Annals of Agricultural Science最新文献

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citrates) is grown in tropical and semi-tropical climates. It is an aromatic herb widely used as a flavoring agent in human foods due to its potent flavor. It also includes essential oils, which are important for their antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antifungal, antioxidant, and growth-promoting properties. The experiment was carried out to evaluate lemongrass essential oil (LGEO) supplementation in growing quails. 240 seven days old unsexed Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) were divided into four groups of 30 quails each. There were ten replicates for each group, with six birds per replicate. The first group received no supplementation, whereas the second, third, and fourth groups received LGEO supplements 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 g/kg, respectively. Results showed that the growth performance (GP) traits were affected positively by LGEO addition (P ≤ 0.01) at 0.4 g/kg compared to control. All carcass traits were improved significantly (P ≤ 0.01) as affected by LGEO supplementation except carcass percentage. Also, LGEO supplementation enhances meat quality as it improves significantly (P ≤ 0.01) thigh meat water holding capacity (WHC) and pH values. Blood characteristics showed significantly decrease (P ≤ 0.01) on lipid profile, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as affected by LGEO supplementation, inversely total protein, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly increased by LGEO supplementation. Likewise, LGEO supplementation improves the concentration of lactobacillus. Results indicated that adding LGEO at 0.4 g/kg diet in quails diets enhance GP, meat quality, blood characteristics, and caecum microorganisms.

A high concentration of nitrate and total nitrogen (N) in Chinese violet (CV) weed (Asystasia gangetica) has a potential benefit as a digestible protein source for ruminant production in humid tropical regions. We conducted a study using twelve Kacang goats in a crossover design to investigate the effect of CV weed on intake, nutrient utilization, and growth. Four dietary treatments were tested: Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) ad libitum (GG), GG ad libitum and CV (1% live weight, LW) (GG + CV), CV ad libitum (CV), and CV ad libitum plus cassava chip (1% LW) (CV + CC) (dry matter, DM basis). No sign of nitrite toxicity was observed when the goat fed CV diet while intake, N retention, and LW gain was higher than goats on the GG and GG + CV diets (P < 0.001). Digestibility of DM was similar to the goats on the GG + CV diet but higher than the goats on the GG diet (P < 0.001). However, the goats on the CV diet had a higher urinary N loss compared to the goats on GG and GG + CV diets (P < 0.001). The cassava supplementation (CV + CC) increased DM digestibility and lowered urinary N loss (P < 0.001). Hence, the CV weed could be fed as a sole diet or as a supplement to the Kacang goat fed a low-quality forage for improvement of nutrients intake, digestibility, and gain, while the urinary N loss could be lowered by cassava supplementation.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of eggshell-based manure (EBM), calcium chloride (CaCl₂), and their combined application in preventing food wastage. Tomato (cv. Tropimech) plants were subjected to seven pre-harvest treatments regimes. Treatments consisted of one level of control, two levels of EBM (0.83 and 1.7 ton ha⁻¹), two levels of CaCl₂ (0.08 and 0.17 ton ha⁻¹), and two levels of combined treatment of EBM and CaCl₂ (0.91 and 1.87 ton ha⁻¹). The tomato fruits were harvested at the red maturity stage, and some of their physical, mechanical, textural and biochemical qualities were determined according to standard procedures. All the parameters were investigated at 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 storage days. Results obtained showed that the treatment options had a significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on all the parameters evaluated. Irrespective of the treatment concentration, the results revealed that combined treatment was a better treatment option compared to the single treatment option. Apart from the skin firmness, physiological weight loss and spoilage rate, the fruits produced with combined treatment had better physical, mechanical, textural and biochemical properties throughout the storage period. It was observed that fruits produced with CaCl₂ experienced the highest skin firmness, lowest physiological weight loss and minimum spoilage; fruits produced with EBM exhibited the maximum physiological weight loss, highest spoilage rate and minimum skin firmness. This study results will be useful to agricultural engineers on the best pre-harvest treatment option to adopt, to produce tomato fruits with better engineering qualities, hence minimizing food wastage.

Honey is the most famous natural sweet substance produced by honeybees (Apis mellifera). It contains numerous functional compounds, from which health benefits are obtained. In Chile, the production of honey is associated with its unique biodiversity, but it is exported mostly, as bulk honey. This work aimed to characterize the chemical and biological properties of Chilean honey on a large scale. The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) technique, combined with multivariate statistical analysis was introduced to study the chemical profiles of polyfloral honey. The use of a complementary mass spectrometry method allowed the identification of 25 different constituents in the studied honey, including hydrocarbons, acids, esters, glycoside isoprenoids, ketones, and a dihydroxyflavanone. The evaluation of biological properties in Chilean honey was measured in a representative number of polyfloral samples. For this purpose, the total phenolics and flavonoid content were measured in the selected samples. The antioxidant activity of the honey was evaluated through the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP) and the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method. On the other hand, the antibacterial activity was assessed by the dilution technique to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the honey against seven bacterial strains, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The results demonstrated that the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Chilean honey are variable and they could have similar properties in comparison with other well-recognized bioactive honey.

Strawberry anthocyanins often undergo chemical degradation during storage, which leads to color fading and bioactivity loss. These changes are increased by ascorbic acid, which accelerates anthocyanin degradation. The present study investigated the effect of citric acid as an alternative to ascorbic acid to adjust strawberry nectar pH. Several additions were also used as co-pigment sources to enhance color stability during a five-month dark storage period at ambient temperatures. The results showed that citric acid increased the stability of total and monomeric anthocyanin and reduced the formation of polymeric color. The fortification of the strawberry nectar with 0.2% green tea extract, 3% hot rosella extract, and 0.5% low-methoxyl pectin in the presence of citric acid led to enhance strawberry nectar color, high stability, and reduce anthocyanin degradation.

