Comparison of grain traits and genetic diversity between Chinese and Uruguayan soybeans (Glycine max L.).

Soybeans (Glycine max L.), originating in China, were introduced to South America in the late 19th century after passing through North America. South America is now a major soybean-producing region, accounting for approximately 40% of the global soybean production. Crops like soybeans gradually adapt to the local climate and human-selected conditions, resulting in beneficial variations during cultivation in different regions. Comparing the phenotypic and genetic variations in soybeans across different regions is crucial to determining the variations that may enhance soybean productivity. This study identified seed-related traits and conducted a genetic diversity analysis using 46 breeding soybean varieties from China and Uruguay. Compared to the Chinese soybean germplasm, the Uruguayan equivalent had a lower 100-grain weight, higher oil content, lower protein content, and higher soluble sugar content. Using ZDX1 gene chips, genetic typing was performed on the 46 breeding varieties. Cluster analysis based on SNP sites revealed significant differences in the genetic basis of Sino-Uruguayan soybean germplasm. Selection analysis, including nucleotide polymorphism (π) and fixation indexes (Fst), identified several genomic regions under selection between Sino-Uruguayan soybean germplasm. The selected intervals significantly enriched gene ontology (GO) terms related to protein metabolism. Additionally, differentiation occurred in genes associated with the oil content, seed weight, and cyst nematodes between Sino-Uruguayan soybean germplasm, such as GmbZIP123 and GmSSS1. These findings highlight the differences in seed-related phenotypes between Sino-Uruguay soybean germplasm and provide genomic-level insights into the mechanisms behind phenotypic differences, offering valuable references for understanding soybean evolution and molecular breeding.

Development of antimicrobial starch-based composite films reinforced with soybean expeller for sustainable active packaging applications.

In this study, the influence of glycerol and sonicated soybean expeller (SSE) on composite edible films supporting natamycin and nisin was investigated using Response Surface Methodology. Assessments were conducted on mechanical properties, moisture content, water solubility (SW), and color. Optimal results were achieved with 0.46% SSE and 1.4% glycerol, yielding a maximum tensile strength (TS) of 1.0 ± 0.1 MPa and a minimum SW of 19.0 ± 0.3%. SSE had no impact on Tg values (82-89 °C), while antimicrobials reduced Tg (70-73 °C) due to increased water retention. Water vapor permeability was (2.5 ± 0.2) × 10-9  -1 s-1 Pa-1. FTIR analysis revealed strong component interactions. The composite films demonstrated biodegradability in compost after seven days and effective action against Listeria innocua and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These findings suggest that these materials hold promise as active films for food preservation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01516-6.

Key co-expressed genes correlated with blood serum parameters of pigs fed with different fatty acid profile diets.

This study investigated how gene expression is affected by dietary fatty acids (FA) by using pigs as a reliable model for studying human diseases that involve lipid metabolism. This includes changes in FA composition in the liver, blood serum parameters and overall metabolic pathways. RNA-Seq data from 32 pigs were analyzed using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). Our aim was to identify changes in blood serum parameters and gene expression between diets containing 3% soybean oil (SOY3.0) and a standard pig production diet containing 1.5% soybean oil (SOY1.5). Significantly, both the SOY1.5 and SOY3.0 groups showed significant modules, with a higher number of co-expressed modules identified in the SOY3.0 group. Correlated modules and specific features were identified, including enriched terms and pathways such as the histone acetyltransferase complex, type I diabetes mellitus pathway, cholesterol metabolism, and metabolic pathways in SOY1.5, and pathways related to neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease in SOY3.0. The variation in co-expression observed for HDL in the groups analyzed suggests different regulatory patterns in response to the higher concentration of soybean oil. Key genes co-expressed with metabolic processes indicative of diseases such as Alzheimer's was also identified, as well as genes related to lipid transport and energy metabolism, including CCL5, PNISR, DEGS1. These findings are important for understanding the genetic and metabolic responses to dietary variation and contribute to the development of more precise nutritional strategies.

