Growth and enzymatic responses of phytopathogenic fungi to glucose in culture media and soil

The effect of inoculation of Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium verticillioides, and Penicillium sp. in Dystrophic Red Latosol (DRL) and Eutroferric Red Latosol (ERL) soils with or without glucose on the total carbohydrate content and the dehydrogenase and amylase activities was studied. The fungal growth and spore production in culture medium with and without glucose were also evaluated. A completely randomized design with factorial arrangement was used. The addition of glucose in the culture medium increased the growth rate of A. flavus and Penicillium sp. but not of F. verticillioides. The number of spores increased 1.2 for F. verticillioides and 8.2 times for A. flavus in the medium with glucose, but was reduced 3.5 times for Penicillium sp. The total carbohydrates contents reduced significantly according to first and second degree equations. The consumption of total carbohydrates by A. flavus and Penicillium sp. was higher than the control or soil inoculated with F. verticillioides. The addition of glucose to soils benefited the use of carbohydrates, probably due to the stimulation of fungal growth. Dehydrogenase activity increased between 1.5 to 1.8 times (p <0.05) in soils with glucose and inoculated with the fungi (except F. verticillioides), in relation to soil without glucose. Amylase activity increased 1.3 to 1.5 times due to the addition of glucose in the soil. Increased amylase activity was observed in the DRL soil with glucose and inoculated with A. flavus and Penicillium sp. when compared to control.

Biomassa e atividades microbianas em solo sob pastagem com diferentes lotações de ovinos

Os efeitos da lotação de animais na produção de ovinos têm sido bastante estudados. No entanto, informações sobre seus efeitos na biomassa e nas atividades microbianas e, em conseqüência, na fertilidade do solo de pastagens são escassas. Neste trabalho, os efeitos da lotação de ovinos (LO) na biomassa e nas atividades microbianas responsáveis pela transformação dos compostos do C e N em solo de clima subtropical foram avaliados. As amostras de solo foram coletadas nas camadas de 0-10 e 10-20 cm de pastos com baixa LO (5 animais ha-1), alta LO (40-50 animais ha-1) e com ausência de animais, em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado em parcelas subdivididas, com seis repetições. Os maiores valores de biomassa microbiana e das atividades respiratória, nitrificante e enzimática (urease e protease) foram encontrados nos solos dos pastos com baixa LO. Estes pastos também acumularam as maiores quantidades de matéria orgânica e N total. Essas variáveis foram reduzidas nos pastos sem animais ou com alta LO. Vegetação descontínua e intensa mineralização podem ter acarretado a diminuição dessas variáveis nos pastos com alta LO. Alta correlação foi obtida entre matéria orgânica, C orgânico e N total com as quantidades de biomassa microbiana e a atividade enzimática. A camada de 0-10 cm apresentou valores maiores das variáveis estudadas do que os encontrados na camada de 10-20 cm.

Soil CO2 emission of sugarcane fields as affected by topography

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A technique for the capture of free-ranging marsh deer (blastocerus dichotomus)

The marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) is an endangered species froth the marshlands of central South America. Its population has declined in several regions due to the loss of available habitat caused by human activities, especially the construction of hydroelectric darns. The capture of individual deer is critical for research programs and population management. This report describes a novel live-capture technique, which uses a helicopter to drive the animals into a terrain that restricts their movement such as thick vegetation or deep water (60-120 cm in depth). Following confinement, animals are manually restrained. The short pursuit time (median = 2 thin), low mortality rate (0.82-3.28%), and the absence of injury to both the capture team and animals suggest that this method is appropriate for the safe capture of this species. Body temperature correlated with the pursuit time (R-2 = 0.15) but was not significantly altered with pursuit times <3 min.

