Xylooligosaccharides are functional food supplements that refer to indigestible oligosaccharides consisting of D-xylose molecules linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. Xylooligosaccharides in the human body perform the functions of prebiotics; they have antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antitumor effects. In industry, xylooligosaccharides are obtained from lignocellulosic biomass by hydrolysis of the xylan contained therein. Chemical hydrolysis is carried out with acid or alkali solutions and is associated with negative environmental consequences. Autohydrolysis refers to methods of physical impact on lignocellulosic raw materials, in which, under the action of high pressure and temperature, steam cracking of raw materials and separation of carbohydrates into fractions occur. Enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan provides the purest products and allows you to control the functional orientation of the resulting xylooligosaccharides. Hydrolysis of xylan to obtain xylooligosaccharides is carried out by microbial xylanases and β-xylosidases produced by bacteria, molds, and actinomycetes. Xylanase producers are ubiquitous in lignocellulosic raw materials and isolated from soil, corn cobs, wheat husks, rice and wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, oil palm waste, wood chips, sugar bagasse, forest litter, and eucalyptus leaves.

An adipose tissue is the principal storage site for fat and secretes adipokines, including leptin, adiponectin, resistin, chemerin, visfatin, and apelin. Adipokines and their receptors have been demonstrated to be present and to play a role in the reproductive systems of various livestock species. Livestock reproductive function is thought to be influenced by adipokines, or hormones derived from adipokines. These adipokines have been implicated at all levels of the reproductive axis, including the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and gonads. Adipokines can amplify reproductive activity by increasing energy levels and triggering the production of essential reproductive hormones. The development of reproductive hormones, semen, estrus behavior, ovulation, and subsequent development of the corpus luteum and seminal concentrations are all regulated by adipokines. In this way, adipokines could impact key elements like ovarian follicles, corpus luteum, Leydig cells, and spermatogenesis. Moreover, polymorphisms of adipokines genes have been identified in domestic animals with economic traits. Domestic animal production and reproduction traits are also affected by genetic variability in the adipokine genes. Therefore, this review aims to summarize adipokines and how they are known to regulate reproductive physiology, such as the production of steroid hormones, cell proliferation, oocyte maturation, and sperm development in domestic animals.

The institutional history of agricultural co-operatives in Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and China has similarities in terms of pre-establishment, establishment, and development stages, but relatively different in the side of recognition and introspection, as well as the choice stage. Among the four countries, the initiators of agricultural co-operatives establishment are not only the community/grassroots movement, respectable individuals, and non-governmental organizations, but also the government. Once the government oversees agricultural co-operative development, it uses its political power to position the organization as a state agency. By that, facilities are given to accelerate the policy makers’ goals and positively impact the agricultural co-operatives’ organizational growth. However, the farmer-members in Japan recognized that the co-operatives do not accommodate their needs. Later, with the aid from the new-regime government, the agricultural co-operative in the country was gradually reinvented. In South Korea, the farmer-members disagree with the decision from the government to use agricultural co-operatives as parastatal. Therefore, they later pooled their resources, urged changes, and successfully ran the agricultural co-operatives per se. On the other hand, in Indonesia, when the government loosened its ties, agricultural co-operatives with sufficient human resources reinvented or spawned the organization. In contrast, the ones with poor management quality chose the status quo or exit. In China, the loophole in the government policy encouraged more private companies or prominent capital entrepreneurs to run the co-operatives instead of farmers. Consequently, agricultural co-operatives with no actual member farmers focused on commercial activities unrelated to the members’ needs or placed the farmers merely as the users, not the decision-makers, could be found within the country. The review of institutional history emphasizes the importance of further study about the longevity of government-led and non-governmental-led agricultural co-operatives.

