This work was undertaken to determine the effect of diets enriched with olive oil or high oleic sunflower oil on very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) triacylglycerol composition of healthy human subjects. Both oils contain a similar proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) but differ in their triacylglycerol composition. All 22 human subjects initially consumed a low fat, high carbohydra...

The main component of the byproducts of flue gas desulfurization (BFGD) is CaSO(4), which can be used to improve sodic soils. The effects of BFGD on sodic soil properties and sunflower growth were studied in a pot experiment. The experiment consisted of eight treatments, at four BFGD rates (0, 7.5, 15 and 22.5 t ha(-1)) and two leaching levels (750 and 1200 m(3) ha(-1)). The germination rate an...

The conditional volatility in the daily spot prices of the crops traded on the South African Futures Exchange (yellow maize, white maize, wheat, sunflower seed and soybeans) is determined. The volatility in the prices of white maize, yellow maize and sunflower seed have been found to vary over time, suggesting the use of the GARCH approach in these cases. Using the GARCH approach, the condition...

Sunflower leaf discs floated on a solution containing aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) produced a set of new proteins extractable at pH 5.2 and excreted into the intercellular space. More than 80% of the proteins found in the intercellular fluids of induced leaf discs have been identified as pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins by their immunological relationship with tobacco PR proteins. Members o...

The resistance inducing agent 1, 2, 3-Benzothiadiazole-7-carbothioic acid S-methyl ester (BTH) has been demonstrated in triggering defence reactions in crop plants against bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens but also against parasitic weeds of the genus Orobanche. In this study, pot experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions to evaluate the efficacy of different concentrations of ...

Broomrape, caused by the root holoparasite Orobanche cumana, is the main biotic constraint to sunflower oil production worldwide. By the time broomrape emerges, most of the metabolic imbalance has been produced by O. cumana to sunflower plants. UV-induced multicolor fluorescence imaging (MCFI) provides information on the fluorescence emitted by chlorophyll (Chl) a of plants in the spectral band...

Infrared microspectroscopy (IMS) is emerging as an important analytical tool for the structural analysis of biological tissue. This report describes the use of IMS coupled to a synchrotron source combined with principal components analysis (PCA) to monitor the fate and effect of dinitrotoluenes in the roots of maize and sunflower plants. Infrared imaging revealed that maize roots metabolized 2,...

Effect of texturized defatted meal of sunflower, soybean and flaxseed on quality characteristics of chapatti was investigated. Texturized defatted meal of sunflower, soybean and flaxseed was blended at 10%. 20%, 30% and 40% levels with wheat flour (atta) for making chapatti making. Chapattis were evaluated for physical, textural, sensory and functional properties. Proximate analysis of defatted...

The failure of a tailing pond dam at the Aznalcóllar pyrite mine (SW Spain) in April 1998 released a toxic spill affecting approximately 4300 ha along the Agrio and Guadiamar valleys. Two years later, we have studied yield and concentration of mineral nutrients and trace elements in sunflower plants grown in the spill-affected soil, and in an adjacent unaffected soil as comparison. The study ha...

A total of 24 miniature swine (Sus scrofa) were fed with two diets of 9% fat content, differing only in the quality of the fat source (sunflower oil and olive oil). Two groups of animals were fed for a 12-week period, and the other two groups were fed for a 50-week period. After the two experimental periods, the influence of the dietary fat on serum lipids and protein and fatty acid composition...