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One foundational assumption of trait-based ecology is that traits can predict species demography. However, the links between traits and demographic rates are, in general, not as strong as expected. These weak associations may be due to the use of traits that are distantly related to performance, and/or the lack of consideration of size-related variations in both traits and demographic rates. Here, we examined how wood traits were related to demographic rates in 19 tree species from a lowland forest in eastern Amazonia. We measured 11 wood traits (i.e. structural, anatomical and chemical traits) in sapling, juvenile and adult wood; and related them to growth and mortality rates (MR) at different ontogenetic stages. The links between wood traits and demographic rates changed during tree development. At the sapling stage, relative growth rates (RGR) were negatively related to wood specific gravity (WSG) and total parenchyma fractions, while MR decreased with radial parenchyma fractions, but increased with vessel lumen area (VA). Juvenile RGR were unrelated to wood traits, whereas juvenile MR were negatively related to WSG and axial parenchyma fractions. At the adult stage, RGR scaled with VA and wood potassium concentrations. Adult MR were not predicted by any trait. Overall, the strength of the trait-demography associations decreased at later ontogenetic stages. Our results indicate that the associations between traits and demographic rates can change as trees age. Also, wood chemical or anatomical traits may be better predictors of growth and MR than WSG. Our findings are important to expand our knowledge on tree life-history variations and community dynamics in tropical forests, by broadening our understanding on the links between wood traits and demography during tree development.

Background: Cassava breeding research programs focused initially on agronomic performance but in recent years they have considered the processability and the organoleptic properties of the final product, to increase the adoption of new varieties. One important cassava foodstuff is attiéké, a fermented and granular product, so it is necessary to determine criteria used by attiéké processors to select raw cassava and the characteristics leading consumers to like this product. This study assessed the attiéké production process, the criteria associated with the quality of attiéké, the sensory drivers of consumer acceptance, and their thresholds. Results: The total processing yield of attiéké varied according to the cassava variety and depended primarily on the fermentation-pressing yield. However, it was not correlated either with the peeling yield or with morphological characteristics of cassava roots. The production of a ton of attiéké required about 150 h. Dry matter, organic acids, soluble sugars, total pectin, and the pH of raw material and attiéké varied depending on the cassava variety. Ten discriminating sensory attributes of attiéké were identified. Consumer testing showed that overall liking for attiéké was associated with sourness, texture, and brightness. Acceptable sensory score thresholds were 1.67–2.18 for sour odor, 4.75 to 6.3 for cohesiveness, and 5.4 to 6.3 for 'mouthfeel sensation'. Attiéké dry matter correlated positively with cohesiveness and moldability. Conclusions: Several potential solutions are discussed to improve the adoption of cassava varieties for attiéké production. However, further studies need to be carried out to translate the sensory thresholds of texture attributes into robust instrumental methods because texture is an important attribute of attiéké in addition to sourness.

BACKGROUND: Retting is a key step of cassava processing into widely consumed foods (fufu, chikwangue, miondo and bobolo) in sub-Saharan Africa. For some populations, retting ability is a major quality criterion that drives the adoption of new cassava varieties. Despite this importance, the physiological basis associated with this process remains poorly understood, and should lead to improved screening tools for breeding. Eight cassava varieties contrasting in retting ability properties were used in the present study. Roots and soaking water were sampled during retting and characterized at both histological and biochemical levels. RESULTS: Histological data highlighted the degradation of root cell wall during retting. The average pH of soaking water decreased from 5.94 to 4.31 and the average simple sugars decreased from 0.18 to 0 g L−1, whereas the organic acids increased up to 5.61 g L−1. In roots tissue, simple sugars and organic acid contents decreased from 22.9 to 0 g kg−1 and from 80 to 0 g kg−1, respectively. The total pectin content of roots among varieties at harvest was similar, and decreased during the retting process. Overall, there was a negative correlation between total pectins content and root softening, although this did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Major histological and biochemical changes occurred during cassava root retting, with some of them associated with the process. Retting affected starch pasting properties more than starch content. Although this process is characterized by root softening and degradation of cell wall structure, the present study strongly suggested that pectin is not the only cell wall component involved in these changes.

BACKGROUND: Cassava utilization for food and/or industrial products depends on inherent properties of root dry matter content (DMC) and the starch fraction of amylose content (AC). Accordingly, in the present study, near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) models were developed to aid breeding and selection of DMC and AC as critical industrial traits taking care of root sample preparation and cassava germplasm diversity available in Uganda. RESULTS: Upon undertaking calibrations and cross-validations, best models were adopted for validation. DMC in calibration samples ranged from 20 to 45 g 100g−1, whereas, for amylose content, it ranged from 14 to 33 g 100g−1. In the validation set, average DMC was 29.5 g 100g−1, whereas, for amylose content, it was 24.64 g 100g−1. For DMC, a modified partial least square regression model had regression coefficients (R2) of 0.98 and 0.96, respectively, in the calibration and validation set. These were also associated with low bias (−0.018) and ratio of performance deviation that ranged from 4.7 to 5.0. In addition, standard error of prediction values ranged from 0.9 g 100g−1 to 1.06 g 100g−1. For AC, the regression coefficient was 0.91 for the calibration set and 0.94 for the validation set. A bias equivalent to −0.03 and a ratio of performance deviation of 4.23 were observed. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm the robustness of NIRS in the estimation of dry matter content and amylose content in cassava roots and thus justify its use in routine cassava breeding operations.

