Publications by authors named "Ana Winters"
Article Synopsis
- - This study is the first to compare steam explosion (SE) and pressurized disc refining (PDR) pretreatments on Miscanthus and sugarcane bagasse to optimize the release of xylose and xylo-oligosaccharides.
- - It aimed to establish optimized batch-wise SE conditions for both feedstocks, transition to dynamic continuous PDR, and address challenges in scaling up production.
- - Results indicated that while Miscanthus retained a high xylan release efficiency during scaling (85% with PDR), sugarcane bagasse showed a significant drop (58% with PDR), highlighting the need for feedstock-specific pretreatment strategies.
Bacterial endophytic community composition varies by hemp cultivar in commercially sourced seed.
Environ Microbiol Rep
April 2024
The seed-endophytic bacterial community is a potentially beneficial and heritable fraction of the plant microbiome. Its utilization as a sustainable crop improvement strategy could be especially valuable for species such as hemp, where production is being scaled up and new challenges will be faced in managing crop productivity and health. However, little is known about the makeup and variation of the hemp seed microbiome.
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- Alchornea cordifolia, also known as Christmas Bush, has traditional use in Africa for treating sickle cell anemia, but its active compounds needed further identification.
- Sequential fractionation and in vitro assays revealed that methanol extracts from its leaves can significantly reduce sickling in affected blood samples, with a purified compound showing even higher efficacy.
- Identified as quercitrin, this compound not only inhibits sickling but also normalizes changes in blood metabolomes, which could aid in developing new treatments for sickle cell anemia.
Article Synopsis
- The text discusses high-biomass-producing perennial grasses that thrive in warm temperate regions and their potential use in biorefining due to excessive biomass accumulation in unmanaged areas.* -
- A comparative study analyzes cell wall compositions of various wild grasses against a high-yielding genotype using techniques like FTIR and HPAEC, focusing on their sugar release capabilities after mild alkaline and fungal treatments.* -
- Results reveal that while lignin is partially degraded during pretreatments, the overall sugar release from the grasses increases, highlighting the importance of chosen plant biomass and fungal species for effective lignocellulose valorization.*
Article Synopsis
- * The study measured the total antioxidant content of 222 pearl millet genotypes and found a strong correlation between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, using methods like DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP activity.
- * Genome-wide association studies identified 218 SNPs associated with antioxidant activity and uncovered 18 candidate genes linked to antioxidant pathways, highlighting the potential for future breeding of pearl millet with enhanced antioxidant properties.
Article Synopsis
- Fascioliasis is a widespread zoonotic disease affecting humans and livestock, primarily treated with anthelminthic drugs like triclabendazole (TCBZ) due to the lack of vaccines.
- Research on the extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by the parasitic flatworm Fasciola hepatica demonstrates that these EVs maintain their structure when exposed to TCBZ, but the parasite shows changes in its surface.
- The study finds that TCBZ treatment significantly increases the production of EVs from F. hepatica, which contain TCBZ and its metabolites, suggesting that these vesicles may play a role in detoxifying harmful substances.
Article Synopsis
- * Analysis showed that the XOS had health benefits due to the presence of certain chemical residues, which can enhance prebiotic effects and antioxidant activity in food.
- * The hydrolysis process led to a significant increase in xylobiose yield (up to 90% conversion) and fermentable glucose, indicating that Miscanthus could be a valuable source for renewable biochemicals and biofuels in an integrated biorefinery system.
Article Synopsis
- Lignocellulosic biomass from energy crops like Miscanthus is key for fighting climate change, but understanding the reasons behind its cell wall resistance to breakdown remains a challenge for effective biorefining.
- Through advanced analysis, researchers identified key differences in cell wall properties across Miscanthus organs and genotypes, including the first detailed quantification of specific glycan structures related to saccharification performance.
- In terms of improving biomass for biofuel production, lignin plays a major role in the stems, while leaf recalcitrance is influenced by matrix glycans, suggesting that tailored Miscanthus cultivars may be more beneficial than a single general species for biorefining purposes.
Rhododendron ponticum L. is a damaging invasive alien species in Britain, favouring the moist, temperate climate, and the acidic soils of upland areas. It outshades other species and is thought to create a soil environment of low pH that may be higher in phytotoxic phenolic compounds.
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- Elevated CO levels in the atmosphere are decreasing the nutritional quality of plants, which affects herbivores like the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and their feeding behavior.
- A study showed that whiteflies fed on plants grown in high CO conditions had longer feeding times and greater fertility, indicating they adapt to nutritional deficits.
- Despite variations in CO levels, the whiteflies transmitted the Tomato yellow leaf curl virus at consistent rates, suggesting they'll remain a significant pest threat in future climatic changes.
Article Synopsis
- * A bioenergy grass was studied as a potential alternative, showing promise on marginal land with better environmental impact, though it needs improvements in carbohydrate concentration and digestibility to compete with maize.
- * Research on non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) in various genotypes revealed peak NSC levels in July; however, overall yields were higher in October due to greater biomass, suggesting that breeding efforts should focus on starch rather than sugars for improved biogas potential.
Article Synopsis
- * Their structure varies based on the species, season, and environmental conditions, typically consisting of linear β(1-3) glucans with branching.
- * A new, affordable analytical method using high-performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC-PAD) allows for quick assessment of laminarin's molar mass and degree of polymerization without complicated processes, aligning well with established analytical results.
Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) have a recognized role during pathogen and arthropod attack. As an immediate consequence of such wounding, cellular compartmentation is destroyed allowing the chloroplastic PPO enzyme to interact with vacuolar substrates catalyzing the oxidation of monophenols and/or -diphenols to -diquinones. This ultimately results in a reduction in the nutritional value of wounded tissue through the formation of non-digestible secondary melanin pigments.
