Antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities of a novel polysaccharide (LSAP) from Lepista sordida mycelia

A novel alkali-soluble polysaccharide from Lepista sordida(LSAP)mycelia with antioxidative and hepatoprotective activities was characterized.The weight-average molecular weight and number-average molecular weight of LSAP were 1.442×10^(3) and 6.05×10^(2) kDa,respectively.LSAP was consisted of glucose(57.9%),xylose(31.8%),and small amounts of rhamnose,arabinose,galactose,glucuronic acid,and galacturonic acid(1.2%–3.1%).The FT-IR and 2D NMR confi rmed that LSAP was composed of Xylp,Araf,4-O-Me-α-D-GlcpA,(1→4)-linkedβ-D-Glcp,and(1→4)-α-D-GalA,andβ-glycosidic linkages between these sugar units.LSAP displayed notable effects on 1,1-dephenyl-2-picryhydrazyl(DPPH)radical scavenging,hydrogen peroxide scavenging,lipid peroxidation inhibitory ability,reducing power and Fe^(2+)chelating property.These biological effects were further verifi ed by suppressing CCl_(4)-induced oxidative liver damage in mice at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg.Administration of LSAP in mice prior to CCl_(4) signifi cantly prevented the CCl_(4)-induced elevation in serum alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,and hepatic malondialdehyde.Mice treated with LSAP demonstrated to increase activities in superoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)in the liver.We also found out that LSAP prevented CCl_(4)-induced oxidative liver histological alteration.LSAP may exert hepatoprotective effects against CCl_(4)-induced damage through antioxidant mechanisms in model mice.

The influence of Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation in selenium-enriched Brassica napus L.:changes in the nutritional constituents,bioactivities and bioaccessibility

Selenium(Se)-enriched Brassica napus L.is a valuable organic Se supplement.In this study,the fermentation broth enriched with organic Se(FFS)was prepared using Lactobacillus plantarum to ferment the substrate of Se-enriched Brassica napus L.Significant increases were observed after fermentation in total sugars,reducing sugars,soluble proteins,total phenolic content(TPC),and total flavonoid content(TFC).The organic Se was retained at a concentration of 54.75 mg/g in the freeze-dried sample.Principal component analysis and cluster analysis showed good separation between the FFS and unfermented(FS)groups.Fragrant 2-ethyloxetane had the highest content among all volatiles,while sinapine had the highest content among all phenolic compounds.The fermentation process showed remarkable improvement in the abundance and concentration of volatile compounds and phenolic contents,making FFS exhibit strong antioxidant activity and inhibitory capacity againstα-glucosidase activity.The bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds was significantly greater in FFS compared to FS.ADMET analysis revealed that the majority of phenolic compounds contained in FFS did not exhibit mutagenicity toxicity,hepatotoxicity,skin sensitization,or blood-brain barrier penetration,indicating a favorable level of biosafety.Overall,our study provides a new insight into the further utilization of Se-enriched Brassica napus L.in foods.

Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of a Brown Wood Rotting Mushroom Piptoporellus baudonii from Benin (Tropical Africa)

Piptoporellus baudonii, previously known as Laetiporus baudonii, is an African species that was considered to be a sister species to Laetiporus sulphureus, another European species known for its medicinal value. While much is known about the edibility and antimicrobial properties of L. sulphureus, African species like P. baudonii remain understudied. This study investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of P. baudonii extracts (powder maceration) prepared using ethanol, methanol and water with fractions obtained via differential solubility in hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. Before the antimicrobial analysis, the study material was accurately identified using both morphology and molecular techniques. Antimicrobial activity was tested against fungi, gram-positive, and gram-negative bacteria using a broth serial microdilution method, while antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power FRAP methods. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the specimen as P. baudonii, with genetic material from Benin grouping it with other P. baudonii from Tanzania and other unknown regions, forming a well-supported clade (100/100). The ethanol (1.71), methanol (2.41) extracts, along with ethyl acetate (1.36), n-butanol (1.18), and hexane (12.91) fractions showed significant antioxidant activity with EC50 values below 20 µg∙mL−1. The highest antimicrobial inhibition was seen in the n-butanol (58%) and ethyl acetate (54%) fractions, followed by ethanol (49%) and hexane (48%). Methanol exhibited the lowest inhibition (46.10%). These values were compared to the standard (Vitamin C). The examined extracts demonstrated high bactericidal properties, with an MBC/MIC ratio (R) of 1 to 4, particularly effective ethyl acetate against Escherichia coli (R = 2) and ethanol extract with strong activity against Enterococcus faecalis (R = 4). Further chemical and cytotoxicity studies are warranted to fully explore the pharmaceutical potential of P. baudonii.

