Cold-Induced Physiological and Biochemical Alternations and Proteomic Insight into the Response of Saccharum spontaneum to Low Temperature.

Sugarcane, a cash crop, is easily affected by low temperature, which results in a decrease in yield and sugar production. Breeding a new variety with cold tolerance is an essential strategy to reduce loss from cold stress. The identification of germplasms and genes/proteins with cold tolerance is a vital step in breeding sugarcane varieties with cold tolerance via a conventional program and molecular technology. In this study, the physiological and biochemical indices of 22 genotypes of S. spontaneum were measured, and the membership function analysis method was used to comprehensively evaluate the cold tolerance ability of these genotypes. The physiological and biochemical indices of these S. spontaneum genotypes showed a sophisticated response to low temperature. On the basis of the physiological and chemical indices, the genotypes were classified into different cold tolerance groups. Then, the high-tolerance genotype 1027 and the low-tolerance genotype 3217 were selected for DIA-based proteomic analysis by subjecting them to low temperature. From the four comparison groups, 1123, 1341, 751, and 1693 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified, respectively. The DAPs based on genotypes or treatments participated in distinct metabolic pathways. Through detailed analysis of the DAPs, some proteins related to protein homeostasis, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, amino acid transport and metabolism, signal transduction, and the cytoskeleton may be involved in sugarcane tolerance to cold stress. Furthermore, five important proteins related to cold tolerance were discovered for the first time in this study. This work not only provides the germplasms and candidate target proteins for breeding sugarcane varieties with cold tolerance via a conventional program and molecular breeding, but also helps to accelerate the determination of the molecular mechanism underlying cold tolerance in sugarcane.

Effect of Vanillin on the Anaesthesia of Crucian Carp: Effects on Physiological and Biochemical Indices, Pathology, and Volatile Aroma Components.

The anaesthetic effect of vanillin on crucian carp was investigated using different concentrations of vanillin, with a nonvanillin control. The effective concentration range of vanillin anaesthesia was determined from the behavioural characteristics of crucian carp during the anaesthesia onset and recovery phases. Physiological and biochemical indices, and the electronic nose response to the fish muscle, were measured over the range of effectiveanaestheticc concentrations. An increased concentration of vanillin shortened the time taken to achieve deep anaesthesia but increased the recovery time. The levels of white blood cells, red blood cells, haemoglobinn, platelets, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, total protein, and serum albumin were lower than the control in the vanillin treatment group. Triglycerides and total cholesterol were not significantly affected. Histology showed no effect of vanillin on the liver, except at 1.00 g/L vanillin. Vanillin resulted in a nondose-responsive effect on the gill tissue, increasing the width and spacing of the gill lamellae. E-Nose analysis of the carp-muscle flavour volatiles was able to distinguish between different vanillin treatment concentrations. GC-IMS identified 40 flavour compounds, including 8 aldehydes, 11 alcohols, 10 ketones, 2 esters, and 1 furan. Vanillin had aanaestheticic effect on crucian carp and these findings provide a theoretical basis for improving the transport and experimental manipulation of crucian carp.

Analysis of Some Physiological and Biochemical Indices in Patients with Covid-19 Pneumonia Using Mathematical Methods.

The aim of the work was to conduct a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of patients with pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and to determine via mathematical methods the significance of some physiological and biochemical indices as predictive markers of an unfavorable outcome of the disease. A random cohort of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia numbered 209 people. Mathematical analysis addressed the physiological characteristics of patients recorded at the time of hospital admission, as well as blood coagulation parameters and those reflecting the development of an inflammatory reaction. The analyzed parameters were categorized relative to the reference ranges of physiologically normal values. Correlation analysis was carried out using categorical data on the disease outcome. The algorithms for calculating statistical characteristics, as well as results visualization, were programmed in Python. When comparing patient groups, the significance of differences between the determined parameters was assessed using the Pearson's χ2 test with Yates' correction. The study showed that the age over 50 and male sex can be considered risk factors for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia (p < 0.05). The disease outcome was found to be significantly affected by cardiovascular pathologies (p < 0.01) and to a lesser extent by diabetes mellitus (p < 0.10). There were revealed maximal correlation coefficients between the oxygen saturation level (-0.43), as well as the breathing rate (0.43), and a fatal outcome of the disease. For patients over 50 years of age, oxygen saturation below 80% at the time of hospital admission turned out to be a marker of mortality. It was shown that D-dimer blood levels above 625 ng/mL in patients over 80 years of age correlated with mortal outcomes. No correlation was found between the C-reactive protein (CRP) level and the disease outcome. The effect of corticosteroids on the disease outcome was analyzed in patients with different CRP levels. It was found that, while using corticosteroids, the mortality rate in patients with CRP ≤ 12.5 mg/L is 2.7 times higher than in those with CRP > 12.5 mg/L (p < 0.01). Thus, the use of adequate mathematical methods made it possible to define more precisely some mortality-associated physiological and biochemical indices in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Effect of azoxystrobin fungicide on the physiological and biochemical indices and ginsenoside contents of ginseng leaves.

