Improved Hypolipidemic Effects of Xanthan Gum-Galactomannan Mixtures in Rats

This study describes the effects of mixtures of xanthan gum and galactomannan, guar gum, or locust bean gum, on the lipids in plasma and liver in non-diabetic and diabetic rats. Non-diabetic rats were fed cholesterol-free diets with 3% guar gum, locust bean gum, or xanthan gum (3G, 3L, and 3X), or a mixture of xanthan gum and guar gum or locust bean gum (1:2, w/w) (2G1X, 2L1X) for 2 weeks. Rats fed diets not containing these polysaccharides were used as controls. The total cholesterol in plasma and the triacylglycerol in liver were significantly lowered in rats fed the 2G1X diet. The 3G, 3X, 3L, and 2L1X diets showed no significant effect on the total cholesterol and triacylglycerol in plasma and liver. In the streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetic rats, the total cholesterol in plasma was lowered in rats fed the 3G, 3X or 2G1X diet for 4 weeks, and the 2G1X diet was more effective than the 3G and 3X diets. The triacylglycerol in plasma in STZ diabetic rats was also significantly lowered by the 2G1X diet. These results showed that a mixture of xanthan gum and guar gum has an improved hypolipidemic effect on non-diabetic and STZ diabetic rats. The effects of the 2G1X diet on the diabetic symptoms in STZ diabetic rats, suppression of food and water intakes, decrease in glucose in urine, and lowering of plasma glucose, were also observed.     

Multiple evolutionary processes drive the patterns of genetic differentiation in a forest tree species complex

Forest trees frequently form species complexes, complicating taxonomic classification and gene pool management. This is certainly the case in Eucalyptus, and well exemplified by the Eucalyptus globulus complex. This ecologically and economically significant complex comprises four taxa (sspp. bicostata, globulus, maidenii, pseudoglobulus) that are geographically and morphologically distinct, but linked by extensive “intergrade” populations. To resolve their genetic affinities, nine microsatellites were used to genotype 1200 trees from throughout the natural range of the complex in Australia, representing 33 morphological core and intergrade populations. There was significant spatial genetic structure (F_ST = 0.10), but variation was continuous. High genetic diversity in southern ssp. maidenii indicates that this region is the center of origin. Genetic diversity decreases and population differentiation increases with distance from this area, suggesting that drift is a major evolutionary process. Many of the intergrade populations, along with other populations morphologically classified as ssp. pseudoglobulus or ssp. globulus, belong to a “cryptic genetic entity” that is genetically and geographically intermediate between core ssp. bicostata, ssp. maidenii, and ssp. globulus. Geography, rather than morphology, therefore, is the best predictor of overall genetic affinities within the complex and should be used to classify germplasm into management units for conservation and breeding purposes.     

真菌联合稀碱预处理杜仲叶提取杜仲胶的工艺研究

以杜仲干叶为原料,经稀碱和绿色木霉联合处理以除去杜仲表面覆盖的角质层,同时洗脱一些可溶性杂质,并且破坏杜仲叶的细胞壁与纤维结构,再以石油醚作为提取溶剂,得到粗胶再经丙酮浸洗获得杜仲精胶。用0.45%NaOH在75℃下除去杜仲叶表面的角质层,并且同时脱除一些可溶性活性成分(如:多糖、黄酮类、京尼平苷等),之后得杜仲叶干燥,利用绿色木霉去破坏杜仲叶的细胞壁与纤维结构,在85℃条件下以石油醚作为提取溶剂提取杜仲胶。最后,经测得未处理前杜仲叶中的杜仲胶的含量为1.78%,0.45%NaOH稀碱预处理后含量为3.16%,绿色木霉发酵后含量为4.36%。预处理前,有机溶剂一次提取率为0.73%,纯度为83.7%。稀碱与真菌联合预处理后一次提取率为2.85%,纯度为96.6%。本工艺以稀碱与绿色木霉共同作用,减少了有机溶剂的用量,与传统工艺相比,更加的绿色环保,安全有效,为杜仲胶的提取提供了科学有效的依据。     

