Fresh Grass Research Articles

In situ synchrotron PXRD investigation of fresh and aged Equisetum ramosissimum Desf. (horsetail grass)

AbstractAs one of the oldest species, horsetail grass (Equisetum ramosissimum Desf.) is known as a living fossil plant, dating back to the Mesozoic era. Horsetail grass is also considered one of the most important sources of bio‐silica due to its ability to accumulate high amounts of silica in all parts of the plant; various minerals can also be isolated by heat treatment. Fresh and aged horsetail grass stored for 2 years under ambient conditions was investigated by synchrotron powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD). Clear crystallites were not observed in a fresh sample stored at room temperature; surprisingly, high amounts of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) and syngenite (K2Ca[SO4]2·H2O) were observed in the 2‐day dried and 2‐year aged samples, respectively. However, crystalline silica materials were not observed. In addition, in situ thermal treatment of up to 700°C was applied to investigate the crystals and phase transitions by focusing the X‐ray beam onto a single stem. In situ synchrotron PXRD revealed that dehydration occurred in gypsum in the 2‐day dried sample with an increase in temperature to hemihydrate (CaSO4·xH2O, 0.5 ≤ x ≤ 0.8) and anhydrite (CaSO4). On the other hand, syngenite was transformed to calciolangbeinite (K2Ca2[SO4]3) at high temperatures in 2‐year aged horsetail grass.

Comparison of single- and double-spaced feeders with regard to damaging behavior in pigs.

This work compared the behavior and performance of 24 groups of 12 pigs kept in pens with either a DOUBLE [one feed space aligned with the front wall of the pen (WALL), and one immediately adjacent (IN)] or SINGLE (WALL only) spaced feeder, from weaning until slaughter. Pens were equipped with a rack of fresh grass and a rubber toy (weaning phase) or a wooden board (finishing phase). Every 2 weeks, interaction with the enrichment, aggressive, harmful, and play behaviors were recorded for 5 min, four times a day. In addition, the pigs were individually assessed every 2 weeks for ear, tail, and flank injuries using a 4-point scale. The duration of feeder occupancy, feed space occupancy, number of and duration of feeding bouts, and aggressive behavior at the feeder were recorded continuously from video recordings (two times while in the weaner stage and two times while in the finisher stage, one camera/pen; 1 h per occasion). Individual body weight was recorded at weaning, transfer, and slaughter, and feed delivery was recorded daily at the pen level; from these measurements, average daily gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were calculated. Data were analyzed using SAS v9.4. There was no effect of treatment on damaging behaviors. Pigs in DOUBLE had worse tail lesion scores on 6 of the 9 recording days (P < 0.001), but values rarely exceeded 1. Total feeder occupancy tended to be longer in DOUBLE than in SINGLE (P = 0.06). DOUBLE selected the IN feed space more often than WALL regarding the number of feeding bouts (P < 0.001). During feeding, pigs in DOUBLE received fewer aggressive behaviors than SINGLE (P < 0.001) and experienced fewer displacements than SINGLE (P < 0.001). Although both experimental groups had a similar weight at slaughter (P > 0.05), the FCR was lower in DOUBLE than in SINGLE (P < 0.05). These data suggest that doubling space at the feeder to two spaces/12 pigs reduced aggression and displacement behaviors at the feeder, indicating less competition for food. However, increasing feeder space was not a management strategy that could ensure reduced tail biting on commercial pig farms.

The effects of grass biomass preservation methods, organic acid treatment and press type on the separation efficiency in the green biorefinery

Processing green biomass into novel products provides opportunities to improve the sustainability of the bioeconomy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of biomass types (fresh, frozen-and-thawed, dried-and-rehydrated and ensiled grass) as well as formic and propionic acid-based additive on the efficiency of liquid-solid separation and crude protein (CP) yield. Three different pressing methods for liquid-solid separation were used. All preservation methods improved biorefinery efficiency compared to fresh grass, and the effect of additive was more profound on the fresh biomass than other materials. However, due to lower CP concentration in the liquid, presumably caused by lower nitrogen solubility, the amount of CP retained in the liquid was not improved in response to the additive treatment. The type of processing technology plays a key role in the extraction of relevant compounds from biomass. With less efficient separation methods, the effects of pretreatments were more pronounced.

