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Topic Review
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Peer Reviewed Entry
Video Entry
Topic Review
Soybean Callus as a Tocopherols Source
Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a key species used by the nutraceutical and functional food industries for its secondary metabolites such as polyphenolic compounds, tocopherols, tannins, lignins, and alkaloids. Particularly, soybean is an excellent source of tocopherols with about 300 μg g−1/seed total tocopherols. In fact, tocopherols exist in four forms (i.e., α, β, γ, and δ). Among them, γ-tocopherol is found in higher concentrations (more than 60%), and α-tocopherol accounts for less than 10% of total tocopherols in soybean seeds. Therefore, as the α-tocopherol is an essential nutrient that functions as a peroxyl radical scavenger in the body, the dietary reference intake for vitamin E is currently based solely on α-tocopherol. Despite the lesser presence, α-tocopherol is reported to have the most significant antioxidant activity among tocopherols and is preferred by the human body, as it is the predominant form of vitamin E found in the blood and tissues. α-tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant and serves as a peroxyl radical scavenger protecting the polyunsaturated fatty acids in membranes and lipoproteins (protects the fats in low-density lipoproteins from oxidation). Furthermore, vitamin E is of vital importance for the nervous system, as a deficiency in humans leads to ataxia and myopathy. α-tocopherol is found naturally in plant sources as RRR-a-tocopherol and synthetically manufactured as all-rac-a-tocopherol.
645
02 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Liberibacter
Liberibacter is a group of plant pathogenic bacteria, transmitted by insect vectors, psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea), and has emerged as one of the most devastating pathogens which have penetrated into many parts of the world over the last 20 years.
645
12 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Methods for Determination of Dietary Composition in Ruminants
The botanical and chemical composition of diets consumed by ruminants is different from the composition of plant species available in typical rangeland on which they graze. Exploring alternatives, and improving existing methods of estimating botanical composition (diet selection) is imperative in advancing sustainable feeding practices in extensive production systems. The ability to predict the intake and digestibility of the diet consumed by ruminant species is important in designing grazing management for different feeding systems as well as supplementation strategies to meet their nutrient requirements.
645
08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Green Nanotechnology in Agro-Ecosystems
Nanotechnology pertains to the employment of nanoparticles and furnishes the potential to fabricate novel materials and products possessing improved quality. The nanomaterials may be used as; nanosensors, nanocides, nanofertilizers, nanobarcodes, and nano-remediators, which play a significant role in modern agricultural practices. However, the physical and chemical processes of nanoparticle production is neither economical nor environmentally sustainable. Therefore, the need for green or biogenic nanoparticles obtained from plants, bacteria, fungi or their metabolites has emerged as novel, sustainable, economical, biocompatible, and eco-friendly technology.
645
03 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Reproductive Stage Drought Tolerance in Wheat
Drought stress is a major constraint to crop productivity. Our main food crops, the cereals, suffer dramatic yield losses when drought spells coincide with the reproductive growth phase. Climate change scenarios predict increasing occurrences of irregular rainfall and associated drought spells in the future. Enhancing drought tolerance of cereals and other food crops has become essential to stabilise and secure food supplies for an increasing world population.
644
03 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Plant Growth-Defense Trade-Offs
In order to survive in a hostile habitat, plants have to manage the available resources to reach a delicate balance between development and defense processes, setting up what plant scientists call a trade-off. Most of these processes are basically responses to stimuli sensed by plant cell receptors and are influenced by the environmental features, which can incredibly modify such responses and even cause changes upon both molecular and phenotypic level.
643
31 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Plants Salinity/Water Deficit Responses
Global development has generated a plethora of unfavorable and adverse environmental factors for the living organisms in the ecosystem. Plants are sessile organisms, and they are crucial to sustain life on earth. Since plants are sessile, they face a great number of environmental challenges related to abiotic stresses, such as temperature fluctuation, drought, salinity, flood and metal contamination. Salinity and drought are considered major abiotic stresses that negatively affect the plants’ growth and production of useful content. However, plants have evolved various molecular mechanisms to increase their tolerance to these environmental stresses. There is a whole complex system of communication (cross-talk) through massive signaling cascades that are activated and modulated in response to salinity and drought. Secondary metabolites are believed to play significant roles in the plant’s response and resistance to salinity and drought stress. Until recently, attempts to unravel the biosynthetic pathways were limited mainly due to the inadequate plant genomics resources. However, recent advancements in generating high-throughput “omics” datasets, computational tools and functional genomics approach integration have aided in the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways of many plant bioactive metabolites.
