Micronutrient Mixture Research Articles

Caseins: Versatility of Their Micellar Organization in Relation to the Functional and Nutritional Properties of Milk.

The milk of mammals is a complex fluid mixture of various proteins, minerals, lipids, and other micronutrients that play a critical role in providing nutrition and immunity to newborns. Casein proteins together with calcium phosphate form large colloidal particles, called casein micelles. Caseins and their micelles have received great scientific interest, but their versatility and role in the functional and nutritional properties of milk from different animal species are not fully understood. Caseins belong to a class of proteins that exhibit open and flexible conformations. Here, we discuss the key features that maintain the structures of the protein sequences in four selected animal species: cow, camel, human, and African elephant. The primary sequences of these proteins and their posttranslational modifications (phosphorylation and glycosylation) that determine their secondary structures have distinctively evolved in these different animal species, leading to differences in their structural, functional, and nutritional properties. The variability in the structures of milk caseins influence the properties of their dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, as well as their digestibility and allergic properties. Such differences are beneficial to the development of different functionally improved casein molecules with variable biological and industrial utilities.

The Effect of Spraying a mixture of micronutrients and Plant Growth Regulators on A vegetative growth the Chemical Contents and some physical characters for volatile oils of Lemon grass Plant (Cymbopogon citratus L.)

A field experiment was conducted in the nursery of the Tikrit University/Faculty of Agriculture, the agricultural season 2013 on lemon grass plant. The Experiment was design with randomized complete block design (RCBD). the Experiment contained two factors, the first one is a mixture of some micro nutrients and three levels ; namely, non-spray treatment (T0), spraying treatment with 50 mg.L-1 Fe + 25 mg.L-1 Cu +25 mg.L-1 Zn (T1), and spraying treatment with 100 mg.L-1 Fe + 50 mg.L-1 Cu +50 mg.L-1 Zn (T2). the second factor is plant Growth regulators with four levels first no plant Growth regulators labeled as (A0), second, spraying in with IAA with concentration of 150 mg.L-1. labeled as (A1), spraying in with GA3 with concentration of 150 mg.L-1. labeled as (A2) ,and spraying with mixture of IAA + GA3 of 150 + 150 mg.L-1 concentration labeled as (A3) with three replications. the result showed that the treatment of (T2A3) spraying with mixture of micro nutrients and spraying with mixture of Auxin and Gibberellin significant differences in all of the characteristics of the vegetative growth. this resulted the plant height 162.41cm, number of leaves 52.87 leaf.plant-1, leaf area 3665.19 cm2, dry weight 173.09 gm.plant-1, and leaf content of total chlorophyll 8.350 mg.gm-1.
 There were also significant differences amongst the treatments of the interference in the increase of concentrations of the nutrients in the leaves. the treatments (T2A3), (T2A2),and (T2A1) exceeded the other treatments and the non-adding treatment while there were no significant differences amongst the above mentioned treatments in some of the concentrations of the nutrients. the interference treatment (T2A3) between the spraying with mixture of micro nutrients and spraying with mixture of (Auxin and Gibberellin) resulted the highest concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, Iron, Copper, and zinc. the concentration of these elements are 2.83 %, 0.390 %, 2.73 %, 0.892 mg.L-1, 84.20 mg.L-1, 17.73 mg.L-1, 58.82 mg.L-1 respectively. There are positive differences in the content 0f the volatile oil of the active compounds amongst the interference treatments. the treatments (T2A3), (T2A2), (T2A1), and (T1A3) resulted the highest content of the active compounds compared to the rest of the treatments and the non-adding treatment. there were no significant differences amongst the above mentioned treatments. the interference treatment (T2A3) between the spraying with mixture of micro nutrients and spraying with a mixture of (Auxine and Gibberellin) resulted the highest rate of percentage, Density oil, Specific gravity, and Refractive index 0.834, 0.858, 0.845, 1.263 respectively.