BACKGROUND: Determinants of culinary qualities of East African highland cooking bananas (EAHCB) are not well known. This constrains the inclusion of user-preferred traits in breeding. The present study aimed to quantify key indicators of user-preferred characteristics to enable selection of acceptable hybrids. RESULTS: Qualitative characteristics that drive preference were big bunches (15–34 kg), long straight/slightly curved fingers (12–23 cm), yellowness and soft texture. Descriptive sensory analysis of the intensity of colour and texture the 23 genotypes revealed that landraces Kibuzi, Mbwazirume, Nakitembe and Mpologoma had higher intensity of yellowness and lower intensity of hardness (softer) and a low score (≤ 1.0) of astringency taste. A preference test showed that they had higher acceptability scores. Biochemical, instrumental and sensory data revealed correlations between sensory firmness and instrumental hardness (r = 0.5), sensory firmness and amylopectin (r = −0.54), suggesting that qualitative descriptions can be predicted by instrumental and biochemical indicators. Significant (P < 0.05) variations in amylose and total starch content were observed in different varieties. Moderate correlations between instrumental hardness and firmness in mouth (r = 0.55), cohesiveness and firmness in the mouth (r = 0.57), and adhesiveness and firmness in the mouth (r = 0.64) were observed. Surprisingly, carotenoids content was not correlated with yellowness in cooked matooke. However, positive correlations were observed between chroma (b*) parameters of raw matooke and sensorial assessed color on cooked samples. CONCLUSION: Qualitative characteristis; the bunch, pulp colour and texture; that drive users-preference in the EAHCB were quantified, paving way for breeders to use them to select genotypes with these attributes early in the breeding process.

BACKGROUND: Consumer preferences for boiled or fried pieces of roots, tubers and bananas (RTBs) are mainly related to their texture. Different raw and cooked RTBs were physiochemically characterized to determine the effect of biochemical components on their cooking properties. RESULTS: Firmness in boiled sweetpotato increases with sugar and amylose contents but no significant correlation was observed between other physicochemical characteristics and cooking behaviour. Hardness of boiled yam can be predicted by dry matter (DM) and galacturonic acid (GalA) levels. For cassava, no significant correlation was found between textural properties of boiled roots and DM, but amylose and Ca2+ content were correlated with firmness, negatively and positively, respectively. Water absorption of cassava root pieces boiled in calcium chloride solutions was much lower, providing indirect evidence that pectins are involved in determining cooking quality. A highly positive correlation between textural attributes and DM was observed for fried plantain, but no significant correlation was found with GalA, although frying slightly reduced GalA. CONCLUSION: The effect of main components on texture after cooking differs for the various RTBs. The effect of global DM and major components (i.e. starch, amylose) is prominent for yam, plantain and sweetpotato. Pectins also play an important role on the texture of boiled yam and play a prominent role for cassava through interaction with Ca2+.

Background: Plantains are of major importance in the diet of many African populations. Plantains undergo many processing techniques at different ripening stages. Boiling is the most common method of processing plantains in Cameroonian households. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of cooking mode and ripening stage on the physicochemical and nutritional parameters of two Musa genotypes. Fruits from genotypes, Batard and CARBAP K74, at three ripening stages (unripe, semi-ripe and ripe) were studied. Physicochemical and nutritional analyses were performed on raw and cooked pulps with and without peel at different cooking times (from 10 to 60 min). Results: Significant variations (p < 0.05) in the parameters assessed during cooking at each ripening stage according to cooking time were observed. Plantain pulps boiled with peel exhibited high firmness (0.7–1.7 kgf), high soluble solids (7.4–22.4°Brix) and high dry matter content (29.8–38.3%) at all ripening stages. This cooking method yielded high protein (3.0–4.8%), lipid (0.2–1.8%), total starch (32–73%), and total carbohydrate (18–32%) contents. Boiling with or without peel had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the pH of Batard pulps nor the ash content of the pulps of both genotypes. Conclusion: Irrespective of the ripening stages used, during cooking by immersion in boiling water, cooking with peel best preserves the physicochemical and nutritional parameters of the analysed genotypes.

BACKGROUND: Bananas and plantains are important food sources for many people in the world. Their high starch content places them among the highest energy providers. This study aimed to determine the effects of altitude on banana starch properties in Cameroon. A dessert banana, a cooking banana, a plantain cultivar, and a plantain-like hybrid were grown at low and high altitudes (respectively at 80 m and 1300 m above sea level). RESULTS: Starch analyses showed an increase in moisture and pH values against a drop in total titratable acidity and dry matter content with respect to altitude. Amylose content, as well as water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity and syneresis of high-altitude plantain and plantain-like hybrid, were significantly higher. Starch digestibility was low and ranged between 13.4% and 37.9% after 2 h of incubation. High-altitude plantain starches contained more amylose and were more resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis. CONCLUSION: Starches from CARBAP K74 and Kelong mekintu, grown at high altitude, showed good water and oil absorption capacities, low digestibility, and high resistance. The adequate properties of these banana starches predispose them for use as thickeners and gelling agents as well as ingredients for the formulation of low-calorie foods. This study highlights the importance of altitude when discussing banana and plantain starch properties.

