Assessment of the Water Quality in the Ariake Sea Using Principal Component Analysis

The aim of this study is to investigate the condition of the Ariake Sea, Japan, which has been suffering from severe environmental issues for the past few decades. Water quality data have been generated from several points in this area for over 30 years by the Fukuoka, Saga, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki prefectures. In order to understand the characteristics of this sea, principal component analysis (PCA) was utilized using 11 water quality parameters;transparency, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4<sup style='margin-left:-7px;'>+-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3<sup style='margin-left:-7px;'>--N), nitrite-nitrogen (NO2<sup style='margin-left:-7px;'>--N), phosphate-phosphorus, (PO4<sup style='margin-left:-7px;'>3--P) and silica. PCA conveyed the amount of nutrients originating from the river, the organic pollution level, and seasonal changes. Subsequently, principal component scores were calculated for each point. It was concluded that the Ariake Sea environment has been affected by two main factors, which are the nutrients from the Chikugo River and anticlockwise tidal residual flow. These two factors must be considered for the environmental restoration of the Ariake Sea.

Mycelial Growth of <i>Paecilomyces hepiali</i>in Various Agar Media and Yield of Fruit Bodies in Rice Based Media

Growth of?Paecilomyces hepiali?in various agar media and yield of fruit bodies in rice based media were?studied. The best growth in agar media was obtained at 25℃?(61.86 mm colony diameter in 14 days). The initial agar media pH range?from?6 to 8 was found to be?the?most favourable for mycelial growth. This study found that agars made with powders of cereal grains alone do not support good mycelial growth of?P. hepiali. Addition of peptone improved mycelial growth significantly. The most favourable carbon sources were Mannose, Fructose and Glucose. Organic nitrogen sources were found to be?the?most preferred. The results demonstrated that brown rice is better than polished rice in yield of fruit bodies. Addition of peptone was found to be quite significant in enhancing yield of fruit bodies. Peptone, as a supplement, gave a better yield than addition of egg yolk, albumen and a mixture of the two. The medium with?40 g brown rice, 0.325 g glucose, 0.65 g sucrose, 2 g peptone and 65 ml corn steep liquor was found to be?the?most favourable and it yielded 19.3 g of fresh fruit bodies.

A Comparative Study on Chemical Composition and Pharmacological Effects of <i>Paecilomyces hepiali</i>and Wild <i>Ophiocordyceps sinensis</i>

This study looked at comparison of chemical components and pharmacological activity between wild Ophiocordyceps sinensis and Paecilomyces hepiali. The chemical components investigated included amino acids, vitamins, dietary elements, protein, lipid, ash, carbohydrates, crude fibre, ergosterol and mannitol. Studies on pharmacological activity included anti-platelet aggregation, inhibitory effect on IL-8 gene expression, anti-mutagenic activity, skin whitening effect and impro- vement activity on human skin texture. The results show that P. hepiali has a larger total content of seven essential amino acids (leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine) than O. sinensis, 8580 mg/100g and 6180 mg/100g respectively. The total content of dietary elements analysed (potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium) was also higher in P. hepiali (3135 mg/100g) than that in O. sinensis (2445 mg/100g). The total content of four vitamins (B1, B2, B6 and E) was almost equal for both fungi. Paecilomyces hepiali had more content of protein, lipid, ash, carbohydrate, ergosterol and mannitol than O. sinensis. However, the contents of lipid and ash were not significantly different between the two fungi. The hot water extract of P. hepiali has been shown to have a number of pharmacological effects which include 1) inhibition of aggregation on human platelet, 2) inhibition of IL-8 gene expression, 3) anti-mutage- nic activity, 4) inhibition effect on production of melanin, and 5) improvement on human skin texture. Anti-platelet aggregation effects on human platelet, inhibition of IL-8 gene expression, anti-mutagenic activity and improvement effect on human skin texture were greater in P. hepiali treatments than that in wild O. sinensis.

