Silicon Seed Priming Enhances Salt Tolerance of Barley Seedlings through Early ROS Detoxification and Stimulation of Antioxidant Defence

Silicon - Seed priming has recently gained considerable attention to induce salt tolerance in several crop plants. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of seed priming with silicon (Si)...     

Polyether-based polyrotaxane synthesis with controlled β-cyclodextrin threading ratio

An effective one-pot polyrotaxane synthesis with control of the threading ratio is realized. 2,5-Bis(chloromethyl)-4-methoxy-1-octoxybenzene (PMOC) is condensed with a starting rotaxane consisting of a bisphenol A salt threaded into β-cyclodextrin (βCD), to lead to a βCD-threaded polyether. We demonstrate that the threading ratio of βCD on the polyether chain (ratio between the polymer repeat units and the βCD in polyrotaxane) can be varied from zero to unity depending on two parameters: the reactant concentration and the bulkiness of the counter-ion stopper in the starting rotaxane.     

Differential detection of small pelagic fish in Tunisian canned products by PCR-RFLP: An efficient tool to control the label information

Correct identification of fish species including their origin requires a compilation of recognized material to verify the conformity of the product with the labelling requirement. Sardine is among the internationally disputed example of species identification conflicts, with the lack of genetic reference material at the Southern part of the Mediterranean. Therefore a method was developed to discriminate between Tunisian small pelagic fish: Sardina pilchardus, Sardinella aurita and Engraulis encrasicolus. DNA extraction from fresh fish and from 12 canned sardine and 2 anchovy-type products, was followed by a PCR method that specifically amplifies a 252 bp fragment of the cytochrome b gene. The new sequences which were deposited in the NCBI GenBank, were searched against a nucleotide sequence database (GenBank) and phylogenetically analyzed with the MEGA software. Multiple alignments of 3 analyzed reference samples belonging to Clupeomorpha species was performed versus the canned samples. Low intraspecific variability was observed for canned anchovy and sardine (<0.05), whereas mean interspecific variability was 0.23. A phylogenetic tree was constructed, and the calculated bootstrap values (BP, 71-100%) were used as indicators of the correct assignment of unknown canned samples to reference species. Postamplification digestion with HaeIII and ALuI restriction enzymes, yielded specific profiles that enabled anchovy to be distinguished from either of the sardine species. This PCR-RFLP was found to be reliable for species identification of canned fish products.     

Does Curcuma longa root powder have an effect against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats: a protective and curative approach

Food Science and Biotechnology - This study was conducted to investigate potentially protective and curative effects of Curcuma longa root (turmeric) powder on CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in rats....     

The effect of powdered thyme sprinkling on quality changes of wild and farmed gilthead sea bream fillets stored in ice

The effect of powdered thyme sprinkling on the quality characteristics of fresh and ice-stored wild and farmed gilthead sea bream fillets was assessed. Initially, significant differences in proximate composition and quality attributes were found between wild and farmed fresh sea bream flesh. Throughout ice storage, biochemical alteration appeared more pronounced in farmed fish fillets with significantly higher levels of TVB-N, TMA-N, and TBA; and a lower liquid-holding capacity (LHC). Thyme powder addition (1% w/w) exhibited a preservative effect in both fish lots since significant lower levels of TVB-N, TMA-N, free amino acids (NPS), TBA and LHC were observed in thyme-treated fillets during ice storage. However, thyme inhibitory effect was more marked in wild than farmed fish. As revealed by partial least square regression, LHC in both groups was positively influenced by storage time and trimethylamine accumulation factors, while it was negatively influenced by thyme treatment and fish origin. Hence, LHC was suggested to be related to spoilage bacterial growth. The use of dried thyme extended the shelf life of fish fillets by about 5 days and appeared to be highly valuable to the fish industry as a natural preservative.     

The Effects of Essential Oils Addition on the Quality of Wild and Farmed Sea Bream (<Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Sparus aurata</Emphasis>) Stored in Ice

The preservative effect of laurel (Laurus nobilis) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum) essential oils (EOs) on fresh vacuum-packed (VP) wild and farmed sea bream (Sparus aurata) fillets was evaluated during ice storage by microbiological, physicochemical and electrophoretic analyses. In the present study, wild (W) and farmed (F) fillet treatment included the following lots: control vacuum-packaged samples (WV and FV), VP with added EOs (0.5% v/w) of cumin (WVC and FVC), and of laurel (WVL and FVL). Wild and cultured fish were found to differ significantly in their muscle proximate compositions irrespective of fillet treatments with particularly higher fat and carbohydrate contents in farmed sea bream (4.82 and 0.32 g/100 g, respectively, vs. 1.53 and 0.22 g/100 g in wild fish). The treatment of wild and farmed sea bream fillets with laurel or with cumin EOs induced a decrease in bacterial growth by ca. 0.5 to 1 log cfu/g and in lipid oxidation by ca. 40% of TBA value, extending the shelf life of fish fillets by approximately 5 days of ice storage. However, the addition of EOs to VP fillets resulted in a reduced liquid holding capacity (LHC) throughout ice storage suggesting an early proteolysis initiation confirmed by the myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic electrophoretic profiles. Laurel and cumin EOs as natural and efficient antibacterial and antioxidant compounds can be used in conjunction with VP to enhance ice-stored sea bream quality.     

Human platelet antigens polymorphisms and susceptibility of thrombosis in hemodialysis patients

To investigate the association between the polymorphisms of human platelet antigen (HPA)-1,2,3,4,5 and susceptibility to develop thrombosis accident in arteriovenous fistula (AVF), genomic DNA of 112 hemodialysis (HD) patients and 100 healthy blood donors were genotyped by PCR-SSP. The patients were classified into 2 groups: G1 included 54 HD patients presented at least one thrombotic episode on the level of the AVF, and G2 included 58 HD patients without any episode of thrombosis. The allelic frequencies of HPA-1, 2, 3, and 5 among patients and controls did not reveal significant differences. However, the HPA-4b allele was significantly more frequent in G1 than in controls or in G2 patients (23.1% vs. 11.5% and 0.9%, respectively), p<0.01 and p<0.001. The genotype distribution of HPA-4 polymorphism reveals that the HPA-4a4b genotype was more frequent in G1 patients (23/54: 42.6%) than in all HD patients (25/112: 22.3%) or in G2 patients (1/58: 1.72%) (p<0.001, odds ratio: 45.6). Among 24 HD patients with HPA-4a4b genotype, 23 (96%) developed at least 1 or more thrombotic episode on the level of their AVF. However, 30 patients (34.5%) among 87 HD patients with HPA-4a4a genotype presented thrombotic episode (p<0.001). These results reveal a significant association between HPA-4a4b and thrombosis, and it is likely that HPA polymorphisms could be useful markers for potential risk of thrombosis in hemodialysis.     

Polypyrrole–neutravidin layer for impedimetric biosensor

Polypyrrole synthesis and neutravidin entrapment inside the polymer were performed simultaneously in one step using a controlled anodic current passing. The incorporation of neutravidin within the electrogenerated film was confirmed by FTIR and impedance spectroscopy. Biotinylated anti-triazine Fab fragment was attached to the PPy/neutravidin modified electrode throughout the well-studied biotin–neutravidin interaction. During impedance measurements, the charge transfer resistance increased gradually with atrazine concentration whereas no significant response was recorded after rabbit IgG injection. The immunosensor was very sensitive to atrazine antigen in the range of 0.1–200 ng/ml and the detection limit attained 0.1 ng/ml.