Feeding high amounts of almond hulls to lactating cows.
California is the leading state for the production of almonds, with more than 400,000 bearing hectares of orchards that produced approximately 1 billion kg of shelled nuts in 2017. Almond hulls (AH) are a regional by-product feedstuff fed predominately to dairy cattle in California. A 2012 study surveyed 40 dairy farms in California and found that 39 out of 104 total mixed rations contained AH, with a mean daily feeding rate of 1.45 kg/cow. In 2017, approximately 2 billion kg of AH was produced. At a feeding rate of 1.45 kg/cow daily, even if all 1.7 million lactating cows in California are consuming AH, there will be a surplus of AH on the market as the approximately 130,000 nonbearing hectares come into nut production. Therefore, the potential of feeding varying amounts of AH to lactating dairy cows was investigated using 12 Holstein cows with 4 primiparous and 8 multiparous cows. The dietary treatments were 4 total mixed rations containing 0, 7, 13, or 20% AH. The AH used contained 12.8% crude fiber (as-is basis), which was below the 15% legal limit set by state feed regulations. Diets were formulated so that as the inclusion rate of AH increased, the amount of steam-flaked corn and soyhull pellets decreased and soybean meal inclusion increased. Experimental design was a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square. Diet had a cubic effect on actual milk yield, energy-corrected milk yield, and dry matter intake, with the 7% AH diet having the highest values and the 13% AH diet having the lowest. The percent and yield of total solids and the yields of lactose and fat did not differ with diet, but percent and yield of protein declined linearly with increased AH inclusion, and fat percent increased linearly. Apparent total-tract digestibilities of dry matter and organic matter were higher with the inclusion of AH in the diet. Total percentage of the day spent ruminating increased linearly with higher amounts of AH. Overall, this work demonstrated that AH can be fed at varying amounts, up to 20% of the diet, to lactating dairy cows to support high levels of milk production and that increasing amounts of AH (up to 20%) in the diet could lead to improved digestibility and milk fat percentage but decreased milk protein production.
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2020-19109
Acid hydrolysis of almond shells in a biphasic reaction system: obtaining of purified hemicellulosic monosaccharides in a single step.
The aim of this work is to comprehend the biphasic reaction systems through another perspective; the simultaneous purification and production of carbohydrates during the pretreatment of biomass. A dilute acid hydrolysis of almond shells in a 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran/H2O system was optimised to maximise the obtaining of hemicellulose-derived monosaccharides with the minimum formation of degradation products. The optimised conditions of the biphasic reaction system, which produced 205.3 g hemicellulose-derived monosaccharides/Kg almond shells, were replicated in a monophasic reaction system to assess the benefits of the biphasic reaction systems. The latest system allowed the removal of 85.3% of the furans generated during the dilute acid hydrolysis, creating antioxidant extract, together with the catalysis of the hydrolysis of the hemicelluloses in a 20%. Therefore, the proposed process could become a promising method to purify carbohydrates with an environmentally friendly procedure that allowed the obtaining of multiple added-value products in a single step.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125311
A preliminary study on mycobiota and ochratoxin a contamination in commercial palm dates (Phoenix dactylifera).
The occurrence of mycotoxins and mycotoxigenic fungi in palm dates has not been thoroughly documented. The aims of the present study were to identify the mycobiota present in commercial date samples (n = 19), to determine the ability of the isolated fungi to produce mycotoxins, and to determine and quantify the presence of OTA in date fruits. The majority of products originated from Tunisia (n = 14) and Algeria (n = 3). The dominant fungal species were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus tubingensis and Aspergillus flavus which were most frequently found in premium quality and organic produce, produced without chemical preservatives. OTA was found in only one sample at a concentration of 0.75 µg/kg, as determined by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Although this preliminary study did not find elevated levels of OTA, its presence in one out of 19 samples indicates that palm dates for human consumption require continuous and stringent control, in order to prevent contaminated produce from entering the market.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-021-00432-0
Comparison of near infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy for the identification and quantification through MCR-ALS and PLS of peanut oil adulterants.
