In Vivo Ubiquinone Reduction Levels during Thermogenesis in Araceae1

In vivo ubiquinone (UQ) reduction levels were measured during the development of the inflorescences of Arum maculatum and Amorphophallus krausei. Thermogenesis in A. maculatum spadices appeared not to be confined to a single developmental stage, but occurred during various stages. The UQ pool in both A. maculatum and A. krausei appendices was approximately 90% reduced during thermogenesis. Respiratory characteristics of isolated appendix mitochondria did not change in the period around thermogenesis. Apparently, synthesis of the required enzyme capacity is regulated via a coarse control upon which a fine control of metabolism that regulates the onset of thermogenesis is imposed.

Aptian to Cenomanian dinoflagellate cysts from the Mazagan Plateau

Eighty-eight samples of Aptian to lower Cenomanian sediments of Sites 545 and 547, DSDP Leg 79, from the Mazagan Plateau area (offshore Northwest Africa) were analyzed for palynomorphs. The very rich dinoflagellate cyst assemblages make it possible to narrow shipboard age determinations and to correlate Sites 545 and 547. The distribution of 174 dinoflagellate cyst taxa is tabulated in this study and the biostratigraphic value of selected dinoflagellate cysts is discussed. Additional taxonomic remarks are made about some species. The new dinoflagellate cyst species Aptea almohadensis, Occisucysta hinzü, O. mazaganensis, and the subspecies Maghrebinia perforata (Clarke and Verdier, 1967) Below, 1981 ssp. mirabilis are described.

Abundance of palynomorphs and dinoflagellate stratigraphy of ODP Hole 184-1148A, South China Sea

Dinoflagellate stratigraphy is described for the section from 364.75 to 843.85 meters below seafloor (mbsf) at Site 1148 (Sections 184-1148A-40X-1 through 76X-6 and 184-1148B-39X-CC through 56X-1) in the South China Sea. Two assemblage zones and two subzones are defined, based on characteristics of the assemblages and lowest/highest occurrences of some key species. These are the Cleistosphaeridium diversispinosum Assemblage Zone (Zone A; Oligocene), with the Enneadocysta pectiniformis Subzone (Subzone A-1) and the Cordosphaeridium gracile Subzone (Subzone A-2), and the Polysphaeridium zoharyi Assemblage Zone (Zone B; early Miocene). The highest concurrent occurrence of Enneadocysta arcuata, Eneadocysta multicornuta, Homotryblium plectilum, and Homotryblium tenuispinosum delineates the upper boundary of Zone A, which appears to mark a hiatus. Subzone A-1 is of early Oligocene age, as evidenced by the highest occurrences of E. pectiniformis and Phthanoperidinium amoenum at the upper boundary of the subzone. Subzone A-2 is of late Oligocene age based on the highest occurrences of C. gracile and Wetzeliella gochtii close to the upper boundary of the subzone and the occurrence of Distatodinium ellipticum and Membranophoridium aspinatum within the subzone. Zone B is dated as early Miocene based on the lowest occurrences of Cerebrocysta satchelliae, Hystrichosphaeropsis obscura, Melitasphaeridium choanophorum, Membranilarnacia? picena, and Tuberculodinium vancampoae within the zone. The present assemblage zones/subzones are correlative to various degrees with coeval zones/assemblages from areas of high to low latitudes in terms of common key species. We have compared the species content of the assemblage Zones A and B, and the subzones A-1 and A-2, with coeval assemblage(s)/zone(s) described from many, often widely distant, high- and low-latitude regions of the world. These comparisons show that, to various degrees and aside from a number of key species, the coordinated presence of certain important species may also help to assign an age to a given assemblage.

Pesca artesanal del Puerto Supe (Provincia de Barranca, Departamento de Lima) en el año 1998