Identification of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Differentially Expressed Genes Favoring Soybean Meal Tolerance in Higher-Growth Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Genetic variability within the same fish species could confer soybean meal (SBM) tolerance in some individuals, thus favoring growth. This study investigates the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) favoring SBM tolerance in higher-growth zebrafish (Danio rerio). In a previous work, nineteen families of zebrafish were fed a fish meal diet (100FM control diet) or SBM-based diets supplemented with saponin (50SBM + 2SPN-experimental diet), from juvenile to adult stages. Individuals were selected from families with a genotype-by-environment interaction higher (170 ± 18 mg) or lower (76 ± 10 mg) weight gain on 50SBM + 2SPN in relation to 100FM. Intestinal transcriptomic analysis using RNA-seq revealed six hundred and sixty-five differentially expressed genes in higher-growth fish fed 50SBM + 2SPN diet. In this work, using these results, 47 SNPs in DEGs were selected. These SNPs were genotyped by Sequenom in 340 zebrafish that were fed with a 50SBM + 2SPN diet or with 100FM diet. Marker-trait analysis revealed 4 SNPs associated with growth in 3 immunity-related genes (aif1l, arid3c, and cst14b.2) in response to the 50SBM + 2SPN diet (p-value < 0.05). Two SNPs belonging to aif1l y arid3c produce a positive (+19 mg) and negative (-26 mg) effect on fish growth, respectively. These SNPs can be used as markers to improve the early selection of tolerant fish to SBM diet or other plant-based diets. These genes can be used as biomarkers to identify SNPs in commercial fish, thus contributing to the aquaculture sustainability.

Insights on the role of blocking agent on the properties of the lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus immobilized on heterofunctional support for hydroesterification reactions.

Here, we report a study of the effect of the blocking agent on the properties of the lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) immobilized on a heterofunctional support (Purolite C18-ethylnediamina (EDA)- vinyl sulfone (VS)-TLL-blocking agent) in different reactions. The performance of the biocatalysts was compared to those immobilized on standard hydrophobic support (Purolite C18-TLL) and the commercial one (TLL-IM). The nature of the blocking agent (Cys, Gly and Asp) altered the enzyme features. TLL-IM always gave a comparatively worse performance, with its specificity for the oil being very different to the Purolite biocatalysts. Under optimized conditions, Purolite C18-TLL yielded 97 % of hydrolysis conversion after 4 h using a water/waste cooking soybean oil (WCSO) mass ratio of 4.3, biocatalyst load of 6.5 wt% and a temperature of 44.2 °C (without buffer or emulsification agent). In esterification reactions of the purified free fatty acids (FFAs) obtained from WCSO, the best TLL biocatalysts depended on the utilized alcohol: linear amyl alcohol was preferred by Purolite C18-TLL and Purolite C18-EDA-VS-TLL-Gly, while higher activity was achieved utilizing isoamyl alcohol as nucleophile by Purolite C18-EDA-VS-TLL-Cys, Purolite C18-EDA-VS-TLL-Asp and IM-TLL as catalysts. All the results indicate the influence of the blocking step on the final biocatalyst features.

Dataset: Annotated soybean market news articles.

This dataset involves a collection of soybean market news through web scraping from a Brazilian website. The news articles gathered span from January 2015 to June 2023 and have undergone a labeling process to categorize them as relevant or non-relevant. The news labeling process was conducted under the guidance of an agricultural economics expert, who collaborated with a group of nine individuals. Ten parameters were considered to assist participants in the labeling process. The dataset comprises approximately 11,000 news articles and serves as a valuable resource for researchers interested in exploring trends in the soybean market. Importantly, this dataset can be utilized for tasks such as classification and natural language processing. It provides insights into labeled soybean market news and supports open science initiatives, facilitating further analysis within the research community.

First Report of Seed Decay Caused by Diaporthe ueckeri on soybean in Brazil.

