Distribution of deoxynivalenol and 3‐acetyldeoxynivalenol in naturally contaminated and Fusarium culmorum infected triticale samples

Eight triticale genotypes, naturally contaminated (C) and collected from heads inoculated with two separate isolates Fusarium culmorum (I₁ and I₂) kernels were analysed for accumulation ofFusarium toxins. Triticale kernels were contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) and 3‐acetyldeoxynivalenol (3‐AcDON). Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between naturally contaminated samples (C) and those inoculated with isolate I₁ and I₂. The following accumulation of toxins in kernels (mean mg/kg) was found: C, I₁, I₂ – DON 0.06, 14.45, 8.09; 3‐AcDON – 0.01, 0.20, 0.49. Distribution of DON and 3‐AcDON was studied in four size fractions of kernels (> 2.8 mm; ≤ 2.8–2.5 mm, < 2.5–2.2 mm and < 2.2 mm).The highest concentration of DON and 3‐AcDON was found in the smallest fraction of damaged kernels. The percentage distribution of DON and 3‐AcDON in fraction < 2.2 mm was (C) 66%, 77%, (I₁) 38%, 27%, (I₂) 46%, 40%; and in fraction < 2.5 mm: (C) 85%, 94%, (I₁) 57%, 51%, (I₂) 80%, 76%. The naturally contaminated kernel fraction < 2.2 mm (although only 2% of all) contained 33% DON and 59% 3‐AcDON, for more toxigenic isolate I₁ 10%, 15%, 14%, less toxigenic isolate I₂ 4%, 13%, 11%, respectively, calculated on dry matter basis. No significant correlation between examined characteristics was found for either I₁ or I₂ isolate. The biosynthesis mechanism of toxic metabolites was to approximate (significantly correlated) to pair objects C/I₂.     

Marine and farmed fish in the Polish market: Comparison of the nutritional value

The proximate composition and fatty acids profiles of the muscle tissues of nine fish species that are popular on the Polish market were examined. The nine studied fish species were: Baltic fish (cod, herring, salmon), fish farmed in Poland (carp, trout), oceanic fish imported from China (walleye pollock, sole), and farmed fish imported from Vietnam and China (sutchi catfish, tilapia). The lowest lipid content (below 0.1%) was noted in the muscle tissues of Baltic cod and walleye pollock caught in the Pacific. The muscle tissue of walleye pollock also had the lowest protein content (12.2 ± 2.0%). The highest lipid content was noted in the muscle tissues of Baltic salmon (13.1 ± 2.4%). The highest percentage content of eicosapentaenoic (C20:5 n − 3 – EPA) and docosahexaenoic (C22:6 n − 3 – DHA) acids (over 40%) was noted in the fat extracted from the oceanic fish and Baltic cod. However, due to the low fat content, the concentrations of EPA + DHA in these fish species and in imported farmed fish expressed in mg/100 g of muscle tissues are the lowest and range on average from 24.8 ± 5.7 mg/100 g (sutchi catfish) to 207.4 ± 125.4 mg/100 g (sole). This is why the consumption of these fish species has no significant meaning for coronary heart disease prevention. Consumers with symptoms of cardiovascular diseases should include the following fish species, which have high concentrations of EPA + DHA: Baltic salmon (3807.2 ± 666.3 mg/100 g); Polish farmed trout (1804.0 ± 279.2 mg/100 g); and Baltic herring (940.9 ± 306.6 mg/100 g) in their diets. However, the consumption of Baltic salmon must be limited on account of the levels of persistent organic pollutants found in it.     

Effect of artichoke extract (Cynara scolymus L.) on palmitic-1-14C acid oxidation in rats

Studies on the effect of the artichoke extract (AE) on oxidation of palmitic-1-14C acid administered intravenously to rats at a dose 25 and 50 mg/kg bw demonstrated marked enhancement of both 14CO2 expiration rate and 14CO2 recovery in the expired air. The extract suppressed accumulation of palmitic-1-14C acid in serum lipids and epididymal fat pad tissue as well. The effects of the extract on 14CO2 expiration rate, 14CO2 recovery, as well as accumulation of palmitic-1-14C acid were dose dependent. Total14CO2 recovery in expired air during 60 min was elevated by 17.3% (p < 0.05) and 52.1% (p < 0.001) in rats administered the extract at a dose of 25 and 50 mg/kg, respectively. The rats supplemented with the AE at a dose of 25 and 50 mg/kg bw were characterized by 10.0% (not significant) and 19% (p < 0.05) decrease in( 14)C radioactivity of serum lipids as well as reduction of epididymal fat tissue 14C radioactivity by 8.7 and 17.5% (p < 0.05), respectively, in comparison with the control rats. Thus, the results demonstrate that the AE possess stimulatory properties with respect to oxidation of palmitic acid administered to rats, and provide new information on the mechanism of antilipemic activity of the extract associated with activation of lipid oxidation in the organism.     

