Non-toxic Varieties Research Articles

AlexNet-Based Feature Extraction for Cassava Classification: A Machine Learning Approach

Cassava, a significant crop in Africa, Asia, and South America, is a staple food for millions. However, classifying cassava species using conventional color, texture, and shape features is inefficient, as cassava leaves exhibit similarities across different types, including toxic and non-toxic varieties. This research aims to overcome the limitations of traditional classification methods by employing deep learning techniques with pre-trained AlexNet as the feature extractor to accurately classify four types of cassava: Gajah, Manggu, Kapok, and Beracun. The dataset was collected from local farms in Lamongan Indonesia. To collect images with agricultural research experts, the dataset consists of 1,400 images, and each type of cassava has 350 images. Three fully connected (FC) layers were utilized for feature extraction, namely fc6, fc7, and fc8. The classifiers employed were support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbors (KNN), and Naive Bayes. The study demonstrated that the most effective feature extraction layer was fc6, achieving an accuracy of 90.7% with SVM. SVM outperformed KNN and Naive Bayes, exhibiting an accuracy of 90.7%, sensitivity of 83.5%, specificity of 93.7%, and F1-score of 83.5%. This research successfully addressed the challenges in classifying cassava species by leveraging deep learning and machine learning methods, specifically with SVM and the fc6 layer of AlexNet. The proposed approach holds promise for enhancing plant classification techniques, benefiting researchers, farmers, and environmentalists in plant species identification, ecosystem monitoring, and agricultural management.

Measurement of nutrients and minor components of a non-toxic variety of Jatropha curcas

Measurement of nutrients and minor components of a non-toxic variety of Jatropha curcas

46 Effects of Implants, Clover, and Fescue Variety on Stocker Steers

Abstract Fescue thrives due to a symbiotic relationship with a fungus called endophyte. Endophyte releases ergot toxins leading to metabolic issues, such as vasoconstriction, rough hair coats and poor cattle gains. Developments have occurred to remove or limit the toxins. The objective of this project was to identify management practices while grazing fescue to improve production and toxicity issues. Sixty-four growing steers (283 ± 14 kg BW) were used in a split-plot experiment, where the whole plot was pasture and the split plot was implants. Whole plot treatment was a 4 x 2 factorial with four levels of fescue (High Endophyte, Low Endophyte, Novel, Endophyte Free) and two levels of legume (Legumes or No Legumes). Split plot included four implant levels (No Implant, Synovex One Grass, Revalor-G, Ralgro). Data collected were weights, hair coat scores, hair length, rectal temperature (every 28d) and ultrasound carcass characteristics last day on pasture. Data were analyzed using the Glimmix Procedure of SAS (v. 9.4, Cary, NC). Steers on high endophyte had the lowest ADG, longest hair, and highest temperature as compared to steers on all other fescue types (P < 0.05). The gain differentiation was observed beginning at D56 through the end of the study (P < 0.05). Overall ADG was not impacted by addition of legume nor implant type (P > 0.10). Steers that were not implanted had a longer hair length throughout many measurement dates (P < 0.05). Steers grazing pastures with legume tended (P < 0.10) to have a higher ultrasound measured marbling score and less muscle depth. This study found that the best management strategy for fescue toxicity is to use non-endophyte or non-toxic varieties of fescue pasture. Contrary to previous research, the addition of implants and legumes for this project showed no improvement in cattle gains.

Chemical analysis of callus extracts from toxic and non-toxic varieties of Jatropha curcas L.

