Agro-industrial potential of sweet sorghum accessions grown under semi-arid conditions

The current world-wide interest in alternative and sustainable forms of energy is providing an opportunity for carving new pathways of development in many countries. Plants are particularly attractive vehicles in this regard because of their innate capacity to self-renew and to produce chemical forms of energy every time. Carbohydrates and oils as primary products from plants are attractive raw materials for the production of  alternative forms of energy such as bioethanol and biodiesel. Against this background, this study was  undertaken to assess the potential of sweet sorghum as a feedstock for bioethanol production. To this end, a  comparative analysis of non-structural carbohydrate amounts in mature stems of several local accessions of  sweet sorghum was carried out. For comparison, the same products were also determined in mature stems of sugarcane. Sucrose was the predominant sugar in the mature stems of sweet sorghum as was the case with  sugarcane. However, the overall carbohydrate profiles of sweet sorghum were markedly different from those of sugarcane. Mature stems of sweet sorghum contain more readily fermentable sugars than mature sugarcane  stems. In addition, sweet sorghum also accumulates starch in the stems as well as in the seeds. Through  hydrolysis, this serves as an additional source of glucose for fermentation into ethanol. These data clearly  demonstrate the renewable energy resource potential of sweet sorghum. Nonetheless, further studies on the  basic biology of carbohydrate partitioning in sweet sorghum are warranted. Such studies could provide rational basis for improvement of wet-fermentation substrate yield of this crop.Key words: Metabolism, non-structural carbohydrates, renewable energy, substrates, sucrose, trade-offs, wet fermentation

Lucuma (Pouteria lúcuma): Bioactive and agro-industrial potential of the Peruvian inter-Andean valley

El lúcumo es un fruto andino, reconocido como oro de los incas, que tiene origen en el valle interandino del Perú; el objetivo de la investigación es mostrar un panorama amplio sobre las potencialidades de esta fruta, en cuanto se refiere a su caracterización química, producción, transformación y comercialización. El estudio fundamentado en la investigación documental, siendo las unidades de análisis artículos científicos y datos estadísticos; la información obtenida fue procesada mediante el uso de estadística descriptiva. Confirmamos que el fruto del lúcumo es un alimento nutraceútico por su valor nutricional y compuestos bioactivos, los cuales le confieren propiedades terapéuticas contra la diabetes y la hipertensión, además juega un papel importante en la agroindustria, debido a su demanda internacional, coadyuvando al crecimiento económico local.Lucumo is an Andean fruit, recognized as the gold of the Incas, which has its origin in the inter-Andean valley of Peru; the objective of the research is to show a broad panorama of the potential of this fruit, as regards its chemical characterization, production, transformation and marketing. The study based on documentary research, being the units of analysis scientific articles and statistical data; the information obtained was processed through the use of descriptive statistics. We confirm that the fruit of the lucumo is a nutraceutical food due to its nutritional value and bioactive compounds, which give it therapeutic properties against diabetes and hypertension, it also plays an important role in agribusiness, due to its international demand, contributing to economic growth local

Three New Promising Highly Productive Sugarcane Clones for Farming and the Industry

Context: At present, high-potential agricultural and industrial sugarcane clones are critical at the beginning of the harvest to replace the cultivars that have reduced their productivity after years of exploitation and resistance to the major pests and diseases that attack the crop. Aim: To evaluate the agro-industrial potential of three new promising sugarcane clones in dryland. Methods: A randomized experimental block design with five treatments and three replicas was used. The treatments were three promising clones (C13-369, C13-370 and C13-383), and two commercial cultivars (C86-12 y C1051-73) used as controls. The agro-botanical characteristics and crop yields, along with the juice quality parameters at the beginning of the harvest (December), at 12 months of plant’s age. Results: Clones C13-383 and C13-370 demonstrated a better performance than the controls, reaching higher crop yields than 195 t ha-1 of millable sugarcane, and 30 t Pol ha-1. The crop yields of C13-369 (164.48 t sugarcane t ha-1) and industrial yields (25.53 t Pol ha-1) were similar to cultivar C86-12 and higher than C1051-73. Conclusions: The three promising clones have a high genetic potential for sugar production, confirming its possible use as early-maturation cultivars to be harvested at the beginning of production

