Sucrose Production Research Articles

South African Sucrose Quality in Sugar: Determinants and its Empirical Implications

The study investigates which factors determine sucrose quality in the South African sugar cane production process. Though South Africa is the 8th largest producer of sugar cane in the world and the highest in Africa, a decline has been observed in the production of high quality sugar in the country. The study adopts the Auto Regressive Distributive Lags (ARDL) technique to analyze sugar cane production time series data from 1980 to 2016 in South Africa. Ten variables were tested, including Average Temperature, Stalk growth, Evaporation, and Soil Water Content (100mm). Our findings revealed that on both the short and long run, some of the variables investigated have the tendency of increasing sucrose level in sugar cane while an increase in other variables would decrease sucrose level altogether. However, the impact of Soil Water Content (100mm) appears not to be statistically significant on sucrose production in our regression model in the short and long run. Of special interest are Stalk growth (Reference sugar cane) and average temperature, as their values are more significantly germane as regards the quantity of sucrose obtained during sugar cane processing in South Africa.

Development of a Mini-Freeze Dryer for Material-Sparing Laboratory Processing with Representative Product Temperature History

The goal of the work described in this publication was to evaluate a new, small, material-sparing freeze dryer, denoted as the "mini-freeze dryer or mini-FD", capable of reproducing the product temperature history of larger freeze dryers, thereby facilitating scale-up. The mini-FD wall temperatures can be controlled to mimic loading procedures and dryer process characteristics of larger dryers. The mini-FD is equipped with a tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) water vapor mass flow monitor and with other advanced process analytical technology (PAT) sensors. Drying experiments were performed to demonstrate scalability to larger freeze dryers, including the determination of vial heat transfer coefficients, K v . Product temperature histories during K v runs were evaluated and compared with those obtained with a commercial laboratory-scale freeze dryer (LyoStar II) for sucrose and mannitol product formulations. When the mini-FD wall temperature was set at the LyoStar II band temperature (-20°C) to mimic lab dryer edge vials, edge vial drying in the mini-FD possessed an average K v within 5% of those obtained during drying in the LyoStar II. When the wall temperature of the mini-FD was set equal to the central vial product temperature, edge vials behaved as center vials, possessing a K v value within 5% of those measured in the LyoStar II. During both K v runs and complete product freeze drying runs, the temperature-time profiles for the average edge vials and central vial in the mini-FD agreed well with the average edge and average central vials of the LyoStar II.

Effect of sucrose on in-vitro pollen germination of Gloriosa superba L. – a medicinal plant from the Garhwal Himalaya, India.

Pollen germination and pollen tube growth are prerequisites for fertilization in seed bearing plants. The present study deals with the morphology, production, pollen-ovule ratio, and effect of sucrose on in-vitro germination of pollen grains of Gloriosa superba L., family Colchicaceae. The G. superba L. pollen were radially symmetrical, prolate shape, 2-3 zonicolpate with striate surface. A single anther produced an average of 350,000 pollen grains. Pollen-ovule ratio was 58333.33/1. The maximum pollen germination (98.86%±0.641) along with 676.2µm pollen tube growth was observed in 5% sucrose solution, while in 20% sucrose concentration the germination percent decreased by 90% and the pollen grains’ cytoplasm also shrinked. The pollen viability was found 96.22% and 91.79% in IKI and acetocarmine stain respectively. The study is useful in determining the pollen production and potential pollination capacity of Gloriosa superba L., as it is found that the species is xenogamous (self-compatible). The findings will be useful in assessing the pollen vigour by monitoring the rate of germination over a period of time on the length of pollen tubes.

Valorisation of Phosphorus-Saturated Constructed Wetlands for the Production of Sugarcane

Constructed wetlands (CW) are a clean and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional wastewater treatment methods, namely in the removal of the nutrients responsible for the eutrophication of receiving water bodies, as is the case of phosphorus compounds. The materials used as CW filling can directly contribute to the removal of phosphorus compounds from wastewater, but with the operating time they tend to become saturated and treatment efficiency decreases. In order to evaluate the viability of producing an energy crop in phosphorus-saturated CW, sugarcane growth was monitored in two pilot-scale CW filled with two different expanded clay aggregates used for 10 years in wastewater treatment. This paper presents the results obtained during the first year of plant development in the plant-cane cycle. Morphologic aspects of sugarcane growth, such as height and average diameter of stems, average leaf area and number of new sprouts, have been monitored. The results obtained are comparable with those cited in the literature for traditional cultivation. Dry biomass productivity of 26.6 ton per hectare per year can be achieved. Estimated sucrose productivity can reach 13.5 ton per hectare per year, and related bioethanol production potential can be between 2.4 and 7.6 cubic meters per hectare per year, depending on the CW filter media used. It is concluded that the cultivation of sugarcane in CW allows to extend the life of these systems by reusing fillers, and simultaneously is an alternative to produce bioethanol raw-material without the use of scarce resources such as arable land, fresh water and plant nutrients.