A survey of Diaporthe/Phomopsis Complex (DPC) species was carried out on 479 asymptomatic soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) seed samples collected from commercial soybean fields in the states of Santa Catarina (20 counties) and Rio Grande do Sul (41 counties), in the 2020/21 (n=186), 2021/22 (n=138) and 2022/23 (n=155) seasons from 120 cultivars. The seeds were provided by seed producers who collected according to the sampling standard of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply. From each sample received, 200 symptomless seeds were randomly sorted out. The seeds were surface disinfected by immersion in a sodium hypochlorite solution (1%) for two minutes and placed on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). The plates were incubated for 7 days at 23°C with a photoperiod of 12-h. The average prevalence of 73.7% of DPC-infected seeds. Colonies were isolated by transferring mycelial tips to PDA and incubating for 14 days at 25ºC in a 12-h photoperiod. One colony (isolate MEMR0500) had morphological characteristics similar to those reported in Lopez-Cardona (2021). This isolate had a floccose, dense colony ranging from grayish beige to brown with greenish regions and black globose pycnidia (3 to 4 pycnidia/cm²). Alpha-conidia, 5.1 to 7.0 µm x 1.5 to 2.8 µm, were observed after 30 days and were hyaline, aseptate and fusiform (Figure S1). No beta-conidia were observed. Soybean plants of cultivars BMX Cromo IPRO, BMX Zeus IPRO, BRS 5804 RR, FPS 1867 IPRO and NEO 750 IPRO were tested for pathogenicity using the toothpick inoculation method (Siviero and Menten 1995). Non-colonized toothpicks served as a negative control. Plants were incubated for four days at 25°C and 90% relative humidity. Elongated 1.0 to 2.5 cm x 0.5 to 0.9 cm lesions gray-brown/reddish-brown with a depressed center were observed in all inoculated cultivars. The fungus was reisolated and the characteristics of the colonies were identical to those previously isolated. For molecular characterization, DNA was extracted from the mycelia using the CTAB method (Doyle and Doyle 1990). End-point PCR was performed using GoTaq® Flexi DNA Polymerase (Promega, USA) and primer pairs, ITS-4F/ITS-5, T2/Bt2b and EF1-728F/EF1-986R to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (Costamilan et al. 2008), ß-tubulin (TUB2) (Glass and Donaldson 1995), and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1) (Carbone and Kohn 1999) genes, respectively. The amplified fragments were sequenced and submitted to blast search (https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi) with the sequences available in GenBank. The fragment from ITS (accession number OR912979) showed 99.8% (549/582 bp) identity with Diaporthe ueckeri Udayanga & Castl. [as 'ueckerae'] [syn. D. miriciae R.G. Shivas, S.M. Thomps. & Y.P. Tan] isolate FAU656 (Ac. N. KJ590726). The sequence of TEF (Ac. N. PP372869) showed 99.7% (339/355 bp) identity with D. ueckeri FAU656 (Ac. N. KJ590747), and of TUB (Ac. N. PP372870) showed 98.9% (436/536 bp) identity with D. ueckeri FAU656 (Ac. N. KJ610881). A phylogenetic tree with amplified sequences of each gene and the corresponding representative sequences from the DPC was constructed in MEGA X (Kumar et al. 2018). The MEMR0500 isolate was clustered only with the D. ueckeri clade, confirming the identity of the fungus (Figure S2). In Brazil, this is the first report of the association of this pathogen with soybean seeds. In other countries, this pathogen has been identified as the causal agent of stem canker (Mena et al. 2020; Lopez-Cardona et al. 2021). Further research is needed to analyze the risk of this seed-associated pathogen.

