Search Results (80)

The objective of this study was to develop meat analog burgers using green banana biomass (GBB) combined with teff and chickpea derivatives, as well as to evaluate their chemical and technological quality, in addition to comparing them with industrialized meat and plant-based burgers. Four formulations (F1: 100% GBB; F2: 75% GBB; F3: 60% GBB; and F4: 50% GBB, with 25% teff and 25% chickpeas) were developed and compared to the following industrialized burgers: F5 (meat-based) and F6 (plant-based). All the samples were subjected to physical (initial/final weight, diameter, height, color, and texture) and chemical (pH, proximate composition, fiber, and caloric value) analyses. Among the treatments, F4 showed the highest initial weight (223.00 g) and final weight (201.66 g), initial diameter (12.33 cm) and final diameter (11.96 cm), and a reduction in height from 2.04 cm to 1.57 cm. In terms of firmness, F4 was significantly higher than that of the other treatments (p ≤ 0.05). Regarding its chemical composition, F4 presented a high protein content (10.25%) and energy value (285.30 kcal). The total fiber content for F1 to F4 was 3.62%, 3.74%, 3.97%, and 4.15%, respectively, while F6 (plant-based) reached 5.69%. These findings indicate that the combination of GBB with teff and chickpeas, especially in F4, was favorable for producing meat analog burgers with promising technological and nutritional properties. Full article

Interseeding pastures with annual warm-season grasses may increase forage accumulation and nutritive value. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of seeding rates of crabgrass [Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Schreb. Ex Muhl], sorghum–sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × S. bicolor var. sudanense), and teff [Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter] on the forage accumulation and nutritive value of pastures of smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), an introduced perennial cool-season grass cultivated for pasture and hay production in the U.S. Western Corn Belt. In spring, before interseeding, forage accumulation averaged 4.03 and 6.39 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In summer, after interseeding, forage accumulation averaged 3.52 Mg ha⁻¹ in 2020 but was not affected by treatment. In 2021, forage accumulation averaged 6.22 Mg ha⁻¹ in sorghum–sudangrass interseeded stands compared to 4.08 Mg ha⁻¹ in non-seeded smooth bromegrass. Interseeding crabgrass and teff had limited effects on forage accumulation and nutritive value. Increasing the seeding rate of sorghum–sudangrass linearly increased yield of crude protein, total digestible nutrients, and dry matter. In the next spring, forage accumulation averaged 8.01 Mg ha⁻¹, and the stands showed no residual effects of the one-time interseedings. Sorghum–sudangrass proved to be the optimum annual warm-season grass for interseeding. Full article

Eragrostis plana is an invasive plant in horticulture that is extremely difficult to control. The use of chemical herbicides causes weed resistance and contamination of crops. Therefore, leaf extracts obtained from E. camaldulensis, C. barbatus, and L. leucocephala were evaluated in the control of this weed. The extracts were obtained from leaves by infusion, pressurized liquid extraction, and ultrasound-assisted extraction using water or ethanol as solvents, which are green methods. The phytochemicals from E. camaldulensis and C. barbatus reduced the germination and growth of the weed, reaching up to 97% inhibition of germination, 52% reduction in shoot length, and 46% reduction in root length for the germinated seeds. Full article

This study aimed to identify the effects of different sowing times and harvesting stages on the dry matter yield, quality, and mineral content of teff (Eragrostis teff [Zucc.] Trotter). The study was conducted in 2021 and 2022 using a randomized block-split plot design with three replications. According to the two-year averages, plant height increased on the 1 June sowing time compared to 15 May, and there was more dry matter yield (4962.94 kg ha⁻¹) and crude protein yield (717.48 kg ha⁻¹) per unit area. Additionally, the crude protein content of the teff (156.30 g kg⁻¹) increased, whereas the NDF content (652.38 g kg⁻¹) decreased in the 1 June sowing time. Dry matter accumulation increased depending on the progress of the plant development periods, and, as a result, the late heading stage yielded the highest dry matter (5610.00 kg ha⁻¹) and crude protein (615.90 kg ha⁻¹). The crude protein content reached the highest level in the early heading stage, and the crude protein yield peaked at the highest level in the late heading stage since the yield per unit area was higher. While sowing times changed the Mg and Zn contents of teff, the extended harvesting stages resulted in significant variations in the P, K, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Na contents of teff grass. The highest identified P, K, Zn, Fe, and Na contents were in the booting stage, whereas the highest Cu content was in the early heading stage. The amount of various mineral compounds was higher in the early development periods; however, they were still sufficient to meet the needs of sheep and cattle throughout the early and late heading stages. Based on the study findings regarding high yield and quality, it is reasonable to recommend sowing teff grass in June and harvesting in the early heading stage under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Full article

