NaCl Levels Research Articles

Combination Effect of Temperature and Salinity Stress on Germination of Different Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties

Temperature and salinity stress are currently spreading widely across the globe and have been proven to have a negative impact on maize (Zea mays L.) crops as early as the germination stage. However, more research must be conducted on the interactive or combined effects of salinity and temperature stress on maize germination. This study aims to determine the impact of combined temperature and salinity stress on 16 different maize varieties. The maize seeds were incubated at three different temperatures (15 °C, 20 °C, and 35 °C) and two sodium chloride (NaCl) levels (0 mM and 100 mM) simultaneously. Germination percentage, root and shoot growth, root:shoot length ratio, and seed vigor index (SVI) were recorded and analyzed. The presence of salinity reduced maize germination qualities at all three temperatures tested. However, at high 35 °C temperatures, significant reductions in germination performances were observed compared to lower temperatures with salt stress. Three varieties (V1, V10, and V16) had the best overall germination performance in all three temperatures under saline stress, while V4, V5, V12, and V14 showed higher salt tolerance at 35 °C than at lower temperatures. In conclusion, increased temperature amplifies the salt stress in maize germination, and the varietal effect influences the seed tolerance towards a combination of salt and temperature stress.

Exploring the Potential of Bacillus velezensis, an Endophytic Bacteria Isolated from Alternanthera philoxeroides for Plant Growth Promotion and Bioremediation Properties

The current work was done to analyse the bioremediation and plant growth promotion (PGP) traits of endophytic bacteria isolated from Alternanthera philoxeroides from Bellandur Lake, Bangalore, India. Twenty-nine endophytic bacteria were isolated and tested for their PGP traits like indole acetic acid (IAA), ammonia, nitrogen fixation, 1-aminocyclopropane-1- carboxylate (ACC) deaminase production, phosphate solubilization etc. Endophytic bacterium, BEBAphL1 obtained from leaves of A. philoxeroides exhibited significant plant growth promotion properties and the isolate was identified as Bacillus velezensis OQ874364 using 16S rRNA sequencing. The bacterium showed potential IAA, ammonia production, nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, and ACC deaminase production. The results indicate that this endophyte is promising as a growth-promoting inoculant, reducing the reliance on chemical inputs in conventional agricultural practices while enhancing nutrient uptake and stress resilience in plants. B. velezensis exhibited tolerance to high levels of chromium (500 mg/L) and NaCl (15%) and was also able to decolourize Congo red by 70% at 0.005% concentration of dye. Characterization of dye samples pre- and post-bacterial treatment was done using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The findings of the study indicate that B. velezensis shows promise as a plant growth stimulator capable of withstanding heavy metal exposure and breaking down dyes.

Effect of Salinity Stress on Oxidative Stress Parameters and the Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes in Eight Durum Wheat Genotypes

This study was carried out at the Tissue Culture Laboratory, which belongs to the General Commission of Biotechnology, in order to evaluate the influence of NaCl-induced salinity stress on some oxidative parameters (MDA and H2O2) and antioxidant enzymes (CAT, APX, and SOD) in eight durum wheat genotypes (Doma1, Bouhoth11, Cham3, Bezater, Cham5, Aghamatales, Icaverve, and Icamber) in vitro, to determine the most salinity tolerant genotypes. Salinity stress was applied by adding different levels of NaCl to the growing medium (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM). The experiment was laid according to a complete randomized design (CRD) with sixteen replicates. Increasing salinity level caused an increase in both the Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of the investigated antioxidant enzymes (SOD، APX، CAT) compared with the control. The leaf content of both H2O2 and MDA was significantly higher in the genotype Icaverve at the salinity level of 150 mM NaCl (45.67 and 130.74 µmol g-1 fresh wt. respectively), while the activity of the enzymes SOD, APX and CAT were significantly higher in the two durum wheat genotypes, Bouhoth11 and Doma1 at the highest salinity level (150 mM NaCl). Antioxidant enzymes play a pivotal role in the defense mechanisms in the durum wheat under salinity stress conditions, and the in vitro screening tool can be effectively used to assess the genetic variability for salinity tolerance in the durum wheat crop.