Indonesia has very rich biological resources and is diverse in both land and sea areas, so it is known as a mega biodiversity country. Sea cucumbers are one of the potential export commodities in the fisheries sub-sector. The use of sea cucumbers in Indonesia as a food ingredient compared to other fishery products is relatively low and less popular because they have low aesthetic value judging from their disgusting physical appearance. This review aims to provide an overview of sea cucumbers’ bioactive compounds and functional properties so that this information will provide a comprehensive perspective in developing sea cucumber-based nutraceuticals. The nutritional content of dried sea cucumbers was 82% protein, 1.7% fat, 8.9% water, 8.6% ash, 4.8% carbohydrates, phosphorus, iron, iodine, sodium, and vitamins A and B (thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin). Bioactive components in sea cucumbers contain collagen, glycosides, polysaccharides, glycosaminoglycans, N-acetylglucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, steroids, lectins, omega-3 fatty acids and phenolic compounds. Sea cucumbers have functional properties such as antioxidative, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, antimicrobial, anti-atherosclerosis, antiosteoporosis, anti-diabetic, antiaging, and anti-obesity. The functional properties provide an excellent opportunity to develop high-value nutraceuticals from sea cucumbers. The main factors for producing and developing nutraceuticals based on sea cucumbers are organoleptic, bioaccessibility, and bioavailability.

Bee pollen, also known as ‘life-giving dust’, is a treasure trove of nutrients and bioactive compounds. It is regarded as a valuable functional food ingredient owing to its various health-promoting effects. Thus, it can be incorporated into different food products for the development of functional foods. The nutritional and bioactive constituents of bee pollen contribute to its extensive health benefits, including its role against cancer, diabetes, liver disease, cardiovascular disorders, etc. Despite having numerous positive health implications, its utilization as a functional ingredient in food products needs to be critically evaluated in terms of clinical effects and safety profile. The exine layer of bee pollen limits its utilization and contributes to the low bioavailability of key nutrients. Processing techniques (chemical, physical, enzymatic) break down the robust outer coat, improves digestibility, and allow the diffusion of nutrients in the GI tract. In addition, 50 g of bee pollen is sufficient to fulfill 50% reference daily intake (RDI) of most vitamins and minerals. Overall, the use of bee pollen is safe and its use seems promising for coping with various nutritional inadequacies. This review focuses on the important aspects and specific considerations which are required to be taken into account before the development of bee pollen-based food products. Particular attention must be paid to nutritional adequacy, sensory attributes, health effects, allergenicity, digestibility, and compliance with regulatory bodies.

The non-coding regions of genes contain DNA sequences which are binding sites for factors that regulate the genes. Transcription of some genes involves simultaneous binding of regulatory proteins at different regions which interact based on prevailing signals. Identifying regions bound by various factors and testing their function has been a longstanding area of research. In most cases, signal multiplicity in the cell cannot be fully mediated through a single element; rather, shared responses by composite elements direct transcription. This review summarises experimentally proven cis-regulatory element combinations and how they regulate light, cold, hormones, pathogens, and wounding signals. We highlight the untapped potential of motif combinations in driving stimulus-specific trait enhancement in plants. Arranging regulatory elements adjacent to each other unveils their complex interplay, providing avenues for enhancing the transcriptional regulation of genes implicated in developmental processes and responses to environmental cues.

Originally introduced as a regulation to persuade different gene expressions during an organism’s developmental process to display new characteristics through environmental stimuli, epigenetics has become an exciting field of study. Epigenetics, particularly its contribution to plant plasticity in response to the changing environmental pressure, is gaining more attention nowadays. Benefiting from the low cost of the latest next generation sequencing technologies, recent techniques such as whole genome bisulfite sequencing provide epigenome data at a single-base resolution. However, the application of such technology is skewed to model organisms with known genome reference data. Here, we aim to revisit the methylation sensitive amplification polymorphism (MSAP), an indirect technique to analyze the change in DNA methylation level that is cost-effective and applicable for species with no reference genome available or having a large and complex genome. We found that MSAP is a pragmatic approach for application in a wide range of plant species and fields of study. Key steps in MSAP, such as the sequence of primers, primer pair combinations, and data interpretation, are summarized, providing a one-stop beginner’s guidance for evaluating DNA methylation changes.