明胶/海藻酸钠/沙蒿胶复合水凝胶的制备及表征

为探究明胶（G）、海藻酸钠（SA）,沙蒿胶（ASKG）对复合水凝胶的力学性能、溶胀和保湿性能的影响,采用共混-离子交联法制备海藻酸钠/明胶/沙蒿胶复合水凝胶,并对制得的水凝胶进行结构表征和溶血率测试。结果表明:当G质量分数为2.5%,SA为1.5%,ASKG为0.7%时,复合水凝胶压缩强度达到427.2 kPa,拉伸强度达到563.449 kPa,断裂伸长率为117%,溶胀率为744%,且具有较好的保湿性能。红外光谱表明,由于沙蒿胶中存在大量羟基,因此加入沙蒿胶后在3 300 cm^-1～3 600 cm^-1羟基峰形变宽。G/SA/ASKG复合水凝胶溶血率低于5%,具有较好的网络孔结构和血液相容性,为复合水凝胶在医用敷料方面的应用提供一定的参考价值。     

Gellan gum biosynthesis in Sphingomonas paucimobilis ATCC 31461: genes,enzymes and exopolysaccharide production engineering

The commercial gelling agent, gellan, is an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) produced by Sphingomonas paucimobilis ATCC 31461. In recent years, significant progress in understanding the relationship between gellan structure and properties and elucidation of the biosynthesis and engineering of this recent product of biotechnology has been made. This review focuses on recent advances in this field. Emphasis is given to identification and characterization of genes and enzymes involved, or predicted to be involved, in the gellan biosynthetic pathway, at the level of synthesis of sugar-activated precursors, of the repeat unit assembly and of gellan polymerization and export. Identification of several genes, biochemical characterization of the encoded enzymes and elucidation of crucial steps of the gellan pathway indicate that possibilities now exist for exerting control over gellan production at any of the three levels of its biosynthesis. However, a better knowledge of the poorly understood steps and of the bottlenecks and regulation of the pathway, the characterization of the composition, structure and functional properties of gellan-like polymers produced either by the industrial strain under different culture conditions or by mutants are still required for eventual success of the metabolic engineering of gellan production. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 29, 170–176 doi:10.1038/sj.jim.7000266 Received 11 February 2002/ Accepted in revised form 09 April 2002     

Effect of dietary fibres on constituents of complex carbohydrates in streptozotocin induced diabetic rat tissues

The effect of dietary fibres on constituents of complex carbohydrates in various tissues of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats is presented by analysing different constituents of complex carbohydrates in presence and absence of dietary fibre. Wheat bran was effective in preventing the decrease (14%) in total sugars in spleen and an increase in total sugars in stomach (33%) during diabetes. Decrease in uronic acid content during diabetes in spleen was prevented to the extent of 25% by the presence of wheat bran in the diet. The other parameters which were affected by the presence of wheat bran in the diet during diabetes are amino sugar (brain and stomach), sulphates (liver) and protein (lungs and stomach). Guar gum was effective in preventing the decrease in total sugar content in spleen by 28% and sulphate content in liver by 14% during diabetes. Variation in protein content in lungs was observed in diabetes. The results indicated beneficial role of dietary fibres like wheat bran and guar gum on complex carbohydrates to varying extents in different tissues.     

