Does sorghum phenolic extract have antifungal effect?

This study aimed to evaluate the antifungal effect of SC319 sorghum phenolic extract (SPE) on the Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Stenocarpella, Colletotrichum, and Macrophomina genera. SPE was extracted by 20% ethanol and used in four assays: (1) against Fusarium verticillioides in solid (PDA) and liquid (PD) potato dextrose media; (2) Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) assay with 16 fungi isolates; (3) Conidial Germination Rate (CGR) with 14 fungi isolates and (4) Growth Curve (GC) with 11 fungi isolates. There was no reduction in the mycelial growth (colony diameter and dry weight) and in the number of Fusarium verticillioides spores in assay 1 (PDA and PD). The colony's dry weight was almost six times higher in the presence than in the absence of SPE. All SPE samples presented MIC (assay 1) above the maximum concentration tested (5000 µg.mL-1) for the 16 isolates. Also, there was no inhibitory effect of SPE on conidia germination rate (CGR). Oppositely, in GC assay, the control had a higher CFU count than the samples with SPE in 24 h. This result suggests that SPE can delay the fungal growth in the first hours of incubation, which is an important finding that may help reduce the severity of fungal diseases in plants. However, further studies are needed to confirm these results, including sorghum genotypes with different profiles of phenolic compounds. Although the SC319 SPE was not effective as an antifungal agent, it may have potential as a growth promoter of beneficial fungi in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Multiple resistance to primary pests of grain sorghum hybrids: Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), and Diceraeus melacanthus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

ABSTRACT Plant resistance is an important tactic within the precepts of Integrated Pest Management, and the existence of grain sorghum hybrids with multiple insect resistance could benefit crop management and sustainability. This study evaluated the susceptibility of 30 grain-sorghum hybrids to three major pests, namely, fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda, sugarcane borer (SCB) Diatraea saccharalis, and green-belly stink bug (GBS) Diceraeus melacanthus. The hybrids were cultivated and experiments with each insect species were conducted separately in a greenhouse. For FAW, visual injury assessments were performed on plants 7 and 14 days after infestation (DAI). For SCB, insect presence and injury were assessed 40 DAI. For GBS, the plants were evaluated using a damage rating scale 12, 19, and 26 DAI. Cluster analysis allowed separating the grain sorghum hybrids into groups regarding the levels of resistance to each pest. Hybrid BRS373 stood out as moderately resistant to FAW; AG1090, 80G20, BRAVO, BRS373, AG1615, and IG220 were the most promising for SCB; and for GBS, hybrids 50A40, A9735R, JADE, ENFORCER, BUSTER, 50A10, and IG244 were the most nominated. This information will significantly aid sorghum breeding programs focused on developing commercial hybrids that comprise both insect-resistance and high-yield characteristics. However, further research should evaluate potential chemical and morphological plant traits underlying the lower levels of susceptibility to FAW, SCB, and GBS found in the selected sorghum hybrids.

Peach Palm By-Product Bioconversion by Shiitake Culinary-Medicinal Mushroom Lentinula edodes (Agaricomycetes) for Food Products Application in Brazil.

This study aims to analyze the peach palm by-product (shells) bioconversion by culinary-medicinal mushroom Lentinula edodes to obtain a food ingredient for dietary supplementation containing high contents of dietary fiber, protein, and ß-glucans. The ß-glucans production by L. edodes mycelium was optimized through a solid-state fermentation, checking the influence of the heart of palm shells and supplements (rice bran, manioc flour, and sorghum flour) through an experimental mixing plan. The cultivation treatment that presented the highest tendency for ß-glucans production was analyzed by the centesimal composition and in vivo biological activity. Treatments 4 (with shells, rice bran, and manioc flour) and 6 (with shells, sorghum flour, and manioc flour) presented the highest ß-glucans content. A flour was obtained with high dietary fiber and protein content, and low lipids and carbohydrates content, and low caloric value. The in vivo biological activity demonstrated high protein quality and promoted a lower elevation of the glycemic curve. Thus, technology for the transformation of peach palm shells into a food ingredient was made feasible. It could generate a gluten-free and lactose-free dietary supplement that is both nutritive and bioactive, enhancing human health and well-being as well as environmental sustainability.

QTL mapping for bioenergy traits in sweet sorghum recombinant inbred lines.

During the past decade, sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench L.) has shown great potential for bioenergy production, especially biofuels. In this study, 223 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between two sweet sorghum lines (Brandes × Wray) were evaluated in three trials. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from genotyping by sequencing of 272 RILs were used to build a high-density genetic map comprising 3,767 SNPs spanning 1,368.83 cM. Multitrait multiple interval mapping (MT-MIM) was carried out to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for eight bioenergy traits. A total of 33 QTLs were identified for flowering time, plant height, total soluble solids and sucrose (five QTLs each), fibers (four QTLs), and fresh biomass yield, juice extraction yield, and reducing sugars (three QTLs each). QTL hotspots were found on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, 9, and 10, in addition to other QTLs detected on chromosomes 4 and 8. We observed that 14 out of the 33 mapped QTLs were found in all three trials. Upon further development and validation in other crosses, the results provided by the present study have a great potential to be used in marker-assisted selection in sorghum breeding programs for biofuel production.

