Increase In Acid Content Research Articles

Effect of Ferti-Fortification of Iron and Zinc Fertilization on Quality Parameters of Mango Cv. Kesar

The present research was accomplished on mango cv. Kesar to investigate the effect of foliar spray of iron and zinc fertilization on the quality parameter of mango. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design and replicated 3 times with 9 treatments. The The significant increase in TSS (19.35 °Brix) and ascorbic acid (36.70 mg/100 g) content were recorded with the foliar application of 0.5% FeSO4 and 0.5% ZnSO4 (T9) resulted in a considerable rise in TSS and ascorbic acid content, which was comparable to treatment T7 (0.25% FeSO4 + 0.50% ZnSO4).

Functional End-Use of Hemp Seed Waste: Technological, Qualitative, Nutritional, and Sensorial Characterization of Fortified Bread

Due to its multipurpose usability, short production cycle, and low capital requirement in cultivation, hemp represents an excellent material applicable to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations Organization as a strategy “to achieve a future better and more sustainable for all”. Hemp seeds represent the only edible part of Cannabis sativa and have a distinctly different nutritional composition from other representative foods such as rice and wheat (high protein content, low carbohydrate content, polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, and gluten-free). Hemp seeds are mainly used for the production of oil; the waste obtained after extraction, reduced to a fine powder and rich in bioactive components, is added to durum wheat flour and used for the preparation of fortified bread. The aim of this study was to use varying percentages of hemp seed flour for bread production and determine the impact of fortification on texture, organoleptic characteristics, crumb color, changes in crumb texture, total polyphenols, the scavenging activity of free radicals, and amino acid content. The solid residue remaining after oil extraction from hemp seeds (generally discarded as waste or added to feed) was triturated and sieved to 0.530 mm (Hemp 1) or 0.236 mm (Hemp 2). Samples of fortified bread were obtained by replacing variable percentages of durum wheat semolina with the two hemp flours (5%, 7.5%, and 10%). The total phenolic content of the fortified bread was between 0.73 and 1.73 mg GAE/g, and the antiradical activity was between 1.17 and 3.18 mmol TEAC/100 g on the basis of the growing fortification. A comparison of Ciclope semolina bread with hemp flour-enriched bread showed a large increase in amino acid content in the fortified samples. In particular, bread enriched with 10% hemp flour 2 showed a higher content of glutamic acid, tyrosine, proline, and essential amino acids such as leucine and isoleucine compared to other samples with the same percentage of substitution. The amount of hemp seed flour influenced the color of the crumb by increasing the yellow index from 18.24 (100% Ciclope) to 21.33 (bread with 5% hemp flour 2). The results of the sensory analysis were very good, demonstrating the high acceptability of fortified breads at higher percentages.

Growth, Yield and Fatty Acid Profile of Winged Bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) Seeds with Shoot Pruning and Additional Fertilizer

Winged bean is a remarkable climbing plant, distinguished by its multiple segments that serve as growth sites for shoot, leaf and flower. Several studies have shown that the plant requires shoot pruning to increase the production of its flower buds, pods and seeds, but this practice can inhibit the generative phase. To overcome this challenge, the application of additional fertilizer is needed to provide the required nutrients. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effects of shoot pruning and additional fertilizer on the growth, yield and bioactive compounds of winged bean seeds. The determination of the proper rates of fertilization was important for plant production and to support sustainable agriculture. The study procedures were carried out at IPB experimental station in Leuwikopo, IPB University, Bogor. A Randomized complete block design (RCBD) was utilized with two factors and three replications, namely leaf pruning (without shoot pruning, 15 cm, and 30 cm from the ground) and additional fertilizer (0, 6.25, 12.5 and 18.5 g NPK 16-16-16 plant<sup>-1</sup>). The parameters observed included plant height, leaf nutrient, root length, yield, leaf number, as well as protein and fatty acid profile of seeds. The results showed that shoot pruning treatment and additional fertilizer had no interaction effect on plant growth and seed yield. Shoot pruning caused an increase in leaf number, fatty acid and linoleic acid content by 17% to 20%, 10%, and 16% to 19%, respectively, compared to the control. The use of additional fertilizer at a concentration of 6.25 to 12.5 g NPK (16-16-16) plant<sup>-1</sup> increased leaf number, nutrients, and seed yield. Based on the findings, the highest seed yield (2.56 tons ha<sup>-1</sup>) was achieved with the application of additional fertilizer at the rates of 6.25 g NPK (16-16-16) plant<sup>-1</sup>, but shoot pruning was not required.

