Effects of Probiotic-Fermented Feed on the Growth Profile, Immune Functions, and Intestinal Microbiota of Bamei Piglets.

Purebred Bamei piglets present problems, including slow growth, respiratory disease, and post-weaning stress. This study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum QP28-1- and Bacillus subtilis QB8-fermented feed supplementation on the growth performance, immunity, and intestinal microflora of Bamei piglets from Qinghai, China. A total of 48 purebred Bamei piglets (25 days; 6.8 ± 0.97 kg) were divided into the following four groups for a 28-day diet experiment: basal feed (CK); diet containing 10% Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented feed (L); diet containing 10% Bacillus subtilis-fermented feed (B); and diet containing a mixture of 5% Lactobacillus plantarum + 5% Bacillus subtilis-fermented feed (H). The daily weight gain and daily food intake of group H increased (p < 0.05), and the feed/weight gain ratios of the groups fed with fermented feed decreased more than that of the CK group. The levels of three immune factors, namely immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgG, and interferon-γ, were higher (p < 0.05), whereas those of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 were lower (p < 0.05) in the fermented feed groups than in the CK group. Total protein was higher (p < 0.05), while urea nitrogen, total cholesterol and triglycerides were lower (p < 0.05) in the mixed-fermented feed group than in the CK group. Analysis of the gut microbiota showed that the addition of fermented feed increased the α-diversity of the gut microbiota, increasing the abundances of probiotics including Lactobacillus, Muribaculaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Prevotellaceae, and Rikenellaceae. Additionally, correlation analysis demonstrated that several of these probiotic bacteria were closely related to serum immunity. In conclusion, fermented feed supplementation rebuilt the intestinal microbiota of Bamei piglets, thereby reducing the feed/weight ratio, improving feed intake, and enhancing immunity.

Physicochemical, rheological, antioxidant and immunological properties of four novel non-inulin (poly)saccharides from Asparagus cochinchinensis.

The impacts of four extraction techniques, including hot water, ultrasonic-assisted, complex enzyme-assisted and acid-assisted methods, on the morphological, physicochemical properties and bioactivities of Asparagus cochinchinensis (poly)saccharides (EACP, WACP, UACP, and AACP) were investigated and compared. The four samples were mainly composed of glucose, fructose, and galactose with molar ratios of 50.8:22.7:4.4 for WACP, 53.9:26.0:5.3 for UACP, 35.6:14.1:21.4 for AACP and 45.0:15.6:9.0 for EACP, respectively. The rheological result showed that ACPs were non-Newtonian fluids. EACP with high purity (97.65 %) had good DPPH, O2- and ABTS+ radical scavenging activities, and significantly promoted the proliferation of the RAW264.7 cells at low concentration. UACP had good Fe2+ chelating ability, radical (DPPH, O2- and OH) scavenging activities, which might be attributed to the existence of triple-helix structure. AACP had high yield, molecular weight (17,477.2 Da), high crystallinity (23.33 %), and good radical (OH and ABTS+) scavenging activities. All four significantly stimulated the transcript expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6, as determined by RT-PCR. These results suggest that the exploitation and utilization of non-inulin (poly)saccharides extracted by ultrasonic-assisted, complex enzyme-assisted and acid-assisted extraction methods are potentially valuable as effective and natural immune adjuvants and antioxidants.

Investigation on Fermentation Characteristics and Microbial Communities of Wheat Straw Silage with Different Proportion Artemisia argyi.

Mycotoxins, secondary metabolites of fungi, are a major obstacle to the utilization of animal feed for various reasons. Wheat straw (WS) is hollow, and miscellaneous bacteria can easy attach to its surface; the secondary fermentation frequency after silage is high, and there is a risk of mycotoxin poisoning. In this study, a storage fermentation process was used to preserve and enhance fermentation quality in WS through the addition of Artemisia argyi (AA), which is an effective method to use WS resources and enhance aerobic stability. The storage fermentation of WS treated with AA had lower pH and mycotoxin (AFB1 and DON) values than the control due to rapid changes in microbial counts, especially in the 60% AA groups. Meanwhile, the addition of 60% AA improved anaerobic fermentation profiles, showing higher lactic acid contents, leading to increased efficiency of lactic acid fermentation. A background microbial dynamic study indicated that the addition of 60% AA improved the fermentation and aerobic exposure processes, decreased microbial richness, enriched Lactobacillus abundance, and reduced Enterobacter and Aspergillus abundances. In conclusion, 60% AA treatment could improve the quality by increase fermentation quality and improve the aerobic stability of WS silage by enhancing the dominance of desirable Lactobacillus, inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms, especially fungi, and reducing the content of mycotoxins.

Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria Reducing the Content of Harmful Fungi and Mycotoxins on the Quality of Mixed Fermented Feed.

The contamination of fermented feeds and foods with fungi and mycotoxins is a major food safety issue worldwide. Certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB), generally recognized as safe (GRAS) fermentation probiotics, are able to reduce microbial and mycotoxins contamination. In this study, Lactiplantibacillus (L.) plantarum Q1-2 and L. salivarius Q27-2 with antifungal properties were screened as inoculants for mixed fermenting feed, and the fermentation and nutritional qualities, microbial community, and mycotoxins of mixed fermented feed were analyzed at different fermentation periods (1, 3, 7, 15, and 30 days, respectively). The findings indicated that the utilization of Q1-2 and Q27-2 strains in fermenting feed led to a decrease in pH and an increase in lactic acid concentration and the proportion of Lactiplantibacillus, while effectively restraining the proliferation of undesirable microorganisms. In particular, Q1-2 reduced the relative abundance of fungi including Fusarium and Aspergillus. Compared to the control group, the Q1-2 and Q27-2 groups reduced aflatoxin B1 by 34.17% and 16.57%, and deoxynivalenol by up to 90.61% and 51.03%. In short, these two LAB inoculants could reduce the contents of aflatoxin B1 and deoxynivalenol to the limited content levels stipulated by the Chinese National Standard GB 13078-2017. These findings suggest that the LAB strains of Q1-2 and Q27-2 have potential applications in the feed industry for the mitigation of mycotoxin pollution, thereby enhancing the quality of animal feed.

Microbial community and fermentation characteristic of whole-crop wheat silage treated by lactic acid bacteria and Artemisia argyi during ensiling and aerobic exposure.

Whole-crop wheat silage (WCWS) is an excellent feed material for ruminants. However, microbial fermentation during silage production consumes valuable nutrients, decreasing the quality of silage. The main objective of this study was to assess how the addition of increasing amounts of Artemisia argyi (AA) affected fermentation quality, microbial composition, and mycotoxin production in whole-crop wheat at dough stage (WCWD) silage during ensiling to aerobic exposure compared with Lactiplantibacillus buchneri (LB). The addition of 20% AA, resulted in a lower pH and higher lactic acid content, was found in silage treated with 20% AA, and an obvious increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was detected in silages treated with LB and 20% AA, respectively. Meanwhile, inoculation with 20% AA decreased the abundance of harmful microorganisms, including Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, and Aspergillus. It also reduced the contents of mycotoxins, Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and deoxynivalenol (DON) during ensiling and aerobic exposure. These results confirmed that WCWD treated with 20% AA could improve the fermentation quality and enhance the aerobic stability of silage.

The Effect of Dietary Lactic Acid Bacteria on Intestinal Microbiota and Immune Responses of Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus) Under Water Temperature Decrease.

Temperature changes have a great impact on fish feeding, intestinal microorganisms, metabolism, and immune function. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective methods to enhance the survival rates and growth of fish under water temperature changes. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are promising immunostimulatory feed additive, as demonstrated by their beneficial effects in several fish species. This study investigated the short-term effects of dietary LAB on intestinal microbiota composition and immune responses of crucian carp (Carassius auratus) when water temperature decreased from 30 ± 1°C to 18 ± 1°C. Lactococcus (L.) lactis 1,209 and L. lactis 1,242 with potential probiotics isolated from the intestine of Qinghai naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii) were selected as feed additives for the crucian carp feeding experiment. A total of 225 commercially available healthy crucian carp (250 ± 10 g) of similar age were kept in 30°C water for a week and then immediately transferred to 18 ± 1°C water, assigned to three dietary treatments for a 16-day feeding trial randomly: (1) HC, diets without additives (the control group); (2) HT, diets with 106 CFU/ml L. lactis 1,209; and (3) HL, with 106 CFU/ml L. lactis 1,242. Each group was set up with 3 replicates and each with 25 fish. The results showed that the mortality rate of crucian carp in HC, HT, and HL group was 50, 27, and 33%, respectively. High-throughput sequencing results displayed that the composition of the intestinal microorganism varied dynamically in response to different treatments and water temperature decrease. Among them, compared with the HC group, a higher abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, and a lower of Actinobacteria appeared in HT and HL. The cytokines heat shock protein 70 (HSP-70) in crucian carp intestinal tract significantly decreased when water temperature decreased (p < 0.05).