643
28 Jul 2021
Topic Review
The Formation Mechanism of Pigeon Milk
Pigeon is an important economic poultry species in many countries. Pigeon milk is generally characterized by having high concentrations of proteins and lipids, and a complicated regulatory network is involved in the milk formation. Hormones, especially prolactin, could promote the proliferation of crop epidermal cells and nutrient accumulation. The expression of target genes associated with these important biological processes in the crop epidermis is affected by non-coding RNAs. Meanwhile, signaling pathways, such as target of rapamycin (TOR), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins (JAK/STAT), protein kinase B (Akt), etc., influence the production of crop milk by either enhancing protein synthesis in crop cells or inducing apoptosis of crop epidermal cells.
643
09 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Arctic Fox
The Arctic Fox (Vulpes lagopus) is a captivating species uniquely adapted to the harsh Arctic tundra and coastal habitats of the Northern Hemisphere. Renowned for its pristine white fur in winter and gray-brown coat in summer, the Arctic Fox is a master of camouflage in its icy environment. Endowed with specialized behaviors and physical adaptations, such as a thick fur coat, compact body size, and keen hunting skills, the Arctic Fox thrives in one of the most extreme and challenging environments on Earth.
643
08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Digital Irrigated Agriculture
Entry on a new approach to decision modelling for ICT adoption in irrigated agriculture.
642
16 Nov 2020
Topic Review
The Rendena Cattle
Rendena is a dual-purpose cattle breed indigenous to the North-East of Italy. This breed is included within the “European Federation of Cattle Breeds of the Alpine System” (FERBA), an organization whose main purpose consists in the preservation and promotion of local cattle breeds of the alpine system (http://www.ferba.info, accessed on 20 April 2021).
642
07 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Melatonin in Plants
Melatonin, a multifunctional molecule that is present in all living organisms studied, is synthesized in plant cells in several intercellular organelles including in the chloroplasts and in mitochondria.
642
29 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Neural Tube Defect
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of birth defects in which an opening in the spine or cranium remains from early in human development. In the third week of pregnancy called gastrulation, specialized cells on the dorsal side of the embryo begin to change shape and form the neural tube. When the neural tube does not close completely, an NTD develops. Specific types include: spina bifida which affects the spine, anencephaly which results in little to no brain, encephalocele which affects the skull, and iniencephaly which results in severe neck problems. NTDs are one of the most common birth defects, affecting over 300,000 births each year worldwide. For example, spina bifida affects approximately 1,500 births annually in the United States, or about 3.5 in every 10,000 (0.035% of US births), which has decreased from around 5 per 10,000 (0.05% of US births) since folate fortification of grain products was started. The number of deaths in the US each year due to neural tube defects also declined from 1,200 before folate fortification was started to 840.
642
15 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Cloning Coconut via Somatic Embryogenesis
Coconut [Cocos nucifera L.] is often called “the tree of life” because of its many uses in the food, beverage, medicinal, and cosmetic industries. Currently, more than 50% of the palms grown throughout the world are senile and need to be replanted immediately to ensure production levels meet the present and increasing demand for coconut products.
