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We tested the “home-field advantage” hypothesis, i.e., that leaves decay faster under the parent tree species in European beech, Douglas fir, and Turkey oak stands in a mountain forest in Italy. The fate of leaves in buried litterbags was monitored for one year to document their carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics, chemical structure, and associated microbial community. The three litter types lost C continuously at a similar rate, regardless of the species they were buried under. On the other hand, the N losses varied among litter types, and beech even gained a small but significant amount of N in the first 3–6 months. Differences between the litters were evident in the alkyl region of the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and smaller in the aromatic and aryl acids regions. By the end of the experiment, all litters had lost substantial quantities of carbohydrates, lignin, proteins, and lipids, particularly oak litter. The richness and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities increased with time. Litter type had the greatest impact on microbial community composition in the first months of decomposition; afterwards, the stand type had a greater influence on the assemblage of decomposer microorganisms. Overall, this study provides little evidence in support of the home-field advantage hypothesis, which could be valid only for oak. Instead, our findings indicate that the chemical composition of litter is the main factor affecting the early stages of litter decomposition. Tree species and soil properties within the stand play an important role in the advanced stages of decomposition since these factors control the assemblage and functions of the soil microbial community.
Roberta Pastorelli; Virginia Costagli; Claudia Forte; Carlo Viti; Bianca Rompato; Giulia Nannini; Giacomo Certini. Litter decomposition: Little evidence of the “home-field advantage” in a mountain forest in Italy. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 2021, 159, 108300 .
AMA StyleRoberta Pastorelli, Virginia Costagli, Claudia Forte, Carlo Viti, Bianca Rompato, Giulia Nannini, Giacomo Certini. Litter decomposition: Little evidence of the “home-field advantage” in a mountain forest in Italy. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2021; 159 ():108300.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberta Pastorelli; Virginia Costagli; Claudia Forte; Carlo Viti; Bianca Rompato; Giulia Nannini; Giacomo Certini. 2021. "Litter decomposition: Little evidence of the “home-field advantage” in a mountain forest in Italy." Soil Biology and Biochemistry 159, no. : 108300.
Digestate from biogas production can be recycled to the soil as conditioner/fertilizer improving the environmental sustainability of the energy supply chain. In a three-year maize-triticale rotation, we investigated the short-term effects of digestate on soil physical, chemical, and microbiological properties and evaluated its effectiveness in complementing the mineral fertilizers. Digestate soil treatments consisted of combined applications of the whole digestate and its mechanically separated solid fraction. Digestate increased soil total organic C, total N and K contents. Soil bulk density was not affected by treatments, while aggregate stability showed a transient improvement due to digestate treatments. A decrement of the transmission pores proportion and an increment of fissures was observed in digestate treated soils. Soil microbial community was only transiently affected by digestate treatments and no soil contamination from Clostridiaceae-related bacteria were observed. Digestate can significantly impair seed germination when applied at low dilution ratios. Crop yield under digestate treatment was similar to ordinary mineral-based fertilization. Overall, our experiment proved that the agronomic recycling of digestate from biogas production maintained a fair crop yield and soil quality. Digestate was confirmed as a valid resource for sustainable management of soil fertility under energy-crop farming, by combining a good attitude as a fertilizer with the ability to compensate for soil organic C loss.
Roberta Pastorelli; Giuseppe Valboa; Alessandra Lagomarsino; Arturo Fabiani; Stefania Simoncini; Massimo Zaghi; Nadia Vignozzi. Recycling Biogas Digestate from Energy Crops: Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 750 .
AMA StyleRoberta Pastorelli, Giuseppe Valboa, Alessandra Lagomarsino, Arturo Fabiani, Stefania Simoncini, Massimo Zaghi, Nadia Vignozzi. Recycling Biogas Digestate from Energy Crops: Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (2):750.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberta Pastorelli; Giuseppe Valboa; Alessandra Lagomarsino; Arturo Fabiani; Stefania Simoncini; Massimo Zaghi; Nadia Vignozzi. 2021. "Recycling Biogas Digestate from Energy Crops: Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity." Applied Sciences 11, no. 2: 750.
