Leaf Protein Research Articles

Nutrients and phytochemical density in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. cultivated in growing media supplemented with dosages of nitrogen fertilizer

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. is an annual halophyte that originated from southern Africa. However, little has been reported about factors that modulate the quantity of secondary metabolites in the plant. In this study, the twin effect of different nitrogen concentrations (0.36, 0.6, 0.8 g/L) and growing media (LECA clay, peat, vermiculite and silica sand) on plant growth, chlorophyll contents, minerals, proximate and antioxidant metabolites in hydroponically cultivated M. crystallinum was investigated. This is important to determine the dosage of N fertilizer that will optimize the bio-productivity and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and antioxidants in M. crystallinum grown in a hydroponic system. The untreated plant (0 g/L N) was taken as the control. At the end of the experiment, optimum yields in leaf number (9.2), fresh weight (50.40 g), Ca, N, and Protein (34.04 %) were recorded in M. crystallinum grown with peat enhanced with different dosages of N-fertilizer. Likewise, chlorophyll level, dry weight, ABTS/TEAC, FRAP, ADF and NDF contents were optimized in LECA clay treated with N-fertilizer. Silica sand with 0.36 g/L dosage of nitrogen fertilizer optimized P, Mn and Zn levels, so also the moisture (9.83 % at 0.8 g/L N), fat (2.38 %, 0 g/L N) and carbohydrates (44.98 and 44.95 %). The highest ash content, Mg and Fe were recorded in the untreated vermiculite as well as polyphenols and K, at 0.6 g/L; Cu and root length (14.60 cm), at 0.8 g/L. In conclusion, different dosages of nitrogen fertilizer and growing media could enhance the growth potential, chlorophyll, phytochemicals, and nutritional properties of M. crystallinum.

Effectiveness of Tembelekan Leaf Extract (Lantana camara L.) on Mortality of Riptortus linearis

This study aims to determine the effect, effective concentration, Lethal Concentration 50 (LC50), and Lethal Time (LT50) of tembelekan leaf extract (Lantana camara L.) on the mortality of Riptortus linearis and metabolic compounds of L. camara leaves. The method was experimental. The study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with five treatments, namely 0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%, and five replications. Each treatment contained 10 R. linearis test animals. The results of the ANOVA analysis showed the effect of treatment on the mortality of R. linearis (p<0.05). The concentration that showed the highest mortality was 25%. Based on the LC50 test, the 10.155% L. camara leaf extract concentration can kill R. linearis in more than 50% of each treatment. And based on LT50 with a concentration of 25%, it takes 7.681 hours to kill 50% of R. linearis. In L. camara leaf extract contains metabolite compounds, namely alkaloids with a level of 307.87 mg/L, then tannins with a group of 2.75 %b/v, then saponins with a group of 0.31 %b/v, and flavonoids with a group of 1.40 %b/v., It can be concluded that there is an influence of giving tembelekan (Lantana camara L) leaf juice on the mortality of Riptortus linearis.

Anti-anaemic effects of leaf protein concentrate of Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst) Cufod. on some blood parameters of male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to phenylhydrazine-induced anaemia

This study investigated the effects of leaf protein concentrate (LPC) of Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) Cufod on some haematological and serum profile of 45 male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into nine groups of five rats per group. The rats received fresh drinking water daily, with feed at 85% of ad-lib. The standard haematinic used was Ranferon-12®, at the dose of 0.3ml/kg body weight. The resultant groups were; Group1 (Positive control, received commercial feed) Group 2 (phenylhydrazine only or negative control), Group 3 (anaemia +haematinic), 4, 5 and 6 (anaemia +100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of LPC respectively), Groups 7, 8, 9 (Untreated (or UT) +100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of LPC respectively). The LPC was administered orally to the designated groups, while the controls received distilled water in place of the LPC. Anaemia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of phenylhydrazine at 40 mg/kg for 2 days. Samples for haematological and biochemical analysis were collected on days 9, 21 and 28 of the experiment. Results showed that the groups supplemented with LPC were better in terms of the haematology and serum biochemical values compared to the negative control, and this strongly supported the traditional use of E. speciosa leaf in the treatment of anaemia.

