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Sunflower requires a sufficient amount of nutrients for growth and development. Therefore, it is important to determine the impact of sunflower cultivation on the soil nutrient regime, taking into account the frequency of its return to the previous place. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the share of sunflower in short rotation crop rotations on the soil nutrient regime. The research was conducted at the experimental field of the Kharkiv V.V. Dokuchaev National Agrarian University, which is located in the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. The research and accounting were carried out on typical heavy loamy chernozem in accordance with generally accepted methods. The experimental scheme included five-field crop rotations with sunflower saturation of 0, 20, 40 and 60%. The research results show that an increase in the share of sunflower in short rotation crop rotations does not lead to a deterioration in the nutrient regime of the topsoil. There was no significant difference between the variants in the content of nutrients. The most supplied with nutrients was the topsoil in the control variant (crop rotation without sunflower). With an increase in the share of sunflower in crop rotations, the amount of nutrients in the tilth layer of soil decreased slightly. Regardless of the studied crop rotation options, the availability of easily hydrolysable nitrogen was low, mobile phosphorus was average, and exchangeable potassium was high. Increasing the share of sunflower in short rotation crop rotations led to a decrease in the yield of the crop itself. The yield of sunflower seeds was at the same level in the variants with 20 and 40%. There is a close relationship between sunflower yield and its saturation, which significantly depends on the soil nutrient regime. The yield level is most affected by the content of phosphorus and potassium in the topsoil. The correlation is 0.91 and 0.98, respectively. The practical value of this study is due to the possibility of using the obtained results to justify the feasibility of increasing the share of sunflower in the structure of crop rotations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to demonstrate the practical and low-cost usability of image processing techniques in agricultural grain products by making a sample application in confectionery sunflower seeds. A desktop scanner and an open source software ImageJ were used. Local sunflower cultivars, which were obtained from Manisa, Denizli and Kayseri provinces, were used as a material. After the seeds were scanned with a scanner, their projected areas were calculated in 2D with ImageJ software. Afterward, the dimensions of the seeds were measured with a precision scale and caliper to compare with their projected areas. As a result of the statistical analysis, very high correlations could not be reached between the calculated projected areas and the other measured dimensions. Seed weight, seed length, seed width and hull weight were found to be highly or moderately correlated with the projected area values in all three seed types. Research findings show that the most important reason for not finding very high correlations was the use of local cultivars and the low level of seed purity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the development of a method for the determination of diflubenzuron in agricultural products using HPLC with a diode array detector. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile, and then purified by solid-phase extraction using C18E and PSA adsorbents and a Diapak C cartridge. The developed method was tested on the green mass of plants, potato tubers, corn grain, soybeans, sunflower seeds, rapeseed, and vegetable oil in the concentration range from 0.025 to 0.25 mg/kg. The average values of recovery were 81–91% with an error of 1.3–2.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of natural antioxidant uptake into fresh and frozen chicken breast meat was investigated. Uniform pieces of chicken breast fillets (4 × 2 × 2 cm) were immersed for increments between 0 and 60 min in solution containing extracts of natural antioxidants of rosemary, small red bean, sunflower seed, and ginger at 200mg total phenolic equivalent. Moisture uptake and antioxidant (phenolic content) diffusion into different layers of chicken breast fillets were monitored. The moisture uptake was found significantly highest (P<0.05) in fresh meat samples immersed in small red bean extract followed by rosemary from 30 minutes onwards. The major variance in moisture uptake by previously frozen samples was observed in chicken breast treated with rosemary. The diffusion of phenolic compounds into the meat layers of frozen samples increased in order of: cut muscle tissue> fascia membrane side> the core. Fresh and frozen breast fillets dipped into rosemary solution had the highest total phenolic content over immersion time, while the highest penetration of phenolic content was found in frozen samples. Rapid absorption of phenolic content in fresh meat was in the first 20 min and the frozen meat was at 60 min. These finding proved that all antioxidants were capable of improving moisture uptake and phenolic content in chicken fillets when dipped in a natural antioxidant solution, suggesting that penetration of a particular solution into chicken meat may be very useful to increase water-holding capacity, decrease oxidation process and improving texture Since most margination solution that employed in commercial meat processing contain sever phenolic compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. In this mini-review some technologies proposed by Ukrainian scientists for utilization of plant processing waste to enrich bakery and confectionery products are present. Material and methods. The use of cereal, vegetable, fruit and oil processing wastes in the manufacturing of bakery and confectionary products was proposed. The effects of partial replacement of wheat flour with plant additives on technological parameters and sensory characteristics of food products are described. Results and discussion. Partial replacement of wheat flour with plant additives allowed to increase nutritional value of food products. Thus, replacement of wheat flour with 5-20% of pumpkin seed flour resulted in an increase of protein content by 13.9-55.5% and fiber content by 12.07-48.7% in bread in comparison with control one without additives. Replacement of wheat flour, 5-15%, with pumpkin cellulose increased the content of protein 1.1-1.4 times and dietary fiber in 1.4-2.2 times in comparison with control bread. Bread supplemented with oat bran, 5-15% instead of wheat flour had higher by 19.5-52.2% score of lysine than bread without plant additives. Waste from grape processing containing protein, lipids, fiber, minerals and polyphenols, could be successfully used in preparation of flourbased confectionery products. Grape seed powder could serve as a substitute of cocoa powder in confectionery coatings technologies. Grape seed cake powder and grape skin powder being used for partial replacement of wheat flour in biscuits enriched the product with dietary fiber, polyphenolic compounds, minerals and vitamins. Addition of flour from extruded sunflower seed kernels in preparation of gingerbread allows to enrich it with valuable nutrients and improve its technological characteristics. Conclusions. Wastes from the processing of plant materials contain valuable substances and can be used in the preparation of functional products. It is essential to maintain and preferentially increase the high quality of products; thus, it is necessary to replace wheat flour with a plant additive in amounts not exceeding 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower is a major field oilseed crop in Bulgaria. Uncontrolled weed flora is the main competitor during sunflowers' vegetation. The present study aims to determine the weed infestation in different growth stages of sunflowers and to determine their influence on the productivity of the crop. The study was conducted during two sunflower growing seasons with the sunflower hybrid „Coloris“ CL in 2022 and 2023. The experiment was carried out on the agricultural land of Novoseltsi village, in the region of Vidin city, Bulgaria. The weed mapping was determined by the П-method for weed survey in spring field crops. A comparison of the weed infestation was determined between untreated plot and plot with an application of the tank mixture of the herbicidal products Pulsar Plus (25 g/l imazamox) – 1.60 l ha-1 + Stratos Ultra (100 g/l cycloxydim) – 2.00 l ha-1. The herbicides were applied in the 4th-6th true leaf stage of sunflower. In the two experimental years, the sunflower was grown after preceding crop winter wheat. During the two years of the study, and during the two survey periods (1st – in growth stage 8th - 10th true leafs stage of sunflower, and IInd - during the flowering of the crop) the predominant weed species were ragweed (Ambrosia artemisifolia L.) and wild hemp (Cannabis ruderalis Janisch.), followed by the weed Rough cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.). During the trial, no visual signs of phytotoxicity were detected in sunflower after the application of Pulsar Plus + Stratos Ultra in tank mixture. Sunflower seed moisture content was higher for the plants from the untreated plot. Statistically higher results for the studied indicators, such as seed yield, absolute and hectoliter seed mass were established after the application of Pulsar Plus + Stratos Ultra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the ability of oleuropein-rich olive leaf extract (OLE) to improve the quality and oxidative stability of sunflower oil subjected to accelerated thermal oxidation. Oleuropein was the major phenolic compound determined by HPLC-DAD with a content ranging from 20.81 to 32.56 mg·g1 of dry extract (DE). The evaluation of the in vitro antioxidant capacity of OLE showed good scavenging capacity of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (1.01 and 0.96 mmol Trolox equivalents (ET·g-1 DE, respectively). The enrichment of sunflower oil with 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5% OLE (w/v) significantly inhibited thermal-induced peroxidation in a dose-dependent fashion. 