Bioconversion of poultry wastes. I--Factors influencing the assay and productivity of crude uricase by three uricolytic filamentous fungi.

The optimum temperature for biomass yield and uricase production by uricolytic fungi, Aspergillus terreus, A. flavus and Trichoderma sp. was at 30 degrees C. The time required for maximum production of uricase and biomass yield was 4 days for two Aspergillus species and 6 days for Trichoderma sp. The optimum pH was at 6.4 for A. terreus and pH 6.6 for A. flavus and Trichoderma sp. The maximum fungal biomass yield was achieved in medium supplemented with 4% poultry waste. The best carbon sources for the production of uricase and mycelia yield were glycerol, sucrose and maltose by A. terreus, A. flavus and Trichoderma sp., respectively. Uric acid was found to be the best nitrogen source for production and activity of uricase by the three tested fungi. The addition of some vitamins to the culture media increased the maximum biomass yield of all the isolates, although no significantly increased uricase production was found.

Measurement of the viability of arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi using three different stains; relation to growth and metabolic activities of soybean plants.

Histochemical staining of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activities in four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus intraradices, G. fasciculatum, G. monosporum and G. mosseae) and their relation to growth and metabolic activities of soybean plants were investigated in a greenhouse experiment. In general, mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased the growth responses, phosphorus and nitrogen contents, acid and alkaline phosphatases as well as total soluble protein of soybean compared to non-mycorrhizal plants. Stimulation was related to the viability of each mycorrhizal fungus. The localization of succinate dehydrogenase (as a vital stain of metabolically active fungus) and alkaline phosphatase activity (as a potential marker of efficiency of the symbiosis) in the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were variable. The activity appeared in young arbuscles and intercellular hyphae, whereas the collapsed arbuscules were inactive. The histochemical staining results demonstrated that the activity of alkaline phosphatase fungi was lower than succinate dehydrogenase. The use of nitroblue tetrazolium chloride as a vital stain for SDH activity showed that all mycorrhizal infection revealed by trypan blue staining was not physiologically active. Thus, the possible utilization of these enzymes to assess the activity of mycorrhizal fungi and its relation with effectively for plant growth and mineral contents is discussed.

The effect of benomyl on growth and ultrastructure of two isolates of Phytophthora infestans from Egypt.

The effect of benomyl as a fungicide on the growth rate and ultrastructure of two isolates (P1319 and P623) of Phytophthora infestans is compared. Benomyl caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the mycelial growth of both isolates. The isolate P1319 was found to be more sensitive to benomyl than the isolate P623. Ultarstructural studies confirmed these observations. The hyphae of isolate P1319 subjected to 100 and 500 ppm benomyl showed more severe changes in the cytoplasm than those of isolate P623. An increase in lipid bodies and vacuoles in the hyphal cytoplasm was the characteristic phenomenon after treatment with benomyl, particularly at a concentration of 500 ppm.

Regulation of very low density lipoprotein apo B metabolism by dietary fat saturation and chain length in the guinea pig.

Studies investigated the effects of dietary fatty acid composition and saturation on the regulation of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) apo B flux, clearance, and conversion to low density lipoprotein (LDL) in guinea pigs fed semipurified diets containing 15% (w/w) corn oil (CO), lard (LA), or palm kernel oil (PK). Plasma cholesterol levels were highest with dietary PK (3.1 +/- 1.0 mmol/L) followed by LA (2.4 +/- 0.4 mmol/L) and CO (1.6 +/- 0.4 mmol/L) intake. VLDL particles were larger (P < 0.05) in the LA (78 +/- 7 nm) and PK (69 +/- 10 nm) groups compared to animals fed CO (49 +/- 5 nm). VLDL-apo B fractional catabolic rates (FCR) were highest in guinea pigs fed the LA diet (P < 0.05) and VLDL apo B flux, estimated from VLDL 125I-apo B turnover kinetics, were higher in LA compared to PK or CO fed guinea pigs. In the case of PK consumption, the kinetic estimates of VLDL apo B flux significantly underestimated rates compared to direct VLDL apo B secretion measurements and LDL turnover analyses. These data demonstrate that differences in the composition and amount of saturated fatty acids have differential effects on VLDL apo B flux, catabolism, and conversion to LDL which, together with changes in LDL receptor-mediated catabolism, determine plasma LDL cholesterol levels in guinea pigs. The data also indicate that kinetic analysis of VLDL metabolism in PK fed animals is inaccurate possibly due to the presence of a small, nonequilibrating pool of newly synthesized VLDL which is rapidly converted to LDL.

