Nicotiana rustica L. (NRL) is a type of tobacco plant, and its stalk waste is a potential lignocellulosic source for obtaining cellulose fibers freely available in nature. However, they are left in ...fields after harvesting, and this study provides a green and sustainable method to reuse tobacco waste. Fiber was obtained by retting the plant stalks in water and decomposing them naturally in three weeks. NRL fiber was characterized by comparing it with known bast fibers, and tests were applied to examine its physical, chemical, mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties. With its high cellulose content (56.6 wt%), NRL fiber had a high tensile strength (113.4 MPa) and a good crystallinity index (70%) that helped it to bond with other fibers in the composite matrix. Furthermore, the fiber is an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic fibers with a diameter of 36.88 μm and low density (1.5 g/cmsup.3). The NRL fiber was found to have a semi-crystalline structure and large crystalline size, which makes it hydrophobic. The thermal gravimetric analysis showed that it can be durable (353.9 °C) in higher temperatures than the polymerization temperature. As a result, it can be concluded that NRL fiber has the potential to be used as a reinforcement in polymer composites, technical textiles, and agricultural applications.
This volume offers a history of the negotiations for a new Agreement on Agriculture up to the end of 2010, from the mandated negotiations under Article 20 of that Agreement to the negotiations ...launched by the 2001 Doha Declaration.
Deoxynivalenol (DON), primarily generated by Fusarium species, often exists in agricultural products. It can be transformed to 3-epi-deoxynivalenol (3-epi-DON), with a relatively low toxicity, via ...two steps. DDH in Pelagibacterium halotolerans ANSP101 was proved to convert DON to 3-keto-deoxynivalenol (3-keto-DON). In the present research, AKR4, a NADPH-dependent aldo/keto reductase from P. halotolerans ANSP101, was identified to be capable of converting 3-keto-DON into 3-epi-DON. Our results demonstrated that AKR4 is clearly a NADPH-dependent enzyme, for its utilization of NADPH is higher than that of NADH. AKR4 functions at a range of pH 5–10 and temperatures of 20–60 °C. AKR4 is able to degrade 89% of 3-keto-DON in 90 min at pH 7 and 50 °C with NADPH as the cofactor. The discovery of AKR4, serving as an enzyme involved in the final step in DON degradation, might provide an option for the final detoxification of DON in food and feed.
Experts examine the ways transnational corporations exercise power over governance of the global food system and the implications this has for sustainability
In today's globally integrated food ...system, events in one part of the world can have multiple and wide-ranging effects, as has been shown by the recent and rapid global rise in food prices. Transnational corporations (TNCs) have been central to the development of this global food system, dominating production, international trade, processing, distribution, and retail sectors. Moreover, these global corporations play a key role in the establishment of rules and regulations by which they themselves are governed. This book examines how TNCs exercise power over global food and agriculture governance and what the consequences are for the sustainability of the global food system. The book defines three aspects of this corporate power: instrumental power, or direct influence; structural power, or the broader influence corporations have over setting agendas and rules; and discursive, or communicative and persuasive, power. The book begins by examining the nature of corporate power in cases ranging from “green” food certification in Southeast Asia and corporate influence on U.S. food aid policy to governance in the seed industry and international food safety standards. Chapters examine such issues as promotion of corporate-defined “environmental sustainability” and “food security,” biotechnology firms and intellectual property rights, and consumer resistance to GMOs and other cases of contestation in agrobiology. In a final chapter, the editors raise the crucial question of how to achieve participation, transparency, and accountability in food governance.
