Cereal Grains:Their Impacts on Health and Food Safety

Cereal grains can contribute to maintain health and prevent chronic diseases by supplying biologically active components. The exact mechanism of action of these components is not completely understood,but extensive evidence suggests the antioxidants that are present in the grains are the likely source of benefits. These activities or properties might protect against coronary heart disease and diabetes. The relationships of complex carbohydrates,whole grain products and the prevention of diseases,including type2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease continue to challenge the scientific community. Though cereal grains contribute to a healthy diet there are some people that can not tolerate the proteins present in the grain. This can lead to food allergies and when severe can be diagnosed as celiac disease.

Isolation, Examination and Characterization of Actinomycetes as a Source of Antimicrobial Agents from Libyan Soil

The rapid increase of bacterial resistance strains to multiple antibiotics has become a global public health concern. In the present study, actinomycetes from different districts of Libyan soil were isolated and screened for their inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Three hundred soil samples were taken from 77 diverse ecosystems, including deserts, forests, pastureland, and cropland located in different climatic regions in Libya. A total of 164 actinomycetes were obtained. Of 164 isolates, 38 (23.2%) isolates were morphologically and microscopically characterized by spore chain and surface morphology, aerial and substrate mycelia and soluble pigments. The preliminary classification of the isolates illustrates that all isolates belong to the genus Streptomyces. These isolates were further examined for their antagonistic potential against nine pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Out of 38, 11 (28.9%) isolates showed their capability to produce inhibitory substances against at least two tested strains. Among bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus was susceptible to almost all eleven isolates (90.9%), while Streptococcus pyogenes was found to be resistant to most selected isolates (18.2%). The isolate, 063 (Wadan soil-desert zone) was the only isolate that exhibited broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against all tested pathogenic microbes, and hence was selected for further study. According to its cultural, morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, the isolate 063 was identified as Streptomyces rochei. The results obtained indicate that the Libyan soil, particularly in extreme environments, could be a potent source of bioactive metabolites with antimicrobial potency against a wide variety of microbial pathogens. Thus, this investigation suggested that exploring new habitats in unexplored and untapped regions of Libya could provide a promising source of biologically active compounds for therapeutic applications.

Storage stability of vitamin C fortified purple mashed potatoes processed with microwave-assisted thermal sterilization system

Quality changes in ready-to-eat,shelf-stable foods,during storage can be influenced by many factors,such as processing,storage conditions,and the barrier properties of the packaging.This research investigated retention of vitamin C and anthocyanin in purple mashed potatoes as influenced by packaging barrier properties and encapsulation during storage after microwave assisted thermal sterilization.Purple mashed potatoes fortified with encapsulated(EVC)or non-encapsulated vitamin C(NVC)were packaged in two high-barrier polymer pouches(TLMO and PAA),processed with a pilot-scale microwave assisted thermal sterilization(MATS)system(F0=10.7 min),and stored at 37.8°C for 7 months.MATS processing caused a significant increase(P<0.05)in the oxygen transmission rates(OTRs)of PAA pouches but did not affect the barrier properties of TLMO pouches.PAA film also had a significantly higher(P<0.05)water vapor transmission rate(WVTRs)than TLMO films,which resulted in a significantly higher(P<0.05)weight loss in the samples packaged in PAA pouches than TLMO pouches.Purple mashed potatoes containing encapsulated vitamin C in both TLMO and PAA pouches showed the highest retention over 2 months of storage at 37.8°C than non-encapsulated vitamin C.Additionally,purple mashed potatoes exposed to 700 lumens light showed a significantly higher(P<0.05)deterioration in the anthocyanin,total phenolic content,color,and vitamin C.Overall,MATS processed purple mashed potatoes in high barrier polymeric packaging can minimize the quality changes when stored in dark conditions during storage and have an extended shelf life.

