Bioavailability of Calcium,Iron and Zinc Fortified Whole Wheat Flour Chapatti

The bioavailability and interactive effects of calcium, iron and zinc fortified whole wheat flour chapattis on female Sprague–Dawley albino rats were determined. The whole wheat flour was fortified with CaCO₃, FeSO₄ and ZnSO₄ at 1000, 40 and 20 mg/kg, respectively and fed to 64 female Sprague–Dawley rats for 4 weeks. Retention of Ca, Fe and Zn was determined in plasma, femur and liver tissues. Ca levels in plasma and liver did not alter significantly while the Ca retention in femur changed significantly with the change in fortificants. The calcium retention was higher in the femur of rats fed on the diet supplemented with Ca + Zn (221 ± 13.61 mg/g) than the rats fed on the diet supplemented with Ca + Fe (219 ± 18.92 mg/g). The iron in plasma, liver and femur ranged from 2.19 ± 0.11 to 2.77 ± 0.10 μg/ml, 203.5 ± 13.24 to 251.5 ± 17.19 μg/g and 43.5 ± 1.05 to 52 ± 2.07 μg/g while zinc content ranged from 1.31 ± 0.089 to 1.55 ± 0.114 μg/ml, 89.5 ± 3.41 to 132 ± 6.10 μg/g and 175 ± 8.29 to 191 ± 10.85 μg/g, respectively. The minerals interacted with each other resulting in decrease of bioavailability among each other. The absorption was higher in the rats fed on fortified diet than those fed on unfortified chapatti diet. Hence, it is concluded that fortification of whole wheat flour is feasible to overcome the Ca, Fe and Zn malnutrition in the vulnerable groups.     

Biochemical changes in wheat during storage at three temperatures

Biochemical changes in wheat grains stored at 10, 25 and 45 °C for six months were studied. A significant decrease in pH and an increase in titratable acidity was observed during storage of wheat grains at 25 °C and 45 °C. Moisture contents of wheat grains decreased by 15% at 25 °C and 26% at 45 °C during six months of storage. A significant decrease in water soluble amylose (20–28%) along with an increase in insoluble amylose contents (7.6–17%) were observed during storage at 25 and 45 °C. Amylase activity of the samples showed a decrease as the storage progressed. Total soluble sugars increased by 9% at 10 °C and 12% at 25 °C; a 37% decrease was observed after six months storage at 45 °C. Total available lysine decreased by 18.0% and 22.6% at 25 and 45 °C, respectively, after six months storage. In vitro protein digestibility of wheat grains decreased by 5.00% at 25 °C and 10.28% at 45 °C during six months of storage. However, no significant biochemical changes occurred during storage at 10 °C.     

Influence of Zn nutrition on the productivity,grain quality and grain biofortification of wheat under conventional and conservation rice–wheat cropping systems

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to evaluate influence of zinc (Zn) application on productivity, grain biofortification and grain quality of wheat planted under plough tillage (PT) and zero tillage (ZT) systems. Zn was delivered as soil application (10 kg ha^?1), foliage spray (0.025 M) and seed priming (0.5 M) in wheat planted under PT and ZT systems. ZT had higher total soil porosity, total soil organic matter, soil organic carbon and soil microbial biomass carbon than PT. Zn application, by either method, improved grain yield, grain Zn and grain quality in both tillage systems. The grain Zn concentration was 72% and 59% higher with soil-applied Zn in ZT wheat during 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, respectively, compared with no Zn. However, Zn seed priming was the most effective in improving wheat grain yield in both tillage systems. Foliage and Zn soil application were better in improving the indices of Zn use efficiency of Zn. In conclusion, Zn seed priming was the most effective method in improving the wheat grain yield, whereas soil Zn application in ZT and foliar applications in PT were the most effective for grain Zn biofortification. However, Zn soil application was the most cost-effective method of Zn application.     

Soil Application of Boron Improves the Tillering,Leaf Elongation,Panicle Fertility,Yield and its Grain Enrichment in Fine-Grain Aromatic Rice

Boron (B) is one of the essential micronutrients having a specific role, particularly during reproductive phase, in rice. In a previous experiment on aerobic rice, panicle sterility was noted as one of the major challenges. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of soil-applied B on tillering, panicle sterility, water relations, and grain enrichment in fine-grain aromatic rice cultivars ‘Super Basmati’ and ‘Shaheen Basmati’. Boron was soil applied at 0.50, 0.75, 1, 1.25, and 1.50 kg ha^?1 while the control treatment did not receive B. Rate of leaf emergence and elongation and tiller appearance were significantly improved by B application. Likewise, B application also improved the leaf chlorophyll contents and water relations in both rice cultivars. Substantial improvement in kernel yield and yield contributing traits was also observed by B application owing to decrease in panicle sterility. A linear increase in leaf and kernel B contents was observed with increase in B application rate. However, the range for an optimum B application rate is very narrow and increase of B application beyond 1 kg ha^?1 was toxic. In conclusion, soil application of B is an effective way to decrease panicle sterility and increase the kernel yield and grain B enrichment in rice.     

