Biotechnology Journal International
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Evaluation of Nutritional Values and Estimated Daily Intakes of Attiéké Enriched with Leaves of Moringa oleifera L., Rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. and Almonds of Anacardium occidentale L. among Adult Ivoirien Population
No full textThe Attiéké (steamed cassava semolina) has become one of the most consumed foods in several African countries, particularly in Ivory Coast. However, due to its nutritional composition, attiéké is essentially an energy food that is low in proteins and essential nutrients. Enriching attiéké with other local agricultural products of high nutritional value such as Moringa oleifera leaves, turmeric (Curcuma longa), and cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale) represents a promising approach in the fight against protein-energy malnutrition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional values and the estimated daily intakes of nutrients from enriched agbodjama attiéké with concentrates of Moringa oleifera leaves, turmeric rhizomes, and cashew kernel paste in the adult Ivorian population. The nutrient composition of 15 composite agbodjama attiéké formulations obtained using a central composite design, along with a control attiéké, was determined according to standardized laboratory methods. In addition, the daily intakes and their contribution to meeting essential nutrient requirements were estimated according to the Codex Alimentarius method. Analysis of the enriched agbodjama attiéké showed moisture levels of around 44 % compared to 45.52±0.35 % DM for the control attiéké. The results also showed that the composite agbodjama attiéké (MCA) significantly (P < 0.001) differed by their higher contents in most of the studied nutrients, with values of 5.53±0.21 g/100 g protein, 0.73±0.12 g/100 g lipids, 1.97 g/100 g ash, 1.22±0.52 g/100 g fiber, and 343.17±0.17 kcal/100 g energy value. The estimated nutrient intakes from consuming 301 g of enriched agbodjama attiéké were higher than those obtained with the control attiéké, except for total carbohydrates which were more abundant in the control. Daily nutrient intakes for an adult consumer were estimated at 16.53±0.1 g/day protein, 1.95±0.03 g/day lipids, 274.18±0.43 g/day carbohydrates, 3.60±0.06 g/day fiber, and 1031.78±0.75 kcal/day energy. This represents contributions of about 27 %, 2 %, 99 %, 14 %, and 37 % respectively towards the recommended daily intakes for proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, fiber, and energy. These enriched attiéké products could be considered as an alternative in the fight against protein-energy malnutrition by significantly contributing to the nutritional needs of vulnerable populations. This study also highlights the need to take into account the contribution to meeting micronutrient requirements (essential minerals and vitamins)
Chemical Disinfectants in Disease Management and Productivity Enhancement in Mulberry Sericulture: A Review
No full textThe sericulture industry, focused on producing silk from Bombyx morisilkworms, is highly vulnerable to pathogenic outbreaks due to the domestication of silkworms, which has diminished their natural immunity. Pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, are common threats in silkworm rearing and significantly impact silk production. The use of chemical disinfectants in sericulture has proven to be an essential tool in mitigating these threats by maintaining hygienic rearing conditions. This paper reviews the importance, mechanisms, and application of chemical disinfectants in disease management and highlights their role in enhancing sericulture productivity
Gene to Field: Biotechnological Interventions against New-Age Crop Pests
No full textWorld agriculture continues to intensify while climate driven insect migration speeds up between geographic areas to cause agricultural producers to battle new insect pests which endanger both yield production and food safety standards. When measured comparatively pest control methods specifically chemical pesticides have demonstrated diminished operational effectiveness compared to their peak results. The increasing resistance of insects to chemical agents causes damage to helpful insect populations while disrupting ecosystem stability in natural areas. The future potential of biotechnology became evident as new sophisticated pest control systems started to emerge within the last few years. The article examines several modern control concepts including genetically altered organisms that resist insects (Bt crops) along with RNAi technologies and newer gene-editing tools like CRISPR/Cas as well as mechanisms to manage insect microorganisms and symbiotic partners. Modern pest management methods permit highly targeted control approaches which protect the environment. Several progress strategies in pest management face multiple obstacles from the potential for pest adaptation to new technologies along with complex implementation needs along with uncertain natural ecological situations and complex regulatory rules and public resistance. Future integration of ecological initiatives with biotechnological methods will unite local communities with farmers to achieve sustainable practices through supportive policy development. Multiple combined approaches indicate that sustainable pest control solutions will lead to increased effectiveness throughout future time periods
Sustainable Harvesting of Soybean (Glycine max (l) merr.) by Using the Different Indigenous Mulching Materials in the Municipality of N\u27Dali in the North-East of Benin
No full textAims: Declining soil fertility has rekindled a renewed interest in soybean cultivation, but low rainfall continues to limit the production of this important nitrogen-fixing crop.
