Cultivation Of Material Research Articles

Differential pollen longevity in Dura and Pisifera oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) fruit types at storage temperatures

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is the richest source of vegetable oil in the world. Specific reproductive nature of the crop necessitates artificial pollination by collection and storage of pollen for breeding as well as generation of planting material for commercial cultivation. However, little information is available on the pollen viability and storage behavior of oil palm. The present study was conducted to standardize the processing and storage of oil palm pollen in respect of Dura and Pisifera fruit forms/types. Pollen of these two fruit forms were stored up to one year at room temperature (33±2°C), refrigerator(5°C), freezer (-5°C) and in deep freezer (-20°C) and the viability as well as germination were compared. For both the fruit types, pollen viability and germination declined as the storage temperature increased up to room temperature and the maximum germination was recorded in pollen stored under -20°C storage. Therefore, deep freezer can be used without any deleterious effect on pollen viability as well as germination. Pollen longevity was significantly reduced when stored at room temperature. Of the two oil palm fruittypes, Pisifera retained greater pollen viability and germination than Dura under all four storage temperatures. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of differential response of pollen from Dura and Pisifera fruit types in oil palm to storage temperatures.

Collecting the spat of scallop <i>Mizuhopecten yessoensis</i> in conditions of associated settling of pacific mussel <i>Mytilus trossulus</i>

Collecting the spat of good quality and enough quantity, as the seeding material for commercial cultivation of scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis Jay, 1857, is one of the main problems for aquaculture farms in Primorye. In the eastern Ussuri Bay, pacific mussel Mytilus trossulus Gould, 1850 is the dominant species which larvae settle on the systems designed for the scallop spat collecting. Its spat quantity in collectors exceeds the scallop spat number in 5-65 times, with the biomass in 3-140 times higher. The scallop spat survival dependence on abundance of the mussel spat is investigated but any correlation is not detected. However, general quality of the scallop spat in the farms in the Ussuri Bay is poor that could be a reason of its low survival on further stages of cultivation: mean size of the scallop spat here is close to the lower acceptable limit of the standard range (10-11 mm). Besides, food resources for the scallop spat could be limited in the years with high abundance of the mussel spat.

Effect of Various Treatment Methods on the Bisphenol A Concentration in Edible Mushroom Segments during Cultivation

The aim of study were to analyzed bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations in Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) bottles used for cultivation of edible mushrooms, cultivation materials and fruiting bodies of <em>Pleurotus eryngii</em> with various treatments by HPLC-MS. BPA was detected in bottles, cultivation materials and fruiting bodies at levels greater than the limit of detection (0.000611 &mug/g). BPA levels decreased from 19.851 to 6.230 &mug/g following exposure to high temperature and pressure. In addition, the mean BPA levels increased in a pH-dependent manner to 11.37-30.80 &mug/g. With the exception of those grown in new bottles, fruiting bodies contained BPA at levels not exceeding the recently established specific migration limits of 0.6 mg/kg for food established by the European Union. These data suggest that physical treatment methods could decrease BPA levels in new PVC bottles. Use of such treatments rendered fruiting bodies of <em>P. eryngii</em> safe for consumption.

STRUCTURE ANALYSIS AND BIOMASS MODELS FOR PLUM TREE (PRUNUS DOMESTICA L.) IN ECUADOR

SUMMARYThe development of dendrometric methodologies could allow accurate estimation of variables associated with the crown, such as primary production (fruit and timber) and tree vigor. The aim of this work was to develop a suitable method to estimate woody biomass in plum trees (Prunus domestica L.) in Imbabura, Ecuador by using an adapted dendrometry. Form factors and regression models were defined for branch volume calculation. From this, the distribution of woody biomass in the crown tree was characterized in every stratum. Occupation Factor and regression models were obtained in order to calculate the biomass in the crown tree, which can be used to estimate the CO2 captured in its structure during its development. Regression models for calculation of whole volume of the tree and pruned biomass were directly obtained from crown diameter and crown height with Rajustated2 of 0.74 and 0.81. The average moisture content of green material was 51%, and the average density of dry material was 0.66 ± 0.07 g cm−3. Proximate analysis of plum wood showed at 79.8 ± 9.2% volatiles and 2.1 ± 0.3% ash. Elemental analysis of the wood pointed to 46.5 ± 1.2% C, 6.1 ± 0.5% H, 46.3 ± 1.2% O, 0.6 ± 0.3% N, 0.06 ± 0.02% S and 0.02 ± 0.01% Cl. Cl, S and N contents are lower than the limits established by the standard EN 14691-part 4. With 46% of C, considering the relation 3.67 (44/12) between CO2 and C content, the CO2 sequestrated in the materials is 1.11 Mg m−3 wood material. Such method represents a tool to manage orchard resources and for assessing other parameters, such as raw materials for cultivation, fruit production, CO2 sink and waste materials (residual wood) used for energy or industry.