Design of an Exploratory Experiment in Teaching for Engineering Education Accreditation: Fluoride Geochemical Simulation during Water–Rock Interactions under the Effect of Seawater Intrusion

Engineering education is critical for the creation of a more sustainable world, and engineering education accreditation has become the current trend for reform in higher education worldwide. Traditional replication experiment-based teaching cannot meet the standards of engineering education accreditation, and integrating the ideas of engineering education accreditation into experimental teaching is an important aspect of practical teaching. Taking fluoride evolution simulation during water–rock interactions under the effect of seawater intrusion as an example, an exploratory experiment was designed with the idea of engineering education accreditation. The experiment concluded that leached fluoride increases with increasing ratios of seawater and brine water, NaCl levels, and NaHCO3 levels, but with decreasing CaCl2 levels, which confirms that seawater intrusion deeply affects fluoride evolution. The saturation index and Fourier Transform Infrared analyses indicate that Ca2+ restriction and exchange of F with O–H and Si–O–Si are responsible for fluoride leaching. The experiment was characterized by deeper theory, logicality, and openness, and was also multi-schematic and exploratory. Therefore, it is an ideal subject matter to develop an exploratory experiment. A reasonable teaching link was designed to integrate the ideas of engineering education accreditation. Students were required to creatively and personally devise an experimental design and an expansion to the experiment based on the given databases and other relevant literature and to cooperate and discuss in groups. The experiment not only integrates basic knowledge of water–rock interactions, but also cultivates the awareness of and ability to analyze and solve problems, innovative thinking, scientific literacy, and teamwork. Meanwhile, the experiment effectively supports the graduate requirements of various subjects, including Design/Development Solutions, Research, Applying Modern Tools, Individual and Teams, and Communication.

Partitioning of individual caseins between rennet curd and whey: Impact of pre-acidification and pre-salting of reconstituted skim milk

Acidification is one of the essential pre-treatments applied to milk for the manufacture of many cheese varieties while pre-salting is most common in Domiati-style cheeses. Both treatments play several safety and qualitative roles. This research examined the impact of pre-acidification (pH 5–7), pre-salting (0–3 M, NaCl) and combined pre-acidification and pre-salting (pH 5–7 at 3 M, NaCl) of reconstituted skim milk on partitioning of individual caseins between rennet curd and whey. No αs1- and β-caseins were detected in rennet whey from unsalted or pre-salted milk with ionic strength ≤ 0.9 M, NaCl whereas κ- and αs2- caseins were found at all pH and NaCl levels. The greatest loss of caseins (72.9 % of total-casein (T-casein)) into whey occurred when milk with 3 M, NaCl was adjusted to pH 7 whereas pH 6 (10 % T-casein loss) appeared optimal for this milk. Findings for unsalted samples are attributed to soluble κ-/αs2-caseins-whey protein complexes as evidenced by gel electrophoresis. Notably, varying levels of para-κ-casein lost in rennet whey from pre-salted milk reveal inhibition of aggregation phase of renneting which was dependent on ionic strength and pH. Partial inhibition of the enzymatic phase was also evident in highly pre-salted samples (3 M, NaCl) at pH values above or below 6.

Fabricated magnetic adsorption – Forward osmosis membrane hybrid system for hydroponic irrigation from rich arsenic–containing heavy metal water stream

