Fabrication and characterization of cellulose nanoparticles from maize stalk pith via ultrasonic-mediated cationic etherification

In this study, parenchyma cellulose, which was extracted from maize stalk pith as an abundant source of agricultural residues, was applied for preparing cellulose nanoparticles (CNPs) via an ultrasound-assisted etherification and a subsequent sonication process. The ultrasonic-assisted treatment greatly improved the modification of the pith cellulose with glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride, leading to a partial increase in the dissolubility of the as-obtained product and thus disintegration of sheet-like cellulose into nanoparticles. While the formation of CNPs by ultrasonication was largely dependent on the cellulose consistency in the cationic-modified system. Under the condition of 25% cellulose consistency, the longer sono-treated duration yielded a more stable and dispersible suspension of CNP due to its higher zeta potential. Degree of substitution and FT-IR analyses indicated that quaternary ammonium salts were grafted onto hydroxyl groups of cellulose chain. SEM and TEM images exhibited the CNP to have spherical morphology with an average dimeter from 15 to 55 nm. XRD investigation revealed that CNPs consisted mainly of a crystalline cellulose Ι structure, and they had a lower crystallinity than the starting cellulose. Moreover, thermogravimetric results illustrated the thermal resistance of the CNPs was lower than the pith cellulose. The optimal CNP with highly cationic charges, good stability and acceptable thermostability might be considered as one of the alternatively renewable reinforcement additives for nanocomposite production.     

Carrageenan as an elicitor of induced secondary metabolites and its effects on various growth characters of chickpea and maize plants

The effects of polysaccharide elicitor k-carrageenan obtained from Hypnea musciformis, red algae on the production of Induced Secondary Metabolites, ISMs (the disease resistance compounds) and on various growth characters of chickpea and maize plants were studied. Experiments were conducted in the field of PCSIR Laboratories Complex Karachi during December 2008–April 2009 in randomized complete block design with three replications. Three elicitor treatments were used, a solid preparation in which the elicitor was mixed with soil (T₂ 1 mg/g) and applied around the seeds in the soil. The two other preparations were liquid, T₁ and T₃ at a concentration of 100 μg glc eq ml⁻¹ and were applied around the sowing seeds and as a foliar spray on the plants, respectively. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that these treatments significantly enhanced all the growth characters of chickpea except T₂ that gave the nonsignificant difference in the plant height. Maximum plant height (80.3 cm), number of pods plant⁻¹ (76.2), number of branches plant⁻¹ (25.0), number of leaves plant⁻¹ (125.6), earlier flowering and high ISMs contents in leaves, stem and grains of chickpea were recorded in T₁ treated chickpea plants. In maize plants only T₁ and T₃ treatments (with minor exceptions) had significant effects on few characters like plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves plant⁻¹ and on ISMs contents in leaves while number of cobs plant⁻¹ and flowering time were nonsignificantly affected by these treatments. These results suggested that k-carrageenan elicitor can be used as a potent plant protectant as well as growth promoting agent especially for chickpea plants.     

Maize kernel hardness classification by near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging and multivariate data analysis

The use of near infrared (NIR) hyperspectral imaging and hyperspectral image analysis for distinguishing between hard, intermediate and soft maize kernels from inbred lines was evaluated. NIR hyperspectral images of two sets (12 and 24 kernels) of whole maize kernels were acquired using a Spectral Dimensions MatrixNIR camera with a spectral range of 960-1662 nm and a sisuChema SWIR (short wave infrared) hyperspectral pushbroom imaging system with a spectral range of 1000-2498 nm. Exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) was used on absorbance images to remove background, bad pixels and shading. On the cleaned images, PCA could be used effectively to find histological classes including glassy (hard) and floury (soft) endosperm. PCA illustrated a distinct difference between glassy and floury endosperm along principal component (PC) three on the MatrixNIR and PC two on the sisuChema with two distinguishable clusters. Subsequently partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to build a classification model. The PLS-DA model from the MatrixNIR image (12 kernels) resulted in root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) value of 0.18. This was repeated on the MatrixNIR image of the 24 kernels which resulted in RMSEP of 0.18. The sisuChema image yielded RMSEP value of 0.29. The reproducible results obtained with the different data sets indicate that the method proposed in this paper has a real potential for future classification uses.     

Determination of Protein Levels in Nigerian Grains Using 14 MeV Neutron Activation Analysis

Fast (14 MeV) neutrons have been successfully used in investigating the protein content of different food grains (Soya Beans, Sorghum, Maize and Beans) locally grown and consumed in Nigeria. Protein was estimated via nitrogen using the ¹⁴N(n, 2n)¹³N reaction. Quantification of nitrogen was achieved through a γ-γ coincidence counting of 511 keV positron emissions from the decaying ¹³N. The implication of the use of the emitted annihilation positrons, the interference introduced in the analytical energy spectra from other activated target nuclides present in the sample, as well as possible proton “knock on” reactions anticipated from cellulose in grain matrix were assessed, and their contributions to the 511 keV gamma energy resolved. For comparative purposes, replicates of samples analyzed through Fast Neutron Activation Analysis (FNAA) were investigated using the Kjeldahl method. The samples were carried through the Kjeldahl process of pre-digestion (with appropriate catalysts), digestion and titration. The results obtained through the Kjeldahl process were found to be in good agreement with those obtained using FNAA although slightly lower. Protein content (%) of Nigerian grains analyzed varied from a low 8.75 ± 2.96 for sorghum to 35.93 ± 0.31 for soya beans.     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定玉米中硝磺草酮及其代谢物残留量