Variation of Microbial Community and Fermentation Quality in Corn Silage Treated with Lactic Acid Bacteria and Artemisia argyi during Aerobic Exposure.

Silage, especially whole crop corn silage (WCCS), is an important part of ruminant diets, with its high moisture content and rich nutrient content, which can easily cause contamination by mold and their toxins, posing a great threat to ruminant production, food safety and human health. The objective of this study was to examine effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactiplantibacillus (L.) plantarum subsp. plantarum ZA3 and Artemisia argyi (AA) on the fermentation characteristics, microbial community and mycotoxin of WCCS during 60 days (d) ensiling and subsequent 7 d aerobic exposure. The results showed that WCCS treated with LAB and AA both had lower pH value and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) contents, and higher lactic and acetic acids concentration compared with other groups after 60 d ensiling. In addition, for microbial communities, Acetobacter and Enterobacter were inhibited in all AA group, while higher abundance of Lactobacilli was maintained; besides, Candida, Pichia and Kazachstania abundances were decreased in both 6% and 12% AA groups. The content of five kinds of mycotoxins were all significantly lower after 7 d of aerobic exposure. As for the total flavonoid (TF), which is significantly higher in all AA treated groups, it was positively correlated with Paenibacillus, Weissella and Lactobacilli, and negatively with Acetobacter, Enterobacteria, Kazachstania and Pichia.

Bacteriocin-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains with Antimicrobial Activity Screened from Bamei Pig Feces.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are characterized by producing various functional metabolites, including antioxidants, organic acids, and antimicrobial compounds, are widely used in the food industry to improve gut health and prevent the growth of spoilage microorganisms. With the continual incidence of foodborne disease and advocacy of consumers for gut health, LAB have been designated as vital biopreservative agents in recent years. Therefore, LAB with excellent antimicrobial properties and environmental tolerance should be explored further. In this study, we focus on screening the LAB strains from a specialty pig (Bamei pig) feces of the Tibetan plateau region and determine their antimicrobial properties and environmental tolerance to evaluate their potential probiotic values. A total of 116 LAB strains were isolated, from which the LAB strain Qinghai (QP)28-1 was identified as Lactiplantibacillus (L.) plantarum subsp. plantarum using 16S rDNA sequencing and recA amplification, showing the best growth capacity, acid production capacities, environmental tolerance, hydrophobicity, antibiotic susceptibility, and bacteriocin production capacity. Furthermore, this strain inhibited the growth of multiple pathogens by producing organic acids and bacteriocin. These bacteriocin-encoding genes were identified using PCR amplification, including plnS, plnN, and plnW. In conclusion, bacteriocin-producing L. plantarum subsp. plantarum QP28-1 stands out among these 116 LAB strains, and was considered to be a promising strain used for LAB-related food fermentation. Moreover, this study provides a convenient, comprehensive, and shareable profile for screening of superior functional and bacteriocin-producing LAB strains, which can be used in the food industry.

Microbial Population Succession and Community Diversity and Its Correlation with Fermentation Quality in Soybean Meal Treated with Enterococcus faecalis during Fermentation and Aerobic Exposure.

This study assessed the effects of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in combination with protease on fermentation characteristics and microbial communities during ensiling and aerobic exposure phases of soybean meal (SBM). In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the optimal growth conditions of E. faecalis ZZUPF95, which produced protease, and fermented SBM under the optimal fermentation conditions. The fermentation test was divided into four groups as follows: CK (Control check), ZZUPF95, Protease and ZZUPF95+Protease groups. Results showed that the best medium ratio of ZZUPF95 was glucose 1%, peptone 2%, inorganic salt 1.47%; fermentation time 36 h, inoculation amount 10%, ratio of material to water 1:1 is the optimal fermentation scheme; after fermentation and aerobic exposure treatment, ZZUPF95 and ZZUPF95 + Protease group can reduce the pH of feed, improve the content of lactic acid in the fermentation system, and have the effect of inhibiting the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria, increasing the content of crude protein and ether extract, and degrading crude fiber; the microbial community of SBM were changed after fermentation and aerobic exposure. This study explored the changes of fermentation quality of SBM, which has certain theoretical value to improve the fermentation mode and storage of SBM.

