Diagnosis of iron deficiency in groundnut,Arachis hypogaea L.

Summary Investigations into iron deficiency have been hindered by the lack of a satisfactory diagnostic tissue test, which in turn results from the total iron content of plant tissue commonly being an unreliable index of the iron status. Our measurements of chlorotic and normal leaves of field grown groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) showed that total iron was unsatisfactory as the measure of iron status of plant tissue. It was found that iron status was better assessed from an estimate of the ferrous iron content of fresh leaf materials obtained by extraction with o-phenanthroline. Extractable iron content increased with leaf age. Chlorotic buds or the first fully opened leaf always contained less than 6μg extractable-Fe/g fresh tissue. Approved for publication as ICRISAT Journal Article No. 307.     

A simple, accurate method for determining wet and dry weight concentrations of plant cell suspension cultures using microcentrifuge tubes

Summary A simple method using microcentrifuge tubes for determining fresh and dry weights, and collecting cell-free supernatant from plant suspension cultures is described. This method offers improvements in accuracy, precision, and time efficiency over traditional filtration methods. Using 4-day-old Nicotinia tabacum cultures, the centrifuge method was shown to remove 25% more of the interstitial water from cell aggregates compared to a suction filtration method, with significantly less variation in fresh weight data.     

Fate of 3H-thymidine labelled myogenic cells in regeneration of muscle isografts

Summary Intact and denervated extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of 20-day-old inbred Lewis-Wistar rats were labelled with ³H-thymidine. Ninety minutes after the injection of the isotope 4.0% of the nuclei were labelled in the intact (i.e. innervated) and 9.6% in the muscles, denervated 3 days before administration of the isotope. The labelled EDL muscles were grafted into the bed of the previously removed EDL muscles of inbred animals and these isografts were studied 30 days later.In the EDL muscles, regenerated from innervated isografts only occasionally labelled endothelial cells were found whereas in the muscles regenerated from denervated isografts also parenchymal muscle nuclei were regularly labelled. The incidence of labelled nuclei in the regenerated EDL muscles was, however, about 20 times lower than in the donor EDL muscles. The present experiments provide a direct proof of utilization of donor satellite cell nuclei for regeneration in grafted muscle tissue. With respect to the low incidence of labelled nuclei in regenerated EDL muscles, other sources of cells apparently also contribute to the regeneration process.     

Freshwater ecology: changes, requirements, and future demands

The past development and evolution of limnology as a discipline has demonstrated that experimentally controlled disturbances of parts of aquatic ecosystems are essential for quantitative evaluation of causal mechanisms governing their operation. Correlative analyses and modeling only establish hypotheses, not causality, and allow only therapeutic management applications. Rather than constantly searching for differences, commonality must be sought. Among the large diversity of species, communities, and biogeochemical processes controlling growth and reproduction, commonality emerges at the levels of regulation of metabolism. Five areas of current and future limnological research are discussed in relation to greatest needs and promise to yield insights into material and energy flows in freshwater ecosystems and their effective management: (1) coupled metabolic mutualism in the physiological ecology of microbes (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protists) and their biogeochemical, especially organic, couplings with the environment; (2) biochemical regulation of collective metabolism, recycling, and bioavailability of nutrients and growth regulators; (3) application of genetic and molecular techniques to addressing biogeochemical, evolutionary, and pollution remediation problems; (4) recognition that the metabolism within lakes and streams is dependent upon and regulated to a major extent by organic matter of the drainage basin and especially by the land-water interface biogeochemistry; and (5) recognition that food-web alterations ("biomanipulation") are short-term, expensive therapeutic tools that may minimize effects of eutrophication but will not solve or control eutrophication. Received: October 30, 1999 / Accepted: December 6, 1999     

Model-based predictions of anaerobic digestion of agricultural substrates for biogas production

A modified Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 (ADM1), calibrated on a laboratory digester with a feeding mix of 30% weight of cow manure and 70% weight of corn silage, was implemented, showing its performances of simulation as a decision-making and planning-supporting tool for the anaerobic digestion of agricultural substrates. The virtual fermenter obtained was used to conduct simulations with different feeding compositions and loading rates of cow manure, corn silage, grass silage and rape oil. All simulations were started at the same initial state which was represented by a steady state with an organic loading rate of 2.5 kg ODM/(). The effects of the different feeding combinations on biogas composition and biogas yield were predicted reasonably, and partly verified with the available literature data. Results demonstrated that the simulations could be helpful for taking decisions on agricultural biogas plant operation or experimental set-ups, if used advisedly.     

