Alternative production systems for high-value horticultural crops

As concern about the adverse effects of pesticides grows, interest in alternative production methods for horticultural crops is increasing. In this project, strawberries and tomatoes, two important fruit and vegetable crops in Iowa, were studied under several alternative production approaches to determine how yields, quality, and income for growers could be maintained in comparison with conventional growing practices. One approach used integrated crop management strategies; another employed organic practices. A third used corn gluten meal, a natural fertilizer and weed control material. Results indicate that alternative production systems can provide acceptable June-beaming strawberry and tomato crop yields, quality, and income for Iowa growers. If biological controls for tarnished plant bug can be developed, everbearing strawberries may have acceptable yields as well

Organic Weed Management of Primocane-Fruiting Raspberries for Iowa Growers

Weed accumulation in raspberry plantings is a primary concern of all producers in Iowa, especially in organic production. Tillage may be used to reduce weed growth as an alternative to herbicides in raspberry plantings. However, tillage leaves soil vulnerable to erosion and potentially depletes the nutrients and organic matter from the topsoil. Growing a living mulch on the soil surface reduces weed seed germination and growth, and reduces the need for tilling after planting between the rows of raspberry plants. Legume living mulches also can provide nitrogen compared to tilled areas and fit within the organic certification requirements. The overall objective of this research was to determine the best organically certified soil management techniques to be used in between rows in a perennial raspberry planting. Specific objectives are to determine soil management treatments’ contribution to the soil’s physical and chemical properties, weed growth, and raspberry growth and development

Legume Cover Crops Reduce Overall Weed Incidence and Increase Fruit Production of Organically Grown Raspberries

Weed accumulation in raspberry plantings is a primary concern of all producers in Iowa, especially in organic production. Tillage may be used to reduce weed growth as an alternative to herbicides in raspberry plantings. However, tillage leaves soil vulnerable to erosion and potentially depletes the nutrients and organic matter from the topsoil. Growing a living mulch on the soil surface reduces weed seed germination and growth, and it reduces the need for tilling after planting between the rows of raspberry plants. Legume living mulches also can provide nitrogen and fit within organic certification requirements. The overall objective was to determine the best organically certified soil management techniques to be used between rows in a perennial raspberry planting. Specific objectives were to determine soil management treatments’ contribution to the soil’s physical and chemical properties, weed growth, and raspberry growth and development

Novel Food-Based Product Communication: A Neurophysiological Study

The steady increase in the global food demand requires alternative sources. Food sources from invertebrates could be a viable alternative. Despite a growing interest in terrestrial invertebrates as novel food, Western consumers have to cope with fears and taboos. This research aims to investigate possible communication strategies of novel food through labels. To understand the complexity underlying food choice and novel food attitude, two studies were carried out. In Study 1, the main drivers in the food decision-making process were identified. Based on these results, in Study 2, two different food labels for crackers made with earthworm flour were designed. Applying a neurophysiological approach, we measured participants’ neuropsychophysiological activation and behavioural response while watching food labels. A video on nutritional and ecological issues was shown to consumers to reduce aversion towards earthworms as food. The results in Study 1 indicate health and sensory dimensions as the major drivers in food choice. The data of Study 2 supported the effectiveness of the statement about nutritional qualities of the products on male participants, who tend to have a more positive reaction than female participants toward the novel product made with earthworm flour when the label’s claim focuses on nutritional advantages. Limitations and practical implications are discussed

Chemical Methods for Microbiological Control of Winemaking: An Overview of Current and Future Applications

Preservation technologies for winemaking have relied mainly on the addition of sulfur dioxide (SO2), in consequence of the large spectrum of action of this compound, linked to the control of undesirable microorganisms and the prevention of oxidative phenomena. However, its potential negative effects on consumer health have addressed the interest of the international research on alternative treatments to substitute or minimize the SO2 content in grape must and wine. This review is aimed at analyzing chemical methods, both traditional and innovative, useful for the microbiological stabilization of wine. After a preliminary description of the antimicrobial and technological properties of SO2, the additive traditionally used during wine production, the effects of the addition (in must and wine) of other compounds officially permitted in winemaking, such as sorbic acid, dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC), lysozyme and chitosan, are discussed and evaluated. Furthermore, other substances showing antimicrobial properties, for which the use for wine microbiological stabilization is not yet permitted in EU, are investigated. Even if these treatments exhibit a good efficacy, a single compound able to completely replace SO2 is not currently available, but a combination of different procedures might be useful to reduce the sulfite content in wine. Among the strategies proposed, particular interest is directed towards the use of insect-based chitosan as a reliable alternative to SO2, mainly due to its low environmental impact. The production of wines containing low sulfite levels by using pro-environmental practices can meet both the consumers’ expectations, who are even more interested in the healthy traits of foods, and wine-producers’ needs, who are interested in the use of sustainable practices to promote the profile of their brand

