Molecular characterization of xanthan gum producing Xanthomonas Campestris isolated from dark rot spotted leaves in Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Background: Despite the wide application of Xanthan gum, its commercial production remains a global challenge. In recent years, considerable research has been carried out using agro-industrial wastes, which are renewable and abundantly available to produce value-added products. The present study was set out for molecular identification of Xanthomonas campestris from leaves of four different plants with indications of dark rot spots and evaluation of their xanthan gum production capacity. Methods: Twenty-five (25) samples of leaves from four different plants with indications of dark rot spots were collected from the study area and isolated for Xanthomonas campestris following standard microbiological methods. Cultural, morphological and biochemical tests were conducted to confirm the organism. Results: The results revealed that of the total 100 samples taken, 6 leaves (24%) were infected with Xanthomonas species in mint, 3(12%) were infected in mango, 1(4%) were infected in rice and 2(8%) were infected in pepper. Further molecular identification of the isolates was carried out to reveal Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria strain 85-10 and Xanthomonas perforans strain 91-118. These were further used for the production of xanthan gum using sugar cane molasses substrates extracted from sugar cane, which was used as fermentation medium for the production. Isolates from plants varying ability in Xanthan gum production, with the mint plant having the highest Xanthan gum production (0.10 ± 0.02 to 0.9 ± 0.00 g/l). Conclusion: The present study confirmed the high xanthan gum production capacity of Xanthomonas campestris from dark rot spots containing mint leaves and should be considered during local and industrial production of the xanthan gum

Biomass-Derived N-doped Porous Carbon Catalyst for Aerobic Dehydrogenation of Nitrogen Heterocycles

N-doped porous carbon (NC) could be synthesized route from sugar cane bagasse, which are sustainable and widely available biomass waste. Preferred NC sample has a well-developed porous structure, the graphene-like...

Evaluating the effects of agricultural wastes on concrete and composite mechanical properties: a review

Wastes generation and emission of greenhouse gases are the major concerns of the contemporary world. Concrete’s cements companies in the globe are producing up to 2.8 billion tons of cements annually. This contributed to the emission of anthropogenic substances into the atmosphere which destroys the ozone layers. The incessant disposal of these agricultural wastes has detrimental effect on the environmental and human health. Thus, utilizing these wastes as secondary resources in concrete is a reasonable consideration in sustainable waste management in the circular economy. The use of agricultural wastes in concrete production has been gaining attraction in recent years, however, their effectiveness and performance in concrete need evaluation. This study presents an overview of the effects of some agricultural wastes: Bagasse, Coconut shell, Cotton, Oil palm and Hemp fibers on concrete and composite’s mechanical properties. As reviewed, Sugar-Cane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) and Coconut Shell Ash (CSA) are rich in cementitious (pozzolanic) properties (SiO2, Fe2O3 and Al2O3) for cement production up to 70%. Sugar-cane bagasse and oil palm-fiber ashes improved concrete workability. SCBA and CSA highly increased the concrete compressive strengths. The concrete tensile strengths were increased up to 97% with the inclusion of cotton and bagasse ashes. The SCBA, hemp-fiber and treated oil palm - fiber ash increased the concrete and composite’s flexural strengths up to 11.3%, 26.2% and 50.7% respectively. In conclusion, the output of this review will supply full data of the research gaps yet to cover on the use of agro-wastes in concrete for future investigations

Determination of Ethyl Carbamate in Commercial Sweetened Sugar Cane Spirit by ESI-MS/MS Using Modified QuEChERS and 18-Crown-6/Trifluoroacetic Acid Spiking Additives

A fast, sensitive, and selective direct injection electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (DI‑ESI‑MS/MS) method that is able to quantify ethyl carbamate in commercial sweetened sugar cane spirit is described. The preparation method uses a modified QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) with potassium carbonate added to sweetened sugar cane spirit to separate the aqueous phase from the ethanol phase. The aqueous phase contains sucrose that suppresses electrospray ionization. Ethyl carbamate supernatant from the ethanol phase is transferred and enriched with 18-crown-6/trifluoroacetic acid additives. The additives sequester metal cations reducing the ionization of sodium and potassium, favoring the detection of ethyl carbamate as sole protonated cations. The method was successfully applied for the quantification of eleven real samples and certified sugar cane spirit demonstrating its applicability for quality control and regulatory analysis. The method showed reliable analytical parameters compared to conventional gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method commonly used for ethyl carbamate analysis. DI-ESI-MS/MS method requires just a fast step sample clean up and presents consistent values for the limit of detection (LOD 48.0 μg L−1) and limit of quantification (LOQ 160.0 μg L−1). Furthermore, the recoveries obtained were close to 100%, with relative standard deviations below 10% of sample certificates.

The impact of the volume of sugar cane on the wages of workers in the sugarcane refinery, ketol district, Aceh central regency

Sugarcane (Saccharum Offcinarum L) is one of the important commodities for making sugar which has become a necessity for industry and households. Sugarcane which is processed into sugar granules or often known as brown sugar is located in the Ketol District, Central Aceh Regency. Central Aceh Regency, especially in Ketol District, West Blang Mancung Village, is one of the sugar cane producers. Sugarcane is an annual plant that has its own characteristics, because in the stem there is sugar, sugarcane plants belong to the grass family (Gramenia) such as rice, corn and others. Linear regression analysis is an indirect approach that is used to measure the effect of the volume of sugarcane juice on the wages of workers in the sugar mill Sulaiman Ali sugarcane mill, Ketol District, Central Aceh Regency. The results of the linear regression analysis obtained from the research results are the equation = 7179,497 + 14,464 X1. Where it means that every increase in the total volume of sugarcane juice by 14,464 will increase the wage income of milling workers at the Sulaiman Ali sugarcane refinery, Ketol District, Central Aceh Regency, amounting to Rp. 14,464 /person with an average income of Rp. Rp 34,656.25/person/one production process.

Eksistensi wisata tani betet dalam kegiatan ekonomi masyarakat lokal di Kabupaten Nganjuk (Studi kasus wisata tani di Desa Betet Kecamatan Ngronggot)

Kabupaten Nganjuk adalah salah satu daerah yang dinilai sangat potensial dalam mengembangkan industri pariwisatanya, terutama di bidang wisata alam. Dengan wilayah yang terletak di dataran rendah dan pegunungan. Dalam hal ini pemerintah memberikan penyuluhan tentang perwujudan desa wisata sebagai upaya peningkatan pendapatan desa, sehingga mampu memotivasi masyarakat setempat untuk mendirikan desa berbasis wisata. Di Desa Betet Kecamatan Ngronggot ini juga memiliki potensi alam mengenai wisata desa yaitu Wisata Tani Betet. Dimana wisata tani ini terletak di dekat persawahan warga setempat dengan memanfaatkan lahan tanam tebu dan air sungai mengalir. Abstrak Nganjuk Regency is one of the areas that is considered very potential in developing its tourism industry, especially in the field of natural tourism. With areas located in the lowlands and mountains. In this case the Government provides counseling on the realization of tourism villages as an effort to increase village income, so as to motivated local communities to establish tourism based villages. In Betet Village, Ngronggot District, it also has natural potential regarding village tourism, namely Betet Farmers Tourism. Where this farming tourism is located near the rice fields of local residents by utilizing sugar cane planting land and flowing river water.