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Health risks assessment diagnosis of toxic chemicals (heavy metals) via food crops consumption irrigated with wastewater

Khan MA, Mehmood S, Ullah F, Khattak A, Zeb MA

Sains Malaysiana, 2017;46:917-924.

The present study investigated the concentration of metals in commonly grown vegetables (Luffa acutangula L., Zea mays L., Solanum melongena L.) irrigated with waste water in District Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The pH (5.80) and electrical conductivity (13 dS/m) of waste water indicated the acidic nature that is not suitable for irrigation purposes. Soil and vegetables samples were analyzed for metals concentration through flame atomic absorption spectrometry (Varian FAAS-240). The findings showed that waste water irrigated soil was highly contaminated with Cd (4.62 mg/kg) which was above permissible limits set by European Union Standard (EU 2006, 2002). The concentrations of heavy metals such as Cr and Cd in vegetables were higher than the permissible limits set by World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization U.S.A guidelines 2001. The health hazard quotient (HQ) of waste water irrigated vegetables was observed higher for Ni (0.699-0.1029 mg/kg), (0.0456-0.1040 mg/kg), (0.731-0.0994 mg/kg) in Luffa acutangula, Solanum melongena and Zea mays, respectively. The study concluded that the consumption of commonly grown vegetables in waste water zone of the study area may pose potential health threats in local population.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Influence of treated palm oil mill effluent sludge on maize (zea mays) growth performance and gas exchange

Mohd Nizar K, Abd Jamil Z, Isharudin M, Hazandy A

Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:961-969.

The presence of abundant oil palm residues in Malaysia prompted the need to utilize this waste to avoid environmental
pollution. This waste was abundant at the oil palm mill and accounted for almost 50% of production. The study was
conducted to determine the morphological effect of Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) sludge on the maize growth performance
and gas exchange. Physicochemical, growth morphology and gas exchange was measured after treated with POME sludge
from different treatment pond systems: Mixing, anaerobic, facultative, algae and dumping. The results indicated the
pH, C, and CEC of mixing the < anaerobic < facultative < algae < dumping ponds. There was a significant presence of
macronutrient (N, Mg, Ca, Fe, S) in the treated POME sludge, contrary to the presence of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Ni and
Pb) elements which were not significantly different in all the treatments and lower than WHO/FAO standard. Root Shoot
Ratio (RSR) and Specific Leaf Area (SLA) indicated significant difference in biomass accumulation and yield compared to
the control. The gas exchange variable was a significant difference on stomata conductivity (Gs) and transpiration rate
(E). However, the POME sludge from the facultative, algae and dumping ponds showed positive correlations between net
photosynthesis, stomata conductivity and transpiration rate. Indeed, the increased transpiration rate (E) was correlated
with stomata conductance (Gs) after treatment with anaerobic, facultative, algae and dumping ponds. In conclusion, the
POME sludge amendment was able to increase the maize biomass and yield.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Optimization of metabolite extraction protocols for untargeted metabolite profiling of mycoparasitic scytalidium parasiticum using lc-tof-ms

Lim CK, Nurul Fadhilah Marzuki, Goh YK, You KG, Kah JG, Rafidah Ahmad, et al.

Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:3061-3068.

