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Vuorio E, Thiel K, Fitzpatrick D, Huokko T, Kämäräinen J, Dandapani H, Aro EM, Kallio P. Hydrocarbon Desaturation in Cyanobacterial Thylakoid Membranes Is Linked With Acclimation to Suboptimal Growth Temperatures. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:781864. [PMID: 34899663 PMCID: PMC8661006 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.781864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to produce medium chain length aliphatic hydrocarbons is strictly conserved in all photosynthetic cyanobacteria, but the molecular function and biological significance of these compounds still remain poorly understood. This study gives a detailed view to the changes in intracellular hydrocarbon chain saturation in response to different growth temperatures and osmotic stress, and the associated physiological effects in the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. We show that the ratio between the representative hydrocarbons, saturated heptadecane and desaturated heptadecene, is reduced upon transition from 38°C toward 15°C, while the total content is not much altered. In parallel, it appears that in the hydrocarbon-deficient ∆ado (aldehyde deformylating oxygenase) mutant, phenotypic and metabolic changes become more evident under suboptimal temperatures. These include hindered growth, accumulation of polyhydroxybutyrate, altered pigment profile, restricted phycobilisome movement, and ultimately reduced CO2 uptake and oxygen evolution in the ∆ado strain as compared to Synechocystis wild type. The hydrocarbons are present in relatively low amounts and expected to interact with other nonpolar cellular components, including the hydrophobic part of the membrane lipids. We hypothesize that the function of the aliphatic chains is specifically associated with local fluidity effects of the thylakoid membrane, which may be required for the optimal movement of the integral components of the photosynthetic machinery. The findings support earlier studies and expand our understanding of the biological role of aliphatic hydrocarbons in acclimation to low temperature in cyanobacteria and link the proposed role in the thylakoid membrane to changes in photosynthetic performance, central carbon metabolism, and cell growth, which need to be effectively fine-tuned under alternating conditions in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eva-Mari Aro
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Pauli Kallio
- Molecular Plant Biology, Department of Life Technologies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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2
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Environmental implications and evidence of natural products from dental calculi of a Neolithic-Chalcolithic community (central Italy). Sci Rep 2021; 11:10665. [PMID: 34021220 PMCID: PMC8140145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89999-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In this contribution, we investigated the role of plants in the prehistoric community of Casale del Dolce (Anagni, FR, central Italy), through microparticles recovered from dental calculus. The finding of a great amount of pollen types, even in form of compact lumps, could indicate use of natural substances, such as honeybee products and/or conifer resins. This plant-microremain record also suggested environmental implications relative to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period. Additionally, the stability of the tartar microenvironment had preserved starches and other microparticles, such as one epidermal trichome, a sporangium, and fragments of plant tissue, rarely detected in ancient dental calculus. The detection of secondary metabolites in the ancient matrix confirmed the familiarity of this community with plant resources. All these data supply various interesting food for thought and expand the knowledge about the potential of dental calculus in archaeological and archaeobotanical fields with a special focus on palaeoecology.
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3
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Tracing woody-organic tsunami deposits of the 2011 Tohoku-oki event in Misawa (Japan). Sci Rep 2021; 11:8947. [PMID: 33903640 PMCID: PMC8076248 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88199-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
With a minimum of three reported waves, the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami’s destructive force caused massive damage along the northern Japanese Aomori coast. At Misawa the coastal control area was inundated up to 550 m inland and sandy sediment remnants can be traced to c. 350 m (c. 61–63% of the maximum inundation) from the shoreline. Linking the discovery of floatable plastic objects within a woody and organic layer to our analytical data lead to the detection of a yet undocumented woody-organic tsunami deposit first appearing on top of the sandy deposit but then reaching even further inland (approx. 69–72% of the max. inundation). By this observation our understanding of the documented part of the tsunami inundation may be improved. As a consequence, sand sheets of historic and paleo-tsunamis represent minimum estimates for the coastal inundation and underestimation may be reduced by addressing the woody and organic fraction of a tsunami’s inundation.
