Geographic and longitudinal variations of anatomical characteristics and mechanical properties in three bamboo species naturally grown in Lombok Island, Indonesia.

The anatomical characteristics (fiber length and fiber area) and mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, compressive strength, tensile Young's modulus, and tensile strength) of Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa maculata, and Gigantochloa atter, naturally growing at four different sites in Lombok Island, Indonesia, were examined for evaluating geographic and longitudinal variations by mixed-effects modeling to effectively utilize bamboo culm resources for structural materials. We found geographic and longitudinal variations of bamboo culm properties in these three species. Based on the results, we concluded that, for utilization of bamboo culm as a structural material, variation of individual culm rather than site, and longitudinal variations should be considered for Bambusa species and G. atter, respectively.

Phosphasilazanes as Inhibitors for Respirable Fiber Fragments Formed during Burning of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Resins.

Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) exhibit additional hazards during and after burning due to respirable fragments of thermo-oxidatively decomposed carbon fibers. In this study, various phosphasilazanes are incorporated into the RTM 6 epoxy matrix of a CFRP to investigate their flame-retarding and fiber-protective properties via cone calorimetry. Residual carbon fibers are analyzed using SEM and EDX regarding their diameter and elemental composition of deposits. The decomposition process of phosphasilazanes is characterized by DIP-MS and infrared spectroscopy of char. Flame-retardant efficiency and mode of action are correlated with the chemical structure of the individual phosphasilazane and compared for neat resin and composite samples. Phosphasilazanes mainly acting in the condensed phase show beneficial fiber-protective and flame-retardant properties. Those with additional gas phase activity are less efficient. The phosphasilazanes degrade thermally via scission of the Si-N bond. The distribution and agglomeration of deposited particles, formed during the fire, influence the residual fiber diameters. Continuous layers show the best combination of flame retardancy and fiber protection, as observed for N-dimethylvinylsilyl-amidophosphorus diphenylester.

Growth and functional leaf traits of coppice regrowth of Bertholletia excelsa during an El Niño event in the central Amazon / Crescimento e características funcionais foliares de rebrotas de Bertholletia excelsa durante um evento de El Niño na Amazônia Central

The most severe drought of this century in the Amazon rainforest, which was caused by El Niño, occurred from 2015 to 2016. With a focus on the ecophysiology of the regrowth of the Brazil nut tree, Bertholletia excelsa, it was investigated how the progression of the drought of 2015-2016 affected the physiological traits of the coppice regrowth of B. excelsa. The experiment was carried out in a ten-year-old plantation of Brazil nut trees, which had been subjected to thinning and coppice regrowth two years earlier. In the sprouts grown on the stumps of cut trees, the following treatments were applied: (T1) thinning to one sprout per stump; (T2) thinning to two sprouts per stump, and (T3) maintenance of three sprouts per stump. Thinning treatments did not alter the growth and ecophysiological traits of the Brazil nut tree sprouts, though the phosphorus content of the leaves was higher in T1. However, the progression of the drought in 2015-2016 negatively affected the growth (height) and gas exchange of sprouts of all treatments. In addition, an increase of around 37% was observed in the intrinsic wateruse efficiency. Concerning photochemical performance, no alterations were observed. Therefore, drought stress promoted a negative effect on sprout growth and affected traits related to the photosynthesis of the B. excelsa sprouts independently of the number of sprouts per stump.(AU)

A seca mais severa deste século na floresta amazônica, causada por El Niño, ocorreu de 2015 a 2016. Com foco na ecofisiologia da rebrota da castanheira da Amazônia, foi investigado como a progressão da seca de 2015-2016 afetou as características fisiológicas das rebrotas de uma talhadia de B. excelsa. O experimento foi realizado em uma plantação de castanheiras com dez anos, a qual havia sido submetida a um desbaste e rebrota de talhadia dois anos antes. Nas rebrotas crescidas sobre os tocos das árvores cortadas foram aplicados os seguintes tratamentos: (T1) desbrota para manter um broto por cepa; (T2) desbrota para manter dois brotos por cepa; e (T3) manutenção de três brotos por cepa. Os tratamentos de desbrota não alteraram o crescimento e as características ecofisiológicas dos brotos da castanheira, exceto para o teor foliar de fósforo, que foi maior em T1. Porém, a progressão da seca em 2015-2016 afetou negativamente o crescimento em altura e as trocas gasosas dos brotos de todos os tratamentos. Além disso, foi observado um aumento de cerca de 37% na eficiência intrínseca do uso da água. Quanto ao desempenho fotoquímico, não foram observadas alterações. Portanto, o estresse hídrico promoveu efeito negativo no crescimento da brotação e afetou características relacionadas à fotossíntese das brotações de B. excelsa, independentemente do número de brotações por cepa.(AU)

Applying meta-data of soybean grain in origin trace and quarantine inspection.

