Nickel (Ni) availability in soil varies as a function of pH. Plants require Ni in small quantities for normal development, especially in legumes due its role in nitrogen (N) metabolism. This study investigated the effect of soil base saturation, and Ni amendments on Ni uptake, N accumulation in the leaves and grains, as well as to evaluate organic acids changes in soybean. In addition, two N assimilation enzymes were assayed: nitrate reductase (NR) and Ni-dependent urease. Soybean plants inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum were cultivated in soil-filled pots under two base-cation saturation (BCS) ratios (50 and 70%) and five Ni rates – 0.0; 0.1; 0.5; 1.0; and 10.0 mg dm-3 Ni. At flowering (R1 developmental stage), plants for each condition were evaluated for organic acids (oxalic, malonic, succinic, malic, tartaric, fumaric, oxaloacetic, citric and lactic) levels as well as the activities of urease and NR. At the end of the growth period (R7 developmental stage – grain maturity), grain N and Ni accumulations were determined. The available soil-Ni in rhizosphere extracted by DTPA increased with Ni rates, notably in BCS50. The highest concentrations of organic acid and N occurred in BCS70 and 0.5 mg dm-3 of Ni. There were no significant differences for urease activity taken on plants grown at BSC50 for Ni rates, except for the control treatment, while plants cultivated at soil BCS70 increased the urease activity up to 0.5 mg dm-3 of Ni. In addition, the highest values for urease activities were reached from the 0.5 mg dm-3 of Ni rate for both BCS treatments. The NR activity was not affected by any treatment indicating good biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) for all plants. The reddish color of the nodules increased with Ni rates in both BCS50 and 70, also confirms the good BNF due to Ni availability. The optimal development of soybean occurs in BCS70, but requires an extra Ni supply for the production of organic acids and for increased N-shoot and grain accumulation.

Solution blow spun polystyrene (PS) nanofibers were produced from 20 to 30 wt % PS solutions using toluene (industrial solvent) and orange oil (green solvent). The latter being composed of D-limonene (97.06%) as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The rheological behavior and volatility of the solvents and polymer solutions were correlated with fiber morphology, accessed by scanning electron microscopy. Thermal analysis was used to determine the thermal behavior of fibers. The antimicrobial activity of orange oil was tested for potential applications of the spun mats in active food packaging. Results showed that the nanofibers spun from orange oil solutions had average diameters of 306 AE 74 nm as opposed to 441 AE 110 nm for toluene. Moreover, when compared with fiber spun from toluene solutions, orange oil yielded more flexible fibers with slightly lower contact angles and better antimicrobial properties due to the presence of residual oil confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.

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Technological innovations in packaging are intended to prevent microbiological contaminations for ensuring food safety and preservation. In this context, researchers have investigated the antimicrobial effect of low-density polyethylene films incorporated with the following concentrations of silver nanoparticles: 1.50, 3.75, 7.50, 15.00, 30.00, 60.00, and 75.00 µg/ml. The films were characterized using field emission gun scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. From the results of these techniques, it could be concluded that the silver nanoparticles incorporated in the low-density polyethylene films did not influence their physical, chemical, and thermal properties. The direct contact assays, shake-flask assays, and bacterial images obtained using scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the antimicrobial activity of the films. In the microbial analyses, it was verified that the nanostructured films exhibited antimicrobial properties against all the microorganisms studied, although more notably for fungi and Gram-negative bacteria than the Gram-positive bacteria. Moreover, it was discovered that the packages, in which silver nanoparticles were incorporated, inhibited the growth and reproduction of bacterial cells during the early stages. These results suggest that the extruded low-density polyethylene films incorporated with silver nanoparticles may be an essential tool for improving food quality and safety.

Edible films made up of yellow passion fruit (YPF) rind and pectin as a matrix-forming agent are proposed as a means of valorizing passion fruit processing wastes. YPF films were produced at pilot-scale using continuous casting from aqueous formulations covering pectin/rind and water/pulp mass ratios of 100/0–0/100. YPF films were successfully obtained with systematic, tunable yellowish coloration and were achieved at an optimal temperature of 120 °C, leading to a drying time of 7 min and productivity of 0.03 m2 film min–1. YPF pulp is found to plasticize the pectin matrix of the films and thus can replace glycerol or other synthetic plasticizers. Films with the largest rind content (50 wt %) showed mechanical strength comparable to that of PVC cling film (9 vs 5 MPa). The biodegradable, renewable character of YPF films was demonstrated upon exposure to Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus,, and Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens, a nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacterium.

In this study, dehydrated strawberries have been proposed as probiotic carriers.Strawberries were cut into halves, incorporated with probiotic Bacillus coagulans BC4 by two alternative methods (impregnation and alginate coating) and submitted to two alternative drying methods (freeze drying -FD -and oven drying -OD). Six treatments were carried out, namely: FD and OD (no probiotic), I-FD, I-OD, C-FD, and C-OD (Iand C-meaning impregnation and coating respectively). While the probiotic incorporation method affected a few properties of the resulting products (mainly the probiotic viability on processing), the drying methods resulted in remarkable differences. The freeze-dried strawberry halves presented higher retention of chemical (ascorbic acid and anthocyanin contents) and physical properties (shape, color, and firmness) as well as a better acceptance and higher probiotic viability, resulting in higher probiotic release into the small intestine. The I-FD treatment resulted in the highest probiotic viability after processing and through a 6-month storage (neat 8 log cfu.g -1 ).

In this study, silver nanoparticles were prepared and incorporated into carboxymethylcellulose films to evaluate the antimicrobial activity for food packaging applications. The techniques carried out for material characterization were: infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis for the silver nanoparticles and films, as well as particle size distribution for the nanoparticles and water vapor permeability for the films. The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles prepared by casting method was investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of the silver nanoparticles to test Gram-positive (Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) microorganisms was carried out by the serial dilution technique, tested in triplicate to confirm the concentration used. The results were developed using the Mcfarland scale which indicates that the presence or absence of turbidity tube demonstrates the inhibition of bacteria in relation to the substance inoculated. It was found that the silver nanoparticles inhibited the growth of the tested microorganisms. The carboxymethylcellulose film embedded with silver nanoparticles showed the best antimicrobial effect against Gram-positive (E. faecalis) and Gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria (0.1 microg cm(-3)).

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