eChapters

5.1 Ringworm (in Cattle) causing fungi

Trichophyton verrucosum

Ringworm is one of the commonest skin diseases in cattle. Ringworm is a transmissible skin infectious disease caused most often by Trichophyton verrucosum, a spore forming fungi. The spores can remain alive for years in a dry environment. Although unsightly, fungal infections cause little permanent damage or economic loss. Direct contact with infected animals is the most common method of spreading the infection.

The symptoms of Ringworm include Lesions with greywhite areas with an ash like surface usually circular in outline and slightly raised that appears on skin. Size of lesions vary and can become very extensive. In calves the infection is most commonly found around eyes, on ears and on back. In adult cattle infection on chest and legs are more common (Fig. 183)

7.1. Black Gill Disease (in Shrimps) causing fungi

Fusarium spp

The affected prawns show brown to black spots on the gills. In acute cases gills may completely become brown or black with atrophy and necrosis (Fig. 192).

7.2. Saprolegniasis disease causing fungi

Saprolegnia

Saprolegniasis is a fungal disease of fish and fish eggs, most commonly caused by the Saprolegnia species called “water molds.” They are common in fresh or brackish water. Saprolegnia can grow at temperatures ranging from 0° to 35°C but seem to prefer temperatures of 15° to 30°C. The disease fungus attack an existing injury on the fish and spread to healthy tissue. Poor water quality (for example, water with low circulation, low dissolved oxygen, or high ammonia) and high organic loads, including the presence of dead eggs, are often associated with Saprolegnia infections.

6.1. Aspergillosis disease causing fungi

Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillosis is a fungal infection that commonly causes respiratory disease in pet birds. It can infect both upper (nose, sinuses, eye, and trachea) and lower (lung and air sacs-a specialized part of the respiratory tract that birds have) respiratory organs or more broadly distributed systemic infections (Fig. 187).

The Symptoms includes Weight loss, Open-mouth breathing or gasping for breath, Tracheal movement or in-out-in movements in the region of the neck, Tail-bobbing or movement of the bird’s tail up and down while breathing in and out, heavy breathing after flight or exercise, Change in voice and persistent itching or rubbing of cerenares.

4.1. Aspergillosis disease causing fungi Aspergillus

Aspergillosis is usually caused by the fungus Aspergillus (Fig. 161) and usually occurs in people with lung diseases or weakened immune system

The different types of aspergillosis can cause different symptoms. The symptoms are similar to asthma symptoms, and include:

4.1.1. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)

The symptoms of ABPA includes Wheezing, Shortness of breath, Cough and Fever (in rare cases).

4.1.2. Allergic Aspergillus sinusitis

The symptoms of Alleric Aspergillus Sinusitis include stuffiness, Runny nose, Headache and Reduced ability to smell.

Abstract

Many airborne fungal spores are important as allergens, human and plant pathogens, in the bio-deterioration of stored materials like paper, leather, textile, paintings, historical monuments and spoilage of food stuffs. Surveys have been conducted to elucidate the magnitude of the problem. Indoor environment also plays an important role in the precipitation of allergic symptoms caused by fungal spores. The present review briefly highlights some of the qualitative investigations carried out on indoor environments like bakery, building, cold storage, cow shed, dormitory, educational institutions, garbage disposal plant, ware house, hospital, library, food grain godown, leather godown, house dust, poultry house, chick hatcheries, plastic industries and textile industries.

10.1. Phosphate Solubilisers

10.1.1. Aspergillus spp.

Several species of Aspergillus (Fig. 249) have been reported to be involved in the solubilization of inorganic phosphates such as A. flavus, A. fumigates, A. awamori. A. niger and A. terreus.

These fungi are able to solubilize inorganic phosphate through the production of acids viz. citric, gluconic, glycolic, oxalic acids and succinic acid.

Aspergillus fumigates isolated from compost has been reported to be potassium releasing fungus.

11.1. Pleurotus ostreatus

Researchers in Mexico have shown that oyster mushrooms can break down/ decompose disposable diapers

11.2. Chaetomium globsum

It is a saprophytic fungus that primarily resides on plants, soil, straw, and dung. They are found in habitats ranging from forest plants to mountain soils across various biomes. C. globosum colonies can also be found indoors and on wooden products

C. globosum assists in cellulose decomposition of plant cells.

12.1. Penicillium chrysogenum

Penicillium chrysogenum (Fig. 255) (previously known as Penicillium notatum), produces the antibiotic penicillin, known as WONDER DRUG.

The antibiotics produced from fungus Penicillium is listed in table.

