Cultivation Age Research Articles

Long-term effects of conventional cultivation on soil cation exchange capacity and base saturation in an arid desert region

Land reclamation and subsequent management affect soil condition, which is critical for sustainable agricultural production. Soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and base saturation (BS%) play an important role in the assessment of soil fertility and buffering capacity. However, the variation of these indicators in the evolution of oasis farmland in arid desert areas remains unclear. Therefore, this study was carried out aiming to evaluate the effect of desert reclamation and following long-term conventional cultivation on the CEC and BS%. For the study, we investigated the CEC and exchangeable bases (ExBas) content in oasis farmlands along a chronosequence (0–100 years) of cultivation in arid region and identified the key factors affecting CEC and BS%. The results showed that soil CEC and ExBas significantly increased after desert reclamation, whereas the BS% dramatically decreased. However, all these changes were alleviated with the conventional cultivation age. Regression analysis showed that soil CEC, ExBas, and BS% all exponentially changed with cultivation years. Based on our findings, CEC and ExBas were closely related to soil particle size composition, total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM) and soil water content (SWC). The multiple stepwise regression further indicated that the changes in CEC and ExBas after reclamation mainly depended on the silt content, SWC, SOM, and TN. Our findings highlight that although desert reclamation increases soil CEC and ExBas in arid area, this effect tends to disappear after about 100 years of conventional cultivation, and meanwhile, the decline in BS% due to increased acids should also be noted.

Changes in calcium accumulation and utilization efficiency and their impact on recycling, immobilization, and export across the oil palm cycle

Effective calcium (Ca) management is crucial for optimizing oil palm cultivation and enhancing crop yield. This study aimed to gain insights into the dynamics of Ca concentration, accumulation, exportation, immobilization, and recycling in various oil palm organs relative to plant age. The experiment was conducted at the Agropalma enterprise site in the northeastern region of Pará State, Brazil, evaluating seven plant age treatments: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 years old. Employing a completely randomized design with four replications. The results demonstrated an age-related increase in Ca concentration in petioles, rachis, arrows, male inflorescences, peduncles, and fruits. Furthermore, Ca accumulation exhibited an upward trend in all organs with progressing plant age. Notably, the study revealed an enhanced Ca use efficiency across all plant organs in correlation with the age of oil palm cultivation. These findings underscore the dynamic nutritional demands of oil palm, influencing Ca immobilization, cycling, and export throughout its developmental stages.

Effect of Various Improved Technology in Wheat Production Zone of Nepal

The study was held in 2024 in the Kailari, Gauriganga, Godawari, and Dhangadhi local level of Kailali District of Nepal to evaluate and identify the factors impacting the adoption of a number of sophisticated technologies in the research area. Data were collected from 200 respondents utilizing a semi-structured interview form, using simple random selection. The factors influencing the adoption of better technologies in wheat production were identified using a logistic regression model. Age, gender, ethnicity, and area of cultivation are socioeconomic elements that have been linked to the adoption of appropriate agricultural practices, as well as training, technical advice, and membership. The adoption of seed replacement was positively significant (P<0.1) as a result of the training. The adoption of seed varieties was positively significant (P<0.05) for cultivated area. The farmers who were involved in farmer groups or Cooperative had 2.209 times higher odds for the adoption of improved seed compared to the odds for farmers who were not involved in farmer groups. Advice from the technician had a positively significant (P<0.05) impact on the date of sowing. The use of more frequent irrigation was positively significant (P<0.05) in relation to the age of the household head. The split nitrogen application was positively significantly influenced by super zone membership (P<0.05).

Hypoglycemic Effects and Quality Marker Screening of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. at Different Growth Years.