Development of climate-resilient crops is adopted to cope with environmental stress. Activation of plant protective genes through radiation of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) has attracted more concerns in contributing to abiotic and biotic stress prevention. Plants exposed to a certain dose of UV-B irradiation give specific responses in growth and metabolite biosynthesis patterns. It has been interpreted that these responses in accumulation of primary and secondary metabolites improve plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. The potential use of UV-B light as a tool to enhance plant defense systems in agricultural practice has gained increasing interest. In terms of shallot as a plant model in this study, each cultivar exhibits complex responses to UV-B exposure at the transcription level of gene expression. The metabolic pathways in plants after UV-B exposure followed by abiotic and biotic stress are still unclear and necessary to be explored. This review provides a preliminary study of current understanding on UV-B-induced response and protective mechanism in shallot, particularly focusing on modulation of primary and secondary metabolic processes involved in pathogen and drought stress responses. In the primary metabolism, low intensity of UV-B exposure increases the sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) expression in shallot Tuktuk cultivar. While in the secondary metabolic process, the expression level of lypoxigenase-2 (LOX-2) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) are upregulated differently in two Indonesia shallot cultivars, Lokananta and Tuktuk. Upon the UV-B exposure to various types of stressors, such as Fusarium acutatum pathogen inoculation, the expression of LOX-2 is found to be upregulated in most of the exposures to resist the stress situation encountered. On the other hand, the expression of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase-A (CHS-A) are also upregulated through UV-B exposure followed by in vitro drought stress simulation. The gene encoding the secondary metabolites production, including the phenylpropanoid pathway products, is important to induce the protective mechanism in plant system. This mechanism assumes that UV-B plays a specific role as a prior exposure whereby a stimulus potentiates the defense mechanism. UV-B priming triggers biotic and abiotic tolerance by acting as warning signals at the transcription to phenotype levels.

Pesticides are essential for agriculture, but because of their residues in crops, produce and soil, they have become a major concern. Traditional pesticide detection methods, particularly gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, are expensive and impractical for small-scale farmers. Recognizing the need for robust yet accessible sensing methods, researchers have attempted to develop pesticide sensors that use various mechanisms. Biosensors have made significant progress by utilizing biochemical mechanisms to detect trace amounts of pesticides. However, their limitations to a single pesticide or specific chemical class have driven the exploration of innovative approaches. This review covers a range of biosensor receptor and transducer mechanisms and highlights the recent advancements in biosensor technologies. The focus is on integrating modern data-processing methods, specifically for the biochemical detection of pesticides. Sensor arrays such as electronic noses (e-noses) and electronic tongues (e-tongues) are explored, along with an in-depth analysis of sensor data-processing methods, incorporating machine learning and other techniques. This review explores the potential of advanced data processing methods to effectively analyze raw sensor data from biosensor arrays, ultimately enriching the robust detection of pesticides.

Feed is a crucial input for terrestrial animal and aquaculture production, but these sectors face the same feed availability and sustainability challenges. Despite their reputation as rice pests, causing economic loss in agriculture, golden apple snails could be used as an alternative animal feed. This study reviews the nutritional value, including bioactive compounds, constraints, and future utilization of golden apple snails as animal and aquaculture feed. An integrative literature review was conducted on data retrieved from publications available on Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and official websites. The golden apple snail is rich in protein in their meat and calcium in the shell, representing 39.11 to 68.67% and 41.38% (dry matter basis), respectively. The inclusion of golden apple snails in the diet resulted in good growth performance in monogastric animals and fish due to their nutritive value. Golden apple snails may be available as feed resources, supplied from the wilds and heliciculture. The astaxanthin of the eggs of golden apple snails and chitosan derived from their shell are interesting due to their bioactivities, thereby opening new avenues for future research in functional feed additives.

Precision beekeeping has emerged as a response to the need for optimizing beekeeping management using sensors and specialized programs, aiming to provide beekeepers with insights into hive conditions without the need for frequent inspections. While the field has made solid advances, particularly with data such as hive weight and temperature, recent years have seen the emergence of sound and image-based methods, opening up new possibilities. There is a need for sensors capable of detecting queen bee presence, Varroa mite levels, disease and predator presence and prediction of swarming behaviour. Sensors that can detect nectar scents and other hive odours, as well as accurately predict the timing for honey harvest and feeding requirements, needs to be designed or improved. Integrating data collection, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and best management practices into an intelligent apiary management system is crucial for the advancement of precision beekeeping.

