Commercial Extraction Research Articles

Starch‐based and green tea extract films: characterisation and evaluation of the shelf life of interleaved sliced calabrese sausage

SummaryThis study aimed to develop and characterise cassava starch‐based films incorporating green tea extract and to assess the antioxidant effectiveness of these edible films against oxidative degradation in sliced calabrese sausage. The films were formulated with 3.5% starch (w/v) and 35% glycerol (w/w), with the addition of commercial green tea extract at concentrations of 1.0%, 2.5%, and 5.0% (w/v of film‐forming solution). The formulations with extract showed significantly higher per cent elongation at break compared to the control (without extract) (P < 0.05), with higher tensile strength observed in the film with 1.0% extract. The best results in antioxidant activity kinetics with IC50 values between 0.012 and 0.14 mg mL−1 over 60 days were obtained with 1% of the extract. The cassava starch film with 1.0% extract inhibited the lipid oxidation of calabrese sausage for 18 days. The presence of 1.0% extract in the film reduces lipid oxidation in calabrese sausage without sensorial alteration, extending shelf life and suggesting it as an alternative to conventional plastics.

Aloe vera Miller extract as a plasticizer agent to polymeric films: A structural and functional component

The pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries have found natural polysaccharides-based polymeric films helpful for the topical application of drugs. Plasticizers, such as glycerol, are added to achieve films' desired mechanical, elastic, and flexible properties. Aloe vera Miller mucilage is known for healing burns and wounds, relieving pain, and moisturizing, suggesting its great potential for managing multiple topical issues. Herein, we exploited the plasticizing potentialities of A. vera extract when combined with gellan or carrageenan polysaccharides to produce films. The extract of A. vera mucilage was prepared in propane-1,2-diol, and its composition was comparatively evaluated with a commercial extract using a chemometric method. Next, it was added to the films obtained using the solvent-casting method. The formulations were investigated regarding the mechanical properties, swelling, water loss, porosity, water vapor transmission rate, degree of occlusion, adhesion force, and antioxidant action. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy assessed the films stability and homogeneity with an exploratory chemometric method to classify the samples. The results showed that carrageenan and gellan polysaccharides-based polymeric films have great potential for including A. vera extract. The extract acts as a plasticizer and promotes desirable properties and swelling behavior for films intending wound management. Comparatively, films prepared with glycerol beyond the extract presented higher thickness, lower swelling, and higher occlusion and antioxidant activity. Despite this, glycerol seems to negatively influence the homogeneity of the extract on the film surface. In addition, regarding polysaccharides, carrageenan showed higher bioadhesion. Therefore, the films produced exhibited favorable properties, highlighting their potential for further research regarding wound management.

A human monoclonal antibody based immunoenzymetric assay to measure Fel d 1 concentrations in cat hair and pelt allergenic extracts.

In the United States, 19 allergen extracts of different specificities are standardized, which means that their potencies are determined in comparison to a US reference standard. For cat allergen extracts, potency is determined by measuring Fel d 1 content expressed in in Fel d 1 units, and with a unitage that correlates with skin test reactions (bioequivalent allergy units or BAU). Currently, Fel d 1 content is measured with a radial immunodiffusion (RID) assay that uses polyclonal sheep antisera to detect the allergenic protein by producing a white precipitin line in agar gel. However, the RID is considered cumbersome, and the polyclonal sera may qualitatively vary among animals and may recognize epitopes irrelevant to human allergic disease. In this report, we describe a quantitative two-site immunoenzymetric assay (IEMA) for Fel d 1 that uses immobilized capture and soluble biotin-labeled detection Fel d 1-specific human IgE monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that have been class-switched to IgG4. Together, they sandwich Fel d 1 molecules from extracts. Using purified natural Fel d 1 as a calibrator, the historically reported ∼4 micrograms Fel d 1/Fel d 1 unit assignment was directly measured in this mAb-based IEMA at 3.12 ± 0.24 micrograms of Fel d 1 per Fel d 1 unit. This IEMA appears to be equivalent to RID in the measurement of biological potencies of commercial cat hair and cat pelt extracts marketed in the United States.

