Degradation of lignin and other 14C-labelled compounds in compost and soil with an emphasis on white-rot fungi

Puu, ruohokasvit ja näistä tehdyt tuotteet kuten mekaanisesta massasta valmistettu sanomalehtipaperi sisältävät ligniiniä, joka hajoaa yleensä hyvin hitaasti luonnossa. Valkolahosienet hajottavat ligniiniä tehokkaimmin, ja koska niiden tuottamat entsyymit hajottavat myös muita vaikeasti hajoavia yhdisteitä, voidaan valkolahosienten avulla mahdollisesti puhdistaa saastuneita maita. Tässä työssä haluttiin selvittää, säilyttävätkö valkolahosienet (Abortiporus biennis, Bjerkandera adusta, Dichomitus squalens, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phanerochaete sordida, Phlebia radiata, Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes hirsuta ja Trametes versicolor) aktiivisuutensa ja kasvavatko ne maassa. Aktiivisuutta mitattiin seuraamalla sienten synteettisen ligniinin (14C-DHP) hajotuskykyä. T. versicolor (silkkivyökääpä) osoittautui tehokkaimmaksi ligniinin hajottajaksi ja sen pentakloorifenolin (PCP) hajotuskykyä tutkittiin erillisessä kokeessa. Entiset tai pitkään käytössä olleet saha-alueet ovat yhä saastuneet puun käsittelyaineista peräisin olevilla kloorifenoleilla. Biohajoavien muovien kehitystyö sekä kompostoinnin yleistyminen jätteiden käsittelymenetelmänä ovat luoneet tarpeen materiaalien biohajoavuuden määrittämiseen. Euroopan standardisoimisjärjestön (CEN) kontrolloidussa kompostitestissä biohajoavuus määritetään materiaalin hajoamisen aikana muodostuvan hiilidioksidin perusteella. Hiilidioksidin tuotto mitataan sekä näytettä sisältävästä kompostista että kompostista ilman näytettä, ja tällöin oletetaan, että kompostin orgaaninen aines molemmissa komposteissa (tausta) tuottaa yhtä paljon hiilidioksidia. Testin puutteeksi saattaa osoittautua kompostissa tai maassa esiintyvä "priming effect". Tällä tarkoitetaan materiaalin lisäämisen jälkeen esiintyvää epänormaalin suurita tai pientä hiilidioksidin muodostusta, minkä seurauksena testin tulosksena saatava biohajoavuus on virheellinen. Ligniinin hajotessa muodostuu enemmän humusta kuin hiilidioksidia, koska ligniini on humuksen tärkein lähtöaine. Näin ollen ligniiniä sisältävät paperituotteet saattavat testin mukaan vaikuttaa biologisesti hajoamattomilta. Valkolahosienet hajottivat 4-23% ligniinistä hiilidioksidiksi ja T. versicolor 29% PCP:sta. Kompostissa ligniini hajosi hiilidioksidiksi 58°C:ssa huomattavasti vähemmän (8%) kuin lämpötiloissa 35°C ja 50°C (23-24%). Kompostin todennäköisesti tärkeimpien ligniinin hajottajien, termofiilisten sienten, tyypillinen optimilämpötila on 45°C, eivätkä ne ole enää aktiivisia 58°C:ssa. Sekä maassa että kompostissa ligniini sitoutui kuitenkin suurimmaksi osaksi humukseen. Valkolahosienet hajottivat sekä humukseen sitoutunutta ligniiniä että PCP:ia, mutta kompostin sekapopulaatio ei tähän pystynyt, ja ligniiniä sitoutui humukseen yhä enemmän kompostoinnin aikana. T. versicolor hajotti PCP:ia tehokkaasti, eikä se tuottanut myrkyllisiä kloorianisoleja, joita jotkut valkolahosienet saattavat muodostaa kloorifenoleista. Priming effect ilmiötä tutkittiin eri ikäisissä ja kypsyydeltään erilaisissa komposteissa. Kompostit erosvat toisistaan myös hajoamattoman jätteen määrän ja mikrobipopulaation suhteen. Negatiivinen priming effect havaittiin kaikissa epästabiileissa komposteissa (ikä enintään 6 kk), ja sen lisäksi yhdessä näistä komposteista positiivinen priming effect kokeen lopussa. Stabiileissa komposteissa (ikä vähintään 6 kk) ilmiötä ei sen sijaan havaittu. Epästabiileissa komposteissa biohajoavuudelle saadut tulokset eivät siis ole luotettavia. Työn tulosten perusteella valkolahosienet, ja erityisesti T. versicolor, ovat lupaavia saastuneen maan puhdistukseen, joskin sienirihmaston mahdollisuudet säilyä aktiivisena maan alkuperäisen mikrobipopulaation kanssa täytyy vielä selvittää. Kompostin sekapopulaatio, joka ei sisällä valkolahosieniä, hajotti ligniiniä yllättävän tehokkaasti termofiilisille sienille sopivissa lämpötiloissa, vaikka ligniini sitoutuikin pääasiallisesti humukseen. Kompostin kypsyys osoittautui tärkeäksi tekijäksi kontrolloidun kompostitestin onnistumisen kannalta. Priming effect ilmiön välttämiseksi on varmistettava, että testissä käytetty komposti on riittävän kypsä. Kompostien mikrobipopulaation koostumusta kompostoinnin eri vaiheissa tulisi tarkemmin selvittää, koska stabiilien ja epästabiilien kompostien ero aiheutui todennäköisesti populaatioiden rakenteessa vallitsevista eroista. Näin myös priming effect ilmiön syyt voitaisiin selittää paremmin.