Peanut oil is considered one of the best frying oils, and, consequently there is an increasing worldwide demand. This has led to adulteration practices with unhealthy, synthetic or less expensive oils which raises concerns related with public health safety. Therefore, there is a high need for rapid, versatile, low-cost and reliable analytical methods, such as vibrational spectroscopic techniques, capable of identifying and quantifying the respective adulteration. The objective of this work focused on the application of two different vibrational spectroscopic techniques (NIR and Raman spectroscopy) for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of two adulterants in pure peanut oil, namely corn oil and vegetable oil. For the quantitative analysis two chemometric methods, namely PLS and MCR-ALS, were compared while for the qualitative analysis only MCR-ALS was tested. The analysis of peanut oil adulteration was performed by adding each adulterant individually and also by blending the peanut oil with both adulterants simultaneously. A total of 69 samples were analyzed, which was comprised by two sets of 20 samples each containing just one adulterant and another set of 29 samples containing both adulterants. Several pre-processing techniques were tested. The qualitative analysis performed by MCR-ALS allowed the identification of all the adulterants using both NIR and Raman spectra, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.99. For the quantification, none of the chemometric methods as well as the vibrational spectroscopic techniques tested showed significant better results. Nonetheless, the determination coefficients and the relative percentage errors for the validation samples for most of the developed models were higher than 0.98 and lower than 15%, respectively. Concluding, MCR-ALS was capable of correctly extracting the spectral profiles of all the adulterants in very complex mixtures (as the pure spectra of the adulterants and peanut oil are very similar) and both MCR-ALS and PLS were able to quantify the adulteration with low RE. To the best of our knowledge, it was the first time that MCR-ALS was used for the qualitative analysis of peanut oil adulteration (with all adulterants added simultaneously) and MCR-ALS and PLS were compared for the quantification of peanut oil adulteration using both NIR and Raman spectroscopy.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122373
Consumer sensory evaluation and quality of Sorghum-Peanut Meal-Okra snacks.
Healthful tasty high protein, vegetable, gluten-free snacks are needed for all as well as those sensitive to gluten for in between meals and for after school events. Peanut meal a low value farm by-product was used to increase protein content and to add value for growers. Bile acid binding okra with cholesterol lowering potential and jalapeno, turmeric and ginger with healthy phytonutrients were included to increase vegetable consumption. The objective was to have healthy tasty snacks with ≥24% protein content. Gluten-free, whole grain, high protein, Sorghum-Peanut meal-Okra (SPO) and SPO-Jalapeno, SPO-Turmeric root and SPO-Ginger root snacks were sensory evaluated by 73 volunteers. Physical testing of the snacks included water activity, true and bulk density, texture and proximate analyses. Taste and Odor of the SPO and SPO-Jalapeno snacks were similar and significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than SPO-Turmeric root and SPO-Ginger root. Acceptability of SPO and SPO-Jalapeno snacks were both 88%; this value is quite desirable. Acceptability of SPO-Turmeric and SPO-Ginger were only 56 and 51% respectively. Turmeric and ginger have been reported with many health benefits; however these snacks were not preferred by the tasters. Water activity (Aw) of the snacks tested was SPO (0.42) < SPO-Turmeric (0.52) < SPO-Jalapeno (0.54) < SPO-Ginger (0.62). Water activity indicates that all the snacks were crispy and had longer shelf life. Expansion of these snacks was SPO-Ginger root 84%, SPO-Turmeric root 76%, SPO-Jalapeno 42% and SPO only 14%. Data suggest snacks containing spices were fluffy and would give good presentation in packaging. The objective of attaining protein level was clearly attained, as values ranged 24-26%. These snacks are easy to make in house kitchens or by food companies. These healthy snacks offer a gluten-free, high protein, tasty choice for all, including vegetarians and individuals hypersensitive to gluten.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06874
Determination of volatile organic compounds by HS‐GC‐IMS to detect different stages of Aspergillus flavus infection in Xiang Ling walnut.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for evolution monitoring and early detection of Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) contamination in walnuts. We successfully applied headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) to evaluate walnut VOC changes caused by A. flavus contamination. A total of 48 VOCs were identified in walnuts contaminated with A. flavus. After identification of VOCs, a heat map and principal component analysis (PCA) highlighted ethyl acetate-D, 3-methyl-2-butanol, and cyclohexanone as potential biomarkers specific to A. flavus contamination in walnuts. These results provided valid targets for the development of sensors to evaluate the early mold contamination in stored walnuts.
https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2229
Impact of granite irradiation on aflatoxin reduction in pistachio.
In this research with the effect of radioactive granite gamma radiation, the reduction of aflatoxin B1 in pistachios was examined in three steps. In the first step, the aflatoxin reduction in small packets by granite bed was tested. In this step, the aflatoxin level of 300 g pistachios packets was reduced up to 81.3±1.5 percent by 4 kg granite bed after 4 days. After observation of aflatoxin reduction by granite bed, the second step was done with increasing the granite and pistachio mass and irradiation time. In this step, the aflatoxin level of 1 kg pistachios was reduced up to 4949±2.6 percent by 6 kg granite after 9 days. According to the results, the aflatoxin reduction of 1 kg pistachios by 1 kg granite after 1 days (as aflatoxin Reduction Coefficient (ARC)) was calculated as ARC =0.0090±0.0025 (kg. day)-1.The aflatoxin types of detected in this research were B1 and B2 types that AFB2 level was much less than one. Therefore the effect of granite irradiation on AFB2 reduction wasn't considered. The final step was designed for testing the aflatoxin Reduction Coefficient (ARC). This step was shown that the confidence level between practical result and aflatoxin Reduction Coefficient (ARC) result is about 97 percent. The results indicated that the level of fat and protein of pistachios by granite gamma radiation did not change after 9 days. Therefore the granite irradiation can be used for aflatoxin reduction of pistachios.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2021.05.007
Whole-genome assembly of Corylus avellana cv'Tonda Gentile delle Langhe' using linked-reads (10X Genomics).