Coomans plot classification of lard in the ink blends and ink extracts from printed packaging films using lard Fourier transform infrared spectral profile and multivariate analysis

Lard in blends of commercial gravure ink (ranging from 0.5 to 20%) and ink extracts from eleven commercially printed packaging films for foodstuffs was characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The FTIR spectral bands at 4000 ‒ 650 cm-1 associated with the lard fingerprint were acquired and used to classify the lard and its blends using partial least squares (PLS) regression and discriminant analysis (DA). Commercial gravure inks (also used for preparing calibration curve samples), blends of lard ranging from 0.5 to 20% in gravure inks, and commercially printed food packaging films were tested. Linear correlation of predicted and actual values of lard were determined using PLS calibration and validation models. They produced a high coefficient of determination (R2 ) of 0.943, a low root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) of 1.674, as well as a high R2 = 0.999 and a low root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 1.233, respectively. The PLS calibration was verified employing a leave-oneout cross-validation, while DA was used to classify a series of lard standard, lard-added ink, and commercial food packaging films. The Coomans plot classification of the lardadded ink and commercial food packaging films illustrated that the food packaging samples were plotted in the right and left hemispheres in the lard-added ink class. This result also demonstrated that FTIR coupled with chemometric PLS predicted the lard content in the printing inks with high overall accuracy, as indicated by a low mean difference (MD) value of 0.577 and a low standard deviation of difference (SDD) value of 0.599. The DA allowed the ink packaging samples that potentially contained lard to be distinguished from those without lard. Sample 7 (commercially printed food packaging ink) exhibits the highest possibility of containing lard.

Formic acid sandwich method is well-suited for filamentous fungi identification and improves turn around time using Zybio EXS2600 mass spectrometry

ObjectivesMatrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is extensively employed for the identification of filamentous fungi on MALDI Biotyper (Bruker Daltonics) and Vitek MS (biomerieux), but the performance of fungi identification on new EXS2600 (Zybio) is still unknow. Our study aims to evaluate the new EXS2600 system's (Zybio) ability to rapidly identify filamentous fungi and determine its effect on turnaround time (TAT) in our laboratory.MethodsWe tested 117 filamentous fungi using two pretreatment methods: the formic acid sandwich (FA-sandwich) and a commercial mold extraction kit (MEK, Zybio). All isolates were confirmed via sequence analysis. Laboratory data were extracted from our laboratory information system over two 9-month periods: pre-EXS (April to December 2022) and post-EXS (April to December 2023), respectively.ResultsThe total correct identification (at the species, genus, or complex/group level) rate of fungi was high, FA-sandwich (95.73%, 112/117), followed by MEK (94.02%, 110/117). Excluding 6 isolates not in the database, species-level identification accuracy was 92.79% (103/111) for FA-sandwich and 91.89% (102/111) for MEK; genus-level accuracy was 97.29% (108/111) and 96.39% (107/111), respectively. Both methods attained a 100% correct identification rate for Aspergillus, Lichtheimia, Rhizopus Mucor and Talaromyces species, and were able to differentiate between Fusarium verticillioides and Fusarium proliferatum within the Fusarium fujikuroi species complex. Notably, high confidence was observed in the species-level identification of uncommon fungi such as Trichothecium roseum and Geotrichum candidum. The TAT for all positive cultures decreased from pre EXS2600 to post (108.379 VS 102.438, P < 0.05), and the TAT for tissue decreased most (451.538 VS 222.304, P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe FA-sandwich method is more efficient and accurate for identifying filamentous fungi with EXS2600 than the MEK. Our study firstly evaluated the performance of fungi identification on EXS2600 and showed it is suitable for clinical microbiology laboratories use.

Tolerance of peanuts and tree nuts in Spanish children with exclusive sensitization to lipid transfer proteins.