Detection of saponins and oligosaccharides in herbs using direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry

The use of direct analysis in real-time(DART) mass spectrometry(MS) for direct detection of saponins and oligosaccharides is difficult mainly because of the strong polarity of these molecules, which results in challenges re-garding desorption and ionization of the compounds. Structure derivatization, such as methylation, is essential for improving the volatility and the proton affinity of saponin and oligosaccharides. In this study, solid-phase methylation of saponins and oligosaccharides was accomplished in a stainless steel methylation column, and the methylated products of astragaloside, salidroside, icariin, ginsenosides(Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rd, Re, Rf and Rg1), maltose, isomaltose, sucrose and maltotriose were analyzed using DART-MS. Fragmentations occurred during ionization and tandem mass spectrometry, and most fragments corresponded to the glycosidic bond, cross-ring cleavages, and the neutral loss of CH3OH ions, but the aglycone cleavage fragment was not detected. Furthermore, the method was successfully used in the rapid and simultaneous analysis of saponins and oligosaccharides in a ginseng extract; quantitative analysis of ginsenoside Rb1 was also carried out, and consistent content results were obtained in DART-MS and high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).

Compensated Cell Enlargement in fugu5 is Specifically Triggered by Lowered Sucrose Production from Seed Storage Lipids.

To reveal the logic of size regulation in multicellular organisms, we have used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism and its leaves as a model organ. We discovered the existence of a compensatory system, whereby a decrease in leaf cell number often triggers unusual cell enlargement. However, despite the large number of compensation-exhibiting mutants analyzed to date, we have only a limited understanding of the detailed molecular mechanisms triggering the decrease in cell number and subsequent compensated cell enlargement (CCE). CCE in fugu5, the vacuolar type H+-pyrophosphatase loss-of-function mutant, is specific to cotyledons and completely suppressed when sucrose (Suc) is supplied or cytosolic pyrophosphate (PPi) is specifically removed. In addition, several lines of evidence suggest that excess cytosolic PPi in fugu5 impairs gluconeogenesis from triacylglycerol (TAG) to Suc. Here, detailed cellular phenotyping revealed that the loss-of-function mutants icl-2, mls-2 and pck1-2 triggered CCE in cotyledons. All double mutant combinations between fugu5-1 and the above three mutants exhibited compensation, but did not display a further increase in cell size. Importantly, similar phenotypes were observed in icl-2 mls-2, icl-2 pck1-2 and mls-2 pck1-2. Quantification of TAG breakdown and Suc contents further supported our findings. Taken together, we demonstrate that de novo Suc synthesis from TAG is fundamentally important for proper resumption of post-germinative cotyledon development. Moreover, provided that icl-2, mls-2 and pck1-2 are only compromised in Suc biosynthesis de novo from TAG, our findings clearly indicate that lowered Suc production in fugu5, rather than excess cytosolic PPi, is the direct trigger of CCE.

Improving metabolite production in microbial co-cultures using a spatially constrained hydrogel.

Microbial co-cultures promise the development of more efficient bioproductions. However, the design of obligate mutualisms is complicated when using organisms that possess differing growth rates or incompatible media requirements. In this work, we investigate sucrose production by cscB Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 within a polyacrylate hydrogel matrix. This system secretes sucrose only when the hydrogel is spatially constrained, demonstrating a new utilization of hydrogel swelling pressure to control the osmotic strength of a microbial microenvironment. The sucrose produced via the constrained microbial hydrogel is used to grow the diazotrophic organism, Azotobacter vinelandii, in a mutually dependent fashion. The growth of this hydrogel-based coculture has several advantages over batch cultures, including better growth over a longer period of time and decreased salt stress on A. vinelandii. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1195-1200. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pathogenic Bacteria in Oreochromis Niloticus Var. Stirling Tilapia Culture

Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus is an aquaculture resource that represents one of the most popular crops in the world. However, species cultivation presents health problems, which are associated with the presence of pathogenic bacteria and causes high economic losses. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of these bacteria at the genus level in the species O. niloticus var. Styrling during growing stage in the fattening and pre-fattening phases. Tilapia samples were collected and analyzed; each sample was subjected to a macroscopic external and internal observation of organs and tissues. Subsequently, samples were evaluated by microbiological tests using Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA), Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salts Sucrose Agar (TCBS) and selective media (Pseudomonas sp. Group), and conventional biochemical tests aimed at the production of glucose, sucrose, lactose, oxidase, catalase, indole, ornithine and Gram staining. External analysis revealed clinical signs of disease such as skin bleeding, body ulceration, corneal opacity, and intestine and vesicle inflammation. Microbiological and biochemical analysis showed the presence of eleven bacterial genera known as Arthrobacter sp., Enterococcus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Micrococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., Edwardsiella sp., Flexibacter sp. and Flavobacterium sp., with a predominance of 55% Gram-negative bacilli in tilapia crops. According to the results, it is necessary to take preventive and corrective measures in order to avoid possible risks during production cycles, mainly when handling organisms. It is also important to promote good crop management practices and quality systems in production units to benefit the aquaculture sector.

RNAi downregulation of three key lignin genes in sugarcane improves glucose release without reduction in sugar production.

BackgroundSugarcane is a subtropical crop that produces large amounts of biomass annually. It is a key agricultural crop in many countries for the production of sugar and other products. Residual bagasse following sucrose extraction is currently underutilized and it has potential as a carbohydrate source for the production of biofuels. As with all lignocellulosic crops, lignin acts as a barrier to accessing the polysaccharides, and as such, is the focus of transgenic efforts. In this study, we used RNAi to individually reduce the expression of three key genes in the lignin biosynthetic pathway in sugarcane. These genes, caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT), ferulate 5-hydroxylase (F5H) and caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), impact lignin content and/or composition.ResultsFor each RNAi construct, we selected three events for further analysis based on qRT-PCR results. For the CCoAOMT lines, there were no lines with a reduction in lignin content and only one line showed improved glucose release. For F5H, no lines had reduced lignin, but one line had a significant increase in glucose release. For COMT, one line had reduced lignin content, and this line and another released higher levels of glucose during enzymatic hydrolysis. Two of the lines with improved glucose release (F5H-2 and COMT-2) also had reduced S:G ratios.ConclusionsAlong with improvements in bagasse quality for the production of lignocellulosic-based fuels, there was only one line with reduction in juice sucrose extraction, and three lines with significantly improved sucrose production, providing evidence that the alteration of sugarcane for improved lignocellulosic ethanol production can be achieved without negatively impacting sugar production and perhaps even enhancing it.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13068-016-0683-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sucrose Production Mediated by Lipid Metabolism Suppresses the Physical Interaction of Peroxisomes and Oil Bodies during Germination of Arabidopsis thaliana

Physical interaction between organelles is a flexible event and essential for cells to adapt rapidly to environmental stimuli. Germinating plants utilize oil bodies and peroxisomes to mobilize storage lipids for the generation of sucrose as the main energy source. Although membrane interaction between oil bodies and peroxisomes has been widely observed, its underlying molecular mechanism is largely unknown. Here we present genetic evidence for control of the physical interaction between oil bodies and peroxisomes. We identified alleles of the sdp1 mutant altered in oil body morphology. This mutant accumulates bigger and more oil body aggregates compared with the wild type and showed defects in lipid mobilization during germination. SUGAR DEPENDENT 1 (SDP1) encodes major triacylglycerol lipase in Arabidopsis Interestingly, sdp1 seedlings show enhanced physical interaction between oil bodies and peroxisomes compared with the wild type, whereas exogenous sucrose supplementation greatly suppresses the interaction. The same phenomenon occurs in the peroxisomal defective 1 (ped1) mutant, defective in lipid mobilization because of impaired peroxisomal β-oxidation, indicating that sucrose production is a key factor for oil body-peroxisomal dissociation. Peroxisomal dissociation and subsequent release from oil bodies is dependent on actin filaments. We also show that a peroxisomal ATP binding cassette transporter, PED3, is the potential anchor protein to the membranes of these organelles. Our results provide novel components linking lipid metabolism and oil body-peroxisome interaction whereby sucrose may act as a negative signal for the interaction of oil bodies and peroxisomes to fine-tune lipolysis.