Low Incident Light Combined with Partial Waterlogging Impairs Photosynthesis and Imposes a Yield Penalty in Cotton

Through field studies, cotton responses to dual stresses – waterlogging and low light (shade) were investigated. The hypothesis was that shade would amplify yield losses in waterlogged (WL) cotton. Either early or late in the reproductive phase, the crop was WL (96 h and 120 h, in 2012–2013 and 2013–2014, respectively) and/or shaded (6 days or 9 days in 2012–2013 and 2013–2014, respectively). Waterlogging at early reproductive phase significantly reduced lint yield (17 % averaged across both years) of cotton, although shade‐induced yield losses (18 %) were only significant in 2013–2014. Shade significantly exacerbated yield losses only when the impact of waterlogging damage was modest (2013–2014). More intense waterlogging impaired lint yield independently of the light levels. Yield reductions in these experiments were the consequence of both accelerated fruit abscission and fewer fruiting nodes produced. Plants had lower leaf nitrogen levels and photosynthetic rates after waterlogging and/or shade treatments and produced fewer fruiting nodes. Although long‐term shade increased specific leaf area (30 %) and leaf N (20 %) immediately following 5 days of waterlogging, it did not restore shoot growth, node formation or lint yield because of suppressed photosynthetic performance (area basis) and carbohydrate supply.     

Multiple-criteria decision-making techniques and their role in livestock ration formulation

The livestock ration formulation problem is postulated within the framework of multiple-criteria decision-making techniques. This exercise is motivated by the fact that the ordinary least-cost approach can, and does, generate solutions that either cannot be implemented or supply nutritionally undesirable levels of various nutrients. This originates from using cost as the criterion for selecting the ingredients of the diet. But in fact, diet formulation problems involve several criteria and should, therefore, be solved using techniques designed for modelling such problems. This paper is an attempt at introducing these techniques to agricultural systems modellers and then demonstrating their use in livestock ration formulation. The multiple-criteria decision-making techniques covered include goal programming and its variants such as weighted and lexicographic approaches and multiple-objective programming.     

Effect of the co-administration of vitamin C and vitamin E on tyrosine hydroxylase and Nurr1 expression in the prenatal rat ventral mesencephalon

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme of dopamine (DA) biosynthesis, which is up-regulated by vitamin C administration. Nurr1 gene is highly expressed in brain and important for midbrain DAergic cell development and survival. But, the role of vitamin C and/or vitamin E during Nurr1 expression is yet to be known. Further, the synergistic effect of vitamins C and E on TH expression has not yet been explored clinically. Therefore, we studied the effects of single or co- administration of vitamin C (0.5 mM) and vitamin E (1 mM) for 72 hr, on both TH and Nurr1 expression in in vitro primary cultured gestational days (GD) 13.5 rat ventral mesencephalon (VM) by Western blot and immunocytochemistry. Our study revealed highest expressions of both TH and Nurr1 in the vitamin C + vitamin E treated group. TH expression was also increased in the vitamin C treated group than that of the control group, but the vitamin E treated group did not show any statistically significant effect. However, both the vitamin C and the vitamin E treated groups revealed increased expression of Nurr1 protein as compared with the control group. The present experimental data suggest that vitamin C can up-regulate the protein expression of TH, but Nurr1 level was elevated either by vitamin C or by vitamin E administration. Further, vitamin E acts synergistically with vitamin C to elevate TH and Nurr1 expression, which is the most novel finding of our study and for the first time; we reported this result, since there have been no published data on the synergistic effect of both the antioxidant vitamins on TH and Nurr1 expression in VM. As the motor function defect due to the progressive loss of DAergic neuron is the major reason of Parkinsonism, therefore, the results of our study finally suggest the effective role of vitamin C and vitamin E during early treatment of Parkinsonism.     

不同发酵型碳水化合物对肉仔鸡消化道微生物发酵情况的影响

该试验研究了膳食菊糖和蔗糖对鸡消化道菌群发酵的影响。选择80只1日龄肉仔鸡分为4组,分别饲喂基础日粮;基础日粮＋4％蔗糖＋1％菊糖;基础日粮＋蔗糖;基础日粮＋菊糖。饲养35d后屠宰,测定消化道不同部位的pH值、乳酸、氨、短链不饱和脂肪酸（SCFA）和生物胺的含量。统计分析表明肉仔鸡的终末体重和肝脏、胰脏、嗉囊、肌胃和小肠重没有差异。