Triterpene saponins from the roots of Medicago hybrida

Fourteen triterpene saponins (1-14) have been isolated from the roots of Medicago hybrida and their structures elucidated by FAB-MS and NMR analysis. Two of them are new compounds and were identified as hederagenin 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7) and oleanolic acid 3-O-[beta-D-galactopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-28-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranoside] (14). Seven saponins being mono- and bidesmosides of hederagenin (1, 5, 6, 9), one bidesmoside of bayogenin (2), and two bidesmosides of 2beta,3beta-dihydroxyolean-12-en-23-al-28-oic acid (11) and oleanolic acid (13) are known compounds but not previously reported as saponin constituents of Medicago, whereas five other saponins, being mono- and bidesmosides of medicagenic acid (3, 4, 8, 10, 12), and one monodesmoside of hederagenin (8) have been previously isolated from other Medicago species. The presence of 2beta,3beta-dihydroxyolean-12-en-23-al-28-oic acid might represent an interesting intermediate in the biosynthesis of these substances.     

Effect of litter removal on species richness and acidification of a mixed oak-pine woodland

Eutrophication of woodland ecosystems and disappearance of acidophilous species have often been observed in central and western Europe over recent decades. Considerable increase in air-borne nitrogen and sulphur has been invoked as responsible for these processes in most studies. Historic data indicate that for hundreds of years man removed litter and fodder from many woodlands in these areas. As a result, woodland soils became poorer and more acid than they were originally. Cessation of the removal of materials may resulted in soil enrichment and eutrophication of many woods. This hypothesis was tested in a 16-year litter removal experiment in an acidophilous mixed oak-pine wood in southern Poland. It was found that litter removal resulted in substantial impoverishment of soil. After 16 years soil of the litter removal plots contained significantly less P, Mg and Ca, and had a lower cation exchange capacity (CEC) in the epihumus subhorizon, and less Ca and a lower CEC in the humus and lessivage horizons than soil in the control plots. Vascular plant species and bryophytes colonized the litter removal plots much more frequently. Within 16 years species richness increased in the field layer of these plots, but abundance of dominant species and character of vegetation remained unchanged, while vegetation of the control plots changed from acidophilous to neutrophilous. Disappearance in the control plots of vascular plants species and mosses common in mixed woodlands was caused by thick litter layer which impeded seed germination and seedling development, and by competition of dominant species. The results obtained suggest that acidophilous vegetation in the field layer of the study wood was associated with material removal by man over a long time, and its eutrophication largely resulted from the cessation of traditional methods of management.     

Abundance and antibiotic resistance of Aeromonas isolated from the water of three carp ponds

Veterinary Research Communications - Abundance and antibiotic resistance of bacteria of the genus Aeromonas isolated from the water of three carp ponds were studied. The number of those bacteria...     

Attempts to detect West Nile virus in wild birds in Poland

The aim of the study was to attempt the detection of West Nile virus (WNV) in wild birds in Poland. Forty-eight species of 1912 wild birds were used for the investigations. The birds were derived from various locations in Poland from early spring till late autumn of the years 2009-2011. The brain samples were homogenised and cellular RNA was isolated. Two methods (RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR) were used. The presence of WNV RNA was not detected in the samples examined. Additionally, a short analysis of the epizootiological situation regarding the presence of WNV in Poland is presented.     

Functional imaging of biophoton responses of plants to fungal infection

Each living cell of a plant produces photons in certain conditions. Under normal physiological conditions, cell photon emission is stationary and minimal. Disturbance in the oxidative homeostasis by biotic stress is manifested by increased ‘biophoton’ production. Such biophoton responses of plants may be used as an integral indicator of the degree of oxidative homeostasis misbalance. Our results demonstrate that biophoton generation has been much higher in a resistant potato variety than in a susceptible one till 10 h after Phytophthora infestans inoculation. In contrast, ultra-weak luminescence from detached susceptible potato and moderately resistant pelargonium leaves increased from 1–4 to 4–5 days after inoculation with Phytophthora infestans or Botrytis cinerea, respectively. Pre-treatment of susceptible potato leaves with a defence inducer, arachidonic acid, resulted in a transient burst of light in response to P. infestans lasting for 30–45 h post inoculation (hpi). This study presents the potential adaptation of functional imaging of ultra-weak luminescence to monitor time-dependent free radical processes during disease development and its application to draw conclusions on plant resistance to pathogens of different lifestyle. Moreover, it has been shown that imaging of temporal biophoton generation from potato leaves treated with arachidonic acid might be a helpful marker in mapping oxidative changes leading to systemic acquired resistance (SAR).     

