ENHANCEMENT OF TOMATO ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES CONTROL USING A NOVEL BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT IN NORTH SINAI

This study focuses on using olive mill waste water (OMWW) as a novel biological treatment to decrease plant diseases while improving food quality. Root-knot nematode Meloidogyne is considered one of the main tomato diseases in North Sinai. The current study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of diffracting olive mill waste waters concentrations compared with the nematicide Oxamylon on Tomato Root-knot. OMWW was applied daily to tomato plants growing in sandy loam soil for three months. Represented five different concentration of OMWW (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) used for irrigation during the experiment. The positive control treatment was treated with Oxamyl at recommended dose. The negative control was watered only with tap water (0%). The results showed that mortality rates of M. incognita were significantly affected by concentrations. All treatments were superior to the untreated control in reducing nematode, except for OMWWs at 100 %, which was equivalent to the control treatment. The largest drop in root galling numbers Oxamyl was achieved (75.73%) was followed by 50% at (73.81%), 75% (68.01%), and 25% (39.67%). The highest reductions rated were recorded with the 50%and 75% concentrations used of OMWW. Overall, in the effort of efficient biological treatments was achieved for root knot control measures in tomato, the OMWW application may be used as one factor of integrated root-knot nematode management.

Dietary Supplementation of Olive Mill Waste Water Polyphenols in Rabbits: Evaluation of the Potential Effects on Hepatic Apoptosis, Inflammation and Metabolism through RT-qPCR Approach

Agro-industrial processing for the production of food or non-food products generates a wide range of by-products and residues rich in bioactive compounds including polyphenols. The concentration of these by-products is sometimes higher than in the original raw material as in the case of olive mill waste water (OMWW), one of the main by-products of olive oil extraction. Polyphenols are secondary plant metabolites that regulate the expression of specific inflammatory genes, transcriptional factors and pro/anti-apoptotic molecules, thus modulating the signaling pathways essential for cell health and homeostasis. The liver plays a key role in regulating homeostasis by responding to dietary changes in order to maintain nutritional and physiological states. In this study a nutrigenomic approach was adopted, which focuses on the effects of diet–health–gene interactions and the modulation of cellular processes, in order to evaluate the expression of the genes (AGER, BAX, COX2, IL1B, PPARA, PPARG, SIRT1, TNFA) involved in these interactions in the livers of rabbits fed with a diet supplemented with OMWW (POL) or without supplements (control, CTR). The RT-qPCR analysis showed the down-regulation of SIRT1, TNFA, AGER, BAX and PPARA transcripts in the POL group compared to the CTR group. These results show that OMWW dietary supplementation prevents cell death and tissue deterioration in rabbits.

Chemical and biochemical changes in soil after biochar-treated OMW digestate amendment

<p>Anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic wastes is a promising alternative to landfilling for reducing greenhouse gas emission and it is encouraged by current regulation in Europe. AD represents a source of green energy, while the by-product digestate still generates concerns for a safely disposal. The sustainability of AD plants partly depends on the management of digestion residues. Digestate could be used in organic amendment straightaway or after composting to limit possible phytotoxicity effects on crops. This study has been focused on the environmental benefits of digested olive mill wastewater (OMW), recalcitrant agricultural waste. OMW require a complex management due to high production volume in a limited time, fermentative processes occurring during the storage, and toxicity due to phenol compounds. These latter might compromise the AD process affecting microbial metabolism. As biochar is able to adsorb and retain organic and inorganic pollutants, we used biochar as additives during AD to remove phenols, stimulate microbial activity and therefore hydrogen and methane production. The resulted digestates including biochar could be used in order to increase the carbon stock in soil as a valid alternative to other organic amendments.</p><p>The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of solid and liquid digestates, obtained from the AD process of OMW with biochar (30 and 45%), as additive, on soil chemical and biochemical properties in order to validate its use in organic amendment in lab-scale experiment. The liquid and solid digestates were added to soil according to the maximum dose allowed by the Italian nitrates directive concerning non-vulnerable areas (91/676/EEC, DGR 209/2007). Pots containing soil differently amended with liquid and solid digestates were prepared also for the growth of <em>Lactuca sativa</em> L. seedlings.</p><p>Thirty days after treatments, positive changes in chemical and biochemical properties in soil pots with biochar-treated digestates, in particular with liquid ones, occurred. Soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon and some soil enzymatic activities such as dehydrogenase, phosphomonoesterase, β-glucosidase and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis significantly improved. Besides an enhancement of lettuce biomass, a significant decrease of nitrate content in plant tissue was registered when pots were amended with biochar-treated digestates.</p><p>The assessment of the agronomic quality of liquid and solid digestates, obtained by biochar assisted AD of OMW, as organic soil amendment, demonstrated that also critical biomass such as OMW, if opportunely treated, can entry in a re-use process where biogas and by-products can be part of virtuous circular economy.</p><p>This work was part of the project “Mitigation of the environmental impact of olive mill waste water through sustainable bioprocess with energy recovery” funded by the Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II.</p>