Allergy to peanuts and tree nuts is a common cause of food allergy in Spain, with lipid transfer proteins (LTP) being the most frequently recognized panallergen. LTP sensitization often leads to multiple food group sensitivities, resulting in overly restrictive diets that hinder patient's quality of life. This study aimed to assess the tolerance of peanuts and tree nuts (hazelnuts and walnuts) in children sensitized to LTP, potentially mitigating the need for such diets. This prospective study enrolled individuals diagnosed with allergy to peanuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts. Data were collected from medical records, including demographics and clinical history. Allergological assessment comprised skin prick tests using commercial extracts and the nuts in question, alongside measurements of total and specific IgE to nuts and their primary molecular components. Participants showing positive LTP sensitization without sensitization to seed storage proteins underwent open oral nut challenges. A total of 75 individuals labeled as allergic to peanuts, 44 to hazelnuts, and 51 to walnuts were included. All of them underwent an open oral provocation test with the incriminated nut, showing a high tolerance rate. Peanut was tolerated by 98.6% of patients, 97.72% tolerated hazelnut, and 84.3% tolerated walnut. The findings suggest that the majority of patients allergic to peanuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts, due to LTP sensitization and lacking IgE reactivity to seed storage proteins, can tolerate these nuts. This supports the need for personalized nut tolerance assessments to avoid unnecessary dietary restrictions.

148. Effect of a commercial lemon extract on broilers chickens’ growth performances

148. Effect of a commercial lemon extract on broilers chickens’ growth performances

Assessment of Commercial DNA Extraction Kits for Porcine Gelatin Detection Using RT-PCR and ddPCR

Gelatin is extensively applied in various industries, including food, beverages, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Although the determination of gelatin species is essential for religious, health, and consumer preference reasons, a standardized analysis method is absent. The challenge in identifying gelatin through DNA-based methods arises from the low DNA content and extensive DNA denaturation in the gelatin matrix. This study assessed the efficacy of two commercial DNA extraction kits, namely the Processed Food DNA Extraction (PF kit) and the DNeasy Mericon Food Kit (DM kit), for extracting DNA from porcine gelatin powder and commercial products derived from gelatin. Additionally, we evaluate the amplification of the extracted porcine DNA using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) techniques. The PF extraction kit demonstrated successful DNA extraction from porcine gelatin powder and commercial samples of porcine gelatin-based candies with a higher concentration (32.24-286.07 ng/uL) and purity (A260/A280 ratio of 1.82-2.33) compared to the DM kit (3.95-7.30 ng/uL and an A260/A280 ratio of 1.29-2.45). RT-PCR and ddPCR analyses yielded positive results for porcine DNA from gelatin powder for both PF and DM kits, albeit with differing Cq values and copy numbers. The choice of DNA extraction kit significantly impacted the amplification results when analyzing commercial samples of porcine gelatin-based candies. Using RT-PCR, all samples yielded negative results with the DM kit, while the PF kit detected one positive result for porcine DNA. Improved outcomes were observed with more sensitive analysis methods such as ddPCR, where the DM kit identified one positive result for porcine DNA while the PF kit detected positive results for all tested candies.

A Review of Supercritical CO2 Fracturing Technology in Shale Gas Reservoirs

Shale gas reservoirs generally exhibit characteristics such as low porosity, permeability, and pore throat radius, with high airflow resistance. Currently, hydraulic fracturing is a commonly used method for commercial shale gas extraction; however, the hydraulic fracturing method has exhibited a series of issues, including water sensitivity and reservoir pollution in shale reservoirs. Therefore, the development of anhydrous fracturing technology suitable for shale gas reservoirs has become an urgent requirement. The supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing technique has the merits of reducing reservoir damage, improving recovery and backflow rates, and saving water resources. Moreover, this technique has broad application prospects and can achieve the effective extraction of shale gas. To enhance the understanding of the supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing technique, this review summarizes the progress of current research on this technique. Furthermore, this study analyzes the stage control technology of supercritical carbon dioxide during the fracturing process, the interaction characteristics between supercritical carbon dioxide and rocks, and the laws of rock initiation and crack growth in supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing. The outcomes indicate that after SC-CO2 enters the reservoir, CO2 water–rock interaction occurs, which alters the mineral composition and pore throat framework, weakens the mechanical characteristics of shale, reduces the rock fracturing pressure, and increases the complexity of the fracturing network. This article provides a reference for research related to supercritical carbon dioxide fracturing technology and is greatly significant for the development of shale gas reservoirs.

