T3 Treatment Research Articles

Effect of exogenous silicon treatments on cell wall metabolism and textural properties of tomato fruits

This study investigated the effects of exogenous silicon (Si) treatment on cell wall metabolism in tomato fruits. The experiment was conducted with ‘Jinfan502’ tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) as the test material, which was cultivated in substrates with foliar sprays of the following different concentrations of Si treatments: 0 mmol·L−1 (CK), 0.6 mmol·L−1 (T1), 1.2 mmol·L−1 (T2), and 1.8 mmol·L−1 (T3). To study the effects of the treatment on the mature green, breaker, and red ripening stages of tomato fruit cell wall components, cell wall metabolism-related enzyme activities, textural properties, and the impact of ethylene production during the red ripening stage were assessed. The results showed that the cell wall components and textural properties of the T2 treatment were significantly higher than those of the CK treatment in the green mature, breaker, and red ripening stages. Among them, at the red ripening stage of fruiting, the content of cell wall components in the T2 treatment was significantly improved, and the contents of protopectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and expansin were increased by 6.29 %, 10.04 %, 2.52 %, and 3.95 %, respectively, relative to the CK treatment; the firmness of the fruit was also significantly increased, by 13.23 %, compared with the CK treatment. Cell-wall-metabolism-related enzyme activity was significantly lower in the T2 treatment than in the CK treatment at the green mature, breaker, and red ripening stages. When Si (T2) was applied during the red ripening stage, the activities of cell wall metabolism-related enzymes were significantly inhibited; compared to the CK treatment, the activities of pectinase (PE), polygalacturonase (PG), pectin methylesterase (PME), β-galactosidase (β-Gal), lipoxygenase (LOX), pectin lyase (PL), and cellulase (CL) were reduced by 16.34 %, 19.37 %, 28.07 %, 10.73 %, 19.86 %, 8.47 %, and 6.53 %, respectively. Furthermore, the ethylene content of the red ripened fruits under the T2 treatment was significantly reduced by 21.59 % compared to the CK treatment. In addition, multiple sets of significant or extremely significant negative correlations existed among ethylene, cell wall components, and textural properties at red ripening stage. Finally, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of cell-wall metabolism-related enzyme activities in the three stages of treatment with different Si concentrations showed that the models significantly separated the T2 treatment from the CK, T1, and T3 treatments. In conclusion, exogenous Si T2 treatment (1.2 mmol·L−1) had the greatest effect on delaying cell wall metabolism, which provides the theoretical and technical basis for the enhancement of storage and transport resistance in tomatoes.

Circadian Gating of Thyroid Hormone Action in Hepatocytes.

Thyroid hormones, thyroxin (T4) and the biologically active triiodothyronine (T3), play important roles in liver metabolic regulation, including fatty acid biosynthesis, beta-oxidation, and cholesterol homeostasis. These functions position TH signaling as a potential target for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Elevated T3 levels in the circulation are associated with increased hepatic lipid turnover, which is also under the control of the circadian clock system. In this study, we developed a cell system to study the impact of hepatocyte circadian rhythms on the metabolic response to T3 treatment under control and steatotic conditions. Synchronized AML-12 circadian reporter hepatocytes were treated with T3 at different circadian phases and metabolic conditions. T3 treatment increased metabolic activity in a dose-independent fashion and had no significant effect on circadian rhythms in AML-12 cells. T3 had marked time-of-treatment-dependent effects on metabolic transcript expression. Steatosis induction altered metabolic transcript expression in AML-12 cells. In this condition, the circadian rhythm period was lengthened, and this effect was independent of T3. Under steatotic conditions, T3 had marked time-of-treatment dependent effects on metabolic transcript expression, which differed from those observed under control conditions. These findings reveal a time-of-day-dependent response of hepatocytes to T3, which is further modulated by the metabolic state. Our data suggest that time has a strong influence on liver TH action, which might be considered when treating MASLD.

Microbial-Based Biofungicides Mitigate the Damage Caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Race 1 and Improve the Physiological Performance in Banana.

Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) is the most limiting disease in this crop. The phytosanitary emergency caused by FWB since 2019 in Colombia has required the development of ecofriendly control methods. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of microbial-based biofungicides against FWB caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 1 (Foc R1) and correlate such effect with plant physiological parameters. Five Trichoderma (T1 to T4 and T9) and four Bacillus (T5 to T8)-based biofungicides were evaluated in pot experiments. In vitro, dual confrontation tests were also carried out to test whether the in vitro effects on Foc growth were consistent with the in vivo effects. While Trichoderma-based T3, T4, and T9, and Bacillus-based T8, significantly reduced the growth of Foc R1 in vitro, Trichoderma-based T1, T3, T4, and T9 temporarily reduced the Foc population in the soil. However, the incidence progress of FWB was significantly reduced by Bacterial-based T7 (74% efficacy) and Trichoderma-based T2 (50% efficacy). The molecular analysis showed that T7 prevented the inner tissue colonization by Foc R1 in 80% of inoculated plants. The T2, T4, T7, and T9 treatments mitigated the negative effects caused by Foc R1 on plant physiology and growth. Our data allowed us to identify three promising treatments to control FWB, reducing the progress of the disease, delaying the colonization of inner tissue, and mitigating physiological damages. Further studies should be addressed to determine the modes of action of the biocontrol agents against Foc and validate the utilization in the field.

Optimal seeding rate enhances seedling quality, mechanical transplanting quality, and yield in hybrid rice.

To determine the appropriate seeding rate for machine-transplanted hybrid rice, field experiments were conducted during 2022-2023 using the hybrid rice variety Huazhe You 210 as the material. Four seeding rate treatments were set up: 40 (T1), 60 (T2), 80 (T3) and 100g tray-1 (T4), to investigate the effects of seeding rate on the seedling quality, transplanting quality, yield formation, and economic benefits of high-quality indica hybrid rice seedlings. The results showed that with increasing seeding rate, the seedling base stem diameter and seedling plumpness of hybrid rice seedlings decreased, but the root entwining force gradually increased, leading to a deterioration in individual seedling quality but an improvement in collective characteristics. As the seeding rate increased, the missing hill rate during mechanical planting of hybrid rice significantly decreased, while the number of seedlings per hill and the damaged seedling rate showed an upward trend. The growth volume of tillers, tillering spikelet rate, and harvest index of hybrid rice in the field showed an overall downward trend with increasing seeding rate, while the accumulation of dry matter initially increased and then decreased. The yield and economic benefits of hybrid rice grains showed an initial increase followed by a decrease with increasing seeding rate, with the highest yield and economic benefits achieved with the T2 treatment. In conclusion, the appropriate seeding rate for machine-transplanted hybrid rice is T2 (60g tray-1), which can maintain good seedling quality and improve transplanting quality, coordinate larger collective growth and appropriate harvest index, contributing to high yield and good economic benefits.

Effect of Enzyme Supplementation on Nutrient Utilization and Production Performance in Lactating Murrah Buffaloes

