Low Sugar Research Articles

Effect of growing temperature on root carbohydrate content and postharvest asparagus tip breakdown.

Tip breakdown has been identified as the main issue causing deterioration in asparagus quality during storage; however, the underlying mechanisms responsible for its development are unknown. Previous work showed higher incidence of tip breakdown occurring later in the season, when growing temperature was higher. Spears from two growing conditions (cooler vs warmer) were harvested throughout the season to assess tip breakdown incidence and quality attributes (asparagine and non-structural carbohydrates) during storage, with the aim of enhancing understanding and identifying potential biomarkers of this physiological disorder. Root samples were also collected just after harvest to determine if storage root carbohydrate content was associated with a predisposition to tip breakdown. Rapid growth due to warmer temperatures (up to 45 °C) resulted in spears with lower sugar content and higher incidence of tip breakdown in comparison with cooler conditions. Asparagine slowly increased through the season (7 to 11 mg g-1 DW) with no differences between growing conditions, suggesting that it is not a biomarker for tip breakdown. Pre-season spears (warm temperature only) had double the amount of sugar in comparison with early season spears, with no incidence of tip breakdown despite an extended storage period (up to 18 days at 7 °C). Sugar concentration in roots was similar between growing conditions and between pre- and early season despite clear differences in spear sugar content. These results showed a strong positive link between cooler growing conditions, high spear sugar content, and low susceptibility to tip breakdown, which was not reflected in root sugar concentrations. However, further research is needed to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for tip breakdown. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

676 Low sugar? Not so sweet: a case of osmotic demyelination syndrome secondary to rapid correction of hyperglycemia

676 Low sugar? Not so sweet: a case of osmotic demyelination syndrome secondary to rapid correction of hyperglycemia

Food consumption and cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents living with HIV: a systematic review

ABSTRACT The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the dietary intake of children and adolescents living with HIV and its association with cardiovascular risk factors. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, BIREME and LILACS were searched for original observational studies. The studies were extracted between June and August 2021, in addition to a manual search of references. Twelve studies involving 1,805 participants aged 6.5 to 17.3 years were included. An association between energy intake, low sugar and fat intake and the presence of lipodystrophy syndrome was reported in 1 of the 12 (8.3%) studies, between fat intake and plasma lipid levels in 1 (8.3%), and between low fiber intake and high z-scores for BMI in 1 (8.3%); there was a positive correlation between cholesterol intake and plasma triglyceride levels in 1 study (8.3%). In conclusion, a dietary pattern of low consumption of fruits and vegetables was identified, but few studies have reported associations between dietary intake and cardiovascular risk factors. Thus, there is a need for nutritional guidance strategies aimed at changing inappropriate eating habits in order to reduce cardiovascular risk factors in this population.

A Hedonic Sensory Trial: Exploring the Relationship Between Sweet‐Liker Status, Demographics, and Health Measures on Acceptability in a Beverage System

ABSTRACTThere is concern that high sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption may reduce the intake of more nutritionally dense foods and lead to a higher risk of chronic diseases, particularly for vulnerable populations, including First Nations People. The current study investigates consumer acceptability of five carbonated beverages with a range of sugar contents (0%–11.5%) including novel low‐sugar formulations with bush fruits and commercial soft drink comparators. The results from 142 consumers reveal the full sugar soft drink (11.5% sugar) had the highest acceptability, closely followed by the low sugar novel formulation (5.9% sugar). The consumer cluster “full sugar soft drink likers” were more likely to be younger, of First Nations status, be a “sweet‐liker”, have a lower perceived intensity of sweetness, and a higher weekly consumption of full sugar soft drinks compared to the “full sugar soft drink disliker” group, where “sweet‐dislikers” made up > 80% of this cluster.

