A mannose-binding protein from the cell surface of flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NCIM 3528): its role in flocculation

A cell surface lectin was isolated and purified to homogeneity from the cell walls of a highly flocculent strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NCIM 3528) by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, phenyl Sepharose and Sephacryl S-300. It showed a molecular mass of 40 kDa on SDS-PAGE. It is an acidic protein with a pI of 4.0 and contains 44% hydrophobic amino acids. The N-terminal sequence up to 10 amino acid residues showed at least 70% homology with the predicted N-terminal sequence of the putative FLO1 as well as FLO5 gene products. The mannose-binding nature of the lectin was indicated by its high affinity and specificity towards the branched trisaccharide of mannose, a ligand which also inhibits the flocculation of yeast cells. Immunofluorescence studies confirmed the presence of lectin on the yeast cell surface and lectin-specific IgGs prevented flocculation of the cells. This cell surface mannose-specific lectin probably plays an important role in flocculation, with the branched trimannoside on the cell wall being the apparent carbohydrate receptor. The N-terminal sequence data gives a primary indication that the lectin could be a product of one of the FLO genes.     

Phytochemical composition and bioactivities of lupin: a review

Lupin is a nonstarchy grain legume with high protein, dietary fibre and low fat contents. The industrial shift of lupin seed utilisation from feed to food has recently increased the scientific interest to explore its phytochemical composition and biological activities. Lupin seeds contain significant amounts of polyphenols, carotenoids, phytosterols, tocopherols, alkaloids and peptides with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic and anti‐inflammatory activities. Among polyphenols, genistein and their derivatives (isoflavones) are of great importance because of their phytoestrogenic potential. This comprehensive review will help out the readers in understanding the phytochemicals present in lupin and their benefits.     

Effect of corn silage harvest maturity and concentrate type on milk fatty acid composition of dairy cows

The variation in maturity at harvest during grain filling has a major effect on the carbohydrate composition (starch:NDF ratio) and fatty acid (FA) content of corn silages, and can alter the FA composition of milk fat in dairy cows. This study evaluated the effect of silage corn (cv. Atrium) harvested and ensiled at targeted DM contents of 300, 340, 380, and 420 g/kg of fresh weight and fed to dairy cows in combination with a highly degradable carbohydrate (HC) or low-degradable carbohydrate concentrate, on the nutrient intake, milk yield, and composition of milk and milk fat. Sixty-four multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows in their first week of lactation were assigned to the 8 dietary treatments according to a randomized complete block design. The 8 dietary treatments consisted of a factorial combination of the 4 corn silages and the 2 concentrates. Corn silages were offered ad libitum as part of a basal forage mixture, whereas the concentrates were given at the rate of 8.5 kg of DM/cow per day during the 15-wk experimental period. Dry matter, crude protein, and energy intakes did not differ across the corn silages. However, the intake of starch increased, and those of NDF and C18:3n-3 decreased with increasing maturation. Milk yield and composition were not different across the corn silages. Yield (kg/d) of milk, protein, and lactose was higher for low-degradable carbohydrate compared with HC concentrate-fed groups. Increasing maturity of corn silages decreased the content of C18:3n-3 and total n-3 and increased the n-6:n-3 ratio in milk fat. Concentrate type significantly altered the composition of all trans FA, except C18:2 trans-9,12. Inclusion of the HC concentrate in the diets increased the contents of all C18:1 trans isomers, C18:2 cis-9,trans-11, and C18:2 trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid in milk fat. Milk fat composition was strongly influenced by the stage of lactation (wk 3 to 10). The content of all even short- and medium-chain FA changed with lactation, except C8:0 and C10:0. The content of C12:0, C14:0, and C16:0 and total saturated FA increased and the content of C18:0, C18:1 cis total, and total cis monounsaturated FA decreased with lactation. Maturity of the corn silages at harvest did not affect the production performance of dairy cows, but resulted in a decreased content of C18:3n-3, total n-3, and an increased n-6:n-3 ratio in the milk fat of dairy cows.     

Benefits of two mitigation strategies for container vessels: cleaner engines and cleaner fuels

Emissions from ocean-going vessels (OGVs) are a significant health concern for people near port communities. This paper reports the emission benefits for two mitigation strategies, cleaner engines and cleaner fuels, for a 2010 container vessel. In-use emissions were measured following International Organization for Standardization (ISO) protocols. The overall in-use nitrogen oxide (NO(x)) emission factor was 16.1 ± 0.1 gkW(-1) h(-1), lower than the Tier 1 certification (17 gkW(-1) h(-1)) and significantly lower than the benchmark value of 18.7 gkW(-1) h(-1) commonly used for estimating emission inventories. The in-use particulate matter (PM(2.5)) emission was 1.42 ± 0.04 gkW(-1) h(-1) for heavy fuel oil (HFO) containing 2.51 wt % sulfur. Unimodal (～30 nm) and bimodal (～35 nm; ～75 nm) particle number size distributions (NSDs) were observed when the vessel operated on marine gas oil (MGO) and HFO, respectively. First-time emission measurements during fuel switching (required 24 nautical miles from coastline) showed that concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) and particle NSD took ～55 min to reach steady-state when switching from MGO to HFO and ～84 min in the opposite direction. Therefore, if OGVs commence fuel change at the regulated boundary, then vessels can travel up to 90% of the distance to the port before steady-state values are re-established. The transient behavior follows a classic, nonlinear mixing function driven by the amount of fuel in day tank and the fuel consumption rate. Hence, to achieve the maximum benefits from a fuel change regulation, fuel switch boundary should be further increased to provide the intended benefits for the people living near the ports.     