Effect of used rice straw of mushroom cultivation on growth performance and plasma metabolites in beef cattle

The present experiment was designed to know the feasibility of using rice straw used as bedding materials for mushroom cultivation as cattle feed and its effect on the growth performance and plasma metabolites in ten beef cattle (BW 73±7 kg; 1 year). The animals were divided into two groups and fed two diets using a crossover design for a period of 60 days each. Diet one was control diet (CL-diet) composed of rice straw, dhal grass, wheat bran, and mustard oil cake and in another diet 10% of rice straw of CL-diet was replaced by the rice straw used as bedding material for mushroom cultivation, which was considered as mushroom straw diet (URS-diet). In both the dietary treatments the animals were fed at 1.5 times of maintenance energy and protein requirement. The animals were weighed once a week throughout the experimental period, and the blood samples were collected on the day 60 of each experiment. The acid detergent fiber was slightly lower and neutral detergent fiber was slightly higher (P &lt; 0.05) for URS-diet compared to CL-diet. The crude protein and crude ash contents were higher (P &lt; 0.05) in URS-diet compared to CL-diet. Body weight gain was greater for URS-diet compared to CL-diet. Plasma concentration of glucose, and blood urea were comparable between dietary treatments. Plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, and LDL-C were lower in URS-diet compared to CL-diet. It could be concluded that, the URS-diet could be fed to cattle without any adverse effect on growth and plasma lipid profile.Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2016. 45 (3): 40-45

Utilization of Ceramic Beads for Edible Mushrooms Cultivation

This study examined ceramic beads as a reusable material for cultivation of edible mushrooms. There are 20 species of popular edible mushrooms in Japan all of which were tested. Within the cultivation vessels, 70% were ceramic beads (diameter 1 cm) and 30% of the nutrient solution. Moreover, the control groups used several types of sawdust, wheat bran, and rice bran with the ratio of 8:1:1 as the substrate. Two sets of substrates were evaluated with the fruit bodies yield. The result indicated that there were 11 species that responded well with the ceramic bead substrate when compared to the traditional sawdust substrate with Agrocybe cylindrica and Pleurotus ostreatus performed the best adding 70 g more of the fruit bodies. Conversely, nine species responded poorly with the ceramic beads substrate with Auricularia polytricha performed the worst losing 120 g. Ceramic beads as a reusable material for substrates not only provide a clean and controllable environment for mycelium to colonize but also deliver more aeration and water availability inside the cultivation vessels. The application of the ceramic bead cultivation can be viewed as an alternative solution for producing Ophiocordyceps sinensis on the industrial level.

In vitro approaches for conservation and reducing juvenility of Zanthoxylum armatum DC: an endangered medicinal plant of Himalayan region

This paper provides authentic information on the micropropagation and genetic fidelity assessment methods, which can be used for conservation and quality assessment of endangered medicinal plant Zanthoxylum armatum. An in vitro propagation protocol for Zanthoxylum armatum (local name—Timur, Family-Rutaceae), an endangered medicinal plant of the Himalayan region, has been developed through culture of nodal explants. Use of Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with 12.0 µM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 0.5 µM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and 0.5 µM gibberellic acid (GA3), resulted in good shoot proliferation (4.78 ± 0.18 shoots/explant) and shoot length (3.46 ± 0.05 cm). One hundred percent rooting was achieved through pulse treatment of shoots on full-strength MS medium supplemented with 50.0 µM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for 12 h, followed by subsequent transfer to half strength MS medium without plant growth regulators (PGRs). The plant survival was found to be 75% following acclimation. Plants started to flower after 1 year of transfer to soil under nursery conditions. Genetic stability of the regenerated plants was assessed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Results confirmed monomorphic nature of regenerated plants, matching with that of the mother plant, and thus genetic fidelity of the micropropagated plants. This is the first report for micropropagation of Z. armatum. Following further field trials, the protocol can be used for raising quality planting material for commercial cultivation which should also help in its conservation.