Changes in Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activities of Yingshan Yunwu Tea during Digestion in Vitro

[Objectives]To explore the change rule of polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of coarse old leaves of Yingshan Yunwu Tea in the process of human digestion.[Methods]The coarse and old leaves of Yunwu tea in Yingshan,Huanggang,Hubei Province were selected as the research object,and their digestion in vitro was simulated.The total polyphenol content was determined by Folin-phenol reagent colorimetric method,and the DPPH radical scavenging activity and total antioxidant activity were determined.[Results]After simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro,the polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of coarse old leaf tea soup showed a downward trend.After gastrointestinal digestion,the polyphenol content in tea infusion separately decreased by 31.8%and 8.5%;the scavenging rate of DPPH free radical was 97%before digestion,decreased to 92%after gastric digestion and 65%after intestinal digestion,which decreased by 5%and 27%,respectively;after gastrointestinal digestion,the total antioxidant capacity of tea soup decreased by 4.7%and 3.1%,respectively.[Conclusions]This study provided a reference for the development and application of coarse old leaves of Yingshan Yunwu tea,and provided a reference for the nutritional value evaluation and comprehensive utilization of coarse old leaves,so as to make the best use of coarse tea leaves and reduce the waste of resources.

Quantification of Total Phenols, Total Flavonoids, Total Anthocyanins and Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antiradical Activities of Detarium Senegalense Extracts from Chad

The aim of the present work is to assess the value of Detarium Senegalense by determining the content of total phenols, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins, and by evaluating the free radical scavenging activity of Detarium Senegalense extracts. For this purpose, sequential extraction using solvents of increasing polarity was essential. The various extracts obtained underwent phytochemical and biochemical analyses. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, polyphenols, anthocyanins and steroids/terpenes. Quantitative analysis of total polyphenols, total flavonoids and total anthocyanins yielded the following results: total flavonoids (0.803 ± 0029 mg EQ/100g P for acetone extract of roots and 0.871 ± 0.401 mg EQ/100g P for methanol extract of leaves);total polyphenols (23.298 ± 12.68 mg EAG/100g P for acetone extract of roots and 24.69 ± 0.49 401 mg EAG/100g P for methanol extract of leaves);total monomeric anthocyanins (44.697 ± 0.939 mg EC3G/100g P and 16.699 ± 0.193 mg EC3G/100g P respectively for acetone and methanol extracts of stem bark). DPPH free radical scavenging activity was 1.674 ± 0.023 mg/mL for the acetone extract and 0.934 ± 0.24 mg/mL for the methanol extract of roots. .

Antioxidation Activities of Low-Molecular-Weight Gelatin Hydrolysate Isolated from the Sea Cucumber Stichopus japonicus

Gelatin extracted from the body wall of the sea cucumber （Stichopus japonicus） was hydrolyzed with flavourzyme. Low-molecular-weight gelatin hydrolysate （LMW-GH） of 700-- 1700 Da was produced using an ultrafiltration membrane bioreaetor system. Chemiluminescence analysis revealed that LMW-GH scavenges high free radicals in a concentration-dependent manner; IC50 value for superoxide and hydroxyl radicals was 442 and 285 μgmL-1, respectively. LMW-GH exhibited excellent inhibitory characteristics against melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in B16 cells. Furthermore, LMW-GH notably increased in- traeellular glutathione （GSH）, which in turn suppressed melanogenesis. LMW-GH performs antioxidation activity, holding the potential of being used as a valuable ingredient in function foods, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals or nutriceuticals.

