Shoot Induction from Axillary Shoot Tip Explants of Fig (Ficus carica) cv. Japanese BTM 6.

Fig, or Ficus carica, is a fruit tree from the Moraceae family and is widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Fig plants are mainly propagated through grafting, air layering, and hardwood cutting whereby these methods were found to be less efficient. Plant tissue culture is efficient method to propagate plants, particularly to produce true-to-type platelets for mass multiplication. The aim of this study is to induce multiple shoot formation on Ficus carica cv. Japanese BTM 6 through identifying and optimising the concentrations of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and Zeatin suited for shoot formation. The axillary shoot tip explants were cultured in MS media supplemented with different concentrations of BAP and Zeatin (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mg/L) to determine the optimal concentration for the formation of multiple shoots. Number of shoots per explants and the differences in shoot height of explants were calculated after 8 and 12 weeks of culture respectively. Of all the treatments of BAP, MS media containing with 2 mg/L BAP marked the highest number of shoots per explant with the average value of 1.67 ± 0.33 while 1.5 and 2 mg/L of BAP produced the highest differences in shoot height with 0.51 ± 0.08 cm and 0.51 ± 0.07 cm after 12 weeks respectively. Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 2 mg/L Zeatin showed the highest production of multiple shoots and differences in shoot height with the average of 0.83 ± 0.219 and 0.32 ± 0.04 cm respectively among all the different treatments of Zeatin. In this study, BAP performed better in shoot induction and elongation as compared to Zeatin for the cultivar Japanese BTM 6.

[Distribution and environmental function of glomalin-related soil protein: A review].

Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), a glycoprotein secreted by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), is abundant in soil. GRSP can be fractionated into total glomalin-related soil protein (TG), easily extracted glomalin-related soil protein (EEG), immunoreactive total glomalin (IRTG) and immunoreactive easily extracted glomalin (IREEG). The content of GRSP in soil differed with different soil use type, fertilization condition, AMF and host plant species, and environmental conditions. GRSP significantly positively correlates to the aggregate water stability. GRSP may reduce the release of CO2 in agro-ecosystem, benefit the soil carbon fixation, and reduce the bioavailability and plant toxicity of heavy metals in soil. The extraction and characterization of GRSP are of great importance to understanding the basic behaviors of GRSP in soil environments. Further studies are needed to clarify the molecular biology function of GRSP in agro-ecosystem based on the knowledge of proteins and related genes, and impacts of GRSP on the environmental behavior of organic pollutants in soil.

[Immobilization of Estrogen-degrading Bacteria to Remove the 17ß-estradiol and Diethylstilbestrol from Polluted Water and Cow Dung].

Estradiol (E2) and diethylstilbestrol (DES) can be enriched in sewage and cow dung, posing serious threats to human and ecological health. Strain Rhodococcus sp. JX-2 and strain Serratia sp. S, which could degrade 17ß-estradiol and diethylstilbestrol, respectively, were immobilized by alginate and then added into sewage and cow dung to remove E2 and DES. The immobilization was determined by orthogonal experiment, and the removal of E2 and DES from sewage and cow dung was compared between treatments of immobilized bacteria, free bacteria and control without bacteria. The influencing factors including inoculation amount, pH value, moisture content, turning time on the removal of E2 and DES were investigated. The optimal conditions of JX-2 and S immobilization were as follows: Strain JX-2: strain S (V/V) 1: 1, alginate concentration 5%, calcium chloride concentration 4%, bacteria-cement ratio 1 : 2. The immobilized strains removed 99. 42% and 84. 59% of the 2 mg.L-1 E2 and DES under laboratory conditions, respectively. The optimal conditions for E2 and DES removal from water by the immobilized strains were as follows: 300 g.L-1 inoculation volume of immobilized strains and pH 5. 0-6. 0. Immobilized bacteria could completely remove DES and remove 95. 85% of E2 from water. The optimal conditions for E2 and DES removal from cow dung by the immobilized strains were: inoculation volume 600 g.kg-1, moisture content 70% and pile turning time 12 h. The immobilized bacteria could completely remove E2 and remove 97. 41% of DES from cow dung.

[Isolation, identification and characterization of a diethylstilbestrol-degrading bacterial strain Serratia sp].

Utilizing the diethylstilbestrol (DES)-degrading bacteria to biodegrade DES is a most reliable technique for cleanup of DES pollutants from the environment. However, little information is available heretofore on the isolation of DES-degrading bacteria and their DES removal performance in the environment. A novel bacterium capable of degrading DES was isolated from the activated sludge of a wastewater treatment plant. According to its morphology, physiochemical characteristics, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, this strain was identified as Serratia sp.. The strain was an aerobic bacterium, and it could degrade 68.3% of DES (50 mg x L(-1)) after culturing for 7 days at 30 degrees C, 150 r x min(-1) in shaking flasks. The optimal conditions for DES biodegradation by the obtained strain were 30 degrees C, 40-60 mg x L(-1) DES, pH 7.0, 5% of inoculation volume, 0 g x L(-1) of added NaCl, and 10 mL of liquid medium volume in 100 mL flask.

[Estrogens determination of livestock dung based on UE-SPE-HPLC/FLD].