Yield of Inbred and Hybrid Rice as Affected by Clonal Tillers of Successive Generation

A field experiment was conducted at the Agronomy field, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka from November 2012 to July 2013. Experiment consisted of two factors, viz. (i) variety- BRRI dhan29 (V1) and BRRI hybrid dhan2 (V2), and (ii) planting materials- nursery seedlings (N), first generation clonal tillers (C1) collected from N, second generation clonal tillers (C2) collected from C1, third generation clonal tillers (C3) collected from C2 and fourth generation clonal tillers (C4) collected from C3, following split-plot design with three replications. Results revealed that despite higher (161.29) number of filled grains as obtained from BRRI dhan29 while lower (139.31) from BRRI hybrid dhan2, and maximum weight of 1000-grains (26.50 g) from hybrid variety and the minimum from the inbred one (19.70 g), the grain yield was not varied significantly. Among the planting materials nursery seedlings gave the maximum (9.23 t ha-1) grain yield that followed by first generation clonal tillers (7.44 t ha-1), and second generation clonal tillers (6.57 t ha-1). The third and fourth generation clonal tillers also produced around 3 t ha-1 grain yield. The maximum grain yield (9.6 t ha-1) was observed from the combination of nursery seedlings with BRRI hybrid dhan2 which is statistically similar to the combination of same planting material with BRRI dhan29 (8.86 t ha-1). The first and second generation clonal tillers of both the varieties produced more than 6.0 t ha-1 grain yield. Therefore, clonal tillers can be used as planting materials for both hybrid and inbred rice cultivation in case of scarce supply of nursery seedlings.Bangladesh Agron. J. 2016, 19(1): 59-66

Agricultural Waste.

In recent years, the quantity of agricultural waste has been rising rapidly all over the world. As a result, the environmental problems and negative impacts of agricultural waste are drawn more and more attention. Therefore, there is a need to adopt proper approaches to reduce and reuse agricultural waste. This review presented about 200 literatures published in 2015 relating to the topic of agricultural waste. The review examined research on agricultural waste in 2015 from the following four aspects: the characterization, reuse, treatment, and management. Researchers highlighted the importance to reuse agricultural waste and investigated the potential to utilize it as biofertilizers, cultivation material, soil amendments, adsorbent, material, energy recycling, enzyme and catalyst etc. The treatment of agricultural waste included carbonization, biodegradation, composting hydrolysis and pyrolysis. Moreover, this review analyzed the differences of the research progress in 2015 from 2014. It may help to reveal the new findings and new trends in this field in 2015 comparing to 2014.

Does Criollo cocoa have the same ecophysiological characteristics than Forastero?

Background: The Palma Real Mountain of Venezuela has Criollo and Forastero cocoa trees of over 50 years old. These individuals are considered ancestral representatives of high quality cocoa that have survived for many years in this location without any agronomic management.&#x0D; Question: This study shows some physiological traits of these old trees, in order to determine whether differences exist in photosynthetic capacity and some biochemical parameters between the two types of cocoa growing under natural conditions.&#x0D; Studied species: Theobroma cacao L.&#x0D; Study site and years of study: was done in the mountain Palma Real in the Island of Margarita, Edo. Nueva Esparta, in January 2008 and November 2009.&#x0D; Methods: The individuals present in the area were initially characterized as Criollo or Forastero and gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence and the response of the photosynthetic rate (A) to intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and photosynthetic photon flux density (PFD), carbon isotope ratio (?13C), nitrogen isotope ratio (?15N), leaf N and chlorophyll content were evaluated.&#x0D; Results: The results showed that the gas exchange characteristics of Criollo cocoa differ slightly from those of Forastero. However, similar PFD saturation (~400 mmol m-2 s-1) with values of A at saturating light approaching 4 mmol m-2 s-1, carboxylation efficiency (CE) and photochemical activity, indicated a comparable photosynthetic capacity in both cocoa types.&#x0D; Conclusions: There are apparently no physiological disadvantages in Criollo compared with Forastero trees and therefore both could be recommended as suitable materials for cultivation in similar environments, thereby expanding cultivation of high quality cocoa.