Dynamics Changes of Microorganisms Community and Fermentation Quality in Soybean Meal Prepared with Lactic Acid Bacteria and Artemisia argyi through Fermentation and Aerobic Exposure Processes.

This study evaluated the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum ZA3, Artemisia argyi and their combination, on the fermentation characteristics, microbial community, mycotoxins and crude flavonoids content of fermented soybean meal during fermentation (under anaerobic conditions) and aerobic exposure (under aerobic conditions). The results showed that ZA3, Artemisia argyi and ZA3+ Artemisia argyi groups had lower pH values and higher lactic acid concentrations compared with controls, and additives increased the abundance of Lactiplantibacillus and decreased those of Acetobacter and Enterobacter; in particular, Artemisia argyi and ZA3+ Artemisia argyi reduced the abundance of fungi, such as Aspergillus, Pichia, Fusarium, Cladosporium and Xeromyces. Meanwhile, the contents of mycotoxins were lower in treated groups, and even mycotoxins in the control were significantly reduced after 30 d (p < 0.05). Crude flavonoids that were correlated positively with Lactococcus and negatively with Bacillus, Aspergillus, Enterobacter and Kazachstania were significantly higher in the Artemisia argyi and ZA3+ Artemisia argyi groups (p < 0.05).

Screening of Lactic Acid Bacteria with Inhibitory Activity against ETEC K88 as Feed Additive and the Effects on Sows and Piglets.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), which expresses K88 is the principal microorganism responsible for bacterial diarrhea in pig husbandry, and the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has caused many problems; therefore, antibiotics need to be replaced in order to prevent diarrhea caused by ETEC K88. The objective of this study was to screen excellent lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains that inhibit ETEC K88 and explore their effects as probiotic supplementation on reproduction, growth performance, diarrheal incidence, and antioxidant capacity of serum in sows and weaned piglets. Three LAB strains, P7, P8, and P15, screened from 295 LAB strains and assigned to Lactobacillus (L.) reuteri, L. amylovorus, and L. johnsonii with high inhibitory activity against ETEC K88 were selected for a study on feeding of sows and weaned piglets. These strains were chosen for their good physiological and biochemical characteristics, excellent exopolysaccharide (EPS) production capacity, hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation ability, survival in gastrointestinal (GI) fluids, lack of hemolytic activity, and broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of microorganisms. The results indicate that LAB strains P7, P8, and P15 had significant effects on improving the reproductive performance of sows and the growth performance of weaned piglets, increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and immune indexes in both.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on the Fermentation Profile and Microbiological Composition of Wheat Fermented Silage Under the Freezing and Thawing Low Temperatures.

The corruption and/or poor quality of silages caused by low temperature and freeze-thaw conditions makes it imperative to identify effective starters and low temperature silage fermentation technology that can assist the animal feed industry and improve livestock productivity. The effect of L. plantarum QZ227 on the wheat silage quality was evaluated under conditions at constant low temperatures followed by repeated freezing and thawing at low temperatures. QZ227 became the predominant strain in 10 days and underwent a more intensive lactic acid bacteria fermentation than CK. QZ227 accumulated more lactic acid, but lower pH and ammonia nitrogen in the fermentation. During the repeated freezing and thawing process, the accumulated lactic acid in the silage fermented by QZ227 remained relatively stable. Relative to CK, QZ227 reduced the abundance of fungal pathogens in silage at a constant 5°C, including Aspergillus, Sporidiobolaceae, Hypocreaceae, Pleosporales, Cutaneotrichosporon, Alternaria, and Cystobasidiomycetes. Under varying low temperature conditions from days 40 to days 60, QZ227 reduced the pathogenic abundance of fungi such as Pichia, Aspergillus, Agaricales, and Plectosphaerella. QZ227 also reduced the pathogenic abundance of Mucoromycota after the silage had been exposed to oxygen. In conclusion, QZ227 can be used as a silage additive in the fermentation process at both constant and variable low temperatures to ensure fast and vigorous fermentation because it promotes the rapid accumulation of lactic acid, and reduces pH values and aerobic corruption compared to the CK.