(1) Background: The effect of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. (D. nobile) on hyperglycemic syndrome has only been recently known for several years. Materials of D. nobile were always collected from the plants cultivated in various growth ages. However, regarding the efficacy of D. nobile on hyperglycemic syndrome, it was still unknown as to which cultivation age would be selected. On the other hand, with the lack of quality markers, it is difficult to control the quality of D. nobile to treat hyperglycemic syndrome. (2) Methods: The effects of D. nobile cultivated at year 1 and year 3 were checked on alloxan-induced diabetic mice while their body weight, diet, water intake, and urinary output were monitored. Moreover, levels of glycosylated serum protein and insulin were measured using Elisa kits. The constituents of D. nobile were identified and analyzed by using UPLC-Q/trap. Quality markers were screened out by integrating the data from UPLC-Q/trap into a network pharmacology model. (3) Results: The D. nobile cultivated at both year 1 and year 3 showed a significant effect on hyperglycemic syndrome at the high dosage level; however, regarding the significant level, D. nobile from year 1 showed the better effect. In D. nobile, most of the metabolites were identified as alkaloids and sesquiterpene glycosides. Alkaloids, represented by dendrobine, were enriched in D. nobile from year 1, while sesquiterpene glycosides were enriched in D. nobile from year 3. Twenty one metabolites were differentially expressed between D. nobile from year 1 and year 3. The aforementioned 21 metabolites were enriched to 34 therapeutic targets directly related to diabetes. (4) Conclusions: Regarding the therapy for hyperglycemic syndrome, D. nobile cultivated at year 1 was more recommended than that at year 3. Alkaloids were recommended to be used as markers to control the quality of D. nobile for hyperglycemic syndrome treatment.

Soil pH and phosphorus drive the canonical nitrifiers and comammox Nitrospira communities in citrus orchards with different cultivation ages

Soil pH and phosphorus drive the canonical nitrifiers and comammox Nitrospira communities in citrus orchards with different cultivation ages

Influence of cultivation duration on microbial taxa aggregation in Panax ginseng soils across ecological niches.

Microbial communities are crucial for plant health and productivity. However, the influence of cultivation age on the ecological processes in assembling plant microbiomes at various ecological niches remains unclear. We selected 12 samples from ginseng farmlands with different cultivation years (N4: 4 years old, N6: 6 years old). We used soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and high-throughput sequencing (16S rDNA and ITS) to examine the rhizoplane (RP), rhizosphere (RS), and bulk soil (BS). Our results indicated that cultivation years significantly affect the soil microbiome's diversity and community composition across different ecological niches. The BS microbiome experienced the largest effect, while the RS experienced the smallest. N6 showed a greater impact than N4. This effect was more pronounced on the fungal communities than the bacterial communities of various ecological niches and can be closely related to the soil's physicochemical properties. In N4 soils, we observed an upward trend in both the number of ASVs (amplicon sequence variations) and the diversity of soil microbial taxa across various ecological niches. In N4RP, the bacteria Sphingomonas, known for degrading toxic soil compounds, was present. All ecological niches in N4 showed significant enrichment of Tetracladium fungi, positively associated with crop yield (N4RP at 6.41%, N4RS at 11.31%, and N4BS at 3.45%). In N6 soils, we noted a stark decline in fungal diversity within the BS, with a 57.5% reduction in ASVs. Moreover, Sphingomonas was abundantly present in N6RS and N6BS soils. The relative abundance of the pathogen-inhibiting fungus Exophiala in N6RP and N6RS reached 34.18% and 13.71%, respectively, marking increases of 4.9-fold and 7.7-fold. Additionally, another pathogeninhibiting fungus, Humicola, showed significant enrichment in N6BS, with a 7.5-fold increase. The phenolic acid-producing fungus Pseudogymnoascus in N6RP, N6RS, and N6BS showed increases of 2.41-fold, 2.55-fold, and 4.32-fold, respectively. We hypothesize that functional genes related to the metabolism of terpenoids and polyketides, as well as signaling molecules and interactions, regulate soil microbial taxa in ginseng from different cultivation years. In conclusion, our study enhances understanding of plant-microbe interactions and aids the sustainable development of medicinal plants, particularly by addressing ginseng succession disorder.

