Monitoring the Quality Parameters of Mango Juices Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

The current study looks into the characterization and differentiation of mango juices that are sold commercially using fluorescence spectroscopy. The emission spectra displayed well-defined and prominent peaks that suggested the existence of many fluorophores, such as water content, ß-carotene, tartrazine food color, and chlorophyll components. For this study, water and yellow food coloring solution, the two most popular adulterants were added to pure and authenticated mango pulp that had been diluted to an 8% concentration. The fluorophore profile of the samples was ascertained by using multivariate analysis (principal component analysis) in conjunction with fluorescence spectroscopy. The findings showed that the existence of water content is directly correlated with the spectral bands at 444 and 467 nm, and for food color at 580 nm thus the best indicators to detect adulteration of high water contents and food color. Chlorophyll and ß-carotene intensities varied among juices, acting as a discriminant marker to distinguish between those with unripened pulp (high chlorophyll intensity) and those with more water and other pigments (lower chlorophyll and ß-carotene intensities). With fluorescence emission spectroscopy, qualitative assessment of mango juice can be quickly determined by spectral features, providing details on composition and quality.

Generating large-scale real-world vehicle routing dataset with novel spatial data extraction tool.

This study delves into the critical need for generating real-world compatible data to support the application of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) in vehicle routing. Despite the advancements in DRL algorithms, their practical implementation in vehicle routing is hindered by the scarcity of appropriate real-world datasets. Existing methodologies often rely on simplistic distance metrics, failing to accurately capture the complexities inherent in real-world routing scenarios. To address this challenge, we present a novel approach for generating real-world compatible data tailored explicitly for DRL-based vehicle routing models. Our methodology centers on the development of a spatial data extraction and curation tool adept at extracting geocoded locations from diverse urban environments, encompassing both planned and unplanned areas. Leveraging advanced techniques, the tool refines location data, accounting for unique characteristics of urban environments. Furthermore, it integrates specialized distance metrics and location demands to construct vehicle routing graphs that represent real-world conditions. Through comprehensive experimentation on varied real-world testbeds, our approach showcases its efficacy in producing datasets closely aligned with the requirements of DRL-based vehicle routing models. It's worth mentioning that this dataset is structured as a graph containing location, distance, and demand information, with each graph stored independently to facilitate efficient access and manipulation. The findings underscore the adaptability and reliability of our methodology in tackling the intricacies of real-world routing challenges. This research marks a significant stride towards enabling the practical application of DRL techniques in addressing real-world vehicle routing problems.

Fingerprinting of Octane Rating Gasoline and its Contaminants Using Synchronous Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

Fuel fraud has proliferated due to underlying economic advantage in nearly every nation. For the purpose of detecting adulteration and providing real-time quality assurance, non-destructive oil analysis is crucial. This paper reports the simple approach for fingerprinting undiluted petroleum products including gasoline from various brands, diesel, and kerosene oil in comparison with organic solvents using synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis. Fluorescence-based successful detection of adulterated samples is demonstrated in imported RON 92 gasoline, synthetically adulterated with kerosene oil (KO) in proportions up to 70%. Compared to gasoline, kerosene oil has a lower relative poly aromatic hydrocarbons, as the amount of kerosene oil (KO) increases, the KO peak at 352 nm rises, but the gasoline's peak intensity decreases in the range of 371-500 nm. It is noteworthy that imported fuel grades RON 92 and RON 95 are comparable to each other and surprisingly clustered with RON 91 from the Attock refinery presenting concerns about quality. Similarly, the Shell website mentions that Shell V-Power is RON 99 but interestingly it clusters with retail fuel samples acquired from PSO filling stations and PSO RON 95 showing disagreement with the claim that the fuel is high octane. Another use for this technique in oil exploration was the detection of adulterants and successfully spotted methanol, ethanol, and kerosene oil in the tainted samples. These findings suggest SFS as an accurate, and low-cost testing tool for gasoline fingerprinting and contamination screening.

Insights into measles virus: Serological surveillance and molecular characterization.

