Carbohydrate Production Research Articles

Fast Pyrolysis of Cellulose and the Effect of a Catalyst on Product Distribution.

Fast pyrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose (MC) was carried out by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The effects of temperature, time, and a catalyst on the distribution of the pyrolysis products were analyzed. The reaction temperature and time can significantly affect the types and yields of compounds produced by cellulose pyrolysis. A pyrolysis temperature of 500-600 °C and pyrolysis time of 20 s optimized the yield of volatile liquid in the pyrolysis products of cellulose. In all catalytic experiments, the relative contents of alcohols (1.97%), acids (2.32%), and esters (4.52%) were highest when K2SO4 was used as a catalyst. HZSM-5 promoted the production of carbohydrates (92.35%) and hydrocarbons (2.20%), while it inhibited the production of aldehydes (0.30%) and ketones (1.80%). MCM-41 had an obvious catalytic effect on cellulose, increasing the contents of aldehydes (41.58%), ketones (24.51%), phenols (1.82%), furans (8.90%), and N-compounds (12.40%) and decreasing those of carbohydrates (5.38%) and alcohols (0%).

The influence of phosphorus on leaf function, cadmium accumulation and stress tolerance of poplar leaves under cadmium exposure

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of phosphorus (P) availability on leaf function, cadmium accumulation and stress tolerance of poplar leaves under cadmium exposure. The pot experiment consisted of two-factors including three Cd treatments and two P treatments, and a clone of Populus × euramericana was used as plant material. Leaf development and gas exchange were less inhibited by Cd exposure than that by P deficiency. Under different P levels, Cd accumulation increased with the increasing intensity and duration of Cd exposure, while Cd accumulation in leaves was inhibited by P deficiency. With sufficient P nutrition, Cd content and Cd concentration of leaves reached 300 μg plant -1 and 32 μg g -1 DW, respectively. Cd was preferentially enriched in leaf veins to avoid Cd poisoning in photosynthetic apparatus. In the absence of Cd exposure, P promoted WUE i via increasing photosynthesis rate . In contrast, P nutrition promoted WUE i under Cd exposure via regulating stomata aperture and reducing water loss via transpiration. The activities of antioxidants including GR and CAT were enhanced by P addition, as a result of the elevated expression of related genes ( Gr chl , Gr cyt , Cat2 , Cat3 ). The mechanisms underlying the promotive effect of P on leaf function and Cd tolerance are elucidated. Phosphorus promotes leaf function and Cd tolerance of poplar by enhancing photosynthetic process, stomatal regulation and antioxidant defense. Phosphorus shortage reduced the levels of phytohormones, while P addition contributes to stress tolerance via promoting the levels of phytohormones including ABA, JA and IAA. Salicylic acid (SA) promotes stress tolerance under Cd exposure via affecting the inducement of antioxidant enzymes. The improved Cd tolerance of leaves facilitates leaf carbohydrate production, promotes Cd bio-extraction and benefits xylem development of poplars growing under Cd exposure. • Cd stress changed the biomass allocation strategy of poplar among different organs. • The promotion mechanism of P on WUE i was different under different Cd treatments. • P promoted the accumulation of Cd in leaves and preferentially stored Cd in the veins. • P deficiency reduced the levels of antioxidant enzymes and hormones and decreased the accumulation of Cd. • P enhanced antioxidant defense and photosynthetic carbon assimilation and thus promoted xylem development.

Short-chain fatty acids ameliorate necrotizing enterocolitis-like intestinal injury through enhancing Notch1-mediated single immunoglobulin interleukin-1-related receptor, toll-interacting protein, and A20 induction.

