Antioxidant potential, anti-nutritional factors, volatile compounds and phenolic composition of microwave heat-treated plum (Prunus domestica. L.) kernels: an analytical approach

PurposeThe study was aimed to explore the potential impact of microwave heating (450 W for 2, 4, 6 and 8 min) on antioxidant activity, anti-nutritional factors, volatile and phenolic compounds of the plum kernels.Design/methodology/approachPlum kernels are rich in proteins, lipids and bioactive compounds that are mostly underused and undervalued.FindingsThe results showed that microwave heating at 450 W for 6 min significantly (p < 0.05) increased the antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid content, while the longer treatment time (450 W for 8 min) adversely affected the phenolic compounds. Most importantly, the anti-nutritional factors like amygdalin, hydrocyanic acid, phytic acid and tannin content were reduced up to 87.1, 84.7, 20.9 and 46.2%, respectively at 450 W for 6 min treatment conditions, which was confirmed from the larger shifts observed in FT-IR spectra near 1,157 cm−1. Microwave heating at 450 W for 6 min also proved beneficial in improving the bioavailability of volatile and phenolic compounds including chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, syringic acid, (+)-catechin, caffeic acid, ß-carotene, trans-ferulic acid, rutin trihydrate, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid, tannic acid and quercetin by liberating them from the plant matrix.Originality/valueThe results thus indicate that controlled microwave heating could be an effective approach for the reduction of anti-nutritional factors besides leading to an overall improvement in antioxidant potential and volatile and phenolic compounds. This novel technological approach can proliferate the use of plum kernels in different diversified food formulations.

Cyanogenesis in Aralia spinosa (Araliaceae)

A systematic survey of Aralia spinosa (Araliaceae), covering an entire growing season and including aboveground organs at various developmental stages, revealed that only about half of all samples collected showed cyanogenesis. Cyanogenesis was detected in inflorescences and leaves but is apparently restricted to certain harvest times or developmental stages. The structurally unusual triglochinin, characterized by a hex-2-enedioic acid partial structure, was the only cyanogenic glycoside detected. This is the first description of triglochinin in this species and in the family of Araliaceae. Triglochinin is biogenetically derived from tyrosine, which is in good agreement with the few cyanogenic glycosides previously detected in members of the Araliaceae family. Triglochinin was identified, characterized, and quantified by modern chromatographic methods, and the amount of enzymatically releasable hydrocyanic acid was determined qualitatively and quantitatively. Two isomers of triglochinin were detected chromatographically at minor levels. The isomeric pattern agreed well with literature data from other triglochinin-containing plants. This was confirmed in the two species, Triglochin maritima and Thalictrum aquilegiifolium, which were comparatively studied. In the case of A. spinosa, inflorescence buds harvested in July showed the highest content of triglochinin, just under 0.2% on a dry weight basis. The detection of triglochinin adds to the knowledge of toxicological properties and the dereplication of U(H)PLC/MS² data provides a comprehensive phytochemical profile of A. spinosa.

Creation of a new breeding material for creeping clover (Trifolium repens L.) hay-pasture type using the hybridization method

The studies were carried out in the Moscow region in 2019-2021. In order to create a new breeding material for creeping hay-pasture clover, samples of the Lodian type (giganteum variety), characterized by high peduncles and longer leaf petioles, and a low content of hydrocyanic acid (0.3 mg%), were selected as parental forms. Reciprocal crossing was carried out. Hybrids F1 and F2 in the first year of life were assessed by the main economic and biological characteristics: the length of the peduncles, the number of inflorescences on the plant, fodder and seed productivity, early maturity, winter hardiness and other indicators. Based on the assessment results, the best hybrids and individual biotypes were identified.