Solidification of soluble arsenic from extremely acidic water and direct use of recovery water have been the major challenges in global water management, with the urgent need for new treatment system development. Thus, magnetic adsorption – fertilizer drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) hybrid system with a novel adsorbent and fertilizer mixture to solve the drawbacks of each process was developed with the ultimate goals of metal removal and direct reuse for hydroponic irrigation. Magnetic metal-organic framework-based adsorbent (CMM) was synthesized with various promising capabilities, i.e., wide pH range efficiency, strong pH adjustment, good stability, fast adsorption (1 h), and oxidation (40 min), high capacity (175 and 126 mg/g for As(III), As(V)), strong magnetization (75 emu/g), complete separation by a magnet, excellent interference-tolerance and reusability. In the FDFO system, a massive water volume (50 times higher than the initial draw solution with suitable nutrients for hydroponics irrigation with acceptable NaCl levels was obtained for the first time up to now. However, low As(III) rejection (50%) required the FDFO process to improve more. After integrating with magnetic adsorption, nearly 100% of As was removed. The pH of feed solutions adjusted from extremely acidic to close to neutral conditions further solidified metal by precipitation and membrane separation processes, leading to almost no detection of metals in the final draw solution. Also, favorable nutrients and excellent reusability were obtained. This hybrid process would generally offer an environmentally sustainable and high efficiency for decontaminating As-containing heavy metal water for hydroponic irrigation.

Calcium nanoparticles mitigate severe salt stress in Solanum lycopersicon by instigating the antioxidant defense system and renovating the protein profile

Due to increasing global climate change problems to biota, salinity has been recognized as a realistic hazard critically affects the sustain agri-food production and crop quality in many regions of the world. Nanotechnology as an innovative approach can effectively improve plant performance under risky conditions such as salinity. Taking in consideration the ameliorative role of nanoparticles such as calcium nanoparticles (Ca-NPs) in enhancing plant growth and tolerance against various abiotic stresses, the present study was undertaken to illuminate the powerful effect and the underlying mechanism of soil-applied Ca-NPs (20 mM) in preventing salt damage at saline conditions (NaCl at 50, 100 and 200 mM) in tomato. Data revealed that NaCl drastically imposed the morphological parameters, primary and secondary metabolism, photosynthesis pigment content, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation levels, antioxidant enzyme activities, mineral contents, and protein patterns. In contrast, the supplementation of exogenous Ca-NPs modified salinity toxicity effects by improving the survival, growth parameters, anabolic (soluble ions and osmolytes) and defense mechanisms (enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants). Interestingly, under lethal salinity level (200 mM), Ca-NPs was capable of suppressing the excessive damage effect of salinity by up-regulating the performance of the plants when these plants were completely dead in the absence of Ca-NPs. The descriptive cluster analysis separated treatments and characteristics into 3 to elucidate negative and positive correlations. Moreover, Ca-NPs was more efficient than CaCl2 in eliciting salt tolerance under all investigated NaCl levels. Therefore, all these findings together conclude that Ca-NPs have a positive role in motivating resilience strategies in tomato plants toward salt stress via lessening the ROS overproduction, stimulating enzymatic antioxidants, promoting osmolytes accumulation, and renovating protein profile under mild and severe salinity levels.

Direct in situ and real-time visualization of salt-dependent thiolated-DNA immobilization and biosensing on gold in nanofluidic channels

Thiol-gold (Au) conjugation is perhaps the most routinely applied surface chemistry approach to immobilize receptors within Au-based molecular sensing platforms. However, no previous studies have investigated in situ immobilization in a nanofluidic systems. In this work, flowthrough receptor immobilization is demonstrated, using a nanoslit induced depletion zone to enable direct real-time visualization for characterizing the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations during immobilization of thiolated single-stranded DNA on Au. The results show that the amount of fixed-DNA on Au, as well as the non-specific adsorption of DNA on fused silica surface, strongly depend on NaCl levels. Furthermore, the non-specific interaction at high NaCl levels reduces the DNA available for immobilization on Au, but enriches the DNA molecules in the channel under wash by deionized water. By adding Tween-20 to decrease the non-specific adsorption and increasing the driving pressure to increase the DNA flux under high-salt level, the immobilization time can be further decreased to 10 min or less, which is at least an order of magnitude faster than recently proposed bioconjugation methods for thiolated-DNA–Au conjugation. Moreover, this work demonstrates the capability of the platform for DNA- and aptamer-based sensing assays, thereby opening up new strategies for developing biosensors using nanofluidic platforms.

