Salinity of nutrient solution influences the shelf-life of fresh-cut lettuce grown in floating system

Quality, microbiological and enzymatic characteristics of fresh-cut lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia, ‘Duende’), grown in floating system with three electrical conductivities of nutrient solutions (2.8, 3.8 and 4.8 mS cm^?1), were investigated in order to evaluate the effect of salinity on product shelf-life during cold storage (9 d at 4 °C). Pre-harvest salinity of 3.8 and 4.8 mS cm^?1 improved the properties of fresh-cut lettuce, since CO₂ production was reduced with a subsequent control of the decay process. Fresh-cut processing caused an activation of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase; in all cases the product obtained by salinity treatments was less subject to oxidase activity and browning phenomena during storage. Increased salinity reduced the number of mesophilic bacteria and of moulds and yeasts, assessed by plate counts on different culture media; in contrast, Enterobacteriaceae levels were unaffected by pre-harvest treatments. The research demonstrated that an increase in nutrient solution electrical conductivity, through the use of floating system, affects fresh-cut lettuce characteristics, improving shelf-life of the product.     

Tolerance of benzalkonium chloride, formalin, malachite green, and potassium permanganate in goldfish and zebrafish

OBJECTIVE: To determine tolerance of goldfish and zebrafish to benzalkonium chloride, formalin, malachite green, and potassium permanganate. DESIGN: Tolerance study. ANIMALS: Adult goldfish (Carassius auratus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). PROCEDURES: Groups of fish (n = 10/group) were exposed to each disinfectant at the therapeutic dosage; at 0.25, 0.5, 3, and 5 times the concentration used for the therapeutic dosage; and at the concentration used for the therapeutic dosage but for 3 or 5 times the recommended exposure time. RESULTS: In both species, exposure to malachite green at the therapeutic dosage resulted in toxic effects, including death. Exposure to formalin at the therapeutic dosage resulted in toxic effects in goldfish, but not zebrafish, and exposure to potassium permanganate resulted in toxic effects in zebrafish, but not goldfish. On the basis of the ratio of therapeutic dosage to median lethal dosage, in goldfish, formalin was more toxic than benzalkonium chloride, which was more toxic than malachite green, which was more toxic than potassium permanganate. In zebrafish, potassium permanganate was more toxic than formalin and benzalkonium chloride, which were approximately equally toxic and more toxic than malachite green. Extending treatment time increased the toxicity of potassium permanganate in zebrafish and the toxicity of formalin and malachite green in goldfish, but did not alter the toxicity of the other disinfectants. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that there was no consistency between zebrafish and goldfish in their tolerance to disinfectants, and that therapeutic dosages reported in the literature for these disinfectants were not always safe.     

Characterization of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase activase (Rca) genes in durum wheat

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Durum wheat (T. turgidum L. var. durum) is one of the most widely cultivated cereal crop in the Mediterranean area. Its production has been triggered by...     

Characterization of the anthocyanin fraction of sicilian blood orange juice by micro-HPLC-ESI/MS

Anthocyanins of red orange juices were analyzed by micro-HPLC coupled on-line with an MS detector equipped with an ESI source. The use of microcolumn HPLC greatly enhanced detection performance, allowing direct identification of the anthocyanins present in the orange juices. The use of a soft ionization technique allows detection of the molecular ions of the aglycons. Eight components were identified, five of them for the first time in red orange juice. Three additional anthocyanins were detected, of which only the aglycon was identified.     

TRAP molecular markers as a system for saturation of the genetic map of durum wheat

Target region amplification polymorphism (TRAP) is a relatively new PCR-based technique that detects large numbers of loci in a single reaction without extensive pre-PCR processing of samples. The aim of this study was to integrate TRAP markers in an EST-derived SSR linkage map of a RIL mapping population from the cross of the durum wheat cultivars Ciccio and Svevo, for a more general purpose of establishing a high-throughput system for genetic map saturation. Primer combinations producing PCR products with at least 4–5 polymorphic bands were selected and analyzed across the mapping population. The PCR reactions produced a total of 2,881 fragments with an average of 52 peaks per reaction. A total of 142 new TRAP markers were mapped and found to be randomly distributed in the genome. The total length of the map was 2,043.0 cM, with an average chromosome length of 145.9 cM. Homoeologous group one had the highest number of TRAP markers (38 loci) and the longest map length (407.9 cM) for a total of 87 markers, while the homoeologous group five had the lowest TRAP marker number (5 loci) and the shortest map length (232.5 cM). The distribution of markers among the seven homoeologous groups was random. The results indicate that TRAP is highly efficient in genetic mapping, generating a large number of markers scattered across the genome. This closes many existing gaps in marker coverage and may join otherwise separate linkage groups.     