Single immunoglobulin interleukin-1-related receptor (SIGIRR), toll-interacting protein (TOLLIP), and A20 are major inhibitors of toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling induced postnatally in the neonatal intestine. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), fermentation products of indigestible carbohydrates produced by symbiotic bacteria, inhibit intestinal inflammation. Herein, we investigated the mechanisms by which SCFAs regulate SIGIRR, A20, and TOLLIP expression and mitigate experimental necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Butyrate induced NOTCH activation by repressing sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)-mediated deacetylation of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) in human intestinal epithelial cells (HIECs). Overexpression of NICD induced SIGIRR, A20, and TOLLIP expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that butyrate-induced NICD binds to the SIGIRR, A20, and TOLLIP gene promoters. Notch1-shRNA suppressed butyrate-induced SIGIRR/A20 upregulation in mouse enteroids and HIEC. Flagellin (TLR5 agonist)-induced inflammation in HIEC was inhibited by butyrate in a SIGIRR-dependent manner. Neonatal mice fed butyrate had increased NICD, A20, SIGIRR, and TOLLIP expression in the ileal epithelium. Butyrate inhibited experimental NEC-induced intestinal apoptosis, cytokine expression, and histological injury. Our data suggest that SCFAs can regulate the expression of the major negative regulators of TLR signaling in the neonatal intestine through Notch1 and ameliorate experimental NEC. Enteral SCFAs supplementation in preterm infants provides a promising bacteria-free, therapeutic option for NEC.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as propionate and butyrate, metabolites produced by symbiotic gut bacteria are known to be anti-inflammatory, but the mechanisms by which they protect against NEC are not fully understood. In this study, we reveal that SCFAs regulate intestinal inflammation by inducing the key TLR and IL1R inhibitors, SIGIRR and A20, through activation of the pluripotent transcriptional factor NOTCH1. Butyrate-mediated SIGIRR and A20 induction represses experimental NEC in the neonatal intestine.

Hydrothermal kinetic modeling for microalgae biomass under subcritical condition cultivated in a close bubble tubular photobioreactor

In this study, the Spirulina platenesis growth and carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and chlorophyll production were investigated by using synthetic wastewater via a mixture experimental design using carbon–nitrogen–phosphorus (C:N:P) relation according to the mixing obtained in the experimental space. In addition, a scale-up in the growth of microalgal biomass in a tubular column photobioreactor was carried out. The activation energy was determined by thermogravimetric analysis from the Spirulina platenesis biomass obtained from the experimental design. Also, kinetic growth analysis and thermal hydrolysis of Spirulina platensis biomass were performed for the experimental case where the carbohydrate concentrations were the highest. The stress induced by phosphorus limitation in the synthetic wastewater enhanced intracellular carbohydrates production. It achieves a maximum concentration of 859.59 ± 80.87 mg/L (60.11% w/w) on run 8. The results showed a relation between the activation energy and carbohydrates concentration in biomass. This indicates that the energy required to start the thermal degradation reaction increases as carbohydrate concentration increases. In terms of hydrothermal pretreatment, the temperature increment in the reactor raises the condition to extract carbohydrates from microalgae biomass. In contrast, the temperature increment decreases the reaction rate on the protein extraction. During the hydrothermal pretreatment, the best condition for the carbohydrates extraction in the Spirulina platensis biomass was 140oC for 45 min. At this condition, cell wall hydrolysis needs an energy supply of 18.65 kJ/mol. The development of this process will allow the fractionation of microalgal biomass and extraction of carbohydrates in terms of a biorefinery.

Does constant or changing light give the best rooting of hibiscus cuttings of two sizes?

In this experiment the effect of light intensity (photosynthetic photon flux density, PPFD) and cutting size (10 and 7 cm) was investigated during five weeks rooting of hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. ‘Adonicus Yellow’). The light regimes included three constant PPFD: 16, 76 and 151 µmol m−2 s−1; and three changing PPFD after two weeks: 16 → 76, 16 → 151 and 76 → 151 µmol m−2 s−1. The light intensity has a dual effect, promoting photosynthesis and carbohydrate production, but also water loss through transpiration with the potential for desiccating the cutting. The treatments starting with 16 µmol m−2 s−1 insufficiently supported the rooting process, illustrated by the lack shoot growth after two weeks. Within each treatment type (constant or changing PPFD) the root formation was linearly correlated to the total light integral for the propagation period (r2 = 0.835–1.000) for respective cutting size. The changing PPFD treatments showed the strongest response to increasing light integral with the [76 → 151] treatment producing most roots for both cutting sizes, despite the constant 151 µmol m−2 s−1 having the highest total light integral. This indicates that conserving water is of crucial importance before root emergence in the third week of rooting. The 7 cm cuttings produced more root biomass and had higher root:shoot ratio than the 10 cm cuttings. The 7 cm cuttings had higher rates of photosynthesis one week after rooting, probably due to higher sink demand from the growing roots and mobilised more soluble sugars from the leaves. The rooting process takes five weeks and does not demand high light, so the results are promising for moving propagation of hibiscus from the greenhouse to a vertical production system based on light emitting diodes (LEDs) to save production area for final production.