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4
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Molecular and isotopic evidence reveals the end-Triassic carbon isotope excursion is not from massive exogenous light carbon. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:30171-30178. [PMID: 33199627 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917661117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The negative organic carbon isotope excursion (CIE) associated with the end-Triassic mass extinction (ETE) is conventionally interpreted as the result of a massive flux of isotopically light carbon from exogenous sources into the atmosphere (e.g., thermogenic methane and/or methane clathrate dissociation linked to the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province [CAMP]). Instead, we demonstrate that at its type locality in the Bristol Channel Basin (UK), the CIE was caused by a marine to nonmarine transition resulting from an abrupt relative sea level drop. Our biomarker and compound-specific carbon isotopic data show that the emergence of microbial mats, influenced by an influx of fresh to brackish water, provided isotopically light carbon to both organic and inorganic carbon pools in centimeter-scale water depths, leading to the negative CIE. Thus, the iconic CIE and the disappearance of marine biota at the type locality are the result of local environmental change and do not mark either the global extinction event or input of exogenous light carbon into the atmosphere. Instead, the main extinction phase occurs slightly later in marine strata, where it is coeval with terrestrial extinctions and ocean acidification driven by CAMP-induced increases in Pco2; these effects should not be conflated with the CIE. An abrupt sea-level fall observed in the Central European basins reflects the tectonic consequences of the initial CAMP emplacement, with broad implications for all extinction events related to large igneous provinces.
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D’Agostino A, Canini A, Di Marco G, Nigro L, Spagnoli F, Gismondi A. Investigating Plant Micro-Remains Embedded in Dental Calculus of the Phoenician Inhabitants of Motya (Sicily, Italy). PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9101395. [PMID: 33092237 PMCID: PMC7590007 DOI: 10.3390/plants9101395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Plant records reveal remarkable evidence about past environments and human cultures. Exploiting dental calculus analysis and using a combined approach of microscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, our research outlines dietary ecology and phytomedicinal practices of the ancient community of Motya (Sicily, eight to sixth century BC), one of the most important Phoenician settlements in the Mediterranean basin. Micro-remains suggest use or consumption of Triticeae cereals, and animal-derived sources (e.g., milk and aquatic birds). Markers of grape (or wine), herbs, and rhizomes, endemic of Mediterranean latitudes and the East, provide insight into the subsistence of this colony, in terms of foodstuffs and phytotherapeutic products. The application of resins and wood of Gymnosperms for social and cultural purposes is hypothesized through the identification of Pinaceae secondary metabolites and pollen grains. The information hidden in dental calculus discloses the strong human-plant interaction in Motya’s Phoenician community, in terms of cultural traditions and land use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia D’Agostino
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (G.D.M.)
| | - Antonella Canini
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (G.D.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (A.G.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4330 (A.C.); +39-06-7259-4344 (A.G.); Fax: +39-06-2023-500 (A.C. & A.G.)
| | - Gabriele Di Marco
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (G.D.M.)
| | - Lorenzo Nigro
- Department Italian Institute of Oriental Studies—ISO, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.N.); (F.S.)
| | - Federica Spagnoli
- Department Italian Institute of Oriental Studies—ISO, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.N.); (F.S.)
| | - Angelo Gismondi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.D.); (G.D.M.)
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (A.G.); Tel.: +39-06-7259-4330 (A.C.); +39-06-7259-4344 (A.G.); Fax: +39-06-2023-500 (A.C. & A.G.)
