Mapping the Restoration of Degraded Peatland as a Field of Research Area: A Scientometric Review

Degraded peatland reduced many ecosystem services such as water quality and quantity, biodiversity, carbon storage, climate regulations and other cultural benefits. Therefore, several initiatives for the restoration of degraded peatland (RDP) have been attempted to restore the ecosystem processes, productivity and services of the degraded peatland to its original natural condition. Notwithstanding the popularity of RDP research among researchers and industry practitioners, a quantitative technique to map a comprehensive survey of the intellectual core and the general body landscape of knowledge on RDP research does not exist. In this study, a scientometric analysis was employed to analyze 522 documents using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. The Web of Science database was used to retrieve bibliographic records using the advanced search “TS (topic) =(‘drained peatland restoration’ OR ‘drained bog restoration’ OR ‘drained mire restoration’ OR degraded peatland restoration’ OR ‘degraded bog restoration’ OR ‘drained peatland reclamation’ OR ‘drained bog restoration’ OR ‘degraded peatland reclamation’ OR ‘degraded bog reclamation’ OR ‘drained mire restoration’ OR ‘degraded mire reclamation’ OR ‘degraded fen restoration’ OR ‘drained fen reclamation’). The outcome sought to provide relevant information in RDP research such as (i) publication trends (ii) research outlets (iii) most influential keywords (iv) most influential institutions and authors (v) top influential countries active in RDP research. In addition, four clusters were identified for ascertaining the central theme of RDP research in which cluster one is linked to the central research theme-“impact of drainage on peatland ecosystem services; cluster two focused on the impact of peatland restoration on greenhouse gas emissions; cluster three is associated with peatland restoration and biogeochemical properties and cluster four is related to peatland restoration and species richness. A new research hotspot such as soil respiration was identified via the keywords with the strongest citation bursts. This study will provide the various stakeholders such as industry, journal editors, policymakers and the researchers instinctive understanding of the research status and the development frontier of RDP research

Soil Organic Matter Carbon Chemistry Signatures, Hydrophobicity and Humification Index Following Land Use Change in Temperate Peat Soils

Peatlands play a critical role in the global carbon cycle, storing large amounts of carbon because of a net imbalance between primary production and the microbial decomposition of the organic matter. Nevertheless, peatlands have historically been drained for energy sources (e.g. peat briquettes), forestry, or agriculture - practices that could affect the quality of the soil organic matter (SOM) composition, hydrophobicity and humification index. This study compared the effect of land use change on the quality and composition of peatland organic material in Co-Offaly, Ireland. Specifically, drained and grazing peat (grassland), drained and forest plantation peat (forest plantation), drained and industrial cutaway peat (cutaway bog) and an undrained actively accumulating bog (as a reference for natural peatland) were studied. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to examine the organic matter quality, specifically the degree of decomposition (DDI), carbon chemistry signatures, hydrophobicity and humification index. The ratio of hydrophobic to hydrophilic group intensities was calculated as the SOM hydrophobicity. In general, there is greater variance in the carbon chemistry signature, such as aliphatic methyl and methylene, C=O stretching of amide groups, aromatic C=C, strong H-bond C=O of conjugated ketones and O–H deformation and C– O stretching of phenolics and secondary alcohols of the peat samples from industrial cutaway bog samples than in the grassland and forest plantation samples. The hydrophobicity and the aromaticity of the soil organic matter (SOM) are significantly impacted by land use changes, with a trend of order active bog \u3e forest plantation \u3e industrial cutaway bog \u3e grassland. A comparison of the degree of decomposition index of the peat from active bog showed a more advanced state of peat degradation in grassland and industrial cutaway bog and, to a lesser extent, in forest plantation