Regulation of guinea pig very low density lipoprotein secretion rates by dietary fat saturation.

We investigated the effects of dietary fat saturation on very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) production in guinea pigs fed semipurified diets containing 15% (w/w) fat, either corn oil (CO, 58% linoleic acid), lard (LA, 42% oleic and 24% palmitic acids) or palm kernel oil (PK, 52% lauric and 18% myristic acids) for 4 weeks. Animals were given an intravenous injection of Triton WR 1339 to block VLDL catabolism and rates of VLDL triacylglycerol (TAG) and apolipoprotein (apo) B secretion were measured over time. Plasma TAG concentrations increased linearly for 8 h (r = 0.99) and VLDL-TAG secretion rates were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in guinea pigs fed LA (72.7 +/- 14.7 mg/kg-h, n = 12) compared to animals fed PK (55.4 +/- 13.4 mg/kg-h, n = 12) or CO (48.6 +/- 17.5 mg/kg-h, n = 15). VLDL apoB secretion rates were highest in PK-fed animals (3.1 +/- 1.8 mg/kg-h) compared to guinea pigs fed LA (1.5 +/- 0.8 mg/kg-h) or CO (1.1 +/- 0.6 mg/kg-h) diets (P < 0.005). Concurrent with analysis of VLDL secretion, turnover of 125I-labeled LDL was measured. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) fractional catabolic rates were not altered by Triton treatment and LDL apoB specific radioactivity (cpm/microgram) did not change over time indicating that: a) the Triton blockage of VLDL catabolism was complete, and b) there was no direct secretion of LDL by the liver. These data demonstrate that intake of lard increases the rate of VLDL-triacylglycerol secretion and that nascent VLDL particles from the lard and corn oil diet groups have the same relative triacylglycerol content, whereas palm kernel oil intake increases secretion of VLDL particles which have a reduced triacylglycerol content. These results demonstrate that dietary fat chain length and saturation have specific effects on VLDL secretion rates affecting both particle number and composition.

Dietary fat saturation modifies the metabolism of LDL subfractions in guinea pigs.

The effects of dietary fat saturation on the metabolism of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) subfractions were measured in adult male guinea pigs fed semipurified diets containing 15% (wt/wt) corn oil (CO; 58% linoleic acid), lard (24% palmitic/14% stearic acid), or palm kernel oil (PK; 52% lauric/18% myristic acid). Animals fed the CO diet had lower plasma total cholesterol levels than guinea pigs fed the PK or lard diets (P < .01). Plasma LDL-1 (d = 1.019 to 1.05 g/mL) concentrations were 3.5- and 2.4-fold higher in animals fed the PK diet compared with the CO and lard groups, respectively, while LDL-2 (d = 1.05 to 1.09 g/mL) concentrations were not different among groups. For all dietary fat groups LDL-1 had a higher molecular weight and a larger diameter than LDL-2. LDL fractional catabolic rates (FCRs) varied, depending on both the diet and the LDL subfraction. Animals fed the polyunsaturated CO diet had a more rapid LDL FCR than animals from the other two groups (P < .01). Within the same diet group, LDL-2 exhibited a slower turnover rate than LDL-1 in animals fed the PK diet, while no differences in LDL subfraction FCR were found in the CO and lard groups. Animals fed the PK and lard diets did not exhibit significant modifications in the density distribution of LDL subfractions over a period of 33 hours. In contrast, animals fed the CO diet exhibited a shift of more buoyant to denser LDL particles, suggesting that differences in LDL intravascular processing are mediated by dietary fat saturation. In vitro LDL binding to hepatic membranes confirmed the in vivo data with an increased expression of apolipoprotein B/E receptors (Bmax) in animals fed the CO diet (P < .01). Hepatic apolipoprotein B/E receptors exhibited less affinity for LDL-2 in the PK group, a result consistent with the less rapid turnover of LDL-2 in PK-fed animals. The results suggest that dietary fatty acids varying in saturation and composition have distinctive atherogenic potentials. The lowest plasma LDL cholesterol concentrations mediated by CO intake could in part be explained by induced changes in the composition and processing of LDL subfractions, resulting in faster LDL turnover rates in addition to increased expression of hepatic apolipoprotein B/E receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)