BACKGROUND: The introduction of complementary foods during the first year of life influences the diversity of the gut microbiome. How this diversity affects immune development and health is unclear.
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the effect of consuming kūmara or kūmara with added banana powder (resistant starch) compared to a reference control at 4 months post randomization on the prevalence of respiratory tract infections and the development of the gut microbiome.
METHODS: This study is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of mothers and their 6-month-old infants (up to n=300) who have not yet started solids. Infants are randomized into one of 3 groups: control arm (C), standard kūmara intervention (K), and a kūmara intervention with added banana powder product (K+) to be consumed daily for 4 months until the infant is approximately 10 months old. Infants are matched for sex using stratified randomization. Data are collected at baseline (prior to commencing solid food) and at 2 and 4 months after commencing solid food (at around 8 and 10 months of age). Data and samples collected at each timepoint include weight and length, intervention adherence (months 2 and 4), illness and medication history, dietary intake (months 2 and 4), sleep (diary and actigraphy), maternal dietary intake, breast milk, feces (baseline and 4 months), and blood samples (baseline and 4 months).
RESULTS: The trial was approved by the Health and Disability Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health, New Zealand (reference 20/NTA/9). Recruitment and data collection did not commence until January 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection and analyses are expected to conclude in January 2024 and early 2025, respectively. Results are to be published in 2024 and 2025.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study will help us understand how the introduction of a specific prebiotic complementary food affects the microbiota and relative abundances of the microbial species, the modulation of immune development, and infant health. It will contribute to the expanding body of research that aims to deepen our understanding of the connections between nutrition, gut microbiota, and early-life postnatal health.
BACKGROUND: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620000026921; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=378654.
UNASSIGNED: DERR1-10.2196/56772.

Effectively regulating anger driving has become critical in ensuring road safety. The existing research lacks a feasible exploration of anger-driving regulation. This paper delves into the effect and neural mechanisms of emotional olfactory stimuli (EOS) on regulating anger driving based on EEG. First, this study designed an angry driving regulation experiment based on EOS to record EEG signals. Second, brain activation patterns under various EOS conditions are explored by analyzing functional brain networks (FBNs). Additionally, the paper analyzes dynamic alterations in anger-related characteristics to explore the intensity and persistence of regulating anger driving under different EOS. Finally, the paper studies the frequency energy of EEG changes under EOS through time-frequency analysis. The results indicate that EOS can effectively regulate a driver\'s anger emotions, especially with the banana odor showing superior effects. Under banana odor stimulus, synchronization between the parietal and temporal lobes significantly decreased. Notably, the regulatory effect of banana odor is optimal and exhibits sustained efficacy. The regulatory effect of banana odor on anger emotions is persistent. Furthermore, the impact of banana odor significantly reduces the distribution of high-energy activation states in the parietal lobe region. Our findings provide new insights into the dynamic characterization of functional connectivity during anger-driving regulation and demonstrate the potential of using EOS as a reliable tool for regulating angry driving.

This work investigated a sustainable and efficient approach of pectin extraction for banana peel waste valorisation and studied the influence of banana ripening stages (RS at 2,5 and 7). Although pectin content in banana peel raw material decreased during ripening, pectin extraction was favoured. The highest alcohol-insoluble solids (AIS) yield (12.5%) was achieved at 70 °C, 15 mins from RS 7 peel. All extracts were homogalacturan-rich with some rhamnogalacturonan-I content (showing HGA/RG-I ratio > 2) with varied degree of methylation (DM). The highest HGA content (837.2 mg/g AIS) and HGA/RG-I ratio (9.9) were achieved at 110 °C, 0 mins from RS 7, suggesting its promising application as gelling agent. The highest RG-I content (111.1 mg/g AIS) were obtained at 110 °C, 5 mins from RS 7, which was comparable with the pectin with reported prebiotic ability isolated from the literature, suggesting its potential application in novel products.

The study involves the preparation and characterization of crosslinked-carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) films using varying amounts of citric acid (CA) within the range 5 %-20 %, w/w, relative to the dry weight of CMC. Through techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, carbonyl content analysis, and gel fraction measurements, the successful crosslinking between CMC and CA is confirmed. The investigation includes an analysis of chemical structure, physical and optical characteristics, swelling behavior, water vapor transmission rate, moisture content, and surface morphologies. The water resistance of the cross-linked CMC films exhibited a significant improvement when compared to the non-crosslinked CMC film. The findings indicated that films crosslinked with 10 % CA demonstrated favorable properties for application as edible coatings. These transparent films, ideal for packaging, prove effective in preserving the quality and sensory attributes of fresh bananas, including color retention, minimized weight loss, slowed ripening through inhibiting amyloplast degradation, and enhanced firmness during storage.

