Optimizing Household Wastes (Rice, Vegetables, and Fruit) as an Environmentally Friendly Electricity Generator

The high consumption of electricity and issues related to fossil energy have triggered an increase in energy prices and the scarcity of fossil resources.Consequently,many researchers are seeking alternative energy sources.One potential technology,the Microbial Fuel Cell(MFC)based on rice,vegetable,and fruit wastes,can convert chemical energy into electrical energy.This study aims to determine the potency of rice,vegetable,and fruit waste assisted by Cu/Mg electrodes as a generator of electricity.The method used was a laboratory experiment,including the following steps:electrode preparation,waste sample preparation,incubation of the waste samples,construction of a reactor using rice,vegetable,and fruit waste as a source of electricity,and testing.The tests included measuring electrical conductivity,electric current,voltage,current density,and power density.Based on the test results,the maximum current and voltage values for the fruit waste samples were 5.53 V and 11.5 mA,respectively,with a current density of 2.300 mA/cm^(2) and a power density of 12.719 mW/cm^(2).The results indicate the potential for a future development.The next step in development involves determining the optimum conditions for utilizing of rice,vegetable,and fruit waste.The results of the electrical conductivity test on rice,vegetable,and fruit waste samples were 1.51,2.88,and 3.98 mS,respectively,with the highest electrical conductivity value found in the fruit waste sample.

Rapid screening of 420 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables using ultra high performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry

A new method for screening and identification 420 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF/MS)were developed.The samples were extracted with acetonitrile/acetic acid(99:1,V/V),and clean-up by SinChERS-Nano(single-step,cheap,effective,rugged,safe,nano)column,determined by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.The accurate mass database and MS/MS database which contains 420 pesticides were established,the automatic retrieval of detection results was carried on according to the accurate mass,retention time,isotope ratio,ion fragment information,and so on.Method verification was performed on leeks samples.The results showed that 420 pesticides had good linearity in the range of 0.1-100μg/L,and the correlation coeffificients(R2)was greater than 0.990.The limits of detections(LODs)and limits of quantifications(LOQs)of 420 pesticides were in range of 0.05-2.0 and 0.1-5.0μg/L,respectively.The average spike recoveries at 3 levels were 70.1%to 119.7%,and the relative standard deviations(RSD)were lower than 20%(n=6).With this method,a survey of pesticide residues was conducted for 110 samples of 10 different fruits and vegetables,which provided scientific data for ensuring pesticide residue safety of the fruits and vegetables consumed daily by the public.This method was simple,sensitive and accurate,and could be used for rapid screening of 420 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.

Selected fermented indigenous vegetables and fruits from Malaysia as potential sources of natural probiotics for improving gut health

In the Peninsular Malaysia and Northern Borneo island of Malaysia, various rich indigenous leafy vegetables and fruits grow and contribute to the nutritional and dietary values of the population. They have high water contents, thus, naturally vulnerable to rapid food spoilage. Food preservation and processing play a vital role in the inhibition of food pathogens in fruits and vegetables that are prevalent in Malaysia. Lactic acid fermentation is generally a local-based bioprocess, among the oldest form and well-known for food-processing techniques among indigenous people there. The long shelf life of fermented vegetables and fruits improves their nutritional values and antioxidant potentials. Fermented leaves and vegetables can be utilized as a potential source of probiotics as they are host for several lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus confusus, Weissella paramesenteroides, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus pentosus, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. These strains may be more viable in metabolic systems whereby they can contribute to a substantial increase in essential biologically active element than industrial starter cultures. This review is aimed to address some essential fermented fruits and vegetables in Malaysia and their remarkable reputations as a potential sources of natural probiotics.

