Search Results (9)

This study presents an investigation on the potential of using one-year-old field-stored Medicago sativa (alfalfa) as a raw material for a multi-output biorefinery. The main objective was to fractionate the biomass into valuable components—crude protein, hemicellulose-derived polysaccharides, lignin, and cellulose—and to explore the latter’s suitability in papermaking. To this end, three pretreatment strategies (water, alkaline buffer, and NaOH solution) were applied, followed by soda pulping under varying severity conditions. Both solid and liquid fractions were collected and chemically characterized using FTIR, HPLC, and standardized chemical methods. Water-based pretreatment was most effective for protein extraction, achieving over 40% protein content in precipitated fractions. The harshest pulping conditions (20% NaOH, 160 °C, 60 min) yielded cellulose-rich pulp with high glucan content, while also facilitating lignin and hemicellulose recovery from black liquor. Furthermore, the pulps derived from alfalfa stems were tested for papermaking. When blended with old corrugated cardboard (OCC), the fibers enhanced tensile and burst strength by 35% and 70%, respectively, compared to OCC alone. These findings support the valorization of unexploited alfalfa deposits and suggest a feasible biorefinery approach for protein, fiber, and polymer recovery, aligned with circular economy principles. Full article

Neonatal calves’ diarrhea, which can be severe enough to cause death, has a significant impact on the global cattle industry. In this study, alfalfa polysaccharides and seaweed polysaccharides were found to significantly improve the diarrhea condition in neonatal calves. To explore the underlying mechanisms, further microbiomic and metabolomic analyses were conducted. This study investigated the impact of alfalfa polysaccharides and seaweed polysaccharides on growth performance, serum metabolites, gut microbiota, and metabolomics in neonatal Holstein calves. A total of 24 newborn calves were randomly assigned to three groups, with 8 calves per treatment group. The control (CON) group was fed a basal diet, the alfalfa polysaccharide (AP) group received a basal diet supplemented with alfalfa polysaccharides (4 g/calf/day), and the seaweed polysaccharide group (SP) received a basal diet supplemented with seaweed polysaccharides (4 g/calf/day). These polysaccharides were plant extracts. Compared to the CON group, the results indicated that SP significantly enhanced the body weight, height, chest circumference, and average daily gain of Holstein calves (p < 0.05), while also reducing the diarrhea rate and improving manure scoring (p < 0.05). Compared to the CON, AP also reduced the diarrhea rate (p < 0.05). In terms of serum biochemistry, supplementation with AP and SP increased serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Both AP and SP elevated serum catalase (CAT) and Total Antioxidant Capacity (T-AOC) levels, indicating enhanced antioxidant status (p < 0.05). Regarding immune responses, supplementation with AP and SP significantly increased serum complement component 3 (C3) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels, while significantly reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-18 (IL-18), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Microbiota analysis revealed that AP modulated the abundance of Firmicutes, while SP influenced the abundance of Prevotella and Succiniclasticum. AP and SP differentially influenced intestinal metabolites compared to the CON group, leading to enrichment in pathways related to immunity, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory functions. These pathways included the biosynthesis of alkaloids from ornithine, lysine, and nicotinic acid, glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor canothersis/antagonists, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and alkaloid biosynthesis from histidine and purine, thus alleviating intestinal inflammation. Therefore, by supplementing with AP and SP, the diarrhea rate in calves was reduced, and the immune function of Holstein calves was enhanced, while simultaneously promoting a higher relative abundance of beneficial gut bacteria and suppressing the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, gut pathways associated with immune response and inflammation were modulated by AP and SP. This study provided valuable insights and theoretical underpinnings for the use of AP and SP in preventing diarrhea in neonatal calves. Full article

Phycocyanin is a water-soluble pigment protein extracted from prokaryotes such as cyanobacteria and has strong antioxidant activity. As a silage additive, it is expected to enhance the antioxidant activity and fermentation quality of alfalfa silage. This study revealed the effects of different proportions of phycocyanin (1%, 3%, 5%) on the quality, bacterial community and antioxidant capacity of alfalfa silage. The results showed that 5% phycocyanin supplementation could maintain dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content; increase lactic acid (LA) content; decrease pH and butyric acid (BA) and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) content; and improve fermentation quality. At the same time, the contents of total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), total phenol content (TP), polysaccharide content (P) and total flavonoid content (F) in the addition group were significantly increased, the antioxidant capacity was enhanced and the abundance of lactic acid bacteria was increased, which was positively correlated with silage quality. Phycocyanin can improve the metabolic function of carbohydrates and amino acids and promote the production of secondary metabolites. The application of phycocyanin broadens the variety of additives for alfalfa silage. Full article