Durante el año 1998 (*) la pesca artesanal en el Puerto Supe se registra el desembarque de 699 t de recursos hidrobiológicos, constituido por 35 especies hidrobiológicas entre peces (31) e invertebrados (4), entre los peces destacó el ayanque (Cynoscion analis) con 147808 k, el bagre (Galeichthys peruvianus) con 165095 k, la lisa (Mugil cephalus) con 53828 k, la lorna (Sciaena deliciosa) con 27898 k, el machete (Ethmídium maculatum) con 19663 k y el perico (Coryphaena hippurus) con 16472 k y entre los invertebrados el mas importante fue el langostino tití (Xíphopenaeus rivetí) con 220 t de captura. Operaron un promedio de 218 embarcaciones mensuales que realizaron faenas de pesca en 30 zonas, desde las Zorras a Ancón obteniendo un esfuerzo pesquero de 2621 viajes y un rendimiento promedio de 267 k/viaje, se capturaron especies asociadas al fenómeno "El Niño", tales como el perico (Coryphaena híppurus) y langostino tití (Xiphopenaeus rive i), que incrementaron su desembarque y las ausencias de otras especies como el pejerrey (Odontesthes regia regia) y el cangrejo morado (Platyxan thus oÍbignyi) . En Puerto Supe se desembarcaron recursos costeros provenientes de la flota industrial, para ser procesados e las plantas pesqueras harineras, se desembarco 723. 669 t, constituido por 3 especies, en este volumen de captura destacó el ayanque (Cynoscion analís) con 616.006 t, lorna (Sciaena deliciosa) con 105.265 t y el coco (Paralonchurus peruanus) con 2398 t, operaron 19 E/P industriales, que realizaron faenas de pesca en Bermejo y Paramonga con un esfuerzo pesquero de 48 viajes y un rendimiento promedio de 15,076 k/viaje. Los meses que se registraron, estos viajes, fue junio, julio, agosto, y octubre. En Puerto Supe se desembarcó un total de 1422.676 t tanto de la flota industrial y artesanal, obteniendo la pesca industrial 3.4% más que la flota artesanal, que operó en el año 357 días, (Los días 1,2,23 y 29 de Junio, 19 y 28 de Julio 3 y 4 de Octubre no salieron a la pesca por condiciones meteorológicas o fiestas) . La flota industrial opero solo 14 días en el año (01 días en Junio, 06 Julio, 01 en Agosto, y 06 días en Octubre). El arte que utilizaron las embarcaciones industriales fue el cerco anchovetero de tamaño de malla de 1/2 Pulg.

Study on the inhibitory effects of native medicinal plants on growth and aflatoxin production by toxigenic Aspergilli isolated from rainbow trout feed

In the present study, natural occurrence of fungi and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in pellet feed and feed ingredients used for rainbow trout was investigated with emphasis to Aspergillus section Flavi members and medicinal plants inhibitory to Aspergillus growth and/or AF production. The feed samples were cultured on the standard isolation media including dichloran rosebengal chloramphenicol agar (DRCA) and Aspergillus flavus/parasiticus agar (AFPA) for 2 weeks at 28 °C. Identification of fungal isolates was implemented based on the macro- and microscopic morphological criteria. AFs were detected using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Based on the results obtained, a total of 109 fungal isolates were identified of which Aspergillus was the prominent genus (57.0%), followed by Penicillium (12.84%), Absidia (11.01%) and Pseudallscheria (10.10%). The most frequent Aspergillus species was A. flavus (60.66%) isolated from all the feed ingredients as well as pellet feed. Among 37 A. flavus isolates, 19 (51.35%) were able to produce AFB1 on yeast extract-sucrose (YES) broth in the range of 10.2 to 612.8 [tg/g fungal dry weight. HPLC analyses of trout feed showed that pellet feed and all feed ingredients tested except gluten were contaminated with different levels of AFB1 in the range of 1.83 to 67.35 lig/kg. In order to finding natural inhibitors of fungal growth and/or AF production, essential oils (EOs) and extracts of 49 medicinal plants were studied against an aflatoxin-producing A. parasiticus using a microbioassay technique. The EOs was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Based on the results obtained, Achillea millefolium sub sp. elborsensis, Ferula gummosa, Mentha spicata, Azadirachta indica, Conium maculatum and Artemisia dracunculus remarkably inhibited A. parasiticus growth without affecting AF production by the fungus. Besides of Thymus vulgaris and Citrus aurantifolia, the EO of Foeniculum vulgare significantly inhibited both fungal growth (-70.0%) and AFs B1 and G1 (-99.0%) production. The EO of Carum carvi and ethyl acetate extract of Platycladus orientalis suppressed AFs B1 and G1 by more than 90.0%, without any obvious effect on fungal growth. The IC50 values of bioactive plants for AFs B1 and G1 were determined in the ranges of 90.6 to 576.2 and 2.8 to 61.9 µg/ml, respectively. Overall, results of the present study indicate the importance of AF contamination of trout feed as a risk factor for fish farming and thus, an urgent necessity for constant monitoring of trout feed for any unacceptable levels of AF contamination. Likewise, antifungal activities of bioactive plants introduced here would be an important contribution to explain the use of these plants as effective antimicrobial candidates to protect feeds from toxigenic fungus growth and subsequent AF contamination.