Basal stem rot disease of oil palm caused by Ganoderma boninense is one of the most devastating diseases in oil palm
plantation resulting in low yield, loss of palm stands and shorter replanting cycle. To-date, there is no effective treatment
for Ganoderma infected palms. Control measures, either chemical or cultural approaches, show varying degrees of
effectiveness. The application of biological control agents which is environmental-friendly could be an attractive solution
to overcome the problem. Earlier, we had isolated a mycoparasite, Scytalidium parasiticum, from the basidiomata of
Ganoderma boninense. In vitro assay and nursery experiment showed that this fungus could suppress Ganoderma infection
and reduce disease severity. However, metabolites which might contribute to the antagonistic or mycoparasitic effect
remain unknown. In the current study, optimization of fungal sample processing, extraction, and analytical procedures
were conducted to obtain metabolites from the maize substrate colonized by mycoparasitic ascomycetous Scytalidium
parasiticum. This technique capable of producing sexual spores in sac-like organs. Untargeted metabolomics profiling
was carried out by using Liquid Chromatography Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-ToF-MS). We found that
S. parasiticum in both liquid- and solid-state cultivation gave higher metabolite when extracted with 60% methanol with
1% formic acid in combination with homogenisation methods such as ultrasonication and grinding. The findings from
this study are useful for optimisation of metabolite extraction from other fungi-Ganoderma-plant interactions.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Effects of corn supplementation on meat quality and fatty acid composition of Dorper lambs fed PKC-Urea treated rice straw

Saeed OA, Sazili AQ, Akit H, Ebrahimi M, Alimon AR, Samsudin AA

BMC Vet Res, 2019 Jul 08;15(1):233.
PMID: 31286932 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-019-1976-8

BACKGROUND: The increasing costs of feed has subsequently increased the costs of production of livestock, thereby decreasing the profit margin of this sector. The utilization of agro-industrial by-products has to some extent substitute some of the corn grains and soyabean meal, commonly used in animal feeds. In Malaysia, palm kernel cake (PKC) is a by-product of the oil palm industry and is frequently used to supply both crude protein (14-16% CP) and energy (11 MJ/kg) in ruminants. The energy and protein content are adequate for maintenance in the majority of ruminants. However, highly available energy supplementation is known to improve growth performance and protein deposition. This study was carried out to determine the effect on the quality of meat and fatty acid composition of the semitendinosus (ST), supraspinatus (SS), and longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles of Dorper lambs by including corn as an energy source in a basal diet of PKC urea-treated rice straw.
RESULTS: The results show that the LL muscle-drip loss was greater in animals supplemented with 5% corn compared to the other groups. Higher pH values of SS and LL muscles were observed in animals supplemented with 5 and 10% corn. Furthermore, the L* value of ST muscle was increased in lambs fed on 5% corn while, reduced in those fed on 0% corn, but the a* and b* values were not significantly different in the treatment groups. The fatty acid composition of the SS muscles showed that lambs fed on 10% corn had higher levels of sum PUFA n-3 compared to those fed on 0% corn. The concentration of C18:1trans11 and CLA c12 t10 in ST muscle from the lambs fed on supplemented diets were higher than those of the controls.
CONCLUSION: This study has concluded the supplementation of corn as a source of energy into a PKC urea-treated rice straw-based diet increased the PUFA concentrations of muscles as compared to control groups.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Evaluation of extra virgin olive oil adulteration with edible oils using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

Nuraznee Mashodi, Nurul Yani Rahim, Norhayati Muhammad, Saliza Asman

Malaysian Journal of Applied Sciences, 2020;5(1):35-44.
MyJurnal

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is categorized as expensive oil due to high-quality nutritional value. Unfortunately, EVOO is easily adulterated with other low-quality edible oils. Therefore, this study was done to differentiate and analyze the adulteration of EVOO with other edible oils using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. The study was used several edible oils included canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil as an adulterant for EVOO. The adulterant EVOO samples were prepared by mixing with dissimilar concentrations of the solely edible oils (20 %, 40 %, 60 % and 80 % (v/v)). The main functional groups of EVOO and other edible oils are O-H, C-H, C=C and C=O groups were assigned around 3500 cm-1, 2925 cm-1, 3006 cm-1 and 1745 cm-1 wavenumbers, respectively. From the comparison of EVOO and other adulterant edibles oil spectra, it showed that the EVOO has the lowest absorbance intensity at around 3006 cm-1 represented double bond which is closely related to the composition of oil sample. The adulteration of EVOO was evaluated by analysing the changes in the absorbance based on the linear regression analysis graph of the bands at 3006 and 2925 cm-1 and the limit of detection (LOD) was measured. The graph of A3008/A2925 with good relative coefficients (R2) and lower LOD is more favourable than the linear regression graph of A3006 versus percentage of edible oils added in EVOO. This study showed that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy is a convenient tool for analysing the adulteration of EVOO.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Microwave-assisted Preparation of Cross-linked Gelatin-Paracetamol Matrices: Optimization Using the D-optimal Design