Sucrose secreted by the engineered cyanobacterium and its fermentability

The unicellular cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (Syn7942), synthesizes sucrose as the only compatible solute under salt stress. A series of engineered Syn7942 strains for sucrose production were constructed. The overexpression of the native sps (encoding a natively fused protein of sucrose phosphate synthase SPS and sucrose phosphate phosphatase SPP) in Syn7942 wild type caused a 93% improvement of sucrose productivity. The strain FL130 co-overexpressing sps and cscB (encoding a sucrose transporter) exhibited a 74% higher extracellular sucrose production than that overexpressing cscB only. Both results showed the significant improvement of sucrose productivity by the double functional protein SPS-SPP. Afterwards, FL130 was cultivated under a modified condition, and the cell-free culture medium containing 1.5 g L−1 sucrose was pre-treated with an acid hydrolysis technique. Cultivated with the neutralized hydrolysates as the starting media, two widely used microorganisms, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, showed a comparable growth with that in the control media supplemented with glucose. These results clearly demonstrated that the cell-free culture of sucrose-secreting cyanobacteria can be applied as starting media in microbial cultivation.

Characterization of the first cultured representative of Verrucomicrobia subdivision 5 indicates the proposal of a novel phylum.

The recently isolated strain L21-Fru-ABT represents moderately halophilic, obligately anaerobic and saccharolytic bacteria that thrive in the suboxic transition zones of hypersaline microbial mats. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes, RpoB proteins and gene content indicated that strain L21-Fru-ABT represents a novel species and genus affiliated with a distinct phylum-level lineage originally designated Verrucomicrobia subdivision 5. A survey of environmental 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that members of this newly recognized phylum are wide-spread and ecologically important in various anoxic environments ranging from hypersaline sediments to wastewater and the intestine of animals. Characteristic phenotypic traits of the novel strain included the formation of extracellular polymeric substances, a Gram-negative cell wall containing peptidoglycan and the absence of odd-numbered cellular fatty acids. Unusual metabolic features deduced from analysis of the genome sequence were the production of sucrose as osmoprotectant, an atypical glycolytic pathway lacking pyruvate kinase and the synthesis of isoprenoids via mevalonate. On the basis of the analyses of phenotypic, genomic and environmental data, it is proposed that strain L21-Fru-ABT and related bacteria are specifically adapted to the utilization of sulfated glycopolymers produced in microbial mats or biofilms.

Dead end ultra-filtration of sugar beet juice expressed from cold electrically pre-treated slices: Effect of membrane polymer on fouling mechanism and permeate quality

Abstract Purification of raw sugar beet juice expressed at ambient temperature (20 °C) from pretreated sugar beet slices by pulsed electric field (E = 600 V·cm− 1, tPEF = 10 ms, T = 20 °C) was studied on the laboratory scale by dead-end ultrafiltration tests. Polyethersulfone (PES) and Regenerated Cellulose (RC) membranes with the same nominal molecular weight cut-off of 30 kDa were used. Experiments were carried out in unstirred and stirred (at rotation speed of 500 rpm) mode at constant trans-membrane pressure of 2 bar. The effects of the membrane polymer (Polyethersulfone and Regenerate Cellulose) on the filtration flux and the permeate quality were studied. In order to identify the fouling mechanism, the filtration kinetics was modeled using combined fouling models. Results showed that the filtration productivity (filtration flux) and selectivity (rejection ratio of impurities) depended on the membrane polymer. The juice filterability was better with Regenerated Cellulose (RC) membrane while the polyethersulfone (PES) membrane ensured a better retention of impurities (colorants, proteins and colloids), leading to a higher juice purity. Experimental and models data adjustment showed that combined models were preferable to investigate the fouling mechanism for both unstirred and stirred filtration. The desirable sugar purity (95–96%) of filtrate implies the potential application of a novel process (PEF treatment-cold pressing-ultrafiltration) for sugar industrial production. Industrial relevance Pre-treatment by pulsed electric field PEF allowed cold or mild extraction of sucrose from sugar beet roots. The combination of PEF and ultra-filtration allowed high yield sucrose extraction and purification with less energy consumption. Membrane fouling analysis led to better filtration producibility. The obtained data can be useful for optimization of the sucrose production with high yield in industrial extraction processes.