Effect of thermosonication on enzymatic oxidation and physicochemical properties of soursop (Annona muricata) pulp

Soursop is an exotic tropical fruit, highly perishable, presents losses around 30% in postharvest, has marked commercial importance especially for internal consumption and a maximum shelf life. The objective of the present work was to study the effect of thermosonication (TS) on some physicochemical properties and the enzymatic oxidation of soursop pulp. The thermosonication treatments used on the samples were at 40 kHz, in a temperature range between 20-60 ºC, for 25 minutes. The soluble solids, pH, vitamin C concentration, inactivation of peroxidase (POD) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) in the soursop pulp were evaluated before and after the treatments. The results indicate a loss of vitamin C was observed in a 2.63; 13.16 and 28.95% for temperatures at 20, 40 and 60 ºC, respectively. On the other hand, a partial inactivation of the enzymes, POD, in 48.41; 69.83 and 74.24% and for PPO in 56.38; 74.47 and 81.91% was achieved at temperatures at 20, 40 and 60 ºC respectively. Finally, it was demonstrated that the US combined with heat (TS) inactivates in a large percentage the POD and PPO enzymes in the soursop pulp needing less heat, which could make it more efficient in comparison with the thermal treatments. Highlights Ultrasound combined with heat (TS) can inactivate POD and PPO enzymes in the soursop pulp, achieving considerable retention of vitamin C. Peroxidase (POD) and Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) trigger enzymatic processes affecting product natural color. Soursop is an exotic fruit with high levels of bioactive compounds, and great agro-industrial potential given its high recovery yields and excellent sensory characteristics. A vitamin C retention level of 71.05- to 86.84% was achieved in soursop pulps that have undergone thermosonification.Soursop is an exotic tropical fruit, highly perishable, presents losses around 30% in postharvest, has marked commercial importance especially for internal consumption and a maximum shelf life. The objective of the present work was to study the effect of thermosonication (TS) on some physicochemical properties and the enzymatic oxidation of soursop pulp. The thermosonication treatments used on the samples were at 40 kHz, in a temperature range between 20-60 ºC, for 25 minutes. The soluble solids, pH, vitamin C concentration, inactivation of peroxidase (POD) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) in the soursop pulp were evaluated before and after the treatments. The results indicate a loss of vitamin C was observed in a 2.63; 13.16 and 28.95% for temperatures at 20, 40 and 60 ºC, respectively. On the other hand, a partial inactivation of the enzymes, POD, in 48.41; 69.83 and 74.24% and for PPO in 56.38; 74.47 and 81.91% was achieved at temperatures at 20, 40 and 60 ºC respectively. Finally, it was demonstrated that the US combined with heat (TS) inactivates in a large percentage the POD and PPO enzymes in the soursop pulp needing less heat, which could make it more efficient in comparison with the thermal treatments. Highlights Ultrasound combined with heat (TS) can inactivate POD and PPO enzymes in the soursop pulp, achieving considerable retention of vitamin C. Peroxidase (POD) and Polyphenoloxidase (PPO) trigger enzymatic processes affecting product natural color. Soursop is an exotic fruit with high levels of bioactive compounds, and great agro-industrial potential given its high recovery yields and excellent sensory characteristics. A vitamin C retention level of 71.05- to 86.84% was achieved in soursop pulps that have undergone thermosonification

Fruit maturation and in vitro germination of macaw palm embryos

Acrocomia aculeata (macaw palm) is oil producing palm tree with significant agro-industrial potential. Seed dormancy in palm species may be due to embryo immaturity, which could result from delayed embryogenesis. We evaluated the correspondence between the visual characteristics of maturing fruits and their physiological aspects and the in vitro germination capacity of the embryos. 11 fruit bunches in different stages of maturity were collected and classified in terms of the degree of maturation of the endosperm, the color of the exocarp, and the occurrence of abscission. The water and oil contents of the mesocarp and seed were determined, and lipids and proteins were identified through histochemical analyses of the mesocarp, endosperm, and embryo. The embryos from each fruit bunch were cultivated in vitro in 75% Murashige and Skoog (1962) media with added organic compounds. The water contents of the seeds varied from 71.2 to 21.1% among the different stages of fruit ripening and were related to the visual markers of fruit maturation (exocarp color ranging from dark green to brown). Lipid accumulation in the mesocarp occurred later than in the endosperm, and only occurred in fruits from bunches showing signs of abscission. Embryos from bunches in different stages of maturation showed similar germinative capacities, as well as similar patterns of lipid and protein storage. Embryogenesis in A. aculeata is precocious, and the embryos of immature fruits can be utilized for in vitro cultivation.Keywords: Acrocomia aculeata, embryo culture, embryogenesis, water content, oil contentAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(5), pp. 446-45

