Salinity stress causes accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to levels that are toxic to plants. Inefficientscavenging of ROS by antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) results in cell death andinhibition of growth,whichultimately leads to reduced crop productivity.Recent studies suggest that nitric oxide(NO) can enhance plant tolerance to salinity stress but the molecular mechanism for the NO-mediated salinitystress tolerance is only partially understood. This study thus evaluated the effect of exogenously applied NO onmaize leaf superoxide accumulation and SOD enzymatic activity in the presence and absence of salinity stressto delineate SOD isoforms that contribute to NO-mediated salinity tolerance. Salinity stress caused elevation ofsuperoxide generation and lipid peroxidation in maize leaves, along with elevated activity of a number of SODisoforms. Exogenous application of 2,2′-(hydroxynitrosohydrazono)bis-ethanimine (DETA/NO) to salinity-treated maize reduced the salinity-induced superoxide accumulation and lowered the salinity-induced lipidperoxidation in maize leaves and corresponded with an amplification of the increase in the activity of someSOD isoforms. Based on this analysis, the study suggests that exogenously applied NO reduces salinity-inducedoxidative stress by up-regulating the enzymatic activity of some SOD isoforms, thus increasing the scavengingof excessive superoxide radicals to limit oxidative stress
The OLIGOPEPTIDE TRANSPORTER 3 (OPT3) has recently been identified as a component of the systemic network mediating iron (Fe) deficiency responses in Arabidopsis. Reduced expression of OPT3 induces an over accumulation of Fe in roots and leaves, due in part by an elevated expression of the IRON‐REGULATED TRANSPORTER 1. Here we show however, that opt3 leaves display a transcriptional program consistent with an Fe overload, suggesting that Fe excess is properly sensed in opt3 leaves and that the OPT3‐mediated shoot‐to‐root signaling is critical to prevent a systemic Fe overload. We also took advantage of the tissue‐specific localization of OPT3, together with other Fe‐responsive genes, to determine the timing and location of early transcriptional events during Fe limitation and resupply. Our results show that the leaf vasculature responds more rapidly than roots to both Fe deprivation and resupply, suggesting that the leaf vasculature is within the first tissues that sense and respond to changes in Fe availability. Our data highlight the importance of the leaf vasculature in Fe homeostasis by sensing changes in apoplastic levels of Fe coming through the xylem and relaying this information back to roots via the phloem to regulate Fe uptake at the root level.
Amylose-lipid complexes can be formed by interaction between amylose and lipid as ligands. This study determines the effects of ascorbyl palmitate (0, 15, 50, 100, and 200 mg/g starch) on the functionalproperties of maize starches (normal and high amylose maize starch), amount of ascorbyl palmitatebound, release of ascorbyl palmitate after enzymatic hydrolysis andascorbyl palmitate antioxidant activityafter spray drying.Spray drying of starches (normal maize starch and high amylose maize starch) withascorbyl palmitate at 185C resulted in the formation of type I amylose-lipid complexes. Entrapment ofascorbyl palmitate in the starch matrix also occurred during spray drying, and this was observed withconfocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) micrographs. As expected, more ascorbyl palmitate boundwith high amylose maize starch than normal maize starch. Less than 40% of the bound ascorbyl palmitateto high amylose maize starch was released during pancreatica-amylase hydrolysis suggesting that someof the complexes were indigestible and can be fermented in the large intestine. The antioxidant activitiesof the ascorbyl palmitate highly correlated (R¼0.97) to the amount released during enzymatic hydro-lysis. It can be concluded that spray drying of maize starches can be used to encapsulate ascorbylpalmitate to form amylose-lipid complexes with a higher amount of ascorbyl palmitate boundwith maizestarches when spray driedcompared to pasting method as previously reported
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a qualitative investigation of family employment
dynamics in the KwaMashu township economy.
Design/methodology/approach – Using a small area census research method, the researchers identified
1,556 businesses located in a settlement of 2 km2
. Of these enterprises, 694 (45 percent) traded in fast moving
consumer goods, notably food and/or drink. The main retailers were small shops (spaza shops) and liquor
outlets (bars or shebeens), greengrocers, sellers of meat and poultry products, house shops, restaurants,
takeaways and tuckshops. Firm surveys were conducted with 270 businesses in four predominant sectors:
liquor retail, grocery retail, early childhood educators and hair care businesses.