Degradation of synthetic androgens 17alpha- and 17beta-trenbolone and trendione in agricultural soils

17Beta-trenbolone acetate (TBA) is a synthetic androgenic steroid hormone administered as a subcutaneous implant for growth promotion in beef cattle. TBA is converted metabolically to primarily 17alpha-trenbolone and trendione, and excreted in manure from implanted cattle. To predict the persistence of synthetic androgens once land-applied, aerobic degradation rates in two contrasting agricultural soil types (clay loam and a sandy soil) of both trenbolone isomers (17alpha and 17beta) and their primary metabolite trendione were measured and isomer interconversion was assessed. The impact of manure application was also evaluated in the clay loam soil. A pseudo first-order exponential decay model was derived assuming irreversible transformation and no impact of sorption on availability for degradation. The model generally resulted in good fits to the data. Both isomers degraded to trendione in a similar manner with half-lives (t1/2) on the order of a few hours to 0.5 days at applied concentrations of < or = 1 mg/kg. Similar degradation rates were observed in the presence and absence of manure applied at rates typical for land-application of cattle manure. Trenbolone degradation was concentration-dependent with degradation rates decreasing with increasing applied concentrations. Trendione, whether applied directly or produced from trenbolone, persisted longer than trenbolone with t1/2 values of 1 to 4 days. A small amount (1.5%) of conversion of trendione back to 17beta-trenbolone was observed during aerobic incubation regardless of the applied concentration. A small amount of 17alpha-isomer also converted back to 17beta-trenbolone, presumably through trendione. In autoclaved soils, no degradation of 17alpha- or 17beta-trenbolone was observed during the first 3 days, and trendione degradation was relatively small compared to a microbially active soil.     

Accumulation of organochlorine pesticides from water using triolein embedded cellulose acetate membranes

A new type of composite membrane, triolein embedded cellulose acetate membrane (TECAM), was produced by embedding triolein drops in the matrix of cellulose acetate polymers. The distribution of six organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) between water and TECAM was investigated in a static water system. Its field application was tested in Taihu Lake (China). Results from both laboratory and field experiments indicate that TECAM quickly and efficiently accumulated hydrophobic OCPs from water. Under laboratory conditions, uptake equilibrium was achieved within 24 h for all of the six OCPs. Significant correlations were obtained between log Kp TECAM (TECAM-water partition coefficient) and log Kow (octanol-water partition coefficient); between log Ktw (triolein-water partition coefficient, triolein in TECAM) and log Kow; and between log Ktw and log BCF (bioconcentration factor in rainbow trout calculated from literatures). Triolein in TECAM significantly increased the accumulation of strongly hydrophobic OCPs when compared to the use of cellulose acetate polymers alone. Temperature had only slight effects on the Kp TECAM values of the strongly hydrophobic OCPs. The partition coefficient obtained by measuring OCP concentrations in TECAM under field conditions could be successfully applied to estimate OCPs concentrations in surface water.     

Utilisation of fruit and vegetable wastes in layers' diet

Improvement in egg production and egg size was noted when dietary rice polishing was replaced by carrot residue at 80 g kg^?1 diet. The layers fed on a diet containing orange waste or mango peels showed results comparable with the control. Egg production and egg size were adversely affected when mango stone was added to the layers' diet.     

Enzymatic interesterification of palm and coconut stearin blends

Hard fractions of palm oil and coconut oil, blended in the ratios of 90:10, 85:15, 80:20 and 75:25, were interesterified for 8 h using Lipozyme TL IM. Major fatty acids in the blends were palmitic acid (41.7–48.4%) and oleic acid (26.2–30.8%). Medium‐chain fatty acids accounted for 4.5–13.1% of the blends. After interesterification (IE), slip melting point was found to decrease from 44.8–46.8 °C to 28.5–34.0 °C owing to reduction in solids content at all temperatures. At 37.5 °C, the blends containing 25% coconut stearins had 17.4–19% solids, which reduced to 0.4–1.5% on IE, and the slip melting point (28.6 and 28.8 °C) indicated their suitability as margarine base. The reduction in solid fat index of the interesterified fats is attributed to the decrease in high‐melting triacylglycerols in palm oil (GS₃ and GS₂U type) and increase in triolein (GU₃) content from 1 to 9.2%. Retention of tocopherols and β‐carotene during IE was 76 and 60.1%, respectively, in 75:25 palm stearin and coconut stearin blend.