Urinary excretion of antioxidants in healthy humans following queen garnet plum juice ingestion: a new plum variety rich in antioxidant compounds

In recent years, there has been intense interest in the potential health benefits of dietary derived plant polyphenols and antioxidants. A new variety of Prunus salicina, Queen Garnet plum (QGP), was developed as a high anthocyanin, high antioxidant plum, in a Queensland Government breeding program. Following consumption of 400 mL QGP juice (QGPJ; 1,117 mg anthocyanins) by two healthy male subjects, QGP anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-rutinoside) were excreted mainly as methylated and glucuronidated metabolites in urine (0.5% of the ingested dose within 24 h). Furthermore, QGPJ intake resulted in a threefold increase in hippuric acid excretion (potential biomarker for total polyphenols intake and metabolite), an increased urinary antioxidant capacity and a decreased malondialdehyde excretion (biomarker for oxidative stress) within 24 h as compared with the polyphenol-/antioxidant-free control. Results from this pilot study suggest that metabolites, and not the native QGP anthocyanins/polyphenols, are most likely the bioactive compounds in vivo.

Major Australian tropical fruits biodiversity: Bioactive compounds and their bioactivities

The plant kingdom harbours many diverse bioactive molecules of pharmacological relevance. Temperate fruits and vegetables have been highly studied in this regard, but there have been fewer studies of fruits and vegetables from the tropics. As global consumers demand and are prepared to pay for new appealing and exotic foods, tropical fruits are now being more intensively investigated. Polyphenols and major classes of compounds like flavonoids or carotenoids are ubiquitously present in these fruits, as they are in the temperate ones, but particular classes of compounds are unique to tropical fruits and other plant parts. Bioactivity studies of compounds specific to tropical fruit plants may lead to new drug discoveries, while the synergistic action of the wide range of diverse compounds contained in plant extracts underlies nutritional and health properties of tropical fruits and vegetables. The evidence for in vitro and animal bioactivities is a strong indicator of the pharmacological promise shown in tropical fruit plant biodiversity. In this review, we will discuss both the occurrence of potential bioactive compounds isolated and identified from a selection of tropical fruit plants of importance in Australia, as well as recent studies of bioactivity associated with such fruits and other fruit plant parts.

How to Succeed in Knowledge Transfer : Case Study of Scandinavian Alliance in Ukraine

The current study of Scandinavian multinational corporate subsidiaries in the rapidly growing Eastern European market, due to their particular organizational structure, attempts to gain some new insights into processes and potential benefits of knowledge and technology transfer. This study explores how to succeed in knowledge transfer and to become more competitive, driven by the need to improve transfer of systematic knowledge for the manufacture of product and service provisions in newly entered market. The scope of current research is exactly limited to multinational corporations, which are defined as enterprises comprising entities in two or more countries, regardless of legal forms and field of activity of those entities, and which operate under a system of decision-making permitting coherent policies and a common strategy through one or more decision-making centers. The entities are linked, by ownership, and able to exercise influence over the activities of the others; and, in particular, to share the knowledge, resources, and responsibilities with others. The research question is "How and to which extent can knowledge-transfer influence a company's technological competence and economic competitiveness?" and try to find out what particular forces and factors affect the development of subsidiary competencies; what factors influence the corporate integration and use of the subsidiary's competencies; and what may increase competitiveness of MNC pursuing leading position in entered market. The empirical part of the research was based on qualitative analyses of twenty interviews conducted among employees in Scandinavian MNC subsidiary units situated in Ukraine, using structured sequence of questions with open-ended answers. The data was investigated by comparison case analyses to literature framework. Findings indicate that a technological competence developed in one subsidiary will lead to an integration of that competence with other corporate units within the MNC. Success increasingly depends upon people's learning. The local economic area is crucial for understanding competition and industrial performance, as there seems to be a clear link between the performance of subsidiaries and the conditions prevailing in their environment. The linkage between competitive advantage and company's success is mutually dependent. Observation suggests that companies can be characterized as clusters of complementary activities such as R&D, administration, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Study identifies barriers and obstacles in technology and knowledge transfer that is relevant for the subsidiaries' competence development. The accumulated experience can be implemented in new entered market with simple procedures, and at a low cost under specific circumstances, by cloning. The main goal is focused to support company prosperity, making more profits and sustaining an increased market share by improved product quality and/or reduced production cost of the subsidiaries through cloning approach. Keywords: multinational corporation; technology transfer; knowledge transfer; subsidiary competence; barriers and obstacles; competitive advantage; Eastern European market