BACKGROUND: Measles has been a significant public health concern in Pakistan, especially in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, where sporadic and silent epidemics continue to challenge existing control measures. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and investigate the molecular epidemiology of the measles virus (MeV) in KPK and explore the vaccination status among the suspected individuals. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and October 2021. A total of 336 suspected measles cases from the study population were analyzed for IgM antibodies using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Throat swabs were randomly collected from a subset of positive cases for molecular analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of MeV isolates was performed using the neighbor-joining method. The vaccination status of individuals was also recorded. RESULTS: Among the suspected participants, 61.0% (205/336) were ELISA positive for IgM antibodies, with a higher prevalence in males (64.17%) compared to females (57.04%). The majority of cases (36.0%) were observed in infants and toddlers, consistent with previous reports. The majority of IgM-positive cases (71.7%) had not received any dose of measles vaccine, highlighting gaps in vaccine coverage and the need for improved immunization programs. Genetic analysis revealed that all MeV isolates belonged to the B3 genotype, with minor genetic variations from previously reported variants in the region. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insights into the genetic epidemiology of the MeV in KPK, Pakistan. The high incidence of measles infection among unvaccinated individuals highlights the urgency of raising awareness about vaccine importance and strengthening routine immunization programs.

Multivalent Sulfur Vacancy-Rich NiCo2 S4 @MnO2 Urchin-Like Heterostructures for Ambient Electrochemical N2 Reduction to NH3.

Innovative advances in the exploitation of effective electrocatalytic materials for the reduction of nitrogen (N2 ) to ammonia (NH3 ) are highly required for the sustainable production of fertilizers and zero-carbon emission fuel. In order to achieve zero-carbon footprints and renewable NH3 production, electrochemical N2 reduction reaction (NRR) provides a favorable energy-saving alternative but it requires more active, efficient, and selective catalysts. In current work, sulfur vacancy (Sv)-rich NiCo2 S4 @MnO2 heterostructures are efficaciously fabricated via a facile hydrothermal approach followed by heat treatment. The urchin-like Sv-NiCo2 S4 @MnO2 heterostructures serve as cathodes, which demonstrate an optimal NH3 yield of 57.31 µg h-1  mgcat -1 and Faradaic efficiency of 20.55% at -0.2 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in basic electrolyte owing to the synergistic interactions between Sv-NiCo2 S4 and MnO2 . Density functional theory (DFT) simulation further verifies that Co-sites of urchin-like Sv-NiCo2 S4 @MnO2 heterostructures are beneficial to lowering the energy threshold for N2 adsorption and successive protonation. Distinctive micro/nano-architectures exhibit high NRR electrocatalytic activities that might motivate researchers to explore and concentrate on the development of heterostructures for ambient electrocatalytic NH3 generation.

Melatonin-Induced Stress Enhanced Biomass and Production of High-Value Secondary Cell Products in Submerged Adventitious Root Cultures of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.).

Stress is one of the important factors that directly or indirectly affects the plant architecture, biochemical pathways, and growth and development. Melatonin (MEL) is an important stress hormone; however, the exogenous addition of melatonin to culture media stimulates the defense mechanism and releases higher quantities of secondary metabolites. In this study, submerged adventitious root cultures (SARCs) of diabetically important Stevia rebaudiana were exposed to variable concentrations (0.5-5.0 mg/L) of MEL in combination with 0.5 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) to investigate the biomass accumulation during growth kinetics with 07 days intervals for a period of 56 days. The effects of exogenous MEL on the biosynthesis of stevioside (Stev.), total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), total phenolics production (TPP), total flavonoids production (TFP), total polyphenolics content (TPPC), fresh and dry weight (FW & DW), and antioxidant potential were also studied. Most of the SARCs displayed lag, exponential, stationary, and decline phases with variable biomass accumulation. The maximum fresh (236.54 g/L) and dry biomass (28.64 g/L) was observed in SARCs exposed to 3.0 mg/L MEL and 0.5 mg/L NAA. The same combination of MEL and NAA also enhanced the accumulation of TPC (18.96 mg/g-DW), TFC (6.33 mg/g-DW), TPP (271.51 mg/L), TFP (90.64 mg/L), and TPPC (25.29 mg/g-DW). Similarly, the highest stevioside biosynthesis (91.45 mg/g-DW) and antioxidant potential (86.15%) were observed in SARCs exposed to 3.0 mg/L MEL and NAA. Moreover, a strong correlation was observed between the biomass and the contents of phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidants, and stevioside. These results suggest that MEL is one of multidimensional stress hormones that modulate the biosynthetic pathways to release higher quantities of metabolites of interest for various industrial applications.