Investigating in vitro amyloid peptide 1-42 aggregation: impact of higher molecular weight stable adducts

The self-assembly of amyloid peptides (Aβ), in particular Aβ1–42, into oligomers and fibrils is one of the main pathological events related to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Recent studies have demonstrated the ability of carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs) to protect neurons and astrocytes from Aβ1-42 toxicity. In fact, CORMs are able to carry and release controlled levels of CO and are known to exert a wide range of anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities at physiologically relevant concentrations. In order to investigate the direct effects of CORMs on Aβ1–42, we studied the reactivity of CORM-2 and CORM-3 with Aβ1–42 in vitro and the potential inhibition of its aggregation by mass spectrometry (MS), as well as fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies. The application of an electrospray ionisation-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) method allowed the detection of stable Aβ1–42/CORMs adducts, involving the addition of the Ru(CO)2 portion of CORMs at histidine residues on the Aβ1-42 skeleton. Moreover, CORMs showed anti-aggregating properties through formation of stable adducts with Aβ1–42 as demonstrated by a thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence assay and MS analysis. As a further proof, comparison of the CD spectra of Aβ1–42 recorded in the absence and in the presence of CORM-3 at 1:1 molar ratio showed the ability of CORM-3 to stabilize the peptide in its soluble, unordered conformation, thereby preventing its misfolding and aggregation. This multi-methodological investigation revealed novel interactions between Aβ1–42 and CORMs, contributing new insights into the proposed neuroprotective mechanisms mediated by CORMs and disclosing a new strategy to divert amyloid aggregation and toxicity

50-Hz extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields enhance cell proliferation and DNA damage: possible involvement of a redox mechanism

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Survey on food preferences of university students: From tradition to new food customs?

Humankind currently consumes more resources than our planet is able to generate. In our web survey, we investigated insects and earthworms, as a possible future food source. We targeted the survey to university students, as the possible future consumers and trendsetters of new food. A total of 3556 university students (18\u201329 years old) completed it. The aims of this study were to evaluate participants\u2019 food preferences and their willingness to taste foods containing terrestrial invertebrates. Data were processed using Cronbach\u2019s alfa to assess the reliability of each constructs. The food preferences showed pizza-focaccia and pasta at the highest rankings, followed by fruit and vegetables. Males have a higher preference for any kind of animal protein source. Gender influenced food preference and willingness to eat food with insect or earthworm ingredients. The results indicated that students were prone to consider novel food into the Italian diet and to familiarize with them in the future. Insects/earthworms were more accepted in salty snacks. Highlighting the essential amino-acids daily requirements of a snack with earthworm meal did not improve the willingness to taste it. Information and awareness of future global food demand can play a fundamental role in accepting new food

Identification of a Sorbicillinoid-Producing Aspergillus Strain with Antimicrobial Activity Against Staphylococcus aureus: a New Polyextremophilic Marine Fungus from Barents Sea

The exploration of poorly studied areas of Earth can highly increase the possibility to discover novel bioactive compounds. In this study, the cultivable fraction of fungi and bacteria from Barents Sea sediments has been studied to mine new bioactive molecules with antibacterial activity against a panel of human pathogens. We isolated diverse strains of psychrophilic and halophilic bacteria and fungi from a collection of nine samples from sea sediment. Following a full bioassay-guided approach, we isolated a new promising polyextremophilic marine fungus strain 8Na, identified as Aspergillusprotuberus MUT 3638, possessing the potential to produce antimicrobial agents. This fungus, isolated from cold seawater, was able to grow in a wide range of salinity, pH and temperatures. The growth conditions were optimised and scaled to fermentation, and its produced extract was subjected to chemical analysis. The active component was identified as bisvertinolone, a member of sorbicillonoid family that was found to display significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 30 μg/mL. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature