Tailored bacterial co-cultures improve Tisochrysis lutea growth and nutrient profiles under xenic conditions: a new pathway to improve microalgal production

Background: Ananas comosus, commonly known as pineapple, is a fruit that is endorsed by the Ministry of Agriculture to be economically important to the island. Tissue culture maybe used as an additional method of propagation to supplement traditional methods to increase productivity. This study was therefore designed to assess the effectiveness of utilising tissue culture techniques to produce pineapple plants and compare their productivity, nutritional profile and maturation period with those grown using traditional cultivation practices. Methods: Explants were collected from local farms in Jamaica. After the explants were successfully established in vitro through tissue culture technique, they were then acclimatized in a shadehouse for two weeks and subsequently transferred to the field. Both physical and chemical profiles of plants and fruits were evaluated during the course of the study. Results: The results show that the tissue cultured (TC) pineapples had similar physical and chemical properties when compared to the traditionally grown (TG) plants. The plants produced fruits at the same time. The heights were also the same at the time of fruiting. There was no significant difference in fruit weight when TC (1.60 ± 0.17) pineapples were compared to TG (1.60 ± 0.17); this is consistent with work done by other researchers. The nutrient profile of TC and TG pineapples were statistically similar (p>0.05). Conclusion: The results indicates that tissue cultured pineapples and those propagated traditionally have similar chemical and nutrient profiles, maturation period and physical properties. This therefore suggest that tissue culture may be a suitable alternative for production of planting materials as they can survive under similar growing conditions as those propagated by traditional methods. This may prove beneficial to the agro industry as availability of clean planting materials has shown to be a major factor impacting on the productivity of the crop and by extension revenue generated from exportation.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) hairy root cultures, which are established via the infection of ginseng root discs withRhizobium rhizogenes, have been used to construct profiles of both biomass growth and nutrient consumption in flask cultures. In a 250 mL shake flask culture, the maximum biomass was observed on the 59th day of the culture period, at 216.8 g (fresh wt) per liter or 11.4 g (dry wt) per liter. The hairy roots were determined to have a growth rate of 0.355 g-DW/g cells/day during the exponential growth phase and a maximum specific growth rate on day 7. Total ginseng saponin and phenolic compound contents were noted to have increased within the latter portion of the culture period. Linear correlations between increases in biomass weight and nutrient uptake were used to imply the conductivity yield 2.60 g-DW/(L·mS) and carbon yield 0.45 g-DW/(g sugar) in the 250 mL flask cultures. The biomass yield when two different nitrogen sources were used (ammonia and nitrate) was shown to remain approximately constant, at 0.47 g-DW/(l·mM NH4) and 0.33 g-DW/(L·mM NO3); it remained at these levels for 16 days with the ammonia, and for 24 days with the nitrate. The biomass yield when a phosphate source was used was also shown to remain approximately constant for 9 days, at 3.17 g-DW/(L·mM PO4), with an R2 of 0.99.

Photomorphogenic tomato mutants high-pigment 1 and aurea responses to iron deficiency

Inclusion of fishmeal and fish oil in aquafeeds is unsustainable, prompting the need for alternative protein and lipid sources. This study evaluates the impact of diets incorporating defatted black soldier fly larvae ( Hermetia illucens ), adult cricket ( Gryllodes sigillatus ) and superworm ( Zophobas morio ) on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nutrient retention efficiency, fatty acid and amino acid profiles of juvenile rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ). Juvenile trout (100.5 ± 0.6 g; mean ± SD) were fed one of four diets: a control diet with 20% fishmeal, and three experimental diets containing a total of 15% defatted black soldier fly meal, full-fat adult cricket meal, or full-fat superworm meal, with partial replacement of fishmeal and fish oil. Growth performance and body indices were unaffected by dietary treatments. Whole carcass content and retention efficiency of protein were higher in fish fed the control and superworm diets compared to those on cricket and black soldier fly diets. Despite reduced retention efficiency of leucine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, and serine, carcass amino acid contents were not affected by dietary treatment. Fatty acid retention efficiency was greater in fish on the black soldier fly diet, though overall lipid content was consistent across diets. Notably, lauric acid and myristic acid levels were elevated in the black soldier fly group, while linoleic acid was higher in fish fed the superworm and cricket diets. Phosphorus retention improved significantly with the black soldier fly treatment, yet nitrogen retention was reduced. These findings suggest that insect meals can partially replace fishmeal and fish oil in trout diets without compromising growth or fatty acid composition.

