Regulation of taste-active components of meat by dietary leucine

1. Regulation of meat taste is one effective method for improvement of meat quality. In this study, effects of dietary leucine (Leu) content on taste-active components, especially free glutamate (Glu), in meat were investigated. 2. Broiler chickens (28 d old) were fed on diets with graded dietary Leu content (100, 130 or 150% of Leu requirement in NRC, 1994) for 10 d before marketing. Taste-active components of meat (free amino acids and ATP metabolites) and sensory score of meat soup were estimated. 3. Free Glu content, the main taste-active component of meat, was significantly increased by dietary Leu. Compared with the Leu 130% group, free Glu was increased by 17% in the Leu 100% group. Free Glu of meat tended to decrease in the Leu 150% group. In contrast, inosine monophosphate content in meat did not change among all groups. 4. Sensory evaluation of meat soup from the Leu 100 and 150% groups showed that they had different meat tastes. Sensory scores of overall preference, umami taste and chicken-like taste were significantly higher in the Leu 100% group. 5. These results suggest that dietary Leu content is a regulating factor of free Glu in meat. Decreasing dietary Leu induces an increase in the free Glu content of meat and improves meat taste.     

Temporal shifts in diversity and quantity of nirS and nirK in a rice paddy field soil

Denitrification is an important part of the nitrogen cycle in the environment, and diverse bacteria, archaea, and fungi are known to have denitrifying ability. Rice paddy field soils have been known to have strong denitrifying activity, but the microbes responsible for denitrification in rice paddy field soils are not well known. Present study analyzed the diversity and quantity of the nitrite reductase genes (nirS and nirK) in a rice paddy field soil, sampled four times in one rice-growing season. Clone library analyses suggested that the denitrifier community composition varied over sampling time. Although many clones were distantly related to the known NirS or NirK, some clones were related to the NirS from Burkholderiales and Rhodocyclales bacteria, and some were related to the NirK from Rhizobiales bacteria. These denitrifiers may play an important role in denitrification in the rice paddy field soil. The quantitative PCR results showed that nirK was more abundant than nirS in all soil samples, but the nirK/nirS ratio decreased after water logging. These results suggest that both diversity and quantity changed over time in the rice paddy field soil, in response to the soil condition.     

Community structure of bacteria on different types of mineral particles in a sandy soil

Various types of mineral particles in a soil probably provide different microenvironments for microorganisms. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether different types of mineral in a soil harbor different bacterial populations. DNA was extracted from five types (quartz, feldspar, pyroxene, magnetite, iron-coated reddish brown particles) of sand-size mineral particles separated from a sandy soil, and was amplified for partial 16 S rRNA gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Twenty-nine to 69 amplicons per each type of mineral were cloned and sequenced, followed by phylogenetic affiliation of the sequences. As a result, some types of bacteria were detected on all of the types of mineral including the orders Rhizobiales, Bacillales, and Acidobacteriales. In the case of Acidobacteriales, higher percentages were found on magnetite and quartz. Some taxa were restricted to specific types of mineral; the class Actinobacteria was found on pyroxene but not on quartz, and rarely on magnetite and feldspar. Bacterial diversity at the order level estimated by Chao1 value was higher in feldspar and pyroxene than the other three types of mineral. The UniFrac Significance test indicated that the differences in bacterial communitiy structures among the particles were suggestive except that between feldspar and pyroxene. These results support the idea that different communities of bacteria were associated with each of the mineral types.     

