Dry processes to develop wheat fractions and products with enhanced nutritional quality

Numerous epidemiological studies have investigated the potential health benefits of consuming more wholegrain foods. However, in Europe, most wheat-based food products are made with refined endosperm from which the germ and peripheral layers (bran) are excluded, although these tissues have considerable nutritional potential and contain most of the micronutrients, phytochemicals and fibre of the grain. Dry fractionation technologies allow these peripheral tissues to be separated and recovered to efficiently separate valuable from detrimental components (i.e. contaminants, antinutrient compounds, irritants), in order to develop nutritionally enhanced ingredients and products. The rational development of efficient processes requires the ability to monitor the fractionation and understand the fate of grain tissues, and to take into account the various properties of the different parts of the grain in order to design an appropriate fractionation protocol. This review provides an overview of the existing processes that can be used for the production of wheat products and fractions with enhanced nutritional interest. The grain composition and properties are briefly introduced with emphasis on nutritionally interesting compounds. Tissue markers and their application in process monitoring are presented, and the physical properties that influence the fractionation properties of grain tissues are developed. The main wheat dry fractionation processes are then reviewed, including pretreatments, degerming, debranning, and bran fractionation.     

Impact on agriculture of the mount st. Helens eruptions

Ash from Mount St. Helens has fallen over a diverse agricultural area, with deposits of up to 30 kilograms per square meter. Crop losses in eastern Washington are estimated at about $100 million in 1980-about 7 percent of the normal crop value in the affected area and less than was expected initially. Production of wheat, potatoes, and apples will be normal or above normal because the favorable conditions for growth of these crops since the ashfall helped offset the losses. Alfalfa hay was severely lodged under the weight of the ash, but ash-contaminated hay is apparently nontoxic when eaten by livestock. The ash as an abrasive is lethal to certain insects, such as bees and grasshoppers, but populations are recovering. The ash has increased crop production costs by necessitating machinery repairs and increased tillage. On soil, the ash reduces water infiltration, increases surface albedo, and may continue to affect water runoff, erosion, evaporation, and soil temperature even when tilled into the soil. Ash on plant leaves reduced photosynthesis by up to 90 percent. Most plants have tended to shed the ash. With the possible exception of sulfur, the elements in the ash are either unavailable or present in very low concentrations; and no significant contribution to the nutrient status of soils is expected.     

Water productivity in rainfed systems: overview of challenges and analysis of opportunities in water scarcity prone savannahs

Addressing the Millennium Development Goals on food and poverty over the coming decade puts enormous pressure on the world’s finite freshwater resources. Without water productivity (WP) gains, the additional freshwater in agriculture will amount to 5,600 km³ year⁻¹ in 2050. This is three times the current global irrigation use. This paper focuses on the underlying processes and future opportunities of WP gains in water scarcity prone and poverty stricken savannah regions of the world. The paper studies the consumptive (green) WP dynamics rainfed farming systems, and shows that the often assumed linear relationship between evapotranspiration (ET) and yield (Y) does not translate into constant WP over a wide range of yields. Similarly, crop transpiration (T) and Y show non-linearity under on-farm and low yield conditions. This non-linearity is validated against several on-farm research experiments in semi-arid rainfed farming systems. With integrated soil and water management, focusing on dry spell mitigation and soil fertility can potentially more than double on-farm yields, while simultaneously improve green (ET) WP and productive green (T) WP. Through the adoption of appropriate soil and water management in semi-arid smallholder farming systems, crop yields improve and result in improved livelihoods and WP gains.     

Development and infectivity of Anaplasma marginale in Dermacentor andersoni nymphs

The development of Anaplasma marginale was studied in Dermacentor andersoni nymphs after they had fed on a calf with ascending Anaplasma infection. Gut tissues were collected on day 4 of tick feeding, from newly replete (fed) nymphs and on postfeeding days (PFD) 5, 10, 15, 20, and were processed for light and electron microscopy to determine density of A marginale colonies. Homogenates of gut tissues were prepared from nymphs collected on the same days and inoculated into susceptible, splenectomized calves to test for infectivity. Anaplasma colonies were detected in gut cells on PFD 5, 10, 15, and 20. Although colony density appeared to be higher on PFD 10 and 15, differences were not significant. Nymphal type-1 colonies were detected in highest numbers on PFD 5 and 10, transitional colonies were seen in highest numbers at PFD 10 and 15, and nymphal type-2 colonies were observed only on PFD 20. Gut homogenates that were collected from ticks at 4 days of feeding, when newly replete, and on PFD 20 caused anaplasmosis when injected into susceptible calves, but homogenates made from ticks collected on PFD 5, 10, and 15 were not infective. The data indicate that of the colony types of A marginale that develop in replete nymphs, nymphal type-1 and transitional colonies may contain organisms that are not infective for cattle.     

