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Sika deer are known to prefer oak leaves, which are rich in tannins and toxic to most mammals; however, the genetic mechanisms underlying their unique ability to adapt to living in the jungle are still unclear. In identifying the mechanism responsible for the tolerance of a highly toxic diet, we have made a major advancement by explaining the genome of sika deer. We generated the first high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of sika deer and measured the correlation between tannin intake and RNA expression in 15 tissues through 180 experiments. Comparative genome analyses showed that the UGT and CYP gene families are functionally involved in the adaptation of sika deer to high-tannin food, especially the expansion of the UGT family 2 subfamily B of UGT genes. The first chromosome-level assembly and genetic characterization of the tolerance to a highly toxic diet suggest that the sika deer genome may serve as an essential resource for understanding evolutionary events and tannin adaptation. Our study provides a paradigm of comparative expressive genomics that can be applied to the study of unique biological features in non-model animals.

This study was conducted to identify the nutritive and anti-nutritive composition, in situ rumen degradability, and the kinetics of in vitro gas production of Persian oak (Quercus persica) leaves harvested at three growth stages during the spring season. A tannin bioassay was also performed using polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) as a tannin-complexing agent in a gas production test. Leaves were harvested in monthly intervals in spring, starting on April when leaves were at the early vegetative stage, and then May and June. As the leaf maturity progressed, crude protein decreased but total phenols, total tannins, and hydrolysable tannins increased. Condensed tannin concentration was not affected by maturity stage (Average=13.0 mg leucocyanidin equivalent/g dry matter (DM)). As leaf maturity increased, the rapidly degradable A fraction of DM increased. In vitro gas production, metabolizable energy, in vitro DM degradability, ruminal NH3-N, and short-chain fatty acid concentrations were greatest in leaves harvested at the early vegetative stage (April) compared with other months. Application of PEG increased in vitro gas production, metabolizable energy, in vitro DM degradability, and NH3-N and short-chain fatty acid production in the rumen fluid compared with no addition of PEG. Overall, oak leaves harvested at the early vegetative stage appeared to be a good source of forage for ruminants. However, as leaf maturity increased, ruminal fermentability de)creased, which was improved with PEG addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity and quality of water resources in Iran are the most important challenges in the current situation. A study of global indicators shows that if we do not pay attention to solving these problems, many fertile and residential areas will become deserted and uninhabited. On the other hand, the existence of unconventional water resources such as seas and oceans, including the Caspian Sea in the north and the Persian Gulf in the south of Iran, maybe one of the appropriate and cost-effective solutions in this regard. This study aims to investigate and compare sodium removal using a fixed column by microstructured adsorbents of oak leaf and eggshells. The results showed that the total amount of adsorption, maximum adsorption capacity and percentage of sodium removal for oak leaf and eggshell adsorbents were equal to 120.21 and 117.10 mg, 1.1 and 0.24 mg/g and 60.10, respectively. 68.88% for 5 mg/L, 194.45 and 169.93 mg, 1.77 and 0.34 mg/g, 55.56% and 54.82% for 10 mg/L and 466.83, respectively. 453.84 mg, 4.26 and 0.91 mg/g and 53.66% and 54.03% for a concentration of 30 mg/L. Fitting of continuous adsorption models on experimental data by microstructured adsorbents showed that in sodium adsorption using a fixed bed column for oak leaf and eggshell adsorbents, bed depth-service time, Thomas and Yoon–Nelson models had a better fit than the adsorption column data compared to other models. Based on the results of this study, the microstructured adsorbents of oak leaf and egg shell have a high ability to remove sodium ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this research was to investigate the effect of electrical conductivity (EC) levels of the nutrient solution on the fresh weight, chlorophyll, and nitrate content of hydroponic-system-grown lettuce. The selected cultivars are the most representative commercial varieties grown for European markets. Seven cultivars (‘Sintia,’ ‘Limeira,’ ‘Corentine,’ ‘Cencibel,’ ‘Kiber,’ ‘Attiraï,’ and ‘Rouxaï’) of three Lactuca sativa L. types’ (butterhead, loose leaf, and oak leaf) were grown in a phytotron in rockwool, meanwhile the EC level of the nutrient solutions were different: normal (