Potassium behavior and clay mineral composition in the soil with low effectiveness of potassium application

ABSTRACT

Increasing exchangeable potassium (ExK) content in soil to an appropriate level is important to mitigate the transfer of radioactive cesium to crops. We focused on a buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) field with a low ExK content, despite the application of K, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (Field A), following the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Dai-ichi (No. 1) Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011. We examined the relationship between K concentration and clay mineral composition in the soil of Field A and compared the findings with another field in Fukushima Prefecture (Field B) to clarify whether K applied to the soil was leached or remaining fixed. Pot experiments showed that K concentration in water seepage from pots following irrigation was significantly lower in pots from Field A than in those from Field B. Soil ExK content after soybean cultivation was lower in soils of Field A than those of Field B. These results indicate that K applied to Field A was fixed in the soil. Analysis of clay mineral composition confirmed the distinctive vermiculitic nature of Field A soils. This clay mineralogy would be associated with the higher K fixation ability of Field A than Field B soils. This study demonstrated that K fixation in vermiculite was a factor preventing the increase in ExK content from K application to Field A.     

Dietary apigenin suppresses IgE and inflammatory cytokines production in C57BL/6N mice

Flavonoids ubiquitously exist in plants, vegetables, fruits, and teas. We evaluated the effect of dietary apigenin, one of the well-known flavonoids, on the immune system in C57BL/6N mice. Mice were fed experimental diets containing apigenin for 2 weeks. After the experimental period, there was no significant difference in body and organ weights between the control and the apigenin group. The total immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels in mice fed apigenin were significantly suppressed, whereas levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA were not affected. We also examined the effect of the apigenin diet on cytokine expression in mice sera using a cytokine array. The production of regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFRI) in mice sera was down-regulated by the apigenin diet. These results suggest that a diet containing apigenin can reduce serum IgE and inflammatory cytokines such as RANTES and sTNFRI in mice.     

Influences of indigenous phototrophs on methane emissions from a straw-amended paddy soil

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the influences of indigenous phototrophs on methane (CH₄) emissions from a paddy soil where rice straw was incorporated or was surface-applied. During the cultivation, half of the pots were covered with aluminum foil, except for the minimum space for rice plants, to prevent ambient light reaching the floodwater or the soil surface. Growth of oxygen-producing phototrophs was hardly observed in the unilluminated plots, whereas intensive growth of algae, duckweed and hydrophytes was found in the illuminated ones. Plant growth was not affected by the different treatments. Seasonal changes in CH₄ emission determined by a closed chamber method indicated that illumination had no or only minor effects on CH₄ emissions when rice straw was incorporated or was not applied, but significantly reduced CH₄ emissions when rice straw was surface-applied. Methanogenesis occurring in the soil-floodwater interface was further investigated in two lab-scale model experiments measuring methanogenic activity. As a result, more activated methanogenesis was found in the surface-applied rice straw and the soil around the straw compared with the soil incubated without rice straw. The magnitude of the methanogenic activity in the rice straw incubated under illuminated conditions was significantly lower than that incubated in the dark. Consequently, this study demonstrates that methanogenesis in paddy soil occurs even in the soil-floodwater interface if plant residues like rice straw exist, and such methanogenesis is likely to be suppressed by growth of indigenous phototrophs under illumination.     

Characterization of mutations in the two-component histidine kinase gene that confer fludioxonil resistance and osmotic sensitivity in the os-1 mutants of Neurospora crassa

Osmotic-sensitive (os-1) mutant alleles in Neurospora crassa exhibit resistance to dicarboximides, aromatic hydrocarbons and phenylpyrroles. We have previously reported that the os-1 mutants can be classified into two groups based on their resistance to fungicides and osmotic stress: type I, which are highly resistant to iprodione and fludioxonil but moderately sensitive to osmotic stress, and type II, which are highly sensitive to osmotic stress but moderately resistant to fungicides. To explain the mechanism of resistance to these fungicides, we cloned and sequenced the mutant os-1 genes that encode putative osmo-sensing histidine kinase. Within the os-1 gene product (Os1p), the type I strains, NM233t and Y256M209, carried a stop codon at amino acid position 308 and a frameshift at amino acid position 294, respectively. These mutation sites were located on the upstream of histidine kinase and the response regulator domains of Os1p, strongly suggesting that type I strains are null mutants. The null mutants, NM233t and Y256M209, were highly resistant to iprodione and fludioxonil; thus Os1p is essential for these fungicides to express their antifungal activity. The amino acid changes in Os1p, 625Pro from Leu, 578Val from Ala, and 580Arg from Gly were found in the type II strains, M16, M155-1 and P5990, respectively. Os1p is novel in having six tandem repeats of 90 amino acids in the N terminal. Each amino acid change of the type II strains was located on the fifth unit of six tandem repeats. Type II strains with single amino acid changes were more sensitive to osmotic stress than the null mutants (type I), indicating that the amino acid repeats of Os1p were responsible for an important function in osmo-regulation.     