Olive leaf protein: Extraction optimization, in vitro digestibility, structural and techno-functional properties

Olive leaf, as an important by-product of olive farming, is generated from the pruning and harvesting of olive trees and represents >10 % of the total olive weight. The present study was conducted to evaluate the composition, functional and structural characterizations, as well as the in vitro digestibility of olive leaf proteins isolated from ultrasonic-assisted extraction, comparing to classical and industrial techniques. The ultrasound-assisted extraction of olive leaf protein was optimized by the simultaneous maximization of the yield and purity of protein using a Box-Behnken design (BBD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The results indicated that the optimal extraction conditions were as follows: pH of 10.99, temperature of 40.48 °C, sonication time of 47.25 min, and solvent/solid ratio of 24.08 mL/g. Under these conditions, the extraction yield and protein content were 11.67 and 51.2 %, respectively, which were significantly higher than those obtained by the conventional techniques. Regarding the functionality of protein, extraction technique had significant impacts on the structural and functional properties of proteins. In general, ultrasound assisted extraction had higher solubility, and better foaming and thermal properties and in vitro digestibility but lower emulsifying stability and fluid binding capacity compared to conventional ones. Ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction has great potential to produce edible olive leaf protein with modified functional properties that can be used for various aims in the food applications.

Biochemical and protein nutritional potential of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf: partial substitution improves the nutrition of conventional protein.

With the requirements of environmental, cost and economic sustainability, new sources of alternative proteins in the livestock industry are receiving increasing attention. Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves are a unique feed resource because of their high protein content and large availability. Therefore, mining sustainable protein suitable for the animal husbandry industry in sericulture resources could achieve a win-win situation. The protein content in mulberry leaves is 232.10-386.16 g kg-1 , and the mean value of crude fat content is 43.76 ± 8.48 g kg-1 , which has the advantages of protein content and energy. In addition, the average content of phytic acid in mulberry leaves is only 1.88 ± 0.56 g kg-1 , which means that it is not inhibited in terms of nutrient absorption. Meanwhile, the digestibility of protein was Bean pulp > Sample 8 ≈ Alfalfa ≈ Sample 13 ≈ Cottonseed meal > Fish meal, and the β-turn and particle size of mulberry leaf protein are more conducive to digestion in vitro. Furthermore, the protein of Sample 13 had the richest essential amino acids (252.00 g kg-1 ) and the highest essential amino acid index (EAAI), which was superior to conventional feed protein. In addition, the partial substitution of mulberry leaf protein (15%) significantly increased the EAAI value of conventional feed protein. However, to balance nutrition, it is necessary to combine mulberry leaf protein with other proteins to further broaden its application field. Mulberry leaves are a new source of feed protein, which helps to alleviate the two major problems of mulberry resource surplus and feed protein resource shortage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Appraisal of leaf protein concentrate derived from sugar beet and carrot as a novel fish meal substitute for juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Carrot and sugar beet are among the crops that produce a significant amount of leafy biomass, which raises environmental concerns. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of replacing fish meal (FM) with sugar beet and carrot leaf protein concentrate (LPC) on performance, body composition, and blood metabolites in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for 84 days. Randomly, 225 tilapia fish (5.03 ± 0.006 g) were distributed into five groups having different replacement proportions of FM protein with LPC: 0 % (control diet), 25 %, 50 %, 75 % or 100 % (LPC-0, LPC-25, LPC-50, LPC-75, and LPC-100, respectively). The study found that increasing LPC replacement levels up to 75 % did not significantly alter growth performance parameters (P > 0.05). In contrast, substituting with 100 % LPC resulted in a notable reduction in the relative growth rate when compared to the control group (P = 0.043). Furthermore, fish fed the LPC-100 diet exhibited impaired trends in terms of final body weight (P = 0.064), daily weight gain (P = 0.055), and feed conversion ratio (FCR; P = 0.054). The best FCR value was observed in fish fed the LPC-75 diet. There were no significant differences in serum lipid and protein profile, liver and kidney function indicators, and hematological parameters among all groups (P > 0.05). The total replacement of FM with LPC adversely impacted the crude protein (P = 0.007) and ash (P = 0.002) contents of O. niloticus bodies. Replacing FM with 75 % LPC resulted in the highest relative margin (P = 0.008) and final margin (P = 0.005) compared to the other groups. Overall, the results indicate that 75 % of FM can be effectively replaced with LPC in O. niloticus diets, with no adverse effects observed on growth and health. Additionally, from an economic point of view, the use of LPC at 75 % instead of FM protein had more efficiency in producing healthy and low-cost aquafeed.