Intumescence injury is a physiological disorder that occurs in various plants. Initially, this injury was observed in the field, and it has become a problem in greenhouse and plant factory cultivations in recent years. Many terms refer to this disorder, with intumescence and oedema as the main two that are still frequently used. Intumescence is characterized as hypertrophied and/or hyperplasia of epidermal cells, while oedema refers to a lesion caused by excess water accumulated in the plant tissues. Morphological characteristics of intumescence differ among plants. Environmental factors, such as light and humidity, mainly caused this problem, and recent reports associate intumescence with a calcium-related injury. In tomato plants, low ultraviolet combined with high humidity affected the cuticle layer, and the high humidity lowered the transpiration rate, decreasing the calcium uptake to the leaves. This combination leads to cell hypertrophy and intumescence injury. The severity of this disorder is different among cultivars within one species, and this phenomenon is highly genetically dependent. Some approaches are proposed to limit intumescence injury, which applies to the field or controlled environments. This review summarized the information regarding intumescence injury, as well as the future approaches regarding this study.

Moringa oleifera Lam. is a widely used plant in the Moringaceaea family. It thrives in tropical and subtropical regions and has a maturation period of four to five months. The cultivation of moringa is swiftly gaining popularity and has entered both formal and informal world economies due to its pharmacological and ethnomedicinal benefits. Moringa has been found to tolerate mild salinity (50mM NaCl) by preserving succulence and biomass distribution, but its growth is still significantly affected by high salinity. Crop production worldwide is highly affected by salinity, and with the increasing instability in weather patterns due to climate change, abiotic stress factors such as salinity are expected to increase due to rise in temperature. Saline stress induces physiological disturbances and impairs soil moisture capacity, resulting in water stress and reduced plant growth. With the unpredictability and expected rise in temperatures due to climate change; there is a need to find alternative strategies to adapt plants to stress factors. Several studies have shown that the application of Versicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM) fungi plays a vital role in alleviating salt stress by enhancing nutrient absorption and promoting resistance to salinity. Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal is a fungus that can dissolve the phosphates found in abundance in the soil. They enhance plant growth and protect against stressors. The use of VAM fungi not only helps the plant adapt during stress but can influence the accumulation of phytochemicals, which are highly utilized in medicinal plants. The distribution and abundance of phytochemicals vary throughout the plant and are influenced by environmental factors. The present review discusses and analyses the impact of VAM on moringa development and productivity, as well as its potential in mitigating saline stress.

Tomato brown rugose fruit (ToBRF) disease is an emerging disease of tomato worldwide. It has been reported that the virus causing the disease has overcome the resistance gene commonly used by breeders against other tobamoviruses. Due to the aforementioned concern, this disease has been designated by European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) as a high-priority addition to its ‘Alert List’. While no official reports of the disease currently exist within the Philippines, the significant import and movement of plant materials within and into the country necessitates continued vigilance. The absence of a formal regulatory framework in the Philippines for this disease elevates the risk of its emergence and subsequent establishment within the country. Consequently, proactive measures to identify potential sources and mitigate the spread of the disease are of paramount importance. In this review, a management strategy has been proposed that can reduce the initial amount of inoculum (X_o), rate of infection (r), and length of time of infection (t) if the virus causing the disease enters the country.

In this review paper, we provide a detailed overview of the influence of starch granule-associated proteins on the physicochemical properties of starch granules from diverse botanical sources. By examining the outcomes of protease treatments and other protein removal methods applied to starches from wheat, rice, corn, and buckwheat, we draw attention to the notable alterations in pasting characteristics, swelling power, crystallinity, and retrogradation tendency. We highlight that protein removal leads to varied functional behaviors and evaluate the possible molecular mechanisms through which these proteins exert their impacts. The review underscores the role of starch granule-associated proteins in determining starch functionality, which has profound implications for food technology and broader industrial applications. This synthesis of current research provides insights into the intricate relationship between starch structure and its functionality.

