Green Carrot Research Articles

Role of Camel Milk and its Derivatives in Maintaining Lipoprotein Level in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rabbits

This study was designed to explore the role of camel milk, colostrums and its derivatives in maintaining lipoprotein level in Alloxan-Induced diabetic rabbits. For study purpose, thirty clinically normal rabbits of both sexes closely in weight and age were used. Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was used where they were divided to six groups each with five rabbits. The animals were fed with green carrot (Caucus Carrot) and tap water and provided with air-conditioned quarters at 24ºC under standard husbandry conditions. Diabetes in the rabbits was induced by intravenous injection of Alloxan. Fresh solution of Alloxan was prepared and the rabbits in six groups were administered by 80 mg/Kg body weight of the solution while one group was left untreated with Alloxan as a control group. The diabetic rabbits were then treated with fresh camel milk, fermented camel milk (gars) and colostrums as well as insulin for 60 days. The results deduced that treatments of diabetic rabbits with colostrums, camel milk, gars and insulin resulted in decreasing the high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels from 41.9 to 9 mg/dl, but it kept within the normal and permissible levels of 40- 60 mg/dl. The diabetic rabbits treated with colostrums, camel milk and insulin resulted in decreasing the Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) levels, but kept within the normal levels and maintained at desirable level (less than 35 mg/dl). While treated with gars was resulted in a higher and not desirable VLDL level.

The Quest for an Ideal Culinary Hyperlocalism

The Quest for an Ideal Culinary Hyperlocalism

DIFFERENCES IN THE ABSORPTION EFFICIENCY BETWEEN α- AND β-CRYPTOXANTHIN FROM CARROT LEAVES AND PAPAYA FRUIT

A corn-oil based diet comprising ss-cryptoxanthin from papaya puree and α-cryptoxanthin from green carrot leaves (17.3 and 9.2 nmol per day, respectively) was fed to five female Wistar rats for eight consecutive days. The identity of the xanthophylls in the supplement was ascertained by LC-(APCI)MS analyses, xanthophylls present in liver and plasma samples were determined by HPLC/DAD. The β-cryptoxanthin concentrations of rat livers of the treatment group were statistically distinguishable (P<0.01) from those present in livers of the control group, fed a basic diet. α-Cryptoxanthin, the second xanthophyll present in the supplement, was not found in rat livers of the treatment group. Plasma samples were free of xanthophylls. This is the first study proving that β-cryptoxanthin has a higher absorption efficiency than α-cryptoxanthin in rats, at least from a minimally processed oil-based xanthophyll supplement. .

Comparison of the absorption efficiency of α- and β-cryptoxanthin in female Wistar rats

Xanthophylls, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, have received increasing interest in recent years because of positive correlations between their consumption and the prevention of eye diseases. Numerous human intervention studies have been conducted with lutein to estimate the bioavailability from different formulations. The present study was designed to obtain basic data on the absorbance efficiency of the monohydroxylated counterparts of lutein and zeaxanthin: alpha- and beta-cryptoxanthin. A corn-oil-based diet comprising beta-cryptoxanthin from papaya purée and alpha-cryptoxanthin from green carrot leaves was fed to five female Wistar rats for 8 consecutive days at a rate of 17.3 nmol/d and 9.2 nmol/d, respectively. The identity of the xanthophylls in the supplement was ascertained by LC-(APCI)MS analyses, and xanthophylls present in liver and plasma samples were determined by HPLC/diode array detector (DAD). The beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations of rat livers in the treatment group were statistically distinguishable (P < 0.01) from those present in the livers of the control group that were fed a basic diet. Alpha-cryptoxanthin, the second xanthophyll present in the supplement, was not found in rat livers in the treatment group. Plasma samples were free of xanthophylls. This is the first report proving that beta-cryptoxanthin has a higher absorption efficiency than alpha-cryptoxanthin in rats, at least from a minimally processed oil-based xanthophyll supplement.

(287) Chloroplast Small Subunit Rubisco Protein Is Ingested by Migratory Endoparasitic Nematodes

Lack of a conclusive evidence of ingestion of plastid components by plant-parasitic nematodes cautions the use of plastid transformation technology for nematode resistance. Nematode-resistant effector proteins generally require ingestion by the nematode to be effective. Transgene-encoded proteins produced in plastids are not known to be exported into the cytoplasm. Disintegration of plant cell organelles after nematode feeding suggests that nematodes possibly ingest plastid components. Proof of ingestion will validate the development of plastid transformation for nematode resistance. Small subunit ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (SSRubisco) protein is prevalent in chloroplasts and thus chosen as a study molecule. The migratory endoparasitic nematodes Pratylenchus penetrans and Radopholus similis were cultured on green carrot callus containing chloroplasts. Total nematode proteins were extracted and subjected to western blot analysis using cross-reactive polyclonal antibody raised against spinach SSRubisco. Positive detection of SSRubisco occurred in protein extracts from nematodes fed on green carrot callus, but not in extracts from nematodes cultured on non-green alfalfa root callus as negative control. These results confirm the ingestion of plastid components of MW 14 kDA by migratory endoparasitic nematodes.