High-Accuracy Renal Cell Carcinoma Discrimination through Label-Free SERS of Blood Serum and Multivariate Analysis.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and is asymptomatic, being detected mostly incidentally. The apparition of symptoms correlates with advanced disease, aggressive histology, and poor outcomes. The development of the Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) technique opened the way for investigating and detecting small molecules, especially in biological liquids such as serum or blood plasma, urine, saliva, and tears, and was proposed as a simple technique for the diagnosis of various diseases, including cancer. In this study, we investigated the use of serum label-free SERS combined with two multivariate analysis tests: Principal Component Analysis combined with Linear Discriminate Analysis (PCA-LDA) and Supported Vector Machine (SVM) for the discrimination of 50 RCC cancer patients from 45 apparently healthy donors. In the case of LDA-PCA, we obtained a discrimination accuracy of 100% using 12 principal components and a quadratic discrimination function. The accuracy of discrimination between RCC stages was 88%. In the case of the SVM approach, we obtained a training accuracy of 100%, a validation accuracy of 92% for the discrimination between RCC and controls, and an accuracy of 81% for the discrimination between stages. We also performed standard statistical tests aimed at improving the assignment of the SERS vibration bands, which, according to our data, are mainly due to purinic metabolites (uric acid and hypoxanthine). Moreover, our results using these assignments and Student's t-test suggest that the main differences in the SERS spectra of RCC patients are due to an increase in the uric acid concentration (a conclusion in agreement with recent literature), while the hypoxanthine concentration is not statistically different between the two groups. Our results demonstrate that label-free SERS combined with chemometrics holds great promise for non-invasive and early detection of RCC. However, more studies are needed to validate this approach, especially when combined with other urological diseases.

Optimization of acid ensilaging method for the extraction of oil from Lake Victoria nile perch’ lates niloticus viscera

A study was carried out to optimize the wet acidic rendering for extracting oil from Nile perch viscera. Oil was extracted at 93oC by varying the acid concentration from 0 – 10% and heating time from 5 – 25 minutes. The oil yield, lipolytic, oxidative and color qualities were determined to compare the effect of acid and time using a factorial completely randomized design. Statistical analysis of data was carried out at p  0.05 using GenStat 13th edition software. There was significant difference in yield, with interaction between acid concentration and heating time, the yield being highest at 15 minutes and declining thereafter with increasing acid concentration. There was significant difference in free fatty acids (%FFA), with interaction between acid concentration and heating time, values increasing with acid concentration and heating time. Heating times of 5 and 15 minutes produced the lowest %FFA at 0% acid concentration, being significantly higher after 15 minutes. All the %FFA values were within permitted limits for crude fish oil, however. There was difference in peroxide value (PV) with interaction between acid concentration and heating time, decreasing with increasing concentrations. Heating for 15 and 25 minutes produced lower PV for 0% acid concentration, with no difference between them. But the PVs were within permitted limits for crude fish oil. There were differences in color intensity, with acid concentrations, heating time not producing a significant difference, and the interaction between acid concentration and heating time not significant. There was significant difference in color intensity between 0% and subsequent acid concentrations, increasing with acid concentration. Heating for 15 minutes without acid is therefore the most suitable combination for mass production of crude oil from Nile perch viscera.

