PATENT

method of estimating Fo is provided which in- cludes illuminating a light impermeable chamber housing a plant with light ofa pre-determined in- tensity, measuring the fluorescence emission, determining the slope of a first regression line prior to full opening of the shutter; determining the slope of a second regression line of measure- ments after the shutter is fully opened and deter- mining the intersecting point between these two lines. A method of determining the corrected and normalized fluorescence emissions from a plant is provided.

5017397

P R O C E S S F O R E X T R A C T I N G A N T I O X I D A N T S F R O M

L A B I A T A E H E R B S

Uy Nguyen, Grigory Frakman, David A Evans, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Natural plant extracts exhibiting improved anti- oxidant properties are prepared from ground leaves of the Labiatae family of domestic herbs by application of a supercritical fluid extraction and fractionation process with carbon dioxide under specific operating conditions. The extracts have greater antioxidant activity than natural antioxidants extracted using other processes such as solvent extraction or molecular distilla- tion. The extracts of the invention are oil soluble, colorless and flavorless when used at the op- timum levels and provide more cost-effective protection from oxidation than existing natural antioxidants. They are effectve in animal and vegetable fats and oils, processed meats and fish, processed foods and beverages, food colorants, cosmetics and health-care products at usage reates of 0.0 I-0.05% of fat/oil. Starting materials include Rosmarinus spp. or Salvia spp. or Thymis spp. or Origanum spp. of the common domestic herbs rosemary, sage, thyme and oregano or residues of same after removal of volatile aromatic and flavor components by means of. steam distillation, subcritical carbon dioxide or supercritical carbon dioxide at pre- ssures of less than 350 bar.

5017490

M E T H O D F O R IN V I T R O R E P R O D U C T I O N A N D G R O W T H

O F C E L L S IN C U L T U R E M E D I U M

Van Taiariol, Robert Oakley, Peter Ventura as- signed to Baxter International Inc

ABSTRACTS 5,37

Method and apparatus for in vitro culture of cells in culture medium to produce a viable cell mass of cell number greater than the initial cell number, wherein a cell mass of particular cell number is cultured in a first oxygen-permeable culture sub-compartment to an increased cell number, and then aseptically transferred directly from the first sub-compartment to a next serial culture sub-compartment providing additional medium and/or culture space for further growth and reproduction to produce a viable cell mass of still higher cell number. Continued transfers are made, if necessary, to successive serial culture sub-compartment until a viable cell mass of desired cell number is attained, particularly one useful for seeding of a production-scale culture system.

5017491

P R O C E S S F O R R E G E N E R A T I N G S U N F L O W E R S BY E M B R Y O G E N E S I S

Georges Freyssinet, Martine Freyssinet, St Cyr Au Mont d'Or, France assigned to Rhone- Poulenc Agrochimie

Process for regenerating cultivars from imma- ture embryos. It comprises three stages: forma- tion of embryogenic calluses in a medium containing a hormone of the cytokinin type, cul- turing the calluses in a medium of the same na- ture as above, culturing the plantlets. Application to sunflower cultivars.

5024837

C O L E O P T E R A N A C T I V E M I C R O O R G A N I S M S , R E L A T E D I N S E C T I C I D E C O M P O S I T I O N S

A N D M E T H O D S F O R T H E I R P R O D U C T I O N A N D U S E

William P Donovan, Jose M Gonzalez, Barry Levinson, Anthon Macaluso

This invention relates to Bacillus thuringiensis strains that have insecticidal activity against lepidopteran and coleopteran insects, the coleopteran-active endotoxin being produced by an acquired plasmid. This invention also relates to the crystalline protein toxin useful as a bio- logical insecticide against Coleoptera which toxin is produced by the strain of Bacillus thuringiensis. This invention also relates to the

538 PATENT ABSTRACTS

expression in various microorganisms of the gene, known as cryC, which codes for this toxin, and for related novel insecticide compositions and methods for their use.

5024944

T R A N S F O R M A T I O N , S O M A T I C E M B R Y O G E N E S I S A N D W H O L E

P L A N T R E G E N E R A T I O N M E T H O D F O R G L Y C I N E S P E C I E S

Glenn B Collins, David F Hildebrand, Paul Laz- zeri, Thomas Adams, Wayne A Parrott, Lynn M Hartweck assigned to Lubrizol Genetics lnc; The University of Kentucky Research Founda- tion Inc

A method for somatic embryogcnesis of soy- bean, (Glycine max), Glycine soja and other Glycine species is provided using immature cotyledon tissue, preferably with the embryonic axis removed, comprising culturing said tissue on a medium containing auxin, preferably NAA at a concentration of at least about 15 mg/I. A further method for such somatic embryogenesis is provided wherein the culture medium contains a synergistically acting lowered carbohydrate and auxin concentration. Particularly em- bryogenic cells of such tissue are identified and improved maceration methods for contacting such cells with regeneration and transformation media are disclosed. Methods for transforming somatic tissue from soybean and other Glycine species are also provided. Whole, fertile, trans- formed plants are obtained.

5026547

C O M P O U N D H A V I N G I N S E C T I C I D A L A C T I V I T Y A N D I N S E C T I C I D E C O M P O S I T I O N

C O N T A I N I N G T H E S A M E

Kei-ichi Imamura, Shuichi Gomi, Michiaki lwata, Shinji Miyadoh, Masaru Shimura, Takashi Shomura, Masaji Sezaki, Shigeharu In- oye, Kanagawa, Japan assigned to Meiji Seika Kaisha Ltd

A novel compound having an intense in- secticidal activity and a process for producing the same which comprises culturing a strain belonging to the genus Humicola and isolating the compound from the culture.

5028253

P R O C E S S F O R C O N T R O L L I N G U N D E S I R A B L E V E G E T A T I O N

W I T H C O L L E T O T R I C H U M C O C C O D E S S P O R E S

Alan K Watson, Alan R Gotlieb, Pincourt, VT, Canada assigned to The Royal Institution for the Advancement of Learning (McGill Univ ); The Univ of Vermont and State Agriculturual Colleg

There is disclosed a process for controlling un- desirable vegetation, especially velvetleaf by ap- plying Colletotrichum coccodes spores onto the undesirable vegetation or onto the situs of the undesirable vegetation. The composition in- cluding the fungus spores in an agricultural car- rier as well as the growing of the fungus on solid or liquid media are also disclosed. The spores germinate, infect the undesirable vegetation and result in a pathogenic disease which kills or reduces the growth of this undesirable plant.

5028540

A V I A N I M M U N O G L O B U L I N P R O D U C I N G C E L L L I N E S

Eric H Humphries assigned to The Board of Re- gents The University of Texas System

The present invention involves a method for pre- paring antibody-producing chicken cell clones. This method comprises a series of steps including initially immunizing a first chicken with a desired antigen. A population of antibody-producing lymphocytes from bursa or spleen of the first chicken is separated. The antibody-producing lymphocyte population is then infected with helper-free reticuloendotheliosis virus REV-T or helper-free reticuloendotheliosis virus REV-T and CSV (preferably REV-T(CSV) and trans- planted into a second chicken, the second chicken having been pretreated to remove nor- mal B cells. The transplanted lymphocytes to proliferate in the .~ond chicken, preferably for a period of at least about two weeks. The lymphocytes from spleen, bursa or peripheral blood of the second chicken are isolated and plated out, for example in microtiter plates. Cell clones producing antibody such as IgG or IgM directed against the desired antigen are then selected. The isolation step most preferably in- volves cell culturing in the microtitcr plates for a period of at least about one week.