A method for detecting the estrogens estriol, 17beta-estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, and bisphenol A in livestock dung was established by the combination of ultrasonic extraction (UE), solid phase extraction (SPE) purification, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detector (FLD). The dung samples were extracted with ethyl acetate ultrasonication for 30 min, and purified with C18 solid phase extraction column and related solvents. The test four estrogens in the dung samples were isolated with Inertsil ODS-SP-C18 reversed-phase columns (150 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm), and the isolated estrogens were detected with HPLC/FLD. The mobile phase of HPLC for the detection was methanol/acetonitrile/water (volume ratio of 20:30:50), with a flow rate of 0.8 mL x min(-1). The excitation and emission wavelengths of FLD were 280 and 310 nm, respectively, the HPLC column temperature was 40 degrees C, and the injection volume was 20 microL. Good linearity (correlation coefficient greater than 0.9995) was observed by the HPLC/FLD detection when the test four estrogens concentrations were in the range of 1.00-1000.00 microg x L(-1). The detection limit of estriol, bisphenol A, 17beta-estradiol, and ethinyl estradiol was 3.35, 5.01, 2.13, and 1.12 microg x kg(-1), respectively. When the added estrogens concentrations of pig, cow, and chicken dung samples were 0.05, 0.40, and, 1.00 microg x kg(-1), the average recovery of the four estrogens was 75.1%-91.1%, 78.4%-117.0%, and 78.6%-97.8%, respectively, with the relatively standard deviations (RSD, n = 6) all less than 6%. By adopting the established SPE-HPLC/FLD method to detect the estrogens in real pig, cow, and chicken dung samples from parts of the large-scale livestock raising farms in Nanjing of East China, the detection reproducibility was high, and the detection limit was low, being available and effective for the detection of the estrogens in livestock dung.

[Enhanced fixation of phenanthrene in soils amended with exotic organic materials].

This paper studied the enhanced fixation of phenanthrene in clay loam soil, sandy silt soil, and silt loam soil under effects of exotic organic materials (EOMs) commercial organic fertilizer and peat. The results showed that after the addition of EOMs, the adsorption isotherms of phenanthrene in test soils were still linear, and distribution was the predominant mechanism for phenanthrene adsorption by soil. The adsorption of phenanthrene was significantly enhanced by the addition of EOMs, and the enhancement of distribution constant (Kd) was positively correlated with the content of soil organic carbon (foc), indicating that the higher the soil foc, the more significant the promotion effect of EOMs addition on phenanthrene adsorption. On the contrary, the desorption of phenanthrene was obviously inhibited by the addition of EOMs. After 64 days of EOMs addition, the extractable amount of phenanthrene was decreased significantly, compared with the control. Since the organic matter content of peat was higher than that of commercial organic fertilizer, the decrease of extractable phenanthrene in soils added with peat was more significant. In addition, the higher the soil foc, the stronger inhibition effect of EOMs on extractability of phenanthrene. On the whole, exotic EOMs could promote the adsorption, while inhibit the desorption and reduce the extractability of phenanthrene in soils.

[Effects of dissolved organic matter on phenanthrene adsorption by soil].

This paper studied the effects of exotic and native dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the phenanthrene adsorption by three soils differed in soil organic carbon content (foc). The exotic DOM came from decayed rice straw, while the native DOM was extracted from the test soils. In all cases, the adsorption of phenanthrene by treated soils could be well described with linear-type model, and there was a positive correlation between adsorption coefficient (Kd) and foc Compared with the control, the Kd value of test soils after native DOM removed was increased by 7. 08% -21. 4% , and the increment (deltaKd) was positively correlated with fo,, indicating that the presence of soil native DOM impeded the phenanthrene adsorption by soil. The effects of exotic DOM on phenanthrene adsorption had a close relation with its added concentration in soil-water system. Within the range of 0-106 mg DOC x L(-1) , the K, value increased first, and then decreased with the increase of added exotic DOM concentration. Lower concentrations of added exotic DOM promoted the phenanthrene adsorption by soil, while higher concentrations ( I> or =52 mg DOC x L(-1)) of it obviously impeded this adsorption. These effects of exotic and native DOM on soil phenanthrene adsorption were considered to be related to the association of phenanthrene with DOM in solution, and the ' cumulative adsorption effect' between soil solid and aqueous phases.

Sorption of dissolved organic matter and its effects on the atrazine sorption on soils.

The dissolved organic matter (DOM), water soluble organic matter derived from sewage sludge was separated into hydrophobic fraction (Ho) and hydrophilic fraction (Hi). The sorption of DOM and its fractions on soils and the effects of DOM sorption on a nonionic pesticide (atrazine(2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-trazine)) distribution between soil and water were investigated using a batch equilibrium technique. The total DOM sorption on soils described by the Langmuir equation reached saturation as the DOM concentration increased. The sorption of Ho fit the Freundlich model. In contrast, a negative retention evidently occurred as adding Hi at higher level in tested soils. The sorption of Ho dominated the total DOM sorption and the release of soil organic matter (SOM). Effects of DOM on the atrazine sorption by soils were DOM-concentration dependent and dominated by the interaction of atrazine, DOM, and soil solids. Generally, the presence of DOM with lower concentration promoted atrazine sorption on soils, namely the apparent partitioning constant (Kd) for atrazine sorption in the presence of DOM was larger than the distribution constant (Kd) without DOM; whereas the presence of DOM with higher concentration inhibited atrazine sorption (i.e., Kd < Kd). The overall effects of DOM on atrazine sorption in soils might be related to the DOM sorption and the release of soil intrinsic organic matter into aqueous solution. The sorption of Ho on soils promoted the atrazine sorption on soil, while the release of SOM by Hi and the competitive sorption between Hi and atrazine on soil surface led to a decrease of atrazine sorption. Information provided in this work may contribute to a better understanding of the DOM sorption and its impacts on the contaminant soil-water distribution.