The problems of breeding new varieties of forage and other plants for improving the soil in organic farming in Russia

In the agriculture of Russia, organic farming is still relatively uncommon, aimed at obtaining ecologically pure food products of the highest quality category. Such agriculture is characterized by minimal use (up to complete rejection of the use) of various pesticides and other agrochemicals. Tillage under such a farming system is also minimized. At the same time, the use of green manure plants is of great importance. The most famous of these is the seradella. But this culture is most common in the southern regions. In Western Europe, it has been used for this purpose for hundreds of years. On the territory of our country, other crops are used and mainly these are fodder plants: yellow lupine, narrow-leaved lupine, white lupine, hedgehog, perennial ryegrass, white mustard. gray mustard, spring rape, winter rape, spring vetch, winter furry vetch, meadow clover and many others. To create specialized varieties, the main thing is to select plants that, to the maximum extent, will be able to suppress the development of weeds, increase soil fertility, and make poorly soluble nutrients available. In our country, there is a huge number of soil differences and climate features (temperatures, rainfall and their distribution by seasons, etc.), therefore, the creation of one variety of each crop for the entire country is extremely difficult. The requirements for green manure and normal use of plants of the same crop differ sharply. For example, the presence in fodder plants of hydrocyanic acid, glucosinolates and other substances toxic to animals is unacceptable, and their presence in green manure crops, as a rule, is not harmful, and often useful. There are also differences in the requirements for the rate of development and longevity of varieties. Therefore, the standards for breeding varieties intended for green manure fallows or cover crops differ significantly from the requirements for a variety for other purposes - such varieties should be distinguished by rapid seed germination, rapid growth of green mass, such varieties may not differ in longevity, since they are used for one season, often they winter hardiness is not needed. Work in this direction has begun, there are specialized first varieties, but for many cultures this work is just beginning.

​Assessment of Hydrocyanic Acid (HCN) Content during Different Stages of Growth in Johnson Grass (Sorghum helepensis)

Background: Johnson grass (Sorghum helepensis) is not a cultivated fodder crop but it is a wild variety seen on farm bunds after rainfall in which Sorghum vulgare (Gundrijowar) fodder crops were cultivated in kharif season in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state. At different stages of growth, Johnson grass contains cyanogenic glycosides of varying level which liberate hydrocyanic acid in rumen when it consumed by ruminant animals due to rumen microflora (Toxic level of HCN is 20 mg/ 100 gm dry matter). The current study aimed to estimate varying levels of HCN in Johnson grass to keep dairy farmers informed of safe level of HCN for harvesting. Methods: An investigation was carried out at Cattle Breeding Farm, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, Gujarat for three consecutive years 2013-2015 in kharif season. Non-cultivated (Sorghum helepensis) fodder samples were collected for quantitative HCN concentration from farm bunds nearby eight sown plots of Gundrijowar (Sorghum vulgare) from 15 DAS and sampling were continued at fortnightly intervals till the plots exhibit 25% flowering stage. Result: Result of obtained data in present study revealed that concentration of HCN in Johnson grass in kharif season decreased significantly (p less than 0.05) on attaining 25% flowering stage during the year 2013, 2014 and 2015. It was concluded that Green Johnson grass can be fed to ruminant animals safely at 25% flowering stage.

Variation in Toxicity and Physicochemical Parameters of Cassava Pulp (Manihot esculenta) during Storage

Background: A staple for about 800 million people in tropical countries, cassava contains a high content of hydrocyanic acid making it toxic. Objective: This study was proposed to test the conservation effectiveness on tuber toxicity. Materials and Methods: Tests were carried out on the varieties commonly known as Bonoua and Yacé. The conservation parameters studied were: the level of hydrocyanic acid, moisture content and hardness. The cassava tubers were stored at room temperature. The samples for analysis were taken on the pulp every 24 hours. Results: Results showed that hydrocyanic acid levels reached their minimum levels between 96 and 120 hours of storage with 5.87 ± 0.46 and 5.66 ± 0.50 mg/kg in Bonoua, then 9.53 ± 0.78 and 9.85 ± 0.93 mg/kg in IAC. Water levels are positively correlated with those of hydrocyanic acid in both cassava types. Proteins reach reveal in their maximum concentrations between 48 and 72 hours of storage (respectively to then drop. The ash and fat contents as well as the total carbohydrate contents generally decrease during storage. However, an increase is observed from 120 hours of storage, at the level of carbohydrate concentrations. Conclusion: For a non-toxic cassava pulp, a storage period of at least 48 hours at the Bonoua and 96 hours at the IAC would be advisable with however a lower biochemical quality.

