Evaluation of tall fescue as a low radiocesium-uptake grass species to replace orchardgrass in Japan.

Grasslands in Tohoku and North Kanto, Japan were contaminated with radiocesium released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011. The dominant pasture species in the permanent grasslands of these areas is orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.). Two field studies were conducted to determine the potential of a low radiocesium-uptake forage grass to replace orchardgrass for remediation of contaminated grasslands. From 2012 to 2014, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) showed lower 137Cs uptake than orchardgrass under harvesting condition. The annual mean 137Cs activity concentration and transfer factor in tall fescue were half of those in orchardgrass. There was no significant difference in the 137Cs activity concentration among the five cultivars of tall fescue at the third harvest in 2012. From 2016 to 2019, another field study was conducted in a pasture with tall fescue and orchardgrass introduced by overseeding under heavy grazing pressure after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Tall fescue and orchardgrass were collected in May, July, and September from four paddocks before rotational grazing. Three grasses that were originally present, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and white clover (Trifolium repens L.), were collected each time that tall fescue and orchardgrass were sampled in 2016-2017. They were also collected at the sampling time in May of 2018 and 2019. Tall fescue showed a consistently lower transfer factor than orchardgrass during the four years. Tall fescue had the lowest transfer factor compared with the three originally grown plant species. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan recommends an exchangeable K2O content of 0.3-0.4 g kg-1 in soil (0-15 cm depth) to keep the 137Cs activity concentration in forage grass below the provisional tolerance level for feed. The soil exchangeable K2O content in both field studies was lower than this. Tall fescue is considered a low radiocesium-uptake grass and a potential replacement for orchardgrass in Japan. The use of tall fescue might reduce the amount of potassium fertilizer needed in contaminated grasslands.

Sulfuric Odor Precursor S-Allyl-l-Cysteine Sulfoxide in Garlic Induces Detoxifying Enzymes and Prevents Hepatic Injury.

S-Allyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide (ACSO) is a precursor of garlic-odor compounds like diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DATS) known as bioactive components. ACSO has suitable properties as a food material because it is water-soluble, odorless, tasteless and rich in bulbs of fresh garlic. The present study was conducted to examine the preventive effect of ACSO on hepatic injury induced by CCl4 in rats. ACSO, its analogs and garlic-odor compounds were each orally administered via gavage for five consecutive days before inducing hepatic injury. Then, biomarkers for hepatic injury and antioxidative state were measured. Furthermore, we evaluated the absorption and metabolism of ACSO in the small intestine of rats and NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) nuclear translocation by ACSO using HepG2 cells. As a result, ACSO, DADS and DATS significantly suppressed the increases in biomarkers for hepatic injury such as the activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and decreases in antioxidative potency such as glutathione (GSH) level and the activities of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). We also found ACSO was absorbed into the portal vein from the small intestine but partially metabolized to DADS probably in the small intestine. In in vitro study, ACSO induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation in HepG2 cells, which is recognized as an initial trigger to induce antioxidative and detoxifying enzymes. Taken together, orally administered ACSO probably reached the liver and induced antioxidative and detoxifying enzymes by Nrf2 nuclear translocation, resulting in prevention of hepatic injury. DADS produced by the metabolism of ACSO in the small intestine might also have contributed to the prevention of hepatic injury. These results suggest potential use of ACSO in functional foods that prevent hepatic injury and other diseases caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Anti-hypertension effects of traditional Chinese medicine ju-ling-tang on renal hypertensive rats.

This research investigated the anti-hypertension effect of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) ju-ling-tang (JLT) on an animal model of hypertension induced by unilateral renal artery ligation. In the study of anti-hypertension effects, 60 minutes after oral administration with NG tube feeding of 240 mg/kg JLT, a significant decrease in blood pressure (p < 0.05) was observed and sustained till 120 minutes. In the group given 50 mg/kg alpha-methyldopa orally, the effect was obvious 90 minutes after medication (p < 0.01), and lasted until 240 minutes. In terms of organ pathology, a significant reduction in the extent of induced glomerular sclerosis was observed in rats given 240 mg/kg JLT compared with the control. From these results, we infer that JLT has a beneficial anti-hypertensive effect on renal hypertension.

Nanopattern formation on polymer substrate using star-hyperbranched nanospheres.

Hyperbranched polystyrenes (PS) were prepared by living radical photopolymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate as an inimer under UV irradiation. These hyperbranched PS exhibited large amounts of photofunctional dithiocarbamate groups on their outside surfaces. Subsequently, we derived the star-hyperbranched copolymers by grafting from hyperbranched macroinitiator with t-butyl methacrylate. We obtained poly(methacrylic acid) star-hyperbranched PS nanospheres by hydrolysis of poly(t-butyl methacrylate) grafted chains. We studied in detail two-dimensional nanopattern formation on poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) or partially quaternized P4VP substrate using such nanospheres by electrostatic interaction.

[Relationship between aging and vitamin E].

We investigated the pathophysiological significance in biomembranes of the redox dynamics of Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) which is lipophilic radical scavenger related to aging or pathologic status such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus or primary hyperlipidemia. Vitamin E eliminates lipid peroxyl radicals by the peroxidation chain reaction of the membrane lipid, and it becomes Vitamin E radical. Furthermore, the Vitamin E radical becomes Vitamin E quinone which is an oxidic metabolite of Vitamin E. Therefore, it was needed to determine the alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherolquinone simultaneously to evaluate the antioxidative status of alpha-tocopherol in biomembranes exactly. For this purpose, we developed the assay method for the simultaneous determination of the two substances using HPLC system. Then we applied this method to basic and clinical research. 1) For the simultaneous determination of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherolquinone, highly-sensitive measurement system by HPLC-multiple coulometric ECD was developed. This system is useful to estimate the redox dynamics of alpha-tocopherol in biomembranes. 2) The utilization rate of alpha-tocopherol in the erythrocyte membrane of 10- to 120-week-old rats was significantly increased, whereas alpha-tocopherol uptake in the erythrocyte membrane decreased age-dependently. Furthermore, a significant increase in lipid hydroperoxide content and a marked decrease in the fluidity of the erythrocyte membrane were seen with age. 3) There was a strongly significant positive correlation between age and the utilization rate of alpha-tocopherol in the erythrocyte membrane of healthy volunteers aged between 23 and 103. 4) The alpha-tocopherol uptake in erythrocyte membrane was significantly lower in elderly non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients (average 68.1 years old) than in healthy subjects (average 71.8 years old). 5) The utilization rate of alpha-tocopherol in erythrocyte membrane and the alpha-tocopherol uptake in erythrocyte membrane were significant lower in elderly patients with primary hyperlipidemia (average 74.1 years old) compared to healthy subjects (average 71.2 years old). These findings suggest that the redox dynamics of alpha-tocopherol in biomembranes should be investigated with special regard to the onset, aggravation and complications of several diseases or aging as a result of oxidative stress. In addition redox dynamics were suggested to be useful to evaluate the grade of aging.