Growing food autonomously on Mars is challenging due to the Martian soil’s low nutrient content and high salinity. Understanding how plants adapt and evaluating their nutritional attributes are pivotal for sustained Mars missions. This research delves into the regeneration, stress tolerance, and dietary metrics of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) across different Mars Global Simulant (MGS-1) concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 75%). In our greenhouse experiment, 75% MGS-1 concentration significantly inhibited sweet potato growth, storage root biomass, and chlorophyll content. This concentration also elevated the plant tissues’ H2O2, proline, and ascorbic acid levels. Higher MGS-1 exposures (50 and 75%) notably boosted the vital amino acids and sugar groups in the plant’s storage roots. However, increased MGS-1 concentrations notably diminished the total C:N ratio and elemental composition in both the vines and storage roots. In summary, sweet potato exhibited optimal growth, antioxidant properties, yield, and nutrient profiles at 25% MGS-1 exposure as compared to higher concentrations. This study underscores the need for future interventions, like nutrient enhancements and controlled metal accessibility, to render sweet potato a suitable plant for space-based studies.

The rapidly increasing concentration of Copper (Cu) metal in agricultural soils around the world is alarming for food security and sustainable production of crops. Cu being a naturally hydrophilic metal is easily taken up by crops through roots and translocated to upper parts. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most consumed cereal crops around the world. The incidence of Cu toxicity in rice is well-known for hindering crop biomass and overall productivity. Therefore, it is important to study Cu stress in rice and identify Cu-tolerant cultivars. For that purpose, two rice cultivars (JP-5 and Super Basmati) were grown in paddy conditions under 100 mg/kg Cu stress in a completely randomized design. Both cultivars were then examined for agronomic production, antioxidant defense, nutritional composition, and germination indices. It was reported that JP-5 accumulated a lesser concentration of copper in roots (0.08 mg/kg), and grains (0.05 mg/kg) as compared to SB (0.20 mg/kg in roots and 0.05 mg/kg) under Cu stress. SB showed better response to agronomic parameters whereas JP-5 showed better germination rate and stress tolerance index. under Cu stress, JP-5 also showed higher SOD, POD, GPX, and APX in both root and leaf tissues compared to SB. The sugar and starch content of SB was more affected by Cu stress. Overall, JP-5 proved to be more tolerant against Cu stress with a higher stress tolerance index and lesser accumulation of Cu. These findings are thus very useful for further studies related to enhanced growth and yield of widely cultivated rice cultivars under heavy metal stress.

The chemical composition of 16 microalgae products of four genera, Arthrospira (n=2), Chlorella (n=8), Nannochloropsis (n=4) and Phaeodactylum (n=2), was assayed to evaluate the intra- and inter-genera variation of nutrient profiles of commercial microalgae products. Crude protein was the main component in all genera, followed by ether extract and crude ash. Mean crude protein concentrations were 690, 502, 431 and 446g/kg dry matter, and mean ether extract concentrations were 63, 157, 188 and 113g/kg dry matter for Arthrospira, Chlorella, Nannochloropsis and Phaeodactylum respectively. However, there was considerable inter- and intra-genera variation. The concentration of α-linked glucose was low (0-143g/kg dry matter). There was high variation between and within genera in the crude ash concentration (22-237g/kg dry matter), which was also observed for the mineral composition. In contrast to the crude protein concentration, the amino acid composition of the protein (g amino acid/16g N) was less variable. The investigated samples possessed high concentrations of Glx, Asx and Leu, and low concentrations of Cys and Met. The mean concentration of non-protein nitrogen compounds was highest in Phaeodactylum (110g/kg dry matter) and lowest in Nannochloropsis (47g/kg dry matter) products, and as with proximate nutrients, high variability between and within genera was observed. In vitro crude protein digestibility varied between 54% (non-cell-disrupted Nannochloropsis) and 84% (cell-disrupted Chlorella). Inositol phosphate isomers were not detectable in any sample (concentration <1μmol/g dry matter). The predominant fatty acids were C16:0 in Arthrospira products, C18:2 n-6+ C19:1 t7 and C18:3 n-3 in Chlorella products, and C20:5 n-3 in Nannochloropsis and Phaeodactylum products; however, the relative proportions of fatty acids varied within genera. Commercially available microalgae products appear to be valuable alternative food and feed products. However, because of the high variability in nutrient profiles, attention should be given to the analytical characterization of the products.

