This review aimed to analyze the effects of additives in the process of producing silage from re-hydrated corn grains for ruminants. Control treatment studies used in this analysis was corn grain rehydrated with water only. To be included in the review, the studies needed to follow stand-ardized criteria, including the absence of additives in the control treatment and the evaluation of the silage in beef animals, such as cattle, goats, and sheep. A total of seven publications, published between 2014 and 2022, were included in the final dataset. To compare the results, the PROC ANOVA of SAS was used, which included a random effect of comparison within the study, per-forming a paired comparison. It was observed that the use of additives did not influence the chemical composition, pH, organic acid and ethanol content, microbial population, fermentative losses, aerobic stability, and dry matter in vitro digestibility of rehydrated corn grain silage (p >0.05). Based on this information, it is concluded that the use of additives in rehydrated corn grain silage did not show major differences on silage quality. It is important, however, to evaluate the effects of additives in silages on animal performance.

Drying grains in a fixed bed can be an interesting alternative to prevent undesirable breaks and fractures of solids due to mechanical shocks, something that cannot be avoided when drying in moving beds. A disadvantage of fixed bed drying is that there can be significant gradients in the critical variables if the layer of particulate solids is thick. This work shows that periodically changing the direction of drying air flow is an effective technique to reduce differences within the bed and allow better uniformity of the product. Drying in a thick layer of 10 cm of sorghum grains was carried out at 50 and 60oC for air flow velocity of 2.1 m.s-1. The results showed that despite increasing the total drying time, the technique actually allowed a significant decrease in the temperature gradients and moisture content of the sorghum grains. The change in direction of the air flow caused the drying front to be displaced, sometimes towards the top, sometimes towards the base of the bed. At 50oC, drying lasted a total of 240 min, bringing the sorghum grains to an average overall moisture content of 0.13 on a dry basis.

The objectives of the current research were to determine the levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) in four different cultivars of corn and subsequently to investigate the fate of DON during pro-cessing steps involved for the production of cornbread. The samples (n = 30) of each cultivar which were found positive were selected for the study. The average level of DON was ranged from LOD to 650 µg/kg. The amount of DON in cornflour samples were ranged from LOD to 630 µg/kg and insignificantly lower than the levels found in corn grain samples (p ≥ 0.05). Further-more, the levels of DON in corn dough samples were insignificantly higher than the levels in cornflour samples (p ≥ 0.05), with levels ranged from LOD to 645 µg/kg. However, the amount of DON in cornbread samples was significantly different from the levels found in corn grains sam-ples (p ≤ 0.05), with levels ranged from LOD to 611.5 µg/kg. The percentage reduction of DON in grains to cornbread samples was 22.4%, 35.6%, 44.5%, and 42.6% in type 1, type 2, type 3, and type 4 cultivars, respectively. The highest dietary exposure and hazard quotient (HQ) of DON was 0.13 and 0.17 µg/kg bw/d, in male and female individuals resulted from the consumption of cornbread samples, respectively.

The effects of an external strain tensor on the electrical resistivity of a manganite granular system are investigated using a simple approach describing the induced deformation in terms of the tilt angle between adjacent grains. The results obtained assuming the resistivity of each grain as given by a metallic part, coming from the inner grain, and a surface related tunnel contribution, allow to estimate appreciable resistivity variations even in the case of small deformation angles.

The Doig Phosphate Zone (DPZ) is a phosphate-bearing marine unit located at the base of the Doig Formation, in the Triassic section of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. The DPZ has a maximum thickness of 90 m and extends across northeastern British Columbia and western central Alberta. In this study we characterize the significance and interpret the origin of apatite in the DPZ, through mineralogical and geochemical analyses, thin section study and field emission-scanning electron microscopy. The occurrence of apatite in the DPZ is not evenly distributed, but restricted to discrete 10 to 20 cm thick beds, located near the base of the DPZ. Phosphorites are of two types: grainstones composed primarily of unconformity-bounded coated grains, and intraclastic phosphorites composed of detrital silt-sized grains and apatite coated grains in a cryptocrystalline phosphatic matrix. The phosphorite beds are records of stratigraphic condensation due to low detrital input during transgression. The erosionally-truncated phosphatic coated grains and intraclasts are interpreted to be a result of various phases of phosphatization, exhumation, erosion reworking, winnowing and redeposition in alternating quiescence and storms or bottom currents. The abundance of pyrite and chalcophile trace elements, as well as the low concentration of proxy elements for organic matter productivity and preservation, are further evidences of stratigraphic condensation, with sulfidic pore water development and extensive organic recycling promoted by biological activity during the long exposure times. The phosphorites were formed under oxygenated water conditions, as suggested by the depletion in Ce and presence of a diverse benthic fauna.