Twelve family members with tetramine poisoning after consumption of vegetables grown in polluted soils

The main toxic component of tetramine is tetramethylenedisulfotetramine(TETS).It is a sulfonamide derivative without special antidote,tasteless and tasteless,with high toxicity and high mortality.[1]It was first discovered by a German scientist Hagen in 1949.Although its use has been banned worldwide due to its high toxicity and mortality rate,it is still available in certain countries and has led to cases of intentional and unintentional poisoning.Tetramine blocksγ-neurons,leading to dizziness,fatigue,nausea,vomiting,convulsions,and other symptoms.[2-4]Due to the lack of recognized effective antidotes,many poisoned people suff ocate and die as a result of continuous spasms of the respiratory muscles.[5-7]Tetramine poisoning sometimes occurs,but it is rare for vegetables grown in tetraminecontaminated soil to cause group poisoning after being eaten.

Filtration assisted pretreatment for rapid enrichment and accurate detection of Salmonella in vegetables

Rapid detection of target foodborne pathogens plays more and more significant roles in food safety,which requires the efficiency,sensitivity,and accuracy.In this research,we proposed a new st rategy of isothermal-molecular-amplification integrated with lateral-flow-strip for rapid detection of Salmonella without traditional enrichment-culture.Th e designed syringe-assisted-filtration can contribute to simultaneous collection and concentration of target bacterium from vegetable samples in just 3 min,resolving the drawbacks of traditional random sampling protocols.After simple and convenient ultrasonication,samples can be directly amplified at 39℃ in 25 min and the amplicons are qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed with the designed lateral-flow-strip in 5 min.Finally,satisfied results have been achieved within 40 min,which greatly improve the efficiency while the accuracy is also guaranteed.Furthermore,all detection steps can be completed under instrument-free conditions.This method will hold great promise for target pathogen detection in the resource-limited district,or for emergency on-site identification.

The Status of Vegetables Research in Malawi, Capacity, Progress, Gaps, and Way Forward—A Scoping Review

Vegetables are key to nutrition and economic security, especially for developing societies. Research in vegetables has been historically key. From early domestication efforts to modern-day breeding and value addition, research has enabled vegetable productivity to support the nutritional and economic needs of societies. Impactful research, however, requires competent research capacity and a guiding framework, in a continuously changing socio-climatic world. Vegetable research appraisal in Malawi, especially regarding capacity, focus, and a guiding framework, is lacking. By using 5 search engines and 506 analyzed publications, this review sought to first examine the existing research capacity in Malawi and assess the vegetable research focus in terms of both value chain analysis themes and specific vegetable tax. This approach allowed for the isolation and flagging out of key emerging issues from existing research that positively contextualize future vegetable research direction in Malawi. It has been found that Malawi has adequate institutional and expertise capacity to further vegetable research. The identified challenges include local funding and infrastructural capacity to leverage donor funding. Three key emerging issues of climate change, modeling, and biofortification in vegetable crops have been identified. It is suggested that, with Malawi facing the climate change challenge, research focus in these areas, will enhance not only nutritional and economic security, but also overall climate change readiness. Key to climate change readiness is the involvement of indigenous vegetable production. As a package, vegetable cultivation can play a critical role in contributing to the achievement of pillar 1 of the Malawi vision 2063, which seeks to leverage agricultural productivity and commercialization with a focus on climate change resilience.

Strategies for High-quality Development of Greenhouse Vegetables in Zibo City,Shandong Province

This investigation report got a clear picture of the general situation of the development of greenhouse vegetable industry in Zibo,and found out the existing problems such as frequent harmful weather,few special varieties and high-grade varieties of greenhouse vegetables,fragmentation of new technology promotion of greenhouse vegetables,low level of intensive seedling raising of vegetables,backward level of facility planting structure and equipment,etc.This paper puts forward the strategies for the future high-quality development of vegetables:promoting the adjustment of vegetable planting structure,rationally arranging vegetables for rotation,strengthening vegetable technical guidance,and innovating vegetable consumption patterns.