0.25% OLE was the most effective concentration and showed a significant reduction in peroxide value and conjugated dienes by 61.4 and 17.4%. These results indicate that OLE can be considered a good natural alternative for extending the shelf-life of polyunsaturated vegetable oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In graph theory, a prism over a graph G is the cartesian product of the graph G with P2. The purpose of this work is to investigate the complexity of the prisms of some path and cycle-related graphs. In particular, we obtain simpler and more explicit formulas for the complexity of a special class of prisms of path-related graphs: fan graph, ladder graph, the composition Pn[P2] graph, and book graph. Moreover, we obtain straightforward formulas for the complexity of a special class of prisms of cycle-related graphs: wheel graph, gear graph, prism graph, n-crossed prism graph, mirror graph M(Cn) of even cycle Cn, twisted prism, total graph T (Cn) of the cycle Cn, the friendship graph, the flower graph, and planner sunflower graph. These closed formulas are deduced using some basic properties of block matrix, recurrence relation, eigenvalues of circulant matrices, and orthogonal polynomials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of a chickpea‐based edible coating with the addition of polyphenols on the chemical, microbiological, and sensory quality of roasted sunflower seeds throughout storage. Four different samples were prepared: roasted sunflower seeds (control sample, SF‐C), roasted sunflower seeds with BHT (SF‐BHT), roasted sunflower seeds with chickpea‐based coating (SF‐CCs), and roasted sunflower seeds with chickpea‐based coating with chickpea polyphenolic extract (SF‐CCPE). The samples were stored for 60 days at room temperature, and their chemical, microbiological, and sensory parameters were analyzed. The acceptability of fresh samples was also studied. The use of chickpea‐based coatings retarded the lipid oxidation process efficiently, but the inclusion of chickpea polyphenols in the coating enhanced the protective effect. At 60th day of storage, no statistically significant differences were found between SF‐CCPE and SF‐BHT in relation to peroxides and conjugated dienes values, saturated/unsaturated ratio, and hexanal content. Linoleic acid content was reduced significantly more in SF‐CCs than SF‐CCPE. The addition of chickpea coating with chickpea antioxidants did not modify the flavor of the sunflower seeds and was the most accepted treatment by the consumer. The formation of undesirable flavors (cardboard and oxidized) was less in SF‐CC, SF‐CCPE, and SF‐BHT without finding significant differences between these treatments. None of the samples presented microbiological contamination or an increase in bacteria, yeast, and molds during storage. The chickpea‐based coating was able to retard lipid oxidation in roasted sunflower seeds, proving to be a good alternative as a natural method to preserve foods with high lipid content. Practical Application: Discarded chickpeas and chickpea husks constitute byproducts from the chickpea industry. The grain husks are currently discarded or marketed at a very low cost, constituting a novel residue with antioxidant properties. Considering the growing interest in sustainability and the circular economy, this investigation proposes the utilization of nutritional materials to prepare edible coatings. The chickpea‐based coatings loaded with polyphenol extract (obtained from the husk of chickpea) demonstrated to have a protective effect against lipid oxidation process in sunflower seeds, which represent a good alternative to be used for the food industry to increase the shelf life of lipid foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increasing price of raw materials used in lambs fattening diets imposes to look for cheaper feedstuff able to replace the traditional and more expensive ingredients. This study aimed to investigate the effect of including corn dried distillers grains as a feed ingredient in lambs fattening diet. Methods: The study was performed during the year 2021. Thirty lambs (aged 3 months) were divided randomly into two groups (15 lambs/group). The experiment lasted for 110 days divided in two fattening phases. The groups were fed with diets of compound feed, barley hay and corn silage differentiated by the inclusion level of corn dried distiller's grain in compound feed. Diets were isoprotein and isoenergetic. Result: The results of this study showed that the inclusion of corn dried distillers grain in lamb's diets improved feed consumption, feed cost, growth performance and carcass parameters. These results proved that it is an efficient and economical feed ingredient that can be used successfully by farmers in lambs fattening diets as a single source of protein and energy in the compound feed up to 30 kg live weight and as a substitute for sunflower meal, over this body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helianthus annus (sunflower) is a globally important oilseed crop whose survival is threatened by various pathogenic diseases. Agrochemical products are used to eradicate these diseases; however, due to their unfriendly environmental consequences, characterizing microorganisms for exploration as biocontrol agents are considered better alternatives against the use of synthetic chemicals. The study assessed the oil contents of 20 sunflower seed cultivars using FAMEs-chromatography and characterized the endophytic fungi and bacteria microbiome using Illumina sequencing of fungi ITS 1 and bacteria 16S (V3–V4) regions of the rRNA operon. The oil contents ranged between 41–52.8%, and 23 fatty acid components (in varied amounts) were found in all the cultivars, with linoleic (53%) and oleic (28%) acids as the most abundant. Ascomycota (fungi) and Proteobacteria (bacteria) dominated the cultivars at the phyla level, while Alternaria and Bacillus at the genus level in varying abundance. AGSUN 5102 and AGSUN 5101 (AGSUN 5270 for bacteria) had the highest fungi diversity structure, which may have been contributed by the high relative abundance of linoleic acid in the fatty acid components. Dominant fungi genera such as Alternaria, Aspergillus, Aureobasidium, Alternariaste, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and bacteria including Bacillus, Staphylococcus, and Lactobacillus are established, providing insight into the fungi and bacteria community structures from the seeds of South Africa sunflower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Downy mildew caused by Plasmopara halstedii is responsible for significant economic losses in cultivated sunflowers. Field isolates of sunflower downy mildew resistant to mefenoxam, a previously effective active ingredient against the pathogen, have been found across Europe. The main goal of this study was to assess the sensitivity of P. halstedii isolates to mefenoxam through host responses to infection, such as symptoms measured by disease severity and growth reduction, and host tissue reactions, such as hypersensitive reaction and necrosis of invaded cells. Sunflower seeds were treated with Apron XL 350 FS at the European registered rate (3 mg/kg seeds). Seedlings were inoculated using the soil drench method with eight Hungarian P. halstedii isolates. Disease rates and plant heights were measured twice. Histological examinations of cross-sections of sunflower hypocotyls were performed using a fluorescence microscope. In our study, cluster analyses of sunflowers based on macroscopic and microscopic variables showed differentiation of groups of mefenoxam-treated sunflowers inoculated with different P. halstedii isolates. We first revealed a clear difference in host responses of mefenoxam-treated susceptible sunflowers. In addition, examining tissue reactions (e.g., hypersensitive reaction, necrosis) seems more accurate to estimate the sensitivity of P. halstedii isolates to mefenoxam than macroscopic symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroponic growth systems are a practical platform for obtaining healthy seedlings in a non-destructive way and therefore studying whole plant morpho-physiology. Nonetheless, the sunflower is a crop with poor growth and survivability under the hydroponic systems currently used. In this study, our aim was to design a hydroponic cultivation medium to obtain root systems