Background: Most rheological analyses in yam have been done on starch gels, which requires starch extraction from the tubers. In situ rheology bypasses the need of starch extraction and relies on the original cell structure and complex matrix organization under stress or strain. Dynamic rheological properties of tuber from 16 accessions belonging to four yam species (Dioscorea rotundata, D. alata. D. bulbifera and D. dumetorum) were investigated for potential use as a medium throughput phenotyping screening tool that can indicate the quality of yam food products or their industrial potentials. Results: Rheographs of the tubers illustrated differences in the structure of D. bulbifera compared to other yam species. High initial storage modulus (G′) of yam parenchyma indicated tubers with strong and rigid structure which do not lose their structural integrity easily on heating. Dioscorea rotundata and D. alata varieties exhibited a lower temperature at which gelatinization took place (Tgel) equivalent to the irreversible transition during starch gelatinization (75.3 and 79.8 °C) and took shorter time (867 and 958 s, respectively) to reach the G′ maximum, compared to other species. The stress relaxation test showed that the higher the dry matter of the tubers, the higher the work to rupture the structure. Conclusion: Rheological characteristics G′, loss modulus (G″), swelling capacity and Tgel showed potential as suitable quality indicators for yam products. In situ rheological characterization of yam tubers could be used as an instrumental screening tool to phenotype for quality in yam products. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of hyperspectral imaging for the characterization of cooking quality parameters, dry matter content (DMC), water absorption (WAB), and texture in cassava genotypes contrasting for their cooking quality. RESULTS: Hyperspectral images were acquired on cooked and fresh intact longitudinal and transversal slices from 31 cassava genotypes harvested in March 2022 in Colombia. Different chemometric methods were tested for the quantification of DMC, WAB, and texture parameters. Data analysis was conducted through partial least squares regression, K nearest neighbors regression, support vector machine regression and CovSel multiple linear regression (CovSel_MLR). Efficient performances were obtained for DMC using CovSel_MLR with, coefficient of multiple determination , root-mean-square error of prediction RMSEP = 0.96 g/100 g, and ratio of the standard deviation values RPD = 3.60. High heterogeneity was observed between contrasting genotypes. The predicted distribution of DMC within the root can be homogeneous or heterogeneous depending on the genotype. Weak predictions were obtained for WAB and texture parameters. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that hyperspectral imaging could be used as a high-throughput phenotyping tool for the visualization of DMC in contrasting cooking quality genotypes. Further improvement of protocols and larger datasets are required for WAB and texture quality traits.

BACKGROUND: Cassava retting ability and the textural qualities of cooked fufu are important quality traits. Cassava retting is a complex process in which soaking causes tissue breakdown, starch release, and softening. The rate at which various traits linked to it evolve varies greatly during fufu processing. According to the literature, there is no standard approach for determining retting ability. The retting indices and textural properties of fufu were measured using both manual and instrumental approaches. RESULTS: Different protocols were developed to classify 64 and 11 cassava genotypes into various groups based on retting ability and textural qualities, respectively. The retting protocols revealed considerable genetic dissimilarities in genotype classification: foaming ability and water clarity should be measured at 24 h, while penetrometer, hardness, turbidity, pH, and total titratable acidity data are best collected after 36 h. The stepwise regression model revealed that pH, foaming ability, and dry matter content are the best multivariates (with the highest R2) for predicting cassava retting. These predictors were used to develop an index for assessing the retting ability of cassava genotypes. The retting index developed showed a significant relationship with dry matter content and fufu yield. The study also showed significant correlations between instrumental cohesiveness and sensory smoothness (r = −0.75), moldability (r = −0.62), and stretchability (r = 0.78). Instrumental cohesiveness can correctly estimate fufu smoothness (R2 = 0.56, P = 0.008) and stretchability (R2 = 0.60, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: pH, foaming ability, and dry matter content are the best traits for predicting cassava retting ability, while instrumental cohesiveness can effectively estimate fufu smoothness and stretchability.

Tropical forests play a crucial role in climate regulation due to their high carbon sequestration capacity. However, degradation and disturbances in these forests may result in significant carbon losses. This study focuses on the impact of various biophysical, anthropogenic, and landscape factors on aboveground biomass (AGB) in heavily disturbed landscapes of Côte d'Ivoire (West Africa), a typical low-forest and high-deforestation country. AGB estimates from a National Forest Inventory dataset have been linked to five categories of variables (Climate, Soil, Topography, Landscape, and Human-related) through a random forest modeling approach that addressed collinearity among variables, selected key variables from each category, and used spatial cross-validation to evaluate model performance. The comprehensive model, combining landscape composition, physical soil properties, and climate variables, demonstrated strong performance with an R-squared of 0.62. Notably, the percentage of landscape occupied by forest within a radius of 1000 m (PLAND1000) had a highly significant impact on AGB, exhibiting a notable increase when PLAND1000 exceeded 80 % and a decrease when it felt below 25 %. Soil properties, both physical (Bulk Density and Coarse Fraction) and chemical (soil pH), significantly influenced AGB, too. Interestingly, climatic, topographic, and other anthropogenic variables had minimal relevance in predicting AGB, suggesting that their effects may have been captured by landscape and soil integrative variables. In order to enhance forest preservation and restoration initiatives in the face of deforestation and fragmentation challenges in the West African region, we recommend (i) evaluating the appropriate landscape scale of effect (a 1000 m radius circle being the most significant in this study); (ii) prioritizing the preservation or restoration of dense forest landscapes; and (iii) integrating landscape composition into forest management policies.

With the increasing demand for productivity and quality in the forestry sector, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is promising in the monitoring of wood properties, such as density. However, most predictive models are based on spectra acquired in wood at equilibrium moisture content using benchtop equipment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the NIR instruments in predicting the basic density of Eucalyptus grandis wood at different moisture contents. The wood chips were evaluated from saturated conditions (freshly felled) to hygroscopic equilibrium conditions using benchtop and portable NIR instruments. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to verify the behavior of spectral data, partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to classify density categories, and partial least squares regression (PLS-R) to develop predictive models. The moisture gradient was not the limiting factor for the statistical modeling. PCA discriminated 99.50% of the variation in the data, while the PLS-DA correctly categorized in the range of 0–94% the density classes. The models developed by PLS-R with the benchtop instrument showed a prediction coefficient (R²) ranging from 0.79 to 0.85 and those with the portable instrument ranged from 0.77 to 0.82; the ratios of prediction deviation (RPD) were 2.20 and 2.45, respectively. Thus, NIR spectroscopy has shown potential application in wood under saturated conditions, regardless of the type of instrument. In the industrial context, the use of a portable NIR instrument could streamline wood characterization without the need for drying and transporting samples to the laboratories.

