Avena

Salmonella in low-moisture foods is an emerging challenge due to numerous food product recalls and foodborne illness outbreaks. Identification of suitable surrogate is critical for process validation at industry level due to implementation of new Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. The objective of this study was to evaluate Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 as a surrogate for Salmonella during the extrusion of low-moisture food. Oat flour, a low-moisture food, was adjusted to different moisture (14% to 26% wet basis) and fat (5% to 15% w/w) contents and was inoculated with E. faecium NRRL B-2354. Inoculated material was then extruded in a lab-scale single-screw extruder running at different screw speeds (75 to 225 rpm) and different temperatures (75, 85, and 95 °C). A split-plot central composite 2nd order response surface design was used, with the central point replicated six times. The data from the selective media (m-Enterococcus agar) was used to build the response surface mo...

Deoxynivalenol (DON) in cereals, produced by Fusarium fungi, cause poisoning in humans and animals. Fusarium infections in cereals are favoured by humid conditions. Host species are susceptible mainly during the anthesis stage. Infections are also positively correlated with a regional history of Fusarium infections, frequent cereal production and non-tillage field management practices. Here, previously developed process-based models based on relative air humidity, rain and temperature conditions, Fusarium sporulation, host phenology and mycelium growth in host tissue were adapted and tested on oats. Model outputs were used to calculate risk indices. Statistical multivariate models, where independent variables were constructed from weather data, were also developed. Regressions of the risk indices obtained against DON concentrations in field experiments on oats in Sweden and Norway 2012-14 had coefficient of determination values (R(2)) between 0.84 and 0.88. Regressions of the same i...

Finland is the second largest oat producer in Europe. Despite the existing knowledge of phenolics in oat, there is little information on the phenolic composition of oats from Finland. The aim of the study was to investigate the concentrations of free and bound phenolic acids, as well as avenanthramides in eight Finnish cultivars of husked oat ( Avena sativa L.). Seven phenolic acids and one phenolic aldehyde were identified, including, in decreasing order of abundance: p-coumaric, ferulic, cinnamic, syringic, vanillic, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic, and o-coumaric acids and syringaldehyde. Phenolic acids were mostly found as bound compounds. Significant varietal differences ( p < 0.05) were observed in the cumulative content of phenolic acids, with the lowest level found in cv. 'Viviana' (1202 ± 52.9 mg kg) and the highest in cv. 'Akseli' (1687 ± 80.2 mg kg). Avenanthramides (AVNs) 2a, 2p, and 2f were the most abundant. Total AVNs levels ranged from 26.7 ± 1.44 to 185 ± 12...

Cereal grains are often included in equine diets. When starch intake exceeds foregut digestion starch will reach the hindgut, impacting microbial ecology. Probiotics (e.g., lactobacilli) are reported to mitigate GI dysbioses in other species. This study was conducted to determine the effect of exogenous lactobacilli on pH and the growth of amylolytic and lactate-utilizing bacteria. Feces were collected from 3 mature geldings fed grass hay with access to pasture. Fecal microbes were harvested by differential centrifugation, washed, and re-suspended in anaerobic media containing ground corn, wheat, or oats at 1.6% (w/v) starch and one of five treatments: Control (substrate only), L. acidophilus, L. buchneri, L. reuteri, or an equal mixture of all three (107 cells/mL, final concentration). After 24 h of incubation (37°C, 160 rpm), samples were collected for pH and enumerations of total amylolytics, Group D Gram-positive cocci (GPC; Enterococci, Streptococci), lactobacilli, and lactate-...

Genome analysis of 27 oat species identifies ancestral groups, delineates the D genome, and identifies ancestral origin of 21 mapped chromosomes in hexaploid oat. We investigated genomic relationships among 27 species of the genus Avena using high-density genetic markers revealed by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Two methods of GBS analysis were used: one based on tag-level haplotypes that were previously mapped in cultivated hexaploid oat (A. sativa), and one intended to sample and enumerate tag-level haplotypes originating from all species under investigation. Qualitatively, both methods gave similar predictions regarding the clustering of species and shared ancestral genomes. Furthermore, results were consistent with previous phylogenies of the genus obtained with conventional approaches, supporting the robustness of whole genome GBS analysis. Evidence is presented to justify the final and definitive classification of the tetraploids A. insularis, A. maroccana (=A. magna), and A...