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6
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Gismondi A, Baldoni M, Gnes M, Scorrano G, D’Agostino A, Di Marco G, Calabria G, Petrucci M, Müldner G, Von Tersch M, Nardi A, Enei F, Canini A, Rickards O, Alexander M, Martínez-Labarga C. A multidisciplinary approach for investigating dietary and medicinal habits of the Medieval population of Santa Severa (7th-15th centuries, Rome, Italy). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227433. [PMID: 31990948 PMCID: PMC6986732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A multidisciplinary approach, combining stable isotope analysis from bone proteins and investigations on dental calculus using DNA analysis, light microscopy, and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, was applied to reconstruct dietary and medicinal habits of the individuals recovered in the cemetery of the Castle of Santa Severa (7th-15th centuries CE; Rome, Italy). Stable isotope analysis was performed on 120 humans, 41 faunal specimens and 8 charred seeds. Dental calculus analyses were carried out on 94 samples. Overall, isotope data indicated an omnivorous diet based on C3-terrestrial protein, although some individuals possessed carbon values indicative of C4 plant consumption. In terms of animal protein, the diet was probably based on cattle, sheep, pig and chicken products, as witnessed by the archaeozoological findings. Evidence from calculus suggested the consumption of C3 cereals, Fabaceae, Fagaceae, milk and dairy products. Secondary metabolites of herbs and wine were also detected. The detection of marine fish ancient DNA, as well as of ω3 fatty acids in calculus, hypothesized the consumption of marine foodstuffs for this coastal population, despite the lack of a clear marine isotopic signal and the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in plant tissues. Moreover, the knowledge of ethnopharmacological tradition and the application of medicinal plants (e.g. Punica granatum L., Ephedra sp. L.) were also identified. The detection of artemisinin, known to have antimalarial properties, led to hypothesize the presence of malaria in the area. Altogether, the combined application of microscopy and biomolecular techniques provided an innovative reconstruction of Medieval lifeways in Central Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Gismondi
- Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Marica Baldoni
- Centro di Antropologia Molecolare per lo Studio del DNA Antico, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Micaela Gnes
- Centro di Antropologia Molecolare per lo Studio del DNA Antico, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Scorrano
- Centro di Antropologia Molecolare per lo Studio del DNA Antico, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessia D’Agostino
- Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Di Marco
- Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulietta Calabria
- Centro di Antropologia Molecolare per lo Studio del DNA Antico, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Petrucci
- Centro di Antropologia Molecolare per lo Studio del DNA Antico, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Gundula Müldner
- Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, Reading, England, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Von Tersch
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York, England, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandra Nardi
- Department of Mathematics, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio Enei
- Museo Civico di Santa Marinella “Museo del Mare e della Navigazione Antica”, Castello di Santa Severa (Roma–Italia)
| | - Antonella Canini
- Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Olga Rickards
- Centro di Antropologia Molecolare per lo Studio del DNA Antico, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Michelle Alexander
- Department of Archaeology, BioArCh, University of York, York, England, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina Martínez-Labarga
- Centro di Antropologia Molecolare per lo Studio del DNA Antico, Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Girona-García A, Badía-Villas D, Jiménez-Morillo NT, González-Pérez JA. Changes in soil organic matter composition after Scots pine afforestation in a native European beech forest revealed by analytical pyrolysis (Py-GC/MS). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 691:1155-1161. [PMID: 31466197 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of coniferous species in former deciduous forests may exert changes in soil organic matter, particularly in its molecular composition. In this work, pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to study changes in SOM quality related to the centennial afforestation of Scots pine in an area formerly covered by European beech forest in the NE-flank of the Moncayo Natural Park (NE-Spain). For each soil profile three organic layers (fresh litter, fragmented litter and humified litter) and mineral soil horizons (Ah, E, Bhs and C) were studied. A total of 128 compounds were identified in the pyrograms, and composition differences were detected among the organic and mineral soil layers as well as between soils under beech and pine, for the main compound classes: nitrogen compounds, aromatics, lignin methoxyphenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lipids and polysaccharide-derived moieties. Such chemical differences were found to be derived from the biomass composition of the predominant vegetation type that was incorporated into the soil and from its progression into the soil profile. The analysis of the distribution of alkanes indicated higher SOM stabilization in the native beech forest soil. The signal of beech biomarkers (long chain n-alkanes C31-C33) found in the pine E horizon indicates the permanence of SOM derived from the natural forest ca. 100 years after the afforestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Girona-García
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Ctra. Cuarte s/n, 22071 Huesca, Spain.