Deadwood decomposition is a complex and dynamic process with large implications for biogeochemical cycling of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in forest soil and litter. Moreover, it affects functional and structural diversity of fungal and bacterial communities in these components. Mesocosms with deadwood blocks at progressive decay classes were set in a black pine forest and incubated for 28 months in the field with the aim to assess the impact of deadwood decomposition on i) CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes; ii) C and N pools and allocation among deadwood, litter and soil; iii) the fungal and bacterial structural diversity and activity. CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes from deadwood were monitored throughout the field incubation; deadwood biomass loss and decay rate for each decay class were calculated. The stock of C and N, enzyme activities, fungal and bacterial communities in deadwood, litter fractions (fresh, fragmented and humified) and soil at two depths were measured. Emissions of CO2 and CH4 increased over the deadwood decomposition advancement and the decay reached the maximum rates in the last decomposition classes. N2O fluxes were low and showed either production (prevalent in the first year) or consumption. Independent of the decay class, 20% of C stored in deadwood was lost as CO2 in the atmosphere, whereas 32% was transferred to the fragmented and humified litter fractions in the last decay class. A corresponding increase of cellulose and hemicellulose degrading enzymes was found in deadwood, also favored by substrates accessibility through fragmentation and successional changes in fungal and bacterial communities. Deadwood, litter fractions and soil components were clearly distinguished in terms of chemical and microbiological properties and activities. Fragmented and humified litter fractions were the only components responsive to the advanced stage of deadwood decomposition, being directly affected by the physical redistribution of fragmented organic matter.
Alessandra Lagomarsino; Isabella De Meo; Alessandro Elio Agnelli; Alessandro Paletto; Gianluigi Mazza; Elisa Bianchetto; Roberta Pastorelli. Decomposition of black pine (Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold) deadwood and its impact on forest soil components. Science of The Total Environment 2020, 754, 142039 .
AMA StyleAlessandra Lagomarsino, Isabella De Meo, Alessandro Elio Agnelli, Alessandro Paletto, Gianluigi Mazza, Elisa Bianchetto, Roberta Pastorelli. Decomposition of black pine (Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold) deadwood and its impact on forest soil components. Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 754 ():142039.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlessandra Lagomarsino; Isabella De Meo; Alessandro Elio Agnelli; Alessandro Paletto; Gianluigi Mazza; Elisa Bianchetto; Roberta Pastorelli. 2020. "Decomposition of black pine (Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold) deadwood and its impact on forest soil components." Science of The Total Environment 754, no. : 142039.
Investigations on microbial symbioses in Tephritidae have increased over the past 30 years owing to the potential use of these relationships in developing new control strategies for economically important fruit flies. Bactrocera oleae (Rossi)—the olive fruit fly—is a monophagous species strictly associated with the olive tree, and among all the tephritids, its symbionts are the most investigated. The bacterium Candidatus Erwinia dacicola is the major persistent resident endosymbiont in wild B. oleae populations. Its relationship with B. oleae has been investigated since being identified in 2005. This endosymbiont is vertically transmitted through generations from the female to the egg. It exists at every developmental stage, although it is more abundant in larvae and ovipositing females, and is necessary for both larvae and adults. Studying B. oleae–Ca . E. dacicola, or other B. oleae –microbe interactions, will allow us to develop modern biological control systems for area‐wide olive protection and set an example for similar programs in other important food crops. This review summarizes the information available on tephritid–microbe interactions and investigates relationships among fruit flies, bacteria and host plants; however, its focus is on B. oleae and its strict association with Ca . E. dacicola to promote environmentally friendly control strategies for area‐wide pest management.
Gaia Bigiotti; Patrizia Sacchetti; Roberta Pastorelli; Carol R. Lauzon; Antonio Belcari. Bacterial symbiosis in Bactrocera oleae , an Achilles’ heel for its pest control. Insect Science 2020, 28, 874 -884.
AMA StyleGaia Bigiotti, Patrizia Sacchetti, Roberta Pastorelli, Carol R. Lauzon, Antonio Belcari. Bacterial symbiosis in Bactrocera oleae , an Achilles’ heel for its pest control. Insect Science. 2020; 28 (4):874-884.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGaia Bigiotti; Patrizia Sacchetti; Roberta Pastorelli; Carol R. Lauzon; Antonio Belcari. 2020. "Bacterial symbiosis in Bactrocera oleae , an Achilles’ heel for its pest control." Insect Science 28, no. 4: 874-884.
Background The symbiosis between the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, and Candidatus Erwinia dacicola has been demonstrated as essential for the fly’s larval development and adult physiology. The mass rearing of the olive fruit fly has been hindered by several issues, including problems which could be related to the lack of the symbiont, presumably due to preservatives and antibiotics currently used during rearing under laboratory conditions. To better understand the mechanisms underlying symbiont removal or loss during the rearing of lab colonies of the olive fruit fly, we performed experiments that focused on bacterial transfer from wild female flies to their eggs. In this research, eggs laid by wild females were treated with propionic acid solution, which is often used as an antifungal agent, a mixture of sodium hypochlorite and Triton X, or water (as a control). The presence of the bacterial symbiont on eggs was evaluated by real-time PCR and scanning electron microscopy. Results DGGE analysis showed a clear band with the same migration behavior present in all DGGE profiles but with a decreasing intensity. Molecular analyses performed by real-time PCR showed a significant reduction in Ca. E. dacicola abundance in eggs treated with propionic acid solution or a mixture of sodium hypochlorite and Triton X compared to those treated with water. In addition, the removal of bacteria from the surfaces of treated eggs was highlighted by scanning electron microscopy. Conclusions The results clearly indicate how the first phases of the colony-establishment process are important in maintaining the symbiont load in laboratory populations and suggest that the use of products with antimicrobial activity should be avoided. The results also suggest that alternative rearing procedures for the olive fruit fly should be investigated.
