Viability of Introducing Payments for the Collection of Wild Forest Mushrooms in Catalonia (North-East Spain)     

Irina Prokofieva  Elena Górriz-Mifsud  José-Antonio Bonet  Juan Martínez de Aragón 《Small-Scale Forestry》2017,16(2):147-167

Wild mushrooms are among the most valuable non-wood forest products in the world, and mushroom picking activities are well developed in many countries. Recent studies have demonstrated important links between forest management options and the productivity of mushrooms. Furthermore, there is evidence that the optimal forest management oriented at maximizing joint revenues from timber and mushrooms can lead to higher profits than the traditional timber-oriented management. The precondition for such management, however, is that forest owners derive benefits from mushrooms produced in their forests. In this paper, we discuss the feasibility of implementing payments for mushroom harvesting in Catalonia, North East Spain. As in many other European regions, mushroom picking in Catalonia is a long-standing tradition, which has been practiced with negligible limitations for centuries. The rising popularity of this activity in the last decades, however, has caused forest owners to voice concerns about the sustainability of this activity and about the impact it has on the private forest property. We document the results of a public opinion survey and contrast them with the issues emergent from forest owners’ interviews about the regulation of mushroom picking activities. Our results show that mushroom pickers support the idea of introducing payments for mushroom harvesting. Based on the survey and interview results, we also discuss the design aspects of payments for mushroom picking and articulate the key issues in their implementation.  相似文献   

6-Bromohypaphorine from Marine Nudibranch Mollusk Hermissenda crassicornis is an Agonist of Human α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor     

Igor E. Kasheverov  Irina V. Shelukhina  Denis S. Kudryavtsev  Tatyana N. Makarieva  Ekaterina N. Spirova  Alla G. Guzii  Valentin A. Stonik  Victor I. Tsetlin 《Marine drugs》2015,13(3):1255-1266

6-Bromohypaphorine (6-BHP) has been isolated from the marine sponges Pachymatisma johnstoni, Aplysina sp., and the tunicate Aplidium conicum, but data on its biological activity were not available. For the nudibranch mollusk Hermissenda crassicornis no endogenous compounds were known, and here we describe the isolation of 6-BHP from this mollusk and its effects on different nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR). Two-electrode voltage-clamp experiments on the chimeric α7 nAChR (built of chicken α7 ligand-binding and glycine receptor transmembrane domains) or on rat α4β2 nAChR expressed in Xenopus oocytes revealed no action of 6-BHP. However, in radioligand analysis, 6-BHP competed with radioiodinated α-bungarotoxin for binding to human α7 nAChR expressed in GH₄C₁ cells (IC₅₀ 23 ± 1 μM), but showed no competition on muscle-type nAChR from Torpedo californica. In Ca²⁺-imaging experiments on the human α7 nAChR expressed in the Neuro2a cells, 6-BHP in the presence of PNU120596 behaved as an agonist (EC₅₀ ~80 μM). To the best of our knowledge, 6-BHP is the first low-molecular weight compound from marine source which is an agonist of the nAChR subtype. This may have physiological importance because H. crassicornis, with its simple and tractable nervous system, is a convenient model system for studying the learning and memory processes.  相似文献   

Inhibition of N-Type Calcium Channels by Fluorophenoxyanilide Derivatives     

Ellen C. Gleeson  Janease E. Graham  Sandro Spiller  Irina Vetter  Richard J. Lewis  Peter J. Duggan  Kellie L. Tuck 《Marine drugs》2015,13(4):2030-2045

A set of fluorophenoxyanilides, designed to be simplified analogues of previously reported ω-conotoxin GVIA mimetics, were prepared and tested for N-type calcium channel inhibition in a SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma FLIPR assay. N-type or Ca_v2.2 channel is a validated target for the treatment of refractory chronic pain. Despite being significantly less complex than the originally designed mimetics, up to a seven-fold improvement in activity was observed.  相似文献   

Bioprospecting Red Sea Coastal Ecosystems for Culturable Microorganisms and Their Antimicrobial Potential     

Soha Al-Amoudi  Magbubah Essack  Marta F. Sim?es  Salim Bougouffa  Irina Soloviev  John A. C. Archer  Feras F. Lafi  Vladimir B. Bajic 《Marine drugs》2016,14(9)