Desgaste corrosivo-cavitativo-erosivo de um aço-carbono em meio aquoso com frações de sal (NaCl), CO2 e particulados sólidos (SiO2)

A batch of eighty-four coupons of low carbon steel were investigated at laboratory conditions under a corrosive, cavitative-corrosive (CO2) and corrosive-erosive (SiO2 + CO2) in an aqueous salt solution and two levels of temperature. The following measurements were made on Vickers (HV0,05, HV0,10, HV0,20) Microhardness tests at three levels of subsurface layer. A turbulent flow collided on the cylindrical sample, with and without mechanical stirring and gas bubbling, with and without fluid contamination by solid particles of SiO2, at two temperatures. Surface Roughness and Waviness, under two conditions "as received, after machining" and "after worn out", as well as gravimetric and electrochemical parameter were measured on the two opposite generatrices of each cylindrical sample, on the flow upstream (0°) and downstream (180°) by Profilometry, Mass Variation and Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR). The results of the Microhardness and Surface Texture of all coupons were subjected to statistical comparison, using the software Statgraphics® Centurion XVI, 95% statistical certainty, and significant differences were observed in some arrays of measurements. The corrosive wear rate measured by LPR and mass variation shown to be sensitive to the presence of bubbles and hydrodynamic fluctuations inside the cell, considering the temperature and contamination of corrosive fluid by solid particles. The main results of visual inspection relative to some topologies of the surface damages involving different mechanisms that were seen to give explanation for some fluctuations in wear rates of the steel experimentally investigated

Avaliação da decomposição de plantas aquáticas no solo através da liberação de CO2

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a decomposição de três espécies de plantas aquáticas imersas, incorporadas ao solo, provenientes do controle mecânico, em reservatórios de usinas hidrelétricas. O estudo foi realizado em casa de vegetação, localizada no Núcleo de Pesquisas Avançadas em Matologia (NUPAM) da FCA/Unesp-Botucatu. A avaliação foi conduzida em vasos contendo 14 kg de solo, com três incorporações de 50 e 100 t MF de plantas ha-1, sob duas condições de solo: seco e úmido. Com a simulação de descarte da biomassa coletada e incorporada ao solo, pôde-se conhecer, através da liberação de CO2, a degradação de três espécies de macrófitas aquáticas submersas. Para quantificação do CO2 liberado, em cada vaso foi acondicionado um frasco com solução de NaOH, sendo, logo após, lacrados e incubados por 24 horas; em seguida, foram titulados com HCl. Para ajuste e interpolação dos dados, estes foram analisados seguindo modelo de Mitscherlich, com algumas modificações. As liberações acumuladas em solo úmido foram de 1.294 e 1.582 kg CO2 ha-1, sendo 6,2 e 5,6 vezes superiores ao ocorrido em solo seco, para 50 e 100 t MF ha-1, respectivamente, observando-se que cerca de 55% da liberação de CO2 ocorreu nos primeiros 30 dias. Pode-se concluir que o solo seco é a melhor condição para descarte e incorporação da biomassa, porém deverá existir um sistema de irrigação para que o processo de degradação da biomassa incorporada seja acelerado.

Extração do óleo essencial de Cymbopogom winterianus J. com CO2 pressurizado

The extraction with pressurized fluids has become an attractive process for the extraction of essential oils, mainly due the specific characteristics of the fluids near the critical region. This work presents results of the extraction process of the essential oil of Cymbopogon winterianus J. with CO2 under high pressures. The effect of the following variables was evaluated: solvent flow rate (from 0.37 to 1.5 g CO2/min), pressure (66.7 and 75 bar) and temperature (8, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ºC) on the extraction kinetics and the total yield of the process, as well as in the solubility and composition of the C. winterianus essential oil. The experimental apparatus consisted of an extractor of fixed bed and the dynamic method was adopted for the calculation of the oil solubility. Extractions were also accomplished by conventional techniques (steam and organic solvent extraction). The determination and identification of extract composition were done by gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The extract composition varied in function of the studied operational conditions and also related to the used extraction method. The main components obtained in the CO2 extraction were elemol, geraniol, citronellol and citronellal. For the steam extraction were the citronellal, citronellol and geraniol and for the organic solvent extraction were the azulene and the hexadecane. The most yield values (2.76%) and oil solubility (2.49x10-2 g oil/ g CO2) were obtained through the CO2 extraction in the operational conditions of T = 10°C, P = 66.7 bar and solvent flow rate 0.85 g CO2/min