In the present work, the effect of the Flash Vacuum Expansion (FVE) process on the recovery of total phenolic content (TPC) from entire coffee peel was evaluated. The resulting extracts were microencapsulated by spray drying using maltodextrin (MD10) and arabic gum (GA). The FVE increased TPC by 20.97% in the ethanolic extracts. The use of MD10 allowed obtention of smaller, less hygroscopic particles, with better color and flow properties as well as a higher concentration of TPC. Both powders were considered microbiologically stable based on humidity and water activity.

Background: Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have garnered significant interest in natural products research, owing to their green and natural attributes in comparison to conventional solvents. However, the approach of demonstrating that DESs are superior extractants has led to an underestimation of their full potential in this field. This perspective disregards crucial challenges related to their practical application and potential scalability, mainly the difficulty of target component separation from intermolecular network forming by DESs. Conversely, the DESs unique features can enhance aspects such as solubilization, stabilization, and storage of natural products, as well as improve their biological activities. By addressing key challenges and limitations, we aim to provide valuable insights into the potential of DESs in this domain. Methodology: In this review, we conducted an exhaustive literature search to gather relevant articles about DESs and their applications in bioactive natural product research. The gathered literature was analyzed, and a systematic thematic categorization was performed, emphasizing studies where the use of DESs yielded relevant outcomes that could potentially present an advantage in the exploration of bioactive natural products. The approach in structuring this review aimed to provide an overview of the potential and challenges associated with DESs in the domain of bioactive natural product research, transcending their conventional role as mere extraction solvents. Results: Through this critical analysis of the literature, this review delves into the potential of DESs as effective solvents for the solubilization, stabilization, and storage of bioactive natural products. In addition, it highlights the ability of DESs to improve the biological activities of natural products, as well as to be used as formulation media for the transport of pharmaceutical active ingredients. By revealing these advances, the review contributes to a more comple

p-Hydroxycinnamic acids, such as sinapic, ferulic, p-coumaric and caffeic acids, are among the most abundant phenolic compounds found in plant biomass and agro-industrial by-products (e.g. cereal brans, sugar-beet and coffee pulps, oilseed meals). These p-hydroxycinnamic acids, and their resulting decarboxylation products named vinylphenols (canolol, 4-vinylguaiacol, 4-vinylphenol, 4-vinylcatechol), are bioactive molecules with many properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities, and potential applications in food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical industries. They were also shown to be suitable precursors of new sustainable polymers and biobased substitutes for fine chemicals such as bisphenol A diglycidyl ethers. Non-oxidative microbial decarboxylation of p-hydroxycinnamic acids into vinylphenols involves cofactor-free and metal-independent phenolic acid decarboxylases (EC 4.1.1 carboxyl lyase family). Historically purified from bacteria (Bacillus, Lactobacillus, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter genera) and some yeasts (e.g. Brettanomyces or Candida), these enzymes were described for the decarboxylation of ferulic and p-coumaric acids into 4-vinylguaiacol and 4-vinylphenol, respectively. The catalytic mechanism comprised a first step involving p-hydroxycinnamic acid conversion into a semi-quinone that then decarboxylated spontaneously into the corresponding vinyl compound, in a second step. Bioconversion processes for synthesizing 4-vinylguaiacol and 4-vinylphenol by microbial decarboxylation of ferulic and p-coumaric acids historically attracted the most research using bacterial recombinant phenolic acid decarboxylases (especially Bacillus enzymes) and the processes developed to date included mono- or biphasic systems, and the use of free- or immobilized cells. More recently, filamentous fungi of the Neolentinus lepideus species were shown to natively produce a more versatile phenolic acid decarboxylase with high activity on sinapic acid in ad

Forests contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon storage and uptake, but the extent to which this carbon pool varies in space and time is still poorly known. Several Earth Observation missions have been specifically designed to address this issue, for example, NASA's GEDI, NASA-ISRO's NISAR and ESA's BIOMASS. Yet, all these missions' products require independent and consistent validation. A permanent, global, in situ, site-based forest biomass reference measurement system relying on ground data of the highest possible quality is therefore needed. Here, we have assembled a list of almost 200 high-quality sites through an in-depth review of the literature and expert knowledge. In this study, we explore how representative these sites are in terms of their coverage of environmental conditions, geographical space and biomass-related forest structure, compared to those experienced by forests worldwide. This work also aims at identifying which sites are the most representative, and where to invest to improve the representativeness of the proposed system. We show that the environmental coverage of the system does not seem to improve after at least the 175 most representative sites are included, but geographical and structural coverages continue to improve as more sites are added. We highlight the areas of poor environmental, geographical, or structural coverage, including, but not limited to, Canada, the western half of the USA, Mexico, Patagonia, Angola, Zambia, eastern Russia, and tropical and subtropical highlands (e.g. in Colombia, the Himalayas, Borneo, Papua). For the proposed system to succeed, we stress that (1) data must be collected and processed applying the same standards across all countries and continents; (2) system establishment and management must be inclusive and equitable, with careful consideration of working conditions; and (3) training and site partner involvement in downstream activities should be mandatory.