Kuang TK, Kang YB, Segarra I, Kanwal U, Ahsan M, Bukhari NI

Turk J Pharm Sci, 2021 04 20;18(2):167-175.
PMID: 33902255 DOI: 10.4274/tjps.galenos.2020.48902

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the effect of microwave heating on the preparation of paracetamol cross-linked gelatin matrices by using the design of experiment (DoE) approach and explore the influence of the duration of microwave irradiation, the concentrations of crosslinker, and the amount of sodium bicarbonate (salt) on paracetamol release. These parameters were also compared with those of the matrices prepared via conventional heating.
Materials and Methods: Twenty gel matrices were prepared with different durations of microwave irradiation, amounts of maize, and concentrations of sodium bicarbonate as suggested by Design Expert (DX®). The percentage drug release, the coefficient of variance (CV) in release, and the mean dissolution time (MDT) were the properties explored in the designed experimentation.
Results: Target responses were dependent on microwave irradiation time, cross-linker amount, and salt concentration. Classical and microwave heating did not demonstrate statistically significant difference in modifying the percentage of drug released from the matrices. However, the CVs of microwave-assisted formulations were lower than those of the gel matrices prepared via classical heating. Thus, microwave heating produced lesser variations in drug release. The optimized gel matrices demonstrated that the observed percentage of drug release, CV, and MDT were within the prediction interval generated by DX®. The release mechanism of the matrix formulations followed the Peppas-Korsmeyer anomalous transport model.
Conclusion: The DoE-supported microwave-assisted approach could be applied to optimize the critical factors of drug release with less variation.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Comparison of the effects of two laser photobiomodulation techniques on bio-physical properties of Zea mays L. seeds

Hasan M, Hanafiah MM, Alhilfy IHH, Aeyad Taha Z

PeerJ, 2021;9:e10614.
PMID: 33520446 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10614

Background: Laser applications in agriculture have recently gained much interest due to improved plant characteristics following laser treatment before the sowing of seeds. In this study, maize seeds were exposed to different levels of laser treatment prior to sowing to improve their field performance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of pre-sowing laser photobiomodulation on the field emergence and growth of treated maize seeds.
Methods: The maize seeds were first photobiomodulated with two lasers: 1) a helium-neon (He-Ne) red laser (632.8 nm), and 2) a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) green laser (532 nm). Following three replications of randomized complete block design (RCBD), four irradiation treatments were applied (45 s, 65 s, 85 s, and 105 s) at two power intensities (2 mW/cm2 and 4 mW/cm2).
Results: Based on the results, maize seeds pretreated with a green laser and 2 mW/cm2 power intensity for 105 s exhibited the highest rate of seed emergence (96%) compared to the untreated control seeds with a lower seed emergence rate (62.5%). Furthermore, maize seeds treated with a red laser for 45 s showed an increased vigor index compared to the other treatment options and the control (P

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Corn Starch/Chitosan Nanoparticles/Thymol Bio-Nanocomposite Films for Potential Food Packaging Applications

