Identification and quantification of anthocyanins in different coloured cultivars of ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC)

Anthocyanins are responsible for the colour of many fruits, vegetables, flowers, and coloured-leaved trees. Ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC) is widely cultivated for its colourful inner leaves. To investigate the relationship between the degree of colouration and anthocyanin distribution, content, and composition in ornamental kale, the authors studied the pigment characteristics of five cultivars with different coloured leaves (white, pink, red, purple, and purple-black). Microscopy observation, spectrophotometer, and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis of fresh inner leaves revealed that pink, red, and purple colourations were associated with high levels of anthocyanin, while purple-black was the result of the combination of anthocyanins and chlorophyll. In the coloured cultivars, anthocyanins were abundant mainly in the first and second cell layers below the epidermis in both the hypocotyls and inner leaves. No anthocyanin was found in the white-leaved phenotype cultivar. Anthocyanin content increased as leaf colour deepened from pink, red, to purple cultivars, which had little chlorophyll and carotenoid. The authors identified eight anthocyanins in the four coloured cultivars, including one non-acylated, four monoacylated, and three diacylated cyanidin glycosides. Cyanidin-3-(sinapoyl)(feruloyl)-diglucoside-5-glucoside was the most abundant anthocyanin in the four coloured cultivars followed by cyanidin-3-(sinapoyl)-diglucoside-5-glucoside. The analysis of anthocyanin accumulation characterisation provides important information on evaluating colouration patterns in coloured plants, and will be helpful for breeding desired leaf colours in ornamental kale.     

芝麻的核型与系统演化

对１０份粒色不同的栽培和野生芝麻的染色体组型研究表明，栽培芝麻染色体数目一致，核型基本相同：２ｎ＝２６＝１２ｍ＋１２Ｓｍ＋２Ｓｔ随着粒色的变浅，核型的不对称性加强，有两对随体染色体。野生芝麻核型与栽培芝麻相似：２ｎ＝２６＝１２ｍ＋１２Ｓｍ（４ＳＡＴ）染色体数目有２ｎ＝２６，２ｎ＝３２，２ｎ＝５８或２ｎ＝６４．芝麻可能是由对称核型向不对称核型演化，其趋势为：野生（２ｎ＝２６）－黑粒－褐袜－黄粒－白粒     

Sex‐dependent responses of perch to changes in water clarity and temperature

Rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency of lakes have strong wide ranging effects on fish. Fish responses to various changes in the environment are usually species‐dependent, but responses may also vary within species. In general, large individuals are considered to be more sensitive to environmental variation due to higher energy demand, than smaller individuals. Similarly, large individuals require more food to maintain bodily functions and are thus more sensitive to resource and food scarcity. These size‐specific responses to environmental gradients are also sex‐dependent in species that exhibit sexual size dimorphism (SSD). We studied in enclosures with short‐term experiments how rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency regulate the feeding rates of female and male European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.). To explore experimental results, we calculated perch SSD in nine lakes with varying environmental conditions using previously collected field data. The results of the experiments revealed that the combined effect of water transparency and temperature on the feeding rate of fish is gender‐dependent: feeding rate of females decreased more than that of males. The experimental results were also supported by field data that revealed a negative relation between water transparency and the magnitude of SSD in perch. Our results suggest that rising temperatures and decreasing water transparency may potentially decrease fish size in a sex‐dependent manner. As female size is one of the main demographic traits determining the reproductive success of a fish population, changing environments may have unexpected and far‐reaching consequences on fish population dynamics.     

采前高浓度赤霉素处理对贵妃芒果色泽发育的抑制效应

以10年生贵妃芒果树为实验材料,研究不同浓度（0、0.5g/L、1.0g/L、2.0g/L、3.0g/L）赤霉素（GA3）处理果树对采后芒果果实色泽变化的影响。于果树的盛花期、幼果期和果实膨大期三次进行GA3喷洒处理。结果表明：与对照组相比,不同浓度的赤霉素处理对果皮色度a*值均具有明显影响,浓度越高,抑制a*值增大的效果越显著;赤霉素处理可以显著抑制果皮叶绿素(Chl)的降解,降低类胡萝卜素及花青素的合成;高浓度赤霉素对叶绿素酶（Chlase）、查尔酮异构酶(CHI)活性增加、5-氨基乙酰脱氢酶(ALAD)活性的降低具有明显的抑制效果。综上表明：采前GA3处理可以抑制采后贵妃芒果果皮色泽的转变, 浓度越高对果皮转色的抑制效果越显著。     

薏苡紫色柱头性状的遗传分析

为研究薏苡紫色柱头性状的遗传规律,利用4份材料做亲本构建4个杂交组合,观察并记录其F 1、F 2植株的性状特征和分离比例。结果显示,紫色柱头相对于白色为显性,各F 2群体植株的柱头颜色分离比皆符合3∶1比例,说明紫色柱头是由1对显性等位基因控制。     

