Effect Of Different Levels Research Articles

The effect of different levels of vitamin A in the diets of bulls fed with food industry waste on the change in the metabolism of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus

The effect of different levels of vitamin A in the diets of bulls fed with food industry waste on the change in the metabolism of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus

Effect of synergistic fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum on thermal properties of hyaluronic acid-wheat starch system

Hyaluronic acid (HA), as a multifunctional hydrophilic polysaccharide, is potentially beneficial in improving the thermal stability of fermented modified starches, but relevant insights at the molecular level are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels (0 %, 3 %, 6 %, 9 %, 12 % and 15 %) of HA on the structural, thermal and pasting properties of wheat starch co-fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum. We found that the addition of HA increased the median particle size of fermented starch granules from 16.387 to 17.070 μm. Meanwhile, the crystallinity of fermented starch was negatively correlated with the HA content, decreasing from 14.70 % to 12.80 % (p < 0.05). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results confirmed that HA interacted with starch granules and water molecules mainly through hydrogen bonding. Thermal analyses showed that the thermal peak of the composite correlated with the HA concentration, reaching a maximum of 73.17 °C at 12 % HA. In addition, HA increases the pasting temperature, reduces the peak, breakdown and setback viscosities of starch. This study demonstrates the role of HA in improving the thermal stability of fermented starch, providing new insights for traditional fermented food research and the application of HA in food processing.

Growth performance, health status, gut microbiome, and expression of immune and growth-related genes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed diets with pea protein replacement of fish meal

The need for fish meal constrains fish farming and significantly impacts sustainability of the aquaculture industry. Hence, it is important to investigate the use of plant-based protein sources in fish diets. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of fish meal (FM) replacement by pea protein (PP) in a 60-day feeding experiment in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Effects on growth performance, body composition, hematology, serum biochemistry and immunology, and immune (TNF-α, IL1-ß and Il-8) and growth-related (GH and IGFI) gene expression were investigated. Five experimental diets (45% protein and 20% lipid) differed in replacement level of FM by PP at rates of 0% (control (PP0)), 25% (PP25), 50%(PP50), 75%(PP75) and 100%(PP100). Fish were fed with experimental diets in triplicate twice daily. The best growth performance was obtained in PP0 and PP25 groups. While fat ratios of fish fillets significantly differed (p < 0.05), there was no significant effects on protein ratios (p < 0.05). There was no significant change in the hematological values of fish, except those fed the PP100 diets, which displayed a reduction in eyrthocyte counts, hemoglobin content and hematocrit. As PP supplementation increased fish showed elevated serum glucose, total protein, cholesterol and myeloperoxidase activity and decreased glutamic pyruvic transaminase and alkaline phosphatase activity. Fish fed diets with between 25 and 75% replacement showed a decline in lactic acid bacteria in the gut. Significant increases in expression were observed in the liver of the PP25 fish relative to the 0% control for all immune and growth-related genes except for IL1-ß. These data suggest that up to 25% of FM can be replaced by PP without any adverse effects on rainbow trout.

Nano polysaccharides derived from aloe vera and guar gum as a potential fat replacer for a promising approach to healthier cake production

In recent years, there increment demand for healthier food options that can replace high-fat ingredients in bakery products without compromising their taste and texture. This research was focused on a formulation study of the blend of nano polysaccharides derived from aloe vera and guar gum at various concentrations. This study selected the blend concentration of 1 % aloe vera mucilage (AM) and 1 % guar gum (GG) due to its optimal gelling properties. Different magnetic stirring time durations were employed to formulate AGB (aloe vera guar gum blend). The particle size of AGB revealed the lowest nanoparticle size (761.03 ± 62 nm) with a stirring time of 4 h. The FTIR analysis found the presence of monomer sugars in AGB nano polysaccharide powder such as mannose, arabinose, and glucose. The thermogram results displayed an endothermic peak for all samples with a glass transition temperature (Tg) between 16 and 50 °C. The SEM image of the AGB indicated uniform spherical particles. The AGB powder exhibited good functional properties. The antimicrobial activity of AGB powder against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans was 22.32 ± 0.02, 21.56 ± 0.02, and 19.33 ± 0.33 mm, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of different levels of vegetable fat replacement with AGB powder on cake sensory properties, thermal stability, and texture characteristics were also examined. Notably, the cake containing a 50 % substitution of vegetable fat with AGB (C50) supplied desirable physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties. These results can provide advantages for the development of fat replacers in bakery products.

