Physico-Chemical Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Moringa concanensis</Emphasis> Seeds and Seed Oil

The present work reports the characterization and comparison of Moringa concanensis seed oil from Tharparkar (a drought hit area), Pakistan. The hexane-extracted oil content of M. concanensis seeds ranged from 37.56 to 40.06% (average 38.82%). Protein, fiber, moisture and ash contents were found to be 30.07, 6.00, 5.88 and 9.00%, respectively. The extracted oil exhibited an iodine value of 67.00; a refractive index (40 °C) of 1.4648; its density (24 °C) was 0.8660 mg mL⁻¹; the saponification value (mg of KOH g⁻¹ of oil) was 179.00; unsaponifiable matter 0.78%; color (1 in. cell) 1.90R + 19.00Y; and acidity (% as oleic acid) 0.34%. Tocopherols (α, γ, and δ) in the oil accounted for 72.11, 9.26 and 33.87 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Specific extinctions at 232 and 270 nm were 3.17 and 0.65, respectively. The peroxide and p-anisidine values of the oil were found to be 1.75 and 1.84 meq kg⁻¹, respectively. The induction periods (Rancimat, 20 L h⁻¹, 120 °C) of the crude oil was 10.81 h and reduced to 8.90 h after degumming. The M. concanensis oil was found to contain high levels of oleic acid (up to 68.00%) followed by palmitic, stearic, behenic, and arachidic acids up to levels of 11.04, 3.58, 3.44 and 7.09%, respectively. The results of the present analytical study, compared with those for other Moringa species and different vegetable oils, showed M. concanensis to be a potentially valuable non-conventional seed crop for high quality oil.     

Immobilization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">α</Emphasis>-amylase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus licheniformis</Emphasis> on developed support using microbial transglutaminase

α-amylase from Bacillus licheniformis was successfully immobilized on developed support, which was prepared by coating a chitosan-casein film on silica, at 20 °C, pH 6.0 for 5 hr with microbial transglutaminase (MTG) as the cross-linking factor. The optimal support was obtained when 1% chitosan and 1% casein were used in the coating mixture. The optimal condition for immobilization catalyzed by MTG was confined to be at MTG concentration of 15 U/mL, pH 6.0, reacting for 6 hr at 20 °C. The highest specific activity of immobilized α-amylase was achieved as 236 U/g. After immobilization, the obtained enzyme showed broader pH profile and maintained more than 70% of the original activity after 20 reuses.     

Effect of Ni in palladium <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-zeolite on hydroisomerization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-decane

Bifunctional catalysts containing (0.1–0.5 wt%) Nickel and 0.1 wt% of Pd supported on H-β zeolite were synthesized by incipient wetness impregnation method and characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS, TPD and TPR techniques. The catalytic activity of Ni containing and Ni free Pd/H-β Catalysts was studied, and it was found that Ni up to a threshold value (0.3 wt% on β) produced increased the n-decane conversion and isomerization selectivity. When Ni content exceeds the threshold value, the conversion increases but isomerized products decrease. Moreover, Ni containing Pd/H-β showed increased sustainability and favored the protonated cyclopropane (PCP) intermediate mechanism in n-decane isomerization. The catalyst containing 0.3 wt% Ni 0.1 wt% Pd is adjudged as one performing better than other catalysts studied because of the isomerized mixture from it shows better octane number.     

Full-Press Oil Extraction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cuphea</Emphasis> (PSR23) Seeds

Cuphea PSR23, a semi-domesticated, high-capric-acid hybrid from Cuphea viscosissima × Cuphea lanceolata, is being developed as a potential commercial alternative source of medium-chain fatty acids. The present study evaluated the effects of initial seed moisture and final moisture contents of cooked flaked seed on Cuphea’s pressing characteristics and the quality of the extracted oil. Seeds with 9 and 12% initial moisture contents (MC) were flaked and cooked at different residence times to produce cooked seeds with MC of 3.0–5.5%. Cooked seeds were pressed using a laboratory screw press. Eighty and 84% oil were extracted from cooked seeds with 5.5 and 3.0% MC, respectively. The seeds with 9% initial MC exhibited lower pressing load increase (9.1 per 1% decrease in MC) than the seeds with 12% initial MC (16.4 per 1% decrease in MC). The pressing rate decreased by 3% as the cooked flaked seed MC decreased. The amount of foots in the oil increased from 3 to 6.6% and chlorophyll content increased from 200 to 260 ppm as cooked flaked seed MC decreased from 5.5 to 3.0%. FFA contents were 2.5% for all treatments MC studied. The phosphatide content increased as the cooked flaked seed MC decreased but the amounts were still within the levels of water-degummed oil. This paper may contain brand names that are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.     

