Plasma Technology in Food Industry: mini-review

Plasma treatment is an interesting technology with many potential applications in industry. At present, more and more often we encounter papers that deal with utilization of plasma technology in food industry. This mini-review provides an overview of the latest developments in this area. At the beginning the principles of plasma interaction with solid surfaces are shortly discussed. The next chapters are focused on sterilization of food from bacteria and fungi. The infl uence of plasma treatment on the food quality and nutritional parameters is discussed in last section

The effect of treatment of barley grain and malt with low-temperature plasma discharge on the malt gushing potential

In 2015, the effect of treatment of spring barley grain and malt produced from it with low-temperature plasma discharge on the malt gushing potential was studied. Malting barley and malt produced from it were plasma-treated. In the malt samples, the gushing potential was determined. Simultaneously, selected quality parameters were assessed in the malt samples (Kolbach index, diastatic power, β-glucan content in wort, final attenuation, extract of malt in dry matter, relative extract at 45 °C, and friability). Gushing declined in the plasma-treated samples of malting barley or malt. The malt quality parameters remained unchanged

Silica nanoparticles from coir pith synthesized by acidic sol-gel method improve germination economics

Lignin is a natural biopolymer. A vibrant and rapid process in the synthesis of silica nanoparticles by consuming the lignin as a soft template was carefully studied. The extracted biopolymer from coir pith was employed as capping and stabilizing agents to fabricate the silica nanoparticles (n Si). The synthesized silica nanoparticles (n Si) were characterized by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). All the results obtained jointly and independently verified the formation of silica nanoparticles. In addition, EDAX analysis confirmed the high purity of then Si composed only of Si and O, with no other impurities. XRD spectroscopy showed the characteristic diffraction peaks forn Si and confirmed the formation of an amorphous nature. The average size ofn Si obtained is 18 nm. The surface charge and stability ofn Si were analyzed by using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thus revealed that then Si samples have a negative charge (−20.3 mV). In addition, the seed germination and the shoot and root formation on Vigna unguiculata were investigated by using then Si. The results revealed that the application ofn Si enhanced the germination in V. unguiculata. However, further research studies must be performed in order to determine the toxic effect of biogenicn Si before mass production and use of agricultural applications. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.1/2018/187DST-FIST fund [SR/FST/LS-1/2018/187

Functional Characterization of Rare Variants in OAT1/<i>SLC22A6</i> and OAT3/<i>SLC22A8</i> Urate Transporters Identified in a Gout and Hyperuricemia Cohort

The OAT1 (SLC22A6) and OAT3 (SLC22A8) urate transporters are located on the basolateral membrane of the proximal renal tubules, where they ensure the uptake of uric acid from the urine back into the body. In a cohort of 150 Czech patients with primary hyperuricemia and gout, we examined the coding regions of both genes using PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. Variants p.P104L (rs11568627) and p.A190T (rs146282438) were identified in the gene for solute carrier family 22 member 6 (SLC22A6) and variants p.R149C (rs45566039), p.V448I (rs11568486) and p.R513Q (rs145474422) in the gene solute carrier family 22 member 8 (SLC22A8). We performed a functional study of these rare non-synonymous variants using the HEK293T cell line. We found that only p.R149C significantly reduced uric acid transport in vitro. Our results could deepen the understanding of uric acid handling in the kidneys and the molecular mechanism of uric acid transport by the OAT family of organic ion transporters

Functional Characterization of Rare Variants in OAT1/SLC22A6 and OAT3/SLC22A8 Urate Transporters Identified in a Gout and Hyperuricemia Cohort

The OAT1 (SLC22A6) and OAT3 (SLC22A8) urate transporters are located on the basolateral membrane of the proximal renal tubules, where they ensure the uptake of uric acid from the urine back into the body. In a cohort of 150 Czech patients with primary hyperuricemia and gout, we examined the coding regions of both genes using PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. Variants p.P104L (rs11568627) and p.A190T (rs146282438) were identified in the gene for solute carrier family 22 member 6 (SLC22A6) and variants p.R149C (rs45566039), p.V448I (rs11568486) and p.R513Q (rs145474422) in the gene solute carrier family 22 member 8 (SLC22A8). We performed a functional study of these rare non-synonymous variants using the HEK293T cell line. We found that only p.R149C significantly reduced uric acid transport in vitro. Our results could deepen the understanding of uric acid handling in the kidneys and the molecular mechanism of uric acid transport by the OAT family of organic ion transporters

Dissemination of Isaria fumosorosea Spores by Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora

Entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi are globally distributed soil organisms that are frequently used as bioagents in biological control and integrated pest management. Many studies have demonstrated that the combination of biocontrol agents can increase their efficacy against target hosts. In our study, we focused on another potential benefit of the synergy of two species of nematodes, Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, and the fungus Isaria fumosorosea. According to our hypothesis, these nematodes may be able to disseminate this fungus into the environment. To test this hypothesis, we studied fungal dispersal by the nematodes in different arenas, including potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates, sand heaps, sand barriers, and glass tubes filled with soil. The results of our study showed, for the first time, that the spreading of both conidia and blastospores of I. fumosorosea is significantly enhanced by the presence of entomopathogenic nematodes, but the efficacy of dissemination is negatively influenced by the heterogeneity of the testing arena. We also found that H. bacteriophora spread fungi more effectively than S. feltiae. This phenomenon could be explained by the differences in the presence and persistence of second-stage cuticles or by different foraging behavior. Finally, we observed that blastospores are disseminated more effectively than conidia, which might be due to the different adherence of these spores (conidia are hydrophobic, while blastospores are hydrophilic). The obtained results showed that entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) can enhance the efficiency of fungal dispersal