Effects of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Growth and Yield of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

To evaluate the effect of different levels of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth and yield of SinThuKha rice variety, the experiment was conducted with randomized complete block (RCB) design by three replications. The experiments were carried out in Water Utilization Research section, Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) at Yezin, Naypyitaw, Myanmar during dry and wet seasons, 2023.The organic sources used were poultry manure and cow dung manure. The treatments were T1 (Control ), T2 (100% RFF) (Recommended Rate of Fertilizer), T3 (6 t ha-1 Cow dung manure) (CM), T4 (6 t ha-1 Poultry Manure) (PM), T5 ( 25% RRF + 4.5 t ha-1 CM), T6 (25% RRF + 4.5 t ha-1 PM ), T7 (50% RRF+ 3 t ha-1 CM), T8 (50% RRF + 3 t ha-1 PM), T9 (75% RRF+1.5 t ha-1 CM), T10 (75% RRF+1.5 t ha-1 PM). It was observed that the grain yields as well as the yield attributing parameters like number of tillers hill-1, panicle length, number of panicles hill-1, number of spikelets panicle-1, filled grain percent were significantly different among different treatments except 1000 grain weight. The maximum grain yield was resulted (796.10 g m2) in dry season and (666.35 g m2) in wet season at T8 treatment (50% RRF + 3 t ha-1 PM). Among the treatments the higher yield of T8 and T10 were observed in both seasons followed by T2, T7 and T9.

Effect of different levels of nitrogen and phosphorous on yield attributes and economics of kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Nees)

Effect of different levels of nitrogen and phosphorous on yield attributes and economics of kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata Nees)

A Study on the Shopping Life through Mobile Visual Search

Purpose - To examine the influence of mobile visual search as a strategic technology service on consumer perceived economic value and customer commitments, which in turn affect consumer's usage intention of mobile visual search. This study also explores the moderating effect of different levels of consumer online shopping orientation. Design/methodology/approach - One-by-one open-ended in-depth interview was first undertaken to 15 Korean consumers to figure the features of mobile visual search. Then a conceptual model was built to verify the hypotheses that indicate the impact of mobile visual search on consumer perceived economic value and customer commitment, which further influence consumer’s usage intention. Findings - The results show Convenience, Information quality, Personalization, Text-free search interface design and Visual communication of mobile visual search positively influence consumer perceived economic value and customer commitment and in turn positively affect consumer's usage intention. Moreover, the different levels of consumer online shopping orientation also found to have different effects on consumers’ perception and behavior of using mobile visual search in online fashion shopping. Research implications or Originality - The present study verified that mobile visual search is a service tool that consumers want to use in the online fashion shopping journey since it provides economic benefits.

Effects of Grape Pomace on Growth Performance, Nitrogen Metabolism, Antioxidants, and Microbial Diversity in Angus Bulls.