Comparative Study of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant activity of Essential oil, Tincture and Petroleum extraction from Medicinal plant-based raw material of Tanacetum vulgare

Due to the increase in allergic reactions to synthetic drugs, there has been a demand to expand the range of medications based on medicinal plant-based raw materials. Tanacetum vulgare is a medicinal plant that contains large amount of biologically active substances and is widely used in traditional and modern medicine. The aim of the study was to elaborate the chemical composition and pharmacological activity of extracts (the essential oil, the tincture and the petroleum extract) derived from medicinal plant-based raw materials of Tanacetum vulgare. The object of the study was essential oil obtained from fresh Tanacetum vulgare grass, petroleum extraction of Tanacetum vulgare and tincture obtained from Tanacetum vulgare using the maceration method. The qualitative composition of essential oil, tincture and petroleum extraction was determined by chromatography-mass spectrometry. In essential oil, regardless of the preparation method, the maximal antioxidant activity is shown by the petroleum extraction from the grass of Tanacetum vulgare. Hydrodistillation was performed using a Ginsberg method or hydrodistillation using a Cleveger method. More than 80 compounds have been identified; more than 100 compounds have been identified in tincture, and more than 150 compounds have been identified in petroleum extraction,such as camphor, borneol, ascaridiol, isoaromadendrene, cubenol, limonene, carvacrol, pinene, cineol, terpineol and chrysanthenon. Tincture and essential oil exhibit antioxidant activity slightly lower than petroleum extraction.

Characteristics of lactic acid bacteria, microbial community and fermentation dynamics of native grass silage prepared in Inner Mongolian Plateau.

To prepare high-quality silage, we studied the chemical composition, silage fermentation, characterization, and identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) associated with the silage fermentation of native grass on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. LAB were isolated from fresh native grass and their silage, and silages were prepared using a small-scale fermentation system with 2-3 cm length in plastic bags. The dominant species of native grasses used were Stipa baicalensis, Leymus chinensis, Cleistogenes squarrosa, Melissilus ruthenicus and Pulsatilla turczaninovii, which contained 47.83-59.43 % moisture, 55.12-67.74 % neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and 8.72-14.55 crude protein (CP), and these nutrients did not change greatly during ensiling. Good preservation with a relatively low pH (below 4.44) and high (p < 0.05) lactic acid content (>0.58) was obtained after ensiling. Based on the morphological and biochemical characteristics, these isolates were divided into 12 groups (A-L). All isolate strains were gram-positive and catalase-negative bacteria that produce lactic acid from glucose. Group A-K were cocci, while group L was rod-shaped. Group A-E formed D-lactic acid, but group H-K formed L-lactic acid, and other groups formed DL-lactic acid. Group A-E were heterofermentative, and Group F-L were homofermentative types of LAB. According to the 16S rRNA gene sequences analysis, strains were identified as genus Leuconostoc (A, B, and C), Weissellla (D, E), Pediococcus (F, G), Enterococcus (H, I, J and K), and Lactiplantibacillus (L). Enterococcus (E.) faecium (29.17%, percentage of total isolates) and Pediococcus (P.) acidilactici (18.75%) were the most frequently occurring dominant species. This study suggests that the native grasses contained abundant LAB species, and they can be used as good-quality silages in animal husbandry. In addition, the strains P. acidilactici and E. faecium were the most frequently isolated from native grass silages as dominant species which can be a potentially excellent inoculant for native grass silage.