Effects of adding Sophora alopecuroides to high concentrate diet on rumen fermentation parameters and microbial diversity of sheep.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of Sophora alopecuroides (SA) on the rumen fermentation and microbial diversity of sheep. A total of 32 healthy Dumont crossbred male lambs weighing 25.73 ± 2.17 kg were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups with 8 replicates each: a control group (CG) fed a basal diet with a concentrate-to-forage ratio of 7:3 and three experimental groups - the 0.1% group(TG1), 0.3% group (TG2), and 0.5% group (TG3), which were fed the same basal diet but supplemented with increasing doses of SA. (1) Increasing the SA dose led to a significant linear increase (p-< 0.05) in acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentrations in the rumen, as well as a significant quadratic effect (p-< 0.05) on the propionate concentration. In contrast, there was a significant linear decrease (p-< 0.05) in the NH3-N concentration in the rumen. (2) At the level of rumen bacterial phyla, the abundance of Bacteroidetes in the rumen increased, and that of Firmicutes decreased (p = 0.08). At the genus level, the rumen abundances of Ruminococcus and Phocaeicola of sheep in the three experimental groups were significantly higher than in the control group (p-< 0.05), and the abundances of Clostridiales and Candidatus-Hepatincola were significantly increased in the 0.1% and 0.3% groups (p < 0.05). (3) Regarding rumen anaerobic fungi, the differences between the control group and experimental groups at the phylum level and genus level were not significant (p > 0.05), but the relative abundances of Neocallimastigomycota and Piromyces in the 0.1% group were significantly higher than that in the control group. SA addition to a high grain diet could increase the VFA concentration and pH in the sheep rumen, reduce the NH3-N concentration in the rumen and improve rumen fermentation function. Although there was no significant change in rumen bacterial or fungal diversity, SA addition increased the rumen abundances of Bacteroidetes, Ruminococcus, Phocaeicola, Clostridiales, Neocallimastigomycota and Piromyces, decreased the rumen abundance of Firmicutes, and had a positive effect on the rumen microbiota to improve sheep health.

Identification of Potential Bioactive Peptides in Sheep Milk Kefir through Peptidomic Analysis at Different Fermentation Times.

Sheep farming is an important socioeconomic activity in most Mediterranean countries, particularly Spain, where it contributes added value to rural areas. Sheep milk is used in Spain mainly for making cheese, but it can be used also for making other dairy products, such as the lactic-alcoholic fermentation product known as kefir. Dairy products have health benefits because, among other reasons, they contain molecules with biological activity. In this work, we performed a proteomics strategy to identify the peptidome, i.e., the set of peptides contained in sheep milk kefir fermented for four different periods of time, aiming to understand changes in the pattern of digestion of milk proteins, as well as to identify potential bioactive peptides. In total, we identified 1942 peptides coming from 11 different proteins, and found that the unique peptides differed qualitatively among samples and their numbers increased along the fermentation time. These changes were supported by the increase in ethanol, lactic acid, and D-galactose concentrations, as well as proteolytic activity, as the fermentation progressed. By searching in databases, we found that 78 of the identified peptides, all belonging to caseins, had potential biological activity. Of these, 62 were not previously found in any milk kefir from other animal species. This is the first peptidomic study of sheep milk kefir comprising time-course comparison.

Phaseolus vulgaris and Pisum sativum, representing ureide and amide legumes respectively, exploit ureides differentially to mitigate the deleterious effects of cadmium toxicity

PurposeUreides, allantoin and allantoate, are N-rich compounds used for N transport in nodulated ureide legumes. Here, we investigated their role in response of Phaseolus vulgaris and Pisum sativum, representing ureide and amide legumes, respectively, to Cd toxicity.MethodsFirst, ureide content and ureide metabolism in P. vulgaris and P. sativum grown under control conditions and treated with 50 μM CdCl2 for 48 hours was investigated. Then, the effect of exogenous allantoin and its precursor, uric acid, on Cd-related oxidative lesion was examined in both legumes.ResultsCd increased the content of both ureides only in the leaves of P. vulgaris, which was consistent with transcript levels and activity of ureide metabolic enzymes, and was accompanied by an increase in uric acid content. In P. sativum leaves, Cd increased the activity of ureide biosynthesis enzymes and decreased the activity of ureide degradation enzymes, although the uric acid content did not change, while the allantoin and allantoate contents were significantly reduced. Exogenous uric acid and allantoin suppressed Cd-induced H2O2 and O2 accumulation and alleviated the effects of oxidative damage measured by RNA degradation, chlorophyll and malondialdehyde content in both legumes.ConclusionsP. sativum use allantoin and uric acid as antioxidant agents to mitigate Cd-related oxidative tissue damage. In P. vulgaris, the involvement of the ureide pathway in Cd-induced N salvage and recycling is rather a priority.