The Biological Activity of Tea Tree Oil and Hemp Seed Oil

The interest in hemp seed oil (HSO) and tea tree oil (TTO) in the medical and food industries is increasing. The current study compares their bioactivity to other plant oils, mainly focusing on hemp seed oils (HSOs) with various cannabidiol (CBD) contents. A DPPH assay was employed to evaluate the antioxidant activity. The antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella enteritidis was evaluated using time–kill, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), and Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion methods. Tea tree oil showed significantly higher antimicrobial activity against S. enteritidis compared to E. coli and S. aureus (p \u3c 0.05). The antioxitant activity range (lowest to highest) was sesame \u3c vetiver \u3c rosehip \u3c tea tree \u3c organic hemp \u3c pure hemp \u3c 5% CBD \u3c vitamin C. Tea tree oil and 5% CBD showed antioxidant activity at IC50 of 64.45 μg/mL and 11.21 μg/mL, respectively. The opposing antimicrobial and antioxidant results for TTO and HSO indicate that these activities arise from different components within the oil compositions

Hemp Growth Factors and Extraction Methods Effect on Antimicrobial Activity of Hemp Seed Oil: A Systematic Review

The bioactive Hemp Seed Oil (HSO) is becoming very popular in the medical and research fields due to its antimicrobial properties against several diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. However, the effect of hemp-growing factors and extraction methods on the bioactivity of HSO does not receive adequate research attention. Therefore, this review aims to investigate the effect of growth factors and extraction methods on the antimicrobial activity of HSO. Articles were retrieved from Google Scholar and the Scopus database and screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study revealed that HSO prefers warm climates and favorable humidity ranging from 20 to 39 °C and 79–100% per year, respectively, and rainfall of 324 mm daily. The multivariate linear regression shown excellent prediction (R2 = 0.94) with climates upon Zone of Growth Inhibition (ZGI) of Gram-positive bacteria. Temperature is the strongest predictor (p \u3c 0.01) followed by humidity and rainfall (p \u3c 0.05). Furthermore, well-drained loam soil rich in organic matter seems to stimulate the antimicrobial activity of HSO. The major constituents that influence HSO’s antimicrobial ability to Staphylococcus aureus were cannabidiol (CBD), β-caryophyllene, and limonene. The extraction methods showed less influence on the HSO bioactivity. HSO did not show significant antioxidant activity, but Hemp Seed Hull (HSH), Hemp Seed Flour (HSF), and Hydrolyzed Hemp Seed Protein (HPH), expressed promising DPPH scavenging ability

Effect of ‘Peatland-Use’ Type on Culturable Microbial Groups in Irish Peatlands in the Midlands

Soil microbial ecology in the Irish wetlands is still poorly understood, although it is crucial in introducing effective rewetting schemes to restore and conserve the Irish peatlands. As an initiative, peatlands with distinct land-use types (cutaway, raised semi-degraded, unimproved grassland and grassland) were collected from farms in the midlands to analyse various microbial populations. Peat was homogenized and serially diluted to culture on a range of specific and non-specific culture media. Culture isolation and microbial enumeration were performed. Gram staining and other microscopic observations of morphologically distinct microorganisms were performed, followed by isolation procedures. The numbers of total viable bacteria of cutaway bog and unimproved grassland were 4.23 103 CFU g1 and 9.81 107 CFU g1, respectively, with a significant statistical difference (p 0.05). Raised semi-degraded bogs comprised low values of both aerobes and fungal populations. Penicillium spp. and Trichoderma spp. were common in many vegetation types. Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria were present in the majority of the study sites. This indicated that the soluble form of phosphorus was being assimilated by plants. Cutaway peat contained the bacteria with the highest phosphate-solubilizing index (3.167). Overall, the number of culturable microbial groups in cutaway and raised semi-degraded peatlands exhibited significant differences, while the rest did not show drastic changes according to land-use type. This study provides baseline data to continue studies on bog microbiology, which provides a new outlook for restoration. Future work should consider microbial interaction with environmental variables in different land-use types

Hospital Effluents and Wastewaters Treatment Plants: A Source of Oxytetracycline and Antimicrobial-resistant Bacteria in Seafood