| | - David Badía-Villas
- Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y del Medio Natural, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Ctra. Cuarte s/n, 22071 Huesca, Spain
| | - Nicasio T Jiménez-Morillo
- Departamento de Fitotecnia, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, ICAAM, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal; HERCULES Laboratory, Universidade de Évora, Palácio do Vimioso, 7000-089 Évora, Portugal
| | - José A González-Pérez
- Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS-CSIC), MOSS Gr. Avda. Reina Mercedes 10, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
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8
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Angst G, John S, Mueller CW, Kögel-Knabner I, Rethemeyer J. Tracing the sources and spatial distribution of organic carbon in subsoils using a multi-biomarker approach. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29478. [PMID: 27380728 PMCID: PMC4933938 DOI: 10.1038/srep29478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) from aboveground and belowground sources has rarely been differentiated although it may drive SOC turnover and stabilization due to a presumed differing source dependent degradability. It is thus crucial to better identify the location of SOC from different sources for the parameterization of SOC models, especially in the less investigated subsoils. The aim of this study was to spatially assess contributions of organic carbon from aboveground and belowground parts of beech trees to subsoil organic carbon in a Dystric Cambisol. Different sources of SOC were distinguished by solvent-extractable and hydrolysable lipid biomarkers aided by (14)C analyses of soil compartments <63 μm. We found no effect of the distance to the trees on the investigated parameters. Instead, a vertical zonation of the subsoil was detected. A high contribution of fresh leaf- and root-derived organic carbon to the upper subsoil (leaf- and root-affected zone) indicate that supposedly fast-cycling, leaf-derived SOC may still be of considerable importance below the A-horizon. In the deeper subsoil (root-affected zone), roots were an important source of fresh SOC. Simultaneously, strongly increasing apparent (14)C ages (3860 yrs BP) indicate considerable contribution of SOC that may be inherited from the Pleistocene parent material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit Angst
- Chair of Soil Science, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramann-Straße 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Stephan John
- Institute for Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 49a, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Carsten W. Mueller
- Chair of Soil Science, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramann-Straße 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Ingrid Kögel-Knabner
- Chair of Soil Science, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramann-Straße 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstraße 2a, D-85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Janet Rethemeyer
- Institute for Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 49a, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
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9
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Farrington JW, Quinn JG. "Unresolved Complex Mixture" (UCM): A brief history of the term and moving beyond it. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2015; 96:29-31. [PMID: 25935810 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The term "Unresolved Complex Mixture" (UCM) has been used extensively for decades to describe a gas chromatographic characteristic indicative of the presence of fossil fuel hydrocarbons (mainly petroleum hydrocarbons) in hydrocarbons isolated from aquatic samples. We chronicle the origin of the term. While it is still a useful characteristic for screening samples, more modern higher resolution two dimensional gas chromatography and gas chromatography coupled with advanced mass spectrometry techniques (Time-of-Flight or Fourier Transform-Ion Cyclotron Resonance) should be employed for analyses of petroleum contaminated samples. This will facilitate advances in understanding of the origins, fates and effects of petroleum compounds in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Farrington
- MS#8, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
| | - James G Quinn
- Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882-1197, USA.
