Acute infection of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus in Syrian hamsters.

One-month-old Syrian hamsters of the APA and Std: golden strains were inoculated intraperitoneally with 10(5) PFU/head of the D variant of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus and examined virologically and pathologically up to 7 days after inoculation. APA hamsters developed apparent hyperglycemia due to pancreatic islet cell damage while Std:golden hamsters did not. Hamsters of both strains showed clear histopathologic changes in the testis with prominent viral replication as well as in the brain, heart and exocrine pancreas. The susceptibility to EMC virus-infection was higher in males than in females and in APA than in Std: golden hamsters.     

Preventive effects of CIDR-based protocols on premature ovulation before timed-AI in Ovsynch in cycling beef cows

Ovsynch is a program developed to synchronize ovulation for timed breeding. In this paper, the authors investigate whether controlled internal drug release (CIDR)-based protocols prevent premature ovulation before timed-artificial insemination (AI) when Ovsynch is started a few days before luteolysis in cycling beef cows. Nine beef cows at 16 days after oestrus were treated with (1) Ovsynch, i.e. gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue on day 0, prostaglandin (PG) F(2alpha) analogue on day 7 and GnRH analogue on day 9 with timed-AI on day 10, (n=3); (2) Ovsynch+CIDR (Ovsynch protocol plus a CIDR for 7 days from day 0, n=3), or (3) oestradiol benzoate (OB)+CIDR+GnRH (OB on day 0 in lieu of the first GnRH treatment, followed by the Ovsynch+CIDR protocol, n=3). In the Ovsynch group (1) plasma progesterone concentrations fell below 0.5 ng/mL earlier (day 5) than in both CIDR-treated groups (2) and (3), where this occurred on day 8. Plasma oestradiol-17beta concentrations peaked on day 8 in the Ovsynch group and on day 9 in both CIDR-treated groups. The dominant follicle ovulated on day 10 in the Ovsynch group and on day 11 in both CIDR-treated groups. Thus, both CIDR-based protocols prevented premature ovulation before timed-AI in Ovsynch when the protocol was started a few days before luteolysis. This reflects the fact that progesterone levels remained high until the beef cattle were treated with PGF(2alpha).     

Assessment of rabbit spleen size using ultrasonography

Assessment of spleen size using the ultrasonography has become a standard practice in human. However, the assessment is not established method in experimental animals. To establish the index to assess the spleen size using ultrasonography, we measured the cross-section image of rabbit spleen during endotoxin shock. The image of the cross-section was appeared as triangle, and the height of the triangular image was defined as the spleen index. This spleen index showed strong correlation with the spleen weight. In conclusion, this method is suitable for observation of changes in rabbit spleen size and may reduce the number of rabbit in the longitudinal studies.     

Identification of the medicinal off-flavor compound formed from ascorbic acid and (E)-hex-2-enal

A test apple beverage made up of apple juice (20%), high-fructose corn syrup (11.5%), citric acid (0.43%), trisodium citrate (0.02%), apple-odor flavor (0.1%), and ascorbic acid (0.02%) was stored at 40 °C and then analyzed for the change of odor in the beverage. Although no thermoacidophilic bacteria (TAB) were detected, a medicinal off-flavor was perceived after the 8 weeks of storage. Model experiments on the ingredients of the test apple beverage revealed that the off-flavor compound had been formed by ascorbic acid and (E)-hex-2-enal. Synthesis and NMR (1H, 13C, HMQC, and HMBC) analyses identified the compound as 6-propylbenzofuran-7-ol. The odor quality, retention index (RI), and mass spectrum of synthetic 6-propylbenzofuran-7-ol were identical with those of the medicinal odor compound from the test apple beverage. Sensory evaluation revealed the recognition thresholds for medicinal odor were 31.4 ppb in water and 24.0 ppb in apple beverage, and the detection thresholds were 19.6 ppb in water and 8.6 ppb in apple beverage, respectively. The quantified concentration of 6-propylbenzofuran-7-ol formed in test apple beverage was 90 ppb, approximately. This concentration was well above the odor threshold, so it was concluded that the compound was the source of the medicinal off-flavor.     

Utilization of biochar impregnated with anaerobically digested slurry as slow‐release fertilizer

We examined the possibility of an environment‐friendly slow‐release fertilizer (SRF) made of biochar impregnated by anaerobically digested slurry. The biochar materials were produced from three types of feedstocks (orange peel, residual wood, water‐treatment sludge) at different temperatures of 300°C, 500°C, and 700°C via pyrolysis. The release behaviors of the water‐soluble K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ were similar for all impregnated biochars and the commercial SRF used. The water‐retention capacity was greatly improved by mixing the biochar‐SRF with the soil. The yield of lettuce was lower for the biochar‐SRF applications of 3.7 to 34.2 t ha^–1 than for the commercial SRF application of 51.4 t ha^–1. This might be due to excessive increase of soil pH for the biochar‐SRF application. Based on these results, the authors concluded that the biochar impregnated with nutrients could become an effective slow‐release K⁺ fertilizer.     