Elucidating the role of nanoparticles on photosynthetic biogas upgrading: Influence of biogas type, nanoparticle concentration and light source

Three different nanoparticles, namely Fe2O3, carbon coated zero valent iron (CACOI) and SiO2, were added to a mixed microalgae culture in order to improve photosynthetic biogas upgrading. Fe2O3 and CACOI nanoparticles at 10 mg/L supported higher CO2 consumptions compared to their respective controls. The addition of Fe2O3 nanoparticles at 70 mg/L resulted in a 38 % enhanced biomass productivity, and 20 % higher CO2 consumption but delayed exponential growth. The CACOI nanoparticles at 70 mg/L resulted in a shorter lag phase, enhanced CO2 consumption by 13 %, and carbohydrate content enhancement by 64 %, while the addition of SiO2 nanoparticles at this concentration induced an enhanced lipid and carbohydrates production by 47 % and 68 %, respectively. Interestingly, UV light exposure reduced the beneficial effects of nanoparticles, although CACOI nanoparticles still supported a shorter lag phase and higher carbohydrates production at 70 mg/L. In brief, CACOI nanoparticles hold an untapped potential to promote the metabolism of microalgae during photosynthetic biogas upgrading.

Quantification of extracellular and biomass carbohydrates by Arthrospira under nitrogen starvation at lab-scale

Nitrogen starvation is known to stimulate the production of carbohydrates in Arthrospira. This study aimed to investigate the relative importance of extracellular (released in culture medium, loosely bound to the cell) versus biomass carbohydrates (cell wall, cytoplasmic). Nitrogen (N) starvation did not result in a lower trichome production (as evaluated from optical density, trichome biovolume, and DNA concentration) compared to N-repleted conditions up to 10 days after N was depleted from the culture medium. The dry weight biomass production was even higher under N starvation, which can be attributed to an increase in the specific density of the biomass due to the accumulation of glycogen. Nitrogen starvation resulted in a strong increase in intracellular and cell wall carbohydrates, a moderate increase in loosely bound extracellular carbohydrates but did not affect released carbohydrates, at least not up to 10 days after N was depleted from the culture medium. Specifically, carbohydrates in the biomass reached 688 mg g−1. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the biomass with amyloglucosidase showed that 82 % of the biomass carbohydrates could be converted to glucose and, hence, consisted of glycogen. We also detected substantial amounts of the dissolved disaccharide trehalose (19.86 mg g−1) in N-starved Arthrospira. The carbohydrates accumulated in Arthrospira biomass under N starvation may be used as feedstock for biofuels or building blocks for the chemical industry.

Assessment of sensory preference and frequency of carbohydrate bar consumption by physically active people