Background: Enzyme stimulates metabolic and digestive processes leading to increased feed intake and improved nutrient availability in animals. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of enzyme supplementation on nutrient utilization and production performance in lactating Murrah Buffaloes during winter season. Methods: Twenty four lactating Murrah buffaloes were selected for the study from Livestock Research Centre, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut (UP). All the selected animals were randomly allocated into four treatment groups having six animals in each group on the basis of body weight, lactation length and milk yield. The daily nutrient requirements of lactating Murrah buffaloes in term of DM, DCP and TDN were provided as per the feeding standards of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi (2013). Total Mixed Ration for buffaloes was prepared by mixing of roughage and concentrates in the ratio of 60:40 after grinding/chaffing. Roughage part was consisting of available winter season green fodder e.g. oat and wheat straw available at research centre. Feeding trial was planned into four treatment groups viz. T1 (Basal diet without enzyme supplementation), T2 (Basal diet with supplementation of Xylanase @ 800000 IU), T3 (Basal diet with supplementation of Cellulase @ 240000 IU) and T4 (Basal diet with supplementation of Xylanase @ 800000 IU and Cellulase @ 240000 IU). Result: From the present study, it was observed that the average milk yield (5.34 litre/day) was higher in T4 as compared to other treatment groups, but the difference was non-significant. The average milk fat percent was recorded as 7.52, 7.58. 7.60 and 7.65 in T1, T2, T3 and T4 treatment groups, respectively. Although the results of T4 group animals were comparatively higher in all major milk constituents the differences were found to be statistically non-significant. The average DM intake (kg/d, kg/100 kg BW and g/kg W0.75) and CP intake (g/d, g/100 kg BW) were almost similar in all treatment groups. The TDN intake (kg/d, kg/100 kg BW and g/kg W0.75) was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher in enzyme supplemented groups. The digestibility coefficient of CP, CF, NDF and ADF were higher (P less than 0.05) in buffaloes of T4 over control (T1) group. So, it was concluded from the above study that the milk production and milk composition could be improved with the combine use of Xylanase and Cellulase enzyme in murrah buffaloes due to improved CP and fibre digestibility.

Integrating bio-organic fertilization increases twice-yearly cabbage crop production by modulating soil microbial community and biochemical properties in Northwest Plateau

Decreasing the reliance on chemical fertilizers and integrating bio-organic fertilizers are effective strategies for enhancing soil quality, promoting sustainable agricultural development, and protecting the environment. However, their impact on cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) cultivation in the Northwest Plateau remains unclear. The study investigated the impact of reducing chemical fertilizer by 30 %, combined with different amounts of bio-organic fertilizer (3000 kg·ha−1 for T1, 6000 kg·ha−1 for T2, and 12000 kg·ha−1 for T3), were examined in comparison to a conventional local fertilizer treatment (CK2), which served as the control. Our findings demonstrated significant improvements in soil properties and enzyme activities for T1, T2, and T3 treatments compared to CK2. Specifically, the contents of soil organic matter (SOM), available potassium (AK) and available phosphorus (AP) increased significantly by 10.06 %, 10.63 % and 18.33 %, respectively. Meanwhile, accompanied by a decrease in electrical conductivity (EC) values. Soil sucrase and urease activities can be enhanced by 10.43 % and 19.61 %, respectively. Redundancy analysis confirmed that SOM, AP, AK, and EC were the primary factors driving fluctuations in the microbial community structure. The addition of bio-organic fertilizer led to an increase in beneficial soil microorganisms. The abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria increased most strongly by 4.24 % and 8.75 %. The microbial community suggested that these beneficial microorganisms played essential roles in the cycling of nutrients, suppression of pest and disease, and the promotion of robust plant growth. Moreover, the addition of bio-organic fertilizer (T3) significantly improved plant growth, root/shoot ratio, and nutrient content, and increased the yield by 6.78 t·ha−1. Therefore, we suggest that a reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers along with the incorporation of bio-organic fertilizer, is an important measure for improving soil fertility, enriching soil microbial communities, and ensuring the safety of crops and the environment in the Northwest Plateau.

Chitosan nanoconjugation of GnRH analogue augments reproductive performance in Clarias magur (Hamilton, 1822)