Organic/inorganic phosphorus partition and transformation in long-term paddy cultivation in the Pearl River Delta, China

Identification and quantification of different soil phosphorus (P) fractions level are important for improving agricultural productivity and developing sustainable management practices in these agricultural soils under long-term cultivation. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate P fractions level and their transformation in these soils. This study was conducted to characterize P fractions as affected by different paddy cultivation ages (200, 400-yr and 900-yr) among soils of the Pearl River Delta Plain in China. A sequential chemical fractionation scheme and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P NMR) were employed to quantify various P fractions and speciation. Results showed soil easily-labile P, moderately-labile P and non-labile P had a positive relationship with total P (TP) and available P (AP). Analysis with 31P NMR spectroscopy revealed that inorganic P including orthophosphate (Ortho-P) and pyrophosphate (Pyro-P) increased with cultivation age, while organic species monoester phosphate (Mono-P) and diester phosphate (Diester-P) decreased. Moreover, acid phosphatase (AcP), neutral phosphatase (NeP), exchangeable Ca and sand contents are the main factors that affected the transformation of soil P composition, and non-labile P (Dil.HCl-Pi) and Pyro-P had significant contribution to soil P availability by affecting P activation coefficient. Therefore, long-term paddy cultivation, influenced by these soil parameters including NeP, AcP, exchangeable Ca and sand, accelerated the transformation of soil organic P/non-labile P to inorganic P.

UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HR-MS-Based Metabolomics for Profiling the Sida rhombifolia Metabolites with Different Plant Organs and Cultivation Ages.

Plant organs and cultivation ages can result in different compositions and concentration levels of plant metabolites. The metabolite profile of plants can be determined using liquid chromatography. This study determined the metabolite profiles of leaves, stems, and roots of Sida rhombifolia at different cultivation ages at 3, 4, and 5 months post-planting (MPP) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The results identified that 41 metabolites in S. rhombifolia extract for all plant organs and cultivation ages. We successfully identified approximately 36 (leaves), 22 (stems), and 18 (roots) compounds in all extract. Using principal component analysis (PCA) with peak area as the variable, we clustered all sample extracts based on plant organs and cultivation ages. As a result of PCA, S. rhombifolia extracts were grouped according to plant organs and cultivation ages. In conclusion, a clear difference in the composition and concentration levels of metabolites was observed in the leaves, stems, and roots of S. rhombifolia harvested at 3-, 4-, and 5-MPP.

Volatile Components’ Variation Analysis on Ginseng Stems and Leaves at Different Growth Ages by HS-SPME-GC-MS

Panax ginseng is a famous valuable folk herb, the price of which particularly depends on its cultivation age. Since the classical chemical analysis usually needs to destroy the plants which is not suitable for the old wild ginseng due to the huge cost, in the current study, we employed the headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) GC-MS methodology which has the advantage of time-saving, nondestructive, and green to analyze the growth age of ginseng (roots) via determining the volatile components of ginseng stem and leaves (GSLs) combined with metabolic profiles way. 100 mg of finely ground GSL samples (3–7 years) were extracted by a 65 μm PDMS-DVB fiber in the headspace and then analyzed within 20 mins. The content assay of total saponins, crude polysaccharides, and total protein was also included. As a result of GC-MS-based profiling, the orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis’ (OPLS-DA) score plots showed excellent classification of four comparison groups (the 3- and 4-, 3-and 5-, 3- and 6-, and 3- and 7-year-old GSL) with 100% discrimination rate, respectively. 263 common differential variables were gained referring to the VIP and P values. 32 volatile metabolites were identified and showed good age discrimination capacities with an area under the curve (AUC) value of more than 0.8 by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Remarkably, there was one volatile component of sesquiterpenes, 1-cyclohexene-1-carboxaldehyde, 2, 6, 6-trimethyl-, which showed an excellent prediction with the AUC value of 1.0 among all the four compared groups, which could be the potential biomarker to distinguish all the four compared groups. The total contents of different growth ages of components of ginseng stems and leaves were distinct. The contents of total protein (4.80 ± 0.27%) and crude polysaccharide (24.15 ± 0.89%) in the 4th year of GSLs were the highest among the five cultivation years. The content of total saponins (4.66 ± 0.38%) in the 5th year of GSLs was the highest. These results could provide a novel reference for the GSLs’ harvest and application periods. Moreover, the current study could also supply a promising way to set up a nondestructive, in situ, and green approach to discriminate the growth age of Panax ginseng rapidly without digging the roots out instead of detecting the VOCs of GSLs.