Enhancing Mezcal Production Efficiency by Adding an Inoculant of Native Saccharomyces cerevisiae to a Standardized Fermentation Must

All traditional mezcal producers use artisan methods to produce mezcal. The low technological development in the elaboration processes results in low yield and high residual sugar concentration. First, this work optimized the concentration of initial sugars and yeast-assimilable nitrogen (YAN) in Agave durangensis juice fermentation at the laboratory level. A yield near 0.49 g EtOH/g sugar and a productivity of 1.54 g EtOH/L*h was obtained with an initial sugar concentration of 120 g/L and a YAN concentration of 0.227 g/L. Only Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found after 24 h of incubation at laboratory level, using MALDI-TOF identification. Agave durangensis heads crushed by the artisan process were used to test the inoculant performance. A mezcal yield of 11.6 kg agave/L of mezcal was obtained using the S cerevisiae inoculant and nitrogen addition, which was significantly different (p < 0.05) from other treatments. The population dynamics during fermentation were analyzed through isolation and identification using MALDI-TOF. Several yeast species (Pichia kluyveri, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were found at the beginning of fermentation. Nonetheless, only S. cerevisiae was found at the end of fermentation. The implantation of the inoculant used was confirmed through the comparative analysis of amplification patterns of the GTG5 microsatellite of the strains identified as S. cerevisiae, finding that the inoculated strain proportion was greater than 80% of the yeast population. A technological alternative to increase the efficiency of the process is combining the addition of YAN and the inoculation of the native S. cerevisiae, which was isolated from artisan alcoholic fermentation of agave to produce mezcal.

AmelOBP4: an antenna-specific odor-binding protein gene required for olfactory behavior in the honey bee (Apis mellifera)

BackgroundOdorant binding proteins (OBPs) initiate the process of odorant perception. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that OBPs bind a broad variety of chemicals and are more likely to carry pheromones or odor molecules with high binding affinities. However, few studies have investigated its effects on insect behavior. Previously, we found that AmelOBP4 has a significantly higher expression in the heads of foragers than that of nurses regardless of their ages, revealing its importance in foraging behaviour of the honey bee. RNA interference (RNAi) is the induction of sequence specific gene silencing by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), it is a powerful tool that makes gene inactivation possible in organisms that were not amenable to genetic analysis before.ResultsIn this study, we found that AmelOBP4 had high expression levels in the antennae of both nurses and foragers, and could be successfully inhibited by feeding double stranded RNA of AmelOBP4 (dsAmelOBP4). Foragers with inhibited AmelOBP4 showed significantly lower sugar responsiveness than control bees, and also significantly reduced EAG response to plant volatiles of nonanal, linalool and 1-Octen-3ol. On the other hand, nurses with inhibited AmelOBP4 showed significantly reduced EAG response to brood pheromone of ethyl oleate, methyl linoleate, methyl palmitate and β-ocimene. Finally, the Y-tube choice assay showed nurses only exhibited a significantly reduced preference to ethyl oleate, but foragers exhibited significantly reduced preference to all these three plant volatiles.ConclusionsThe findings of our study suggested that AmelOBP4 plays an important role in the odorant binding process, especially in modulating olfactory behaviour in workers. Our results provide a foundation for exploring the olfactory mechanism of Apis mellifera.

Metabolome–transcriptome association analysis revealed the candidate gene involved in soluble sugar content regulation in cucumber fruits

Soluble sugar content is a crucial parameter affecting the taste and flavor of cucumber. Fruit sweetness varies depending on the soluble sugar content. To explore the regulatory mechanism underlying soluble sugar content, we performed metabolome sequencing on diploid (low soluble sugar, CK) and autotetraploid (high soluble sugar, T) cucumber fruits on the day of flowering (S1) and 9 days after flowering (S2). Metabolome sequencing was combined with corresponding transcriptome analysis. In total, 250 and 387 differential metabolites were screened at S1 (T_S1 vs CK_S1) and S2 (T_S2 vs CK_S2), respectively. The combined analysis unveiled that the differentially expressed genes were primarily concentrated in the pathways of starch and sucrose metabolism and galactose metabolism, among others. Overall, 16 differentially expressed genes and three differential metabolites, including sucrose, stachyose, and trehalose, were identified. Csa_5G322500 expressed abundantly and in large differential multiples, as evident from the transcriptome data of diploid and tetraploid cucumber fruits at different developmental stages, indicating that Csa_5G322500 may be the key gene affecting the soluble sugar content of fruits. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the plants with Csa_5G322500 revealed significant increases in the soluble sugar content of cucumber at 24, 36, and 48 h after Agrobacterium infection and a significant increase in the expression of Csa_5G322500 at 36 and 48 h after infection. In conclusion, Csa_5G322500 is potentially involved in regulating the soluble sugar content regulation in cucumber fruits.