Experimental Study and Modeling of a Convective Dryer for Fruits and Vegetables

The present work deals with the study of the thermal performances of a convective dryer for fruits and vegetables. This dryer, operating with energy generated from the combustion of biomass in a boiler connected to a water/air heat exchanger could be a solution to the problematic of energy related to drying. An experimental and theoretical study is carried out on the temperature profile inside the dryer. For this purpose, 10.3 kg of tomatoes were dried on the experimental setup. The operation lasted about 16 hours and reduced the moisture content from 93.8% to 12% in wet basis. The overall thermal efficiency of the convective dryer during the trial is 10.76%. For the theoretical study, the dryer components (boiler, water/air exchanger and drying chamber) are first modeled individually;the different sub-programs are then coupled to form the convective dryer program. The method of global heat balances combined with the one called “ε-NUT” is used. The set of equations is discretized using the implicit method of finite differences, then solved with the Gauss algorithm in Fortran 90. The theoretical results obtained are in good agreement with those measured.

Levels of Heavy Metals in Some Vegetables and Human Health Risk Assessment in Loumbila Area, Burkina Faso

Contamination by heavy metals of soil, water and agricultural products is currently a major problem of environmental pollution in the world. The consumption of plants contaminated with heavy metals can be the cause of diseases such as cancers, the number of cases of which is only growing. The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) in plants from the vegetable farm of LOUMBILA and the assessment of health risks linked to the consumption of plants. In this paper, the concentration of heavy metal in vegetable was measured using the model AANALYST 200 flame atomic absorption spectrometer from PERKIN ELMER. The level of Zn in the vegetables from Loumbila vegetable farms ranged between 42.95 mg/kg and 78 mg/kg. The concentrations of Zn in the studies vegetables were higher than the permissible levels set by FAO/WHO (20 mg/kg). The concentration Pb in vegetables varied from 1.73 mg/kg to 27.02 mg/kg. All concentrations of Pb in vegetable were higher than the permissible levels set by FAO/WHO (0.3 mg/kg). Daily intake of Ni, Cr and Pb was higher than the MTDI, so consumption of vegetables from Loumbila vegetable farms can lead to health problems related to Ni, Cr and Pb. In vegetables from LOUMBILA, the estimated daily intake decreased in the following order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cr. The Hazard index values for carrot, onion, lettuce, green bean and onion leaves were greater than (>) one (1) which indicates that there might be a potential health risk to those consuming these vegetables. The Target Cancer Risk (TCR) analysis also revealed the potential cancer risk induced by Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr and Pb due to the consumption of carrot, onion leaves, onion, lettuce, green bean, and bell pepper because their TCR values were above the threshold.

Multi-Task Timing Assignment Algorithm for Intelligent Production of Vegetables in Open Field

Vegetable production in the open field involves many tasks,such as soil preparation,ridging,and transplanting/sowing.Different tasks require agricultural machinery equipped with different agricultural tools to meet the needs of the operation.Aiming at the coupling multi-task in the intelligent production of vegetables in the open field,the task assignment method for multiple unmanned tractors based on consistency alliance is studied.Firstly,unmanned vegetable production in the open field is abstracted as a multi-task assignment model with constraints of task demand,task sequence,and the distance traveled by an unmanned tractor.The tight time constraints between associated tasks are transformed into time windows.Based on the driving distance of the unmanned tractor and the replacement cost of the tools,an expanded task cost function is innovatively established.The task assignment model of multiple unmanned tractors is optimized by the consensus based bundle algorithm(CBBA)with time windows.Experiments show that the method can effectively solve task conflict in unmanned production and optimize task allocation.A basic model is provided for the cooperative task of multiple unmanned tractors for vegetable production in the open field.