EVALUATION OF TYPHA GRASS AS POTENTIAL FEEDSTOCK FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FUEL BRIQUETTE

This study established that a minimum of 2, 738.61 metric tons of fresh typha grass (TG) could be obtained from some of the Kano River Irrigation Scheme’s facilities per perennial cycle of the TG. Some sample of fresh TG was randomly harvested and sun dried without any treatment. The dried TG was subjected to some physico-chemical characterizations (moiture content (%), ash content (%), char content (%), and calorific value (MJ/kg)). The results recorded suggeested TG as a potential material for fuel briquette production. Furthermore, the dried TG was carbonized and used to produce typha grass fuel briquettes (TB) using five (5) tons hydraulic press machine, three different binding materials (arabic gum (AG), starch (S), and cement (C) at three different dosages (4, 9, and 12% (wt/wt)). The results achieved reveals that the TB produced with starch binding material at 12% dosage exhibited superior properties, including, 97.5 ± 2.00%, 1970±170 (kg/m3), 68.22%, 26.45±0.22 MJ/kg, 140 ± 0.22 min, 0.42 ± 0.21 g/min, and 277± 0.06 ppm recorded for mechanical durability, bulk density, char content, calorific value, water boiling test, specific fuel consumption rate, and carbon monoxide emission, respectively. Overall, the TG was found to be abundant enough to be adopted as a feedstock for the production of fuel briquette. Its properties and the produced TB properties have shown that TG is a suitable candidate for the fuel briquettes production.

Biomass and Dry Matter Yield Potential of Some Early Sweet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor var. saccharatum (L.) Mohlenbr.) Genotypes

Sweet sorghum plant is a warm season annual crop. It can be used for animal feeding in the one-cut agricultural system. Sweet sorghum is grown for the purpose of fresh and dry grass and for silage production. Biomass of sweet sorghum is nutritive due to sweet sorghum stalk contains 15-20% sugar. The study aimed to determine biomass, dry matter yield and some agricultural characteristics of some early sweet sorghum genotypes. Research was carried out during the second crop-growing season of 2016 at the Eyyubiye campus of experimental area of the Harran University in Sanliurfa, Turkiye. The experiment was designed as complete randomized blocks design with four replicates. This study utilized 12 early sweet sorghum genotypes as crop material. The experiment investigated some yield characteristics such as cluster formation period, plant height, stalk diameter, stalk ratio, leaf ratio, cluster ratio, dry matter yield and biomass yield. Results showed significant differences between the genotypes for tested characteristics (P≤0.01). Cluster formation period values ranged from 54.25 to 69.00 day, plant height from 252.25 to 340.75 cm, stalk diameter from 19.15 to 25.60 mm, stalk ratio from 75.72% to 86.75%. Leaf ratio values varied between 8.83% and 15.98%, cluster ratio between 4.40% and 10.31%. Dry matter yield values were between 2918.12 and 8456.25 kg da-1, biomass yield values between 9283.5 and 18400.0 kg da-1. Findings revealed that UNLY-hybrid-4, Rox Orange, Blue Ribben, and Colman sweet sorghum cultivars gave higher values than others in terms of plant height, dry matter yield and biomass yield.

PENYULUHAN MANAJEMEN PEMBERIAN PAKAN TERNAK KAMBING PADA MASYARAKAT PENERIMA BANTUAN TERNAK KAMBING DI DESA ALUE DAWAH KECAMATAN BABAH ROT

One of the keys to success in livestock farming is the provision of appropriate animal feed, especially goat farming. The feed ingredients for goats consist of forage in the form of fresh grass and silage, concentrate, supplementary feed and additional feed. The purpose of this activity is to increase knowledge about the management of goat feed for the recipients of goat livestock assistance from APBG funds in Alue Dawah Village, Babah Rot District, Southwest Aceh Regency. The method used in this service is the extension method, in the form of material exposure and introduction to the types of goat feed and management of feeding according to the life phases of goats, namely the growth, pregnancy and lactation phases. This activity was attended by 38 participants. Counseling is in the form of material presentation and introduction of forage forage, then followed by discussion or question and answer. The participants were able to understand how good goat feed management is and know the right way to cultivate goats.

