The role of wild boars in spore dispersal of hypogeous fungi

Wild boars (Sus scrofa L.) are well-known for soil disturbance in natural and cultivated truffières but their role in spore dispersal is poorly investigated. In the present work we studied the occurrence of hypogeous fungal spores in faecal contents of 14 wild boars randomly hunted in “Parco dei Gessi e Calanchi dell’Abbadessa” Regional Park (North of Italy) where truffle production has been previously investigated for three years. Six methods for spore analysis in faeces were compared and the suspension of faeces in ZnSO4 (70%) solution resulted to be the most reliable. Hypogeous fungal spores, including Tuber magnatum and Tuber aestivum spores, were detected in 9 animals. This result suggests that the detection of fungal spores in faeces of wild boars may provide information on the presence of hypogeous fungi in an area. However, the poor abundance of spores suggests that the wild boar can be considered an opportunistic mycophagist, ingesting truffles only occasionally, as a seasonal source of food. Considering the magnitude of wild boar movements during seasonal migrations, it is possible to speculate that they play a key role in truffle long distance dispersal

Canning Processes Reduce the DNA-Based Traceability of Commercial Tropical Tunas

Canned tuna is one of the most widely traded seafood products internationally and is of growing demand. There is an increasing concern over the vulnerability of canned tuna supply chains to species mislabelling and fraud. Extensive processing conditions in canning operations can lead to the degradation and fragmentation of DNA, complicating product traceability. We here employed a forensically validated DNA barcoding tool (cytochrome b partial sequences) to assess the effects of canning processes on DNA degradation and the identification of four tropical tuna species (yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack and longtail tuna) collected on a global scale, along their commercial chains. Each species was studied under five different canning processes i.e., freezing, defrosting, cooking, and canning in oil and brine, in order to investigate how these affect DNA-based species identification and traceability. The highest percentage of nucleotide substitutions were observed after brine-canning operations and were greatest for yellowfin and skipjack tuna. Overall, we found that DNA degradation significantly increased along the tuna canning process for most specimens. Consequently, most of the specimens canned in oil or brine were misidentified due to the high rate of nucleotide substitution in diagnostic sequences

Comparison of two schizophyllum commune strains in production of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and antioxidants from submerged cultivation

In recent years, fungi have been recognized as producers of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, agents important for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to examine the AChE inhibitory, the antioxidative and antibacterial activity of two different Schizophyllum commune strains that originated from Serbia (SRB) and Italy (IT). Submerged cultivation of grown mycelia (M) and fermentation broth (F) of ethanol (EtOH) and polysaccharide (PSH) extracts lasted for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. For AChE activity Ellman method was performed, while for antioxidative activity, sevendifferent assays were conducted: DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, SOA, OH, NO together with total phenolic content. Antimicrobial screen, LC–MS/MS technique and FTIR measurements were performed. Different isolates exhibited different AChE activity, with PSH being the strongest (SRB, M, 28 days IC90 79.73 ± 26.34 µg/mL), while in EtOH extracts, IT stood out (F, 14 days, IC50 0.8 ± 0.6 µg/mL). PSH extracts (7 days) exhibit significant antioxidative activity (AO), opposite to EtOH extracts where 14 and 21days periods stood out. Only tw extracts showed antibacterial activity. Following LC–MS/MS analysis p-hydroxybenzoic and gallic acids were the most abundant phenolics. PSH extracts demonstrated remarkable results, making this study debut and introducing S. commune as a valuable resource of AChE inhibitors

Biocontrol ability of Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 against Fusarium wilt disease on water-stressed lettuce plants

The control ability of Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 against Fusarium wilt of lettuce caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lactucae strain 365.07 was studied through mesocosm assays under extreme soil water content available for plants (-0.5 and -0.03 MPa).T22 was applied to nursery substrate at seeding, and to mesocosm soil at transplant of seedlings artficially infected by the pathogen. T22 decreased disease severity in comparison to infected controls by 57 and 78% in dry and wet conditions, respectively. Plant biomass was increased by T22 under both moisture levels. T22 colony growth, spore germination and antagonism to the pathogen were investigated under different water potential ( -0.03, -0.1, -0.5, -1.0, -2.0, -7.0 and -14.0 MPa) on minimal agar medium. All these parameters were influenced by water potential. However, they were similar at the same MPa values tested in the mesocosm assays.Our results provide evidence that T. harzianum strain T22 could be effective to control wilt disease caused by F. oxysporum f.sp. lactucae strain 365.07 under extreme soil moisture regimes already present in Italy, and susceptible to become more frequent in the near future

Studies on the potential role of root exudates in the interaction between musk melon roots and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis

The interactions of resistant (Bingo, Giusto, Sweetness) and susceptible (Cantalupo di Charantais, Harper, Retato degli Ortolani) muskmelon cultivars with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis races 0, 1, 2 (FOM0, FOM1, FOM2) were studied through the effects of root exudates (REs), released by 14 and 21 days old hydroponic plantlets, on the percentage of germinated conidia. REs caused a moderate promotion or inhibition of conidial germination or did not cause any effect. The observed patterns mostly depended on pathogen race, plant cultivar and plant age: among the races, only FOM2 conidial germination was reduced by almost all REs but never totally; among the cultivars, none affected FOM0 conidial germination at any plant age. FOM1 conidial germination was either not affected or enhanced, depending on plant age. REs from Bingo and Retato degli Ortolani were also tested for their effects on FOM2 hyphal growth, number and length of germ hyphae and for root callose deposition after FOM2 challenge. Inhibitory effects of REs on the formation of germ hyphae by conidia of FOM2 were not noted. In case of the macroconidia the number increased. The length of germ hyphae was increased in both macro and microconidia and more pronounced with REs from cultivar Bingo. REs from Bingo and Retato degli Ortolani enhanced hyphal growth of FOM2. Fluorescence microscopy showed that FOM2 infection of roots caused callose deposition in root cortical cells in the resistant cultivar Bingo, but not in the susceptible Retato degli Ortolani. In conclusion, under our experimental conditions, REs appeared to be only partially involved in plant-pathogen interaction, whereas callose deposition in the roots of the resistant cultivar Bingo was elicited after inoculation with FOM2

Ultra-low freezing to preserve the lingzhi or reishi medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes)

Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst., commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, is characterized by strong genetic and phenotypic variability that reflects its active components. To preserve such a source of pharmacologically active metabolites, specimens must be collected from different geographic regions and their genetic integrity ensured during storage. To this aim, we tested the effect of ultra-low freezing (ULF) at 12120\ub0C on the vitality, mycelial growth rate, and fruiting ability of 3 Italian strains of G. lucidum. Results showed that all strains reacted positively to ULF, demonstrating an ability to recover after 3 months of storage without morphological or physiological changes occurring, regardless of treatment. The successful storage of G. lucidum at 12120\ub0C opens up the possibility to create a germplasm bank to collect strains of this medicinal fungus from throughout Europe, thereby contributing to the maintenance of its diversity

First evidence for truffle production from plants inoculated with mycelial pure cultures

Truffle (Tuber spp.) cultivation is based on raising mycorrhizal trees in greenhouses that have been inoculated with suspensions of ascospores. The problem with this is that pests, pathogens, and other mycorrhizal fungi can contaminate the trees. Furthermore, because ascospores are produced sexually, each plant potentially has a different genetic mycorrhizal makeup from each other so tailoring the mycorrhizal component of plants to suit a particular set of soil and climatic conditions is out of the question. Here, we report on the production of Tuber borchii-mycorrhized plants using pure cultures, establishing a truffi\uc3\ua8re with these and subsequent production of its fruiting bodies. This study opens up the possibility of producing commercial numbers of Tuber-mycorrhized trees for truffle cultivation using mycelial inoculation techniques. It also poses questions about the mechanism of fertilization between the different strains which were located in different parts of the experimental truffi\uc3\ua8re

Viability and morphology of Tuber aestivum spores after passage through the gut of Sus scrofa

Truffles have hypogeous fruit bodies that are dependent on mycophagous animals for spore dispersal. In our study we assessed the effect of passage through the gut of Sus scrofa on the morphology and viability of Tuber aestivum asci and ascospores. Light and Atomic Force Microscopy showed that passage through the gut freed spores from the asci, eroded the walls of free spores and modified their structure but spores were still viable. We believe this was the reason for the observed improvement in forming mycorrhizas with oak. These results confirm the role of wild boars in long distance dispersal of Tuber and support the theory that pigs play a significant role in truffle survival and territorial expansion during climatic changes

Experimental Analysis of Romanesque Masonries Made by Tile and Brick Fragments Found at the Archaeological Site of S. Maria in Portuno

The reuse of ancient ceramic fragments in Romanesque masonries was a common practice in the Medieval era. A cultural impoverishment of the masonry building art characterized this period. Pre-existing structures were often exploited to build new masonries, both for civil and religious purpose. Starting from these general considerations, a specific construction technique of some Romanesque masonries of the Church of S. Maria in Portuno (Italy) and made by tile and brick fragments, was studied by a multidisciplinary approach. Analyses of the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of the original materials (tile and brick fragments, mortars) were carried out by laboratory tests. Furthermore, some wall specimens were reproduced through the same ceramic materials and construction technique of the original masonries. Compression tests were carried out on these wall specimens so as to understand the influence of this construction technique on their compressive strength, Young\u2019s modulus, and failure mode. The results allowed increased current knowledge on historical materials and on the mechanical behavior of these specific historical masonries. Useful data obtained by experimental characterization of the materials and walls will also allow to guide future restoration works on these masonries