Temperature programmed desorption of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-hexane and <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-heptane from MFI and FAU zeolites

TPD studies of n-hexane and n-heptane from NaX, Y and ZSM-5 (Na⁺ or H⁺ exchanged) in the experimental system with a TCD detector were performed, using pure He or He/n-alkane mixture as a carrier gas. The TPD profiles with one desorption peak for Y and two peaks for ZSM-5, measured using He/hydrocarbon mixture, were similar to the previously reported equilibrated thermodesorption results. TPD profiles were accurately fitted with a model based on the equilibrium control of the desorption and the adsorption functions derived from the Langmuir or dual site Langmuir isotherms.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis> Fatty Acid Content of Canadian Margarines Prior to Mandatory <Emphasis Type="Italic">trans</Emphasis> Fat Labelling

Dietary trans fatty acids (TFA) are of major concern because of their adverse effects on blood lipid levels and coronary heart disease. In Canada, margarines were significant sources of TFA during the 1980s and 1990s. However, this is expected to change with increased public awareness over their adverse health effects and the introduction of new legislature to include TFA content on the Nutritional Facts table of food labels. In this study, the TFA content of the top-selling 29 Canadian margarines, which represented 96.3% of the market share, was determined by capillary gas-liquid chromatography in order to assess the influence of regulatory development during the 3-year transition period between the announcement of new food labelling regulations in Canada that require mandatory declaration of the trans fat content in most pre-packaged foods in January 2003 and its enforcement on 12 December 2005. The 29 margarines included 15 tub margarines made from non-hydrogenated vegetable oils (NHVO-tub margarines), 11 tub margarines made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO-tub margarines) and three print margarines, which were also made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVO-print margarines). The 15 NHVO tub-margarines accounted for 71% of the total margarine market share and generally contained less than 2% TFA (mean value 0.9 ± 0.3% of total fatty acids). The mean total TFA contents of PHVO-tub margarines and PHVO-print margarines, were 20.0 ± 4.5% and 39.6 ± 3.5%, and their market shares were 19.3 and 6.0%, respectively. Although during the last 10 years, increasing number of soft tub margarines that contained very little trans fats have been made available in Canada, the PHVO-tub- and -print margarines still contain high levels of trans fats similar to those margarines that were sold in the 1990s. The market share data suggest that the margarines prepared using NHVO and containing almost no TFA were preferred by Canadians over those margarines prepared using PHVO, even before the mandatory declaration of TFA content came into effect on 12 December 2005.     

Cloning and Characterization of the ∆6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Elongase from the Green Microalga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Parietochloris incisa</Emphasis>

The very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLC-PUFA), arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4ω-6) is a component of neuron tissues such as brain and retina cells and a primary substrate for the biosynthesis of biologically active eicosanoids. The green freshwater microalga Parietochloris incisa (Trebouxiophyceae) has been shown to accumulate an extraordinary high content of ARA-rich triacylglycerols. It was thus interesting to characterize the genes involved in lipid biosynthesis in this alga. We report here the identification of a cDNA encoding for a P. incisa PUFA elongase (PiELO1) and demonstrate that the expression of PiELO1 in yeast Saccharomyces cereviseae confers its elongase activity on C18 ∆6 PUFA. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PiELO1 is highly similar to functionally characterized ∆6 PUFA elongase genes from other green algae and lower plants. Quantitative real-time PCR expression studies showed that PiELO1 is upregulated under nitrogen starvation, the condition triggering and enhancing storage oil and ARA accumulation in P. incisa.     