Elucidation of interactions between myofibrillar proteins and κ-carrageenan as mediated by NaCl level: Perspectives on multiple spectroscopy and molecular docking

The present study was aimed to investigate the intermolecular interaction between myofibrillar proteins (MP) and κ-carrageenan (KC) as mediated by KC concentration (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 %, w/w) and NaCl levels (0.3 and 0.6 M) based on the multiple spectroscopy and molecular docking. The results showed that the incorporation of KC increased the turbidity, zeta-potential, and surface hydrophobicity of MP-KC mixed sols with a dose-dependent manner, as well as significantly decreasing the protein solubility (P < 0.05), which indicated that the interaction between KC and MP promoted the expansion of protein structure and exposed more hydrophobic groups. Fluorescence spectra result revealed that the interaction between MP and KC was a static quenching in the fluorescence quenching process, which affected the aromatic amino acids residue microenvironment of MP. Moreover, the existence of KC decreased the α-helix contents of MP (P < 0.05), contributing to the transformation from random structure to organized configuration of MP. In addition, molecular forces, the molecular docking and thermodynamic parameters indicated that hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals force, and hydrogen bonding were considered as the main interaction forces between MP and KC. Furthermore, 0.6 M NaCl level rendered higher solubility and particle size, as well as lower turbidity and the surface hydrophobicity of MP-KC mixed sols than those with 0.3 M NaCl level (P < 0.05), which promoted the unfolding of MP molecule and subsequently increased the numbers of binding sites between MP and KC, facilitating the intermolecular interactions between MP and KC in mixed sols.

NaCl-mediated strategies for the trade-off between Cd bioconcentration and translocation in Solanum nigrum L

Salt interference significantly affects the behavior of heavy metals in the environment. This study compared and analyzed the response process, migration, and transformation of cadmium (Cd) in the hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum (S. nigrum) under different NaCl levels to reveal the interference mechanisms of salt in plant remediation of Cd-contaminated soil. The results showed that Cd and salt stress significantly inhibited the growth of plants. The stress effect had more potent growth inhibition at the root than aboveground, thus inducing changes in the spatial configuration of the plants (decreased root-to-aboveground biomass ratio). Salt could activate Cd in plants, enhancing the inhibitory effect on plant growth. Salt increased Cd bioavailability due to the rhizosphere acidification effect, increasing plants’ Cd accumulation. The Cd bioconcentration factor in plant roots peaked during the high Cd-high salt treatment (117.10), but the Cd accumulation of plants peaked during the high Cd-low salt treatment (233.04 μg plant−1). Salt additions and increased Cd concentrations enhanced root compartmentalization, inhibiting Cd transport to the aboveground. Changes in Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements confirmed that the functional groups in plants provided binding sites for Cd. These findings can help guide the phytoremediation of Cd contamination under saline soil conditions.

Influence of Water Salinity on the Efficiency of Fe0-Based Systems for Water Treatment

Metallic iron (Fe0) is a reactive material for treating polluted water. The effect of water salinity on the efficiency of Fe0-based remediation systems is not yet established. This work aims to clarify the reasons why Cl− ions are often reported to improve the efficiency of Fe0/H2O remediation systems. Quiescent batch experiments were carried out to characterize the effect of chloride (Cl−) ions on the efficiency of methylene blue (MB) discoloration in the presence of Fe0. Cl− was used in the form of NaCl at concentrations ranging from 0 to 40 g L−1. The MB concentration was 10 mg L−1, the Fe0 loading was 5 g L−1, and the duration of the experiment varied from 2 to 46 days. Four different Fe0 materials were tested in parallel experiments. Tests with different NaCl levels were performed in parallel with three other organic dyes: Methyl orange (MO), orange II (OII), and reactive red 120 (RR 120). The results clearly show that the presence of Cl− reduces the extent of dye discoloration in all systems investigated. The efficiency of the dyes increased in the order MB &lt; MO &lt; RR 120 &lt; OII. In systems with varying NaCl concentrations, dye discoloration initially decreases with increasing NaCl and slightly increases for [NaCl] &gt; 30 g L−1. However, the extent of dye discoloration for [NaCl] = 40 g L−1 remains much lower than for the system with [NaCl] = 0 g L−1. The results clearly demonstrate that the presence of Cl− fundamentally delays the process of contaminant removal in Fe0/H2O systems, thus improving the understanding of the contaminant interactions in Fe0-based remediation systems. These results also suggest that the effects of other inorganic anions on the efficiency of Fe0/H2O systems should be revisited for the design of field applications.

