Search results for "General Agricultural and Biological Sciences"

Determination of soyasaponins I and βg in raw and cooked legumes by solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrome…

2013

Legumes contain a rich variety of phytochemicals as soyasaponins, triterpenoidal glycosides that possess multiple health-promoting properties, such as lowering of cholesterol. In this work, the quantification of soyasaponins I and βg in 60 raw and cooked legumes by using a solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to a liquid chromatography (LC)-mass spectrometry (MS) method was carried out. Results showed that lentils are a good source of soyasaponins, with a content of soyasaponin I that ranged from 636 to 735 mg kg(-1) and of soyasaponin βg from 672 to 1807 mg kg(-1). The cooking process produced a small loss of soyasaponins in water, that is, 4.8-8.7%, and partially converted soyasaponin βg …

Quantitative Comparison of Free and Bound Volatiles of Two Commercial Tomato Cultivars (Solanum lycopersicumL.) during Ripening

2009

The changes in the profile of both free and glycosidically bound volatiles were studied in Moneymaker and Raf tomato cultivars during fruit ripening. The concentrations of 20 of 24 and of 27 of 30 compounds detected in the free volatile fraction (FVF) and glycosidically bound fraction (GBF), respectively, differed significantly between cultivars during ripening. Most free and bound volatiles increased during ripening in both cultivars. The contribution of each free volatile compound to the overall aroma was estimated by calculating its log U value, which indicated that only 11 compounds seem to exert a strong influence. Nine volatiles were detected exclusively in the GBF, among them geranio…

Biological Activities of Natural Sesquiterpene Lactones and the Effect of Synthetic Sesquiterpene Derivatives on Insect Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis

1998

Three natural sesquiterpene lactones have been assayed for their biological activity on locust (Locusta migratoria) nymphs. Since results obtained in vivo pointed to disruptions on juvenile hormone (JH)-regulated physiology, we tested the sesquiterpene lactones and a family of synthetic sesquiterpene derivatives for their ability to disturb the rate of JH biosynthesis by locust corpora allata (CA) in vitro. All the active compounds in vitro share a basic sesquiterpene double-ring structure as well as substituents with different chemical complexities. Compounds that shared an eudesmane base with different oxidation states on C3 and C12 carbon atoms were tested as JH biosynthesis inhibitors. …

Induction of Phytoalexin (Resveratrol) Synthesis in Grapevine Leaves Treated with Aluminum Chloride (AlCl3)

1996

Effect of Temperature on Isobutyric Acid Loss during Roasting of Carob Kibble

1997

The high content of isobutyric acid in carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) constitutes a handicap for some of its potential uses due to the undesirable smell produced by that compound. In this study the loss of isobutyric acid during roasting was approached by heating the carob kibble at temperatures from 120 to 180 °C in two local cultivars (Matalafera and Lisa). The initial content of isobutyric acid varied between 6.3 (Lisa) and 9.4 (Matalafera) g isobutyric acid/kg dry solid. Results showed that the process can be described by a diffusive model. The activation energy of the process is about 55 kJ/mol for both cultivars. Keywords: Carob pod; roasting; isobutyric acid; diffusion

Predator mimicry, not conspicuousness, explains the efficacy of butterfly eyespots

2015

Large conspicuous eyespots on butterfly wings have been shown to deter predators. This has been traditionally explained by mimicry of vertebrate eyes, but recently the classic eye-mimicry hypothesis has been challenged. It is proposed that the conspicuousness of the eyespot, not mimicry, is what causes aversion due to sensory biases, neophobia or sensory overloads. We conducted an experiment to directly test whether the eye-mimicry or the conspicuousness hypothesis better explain eyespot efficacy. We used great tits ( Parus major ) as model predator, and tested their reaction towards animated images on a computer display. Birds were tested against images of butterflies without eyespots, wi…

(Ré)concilier éclairage urbain et environnement nocturne : les enjeux d’une controverse sociotechnique

2014

International audience; Our paper explains the birth of an environmental problem, i.e. light pollution, viewed as a socio-technical controversy. Supported by the actor-network approach, it traces over forty years the conditions of its emergence, transformation and dissemination to local, national and transnational levels and through various professional disciplines. Schematically, “environmentalists” uphold a holistic approach of “nocturnality” and define artificial light as a pollutant. Facing them, the “technicist” defends a segmented approach and defines artificial light as a nuisance. The introduction of this controversy into the political agenda leads to institutional decisions that gr…

A synthesis of deimatic behaviour

2022

Deimatic behaviours, also referred to as startle behaviours, are used against predators and rivals. Although many are spectacular, their proximate and ultimate causes remain unclear. In this review we aim to synthesise what is known about deimatic behaviour and identify knowledge gaps. We propose a working hypothesis for deimatic behaviour, and discuss the available evidence for the evolution, ontogeny, causation, and survival value of deimatic behaviour using Tinbergen's Four Questions as a framework. Our overarching aim is to direct future research by suggesting ways to address the most pressing questions in this field. peerReviewed

CoproID predicts the source of coprolites and paleofeces using microbiome composition and host DNA content

2020

Shotgun metagenomics applied to archaeological feces (paleofeces) can bring new insights into the composition and functions of human and animal gut microbiota from the past. However, paleofeces often undergo physical distortions in archaeological sediments, making their source species difficult to identify on the basis of fecal morphology or microscopic features alone. Here we present a reproducible and scalable pipeline using both host and microbial DNA to infer the host source of fecal material. We apply this pipeline to newly sequenced archaeological specimens and show that we are able to distinguish morphologically similar human and canine paleofeces, as well as non-fecal sediments, fro…

Phytoplankton Fluctuations during an Annual Cycle in the Coastal Lagoon of Cullera (Spain)

1989

The seasonal variation and the vertical distribution of the phytoplanktonic population of the lagoon of Cullera, an elongated coastal lagoon with estuarine circulation of water, has been studied in three sampling stations: mouth, centre and source. Seasonal variation is determined by a marine-freshwater interaction. In winter, the sea influence is important, a marine water wedge of anoxic water arrives at the sampling station located at the source and marine and brackish water species dominate the phytoplankton. Also marine species of zooplankton and fish enter the system, which may then be considered as exploited by the sea. In spring the marine wedge retreats from the source but remains i…