of sunflower seedlings during its early vegetative growth phase. Sunflower seeds were germinated between moistened paper towels for 72 h. Following germination, the seedlings were transferred to plastic containers filled with water. Subsequently, water was replaced by Hoagland solution and each container was connected to the aeration system. When the seedlings were 24 days old, they were removed from the hydroponic system for subsequent determinations. Parameters such as pH, oxygen content, electrical conductivity, and light conditions are provided. The various morpho-anatomical parameters that were quantified include principal root length, number of lateral roots, and insertion angle, among others. We were able to develop a sunflower hydroponic growth system that can be easily and economically constructed and that allows the production of seedlings and the obtaining of a clean root system for subsequent determinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of water deficiency at different development stages on the bioactive content and phenolic compounds in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cake, the residue left after oil is extracted from sunflower seeds. A sunflower genotype was randomly planted in a complete block design with eight different combinations of irrigation (T1-T8) by increasing the available soil moisture measured at different plant growth stages (vegetative, flowering and grain formation). Results indicated that the total phenolics of extracts varied between 1.03-2.03 times more than under drought stress (T8). The antioxidant capacity response of seed cake was 14-39% lower than under drought stress. Irrigation treatment, except in the grain formation stage, was found to enhance the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds such as vanillic and caffeic acids. Irrigation only in the grain formation stage induced the accumulation of phenolic compounds such as coumaric acid and rutin hydrate. The present study established that residues resulting from oil extraction could be converted to a polyphenol-enrichment agent for food systems by manipulating the irrigation treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant was one of the most serious nuclear incidents in human history. A radioactive plume covered a whole strip of northeastern Europe. The consequences of this catastrophe are still being felt, both in Ukraine and around the world. The article is devoted to the assessment of the consequences of radiocesium contamination of agricultural lands and irrigated waters during a possible accident at the Zaporizhzhia NPP and the associated Cs137 contamination of sunflower products in the Zaporizhzhia region. The studies were carried out using a dynamic mathematical model for the formation of radionuclide activity in the "water-soilplant-product" system, ECOSIS-87 (Ecoplant). The article presents the results of studies of possible contamination of the environment by radiocesium according the Chornobyl NPP-86 scenario and sunflower production by the method of mathematical dynamic modeling. The calculations were carried out on the basis of the results of an agrochemical and agroecological survey of the state of soils in Ukraine and the Dnipro cascade of reservoirs. If an explosion occurs at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, the power of which will be equal to the Chornobyl NPP, then 100,000 hectares of agricultural land in the region will be taken out of the agricultural production of the Zaporizhzhia region. On agricultural lands where soil contamination with radiocaesium will be more than 5 Ci/km2, and the concentration in irrigated waters will reach 2 Bq/dm3, sunflower, which was grown for seeds to produce oil will need to be replaced with an industrial crop, which will also lead to loss of seed yield sunflower. Crop losses will lead to a decrease in the volume of sunflower oil. It should also be taken into account that the purification of soil and water does not occur in one year. At least in 5 years the situation will begin to improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency and high losses of nitrogen are the critical challenges being faced by sunflower grower. To address these concerns, an experiment was carried out during spring 2021 at the Agronomic research area of the Agriculture University, Faisalabad. The randomized complete block design experiment was used with three replications under split plot arrangement. The 5m x 3m net plot size was kept with sowing procedures retained in the main plot and nitrogen application techniques kept in the sub plot. The experiment was planted on 20-02-2021. The matured crop was reaped on 18 June, 2021 manually. The single row hand drill was used to sow sunflower crop. The 75 cm line to line and 25 cm plant to plant distance was maintained. The results indicated that plant population ranged from 73 to 74 with maximum plant height of 174.33 cm, stem diameter (3.70 cm), head diameter (23.13 cm), number of achenes per head (1237.6), 1000-achene weight (68.17 g), highest biological yield (10.92 t ha-1), achene yield (3.22 t ha-1), harvest index (29.48 %) and protein contents (29.03 %) was observed in treatment where nitrogen was applied by fertigation method and sunflower was sown on beds. But maximum oil contents (41.78 %) were observed where nitrogen was side dressed and flat sowing technique was adopted for crop sowing. It is found that use of fertigation method of nitrogen application and bed planting techniques proved to be the best combination for improving growth, yield & yield relating attributes and improve fertilizer use efficiency with lower nitrogen losses for sunflower (Hybrid-33) under agro-climatic conditions of Faisalabad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the sunflower combine harvester is operating in the field, the header reel may collide with the sunflower disk in the process of reeling, easily leading to the seeds dropping off the sunflower disk. The surface of the seed is subject to friction force, even damage to the seed hull, during the process of transporting seeds and sunflower disks with the spiral augers and elevator components. In addition, the severe vibration of the header can also cause the straw to shake, resulting the high seed loss. In this study, several experiments were carried out to explore the influence of the header collision and vibration on sunflower seed loss and the influence of the friction on the seed hull damage under different seed moisture content during the harvest period. The proper time of sunflower harvesting was determined to balance the contradiction between falling seeds loss and seed hull damage. The harvesting effect was also improved in the sunflower combine harvester. Firstly, a series of investigation was conducted to determine the impact of the collision of the reel web on the sunflower plate falling seeds loss during reeling, while the effect of the screw auger conveying on the hull damage of the sunflower seeds. The results show that the higher the moisture content of the seeds during harvesting, the greater the binding force between the seeds and the sunflower plate was, while the easier the damage of the seed hull was, and the greater the damage rate of the seed hull, was. There were less likely the seeds to fall off when they were hit. The optimal harvest time was considered to balance the comprehensive influence of the seed loss rate and the seed damage rate. Secondly, the weights of the sunflower plate falling seeds loss rate and the seed hull damage rate on the harvesting effect were 0.54 and 0.46, respectively, according to the requirements of sunflower harvesting on the loss rate and skin loss rate. The objective function was optimized with the Matlab platform. Thus, the moisture content of about 10.8% (9%-13%) was the best harvest period for sunflowers. Finally, the Default Shaker hydraulic shaking,table was utilized to clarify the influence of vibration excitation in the main vibration frequency range of combine harvester on the falling seeds loss of the sunflower plate. The results show that the first-order vibration frequency was 7 Hz with a great impact on shattering, and the second-order vibration frequency was 19 Hz. The loss rate of sunflower plate shattering was 1.5% at most under the excitation of the first-order vibration. However, the theoretical vibration frequency of the reciprocating cutter was 7.08 Hz, similar to the first-order vibration frequency of the sunflower plant. The vibration excitation of the reciprocating cutter can cause the resonance of the sunflower plant during harvesting in the field, resulting in seed loss. The finding can also provide a strong reference to optimize the operation parameters of the key components of the header in the sunflower combine harvester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sunflower seed is one of the most important cash crops in oil, food, and feeding. The area of edible sunflower cultivation has steadily increased in China in recent years. It is an urgent need for mechanized and combined harvesting. However, the conventional machinery of edible sunflower harvesting cannot fully meet the large-scale production, due to the low seed selection and adaptability in fields. Among them, the fan-shaker structure is adopted for the current cleaning device in the 4ZK-6 type combined