Impacts of production conditions on goat milk vitamin, carotenoid contents and colour indices

The content, composition and variation of vitamin compounds in goat milk have been little studied. An experimental design was based on 28 commercial farms, selected considering the main feeding system (based on main forage and especially pasture access), goat breed (Alpine vs Saanen) and reproductive management (seasonal reproduction), in the main French goat milk production area. Each farm received two visits (spring and autumn) that included a survey on milk production conditions and bulk milk sampling. Milk vitamins (A, E, B2, B6, B9, B12) and carotenoid concentrations plus colour indices were evaluated. A stepwise approach determined the variables of milk production conditions that significantly altered milk indicators. The main forage in the diet was the major factor altering goat milk vitamin and carotenoid concentrations and colour indices. Bulk milk from goats eating fresh grass as forage was richer in α-tocopherol (+64%), pyridoxal (+35%) and total vitamin B6 (+31%), and b* index (characterising milk yellowness in the CIELAB colour space) was also higher (+12%) than in milk from goats eating conserved forages. In milk from goats eating fresh grass, concentrations of pyridoxamine, lutein and total carotenoids were higher than in milk of goats fed corn silage (+24, +118 and +101%, respectively), and retinol and α-tocopherol concentrations were higher than in milk of goats fed partially dehydrated grass (+45 and +55%). Vitamin B2 concentration was higher in milk of goats eating fresh grass than in milk of goats fed hay or corn silage as forage (+10%). However, bulk milk when goats had access to fresh grass was significantly poorer in vitamin B12 than when fed corn silage (−46%) and in γ-tocopherol (−31%) than when fed conserved forage. Alpine goats produced milk with higher vitamin B2 and folate concentrations than Saanen goats (+18 and +14%, respectively). Additionally, the milk colour index that discriminates milks based on their yellow pigment contents was 7% higher in milk from Alpine than Saanen herds, but milk from Saanen goats was richer in lutein (+46%). Goat milks were richer in vitamins B2 and B12 and folates, but poorer in vitamin B6 in autumn than in spring (+12, +133, +15 and −13%, respectively). This work highlights that goat milk vitamin and carotenoid concentrations and colour indices vary mainly according to the main forage of the diet and secondly according to the breed and season.

Effects of oil and grape seed tannin extract on intakes, digestibility, milk yield and composition of Saanen goats

An experiment was conducted as a 4×4 Latin square design using 4 lactating Saanen goats, 19 months old and 47.9±1.04 kg of body weight, to evaluate the effect of oil and grape seed tannin extract (GSTE) supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, milk yield and milk composition. Each experimental period lasted for 21 days including 16 days for adjustment and 5 days for sampling. Goats were fed a control diet (Ctrl) consisting of 60% concentrate and 40% fresh Para grass (dry matter, DM, basis) while other 3 treatments were supplementation of 2.5% soybean oil (SO); 2.5% soybean oil + tuna fish oil at 3:2 w:w (SFO); 2.5% soybean oil + tuna fish oil at 3:2 w:w + 0.8% GSTE (OCT). The results showed that oil and GSTE did not affect feed intake, digestibility, milk yield and composition of goats (P &gt; 0.05). However, digestibility of EE was higher (P &lt; 0.05) in SFO and OCT diets (85.4% and 84.7%, respectively) compared with Ctrl (76.2%). Combined data suggested that feeding 2.5% oil blend with or without 0.8% GSTE increased EE digestibility in goats without affecting intake, animal performance and milk composition.

Use of Compost Fertilizer from Sheep Manure and Chicken Manure on Bengal Grass Growth (Panicum maximum) after First Harvest

This study at to determine the effect of manure on the growth and production of fresh forage tall elephant grass. The design used was completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 5 replications. The treatments were as follows: Po = control (without fertilizer), P1 = cow manure; P2 = sheep manure and chicken manure P3. The results showed that the use of some types of manure to the planting of elephant grass was highly significant (p &lt;0.01) in the plant height, leaf length, number of tillers and fresh forage production.