Jatropha curcas L. belongs to Euphorbiaceae family, and it synthesizes flavonoid and diterpene compounds that have showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal and insecticide activity. Seeds of this plant accumulate phorbol esters, which are tigliane type diterpenes, reported as toxic and, depending on its concentration, toxic and non-toxic varieties has been identified. The aim of this work was to characterize the chemical profile of the extracts from seeds, leaves and callus of both varieties (toxic and non-toxic) of Jatropha curcas, to verify the presence of important compounds in dedifferentiated cells and consider the possibility of using these cultures for the massive production of metabolites. Callus induction was obtained using NAA (1.5 mg L−1) and BAP (1.5 mg L−1) after 21 d for both varieties. Thin layer chromatography analysis showed differences in compounds accumulation in callus from non-toxic variety throughout the time of culture, diterpenes showed an increase along the time, in contrast with flavonoids which decreased. Based on the results obtained through microQTOF-QII spectrometer it is suggested a higher accumulation of phorbol esters, derived from 12-deoxy-16-hydroxy-phorbol (m/z 365 [M+H]+), in callus of 38 d than those of 14 d culture, from both varieties. Unlike flavonoids accumulation, the MS chromatograms analysis allowed to suggest lower accumulation of flavonoids as the culture time progresses, in callus from both varieties. The presence of six glycosylated flavonoids is also suggested in leaf and callus extracts derived from both varieties (toxic and non-toxic), including: apigenin 6-C-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-8-C-β-D-xylopyranoside (m/z 535 [M+H]+), apigenin 4′-O-rhamnoside (m/z 417 [M+H]+), vitexin (m/z 433 [M+H]+), vitexin 4′-O-glucoside-2″-O-rhamnoside (m/z 741 [M+H]+), vicenin-2 (m/z 595 [M+H]+), and vicenin-2,6″-O-glucoside (m/z 757 [M+H]+).

Functional genomic characterization of immunogenic gluten proteins from oat cultivars that differ in toxicity for celiac disease

AbstractIntroduction:Oat human consumption has increased due to its nutritional value and its health benefits. Oat is a rich source of protein that contains high level of minerals, lipids, β-glucan, a mixed-linkage polysaccharide, which forms an important part of oat dietary fiber, and also contains various other phytoconstituents like flavonoids and sterols among others. Different pharmacological activities have been reported on oats like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic or anticholesterolaemic.The safety of oats in a gluten-free diet has been a topic of debate for several years. Previous studies suggested that oats may induce the immunological response in celiacs and others confirmed the impossibility of consuming oats habitually by its toxicity. Our research group found oat cultivars with different immunotoxic potential against G12 monoclonal antibody that may explain the different clinical responses observed in patients suffering from celiac disease. In this study we have characterized by massive sequencing the transcriptomes of non-toxic and toxic varieties.Materials and Methods:The transcriptomes of both oat varieties were sequenced by Illumina HiSeq™2000. To assemble the contents, criteria of overlap > 40% and similarity > 95% were used. The functional annotations were inferred by similarity to Uniprot reference proteins. The minimum similarity threshold required for annotating a transcript was a BLAST e value minor than 10-10. Uniref90 was used for the selection of annotated proteins.Results:We have found 17 and 11 locus in the non-toxic and toxic varieties, respectively. We selected a set of 239983 reference proteins downloaded from Uniprot belonging to the taxonomic nodes BEP clade. Only proteins representative of Uniref90 clusters were used. The identification of immunotoxic epitopes in the coding sequences were determined by alignment with the T-cell recognized canonicals, encompassing one to three mismatches. We identified a total of 24 epitopes with an average of 2 modifications in the genome of the toxic variety with respect to the non-toxic. The epitope variants DQ2.5-ave-1β and DQ2.5-glia-α3 were the most repeated.Discussion:The presence of epitopes in the toxic oat variety that are not present in non-toxic variety could be related with the immunotoxic potential found in our previous assays and also with the different clinical responses in celiacs consuming oats. Preliminary results suggest that a depth study based on searching epitopes found in toxic oat variety could help to the identification of real oat varieties available for celiac patients, and therefore, their incorporation in improvement programs to obtain commercial lines without toxicity.

Assessment of phylogenetic relationship of Jatropha based on nuclear ITS regions (ITS/5.8S) and chloroplast (cp) matK gene

The phylogenetic relationships between the toxic and the non-toxic variety of Jatropha curcas and its sister species Jatropha podagrica and Jatropha gossypifolia from North East India were assessed using the internal transcribed spacer region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA ITS) and the maturaseK gene (matK) of chloroplast. For both the marker system, the maximum genetic distance was maintained between J. podagrica and J. curcas. The % (G + C) content of the matK region was markedly lower than that of the ITS region. ITS biomarkers were able to detect 111 variable sites while only 4 substitutions were detected in highly conserved matK region. The obtained results delineated that, in comparison to matK, ITS sequencing can provide valuable information during interpopulation analysis of Jatropha species.