harvester of edible sunflower. It is a high demand to develop a new device suitable for steep slope, where edible sunflower is widely grown. In this study, a cylinder sieve device was designed for the combined harvesting operation under the complex terrain, according to the threshing mixture characteristics of edible sunflower. The size of the sieve aperture was set as 16 mm using the average three-axis diameter and particle size of the edible sunflower seed, broken petiole, and broken sunflower plate in the threshing mixture. The range of the inclination angle was obtained to clarify the effect of the inclination angle of the sieve on the performance of the seed sieve using the size of the stripped material particle. The kinematics analysis of edible sunflower seed was combined with the actual production needs. The structure size of built-in flow-aided spiral blades was determined as follows: the outer and inner diameters were 670, and 500 mm, respectively, while the pitch was 400 mm. A dynamic analysis was performed on the sliding and throwing out of edible sunflower seed on the cylinder sieve surface. The range of velocity was then determined in the cylinder sieve. Software EDEM was selected to determine the axial motion velocity of materials in the cylindrical sieve with the sifting time, and the sifting characteristics of edible sunflower seeds with the size of the selected sifting hole. The single-factor test was carried out to clarify the influence of the inclination angle, the rotational velocity of the cylinder sieve, and the feeding amount on the seed clean rate and loss rate. The threshing mixture of "Sunflower 363" was selected as the research object in Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions, China. The optimal intervals of working parameters were determined for each factor. The orthogonal test was carried out using cleaning rate and loss rate as evaluation indexes under SPSS software. Variance analysis showed that the rotational speed and feeding amount of the cylinder sieve posed a significant effect on the clean ratio and loss ratio, whereas, the inclination angle of cylinder sieve installation had a significant effect on the clean ratio, but some effect on the loss ratio. The comprehensive scoring demonstrated that the order of the primary and secondary factors on the cylinder sieve selection was ranked as inclination, the speed of the cylinder sieve, and feeding amount. The optimal working parameters of the cleaning device were achieved in the feeding amount of 0.6 kg/s, the sieve installation inclination of 3°, and the speed of 25 r/min. The bench test indicated that the clean and loss ratios were 98.92% and 1.97%, respectively under the optimal combination. A field test was carried out in Wuchuan County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The test subject was chosen as the "sunflower 363" with the 800 mm+400 mm wide and narrow planting mode, where the plant spacing was 500 mm. Three 20-metre slopes were selected in the steeply sloping areas, in order to verify the performance and adaptability of the cylindrical sieve cleaning device in complex working conditions. Specifically, the clean and loss rates were 96.53%, and 2.08%, respectively, indicating the stable operating performance of the cylinder sieve device. The clean rate of the whole machine was 3.32 percentage points higher than the original fan-shaker cleaning structure, while the loss rate was reduced by 4.11 percentage points. The cylinder sieve device can be expected to effectively improve the performance of edible sunflower combine harvester in complex terrain. This finding can provide the theoretical reference for the structural optimization of edible sunflower harvesting equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oils and grease (O&G) have low affinity for water and represent a class of pollutants present in the dairy industry. Enzyme-mediated bioremediation using biocatalysts, such as lipases, has shown promising potential in biotechnology, as they are versatile catalysts with high enantioselectivity and regioselectivity and easy availability, being considered a clean technology (white biotechnology). Specially in the treatment of effluents from dairy industries, these enzymes are of particular importance as they specifically hydrolyze O&G. In this context, the objective of this work is to prospect filamentous fungi with the ability to synthesize lipases for application in a high-fat dairy wastewater environment. We identified and characterized the fungal species Aspergillus sclerotiorum as a good lipase producer. Specifically, we observed highest lipolytic activity (20.72 U g−1) after 96 h of fermentation using sunflower seed as substrate. The fungal solid fermented was used in the bioremediation in dairy effluent to reduce O&G. The experiment was done in kinetic from 24 to 168 h and reduced over 90% of the O&G present in the sample after 168 h. Collectively, our work demonstrated the efficiency and applicability of fungal fermented solids in bioremediation and how this process can contribute to a more sustainable wastewater pretreatment, reducing the generation of effluents produced by dairy industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was aimed to assess the molecular genetic diversity in 14 parental lines (10 maintainers and 4 restorers) of sunflower crop using 51 SSR markers. A total of 147 alleles were produced with the range of 1-6 alleles per locus. The polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.12(ORS1198 in LG5) to 0.74(ORS384 in LG15) with an average PIC of 0.51. A phylogenetic tree was constructed by neighbour-joining method which grouped the parents into four clusters. Among the maintainer and restorer combinations, the dissimilarity index was maximum between CMS 519B and CSFI 99 (0.67) which indicateed high divergence between them. Lower dissimilarity value was observed between RCR CMS 38B and LTRR 341 (0.40) suggested less divergence between them. Mahalanobis D2 analysis was also carried out among the parental lines. The D2 analysis grouped the parental lines into six clusters. Among them genotype pairs CMS104B vs RHA 1-1 and CSFI 99 vs LTRR341 had highest and lowest D2 values respectively. Dissimilarity and D2 values for parental combinations, mean performance, mid and better parental heterosis of 40 hybrids for yield and its component traits were subjected to simple correlation analysis. The D2 analysis did not show any association with performance of hybrids. However, the dissimilarity values showed association with hybrid performance and heterosis for plant height and volume weight. Hence, the present study indicated that the selection of parental genotypes with high molecular diversity could result in improved performance of plant height and volume weight in sunflower hybrids. However further study is required with multi environment data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower seeds, one of the main oilseeds produced around the world, are widely used in the food industry. Mixtures of seed varieties can occur throughout the supply chain. Intermediaries and the food industry need to identify the varieties to produce high-quality products. Considering that high oleic oilseed varieties are similar, a computer-based system to classify varieties could be useful to the food industry. The objective of our study is to examine the capacity of deep learning (DL) algorithms to classify sunflower seeds. An image acquisition system, with controlled lighting and a Nikon camera in a fixed position, was constructed to take photos of 6000 seeds of six sunflower seed varieties. Images were used to create datasets for training, validation, and testing of the system. A CNN AlexNet model was implemented to perform variety classification, specifically classifying from two to six varieties. The classification model reached an accuracy value of 100% for two classes and 89.5% for the six classes. These values can be considered acceptable, because the varieties classified are very similar, and they can hardly be classified with the naked eye. This result proves that DL algorithms can be useful for classifying high oleic sunflower seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed dormancy at harvest is an undesirable characteristic regarding productive systems. From a commercial point of view, the dormancy generates production and marketing problem with a negative impact on crop yields. To overcome this problem, we studied different treatments, including the application of growth regulators. In addition, as the interaction of various hormones in different sunflower fruit parts is not fully understood regarding regulation of dormancy and germination processes, we also (1) characterized the dormancy level of sunflower seeds of Xi3 and X274 inbred lines; (2) assessed the effect of exogenous growth regulators on dormancy release; (3) evaluated the endogenous content of abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GAs), 12‐oxo‐phytodienoic acid (OPDA), jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), auxins, and cytokinins (CKs) in embryonic axis, cotyledons, pericarp, and seed coat‐endosperm; and (4) analyzed the kinetics of the accumulation of these phytohormones in Xi3 embryonic axis during early imbibition (3 to 12 h) of cypselas treated, or not, with growth regulators