MORPHOLOGY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF "JUREMINHA" GENOTYPES (Desmanthus spp.) UNDER DIFFERENT CUTTING INTENSITIES

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to evaluate the morphological and productive characteristics of five genotypes of Desmanthus spp. submitted to two cutting intensities (20 and 40 cm), in the semi-arid region of Pernambuco. Of the genotypes studied, three were derived from ecotypes collected in municipalities of Pernambuco (7G, 31D and 50J) and two were from the state of Sergipe, coming from Australia (10AU and 13AU). Four cuttings were made with a frequency of 60 days. The treatments were randomized in blocks, with split plots and three replications. The variables studied were plant height, stem diameter, canopy diameter, the number of leaves per branch, LAI, leaf yield, stem yield, pod yield and forage yield, and leaf stem -1 ratio and pod stem-1 ratio. Genotypes 7G and 31D had higher forage yield and a larger number of leaves per branch. Forage yield was higher in the intensity of 20 cm. The cuttings reduced the total yield, stem yield, pods yield and forage yield, of the different genotypes studied. For leaf stem-1 ratio, the genotype 13AU was higher than genotypes 7G and 50J in the cutting intensity of 40 cm. Genotype 10AU had the highest pod stem-1 ratios in the three cuttings. The differences shown between genotypes of Desmanthus spp., especially 7G and 31D, in the intensity of 20 cm, indicate the possibility of selecting promising materials for cultivation in the semi-arid region of Pernambuco, with desirable morphological and productive characteristics to the forage plants.

Bioconductive 3D nano-composite constructs with tunable elasticity to initiate stem cell growth and induce bone mineralization

Bioactive 3D composites play an important role in advanced biomaterial design to provide molecular coupling and improve integrity with the cellular environment of the native bone. In the present study, a hybrid lyophilized polymer composite blend of anionic charged sodium salt of carboxymethyl chitin and gelatin (CMChNa-GEL) reinforced with nano-rod agglomerated hydroxyapatite (nHA) has been developed with enhanced biocompatibility and tunable elasticity. The scaffolds have an open, uniform and interconnected porous structure with an average pore diameter of 157±30μm and 89.47+0.03% with four dimensional X-ray. The aspect ratio of ellipsoidal pores decrease from 4.4 to 1.2 with increase in gelatin concentration; and from 2.14 to 1.93 with decrease in gelling temperature. The samples were resilient with elastic stain at 1.2MPa of stress also decreased from 0.33 to 0.23 with increase in gelatin concentration. The crosslinker HMDI (hexamethylene diisocyanate) yielded more resilient samples at 1.2MPa in comparison to glutaraldehyde. Increased crosslinking time from 2 to 4h in continuous compression cycle show no improvement in maximum elastic stain of 1.2MPa stress. This surface elasticity of the scaffold enables the capacity of these materials for adherent self renewal and cultivation of the NTERA-2 cL.D1 (NT2/D1), pluripotent embryonal carcinoma cell with biomechanical surface, as is shown here. Proliferation with MG-63, ALP activity and Alizarin red mineralization assay on optimized scaffold demonstrated ***p<0.001 between different time points thus showing its potential for bone healing. In pre-clinical study histological bone response of the scaffold construct displayed improved activity of bone regeneration in comparison to self healing of control groups (sham) up to week 07 after implantation in rabbit tibia critical-size defect. Therefore, this nHA-CMChNa-GEL scaffold composite exhibits inherent and efficient physicochemical, mechanical and biological characteristics based on gel concentrations, gelatin mixing and gelling temperature thus points to creating bioactive 3D scaffolds with tunable elasticity for orthopedic applications.

Medium optimization for Chlorella zofingiensis biomass production using central composite design

ABSTRACTFertilizers are major raw materials for microalgae cultivation. This study aims to reduce the cost of fertilizers and to enhance economic viability. The focus is on urea, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and heptahydrate magnesium sulfate, which provide the main elements for algae cultivation. A central composite design was applied to optimize the medium for Chlorella zofingiensis cultivation, which was considered to be a potential feedstock for biodiesel production. The optimal concentrations were 533.31 mg L–1 urea, 69.50 mg L–1 potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and 69.10 mg L–1 heptahydrate magnesium sulfate, and the corresponding biomass concentration of C. zofingiensis was 2.50 g L–1 after a 3-day culture.

