Novel food and non-food uses for sorghum and millets.

A review on the pretreatment of lignocellulose for high-value chemicals

In mammals, cadmium is widely considered as a non-genotoxic carcinogen acting through a methylation-dependent epigenetic mechanism. Here, the effects of Cd treatment on the DNA methylation patten are examined together with its effect on chromatin reconfiguration in Posidonia oceanica. DNA methylation level and pattern were analysed in actively growing organs, under short- (6 h) and long- (2 d or 4 d) term and low (10 mM) and high (50 mM) doses of Cd, through a Methylation-Sensitive Amplification Polymorphism technique and an immunocytological approach, respectively. The expression of one member of the CHROMOMETHYLASE (CMT) family, a DNA methyltransferase, was also assessed by qRT-PCR. Nuclear chromatin ultrastructure was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Cd treatment induced a DNA hypermethylation, as well as an up-regulation of CMT, indicating that de novo methylation did indeed occur. Moreover, a high dose of Cd led to a progressive heterochromatinization of interphase nuclei and apoptotic figures were also observed after long-term treatment. The data demonstrate that Cd perturbs the DNA methylation status through the involvement of a specific methyltransferase. Such changes are linked to nuclear chromatin reconfiguration likely to establish a new balance of expressed/repressed chromatin. Overall, the data show an epigenetic basis to the mechanism underlying Cd toxicity in plants.

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In Posidonia oceanica cadmium induces changes in DNA methylation and chromatin patterning

Identifying traits to improve the nitrogen economy of wheat: Recent advances and future prospects

Abstract Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) and metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) are used in numerous fields. The new nano-based entities are being strongly generated and incorporated into everyday personal care products, cosmetics, medicines, drug delivery, and clothing to impact industrial and manufacturing sectors, which means that nanomaterials commercialization and nano-assisted device will continuously grow. They can be prepared by many methods such as green synthesis and the conventional chemical synthesis methods. Green synthesis includes infinite accession to produce MNPs and MONPs with demanding properties. The structure–function relationships between nanomaterials and key information for life cycle evaluation lead to the production of high execution nanoscale materials that are gentle and environmentally friendly. Majority of plants have features as sustainable and renewable suppliers compared with microbes and enzymes, as they have the ability to pick up almost 75% of the light energy and transform it into chemical energy, contain chemicals like antioxidants and sugars, and play fundamental roles in the manufacture of nanoparticles. Plants considered the main factory for the green synthesis of MNPs and MONPs, and until now, different plant species have been used to study this, but the determined conditions should be taken into consideration to execute this preparation. In this study, we focus on the biosynthesis procedures to synthesize MNPs and MONPs, including comparison between green synthesis and the classical chemistry methods as well as the several new orientation of green synthesis of nanoparticles from different plant parts, especially plant leaf extracts. Plants with reducing compounds is the preferred choice for the synthesis of noble metals – metal ions can be reduced to the corresponding metals in the absence of any other chemicals under microwave irradiation conditions using benign solvent, water. Noble metals such as gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt), and palladium (Pd) and other metals such as copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), which are characterized by their optical, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, and chemical properties, leading to different technological applications. Plants with numerous reducing agents are suitable candidates for the manufacture of noble MNPs. The main purpose of this research is to give a background on green nanotechnology prospective evolution, pertinent concerns appeared related to the green synthesis of metal and metal oxide from plant extracts, nanoparticle formation mechanism, and the importance of flavonoids, vitamin B2, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and phenolic compounds in the MNP and MONP production. The traditional sorghum beers are produced in many countries in Africa, but diversity in the production process may depend on the geographic localization. These beers are very rich in calories; B-group vitamins including thiamine, folic acid, riboflavin, and nicotinic acid; and essential amino acids such as lysine. However, the Western beers are more attractive than the traditional sorghum beers. The traditional sorghum beers have poor hygienic quality, organoleptic variations, and shorter shelf life compared with the Western beers. Many research studies on traditional sorghum beers have been carried out and documented in several African countries, especially the microbiological and biochemical properties, the technologies used in the manufacture processes, and synthetic characteristics of African traditional sorghum beers (ikigage, merissa, doro, dolo, pito, amgba, and tchoukoutou). The excellent resources for the production of greener biomaterials are plants and considerable advances have been achieved in many fields such as biotechnology and gene transfer. The manufactured biological nanomaterials have a great application in the pharmaceutical industry such as novel pharmaceuticals preparation, drug delivery personification procedures, and production of functional nanodevices.

/pdf/green-synthesis-of-metal-and-metal-oxide-nanoparticles-from-4pjorlcpdn.pdf

Green synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles from plant leaf extracts and their applications: A review

Effects of variety and fertiliser nitrogen on alcohol yield, grain yield, starch and protein content, and protein composition of winter wheat

A reassessment of sorghum for lager-beer brewing

Wheat replaced maize as the main cereal raw material for Scotch grain whisky production 20 years ago. However, other cereals might also have potential for use in grain distilleries and ethanol production. Studies of the properties of wheat, maize, sorghum and millet, showed that they had good potential for grain distilling and ethanol production at comparable nitrogen levels, and had physiological processing characteristics within the range accepted for wheat or maize. Rapid-Visco Analysis (RVA) studies of low and high nitrogen wheat confirmed that, as well as influencing the amount of alcohol produced, the total nitrogen content of the grain had a strong influence on its processing characteristics. In contrast, the alcohol yield potential of maize, sorghum and millet appeared to be largely unaffected by the grain nitrogen levels. The study shows that, while it is possible for wheat to produce similar alcohol levels to those previously associated with maize, cereals other than wheat can potentially be used without detriment to alcohol yield or processing performance. These could be possible long term alternatives, if the economic viability of wheat was to change. The extracted cereal starches also showed significant differences from the original cereals, which had important implications for successful processing, both in terms of cereal selection as well as cooking and fermentation performance.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.2050-0416.2006.tb00737.x

Production of Grain Whisky and Ethanol from Wheat, Maize and Other Cereals

Enzymic breakdown of endosperm proteins of sorghum was more effective at 20°C than at 25°C and 30°C, as regards total protein solubilization, α-amino nitrogen and peptide production. Although the embryos (axes and scutella), of the three temperature treatments contained similar quantities of protein, it appeared that less proteins, in terms of amino acids and peptides, were transferred to the roots during malting at 30°C than at 25°C and 20°C. During mashing, higher levels of peptides but lower levels of α-amino nitrogen and total soluble nitrogen were released in an infusion mash at 65°C than in a decantation mash where enzymically active wort was decanted and used to mash gelatinized sorghum starch at 65°C. Although more of the maltose-producing enzyme—β—amylase was found in sorghum malts made at 25°C and 30°C than at 20°C, it would seem that, for sorghum, malting temperature of 20°C to 25°C were optimal as regards protein breakdown during malting. The protein breakdown produced when sorghum is malted at 20°C is comparable to that found in barley malt and should support similar levels of adjuncts and yeast growth during brewing.

R.C. Agu

Papers

Effects of variety and fertiliser nitrogen on alcohol yield, grain yield, starch and protein content, and protein composition of winter wheat

A reassessment of sorghum for lager-beer brewing

Production of Grain Whisky and Ethanol from Wheat, Maize and Other Cereals

Enzymic breakdown of endosperm proteins of sorghum at different malting temperatures

The effect of temperature on the modification of sorghum and barley during malting