Effects of dietary red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) on growth performance, blood profile, ileal morphology, and oxidative status in weaned pigs challenged with Escherichia coli K88+

Twenty-eight piglets weaned at 21 days of age (6.94 ± 0.28 kg of body weight) were assigned to one of four dietary treatments for 14 days: 1) negative control (NC; a corn-wheat-soybean meal-based diet), 2) positive control (PC; NC + 0.025% antimicrobial growth promoter [AGP]), 3) ROD2 (2% red-osier dogwood [ROD]), and 4) ROD4 (4% ROD). All pigs were orally inoculated with Escherichia coli K88+ on day 8. The pre-planned orthogonal test was performed to compare 1) NC vs. PC and 2) NC vs. ROD. The inclusion of ROD in a nursery diet increased (P < 0.05) superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and decreased (P < 0.05) malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations in the serum. Moreover, pigs fed with ROD diets had shallower (P < 0.05) crypt depth and higher (P < 0.05) villus height to crypt depth ratio than those fed the NC diet. Dietary AGP supplementation reduced (P < 0.05) the MDA concentration in the ileum and serum at 24 h after challenge and improved (P < 0.01) the SOD activities in the serum. In conclusion, the inclusion of ROD in a nursery diet enhanced the antioxidative defense system and intestinal morphology, showing comparable effects with AGP supplementation.

The Adaptive Ability of Cornus Stolonifera Michx. ´Kelseyi´ in Changing Environment

Water represents one of the limiting environmental factors having impact on all the processes in plants. Water stress is considered as the most significant cause of photosynthesis defects. Measuring fluorescence of chlorophyll a is one of the methods revealing defects in the photosynthetic aparatus. The examination has been carried out on the plants Cornus stolonifera Michx. ´KELSEYI´ cultivated in two different irrigation regimes (a regime with 40% substrate saturation and a controlling regime with 60% substrate saturation). We have used a fluorometer HANSATECH FMS 1 to measure modulated fluorescence of chlorophyll a. A three-week period of measurement was set between June and August during two years of experiments (2011 and 2012). The selected chlorophyll fluorescence parameters Fv /Fm - maximum quantum efficiency of PSII; ΦPSII - effective quantum yield of PSII; Rfd - chlorophyll fluorescence decrease ratio and NPQ - non-photochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching, proved to be insensitive to given water deficit. Cornus stolonifera Michx. ´KELSEY´ appears to be a woody plant capable of water efficiency.

Seasonal variations in phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity ofCornus stoloniferaplant material: Applications in agriculture

Isaak, C. K., Petkau, J. C., O, K., Ominski, K., Rodriguez-Lecompte, J. C, and Siow, Y. L. 2013. Seasonal variations in phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of Cornus stolonifera plant material: Applications in agriculture. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 725–734. The present study was carried out to establish the antioxidant capacity of plant material of Cornus stolonifera (syn. Cornus sericea, Red Osier Dogwood) grown in Manitoba, by measuring total phenolic content and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) over a 3-yr period. The presence and concentrations of flavonoids that might account for antioxidant abilities were investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and a total anthocyanins assay. Both ORAC levels and phenolic content increased during the spring, peaked during the summer months (1631.65±166.30 µmol trolox equivalents g−1DW in July 2011, 220.38±2.29 mg gallic acid equivalents g−1DW in August 2012), and then declined during the fall in all 3 yr. Analysis of individual flavonoids in 2010 samples revealed that high levels of rutin, a glycoside of quercetin, were present ranging from 7.46±0.09 (July 2010) to 18.77±0.23 mg g−1dried sample (October 2010). Anthocyanin content was high in the spring, very low in the summer months, and increased in the fall over all 3 yr. Although polyphenolic and antioxidant content in Cornus spp. plants have been largely attributed to their berries, results from this study demonstrate that other plant material may also be an abundant source of these compounds.

Expansion du papillon cécropia dans la zone tempérée mixte du Québec

Depuis le tournant du présent siècle, le majestueux papillon cécropia (Hyalophora cecropia) a étendu progressivement son aire de répartition au Québec dans la zone tempérée mixte et dans le domaine bioclimatique de la sapinière à bouleau blanc en zone boréale. Vers 2006-2007, cette saturnie aurait simultanément atteint les basses terres de la Haute-Côte-Nord, du Lac-Saint-Jean et d’Amos en Abitibi. Les signalements par le public du papillon et de la chenille au Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean ont été nettement plus fréquents en 2011 ; une centaine de cocons ont été trouvés tout autour du lac Saint-Jean dans des lisières arbustives en milieu rudéral, agricole, riverain et résidentiel, principalement sur le cerisier (Prunus spp.), le saule (Salix spp.), l’aulne (Alnus rugosa) et le cornouiller (Cornus stolonifera). La diminution du couvert de conifères au profit de jeunes peuplements mixtes et feuillus et la clémence de certains hivers au cours des années 2000 auraient occasionné cette expansion de l’espèce au nord du 47e parallèle.

Trichia alpina. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].

A description is provided for Trichia alpina, a nivicolous myxomycete. Some information on its dispersal and transmission and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Canada (Ontario and Quebec), USA (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington), India (Himachal Pradesh), Japan, Russia, Turkey, Australia (Tasmania), New Zealand, Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Russia (Leningradskaya oblast, Komi Autonomous republic, Murmansk oblast), Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and Ukraine), hosts (Alnus sp., Cirsium spinosissimum, Cornus stolonifera, Empetrum nigrum, Graminae, Larix sp., Lycopodiopsida indet., Nardus stricta, Pinopsida, Populus tremula, P. tremuloides, Prunus lusitanica, Rubus sp., Sorbus sp., and Vaccinium myrtillus), other substrata (stone), and interactions and habitats.