ß-Glucanase Addition in Brewing Malt Produced by Reduced Time of Germination

Abstract The β-Glucans content has straight influence on the quality of malt and beer, mainly during the filtration step. Barley presenting high β-Glucan content demands longer germination time at malting. The application of commercial β-Glucanase is an alternative to accelerate the process and preserve the quality of malt. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of commercial β-Glucanase addition in malt produced within reduced germination time (64 h). Micro-malting was conducted with BRS-Caue and Elis barley cultivars at germination time 64 h and 96 h. The β-Glucanase concentration applied were 0, 25, 50 and 100 mg.kg-1. Barley, malt and wort samples were analyzed to check their physical-chemical features. Beers were produced with BRS-Caue malt and the physical-chemical and sensory attributes were analyzed. The commercial enzyme addition in BRS-Caue and Elis (64 h), at concentration 25 and 50 mg.kg-1, resulted in wort presenting proper β-Glucan content (≤ 178 mg.L-1). The beer produced with malt germinated for 64 h and added with 50 mg.kg-1 of β-glucanase was the one showing the largest number of physical-chemical and sensory parameters similar to the beer made with malt germinated for 96 h (conventional process). Commercial β-glucanase application in malt allowed accelerating the malting process without affecting the quality of the malt for beer production.

Influence of Lead on In vitro Seed Germination and Early Radicle Development of Acacia auriculiformis Cunn. Ex Benth Species

Aims: To determine the impact of Pb on seed germination and early seedling development in A. auriculiformis species. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Department of Biology, University Putra Malaysia, between April 2016 and February 2017. Methodology: The concentrations of lead from 0 to 4 g/L (interval of 0.5 g/L) were used. Seeds were germinated in vitro condition. Different parameters were measured including germination percentage, seedling vigour index, tolerance index, germination index, mean germination time and relative injury rate. Results: The noticeable finding of this study reveals that A. auriculiformis seeds have the ability to germination and resist Pb toxicity up to 1.5 g/L. Increasing Pb concentration from 1.5 to 3.5 g/L decreased the germination percentage from 57% to 4% respectively. Conclusion: Acacia auriculiformis seeds germination in a high level of Pb (up to 1.5 g/L) indicated species resistance which probably can be used as Pb hyperaccumulator agent in areas or sites contaminated with this metal.

Germination and seedling structure of Ruprechtia laxiflora Meissn. (Polygonaceae) / Germinação dos diásporos e estrutura das plântulas de Ruprechtia laxiflora Meissn. (Polygonaceae)

Germination of diaspores and the seedling structure of Ruprechtia laxiflora Meissn. (Polygonaceae) which is a secondary species frequent in forest remnants are described. Seedlings were embedded in hydroxymethacrylate and sectioned in a rotary microtome according to usual techniques in plant anatomy. For bioassays of germination, the experimental design was completely randomized in a 3x2 bifactorial arrangement, corresponding to three temperatures (20, 25 and 30°C) and two light conditions (photoperiod and continuous darkness) for the diaspores newly harvested and in a 4x2 bifactorial arrangement, corresponding to four temperatures (15, 20, 25 and 30°C) and two light conditions (photoperiod and continuous darkness) for diaspores analyzed after storage. There was no interaction between the factors light condition and temperature for germination parameters analyzed. However, the temperature affected the germination and diaspores maintained at 25°C showed a shorter mean time and higher germination speed index. Seedlings are phanerocotylar and epigeal with tetrarch root, intermediate-low type of root-stem transition and trilacunar cotyledonary node.