Cucumber and salinity

Salinity is becoming more expanded globally. Soil salinity imposes a great challenge for vegetable-crops production in arid and semiarid regions. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is the fourth most important vegetable crop worldwide. In this review, we discuss the complex network of effects, and the ways cucumber responds to salinity. Salt stress inhibits almost all growth phases and yield components of cucumber. Accumulation of Na+ and/or Cl- ions in cucumber tissues disturbs the absorption of other ions causing ionic imbalance which affect stomatal opening. Nevertheless, high levels of NaCl in soil inhibit water uptake in the root medium exposing cucumber to osmotic stress. Osmotic stress broadly interrupts metabolic pathways by altering enzymatic activity. Both, ionic and osmotic stresses induce ROS amassing in cucumber tissues. ROS directly constrain photosynthesis by decreasing levels of total chlorophyll and degrading PSII as well as corrupting thylakoid membranes. Ultimately, NaCl-induced stress inhibits cucumber seed germination, roots and shoots growth and development, fruit quality and yield production

In Vitro Assessment of Salt Stress Tolerance in Wild Potato Species

Proof of concept salt tolerance and plasticity. Wild germplasm may represent a precious source of genetic variability for salt tolerance. This study evaluated the morphological changes occurring under controlled and saline conditions in tuber-bearing S. bulbocastanum, S. commersonii, S. chomatophyllum, S. multidissectum, S. pinnactisectum, S. phureja, and cultivated S. tuberosum. An in vitro screening method was employed. Significant phenotypic variations were observed for all phenotypic traits analyzed at all NaCl levels (0, 40, 60, and 120 mM). In addition, a significant correlation between root plasticity and salt tolerance was found. Further, changes in proline and total phenolic content were assessed to envisage the metabolic adjustments of tolerant clones towards salinity. The most promising sources of tolerance were identified in S. commersonii and S. multidissectum and information obtained is discussed from a breeding perspective.

Extremely chaotolerant and kosmotolerant Aspergillus atacamensis - a metabolically versatile fungus suitable for recalcitrant biosolid treatment.

Obligate halophily is extremely rare in fungi. Nevertheless, Aspergillus atacamensis (strain EXF-6660), isolated from a salt water-exposed cave in the Coastal Range hills of the hyperarid Atacama Desert in Chile, is an obligate halophile, with a broad optimum range from 1.5 to 3.4 M of NaCl. When we tested its ability to grow at varied concentrations of both kosmotropic (NaCl, KCl, and sorbitol) and chaotropic (MgCl2, LiCl, CaCl2, and glycerol) solutes, stereoscopy and laser scanning microscopy revealed the formation of phialides and conidia. A. atacamensis EXF-6660 grew up to saturating levels of NaCl and at 2.0 M concentration of the chaotropic salt MgCl2. Our findings confirmed that A. atacamensis is an obligate halophile that can grow at substantially higher MgCl2 concentrations than 1.26 M, previously considered as the maximum limit supporting prokaryotic life. To assess the fungus' metabolic versatility, we used the phenotype microarray technology Biolog FF MicroPlates. In the presence of 2.0 M NaCl concentration, strain EXF-6660 metabolism was highly versatile. A vast repertoire of organic molecules (~95% of the substrates present in Biolog FF MicroPlates) was metabolized when supplied as sole carbon sources, including numerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene derivatives, dyes, and several carbohydrates. Finally, the biotechnological potential of A. atacamensis for xenobiotic degradation and biosolid treatment was investigated. Interestingly, it could remove biphenyls, diphenyl ethers, different pharmaceuticals, phenols, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Our combined findings show that A. atacamensis EXF-6660 is a highly chaotolerant, kosmotolerant, and xerotolerant fungus, potentially useful for xenobiotic and biosolid treatments.

