Comparative Performances of Beneficial Microorganisms on the Induction of Durum Wheat Tolerance to Fusarium Head Blight.

Durum wheat production is seriously threatened by Fusarium head blight (FHB) attacks in Tunisia, and the seed coating by bio-agents is a great alternative for chemical disease control. This study focuses on evaluating, under field conditions, the effect of seed coating with , and their combination on (i) FHB severity, durum wheat grain yield and TKW in three crop seasons, and (ii) on physiological parameters and the carbon and nitrogen content and isotope composition in leaves and grains of durum wheat. The results indicated that the treatments were effective in reducing FHB severity by 30 to 70% and increasing grain yield with an increased rate ranging from 25 to 68%, compared to the inoculated control.

Crop phenotyping in a context of global change: What to measure and how to do it.

High-throughput crop phenotyping, particularly under field conditions, is nowadays perceived as a key factor limiting crop genetic advance. Phenotyping not only facilitates conventional breeding, but it is necessary to fully exploit the capabilities of molecular breeding, and it can be exploited to predict breeding targets for the years ahead at the regional level through more advanced simulation models and decision support systems. In terms of phenotyping, it is necessary to determined which selection traits are relevant in each situation, and which phenotyping tools/methods are available to assess such traits.

Greater bioavailability of xanthophylls compared to carotenes from orange juice (high-pressure processed, pulsed electric field treated, low-temperature pasteurised, and freshly squeezed) in a crossover study in healthy individuals.

This study examined the effect of the intake of orange juice provided freshly squeezed (FS) or processed using low-temperature pasteurisation (LP), high-pressure processing (HPP), or pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on the serum carotenoid concentrations of 12 healthy individuals, aged 20-32 years, enrolled in a crossover study. Participants were instructed to consume 500 ml of orange juice/day for 14 days. Carotenoid concentrations in the orange juice as well as serum samples retrieved on days 7 and 14 were analysed via HPLC.

Lipid Digestibility and Polyphenols Bioaccessibility of Oil-in-Water Emulsions Containing Avocado Peel and Seed Extracts as Affected by the Presence of Low Methoxyl Pectin.

In this study, the digestibility of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions using low methoxyl pectin (LMP) as surfactant and in combination with avocado peel (AP) or seed (AS) extracts was assessed, in terms of its free fatty acid (FFA) release and the phenolic compound (PC) bioaccessibility. With this purpose, AP and AS were characterized by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS before their incorporation into O/W emulsions stabilized using LMP. In that sense, AP extract had a higher content of PCs (6836.

Exosome-Based Vaccines: Pros and Cons in the World of Animal Health.

Due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance and new and more complex diseases that affect livestock animal health and food security, the control of epidemics has become a top priority worldwide. Vaccination represents the most important and cost-effective measure to control infectious diseases in animal health, but it represents only 23% of the total global animal health market, highlighting the need to develop new vaccines. A recent strategy in animal health vaccination is the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs), lipid bilayer nanovesicles produced by almost all living cells, including both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Phenolic-Rich Extracts from Avocado Fruit Residues as Functional Food Ingredients with Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Properties.

In this study, the total phenolic compounds content and profile, the nutritional value, the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of avocado peel, seed coat, and seed extracts were characterized. Additionally, an in-silico analysis was performed to identify the phenolic compounds with the highest intestinal absorption and Caco-2 permeability. The avocado peel extract possessed the highest content of phenolic compounds (309.

Preliminary survey of the occurrence of mycotoxins in cereals and estimated exposure in a northwestern region of Mexico.

Mycotoxins have several toxicological implications. In the present study, we evaluate the presence of aflatoxin B (AFB), ochratoxin A (OTA), and fumonisin (FB) in paddy rice, polished rice, and maize from the fields and markets in Nayarit State (Mexico). The results indicated the presence of AFB in 21.

Comparative Performance of High-Yielding European Wheat Cultivars Under Contrasting Mediterranean Conditions.

