Production of Interesting Peptide Fractions by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Tuna Dark Muscle By-Product Using Alcalase

ABSTRACT

A protein hydrolysate was prepared from proteins of tuna dark muscle by-product. The hydrolysis conditions (time, temperature, pH, and enzyme concentration) using Alcalase was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The regression coefficient close to 1.0, observed during experimental and validation runs, indicated the validity of the model. The hydrolysate produced under the optimum conditions determined by RSM has a low rate of peptide fraction of molecular weight of 4–1 kDa. Meanwhile, the results obtained by hydrolysis under optimal conditions determined by a complementary study (temperature 55°C, time 60 min, 1% enzyme concentration, and pH 8.5) show that the hydrolysate produced has a height rate of the peptide fraction of molecular weight of 4–1 kDa. The amino acid composition of the protein hydrolysate prepared proved to have the potential for application as an ingredient in balanced fish diets and as a source of nitrogen in microbial growth media.     

Cardiopulmonary effects of epidurally administered xylazine in the horse

This study was designed to determine whether the epidural administration of an alpha2 agonist, xylazine, would produce measurable changes in arterial blood pressure, electrocardiographic (ECG) activity and arterial blood gas values in horses. Six horses were given each of four treatments: epidural xylazine, intravenous xylazine, epidural lidocaine and epidural saline. A carotid artery catheter was used to measure arterial blood pressure and to collect samples for blood gas analysis before treatment and at intervals post treatment. Heart rate, arterial pressures, ECG activity and respiratory rate were recorded at the same intervals. No significant changes were recorded between time intervals or between individual treatments. It was concluded that this method of xylazine administration to horses produced potent caudal analgesia without measurable cardiopulmonary effects.     

Planetary radio astronomy observations from voyager 2 near saturn

Planetary radio astronomy measurements obtained by Voyager 2 near Saturn have added further evidence that Saturnian kilometric radiation is emitted by a strong dayside source at auroral latitudes in the northern hemisphere and by a weaker source at complementary latitudes in the southern hemisphere. These emissions are variable because of Saturn's rotation and, on longer time scales, probably because of influences of the solar wind and Dione. The electrostatic discharge bursts first discovered by Voyager 1 and attributed to emissions from the B ring were again observed with the same broadband spectral properties and an episodic recurrence period of about 10 hours, but their occurrence frequency was only about 30 percent of that detected by Voyager 1. While crossing the ring plane at a distance of 2.88 Saturn radii, the spacecraft detected an intense noise event extending to above 1 megahertz and lasting about 150 seconds. The event is interpreted to be a consequence of the impact, vaporization, and ionization of charged, micrometer-size G ring particles distributed over a vertical thickness of about 1500 kilometers.     

Coprological analyses on apparently healthy Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex) from two Swiss colonies

To provide baseline parasitological data for health surveillance in free-ranging Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex), we assessed the endoparasite population and level of parasitism in apparently healthy ibex. Faecal samples from 148 ibex were collected between 2006 and 2008 in two different Swiss ibex colonies. They were analysed by coprology, including combined sedimentation/flotation method, sedimentation method, Baermann funnel technique and Ziehl-Neelsen staining. Gastrointestinal parasites and lungworms were identified in 100% and 81.8% of the examined animals, respectively. Highest prevalences were recorded for gastrointestinal strongylids other than Nematodirus/Marshallagia spp. (100%), Eimeria spp. (100%), Muellerius spp. (79.8%) and Nematodirus/Marshallagia spp. (79.0%). We report for the first time Cryptosporidium sp. in free-ranging Alpine ibex and Cystocaulus spp. in free-ranging ibex from Switzerland. On average, ibex were infected with 3.9 different parasites taxa (range: 1-8). Parasite prevalence and diversity varied significantly between sexes, study sites and seasons. Parasite egg output was low in 95.7% and moderate in 5.3% of the samples. Overall, the results indicate that Alpine ibex are widely infected with endoparasites and suggest that multiple infections are very common in apparently healthy populations. Furthermore, our data underline the potential influence of factors such as sex, study site and season on parasitological findings.     

