Implications of early selection for grain colour on iron and zinc content and productivity of common bean

Brazilian consumers prefer beans of the beige grain colour. Common beans help supply dietary requirements for iron and zinc. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine whether early selection for grain colour affects the iron and zinc content and the grain yield in common beans and (ii) if an association between these characteristics was found, to obtain lines of carioca‐type grains with a high iron and zinc content and good grain yield. We evaluated 96 F_3:4, F_3:5 and F_3:6 progeny at two locations for iron and zinc content and grain yield. We selected 48 progeny for grain colour and chose 48 others at random. We found that early selection for grain colour does not affect the zinc content and grain yield. A positive and high association was found between iron and zinc content, and both iron and zinc content were slightly negatively correlated with grain yield. It is possible to obtain common bean lines combining a high iron and zinc content with good grain yield as long as a selection index is used.     

Characterization of commercial kava-kava herbal drug and herbal drug preparations by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The efficiency of one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments in characterizing the content of the constituents of both herbal drugs and herbal drug preparations is demonstrated for kava-kava. These experiments directly detect active constituents represented by kavalactones in both a finely powdered herbal drug and a commercial extract. In addition, NMR spectroscopy can detect all other compounds present in the extract. As previously evidenced, NMR experiments can represent a generally applicable technique for rapid screening and are a complement to the classical analytical techniques such as high-performance thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary gas chromatography, and electrophoresis. These experiments can be considered a very simple and fast analytical method to obtain a fingerprint of the herbal drugs and their preparations, and to quantify the content of the active principles of the extract.     

Sulfluramid volatility reduction by beta-cyclodextrin

Sulfluramid is an expensive active principle of insecticidal baits that is lost by volatilization during the pelletization of baits. To increase the thermal stability of sulfluramid, we tested its molecular encapsulation in beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), using molar ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 (sulfluramid:beta-CD), using the complex preparation techniques of coprecipitation and kneading. The physical mixture of sulfluramid and beta-CD was also tested for comparison. The products of complexation were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and derivative thermogravimetry, indicating the formation of a sulfluramid/beta-CD complex and showing that the release of the complexed sulfluramid occurs in the range of 270-300 degrees C, a temperature range that is well above the temperature at which sulfluramid sublimates (40 degrees C). This result warrants a reduced sulfluramid loss in the preparation of insecticidal baits. The preparation of the complex by kneading with molar ratio of 1:2 gave the highest yield of complex, about 64%, in relation to the theoretical maximum.     

Genetic resource enhancement by isolation of diversegenotypes from seed progeny in predominantly sterile rose scentedgeranium Pelargonium graveolens

Four new accessions (BSP1-4) of rose scentedgeranium Pelargonium graveolens were derivedfrom the spontaneous half-sib seed progeny of mostly sterilepopulations of the cultivar accession Bipuli. The seed producingplants of Bipuli had been growing among the populations of cultivaraccessions Hemanti and Kunti in the temperate agroclimate ofKodaikanal, Tamilnadu in India. The four new accessions were comparedwith the cultivar accessions Bipuli, Hemanti and Kunti in fieldexperiments under subtropical agroclimate of Lucknow, Uttar Pradeshfor essential oil yield and quality related traits and in terms oftheir RAPD profiles. The crop yield and essential oil parameters andDNA profiles of the four new accessions and three cultivar accessionsallowed the conclusion that the accessions BSP-1, BSP-2 andBSP-3 were Bipuli × Kunti hybrids and BSP-4was a Bipuli × Hemanti hybrid. The accession BSP-4demonstrated hybrid vigour in several of the essential oil yieldrelated traits; on average basis it out yielded other accessions by afactor of about 2.4. The essential oil of BSP-4 had 89%rhodinol content in which citronellol to geraniol ratio was 1:1 andthe contents of isomenthone, menthone, 10-epi--eudesmol, 6,9-guaiadiene, decanoic acid andisodecanoic acid were relatively lower than in the oils of accessionsBipuli and/or Hemanti. The present study has shown a way for thegeneration of new genotypes in rose scented geranium in which thecultivars have been vegetatively maintained for decades and thegenetic resources are scanty.     

The size and duration of the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake from far-field static offsets

The 26 December 2004 Sumatra earthquake produced static offsets at continuously operating GPS stations at distances of up to 4500 kilometers from the epicenter. We used these displacements to model the earthquake and include consideration of the Earth's shape and depth-varying rigidity. The results imply that the average slip was >5 meters along the full length of the rupture, including the approximately 650-kilometer-long Andaman segment. Comparison of the source derived from the far-field static offsets with seismically derived estimates suggests that 25 to 35% of the total moment release occurred at periods greater than 1 hour. Taking into consideration the strong dip dependence of moment estimates, the magnitude of the earthquake did not exceed Mw = 9.2.     

