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Insights on the potential of RNA-Seq on improving pomological traits of African indigenous fruit trees: a mini review
Get PDFFruit tree improvement has taken great strides by roping in improved and efficient biotechnological tools to increase fruit yield and quality to meet local and export demands. For the past decade, the RNA-Seq tool has successfully been used in fruit tree improvement programs to identify genes, dissect complex traits, and understand different molecular pathways and differential expression of genes. However, despite their growing importance in food and nutrition security, medicinal uses, and climate change mitigation strategies, very little has been done to improve the pomological traits of African indigenous fruits, especially at the molecular level. African indigenous fruit trees exhibit unexplained variation in flowering, fruit load, fruit size, fruit ripening, fruit taste, fruit nutritional composition and shelf-life. The booming local commercial companies and export markets are demanding consistent quality indigenous fruits. This has necessitated the need for fast and effective tools that will hasten the understanding and improvement of fruiting qualities. The improvement of fruiting and fruit qualities will go a long way in accelerating the domestication and commercialization of African indigenous fruit trees. This review paper gives molecular biology insights on how RNA-Seq has been successfully used in fruit improvement of exotic fruits through gene identification, comparative transcriptome analysis under different conditions, and understanding molecular pathways that influence important pomological traits. The review article also unearths opportunities where RNA-Seq can improve our knowledge and improvement of undesirable traits common in African indigenous fruit
Taxonomic diversity of lichens of a protected area in an industrial city (as an example of the city of Dnipro, Ukraine)
Get PDFThe aim of this study is to inventory the taxonomic diversity of lichens in the territory of the protected area of local importance "Novokodatskyi Park" located within the large industrial city of Dnipro (Dnipro region, Ukraine), taking into account the data of automated air monitoring. Along with the development of instrumental methods for studying the state of environmental components, biological monitoring is also relevant. After all, living organisms, namely their taxonomic diversity, number and its dynamics, etc., are integral indicators of the state of the environment. Numerous species of organisms are widely used as biomonitors of air pollution, the most famous of which are lichens, as it has been found that with an increase in the content of pollutants in the air, bushy, then leafy and finally scaling forms of lichens first disappear. Numerous studies have also shown a correlation between the number of lichen species and increased concentrations of pollutants in the air. The city of Dnipro is one of the largest industrial cities in Ukraine and has a high level of technogenic load. There are 10 industrial facilities of national and regional significance within the city of Dnipro, which are included in the List of the most environmentally hazardous facilities, and the largest metallurgical enterprises are concentrated in the Novokodatskyi district of Dnipro. During the survey of the territory of the Novokodatskyi Park, a nature reserve of local importance, 10 species of lichens from 6 families were registered. Let’s believe that the study of the taxonomic diversity of the lichen biota of large industrial cities and other settlements is a promising area of research in terms of lichen indication. After all, in this case, lichen diversity is an integral indicator, and the results obtained are quite clea
Seasonal assessment of pupal habitat productivity of malaria vector: Anopheles gambiae s.l as influence by physico-chemical conditions at selected breeding habitats in Niger, Nigeria
Get PDFMalaria is the most significant protozoan disease in Africa and the principal vector-borne disease (VBD) in Nigeria, which is influenced by the quality of breeding habitats that are reflected through the stage preceding adult. Control of Anopheles gambiae s.l. populations through source reduction is still considered the most effective way of prevention and control, although it has proven unsustainable in Niger State. Physico-chemical cues were investigated. Samples were taken inside and outside 1m2 cages weekly by dipping and emptying the cages from May 2019 to March 2020. The data subjected to analysis of variance (one and two-way Anova). The findings revealed the mean pupae abundance (MPA), were significantly higher in Large Water bodies (624.50±217.81), and followed by Gutters (436.00±184.2) and Swamps (285.50±125.06). The mean pupae productivity (MPP), followed the order of descending rate >GT (717.50±219.38) >LW (677.21±145.10) >SW (530.40±136.97). The result also showed that emptying technique (ET) was more sufficient and reliable than dipping technique (DT). The peak abundance and productivity of the pupal stage was June to August then declined in March,2020 both habitats. However, MPP differed significantly (p<0.05) from one another across the months in all the habitat types. The physical and chemical cues of the breeding sites, varied significantly, except in temperature, total hardness, biochemical oxygen demands, conductivity, and pH in all the habitats. This study revealed high utilization of physico-chemical properties and poses increased risk of malaria. Thus, emphasis on the vector management strategies should be given specially on gutters and large water bodies as breeding habitats of malaria vectors (MV), in Niger Stat
Improvement of the manufacturing method of semi-finished fruit and vegetables of a high degree of readiness
Get PDFThe method of production of concentrated fruit and vegeTable semi-finished product based on apples, Jerusalem artichoke and quince has been improved. Selected components of plant raw materials are chosen due to the presence of such useful substances as pectins, vitamins, minerals, etc. The obtained semi-finished products of a high degree of readiness are semi-finished products with a natural nutrient composition. A feature of the proposed method is the use of low-temperature modes of concentration and drying of raw materials. For the developed method, the hardware set of the line with the use of advanced thermal equipment was selected. Chopped raw materials are blanched in a universal multifunctional device: apple and Jerusalem artichoke in a steam environment (103 °C and 108 °C) for 4 and 8 minutes. Quince is blanched under conditions of pre-exposure in a 0.1 % solution of citric acid in an aqueous medium at a temperature of 75...80 °C (4...8 min.).
