Effects of dietary red pepper on egg yolk colour and histological intestinal morphology in laying hens

To evaluate the effect of three kinds of red pepper supplementation ‘Kagawa Hontaka’ produced at Shiwaku Islands (KHS), Miki (KHM) and Takanotsume (TKT) on production performance, egg quality and intestinal histology in laying hens. A total of 32 laying hens (39 weeks of age) were randomly allotted to four groups, each comprising eight hens. Birds were fed a basal diet supplemented with red pepper at 0% (control), 0.5% KHS, 0.5% KHM and 0.5% TKT, respectively. Compared with the control group, no significant difference (p > 0.05) in feed consumption, final body weight, hen‐day production, egg mass, feed efficiency, shell‐breaking strength, shell thickness, shell ratio, albumen ratio, yolk ratio and Haugh units was observed among the experimental groups. Roche yolk colour fan (RYCF) value increased significantly in all experimental groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the KHS and KHM groups showed higher RYCF values than the TKT group (p < 0.05). Spectrophotometric measurements of yolk colour, redness (a*) and yellow index (YI) values were higher in the KHS and KHM groups (p < 0.0001). The yellowness (b*) value was lower in the TKT group (p < 0.05). The lightness (L*) value was lower in the KHS and KHM groups (p < 0.05). Villus height, villus area, cell area and cell mitosis in all intestinal segments tended to be higher in all experimental groups. Jejunal cell area and cell mitosis were higher in experimental groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). The cells on the villus tip surface were protuberated in all experimental groups. In conclusion, the KHS, KHM and TKT groups showed hypertrophied intestinal villi and epithelial cell functions. These results indicate that dietary red pepper has stimulating effect on intestinal villi and the structure of epithelial cells, and the 0.5% KHS and KHM groups improved in egg yolk colour.     

Delineating the zone of topsoil disturbance around buried utilities on agricultural land

Installation of pipeline utilities (oil, natural gas, water) in central Canada prior to the 1970s often resulted in extensive mixing of topsoil with subsoil materials within the easements due to largely unregulated construction practices. The main objectives of this study were (1) to develop a simple field protocol for the rapid delineation of the zone of topsoil disturbance (or topsoil–subsoil mixing) around buried utilities on agricultural land in southern Ontario, and (2) to characterize the zone of topsoil disturbance in the vicinity of an existing pre-1970s pipeline in terms of agronomically important soil properties. The study was carried out at six farm sites chosen along a pipeline easement (30+ years old) in southern Ontario. Soil organic carbon content, CaCO₃ content and pH were found to be useful in delineating the zone of topsoil disturbance around the buried utility. Standardized laboratory techniques for determination of these three soil attributes were used to analyse surface soil samples (Ap horizons) taken at 1·5 m intervals along 45·7 m long transects oriented perpendicular to the easement. In addition, rapid field tests for these same three variables were adopted/developed and tested, and two portable instruments were evaluated for their usefulness for in situ soil property measurements. In particular, a Minolta^™ CR-310 Chroma Meter was successfully used to relate moist soil colour to the organic carbon content of the surface soil. The chromaticity coordinate a* (CIE L*a*b* colour space notation) was shown to provide good estimates of organic carbon content for soils of medium to fine texture in this region of Ontario. The zone of topsoil disturbance was most often characterized by an appreciable increase in per cent CaCO₃ equivalent and pH, and a decrease in organic carbon content (dilution), over the pipeline trench when compared to off-easement areas. The zone of topsoil disturbance was usually a minimum of 15 m wide (i.e. the approximate width of the original trench and workspace areas during construction), and frequently much wider due most likely to wet soil conditions at the time of construction, agricultural tillage translocation of topsoil over time, and other factors. It is recommended that rapid on-site determinations of the zone of topsoil disturbance should be based primarily on field estimates of CaCO₃ content (10 per cent HCl) and organic carbon content (a* chromaticity coordinate using a portable colorimeter). Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quality of raw and smoked fillets from clinically healthy Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar L., following an outbreak of pancreas disease (PD)

Pancreas disease (PD) is a viral disease of farmed salmonid fish, which causes huge economic losses. Pathological changes in skeletal muscle, pancreas and heart are hallmarks of PD. Stakeholders in the fish‐smoking industry have claimed that fillets from PD‐affected Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., are of poor quality. We therefore examined harvest‐ready, clinically healthy Atlantic salmon from a population of fish previously affected by PD. Histopathological changes in skeletal muscle tissues ranged from minor to severe. Fillet quality measurements showed that fish with severe skeletal muscle changes provided a paler raw fillet and a yellowish and harder cold‐smoked fillet than normal. PD had no significant effect on fillet gaping, bacteriological quality or off‐odour development during storage. An unexpected finding was a significant subendocardial fibrosis in 23% of the PD‐affected fish. The latter may indicate susceptibility to stress‐related heart failure.     

Inheritance and chromosomal location of the homoeologous genes affecting phenol colour reaction of kernels in durum wheat

End-use quality of wheat for noodles is influenced by polyphenol oxidase activity and its corresponding substrates. This study investigated the chromosomal location of genes that determine phenol colour reaction of kernels in tetraploid wheat using aneuploid stocks. Polyphenol oxidase activity was estimated by the colour reaction of kernels to phenol solution. It was found that the genes located on homoeologous group 2 chromosomes have an important effect on the level of phenol colour reaction of kernels. The genes (Tc1 and Tc2) responsible for high phenol colour reaction of kernels were mapped to the long arms of chromosome 2A and chromosome 2B, respectively. The map distances were estimated to be 46.8 cM for Tc1 and 40.7 cM for Tc2 from the centromere using double-diltelosomics of durum wheat.     