PEO-Based Solid Composite Polymer Electrolyte for High Capacity Retention All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Battery.

The limited ionic conductivity at room temperature and the constrained electrochemical window of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) pose significant obstacles that hinder its broader utilization in high-energy-density lithium metal batteries. The garnet-type material Li6.4 La3 Zr1.4 Ta0.6 O12 (LLZTO) is recognized as a highly promising active filler for enhancing the performance of PEO-based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). However, its performance is still limited by its high interfacial resistance. In this study, a novel hybrid filler-designed SPE is employed to achieve excellent electrochemical performance for both the lithium metal anode and the LiFePO4 cathode. The solid composite membrane containing hybrid fillers achieves a maximum ionic conductivity of 1.9 × 10-4 S cm-1 and a Li+ transference number of 0.67 at 40 °C, respectively. Additionally, the Li/Li symmetric cells demonstrate a smooth and stable process for 2000 h at a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2 . Furthermore, the LiFePO4 /Li battery delivers a high-rate capacity of 159.2 mAh g-1 at 1 C, along with a capacity retention of 95.2% after 400 cycles. These results validate that employing a composite of both active and inactive fillers is an effective strategy for achieving superior performance in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries (ASSLMBs).

Overcoming taxonomic challenges in DNA barcoding for improvement of identification and preservation of clariid catfish species.

DNA barcoding without assessing reliability and validity causes taxonomic errors of species identification, which is responsible for disruptions of their conservation and aquaculture industry. Although DNA barcoding facilitates molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of species, its availability in clariid catfish lineage remains uncertain. In this study, DNA barcoding was developed and validated for clariid catfish. 2,970 barcode sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) genes and D-loop sequences were analyzed for 37 clariid catfish species. The highest intraspecific nearest neighbor distances were 85.47%, 98.03%, and 89.10% for COI, Cytb, and D-loop sequences, respectively. This suggests that the Cytb gene is the most appropriate for identifying clariid catfish and can serve as a standard region for DNA barcoding. A positive barcoding gap between interspecific and intraspecific sequence divergence was observed in the Cytb dataset but not in the COI and D-loop datasets. Intraspecific variation was typically less than 4.4%, whereas interspecific variation was generally more than 66.9%. However, a species complex was detected in walking catfish and significant intraspecific sequence divergence was observed in North African catfish. These findings suggest the need to focus on developing a DNA barcoding system for classifying clariid catfish properly and to validate its efficacy for a wider range of clariid catfish. With an enriched database of multiple sequences from a target species and its genus, species identification can be more accurate and biodiversity assessment of the species can be facilitated.

Antibacterial Efficacy of Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles Using Salvia nubicola Extract against Ralstonia solanacearum, the Causal Agent of Vascular Wilt of Tomato.

Ralstonia solanacearum is a phytopathogen causing bacterial wilt diseases of tomato and affecting its productivity, which leads to prominent economic losses annually. As an alternative to conventional pesticides, green synthesized nanoparticles are believed to possess strong antibacterial activities besides being cheap and ecofriendly. Here, we present the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Sn-AgNPs) from medicinally important aqueous plant extracts of Salvia nubicola. Characterization of biologically synthesized nanoparticles was performed through UV-vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis. The antibacterial activity of the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles was tested against the phytopathogen R. solanacearum through in vitro experiments. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of the plant extracts revealed the presence of substantial amounts of flavonoids (57.08 mg GAE/g), phenolics (42.30 mg GAE/g), tannins, and terpenoids. The HPLC phenolic profile indicated the presence of 25 possible bioactive compounds. Results regarding green synthesized silver nanoparticles revealed the conformation of different functional groups through FTIR analysis, which could be responsible for the bioreduction and capping of Ag ions into silver NPs. TEM results revealed the spherical, crystalline shape of nanoparticles with the size in the range of 23-63 nm, which validates SEM results. Different concentrations of Sn-AgNPs (T1 (500 µg/mL) to T7 (78.1 µg/mL)) with a combination of plant extracts (PE-Sn-AgNPs) and plant extracts alone exhibited an efficient inhibition of R. solanacearum. These findings could be used as an effective alternative preparation against the bacterial wilt of tomato.

