Differential acclimation responses to irradiance and temperature in two co-occurring seaweed species in Arctic fjords

Arctic fjord systems experience large amplitudes of change in temperature and radiation regime due to climate warming and the related decrease in sea ice. The resultant increase in irradiance entering the water column influences photosynthetic activity of benthic and pelagic primary producers. The subtidal brown alga Desmarestia aculeata and the intertidal red alga Palmaria palmata populate the cold-temperate coasts of the North Atlantic, reaching the polar zone. To evaluate their acclimation potential, we collected both species in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard (78.9°N, 11.9°E), during the Arctic summer and exposed specimens to two different PAR levels (50 and 500 μmol photons m−2 s−1) and temperatures (0, 4 and 8 °C) for 21 days. Photosynthetic parameters and biochemical features (pigment concentration and antioxidants) were assessed. In general, high irradiance was the factor that generated a negative effect for D. aculeata and P. palmata in the photosynthetic parameters of the photosynthesis–irradiance curve and Fv/Fm. The pigment concentration in both species tended to decrease with increasing irradiance. Antioxidant level showed different trends for both species: in D. aculeata, antioxidant potential increased with high irradiance and temperature, while in P. palmata, it only increased with high irradiance. Both species showed responses to the interaction of irradiance and temperature, although D. aculeata was more sensitive to high irradiance than P. palmata. Our study shows how these species, which have similar geographical distribution in the North Atlantic and the Arctic but belong to different taxonomic lineages, have similar strategies of acclimation, although they respond differently to ecophysiological parameters.

Differential scanning calorimetry/small-angle X-ray scattering analysis of ultraviolet sensible polypropylene filaments

In this work, ultraviolet (UV) sensible metallocene isotactic polypropylene (miPP) filaments were produced with different drawing ratios and various concentrations of photochromic pigment. The effects of pigment concentration and drawing ratio on the chromatic properties and the structural modification for the miPP filaments were studied extensively by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) measurements. The change in melting temperature and the polymeric structures, such as lamellar thickness, long period and degree of crystallinity of miPP with the addition of a UV sensible pigment into miPP and the drawing process, were evaluated. The results show that the pigment concentration and the drawing ratio influence the inner structure of miPP filaments. Finally, our investigation shows that SAXS and also WAXS are appropriate to determine the lamellar thickness and the degree of crystallinity established by the DSC approach. This work attempts to correlate the results of lamellar thickness, the degree of crystallinity and the higher-order structure of the polymer acquired by DSC as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques in order to develop an appropriate approach to find the influence of pigment concentration and drawing ratio on miPP filaments.

Effect of light intensity and nutrient concentration on growth and pigments of the green microalga Tetraselmis suecica

Tetraselmis suecica is a green microalga that thrives under a wide range of conditions, used in the commercial culture of fish, mollusk, and crustacean larvae for supplementing the demand for fertilizers. Its pigments have applications in human health care as drug products, vitamins, and cosmetics. Growth and pigment concentration of T. suecica were evaluated in experimental cultures with different nutrient concentrations and light intensities to determine the most appropriate culture conditions to optimize the production of biomass and pigments. Chlorophyll-a, chlorophyll-b, lutein, violaxanthin, α, β-carotene, and neoxanthin concentrations were evaluated under three different nutrient conditions (441.5/18.1, 883/36.3, and 1766/76.2 μM of NaNO3/NaH2PO4) and four light intensities (50, 150, 300, and 750 μmol quanta m-2 s-1). Increases in either or both of these factors lead to increases in the concentration of all pigments. Chlorophyll-a reached up to 5×103 mg m-3, chlorophyll-b up to 2500 mg m-3, lutein 600 mg m-3, violaxanthin 300 mg m-3, α, β-carotene 500 mg m-3, and neoxanthin 400 mg m-3. Growth rate (μ) attained values of 1.6 d-1. An index to evaluate the efficiency of pigment production by light intensity (called LER) was computed. The highest LER was recorded at 50 μmol quanta m-2 s-1 and a nutrient concentration of 1766/76.2 μM (NaNO3/NaH2PO4); this treatment optimizes pigment production with the lowest light intensity. Our results show that the optimum light intensity should be selected according to the objective of the culture, either maximizing pigment concentration for harvesting at higher concentrations or reducing production costs regarding light consumption.

Quantitative GC–MS Analysis of Artificially Aged Paints with Variable Pigment and Linseed Oil Ratios

In this study, quantitative gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis was used to evaluate the influence of pigment concentration on the drying of oil paints. Seven sets of artificially aged self-made paints with different pigments (yellow ochre, red ochre, natural cinnabar, zinc white, Prussian blue, chrome oxide green, hematite + kaolinite) and linseed oil mixtures were analysed. In the pigment + linseed oil mixtures, linseed oil concentration varied in the range of 10 to 95 g/100 g. The results demonstrate that the commonly used palmitic acid to stearic acid ratio (P/S) to distinguish between drying oils varied in a vast range (from especially low 0.6 to a common 1.6) even though the paints contained the same linseed oil. Therefore, the P/S ratio is an unreliable parameter, and other criteria should be included for confirmation. The pigment concentration had a substantial effect on the values used to characterise the degree of drying (azelaic acid to palmitic acid ratio (A/P) and the relative content of dicarboxylic acids (∑D)). The absolute quantification showed that almost all oil paint mock-ups were influenced by pigment concentration. Therefore, pigment concentration needs to be considered as another factor when characterising oil-based paint samples based on the lipid profile.

The Biodiversity of Edible Flowers: Discovering New Tastes and New Health Benefits

Floriculture and horticulture have always been two parallel and very distinct agronomic realities. Floriculture is concerned with meeting the ornamental needs of our urban ecosystems, while horticulture is based on meeting food requirements. These two activities have now converged toward a food chain where flowers are conceived of as a sort of “new vegetable” and one of the most promising novelties to satisfy the growing need for food innovation both in terms of an organoleptic and nutraceutical profile. This novelty has rapidly evolved, especially following the growing scientific evidence of the human health benefits of flowers used as food. The typically high pigment concentration of the corollas (especially flavonoids and carotenoids), which have evolved to chromatically attract pollinators, indicates a marked nutraceutical activity especially in terms of antioxidant power. In this review, we first attempted to explore which species are most promising and which should be avoided due to real or suspected toxicity problems. The nutraceutical virtues were therefore highlighted trying to focus attention on those “functional phytochemicals” capable of counteracting some specific human pathologies. Furthermore, the organoleptic profile of edible flowers was investigated since this is one of the least known aspects. The cropping systems suitable for their cultivation were therefore hypothesized and finally the criticalities of edible flowers were addressed in terms of shelf life and marketing opportunities.

AAC Succeed Durum Wheat

AAC Succeed durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn.) is adapted to the durum production area of the Canadian prairies. AAC Succeed carries the Sm1 gene which confers antibiosis-based resistance to orange wheat blossom midge [Sitodiplosis modellana (Gehin)]. Averaged over three years, AAC Succeed yielded significantly more grain than Strongfield (7%) and AC Navigator (21%). AAC Succeed had a protein concentration significantly higher than Brigade and AC Navigator and similar to Strongfield. AAC Succeed had significantly stronger straw as measured by lodging score than Strongfield and similar to Brigade. AAC Succeed is eligible for grades of Canada Western Amber Durum, has low grain cadmium concentration, and it has higher yellow pigment concentration than the check cultivars.