Analysis of sucrose acetates in a crude 6-O-acetyl sucrose product by on-line hydrolysis-high-performance liquid chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection

A standard-free and sensitive method was developed for analysis of sucrose acetates in a crude 6-O-acetyl sucrose (S-6-a) product by on-line hydrolysis-high-performance liquid chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD). Sucrose, three regio-isomers of acetyl sucrose and five regio-isomers of diacetyl sucrose were separated on a C18 column using 3% (v/v) acetonitrile in water as eluent within 25min. After purification with LC followed by semi-preparative HPLC, their chemical structures were identified by 1D, 2D NMR and LC–MS. Moreover, quantification of those regio-isomers was achieved by on-line alkaline hydrolysis to liberate sucrose using a post-column delivery system, and then detected by PAD for indirect estimation of the sucrose acetate content. Under optimal conditions, the linear ranges were from 0.03 to 150μmolL−1 for sucrose corresponding to sucrose acetates with coefficient of determination as 0.9997 and detection limit as 0.01μmolL−1 (S/N=3). Good repeatability was obtained (RSD<3%, n=6). Furthermore, this method has been successfully applied to the analysis of sucrose and sucrose acetates in a crude S-6-a product during synthesis, purification and structure elucidation studies. The recoveries were from 94.89% to 102.31% for sucrose and sucrose acetates.

The potential of Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 for sugar feedstock production.

It is important to obtain abundant sugar feedstocks economically and sustainably for bio-fermentation industry, especially for producing cheap biofuels and biochemicals. Besides plant biomass, photosynthetic cyanobacteria have also been considered to be potential microbe candidates for sustainable production of carbohydrate feedstocks. As the fastest growing cyanobacterium reported so far, Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 (Syn2973) might have huge potential for bioproduction. In this study, we explored the potentials of this strain as photo-bioreactors for sucrose and glycogen production. Under nitrogen-replete condition, Syn2973 could accumulate glycogen with a rate of 0.75gL(-1)day(-1) at the exponential phase and reach a glycogen content as high as 51% of the dry cell weight (DCW) at the stationary phase. By introducing a sucrose transporter CscB, Syn2973 was endowed with an ability to secrete over 94% sucrose out of cells under salt stress condition. The highest extracellular sucrose productivity reached 35.5mgL(-1)h(-1) for the Syn2973 strain expressing cscB, which contained the similar amounts of intracellular glycogen with the wild type. Potassium chloride was firstly proved to induce sucrose accumulation as well as sodium chloride in Syn2973. By semi-continuous culturing, 8.7gL(-1) sucrose was produced by the cscB-expressing strain of Syn2973 in 21days. These results support that Syn2973 is a promising candidate with great potential for production of sugars.

Sugar Cane Whip Smut (Sporisorium scitamineum Syd) Caused Field Sucrose and Juice Quality Losses of Two Sugar Cane Varieties in Nigeria

Two sugar cane varieties were evaluated in a split plot design experiment at Badeggi (lat.9°045'N; long 607'E at an altitude of 70.57 m.a.s.l) with four whip smut (Sporisorium scitamineum) inoculum concentrations 0 x 10, 2 x 10, 4 x 10 and 6 x 10 teliospores/ml in four replicates between 1998 and 2000. The field sucrose production (% brix) was measured with a hand refractometer by using the stalks of five tagged healthy and smutted canes which were individually punched and a drop of the juice from each of them placed on the hand refractometer and covered. This was then held against the sun and viewed for the brix reading, which was recorded in percent. For the juice quality laboratory yield loss assessment, 2 healthy stalks were randomly cut from each plot and five smutted stalks were crushed using the Jeffco cutter to obtain at least 2 kg of crushed material for quality analysis. Six hundred grams of the crushed material were taken and pressed using the hydraulic hand press. The resulting juice was collected in 250 ml conical beakers. The first and last Original Research Article Wada et al.; IJPSS, 10(4): 1-11, 2016; Article no.IJPSS.24566 2 expressed brix of the juice were recorded. The temperature and hydrometer readings of the juice were also recorded. The weight of the wet bagasse was taken and again recorded after oven drying to a constant weight. These readings were used in the calculation of % reducing sugars, % Pol., Corrected brix, % Purity and % Fibre. Results showed that S. scitamineum reduced field sucrose (% Brix), % Pol., % Purity and % Fibre but increased % reducing sugars of the two test infected cane varieties.

