Oxidant related biochemical traits are significant indices in triticale grain yield under drought stress condition

Two separate experiments, one as drought stress conditions and the other one as the normal irrigation conditions based on randomized complete block design with three replications were implemented to examine 20 triticale (Triticoseclae wittamack X) genotypes of which 19 genotypes have recently been generated by crossing different parent lines and the other one was Javaniloo, a common cultivar. Based on the results of different statistical techniques and comparing relationships among traits for normal irrigation and stress condition, enzymatic antioxidant could be used as criteria for screening tolerant genotypes of triticale. On the other hand, it is pointed out that superoxide dismutase are the most important criteria to achieve higher tolerant genotypes through indirect selection. Furthermore, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde content having high relationship with rain yield are also the different possible criteria for screening triticale genotypes for water stress conditions in which genotypes with lower content of these traits could be screened.     

How does light availability affect the aboveground biomass allocation and leaf morphology of saplings in temperate mixed deciduous forests?

New Forests - Light is the most important physical variable that affects patterns of biomass allocation. A quantitative understanding of biomass allocation patterns is crucial to quantifying...     

Correction to: How does light availability affect the aboveground biomass allocation and leaf morphology of saplings in temperate mixed deciduous forests?

New Forests - The original version of this article was inadvertently published without the acknowledgements section.     

Effect of rumen‐protected choline and methionine on physiological and metabolic disorders and reproductive indices of dairy cows

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding different levels of ruminally protected methionine and choline on the incidence of physiological and metabolic disorders, production, and some of the reproductive indices of Holstein dairy cows. Forty Holstein dairy cows in their first and second lactation were used from 4‐week pre‐partum through 20‐week post‐partum and randomly assigned to receive one of the following treatments: 18 g/day of rumen‐protected methionine (RPM), 60 g/day of rumen‐protected choline (RPC), 18 g/day of RPM + 60 g/day of RPC, and neither supplement (control). The treatments significantly affected services per conception and open days of lactating dairy cows (p < 0.05), but did not affect significantly on days to first oestrus and number of pregnant cows. RPM + RPC‐fed cows had the lowest open days, days to first oestrus and services per conception compared with other groups. The effect of treatments was significant on the incidence of metabolic and physiological problems except for foot/leg problems. Cows fed RPM+RPC had the lowest health problems compared with other groups (p < 0.05). Results indicate that the supplementation of RPM and RPC can improve reproductive performance and health status of dairy cows.     

A review of phytotherapy of acne vulgaris: Perspective of new pharmacological treatments

Aim

This review focuses on plants currently used and those with a high potency for the future development of anti-acne products.

Methods

All relevant literature databases were searched up to 25 March 2011. The search terms were plant, herb, herbal therapy, phytotherapy, and acne, acne vulgaris and anti-acne. All of the human, animal, and in vitro studies, and reviews were included. Anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-androgen effects were the key outcomes.

Results

Studies on cell lines revealed that flavonoid, alkaloid, essential oil, phenol and phenolic compound, tannin, xanthone and xanthone derivative, and the bisnaphthquione derivative are effective in treatment of acne. Animal studies showed that diterpene acid, phenylpropanoid glycosides, acteoside and flavonoids have anti-inflammatory activity. Eleven human studies revealed that Camellia sinensis has 5α-reductase inhibitory and anti-inflammatory activities. Also anti-bacterial effect was shown by oleoresin of Commiphora mukul.

Conclusion

In addition to the standardization of these herbs, screening herbs as anti-acne agents may help to find new sources of therapy for acne.     

Cow-specific risk factors for retained placenta,metritis and clinical mastitis in Holstein cows

The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between cow-specific risk factors and the lactational incidence risks of retained placenta (RP), metritis (MET) and clinical mastitis (CM) in 57,301 dairy cows on 20 large dairy herds in Iran between January 2005 and June 2009. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors for MET, RP and CM and quantify their odds ratio (OR). The lactational incidences of MET, RP and CM were 8%, 5.2% and 18.9%, respectively, and significant risk factors for MET were dystocia (OR = 4.32), stillbirth (OR = 6.26), RP (OR = 27.74), twin births (OR = 6.57), primiparity (OR = 1.68), calving during winter season (OR = 2.45) and male calves (OR = 2.41). Significant risk factors for RP were dystocia (OR = 3.17), stillbirth (OR = 3.18), abortion (OR = 8.46), milk fever (OR = 3.66), twin births (OR = 2.76), pluriparity (OR = 2.69), calving during winter season (OR = 1.86) and shorter gestation length of dairy cows (OR = 3.82). Also, significant risk factors for CM were RP (OR = 9.45), milk fever (OR = 12.36), pluriparity (OR = 2.83), calving during winter season (OR = 1.68) and the first months of lactation (P < 0.001)) and SCC concentrations at previous lactation (OR = 1.82). The current study indicates that differentiation can be made among cows in the risk of having MET, RP and CM based on a combination of cow factors. These differences among cows could be useful to aid the better detection of these diseases in the dairy herds.     