Expression analysis of genes involved in the synthesis of oleic and linoleic acids in Jatropha cinerea seeds from Northwestern Mexico

ABSTRACT: Plants belonging to genus Jatropha has arisen interest because of its high oil content that could be used to produce biodiesel. It is also widely reported that the main fatty acids in Jatropha oilseed are oleic and linoleic acids. However, there are scarce studies related to native species of Jatropha from Northwestern Mexico which are adapted to arid conditions, and the expression of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis for these species is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the expression of five genes, ACP1, KASII, D9SD, FAD2-1 and FAD2-2, which are involved in the oleic and linoleic acids synthesis in mature wild-seeds of Jatropha cinerea, a native species from Sonoran Desert, using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The J. cinerea seeds were randomly collected in Bahía de Kino, Sonora (México) which is a region characterized by its harsh environments such as saline soils and extreme temperature changes and J. curcas mature seeds from a non-toxic variety from Veracruz, Mexico were used as a reference. The RT-PCR analysis of three biological replicates were considered to ensure data consistent. Our analysis showed a higher expression of KASII and FAD2-1 genes in J. cinerea seeds compared to J. curcas, meanwhile the expression of ACP1, D9SD and FAD2-2 were higher in J. curcas. Furthermore, Actin and FAD2-1 genes sequences here obtained are the first reported for J. cinerea, thus providing information to develop further studies.

Cytogenetic bioassays as tools to distinguish between toxic and non-toxic varieties of Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae)

The tropical and subtropical naturalized physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.), has been explored for biodiesel production in recent times. The oil is extracted from the seeds and, for the production to be feasible, utilization of the residual seed cake is crucial. Although the cake could be employed as a protein source in animal feed, it is rich in phorbol ester, which is toxic for animals. Therefore, breeding programs have been working to reduce or eliminate the phorbol ester content in physic nut. In this context, the present work aimed to evaluate the physic nut oil of toxic and non-toxic varieties (containing known or undetectable amounts of phorbol ester, respectively) with regards to phytotoxicity in a model experiment with Lactuca sativa L. For this, the percentage of germinated seeds was evaluated after 8, 16, 24, 36 and 48 hours of exposure to the treatments with toxic and non-toxic oil at concentrations of 22.5 %, 45 % and 67.5 % of emulsion (physic nut oil energetically mixed with distilled water). Root growth was determined after 48 hours of exposure and the germination speed index was obtained. The different stages of mitotic division as well as possible chromosomal and nuclear alterations were also recorded. The mitotic index was calculated as the number of dividing cells, as a fraction of the total number of cells, and the frequency of chromosome and nuclear alterations, expressed as the percentage of number of alterations divided by the total number of cells. Both varieties exhibited phytotoxicity, inducing significant reductions in percentage of germinated seeds (reduction of 98 %), germination speed index (reduction of 24.44) and root growth (reduction of 8.54 mm). In microscopic analysis, a mitodepressive effect was observed for both oils at the three concentrations used when compared to the negative control; however, it was possible to distinguish between the toxic and the non-toxic varieties based on the more expressive reduction of division promoted by the first, 2.19 %. Significant increments in the frequency of mitotic cells showing chromosome alterations as well, as the presence of condensed nuclei, were observed in the treated cells. However, these parameters were not significantly different from the control in the cells treated with both physic nut oils. In conclusion, the evaluation of root growth and cell division in the plant model L. sativa, can be proposed as an alternative to animal tests to distinguish the varieties with high and low phorbol ester concentration, thus contributing to the detection of toxicity in varieties used in breeding programs. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(2): 495-502. Epub 2018 June 01.

