Wine quality and berry size: a case study with Tempranillo Tinto progenies

BACKGROUND

Small berry size is normally associated with quality wine production. However, the contribution of grapevine variety and environment to sensory quality has not been well established. In this study, genotypes from two intra-specific hybrid populations were categorized by size according to berry diameter and weight: small (< 13.5 mm, <1.5 g), and large (>16 mm, >2 g). Chemical and sensory attributes of wines produced in two consecutive vintages (2017 and 2018) from each size category were characterized. Perceived intrinsic wine quality was judged by 20 wine professionals.

RESULTS

Wines obtained from small berry genotypes consistently displayed higher proportions of phenolic compounds and deeper color and were judged higher in quality regardless of genetic background and vintage. Perceived quality was positively correlated with anthocyanin and phenolic content. Wines presented high sensory variability in both vintages. Small berry size genotypes produced sweeter, fruitier wines with greater astringency; whereas wines from larger berries were perceived as more alcoholic and with lower positive aroma intensities. Berry size influenced color and phenolic compounds more than genotype or environment.

CONCLUSION

Small berry-size genotypes were related to high quality judgements in both years, thus providing a predictor of wine categories, which could be used to meet different market demands. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Compatibility of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana with flufenoxuron and azadirachtin against Tetranychus urticae

Laboratory studies were developed to evaluate the compatibility of flufenoxuron and azadirachtin with Beauveria bassiana against Tetranychus urticae larvae along with the required Probit analysis of the involved chemicals on all of the life stages of this mite. Flufenoxuron displayed parallel regression lines for the mortality of eggs, deutonymphs and adults. Larvae and protonymphs were the most susceptible life stages. Protonymphs were 35 times more sensitive than eggs and adults. Azadirachtin gave equal mortality on proto- and deutonymphs. The response of eggs and adults was equivalent when treated with azadirachtin. The regression lines for proto- and deutonymphs were parallel to those of adults and eggs yet three times more sensitive. The effects of separate combinations of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana at its LC(20) with flufenoxuron and azadirachtin at their corresponding LC(40) were evaluated on mite larvae. The application of flufenoxuron with B. bassiana revealed a clear synergy. While the combination of azadirachtin and B. bassiana had an additive effect. These combinations with B. bassiana could improve mite control by contributing to a decline in the likelihood of resistance so often described in the literature.

Recombinant small ruminant lentivirus subtype B1 in goats and sheep of imported breeds in Mexico

Nucleotide sequences of small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) were determined in sheep and goats, including progeny of imported animals, on a farm in Mexico. On the basis of gag-pol, pol, env and LTR sequences, SRLVs were assigned to the B1 subgroup, which comprises caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV)-like prototype sequences mainly from goats. In comparison with CAEV-like env sequences of American and French origin, two putative recombination events were identified within the V3-V4 and V4-V5 regions of the env gene of a full length SRLV sequence (FESC-752) derived from a goat on the farm.

Antibody-based diagnosis of small ruminant lentivirus infection in seminal fluid

Antibody-based diagnosis of small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLVs) has been efficiently achieved using serum and milk, but not semen, for which polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been proposed as a confirmatory technique. This work, involving 296 ovine (Ovis aries) and caprine (Capra hircus) semen donors, investigates whether seminal fluid (SF) can be reliably used in antibody-based SRLV diagnosis. First, a gold standard was established to assess the infection status and determine the sensitivity and specificity of three commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in serum testing using Western blot and PCR as confirmatory tests. For SF testing, both gold standard and serum testing results were used as reference. The performance of SF testing was affected not only by the ELISA assay sensitivity (related to antigen spectrum) compared with that of the gold standard (as it occurred in serum testing) but also by SF sample quality and SF working dilution. Nonturbid SF samples, commonly collected in artificial insemination centers (AICs), were required. Compared with serum, SF testing had a decreased sensitivity in two of the ELISA assays (with original serum working dilutions <or=1/20 in serum testing) but reached a similar sensitivity (and specificity) in the assay designed to work at the highest serum dilution (1/500). A SF concentration of about 1/2 (250-fold that used in serum testing) was found optimal in this assay, yielding highly repeatable results that were in almost perfect agreement with those of serum testing (kappa +/- SE, 0.91 +/- 0.81). Thus, SF ELISA can be reliably applied in antibody-based SRLV diagnosis. This information may be useful to control infection in AICs and animal and semen trade programs requiring health-certified quality of semen donors.

Biological activities of crude plant extracts from Vitex trifolia L. (Verbenaceae)

Biological assays of Vitex trifolia L. organic extracts have shown relevant activities. Hexanic and dichloromethanic (DCM) extracts, when prepared from stems and foliage, have proved to be very toxic against several cancer cell lines in culture (SQC-1 UISO, OVCAR-5, HCT-15 COLADCAR, and KB). Also, an important antifeeding activity against the insect pest Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was recorded. The hexanic extract from leaves completely inhibited the growth of the fungal plant pathogen Fusarium sp. within the first 2 days of the experiment, but dropped significantly at day 6 (15% inhibition). The potential of V. trifolia for several uses is discussed.

Interleukin-1 beta stimulates tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the median eminence

The effects of intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) injected interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in the median eminence and on serum adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and prolactin (PRL) levels were studied in freely moving male rats chronically implanted with i.c.v. cannulas. IL-1 beta stimulated TH activity of the median eminence in a dose-dependent manner. Intracerebroventricular injections of 100 ng and 200 ng IL-1 beta significantly increased TH activity in the median eminence by 40.6% and 74.7% respectively over the saline-injected control group. The stimulation of ACTH secretion was statistically significant for all doses used, however i.c.v. injections of IL-1 beta failed to elicit significant changes in the serum PRL concentrations. These results suggest that IL-1 beta increases dopaminergic activity of the medial basal hypothalamus to produce its neuroendocrine effects.