建立了超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定玉米中硝磺草酮及其代谢物(MNBA)的残留分析方法。样品用乙腈-水溶液提取,取适量提取液用甲酸酸化至pH 2,过HLB固相萃取柱进行净化,用甲醇-乙醚(70∶30,V/V)洗脱,洗脱液用氮气吹至近干,用1 mmol/L醋酸铵-乙腈(25∶75,V/V)定容后进行质谱分析,利用基质校正曲线对其准确定量。硝磺草酮和MNBA在1～200μg/L浓度范围内呈线性关系,相关系数均大于0.99,在添加浓度5～50μg/kg范围内,硝磺草酮及其代谢物MNBA的平均回收率为83.8%～101.1%,相对标准偏差在5.3%～12.8%之间,硝磺草酮和代谢物MNBA定量限分别为1.0和2.0μg/kg。     

基于高光谱图像的玉米种子特征提取与识别

玉米种子的形态特征是玉米品种识别的重要因素之一.采用高光谱成像系统获取9个品种共432粒玉米种子的高光谱反射图像,对图像进行校正和预处理,提取每个样本在563.6～911.4nm共55个波段范围内的形状特征.分别利用单波段、多波段和全波段下的玉米种子形状特征结合偏最小二乘判别法进行模型分类.结果显示,全波段范围内训练集和测试集的平均正确识别率达到98.31%和93.98%,均优于多波段和单波段的正确识别率.研究表明,该方法能充分利用高光谱图像中可见光和近红外区域的有效特征信息,较准确地鉴别玉米品种,为玉米品种的自动识别领域提供了一种新方法.     

Determination of maize and grain herbicides and their transformation products in soil by use of soil column extraction then liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

Summary A multiresidue method has been developed for identification and quantitation of the herbicides most commonly used in cultivation of maize and grain, and of their transformation products, in soil samples. The analytes were isolated by soil column extraction (SCE) and the extracts were purified by use of a Carbograph-1 cartridge. Analysis was performed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC-TISP-MS-MS) in negative-ion mode. To optimize the extraction conditions affecting the performance of SCE, e.g. the extracting solvent used, temperature, extracting volume, and solvent flow rate, were studied. To evaluate the matrix effect in SCE, recovery experiments were performed on soil samples, with different physical and chemical characteristics, fortified with the 100 ng g⁻¹ of the target compounds. Recovery data were satisfactory and the method detection limits were between 3 and 100 ng g⁻¹, depending on the compound.     

Determination of ochratoxin A in maize bread samples by LC with fluorescence detection

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary fungal metabolite produced by several moulds, mainly by Aspergillus ochraceus, A. carbonarius, A. niger and by Penicillium verrucosum. The present work shows the results of comparative studies using different procedures for the analysis of OTA in maize bread samples. The studied analytical methods involved extraction with different volumes of PBS/methanol, different extraction apparatus, and clean-up through immunoaffinity columns. The separation and identification were carried out by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The optimized method for analysis of OTA in maize bread involved extraction with PBS:methanol (50:50), and clean-up with IAC column. The limit of quantification was 0.033 ng g⁻¹. Recoveries ranged from 87% to 102% for fortifications at 2.000 and 0.500 ng g⁻¹, respectively, within-day R.S.D. of 1.4% and 4.7%. The proposed method was applied to 15 samples and the presence of OTA was found in nine samples at concentrations ranging from nd to 2.650 ng g⁻¹.     

High-performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of maize proteins

Methods for the analysis of maize proteins using HPLC and CE are reviewed. Most of the references cited in this review concern HPLC methods. Size-exclusion HPLC and especially RP-HPLC methods have been developed for characterization of normal and genetically modified maize, cultivar differentiation, and prediction of quality. Few CE methods for the analysis of maize proteins were found in the existing literature. Most of these methods focus on optimization of the separation of maize proteins using CZE and SDS-capillary gel electrophoresis.     

Determination of 16 Mycotoxins in Maize by Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry

An ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of sterigmatocystin, verruculogen, enniatin A, fusarenon-X, fumonisins B1, B2, B3, aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 5-acetyldeoxynivalenol, and zearalenone. The mycotoxins were extracted and cleaned up using a multitoxin column, separated on a C18 column, and then detected on a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. The limits of detection and quantification ranged within 0.2–2?µg/kg and 1–10?µg/kg, respectively. The recoveries ranged from 70.8 to 118.4%, with relative standard deviations below 15%. The method was used to analyze 80 samples obtained from Shandong Province in China. Fifty-eight samples were contaminated with 10 mycotoxins at concentrations ranging from 1.4 to 6566.1?µg/kg. Some samples exceeded the maximum limits in China and in European regulations for mycotoxins in unprocessed maize.