Oviposition patterns of primary lepidopteran defoliators in soybean and the impact on structured refuge recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Transgenic Bt technology in soybean, with plants expressing Cry1Ac, has been adopted as an insect pest management tool. It was first adopted in large areas of South America and Asia in 2013. The risk of resistance in target pests to this technology demands insect resistance management (IRM) programs. In Brazil, a structured refuge (area of non-Bt soybean) planted adjacent to the Bt soybean crop has been an important IRM recommendation, particularly for the primary lepidopteran defoliators Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and Chrysodeixis includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The overall goal of this study was to validate IRM recommendations to Bt soybean. The objectives were to document the impact of soybean phenology, cultivar choice and non-Bt soybean defoliation on moth oviposition. In addition, a mark-release-recapture study estimated the dispersal capacity of these species. Five field experiments per species were performed for 3 years. RESULTS: Our results revealed an increase in A. gemmatalis and C. includens oviposition, respectively, on Bt plants as a consequence of the difference in plant growth stage at the time of oviposition. Defoliation of non-Bt plants significantly increased the oviposition preference of both moth species for Bt plants. The mark-release-recapture experiment indicated an average dispersal distance of ~300 m from the release point for A. gemmatalis, with maximum recapture at 1000 m. CONCLUSION: Overall, our findings emphasize the importance of planting synchronization of Bt soybean and the structured refuge. In addition, when operational aspects in large soybean areas challenge this recommendation, the priority should be for planting the refuge area first. This approach will minimize the impact of selective oviposition of A. gemmatalis and C. includens. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nutritional attributes and microbial metagenomic profile during solid-state fermentation of soybean meal inoculated with Lactobacillus acidophilus under non-sterile conditions.

BACKGROUND: Soybean meal (SBM) is used widely in animal feed but it contains anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) such as protease inhibitors - immunogenic proteins that limit its utilization. Fermentative processes could help to reduce these ANFs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional attributes, bacterial community dynamics, and microbial metagenomic profile during the solid-state fermentation of SBM using a strain of the bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus with or without pre-autoclaving treatment. RESULTS: Following fermentation, there was a reduction in the pH and a concurrent increase in the population of lactic acid bacteria. Fermentation also resulted in an increase in both crude and soluble protein levels. Trypsin inhibitor levels decreased after fermentation, particularly in fermented SBM that had not been pre-autoclaved, with an inactivation rate higher than 90%. Moreover, high-molecular-weight peptides (44-158 kDa), specifically some polypeptides from the soybean immunogen glycinin and ß-conglycinin, underwent degradation during the fermentation process. Bacterial community analysis revealed the dominance of the Lactobacillus genus in all samples, regardless of the treatments applied. Metagenomic profiling identified L. acidophilus as the dominant species in inoculated SBM, irrespective of whether pre-autoclaving was conducted or not. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the feasibility of solid-state fermentation with L. acidophilus under non-sterile conditions to inactivate trypsin inhibitor and increase protein concentration and hydrolysate immunogen proteins into low-molecular-weight peptides in SBM. Lactobacillus acidophilus inoculum also inhibited the growth of undesirable bacteria. This knowledge contributes to our understanding of the potential applications of solid-state fermentation with L. acidophilus in improving the nutritional quality of SBM. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties of Non-Isocyanate Polyhydroxyurethanes (NIPHUs) from Epoxidized Soybean Oil: Candidates for Wound Dressing Applications.

Only 0.1% of polyurethanes available on the market are from renewable sources. With increasing concern about climate change, the substitution of monomers derived from petrochemical sources and the application of eco-friendly synthesis processes is crucial for the development of biomaterials. Therefore, polyhydroxyurethanes have been utilized, as their synthesis route allows for the carbonation of vegetable oils with carbon dioxide and the substitution of isocyanates known for their high toxicity, carcinogenicity, and petrochemical origin. In this study, polyhydroxyurethanes were obtained from carbonated soybean oil in combination with two diamines, one that is aliphatic (1,4-butadiamine (putrescine)) and another that is cycloaliphatic (1,3-cyclohexanobis(methylamine)). Four polyhydroxyurethanes were obtained, showing stability in hydrolytic and oxidative media, thermal stability above 200 °C, tensile strength between 0.9 and 1.1 MPa, an elongation at break between 81 and 222%, a water absorption rate up 102%, and contact angles between 63.70 and 101.39. New formulations of bio-based NIPHUs can be developed with the inclusion of a cycloaliphatic diamine (CHM) for the improvement of mechanical properties, which represents a more sustainable process for obtaining NIPHUs with the physicochemical, mechanical, and thermal properties required for the preparation of wound dressings.