Multilocus Sequence Typing of Leuconostoc mesenteroides Strains From the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Leuconostoc mesenteroides strains were a type of epiphytic bacterium widely used in fermented foods and products in the biochemical and pharmaceutical industries but data on its presence in foods from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China was scarce. In this study, molecular analysis based on multilocus sequence typing (MLST) with eight housekeeping genes (pyrG, groeL, rpoB, recA, uvrC, murC, carB, and pheS) was carried out on 45 L. mesenteroides strains isolated from different plants and dairy products from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. The objective of this study was to perform genetic diversity analysis and explore the relationship between strains and isolate samples or separate regions. A total of 25 sequence types (STs) were identified with a diversity of up to 55.6%, which were grouped into one clonal complexes (CCs), 3 doublets and 17 singletons by eBURST. The results of minimum spanning tree and clustering analysis indicated these L. mesenteroides strains from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were relatively weakly related to the isolated region. However, there was a close relationship between the genotypes of L. mesenteroides strains and the type of the isolated sample, which was consistent with the results of API 50CH. The MLST scheme presented in this study provides a shareable and comparable sequence database and enhances our knowledge of the population diversity of L. mesenteroides strains which will be further used for the selection of industrial strains.

Screening of Lactobacillus plantarum Subsp. plantarum with Potential Probiotic Activities for Inhibiting ETEC K88 in Weaned Piglets.

For screening excellent lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains to inhibit enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88, inhibitory activities of more than 1100 LAB strains isolated from different materials, and kept in the lab, were evaluated in this study. Nine strains with inhibition zones, at least 22.00 mm (including that of a hole puncher, 10.00 mm), and good physiological and biochemical characteristics identified by 16S DNA gene sequencing and recA gene multiple detection, were assigned to Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum subsp. plantarum (5), L. fermentum (1), L. reuteri (1), Weissella cibaria (1) and Enterococcus faecalis (1), respectively. As investigated for their tolerance abilities and safety, only strain ZA3 possessed high hydrophobicity and auto-aggregation abilities, had high survival rate in low pH, bile salt environment, and gastrointestinal (GI) fluids, was sensitive to ampicillin, and resistant to norfloxacin and amikacin, without hemolytic activity, and did not carry antibiotic resistance genes, but exhibited broad spectrum activity against a wide range of microorganisms. Antibacterial substance may attribute to organic acids, especially lactic acid and acetic acid. The results indicated that the selected strain L. plantarum subsp. plantarum ZA3 could be considered a potential probiotic to inhibit ETEC K88 in weaned piglets for further research.

Highly Selective and Considerable Subcritical Butane Extraction to Separate Abamectin in Green Tea.

We specially carried out the subcritical butane extraction to separate abamectin from tea leaves. Four parameters, such as extraction temperature, extraction time, number of extraction cycles, and solid-liquid ratio were studied and optimized through the response surface methodology with design matrix developed by Box-Behnken. Seventeen experiments with three various factors and three variable levels were employed to investigate the effect of these parameters on the extraction of abamectin. Besides, catechins, theanine, caffeine, and aroma components were determined by both high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to evaluate the tea quality before and after the extraction. The results showed that the extraction temperature was the uppermost parameter compared with others. The optimal extraction conditions selected as follows: extraction temperature, 42°C; number of extraction cycles and extraction time, 1 and 30 min, respectively; and solid-liquid ratio, 1:10. Based on the above study, the separation efficiency of abamectin was up to 93.95%. It is notable that there has a quite low loss rate, including the negligible damage of aroma components, the bits reduce of catechins within the range of 0.7%-13.1%, and a handful lessen of caffeine and theanine of 1.81% and 2.6%, respectively. The proposed method suggested subcritical butane possesses solubility for lipid-soluble pesticides, and since most of the pesticides are attached to the surfaces of tea, thus the as-applied method was successfully effective to separate abamectin because of the so practical and promising method.

Extraction of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graceum L.) Seed Oil Using Subcritical Butane: Characterization and Process Optimization.