Introduction: Active lifestyles are causing an increase in interest directed toward foods, many athletes use specially formulated food products that concentrate large amounts of nutrients in a small volume, while also being easily digestible and quickly absorbed. The main objective of the study was to compare selected commercially available products prepared for physically active people with those prepared based on proprietary recipes and natural, commonly available ingredients. Material and method: The material used in the comparative study was energy bars from three sources: popular market bars from the leading manufacturers in the Polish market and available in most grocery stores, specialized bars, and bars made according to the author's recipe in imitation of the above snacks using natural ingredients. The evaluation of the use of supplements was based on the author's survey questionnaire on consumer preferences and frequency of consumption of carbohydrate products, using energy bars as an example. Results: Bars prepared according to the author's recipe received scores of 2 and 3 for taste and texture and scores of 1 and 2 for the input of basic raw materials. Evaluation of the use of supplements was carried out in a group of 147 people, the study group was dominated by people who train in cycling and running. About 65% of the respondents declared that they use energy bars. Among those who use energy bars, the largest number of respondents declared that they use specialty bars (20%), 15% of respondents use market bars and 8% make the bars themselves. Conclusions: The results of the sensory evaluation of bars prepared according to the author's recipe indicate the need to modify their composition, especially in terms of improving the texture. Carbohydrate supplements are used by respondents, especially if it is justified in the case of practicing endurance and endurance sports characterized by high intensity of training, i.e. cycling and running.

Recycling drinking water RO reject for microalgae-mediated resource recovery

The drinking water RO reject is one of the major pollution sources in the surface water bodies. However, treatment and recycling of drinking water RO reject is highly unexplored across the globe. Present study assesses the recycling of RO reject from a commercial-scale drinking water plant for microalgae cultivation. The highest biomass productivity (mg L−1 d−1) was recorded for Scenedesmus obliquus (84.38±2.3), followed by native strain (76.32±1.8) in 50% RO reject. Whereas, Chlorella sorokiniana, and Scenedesmus sp. showed the highest lipid productivities (19.37±1.04 and 18.49±0.0 mg L−1 d−1, respectively). The highest carbohydrate productivity (24.89±0.25 mg L−1 d−1) was observed with S. obliquus. Interestingly, the tested strains were rich in protein (8.68 – 32.12%). Besides, microalgae also showed up to 77.59% nitrate and 82.71% phosphorous removal from the RO reject-based growth media. The present study unveiled the potential of RO reject to reduce the water and commercial-grade nutrient requirements for microalgae cultivation.

Effect of sulfur limitation strategies on glucose-based carbohydrate production from Chlorella sorokiniana

Sulfur (S) limitation is an effective strategy for improving carbohydrate accumulation in microalgae for biofuel production. This study illustrates three S-limitation methods in detail, namely, S-free, S-deprivation and S-starvation, while providing an investigation into their effects on the growth, biomass and glucose-based carbohydrate accumulation of Chlorella sorokiniana UTEX1230. The S-free method significantly increased the carbohydrate content in C. sorokiniana biomass up to 60.5%, with a productivity of 0.24 g L−1d−1. The S-starvation method balanced the carbohydrate content and biomass yield, resulting in the highest carbohydrate yield of 0.34 g L−1. Meanwhile, the S-deprivation method had no advantages in terms of carbohydrate yield and productivity, highlighted by the relatively lower carbohydrate content in the biomass. Carbohydrates were hydrolysed to glucose using dilute sulfuric acid, and the efficiency was positively correlated with the combined severity of the treatment. The results suggest the potential of S-limitation methods in the production of glucose from microalgae; however, the associated efficiency is dependent on the specific treatment method used.

Evaluation of resource recovery potential of the Pseudoscillatoria coralii BERC01 under variable compositions of wastewater to produce biomass for cyanobacterium biorefinery

This study employed the cyanobacterium Pseudoscillatoria coralii BERC01 for the biological retrieval of the nutrients from sullage wastewater for the resource recovery and recycling of water. The strain was cultured in the synthetic wastewater (mBG11) containing varying concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, and carbon. Interestingly, real sullage wastewater (SWW) improved the growth and CO2 utilization productivities by 2.35-fold. The carbohydrates, proteins, and lipid productivities were improved 2.33-fold, 2.39-fold, and 2.33-fold, respectively. Interestingly, 28.8 mg.L−1 of phosphorous resulted in a remarkably higher (372.74 ± 3.93 mg.g−1) content of the high-value phycobilin proteins. The light utilization efficiency was improved to 95 % in the presence of 49.35 mg.L−1 sulfur. The biodiesel properties of the SWW-produced biomass’s lipids showed improvement in the monounsaturated fatty acid content by 7.44 %. Besides, P. coralii removed phosphorous, nitrogen, COD, BOD, and TDS from the wastewater by 91 %, 86.76 %, 78.24 %, 80 %, and 52.50 % resulting the suitability of recycled water for irrigation purposes according to WHO standards. Correlation analyses showed that the cultivation media was significantly correlated with improved lipid productivity and negatively correlated with carbohydrate productivity. This study will benefit towards better understanding of the growth and metabolic behavior of cyanobacteria in response to variable pollution load of urban wastewater.

