceptibility to Haemonchus contortus infestation and to evaluate the participation of the ovine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in Pelibuey sheep, a prevalent breed in tropical and sub-tropical regions in Mexico and elsewhere. Association among the fecal egg count (FEC), blood packed cell volume (PCV), antibody (AB) levels, serum proteins (SP) and blood eosinophil count (EOS) was assessed in 52 lambs experimentally infected with H. contortus, and the participation of the MHC was evaluated using polymorphisms in three microsatellites, located at the class I (OMHC1) and class II (OLADRB1, OLADRB2) regions of the MHC. Spearman correlation analysis among the traits showed a negative association (P<0.01) between FEC and PCV (-0.35), EOS (-0.50), SP (-0.30) and AB (-0.57), and a positive correlation of antibodies with EOS (0.50). The homozygotes for the OMHC1-188 and OLADRB2-282 alleles were associated with a reduction in FEC (-813 and -551, respectively). Conversely, the OMHC1-200 and OMHC1-206 alleles were associated with an increase in FEC (1704 and 1008, respectively). Furthermore, the OLADRB1-482 allele was associated with an increase of 163 EOS by allele copy, while the OMHC1-200 allele showed a reduction of 95 EOS in homozygotes. The associations among microsatellite MHC loci and the remaining variables were not significant. These results reinforce the evidence that MHC polymorphisms have an important role in parasite resistance or susceptibility in Pelibuey sheep and could be used as genetic markers to assist selection and improve parasite resistance to H. contortus.