Reaction selectivity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">rhizomucor miehei</Emphasis> lipase as influenced by monoacylation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">sn</Emphasis>-glycerol

Reaction selectivities were determined in multicompetitive reactions mediated by Rhizomucor miehei (RM) lipase at water activity of 0.19 in hexane. Saturated FA (C4–C18 even chain) and oleic acid (C18∶1) were reacted with a single alcohol, glycerol, or α-or β-MAG containing C4, C10, C16, or C18∶1 individually as alcohol cosubstrate. Similar patterns of broad FA selectivity toward C8–C18 FA were generally observed for esterification into specific acylglycerol (AG) pools with the different α/β-CX-MAG cosubstrates. Exceptions were enrichment of C18 in the MAG pool with α-C16-MAG substrate, and a general suppression of C4/C6 FA reactivity and a specific discrimination toward >C8 FA incorporation into the TAG pool, both for reactions with α-C10- and α-C16-MAG. RM lipase selectivity toward MAG was in descending order: β-C18∶1-MAG>α/β-C4-MAG∼β-C10-MAG∼β-C16-MAG>α-C18∶1-MAG >α-C10-MAG∼α-C16-MAG. Selectivity in channeling CX of the original CX-MAG substrates into higher AG species was in descending order: α-C10-MAG∼α-C16-MAG>β-C10-MAGβ-C16-MAG>α-C18∶1-MAG>β-C18∶1-MAG∼ α/β-C4-MAG. Aside from their characteristic FA selectivity, Burkholderia cepacia (PS-30) and RM lipases behaved similarly in terms of MAG selectivity as well as a general conservation of FA selectivity throughout the sequential steps of TAG assembly from FA and glycerol for processes designed to yield specifically structured TAG.     

Characterization of Turkish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus</Emphasis> L. Taxa Based on Fatty Acid Compositions of the Acorns

Total oil content and the composition of fatty acids were analyzed in the acorns of 16 Quercus taxa from Turkey. The range of total fat varied between 0.7 and 7.4%. Oleic (10.2–54.4%), linoleic (24.2–49.1%), palmitic (13.4–30.4%), alpha linolenic (1.5–8.6%) and stearic acid (1.5–4.5%) were major fatty acids for all taxa. Significantly differences at section level were found (p < 0.05) for palmitic, stearic and oleic acid concentration. Saturated (17.0–38.6%), mono unsaturated (11.0–55.5%) and unsaturated fatty acids (57.4–81.6%) in total oil were also significantly different between section Quercus, Cerris and Ilex (p < 0.05). In addition, sectional differences were significant (p < 0.02) for the relative concentrations of saturated fatty acids compared to mono, poly and total unsaturated fatty acids. Considerable variation of individual fatty acid levels were observed in related species and varieties. The species from section Ilex Loudon exhibited the highest levels of saturated fatty acid while the lowest levels were found in Q. brantii, Q. libani and Q. trojana from section Cerris Loudon. These species also had the highest levels of unsaturated fatty acids. Whereas the lowest values were detected in the species of section Ilex. Both varieties of Q. cerris showed significant differences (p < 0.05) from the other species in section Cerris for all parameters, except for stearic acid and exhibited little variations among their individual populations. Different concentrations of fatty acids may be useful biochemical markers for the characterization of Quercus at the infrageneric level. Interesting ratios of linoleic:α-linolenic acid especially in Q. robur ssp. robur, Q. hartwissiana, Q. vulcanica, Q. ithaburensis ssp. macrolepis and Q. libani also were detected with respect to dietary reference for fatty acid intake.     

NMR Metabolomics of Thrips (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Frankliniella occidentalis</Emphasis>) Resistance in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Senecio</Emphasis> Hybrids

Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) has become a key insect pest of agricultural and horticultural crops worldwide. Little is known about host plant resistance to thrips. In this study, we investigated thrips resistance in F ₂ hybrids of Senecio jacobaea and Senecio aquaticus. We identified thrips-resistant hybrids applying three different bioassays. Subsequently, we compared the metabolomic profiles of these hybrids applying nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The new developments of NMR facilitate a wide range coverage of the metabolome. This makes NMR especially suitable if there is no a priori knowledge of the compounds related to herbivore resistance and allows a holistic approach analyzing different chemical compounds simultaneously. We show that the metabolomes of thrips-resistant and -susceptible hybrids differed considerably. Thrips-resistant hybrids contained higher amounts of the pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA), jacobine, and jaconine, especially in younger leaves. Also, a flavanoid, kaempferol glucoside, accumulated in the resistant plants. Both PAs and kaempferol are known for their inhibitory effect on herbivores. In resistant and susceptible F ₂ hybrids, young leaves showed less thrips damage than old leaves. Consistent with the optimal plant defense theory, young leaves contained increased levels of primary metabolites such as sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose, but also accumulated jacaranone as a secondary plant defense compound. Our results prove NMR as a promising tool to identify different metabolites involved in herbivore resistance. It constitutes a significant advance in the study of plant–insect relationships, providing key information on the implementation of herbivore resistance breeding strategies in plants. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Protoplast from <Emphasis Type="Italic">β</Emphasis>-carotene-producing fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Blakeslea trispora</Emphasis>: Preparation,regeneration and validation