Resurrection plants employ unique metabolic mechanisms to protect themselves against damage caused by desiccation. This study aimed to identify metabolites, using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, which were differentially abundant in Eragrostis nindensis at different stages of dehydration and rehydration in leaves which are destined to senesce on desiccation termed “senescent tissue” (ST) and those which remain desiccation-tolerant during water deficit and are termed “non-senescent tissue” (NST). Furthermore, the study compared the shoot and root systems during extreme water deficit and recovery therefrom to unravel similarities and differences at the whole plant level in overcoming desiccation. Shoot metabolomics data showed differentially abundant metabolites in NST, including raffinose, sucrose, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, alpha-ketoglutaric acid, and allantoin, which act as major drivers for plant desiccation tolerance and aid the plant post-rehydration. The metabolites which accumulated in the ST-indicated initiation of programmed cell death (PCD) leading to senescence. The roots accumulated fewer metabolites than the shoots, some exclusive to the root tissues with functions such as osmoprotection, reactive oxygen species quenching, and signaling, and thus proposed to minimize damage in leaf tissues during dehydration and desiccation. Collectively, this work gives further insight into the whole plant responses of E. nindensis to extreme dehydration conditions and could serve as a model for future improvements of drought sensitive crops. Full article

The threat to world food security posed by drought is ever increasing. Tef [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] is an allotetraploid cereal crop that is a staple food for a large population in the Horn of Africa. While the grain of tef provides quality food for humans, its straw is the most palatable and nutritious feed for livestock. In addition, the tef plant is resilient to several biotic and abiotic stresses, especially to drought, making it an ideal candidate to study the molecular mechanisms conferring these properties. The transcriptome expression of tef leaf collected from plants grown under drought conditions was profiled using RNA-Seq and key genes were verified using RT-qPCR. This study revealed that tef exhibits a complex molecular network involving membrane receptors and transcription factors that regulate drought responses. We identified target genes related to hormones like ABA, auxin, and brassinosteroids and genes involved in antioxidant activity. The findings were compared to physiological measurements such as changes in stomatal conductance and contents of proline, chlorophyll and carotenoid. The insights gained from this work could play vital role in enhancing drought tolerance in other economically important cereals such as maize and rice. Full article

Sustainable diets, as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, aim to be nutritionally adequate, safe, and healthy, while optimising natural and human resources. Teff (Eragrostis tef), a gluten-free grain primarily grown in Ethiopia, has emerged as a key contender in this context. Widely regarded as a “supergrain”, teff offers an outstanding nutrition profile, making it an excellent choice for people with gluten-related disorders. Rich with protein, essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fats, and fibre, and abundant in minerals like calcium and iron, teff rivals other popular grains like quinoa and durum wheat in promoting human health. Beyond its nutritional benefits, teff is a hardy crop that thrives in diverse climates, tolerating both drought and waterlogged conditions. Due to its resilience and rich nutrient content, teff holds the potential to address nine of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), and SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing), which are tied to improving food and nutrition security. However, teff production in Ethiopia faces significant issues. Traditional farming practices, insufficient storage infrastructure, and food safety challenges, including adulteration, hinder teff’s full potential. This review explores teff’s dual role as a nutritious, sustainable food source and outlines the key challenges in its production to conclude on what needs to be done for its adoption as a golden crop to address global food and nutrition security. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate soil properties and Eragrostis tef (teff) growth on Technosols produced from coarse and fine coal wastes from Moatize Mine, Mozambique. The experiment was performed in triplicate in 30 L containers filled with different substrate conditions, composed of fine coal waste, coarse coal waste, agricultural soil, and sewage sludge as an organic matter source. The soil analyses included bulk density, available water capacity, permeability, and fertility. Plant growth was monitored for biomass production and plant tissue composition. All the substrates presented a good available water capacity and a proper drainage condition. Regarding soil fertility, there were shortages of potassium and boron in the substrates composed exclusively of coal wastes, which was reflected in the composition of the plant tissue. Even so, plant growth was statistically equivalent to the control in all conditions, except for the substrate produced exclusively with fine coal waste and sewage sludge, which presented a better performance. Technosols are an alternative for reducing the final mine waste volume, and Eragrostis tef is used as a means for land use after the mining process, with social gains, and as a tool in an ecological process for restoring coal mining sites. Full article

