CURRENT APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Prospects of Prunus armeniaca L. in Economic Upliftment of Hill Communities of Uttarakhand, India

Krishna Kumar Tamta — 2024-08-02

In Uttarakhand, there are several trees’ species that produce seeds of high oil content known as tree borne oilseeds (TBOs). However, there is very little information on TBOs and their relationship with the livelihoods of the people in local communities. The present study focused on Prunus armeniaca L. (Wild Apricot), the seeds of which yield oil. Phytosociological analysis was carried out at 8 potential areas between the altitudes of 1642 and 2630 m by placing 20 quadrats of 10×10m size. The physical parameters of the fruits and seeds were studied. Oil was extracted from seed kernels using Soxhlet apparatus. Personal interviews were done to assess the relationship of the plant oil to the livelihood issues of local communities. The research indicates that the species was failing to regenerate naturally in the region and there was a lack of awareness about its potential uses. The density of P. armeniaca ranged between 50 and 120 indi/ha across all the sites. The seed kernel oil content across all the sites ranged between 38.75±2.4 to 57.27±2.4% (on kernel dry weight basis). One hectare of plantation with 400 trees of P. armeniaca can generate about 1.24-2.34 tha^-1 kernel, 0.61-1.15 tha^-1 oil yield, and can give rise to an average net income between Rs.71,000/- and 217,000/- ha^-1 year^-1. The study reveals that P. armeniaca can play a vital role in providing opportunities for livelihood generation and economic upliftment for the local hill communities in the region.

Development of New Functional Beverage: Longan Kefir Supplemented with Herbs

Kasirawat Sawangrat — 2024-08-02

In recent years, the increasing awareness of diseases has led to the demand for functional foods and beverages that provide additional health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Water kefir is a healthy fermented beverage with unique aroma and flavor profile, obtained by the symbiotic fermentation of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), acetic acid bacteria (AAB), and yeast. In this study, a new functional beverage based on substrates such as longan juice (KL) and longan juice supplemented with herbs: butterfly pea (KLB), rosella (KLR), or safflower (KLS), and fermented at 25°C for 48 h with water kefir grains as starter, was developed. The occurrence of microbial community of LAB, AAB and yeast during fermentation in all treatments were not significantly different (p<0.05) However, each supplement showed its distinct color according to specific characters of the herbs. The addition of the herbs significantly enhanced total phenolic compounds (TPCs) and antioxidant activities as investigated by DPPH and ABTS assay, with the results varying with supplement type. The addition of KLS showed the highest TPC of 212.17 μgGAE/mL, while KLB and KLR displayed lower levels of 198.36 and 201.93 μgGAE/mL, respectively. Levels of DPPH and ABTS in all supplements showed the best condition at 24 h fermentation, but decreased at 48 h, suggesting the sensitivity of some antioxidants. Sensory evaluation revealed that KLS had the highest acceptance, while KLR was the least accepted by consumers. This study pointed out that longan kefir supplemented with herbal ingredients has the potential to be a novel functional beverage.

Preprocess Sonication Maintains Quality and Inhibits Browning of Fresh-cut Fruit Using Apples as the Fruit Model

Pathitta Thuamsuk — 2024-08-02

Ultrasonic (US) waves (sound waves) have been used to preserve and improve the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables. The goal of this study was to determine whether pre-process US treatment was useful in reducing browning and retaining certain aspects of fresh-cut ‘Gala’ apples’ quality. The apples were sonicated at a frequency of 120 kHz for 0, 5, 10 and 15 min before processing and then the processed apples were stored at 4±1°C. The US treatment at 5 min significantly delayed the loss of lightness, and increases in colour difference and browning index, and maintained whiteness compared to other treatments. The US treatment at 5 min controlled enzymatic browning reaction, probably due to inhibition of polyphenol oxidase activity. US treatments could delay the loss of hardness compared to the control treatment but had no influence on the total soluble solids content. Interestingly, US treatments induced antioxidant activity in fresh-cut apples during storage. In summary, the 5 min sonication could prevent browning and enhance the quality of fresh-cut apples during storage.