Presence of β-glucanase activity in wheat and dairy ingredients and use of organic salts as potential enzyme inhibitors

Depolymerization of mixed linkage cereal β-glucans has been observed during the mixing and fermentation of multigrain breads. To maintain the bioactivity of β-glucans in bread and other foods, control of β-glucanase activity during production is needed. β-Glucanase activity in wheat and dairy ingredients was determined by adding them to β-glucan solutions and following the change in the molecular weight of β-glucan at 50 °C for 60 min. The activities in six wheat and six dairy ingredients ranged from undetectable to a 98% reduction in molecular weight. Calcium propionate, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate are salts of organic acids commonly used as food preservatives. Low concentrations of these additives (0.1–1.0%) were found to have an inhibitory effect on the β-glucanases found in wheat flour and whey protein isolate. The depolymerization rate of β-glucan was reduced by up to 76% by the three additives.     

Assessment of different wheat genotypes with altered genetic background in response to different salinity levels

This experiment was conducted in a glasshouse at the Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Zarghan, Iran, in 2016. Sixteen wheat genotypes were compared under four salinity levels [control, 50, 100, and 150 mM sodium chloride (NaCl)] in terms of grain yield, chlorophyll (SPAD), flag leaf area, Na⁺/K⁺ ratio, catalase, and peroxidase activities in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Overall, results indicated that apparently no single parameter or a specific group of parameters could be suggested as factors of the most responsive element to different salinity stress levels. In other words, the tolerance mechanism of wheat genotypes is a complex response of multiple factors as a network path. Furthermore, different salinity levels led to different responses of wheat genotypes, which were detectable by the results of the mean comparison and analysis of variance. These results also proved the influential effects of the genetic background on salinity response and tolerance of wheat genotypes. In addition, antioxidants acting as defense barriers against reactive oxygen species are very important constituents against salinity, since higher antioxidant activity leads to alleviate the oxidative stress caused by salinity. Higher osmolyte concentration regulating the selective uptake of useful ions can prevent excess accumulation of toxic ions, which contribute to salinity stress damages. A high variation related to the measured traits in this study under both normal and salinity stress conditions was achieved, which could be applied in screening and breeding programs for salinity stress tolerance. Moreover, the responses of different genotypes varied regarding the different traits; SU-0129 as a novel genotype has proved to be the best choice for further breeding research based on the overall traits and, in particular, grain yield and tolerance stress index.     

Stabilizing behavior of soy soluble polysaccharide or high methoxyl pectin in soy protein isolate emulsions at low pH

The stability of emulsions prepared with soy protein isolates was investigated as a function of pH in the presence of two negatively charged polysaccharides: high methoxyl pectin (HMP) and soy soluble polysaccharide (SSPS). Both polysaccharides are composed of a backbone which contains galacturonic acid but, when added to soy protein isolate-stabilized emulsions, SSPS showed a different behavior than that of HMP. At neutral pH and above a critical concentration of stabilizer (0.05%), HMP caused flocculation of the emulsion droplets via a depletion mechanism. On the other hand, the emulsions containing a similar amount of SSPS did not show creaming or flocculation. At acidic pH (<4.0) the addition of pectin caused extensive droplet aggregation, while no aggregation was observed with the addition of SSPS. The differences in the stabilization behavior between the two polysaccharides can be attributed to their differences in charge, neutral sugars side chains, and molecular weight.     

Additive biomass equations for small diameter trees of temperate mixed deciduous forests

The carbon stored in small diameter trees of temperate forests has been ignored in most studies and there is a lack of biomass equations for this component of forests. We harvested nine main tree species at sapling stage (dbh?相似文献