Early ovule development following self- and cross-pollinations in Eucalyptus globulus Labill. ssp. globulus

The study was conducted to identify the self-incompatibility mechanism in Eucalyptus globulus ssp. globulus. Controlled self- and cross-pollinations were conducted on individual flowers from three mature trees that had self-incompatibility levels of 76, 99.6 and 100%. Flowers were harvested at 4, 6 and 8 weeks after pollination. Embryology was investigated by bright field microscopy on material harvested at 4 and 6 weeks after pollination. Fertilization had taken place at 4 weeks after pollination with zygotes and free nuclear endosperm visible. There was a greater proportion of healthy, fertilized ovules in the cross- compared with the self-pollination treatment, and approx. half the ovules examined from both pollen treatments were not fertilized or were degenerating. By 6 weeks after pollination a few zygotes were starting to divide. The number of healthy, fertilized ovules was still greater in the cross-pollination treatment, but the number of healthy fertilized ovules was lower in both treatments compared with 4 weeks after pollination, and many ovules were degenerating. Fertilized ovules were significantly larger than non-fertilized or degenerating ovules and this difference was detectable by eye at 6 and 8 weeks after pollination. The mechanism of self-incompatibility appears to have both late pre- and post-zygotic components.     

Cyanogenic Eucalyptus nobilis is polymorphic for both prunasin and specific beta-glucosidases

Cyanogenesis (i.e. the evolution of HCN from damaged plant tissue) requires the presence of two biochemical pathways, one controlling synthesis of the cyanogenic glycoside and the other controlling the production of a specific degradative beta-glucosidase. The sole cyanogenic glycoside in Eucalyptus nobilis was identified as prunasin (D-mandelonitrile beta-D-glucoside) using HPLC and GC-MS. Seedlings from three populations of E. nobilis were grown under controlled conditions and 38% were found to be acyanogenic, a proportion far greater than reported for any other cyanogenic eucalypt. A detailed study of the acyanogenic progeny from a single open-pollinated parent found that 23% lacked a cyanogenic beta-glucosidase, 32% lacked prunasin and 9% lacked both. Of the remaining seedlings initially identified as acyanogenics, 27% contained either trace amounts of beta-glucosidase or prunasin, while 9% contained trace amounts of both. Results support the hypothesis that the two components necessary for cyanogenesis are inherited independently. Trace amounts are likely to result from the presence of non-specific beta-glucosidases or the glycosylation of the cyanohydrin intermediate by non-specific UDP glycosyl transferases.     

黄单胞杆菌XC—82,R5二步发酵工艺研究

通过对黄单胞杆菌ＸＣ－８２,Ｒ５株的黄原胶二步发酵工艺研究,针对菌株在生长时期与产胶时期不同培养条件的需求,确定了两个阶段各自适宜的培养基组成,温度,ｐＨ值条件,实验表明,当流加稀释率为５时,二步发酵生产可达到了较高水平,其产胶量较传统的间歇发酵提高３１％。     

Inducing whole-assemblage change by experimental manipulation of habitat structure

1. Habitat structure long has been identified as a primary factor influencing local assemblage composition. Most evidence has been in the form of correlations of species occurrence and assemblage composition over a range of habitats, with experimental verification of relationships being relatively uncommon because of the difficulties of enacting precise manipulations of habitat structure. 2. Fallen timber (also known as coarse or large woody debris) is one of the few habitat-structural elements in forests and woodlands that can be manipulated with relatively high precision. We report on manipulations of wood-loads on 30 experimental 1-ha plots in floodplain forests of northern Victoria, Australia, over 4 years (one pre- and three post-manipulation). 3. We show that very high wood-loads (80 Mg ha(-1)) and intermediate wood-loads derived from tree crowns (40 Mg ha(-1)) increase species richness (all species and ground-foraging species) and numbers of birds (all species and ground-foraging species) relative to the control plots. 4. Three bird species consistently increased most following manipulations: white-plumed honeyeater Lichenostomus penicillatus (Gould 1837) (fam. Meliphagidae), brown treecreeper Climacteris picumnus (Temm. & Laug. 1824) (fam. Climacteridae) and yellow rosella Platycercus elegans flaveolus (Gould 1837) (fam. Psittacidae). The honeyeater is not considered as a ground or fallen timber dependent species, while the treecreeper and rosella both are regarded as being dependent on ground-layer structure. 5. Fallen timber management needs to be considered in a landscape and temporal context for improving conservation of avian biodiversity.