The effect of grape pomace (Vitis vinifera) and in oak leaf (Quercus libani) tannins by three runs of in vitro gas production on the organic matter digestibility (OMD) and in situ dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) disappearance were studied in four sheeps. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used to deactivate the tannins. In vitro gas production was recorded at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h of incubation. The chemical composition (g/kg DM) of grape pomace and oak leaf were 940, 940 organic matter (OM); 94, 116 crude protein (CP); 568, 515 neutral detergent fiber (NDFom); 467, 316 acid detergent fiber (ADFom); 242, 93; (lignin (sa)); 70.5, 82 total phenols (TP); 49.7, 73 total tannins (TT); 79, 5.4 condensed tannin (CT) and 40, 70 hydrolysable tannin (HT). Using grape pomace and oak leaf decreased OMD, short chain fatty acids (SCFA), insoluble but fermentable fraction (b) and fermentation rate (c) comparing to control (P<0.05). The addition of PEG increased in vitro gas production (IVGP) at all times of incubation. Kinetics of gas production, OMD and SCFA were also increased by PEG incorporation (P<0.05). The increase in gas production (%) (IGP) in grape pomace (GP) diet was higher than those in oak leaf (OL) diet. The amounts of total protozoa, Isotricha, Dasytricha, subfamily of Entodiniinae, Diplodiniinae and Ophrioscolecinae were decreased by addition of grape pomace and oak leaf. The addition of PEG increased total protozoa, subfamily of Entodiniinae, Diplodiniinae and Ophrioscolecinae populations in grape pomace diet (P<0.05), but increased Isotricha, Dasytricha and subfamily of Diplodiniinae in oak leaf diet (P<0.05). The effective degradability (ED) (g/kg DM) of DM and CP for alfalfa, grape pomace and oak leaf were (646.6, 357.7 and 362.3) and (821, 227.3 and 202), respectively based on in situ fermentation. In conclusion, using grape pomace and oak leaf have positively modified NH3-N concentration and protozoa population. Diet containing grape pomace and oak leaf had lower fermentability than the diet containing alfalfa. Supplementation of PEG in GP and OL diets improved the fermentability of these diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quercus hartwissiana (oak) leaves are a potential alternative feed resource in the north-east of Turkey. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of two levels (185 and 370g/day) of dry oak leaves, in the presence (50 or 100g/kg of dry oak leaves) or absence of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000), on ruminal fermentation parameters (pH, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N)), microbial nitrogen (N) supply, apparent diet digestibility, N retention, and body weight (BW) change in fat-tailed Tuj lambs (n =42, initial BW 33.0±0.7kg). The lambs received at random one of the following diets for 60 days (on a dry matter basis, n =6 per group): (1) control, no oak leaves and no PEG; (2) 185g oak leaves; (3) 185g oak leaves+10g PEG; (4) 185g oak leaves+20g PEG; (5) 370g oak leaves; (6) 370g oak leaves+20g PEG; (7) 370g oak leaves+40g PEG. All groups were given 272g concentrate and varying amounts of hay (a mixture of chopped grass and alfalfa in the ratio 55:45), such that the amount of hay plus oak leaves was equal to 645g. Ruminal fermentation parameters did not change with treatment (pH 6.50±0.02, total SCFA=86.3±2.1mmol/L, NH3-N=207±5mg/L). Total CP digestibility (0.775, 0.714, 0.736, 0.748, 0.663, 0.690, 0.672; S.E.M.=0.008, P &#60;0.001, for groups 1–7, respectively) and N retention (7.7, 6.8, 6.7, 7.5, 6.1, 5.8, 5.7g/day; S.E.M.=0.19, P &#60;0.05, for groups 1–7, respectively) were lowest but microbial N supply was highest in 370g oak leaf group supplemented with PEG (6.51, 7.14, 11.45, 12.23, 9.03, 14.49, 14.39g/day, S.E.M.