Exploring Terebinth Cross-Sensitivity in Individuals with Pistachio Sensitivity

Introduction: Terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus) belongs to the same botanical family as pistachio (Pistacia vera) and cashew (Anacardium occidentale). Although it is known that there is cross-sensitivity between pistachio and cashew, the cross-sensitivity of terebinth with pistachio or cashew has not been investigated. The objective of our study was to evaluate the sensitivity to terebinth in children with pistachio sensitivity. Methods: This study was conducted between September 2021 and June 2022 at Adıyaman University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. It analyzed the results of children who underwent skin prick testing (SPT) for food allergy. Of the 712 food skin prick tests reviewed, 27 children were identified with pistachio sensitivity. Prick tests with commercial extract for cashew and prick-to-prick tests for terebinth were applied to these children. Results: The median age was two, and 78% were male. Of the children with pistachio sensitivity, 96% demonstrated cross-sensitivity to terebinth and 100% to cashew. There was a strong correlation between the size of SPT responses in pistachio, cashew, and terebinth. Only four children had previously consumed terebinth, and two of these children had allergic reactions. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates a high cross-sensitivity between terebinth, pistachio, and cashew. We recommend that individuals with pistachio or cashew allergy/sensitivity avoid terebinth until tests confirm it is safe to consume. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the clinical significance of this cross-sensitivity and identify the major allergen involved.

Electromembrane extraction of drugs of abuse and prescription drugs from micropulverized hair.

Hair analysis can provide chronological insights into past drug use for months to years after drug administration. In comparison to analyses from other biological matrices, such as blood and urine, sample pretreatment is often tedious and not environmental friendly. In this study, we present a more environmental friendly approach to hair analysis using micropulverized hair and electromembrane extraction for the efficient extraction of 15 drugs of abuse, prescription drugs, and metabolites from hair. The optimized extraction method, involving micropulverization, demonstrated comparable yields to the standard approach of cutting and overnight incubation. A 15-min extraction method using a commercial electromembrane extraction prototype was developed and validated according to forensic guidelines, using only 10 µl of organic solvent per sample. The final method, employing HPLC-MS-MS with a biphenyl column, exhibited good linearity, precision, and sensitivity. An AgreePrep assessment comparing the environmental impact of our method with the standard routine method, involving overnight incubation and conventional liquid-liquid extraction, was conducted. This is the first time micropulverized hair has been subjected to electromembrane extraction.

Pharmaceutical Potential Evaluation of Damask Rose By-Products from Volatile Oil Extraction.

Despite its well-known fragrance in cosmetics and medicine, a complete understanding of the phytochemical properties within by-products generated during commercial extraction of Damask rose remains elusive. Cultivated in Thailand for their essential oil, Damask rose varieties, including Mon Dang Prasert, Mon Klai Kangwon, and Bishop's Castle, share phenylethyl alcohol (57.62-61.11%) as the dominant component, which is responsible for their characteristic floral, sweet, rosy, and bready aroma. Through a circular hydro-distillation process, three different by-product fractions, including distilled water (D), hydrosol (H), and rose dreg (R), were recovered. Subsequently, we assessed their pharmaceutical potential, including the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-melanogenesis properties of these residual substances. The H fraction displayed the highest total phenolics (10.56 mgGAE/g) and flavonoids (6.93 mgCE/g) and significant antioxidant activity (IC50, 0.67-0.97 µg/mL). While the H fraction inhibited melanin formation at 50 μg/mL, the R fraction of MK (100 μg/mL) surprisingly promoted melanin production in B16-F10 cells. Nevertheless, the antimicrobial assay against Staphylococcus aureus, Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans revealed no antimicrobial activity in any fraction. Murine macrophage stimulation (J774A.1) with lipopolysaccharide revealed no anti-inflammatory effects from the by-products, as measured by IL-1β production. In summary, the H fraction exhibited the highest level of phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as antioxidant and anti-melanogenesis activities. Therefore, this by-product is a desirable choice for the development of value-added products such as functional food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products.