8.1. Fungi useful in food processing

8.1.1. Aspergillus sojae and Aspergillus oryzae

Aspergillus sojae and Aspergillus oryzae (Fig. 198) is a mold species in the genus Aspergillus. Its use was originated in China in the 2nd century AD and spread throughout East Asia where it is used in cooking and as a condiment.

Uses

• It is used to prepare Soy sauce (also called soya sauce) a condiment made from a fermented paste of boiled soybeans, roasted grain and brine,
• In Japan it is used to make the ferment (K?ji) of soy sauce, the mirin and other lacto-fermented condiments like tsukemono. Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus sojae, along with water and salt.

a) Definition

Fungus is Latin word meaning ‘mushroom’

Alexopoulus and Mims 1979 defined fungus as eukaryotic, achlorophyllous organism generally produced by sexual or asexual method and whose filamentous branched somatic structure is typically covered by cell wall.

Eukaryotic, spore – producing, achlorophyllous organisms with absorptive nutrition that generally reproduce both sexually and asexually and whose thallus is usually filamentous, branched somatic structures known as hyphae, typically surrounded with cell wall.

Mycology – Study of fungi

The fungi can be divided into two groups namely

True fungi: Chytridiomycota, Zygomycota, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota

Additional phyla: Myxomycota, Dictyosteliomycota, Acrasiomycota, Plasmodiophoromycota, Oomycota, Labyrinthulomycota, Hypochitridomycoya.

Fungi are a diverse group of multicellular eukaryotic organisms with wide variation in vegetative and reproductive morphologies and diverse life cycles. They are more abundant, on a mass basis, in soils than any other group of microorganisms; their biomass ranges from 500 to 5000 wet kg ha^-1 (Metting, 1993). Fungi inhabit almost any niche containing organic substrates, so that they are active participants in ecosystems as -

• degraders of organic matter
• agents of disease as well as beneficial symbionts - lichen (algae and fungi), mycorrhizal association

1.1 Introduction

Fungi are chlorophyll-less thallophytic plant. Due to absence of chlorophyll, they are heterophytes which depend on other form of life for food. They grow in various habitats and show much diversity in their structure, physiology and reproduction. They evoloved long back from the ancient time.

Their existence was recorded from Pre-cambrian period. Information from ancient literature indicates that the fungi were used as food by men. At present, the fungi are used in medicine as well as food in addition to other aspects. The fungi cause diseases in crop plants (spots, rusts, smuts etc.) and on human beings (Aspergillosis, Blastomycosis etc.).

At present biologists use the term fungus (fungus mushroom, from Greek, sponagos = sponge) to include eukaryotic, spore bearing, achlorophyllous organism that generally reproduce sexually and asexually and whose usually filamentous, branched somatic structure are typically surrounded by cell wall containing chitin or cellulose or both of these substances, togather with many other complex molecules

More than 1.5 million species (Hawksworth 2001; Kirk et al., 2001) of fungi have been recorded, but their number may be much more than the actual record. The subject which deals with fungi is known as Mycology (mykes — mushroom; logos—study) and the concerned scientist is called mycologist. The various definitions of fungi as proposed by mycologists are:

Alexopoulos (1962) defined fungi as “nucleated, spore-bearing, achlorophyllous organisms which generally reproduce sexually and asexually and whose usually filamentous, branched somatic structures are typically surrounded by cell walls containing cellulose or chitin or both”.

Alexopoulos and Mims (1979) defined fungi as eukaryotic spore bearing, achlorophyllous organisms that generally reproduce sexually and asexually, and whose usually filamentous, branched somatic structures are typically surrounded by cell walls containing chitin or cellulose, or both of these substances, together with many other complex organic molecules.

Introduction

Plant pathogens can cause significant crop loss both pre- and post-harvest. Fungicides continue to plays an important role in controlling plant diseases caused by fungal pathogens. In the last 100 years, fungicides have evolved from a few simple inorganic compounds to multiple groups of organic compounds, from contact and multisite fungicides to systemic and site specific fungicides with curative properties have evolved. The introduction of new fungicides is an integral part of sustainable disease control in staple crops. The need for new and innovative fungicides is driven by resistance management, regulatory hurdles and changing farmer needs.

A same active ingredient are available in the market with different trade name and are the product of different companies. These may also differ in their formulation and hazard class (table 7), the knowledge of which is necessary in the plant disease management in view of their effect on the pathogen, ecosystem and environment.

Fungicides are chemical compounds or biological organisms used to kill or inhibit the growth of fungi and their spores. They are essential tools in agriculture and horticulture for protecting crops and plants from fungal diseases, which can cause significant yield losses and economic damage.