Patrizia Sacchetti; Roberta Pastorelli; Gaia Bigiotti; Roberto Guidi; Sara Ruschioni; Carlo Viti; Antonio Belcari. Olive fruit fly rearing procedures affect the vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiont Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. BMC Biotechnology 2019, 19, 1 -13.
AMA StylePatrizia Sacchetti, Roberta Pastorelli, Gaia Bigiotti, Roberto Guidi, Sara Ruschioni, Carlo Viti, Antonio Belcari. Olive fruit fly rearing procedures affect the vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiont Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. BMC Biotechnology. 2019; 19 (2):1-13.
Chicago/Turabian StylePatrizia Sacchetti; Roberta Pastorelli; Gaia Bigiotti; Roberto Guidi; Sara Ruschioni; Carlo Viti; Antonio Belcari. 2019. "Olive fruit fly rearing procedures affect the vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiont Candidatus Erwinia dacicola." BMC Biotechnology 19, no. 2: 1-13.
Background The olive fly, Bactrocera oleae, is the most important insect pest in olive production, causing economic damage to olive crops worldwide. In addition to extensive research on B. oleae control methods, scientists have devoted much effort in the last century to understanding olive fly endosymbiosis with a bacterium eventually identified as Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. This bacterium plays a relevant role in olive fly fitness. It is vertically transmitted, and it benefits both larvae and adults in wild populations; however, the endosymbiont is not present in lab colonies, probably due to the antibiotics and preservatives required for the preparation of artificial diets. Endosymbiont transfer from wild B. oleae populations to laboratory-reared ones allows olive fly mass-rearing, thus producing more competitive flies for future Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) applications. Results We tested the hypothesis that Ca. E. dacicola might be transmitted from wild, naturally symbiotic adults to laboratory-reared flies. Several trials have been performed with different contamination sources of Ca. E. dacicola, such as ripe olives and gelled water contaminated by wild flies, wax domes containing eggs laid by wild females, cages dirtied by faeces dropped by wild flies and matings between lab and wild adults. PCR-DGGE, performed with the primer set 63F-GC/518R, demonstrated that the transfer of the endosymbiont from wild flies to lab-reared ones occurred only in the case of cohabitation. Conclusions Cohabitation of symbiotic wild flies and non-symbiotic lab flies allows the transfer of Ca. E. dacicola through adults. Moreover, PCR-DGGE performed with the primer set 63F-GC/518R was shown to be a consistent method for screening Ca. E. dacicola, also showing the potential to distinguish between the two haplotypes (htA and htB). This study represents the first successful attempt at horizontal transfer of Ca. E. dacicola and the first step in acquiring a better understanding of the endosymbiont physiology and its relationship with the olive fly. Our research also represents a starting point for the development of a laboratory symbiotic olive fly colony, improving perspectives for future applications of the Sterile Insect Technique.
Gaia Bigiotti; Roberta Pastorelli; Roberto Guidi; Antonio Belcari; Patrizia Sacchetti. Horizontal transfer and finalization of a reliable detection method for the olive fruit fly endosymbiont, Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. BMC Biotechnology 2019, 19, 1 -12.
AMA StyleGaia Bigiotti, Roberta Pastorelli, Roberto Guidi, Antonio Belcari, Patrizia Sacchetti. Horizontal transfer and finalization of a reliable detection method for the olive fruit fly endosymbiont, Candidatus Erwinia dacicola. BMC Biotechnology. 2019; 19 (2):1-12.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGaia Bigiotti; Roberta Pastorelli; Roberto Guidi; Antonio Belcari; Patrizia Sacchetti. 2019. "Horizontal transfer and finalization of a reliable detection method for the olive fruit fly endosymbiont, Candidatus Erwinia dacicola." BMC Biotechnology 19, no. 2: 1-12.