Effects of elicitors on the production of resveratrol and viniferins in cell cultures of Vitis vinifera L. cv Italia

Methyl jasmonate, jasmonic acid and chitosan were tested as elicitors on cell suspension cultures obtained from Vitis vinifera cv Italia to investigate their effect on stilbene production. Stilbene accumulation in the callus, grown under nonelicited conditions, was also investigated. Calli and cell suspensions were obtained in a B5 culture medium supplemented with 0.2 mg L(-1) NAA and 1 mg L(-1) KIN. Stilbene determination was achieved by HPLC/DAD/MS. Whereas callus biosynthesized only piceid, cell suspensions elicited with jasmonates produced several stilbenes, mainly viniferins. In suspended cells, methyl jasmonate and jasmonic acid were the most effective in stimulating stilbene biosynthesis, whereas chitosan was less effective; in fact, the amount of stilbenes obtained with this elicitor was not significantly different from that obtained for the control cells. The maximum production of total stilbenes was at day 20 of culture with 0.970 and 1.023 mg g(-1) DW for MeJA and JA, respectively.     

Biochemical and histopathological studies to assess chronic toxicity of triazophos in blood, liver and brain tissue of rats

Triazophos, O,O-diethyl-1-H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl phosphorothioate, (TZ) is an organophosphorus pesticide which is extensively used in agriculture for controlling insect pests. Except a FAO/WHO report no study has investigated its short-term toxicity with respect to its potential to cause biochemical and histopathological alterations. The present study was designed to identify the effect of TZ at different doses (1.64, 3.2 and 8.2 mg/kg) on the oxidative stress parameters in blood as well as organs involved in xenobiotic metabolism (liver and brain) following chronic exposure for 90 days. Moreover, the study also delineates the effect of TZ on the histo-architecture of these organs. The results indicated a dose dependent induction (p < 0.001) of oxidative stress, as evident by increased malondialdehyde (MDA) level and compromised antioxidant defense including glutathione S transferase (GST) activity, glutathione (GSH) content and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) in blood, and increased MDA level with concomitantly decreased GSH content in tissues, following chronic exposure to TZ. The ratio of MDA: FRAP in blood was found to be increased following chronic exposure to TZ and may serve as a suitable indicator of severity of oxidative damage. Onset of such biochemical alterations is one of the early adaptive responses to TZ exposure which leads to histopathological alterations in terms of diffuse fatty changes expanding from mid-zonal area to whole lobule in liver. However, increased oxidative stress did not bring any morphological alteration in brain. The present study concludes that induction of oxidative stress, leading to subsequent histopathological alterations in liver, is an important mechanism underlying the TZ induced chronic toxicity.     

Estimation of color of durum wheat. Comparison of WSB, HPLC, and reflectance colorimeter measurements

Color is an important parameter involved in the definition of semolina and pasta quality. This character is mainly due to natural pigments (carotenoids) that are present at different levels in cereals and cereal products, due to botanical origin, growing conditions, distribution in the kernel, and technological processes. In food industries, color measurements are usually performed by means of automatic instruments that are rapid and safe, as alternatives to the chemical extraction methods. In this study, automatic measurements (CIE, color-space system L, a, b), water-saturated butanol (WSB), and HPLC determinations have been applied to evaluate the carotenoid content in whole meals and respective semolina samples produced from wheat cultivated in the years 2001 and 2002. In whole meals, total carotenoids, determined by HPLC, were about 3.0 microg/g (2001) and 3.5 microg/g (2002) calculated on dry weight (dw) and about 3.0 and 3.2 microg/g dw in corresponding semolina samples. The b values for the same period were 19.78 and 15.75, respectively, in raw materials and 20.03-21.67 in semolina. Results have confirmed lutein and beta-carotene as the main components mainly responsible for the yellow color in wheat grains. The ability of the index b to express natural dyeing was dependent on sample characteristics as demonstrated by the relationships found between this index and pigments, although the best correlation resulted between HPLC and WSB.     

Chemical characterization and biological effects of Sicilian Opuntia ficus indica (L.) mill. Fruit juice: antioxidant and antiulcerogenic activity

The juice of whole fruits of Sicilian cultivars of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill.) was investigated, and the contents of ascorbic acid, total polyphenols, and flavonoids were determined. In the juice, ferulic acid was the chief derivative of hydroxycinnamic acid and the mean concentration of total phenolic compounds was 746 microg/mL. The flavonoid fraction, analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection, consisted of rutin and isorhamnetin derivatives. The juice showed antioxidant activity in the DPPH(*) test, probably due to the phenolic compounds that are effective radical scavengers. The preventive administration of the juice inhibited the ulcerogenic activity of ethanol in rat. Light microscopy observations showed an increase in mucus production and the restoration of the normal mucosal architecture. The juice is nutritionally interesting, and its dietary intake could provide protection against oxidative damage.