This work investigated and compared the physicochemical characteristics, and antioxidant and antihyperglycemic properties in vitro of polysaccharides from a single banana flower variety (BFPs) extracted by different methods. BFPs extracted using hot water (HWE), acidic (CAE), alkaline (AAE), enzymatic (EAE), ultrasonic (UAE) and hot water-alkaline (HAE) methods showed different chemical composition, monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, chain conformation and surface morphology, but similar infrared spectra characteristic, main glycosidic residues, crystalline internal and thermal stability, suggesting that six methods have diverse impacts on the degradation of BFPs without changing the main structure. Then, among six BFPs, the stronger antioxidant activity in vitro was found in BFP extracted by HAE, which was attributed to its maximum uronic acid content (21.67 %) and phenolic content (0.73 %), and moderate molecular weight (158.48 kDa). The highest arabinose and guluronic acid contents (18.59 % and 1.31 % in molar ratios, respectively) and the lowest uronic acid content (14.30 %) in BFP extracted by HWE contributed to its better α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro (66.55 %). The data offered theoretical evidence for choosing suitable extraction methods to acquire BFPs with targeted biological activities for applications, in which HAE and HWE could serve as beneficial methods for preparing antioxidant BFP and antihyperglycemic BFP, respectively.

BACKGROUND: Pathogen-related proteins (PR) are pivotal in plant defense, combating diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. While multiple gene families contribute to banana resistance against Fusarium oxysporum f sp. cubense (Foc), Pseudocercospora eumusae, and Pratylenchus coffeae, the significance of PR-1 genes in defense is paramount.
METHODS: Three PR-1 genes, up-regulated under diverse biotic stresses, were cloned from both resistant and susceptible cultivars of Foc, P. eumusae, and P. coffeae. Molecular characterization, phylogenetic analysis, and docking studies with the Foc TR4 CP gene were conducted.
RESULTS: Through transcriptomic and real-time studies, three PR-1 genes (Ma02_g15050, Ma02_g15060, and Ma04_g34800) from Musa spp. were identified. These genes exhibited significant up-regulation in resistant cultivars when exposed to Foc, P. eumusae, and P. coffeae. Cloning of these genes was successfully performed from both resistant and susceptible cultivars of Foc race 1 and TR4, P. eumusae, and P. coffeae. Distinct characteristics were observed among the PR-1 genes, with groups 1 and 2 being acidic with signal peptides, and group 3 being basic without signal peptides. All cloned PR-1 proteins belonged to the CAP superfamily (PF00188). Phylogenetic analysis revealed clustering patterns for acidic PR-1 proteins, and KEGG orthology showed associations with vital pathways, including MAPK signaling, plant hormone signal transduction, and plant-pathogen interaction. Secondary and tertiary structure analyses confirmed sequence conservation across studied species. Docking studies explored interactions between the cerato-platanin (CP) gene from Foc TR4 and Ma02_g15060 from banana, suggesting the potential hindrance of PR-1 antifungal activity through direct interaction.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the crucial role of cloned PR-1 genes in banana plant defense mechanisms against a broad spectrum of biotic stresses. These genes, especially those in groups 1 and 2, hold promise as candidates for developing stress-tolerant banana cultivars. The study provides valuable insights into the molecular aspects of banana defense strategies, emphasizing the potential applications of PR-1 genes in enhancing banana resilience.

BACKGROUND: The essential role of medicinal plants is studied over 5000 years against the life-threatening diseases such as cancer in developing countries. The more cognizance on molecular mechanism will engender trend to use them efficaciously.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the pharmacological activity of banana peel against lung cancer.
METHODS: Banana fruit is a nutritious victuals with proven medicinal properties. The underlying molecular mechanism of phytochemicals present in the banana peel was studied using in vitro and in silico methods to explore an efficacious anticancer drug against lung cancer.
METHODS: The petroleum ether extract of Musa sapientum peel is analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, in vitro studies using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT), 2,2\'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and lipid peroxidase assay, and the in silico studies by molecular docking.
METHODS: Microsoft Excel 2010 is used to calculate the mean and standard deviation for the ABTS and lipid peroxidation assay.
RESULTS: The antioxidant activity was found to be 20 µg/ml concentration in ABTS assay and 10 µg/ml concentration in lipid peroxidation assay. The in vitro anticancer activity was inspected using A549 cell lines by MTT assay. Tri cyclo [5,1,0,0 (2, 4) oct 5-ene 5 proponoic acid] 3,3,8,8 tetramethyl was selected as best lead against epidermal growth factor receptor of human based on the energy score calculated using the Auto-dock software.
CONCLUSIONS: This study strongly supports that unexploited banana peels could be used to harvest promising lead molecules against non-small cell lung cancer.