Joint use of developed collagen-containing complexes and cell cultures in creating new tissue equivalents

The purpose of the study is to assess the possibility of applying the integrated module as the basis of a celltissue equivalent for treatment of wounds of skin and soft tissues. In the frame of the set task the following problems were being solved: research of the spatial structure and architectonics of the surface of the developed base collagen-containing materials and their biocompatibility with cell cultures. Materials and methods. The study of a material which is a two-layer complex film, consisting of collagen and polysaccharide components was carried out. The collagen was separated from the dermis and was then impregnated with particulate demineralized bone matrix (DCM) according to the original methodology. For the purposes of the study the dehydrated material was created in the form of a film. Electron microscopic examination of surfaces was performed on scanning electron microscope JEOL JSM-IT300LV in high vacuum and at low values of probe current (< 0,1 nА). Studies to assess the viability of the cells cultivated on films of collagen material (tested for cytotoxicity and the adhesive capacity) were performed in vitro using strains of diploid human fibroblasts 4–6 passage. The culture condition was visually assessed using an inverted Leica microscope DM IL (Carl Zeiss, Austria), equipped with a computerizes program of control of culture growth (Leica IM 1000). Results. The data obtained in the study of the surface structure of the developed complex module showed that it seems to be promising as a basic component of the cellular-tissue system with its large number of structural formations for fixation of the cells and a well-organized barrier layer capable of vapor - permeability. Experiments in vitro confirmed the absence of toxicity of the material being studied in relation to the culture of dermal human fibroblasts, suggesting the possibility of creation on its basis of cell-tissue complex and further experimental studies in vivo. Conclusion. Thus it was experimentally confirmed that the physical characteristics of the developed integrated module satisfy the requirements for the materials for cultivation of cells. The absence of cytotoxicity on the model of a culture of dermal human fibroblasts allows to make a conclusion about a possibility of its use as the basis of cell-tissue equivalent. Preliminary results indicate the advisability of further experiments in vivo aimed at improving complex collagen-containing materials, the development of different ways of their application and clinical evaluation of the effectiveness in the treatment of wounds of various genesis.

Essential oil composition of indigenous populations of Hypericum perforatum L. from southern Albania

&lt;p&gt;The aim of this study was to investigate the yield and chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) isolated from over-ground parts of different populations of &lt;em&gt;Hypericum perforatum &lt;/em&gt;L. (Hypericaceae) (HP) from southern Albania. The EO yield of 11 specimens of indigenous populations of HP ranged from 2.50 ml/kg to 11.00 ml/kg. GC/FID/MS analyses of the EOs revealed a total of 126 identified compounds representing 77.35–88.29% of the oils. Based on the prevalence of principal components, two types of EO were distinguished: pinene-type, which included seven populations with EO rich in α-pinene, and caryophyllene-type, which included four populations with EO rich in&lt;em&gt; trans&lt;/em&gt;-(&lt;em&gt;E&lt;/em&gt;)-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide. The information obtained can help to assess the potential of the studied Albanian populations for further sustainable wild exploitation to take it into a consideration as a resource of valuable genetic material or for further cultivation and breeding.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;aim of this study was to investigate the yield and the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) isolated from over ground parts of different populations of &lt;em&gt;Hypericum perforatum &lt;/em&gt;L. (Hypericaceae) (HP) from southern Albania. The EO yield of 11 specimens of indigenous populations of HP ranged from 2.50 ml/kg to 11.00 ml/kg. GC/FID/MS analyses of the EOs reviled a total of 126 identified compounds representing 77.35-88.29 % of the oils. Based on prevalence of the principal components two types of EO were distinguished: pinene type that include 8 populations with EO reach in α-pinene and caryophyllene type that include 3 populations with EO rich in&lt;em&gt; trans&lt;/em&gt;-(&lt;em&gt;E&lt;/em&gt;)-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide. Obtained information can help to assess the potential of studied Albanian populations for further sustainable wild exploitation as well as can be taken into a consideration as a resource of valuable genetic material for further cultivation and breeding.&lt;/p&gt;

Growth of Bioenergy Crop Miscanthus sacchariflorus cv. Geodae 1 on Barren Reclaimed Land Applied with Solidified Sewage Sludge in Landfill Sites