Polyphenol-rich grape pomace (GP) represents a valuable processing by-product with considerable potential as sustainable livestock feed. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of GP on the growth performance and nitrogen utilization efficiency, antioxidant activity, and rumen and rectum microbiota of Angus bulls. Thirty Angus bulls were allocated three dietary treatments according to a completely randomized design: 0% (G0), 10% (G10), and 20% (G20) corn silage dry matter replaced with dried GP dry matter. The results showed that the average daily gain (ADG) of the G0 group and G10 group was higher than that of the G20 group (p < 0.05); urinary nitrogen levels decreased linearly with the addition of GP (linear, p < 0.05). In terms of antioxidants, the levels of catalase (CAT) in the G10 group were higher than in the G0 and G20 groups (p < 0.05), and the total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) was significantly higher than that in the G20 group (p < 0.05). In addition, in the analysis of a microbial network diagram, the G10 group had better microbial community complexity and stability. Overall, these findings offer valuable insights into the potential benefits of incorporating GP into the diet of ruminants.

Comparison of selected nutritional analysis of goat and cow milk kefir using Indonesian kefir grains

Kefir is a fermented dairy beverage produced with kefir grains. It is high in probiotics and provides nutrition and health benefits. The effect of different level of kefir grains and incubation time on the chemical characteristics of goat and cow milk kefir was investigated. Kefir samples were prepared using 3 and 5% (w/v) kefir grains with incubation times of 12 and 24 hours. The addition of kefir grains significantly affected the pH, acidity, lactose, and protein content compared to control. There is no significant difference on pH, acidity, lactose, and protein in between both kefirs prepared in this study regardless of the treatments. The results showed that 5% (w/v) kefir grains with 24 hours incubation time was suggested to be the best milk kefir preparation for both goat milk and cow milk kefir.

Effect of level of sedation on outcomes in critically ill adult patients: a systematic review of clinical trials with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis

Sedation is routinely administered to critically ill patients to alleviate anxiety, discomfort, and patient-ventilator asynchrony. However, it must be balanced against risks such as delirium and prolonged intensive care stays. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of sedation in critically ill adults. Systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) of randomised clinical trials including critically ill adults admitted to the intensive care unit. CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and Web of Science were searched from their inception to 13 June 2023. Risks of bias were assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Aggregate data were synthesised with meta-analyses and TSA, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. This study is registered with PROSPERO: CRD42023386960. Fifteen trials randomising 4352 patients were included, of which 13 were assessed high risk of bias. Meta-analyses comparing lighter to deeper sedation showed no evidence of a difference in all-cause mortality (risk ratio (RR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-1.06; p=0.28; 15 trials; moderate certainty evidence), serious adverse events (RR 0.99, CI 0.92-1.06; p=0.80; 15 trials; moderate certainty evidence), or delirium (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.94-1.09; p=0.78; 11 trials; moderate certainty evidence). TSA showed that when assessing mortality, a relative risk reduction of 16% or more between the compared interventions could be rejected. The level of sedation has not been shown to affect the risks of death, delirium, and other serious adverse events in critically ill adult patients. While TSA suggests that additional trials are unlikely to significantly change the conclusion of the meta-analyses, the certainty of evidence was moderate. This suggests a need for future high-quality studies with higher methodological rigor. None.

Mechanical properties and discrete element simulation of KH-560 modified polystyrene concrete

Polystyrene foam (EPS) concrete is a composite concrete material commonly used in construction, which has excellent thermal insulation and thermal insulation properties, but also has defects of weak bonding interface.KH-560 can significantly improve the characteristics of EPS particles and concrete matrix, which have different physical and chemical properties and are difficult to combine. In this study, the effects of different levels of KH-560 on the enhanced mechanical properties of EPS concrete were studied from the aspects of macroscopic mechanical properties, microstructure characteristics, chemical composition and discrete element simulation, and the mechanism of action was discussed. The results of mechanical experiments show that the compressive strength and flexural strength of EPS concrete mixed with KH-560 are higher than those of ordinary EPS concrete, and its mechanical properties gradually increase with the increase of KH-560 content. XRD, FT-IR and SEM observations showed that more C-S-H gels would be produced under the action of KH-560, which made the structure of the weak interface transition zone of EPS concrete more compact. The results of discrete element simulation show that the peak strength of EPS concrete increases with the increase of friction coefficient, but has little effect on its elastic modulus.