Methodology: This study aims to identify among three mulch materials, the best mulch type to improve soil water conservation as well as fertility, was conducted in N\u27Dali using a randomized complete block design with three replicates and four treatments, namely: no mulch (T0), wood chips (T1), couch grass (T2), and rice husks (T3).
Result: At 63 days after sowing, rice husk mulch produced the best growth—65.60 cm plant height, 17.93 branches, and 10.79 mm collar diameter—followed by couch grass (52.9 cm plant height, 15 branches, 9.78 mm collar diameter). Rice husk also gave the highest yield (1000-grain weight being 220.93 g and a yield of 2.208 t/ha) compared to couch grass (186.63 g; 1.86 t/ha).
Conclusion: The results of the experiment revealed that rice husks and couch grass had a positive influence on soybean growth compared to wood chips. As for the yield parameters (t/ha) and 1000-grains weight (g/m²), rice husks induced a better yield, followed by couch grass straw. Further research is needed to investigate the effects of mulching on soybean nodulation and to evaluate different rice husk application rates for optimizing yield and productivity
Influence of Nutritional Treatments on the Vitamin of Dwarfgem Tomato Variety (Solanum lycopersicum var dwarfgem L.)
No full textIn Nigeria, crops are usually cultivated during the rainy season when there is high incidence of diseases such as damping-off. The tomato varieties that are high yielding with quality fruits are affected by this damping-off during the rains. To promote increased fruit supply, dwarfgem which has rare good quality of being resistant to damping-off serves as good alternative. The dwarfgem has high water content, sour taste, and thin skin which cracks, reduced storage life and low nutritional content needed to be improved. This study was therefore designed to evaluate an acceptable physiological method to improve the nutritional fruit quality of the dwarfgem tomato using nutritional treatment technique. The study was carried out at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Seeds of dwarfgem were obtained from Agricultural Development Program (ADP) Awka. Seeds were raised in the nursery. Twenty pieces of 40cm plastic buckets were used to prepare two groups of media according to the treatments which comprised of 14 buckets, each filled with mixture of organic manure and soil at the standard rate of 640 g/60kg (32 g/hectare) and 6 buckets each filled with only soil. Organic manure was goat pellets while inorganic manure was NPK (15:15:15). Salinity, (NaCl), and Bicarbonate (H3C03) were supplied at 2 mM concentration in the irrigation water. The buckets were arranged according to treatments in a Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD). Lycopene, Beta- carotene and vitamins were determined by standard methods. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using Duncan T – test to separate the Means. The tomato plants treated with organic and inorganic fertilizers in combination with NaCl and BICA produced fruits with high levels of vitamin C (140.50±0.010 µg/g), E (5.64±0.002 µg/g), B6 (Pyridoxine) and B9 (folic acid or folate) while the least was recorded in the control. The plants treated with organic and inorganic fertilizers in combination with NaCl and BICA also increased the tomato lycopene content whereas the least was produced by fruits from the control. This has shown that the treatment of dwarfgem tomato variety with organic and inorganic fertilizer in combination with salinity and bicarbonate fully improved the fruit quality of the plant fruit vitamin and lycopene
Pathogenic Susceptibility of Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) to Twelve Isolates of Colletotrichum sp Present on Six Weeds in Cashew Orchards in Côte d\u27Ivoire
