Can the understory affect the Hymenoptera parasitoids in a Eucalyptus plantation?

The understory in forest plantations can increase richness and diversity of natural enemies due to greater plant species richness. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the presence of the understory and climatic season in the region (wet or dry) can increase the richness and abundance of Hymenoptera parasitoids in Eucalyptus plantations, in the municipality of Belo Oriente, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. In each eucalyptus cultivation (five areas of cultivation) ten Malaise traps were installed, five with the understory and five without it. A total of 9,639 individuals from 30 families of the Hymenoptera parasitoids were collected, with Mymaridae, Scelionidae, Encyrtidae and Braconidae being the most collected ones with 4,934, 1,212, 619 and 612 individuals, respectively. The eucalyptus stands with and without the understory showed percentage of individuals 45.65% and 54.35% collected, respectively. The understory did not represent a positive effect on the overall abundance of the individuals Hymenoptera in the E. grandis stands, but rather exerted a positive effect on the specific families of the parasitoids of this order

Protein/Emulsifier Interactions

An important consequence of protein-lipid interaction is the effect on stability of the protein in solution as well as on its behavior at interfaces. Here we will discuss key aspects of protein aggregation and unfolding as well as the effects of protein structure (random coil proteins versus globular) that are relevant for our understanding protein-lipid interaction. The main types of emulsifiers are the (1) aqueous soluble, surfactant type and (2) lipids with low aqueous solubility. The monomer concentration as defined by cmc is an important parameter for the soluble lipids. For emulsifiers with low aqueous solubility the emulsifier self-assembly structure and its properties control the interaction with proteins. We will therefore summarize the main features of lipid self-assembly. It also allows us to define different plausible scenarios and principles and models for factors that control the interactions in real food (and Pharmaceutical) systems. For the food applications the fate of the lipid during digestion is important and therefore we will discuss some aspects of enzyme-catalyzed lipolysis in terms of the structural evolution. New products and concepts of using protein/emulsifier interactions will be exemplified by illustrating how food nanotechnology possibly can be used for the delivery of functionality