Effects of different supplemental levels of protease DE200 on the production performance, egg quality, and cecum microflora of laying hens.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of the protease DE200 on the performance, egg quality, organ index, and cecum microflora of Hy-line W36 laying hens. In this experiment, a total of 180 laying hens aged 300 d were randomly divided into three treatment groups and fed diets containing 0, 100, or 200g/t DE200. The experimental period was 8wk, including 2wk of prefeeding and 6wk of the formal experiment. Regular feeding was performed thrice a day and eggs were collected twice daily, and the feed intake and the egg quality were recorded. The results showed that in terms of production performance, dietary supplementation with different levels of DE200 significantly increased egg production (EP; P < 0.05) and significantly decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.05) and average daily feed intake (ADFI; P < 0.05) without affecting egg weight (EW). In addition, the addition of DE200 significantly reduced the egg breakage rate (P < 0.05) and tended to increase the Haugh unit and decrease the water content of the yolk (P > 0.05). In the cecal microflora, the addition of DE200 increased the proportions of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes at the phylum level while reducing the proportion of Fusobacteria. Furthermore, at the genus level, the addition of DE200 increased the proportions of Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium and reduced the proportion of Megamonas. This study suggested that the protease DE200 can be used as a feed supplement to improve the production performance of laying hens.

Folic Acid and Taurine Alleviate the Impairment of Redox Status, Immunity, Rumen Microbial Composition and Fermentation of Lambs under Heat Stress.

The aim of this study was to investigate if the supplementation of folic acid and taurine can relieve the adverse effects of different levels of heat stress (HS) on growth performance, physiological indices, antioxidative capacity, immunity, rumen fermentation and microbiota. A total of 24 Dorper × Hu crossbred lambs (27.51 ± 0.96 kg) were divided into four groups: control group (C, 25 °C), moderate HS group (MHS, 35 °C), severe HS group (SHS, 40 °C), and the treatment group, under severe HS (RHS, 40 °C, 4 and 40 mg/kg BW/d coated folic acid and taurine, respectively). Results showed that, compared with Group C, HS significantly decreased the ADG of lambs (p < 0.05), and the ADG in the RHS group was markedly higher than in the MHS and SHS group (p < 0.05). HS had significant detrimental effects on physiological indices, antioxidative indices and immune status on the 4th day (p < 0.05). The physiological indices, such as RR and ST, increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the HS level and were significantly decreased in the RHS group, compared to the SHS group (p < 0.05). HS induced the significant increase of MDA, TNF-α, and IL-β, and the decrease of T-AOC, SOD, GPx, IL-10, IL-13, IgA, IgG, and IgM (p < 0.05). However, there was a significant improvement in these indices after the supplementation of folic acid and taurine under HS. Moreover, there were a significant increase in Quinella and Succinivibrio, and an evident decrease of the genera Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and Asteroleplasma under HS (p < 0.05). The LEfSe analysis showed that the genera Butyrivibrio, Eubacterium_ventriosum_group, and f_Bifidobacteriaceae were enriched in the MHS, SHS and RHS groups, respectively. Correlated analysis indicated that the genus Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was positively associated with MDA, while it was negatively involved in IL-10, IgA, IgM, and SOD (p < 0.05); The genus Anaeroplasma was positively associated with the propionate and valerate, while the genus Succinivibrio was negatively involved in TNF-α (p < 0.05). In conclusion, folic acid and taurine may alleviate the adverse effects of HS on antioxidant capacity, immunomodulation, and rumen fermentation of lambs by inducing changes in the microbiome that improve animal growth performance.