Othman SH, Othman NFL, Shapi'i RA, Ariffin SH, Yunos KFM

Polymers (Basel), 2021 Jan 27;13(3).
PMID: 33513664 DOI: 10.3390/polym13030390

This work aims to develop corn starch/chitosan nanoparticles/thymol (CS/CNP/Thy) bio-nanocomposite films as potential food packaging materials that can enhance the shelf life of food. CS/CNP/Thy bio-nanocomposite films were prepared by the addition of different concentrations of thymol (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 w/w%) using a solvent casting method. The resulting films were characterized in terms of optical, mechanical, and water vapor permeability (WVP) properties. The addition of thymol was found to reduce the tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), and Young's modulus (YM) of the films. Generally, the increment in the concentration of thymol did not significantly affect the TS, EAB, and YM values. The addition of 1.5 w/w% thymol increased the WVP of the films but the WVP reduced with the increase in thymol concentrations. CS/CNP/Thy-3% bio-nanocomposite films demonstrated the potential to lengthen the shelf life of cherry tomatoes packed with the films, whereby the cherry tomatoes exhibited no significant changes in firmness and the lowest weight loss. In addition, no mold growth was observed on the sliced cherry tomatoes that were in direct contact with the films during 7 days of storage, proving the promising application of the films as active food packaging materials.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Recycling of aquaculture wastewater and sediment for sustainable corn and water spinach production

Van Tung T, Tran QB, Phuong Thao NT, Vi LQ, Hieu TT, Le S, et al.

Chemosphere, 2020 Dec 15;268:129329.
PMID: 33360937 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129329

This study develops a method to reuse aquaculture wastewater and sediment from a catfish pond in order to increase agricultural productivity and protect the environment. Material flow analysis (MFA) is a central concept of this study that involves collecting catfish pond wastewater (CPW) and reusing it to irrigate five water spinach (Ipomoea aquatic) ponds before discharging it into a river. Typically, catfish pond sediment (CPS) was collected and composted to produce organic fertilizer for cornfields. The results revealed that pollutant removal efficiency of wastewater from CPW (by using water spinach) were total organic carbon (TOC) = 38.78%, nitrogen (N) = 27.07%, phosphorous (P) = 58.42%, and potassium (K) = 28.64%. By adding 20 tons of CPS compost per hectare of the cornfield, the corn yield boosted 15% compared to the control field. In addition, the water spinach grew and developed well in the medium of wastewater from the fish pond. Altogether, the results illustrate that catfish pond wastewater and sediment can act as organic fertilizers for crops meanwhile reduce environmental pollution from its reuse.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Thermal Behavior of Selected Starches in Presence of Other Food Ingredients Studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetery (DSC)-Review

Elgadir MA, Bakar J, Zaidul ISM, Rahman RA, Abbas KA, Hashim DM, et al.

Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf, 2009 Jul;8(3):195-201.
PMID: 33467796 DOI: 10.1111/j.1541-4337.2009.00078.x

This review article highlights the thermal behaviors of selected starches that were studied using differential scanning calorimetery (DSC) with data shown in various research publications. The starches of sago, potato, sweet potato, cassava, yam, and corn are included in this overview. Our examinations indicate that thermal properties are highly affected by the type of starch, its amylose/amylopectin content, and the presence of other food ingredients such as sugar, sodium chloride, water, milk, hydrocolloids, and meat. When the heating temperatures of the starches were increased, the DSC measurements also showed an increase in the temperatures of the gelatinization (onset [To ], peak [Tp ], and conclusion [Tc ]). This may be attributed to the differences in the degree of crystallinity of the starch, which provides structural stability and makes the granule more resistant to gelatinization.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Phytochemicals screening and total phenolic content of Malaysian Zea mays hair extracts

Solihah, M.A., Wan Rosli, W.I., Nurhanan, A.R.