Chromium-Containing Organic Fertilizers from Tanned Hides and Skins: A Review on Chemical, Environmental, Agronomical and Legislative Aspects

A category of chromium (Cr)-containing fertilizers is represented by the fertilizers deriving from byproducts of tanning process. Their use is widespread because of their good agronomic response due to the high content of slow release or- ganic nitrogen (N) and carbon (C). They do not represent an environmental hazard because only the non-toxic form of Cr(III) is present. Productive processes may involve chemical, enzymatic or thermal hydrolysis. The final product is characterized by different contents of peptides and free amino acids depending on the type of hydrolysis. Legislation concerning Cr-containing fertilizers is controversial because often do not consider any scientific evidences;nevertheless, the European Union, the United States and countries as Italy, do not set the restriction to Cr(III) and generally only the presence of the toxic form, Cr(VI), is limited. Depending on its two main oxidation forms, Cr issue has been studied for many years. Several authors confirmed that Cr(VI) is carcinogenic, while Cr(III) is an essential trace element in human and animal diet. In soil Cr(III) has low mobility, whereas Cr(VI) is highly water soluble. However Cr(VI) in soil is quickly reduced to Cr(III);on the contrary oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) is rarely possible because particular conditions must occur. Only a very small fraction of Cr in soil is available to plant uptake and its translocation in edible parts is limited because it is immobilized in roots as Cr(III). Therefore risks of environmental pollution using these fertilizers are negligible;on the contrary they have positive environmental and agronomical effects. The aim of this review is to deal with the category of the organic fertilizers containing Cr derived from tannery processes focusing on its chemical, productive, legislative, environmental and agronomical aspects. Special attention is given to the ambiguous issue of Cr briefly summarizing the most important studies of the last forty years.

The effect of photo-irradiation on the growth and ingredient composition of young green barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i>)

We clarified that photo-irradiation of young green barley from three different light sources, natural light, 100% red light-emitting diodes (R-LEDs), and a mixture of 90% red-LEDs + 10% blue-LEDs (RB-LEDs), had significantly different results in growth degree (weight and height) and in components of young green barley. Barley that has sprouted for 15 days after germination did not show any apparent difference in height in response to irradiation by the three tested light sources, but by the 20th day of sprouting the height showed a positive effect by R-LEDs irradiation. By 15 days of sprouting the barley had achieved the heaviest weight by natural light irradiation, while the barley irradiated by R-LEDs had made remarkable progress at 20 days of sprouting. On the other hand, the irradiation by RB-LEDs showed a suppressive tendency after 15 days or more. The amino acid content, as indicated by dry weight conversion, was greatest in the barley irradiated by RB-LEDs, followed by R-LEDs, and natural light, which showed that LEDs irradiation is effective. In addition, four cyanogenic glucosides were isolated, identified, and quantified, as they are components frequently assessed in barley research. With regard to vitamin E, R-LEDs irradiation increased γ-tocopherol. Our results indicate that irradiation by LEDs would be effective for the enhancement of the functionality of young green barley.

The Effect of the Hot Water Extracts of the <i>Paecilomyces hepiali </i>and <i>Cordyceps militaris</i>Mycelia on the Growth of Gastrointestinal Bacteria

The gastrointestinal health is very important aspect concerning human health. It refers to nutrient and vitamin absorption, food digestion and various infectious diseases. The Paecilomyces hepiali and Cordyceps militaris are highly enriched with cordycepin and ergosterol which are considered as anti bacterial substances. Present study finds out comparative effect of hot water extract of particular fungal material on growth of six species of gastrointestinal bacteria that belong to both aerobic and anaerobic and, consist with harmful and commensal categories. The appropriate concentration level of hot water extract of both strains was identified. The individual specific bacterial growing media were prepared and calculated;amounts of bacteria cultures were inoculated by using micro pipettes. The optical density and number of bacterial colonies were measured after 24 hours. The pure mycelial extract of P. hepiali with 2 × 10-3 g/ml of concentration has significant effect on depleting the growth of E. coli, E. faecalis, S. aureus, L. gasseri and B. ovatus bacteria. B. longum has no significant effect by particular extract. Same type of extract of C. militaris has significantly reduced the growth of every bacteria used in this study. Hot water extract of C. militaris cultivated on soy bean has significant growth retardation toward E. coli, E. faecalis, S. aureus and L. gasseri. It has stimulated the growth of B. ovatus and B. longum which are considered as beneficial bacteria for human gut. This study shows that extracts of both mycelia include antimicrobial substances like cordycepin and ergosterol which can be used as food supplements to enhance human gut health.

