Antifungal activity of five different essential oils in vapour phase for the control of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Lasiodiplodia theobromae in vitro and on mango

Mango fruit has high commercial value; however, major postharvest losses are encountered throughout the supply chain due to postharvest diseases. These results lead to the search for natural fungicide for postharvest diseases control. The antifungal effects of five essential oils (thyme, clove, cinnamon, anise and vitex) were assessed by disc volatilisation method. Thyme oil vapours at 5 μL per Petriplate, and clove and cinnamon oil at 8 μL per Petriplate showed 100% growth inhibition of mango pathogens in vitro. GC/MS analysis of essential oil showed thymol (23.88), o‐cymol (23.88) and terpinolene (23.88) as the major constituents of thyme oil. Clove and cinnamon oils contain 3‐allyl‐2‐methoxyphenol (37.42%) and benzofuran 3‐methyl (17.97%), respectively. Thyme oil as a fumigant at 66.7 μL L^?1 showed a significant (P < 0.05) inhibition on postharvest pathogens of mango fruits stored at 25 °C for 6 days. Results of our study suggest the possibility of using thyme oil as an alternate natural fungicide to manage postharvest diseases in mango.     

Short-term toxicological evaluation of Terminalia catappa, Pentaclethra macrophylla and Calophyllum inophyllum seed oils in rats

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the toxicological effects of feeding the oils of Calophyllum inophyllum, Pentaclethra macrophylla and Terminalia catappa to rats. The effects on physical appearance, feed intake, weight gain, plasma and tissue cholesterol and triacyglycerol levels in rats with 5% of the oils in normal rat feed were determined. Weekly monitoring of the rats showed good physical appearance and steady weight gain, with no mortality recorded for the period of the study. Haematological analysis of the rats indicated that they were not anaemic. Histopathotogical examination of the sections of the heart, liver, kidney and spleen revealed moderate (T. catappa oil) to severe fatty change and necrosis in the liver. Glomerulonephrotic changes in the kidneys of rats fed with T. catappa oil were moderate, while it was severe in the group fed with P. macrophylla oil. Severe myocardiac necrosis as well as atherosclerotic clefts in vasa vasori was observed in the vasa vasori of the hearts of rats fed with P. macrophylla oil. This change was moderate in the heart of rats fed with C. inophyllum, while no such observation was made in the group fed with T. catappa oil. There was a significant difference in the plasma cholesterol levels of the rats fed with C. inophyllum and T. catappa oils when compared with the control rats, while those fed with P. macrophylla oil had no significant difference. The oil of T. catappa appears more suitable for consumption than the oils from C. inophyllum and P. macrophylla. Fatty acid analysis of the oils showed that they have high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids with linoleic and oleic acids as the major ones.     

利用PiggyBac转座子系统快速控制GPI锚定蛋白的表达

GPI锚定蛋白的合成是一个发生在内质网中多步骤、多基因参与的过程。PIGK是GPI锚定蛋白转酰胺酶复合物的一个催化亚基,负责把GPI前体转移到蛋白质上。作者在人体胚胎肾细胞(HEK 293)中获得了PIGK敲除的细胞株,敲除PIGK的细胞不能表达GPI锚定蛋白。利用piggyBac(PB)转座子系统,在细胞中重新插入PIGK基因,细胞膜表面的GPI锚定蛋白恢复表达。实验成功构建了HEK293pB-PIGK细胞株并命名为G36,通过引入PB转座酶或FLP重组酶,可以控制GPI锚定蛋白的表达。本系统可以快速调控细胞表面蛋白质的表达并能够用于基础研究和工业应用。     

Changes in lipid content and composition during germination of groundnuts

The cotyledons of two varieties of germinating groundnut seeds (Runner and Bunch) were analysed periodically for their lipid content and fatty acid composition over a period of 132 h. The lipid content decreased drastically during germination. More drastic changes in lipid constituents were observed for light-grown seedlings than for dark-grown ones. In general, the non-polar lipids (NPL) were metabolised faster than the polar ones (P > 0.05) especially in those seeds grown in the dark. The rate of decrease in NPL content almost paralleled that of increase in glycolipid (GL) content. Triacyl glycerol content decreased noticeably during germination while other NPL tended to increase. Among the GL, sterylglucoside increased rapidly during early germination under darkness, only to decrease steadily thereafter. A converse effect was observed for acyl sterylglucoside which, in the dark, decreased rapidly at early germination only to increase equally rapidly later on. Among the phospholipids (PL), only phosphatidic acid showed a marked increase during germination, under both growth conditions, while others tended to decrease in varying degrees. The changing patterns of GL and PL during germination seem to follow the pattern of the formation of photosynthetic tissues and the metabolic conversion of PL. The major fatty acids of the three lipid groups, which more or less decreased or increased in varying degrees with germination in light-grown seeds were oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic and lignoceric acids in decreasing order of prominence at early germination.     

