Agricultural Technology Research Institute

Nowadays, the worldwide market includes a wide variety of sweets with processed sugar. The food industry has been developing alternatives based on health products. This study aimed to formulate alternative, highly-nutritional date-based sweets filled with cooked pulses and sweetened with date products without using processed sugar. Different cooked pulses (red cowpea, soybean, and chickpea seeds) sweetened with date powder or date syrup (dips) were used to prepare alternative date sweets. They were exposed to physicochemical and microbiological analyses and sensory evaluation. Adding pulses to the pulse-date sweet samples significantly raised their contents of protein, fats, crude fibers, total sugars, calcium, iron, and zinc, as well as caloric values, lightness, and water activity. Compared to the control (date paste mixed with dark chocolate), the sweets with cooked pulses had lower contents of ash, carbohydrates, phenolics, and caffeine, as well as lower antioxidant activity and hardness values. Following storage for three months, the water activity and microbiological counts slightly declined. The date sweets filled with cooked pulses had high sensory acceptability. The samples containing cooked red cowpeas and chickpeas were the most acceptable, while those sweetened with date powder had maximum antioxidant activity. Our study revealed that enriching date sweets with cooked pulses increases their nutritional value without involving processed sugar in the final product.

The medicinal plant Centella asiatica L. (gotu kola) is widely known for its benefits and high economic potential with demand for simplicia reaching 126 tons/year, so efficient and environmentally friendly cultivation innovations are needed. Optimal production of this plant requires the availability of balanced nutrients and a growing medium that supports growth. This study aims to analyze the effect of the frequency of application of liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) of goat urine along with a combination of growing media on the growth and productivity of gotu kola. The study was conducted at the Green House of the Plant Laboratory of Jember State Polytechnic. The design used was a two-factor factorial RAL, namely (1) a combination of growing media (soil: rice husk charcoal: cow manure) with a ratio of 1:1:1, 1:2:1, and 1:1:2, and (2) the interval of goat urine LOF application with treatments every 4, 7, and 14 days. Each treatment was repeated three times. Based on the analysis of variance, the two treatment factors separately did not show a significant effect on all growth parameters or yield of pegagan plants, but the interaction of the two significantly affected the number of leaves in the 8th week with the best treatment P0I1 (1:1:1, interval of 4 days) producing an average of 6.92 leaves. The conclusion of this study is that the use of a combination of 1:1:1 media with a LOF interval of 4 days can increase leaf growth, although in general there is no significant difference in other parameters. The implications of this study indicate the need for an assessment of the appropriate LOF concentration to maximize the growth and production of sustainable pegagan.

Effluent discharges from domestic and industrial sources have significantly deteriorated the water quality of the Cileungsi River. This study aims to calculate the allocation of water pollution load based on the capacity of water pollution load using a water quality model approach with the Qual2Kw software. The QUAL2K model was used to simulate the impact of pollutant loads on key water quality parameters, including biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total suspended solids (TSS). Simulation results revealed that the existing BOD load was 4.480,37 kg/day, exceeding the allowable limit of 1,012.43 kg/day, based on Class II water quality standards. For COD, the current load was 28,196.76 kg/day, surpassing the acceptable load of 9,169.16 kg/day. In contrast, the TSS load was 3,765.38 kg/day, which remains below the maximum threshold of 5,245.69 kg/day. The model was calibrated and validated using field data collected from selected segments of the river. Validation results indicate that the model reliably predicts BOD and COD concentrations but shows limited accuracy for TSS estimation. Despite this limitation, the model effectively demonstrates the river’s pollutant carrying capacity under different discharge scenarios and helps identify acceptable effluent limits in compliance with national water quality regulations. This study underscores the critical role of integrating scientific modelling into environmental policymaking. It enables more precise, adaptive, and environmentally sound effluent management decisions. These findings serve as a valuable reference for the local government and environmental institutions in their efforts to improve river water quality through an evidence-based approach.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, produces various virulence factors, including the exotoxin ApxI, which contributes to disease pathogenesis. ApxI induces cytotoxicity through porcine lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1; CD11a/CD18) while concurrently attenuating Akt activity. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of porcine CD18, focusing on the tyrosine 735 residue in its cytoplasmic tail, and to examine the involvement of Akt in ApxI-induced cytotoxicity. Through transfection experiments, we demonstrated that the expression of porcine CD18 alone in ApxI-insensitive human embryonic kidney 293 cells conferred susceptibility to ApxI, while cotransfection of porcine CD11a with porcine CD18 resulted in the highest ApxI sensitivity, accompanied by reduced Akt activity. Substituting the wild-type CD18 with a CD18 harboring a tyrosine 735-to-proline (CD18Y735P) mutation that mimics a nonphosphomimetic state led to increased Akt activity and reduced cytotoxicity in response to ApxI. Furthermore, ApxI-induced cytotoxicity was examined in cells cotransfected with porcine CD18/CD11a together with either p110* or ectopic Akt. The expression of either p110* or ectopic Akt significantly reduced ApxI-induced cytotoxicity. This study is the first to demonstrate that the phosphorylation of CD18Y735 underlies ApxI-induced cytotoxicity through the downregulation of Akt activity.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-30433-3.

