(Re)assessing Climate-Smart Agriculture practices for sustainable food systems outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa:The case of Bono East Region,Ghana

This research paper assesses the reality of Climate-Smart Agriculture(CSA)practices’potential to promote the outcomes of sustainable food systems(SFS)within Ghana’s smallholding agriculture context.The study demon-strates that rural farmers generally perceive CSA’s contribution to‘food and nutrition security’and‘economic performance’as more important than CSA’s contribution to‘social equity’and‘environmental stewardship’.From a narrow perspective,the study demonstrates that farmers perceive CSA’s potential to‘prevent pest and disease outbreaks’and‘increase human capital information’as the most important contribution of CSA to SFS outcomes.In contrast,CSA’s potential to promote environmental stewardship is perceived as the least important among Ghana’s rural farmers.This enormity of displacement of smallholders’perceptions at large is motivated by de-mographic,socioeconomic and ecological factors.Moreso,the CSA for SFS outcomes narratives is driven by farmers’self-apprise,social networks and other local information dissemination agents.Furthermore,research findings suggest farmers’awareness of CSA practices and interventions is deficient owing to unmet training and information needs for approximately 82%of the CSA practices and interventions.This situation elucidates the dichotomy of CSA practices’narratives as tools for attaining food,nutrition security and economic performance to the detriment of critical issues such as increasing awareness and building farmers’capacity to engage with CSA practices while also managing socio-ecological trade-offs that emerge over time due to engagement with CSA.Critical(re)orientation is needed across the scale to drive CSA practices and interventions that confine cli-mate adaptation and food production practices within safe planetary boundaries without undermining social,economic,food and nutrition security needs.

Comparative evaluation of commercial Douchi by different molds:biogenic amines,non-volatile and volatile compounds

To provide new insights into the development and utilization of Douchi artificial starters,three common strains(Aspergillus oryzae,Mucor racemosus,and Rhizopus oligosporus)were used to study their influence on the fermentation of Douchi.The results showed that the biogenic amine contents of the three types of Douchi were all within the safe range and far lower than those of traditional fermented Douchi.Aspergillus-type Douchi produced more free amino acids than the other two types of Douchi,and its umami taste was more prominent in sensory evaluation(P<0.01),while Mucor-type and Rhizopus-type Douchi produced more esters and pyrazines,making the aroma,sauce,and Douchi flavor more abundant.According to the Pearson and PLS analyses results,sweetness was significantly negatively correlated with phenylalanine,cysteine,and acetic acid(P<0.05),bitterness was significantly negatively correlated with malic acid(P<0.05),the sour taste was significantly positively correlated with citric acid and most free amino acids(P<0.05),while astringency was significantly negatively correlated with glucose(P<0.001).Thirteen volatile compounds such as furfuryl alcohol,phenethyl alcohol,and benzaldehyde caused the flavor difference of three types of Douchi.This study provides theoretical basis for the selection of starting strains for commercial Douchi production.

Epistasis-aware genome-wide association studies provide insights into the efficient breeding of high-yield and high-quality rice

Marker-assisted selection(MAS)and genomic selection(GS)breeding have greatly improved the efficiency of rice breeding.Due to the influences of epistasis and gene pleiotropy,ensuring the actual breeding effect of MAS and GS is still a difficult challenge to overcome.In this study,113 indica rice varieties(V)and their 565 testcross hybrids(TC)were used as the materials to investigate the genetic basis of 12 quality traits and nine agronomic traits.The original traits and general combining ability of the parents,as well as the original traits and midparent heterosis of TC,were subjected to genome-wide association analysis.In total,381 primary significantly associated loci(SAL)and 1,759 secondary SALs that had epistatic interactions with these primary SALs were detected.Among these loci,322 candidate genes located within or nearby the SALs were screened,204 of which were cloned genes.A total of 39 MAS molecular modules that are beneficial for trait improvement were identified by pyramiding the superior haplotypes of candidate genes and desirable epistatic alleles of the secondary SALs.All the SALs were used to construct genetic networks,in which 91 pleiotropic loci were investigated.Additionally,we estimated the accuracy of genomic prediction in the parent V and TC by incorporating either no SALs,primary SALs,secondary SALs or epistatic effect SALs as covariates.Although the prediction accuracies of the four models were generally not significantly different in the TC dataset,the incorporation of primary SALs,secondary SALs,and epistatic effect SALs significantly improved the prediction accuracies of 5(26%),3(16%),and 11(58%)traits in the V dataset,respectively.These results suggested that SALs and epistatic effect SALs identified based on an additive genotype can provide considerable predictive power for the parental lines.They also provide insights into the genetic basis of complex traits and valuable information for molecular breeding in rice.