Contributors
Maarten Arentsen, Jennifer Clapp, Robert Falkner, Doris Fuchs, Agni Kalfagianni, Peter Newell, Steffanie Scott, Susan Sell, Elizabeth Smythe, Peter Vandergeest, Marc Williams, Mary Young
Aflatioxin Bsub.1 (AFBsub.1) has been recognized by the International Agency of Research on Cancer as a group 1 carcinogen in animals and humans. A fast, batch, and real-time control and no chemical ...pollution method was developed for the discrimination and quantification prediction of AFBsub.1-infected peanuts by applying Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) coupled with chemometrics. Initially, the near-infrared transmission (NIRT) and diffuse reflection (NIRR) modules were applied to collect spectra of the samples. The principal component analysis (PCA) method was employed to extract the characteristic wavelength, followed by different preprocessing methods (seven methods) to build an effective linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classification and partial least squares (PLS) quantification models. The results showed that, for both the NIRT or NIRR modules, the LDA classification models satisfactorily distinguished peanuts infected with AFBsub.1 or from those not infected, with external validation showing a 100% correct identification rate and a 0% misjudgment rate. In addition, combined with the concentration of AFBsub.1 in peanuts determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay assay, the best partial least squares (PLS) models were established, with a combination of the first derivative and the Norris derivative filter smoothing pretreatment (Rsub.c sup.2 = 0.937 and 0.984, RMSECV = 3.92% and 2.22%, RPD = 3.98 and 7.91 for NIRR and NIRT, respectively). The correlation coefficient between the predicted value and the reference value in the external verification was 0.998 and 0.917, respectively. This study highlights that both spectral acquisition modules meet the requirements of online, rapid, and accurate identification of peanut AFBsub.1 infection in the early stages.
To elucidate ths chemical composition of Lilium brownii var. Viridulum Baker and the impact of primary processing on its quality, a comparison was made on the polysaccharide and extract contents of ...ten batches of Lilium from different regions, including Lilium lancifolium Thunb., Lilium brownii var. Viridulum Baker, and Lilium davidi var. unicdor cotton. The chemical composition differences of the three Lilium species mentioned above were compared using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting. The chemical components of Lilium brownii var. Viridulum Baker were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MSsup.E). The boiling time and drying temperature of fresh Lilium brownii var. Viridulum Baker were investigated using the comprehensive scoring method based on the polysaccharide and extract contents. The results showed that the polysaccharide content of ten batches of Lilium from different origins ranged from 13.34% to 34.00%, and the extract content ranged from 27.10% to 47.10%. The HPLC fingerprinting results showed that the similarity of the three Lilium species ranged from 0.796 to 0.999, and the chemical components of Lilium davidi var. unicdor cotton differed significantly from those of Lilium lancifolium Thunb. and Lilium brownii var. Viridulum Baker. UPLC-Q-TOF-MSsup.E identified 22 phenolic compounds, 35 steroidal saponins, and 6 alkaloids in Lilium brownii var. Viridulum Baker. Boiling for 5 min and drying at 85 °C has the least effect on the quality of fresh Lilium.
It's been nearly 40 years since the last book on infrared heating for food processing was published, and in the meantime, the field has seen significant progress in understanding the mechanism of the ...infrared (IR) heating of food products and interactions between IR radiation and food components. Infrared Heating for Food and Agricultural Processin
In South Asian countries, the lucrative production of peaches has been seriously threatened by an assortment of biotic stresses especially nematodes. This situation compromises the achievement of ...sustainable development goals (SDGs) related to food security and zero hunger. Recently under changing climate, root-knot nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne have emerged as the most damaging phytopathogenic nematodes, while the efficacy of chemical control has remained limited. Therefore, a study was executed to assess the efficacy of four biocontrol agents including Pochonia chlamydosporia, Purpureocillum lilacinum, Trichoderma harzianum, and T. viride (at concentrations of 2.5 × 10sup.3, 5 × 10sup.3, 7.5 × 10sup.3, and 1 × 10sup.4) along with nematicide Rugby and a control treatment against Meloidogyne javanica on peach. The response variables included nematode infestations in terms of number of galls, egg masses, and reproductive factors. P. lilacinus and T. harzianum (1 × 10sup.4 concentration) reduced the number of galls by 18% and 16%, respectively, than the control. All biocontrol agents exhibited their effectiveness by significantly reducing number of egg masses, eggs per egg mass, and reproductive factors, while these remained statistically at par to each other. The study proved that application of these biocontrol agents holds potential for controlling root-knot nematodes and might be developed as a potent strategy to replace or at least reduce the use of traditional chemicals for avoiding environmental pollution and contamination.
Assembling Export Markets explores the new ‘frontier regions’ of the global fresh produce market that has emerged in Ghana over the past decade. -Represents a major and empirically rich contribution ...to the emerging field of the social studies of economization and marketization -Offers one of the first ethnographic accounts on the making of global commodity chains ‘from below’ -Denaturalizes global markets by unpacking their local engagement, materially entangled construction, need for maintenance, and fragile character -Offers a trans-disciplinary engagement with the construction and extension of market relations in two frontier regions of global capitalism -Critically examines the opportunities and risks for firms and farms in Ghana entering global fresh produce markets