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10
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Little DI, Galperin Y, Bullimore B, Camplin M. Environmental forensics evaluation of sources of sediment hydrocarbon contamination in Milford Haven Waterway. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2015; 17:398-420. [PMID: 25536472 DOI: 10.1039/c4em00522h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Current and historic petroleum-related activities in Milford Haven Waterway (MHW; Wales, UK) contribute to hydrocarbon contamination of surficial sediments. Three main hydrocarbon components of sediments were analyzed: (1) aliphatic hydrocarbons of predominantly biogenic origin, representing about 5-15% of total hydrocarbons (THC); (2) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from recent petrogenic and mainly older pyrogenic sources, representing about 2-6% of THC; (3) unresolved complex mixture from spill-related and heavily-weathered petrogenic sources, representing as much as 70-85% of THC. Environmental forensics evaluation of the data demonstrate that although 72,000 tonnes (t) crude oil spilled from the Sea Empress in 1996, the Forties blend cargo was not identified in 2010. However, using biomarkers, heavy fuel oil (HFO) from Sea Empress' bunkers (480 t spilled) was detected further upstream and more widely than previously. Iranian crude (100 t) spilled by the El Omar in 1988 and fuel (130,000 t) lost during bombing in 1940 also were tentatively identified. The PAH source ratios demonstrate that the historic pyrogenic PAHs come mainly from biomass and coal combustion. The distribution pattern of PAHs appeared more pyrogenic in 2012 than in 1996, as if recovering from the more petrogenic signature, in places, of the Sea Empress. The heavier PAH distributions were pyrogenic at most stations, and similar to those in sediments from oil terminal berths up to 2006, when dredging operations peaked. Partly as a result of this, in 2007 the concentrations of PAHs peaked throughout the waterway. Apart from effluent, atmospheric and runoff inputs, most of the identified inputs to the surficial sediments are historic. Therefore, likely processes include disturbance by construction (e.g. pile-driving) and dredging of contaminants sequestered in sediments, followed by their wide redistribution via suspended sediment transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- David I Little
- David I. Little (MA PhD) Limited, Environmental Consultancy, Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, Cambridge, CB24 4RL, UK.
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11
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Wallisch S, Gril T, Dong X, Welzl G, Bruns C, Heath E, Engel M, Suhadolc M, Schloter M. Effects of different compost amendments on the abundance and composition of alkB harboring bacterial communities in a soil under industrial use contaminated with hydrocarbons. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:96. [PMID: 24659987 PMCID: PMC3952045 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alkane degrading microorganisms play an important role for the bioremediation of petrogenic contaminated environments. In this study, we investigated the effects of compost addition on the abundance and diversity of bacteria harboring the alkane monooxygenase gene (alkB) in an oil-contaminated soil originated from an industrial zone in Celje, Slovenia (Technosol). Soil without any amendments (control soil) and soil amended with two composts differing in their maturation stage and nutrient availability, were incubated under controlled conditions in a microcosm experiment and sampled after 0, 6, 12, and 36 weeks of incubation. As expected the addition of compost stimulated the degradation of alkanes in the investigated soil shortly after the addition. By using quantitative real-time PCR higher number of alkB genes were detected in soil samples amended with compost compared to the control soils. To get an insight into the composition of alkB harboring microbial communities, we performed next generation sequencing of amplicons of alkB gene fragment. Richness and diversity of alkB gene harboring prokaryotes was higher in soil mixed with compost compared to control soils with stronger effects of the less maturated, nutrient poor compost. The phylogenetic analysis of communities suggested that the addition of compost stimulated the abundance of alkB harboring Actinobacteria during the experiment independent from the maturation stage of the compost. AlkB harboring γ-proteobacteria like Shewanella or Hydrocarboniphaga as well as α-proteobacteria of the genus Agrobacterium responded also positively to the addition of compost to soil. The amendment of the less maturated, nutrient poor compost resulted in addition in a large increase of alkB harboring bacteria of the Cytophaga group (Microscilla) mainly at the early sampling time points. Our data indicates that compost amendments significantly change abundance and diversity pattern of alkB harboring microbes in Technosol and might be a useful agent to stimulate bioremediation of hydrocarbons in contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Wallisch
- Research Unit Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München Munich, Germany
| | - Tjasa Gril
- Research Unit Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München Munich, Germany
| | - Xia Dong
- Research Unit Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München Munich, Germany
| | - Gerd Welzl
- Research Unit Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Bruns
- Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel Witzenhausen, Germany
| | | | - Marion Engel
- Research Unit Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München Munich, Germany
| | - Marjetka Suhadolc