Physiologic Effects of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Rationale: Blood flow rate affects mixed venous oxygenation (SvO2) during venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), with possible effects on the pulmonary circulation and the right heart function. Objectives: To describe the physiologic effects of different levels of SvO2 obtained by changing ECMO blood flow in patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome receiving ECMO and controlled mechanical ventilation. Methods: Low (SvO2 target, 70-75%), intermediate (SvO2 target, 75-80%), and high (SvO2 target, >80%) ECMO blood flows were applied for 30 minutes in random order in 20 patients. Mechanical ventilation settings were left unchanged. The hemodynamic and pulmonary effects were assessed with pulmonary artery catheter and electrical impedance tomography. Measurements and Main Results: Cardiac output decreased from low to intermediate and to high blood flow/SvO2 (9.2 [6.2-10.9] vs. 8.3 [5.9-9.8] vs. 7.9 [6.5-9.1] L/min; P = 0.014), as well as mean pulmonary artery pressure (34 ± 6 vs. 31 ± 6 vs. 30 ± 5 mm Hg; P < 0.001) and right ventricular stroke work index (14.2 ± 4.4 vs. 12.2 ± 3.6 vs. 11.4 ± 3.2 g × m/beat/m2; P = 0.002). Cardiac output was inversely correlated with mixed venous and arterial Po2 values (R2 = 0.257; P = 0.031; and R2 = 0.324; P = 0.05). Pulmonary artery pressure was correlated with decreasing mixed venous Po2 (R2 = 0.29; P < 0.001) and with increasing cardiac output (R2 = 0.378; P < 0.007). Measures of [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] mismatch did not differ between the three steps. Conclusions: In patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, increased ECMO blood flow rate resulting in higher SvO2 decreases pulmonary artery pressure, cardiac output, and right heart workload.

Effect of Salinity Stress on the Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Peppermint under Greenhouse Condition

Peppermint is a rich source of valuable compounds with therapeutic, coloring, preservative and other uses for humans. Peppermint is used in food, perfumery and medicine all over the world. Higher plants experience salt stress due to an excessive buildup of sodium chloride; salinity impacts plants through osmotic stress and toxicity. Salinity impacts every major activity in plants, including growth, photosynthesis, lipid metabolism, protein synthesis, energy production, and germination through biomass and seed formation. The experiment was carried out in the research farm of agriculture faculty of Lorestan University, Iran. The aim of the current research was to examine the effect of different levels of salinity (0, 50 and 100 mM) on the morphological and physiological characteristics of peppermint in the greenhouse. The result showed that salinity stress at 50 and 100 millimole (mM), decreased plant height (11.76%, 23.53%), number of leaves (25.11%, 33.92%), leaf surface (24.76%, 56.37%), crown diameter (14.15%, 25.47%), root length (20.61%, 31.58%), leaf fresh weight (14.47%, 30.47%), leaf dry weight (1.16%, 12.69%), fresh weight of stem (10.78%, 21.11%), dry weight of stem (16.32%, 37.76%), chlorophyll a (46.08% and 61.09%), Chlorophyll b (32.48% and 41.65%), total chlorophyll (40.84% and 53.59%) and carotenoid (34.67% and 67.02%) compared to the control conditions respectively. Hence, increase in salinity concentration at 50 and 100 mM, increased the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA) (37.06% and 73.63%), leaf proline (301.50% and 382.09%) and essential oil (100.40% and 80.32% compared to control. The results of this study showed that, the salinity stress had a significant effect on the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics of peppermint. The results showed that, increases in the salinity stress, significantly increased the amount of electrolyte leakage, production of essential oil, malondialdehyde and proline. Moreover, increase salinity levels in irrigation water, caused reduction in growth characteristics of peppermint. It is to be concluded that, Peppermint is a semi-salt resistant plant, cultivation of peppermint in the medium saline soil is recommended.