Soil physicochemical properties change by age of the oil palm crop

For decades there have been controversies related to the changes generated by oil palm plantations in the physicochemical properties of the soil, soil biota, and ecological interactions. Therefore, the present investigation evaluated root diameter and biomass at three ages of oil palm cultivation. Besides, we evaluated the effect of the ages on the physicochemical parameters of the soil in comparison with pasture plots. To know the diameter, fresh, and dry biomass of roots, soil sampling was carried out around the oil palm (3-, 5-, and 15-years-old) at distances of 1, 2, and 3 m from the trunk plant. Also, to know the changes in the properties of the soil, the sampling was carried out randomly in the same plots and the pasture plot (control). The results showed that both the diameter and the fresh and dry root biomass increased in 15-year-old plantations compared with 3- and 5-year-old. In addition, correlation analysis and principal component analysis indicated that the parameters evaluated are associated with the adult age of the oil palm. Also, the results of soil physicochemical showed that low soil fertility was associated with an increase in the age of the palm.

Comparative Study on Chemical Constituents of Ginseng Flowers with Four Consecutive Cultivation Age.

The harvest period of cultivated ginseng is generally 4-6 years. Ginseng flowers (GFs), the nonmedicinal parts, are usually removed every autumn, in which components are generally believed to stay unchanged with the increasing cultivation age. Recently, few documents were reported on the variation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other components about ginseng flowers. This study had an insight into the variation of the chemical constituents with the cultivation ages through the comparison of the volatile organic compounds, gross ginsenosides, crude polysaccharide, and gross proteins of ginseng flowers from 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old (GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6) which were conducted by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-QQQ/MS) and spectroscopic analysis combined with multivariate statistical analysis, including one-way ANOVA analysis and T test. The results indicated that the crude polysaccharide contents raised significantly depending on cultivation age except 6-yr-old, whereas the gross ginsenosides and the gross protein content were indistinctive. According to the peak intensity of determined VOCs, the contents of most differential compounds arranged in an order from high to low are GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6, such as the compounds 2-15, 17-19, 22, and 25-26, therefore, they can be inferred that they are important markers to identify the age of GFs. 461 common differential compounds were gained and 26 common volatile organic compounds were identified with RSI >800 and RI and RIx no more than 30, including alcohols (such as 11, 12, and 15), sesquiterpenes (such as 2, 3, and 4), esters (such as 1 and 26), naphthalene and naphthol (such as 7 and 20), which had potential effects on curing Alzheimer's disease, inflammatory diseases, and prostate cancer based on network pharmacology analysis. This paper firstly revealed the variation rules of constitutions of GFs, which may provide a reference for the harvest and making rational application.

Volatile Compositions of Panax ginseng and Panax quinquifolium Grown for Different Cultivation Years.

The present study examined the volatile profiles of Panax ginseng (Korean ginseng) and Panax quinquefolium (American ginseng) grown for different cultivation years by using HS-SPME/GC-MS and determined the key discriminant volatile compounds by chemometric analysis including principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and partial least squares-discrimination analysis (PLS-DA). Fifty-six compounds, including forty terpenes, eight alcohols, one alkane, one ketone, and one furan, were identified in the ginseng roots. The chemometric results identified two major clusters of American ginseng and Korean ginseng cultivars with distinct volatile compositions. The volatile compounds in fresh white ginseng roots were affected by the species, but the influence of different cultivation ages was ambiguous. The major volatile components of ginseng roots are terpenes, including monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. In particular, panaginsene, ginsinsene, α-isocomene, and caryophyllene were predominant in Korean ginseng cultivars, whereas β-farnesene levels were higher in American ginseng. The difference in volatile patterns between Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolium could be attributed to the composition of sesquiterpenes such as β-panaginsene, ginsinsene, caryophyllene, and β-farnesene.

Responses of soil nematode community within soil aggregates to tea plantation age.