Assessment of genetic diversity in Sehima nervosum for yield, nutritional traits and ensiling quality.

The low sugar content of tropical range grasses makes them difficult to ensiling. This study identified sugar rich (>7% on dry matter basis) accessions of Sehima nervosum (SN), which is adequate to initiate lactic acid production during ensiling. Sehima is a prominent range grass of Sehima-Dichatnthium grasslands in India followed by Africa, Pakistan, China and Australia. In this study, 92 diverse SN germplasm accessions were evaluated for biomass yield, nutritional quality and sugar content. Green forage yield was higher in rainy season (ranged 2.2 to 58.1tha-1) compared to post rainy season (varied between 0.48 and 44.0tha-1). The approximates values expressed (%), crude protein ranged from 3.15 to 6.10, neutral detergent fiber from 67.13 to 81.95, acid detergent fiber from 42.03 to 56.05, cellulose from 24.49 to 37.98 and lignin from 3.78 to 7.97. Sugar content varied from 27.04 to 123.32mgg-1 DM. To advance this experiment, the next phase involved selecting 19 accessions of SN with >7% sugar content on DM and promising forage yield. These accessions again evaluated for nutritional quality, subjected to in vitro tests, and then assessed for ensiling potential. Among 19 accessions, carbohydrate bound to lignin (Cc) ranged from 15.35% to 25.63% total carbohydrates. The total digestible nutrients (TDN) ranged from 33.07% to 44.32%, digestible energy (DE) from 1.46 to 1.95Kcal per kg of dry matter (DM), and metabolizable energy (ME) from 1.20 to 1.60Kcal per kg of DM. The intake of dry matter, digestible dry matter, and relative feed value varied from 1.55 to 1.77, 45.88%-51.51%, and 57.96%-66.94%, respectively. Methane production, as a percentage of the total gas, was at its lowest for IG-99-195 (7.91%) and reached its highest for IG-01-391 (14.97%). Silage pH ranged from 4.57 (IG-02-703) to 5.61 (IG-99-181) and lactic acid from 0.094% to 1.774% DM. Accessions IG-02-703, IG-02-713, and IG-2045-1 had good silage quality, with suitable pH and lactic acid levels. Planting these in pastures and grazing lands could improve the availability of quality fodder during lean periods.

Excess glucose inhibits the cotyledon greening of etiolated seedlings

ABSTRACT The capability of the transition from skotomorphogenesis-to-photomorphogenesis (de-etiolation) is requisite for seedling survival and development. However, how carbohydrate in germinating seeds controls seedling de-etiolation remains unclear. Mu et al. (2022) investigated the regulatory roles of soluble sugars (such as, glucose or sucrose) on de-etiolation during the transition from skotomorphogenesis-to-photomorphogenesis. The authors revealed that in the dark, sucrose/glucose in germinating seeds induces ethylene production/signaling. Ethylene signaling promotes the stability of EIN3 (ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3), a key component in the ethylene signaling pathway. In turn, EIN3 directly binds to the promoter of SUC2 (Sucrose Transporter 2), encoding a major sucrose transporter, to repress SUC2 transcription. The resulting phloem loading of sucrose is blocked, and thereby the accumulation of sucrose is elevated in etiolated seedling cotyledons. When exposed to light irradiation, accumulated sucrose/glucose inducing ethylene elevates the stability of EIN3, repressing phyA (encoding the photoreceptor of a far-red light/the inhibitor of a cotyledon greening) expression to promote de-etiolation. In this study, we mainly discuss the findings (low sugars promote de-etiolation) of Mu et al. (2021) and further find that excess sugars inhibit de-etiolation.