In this study, the subcritical butane extraction process of fenugreek seed oil was optimized using response surface methodology with a Box-Behnken design. The optimum conditions for extracted oil from fenugreek seed was as follows: extraction temperature of 43.24 °C , extraction time of 32.80 min, and particle size of 0.26 mm. No significant differences were found between the experimental and predicted values. The physical and chemical properties of the oil showed that the oil could be used as edible oil. Fatty acid composition of oils obtained by subcritical butane under the optimum conditions and by accelerated solvent extraction showed negligible difference. The oils were rich in linoleic acid (42.71%-42.80%), linolenic acid (26.03%-26.15%), and oleic acid (14.24%-14.40%). The results revealed that the proposed method was feasible, and this essay shows the way to exploit fenugreek seeds by subcritical butane extraction under the scope of edible oils.

Comparative microbiota assessment of wilted Italian ryegrass, whole crop corn, and wilted alfalfa silage using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and next-generation sequencing.

The microbiota of pre-ensiled crop and silage were examined using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Wilted Italian ryegrass (IR), whole crop corn (WC), and wilted alfalfa (AL) silages stored for 2 months were examined. All silages contained lactic acid as a predominant fermentation product. Across the three crop species, DGGE detected 36 and 28 bands, and NGS identified 253 and 259 genera in the pre-ensiled crops and silages, respectively. The NGS demonstrated that, although lactic acid bacteria (LAB) became prevalent in all silages after 2 months of storage, the major groups were different between crops: Leuconostoc spp. and Pediococcus spp. for IR silage, Lactobacillus spp. for WC silage, and Enterococcus spp. for AL silage. The predominant silage LAB genera were also detected by DGGE, but the presence of diverse non-LAB species in pre-ensiled crops was far better detected by NGS. Likewise, good survival of Agrobacterium spp., Methylobacterium spp., and Sphingomonas spp. in IR and AL silages was demonstrated by NGS. The diversity of the microbiota described by principal coordinate analysis was similar between DGGE and NGS. Our finding that analysis of pre-ensiled crop microbiota did not help predict silage microbiota was true for both DGGE and NGS.

Process optimization and characterization of fragrant oil from red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) seed extracted by subcritical butane extraction.

BACKGROUND: Red pepper seeds account for 450-500 g kg-1 of the total pepper weight and are often discarded as waste. In this study, process optimization and characterization of fragrant oil from roasted red pepper seed extracted by subcritical butane extraction were carried out. RESULTS: The optimal conditions of extraction were a temperature of 74.61 °C, a time of 68.65 min and a liquid/solid ratio of 30.24:1. The oil had a refractive index (25 °C) of 1.471, a relative density of 0.900, an acid value of 1.421 mg g-1 oil, an iodine value of 127.035 g per 100 g, a saponification value of 184.060 mg KOH g-1 , an unsaponifiable matter content of 12.400 g kg-1 , a peroxide value of 2.465 meq. O2 kg-1 and a viscosity of 52.094 cP. The main fatty acids in the oil were linoleic acid (72.95%) followed by palmitic acid (11.43%) and oleic acid (10.00%). The oil showed desirable thermal and oxidative stability. A total of 19 volatile compounds, mostly aldehydes and alkenes, were identified from the oil. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the method is appropriate for the preparation of fragrant red pepper seed oil, and the oil is suitable for used as edible oil. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Improving the fermentation quality of wheat straw silage stored at low temperature by psychrotrophic lactic acid bacteria.

This study aimed to explore the feasible approaches to develop a silage production technique in regions with low temperatures. An effective low-temperature silage technology system was constructed and two frigostable Lactobacillus (L.) strains isolated from alpine pastures were selected and proved to be available for wheat straw silage at 5°C. The strains QZ227 and QZ887 were both identified as L. plantarum according to the phenotype, 16S rRNA, and RecA gene analysis. QZ227, QZ887 and a commercial inoculant FG1 consisting of L. plantarum were effective for improving the fermentation quality of wheat straws silage at 5°C for 30 days as indicated by the higher content of lactic acid and for 60 days by lower pH values, while the control with sterile water instead conferred reduced benefits. Additionally, silages fermented at low temperature proved to be acceptable for feeding livestock after being placed in a simulated environmental temperature of 20°C for 14 days to detect its edibility during the early spring when the temperature begins to rise. Both QZ227 and QZ887 showed potential applications of silage making in frigid areas and were effective inoculants in a low-temperature silage technology system.