- Biotechnical Faculty, Center for Soil and Environmental Science, University of Ljubljana Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Michael Schloter
- Research Unit Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München Munich, Germany
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12
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Massone CG, Wagener ADLR, de Abreu HM, Veiga Á. Revisiting hydrocarbons source appraisal in sediments exposed to multiple inputs. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2013; 73:345-354. [PMID: 23806671 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.05.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2013] [Revised: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this work was to test the efficiency of statistical methods as compared to the traditional diagnostic ratios to improve hydrocarbon source identification in sediments subjected to multiple inputs. Hydrocarbon determination in Guanabara Bay sediments pointed out high degradation and ubiquitous petrogenic pollution through the presence of high unresolved complex mixture. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) ratios suggested pervasive contamination derived from combustion in all sediments and failed discriminating samples despite the specificity of sources in different sampling sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) effectively distinguished the petrogenic imprint superimposed to the ubiquitous combustion contamination, since this technique reduces the influence of PAHs distribution which is common to all samples. PCA associated to multivariate linear regression (MLR) allowed a quantitative assessment of sources confirming predominance of the pervasive contaminant component superimposed to a generalized petrogenic imprint. The pervasive component derives from combustion contributions as well as from differential PAHs degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos G Massone
- Departamento de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, 22453-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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13
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Abstract
Continental ice sheets are a key component of the Earth's climate system, but their internal dynamics need to be further studied. Since the last deglaciation, the northern Eurasian Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS) has been connected to the Black Sea (BS) watershed, making this basin a suitable location to investigate former ice-sheet dynamics. Here, from a core retrieved in the BS, we combine the use of neodymium isotopes, high-resolution elemental analysis, and biomarkers to trace changes in sediment provenance and river runoff. We reveal cyclic releases of meltwater originating from Lake Disna, a proglacial lake linked to the FIS during Heinrich Stadial 1. Regional interactions within the climate-lake-FIS system, linked to changes in the availability of subglacial water, led to abrupt drainage cycles of the FIS into the BS watershed. This phenomenon raised the BS water level by ∼100 m until the sill of the Bosphorus Strait was reached, flooding the vast northwestern BS shelf and deeply affecting the hydrology and circulation of the BS and, probably, of the Marmara and Aegean Seas.
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Schulz S, Giebler J, Chatzinotas A, Wick LY, Fetzer I, Welzl G, Harms H, Schloter M. Plant litter and soil type drive abundance, activity and community structure of alkB harbouring microbes in different soil compartments. THE ISME JOURNAL 2012; 6:1763-74. [PMID: 22402403 PMCID: PMC3498921 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2012.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2011] [Revised: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alkanes are major constituents of plant-derived waxy materials. In this study, we investigated the abundance, community structure and activity of bacteria harbouring the alkane monooxygenase gene alkB, which catalyses a major step in the pathway of aerobic alkane degradation in the litter layer, the litter-soil interface and in bulk soil at three time points during the degradation of maize and pea plant litter (2, 8 and 30 weeks) to improve our understanding about drivers for microbial performance in different soil compartments. Soil cores of different soil textures (sandy and silty) were taken from an agricultural field and incubated at constant laboratory conditions. The abundance of alkB genes and transcripts (by qPCR) as well as the community structure (by terminal restriction fragment polymorphism fingerprinting) were measured in combination with the concentrations and composition of alkanes. The results obtained indicate a clear response pattern of all investigated biotic and abiotic parameters depending on the applied litter material, the type of soil used, the time point of sampling and the soil compartment studied. As expected the distribution of alkanes of different chain length formed a steep gradient from the litter layer to the bulk soil. Mainly in the two upper soil compartments community structure and abundance patterns of alkB were driven by the applied litter type and its degradation. Surprisingly, the differences between the compartments in one soil were more pronounced than the differences between similar compartments in the two soils studied. This indicates the necessity for analysing processes in different soil compartments to improve our mechanistic understanding of the dynamics of distinct functional groups of microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Schulz
- Chair of Soil Ecology, Technische Universität München, Neuherberg, Germany
- Research Unit for Environmental Genomics, HelmholtzZentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Julia Giebler