Determination of contents of eight alkaloids in fruits of Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. from different habitats and antioxidant activities of extracts

A reliable ultrasound-assisted extraction （UAE） method combined with HPLC-UV for quantification of eight active alkaloids in fruits of Macleaya cordata （Willd） R. Br. was developed. The optimization conditions of UAE were obtained by using Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology. Chromatography was carried out using a Kromasil C18 column by gradient elution with 0.1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution for HPLC-UV. All calibration curves showed good linear correlation coefficients （R^2〉0.999 6） and recoveries （from 97.3% to 104.9%） were acceptable. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl （DPPH） method was employed to test the antioxidant activity of the extract from the samples. The proposed method was successfully applied to quantifying eight components in nine samples of M.cordata, and significant variations of alkaloid contents and antioxidant aetivity of the samples from different habitats were demonstrated. It presents a powerful proof for the selection of the best sources to extract eight kinds of alkaloids.

Phenolic compounds and its antioxidant activities in ethanolic extracts from seven cultivars of Chinese jujube

Phenolic compounds and its antioxidant activity of extracts from seven cultivars of Chinese jujubes were investigated by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)with standards and different antioxidant evaluation methods,such as phosphomolybdenum assay,superoxide radical scavenging activity(SRSA),hydroxyl radical scavenging activity(HRSA),antihemolytic activity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate,respectively.The results showed the components of the extracts are comprised of total phenols and flavonoids,and its content ranges from 454.3 to 1298.9(GAE mg/100 g dry weight).Phlorizin,catechin,gallic acid,chlorogenic acid,caffeic acid were the predominant phenolic compounds.All the extracts had significant antioxidant activities either in vitro or in vivo.Correlation analysis indicated that the antioxidant capacities of Chinese jujube extracts demonstrated a good positive relationship with some phenolic acids,which was higher in Xiao and Goutou.The results indicated that Xiao and Goutou could be attributed to a potential source of natural antioxidants for food applications.

Comparison of Antioxidant Activities in Black Soybean Preparations Fermented with Various Microorganisms

Black soybeans [Glycine max（L.） Merrill] were fermented with various GRAS（generally recognized as safe） microorganisms,including Aspergillus sp.,Bacillus sp.and yeast（Issatchenkia orientalis） at 30°C for 3 d.The antioxidant contents,including total phenolics and total flavonoids,and the antioxidant activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine（DPPH）,ferric reducing antioxidant power（FRAP） and HO.scavenging were analyzed in preparations of fermented black soybeans.Fermented cultures proved to yield significant levels of antioxidants compared with non-fermented cultures（P 〈 0.05）.Fermented black soybean preparations possessed antioxidant activities could be attributed to the total phenolics and flavonoids present.

Identification and Evaluation of Antioxidant Activities of Bamboo Extracts

The antioxidant activity of solvent extracts from two main bamboo species, moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) and madake bamboo (P. bambusoides) in Japan, was first evaluated by scavenging free radical of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), the inhibition activity for peroxidation of linoleic acid, and the reduction power. The methanol-extracts of moso bamboo culms and madake bamboo leaves presented stronger antioxidant activity compared with DPPH scavenging activity. Methanol-extract of moso bamboo culms was further fractionated by different solvents and n-butanol soluble fraction exhibited the most significant activity in the DPPH scavenging assay. The fractionation of n-butanol soluble extract was isolated by silica gel column with gradient mixture solvent of chloroform and methanol. The isolated fractions were directed by the antioxidant activity measured by scavenging the stable DPPH free radical. It was observed that most of the eluted fractions showed the antioxidative activity. Fractions acquired from elution with the mixture solvent of chloroform and methanol (10:1–5:1) showed stronger antioxidant activity than the other fractions.