International Food Research Journal, 2012;19(4):1533-1538.
MyJurnal

In the present study, Malaysian Zea mays hair extracts are screened for the occurrence of bioactive compounds. The results positively showed the present of flavonoids, saponin, tannins, phlobatannins, phenols, alkaloids and cardiac glycosides in both aqueous and methanolic extract of Zea mays hair. Terpenoid compounds however present only in the methanolic extract sample. In addition, the total phenolic content (TPC) in aqueous extract was significantly higher (42.71 + 0.87 µg/g of tannic acid equivalent (TAE)) compared to methanolic extract (40.38 + 1.10 µg/g of TAE). The findings suggested that phytochemicals present in Zea mays hair are potentially beneficial as therapeutic and antioxidative agents in pharmaceuticals, food and other related industries.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Assessing the competitiveness and comparative advantage of broiler production in Johor using policy analysis matrix

Elsedig, E.A.A., Mohd, M.I., Fatimah, M.A

International Food Research Journal, 2015;22(1):116-121.
MyJurnal

Malaysian poultry policy aims to provide remunerative prices for producers and to guarantee a steady supply of poultry products at stable and affordable prices to consumers. Broiler meat is the most important and the cheapest protein source in Malaysia and trade protection could stimulate the local industry and enhance food security. The study attempts to evaluate the competitiveness and comparative advantage of three different scales of broiler production in Johor using policy analysis matrix (PAM). The existing protection and the level of comparative advantage are ascertained through PAM indicators. The results show that Malaysia has strong competitiveness position in every scale of broiler production especially the largest scale. But, the protection through import curtailment resulted in higher domestic prices than the world price. To increase competitiveness, the broiler industry should reduce the dependence on expensive and unstable cost of corn based feed.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Optimization and analysis of bioethanol production from cassava starch hydrolysis

Liew, E. W. T.

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2014;22(2):637-644.
MyJurnal

Current ethanol production processes utilizing crops such as sugar cane and corn starch have been well established over the decade. Other crop such as cassava is a potential candidate in producing ethanol. However, thermal processes are required to hydrolyze starch for the production of fermentable sugars. The processes are energy intensive and could lead to undesirable by-products generation. In this work, the hydrolysis of cassava starch is studied following an experimental design as a statistical problem solving approach. Central composite design (CCD) is used in order to select the most important variables from the simultaneous study on the effect and influence of operating conditions of bioreactor utilized, namely, pH, temperature and substrate concentration, as well as to optimize the process of cassava starch hydrolysis. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the cassava starch hydrolysis is enhanced by pH and temperature. Model validations show good agreement between experimental results and the predicted responses.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Nano-cellulose biopolymer based nano-biofilm biomaterial using plant biomass: An innovative plant biomaterial dataset

Sharif Hossain ABM, Uddin MM, Fawzi M, Veettil VN

Data Brief, 2018 Apr;17:1245-1252.
PMID: 29845096 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.02.053

The nano-cellulose derived nano-biofilm keeps a magnificent role in medical, biomedical, bioengineering and pharmaceutical industries. Plant biomaterial is naturally organic and biodegradable. This study has been highlighted as one of the strategy introducing biomass based nano-bioplastic (nanobiofilm) to solve dependency on petroleum and environment pollution because of non-degradable plastic. The data study was carried out to investigate the nano-biopolymer (nanocellulose) based nano-biofilm data from corn leaf biomass coming after bioprocess technology without chemicals. Corn leaf biomass was used to produce biodegradable nano-bioplastic for medical and biomedical and other industrial uses. Data on water absorption, odor, pH, cellulose content, shape and firmness, color coating and tensile strength test have been exhibited under standardization of ASTM (American standard for testing and materials). Moreover, the chemical elements of nanobiofilm like K+, CO3--, Cl-, Na+ showed standard data using the EN (166).

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Nano-cellulose based nano-coating biomaterial dataset using corn leaf biomass: An innovative biodegradable plant biomaterial

Sharif Hossain ABM, Uddin MM, Veettil VN, Fawzi M

Data Brief, 2018 Apr;17:162-168.
PMID: 29877503 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2017.12.046