PCR detection of Porcine circovirus type 2 DNA in whole blood,serum, oropharyngeal swab,nasal swab,and feces from experimentally infected pigs and field cases

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) shedding patterns were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of PCV2 DNA, and the diagnostic suitability of a sample for the PCR was examined by using different types of samples. In the experimental infection, sixteen pigs were inoculated intranasally with PCV2. The samples, including oropharyngeal and nasal swabs, feces, whole blood and serum became positive for PCV2 DNA by PCR immediately after the inoculation, and almost all samples remained positive during the observation period, post-inoculation-day 70. Field samples were collected from 313 pigs in five different age groups. The overall percentages of positive samples in the whole blood, nasal swabs, and feces detected by PCR were 30.4%, 19.2%, and 20.4%, respectively. The frequency of positive samples increased after the nursery stages and reached a peak in the 3 to 4-month-old pigs. These results indicate that PCV2 infection may occur after weaning, that PCV2 DNA may be present in whole blood for a long period after infection, and that whole blood and serum are the most suitable sample types for the PCR analysis of PCV2.     

Effect of dietary astaxanthin rich yeast,Phaffia rhodozyma,on meat quality of broiler chickens

We evaluated effects of dietary supplementation with astaxanthin (Ax)‐rich yeast, Phaffia rhodozyma (Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous), on broiler chicken meat quality. Fourteen‐day‐old female Ross broilers were divided into three groups: control group, Ax‐free diet; Ax 10 group, 10 mg/kg Ax diet; and Ax 20 group, 20 mg/kg Ax diet for 28 days. At 42 days old, chickens were slaughtered, and then growth performance, meat quality and sensory attributes were analyzed. Compared with the control, a* values increased significantly after slaughter and 48 h postmortem for Ax 20 samples (P < 0.05) and for b* values in Ax 20 and Ax 10 groups (P < 0.05). Cooking loss decreased in the Ax 20 group (P < 0.05). After 120 h aging, contents of several free amino acids and total free amino acid content of Ax 20 group were significantly higher than the control (P < 0.05). In sensory evaluation, meat texture attributes improved significantly in the Ax 20 group (P < 0.01). No significant changes occurred in flavor attribute scores of meat soup from the Ax 20 group compared with the control even though most assessors preferred meat soup from the Ax 20 group. Overall, Ax‐rich yeast in the diet improves broiler chicken meat quality.     

Balenine,imidazole dipeptide,induces activation of superoxide dismutase in myotubes

Balenine is one of the endogenous imidazole dipeptides. It is composed of beta-alanine and 3-methyl-l-histidine, which exist mainly in the muscles and the brain. The exact biological properties of balenine are still not well known, although the antioxidant activity of carnosine, another imidazole dipeptide, is known. In this study we investigated whether balenine exhibits antioxidant activity. It was found to decrease the superoxide anion (O₂⁻) and increased hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) generation. We found that SOD activity increased in balenine-treated C2C12 myotubes, although balenine did not increase expression of SOD mRNA. On the other hand, there were no changes in other antioxidant enzymes, CAT and GPX activity, and mRNA levels. In an in vitro assay, the direct activation of SOD treated by balenine was significantly higher than with carnosine treatment. Moreover, balenine constituent amino acids did not have the ability to activate SOD. Our results suggest that balenine contributes to antioxidant effects through activation of SOD.