Novel Biotechnological Developments in Agriculture

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2023) | Viewed by 5222

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Bacteriology Branch, Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5GB, Northern Ireland, UK
Interests: bacterial virulence; isolation and testing of novel pre- and probiotics; development of novel technologies for a more efficient detection of foodborne pathogens
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Guest Editor
Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, University of Life Sciences King Mihai I from Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
Interests: biomaterials; bioeconomy; advanced biofuels; anaerobic digestion

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Technologies, University of Life Sciences King Mihai I from Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
Interests: oxidative stress; bioactive compounds; phytopharmaceuticals; method validation; quality management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, University of Life Sciences King Mihai I from Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
Interests: biological active compounds bioconversion,; biocatalysts; enzyme kinetics; biomaterial synthesis
Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, University of Life Sciences King Mihai I from Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
Interests: crop production; soil health; biology of animal feed crops

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Bioengineering of Animal Resources, University of Life Sciences King Mihai I from Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania
Interests: biotechnology in animal nutrition; molecular nutrition; animal feed production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biotechnology plays a significant role in agriculture; it is specifically involved in the commercialization and production of genetically engineered crops, in processes and technologies related to food safety and environmental protection, and also in developing technologies related to transgenic and cloned animals. Moreover, the novel technologies applied in food production are heavily dependent on new biotechnological techniques in order to produce better and safer products for human consumption. Under this topic, we aim to publish research related to all aspects of biotechnological technologies involved in agriculture, including those involved in animal production and health, climate change, crop production, food production, and safety. The editors also encourage submissions of research that include molecular aspects of agricultural production systems, such as biotechnology in animal feed production and farm animal gut health, or research related to novel technologies to reduce antibiotic usage in agriculture.

Prof. Dr. Nicolae Corcionivoschi
Dr. Teodor Vintila
Dr. Camelia Tulcan
Dr. Monica Dragomirescu
Dr. Ioan Pet
Dr. Lavinia Ştef
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • biotechnology in agriculture
  • biotechnology in crop and animal production
  • biotechnology in food and feed production
  • biotechnology in agriculture

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 331 KiB  
Article
Plant-Based Beverages from Germinated and Ungerminated Seeds, as a Source of Probiotics, and Bioactive Compounds with Health Benefits—Part 1: Legumes
by Adriana Dalila Criste, Adriana Cristina Urcan, Cristian Ovidiu Coroian, Lucian Copolovici, Dana Maria Copolovici, Ramona Flavia Burtescu and Neli Kinga Oláh
Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061185 - 2 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1663
Abstract
Consumption of plant-based milk replacers has increased in recent years due to health benefits, benefits attributed mainly to the content of phenolic compounds, fatty acids, or bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. In this context, we proposed to obtain two types of less studied [...] Read more.
Consumption of plant-based milk replacers has increased in recent years due to health benefits, benefits attributed mainly to the content of phenolic compounds, fatty acids, or bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. In this context, we proposed to obtain two types of less studied plant-based beverages, namely lupine and chickpea beverages, as well as the possibility of getting these beverages using germinated seeds and even obtaining probiotic drinks through fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. To evaluate the quality of the obtained products, we determined their content of proteins, fatty acids, organic acids, volatile compounds, and phenolic compounds. We evaluated the antioxidant activity of the obtained herbal drinks, and a load of probiotic microorganisms present after the fermentation process. Both lupine and chickpeas are legumes with high protein content and a range of health benefits. Fermentation with L. plantarum introduces probiotic properties and enhances the nutritional profile of these beverages. Plant-based beverages inoculated with L. plantarum can offer a convenient way to incorporate probiotics into plant-based diets, providing consumers with the benefits of both plant-based nutrition and probiotic supplementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biotechnological Developments in Agriculture)
18 pages, 350 KiB  
Article
Ruminal Solubility and Bioavailability of Inorganic Trace Mineral Sources and Effects on Fermentation Activity Measured in Vitro
by Antal Vigh, Adriana Criste, Kévin Gragnic, Léa Moquet and Christine Gerard
Agriculture 2023, 13(4), 879; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13040879 - 16 Apr 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1797
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of supplementation with inorganic sources of manganese (MnO, MnSO4), zinc (ZnO, ZnSO4) and copper (CuSO4) at different levels (0.06%DM for Mn, 0.05%DM for Zn; 0.01 and 0.05%DM [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of supplementation with inorganic sources of manganese (MnO, MnSO4), zinc (ZnO, ZnSO4) and copper (CuSO4) at different levels (0.06%DM for Mn, 0.05%DM for Zn; 0.01 and 0.05%DM for Cu) on in vitro rumen fermentation, solubility and bioavailability. Fermentation activity was measured by total gas production (TGP) and dry matter degradability after 70 h of fermentation (dDM%). Trace mineral (TM) solubility was estimated via the TM concentration in the supernatant of the final fermentation medium (SOL) and TM bioavailability from the TM concentration in a bacterial-enriched fraction (BACT). Mn (regardless of source) and ZnO tended (p < 0.10) to decrease, while Cu showed no significant effect on TGP. The addition of inorganic Mn and of ZnO tended (p < 0.10) to decrease, ZnSO4 tended to increase (p < 0.10), whilst Cu showed no effect on dDM%. Concerning solubility, Mn (MnO and MnSO4), ZnSO4 and CuSO4 significantly (p < 0.05, p < 0.001 and p < 0.01) increased, while ZnO did not affect TM content in the SOL. These results indicate that MnSO4, ZnSO4 and CuSO4 are highly soluble, MnO is quite soluble, while ZnO has a low solubility in the rumen. Based on the TM content in BACT, MnO, MnS4 and CuSO4 have high bioavailability, while ZnO is poorly assimilated by rumen bacteria. However, the lack of clear inhibition or improvement in fermentations suggests that the rumen microbiota have a low requirement for TM supplementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biotechnological Developments in Agriculture)
11 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
Associations of Lameness with Indicators of Nitrogen Metabolism and Excretion in Dairy Cows
by Daniel-Catalin Necula, Helen Elizabeth Warren, Jules Taylor-Pickard, Eliza Simiz and Lavinia Stef
Agriculture 2022, 12(12), 2109; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12122109 - 9 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1202
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of lameness on nitrogen (N) metabolism and excretion. Two treatment groups of 20 multiparous Holstein–Friesian dairy cows were included in study; the control group consisted of cows with locomotion score ≤2, while the [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of lameness on nitrogen (N) metabolism and excretion. Two treatment groups of 20 multiparous Holstein–Friesian dairy cows were included in study; the control group consisted of cows with locomotion score ≤2, while the experimental group consisted of cows with locomotion scores 3 and 4. Fodder, milk, feces, and urine were collected to determine nitrogen emissions. The milk yield, the energy-corrected milk, the fat and protein yield were higher for lame animals compare with non-lame cows. Differences were also detected in the milk urea nitrogen (MUN) between groups where lame cows had a 15% lower MUN than non-lame animals. Urine volume was lower (p < 0.008), while urinary creatinine concentration was higher (p < 0.05) in lame animals compare with those in the non-lame group. Consequently, the creatinine/urea ratio was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the lame vs. no-lame animals. Nitrogen excretion in milk was higher (p = 0.008) and N in urine was lower (p < 0.001) in the lame compared to non-lame cows with lower urinary N emissions in lame animals. Taken together, our results show that urinary creatinine concentration and urinary creatinine/urea ratio have the potential to be used as a tool for lameness detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Biotechnological Developments in Agriculture)
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