Response of foliar application of humic acid and micronutrient mixture on growth and grain yield of maize crop

The efficiency of humic acid (HA) and micronutrient (MN) mixtures as a source, either separately or in combination, was studied to increase the productivity and growth of maize (Zea mays L.). The research was carried out in the College of Agriculture, Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, India during the spring season of 2022. The treatments were replicated three times in a randomized complete block design. The HA and MN mixtures were sprayed separately at 0.2% and 0.4% each. Further, the combination of HA @ 0.2% + MN @ 0.2% and HA @ 0.4% + MN @ 0.4% was also applied. The application was done by foliar spray twice on 35 and 50 DAS, along with control using water. The result revealed that foliar spraying of HA at 0.4% + MN at 0.4% significantly (P=0.05) improved the height (cm), LAI, and dry matter accumulation (g m-2) of the maize crop. In comparison to the MN combination, HA generally had more maize growth and yield. A foliar spray with a combination of HA and MN at 0.4% each could result in a higher grain yield of the maize crop, which recorded a 42.62% higher grain yield than the control. Hence, based on the study, foliar application of the HA+MN mixture at 0.4% could be advised to boost maize crop growth and grain yield during the spring season.

Harnessing the productivity and profitability of wheat through foliar feeding of salicylic acid and micronutrient mixture in Indo-Gangetic plains of Uttarakhand

A field experiment was executed to investigate the effect of foliar application of salicylic acid and micronutrients on the productivity and profitability of wheat under different fertility levels in the Tarai region of Uttarakhand. The Experiment was conducted at the E2 block of Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre (NEBCRC) at GBPUA&T, Pantnagar during the rabi season (2020-21). The design chosen for the experiment was Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with two different factors i.e., A. Fertility factor with 75% and 100% RDF, and B. Foliar spray factor with combination of salicylic acid and micronutrient mixture. The variety employed for the trial was HD-2967, because of its wide range of acceptability of local farmers The Foliar application involved using a micronutrient mixture @ 2.5 ml per liter and salicylic acid at a concentration of 0.4 grams per liter (400 ppm). The study's findings indicate that applying salicylic acid and micronutrient mixture via foliar spray enhances crop performance in terms of both yield and profitability. Notably, the yield from plots treated with 75% RDF along with the application of salicylic acid and micronutrient mixture (5.7 t/ha) was at par with plots treated only with 100% RDF (5.6 t/ha). This implies that using foliar application of salicylic acid and micronutrients can offset the yield reduction associated with lower fertilizer levels while yielding higher returns. Additionally, under 100% RDF conditions along with the application of salicylic acid and micronutrient mixture either individually or in combination, lead to a 15.4% increase in the harvest with a 13.6% higher benefit-to-cost ratio.

Blockchain Based Solutions for Milk Procurement Management and Adulteration Detection

In our day-to-day life, milk is a fundamental component that is rudimentary for many food products. Consuming milk regularly is very important because it is a mixture of various macro and micronutrients and is a source of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins. Particularly in our nation, women’s empowerment and milk production are closely related. Furthermore, rural Indian communities rely heavily on small holder dairy farms for their livelihoods, and women play an important role in milk production. The dairy sector is estimated to contribute around 6% of the country’s agricultural GDP, with the value of milk production in India exceeding 200 million ton by the year 2023 [1]. Milk is a highly perishable commodity, when not handled properly it is susceptible to microbial spoilage. The milk after production must be processed properly to retain its quality till consumption. Nowadays, many milk vendors are adulterating the milk for financial gain. Consumers have the rights to obtain good and safe milk, as it is largely consumed by people of all age groups. Supply chain process of a small holder dairy farming has been examined recently in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India and it has been observed that the current process in dairy involves the accumulated milk from dairy farmers are being poured into the milk cane, then being detected and sent to a larger container where it is mixed with all the other milk. In most cases, it would be impossible to separate fresh milk from un-fresh milk. Therefore, the objective of this research work aims to develop a Blockchain and IoT based solution for milk procurement and adulteration detection there by providing a complete milk traceability data to the consumers from production to consumption, and establishing a trust in providing quality milk to the society.