人内皮抑素在毕赤酵母中的表达、纯化与生物功能研究

内皮抑素 (Endostatin)是近年来新发现的一种内源性新生血管生成 (Angiogenesis)抑制因子 ,通过抑制新血管生成而抑制肿瘤的形成和转移且不会引起耐药性 ,具有极高的临床应用前景。巴斯德毕赤酵母 (Pichiapastoris)具有表达率高、产物可分泌、可对高等真核生物蛋白正确进行翻译后加工、遗传稳定、发酵工艺成熟等优点被用来进行重组人Endostatin的表达。本研究用PCR的方法从人胎肝cDNA文库中扩增出人Endostatin的cDNA ,测序正确后转入毕赤巴斯德甲醇酵母 ,并获得了高效可溶型表达 ,用肝素亲和层析的方法进行纯化 ,纯化后产物经SDS PAGE薄层扫描分析纯度达 98 7%以上 ,质谱测定分子量为 2 0 43kD与理论值一致 ,蛋白质N端序列测定结果为SPPAHTHRDFQPVLH与天然序列一致。生物活性检测证明可抑制鸡胚尿囊绒毛膜 (CAM)的新生血管生成 (Angio genesis) ,并可抑制血管内皮细胞的增殖。因此用酵母表达系统可以得到具有生物活性的内皮抑素 。

浓缩苹果汁中扩展青霉菌实时PCR快速检测条件的优化

为了研究苹果汁生产中棒曲霉素产生菌的快速检测,利用实时PCR方法快速检测扩展青霉的可能性,对扩增条件进行优化。在polygatacturonase基因引物设计和传统PCR扩增扩展青霉DNA的基础上,研究实时PCR扩增时退火温度、引物浓度以及底物质量浓度对扩增效果的影响,以获得最佳的参数。结果表明,用Lightercy-cler实时PCR扩增扩展青霉DNA的最佳退火温度为61℃,最佳引物浓度为0.20-0.40μmol/L,底物质量浓度对实时PCR扩增的影响较小。在以上参数下,可以获得良好的PCR扩增曲线、产物溶解曲线以及清晰的产物条带。研究获得的快速检测扩展青霉的实时PCR参数,可用于浓缩苹果汁工业化生产中扩展青霉的快速检测,也可作为其他微生物实时PCR检测时的方法学参考。

PCR法快速检测扩张青霉

【目的】研究棒曲霉素扩张青霉菌(Penicillium expansum)的快速和特异性PCR检测方法。【方法】通过P.expansum的纯菌平板和液体培养以及纯菌接种于苹果、苹果果肉和苹果汁,用Cenis改良方法提取DNA,以基于isoepoxydon dehydrogenase和polygatacturonase编码基因的两对引物扩增P.expansum DNA,建立特异和快速的检测P.expansum的方法。【结果】基于polygatacturonase基因的引物具有很强的特异性,只有目标DNA片段被扩增,而基于isoepoxydon dehydrogenase基因的引物扩增特异性较差。纯培养可以检测到5×10-6μgDNA/每反应体系,整个检测时间约为5h,比传统培养法(4～6d)时间大大缩短。苹果、苹果果肉和果汁接种纯P.expansum后所提DNA都得到了很好的扩增,具有很高的特异性,不受苹果样品DNA的干扰。【结论】本研究建立的P.expansum的PCR检测方法特异、快速、灵敏,可用于商品果汁和苹果汁工业化生产中P.expansum的快速检测和质量控制,也可用于工艺过程对P.expansum污染的快速溯源。

解纤维热酸菌产L-阿拉伯糖异构酶的培养条件优化

解纤维热酸菌SK1.009发酵产生合成塔格糖所需的L-阿拉伯糖异构酶,通过单因素与正交实验优化确定产酶培养基条件。结果表明,发酵最佳条件(g/L):可溶性淀粉8、蛋白胨鱼粉1、L-阿拉伯糖1.5、NH4Cl1、KH2PO41、Na2HPO4·12H2O0.135、MgSO4.7H2O0.2、CaCl20.15,发酵初始pH4.5,培养温度55℃,接种量4%,培养时间60h。在该最佳培养基下发酵产生酶活为0.184U/mL。

Efficacy of medium-chain fatty acid salts distilled from coconut oil against two enteric pathogen challenges in weanling piglets