Research on Fuzzy Evaluation of Land Environmental Security in Three Provinces of Northeast China

Among the world’s most important three chief black lands, China’s northeast region is a vital hub for the commercial extraction of grain, undertaking the task of grain reserves and special transfers. Utilizing the provincial data of the three northeastern provinces from 2010 to 2021, and using existing documents and records as essential elements, we structured a land security appraisal system with five criterion layers and 21 indicator layers of pressure, state, impact, response, and management. The three provinces in the northeast were evaluated for the security of their land resources using the entropy-dependent weight-TOPSIS pattern. The study findings indicate that: (1) In general, land resource security of the three northeastern provinces shows a pattern of decline followed by a gradual increase from 2012 to 2021, and there is a steady improvement in the level of land’s ecological stability; (2) There are differences in the ecological stability of the soil across cities and provinces, with Heilongjiang Province having the best land security status and Liaoning Province having the worst; (3) The amount of soil erosion in tiny watersheds is the indicator that has the biggest influence on land ecological stability in the three provinces in the northeast; (4) The response layer is the criterion layer that has the strongest correlation with land ecological safety.

Application of MALDI-MS for characterization of fucoidan hydrolysates and screening of endo-fucoidanase activity

Brown macroalgae synthesize large amounts of fucoidans, sulfated fucose-containing polysaccharides, in the ocean. Fucoidans are of importance for their recently discovered contribution to marine carbon dioxide sequestration and due to their potential applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. However, fucoidans have high intra- and intermolecular diversity that challenges assignment of structure to biological function and the development of applications. Fucoidan-active enzymes may be used to simplify this diversity by producing defined oligosaccharides more applicable for structural refinement, characterization, and structure to function assignment for example via bioassays. In this study, we combined MALDI mass spectrometry with biocatalysis to show that the endo-fucoidanases P5AFcnA and Wv323 can produce defined oligosaccharide structures directly from unrefined macroalgal biomass. P5AFcnA released oligosaccharides from seven commercial fucoidan extracts in addition to unrefined biomass of three macroalgae species indicating a broadly applicable approach reproducible across 10 species. Both MALDI-TOF/TOF and AP-MALDI-Orbitrap systems were used, demonstrating that the approach is not instrument-specific and exploiting their combined high-throughput and high-resolution capabilities. Overall, the combination of MALDI-MS and endo-fucoidanase assays offers high-throughput evaluation of fucoidan samples and also enables extraction of defined oligosaccharides of known structure from unrefined seaweed biomass.

Antimicrobial Effect of Lippia citriodora Extract in Combination with Gallic Acid or Octyl Gallate on Bacteria from Meat.

Chicken meat and its derivatives are easily alterable. They are a nutritionally healthy food, and their consumption has seen a remarkable increase worldwide in recent years. At the same time, consumer demand for the use of natural products to control microbial growth is increasing. In this context, the antimicrobial capacity of a commercial extract of the lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) plant, (LCE) was tested in binary combination with gallic acid or octyl gallate against two strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of meat origin: Carnobacterium divergens ATCC 35677 and Leuconostoc carnosum ATCC 49367. First, the antimicrobial potential was evaluated by the checkerboard microdilution method at the optimal growth temperature of each and at 4 °C, pH 5.7 and 6.7, in culture medium. Octyl gallate was the most effective antimicrobial against the two bacteria under all study conditions. At 4 °C, the combination of LCE with octyl gallate had a similar antimicrobial effect on the two LAB, being bactericidal at pH 6.7. In chicken breast, this effective combination was tested in normal or modified atmosphere and refrigerated (4-8 °C) for 9 days. LCE + OG in modified atmosphere reduced the different microbial groups studied, including the lactic acid bacteria as the main microorganisms responsible for the spoilage of fresh meat. Further research could pave the way for the development of novel strategies contributing to the technological stability, security, and functional properties of chicken meat.

