Variability of Phytic Acid and Inorganic Phosphorus Contents in Seeds of Tropical Maize （Zea mays L.）

The correlation coefficients and scattering were studied in Ki and new inbred lines for phytic acid （PA） and inorganic phosphorus content （InP） content in seeds of tropical maize （Zea mays L.）. The understanding of the variability in PA and InP characters would be useful in a breeding program. A total of 16 Ki and 25 new inbred lines of tropical maize were planted in Completely Randomized Design （CRD） during late rainy season, 2007 to early rainy season, 2009 at Inseechandrastitya Institute for Crops Research and Development, Thailand. The result showed low correlation with no statistical significant between PA and InP contents in corn seeds performed either in different sources of inbred lines or years. For PA content, most of inbred lines were skewed toward high PA （〉 900 mg/100 g） both in Ki and new inbred lines in every year. The lowest PA value found in Ki inbred lines both in two years were Ki10, Ki15, Ki20, and Ki52.30A10-S11-43-1-3 was the lowest PA inbred lines observing in two years in new germplasm.

The Genetic Variances for the Phytic Acid and Inorganic Phosphorus Contents of Elite Inbred Lines in Tropical Maize

The study aimed to determine the genetic variances of phytic acid （myo-inositol 1,2,3,4,5,6 hexakis-dihydrogen phosphate） （PA） and inorganic phosphorus contents （InP） in grains of tropical maize （Zea mays L.）. The understanding of genetic variances in PA and InP in tropical maize would be useful for breeding management in tropical region. A total of 16 Ki inbred lines and 26 new inbred lines of tropical maize were planted in Completely Randomized Design （CRD） on the dry season 2008 at lnseechandrastitya Institute for Crops Research and Development, Thailand. The results showed that genotypic differences were highly significant （P 〈 0.01） for InP in both sources of germplasm, but genotype effect only was found significant in new inbred lines for PA content. The values for broad sense heritability （h2b） was generally lower on PA in maize grains compared with InP both in Ki and new inbred lines [h^2b of PA： 2.42 （Ki）, 14.18 （commercial hybrid extracted）; h^2b of InP： 32 （Ki） and 29.53 （commercial hybrid extracted）].

DISTRIBUTIONS OF TOTAL, INORGANIC AND ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS IN THE SEDIMENTS NEAR THE HUANGHE RIVER ESTUARY

For some hundred surface sediment samples from five cores taken in two cruises near the Huanghe River Estuary, total phosphorus (TP (.inorganic phosphorus (IP (and organic phosphorus (OP)were determined.On the average, 527×10-6, 455×10~6 and 72×10-6 were found for TP,IP and OP for the surface sediments taken in the two cruises. The distribution of OP and IP was controlled by the sample particle size: OP content increased with the decreasing of the sample particle size, while the maximal value of IP was found in the silt fraction due to the existence of apatite in our samples. Vertical distributions reflected well the channel change of the Huanghe River. Results from the multiple regressions between the three forms of phosphorus and the percentages of different particle size agreed well with the analytical data.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci for Phytic Acid Concentration in Maize Grain Under Two Nitrogen Conditions

Phytic acid （PA） is the main storage form of phosphorus （P） in seeds. It can form insoluble complexes with microelements, thereby reducing their bioavailability for animals. Identification of quantitative trait loci （QTLs） associated with grain PA concentration （PAC） is essential to improve this trait without affecting other aspects of grain nutrition such as protein content. Using a recombinant inbred line （RIL） population, we mapped QTL for grain PAC, as well as grain nitrogen concentration （NC） and P concentration （PC） in maize under two N conditions in 2 yr. We detected six QTLs for PAC. The QTL for PAC on chromosome 4 （phi072-umc 1276） was identified under both low-N and high-N treatments, and explained 13.2 and 15.4% of the phenotypic variance, respectively. We identified three QTLs for grain NC, none of which were in the same region as the QTLs for PAC. We identified two QTLs for PC in the low-N treatment, one of which （umc1710-umc2197） was in the same interval as the QTL for PAC under high-N conditions. These results suggested that grain PAC can be improved without affecting grain NC and inorganic PC.