Optimization of pectin extraction and antioxidant activities from Jerusalem artichoke

Jerusalem artichoke is an economic crop widely planted in saline-alkaline soil. The use of Jerusalem artichoke is of great significance. In this study, the response surface method was employed to optimize the effects of processing variables （extraction temperature, pH, extraction time, and liquid-to- solid ratio） on the yield of Jerusalem artichoke pectin. Under the optimal extraction conditions： pHl .52, 63.62 min, 100℃ and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 44.4 mL/g, the maximum pectin yield was predicted to be 18.76%. Experiments were conducted under these optimal conditions and a pectin yield of 18.52＋0.90% was obtained, which validated the model prediction. The effects of different drying methods （freeze drying, spray drying and vacuum drying） on the properties of Jerusalem artichoke pectin were evaluated and they were compared with apple pectin. FTIR spectral analysis showed no major structural differences in Jerusalem artichoke pectin samples produced by various drying treatments. The antioxidant activities of pectin dried by different methods were investigated using in vitro hydroxyl and DPPH radical scavenging systems. The results revealed that the activities of spray dried pectin （SDP） and apple pectin （AP） were stronger than those of vacuum oven dried pectin （ODP） and vacuum freeze dried pectin （FDP）. Therefore compared with the other two drying methods, the spray drying method was the best.

Physicochemical Properties and Bioactivities of Rice Beans Fermented by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physicochemical properties and bioactivities of rice beans(Vigna umbellata)fermented by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.The fermentation conditions were optimized on the basis of the fibrinolytic activity.Under the optimal fermentation conditions,the fibrinolytic activity reached a maximum of 78.0 FU·g^(-1)(4890 IU·g^(-1),fibrin plate method,FU:fibrin degradation unit).The contents of peptides(which increased from 2.1 to 10.9 g per 100 g),total phenolics(from 116.7 to 388.5 mg gallic acid per 100 g),total flavonoids(from 235.5 to 354.3 mg rutin per 100 g),and anthocyanin(from 20.1 to 47.1 mg per 100 g),as well as the superoxide dismutase activity(from 55.3 to 263.6 U·g^(-1))in rice beans were significantly increased after fermentation.The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)and 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)diammonium salt(ABTS)free radical scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant power(FRAP)of fermented rice beans were 1.9–4.8 times higher than those of unfermented rice beans.Moreover,fermentation induced an increase in the dipeptidyl peptidase IV(DPP-IV)inhibition,a-glucosidase inhibition,and anticoagulant activities of rice beans.Rice beans fermented by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens may serve as a functional food with potential benefits for the prevention of thrombotic diseases.

Chemical compositions and biological activities of essential oils obtained from some Apiaceous and Lamiaceous plants collected in Thailand

Objective: To determine the chemical composition, as well as the antioxidant, antityrosinase and antibacterial activities of essential oils obtained from some Apiaceous and Lamiaceous plants collected in Thailand. Methods: The essential oils of the specified spices and aromatic herbs were obtained by hydro-distillation, and their chemical constituents were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Antioxidant assays were based on the scavenging effects of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) and 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)(ABTS) free radicals as well as the lipid oxidation inhibition of β-carotene bleaching by linoleic acid. Tyrosinase enzyme inhibition was evaluated by the dopachrome method. Broth microdilution technique was performed for the purposes of studying microbial growth inhibition against the isolated bacterial strains. Results: The essential oils of Elsholtzia stachyodes, Coleus amboinicus(I) and Trachyspermum ammi presented a high degree of potency in DPPH, ABTS and β-carotene bleaching assays. The Trachyspermum ammi oil, which mainly contained thymol(49.04%) and p-cymene(22.06%), proved to be the most effective in terms of antibacterial activity. The major compositions of Coleus amboinicus(I) were carvacrol(51.57%), γ-terpinene(18.04%) and p-cymene(7.81%); while thymol(43.76%) and γ-terpinene(24.61%) were identified as the major components of Elsholtzia stachyodes oil, with p-cymene(6.73%) being identified as a minor constituent. Moreover, Cuminum cyminum oil containing cuminaldehyde(49.07%) and Elsholtzia communis oil composed with geranial(44.74%) and neral(35.27%) as the major components displayed a specific ability for the inhibition of the mushroom tyrosinase enzyme. Conclusions: The results indicated that these bioactive essential oils obtained from indigenous herbs are of significant interest as alternative raw materials in food, cosmetic and medicinal products.