Deadwood plays an important role in the forest ecosystems, providing nutrients and habitat for a wide range of organisms, preventing soil erosion, and improving carbon storage. Microorganisms are primary agents in wood decomposition. The aim of the present research is to describe the changes in diversity, structure and abundance of microbial communities over downy birch lying deadwood decomposition in a boreal forest under natural conditions. This study also included investigations on the potential involvement of deadwood in climate change. The decomposition of deadwood was visually assessed using a five-class system. The microbial community diversity and composition were assessed with polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) fingerprinting. Real time PCR was used to evaluate the absolute and relative microbial abundance. The potential involvement of deadwood in climate change was assessed by in situ-measuring of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from downy birch lying deadwood and from soil. The results obtained indicate that deadwood represents a substrate whose physico-chemical and microbiological property change with time. Higher diversity of fungi, bacteria, and archaea were recorded in the decay class 5. Conversely, actinobacteria showed the lowest values of diversity in decay class 5. We observed a succession of dominant microbial taxa over the decomposition progress. Overall, the abundance of each microbial group increases with the advance of decomposition. Among the estimated physico-chemical properties, nitrogen content, that increased with decay, and pH were the most important candidate drivers of microbial community composition and abundance. CO2 emissions were recorded higher in the decay class 5 and in soil of plots with the highest amount of lying deadwood. Bacteria dominated the microbial community and may play a more important role in the late stages of wood decomposition conversely to fungi and actinobacteria that are assumed to be primary involved in early stages of wood colonization. Archaea are shown to be an integral and dynamic component of decaying wood biota. The presence of large amounts of deadwood may affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially in the event of an increase in temperatures that could reduce the carbon (C) sink capacity of the boreal forests.
Roberta Pastorelli; Alessandro Paletto; Alessandro E. Agnelli; Alessandra Lagomarsino; Isabella De Meo. Microbial communities associated with decomposing deadwood of downy birch in a natural forest in Khibiny Mountains (Kola Peninsula, Russian Federation). Forest Ecology and Management 2019, 455, 117643 .
AMA StyleRoberta Pastorelli, Alessandro Paletto, Alessandro E. Agnelli, Alessandra Lagomarsino, Isabella De Meo. Microbial communities associated with decomposing deadwood of downy birch in a natural forest in Khibiny Mountains (Kola Peninsula, Russian Federation). Forest Ecology and Management. 2019; 455 ():117643.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberta Pastorelli; Alessandro Paletto; Alessandro E. Agnelli; Alessandra Lagomarsino; Isabella De Meo. 2019. "Microbial communities associated with decomposing deadwood of downy birch in a natural forest in Khibiny Mountains (Kola Peninsula, Russian Federation)." Forest Ecology and Management 455, no. : 117643.
The interest in antimicrobial compounds as feed additives is currently increasing. Among different options, tannins seem to have several beneficial effects when employed in animals diet. The present study aimed at investigating the influence on caecal microbial communities of the supplementation of a chestnut and quebracho tannins mix in meat rabbit's diet, also considering animals live performances. Four groups of rabbits were fed with a different diet: a control diet (C); a control diet with coccidiostat (CC), and two experimental diets with 0.3% (T0.3) and 0.6% (T0.6) chestnut and quebracho tannins mix. For microbial analysis, culture-dependent and culture-independent methods were employed. Live performances were not significantly affected by tannins mix supplementations, as well as culturable microbial loads of E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Bacteroides spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. C. perfringens was always under the detection limit. A consistent result was obtained by qPCR. As for PCR-DGGE analysis, the Richness and evenness (Shannon-Weiner index) of bacterial communities in caecum resulted significantly higher in control samples (C and CC) than in those from rabbit fed with tannin-containing diets. Sequencing analysis revealed that the phylum Firmicutes was less represented in samples from control groups. As for the methanogen archaeal DGGE, no significant differences were found in richness and diversity among different groups, all dominated by Methanobrevibacter spp.. This work highlights the potential antimicrobial effect of chestnut and quebracho tannins mix in an in vivo system revealed by molecular analysis.
Barbara Turchi; Simone Mancini; Roberta Pastorelli; Carlo Viti; Laura Tronconi; Fabrizio Bertelloni; Antonio Felicioli; Domenico Cerri; Filippo Fratini; Gisella Paci. Dietary supplementation of chestnut and quebracho tannins mix: Effect on caecal microbial communities and live performance of growing rabbits. Research in Veterinary Science 2019, 124, 129 -136.