Longitudinal Study of Cirrhosis Development in STAM and carbon tetrachloride Mouse Models Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectral Imaging

Animal models of cirrhosis are of great interest to investigate the pathological process leading to the final stage of cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the different steps involved in the progressive development of cirrhosis using Fourier transform infrared spectral histology in 2 mouse models of cirrhosis, the STAM model of metabolic cirrhosis, and the carbon tetrachloride–induced cirrhosis model. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver samples were obtained from 3 mice at 5 time points in each model to analyze the course of hepatic lesions up to the formation of cirrhosis. For each time point, adjacent 3-μm–thick liver sections were obtained for histologic stains and spectral histology. Fourier transform infrared acquisitions of liver sections were performed at projected pixel sizes of 25 μm × 25 μm and 6.25 μm × 6.25 μm. Spectral images were then preprocessed with an extended multiplicative signal correction and analyzed with common k-means clustering, including all stages in each model. In both models, the 2- and 4-class common k-means clustering in the 1000 to 1350 cm−1 range showed that spectral classes characterized by higher absorbance peaks of glycogen were predominant at baseline, then decreased markedly in early stages of hepatic damage, and almost disappeared in cirrhotic tissues. Concomitantly, spectral classes characterized by higher absorbance peaks of nucleic acids became progressively predominant during the course of hepatic lesions. These results were confirmed using k-means clustering on the peaks of interest identified for glycogen and nucleic acid content. Our study showed that the glycogen depletion previously described at the stage of cirrhosis is an early event in the pathological process, independently of the cause of cirrhosis. In addition, there was a progressive increase in the nucleic acid content, which may be linked to increased proliferation and polyploidy in response to cellular lesions.

Simulation of the influences of different minerals contained in acidified coal on CH4 adsorption

To reveal the microscopic mechanism of CH4 adsorption by the main minerals in acidified coal, the depth of acid ion intrusion, the amount of CH4 adsorbed using isothermal adsorption experiments, and heat of adsorption were simulated by Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) method for the composite molecular model composed of kaolinite, calcite, dolomite, and quartz with coal, respectively. The results show that the depth of acid ion intrusion directly affects the amount of methane adsorption. At pressures of 0–8 MPa, the F− intrusion depth directly affected the CH4 adsorption of the composite model of coal–kaolinite (quartz); the depths of Cl− and CH3COO− intrusion directly affected the methane adsorption of the composite model of coal–dolomite; the mixed acid containing Cl− and CH3COO− had the greatest effect on promoting methane adsorption. When acidifying the coal–calcite (quartz) compound structure, Cl− and CH3COO− increased the depth of F− intrusion, and the increase caused by CH3COO− was greater than that of Cl−. After acidification of the coal–calcite composite, the relationship between methane adsorption and heat of adsorption gradually changed from negative to positive with the increase of the hydrofluoric acid (HF) concentration; after acidification of composites of coal and other minerals, CH4 adsorption and heat of adsorption were positively correlated. The amount of CH4 adsorption after coal–kaolinite and coal–quartz acidification exceeded that of coal–calcite and coal–dolomite, mainly because the acidification of dolomite and calcite would generate CO2 to compete with CH4 for adsorption.

Understanding the fast formation mechanism of hard nanoporous alumina films on aluminum in acidic solutions containing nitric acid

Nanoporous alumina films formed on aluminum via anodization are widely used for scientific and technical purposes owing to their various advantageous properties, including excellent corrosion and wear resistance, good thermal and electrical insulation, and facile producibility at low cost. Herein, we report a novel approach to fabricate hard porous anodic alumina (PAA) films by adding an appropriate amount of nitric acid to sulfuric-, oxalic-, and phosphoric-acid solutions at critical high current densities. The effects of the nitric additives on the anodizing behavior, film growth mechanism, microstructure, chemical composition, film thickness, microhardness, and appearance of the PAA films formed from various solutions were systematically investigated. The addition of nitric acid enhanced the formation of alumina and resulted in fast growth rates of 196 μm/h and 166 μm/h for sulfuric- and oxalic-based solutions, respectively, while maintaining high hardness of approximately 380 and 430 HV0.1, respectively. The surface hardness of the films decreased to some extent with the increase in nitric acid concentration and/or film thickness owing to the strong corrosive nature of nitric acid during prolonged anodization, although nitrogen inclusion in anodic alumina films was not detected through X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy, which differs from the other acidic anions. In particular, the barrier layer thickness and pore intervals of PAA films increased with the nitric concentration in the aforementioned solutions, leading to a fast growth rate and high hardness inside the films.

ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INDICATORS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND THE AMINO ACID PROFILE OF BLOOD PLASMA IN PSORIASIS

Introduction. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, has a number of systemic manifestations and is associated with the devel-opment of a number of somatic pathologies. Significant systemic metabolic features of psoriasis are changes in the pool of free amino acids and oxi-dative stress. The purpose of the study: analysis of markers of lipid peroxidation and oxidative modification of plasma proteins and peripheral mononuclear cells, the amino acid spectrum of blood plasma, in relation to each other and clinical signs of severity and duration of psoriasis, body mass index and blood pressure indicators. Material and methods. The study group included 45 patients with psoriasis vulgaris. The control group included 46 donors. Determination of the lev-els of products of lipid peroxidation and oxidative modification of proteins was carried out by spectrophotometric methods. Blood plasma amino acid levels were determined by capillary electrophoresis. Results. In patients with psoriasis, an increase in the concentrations of primary and secondary products of lipid peroxidation and the level of metal-catalyzed oxidative modification of proteins in blood plasma, a decrease in the concentrations of end products of lipid peroxidation in peripheral mono-nuclear cells were revealed. In the amino acid profile of the blood plasma of patients with psoriasis, an increase in the relative concentration of sulfur-containing amino acids, concentrations of phenylalanine, leucine, cysteine, and a decrease in the relative concentration of oxyaminoacids were re-vealed. Relationships between the levels of amino acids and markers of oxidative stress with the duration of the course of the disease or exacerbation, as well as the severity of psoriatic lesions of the skin, were not revealed. Cysteine levels in patients with psoriasis are positively correlated with body mass index and diastolic blood pressure; the relative content of oxyaminoacids in blood plasma negatively correlates with body mass index. Conclusions. Changes in the amino acid profile of blood plasma in psoriasis occur in parallel with oxidative stress and skin inflammation, but are as-sociated with excess body weight for cysteine and oxyaminoacids, which allows us to consider the levels of cysteine and oxyaminoacids as promising prognostic and diagnostic markers of comorbid pathology associated with psoriasis.

Application of an Integrated Granular and Suspended Sludge Methane Reactor for a Two-Stage Anaerobic Digestion System to Deal with Biodegradable Municipal Solid Waste

This study aims to investigate the performance of a two-stage anaerobic digestion system using a hybrid methane reactor to deal with biodegradable municipal solid waste. The reactor allowed both suspended sludge and granular sludge to work together. The feedstock was fermented in one continuous stirred tank at different pH conditions for 5 d. Furthermore, the liquid hydrolysate was diluted and pumped into a methane reactor with different organic loading rates. In the fermentative reactor, raising the pH condition from 4.5 to 6.5 caused a sharp increase in volatile fatty acids concentration, mainly due to the increase in acetate and propionate. The efficiency of the methane reactor was proven by the results of hydrodynamic analysis and biogas production. The relationship between biogas production and operating parameters in this reactor was modeled using a quadratic multivariate regression model. Overall, by maintaining the fermentative reactor at a pH of 6.0–6.5, the methane reactor was able to achieve an organic loading rate of 7.6 g-TS.L−1·d−1 with outstanding biogas quality and yield. In terms of microbiology, the most dominant phyla in the reactor included Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Euryarchaeota, Synergistetes, and Chloroflexi. Among them, the species with the highest relative abundance in granular sludge was Firmicutes, while that in suspended sludge was Bacteroidetes.

Effects of Paclitaxel on Plasma Membrane Microviscosity and Lipid Composition in Cancer Cells.

The cell membrane is an important regulator for the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents. However, the biochemical and biophysical effects that occur in the membrane under the action of chemotherapy drugs are not fully described. In the present study, changes in the microviscosity of membranes of living HeLa-Kyoto tumor cells were studied during chemotherapy with paclitaxel, a widely used antimicrotubule agent. To visualize the microviscosity of the membranes, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) with a BODIPY 2 fluorescent molecular rotor was used. The lipid profile of the membranes was assessed using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry ToF-SIMS. A significant, steady-state decrease in the microviscosity of membranes, both in cell monolayers and in tumor spheroids, was revealed after the treatment. Mass spectrometry showed an increase in the unsaturated fatty acid content in treated cell membranes, which may explain, at least partially, their low microviscosity. These results indicate the involvement of membrane microviscosity in the response of tumor cells to paclitaxel treatment.