BACKGROUND: The impact of fungicide azoxystrobin, applied as foliar spray, on the physiological and biochemical indices and ginsenoside contents of ginseng was studied in ginseng (Panax ginseng Mey. cv. "Ermaya") under natural environmental conditions. Different concentrations of 25% azoxystrobin SC (150 g a.i./ha and 225 g a.i./ha) on ginseng plants were sprayed three times, and the changes in physiological and biochemical indices and ginsenoside contents of ginseng leaves were tested. METHODS: Physiological and biochemical indices were measured using a spectrophotometer (Shimadzu UV-2450). Every index was determined three times per replication. Extracts of ginsenosides were analyzed by HPLC (Shimadzu LC20-AB) utilizing a GL-Wondasil C18 column. RESULTS: Chlorophyll and soluble protein contents were significantly (p = 0.05) increased compared with the control by the application of azoxystrobin. Additionally, activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, and ginsenoside contents in azoxystrobin-treated plants were improved, and malondialdehyde content and O2- contents were reduced effectively. Azoxystrobin treatments to ginseng plants at all growth stages suggested that the azoxystrobin-induced delay of senescence was due to an enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity protecting the plants from harmful active oxygen species. When the dose of azoxystrobin was 225 g a.i./ha, the effect was more significant. CONCLUSION: This work suggested that azoxystrobin played a role in delaying senescence by changing physiological and biochemical indices and improving ginsenoside contents in ginseng leaves.

Early Selection for Smut Resistance in Sugarcane Using Pathogen Proliferation and Changes in Physiological and Biochemical Indices.

Sugarcane smut disease, caused by Sporisorium scitamineum, significantly decreases yield and use of resistant cultivars is the most cost-effective measure for disease control. Current field testing methods for identification of smut resistance are time-consuming and hindered by environmental variability. Our goal was to develop an efficient and reliable resistance identification technique that is rapid, performed in a controlled environment, and stable. Nine sugarcane cultivars with different phenotypic resistance levels were selected. TaqMan quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to measure copy number changes of smut pathogen in sugarcane buds at 0-7 days after needle puncture inoculation. There was a positive correlation between time after inoculation and the amount of smut pathogen in the sugarcane bud. This reached a peak value on 7 days, and the copy number of S. scitamineum increased in the following order: YZ03-258, FN40, YZ01-1413, GT02-467, ROC22, YT96-86, YZ03-103, FN39, LC05-136. After smut pathogen inoculation, differences in the physiological and biochemical indices of the nine cultivars were observed. Peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, ß-1,3-glucanase, and malondialdehyde were grouped into three main components, and the cumulative contribution rate was 80.177%, revealing that these are useful physiological and biochemical indicators of smut resistance. Subordinate function analysis indicated that the levels of smut resistance of the nine genotypes were (high to low): YZ03-258, FN40, YZ01-1413, GT02-467, ROC22, YZ03-103, YT96-86, FN39, LC05-136, which is similar to the results from copy number determination of smut pathogens. The results suggest that after artificial needle inoculation, rapid identification of physiological resistance to sugarcane smut was achieved based on copy number increases in the sugarcane smut pathogen and the physiological and biochemical changes in sugarcane bud during the early phase of infection.