Changes in photosynthesis,growth, and sugar content of commercial sugarcane cultivars and Erianthus under flood conditions

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an economical crop in the tropical and subtropical countries. However, because of global climate change, flooding has become problematic, particularly during the rainy season, in Thailand. We investigated the effects of floods on three commercial sugarcane cultivars, namely NiF8, U-thong 6 (UT6), and U-thong 9 (UT9), as well as Erianthus spp. Growth was assessed using a pot experiment in a glasshouse with two treatments: (1) control and (2) 60 d of flooding followed by 30 d of normal conditions. In comparison with control, during prolonged flooding, Erianthus showed greatly decreased CO₂ assimilation, whereas NiF8, UT6, and UT9 showed slightly declined CO₂ assimilation. Growth in plants subjected to 60 d of flooding was less influenced by floods while sucrose content was not affected except in UT6. During flooding, some roots died, resulting in plants compensating adventitious roots to offset the negative effects of root death and to assist them in maintaining their growth, which appeared from the submerged nodes, with different characteristics for each cultivar. However, 30 d after draining, roots remained damaged, while adventitious roots died, resulting in lesser growth as compared with the control, but it did not significantly affect sucrose content and sugar yield. This study suggests that sugarcane plants need to produce the adventitious roots to compensate their roots’ death during flooding and require time to recover their root system after flooding for obtaining the optimum yield and quality at harvest.     

Yield estimation of 1-year-old asparagus grown using rootstock-planting forcing culture

Rootstock-planting forcing culture was developed in asparagus to harvest spears even during the seasons when the plants become dormant, but the demand for them high. In this study, cumulative hours during which the air temperature remained lower than 5°C, i.e. chilling hours (CHs), were calculated to determine dormancy breakage for asparagus cultures. We also measured CIELab colour values for cut stems immediately before rootstock digging, and determined whether they could be substituted and/or compensated for CHs while evaluating asparagus plant productivity in different low-temperature backgrounds, and obtained regression equations for yield estimation. Asparagus seedlings were cultivated in seven different regions across Japan and brought to the study site for harvesting. Our regression equation based on CHs and rootstock weight for yield estimation had relatively high fitness (adjusted R² = 0.5795). The colour values of cut stalks at rootstock digging can also be used to evaluate their productivity. These values can be useful in regions where CHs cannot be determined, although their effectiveness was slightly lower than that of CHs of areas adjacent to the study sites.     

ABSORPTION OF RADIO–ACTIVE PHOSPHORUS FROM TAP–AND NODAL ROOTS OF WHITE CLOVER (TRIFOLIUM REPENS L.)

Absorption by the tap-root and by different nodal roots of white clover S100 and translocation of ³²P were investigated to find to what extent nodal roots can compensate for the absence of a tap-root. ³²P absorbed from the tap-root was distributed evenly within the whole plant. When translocation from the 2nd and 7th nodal roots was studied, similar distribution was obtained only from the nodal root closer to the centre of the plant. The backward movement of ³²P absorbed from nodal roots at the base of the plant increased as the root size increased. Removal of tap-roots resulted in temporary depression of translocation; its effect disappeared within 3 weeks.
It is concluded that the ability of nodal roots to compensate for loss of the tap-root depends on their position and size.     

Canine fetal echocardiography: correlations for the analysis of cardiac dimensions

The aim of this study was to develop regression models for correlation of canine fetal heart development with body size to characterize normal development or suggest cardiac anomalies. Twenty clinically healthy pregnant bitches, either brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic, were examined ultrasonographically. Transabdominal fetal echocardiography was conducted every 4 days from the beginning of cardiac chambers differentiation until parturition. Ten cardiac parameters were measured: length, width and diameter of the heart; heart area; left and right ventricular dimensions; left and right atrial dimensions; and aortic and pulmonary artery diameter. Femoral length, biparietal diameter and abdominal cross-sectional area were also recorded. Regression equations were developed for each parameter of fetal body size, and linear and logarithmic models were compared. The model with the highest correlation coefficient was chosen to produce equations to calculate relative dimensions based on the correlations. Only the left-ventricular chamber differed between the two racial groups. Biparietal diameter was the independent parameter that produced the highest correlation coefficient for the most fetal cardiac dimensions, although good correlations were also observed using femoral length and abdominal cross-sectional area. Heart width and heart diameter were used as surrogates of cardiac development, as these measurements showed the best statistical correlation. Quantitative evaluation of fetal cardiac structures can be used to monitor normal and abnormal cardiac development.     

