Three-Dimensional Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 as Sorbent Integrated with Active Capillary Plasma Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Assessment of Low-Level Wine and Grape Quality-Related Volatiles.

The most commonly used methods to chemically assess grape and wine quality with high sensitivity and selectivity require lengthy analysis time and can be resource intensive. Here, we developed a rapid and non-destructive method that would help in grading and decision support. In this work, we demonstrate that integrating a three-dimensional (3D) material for volatile sampling with mass spectrometry detection can be used to sample grapes for phytosanitary, quality or smoke-taint assessments at low levels of marker compounds.

Discrimination of Healthy and -Infected Grapes Using Untargeted Metabolomic Analysis with Direct Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

infections of grapes significantly reduce yield and quality and increase phenolic compound oxidation, resulting in color loss, off-flavors, and odors in wine. In this study, metabolites were extracted from grape homogenates comprising healthy or infected grapes from different vintages, cultivars, regions, and maturity stages. Samples were randomly analyzed by direct injection into an ion trap mass spectrometer, with data collected from 50 to 2000 / for 1 min.

Impact of light on protective fractions of Cu in white wine: Influence of oxygen and bottle colour.

Cu(II)-organic acid (fraction I) and Cu(I)-thiol (fraction II) complexes can suppress sulfhydryl off-aromas in wine. This study investigated the impact of light exposure on the protective fractions of Cu of bottled white wine. Fluorescent light-exposed Chardonnay with two initial concentrations of dissolved oxygen (0.

Rapid In-Field Volatile Sampling for Detection of Infection in Wine Grapes.

Fungal infection of grape berries () by frequently coincides with harvest, impacting both the yield and quality of grape and wine products. A rapid and non-destructive method for identifying infection in grapes at an early stage prior to harvest is critical to manage loss. In this study, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) crystal was applied as an absorbent material for volatile extraction from infected and healthy grapes in a vineyard, followed by thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

SUR7 deletion in s impacts extracellular vesicle features and delivery of virulence factors.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from human fungal pathogens have been implicated in fungal virulence, yet little is known about their role in the host-pathogen interaction. Progress has been hampered by the lack of a specific marker for fungal EVs that can be used to monitor EV isolation and tracking in biological systems. Here we report the effect of a gene knockout on the production, properties, and role of EVs in the virulence of .

Detection and prediction of Botrytis cinerea infection levels in wine grapes using volatile analysis.

Infection of grape berries (Vitis vinifera) by the fungus Botrytis cinerea (grey mould) frequently occurs in vineyards, resulting in off-flavours and other odours in wine and potential yield losses. In this study, volatile profiles of four naturally infected grape cultivars, and laboratory-infected grapes were analysed to identify potential markers for B. cinerea infection.

Loss and formation of malodorous volatile sulfhydryl compounds during wine storage.

Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), particularly low molecular weight sulfhydryls like hydrogen sulfide (HS) and methanethiol (MeSH), are often observed in wines with sulfurous off-aromas. Recent work has shown both HS and MeSH can increase up to a few µM (> 40 µg/L) during anoxic storage, but the identity of the latent sources of these sulfhydryls is still disputed. This review critically evaluates the latent precursors and pathways likely to be responsible for the loss and formation of these sulfhydryls during wine storage based on the existing enology literature as well as studies from food chemistry, geochemistry, biochemistry, and synthetic chemistry.

Protocol: optimising hydroponic growth systems for nutritional and physiological analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana and other plants.

Background: Hydroponic growth systems are a convenient platform for studying whole plant physiology. However, we found through trialling systems as they are described in the literature that our experiments were frequently confounded by factors that affected plant growth, including algal contamination and hypoxia. We also found the way in which the plants were grown made them poorly amenable to a number of common physiological assays.

Root growth of lupins is more sensitive to waterlogging than wheat.

In south-west Australia, winter grown crops such as wheat and lupin often experience transient waterlogging during periods of high rainfall. Wheat is believed to be more tolerant to waterlogging than lupins, but until now no direct comparisons have been made. The effects of waterlogging on root growth and anatomy were compared in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.

Comparison between gradient-dependent hydraulic conductivities of roots using the root pressure probe: the role of pressure propagations and implications for the relative roles of parallel radial pathways.

Hydrostatic pressure relaxations with the root pressure probe are commonly used for measuring the hydraulic conductivity (Lp(r)) of roots. We compared the Lp(r) of roots from species with different root hydraulic properties (Lupinus angustifolius L. 'Merrit', Lupinus luteus L.

Selenium distribution in wheat grain, and the effect of postharvest processing on wheat selenium content.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for animals and humans, and wheat is a major dietary source of this element. It is important that postharvest processing losses of grain Se are minimized. This study, using grain dissection, milling with a Quadrumat mill, and baking and toasting studies, investigated the distribution of Se and other mineral nutrients in wheat grain and the effect of postharvest processing on their retention.

Serum-free culture of wool follicles: effects of nutrients, growth factors and hormones.

A serum-free culture system allowed the continued growth of fibre from follicles for 8-10 days. Fibre growth was responsive to changes in the level of calcium, glucose and amino acids in the culture medium, and was stimulated by the inclusion of insulin (10 micrograms/mL) in the medium. Culture of follicles in the presence of conditioned media from dermal papilla cells or of mitomycin-treated dermal papilla cells had no effect on fibre growth.

Inhibition of polyamine synthesis alters hair follicle function and fiber composition.

The activities of ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, two of the enzymes involved in the synthesis of the polyamines, were found to be high in follicle-rich homogenates of sheep skin, and to be responsive to the nutrition of the animal. Systemic provision of the inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, alpha difluoromethylornithine, markedly altered the length, diameter, and composition of the fiber, the last being accompanied by an increase in the proportion of the fiber occupied by paracortical cells and an increase in the level of mRNA encoding a cysteine-rich family of keratin proteins. The growth of wool follicles cultured in media containing alpha-difluoromethylornithine was not inhibited, even at high concentrations.

Cytokine secretion by macrophages in the rat testis.

The rat testis contains a large population of resident macrophages, the physiological roles of which are yet to be established. To investigate the functional capacity of these cells, we have analyzed the secretion of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by isolated testicular macrophages (TMs) and, for comparison, by isolated rat peritoneal macrophages (PMs). Cells were cultured for 48 h in serum-free medium alone or with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 micrograms/ml) and/or recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN gamma, 200 U/ml).

Indomethacin blocks the immunosuppressive activity of rat testicular macrophages cultured in vitro.

Macrophages are a prominent resident cell type in the interstitial tissue of the testis in several mammalian species. This presence in an immunologically-privileged site prompted an investigation of their ability to initiate and regulate lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. Isolated rat peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were cultured either directly with isolated rat testicular (Tm) or peritoneal (Pm) macrophages or with the conditioned medium from cultures of these cells (Ts or Ps).