Micropropagation of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) on chemically sterilized media

Micropropagation of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is a widely used technique to produce plantlets in commercial horticulture. Unfortunately, in contrast to propagation based on runners, it is also an expensive method and may lead to obtaining plants with changed phenotype. In order to reduce such problems, the influence of chemical method of medium sterilization (application of commercial home bleach – ACE®) instead of autoclaving on the development of in vitro cultures of four strawberry cultivars (‘Elsanta’, ‘Elkat’, ‘Senga Sengana’, ‘Polka’) was examined. The presented study proved that sodium hypochlorite added into the hot medium is very effective, making aseptic environment agent. Applied in tested dose (2 cm3 of ACE® per dm–3) is not harmful to strawberry in vitro cultures and usually causes positive changes in their development (reduced formation of adventitious shoots and callus), except for ‘Elsanta’ cultivar. Thus the application of media sterilized with sodium hypochlorite is beneficial and cost effective and may be recommended both for commercial and especially amateur strawberry micropropagation

The nutritional value and chemical composition of muscle tissue of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walb.) obtained from fish farms in the Lublin region

Celem pracy była ocena wartości użytkowej oraz wartości odżywczej mięsa pstrąga tęczowego i karpia. Badaniami objęto 40 ryb (po 20 osobników każdego gatunku), odłowionych w gospodarstwach z terenu województwa lubelskiego. Pstrągi tęczowe charakteryzowały się istotnie wyższym udziałem części jadalnych. Mięso pstrągów tęczowych zawierało również istotnie więcej białka, jak również było bardziej energetyczne w porównaniu do mięsa karpi.The aim of the work was to evaluate utility value of rainbow trout and carp as well as the nutritional value and chemical composition of their muscle tissue. The study involved 40 fishes (20 individuals of each species) caught on two farms in the Lublin Province. Rainbow trouts were characterized by a significantly higher proportion of the edible parts. Meat of rainbow trouts also contained significantly more protein and had higher calorific value as compared to the carp meat

Opłacalność dokarmiania dolistnego buraka cukrowego krzemem

In the years 2015-2016 in Sahryń (50°41′ N, 23°47’ E) a field experiment, with the aim of assessing profitability of foliar nutrition of sugar beet with silicon, was carried out. The following products containing silicon were used in the experiment: Actisil, Herbagreen Z20 and Optysil. Each of them was applied once, twice and thrice. For each combination, the gross production value, the costs of foliar nutrition, the net production value and the profitability index were calculated. The total costs of silicon foliar application varied depending on the number of treatments and the applied product from 50 to 402 PLN/ha. The gross production value of sugar beet due to foliar nutrition with silicon increased by 1.3-22.9% for the research period, and the net production value by 5.5-19.0%. A large variation in the achieved financial results was observed in 2015, in which there were particularly unfavorable conditions for the growth and yield of sugar beet. In the more favorable year for growing sugar beet (2016), the difference was smaller. The largest increase in the gross and net production value of sugar beet was ensured by the double and triple application of Actisil fertilizer and the triple application of the Optysil growth stimulator. However, the largest profitability indicator (11.26) was characterized by a single Optysil growth stimulator application.W latach 2015-2016 w Sahryniu (50°41′ N, 23°47’ E) prowadzono doświadczenie, którego celem była ocena opłacalności dokarmiania dolistnego buraka cukrowego krzemem. W doświadczeniu stosowano następujące produkty zawierające krzem: Actisil, Herbagreen Z20 oraz Optysil. Każdy z nich był aplikowany jedno-, dwu- i trzykrotnie. Dla każdej kombinacji wyliczono wartość produkcji brutto, koszty dokarmiania dolistnego, wartość produkcji netto oraz wskaźnik opłacalności. Łączne koszty aplikacji dolistnej krzemu wynosiły od 50 do 402 zł/ha, w zależności od liczby zabiegów oraz zastosowanego produktu. Wartość produkcji brutto buraka cukrowego na skutek dokarmiania dolistnego krzemem zwiększyła się za okres badań o 1,3-22,9%, a wartość produkcji netto o 5,5-19,0%. Duże zróżnicowanie w uzyskanych wynikach finansowych zaobserwowano w 2015 roku, w którym panowały szczególnie niekorzystne warunki dla wzrostu i plonowania buraka cukrowego. W bardziej korzystnym dla uprawy buraka cukrowego 2016 roku zróżnicowanie to było mniejsze. Największy wzrost wartości produkcji brutto i netto buraka cukrowego zapewniało dwu- i trzykrotne zastosowanie dolistne nawozu Actisil oraz trzykrotna aplikacja stymulatora wzrostu Optysil. Natomiast największy wskaźnik opłacalności (11,26) odnotowano przy jednokrotnej aplikacji stymulatora wzrostu Optysil

