The presence of high molecular weight double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) within plant cells is an indicator of infection with RNA viruses as these possess genomic or replicative dsRNA. DECS (dsRNA isolation, exhaustive amplification, cloning, and sequencing) analysis has been shown to be capable of detecting unknown viruses. We postulated that a combination of DECS analysis and next-generation sequenc...

Semi-field experiments were used to compare the curative activity of insecticides on spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae)) and blueberry maggot (Rhagoletis mendax Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae)) in blueberry fruit. The organophosphate phosmet, the spinosyn spinetoram, and neonicotinoids imidacloprid, acetamiprid, and thiamethoxam showed significant let...

The attraction of washed, medium-free cells of Pantoea (Enterobacter) agglomerans to wild, adult Rhagoletis mendax Curran, the blueberry maggot fly, was evaluated in managed blueberry fields in Maine. Attraction was evaluated using Pherocon AM and Ladd traps, each tested with or without washed bacterial cells. Field studies showed significant increases in fly captures on the Pherocon AM traps. ...

We investigated color preference, seasonal abundance, spatial distribution and species composition of thrips in northern highbush blueberries, Vaccinium corymbosum L., in New Jersey (USA). White sticky traps were more attractive to thrips compared with yellow or blue traps. Thrips captures using white sticky traps showed that their flight activity begins 20e30 d after the onset of flowering, wi...

Simultaneous comparison of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L) fruits for their anthocyanin composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity is reported. The aim of this study was to investigate and to compare anthocyanin composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity in bilberry and blueberry fruits and their skins. The investigations revealed that ...

Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) and R. mendax (Curran) (Diptera : Tephritidae) are major economic pests of apple and blueberry fruits, respectively, in eastern North America. The taxonomic status of these flies as distinct species has been in dispute because of their close morphological similarity, broadly overlapping geographic distributions and inter-fertility in laboratory crosses. Starch gel e...

Metabolic syndrome can precede the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease and includes phenotypes such as obesity, systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia. A recent epidemiological study indicated that blueberry intake reduced cardiovascular mortality in humans, but the possible genetic mechanisms of this effect are unknown. Blueberries are a rich source...

Dietary phytochemicals are known to exhibit a variety of anticarcinogenic properties. This study investigated the chemopreventive activity of blueberry extract in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Blueberry decreased cell proliferation in HCC38, HCC1937, and MDA-MB-231 cells with no effect on the nontumorigenic MCF-10A cell line. Decreased metastatic potential of MD...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Stress-induced cognitive impairment is related to the suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis that results from an increase of oxidative stress. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of administration of a blueberry drink, having a high antioxidant power, on the cognitive performance of adult rats exposed to chronic mild stress. MATERIALS/METHOD...