Sweets and other sugary foods - a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023.

Sweets, chocolate, and sweet bakery products are generally high in energy and added sugar, whereas the levels of essential nutrients and fibre are low. According to sales statistics, the consumption of sweets and chocolate is high in the Nordic and Baltic countries. This scoping review describes the totality of evidence for the role of sweets and other sugary foods for health-related outcomes as a basis for setting and updating food-based dietary guidelines in the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR2023) project. We conducted a literature search to identify systematic reviews published between 2011 and 2021. The literature search resulted in 756 papers, of which 12 were included in this scoping review as sources of evidence. We also used evidence from the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) scientific opinion on tolerable upper intake level for dietary sugars published in 2022. Most of the papers included from the search focused on chocolate or cocoa, which are rich in flavonoids. We found some evidence linking chocolate consumption with lower blood pressure, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and improved insulin markers, but the evidence was ranked low or very low. The search did not identify systematic reviews investigating the associations between other sugary food consumption and health outcomes. In the EFSA review, conclusions were not drawn for other sugar sources than sugar-sweetened beverages. However, for fasting glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, fasting triglycerides, and uric acid, there was a statistically significant effect of high sugar intake from solid foods compared to low sugar intake. Because sweets, chocolate, and other sugary foods are high in energy and added sugar, and low in essential nutrients and fibre, it is reasonable to limit their consumption, which is reported high in the Nordic countries.

Sugar-sweetened beverages: taxation evidence from seven European countries and recommendations for implementation in other EU regions.

Higher-than-recommended sugar consumption (< 10% of total energy intake; WHO) leads to negative health impacts and the development of serious diseases. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) proved to be among the leading sources of free sugar intake, as they contain large amounts of added sugar. Our article aims to propose tax measures that will help change consumer behaviour and reduce SSBs consumption. For a comparison of the forms of taxation, the experience of seven countries (Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Catalonia - Spain, and the UK) were analysed. The evolution of sugar consumption, consumption of sweetened drinks and obesity before and after the introduction and/or abolition of the sugar tax were reviewed. States that implemented a tax on SSBs were able to reduce SSBs consumption in the first year after the tax was introduced when states with a sugar-content-based tax have implemented it more effectively than states with a volume-based tax. Based on this finding, we propose basic design assumptions for the tax that can be used in European countries that have not yet introduced the tax. Progressive taxation divides beverages into 3 bands. The basic assumption is to encourage the desired consumer behaviour, i.e., consumption of SSBs with lower sugar content. The proposed tax design is applied to the conditions of the Czech Republic as a model case study. The results of our study suggest that SSBs taxation could be an effective policy intervention to improve population health by reducing the health impacts of SSBs among children and adolescents, although further studies are needed to prove the causality of the described associations.

ATP Citrate Lyase ClACLB-1 Facilitates Citrate Cleavage in Lemon

Citric acid is an important organic acid with wide applications and diverse biological functionality. As the predominant organic acid in lemons, citric acid plays a crucial role in determining the flavor of citrus, especially in lemons. ATP citrate lyase (ACL, EC4.1.3.8) is the keg gene in citric acid metabolism. Several research studies on ACL only focused on high-sugar- and low-acid-content citrus varieties; however, the ACL mechanism in lemons with high acid and low sugar levels remains undetermined. In this study, a key candidate gene, ClACLB-1, for citrate cleavage was identified from the genome data of ‘Xiangshui’ lemon [Citrus limon (L.) Burm f.]. The putative protein coded by the gene ClACLB-1 is localized in the nuclear and cell membranes. The ClACLB-1 gene was expressed in all tissues, with the highest expression in male flowers and the lowest expression in mature fruits; the expression decreased during lemon fruit development. The overexpression of ClACLB-1 in transgenic tomatoes significantly increases the activity of citrate lyase, which subsequently reduces citric acid content. This study clarified the function of the ClACLB-1 gene in cleaving citric acid, provided new insights into the citric acid metabolism of citrus, and offered a theoretical reference for reducing acid and increasing sugar in citrus to improve fruit quality. It also helped to enhance the understanding of the metabolism and role of citrate in plants.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between sugar intake and dental caries in Nigeria