Soybean and derived products are among the most important food for both humans and animals. China is the world's largest importer of soybeans, with more than 100 million tons of annual imports, mainly from the United States of America (US), Brazil, and Argentina. However, there have been limited studies on the microbiota associated with imported soybean grains. Here, we reveal the soybean microbiota using amplicon sequencing based on samples from four countries on three continents of North America (US), South America (Argentina, Brazil), and Asia (China). Our results showed that the soybean-associated microbiota from different continents significantly separated, presenting strong geographic variations. The core microbial taxa and geographically specified taxa were defined, with Alternaria, Enterobacter, Plectosphaerella, Stenotrophomanas, and Xeromyces defined as the core microbiota for soybean from Asia; Amanita, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Nigrospora, Herbiconiux, Pseudomonas, Saccharopolyspora, and Schumannella from North America; and Bradyrhizobium, Colletotrichum, Filobasidium, Phialosimplex, Mycosphaerella, Septoria, Sphingomonas, and Weissalla, from South America. In addition, we build the Random Forest (RF) model to predict the source of imported soybean grains. We could accurately predict the original countries of imported soybean grains within the RF prediction models, with accuracies greater than 95 %. We constructed a database of soybean-related quarantine pathogens using full-length sequences of fungal ITS region and bacterial 16S rDNA region. Two phytopathogenic fungi, Diaporthe caulivora and Cladosporium cucumerinum, listed in the Chinese quarantine catalog, were intercepted through metabarcoding sequencing. The former was further confirmed using an available national standard protocol of qPCR diagnosis. In summary, our NGS-based approach revealed the microbiota associated with soybeans. It could provide comprehensive information and valuable method on the trace the origin of soybean and detection of quarantine pathogens at Customs and departments of inspection and quarantine.

Energetic and atomic structural analyses of the screw dislocation absorption at tilt grain boundaries in BCC-Fe.

The dislocation-grain boundary (GB) interaction plays an important role in GB-related plasticity. Therefore, an atomistic investigation of the interaction provides a deeper understanding of the strength and fracture of polycrystalline metals. In this study, we investigated the absorption of a screw dislocation with a Burgers vector perpendicular to the GB normal and the corresponding symmetric tilt grain boundaries (STGBs) in BCC-Fe based on molecular static simulations focusing on the STGB-dislocation interaction energy and atomistic structural changes at GB. The STGB-screw dislocation interaction depends on the energetical stability of the STGB against the GB shift along the Burgers vector direction. When the interaction exhibited a large attractive interaction energy, the dislocation dissociation and the GB shift along the Burgers vector direction occurred simultaneously. The interaction energy reveals that the interaction depends on the energetical stability of the STGB in terms of the GB shift in addition to the geometrical descriptor of the GB type, such as the Σ value. The same behavior was also obtained in the reaction when the second dislocation was introduced. We also discuss the screw dislocation absorption and rearrangement of the GB atomistic structure in STGB from an energetic viewpoint.

Improved DNA extraction on bamboo paper and cotton is tightly correlated with their crystallinity and hygroscopicity.