Preliminary evaluation of serial (18) FDG-PET/CT to assess response to toceranib phosphate therapy in canine cancer

Palladia(TM) (toceranib phosphate-Pfizer Animal Health) is a novel orally administered receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) approved for treatment of canine mast cell tumors. Receptor tyrosine kinase dysregulation leads to tumor growth, progression, and metastasis. Toceranib's targets include vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR-2/Flk-1/KDR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor, and kit. Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) is used commonly to diagnose, prognosticate, and monitor response to antineoplastic therapy in human patients. In this study, serial PET/CT imaging with (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18) FDG) was used to assess response to toceranib therapy in dogs with measurable solid malignancies. Six tumor-bearing dogs underwent tumor assessment using both standard RECIST criteria and PET/CT prior to and at a median of 5 weeks postinitiation of toceranib treatment. Toceranib was prescribed initially at a target dose 3.25 mg/kg PO q48 h, with subsequent modifications based on observed toxicity. Treatment was continued in patients achieving stable disease with acceptable drug tolerance. One dog was maintained on drug despite dose modification due to toxicity; measurable clinical and image-based responses were seen after 10 weeks of therapy. All others had stable or progressive disease based on clinical restaging and PET/CT at first recheck. . Due to discordance with anatomic and metabolic imaging, further studies are needed to investigate the role of molecular imaging in assessment of drug response and identify other potential molecular targets of toceranib.     

Phenotypic plasticity in the morphology of small benthic Icelandic Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)

Intraspecific phenotypic diversity is the raw material for evolution, so understanding its origin and maintenance is critically important for conservation of biodiversity. Intraspecific diversity in a trait or a suite of traits can result from genetic diversity and/or phenotypic plasticity. The two are, however, not independent as plasticity has been shown to evolve. In this study, we evaluated the importance of phenotypic plasticity in generating morphological diversity in populations of small benthic Arctic charr in Iceland, using a rearing experiment with contrasting modes of feeding. We also examined the association between phenotypic plasticity in offspring groups generated by the contrasting feeding modes and important ecological variables characterising the natural habitats of the respective populations. Although the level of plasticity could not be related to any of the ecological measurements, clear differences in morphological reaction norms among populations suggest that plasticity is an important aspect of morphological diversity of the charr. It is not clear whether that plasticity is adaptive, but it is notable that reaction norms in all populations have similar reaction to the treatments.     

Interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and mycorrhizosphere bacteria during mineral weathering: Budget analysis and bacterial quantification

The impact of ectomycorrhizal fungi or rhizosphere bacteria on tree seedling growth and nutrient uptake is well known. However, few studies have combined those microorganisms in one experiment to clarify their relative contribution and interactions in nutrient acquisition. Here, we monitored the respective contributions of pine roots, two ubiquitous forest ectomycorrhizal fungi Scleroderma citrinum and Laccaria bicolor, and two S. citrinum-mycorrhizosphere bacterial strains of Burkholderia glathei and Collimonas sp., on mineral weathering, nutrient uptake, and plant growth. Pinus sylvestris plants were grown on quartz–biotite substrate and inoculated or not with combinations of mycorrhizal fungi and/or bacterial strains. Magnesium and potassium fluxes were measured and nutrient budgets were calculated. Both ectomycorrhizal fungi significantly increased Mg plant uptake. No significant effects of the two bacterial strains were detected on the K and Mg budgets, but co-inoculating the mycorrhizal fungus S. citrinum and the efficient mineral-weathering B. glathei bacterial strain significantly improved the Mg budget. Similarly, co-inoculating S. citrinum with the Collimonas sp. bacterial strain significantly improved the pine biomass compared to non-inoculated pine plants. In order to better understand this process, we monitored the survival of the inoculated bacterial strains in the quartz–biotite substrate, the pine rhizosphere, and the mycorrhizal niche. The results showed that the two bacterial strains harboured different colonization behaviours both of which depended on the presence of the ectomycorrhizal partner. The populations of the Burkholderia strain were maintained in all these environments with a significantly higher density in the mycorrhizal niche, especially of S. citrinum. In contrast the population of the Collimonas strain reached the detection level except in the treatment inoculated with S. citrinum. These results highlight the need for taking into account the ecology of the microorganisms, and more specifically the fungal–bacterial interactions, when studying mineral weathering and plant nutrition.     

Expression of PDGFR-β and Kit in canine anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinoma using tissue immunohistochemistry

Canine anal sac apocrine gland adenocarcinoma (ASAGAC) is an uncommon but highly invasive and metastatic malignancy. Toceranib phosphate (Palladia) is a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor that targets several members of the split kinase RTK family. These membrane receptors are important for cell cycling, apoptosis and angiogenesis, all of which can contribute to carcinogenesis. The objective of this study was to evaluate archived, paraffin-embedded canine ASAGAC and normal canine anal sacs for immunohistochemical detection of Kit and platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFR-β). Two of 77 neoplasms (2.6%) expressed Kit. Fifteen of the neoplasms (19.5%) were positive for PDGFR-β expression. None of the normal canine anal sac epithelium expressed Kit or PDGFR-β. Because of these results, further investigation should be considered to determine the role of RTKs in the clinical course and treatment of canine ASAGAC.