Foram descritas a germinação de diásporos e a estrutura de plântulas de Ruprechtia laxiflora Meissn. (Polygonaceae), espécie secundária frequente em remanescentes florestais. As plântulas foram emblocadas em historresina e secionadas em micrótomo de rotação, de acordo com técnicas usuais em anatomia vegetal. Para os bioensaios de germinação, o delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado em um esquema fatorial 3x2, correspondendo a três temperaturas (20, 25 e 30°C) e duas condições de luz (fotoperíodo e escuro contínuo) para os diásporos recém coletados e em esquema fatorial 4x2, correspondendo a quatro temperaturas (15, 20, 25 e 30°C) e duas condições de luz (fotoperíodo e escuro contínuo) para os diásporos analisados após armazenamento. Não houve interação entre os fatores condição de luz e temperatura para os parâmetros de germinação analisados. No entanto, o fator temperatura afetou a germinação e os diásporos mantidos sob 25°C apresentaram menor tempo médio e maior índice de velocidade de germinação. As plântulas são fanerocotiledonares e epigeias, com raiz tetrarca, tipo intermediário-baixo de zona de transição raiz-caule e nó cotiledonar trilacunar.

Seed Germination of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal.

Aim: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal or Ashwagandha is a valuable medicinal plant having a consistent demand in pharmaceutical industries. Traditionally it is propagated from seeds but it’s germination capacity is poor. So in the present study different methods were considered to sort out a suitable method that can be used for its cultivation in the field of Hazaribag, Jharkhand, India. Study Design: The study was done in the laboratory and field of Hazaribag, Jharkhand, India. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Botany, Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribag, Jharkhand, India. The study was carried out from July 2012 to August 2012 and again from mid June 2013 to August 2013. Methodology: Different pre germination treatments including 24 hours water soaking , 48 hours water soaking, mechanical scarification, heat treatment at 50 degree Celsius (5min, 10min, 15min) and Gibberellic acid [GA3] (250μg/l, 500μg/l, 1000μg/l) treatments were proposed. The mean germination percentage and the mean germination time were calculated for each of the treatments. Results: The results revealed that GA3 500μg/l treated seeds showed increased germination percentage in laboratory (86±0.34%) and in soil (84.1±0.36%) as well as reduced mean germination time in laboratory (5.8±0.41 days) and in soil (10.6±0.17 days). Whereas heat treatment at 50 degree Celsius (5min, 10min, 15min) drastically reduced germination percentage in laboratory (32±0.47%, 16±0.36%, 12±0.31%) and in soil (51±0.49%, 49.6±0.49%, 32.2±0.46%), respectively. Conclusion: Pre treating fresh seeds of Ashwagandha with GA3 500μg/l for 24 hours before sowing can be adopted to overcome dormancy of seeds with good germination percentage. Likewise mechanical scarification of seeds can also be taken into consideration as an alternative, cost-effective and eco-friendly way to break seed dormancy which has also given favourable results.

Comparative Effects of Nanosized and Bulk Titanium Dioxide Concentrations on Medicinal Plant Salvia officinalis L.

Aims: The goal of the study was to evaluate concentrations of nanosized TiO2 at 0, 5, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg L-1 with same concentrations of bulk TiO2 on sage (Salvia officinalis L.) seed germination and early growth stage. Study Design: Experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with four replications. Place and Duration of Study: The study was performed in a laboratory condition for 21 days at the College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Methodology: The treatments in the experiment were five concentrations (5, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg L-1) of bulk and five concentrations (5, 20, 40, 60 and 80 mg L-1) of nanosized TiO2 and an untreated control. The experiment was done in a germinator with an average temperature of 25 ±1ºC. The size of TiO2 bulk and nanoparticles were determined through Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). Analysis of variance was performed between treatments samples. The data were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS software. Significant levels of difference for all measured traits were calculated and means were compared by the LSD test at 5% level. Results: After 21 days of seed incubation, germination percentage improved following exposure to 60 mg L-1 bulk and nanosized TiO2. Studied treatments had not significant effects on shoot, root and seedling elongation and biomass. Exposure of sage seeds to 60 mg L-1 bulk and nanosized TiO2 obtained the lowest mean germination time (8.42 and 8.7 days, respectively) but higher concentrations did not improve mean germination time. Exposure of sage seeds to 60 mg L-1 concentrations of bulk and nano TiO2 particles led to enhanced germination rate. Conclusion: In general, there was a significant response by sage seed to nanosized TiO2 presenting the possibility of a new approach to overcome problems with seed germination in some plant species, especially medicinal plants.