AMA StyleBarbara Turchi, Simone Mancini, Roberta Pastorelli, Carlo Viti, Laura Tronconi, Fabrizio Bertelloni, Antonio Felicioli, Domenico Cerri, Filippo Fratini, Gisella Paci. Dietary supplementation of chestnut and quebracho tannins mix: Effect on caecal microbial communities and live performance of growing rabbits. Research in Veterinary Science. 2019; 124 ():129-136.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBarbara Turchi; Simone Mancini; Roberta Pastorelli; Carlo Viti; Laura Tronconi; Fabrizio Bertelloni; Antonio Felicioli; Domenico Cerri; Filippo Fratini; Gisella Paci. 2019. "Dietary supplementation of chestnut and quebracho tannins mix: Effect on caecal microbial communities and live performance of growing rabbits." Research in Veterinary Science 124, no. : 129-136.
Background: The symbiosis between the olive fruit fly,Bactrocera oleae, andCandidatusErwinia dacicola has been demonstrated as essential for the fly’s larval development and adult physiology. The mass rearing of the olive fruit fly has been hindered by several issues, including problems which could be related to the lack of the symbiont, presumably due to preservatives and antibiotics currently used in the laboratory. To better understand the mechanisms underlying symbiont removal or loss during the rearing of lab colonies of the olive fruit fly, we performed experiments that focused on bacterial transfer from wild female flies to their eggs. In this research, eggs laid by wild females were treated with propionic acid solution, which is often used as an antifungal agent, a mixture of sodium hypochlorite and Triton X, or water (as a control). The presence of the bacterial symbiont on eggs was evaluated by real-time PCR and scanning electron microscopy.Results: DGGE analysis showed a clear band with the same migration behavior present in all DGGE profiles but with a decreasing intensity. Molecular analyses performed by real-time PCR showed a significant reduction inCa. E. dacicola abundance in eggs treated with propionic acid solution or a mixture of sodium hypochlorite and Triton X compared to those treated with water. In addition, the removal of bacteria from the surfaces of treated eggs was highlighted by scanning electron microscopy.Conclusions: The results clearly indicate how the first phases of the colony-establishment process are important in maintaining the symbiont load in laboratory populations and suggest that the use of products with antimicrobial activity should be avoided. The results also suggest that alternative rearing procedures for the olive fruit fly should be investigated.
Patrizia Sacchetti; Roberta Pastorelli; Gaia Bigiotti; Roberto Guidi; Sara Ruschioni; Carlo Viti; Antonio Belcari. Olive fruit fly rearing procedures affect the vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiontCandidatusErwinia dacicola. 2018, 367417 .
AMA StylePatrizia Sacchetti, Roberta Pastorelli, Gaia Bigiotti, Roberto Guidi, Sara Ruschioni, Carlo Viti, Antonio Belcari. Olive fruit fly rearing procedures affect the vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiontCandidatusErwinia dacicola. . 2018; ():367417.
Chicago/Turabian StylePatrizia Sacchetti; Roberta Pastorelli; Gaia Bigiotti; Roberto Guidi; Sara Ruschioni; Carlo Viti; Antonio Belcari. 2018. "Olive fruit fly rearing procedures affect the vertical transmission of the bacterial symbiontCandidatusErwinia dacicola." , no. : 367417.
Addition of organic amendments is a common practice to restore fertility and to increase productivity of degraded soils. Long-term effects of this practice on Mediterranean soils are controversial, with previous works showing contrasting results about the durability of the organic material added and its effects on the structure of microbial communities. This article presents results from a long-term soil remediation experiment, where a range of soil chemical and biochemical indicators, as well as indices of microbial diversity and community structure, were analysed 13 years after the first application of two organic amendments (leonardite and biosolid compost) at different doses, in an area contaminated by trace elements. In general, differences in chemical and biochemical properties and trace element availability between control and treated soils were still very evident, mainly in those soils treated with the highest amendment dose. The structure and composition of the soil microbial community was significantly affected by the type of management. The addition of both amendments favoured the increase of the fungal/bacterial ratio in the soil community, although a correlation with the C/N ratio of amendments was not found. The abiotic factors that acted as main drivers of the belowground communities differed between bacteria (more sensitive to Zn and Cd contamination) and fungi (soil pH and nitrogen content). Organic amendments had a direct positive effect on these abiotic factors, especially on the soil pH, a key factor in achieving long-term remediation. The results revealed that the effect of both amendments on the soil is maintained years after their application, although it is necessary to repeat their application to maintain soil pH within appropriate ranges and achieve a long-lasting recovery of soil functions.
María M. Montiel-Rozas; Maria T. Dominguez; Engracia Madejón; Paula Madejón; Roberta Pastorelli; Giancarlo Renella. Long-term effects of organic amendments on bacterial and fungal communities in a degraded Mediterranean soil. Geoderma 2018, 332, 20 -28.