While long-term organic fertilizer (OF) applications tend to decrease copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) availability in agricultural soils, earthworm bioturbation has been reported to have the opposite effect. Thus, the consequences of OF amendments in earthworm-inhabited soils on Cu and Zn bioavailability to earthworms are still under debate. Here, we assessed the effect of a decade of agronomically realistic OF applications on Cu and Zn availability in earthworm-inhabited soils and the consequences on Cu and Zn bioavailability to earthworms. An epi-endogeic species (Dichogaster saliens) was exposed in microcosms to three field-collected soils that had received either no, mineral, or organic fertilization for a decade. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) properties (i.e., concentration, aromaticity, and binding properties toward Cu), pH, and Cu and Zn availability (i.e., total concentration and free ionic activity) were determined in the solution of the soil containing earthworms. Cu and Zn bioavailability was assessed by measuring the net accumulation (ng) and concentration of Cu and Zn in earthworms (mg kg−1). Despite soil Cu and Zn contamination induced by a decade of OF applications, organic fertilization induced an increase in soil pH and DOM properties that drove the reduction of Cu and Zn availability in earthworm-inhabited soils, while bioturbation had little effect on soil pH, DOM properties, and Cu and Zn availability. Consistently, Cu and Zn bioavailability to earthworms did not increase with OF applications. From an ecotoxicological perspective, our results suggest that agronomically realistic applications of OF for a decade should not pose a risk to earthworms in terms of Cu and Zn net accumulation, but further studies have to be undertaken to understand consequent long-term toxicity after exposure.

This study focused on the use of Near InfraRed (NIR) Spectroscopy to address the lack of tools and skills for wood identification of Dalbergia species from Madagascar. Two sample sets of 41 wood blocks and 41 wood cores belonging to four Dalbergia species (D. abrahamii, D. chlorocarpa, D.greveana, and D. pervillei) were collected in the northern and western regions of Madagascar. Sapwood and heartwood NIR spectra were measured onwood at 12% moisture content by using a portable VIAVI MicroNIR 1700 spectrometer. Four discrimination models corresponding to sapwood and heartwood of the two sample forms were developed using Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA). Good accuracy of 83.3% and 81.8% were obtained from the heartwood-based PLSDA models respectively for wood blocks and wood cores samples. All D. chlorocarpa samples were well-classified by the two models. Results highlighted the potential of portable NIR Spectroscopy as a helpful tool tosupport sustain- able management and trade of Madagascar's Dalbergia species. Further studies are, however, needed for its operational use in identification routine.

Cedrus atlantica is a tree species present in the south of France which, in the context of climate change, could become a conservation priority in the coming years. This tree species is also of considerable ecological and socio-economic interest in the Mediterranean Basin area, where it is mainly recognized for its durable timber, and also for the potentially interesting chemical properties of its essential oil. Studies of its heartwood formation process and the properties of its extractive compounds are therefore of interest, although very few have been conducted so far. The radial distribution of water/acetone extractives within the Atlas cedar tree (bark, sapwood, transition wood, outer heartwood and inner heartwood) selected for this study was screened at different tree height levels. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses were performed, especially to characterize flavonoid compounds in these extractive fractions. The radial variation of the extractive composition obtained highlights the phenomenon of heartwood formation. Assumptions were put forward as to the metabolic pathways involved in the heartwood formation process of cedar wood, based in particular on the occurrence and radial evolution of (-)-catechin, (+)-taxifolin and flavan compounds. The fungicidal and termite-repellent activities of the extracts were then tested. The water/acetone extractives from the Cedrus atlantica individual studied showed strong termite repellent activity and moderate antifungal activity against crop and fruit pathogens. Even though the sampling in this study was limited to a single tree, the results point to a potential for commercial use of Atlas cedar extractives as wood preservatives and/or as biocontrol products against pathogens of ligneous agricultural crops. Additional tests and chemical analyses will be carried out to confirm these interesting preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: The isosteric heat of desorption is vital in evaluating the energy performance of food dryers. The isosteric heat of desorption was investigated for different cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) products prepared as flour or starch, with and without fermentation. An automated moisture sorption gravimetric analyser was used to measure the desorption isotherms over 10–90% relative humidity of the drying air at temperatures ranging from 25 to 65 °C. RESULTS: Analysis of variance showed an imperceptible contribution of the preparation method in the measured desorption data. This finding also agreed with microscopical images, which revealed the lack of compelling structural differences among different products. A set of empirical sorption equations suggested by the ASAE standard was examined over the measured desorption isotherms. The standard error of estimation was found to be in the acceptable range of 2.36–3.71%. Furthermore, the fulfilment of the enthalpy-entropy compensation theory was considered as an additional criterion in the thermodynamic results of different sorption equations, besides their fitting adequacy. The modified Chung–Pfost equation has proved to be the most suitable equation for cassava products, as it is capable of reflecting the temperature dependency of the isosteric heat of desorption. The net isosteric heat of desorption obtained was in the range of 540–1110 kJ kg−1 for 0.10 kg kg−1 dry-basis moisture content and 52–108 kJ kg−1 for 0.25 kg kg−1 dry-basis moisture content. CONCLUSION: These findings are technologically relevant for optimising common drying technologies such as flash and flatbed dryers. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The demand for wooden raw materials is constantly on the rise. Meeting this interest requires developing new timber supply chains, tackling illegal trade, using timber more efficiently, and enhancing the service life of wood-based products. From this point of view, sweet chestnut wood can be successfully used, alone or mixed with poplar, to manufacture Oriented Strand Board (OSB). This article assesses the fungal resistance of OSB/3 (load-bearing boards for use in humid conditions) made with different fractions of poplar (P) and sweet chestnut (SC) wood, in order to take advantage of the protective action of the tannins contained in the latter. Four types of OSB/3 were manufactured on an industrial scale: 100% P; 80% P and 20% SC; 50% P and 50% SC; 100% SC. The durability of the experimental boards was determined in accordance with the EN 113-3 standard (2023). No significant differences in mass loss were found for OSB/3 with different sweet chestnut wood fractions. Instead, the mass loss of these panels was significantly lower (i.e. fungal resistance was higher) than that of the poplar OSB/3 and poplar plywood tested for comparison. Based on the results, the use of sweet chestnut wood has interesting potential for the manufacturing of OSB/3 made with adequate gluing quality, suitable for applications in environments where fungal decay may occur.

