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Integrating agricultural, chemical, and technological knowledge is crucial for developing bio-nanotechnologies to improve agricultural production. This study explores the innovative use of biopolymeric coatings, based on sodium alginate and sodium alginate + Laponite® (nanoclay), containing biostimulants (tryptophol and thymol) or not, on garlic cloves. These coatings were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Greenhouse bioassays showed improvements in garlic shoot plant biomass with both treatments: sodium alginate biopolymer and sodium alginate biopolymer plus Laponite®. In the field experiment, garlic plants treated with sodium alginate, in combination with conventional pesticide treatments, resulted in better quality garlic bulbs, where larger garlics were harvested in this treatment, reducing commercial losses. In tropical garlic crops, obtaining plants with greater initial vigor is essential. Our results highlight the potential of these bio-nanotechnological strategies to enhance garlic propagation, ensuring environmental protection and food security.

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The use of dwarf plants in tomato breeding has provided several advantages. However, there are no identified dwarf plants (dd) containing the self-pruning habit (spsp). The aim of this work was to obtain future generations, characterize the germplasm, and select potential dwarf plants with a determinate growth habit to obtain Salad-type lines. The work was started by carrying out hybridization, followed by the first, second, and third backcrosses. Once F2BC3 seeds became available, the introgression of the self-pruning gene (spsp) into dwarf plants (dd) began. Three strains of normal architecture and a determinate growth habit were hybridized with two strains of dwarf size and an indeterminate growth habit, thus yielding four hybrids. Additionally, donor genotype UFU MC TOM1, the commercial cultivar Santa Clara, and the wild accession Solanum pennellii were used in the experiment. Agronomic traits, fruit quality, metabolomics, and acylsugars content were evaluated, and dwarf plants with a determinate growth habit were selected. Hybrid 3 exhibited the highest yields. Visual differences between determinate and indeterminate dwarf plant seedlings were observed. It is suggested to carry out five self-pollinations of the best dwarf plant determined and subsequent hybridization with homozygous lines of normal plant architecture and determinate growth habit to obtain hybrids.

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INTRODUCTION: Distinguishing and categorizing the origin of garlic are highly significant, considering its widespread use as a flavoring agent. With billions of dollars annually in global trade, garlic is frequently susceptible to fraudulent practices. METHODOLOGY: Paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PS-MS) was employed to quickly analyze garlic samples from distinct geographic origins: China and Brazil. The so-generated PS-MS data were treated with metabolomic multivariate approaches, and the garlic samples from these different geographic regions were easily discriminated. RESULTS: Brazilian garlic was characterized to contain higher levels of amino acids, such as arginine, proline, and valine, and organosulfur compounds, such as allicin, alliin, and l-γ-glutamil-S-allyl-l-cysteine, compared to Chinese garlic. The PS-MS data were treated employing multivariate approaches, typically used in the metabolomics field, and this protocol was promptly able to discern among both types of samples. CONCLUSION: Hence, this combined strategy holds promise not only as an effective tool for the authentication of the geographical origin of garlic but also as a powerful means for biomarker discovery.

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Studies reporting the performance of anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (AnSBR) operating with high organic loadings are scarce. This study aimed to contribute to the technical and scientific literature by reporting the experience obtained when biodiesel wastewater was treated in an AnSBR applying organic loading rates (OLR) above those commonly used in batch reactor projects. For this, physicochemical and chromatographic analysis of the effluent were carried out. Further, the biomass was assessed chemically and morphologically, along with bacterial diversity characteristics. Supported by these analyses, the system performance was discussed in terms of COD remotion efficiency and buffering capacity. The AnSBR reached 10% of COD removal at the steady-state, which caused the biomass defragmentation and facilitated washout. This suggests that the startup and operation of AnSBR under optimized conditions with an average applied OLR of 11.3 gCOD L-1 d-1 worked as a pressure for the microbiota selection, stimulating the production of total volatile acids, which promoted system reduction efficiency and souring. In this context, food/microorganism ratios above 1.0 gCOD gTVS -1 d-1 can favor acidogenic activity, and total volatile acids/bicarbonate alkalinity concentration ratios above 1.9 may indicate acidification. The addition of support material for immobilizing/increasing biomass retention and/or operation under two-stage may be interesting alternatives for increasing AnSBR efficiencies under high OLRs.