Oatmeal porridge has been consumed for centuries and has several health benefits. We aimed to investigate the effect of oatmeal porridge on gut microflora functions. A total of ten healthy subjects ingested 60 g oatmeal porridge daily for 1 week. The following microflora-associated characteristics were assessed before and after the intervention: intestinal gas production following lactulose ingestion, faecal excretion of SCFA and faecal levels of urease and β-galactosidase. In addition, rectal levels of PGE2 were measured. Microbial fermentation as evaluated by intestinal gas production and excretion of SCFA did not change significantly following the dietary intervention. However, faecal levels of β-galactosidase and urease decreased after eating oatmeal porridge (P=0·049 and 0·031, respectively). Host inflammatory state, as measured by rectal levels of PGE2, also decreased, but the change was not significant (P=0·168). The results suggest that oatmeal porridge has an effect on gut ...

Effects of gamma irradiation on the physicochemical, rheological and thermal properties of the buckwheat and oat starch were studied. Results revealed that the transition temperature and enthalpy of gelatinization of starch decreased with increase in irradiation dose. Pasting properties (peak, trough, setback, pasting temperature and final viscosity) of both the starches were decreased by gamma irradiation. Gamma irradiation also resulted in the reduction in the per cent crystallinity of the starches. Apparent amylose content and swelling index decreased with increase in dose. However, solubility index was increased by gamma irradiation. No surface fissures were seen in irradiated starches. FTIR spectra pattern did not change by gamma irradiation.

Although a wealth of information is available on the induction of one or several drought-related responses in different species, little is known of how their timing, modulation and crucially integration influence drought tolerance. Based upon metabolomic changes in oat (Avena sativa L.), we have defined key processes involved in drought tolerance. During a time course of increasing water deficit, metabolites from leaf samples were profiled using direct infusion-electrospray mass spectroscopy (DI-ESI-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) ESI-MS/MS and analysed using principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant function analysis (DFA). The involvement of metabolite pathways was confirmed through targeted assays of key metabolites and physiological experiments. We demonstrate an early accumulation of salicylic acid (SA) influencing stomatal opening, photorespiration and antioxidant defences before any change in the relative water content. These changes are likely...

The objective of the present research was to study the impact of lead (Pb) on growth, metal uptake and antioxidative potential of oat seeds under metal stress. To achieve these objectives, few experiments were conducted to assess the effect of this particular metal on various anti-oxidative enzymes, during initial metabolism after germination, in presence of lead. Pb is not an oxido-reducing metal, the oxidative stress induced by Pb in growing oat seedlings appears to be an indirect effect of Pb toxicity, leading to production of ROS with simultaneous decrease in tissue levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Content of free radical like superoxide anion and metabolite such as H2O2 were found to be more in plumule as compared to radical and endosperm of oat seedling. In response to various concentrations of lead ranging from 25-400 ppm, activities of peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase were induced in plumule, radical and cotyledon on the 3rd, 6th and 9t...

Oat crown rust, caused by f. sp. , is a major constraint to oat ( L.) production in many parts of the world. In this first comprehensive multienvironment genome-wide association map of oat crown rust, we used 2972 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped on 631 oat lines for association mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL). Seedling reaction to crown rust in these lines was assessed as infection type (IT) with each of 10 crown rust isolates. Adult plant reaction was assessed in the field in a total of 10 location-years as percentage severity (SV) and as infection reaction (IR) in a 0-to-1 scale. Overall, 29 SNPs on 12 linkage groups were predictive of crown rust reaction in at least one experiment at a genome-wide level of statistical significance. The QTL identified here include those in regions previously shown to be linked with seedling resistance genes , , , , , and and also with adult-plant resistance and adaptation-related QTL. In addition, QTL on linkage groups Mr...

