Moderated mediation role of ethnicity on natural skin care products purchasing intention model among multicultural consumers.

The trends for sustainable lifestyle and marketing motivated natural product consumption, such as natural skin care products (NSCPs). Different personal, environmental, and sociocultural factors influence purchase intention (PI) for NSCPs. However, there is a lack of evidence on the role of consumers' ethnicity in the PI model. The present study investigated the moderated mediation role of ethnicity in the relationship between related factors, including environmental concern, subjective norms, health factor, Halal certificate, packaging design, past experience factor, price factor, and PI mediated by personal attitude. A web-based survey was utilized to capture quantitative data from a random sample of 330 multicultural consumer group participants. The results of the study indicated that consumers' ethnicity substantially moderated the mediation effect of personal attitude in the relationships between subjective norms, health factor, Halal certificate, packaging design, past experience factor, price factor, and PI in the model. The findings contributed to understanding of the factors that influenced the PI of consumers from diverse sociocultural contexts in the market for natural products. It contributed directly to natural product marketing and industry.

Rice husk ash based growing media impact on cucumber and melon growth and quality.

Rice husk, an agricultural waste from the rice industry, can cause serious environmental pollution if not properly managed. However, rice husk ash (RHA) has been found to have many positive properties, making it a potential replacement for non-renewable peat in soilless planting. Thus, this study investigated the impact of a RHA composite substrate on the growth, photosynthetic parameters, and fruit quality of cucumber (Yuyi longxiang variety) and melon (Yutian yangjiaomi variety). The RHA, peat, vermiculite, and perlite were blended in varying proportions, with the conventional seedling substrate (peat:vermiculite:perlite = 1:1:1 volume ratio) serving as the control (CK). All plants were cultivated in barrels filled with 10L of the mixed substrates. The results from this study found that RHA 40 (RHA:peat:vermiculite:perlite = 4:4:1:1 volume ratio) significantly enhanced substrate ventilation and positively influenced the stem diameter, root activity, seedling index, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) of cucumber and melon plants. Additionally, plant planted using RHA 40, the individual fruit weight of cucumber and melon found to increase by 34.62% and 21.67%, respectively, as compared to the control. Aside from that, both cucumber and melon fruits had significantly higher sucrose, total soluble sugar, vitamin C, and soluble protein levels. This subsequently improved the activity of sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase in both cucumber and melon. In conclusion, the RHA 40 found to best promote cucumber and melon plant growth, increase plant leaf photosynthesis, and improve cucumber and melon fruit quality, making it a suitable substrate formula for cucumber and melon cultivation in place of peat.