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Mesoporous carbon (MC) derived from cassava starch was used to remove Acid Blue 113 azo dye from aqueous solutions. The influence of temperature, pH, ionic strength, and the adsorbent dose was investigated in a set of batch experiments. Experimental data showed that Acid Blue 113 adsorption was higher in the acid pH range than in the alkaline one, that dye adsorption increases when the ionic strength and temperature increase, and that adsorption results presented a good correlation with the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption capacity of MC was 295 mg g-1, at pH = 7.0 and 298 K, respectively. Zeta potential (ζ) showed the compression of the diffuse double layer of adsorbent with an increase in temperature and ionic strength, promoting the decrease of electrostatic repulsion between the negatively charged surface of the carbon particles and the anionic dye. Thermodynamic results demonstrate that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. Moreover, for the first time, this work has demonstrated that the pH, temperature, and ionic strength of the aqueous medium are also able to change the surface charge of carbon-based adsorbents and surely influence the adsorption capacity. Finally, the regeneration of the adsorbent by the photo-Fenton reaction regenerated the adsorption capacity of the adsorbent without generating secondary pollution to the environment.

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The dissipation of difenoconazole and linuron using an open-field experimental approach with carrots exposed to one-, two- and fivefold the recommended dose of the pesticides was evaluated to provide safe recommendation to ensure food safety of carrots. The pesticide residue analysis was performed with solid-liquid extraction with low temperature partitioning technique (SLE/LTP) followed by gas chromatography analysis. The recovery percentages of extracts obtained from samples of carrot passed through SLE/LTP extraction and fortified with difenoconazole and linuron pesticides varied from 93.4% to 106.3% and from 95.1% to 116.6%, respectively. The limit of detection for difenoconazole was 0.02 and 0.12 mg kg-1 for linuron. The limit of quantification for difenoconazole was 0.05 and 0.36 mg kg-1 for linuron. The degradation time for fifty percent of the applied pesticide at the different doses ranged from 2.4 to 3.6 days for difenoconazole and from 7.5 to 10.5 days for linuron. At the end of the pre-harvest interval, carrots treated with fivefold the recommended dose of both pesticides were considered unfit for consumption. Despite monitoring the degradation products of the applied pesticides by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer, none degradation product was identified on the carrots.

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In this work, methodologies to determine manganese (Mn) in urine and whole blood by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry were developed. The use of Ru, Rh, and Zr as permanent modifiers, Pd as a modifier in solution, and the condition without modifier were investigated for the direct determination of Mn in urine and whole blood samples. The best results for Mn in urine and in whole blood were obtained without modifier use. The analytical characteristic, such as accuracy, precision and limit of detection of the proposed methodology were adequate.

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Different chemical modifiers for use with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS) were investigated in relation to determining the selenium in human urine samples. The samples were diluted in a solution containing 1% v/v HNO3 and 0.02% m/v cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC). Studying the modifiers showed that the use of either Ru or Ir as the permanent modifier gave low sensitivity to Se and the peak shape was very noisy, while Zr or Rh gave no peak at all. The same occurred when Zr was used in solution. For mixtures of permanent modifiers, Ir plus Rh or Zr plus Rh gave very low sensitivity, Zr plus Rh with co-injection of Ir in solution was also not efficient, Zr plus Rh in solution gave good sensitivity, but the best results were obtained with a mixture of Zr and Rh as the permanent modifier and co-injection of Rh in solution. Using this last modifier, the following dilutions with the HNO3 and CTAC were studied: 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4. The best dilution was 1:1, which promoted good sensitivity and a more defined peak shape and made it possible to correct for the background using a deuterium arc lamp. Under these conditions, a characteristic mass of 26+/-0.2 pg was obtained for Se in aqueous solution. Six certified urine samples were analyzed using matrix matching calibration and the measured concentrations were in agreement with the certified values, according to a t-test at the 95% confidence level. Recovery tests were carried out and the recoveries were in the range 100-103%, with relative standard deviation better than 9%. The limit of detection (LOD, 3 sd, n = 10) was 3.0 microg L(-1) in the sample. The treated graphite tube could be used for at least 600 atomization cycles without significant alteration of the analytical signal.

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