A breeding trial was conducted to investigate the impact of a chitosan nanoconjugated formulation of Salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue (ChN-sGnRH-a) on the induced breeding performance of female Clarias magur (magur). A total of 72 magur breeders were divided into six treatment groups: Cn, the Negative Control (injected with bare chitosan nanoparticles); Cp, the Positive Control (injected with Gonopro-FH®, a commercially available inducing hormone, at a dose of 1 mL/kg body weight of fish); T1, injected with ChN-sGnRH-a at a dose of 1 mL/kg; T2, T1 + 10 mg/kg domperidone; T3, injected with ChN-sGnRH-a at a dose of 0.5 mL/kg; T4, T3 + 10 mg/kg domperidone. Blood was collected at 0 (before injection), 6, 12 and 18 h post-injection to determine the serum steroid profile. In the Cp treatment group, the serum steroid levels of testosterone, estradiol, and 17α, 20β-dihydroxy progesterone in the fish, displayed a sharp increase, peaking at the 6-h post-injection, followed by a significant decrease. However, the fish in the T2 and T4 treatment groups exhibited serum steroid peaks at the 12-h post-injection and maintained those levels up to the 18-h post-injection. The reproductive performance, as measured by spawning fecundity, fertilization rate, and hatching rate, was significantly higher in the T2 treatment group (p < 0.05). No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed between the Cp and T4 treatment groups. Compared to the Cn treatment group, the mRNA expression levels of pituitary follicle stimulating hormone subunit beta and luteinizing hormone subunit beta, as well as ovarian 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3, were significantly higher in the T2 treatment group, followed by Cp and T4 treatment groups. Fish in the T2 treatment group displayed fewer mature oocytes and numerous post-ovulatory follicles in their ovaries. Additionally, the ovarian histology of fish in the T4 treatment group closely resembled that of the Cp treatment group. The results indicate that the chitosan nanoconjugated formulation of Salmon GnRH analogue might contribute to maintaining elevated levels of gonadotropic and steroid concentrations, resulting in improved reproductive output in female magur breeders. It is also revealed that the induced breeding of magur cannot be achieved without using dopamine inhibitors in GnRH analogue injection. Using chitosan nanoparticles as a nano-delivery system could reduce the Salmon GnRH analogue dose without compromising the reproductive performance of female magur breeders.

Impact of Foliar Application of Boron on Yield and Yield Attributes, Assimilate Supply, Production Efficiency and Fertilizers Productivity of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea) in Field Experiments

Field experiments were conducted for three consecutive rabi seasons from 2018 to 2020 to assess the impact of foliar application of boron fertilizer on yield and yield attributes, assimilate supply, production efficiency and fertilizers productivity of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. &amp;Coss.]. The results showed that the number of primary branches/ plant (7.00 to 8.08), number of siliquae/plant (427.2 to 468.8), number of seeds/siliqua (13.03 to 14.01), test weight of seed (3.60 to 3.80 g) and plant dry matter production (38.10 to 41.20 g/plant) were significantly increased with T2 treatment (100% NPKS + foliar application of Boron @ 0.5% Borax) as compared to farmer’s practice T1 (100% NPKS + without boron) during three years of experiments. Significantly higher seed yield (22.5 to 24.7 q/ha) of the mustard crop was also reported with T2 (100% NPKS + foliar application of Boron @ 0.5% Borax) as compared to farmers’ practice T1 (100% NPKS + without boron) (seed yield 19 to 22.5 q/ha) during the studies. Similarly, Treatment T2 resulted in significantly higher production efficiency and assimilates supply of mustard crop than that of T1 (farmer’s practice). The fertilizer productivity in the mustard crop that is directly related to seed yield and the partial factor of productivity of N, P, K and S fertilizers (PFPNPKS) were also increased significantly with the T2 compared to farmers practiceT1(farmer’s practice), during 3 years of studies. The highest gross return and net return and benefit-cost ratio were obtained with T2 (100% NPKS + foliar application of Boron @ 0.5% Borax) treatment over T1 (100% NPKS + without boron).

Effect of Different Planting Density in Cocoa (Theobroma cacao l.) on Leaf Macro and Micronutrient Levels Grown under Coconut Ecosystem

An experiment investigating the impact of different cocoa densities on leaf macro and micronutrient levels within a coconut ecosystem was conducted at the Coconut Farm of the Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The study employed a Randomized Block Design (RBD) comprising eight treatments, each replicated three times. Notably, among the various spacing configurations, T1 (3m x 1.2m) exhibited the highest levels of leaf nitrogen (1.86%), phosphorus (0.084%), potassium (1.39%), and boron (91.33 ppm) content. This suggests that under Tamil Nadu conditions, high-density planting in the T1 treatment not only resulted in elevated nutrient levels but also correlated with a notable increase in revenue. These findings underscore the potential benefits of adopting high-density planting practices in cocoa cultivation within coconut ecosystems. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term implications of spacing configurations and nutrient interactions on crop productivity and profitability.