The enhancement of photosynthetic performance, water use efficiency and potato yield under elevated CO2 is cultivar dependent.

As a fourth major food crop, potato could fulfill the nutritional demand of the growing population. Understanding how potato plants respond to predicted increase in atmospheric CO2 at the physiological, biochemical and molecular level is therefore important to improve potato productivity. Thus, the main objectives of the present study are to investigate the effects of elevated CO2 on the photosynthetic performance, water use efficiency and tuber yield of various commercial potato cultivars combined with biochemical and molecular analyses. We grew five potato cultivars (AC Novachip, Atlantic, Kennebec, Russet Burbank and Shepody) at either ambient CO2 (400 μmol CO2 mol-1) or elevated (750 μmol CO2 mol-1) CO2. Compared to ambient CO2-grown counterparts, elevated CO2-grown Russet Burbank and Shepody exhibited a significant increase in tuber yield of 107% and 49% respectively, whereas AC Novachip, Atlantic and Kennebec exhibited a 16%, 6% and 44% increment respectively. These differences in CO2-enhancement of tuber yield across the cultivars were mainly associated with the differences in CO2-stimulation of rates of photosynthesis. For instance, elevated CO2 significantly stimulated the rates of gross photosynthesis for AC Novachip (30%), Russet Burbank (41%) and Shepody (28%) but had minimal effects for Atlantic and Kennebec when measured at growth light. Elevated CO2 significantly increased the total tuber number for Atlantic (40%) and Shepody (83%) but had insignificant effects for other cultivars. Average tuber size increased for AC Novachip (16%), Kennebec (30%) and Russet Burbank (80%), but decreased for Atlantic (25%) and Shepody (19%) under elevated versus ambient CO2 conditions. Although elevated CO2 minimally decreased stomatal conductance (6-22%) and transpiration rates (2-36%), instantaneous water use efficiency increased by up to 79% in all cultivars suggesting that enhanced water use efficiency was mainly associated with increased photosynthesis at elevated CO2. The effects of elevated CO2 on electron transport rates, non-photochemical quenching, excitation pressure, and leaf chlorophyll and protein content varied across the cultivars. We did not observe any significant differences in plant growth and morphology in elevated versus ambient CO2-grown plants. Taken all together, we conclude that the CO2-stimulation of photosynthetic performance, water use efficiency and tuber yield of potatoes is cultivar dependent.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Cakile maritima seed extract: Molecular, antifungal and physiological studies