Color–object interference in young children: A Stroop effect in children 3½–6½ years old

The Stroop color–word task cannot be administered to children who are unable to read. However, our color–object Stroop task can. One hundred and sixty-eight children of 3½–6½ years (50% female; 24 children at each 6-month interval) were shown line drawings of familiar objects in a color that was congruent (e.g., an orange carrot), incongruent (e.g., a green carrot), or neutral (for objects having no canonical color [e.g., a red book]), and abstract shapes, each drawn in one of six colors. Half the children were asked to name the color in which each object was drawn, and half were to name each object. Children's predominant tendency was to say what the object was; when instructed to do otherwise they were slower and less accurate. Children were faster and more accurate at naming the color of a stimulus when the form could not be named (abstract shape) than when it could, even if in its canonical color. The heightened interference to color-naming versus object-naming was not due to lack of familiarity with color names or group differences: Children in the color condition were as fast and accurate at naming the colors of abstract shapes as were children in the form condition at naming familiar objects.

Environmental taxation: a green stick or a green carrot for corporate social performance?

Environmental taxes have recently become a popular tool of environmental policy in many countries. Their increased use reflects the belief that taxes provide stronger incentives than conventional (physical) regulation. In addition, a system of environmental taxes may also lead to increased funding for government programmes. This paper develops a management oriented conceptual framework for analysing the impact of environmental taxes on corporate social performance. One of the main conclusions arising from this framework is that an environmental taxation system may lead to an unintended reduction of the affected firms' willingness to respect and support public environmental policies. As a result, environmental taxes may lead to perverse incentives and emerging strategies of cheating behaviour in the long run. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Simultaneous purification of chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA without isolation of intact organelles from green carrot tissue and suspension cultures

We report here the simultaneous purification of chloroplast (cpDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from green tissue and suspension cultures of carrot without organelle isolation. This method is based on isolating total nucleic acids from frozen tissue and separating the nuclear, chloroplast and mitochondrial fractions using sequential isopycnic sedimentation in two gradients of cesium chloride containing bisbenzamide. From 10 g of mature carrot leaves, 10 to 30μg of organelle DNA was consistently recovered from mature carrot leaves, while 30 to 50 μg was recovered from suspension cells. The method can be used to isolate chloroplast and mitochondrial DNAs from single plants without sacrificing the individual.

Secretion of photosynthetic products by carrot tissue cultures

Green carrot callus cultures when exposed to (14)CO2 in a liquid medium showed ligh-dependent (14)C-incorporation into sucrose, glutamine and malic acid. About 5% of total (14)C fixed in a 3 h period appeared in these products in the bathing medium; this was not due to tissue damage. Kinetic studies showed that the release occurred from a metabolic and not a storage compartment. The effects of DCMU, temperature and fluoroacetate demonstrated that release from this compartment was under respiratory and not photosynthetic control.

Photosynthesis by carrot tissue cultures

(14)CO2-fixation rates in green carrot callus cultres (about 35 μg chlorophyll/g fresh wt) were determined in gaseous and liquid media using a range of light intensities and CO2 concentrations. Main products of light-dependent CO2-fixation were sucrose, alanine, glutamine, serine/glycine and malic acid. In darkness, glutamine and malic acid were formed.Light CO2-fixation rates were about ten times higher than dark fixation rates and reached 50-90 μmol/mg chlorophyll/h in 10000 lux, 1% CO2 in air. Net O2-evolution by the tissue was demonstrated polarographically under these conditions. Light CO2-fixation rates were linearly related to chlorophyll levels while dark fixation was independent of chlorophyll content. Lowered O2 partial pressures in gaseous conditions increased (14)CO2-fixation rates. Ribulose diphosphate carboxylase and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase activities and their distribution in subcellular fractions were examined.When carrot tissue cultures were grown for two or four weeks on agar media lacking a carbohydrate source, in 10000 lux and 1% CO2 in either air or N2, dry weight increases were obtained although chlorophyll levels eventually declined.