In recent years, several studies have shown the antioxidant and antihypertensive potential of bioactive peptides. Thus, bioactive peptides are likely to be a valuable substance for the development of functional foods. There are a wide variety of sources of these peptides, including several cereals. Teff is an Ethiopian-rooted cereal with an interesting nutritional profile, mainly due to its high amount of protein. In this study, teff flour was subjected to a defatting process for optimizing the protein extraction. Such extraction was performed by precipitation from its isoelectric point, a crucial step that separates the protein from other components based on their charge. The protein obtained was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis by pepsin and Cynara cardunculus L. The antihypertensive (angiotensin-I-converting enzyme ―ACE-I― inhibitory activity) and antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl ―DPPH― radical scavenging activity) of the peptides were determined. According to the IC₅₀ values, the results obtained showed that the peptides from teff flour show promising bioactivity compared to other cereals. Furthermore, the peptides from teff flour obtained from C. cardunculus L. showed higher antioxidant activity (defatted teff flour ―DTF―: 0.59 ± 0.05; protein extract ―EP― : 1.04 ± 0.11) than those obtained with pepsin (DTF: 0.87 ± 0.09; EP: 1.73 ± 0.11). However, C. cardunculus L. hydrolyzate peptides showed lower inhibitory activity of ACE-I (DTF: 0.59 ± 0.07; EP: 0.61 ± 0.05) than the pepsin hydrolyzate (DTF: 0.15 ± 0.02; EP: 0.33 ± 0.05). Full article

Coal mining is known to have negative impacts on the environment, necessitating land rehabilitation after mining activities. Amongst the problems associated with coal mining is the accumulation of acid mine drainage characterized by large amounts of heavy metals and high acidity. The impact of these environmental problems on the ecosystem around mining areas underscores a need to devise strategies that will ensure sustainable restoration of the ecosystem integrity to ensure environmental protection. Of these, treatment of acid mine drainage using calcium sulfate dihydrate, which is subsequently used for irrigation during phytoremediation, holds great promise for restoration of open-cast mines. However, although grasses are used for rehabilitation of coal mined areas, the impacts of treated mine water on the germination, seedling emergence, and plant growth of grasses are not well known. The aim of the study was to evaluate the germination and early seedling growth responses of different forage grasses to treated mine water. Seven forage grass species were selected, with four species represented by two varieties while others were represented by one variety, totaling 11 forage grasses. For each plant entry, 100 seeds were placed in J.R. Petri’s dishes lined with Whatman No. 2 filter paper and watered with distilled and mine water to assess germination. For the seedling establishment experiment, only five species were studied, in which twenty seeds per species were sown in pots containing mine soil and irrigated using distilled and treated mine water. The final germination percentage (FGP), germination rate index (GRI), corrected germination rate index (CGRI), and T₅₀ were determined for the germination trail and total biomass was assessed for the seedling growth trail. The highest FGP for all grasses was attained under controlled conditions, using distilled water, ranging from 38–94%. All grasses germinated when watered using treated mine water and had a FGP ranging from 20–91%. Relative to distilled water, GRI and CGRI were highest only for L. multiflorum cv AgriBoost when seeds were watered using the treated mine water. All grasses watered with treated mine water produced high biomass for the first two weeks, after which biomass production started to decline. Two grasses, Eragrostis curvula cv Ermelo and Lolium multiflorum cv Archie, showed tolerance to treated mine water irrespective of its high electrical conductivity (557 mS∙m⁻¹). Therefore, these grasses could be used in the rehabilitation of coal-mined areas irrigated with treated mine water. Full article