Effects on feed intake, milk production, and methane emission in dairy cows fed silage or fresh grass with concentrate or fresh grass harvested at early or late maturity stage without concentrate.

The objective of the study was to quantify the effects on dry matter intake (DMI), nutrient digestibility, gas exchange, milk production, and milk quality in dairy cows fed fresh grass harvested at different maturity stages. Sixteen Danish Holstein cows in mid-lactation were divided into 4 blocks and used in 4 incomplete 4 × 2 Latin squares with 2 periods of 21 d. The cows received 1 of 4 treatments in each period, resulting in 8 cows per treatment, as follows: grass-clover silage supplemented with 6 kg/d concentrate pellets (SILc), fresh grass harvested at late maturity stage supplemented with 6 kg/d concentrate pellets (LATc), fresh grass harvested at late maturity stage (LAT), and fresh grass harvested at early maturity stage (ERL). The cows were housed in tiestalls and milked twice daily. The cows had ad libitum access to the forage, and concentrate pellets were divided into equal amounts and fed separately in the morning and afternoon. Fecal samples were collected to determine apparent total-tract digestibility, and samples of rumen fluid were collected for determination of short chain fatty acid composition. Halters were used for measuring eating and rumination time. Gas exchange was measured in open-circuit respiration chambers. Total DMI was higher in LATc and ERL (16.9 ± 0.45 and 15.5 ± 0.39 kg/d, respectively) compared with LAT (14.1 ± 0.42 kg/d). Relative to SILc, cows fed fresh grass experienced a convex pattern in DMI during the experiment. The changes in DMI were related to changes in leaf to stem ratio, fiber concentration, and organic matter digestibility determined in vitro in samples of the fresh grass harvested throughout the experiment. The apparent total-tract digestibility of organic matter was higher in SILc and LAT compared with LATc. Methane yield was lower for LATc compared with LAT (19.5 ± 0.61 vs. 22.6 ± 0.55 g of CH4/kg of DMI), and was not different between LAT and ERL. Compared with LAT, milk yield was higher for ERL (21.1 ± 1.14 vs. 23.4 ± 1.11 kg/d) and energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield was higher for LATc (21.5 ± 0.99 vs. 25.3 ± 1.03 kg/d). We detected no differences in milk or ECM yield between SILc and LATc. Milk protein yield was higher and milk fat concentration was lower in LATc compared with LAT. The fatty acid percentages of ∑C4-C14:1 and ∑C16 in milk were higher for SILc compared with LATc, signifying pronounced de novo synthesis. The n-6:n-3 ratio in milk fatty acids was lower for SILc and LAT compared with LATc, indicating improved nutritional quality for SILc and LAT. However, retinol concentration in milk was lower in SILc compared with all other treatments. The study implies that feeding silage instead of fresh grass has no effect on DMI, ECM yield, or CH4 yield, and that concentrate supplementation can increase milk production, affects milk quality, and reduces the effect on climate, whereas feeding less mature grass increases DMI and milk yield, but has no effect on CH4 yield.

Effects of early herbage cutting and vine leaves on methane emission, urine nitrogen losses, and the milk fatty acid profile of dairy cows.