A commercial seaweed extract increases growth performance, immune responses, and related gene expressions in whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Seaweed liquid extracts are an attractive source of phytochemicals with high potential applicability in the aquafeed-additive industry. A commercial seaweed liquid extract (True Algae Max, TAM®), which has a marine seaweed odor, also dislplays significant levels of polysaccharides, phytochemicals, phenolic, and flavonoid compounds showing antioxidant activities and DPPH inhibition. This study investigates the impact of diets supplemented with TAM® as a functional additive on the growth, nutrient utilization, immune responses, and immune-related gene expressions of whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). A total of 750 postlarvae (PL, with an average initial weight of 0.053±0.001 g) were divided into five experimental groups, comprising three replicates per dietary treatment. For an eight-week experimental period, all groups were fed identical diets except for the variation in TAM® inclusion levels. The basal diet (control diet) had no inclusion level of TAM® (TAM0%). Groups 2–5 each contain TAM® inclusion at levels of 1% (10 mL gk−1 diet TAM1%), 2% (20 mL gk−1 diet TAM2%), 3% (30 mL gk−1 diet TAM3%), and 4% (40 mL gk−1 diet TAM4%), respectively. The results concluded that TAM® has great potential as a feed additive for whiteleg shrimp, compared to the control group. The group TAM2% significantly achieved final weight (4.337 g), weight gain (4.287 g) specific growth rate (3.423% / day), feed conversion ratio (1.970), feed efficiency ratio (0.507), and protein efficiency ratio (1.407), compared to the control group (3.900 g, 3.850 g, 3.347%/day, 2.183, 0.458, and 1.270, respectively). Whole-body composition of protein and lipid contents were significantly improved by all TAM group including TAM2% (51.18% and 4.49%, respectively), compared to the control group (49.38% and 4.15%, respectively). As well as, shrimp in group TAM2% achieved the highest values of lysozyme (3.92 µg mL−1), superoxide dismutase (SOD, 11.92 IU mL−1), catalase (CAT, 13.04 IU g−1), lipase (31.24 IU L−1), and amylase (31.24 IU L−1), compared to the control group (3.19 µg mL−1, 8.80 IU mL−1, 10.84 IU g−1, 17.35 IU L−1, 21.65 IU L−1, respectively). For gene expressions experiment, four immune-related were performed in this study; Peroxiredoxin (Prx), Prophenoloxidase (PPO1), P53-like protein isoform delta (p53), and Hemocyanin subunit L5 (L5H). The results showed that shrimp in group TAM2% achieved the highest significant P53 gene transcription compared to the control group or the other TAM groups. Compared to other groups, the TAM1% group considerably increased PPO1 gene transcription, while TAM3% displayed the greatest Prx gene transcription. On the other hand, compared to control group, all TAM groups significantly improved L5H gene transcription. In conclusion, the current study revealed that TAM® diet supplementation (20 mL of TAM® per kg diet) represents a promising, eco-friendly, and sustainable feed additive in the shrimp aquadiet industry.

Application of commercial seaweed extract-based biostimulants to enhance adventitious root formation in ornamental cutting propagation protocols: a review

Despite significant advancements in stem-cutting propagation, insufficient rooting efficiency remains an economic burden for the ornamental nursery industry. IBA and NAA play a critical role in generating adventitious roots (AR) when applied exogenously. In sustainable agriculture, the substitution of chemical inputs, with alternative natural eco-friendly products presents a key challenge. Biostimulants can form part of a solution to mitigate such risks deriving from the use of agrochemicals, they are generally considered to be non-toxic, non-polluting, biodegradable, and non-hazardous. The current knowledge of the use of commercial seaweed extract (SE) products applied to ornamental cutting propagation has not been summarized until now. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review, and we hypothesized that SE-based biostimulant application to ornamental stem cuttings improves AR formation in terms of rooting percentage, root number, and architecture. Moreover, they increase the overall quality of a rooted cutting as dry biomass and organic compound content. The authors chose SE-based biostimulants because they have been proven to have an extremely low carbon footprint; moreover, they are expected to account for more than 33% of the global market for biostimulants and reached a value of 894 million Euros by 2022. This review focuses on (i) SE-based biostimulants, in particular, brown algae; (ii) technical information on five commercial products: Goteo®, Kelpak®, AlgaminoPlant, Bio Rhizotonic, Actiwawe and others, less known, also used as phytoregulators substitutes; (iii) applied protocols, describing dose, application method, number of treatments, cutting type; (iv) effects of applied protocols on rooting rate, root architecture and overall rooted cutting quality. Outcomes show that findings vary based on crops, cuttings, location, raw materials, composition, dose, application number and procedures, and growth environment.