It is increasingly believed that soil nematodes play an important role in the soil community and have a pronounced influence on the evaluation of soil health and the monitoring of soil food web changes. Soil aggregates provide habitable pore space and resource availability for soil organisms. The distribution of soil nematodes, which are relatively small soil fauna, may be related to the degree of soil aggregates. Soil nematode communities were studied with different soil components: large macro-aggregates (> 2mm), medium macro-aggregates (2-1mm), small macro-aggregates (1-0.25mm), and micro-aggregates (< 0.25mm) extracted from the same crop variety plantings (Sichuan tea) of different ages (19years, 26years, 34years, and 56years) in Sichuan province, southwestern China, in 2018. The results showed that the tea plantation with 26years of cultivation was more suitable for the propagation of nematode communities, and the numbers of total nematodes were highest in the > 2mm fractions. Compared with other tea plantations, the Margalef index (SR) of 26-year-old tea plantation was significantly higher than that within the large and medium macro-aggregates, and the maturity index (MI) was higher in the large and small macro-aggregates in the 26-year-old tea plantation. In the large macro-aggregates, the value of functional metabolic footprints decreased with the tea plantation age. In addition, the functional metabolic footprints increased with the increase in soil aggregate size. Our finding suggests that nematode communities are limited by resource availability and resource quality played an important role in determining nematode communities. Moreover, the soil food web was degenerated with the age of tea cultivation. Therefore, in the study area, it is necessary to pay attention to the rational allocation and application of organic fertilizer in the late stage of tea planting, so as to maintain the soil fertility and soil food web structure of the tea garden.

Phthalate Acid Esters in Soil, Plastic Shed Film, and Ginseng Tissues of Different Ages From Farmland: Concentration, Distribution, and Risk Assessment

Plastic shed film used in ginseng cultivation could increase phthalate acid esters (PAEs) residues in ginseng and its planting soil. This study recorded the situation of 19 PAEs in ginseng, soil, and plastic shed film samples from eight ginseng cultivation bases in Jilin Province, China. The results showed that 6 PAEs are omnipresent contaminants in ginseng cultivation bases. The Σ19 PAEs residue ranged from 0.69 to 3.30 mg kg−1 in the soil and from 32.40 to 96.20 mg kg−1 in the plastic shed film. Plastic shed film is possibly one source of PAEs in ginseng bases. In addition, PAEs concentrations in different ginseng tissues (roots, stems, and leaves) showed significant differences (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The residues of Σ19 PAEs in ginseng roots and stems were 0.71–2.10 mg kg−1 [dry weight (dw)] and 1.56–4.69 mg kg−1 (dw), respectively, lower than 2.37–6.82 mg kg−1 (dw) in leaves (p &amp;lt; 0.05). PAEs more readily accumulated in ginseng leaves than in roots and stems. Cultivation age also influenced PAEs accumulation in ginseng. PAEs residues in 3-year-old ginseng plants were higher than those in annual and biennial ginseng (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The noncancer and carcinogenic risk assessments of the target PAEs in ginseng indicated acceptable levels for adult intake. This study provides data for understanding the concentration, distribution, and potential risk of PAEs in ginseng and its cultivated soil.

Quantitative HPLC and FTIR-based Metabolomics for Clustering Centella asiatica Cultivation Ages and Evaluation of Their Radical Scavenging Activity

Centella asiatica is a medicinal plant used to treat stomachache, cough, sore throat, blood booster, and skin diseases. The difference in harvesting time is among the factors that can significantly affect the chemical composition of C. asiatica. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference of C. asiatica cultivation ages through a metabolomics (targeted and untargeted) analysis using FTIR spectra, HPLC analysis of four main components, and evaluation of its radical scavenging activity. The results showed that differences in cultivation ages affected the chemical composition of C. asiatica. It was shown by the FTIR spectrum indicating the vibration of several functional groups such as OH, C-H, C=O, C=C, C-O, C-N, C-O phenol, and alkyl halides with differences in their intensities. The results of the HPLC showed that C. asiatica harvested after four months post-planting (MPP) had the highest content of madecassoside, asiaticoside, madecassic acid, and asiatic acid, respectively. A principal component analysis (PCA) was carried out to clustering C. asiatica based on its cultivation ages. The PCA results showed that each sample could be grouped with a total variance of the first two principal components (PC) using peak are of the four main components analyzed by HPLC and absorbance at wavenumber 400-4000 cm-1 from FTIR spectra were 98% and 95%, respectively. The radical scavenging activity demonstrated that the 4 MPP had the highest inhibition of about 53.81±0.92 %. So, C. asiatica at 4 MPP gave optimum level four main metabolite content and radical scavenging activity.