A micronutrient mixture with collagen peptides, probiotics, cannabidiol, and diet may reduce aging, and development and progression of age-related alzheimer’s disease, and improve its treatment

Human aging involves gradual decline in organ functions leading to organ specific age-related chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Although advances in the development of new drugs, novel surgical procedures, improved diet and lifestyle, have resulted in doubling of lifespan of humans, the quality of life in many cases remains poor because of increased incidence of age-related chronic diseases. Using experimental models of accelerated aging, several cellular defects associated with aging and AD have been identified. Some cellular defects due to increased oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, autophagy defects, mitochondrial dysfunction, and imbalances in the composition probiotics in favor of harmful bacteria over beneficial bacteria are common to both aging and AD, while others such as telomere attrition, loss of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid, failure of DNA repair system, and impaired immune function are unique to aging; and some such as increased production of beta-amyloids, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, and abnormal behaviors are unique to AD. It is suggested that supplementation with a micronutrient mixture, probiotics, collagen peptides, CBD, and modifications in the diet and lifestyle may reduce the aging processes, and the development, progression of AD, and improve the treatments of this disease.

Why Should We Be Concerned with the Use of Spent Coffee Grounds as an Organic Amendment of Soils? A Narrative Review

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are produced in massive amounts throughout the world as a bio-residue from coffee brewing. However, SCG are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, bioactive compounds and melanoidins, which are macromolecules with chelating properties. Additionally, SCG have showed potential applications in several fields such as biotechnology (bioethanol, volatile aromatic compounds, carotenoids, fungi and enzymes), energy production (combustion, pyrolysis, torrefaction, gasification, hydrothermal carbonization) and environmental sciences (composting). This review will focus on the last of these applications. SCG improve soil quality by increasing their chemical, physicochemical, physical properties and biological fertility. However, SCG inhibit plant growth at very low concentrations (1%) due to i. the stimulation of microbial growth and consequent competition for soil nitrogen between soil microorganisms and plant roots; ii. the presence of phytotoxic compounds in SCG, such as polyphenols. The SCG transformations that have proven to eliminate these compounds are vermicomposting and pyrolysis at 400 °C. However, it has been pointed out by some studies that these compounds are responsible for the chelating properties of SCG, which makes their elimination not recommended. The use of SCG as biochelates has also been studied, generating a residue–micronutrient mixture for the biofortification of edible plants.

Studies on the Response of Hybrid Maize to IPNSS on Productivity, Nutrient Uptake and Post Harvest Soil Status

A field study was carried out at farmer’s field, Kalappanaickenpatti village, Sendamangalam block, Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu during July - October 2021 to study the effect of Integrated plant nutrient supply system (IPNSS) for sustaining yield of hybrid maize variety, KAVERI SUPER – 244 in clay loam soil. There are ten different treatments with three replications each were carried out in the plot RBD design. IPNSS practice including inorganic fertilizers, organic manures and biofertilizers in which treatment (T8) 100 per cent RDF + CPM @ 3 t ha-1 + Micronutrient mixture (25 kg ha-1) + Azophos (20 packets) showed its best results with respect to soil properties and yield parameters like cob length, cob diameter, number of grain cob-1, test weight and harvest index.

Effect of Fertigation Intervals on Plant Growth and Flower Yield of Multiflora Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) cv. Branfountain Purple

This study was conducted in the Horticulture Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (UP) from October 2021- March 2022 to investigate the Effect of Fertigation Intervals on Plant Growth and Flower Yield of Multiflora Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) cv. Branfountain Purple. The experiment was laid out in RBD with nine treatments which were replicated thrice. The results revealed that treatment T9 (19:19:19 NPK/m2(4.6 g) @ 8 days interval)) + foliage spray of 0.2% EDTA Chelated micronutrient mixture) – performed the best in terms of plant height(cm) (21), number of branches (53), plant spread (cm) (27), Number of leaves (403), number of flowers per plant (75), chlorophyll content of leaves (SPAD value) (31.9), days to first flowering (days) (130), days 50% flowering (days) (143), flowering duration (days) (185), flower diameter (cm) (4.0), individual flower weight (g) (10), flower yield per plant (g/plant) (0.78). Therefore, the treatment T9 (T5+ foliage spray of 0.2% EDTA Chelated micronutrient mixture) was the best when compared to other treatments. Overall results revealed that the application of fertilizer through fertigation as T9 (19:19:19 NPK/m2 (4.6 g) @ 8 days interval)) + foliage spray of 0.2% EDTA Chelated micronutrient mixture) proved to be better for different growth and flower yield of multiflora chrysanthemum.

