Stimulatory Effect of Tithonya diversifolia-by Products on Plantain Banana Vivoplants in Nursery (A Review)

Plantain banana is an important cash crop that serves as stable food for millions of people around the world and contributes to income generation. Indeed, they provide a major staple food crop for millions of people and play an important role in the social fabric of many rural communities. Plantain banana cultivation encounters major problem of seedlings unavailability that are essential for the creation of new plantations, as well as parasitic constraints. Mycosphaerella fijiensis is the main pathogen attack constraints of banana plant responsible of black Sigatoka disease, and viruses, which can severely reduce the photosynthetic leaf area, leading to banana production losses of more than 80% in plantations with soil fertility problems. The repeated use of synthetic input is the origin of contamination to the environment, different pollution sources of plants and human health, as well as resistance to some strains of pathogens and plant fertilization problems over time. Recent works carried out in nursery have shown that vivoplants of plantains treated with biostimulants based on natural products notably Tithonia diversifolia biopromote good growth and less susceptibility to M. fijiensis. Indeed, an increase in agromorphological characteristics, good accumulation of growth and defense biomarkers was also observed. In this context, Tithonia diversifolia is shown to be involved in the stimulatory effect mechanism of growth promotion and defensive reaction of plantain vivoplants against various pathogens and it is suggested to be acting as a vital stimulator. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on plantain banana cultivation constraints and on the potential of Tithonia diversifolia in relation with its different stimulatory effects on plantain vivoplants.

Effect of Biostimulants Based on Natural Products on the Growth and Nutritional Value of Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are widely grown in Cameroon and play a key role in the fight against food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty. However, its cultivation encounters problems due to abiotic and biotic stresses, which leads to the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which cause significant damage to the environment and human health due to the presence of synthetics residues in the seeds, pods and in the leaves that are eaten. Promoting the use of natural products is becoming a necessity for organic and eco-responsible agriculture that limits contamination problems and improves people’s purchasing power. This study aims to assess the effect of biostimulants based on natural products on the growth and nutritional value of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Bean seedlings from white variety (MEX-142) and red variety (DOR-701) were treated every seven days in the field from their pre-emergence, emergence and growth to their maturation under a randomized block experimental design. Six treatments and three repetitions with the biostimulants based on natural products and controls were thus performed and the agromorphological parameters were measured. After 120 days, the contents of growth biomarkers and defense-related enzymes were evaluated in leaves, while the contents of macromolecules, minerals and antinutrients were evaluated in seeds. These biostimulants significantly increased (P P < 0.0001) of antinutrients including oxalates, phytates, tannins and saponins in seeds compared to controls (T+ and T−). Treatment with biostimulants, in particular BS4, improves the performance of bean plants in the field as well as the biofortification of seeds regardless of the variety.

Trehalose:A sugar molecule involved in temperature stress management in plants

Trehalose(Tre)is a non-reducing disaccharide found in many species,including bacteria,fungi,invertebrates,yeast,and even plants,where it acts as an osmoprotectant,energy source,or protein/membrane protector.Despite relatively small amounts in plants,Tre concentrations increase following exposure to abiotic stressors.Trehalose-6-phosphate,a precursor of Tre,has regulatory functions in sugar metabolism,crop production,and stress tolerance.Among the various abiotic stresses,temperature extremes(heat or cold stress)are anticipated to impact crop production worldwide due to ongoing climate changes.Applying small amounts of Tre can mitigate negative physiological,metabolic,and molecular responses triggered by temperature stress.Trehalose also interacts with other sugars,osmoprotectants,amino acids,and phytohormones to regulate metabolic reprogramming that underpins temperature stress adaptation.Transformed plants expressing Tre-synthesis genes accumulate Tre and show improved stress tolerance.Genome-wide studies of Tre-encoding genes suggest roles in plant growth,development,and stress tolerance.This review discusses the functions of Tre in mitigating temperature stress—highlighting genetic engineering approaches to modify Tre metabolism,crosstalk,and interactions with other molecules—and in-silico approaches for identifying novel Tre-encoding genes in diverse plant species.We consider how this knowledge can be used to develop temperature-resilient crops essential for sustainable agriculture.

Development of an Agrobacterium-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system in pea(Pisum sativum L.)