Electrospun composite nanofibers of deoxyribonucleic acid and polylactic acid for skincare applications.

The development of useful biomaterials has resulted in significant advances in various fields of science and technology. The demand for new biomaterial designs and manufacturing techniques continues to grow, with the goal of building a sustainable society. In this study, two types of DNA-cationic surfactant complexes were synthesized using commercially available deoxyribonucleic acid from herring sperm DNA (hsDNA, <50 bp) and deoxyribonucleic acid from salmon testes DNA (stDNA, ~2000 bp). The DNA-surfactant complexes were blended with a polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer and electrospun to obtain nanofibers, and then copper nanoparticles were synthesized on nanofibrous webs. Scanning electron microscopic images showed that all nanofibers possessed uniform morphology. Interestingly, different diameters were observed depending on the base pairs in the DNA complex. Transmission electron microscopy showed uniform growth of copper nanoparticles on the nanofibers. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectra confirmed the uniform blending of both types of DNA complexes in PLA. Both stDNA- and hsDNA-derived nanofibers showed greater biocompatibility than native PLA nanofibers. Furthermore, they exerted significant antibacterial activity in the presence of copper nanoparticles. This study demonstrates that DNA is a potentially useful material to generate electrospun nanofibrous webs for use in biomedical sciences and technologies.

Unveiling the Antibiotic Susceptibility and Antimicrobial Potential of Bacteria from Human Breast Milk of Pakistani Women: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Human life quality and expectancy have increased dramatically over the past 5 decades because of improvements in nutrition and antibiotic's usage fighting against infectious diseases. Yet, it was soon revealed that the microbes adapted to develop resistance to any of the drugs that were used. Recently, there is great concern that commensal bacteria from food and the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals could act as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes. Methodology. This study was intended for evaluating the phenotypic antibiotic resistance/sensitivity profiles of probiotic bacteria from human breast milk and evaluating the inhibitory effect of the probiotic bacteria against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Results: The results point out that some of the isolated bacteria were resistant to diverse antibiotics including gentamycin, imipenem, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, and nalidixic acid. Susceptibility profile to certain antibiotics like vancomycin, tetracycline, ofloxacin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, rifampicin, and bacitracin was also observed. The antimicrobial qualities of cell-free supernatants of some probiotic bacteria inhibited the growth of indicator bacteria. Also, antimicrobial properties of the probiotic bacteria from the present study attributed to the production of organic acid, bacterial adhesion to hydrocarbons (BATH), salt aggregation, coaggregation with pathogens, and bacteriocin production. Some isolated bacteria from human milk displayed higher hydrophobicity in addition to intrinsic probiotic properties like Gram-positive classification, catalase-negative activity, resistance to gastric juice (pH 2), and bile salt (0.3%) concentration. Conclusion: This study has added to the data of the antibiotic and antimicrobial activity of some probiotic bacteria from some samples of Pakistani women breast milk. Probiotic bacteria are usually considered to decrease gastrointestinal tract diseases by adhering to the gut epithelial and reducing population of pathogens and in the case of Streptococcus lactarius MB622 and Streptococcus salivarius MB620 in terms of hydrophobicity and exclusion of indicator pathogenic strains.

Environmental and Socio-Cultural Factors Impacting the Unique Gene Pool Pattern of Mae Hong-Son Chicken.