Intensive use of herbicides has led to the evolution two multiple herbicide-resistant (MHR) Avena fatua (wild oat) populations in Montana that are resistant to members of all selective herbicide families available for A. fatua control in U.S. small grain crops. We used transcriptome and proteome surveys to compare constitutive changes in MHR and herbicide susceptible (HS) plants associated with non-target site resistance (NTSR). Compared to HS plants, MHR plants contained constitutively elevated levels of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with functions in xenobiotic catabolism, stress response, redox maintenance, and transcriptional regulation that are similar to abiotic-stress tolerant phenotypes. Proteome comparisons identified similarly elevated proteins including biosynthetic and multifunctional enzymes in MHR plants. Of 25 DEGs validated by RT-qPCR assay, differential regulation of 21 co-segregated with flucarbazone-sodium herbicide resistance in F3 families, and a subset ...

Understanding the diversification of polyploid crops in the circum-Mediterranean region is a challenging issue in evolutionary biology. Sequence data of three nuclear genes and three plastid DNA fragments from 109 accessions of Avena L. (Poaceae) and the outgroups were used for maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. The evolution of cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.) and its close relatives was inferred to have involved ancient allotetraploidy and subsequent recent allohexaploidy events. The crown ages of two infrageneric lineages (Avena sect. Ventricosa Baum ex Romero-Zarco and Avena sect. Avena) were estimated to be in the early to middle Miocene, and the A. sativa lineages were dated to the late Miocene to Pliocene. These periods coincided with the mild seasonal climatic contrasts and the Mediterranean climate established in the Mediterranean Basin. Our results suggest that polyploidy, lineage divergence, and complex reticulate evolution have occurred in Avena, exemplifying the ...

An extraction method for mixed-linkage β-glucan from oat and barley was developed in order to minimize the effect of extraction on the β-glucan structure. β-Glucan were characterized in terms of molecular size and molar mass distributions using asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) coupled to multiangle light scattering (MALS), differential refractive index (dRI) and fluorescence (FL) detection. The carbohydrate composition of the extracts was analysed using polysaccharide analysis by carbohydrate gel electrophoresis (PACE) and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC). Whether there were any proteinaceous moieties linked to β-glucan was also examined. Purified extracts contained 65% and 53% β-glucan for oats and barley, respectively. The main impurities were degradation products of starch. The extracts contained high molecular weight β-glucan (105-108 g/mol) and large sizes (root-mean-square radii from 20 to 140 nm). No proteins covalently bound to β-glucan we...

All higher plants produce polyphenols, for defence against above-ground herbivory. These polyphenols also influence the soil micro- and macro-fauna that break down plant leaf litter. Polyphenols therefore indirectly affect the fluxes of soil nutrients and, ultimately, carbon turnover and ecosystem functioning in soils. It is unknown how earthworms, the major component of animal biomass in many soils, cope with high-polyphenol diets. Here, we show that earthworms possess a class of unique surface-active metabolites in their gut, which we term 'drilodefensins'. These compounds counteract the inhibitory effects of polyphenols on earthworm gut enzymes, and high-polyphenol diets increase drilodefensin concentrations in both laboratory and field populations. This shows that drilodefensins protect earthworms from the harmful effects of ingested polyphenols. We have identified the key mechanism for adaptation to a dietary challenge in an animal group that has a major role in organic...

The objectives of this research were to assess genotype environment interaction and determine stable oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars for grain yield in Central Anatolian Region of Turkey. Stability analysis [9] were to performed on results for grain yield of 5 oat cultivars (Chekota, Yesilkoy-1779, Yesilkoy-330, Faikbey-2004, Seydisehir-2004) from 24 trials (6 irrigated, 18 rain fed ) was conducted over 6 years in the Central Anatolian Region, Turkey. There was considerable variation in grain yield within and across environments. Year by location and location variability were dominant sources of interactions. The cultivar, “Seydisehir-2004” with respective regression coefficient value of 1.03, the smallest deviations from regressions (S2di) value and the highest grain yield could be considered the most widely adapted cultivar. The other test cultivars were sensitive to production-limiting factors, their wider adaptability, stability and general performance to the fluctuating growing...