Pea(Pisum sativum L.)is an annual cool-season legume crop.Owing to its role in sustainable agriculture as both a rotation and a cash crop,its global market is expanding and increased production is urgently needed.For both technical and regulatory reasons,neither conventional nor transgenic breeding techniques can keep pace with the demand for increased production.In answer to this challenge,CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology has been gaining traction in plant biology and crop breeding in recent years.However,there are currently no reports of the successful application of the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology in pea.We developed a transient transformation system of hairy roots,mediated by Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain K599,to validate the efficiency of a CRISPR/Cas9 system.Further optimization resulted in an efficient vector,PsU6.3-tRNA-PsPDS3-en35S-PsCas9.We used this optimized CRISPR/Cas9 system to edit the pea phytoene desaturase(PsPDS)gene,causing albinism,by Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation.This is the first report of successful generation of gene-edited pea plants by this route.

State-of-the-art and future directions of machine learning for biomass characterization and for sustainable biorefinery

Machine learning(ML)has emerged as a significant tool in the field of biorefinery,offering the capability to analyze and predict complex processes with efficiency.This article reviews the current state of biorefinery and its classification,highlighting various commercially successful biorefineries.Further,we delve into different categories of ML models,including their algorithms and applications in various stages of biorefinery lifecycle,such as biomass characterization,pretreatment,lignin valorization,chemical,thermochemical and biochemical conversion processes,supply chain analysis,and life cycle assessment.The benefits and limitations of each of these algorithms are discussed in detail.Finally,the article concludes with a discussion of the limitations and future prospects of ML in the field of biorefineries.

Abiotic stress tolerance:Genetics,genomics,and breeding

1.Tenth anniversary of The Crop Journal The Crop Journal will be 10 years old in October 2023.The journal is sponsored by the Crop Science Society of China,the Institute of Crop Sciences,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,and China Science Publishing&Media Group Ltd.(Science Press).It is published by Science Press and Ke Ai (founded by China Science Publishing&Media Ltd.and Elsevier).

IGF2BPs: a family as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in digestive system tumors

The highest morbidity and mortality in the world are attributed to digestive system tumors,such as stomach cancer,liver cancer,and pancreatic cancer.Exploring potential biomarkers is a crucial direction of tumor research.We use bioinformatics methods to explore potential biomarkers of the digestive system.Mining and analyzing data from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis(GEPIA),Kaplan-Meier,cBioPortal,and Metabolic gEne RApid Visualizer(MERAV)to explore the correlation between IGF2BP(insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein)family expression and immune infiltration in digestive system tumors,and further probe the prognostic value of IGF2BP family in digestive system tumors.Esophageal cancer tissues showed a significantly higher expression of IGF2BP2 than normal tissues,while IGF2BP3 was notably more expressed in esophageal cancer,pancreatic cancer,and stomach cancer.In the prognosis evaluation,the IGF2BP1 gene in patients with liver cancer and the IGF2BP2 and IGF2BP3 genes in patients with stomach cancer and liver cancer of the low gene expression level groups were better.Multivariate COX regression analysis further suggested that tumor stage,CD8 positive T cells,macrophages,dendritic cell infiltration,and IGF2BP3 expression were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with stem cell liver cancer.The IGF2BP family may be a potential marker for immunotherapy and the prognosis of digestive system tumors.

Indonesian marine and its medicinal contribution

The archipelagic country of Indonesia is populated by the densest marine biodiversity in the world which has created strong global interest and is valued by both Indigenous and European settlements for different purposes.Nearly 1000 chemicals have been extracted and identified.In this review,a systematic data curation was employed to collate bioprospecting related manuscripts providing a comprehensive directory based on publications from 1988 to 2022.Findings with significant pharmacological activities are further discussed through a scoping data collection.This review discusses macroorganisms(Sponges,Ascidian,Gorgonians,Algae,Mangrove)and microorganism(Bacteria and Fungi)and highlights significant discoveries,including a potent microtubule stabilizer laulimalide from Hyattella sp.,a prospective doxorubicin complement papuamine alkaloid from Neopetrosia cf exigua,potent antiplasmodial manzamine A from Acanthostrongylophora ingens,the highly potent anti trypanosomal manadoperoxide B from Plakortis cfr.Simplex,mRNA translation disrupter hippuristanol from Briareum sp,and the anti-HIV-1(+)-8-hydroxymanzamine A isolated from Acanthostrongylophora sp.Further,some potent antibacterial extracts were also found from a limited biomass of bacteria cultures.Although there are currently no examples of commercial drugs from the Indonesian marine environment,this review shows the molecular diversity present and with the known understudied biodiversity,reveals great promise for future studies and outcomes.