Background Free radicals are involved in the process of carcinogenesis. Conventional antioxidants and anti-inflammatory drugs have the disadvantages of side effects and high costs. Banana peel contains phenolic and non-phenolic antioxidants that are pivotal in removing inflammatory components by inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS), protecting protease inhibitors from oxidative damage, and preventing fibroblast degradation which protects the body against the ill effects of free radicals. Aim and objectives The present study aimed to evaluate the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of peel extracts of the Musa acuminata Red Dacca(red banana) and Musa acuminata Colla (rasthali). Materials and methods The procured unripe peels of red bananas and rasthali bananas were dried, ground into powder, and used to create aqueous and alcoholic extracts. The aqueous extract was made by dissolving 5 grams of peel powder in 25 ml of distilled water, while the alcoholic extract was prepared by heating ethanol to 100°C for 30 minutes. The extracts were combined, shaken for 24 hours, filtered, and stored at 4°C. Following extract preparation, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) assay, bovine serum albumin (BSA) denaturation assay, and egg albumin (EA) denaturation assay were performed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The assays were performed in varying concentrations for the prepared extracts of red banana and rasthali and the 1:1 ratio combination extract of both varieties. The obtained data were tabulated and statistically tested using the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0 (Released 2013; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) by the Kruskal-Wallis test with the statistical significance set at p≤0.05. Results Results highlighted variations in the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the banana peel extracts and the standard used in all the assays, but there was no statistically significant difference between the extracts and the standard (p>0.05). There was an increase in the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity with an increase in the concentration of both the extracts and the standard. The 1:1 ratio combination extract showed the highest antioxidant property among the banana extracts in the majority of the concentrations in the DPPH assay, whereas the rasthali extract showed the same even more than the standard in the H2O2 assay. The rasthali extract showed the highest anti-inflammatory property in all the concentrations in the BSA assay, and the 1:1 ratio combination extract showed the same in the EA assay. Conclusion The banana peel extracts showed comparable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with that of the standard in all the assays with no statistically significant difference. There was a rising trend in the properties with an increase in their concentration. Red banana and rasthali peel extracts, either individually or in combination, could be a promising, effective, and cost-effective alternative or adjunct to the currently available antioxidant medications.

Starch modification by annealing (ANN) and heat-moisture treatment (HMT) results in a lower crystallinity compared to native but the change of B crystalline type to A type is only observed in HMT starch. All starches possess two different digestion rate constants i.e. k1 (at rapid phase) and k2 (at slow phase) which may be linked to the preserved intact starch granule following thermal treatment. HMT starch contains higher content of slowly digestible starch (C2∞) compared to the C2∞ of the other starches. The lower enzyme binding to HMT starch (Kd value increases from 0.12 mg/mL in native starch to 0.83 mg/mL) may be linked to the increase in the degree of ordered structure of the granule surface (observed from the absorption band ratio of 1000 cm-1/1022 cm-1). The lower affinity may lead to a lower k1 value. This holds true for ANN and native starch which displays similar k1, Kd value and degree of ordered to disordered structure. Lower k2 in HMT starch compared to the corresponding k2 in the other starches may be linked to the slower enzyme diffusion into the core of starch granule due to the tightly packed structure of A crystalline type in HMT starch.

The exposure of farmers to pesticides due to inadequate safety measures is a concern in low-income countries in Africa and Asia. However, until now, there have been limited studies on the farmers\' risk due to pesticide application to fruit crops. The knowledge of farmers\' exposure related to pesticide use and their safety practices was studied among 100 banana farmers in three areas (Padampur, Jagatpur, and Thimura) of Chitwan district, Nepal. More than 75% of the farmers complained about problems related to insects. Most frequently used insecticides in the area were chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin. Ten percent (10%) of the applied pesticides were highly hazardous to humans, according to the World Health Organization hazard category, with skin rash being the most common acute symptom reported by 29% of the farmers. Banned organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides, such as endosulfan and triazophos, respectively, are still being used by farmers in the aforementioned areas. Spearman\'s correlation analysis revealed the lack of knowledge and safety practices among farmers leading to inadequate awareness related to the negative effects of pesticide use on human health and the environment. Therefore, government extension service can play a crucial role in improving banana farmers\' knowledge of the toxic effects of pesticides as well as enforcing the Nepali language in the labeling of pesticide containers and packages.