Nowadays, probiotics has been proposed for substituting antibiotics in animal feed, since the European Union (EU) banned the latter compounds in 2006 to avoid their serious side effects on human health. Therefore, this work aimed to produce a probiotic product by fed-fermentation of whey with kefir grains for use in animal feed. The whey was fermented with a combination of kefir grains AGK1 and the free biomass present in whole milk fermented milk used to activate these kefir grains. The probiotic culture obtained was characterized with high levels of biomass, total viability and antibacterial activity. Some probiotic properties of the probiotic culture were investigated in vitro, including its survival at low pH values, under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, after freezing in skim milk at − 20 ºC, and in the commercial feed during storage at room temperature. The viable cells of lactic and acetic acid bacteria and yeasts exhibited higher tolerance to acidic pH and simulated gastrointestinal conditions when the cells were protected with skim milk and piglet feed, compared with washed cells. The results indicated the feasibility of producing a probiotic product at a low cost with a potential application in animal feed.

The beer industry is a major producer of solid waste globally, primarily in the form of brewer’s spent grains (BSG), which due to its low value has historically been diverted to livestock as feed or to landfills as waste. Its high moisture content and chemical composition positions BSG as an ideal candidate for further processing with microbial fermentation, and recent research has focused on filamentous fungi and the ability of some species therein to degrade the predominant recalcitrant cellulolignin components of BSG to produce valuable compounds. Many species have been investigated to biovalorize this waste stream, including those in the genuses Aspergillus, Pennicillium, Rhyzopus, and Trichoderma, which have been used to produce a wide array of highly valuable enzymes and other functional compounds, and to increase the nutritional value of BSG as an animal feed. This review of recent developments in the application of filamentous fungi for the valorization of BSG will discuss the biochemical makeup of BSG, the biological mechanisms underlying fungi’s primacy to this application, and the current applications of fungi in this realm. As the majority of these studies are at lab-scale, the challenges to scale-up and more widespread application and will be discussed as well.

The influence of the grain structure on the tensile deformation strength is studied for precipitation-strengthened Cu-0.2%Zr at 673 K. Subgrains and grains are formed by ECAP and annealing. The fraction of high-angle boundaries increases with prestrain. Subgrains and grains coarsen during deformation. This leads to softening in the quasi-stationary state. The initial quasi-stationary state of severely predeformed, ultrafine-grained material exhibits relatively high rate-sensitivity at relatively high stresses. This is interpreted as result of the stress dependences of the quasi-stationary subgrain size and the volume fraction of subgrain-free grains.

The chemopreventive effects of various mixed cereal grain (MCG) samples on azoxymethane (AOM, 10 mg/kg) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS, 2% w/v)-induced colorectal cancer (CRC) in C57BL/6J mice were studied. The main MCG preparation consisted of fermented brown rice (FBR), glutinous brown rice, glutinous Sorghum bicolor, glutinous Panicum miliaceum, Coix lacryma-jobi and black soybean at an appropriate mixing ratio. Other MCG preparations contained rice coated with 5% Phellinus linteus and 5% Curcuma longa (MGR-PC), or 10% Phellinus linteus (MCG-P), or 10% Curcuma longa (MCG-C). Consumption of dietary MCG-PC by CRC mice significantly increased colon length, decreased the ratio of colon weight to length, and reduced the number of colon tumors. Similar effects, although to a lower extent, were observed in CRC mice fed with MCG-P, followed by those fed with MCG-C, MCG, FBR or white rice (WR). MCG-PC significantly suppressed colonic neoplasia, and decreased the levels of various cytokines (tumor necrosis factor: Tnf, interleukin 1 beta: Il1b, interleukin 6: Il6, and interferon gamma: Ifng) in serum and colon tissue of the CRC mice. In addition, MCG-PC increased the mRNA expressions of tumor protein p53(Tp53) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A(Cdkn1a), activated pro-apoptotic caspase 3(Casp3), and reduced expression of both mRNA and protein of inducible inducible nitric oxide synthase 2 (Nos2), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (Ptgs2), and cyclin D1(Ccnd1) in colon tissue. These findings suggest that than compared with other cereal grain preparations, MCG-PC had a greater activity against AOM/DSS-induced CRC by reducing intestinal inflammation, and modulating the expression of certain carcinogenesis related factors (Nos2, Ptgs2, Tp53, Cdkn1a, Ccnd1 and Casp3) in colon tissue of CRC mice.

Inflammation is an important biological response to any tissue injury. The immune system responds to any stimulus, such as irritation, damage, or infection, by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1b, can lead to several diseases eg.,, cardiovascular diseases, joint disorders, cancer, and allergies. Emerging science suggests that whole grains may lower the markers of inflammation. Whole grains are a significant source of dietary fibres and phenolic acids that have inverse association with the risk of inflammation. The dietary fibres and phenolic acids composition of whole grains is very distinct over different grains. Whole grains (cereals and pseudo-cereals) are rich in both dietary fibres e.g., arabinoxylan, β-glucan and phenolic acids e.g., hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids, which are predominantly present in the bran layer. Although the biological mechanisms underlying widely reported association between whole grains consumption and a lower risk diseases are not fully understood. The modulatory effects of whole grains on inflammation also likely to be influenced by several mechanisms, including the effect of dietary fibres and phenolic acids, while some of these effects are direct, others involve gut microbiota, which transform important bioactive substances into more useful metabolites that moderate inflammatory signaling pathway. Thus, the aim of this review is two folded: first is to discuss the types of dietary fibres and phenolic acids commonly found in cereals and pseudo-cereals, and their health benefits observed in animal and human studies. Second, we review existing literature on the linkage between consumption of whole grains and markers of subclinical inflammation, the role of dietary fibres, phenolic acids, and gut microbiota on the anti-inflammatory activity of whole grains intake. Altogether, scientific data on the ant-inflammatory properties of whole grains are encouraging, further researches are needed to cover the gap between the emerging sciences of whole grains dietary fibres, phenolic acids and inflammation.

A simple method for the determination of caffeine in coffee grains by GC-FID is presented in the current work. The method was fully validated according to ISO 17025 requirements and European Commission regulation. The accuracy, as provided by recovery experiments was higher than 93%, and the precision, as provided by the (%)Relative standard deviation under reproducibility conditions, was lower than 5%. All independent parameters that lead in the increase of methods uncertainty were investigated. In the present work all special precautions were taken into account in order to avoid the use of an internal standard. The method was applied in real samples and possible health claims were investigated.

Wild artisanal cultures, such as SCOBY-based membranes (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeasts) and water kefir grains (WKG), are complex consortia of microorganisms comprising yeasts, lactic and acetic acid bacteria, with a large strains’ diversity and abundance. The fermented products (FPs) obtained by the microbiome’s contribution can be included into functional products due to their metabiotics (pre-, pro-, post-, and paraprobiotics) as a result of the complex and synergistic association as well as due to the metabolic functionality. In this study, both consortia of SCOBY and WKG were involved in the co-fermentation of a new formulated substrate, that was further analysed aiming at increasing of the postbiotic composition of the FPs. Plackett-Burman (PB) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) techniques were used for the experimental designs to select and optimize the most important parameters that influence the freeze-dried starter cultures of SCOBY and WKG activity as a multiple inoculum. The tea concentration (1-3%), sugar concentration (5-10%), raisins concentration (3-6%), SCOBY lyophilized culture concentration (0.2-0.5%), WKG lyophilized culture concentration (0.2-0.5%), and fermentation time (5-7 days), were considered the independent variables for mathematical analysis and fermentation conditions’ optimization. The pH, total acidity (TA), antioxidant activity (DPPH), and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Bacillus subtilis MIUG B1, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and Aspergillus niger MIUG M5 were evaluated as responses. The rich postbiotic bioactive composition of the FP obtained in optimized biotechnological conditions highlighted the usefulness of the artisanal co-cultures, through their symbiotic metabolic interactions for the improvement of bioactive potential.