Liberação de CO2, biomassa microbiana e fósforo disponível em solo adicionado de matéria seca de poaia-branca

O presente experimento, inteiramente casualizado, foi desenvolvido em condições de laboratório no Departamento de Defesa Fitossanitária, FCA/UNESP - Botucatu, entre julho e setembro de 1992. Amostras de Areia Quartzosa equivalentes à 40 g de terra seca à 105 oC ± 2 com ou sem adição de 1,9 g de matéria seca de plantas de poaia-branca (Richardia brasiliensis), 0,19 g de nitrogênio (NH4)2SO4 e 0,88 g de apatita de Araxá, foram incubadas no escuro a 25 o C ± 2 , com umidade mantida a 60% da capacidade de retenção de água. Durante a incubação, determinou-se o CO2 liberado, utilizando-se o método de retenção em NAOH seguida de titulometria com HCl; a biomassa microbiana, método de fumigação-incubação; o pH e a quantidade de fósforo extraído por resina. A maior liberação de CO2 ocorreu durante os dez primeiros dias de incubação, com 77% do total de carbono liberado nos tratamentos com adição de poaia, e 37% nos tratamentos sem adição da mesma. A liberação de CO2 foi 57 vezes maior nos tratamentos com poaia em relação ao controle. A poaia também provocou aumentos na biomassa microbiana (média de 8 vezes a biomassa do tratamento controle), e a adição de nitrogênio e/ou fosfato de rocha junto à poaia antecipou os picos de formação de biomassa de 20 para 10 dias de incubação. Os níveis de fósforo disponível foram maiores no tratamento com adição de fosfato de rocha apenas. A poaia também alcalinizou o sistema, não permitindo desta forma, observar-se relação significativa entre pH e teor de fósforo disponível.

Avaliação da capacidade de adsorção do CO2 em zeólita 12X com gases sintéticos e originados da pirólise do lodo de esgoto

This work depicts a study of the adsorption of carbon dioxide on zeolite 13X. The activities were divided into four stages: study batch adsorption capacity of the adsorbent with synthetic CO2 (4%), fixed bed dynamic evaluation with the commercial mixture of gases (4% CO2, 1.11% CO, 1 2% H2, 0.233% CH4, 0.1% C3, 0.0233% C4 argon as inert closing balance), fixed bed dynamic modeling and evaluation of the breakthrough curve of CO2 originated from the pyrolysis of sewage sludge. The sewage sludge and the adsorbent were characterized by analysis TG / DTA, SEM, XRF and BET. Adsorption studies were carried out under the following operating conditions: temperature 40 °C (for the pyrolysis of the sludge T = 600 °C), pressures of 0.55 to 5.05 bar (batch process), flow rate of the gaseous mixture between 50 - 72 ml/min and the adsorbent masses of 10, 15 and 20 g (fixed bed process). The time for the adsorption batch was 7 h and on the fixed bed was around 180 min. The results of this study showed that in batch adsorption process step with zeolite 13X is efficient and the mass of adsorbed CO2 increases with the increases pressure, decreases with temperature increases and rises due the increase of activation temperature adsorbent. In the batch process were evaluated the breakthrough curves, which were compared with adsorption isotherms represented by the models of Langmuir, Freündlich and Toth. All models well adjusted to the experimental points, but the Langmuir model was chosen in view of its use in the dynamic model does not have implications for adsorption (indeterminacy and larger number of parameters such as occurred with others) in solving the equation. In the fixed bed dynamic study with the synthetic gas mixture, 20 g of mass adsorbent showed the maximum adsorption percentage 46.7% at 40 °C temperature and 50 mL/min of flow rate. The model was satisfactorily fitted to the three breakthrough curves and the parameters were: axial dispersion coefficient (0.0165 dm2/min), effective diffusivity inside the particle (dm2/min 0.0884) and external transfer coefficient mass (0.45 dm/min). The breakthrough curve for CO2 in the process of pyrolysis of the sludge showed a fast saturation with traces of aerosols presents in the gas phase into the fixed bed under the reaction process