The effects of key parameters on the preparation and regeneration of protoplast from the β-carotene-producing fungus Blakeslea trispora were discussed in this paper, including the combination of various enzymes, mycelial age, digesting time and temperature, pH value, osmotic stabilizers, pretreatment, culture medium and culture method. Under the condition of mixed enzymes in osmotic stabilizer (0.6 M NaCl) combined with 2% lysozyme, 3% cellulase and 3% snailase, the highest protoplast yield, as high as 7.48×106 protoplasts/mL, was obtained when mycelial age was 60 h at pH 5.0–6.0 with digesting for 14–16 h at 28 °C. After purification of the obtained protoplasts, they were regenerated in PDA regenerative medium using bilayer plate culture method. To validate the usability of the protoplasts, a novel plasmid with green fluorescent protein (GFP) was used in transformation for easy visual observation. The results showed that the protoplasts prepared by the optimized method were active and applicable in further gene manipulation experiments. This work was presented at 13 ^th YABEC symposium held at Seoul, Korea, October 20–22, 2007.     

Fatty Acid Composition and Oil Yield in Fruits of Five <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arecaceae</Emphasis> Species Grown in Cuba

The present study targeted the whole-fruit oil yield and fatty acid composition from five of the most abundant Arecaceae species grown in Cuba. The oil yields (% dry weight), determined by the Soxhlet extraction technique with hexane, were 25.5, 5.3, 6.9, 5.4, and 6.4% for Roystonea regia, Colpothrinax wrightii, Sabal maritima, Sabal palmetto and Thrinax radiata, respectively. The free fatty acid (FFA) content varied from 2.7 to 6.8%. Fatty acid (FA) profiles of the oils indicated that lauric acid (13.7–44.4%), myristic acid (9.4–22.4%) and palmitic acid (9.2–17.1%) as major saturated FA; whereas oleic acid (9.6–42.7%) and linoleic acid (9.3–17.0%) as major unsaturated FA. R. regia fruit seemed the most promising among Arecaceae grown in Cuba because of its high oil yield and low oil FFA content.     

Canola Quality Indian Mustard Oil (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica juncea</Emphasis>) is More Stable to Oxidation than Conventional Canola Oil (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis>)

Canola-quality Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) is being developed as a complimentary oilseed crop to canola (Brassica napus) for cultivation in hot and low-rainfall areas, where canola does not perform well. In Australia, several B. juncea breeding lines have been developed for commercial cultivation and for eventual processing as canola oil. However, there still are significant species-based differences in the fatty acid composition with B. juncea containing lower levels of linoleic acid and higher levels of oleic and linolenic acids compared with B. napus. This has raised concern about possible oxidative stability differences between the oils. Oils (unrefined) extracted from different breeding lines of each species were subjected to accelerated autoxidation, and development of oxidative rancidity was assessed by four separate techniques: depletion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, depletion of tocopherol, development of primary oxidation products, and development of secondary oxidation products (propanal and hexanal). All the tests showed that the newly developed B. juncea oils are more stable to autoxidation than conventional canola (B. napus) oil, despite containing marginally higher linolenic levels. Oxidative stability does not appear to be a barrier to using oils from these emerging lines of B. juncea for partial or full replacement of conventional canola oil.     