Integrated pest management in cotton: exploiting behaviour-modifying (semiochemical) compounds for managing cotton pests

We review here research on semiochemicals for cotton pest management carried out in successive Cotton Co-operative Research Centres from 1998 to 2012. Australian cotton is now dominated by transgenic (Bt) varieties, which provide a strong platform for integrated pest management of key pests such as Helicoverpa spp., but new technologies are required to manage the development of resistance in Helicoverpa spp. to transgenic cotton and the problems posed by emerging and secondary pests, especially sucking insects. A long-range attractant for Helicoverpa moths, based on plant volatiles, has been commercialised as Magnet®. The product has substantial area-wide impacts on moth populations, and only limited effects on beneficial insects. Potential roles are being investigated for this product in resistance management of Helicoverpa spp. on transgenic cotton. Short-range, non-volatile compounds on organ surfaces of plants that do not support development of Helicoverpa spp. have been identified; these compounds deter feeding or oviposition, or are toxic to insect pests. One such product, Sero X®, is effective on Helicoverpa spp. and sucking pests such as whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), green mirids (Creontiades dilutus), and other hemipteran insects, and is in the advanced stages of commercialisation.

Vibrational assignments of five-membered heterocyclic compounds. Normal vibrations of oxazolidine-2-one and -2-thione

Infrared spectra of oxazolidine-2-one (Oxo), -2-thione (Oxt) and their N-deuteriated derivatives have been measured over the range 4000-20 cm−1. The fundamental frequencies of these molecules have been assigned on the basis of normal coordinate calculations carried out using a Urey-Bradley potential function supplemented with valence type constants for the out-of-plane modes of the planar skeleton. The results of the vibrational analyses are discussed and correlated with the assignments available for the other related five membered heterocyclic molecules.

Structures of some unusual types of organic compounds

Structures of a variety of compounds isolated in reactions and elucidated with the help of spectral (uv,ir,nmr and mass) data, have been discussed. In a few cases, the assigned structures were confirmed by x-ray crystal structure analysis.

Studies on the fractionation of total transfer ribonucleic acid and purification of an alanine transfer ribonucleic acid from chick embryo

Chick embryo tRNA, prepared by a simple large-scale method, was fractionated on three different ion-exchange columns. In all cases simple chromatographic patterns for various tRNA species were observed, indicating the presence of only a few major species of tRNA for each amino acid. By repeated chromatography one species of alanine tRNA was purified to approx. 80% purity. T1 ribonuclease digest of this purified tRNA gave a simple chromatographic pattern. Because of the simplicity of the method of preparation of tRNA from this readily available source and the presence of only a few species of tRNA for each amino acid, chick embryo is suited for the study of tRNA and its various functions in higher systems.

Inhibition of the biosynthesis of sterols by phenyl and phenolic compounds in rat liver

The presence of mitochondria increased the incorporation of [2-14C]mevalonate into sterols in a cell-free system from rat liver. Various phenyl and phenolic compounds inhibited the incorporation of mevalonate when added in vitro. p-Hydroxycinnamate, a metabolite of tyrosine, was the most powerful inhibitor among the compounds tested. Catechol, resorcinol and quinol were inhibitory at high concentrations. Organic acids lacking an aromatic ring were not inhibitory. Two hypocholesterolaemic drugs, Clofibrate (α-p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate) and Clofenapate [α,4-(p-chlorophenyl)phenoxyisobutyrate], which are known to affect some step before the formation of mevalonate in the biosynthesis of cholesterol in vivo, showed inhibition at a step beyond the formation of mevalonate in vitro. The presence of the aromatic ring and the carboxyl group in a molecule appears to be necessary for the inhibition.