Microalgae(Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck)alleviates drought stress of broccoli plants by improving nutrient uptake,secondary metabolites,and antioxidative defense system

Microalgae,such as Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck(green algae),are beneficial microscopic organisms that may help plants to improve nutrient uptake,growth,and abiotic tolerance to stressors.The current study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of algae(Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck)foliar applications[1%,3%,or 5%(v/v)]on mitigation of drought stress in broccoli plants subjected to water deficit at 25%of field capacity.The results showed that the broccoli plants grown under drought stress alone exhibited severe disturbance in growth with considerable reductions in the shoot length,and fresh and dry weights,leaf area,relative water content,leaf water potential,and photosynthetic pigment contents and elevated levels of the lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde in the leaves.Additionally,the foliar application of microalgae mitigated the detrimental effects of drought,leading to better growth performance(increase of 9%–132%)when compared with the drought-stressed plants that had not received an application of microalgae.Microalgae-mediated beneficial effects were particularly evident in the enhancement of the photosynthetic pigment contents,including chlorophyll-a(6%–60%),chlorophyll-b(19%–55%),and total carotenoids(26%–114%).Exogenous microalgae also contributed to the reduction of membrane damage,as proven by significantly decreased levels of malondialdehyde(10%–39%)in the leaves of the broccoli plants exposed to drought stress.The application of microalgae increased the total flavonoid and phenolic contents,and nutrition uptake.Furthermore,the activities of enzymatic antioxidants like ascorbate peroxidase,catalase,glutathione reductase,and superoxide dismutase increased in response to mediation,resulting in significant alleviation of drought-induced oxidative damage.The most effective application concentration of microalgae was determined as 5%.Overall investigations revealed that the foliar application of microalgae could be recommended as a sustainable strategy to improve the defense system of drought-stressed broccoli plants.

Peroxynitrite Scavenging Activities of Resveratrol and Piceid

In vitro antioxidant activities of resveratrol and piceid against peroxynitrite（ONOO-） were examined by the inhibition of 3-nitrotyrosine formation.Trolox was used as a positive control.Resveratrol and piceid exhibited high ONOO--scavenging activities in a concentration dependent manner.The antioxidant activities（the concentration of test compound required to yield a 50% inhibition of tyrosine nitration,IC 50） of resveratrol and piceid against ONOO-were（48.34±0.97） and（74.69±1.49） μmol/L,respectively.Compared with that of trolox[（105.40±1.16） μmol/L],their scavenging activities were 2.2-and 1.5-fold higher for resveratrol and piceid.Formation of nitroresveratrol as shown by UV-Vis spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-tandom mass spectrometry（LC-MS/MS） analysis indicates that resveratrol could directly scavenge ONOO-via nitration reaction.Our results demonstrate that foods and medicinal herbs with resveratrol and piceid as stronger ONOO-scavengers are valuable ingredients and have healthy application in preventing humans from peroxynitrite-mediated oxidative damage by scavenging peroxynitrite efficiently.

Antioxidant Activities of Nine Selected Culinary Spices from China

The antioxidant activities and the total phenolic contents of the water and/or ethanol extracts of the nine selected culinary spices from China were systematically investigated. Both ethanol extracts and water extracts had high ability of 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl（DPPH） radical scavenging, 2, 2＇-azinobis（3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid）（ABTS） radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power（FRAP）. The ethanol extract of Sichuan pepper showed the highest ability of DPPH radical scavenging. The extract with the highest ABTS radical scavenging effect was that of ethanol extract of cinnamon. Both ethanol and water extracts of cinnamon possessed the high ferric reducing antioxidant power（FRAP） with the values of 4 541.87 and 1 134.52 μmol of Fe（Ⅱ）/g. The extracts with high hydroxyl radical-mediated deoxyribose degradation were all the ethanol extracts as follows： cinnamon, bay leaf, Sichuan pepper, star anise and fennel. The extracts with high antioxidant activities also had the high contents of the phenols. The study indicated that these spices might be potentially be used as natural antioxidants in food.