β-环糊精键合固定相分离纯化银杏叶提取物和银杏黄酮

目的 考察以β-环糊精(β-CD)为键合固定相的色谱柱分离纯化银杏叶提取物和银杏黄酮的影响因素。方法 以色谱图中色谱峰的个数和目标物为离度为指标,采用低压液相色谱技术对银杏叶提取物和银杏黄酮进行分离纯化。同时比较固定相、流动相、缓冲液、pH值、洗脱速度和上样体积对分离结果的影响。结果 氯代环氧丙烷偶联β-CD-Superose 12 pg键合相能够较好地分离银杏叶提取物和银杏黄酮,优于葡聚糖凝胶Sephardex LH-20。结论 β-环糊精键合固定相适用于银杏叶提取物和银杏黄酮的分离与纯化。

用桔红诺卡氏菌发酵生产胆固醇氧化酶

采用蛋白胨改良培养基及底物诱导方法,以桔红诺卡氏菌(Nocardia rhodochroms)发酵生产胆固醇氧化酶。酶活力最高可达487.5 u/l(国际单位)。研究了发酵条件对微生物生长和产酶的影响,酶的分离和提取方法。粗酶液经DE-52柱层析后,酶纯度可提高10倍。

枸杞总黄酮提取工艺优化及不同年份枸杞总黄酮含量测定

为探究枸杞贮藏过程中总黄酮含量变化规律,以枸杞总黄酮提取率为指标,采用单因素实验研究浸提温度、乙醇体积分数、料液比和提取时间4因素对枸杞总黄酮提取率的影响,设计正交试验优化提取工艺,并在优化条件下研究不同年份枸杞总黄酮含量及理化指标间的差异.结果发现,最佳提取工艺参数即浸提温度70℃、乙醇体积分数80%、料液比1∶15g/mL、提取时间2.5h、提取次数为2次.在此条件下,发现枸杞总黄酮含量随贮藏时间延长而呈现下降的变化趋势,这为枸杞总黄酮的开发利用和快速鉴别枸杞新陈提供理论依据.

新加坡最大回用水处理厂污水短程硝化厌氧氨氧化脱氮工艺

总结了新加坡樟宜回用水处理厂4次采样的结果,该厂日处理城市污水80万t.在好氧区很好地实现了部分硝化和亚硝酸盐积累,其中好氧氨氧化率平均为72.2%,亚硝酸盐积累率平均为76.0%.在缺氧区氨氮和亚硝酸盐得到了同步去除(厌氧氨氧化).物料衡算结果表明:初沉池的出水总氮的37.5%是通过自养脱氮去除,27.1%是通过传统的硝化/反硝化脱氮去除,其余部分总氮则存在于活性污泥和出水中.微生物和动力学研究表明:短悬浮或游离的厌氧氨氧化菌可存在于污泥龄较短的污水处理系统.最后从出水氮质量浓度、pH、碱度、曝气能耗及反应器容积等方面,将樟宜回用水处理厂的分段进水活性污泥法工艺与新加坡其他3个回用水处理厂的MEL/LE工艺进行了对比分析.

Biodegradation of mixture of VOC's in a biofilter

Volatile organic compounds(VOC's) in air have become major concern in recent years. Biodegradation of a mixture of ethanol and methanol vapor was evaluated in a laboratory biofilter with a bed of compost and polystyrene particles using an acclimated mixed culture. The continuous performance of the biofilter was studied with different proportion of ethanol and methanol at different initial concentration and flow rates. The result showed significant removal for both ethanol and methanol, which were composition dependent. The presence of either compound in the mixture inhibited the biodegradation of the other.

Micro RNAs as lung cancer biomarkers

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Its high mortality is due to the poor prognosis of the disease caused by a late disease presentation, tumor heterogeneities within histological subtypes, and the relatively limited understanding of tumor biology. Importantly, lung cancer histological subgroups respond differently to some chemotherapeutic substances and side effects of some therapies appear to vary between subgroups. Biomarkers able to stratify for the subtype of lung cancer, prognosticate the course of disease, or predict the response to treatment are in high demand. In the last decade, microR NAs(miR NAs), measured in resected tumor samples or in fine needle aspirate samples have emerged as biomarkers for tumor diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of response to treatment, due to the ease of their detection and in their extreme specificity. Moreover, miR NAs present in sputum, in plasma, in serum or in whole blood have increasingly been explored in the last five years as less invasive biomarkers for the early detection of cancers. In this review we cover the increasing amounts of datathat have accumulated in the last ten years on the use of miR NAs as lung cancer biomarkers.