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antonis Chatzinotas
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lukas Y Wick
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ingo Fetzer
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gerhard Welzl
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, HelmholtzZentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Hauke Harms
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Schloter
- Research Unit for Environmental Genomics, HelmholtzZentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
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Hardy K, Buckley S, Collins MJ, Estalrrich A, Brothwell D, Copeland L, García-Tabernero A, García-Vargas S, Rasilla M, Lalueza-Fox C, Huguet R, Bastir M, Santamaría D, Madella M, Wilson J, Cortés ÁF, Rosas A. Neanderthal medics? Evidence for food, cooking, and medicinal plants entrapped in dental calculus. Naturwissenschaften 2012; 99:617-26. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-012-0942-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 262] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Revised: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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16
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Amorri J, Geffroy-Rodier C, Boufahja F, Mahmoudi E, Aïssa P, Ksibi M, Amblès A. Organic matter compounds as source indicators and tracers for marine pollution in a western Mediterranean coastal zone. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2011; 18:1606-1616. [PMID: 21607728 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-011-0522-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2010] [Accepted: 05/10/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Complex organic compounds found in oil and sediments linked with a particular source (such as algae, bacteria or vascular plants) are defined as biomarkers and are useful dating indicators in organic geochemistry. METHODS AND RESULTS This paper presents the composition of the organic matter (OM) on marine surface sediments from a degraded Tunisian coast analysed by pyrolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). High total OM contents (0.3-4.2%) were detected with high levels of saturated linear hydrocarbons. The aliphatic lipids had contributed with up to 11.7% of the total OM, and their distribution had consisted of resolved compounds (n-alkanes and fatty acid (FAs)) and an unresolved complex mixture. Hydrocarbons, primarily n-alkanes, were ranged from 368 to 3,886 μg g(-1). The FAs (674-2,568 μg g(-1)) were dominated by derived primary production, and the short chain FAs (C16 and C18) were the most abundant throughout. The ubiquitous presence of petroleum contamination, mainly from offshore oil exploration, discharge of pollutants from rivers, shipping activities and atmospheric deposition was found in all samples. The Gabès littoral seems to be quite to very polluted near the industrial zone of Ghannouch. The C/H ratio (generally around 5.9), the thermal analysis and GC-MS of n-alkanes and FAs showed that the OM in the studied area was composed of anthropogenic/petrogenic, marine and continental sources. CONCLUSIONS Our study represents an innovative approach to assessing environmental pollution. The evaluation of organic matter by examination of sterols, alkanes and fatty acids allows the identification of source, both anthropogenic and natural.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jalila Amorri
- Laboratoire de Biosurveillance de l'Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, 7021 Zarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia
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17
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GRADY JUNE, LEWIS JJ, MARTIN-SMITH M, MUIR TC, SUBRAMANIAN G. Chemical and pharmacological observations on some Hebe species. J Pharm Pharmacol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.1967.tb08042.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Examination of oven-dried leaves and twigs of four species of Hebe indigenous to New Zealand—H. stricta, H. odora, H. bollonsii and H. corriganii—has revealed D-mannitol and condensed tannins to be major constituents. Identification of some of the minor constituents, namely alkanes, fatty acids and aliphatic alcohols was achieved by means of gas-liquid chromatography. Pharmacological studies with the condensed tannin fractions of H. stricta and H. odora have indicated that the reputation of H. stricta as a constipatory agent is attributable to tannins; this agrees with earlier assumptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- JUNE GRADY
- Division of Experimental Pharmacology, Institute of Physiology, The University, Glasgow, W.2, and the Department of Pharmacy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, C.1
| | - J J LEWIS
- Division of Experimental Pharmacology, Institute of Physiology, The University, Glasgow, W.2, and the Department of Pharmacy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, C.1
| | - M MARTIN-SMITH
- Division of Experimental Pharmacology, Institute of Physiology, The University, Glasgow, W.2, and the Department of Pharmacy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, C.1
| | - T C MUIR
- Division of Experimental Pharmacology, Institute of Physiology, The University, Glasgow, W.2, and the Department of Pharmacy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, C.1
| | - G SUBRAMANIAN
- Division of Experimental Pharmacology, Institute of Physiology, The University, Glasgow, W.2, and the Department of Pharmacy, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, C.1
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18