Production of Citric Acid from Corncobs with Its Biological Evaluation

Corncobs could serve as a substrate for citric acid production using solid state fermentation technique. The culture optimization concerning substrate concentration, culture duration, pH, temperature and substrate hydrolysis was carried out for maximum productivity of citric acid. Under the optimized conditions, 48.4 g of citric acid was produced from 1 kg dry corncobs. Biological evaluation was carried out for citric acid such as melanin synthesis inhibitory, anti-allergy, anti-bacterial, and hyaluronic acid production activities. The results showed that citric acid has potent melanin inhibitory activity, good inhibition for β-hexosaminidase release and potent stimulatory effect for the production of hyaluronic acid. These activities (melanin synthesis inhibitory, anti-allergy and hyaluronic acid productive activities) of citric acid have been reported for the first time.

Effect of Addition of Dried Beet-pulp on Silage Fermentation Quality of Fish Waste Inoculated with Lactic Acid Bacteria

[Objective] This study was to further enhance previous research in finding appropriate methods for preservation and utilization of fish waste.[Method]Fresh fish waste（head and viscera）from arabesque greenling（Pleurogrammus azonus）was mixed with dried beet-pulp and beet molasses at a ratio of 70：20：10 on fresh matter basis,respectively.These were inoculated with /without a commercial inoculant of Lactobacillus plantarum and ensiled at room temperature for 15,30,60 and 90 days.Fermentation quality and chemical composition of the silages were evaluated and a feeding trial conducted using hen layers with fish waste silage replacing 25% of a commercial formulated diet on dry matter basis.[Result] The concentration of lactic acid in the silages tended to increase with extension of the ensiling period and was significantly（P 〈 0.05）enhanced by the inoculant.The pH declined from 6.5 to around 4.4 during the first 15 days of the ensiling period and did not change much thereafter.The non-protein nitrogen（NPN）content increased two folds after 15 days in all silages relative to the material but the rate of volatile basic nitrogen（VBN）to total nitrogen（TN）was less than 10%.Feed intake and egg production was similar with replacement of 25% of the commercial formulated diet with fish waste silage.

Impact of Large Fresh Water Discharges into Hakata Bay Due to Torrential Rain Using Nested Two-Dimensional Convective-Dispersive Model

In this study, numerical simulation of a two-dimensional convective-dispersive model in Hakata Bay, Japan, is performed to analyze the impact of major river discharges due to torrential rain in Fukuoka City. Tank models are applied to calculate river discharges, which are taken into consideration as river inflow in the hydrodynamic model of Hakata Bay. A two-way nesting “edge” technique is developed and applied in the model in order to consider the influence of narrow and complex geographical features. The area around “Island City” and Imazu Bay are calculated in high resolution. The resulting model has high reproducibility since the calculated river discharges, tidal current, and salinity show good agreement with observed data. To analyze the impact of large river discharges, the calculation period is set from 11 September 2002 to 21 September 2002 since there was torrential rain on September 16 in the given year in Fukuoka City (163.5 mm/d). The results show that low-salinity water covered the whole of the inner part of Hakata Bay, and water of lower salinity than outer sea water (<34.0 psu) spread out to the bay’s mouth two days after the torrential rain event. Fresh water covered the entire area of Imazu Bay and flowed out from the mouth of the Bay after the torrential rain event. The behavior of fresh water after a few days of torrential rain was remarkably different from normal discharge river flow. These results indicate that the environment in Imazu Bay can be degraded severely by torrential rain. Therefore, countermeasures to protect ecosystems in Hakata Bay must be examined immediately.