Papaya as a Medicinal Plant

Papaya has been used medicinally to treat an extremely broad range of ailments including intestinal worms, dengue fever, diabetes, hypertension, wound repair, and as an abortion agent. Although papaya is most commonly consumed as a ripe fruit, the plant tissues used as curatives are mainly derived from the seeds, young leaves, latex, or green immature fruit. The agents responsible for action have not been conclusively identified for all uses, but there is increasing evidence that activity may be attributable to benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) in the case of anthelmintic and abortifacient action, and to the protease papain, and possibly chymopapain, in relation to wound repair. The location of these compounds in papaya tissues is likely to explain why different tissues are used for different ailments. Seeds, young leaves, and latex are good sources of BITC and are consequently used as a curative for intestinal worms. Immature green fruit is a good source of protease and is used as a topical application for burn wounds to accelerate tissue repair. The type of papaya tissue used may therefore provide a clue as to the active agent in ailments where papaya extracts have exhibited some activity (diabetes, hypertension, dengue fever). However, the compound(s) responsible for action remains to be identified. Modes of action of papaya extracts vary, but may include lowering blood glucose levels (diabetes), vascular muscle relaxation (hypertension), increasing blood cell count (dengue fever), stimulation of cell proliferation (wound healing), spasmodic contraction of uterine muscles (abortion), and induction of phase 2 enzymes (cancer chemoprevention). Although there has been increased study over the last decade into the physiological mode of action of papaya extracts, further increase in the knowledge of the compounds responsible for curative action will help to transfer the use of papaya from folklore remedies to mainstream medicinal use.

Use of non-specific and specific interactions in the analysis of testosterone and related compounds by capillary electromigration techniques

Determination of testosterone and related compounds in body fluids is of utmost importance in doping control and the diagnosis of many diseases. Capillary electromigration techniques are a relatively new approach for steroid research. Owing to their electrical neutrality, however, separation of steroids by capillary electromigration techniques requires the use of charged electrolyte additives that interact with the steroids either specifically or non-specifically. The analysis of testosterone and related steroids by non-specific micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) was investigated in this study. The partial filling (PF) technique was employed, being suitable for detection by both ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Efficient, quantitative PF-MEKC UV methods for steroid standards were developed through the use of optimized pseudostationary phases comprising surfactants and cyclodextrins. PF-MEKC UV proved to be a more sensitive, efficient and repeatable method for the steroids than PF-MEKC ESI-MS. It was discovered that in PF-MEKC analyses of electrically neutral steroids, ESI-MS interfacing sets significant limitations not only on the chemistry affecting the ionization and detection processes, but also on the separation. The new PF-MEKC UV method was successfully employed in the determination of testosterone in male urine samples after microscale immunoaffinity solid-phase extraction (IA-SPE). The IA-SPE method, relying on specific interactions between testosterone and a recombinant anti-testosterone Fab fragment, is the first such method described for testosterone. Finally, new data for interactions between steroids and human and bovine serum albumins were obtained through the use of affinity capillary electrophoresis. A new algorithm for the calculation of association constants between proteins and neutral ligands is introduced.

Eco-Taxonomic Insights into Actinomycete Symbionts of Termites for Discovery of Novel Bioactive Compounds

Termites play a major role in foraging and degradation of plant biomass as well as cultivating bioactive microorganisms for their defense. Current advances in “omics” sciences are revealing insights into function-related presence of these symbionts, and their related biosynthetic activities and genes identified in gut symbiotic bacteria might offer a significant potential for biotechnology and biodiscovery. Actinomycetes have been the major producers of bioactive compounds with an extraordinary range of biological activities. These metabolites have been in use as anticancer agents, immune suppressants, and most notably, as antibiotics. Insect-associated actinomycetes have also been reported to produce a range of antibiotics such as dentigerumycin and mycangimycin. Advances in genomics targeting a single species of the unculturable microbial members are currently aiding an improved understanding of the symbiotic interrelationships among the gut microorganisms as well as revealing the taxonomical identity and functions of the complex multilayered symbiotic actinofloral layers. If combined with target-directed approaches, these molecular advances can provide guidance towards the design of highly selective culturing methods to generate further information related to the physiology and growth requirements of these bioactive actinomycetes associated with the termite guts. This chapter provides an overview on the termite gut symbiotic actinoflora in the light of current advances in the “omics” science, with examples of their detection and selective isolation from the guts of the Sunshine Coast regional termite Coptotermes lacteus in Queensland, Australia