Effects of low molecular weight polysaccharide from Sargassum thunbergii against palmitic acid-induced intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocyte and HepG2 cells

Low molecular weight polysaccharides can be isolated from Sargassum thunbergii(LMPST)and in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effects on lipids.Two natures of LMPST were attained from S.thunbergii and appraised their LMPST on palmitic acid(PA)induced lipid accretion in Hep G2,and 3T3-L1 cells.LMPST treatment lessened lipid deposition and intracellular free fatty acid and triglyceride intensities in PA-treated above mentioned cells.The mechanistic study publicized that LMPST2 significantly suppressed adipogenesis and stimulated the PA-treated 3T3-L1 cells occupied in the lipolysis pathway.Furthermore,in PA-treated Hep G2 cells,the free fatty acid oxidation was significantly increased by LMPST2.Given these constructive properties of LMPST2 from S.thunbergii,is a potential candidate for diminishing the intracellular lipids,and for a therapeutic agent in those conditions.

Anti-obesity effects of fucoidan from Sargassum thunbergii in adipocytes and high fat diet induced obese mice through inhibiting adipogenic specific transcription factor

The prevalence of obesity has increased and is a health concern worldwide.Due to the concerns regarding synthetic anti-obesity treatments,nowadays natural products become a trend.Previous studies proved that there is a potential to use marine algae as anti-obesity agents.Therefore,in this study,the lipid inhibitory effect of crude polysaccharide of amyloglucosidase-assisted hydrolysate from Sargassum thunbergii(STAC)and its fucoidan fractions(STAFs)on 3T3-L1 cells and high-fat diet(HFD)-induced obese mice were investigated.According to the results,the STAF3,showed the highest xylose content and exhibited significant inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation by downregulating adipogenic and lipogenic proteins in 3T3-L1 cells.Furthermore,oral supplementation with STAC significantly declined gain in body weight and fat weight,and serum lipid contents in an HFD-induced obesity mouse model.Structural and chemical characterizations demonstrated that puritied STAF3 has consistent surface morphology and small particle size,with similar structural characteristics as commercial fucoidan.Together,these results indicate that STAC and purified STAF3 from Sargassum thunbergia is a potent source to develop as ananti-obesity agents or functional food products to counter obesity.

Candidate genes conferring ethylene-response in cultivated peanuts determined by BSA-seq and fine-mapping

Ethylene plays essential roles in plant growth,development and stress responses.The ethylene signaling pathway and molecular mechanism have been studied extensively in Arabidopsis and rice but limited in peanuts.Here,we established a sand-culture method to screen pingyangmycin mutagenized peanut lines based on their specific response to ethylene(“triple response”).An ethylene-insensitive mutant,inhibition of peanut hypocotyl elongation 1(iph1),was identified that showed reduced sensitivity to ethylene in both hypocotyl elongation and root growth.Through bulked segregant analysis sequencing,a major gene related to iph1,named AhIPH1,was preliminarily mapped at the chromosome Arahy.01,and further narrowed to a 450-kb genomic region through substitution mapping strategy.A total of 7014 genes were differentially expressed among the ACC treatment through RNA-seq analysis,of which only the Arahy.5BLU0Q gene in the candidate mapping interval was differentially expressed between WT and mutant iph1.Integrating sequence variations,functional annotation and transcriptome analysis revealed that a predicated gene,Arahy.5BLU0Q,encoding SNF1 protein kinase,may be the candidate gene for AhIPH1.This gene contained two single-nucleotide polymorphisms at promoter region and was more highly expressed in iph1 than WT.Our findings reveal a novel ethylene-responsive gene,which provides a theoretical foundation and new genetic resources for the mechanism of ethylene signaling in peanuts.