Genetic variation for phytic acid content in mungbean(Vigna radiata L. Wilczek)

Mungbean(Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) is a short-duration legume crop cultivated for seeds that are rich in protein and carbohydrates. Mungbeans contain phytic acid(PA), an anti-nutritional factor that is the main storage form of organic phosphorus in seeds. It is a strong inhibitor against the absorption of nutrients including iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium in monogastric animals. Genotypes with low phytic acid(lpa) in seed may show increased assimilation of nutrients and be useful in breeding lpa cultivars. The present study was conducted to identify lpa sources, genetic variation, heritability, and association with seed coat color, inorganic phosphorus(IP), and seed size in 102 mungbean genotypes including released varieties, land races, mutants, and wild species grown in two seasons: summer 2011 and rabi 2012. PA and IP in dry seeds were estimated by modified colorimetric method and Chen's modified method,respectively. PA, IP, and 100-seed weight differed significantly in the two seasons. PA content in102 genotypes ranged from 5.74 to 18.98 mg g-1and 5.85 to 20.02 mg g-1in summer 2011 and rabi 2012, respectively. High heritability was found for PA(0.87 and 0.86) and seed size(0.82 and0.83) but low heritability for IP(0.61 and 0.60). A negative correlation was found between PA and seed size(r =-0.183 and-0.267). Yellow and green seed coat genotypes contained significantly less PA than black seed coat genotypes. Cluster analysis revealed the distinctness of wild species, land races and cultivated varieties on the basis of PA content. The genotypes YBSM(6.001 mg g-1) and JL-781(6.179 mg g-1) showed lowest PA. These lpa sources can be used to develop high-yielding mungbean cultivars with low phytic acid.

Changes in Inositol Phosphates in Low Phytic Acid Field Pea (<i>Pisum sativum</i>L.) Lines during Germination and in Response to Fertilization

Inositol phosphates are the main form of phosphorous (P) storage in legume seeds. Mutants low in inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), also known as phytic acid (PA), have been developed to increase iron (Fe) bioavailability and reduce P waste to the environment. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) inositol-P form changes during germination, and 2) the effect of P fertilizer application on seed PA, total P, and Fe concentration of three field pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars and two low-PA lines grown under greenhouse conditions. Low-PA field pea lines clearly had lower PA (1.3 - 1.4 mg·g-1) than cultivars (3.1 - 3.7 mg·g-1). Phytic acid concentration in both cultivars and low-PA lines decreased during germination, but tended to increase seven days after germination. Levels of inositol-3-phosphate-phosphate (IP3-P;0.6 mg·g-1) and inorganic P (1.8 - 2.0 mg·g-1) were higher in low-PA lines than in the field pea cultivars. Reduction of PA in low-PA line seeds may reduce seed Fe and total P concentrations, as levels in the low-PA lines (37 - 42 mg·kg-1 Fe;4003 - 4473 mg·kg-1 total P) were typically less than in field pea cultivars (37 - 55 mg·kg-1 Fe;3208 - 4985 mg·kg-1 total P) at different P fertilizer rates. Overall, IP3 is the major form of P present in low-PA field pea lines during germination;however IP6 is the major form of P present in field pea cultivars. Therefore, low-PA field pea lines could be a potential solution to increase Fe bioavailability, feed P utilization, and reduce P waste to the environment.

Preparation and Conducting Behavior of Amphibious Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Proton Exchange Membranes Based on Benzyltetrazole

A series of novel amphibious organic/inorganic hybrid proton exchange membranes with H3PO4 doped which could be used under both wet and dry conditions was prepared through a sol-gel process based on acrylated triethoxysilane（A-TES） and benzyltetrazole-modified triethoxysilane（BT-TES）.The dual-curing approach including UV-curing and thermal curing was used to obtain the crosslinked membranes.Polyethylene glycol（400） diacrylate（PEGDA） was used as an oligomer to form the polymeric matrix.The molecular structures of precursors were characterized by 1 H,13 C and 29 Si NMR spectra.The thermogravimetric analysis（TGA） results show that the membranes exhibit acceptable thermal stability for their application at above 200 oC.The differential scanning calorimeter（DSC） determination indicates that the crosslinked membranes with the mass ratios of below 1.6 of BT-TES to A-TES and the same mass of H3PO4 doped as that of A-TES possess the-T g s,and the lowest T g（-28.9 ℃） exists for the membrane with double mass of H3PO4 doped as well.The high proton conductivity in a range of 9.4―17.3 mS/cm with the corresponding water uptake of 19.1%―32.8% of the membranes was detected at 90 oC under wet conditions.Meanwhile,the proton conductivity in a dry environment for the membrane with a mass ratio of 2.4 of BT-TES to A-TES and double H3PO4 loading increases from 4.89×10-2 mS/cm at 30 ℃ to 25.7 mS/cm at 140 ℃.The excellent proton transport ability under both hydrous and anhydrous conditions demonstrates a potential application in the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.