Wheat leaf senescence and its regulatory gene network

Wheat leaf senescence is a developmental process that involves expressional changes in thousands of genes that ultimately impact grain protein content(GPC), grain yield(GY), and nitrogen use efficiency.The onset and rate of senescence are strongly influenced by plant hormones and environmental factors e.g. nitrogen availability. At maturity, decrease in nitrogen uptake could enhance N remobilization from leaves and stem to grain, eventually leading to leaf senescence. Early senescence is related to high GPC and somewhat low yield whereas late senescence is often related to high yield and somewhat low GPC. Early or late senescence is principally regulated by up and down-regulation of senescence associated genes. Integration of external and internal factors together with genotypic variation influence senescence associated genes in a developmental age dependent manner. Although regulation of genes involved in senescence has been studied in rice, Arabidopsis, maize, and currently in wheat, there are genotypespecific variations yet to explore. A major effort is needed to understand the interaction of positive and negative senescence regulators in determining the onset of senescence. In wheat, increasing attention has been paid to understand the role of positive senescence regulator, e.g. GPC-1, regulated gene network during early senescence time course. Recently, gene regulatory network involved early to late senescence time course revealed important senescence regulators. However, the known negative senescence regulator Ta NAC-S gene has not been extensively studied in wheat and little is known about its value in breeding. Existing data on senescence-related transcriptome studies and gene regulatory network could effectively be used for functional study in developing nitrogen efficient wheat varieties.

Testicular fine needle aspiration as a diagnostic tool in nonobstructive azoospermia

Aim： To report the fine needle aspiration cytology （FNAC） of the testes used as a diagnostic tool in non-obstructive azoospermic patients. Methods： One hundred and twenty-five non-obstructive azoospermic male candidates to intracytoplasmic sperm injetion （ICSI） were analysed for follicle stimulating hormone （FSH）, luteinizing hormone （LH）, testosterone and inhibin B plasma levels. They were classified into three groups on the basis of FNAC： 1） Sertoli cell-only syndrome （SCOS） （70）; 2） severe hypospermatogenesis （42）; and 3） maturation arrest （13）, Then, all men underwent testicular sperm extraction （TESE） for sperm recovery for ICSI. Results： Mature spermatozoa were detected by FNAC in 24 of 42 men with severe hypospermatogenesis and nine of 13 men with maturation arrest; while they were retrieved by TESE in 29 of 70 men with SCOS, 35 of 42 men with severe hypospermatogenesis （including the 24 by FNAC） and 10 of 13 men with maturation arrest （including the nine by FNAC）. The sensitivity and specificity of FNAC were 44.6 % and 100 %, respectively. There was no difference on testicular volume and hormonal parameters in men with and without sperm retrieved. Conclusion： These findings suggest that FNAC may be a simple and valid diagnostic parameter in non-obstructive azoospermic men and it may represent a valid positive prognostic parameter for sperm recovery at TESE, （Asian J Androl 2005 Sep; 7： 289-294）

基于小鼠粪便气味信息的牛乳清蛋白功能效果的鉴别区分

以电子鼻气敏传感器阵列跟踪牛乳清蛋白干预小鼠粪便气味,以期建立基于气味信息无损评价牛乳清蛋白功能的新方法。动物实验结果表明,与NS组比较,给药牛乳清蛋白试验组血清中的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性上升,丙二醛(MDA)含量显著下降,牛乳清蛋白在小鼠血清中具有抗氧化的能力。电子鼻实验单因素方差分析发现,样品量、顶空生成时间、顶空生成体积和载气流速对传感器S5影响均不显著,对其他传感器响应信号的影响显著。结合典则判别分析获得电子鼻检测较佳条件为:样品量1粒,顶空生成时间10 min,顶空生成体积150 mL,载气流速200 mL·min-1。结合主成分分析和典则判别分析,电子鼻基本可将牛乳清蛋白不同灌胃剂量与对照组小鼠粪便样品区分,并区分不同灌胃剂量的不同周期组小鼠粪便样品。采用多元线性回归分析建立了小鼠体重的预测(R 2=0.1227),效果尚可。典型相关分析结果表明,粪便电子鼻气味信息与其生理指标两者有着极好的相关性,关联性较强。基于干预小鼠粪便气味信息,可以实现牛乳清蛋白干预与对照药物处理的区分,为食品体内功能性无创评价提供了方法思路。