Proteomic analysis of non-toxic Jatropha curcas byproduct cake: Fractionation and identification of the major components

Jatropha curcas non-toxic genotypes have been reported in Mexico and the press-cake, after oil extraction, represents a potential of new source of protein for food and feed uses. However, the characterization of the press-cake proteins is still unknown. The aim of this work was to carry out the molecular characterization of J. curcas seed storage proteins. Proteins in press-cake were pre-fractionated according to the classical Osborne procedure. Main protein fraction in J. curcas cake was represented by glutelins, the electrophoretic analysis showed that glutelins and globulins have the same profile, indicating that oil extraction process could have effect on globulins agglomeration. Protein fractions were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, results provide a new dataset of protein species or proteoforms that are accumulated in J. curcas endosperm. The identification of toxic proteins such as curcin in the non-toxic variety could represent that this protein have important roles in seeds. Regulatory proteins such as proteasome subunits and 14-3-3 were identified. A group of different heat shock and stress defense protein species was detected. Proteases related with inhibitory activity against DPPIV were also detected; this could support the potential use of J. curcas cake as nutraceutical food.

Feeding value of supplemental curcas crude oil in finishing diets for feedlot lambs.

The objective of this experiment was to determine the feeding value of a mechanically extracted nontoxic variety of oil (JCO) as source of energy for feedlot lambs. Twenty Pelibuey × Katahdin lambs were individually fed a dry-rolled-corn-based finishing diet supplemented with 0%, 2%, 4%, or 6% JCO (diet dry matter basis). Supplemental JCO replaced dry rolled corn in the basal diet. Fatty acid composition of JCO was C16:0, 14.0%; C18:0, 8.2%; C18:1, 26.0%; C18:2, 50.3%, and C18:3, 0.4%. Daily intakes of JCO averaged 24.7, 51.1, and 77.3 g/day or 0.57, 1.08, and 1.62 g/kg LW for the 2%, 4%, and 6% levels of supplementation, respectively. Supplemental JCO did not affect ( = 0.33) dry matter intake (DMI), but tended to increase (linear effect, = 0.06) average daily gain, efficiency of gain (linear effect, < 0.01), and dietary net energy (linear effect, < 0.01) and decreased (linear effect, < 0.01) the ratio of observed/expected DMI. At low levels (20 g/kg diet dry matter) of supplementation, the net energy (NE) value of JCO corresponds closely (0.99) to the NE value assigned by current standards (), and this NE value decreased linearly as the inclusion level of JCO increased. There were not treatment effects on plasma metabolites. Across treatments, the concentrations of hemoglobin (11.64 ± 1.08 g/dL), hematocrit (39.15 ± 3.67%), glucose (85.2 ± 17.64 mg/dL), creatinine (1.43 ± 0.28 mg/dL), and urea (20.70 ± 4.35 mg/dL) were within normal (9-15 g/dL, 27%-40%, 50-90 mg/dL, 1.0-1.8 mg/dL, and 15-50 mg/dL, for hemoglobin, hematocrit, glucose, creatinine, and urea, respectively) ranges for healthy lambs. Based on DMI, performance and plasma metabolites observed in this study, nontoxic JCO is a suitable source of energy in finishing diets for lambs.

Feeding value of nontoxic Jatropha curcas seed cake for partially replacing dry-rolled corn and soybean meal in lambs fed finishing diets

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of partial replacement of dietary dry-rolled corn (DRC) and soybean meal (SBM) in isonitrogenous diets with different levels (0, 70, 140, and 210g/kg) of seed cake obtained from a nontoxic variety of Jatropha curcas on growth performance, dietary energetics, plasma metabolites, carcass characteristics, and visceral mass in 32 Pelibuey×Katahdin lambs. Jatropha seed cake (JSC) was obtained by mechanically pressing whole seed and contained 262g/kg crude protein (CP), 473g/kg neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom), 402g/kg acid detergent fiber (ADF), 7g/kg starch, 60g/kg ether extract, and 938g/kg of organic matter. The JSC substitution decreased linearly (P=0.02) final weight and average daily gain but did not affect (P=0.47) dry matter intake (DMI), thus efficiency of gain was decreased (P<0.01). In all treatments, the concentration of hemoglobin, haematocrit, glucose, creatinine, urea, and lipase was within normal ranges for healthy ruminants. Inclusion of JSC in diet did not affect dressing percentage and non-carcass fat deposition, but decreased (P=0.03) hot carcass weight and fat depth. As level of JSC inclusion increased, the muscle and fat composition of shoulder (as g/100g of shoulder weight) was affected, muscle increased (P<0.01) and fat decreased (P=0.02). Replacing corn and SBM with JSC did not affect empty body weight (EBW, as percentage of full weight) or the organ weights as a proportion of EBW (g/kg EBW). Increased JSC levels in the diet tended to increase visceral fat (P=0.06). The net energy (NE) value of JSC corresponds closely to its chemical composition (∼7.74MJ/kg NEm/kg), this NE value decreased linearly as the inclusion level of JSC increased as result of the removal of starch instead of NDF in diets and by the possible associative effects of JSC with other components of the diet. The changes of energy level and energy source (NDF and lipids instead of starch) by the replacement of corn and SBM by JSC, can affect the deposition of body fat. Based on DMI and performance observed in this study, nontoxic JSC is a suitable substitute for a portion of the DRC and SBM in a finishing diet; however, at high levels, it tends to decrease growth performance of lambs.

