Nitrous Oxide Prediction in Manure from Pigs Given Mustard x Grapeseed Oil Cakes as a Replacement for Sunflower Meal

During the last century, the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) from the livestock sector increased significantly. N2O is a greenhouse gas with 298-fold higher global warming potential (GWP) than CO2. Pigs accounted for about 26% of N2O emissions. The formation of N2O occurs through nitrification and denitrification processes in manure. This study aimed to estimate N2O production in the manure of growing-finishing pigs by using our experimental data in the model. The associative effects of dietary mustard and grapeseed oil cakes (MxG), as an alternative for sunflower meal (SFM), on performance and efficiency traits were also determined. Forty growing-finishing pigs were randomly allocated in two groups (2 replicates per group) fed two diets: C diet (based on SFM, 15 wt) and E diet (based on M and G mixture, 7:8 wt:wt). Our model includes as initial input data: body weight (BW), feed intake, nitrogen intake, dietary dry matter, and fibre intake. Using literature prediction equations, including total nitrogen output (TNO) as the main parameter, we established N2O production expressed as equivalent CO2 (E-CO2). A decline with 3% for BW (P=0.44), respectively 9.0% for average daily gain (ADG, P=0.21) in pigs given MxG was recorded. Correlated with growth parameters, efficiency traits (feed intake, feed: gain ratio, N and fibre intake) were decreased as well (P>0.05). Dietary addition of MxG led to a 5% lower level of N2O production in manure. The reduction of TNO was not significant (<7.14% in the E diet compared to the C diet). In our trial, a relatively low N intake percentage is retained in the pigs body (35.56% in the C group and 35.98% in the E group, P>0.05). Based on these results, we conclude that the inclusion of 15% MxG mixture in pigs diets, although slightly declining growth parameters, is a valuable nutritional solution by their contribution to lowering N2O and N output in the manure.

Biochar from Oil Cakes: An Efficient Adsorbent for the Removal of Acid Dyes From Wool Dye House Effluent

Textile dyeing industries are one of the major culprits for environmental pollution. The industries are adopting various processes for the removal of dyes and chemicals from the effluent before disposing to the land or water bodies. In the reported study, biochars were prepared from almond, coconut, and mustard oil cakes by chemical activation with phosphoric acid followed by low temperature pyrolysis. The ball milling technique was employed to reduce the particle size of the biochars below 300 nm. The synthesized biochars were used for the removal of color from the acid dye effluent from the wool dyeing unit. The results showed that very small quantities (2.0 %) of biochars are sufficient to remove around 92% color from the dye effluent. The batch adsorption and kinetic studies indicate the highest efficiency of color removal for the biochar derived from almond oil cake, followed by mustard and coconut. The adsorption properties of the synthesized biochars were found to be greatly depending on the type of oil cake used. It is concluded that the biochars produced from the oil cakes may be a partial replacement of petroleum based activated carbon for the color removal from wool textile dye effluent.

Effect of oil cake extract and organic manure on wilt of chickpea (Cicer areitinum L.) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri in vitro

Studies were conducted to test the effect of oil cakes and organic manures on the growth of wilt pathogen under in vitro conditions. The extract of different oil cakes and organic manures were tested against F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceri by poisoned food techniques in vitro. Least growth of pathogen was recorded in extracts of Neem cake showing excellent inhibitory effect of 70.87 percent reduction over control. Next best in order of mustard cake (65.36 %), linseed (62.99%), groundnut (53.36%) and least by other. Among the organic manures tested, vermi compost and FYM showed maximum growth inhibition of 35.95 and 30.62 percent over control, respectively.

Various Perspectives on Microbial Lipase Production Using Agri-Food Waste and Renewable Products

Lipases are enzymes that catalyze various types of reactions and have versatile applications. Additionally, lipases are the most widely used class of enzymes in biotechnology and organic chemistry. Lipases can be produced by a wide range of organisms including animals, plants and microorganisms. Microbial lipases are more stable, they have substrate specificity and a lower production cost as compared to other sources of these enzymes. Although commercially available lipases are widely used as biocatalysts, there are still many challenges concerning the production of microbial lipases with the use of renewable sources as the main component of microbial growth medium such as straw, bran, oil cakes and industrial effluents. Submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF) are the two important technologies for the production of lipases by microorganisms. Therefore, this review focuses on microbial lipases, especially their function, specificity, types and technology production, including the use of renewable agro-industrial residues and waste materials.

Herbal Additives Substantially Modify Antioxidant Properties and Tocopherol Content of Cold-Pressed Oils

The aim of the study was to examine combinations of base oils and herbal additives with a view to obtaining macerates with improved health benefits. Base oils were cold-pressed from the seeds of black cumin, borage, evening primrose, safflower, walnut, common hazel, and oilseed rape, as well as the flesh of sea-buckthorn fruits. They were then supplemented with herbs, including basil, thyme, and sage, in order to create macerates. Total antioxidant activity and tocopherol level were analyzed in oils, macerates, and oil cakes. Additionally, chemical properties of oil cakes—such as the level of fibre, vitamin C, β-carotene, and lutein—were also examined. Supplementation with herbs caused diversified effects on antioxidant activity and tocopherol level in macerates depending on the base oil, herb, and supplementation method. The obtained results indicate that tocopherol level does not play a decisive role in determining the antioxidant properties of oils, macerates, and oil cakes, suggesting significant involvement of other antioxidants. Among the tested macerates, the most promising one seems to be oilseed rape oil enriched with sage or basil to maximize its health benefits. The study can serve as a starting point for the development and implementation of functional macerates and oil cakes in healthy nutrition.

Study on the Risk Assessment of Spontaneous Ignition and of Perilla Oil Cakes Associated Activation Energy

Perilla oil cakes are the residues of oil pressing processes, and used as fertilizers, feedstuff, food, etc. However, according to recent reports, perilla oil cakes often ignite spontaneously due to scorching heat, particularly in rice mills, general mills, and oil mills where large amounts of perilla oil cakes are stored. Thus, in this study, we attempted to elucidate the risk of spontaneous ignition of perilla oil cakes. For this purpose, thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA) was performed to identify thermal properties like weight reduction and heat generation, and spontaneous ignition was conducted for sample vessels of different thicknesses. The results showed that the ignition temperature of perilla oil cakes was 115 ℃ for the small (20 cm × 20 cm × 3 cm) vessel. The apparent activation energy associated with the critical ignition temperature was 60.74 kJ/mol. The ignition delay time and the time to reach maximum temperature were both found to increase with increasing vessel thickness. It was concluded that proper protection against heat must be in place because fire risk increases and spontaneous ignition can occur when large amounts of perilla oil cakes are accumulated.