The cellulose synthase (CesA) and cellulose synthase-like (Csl) superfamily encodes critical enzymes involved in processing plant cellulose and hemicellulosic polysaccharides. The alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) genome was sequenced in recent years, but this superfamily remains poorly understood at the genome-wide level. We identified 37 members of the CesA/Csl family from the alfalfa genome in this study as well as their chromosomal locations and synteny. We uncovered 28 CesA/Csl expressed across all tissues and CslD genes specifically expressed in the root. In addition, cis-acting element analysis showed that CesA/Csl contained several abiotic stress-related elements. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis of alfalfa seedlings demonstrated the involvement of this superfamily in responses to cold, drought, and salt stresses. Specifically, CslD increased expression in cold conditions and decreased under osmotic stress, highlighting its potential role in stress adaptation. The findings offer valuable information for the practical exploration of the functions of CesA/Csl during plant development and the development of enhanced tolerance to different stress conditions. Full article

Cuscuta campestris is a holoparasitic plant that depends on the host for water, nutrients, and photosynthetic substances. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of the host species on the content of bioactive and health-promoting substances in the Cuscuta seeds to test the following hypothesis: these substances are more induced if the hosts are herbs. The studied hosts were herbs (thyme, basil, and onion) and non-herbs (alfalfa and tomato). The results showed that the carotenoid accumulation in seeds developed on basil and thyme was the maximum. The extracts of seeds grown on thyme and onion had significantly more galactitol, total polysaccharide, and antioxidant activity than other hosts. Quercetin, kaempferol, and total flavonoids were higher in the seeds set on onion. The highest content of bergenin was recorded on thyme with no significant difference with onion. The extract of seeds grown on thyme had more total phenolics, followed by tomato and basil. Analysis of the phytosterol content of the seeds showed that campesterol was the minimum in seeds grown on alfalfa and stigmasterol was lowest in seeds grown on tomato than other hosts. Additionally, β-sitosterol increased in seeds developed on basil, onion, and thyme, and Δ⁷-avenasterol increased in seeds set on thyme and basil. Overall, the content of total phytosterols was higher in seeds developed on basil, onion, and thyme. The results were suggestive of the proper health-promoting levels of dodder seeds developed on medicinal plants such as onion and thyme for pharmaceutical and food applications. Full article

Plants are the main sources of bioactive compounds (nutraceuticals) that function under different mechanisms of action for the benefit of human health. Mexico ranks fifth in the world in biodiversity, offering opportunities for healthy food. An important variety of crops are produced in the state of Hidalgo, e.g., based on the 2021 production, alfalfa, oats, maguey, and corn. The present review presents the latest findings of these crops, regarding the benefits they provide to health (bioactivity, nutraceuticals), and presents the compounds and mechanisms identified by which the benefit is provided. The knowledge compiled here is for the benefit of the recovery of the crops, the recognition of their bioactivities, in search of identifying the best routes of action for prevention, treatment and possible cure of chronic degenerative diseases (thereby promoting crop valorization). Exhaustive bibliographic research was carried out by means of engines and scientific databases. Articles published between 2001 and 2022 that included specific keywords (Scopus, EMBASE, EBSCO, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, Google Scholar). Outstanding activities have been identified for the compounds in the crops, such as antiinflammatory, anticholesterolemic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and chelating. The compounds that provide these properties are total phenols, phenolic acids, tannins, anthocyanins, carotenoids, iso-flavones, phytosterols, saponins, fructans, glycosides, glucans, avenanthramides, and polysaccharides. Full article