Experimental Study on Key Techniques for Indoor Cultivation of Sprout Vegetables in Families

This paper introduced the advantages of planting sprout vegetables in family rooms,expounded assembly principle of indoor cultivating device and the key techniques for indoor cultivating sprout vegetables in families.In the experiment,we assembled a set of indoor cultivating device for sprout vegetables,and summarized the indoor cultivating techniques of sprout vegetables in families.The indoor planting device was suitable for family members to cultivate sprout vegetables in the living rooms,kitchen,balcony and other corner space by using their spare time.It could not only provide high-quality vegetables for families,but also beautify the indoor environments of family rooms,and increase the oxygen content in rooms.This set of indoor cultivating device and techniques was suitable for planting various sprout vegetables(e.g.radish seedling,water spinach seedling,pea seedling,pine willow seedling,sunflower seedling and various bean seedlings,etc.).This is a set of high-efficient spatial planting technique in families,and also an effective way to increase organic vegetable supply for family.

Protective Roles of Some Leafy and Non-leafy Vegetables against the Severity of Arsenic-induced Skin Lesions among Women Living in Rural Bangladesh:A Case Control Study

Arsenicosis is common among villagers as they drink more contaminated-water since the arsenic-crisis in Bangladesh.Supplementation of vitamins and micronutrients in counteracting arsenic toxicity has been proved for arsenic treatment.This study was intended to assess protective and beneficial roles of some commonly eaten vegetables on the development and severity of arsenic-induced skin lesions.A case-control study among(N=122)adult rural-women(62 cases had various forms of arsenical skin-lesions e.g.melanosis/keratosis/mixed-lesions and 60 sex-age-matched healthy-controls)was conducted in Shaharstee Upazilla of Chandpur district,Bangladesh.Socio-demographic data recorded in a pre-tested-questionnaire,‘per-day vegetables ingestion’of cases and controls were measured qualitative and quantitatively(24-hour recall-methods,food-frequency/week and food history-record/week).Multiple logistic regression/MLR analyses were performed to find out protective roles of some dietary leafy-vegetables/LVs and non-leafy vegetables/NLVs on arsenicosis and their influences on the degree of severity of arsenicosis also determined.Abstinence from taking some LVs/NLVs among cases than controls is associated with increased risk for arsenicosis(P<0.05).Amongst all most-frequently eaten vegetables(n=17)per day Momordica diocia has the highest skin protective role on arsenicosis[Adjusted odds ratio/AOR 8.2,95%CI(2.11-31.9),P=<0.01],followed by Ipomoea acquatica(AOR:7.3),Basella alba(AOR:6.2),Solanum tuberosum(AOR:4.0),Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis(AOR:3.2),Trichosanthes anguina(AOR:1.2)and Abelmoschus esculentus(AOR:1.2).Moreover,severe skin lesion was observed as compared to non-severe cases(mild/moderate)for less intake frequencies of vegetables.This study outlined that commonly eaten vegetables have protective and beneficial roles on arsenic-induced skin lesions.Large samples longitudinal study of this important field of therapeutic-intervention is warranted.

Simultaneous Screening of 733 Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables by a GC/LC-Q-TOFMS Combination Technique

In this paper,we report the construction of two accurate mass databases and the development of a combination detection method that simultaneously screens for 733 pesticide and chemical contaminant multi-residues via high-throughput liquid chromatography(LC)-and gas chromatography(GC)-quadru pole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(Q-TOFMS).This work demonstrates that electronic mass spectral standards may replace chemical-source standard materials as references through one sample preparation and the combination of GC/LC-Q-TOFMS screening.This cutting-edge technique has also replaced multiresidue determination using targeted detection with non-targeted screening.The pesticide residue types,sensitivity,recovery,and reproducibility of this combination technique are evaluated in eight fruit and vegetable matrices.This technique shows three advantages:①In comparison with the discovery capability of a single technique,the combination technique shows an improvement of 51.1%(GC-QTOFMS)and 39.6%(LC-Q-TOFMS),respectively;②the combination technique can satisfy a screening limit lower than 10μg·kg^-1 and meet the requirements of“uniform standards,”although some of the pesticide residues could be optimized to further improve screening sensitivity;③over 488 pesticides with recoveries between 60%-120%and relative standard deviation(RSD)<20%at a spiked level of 10μg·kg^-1 were detected with the combination technique in eight different matrices.From 2012 to 2017,this combination technique was applied in an investigation to screen pesticide residues from 1384 sampling locations for 38138 batched samples covering 18 categories and 134 types of fruits and vegetables obtained from across the mainland of China.After statistical analysis,533 pesticides in 115891 determinations were detected,and the regularity of pesticides in the fruits and vegetables sold on the Chinese market was shown.