High Stalk Sugar Corn: A Potential Biofuel Crop for Canada

One of the most energy efficient systems of biofuel production uses the sugar extracted from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) for fermentation into ethanol; while sugarcane will not grow in Canada, corn (Zea mays L.), another C4 crop can. The overall objective of our study was to determine if there was corn germplasm, adapted to the short‐season regions of Canada, with high stalk sugar content. Thirty‐nine genotypes from diverse backgrounds were evaluated for stalk sucrose accumulation and associated traits (juice percentage, plant height, weight, and moisture) in field trials from 2007 to 2009. Genotypic differences for stalk sucrose and juice percentage were highly significant. Mean stalk sucrose ranged from 5.1 to 16.4 Brix (oBx) and fresh biomass from 45 to 135 Mg ha−1 suggesting the presence of exploitable genetic variation. Mean stalk sucrose concentration was significantly higher in plants where pollination was prevented. Calculated sucrose yield of experimental hybrids ranged from 4.3 to 6.0 Mg ha−1. At the current conversion efficiency, the products of sucrose and fresh biomass can be translated into 3600 L ha−1 ethanol plus 47 Mg ha−1 silage, indicating that this high stalk sugar corn (or “sugarcorn”) would be a valuable and an economically viable crop for Canada and elsewhere.

Characterisation of alleles of the sucrose phosphate synthase gene family in sugarcane and their association with sugar-related traits

Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) is a key enzyme in the production of sucrose. Five SPS gene families have been identified in monocotyledonous plants including sugarcane. Using SPS family-specific primers to four of the five families (we had previously characterised the fifth gene family), an approximately 400-nt region was amplified from the parents of a sugarcane mapping population, namely the cultivar Q165 and a S. officinarum line IJ76-514. Alignment of the sequences from both parents suggested from one to three genes per SPS gene family, with variable numbers of alleles per gene. Single-dose (SD) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in at least one allele from each SPS gene family and mapped in Q165. For gene families SPS I–IV, SNPs from different alleles in each gene family mapped to different linkage groups within the same homology group (HG), suggesting a single gene per gene family, or multiple genes at a single locus. These map locations were syntenic with SPS gene family locations in sorghum. Two SNPs from different alleles in gene family SPS V were mapped to two different HGs, suggesting two genes in this family; one of the map locations was syntenic with the location of SPS V in sorghum. QTL analysis for sugar-related traits was undertaken with the SD and double-dose SNP markers. SNPs from SPS gene family IV were strongly associated with sugar-related traits, while SNPs from other gene families were associated with agronomic traits, such as stalk weight, diameter, and number. This study provides insight into the evolution of this important polyploid crop as well as highlights the importance of this gene family to sugar production in sugarcane.

Reconversión de la cadena agroindustrial de la caña de azúcar en Veracruz México

La agroindustria azucarera de Veracruz participa con 40 % de la producción nacional de sacarosa e integra actividades agrícolas de crecimiento, cosecha y transporte de caña de azúcar con la producción industrial en ingenios azucareros, destilerias y trapiches piloncilleros. Sin embargo, enfrenta retos con la caída de la productividad y aspectos socioeconómicos que ponen en riesgo la seguridad alimentaria y la reconversión de la agroindustria. El objetivo del presente trabajo es evaluar la capacidad y estrategias de reconversión de la agroindustria azucarera de Veracruz mediante el análisis de la productividad de la cadena agroindustrial en el contexto nacional con el uso de diversas herramientas de análisis como Matriz de ponderación de productividad en campo, ingenios azucareros y municipios productores, zonificación agroecológica y diamante de competitividad. Los resultados establecen que el 40 % de los ingenios azucareros poseen indicadores por encima de la media nacional. Las zonas de abasto cañero presentan en su conjunto 12 % menor productividad en relación a su potencial agroecológico, a pesar que en Veracruz el 57.5 % de su zona productora tiene aptitud edafoclimática al cultivo de media a alta y 30 municipios (33.7 %) poseen recursos y capacidades para reconvertirse. Se concluye que las acciones y estrategias para incrementar la productividad para bioenergía y alimentos en Veracruz debe abordarse desde una perspectiva interdisciplinaria como una interfaz entre la optimización del rendimiento, la ecología, limitantes técnicos y socioeconómicos y la nutrición humana como una cuestión de eficiencia de los recursos disponibles.

Preparation of Sucrose Complexes of Chromium and the Study of their Viability as Food Supplement for Chromium Deficiency

Chromium(III) is biologically active ingredient of food and is known to enhance the action of insulin, a hormone critical to metabolism and storage of carbohydrate, fat and protein in body. On the other hand, chromium(VI) is toxic substance in any form. Chromium deficiency may be cured by commercially available food supplements like chromium picolinate and chromium polynicotinate. In the present work, we report the method of preparation and characterization of products formed by the interaction of di-tertiary butyl chromate with sucrose in order to explore whether the products containing chromium(III) in combination with oxidised products of sucrose can be used as food supplement for chromium deficiency.