Succession of Soil Acidity Quality and its Influence on Soil Phosphorus Types

Succession rules of soil acidity quality of larch plantations in first rotation at different development stages, succession rules of soil acidity quality of young stand of larch plantations in second rotation and the relationship between soil acidity and various forms of organic phosphorus and inorganic phosphorus were studied in mountainous area of eastern part of Northeastern China. The results showed that active acidity (pH value) inrhizosphere soil decreased continually with stand age increasing from young stand, half-mature stand, near mature stand to mature stand, but active acidity (pH value) in non-rhizosphere soil, exchange acidity, exchangeable aluminium, total hydrolytic acidity, and the ratio of exchange acidity and total hydrolytic acidity in rhizosphere soil and in non-rhizosphere soil increased apparently; total organic P, moderately resistant organic P, and highly resistant organic P in soil decreased at all age stages in larch plantations when soil acidity added. For rhizosphere soil of all stands of larch plantations at different development stages,there was positive correlation between Ca-P (except in young stand), Al-P(except in half-mature stand), Fe-P (except in near mature stand and mature stand), O-P (except in young stand), and soil active acidity,respectively; For rhizosphere soil, there was negative correlation between Ca-P (except in half-mature stand), Al-P(except in young stand), O-P, and exchange acidity, exchangeable aluminium, there was also negative correlation between Ca-P, Al-P(except in young stand and half-mature stand), Fe-P, O-P, and total hydrolytic acidity respectively. For rhizosphere soil, the correlation coefficient between Ca-P, O-P and total hydrolytic aciditydecreased, respectively, as stand ages up and that between Fe-P and exchange acidity,exchangeable aluminium increased, respectively, as stand ages grew. For non-rhizosphere soil, there was not significant correlation between soil acidity and various forms of inorganic phosphorus and organic phosphorus,respectively.

总磷无机磷差值法测定植酸

本文对总磷无机磷差值法测定植酸的条件进行了研究，并且作了改进（包括提取、沉淀、过滤、显色容器等）。新的测定条件提高了准确性，操作简便更适合于大批样品的分析。

Production and Partial Characterization of an Extracellular Phytase Produced by Muscodor sp. under Submerged Fermentation

In most of the raw materials of plant origin used in animal feed, a portion of the phosphorus is stored as phytic acid or phytate. Phytate is the main storage form of phosphorus in vegetables but is not readily assimilated into food at low concentrations of the enzyme phytase. In addition to making phosphorous unavailable, phytate binds divalent cations such as calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc, preventing the absorption of these nutrients in the gut of the animal. Phytase promotes the hydrolysis of the phytate phosphorus-releasing molecule, thereby increasing its bioavailability in feed. Phytase is distributed in plant and animal tissues and it is synthesized by some species of bacteria and fungi. The addition of this enzyme in the diet of animals is essential to promote greater uptake of phosphorus and also contributes to a decrease in the levels of phosphorus excreted by animals, thus reducing the pollution caused by excess phosphorus in the environment. This work aimed to select a fungus that stands out in the production of phytase among 100 isolates from Brazilian caves belonging to the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium and Cladosporium and 13 endophytic fungi of the aerial part of the coffee plant. For selection, the fungi were cultured in medium containing phytic acid as a sole source of phosphorus. After seven days at 25 °C, we evaluated growth and enzyme production by the presence of the phytic acid halo degradation (Enzymatic Index-EI) surrounding the colonies. Forty-seven species produced phytase, and the fungi Penicillium minioluteum (CF279) and Muscodor sp. (UBSX) showed higher degradation halos, 2.41 and 4.46, respectively. Considering the Muscodor sp. as the main source of phytase, high enzymatic levels were obtained when the fungus was grown under submerged fermentation with initial pH of 5.0 using wheat bran as additional carbon source for 144 h, at 125 rpm and 30 °C. Additionally, the enzyme was stable at pH 5.0 and 40 °C, and inhibited (14% - 88%) by all compounds analyzed. Then, this is the first study that reports the production of phytase by the endophytic fungus Muscodor sp.

Effects of Self-purification of River Water on Laundry Wastewater

[Objective] This study was conducted to investigate the effect of laundry wastewater on the quality of river water and the dilution purification effect of river water on laundry wastewater. [Method] The effects of laundry wastewater on the contents of total nitrogen(TN), total phosphorus(TP), suspended solids(SS), chemical oxygen demand(COD) and linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid(LAS) were studied in 7 rivers of Shaoxing City. [Result](1) The contents of TN, TP, SS, COD and LAS increased by 92%, 99%, 340%, 351% and 923%, respectively, at the discharging moment of laundry wastewater; and(2) the five pollutional indexes significantly decreased over time, and especially 2 h after the discharge of laundry wastewater, compared with former the discharge of laundry wastewater, the contents of TN, TP, COD and LAS increased by 6%, 11%, 9% and13%, respectively,while the contents of SS still increased by 76%, i.e., SS required a longer time to achieve self-purification. [Conclusion] Laundry wastewater has some influence on thequality of river water, and the self-purification function of river water could effectively remove pollutants.