Papaya seed represents a rich source of biologically active isothiocyanate

In the present study, papaya (Carica papaya) seed and edible pulp were carefully separated and then the contents of benzyl isothiocyanate and the corresponding glucosinolate (benzyl glucosinolate, glucotropaeolin) quantified in each part. The papaya seed with myrosinase inactivation contained >1 mmol of benzyl glucosinolate in 100 g of fresh seed. This content is equivalent to that of Karami daikon (the hottest Japanese white radish) or that of cress. The papaya seed extract also showed a very high activity of myrosinase and, without myrosinase inactivation, produced 460 micromol of benzyl isothiocyanate in 100 g of seed. In contrast, papaya pulp contained an undetectable amount of benzyl glucosinolate and showed no significant myrosinase activity. The n-hexane extract of the papaya seed homogenate was highly effective in inhibiting superoxide generation and apoptosis induction in HL-60 cells, the activities of which are comparable to those of authentic benzyl isothiocyanate.     

Identification of reaction products of acylated anthocyanins from red radish with peroxyl radicals

Red radish anthocyanin extract, which consists of 12 known acylated anthocyanins, was reacted with 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) to generate peroxyl radicals under acidic pH conditions at 37 degrees C. The reaction products were isolated using preparative HPLC, and their chemical structures were determined to be p-hydroxybenzoic acid (1), 6-O-(E)-p-coumaroyl-2-O-beta-d- glucopyranosyl-alpha-d-glucopyranoside (3), p-coumaric acid (4), 6-O-(E)-feruloyl-2-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-alpha-d-glucopyranoside (5), and ferulic acid (6). Some products were not identified. HPLC analyses of the mixture of acylated pelargonidin isolated from red radish and AAPH revealed that the acylated pelargonidins possess the radical scavenging ability on some common sites even if the characteristics of the intramolecular acyl units are different. Degradation rates of acylated pelargonidins and the formation rates of the resulting reaction products were found to be quite different.     

Suppressive effect of saturated acyl L-ascorbate on the oxidation of linoleic acid encapsulated with maltodextrin or gum arabic by spray-drying

6-O-Palmitoyl L-ascorbate was added to linoleic acid at various molar ratios of the ascorbate to the acid, the mixtures were emulsified with a maltodextrin or gum arabic solution, and the emulsions were spray-dried to produce microcapsules. At higher molar ratios, the oil droplets in the emulsions were smaller, and the oxidative stabilities of the encapsulated linoleic acid were higher for both the maltodextrin- and gum arabic-based microcapsules. 6-O-Capryloyl, caproyl, and lauroyl L-ascorbates, which were synthesized through lipase-catalyzed condensation in acetone, were also used for the microencapsulation of linoleic acid. Except for capryloyl L-ascorbate, the addition of a saturated acyl ascorbate, especially caproyl ascorbate, to linoleic acid was effective for preparing oil droplets of small particle diameter and for suppressing the oxidation of the encapsulated linoleic acid.     

The influence of barley malt protein modification on beer foam stability and their relationship to the barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-I (BDAI-I) as a possible foam-promoting protein

The foam stability of beer is one of the important key factors in evaluating the quality of beer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of malt modification (degradation of protein, starch, and so on) and the beer foam stability. This was achieved by examining foam-promoting proteins using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). We found that the foam stability of beer samples brewed from the barley malts of cultivars B and C decreased as the level of malt modification increased; however, the foam stability of cultivar A did not change. To identify the property providing the increased foam stability of cultivar A, we analyzed beer proteins using 2DE. We analyzed three fractions that could contain beer foam-promoting proteins, namely, beer whole proteins, salt-precipitated proteins, and the proteins concentrated from beer foam. As a result, we found that in cultivar A, some protein spots did not change in any of these three protein fractions even when the level of malt modification increased, although the corresponding protein spots in cultivars B and C decreased. We analyzed these protein spots by peptide mass finger printing using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. As a result, all of these spots were identified as barley dimeric alpha-amylase inhibitor-I (BDAI-I). These results suggest that BDAI-I is an important contributor to beer foam stability.     

Behavior of four broad-leaved tree species used to revegetate eroded granite hill slopes

Information on primary growth behavior after planting is required for mixed-plantation revegetation using broad-leaved species. To estimate primary growth, especially from the perspective of crown coverage and changing growth rates, we examined the growth and survival of four broad-leaved species that are frequently used in erosion-control plantations in Japan. The species studied were Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc., Alnus pendula Matsum., Quercus glauca Thunb., and Q. serrata Thunb. The survival, height, and basal diameter of planted trees were measured over a 4-year period, and crown area was calculated over a 3-year period. We found a negative relationship between relative growth rate (RGR) and survival rate, suggesting that fast growth may be fatal when resources are severely limited. The relative height growth rate (RHGR) of A. pendula was especially high during the early period of the study (1997–1999) and then drastically declined, whereas the opposite tendency was observed in Q. glauca. The results of stem allometry analyses conformed to the specific relationships between height growth and diameter growth of the four species; increases in stem thickness based on height increments were smaller in the pioneer species A. pendula. Between-species differences in coverage per planted tree (mean crown area multiplied by survival rate) were small as a result of the negative relationship between coverage area and survival rate.