Preparation and characterization of pH-responsive metal-polyphenol structure coated nanoparticles

In this paper,tannic acid(TA)and Fe~(3+)were added to form a layer of metal-polyphenol network structure on the surface of the nanoparticles which were fabricated by zein and carbon quantum dots(CQDs)encapsulating phlorotannins(PTN).pH-Responsive nanoparticles were prepared successfully(zein-PTN-CQDs-Fe-~Ⅲ).Further,the formation of composite nanoparticles was confirmed by a series of characterization methods.The zeta-potential and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data proved that electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding are dominant forces to form nanoparticles.The encapsulation efficiency(EE)revealed that metal-polyphenol network structure could improve the EE of PTN.Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry experiment indicated the thermal stability of zein-PTN-CQDs-Fe~Ⅲnanoparticles increased because of metal-polyphenol network structure.The pH-responsive nanoparticles greatly increased the release rate of active substances and achieved targeted release.

Enhanced extracellular production of alpha-lactalbumin from Bacillus subtilis through signal peptide and promoter screening

Alpha-lactalbumin(α-LA)is a major whey protein found in breast milk and plays a crucial role in the growth and development of infants.In this study,Bacillus subtilis RIK1285 harboring AprE signal peptide(SP)was selected as the original strain for the production ofα-LA.It was found thatα-LA was identified in the pellet after ultrasonic disruption and centrifugation instead of in the fermentation supernatant.The original strain most likely only producedα-LA intracellular,but not extracellular.To improve the expression and secretion ofα-LA in RIK1285,a library of 173 homologous SPs from the B.subtilis 168 genome was fused with target LALBA gene in the pBE-S vector and expressed extracellularly in RIK1285.SP YjcN was determined to be the best signal peptide.Bands in supernatant were observed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and purified by nickel column to calculate the highest yield signal peptide.In addition,different promoters(P_(aprE),P_(43),and P_(glv))were compared and applied.The results indicated that the strain RIK1285-pBE-P_(glv)-YjcN-LALBA had the highestα-LA yield,reaching 122.04μg/mL.This study demonstrates successful expression and secretion of humanα-LA in B.subtilis and establishes a foundation for simulating breast milk for infant formulas and developing bioengineered milk.

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.

Evaluation of Potential for Translocation of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>from Floor Drains to Food Contact Surfaces in the Surrounding Environment Using <i>Listeria innocua</i>as a Surrogate

Floor drains in processing environments harbor Listeria spp. due to continuous presence of humidity and organic substrates. Cleaning and washing activities in food-processing facilities can translocate the bacterial cells from the drain to the surrounding environment, thus contaminating food products still in production. This study evaluated the potential for translocation of Listeria monocytogenes from drains to food contact surfaces in the surrounding environment using Listeria innocua as a surrogate. A 7 × 7 × 8-foot polycarbonate flexi-glass chamber with a 10-inch-diameter drain mounted on an aluminum cabinet was used. Stainless steel coupons (6.4 × 1.9 × 0.1 cm, 12 per height) were hung at 1, 3, and 5 feet inside the chamber. Four treatment sets;non-inoculated, non-treated;non-inoculated, treated;inoculated, treated;inoculated non-treated;and two subtreatments of 8 h and 48 h were performed. For the inoculated sets, meat slurry (10 gof ground beef in 900 mL water) and a four-strain cocktail of Listeria innocua at 7 - 8 log CFU/mL were used. For the treated sets, in addition, a commercial cleaner and sanitizer was applied. The drain was cleaned using a pressure hose (40 - 50 psi) after 8 h and 48 h. Coupons were then removed and enriched in listeria enrichment broth to establish if any cell translocated from the drain onto the stainless steel coupons via aerosols generated during washing. Confirmation was done using VIP Listeria rapid test kits. Results indicated translocation at all three heights ranging from 2% - 25%. Significantly higher translocation (p Listeria spp. from drains to food contact surfaces does occur and increases with increased proximity to the drain.