脱水菠菜贮藏过程中颜色变化动力学

为了探讨脱水菠菜在贮藏过程中叶绿素变化及其与颜色损失的关系,鲜菠菜经过热烫处理后冷冻干燥,包装后在25、35、45和55℃下贮藏,测定贮藏过程中叶绿素和颜色变化,以确定脱水菠菜叶绿素和颜色变化动力学。结果表明：无论是否经过热烫前处理,经过冻干技术得到的脱水菠菜,在贮藏过程中其叶绿素的降解与颜色损失都遵循一级反应动力学方程,且叶绿素的减少与颜色损失密切相关（R2＞0.95,p＜0.05）。在未经热烫和经热烫处理后冻干的菠菜其叶绿素降解的活化能分别为39.99 kJ/mol和41.44 kJ/mol。而用色度计测定的红绿值a*和色彩角值h中,经过热烫前处理的脱水菠菜其活化能分别是18.93 kJ/mol和48.08 kJ/mol,而未经烫漂的分别为18.20 kJ/mol和44.04 kJ/mol。与热烫处理的样品相比,未热烫的脱水菠菜更容易失去叶绿素,热烫处理有利于延长脱水菠菜的货架期。相同前处理的脱水菠菜,在设定的贮藏温度下,叶绿素降解、红绿值a*和色彩角值h的速率常数随贮藏温度的升高均逐渐增大,低温贮藏有利于延长脱水菠菜的货架期。在常温下（20℃）脱水菠菜的货架期为168 d（未热烫）或465 d（热烫）。     

Sex‐dependent responses of perch to changes in water clarity and temperature

Rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency of lakes have strong wide ranging effects on fish. Fish responses to various changes in the environment are usually species‐dependent, but responses may also vary within species. In general, large individuals are considered to be more sensitive to environmental variation due to higher energy demand, than smaller individuals. Similarly, large individuals require more food to maintain bodily functions and are thus more sensitive to resource and food scarcity. These size‐specific responses to environmental gradients are also sex‐dependent in species that exhibit sexual size dimorphism (SSD). We studied in enclosures with short‐term experiments how rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency regulate the feeding rates of female and male European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.). To explore experimental results, we calculated perch SSD in nine lakes with varying environmental conditions using previously collected field data. The results of the experiments revealed that the combined effect of water transparency and temperature on the feeding rate of fish is gender‐dependent: feeding rate of females decreased more than that of males. The experimental results were also supported by field data that revealed a negative relation between water transparency and the magnitude of SSD in perch. Our results suggest that rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency may potentially decrease fish size in a sex‐dependent manner. As female size is one of the main demographic traits determining the reproductive success of a fish population, changing environments may have unexpected and far‐reaching consequences on fish population dynamics.     

Tagging quantitative trait loci for dormancy, tuber shape, regularity of tuber shape, eye depth and flesh colour in diploid potato originated from six Solanum species

Potato breeding aims at breeding diversified cultivars not only suitable for different purposes, but also resistant to diseases, such as late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans , which is a major constraint in potato production. Resistance to P. infestans has been previously introduced into the diploid hybrid population 98-21 from Solanum verrucosum and Solanum microdontum . In the present study, we assessed the segregation of tuber dormancy, tuber shape, regularity of tuber shape, eye depth and flesh colour in this population. Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) affecting these important quality traits were tagged using the genetic map developed for this population to locate QTLs for late blight resistance. The most prominent QTL for dormancy was detected on chromosome II and explained 7.1% of the variance. The most important QTLs for tuber eye depth, flesh colour, shape and shape regularity were identified on chromosomes X ( R ² = 14.7%), IV ( R ² = 5.8%), II ( R ² = 8.0%) and III ( R ² = 10.4%) respectively. All traits were also affected by minor QTLs. The obtained results improve our understanding of the inheritance of traits relevant for variety development in potato.     

Inheritance of genes coding for gliadin proteins and glume colour introgressed into Triticum aestivum from a synthetic wheat

A synthetic hexaploid, Triticum timofeevii×T. tauschii, was used to transfer disease resistance genes to the commercial cultivar Saratovskaya 29 (S29) by backcrossing. After five backcrosses the resulting derivatives still showed some traits of the synthetic, namely brown spike glumes and several gliadin components. Genetic analysis showed that the derived forms had inherited the Gli-D1 allele of the synthetic, which was found to be tightly linked to a gene for glume colour. Recombination percentages between these genes was estimated to be 2.5 ± 1.7%. The development of the derivatives was also accompanied by a rearrangement within the Gli-B1 locus, resulting in the formation of a new variant of the allele in S29.     

Effect of genome composition and cytoplasm on petal colour in resynthesized amphidiploids and sesquidiploids derived from crosses between Brassica rapa and Brassica oleracea

The effect of genome composition and cytoplasm on petal colour was studied in Brassica. Three accessions of yellow‐petalled B. rapa (2n= 20, AA) were crossed with a white‐petalled B. oleracea var. alboglabra (2n= 18, CC) and with three cream‐yellow‐petalled B. oleracea var. gongylodes (2n= 18, CC) to produce resynthesized B. napus (2n= 38, AACC or CCAA) and sesquidiploids (2n= 29, AAC or CAA). Petal colour was measured with a Hunter automatic colour difference meter. The results revealed that petal colour in Brassica is controlled by nuclear genes and by cytoplasmic factors. Additive and epistatic gene effects were involved in the action of nuclear genes. When crosses were made between yellow‐petalled B. rapa and white‐petalled B. oleracea var. alboglabra, significant additive, epistatic and cytoplasmic effects were found. White petal colour was partially epistatic over yellow petal colour. When crosses were made between yellow‐petalled B. rapa and cream‐yellow‐petalled B. oleracea var. gongylodes, only epistatic effects were detected. Yellow petal colour was epistatic over cream‐yellow.