Is the bobbing water leaf Carolina azolla a potential threat to humanity or a solution to global food uncertainty? On the heels of a study published earlier this year on the plant’s feeding and readability, a crew learned of concerns about the plant’s possible chemical information. The experts joined an international effort to analyze Azolla and found that it does not have cyanotoxins, strong waste produced by a type of bacteria, or blue-green plants, associated with the plant.
Is the bobbing water leaf Carolina azolla a potential threat to humanity or a solution to global food uncertainty? The group became aware of concerns about the plant’s possible chemical material following a study that was published earlier this year by academics at Penn State. The experts joined an international effort to analyze Azolla and found that it does not have cyanotoxins, strong waste produced by a type of bacteria, or blue-green plants, associated with the plant.
In a recent study in Flowers, the group released their results.
According to Daniel Winstead, research technologynologist at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and lead author of the earlier review,” that getting suggests that azolla is food safe and has the ability to safely serve millions of people because of its fast growth while free-floating on thin fresh water without the need for nitrogen fertilizers.” He works in the laboratory of Michael Jacobson, teacher of habitat science and management, and Francesco Di Gioia, associate professor of vegetable produce knowledge. ” Azolla is a fantastic plant that can capture nitrogen from the air and double its biomass in two days.”
Winstead claimed that it was discovered after the original study was published that the cyanobacteria that make up azolla could produce potent cyanotoxins that would elude animal consumption. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS), Parkinson’s disease, liver and kidney failure, muscle paralysis, and other serious health issues have been linked to cyanotoxins. He explained that no scientists had ever been able to definitively test for the presence of these toxins in azolla despite the threat of the toxins and the use and study of the substance.
Because we recently published information about azolla’s nutritional quality, Winstead said,” I felt a sense of responsibility to help answer this question.” I did n’t want to promote the consumption of a plant that might be harmful. As I was preparing an experimental design, I was contacted by the Azolla Foundation about that organization’s interest in our research. I contacted them and inquired if they knew anyone who was researching azolla’s toxic effects from cyanotoxins.
He was informed a few weeks later that a group of researchers was inviting Winstead to participate in the study because they wanted to find out about the cyanobacteria-cyanotoxins in the azolla question.
According to him,” Together, we analyzed the results and came to the conclusion that Nostoc azollae, an endosymbiont or organism that lives within or on the surface of another organism in a mutually beneficial relationship, does not produce any of the main cyanotoxins,” adding that the azolla’s cyanobacterium is Nostoc azollae, an endosymbiont or organism that lives within or on the surface of another organism More importantly, Nostoc azollae’s genome does not even contain the known genes required to produce these toxins.
This finding, in Winstead’s opinion, strengthens a growing body of evidence that azolla can be broadly used to address a variety of global problems.
He claimed that it could provide for the many people in need all over the world and introduce new biofertilizer and biodiesel sources.
Also on the research team were by Jonatha Bujak and Alexandra Bujak, the Azolla Foundation, Blackpool, United Kingdom, Ana Pereira, Joana Azevedo and Vitor Vasconcelos, University of Porto, Portugal, Victor Leshyk, Azolla Biodesign, Sedona, Arizona, Minh Pham Gia, independent researcher, Hanoi, Vietnam, and Timo Stadtlander, The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, Frick, Switzerland.
Open Philanthropy, Penn State– Research on Emergency Food Resilience project financially supported this research.
