PERFORMANCE OF AUS RICE IN DIFFERENT TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND CROP ESTABLISHMENT METHOD IN SOUTHWEST BANGLADESH

High labor wage and irrigation water scarcity are the major constraints to becoming rice production less profitable and unsustainable in Bangladesh. To address these problems, rice production needed less water and less labor consuming production technologies. In traditional rice production systems which is puddled-transplanted rice (PTR), a significant amount of water and labor are used for tillage (wet) and transplanting operations. A farmers’ participatory on-farm trial was conducted to evaluate the performance of aus rice at different tillage systems and crop establishment methods in the southern part of Bangladesh. Wet tillage (puddled systems) to dry-tillage and transplanted rice to direct dry-seeded rice (DSR) may have the potential to reduce production cost by using less labor and water, resulting in higher profit. The trial examined tillage systems (strip tillage, reduced tillage and puddling) and crop establishment methods (direct dry-seeded and transplanted) in six farmers’ fields in aus 2015. Crop established by reduced-and strip-tillage in DSR conditions reduced crop duration by 7 d compared to PTR. Grain yield (4.4-4.6 t ha-1) was similar in DSR which is established by reduced-and strip-tillage conditions and PTR; however, total production cost in DSR was 15-18% lower than the PTR. Slightly higher but significantly similar gross income was recorded in PTR than DSR, however, net profit was significantly lower in PTR and it was due to higher production cost involvement. DSR has the potentiality of similar yield to PTR and reduces production cost which increases the net profit of rice production.&nbsp

Behavior of Yersinia enterocolitica in Foods

Yersinia enterocolitica are ubiquitous, being isolated frequently from soil, water, animals, and a variety of foods. They comprise a biochemically heterogeneous group that can survive and grow at refrigeration temperatures. The ability to propagate at refrigeration temperatures is of considerable significance in food hygiene. Virulent strains of Yersinia invade mammalian cells such as HeLa cells in tissue culture. Two chromosomal genes, inv and ail, were identified for cell invasion of mammalian. The pathogen can cause diarrhoea, appendicitis and post-infection arthritis may occur in a small proportion of cases. The most common transmission route of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica is thought to be fecal-oral via contaminated food. Direct person-to-person contact is rare. Occasionally, pathogenic Y. enterocolitica has been detected in vegetables and environmental water; thus, vegetables and untreated water are also potential sources of human yersiniosis. However, the isolation rates of pathogenic Y. enterocolitica have been low, which may be due to the limited sensitivity of the detection methods. To identify other possible transmission vehicles, different food items should be studied more extensively. Many factors related to the epidemiology of Y. enterocolitica, such as sources, transmission routes, and predominating genotypes remain obscure because of the low sensitivity of detection methods

Biological and quantitative-SAR evaluations, and docking studies of (E)-N'-benzylidenebenzohydrazide analogues as potential antibacterial agents

A series of 15 (E)-N'-benzylidenebenzohydrazide analogues were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against eleven pathogenic and food-borne microbes, namely, S. aureus (G+), L. monocytogenes (G+), B. subtilis (G+), K. pneumonia (G-), C. sakazakii (G-), C. freundii (G-), S. enterica (G-), S. enteritidis (G-), E. coli (G-), Y. pestis (G-), and P. aeruginosa (G-). Most of the compounds exhibited selective activity against some Gram-negative bacterial strains. Of the compounds tested (3a-o), 3b and 3g were most active against C. freundii (MIC = ~19 µg mL-1). Whereas, compounds 3d, 3i, 3k and 3n exhibited MIC values ranging from 37.5 to 75 µg mL-1 against C. freundii, and compounds 3e, 3l and 3n had MIC values of ~75 µg mL-1 against K. pneumonia. Quantitative structure-antibacterial activity relationships were studied using physicochemical parameters and a good correlation was found between calculated octanol-water partition coefficients (clogP; a lipophilic parameter) and antibacterial activities. In silico screening was also performed by docking high (3b and 3g) and low (3n) activity compounds on the active site of E. coli FabH receptor, which is an important therapeutic target. The findings of these in silico screening studies provide a theoretical basis for the design and synthesis of novel benzylidenebenzohydrazide analogues that inhibit bacterial FabH