Methane mitigation in dairy cows is an essential part of combating global warming. Governments and consumers have become increasingly interested in herbage-based feeding, and premium prices are often paid for these types of dairy products. However, this feeding strategy is presumed to produce more methane per unit of feed or milk than corn silage- or concentrate-based diets due to higher fiber intakes. Immature herbage is preferred to maintain dairy cow performance, but the high content of N and digestible fiber may increase methane and urine N emissions compared with more mature herbage. Tannin-containing feeds, such as vine leaves (Vitis vinifera), may help to combat the emissions associated with feeding immature herbage. Our study aimed to evaluate differences between early-stage (ES; 21 d of regrowth) versus late-stage (LS; 42 d) herbage and the effects of vine leaves on methane and nitrogenous emissions and the milk fatty acid profile of dairy cows. Twenty-four mid- to late-lactating dairy cows were randomized to 4 dietary groups (n = 6) in a factorial study design. Each of the 4 diets contained 69% fresh mixed legume-grass herbage, 13% grass hay, and 5% concentrate on a dry matter (DM) basis. Two diets were based on immature fresh mixed legume-grass herbage and grass hay (ES), and 2 contained more mature fresh mixed legume-grass herbage and grass hay (LS). Of these, 1 contained 13% vine leaves (VL+) and the other an additional 13% hay (VL-). No significant differences were observed in DM intake or milk yield across the diets. Methane emission intensity was lowest with ES-VL+ diets compared with LS-VL- diets (-30%; 17.1 vs. 24.5 mg/kg of energy-corrected milk). Methane yield decreased by 17% and 20% when related to the intake of DM and digested organic matter for ES-VL+ compared with LS-VL- diets (16.9 vs. 20.3 g/kg of DM intake; 23.5 vs. 29.3 g/kg of digestible organic matter). Immature grass and vine leaf addition each caused about half of the respective declines. Cows consuming any of the ES diets and the LS-VL+ diet consumed and excreted (urinary N) significantly more N than those consuming LS diets. However, when related to N intake, no differences were recorded. Unexpectedly, vine leaves did not mitigate urine N excretion; however, they lowered the n-6:n-3 ratio and increased concentrations of vaccenic and rumenic acids in both ES and LS diets. Our results demonstrate that feeding immature herbage in combination with vine leaves reduces methane yield; however, the associated high urinary N losses need to be addressed.

Spatial scale transformation-based estimation model for fresh grass yield: a case study of the Xilingol Grassland, Inner Mongolia, China.

Estimating the grass yield of a grassland area is of vital theoretical and practical significance for determining grazing capacity and maintaining ecological balance. Due to the spatial inconsistency between sampling and remote sensing data, improving the accuracy of fresh grass yield (FGY) estimation based on remote sensing is difficult. Using vegetation coverage at different spatial scales, this paper proposes a spatial scale transformation (SST)-based estimation model for FGY adopting normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as its estimation factor, using the grassland in Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia, as the study area. Results showed that the SST-based FGY estimation model was able to greatly improve estimation precision; the relative estimation error (REE) of the estimation models constructed using linear with intercept zero (linear-0) and power functions were 18.16% and 18.35%, respectively. The estimation models constructed using linear-0 and power functions were employed to estimate the grass yield of the grassland in Xilingol League, and the total FGYs estimated were 8.777 × 1010kg and 8.583 × 1010kg, respectively. The two models obtained roughly the same estimates, but there were significant differences between them in the spatial distributions of FGY per unit. Taking net primary productivity (NPP) as an example, the effectiveness of other remote sensing data as estimation factors was further verified, and the results showed that SST-based estimation for FGY also effectively improved the estimation accuracy of grass yield.

Characterization of bacterial community and fermentation parameters during ensiling of Napier grasses harvested at various times within a day