Effects of cultivation soils and ages on microbiome in the rhizosphere soil of Panax ginseng

To protect the limited forest resources, forestry soils for Panax ginseng cultivation is gradually replaced by farmland, but the extent to which soil type and cultivation age affects soil microbiome in the ginseng rhizosphere is not well known. By using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S and ITS2 rRNA genes, we tested the effects of two soil types (forest, and farmland) and three cultivation ages (four, five, and six years) on soil microbiome in the ginseng rhizosphere from nine locations in Jilin Province, China. Relative abundance and diversity of rhizosphere microbes differed among soil samples, and Ascomycota, Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi were the dominant phyla. Soil type positively influenced fungal community, while cultivation age had more positive effect on bacterial than on fungal community. Richness and diversity of fungal community was greater in forest than in farmland soils, while these parameters for bacterial communities were lower in forest than in farmland soils. A deterioration of soil fertility and continuous cultivation increased the proportion of pathogens such as Fusarium, Cylindrocarpon, but reduced the proportion of beneficial and neutral fungi and bacteria. The observed changes in soil properties (pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium) caused by soil type and cultivation age could be explained by the variations in the microbiome. A network analysis indicated that farmland and increasing cultivation age augmented the proportion of pathogens but diminished the proportion of beneficial and neutral fungi and bacteria. The present study showed that the rhizosphere microbiome differed between forest and farmland soils. Cultivation age had a stronger influence on bacterial than on fungal community. These findings suggested that soil microbiome dynamics may be a bioindicator of soil quality, and defining the microbial players involved in various cultivation ages will promote the selection and adoption of favorable ginseng cultivation lands.

Short-Term Effects of Reclamation of Aquaculture Ponds to Paddy Fields on Soil Chemical Properties and Bacterial Communities in Eastern China Coastal Zone

Large areas of tidal flats were previously developed into aquaculture ponds and were recently encouraged to be converted into paddy fields to fulfill food and economic needs in China. However, the influences of short-term rice cultivation at the reclaimed aquaculture ponds on soil chemical properties and bacterial communities are poorly understood. To address this issue, we collected mineral soil samples at 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths from non-cultivated soils and paddy fields after being reclaimed from aquaculture ponds in Nantong, China, and identified soil bacterial communities using high-throughput sequencing. The results suggested that rice cultivation significantly increased the accumulation of total soil carbon (TC) and dissolved organic carbon (WSOC). The pH, ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3−) and available phosphorus (AP) varied with the reclamation duration but did not show a unanimous tendency. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi and Planctomycetes dominated the bacterial community in both non-cultivated and cultivated soils after reclamation regardless of cultivation ages and soil depth. The variations in the diversity and composition of the soil microbial community were mainly associated with electrical conductivity (EC), WSOC, TC, NH4+ and NO3− in non-cultivated and cultivated lands. Here, we found that short-term rice cultivation at the reclaimed aquaculture ponds strongly influenced soil bacterial communities and chemical properties, especially in the 0–20 cm depth, in the coastal regions.

Milk-clotting proteases from Pleurotus albidus: an innovative alternative for the production of Minas frescal cheese