Influence of Probiotic Fermented Fruit and Vegetables on Human Health and the Related Industrial Development Trend

The paper briefly discusses the relationship between chronic diseases and gut health,and points out that an imbalance of intestinal microflora and an inadequate intake of dietary fiber are two important causes of chronic diseases.This paper also summarizes the research status of probiotic fermented fruit and vegetables,and discusses the main achievements of our group in this field and future developments of the related industry.The application of fermentation technology to fruit and vegetable processing and the development of a series of probiotic fermented fruit and vegetable products not only increase the added value of fruit and vegetables,but also organically combine probiotics and their active metabolites with prebiotics(dietary fiber,etc.),thereby promoting intestinal health as well as preventing and relieving chronic diseases.Fermentation technology provides a new approach to the study of the effect of probiotics on human health,and will have a revolutionary influence on probiotic application and on the fruit and vegetable processing industry.Thus,fruit and vegetable fermentation technology has excellent market potential.

Anti-bacterial activity and brine shrimp lethality bioassay of methanolic extracts of fourteen different edible vegetables from Bangladesh

Objective:To investigate the antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of fourteen different edible vegetables methanolic extract from Bangladesh.Methods:The antibacterial activity was evaluated using disc diffusion assay method against 12 bacteria(both gram positive and gram negative).The plant extracts were also screened for cytotoxic activity using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay method and the lethal concentrations(LC_(50))were determined at confidence intervals by analyzing the data on a computer loaded with"Finney Programme??Results:All the vegetable extracts showed low to elevated levels of antibacterial activity against most of the tested strains(zone of inhibition=5-28 mm).The most active extract against all bacterial strains was from Xanthium indicum which showed remarkable antibacterial activity having the diameter of growth inhibition zone ranging from 12 to 28 mm followed by Alternanthera sessilis(zone of inhibition=6-21 mm).All extracts exhibited considerable general toxicity towards brine shrimps.The LC_(50)value of the tested extracts was within the range of 8.447 to 60.323μg/mL with respect to the positive control(vincristine sulphate)which was 0.91μg/mL.Among all studied extracts,Xanthium indicum displayed the highest cytotoxic effect with LC_(50)value of 8.447μg/mL.Conclusions:The results of the present investigation suggest that most of the studied plants are potentially good source of antibacterial and anticancer agents.

An Ontology-Based Information Retrieval Model for Vegetables E-Commerce

With the rapid increment of the information on the web, traditional information retrieval based on the keywords is far from user＇s satisfaction in recall and precision. In order to improve the recall ratio and the precision radio of IR engine in the vegetables e-commerce, an information retrieval model based on the vegetables e-commerce ontology is presented in this paper, vegetables e-commerce ontology was constructed by gathering and the analyzing vegetables e-commerce domain information on the web. The vegetables e-commerce ontology is composed of some kinds of vegetable classes and hierarchy relationship of vegetables classes. In the process of information retrieval, domain ontology helps to index information and information inference. An ontology-based information retrieval model is implemented, and which has more functions than the keyword-based web information retrieval engines. The experiment results show that the recall ratio and the precision ratio of ontology-based information retrieval model are higher than that of the information retrieval engine based on keyword at a certain extent.