Genome Insights into the Plant Growth Promoting Features of a Newly Found Microbispora sp. SCL1-1

Wipawee Dejtisakdi — 2024-08-02

Plant growth-promoting (PGP) actinobacteria can be used to promote plant growth. Their use is a promising strategy that can be employed instead of agricultural chemical fertilizers. An actinobacterium strain, designated SCL1-1, was collected and isolated from a soil sample in a herbal garden at Pathum Thani province, Thailand. Analysis revealed that the SCL1-1 strain was a Gram-positive bacterium that formed longitudinal paired spores that were borne directly on aerial mycelia. It contained meso-diaminopimelic acid in its cell wall peptidoglycan. Moreover, madurose, which is a diagnostic sugar, was present in its whole-cell hydrolysates. 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that the SCL1-1 strain was a member of the Microbispora and showed a close relationship to Microbispora rosea ATCC 12950^T (99.6%), followed by Microbispora hainanensis DSM 45428^T (99.2%). However, a genome-based polyphasic study revealed that strain SCL1-1 had a low average nucleotide identity (ANI) (<95%), and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) value (<70%) with M. rosea ATCC 12950^T and M. hainanensis DSM 45428^T, indicating that strain SCL1-1 was a different species to its close relatives. Genome mining of strain SCL1-1 showed the presence of genes related to the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and siderophore, which are agents that promote plant growth. In addition, the genome of strain SCL1-1 was found in several secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters, which were possibly encoded for a broad range of remarkable natural products and antibiotics.

Effects of Phosphorus Removal and pH Changes in the Culture Medium of Spirulina sp. on the Production Rate of Polyhydroxybutyrate

Azita Dorry — 2024-08-02

The aim of this study was to investigate the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by Spirulina sp., a type of cyanobacterium recognized for its capacity to produce this biopolymer. PHB accumulation takes place in Spirulina when it undergoes nitrogen and phosphorus limitation, and carbon abundance, acting as a vital reserve material for the microorganism. The study was conducted under autotrophic conditions, phosphorous deficiency, and varying acidity levels to confirm how the interplay between phosphorus deficiency and pH can affect PHB production in Spirulina without reducing microalgal biomass. Microalgal cultures in the phosphorus-free treatments at pH 8, 10, and 12 were performed, and their growth quality including levels of photosynthetic pigments, malondialdehyde, anthocyanin, phenol, and flavonoid were measured. PHB was extracted and analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for qualitative analysis and gas chromatography (GC) for quantitative evaluation. The amounts of anthocyanins, phenols, and flavonoids, which are important constituents of the antioxidant defense system, were highest in the treatment with a pH of 10, which also had the lowest levels of the stress indicator malondialdehyde. The extracted polyhydroxybutyrate amounts in the control treatment and treatments with phosphorus deficiency at pH levels of 8, 10, and 12 were 6.82%, 3.54%, 7.04%, and 4.23% of cell dry weight, respectively, according to GC. Based on the results, altering the acidity of the Spirulina culture medium had a limited effect on increasing in polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation compared to optimal acidity conditions and simultaneous phosphorus removal, which was partly due to the consumption of some polyhydroxybutyrate produced under phosphorus deficiency stress.

Bacterial Cellulose Production by Acetobacter aceti MTCC 2623 Using Different Carbon Sources

Garima Singh — 2024-08-02

Cellulose is a naturally occurring polysaccharide that is produced by both plants and micro-organisms. It is one of the most prevalent organic substances in the natural world. Compared to plant cellulose, bacterial cellulose (BC) exhibits superior physicochemical properties such as high purity, crystallinity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and water holding ability, making it an excellent choice of material for various industrial and biomedical applications. However, large scale production and utilization of BC suffers from limitations related to its low yield and high production cost. In this research, an attempt was made to investigate the effects of different carbon sources on the bacterial cell growth kinetics, BC yield and physicochemical characteristics of Acetobacter aceti MTCC 2623. The results showed variations in growth kinetics and BC yields under different conditions. Among the selected carbon sources, Hestrin and Schramm (HS) medium supplemented with glucose gave highest BC yield of 2.89±0.18 g/L, whereas glycine resulted in the lowest BC yield, which was 0.089±0.17 g/L. FTIR spectral analysis showed no significant variations in the characteristic vibrational bands for BC prepared using different carbon sources. DSC results indicated the superior thermal stability of BC samples over commercial cellulose. Our findings suggest that BC production by A. aceti using glucose as C-source in HS media may be scaled up for enhanced production of BC. The improved physicochemical characteristics of BC compared to commercial cellulose point to the importance of BC as a potential candidate for several biomedical and industrial applications.