Microalgae have found commercial applications as natural sources of valuable macromolecules, including carotenoids, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, and phycocolloids. As photoautotrophs, their simple growth requirements make them attractive for bioprocesses aimed at producing high added-value compounds that are in large demand by the pharmaceutical market. A few compounds synthesized by microalgae have indeed proven to possess anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, and antitumoral features; astaxanthin, a known antioxidant produced by Haematococcus pluvialis, is an illustrative example with important anti-inflammatory and antitumoral roles. From a chemical standpoint, several such compounds are polysaccharides or long chain fatty acids, where the latter can be either saturated or unsaturated. Additionally, their chemical structures are often atypical, whereas their concentrations can exceed those found in many other natural sources. The productivity and biochemical composition of microalgae depend strongly on the mode of cultivation, medium composition, and nutrient profile. Consequently, numerous efforts aimed at elucidating the practical impacts of the aforementioned parameters have been developed. This review accordingly covers the knowledge produced in the last two decades on the uses of microalgae to obtain physiologically active compounds, and on the optimization of the underlying production and purification processes. It also identifies major gaps and opportunities in this field that should be addressed or exploited in the near future.

Assessment of algae-based wastewater treatment in hot climate region: Treatment performance and kinetics

Studies were conducted in the early season of 2002 and late season of 2003 at the Teaching and Research Farm, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria to determine the effects of season on growth, fruit yield and nutrient profile of two landraces (Variant I and II) of snake tomato (Trichosanthes cucumerina L.). Statistical analysis (P
0.05) showed that the early season crop had significantly higher number of leaves, vine length, number of marketable fruits and fruit yield compared to the late season crop while the late season crop recorded significantly higher number of aborted flowers and cull fruits. Crop yield during the early season averaged 22.2 tons ha-1 while it was 13.3 tons ha-1 during the late season. The variants had no effect on fruit yield, number of marketable fruits, cull fruits and number of flowers aborted. The early season crop had significantly higher ascorbic acid composition (25.2 mg/100g) than the late season crop (18.0 mg/100 g) while the late season crop had significantly higher ether extract (0.94 g/100 g), crude fiber (3.40 g/100 g) and total sugars (0.95 g/100 g) compared to the early season crop which had 0.64, 1.60 and 0.50 g/100 g, of ether extract, crude fiber and total sugars, respectively. Variant I had significantly higher ether extract content (0.97 g/100 g) than Variant II (0.64g/100 g) while Variant II had significantly higher total sugar (0.98 g/100 g) compared to Variant I (0.60g/100 g). The anti-nutritional oxalate and crude protein compositions were neither affected by variant nor season nor their interaction.