Influence of Salinity Levels on Seedling Parameters Of Different Tomato Genotypes

In the present study, 50 genotypes of tomatoes were tested in the roll towel method using seven levels of salt concentration from 0 to 120 mM of NaCl with an interval of 20 mM at laboratory conditions. Results showed that out of 50 genotypes, only 38 tomato genotypes germinated under a moderate salinity level of 80mM NaCl. The highest seedling fresh and dry weights were observed in LE-14 (0.271 and 0.045, respectively) under moderate salinity level which were on par with the genotypes LE-1, LE-1020, CLNR 2123, H24, IIVR88783 and LE-411. The highest fresh and dry seedling tolerance index were observed in IIVR-88783 (94.3 and 104.7) with an 80mM salinity level, which was on par with the genotypes, LE-1, LE- 1020, Arka Abhay, CLNR 2123, EC 164677, EC164838, EC164863, EC326146, IIVR 88783, IIVR EC 2494, IIVREC2798, LCR 2, LE-14, Pb-Rathak, Punjab Bagkoa and Punjab Bas with a moderate salinity level of 80 mM of NaCl. The genotypes LE-14, LE-1020, LE-1, LE-411, CLNR2123, H-24, IIVR-88783 and IIVR-EC2494 were found to be superior over 38 genotypes with the seedling characters. Bangladesh J. Bot. 52(2): 307-314, 2023 (June)

Valorization of mangrove leaves (Sonneratia alba) based on leaf age as a functional salt preparation

Mangrove leaves (Sonneratia alba) have bioactive components that have the potential as natural antioxidants, NaCl salts, macro and micro minerals, and gram-positive and gram-negative antibacterial activities. However, mangrove leaves are still not fully utilized, so it is necessary to valorize to increase the product's added value. This study aimed to characterize S. alba mangrove leaves as a functional salt preparation based on leaf age. Valorization of mangrove leaves was carried out through an extraction method using distilled water with test parameters consisting of yield, mineral analysis, Na:K ratio, NaCl analysis, antioxidant activity, and organoleptic tests. The salt characteristics of young S. alba mangrove leaves include a yield of 6.67%; tastes salty followed by a bitter taste; antioxidant activity IC50 of 14.34 ​g/mL; dominant minerals of 5.632% sodium and 4.542% potassium; ratio Na:K 1.24; and 22.88% NaCl levels. While the salt characteristics of the old S. alba mangrove leaves include a yield of 6.37%; tastes salty followed by a bitter taste; antioxidant activity IC50 of 21.12 ​g/mL; dominant minerals of 7.686% sodium and 3.294% potassium; ratio Na:K 2.33; and 27.01% NaCl content. Both young and old mangrove leaf salts fulfilled the dietary salt standards.

The Effect of Sodium Reduction and Replacement on the Chemical, Microbial, and Sensory Quality of a Traditional South African Fresh Sausage

Sodium (Na) reduction and replacement were evaluated in traditional South African sausages (boerewors). The Na levels were adjusted to contain the Na inclusion limits of South African regulations for 2017 and 2019, on its own and in combination with different replacers (KCl and K-lactate). The effect of these treatments was evaluated in terms of chemical (ash, NaCl, Na, and chloride contents, pH, water activity ( a w ), lipid oxidative stability (TBARS), colour, and thaw and cooking losses), microbial (total viable count (TVC), coliform count, and yeast and mould count), and sensory (appearance, flavour, saltiness, and texture overall liking) characteristics. Lipid oxidative stability was comparable for all the treatments no longer than 6 days at 4°C. When the boerewors treatments were frozen for 180 days, the potassium-containing models with lowered levels of NaCl, indicated better secondary lipid oxidative stability than the models containing only Na. The red colour of the boerewors treatments was all negatively influenced by sodium. Higher concentrations of NaCl had a better effect on thaw, cooking, and total losses, which in turn will have a positive effect on texture and overall acceptability. The addition of NaCl better controlled the growth of the TVC until day 6 of storage at 4°C. However, KCl was a promising replacer regarding the control of coliforms. The Na levels and NaCl replacers assisted in inhibiting microbial growth. The sensory analysis indicated that consumers were only able to distinguish the negative control from the other treatments. A shelf life of between 3 and 6 days was recommended for boerewors with the treatments evaluated in this study.