Fungistat: Some chemicals do not kill the fungal pathogens. But they simply arrest the growth of the fungus temporarily. These chemicals are called fungistat and the phenomenon of temporarily inhibiting the fungal growth is termed as fungistatis. Antisporulant Some other chemicals may inhibit the spore production without affecting the growth of vegetative hyphas and are called as ‘Antisporulant’. Eventhough, the antisporulant and fungistatic compounds do not kill the fungi, they are included under the broad term fungicide because by common usage, the fungicide has been defined as a chemical agent which has the ability to reduce or prevent the damage caused to plants and their products

1. Introduction

As dealt in earlier chapters, fruits and vegetables represent the most essential of horticultural component for acreage of production, yield, nutritional and nutraceutical values, of definite taste, texture, flavor and colour, involving defined health and medicinal benefits. Every year and over the course of every ten years, significant quantum of research data accumulates on the various facets of fruit and vegetable technologies, and also trends in production, processing and marketing, may also tend to change. At every stage, more thinking has gone to improve the technology, product quality and cost economics to suit wider markets, both domestic and foreign. It is a continuous endeavor to record newer and newer problems emerging and to set the strategies to solve them. Several relevant references, fitting to the various aspects representing the cross section of the fruit and vegetable technologies are dealt here, to conclude the subject and spell out the future.
Consumer demand for healthy convenience meals with ‘near fresh’ properties challenges researchers and industry to develop new or improved conservation procedures for processed products. Development of a dehydration process based on electromagnetic energy (EME) may bring about a major breakthrough with respect to retention of product quality and improved rehydration characteristics (Nijhuis et. al., 1996). Economic potential and current limitations of fruit and vegetable processing in India included improvements in preliminary treatment (harvesting, washing/cooling) precooling (including refrigerated transport/storage) and processing of juices and pulps. Establishment of a National Horticulture Board has aided to provide market information and so aid growers to get remunerative prices (Anon, 1993). The use of food irradiation as a quarantine method for treatment of food and agriculture commodities was organized by the joint Food and Agriculture Organization/International Atomic Energy Agency Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 27-31 Aug., 1990. (FAO,1992). This has been experimented with various commodities, particularly for export trade of fruits like mango, as stipulated by the importing country like U.S.A.

Intelligent irrigation requires systems capable of responding dynamically to crop, soil and environmental conditions. This chapter explores fusion-driven reinforcement learning for precision irrigation, with particular attention to rice alternate wetting and drying and drip farming systems. It introduces the overall framework and methodology used to combine information from different sources for irrigation decision-making. Kalman filter fusion is considered for integrating relevant data, while reinforcement learning provides an adaptive environment in which irrigation strategies can be optimized. The chapter presents results and discussions associated with the proposed approach and considers its potential contribution to efficient water management. Future research directions focus on improving intelligent irrigation systems and their agricultural applicability.

Introduction
 
The future of functional foods is bright and there are several reasons for the growing interest in “functional” foods, such as awareness of personal health deterioration, led by busy lifestyles with poor choices of convenience foods and insufficient exercise; increased incidence of self-medication; increased level of information from health authorities and media on nutrition and the link between diet and health; scientific developments in nutrition research; and a crowded and competitive food market, characterized by pressurized margins. Now, the consumer is well aware of the relationship between diet and health. Consumers understand that the risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, colon cancer, and type II diabetes is possibly preventable by modification in their diet pattern. This scientific progress in understanding the relationship of diet to disease, along with increasing health care costs and the consumer’s desire to initiate healthy eating and lifestyle habits, makes this a potentially fertile ground for the development of food products that meet these demands.

INTRODUCTION

Functional genomics is the science where genes are employed to determine their function. The gene expression is an approach to analyze the functional changes in the genes. The expression level for a gene across different experimental conditions are cumulatively called the gene expression profile and the expression levels for all the genes under an experimental condition are cumulatively called the sample expression profile. Different techniques for gene expression analysis have been used so far. cDNA-AFLP (Bachem et al., 1996), SAGE (Serial Analysis of Gene Expression) (Neto, Neto & Costa, 2012) and MPSS (Massive Parallel Signature Sequencing) (Brenner et al., 2000) are the techniques for expression analysis where the genomic or transcriptome sequence of the organism is not needed. Some advanced and largely used techniques are Microarrays (Schena et al., 1995) and Real-time PCR (Higuchi et al., 1993) where the previous knowledge of the sequence is required. These two techniques are most frequently used for gene expression analysis (Perez-Torres et al., 2009). DNA microarray technology has made it possible to simultaneously monitor the expression levels of thousands of genes during important biological processes and across collections of related samples (Jiang, Tang & Zhang, 2004).