Effects of vermicompost as an alternative substrate on yield and quality of cauliflower and pepper seedlings

It is wondered whether vermicompost can be an alternative to peat in seedling production. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of different vermicompost rates on the growth, quality characteristics and macro and micro mineral concentrations of pepper and cauliflower seedlings. There were 4 treatments consisting of different mixtures in the study. T1: 70% peat + 27% perlite + 3% vermiculite; T2: 70% vermicompost + 27% perlite + 3% vermiculite; T3: 35% peat + 35% vermicompost + 27% perlite + 3% vermiculite; T4: 100% vermicompost. ‘Sivrillo’ F1 (Capsicum annuum var. longum) pepper and ‘Casper’ F1 (Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis) cauliflower varieties were used as the plant material. Vermicompost mixtures had a significant impact on pepper and cauliflower seedlings. The emergence and growth characteristics of pepper seedlings were similar in T1, T2 and T3 treatments. However, the T3 mixture provided the highest emergence rate and seedling height in cauliflower seedlings. T3 also increased the leaf area both pepper and cauliflower seedlings more than the other treatments. Although T2 medium showed the highest N, K, and Mg contents in pepper seedlings, vermicompost mixtures had the highest P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations in cauliflower. Vermicompost mixtures had higher microelement contents in cauliflower, whereas similar results were obtained from T2 and T1 treatments in pepper seedlings. In conclusion, it was determined that the 35% peat and 35% vermicompost mixture was appropriate for pepper and cauliflower seedlings in terms of many criteria. Additionally, noteworthy results were obtained when 70% peat was substituted with vermicompost.

Biostimulant induce growth, chlorophyll content and fresh herbage yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and variegated alfalfa (Medicago × varia Martyn) plant

The use of biostimulants is associated with promoting plant growth by stimulating cell division and improving nutrient availability and uptake. A study was conducted at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, to examine the effect of biostimulants on alfalfa growth, chlorophyll content and fresh herbage yield. The experiment was arranged in a randomised complete block design with three biostimulant treatments plus control replicated three times. Data collected were subjected to analyses of variance using Genstat, where significantly different means were separated at a probability of 5% using the least significant difference. The findings show no different variation in plant height or chlorophyll content (SPAD) throughout the early stages of growth. Nonetheless, a notable impact was noted in the latter stages (28 days after biostimulant treatment application) on the growth of the alfalfa plant. Biostimulant treatments did not had effect on fresh yield for second through fourth cuts, but the fifth cut showed a significant effect, with T1 treatment recording the highest herbage yield of 19745 kg ha-1 followed by T2 (Tricho Immun plus Ino Green) and T3 (Tricho Immun), with yields of 19528 kg ha-1 and 17273 kg ha-1, respectively, while the T0 (control) recorded the lowest herbage yield of 12060 kg ha-1. However, the average mean yield indicated the application of biostimulants significantly increased fresh yield herbage by 20.5%. Correlation coefficient values suggested plant height at both 14 and 28 DAH (days after harvest) strongly correlated with fresh herbage yield (r = 0.7756 and 0.7455) which reflected in the increase in fresh herbage yield. Therefore, our results suggest that the use of biostimulants in alfalfa cultivation holds promise for improving growth and yield potential through their positive effects on chlorophyll content and the growth of alfalfa plant.

Effects of T6 treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of az80 magnesium alloy

The mechanical and microstructure properties of the AZ80 magnesium alloy in deformed and T6 states were evaluated and analyzed by tensile testing and metallographic analysis. The results showed that the grain size of the magnesium alloy increased after T6 treatment, whereas the number of deformed grains decreased considerably. These changes were accompanied by a transformation of the β-Mg17Al12 phase from a discontinuous point-like morphology to a continuous lath-like morphology. After T6 treatment, the tensile strength and yield strength of the material were significantly improved. These findings indicated that the microstructure of the AZ80 magnesium alloy was altered through T6 treatment, and its mechanical properties were markedly enhanced.

