Bestimmung von reduziertem und oxydiertem Glutathion in Weizenmehlen und -teigen

Zusammenfassung Für die quantitative Analyse von reduziertem (GSH) und oxydiertem (GSSG) Glutathion in Cerealien wurde das folgende Verfahren entwickelt: Extraktion eines Mehles oder Teigs und Carboxymethylierung des GSH, Gelfiltration an Sephadex G-50, Chromatographic an Dowex 50 WX8 und nach alkalischer Spaltung Bestimmung des abgetrennten GSSG mit 5,5-Dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoesaure), Abtrennung des carboxymethylierten GSH an Dowex 1X8 und Bestimmung mit 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzoesulfonsäure. In drei Sorten von Weizenmehlen wurden 0,27–0,46 mol/g GSH and 0,26–0,38 mol/g GSSG gefunden. Beim Kneten (5 min) verschwand das GSH und das GSSG nahm entsprechend zu.

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Determination of reduced and oxidised glutathione in wheat flours and doughs

Summary A quantitative method for the analysis of reduced (GSH) and oxidised (GSSG) glutathione in cereals has been developed. The steps are: Extraction of the flour or dough and carboxymethylation of GSH, gel filtration on Sephadex G-50, chromatography on Dowex 50 WX8 and after basic cleavage determination of the separated GSSG with 5,5-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), separation of carboxymethylated GSH on Dowex 1X8 and determination with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. When analysing for the amount of GSH and GSSG in flours of three varieties of wheat the former ranged from 0.27 to 0.46 mol/g and the latter from 0.26 to 0.38 mol/g. After kneading for 5 min to a dough the GSH disappeared with a corresponding increase in GSSG.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. L. Acker zu seinem 65. Geburtstag gewidmet

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Wir danken der AIF und dem Forschungskreis der Ernährungsindustrie für die finanzielle Unterstützung derArbeit. Frl. Ch. Hopfer danken wir für die geschickte experimentelle Mitarbeit     

Establishment of new genetic traits in a microbial biofilm community

Conjugational transfer of the TOL plasmid (pWWO) was analyzed in a flow chamber biofilm community engaged in benzyl alcohol degradation. The community consisted of three species, Pseudomonas putida RI, Acinetobacter sp. strain C6, and an unidentified isolate, D8. Only P. putida RI could act as a recipient for the TOL plasmid. Cells carrying a chromosomally integrated lacIq gene and a lacp-gfp-tagged version of the TOL plasmid were introduced as donor strains in the biofilm community after its formation. The occurrence of plasmid-carrying cells was analyzed by viable-count-based enumeration of donors and transconjugants. Upon transfer of the plasmids to the recipient cells, expression of green fluorescence was activated as a result of zygotic induction of the gfp gene. This allowed a direct in situ identification of cells receiving the gfp-tagged version of the TOL plasmid. Our data suggest that the frequency of horizontal plasmid transfer was low, and growth (vertical transfer) of the recipient strain was the major cause of plasmid establishment in the biofilm community. Employment of scanning confocal laser microscopy on fixed biofilms, combined with simultaneous identification of P. putida cells and transconjugants by 16S rRNA hybridization and expression of green fluorescence, showed that transconjugants were always associated with noninfected P. putida RI recipient microcolonies. Pure colonies of transconjugants were never observed, indicating that proliferation of transconjugant cells preferentially took place on preexisting P. putida RI microcolonies in the biofilm.     

Data processing and law enforcement access to information systems at EU level

EU Agencies and Information Systems collect and exchange personal data with Member States but also between each other. In this context, law enforcement agencies such as Europol increasingly get access to data originally serving other purposes. Europol already has access to the Visa-Information System; plans to allow the access to Eurodac also exist. The rules regulating this exchange are so far not harmonised. The article illustrates the existing exchange and access possibilities in light of the EU data protection reform.     

Effect of fungal hyphae on the access of bacteria to phenanthrene in soil

The effect of fungal hyphae on the mobilization of soil-dwelling bacteria and their access to hydrophobic phenanthrene in soil was tested in columns containing air-filled agricultural soil. The experimental design included a spatial separation between zones of bacterial inoculation and contamination. Motile Pseudomonas putida PpG7 (NAH7) and fast-growing, hydrophilic Pythium ultimum were used as the model phenanthrene-degrading and vector organisms, respectively. Efficient translocation of strain PpG7 in the range of centimetres in presence of P. ultimum indicated that the fungal mycelia bridged air-filled pores and thereby provided a continuous network of water-paths that enabled bacteria to spread in the soil. Biodegradation of the soil-associated phenanthrene was found only in the presence of the fungal mycelia, hence proving that the fungal network facilitated the access of the bacteria to the contaminant. Our data suggest that the specific stimulation of indigenous fungi is a promising method to mobilize pollutant degrading bacteria and thereby improve soil bioremediation in-situ.     