Multi criteria decision making analysis to identify micronutrient deficiencies in Kinnow (Citrus reticulata Blanco)

The soils of South-Western Punjab are alkaline and exhibited widespread nutrient deficiencies. Foliar applications of micronutrients under such circumstances hold great importance. However, micronutrient sprays on Kinnow grown in such soils are limited only to Zn and Mn. Therefore, the response of Kinnow to foliar applications of micronutrient mixture (containing Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, B, and Mo) was expected. In this viewpoint, studies were carried out during 2015–2019 to see the effect of foliar sprays (0.3 and 0.6%) of non-chelated and EDTA-chelated micronutrient mixtures in Kinnow mandarin. The results were compared with standard practice i.e., 0.3% sprays each of zinc sulfate and manganese sulfate on spring and summer flushes. The data was analyzed in Randomized Block Design, repeated in octuplet. The overall performance of treatments was evaluated using weighted aggregated sum product assessment model (WASPAS). The WASPAS score varied between 0.638–0.649 and 0.194–0.245 in treatments received non-chelated and chelated micronutrient mixtures, respectively, pointing out the superiority of the former. In overall, treatment followed standard practice registered highest WASPAS score and ranked at number 1 among all. Highly significant (p < 0.01) correlation between WASPAS score and leaf Zn, Mn, and Cu concentrations clearly demonstrated the importance of foliar sprays of these micronutrients in the citrus production under the prevailing conditions. The study also suggests that multi criteria decision making analysis holds a key importance in agriculture domain for insightful decision making.

Can a mixture of micronutrients delay the onset and progression of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome?

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disorder of accelerated aging caused by a point mutation in LMNA gene coding for a nuclear protein Lamin A which maintains normal structure and function of the nucleus. Mutated Lamin A protein undergoes a series of enzymatic modifications including farnesylation and prenylation to form a toxic protein progerin that alters nuclear structure and function. HGPS disease begins in utero; however, infants appear normal at birth with some features such as circumoral pallor. The expression of progerin is low in undifferentiated cells which may account for the fewer symptoms of progeria. In about 9-12 months, the levels of progerin in cells become high enough to produce nuclear structure abnormalities leading to cellular and molecular damages characteristic of HGPS. The average age of these patients is 14.6 years. Some therapeutic agents were developed by inhibiting a specific target, such as transcriptional activity, post-translation enzymatic steps, autophagy, and oxidative stress. These agents were tested in experimental models of cells of progeria yielding a modest improvements in phenotypes and slight extension of the lifespan of progeria patients. Since oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are involved in pathogenesis of progeria, this review proposes that a combination of a mixture of micronutrients with currently used therapeutic approaches may extend the life-span more than that produced by drug therapy alone.

Can a mixture of micronutrients delay the onset and progression of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome?

Can a mixture of micronutrients delay the onset and progression of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome?

Climate nutrient management for various sources and levels of fertilizers on soil nutrients, growth and yield of maize (Zea mays l.) in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India