Generation of sodium cyanide by coal gasification for gold recovery factories

The aim was to assess the technological feasibility of generating sodium cyanide by coal gasification, to study the effects of the process parameters (temperature, experiment duration, coal type) on the concentration of sodium cyanide in the resulting solutions, as well as to identify optimal modes of the process. Experiments were carried out on a laboratory setup consisting of a tubular cylindrical furnace equipped with a working compartment in the form of a corundum tube. Lignite and charcoal, preliminarily crushed to increase the specific surface area, were investigated. A solution of sodium cyanide was produced by sorption of gaseous hydrocyanic acid (a syngas component) with a sodium carbonate solution. A NaOH solution (pH = 10) installed in an ice bath was used in the system of absorbers. The content of sodium cyanide in the solution was determined by the titrimetric method. The HSC Chemistry 5.1 software package was used for thermodynamic calculations. During the gasification of charcoal in the temperature range 600–800oC, sodium cyanide solutions with a concentration of 0.03–0.08 wt% were obtained. An increase in temperature from 600 to 900oC led to a 4-fold decrease in the concentration of sodium cyanide in an alkaline solution, under the same duration of the experiments. A regression equation was derived for the dependence of the NaCN concentration in solution on the temperature of coal gasification and the duration of the process. It was shown that the generation of sodium cyanide by coal gasification under laboratory conditions yields sodium cyanide concentrations in solution comparable to those used for gold cyanidation at gold recovery plants. The installation of sodium cyanide generation lines directly at the production areas of gold recovery plants will reduce the production costs by eliminating expenses for purchasing, transporting and storing reagents.

Phytochemicals, Heavy Metal and Proximate Analysis of Parkia biglobosa and Three Varieties of Bouillon Cubes (Purchased From Iyana Iba Market, Ojo Local Government Area in Lagos, Nigeria

Despite the huge nutritional values and availability of local seasonings such as Parkia biglobosa, knorr chicken as food seasonings, some developing countries like Nigeria require more information on the needs for increasing their utilization. Analysis was done using standard analytical methods, to compare the nutritional and heavy metal composition of P. biglobosa seed and bouillon cubes (Knorr chicken, magi star and Tasty cubes). The specific focus was to find out the proximate analysis (carbohydrate, fat, protein and vitamin), heavy metals, Minerals and phytochemicals composition of P. biglobosa and bouillon cubes. Atomic absorption spectrometry was used in the determination of the levels of (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn). Phytochemicals, including phytic acid, tannins, carotenoids, phenols, saponins and hydrocyanic acid were also determined using method of Ola and Oboh [19]. The result shows that the seeds of P. biglobosa had significantly higher (p<0.05) Moisture (17.530±3.686) crude protein (25.722±3.524%), crude fat (27.536±2.273%) and Crude fiber (6.540±1.795%) contents compared to the bouillon cubes (Knorr chicken, Maggi Star, tasty cubes). The bouillon cubes had significantly higher (p>0.05) contents of ash (22.188±0.950, 24.092±0.911, 22.880±0.736) which is found to be low in P. biglobosa seed. Carbohydrate level in bouillon cubes were also found to have higher means values of (28.87±1.581, 46.785±2.243, 38.035±12.574). The minerals content of the analyzed samples shows that the P. biglobosa seeds have higher means value in Ca (126.285±16.393), Na (150.820±25.075), and K (1454.432±199.575) and bouillon cubes were also found to be high in (Ca, Na , K , Fe), respectively. While the values of (Mn, Zn, Cr Cb, Pb pH) were found to have low mean value which were higher than WHO permissible limits. For the ANFs, P. biglobosa seeds recorded higher levels of Phytic acid (31.171±8.369 mg/100g), saponins (15.767±4.663 mg/100g) and tannins (55.772±6.655 mg/100g), Total carotenoids (41.561±2.632), Total phenols (65.689±14.439), Hydrocyanic acid (7.618±1.922mg/100g) and Ascorbic acid (101.025±11.670 mg/100g) while it was not detected (ND) in bouillon cubes on analysis. T he heavy metal contents in P. biglobosa was found to be high in copper with mean value of (2.478±2.077) while it was found to be insignificant in (Cr, Cb, and pb) and are not within the recommended value by WHO. The overall results are suggestive of higher nutritional quality of the Parkia biglobosa seeds than the bouillon cubes. It was therefore recommended that information concerning the use of local seasonings should be made available through public awareness campaign.