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG SpaC pilin subunit binds to the carbohydrate moieties of intestinal glycoconjugates

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is a well‐established probiotic strain. The beneficial properties of this strain are partially dependent on its prolonged residence in the gastrointestinal tract, and are likely influenced by its adhesion to the intestinal mucosa. The pilin SpaC subunit, located within the Spa pili structure, is the most well studied LGG adhesion factor. However, the binding epitopes of SpaC remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the binding properties of SpaC to the carbohydrate moieties of intestinal glycoconjugates using a recombinant SpaC protein. In a competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, SpaC binding was markedly reduced by addition of purified mucin and the mucin oligosaccharide fraction. Histochemical staining revealed that the binding of SpaC was drastically reduced by periodic acid treatment. Moreover, in the surface plasmon resonance‐based Biacore assay, SpaC bound strongly to the carbohydrate moieties containing β‐galactoside at the non‐reducing terminus of glycolipids. We here provide the first demonstration that SpaC binds to the oligosaccharide chains of mucins, and that the carbohydrate moieties containing β‐galactoside at the non‐reducing termini of glycoconjugates play a crucial role in this binding. Our results demonstrate the importance of carbohydrates of SpaC for mucus interactions.     

Effects of oral administration of colostrum whey in peripartum goat on antimicrobial peptides in postpartum milk

The present study was conducted to examine whether colostrum supplementation in peripartum goats increases the antimicrobial peptides in their milk. Goats were orally administered 2 ml of colostrum whey products (colostrum group) or water (control group) daily, from 2 weeks before until 2 weeks after kidding. Body weights of mothers and kids were measured. Blood, milk, and fecal samples were collected from the mothers, and blood samples were collected from the kids. Concentrations of milk antimicrobial peptides (beta‐defensin, cathelicidin, lactoferrin, S100A7, lactoperoxidase, and immunoglobulin A [IgA]) were determined. IgA and nutritional parameters (glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, ketone bodies, and non‐esterified fatty acids) were also determined in the blood of mothers and kids. Milk IgA and lactoferrin concentrations were higher in the colostrum group than in the control group. Conversely, lower milk concentrations of S100A7 were observed in the colostrum group than that in the control group. Plasma IgA concentrations were higher for kids from the colostrum group than for those from the control group. These results suggest that oral administration of colostrum in pregnant goats increases IgA concentration in postpartum milk, which can subsequently improve the health of their kids.     

Cellular injury and lipid peroxidation induced by hexavalent chromium in isolated rat hepatocytes

In order to elucidate the relationship between cellular injury and lipid peroxidation induced by hexavalent chromium (CrVI), isolated rat hepatocytes treated with any one of scavengers of active oxygen species, antioxidants or antichromium agent were incubated with K2Cr2O7 as CrVI (1 mM Cr). After the incubation, the development of lipid peroxidation was determined as thiobarbituric acid (TBA)-reacting materials in total lipid extracts from the incubated hepatocytes. Cellular injury was observed as a leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from hepatocytes into incubation medium. The contents of reduced glutathione (GSH) in hepatocytes were also assessed. Results obtained were as follows: (1) CrVI facilitated lipid peroxidation in isolated hepatocytes after 20 min of incubation. On the other hand, the cellular injury induced by CrVI was barely observed even after 60 min of incubation. (2) The CrVI-induced lipid peroxidation was inhibited by catalase and mannitol as scavengers of active oxygen species, or N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine and alpha-tocopherol as antioxidants. However the cytotoxicity of CrVI could not be prevented by these chemicals. (3) CrVI depleted the contents of intracellular GSH and diminished the activities of glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) except glutathione peroxidase. (4) The scavengers of active oxygen species and the antioxidants could not prevent the depletion of intracellular GSH induced by CrVI. (6) Ascorbic acid, antichromium agent, prevented all of the lipid peroxidation, the cellular injury and intracellular GSH depletion induced by CrVI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Structural Effects of N-Arylcarbamoylpyrazolines on Calcium Uptake in Rat Brain Synaptosomes