Selective laser melting of a novel Al-Si-Fe-Mn-Ni alloy with superior mechanical properties at both room and elevated temperatures: Influence of processing parameters and heat treatment

In this study, a novel heat-resistant Al-Si-Fe-Mn-Ni alloy suitable for selective laser melting technique was developed. By optimizing the process parameters, as-built alloy with few defects and superior mechanical properties was manufactured at a laser power of 350 W and a scanning speed of 1300 mm/s, with horizontal and vertical ultimate tensile strengths of 589 and 529 MPa, respectively. Conventional annealing, solid solution and T6 treatments were conducted to investigate the effect of post heat treatments on the microstructure and mechanical properties. Owing to the low diffusion capacity of Fe, Mn and Ni elements, the alloys show excellent high-temperature stability. The initial eutectic structure is retained after annealing, with few changes in the morphology of the precipitated phases. During solution treatment, the AlSi eutectic breaks up to form diffusely distributed Si particles, and Fe, Mn-rich intermetallic compounds as well as AlFeNi phases gradually precipitate out, which further occurs in T6 state. Due to its high-temperature resistance, the alloy developed in this study exhibits better high-temperature mechanical properties than conventional commercial AlSi10Mg alloys, showing higher strength in high-temperature tensile experiments from 150 °C to 300 °C.

Canonical and Noncanonical Contribution of Thyroid Hormone Receptor Isoforms Alpha and Beta to Cardiac Hypertrophy and Heart Rate in Male Mice.

Background: Stimulation of ventricular hypertrophy and heart rate are two major cardiac effects of thyroid hormone (TH). The aim of this study was to determine invivo which TH receptor (TR)-α or β-and which mode of TR action-canonical gene expression or DNA-binding independent noncanonical action-mediate these effects. Methods: We compared global TRα and TRβ knockout mice (TRαKO; TRβKO) with wild-type (WT) mice to determine the TR isoform responsible for T3 effects. The relevance of TR DNA binding was studied in mice with a mutation in the DNA-binding domain that selectively abrogates DNA binding and canonical TR action (TRαGS; TRβGS). Hearts were studied with echocardiography at baseline and after 7 weeks of T3 treatment. Gene expression was measured with real-time polymerase chain reaction. Heart rate was recorded with radiotelemetry transmitters for 7 weeks in untreated, hypothyroid, and T3-treated mice. Results: T3 induced ventricular hypertrophy in WT and TRβKO mice, but not in TRαKO mice. Hypertrophy was also induced in TRαGS mice. Thus, hypertrophy is mostly mediated by noncanonical TRα action. Similarly, repression of Mhy7 occurred in WT and TRαGS mice. Basal heart rate was largely dependent on canonical TRα action. But responsiveness to hypothyroidism and T3 treatment as well as expression of pacemaker gene Hcn2 were still preserved in TRαKO mice, demonstrating that TRβ could compensate for absence of TRα. Conclusions: T3-induced cardiac hypertrophy could be attributed to noncanonical TRα action, whereas heart rate regulation was mediated by canonical TRα action. TRβ could substitute for canonical but not noncanonical TRα action.

Optimalisation of in vitro sterilisation methods for North Sumatra local garlic (Allium Sativum L.)