Production of 14-Oxo-<Emphasis Type="Italic">cis</Emphasis>-11-eicosenoic Acid from Lesquerolic Acid by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphingobacterium multivorum</Emphasis> NRRL B-23212

The objective of this study was to explore the extent of microbial conversion of lesquerolic acid (14-hydroxy-cis-11-eicosenoic acid; LQA) by whole cell catalysis and to identify the newly converted products. Among compost isolates including NRRL strains B-23212 (Sphingobacterium multivorum), B-23213 (Acinetobacter sp.), B-23257 (Enterobacter cloacae B), B-23259 (Escherichia sp.) and B-23260 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) the S. multivorum strain was the only microorganism that converted LQA to produce a new product identified as 14-oxo-cis-11-eicosenoic acid by GC-MS and NMR analyses. The conversion yield was 47.4% in 48 h at 200 rpm and 28°C in small shake flask experiments. In comparison, both Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas strains failed to convert LQA to major new products but used LQA apparently as an energy source during fermentation. For structural analysis, 6.88 g of 14-oxo-cis-11-eicosenoic acid was produced from converting 11 g LQA (a 62% yield) in 72 h at 200 rpm and 28 °C in Fernbach flasks using 18-h-old NRRL B-23212 cultures and an improved medium that also contained EDTA and glycerol in lieu of glucose as carbon source. NRRL B-23212 was further identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as a unique strain of S. multivorum. Therefore, S. multivorum NRRL B-23212 possesses an enzymatic activity presumably a secondary alcohol dehydrogenase for converting LQA to produce 14-oxo-cis-11-eicosenoic acid, a first report that demonstrates the functional modification of LQA by whole cell catalysis.     

Soil bio-functioning under <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia nilotica</Emphasis> var. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tomentosa</Emphasis> protected forest along the Senegal River

Acacia nilotica var. tomentosa trees from the Diarra protected forest located in the Senegal River valley were identified for the assessment of both biological nitrogen fixation, using the natural abundance method, and soil bio-functioning parameters (nodulation, root biomass, total microbial biomass, and potential N mineralization). The presence and the genetic diversity of indigenous rhizobia nodulating A. nilotica var. tomentosa was also investigated, taking into account distance from the trunk (0, 1, 2, and 3 m) and depth (0–25, 25–50, and 50–75 cm). Surprisingly, no nodules on the trees root systems were found, whereas under laboratory conditions the presence of indigenous rhizobia nodulating A. nilotica var. tomentosa was demonstrated in the analyzed soils (90% of the nodules harvested on the trapped plants were occupied by the same Inter-Genic Spacer (IGS) group, IGS1). There was no significant influence of trees and/or depth on total microbial biomass and potentials of nitrogen mineralization. Some assumptions were formulated on the possible combined effect of flooding, which usually occurs annually during 4–7 months, and the clayey soils in the Diara forests. Although a deeply natural nodulation of A. nilotica var. tomentosa trees by indigenous rhizobia is not excluded, but it still remains to be demonstrated.     

Comparison of Age-dependent Quantitative Changes in the Male Labial Gland Secretion of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus Terrestris</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus Lucorum</Emphasis>

Age-related changes of antennal-active components of male labial gland extracts were studied in two closely related bumblebee species, Bombus terrestris and B. lucorum. In B. terrestris, compounds eliciting electroantennogram (EAG) responses of virgin queens were ethyl dodecanoate, 2,3-dihydrofarnesal, 2,3-dihydrofarnesol, hexadecan-1-ol, octadeca-9,12,15-trien-1-ol, and geranylcitronellol. Compounds that elicited EAG responses from queens of B. lucorum were ethyl dodecanoate, ethyl tetradec-7-enoate, ethyl tetradec-9-enoate, ethyl hexadec-9-enoate, hexadecan-1-ol, hexadec-7-enal, octadeca-9,12-dien-1-ol, octadeca-9,12,15-trien-1-ol, and octadecan-1-ol. Quantities of these compounds in the labial glands changed significantly over the lifetime of the respective males of the two species. In both species, concentrations of the respective compounds reached their maximum within seven days after eclosion. Subsequently, a rapid decrease in the amount of EAG-active compounds occurred in B. terrestris, whereas in B. lucorum the amount of active compounds stayed approximately constant or decreased at a slow rate. Microscopy showed that in B. terrestris secretory cells of the labial glands undergo apoptosis from the fifth to the tenth day of life, whilst in B. lucorum labial gland cells remain unchanged throughout the life of the males.     

