محمدحسین هاشم زاده

As a result of the water scarcity, the use of unconventional water in the country, especially municipal wastewater, is inevitable. However, worries have always been existing about the possible contamination of these sources and the entry of these contaminants into the human food chain. Corn silage is regarded as one of the candidate products for irrigation with wastewater due to the possible reduction of microbial contamination resulting from various processing steps. The objective of this study was to investigate the quality and hygienic characteristics of corn silage irrigated by well water and treated wastewater.

For this purpose, information of 11 industrial dairy herds that provided their corn forage from lands located around of northern Isfahan water treatment plant were compared with 11 other dairy herds whit source of purchased corn forage from lands irrigated with well water. The chemical composition of the silage samples, including dry matter, ash, crude protein, and ether extract, were measured using the approximate degradation. Also, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber were measured based on the Van Soest method. Furthermore, the net energy for lactation and non-fiber carbohydrates were calculated using Adams’ equation and the subtraction method, respectively. Volatile fatty acids were measured using gas chromatography, while microbial population were measured according to the instructions of microbiological tests. The comparison of the mean values of the two groups of corn silage irrigated with the well water and treated wastewater was performed using SAS statistical software and the T-test procedure.

There was no significant difference between the two groups of corn silage in dry matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, net energy for lactation and ash. However, the percentage of crude protein and the amount of acetic acid in the corn silage irrigated with treated wastewater were significantly lower than the control group (P<0.01). In contrast, samples irrigated with treated wastewater had higher levels of non-fiber carbohydrates, along with propionic and butyric volatile fatty acids, which ultimately decreased the pH of silage (P<0.01). In terms of hygienic indicators, despite no significant difference in the amount of E. coli and Salmonella colonies between the two groups, the number of gram-negative bacteria, lactobacilli and the total bacterial count in the silage irrigated with treated wastewater were higher (P<0.05).

When treated sewage wastewater is utilized for irrigating corn forage, it alters the type of fermentation that takes place in the corn silage, leading to an increase in the levels of propionic and butyric acids, while decreasing the levels of acetic acid. As a result, the pH of the corn silage decreases further. According to this research, using treated sewage wastewater can negatively impact the quality of corn silage fermentation. This can result in a reduction of crude protein levels and an increase in certain microbial components. Therefore, it is crucial to improve the urban wastewater treatment process by reducing the concentration of ammonium nitrogen.

Adequate sleep is recognized as a fundamental factor in enhancing athletic performance. Studies have shown that poor sleep can lead to decreased anaerobic power and increased risk of diseases. Additionally, caffeine consumption, as one of the popular sports supplements, can directly or indirectly affect the immune system through its impact on sleep and rest, and also result in positive effects on performance. In the current study, the effects of normal and interrupted sleep combined with acute caffeine supplementation on some immune system indices and anaerobic power in male athletes were examined.

This semi-experimental study was conducted using a randomized design. Fourteen male athletes (mean±SD; age, 22.92±1.32 years; height, 176.4±4.38 cm; weight, 71.42±9.65 kg) participated in this study. Participants were randomly and equally assigned to 2 groups and 2 sessions: 1) normal sleep, caffeine/placebo (NSP/NSC) and 2) Interrupted sleep, caffeine/placebo (ISP/ISC). The supplement group consumed 6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight, while the placebo group consumed chickpea flour. To assess anaerobic power, a Monark cycle ergometer test was applied with 20 seconds of cycling followed by 20 seconds of rest, immediately followed by 12 sets of 4-second cycling with 10-second rests. Blood samples were taken at four time points: 8 AM (baseline), 60 minutes after supplementation, 5 minutes post-test, and 360 minutes post-test.

Five minutes after the test, platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and systemic immune-inflammation (SII) values showed a significant decrease in normal sleep and caffeine conditions compared to interrupted sleep and placebo conditions. Whith blood cells (WBC) values in normal sleep and placebo conditions demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) increase compared to other conditions at 360 minutes post-test. Additionally, at 360 minutes post-test, NLR and SII values in interrupted sleep and caffeine conditions showed a significant increase compared to normal sleep and caffeine conditions (p<0.05). Caffeine supplementation significantly increased NLR and SII values in interrupted sleep and caffeine conditions compared to normal sleep and placebo conditions (p<0.05). Caffeine consumption led to a significant increase in peak power in the normal sleep group compared to other conditions (p<0.05).

The results indicated that sleep deprivation negatively impacts immune system indicators, and caffeine supplementation after sleep deprivation improves some immune markers. Although the ergogenic effects of caffeine were confirmed under normal sleep conditions, the lack of enhancement in anaerobic performance with caffeine supplementation during sleep deprivation suggests a need for further research on the effects of different dosages of caffeine supplementation on anaerobic performance. Therefore, considering the improvement in immune function markers under sleep deprivation with caffeine supplementation, even without enhancing anaerobic performance, and the fact that sleep deprivation strongly activates the body's inflammatory signaling network, the use of this supplement can be recommended for athletes in conditions of sleep deprivation and before intense activities.