三角帆蚌HcTyr基因内壳色性状相关SNP筛选及图谱定位

为研究三角帆蚌HcTyr基因与内壳色性状的相关性,本实验根据已分离的三角帆蚌HcTyr基因进行引物设计和片段扩增,并用144只三角帆蚌对其多态性进行筛选和验证,卡方检验分析了SNP位点和三角帆蚌内壳色相关性,并对HcTyr基因进行了图谱定位。结果显示,在HcTyr基因上筛选出8个SNP位点,其中有7个SNP位点与三角帆蚌内壳色L、a及d E呈显著相关性,用这7个SNP位点做单倍型构建和分析,发现Ⅱ、Ⅲ及Ⅳ这3种单倍型在白色群体中出现的频率极显著高于在紫色群体中出现的频率,而Ⅴ和Ⅶ这2两种单倍型在紫色群体中出现的频率极显著高于白色群体。进一步在商业养殖群体中验证发现,Ⅳ和Ⅶ这2种单倍型可分别作为白色和紫色群体的优势单倍型。研究表明,三角帆蚌HcTyr基因可作为内壳色相关的候选基因,其部分SNP位点可用于三角帆蚌分子辅助育种。另外本实验还将HcTyr基因定位在三角帆蚌LG16连锁群上,这为进一步解析该基因调控珍珠颜色形成的分子机制奠定了基础。     

Quality characteristics in raw and smoked fillets of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, fed high-energy diets

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar , were fed four levels of dietary fat (256, 308, 346 and 389 g kg⁻¹ of diet) for 138 days, with the purpose of studying quality characteristics in raw and smoked fish fillets. Dietary fat levels up to 346 g kg⁻¹ resulted in increased fat content of the raw fillets. The dietary fat levels had a less systematic effect on perceived fatness of the smoked fillets and caused a trend towards better odour and flavour. The fat content of raw fillets was significantly ( P ≤ 0.05) correlated to lower smoke odour, greater rancid flavour, fatness, and a yellower hue of the smoked fillets. Astaxanthin levels of the raw fillets varied between 6 and 11 mg kg⁻¹ of fillet and were significantly ( P ≤ 0.05) correlated with greater intensity of smoke odour, lower off-odour, and less whiteness, greater colour intensity and a redder hue of the smoked fish. It is proposed that salmon fillets can be graded according to weight, fat content and colour values prior to smoking to obtain more standardized quality characteristics of the final product after processing.     

Natural bixin as a potential carotenoid for enhancing pigmentation and colour in goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Discovering natural carotenoids for colour enhancement and health benefits of fish is important to develop new feed formulations. We have purified natural bixin from achiote seeds and evaluated the effect of colour enhancing and pigmentation in goldfish. Varying levels of bixin‐based diets were prepared with 420 g kg^?1 of crude protein and 120 g kg^?1 of lipid content. Our results clearly showed that bixin (0.05, 0.10, 0.20 and 0.60 g kg^?1) based diets significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the skin and fin colour at 30 and 60 days compared to diet without bixin. Interestingly, diet which contains 0.20 g kg^?1 bixin and commercial feed (with astaxanthin) had similar effect on carotenoid deposition in skin. Moreover, total carotenoid deposition in fin was higher than in skin of all bixin‐containing diets. However, 0.60 g kg^?1 bixin‐containing diet had lower specific growth rate (1.01 ± 0.01) and higher feed conversion ratio (2.05 ± 0.19) compared to the control group. The present results demonstrate that achiote bixin can be successfully used as an alternative natural carotenoid source against synthetic astaxanthin in fish feed. Our data indicate that 0.20 g kg^?1 is a suitable dietary level of bixin to ensure strong pigmentation, acceptable growth and feed utilization in goldfish.     

Effect of salinity on growth and energy budget of red and green colour variant sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus (Selenca)

Sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus (Selenca), tolerates salinity fluctuations inhabiting intertide zone. This study deals with growth, food intake, food conversion and the bioenergetic responses of the red variant (wet weight of 2.60 ± 0.11g) and green variant (wet weight of 2.56 ± 0.08 g) A. japonicus to different salinities of 22, 26, 30, 34, and 38 psu at 16.5 ± 0.5°C. The results showed that salinity had a significant effect on specific growth rate (SGR) of both green and red variants A. japonicus (P < 0.05). Both colour variants of sea cucumber had highest SGR at 30 psu, and then decreased when salinity below or above this point. Maximum SGR (the green 1.07 ± 0.08% day^?1, the red 1.14 ± 0.09% day^?1 respectively) is related with maximum food intake (FI) and highest food conversion efficiency (FCE) (P < 0.05) occurring at 30 psu. Only under 22 psu, the green variant grew faster than the red variant (P < 0.05), and under other four salinity treatments there was no significant difference between SGR of two colour variant holothruians (P > 0.05). Values of adaptable salinity scope for green and red variants sea cucumber survival are 18.5~39 psu and 20.9~38.6 psu respectively. The average energy budget formula of sea cucumber at 30 psu was: 100C = 6G +42F +3U+49R (C, energy ingested; G, energy for growth; F, energy loss as faeces; U, energy used for ammonia excretion; R, energy loss for respiration). The sea cucumber had maximum energy ingested (C) and highest proportion of energy for growth (G) at 30 psu, and then decreased when salinity is above or below this salinity. Both red and green variants of A. japonicus deposited for growth were very low, and the energy loss in faeces and energy for respiration accounted for the majority of assimilation energy. The result clearly showed that the optimum condition for farming green and red variants A. japonicus, both with respect growth and energy allocation, is the salinity scope of 26 ~ 30 psu.