Comparative Yeild and Oil Quality of Toxic and Non-Toxic Mexican &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Jatropha curcas&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Grown in the Same Agroclimatic Conditions

Jatropha curcas brings attention across the developing world for biodiesel production since it grows in tropical and subtropical climates with no other competing food uses. This crop is gaining popularity in Mexico for biofuel production. Currently, there are not many reports on the native varieties and their yield to estimate the feasibility of the particular genetic resource to use it as an economic crop. So in this part of work an agronomical evaluation of yield, oil content, fatty acid types and biodiesel conversion from the two native varieties of Jatropha curcas from Mexico were compared while being produced in the same agro-climatic condition. The varieties used were based on the phorbol ester content like toxic and nontoxic varieties collected from Yucatan and Veracruz. It was found that the oil content in the seeds of toxic variety was 57% and oil content of the nontoxic variety was 54% and also the seed yield is higher. The fatty acid content also varies among the two varieties like 21% and 23% in toxic and nontoxic varieties respectively. Again in the nontoxic variety the content of monosaturated fatty acid was higher, which suggests that better quality biodiesel may be expected from this genotype. Transestrification of the two kinds of oil was done using KOH as a catalyst, but no significant difference was observed in the conversion of biodiesel among the two types of oil from the two genotypes.

Potential treatments to reduce phorbol esters levels in jatropha seed cake for improving the value added product

Jatropha seed cake contains high amounts of protein and other nutrients, however it has a drawback due to toxic compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the methods applied to detoxify the main toxin, phorbol esters in jatropha seed cake, to a safe and acceptable level by maintaining the nutritional values. Phorbol esters are tetracyclic diterpenoids-polycyclic compounds that are known as tumor promoters and hence exhibited the toxicity within a broad range of species. Mismanagement of the jatropha waste from jatropha oil industries would lead to contamination of the environment, affecting living organisms and human health through the food chain, so several methods were tested for reducing the toxicity of the seed cake. The results from this investigation showed that heat treatments at either 120°C or 220°C for 1 hour and then mixing with adsorbing bentonite (10%), nanoparticles of zinc oxide (100 μg/g) plus NaHCO3 at 4%, followed by a 4-week incubation period yielded the best final product. The remaining phorbol esters concentration (0.05–0.04 mg/g) from this treatment was less than that reported for the nontoxic jatropha varieties (0.11–0.27 mg/g). Nutritional values of the seed cake after treatment remained at the same levels found in the control group and these values were crude protein (20.47–21.40 + 0.17–0.25%), crude lipid (14.27–14.68 + 0.13–0.14%) and crude fiber (27.33–29.67 + 0.58%). A cytotoxicity test conducted using L929 and normal human dermal fibroblast cell lines confirmed that most of the toxic compounds, especially phorbol esters, were shown as completely eliminated. The results suggested that the detoxification of phorbol esters residues in the jatropha seed cake was possible while it also retained nutritional values. Therefore, the methods to detoxify phorbol esters are necessary to minimize the toxicity of jatropha seed cake. Further, it is essential to reduce the possible environmental impacts that may be generated throughout the jatropha waste-handling process. However additional tests such as digestibility as well as acceptability of the treated jatropha seed cake should be conducted using both in vivo and in vitro studies before recommending the jatropha seed cake as a source of renewable animal feed and other value-added products.

