Effect of glycine betaine, a feed attractant affecting growth and feed conversion of juvenile freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

A feeding experiment was conducted to determine the effect of the feeding attractant, glycine betaine (betaine hydrochloride) on the growth and feed conversion of juveniles of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (deMan) (mean initial weight 1.12 g). Three types of diets were prepared with the incorporation of glycine betaine at 5, 10 and 15 g kg^?1 levels along with an unsupplemented control. After 60 days, weight gain, feed intake and food conversion ratio (FCR) were higher in prawn fed the three glycine betaine‐added diets compared with the control feed. Among the glycine betaine‐added diets, prawn fed glycine betaine at 5 g kg^?1 level showed highest weight gain (2.73 g) by registering 61.5% increase in growth over control and also higher feed intake (5.79 g) and good FCR (2.12). There were highly significant differences (P < 0.01) in weight gain, feed intake, per day growth and FCR among treatments. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in survival among treatments.     

A short review on sugarcane: its domestication,molecular manipulations and future perspectives

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a special crop plant that underwent anthropogenic evolution from a wild grass species to an important food, fodder, and energy crop. Unlike any other grass species which were selected for their kernels, sugarcane was selected for its high stem sucrose accumulation. Flowering in sugarcane is not favored since flowering diverts the stored sugar resources for the reproductive and developmental energy needs. Cultivars are vegetatively propagated and sugarcane breeding is still essentially focused on conventional methods, since the knowledge of sugarcane genetics has lagged that of other major crops. Cultivar improvement has been extremely challenging due to its polyploidy and aneuploidy nature derived from a few interspecific hybridizations between Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum, revealing the coexistence of two distinct genome organization modes in the modern variety. Alongside implementation of modern agricultural techniques, generation of hybrid clones, transgenics and genome edited events will help to meet the ever-growing bioenergy needs. Additionally, there are two common biotechnological approaches to improve plant stress tolerance, which includes marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genetic transformation. During the past two decades, the use of molecular approaches has contributed greatly to a better understanding of the genetic and biochemical basis of plant stress-tolerance and in some cases, it led to the development of plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress. Hence, this review mainly intends on the events that shaped the sugarcane as what it is now and what challenges ahead and measures taken to further improve its yield, production and maximize utilization to beat the growing demands.

     

Investigation of Natural Extracts and Sodium Bisulfite Impact on Thermal Signals and Physicochemical Compositions of Litopenaeus vannamei during Chilled Storage

This research work evaluates the impact of 1.2% pomegranate peel extract (Pp) (Punica granatum), 0.1% grapefruit seed (Gfs) (Citrus paradisi) extract, and synthetic preservative 1.25% sodium bisulfite on shelf life extension of Litopenaeus vannamei stored at 4 and 15°C. The application of isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) for comparison of the extracts and chemical preservative on shrimp quality retention based on the overall heat production by microbial and enzymatic degradation was addressed. The occurrence of probable bioactive responsible for antimicrobial and antioxidant activity components in the extracts was examined through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS). At 4°C, Pp-treated shrimps resulted in 6.73 logCFU/g, 6.93 logCFU/g, 5.31 mgN/100 g, and 0.58 mgMDA/kg for aerobic plate count, psychrotrophic bacterial count, trimethylamine, and thiobarbituric-acid reactive substance, respectively, on the 15th day. At 15°C, Pp-coated shrimps retained quality until day 4. Isothermal calorimetric analysis resulted in a rapid and sharp peak for fresh samples, whereas there was broad and delayed peak for shrimp treated with Pp and sodium bisulfite. These observations prove that Pp counterpart the chemical preservative and outperform Gfs on shrimp quality retention. Results also indicate that isothermal calorimetry can be a useful technique for shelf life predictions and comparative evaluation of extract impact on shrimp quality retention.