effective in the dormancy release. We were able to classify the two sunflower lines studied according to dormancy level: The Xi3 line was dormant and X274 line was non‐dormant at harvest. The results showed that the dormancy of Xi3 seeds is associated with a high level of ABA, OPDA, and JA, while germination of X274 dry seeds at harvest time is related to high levels of GA1. Exogenous treatment with GA3 and Ethephon overcame Xi3 seed dormancy through the changes in endogenous hormonal profiles of the embryonic axis. The exogenous application of GA3 induced JA, SA, and CKs accumulation and to modify the ABA/GA1 ratio, whereas Ethephon treatments mediated the ABA/GA1 ratio with the consequent Xi3 seed germination. Thus, the interplay of different phytohormones during early imbibition time seems to be the responsible for breaking sunflower seed dormancy. Core Ideas: Sunflower Xi3 seed dormancy imposition is associated with a high ABA, JA, and OPDA levels in embryo.X274 seed germination may be related to high levels of GA1 in embryo.GA3 (10,000 ppm) and Ethephon (10,000 ppm) are effective to break sunflower seed dormancy.GA3 exogenous treatment modified JA, SA, CKs content and ABA/GA1 ratio in Xi3 embryonic axis during early imbibition.Ethephon modified the ABA/GA1 ratio in embryonic axis with the consequent breaking of dormancy in Xi3 seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an essential micronutrient, copper is vital for normal growth and development of plants, however, its accumulation in soil exerts a severe negative impact on the agronomic characteristics and yield of the crop plants. Phytoextraction is a low-cost method for restoring soil fertility and avoiding losses due to heavy metal contamination. We found that using EDTA and IAA together improved sunflower hyperaccumulation capacity. Sunflowers were cultivated under various levels of Cu (0 (control), 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg of soil) and treated with EDTA alone or combined with IAA. The results revealed that the amended treatment significantly enhanced the absorption and accumulation of Cu in the sunflowers. Furthermore, the various doses of Cu significantly reduced the root and shoot growth of sunflowers in a concentration-dependent manner by impairing the chlorophyll content, hormones (indole 3-acetic acid, salicylic acid, and gibberellic acid), flavonoids, phenolics, and antioxidant response. The injurious effect of Cu was reduced by the addition of EDTA alone, and the supplementation of IAA led to a significant restoration of shoot growth (~70%) and root growth (~13%) as compared to the plant treated with Cu alone. Moreover, significantly higher levels of chlorophyll content, GA3, endogenous IAA, and flavonoids were recorded, indicating the effectiveness of the treatment in ameliorating plant health. The results also showed considerable restoration of the catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities in plants treated with EDTA and IAA. These results are suggestive that application of EDTA and IAA enhances the Cu absorption potential of sunflower and increases its tolerance to copper, which may not only serve as a better technique for phytoextraction of Cu, but also to bring Cu contaminated soil under cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storage mites colonize a wide spectrum of food commodities and adaptations to diets have been suggested as mechanisms enabling successful colonization. We characterized the response of seven unique Tyrophagus putrescentiae cultures (5K, 5L, 5N, 5P, 5Pi, 5S, and 5Tk) with different baseline microbiomes to different diets. The offered diets included a rearing diet, protein-enriched diet, oat flakes, and sunflower seeds. Microbiome characterization was performed using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing and 16S rRNA gene quantitative PCR. The mite culture microbiomes were classified into four groups: (i) Sodalis- dominated (5Pi), (ii) Wolbachia -dominated (5N and 5P), (iii) Cardinium- dominated (5L and 5S), and (iv) asymbiontic (5K and 5Tk) mites dominated by Bacillus and Bartonella. Mite growth rates were most strongly affected by nutrients in the diet, while respiration and microbial community profiles were largely influenced by mite culture. While growth rate was not directly explained by microbiome composition, microbiomes strongly influenced mite fitness as measured by respiration. While diet significantly influenced microbial profiles in all cultures, the effect of diet differed in impact between cultures (5Pi > 5S > 5N > 5K > 5Tk > 5L > 5P). Furthermore, no new bacterial taxa were acquired by mites after dietary changes. Bacteria from the taxa Bacillus, Bartonella- like, Solitalea- like, Kocuria , and Sodalis- like contributed most strongly to differentiating mite-associated microbiomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the potential of oilseed proteins from soybean, peanut, sesame, sunflower seed and flaxseed as antimicrobial peptide (AMP) precursors was assessed using the bioinformatics method. Thirty-four novel potential AMPs were obtained by in silico hydrolysis of 12 oilseed protein sequences, and 11 of them were positive in all four algorithm tests in CAMPR3. Among the six proteases analyzed, trypsin cleaved soybean, peanut, sesame and sunflower seed proteins most effectively to generate AMPs, with three, four, two and two AMPs obtained, respectively. Subtilisin was most effective for flaxseed AMPs release, obtaining three AMPs. More than 85% of AMPs were predicted to be cationic peptides, and some AMPs were hydrophobic. These potential AMPs were classified as non-toxic peptides, and 15 peptides were non‐allergenic. All the AMPs were unstable to digestive enzymes according to in silico simulated digestion. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for further development of AMPs using oilseed proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy infestation by the root parasitic sunflower broomrape over wide regions constitutes a major biological constraint to sunflower production. The use of maize as a trap crop to induce sunflower broomrape germination is considered a cost-effective method for controlling sunflower broomrape. This study was designed to examine the activity of maize to induce sunflower broomrape seeds germination under varying levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization. Orthogonal experiments were conducted during two cropping seasons with four maize cultivars under four levels of N and P application. A significant reduction in sunflower broomrape germination induced by maize root and rhizosphere soil extracts upon N and P application was observed in both 2014 and 2015, with P having the strongest effect on the broomrape germination inducing activity of maize root extracts. Structural equation modelling analysis revealed that N and P supplementation not only directly affected the germination-inducing capacity towards sunflower broomrape of maize root extracts but also had an indirect effect through the impact on abscisic acid contents. This study may contribute to a better understanding of the connection between soil fertility and the production and release of germination stimulants in maize and that can lead to improved control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploratory behaviour is one of the best-investigated behavioural traits. However, little is known about the influence of personality on novel food preferences in the social context, i.e., whether knowledge and previous experience can influence individual preference or if the presence of conspecifics can alter their choice. In the present study, we examined in cinereous tit (Parus cinereus) whether individuals with different personality types in the social context will prefer their own previously chosen novel food or change their preference in the presence of conspecifics. Second, we studied how the presence and behaviour of conspecifics may mediate individual personality. We conducted a standardized personality assay (exploratory behaviour) to analyse the individual personality. Birds were trained and provided with three different types of novel human-derived materials in both asocial and social contexts (with a conspecific). We recorded the latency to feed, time spent at the feeder, and the number of visits by fast and slow explorers in the two contexts, i.e., asocial and social. After the analyses of experimental data, we found that fast-exploring cinereous tits preferred peanuts in an asocial context, while slow explorers consumed a greater amount of sunflower seeds. In the social context, individuals of both personality types preferred peanuts to sunflower seeds. Additionally, individuals took less latency to eat food, made more visits to the feeder, and spent more time at the feeder in the social context than in the asocial context. Our findings show that foraging success may be determined by personality and social context. However, personality traits may be subject to constraints arising from correlations with other behavioural traits, and it remains a major challenge to understand the functional significance of individual foraging strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, raw sunflower seed shell particles (RSSSP) as a green adsorbent were used to remove disperse red 1 (DR1), crystal violet (CV), and