DNA extraction, a vital pre-requisite for most biological studies, continues to be studied extensively. According to some studies, DNA shows a certain degree of absorbability on filter paper made of plant fiber-based adsorbent material. However, the principle underlying such specific adsorption as well as plant species associated with plant fiber-based adsorbents and optimized extraction conditions have not yet been studied. This study demonstrates the tight correlation between crystallinity and hygroscopicity in plant fiber-based adsorbents used for DNA extraction and proposes the concept of DNA adsorption on plant fiber-based adsorbents, for the first time. We also explored optimal extracting and eluting conditions and developed a novel plant fiber-based DNA extraction method that was quadruple times more powerful than current approaches. Starting with the screening of various types of earthed plant fiber-based adsorbents, we went on to mine new plant fiber-based adsorbents, bamboo paper and degreased cotton, and succeeded in increasing their efficiency of DNA extraction to 4.2 times than that of current approaches. We found a very strong correlation between the crystallinity and hygroscopicity of plant fiber-based adsorbents which showed efficiency for DNA extraction, and thus propose a principle that potentially governs such specific adsorption processes, in the hope that this information may guide related multidisciplinary research studies in the future. Nanodrop, electrophoresis and PCR were selected to demonstrate the quantity, quality, integrity and utility of the extracted DNA. Furthermore, crystallinity, hygroscopicity, pore size distribution and composition of plant fiber-based adsorbents were studied to explore their correlation in an attempt to understand the principle underlying this particular type of adsorption. The findings of this study may be further extended to the extraction of other types of nucleic acids with similar biochemical properties.

Estimating Genetic Analysis Using Half Diallel Cross Underlying Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) Fibre Yield in Tropical Climates.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a natural fibre crop that can be used for a variety of purposes and has various applications in industry. Despite this, its potential has not been fully exploited because of low yields and a narrow genetic base, limiting hybrids' development. Based on this background, eight kenaf mutants and one commercial cultivar were selected and crossed in a half-diallel for general and specific combining abilities (GCA and SCA) to get the desired results done in this investigation. The 36 hybrid offspring and their parental lines were tested in the field over two environments. Diallel results based on Griffing B method 2 indicated significant differences for all characters studied except for GCA in top diameter and plant height and top diameter SCA, indicating the existence of both additive and nonadditive gene actions for the inheritance of the traits. The amplitude of GCA variation was much higher than that of SCA variation for all parameters except top diameter and node number, showing the additive gene's prevalence and the likelihood of genetic advancement through selection. In both conditions, Hayman and Jinks graphical studies demonstrated that partial dominance controlled various fibre yield component parameters such as plant height, middle diameter, stick weight, and fibre weight. On the other hand, fibre yield and the majority of physical features indicated either dominance or overdominance gene action. Plant height, base diameter, core diameter, middle diameter, fresh stem weight, and stick weight all strongly positively correlated with fibre yield. These traits also had a higher proportion of additive effects, a moderate narrow-sense heritability, and a higher baker ratio, indicating successful indirect selection for fibre yield. The parents P1, P3, and P4 had the most dominant alleles for most of the features, while the parents P2, P7, and P9 had the most recessive alleles. The hybrids P1 × P4, P1 × P9, P2 × P3, P2 × P5, P4 × P6, P4 × P7, P4 × P9, P5 × P8, and P7 × P9 outperformed the parents in terms of heterotic responses and showed that they have a lot of genetic potential for kenaf enhancement in tropical climates.

Biorational Control of Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Buchidae) in Stored Grains with Botanical Extracts.

Globally, around 2000 plant species are used against pest control. The utilization of botanicals is considered the most economic and biodegradable methods for the control of stored grains pests. Therefore, the current study was carried out to investigate the repellency potential of five botanicals against Callosbruchus maculatus F. in Haripur, Pakistan. The concentrations of Azadirachta indica L., Nicotiana tabacum L., Melia azedarach L., Nicotiana rustica L., and Thuja orientalis L. were, i.e., 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0% in four replicates to establish contact effects. The data were recorded after 1, 2, 3, 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. The repellency effect of these plant species against C. maculatus were increased in both the time- and dose-dependent manner, and highest effect was observed at 72 h. In addition, the repellency effect was 91% for A. indica (class: V), 86% M. azedarach, 82%, N. tabacum (class: V), 79% N. rustica (class: IV), and 75% T. orientalis (class: IV) at 3% concentration against C. maculatus. Furthermore, following 96 hours' exposure to treatment the sensitivity response of insects decreases as the time interval increases, i.e., 86% A. indica (class: V) was followed by 71% M. azedarach (class: IV), 65% N. tabacum (class: IV), 61% N. rustica (class: IV), and T. orientalis 57% (class: III) repellency at highest concentration of 3%. The current study concluded that A. indica and M. azedarach can be incorporated for the management of C. maculatus and these plant species might be helpful in the productions of new biopesticides.