Effects of Endogenous Melatonin Deficiency on the Growth, Productivity, and Fruit Quality Properties of Tomato Plants

Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase 1 (COMT1) is a key enzyme that is involved in melatonin synthesis, affecting the melatonin content in plants. In this experiment, tomato plants (slcomt1) with silenced SlCOMT1 gene expression were used to investigate the effects of SlCOMT1 deficiency on fruit growth, development, and quality formation. The results show that the slcomt1 plants exhibited prolonged fruit development, with reductions in the relative expression levels of SlCOMT1 by 71.1%, 79.7%, 83.9%, and 90.6% during the green fruit, breaker, orange ripening, and red ripening stages, respectively. The endogenous melatonin content also decreased by 29.4%, 43%, 45%, and 61.4% in the corresponding stages. Furthermore, the slcomt1 plants showed a decrease in the individual fruit weight, seed number per fruit, and fruit set rate by approximately 51.1%, 48.2%, and 30.4%, respectively. The slcomt1 plants exhibited an increase in the titratable acid content by 32.1%, 22.1%, 10.3%, and 24.4% during the green fruit, breaker, orange ripening, and red ripening stages, while the sugar-to-acid ratio decreased by 44.9%, 32.6%, 22.7%, and 36.8%. The slcomt1 plants also displayed increased fruit firmness, along with reductions in the relative expression levels of the cell wall and carotenoid-related genes and carotenoid content. Specifically, the Vc content in the slcomt1 plants decreased by 80.7% during the green fruit stage, and by 11.5%, 17.1%, and 2.6% during the breaker, orange ripening, and red ripening stages, respectively. The soluble protein content exhibited a decreasing trend in the corresponding stages. This study highlights the important role of endogenous melatonin in fruit physiology and quality formation, providing insights for further research and application of melatonin in agriculture.

Development and characterization of an optimized novel drink from three varieties of sprouted quinoa

Sprouted products are a food alternative that contribute to improving human nutrition. Quinoa has a large amount of natural antioxidants. The dry and hard grains when they undergo a germination process change to tender and slightly acidic sprouts that contain amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes that help digestion and antioxidants. Furthermore, sprouted quinoa has a high protein content and a low concentration of saponins. Previous studies have shown that sprouted quinoa has shown an increase in protein, calcium and ascorbic acid content. Quinoa sprouts improve the organoleptic characteristics of quinoa grains; few studies have used sprouted quinoa in the preparation of beverages. The objective of this study was to prepare a beverage based on sprouted quinoa using a simplex lattice mix design to determine the optimal formula. Three varieties of sprouted quinoa were used: white (Salcedo INIA), red (INIA-415 Pasankalla), and black (INIA 420-Negra Collana). The quinoa was incubated at 30°C in the dark for 48 hours at a relative humidity of 98%. Ten treatments with different proportions of the three types of sprouted quinoa were used. The antioxidant capacity and consumer satisfaction of the ten treatments were evaluated. The ABTS method was used to measure the antioxidant capacity of each treatment. The optimal drink mix was composed of 81.67% sprouted black quinoa, 18.33% sprouted white quinoa, and 0% sprouted red quinoa. Furthermore, the consumer acceptability results were similar across all treatments (p&gt;0.05). A nutritional analysis revealed significant differences (p&lt;0.05) between the optimized drink and the control treatment. The microbiological analysis demonstrated that the formulated drink met the required sanitary norms for aerobic mesophiles, coliforms, molds, yeasts, and absence of Salmonella. The quinoa beverage made from three varieties of germinated quinoa represents a novel alternative to the current drinkable products marketed in Peru due to its nutritional content, antioxidants, and ease of preparation. Key words: Sprouts, Chenopodium quinoa, ABTS, Design-expert, Mixture design, antioxidant capacity, acceptability

Exploring Exogenous Indole-3-acetic Acid's Effect on the Growth and Biochemical Profiles of Synechocystis sp. PAK13 and Chlorella variabilis.

Microalgae have garnered scientific interest for their potential to produce bioactive compounds. However, the large-scale industrial utilization of microalgae faces challenges related to production costs and achieving optimal growth conditions. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential role of exogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) application in improving the growth and production of bioactive metabolites in microalgae. To this end, the study employed different concentrations of exogenously administered IAA ranging from 0.36 µM to 5.69 µM to assess its influence on the growth and biochemical composition of Synechocystis and Chlorella. IAA exposure significantly increased IAA levels in both strains. Consequentially, improved biomass accumulation in parallel with increased total pigment content by approximately eleven-fold in both strains was observed. Furthermore, the application of IAA stimulated the accumulation of primary metabolites. Sugar levels were augmented, providing a carbon source that facilitated amino acid and fatty acid biosynthesis. As a result, amino acid levels were enhanced as well, leading to a 1.55-fold increase in total amino acid content in Synechocystis and a 1.42-fold increase in Chlorella. Total fatty acids content increased by 1.92-fold in Synechocystis and by 2.16-fold in Chlorella. Overall, the study demonstrated the effectiveness of exogenously adding IAA as a strategy for enhancing the accumulation of microalgae biomass and biomolecules. These findings contribute to the advancement of microalgae-based technologies, opening new avenues to produce economically important compounds derived from microalgae.