The nanocellulose derived biodegradable plant biomaterial as nano-coating can be used in the medical, biomedical cosmetics, and bioengineering products. Bio-plastic and some synthetic derived materials are edible and naturally biodegradable. The study was conducted to investigate edible nano-biopolymer based nano-coating of capsules and drugs or other definite biomedical materials from corn leaf biomass. Corn leaf biomass was used as an innovative sample to produce edible nano-coating bioplastic for drug and capsule coating and other industrial uses. The data show the negligible water 0.01% absorbed by bio-plastic nanocoating. Odor represented by burning test was under the completely standard based on ASTM. Moreover, data on color coating, tensile strength, pH, cellulose content have been shown under standard value of ASTM (American standard for testing and materials) standard. In addition to that data on the chemical element test like K+,

CO

3

-
-

, Cl-, Na+ exhibited positive data compared to the synthetic plastic in the laboratory using the EN (166)) standardization. Therefore, it can be concluded that both organic (cellulose and starch) based edible nano-coating bioplastic may be used for drug and capsule coating as biomedical and medical components in the pharmaceutical industries.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Comparison of DNA extraction efficiencies using various methods for the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Tung Nguyen, C.T., Son, R., Raha, A.R., Lai, O.M., Clemente Michael, W.V.L.

International Food Research Journal, 2009;16(1):21-30.
MyJurnal

The ability to detect the presence of transgenes in crop-derived foods depends on the quantity and quality of DNA obtained from a product to be analyzed. The efficiency of DNA extraction protocols differs due to the nature of each food product. In this paper, we described two main DNA extraction protocols and their modifications that have been applied and evaluated for DNA extraction from raw and processed food as well as animal feed. The yield and quality for five categories of food and feed samples namely, raw soybean, raw maize, animal feed, smooth tofu and soymilk are discussed. The statistical interaction analyses showed that the cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method was proven to be the best method to extract DNA from raw soybean, maize and animal feed samples which not only obtained high DNA yield of 32.7, 28.4 and 33.4 ng DNA/mg sample respectively, but also produced high quality DNA with the absorbance A260/A280 ratio of 1.9, 1.9 and 2.0, respectively. These DNA were suitable for PCR amplification which produced a 164 bp DNA fragment of the lectin gene from soybean, and a 277 bp DNA fragment of the zein gene from maize. In the processed food category, the Wizard isolation method was found to be the best for the extraction of DNA from smooth tofu and soymilk with the yield of 13.2 and 3.4 ng DNA/mg sample, and the quality of the DNA at the absorbance A260/A280 ratio ranged from 1.9 to 1.7. These DNA were successfully amplified using primers specific to the lectin gene of soybean.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Rheological studies on the effect of different thickeners in texture-modified chicken rendang for individuals with dysphagia

Abu Zarim N, Zainul Abidin S, Ariffin F

J Food Sci Technol, 2018 Nov;55(11):4522-4529.
PMID: 30333649 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-018-3386-5

Texture-modified food has become an important strategy in managing dysphagia. Pureed food is proven to be the safest texture due to its high viscosity which can slow down the rate of the food bolus during swallowing. In this study, texture-modified chicken rendang was developed according to Texture C (smooth puree) as described by the Australian standard for texture-modified food. Samples were added with five different thickeners (sago starch, tapioca starch, modified corn starch, xanthan gum and carboxymethyl cellulose gum) at three different concentrations (10, 20 and 30% w/w). Their rheological effects were analyzed through dynamic and steady shear test. Results obtained reveals that samples contained xanthan gum have higher structure rigidity and shear thinning behaviour, while carboxymethyl cellulose gum provides the highest viscosity as well as yield stress than other samples. In terms of concentration, a strong dependence of structural rigidity and viscosity of all prepared samples with amount of thickeners added was observed. Overall, based on its rheological properties, the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose gum at 30% concentration was found to be the most suitable thickener, to be incorporated in the texture-modified chicken rendang. Selecting a suitable food thickener in developing food for individual with dysphagia plays an important role to ensure the right texture and consistency for their safe consumption.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Preservation of phytase enzyme produced by anaerobic rumen bacteria, Mitsuokella jalaludinii

