Search results for "cult"
showing 10 items of 25905 documents
Plant species identities and fertilization influence on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonisation and soil bacterial activities
2016
International audience; Plant species influence soil microbial communities, mainly through their functional traits. However, mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood, and in particular how plant/ microorganism interactions are affected by plant identities and/or environmental conditions. Here, we performed a greenhouse experiment to assess the effects of three plant species on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) colonization, bacterial potential nitrification (PNA) and denitrification activities (PDA) through their functional traits related to nitrogen acquisition and turnover. Three species with contrasting functional traits and strategies (from exploitative to conservat…
Grazing decreases N partitioning among coexisting plant species
2017
Herbivores play a key role in shaping ecosystem structure and functions by influencing plant and microbial community composition and nutrient cycling. This study investigated the long‐term effects of herbivores on plant resource acquisition. We explored differences in the natural δ15N signatures in plant, microbial and soil N pools, and examined mycorrhizal colonization in two tundra sites that have been either lightly or heavily grazed by reindeer for more than 50 years. The study examined changes in nutrient acquisition in five common tundra plants with contrasting traits and mycorrhiza status; the mycorrhizal dwarf shrubs, Betula nana, Vaccinium myrtillus and Empetrum hermaphroditum; a m…
Antifungal effect of phenolic extract of fermented rice bran with Rhizopus oryzae and its potential use in loaf bread shelf life extension
2018
In this study the antifungal potential of a phenolic extract obtained from rice bran fermented with Rhizopus oryzae CECT 7560 and its application in the elaboration of bread was assessed.; Results: Eighteen compounds with antifungal potential were identified by LC-ESI-qTOF-MS in the extract: organic acids, gallates and gallotannins, flavonoids, ellagic acid and benzophenone derivatives. The extract was active against strains of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium, with minimum inhibitory concentration ranging from 390 to 3100 µg mL-1 and minimum fungicidal concentration variable from 780 to 6300 µg mL-1 . The strains that were most sensitive to the phenolic extract were F. graminearum, F.…
Short-term benefits, but transgenerational costs of maternal loss in an insect with facultative maternal care
2015
A lack of parental care is generally assumed to entail substantial fitness costs for offspring that ultimately select for the maintenance of family life across generations. However, it is unknown whether these costs arise when parental care is facultative, thus questioning their fundamental importance in the early evolution of family life. Here, we investigated the short-term, long-term and transgenerational effects of maternal loss in the European earwig Forficula auricularia , an insect with facultative post-hatching maternal care. We showed that maternal loss did not influence the developmental time and survival rate of juveniles, but surprisingly yielded adults of larger body and force…
No apparent effect of invasive alien goldenrod on soil microbial communities or soil fauna feeding activity
2020
Abstract Invasive alien species spreading in abandoned agricultural landscape may negatively affect native organisms, including plants and soil biota. This study assessed the effects of invasion by Solidago sp. (goldenrod) in southern Poland on soil fauna feeding activity and on soil microorganism activity, biomass, and functional and taxonomic diversity, in a comparisons of paired plots: goldenrod-invaded plots and nearby non-invaded plots of semi-natural grassland. Goldenrod-invaded plots had fewer vascular plant species (paired t-test) than non-invaded ones, and showed a distinct plant community composition (ANOSIM). Non-invaded and invaded plots did not differ in a range of measured soi…
Development of a Bioactive Sauce Based on Oriental Mustard Flour with Antifungal Properties for Pita Bread Shelf Life Improvement
2019
Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced in the secondary metabolism of fungus belonging to the genus Aspergillus and Penicillium. In this study, the employment of oriental mustard flour (OMF) as an ingredient in a packaged sauce was evaluated for the generation in situ of the antimicrobial compound allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) in order to preserve pita bread contaminated with Penicillium verrucosum VTT D-01847, an OTA producer, in an active packaging system. Four different concentrations (8, 16, 33 and 50 mg/g) were tested. Mycelium formation, mycotoxin production, AITC absorbed by the food matrix, and volatilization kinetics were studied for each concentration. The results obtained were …
Antifungal and antimycotoxigenic activity of allyl isothiocyanate on barley under different storage conditions
2019
Abstract The present study evaluated the efficacy of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) in avoiding the growth of Penicillium verrucosum and consequent ochratoxin A (OTA) production in barley during storage for 90 d. Environmental humidity was controlled using saturated salt solutions and moisture content (MC) of the grain was analyzed. Moreover, the residual concentration of AITC on stored barley was also examined. Samples with 20.6% of MC presented the highest absorption of AITC with levels ranging from 75 to 4 mg/kg at day 1 and 90, respectively. The population of P. verrucosum was significantly reduced after 24 h of AITC exposure. After 90 d, the non-treated control group reached a fungal popu…
Efficiency of Ohmic assisted hydrodistillation for the extraction of essential oil from oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. viride) spices
2017
Abstract The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of Ohmic heating-assisted hydrodistillation (OAHD), applied at different voltages (100, 150, and 200) V, on the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of extracted essential oil from oregano herb ( Origanum vulgare subsp. viride ), compared to a conventional hydrodistillation (HD) procedure. The compositions of the extracted essential oils (using OAHD and HD) were assessed using gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC–MS). A 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (DPPH) method was applied in order to evaluate antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial activity as well as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values …
Automatic measurement of wood fiber orientation and knot detection using an optical system based on heating conduction.
2015
In this paper, a new approach to computing the deviation of wood grain is proposed. To do this, the thermal conduction properties of timber are used (higher conduction in the fiber direction). Exciting the surface of the wood with a laser and capturing the thermal conduction using a thermal camera, an ellipse can be observed. Using a method similar to the tracheid effect, it is possible to extract information from this ellipse, such as the slope of grain and the presence of knots. With this method it is therefore possible to extend the mechanical model (assessing the mechanical properties of timber) to take certain singularities into account. Using this approach, the slope of grain can be e…
Behaviour of consumers of conventional and organic flowers and ornamental plants in Italy
2013
The paper analyses preferences and motivations of Italian consumers of flowers and ornamental plants, both conventional and organic. The results helped to outline their profile. Purchases are still done in the traditional places (flower shops for cut flowers and plant nurseries for potted plants), however positive trend is found for potted plants purchases at large distribution chains. Some differences came out as to purchase motivations: cut flowers are mainly bought in special occasions whereas potted plants purchases are linked to personal use. The results confirm a positive relationship between the purchase of flowers and plants and the age of the interviewees, besides showing that wome…