Jarq-japan Agricultural Research Quarterly 

About: Jarq-japan Agricultural Research Quarterly is an academic journal published by Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Soil water. It has an ISSN identifier of 0021-3551. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 2173 publications have been published receiving 19174 citations. The journal is also known as: Japan agricultural research quarterly.

Genome Sequence of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae Suggests Contribution of Large Numbers of Effector Genes and Insertion Sequences to Its Race Diversity

Abstract: The plant-pathogenic prokaryote Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial blight, one of the most important diseases of rice. The bacterium is a model organism for the analysis of plant-pathogen interaction, because more than 30 races differing in virulence and 25 resistance genes in rice have been reported to date. We present here the complete genome sequence of Xoo strain MAFF 311018. The size of the genome was 4,940,217 bp, in a single circular chromosome. The genome structure of Xoo MAFF 311018 was characterized by large numbers of effector (avr) genes of the avrBs3/pth family and insertion sequences (ISs). RFLP analysis of diverse strains using ISXo1 as a probe suggests that the prevalence of mobile elements in this species, which can bring about genome inversions and rearrangement, may have played a major role in generating the high degree of genetic diversity and race differentiation characteristic of this pathogen. The Xoo MAFF 311018 sequence was also highly similar to those of X. axonopodis pv. citri and X. campestris pv. campestris with the exception of the large number of effectors and IS elements, and numerous inversions and rearrangements.

Production and use of marine algae in Japan

Abstract: About 200 kinds of marine algae grow in the ocean surrounding Japan. Moreover, a large amount of marine algae is cultivated domestically for use as foods and industrial materials. The production of marine algae was 639,210 t, amounting to ?164,642 million in 1998. The marine algae used as foods consist of about 50 species, and the production was about 172,000 t in 1996. Japanese have eaten marine algae as a source of supply of minerals and vitamins. However, the dietary intake of marine algae is about 1/5 compared with that of fish. Recently, it has been suggested that the increase in the incidence of adult diseases in Japan, such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc. was caused by the decrease in the dietary intake of fish, shellfish and marine algae. The nutritional role of marine algae was examined and it was recognized that marine algae contribute to the prevention and treatment of various diseases. We also analyzed the effect of Undaria pinnatifida (Wakame) on the decrease of the concentration of serum and liver triacylglycerol in rats.

Chemical Composition and Antifungal Activity of Essential Oil from Cymbopogon nardus (Citronella Grass)

Abstract: The objective of this study was to elucidate the chemical composition of essential oil from Cymbopogon nardus (citronella oil) and its antifungal activity. Chemical composition of the citronella oil was determined by capillary gas chromatography (GC) and GC/ mass spectrometry. Major constituents of the oil were geraniol (35.7% of total volatiles), trans-citral (22.7%), cis-citral (14.2%), geranyl acetate (9.7%), citronellal (5.8%) and citronellol (4.6%). The antifungal assay using the vapor-agar contact method showed that the crude essential oil markedly suppressed the growth of several species of Aspergillus, Penicillium and Eurotium at a dose of 250 mg/L in air. The most active compounds among the 16 examined volatiles, consisting of 6 major constituents of the essential oil and 10 other related monoterpenes were citronellal and linalool. Citronellal and linalool completely inhibited the growth of all tested fungal strains at a dose of 112 mg/L. Their minimum inhibitory doses ranged from 14 to 56 mg/L. The α- and β- pinenes showed an inhibitory activity against some fungi, whereas the other 8 volatile compounds lacked this property.

Physiological Functionality of Purple-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes Containing Anthocyanins and Their Utilization in Foods

Abstract: Studies on the physiological functionality of purple-fleshed sweet potatoes and their dominant anthocyanin pigments are described. The purple-fleshed sweet potato cultivar 'Ayamurasaki' contained anthocyanins, which consisted of mono- or di-acylated forms of cyanidin (YGM-1a, -1b, -2 and -3) and peonidin (YGM-4b, -5a, -5b and -6). It was also rich in anthocyanins with peonidin aglycon. The 'Ayamurasaki' extract and the purified YGM exhibited multiple physiological functions such as radical-scavenging, antirnutagenic, angiotensin I-converting enzyme-inhibitory, and α-glucosidase-inhibitory activities in vitro. Moreover, they also showed an ameliorative effect on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury and decreased postprandial blood glucose levels in rats. In addition, their role in restoring the liver function and blood pressure levels to normal in volunteers with impaired hepatic function and/or hypertension was also confirmed. The acylated anthocyanins, which were the major radical scavengers in 'Ayamurasaki', were directly absorbed into the blood stream of rats and were present as intact acylated forms in the plasma, and could also enhance the plasma antioxidative capacity. Based on these evidences, the purple-fleshed sweet potato can be recommended as a superior source for the production of foods with health benefits. Some foods and beverages in Japan that utilize these characteristics of anthocyanin pigments are also introduced in this paper.