Concentration to a pasty state takes place in the improved design of the rotary-film apparatus with a reduced processing time of 0.75...1.25 s to a DM content of 28...30 %. To obtain a powdery state, a cylindrical IR dryer was used for drying to the final moisture content at the level of 4...6 % DM. It is also possible to dry the extracts formed after wiping the raw materials to a final moisture content of 10...13 % DM in an IR dryer. The use of low-temperature regimes in the range of 45...60 oC helps to obtain high-quality semi-finished products with maximum preservation of the initial properties of raw materials. By means of organoleptic evaluation, the best experimental sample with the content of blend components was found: apple 40 %; Jerusalem artichoke 35 %; quince 25 %. Developed semi-finished products are additives or fillers in various food products to improve their nutritional valu
Development of the recipe for cookies with pumpkin flour
Get PDFThe object of research is the technology of enriching shortbread cookies with pumpkin flour. The problem of enriching shortbread cookies with pumpkin flour was solved.
In the studies, different replacement of wheat flour with pumpkin flour was studied according to the following scheme: 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 %, 20 %. The formation of strength, the ratio of the mass to the volume of the cake, its volume to the mass, the degree of swelling and sensory evaluation of the cookies were studied. As a result, it was established that the addition of pumpkin flour to the shortbread cookie recipe had a significant (р≤0.05) effect on its quality indicators. The strength of cookies and the ratio of its mass to volume increased with the addition of pumpkin flour. The degree of swelling and the ratio of the volume of cookies to mass decreased compared to the version without pumpkin flour. The use of pumpkin flour significantly changed the sensory indicators of cookie quality. The smell of cookies decreased from 9.0 to 3.7 points. The taste of cookies – from 9.0 to 3.0 points. Using it in the recipe reduces the volume of cookies, which reduces the degree of swelling and the ratio of its mass to volume. In addition, pumpkin flour has a specific smell and taste, which negatively affects the sensory evaluation of cookies. Therefore, the higher its content in the recipe, the worse the quality of the cookies.
A distinctive feature of the obtained results is the use of 5 % pumpkin flour in the cookie technology. With this recipe, the strength is 1.45 kg, the degree of swelling is 1.70, the ratio of cookie mass to volume is 0.65, cookie volume to mass is 1.53. The color of the surface of the cookies is light brown, the color of the crumb is yellow, the pores are small, thin-walled, uniform, the consistency is crumbly. Smell is 8.3 points, taste – 9.0 points.
The developed recommendations can be used by enterprises of low productivity for the production of shortbread cookie
Pedigree selection in two Egyptian cotton crosses for some traits
Get PDFOne cycle of direct Pedigree selection was performed with selection intensity 5 % to improve productivity with accepTable fiber quality of the two Egyptian cotton ( G. barbadense L.) cross combinations. Comparing mean performance of F2 with those of F3 generation revealed increased mean values for all traits with advanced generations from F2 to F3, indicating accumulation of increasing alleles. The phenotypic variance for all traits was highly significant through F2 and F3 generations. Heritability estimates in broad sense improved considerably for all traits from F2 to advanced F3 generations. The genotypic correlation between three earliness characters was highly significant negative with most yield traits in F2 pop. I. While genotypic correlation between the previous earliness traits with yield traits in F3 generation was positively non-significant except for lint percentage that was highly significant positive. Genotypic correlation was highly significant positive among most yield and yield component traits in both generations, which helps pedigree selection to achieve high fast genetic advance. The data of the genotypic correlation among studied characters in F2 and F3 generations in population II showed highly significant negative genotypic correlation between earliness traits in F2 generation, changed to highly significant positive in F3 generation after applying pedigree selection. The genotypic correlation between most yield characters and fiber properties showed highly significant positive correlation in population II in both generations. The superior ten families in F3 generation in both populations ranked on high yield, yield components and fiber quality showed higher means than that of F2, F3, better parent and check in most yield character
Different nursery growing systems and growth media improved germination and seedling growth of fever tea (Lippia javanica)
Get PDFAn experiment was set up in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) to examine the influence of nursery growing methods and growth medium on fever, tea germination, and seedling development. Two nursery growth methods (Conventional-CON and Float tray system FTs) and six different growing medium (pine bark, peat moss, coco peat, vermiculite, sand, and cattle manure) were used. ANOVA was used to compare treatment means, and means were separated using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) at a 5 % significance level. The nursery growing method and growth material exhibited a strong interaction regarding the germination index, germination percentage, seedling height, leaf area, root length, density, and final crop stand. The float tray approach yielded the greatest germination index for peat moss and the lowest for cattle manure. In the float tray method, peat moss and coco peat had the highest germination percentages, whereas cattle manure had the lowest. Under the float tray technique, the tallest seedlings emerged in peat moss and the smallest in coco peat. Peat moss had the most leaf area in the float tray system, whereas coco peat had the least in the conventional technique. Peat moss in the float tray system had the highest root length density while coco peat in the conventional technique had the lowest. Peat moss in the float tray system had the highest final crop stand, whereas seedlings in the conventional and float tray systems had nothing. based on the findings, it is recommended that fever tea seedlings be grown on peat moss using the float tray metho