Absolute copy number differences of Y chromosomal genes between crossbred (Bos taurus×Bos indicus) and Indicine bulls

Background： The Y chromosome in mammal is paternally inherited and harbors genes related to male fertility and spermatogenesis. The unique intra-chromosomal recombination pattern of Y chromosome and morphological difference of this chromosome between Bos taurus and Bos indicus make it an ideal model for studying structural variation, especially in crossbred （Bos taurus x Bos indicus） bulls. Copy Number Variation （CNV） is a type of genomic structural variation that gives information complementary to SNP data. The purpose of this study was to find out copy number differences of four Y chromosomal spermatogenesis-related candidate genes in genomic DNA of crossbred and purebred Indicine bulls. Result： Four Y chromosomal candidate genes of spermatogenesis namely, sex determining gene on Ychromosome （SRY）, DEAD box po/ypeptide 3-Y chromosome （DDX3 Y）, Ubiquidn specific peptidase 9, Y-linked （ usPgY）, testis-specific protein on Y chromosome （TSPY） were evaluated. Absolute copy numbers of Y chromosomal genes were determined by standard curve-based quantitative real time PCR. Copy numbers of SRYand TSPYgenes per unit amount of genomic DNA are higher in crossbred than Indicine bulls. However, no difference was observed in DDX3Yand usPgYgene copy numbers between two groups. Conclusion： The present study demonstrates that the structural organization of Y chromosomes differs between crossbred and Indicine bulls which are reproductively healthy as observed from analysis of semen attributes. The absolute copy numbers of SRY and TSPY genes in unit mass of genomic DNA of crossbred bulls are significantly higher than Indicine bulls. No alteration in absolute copies ofDDX3Yand usPgYgene was found between the genome of crossbred and Indicine bulls. This study suggests that the DDX3Yand USPgYare likely to be single copy genes in the genome of crossbred and Indicine bulls and variation in Y chromosome length between crossbred and Indicine bulls may be due to the copy number variation of SRY gene and TSPYarray.

Consumption of gluten with gluten-degrading enzyme by celiac patients: A pilot-study

AIM:To assesses the safety and efficacy of Aspergillus niger prolyl endoprotease(AN-PEP)to mitigate the im-munogenic effects of gluten in celiac patients.METHODS:Patients with initial diagnosis of celiac disease as confirmed by positive serology with subtotal or total villous atrophy on duodenal biopsies who adhere to a strict gluten-free diet(GFD)resulting in normalised antibodies and mucosal healing classified as Marsh 0 orⅠwere included.In a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study,patients consumed toast(approximately 7 g/d gluten)with AN-PEP for 2 wk(safety phase).After a 2-wk washout period with adherence of the usual GFD,14 patients were randomised to gluten intake with either AN-PEP or placebo for 2 wk(efficacy phase).Measurements at baseline included complaints,quality-of-life,serum antibodies,immunophenotyping of T-cells and duodenal mucosa immunohistology.Furthermore,serum and quality of life questionnaires were collected during and after the safety,washout and efficacy phase.Duodenal biopsies were collected after the safety phase and after the efficacy phase.A change in histological evaluation according to the modified Marsh classification was the primary endpoint.RESULTS:In total,16 adults were enrolled in the study.No serious adverse events occurred during the trial and no patients withdrew during the trial.The mean score for the gastrointestinal subcategory of the celiac disease quality(CDQ)was relatively high throughout the study,indicating that AN-PEP was well tolerated.In the efficacy phase,the CDQ scores of patients consuming gluten with placebo or gluten with AN-PEP did not significantly deteriorate and moreover no differences between the groups were observed.During the efficacy phase,neither the placebo nor the AN-PEP group developed significant antibody titers.The IgA-EM concentrations remained negative in both groups.Two patients were excluded from entering the efficacy phase as their mucosa showed an increase oftwo Marsh steps after the safety phase,yet with undetectable serum antibodies,while 14 patients were considered histologically stable on gluten with AN-PEP.Also after the efficacy phase,no significant deterioration was observed regarding immunohistological and flow cytometric evaluation in the group consuming placebo compared to the group receiving AN-PEP.Furthermore,IgA-tTG deposit staining increased after 2 wk of gluten compared to baseline in four out of seven patients on placebo.In the seven patients receiving AN-PEP,one patient showed increased and one showed decreased IgA-tTG deposits.CONCLUSION:AN-PEP appears to be well tolerated.However,the primary endpoint was not met due to lack of clinical deterioration upon placebo,impeding an effect of AN-PEP.