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- The seeds of Allanblackia floribunda, a tropical African tree, are traditionally used in cooking and traditional medicine.
- A study explored the potential of these seeds as a source of bioactive compounds, identifying six main polyphenols using advanced techniques.
- These compounds, particularly morelloflavone and its derivatives, demonstrated significant antioxidant activity comparable to vitamin C, suggesting the seeds could be a valuable by-product in food and pharmaceutical industries.
Article Synopsis
- Miscanthus spp. are potential energy crops, but their tough cell walls make it difficult to use them for bioenergy and biomaterials on a large scale.
- Researchers conducted a detailed cell wall analysis on different miscanthus genotypes at various growth stages, using 155 monoclonal antibodies to study the composition and structure of their cell wall components.
- The findings showed significant differences in the glycan components of miscanthus cell walls, providing a reference profile that could guide future breeding and genetic engineering for better biofuel production.
Background And Aims: Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) catalyse the oxidation of monophenols and/or o-diphenols to highly reactive o-quinones, which in turn interact with oxygen and proteins to form reactive oxygen species (ROS) and typical brown-pigmented complexes. Hence PPOs can affect local levels of oxygen and ROS. Although the currently known substrates are located in the vacuole, the enzyme is targeted to the thylakoid lumen, suggesting a role for PPOs in photosynthesis.
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- Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) plays a key role in plants by catalyzing the oxidation of certain phenols, leading to the formation of brown pigments and potential defense mechanisms against herbivores and pathogens.
- PPO is primarily located in chloroplasts, raising questions about its role beyond defense, including possible interactions with photosynthesis and responses to environmental stressors.
- This review explores the functions of PPO in plants, including its potential to enhance stress tolerance in food crops, signaling a need for further research and practical applications.
Article Synopsis
- Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in red clover is not essential for growth, nodule production, or function under optimal nitrogen-free conditions, indicating it has a specific role rather than a critical one.
- The absence of PPO leads to a more reduced state in plant tissues and subtle developmental changes in nodules, with certain phenolic compounds accumulating in leaves and nodules.
- Microscopy analysis of nodules from PPO-deficient plants shows structural differences, such as longer nodules with more cell layers but less thickened walls, and altered characteristics in the N2-fixing zone's bacteroids.
Article Synopsis
- - The study examines how different metabolic changes in oats help the plants cope with drought conditions, an area that's not well understood.
- - Researchers used advanced techniques like mass spectroscopy to analyze leaf samples over time and noted significant early increases in salicylic acid, which helps regulate water loss and supports antioxidant defenses.
- - The findings suggest that oats possess an integrated mechanism for drought tolerance, indicating how early responses can set the stage for better water management in plants, especially when comparing resistant and susceptible genotypes.
Article Synopsis
- UV radiation significantly influences herbivores by directly affecting their life processes and indirectly altering plant chemistry, which impacts insect success.
- In a study, UV-A radiation exposure was tested on greenhouse-grown peppers and eggplants, resulting in changes to plant growth and chemistry that affected aphid and whitefly populations.
- Peppers showed increased secondary metabolites and other beneficial compounds after UV-A exposure, potentially aiding aphid performance, while eggplants experienced a decrease in important pigments with UV-A treatment.
Article Synopsis
- Society is increasingly seeking environmentally friendly chemicals, and Miscanthus sinensis (M. sinensis) shows promise as a source of valuable phenolic compounds and bioethanol.
- A study focused on identifying and quantifying soluble phenols in leaf tissue using advanced chromatography and mass spectrometry revealed complex profiles among various genotypes.
- The findings indicate that as M. sinensis plants mature, the concentration of these beneficial compounds generally decreases, highlighting the importance of selecting specific genotypes for improved bio-refinery applications and breeding programs.
Article Synopsis
- Miscanthus species and hybrids show potential as bioenergy crops due to their biomass conversion abilities, but current understanding of their cell-wall composition is limited.
- This study analyzed 25 genotypes across different developmental stages and tissue types, revealing that structural carbohydrates and lignin content vary significantly between stems and leaves, influencing biomass digestibility for ethanol production.
- The results suggest that further improvements in bioenergy feedstocks should focus on the specific characteristics of stem and leaf tissues, as these differences critically impact how easily they can be converted into biofuels.
Article Synopsis
- Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) in flaxseed is converted by ruminal bacteria into enterolignans like enterolactone (EL), which may benefit human health, particularly for menopausal symptoms and various diseases.
- A study with eight cows fed different amounts of flax meal showed that EL concentration increased with higher flax meal levels, while bacterial diversity in the rumen did not change significantly across diets.
- Specific bacteria, particularly Prevotella spp., were identified as key players in the metabolism of lignans into beneficial antioxidants, highlighting their potential importance in ruminant digestion and human health benefits.
Article Synopsis
- * The study focused on the orchard grass variety 'Abertop', analyzing the soluble phenol profile and content during its growth stages, finding significant amounts of hydroxycinnamates and flavonoids.
- * Harvest yields of these compounds varied, with notable antioxidant activity, and some changes were observed in the soluble phenol content after ensiling, specifically increases in certain caffeic acid derivatives.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates polyphenol oxidase (PPO) genes and enzyme activities in various plants, focusing on their distribution in leaves and roots of Arabidopsis, legumes, and red clover.
- It finds that red clover has the highest PPO activity, with specific gene expressions varying during plant development, particularly in leaves and nodules.
- The research identifies potential PPO substrates and highlights the role of PPO in plant development, especially in nodules, through localized enzyme activity.