Water deficit response in nodulated soybean roots: a comprehensive transcriptome and translatome network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Soybean establishes a mutualistic interaction with nitrogen-fixing rhizobacteria, acquiring most of its nitrogen requirements through symbiotic nitrogen fixation. This crop is susceptible to water deficit; evidence suggests that its nodulation status-whether it is nodulated or not-can influence how it responds to water deficit. The translational control step of gene expression has proven relevant in plants subjected to water deficit. RESULTS: Here, we analyzed soybean roots' differential responses to water deficit at transcriptional, translational, and mixed (transcriptional + translational) levels. Thus, the transcriptome and translatome of four combined-treated soybean roots were analyzed. We found hormone metabolism-related genes among the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at the translatome level in nodulated and water-restricted plants. Also, weighted gene co-expression network analysis followed by differential expression analysis identified gene modules associated with nodulation and water deficit conditions. Protein-protein interaction network analysis was performed for subsets of mixed DEGs of the modules associated with the plant responses to nodulation, water deficit, or their combination. CONCLUSIONS: Our research reveals that the stand-out processes and pathways in the before-mentioned plant responses partially differ; terms related to glutathione metabolism and hormone signal transduction (2 C protein phosphatases) were associated with the response to water deficit, terms related to transmembrane transport, response to abscisic acid, pigment metabolic process were associated with the response to nodulation plus water deficit. Still, two processes were common: galactose metabolism and branched-chain amino acid catabolism. A comprehensive analysis of these processes could lead to identifying new sources of tolerance to drought in soybean.

Influence of Silver Nanoparticles on the Metabolites of Two Transgenic Soybean Varieties: An NMR-Based Metabolomics Approach.

This study investigated the effect of AgNPs and AgNO3, at concentrations equivalent, on the production of primary and secondary metabolites on transgenic soybean plants through an NMR-based metabolomics. The plants were cultivated in a germination chamber following three different treatments: T0 (addition of water), T1 (addition of AgNPs), and T2 (addition of AgNO3). Physiological characteristics, anatomical analyses through microscopic structures, and metabolic profile studies were carried out to establish the effect of abiotic stress on these parameters in soybean plants. Analysis of the 1H NMR spectra revealed the presence of amino acids, organic acids, sugars, and polyphenols. The metabolic profiles of plants with AgNP and AgNO3 were qualitatively similar to the metabolic profile of the control group, suggesting that the application of silver does not affect secondary metabolites. From the PCA, it was possible to differentiate the three treatments applied, mainly based on the content of fatty acids, pinitol, choline, and betaine.