A Comparison of Pearl Millet and Sorghum–Sudangrass Pastures during the Frost-Prone Autumn for Growing Beef Cattle in Semiarid Region

Sorghum–sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × S. sudanense (Piper) Stapf.) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) provide adequate nutritive value for growing beef cattle; however, unlike pearl millet, sorghum–sudangrass produces hydrocyanic acid (which is toxic to livestock) when frosted. Forage yield, nutritive value, and weight gain of growing cattle grazing sorghum–sudangrass and pearl millet were compared during the frost-prone autumns of 2013 and 2014, at New Mexico State University’s Rex E. Kirksey Agricultural Science Center in Tucumcari, NM USA, in randomized complete block designs each year with two replicates. No differences existed between pearl millet and sorghum–sudangrass forage yield, although there was a year–forage interaction for fiber-based nutritive value components because of maturity differences across years between the forages when freeze-killed. Pearl millet allowed for extending grazing of available forage for an additional 14 and 24 d in 2013 and 2014, respectively, compared to sorghum–sudangrass during the frost-prone autumn periods. During that period, when sorghum forages produce potentially toxic levels of hydrocyanic acid, animals grazing pearl millet accumulated an additional average of 94.9 kg live-weight gain ha−1 (p < 0.001). These factors afford producers an opportunity to increase returns on the similar investments of establishing and managing warm-season annual forage crops each year, and allow more time to stockpile cool-season perennial and annual forages for winter and early spring grazing, or to reduce hay feeding.

Anti- nutrient contents of herbs used in the treatment of “ailments of ‘‘utmost native importance” in Cross River State, Nigeria

The use of herbs as medications are enthusiastically recognized and extensively utilized in rural regions and in most developing countries. The lack of knowledge of the anti-nutrient contents of herbs reduces their use by the educated ones. To unveil these in the treatment of “ailments of utmost native importance” in Cross River State, this research carried out anti-nutrient analysis of the species used. Identified plants were separated from weeds and washed with water. The plant parts were processed and their extracts prepared according to the method described by Kumar et al., (2007). Hydrocyanic acid was estimated by the alkaline titration method, oxalate was determined according to procedures stipulated by Day and Underwood (1986) while phytic acid was determined using methods stipulated by Reddy and Love (1999). Results revealed that Phytic acid, oxalate and hydrocyanide all had low levels ranges of 2.47mg/100gDM to 6.17mg/100g DM, 12.82mg/100g DM to 30.41mg/100g DM and 1.62mg/100g to 6.23mg/100g DM respectively. Findings shows that these anti-nutrients are not within harmful ranges, and as such cannot interfere with the availability of potentially useful nutrients embedded in the species. These are below lethal doses to inflict any injury on humans. Keywords: Herbs, Anti-nutrients, Ailments, Lethal dose, Efficacy.