Treatment of fresh leachate with high-strength organics and calcium from municipal solid waste incineration plant using UASB reactor

Treatment of a fresh leachate with high-strength organics and calcium from municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plant by an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor was investigated under mesophilic conditions, emphasizing the influence of organic loading rate (OLR). When the reactor was fed with the raw leachate (COD as high as 70,390-75,480 mg/L) at an OLR of 12.5 kg COD/(m³ d), up to ∼82.4% of COD was removed suggesting the feasibility of UASB process for treating fresh leachates from incineration plants. The ratio of volatile solids/total solids (VS/TS) of the anaerobic sludge in the UASB decreased significantly after a long-term operation due to the precipitation of calcium carbonate in the granules. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation shows that Methanosaeta-like species were in abundance, accompanied by a variety of other species. The result was further confirmed by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and sequencing.     

我国西南元江大理茶的挥发性成分及其抗氧化活性(英文)

大理茶 ( Camellia taliensis) 为山茶科山茶属茶组植物,主要分布于云南横断山脉澜沧江至伊洛瓦底江流域,即从云南的西部及西南部至缅甸北部。在其分布区,大理茶亦被称为野生大茶树,常用于加工制作茶叶。采用水蒸气蒸馏法、GC 及 GC/MS 联用技术,首次对大理茶的鲜幼叶和鲜幼叶及老叶分别制成的绿茶中的挥发性成分进行提取和分析,共鉴定出 91 个化合物。研究结果表明,大理茶鲜幼叶的主要香气成分为棕榈酸 ( 30. 52%) ,亚油酸 ( 19. 82%) ,植醇 ( 8. 75%) 和亚麻酸乙酯 ( 2. 54%) 等有机酸及其酯和二萜类,而制成绿茶后,其主要香气成分则为芳樟醇 ( 28. 43%) ,脱氢芳樟醇 ( 1. 13%) ,α-松油醇( 11. 68%) ,橙花醇 ( 4. 92%) 和香叶醇 ( 12. 34%) 等单萜醇类成分。从大理茶鲜叶到由其制成的绿茶,香气成分发生了较大变化,形成了 28 种原鲜叶中未检测到的香气成分,其中,( Z,Z,Z) -9,12,15-十八烷三烯-1-醇的含量分别达到 1. 21% ( 幼叶绿茶) 和 11. 2% ( 老叶绿茶) ,是大理茶制作的绿茶的特征香气成分。DPPH 和 ABTS+自由基清除实验结果显示大理茶鲜叶及其制成的绿茶的挥发性成分均具有一定的抗氧化活性,但均弱于茶多酚的抗氧化活性。     

Nationalization and Globalization Trends in the Wild Mushroom Commerce of Italy with Emphasis on Porcini (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Boletus edulis</Emphasis> and Allied Species)

Nationalization and Globalization Trends in the Wild Mushroom Commerce of Italy with Emphasis on Porcini ( Boletus edulis and Allied Species). This paper presents an historical overview of wild mushroom commerce in Italy, with a focus on recent trends in the production of porcini (Boletus edulis and closely allied species). Over the past century, two major trends—nationalization and globalization—have been apparent in the wild mushroom commerce of Italy. First, a simplified national mushroom menu has emerged through processes of governmental regulation and culinary fashion, but it has come at the expense of differing, localized mushroom traditions which may suffer under the European Union’s free trade principles. Second, Italy has emerged as a focal point of a global market for a small number of mushroom species—particular porcini. While the name porcini has become synonymous with Italian cuisine, and in spite of a vibrant tradition of recreational mushroom collecting in Italy, most of the porcini commercially available in Italy or exported by Italy are no longer of Italian origin. Porcini and other mushrooms now flow into Italy from all over the world—especially from China and eastern Europe—and are then often exported as “Italian porcini.” This globalization of the wild mushroom trade, while offering significant income to rural producers and processors around the globe, has other effects as well, for example, a kind of national branding as “Italian” of globally-produced products, of which porcini is one, that is in direct opposition to some of the European Union’s rules for regional denominations.