Findings – The research found that 40 percent of the surveyed firms in these sectors employ family
members on a full-time basis, whereas merely 26 percent of firms employ family members on a part-time
basis. In the grocery retail sector, about half of family employees are remunerated on a wage basis, the other
half are paid in-kind (40 paper of the total) or on a profit share arrangement. In liquor retail and educare
sectors, the majority of family members are paid wages. Female-run enterprises employ less family members
on a full-time basis (except in the grocery sector), yet employ more family members on a part-time basis with a
higher portion of wages paid in-kind.
Research limitations/implications – Family plays an important role in township enterprises. Beyond
direct employment, township enterprises fulfill an important social protection and neighborhood relationship
function for business operators and their families. The familial relationship to micro-enterprises should be
seen through the lens of bricolage (Gras and Nason, 2015).
Originality/value – In this respect, the authors confirm three benefits of family firms: the creation of social
protection though family beneficiation, the provision of employment and work experience and the strategic
use of family resources.
Keywords Family, Informal economy
Paper type Research paper
This article develops the concept of food sovereignty while it critically reflects on its present status and future trajectories. The concept of food sovereignty provides an alternative framework for solutions to the human and ecological consequences of industrial food systems. While the concept of food sovereignty gains traction at international levels, including at the United Nations, its lack of conceptual clarity contributes to a variety of often diverging interpretations. This frequently constrains practical implementation and weakens its potential as an alternative paradigm to food governance. At the same time, food sovereignty thought is shifting beyond its initial agrarian focus to embrace whole food systems, which includes the role of consumers and urban areas.
This article develops the concept of food sovereignty while it critically reflects on its present status and future trajectories. The
concept of food sovereignty provides an alternative framework for solutions to the human and ecological consequences of
industrial food systems. While the concept of food sovereignty gains traction at international levels, including at the United
Nations, its lack of conceptual clarity contributes to a variety of often diverging interpretations. This frequently constrains
practical implementation and weakens its potential as an alternative paradigm to food governance. At the same time, food
sovereignty thought is shifting beyond its initial agrarian focus to embrace whole food systems, which includes the role of
consumers and urban areas.
This article develops the concept of food sovereignty while it critically reflects on its present status and future trajectories. The
concept of food sovereignty provides an alternative framework for solutions to the human and ecological consequences of
industrial food systems. While the concept of food sovereignty gains traction at international levels, including at the United
Nations, its lack of conceptual clarity contributes to a variety of often diverging interpretations. This frequently constrains
practical implementation and weakens its potential as an alternative paradigm to food governance. At the same time, food
sovereignty thought is shifting beyond its initial agrarian focus to embrace whole food systems, which includes the role of
consumers and urban areas.
Research on the use of various parts of the Moringa oleifera Lam. plant (M. oleifera) as a nutritional and neutraceutical resource for human and animal diets has increased in recent years, emanating from the widespread use of the plant in traditional cuisines and medicinal remedies in several regions of the world. Analytical studies have identified M. oleifera as an important source of essential nutrients; rich in protein, essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, with a relatively low amount of antinutrients. It is also a rich source of other bio active compounds including flavonoids and phenolic compounds; with several studies detailing demonstrated in vitro and in vivo functional properties, most substantially, antioxidant activities. Moringa oleifera consumption has been reported to improve the health status, feed conversion efficiency, growth performance and product quality of several livestock species, at dietary inclusion rates generally not exceeding 5% of total dry matter intake. Fortification of processed foods with M. oleifera has been reported to increase nutritional value, some organoleptic properties, oxidative stability and product shelf life; with a notable need for further analytical and consumer studies in the development of these products. There is a paucity of literature detailing clinical studies, nutrient bioavailability, toxicity and the mode of action of the bioactive compounds to which the health claims associated with M. oleifera consumption are attributed. Many of these are not yet fully understood; therefore more research in these areas is required in order to fully utilize the potential benefits of this plant in human and livestock nutrition.
DNA metabarcoding is promising for cost-effective biodiversity monitoring, but reliable diversity estimates are difficult to achieve and validate. Here we present and validate a method, called LULU, for removing erroneous molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from community data derived by high-throughput sequencing of amplified marker genes. LULU identifies errors by combining sequence similarity and co-occurrence patterns. To validate the LULU method, we use a unique data set of high quality survey data of vascular plants paired with plant ITS2 metabarcoding data of DNA extracted from soil from 130 sites in Denmark spanning major environmental gradients. OTU tables are produced with several different OTU definition algorithms and subsequently curated with LULU, and validated against field survey data. LULU curation consistently improves α-diversity estimates and other biodiversity metrics, and does not require a sequence reference database; thus, it represents a promising method for reliable biodiversity estimation.