Acetic acid, growth rate, and mass transfer govern shifts in CO metabolism of Clostridium autoethanogenum.

Syngas fermentation is a leading microbial process for the conversion of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen to valuable biochemicals. Clostridium autoethanogenum stands as a model organism for this process, showcasing its ability to convert syngas into ethanol industrially with simultaneous fixation of carbon and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. A deep understanding on the metabolism of this microorganism and the influence of operational conditions on fermentation performance is key to advance the technology and enhancement of production yields. In this work, we studied the individual impact of acetic acid concentration, growth rate, and mass transfer rate on metabolic shifts, product titres, and rates in CO fermentation by C. autoethanogenum. Through continuous fermentations performed at a low mass transfer rate, we measured the production of formate in addition to acetate and ethanol. We hypothesise that low mass transfer results in low CO concentrations, leading to reduced activity of the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and a bottleneck in formate conversion, thereby resulting in the accumulation of formate. The supplementation of the medium with exogenous acetate revealed that undissociated acetic acid concentration increases and governs ethanol yield and production rates, assumedly to counteract the inhibition by undissociated acetic acid. Since acetic acid concentration is determined by growth rate (via dilution rate), mass transfer rate, and working pH, these variables jointly determine ethanol production rates. These findings have significant implications for process optimisation as targeting an optimal undissociated acetic acid concentration can shift metabolism towards ethanol production. KEY POINTS: • Very low CO mass transfer rate leads to leaking of intermediate metabolite formate. • Undissociated acetic acid concentration governs ethanol yield on CO and productivity. • Impact of growth rate, mass transfer rate, and pH were considered jointly.

The influence of humic acid on metal(loid)s leaching in landfill leachate for enhancing landfill mining

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of humic acid on the recovery rate of metal(loid)s in landfill leachate. The study focused on the release of 12 selected metal(loid)s, including critical raw materials (CRM) in landfills that were less than five years old and those that were more than ten years old. The experimental setup involved using different concentrations of humic acid (w/v) (0 %, 0.1 %, and 0.5 %) at pH 4 and 6. The results of the study showed that humic acid was effective in releasing Al, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb. On the other hand, an increase in humic acid concentration led to a decrease in the release of Li, Mn, and Hg. The immobilization of Li, Mn, and Hg was due to the coordination and adsorption of humic acid. The presence of humic acid accelerated the release of metal(loid)s by carboxylic acidity compared to the recovery rate of metal(loid)s in landfill leachate without humic acid. However, a higher concentration of humic acid did not always result in a stronger recovery rate. The recovery rate of metal(loid)s was related to the solubility and concentration of humic acid. These findings can inform the development of more efficient and environmentally-friendly methods of recovering metal(loid)s using humic acid as a leaching agent.

Effect of Irrigation Regimes on Biochemical Studies of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f. rubra) under Mulch and Non-mulch Condition

A field experiment was conducted at College of Horticulture and Forestry, Central Agriculture University, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh during 2019-20 to assess the “Effect of Irrigation Regimes on Biochemical Studies of Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f. rubra) under Mulch and Non-mulch Condition”. The experiment was done in a randomized block design (RBD) with seven treatments and three replications as control, 100% CPE with drip irrigation, 80% CPE with drip irrigation, 60% CPE with drip irrigation, 100% CPE with drip irrigation under mulch, 80% CPE with drip irrigation under mulch, 60% CPE with drip irrigation under mulch. From the present investigation, it was observed that biochemical parameters like TSS (6.75 °B), total carbohydrates (3.30 g/100g) and anthocyanin (23.66 mg/100g) were maximum at control. While total protein content (2.84 g/100g) and ascorbic acid (102 mg/100g) were recorded higher in 60% CPE with drip irrigation. The findings demonstrated that using irrigation water at a lower rate than full drip irrigation rate can assist increase in TSS, total carbohydrate, anthocyanin, total protein and ascorbic acid concentrations in red cabbage.