No full textCashew nuts are one of the agricultural products that contribute significantly to Côte d\u27Ivoire\u27s economic development. However, cashew nut production in Côte d\u27Ivoire is threatened by anthracnose. Reducing anthracnose proliferation factors could reduce its impact on cashew trees. The aim of the study was to assess the virulence of Colletotrichum sp. isolated from weeds in cashew trees. It assessed the pathogenicity of 12 isolates of Colletotrichum sp. extracted from six weeds on cashew plants. The inocula were prepared by scraping the mycelium of each fungus in 10 ml of sterile distilled water. The spore suspension was collected and calibrated at 4.6.106 conidia/ml using a Malassez cell. This suspension was applied by spraying to the leaves of 30-day-old cashew plants. The parameters assessed were symptom incidence and severity index. All isolates tested induced symptoms characteristic of anthracnose on cashew plants. There was a significant difference between isolates in terms of their virulence. The highest incidence of 90% was obtained on plants inoculated with the ColE2 isolate and the lowest incidence of 30% was obtained on plants inoculated with the ColN3 isolate. The highest severity index of 7.66 was obtained on plants inoculated with the ColE3 isolate and the lowest severity index of 2.00 was obtained on plants inoculated with the ColN3 isolate. These results show that Daniellia oliveri (Rolfe), Vitellaria paradoxa (G), Micuna pruriens (L.), Blighia sapida (K. Koenig), Albizia zygia (DC) and Pterocarpus erinaceus (Poir) are hosts of anthracnose in cashew orchards in Côte d\u27Ivoire. Their integration into cashew pathogen control strategies is necessary
Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of the Two Extracts (Aqueous and Lipidic) of P. aquilinum of Cross Plant
No full textFerns have been living with human beings for a long time. Various biological activities have been reported, such as dietary, antioxidant and others. In our case, the focus was on antimicrobial activity. The aim was to demonstrate the activity of two extracts (aqueous and lipidic) of P. aquilinum fronds. The methodology adopted consisted in extracting the total oil from fiddleheads using a sohlext device, with hexane as the solvent. The aqueous extract was also prepared using water as the extraction solvent. Five strains were selected and used, namely three strains of the Shigella genus: boydii, flexneri and sonnei, and two strains of the Pseudomonas genus: aeruginosa, clinical strain, and aeruginosa, spontaneous flora strain. At a concentration of 250 mg/mL, the lipid extract inhibited the growth of all three Shigella strains, with a mean zone of inhibition of 6.5 mm, 11 mm and 16 mm for Shigella sonnei, Shigella boydii and Shigella flexneri respectively. On the other hand, no activity was revealed against Pseudomonas. On the other hand, for both Shigella and Pseudomonas, the aqueous extract showed no activity at the same concentration of 250 mg/mL
Influence of Substrates, Cultivation Conditions and NPK on the Production of Teak Seedlings Tectona grandis Linn. f., Verbenaceae from Strains, Daloa (Haut Sassandra, Ivory Coast)
No full textThis study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of vegetative propagation of teak by stump, by examining the influence of the type of substrate, growing conditions and the supply of NPK fertilizers on production. In this context marked by strong international demand for this forest species prized on the tropical wood market, whose multiple uses have led to the progressive depletion of natural stocks.
The experimental design was a plot divided into three factors. The first factor (growth conditions) included two levels (outdoors and under firewood), the second factor (growth substrates) included two levels (decomposed coffee parchment and decomposed sawdust), and the third factor NPK with seven levels (0; 5; 10; 20, 30; 50; 100 g/L) with three replicates for each factor. The parameters evaluated included bud burst rate (Td), average plant height (H), average leaf number (NF), leaf area (SF), average tap length (Lp), and average root number (Nr).
The best bud break rate of 93.33% was recorded in the open air with sawdust at a dose of 5g/L.
In terms of average root number and tapping length, the shaded area was found to be the best condition with the NPK dose of 50 g/L with 19±11.41 roots and 12.87±3.51 cm, respectively.
These results show that teak is well adapted to vegetative propagation by stump
Influence of Processing Methods on the Nutritional and Biochemical Composition of "Datou", a Fermented Hibiscus sabdariffa var. sabdariffa Condiment
No full textAims: The objective of this study is to determine the influence of manufacturing processes on the physicochemical parameters, mineral composition, amino acid and fatty acid composition, and the bioavailability of minerals in "Datou" obtained from the seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa variety sabdariffa.