malachite green (MG), and methylene blue (MB) dyes from synthetic wastewater. Various analyzes, including fourier transform infrared, field‐emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis, were performed, which determined the morphology, particle size, surface area, and pore size of RSSSP. The effect of environmental factors on the adsorption ability of the RSSSP was investigated in detail. The results of this study showed that RSSSP has high adsorption efficiency toward organic dyes, and was comparable with other natural and synthetic adsorbents. The results showed that Freundlich isotherm and pseudo‐second‐order models describe the adsorption of the dye onto RSSSP. Additionally, the maximum adsorption capacity of DR1, CV, MG, and MB onto RSSSP was found to be 85, 81, 120, and 98 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, the calculated thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption process of the studied dyes was exothermic. In addition, the RSSSP can be used in several adsorption–desorption cycles. The calculated efficiency for textile wastewater based on the COD test is 90% using RSSSP. Finally, the RSSSP could be used as an efficient low‐cost adsorbent for the adsorption of industrial dyes from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuts are considered an important protein source in sustainable dietary patterns but are seldom studied in detail. Here a multi-criteria decision analysis was used to rank 10 nuts and seeds against 11 environmental, nutritional, and social criteria and provide greater insight into the sustainability impacts of this food group. Weights were defined based on correlation and variance between indicator values, and values were aggregated with a partially non-compensatory method. Several sensitivity analyses tested various sources of uncertainty through the use of country-level data, the use of a fully compensatory aggregation method, and changes to criteria weights. Walnuts and sunflower seeds performed consistently well across sustainability criteria and were ranked in the top two positions in the baseline assessment and most sensitivity analyses. In contrast, cashews performed relatively poorly across most criteria, and were ranked last. Dietary shifts in favor of more sustainable nuts can improve the overall environmental, nutritional and social impacts of nut production and consumption by an average of 23%. Although increasing consumption of walnuts and sunflower seeds may lead to improved sustainability outcomes for total global nut consumption, more research is needed to deepen the understanding of the complex socio-economic factors impacting nut and seed sustainability. The social risk assessment method used in this study can also inform future social impact measurement methods for other food groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinically significant pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa evade the effects of antibiotics using quorum sensing (QS) systems, making antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a persistent and potentially fatal global health issue. Hence, QS has been identified as a novel therapeutic target for identifying novel drug candidates against P. aeruginosa, and plant-derived products, including essential oils, have been demonstrated as effective QS modulators. This study assessed the antipathogenic efficacy of essential oils from two sunflower cultivars (AGSUN 5102 CLP and AGSUN 5106 CLP) against P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 in vitro and in silico. At the sub-inhibitory concentrations, both AGSUN 5102 CLP (62.61%) and AGSUN 5106 CLP (59.23%) competed favorably with cinnamaldehyde (60.74%) and azithromycin (65.15%) in suppressing the expression of QS-controlled virulence phenotypes and biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa. A further probe into the mechanism of anti-QS action of the oils over a 100-ns simulation period against Las QS system revealed that phylloquinone (−66.42 ± 4.63 kcal/mol), linoleic acid (−53.14 ± 3.53 kcal/mol), and oleic acid (−52.02 ± 3.91 kcal/mol) had the best affinity and structural compactness as potential modulators of LasR compared to cinnamaldehyde (−16.95 ± 1.75 kcal/mol) and azithromycin (−32.08 ± 10.54 kcal/mol). These results suggest that the identified compounds, especially phylloquinone, could be a possible LasR modulator and may represent a novel therapeutic alternative against infections caused by P. aeruginosa. As a result, phylloquinone could be further studied as a QS modulator and perhaps find utility in developing new therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manganese (Mn) is an essential nutrient in most organisms. Establishing an effective regulatory system of Mn absorption is important for sustainable crop development. In this study, we selected sunflower as the model plant to explore the effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) or salicylic acid (SA) combined with citric acid (CA) on Mn absorption. Six-leaf-old sunflower plants were exposed to 0.8 g kg−1 Mn for one week and then treated with chelating agents, i.e., CA (10 mmol kg−1), and different concentrations of ALA and SA for one week. The results showed that Mn-treated plants had significantly increased H2O2, O2− and MDA contents in leaves compared with the control. Under the Mn + CA treatment, ALA or SA2 significantly activated the antioxidant defense system by increasing SOD, POD and CAT activities in leaves. Moreover, the application of CA significantly increased the Mn uptake in sunflower roots compared with Mn treatment alone; however, did not accelerate the translocation efficiency of Mn from sunflower roots to shoots. Moreover, ultrastructural and RT-qPCR results further demonstrated that ALA/SA could recover the adverse impact of excessive Mn accumulation in sunflowers. Like a pump, ALA/SA regulated the translocation efficiency and promoted the transportation of Mn from roots to shoots. This study provides insights into the promotive role of ALA/SA combined with CA on sunflower growth by regulating Mn absorption, which would be beneficial for regulating Mn absorption in soil with an Mn deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abiotic variables are crucial for seed germination and seedling development. In the present work, we attempted to determine the optimal conditions (temperature, water, seed density, and fungal growth) for sunflower seed development (Helianthus annus L. Larissza). The germination of sunflower seeds was investigated under controlled conditions at eight consistent temperatures: 5 °C, 10 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C, and 40 °C. For the water test, there were 12 water levels based on one-milliliter intervals and 18 water levels based on thousand kernel weight (TKW). In addition, four seed densities (6, 8, 10, and 12) and two antifungal application techniques (sterilization and growing medium) were examined. The results showed that temperature has a significant effect on seed germination, germination timing, and seedling development. Temperatures between 15 and 35 degrees Celsius were optimal for germination, with 25 degrees Celsius being the optimal temperature for significant germination and seedling development. Beginning at 0.6 mL, or 125% of the TKW, sunflower seeds can germinate under a wide range of water availability. The optimal range for seedling development (8.2–11.4) is wider than the optimal range for dry matter accumulation, which is 5.8–8.2 mL or 1000–1625% of the TKW. The finding that a density of 10 to 12 seeds per 9 cm Petri dish demonstrates the most exceptional values is advantageous for future research and breeding projects, particularly when seeds are scarce. Seed priming is a more effective antifungal application technique than other techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) is a traditional and economically important non-alcoholic beverage-producing plant grown in large plantations in the northern region of Thailand and has a diverse community of endophytic bacteria. In this study, a total of 70 bacterial isolates were isolated from healthy asymptomatic samples of tea leaves from five different tea gardens in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, these bacterial isolates were taxonomically grouped into 11 different genera, namely Bacillus, Curtobacterium, Enterobacter Microbacterium, Moraxella, Neobacillus, Priestia, Pseudarthrobacter, Pseudomonas, Sporosarcina, and Staphylococcus. All these isolates were evaluated for their potential to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophores, and cellulolytic enzymes while having phosphate-solubilizing and tannin tolerance capacity. Most isolated bacterial endophytes belonged to the Bacillus genus and exhibited multiple plant-growth-promoting abilities. All bacterial endophytes could produce varied concentrations of the indole-related compounds, and the strain Curtobacterium citreum P-5.19 had the highest production of IAA at 367.59 µg/mL, followed by Pseudarthrobacter enclensis P-3.12 at 266.97 µg/mL. