Effect of carbon source on cell growth and betalain production in cell suspension culture of Beta vulgaris

In this work we studied the production of betalains by suspension culture of Beta vulgaris. The B. vulgaris grew at a doubling time of 4.8 days. The betalains production was found to be not-growth related. The culture's response to different carbon sources was investigated. Best growth and pigment production was obtained with sucrose.     

Changes in biomass allocation and phenolic compounds accumulation due to the effect of light and nitrate supply in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cecropia peltata</Emphasis> plants

Cecropia peltata is popularly known as “guarumbo” in Mexico and is used in traditional medicine for treatment of diabetes mellitus. C. peltata plants were cultivated in a hydroponic system under controlled conditions. Gradients of light (20, 30 and 100 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and nitrate concentrations (13, 2 and 0.2 mM) were applied to estimate their effect on biomass allocation and accumulation of bioactive (chlorogenic acid and isoorientin) phenolic compounds over a 28-day period. According to carbon nutrient balance (CNB) hypothesis predictions, biomass accumulation in foliage was stimulated by the highest irradiance (100 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹); similarly, at highest irradiance in combination with lowest nitrate concentration (0.2 mM), root growth was stimulated (root-to-shoot ratio increased twofold with respect to the control). In these conditions, total phenolics (TP) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) contents were higher in aerial parts than in roots, with a 3.8-fold increase in TP and a 7.7-fold increase in CGA in foliage with respect to the control plants. Isoorientin was accumulated at very low levels. Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content showed a strong positive correlation. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity (PAL) in aerial parts exhibited significant changes (>twofold) by highest irradiance. C. peltata plants allocate biomass and/or phenolic compounds to compensate the oxidative damage (increase in MDA levels) due to changes in light and nitrate restriction. The results are the basis for the establishment of a system of C. peltata culture in view of the potential use of C. peltata in therapeutic preparations for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.     

Livestock Vehicle Accidents in Spain: Causes,Consequences, and Effects on Animal Welfare

Livestock vehicle accidents are rare but involve significant economic, human, and nonhuman farm animal losses. This study obtained information on the characteristics of accidents, the animals involved, and injuries to humans from newspaper reports about livestock vehicle accidents in Spain from January 2000 to December 2008. Most accidents involved pig transport (57%), followed by bovine (30%), poultry (8%), and sheep (5%). Driver mortality was not high (6%), and most accidents (76%) involved only the livestock vehicle, which often was overturned (64%) on a straight road transect (51%). Multivariate analysis of the data suggests 2 types of accidents, depending on the species transported. In the first cluster, 95.3% of the cases involved pig transport with articulated vehicles (60.5%). In the second cluster, 94.4% of the accidents involved small vehicles used for cattle transport (44.4%). The results of this study indicate that the characteristics of livestock vehicle accidents vary according to species. One of the main causes of accidents appears to be driver fatigue, which may be due to several factors such as intense workdays, poorly designed route plans, or high levels of pressure from companies.     

Chromosome Segregation and Peptidoglycan Remodeling Are Coordinated at a Highly Stabilized Septal Pore to Maintain Bacterial Spore Development

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Optimization of ellagic acid accumulation by Aspergillus niger GH1 in solid state culture using pomegranate shell powder as a support

This report describes an investigation of ellagic acid accumulation (EAA) in solid state culture (SSC) using Aspergillus niger GH1 and powdered pomegranate peel as a support. Various culture conditions (temperature, initial moisture, levels of inoculum and concentration of salts) were evaluated using a Plackett–Burman design (PBD) for screening culture factors followed by a central composite design (CCD) for enhancing the EAA. Temperature, MgSO₄ and KCl concentration were identified as significant parameters for EAA in SSC. This enhancement procedure resulted in 15.5-fold increase in EAA (8.48–132.62 mg/g) when the selected culture conditions were evaluated in a kinetic study of biodegradation of ellagitannins to produce ellagic acid. This work proposes a biotechnological alternative to obtain a highly valuable, high-quality compound from agro-industrial wastes through SSC.