We investigated sugar uptake and transport in rice (Oryza sativa) embryo during grain germination. Endogenous sugar levels, accumulation of starch granules, and gene expression of a rice sucrose transporter (OsSUT1) were examined using rice embryos germinated with or without exogenous sugar supply. Starch granules remarkably accumulated in the cells around vascular bundles as a consequence of t...

Partitioning of dry matter (DM) in sugarcane is of interest for two fundamental reasons. Firstly sugar production depends directly on partitioning of biomass to the stalk and then to sucrose stored in the stalk. Secondly, various DM components of the stalk and particularly sucrose concentration are used to calculate the value of cane consignments delivered to the mill (Berding, 1997). The value...

Several recent studies have shown that post-oral sugar sensing rapidly stimulates ingestion. Here, we explored the specificity with which early-phase post-oral sugar sensing influenced ingestive motivation. In experiment 1, rats were trained to associate the consumption of 0.3 M sucrose with injections of LiCl (3.0 meq/kg ip, conditioned taste aversion) or given equivalent exposures to the stim...

Sugars are essential contributors to fruit flavour. Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage has been proved to be beneficial for maintaining harvested fruit quality. To explore regulatory mechanism of sugar metabolism in fruit stored in CA condition, we cloned several genes, encoding key enzymes, involved in sugar metabolism in apple fruit, and analyzed sugar contents, along with gene expression and...

In this study we sought to determine the effect of daily sucrose consumption in young rats on their subsequent performance in tasks that involve the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. High levels of sugar consumption have been associated with the development of obesity, however less is known about how sugar consumption influences behavioral control and high-order cognitive processes. Of particu...

Many nectar-feeding bird species decrease food intake when sugar concentration in food is increased. This feeding response can be explained by two alternative hypotheses: compensatory feeding and physiological constraint. The compensatory feeding hypothesis predicts that if birds vary intake to maintain a constant energy intake to match energy expenditures, then they should increase intake when...

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is commonly found in soft drinks and juice beverages, as well as in many pre-packaged foods such as breakfast cereals, baked goods and dairy desserts. Historically, sucrose (table sugar) was primarily added to processed foods and beverages as the sweetening agent. In recent years, the use of HFCS has significantly increased in popularity due to its sweetness, abi...

In a four-year experiment, five nitrogen rates (0, 60, 120, 180 and 240 kg N ha-1) were tested over irrigated sugar beets grown on clays, underMediterranean conditions, in centralGreece. There, sugar beets are commonly grown under water shortages, high temperatures and high soil Na concentrations. Contrary to previous reports, N rates did not affect significantly population density (as asse...

According to most textbooks, only non-reducing carbohydrate species such as sucrose, sugar alcohols, and raffinose-family sugars function as phloem translocates. Occasional abundance of reducing sugar species (such as hexoses) in sieve-tube sap has been discarded as an experimental artefact. This study, however, discloses a widespread occurrence of hexoses in the sieve-tube sap. Phloem exudatio...