본 연구는 매립예정 유휴간척지 토양에 하수슬러지 고화물을 처리한 시험구 및 간척지 토양에서 적응성이 높은 바이오에너지작물을 선발하여 간척지 토양을 활용한 바이오 에너지 원료작물의 재배와 바이오매스 생산 가능성에 대한 기초자료를 얻고자 5년간 재배시험을 수행하였으며 그 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. 매립예정 간척지 토양에 하수슬러지 고화물 처리는 바이오에너지작물의 생육에 있어서 토양양분 공급과 토양표면의 염류집적을 저해하며 토양복토재로서 효과적인 것으로 나타났다. 2. 3년간의 에너지작물 재배결과, 각 하수슬러지 고화물을 처리한 시험구 및 간척지 원지반토에서 가장 월등한 생육을 보이는 에너지작물은 거대 1호 이었다. 3. 각 시험구에서 가장 우수한 적응력을 나타내는 거대 1호의 생육은 재배 5년간 지속적으로 증가하는 경향을 보였다. 4. 정식 5년차에 하수슬러지 고화물을 처리한 시험구에서 거대 1호의 바이오매스 수량은 27.5~32.7 ton/ha 이었으며, 간척지 원지반토에서 바이오매스 수량은 18.9ton/ha로 나타나 바이오에너지작물 재배면적 확대측면에서 간척지 등의 유휴지에서도 약 15 ton/ha 이상의 바이오매스 생산 가능성이 있음을 시사한다. 5. 하수슬러지 고화물을 처리한 토양에서 거대 1호의 생육은 과영양상태를 보이며 바이오에너지 원료로서는 이용가치가 낮은 것으로 나타나, 향후 매립예정 유휴 간척지토양에서 하수슬러지 고화물을 에너지작물 재배를 위한 토양복토재로서 이용할 시에 적정 처리범위 및 배비관리에 대한 고려가 절실히 요구될 것으로 사료된다. This study firstly provides basic data for selection of cultivatable bioenergy grass in barren reclaimed lands applied with solidified sewage sludge. The experimental plots consisted of a plot containing reclaimed land mixed with solidified sewage sludge (MSS 50), a plot covered by solidified sewage sludge (CSS 100), and an original reclaimed soil plot (ORS). The growth, biomass production of bioenergy grasses and soil chemical properties were investigated in each experimental plot for 5 years. The organic matter (OM) and total nitrogen (T-N) content in both MSS 50 and CSS 100 were considerably higher than those in ORS. In bioenergy grasses, M. sacchariflorus cv. Geodae 1 showed an excellent growth and adaptability on reclaimed land applied with solidified sewage sludge. The application of solidified sewage sludge may provided soil nutrition in the reclaimed land due to the fact that bioenergy crops grew better in soils applied with solidified sewage sludge than in untreated soils, and treated soils had higher OM and T-N content than untreated soils. This study suggests that M. sacchariflorus cv. Geodae 1 is the most suitable biomass feedstock crop for biomass production and that solidified sewage sludge may be used as a soil material for cultivation of bioenergy grass on reclaimed lands.

Investigation of amino acid structure of proteins of freshwater bivalve mussels from the genus anodonta of the northern Ukraine

Mussels of the genus Anodonta of the northern Ukraine are one of poorly caught, but promising objects of river fishery in food and technology terms. The reason of poor catch of freshwater mussels is the lack of industrial technologies for use in food processing. The main objective of the research of freshwater bivalve mussels of the genus Anodonta of the northern Ukraine is to make sure that they contain complete protein, all essential amino acids, and their balanced content. The data obtained were compared with the mussels of the genus Mytilus species Mytilus galloprovincialis and the ideal protein on the scale of FAO/WHO. For the first time, the physicochemical composition of freshwater bivalve mussels of the genus Anodonta of the northern Ukraine was defined. For proteins of two types of the samples, the amino acid structure of soft flesh was determined and the amino acid score of each essential amino acid, followed by their comparison was calculated. To reduce the error of the research, the methods of mathematical modeling and analysis of the results were used. The utility coefficient, potential biological value for mussels of the genus Anodonta and mussels of the genus Mytilus were determined. It was proved that the soft flesh of freshwater mussels of the genus Anodonta has a high nutritional and biological value by the content of protein and essential amino acids. Research of the total content of the flesh after completion of growing period that is 10 months in mussels of the genus Anodonta and Mytilus showed that freshwater mussels prevail over the marine analog by 3.2 times, due to the greater growing capacity and the presence of the foot in mussels of the genus Anodonta. Therefore, they are the best raw material for cultivation and use in food technology, and further researches are highly promising.

