Dominant sources of dietary carbon and nitrogen for shrimp reared in extensive rice-shrimp ponds

Stable isotope analysis was used to determine the sources of dietary nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) for shrimp during the rearing phase in extensive rice‐shrimp ponds in My Xuyen and Gia Rai districts, Vietnam. Farm‐made feed was added as a food source in shrimp ponds in My Xuyen district, and based on stable isotope analyses, was generally a poor dietary source. The commercial formulated feed used in Gia Rai also appeared to contribute little directly to the nutritional needs of the shrimp. In contrast, the natural biota in all ponds appeared to contribute substantially. In particular, biota from beam trawls and benthic organic matter were the most likely sources of nutrition in My Xuyen ponds, while benthic organic matter was the main source in Gia Rai ponds. δ¹⁵N ratios in the natural biota in My Xuyen farms decreased over the growing season, suggesting increased N fixation in the case of the benthic organic matter reaching values as low as 1‰. This suggests N‐limitation in the ponds and that natural biota become increasingly dependent on N fixed by algae and/or other microorganisms. There is the potential to promote the growth of the plankton and hence, the other natural biota, by the judicious addition of fertilizer.     

Fucose-Rich Sulfated Polysaccharides from Two Vietnamese Sea Cucumbers Bohadschia argus and Holothuria (Theelothuria) spinifera: Structures and Anticoagulant Activity

Fucosylated chondroitin sulfates (FCSs) FCS-BA and FCS-HS, as well as fucan sulfates (FSs) FS-BA-AT and FS-HS-AT were isolated from the sea cucumbers Bohadschia argus and Holothuria (Theelothuria) spinifera, respectively. Purification of the polysaccharides was carried out by anion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel column. Structural characterization of polysaccharides was performed in terms of monosaccharide and sulfate content, as well as using a series of non-destructive NMR spectroscopic methods. Both FCSs were shown to contain a chondroitin core [→3)-β-d-GalNAc-(1→4)-β-d-GlcA-(1→]_n bearing sulfated fucosyl branches at O-3 of every GlcA residue in the chain. These fucosyl residues were different in pattern of sulfation: FCS-BA contained Fuc2S4S, Fuc3S4S and Fuc4S at a ratio of 1:8:2, while FCS-HS contained these residues at a ratio of 2:2:1. Polysaccharides differed also in content of GalNAc4S6S and GalNAc4S units, the ratios being 14:1 for FCS-BA and 4:1 for FCS-HS. Both FCSs demonstrated significant anticoagulant activity in clotting time assay and potentiated inhibition of thrombin, but not of factor Xa. FS-BA-AT was shown to be a regular linear polymer of 4-linked α-L-fucopyranose 3-sulfate, the structure being confirmed by NMR spectra of desulfated polysaccharide. In spite of considerable sulfate content, FS-BA-AT was practically devoid of anticoagulant activity. FS-HS-AT cannot be purified completely from contamination of some FCS. Its structure was tentatively represented as a mixture of chains identical with FS-BA-AT and other chains built up of randomly sulfated alternating 4- and 3-linked α-L-fucopyranose residues.     

Water mobility in multicomponent model media as studied by 2H and 17O NMR

Molecular mobility of water was studied in a microbiological media containing complex and heterogeneous mixtures of cellulose, l-sorbose, and orange serum broth (OSB) using (2)H and (17)O high-resolution NMR. All mixtures showed Lorentian (17)O NMR spectra but complex (2)H NMR line shapes. Sorbose, when solubilized, caused line-narrowing where as cellulose-OSB mixtures showed wide peaks with flat plateaus. Presence of liquid or solvent water had a profound effect on a marked increase in T(2) relaxation time observed in sorbose-containing samples. (17)O NMR data were not composition dependent, while (2)H NMR data were highly sorbose dependent.     