Study Design: "Datou" is a condiment obtained by fermenting Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds. It is used to season sauces for its distinctive flavour and therapeutic properties. Several processes can be used to obtain the condiment, but these have a significant impact on the quality of the finished product. The variability of these processes leads to considerable variability in the "Datou", calling into question its quality control and limiting its value in the food and even technological sectors.
Place and Duration of Study: Biocatalysis and Bioprocesses Laboratory at Nangui Abrogoua University, between October 2023 and March 2024.
Methodology: To this end, four samples of "Datou", named D1 to D4, were produced using different processes. The impact of these properties on physicochemical parameters, mineral composition, amino acid and fatty acid composition, and mineral bioavailability was then determined.
Results: Biochemical and nutritional analysis of the "Datou" samples reveals significant variations between them. Sample D4 has the highest levels of protein (29.34 ± 0.05%), lipids (18.91 ± 0.06%), crude fibre (15.45 ± 0.01%) and reducing sugars (13.44 ± 0.00 µg/g DM). In terms of macro-mineral elements, potassium (2639.00 ± 3.87 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (1804.00 ± 2.45 mg/100g) predominate, particularly in D4. Among the trace elements, the highest levels are observed for silicon in D1 (1005.88 ± 1.77 mg/100g), chlorine in D2 (132.48 ± 1.34 mg/100g) and iron in D3 (92.51 ± 1.32 mg/100g). The most abundant essential amino acids are phenylalanine and threonine, mainly in D4, as well as histidine in D1, with respective concentrations of 4117.02 ± 0.002, 2949.67 ± 0.00 and 894.45 ± 0.001 mg/100g. Finally, the major fatty acids, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and palmitoleic acid, are particularly high in D3 (4288.46 ± 0.003; 4881.24 ± 0.003 and 2232.34 ± 0.003 mg/100g).
Conclusion: These results highlight the influence of traditional processes on the nutritional quality of "Datou", reinforcing its potential as a functional food. Optimising these processes could promote its value in the agri-food industry and preserve traditional knowledge
Purification and Characterization of β-mannanase Produced by Bacillus cereus Isolated from Termite Guts
No full textTermites are highly effective at breaking down lignocellulose. This study was aimed at isolating β-mannanase producing bacteria from termite guts, and to purify, and characterize the β‑mannanase produced. The termites were isolated from Ikeji environs. Of eight isolates isolated and screened Bacillus cereus showed better potential. The enzyme was produced using saw dust as substrate in a one-factor approach method. The most promising strain, identified as Bacillus cereus (accession number MW911450.1), exhibited the highest β-mannanase activity and was selected for further investigation. Purification of the enzyme led to an increase in specific activity from 0.89 to 10.0 mg/mL and a purification fold rise from 1 to 11, accompanied by a decrease in protein content from 56.5 to 3.4 mg/mL using Sephadex G-100. Optimal enzyme activity was observed at temperatures of 25°C and 30°C, with reduced activity at higher temperatures, notably 78% at 90°C. The enzyme showed peak production at pH 4, followed by a steady decline at higher pH levels, with the lowest activity at pH 11. The enzyme retained partial activity in the presence of formaldehyde but was destabilized by solvents such as DMSO, Tween 20, acetone, Triton X, and acetic acid. Inhibitor testing revealed that compounds like urea, sodium A, EDTA, and cysteine enhanced enzyme activity, while SDS inhibited it. Metal ion analysis showed that K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, and Zn²⁺ promoted activity, with K⁺ having the strongest effect, whereas Mn²⁺ had the least. Substrate concentration had a positive linear effect on enzyme activity, peaking at 0.5 mg/mL. The enzyme’s resilience to alkaline conditions and heat makes it attractive for breaking down hydraulic‑fracturing fluids in oil drilling, pulp bio‑bleaching in papermaking, and scouring/desizing steps in textile processing