El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar la variación de la composición química y el rendimiento de las asociaciones avena-vicia, trigo-vicia y cebada-vicia en diversas proporciones de siembra asociada en la forma de cultivos hidropónicos. El estudio se realizó en la ciudad de Huancavelica, Perú, a 3690 msnm. Se emplearon 90 bandejas de 704 cm2, con una densidad de 2.5 kg de semilla/m2. Se utilizaron asociados de avena/vicia (A/V), cebada/vicia (C/V) y trigo/vicia (T/V) con seis proporciones de gramínea/leguminosa: 100/0, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80 y 0/100. Se determinó la producción de la biomasa en fresco (PBF) y la composición química de las fracciones porcentuales de materia seca (MS%), materia orgánica (MO%), fibra detergente neutra (FDN%), extracto etéreo (EE%), proteína cruda (PC%) y minerales totales (MT%). Se utilizó un diseño experimental completamente al azar, con arreglo factorial de 3x6 (asociado x proporciones) con 5 repeticiones. El asociado, la proporción y la ...

Light-activatable proteins allow precise spatial and temporal control of biological processes in living cells and animals. Several approaches have been developed for controlling protein localization with light, including the conditional inhibition of a nuclear localization signal (NLS) with the Light Oxygen Voltage (AsLOV2) domain of phototropin 1 from Avena sativa. In the dark, the switch adopts a closed conformation that sterically blocks the NLS motif. Upon activation with blue light the C-terminus of the protein unfolds, freeing the NLS to direct the protein to the nucleus. A previous study showed that this approach can be used to control the localization and activity of proteins in mammalian tissue culture cells. Here, we extend this result by characterizing the binding properties of a LOV/NLS switch and demonstrating that it can be used to control gene transcription in yeast. Additionally, we show that the switch, referred to as LANS (light-activated nuclear shuttle), function...

The objective of the present research was to study the impact of lead (Pb) on growth, metal uptake and antioxidative potential of oat seeds under metal stress. To achieve these objectives, few experiments were conducted to assess the effect of this particular metal on various anti-oxidative enzymes, during initial metabolism after germination, in presence of lead. Pb is not an oxido-reducing metal, the oxidative stress induced by Pb in growing oat seedlings appears to be an indirect effect of Pb toxicity, leading to production of ROS with simultaneous decrease in tissue levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Content of free radical like superoxide anion and metabolite such as H2O2 were found to be more in plumule as compared to radical and endosperm of oat seedling. In response to various concentrations of lead ranging from 25-400 ppm, activities of peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase were induced in plumule, radical and cotyledon on the 3rd, 6th and 9t...

Patients with celiac disease should maintain a gluten-free diet (GFD), excluding wheat, rye, and barley. Oats might increase the nutritional value of a GFD, but their including is controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the safety of oats as part of a GFD in patients with celiac disease. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases for clinical trials and observational studies of the effects of including oats in GFD of patients with celiac disease. The studies reported patients' symptoms, results from serology tests, and findings from histologic analyses. We used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of evidence. We identified 433 studies; 28 were eligible for analysis. Of these, 6 were randomized and 2 were not-randomized controlled trials comprising a total of 661 patients-the remaining studies were observational. All randomized controlled trials used pure/uncontaminated oats. Oat consump...

Little research exists on Salmonella inactivation during extrusion processing, yet many outbreaks associated with low water activity foods since 2006 were linked to extruded foods. The aim of this research was to study Salmonella inactivation during extrusion of a model cereal product. Oat flour was inoculated with Salmonella enterica serovar Agona, an outbreak strain isolated from puffed cereals, and processed using a single-screw extruder at a feed rate of 75 kg/h and a screw speed of 500 rpm. Extrudate samples were collected from the barrel outlet in sterile bags and immediately cooled in an ice-water bath. Populations were determined using standard plate count methods or a modified most probable number when populations were low. Reductions in population were determined and analyzed using a general linear model. The regression model obtained for the response surface tested was Log (NR /NO ) = 20.50 + 0.82T - 141.16aw - 0.0039T(2) + 87.91aw(2) (R(2) = 0.69). The model showed signi...