An Insight into the Stages of Ion Leakage during Red Blood Cell Storage

Packed red blood cells (pRBCs), the most commonly transfused blood product, are exposed to environmental disruptions during storage in blood banks. In this study, temporal sequence of changes in the ion exchange in pRBCs was analyzed. Standard techniques commonly used in electrolyte measurements were implemented. The relationship between ion exchange and red blood cells (RBCs) morphology was assessed with use of atomic force microscopy with reference to morphological parameters. Variations observed in the Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, H⁺, HCO₃⁻, and lactate ions concentration show a complete picture of singly-charged ion changes in pRBCs during storage. Correlation between the rate of ion changes and blood group type, regarding the limitations of our research, suggested, that group 0 is the most sensitive to the time-dependent ionic changes. Additionally, the impact of irreversible changes in ion exchange on the RBCs membrane was observed in nanoscale. Results demonstrate that the level of ion leakage that leads to destructive alterations in biochemical and morphological properties of pRBCs depend on the storage timepoint.     

Microstructural and optical characterization of TiO2 doped with ytterbium synthesized by sol-gel and Solar physical vapor deposition process

Pure and ytterbium doped TiO2 nanopowders in anatase phase have been prepared by sol-gel method (SGM) and Solar Physical Vapour Deposition process (SPVD). The physico-chemical parameters of the nanopowders have been described based on the results of micro-structural characterization performed by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and nitrogen sorption measurements. Thus, final micro-structural properties of SGM and SPVD titania nanopowders have been compared in detail revealing significant changes in the structure and morphology of these two types of materials. Addition of ytterbium had no significant effect on above-mentioned properties, although it modifies significantly the optical properties of the investigated materials. The luminescent properties of developed material were found to be comparable to bulk oxide materials and better than these reported earlier for ytterbium doped titania. In particular it has been shown that the luminescence of SPVD nanopowders is significantly stronger than this of SGM samples.     

A New Method of Rail Head Hardening of Standard‐Gauge Rails for Improved Wear and Damage Resistance

A new method of cyclic‐accelerated cooling of the head of pearlitic rails to increase their performance in service was described in this paper. It is essentially based upon the head's immersion in aqueous polymer solution. However, as opposed to the methods developed so far, the head's immersion is performed cyclically by raising and lowering the level of the cooling solution, dividing the entire process into fast and slow cooling stages. When the intervals of the fast and slow cooling stages are properly defined, there is no necessity to control the time of the entire process to prevent the bainite/martensite formation. The most important effect of the cyclic cooling is that the entire time of the process can be adjusted to obtain fine pearlitic structure in the whole cross‐section of the head. Applying this technology, the head hardened rails were produced at Huta Królewska S.A. and tested successfully in track.     

Effects of chain length on oligopeptide hydrogelation

The co-assembly of mutually complementary, but self-repulsive oligopeptide pairs into viscoelastic hydrogels has been studied. Oligopeptides of 6, 10, and 14 amino acid residues were used to investigate the effects of peptide chain length on the structural and mechanical properties of the resulting hydrogels. Biophysical characterizations, including dynamic rheometry, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and fluorescence spectroscopy, were used to investigate hydrogelation at the bulk, fiber, and molecular levels, respectively. Upon mixing, the 10-mer peptides and the 14-mer peptides both form hydrogels while the 6-mer peptides do not. SAXS studies point to morphological similarity of the cross-sections of fibers underlying the 10:10 and 14:14 gels. However, fluorescence spectroscopy data suggest tighter packing of the amino acid side chains in the 10:10 fibers. Consistent with this tighter packing, dynamic rheometry data show that the 10:10 gel has much higher elastic modulus than the 14:14 mer (18 kPa vs. 0.1 kPa). Therefore, from the standpoint of mechanical strength, the optimum peptide chain length for this class of oligopeptide-based hydrogels is around 10 amino acid residues.     

Characterization of an immuno-dominant antigen in Brucella ovis and evaluation of its use in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

A panel of 45 Brucella ovis serologically positive sera were tested in immunoblots against B. ovis outer membrane proteins Omp31 and Omp25, purified by preparative SDS-gel electrophoresis. Forty-three sera reacted with Omp31, while only 11 reacted with Omp25, suggesting that Omp31 is identical to the previously reported immuno-dominant 29-kDa protein. Attempts to purify Omp31 on a larger scale by using procedures such as ion exchange-, reversed phase-, affinity- and gel filtration chromatography suggested that the outer membrane proteins were aggregated with rough lipopolysaccharide. Only denaturing SDS-gel filtration chromatography was able to separate proteins of about 29 kDa from rough lipopolysaccharide but did not separate Omp31 from Omp25 in B. ovis preparations. When used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, this 29-kDa protein preparation was less sensitive and less specific than the routinely used heat-extracted B. ovis antigen. A readily available recombinant E. coli, expressing the gene for Omp31 from Brucella melitensis 16 M, was used to extract and enrich recombinant Omp31 by a temperature-dependent Triton X-114-based technique. When this material was used in immunoblots with the 45 sera from B. ovis-infected sheep and with 10 monoclonal antibodies, raised against B. ovis Omp31, major differences in the antibody reactivity between the recombinant B. melitensis Omp31 and the B. ovis Omp31 were found. Such differences were unexpected because of the known structural and immunological relatedness of outer membrane proteins from various Brucella species. These results indicated that the antibody-response in B. ovis naturally-infected sheep against the immuno-dominant Omp31 was directed against epitopes which were only accessible when the protein was aggregated with rough lipopolysaccharides, or which were formed after aggregation but were not present in the recombinant protein.