Microorganisms that inhabit unchartered unique soil such as in the highly saline and hot Red Sea lagoons on the Saudi Arabian coastline, represent untapped sources of potentially new bioactive compounds. In this study, a culture-dependent approach was applied to three types of sediments: mangrove mud (MN), microbial mat (MM), and barren soil (BS), collected from Rabigh harbor lagoon (RHL) and Al-Kharrar lagoon (AKL). The isolated bacteria were evaluated for their potential to produce bioactive compounds. The phylogenetic characterization of 251 bacterial isolates based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing, supported their assignment to five different phyla: Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Planctomycetes. Fifteen putative novel species were identified based on a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to other strain sequences in the NCBI database, being ≤98%. We demonstrate that 49 of the 251 isolates exhibit the potential to produce antimicrobial compounds. Additionally, at least one type of biosynthetic gene sequence, responsible for the synthesis of secondary metabolites, was recovered from 25 of the 49 isolates. Moreover, 10 of the isolates had a growth inhibition effect towards Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas syringae. We report the previously unknown antimicrobial activity of B. borstelensis, P. dendritiformis and M. salipaludis against all three indicator pathogens. Our study demonstrates the evidence of diverse cultured microbes associated with the Red Sea harbor/lagoon environments and their potential to produce antimicrobial compounds.  相似文献   

Diverse antimicrobial killing by Enterococcus faecium E 50-52 bacteriocin     

Svetoch EA  Eruslanov BV  Perelygin VV  Mitsevich EV  Mitsevich IP  Borzenkov VN  Levchuk VP  Svetoch OE  Kovalev YN  Stepanshin YG  Siragusa GR  Seal BS  Stern NJ 《Journal of agricultural and food chemistry》2008,56(6):1942-1948

An effective bacteriocin was identified and characterized. Lactic acid bacteria were screened against Campylobacter jejuni. One bacteriocin producer, Enterococcus faecium (NRRL B-30746), was studied. The isolate was grown, and the bacteriocin was purified to single-band homogeneity. Biochemical traits indicated that the peptide was a Class IIa bacteriocin, and it was named E 50-52. The bacteriocin had a molecular weight of 3339.7 and an isoelectric point of 8.0. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of E 50-52 against C. jejuni, Yersinia spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shigella dysenteriae, Morganella morganii, Staphylococcus spp., and Listeria spp. ranged from 0.025 to 32 microg/mL. In therapeutic broiler trials, oral treatment with E 50-52 reduced both C. jejuni and Salmonella enteritidis by more than 100,000-fold in the ceca, and systemic S. enteritidis was reduced in the liver and spleen. The wide range of antibacterial activity of bacteriocin E 50-52 against pathogens provides a promising alternative to antibiotics.  相似文献   

Self-assembly of bovine beta-casein below the isoelectric pH     

Portnaya I  Ben-Shoshan E  Cogan U  Khalfin R  Fass D  Ramon O  Danino D 《Journal of agricultural and food chemistry》2008,56(6):2192-2198

Beta-casein is an intrinsically unstructured amphiphilic protein that self-assembles into micelles at neutral pH. This paper reports that beta-casein self-organizes into micelles also under acidic conditions. The protein association behavior and micelle characteristics at pH 2.6, well below the p I, are presented. The pH was found to strongly affect the micelle shape and dimensions. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) experiments revealed disk-like micelles of 20-25 nm in length and approximately 3.5 nm in height in acidic conditions. An aggregation number of 6 was determined by sedimentation equilibrium under these conditions. Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments verified the association below the p I and allowed determination of the micellization enthalpy, the critical micellar concentration, and the micellization relative cooperativity (MR). Small-angle X-ray scattering results at concentrations below the critical micellization concentration (CMC) suggest that the monomeric protein is likely in a premolten globule state at low pH. Calculations of the protein charge at acidic and neutral pH reveal a similar high net charge but considerable differences in the charge distribution along the protein backbone. Overall the results show that beta-casein is amphiphilic at low pH, but the distribution of charge along the protein chain creates packing constraints that affect the micelle organization, leading at concentrations above the CMC to the formation of disk micelles.  相似文献   

Rapid quantification of humic components in concentrated humate fertilizer solutions by FTIR spectroscopy     