Teff (Eragrostis tef), a gluten-free cereal crop cultivated originally in Northeast Africa, is increasingly utilized due to its nutritional and health benefits. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of ethanol extract obtained from raw and thermally treated teff, referred to as RTE and TTE, respectively, on uncontrolled growth and activated metastasis using human cancer cell lines. Both RTE and TTE contained flavones, such as orientin (luteolin 8-C-glucoside) and vitexin (apigenin 8-C-glucoside), and phenolic acids, such as protocatechuic acid and p-coumaric acid. TTE showed higher total phenol, protocatechuic acid, and p-coumaric acid contents, but lower orientin content compared to RTE. RTE and TTE significantly suppressed cell growth of H1299 human lung cancer cells, with TTE exhibiting more pronounced effects than RTE, while both extracts had only minimal effects on the growth of non-malignant human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The growth-inhibitory activities of RTE and TTE in H1299 cells were associated with apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. TTE produced an additional effect on inducing cell cycle arrest at the S phase in H1299 cells, potentially contributing to its stronger growth-inhibitory effects. Moreover, both RTE and TTE effectively inhibited key events in metastasis, such as invasion, migration, and adhesion, in H1299 cells under non-cytotoxic conditions, with TTE showing stronger effects. In HCT116 human colon cancer cells, a similar pattern of inhibition was demonstrated against the metastatic events, accompanied by reduced levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9. Our results indicate that teff extracts exhibit in vitro anti-growth and anti-metastatic activities, which are enhanced by thermal treatment of teff. Full article

The prevalence of the invasive species African Lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula, ALG thereafter) in Australian landscapes presents significant challenges for land managers, including agricultural losses, reduced native species diversity, and heightened bushfire risks. Uncrewed aerial system (UAS) remote sensing combined with AI algorithms offer a powerful tool for accurately mapping the spatial distribution of invasive species and facilitating effective management strategies. However, segmentation of vegetations within mixed grassland ecosystems presents challenges due to spatial heterogeneity, spectral similarity, and seasonal variability. The performance of state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms in detecting ALG in the Australian landscape remains unknown. This study compared the performance of four supervised AI models for segmenting ALG using multispectral (MS) imagery at four sites and developed segmentation models for two different seasonal conditions. UAS surveys were conducted at four sites in New South Wales, Australia. Two of the four sites were surveyed in two distinct seasons (flowering and vegetative), each comprised of different data collection settings. A comparative analysis was also conducted between hyperspectral (HS) and MS imagery at a single site within the flowering season. Of the five AI models developed (XGBoost, RF, SVM, CNN, and U-Net), XGBoost and the customized CNN model achieved the highest validation accuracy at 99%. The AI model testing used two approaches: quadrat-based ALG proportion prediction for mixed environments and pixel-wise classification in masked regions where ALG and other classes could be confidently differentiated. Quadrat-based ALG proportion ground truth values were compared against the prediction for the custom CNN model, resulting in 5.77% and 12.9% RMSE for the seasons, respectively, emphasizing the superiority of the custom CNN model over other AI algorithms. The comparison of the U-Net demonstrated that the developed CNN effectively captures ALG without requiring the more intricate architecture of U-Net. Masked-based testing results also showed higher F1 scores, with 91.68% for the flowering season and 90.61% for the vegetative season. Models trained on single-season data exhibited decreased performance when evaluated on data from a different season with varying collection settings. Integrating data from both seasons during training resulted in a reduction in error for out-of-season predictions, suggesting improved generalizability through multi-season data integration. Moreover, HS and MS predictions using the custom CNN model achieved similar test results with around 20% RMSE compared to the ground truth proportion, highlighting the practicality of MS imagery over HS due to operational limitations. Integrating AI with UAS for ALG segmentation shows great promise for biodiversity conservation in Australian landscapes by facilitating more effective and sustainable management strategies for controlling ALG spread. Full article