Nutrient management regime affects water quality, crop growth, and nitrogen use efficiency of aquaponic systems

The Association of American Feed Control Officials Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles: Substantiation of Nutritional Adequacy of Complete and Balanced Pet Foods in the United States

Nitrogen is regarded as one of the most important nutrients for algal cells, having a direct impact on the growth and biochemical contents of microalgae. The goal of this research was to compare the growth and proximate components of Tetraselmis chuii cultivated in various urea concentrations as an available source of nitrogen. Results disclosed that T. chuii cultivated in urea at 93.4 mg L–1 N had higher cell density, biomass, and optical density compared to 11.67 mg L–1, 23.35 mg L–1, 46.7 mg L–1, and 233.5 mg L–1 N, respectively. Protein content was highly significant for urea at 233.5 mg L–1 N concentration compared to other concentrations. In contrast, higher carbohydrate content was found at 11.67 mg L–1 N compared to other concentrations of urea. Thus, the current study found that raising or decreasing urea concentrations had a substantial effect on the growth and proximate composition of indigenous marine T. chuii, and the highest biomass was recorded at 0.0145 g L–1 (dry biomass) from 93.4 mg L–1 N. These findings have implications for the cultivation of microalgae for various applications, including biofuel production, wastewater treatment, mariculture developments, and a sustainable blue economy in Bangladesh.

Soilless cultivation systems are sustainable innovations in modern agriculture, promoting high efficiency per unit area, supporting food sustainability, and addressing the growing demand for high-quality produce with minimal environmental impact. This study evaluates the effects of fulvic acid, amino acid, and vermicompost biostimulants on the growth, yield, and nutrient profile of soilless-grown iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata) in floating culture under controlled glasshouse conditions. Two experiments were conducted to determine the most effective concentrations and combinations of biostimulants. In the first experiment, varying doses of fulvic acid (40 and 80 ppm), amino acid (75 and 100 ppm), and vermicompost (1 and 2 mL L-1) were tested alongside a control. Optimal doses were identified based on their positive effects on lettuce growth and yield. The second experiment examined combinations of fulvic acid, amino acid, and vermicompost extract compared to a control. Biostimulants improved lettuce growth, nutrient uptake, and antioxidants. Vermicompost boosted root biomass and leaf area, while fulvic acid and amino acid reduced nitrates and increased dry matter. Fulvic acid and vermicompost resulted in the highest yield (17.15 kg/m2, 18.2% increase), and the combined treatment maximized antioxidants, increasing vitamin C by 17.16%, total phenols by 52.54%, and flavonoids by 52.38%. These findings highlight the potential of biostimulants as eco-friendly solutions for optimizing lettuce production in soilless systems.

The study examines agromorphological traits and nutrient compositions in three genotypes of eggplants (Solanum melongena ‘African Beauty F1’ and ‘Melina F1’ and S. aethiopicum ‘Kotobi’) grown from seeds irradiated by gamma rays (γ-ray) with 100 Gy. Experiments were carried out in the screenhouse and experimental field of Crop Science Department, University of Calabar, Nigeria. Completely randomised design with four replications and randomised complete block design with three replications was used in the screenhouse and field experiments respectively. Eggplant × γ-ray effect reduced (p ≤ 0.05) seedling emergence, plant height and number of leaves in the nursery at 2 and 4 weeks after sowing. In the field, these traits were consistently lower for irradiated Melina F1 and Kotobi (p &gt; 0.05) at ten weeks after transplanting. Irradiated African Beauty F1 had the highest (p ≤ 0.05) upper canopy leaf area (429.54 cm2), higher (p &gt; 0.05) plant height and stem width; lower (p &gt; 0.05) number of branches and leaves. Un-irradiated and irradiated Kotobi had the highest (p ≤ 0.05) fruit load, lower (p ≤ 0.05) fruit volume, weight and yields over four harvest intervals. Carbohydrate and energy contents of Kotobi fruits grown from 100 Gy gamma-ray irradiated seeds were concurrently improved (p ≤ 0.05). Gamma ray irradiation had both positive and negative influences on the agromorphological traits, mineral composition and nutrient profile of eggplants. However, 100 Gy dose of irradiation had a negative effect on fruit characteristics in general. From the results of this study, inconsistent variations in the agromorphological traits of the irradiated eggplants of the three varieties were reported. Therefore, the goal of mutation breeding in eggplant should not undermine the importance of the eggplant genotype as well as the actual radiation dose.