Investigating the effects of different levels of students' regulation support on learning process and outcome: In search of the optimal level of support for self-regulated learning

Students in higher education who actively manage and control their own learning processes have better learning outcomes, more efficient learning progress, and other non-academic benefits than those who do not. However, students often have poor self-regulation practices, lack reflective thinking, and fail to monitor their learning against defined goals. Therefore, a variety of advanced learning technologies and features have been developed to support students with regulation. Nevertheless, the optimal level of regulation support and the most effective combination of these features remain unestablished in the existing research literature. Therefore, this study employs quantitative research to examine the effectiveness of two learning environments with different levels of self-regulation support (less and more) on students' learning academic outcomes, learning process, and satisfaction. Both variants combine the elements of learning dashboards, goal-setting activity, self-assessment task, reflection support, and personal recommendation, with differences in the level of supporting students' regulation. Our findings reveal that students who received higher levels of self-regulation support tended to be more active readers and visited online learning materials and course overviews more frequently. While they outperformed students in the control group, it's noteworthy that these students did not necessarily outperform their peers who received less support, particularly in the context of self-assessment tasks. This study has also highlighted the need for further research in this area (e.g., self-assessment accuracy), including the development of an instrument that can objectively measure and evaluate the level of self-regulated learning support.

Effects of different levels of pistachio (Pistachia vera) green hull aqueous extract on performance, intestinal morphology and antioxidant capacity in Eimeria challenged broilers

a total of 576-day-old Ross 308 broilers chicks (male) were used to evaluate the effect of various levels of pistachio green hull aqueous extract (PHE) and Eimeria challenge on the growth performance, intestinal health and antioxidant capacity. During infection period (25-42 d), treatments included: 1) control + unchallenged (negative control, NC), 2) 200 ppm PHE + unchallenged, 3) 300 ppm PHE + unchallenged, 4) 400 ppm PHE + unchallenged, 5) control + challenged (positive control, PC), 6) 200 ppm PHE + challenged, 7) 300 ppm PHE + challenged and 8) 400 ppm PHE + challenged (with six replications for each treatment). The outcomes revealed that in the challenged birds, average body weight gain (ABW), daily weight gain (DWG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) linearly improved with increasing the PHE levels (P < 0.05). Infected broilers had lower daily feed intake (DFI) compared to unchallenged birds (P < 0.05). Villus height (VH), villus height to crypt depth (VH: CD) ratio and villus surface area (VSA) reduced linearly (P < 0.05), while muscle layer thickness (MT) increased linearly in challenged birds (P < 0.05). The consumption of the PHE significantly reduced the excreta oocytes and duodenum and jejunum lesion scores in Eimeria-challenged broilers (P < 0.05). By increasing the PHE levels, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels increased (P < 0.05), while the Eimeria challenge reduced TAC, SOD, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels (P <0.05). In general, the use of PHE in the broilers diet improved the antioxidant capacity, birds performance, but diminished the excreta oocytes and lesion scores with no negative effect on the intestinal morphology.

Betaine addition to the diet alleviates intestinal injury in growing rabbits during the summer heat through the AAT/mTOR pathway

BackgroundThe aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of different levels of betaine (Bet) inclusion in the diet on the intestinal health of growing rabbits under summer heat. A total of 100 weaned Qixing meat rabbits aged 35 d with body weight of 748.61 ± 38.59 g were randomly divided into 5 treatment groups: control group (basal diet) and Bet groups (basal diet + 0.75, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 g/kg Bet). The average daily temperature in the rabbitry during the experiment was 30.48 °C and the relative humidity was 69.44%.ResultsDietary addition of Bet had no significant effect on growth performance and health status of growing rabbits (P > 0.05), but it increased ileal secretory immunoglobulin A content compared to the control under summer heat (P < 0.05). Addition of 0.75 g/kg Bet up-regulated jejunal IL-4, down-regulated ileal TNF-α expression (P < 0.05). The addition of 1.0 g/kg Bet increased the villi height (VH) in the jejunum (P < 0.05). Serum glucose levels were reduced, and the expression of SLC6A20 was up-regulated in jejunum and ileum of rabbits fed with 1.5 g/kg Bet (P < 0.05). When added at 2.0 g/kg, Bet reduced serum HSP70 content, increased jejunal VH, and up-regulated duodenal SLC7A6, SLC38A2, mTOR and 4EBP-2 expression (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that intestinal mTOR expression was significantly and positively correlated with SLC7A6, SLC38A2, SLC36A1 and IL-4 expression (P < 0.05).ConclusionsDietary addition of Bet can up-regulate the expression of anti-inflammatory factors through the AAT/mTOR pathway, improve the intestinal immune function, alleviate intestinal damage in growing rabbits caused by summer heat, and improve intestinal health.