Enzymatic hydrolysis of botryosphaeran and laminarin by beta-1,3-glucanases produced by Botryosphaeria rhodina and Trichoderma harzianum Rifai

Botryosphaeran, a (1 -> 3; 1 -> 6)-beta-D-glucan produced by Botryosphaeria rhodina, and laminarin were hydrolysed by two fungal beta-glucanases predominantly of the 1,3-type produced by B. rhodina and Trichoderma harzianum Rifai grown on botryosphaeran as sole carbon source. Both beta-glucanase preparations presented different modes of attack on botryosphaeran and laminarin. Laminarin was hydrolysed to the extent of similar to 50% in 1 hand 100% within 24 h, and its hydrolysis products were mainly glucose and gentiobiose, and lesser amounts of laminaribiose and oligosaccharides of DP 3-4 during the early stages of hydrolysis, while botryosphaeran 'yielded mainly glucose and gentiobiose with some trisaccharide, but no laminaribiose or tetrasaccharide when hydrolysed by the T. harzianum enzyme. By contrast, B. rhodina beta-1,3-glucanases produced predominantly glucose during all stages of botryosphaeran hydrolysis. Some physicochemical properties of the 1,3- and 1,6-beta-glucanases, and beta-glucosidases contained in the two fungal P-glucanase preparations are also described for the first time. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of the carbon dioxide chemical fixation-activation by guanidines

Fixation of CO2 is one of the most important priorities of the scientific community dedicated to reduce global warming. In this work, we propose new methods for the fixation of CO2 using the guanidine bases tetramethylguanidine (TMG) and 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]-pyrimidine (TBD). In order to understand the reactions occurring during the CO2 fixation and release processes, we employed several experimental methods, including solution and solid-state NMR, FTIR, and coupled TGA-FTIR. Quantum mechanical NMR calculations were also carried out. Based on the results obtained, we concluded that CO2 fixation with both TMG and TBD guanidines is a kinetically reversible process, and the corresponding fixation products have proved to be useful as transcarboxylating compounds. Afterward, CO2 thermal releasing from this fixation product with TBD was found to be an interesting process for CO2 capture and isolation purposes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Sweet Lupin, Chickpea, and Lentil 11S Globulins Decreases their Antigenic Activity

We investigated the effects of treatments with the enzymes pepsin and trypsin on the in vitro immunological reactivity of the major globulins found in the seeds of sweet lupin, chickpea, and lentil. Polyclonal major globulin-specific antiserum was obtained by immunization of rabbits with a solution of the 11 S globulin of each legume. The globulins were hydrolyzed with pepsin and trypsin for 1, 5, 15, and 30 min. The native globulins and their hydrolysates were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting to identify the polypeptide bands with antigenic activity, and the hypoantigenicity of the hydrolysates was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our results show that enzymatic treatment of the major storage protein (11 S globulin) of sweet lupin, chickpea, and lentil with pepsin or trypsin lead to the formation of large amounts of short peptides and free amino acids that do not allow antibody binding, resulting in a weakened immunoreactivity.

Effects of oxidation of lysozyme by hypohalous acids and haloamines on enzymatic activity and aggregation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Are light traps baited with kairomones effective in the capture of Lutzomyia longipalpis and Lutzomyia intermedia? An evaluation of synthetic human odor as an attractant for phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)