Monkeypox Lesion and Rash Stage Classification for Self-screening on Mobile Application Using Deep Learning Technique

Parinda Labcharoenwongs — 2024-08-02

The early diagnosis of pox symptoms is an important part of preventing a global pandemic. In addition, the estimation of the disease stage and time period of pox rash is of interest. Computer Aided Diagnosis systems have been developed for identification of suspected cases based on machine learning techniques. In recent years, many deep learning approaches have been developed to classify monkeypox disease. In this study, a monkeypox lesion and rash stage classification for self-screening on mobile applications using deep learning techniques was introduced. The datasets consisted of skin lesion and pox rash images. Data augmentation methods were used to increase the sample size and split data into training and testing sets in the experiment setup. When comparing overall accuracy, EfficientNet achieved an accuracy of 0.95 for pox and 0.97 for the pox rash stage. EfficientNet was selected for conversion and implementation on the mobile application. The study determined that the use of deep learning techniques for monkeypox lesions and rash stage classification on a mobile application enabled early identification of patients and effective control of community spread.

Reasons and Criteria for Selecting and Culling Dairy Cows in Small and Medium Farms in the Northeastern Region of Thailand

Khanitta Pengmeesri — 2024-08-16

The objective of this study was to investigate the criteria for cow culling and the methods used for semen selection in small and medium dairy farms in Thailand. Dairy cows on small and medium farms are culled for many different reasons. Methods of selection and culling were examined using data collected from a questionnaire asking about the number of milking cows, farm experience in raising dairy cows, criteria used for culling cows, selection of new cows, replacement cattle, and semen for breeding. Ninety-one farms were randomly selected using a snowball technique from dairy cooperatives in Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, and Sakon Nakhon Provinces, Thailand, with data analyzed using ANOVA and Chi-square statistics. The results showed that most farmers did not cull cows due to low milk production or aging (71.43%, 72.53%) and used 5 to >12 insemination events as a criterion for involuntary culling (50.55%). Chronic mastitis was the highest health reason for culling cows (52.10%). Farmers usually kept on-farm female calves as replacement cows (41.67%), chosen by considering their dams’ milking ability. Most farmers (67.00%) let an artificial inseminator select suitable semen for their cows. When selecting pregnant heifers for replacement, the farmers considered body conformation, udder characteristics, and cow price. Farmers with small and medium farms conducted low levels of voluntary culling and paid less attention to the genetic information of the semen. In summary, this study explains various factors influencing the selection and culling of dairy cows. Challenges leading to cattle culling included mastitis and infertility. Educating farmers on hygiene, reproductive systems, and household accounting is imperative as it facilitates sustainable cattle rearing practices.

Effect of Bleaching Containing Polydopamine and Chitosan-Modified TiO2 on the Level of Brightness and Microhardness of Teeth