Characterizing the differential susceptibility and resistance to insecticides in populations of Chrysodeixis includens and Rachiplusia nu (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Chrysodeixis includens (Walker) and Rachiplusia nu (Guenée) are major Plusiinae pests of soybean in the Southern Cone region of South America. In recent decades, C. includens was the main defoliator of soybean in Brazil, but from 2021 onwards, R. nu emerged as an important soybean pest in various regions of the country. Here, we characterize the differential susceptibility and resistance to insecticides in these Plusiinae pests from two soybean regions of Brazil. RESULTS: Except for spinetoram and chlorfenapyr (comparable lethality against both species) and a Bt-based biopesticide (more lethal for C. includens), the tested insecticides showed higher lethality against R. nu than against C. includens, but populations of the same species, even separated by long distances, presented similar resistance levels. For both species, the 90% lethal concentration (LC90) values of most insecticides were higher than the field-recommended dose. Nevertheless, the field-recommended doses of spinetoram, metaflumizone, emamectin benzoate, cyclaniliprole and chlorfenapyr showed comparable control efficacy against both species, whereas indoxacarb, chlorantraniliprole, flubendiamide, teflubenzuron and chlorfluazuron were more lethal for R. nu, and methoxyfenozide and the Bt-based insecticide were more lethal for C. includens. Thiodicarb, methomyl and lambda-cyhalothrin showed low lethality against both species. CONCLUSIONS: Large interspecific differences in the susceptibility to insecticides was found in major Plusiinae pests of soybean in Brazil. Furthermore, variations in susceptibility to insecticides occurred consistently among species and populations, regardless of the collection site and thus despite unequal temporal and spatial exposure to insecticides. These results demonstrate that accurate species identification is essential for effective control of Plusiinae in soybean. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Application of electronic nose and machine learning used to detect soybean gases under water stress and variability throughout the daytime.

The development of non-invasive methods and accessible tools for application to plant phenotyping is considered a breakthrough. This work presents the preliminary results using an electronic nose (E-Nose) and machine learning (ML) as affordable tools. An E-Nose is an electronic system used for smell global analysis, which emulates the human nose structure. The soybean (Glycine Max) was used to conduct this experiment under water stress. Commercial E-Nose was used, and a chamber was designed and built to conduct the measurement of the gas sample from the soybean. This experiment was conducted for 22 days, observing the stages of plant growth during this period. This chamber is embedded with relative humidity [RH (%)], temperature (°C), and CO2 concentration (ppm) sensors, as well as the natural light intensity, which was monitored. These systems allowed intermittent monitoring of each parameter to create a database. The soil used was the red-yellow dystrophic type and was covered to avoid evapotranspiration effects. The measurement with the electronic nose was done daily, during the morning and afternoon, and in two phenological situations of the plant (with the healthful soy irrigated with deionized water and underwater stress) until the growth V5 stage to obtain the plant gases emissions. Data mining techniques were used, through the software "Weka™" and the decision tree strategy. From the evaluation of the sensors database, a dynamic variation of plant respiration pattern was observed, with the two distinct behaviors observed in the morning (~9:30 am) and afternoon (3:30 pm). With the initial results obtained with the E-Nose signals and ML, it was possible to distinguish the two situations, i.e., the irrigated plant standard and underwater stress, the influence of the two periods of daylight, and influence of temporal variability of the weather. As a result of this investigation, a classifier was developed that, through a non-invasive analysis of gas samples, can accurately determine the absence of water in soybean plants with a rate of 94.4% accuracy. Future investigations should be carried out under controlled conditions that enable early detection of the stress level.

Nutritional Performance of Grazing Beef Cattle Supplemented with High-Protein Distillers' Dried Grain.

The objective was to evaluate the effects of including high-protein distillers dried grains (HP-DDG; 430 g/CP) in supplements for beef cattle in an intensive finishing pasture system. Five Nellore bulls with an average body weight (BW) of 413.5 ± 32 kg were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The animals were randomly allocated to Marandu palisade grass paddocks (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu), with 0.32 ha each. Protein-energy supplements were evaluated and formulated with different replacement levels (0, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 g/kg) of soybean meal (SBM) by HP-DDG. Supplements were offered once a day in the amount of 6.0 kg/animal. Replacing SBM with HP-DDG had no effect (p > 0.10) on the intake of total and pasture DM, OM, CP, NDFap, digestible organic matter (DOM), metabolizable protein and CP:DOM ratio. Total and pasture DM intake averaged 6.07 and 11.54 kg/day, respectively. Replacing SBM with HP-DDG reduces and increases, respectively, the intake of degradable (RDP) and undegradable (RUP) protein in the rumen (p < 0.10) with a consequent linear reduction in ruminal ammonia concentration (RAN), nitrogen excretion in urine and serum N concentration (SUN) (p < 0.10). In supplements offered in the amount of 6.0 kg animal/day, SBM can be completely replaced by HP-DDG.