AMA StyleMaría M. Montiel-Rozas, Maria T. Dominguez, Engracia Madejón, Paula Madejón, Roberta Pastorelli, Giancarlo Renella. Long-term effects of organic amendments on bacterial and fungal communities in a degraded Mediterranean soil. Geoderma. 2018; 332 ():20-28.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaría M. Montiel-Rozas; Maria T. Dominguez; Engracia Madejón; Paula Madejón; Roberta Pastorelli; Giancarlo Renella. 2018. "Long-term effects of organic amendments on bacterial and fungal communities in a degraded Mediterranean soil." Geoderma 332, no. : 20-28.
Agro-industrial by-products contain several secondary plant metabolites, such as polyphenols, tannins, saponins, and essential oils. The effects of these compounds on animal metabolism may vary significantly according to the dose, the chemical nature of the molecules, and the overall composition of the diet. In the Mediterranean area, the olive oil extraction is associated with 2 by-products: olive pomace and wastewater, both rich in polyphenols. In particular, wastewater may be further processed to obtain olive crude phenolic concentrate (OCPC). An experiment was carried out aiming to evaluate animal performance, milk fatty acid (FA) profile, diversity of rumen microbial population, and rumen liquor FA profile in dairy ewes fed diets containing extruded linseed (EL) and increasing doses of OCPC. Twenty-eight Comisana ewes in mid lactation were allotted to 4 experimental groups. The experiment lasted 5 wk after 3 wk of adaptation. Diets were characterized by lucerne hay administrated ad libitum and by 800 g/ewe and day of 4 experimental concentrates containing 22% of EL on dry matter and increasing dose of OCPC: 0 (L0), 0.6 (L0.6), 0.8 (L0.8), and 1.2 (L1.2) g of OCPC/kg of dry matter. Milk yield was daily recorded and milk composition was analyzed weekly. At the beginning and at the end of the experiment, samples of rumen liquor were collected to analyze FA profile, changes in rumen microbial population, and dimethylacetal (DMA) composition. The inclusion of OCPC did not affect milk yield and gross composition, whereas milk from L0.8 and L1.2 sheep contained higher concentrations of linoleic (+18%) and α-linolenic acid (+24%) and lower concentration of the rumen biohydrogenation intermediates. A similar pattern was observed for rumen liquor FA composition. No differences were found in the diversity of the rumen microbial population. Total amount of DMA did not differ among treatments, whereas significant differences were found in the concentration of individual DMA; in the diet with a higher amount of OCPC, DMA 13:0, 14:0, 15:0, and 18:0 increased, whereas DMA 16:0 decreased. Probably the presence of polyphenols in the diet induced a rearrangement of bacteria membrane phospholipids as a response to the rumen environment stimulus. Overall, the use of OCPC allowed a significant increase in the polyunsaturated FA content of milk, probably due to a perturbation of the rumen biohydrogenation process. Further studies are needed to understand the correlation between diet composition and the pattern of DMA in rumen liquor.
Alice Cappucci; Susana Alves; Rui J.B. Bessa; Arianna Buccioni; Federica Mannelli; Mariano Pauselli; Carlo Viti; Roberta Pastorelli; Valentina Roscini; Andrea Serra; Giuseppe Conte; Marcello Mele. Effect of increasing amounts of olive crude phenolic concentrate in the diet of dairy ewes on rumen liquor and milk fatty acid composition. Journal of Dairy Science 2018, 101, 4992 -5005.
AMA StyleAlice Cappucci, Susana Alves, Rui J.B. Bessa, Arianna Buccioni, Federica Mannelli, Mariano Pauselli, Carlo Viti, Roberta Pastorelli, Valentina Roscini, Andrea Serra, Giuseppe Conte, Marcello Mele. Effect of increasing amounts of olive crude phenolic concentrate in the diet of dairy ewes on rumen liquor and milk fatty acid composition. Journal of Dairy Science. 2018; 101 (6):4992-5005.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlice Cappucci; Susana Alves; Rui J.B. Bessa; Arianna Buccioni; Federica Mannelli; Mariano Pauselli; Carlo Viti; Roberta Pastorelli; Valentina Roscini; Andrea Serra; Giuseppe Conte; Marcello Mele. 2018. "Effect of increasing amounts of olive crude phenolic concentrate in the diet of dairy ewes on rumen liquor and milk fatty acid composition." Journal of Dairy Science 101, no. 6: 4992-5005.
