A Study to Assess the Physio-Culinary Quality of Chia Seeds

Chia (Salvia hispania l.), constitutes a potential alternative raw material and ingredient in food industry applications. Chia seeds are an abundant source of the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, α-linolenic acid. Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid, which, through successive metabolic desaturation and elongation reactions gives rise to dha and epa. EPA and DHA are now widely recognised as having an important role in the prevention of coronary heart disease. Hence, to diversify the use of chia seeds, it was used to develop 4 products, a sweet, a savoury, a drink and a jam in both powdered and raw form. A panel of 25 members was chosen for organoleptic evaluation in order to find the most accepted quantity of chia in each of the products. Nutrition composition of each of these products was enhanced with the addition of chia seeds. Total protein, fat, phosphorous and dietary fibre was increased in all the final variations. The total moisture content of kiwi chia jam was increased due to the addition of chia seeds. Calcium content of chia gel and milk was chemically estimated. The findings showed a 40% increase in calcium content of chia gel as compared to milk. Kiwi chia jam was compared to standard kiwi jam to test the gelling capability of chia seed as an alternative to citric acid. Statistical average was used to see the percentage increase in terms of acceptability and nutrient enhancement from the basic recipe to the final product. Key words: chia seeds, potential raw material, essential fatty acid, chia gel.

Strategic Nutrient Enhancement of Mustard Oil Seed Cake by Briquetting and Koji Fermentation for Ruminants Feed

PurposeEdible oil industries are shifting to the increased production of cold pressed oils in order to preserve some of the vital nutrients the oil. Consequently, the seed cake residue would lack significant nutrients that are otherwise retained in the oils, thus making the quality of residue inferior when applying as cattle feed. MethodsIn this study, mustard oil seed cake (MOSC) was employed as the substrate and the nutritive and feed quality were enhanced using Koji strains viz., Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger, separately and suitable process parameters such as Solid: Liquid, pH, incubation time and inoculum quantity were optimized for the maximum nutritive enhancement of cold pressed MOSC. Changes in physico-chemical properties were analyzed by SEM, EDS, FTIR along with feed functional properties to analyze the quality. Briquetting of MOSC was employed for enhanced microbial encroachment.ResultFree amino acid (FAA) and reducing sugar (RS) were chosen as critical indicators of enrichment. A. oryzae resulted in 20.74 fold and 19.07 fold increase in FAA and RS respectively, whereas, A. niger resulted 13.24 fold and 3.04 fold increase. Critical parameters such as solid:liquid, pH, time and inoculum volume were selected. Briquetting resulted in efficient mycelia coverage as evident from SEM images and EDS analysis indicated enhancement in essential elements in the MOSC. Functional properties after fermentation indicated an effective transformation of MOSC. ConclusionUtilizing these seed cakes as cattle feed not only provide the required nutrition, but also helps in the efficient utilization of the residual waste oilseed cakes.

Effects of Grazing and Nutrients on Phytoplankton Blooms and Microplankton Assemblage Structure in Four Temperate Lakes Spanning a Eutrophication Gradient

Phytoplankton assemblage dynamics are sensitive to biotic and abiotic factors, as well as anthropogenic stressors such as eutrophication, and thus are likely to vary between lakes of differing trophic state. We selected four lakes in Washington State, USA, ranging from oligo- to hypereutrophic, to study the separate and interactive effects of enhanced nutrient availability and zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton net growth rates and overall microplankton (phytoplankton and microzooplankton) assemblage structure. We collected water quality and plankton samples monthly in each lake from May to October 2014, and also conducted laboratory incubation experiments using ambient plankton assemblages from each lake with amendments of zooplankton grazers (5× ambient densities) and nutrients (Nitrogen + Phosphorus) in June, August, and October. In each set of monthly experiments, nested two-way ANOVAs were used to test the effects of enhanced grazers and nutrients on net chlorophyll a-based phytoplankton growth rates. Nested PERMANOVAs were used to test the effects of each factor on microplankton assemblage structure. Enhanced grazing reduced phytoplankton net growth in oligotrophic Cle Elum Lake and oligo-mesotrophic Lake Merwin in August (p < 0.001) and Merwin again in October (p < 0.05), while nutrient enhancement increased phytoplankton net growth in Lake Merwin in June (p < 0.01). Changes in microplankton assemblage composition were not detected as a result of either factor, but they were significantly different between sites (p < 0.001) during each month, and varied by month within each lake. Significant effects of both enhanced grazers and nutrients were detected in systems of low, but not high, trophic state, although this varied by season. We suggest that it is critical to consider trophic state when predicting the response of phytoplankton to bottom-up and top-down factors in lakes.