Global climate change is expected to soil processes and properties, which are important for restoring soil fertility and low productivity. The field experiment was conducted at Research Farm, Agricultural College, and Research Institute, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, during Kharif season 2021 to study of various sources and fertilizers' levels to influence under deficit and excess water conditions on soil fertility, growth, and yield of maize (Zea mays). The study revealed that excess and deficit water condition in moisture regime irrigations at Irrigation water / Cumulative Pan Evaporation (IW/CPE) ratio of 1.0 along with nutrient management practices (N8) 125 % Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) - NPK soil application by 1 % foliar spray of micronutrient mixture. Significantly higher of mean values available nitrogen (225 kg ha-1), available phosphorous (20.81 kg ha-1), available potassium (351 kg ha-1), dry matter production (DMP) (16,404 kg ha-1), plant height (250 cm) and yield (9,030 kg ha-1) and was comparable with IW/CPE ratio of 0.8, 0.6 along with others nutrient management practices at 100 % and 75 % STCR - NPK followed by foliar sprays 2 % NPK (19:19:19) and Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) 1 %. Hence, under a normal water availability situation, irrigation at an IW/CPE ratio of 0.8 was good enough to produce a higher yield, while under deficit and excess water conditions IW/CPE ratio of 1.0 along with125 % STCR-NPK by foliar spray of micronutrient mixture of 1 % was suitable for obtaining optimum nutrient management for enhancing soil fertility, growth and yield of maize.

Influence of moisture regimes and nutrient managements on Yield and Quality of Rabi maize (Zea mays L.)

An experiment on rabi maize constituting three moisture regimes viz., Irrigation water / Cumulative Pan Evaporation (IW/CPE) at 0.6 ,0.8 and 1.0 ratio along with ten nutrient management practices viz., application of 100 % RDF only, 125 % STCR-NPK + foliar sprays 2 % NPK (19:19:19)+ 1 % Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) + Micronutrient mixture 1 %, 100 % STCR-NPK + foliar sprays 2 % NPK (19:19:19)+ 1 % Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) + Micronutrient mixture 1 % and 75 % STCR-NPK + foliar sprays 2 % NPK (19:19:19) + 1 % Pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) + Micronutrient mixture 1 % was conducted at Research Farm, Agricultural College, and Research Institute, Madurai district, Tamil Nadu during winter seasons of 2020-21 and 2021- 22. The results showed that irrigation scheduled at 1.0 IW/CPE ratio recorded significantly higher grain yield of maize over the scheduling of irrigation at 0.8 with 0.6. Moreover, the application of 100 % STCR-NPK + foliar sprays 1 % Micronutrient mixture was at par with the application of 75 % STCR-NPK + foliar sprays 1 % Micronutrient mixture and both of them recorded significantly higher grain yield than other nutrient management practices. As regards quality parameters viz., chlorophyll content, proline content at roasting or milk stage was numerically higher with scheduling of irrigation at 1.0 IW/CPE ratio but did not reach the level of significance during both the year of the experiment. The quality parameters like chlorophyll content, proline content and yield in maize grain at roasting or milk stage were significantly increased with increasing nutrient management practices. The highest values of chlorophyll content, proline content and yield were recorded with the application of 100 % STCR-NPK + foliar sprays 1 % Micronutrient mixture.

Impact of Frontline Demonstration on Increasing Productivity and Profitability of Rose

Krishi Vigyana Kendra conducted a frontline demonstration on Integrated crop management in Rose during the year 2017-18 in 10 farmers' holdings of Chikkaballapur district. The crop was grown with integrated crop management practices compared with the farmer's practice. The integrated crop management practices were the application of bioagents (Trichoderma &amp; Pseudomonas) enriched FYM to soil, fertigation, foliar spray of micronutrient mixture, timely pruning techniques, use of yellow sticky cards and use of need based plant protection chemicals to manage thrips and powdery mildew incidence. The results of the demonstration indicated that the demonstration of integrated crop management practices recorded a higher rose yield (127.0 q/ha) compared to farmers' practice (114.0 q/ha). The increase in yield under demonstration over farmer's practice was 11.40 %. The thrips infestation (6.94 %) and powdery mildew incidence (11.45 %) were lower in demonstration and higher in farmer's practice (13.60 % and 20.02 %). The front line demonstration plots fetched a higher net income of Rs.1019250/ha as compared to Rs. 828000/ha with farmer's practice. The higher benefit cost ratio (5.06) was realized in demonstration and lower benefit cost ratio (3.65) was realized in farmer's practice.