Alfalfa polysaccharides (AP) receive wide attention in the field of medicine, because of their anti-inflammatory property. However, AP has high molecular weight and poor water solubility, resulting in low biological activity. We wanted to obtain highly bioactive alfalfa polysaccharides for further research. Herein, we successfully synthesized highly substituted sulfated alfalfa polysaccharides (SAP) via the chlorosulfonic acid (CSA)-pyridine (Pyr) method, which was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Under the best reaction conditions, that is, the reaction temperature, time, and ratio of CSA to Pyr being 55 °C, 2.25 h, and 1.5:1, respectively, the maximum degree of substitution of SAP can reach up to 0.724. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy also confirmed the existence of sulfonic acid groups on SAP. Despite the increased average molecular weight of SAP, its water solubility is improved, which is beneficial for its biological activity. Further in vitro results showed that SAP exhibited better antioxidant activity and antibacterial ability than AP. Besides, the former can efficiently enhance the viability of oxidatively stressed intestinal epithelial cells compared with the latter. Furthermore, SAP has the potential to inhibit obesity. It is concluded that sulfation modification could improve the antioxidant, antibacterial, bovine intestinal epithelial cells’ proliferation-promoting, and the obesity inhibition abilities of AP. The improvement of AP biological activity may provide references for the utilization of plant extracts that have weaker biological activity. Full article

Frothy bloat is major digestive disorder of cattle grazing alfalfa pastures. Among the many factors identified to contribute to the development of frothy bloat, the disruption of rumen microbiota appears to be of central importance. Anaerobic rumen fungi (ARF) play an important role in sequential breakdown and fermentation of plant polysaccharides and promote the physical disruption of plant cell walls. In the present study, we investigated the dynamics of ARF during the development of alfalfa-induced frothy bloat and in response to bloat preventive treatments. By sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) region of metagenomic DNA from the solid fraction of rumen contents, we were able to identify eight distinct genera of ARF, including Neocallimastix, Caecomyces, Orpinomyces, Piromyces, Cyllamyces, Anaeromyces, Buwchfawromyces, and unclassified Neocallimastigaceae. Overall, transition of steers from a baseline hay diet to alfalfa pastures was associated with drastic changes in the composition of the fungal community, but the overall composition of ARF did not differ (p > 0.05) among bloated and non-bloated steers. A correlation network analysis of the proportion of ARF and ruminal bacterial communities identified hub fungal species that were negatively correlated with several bacterial species, suggesting the presence of inter-kingdom competition among these rumen microorganisms. Interestingly, the number of negative correlations among ARF and bacteria decreased with frothy bloat, indicating a potential disruption of normal microbial profiles within a bloated rumen ecosystem. A better understanding of fungal-bacterial interactions that differ among bloated and non-bloated rumen ecosystem could advance our understanding of the etiology of frothy bloat. Full article

The polysaccharide isolated from alfalfa was considered to be a kind of macromolecule with some biological activities; however, its molecular structure and effects on immune cells are still unclear. The objectives of this study were to explore the extraction and purifying methods of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) polysaccharide (APS) and decipher its composition and molecular characteristics, as well as its activation to lymphocytes. The crude polysaccharides isolated from alfalfa by water extraction and alcohol precipitation methods were purified by semipermeable membrane dialysis. Five batches of alfalfa samples were obtained from five farms (one composite sample per farm) and three replicates were conducted for each sample in determination. The results from ion chromatography (IC) analysis showed that the APS was composed of fucose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose, mannose, galactose, galacturonic acid (GalA), and glucuronic acid (GlcA) with a molar ratio of 2.6:8.0:4.7:21.3:3.2:1.0:74.2:14.9. The weight-average molecular weight (Mw), number-average molecular weight (Mn), and Z-average molecular weight (Mz) of APS were calculated to be 3.30 × 10⁶, 4.06 × 10⁵, and 1.43 × 10⁸ g/mol, respectively, according to the analysis by gel permeation chromatography-refractive index-multiangle laser light scattering (GPC-RI-MALS). The findings of electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS) suggest that APS consists of seven linkage residues, namely 1,5-Araf, galactose (T-D-Glc), glucose (T-D-Gal), 1,4-Gal-Ac, 1,4-Glc, 1,6-Gal, and 1,3,4-GalA, with molar proportions of 10.30%, 4.02%, 10.28%, 52.29%, 17.02%, 3.52%, and 2.57%, respectively. Additionally, APS markedly increased B-cell proliferation and IgM secretion in a dose- and time-dependent manner but not the proliferation and cytokine (IL-2, -4, and IFN-γ) expression of T cells. Taken together, the present results suggest that APS are macromolecular polymers with a molar mass (indicated by Mw) of 3.3 × 10⁶ g/mol and may be a potential candidate as an immunopotentiating pharmaceutical agent or functional food. Full article