The natural durability of wood species against rot has again become a matter of interest for the uses of wood as a natural material, while the use of synthetic fungicides is being debated. In the mid-20 th century, many experimental studies were performed in Europe and North America, using different standardised protocols. More than five hundred tropical wood species were tested in France between 1955 and 1990, with a total of 9,842 wood samples tested. It would seem useful to allow free access to all the data from these tests in the interests of a more comprehensive study of the natural durability of a wide range of wood species. The great majority (68%) of all these tests used two slightly different protocols with only a change in woodblock test dimensions. Roughly half of the species were tested under one of the two protocols, and the other half under the second. In addition, certain species were tested with both protocols. The dimensions of the test blocks, the fungal strain used, and the wood type (sapwood or heartwood) all give significantly different results, but the mean mass loss due to the 4 main fungal strains is a good predictor of the wood resistance to rot. Overall, mass loss for sapwood with each protocol is 45% higher than for heartwood of the same species. There is a significant positive correlation between the rot resistance of the sapwood and the heartwood, but the decrease from heartwood to sapwood is greater in durable wood species than in non-durable ones. Heartwood rot resistance was observed to be highly variable between trees of the same species, except in those classified as “very durable” and “non-durable”. This opens up possibilities for a classification of natural rot resistance for numerous useful types of timber that are often regarded as only moderately resistant because they include a small proportion of species with poor resistance. Each protocol group included over one hundred species for which density and chemical composition data

Pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is widely used for the production of charcoal, pyroligneous liquid, and noncondensable gases. All three are value-added products that are exploited in several fields. However, this review focuses on three main areas: wood vinegar production methods, its physicochemical properties, and the use of wood vinegar or pyroligneous acid in agriculture and the environment. Wood vinegar is a liquid derived from wood by the condensation of gases and vapors released during the carbonization process, which is the transformation of wood into charcoal. It is mainly composed of aliphatic, aromatic, and naphthenic hydrocarbons and other oxygenated compounds such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, furans, acids, phenols, and ethers. Wood vinegar has antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging properties and is used in agriculture as an antimicrobial, antifungal, insecticide, and plant germination and growth agent. It is also used in food preservation, in medicine, and in the ecological preservation of wood. This review also examines the state of the art in pyroligneous liquid production techniques and factors that could potentially affect its quality.

The extractives contained in wood are compounds with a very high added value in various fields (e.g., pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agri-food). These extractives can be classified into four groups: lipid components (terpenes and terpenoids), waxes and fats, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids. This review is particularly focused on the description of the main families of extractives contained in wood waste, with their properties and the potential applications made to date. It also makes a brief report on some conventional techniques for extracting wood extractives, with an eye toward recovering wood waste in our country. These extractives, particularly phenolic compounds, fall into several categories: simple phenols, lignans, flavonoids and tannins. They have chemical and biological properties such as antioxidants, antiradicals, anti-termites, antifungals, anticancer, inhibitors of type 1 human immunodeficiency virus, antimutagenics, and antimicrobial properties. They are also used in food preservation as well as wood protection. This review sums up the interest that should be focused on the availability in large quantities of wood waste in our environment, which, far from being a problem, could be the solution to certain current and future problems.

Lignocellulosic powders have a chemical composition that makes them explosive under certain conditions. In the form of ultrafine particles, they can be directly used as fuel in combustion devices to generate heat and mechanical power without the need to convert them into a liquid form. However, the production of such powder encounters two main challenges that affect engine efficiency: high energy consumption during grinding and poor flowability of the resulting powder. To tackle these challenges, one option is to modify the chemical and physical characteristics of the biomass before grinding. This can be effectively achieved through thermal pretreatment methods such as torrefaction, which alter the chemical structure of lignocellulosic biomass, making it more brittle, modifying its surface properties, and thereby improving its flowability. In this study, we investigated the impact of two torrefaction temperatures (220 °C and 280 °C) on the chemical and physical properties of wheat straw prior to fine milling. Our results indicate that the physical and chemical properties of the wheat straw were not significantly affected at 220 °C, whereas a significant change was observed at 280 °C. In particular, extensive chemical analysis and atomic force measurements show that the modifications of the properties are related to heat-induced degradation of cell wall polymers and an increase in cellulose crystallinity. For the wheat straw torrefied at 280 °C, both the grindability and flowability of the ground powder improved significantly. Meanwhile, the total energy consumption for the transformation remained constant, making the torrefaction process interesting for designing combustible powders.

The influence of soaking and germination on the physicochemical characteristics of tigernut tubers (Cyperus esculentus L.) are investigated. Tubers (Ø > 1 cm) were soaked in an ascorbic acid solution (0.1%) for 48 h at 40 °C before undergoing germination for 6 days. The textural profile, the capacity and germination energy and the biochemical composition of these tubers were determined. The germination energy varied from 76.18 to 79.48% for the quantities of solution of 24 and 48 mL, respectively. The textural profile of the tubers varied depending on the type of treatment. Germination resulted in a considerable reduction in amylose content from 14.15% for the native tigernut tuber to 9.98% for the sprouted one. This treatment also increased the protein, ascorbic acid and ash contents, which ranged from 7.54 to 8.82 g/100 g DM, 250 to 275.39 mg/100 g DM and 2.60 to 3.84 g/100 g DM, respectively. The starch content of the tubers following germination remained high, which could come up against the pasteurization of the milk from these tubers.