BackgroundThe olive fly,Bactrocera oleae, is the most important insect pest in olive production, causing economic damage to olive crops worldwide. In addition to extensive research onB. oleaecontrol methods, scientists have devoted much effort in the last century to understanding olive fly endosymbiosis with a bacterium eventually identified asCandidatusErwinia dacicola. This bacterium plays a relevant role in olive fly fitness. It is vertically transmitted, and it benefits both larvae and adults in wild populations; however, the endosymbiont is not present in lab colonies, probably due to the antibiotics and preservatives required for the preparation of artificial diets. Endosymbiont transfer from wildB. oleaepopulations to laboratory-reared ones allows olive fly mass-rearing, thus producing more competitive flies for future Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) applications.ResultsWe tested the hypothesis thatCa.E. dacicola might be transmitted from wild, naturally symbiotic adults to laboratory-reared flies. Several trials have been performed with different contamination sources ofCa.E. dacicola, such as ripe olives and gelled water contaminated by wild flies, wax domes containing eggs laid by wild females, cages dirtied by faeces dropped by wild flies and matings between lab and wild adults. PCR-DGGE, performed with the primer set 63F-GC/518R, demonstrated that the transfer of the endosymbiont from wild flies to lab-reared ones occurred only in the case of cohabitation.ConclusionsCohabitation of symbiotic wild flies and non-symbiotic lab flies allows the transfer ofCa.E. dacicola through adults. Moreover, PCR-DGGE performed with the primer set 63F-GC/518R was shown to be a consistent method for screeningCa.E. dacicola, also showing the potential to distinguish between the two haplotypes (htA and htB). This study represents the first successful attempt at horizontal transfer ofCa.E. dacicola and the first step in acquiring a better understanding of the endosymbiont physiology and its relationship with the olive fly. Our research also represents a starting point for the development of a laboratory symbiotic olive fly colony, improving perspectives for future applications of the Sterile Insect Technique.
Gaia Bigiotti; Roberta Pastorelli; Roberto Guidi; Antonio Belcari; Patrizia Sacchetti. Horizontal transfer and finalization of a reliable detection method for the olive fruit fly endosymbiont,CandidatusErwinia dacicolax. 2018, 326090 .
AMA StyleGaia Bigiotti, Roberta Pastorelli, Roberto Guidi, Antonio Belcari, Patrizia Sacchetti. Horizontal transfer and finalization of a reliable detection method for the olive fruit fly endosymbiont,CandidatusErwinia dacicolax. . 2018; ():326090.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGaia Bigiotti; Roberta Pastorelli; Roberto Guidi; Antonio Belcari; Patrizia Sacchetti. 2018. "Horizontal transfer and finalization of a reliable detection method for the olive fruit fly endosymbiont,CandidatusErwinia dacicolax." , no. : 326090.
Dredged sediments have currently no broad reuse options as compared to other wastes due to their peculiar physico-chemical properties, posing problems for the management of the large volumes of sediments dredged worldwide. In this study we evaluated the performance of sediment (S) co-composted with green waste (GW) as growing medium for ornamental plants. Analysis of the microbial community structure, eco-toxicological tests, were conducted on sediments at 1:1 and 3:1S:GW composting ratios. Sediment-based growing media were then reused to growth the ornamental plant Photina x fraseri in a pilot-scale experiment and plants' physiological and chemical parameters were measured. The results showed that co-composting with green waste increased the diversity of bacteria, fungi and archaea as compared to the untreated sediments, and that both the 1:1 and 3:1 S:GW composted sediments had no substantial eco-toxicological impacts, allowing an excellent plant growth. We concluded that co-composted of sediment with green waste produce a growing medium with suitable properties for growing ornamental plants, and represent a sustainable option for beneficial use of dredged sediments.
Paola Mattei; Roberta Pastorelli; Gabriele Rami; Stefano Mocali; Laura Giagnoni; Cristina Gonnelli; Giancarlo Renella. Evaluation of dredged sediment co-composted with green waste as plant growing media assessed by eco-toxicological tests, plant growth and microbial community structure. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2017, 333, 144 -153.
AMA StylePaola Mattei, Roberta Pastorelli, Gabriele Rami, Stefano Mocali, Laura Giagnoni, Cristina Gonnelli, Giancarlo Renella. Evaluation of dredged sediment co-composted with green waste as plant growing media assessed by eco-toxicological tests, plant growth and microbial community structure. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2017; 333 ():144-153.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaola Mattei; Roberta Pastorelli; Gabriele Rami; Stefano Mocali; Laura Giagnoni; Cristina Gonnelli; Giancarlo Renella. 2017. "Evaluation of dredged sediment co-composted with green waste as plant growing media assessed by eco-toxicological tests, plant growth and microbial community structure." Journal of Hazardous Materials 333, no. : 144-153.