BackgroundThere is no national data on the association between sugar intake and caries experience in Nigeria. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the association between sugar intake and caries experience in Nigeria.MethodsA search was conducted across the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases for articles published between January 2001 and March 2023 on the associations between sugar consumption and caries experience. This systematic review and meta-analysis were registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022372689). Data extracted included details of the study design, sample size, age and gender of study participants, and regions/states in Nigeria where the study was conducted. In addition, the types of sugary foods/beverages consumed, frequency and quantity of sugar intake, and periods of high sugar consumption were extracted. The studies’ bias risks were also assessed.ResultsThe review included 14 cross-sectional studies conducted between 2007 and 2023. Twelve (85.7%) studies were conducted in Southwest Nigeria. Seven (50.0%) had study participants with primary dentition, while eight (57.1%) had study participants with permanent dentition. The odds of caries are 18% higher in the group that consumes sugar compared to the group with low sugar intake (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.59). The odds of caries in primary (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.23, 5.44) and permanent (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.52) dentition were higher in the group that consumes sugar compared to the group with low sugar intake. There were no statistical associations between sugar consumption and caries experience. Of the 14 included studies, thirteen (92.8%) were classified as “low risk.”ConclusionAlthough a high frequency of sugar intake increased the risk of dental caries, this association did not reach statistical significance in Nigeria’s primary and permanent dentitions. Future studies should include longitudinal studies and studies that assess differences in the measures for sugar consumption and its association with the risk of caries.

The effect of liquid inorganic fertilizer on the growth of seven sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) clones for sugar factory in Indonesia

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a type of plantation crop that has high economic value as the main ingredient for sugar production. Indonesia's sugar demand increases every year, but it is not accompanied by an increase in sugar production. Problems that cause low sugar production include seed quality, fertilizer availability, water availability, slash-and-carry management, and inadequate soil conditions. Increasing sugarcane productivity and production is related to the level of yield production. The availability of new superior varieties (VUB) is one way that can be done to produce high sugar production. The continuous use of excessive inorganic fertilizers can cause problems in agriculture. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of inorganic liquid fertilizer on the growth of seven sugarcane clones (Saccharum officinarum L.) in Sidoarjo Regency, Indonesia. This research was conducted in the Sugarcane Research and Development Center (P3T) garden and in collaboration with PG Krembung PT Perkebunan Nusantara X (PTPN X) in October-January 2021. This study used a one-factor Randomized Group Design (RAK) with 9 treatments and 3 replications. Parameters observed in this study were stem diameter, stem length, and number of stems. The results showed that the growth of the K4 sugarcane clone (SB 11 clone) was higher than the K5 (PS 881 clone). Petrovita fertilizer application resulted in more optimal growth in sugarcane clone.

The Rise of Plant-Based and Fermented Drinks: Shaping the Beverage Industry in the Next Decade

This article explores the growing demand for plant-based and fermented beverages, highlighting key drivers, consumer motivations, and the future of the beverage industry. With health and environmental awareness on the rise, plant-based and fermented drinks are poised to become staple categories in the market. This trend is catalyzing innovation, impacting consumer preferences, and transforming product offerings. Analyzing current market data, case studies, and consumer behavior, this article discusses how these beverages could dominate menus and retail shelves in the coming years. Keywords: Plant, Fermented Drinks, Probiotic, Low Sugar Alternatives, Alternative Protein Sources, Biotechnological advancements, Low- ABV Drinks, Market Expansion.

Incremental versus saturation hypotheses for behavioral nudge in reducing sugar consumption.