Yeast ecology in French cider and black olive natural fermentations

In this study, rDNA ITS restriction analysis was used to identify yeasts from two naturally fermented products: French ciders and black olives. In cider musts and bottled ciders, the PCR-RFLP method generated 15 different ITS/RFLP profiles for a total of 208 isolates. The predominant yeasts corresponded to Saccharomyces bayanus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lachancea cidri and Dekkera anomala. Three identified species: Candida sake, Candida tropicalis and Kluyveromyces marxianus had never been described before in ciders. For the black olive fermentation, the method allowed for identification of 11 profiles for a total of 137 isolates. A sequential apparition of yeasts was observed with Pichia anomala, Candida boidinii and Debaryomyces etchellsii being the predominant species. Four isolates did not correspond to any known species based on the sequencing of the D1/D2 region of the 26S rRNA gene. By using the rDNA ITS method, valuable information on yeast population biodiversity and dynamics in the naturally fermented food products studied was obtained.     

Parenteral administration of glutamine modulates acute phase response in postparturient dairy cows

The objective of this study was to investigate whether administration of l-Gln would affect mediators of acute phase response in postparturient dairy cows. Twenty-four multiparous Holstein cows were blocked by the expected day of calving and randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 treatment groups (n = 8/group): 1) i.v. infusion of 10 L of 0.85% NaCl (control), 2) i.v. infusion of 106, or 3) 212 g/d of l-Gln mixed with 10 L of 0.85% NaCl solution; each treatment was given 8 h/d for each of 7 consecutive days starting on d 1 after calving. Blood samples were collected 1 wk before the expected day of parturition as well as on d 0, 7, 14, and 21 after parturition; plasma concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein were measured by ELISA, and α₁-acid glycoprotein was assessed by radial immunodiffusion. Concentrations of SAA, haptoglobin, and α₁-acid glycoprotein increased in control cows after parturition, reaching peak values on d 0 or 7 postpartum (60, 1,093, and 963 μg/mL, respectively). Cows infused with 106 g/d of l-Gln had greater concentrations of SAA in plasma on d 14 and 21 compared with controls (62.8 vs. 30.2 and 71.1 vs. 34.5 μg/mL, respectively). Cows infused with 212 g/d of l-Gln had greater concentrations of SAA on d 7 (82.5 vs. 53.9 μg/mL) and lower concentrations of haptoglobin on d 14 and 21 postpartum compared with controls (264 vs. 621 and 175 vs. 587 μg/mL, respectively). Cows treated with 106 and 212 g/d of l-Gln had greater plasma lipopolysaccharide-binding protein concentrations on d 7 compared with control group (50.0 and 35.6 vs. 10.8 μg/mL, respectively). There were no treatment differences with respect to milk yield and DM intake during the experimental period. In conclusion, our data indicate that i.v. administration of l-Gln modulated acute phase mediators in dairy cows after parturition and warrants further research into the mechanisms behind these effects.     

Moisture sorption study on Nigerian foods: Kuka

Kuka is an important vegetable in the Nigerian food chain. The moisture sorption characteristics of the vegetable studied at 34, 37 and 45°C between a_w 0.10–0.96, revealed a BET type II behaviour. The Kuka exhibited hysteresis and an increase in EMC with increase in a_w and decrease in temperature. Four sorption models (Oswin, Halsey, Kuhn, and GAB) were studied and the Oswin model was the most suitable. The constants in the Oswin model and GAB monolayer moisture contents were obtained and found to be temperature-dependent. Heats of sorption were greater for desorption than adsorption and in either mode, they reduced with an increase in moisture content. An exponential equation was obtained to relate heat of sorption with moisture content.     

Implications of Lactobacillus collinoides and Brettanomyces/Dekkera anomala in phenolic off-flavour defects of ciders

Different Lactobacillus collinoides and Brettanomyces/Dekkera anomala cider strains were studied for their ability to produce volatile phenols in synthetic medium. All strains were able to produce 4-ethylcatechol (4-EC), 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) and 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG) from caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids, respectively. Interestingly, D. anomala and L. collinoides were also able to produce 4-EC, 4-EP and 4-EG in cider conditions. The quantities of ethylphenols produced by these two species were similar in both tested ciders. The impact of precursor quantities was studied and it showed that the addition of caffeic and p-coumaric acids in ciders allowed for higher 4-EC and 4-EP production by D. anomala and L. collinoides. In parallel, D. anomala and L. collinoides strains were isolated from a phenolic off-flavour defective bottled cider after ethylphenol production hence confirming the implication of these two species in this cider spoilage. Finally, detection thresholds of the main ethylphenols were determined in ciders by orthonasal and retronasal sampling. The 4-EC and 4-EP detection thresholds (close to 20-25mg/l and 1.5-2.0mg/l, respectively) were matrix dependant.