The present study employs a data review on the presence and aggregation of oxytetracycline (OTC) and resistance (AMR) bacteria in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and distribution of the contaminated effluent with the aid of shallow and deep ocean currents. The study aims to determine the fate of OTC, AMR bacteria in seafood, and demonstrate a relationship between AMR levels and human health. This review includes (1) OTC, (2) AMR bacteria, (3) heavy metals in aquatic environments, and their relationship. Few publications describe OCT in surface waters. Although, OTC and other tetracyclines were found in 10 countries in relatively low concentrations, the continuous water mass movement poses a contamination risk for mariculture and aquaculture. There are 10 locations showing AMR bacteria in treated and untreated hospital effluent. Special effort was made to define the geography distribution of OTC, AMR bacteria, and heavy metals detected in WWTPs to show the likely dissemination in aquatic environment. The presence of OTC in surface waters in Asia, USA, and Europe, can potentially impact seafood globally with the aid of ocean currents. Moreover, low concentrations of heavy metals exert environmental pressure and contribute to AMR dissemination. Recommended solutions are (1) quantitative analysis of OTC, heavy metals, and AMR bacteria to define their main sources, (2) employ effective technologies in urban and industrial wastewater treatment, and (3) select appropriate modelling from Global Ocean Observing System to predict the OTC, heavy metals, and AMR bacteria distribution

Growth performance and carcass characteristics of rabbits fed concentrate diets containing graded levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves

[EN] Ninety-six (96) 8-wk-old mixed breed of New Zealand white, California white and chinchilla rabbits were used to determine the growth performance, carcass and organ percentages of rabbits fed concentrate diets containing graded levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves. The rabbits were assigned to two groups of 48. Those in group 1 were allotted to four dietary treatments with concentrate diets containing 0, 10, 20 and 30% inclusion levels of B. oleracea outer leaves for one week and 12-wk adaptation and testing periods, respectively, for growth performance evaluation. Similar treatment and design were adopted for group 2 rabbits using graded levels of M. paradisiaca leaves. Six rabbits were randomly selected from each treatment group for slaughter at the end of the testing period for carcass and internal organ characteristics evaluation. There were no dietary effects on the parameters of rabbits fed graded levels of B. oleracea outer leaves except for M. paradisiaca, where the control diet had the lowest feed intake and the least (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio comparable to 30% inclusion level and final body weight, which was the highest (P<0.05) for rabbits fed diets containing 10 and 20% inclusion levels of M. paradisiaca leaves. The cost of feed was highest for the control diets, and reduced with increasing inclusion levels of the leaves in the diets. None of the rabbits died during the experimental period. The findings suggest that rabbits can be fed concentrate diets containing B. oleracea outer leaves and M. paradisiaca leaves up to 30% inclusion level for good growth performance and high carcass characteristics at a lower production cost than concentrate diets, while maintaining good health.Osei, DY.; Apori, SO.; Hagan, JK.; Amedorme, D.; Ayizanga, R. (2024). Growth performance and carcass characteristics of rabbits fed concentrate diets containing graded levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves. World Rabbit Science. 32(1):21-29. https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2024.19616212932

Sensory characteristics of meat from rabbits fed concentrate diets containing Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves

Two separate experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of incorporating levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves on sensory characteristics of rabbit meat. In each experiment, forty-eight (48) eight-week-old rabbits were randomly allotted to four treatments of concentrate diets with 0, 10, 20 and 30% inclusion levels of Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves. Six rabbits were randomly selected from each treatment group and used for sensory evaluation at the end of a 12-week feeding period. Muscle samples were collected from the longissimus dorsi of the carcasses, pan-fried using 300 ml of Frytol® vegetable oil at 170ºC for 10 minutes. Thirty evaluators conducted the sensory evaluation according to the consumer acceptance and preference testing technique on a nine-point hedonic scale comprising appearance, flavour, colour, mouth-feel, taste, texture and overall acceptability. Generally, the sensory characteristic scores for the meat samples support the evaluators’ acceptability of the meat from rabbits fed the various diets. However, in specific terms, meat from rabbits fed diets containing 10 and 30% Brassica oleracea outer leaves and 20% Musa paradisiaca leaves tended to have higher sensory scores over meat from rabbits fed diets of the other inclusion levels of the leaves in the sensory attributes measured. The results of the study also suggest that feeding concentrate diets containing Brassica oleracea outer leaves and Musa paradisiaca leaves at 30% inclusion level resulted in the production of rabbit meat at a lower cost than feeding concentrate diets alone and acceptable to consumers