This field experiment examined the efficacy of a behavioral nudge intervention towards lowering sugar intake in Indonesia. Specifically, two competing hypotheses were tested as to whether behavioral nudge played an additive role (i.e., the Incremental Hypothesis) or contributed to a ceiling effect (i.e., the Saturation Hypothesis) alongside social context and competition in a multimodal intervention program. This field experiment used a three-factorial mixed design involving 403 Indonesian participants based on power statistical analysis: 2 (sugar content nudge: lower sugar tea vs. regular sugar tea default) × 2 (social context: individual vs. group) × 2 (competition: absent vs. present). Nudging was the most powerful intervention in reducing sugar intake, but its effectiveness might be attenuated by social loafing even within Indonesia's collectivist culture. Competition did not work synergistically with nudging but was effective under the nonnudge condition. Our results are consistent with those of previous research showing that behavioral nudging has a stronger impact on behavioral change than nonnudge strategies. Contrary to some previous research, people in collectivist Indonesia did engage in social loafing: achievement motivation is not necessarily enhanced in a team of people in a collectivist culture. The Nudge × Competition interaction supports the saturation hypothesis in favor of behavioral nudging: using more than one intervention, when a potent strategy such as nudging is present, might result in diminishing returns that could reduce the overall benefit-cost profile of such multimodal intervention programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Genetic engineering of RuBisCO by multiplex CRISPR editing small subunits in rice.

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) is required for photosynthetic carbon assimilation, as it catalyses the conversion of inorganic carbon into organic carbon. Despite its importance, RuBisCO is inefficient; it has a low catalytic rate and poor substrate specificity. Improving the catalytic performance of RuBisCO is one of the key routes for enhancing plant photosynthesis. As the basic subunit of RuBisCO, RbcS affects the catalytic properties and plays a key role in stabilizing the structure of holoenzyme. Yet, the understanding of functions of RbcS in crops is still largely unknown. Toward this end, we employed CRISPR-Cas9 technology to randomly edit five rbcS genes in rice (OsrbcS1-5), generating a series of knockout mutants. The mutations of predominant rbcS genes in rice photosynthetic tissues, OsrbcS2-5, conferred inhibited growth, delayed heading and reduced yield in the field conditions, accompanying with lower RuBisCO contents and activities and significantly reduced photosynthetic efficiency. The retarded phenotypes were severer caused by multiple mutations. In addition, we revealed that these mutants had fewer chloroplasts and starch grains and a lower sugar content in the shoot base, resulting in fewer rice tillers. Further structural analysis of the mutated RuBisCO enzyme in one rbcs2,3,5 mutant line uncovered no significant differences from the wild-type protein, indicating that the mutations of rbcS did not compromise the protein assembly or the structure. Our findings generated a mutant pool with genetic diversities, which offers a valuable resource and novel insights into unravelling the mechanisms of RuBisCO in rice. The multiplex genetic engineering approach of this study provides an effective and feasible strategy for RuBisCO modification in crops, further facilitate the photosynthesis improvement and sustainable crop production.

Stain-free SDS-PAGE for deciphering the structural stability, degradation and aggregation of Colorant-Phyco-Cyanin subunits during thermoprocessing of gummy candy

Gummy candy is one of the most popular confectionery products, and their high consumption raises some concerns due to their low nutritional value and high sugar content. In this study, fructose as a low glycemic sugar was partially replaced with sucrose, then the color/antioxidative stability of natural Colorant-Phyco-Cyanin added at varied temperature to gummy solution was evaluated. The experiment was designed based on two treatment groups consisting sucrose + glucose syrup (S treatments: S37, S47, S57, S67) and the partial substitution of sucrose with fructose syrup (F treatments: F37, F47, F57, F67). Blue color degradation was minimal in F37/F47, which exhibited visual appeal while sucrose samples showed discoloration. The antioxidative values differed by ten/twelve orders of magnitude in the C-PC added gummy candies. Noteworthy, this study presents the first attempt to elucidate C-PC subunits on the free-stained transparent SDS-PAGE during thermo-processing of the gummy solution. C-PC from F37 revealed sharp bands of α/β subunits responsible for appealing blue hue, yet phycocyanin from S67 exhibited faded subunits along with an additional band of hexameric αβ aggregate, responsible for cyan tone. These results illustrate the potential for partially replacing sucrose with fructose as stabilizer of C-PC in the production of antioxidant-rich and visually appealing gummy candies, offering an alternative to commonly used colorants.