Sorgoleone concentration influences mycorrhizal colonization in sorghum.

The association between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and sorghum, the fifth most cultivated cereal in the world and a staple food for many countries, is relevant to improving phosphorus (P) absorption. The importance of root exudation as a signal for the symbiosis has been shown for several species, but a complete understanding of the signaling molecules involved in the mycorrhizal symbiosis signaling pathway has not yet been elucidated. In this context, we investigated the effect of sorgoleone, one of the most studied allelochemicals and a predominant compound of root exudates in sorghum, on AMF colonization and consequently P uptake and plant growth on a sorghum genotype. The sorghum genotype P9401 presents low endogenous sorgoleone content, and when it was inoculated with Rhizophagus clarus together with 5 and 10 µM sorgoleone, mycorrhizal colonization was enhanced. A significant enhancement of mycorrhizal colonization and an increase of P content and biomass were observed when R. clarus was inoculated together with 20 µM sorgoleone. Thus, our results indicate that sorgoleone influences mycorrhizal colonization, but the mechanisms by which it does so still need to be revealed.

Application of near-infrared hyperspectral (NIR) images combined with multivariate image analysis in the differentiation of two mycotoxicogenic Fusarium species associated with maize.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most versatile crops worldwide with high socioeconomic relevance. However, mycotoxins produced by pathogenic fungi are of constant concern in maize production, as they pose serious risks to human and animal health. Thus, the search for rapid detection and/or identification methods for mycotoxins and mycotoxin-producing fungi for application in food safety remain important. In this work, we implemented use of near infrared hyperspectral images (HSI-NIR) combined with pattern recognition analysis, partial-least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of images, to develop a rapid method for identification of Fusarium verticillioides and F. graminearum. Validation of the HSI-NIR method and subsequent analysis was realized using 15 Fusarium spp. isolates. The method was efficient as a rapid, non-invasive, and non-destructive assessment was achieved with 100% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for both fungi.

Resistance of bioenergy sorghum to Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) / Resistência de sorgo bioenergia à diatraea saccharalis (lepidoptera: crambidae)

This study evaluated the effects of the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on cultivars of sweet and biomass sorghum for the selection of resistant cultivars. The present work consisted of two trials, with natural pest infestation. In the first one, 10 sweet sorghum cultivars were analyzed for the following variables: plant height, number of healthy and damaged internodes, gallery position and size, stem infestation level and soluble solids content (°Brix). In the second trial, it was analyzed 16 genotypes of high biomass sorghum, with the same variables above mentioned, in addition to the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose contents. Among sweet sorghum genotypes evaluated, the genotype CMSXS647 stood out due to the traits: plant height, infestation level, gallery size and soluble solids content. Among the sorghum genotypes evaluated, CMSXS7030, CMSXS7012 and CMSXS7028 presented ideal characteristics for infestation level, plant height and number of lignocellulosic compounds. Such information, in addition to supporting the bioenergy sorghum breeding program, will assist in integrated pest management for sorghum cultivation.

Foram estudados os efeitos causados pela broca-do-colmo Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), em cultivares de sorgo sacarino e biomassa visando seleção de cultivares resistentes à praga. O presente trabalho foi constituído de dois ensaios, com infestação natural da praga. No primeiro, 10 cultivares de sorgo sacarino foram analisadas quanto às seguintes variáveis: altura das plantas, quantidade de internódios sadios e com injúrias, posição e tamanho da galeria, intensidade de infestação de colmos e teor de sólidos solúveis (°Brix). No segundo ensaio, foram analisados 16 genótipos de sorgo biomassa, com as mesmas variáveis supracitadas, além dos teores de lignina, celulose e hemicelulose. Entre os genótipos de sorgo sacarino avaliados, o genótipo CMSXS647 foi o que se destacou em função das características: altura de plantas, intensidade de infestação, tamanho de galerias e teor de sólidos solúveis. Entre os genótipos de sorgo biomassa avaliados: CMSXS7030, CMSXS7012 e CMSXS7028 apresentaram características ideais para intensidade de infestação, altura de plantas e quantidade de compostos lignocelulósico. Tais informações, além de prover o programa de melhoramento de sorgo energia podem ajudar o programa de MIP para a cultura do sorgo, uma vez que o produtor conhece a suscetibilidade dos materiais escolhidos.

Phytoremediation of Brazilian tree species in soils contaminated by herbicides.