N-Arylcarbamoylpyrazolines with various substituents at the para position of the carbamoyl benzene ring inhibited ATP-dependent Ca²⁺-uptake in synaptosomes prepared from the rat brain. The activity of these compounds was evaluated as log(1/I₅₀), the reciprocal logarithm of half inhibitory concentration, I₅₀ (m ), from the concentration–response curve for the inhibition of Ca²⁺-uptake. Among the compounds tested, methyl 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1-[N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)carbamoyl]-2-pyrazoline-4-carboxylate was the most potent, the I₅₀ value of which as 9·12×10⁻⁷ m . Variations in the activity in terms of log(1/I₅₀) were quantitatively analysed using a substituent parameter, showing that the higher the electron-withdrawing effect of the substituent, the higher was the activity. The substituent effects were similar to those on insecticidal activity against the Americal cockroach. The higher the inhibitory activity against Ca²⁺ uptake, the higher seemed to be the insecticidal activity. Methyl(4S) - 3 - (4 - chlorophenyl) - 4 - methyl - 1 - [N - (4 - chlorophenyl)carbamoyl] - 2 - pyrazoline -4-carboxylate had higher inhibitory activity against Ca²⁺-uptake and higher in-secticidal activity than the R-isomer, but the difference was greater in theCa²⁺-uptake system.     

Quantitative structure—activity studies of insect growth regulators. XI. Stimulation and inhibition of N-acetylglucosamine incorporation in a cultured integument system by substituted N-tert-butyl-N,N′-dibenzoylhydrazines

The ability to stimulate N-acetylglucosamine (GluNAc) incorporation in-vitro of a number of N-tert-butyl-N,N′-dibenzoylhydrazines having various substituents on both phenyl rings was measured in cultured integument excised from the rice stem borer (Chilo suppressalis Walker). The relationship between in-vitro and larvicidal potency was approximately linear. The substituent effects on variations in the potency were similar between in-vitro and larvicidal activities. An inhibitor of oxidative detoxication, piperonyl butoxide, had no synergistic effects on the in-vitro potency. The ability of some dibenzoylhydrazines to inhibit GluNAc incorporation at exposure periods longer than the optimum for stimulation was also measured in a similar cultured integument system. The relationship between the inhibitory and stimulatory potency indices was linear, indicating that the larvicidal activity of dibenzoylhydrazines is closely related to its ability to stimulate as well as to inhibit GluNAc incorporation into the larval cuticle.     

Preparation, characterization, and antioxidative effects of oligomeric proanthocyanidin-L-cysteine complexes

Controlled acid-catalyzed degradation of proanthocyanidin polymers in grape seeds together with L-cysteine led to oligomeric proanthocyanidin-L-cysteine complexes along with monomeric flavan-3-ol derivatives being isolated, and their structures were confirmed on the basis of spectroscopic data and by chemical means. In addition, comparative studies on the antioxidative and survival effects of oligomeric proanthocyanidin-L-cysteine complexes and proanthocyanidin polymers were performed. The oligomeric proanthocyanidin-L-cysteine complexes showed higher bioavailability and antioxidant capacity and enhanced survival time in the animal test groups. In addition, it is suggested that the oligomeric complexes may help to prevent oxidative stress and may reduce free radical production.