The synthesis of nanoparticles from plants is a biological process recognized to be environmentally approving, and inexpensive, which is preferred over physical and chemical processes. Plant extracts synthesize many types of metal nanoparticles with high biological activity. Because of its toxicity, aflatoxin poses a significant risk to contaminated corn kernels. However, this study focused on exploring in vitro the antifungal capacity of AgNPs biosynthesized from the seed extract of Cakile maritima on the growth of Aspergillus flavus isolated from Egyptian corn kernels. The anti-Aspergillus activity of AgNPs prepared from C. maritima seed extract was first reported. This investigation was performed to distinguish aflD, aflR, and aflP as three significant genes that contribute to the production of aflatoxin B1 cycle in A. flavus. The results gained by amplifying chosen genes by PCR for the recognition of A. flavus strains correlated significantly with TLC and HPLC outcomes. Samples that tested positive for the production of aflatoxin B1 could show amplification of the three target genes. Total phenols and flavonoids were determined from C. maritima seed extract. The quantitative evaluation of the phenolic compounds of C. maritima seed methanol extract was performed. Chlorogenic acid showed the highest amount (3250.9 μg/g dry weight). AgNPs repressed the mycelial growth and the germination of A. flavus spores more than the crude extract, AgNO3, and the fungicide compared to the negative control. The ultrastructural study of A. flavus mycelium by SEM and TEM exhibited a clear variation between untreated and treated mycelium. The treated mycelium with 10% AgPNs showed severe distortion of mycelia compared to the control, crude extract, AgNO3, and fungicide. The results showed the maximum improvement in root length, shoot length, area of leaf surface, chlorophylls, protein, and carbohydrates of the seedlings of corn were assessed at 30 ppm AgNPs.

Optimisation of protein extraction from selenium-enriched Brassicaceae leaves

Vegetable side-streams have gained attention for their potential as sustainable and nutritious food sources for human consumption. This study focused on the optimisation of leaf protein extraction from selenium (Se)-enriched leaf meals (LMs) derived from the Brassicaceae family, including broccoli (Se-BrLM), cabbage (Se-CbLM), radish (Se-RaLM), and Cardamine violifolia (Se-CmLM) leaf meals. The primary focus of the extraction process revolved around two key protein fractions: albumin and glutelin, both highly abundant in the LMs. The results highlighted the significance of ionic strength, extractant pH, and solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratio in leaf protein extraction, with sonication time exerting a comparatively less pronounced influence. Within the Brassicaceae species investigated, the optimal conditions included an extractant pH of 9–10, sonication duration of 30–45 s, an S/L ratio of 1:40, and the inclusion of salt at concentrations of 60 and 300 mM. Under these conditions, Se-CmLM achieved a significantly higher mass yield of 4.80 % (dry basis, db) and protein recovery of 17.55 % (db), with RuBisCo as the major protein within the resulting protein concentrates. The protein–phenolic complex content was minimal, with in vitro protein digestibility of 76.71–80.36 %. This study emphasises the potential of Brassicaceae leaves as sustainable protein sources.

Lupenone, a wonder chemical obtained from Euphorbia segetalis to boost affinity for the transcriptional factor escalating drought-tolerance in Solanum Lycopersicum: A cutting-edge computational biology approach.

Drought is the single greatest abiotic factor influencing crop yield worldwide. Plants remain in one area for extended periods, making them vulnerable to natural and man-made influences. Understanding plant drought responses will help us develop strategies for breeding drought-resistant crops. Large proteome analysis revealed that leaf and root tissue proteins respond to drought differently depending on the plant's genotype. Commonly known as tomatoes, Solanum Lycopersicum is a globally important vegetable crop. However, drought stress is one of the most significant obstacles to tomato production, making the development of cultivars adapted to dry conditions an essential goal of agricultural biotechnology. Breeders have put quite a lot of time and effort into the tomato to increase its productivity, adaptability, and resistance to biotic and abiotic challenges. However, conventional tomato breeding has only improved drought resistance due to the complexity of drought traits. The resilience of tomatoes under drought stress has been the subject of extensive study. Using contemporary sequencing approaches like genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics has dramatically aided in discovering drought-responsive genes. One of the most prominent families of plant transcription factors, WRKY genes, plays a crucial role in plant growth and development in response to natural and abiotic stimuli. To develop plants that can withstand both biotic and abiotic stress, understanding the relationships between WRKY-proteins (transcription factors) and other proteins and ligands in plant cells is essential. This is despite the fact that tomatoes have a long history of domestication. This research aims to utilize Lupenone, a hormone produced in plant roots in response to stress, to increase drought resistance in plants. Lupenone exhibits a strong affinity for the WRKY protein at -9.64 kcal/mol. Molecular docking and modeling studies show that these polyphenols have a significant role in making Solanum Lycopersicum drought-resistant and improving the quality of its fruit. As a result of climate change, droughts are occurring more frequently and persisting for more extended periods, making it necessary to breed crops resistant to drought. While considerable variability for tolerance exists in wild cousins, little is known about the processes and essential genes influencing drought tolerance in cultivated tomato species.