Effectiveness of Natural Compounds on DNA Damage in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coris julis</Emphasis> (Linneaus 1758) from a Polluted Marine Area

The evaluation of DNA damage in aquatic organisms represents one of the most widely used biomarkers in the assessment and monitoring of marine pollution. Our previous research highlighted the presence of DNA damage in hepatic nuclei and blood cells of Coris julis specimens collected from Augusta harbor (Syracuse, Italy), a site highly polluted. In this work, we investigated on the ability of different natural compounds with antioxidant and immunostimulating properties, such as resveratrol (50 μM, 100 μM), amygdalin (100 μM, 200 μM), and Urtica dioica roots extract (50 and/or 100 μg/ml), in reducing DNA damage of C. julis. Blood cells were analyzed by atypical cellular comet assay. The results confirmed that Augusta specimens are the most damaged and showed that resveratrol, followed by amygdalin and U. dioica roots extract, drastically reduced DNA damage. This finding evidences the effectiveness of three natural compounds for DNA protection suggesting the possible use of feed enriched with antioxidant compounds in aquaculture practices for organisms damaged by natural and anthropic insults.     

Apparent tick paralysis by Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae) in dogs

Certain tick species including Ixodes holocyclus can inoculate neurotoxins that induce a rapid, ascending flaccid paralysis in animals. Rhipicephalus sanguineus, the most widespread tick of dogs, is recognized as a vector of several pathogens causing diseases in dogs and humans. A single report suggests its role as cause of paralysis in dogs. This study presents the clinical history of 14 young dogs heavily infested by R. sanguineus (intensity of infestation, 63-328) in an endemic area of southern Italy. During May to June of 2011, dogs were presented at the clinical examination with neurological signs of different degrees (e.g., hind limb ataxia, generalized lethargy, and difficulty in movements). All animals were treated with acaricides and by manual tick removal but ten of them died within a day, displaying neurological signs. The other 4 dogs recovered within 3 days with acaricidal and supportive treatment. Twelve dogs were positive by blood smear examination for Hepatozoon canis with a high parasitemia, two also for Babesia vogeli and two were negative for hemoparasites. Low-grade thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia, and pancytopenia were the haematological alterations most frequently recorded. Other causes of neurological disease in dogs were excluded and the diagnosis of tick paralysis by R. sanguineus was confirmed (ex juvantibus) by early and complete recovery of 4 dogs following acaricidal treatment and tick removal.     

Effects of compost and defatted oilseed meals as sustainable organic fertilisers on cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) production in the Mediterranean basin

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) is considered as one of the most suitable energy crops for Southern Europe. The aim of this work was to outline the effects of organic fertilisers on the productivity and the global warming potential (GWP) on cardoon production. Six fertilisers (N 100 kg ha^?1, N 50 kg ha^?1, Compost 30 t ha^?1, Compost 15 t ha^?1 + N 25 kg ha^?1, 3 t ha^?1 of defatted oilseed meals of sunflower, 3 t ha^?1 of defatted oilseed meals of Brassica carinata), and unfertilised control, were evaluated on two cultivars (‘Gobbo di Nizza’ and ‘Altilis 41’) in a split-plot experiment. Defatted oilseed meal of sunflower recorded higher total dry weight (+10%), seed yield (+17%), nitrogen use efficiency (+14%) and better GWP (?66%) compared to the other organic fertilisers and performing as well as N 100 kg ha^?1. Altilis 41 cultivar showed the highest aboveground total dry weight (10 t ha^?1 y^?1), seed yield (1.7 t ha^?1 y^?1), stalk dry weight (7 t ha^?1 y^?1) and head dry weight (3 t ha^?1 y^?1). Our results highlighted that by combining suitable cultivar and fertilisation strategies, it could be possible to increase the production sustainability of C. cardunculus.     

Genotypic versus phenotypic identification of staphylococcal species of canine origin with special reference to Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans

A comparative study was performed to examine the respective accuracy of 16S rDNA sequencing and of the commercial biochemical assay ID32 STAPH (bioMérieux, Marcy l'Etoile, France) in the identification of 232 staphylococcal samples representing 20 species and subspecies isolated from 367 dogs. Notable differences in species distribution were observed by comparing genotypic and phenotypic data. Partial sequencing of 16S rDNA resulted in an unambiguous identification of 226 (97.4%) of the isolates, whereas the phenotypic approach resulted in a correct diagnosis of 162 (69.8%) of the isolates. Statistical agreement between genotypic and phenotypic identification of staphylococci was substantial (Kappa coefficient of 0.6-0.8) for Staphylococcus aureus, S. hominis, S. warneri, S. cohnii subsp. urealyticus, and S. simulans, and "almost perfect" (Kappa coefficient of 0.8-1) for S. intermedius, S. epidermidis, S. equorum, S. haemolyticus, S. sciuri, and S. kloosi. No agreement above that expected by chance (Kappa coefficient=0) was observed for S. schleiferi subsp. coagulans, which was either confounded with S. intermedius and S. capitis, or categorized as unacceptable by the biochemical assay. Given the growing importance of this pathogen in veterinary medicine and its frequent misidentification with related staphylococci, a PCR-RFLP approach producing a S. schleiferi-specific restriction profile was developed. This fast and reliable assay represents a valuable tool in assisting in the monitoring of this pathogen.