Changes in structural units in dough and bread from wheat flour with the addition of pumpkin cellulose in combination with phospholipids
Get PDFUnfavorable ecological and food security situation in the world causes frequent spread of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the number of cases of irritable bowel syndrome is increasing, especially among the young working population. Diet therapy, which includes increasing the amount of dietary fiber in combination with phospholipids, is effective for the prevention of these diseases. A perspective raw material with a high content of dietary fibers is pumpkin cellulose, which can be added to the recipe of bakery products instead of part of wheat flour. The aim of the work was to find the effect of pumpkin cellulose in combination with sunflower lecithin on the conformational changes of the structure of dough and bread from wheat flour and the completeness of assimilation of products with this raw material by the organism. It was established that the infrared spectra of wheat flour, pumpkin cellulose and sunflower lecithin differ in reflection intensity and character. In the process of dough fermentation, the conformational transformations deepened with an increase in the amount of replacement of wheat flour with pumpkin cellulose, and the reflection coefficient increased. For bread samples, the reflectance coefficient was lower compared to dough, but there were almost no differences in the location of the spectra. In general, the biological value of samples of bread with additives was lower than the control sample, however, the high content of dietary fibers in pumpkin cellulose makes it a promising raw material for enriching bakery products with a valuable nutrient and giving bread health properties. The rational amount of replacing wheat flour with pumpkin cellulose is no more than 7 %, taking into account the decrease in the biological value of bread with this raw materia
Recovery and reservation in the formation of ecosystem reliability
Get PDFReliability is one of the main characteristics of ecosystem, its ability to effectively maintain its structure and perform functions without fail when environmental conditions change due to natural or anthropogenic negative impacts. It is shown that in the assessment of ecosystems, the leading role belongs to environmental monitoring to determine the condition of ecosystem components and identify the possibility of ensuring reliability. Methodical approaches to environmental monitoring have been developed. Mechanisms of ensuring and principles of reliability assessment of different types of ecosystems are considered. The main attention is paid to the recovery, reservation and conditioning of ecosystems under the influence of negative factors. To quantify the ability of ecosystems to recover, it is proposed to use appropriate criteria, which are determined by certain calculation formulas. With insufficient reliability of ecosystem elements due to the actions of negative factors, its reliability is ensured by reservation at the expense of additional means and capabilities. In the case of agroecosystems, which are artificially created biotic groups of organisms that are supported by humans, it is an integrated approach using the theory of ecosystem reliability that expands the range of means to study their effective functioning. It is noted that the increase in the reliability of the agroecosystem is provided by the use of its reliable elements, as well as special systems for ensuring recovery and reservation. It is emphasized that the application of reliability theory in the study of agroecosystems contributes to the management of their functional efficiency for obtaining environmentally safe product
Assessment of the quality of cream-white candy with the addition of fruit and berry paste during storage
Get PDFOne of the trends in modern nutrition is targeting people who care about their health. Confectionery made from sugar is in stable demand among people of different age groups, and research into their enrichment with vital nutrients is promising. One of the ways to implement such a task is the use of fruit and berry processing products, in particular in the form of pastes, during the production of candies. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the quality of cream-whipped candies with the addition of apple, quince and blackcurrant paste (40: 50: 10) during storage.
It was established that the process of hydrolysis of the lipid component of candies with paste occurs at a higher rate compared to the control. This is due to their higher acidity and moisture. However, the fats of candies with the addition of fruit and berry paste are less prone to the formation of peroxides, which is explained by the presence in their composition of a significant number of polyphenolic compounds with pronounced antioxidant properties (anthocyanins and catechins), which are absent in the control sample. In particular, on the 60th day of storage, the value of the peroxide value for the sample with the additive was 27.9 % less than that of the control product.
It has been established that candies with paste lose moisture more slowly due to the higher content of non-starch polysaccharides. Thus, on the 60th day, the moisture content of the control decreased by 11.33 %, and the product with paste decreased by 8.72 %. Smaller moisture losses ensure greater stability of their rheological characteristics during storage. It was noted that the strength and density of such candies increase more slowly than in the sample without the additive.
The results of the research indicate the compliance of cream-whipped candies with fruit and berry paste to the normative storage terms in terms of oxidative stability of the lipid complex, physico-chemical and sensory indicator