Plethysmograph training:A refinement for collection of respiration data in mice

Inhaled chemicals can harm the airways.Different effects can result in distinct changes in respiratory patterns;the type of change indicates where and how the respiratory system is affected.Furthermore,changes in respiratory patterns may be detected at much lower substance concentrations than those that cause more serious effects,such as histopathological changes.Changes in respiratory patterns can be studied experimentally by monitoring the breathing of mice placed in plethysmographs and exposing head-out to the test substance.The method is well established;however,it is not known if training mice in being restrained in the plethysmograph could increase the quality of data collection.Here we report the results of training mice to be restrained in plethysmographs for 5 consecutive days,with respect to body weight,respiratory parameters,and time spent in the plethysmograph,before they are removed because of unstable breathing patterns.The mice tolerated the procedure better(measured by time in the plethysmograph)on the second day of training than the first day.Training did not change the breathing parameters between days.Breathing parameters stabilized within 5 min after the mice were placed in the plethysmographs on all days.There was an average of 3%weight loss between the first and last days of the training,indicating that the training procedure placed some strain on the animals.Training reduces the number of mice attempting to escape from the plethysmograph.

Textural and functional analysis of sorghum flour cookies as ice cream inclusions

Flour serves as one of the primary ingredients of cookies,which affects dough properties,physical changes during baking,and post-baking cookie properties.Two gluten-free cookie formulations were developed with the goal of use as inclusions in frozen desserts.Blonde and chocolate cookies were made with sorghum flour or all-purpose wheat flour and then evaluated for physical and chemical properties.To determine functionality in a frozen state,texture analysis was conducted on cookies at−30℃,−17°C,and 20℃,replicating various ice cream storage temperatures.To simulate the process effect of incorporating the product into a frozen dessert,cookies were crumbled mechanically,and the crumbles were separated based on size.When evaluating cookies,no significant differences(P<0.05)were observed in width(W),thickness(T),spread,and W/T ratio for flour source within formula.Blonde cookies had lower moisture contents than chocolate cookies;further,blonde cookies made from sorghum flour had less moisture than those made with wheat flour.As the cookie temperature decreased from 20℃to−17℃,cookie hardness increased,with flour type having no effect.Within formula,cookies had similar instrumental color parameters.However,blonde cookies made from sorghum flour produced more smaller-sized pieces than those made from wheat flour.The results of this study demonstrate that sorghum flour cookies have desirable properties for use as inclusions in ice cream and other frozen desserts.

采后果实表皮蜡质结构、功能及其调控——综述与展望

表皮蜡质在植物果实生长和贮藏中发挥着重要作用。蜡质是覆盖在果实表皮细胞最外层不溶于水的物质,主要包括超长链脂肪酸(VLCFA)及其衍生物(酯、初级醇、次级醇、醛、酮等)和三萜。这种复杂的脂类化合物在大多数植物表皮细胞中合成并转运至细胞表面。蜡质不仅有利于果实免受微生物侵染,还能减少果实的机械损伤,从而保持果实的商品价值。迄今为止,关于果实蜡质的研究多集中于采前果实蜡质的变化、功能和调控,而忽略了果实采后贮藏过程中蜡质变化及生物学功能。本文对果实表皮蜡质组成、结构及其代谢调控进行综述。重点阐述影响蜡质组成的采后因素,如贮藏温度、相对湿度(RH)、气体环境、外源激素等,以及蜡质对果实采后品质的影响,包括水分散失、果实软化、生理失调、抗病性等。这些总结可能有助于更好地了解采后果实表皮蜡质变化及其在果实品质保持中的作用。

Risk factors associated with Salmonella in dairy cattle farms in Henan and Hubei provinces,China