Understanding the interaction between genotype performance and the target environment is the key to improving genetic gain, particularly in the context of climate change. Wheat production is seriously compromised in agricultural regions affected by water and heat stress, such as the Mediterranean basin. Moreover, wheat production may be also limited by the nitrogen availability in the soil.

Applying Pulsed Electric Fields to Whole Carrots Enhances the Bioaccessibility of Carotenoid and Phenolic Compounds in Derived Products.

We propose the application of pulsed electric fields (PEF) to carrots to obtain derived products with increased phenolic and carotenoid bioaccessibility. For this purpose, juices, purees, and oil-added purees were obtained from whole PEF-treated carrots (five pulses of 3.5 kV cm; 0.

Gut Microbiota Profile and Its Association with Clinical Variables and Dietary Intake in Overweight/Obese and Lean Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study.

We aimed to differentiate gut microbiota composition of overweight/obese and lean subjects and to determine its association with clinical variables and dietary intake. A cross-sectional study was performed with 96 overweight/obese subjects and 32 lean subjects. Anthropometric parameters were positively associated with , and , which had higher abundance the overweight/obese subjects.

Unravelling hybridization in Phytophthora using phylogenomics and genome size estimation.

The genus Phytophthora comprises many economically and ecologically important plant pathogens. Hybrid species have previously been identified in at least six of the 12 phylogenetic clades. These hybrids can potentially infect a wider host range and display enhanced vigour compared to their progenitors.

Pulsed electric field treatment strategies to increase bioaccessibility of phenolic and carotenoid compounds in oil-added carrot purees.

The impact of pulsed electric fields (PEF) and their combination with a thermal treatment on the bioaccessibility of phenolic and carotenoid compounds in oil-added carrot puree (5 %) was investigated. Fractions of such puree were differently treated: subjected to PEF (5 pulses of 3.5 kV cm) (PEF); thermally treated (70 °C for 10 min) (T) or first PEF treated and then thermally treated (PEF/T).

Therapeutics of Twin Pregnancies in Dairy Cattle.

The series of eight articles (three original articles, three reviews and two com-ments) is presented by international leaders in the subject of twin pregnancies in dairy cattle [...

The Specific Immune Response after Vaccination against Neonatal Calf Diarrhoea Differs between Apparent Similar Vaccines in a Case Study.

Neonatal calf diarrhoea (NCD) is a major health challenge with a negative impact on farm profitability, calf welfare and antimicrobial use. Neonatal calves are particularly sensitive to enteric infections. Thus, a key point for prevention is minimising infectious pressure and maximising specific immune responses.

Practical Aspects of Twin Pregnancy Diagnosis in Cattle.

Twin pregnancies are an economically unwanted phenomenon in dairy cattle, not only because they increase pregnancy losses, but also because antibiotics usage and culling rate of the dam are also dramatically increased due to them, furthermore animal welfare issues are also affected through them. In cattle, under field conditions using an early pregnancy determination tool, the first accurate diagnosis from the pregnancy status is available from around day 28, although further confirmations of pregnancy are required. Twin pregnancy diagnosis is available either by rectal palpation or ultrasonography.

Metabolic Fate and Cardiometabolic Effects of Phenolic Compounds from Red-Fleshed Apple in Hypercholesterolemic Rats: A Comparative Study with Common White-Fleshed Apple. The AppleCOR Study.

The present study aims to investigate the metabolic fate and the cardiometabolic effects of phenolic compounds provided by a red-fleshed apple variety biofortified in anthocyanins (ACN). Wistar rats are fed with high-fat diet (HFD) to induce hypercholesterolemia and supplemented with red-fleshed apple (HFD+R), white-fleshed apple (HFD+W), or an ACN-rich infusion from aronia fruit (HFD+A) providing matched content and profile of ACN. Plasma biochemical parameters, histological analysis, and phenol biological metabolites are determined.

Impact of Emerging Technologies on Virgin Olive Oil Processing, Consumer Acceptance, and the Valorization of Olive Mill Wastes.