Studies on the Flavonoids and Antioxidant Activities in Leaves of Black Currant

The fresh leaves and oven dried leaves from three varieties of black currant (Brodtrop,liangye,Risager)were analysed for the total contents of flavonoids by spectrophotometric methods in terms of rutin equivalent.In addition,antioxidant activities of different addition amounts of extracts of black currant (Brodtrop)leaves in lard were measured by the Oven-Storage Test,and compared with the synthetic antioxidants.The results showed the contents of the flavonoids were very rich in the leaves of three varieties from black currant.Among them the leaves of Brodtrop had the highest contents of flavonoids followed by liangye and Risager.The total contents of flavonoids in fresh leaves reach 231 70 mg/100 g,170 01 mg/100 g and 78 07 mg/100 g respectively.In the same circumstance the oven dried leaves were 397 82 mg/100 g,275 89 mg/100 g and 169 73 mg/100 g.The extracts of the leaves from Brodtrop exhibited strong antioxidant activities on lard,which increased with the addition amount of the flavonoid extracts.The antioxidant activities decreased in the order of 0 02% quercetin >0 02% BHT(butylated hydroxy toluene)>0 40% extracts>0 20% extracts>0 10% extracts>0 05% extracts>0 02% extracts>control.

Comparative analysis of antioxidant activities of essential oils and extracts of fennel(Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)seeds from Egypt and China

The present study was conducted to assay the antioxidant activities of essential oils and ethanol extracts of fennel(Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)seeds from Egypt and China.The major components of the Egyptian fennel essential oil were estragole(51.04%),limonene(11.45%),l-fenchone(8.19%)and trans-anethole(3.62%)by GC–MS analysis.Whereas,the major constituents of Chinese fennel essential oil were transanethole(54.26%),estragole(20.25%),l-fenchone(7.36%)and limonene(2.41%).The fennel seed extracts from Egypt and China contained appreciable levels of total phenolic contents(42.24 and 30.94 mg PE/g,respectively).The extracts exhibited good DPPH radical scavenging capacity with IC50(6.34 and 7.17 mg/g),respectively.A high variation in free radical scavenging activities of essential oils was observed.The Chinese fennel essential oil showed high activity in DPPH radical scavenging with IC50(15.66 mg/g).The Egyptian fennel essential oil showed very low activity with IC50(141.82 mg/g).The results of the present investigation demonstrated significant variations in the antioxidant activities of fennel essential oils and extracts from Egypt and China.

Synthesis, Characterization and Antioxidative Activity of Lanthanide Complexes with Genistein

Six genistein lanthanide complexes, LnL_2 (OAc)·nH_2O [Ln=La(Ⅲ), Sm(Ⅲ), Eu(Ⅲ), Gd(Ⅲ), (Tb(Ⅲ),) Dy(Ⅲ); L=genistein; n=4, 7, 8] were synthesized and characterized on the basis of elemental analyses, IR, (()~1H) NMR spectra and molar conductivity. The scavenging activity of genistein and five lanthanides complexes on the hydroxyl free radicals (OH·) was also investigated by spectrophotometric methods. The results show that the scavenging activity of the complexes is better than that of the ligand and their scavenging ability can be assembled in the following order: Sm>La>Dy>Eu>Tb>L.

Influence of water potential and soil type on conventional japonica super rice yield and soil enzyme activities

We carried out a pool culture experiment to determine the optimal water treatment depth in loam and clay soils during the late growth stage of super rice. Three controlled water depth treatments of 0-5, 0-10 and 0-15 cm below the soil surface were established using alternate wetting and drying irrigation, and the soil water potential （0 to -25 kPa） was measured at 5, 10 and 15 cm. A 2-cm water layer was used as the control. We measured soil enzyme activities, root antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and rice yield. The results showed that the 0-5-cm water depth treatment significantly increased root antioxidant enzyme activities in loam soil compared with the control, whereas soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield did not differ from those of the control. The 0-10- and 0-15-cm water depth treatments also increased root antioxidant enzyme activities, whereas soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and yield decreased. In clay soil, the soil enzyme activities, root antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and yield did not change with the 0-5-cm water treatment, whereas the 0-10- and 0-15-cm water treatments improved these parameters. Therefore,the appropriate depths for soil water during the late growth period of rice with a 0 to -25 kPa water potential were 5 cm in loam and 15 cm in clay soil.