Contents of Phytosterols in Vegetables and Fruits Commonly Consumed in China

Objective To quantify five specific dietary phytosterols and phytostanols in vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in China. Methods A total of 34 different kinds of vegetables and 33 kinds of fruits were chosen according to the consuming habit of Chinese people. All the samples were purchased from two shops in Beijing. The contents of phytosterols （13-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, 13-sitostanol, and campestanol） were analyzed by GLC method which was established by our laboratory, and the total phytosterols were calculated. Results The total phytosterol content in vegetables ranged 1.1-53.7 mg/100 g edible portion. The highest concentration was found in pea, cauliflower, broccoli, and romaine lettuce. The phytosterol contents in fruits ranged 1.6-32.6 mg/100 g, the highest concentration was found in navel orange, tangerine, and mango. Conclusion The phytosterol contents in vegetables and fruits are not as high as those in edible oils, but because of the large amount of consumption, they also play an important role in increasing the people＇s phytosterols intake, indicating that increased intake of vegetables and fruits with higher phytosterol contents helps increase the phytosterol intake in China.

Antioxidant Capacities and Main Reducing Substance Contents in 110 Fruits and Vegetables Eaten in China

The aim of this study was to screen strongly-antioxidant fruits and vegetables and supply practical diet guidance for the public. We used 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP), 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and total reducing power (TRP) assays to investigate antioxidant activities in 110 fruits and vegetables. To analyze the correlation between antioxidant capacities and main reducing substance contents, total phenolic, flavonoid and vitamin C contents were assessed. The results showed great variation in antioxidant activity, and fifteen fruits and vegetables possessed the strongest antioxidant capacities: Toona sinensis, hawthorn, jujube, lotus root, persimmon, red plum, black plum, chilli pepper, star fruit, strawberry, blueberry, cherry, peach, pomegranate and great burdock. Total phenolic contents showed higher correlation with antioxidant capacity when using FRAP and TRP assays than when using the DPPH or ABTS assay. Phenolics and flavonoids, rather than vitamin C, contributed to antioxidant potential in most fruits and vegetables.

Phytochemical constituents and antibacterial activity of some green leafy vegetables

Objective:To investigate the antibacterial activity and photochemicals of five green leafy vegetables against a panel of five bacteria strains.Methods:Disc diffusion method was used to determine the antibacterial activity,while kanamycin was used as a reference antibiotic.The phytochemical screening of the extracts was performed using standard methods.Results:All methanol extracts were found active against all the test bacterial strains.Overall maximum extracts shows antibacterial activity which range from 6 to 15 mm.Proteins and carbohydrates was found in all the green leaves,whereas alkaloid.steroids.saponins,flavonoids.tannins were found in most of the test samples.Conclusions:The obtain result suggests that green leafy vegetables have moderate antibacterial activity and contain various pharmacologically active compounds and thus provide the scientific basis for the traditional uses of the studied vegetables in the treatment of bacterial infections.

Fruits and Vegetables Freshness Categorization Using Deep Learning

The nutritional value of perishable food items,such as fruits and vegetables,depends on their freshness levels.The existing approaches solve a binary class problem by classifying a known fruit\vegetable class into fresh or rotten only.We propose an automated fruits and vegetables categorization approach that first recognizes the class of object in an image and then categorizes that fruit or vegetable into one of the three categories:purefresh,medium-fresh,and rotten.We gathered a dataset comprising of 60K images of 11 fruits and vegetables,each is further divided into three categories of freshness,using hand-held cameras.The recognition and categorization of fruits and vegetables are performed through two deep learning models:Visual Geometry Group(VGG-16)and You Only Look Once(YOLO),and their results are compared.VGG-16 classifies fruits and vegetables and categorizes their freshness,while YOLO also localizes them within the image.Furthermore,we have developed an android based application that takes the image of the fruit or vegetable as input and returns its class label and its freshness degree.A comprehensive experimental evaluation of proposed approach demonstrates that the proposed approach can achieve a high accuracy and F1score on gathered FruitVeg Freshness dataset.The dataset is publicly available for further evaluation by the research community.