Apparent metabolizable energy and ileal amino acid digestibility of commercial soybean meals of different origins in broilers.

We studied the chemical composition and the in vivo AMEn content and apparent (AID) and standardized (SID) ileal digestibility of CP and amino acids (AA) of 27 samples of soybean meals (SBM) from Argentina (ARG), Brazil (BRA), and USA, collected in Spain. On 88% DM basis, the BRA meals had more CP (46.9 vs. 46.0 and 45.9%; P < 0.05) and less sucrose (5.21 vs. 6.28 and 6.47%; P < 0.001) and stachyose (4.20 vs. 4.66 and 4.78%; P < 0.05) than the USA and ARG meals. Urease activity, protein dispersibility index, KOH protein solubility, and trypsin inhibitor activity values, were higher for the USA meals than for the South American meals (P < 0.05). In the in vivo trial, broilers received a common crumble diet from 0 to 16 d of age and then, their respective experimental diets (53% of a N-free diet and 47% of each of the 27 SBM tested) in mash form, for 5 d. The AMEn (2,334 vs. 2,282 and 2,277 kcal/kg; P = 0.062) and the AID (87.3 vs. 86.7 and 86.4%; P = 0.054) and SID (91.9 vs. 91.2 and 90.8%; P < 0.05) of the protein, were greater for the USA meals than for the ARG and BRA meals. In fact, the SID of Lys (93.5 vs. 93.0 and 92.1%; P < 0.001) and of the sum of Lys, Met, Thr, Trp, and Cys (91.4 vs. 91.0 and 90.2%; P < 0.05) were greater for the USA meals than for the ARG and BRA meals. In summary, the chemical composition, protein quality indicators, AMEn content, and ileal digestibility of the CP and the AA of the SBM, varied with the country of origin of the soybeans. In order to increase the accuracy of the feed formulation process, the composition and nutrient content of commercial batches of SBM, by country of origin should be controlled and periodically updated.

Characterization of anti-soybean agglutinin (SBA) IgY antibodies: a new strategy for neutralization of the detrimental biological activity of SBA.

Anti-soybean agglutinin (SBA) IgY was produced, and its potential to neutralize the haemagglutinating activity of SBA in vitro was tested. Thirty-five-week-old hens [treatment (n = 5) and control (n = 5)] were immunized with SBA or injected with saline 4 times every 15 days. Eggs were collected after the last immunization, and IgY was extracted using the polyethylene glycol (PEG) method. Serum anti-SBA IgY titres in immunized hens increased after the first immunization and reached a plateau between days 45 and 60. In contrast, specific IgY titres in the control group remained at basal levels throughout the evaluation. Average IgY titres were significantly higher in the treatment group on days 15, 30, 45, and 60. Total IgY content in the egg yolk extract was 38.7 ± 1.6 and 37.7 ± 1.5 mg/ml for the treatment and control groups, respectively. The specific anti-SBA IgY titer detected in the egg yolk extract was significantly higher (p < 0.001) for hens in the treatment group compared to the control group, with OD450nm values of 0.98 ± 0.05 and 0.058 ± 0.02, respectively. The specificity of anti-SBA IgY was confirmed by the Western blotting, and the inhibition of SBA-induced haemagglutination in vitro was compared with D-galactose, a known molecule that binds to SBA and blocks its binding to erythrocytes. The inhibition of SBA-induced haemagglutination by the anti-SBA IgY reached 512 units of haemagglutination inhibition (UHI), compared to 8 or 256 UHI, respectively, when IgY from control chickens or D-galactose was used. Thus, anti-SBA IgY antibodies were efficiently produced in large quantities and effectively inhibited SBA-induced haemagglutination in vitro.

Growth Performance and Immunity of Broilers Fed Sorghum-Soybean Meal Diets Supplemented with Phytases and Β-Mannanases.