A review of the evolution in the research of antioxidants in olives and olive oil during the last four decades

Olives and olive oil have established, through centuries, strong bonds with the prosperity and well being of the Mediterranean people. Numerous studies have featured them as main antioxidant sources, based on their phenolic profile, which includes phenolic acids and alcohols, polyphenols, lignans, secoiridoids, oleacein and oleocanthal. Several factors, such as cultivar, fruit maturation, processing methods, storage conditions etc. affect the presence of these significant constituents in the products. Re-use of olive mill waste water has been studied to enrich the phenolic profile of the final product. Olive oil is considered a functional food with extensive use in the food industry. The biological effects of olives and virgin olive oil components include protection against cardiovascular diseases, anti-inflammation action, neuro and endothelial protection etc. Research studies, in vitro and in vivo, in humans and in animals have been performed to better understand the metabolism and bioactivity of olives and olive oil phenolics. Olives and olive oil antioxidants are not only absorbed by the body, but can also attach to the lining of the digestive tract, contributing to the health impact afforded by these products. Laboratory methods and techniques used so far for the qualitative and quantitative identification of these compounds are cited.

Effect of polyphenols on activated sludge biomass during the treatment of highly diluted olive mill wastewaters: biomass dynamics and purifying performances

This study aims to investigate the feasibility of treating olive mill waste water (OMWW) by activated sludge pilot (AS) after its high dilution (1%) by urban waste water (UWW) and to study the effect of polyphenol compounds on the biomass during the treatment. Specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR), mixed liquor volatile suspended solids (MLVSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total polyphenols, were followed up over 100 days. In spite of the polyphenols' high concentration (up to 128 mg·L−1), successful biomass growth of 7.12 g MLVSS.L −1 and activity were achieved. Most of the bacteria (Pseudomonas sp., Klebsiella oxytoca, Citrobacter fereundii, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus sp.) and fungi (Trichoderma sp., Rhizopus sp., Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp., Alternaria) identified in the aerobic basin during the stabilization stage were known to be resistant to OMWW and showed effective adaptation of the biomass to polyphenols in high concentration. COD and polyphenols were highly eliminated (90%, 92% respectively). The sludge volume index in the pilot settling tank was almost constant at around 120 mL.g −1. This suggests the possibility of managing OMWW by simple injection at a given percentage in already functioning conventional AS treating UWW.

Effect of Olive Mill Wastewaters on Scenedesmus Sp. Growth, Metabolism and Phenols Removal

Background The industry of olive oil produces large wastewater quantities. The elimination of these toxic by-products is an important environmental issue that requires a sufficient solution. In this study, Scenedesmus sp. was used for the simultaneous lipid and antioxidant molecules production and olive mill wastewater biodegradation.Results The two-stage olive mill wastewater cultivation did not significantly inhibit the production of microalgal biomass, compared to a single growth stage, when OMW and OMUF were supplied at the beginning of cultivation. OMUF, at 40%, enhanced the Ch a, b and carotenoids amounts (2.57, 7.4 and 1.69 mg/g dw, respectively), and protein and carbohydrate accumulation (350.96 and 315.62 ng/cell, respectively), after single phase culture. However, the highest OMUF and OMW concentrations increased total lipid content to 639. 13 and 679.86 ng/cell, respectively. About 58% of phenol removal was achieved and highest accumulation of polyphenols in algal cells with 40% OMUF condition under one stage strategy. The highest OMUF and OMW concentrations exhibited highest DPPH and ABTS scavenging ability after single and two-phase culture. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of the OMUF against HEK- 293 human embryonic kidney cells was evaluated by MTT assay. The MTT assay showed that the biomass of Scenedesmus sp. cultured on Tunisian filtered olive mill waste water did not shown any toxic effect.Conclusion Our results indicate that Scenedesmus sp. is a promising microalga for the biotreatment of OMW and the production of bioactive metabolites.

By-Products of Olive Oil in the Service of the Deficiency of Food Antioxidants: The Case of Butter

Further downstream in the olive oil extraction process, the Mediterranean Basin faces a serious environmental threat caused by olive waste. Despite their polluting profile, olive waste is considered to be a very rich source of natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols. In this study, the latter was valued as a source of natural antioxidants and compared with a synthetic antioxidant ascorbic acid. Concentrations of 2, 4, 6, and 8 mg of the olive mill waste water as well as pomace and ascorbic acid are added to butter (commercial butter) and placed under storage conditions in the oven (accelerated test: 60°C) for 3 months. The alteration of the butter used was followed by determination of the peroxide value and acidity and microbiological analysis. The results obtained show that butters containing olive by-products have undergone less marked oxidative deterioration than those of the control (without additives). The best oxidative stability of butter was achieved by adding 80 mg/kg of butter, a result comparable with that obtained by adding ascorbic acid.