Lydia Rohmawati — 2024-08-16

Teeth bleaching techniques generally use high concentrations of bleaching agents such as H₂O₂, which can harm dental health. Therefore, an alternative method is needed to minimize the use of H₂O₂. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics and effectiveness of a teeth-whitening gel made from polydopamine and chitosan-modified TiO₂. The research phase began with the extraction of TiO₂ from Tulungagung sand using the leaching method, and then the TiO₂ was modified with polydopamine and chitosan. XRD, FTIR, and TEM were used to characterize the fabrication results. The results of XRD analysis showed that the diffraction peaks of polydopamine and chitosan-modified TiO₂ had the characteristics of anatase phase TiO₂. Functional groups of polydopamine and chitosan-modified TiO₂ were identified from the results of FTIR analysis. The TEM image showed the spherical shape with a core-shell structure, where the TiO₂ particles were covered with polydopamine and chitosan. The addition of H₂O₂ at 3% to the polydopamine and chitosan-modified TiO₂ gel transformed it into a tooth whitening agent. After that, the teeth without soaking and those soaked in cola were bleached with the whitening gel using visible light irradiation three times for 15 min each time. The bleaching results showed that the 0.25-g polydopamine-modified TiO₂ formula whitening gel effectively whitened teeth without causing a significant change in the microhardness value of the tooth surfaces, even at low concentrations of H₂O₂

Synthesis of Flower-like Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 Nanostructures using Different Sulfur Sources and Applications

Manjula Selvam — 2024-08-16

In this study, surfactant-free quaternary copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) nanostructures were successfully synthesized using two different chalcogen/sulfur precursors by hydrothermal method. The effects of different sulfur sources such as thiourea (TU) and thioacetamide (TAA) on the structural, functional, and morphological properties were investigated. XRD analysis revealed that pure phase of kesterite CZTS nanostructures were found at higher concentrations of thiourea. Raman studies proved the existence of the phase purity of CZTS at TU-10. Morphological investigation of CZTS nanostructures showed different morphologies such as spherical-like, rose flower-like, and plate-like structures, at different concentrations of thiourea. Structural and morphological studies confirmed that the formation of single-phase CZTS nanostructures was possible at higher concentrations of TU. HRTEM analysis of CZTS TU-10 confirmed that the lattice value of 0.31 nm corresponded to the (112) plane and the SAED pattern exhibited a polycrystalline nature. EDS mapping of CZTS nanostructures confirmed its uniform distribution. The optical bandgap of CZTS TU-10 was found to be 1.52 eV. XPS results revealed Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Sn⁴⁺, and S^2- oxidation states for CZTS TU-10. Cyclic voltammetry of CZTS TU-10 showed the pseudocapacitive nature and the specific capacitance of 389 Fg^-1 at 10 mV/s. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity of the surfactant-free CZTS TU-10 nanostructures was tested using methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV) degradation under visible light irradiation, and the maximum photodegradation efficiencies achieved were at 89% and 93%, respectively, at 70 min. Furthermore, antibacterial studies confirmed that CZTS TU-10 nanostructures produced a high zone of inhibition against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The results implied that the CZTS nanostructures could be considered efficient for energy storage and photocatalytic application.

Optimal control model for the spread of Streptococcus suis in human population

Lapatrada Wanaleesuksan — 2024-08-20

Streptococcus suis infection is a zoonotic disease that can spread from pigs to humans. The infection can cause permanent deafness in people. Although it is considered as a neglected zoonotic pathogen, the prevalence of this infection has not measurably decreased in recent years. In this research, we proposed mathematical models of S. suis infection in both human and pig populations. Disinfectant sterilization in swine farms and educational campaigns were considered for cooperative control strategies. The aim of this study was to derive an optimal control strategy by using optimal control techniques associated with an existing epidemic model. Equilibrium points and the basic reproduction numbers were analyzed to determine the effect of control parameters in the constant case. For the optimal control problem, we showed numerically that the optimal control functions effectively reduced the number of infectious individuals within a finite time. However, the suggested control functions had more impact on the human group than the swine group. The sensitivity analysis implied that the control of swine population should be focused on the surveillance of weaning piglets.

The Influence of Socio-demographic Factors on the Prevalence of Dental Caries among 12-Year-Old Children, Narathiwat Province

Jutarat Tanupattarasorn — 2024-08-20

Dental caries is the most prevalent oral health issue among school-aged children. If not detected and treated promptly, this leads to severe pain and infection, tooth loss, and more complicated and expensive treatments. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with dental caries among 12-year-old children in Narathiwat Province. The outcome of the study was dental caries in 12-year-old children's permanent teeth. Frequency and percentage were used to describe the preliminary data analysis. Chi-squared test was used for univariate analysis. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between factors and dental caries. Permanent teeth in 9,216 children were affected by dental caries at the rate of 37.7%. Gender, religion, residence, medical treatment rights, father's age, father and mother's occupation, father and mother's educational level, and children's periodontal condition were associated with dental caries. The performance of the model was acceptable according to the area under a receiver operating characteristic curve at 72.3%. Therefore, children should be required to participate in preventive measures such as health education regarding oral hygiene, dietary habits, and dental visits.

