In vitro efficacy of garlic extract to control fungal pathogens of wheat

In vitro studies were carried out to investigate the inhibitory effect of allicin in garlic juice on hyphal growth and spore germination of Drechslera tritici-repetis, Bipolaris sorokiniana and Septoria tritici. The purpose was to investigate the possibility of developing an organic agriculture compatible garlic/allicin-based management strategy for the wheat fungal spotting complex. Allicin in garlic juice inhibited radial colony growth of all three pathogens on agar plates. Spore germination of all three pathogens was inhibited by allicin in garlic juice in seeded agar plates and in conidial suspensions. At high concentrations of allicin (>80 µg/ml) in garlic juice and pure (synthetic) allicin, conidia lysed. The minimum inhibitory amount of pure synthetic allicin which inhibited spore germination completely ranged between 80-120 µg/ml depending on fungal species. At 10 µg/ml Allicin caused morphological abnormalities in hyphae and conidia of D. tritici-repentis and B. sorokiniana. Allicin-treated hyphae were either collapsed, damaged or thinner when compared with the control. These results suggest that use of garlic juice is a promising, effective and environmentally friendly management measure against fungal pathogens that could be used in the production of an organically grown wheat crop.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Mode of Action of the Natural Product Allicin in a Plant Model:Influence on the Cytoskeleton and Subsequent Shift in Auxin Localization

Allicin is a defense substance produced by garlic cells when they are injured. It is a redox-active thiosulfinate showing redox-activity with a broad range of dose-dependent antimicrobial and biocidal activity. It is known that allicin efficiently oxidizes thiol-groups, and it has been described as a redox toxin because it alters the redox homeostasis in cells and triggers oxidative stress responses. Allicin can therefore be used as a model substance to investigate the action of thiol-specific prooxidants. In order to learn more about the effect of allicin on plants, we used pure synthetized allicin, and studied the influence of allicin on organelle movement in Tradescantia fluminensis as a cytoskeleton-dependent process. Furthermore, we investigated cytoplasmic streaming in sterile filaments of Tradescantia fluminensis, organelle movement using transgenic Arabidopsis with organelle-specifics GFP-tags, and effects on actin and tubulin in the cytoskeleton using GFP-tagged lines. Tubulin and actin were visualized by GFP-tagging in transgenic lines of Arabidopsis thaliana to visualize the influence of allicin on the cytoskeleton. Since auxin transport depends on recycling and turnover of the PIN protein involving cytoskeletal transport to and from the membrane localization sites, auxin distribution in roots was investigated using of transgenic PIN1–GFP, PIN3–GFP, DR5–GFP and DII–VENUS Arabidopsis reporter lines. Allicin inhibited cytoplasmic streaming in T. fluminensis, organelle movement of peroxi-somesperoxisomes, and the Golgi apparatus in a concentration-dependent manner. It also destroyed the correct root tip distribution of auxin, which probably contributed to the observed inhibition of root growth. These observations of the disruption of cytoskeleton-dependent transport processes in plant cells add a new facet to the mechanism of action of allicin as a redox toxin in cells

Möglichkeiten der Prävention von Erkrankungen am Stütz- und Bewegungsapparat durch das Sicherheitsschuhwerk bei Mitarbeitern der Automobilindustrie : vorgelegt von Ulrike Noll

Although physical strain has been reduced for many employees by improving workplace conditions, musculoskeletal disorders are still relevant in the working health system. The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of different safety shoes on the musculoskeletal system under real working conditions. This was accomplished by using measuring techniques to determine which construction characteristics of footwear could decrease physical strain on the worker. Three different types of safety shoes were tested at workplace by a total of 40 workers from the automotive industry. Measurements included both subjective comfort ratings and objective posture and plantar pressure distribution measurements, which were taken with the CUELA system for a collective of 20 subjects. The CUELA measurements showed significant differences in posture as well as in plantar pressure distribution. Wearing a simple safety shoe without ergonomic features led to an increase in trunk inclination, hip flexion and plantar pressure in comparison to wearing safety shoes with ergonomic components (i. e. cushioning). The objective measurements were correlated with the subjective comfort ratings. Based on a lack of comfort the simple safety shoe without any ergonomic features was rated worst. Up to now, the main preventive aspect of safety shoes has been the avoidance of injury in case of an industrial accident. This study could demonstrate an effect not only on plantar pressure but also on the posture by wearing different safety shoes. Therefore, safety shoes may be assumed to be a long-term preventive instrument for maintaining the health of the musculoskeletal system

Adaptive Image Reconstruction Using Information Measures

. We present a class of nonlinear adaptive image restoration filters which may be steered to preserve sharp edges and contrasts in the restorations. From a theoretical point of view we discuss the associated variational problems and prove existence of solutions in certain Sobolev spaces W 1;p or in a BV -space. The degree of regularity of the solution may be understood as a mathematical explanation of the heuristic properties of the designed filters. Key words. Adaptive image restoration filter, image restoration, variational methods AMS subject classifications. 49J52, 49N15, 94A17 1. Motivation and Purpose. Various inverse problems require reconstructing an unknown density function u(x), x 2\Omega ae R n , from a finite number of measurements of the form Z \Omega \Gamma a k (x)u(x) + b k (x) \Delta ru(x) \Delta dx = c k ; k = 1; : : : ; N: (1.1) Examples of particular interest are in medical imaging, where the data c k present attenuation coefficients of transmission x-r..

In vitro efficiacy of garlic extract to control fungal pathogens of wheat

In vitro studies were carried out to investigate the inhibitory effect of allicin in garlic juice on hyphal growth and spore germination of Drechslera tritici-repetis, Bipolaris sorokiniana and Septoria tritici. The purpose was to investigate the possibility of developing an organic agriculture compatible garlic/allicin-based management strategy for the wheat fungal spotting complex. Allicin in garlic juice inhibited radial colony growth of all three pathogens on agar plates. Spore germination of all three pathogens was inhibited by allicin in garlic juice in seeded agar plates and in conidial suspensions. At high concentrations of allicin (>80 µg/ml) in garlic juice and pure (synthetic) allicin, conidia lysed. The minimum inhibitory amount of pure synthetic allicin which inhibited spore germination completely ranged between ~80-120 µg/ml depending on fungal species. At 10 µg/ml Allicin caused morphological abnormalities in hyphae and conidia of D. tritici-repentis and B. sorokiniana. Allicin-treated hyphae were either collapsed, damaged or thinner when compared with the control. These results suggest that use of garlic juice is a promising, effective and environmentally friendly management measure against fungal pathogens that could be used in the production of an organically grown wheat crop.Fil: Perello, Analia Edith. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatología. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatología; ArgentinaFil: Noll, Ulrike. Rwth Aachen University; AlemaniaFil: Slusarenko, Alan J.. Rwth Aachen University; Alemani