Background:The search for alternatives to antibiotics in pig production has increased the interest in natural resources with antimicrobial properties,such as medium-chain fatty acids(MCFA)as in-feed additives.This study evaluated the potential of a novel blend of MCFA salts(DIC)from distilled coconut oil with a lauric acid content to reduce enteropathogens and control intestinal diseases around weaning.Two experimental disease models were implemented in early-weaned piglets,consisting of two oral challenges:Salmonella Typhimurium(1.2×10~8 CFU)or enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC)F4(1.5×10~9 CFU).The parameters assessed were:animal performance,clinical signs,pathogen excretion,intestinal fermentation,immune-inflammatory response,and intestinal morphology.Results:The Salmonella challenge promoted an acute course of diarrhea,with most of the parameters responding to the challenge,whereas the ETEC F4 challenge promoted a mild clinical course.A consistent antipathogenic effect of DIC was observed in both trials in the hindgut,with reductions in Salmonella spp.plate counts in the cecum(P=0.03)on d 8 post-inoculation(PI)(Salmonella trial),and of enterobacteria and total coliform counts in the ileum and colon(P<0.10)on d 8 PI(ETEC F4 trial).When analyzing the entire colonic microbiota(16 S rRNA gene sequencing),this additive tended(P=0.13)to reduce the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and enriched Fibrobacteres after the Salmonella challenge.In the ETEC F4 challenge,DIC prompted structural changes in the ecosystem with increases in Dialister,and a trend(P=0.14)to increase the Veillonellaceae family.Other parameters such as the intestinal fermentation products or serum pro-inflammatory mediators were not modified by DIC supplementation,nor were the histological parameters.Only the intraepithelial lymphocyte(IEL)counts were lowered by DIC in animals challenged with Salmonella(P=0.07).With ETEC F4,the IEL counts were higher with DIC on d 8 PI(P=0.08).Conclusions:This study confirms the potential activity of this MCFA salts mixture to reduce intestinal colonization by opportunistic pathogens such as Salmonella or E.coli and its ability to modulate colonic microbiota.These changes could explain to some extent the local immune cell response at the ileal level.

Mediterranean Berries as Inhibitors of Lipid Oxidation in Porcine Burger Patties Subjected to Cooking and Chilled Storage

The efifciency of extracts from Arbutus unedo L. （AU）, Crataegus monogyna L. （CM）, Rosa canina L. （RC）, and Rubus ulmifolius Schott. （RU） to inhibit lipid oxidation in raw, cooked and cooked and chilled （2°C/12 d） porcine burger patties, was investigated. The modiifcation of the fatty acid proifle during processing treatments （cooking and chilling）, the quantitative measurements of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances （TBA-RS）, and lipid-derived volatiles, were used as indicators of lipid oxidation. Polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFA） gradually decreased during cooking and the subsequent storage of cooked burger patties with this decrease being signiifcantly greater （P〈0.05） in control patties than in those with added berry extracts. In accordance, the control patties showed signiifcantly higher TBA-RS numbers and counts of lipid-derived volatiles in all treatments when compared to the berry-added counterparts （P〈0.05）. Results from the present work show, for the ifrst time, that extracts from A. unedo, C. monogyna, R. canina, and R. ulmifolius are promising antioxidants which could enhance the nutritional, safety and sensory properties of porcine burger patties.

Hydrolyzing Condition and Immunocompetence of Sheep Bone Protein Enzymatic Lysates

Utilizing collagen of sheep bone as material to get immunocompetent peptide, enzymatic hydrolysis conditions were optimized using quadratic regression general rotation design. The effect of temperature （T）, time （t）, enzyme/substrate （E/S） ratio, and substrate concentration （S） on the amount of tricarboxylix acid cycle （TCA） soluble peptides were investigated. The content of soluble peptide in the acquisition was measured by Folin-hydrozybebzebe method, and the correlation between soluble peptide content and immunocompetence was analyzed by SAS software. The best enzymatic hydrolysis condition was gotten from Design Expert 7.1.2 software. The optimal condition under which immunocompetent peptides could be prepared was 1 576 U g^-1 （E/S）, 64.05℃ （T）, 0.271 kg L^-1 （S）, and 7.22 h （t）. The correlation coefficient between TCA soluble peptides and the immuneocompetence was 0.045 〈r0.05 = 0.355, which indicated that they had no significant correlation. The result showed that the soluble peptide contained immunocompetent peptides which content was independent of immunocompetence in the hydrolasates.