Enhancement of Growth, Lipid, and Carbohydrate Production of the Egyptian isolate Dunaliella salina SA20 Using Mozzarella Cheese Whey as a Growth Supplement

Enhancement of Growth, Lipid, and Carbohydrate Production of the Egyptian isolate Dunaliella salina SA20 Using Mozzarella Cheese Whey as a Growth Supplement

Flavobacterial exudates disrupt cell cycle progression and metabolism of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana

Phytoplankton and bacteria form the base of marine ecosystems and their interactions drive global biogeochemical cycles. The effects of bacteria and bacteria-produced compounds on diatoms range from synergistic to pathogenic and can affect the physiology and transcriptional patterns of the interacting diatom. Here, we investigate physiological and transcriptional changes in the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana induced by extracellular metabolites of a known antagonistic bacterium Croceibacter atlanticus. Mono-cultures of C. atlanticus released compounds that inhibited diatom cell division and elicited a distinctive morphology of enlarged cells with increased chloroplast content and enlarged nuclei, similar to what was previously observed when the diatom was co-cultured with live bacteria. The extracellular C. atlanticus metabolites induced transcriptional changes in diatom pathways that include recognition and signaling pathways, cell cycle regulation, carbohydrate and amino acid production, as well as cell wall stability. Phenotypic analysis showed a disruption in the diatom cell cycle progression and an increase in both intra- and extracellular carbohydrates in diatom cultures after bacterial exudate treatment. The transcriptional changes and corresponding phenotypes suggest that extracellular bacterial metabolites, produced independently of direct bacterial-diatom interaction, may modulate diatom metabolism in ways that support bacterial growth.

Update on the application of magnetic fields to microalgal cultures.

Several studies have shown that any magnetic field (MF) applied to microalgae modifies its cultivation conditions and may favor biomolecule production since it interacts with the microorganisms and affect their growth. As a result, there are changes in concentrations and compositions of biomass and biomolecules. This review aims at updating MF applications to microalga cultures that were reported by studies conducted in the last 5years. It shows the main studies that reached positive results of carbohydrate, lipid, protein and pigment production. Effects of MFs may be positive, negative or null, depending on some factors, such as intensity, exposure time, physiological state of cells and application devices. Therefore, this review details cultivation conditions used for reaching high concentration of biomolecules, explains the action of MFs on microalgae and describes their applicability to the biorefinery concept.

Strategy Development for Microalgae Spirulina platensis Biomass Cultivation in a Bubble Photobioreactor to Promote High Carbohydrate Content

As a counter to climate change, energy crises, and global warming, microalgal biomass has gained a lot of interest as a sustainable and environmentally favorable biofuel feedstock. Microalgal carbohydrate is considered one of the promising feedstocks for biofuel produced via the bioconversion route under a biorefinery system. However, the present culture technique, which uses a commercial medium, has poor biomass and carbohydrate productivity, creating a bottleneck for long-term microalgal-carbohydrate-based biofuel generation. This current investigation aims toward the simultaneous increase in biomass and carbohydrate accumulation of Spirulina platensis by formulating an optimal growth condition under different concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous in flasks and a bubble photobioreactor. For this purpose, the lack of nitrogen (NaNO3) and phosphorous (K2HPO4) in the culture medium resulted in an enhanced Spirulina platensis biomass and total carbohydrate 0.93 ± 0.00 g/L and 74.44% (w/w), respectively. This research is a significant step in defining culture conditions that might be used to tune the carbohydrate content of Spirulina.