Demonstration of the inclusion appendage of Anaplasma marginale in nymphal Dermacentor andersoni

Dermacentor andersoni nymphs were placed in stockinettes and allowed to feed on a splenectomized calf with experimentally induced anaplasmosis when the parasitemia was 3%-5%. Nymphs were selected on each of the 6 days of feeding and every 5 days from repletion through molting to the adult stage (25 days postrepletion); they were killed and midgut tissues were processed and examined by light and electron microscopies. No stages of A marginale were seen in tissues of feeding ticks. Visualization of individual components of gut contents was difficult owing to presence of the concentrated, electrondense blood meal containing hemoglobin. Inclusion appendages were observed in midgut tissues of nymphs at 5 and 10 days postrepletion, but not at 20 or 25 days. The morphology of the appendages was similar to that described for inclusion appendages commonly associated with anaplasmal inclusions in bovine erythrocytes. Some appendages were free in the lumen of the midgut and occurred either alone or with clusters of small vesicular particles. Occasionally, initial bodies like those generally found in bovine erythrocytes were seen with the appendage, but most of them were swollen and appeared to be degenerating. Frequently, inclusion appendages were observed attached to the luminal surface of the midgut cell membrane by a blunt, electron-dense attachment complex. The attachment of the appendage appeared to be extracellular, with the pointed end extending into the lumen. Often, small particles were observed immediately across the cell membrane from where the appendages were attached; the small particles appeared to be generated from the appendage itself and to have passed through the membrane of the midgut cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Transstadial and attempted transovarial transmission of Anaplasma marginale by Dermacentor variabilis

Transstadial and transovarial transmission of Anaplasma marginale by Dermacentor variabilis were attempted with with ticks exposed to the organism once by feeding as larvae or nymphs, and twice by feeding as larvae and nymphs. Typical colonies of A marginale were in gut tissues of adults that were infected as larvae, larvae and nymphs, and as nymphs; repeated exposure of ticks did not appear to result in an increase in the number of colonies in the gut of subsequently molted adults nor did it affect severity of the clinical disease that developed in cattle they fed on. In contrast, colonies of A marginale were not found in the midgut epithelium of unfed nymphs exposed as larvae, even though companion nymphs transmitted the parasite, causing severe clinical anaplasmosis in susceptible calves. The organism was not transmitted transovarially by F1 larvae or nymphs from the groups exposed as parent larvae, nymphs, larvae and nymphs, and as adults. Some of the calves fed on by F1 progeny had a few erythrocytic marginale bodies that looked suspiciously like A marginale, as well as postchallenge exposure prepatent periods that were longer than other calves in the transovarial transmission study. Sera from these calves were tested for antibody to A marginale, using a highly sensitive immunoblot technique. Antibodies were not detected in any of the sera.     

Kinetics of carotenoids degradation during the storage of einkorn (Triticum monococcum L. ssp. monococcum) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ssp. aestivum) flours

To evaluate the effect of storage temperature, the degradation kinetics of carotenoids in wholemeal and white flour of einkorn cv. Monlis and bread wheat cv. Serio, stored at -20, 5, 20, 30, and 38 degrees C, was assessed by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. In Monlis, the carotenoids content (8.1 and 9.8 mg/kg for wholemeal and white flour, respectively) was 8-fold higher than in Serio (1.0 and 1.1 mg/kg). Only lutein and zeaxanthin were detected in bread wheat, while significant quantities of (alpha and beta)-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin were observed in einkorn. Carotenoids degradation was influenced by temperature and time, following first-order kinetics. The degradation rate was similar in wholemeal and white flour; however, loss of lutein and total carotenoids was faster in Serio than in Monlis. The activation energy E(a) ranged from 35.2 to 52.5 kJ/mol. Temperatures not exceeding 20 degrees C better preserve carotenoids content and are recommended for long-term storage.