New 17-Methyl-13-Octadecenoic and 3,16-Docosadienoic Acids from the Sponge <Emphasis Type="Italic">Polymastia penicillus</Emphasis>

The phospholipid fatty acid composition of the North-East Atlantic sponge Polymastia penicillus (South Brittany, France) was investigated. Sixty fatty acids (FA) were identified as methyl esters (FAME) and N-acyl pyrrolidides (NAP) by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS), including eight Δ5,9 unsaturated FA and three long-chain 2-hydroxylated FA. The major phospholipid FA were palmitic (14.3% of the total FA mixture), vaccenic (12.7%), 15(Z)-docosenoic (13.4%) and 5(Z),9(Z)-hexacosadienoic (13.3%) acids. In addition to the iso- and anteiso-branched saturated FA, several unusual short-chain branched saturated FA were identified. In addition to the known Δ5,9 FA, and interestingly regarding their identification by GC–MS as N-acyl pyrrolidides, was the co-occurrence of unusual FA possessing a Δ3, Δ4 and Δ5 double bond such as iso-4-pentadecenoic, iso-5-heptadecenoic, anteiso-5-heptadecenoic and two new compounds, not hitherto found in nature, namely 17-methyl-13-octadecenoic (0.8%) and 3,16-docosadienoic (1.1%) acids.     

Common Variants of <Emphasis Type="Italic">ABCB4</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ABCB11</Emphasis> and Plasma Lipid Levels: A Study in Sib Pairs with Gallstones,and Controls

Most epidemiological surveys have confirmed the association of low HDL-cholesterol and high triglyceride levels with cholesterol gallstones. Our objective was to analyze the relationship between plasma lipid levels and common polymorphisms of ABCB11 (encoding the bile salt export pump, BSEP) and ABCB4 (encoding the phospholipid transporter into bile, MDR3) genes. Plasma lipids were measured in 108 index patients of sib pairs with gallstones and in 260 controls. Using PCR-based assays with 5′-nuclease and fluorescence detection (TaqMan), the ABCB11 coding SNP p.A444V and four haplotype-tagging SNPs covering the ABCB4 gene (c.504C > T, c.711T > A, p.R652G, rs31653 in intron 26) were genotyped. Plasma lipids were compared in carriers of the common versus rare allele of these polymorphisms using Student’s t test and Pearson’s correlation. BMI and triglyceride levels were higher and HDL-cholesterol levels were lower in affected siblings than in controls. Among cases, triglyceride and cholesterol levels were higher in carriers of the common versus rare (hetero/homozygous carriers) allele of the SNPs p.A444V of ABCB11 and C.504C > T of ABCB4. HDL-cholesterol was lower in carriers of the common allele of rs31653. In controls, significant differences of cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels were found in carriers of ABCB4 polymorphisms. Our results do not support the hypothesis of a link between ABCB4 and ABCB11 polymorphisms, lithogenic dyslipidemia, and gallstone risk.     

Pretreatment of Clover Seeds with Nod Factors Improves Growth and Nodulation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trifolium pratense</Emphasis>

The increase in legume production in sustainable agriculture depends not only on the effectiveness of the selected nitrogen-fixing inoculants but also on their competitiveness in a soil environment containing an indigenous rhizobial population. In this study, we investigated the effect of pretreatment of red clover seeds with specific Nod factor (LCOs) on germination, growth, and nodulation of clover growing under sterile conditions and in the soil. We demonstrated that, although the symbiotic ability and competitiveness of the inoculant strain RtKO17 was not improved under competitive soil conditions, LCOs treatment of clover seeds significantly enhanced clover nodulation and growth of plants. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Antitermitic Activities of Abietane-type Diterpenes from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxodium distichum</Emphasis> Cones

Eight known abietane-type diterpenes were isolated from the weak acidic fraction of the n-hexane extract from cones of Taxodium distichum, one of the extant, living fossil conifers. They were identified as 6,7-dehydroroyleanone (1), taxodal (2), taxodione (3), salvinolone (4), 14-deoxycoleon U (5), 5,6-dehydrosugiol (6), sandaracopimaric acid (7), and xanthoperol (8). The structures of these compounds were determined by comparison of NMR spectral data with published data. The antitermitic (termicidal and antifeedant) activities of the compounds 1–8 against the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe, were evaluated. Compounds 1 and 3 showed potent termicidal activity, and 5 and 8 showed potent antifeedant activity. Compound 1 was found to be one of the representative bioactive compounds in the n-hexane extract of T. distichum cones. Compounds 1–8, with the exception of 7, were oxides of ferruginol (9). Therefore, the presence of various oxidation forms of the abietane-type structure reflects their various bioactivities.