There is a growing consumer preference for high quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with health-promoting and sensory properties that are associated with a higher content of phenolic and volatile compounds. To meet this demand, several novel and emerging technologies are being under study to be applied in EVOO production. This review provides an update of the effect of emerging technologies (pulsed electric fields, high pressure, ultrasound, and microwave treatment), compared to traditional EVOO extraction, on yield, quality, and/or content of some minor compounds and bioactive components, including phenolic compounds, tocopherols, chlorophyll, and carotenoids.

Nitrogen inputs influence vegetative metabolism in maize engineered with a seed-specific carotenoid pathway.

Metabolomic profiling of a maize line engineered with an endosperm-specific carotenogenic pathway revealed unexpected metabolic readjustments of primary metabolism in leaves and roots. High-carotenoid (HC) maize was engineered to accumulate high levels of carotenoids in the endosperm. The metabolic interventions influenced the flux through non-target pathways in tissues that were not affected by the targeted intervention.

Engineered Maize Hybrids with Diverse Carotenoid Profiles and Potential Applications in Animal Feeding.

Multi-gene transformation methods need to be able to introduce multiple transgenes into plants in order to reconstitute a transgenic locus where the introduced genes express in a coordinated manner and do not segregate in subsequent generations. This simultaneous multiple gene transfer enables the study and modulation of the entire metabolic pathways and the elucidation of complex genetic control circuits and regulatory hierarchies. We used combinatorial nuclear transformation to produce multiplex-transgenic maize plants.

Ear photosynthesis in C3 cereals and its contribution to grain yield: methodologies, controversies, and perspectives.

In C3 cereals such as wheat and barley, grain filling was traditionally explained as being sustained by assimilates from concurrent leaf photosynthesis and remobilization from the stem. In recent decades, a role for ear photosynthesis as a contributor to grain filling has emerged. This review analyzes several aspects of this topic: (i) methodological approaches for estimation of ear photosynthetic contribution to grain filling; (ii) the existence of genetic variability in the contribution of the ear, and evidence of genetic gains in the past; (iii) the controversy of the existence of C4 metabolism in the ear; (iv) the response of ear photosynthesis to water deficit; and (v) morphological and physiological traits possibly related to ear temperature and thermal balance of the ear.

Comparative Transcriptome Profile between Iberian Pig Varieties Provides New Insights into Their Distinct Fat Deposition and Fatty Acids Content.

The high deposition of intramuscular fat and the content of oleic fatty acid are characteristic of the Iberian pig. These two parameters present great variability and are differentiated amongst the varieties that make up the Iberian pig population. Although previous studies generated evidence for causal genes and polymorphisms associated to the adipogenic potential of the Iberian pig, there is little information about how genetic expression influences this trait's variability.

Improving crop yield and resilience through optimization of photosynthesis: panacea or pipe dream?

Increasing the speed of breeding to enhance crop productivity and adaptation to abiotic stresses is urgently needed. The perception that a second Green Revolution should be implemented is widely established within the scientific community and among stakeholders. In recent decades, different alternatives have been proposed for increasing crop yield through manipulation of leaf photosynthetic efficiency.

β-carotene and Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein differentially modulate feeding behaviour, mortality and physiology of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis).

Maize with enhanced β-carotene production was engineered to counteract pervasive vitamin A deficiency in developing countries. Second-generation biofortified crops are being developed with additional traits that confer pest resistance. These include crops that can produce Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) insecticidal proteins.

Effect of irrigation salinity and ecotype on the growth, physiological indicators and seed yield and quality of Salicornia europaea.

The euhalophyte species Salicornia europaea is cultivated for oilseed and as a fodder crop in various parts of the world. In saline coastal environments it possesses great potential for the subsistence of the most disadvantaged farmers. We investigated the effect of salinity levels in irrigation water on the germination capacity, shoot biomass and seed productivity as well as diverse quality traits (nitrogen content in shoots and seeds and fatty acids, in seeds) and physiological traits (stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes and ion content) of two accessions collected in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).