The lipid content of swine manure decreases during the process of composting, and inhibitory effects of compost on root growth in germination tests are strongly correlated to lipid content. Therefore, we tested whether the determination of the lipid content of swine waste compost by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy provided a measure by which the degree of inhibition of plant growth by immature compost could be predicted. Reflectance spectra of untreated compost samples, as well as freeze-dried and milled samples, were taken using a scanning monochromator. Second derivative spectra from 700 nm to 2500 nm and multiple regression analysis were used to develop calibration equations for lipid content and moisture. A pronounced absorption peak of lipid was found at 2310 nm, attributable to the absorption bands of the CH2 stretching–bending combination. However, calibration equations containing this absorption band were inappropriate for lipid determination, because sawdust and rice husk, which were added to the compost, influenced the spectra in this band. The standard error of prediction ( SEP) of the best calibrations for lipids in dry and untreated samples was 6.0 g kg−1 and 3.2 g kg−1, while the ratios of the standard deviation and the range in the prediction set to SEP (RPD and RER) were 5.5 and 2.8, and 13.5 and 5.0, respectively. The main wavelengths of these calibration equations were 1700 nm for dry samples and 1764 nm for untreated samples, which were attributed to the absorption bands of the CH2 stretching first overtone. In conclusion, the determination of lipid content in dry compost samples by NIR spectroscopy provided an indirect estimate of the maturity of swine waste compost. Moreover, NIR spectroscopy was found useful for the rough assessment of the maturity of untreated swine waste compost.
Determination of the size distribution of liposomes by SEC fractionation, and PCS analysis and enzymatic assay of lipid content