Potato (Solanum spp.) production using apical cuttings and tuberlets under three contrasting environments of Vietnam

Potato production from rooted apical cuttings or from small tubers (l–20g) produced in high density beds has great potential in Asia. This is particularly important in non-traditional warmer environments. This research was conducted to assess the feasibility of producing many small tubers in high density beds. A second objective compared tubers from beds with transplanted rooted cuttings and traditional seed tubers for growth and yield in the field. Tuberlet production in beds exceeded 2000/m² with a density of 1000 plants/m² under optimal growing conditions while under high temperatures only about 1.25 tuberlets/plant were produced. In field experiments, transplanted cuttings yielded 20 t/ha in the mid and high elevation areas, only slightly less than tuberlets of 5–10g while at the hot site, yields were generally only 8 to 10 t/ha for both materials. Larger healthy seed tubers produced significantly higher yields at the low and high elevation sites. Tuberlets of 1–5g were also able to give yields of 20 t/ha in the mid-elevation site. These results indicate that cuttings and small tuberlets are two ways of growing potatoes which need to be further evaluated for socioeconomic assessment by farmers.     

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the CrDAT gene and selection of transgenic periwinkle lines with a high vincristine accumulation

Catharanthus roseus contains vincristine and vinblastine, which are outstanding drugs for cancer. In the biosynthetic pathways of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) in C. roseus, deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase (DAT) is a key enzyme that catalyses the last reaction of vindoline biosynthesis to form vinblastine and vincristine. In this study, the CrDAT transgene was transferred into the periwinkle by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and generated transgenic periwinkle lines with an increase in vincristine accumulation. The C. roseus DAT gene was introduced into C. roseus plants and it was confirmed that CrDAT was successfully transferred into the genome of periwinkle plants and efficiently translated to synthesise recombinant DAT protein. Four transgenic periwinkle lines in T1 generation, T1-1, T1-3, T1-6, and T1-7, expressed recombinant DAT protein with the total protein content in the range of 2.86 μg.mg^?1 to 5.12 μg.mg^?1. Moreover, the vincristine contents of four transgenic lines increased by 1.63?2.48-fold compared to non-transgenic plants, ranging from 6.91 µg.g^?1 (fresh weight) to 10.53 µg.g^?1 (fresh weight). The T1-1 line had the highest vincristine content. Hence, the overexpression of the recombinant DAT protein can improve the vincristine accumulation of transgenic C. roseus plants.

Abbreviation: CrDAT - Catharanthus roseus Deacetylvindoline-4-O-Acetyl Transferase; D4H - Deacetoxyvindoline 4-hydroxylase; ELISA - Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Monoterpene indole alkaloid; T0, T1 - Generations of transgenic plants; TIAs - Terpenoid indole alkaloids; WT- The wild-type tobacco plants (non transgenic plant); 35S - Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter     

Growth performance,carcass quality characteristics and colonic microbiota profiles in finishing pigs fed diets with different inclusion levels of rice distillers’ by‐product

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of diets containing rice distillers’ by‐product (RDP) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and gut microbiota of fattening pigs. Twenty‐four crossbred finishing pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire), 56.9 ± 3.1 kg initial body weight, were randomly allocated to three groups. For 56 days, pigs were fed one of three diets including RDP0 (control), RDP15 (15% RDP in DM), and RDP30 (30% RDP in DM). With RDP level in diet, average daily gain and backfat thickness linearly increased (p < 0.05), and drip loss tended to increase (p ≤ 0.08). In addition, 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon profiling showed that RDP was associated with modulation of colonic microbiota composition, especially at family and genus levels. Relative abundance of Porphyromonadaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae families in colonic digesta increased with inclusion of RDP, while that of Enterobacteriaceae decreased. The proportion of genera unclassified Erysipelotrichaceae, and Butyrivibrio increased as inclusion of RDP. These results indicate that up to 30% inclusion in diet of finishing pigs, RDP can modulate colonic microbiota composition, and induces an improvement of animal growth and fat deposition.     