Climate change has massive global impacts and affects a wide range of species. Threatened species such as the roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) are particularly vulnerable to these changes because of their ecological requirements. Attempts to address concerns about the roan’s vulnerability have not been well documented in South African protected areas. This study identifies the landscape use and distribution of the roan as well as habitat and forage suitability changes to help inform management decisions for the conservation of roan. We used fine- and broad-scale data from Mokala National Park, South Africa that includes roan occurrence data, vegetation condition indices, vegetation (structure and plant species composition), elevation and temperature differences, and precipitation strata to construct a suitability framework using the Maximum Entropy (Maxent) and Random Forest statistical package. In Mokala National Park, roan occurred in the Schmidtia pappophoroides–Vachellia erioloba sparse woodland, Senegalia mellifera–Vachellia erioloba closed woodland, Senegalia mellifera–Vachellia tortilis open shrubland, Vachellia erioloba–V. tortilis closed woodland and Rhigozum obovatum–Senegalia mellifera open shrubland. The veld (vegetation) condition index (VCI) improved from 2019 (VCI < 50%) to 2021 (VCI > 60%), with the proportion of palatable grass species (Schmidtia pappophoroides and Eragrostis lehmanniana) also increasing. This study identified four key climatic conditions affecting roan distribution, namely annual mean daily temperature range, temperature seasonality, minimum temperatures of the coldest month, and precipitation of the wettest month. These results suggest that the conservation of roan antelope should consider these key variables that affect their survival in preferred habitats and foraging areas in anticipation of changing ecological conditions. Full article

Bacterial endophytes (120) were isolated from six halophytes (Distichlis spicata, Cynodon dactylon, Eragrostis obtusiflora, Suaeda torreyana, Kochia scoparia, and Baccharis salicifolia). These halophiles were molecularly identified and characterized with or without NaCl conditions. Characterization was based on tests such as indole acetic acid (IAA), exopolysaccharides (EPS), and siderophores (SID) production; solubilization of phosphate (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn); mineralization of phytate; enzymatic activity (acid and alkaline phosphatase, phytases, xylanases, and chitinases) and the mineralization/solubilization mechanisms involved (organic acids and sugars). Moreover, compatibility among bacteria was assessed. Eleven halophiles were characterized as highly tolerant to NaCl (2.5 M). The bacteria isolated were all different from each other. Two belonged to Bacillus velezensis and one to B. pumilus while the rest of bacteria were identified up to the genus level as belonging to Bacillus, Halobacillus, Halomonas, Pseudomonas, Nesterenkonia, and three strains of Oceanobacillus. The biochemical responses of nutrient solubilization and enzymatic activity were different between bacteria and were influenced by the presence of NaCl. Organic acids were involved in P mineralization and nutrient solubilization. Tartaric acid was common in the solubilization of P, Zn, and K. Maleic and vanillic acid were only detected in Zn and K solubilization, respectively. Furthermore, sugars appeared to be involved in the solubilization of nutrients; fructose was detected in the solubilization tests. Therefore, these biochemical bacterial characteristics should be corroborated in vivo and tested as a consortium to mitigate saline stress in glycophytes under a global climate change scheme that threatens to exacerbate soil salinity. Full article

Germination traits are components of invasion potential, and comparing seed traits in sympatric native and invasive species can offer insights into the invasion process. We characterized seed germination traits and how they influenced the success of Eragrostis mexicana, a native species, and Eragrostis tenuifolia, an exotic species (Poaceae) in Mexico, in the context of their potential for biological invasion. Seeds from both species were collected from four sites in a natural protected area in Mexico City, and the germination of seeds of different ages was conducted in experiments at different temperatures. E. tenuifolia exhibited higher germination percentages than the native E. mexicana across all treatments. Seed age had differential effects, with older seeds of the native E. mexicana germinating better, while E. tenuifolia performed better with younger seeds. Temperature positively impacted germination for both species, although E. mexicana was limited at lower temperatures. Exotic E. tenuifolia can germinate over a wider temperature range with earlier germination rates, and generate a seed bank lasting several years, which may contribute to naturalization. The importance of germination traits in the context of invasive species establishment underscores the potential role of seed banks in facilitating biological invasions. Full article