Exploring the relationship between cereal yield and remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is of great importance to decision-makers and agricultural stakeholders. In this study, an approach based on the Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression method is carried out to reveal the relationship between cereal yield and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI data in the Fez-Meknes region of Morocco. The results obtained show strong correlations reaching 0.70 to 0.89 between NDVI and grain yield. The linear regression model explains 58 to 79% of the variability in yield in regional provinces marked by the importance of cereal cultivation, and 51 to 53% in the mountainous provinces with less agricultural land devoted to major cereals. The regression slopes indicate that a 0.1 increase in NDVI results in an expected increase in grain yield of 4.9 to 8.7 quintals (q) per ha, with an average of 6.8 q/ha throughout the Fez-Meknes region. RMSE ranges from 2.12 to 4.96 q/ha. These results are promising in terms of early yield forecasting based on MODIS NDVI data.

The aim of this work was to study the production of kefir-like beverage by fed-batch fermentation of red table grape juice at initial pHs of 3.99 (fermentation A) and 5.99 (fermentation B) with kefir grains during four repeated 24-h fed-batch subcultures. However, all kefir-like beverages (KLB) were characterized by low alcoholic grade (≤ 3.6%, v/v) and lactic and acetic acid concentrations. The beverages obtained from fermentation B had lower concentrations of sugars and higher microbial counts than the KLB obtained in fermentation A. In addition, the KLB from fermentation B were the most aromatic and had the highest contents in alcohols, esters, aldehydes and organic acids compared to the non-fermented juice and KLB from fermentation A. These results indicate the possibility of obtaining red table grapes KLB with their own distinctive aromatic characteristics and a high content in probiotic viable cells, contributing to the valorization of this fruit.

Non-alcoholic beer (NAB) or low alcoholic beer (LAB) are taking over the market with a growing sale. Sus-tainable recycling and valorization of exhausted brewer’s spent grains (BSG) coming from craft beer is a relevant issue in brewing process. In this work, recycled BSG and BSG+GJ (supplemented with 10% grape juice) were used as wort-substrate to inoculate already selected non-conventional yeasts to produce NABLAB craft beer. Results showed that wort composed by only recycled BSG produced appreciate NAB beers (ethanol from 0.12% to 0.54 % v/v) while the addition of 10% of grape juice made LAB beers (ethanol from 0.82 to 1.66 % v/v). As expected, volatile compounds production was highest with the addition of grape juice. Lachancea thermotolerans confirmed the lactic acid production and, as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is characterized by (in both worts) ethyl butyrate and isoamyl acetate, while Torulaspora delbrueckii produced relevant amounts of exanol, phenylethyl acetate and β-phenyl ethanol (wort added with grape juice). Wickeramhomyces anomalus and Pichia kluyvery showed consistent volatile production but only in wort with grape juice addition where a fermentation activity was exhibited. The overall results indicated that reused BSGs, non-conventional yeasts and grape juice is a suitable strategy for specialty NABLAB beer.

Dietary recommendations to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) have focused on reducing intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) for more than 50 years. While the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise substituting both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids for SFA, evidence supports other nutrient substitutions that will also reduce CVD risk. For example, replacing SFA with whole grains, but not refined carbohydrates, reduces CVD risk. Replacing SFA with protein, especially plant protein may also reduce CVD risk. While dairy fat (milk, cheese) is associated with a slightly lower CVD risk compared to meat, dairy fat results in a significantly greater CVD risk relative to unsaturated fatty acids. As research continues, we will refine our understanding of dietary patterns associated with lower CVD risk.