Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

About: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is a facility organization based out in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Soil water. The organization has 10921 authors who have published 21332 publications receiving 748193 citations. The organization is also known as: Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

An updated review of dietary isoflavones: Nutrition, processing, bioavailability and impacts on human health

Abstract: Isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) are bioactive compounds with mildly estrogenic properties and often referred to as phytoestrogen. These are present in significant quantities (up to 4–5 mg·g−1 on dry basis) in legumes mainly soybeans, green beans, mung beans. In grains (raw materials) they are present mostly as glycosides, which are poorly absorbed on consumption. Thus, soybeans are processed into various food products for digestibility, taste and bioavailability of nutrients and bioactives. Main processing steps include steaming, cooking, roasting, microbial fermentation that destroy protease inhibitors and also cleaves the glycoside bond to yield absorbable aglycone in the processed soy products, such as miso, natto, soy milk, tofu; and increase shelf lives. Processed soy food products have been an integral part of regular diets in many Asia–Pacific countries for centuries, e.g. China, Japan and Korea. However, in the last two decades, there have been concerted efforts to introdu...

Macroaggregate Characteristics in Cultivated Soils after 25 Annual Manure Applications

Abstract: Agricultural management practices that alter the soil organic matter (SOM) content are expected to cause changes in soil stability and aggregation. Animal manure is a source of organic matter (OM) that has been demonstrated to increase macroaggregate formation and stability. The objectives of this study were to determine how long term cattle manure applications to a calcareous Haploboroll clay loam (Lethbridge, AB, Canada) affected aggregate size distribution, the total C, N, and P content of aggregate size fractions, and water-stable aggregates. Beef cattle manure applied at rates >30 Mg ha -1 yr -1 under dryland production and >60 Mg ha -1 yr -1 to soils under irrigation resulted in fewer dry-sieved aggregates >7.1 mm and more dry-sieved aggregates between 0.47 and 1.2 mm in the 0- to 5-cm depth, compared with unamended soils. The dry-sieved aggregate fractions between 0.47 and 1.2 mm include the 30 Mg manure ha -1 yr -1 than unamended soils, and dry-sieved aggregates between 0.47 and 2.0 mm tended to have the highest C, N, and P contents. Water aggregate stability was higher in irrigated than dryland soils, but did not improve with increasing manure application rates. Dispersing agents in the cattle manure appear to have destabilized the larger soil macroaggregates.

Extraction of Polyphenolics from Plant Material for Functional Foods—Engineering and Technology

Abstract: Polyphenolic substances or polyphenols include many classes of compounds ranging from phenolic acids, colored anthocyanins, simple flavonoids, and complex flavonoids. Polyphenolics contribute to the bitterness and astringency of fruits and fruit juices due to the interaction between polyphenolics, mainly procyanidins, and the glycoproteins in saliva. Polyphenols contribute largely to cellular processes within the body. In terms of pharmacological activity, they act against the oxidation of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Hence, they help the body retain important HDL while helping it get rid of problematic low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). In addition, polyphenols have also been found to have antiulcer, anticarcinogenic, and antimutagenic activities. The reason behind these activities is polyphenol's strong antioxidant power because they are able to quench free radicals. Green tea and grape seed extracts provide a superior source of monomers that are relatively inexpensive to extract. Comparatively, pine...