The presented research aimed at finding new ways to value hemp by-products (stalks) from the cannabidiol industry through thermochemical conversion. Chemical and elemental composition of hemp biomass was investigated by successive chemical extractions and Scanning Electron Microscopy along with Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. Proximate and elemental analyses completed the chemical characterization of the hemp biomass and its biochar. Thermogravimetric analysis of the hemp biomass allowed to understand its kinetic of decomposition during thermal conversion. The carbon structure and porosity of the biochar were assessed by Raman spectroscopy and CO2 gas adsorption. Properties of interest were the energy production measured through calorific values, and the electrical conductivity. Two ways of valorisation of the hemp biomass were clearly identified, depending mainly on the chosen pyrolysis temperature. Hemp biochar carbonized at 400–600°C were classified as lignocellulosic materials with a good potential for solid biofuel applications. Specifically, the resulting carbonized biochar presented low moisture content (below 2.50%) favourable for high fuel quality, low volatile matter (27.1–10.4%) likely to show lower particle matter emissions, limited ash content (6.8–9.8%) resulting in low risk of fouling issues during the combustion, high carbon content (73.8–86.8%) suggesting strong energy density, associated with high higher heating values (28.45–30.95 MJ kg−1). Hemp biochar carbonized at 800–1000 °C displayed interesting electrical conductivity, opening opportunities for its use in electrical purposes. The electrical conductivity was related to the evolution of the biochar microstructure (development of graphite-like structure and changes in microporosity) in regard with the thermochemical conversion process parameters.

(1) Background: Manihot esculenta, cassava, is an essential food crop for human consumption in many parts of the world. Besides the wide use of its roots, cassava leaves have been used locally as green vegetables and for medicinal purposes. However, nutritional health data regarding cassava leaves is limited, therefore we investigated its composition and associated potential bioactivity interest for human health. (2) Methods: Cassava leaf bioactivity investigations focused on antioxidant properties (free radical scavenging) in association with immunomodulatory activities on inflammatory murine macrophages to measure the impact of cassava extract on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha, Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1, Prostaglandin-E2 and mediators such as nitric oxide. (3) Results: Antioxidant and immunomodulatory bioactivities were significant, with a concentration-dependent inhibition of cytokines production by inflammatory macrophages; (4) Conclusions: Taken together, our results tend to suggest that Manihot esculenta leaves might be underrated regarding the potential nutrition-health interest of this vegetal matrix for both human nutrition and prophylaxis of metabolic disease with underlying low grade inflammation status.

Enhancing the value of biomass residues holds promise for mitigating open burning. However, biomass utilization as an energy feedstock encounters its own set of challenges owing to inherent properties. To address these concerns, torrefaction, an essential thermal pretreatment process for carbonaceous materials, emerges as a viable solution. In a laboratory experiment conducted in a static tube reactor, torrefaction was investigated at temperatures of 250°C for 45 minutes and 300°C for 5 minutes. The findings revealed that rice straw, corncob, and cassava stalk exhibit properties exceptionally suited for utilization as energy feedstock. Notably, at 300°C corncob attains a carbon content of 58.10%, a fixed carbon content of 34.35%, and a calorific value of 22.46 MJ/kg.

Fresh pineapple juice exhibits a shelflife of a few days limited by the development of yeasts and molds. An approach was implemented to assess the efficacy of treatments of juice, based on three successive steps. The first step was to validate the use of a microbial cocktail which leads to juice spoilage. In a second step, the efficacy of treatments was assessed on the growth of fungi in two conditions. The treatment chosen was the addition of Thymus leptobotrys (Tl) and Thymus maroccanus (Tm) essential oils (EO). These extracts were mainly composed of the monoterpene carvacrol, and inhibited fungal growth in culture medium. The addition of EO to pasteurized juice inoculated with a fungal cocktail limited fungal population below 4.6 log CFU/mL during 14 days. The low pH of pineapple juice probably strengthened the effect of antifungal compounds acting on proton gradient across plasma membrane. Lastly, the efficacy of the treatments was assessed in fresh pineapple juice harboring its natural microbial population. The extracts TlEO at 0.25‰ or TmEO at 0.05‰ limited fungal growth below 5 log CFU/mL during 14 days. Thyme scent was detected after EO addition but the characteristic descriptors of pineapple and sugary were maintained.

Bananas are tropical fruits that are perishable and susceptible to fungal diseases, mainly caused by Colletotrichum musae. Antimicrobial emulsion-based coating materials have been used extensively to inhibit the growth of these fungi and extend the shelf life of bananas. Targeted emulsion-based film functionalities offer excellent mechanical, physicochemical and barrier properties and limit fungal growth kinetics. Antifungal compounds, such as essential oils or phenolic compounds, are added to emulsion-based (wax/biopolymer) coatings to enhance their antimicrobial properties. This study set out to formulate a beeswax-based emulsion for banana coatings using high-pressure homogenisation (HPH) and hydrophilic food-grade/organic coating materials. The particle size distribution, stability and mechanical properties of the film-forming emulsions, water vapour and the oxygen permeabilities of the resulting coating were investigated. The most promising sucrose emulsions were tested as coatings on banana fruits to assess their efficacy against moisture and firmness loss during storage. Adding thymol (0.5% w/w) to the sucrose emulsions further enhanced the inhibition of Colletotrichum musae growth to its barest minimum of <20%. Emulsion stability was clearly enhanced using HPH while the best inhibition was obtained with a 20% diluted sucrose emulsion containing 0.5% thymol, with or without HPH.

