Determination of in vitro isoflavone degradation in rumen fluid

The aim of this study was to determine the degradation of dietary isoflavones in rumen fluid under 2 feeding regimens. The experiments were performed in vitro using a rumen fluid buffer system. The rumen fluid was taken from cows fed either a hay diet or a concentrate-rich diet (the diet consisted of 34.6% maize silage, 17.6% haylage, 12.8% alfalfa hay, and 35.0% supplemental mixture on a dry matter basis). As a source of isoflavones, 40% soybean extract (Biomedica, Prague, Czech Republic) at levels of 5, 25, 50, and 75 mg per 40 mL of rumen fluid was used. Samples of soybean extract were incubated in triplicate at 39°C for 0, 3.0, 6.0, 12.0, and 24.0 h in incubation solution. The metabolism of daidzein and genistein was faster under concentrate-rich diet conditions. In general, production of equol started after 3 to 6 h of incubation and reached the highest rate after approximately 12 h of incubation regardless of the type of diet or concentration of extract. In most of the experiments, production of equol continued after 24 h of incubation. Generally, equol production was greater under the hay diet conditions. Furthermore, experiments with higher amounts of added soybean extract revealed possible inhibitory effects of high levels of isoflavones on the rumen microflora.     

Abfallbeseitigung auf See — Stand und Tendenzen

Waste disposal at sea – state of the art and developments . The article starts by describing the legal situation governing the disposal of waste at sea and then considers the licensing procedure according to the ?Oslo-London treaty law”?. The Federal German Department of the Environment is also involved in this licensing procedure in that it is responsible for examining the possibilities of disposal on land. The quantities of material for disposal have been considerably reduced in recent years in all areas. The disposal of sewage sludge and of dilute acids (from the production of organic dyes and pigments) in the North Sea has now stopped completely. The amount of waste for disposal from TiO₂ production has been greatly reduced and stepwise cessation is planned by the mid -1980's. The incineration of waste on the high seas has also been restricted and will also be stopped in the long term. The results of ongoing and completed research are reported.     

On the presence of Inulin and Oligofructose as natural ingredients in the western diet

The classic definitions of inulin and oligofructose are constructively criticized. It is observed that inulin cannot unequivocally be described as a polydisperse 1‐kestose‐based (GF_n) β(2 ? 1) linear fructan chain, but that inulin always contains small amounts of F_m and branched molecules. This review article describes the presence of inulin and oligofructose in common foodstuffs. Historical data on human consumption add an extra dimension.

Modern analytical techniques (HPLC, LGC, HPAEC‐PAD) are used to check the variety of data mentioned in the literature throughout the past century. Methods to determine inulin and oligofructose in natural foodstuffs (cereals, fruit, and vegetables) are optimized and used to determine the loss of inulin during storage and during preparation of the food.

These findings allow quantification of the amount of inulin and oligofructose in the average daily western diet. The daily per capita intake is estimated to range from 1 to 10 g, depending on geographic, demographic, and other related parameters (age, sex, season, etc.).

Inulin and oligofructose are not measured by classic methods of dietary fiber analysis and consequently are often not mentioned in food tables. Their significant contribution (1 to 10 g/d/per capita) to the dietary fiber fraction (recommended at 25 g/d/per capita) is not taken into account in any nutritional recommendations. In view of this, inulin and oligofructose deserve more attention, both in food composition tables and in diet or nutrition studies.     

Das Holz der Archäologen

Technological, chemical, and microscopical studies on waterlogged oakwood from the Mayence Roman Ships (4th century) characterize it, depending on the degree of degradation, as a plasticized or very brittle waterfilled material undergoing heavy shrinkage on drying. The comparison with former results reveils strong common traits in the degradation pattern of wet archaeological oakwoods salvaged from differing environments: The abiotic hydrolytic degradation of the carbohydrates proceeds parallel to the surface, mostly with a sharply marked front. Experiments to optimize the stabilization of the wood with PEG are presented, which form the basis for the conservation treatment of the Mayence Roman Ships.     

On creep buckling analysis of structures

Analysis of creep buckling using ADINA is described and evaluated. The main emphasis is on the selection of solution time steps. An energy method is presented to find an approximate time to buckle.

The evaluation of ADINA results is based on another numerical solution of creep buckling columns. We also give some practical guidelines for creep buckling analysis in general.     

Improved bounds for displacements at shakedown

A method is proposed for obtaining an upper bound for the displacement which can occur in a structure adapted to a given variable-repeated load. First, the exact formulation of the problem is presented which leads to a problem of optimal control. Then the differential constraints are neglected or replaced by algebraic conditions. The solution of the resulting linear programming problem supplies an upper bound to the exact elastic-plastic deflection. Further approximation can be introduced, if desired, which allows the decomposition of the problem into separate bounds to elastic and plastic parts of displacement.Numerical examples include a two-span continuous beam and a two-storey frame. The first was solved analytically, the second by means of a specially developed computer routine capable of evaluating the displacements at shakedown of arbitrary planar frames or trusses. The results obtained confirm the validity of the small displacement approach.     

The cytochrome c content of various poultry meats

The cytochrome c content and total haem pigments in the breast and thigh meat of broiler chickens, hens out of lay, turkeys, geese, duckling (Peking), and muscovy ducks were determined. The levels of cytochrome c in the breast and thigh meat were: for chicken 11.4 and 35.5; for hens 14.0 and 84.2; for turkeys 13.1 and 47.4; for geese 141.0 and 107.8; for duckling 111.2 and 149.9 and for muscovy ducks 81.5 and 97.3 μg per g of tissue, respectively. The correlation coefficient between cytochrome c and total haem pigments concentration was r=0.98 for breast, and r=0.85 for thigh meat. The authors postulate that the cytochrome c may play a noticeable role in the colour of fresh and processed poultry meat, but further investigations are needed to confirm this.     

The occurrence of organochlorines in marine avian top predators along a latitudinal gradient

The aim of this study was to determine the role of cold condensation and fractionation on the occurrence of organochlorine contaminants (OCs) in avian marine top predators along a latitudinal gradient. We measured 24 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and six pesticide OCs in blood of great black-backed gulls (Larus marinus) from the Norwegian Coast (58 degrees N-70 degrees N) and glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus) from Bjornoya in the Norwegian Arctic (74 degrees N). Glaucous gulls had up to 3 times higher sigmaOC concentrations compared to the great black-backed gulls, and a OC pattern dominated largely by persistent and low volatile compounds such as highly chlorinated PCBs and metabolites such as oxychlordane. This was not consistent with cold condensation and fractionation theory, but probably related to diet and elevated biomagnification. Among great black-backed gulls, however, there were indications of both cold condensation and fractionation. Higher and lower chlorinated PCBs had highest absolute concentrations in the south and in the north, respectively, except for one location at an intermediate latitude, where concentrations of most OCs exceeded all other locations. In terms of proportional contribution to sigmaOC (pattern), relatively volatile OCs such as HCB, oxychlordane and tri- to penta- PCB congeners were more important at northern latitudes, while hexa- to nona-PCBs made up a larger proportion of sigmaOC in the south. The results thus showed that differences in global distribution of compounds with different physicochemical properties could be detected in avian top predators such as large gulls, even if biomagnification and biotransformation influence both the absolute concentrations and the patterns of OCs.