Karpukhina  Evgeniya  Mikheev  Ivan  Perminova  Irina  Volkov  Dmitry  Proskurnin  Mikhail 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2019,19(6):2729-2739

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The use of humic substances is under thorough discussion of state-of-the-art agricultural science. They are marketed mostly as concentrated aqueous solutions of...  相似文献   

Comparative Analysis of the Functional Properties of Films Based on Carrageenans,Chitosan, and Their Polyelectrolyte Complexes     

Aleksandra V. Volod&#x;ko  Viktoriya N. Davydova  Valentina A. Petrova  Dmitry P. Romanov  Evgeniya A. Pimenova  Irina M. Yermak 《Marine drugs》2021,19(12)

The influence of the structural features of carrageenan on the functional properties of the films was studied. The carrageenans and chitosan films, as well as three-layer films containing a polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) of the two, were prepared. The X-ray diffractograms of carrageenan films reflected its amorphous structure, whereas chitosan and three-layer films were characterized by strong reflection in the regions of 20° and 15° angles, respectively. The SEM of the cross-sectional morphology showed dense packing of the chitosan film, as well as the layer-by-layer structure of different densities for the PEC. Among the tested samples, κ/β-carrageenan and chitosan films showed the highest tensile strength and maximum elongation. Films containing the drug substance echinochrome were obtained. Mucoadhesive properties were assessed as the ability of the films to swell on the mucous tissue and their erosion after contact with the mucosa. All studied films exhibited mucoadhesive properties. All studied films exhibited mucoadhesive properties which depended on the carrageenans structure. Multilayer films are stronger than single-layer carrageenan films due to PEC formation. The resulting puncture strength of the obtained films was comparable to that of commercial samples described in the literature.  相似文献   

Sex Specificity in Innate Immunity of Insect Larvae     

Irina Belousova  Sergey Pavlushin  Anna Subbotina  Natalya Rudneva  Vyacheslav Martemyanov 《Journal of insect science (Online)》2021,21(6)

The innate immunity of insects has been widely studied. Although the effect of sex on insect immunity has been extensively discussed, differences in immunity between the sexes of larvae insects remain largely unstudied. Studying larval sex differences in immunity may provide valuable information about the mechanisms underlying the insect immune system, which, in turn, can be valuable for the development and improvement of pest management. Here we compared the antibacterial activity in both the midgut tissue and cell-free hemolymph of Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) females and males at the larval stage without and after a challenge by entomopathogenic bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner. We also evaluated the sex-specific mortality of L. dispar induced by B. thuringiensis infection. We find that antibacterial activity in the midgut is activated by infection, but only in females. Thus, sex differences in immunity can have important effects even before sexual differentiation at adulthood.  相似文献   

Weak effects of farming practices corresponding to agricultural greening measures on farmland bird diversity in boreal landscapes     

Ekroos  Johan  Tiainen  Juha  Seimola  Tuomas  Herzon  Irina 《Landscape Ecology》2019,34(2):389-402

Context

The current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union includes three greening measures, which are partly intended to benefit farmland biodiversity. However, the relative biodiversity effects of the greening measures, including joint effects of landscape context, are not well understood.

Objectives

We studied the effects of increasing crop diversity, proportions of production grasslands and fallows, corresponding to CAP greening measures, on open farmland bird diversity, whilst controlling for the effects of distance to forests, field edge density and proportion of built-up areas.

Methods

We surveyed open farmland birds using territory mapping in Southern Finland. We modelled effects of greening measures and landscape structure on farmland birds (7642 territories) using generalised linear mixed models.

Results

Increasing proportions of grasslands increased farmland bird species richness and diversity in open farmland, whereas increasing proportions of fallows increased bird diversity. Increasing crop diversity benefited individual species, but not species richness or diversity. Increasing field edge densities consistently increased the species richness of all farmland species, in-field nesters and non-crop nesters, as well as total farmland bird diversity. The relative effect of edge density was much stronger compared to the three greening measures.

Conclusions

Our results show that promoting fallows and grasslands, in particular grazed grasslands and various types of semi-natural grasslands, has the highest potential to benefit farmland bird diversity. Maintaining or increasing field edge densities, currently not supported, seems to be of even more benefit. In open farmland, with little or no field edges, fallows and grasslands are particularly beneficial.

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