Linkage mapping in the oilseed crop Jatropha curcas L. reveals a locus controlling the biosynthesis of phorbol esters which cause seed toxicity

Current efforts to grow the tropical oilseed crop Jatropha curcas L. economically are hampered by the lack of cultivars and the presence of toxic phorbol esters (PE) within the seeds of most provenances. These PE restrict the conversion of seed cake into animal feed, although naturally occurring ‘nontoxic’ provenances exist which produce seed lacking PE. As an important step towards the development of genetically improved varieties of J. curcas, we constructed a linkage map from four F2 mapping populations. The consensus linkage map contains 502 codominant markers, distributed over 11 linkage groups, with a mean marker density of 1.8 cM per unique locus. Analysis of the inheritance of PE biosynthesis indicated that this is a maternally controlled dominant monogenic trait. This maternal control is due to biosynthesis of the PE occurring only within maternal tissues. The trait segregated 3 : 1 within seeds collected from F2 plants, and QTL analysis revealed that a locus on linkage group 8 was responsible for phorbol ester biosynthesis. By taking advantage of the draft genome assemblies of J. curcas and Ricinus communis (castor), a comparative mapping approach was used to develop additional markers to fine map this mutation within 2.3 cM. The linkage map provides a framework for the dissection of agronomic traits in J. curcas, and the development of improved varieties by marker-assisted breeding. The identification of the locus responsible for PE biosynthesis means that it is now possible to rapidly breed new nontoxic varieties.

Production of edible mushroom and degradation of antinutritional factors in jatropha biodiesel residues

The elimination of antinutritional factors of the Jatropha curcas L. seed cake is important for decreasing environmental damage and adding economic value to this residue of the biodiesel industry. In this study, we analyzed the ability of Pleurotus ostreatus to degrade antinutritional factors and produce edible mushrooms using different proportions of the J. curcas seed cake as substrate. After 60 d of incubation at 25 °C, we observed 95% phytic acid and 85% tannins reductions, and high mushrooms productivity. There was no evidence of tannins or phytic acid in these mushrooms. Furthermore, the phorbol ester concentration observed in these mushrooms was around 1000-fold lower than that found in the non-toxic variety of J. curcas. Thus, P. ostreatus can degrade the antinutritional factors found in J. curcas seed cake. The jatropha seed cake can potentially be used for mushroom production, with high nutritional value, and animal ration, after treated by P. ostreatus, adding economic value to the biodiesel residue and avoiding inadequate disposal in the environment.

Reduction of phorbol esters in Jatropha curcas L. pressed meal by surfactant solutions extraction

Phorbol esters (PEs), a compound group found in Jatropha curcas seeds, are toxic and thermal-resistant compounds; thus, the further application of Jatropha pressed seed is limited to use only as soil amendment, even though the meal has high protein content, similarly to that of soy bean meal. This study introduces a technique to remove PEs from Jatropha meal using a surfactant aqueous-based solution. Both single and mixed surfactant systems were evaluated. The Hydrophile-lipophile Balance (HLB) of a nonionic surfactant was found to be related to its PEs removal efficiency. The average initial level of PEs in the mechanically-pressed meals was 1.45 mg g(-1). The five systems used to reduce the mass fraction of PEs were as follows: water; 40 mmol L-1 polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80); mixed of 40 mmol L-1 Tween 80, 5 mmol L-1 sodium bis (ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT), and 100 mmol L-1 NaCl; 40 mmol L-1 fatty alcohol C12-14 extended with 9 ethoxylates (Dehydol LS9); and mixed of 40 mmol L-1 Dehydol LS9, 5 mmol L-1 AOT, and 100 mmol L-1 NaCl; these systems removed 22.49%, 81.43%, 81.23%, 81.87%, and 78.85% from the initial meal, respectively. The optimal extraction time was 15 min, and the removal of PEs was enhanced by the application of a double extraction procedure. This technique is promising because mass fraction of the PEs was reduced from the initial meal almost 90%; this approaches the level of PEs found almost as low as those found in a nontoxic variety of Jatropha seed. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Celiac Disease: Advances in Treatment via Gluten Modification

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy that occurs in genetically susceptible individuals carrying the prerequisite genetic markers HLA DQ2 or DQ8. These genetic markers are present in approximately 30% of the population, and the worldwide prevalence of CD is estimated to be approximately 1%-2%. Currently a gluten-free diet is the only treatment for CD, but novel therapies aimed at gluten modification are underway. This review will discuss gluten-based therapies including wheat alternatives and wheat selection, enzymatic alteration of wheat, oral enzyme supplements, and polymeric binders as exciting new therapies for treatment of CD.

