Exploring the Volatiles Released from Roots of Wild and Domesticated Tomato Plants under Insect Attack

Plants produce volatile organic compounds that are important in communication and defense. While studies have largely focused on volatiles emitted from aboveground plant parts upon exposure to biotic or abiotic stresses, volatile emissions from roots upon aboveground stress are less studied. Here, we investigated if tomato plants under insect herbivore attack exhibited a different root volatilome than non-stressed plants, and whether this was influenced by the plant’s genetic background. To this end, we analyzed one domesticated and one wild tomato species, i.e., Solanum lycopersicum cv Moneymaker and Solanum pimpinellifolium, respectively, exposed to leaf herbivory by the insect Spodoptera exigua. Root volatiles were trapped with two sorbent materials, HiSorb and PDMS, at 24 h after exposure to insect stress. Our results revealed that differences in root volatilome were species-, stress-, and material-dependent. Upon leaf herbivory, the domesticated and wild tomato species showed different root volatile profiles. The wild species presented the largest change in root volatile compounds with an overall reduction in monoterpene emission under stress. Similarly, the domesticated species presented a slight reduction in monoterpene emission and an increased production of fatty-acid-derived volatiles under stress. Volatile profiles differed between the two sorbent materials, and both were required to obtain a more comprehensive characterization of the root volatilome. Collectively, these results provide a strong basis to further unravel the impact of herbivory stress on systemic volatile emissions.     

CP violation with Higgs-dependent Yukawa couplings

The framework of Higgs-dependent Yukawa couplings allows one to eliminate small couplings from the Standard Model, which can be tested at the LHC. In this work, I study the conditions for CP violation to occur in such models. I identify a class of weak basis invariants controlling CP violation. The invariant measure of CP violation is found to be more than 10 orders of magnitude greater than that in the Standard Model, which can be sufficient for successful electroweak baryogenesis.     

Meson-baryon s-wave resonances with strangeness -3

Starting from a consistent SU(6) extension of the Weinberg-Tomozawa (WT) meson-baryon chiral Lagrangian ( Phys. Rev. D 74, 034025 (2006)), we study the s-wave meson-baryon resonances in the strangeness S = - 3 and negative-parity sectors. Those resonances are generated by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation with the WT interaction used as kernel. The considered mesons are those of the 35-SU(6)-plet, which includes the pseudoscalar (PS) octet of pions and the vector (V) nonet of the rho-meson. For baryons we consider the 56-SU(6)-plet, made of the 1/2⁺ octet of the nucleon and the 3/2⁺ decuplet of the Delta. Quantum numbers I(J ^P) = 0(3/2^-) are suggested for the experimental resonances Ω ^*(2250)^- and Ω ^*(2380)^-. Among other, resonances with I = 1 are found, which minimal quark content is sssˉl', being s the strange quark and l, l' any of the the light up or down quarks. A clear signal for such a pentaquark would be a baryonic resonance with strangeness -3 and electric charge -2 or 0, in proton charge units. We suggest looking for K ^- Ξ ^- resonances with masses around 2100 and 2240MeV in the sector 1(1/2^-), and for π ^± Ω ^- and K ^- Ξ ^*- resonances with masses around 2260MeV in the sector 1(3/2^-).     

Effects of thermoultrasonic treatment on characteristics of micro-nano particles and flavor in Greenland halibut bone soup

In order to investigate the effects of thermoultrasonic treatment (TUT) on the formation of colloidal micro-nano particles (MNPs) and the quality of halibut bone soup, nutrients, particle characteristics, and flavor characteristics were analyzed. The morphology of MNPs was studied using an optical microscope. Results showed that TUT could increase the nutrient content (total sugars, 22.15 mg/100 mL; water soluble proteins, 173.24 mg/mL; fatty acids, 1779.7 mg/100 mL; solids, 3.16 g/100 mL), reduce the particle size (605.92 nm) and interfacial tension. Meanwhile, TUT make the halibut bone soup has better emulsifying characteristics and stability. The contents of flavor substances, such as esters, 5′-nucleotides, organic acids in the halibut bone soup were more abundant, while the contents of hexanal and 1-octen-3-ol and fishy off-flavor were reduced in TUT group. The overall odor and taste outline were more harmonious. Therefore, TUT can be used in the production of high quality fish bone soup, and TUT could be considered as a good deep processing technology for halibut bone and improve economic efficiency.     