Abstract The establishment stage is critical to the success of plant tissue culture. Each plant tissue has unique tissue surface characteristics that interact with various natural microbes. The goal of this study was to find a sterilisation method that is effective at removing contamination while not damaging or inhibiting explant regeneration. In this study, Completely Randomized Design (CRD) factorial with 2 factors was used. The first factor was the disinfectant, namely T1 (Benzalkonium chloride 0.5%), T2 (Nordox 6 g/L 0.6%), and T3 (Clorox 10%). The second factor is the type of media, consisting of M1 (BDS supplemented with 1.8 μM/L 2,4-D and 9.2 μM/L Kinetin), M2 (BDS supplemented with 9 μM/L 2,4-D and 9.2 μM/L Kinetin), M3 (MS supplemented with 9 μM/L 2,4-D and 4.6 μM/L Kinetin), and M4 (MS media supplemented with 1.3 μM/L 2,4-D and 9.2 μM/L Kinetin. The observed parameters were the percentage of contamination, the survival rate, the type of contamination, the percentage of callus growing, weight and diameter. The T2 treatment was the most effective in reducing contamination and had the highest survival rate. T3 treatment resulted in the highest callus regeneration percentage, callus weight, and callus diameter, but also the highest level of contamination.

24-Epibrassinolide improves quality and resistance against Botrytis cinerea of harvest table grapes through modulating reactive oxygen species homeostasis

24-epibrassinolide (EBR) application has been proven to be effective in the control of gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) and preservation in table grape, however, the possible underlying mechanism of EBR on maintaining the postharvest quality and controlling gray mold of table grape are incompletely understood. In this study, the application of EBR at veraison (T1) and postharvest (T2) could effectively alleviate the quality deterioration of table grapes during storage, as observed by higher fruit firmness, rachis chlorophyll content, titratable acidity, and total soluble solid, and lower shattering rate, decay incidence, weight loss rate, browning index and relative electrolyte leakage of rachis, and respiration rate. Moreover, EBR application inhibited the excess accumulation of superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde, and the expression of hydrogen peroxide sensor (HPCA) genes (VvHPCA1, VvHPCA2, and VvHPXA3). In addition, T1 and T2 treatments resulted in higher activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide anion, as well as the expression level of their corresponding gene expression. A considerable increase in key enzyme activities, antioxidant content, and gene expression in the ascorbate-glutathione (ASA-GSH) cycle was also observed in grape fruit treated with EBR. Importantly, the multivariate statistical analysis revealed that T2 treatment had a more remarkable effect on preserving the quality of postharvest grapes. In addition, under artificial infections, EBR treatment significantly reduced gray mold severity in table grapes and reduced malondialdehyde and superoxide anion generation while exhibiting no antifungal activity in vitro. Simultaneously, defensive enzyme activities, including peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanase, were remarkably increased in fruit treated with EBR. Therefore, our findings suggest that exogenous application of EBR maintains the quality of postharvest grapes and improves the resistance of table grapes to gray mold during postharvest storage by regulating oxidative stress and the activity of antioxidant enzymes and defensive enzymes.

Intestinal bacterial composition in laying pullet reared in tropical climate received betaine supplementation

Abstract Intestinal bacterial composition is one of the markers that can be observed in poultry under heat-stress conditions. This study evaluated the effects of dietary betaine on the intestinal bacterial composition of growing pullets reared in a tropical climate. The ninety-six Lohmann laying hens aged three weeks old were distributed into two dietary groups, each comprising six replicates of eight birds. This experiment used PAR-DOC (Japfa Comfeed ©) as basal diet (T0) and basal diet with 1.2g/kg betaine supplementation (T1). The next-generation sequencing method of the 16S rRNA gene region V3–V4 was applied to explore the taxonomy profile. Bacteria from the genus Faecalibacterium, Akkermansia, Desulfovibrio, and Lachnospiraceae UCG-002 were reported as markers in the heat stress condition. A t-test was applied using R software to evaluate the effect of each treatment. The relative abundance from the genus Akkermansia as a marker heat stress response in T1 treatment showed significantly lower than T0 (p&lt;0.05). Based on this result, we concluded that the lower population of the genus Akkermansia indicated that betaine supplementation could alleviate heat stress conditions in growing pullets.