Caffeoylquinic acid derived free radicals identified during antioxidant reactions of bitter tea (Ilex latifolia and Ilex kudincha)

In order to provide some insight into the chemical basis for the antioxidant behaviour of bitter tea, the Chinese medicinal beverage derived from leaves of Ilex kudincha or Ilex latifolia, free radicals generated during the oxidation of aqueous extracts of dried leaves have been investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. With both beverages, the major components in the EPR spectra after accelerated autoxidation under alkaline conditions or oxidation with the superoxide anion radical were comparable to those derived from reactions of caffeoylquinic acids. Thus these reaction products have sufficient stability for biological activity, and the present results suggest that such molecules contribute appreciably to the antioxidant chemistry of these beverages.     

Comparison of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes of food poisoning outbreak isolates of Staphylococcus aureus with isolates obtained from bovine mastitis milk and pig carcasses

Staphylococcus aureus is the etiological agent in a variety of infections in humans and livestock and produces enterotoxins leading to staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP), one of the most prevalent foodborne intoxication diseases worldwide. Pork and bovine milk are considered possible sources of SFP because pig skin is often colonized by S. aureus and bovine mastitis caused by S. aureus is common, but conclusive data are limited. The objective of the present study was to compare S. aureus isolates associated with cases of SFP with isolates obtained from bovine mastitis milk and pig carcasses. DNA microarray analysis and spa gene typing were performed with 100 S. aureus isolates: 20 isolates related to outbreaks of SFP in humans, 39 isolates obtained from pig carcasses, and 41 isolates collected from bovine mastitis milk. No overlap in spa types was observed for SFP isolates (t008, t015, t018, t024, t056, t084, t279, t377, t383, t648, t733, t912, t1239, t1270, t4802, and t6969) and isolates gathered from milk or pork. The porcine isolates were assigned to t034, t208, t337, t524, t899, t1939, t2922, t2971, t4475, and t7006, and the bovine isolates belonged to t267, t524, t529, t1403, t2953, t7007, t7008, and t7013. Comparison of microarray profiles revealed similar virulence gene patterns for isolates collected from the same host (pigs or cattle) but few similarities between SFP isolate profiles and the profiles of isolates obtained from bovine mastitis milk and pig carcasses. Although only some bovine and porcine isolates possessed the β-lactamase gene blaZ (milk, 24%; pork, 28%), significantly higher numbers of SFP isolates contained blaZ (90%). Investigations of these isolates provided no evidence that pork or bovine mastitis milk represent common sources of SFP.     

The effect of gel structure on the kinetics of simulated gastrointestinal digestion of bovine β-lactoglobulin

The structure and properties of protein gels depend on the conditions under which they are formed. Here, we assessed the susceptibility of protein to simulated gastro-duodenal digestion of weak gels with contrasting structures, produced from either purified bovine β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) or whey protein isolate (WPI) at pH ranging from 2.5 to 6.5 and using different heating regimes. Gels formed close to the isoelectric point proved to be very resistant to simulated gastric digestion, with more than 85% of β-Lg remaining and in the simulated duodenal phase of digestion. The sample heated to 85 °C was most resistant with over 40% remaining. In the WPI sample heated to 85 °C, more than 20% of the original β-Lg content remained undigested after simulated gastro-duodenal proteolysis. These results suggest that firm particulate gels can persist longer in the GI tract and may be useful in inducing satiety and thus provide another weapon in the fight against obesity.     

Global food markets,trade and the cost of climate change adaptation

Achieving food security in the face of climate change is a major challenge for humanity in the 21st century but comprehensive analyses of climate change impacts, including global market feedbacks are still lacking. In the context of uneven impacts of climate change across regions interconnected through trade, climate change impact and adaptation policies in one region need to be assessed in a global framework. Focusing on four Eastern Asian countries and using a global integrated modeling framework we show that i) once imports are considered, the overall climate change impact on the amount of food available could be of opposite sign to the direct domestic impacts and ii) production and trade adjustments following price signals could reduce the spread of climate change impacts on food availability. We then investigated how pressure on the food system in Eastern Asia could be mitigated by a consumer support policy. We found that the costs of adaptation policies to 2050 varied greatly across climate projections. The costs of consumer support policies would also be lower if only implemented in one region but market price leakage could exacerbate pressure on food systems in other regions. We conclude that climate adaptation should no longer be viewed only as a geographically isolated local problem.