The phytoremediation potential of Brazilian trees species Calophyllum brasiliense, Eremanthus crotonoides, Hymenaea courbaril, Inga striata, and Protium heptaphyllum was investigated for contaminated soils containing ametryn and hexazinone. Visual injury, chlorophyll content, plant height, leaf temperature, leaf number, and water-efficient use were evaluated. Residual herbicides at soil substrates were analyzed by LC/MS. Among the species C. brasiliense and H. courbaril were tolerant to both herbicides. P. Heptaphyllum presented tolerance at ametryn treatment. E. crotonoides, I. striata, and P. heptaphyllum died in hexazinone treatment. A high content of residual ametryn was found for E. crotonoides. In ametryn treatment, residual herbicide has decreased for C. brasiliense and E. crotonoides species. C. brasiliense highlighted among others becoming a good agent for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with traces of ametryn and hexazinone.

Genomic prediction applied to high-biomass sorghum for bioenergy production.

The increasing cost of energy and finite oil and gas reserves have created a need to develop alternative fuels from renewable sources. Due to its abiotic stress tolerance and annual cultivation, high-biomass sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) shows potential as a bioenergy crop. Genomic selection is a useful tool for accelerating genetic gains and could restructure plant breeding programs by enabling early selection and reducing breeding cycle duration. This work aimed at predicting breeding values via genomic selection models for 200 sorghum genotypes comprising landrace accessions and breeding lines from biomass and saccharine groups. These genotypes were divided into two sub-panels, according to breeding purpose. We evaluated the following phenotypic biomass traits: days to flowering, plant height, fresh and dry matter yield, and fiber, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin proportions. Genotyping by sequencing yielded more than 258,000 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers, which revealed population structure between subpanels. We then fitted and compared genomic selection models BayesA, BayesB, BayesCπ, BayesLasso, Bayes Ridge Regression and random regression best linear unbiased predictor. The resulting predictive abilities varied little between the different models, but substantially between traits. Different scenarios of prediction showed the potential of using genomic selection results between sub-panels and years, although the genotype by environment interaction negatively affected accuracies. Functional enrichment analyses performed with the marker-predicted effects suggested several interesting associations, with potential for revealing biological processes relevant to the studied quantitative traits. This work shows that genomic selection can be successfully applied in biomass sorghum breeding programs.

Mineral content of sorghum genotypes and the influence of water stress.

Sorghum is a source of several minerals whose content may vary depending on the genotype and the production environment. The objective of this study was to screen sorghum genotypes for mineral content and to investigate the effect of water stress on it. A large variability was observed in the mineral content of 100 sorghum genotypes grown in environments without (WoWS) and with water stress (WthWS). The water stress decreased Mn, P, Mg and S contents in 100, 96, 93 and 56% of genotypes, respectively. The genotypes and other factors seemed to have more impact than water stress on K, Ca, Cu, Fe and Zn levels. In 100 sorghum genotypes, 2 were classified as excellent sources of Fe and 25 of Zn, in both environments. The best two genotypes to Fe content were SC21 and SC655 and to Zn were SC320 and SHAN-QUI-RED which showed great potential for use in biofortification.

Lipid profile and glycemic response of rats fed on a semi-purified diet supplemented with Agaricus brasiliensis mushroom / Perfil lipídico e resposta glicêmica de ratos alimentados com uma ração semi-purificada suplementada com o cogumelo Agaricus brasiliensis

The search for more healthy alimentary habits has stimulated the study of new food sources. Edible mushrooms, such as the genus Agaricus, may be underscored. Current assay evaluates the dietary influence of diets supplemented with the mushroom Agaricus brasiliensis on the metabolic profile of lipids and glycemic behavior in rats. A trial with 28 male Wistar rats in 4 groups with 7 rats each was carried out during 32 days. Diets given to these groups were AIN-93 (CAS) for Group 1; AIN-93 with 1% cholesterol (CAS + COL) for Group 2; the same for Group 3 and 4, but supplemented with or without mushrooms [ (COG) and (COG + COL) respectively]. Analyses of all samples for cholesterol, triacylglycerols, hepatic cholesterol and hepatic lipids on the 32nd day showed that Agaricus mushroom modified the lipid profile, reduced total cholesterol by 16% and triacylglycerols by 26.9% and increased HDL by 60.2%, coupled to reduction of lipid and cholesterol levels in the liver and a higher elimination of lipids in the stool. Glycemic curve decreased significantly between fifteen and sixty minutes in rats fed on Agaricus supplemented diets.