Isolation of detoxified cassava (Manihot esculenta L.) leaf protein by alkaline extraction-isoelectric precipitation: Optimization and its characterization

The cassava leaves protein isolate extraction and optimization were investigated using response surface methodology, where the maximum protein content (21.83 ± 0.41 g/100 g dm), extraction yield (18.31 ± 0.53%), and protein recovery yield (69 ± 1.31%) were obtained at optimal conditions: 114 min extraction time, 46 °C extraction temperature, 23.5 mL/g solvent/solute ratio and pH 11.0 value. The presence of toxicant (Cyanide) and anti-nutrient (tannin) in cassava leaves reduced the bio-accessibility of its protein isolate, strictly prohibiting its consumption. Therefore, detoxification was applied to diminish cyanide and tannin to 85% and 69% in leaves, respectively, where the protein content was reduced to 9.7%. However, detoxified cassava leaf protein isolate exhibited changes in the compositional, structural, morphological, molecular, and thermal characteristics compared to the controlled one. Moreover, the functional properties in protein isolate improved after detoxification at different pH conditions, which can be used as an active ingredient in various foods.

Biorefinery integration of a green protein platform for maximum resource utilization

Biorefineries are often proposed to reduce environmental impact, enhance energy independence, and minimize waste generation while generating multiple valuable products. In this work, an integrated biorefinery approach is proposed to improve the overall process performance of a system combining a green biorefinery (GB), hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), and anaerobic digestion (AD) to produce a leaf protein concentrate, bio-crude, and biogas. Festulolium and ryegrass, two varieties of forage grasses, were employed as feedstock. Two different maceration technologies were evaluated for protein recovery, more severe maceration led to a 75 % increase in protein content in the leaf protein concentrate (LPC) when compared to a standard maceration. The fiber residues produced by the grass processing were converted to biocrude using HTL. This step was not affected by the maceration step and the use of brown juice as HTL media proved to be beneficial. The bio-crude yield of the grass fiber residues was similar for both biomasses and maceration steps, ranging from 25.7 to 32.1 %. Finally, the HTL process water and the brown juice were subjected to anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. The brown juice from ryegrass resulted in higher methane production compared to HTL water but adding brown juice to HTL water did not reduce the lag times observed for pure HTL water. The integration of GB, HTL, and AD is shown to be effective in increasing the overall carbon and nitrogen recovery of the starting biomass.

Development and Identification of Novel α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Peptides from Mulberry Leaves.

The mulberry leaf is a botanical resource that possesses a substantial quantity of protein. In this study, alcalase hydrolysis conditions of mulberry leaf protein were optimized using the response surface method. The results showed that the optimum conditions were as follows: substrate protein concentration was 0.5% (w/v), enzymatic hydrolysis temperature was 53.0 °C, enzymatic hydrolysis time was 4.7 h, enzyme amount was 17,800 U/g, and pH was 10.5. Then mulberry leaf peptides were separated by ultrafiltration according to molecular weight. Peptides (<3 kDa) were screened and subsequently identified using LC-MS/MS after the evaluation of α-glucosidase inhibition across various fractions. Three novel potential bioactive peptides RWPFFAFM (1101.32 Da), AAGRLPGY (803.91 Da), and VVRDFHNA (957.04 Da) with the lowest average docking energy were screened for molecular dynamics simulation to examine their binding stability with enzymes in a 37 °C simulated human environment. Finally, they were prepared by solid phase synthesis for in vitro verification. The former two peptides exhibited better IC50 values (1.299 mM and 1.319 mM, respectively). These results suggest that the α-glucosidase inhibitory peptides from mulberry leaf protein are potential functional foods or drugs for diabetes treatment, but further in vivo studies are needed to identify the bioavailability and toxicity.