Monitoring výskytu a cílené využívání entomopatogenních hub přirozeně asociovaných s populacemi lýkožrouta smrkového Ips typographus L

Cílem projektu je v návaznosti na monitoring přítomnosti entomopatogenních hub v přímé asociaci s Ips typographus vypracovat a ověřit metodický postup, ve kterém by vybrané druhy entomopatogenních hub byly záměrně introdukovány na vybraných lokalitách NP Šumava s cílem záměrně indukovat vznik ohnisek onemocnění. Součástí projektu je i vytvoření specifické sbírky kmenů entomopatogenních hub, vypracování postupů polyfaktoriální charakterizace kmenů hub, optimalizace postupů povrchové kultivace a aplikace hub zpět do místa jejich výskytu. Průběh řešení a výsledky projektu byly průběžně zveřejňovány na internetové stránce a prezentovány pro veřejnost prostřednictvím informačních středisek Správa NP a CHKO Šumava. Zpráva uvádí základní tematické okruhy řešení: Biodiverzita - Monitoring výskytu entomopatogenních hub na více než 60 lokalitách NP Šumava a monitoring kůr. Byl realizován velkoplošný monitoring včetně založení a údržby sbírky kultur kmenů získaných v průběhu monitoringu. Charakteristika a markerování kmenů - do sbírky byly uloženy kmeny identifikované a parametrizované pomocí základních růstových, produkčních, vitálních a morfologických charakteristik. Aplikované biotechnologie - produkce, distribuce a aplikace biopreparátů na bázi lokálních kmenů houby Beauveria bassiana. Aplikace a hodnocení účinnosti - jsou uvedeny závěry z aplikace biopreparátu a monitorování výskytu patogenu po jeho aplikaci

Image_1_Potential use of entomopathogenic and mycoparasitic fungi against powdery mildew in aquaponics.pdf

Aquaponics has the potential to produce sustainable and accessible quality food through the integration of hydroponics and aquaculture. Plants take up dissolved nutrients in fish wastewater, allowing water reuse for fish. However, the simultaneous presence of fish and plants in the same water loop has made phytosanitary treatments of diseases such as powdery mildew problematic due to risks of toxicity for fish and beneficial bacteria, limiting its commercialization. Entomopathogenic and mycoparasitic fungi have been identified as safe biological control agents for a broad range of pests. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi, Lecanicillium attenuatum (LLA), Isaria fumosorosea (IFR), and mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma virens (TVI) against Podosphaera xanthii. Also, we investigated the possible harmful effects of the three fungal biocontrol agents in aquaponics by inoculating them in aquaponics water and monitoring their survival and growth. The findings showed that the three biocontrol agents significantly suppressed the powdery mildew at 107 CFU/ml concentration. Under greenhouse conditions (65-73% relative humidity (RH)), a significant disease reduction percentage of 85% was recorded in L. attenuatum-pretreated leaves. IFR-treated leaves had the least AUDPC (area under disease progress curve) of ~434.2 and disease severity of 32% under 65-73% RH. In addition, L. attenuatum spores were the most persistent on the leaves, the spores population increased to 9.54 × 103 CFUmm-2 from the initial 7.3 CFUmm-2 under 65-73%. In contrast, in hydroponics water, the LLA, IFR, and TVI spores significantly reduced by more than 99% after 96 hrs. Initial spore concentrations of LLA of 107 CFU/ml spores were reduced to 4 x 103 CFU after 96 hrs. Though the results from this study were intended for aquaponics systems, relevance of the results to other cultivation systems are discussed.</p

The Effect of Artificial Media and Temperature on the Growth and Development of the Honey Bee Brood Pathogen Ascosphaera apis

Ascosphaera apis is a causative agent of chalkbrood, which is one of the most widespread honey bee diseases. In our experiments, the influence of several artificial media and cultivation under different temperatures was evaluated. Concretely, the radial growth of separated mating types was measured, reproductive structures in a Neubauer hemocytometer chamber were counted simultaneously, and the morphometry of spore cysts and spore balls was assessed. The complex set of experiments determined suitable cultivation conditions. A specific pattern between reproductive structure size and temperature was found. The optimal temperature for both mating types was 30 °C. SDA and YGPSA media are suitable for fast mycelial growth. Moreover, the effect of bee brood on fungus growth and development in vitro was investigated by modification of culture medium. The newly modified medium PDA-BB4 was most effective for the production of the reproductive structures. The result suggests that honey bee brood provides necessary nutrients for proper fungus development during in vitro cultivation. As there is no registered therapeutic agent against chalkbrood in most countries, including the European Union, the assessment of A. apis growth and development in different conditions could help to understand fungus pathogenesis and thus control chalkbrood disease