Lipids of liver,kidney, spleen and muscle in a case of generalized deficiency of cytochrome b5 reductase in congenital methemoglobinemia with mental retardation

The lipid compositions of liver, kidney, spleen and muscle in a case of generalized deficiency of cytochrome b₅ reductase in congenital methemoglobinemia with mental retardation were analyzed and compared with age-matched controls. The contents of cholesterol and phospholipids (μmol/g) in each organ were within the normal range. Diminished proportions of unsaturated fatty acids were observed in ethanolamine phosphoglycerides (EPG) of the liver. The proportion of linoleic acid decreased to less than half of the normal level in EPG of liver, kidney and spleen.     

Edible mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) extract inhibits melanosis in Kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus)

This study compared the potential of an aqueous extract of an edible mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) to prevent melanosis in cultured Kuruma shrimp (Marsupenaeus japonicus) with other antimelanosic compounds in vivo. The mushroom extract contained 9.1 mg/mL ergothioneine (ESH). Immersion of live full-grown shrimp in a 0.5% w/v solution of mushroom extract significantly reduced PPO activity in shrimp hemolymph. In addition, expression of the prophenoloxidase (proPO) gene decreased in hemocytes, suggesting that the extract blocked the activation of the proPO cascade. Consequently, the development of melanosis in the treated shrimp was significantly suppressed during ice storage. Treatment with a 0.05% w/v solution of sodium ascorbate and 4-hexyl-1,3-benzenediol had the same effect. In vitro experiments showed that ESH effectively inhibited PPO activity and activation of the proPO cascade in hemocyte lysate supernatant. This study suggests that in vivo application of F. velutipes mushroom extract is an effective natural alternative to synthetic antimelanosic agents to inhibit postmortem melanosis in shrimp. Practical Application: The extract of an edible mushroom (F. velutipes) containing ergothioneine can be a promising natural alternative to synthetic antimelanosic agents used to prevent postharvest melanosis in shrimp and other crustaceans. Furthermore, utilization of the mushroom trimmings could also help address the growing concerns on the disposal of such agricultural wastes and instead use it into a novel purpose as a source of antimelanosic and antioxidants for food and industrial application.     

An output power stabilized erbium-doped fiber amplifier withautomatic gain control

Based on the cross-saturation between two different-wavelength optical signals in an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA), we have developed an output power stabilized EDFA system with automatic gain control. The developed system shows 18.5-dB dynamic range of the output power limitation with the ability to set the output power level arbitrarily. When a temporally varying optical signal is input, the system works as a fluctuation remover for the input signal modulated at low frequency up to 1 kHz and does not have any deteriorative effect on high-frequency modulated optical signals. The degree of modulation in the fluctuated optical signal can be reduced down to as low as 0.003