Biodegradable mulch is gaining popularity as a sustainable replacement for conventional plastic mulch because it can fully degrade in the soil, making it more environmentally friendly. However, uncertainties remain regarding its in-situ degradation under diverse natural conditions and over prolonged durations. Furthermore, questions persist about the long-term environmental impact of biodegradable mulch usage on plant–soil health. This review focuses on the use of plastic mulch in agriculture, including its benefits, application across climates, degradation characteristics, and the impact of plastic mulch residues on soil properties and plant growth.

Lignin is an important secondary metabolite in horticultural crops that maintains mechanical strength and enhances the ability to respond to external environmental changes. However, lignin overaccumulation leads to lignification and reduces the taste quality and nutritional value of horticultural crops. Therefore, it is necessary to control the lignin content at a reasonable level in horticultural crops. In recent decades, the biosynthesis and regulation of lignin attracted the widespread attention of researchers, and significant progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms of lignin accumulation. In this review, we summarize the research progress on lignin biosynthesis in horticultural crops. In addition, the effects of different environmental conditions and plant hormones on lignin accumulation were also discussed. This review contributes to a better understanding of the accumulation of lignin in horticultural crops and provides new strategies to enhance the nutritional and commercial value of horticultural products.

Abiotic stress is one of the major perils in agriculture that reduces crop yield at an alarming rate. Hence, exploring an important plant stress-mitigating technique is critical. Seaweeds are extensively used as plant biostimulants and their biostimulatory properties are due to bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, pigments, phenolic compounds, proteins, phytohormones, and numerous micro and macro nutrients. Foliar applications of seaweed extracts (SWEs) exhibit promising outcomes for plants’ stress alleviation. Seaweed, namely Ascophyllum spp., Sargassum spp., Kappaphycus spp., and Ulva spp. are the best candidates evaluated to improve plant growth and development under various abiotic stress conditions. Foliar sprays of SWEs improve crop growth, boost final yield, and product quality. Furthermore, the mechanisms activated in response to stress when SWEs are used are largely unknown. However, existing phytostimulatory components could affect plant metabolism by activating numerous enzymes in the phenylpropanoid pathway, and their antioxidant properties could lessen the degenerative effects of reactive oxygen species that accumulate in plant tissues during a stressful environment. Noticeably, SWEs regulate the expression of phytohormone-responsive genes, which in turn control endogenous phytohormone levels, thereby improving plant growth and development. This review explores seaweed taxonomy, biostimulatory properties, and the impact of foliar applications of SWEs on crop production under abiotic stresses, including the way SWEs attenuate the deleterious effect, highlighting limitations, areas requiring further investigation, and potential developments.

Proper irrigation scheduling and effective water management are impossible without the exact estimation of crop coefficient values in agroecology and crop variety. There is a research gap in the relevance of locally determined crop coefficients compared to the previously determined crop coefficients by FAO56. This review paper aims to compare and evaluate the locally determined crop coefficients with the crop coefficients documented by FAO56. Although different crops are grown in Ethiopian agroecology, only some crops have locally determined crop coefficients. These crops are onion, haricot bean, barley, wheat, tomato, teff, sugarcane, sorghum, cabbage, pepper and sesame. Except for the native crop (teff) of Ethiopia, the locally determined crop coefficient values of all others are compared with the values documented by FAO56. Accordingly, the locally determined crop coefficient values are significantly different compared to the values documented by FAO56. Considering pepper crops as a sample, updated Kc values were 1.19, 1.31, and 1.01 at the initial, mid, and late growing stages; whereas 0.6, 1.05, and 0.9 at the initial, mid, and late growing stages were documented in FAO56 document. The difference that happened between the locally determined crop coefficients and values determined by FAO56 is due to differences in crop variety, agroclimate, and the methods followed for water application and estimation of crop evapotranspiration. In line with this, the use of crop coefficient documented in FAO56 impacts water management and crop productivity, particularly in water scarcity. As reviewed different locally determined crop coefficients for different crops from different research papers, the values oscillated on the crop coefficient determined from FAO56. These oscillations indicate that it causes loss of water and aeration problems due to over-application of irrigation water. On the other hand, moisture scarcity in the crop root zones happens due to little irrigation water application to the crop. Therefore, local determination of crop coefficients for different varieties of crops in different agroecological zones is crucial for water resource projects for irrigation. Further research is required for locally determined crop coefficients considering crop variety, agroecology, and other scientific approaches.