641
19 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Acute L-Citrulline Supplementation
The present study aimed to investigate whether acute L-citrulline supplementation would affect inspiratory muscle oxygenation and respiratory performance. Twelve healthy males received 6 g of L-citrulline or placebo in a double-blind crossover design. Pulmonary function (i.e., forced expired volume in 1 s, forced vital capacity and their ratio), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), fractional exhaled nitric oxide (NO•), and sternocleidomastoid muscle oxygenation were measured at baseline, one hour post supplementation, and after an incremental resistive breathing protocol to task failure of the respiratory muscles. The resistive breathing task consisted of 30 inspirations at 70% and 80% of MIP followed by continuous inspirations at 90% of MIP until task failure. Sternocleidomastoid muscle oxygenation was assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy. One-hour post-L-citrulline supplementation, exhaled NO• was significantly increased (19.2%; p < 0.05), and this increase was preserved until the end of the resistive breathing (16.4%; p < 0.05). In contrast, no difference was observed in the placebo condition. Pulmonary function and MIP were not affected by the L-citrulline supplementation. During resistive breathing, sternocleidomastoid muscle oxygenation was significantly reduced, with no difference noted between the two supplementation conditions. In conclusion, a single ingestion of 6 g L-citrulline increased NO• bioavailability but not the respiratory performance and inspiratory muscle oxygenation.
641
01 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Bone Marrow Aspirate Matrix
The rise in musculoskeletal disorders has prompted medical experts to devise novel effective alternatives to treat complicated orthopedic conditions. The ever-expanding field of regenerative medicine has allowed researchers to appreciate the therapeutic value of bone marrow-derived biological products, such as the bone marrow aspirate (BMA) clot, a potent orthobiologic which has often been dismissed and regarded as a technical complication. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have contributed to the expansion of medical knowledge, revealing optimistic results concerning the application of autologous bone marrow towards various impactful disorders. The bone marrow accommodates a diverse family of cell populations and a rich secretome; therefore, autologous BMA-derived products such as the “BMA Matrix”, may represent a safe and viable approach, able to reduce the costs and some drawbacks linked to the expansion of bone marrow. BMA eliminates many hurdles associated with its preparation, especially in regards to regulatory compliance. The BMA Matrix represents a suitable alternative, indicated for the enhancement of tissue repair mechanisms by modulating inflammation and acting as a natural biological scaffold as well as a reservoir of cytokines and growth factors that support cell activity. Although promising, more clinical studies are warranted in order to further clarify the efficacy of this strategy.
640
06 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Airborne Bacteria in Dairy Farms
The environmental quality of farms plays an important role in the food safety of the dairy industry because it may influence the microbial communities in milk. The microorganisms present in the different areas of a farm have an influence on this environmental quality, using the air as a vehicle of dissemination. However, the ability of this airborne microbial community to contaminate the milk, like the sources of origin of these microorganisms, has not been well studied in dairy farms until now.
640
25 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Northern Elephant Seal
The Northern Elephant Seal (Mirounga angustirostris) stands as a magnificent marine mammal, captivating researchers and nature enthusiasts alike. Known for its colossal size and distinctive, trunk-like proboscis, this species inhabits the eastern Pacific Ocean, predominantly along the coasts of California and Mexico. The life history of the Northern Elephant Seal is marked by remarkable adaptations for oceanic life, intricate social dynamics, and seasonal migrations, making it a compelling subject of study in marine biology.
640
02 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Smart Agriculture
Smart agriculture, or precision agriculture, is a crucial way to achieve greater yields by utilizing the natural deposits in a diverse environment. The yield of a crop may vary from year to year depending on the variations in climate, soil parameters and fertilizers used. Automation in the agricultural industry moderates the usage of resources and can increase the quality of food in the post-pandemic world. Agricultural robots have been developed for crop seeding, monitoring, weed control, pest management and harvesting. Physical counting of fruitlets, flowers or fruits at various phases of growth is labour intensive as well as an expensive procedure for crop yield estimation. Remote sensing technologies offer accuracy and reliability in crop yield prediction and estimation. The automation in image analysis with computer vision and deep learning models provides precise field and yield maps. In this review, it has been observed that the application of deep learning techniques has provided a better accuracy for smart farming. The crops taken for the study are fruits such as grapes, apples, citrus, tomatoes and vegetables such as sugarcane, corn, soybean, cucumber, maize, wheat. The research works which are carried out in this research paper are available as products for applications such as robot harvesting, weed detection and pest infestation. The methods which made use of conventional deep learning techniques have provided an average accuracy of 92.51%.
639
28 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed
In the European Union (EU), the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) is in place to provide information on risks in the food chain. The largest number of notifications in this system concerns plants, followed by products of animal origin and other products.
639
01 Jun 2023
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