Effects of short- and long-term use of propolis extracts on liver and kidney in rats.

Propolis is widely used as a supplementary food product for its health benefits. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of commercial propolis extracts on the liver and kidney. Propolis extracts (250 mg/kgbw/day) were administered orally to adult male Wistar albino rats in solvents of ethanol, propylene glycol, water, and olive oil. Liver enzyme levels were determined biochemically in blood samples, and histopathological examinations were performed on the liver. Damage rate in both kidney tissue in the propolis-ethanol extract group increased significantly compared with the other groups after 30 and 90 days of application (p < .05). According to the results, ethanol, used as a common solvent in propolis products, may adversely affect the liver in long-term use. The data indicate that propolis-olive oil extract may be an essential alternative due to its effective and reliable properties.

Considerations on the authenticity and nutritional aspects of green coffee products consumed in Brazil

Several benefits have been attributed to the consumption of green coffee, in the form of capsules or teas, mainly due to its high content of phenolic acids, which allegedly show antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic activities in vitro. Chlorogenic acid is the phenolic compound present in greater proportion in coffee and the consumption of green coffee extract has been associated with health and loss of weight. However, beyond these bioactive compounds with a healthy appeal, other compounds which can have deleterious health effects should be considered in the consumption of these extracts, such as the presence of contaminants (ochratoxin A and its producing fungi), phytates, and tannins, which exhibit anti-nutritional characteristics. In that sense, this manuscript seeks to assess the composition of commercial green coffee extracts, analyzing their authenticity, nutritional and anti-nutritional aspects, to provide technical information for a qualified discussion about the effective healthiness of the consumption of commercial green coffee extracts. Nine samples of green coffee food supplements were selected and a product was prepared to serve as a standard. It was possible to identify coffee DNA in six of the commercial samples of food supplements. The products had antioxidant activity between 33 and 2408 µmol of Trolox/g. It was possible to identify chlorogenic acid in all samples with concentrations ranging from 0.023 - 20 mg / g of coffee. Six samples presented positive values for ochratoxin A, despite being within the limits of the coffee roasted legislation, there is a certain concern about the safety of these supplements.

Prolactin gene (C576A) polymorphism is associated with milk production performance in crossbred Anglo-Nubian dairy goats

Crossbred Anglo-Nubian goats (Anglo-Nubian × native goat breeds), are valued for exceptional milk production and adaptability. In-depth research on these goats is imperative to propel advancements in dairy goat breeds and enhance milk production efficiency within the region. The present study aims to assess polymorphism in prolactin (C576A) gene and determine the influence of different prolactin (PRL) genotypes to milk yield performance in crossbred Anglo-Nubian dairy goats raised from Awang, Opol, Misamis Oriental and Talay, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. Genomic DNA was extracted from hair follicles using commercial DNA extraction kit and PCR-RFLP was performed for the genotyping of the C576A polymorphism located in exon 5 of goats’ prolactin gene using Eco241 restriction enzyme. Genotypic frequencies of 0.56 for AA, 0.44 for AB, while allelic frequencies of 0.78 for A, and 0.22 for B were recorded. All populations followed the Hardy–Weinberg principle, except for dairy goats from Farm A located in Opol, Misamis Oriental. A two-way factorial (2 × 4) in a Randomized Complete Block Design was used to evaluate the relationship between genotypes and milk yield performance. AB genotype goats produced significantly higher milk yield traits (average daily milk yield and total milk production) than AA genotype, an indication that the polymorphism in the caprine PRL (C576A) gene influenced milk yield performance in the population of studied crossbred Anglo-Nubian goats. These results have to be validated in other dairy goat breeds.