Effectiveness of freezer storage in fulfilling the chilling requirement of fall-lifted ponderosa pine seedlings

The degree to which freezer storage fulfilled the chilling requirement of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) seedlings of two sources was determined by monitoring their development after potting or planting. The seedlings were lifted in September, October, November, or March and subjected to storage before outplanting. The fulfillment of chilling was assessed by measuring days to budbreak, cumulative percentage of seedlings flushing, foliated shoot length, and rate of bud abortion. The effect of freezer storage depended on stage of seedling development at lifting, length of storage, and seed source. Storage did not totally replace winter conditions, especially for seedlings lifted in September and October. Those from a high-elevation seed source flushed sooner than those from a low-elevation source. Delayed budbreak after planting of early lifted seedlings from the high-elevation source disappeared in the second year, but those from the low-elevation source continued to show effects. Seedlings lifted and stored in November had patterns of budbreak that were similar to those of seedlings that had overwintered in beds.     

Dietary nano chromium picolinate can ameliorate some of the impacts of heat stress in cross-bred sheep

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of nano chromium picolinate (nCrPic) during heat stress (HS) in sheep. In the initial study, 36 Merino × Poll cross-bred sheep were individually penned and allocated to 3 dietary treatments (0, 400 and 800 μg/kg nCrPic) for 8 wk. Body composition was determined at the beginning and end of the experiment using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The sheep remained in their dietary groups but were then placed in metabolic cages and randomly allocated within the dietary group to differing ambient temperature regimes, i.e., thermo-neutral (TN) (n = 18) and HS (n = 18), for 3 wk. Dietary nCrPic had no effect on growth performance and body composition during the initial study conducted under TN conditions. Heat stress decreased average daily feed intake (ADFI) (P = 0.002) whereas sheep under HS had reduced average daily gain (ADG) and indeed lost weight (P < 0.001). Dietary nCrPic increased both ADFI (P = 0.041) and ADG (P = 0.049) under both TH and HS conditions such that the performance of sheep receiving supplemental nCrPic and exposed to HS was similar to that of control sheep maintained under TN conditions. Heat stress increased rectal temperature (P < 0.001) and respiration rate (P < 0.001), particularly during the hottest parts of the day as indicated by interactions (P < 0.001) between time of day and thermal treatment. Rectal temperature was lower in sheep fed nCrPic (P = 0.050), particularly under peak HS conditions during the afternoon as indicated by the interactions between dietary nCrPic and time of day (P < 0.001) and dietary nCrPic, thermal treatment and time of day (P = 0.010). Similarly, respiration rate was lower in sheep fed nCrPic under peak HS conditions during the afternoon as indicated by the interactions between dietary nCrPic and thermal treatment (P < 0.001) and dietary nCrPic and time of day (P = 0.030). In conclusion, dietary nCrPic can partially ameliorate the negative effects of HS as indicated by the maintenance of ADFI and decreased physiological responses, such as elevations in rectal temperature and respiration rate.     

Antioxidant activity of small grain cereals caused by phenolics and lipid soluble antioxidants

In this study, the content of soluble, free forms of phenolic compounds (total phenolics, flavonoids, PVPP (polyvinylpolypyrrolidone) bound phenolics, proanthocyanidins and phenolic acids), as well as the content of carotenoids and tocopherols, were determined in whole grains of bread and durum wheat, rye, hull-less barley and hull-less oat, each represented with four genotypes. Antioxidant activity was evaluated as radical scavenging activity with DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) reagent, as well as by hydrogen transfer reaction (reduction power) based on the reduction of Fe³⁺. Generally, a considerable variation in antioxidant activities and phytochemical contents was observed between the cereals. Remarkably higher DPPH radical scavenging ability and reducing power were detected in hull-less barley, followed by rye and hull-less oat and durum and bread wheat, indicating that small grain species have different major antioxidants with different properties. Hull-less barley had the highest content of total free phenols, flavonoids, PVPP bound phenolics and contained flavan-3-ols, not found in other species. Hull-less oat had the highest content of tocopherols, very high content of yellow pigments and PVPP bound phenolics. Ferulic acid was the major free phenolic acid in small grain cereals tested. The relationship between the content of soluble phenols, as well as reducing power and DPPH^• scavenging activity are also considered.