Analysis of terpenes in white wines using SPE-SPME-GC/MS approach

Terpenes contribute to some white wines aroma, especially these produced from Muscat grapes and others aromatic ones of high terpene contents (Gewürtztramminer, Traminer, Huxel, Sylvaner). Terpenes are present in wine in free and bound (in a form of glycosides) forms. Analyses of bound terpenes are usually performed using solid phase extraction after hydrolysis of glycosides. A new method for determination of terpenes from wine, focused on determination of terpenes released after acidic hydrolysis, based on solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by solid phase microextraction (SPME) was developed. Non-polar (free) and polar (bound terpenes) fractions were separated on 500 mg C18 cartridges. Bound terpenes were sampled using SPME immediately after acidic hydrolysis in non-equilibrium conditions. Application of combined SPE-SPME approach allowed quantification of selected terpenes in lower concentrations than in SPE approach and added a selectivity to the method, which enabled detection of compounds non-detectable in SPE extracts. Results obtained by SPE and SPE-SPME approach were correlated for free terpenes and those released after acid hydrolysis 20 white wines obtained from different grape varieties (R² = 0.923). Although developed for wine terpenes analysis, SPE followed by SPME approach has a great potential in analysis of other bound wine flavor compounds, especially those potent odorants present in trace amounts.     

Comparison of silica gel modified with three different functional groups with C-18 and styrene-divinylbenzene adsorbents for the analysis of selected volatile flavor compounds

A comparison of SPE cartridges produced in authors laboratory containing silica modified by addition of three functional moieties with standard C-18 and SDVB cartridges was made in terms of their applicability for the isolation of flavor compounds. Compounds found in wine and grapes were used for model mixture, which was spiked into a grape juice. Functionalized phases for SPE were prepared modifying silica gel with alkoxysilanes with different functional groups: (3-(phenylamino)-propyltrimethoxysilane, octyltriethoxysilane and octadecyl-silane. The functionalization was carried out by the dry method, which resulted 5, 10 and 20 weight parts of initial support. Functionalized phases were characterized using FT-IR, elemental analysis and NMR.Performance for new phases compared to “standard” ones (C-18 and SDVB (styrene–divinylbenzene) varied, depending on the group or type of analyzed compound. They were more efficient in extraction of methyl anthranilate and vanilins. For extraction of terpenes, C-6 alcohols, isoprenoids, benzene derivatives and phenols their efficiency was comparable to that of C-18.Functionalized laboratory-made mixed phases are suitable for extraction of flavor compounds from grape juice. They are suitable for extraction of compounds belonging to different chemical classes with the efficiency comparable to C-18 and SDVB phases. The production of such functionalized phases can be easily performed in the laboratory, at a very low cost, comparing to C-18 or SDVB cartridges. This makes the proposed functionalized phases an interesting alternative, in sample preparation for analysis and particularly in preparative/flash chromatography.     

Non-leptonic weak charmed baryon decays in theSU(4) semidynamical scheme

We study here the Cabibbo enhanced charmed baryon decays in theSU(4) semidynamical model. The weak Hamiltonian 20″ + 15 + 45 + 45* can have the parity violating amplitude for charmed baryon decays. Decay width and α for some modes are also calculated.     

Hydrostatic high pressure applied to food sterilization III: Application to spices and spice mixtures

Abstract

The response of suspensions of spices and spice mixtures in water to high pressure treatment was investigated. Inactivation of the microbial load–mainly aerobic and unaerobic spore formers–was strongly dependent on water activity and temperature. Samples were completely decontaminated after three pressure cycles (30 min at 80 MPa followed by 30 min at 350 MPa) at 70 °C at a minimum water activity of 0.91. Pressure treated samples were examined for sensory and chemical changes. No significant changes in odour and appearance were recognized by a trained sensory panel, nor were changes in the volatile compounds of the samples detected by static headspace gaschromatography.