Effects of Spring Freeze Damage and Training Systems on the Viticulture Performance of Young ‘Marquette’ Grapevines

‘Marquette’ is a cold-hardy hybrid grape cultivar that has received increased attention for its use in wine production in the upper midwestern and northeastern United States since it was released in 2006. However, ‘Marquette’ is an early budburst cultivar susceptible to spring freeze damage. We examined the influence of high wire bilateral flat cane (HWC) and four-arm Kniffin (4AK) training systems on young ‘Marquette’ performance during a year with spring freeze damage (2017) and the subsequent season without frost events (2018). In 2017, there were two consecutive spring frost events at the experimental site approximately 2 weeks after the vines reached 50% budburst, which damaged more than 70% of the shoots. The percentage of freeze-damaged shoots and the severity of freeze damage to green tissues did not differ between training systems, but 4AK vines had higher yield at harvest (5.16 kg/vine or 3.12 tons/acre) than HWC vines (3.45 kg/vine or 2.10 tons/acre) because of the greater number of buds retained at winter pruning. There was no freeze damage close to budburst in 2018, and the yield of 4AK vines was still higher (11.74 kg/vine or 7.08 tons/acre) than that of HWC vines (8.20 kg/vine or 4.98 tons/acre). In 2018, the Ravaz index (yield-to-pruning weight) values were lower for HWC vines (3.41) than for 4AK vines (5.39), but the training system did not consistently affect fruit composition in either vintage. Within the 4AK system, shoots that emerged from the lower cane had more freeze damage than those of the upper cane and produced lower crop yield and fruit with lower soluble sugars in both vintages. Our results suggest that ‘Marquette’ vines can be grown on a training system with high cropping potential, such as a divided canopy system or a single canopy, with a higher number of buds and shoots than that of our study. Among divided canopy systems, 4AK might not be the best option for vigorous ‘Marquette’ vines because, in addition to greater susceptibility to freeze damage, the lower cane of 4AK was highly shaded by the upper highly vegetative canopy, which might have caused its lower productivity and soluble sugars at harvest compared with those of the upper cane.

Racial and Ethnical Disparities in Dietary Intakes Among Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2020

Backgrounds: Diet holds crucial significance in the management and prevention of type 2 diabetes. This study aims to compare dietary intake of key macronutrients and micronutrients across different race/ethnicity among adults with diabetes.Method: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 3,120 adults with diagnosed diabetes using the NHANES data from 2010 to March 2020. Type 2 diabetes was defined based on self-reported diagnosis or the use of anti-diabetic medications. Participants diagnosed with diabetes at age < 25years were assumed to have type 1 diabetes and were excluded. Race/ethnicity were categorized into White, Black, Asian, Mexican and other Hispanic adults. We compared the energy-adjusted nutrient intakes by race/ethnicity group and adjusted for sex and age.Results: There were significant differences in various nutrient intakes across race/ethnicity in adults with diabetes . Compared to White adults, Black adults were less likely to consume saturated fatty acids, calcium, zinc, and potassium; Asian adults had higher carbohydrate, fiber, magnesium, and sodium intakes but lower sugar, fat, saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and calcium consumptions; Mexican adults had higher fiber and magnesium intakes but a lower sugar intake; other Hispanic adults had lower intakes of total fat, saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids.(all p<0.01.)Conclusion: There were significant racial/ethnical differences in dietary intake among various racial and ethnic groups in the US population. Tailored approaches through racial and ethnic considerations may