ОЦЕНКА ВЛИЯНИЯ БИОПРЕПАРАТОВ НА ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ УРОЖАЯ ЯРОВОГО ЯЧМЕНЯ

The results of field researches on the experimental fields of the Agrobiotechnopark of KSAU conducted in 2020-2022 are given. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of double treatment during the growing season with various biological preparations on the formation of the crop and the quality of spring barley grain. The objectives of the research included studying the nature of changes in the biometric parameters of plants, leaf surface area, yield and protein content in grain when using a biofungicide and biofertilizer. The variety of spring two-row barley Kamashevsky was the object of research. Biopreparations were studied - biofungicide Orgamica S (biological agent - Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and biofertilizer Organit P (biological agent - Bacillus megaterium). The treatment was carried out twice during the growing season - in the tillering phase and in the earing phase with a working fluid flow rate of 200 l/ha. The preparations were used separately and as part of a tank mixture. The studies were carried out on a gray forest highly cultivated soil. The agro-climatic conditions of vegetation during the years of the study varied significantly. In 2021, soil-air drought was noted, and in 2020, and especially in 2022, the moisture conditions were favorable for the growth and development of spring barley plants. It has been established that the treatment of spring barley crops with biological preparations contributes to an increase in the length of the ear, stems and roots. This effect was especially significant when using a biofertilizer in the tillering phase, and a biofungicide during the heading of barley. The use of all treatment schemes with biological preparations showed an increase in the area of spring barley leaves and, at the same time, the development of root rots of the crop decreased by an average of 50%. The greatest increase in yield (by 0.56 t/ha), the maximum protein content in the grain and the best profitability indicators were obtained using a treatment scheme in which Organit biofertilizer was used during the tillering period, and Orgamica S biofungicide during the heading period. Especially significant positive effect from treatment with biological preparations was in the conditions of a well-moistened 2022, but even in the conditions of a drought in 2021, treatment with biological preparations showed high efficiency.

Green Leaf Proteins: Sustainable Solutions for Plant-Based Protein Sources

In recent years, the demand for sustainable and nutritious plant-based protein sources has surged, driven by environmental impact, animal welfare, and personal health concerns. Green leaf proteins have garnered significant attention among the array of plant-based proteins due to their sustainability, nutritional richness, and versatility. This review explores the diverse landscape of green leaf proteins, focusing on their sources, nutritional profiles, sustainability attributes, technological applications, and potential contributions to global food security. Drawing upon scientific literature and empirical evidence, this review elucidates the pivotal role that green leaf proteins play in fostering sustainable food systems and mitigating the challenges posed by conventional protein sources. The challenges and opportunities associated with harnessing green leaf proteins for commercial-scale production are discussed, alongside considerations for policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders.

Nutrient Diagnostics and Biochemical Indicators of Oat Grain Quality Predicted by Leaf Juice Amino Acid Concentration