=0.76, P &#60;0.05, for groups 1–7, respectively). Final BW (32.5±0.3kg) did not differ among treatments (P >0.05). These data suggest that: (1) PEG addition seems unnecessary as it did not improve CP digestibility, N retention and BW; and (2) Q. hartwissiana leaves may be used to replace at least half of hay in the ration of Tuj lambs without a negative effect on BW. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The goal of this research was to investigate the effect of electrical conductivity (EC) levels of the nutrient solution on the fresh weight, chlorophyll, and nitrate content of hydroponic-system-grown lettuce. The selected cultivars are the most representative commercial varieties grown for European markets. Seven cultivars ('Sintia,' 'Limeira,' 'Corentine,' 'Cencibel,' 'Kiber,' 'Attiraï,' and 'Rouxaï') of three Lactuca sativa L. types' (butterhead, loose leaf, and oak leaf) were grown in a phytotron in rockwool, meanwhile the EC level of the nutrient solutions were different: normal (<1.3 dS/m) and high (10 dS/m). The plants in the saline condition had a lower yield but elevated chlorophyll content and nitrate level, although the 'Limeira' and 'Cencibel' cultivars had reduced nitrate levels. The results and the special characteristic of the lollo-type cultivars showed that the nitrate level could be very different due to salinity ('Limeira' had the lowest (684 µg/g fresh weight (FW)) and 'Cencibel' had the highest (4396 µg/g FW)). There was a moderately strong negative correlation (−0.542) in the reverse ratio among the chlorophyll and nitrate contents in plants treated with a normal EC value, while this relationship was not shown in the saline condition. Under the saline condition, cultivars acted differently, and all examined cultivars stayed under the permitted total nitrate level (5000 µg/g FW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of this study was to investigate whether feeding tanniniferous oak leaves (Quercus hartwissiana) for two months results in anaemia in lambs. For that purpose, 42 Tuj ewe lambs (&-9-month-oW) were used and the lambs were randomly allocated to one ol seven treatment groups (n = 6) as follows: control group, 0g leaf 0g PEG (polyethylene glycol, for binding tannins), group 1; 185 g leaf + O9 PEG, group 2; 185 g leaf + 10g PEG, group 3; 185 g leaf + 20g PEG, group 4; 370 g leaf + 0g PEG, group 5; 370 g leaf + 20g PEG, group 6; 370 g leaf + 40g PEG. All groups were given 272 g concentrate and varying amounts of hay, such that the amount of leaf plus to hay was equal to $45 g. The lambs were fed in individual metabolism cages twice daily at 08.00 and 16.00 h and had access to water at all times. Blood samples were collected at the end of the experiment (Day 60) and red blood cell count, haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit values, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and maximum and minimum osmotic haemolysis values were determined. Groups did not differ significantly in terms of the parameters measured. In conclusion, contrary to the reports related to other quercus species, in the current study, feeding Quercus hartwissiana lor two months did not result in anaemia in lambs.

As a consequence of the increasing importance of vegetables in the human diet, there is an interest in enhancing both the productivity and quality of vegetables. A number of factors, including plant genotype and environmental growing conditions, can impact the production and quality of vegetables. The objective of this study was to determine whether elevated CO2, salinity, or high light treatments assayed individually, or salinity or high light in combination with elevated CO2, increased biomass production and antioxidant capacity in two lettuce cultivars. Elevated CO2 and its combination with salinity or high light increased biomass production in both cultivars, while high light treatment alone increased production in green-leaf lettuce but not in red-leaf lettuce. On the other hand, elevated CO2 and its combination with salinity or high light increased the antioxidant capacity of both cultivars, while high light treatment alone increased the antioxidant capacity of red-leaf lettuce, but not of green-leaf lettuce., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)