Most grains and vegetable feedstuffs used in commercial poultry feed contain phytates and polysaccharides-non-starchy chemical structures that are not degraded by digestive tract enzymes. Exogenous enzymes optimize the use of dietary ingredients. This study aimed to determine whether combining ß-mannanases (400 g/ton) and phytases in broiler sorghum-soybean diets could improve performance and immunity in broilers. Four diets were randomized in a 2 × 2 factorial design, with two phytase levels (500 or 1500 FTU/kg) and ß-mannanase supplementation (0-400 g/ton; 158 million units/kg minimum enzyme activity). Six replicate battery cages of 10 chicks were fed each diet ad libitum. To assess cellular and humoral immune responses, 10 birds per treatment were euthanized on day 21. Supplementation with ß-mannanase enzymes led to increased body weight and a higher feed conversion index (FCI) (p < 0.05). The phytase factor improved the FCI at 1500 FTU/kg (p < 0.05). Supplementation with ß-mannanases improved the immune response by increasing the IgA concentration in the duodenum (95%) and total serum immunoglobulins (p < 0.05). The morphometric index increased in all organs (p < 0.05), and the heterophile/lymphocyte ratio (HLR) decreased by 50% (p < 0.05). Supplementing broilers with ß-mannanases in sorghum-soybean meal diets with phytases improved their performance and immunity.

Measurement of elements by portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometry for the study of adsorption processes: the case of Pb2+adsorption on soybean straw biochar.

This study evaluated the reliability of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) in Pb2+adsorption kinetics and isotherm experiments using soybean straw biochar. The research aimed to compare pXRF results with those obtained through traditional atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Soybean straw biochar, produced at 400 °C, was employed as the adsorbent for Pb2+. The efficiency of adsorption was assessed using Langmuir and Freundlich models. The kinetics of Pb2+adsorption was analysed through pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models. The pseudo-second-order model described the kinetics of Pb2+adsorption on biochar better than the pseudo-first order model. Importantly, the pXRF technique demonstrated comparable results to those of AAS, making it a reliable and resource-efficient method for studying Pb2+kinetics. The results of the isotherm analyses fit the Langmuir model, indicating a desirable and irreversible adsorption of Pb2+on biochar. PXRF measurements on biochar allowed simultaneous observations of Pb2+adsorption and K+and Ca2+desorption, highlighting ionic exchange as the primary adsorption mechanism. In conclusion, our results showcased the applicability of pXRF for Pb+2adsorption studies in biochars, offering a valuable alternative to traditional methods. The findings contribute to the understanding of biochar as an effective adsorbent for heavy metals, emphasizing the potential of pXRF for cost-effective and efficient environmental research. In this study, we present a novel and detailed procedure that will allow other researchers to continue their studies on Pb2+adsorption on biochar or similar matrices, significantly reducing the resources and time used and enabling the simultaneous study of the behavior of other ions participating in the process.

Changes in primary metabolite content may affect thrips feeding preference in soybean crops.

Past research has characterized the induction of plant defenses in response to chewing insect damage. However, little is known about plant responses to piercing-sucking insects that feed on plant cell-contents like thrips (Caliothrips phaseoli). In this study, we used NMR spectroscopy to measure metabolite changes in response to six days of thrips damage from two field-grown soybean cultivars (cv.), known for their different susceptibility to Caliothrips phaseoli. We observed that thrips damage reduces sucrose concentration in both cultivars, while pinitol, the most abundant leaf soluble carbohydrate, is induced in cv. Charata but not in cv. Williams. Thrips did not show preference for leaves where sucrose or pinitol were externally added, at tested concentration. In addition, we also noted that cv. Charata was less naturally colonized and contained higher levels of trigonelline, tyrosine as well as several compounds that we have not yet identified. We have established that preference-feeding clues are not dependent on the plants major soluble carbohydrates but may depend on other types of compounds or leaf physical characteristics.