Heshw Farhad Mohammed

Potatoes are a globally important crop and a key raw material for the production of chips. Sprouting during potato storage is a critical problem that alters chemical and sensory attributes such as sugar accumulation, starch reduction, and firmness loss, which negatively affect chip quality. However, limited studies have addressed these changes across cultivars under local conditions. The present study explored the influence of fresh potato (at harvest) and sprouting stages (non-sprouted, and sprouted at 1 cm and 2 cm length) on the chemical properties and sensory quality of three potato chip cultivars (Crozo, Hermes, and Lady Rosetta), which are widely grown in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. To ensure clarity of the experimental design, the study specifically evaluated these three cultivars across four developmental stages to assess their chemical and sensory quality for chip production. After that, the results indicated that Crozo exhibited the highest dry matter (29.78%) and starch (22.53%) at 2 cm sprouting, indicating strong frying potential. Lady Rosetta exhibited the least weight loss (5.85%) and the highest firmness (33.02 N) at harvest. TSS increased after storage, peaking in Lady Rosetta (8.67 %), while total sugar content decreased during sprouting to 0.089%. Sensory scores for chips declined with increased sprout length. Crozo and Lady Rosetta maintained a better appearance, flavor, and texture during the sprouting stages than Hermes. Overall, the cultivar and sprouting stages had a significant influence on quality. Fresh and non-sprouted potatoes are recommended for optimal chip quality. The results concluded that Crozo and Lady Rosetta cultivars are most suitable for storage conditions and processing due to their favorable chemical traits and sensory performance.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) has long been the major infectious cause of mortality, ranking higher than HIV/AIDS as the most common cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide. The EchA6 target of mycobacteria plays a vital role in synthesizing an important component of the mycobacterial outer membrane. The failure of TB treatment has prompted the investigation of novel anti-tubercular drugs. Objective: This study was aimed at blockage of Mycobacterium tuberculosis cell-wall synthesis via EchA6 inhibition to overcome resistance strain. Methods: Over 3,000,000 compounds and GSK951A (positive control) were investigated as the inhibitors in this study. The GROMACS molecular dynamic package was used to analyze the protein- inhibitor complex's conformational changes under constant temperature and pressure. Also, umbrella sampling (US) was used for free binding energy (ΔG) calculation. Results: Four compounds were chosen for the docking investigation. According to the MD analysis, the studied inhibitors demonstrated good stability and flexibility. According to ∆G obtained from US, the ∆G of GSK951A, ZINC11815220, ZINC67770050, ZINC55048326, and ZINC89700914 were -6.14 kcal mol-1, -5.25 kcal mol-1, -10.19 kcal mol-1, -8.55 kcal mol-1, and -8.37 kcal mol-1, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, ZINC67770050 is recommended for further study in the laboratory. This investigation is an important starting point for discovering anti-tubercular drugs using EchA6 inhibition.