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the risk factors associated with the Salmonella infection status of dairy herds in Henan and Hubei provinces,China.Herds were assigned a Salmonella status based on the isolation of Salmonella from fecal samples obtained from adult lactating dairy cows.Information on potential biosecurity risk factors was collected using a questionnaire template via a 15-min face-to-face interview with dairy cattle producers from May 2020 to March 2021.The questionnaire consisted of 23 questions across two broad categories of potential biosecurity risk factors:farm and biosecurity managemental factors.A total of 48 farms were surveyed.In all(100%,48/48)of the surveyed farms,although sick animals were separated from healthy animals using fencing,there were no strict quarantine protocols for newly introduced animals.Mixed species rearing was practiced in 35.4%(17/48)of the farms.Feces were removed more than once a day in 45.8%(22/48)of the farms,whereas the remainder(54.2%,26/48)only removed animal feces once a day.A total of 29.2%(14/48)of the farms were located<2 km from other livestock farms.The use of personal protective equipment was consistently performed on all farms,with a major-ity of the workers on most farms(81.3%,39/48)always disinfecting footwear before entering production areas.A significant association between Salmonella-positive status and the high frequency of the presence of wildlife(birds and rodents in sheds and feed storage places)was recorded(OR:11.9,95%Cl:1.7,84.1,p=0.013).Fortunately,no farms shared farm equipment with other farms.The study highlights the occurrence of wildlife as a risk factor for the presence of Salmonella in investigated dairy herds.There is a need to institute appropriate on-farm control measures for wild birds and rodents to control the potential spread of Salmonella in dairy production systems.

Peanut proteins:Extraction,modifications,and applications:A comprehensive review

As naturally sourced proteins,peanut proteins have garnered significant attention from the food industry,owing to their numerous advantages,such as easy extraction,non-pungency,and high bioavailability.Furthermore,peanut proteins are highly digestible in the gastrointestinal tract and boast a high net protein utilization rate,making them an appealing protein source in food products and a promising alternative to animal protein.In this paper,the recent works on the extraction method,modification method,and application of peanut proteins were reviewed.Both advantages and disadvantages of current extraction and modification were discussed.Recently updated information about peanut protein research was summarized.Based on these,the prospection of peanut proteins research was presented,which may be instructive for future research in this field.Future research is still needed for accessible modification methods to develop the functional properties of peanut proteins.

Identification of stable quantitative trait loci underlying waterlogging tolerance post-anthesis in common wheat(Triticum aestivum)

Waterlogging is a growing threat to wheat production in high-rainfall areas.In this study,a doubled haploid(DH) population developed from a cross between Yangmai 16(waterlogging-tolerant) and Zhongmai895(waterlogging-sensitive) was used to map quantitative trait loci(QTL) for waterlogging tolerance using a high-density 660K single-nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) array.Two experimental designs,waterlogging concrete tank(CT) and waterlogging plastic tank(PT),were used to simulate waterlogging during anthesis in five environments across three growing seasons.Waterlogging significantly decreased thousand-kernel weight(TKW) relative to non-waterlogged controls,although the degree varied across lines.Three QTL for waterlogging tolerance were identified on chromosomes 4AL,5AS,and 7DL in at least two environments.All favorable alleles were contributed by the waterlogging-tolerant parent Yangmai16.QWTC.caas-4AL exhibited pleiotropic effects on both enhancing waterlogging tolerance and decreasing plant height.Six high-confidence genes were annotated within the QTL interval.The combined effects of QWTC.caas-4AL and QWTC.caas-5AS greatly improved waterlogging tolerance,while the combined effects of all three identified QTL(QWTC.caas-4AL,QWTC.caas-5AS,and QWTC.caas-7DL) exhibited the most significant effect on waterlogging tolerance.Breeder-friendly kompetitive allele-specific PCR(KASP) markers(K_AX_111523809,K_AX_108971224,and K_AX_110553316) flanking the interval of QWTC.caas-4AL,QWTC.caas-5AS,and QWTC.caas-7DL were produced.These markers were tested in a collection of 240 wheat accessions,and three superior polymorphisms of the markers distributed over 67elite cultivars in the test population,from the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu,Anhui,and Hubei.The three KASP markers could be used for marker-assisted selection(MAS) to improve waterlogging tolerance in wheat.