Understanding the genetic diversity of domestic chicken breeds under the impact of socio-cultural and ecological dynamics is vital for the conservation of natural resources. Mae Hong Son chicken is a local breed of North Thai domestic chicken widely distributed in Mae Hong Son Province, Thailand; however, its genetic characterization, origin, and diversity remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the socio-cultural, environmental, and genetic aspects of the Mae Hong Son chicken breed and investigated its diversity and allelic gene pool. We genotyped 28 microsatellite markers and analyzed mitochondrial D-loop sequencing data to evaluate genetic diversity and assessed spatial habitat suitability using maximum entropy modeling. Sequence diversity analysis revealed a total of 188 genotyped alleles, with overall nucleotide diversity of 0.014 ± 0.007, indicating that the Mae Hong Son chicken population is genetically highly diverse, with 35 (M1-M35) haplotypes clustered into haplogroups A, B, E, and F, mostly in the North ecotype. Allelic gene pool patterns showed a unique DNA fingerprint of the Mae Hong Son chicken, as compared to other breeds and red junglefowl. A genetic introgression of some parts of the gene pool of red junglefowl and other indigenous breeds was identified in the Mae Hong Son chicken, supporting the hypothesis of the origin of the Mae Hong Son chicken. During domestication in the past 200-300 years after the crossing of indigenous chickens and red junglefowl, the Mae Hong Son chicken has adapted to the highland environment and played a significant socio-cultural role in the Northern Thai community. The unique genetic fingerprint of the Mae Hong Son chicken, retaining a high level of genetic variability that includes a dynamic demographic and domestication history, as well as a range of ecological factors, might reshape the adaptation of this breed under selective pressure.

Cadmium-induced impairment of spermatozoa development by reducing exosomal-MVBs secretion: a novel pathway.

Cadmium is a heavy environmental pollutant that presents a high risk to male-fertility and targets the different cellular and steroidogenic supporting germ cells networks during spermatogenesis. However, the mechanism accounting for its toxicity in multivesicular bodies (MVBs) biogenesis, and exosomal secretion associated with spermatozoa remains obscure. In the current study, the light and electron microscopy revealed that, the Sertoli cells perform a dynamic role with secretion of well-developed early endosomes (Ee) and MVBs pathway associated with spermatozoa during spermatogenesis. In addition, some apical blebs containing nano-scale exosomes located on the cell surface and after fragmentation nano-scale exosomes were directly linked with spermatozoa in the luminal compartment of seminiferous tubules, indicating normal spermatogenesis. Controversially, the cadmium treated group showed limited and deformed spermatozoa with damaging acromion process and mid-peace, and the cytoplasmic vacuolization of spermatids. After cadmium treatment, there is very limited biogenesis of MVBs inside the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells, and no obvious secretions of nano-scale exosomes interacted with spermatozoa. Interestingly, the cadmium treated group demonstrated relatively higher formation of autophagosomes and autolysosome, and the autophagosomes were enveloped by MVBs that later formed the amphisome which degraded by lysosomes, indicating the hypo-spermatogenesis. Moreover, cadmium declined the exosomal protein cluster of differentiation (CD63) and increased the autophagy-related proteins microtubule-associated light chain (LC3), sequestosome 1 (P62) and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) expression level were confirmed by Western blotting. These results provide rich information regarding how cadmium is capable of triggering impaired spermatozoa development during spermatogenesis by reduction of MVBs pathway through high activation of autophagic pathway. This study explores the toxicant effect of cadmium on nano-scale exosomes secretion interacting with spermatozoa.

Fluorescence Spectroscopy for the Assessment of Microbial Load in UVC Treated Water.

In this article, Fluorescence spectroscopy has been employed for the assessment of microbial load and it has been compared with the gold standard colony forming unit (CFU) and optical density (OD) methods. In order to develop a correlation between three characterization techniques, water samples of different microbial loads have been prepared by UVC disinfection method through an indigenously developed NUVWater sterilizer, which operates in close cycle flow configuration. A UV dose of 58.9 mJ/cm2 has been determined for 99.99% disinfection for a flow rate of 0.8 l/min. The water samples were excited at 270 nm which results in the tryptophan like fluorescence at 360 nm that decreases gradually with increase of UVC dose, indicating the bacterial degradation and it has been confirmed by OD and CFU methods. In addition, it has been proved that a close cycle water flow around UV lamp is imperative so that an appropriate dose must be delivered to microorganisms for an efficient disinfection. It has been found that due to the sensitive nature of Fluorescence spectroscopy, it yields immediate results, whereas, for CFU and OD methods, water samples needs to be inoculated for 24 h. Fluorescence spectroscopy, therefore, provide a fast, online, reliable and sensitive method for the monitoring of pathogenic quantification in drinking water.