Differential Proteomics Study on Se-enriched &lt;em&gt;Pleurotus ostreatus&lt;/em&gt;

It is well known that Selenium plays important roles in human health. In this study, Selenium-enriched Pleurotus ostreatus (P.ostreatus) was cultivated by adding selenoarginine to substrate. Selenium content in mushrooms was measured by Atomic Fluorescence Spectrophotometer (AFS). We demonstrated that that selenium concentration in samples increased significantly and it had a significant positive relationship with selenium concentration in the cultivation material. Finally, we identified the total proteins extracted from ordinary and Se-enriched P.ostreatus by SDS-PAGE and 2-DE. We found there had no significant changes in protein content. Two-dimensional electrophoresis combining with mass spectrometry technology was applied to identify proteins that are differentially expressed in mushroom grown in the substrates with 44.26 mg/kg of Se. From 2D maps, 51 differentially expressed proteins were detected, 17 of those were up-expressed and 34 of those were down-expressed. 8 up-expressed proteins were analyzed by MALDI-TOF-MS/MS: 3 proteins were identified, one was hypothetical protein (gi|270056453) and the other two proteins are respectively NAD-dependent formate dehydrogenase (gi|164564766) and Aldo keto reductase (gi|628847367). These two proteins are mainly involved in substance and energy metabolism in the cell.

Development of Suitable Propagation Systems for Tephrosia spp. in Sri Lanka

Genus Tephrosia (Fabaceae) commonly known as ‘Pila’ in Sri Lanka. Some Tephrosia spp. are used in many traditional therapeutic preparations in Sri Lanka and also in other countries. Increased use of Tephrosia in traditional therapeutic systems has developed a great demand for these species. Thus production of planting materials for commercial cultivation has become a timely requirement. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine suitable propagation systems for four selected Tephrosia spp.; T. purpurea, T. villosa, T. noctiflora and T. pumila. Even though seeds of Tephrosia spp. showed high viability, lower germination percentage was observed on wet filter paper as well as in six different potting media [M0 (Coir: dust: Sand; 1:1:1), M1 (Coir dust: Sand: Top soil; 1:1:1), M2 (Coir dust: Sand: Top soil: Compost; 1:1:1:1), M3 (Coir dust: Sand: Top soil: Compost: Cow dung; 1:1:1:1:1), M4 (Coir dust: Sand: Compost; 1:1:1), M5 (Coir dust: Sand: Top soil: Cow dung; 1:1:1:1)] during a period of one week. Water impermeability of seed coats was identified as the main reason for the seed dormancy in Tephrosia spp. and soaking seeds in Con. H2SO4: H2O; 3:1 for 25 minutes and rubbing seeds on sandpaper for 2 minutes were determined as suitable dormancy breaking methods. Variation was observed in the growth performance of Tephrosia spp. in six different potting media. Growth performances of seedlings of Tephrosia spp. in hydroponic solution and soil medium were observed and soil medium was selected as the most suitable medium for the growth of Tephrosia species based on their growth performances. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 9 (2014): 39-45

Improved propagation methods to raise the productivity of yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.)

White Guinea yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir.) is an important staple to millions of people in West Africa. Obtaining good quality planting material for yam cultivation is a major challenge. Multiplication ratios are low, and seed tubers are prone to contamination with pests and pathogens in the traditional systems of production. Some approaches to producing quality seed of yam are as follows: farmers select small whole tubers from a ware crop harvest; stimulate the production of seed tubers by ‘milking’ ware tubers while the leaves of the plant are still green (double harvest system); cut ware tubers into setts about the same sizes as regular seed tubers; or use the ‘Anambra’ system where smaller setts are cut and used to produce seed tubers. New methods that have been developed to address some of the challenges of quantity and quality of seed tubers are not yet widely applied, so farmers continue to use traditional methods and save seed from a previous harvest to plant the ware crop. This document presents an overview of traditional and modern methods of seed yam production and gives a perspective for the future. Among the modern methods of seed yam production, only the minisett technique, which uses 25–100 g tuber pieces, is currently used at farmer level, although on a limited scale. While tissue and organ culture techniques are the most rapid methods of multiplying disease free propagules, their limitations include high costs, need for skilled personnel and specialized equipment. The aeroponics and temporary immersion bioreactor methods of producing seed yam are relatively new, and still need more research. To build and sustain a viable seed yam production system, a multiplication scheme is required that combines two or more methods including tissue culture for cleaning the seed stock.