Inoculation of cucumber roots with zoospores of mycoparasitic and plant pathogenic Pythium species: Differential zoospore accumulation, colonization ability and plant growth response

Hydroponically grown cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings were inoculated with zoospores of 1 mycoparasitic (Pythium oligandrum) and 2 pathogenic (Pythium aphanidermatum and Pythium group F) Pythium spp. During the first 2 days after inoculation, all the Pythium spp. caused reduction in the root length. However, roots treated with Pythium oligandrum quickly reached the length of the control and on the 8th day, and for the rest of the experimental period, stimulation of root elongation was noted. Pythium oligandrum was not pathogenic on cucumber and no differences in the fresh weights of control and Pythium oligandrum inoculated plants were observed in the course of the experiment. Pythium group F and Pythium aphanidermatum were pathogenic on cucumber seedlings, but their pathogenicities differed. Thus, while Pythium group F had a constant, negative influence on root length and plant growth, measured as fresh weight, Pythium aphanidermatum caused generalized necroses of the root system, inhibiting consistently root elongation and plant growth and finally causing plant death. Moreover, the zoospores of 2 mycoparasitic species, Pythium oligandrum and Pythium periplocum, were not attracted to roots of cucumber and accumulated on the roots in very low numbers compared to those of the pathogenic species, Pythium aphanidermatum, which were strongly attracted and accumulated in large numbers. Finally, it was also found that Pythium oligandrum colonized the roots very poorly, while Pythium group F and Pythium aphanidermatum were significantly better root colonizers. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the ecology of Pythium species and biocontrol.     

Trends in overweight by socio-economic status in Vietnam: 1992 to 2002

OBJECTIVE: To explore socio-economic factors associated with rising rates of overweight among Vietnamese adults. DESIGN: The study was based on three national surveys of socio-economic factors and health conducted over a 10-year period. The studies were: the Vietnamese Living Standard Survey 1992-1993 (11 982 participants); the Vietnamese Living Standard Survey 1997-1998 (15 975 participants); and the Vietnamese National Health Survey 2001-2002 (94 656 participants). SUBJECTS: Male and female adults >18 years old were stratified by gender, age group, area of residence, occupation, education and relative food expenditures. Overweight was defined using body mass index (BMI) > or = 25 kg m(-2). RESULTS: Overweight rates in Vietnam more than doubled between 1992 and 2002 (from 2.0 to 5.7%). Significant increases were observed for men and women, in urban and rural areas, and for all age groups. In univariate analyses, both age and higher socio-economic status were associated with higher rates of overweight. Using the most recent survey, urban populations were more likely to be overweight than rural ones (odds ratio (OR) = 1.79), white-collar workers were more likely to be overweight than manual labourers (OR = 1.95) and persons in the top level of food expenditures were more likely to be overweight than persons in the bottom level (OR = 4.96) after adjustment for other factors. Education was inversely associated with overweight after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSION: Economic growth and improved standard of living are associated with higher rates of overweight in nations in early stages of economic development. In Vietnam, higher rates of overweight were observed among the higher income and occupation groups.     

Grow-out of sandfish Holothuria scabra in ponds shows that co-culture with shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris is not viable

We examined the potential for producing the large numbers of sandfish (Holothuria scabra) needed for restocking programmes by co-culturing juveniles with the shrimp Litopenaeus stylirostris in earthen ponds. Our experiments in hapas within shrimp ponds were designed to detect any deleterious effects of sandfish on shrimp, and vice versa. These experiments showed that a high stocking density of juvenile sandfish had no significant effects on growth and survival of shrimp. However, survival and growth of sandfish reared with shrimp for 3 weeks were significantly lower than for sandfish reared alone. Increased stocking density of shrimp also had a significant negative effect on survival and/or growth of sandfish. A grow-out trial of juvenile sandfish in 0.2-ha earthen ponds stocked with 20 shrimp post-larvae m^− 2, and densities of sandfish between 0.8 and 1.6 individuals m^− 2, confirmed that co-culture is not viable. All sandfish reared in co-culture were dead or moribund after a month. However, sandfish stocked alone into 0.2-ha earthen ponds survived well and grew to mean weights of ∼ 400 g within 12 months without addition of food. The grow-out trial demonstrated that there is potential for profitable pond farming of sandfish in monoculture. Further research is now needed to identify the optimal size of juveniles, stocking densities and pond management regimes.