The European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.; 2n=2x=22) is a worldwide economically important tree nut that is cross-pollinated due to sporophytic incompatibility. Therefore, any individual plant is highly heterozygous. Cultivars are clonally propagated using mound layering, rooted suckers and micropropagation. In recent years, the interest in this crop has increased, due to a growing demand related to the recognized health benefits of nut consumption. C. avellana cv 'Tonda Gentile delle Langhe' ('TGdL') is well-known for its high kernel quality, and the premium price paid for this cultivar is an economic benefit for producers in northern Italy. Assembly of a high-quality genome is a difficult task in many plant species because of the high level of heterozygosity. We assembled a chromosome-level genome sequence of 'TGdL' with a two-step approach. First, 10X Genomics Chromium Technology was used to create a high-quality sequence, which was then assembled into scaffolds with cv 'Tombul' genome as the reference. Eleven pseudomolecules were obtained, corresponding to 11 chromosomes. A total of 11,046 scaffolds remained unplaced, representing 11% of the genome (46,504,161 bp). Gene prediction, performed with Maker-P software, identified 27,791 genes (AED ≤ 0.4 and 92% of BUSCO completeness), whose function was analysed with BlastP and InterProScan software. To characterise 'TGdL' specific genetic mechanisms, Orthofinder was used to detect orthologs between hazelnut and closely related species. The 'TGdL' genome sequence is expected to be a powerful tool to understand hazelnut genetics and allow detection of markers/genes for important traits to be used in targeted breeding programs.
https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkab152
A comprehensive review on different classes of polyphenolic compounds present in edible oils.
Edible oils are used as a frying medium and in the preparation of several food products. They are mainly constituting triacylglycerols as major components, while other compounds are classified as minor constituents, which include polyphenols. This class of compounds plays an important role in the thermal stability and quality attributes of the finished industrial food products. In addition to other antioxidants, the desired thermal stability of edible is achieved by either fortification or mixing of edible oils. This comprehensive review was therefore aimed to review the different classes of polyphenolic compounds present in commonly consumed edible oils. The edible oils reviewed include soybean, olive, rapeseed, canola, sunflower, flaxseed, sesame, cottonseed, palm, almond, peanut, chestnut, coconut, and hazelnut oils. The identified classes of polyphenolic compounds such as simple phenols, hydroxybenzoic acids, phenylethanoids, hydroxycinnamic acid, esters of hydroxycinnamic acids, coumarins & chromans, stilbenes, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and lignans were discussed. It was observed that a single edible from different origins showed the varied composition of the different classes of phenolic compounds. Among the oils, soybean, sunflower, olive, and brassica oils received higher attention in terms of polyphenol composition. Some classes of phenolic compounds were either not reported or absent in one edible oil, while present in others. Among the different classes of phenolics, hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acid and flavonoids were the most widely present compounds. Phenolic compounds in edible oils possess several health benefits such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, antioxidants, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-diabetic properties and anti-obesity.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110312
Genomic selection and genetic gain for nut yield in an Australian macadamia breeding population.
Background: Improving yield prediction and selection efficiency is critical for tree breeding. This is vital for macadamia trees with the time from crossing to production of new cultivars being almost a quarter of a century. Genomic selection (GS) is a useful tool in plant breeding, particularly with perennial trees, contributing to an increased rate of genetic gain and reducing the length of the breeding cycle. We investigated the potential of using GS methods to increase genetic gain and accelerate selection efficiency in the Australian macadamia breeding program with comparison to traditional breeding methods. This study evaluated the prediction accuracy of GS in a macadamia breeding population of 295 full-sib progeny from 32 families (29 parents, reciprocals combined), along with a subset of parents. Historical yield data for tree ages 5 to 8 years were used in the study, along with a set of 4113 SNP markers. The traits of focus were average nut yield from tree ages 5 to 8 years and yield stability, measured as the standard deviation of yield over these 4 years. GBLUP GS models were used to obtain genomic estimated breeding values for each genotype, with a five-fold cross-validation method and two techniques: prediction across related populations and prediction across unrelated populations. Results: Narrow-sense heritability of yield and yield stability was low (h2 = 0.30 and 0.04, respectively). Prediction accuracy for yield was 0.57 for predictions across related populations and 0.14 when predicted across unrelated populations. Accuracy of prediction of yield stability was high (r = 0.79) for predictions across related populations. Predicted genetic gain of yield using GS in related populations was 474 g/year, more than double that of traditional breeding methods (226 g/year), due to the halving of generation length from 8 to 4 years. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the incorporation of GS for yield into the Australian macadamia breeding program may accelerate genetic gain due to reduction in generation length, though the cost of genotyping appears to be a constraint at present.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-021-07694-z