Model Examination for the Effect of Treading Stress on Young Green Barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i>)

Treading barley (“Mugifumi” in Japanese) is a barley culturing process that is unique and indispensable in Japan. Generally, roller machines or human feet are used to tread young barley several times (Figure 1). As a model examination, a stainless steel instrument was used for treading barley in this study (Figure 2(a)). Treading damages plants and decreases growth, such as the height and weight of aerial parts, which then recover gradually. In our study, the total amino acid contents increased with the treading stress. The treading stress induced a 1.7-fold increase in aspartic acid contents and an approximately 1.6-fold increase in glutamic acid, proline, cystine, and methionine contents. Isolation and purification suggested that the main components of the methanol-eluted fraction from the young green barley were six known phenolic compounds. Saponarin and lutonarin were the main components. The saponarin content was about 160 mg/g (methanol-soluble fraction) at 10 days after germination. We found that the higher antioxidant activity was due to the increased lutonarin/saponarin ratio from 10% to 24%. Therefore, our results suggest that treading stress is useful for young green barley.

Rumen Degradability and Post-ruminal Digestion of Nitrogen and Amino acids by Cows Grazing Temperate Pasture

This experiment was conducted to evaluate nutrient digestion in the rumen and flow to the duodenum of steers grazed on orchardgrass( Dactylis glomerata L.,OG) or meadowfescue( Festuca pratensis Huds.,MF.) pastures located on northern part of Japan without supplement. Fifty-two digestion trials were carried out grazing Holstein steers fitted with cannulas in the rumen,duodenum and distal ileum in the three years. The pastures were divided into several paddocks,and the steers grazed each paddock for a day and allowed double of dry requirements the grazing cattle. The pre-grazing herbage mass did not significantly differ between pastures but the crude protein( N × 6. 25) content of herbage ranged from 19. 3% to 27. 5% on OG pasture and from 20. 0% to 32. 8% on MF pasture. Total N and AA-N intake did not differ but the degradability of dietary nitrogen in the rumen( RDN) was higher in MF than in OG pasture. The ratio of RDN to OM truly digested in the rumen was negatively related to the apparent N absorption in the rumen,and it was suggested that the amount of apparent N absorption in the rumen would be positive when the ratio was above 25 g / kg. Non-ammonia nitrogen( NAN) and AA-N flows to the duodenum of steers were lower in MF than in OG pasture. Duodenal AA flows were more linked to duodenal NAN flows and accounted for approximately 60% of duodenal NAN flows. The proportion of methionine and lysine slightly increased in the duodenal flows compared with the consumed AA,but a comparison between the essential AA composition of milk and the lean tissue indicated that duodenal digesta was most limiting in methionine,lysine,arginine,and histidine,and that deficiencies of arginine and histidine for milk production were relatively small.

Utilization of Ceramic Beads for Edible Mushrooms Cultivation

This study examined ceramic beads as a reusable material for cultivation of edible mushrooms. There are 20 species of popular edible mushrooms in Japan all of which were tested. Within the cultivation vessels, 70% were ceramic beads (diameter 1 cm) and 30% of the nutrient solution. Moreover, the control groups used several types of sawdust, wheat bran, and rice bran with the ratio of 8:1:1 as the substrate. Two sets of substrates were evaluated with the fruit bodies yield. The result indicated that there were 11 species that responded well with the ceramic bead substrate when compared to the traditional sawdust substrate with Agrocybe cylindrica and Pleurotus ostreatus performed the best adding 70 g more of the fruit bodies. Conversely, nine species responded poorly with the ceramic beads substrate with Auricularia polytricha performed the worst losing 120 g. Ceramic beads as a reusable material for substrates not only provide a clean and controllable environment for mycelium to colonize but also deliver more aeration and water availability inside the cultivation vessels. The application of the ceramic bead cultivation can be viewed as an alternative solution for producing Ophiocordyceps sinensis on the industrial level.