Sorption isotherms for osmo-convectively-dried and osmo-freeze-dried apple,sour cherry,and blackcurrant

Summary

The aim of our work was to measure sorption isotherms on freeze-dried and convectively-dried fruits (apple cv. Idared; sour cherry cv. English Morello; blackcurrant cv. Tiben), previously osmotically dehydrated in fructo-oligosaccharide solution, or concentrated apple juice. Isotherms were fitted using the Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer Model. In none of the cases studied was isotherm non-continuity in the vicinity of the initial value of a_w observed. All isotherms, classified as type III, demonstrated an increase in the equilibrium water content, along with an increase in water activity. A higher water content was observed in lyophilised material compared to material dried by convection. The water content in the monolayer (100 g^?1 dry matter) ranged from 12.0 g for dried apple, to 17.0 g for dried sour cherry. These values can be considered as optimal in order to ensure safe storage conditions. The dried fruits should therefore be kept in a water activity range of 0.45 – 0.54 for lyophilised, and 0.46 – 0.63 for convectively-dried material.     

New generation butyric-acetate copolymer of chitin (BOC) fibres with ceramic HAp and TCP nanoadditives for the manufacture of fibrous composite materials

An investigation was made of the effect of basic spinning process parameters on the structure and properties of butyric-acetate copolymer of chitin (BOC) fibres. It was found that, considering the resulting tenacity of 20.3 cN/tex simultaneously with high water sorption and retention properties, it is favourable for the BOC fibre spinning process to be carried out with 1 % HAp or TCP nanoadditive. Furthermore, when 3 % of the HAp or TCP nanoadditive is incorporated into the BOC fibre material, no significant changes in the crystal structure occur compared with fibres without the nanoadditives, formed in similar conditions. Analysis of the porous structure and the properties of the surface of BOC fibres with HAp or TCP nanoadditive shows that the parameters are favourable for their medical application.     

Relationship between fish assemblage and angler catch in the Sulejów Reservoir,central Poland,in the context of a warming climate

The Pilica River has warmed at a rate of 0.06°C per year since 1969, threatening the ecological services provided by the Sulejów Reservoir. Gillnet sampling revealed that the reservoir is inhabited by a cyprinid‐dominated fish assemblage with roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.) (42% of the total biomass), the dominant species. However, the interest of the anglers was primarily focused on common bream, Abramis brama (L.) (almost 65% of the catch), as revealed by the catch statistics (2004–2014). No direct evidence was found that the temperature increase had an influence on the recreational fishery or fish assemblage structure. On the other hand, changes in the fish assemblage that were reflected in angler catch composition were observed. A decrease in the catch of common bream in gillnets was accompanied by a shift in angler choices towards roach and other fish species. The sustainability of recreational fisheries is more likely to be influenced by changes in the economic status of society, water quality (toxic cyanobacteria blooms) and water management practices in Poland. The question arises about which species will dominate in the impoundment in the future if the warming trend continues and common carp, Cyprinus carpio L., stocking is maintained.     

Regeneration of anther-derived plants from pentaploid hybrids of Festuca arundinacea × Lolium multiflorum

Anther culture was used to generate progeny from pentaploid F1 hybrids of Festuca arundinacea (2n = 6x = 42) with Lolium multiflorum (2n = 4x = 28). Of 6360 anthers cultured, 676 green and 3460 albino plantlets were regenerated. Large differences in the anther culture response were observed among the F1 hybrids with the regeneration efficiency ranging from 0 to 28.8 green plants per 100 anthers cultured. All regenerants were less vigorous than the F1 hybrids and considerable morphological variation was present in such characters as plant height, leaf length and width, and the type and length of inflorescences. Among 295 plants which flowered during the first growing season only 38 were male fertile with pollen stainability ranging from 7.7% to 84.7%. Chromosome numbers in 170 analyzed regenerants ranged from 14 to 42 and fell into three groups: 14 to 21, 28, and 30 to 42. The experiment demonstrated that generation of large populations of androgenic progeny was feasible. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.