Validation of conventional and synchronous fluorescence emission of potable water.

Water from filter plants and bottled water is generally safe to drink but regular quality monitoring of these facilities requires development of quick analytical technique to ensure public safety and health. This study presented the variation of two components in spectra of conventional fluorescence spectroscopy (CFS) and four components in synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS) to assess the quality of 25 water samples from different sources. Poor quality water either due to organic or inorganic contaminants presented high intensity fluorescence emission in the blue green region and low intensity water Raman peak unlike an intense water Raman peak originated from pure water when excited at 365 nm. Emission intensity in the blue green region and water Raman peak can be used as a marker for quick screening of water quality. Although few discrepancies were observed in CF spectra of samples with intense Raman peak but were found to be positive for bacterial contamination, thus questioning the sensitivity of CFS that needs to be addressed. Whereas, SFS presented highly selective and detailed picture of water contaminants emitting aromatic amino acid, fulvic and humic like fluorescence. It is suggested that the specificity of CFS can be enhanced by coupling it with SFS or use of multiple excitation wavelengths to target different fluorophores for water quality analysis.

Quality Analysis of Canola and Mustard Oil Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

The potential of Fluorescence spectroscopy has been utilized for the quality analysis of canola and mustard oil along with the effect of heating on their molecular composition has been investigated. Laser diode at 405 nm has been employed directly to oil surface to excite both oil type samples and their emission spectra has been recorded by an in-house developed Fluorosensor. The emission spectra of both oil types unveiled that they contain carotenoids, isomers of vitamin E and chlorophylls that exhibit their fluorescence at 525 and 675/720 nm, and these can be used as markers for their quality assurance. Fluorescence spectroscopy is a fast, reliable and non-destructive analytical technique for the quality assessment of both oil types. Moreover, the effect of temperature on their molecular composition has been investigated by heating them at 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 170, 180 and 200 °C, each sample for 30 min which was done because both oils are used for cooking and frying. On heating, the deterioration of carotenoids and isomers of vitamin E in both oil types occurred with an increase in the oxidised products. However, it was found that up to 150 °C, both oil types can be used safely for cooking/frying purpose where they do not lose much of their valuable ingredients and up to 180 °C for deep frying, both oils can be used with less deterioration and after that both deteriorated much due to rapid increase of the oxidized products. The portable Fluorosensor, therefore, proved as an excellent device for quality screening of edible oils based on carotenoids and vitamin E.

Thermal Effects on the Quality Parameters of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

Extra virgin olive oil is one of the superlative due to its health benefits. In this work, the Fluorescence spectra of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) from different olive growing regions of Pakistan and Al-Jouf region from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were obtained. The emission bands depicted relative intensity variations in all non-heated and heated EVOO samples. Prominent emission bands at 385, 400, 435 and 470 nm represent oxidized products of fatty acids, bands at 520 and 673 nm has been assigned to beta carotene and chlorophyll isomers respectively. All EVOO samples collected from Al-Jouf region, KSA and from Pakistan (Loralai Baluchistan, Barani Agricultural Research Institute, Chakwal and Morgha Biodiversity Park, Rawalpindi) regions showed thermal stability. Other EVOO samples from Chaman Baluchistan and one sample from wild specie (Baluchistan) bought directly from farmers showed denatured spectra even without heating. Chemical characteristics of all EVOO samples changed significantly at 200 °C. Relatively, EVOO samples from Al-Jouf showed more thermal stability which might be due to geographical distribution, environmental effects, genetic background and processing or storage conditions. These results demonstrated fluorescence spectroscopy as a quick, cost-effective and reliable approach to assess the quality and thermal stability of EVOO. These characteristics of fluorescence spectroscopy may lead to the development of portable device for the onsite monitoring of EVOO.

The Wheat Head Blight Pathogen Fusarium graminearum Can Recruit Collaborating Bacteria from Soil.