Pleurotus albidus, a naturally growing species in the Amazon region, has been considered a promising source of milk-clotting proteases. The production of such enzymes using lignocellulosic residues is a sustainable alternative to replace mammalian rennet. The application of P. albidus milk-clotting proteases in cheese making has not yet been reported in the scientific literature. The aim of this study was to characterize the milk-clotting proteases of P. albidus and use these enzymes in the production of Minas frescal cheese. For the production of coagulating proteases, the mushroom was grown in açaí seeds supplemented with rice bran (10%, w/w). The parameters affecting the production of coagulant, such as inoculum size, fermentation time, initial pH of cultivation medium and age of the inoculum were evaluated. The coagulant extract obtained under optimal production conditions was evaluated for optimal pH and temperature, pH and temperature stability, effect of ions and inhibitors. Significant production of coagulating proteases was obtained under the following conditions: inoculum size (2.5%), fermentation time (10 days), initial pH of the cultivation medium (6), and inoculum age (10 days). The coagulant exhibited significant catalytic activity in pH 5.0 at 55°C, with stability at 45°C and was completely inhibited by iodoacetic acid. The milk-clotting proteases of P. albidus were efficient for making Minas frescal cheese that presented 55.0% of moisture, 20.0% of lipids and 17.20% of protein. Pleurotus albidus is a potential source of milk-clotting proteases that can be applied in dairy industry for production of fresh Minas frescal cheese.

Machine learning methods to predict the cultivation age of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix

BackgroundAmerican ginseng (AG) is a valuable medicine widely consumed as a herbal remedy throughout the world. Huge price difference among AG with different growth years leads to intentional adulteration for higher profits. Thus, developing reliable approaches to authenticate the cultivation ages of AG products is of great use in preventing age falsification.MethodsA total of 106 batches of AG samples along with their 9 physicochemical features were collected and measured from experiments, which was then split into a training set and two test sets (test set 1 and 2) according to the cultivation regions. Principle component analysis (PCA) was carried out to examine the distribution of the three data sets. Four machine learning (ML) algorithms, namely elastic net, k-nearest neighbors, support vector machine and multi-layer perception (MLP) were employed to construct predictive models using the features as inputs and their growth years as outputs. In addition, a similarity-based applicability domain (AD) was defined for these models to ensure the reliability of the predictive results for AG samples produced in different regions.ResultsA positive correlation was observed between the several features and the growth years. PCA revealed diverse distributions among different cultivation regions. The most accurate model derived from MLP shows good prediction power for the fivefold cross validation and the test set 1 with mean square error (MSE) of 0.017 and 0.016 respectively, but a higher MSE value of 1.260 for the test set 2. After applying the AD, all models showed much lower prediction errors for the test samples within AD (IDs) than those outside the AD (ODs). MLP remains the best predictive model with an MSE value of 0.030 for the IDs.ConclusionCultivation years have a close relationship with bioactive components of AG. The constructed models and AD are also able to predict the cultivation years and discriminate samples that have inaccurate prediction results. The AD-equipped models used in this study provide useful tools for determining the age of AG in the market and are freely available at https://github.com/dreadlesss/Panax_age_predictor.

Evaluation of The Effect of Age of Cultivation of Dumbo Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) on Changes in Pond Water Quality Using Plankton as Bioindicator in Gondosuli Village, Tulungagung Regency

Catfish is a freshwater fish that is widely cultivated but overfeeding causes organic pollution. This study aims to evaluate the water quality profile based on physicochemical and plankton as bioindicators in catfish ponds in Gondosuli Village, Tulungagung Regency. This type of research was ex post facto by monitoring the physicochemical parameters of water and the structure of the plankton community in control ponds, ponds with catfish aged &lt;1 month, 2-3 months, and 3-4 months each with three replications. Water samples for each pond were measured on the physicochemical water quality included water temperature, conductivity, pH, water transparency, DO, BOD, and turbidity. Plankton identified and analyzed to determine community structure (Abundance, Frequency, Relative Abundance, Relative Frequency, Important Value Index) and biotic index (H', TDI, and %PTV) for water quality. The results of measurements of each physicochemical parameter between locations were statistically analyzed inferentially using a different test. The interaction between the plankton community structure and the physicochemical of water quality was analyzed using biplots. The results showed that ponds with the age of catfish ready to harvest had an impact on decreasing water quality. This condition was indicated by the high organic matter pollution reflected by the high BOD, high turbidity levels, and low DO values. Catfish pond waters quality based on the H' value of plankton community showed that organic matter pollution had not yet occurred. Based on TDI values, catfish pond waters were categorized as poor status (hyper eutrophic) and based on the %PTV index in ponds with catfish age 2-3 and 3-4 months were classified as high levels of organic matter pollution.