Agriculture and agro-industry are important sectors in the economies of most developing countries, where they provide the main source of livelihoods for the majority of the poor. The lack of a sustainable supply of affordable energy is a major constraint to the development of these sectors in developing countries. Traditionally, geothermal energy has been utilized mainly to generate electricity; however, it can be harnessed for other important uses in agriculture and agro-industry. Developing countries endowed with this renewable energy source have ample potential to use it in advancing their agriculture and agro-industry sectors. This book reviews the use of geothermal energy in agriculture and agro-industry around the world. With a simple format and copious illustrations and models, the book is accessible to a wide range of interested readers, including those with no technical background. It shows that geothermal resources have the potential to provide long-term, secure energy for the agriculture and food industry in both developed and developing countries. Constraints and challenges that should be addressed before this potential can be fully achieved are also discussed.
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Antioxidant and sensory properties of Nile tilapia protein hydrolysates prepared by one- and two-step hydrolysis using commercial proteases were investigated. Hydrolysates prepared using single protease including Alcalase (HA), Flavourzyme (HF), Protamex (HPr) and papain (HPa) had increases in antioxidant activities as the degree of hydrolysis (DH) increased up to 40 % (P<0.05). Amongst all hydrolysates, HA having 40 % DH showed the highest antioxidant activities. When HA was further hydrolyzed by papain, the resulting hydrolyzate (HAPa) exhibited the highest antioxidant activities for all assays tested (P<0.05). ABTS radical scavenging activity and metal chelating of HAPa generally remained constant in a wide pH range (1–11) and during heating at 30–100 ° C. Both activities increased in the simulated gastrointestinal tract model system, especially in intestinal condition. HAPa (100–1,000 ppm) could retard lipid oxidation in β-carotene-linoleate and lecithin-liposome model systems in a dose dependent manner. Peptides in both HA and HAPa with molecular weight of 513 Da and 1,484 Da possessed the strongest ABTS radical scavenging activity and metal chelating activity, respectively. The amino acid profile of both HA and HAPa contained a high amount of hydrophobic amino acids (38.26–38.85 %) and had glutamic acid / glutamine, lysine and aspartic acid / asparagine as the dominant amino acids. However, HAPa showed a higher acceptability than did HA, owing to the lower bitterness. Therefore, the use of Alcalase in combination with papain for hydrolysis of protein isolate rendered the hydrolyzate with antioxidant properties and reduced bitterness, which could serve as the functional supplement.
Antioxidant activities of protein hydrolyzate prepared from Nile tilapia protein isolate using Alcalase (HA), Alcalase followed by papain (HAPa) and their Sephadex G-25 fractions (FHA and FHAPa) were investigated in both chemical and cellular based models. Amongst all samples, FHAPa showed the highest chemical antioxidant activities, however it had no metal chelation activity. Cellular antioxidant ability of HA, HAPa and their fractions against H2O2 and AAPH induced oxidative damage of HepG2 cell and DNA were tested. When cells were pretreated with all hydrolysates or fractions at different concentrations (0.5–2 mg / mL) in the absence and presence of 50 μM Trolox, cell viability was in the range of 91.10–111.40 %. However, no difference in cell viability was observed among samples having various concentrations (P> 0.05). Cell reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation as mediated by H2O2 and AAPH decreased with treatment of hydrolysates or their fractions, especially in combination with 50 μM Trolox. FHAPa effectively inhibited H2O2 and peroxyl radical induced DNA scission in a dose dependent manner. Therefore, Nile tilapia protein hydrolysates could serve as a functional food ingredient.
In northern Europe a number of fish products are prepared in such a way that biochemical and microbial action can take place. These are complex processes for which there are few available scientific studies. This article covers the origin, manufacturing, characteristics, and consumption of traditional fermented fish products, including sour herring from Sweden, rakfisk from Norway, shark from Iceland, and the barrel-salted herring that was commonly produced in most of northern Europe.
A prototype for a Responsive Fisheries Management System (RFMS) was developed in the context of the European FP7 project EcoFishMan and tested on the Portuguese crustacean trawl fishery. Building on Results Based Management principles, RFMS involves the definition of specific and measurable objectives for a fishery by the relevant authorities but allows resource users the freedom to find ways to achieve the objectives and to provide adequate documentation. Taking into account the main goals of the new Common Fisheries Policy, such as sustainable utilization of the resources, end of discards and unwanted catches, a management plan for the Portuguese crustacean trawl fishery was developed in cooperation with the fishing industry, following the process and design laid out in the RFMS concept. The plan considers biological, social and economic goals and assigns a responsibility for increased data collection to the resource users. The performance of the plan with regard to selected indicators was evaluated through simulations. In this paper the process towards an RFMS is described and the lessons learned from the interaction with stakeholders in the development of an alternative management plan are discussed.