Effect of Feeding Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder on the Growth and Performance of Osmanabadi Kids

The study was conducted at Goat Research Project, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani. Eighteen Osmanabadi kids were selected and were allocated to three experimental groups based on concentrate feed replacement with Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder (MOLP) i.e., T0 (0%), T1(10%) and T2 (20%). The study lasted for 90 days in intensive rearing system. The averages for weekly body weight (Kg) of kids fed with MOLP for group T0, T1 and T2 at the end of 13th week were 14.40±0.36, 14.86±0.47 and 16.40±0.45 kg, respectively depicting significantly higher values for T2 group than Ti group whereas non-significant difference between T0 and T1 group. The weekly body weight gain was 0.39±0.01, 0.40±0.01 and 0.54± 0.01 kg, respectively while the daily weight gain observed were 55.95±2.07, 56.90±1.31 and 76.64±1.67 gm respectively with highly significant difference between T2 group as compared to T1 and T0 group. The mean values for weekly and daily feed intake for groups T0, T1 and T2 were 70.95±0.43 and 10.14±0.06, 71.38±0.41 and 10.20±0.06, and 70.40±0.06, and 10.06±0.01 kg, respectively. The feed conversion efficiency (FCR) was significantly (P&lt;0.01) better in T2 (6.49±0.00) as compared to T1 (8.82±0.03) and T0 (8.93±0.04). There was higher growth performance of Osmanabadi kids in T2 treatment group as compared to T1 and T0 groups. It can be concluded that the concentrate feed can be replaced up to 20% by Moringa oleifera leaf powder in Osmanabadi kids reared intensively without any adverse effect on growth.

Different frequencies of water deficit irrigation treatments improve fruit quality of Zitian seedless grapes under on-tree storage

In this study, we assessed the impact of varied water deficit irrigation frequencies (T1: 2.5 L/4 days; T2: 5 L/8 days; CK: 5 L/4 days) on Zitian Seedless grapes from veraison to post-ripening. Notably, total soluble solids increased during on-tree storage compared to at maturity, while total anthocyanin content decreased, particularly in CK (60.16%), T1 (62.35%), and less in T2 (50.54%). Glucose and fructose levels increased significantly in T1 and T2, more so in T2, but slightly declined in CK. Tartaric acid content increased by 41.42% in T2. Moreover, compared to regular irrigation, water deficit treatments enhanced phenolic metabolites and volatile compounds, including chlorogenic acid, various flavonoids, viniferin, hexanal, 2-nonenal, 2-hexen-1-ol, (E)-, 3-hydroxy-dodecanoic acid, and 1-hexanol, etc. Overall, the T2 treatment outperformed T1 and CK in maintaining grape quality. This study reveals that combining on-tree storage with water deficit irrigation not only improves grape quality but also water efficiency.

Evaluation of anti-diabetic potential of Syzygium cumini seed (SCS) powder infused tortilla as therapeutic diet to mitigate hyperglycemia

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder, is characterized by hyperglycemia. Current therapies to cope up the disease are inadequate to provide instant glycemic control resulting in severe health damage. In current study, Syzygium cumini seed (SCS) powder supplemented wheat tortillas were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively to regulate the blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. For this purpose, wheat flour was blended with SCS powder at different treatment levels (2%, 4% and 6%). All treatments (T1 – T3) were subjected to proximate analysis, rheological attributes and sensory evaluation to get most acceptable supplementation. Results of such studies revealed that T1 treatment (2% CSC) was found to be the most suitable one, showing paramount results for rheological attributes (Final viscosity: 1803.02±8.84 mPa.s; Peak viscosity: 1597.3±9.99 mPa.s), proximate analysis (Moisture content: 25.82±1.10 %, Ash content: 2.19±0.08%, Fiber content: 1.22±0.08%) and sensory features (Overall acceptability: 8.0±0.07). Tortillas made by such optimized blending level (2% CSC), when applied to a given set of diabetic patients, exhibited remarkable results by giving a significant decrease (206.17±6.01 mg/dL at day1 while 180.41±5.08 mg/dL at day21) in blood glucose level upon increasing time of treatment. Thus, Syzygium cumini seeds can be effectively blended in various food products to control diabetes and other related diseases.