Comparative analyses of the toxic effects of imidacloprid and spirotetramat on Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), the vector of tomato zonate spot virus: a laboratory assay

The tomato zonate spot virus (TZSV) is responsible for substantial yield losses in vegetables, tobacco and other cash crops in China in recent years. The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), is the main vector of TZSV in Yunnan Province. Because controlling the population of insect vectors is the most efficient way to prevent epidemics of viral diseases, we conducted laboratory assays to assess the potential of using spirotetramat as an alternative to imidacloprid in controlling F. occidentalis. Our results demonstrated that spirotetramat was significantly more lethal than imidacloprid to F. occidentalis at different concentrations. The LC₃₀, LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values of spirotetramat were all much lower than those of imidacloprid after the same time of treatment. Frankliniella occidentalis was more sensitive when treated with spirotetramat than imidacloprid at the concentrations of 500, 250, 125 and 62.5mg/L, and the median lethal concentrations (LC₅₀) were 285.53, 82.24 and 11.19mg/L at 12, 36 and 72 hours after treatment, respectively. Spirotetramat caused 100% mortality of F. occidentalis at 500 and 250 mg/L after 48 hours treatment, and at the lowest concentration 125 mg/L at 72 hours after treatment, respectively. Field experiments carried out elsewhere have confirmed our findings. Together they allow us to conclude that spirotetramat is a promising pesticide for the control F. occidentalis in China.     

Study on Immunochemical Assays for the Organophosphorus Insecticide Chlorpyrifos

The anti-chlorpyrifos polyclonal antibodies were obtained by using the artificial immune antigen to immune in New Zealand′s white rabbits. The enzyme-tagged antibodies were prepared by coupling horseradish peroxidase (HRP) to the purified antibody with the modified sodium periodate method. The indirect competitive enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assays (ELISA) and the HRP-taggedantibodydirect ELISA (E-Ab) were established, respectively.The limit of detection (LOD) for the indirect ELISA and E-Ab were 0.0033 and 0.0042 μg mL-1, respectively. The linear detection ranged well from 0.005 to 2.0 μg mL-1.     

Observations of toxic blue-green algae (Cyanobacteria) in some Scandinavian lakes

Blooms of blue-green algae from 51 eutrophic Scandinavian lakes were investigated during the period 1978–1984, to ascertain the occurrence of toxinogenic species.Toxicity assays were performed by intraperitoneal injection of suspensions of freeze-dried algal material in mice. Toxin-producing blue-green algae were found in 30 lakes. They belonged to 11 different species of the six genera Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Gomphosphaeria, Microcystis, Nodularia and Oscillatoria.The presence of toxinogenic strains of blue-green algae seemed quite constant in several of the localities studied. In some lakes, more than one toxic species were found to develop simultaneously. The level of toxicity showed large variation (MLD₁₀₀, 6 to > 2500 mg/kg), but clinical and pathological changes were quite uniform.The results indicate that water-blooms of toxin-producing blue-green algae, in the geographical area in question, are regionally widespread. In some localities, blooms of blue-green algae are apparently always toxic. Several aspects of the toxic blue-green algae problem are discussed.     

牛支原体可视化重组酶聚合酶扩增检测方法的建立

为建立一种对牛支原体高效、快捷的可视化重组酶聚合酶扩增(LFD-RPA)临床诊断方法,以牛支原体uvrc基因序列为靶基因,设计特异性引物和探针,通过筛选引物和探针、优化反应条件,并通过灵敏度、特异性、重复性和临床样本检测试验进行验证。结果显示,该试验建立的牛支原体LFD-RPA最佳引物为F2/R2,最佳反应条件为39 ℃、 25 min;检测灵敏度可达2.08 copies·μL^-1,是普通PCR灵敏度的100倍;与滑液囊支原体、沙门氏菌、绵羊肺炎支原体、多杀性巴氏杆菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、无乳链球菌和产气荚膜梭菌之间无交叉反应;重复性稳定;对50份鼻拭子样本进行检测,阳性率为26%,与我国行业标准PCR检测方法的符合率为89.6%。该试验成功建立了牛支原体LFD-RPA检测方法,该方法具有操作简便、快速、高效、敏感等优点,为牛支原体的临床快速诊断提供了技术支撑。     

Effect of Ethylene Treatment on Kiwifruit Bioactivity

The consumption of fruits and vegetables with high antioxidant activities leads to best healthful results. Therefore, in the present investigation we tried to find the peak of the kiwifruits antioxidant activity during the first 10 days of ethylene treatment (100 ppm at 20 °C).In order to receive the most reliable data five different antioxidant assays were used: ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP); cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC); trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC); 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH); and Folin-Ciocalteau. It was found by all applied methods that kiwifruit samples have the highest contents of polyphenols and flavonoids and the highest antioxidant activity on the 6-th day of the ethylene treatment. The correlation coefficients between polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activities of kiwifruit methanol extracts with TEAC and CUPRAC, were as followed: 0.81 and 0.63, and 0.23 and 0.17, respectively, and showed that the free polyphenols correlation coefficients were higher than that of the flavonoids.In conclusion: during ethylene treatment the bioactivity of kiwifruit is increasing and reaches its maximum at the 6th day and therefore it is the optimum time for kiwifruit consumption; total polyphenols were the main contributor to the overall antioxidant activity of kiwifruit; the most sensitive test for antioxidant activities determination is FRAP.