A busca por hábitos alimentares saudáveis tem incentivado o estudo de novas fontes alimentares. Destacam-se os cogumelos comestíveis, como os do gênero Agaricus. Este trabalho avaliou a influência da ração semi-purificada, suplementada com o cogumelo Agaricus brasiliensis no perfil de lipídios, em ratos. Foi realizado experimento com 28 ratos machos Wistar, em 32 dias. Os animais foram separados em quatro grupos de sete dos quais o primeiro recebeu dieta AIN-93 (CAS), o segundo recebeu dieta AIN-93 adicionada de 1% de colesterol (CAS + COL) e o terceiro e o quarto grupos foram alimentados com dieta AIN-93 suplementada com cogumelos sem (COG) e com (COG + COL) adição de colesterol a 1%, respectivamente. No 32.º dia, amostras foram coletadas para análises de colesterol, triglicerídeos, colesterol hepático da gordura hepática. O estudo mostrou que Agaricus brasiliensis influenciou o perfil lipídico, diminuindo o colesterol total (-16%) e os triglicérides (- 26,9%), além de aumentar o HDL (+ 60,2%). É possível afirmar que nutrientes contidos em Agaricus brasiliensis são moduladores do perfil lipídico de ratos, diminuindo a deposição de lipídios hepáticos e aumentando a sua eliminação fecal. A curva glicêmica mostrou declínio significativo entre quinze e sessenta minutos em ratos alimentados com dieta contendo o cogumelo.

Avaliação in vivo da qualidade protéica do champignon do Brasil (Agaricusbrasiliensis Wasser et al. ) / In vivo protein quality evaluation of champignon do Brasil (Agaricus brasiliensis Wasser et al. )

OBJETIVO: O trabalho aqui descrito trata da avaliação de uma dieta experimental contendo Champingnon do Brasil (Agaricus brasiliensis) como fonte de proteína em um modelo experimental de ratos. MÉTODOS: Para este propósito, foram selecionados 24 ratos Wistar machos, recém desmamados (21 dias) divididos em 3 grupos de 8 animais cada, que foram alimentados com uma dieta padrão de caseína, ou com uma dieta experimental de proteína de Agaricus brasiliensis ambas contendo 10% de proteína e isoenergéticas ou ainda, com uma dieta com muito baixo teor de proteína. O ensaio biológico foi realizado em 28 dias, ao longo dos quais se determinou a concentração de nitrogênio na urina e nas fezes, além dos cálculos do Quociente de Eficiência Alimentar (ganho de peso dividido pelo consumo de dieta), do Quociente de Eficiência Protéica (ganho de peso dividido pelo consumo de proteína), da Razão Protéica Líquida (ganho de peso corrigido dividido pelo consumo de proteína) e da Digestibilidade Verdadeira. RESULTADOS: Os resultados demonstraram que quando o Champignon do Brasil foi utilizado como fonte exclusiva de proteína na dieta, os índices de qualidade protéica apresentaram-se baixos (Quociente de Eficiência Alimentar=0,08, Quociente de Eficiência Protéica=0,92 e Razão Protéica Líquida=3,00), quando comparados com a dieta padrão caseína (Quociente de Eficiência Alimentar=0,30, Quociente de Eficiência Protéica=3,05 e Razão Protéica Líquida=4,21). Os índices obtidos para o grupo Agaricus mostraram-se comparáveis àqueles apresentados por alguns tipos de proteína vegetal e podem ser explicados por sua limitação em aminoácidos essenciais, notadamente a lisina e a leucina, respectivamente primeiro e segundo aminoácido limitante. CONCLUSÃO: Os dados apontam para a utilização da proteína do Agaricus brasiliensis como uma boa fonte para complementação protéica, quando combinada com outras culturas vegetais comuns na dieta típica brasileira.

OBJECTIVE: The present work describes the biological evaluation of an experimental diet containing Champingnon do Brasil (Agaricus brasiliensis) as the main protein source for a rat experimental model. METHODS: For this purpose, 24 21-day-old male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups of 8 animals each and were fed with a standard casein diet or an experimental Agaricus diet both with 10% protein and isoenergetic or a very low protein diet. A biological assay was done for 28 days by determining the concentration of nitrogen in the urine and stools and calculating the Food Efficiency Ratio (weight gain divided by food intake), Protein Efficiency Ratio (weight gain divided by protein intake), Net Protein Ratio (corrected weight gain divided by protein intake) and True Digestibility. RESULTS: The results showed that when Champignon do Brasil was used as the only source of protein in the diet, the Protein Quality indices were low (Food Efficiency Ratio=0.08, Protein Efficiency Ratio=0.92 and Net Protein Ratio=3.00) when compared with the standard casein diet (Food Efficiency Ratio=0.30, Protein Efficiency Ratio=3.05 and Net Protein Ratio=4.21). The indices obtained for Agaricus were comparable to some plant protein sources and can be explained by the first and second limiting amino acids, lysine and leucine, respectively. CONCLUSION: The data show that Agaricus brasiliensis is a good source of protein when combined with other vegetables that are common in the typical Brazilian diet.