Investigation of heavy metal contents in Cow milk samples from area of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Background: Cow milk is considered as one of the responsible food sources contaminated with heavy metals. The objectives of the study were to assess the content of selected metals in cow milk and its associated human health risks in the food chain of Bangladesh. A total of 90 cow milk samples of Branded, Dairy and Domestically produced milk were collected randomly from different sources of Savar Upazila in Dhaka area. Cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe) contents in collected milk samples were determined using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS). To ensure quality control, one of the best quality control parameters i.e. recovery test; from eight various sample digestion methods were used. The Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) values were also calculated. Results: From the results, it was found that, the orders of heavy metal content in brand, dairy and domestic cow milk were Cr > Fe > Cu>Mn > Cd > Pb, Cr > Fe > Mn > Cu > Cd > Pb and Fe > Cr > Mn > Cu > Cd > Pb, respectively. Among the six metals, only Cr showed to exceed the highest Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) rate (for brand cow milk: 0.413 mg/day, dairy farm cow milk: 0.243 mg/day, domestic cow milk: 0. 352 mg/day),and the comparison percentages of calculated values per permeable values were as follows; 206.5 % for brand cow milk,121.5 % for dairy farm cow milk and 176.0 % for domestic cow milk. Hazard Quotients (HQ) values and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) values were found within the acceptable level. Conclusion: Although, the metal content in sampled cow milks were within the safe limit, the potential human health risks cannot be neglected for the regular/long time consumption of heavy metal contained cow milk

Chitosan Protects Cooked Ground Beef and Turkey Against \u3ci\u3eClostridium perfringens \u3c/i\u3eSpores During Chilling

We investigated the inhibition of Clostridium perfringens spore germination and outgrowth by the biopolymer chitosan during abusive chilling of cooked ground beef (25% fat) and turkey (7% fat) obtained from a retail store. Chitosan was mixed into the thawed beef or turkey at concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, or 3.0% (w/w) along with a heat-activated 3-strain spore cocktail to obtain a final spore concentration of 2 to 3 log10 CFU/g. Samples (5 g) of the ground beef or turkey mixtures were then vacuum-packaged and cooked to 60 ◦C in 1 h in a temperature-controlled water bath. Thereafter, the products were cooled from 54.4 to 7.2 ◦C in 12, 15, 18, or 21 h, resulting in 4.21, 4.51, 5.03, and 4.70 log10 CFU/g increases, respectively, in C. perfringens populations in the ground beef control samples without chitosan. The corresponding increases for ground turkeywere 5.27, 4.52, 5.11, and 5.38 log10 CFU/g. Addition of chitosan to beef or turkey resulted in concentration- and time-dependent inhibition in the C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth. At 3%, chitosan reduced by 4 to 5 log10 CFU/g C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth (P ≤ 0.05) during exponential cooling of the cooked beef or turkey in 12, 15, or 18 h. The reduction was significantly lower (P \u3c 0.05) at a chilling time of 21 h, about 2 log10 CFU/g, that is, 7.56 log10 CFU/g (unsupplemented) compared with 5.59 log10 CFU/g (3% chitosan). The results suggest that incorporation of 3% chitosan into ground beef or turkey may reduce the potential risk of C. perfringens spore germination and outgrowth during abusive cooling from 54.4 to 7.2 ◦C in 12, 15, or 18 h

A study on the prevalence of heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial contaminants and antibiotics resistance pathogens in raw salad vegetables sold in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The presence of undesirable heavy metals, pesticide residues, and microbial contaminants in fresh produces is a worldwide public health concern. This study was undertaken to evaluate the residual pesticides (Diazinon, Malathion, Cypermethrin, Dimethoate, Quinalphos, and Chloropyrofos), heavy metal contamination (Pb, Cd, and Cr), and microbiological quality and safety of 4 common raw salad vegetables (RSVs) samples from different local markets in Dhaka. Results showed the presence of heavy metals residues were within the acceptable limits of local and international standards. None of the above-mentioned pesticides were found in tomato and cucumber samples but presence of Dimethoate was noticed in 13 coriander samples (12.94–158.3 μg/kg) and 7 lettuce samples (9.6–74.8 μg/kg) exceeding the maximum permissible limit of EU guideline. The microbiological analysis showed irrespective of RSV types, total aerobic bacteria was present in higher number (4.0–7.0 log CFU/g), whereas 3.36–5.57 log CFU/g coliform count was recorded. In comparison with retail markets, lower level of total aerobic, and coliform bacterial presence was observed in the samples collected from sophisticated shops, but presence of E. coli and Salmonella spp. were evident in more than 60% samples in these shops. However, 50% and 33% samples from wholesale and retail markets respectively were noticed to be contaminated with Staphylococcus spp. Irrespective of RSV types, isolated E. coli were found resistance to 2–5 different antibiotics, where Salmonella spp. isolated from cucumber and coriander leaves showed resistance against 4–8 different antimicrobials. Therefore, the study results demonstrated that, the presence of residual pesticides, multidrug resistant E. coli and Salmonella spp. in the RSV samples posing concern when consumed raw. The regulatory bodies are expected to monitor and ensure the overall quality standards are in place and practiced by food producers and marketers responsible for handling and distribution of RSVs