Fulfilment of the requirements of adults and children for minerals by beef, taking into account the breed of cattle and muscle

As well as having the information about the nutritional value of raw meat, today’s consumers expect to be informed to what extent cooked meat meals satisfy recommended nutrition standards. The aim of the study was to estimate the degree to which the demand for selected macrominerals (K, Na, Mg, Ca) and microminerals (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu) by adults and children is met by a portion of 100 g of cooked beef. For calculations, the average cooking loss at 40% and retention factors between 0.85 and 1.0 were taken into consideration. The degree of satisfying Polish nutrition standards (Recommended Dietary Allowance – RDA and Adequate Intake – AI) was analysed depending on a muscle (longissimus lumborum – LL vs. semitendinosus – ST) and breed of young bulls (Polish Red – PR, Whitebacked – WB, Polish Black-and-White – PBW, Simmental – SIM and Polish Holstein-Fresian – PHF). Among the evaluated cattle breeds, the meat of PHF bulls met to the greatest degree the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Zn, Fe and Mn, and to the smallest degree the daily requirement for K and Mg. The LL and ST muscles satisfied the nutritional standards for major minerals to a similar degree, and were primarily (especially the LL muscle) a good source of Zn and Fe (for adults and children), as well as a source of K, Mg and Cu for children. Consumption of 100 g of cooked meat (depending on the breed) satisfied from 52% to 85% of the RDA for Zn for women, 38-62% for men and as much as 83-136% for children. For Fe, the percentages were 14-20% for women and 26-36% both for men and children. Cooked beef was an important source of Mg, particularly for children, as a portion of 100 g met from 27% to 35% of their RDA. However, the same portion met only 3-5% of the daily standard for Na for adults and 4-6% for children

Structure and function of protein-lipid systems

Biomembranes play many structural and functional roles in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells [10]. They define compartments, the communication between the inside and outside of the cell. The main components of biomembranes are lipids and proteins, which form protein-lipid bilayer systems [10]. A structure and physicochemical properties of protein-lipid membranes, which determines biological activities of biomembranes, are strongly dependent on interactions between lipid and protein components and external agents such as a temperature, pH, and a membrane hydration [4]. A lipid bilayer matrix serves as a perfect environment for membrane proteins (Fig. 1), and it assures activities of these proteins. Because biomembranes are composed of many different groups of lipids and proteins and have a complex structure, it is difficult to study in details their physicochemical properties using physicochemical methods. For these reason, lipid membranes of liposomes are used in many scientific laboratories for studding processes associated with a lipid phase transition, a membrane hydration, or protein-membrane interactions. The structure of liposomes (Fig. 5), and an influence of pH and an ionic strength on a lipid bilayer structure are discussed in the presented work. The role of membrane proteins in determination of biological activities of biomembranes is highlighted. A high variety of a structure and an enzymatic activity of membrane proteins is responsible for a high diversity of biological functions of cell membranes [2]. α-Lactalbumin (α-LA) is a peripheral membrane protein (Figs 8 and 9), its biological function is strongly related to its conformational structure and interaction with lipid membranes [49]. The complex of α-LA in a molten globule conformational state with oleic acid, termed as a HAMLET complex, are disused in a context of its anti-tumor activity