Effect of Aflatoxin B1 Contaminated Corn and Their Products on Some Physiology Parameters in Laboratory Rats

This study was conducted in the laboratories of the Department of Food Sciences/College of Agriculture and in the animal house of the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Central Laboratory at Tikrit University for the period from the beginning of September 2020 to the end of February 2021, with the aim of identifying the types of fungi contaminating corn grains and their products in Iraqi stores and markets and estimating the concentration of Aflatoxin B1 toxins using ELISA technique, the results of Aflatoxin B1 tests showed that all samples contained a higher percentage of what is allowed to be used in human food, which was between (39.5-29) μg/g. The results also showed that feeding of corn samples and its products contaminated with Aflatoxin B1 to rats fed for 21 days affected the significant decrease (p<0.05) in body weight and weight gained for laboratory rats, as well as liver, kidney and spleen enlargement for those animals. There was also a significant decrease in the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin and an increase in the number of white blood cells compared with the control group. The results also showed a significant increase in the activity of liver enzymes for AST, ALT and ALP, and an increase in the concentration of renal parameters for both urea and creatinine concentrations.

Toxicological Stability of Ocimum basilicum Essential Oil and Its Major Components in the Control of Sitophilus zeamais

Essential oils (EOs) are widely recognized as efficient and safe alternatives for controlling pest insects in foods. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating the toxicological stability of botanical insecticides in stored grains in order to establish criteria of use and ensure your efficiency. The objective of this work was to evaluate the toxicological stability of basil essential oil (O. basilicum) and its linalool and estragole components for Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) adults in corn grains by fumigation. The identification of the chemical compounds of the essential oil was performed with a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass selective detector. Mortality of insects was assessed after 24 h exposure. After storage for six (EO) and two months (linalool and estragole) under different conditions of temperature (5, 20, and 35 °C) and light (with and without exposure to light), its toxicological stability was evaluated. Studies revealed that the essential oil of O. basilicum and its main components exhibited insecticidal potential against adults of S. zeamais. For greater toxicological stability, suitable storage conditions for them include absence of light and temperatures equal to or less than 20 °C.

TECHNOLOGY OF ISOLATION OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES FROM MAKHALI CORN GRAIN

Research has been carried out to obtain oil from corn grown in the Khorezm region. The amount of protein, oil, starch and fiber in the composition of corn grains has been determined. Optimal indicators of the technology for obtaining corn oil by extraction with ethyl alcohol have been determined. The amount of oil in grain and corn germ has been studied. Ethanol seed oil separation is exploring the advantages of the wet process.

Comparative effectiveness of the use of wet flattened corn grain in the rations of lactating cows

In order to effectively provide the body of cows with energy during the increasing the milk yield without the risk of acidosis, progressive animal breeders of the Altai Territory include wet flattened corn grain in the composition of concentrated feed. The question of the expediency and economic effectiveness of using wet flattened corn grain for cows of various physiological groups – first-calf heifers and mature animals continues to be debatable. Therefore, a comparative assessment of two options for feeding wet flattened corn grain to cows under the conditions of the Altai Territory is considered promising in modern animal husbandry and is of great practical interest. The purpose of the work was to identify the optimal and economically feasible option for using wet flattened corn grain in the rations of lactating cows. When using wet flattened corn grains in an amount of 7,1 % of the nutritional value of the ration the first-calf heifers during the period of increasing the milk yield, productivity has increased by 20,9 %. The average daily milk yield was 17,3 kg, which significantly exceeded the indicator of the control group (P > 0,95). The inclusion of wet flattened corn grains in the ration of mature cows in the amount of 1 kg for 30–35 days before calving, then 4,5 kg from 15 to 75 days after calving allows us to get the average daily milk yield of 30 kg or 20,3 % higher than that of the control group of herdmates (P > 0,95). The effectiveness of the use of wet flattened corn grain had significant indicators: the total profit from the sale of dairy products of the first-calf heifers of the experimental group amounted to 16 251,3 rubles/head, and from the sale of milk of mature cows of the experimental group it was 30 346,43 rubles/head.

Mathematical Model for Describing Corn Grain Dehydration Kinetics after a Nixtamalization Process

In this research, the mathematical model associated with the hydrothermal dehydration process of Nixtamalized Corn Grains (NCG) with different Steeping Time (ST) values, allows the fitting of experimental data with initial moisture M0 and the equilibrium moisture ME as a function of Isothermal Dehydration Time (IDT). The moisture percentage for any time t and dehydration rate (isolines M(t) and isolines vI respectively) of the NCG is shown by means of matrix graphics as a simultaneous function of IDT and ST. The relationship between initial dehydration rate v0 and initial moisture M0 establishes as a function of ST. Also, the mathematical model associated with the solution of the second Fick’s law allows calculating the diffusivity rate vk (H2O molecules out of NCG) and verify that the rate of change in moisture and the dynamical proportionality constant k has a non-linear dependence on the IDT and that k is directly proportional to Deff. The k values strongly relate to ST and the calcium ions percentage into NCG according to solubility lime values into cooking water (or nejayote) as a function of decreasing temperature when ST increases.

PROVISION OF CONDITIONS OF COMPARABILITY OF RESULTS IN FIELD BIOTECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH USING A COMPUTER EXPERIMENT

When conducting biotechnological field studies using plant objects, there is a problem of taking into account the heterogeneity of the results, the imperfection of methods leads to the need for multiple repetitions of experiments, but the issue of reproducibility and comparability of research results is not resolved, therefore, the use of mathematical models in research makes it possible not only to identify, but also to explain the obtained patterns. The subject of the study in the article is a simulation model for estimating the mass of corn grains taking into account their genotype and growing conditions. The model is based on an analytical expression that reflects the main reasons for the growth of corn seeds after pollination of the plant. The mass of corn grains depends on a number of biological factors (genotype), technological – soil structure (its fertility and methods of cultivation), and climatic conditions (humidity, light intensity). The aim of the study is to create a simulation model to ensure the comparability of the results obtained when growing corn for grain in different conditions. Biological (cultivation) and mathematical (simulation model) methods were used as methods for obtaining and constructing results. The discrepancy in the estimation of the mass of grain of the same genotype grown in different research farms of different climatic zones of Ukraine and obtained by calculation was not more than 18 % and obtained experimentally up to 64 %. A feature of the model is the independence of the heterogeneity of the bioobject (studied lines and hybrids) from the conditions of their cultivation (soil structure and climatic conditions). The application of mathematical modeling makes it possible to reduce the differences in the studied indicators up to 25 times, which were obtained in different experiments, thereby significantly reducing time, money and provide a condition for comparability of results to obtain a reliable result.