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of the total isolates solubilized inorganic phosphate, while 77%, 65%, and 52% were positive for extracellular proteases, cellulases, and pectinases, respectively. Remarkably, 80% of the isolates were capable of growth on nutrient agar supplemented with 1% (w/v) tannic acid. C. citreum P-5.19 and P. enclensis P-3.12 were selected for evaluation of plant growth promotion, and it was found that both bacterial endophytes enhanced seed germination rate and improved seedling growth parameters such as fresh and/or dry weight, root length, and shoot lengths of sunflower and tomato seeds. The selected bacterial endophytes isolated from tea leaves in this study could be used in bioformulation for plant growth promotion and advancing sustainable agricultural practices contributing to the decreased use of chemical inputs. This is the first report of an endophytic bacterium, Pseudarthrobacter enclensis, being isolated from C. sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bakery products have an unstable heterogeneous structure that needs stabilization. The nutrient composition of these products, in most cases, is unbalanced: it is characterized by a high content of calories and carbohydrates. At the same time, the content of protein, fat, dietary fiber (fiber), vitamins, macro- and microelements is low. This leads to the search for raw materials with high functional and technological potential and with an attractive nutrient profile. The expediency of using in the technologies of bakery products a secondary product of processing sunflower seeds – flour from the extruded kernel of sunflower seeds (FESSK) has been proved. Its nutrient profile has been investigated. A high protein content (38.73 %) with a well-balanced amino acid composition (10 essential and 9 non-essential amino acids) increases the biological value of FESSK. The content of fat (4.87 %), rich in unsaturated fatty acids (16 fatty acids), enriches the nutritional profile of FESSK. The high ash content (8.0 %) (22 elements were found) and the presence of 12 vitamins (92.3 % of the total amount of vitamins) indicates a high biological value of FESSK. It was found that the addition of FESSK in the amount of 10.0 % to the mass of wheat flour increases the humidity by 0.5–1.2 %; reduces acidity by 0.5–1.2°; increases porosity by 7.0–11.0 %; increases the specific volume by 1.12–1.26 cm³/g. It reduces crumbliness of the crumb by 2.0–2.2 times, QMAFAnM – by 4.0–4.8 times, and increases the period of preservation of bread freshness by 1.57–1.77 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for efficient technologies to enhance productivity in agriculture strongly motivates research on plasma treatment of seeds and plants. In this study, the influence of plasma treatment on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeds was evidenced throughout the entire life span of the plants. The seeds were packed in a DBD reactor operated in air and treated in plasma for 10 min, using a sinusoidal voltage of 16 kV amplitude at 50 Hz frequency. Early growth observation of plants under laboratory conditions showed that, after a slower start, the plasma-treated seeds developed faster and produced taller seedlings with greater total mass as compared to the control samples. Results obtained from mature plants cultivated in the field revealed a positive effect of plasma exposure with respect to capitulum size, number of seeds per capitulum and mass per thousand seeds, resulting in a remarkable increase in crop yield. The plasma effect lasted for at least two weeks of seed storage; however, it was considerably affected by the sowing period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conditions for preparing food emulsions from full-fat sunflower-seed kernel pulp under the conditions of ultrasonic treatment were studied. The colloidal stability of sunflower emulsions with different content of fat and proteins is ensured both by the time of the ultrasonic treatment favoring the formation of finely dispersed emulsions due to disintegration of fat drops to a size of 0.2–2 μm and by introduction of an emulsifier, lecithin (1 wt %). The possibility of preparing drinking milk and cream analogs containing from 1.0 to 1.2% soluble proteins and no less than 1–2% fat was demonstrated. The following conditions were recommended for preparing drinking milk and cream analogs from roasted sunflower-seed kernels: use of demineralized water at 70 ± 2°С and with a hydromodule of 1 : 9; ultrasonic treatment time 2–3 min at the intensity of 16 W/cm2 and frequency of 22 kHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey bees facilitate pollination during their search for nectar and pollen and in the process promote fruit and seed formation. Yet, this honey bee facilitation has not been verified for Tanzania's seed crops such as sunflower. This study aimed to determine the diversity of sunflower pollinators and the contribution of honey bees on sunflower production. Thus, a field experiment was conducted in 2019 during the rainy and dry seasons. It involved three pollination environments: (i) Plots caged with honey bees, (ii) Plots caged without honey bees, and (iii) Open field plots. Polyethylene net with 0.4 mm size were used to build cages of 4 m × 5.5 m × 8 m whereas each plot had 75 plants. The plots were laid in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) each with three replicates. Insect visitors to the open field plots were observed and recorded. In open plot treatment, there were 2,509 visitors representing four orders of Hymenoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. Honey bees were the most frequent visiting insects accounting for 69.2%. The number and weight of abortive and filled sunflower seeds between treatments for both seasons were significantly different (p ≤ 0.0001). Plots caged without insects showed significantly lower filled seed numbers and weight (p < 0.001). However, treatments for plots caged with honey bees and open field showed no significant difference in seed numbers and weight (p > 0.05). Overall insect pollination contributed up to 97.7% of the total sunflower yield. In aaddition, pollination done by honey bees contributed to 87.4% of sunflower yield. Thus, the integration of honey bees in sunflower cultivation as pollinators ensures adequate pollination and production even when used as solely pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Adrenal gland is a crucial part of our body. It is part of the Hipothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal axis and the sympatho-adrenomedullary system. So, by turn, it acts as an essential stress regulator. Rotenone is a widely used organic pesticide providing a trustworthy model of Parkinson disease and causes neurotoxicity and systemic damage. Ferulic acid is a natural polyphenol that is widely present in vegetables and fruits with powerful antioxidant, and antiapoptotic properties Materials and methods Rats (Twenty -four) were randomly allocated into the following four equal groups: Ferulic acid was given orally to the control and Sham groups (50 mg/kg/d), Rotenone group received a daily dose of 2.5 mg/kg/d dissolved in 1ml of sunflower oil i.p, group 4 Rotenone + Ferulic acid Group. After 8 weeks, Serum samples were taken and Paraffin sections of the adrenal glands were stained with Hematoxylin and eosin, Luxol fast blue, and Bax and BCL2 immune staining. Results Rotenone has glucocorticoid-like action and disruptive histopathological effect in form of congested sinusoids, hemorrhage, and vacuolations. It also increases the BAX/BCL2 ratio indicating stimulation of the apoptosis process. Ferulic acid was proved to have an ameliorative effect in enhancing Rotenone induced adrenal gland toxicity. Conclusions Rotenone caused noticeable deterioration of rat adrenal gland via enhancing apoptosis. Co-administration of ferulic acid alleviated its destructive effects via regulation of apoptosis signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was performed to investigate the effect of various fertilizers and tillage systems on seed yield, oil quality, and seed elements of sunflower (Shams cultivar). The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with three replications at research field of University of Zabol (Chahnimeh) in 2019 and 2020. The main factor included three tillage methods (A1: moldboard plow + disc, A2: chisel plow + disc and A3: disc). Subfactor includes six fertilizer combinations :(B1: no fertilizer application, B2: 100 kg/ha of diammonium phosphate, B3: 25 tons/ha of livestock manure +100 kg/ha of diammonium phosphate, B4: 50 tons/ha of livestock manure +100 kg/ha of diammonium phosphate, B5: 25 tons/ha of livestock manure, B6: 50 tons/ha of livestock manure). Results showed that in the first year, the highest seed yield (5072 Kg/ha) and percentage of oleic acid (51.61%) was achieved from A3B6. In the second year, the highest seed yield (8003 Kg/ha) with A1B5 and the highest oleic acid (53.87%) was obtained from A2B2. Application of A2B2 treatment composition produced the highest nitrogen content in the seed (0.625%) and application of A3B6 produced the highest potassium content in the seed (11.652 mg/g). In general, by considering the reduction of tillage in the field and improving the traits of sunflower, the application of A3B6 is recommended to improve the percentage of oleic acid, phosphorus, and potassium contents and 1000-seed weight and if the conventional tillage is used, B2 can be recommended to improve seed yield, calcium content, and oil