Nutritional Requirements for Mycelial Growth of <i>Ophiocordyceps sinensis</i>on Agar Media

Ophiocordyceps sinensis has been used as one of the most valuable traditional Chinese Medication. This fungus parasitizes larva of Hepialus armoricanus, and converts each larva into a sclerotium form, in which the fruit body grows. Due to the geographical limitation, where O. sinensis can only be found in Himalayas region, the natural resources are limited and very expensive. This research aims to compare the growth-rate of O. sinensis mycelia with different ingredients mix with agar media using one-factor-at-a-time method. This research demonstrated the mycelial growth-rate with different carbon sources, including monosaccharide (Fructose, Glucose), disaccharide (Maltose, Sucrose), and polysaccharide (Dextrin, Malt extract), complex organic nitrogen sources, including beef extract, yeast extract, whey protein, and soy protein, and eight different carbon to nitrogen ratios. The objective of this research is to find out the suitable carbon and organic complex nitrogen sources and ratio for the O. sinensis solid cultivation. As results, O. sinensis grew best with disaccharides comparing to the other types of carbon sources. Furthermore, O. sinensis preferred whey protein in contrast to other organic complex nitrogen sources. As for the carbon to nitrogen ratios, an optimal ratio of 18:1 was observed. Based on those experiments, carbon source shows a greater influence for the mycelial growth. Hence many different types of grains and cereals would be great candidates as the main ingredients for the O. sinensis solid cultivation.

Vegetative Development of <i>Sparassis crispa</i>in Various Growth Conditions and Effect of Electric Pulse Simulation on Its Fruit Body Production

This study was carried out to detect the favorable mycelial growth conditions and effect of electric pulse stimulation on fruit body production of SC-1 strain of Sparassis crispa. The optimum growth in PDA was found at 25°C (67 mm colony diameter in 28 days) followed by 20°C (63 mm colony diameter in 28 days). There was no mycelial growth at 35°C. The most favourable initial media pH range was found to be 5 - 7 and colony diameter measurements were not statistically different among these pH values (p > 0.05). However, the highest growth was obtained at pH 6 (57 mm colony diameter in 28 days). A basal medium composed of 0.05 g MgSO4, 0.46 g KH2PO4, 1.0 g K2HPO4, 120 μg thiamine-HCl, 20 g agar and 1000 ml of distilled water was used to investigate growth response of S. crispato different carbon and nitrogen sources. In 28 days, fructose and glucose exhibited best growth (49.4 mm and 31.6 mm colony diameters respectively) and there was no growth on the basal medium supplemented with galactose. Basal medium supplemented with glycine and alanine as nitrogen sources resulted in best growth, 54.4 mm and 50.5 mm colony diameters respectively. There was no mycelial growth in culture medium supplemented with ammonium acetate, ammonium phosphate, arginine and histidine. Electric pulse stimulation improved the fruiting body production. The yields obtained from all bottles in which electric pulse was applied were significantly higher than the yields from the bottles in which electric pulse was not applied. The percent increases of fresh weight yield from control on 100, 120, 130, and 170 kilovolts were 36%, 44%, 75% and 81% respectively. As regard to dry weight yield, the percent increases from control on 100, 120, 130, and 170 kilovolts were 27%, 54%, 63% and 67% respectively.

Effects of hot-water extract of <i>Paecilomyces hepiali</i>on hypertension parameters in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

In this study, effects of hot water extract of Paecilomyces hepiali mycelia on hypertension parameters in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were investigated. The tested parameters included blood pressure, blood and urine biochemical composition, renin and angiotensin II levels in the blood. Prior to these tests, the extract was examined for toxicity. The fungus was cultivated in a solid medium composed of 40 g brown rice, 0.32 g glucose, 0.65 g sucrose, 2 g peptone and 65 ml corn steep liquor. No abnormality or harmful effects were observed in the toxicity test. Administration of a continuous-dose, once daily, to SHR for 27 weeks (from 13 weeks of age) decreased the systolic blood pressure (SBP) significantly. Levels of blood urea nitrogen, β-lipoprotein lipid peroxides and low density lipoprotein were significantly lower in the treated groups when compared to the control group. Urinary protein was significantly reduced in the middle and high dose groups. In comparison with the control group (0 mg/kg/10ml/day), significantly higher values were obtained for total cholesterol in groups that were given middle (170 mg/kg/10ml/day) and high (250 mg/kg/10ml/day) dosages. In all dosages (low, middle and high) the values for triglyceride were significantly higher than value found in the control group. In terms of angiotensin II levels, the value in the control group was markedly higher than values in the other groups. The results suggest that oral administration of hot water extract of P. hepiali mycelia has ability to control hypertension in rats.