Grasses exhibit variations in chemical composition and epiphytic microbiota during daylight. These variations may influence the natural fermentation parameters of silage. This study was to evaluate the bacterial community and fermentation parameters during ensiling of Napier grasses harvested at various times within a day. Secondary growth of Napier grass (vegetative stage) was harvested at 7:00 (AM), 12:00 (M) and 17:00 (PM) on three sunny days. The Napier grasses were ensiled in polyethylene plastic bags and bags were opened after 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days. Compared with AM-cut fresh Napier grasses, M and PM-cut fresh Napier grasses had higher (P < 0.05) dry matter, and lower (P < 0.05) crude protein contents and buffering capacity. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and aerobic bacteria counts decreased (P < 0.05) with the delay of harvest time. Compared with AM silage, M and PM silages exhibited slower pH declines and WSC consumptions plus less lactic acid production during ensiling. After 7 days of ensiling, propionic acid contents and DM losses tended to be higher (P < 0.05) in M and PM silages compared with AM silage. The M and PM-cut fresh Napier grasses had higher (P < 0.05) bacterial diversity and richness than AM-cut fresh Napier grasses. During ensiling, Lactobacillus gradually dominated the microbiota in AM silage and its relative abundance reached 49.1% at the end of ensiling. By contrast, Klebsiella and Enterobacter tended to flourish in the M and PM silages as ensiling progressed. Analysis of the LAB community showed that M and PM-cut fresh Napier grasses had higher (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Leuconostoc and lower (P < 0.05) Lactococcus compared with AM-cut fresh Napier grasses. On day 3 of ensiling, the relative abundance of Leuconostoc and unclassified_f_Leuconostocaceae were higher (P < 0.05), and Lactococcus and unclassified_o_Lactobacillale were lower (P < 0.05) in M and PM silages as opposed to those in AM silage. After 14 days of ensiling, M and PM silages contained higher Pediococcus and Enterococcus compared with AM silage. These results revealed that Napier grasses harvested at various times within a day had different fermentation parameters and bacterial community during ensiling. In practice, diurnal changes in Napier grass could be an important factor to consider for producing high-quality silage.

Interrelationship among protein structure, protein oxidation, lipid oxidation and quality of grass carp surimi during multiple freeze-thaw cycles with different pork backfat contents.

Storing at -18°C, the surimi was processed from fresh grass carp, supplemented with pork backfat of 50, 100, or 150 g kg-1 (groups F0 , F50 , F100 , and F150 , respectively). The surimi was thawed and refrozen weekly afterward, with changes in surimi protein structure (primary structure, secondary structure, and tertiary structure), protein oxidation index (carbonyl and sulfhydryl), lipid oxidation index (TBARS), protein solubility, as well as surimi quality (texture characteristics and whiteness), were determined. The results showed that the texture characteristics of surimi increased after the first freezing and thawing (F-T) cycle and then decreased. The whiteness of the surimi decreased with the increase of F-T cycle times, while the whiteness of the surimi increased with the increase in fat content. With the F-T cycle times and fat content rising, the relative content of α-helix structures, sulfhydryl content, and protein solubility decreased. In contrast, carbonyl content was in reverse, being an increasing trend. The free amino content showed a decrease after an increase at the early stage with the F-T cycles growing, while it showed a decrease with an increase in fat content. Meanwhile, the redshift in the maximum absorption peak of the tryptophan fluorescence was caused by the F-T cycles, so was the decline in fluorescence intensity; however, there was little difference in tryptophan spectra with the same fat content. The association among protein structure, protein oxidation, lipid oxidation and surimi quality were elucidated by Pearson's two-tailed correlation. The lipid oxidation in the repeated freezing and thawing process of surimi led to the decrease in whiteness. The protein oxidation led to the change of protein structure and the decrease of protein solubility. Lipid oxidation caused by the increase of fat content led to the decrease of free amino content and protein solubility, and finally led to the increase of whiteness and the deterioration of texture characteristics. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In this study, changes in various components of surimi were measured to examine the interrelationship among protein structure, protein oxidation, lipid oxidation and surimi quality. Freeze-thaw cycle and high-fat content are easy to cause lipid oxidation, protein oxidation, a decrease in protein solubility, and deterioration of surimi quality. Therefore, temperature fluctuations must be avoided to extend the shelf life of such products. An appropriate fat content level must be selected to prevent protein and lipid oxidation and maintain quality.

Isolation and Use of Coprothermobacter spp. to Improve Anaerobic Thermophilic Digestion of Grass.

The isolation of microorganisms was performed from digestate from the process of the anaerobic digestion (AD) of grass after hyperthermophilic pretreatment. The bacterium that was isolated and identified was Coprothermobacter sp. Using the isolated bacteria, an AD process on fresh grass (GB) and pretreated grass (PGB) was carried out with 10% of its addition. The highest methane yield of 219 NmlCH4/gVS was recorded for PGB at 55 °C. In contrast, fresh grass subjected to thermophilic digestion produced only 63 NmlCH4/gVS. Due to the addition of bacteria in the AD process, an increase in the efficiency of hydrogen and methane production was observed in both fresh grass and grass after pretreatment.