Toxicity of Jatropha curcas L. as a biofuel crop and options for management.

Abstract There are high expectations of Jatropha curcas L. as a new crop for biofuel production in the tropics and sub-tropical areas, as evidenced by the forecast expansion of its cultivation in various areas, especially in Asia. The definitive confirmation of the crop as realistic and suitable feedstock for biodiesel will come about when it is able to exploit the vast marginal areas present in many countries, demonstrating the economic sustainability of the whole Jatropha biodiesel chain. Increasing seed yield and oil content remain the main goals, but a valorization of the extruded seed cake, as animal feed, currently prevented by the presence of phorbol esters (PE) toxins, could contribute to a significant improvement in the economic sustainability of the crop. At present, the only reliable process is the seed cake detoxification by washing treatments with solvents and by biotransformation, but these treatments are expensive, not environmentally friendly and difficult to apply in developing countries. In the near future, the solution may come from non-toxic J. curcas accessions, which can be used in breeding programmes to recombine non-toxic traits into elite toxic varieties. In general, a plant free of PE would be more acceptable, opening additional market opportunities for the farmers. Strategies for breeding improved non-toxic varieties could be accelerated by DNA-based molecular marker technology, utilizing the simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers associated with toxicity. The whole genome of plant was recently sequenced and this important acquisition is expected to accelerate the process of molecular breeding in J. curcas .

Structure prediction and binding sites analysis of curcin protein of Jatropha curcas using computational approaches

Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) are defense proteins in a number of higher-plant species that are directly targeted toward herbivores. Jatropha curcas is one of the biodiesel plants having RIPs. The Jatropha seed meal, after extraction of oil, is rich in curcin, a highly toxic RIP similar to ricin, which makes it unsuitable for animal feed. Although the toxicity of curcin is well documented in the literature, the detailed toxic properties and the 3D structure of curcin has not been determined by X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy or any in silico techniques to date. In this pursuit, the structure of curcin was modeled by a composite approach of 3D structure prediction using threading and ab initio modeling. Assessment of model quality was assessed by methods which include Ramachandran plot analysis and Qmean score estimation. Further, we applied the protein-ligand docking approach to identify the r-RNA binding residue of curcin. The present work provides the first structural insight into the binding mode of r-RNA adenine to the curcin protein and forms the basis for designing future inhibitors of curcin. Cloning of a future peptide inhibitor within J. curcas can produce non-toxic varieties of J. curcas, which would make the seed-cake suitable as animal feed without curcin detoxification.

Identificação do gene mcyA em florações naturais de Radiocystis fernandoi, em um tributário do reservatório de Rosana, Brasil

Identification of the mcyA gene in natural blooms of Radiocystis fernandoi from a tributary of the Rosana reservoir, Brazil. Cyanobacterias are known as toxin producers. Within the same species, toxic and non-toxic varieties can be found and it is impossible to differentiate them only by morphology. The most important toxin produced by cyanobacteria is microcystin. This protein is synthesized by a cluster of genes known as mcy. The detection of these genes by PCR allows the differentiation of the producing toxin strain from the non-producing toxin strain. Thus, the goal of this work was to investigate the occurrence of toxigenic blooms of cyanobacteria in the Corvo River through PCR amplification of mcyA gene. For this, two samples of blooms of cyanobacteria were collected in Corvo River. Both samples were dominated by Radiocystis fernandoi and presented positive results for the presence of the mcyA gene, which may confirm the potential toxigenicity for that species. These results are an alert about water quality in the Corvo River. Here we demonstrate that amplification of the mcyA gene by PCR is a fast, cheap and efficient method for the detection of toxin- producing cyanobacteria.