In Sustainable Forest Management, decaying wood plays an important role in forest biodiversity, carbon balance and nutrient cycling. The management of this important component of forest ecosystems is limited by the fact that little is known about relationships between substrate quality and community structure of wood-inhabiting microorganisms. During decomposition, carbon stored in deadwood is lost either in the atmosphere or in the soil, but to our knowledge, limited information on the quantities of CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted is available. In the present research we investigated the correlation between the decay of logs, the decomposer microorganisms and their activities, in terms of GHG production and enzymes, in a black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold ssp. nigra) degraded forest. The decomposition of deadwood was visually assessed using a five-class system, and for each decay class four wood samples were collected. CO2, CH4 and N2O potential production from each decay class was measured in closed systems by means of gas chromatography. Enzyme activities related to carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus cycling were measured fluorometrically. The composition of decomposer microbial communities (fungi, bacteria and actinobacteria) was assessed by using polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting. CO2 production and enzyme activities were significantly higher in the last decay classes of deadwood. The molecular approach highlighted differences in microbial community structure both at species and abundance levels, depending on the rate of decay.
Roberta Pastorelli; Alessandro E. Agnelli; Isabella De Meo; Anna Graziani; Alessandro Paletto; Alessandra Lagomarsino. Analysis of Microbial Diversity and Greenhouse Gas Production of Decaying Pine Logs. Forests 2017, 8, 224 .
AMA StyleRoberta Pastorelli, Alessandro E. Agnelli, Isabella De Meo, Anna Graziani, Alessandro Paletto, Alessandra Lagomarsino. Analysis of Microbial Diversity and Greenhouse Gas Production of Decaying Pine Logs. Forests. 2017; 8 (7):224.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberta Pastorelli; Alessandro E. Agnelli; Isabella De Meo; Anna Graziani; Alessandro Paletto; Alessandra Lagomarsino. 2017. "Analysis of Microbial Diversity and Greenhouse Gas Production of Decaying Pine Logs." Forests 8, no. 7: 224.
Tiziana Irdani; Patrizia Bogani; Roberta Pastorelli. Meloydogine incognita (Nematoda) reproduction affected by plants overexpressing a steroid inducible gene-expression system. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 2017, 98, 54 -61.
AMA StyleTiziana Irdani, Patrizia Bogani, Roberta Pastorelli. Meloydogine incognita (Nematoda) reproduction affected by plants overexpressing a steroid inducible gene-expression system. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology. 2017; 98 ():54-61.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTiziana Irdani; Patrizia Bogani; Roberta Pastorelli. 2017. "Meloydogine incognita (Nematoda) reproduction affected by plants overexpressing a steroid inducible gene-expression system." Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology 98, no. : 54-61.
We studied how the Lo5 and T250 maize lines, characterized by high and low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), respectively, modified the microbial biomass, enzymatic activities and microbial community structure in the rhizosphere after exposure to different N forms. The two maize lines were grown for 4 weeks in rhizoboxes allowing precise sampling of rhizosphere and bulk soil with no nutrient additions, and then exposed to with nitric-, ammonium- and urea-N. After N exposure, the plants were inserted back into their original rhizoboxes to allow the root exudates diffusion into the rhizosphere. After 24 h rhizosphere soil were sampled and analyzed. Microbial biomass and soil enzymatic activities were increased after the exposure to different N forms of both maize lines. The plant exposure to different N forms also induced changes in the rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities composition. Plant responses to the availability of different N forms was a dominant factor regulating activity and composition of the rhizosphere microbial communities, likely due to changes in the rhizodepositions. Therefore different N forms used for fertilization of agriculturally relevant plants such as maize can result in different plant mediated effects on the microbial activity and community structure in the rhizosphere.
Laura Giagnoni; Roberta Pastorelli; Stefano Mocali; Mariarita Arenella; Paolo Nannipieri; Giancarlo Renella. Availability of different nitrogen forms changes the microbial communities and enzyme activities in the rhizosphere of maize lines with different nitrogen use efficiency. Applied Soil Ecology 2016, 98, 30 -38.
AMA StyleLaura Giagnoni, Roberta Pastorelli, Stefano Mocali, Mariarita Arenella, Paolo Nannipieri, Giancarlo Renella. Availability of different nitrogen forms changes the microbial communities and enzyme activities in the rhizosphere of maize lines with different nitrogen use efficiency. Applied Soil Ecology. 2016; 98 ():30-38.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLaura Giagnoni; Roberta Pastorelli; Stefano Mocali; Mariarita Arenella; Paolo Nannipieri; Giancarlo Renella. 2016. "Availability of different nitrogen forms changes the microbial communities and enzyme activities in the rhizosphere of maize lines with different nitrogen use efficiency." Applied Soil Ecology 98, no. : 30-38.