The response of grain yield and ear differentiation related traits to nitrogen levels in maize varieties with different nitrogen efficiency.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most widely distributed and important crops in China. Maize ear differentiation plays an important role grain yield formation. However, it is unclear if ear and root morphophysiology status affects yield formation by altering ear differentiation and development under different nitrogen (N) conditions. The aim of this study is to understand how the ear differentiation and development are affected by ear and root morphophysiology traits, as affected by the N rate. The experiment consisted of two N rates: high nitrogen (180 kg ha-1), and low nitrogen (60 kg ha-1). Two N-efficient varieties (NEVs) and two N-inefficient varieties (NIVs) were grown in the field. The results showed higher nitrogen accumulation and grain yield in NEVs than in NIVs, which was mainly attributed to the increased N uptake by the larger root system under both N conditions. Under high N conditions, among ear differentiation-related traits, only FR was significantly positively correlated with grain yield, and NEVs ensure FR through higher N concentration and ZR content in ear at the fertilization stage. Under low N conditions, NEVs obtained higher FP, SR and FR through higher N concentration and IAA in ear at the early stage of ear differentiation, maintained lower AR and BTL by higher RA, R-ZR and E-ZR at the late stage of ear growth. These results suggest that NEVs have a more complex mechanism for obtaining higher grain yield under low N conditions than N sufficiency, and that phytohormones play an important role in this process.

Arsenic contents, speciation and bioaccessibility in rice grains from China: Regional and variety differences.

As the staple food for Asian countries and with its ability in arsenic accumulation, rice consumption becomes a dominant pathway for As exposure to humans. Here, we collected 108 rice samples from local markets and online sources in 13 major rice-producing regions in China, and determined As contents, speciation and bioaccessibility in the samples. Total As contents were 25-327 µg kg-1 (averaging 120), showing regional differences, with Hunan province being greater than other provinces at 180 vs 110. In rice grains, inorganic As was the dominant species, being 39.9-88.5 (61.1 %), but all being within the Chinese standard at 200 µg kg-1. Based on the modified physiologically-based extraction test (MPEBT), arsenic bioaccessibility in rice samples was 20.1-82.2 (52.3 %) in the gastric phase and 47.2-113 (81.2 %) in the intestinal phase. Strong positive correlation between total As and bioaccessible As suggested bioaccessible As was content-dependent. Based on the intestinal phase, the rice samples from northern region had lower As bioaccessibility than other regions (59.2 vs 83.2 %), and Japonica variety had lower As bioaccessibility than Indica variety (71.1 vs 83.1 %). This study suggests that rice from markets in China is safe, with their As contents and bioaccessibility showing regional and variety differences.

Valorization of brewer's spent grain by consecutive supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis.

The double effect of supercritical carbon dioxide, sc-CO2, in a biorefinery concept applied to brewer's spent grain (BSG) was assessed in this work. Extraction conditions to remove and valorize the lipophilic fraction were studied (20-40 MPa and 40-80 °C) obtaining a maximum yield of 5.70 ± 0.07 g/100 gBSG at 80 °C and 40 MPa. High pressures and temperatures resulted in higher content of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds, as well as higher antioxidant capacity. It was observed an improvement of the enzymatic hydrolysis yield by cellulase in the sc-CO2 treated BSG compared to the non-treated. This improvement could be partially attributed to the removal of the lipid fraction and to morphological changes of BSG after sc-CO2. Based on this double benefit, sc-CO2 can play an important role on biomass valorization.

Comprehensive identification of SWI/SNF complex subunits underpins deep eukaryotic ancestry and reveals new plant components.

Over millions of years, eukaryotes evolved from unicellular to multicellular organisms with increasingly complex genomes and sophisticated gene expression networks. Consequently, chromatin regulators evolved to support this increased complexity. The ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers of the SWI/SNF family are multiprotein complexes that modulate nucleosome positioning and appear under different configurations, which perform distinct functions. While the composition, architecture, and activity of these subclasses are well understood in a limited number of fungal and animal model organisms, the lack of comprehensive information in other eukaryotic organisms precludes the identification of a reliable evolutionary model of SWI/SNF complexes. Here, we performed a systematic analysis using 36 species from animal, fungal, and plant lineages to assess the conservation of known SWI/SNF subunits across eukaryotes. We identified evolutionary relationships that allowed us to propose the composition of a hypothetical ancestral SWI/SNF complex in the last eukaryotic common ancestor. This last common ancestor appears to have undergone several rounds of lineage-specific subunit gains and losses, shaping the current conformation of the known subclasses in animals and fungi. In addition, our results unravel a plant SWI/SNF complex, reminiscent of the animal BAF subclass, which incorporates a set of plant-specific subunits of still unknown function.