Male reproductive cycle in a population of the endemic butterfly lizard, Leiolepis ocellata Peters, 1971 (Squamata: Agamidae) from northern Thailand

BackgroundFundamental knowledge on the seasonal reproductive microanatomy and endocrinology of reptiles has been collected from several studies of various species. The present study was to determine annual changes in hormonal profiles, and detailed histomorphometric and histochemical characteristics of the entire male reproductive system of the tropical agamid lizard, Leiolepis ocellata.ResultsMale L. ocellata individuals (n = 75) collected from the territory of two provinces (Lampang and Tak) in northern Thailand exhibited annual variation in sex hormonal, histomorphometric, and histochemical characteristics of the male reproductive system. The reproductive cycle was subdivided into eight reproductive periods (early first active, first active, resting, second recrudescent, second active, regressive, quiescent, and first recrudescent), thus displaying a bimodal pattern with two actively reproductive periods. Circulating sex hormones (testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone) peaked in the first active (February) and the second active (June–July) periods. Likewise, gonadosomatic index (GSI) and histomorphometric variables of the testes and of the genital ducts (rete testis, ductuli efferentes, ductus epididymis, and ductus deferens) revealed their highest values in the first active period. Marked increase in protein and carbohydrate production was detectable in the ductuli efferentes during the active periods.ConclusionsThe male reproductive cycle of L. ocellata showed a biannual pattern of the hormonal profile, and detailed histomorphometric and histochemical characteristics of the entire reproductive system. Hence, the present study provides improved basic knowledge on the reptilian reproductive biology with comparative viewpoints to other reptiles.

Fingerprinting macrophyte Blue Carbon by pyrolysis-GC-compound specific isotope analysis (Py-CSIA).

There is a need for tools to determine the origin of organic matter (OM) in Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCE) and marine sediments to (1) facilitate the implementation of Blue Carbon strategies into carbon accounting and crediting schemes and (2) decipher changes in ecosystem condition over decadal to millennial time scales and thus to understand and predict the stability of BCE in a changing world. Pyrolysis-GC-compound specific isotope analysis (Py-CSIA) is applied for the first time in marine environments and BCE research. We studied Australian mangrove, tidal marsh and seagrass sediments, in addition to potential sources of OM (Avicennia, Posidonia, Zostera, Sarcocornia, Ecklonia and Ulva species and seagrass epiphytes), to identify precursors of different biomacromolecule constituents (lignin, polysaccharides and aliphatic structures). Firstly, the link between bulk δ13C and δ13C reconstructed from compound-specific δ13C showed that the pyrolysis approach allows for the isotopic screening of a representative portion of the OM. Secondly, for all samples, the C isotope fingerprint of the carbohydrate products (plant polysaccharides) was the heaviest (13C enriched), followed by lignin and aliphatic products. The differences in δ13C among macromolecules and the overlap in δ13C among putative sources reflect the limitations of bulk δ13C analyses for deciphering OM provenance. Thirdly, phanerogams specimen had the heaviest carbohydrate and lignin, confirming that seagrass-derived lignocellulose can be traced based on δ13C. Consistent differences for individual compounds were identified between seagrasses and between Avicennia and Sarcocornia using Py-CSIA. Fourth, ecosystem shifts (colonization of seagrass habitats by mangrove) on millenary time scales, hypothesized in previous studies on the basis of bulk δ13C and Py-GC-MS, were confirmed by Py-CSIA. We conclude that Py-CSIA is useful in Blue Carbon research to decipher OM sources in marine sediments, identify ecosystem transitions in palaeoenvironmental records, and to understand the role of different OM compounds in Blue Carbon storage.

Seasonality and Phosphate Fertilization in Carbohydrates Storage: Carapa guianensis Aubl. Seedlings Responses.