In nature, fungal endophytes often have facultative endohyphal bacteria (FEB). Can a model plant pathogenic fungus have them, and does it affect their phenotype? We constructed a growth system/microcosm to allow an F. graminearum isolate to grow through natural soil and then re-isolated it on a gentamicin-containing medium, allowing endohyphal growth of bacteria while killing other bacteria. F. graminearum PH-1 labelled with a His1mCherry gene staining the fungal nuclei fluorescent red was used to confirm the re-isolation of the fungus. Most new re-isolates contained about 10 16SrRNA genes per fungal mCherry gene determined by qPCR. The F. graminearum + FEB holobiont isolates containing the bacteria were sub-cultured several times, and their bacterial contents were stable. Sequencing the bacterial 16SrRNA gene from several Fg-FEB holobiont isolates revealed endophytic bacteria known to be capable of nitrogen fixation. We tested the pathogenicity of one common Fg-FEB holobiont association, F. graminearum + Stenatrophomonas maltophilia, and found increased pathogenicity. The 16SrRNA gene load per fungal His1mCherry gene inside the wheat stayed the same as previously found in vitro. Finally, strong evidence was found for Fg-S. maltophilia symbiotic nitrogen fixation benefitting the fungus.

Harnessing microbial multitrophic interactions for rhizosphere microbiome engineering.

The rhizosphere is a narrow and dynamic region of plant root-soil interfaces, and it's considered one of the most intricate and functionally active ecosystems on the Earth, which boosts plant health and alleviates the impact of biotic and abiotic stresses. Improving the key functions of the microbiome via engineering the rhizosphere microbiome is an emerging tool for improving plant growth, resilience, and soil-borne diseases. Recently, the advent of omics tools, gene-editing techniques, and sequencing technology has allowed us to unravel the entangled webs of plant-microbes interactions, enhancing plant fitness and tolerance to biotic and abiotic challenges. Plants secrete signaling compounds with low molecular weight into the rhizosphere, that engage various species to generate a massive deep complex array. The underlying principle governing the multitrophic interactions of the rhizosphere microbiome is yet unknown, however, some efforts have been made for disease management and agricultural sustainability. This review discussed the intra- and inter- microbe-microbe and microbe-animal interactions and their multifunctional roles in rhizosphere microbiome engineering for plant health and soil-borne disease management. Simultaneously, it investigates the significant impact of immunity utilizing PGPR and cover crop strategy in increasing rhizosphere microbiome functions for plant development and protection using omics techniques. The ecological engineering of rhizosphere plant interactions could be used as a potential alternative technology for plant growth improvement, sustainable disease control management, and increased production of economically significant crops.

Characterization of Corn Oil Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy.

In these studies, Fluorescence spectroscopy has been utilized for the characterization of pure and commercially available corn oil. The best excitation wavelength of 380 nm has been investigated, where maximum spectral information can be assessed. The emission spectra from pure and commercial corn oil samples disclosed that pure corn oil contained oleic acid, beta-carotenes, chlorophylls, isomers of vitamin E and traces of oxidized products which exhibit fluorescence at 406, 525, 675, 440 and 435/475 nm respectively. Whereas, commercial corn oils lack these valuable ingredients and only contain fats along with their primary and secondary oxidized products that emit a broad emission band centred at 440 nm. The study has also depicted that Fluorescence spectroscopy can even be used to select best quality corn oil among pure corn oil samples with different varieties and seed origins. In addition, the effect of temperature on the composition of pure and commercial corn oil samples have also been investigated by heating them at 100, 120,140, 160, 180 and 200 °C each sample for 30 min. This was done because corn oil is being used for cooking where it is generally heated up to 120 °C and for deep frying up to 180 °C. On heating, in pure corn oil, deterioration of Vitamin-E and beta-carotenes occurred with an increase in the oxidation products, whereas, in commercial oil samples, only the concentration of oxidation products increased. However, it was found that up to 140 °C, pure corn oil can be used safely for cooking purpose where it does not lose much of its valuable ingredients while in commercial corn oils, fat composition does not alter much up to 180 °C and after that oxidized products start to increase rapidly.