In order to find out the relationship between the level of nitrogen nutrition of oat plants of the Yakov variety and the content of amino acids in leaf juice, as well as the possibility of using this indicator to assess the content and composition of proteins, the activity of amylases, catalases and peroxidases in ripe grain and the activity of theseenzymes in germinating grain, a field experiment was carried out at the Field Experimental Station of Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, on sod-podzolic medium loamy soil. In the field experiment, variants with different levels of nitrogen nutrition of oat plants that had passed post-harvest ripening were tudied. Ammonium nitrate, double superphosphate, and potassium chloride were applied in advance. As a result, it was found that as the level of nitrogen nutrition of plants increased, the concentration of amino acids in the juice of oat leaves at the stage of formation of the first stem node decreased, which was closely correlated with the nitrogen doses. These data indicate the possibility of using this indicator for the diagnosis of nitrogen nutrition in oat plants. The studies also revealed a reliable correlation between the content of amino acids in leaf juice and the concentration of proteins soluble in water and solutions of 10% KCl, 0.2% NaOH, as well as the activity of acid (pH 5.5), neutral (pH 7) and alkaline (pH 8) isoenzymes of α-amylase and acid isoforms of β-amylase in ripe grain. In addition, the amino acid content of leaf juice was found to be significantly correlated with the activity of acidic α-amylase, acidic and neutral β-amylase in germinated grain. The results obtained demonstrate the possibility of predicting the level of protein accumulation in oat grains. It is also possible to predict the protein composition, activity of α- and β-amylase, catalase, and peroxidase isoenzymes from the content of amino acids in leaf juice in the phase of the first stem node formation. A reliable correlation was also found for the activity of acid and neutral isoenzymes of α-amylase, catalase, and peroxidase in ripe and germinated oat grain.

Environmental impacts of a novel biorefinery platform integrated with power-to-protein technology to decrease dependencies on soybean imports

The consistent population growth is directly tied to the annual rise in livestock production, placing a substantial burden on the crop sector that supplies animal feed. The Danish government has been relying on importing soybeans and soybean meal to be used as animal feed. However, this sparked environmental concerns that require more environmentally friendly solutions, such as self-sufficiency in animal feed production. The rise of green biorefineries allows new avenues of animal proteinaceous feed production using green biomass to produce leaf protein concentrate (LPC) and utilize side-stream products, such as brown juice and press cake, for feed-quality products. This study evaluated the combination of grass-clover biorefinery and the power-to-X concept, including power-to-protein technology, for its environmental sustainability through a consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA). The production of protein concentrate from organic grass clover exhibits optimal environmental performance when press cake and brown juice are used for bioenergy recovery. The findings indicate that combining a green biorefinery with power-to-protein to fully valorize the carbon and nitrogen content of brown juice and press cake into feed-grade protein can increase the environmental benefits. Such an integration resulted in an avoided impact of −995.9 kg CO2-eq/tonne of protein concentrate. The avoided impacts of climate change could be higher within the first 20 years due to a higher carbon sequestration rate. However, even after 20 years when a new carbon balance in the soil is reached, the environmental gain could be big enough to encourage the production and use of organic grass-clover protein concentrate.

Biocontrol of Fusarium wilt disease by endophytic Bacillus xiamenensis BS10 isolated from the root nodules of Brassica nigra (mustard plant) and analysis of defence molecular biomarkers in the greenhouse and field trial

Endophytic bacteria possess positive effects on their host plants, including, secondary metabolite induction, disease-resistance improvement, and growth promotion. Bacillus spp. are considered to be an eco-friendly and bio-safe alternative to traditional chemical fungicides. In our study, a collection of 12 endophytic bacteria were isolated from Brassica nigra root nodules and analyzed for plant growth-promoting activities. The endophytic strain BS10 significantly solubilise phosphate (19 ± 1 mm halo zone), siderophore (17 ± 1 mm halo zone), HCN (18 ± 1 halo zone), and indole acetic acid (205.1 ± 2.8 μg/mL) significantly (p < 0.05) than other isolates. The antifungal activity of isolated endophytes was analyzed using a dual-culture screening method. The antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum revealed that the strain BS10 exhibited maximum activity against F. oxysporum and the inhibition rate ranged from 20 ± 1 to 70.2 ± 3.5 % after 4 days of treatment and increased after 8 days (36.9 ± 3.5–75.8 ± 3.2 %) among other endophytes. The cell-free extract decreased fungal growth and the inhibition rate varied between 12 % and 47 % (p < 0.05). The results revealed that the fungal infection of the mustard plants with wilt disease causing F. oxysporum significantly reduced the growth of the mustard plant, and root, shoot length, and dry weight compared with the control (p < 0.05). The infected plants treated with endophyte showed an improvement in the growth parameters (p < 0.05). The endophytes-treated plants showed fewer symptoms of rot disease in mustard plants. The chlorophyll content (2.27-fold), soluble leaf protein (1.22-fold), proline (26 ± 2.8 nM/g fresh weight) were improved in the plant leaves treated with endophyte. The biosynthesis of ascorbate peroxidase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, and catalase was improved in the endophyte-treated seeds compared with control seeds (p > 0.05). The isolated B. xiamenensis is an important resource to biocontrol Fusarium wilt diseases in the mustard plant.