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Jiamo F, Cunmin P, Guoying S, Dehan L, Sizhong C. A geochemical investigation of crude oils from Eastern Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1993. [DOI: 10.1016/0743-9547(93)90046-r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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19
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Rostron D, Little D, Howells S. A study of the sediments and communities in Milford Haven, Wales. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1986. [DOI: 10.1016/s0269-8579(86)80004-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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20
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21
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Holman RT. Quantitative chemical taxonomy based upon composition of lipids. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF FATS AND OTHER LIPIDS 1978; 16:9-29. [PMID: 358272 DOI: 10.1016/0079-6832(78)90034-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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22
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23
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Gülz PG. Veränderungen im alkanmuster im laufe einer entwicklungsperiode bei antirrhinum majus. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1972. [DOI: 10.1016/s0044-328x(72)80031-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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24
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Abstract
It is suggested that an alternative, or additional, source of the blue haze above heavily forested areas may be the generation of submicrometer-sized wax particles by the action of strong electrical fields at the tips of pine needles and other wax-covered plant surfaces. Exposure of pine needles to high potential gradients results in the production of airborne wax particles with diameters less than 0.6 micrometer.
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26
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Abstract
A homologous series of n-alkanes (C(14)-C(33)) and two isoprenoid hydrocarbons, 2,6,10,14-tetramethylhexadecane (phytane) and 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane (pristane) have been identified in bovine liver. Another branched but non-isoprenoid alkane and three isomers of molecular formula C(20)H(40) were partially identified. Phytane and the C(18)-C(22) and C(29)-C(33)n-alkanes were found to be the major components in liver, suggesting that at least the main hydrocarbon components were derived from various plants in the diet. The hydrocarbons were separated and identified by a series of steps involving solvent extraction, saponification, elution chromatography on alumina and silica gel columns, molecular sieving and by infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy, followed by combined capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
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Patterson GW. THE EFFECT OF CULTURE CONDITIONS ON THE HYDROCARBON CONTENT OF CHLORELLA VULGARIS(1) (2). JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 1967; 3:22-23. [PMID: 27064703 DOI: 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1967.tb04623.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Cultures of Chlorella vulgaris were grown aulo-trophically under fluorescent light and heterotrophically on glucose and inorganic salts. Hydrocarbons were extracted and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography, molecular sieve separations, and silicic acid-AgNO3 chromatography. Chlorella vulgaris grown under both culture conditions contained a series of saturated n-paraffins ranging from 17 to 36 carbon atoms in length. This is in contrast to reports in the early literature which indicated that the hydrocarbon fraction of algae was composed of only 1 or 2 specific hydrocarbons. Only under heterotrophic conditions, however, did C. vulgaris produce 1-penta-cosene and 1-heptacosene as the primary components of the hydrocarbon mixture. Other Chlorella species were examined, but only C. vulgaris produced significant quantities of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- G W Patterson
- Department of Botany, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742
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29
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Abstract
The gas chromatographicmass spectrometric technique recently developed by Ryhage has been applied to the analysis of paraffins extracted from pasture plants, specifically, whole plant and leaves of spotted bur clover (Medicago arabica). Normal alkanes from C(18) to C(35) have been found. The C(29), C(31), and C(33) normal saturated hydrocarbons predominate and n-C(31) is the major component. In the range from C(24) to C(34) the ratio of alkanes with an even number of carbon atoms to those with an odd number is approximately 8 for the whole plant and 5 for the leaves. The distribution of paraffins is similar to that reported for cattle manure and also resembles that of some soils and sediments.
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31
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32
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Abstract
Fatty acids in pollen of five coniferous species were isolated and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. It was found that 0.76 to 0.89 percent of the dry weight of pollen was fatty acid in three species of Pseudotsuga and 1.25 to 1.33 percent in two species of Pinus. Major components in Pseudotsuga were oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids, whereas in Pinus they were linolenic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids.
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