Sugars, Organic Acids and Total Phenols in Varieties of Chestnut Fruits from Tenerife (Spain)

The sugar, organic and total phenol contents were determined in 21 varieties of chestnut from Tenerife (Spain). Sucrose, fructose and glucose were determined by HPLC/refraction index being the sucrose the sugar with the highest content. The organic acids were determined by HPLC/diode array, and the chestnuts had an organic acids profile characterized by the following compounds: oxalic, glutamic, tartaric, pyruvic, malic, ascorbic, citric, fumaric and cis-aconitic acids. Ascorbic, citric and malic acids were the major organic acids. There were differences in the composition of sugars, total phenols and organic acids between the chestnut varieties. The production zone only significantly affected the contents of moisture, sucrose, total phenols and fructose. The correlations between glucose-fructose, malic acid-fumaric acid, tartaric acid-oxalic acid could be emphasized. An important contribution to the intake of antioxidants is observed for the consumption of chestnuts.

Innovation and development of the third-generation hybrid rice technology

The breeding and large-scale application of hybrid rice contribute significantly to the food supply worldwide.Currently,hybrid seed production uses cytoplasmic male sterile(CMS)lines or photoperiod/thermo-sensitive genic male sterile(PTGMS)lines as female parent.Despite huge successes,both systems have intrinsic problems.CMS systems are mainly restricted by the narrow restorer resources that make it difficult to breed superior hybrids,while PTGMS systems are limited by conditional sterility of the male sterile lines that makes the propagation of both PTGMS seeds and hybrid seeds vulnerable to unpredictable climate changes.Recessive nuclear male sterile(NMS)lines insensitive to environmental conditions are widely distributed and are ideal for hybrid rice breeding and production,but the lack of effective ways to propagate the pure NMS lines in a large scale renders it impossible to use them for hybrid rice production.The development of"the third-generation hybrid rice technology"enables efficient propagation of the pure NMS lines in commercial scale.This paper discusses the establishment of"the thirdgeneration hybrid rice technology"and further innovations.This new technology breaks the limitations of CMS and PTGMS systems and will bring a big leap forward in hybrid rice production.

Effects of Baking, Roasting and Frying on Total Polyphenols and Antioxidant Activity in Colored Chickpea Seeds

Chickpea lines with colored testa (seed coat) contain high levels of polyphenolic compounds that exhibit high levels of antioxidant activity. In a previous study, we showed that common processing procedures, such as soaking and cooking, decrease the levels of these bioactive compounds and subsequent overall antioxidant activity. The observed reduction in total phenolic content was due to the movement of polyphenols from the seed coat to the soaking or cooking water. Here, the effects of baking, roasting and frying processes were examined in relation to total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and ferric-reducing ability of plasma antioxidant activity (FRAP AA) of colored chickpea seeds. Baked, fried and roasted colored chickpea seeds had significantly higher levels of TPC, TFC and FRAP AA than regular cream- and beige-colored seeds subjected to the same treatments. In contrast to our previous results with soaking and cooking, baking, frying and roasting retained most of the TPC, TFC and FRAP AA in the final products. Thus, colored chickpeas subjected to these three processing methods might be considered a functional food in addition to its traditional role of providing dietary proteins.

Development of herbicide resistance genes and their application in rice

Rice is one of the most important food crops in the world.Weeds seriously affect the rice yield and grain quality.In recent years,there are tremendous progresses in the research and application of herbicideresistant genes in rice worldwide.This article reviews the working mechanisms of six herbicides(glyphosate,glufosinate,acetolactate synthase inhibitor herbicides,acetyl-Co A carboxylase inhibitor herbicides,hydroxyhenylpyruvate dioxygenase(HPPD)inhibitor herbicides and dinitroaniline herbicides),the resistance mutations of the corresponding herbicide-target genes,and the herbicide detoxification mechanisms by non-target genes.Examples are provided on herbicide-resistant rice materials obtained by transformation of exogenous resistance genes,by artificial mutagenesis and mutant screening,and by modifying the target genes through gene editing.This paper also introduces the current application of herbicide-resistant rice,points out problems that may be caused by utilization of herbicide resistant rice and solutions to the problems,and discusses the future prospects for the development of herbicideresistant rice.