Mangifera indica species presents a wide varietal diversity in terms of fruit size and morphology and also of physicochemical and organoleptic properties of the pulp. In Senegal, in addition to the well-known export varieties, such as 'Kent', local varieties have been little studied particularly during ripening. This study aims to propose prediction models integrating variables deduced from varietal characteristics. Five mango varieties ('Diourou', 'Papaye', 'Sierraleone', 'Boukodiekhal' and 'Sewe') endemic to Senegal were characterized at harvest and followed during ripening storage. Caliber parameters were determined at green-mature stage as well as storage (25 °C) weight losses. Considering the 'ripening storage time' (RST) variable as ripeness level index, intra-varietal prediction models were built by multi-linear regression (R2 = 0.98) using pulp pH, soluble solid content (SSC) and Hue angle. In addition to these physicochemical parameters, variety-specific size, shape and weight loss parameters, were additional variables in multi-linear models (R2 = 0.97) for multi-varietal prediction of RST. Results showed that storage time, which was the most influential factor on the pH, SSC and Hue, can be used as a response for varietal prediction of mango ripening. As a decision support tool, theses statistical models, validated on two seasons, will contribute to reduce post-harvest losses and enhance mango value chain through a better ripening process monitoring.

Biochar is more and more widely recognized as a promising agricultural amendment improving yield and ecosystem services in a range of different contexts. However, underlying mechanisms contributing to biochars benefits, notably biochar–root interactions, and their mediation by biochar's diverse properties remain unclear and poorly quantified. This study aimed to examine and quantify the interactions between biochar properties and plant traits and their effect on plant performance. To gain a better understanding of biochar–plant interactions and their role in biochar overall effects, biochars with contrasted physical and chemical properties were applied to soils during a 3-month greenhouse experiment with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Barley biomass as well as several belowground morphological and physiological traits and aboveground traits related to nutrient acquisition were measured. A multivariate structural modeling approach was employed to quantify interactions between biochar properties and plant traits, and their feedback effect on plant biomass. Interactions between biochar chemical and physical properties and barley carboxylate release rate and their contribution to biochar effects were underlined. Among the plant traits examined the release of carboxylate appears as the best proxy to plant biomass following biochar addition, highlighting sparsely reported interactions between total carboxylate release rates and biochar ash content. Multivariate structural modeling offered elements of understanding for the complex interconnected mechanisms involved in biochar influence and their relative contribution. Adopting this approach across a wide range of species and contexts could contribute to ensure more reliable biochar benefits.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a mixture of hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) molecules that can consist, respectively, of natural plant metabolites such as sugars, carboxylic acids, amino acids, and ionic molecules, which are for the vast majority ammonium salts. Media such as DESs are modular tools of sustainability that can be pointed toward the extraction of bioactive molecules due to their excellent physicochemical properties, their relatively low price, and accessibility. The present review focuses on the application of DESs for protein extraction and purification. The in-depth effects and principles that apply to DES-mediated extraction using various renewable biomasses will be discussed as well. One of the most important observations being made is that DESs have a clear ability to maintain the biological and/or functional activity of the extracted proteins, as well as increase their stability compared to traditional solvents. They demonstrate true potential for a reproducible but more importantly, scalable protein extraction and purification compared to traditional methods while enabling waste valorization in some particular cases.

Partial least square regression (PLSR) is a reference statistical model in chemometrics. In agronomy, it is used to predict components (response variables y) of chemical composition of vegetal materials from spectral near infrared (NIR) data X collected from spectrometers. PLSR reduces the dimension of the spectral data X by defining vectors that are then used as latent variables (LVs) in a multiple linear model. One difficulty is to determine the relevant dimensionality (number of LVs) for the given data. This step can be very time consuming when many datasets have to be processed and/or the datasets are frequently updated. The paper focuses on an alternative, bypassing the determination of the PLSR dimensionality and allowing for automatizing the predictions. The strategy uses ensemble learning methods, such as averaging or stacking the predictions of a set of PLSR models with different dimensionalities. The paper presents various methods of PLSR averaging and stacking and compares their performances to the usual PLSR on six real datasets on different types of forages. The main finding of the study was the overall superiority of the averaging methods compared to the usual PLSR. We therefore believe that such methods can be recommended to analyze NIR data on forages.

Faidherbia albida is a typical emblematic species of African dryland areas. In Chad, it is used for many purposes, but very little is known about the technological properties of its wood, which sometimes leads to inappropriate uses. This work consisted to study the physical and mechanical properties of this wood, collected in the Sahelian and Sudanian chadian zone. As well as the impact study of the sampling areas of these properties. The result obtained shows that, the density, infradensity; modulus of elasticity, compression strength were significantly higher in the Sahelian zone than in the Sudanian zone, i.e. 508 and 409 kg·m−3; 5555 and 23.7 MPa, compared to 444 and 359 kg·m−3; 4150 and 19.6 MPa. The total tangential shrinkage, total volumetric shrinkage, fibre saturation point; static bending strength were significantly lower in wood from the Sahelian zone compared to the Sudanian zone, i.e. 4.6%, 7.7%, 23.7%; 42.5 MPa, compared to 6.6%, 9.5%, 28.9%; 52.6 MPa. The total radial shrinkage values obtained were not significantly different between the two provenances (mean: 3.1%).