The Effect of Organic Mulch Materials on Weed Control in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Cultivation

This study was carried out in Iğdır University Şehit Bülent Yurtseven Campus to investigate the effects of different mulch materials on weed control, cucumber yield and soil temperature and moisture in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) cultivation in 2020 and 2021. Five mulch materials (Linen cover, peat, chopped paper, straw and fresh clipping grass) were used in the study. Temperature and humidity data loggers were used in the study. The research was established in a randomized complete block design with 7 characters and 4 replications. In the both years of the study, the effects of mulch applications on weed dry weights and cucumber yield and some yield components were determined. As a result of the study, a total of 12 weed species belonging to 7 families were determined in the trial area. Accordingly, the effects of mulching on weed dry weight and cucumber yield were significant for both years (p

Effects of season and management on fatty acid profile, ACE-inhibitory activity and anti-oxidant properties of Italian Alpine cheeses

Mountain dairy products are recognised as high-quality food but there are still few studies concerning the effects of seasonality and herd management on the profile of bioactive compounds in cheeses. This study was planned to assess the effect of season (summer versus winter) and feeding management (pasture versus integration) on fatty acids (FAs) profile, anti-hypertensive (ACE-IA) and anti-oxidant properties (ABTS-SA, FRAP), total thiol (SH) and phenolic (TP) contents of cheeses from two dairy cow farms (Farm A and Farm B) located in Piedmontese Alps (Italy). Cheese samples collected in the farms were submitted to an integrated analytical approach and the results were processed by full factorial ANOVA and PCA. The trends observed from the FAs profile confirmed the beneficial influence of supplying fresh forage to lactating cows. The ACE-IA was higher in summer than in winter cheese but depended upon the farm factor. Among the indicators of antioxidant activity, only the ABTS-SA was affected by the season, even though with significant differences between the farms. The TP content did not show any clear pattern, but it was higher than the values described in the literature. The PCA of all the data showed that several FAs and the ABTS-SA gave relevant contributions to clearly group the cheese samples according to the production season or farm. In conclusion, alpine cheese exhibited high nutritional quality under the consumers’ health standpoint, and the identification of the healthier summer cheeses for traceability or labelling purposes, can be obtained. Highlights Seasonality and herd management practices affected the nutritional quality of cheese produced in two dairy farms in Piedemontese Alps. Lipid quality was affected by the feeding strategy, with the greater improvements obtained by pasture grazing or fresh grass consumption in the barn. ACE-inhibitory activity and anti-oxidant properties were influenced by both seasonality and farm of origin, with the best values measured in summer cheese.

Analysis of protein denaturation, and chemical visualisation, of frozen grass carp surimi containing soluble soybean polysaccharides

SummaryThe mechanism of protein denaturation of frozen surimi enriched with soluble soybean polysaccharides (SSPS) was investigated. Near‐infrared (NIR) and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology were used to predict protein denaturation. The fresh grass carp surimi was divided into four groups with SSPS additions of 0%, 1%, 3% and 5%, respectively, which were frozen and stored at −18 °C. Samples were examined after 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks, for salt‐soluble protein content, total SH, NIR hyperspectral image and Raman spectrum features. The results showed that addition of SSPS decelerated protein degradation. After 8 weeks of storage, the 5% SSPS addition maintained the highest salt‐soluble protein content, while for total SH, 3% and 5% SSPS addition had similar effect. Raman spectra illustrated that SSPS had the ability of maintaining an α‐helix content, as well as decreasing the exposure of polar groups, and reducing the oxidation of SH group into disulphide bonds. NIR spectra showed that the overall reflectance of frozen surimi increased with the increase in SSPS. Two partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were established after pretreatment of HSI spectral statistics and selection of characteristic wavelengths. The distribution maps were finally generated based on the simplified PLSR models.