Multilocation trials are important in plant breeding carried out in the field of agronomy. A combination of agronomy and plant breeding is needed to improve plant characteristics and stability testing before releasing new varieties. A single stability analysis method may not be sufficiently representative to determine the performance of genotypes across environments, which sometimes lead to wrong decisions about genotype stability. The objective of this study was to estimate yield potential, adaptability, and stability of superior lines resulting from inbred landraces based on parametric and nonparametric, and a genotype main effect G × E interaction (GGE) biplot. Fourteen inbred lines from Bengkulu landrace rice varieties were evaluated in five environments from January 2019 to November 2020. The experiment was conducted using a complete randomized block design with two replications. The results showed that the highest yield grouping based on the G × E heat-map, genotypes G13(BKL4-B1-268-10), G10(BKL2-B3-264-6), G7(BKL1-B3-261-3), and G5(BKL1-B1-259-1), was found in Sungai Serut. There was a strong positive correlation (r = 1.00) between the mean yield (Y_i) and YSi, S²_di and Di, and W_i² and StabVar. Meanwhile, the genotype occurred in the top third of the ranks (TOP) had a positive correlation of 0.78, indicating a suitable stability parameter to identify high-yield genotypes. There were four consistently stable lines based on parametric and nonparametric stability analyses: G10(BKL2-B3-264-6), G7(BKL1-B3-261-3), G13(BKL4-B1-268-10), and G5(BKL1-B1-259-1). The GGE approach methods showed consistent stability, and lines G13(BKL4-B1-268-10), G10(BKL2-B3-264-6), G5(BKL1-B1-259-1), G7(BKL1-B3-261-3), and G6(BKL1-B2-260-2) had high-yield potential, wide adaptability, and stability, and are recommended for further testing as candidates for new varieties.

The greenhouse whitefly (GWF), Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), is a cosmopolitan pest of horticultural crops. The study purpose was to assess the GWF adult population dynamics on potato and its populations on different planting dates and different host plant species. A survey was conducted to determine the GWF population on potato and its associated abiotic factors from January to December 2019. Four crop species, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and chili (Capsicum annum) were planted in two field experiments with different planting dates (7 April and 10 July). The results showed that during high rainfall, the GWF densities were very low. However, as the rainfall declined, the population increased and reached its peak in August. Again, when the rain started in September, the population drastically dropped and continuously declined as the rainfall increased until the year-end. The rainfall rate negatively correlates with the GWF population, but there was no significant correlation between temperature and the insect population. Populations of GWF adult, egg, and nymph were significantly higher in planting date 2 than in planting date 1. On both planting dates, the GWF populations on common bean were significantly higher than those on the other host plants. Hence common bean is the potential to be used as a trap crop in potato or chili plantations. Further studies are necessary to develop efficient and effective ways of utilizing bean as a trap crop.

Lutein is a yellow plant pigment belonging to the xanthophyll family of carotenoids and widely present in marigold flowers. Lutein is an effective antioxidant that may be utilized in foods as a natural coloring pigment and functional food ingredient. The present study evaluated the effect of lutein in two types of marigold flowers belonging to the Tagetes erecta and Tagetes patula species on selected functional properties of baked pan bread. Marigold flowers dried by three different methods (oven, vacuum, freeze-drying) were incorporated into white wheat flour (WWF) and wholegrain wheat flour (WGF) bread recipes. Lutein content in marigold flower petals and baked breads were quantified using Ultra-Fast Liquid Chromatography (UFLC). Texture and color properties of baked bread crust and crumb were determined. Tagetes erecta marigold flower showed significantly higher amount of lutein, and freeze-drying process was found to be the best technique for preserving lutein in the baked products. The freeze-dried African marigold and French marigold petals had lutein content of 150.98 ± 26.87 ppm and 78.26 ± 0.66, respectively. The L* value and whiteness of baked breads decreased which led to decreasing lightness of WWF bread crumb after addition of MFP. The total color difference, ∆E, and the redness index, RI, between control WWF bread crumb and WGF bread crumb increased as the level of MFP increased in the bread formulations. The data suggest that lutein-rich ground marigold may be used as a functional food ingredient to enhance color as well as antioxidant properties of bread.

Black oncom is a fermented product from the by-product of peanuts that can be processed into flour and used as a food ingredient in the development of biscuit products. These biscuit products offer the same potential benefits as peanuts. Therefore, an evaluation of the potential aspects of nutritional contents (amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins (B6, B9 and E), minerals (Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Se), and food safety (aflatoxin B1 and total aflatoxin)) of black oncom biscuits compared to peanut biscuits was needed. Based on the independent t-test analysis, black oncom biscuits had significantly higher nutritional contents (p < 0.05) than peanut biscuits, especially the amino acid components of leucine, isoleucine, valine, threonine, arginine, proline, serine, glycine, alanine, vitamin B6, magnesium and zinc. The fatty acid profile, in general, was not significantly different than peanut biscuits, except for heptadecenoic, docosahexaenoic, arachidonic, arachidic, oleic, linolenic and omega 9 fatty acids. In addition, black oncom biscuits had a low aflatoxin content in accordance with food safety standards. Overall, black oncom biscuits have higher nutritional contents than peanut biscuits in several amino acids, vitamin B6, and several minerals and contain aflatoxins that meet the safety standards.