Fruit and Seed Development of Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle ‘Pan Rampai’ Cultivar

Paweena Chuenwarin — 2024-08-20

The ‘Pan Rampai’ cultivar of Mexican lime is highly consumed for its lime aroma and high juice content. However, occasional instances of low juice content could be found, potentially due to premature harvesting. Moreover, the seed development of the ‘Pan Rampai’ lime has never been investigated. Hence, this study was aimed to explore the development process of the ‘Pan Rampai’ lime fruit, focusing on its fruit weight, juice weight, juice content, fruit diameter, fruit length, fruit rind thickness, total soluble solids, titratable acid, TSS/TA ratio, and vitamin C content over the period of 11 to 18 weeks after flowering (WAF). Additionally, we examined the seed development by observing seed width, length, thickness, and germination percentage. Our findings revealed that fruit weight, juice weight, juice content, fruit diameter, and fruit length exhibited a consistent increase throughout the fruit development stages, while the fruit rind thickness decreased. Seed width and thickness remained relatively stable over 11 to 18 WAF, whereas seed length gradually increased. The study of germination percentage indicated that seed germination was mature from the 15^th WAF, coinciding with the appearance of the secondary wall of seed coat. There results provide crucial insights into the optimal harvesting periods for juice (from 17 WAF) and seed (from 15 WAF) for the ‘Pan Rampai’ lime cultivar.

The Impact of Organic and Chemical Organic Fertilizers on the Efficiency of Cadmium Mobility Reduction by Potassium Hydroxide Modified Biochar

Chompoonut Chaiyaraksa — 2024-08-20

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of organic and chemical organic fertilizers on the translocation of cadmium in crude oil-contaminated soil treated with potassium hydroxide-modified biochar (KOH-biochar). The soil sample was collected from Chonburi Province. The soil was characterized as moderately acidic sandy loam with relatively low organic matter, medium salinity, medium cation exchange capacity, and high nutrient levels. The concentration of cadmium in the soil fell within the acceptable range for agricultural use. The KOH-biochar exhibited strong alkalinity, a high carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, and an oxygen/carbon (O/C) ratio. Crude oil was slightly acidic, with high organic matter content and low sulfur and cadmium concentrations. The synthetic soil created in this study composed of 5% crude oil, and 100 mg/kg of cadmium. KOH-biochar, organic and chemical organic fertilizers were applied to this synthetic soil. Subsequently, the soil was subjected to extraction with 0.005 M diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA), and a sequential extraction method was employed to determine six different forms of cadmium in the soil samples. Cadmium concentrations in the extracts were measured using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The findings revealed that fertilizers effectively slowed down the movement of cadmium. Fertilizer application led to the transformation of cadmium from unstable forms to more stable forms within the soil. Fertilizer with the highest organic matter content and pH showed the least cadmium mobility. Increased nitrogen and phosphorus content in the fertilizer resulted in slightly higher cadmium mobility within the soil. Conversely, higher potassium content in the fertilizer led to slightly reduced cadmium mobility in the soil.

A Review on Role of Post-transcriptional Gene Silencing in Crop Improvement

Manisha Sharma — 2024-08-02

Gene silencing is an important tool for increasing the yield of crops and plays an important role in revolutionizing agriculture. In agriculture, gene silencing is done by post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) and transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) technology. RNA interference (RNAi) is a well-known technique of post-transcriptional gene silencing and is widely utilized in crop improvement through gene regulation. In the present review, we discussed various aspects of RNA interference gene silencing viz RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), Argonaute proteins (AGOs) and Dicer-like proteins (DCLs) and their applications in the optimization of agricultural yield.