The low availability of phosphorus and water in soil can promote the remobilization of carbohydrates in the plant, releasing energy to mitigate stress. In this context, our objective was to analyze the production and allocation of carbohydrates in plants of Carapa guianensis Aubl. submitted to different doses of phosphate fertilization, during the rainy and dry seasons, in the western region of Pará. We used three phosphorus dosages (0, 50, 250 kg ha−1) as treatments. We evaluated the plants during the dry and wet seasons. We quantified dry matter production, phosphorus content, total soluble sugars, reducing sugars, sucrose, and starch. Phosphate fertilization and different evaluation periods influenced carbohydrate concentrations (p < 0.05) in plants. The highest levels of P in the leaves were registered in October and, in the roots the content decreased with the passage of time in all treatments. The control had higher dry matter production in leaves and stems. During the dry season, there was an accumulation of carbohydrates in plants and a low production of dry matter. Soluble sugars and sucrose tended to be allocated to the stem, reducing sugars to the leaves and starch to the roots, in most periods. In general, C. guianensis seedlings were not very responsive to phosphorus addition.

Light Quality Modulates Photosynthesis and Antioxidant Properties of B. vulgaris L. Plants from Seeds Irradiated with High-Energy Heavy Ions: Implications for Cultivation in Space.

Beta vulgaris L. is a crop selected for cultivation in Space for its nutritional properties. However, exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) can alter plant photosynthetic performance and phytochemical production in the extraterrestrial environment. This study investigated if plant growth under different light quality regimes (FL—white fluorescent; RGB—red–green–blue; RB—red–blue) modifies the photosynthetic behavior and bioactive compound synthesis of plants sprouted by dry seeds irradiated with carbon or titanium high-energy ions. The study evidenced that: (i) the plant response depends on the type of heavyion; (ii) control and C-ion-irradiated plants were similar for photosynthetic pigment content and PSII photochemical efficiency, regardless of the LQ regime; (iii) under FL, net photosynthesis (AN) and water use efficiency (iWUE) declined in C- and Ti-ion plants compared to control, while the growth of irradiated plants under RGB and RB regimes offset these differences; (iv) the interaction Ti-ion× RB improved iWUE, and stimulated the production of pigments, carbohydrates, and antioxidants. The overall results highlighted that the cultivation of irradiated plants under specific LQ regimes effectively regulates photosynthesis and bioactive compound amounts in leaf edible tissues. In particular, the interaction Ti-ion × RB improved iWUE and increased pigments, carbohydrates, and antioxidant content.

Temporal Changes in Fecal Unabsorbed Carbohydrates Relative to Perturbations in Gut Microbiome of Neonatal Calves: Emerging of Diarrhea Induced by Extended-Spectrum β-lactamase-Producing Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli.

Early gut microbiota development and colonization are crucial for the long-term health and performance of ruminants. However, cognition among these microbiota is still vague, particularly among the neonatal dairy calves. Here, extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing enteroaggregative E. coli (ESBL-EAEC)-induced temporal changes in diversity, stability, and composition of gut microbiota were investigated among the neonatal female calves, with the view of discerning potential biomarkers of this arising diarrhea cases in local pastures. Nearly, 116 newborn calves were enrolled in this time period study during their first 2 weeks of life, and a total of 40 selected fecal samples from corresponding calves were used in this study. The results revealed that differentiated gut microbiome and metabolome discerned from neonatal calves were accompanied by bacterial infections over time. Commensal organisms like Butyricicoccus, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Collinsella, and Coriobacterium, as key microbial markers, mainly distinguish “healthy” and “diarrheic” gut microbiome. Random forest machine learning algorithm indicated that enriched fecal carbohydrates, including rhamnose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and abundant short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) existed in healthy ones. In addition, Spearman correlation results suggested that the presence of Butyricicoccus, Faecalibacterium, Collinsella, and Coriobacterium, key commensal bacteria of healthy calves, is positively related to high production of unabsorbed carbohydrates, SCFAs, and other prebiotics, and negatively correlated to increased concentrations of lactic acid, hippuric acid, and α-linolenic acid. Our data suggested that ESBL-EAEC-induced diarrhea in female calves could be forecasted by alterations in the gut microbiome and markedly changed unabsorbed carbohydrates in feces during early lives, which might be conducive to conduct early interventions to ameliorate clinical symptoms of diarrhea induced by the rising prevalence of ESBL-EAEC.