Quality improvement of prerigor salted ground chicken breast with basic amino acids at low NaCl level

The prerigor salting effect is known to provide superior meat processing quality. Based on the urgent need for low salt meat products, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the prerigor salting effect when basic amino acids were introduced at 1% NaCl level. Ground chicken breast meat was salted with NaCl and basic amino acids at 30 min, 60 min, and 90 min postmortem for prerigor treatments. Compared to the 1% NaCl (w/w) treatment, the introduction of 0.06% basic amino acids (w/w) in the prerigor significantly led to an increase in myofibril fragmentation, myofibrillar protein solubility, emulsion activity, storage modulus change rate, gel water-holding capacity and hardness (P < 0.05). Furthermore, smaller and more uniformly sized droplets were producedin emulsion by basic amino acids. Individual basic amino acids had different prerigor salting effects, and it was indicated that basic amino acids could play a positive role in the prerigor salting effect when NaCl was reduced.

Effects of Nitrogen Sources and Inorganic Salts on Antioxidant Activity of Goat Milk Fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum L60

Abstract This study investigated the effects of various nitrogen sources (peptone, casein hydrolysate) and inorganic salts (KH2PO4, MgSO4 and NaCl) on the antioxidant activity (specifically, DPPH and superoxide anion scavenging rate), acidity, and pH of peptides in goat milk (GM) fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum L60 by individual factor experiments. The results indicated that nitrogen sources and inorganic salts significantly affected L. plantarum L60’s antioxidant and acid-producing abilities, and when the supplemental levels of peptone, casein hydrolysate, KH2PO4, MgSO4 and NaCl were 0.7%, 0.3%, 0.3%, 0.15% and 0.9%, respectively, the scavenging ability of antioxidant peptides on DPPH radical and superoxide anion reached the maximum.

Bacillus strains exhibit various plant growth promoting traits and their biofilm-forming capability correlates to their salt stress alleviation effect on maize seedlings.

Soil salinity interferes with plant growth and development. Bacillus genus has been used to increase the growth and productivity of a wide variety of crops by alleviating the effects of salt stress. A total of thirty two Bacillus isolates were obtained from maize rhizosphere, and their plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits and biocontrol activities were tested. Bacillus isolates displayed varying degrees of PGP properties-the production of extracellular enzymes, indole acetic acid, hydrogen cyanide, phosphate solubilization, biofilm formation, and antifungal potential against several fungal pathogens. The phosphate-solubilizing isolates belong to B. safensis, B. thuringiensis, B. cereus, and B. megaterium species. Each Bacillus isolate demonstrated different levels of antifungal activity against the fungal pathogens tested. Biofilm production by some salt-tolerant isolates significantly increased at elevated levels of NaCl (p<0.05). The strains B. safensis B24, B. halotolerans B7/B18, B. subtilis B26, and B. thuringiensis B10 significantly increased the length of root (by 32.7-38.2%) and shoot (by 19.5-29.8%) of maize (p<0.05). Maize plants treated with some Bacillus strains displayed significantly greater chlorophyll content with an increase of 26.7-32.1% (p<0.05). Among PGP properties, enhanced biofilm formation played a more important role in maize growth under higher salinity. These salt-tolerant biofilm-forming strains could be efficiently used as bio-inoculant for maize under salinity stress.