Changes of the main components, physicochemical properties of distiller's grains after extrusion processing with focus on modification mechanism.

Distiller's grains (DGs) possessed great potential utilization value due to their rich active ingredients. However, its utilization efficiency was limited by the large amount of lignocellulose components and water-insoluble proteins. In this work, single screw extrusion was applied to modify physicochemical properties of DGs. Results indicated that extruded distiller's grains (EDGs) exhibited the lower crude fiber content (26.01%), the higher soluble fiber (9.07%) and the smaller particle size when compared with those of Control, and subsequently achieving the increased bulk density, swelling capacity and water/oil holding capacity. The crude protein in EDGs decreased slightly, while the total amount of acid hydrolyzed amino acids showed a significant increase. Additionally, the looser, coarser and fragmentary microstructure of EDGs were observed. The main macromolecules in EDGs had been modified distinctly based on thermal analysis, crystallinity and functional groups analyses, while the possible schematic diagram was conducted to better understand the modification mechanism.

Fiber Preparation from Micronized Oat By-Products: Antioxidant Properties and Interactions between Bioactive Compounds.

This study aimed to investigate the possibility of utilizing oat by-products for fiber preparation. Oat husk (OH) and oat bran (OB) were micronized and used to prepare a novel product rich in fiber and with enhanced antioxidant properties. The basic chemical composition and phenolic acid profile were determined in OH and OB. The antioxidant properties of OH and OB were also analyzed. The type and strength of interactions between the biologically active compounds from their mixtures were characterized by an isobolographic analysis. The analyses showed that the sum of phenolic acids was higher in OH than in OB. Ferulic acid was dominant in both OH and OB; however, its content in OH was over sixfold higher than that in OB. The results also suggested that both OH and OB can be used for preparing fiber with enhanced antioxidant properties. The optimal composition of the preparation, with 60-70% of OH and 30-40% of OB, allows for obtaining a product with 60-70% fiber and enhanced antioxidant activity due to bioactive substances and their synergistic effect. The resulting product can be a valuable additive to various food and dietary supplements.

Digitized collections elucidate invasion history and patterns of awn polymorphism in Microstegium vimineum.

PREMISE: Digitized collections can help illuminate the mechanisms behind the establishment and spread of invasive plants. These databases provide a record of traits in space and time that allows for investigation of abiotic and biotic factors that influence invasive species. METHODS: Over 1100 digitized herbarium records were examined to investigate the invasion history and trait variation of Microstegium vimineum. Presence-absence of awns was investigated to quantify geographic patterns of this polymorphic trait, which serves several functions in grasses, including diaspore burial and dispersal to germination sites. Floret traits were further quantified, and genomic analyses of contemporary samples were conducted to investigate the history of M. vimineum's introduction and spread into North America. RESULTS: Herbarium records revealed similar patterns of awn polymorphism in native and invaded ranges of M. vimineum, with awned forms predominating at higher latitudes and awnless forms at lower latitudes. Herbarium records and genomic data suggested initial introduction and spread of the awnless form in the southeastern United States, followed by a putative secondary invasion and spread of the awned form from eastern Pennsylvania. Awned forms have longer florets, and floret size varies significantly with latitude. There is evidence of a transition zone with short-awned specimens at mid-latitudes. Genomic analyses revealed two distinct clusters corresponding to awnless and awned forms, with evidence of admixture. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the power of herbarium data to elucidate the invasion history of a problematic weed in North America and, together with genomic data, reveal a possible key trait in introduction success: presence or absence of an awn.

Using an insulating fiber as the sampling probe and ionization substrate for ambient ionization-mass spectrometric analysis of volatile, semi-volatile, and polar analytes.