Interaction of titanium dioxide nanoparticles with PVC-microplastics and chromium counteracts oxidative injuries in Trachyspermum ammi L. by modulating antioxidants and gene expression

The emergence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics (MPs) as pollutants in agricultural soils is increasingly alarming, presenting significant toxic threats to soil ecosystems. Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L.), a plant of significant medicinal and culinary value, is increasingly subjected to environmental stressors that threaten its growth and productivity. This situation is particularly acute given the well-documented toxicity of chromium (Cr), which has been shown to adversely affect plant biomass and escalate risks to the productivity of such economically and therapeutically important species. The present study was conducted to investigate the individual effects of different levels of PVC−MPs (0, 2, and 4 mg L−1) and Cr (0, 150, and 300 mg kg−1) on various aspects of plant growth. Specifically, we examined growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange attributes, oxidative stress responses, antioxidant compound activity (both enzymatic and nonenzymatic), gene expression, sugar content, nutritional status, organic acid exudation, and Cr accumulation in different parts of Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L.) seedlings, which were also exposed to varying levels of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) (0, 25, and 50 µg mL−1). Results from the present study showed that the increasing levels of Cr and PVC−MPs in soils significantly decreased plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange attributes, sugars, and nutritional contents from the roots and shoots of the plants. Conversely, increasing levels of Cr and PVC−MPs in the soil increased oxidative stress indicators in term of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and electrolyte leakage, and also increased organic acid exudation pattern in the roots of T. ammi seedlings. Interestingly, the application of TiO2−NPs counteracted the toxicity of Cr and PVC−MPs in T. ammi seedlings, leading to greater growth and biomass. This protective effect is facilitated by the NPs' ability to sequester reactive oxygen species, thereby reducing oxidative stress and lowering Cr concentrations in both the roots and shoots of the plants. Our research findings indicated that the application of TiO2−NPs has been shown to enhance the resilience of T. ammi seedlings to Cr and PVC−MPs toxicity, leading to not only improved biomass but also a healthier physiological state of the plants. This was demonstrated by a more balanced exudation of organic acids, which is a critical response mechanism to metal stress.

Mechanisms and effects of different crosslinking degrees on gelling properties and in vitro digestibility of heat-induced microbial transglutaminase-mediated myofibrillar protein gels with or without κ-carrageenan

This study investigated the effects of different levels (0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 %, w/w) of microbial transglutaminase (TG) on the gelling properties and in vitro digestibility of heat-induced myofibrillar protein (MP) gels with or without κ-carrageenan (KC, 0.2 %, w/w). The results indicate that the crosslinking degree of MP gels was gradually enhanced with increasing levels of TG alone (P < 0.05). However, regardless of TG level, KC incorporation effectively inhibited TG-induced crosslinking through the steric effect and subsequently promoted the water-holding capacity, gelling properties and rheological characteristics of the MP gels (P < 0.05), as well as led to the development of a more uniform and denser gel network structure. Moreover, compared with the MP gels with TG alone, KC addition increased the presence of hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and disulphide bonds among the gels (P < 0.05). Additionally, the existence of KC significantly decreased the in vitro digestibility of TG-mediated MP gels mainly because TG-induced crosslinking promoted physical interaction between KC and MP. Therefore, the present study provides essential information regarding the influence of KC on the gelling properties and in vitro digestibility of heat-induced TG-mediated MP gels.