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Processi di Nazionalizzazione e Globalizzazione nel Commercio Italiano dei Funghi spontanei, con Particolare Riguardo ai Porcini ( Boletus edulis e Specie Affini). Questo articolo presenta una panoramica storica sul commercio dei funghi spontanei in Italia, con particolare riguardo alle recenti tendenze nella produzione dei porcini (Boletus edulis e specie affini). Nello scorso secolo si sono osservate due tendenze principali—di nazionalizzazione e di globalizzazione—nel commercio dei funghi spontanei in Italia. In primo luogo si è affermata nel territorio nazionale una tradizione limitata al consumo di un numero contenuto di specie, sia per effetto di alcune normative che di mode culinarie, ma ciò è avvenuto a discapito di tradizioni locali più ricche, che potrebbero ulteriormente risentire dei principi per il libero scambio all’interno dell’Unione Europea. In secondo luogo, l’Italia si è posta in evidenza come un punto nodale per il mercato globale di alcune specie fungine, in particolare dei porcini. Nonostante quest’ultimo termine sia tradizionalmente associato alla cucina italiana, e nonostante esista in Italia una vivace e radicata tradizione nella raccolta amatoriale dei funghi, la maggior parte dei porcini ivi commercializzati (allo stato fresco, essiccati o variamente conservati) o esportati verso altri paesi non sono più di origine locale. I porcini e altre specie fungine giungono attualmente in Italia da ogni parte del mondo—in modo particolare dalla Cina e dall’Europa orientale—e sono successivamente spesso esportati come “prodotti Italiani.” Questo processo di globalizzazione del mercato dei funghi spontanei, pur offrendo un significativo introito ai raccoglitori e commercianti rurali su tutto il globo, è responsabile di altri effetti, come per l’appunto una sorta di marchio nazionale “Italiano” su alcuni prodotti di provenienza globale, come per l’appunto i porcini, cosa che contrasta con alcune delle regole dell’Unione Europea in materia di denominazioni regionali.

     

Ecology of seed germination of eight non-pioneer tree species from a tropical seasonal rain forest in southwest China

We compared various aspects of the seed biology of eight non-pioneer tree species from a tropical seasonal rain forest in Xishuangbanna, SW China, that differ in time of dispersal, size and fresh seed moisture content (MC). Seeds were tested for germination under laboratory conditions after dehydration to different moisture levels and under 3.5, 10 and 30% solar irradiances in neutral-shade houses. For six species, germination was also compared in forest understory (3.5% light) and center of a forest gap (32.5% light). Under continuous dehydration over activated silica gel, 100% of seeds of four species had lost the ability to germinate after 48 h, and those of all species except Castanopsis hystrix (decreased from >90 to 30% germination) had lost the ability to germinate after 120 h. Four species did not differ in final germination percentages at the three irradiances (i.e. uniform germination). However, final germination percentages of Horsfieldia pandurifolia and Litsea pierrei var. szemaois were significantly lower in 30% than in 10 or 3.5% light, and seeds of Antiaris toxicaria and C. hystrix germinated to higher percentages in 30 and 10% than in 3.5% light. Mean time to germination (MTG) of the eight species (forest and shade house data combined) ranged from 5–5 days for Pometia tomentosa to 72–207days for L. pierrei; MTG for four species was ≤21 days. There was no obvious relationship between relative desiccation resistance and either time of dispersal, MTG or uniformity of germination at the three light levels, or between seed size and MC or MTG. However, the relationship between seed MC at maturity (25–60% fresh mass basis) and MC at 50% loss of seed viability (12.4–42.5%) was significant. Seven of the species fit Garwood’s (Ecol Monogr 53:159–181, 1983) rapid-rainy germination syndrome and one, L. pierrei, either her delayed-rainy or intermediate-dry germination syndrome. However, fresh, non-dehydrated seeds of all eight species germinated in ≤30 days at constant 30°C in light.     

法兰地草莓的芳香类和黄酮类成分

为了解草莓(Fragaria×ananassa Duch.)法兰地品种的化学成分,采用色谱分离方法,从新鲜果实的乙醇提取物中获得19个化合物。通过波谱数据分析鉴定了它们的结构,分别为对羟基苯甲酸(1)、没食子酸乙酯(2)、鞣花酸3-O-α-L-鼠李糖苷(3)、苄基β-D-葡萄糖苷(4)、淫羊藿次苷F2(5)、苄基6-O-α-L-呋喃阿拉伯糖基-β-D-葡萄糖苷(6)、苯乙基6-O-α-L-呋喃阿拉伯糖基-β-D-葡萄糖苷(7)、反式肉桂酰基β-D-葡萄糖苷(8)、顺式肉桂酰基β-D-葡萄糖苷(9)、反式对香豆酰基β-D-葡萄糖苷(10)、顺式对香豆酰基β-D-葡萄糖苷(11)、反式阿魏酰基β-D-葡萄糖苷(12)、山柰酚(13)、反式椴树苷(14)、山柰酚3-O-β-D-葡萄糖醛酸苷(15)、槲皮素(16)、槲皮素3-O-β-D-葡萄糖苷(17)、槲皮素3-O-β-D-葡萄糖醛酸苷(18)和根皮苷(19),化合物1~12为芳香类,其余为黄酮类。所有化合物均为首次从法兰地品种中报道,化合物4~9为首次从草莓中获得。