A sharp metal needle used as the ionization emitter in conventional atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry (MS) is usually required for analyte ionization through corona discharge (i.e., gas discharge). Nevertheless, we herein demonstrate that an insulating fiber (tip diameter: 10-60 µm; length: ~ 1 cm) made of glass or bamboo can function as an APCI-like ionization emitter. Although no direct electric contact is made on the fiber, the ionization of volatiles and semi-volatiles occurs when the fiber is placed close (~ 1 mm) to the inlet of the mass spectrometer. No analyte ion signals can be observed without placing the insulating fiber in front of the mass spectrometer. The generation of ion species mainly relies on the electric field provided by the mass spectrometer. Presumably, owing to the high electric field provided by the mass spectrometer, the dielectric breakdown voltages of gas molecules in the air and the fiber are overcome, leading to the ionization of analytes in gas phase. In addition, the insulating fiber can function as a holder for sample solutions. Electrospray ionization-like processes derived from polar analytes such as amino acids, peptides, and proteins can readily occur when the insulating fiber deposited with a sample droplet is placed close to the inlet of the mass spectrometer. The feasibility of using the current approach for the detection of nonpolar and polar analytes from complex fetal bovine serum samples without tedious sample pretreatment is demonstrated in this work. The main advantage of using the suggested fiber is that the fiber can be used as the sampling probe to pick up samples and placed in front of a mass spectrometer for direct MS analysis. The application of using a robust, insulating, and disposable probe to pick up samples from real samples such as onion, honey, and pork samples followed by direct MS analysis is also demonstrated.

Assessing environmental thresholds in relation to plant structure and nutritional value for improved maize calendar ensuring food security.

The environment has been continuously changed, and it's a bitter truth that we can't minimize anthropogenic activities to mitigate harmful impacts on the environment. The changing environment is a great threat to food security by affecting crop yields. However, there is no comprehensive study to assess the environmental impact on the nutritional quality of the crops. In this study, we have investigated the nutritional profile and yield of maize crops around the globe and synchronized the findings with physiological reasoning. The study enlightens the time-scale activities of maize plant enzymes and describes their response to changing environments. The study also explained time-scale-based changes in the physiological conditions of maize crops against environmental dynamics around the globe. It also detected the impact of climate change on the deterioration of the nutritional quality of maize. The current study reports the activities of three different enzyme classes. It was noted that the photosynthesis-related enzyme activities were boosted after a sudden increase in carbon dioxide concentration. However, the drought years (2005-2010) decreased photosynthesis and increased oxidative enzyme activities. Overall, the glycemic index of the maize crop has been increased during the last four decades. However, the crop production threshold levels have been raised more quickly. The nutritional index values are alarming and have frequently been recorded under the threshold levels in recent years. The study paves a path for maize toward nutritional contents richness, ensuring food security and nutritional security in the future.

Coarse-Grain Simulations of Membrane-Adsorbed Helical Peptides.

The amphipathic α-helix is a common motif for peptide adsorption to membranes. Many physiologically relevant events involving membrane-adsorbed peptides occur over time and size scales readily accessible to coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations. This methodological suitability, however, comes with a number of pitfalls. Here, I exemplify a multi-step adsorption equilibration procedure on the antimicrobial peptide Magainin 2. It involves careful control of peptide freedom to promote optimal membrane adsorption before other interactions are allowed. This shortens preparation times prior to production simulations while avoiding divergence into unrealistic or artifactual configurations.

Chemical Composition and Metabolomic Analysis of Amaranthus cruentus Grains Harvested at Different Stages.

This study aimed at investigating the impact of early versus normal grain harvesting on the chemical composition and secondary metabolites of Amaranthus cruentus species grown in South Africa. Mature harvested grain had higher (p < 0.05) DM, CF, NDF and ADF content compared to prematurely harvested grain. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences between CP, ADL and GE of premature and mature harvested grains. Mature harvesting resulted in higher grain Ca, P, Mg and K content. Essential amino acids spectrum and content remained similar regardless of maturity at harvest. The grains displayed an ample amount of unsaturated fatty acids; the highest percentage was linoleic acid: 38.75% and 39.74% in premature and mature grains, respectively. ß-Tocotrienol was detected at 5.92 and 9.67 mg/kg in premature and mature grains, respectively. The lowest was δ-tocotrienol which was 0.01 and 0.54 mg/kg in premature and mature grains, respectively. Mature harvested grain had a higher secondary metabolite content compared to premature harvested grains. The results suggest that mature harvested Amaranthus cruentus grain contain more minerals and phytochemicals that have health benefits for human and livestock immunity and gut function, which ultimately improves performance. This study concludes that A. cruentus grown in South Africa is a potential alternative cereal to major conventional cereals.