Diversity in Phenotypic Traits and Mineral Elements of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) Genotypes

African indigenous vegetables need to be improved for yield and nutrient enhancement. This can initially be done through germplasm characterization to know the pattern of genetic diversity for germplasm collection, conservation, and plant breeding programme. This research work was carried out to elucidate the diversity present in forty genotypes of okra in Nigeria as regards their qualitative and quantitative traits together with their mineral elements using cluster analysis and principal component analysis so as to help breeders in crop improvement programmes to select appropriate parents to produce new and better varieties. The experiment was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, Federal University of Technology, Akure, during the rainy season in 2019. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were employed to study the diversity present in the okra genotypes. There was great diversity among the forty genotypes of okra studied with respect to qualitative traits. There were highly significant differences P < 0.01 for all the quantitative characters, which indicated the presence of a great amount of diversity in all the characters studied. Single-linkage cluster analysis shows that, at 100% level of similarity, all the genotypes were distinct from one another. Results of the principal component analysis showed that 76.30% of the total variability among the okra genotypes evaluated in this study was accounted for the first five principal components. This study suggests that there is great diversity among the genotypes studied, which could be used by breeders for okra improvement.

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) from Taverniera cuneifolia (Roth) Arn.: In vitro germination and somatic embryogenesis via tissue culture studies

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is commercially extracted from plant Glycyrrhiza glabra L., while Taverniera cuneifolia (Roth) Arn, licorice of India comprise similar phytochemical constituents but has been least studies on commercial applications. In 21st century, scientist and pharmacognocist explored new biomolecules in several plants which proved to comprise medicinal properties for examination against bacteria and fungi, to circumvent loss of native plants, for better and quantitative extraction using plants of similar properties. GA from the root extracts of plants exhibits promising anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and anti-germ tube formation protection and other cytotoxic activities. This compound has pharmacological properties such as HIV inhibition, in the food sector, mono-ammonium salt (glycyrram) is a form of sweetener with nutrient enhancement properties. The present study experiments on methods for Development of somatic embryos from root culture and to regenerate plant using root cultures. The observations revealed that, shoot initiation and rate of root growth ranged from 65.4% to 89.3% while plant regeneration from somatic embryos was 82.6% when cultures in 1/4th strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium by sucrose 2% used as a supplement. The study illustrates that proliferative germination of seeds in respective media and also suggested that T. cuneifolia could be used as substitute of G. Glabra used as an systematic methodology and plants are mass-produced from a single mother plant.

Prevalence and phenology of mycorrhizal colonization across populations of Lycopodiella inundata

Mycorrhizal fungi are critical components of terrestrial habitats and agroecosystems. Recently, Mucoromycotina fine root endophyte (MucFRE) fungi were found to engage in nutritional mutualism with the rare plant Lycopodiella inundata (‘marsh clubmoss’), one of the earliest vascular plant lineages known to associate with MucFRE. The extent to which this mutualism plays a role in resilient plant populations can only be understood by examining its occurrence rate and phenological patterns.To test for prevalence and seasonality in colonization, we examined 1,297 individual L. inundata roots collected during spring and autumn 2019 from 11 semi-natural heathlands in Britain and the Netherlands. We quantified presence/absence of MucFRE-like hyphae and vesicles and explored possible relationships between temperature and precipitation in the months immediately before sampling.MucFRE-like hyphae were the dominant mycorrhizal fungi observed in all of the examined heathlands. However, we found significant differences in colonization between the two seasons at every site. Overall, 14% of L. inundata roots were colonised in spring (2.4% with vesicles) compared with 86% in autumn (7.6% with vesicles). Colonization levels between populations were also significantly different, and correlated with temperature and precipitation, suggesting some local environments may be more conducive to hyphal growth.These marked seasonal differences in host-plant colonization suggest that results about mycorrhizal status - typically drawn from single time point collections - should be carefully interpreted. Our findings are directly relevant to habitat restoration, species conservation plans, agricultural bio-inoculation nutrient enhancement treatments, microbial diversity and functional studies of host plants and symbionts.

Pruning and fertilization effects on Jatropha yields under smallholder’s conditions in a Tropical Dry Forest from Ecuador

Jatropha seed is a biomass suitable for bioenergy production that can be produced by smallholders, even on marginal lands. However, the current oilseed production is too low to meet the needs of the planned renewable electricity system in the Galapagos Islands. Pruning and fertilization are management options that can be used to increase the dry seed yields. The effects of both treatments were tested in a split-plot design with jatropha trees, which were monitored during a three-year production period. The average seed production was 643±58 kg ha-1 year-1 in the unpruned trees and 696±50 kg ha-1 year-1 in the pruned trees. Although this difference is small, it is expected to increase over time. The pruned trees developed more slowly than the unpruned trees but showed higher (and still increasing) yields at the end of the three-year test period, while the unpruned trees appeared to have reached their maximum production by the second year of the trial. The low fertilizer doses approved by the smallholders did not have a significant impact on the dry seed yield, and the management options that show benefits in the long term are generally not accepted or adopted by them. Cost-effective nutrient enhancement should be investigated, such as inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.