A number of solutions, with varying efficiency, have been proposed to mitigate discards. In this paper twelve mitigation measures were reviewed by their strengths and weaknesses, along with opportunities and threats, they might entail. How mitigation methods could either support or counteract others was also reviewed. The analyzes of the mitigation measures are based on expert knowledge and experience and supported with existing literature. Discarding is highly variable and is influenced by numerous biological, technical and operational factors as well as social and economic drivers. These influences need to be carefully considered when designing management approaches. Finally, all reforms must be carefully considered within the context of a broader management system. The full management system needs to be thought of coherently to create an incentive framework that motivates fishers to avoid unwanted catches. It is only in this setting that discard mitigation methods may be potentially effective.
The reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), adopted by the European Union in 2013, aims to achieve sustainable exploitation of marine resources. Beyond the mainstream of stakeholders' engagement, the literature increasingly calls for shared accountability in fisheries management. In such scenarios, identifying stakeholders' insights becomes critical for a successful design of innovative management approaches. This paper analyzes how the stakeholders perceive a results-based management system for four fisheries in different European sea-basins as well as at a pan-European level. The results indicate a need for adaptive and participatory management approaches, building on regional adaptations within transparent and plural frameworks for fisheries. To succeed, the system should explicitly address its associated public and private costs; neither participation nor accountability comes for free.
Streptomyces lividans TK24 is the standard host for the heterologous expression of a number of different proteins and antibiotic-synthesizing enzymes. As such, it is often used as an experimental microbial cell factory for the production of secreted heterologous proteins including human cytokines and industrial enzymes, and of several antibiotics. It accepts methylated DNA and is an ideal Streptomyces cloning system. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of S. lividans TK24 that includes a plasmid-less genome of 8,345 Mbp (72,24% G + C content).
Phage vB_Tsc2631 infects the extremophilic bacterium Thermus scotoductus MAT2631 and uses the Ts2631 endolysin for the release of its progeny. The Ts2631 endolysin is the first endolysin from thermophilic bacteriophage with an experimentally validated catalytic site. In silico analysis and computational modeling of the Ts2631 endolysin structure revealed a conserved Zn2+ binding site (His30, Tyr58, His131 and Cys139) similar to Zn2+ binding site of eukaryotic peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs). We have shown that the Ts2631 endolysin lytic activity is dependent on divalent metal ions (Zn2+ and Ca2+). The Ts2631 endolysin substitution variants H30N, Y58F, H131N and C139S dramatically lost their antimicrobial activity, providing evidence for the role of the aforementioned residues in the lytic activity of the enzyme. The enzyme has proven to be not only thermoresistant, retaining 64.8% of its initial activity after 2 h at 95 ° C, but also highly thermodynamically stable (Tm = 99.82 ° C, ΔHcal = 4.58 × 104 cal mol-1). Substitutions of histidine residues (H30N and H131N) and a cysteine residue (C139S) resulted in variants aggregating at temperatures ≥75 ° C, indicating a significant role of these residues in enzyme thermostability. The substrate spectrum of the Ts2631 endolysin included extremophiles of the genus Thermus but also Gram-negative mesophiles, such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella panama, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Serratia marcescens. The broad substrate spectrum and high thermostability of this endolysin makes it a good candidate for use as an antimicrobial agent to combat Gram-negative pathogens.
The genetic structure of Atlantic herring Clupea harengus L. was investigated in its north-easterly distribution in the Norwegian Sea and adjacent waters, using 23 neutral and one non-neutral (Cpa111) microsatellite loci. Fish from the suspected 2 main populations — the Norwegian spring-spawning herring (NSSH) and the Icelandic summer-spawning herring (ISSH) —were collected at spawning locations in their respective spawning seasons from 2009 to 2012. Samples were also collected from Norwegian autumn spawning locations, from different local Norwegian fjords such as the inner part of Trondheimsfjorden, Lindås pollene, Landvikvannet and Lusterfjorden, as well as from suspected Faroese spawning components. The observed level of genetic differentiation was significant but low (FST = 0.007) and mostly attributable to the differentiation of the local Norwegian fjord populations. The locus Cpa111, which was detected to putatively be under positive selection, exhibited the highest FST value (0.044). The observed genetic patterns were robust to exclusion of this locus. Landvikvannet herring was also genetically distinguishable from the 3 other fjord populations. In addition, the present study does not support genetic structuring among the ISSH and the NSSH.