High-value product collagen derived from animal by-products has potential use in food ingredients. The utilization of collagen derived from animal by-products resources shows promise due to several characteristics is high availability. Its characteristics will be directly influenced by the type of collagen extracted. Given that its characteristics are similar to collagen from fish, this work aims to provide an overview of the collagen sources from animal by-products (skin, bone, eggshell membrane), extraction methods (acid, enzymatic, salt), properties characteristics (amino acids, viscosity, thermal stability, spectroscopy I.R, solubility, molecular weight) and potential applications for food ingredients with an emphasis on animal by-products through a compilation of scientific information that can be helpful to guide professionals in mammal biotechnology.

Tea crop is highly valued for its aroma, taste, and health benefits. Although it exhibited low water content, it’s essential to consider its safety against contaminants and adulterants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and unlawful chemical additives. Quality, shape, and color are exterior elements, but aroma and flavor are internal core quality factors of tea. Tea leaves are susceptible to contamination during the pre-harvest stage and exposed to many post-harvest factors that enhance the chances of tea quality deterioration. Numerous traditional methods of assessing tea quality exist, but emerging techniques such as spectroscopy, imaging, and electrochemical methods are more accurate. This paper reviews tea types, their consumption, contaminants, and safety issues and evaluates traditional and advanced techniques for detecting tea contaminants and pollutants. This review has the potential to provide comprehensive data about the safety detection of tea utilizing conventional and advanced methodologies, perhaps assisting the tea sector’s expansion.

Resistant starch (RS) is a component of the starch fraction that is resistant to hydrolysis by gastric acid and hydrolysis by digestive enzymes in the small intestine, so it can reach the colon and be used as a source of prebiotics. Physical, chemical, and enzymatic modification technology and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation are the efforts used to increase RS and improve prebiotic properties in food ingredients. Physical modification is theoretically straightforward, but it consumes a lot of energy and has significant production costs. Chemical modification necessitates the employment of chemicals, which can lead to environmental issues due to strong acid waste, such as HCl. Enzymatic modification is ecologically favourable, although debranching pullulanase is scarce and costly. The combination of LAB fermentation with physical modification, such as autoclaving-cooling, can reduce energy consumption by lowering the number of autoclaving-cooling cycles while being ecologically benign and efficient in generating RS. RS holds significant promise for improving health outcomes, enhancing foods, and supporting sustainable food systems. However, challenges related to consumer awareness, regulatory approvals, food processing, and large-scale production need to be addressed to unlock their full potential. Continued research and development in this field, which is crucial in overcoming these barriers, should give us hope for the future of food technology. This review provides information and discusses in detail several physical, chemical, enzymatic, and fermentation modification technologies to increase RS and improve prebiotic properties in high-carbohydrate foods.

Over-the-counter herbal supplements are gaining popularity yearly as people seek natural remedies for various ailments, including those aimed at increasing energy. Indonesia, known for its rich biodiversity, has numerous plants that could potentially be used as energy-boosting herbs. Consequently, this review evaluates the potential of 25 Indonesian plants as energy-boosting agents, which can lead to the development of natural supplements and products that help enhance energy. These plants are categorized based on horticulture or different types of cultivation, which include olericulture, floriculture, biopharmaceuticals, fruticulture, and plantations. Members of the Zingiberaceae family, the Lamiaceae family, Coffea spp., Camellia sinensis L., Theobroma cacao, Cocos nucifera L., Citrus medica L., Musa paradisiaca L., and Solanum nigrum are already known as energy boosters. Other Indonesian plants that are discussed in this review are not energy boosters but have energy-related functions. These plants possess bioactive compounds that stimulate the central nervous system, reduce chronic inflammation, and improve mental and physical performance. Further research and clinical trials are needed to validate the energy-boosting properties of these plants, assess their safety and potential side effects, and explore their possible interactions with other medications.