content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiesel is composed of saturated and unsaturated long chain fatty acid alkyl esters. Due to these unsaturated compounds, there is a susceptibility to the autoxidation process. Castor biodiesel has excellent thermal and oxidative stabilities due to its chemical composition. Blends of sunflower and castor were obtained in the ratios 20, 40, 60 and 80% m/m with the intention to study the effect of the addition of castor biodiesel on the induction period of sunflower biodiesel of low oxidative stability, employing the Rancimat method (EN 14112) and P-DSC isothermal mode. The above mentioned blend containing 40% of castor biodiesel in sunflower biodiesel meets the specification of oxidative stability (6 hours). Furthermore, it was observed that the addition of castor biodiesel is interesting, since it improves the resistance to the oxidation of sunflower. The results obtained by Rancimat and P-DSC were consistent with respect to the analysis of biodiesel blends, indicating that the use of P-DSC technique to study the oxidative stability is quite promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approaching a child with dyspnea, coughing, and wheezing, doctors must consider a foreign body in the respiratory tract, and bronchoscopy should be performed. This report described a child having sunflower seed aspiration late‐ and misdiagnosed as pneumonia. He failed with antibiotics therapy. The patient underwent a bronchoscopy, and then the seed was found and entirely removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in woman which accounts for more than 1 in 10 new cancers in the entire world. The recently found four new potential hub genes that show a strong expression in breast cancer are CCNA2, CCNB1, MAD2L1, and RAD51. Nowadays, food habits and lifestyle of an individual are one of the factors for causing cancers. Consumption of seeds on a regular basis is the key factor for leading a good health. Sesame seeds and Sunflower seeds are few examples of cancer fighting seeds. Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is one of the earliest oil seed plant with various phytocompounds present which include lignans, tocopherols, phenolics, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and phytosterols. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is primarily harvested as an oil seed plant with various phytocompounds present which include flavonoids, phenolic acids, tocopherols, and vitamin B3. These are the few seeds that help women to prevent and also to fight against Breast cancer with its potential anti-cancer activity. The main objective of the current study is to identify the potential phytocompounds present in the cancer fighting seeds using molecular docking and dynamic simulation approach which can further help pharmaceuticals industries in producing targeted drugs against breast cancer hub genes as well as food industries in producing products combining the potential phytocompounds present in the seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to effectively achieve the quality classification of sunflower seeds based on appearance identification in production scenarios, a multi-objective sunflower seed classification method based on a self-attention mechanism was proposed in this paper, which achieves the classification of sunflower seed object images with an accuracy of 94.71% by using a Multi-Head Self-attention mechanism to focus on the classification objects on the basis of effectively extracting context-dependent information from sunflower seed images. However, visualization experiments found that the model's attention could not effectively focus on the class activated regions of the image, resulting in a model that was heavily influenced by background noise and suffered from such defects as high computational cost and large model size. To address the above problems, a self-attention Focusing algorithm was proposed in this paper by evaluating and reconstructing the connections in the attention weight matrix, pruning the less influential connections, and realizing the update of the attention score, which gradually focuses attention on the class activated regions in continuous iterations, effectively shielding the background noise. Experiments have shown that applying the Focusing algorithm improves the accuracy rate to 96.6% based on a 34.3% reduction in the number of model parameters. Model accuracy was successfully improved while achieving model lightweighting, and the model was made more resistant to background noise due to the focused attention region. The self-attention Focusing algorithm's effectiveness in improving accuracy, focusing attention, and compressing model size is demonstrated. In practical production scenarios, it can be used as a popular application of key techniques for sunflower seed classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the increasing demand for alternative protein feed ingredients, the utilization of oilseed by-products in animal nutrition has been sought as a promising solution to ensure cheap and environmentally sustainable feedstuffs. This review aimed to summarize the nutritional value of six cold-pressed cakes (rapeseed, hempseed, linseed, sunflower seed, camelina seed, and pumpkin seed) and the effects of their inclusion in diet for ruminant, pig, and poultry on nutrient digestibility, growth and productive performance, and quality of the products. The presented results indicated that these unconventional feed ingredients are a good protein and lipid source and have a balanced amino acid and fatty acid profile. However, contradictory results of animal production performances can be found in the literature depending on the cake type and chemical composition, dietary inclusion level, animal category, and trial duration. Due to the substantial amount of essential fatty acid, these cakes can be efficiently used in the production of animal products rich in n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, the utilization of cakes in pig and poultry nutrition is limited because of the presence of antinutritive factors that can deteriorate feed intake and nutrient utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflower seeds are a popular snack in many countries, such as the United States, China, and Spain. Sunflower seeds are typically roasted to create desirable aromas before being eaten. The desirable aromas are created by the Maillard and lipid oxidation reactions. Increasing the volatiles created by these reactions can create a more desirable product, increasing consumer acceptance of sunflower seeds. Seeds were soaked in solutions at pH 4, 7, and 9 and with added glucose, fructose, whey protein isolate, or whey protein concentrate before roasting. The resulting seeds were evaluated by selected-ion flow tube mass spectrometry to determine the volatile concentrations and by an untrained panel of consumers to determine acceptability. Increasing the pH increased the pyrazines but did not affect other volatiles. Adding reducing sugars or whey protein increased most volatiles. The fructose increased dimethylpyrazines, 2-methylpyrazine, and trimethylpyrazine concentrations more than glucose. However, the glucose increased furfural concentration more than fructose. The whey protein concentrate increased volatile levels more than any other treatment. The total Maillard volatiles and Browning index were increased by the same treatments. Sensory indicated that fructose increased desirable aroma the most, followed by whey protein treatments, and both were liked more than the pH 7 control. Optimizing roasting conditions by increasing the pH and reducing sugar and protein content can favor the Maillard reaction conditions, increasing the positive aromas associated with roasted sunflower seeds.

The purpose of our research is to increase the efficiency of the mechanical and technological process of sunflower seed mixture separation with vibro-pneumatic separators. This principle is based on the interaction of seed flow with the surface having vibration-type vibration load by substantiating their rational regime-technological parameters. A system of differential equations for the motion of sunflower seeds as granular gas under the action of a vibrating surface is considered, considering the elastic-damping interaction and the physical and mechanical properties of seeds. The solution of differential equations system is the basis of the physical and mathematical apparatus for the numerical system implemented in software package STAR-CCM +. To build physical and mathematical models, the sunflower seeds are assumed to have the form of ellipsoids with a certain density and effective diameter. As a result of numerical simulation of the process of moving sunflower seed material under the action of a vibrating sieve, the dependencies of the change in total concentration – θ and productivity – q on seed supply – Q, sieve angle – α, sieve oscillation frequency – ψ and sieve oscillation amplitude – A. numerical modelling of the process of moving sunflower seeds under the action of a vibrating surface, the dependencies of the change of filling factor – χ, distribution coefficient – δ and productivity – q on seed supply – Q, angles of inclination of vibrating surface – α and β, oscillation frequency – ψ, oscillation amplitude – A and a given air flow rate – V.