A Comparative Study of Technological Impact on Mushroom Industry in Sri Lanka: A Review

The present status of technological implementation for mushroom industry in Sri Lanka is expressed along this paper. It has been comparatively discussed with entire Japanese mushroom industry. Sri Lanka is a developing country located in south Asia. Almost all the mushroom cultivators in the country are growing Pleurotus ostreatus, Calocybe indica and Volvariella volvacea. These species are most preferred because they are not difficult to cultivate using the low cost cultivation method being practiced in the country. Mushroom cultivators are selling their product at prices ranging from LKR 240 (1.47) to LKR 430 (USD 2.63) per kg in 2017. Mushroom cultivation is not that popular in Sri Lanka. This may be, partly, attributed to lack of know-how, technological barrier and awareness on the economic, nutritive and medicinal benefits of cultivated mushrooms. Some of the major supermarkets do sell locally cultivated P. ostreatus and, Agaricus bisporus and Lentinula edodes mushrooms which are imported from the Republic of China and Thailand. At present, there are few private and government institutions which produce spawn and offer knowledge to the farmers. Their programs have been mainly focused on mushroom cultivation as a woman’s household business;but the industry should be developed towards large scale commercial mushroom cultivation as well. This study is focused on main steps of mushroom production with some discussion and suggestion for increase production efficiency through technological advancement.

Dry Weight Accumulation, Root Plasticity, and Stomatal Conductance in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i>L.) Varieties under Drought Stress and Re-Watering Conditions

Drought is one of the main factors limiting rice (Oryza sativa L.) productivity and has become an increasingly severe problem in many regions worldwide. Establishing breeding programs to develop new drought-tolerant varieties requires an understanding of the effect of drought on rice plants and the mechanisms of drought tolerance in rice. We conducted a pot experiment to explore growth characteristics, root plasticity, and stomatal conductance in six rice varieties (DA8, Malagkit Pirurutong, Thierno Bande, Pate Blanc MN1, Kinandang Patong, and Moroberekan) in response to different drought stress and re-watering conditions. Drought stress significantly depressed plant growth, root size, and stomatal conductance in all experimental varieties. These negative effects depended on both the variety and the severity of the drought stress treatment. Under moderate drought stress (10 days after drought treatment), growth was less influenced in roots than in shoots. In contrast, there was an opposite trend under severe drought stress (15 days after drought treatment), with growth being more severely affected in roots than in shoots. Rice plants recovered from drought stress in terms of dry matter accumulation, root size, and stomatal conductance after re-watering;however, the recovery pattern differed among varieties. DA8 exhibited the highest dry weight accumulation and root size (root length, root surface area, root volume, fine root length, and thick root length) under well-watered, drought stress, and re-watering conditions. Kinandang Patong showed the highest recovery ability in dry matter accumulation, root length, root surface area, and stomatal conductance after re-watering. Malagkit Pirurutong expressed the poorest recovery ability in dry matter accumulation after re-watering. These three varieties might be selected for further experiments focusing on the mechanisms of drought tolerance and recovery ability in rice.

Measurement of Surface SH-Wave Velocities Generated on the Surface of Japanese Cypress Column

Polyetherimide resin wedge transducers were used to generate a shear wave that was obliquely incident relative to the surface of a Japanese cypress column for measuring the surface SH-wave velocity. As the inter-transducer distance increased, the propagation time increased and the am-plitude became smaller. The propagation time and the amplitude were significantly correlated with the inter-transducer distance. The SH-wave velocity ranged from 1270 m/s to 1496 m/s. Surface SH-wave velocity was lower in the central part of the column and higher in the outer part. Velocity was negatively correlated with moisture content at 1% of significance level. These results suggest the accomplishment of the first target for applying the surface SH-wave acoustoelastic technique to nondestructive evaluation of drying stress in wood.