In vitro antibacterial activities and composition of Carica papaya cv. Sekaki/Hong Kong peel extracts

Ten solvents were used to extract phytochemicals from the peel of Carica papaya cv. Sekaki/Hong Kong to determine their antibacterial activities. Moderate to clear inhibition on Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis and Clostridium perfringens were obtained from the disk diffusion test out of fourteen pathogens tested. Petroleum ether extract, the most potent extract, showed moderate inhibition towards C. diphtheria and S. pneumoniae at MIC of 5.63 mg/mL and 1.40 mg/mL. Polar solvents gave higher yield, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents than nonpolar solvents. Extract yields were 10.9 to 84.1 mg/g in polar solvents and 3.9 to 20.3 mg/g in non-polar solvents. Twenty eight compounds were identified in petroleum extracts through GC/MS analysis. Among the compounds identified were fatty acids, esters, alkane, tocopherols and sterols. 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid was the most abundant compound

Analysis of the phytochemical composition of pomegranate fruit juices, peels and kernels: A comparative study on four cultivars grown in Southern Italy

The increasing popularity of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), driven by the awareness of its nutraceutical properties and excellent environmental adaptability, is promoting a global expansion of its production area. This investigation reports the variability in the weight, moisture, pH, total soluble solids, carbohydrates, organic acids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, antioxidant activities, and element composition of different fruit parts (juices, peels, and kernels) from four (Ako, Emek, Kamel, and Wonderful One) of the most widely cultivated Israeli pomegranate varieties in Salento (South Italy). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic characterization of different fruit parts from pomegranate cultivars grown simultaneously in the same orchard and subjected to identical agronomic and environmental conditions. Significant genotype-dependent variability was observed for many of the investigated parameters, though without any correlation among fruit parts. The levels of phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic and dehydroascorbic acids of all samples were higher than the literature-reported data, as was the antioxidant activity. This is likely due to positive interactions among genotypes, the environment, and good agricultural practices. This study also confirms that pomegranate kernels and peels are, respectively, rich sources of punicic acid and phenols together, with several other bioactive molecules. However, the variability in their levels emphasizes the need for further research to better exploit their agro-industrial potential and thereby increase juice-production chain sustainability. This study will help to assist breeders and growers to respond to consumer and industrial preferences and encourage the development of biorefinery strategies for the utilization of pomegranate by-products as nutraceuticals or value-added ingredients for custom-tailored supplemented foods

Economic Reform in the Newly Independent States of the Former USSR: Effects on Agricultural Production and Trade to 2005

International Relations/Trade,

Current risk factors and some aspects of prospective development of agro-industrial complex potential in tatarstan: Financial, investment, innovative

© 2015, Asian Social Science. All rights reserved. Aim: to define current risk factors and find out the ways to develop the agro-industrial complex potential in Tatarstan. Methods: in our research we have used the methods of synthesis, analysis and the method of management by objectives. Results: we have carried out the estimation of the influence of current risk factors on the development of agro-industrial complex in Tatarstan; we have given some recommendations on the choice of the ways how to improve its efficiency in modern conditions. Scientific novelty: we have found out and systematized key factors that influence the development of agro-industrial complex in modern conditions; we have described the principle on the basis of which the components are selected for the agro-industrial cluster with the estimation of their innovative potential taken as the ground for such research. Practical significance: having analyzed the key factors influencing the agro-industrial complex in modern conditions we have suggested the optimal current regional policy to develop and improve the agro-industrial potential in the Republic of Tatarstan