Gut health,stress,and immunity in neonatal dairy calves:the host side of host-pathogen interactions

The cumulative evidence that perinatal events have long-lasting ripple effects through the life of livestock animals should impact future nutritional and management recommendations at the farm level. The implications of fetal programming due to malnutrition, including neonatal survival and lower birth weights, have been characterized,particularly during early and mid-gestation, when placental and early fetal stages are being developed. The accelerated fetal growth during late pregnancy has been known for some time, while the impact of maternal stressors during this time on fetal development and by extent its postnatal repercussions on health and performance are still being defined.Maternal stressors during late pregnancy cannot only influence colostrogenesis but also compromise adequate intestinal development in the fetus, thus, that further limits the newborn's ability to absorb nutrients, bioactive compounds, and immunity(i.e., immunoglobulins, cytokines, and immune cells) from colostrum. These negative effects set the newborn calf to a challenging start in life by compromising passive immunity and intestinal maturation needed to establish a mature postnatal mucosal immune system while needing to digest and absorb nutrients in milk or milk replacer. Besides the dense-nutrient content and immunity in colostrum, it contains bioactive compounds such as growth factors, hormones, and cholesterol as well as molecular signals or instructions [e.g., microRNAs(miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)] transferred from mother to offspring with the aim to influence postnatal gut maturation. The recent change in paradigm regarding prenatal materno-fetal microbiota inoculation and likely the presence of microbiota in the developing fetus intestine needs to be addressed in future research in ruminants. There still much to know on what prenatal or postnatal factors may predispose neonates to become susceptible to enteropathogens(e.g., enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli), causing diarrhea. From the host-side of this host-pathogen interaction, molecular data such as fecal RNA could, over time, help fill those gaps in knowledge. In addition, merging this novel fecal RNA approach with more established microbiome techniques can provide a more holistic picture of an enteropathogenesis and potentially uncover control points that can be addressed through management or nutrition at the farm level to minimize preweaning morbidity and mortality.

Trp_(548)Met mutation of acetolactate synthase in rice confers resistance to a broad spectrum of ALS-inhibiting herbicides

Herbicide resistance in crop plants is valuable for integrated weed management in agriculture. Herbicide resistant rice, in particular, is important to management of weedy rice, a close relative of cultivated rice and a noxious weed prevalent in rice fields that remains challenging to farmers worldwide. Herbicide resistant plants can be obtained through transgenic approach or by mutagenesis of regular plant and screening of mutants with elevated resistance to herbicide. In this study, we conducted ethyl methyl sulfonate mutagenesis(EMS) to elite indica cultivar Huanghuazhan(HHZ) and screened for mutants resistant to imazapic, a herbicide that can inhibit the acetolactate synthase(ALS) in plants. We obtained three mutants of Os ALS gene that have not been reported previously in rice. One of the mutants, with Trp_(548) changed to Met(W_(548)M), was analyzed in more details in this study. This mutation had no negative effect on the plant physiology and morphology as well as rice yield. Compared with the imidazolinone-resistant mutant S_(627)N(Ser_(627) changed to Asn) that has been deployed for Clearfield rice development, W_(548)M mutant showed high levels of resistance to a broad spectrum of five families of ALSinhibiting herbicides, in addition to a higher level of resistance to herbicides of the imidazolinone family.The herbicide-resistance was stably inherited by crossing into other rice lines. Thus, the W_(548)M mutation provides a valuable resource for breeding of herbicide resistant rice and weed management.

Feeding Study with Bt Corn (MON810: Ajeeb YG) on Rats: Biochemical Analysis and Liver Histopathology

Bt corn “MON810: Ajeeb YG” produces delta endotoxins in the whole plant due to the genetic modification process. The chemical analysis of this variety showed significant differences from its conventional counterpart “Ajeeb”. Further, feeding studies on rats were designed to complete assessing the safety of “MON810: Ajeeb YG”. Three groups of rats (6 males and 6 females’ rats/group) were fed on control diet, non-Bt corn and Bt corn for 1.5 months and 3 months. After 1.5 months, 3 males and 3 females from each group were sacrificed, and after another 1.5 months, 3 males and 3 females from each group and their offspring were sacrificed. Histopathological examination, blood haematology and serum biochemical analysis were determined. Results indicated significant differences among the tested parameters in the three groups especially Bt group. Severe changes in the liver of Bt group after 3 months were observed.