Efectiveness of Huminatrin application on grain crops in the foreststeppe of Novosibirsk Priobye region

At present, it is of particular importance to further increase the yield and quality of grain crops under experimental conditions in Western Siberia. Of special meaning is finding new effective growth regulators and bio-fertilizers that promote ecological plasticity, resistance to environmental stressors and pests. The work aims to study the influence of the new biofertilizer Huminatrin on growth and development features, yield and quality of grain crops under conditions of increasing crop productivity in the northern forest-steppe of the Novosibirsk Priobye region. Experimental field was on the fields of JSC “Irmen” livestock breeding farm in Ordynsky district of Novosibirsk region. The authors determined that Huminatrin (a mixture of micronutrients and bacteria) provides an increase in leaf surface parameters in two varieties of wheat by 23% and in spring barley by 34%. The authors treated soil with Huminatrin before sowing in a dose of 2 l/t at operating-liquid flow rate of 10 l/t and during the growing season in the phases of tillering and earing in a dose of 1.5 l/ha (300 l/ha). It was shown that both wheat varieties and spring barley variety “Biom” significantly increased the yield on the background of Huminatrin. On average, the yield increased by 22%. When using Huminatrin, the authors observed an increase in the number of productive stems (up to 408 mg/m2), the number of grains in the ear (up to 32 pcs), weight of 1000 grains (up to 40.86 g). There was also an increase in gluten content - up to 34%; gluten deformation index was about 96. In addition, the authors note the reduction of plant infestation by brown rust to 28% against 47% in the control (water). Indicators such as weight of 1000 grains, weight of grains per plant, the number of grains in the ear form the quality of the crop. Application of Huminatrin allows to achieve high yield quality of two varieties: spring soft wheat and spring barley

Chickpea performance influenced by inorganic fertilizer, biofertilizers and micronutrients and their residual effects on succeeding fodder sorghum

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Derol during the rabi and summer seasons of 2013-14 and 2014-15 to determine the effect of inorganic fertilizer, biofertilizers, and micronutrients, as well as their interactions, on chickpea growth, yield attributes, and yield, as well as their residual effect on succeeding fodder sorghum.Results indicated that fertilizer levels treatment F3i.e., 100 % RDF (25-50 kg NP ha-1)had significant influence on growth and yield attributing characters like plant height,number of branches plant-1,number of nodules plant-1, number of pods plant-1and also on seed and straw yields of chickpea as compared to treatments F2 (75 % RDF), F1(50 % RDF) and F0 (Control).The residual effect of treatment F3 (100% RDF) had also significantinfluenceon the green fodder yield, dry fodder yield and crude protein content of succeeding fodder sorghum.When compared to B0 (control), the biofertilizers treatment B1 (PSB + Rhizobium @ 5 ml kg-1 seed each) produced significantly higher growth, yield, and yield of chickpea.Application of micronutrients treatment M1(Micronutrient mixture grade-V @ 20 kg ha-1) produced significantly highernumber of branches plant-1, number of nodules plant-1number of pod plant-1, seed yield and straw yield as compared to untreated control (M0).Treatment combination F3B1M1 produced significantly the highest 85 nodules plant-1, number of pods plant-1, seed and straw yields of chickpea, but it was statistically at par with treatment combination F2B1M1 during both the years and on pooled basis.

Effect of Macronutrient Levels, Micronutrient Mixture and Humic Acid on Yield and Economics of Kharif Maize