Tang, Hooi Chia, Sieo, Chin Chin, Ho, Yin Wan, Norhani Abdullah, Chong, Chun Wie

Journal of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2017;5(1):13-17.
MyJurnal

Poultry feed consists of feed ingredients like soybean meal and corn, which contain high levels of
phytate that is poorly utilised especially by the monogastric animals that lack of phytase. Hence,
phytase has been extensively applied as a feed supplement in poultry production due to the
efficiency of this enzyme in improving phosphorous (P) availability, thus reducing P excretion to
the environment as well as reducing the feed cost by reducing inorganic P supplementation.
Mitsuokella jalaludinii, an obligate anaerobe, Gram-negative rumen bacterium, produces high
phytase activity. Birds supplemented with bacterial preparation of M. jalaludinii showed
comparable performance to that of commercial phytase. However, the anaerobic nature of this
bacterium renders difficulty in the use of live cells as feed supplement in commercial poultry
production. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine a suitable method to preserve
phytase activity of M. jalaludinii regardless of cells viability. Mitsuokella jalaludinii was grown
in MF medium under anaerobic condition and the cells were subjected to various treatments to
preserve the enzyme, including bead beating, compressed air, moist heat, dry heat and freezedrying
under aerobic condition. The results showed that the total number of viable cells were
significantly (p

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
Fulltext Effects of Corn Supplementation into PKC-Urea Treated Rice Straw Basal Diet on Hematological, Biochemical Indices and Serum Mineral Level in Lambs

Saeed OA, Sazili AQ, Akit H, Alimon AR, Samsudin AA

Animals (Basel), 2019 Oct 11;9(10).
PMID: 31614434 DOI: 10.3390/ani9100781

Twenty-seven Dorper lambs were used to determine the effect of supplementing corn as a source of energy into the palm kernel cake (PKC) urea-treated rice straw basal diet on the blood metabolic profile and metals in lambs. The lambs were randomly allotted to three experimental treatments according to their initial body weight for a 120 day trial. Dietary treatments were: T1 (control diet) = 75.3% of PKC + 0% corn, T2 = 70.3% of PKC + 5% corn, and T3 = 65.3% of PKC + 10% corn. The results of this study indicated that copper (Cu), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) concentration intake, retention, and its absorption from the gut and apparent mineral digestibility were highly significant for the levels of corn supplementation. The biochemical and hematological parameters remained within normal levels with the treatments, but the white blood cell, eosinophil count, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) were significantly higher in T3. Treatment 3 significantly increased the concentration of Se and Fe, while Zn was reduced in the blood serum of lambs on day 120. The result shows that the inclusion of corn has no effect on the hematological and biochemical parameters of lambs after incorporating corn into the PKC-based diet at 5% and 10%.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays
The potential of Commelina bengalensis, Amaranthus hybridus, Zea mays for phytoremediation of heavy metals from contaminated soils

Kimenyu P, Oyaro N, Chacha J, Tsanuo M

Sains Malaysiana, 2009;38.

Population in urban centers in Kenya is increasing rapidly due to rural urban migration in search of better paying jobs. This migration has resulted in unauthorized settlements in the various urban centers. The income per capital of these people is less than a dollar a day. The amount of money is inadequate for survival and this has resulted into cultivating on open grounds for food crops. Unfortunately, these slums have come up along rivers, which carry, wastewater from household and industries. This wastewater is rich in heavy metals and the inhabitants of these areas use this contaminated water for irrigating their crops. The food crops from such areas have very high levels of heavy metals. The present study has screened Zea mays, Commelina bengalensis and Amaranthus hybridus for their ability to bioaccumulate these metals from contaminated soils using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results obtained showed that the C. bengalensis has high potential for removal of Cu, Pb and Cd metals as compared to the Zea mays and Amaranthus hybridus even though, results showed that C. bengalensis has a low potential for the removal of Zn as compared to Zea mays and Amaranthus hybridus.

Matched MeSH terms: Zea mays

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