Adsorption of hexavalent chromium using Water Hyacinth Leaf Protein Concentrate/Graphene Oxide hydrogel.

Water Hyacinth Leaf Protein Concentrate/Graphene Oxide (WHLPC/GO) hydrogel was synthesized for the removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater. About 90% of the prepared hydrogel constitutes WHLPC. The prepared material was characterized by FT-IR and XRD. The process variables such as pH, contact time, adsorbentdosage, initial Cr(VI) concentration, and temperature were optimized using a batch mode experiment. Kinetic studies were alsoconducted and it was observed that the chemosorptive pseudo-second-order best described the adsorption system with a correlation coefficient(R2) of 0.984. The highest adsorption capacity of 322.00 mg/g was achieved at pH 1.0, and equilibrium was achieved within 420 min. Various isotherm models were analyzed using non-linear fitting. It was found that the Sips model provides the best fit, indicating heterogeneous and uniform active site surface adsorption of Cr(VI) on the WHLPC/GO. The reuse efficiency of the synthesized material was also found to be greater than 84% for five consecutive cycles. Thermodynamic studies were conducted and results revealed that the adsorption was spontaneous and endothermic.

Alpine plant species converge towards adopting elevation-specific resource-acquisition strategy in response to experimental early snow-melting

Snow-melt is one of the important factors limiting growth and survival of alpine plants. Changes in snow-melt timing have profound effects on eco-physiological characteristics of alpine plant species through alterations in growing season length. Here, we conducted a field experiment and studied species response to experimentally induced early snow-melting (ES) (natural vs. early) at an alpine site (Rohtang) in the western Himalaya region. Eco-physiological response of eight snow-bed restricted alpine plant species from different elevations (lower: 3850 m and upper: 4150 m amsl) and belonging to contrasting resource acquisition strategies (conservative and acquisitive) were studied after 2-years (2019 & 2020) of initiating ES field experiment. We estimated the functional traits related to leaf economic spectrum and physiological performance and assessed their pattern of phenotypic plasticity. Analysis by linear mixed effect model showed that both the ‘conservative’ and ‘acquisitive’ species had responded to ES with significant effects on species specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, leaf water content and sugar content. Our results also revealed that ES treatment induced significant increase in leaf C/N ratio (10.57 % to 13.65 %) and protein content (15.85 % to 20.76 %) at both the elevations, irrespective of species groups. The phenotypic plasticity was found to be low and was essentially species-specific. However, for leaf protein content, the upper elevation species exhibited a higher phenotypic plasticity (0.43 ± 0.18) than the lower elevation species (0.31 ± 0.21). Interestingly, we found that irrespective of species unique functional strategy, species adapt to perform more conservative at lower elevation and more acquisitive at upper elevation, in response to ES. We conclude that plants occurring at contrasting elevations respond differentially to ES. However, species showed capacity for short-term acclimation to future environmental conditions, but may be vulnerable, if their niche is occupied by new species with greater phenotypic plasticity and a superior competitive ability.