Background: Cultivation of Maize, a highly productive and profitable crop, requires standardization of macronutrients, micronutrients and organic nutrition.&#x0D; Objective: Research was planned with the objective to enhance the yield and profit of kharif maize by agronomic fortification through macronutrients, micronutrient mixture and humic acid.&#x0D; Method: The field experiment was conducted at agricultural farm, Lovely Professional University, Punjab in randomized block design with 10 nutrient management treatments ((T0: control (100% RDF), T1: T0 +soil application of micronutrient mixture (MM) @10kg/ha, T2: T0+ foliar application of MM @1%, T3: T0+ seed priming with MM @1%, T4: 75% RDF+ soil application of MM@10kg/ha, T5: 75% RDF+ foliar application of MM@1%, T6: 75% RDF+ seed priming with MM @1%, T7: T4+ humic acid @1%, T8: T5+humic acid @1% at 30 days after sowing (DAS), T9: T6+ foliar application of humic acid@1% at 30 DAS). &#x0D; Results: Among various macronutrients, micronutrient mixture and humic acid combinations, T8 treatment recorded relatively higher yield attributes like cobs/plant (1.18), cob length (18.8 cm), cob girth (17.6 cm), cob weight with (143.80 g) or without (132.56 g) husk, grains row/cob (14.1), grains/row (26.8), 100 grains weight (27.1 g), grain yield (7.83 t/ha), stover yield (10.13 t/ha) and harvest index (43.61%), which was remained statistically similar by T7 treatment. Production economics further, revealed that T8 treatment was the most profitable (net return: ₹ 1,02,253/ha and B:C: 2.78) and therefore, can be recommended for kharif maize cultivation in Punjab.

The Protective Effect of a Unique Mix of Polyphenols and Micronutrients against Neurodegeneration Induced by an In Vitro Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is second-most common disabling neurological disorder worldwide, and unfortunately, there is not yet a definitive way to prevent it. Polyphenols have been widely shown protective efficacy against various PD symptoms. However, data on their effect on physio-pathological mechanisms underlying this disease are still lacking. In the present work, we evaluated the activity of a mixture of polyphenols and micronutrients, named A5+, in the murine neuroblastoma cell line N1E115 treated with 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), an established neurotoxic stimulus used to induce an in vitro PD model. We demonstrate that a pretreatment of these cells with A5+ causes significant reduction of inflammation, resulting in a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-6, TNF-α, and CXCL1), a reduction in ROS production and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK)1/2, and a decrease in apoptotic mechanisms with the related increase in cell viability. Intriguingly, A5+ treatment promoted cellular differentiation into dopaminergic neurons, as evident by the enhancement in the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, a well-established dopaminergic neuronal marker. Overall, these results demonstrate the synergic and innovative efficacy of A5+ mixture against PD cellular pathological processes, although further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying its beneficial effect.

A Specifically Tailored Multistrain Probiotic and Micronutrient Mixture Affects Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease—Related Markers in Patients with Obesity after Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery

BackgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequent among patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Beyond weight reduction, dietary supplements like micronutrients or probiotics that modify insulin resistance and lipotoxicity can be used to prevent or delay the progression of liver disease. ObjectivesWe evaluated the effect of a dietary approach with a specifically tailored multistrain probiotic and micronutrient mixture compared with a basic care micronutrient supplement on serum alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) in obese patients after mini gastric bypass (MGB) surgery. MethodsThis randomized, double-blind, controlled trial included 60 obese patients (age: 40 ± 10 y; BMI: 44 ± 3 kg/m²). Patients received a combination of specifically tailored multistrain probiotic powder and a specific micronutrient mixture (Pro+SM) or a control treatment consisting of a placebo and a basic care micronutrient mixture (Con+BM), with some micronutrients in lower doses than SM, for 12 wk after hospital discharge. Primary (serum ALAT) and secondary outcomes [serum aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), fatty liver index, NAFLD fibrosis score, glucose metabolism, blood pressure (BP), heart rate] were assessed at week 0 and week 12. Data were analyzed using unpaired Student’s t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests to compare the changes due to each treatment to one another. ResultsA total of 48 patients were included in the analyses. Changes in serum ALAT concentrations did not differ between groups. Compared with Con+BM, Pro+SM improved serum ASAT (difference: –8.0 U/L, 95% CI: –17.0, –4.0; P = 0.043), NAFLD fibrosis score (difference: –0.39; 95% CI: –0.78, 0; P = 0.048), serum triglycerides (difference: –22.8 mg/dL; 95% CI: –45.6, –0.1; P = 0.049) and the visceral adiposity index (difference: –0.70; 95% CI: –1.31, –0.08; P = 0.027). ConclusionSupplementation with a specifically tailored probiotic and micronutrient mixture improved NAFLD-related markers more than a basic micronutrient mixture in obese patients following MGB surgery. The trial was registered under clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03585413.