Relying on a single biomarker in biomedical analysis is often insufficient for accurate disease or pathogen determination. A recent trend is using simultaneous multiplex detection of multiple biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy and throughput. To enable multiplex detection, we developed a series of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoprobes, referred to as nanoaggregate-embedded beads (NAEBs). These NAEBs were synthesized using three distinct Raman reporter molecules: Safranin O, ethyl violet, and cresyl violet acetate. By integrating the NAEBs with magnetic nanoparticles and a simple capillary magnetofluidic device, we developed a rapid and simultaneous multiplex detection platform for genetic analysis of an aquacultural pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) for pirA, pirB, and ompA and genotyping of Alzheimer's disease's risk factor biomarker Apoliproprotein E (ApoE). For VP detection, a limit of detection (LOD) as low as ~ 10-16 M and a broad dynamic range of six orders were found. For ApoE genotyping, the platform was capable of detecting single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of rs429358 and rs7412 in the ApoE gene with a LOD of approximately 10-13 M. These results highlight the potential of this SERS-based simultaneous multiplex detection platform for sensitive and quantitative determination of multiple DNA biomarkers as well as SNPs in complex biological matrices.

This study investigated the effects of using defatted corn germ flour (DCGF) in preparing tortilla chips on the physicochemical, texture, microstructure, antioxidant, and sensory properties of the final product. Defatted corn germ flour was added to tortilla chip formulations at 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%. The results showed that fortification with DCGF increased the protein and ash contents and decreased the carbohydrate content of tortilla chips compared to the control samples (100% corn flour), while the fat content was not significantly affected even with the addition of 10% DCGF. Additionally, fortification with DCGF increased tortilla chips' essential amino acid content, total phenolic, total flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. Fortification at 5% and 10% DCGF reduced the water-holding capacity of tortilla chips compared to the control sample, while their oil-holding capacity was not significantly affected. The hardness of tortilla chips decreased after fortification with 5% and 10% DCGF and increased with 15% DCGF. Higher cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness, and fracturability values were observed in the 15% DCGF samples. According to the sensory evaluation of tortilla chips, fortification with 15% DCGF was found to be acceptable by participants, but the highest sensory acceptance rates were observed in the 5% and 10% DCGF samples. Therefore, this study recommends the use of DCGF as a nutritional and functional ingredient at 5% and 10% in the preparation of tortilla chips.

Dicer, a cytoplasmic type III RNase, is essential for the maturation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and is implicated in cancer progression and chemoresistance. Our previous research demonstrated that phosphorylation of Dicer at S1016 alters miRNA maturation and glutamine metabolism, contributing to gemcitabine (GEM) resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In this study, we focused on the role of Dicer phosphorylation at S1728/S1852 in GEM-resistant PDAC cells. Using shRNA to knock down Dicer in GEM-resistant PANC-1 (PANC-1 GR) cells, we examined cell viability through MTT and clonogenic assays. We also expressed phosphomimetic Dicer 2E (S1728E/S1852E) and phosphomutant Dicer 2A (S1728A/S1852A) to evaluate their effects on GEM resistance and metabolism. Our results show that phosphorylation at S1728/S1852 promotes GEM resistance by reprogramming glutamine metabolism. Specifically, phosphomimetic Dicer 2E increased intracellular glutamine, driving pyrimidine synthesis and raising dCTP levels, which compete with gemcitabine's metabolites. This metabolic shift enhanced drug resistance. In contrast, phosphomutant Dicer 2A reduced GEM resistance. These findings highlight the importance of Dicer phosphorylation in regulating metabolism and drug sensitivity, offering insights into potential therapeutic strategies for overcoming GEM resistance in pancreatic cancer.

Abstract Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) fruit, with its bright red color and sweet and juicy aril, is an important fruit crop in Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America. A major cause of the postharvest loss of litchi fruit is browning and decay. Chlorophyll breakdown and flavonoid synthesis occur simultaneously during the maturation of this nonclimacteric fruit. However, once litchi fruit is harvested, pericarp desiccation and membrane breakdown occur, which leads to browning with the rate of browning and later microcracking paralleling water loss rate. In addition, chilling injury can contribute to and increase pericarp browning and membrane leakage. Polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase are possibly key enzymes in the early stages of browning. An increase in the leakage of the pericarp membrane also occurs that correlates with browning. Many chemical treatments have been evaluated to retard pericarp browning, such as melatonin, hot water, acidified calcium sulfate (ACS), adenosine triphosphate, and tea seed oil. During long distance transportation, chemical treatments that involve sulfur are used, including SO2 fumigation, acid dip after SO2 fumigation, SO2 fumigation and sulfur sheet package, or SO2 fumigation followed by controlled atmosphere (CA), if approved by the importing country. Other treatments that avoid the use of SO2 include melatonin, ACS, and hot water brushing combined with an acid dip, CA, and modified atmosphere packaging. Anthracnose is a common disease that accelerates browning and decay. Penicillium species as a saprophyte is also common with fruit infection occurring in the field, during harvest, in the packhouse, cold rooms, and shipping containers. Sulfur sheet or CA is used to reduce fruit rot after SO2 fumigation and Sportak (prochloraz) for the control of penicillium. However, a replacement for postharvest SO2 use is still urgently needed.