Search Results (13)

An investigation of the effect of intense Hot Water Extraction (HWE) on the chemical properties and processability of shredded hemp stalks (Cannabis sativa L.) is presented in this study. The chemical composition of untreated hemp was compared to that of hemp subjected to V and XV successive HWE cycles. This study investigated changes in selected chemical compounds, such as extractives, lignin, cellulose, ash, and monosaccharides such as glucose and xylose. Additionally, post-HWE liquids were analyzed. Lignin content was determined by the UV–VIS spectrophotometry method, whereas monosaccharides (glucose, xylose) and inhibitors (formic acid, acetic acid, levulinic acid, ethanol, 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural, and furfural) were identified by HPLC. Extractives and ash were effectively removed by the HWE process, decreasing from 3.2 to 2.0% and from 3.9% to 2.7%, respectively. The reduction in acid-soluble lignin was an important finding, indicating a selective modification of the lignin matrix. By the end of V cycles, xylose content in the liquid phase significantly increased from 117.9% to 19.4%, indicating a reduction in hemicelluloses. The cellulose content of the solid material rose from 42.9% to 46.2% at the end of XV cycles. Full article

The growing environmental concerns associated with petroleum-based plastics require the development of sustainable, biodegradable alternatives. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of biodegradable bioplastics, offer a promising potential as eco-friendly substitutes due to their renewable origin and favorable degradation properties. This research investigates the use of synthetic condensate, mimicking the liquid fraction from drying and shredding of household food waste, as a viable substrate for PHA production using mixed microbial cultures. Two draw-fill reactors (DFRs) were operated under different feed organic concentrations (2.0 ± 0.5 and 3.8 ± 0.6 g COD/L), maintaining a consistent carbon-to-nitrogen ratio to selectively enrich microorganisms capable of accumulating PHAs through alternating nutrient availability and deficiency. Both reactors achieved efficient organic pollutant removal (>95% soluble COD removal), stable biomass growth, and optimal pH levels. Notably, the reactor with the higher organic load (DFR-2) demonstrated a modest increase in PHA accumulation (19.05 ± 7.18%) compared to the lower-loaded reactor (DFR-1; 15.19 ± 6.00%), alongside significantly enhanced biomass productivity. Polymer characterization revealed the formation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), influenced by the substrate composition. Microbial community analysis showed an adaptive shift towards Proteobacteria dominance, signifying successful enrichment of effective PHA producers. Full article

The aim of this research was to assess the influence of fresh miscanthus straw shreds as a component of growing media in nursery production of perennial Sedum spectabile ‘Stardust’ and woody shrub Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’. A total of five substrate mixes composed of peatmoss and miscanthus straw were used: 100%P, 70%P:30%M, 50%P:50%M, 70%P:30%M, 100%M. Each substrate was subjected to three fertilizer treatments: Basacote, Basacote + YaraMila, and YaraMila. The growth response of both tested species was very similar. In general, plants performed best in 100%P, and the quality decreased with increasing miscanthus straw amendment; however, differences in height and dry weight at the level of ~9% suggest that Sedum plants obtained market value with up to 50% miscanthus amendment and Hydrangea plants with up to 30% miscanthus mixed in media. The most favorable effect on the tested parameters was a combination of Basacote + YaraMila, which delivered more soluble salts, and in higher rates than Basacote and YaraMila used separately. Decrease in EC and nutrients in the substrate with increase in miscanthus straw amendment suggest that uniform irrigation among all the treatments contributed to nutrients leaching from miscanthus media due to its lower water holding capacity. Full article

Cattle manure usually contains a proportion of carbohydrates in the form of organic residues from incompletely digested feed and farm husbandry practices. These are not usually available for biogas production due to the long fermentation time. This paper investigates the optimal application of alkali, NaOH and KOH and mechanical pre-treatments to improve the degradation of the lignocellulosic content and the potential biogas yields from a local farm in Bavaria, Germany. Parameters such as temperature, pH, soluble chemical oxygen demand, organic acids, dry matter and volatile solids were analysed for this purpose. Alkali pre-treatments in 0.2, 0.1 and 0.05 M NaOH concentrations were tested in single mode and combined with shredding in batch experiments. The maximum increment of the soluble chemical oxygen demand during the pre-treatments took place during the first 50 h of experimentation, and it showed an improvement of 10,060.0 ± 8% mg/L s COD after the application of 0.2 M NaOH compared to the untreated substrate, which had an initial value of 2145.0 ± 8% mg/L s COD. Pre-treatments with 0.1 and 0.05 M NaOH concentrations showed similar s COD increments, with an additional 6860.0 ± 8% mg/L s COD and 8505.0 ± 8% mg/L s COD, respectively. The pH values varied strongly after the addition of the pre-treatment chemicals, with a continuous pH of 12 by 0.2 M NaOH during the 7 days of pre-treatment. Batch biogas experiments were done by applying 0.05 M NaOH and 0.05 M KOH pre-treatments in single mode and combined with shredding. The chemically pre-treated substrates showed a faster biogas production with an advantage of 18 days in comparison to the untreated cattle manure by a biogas yield of 350.0 NL/kg VS. All experiments were done under mesophilic conditions. Full article

An intensive processing mechanism that combined impact and shredding was applied to create physical disruption of whole-plant corn as a means to increase in situ dry matter (DM) digestion in lactating dairy cows. A ratio of treatment leachate conductivity relative to that of an ultimately processed treatment, defined as a processing level index, was used to quantify material physical disruption. Two processing levels were compared to a control treatment, which applied conventional chopping and kernel processing. The non-grain fraction was substantially size-reduced by processing such that only 28% to 51% by mass of this material remained greater than 6.4 mm length. After processing with the experimental processor, greater than 85% of kernels passed through a 4.75 mm screen, and the corn silage processing score (CSPS) was 18 to 27 percentage points greater than the control. The highly fiberized material was more compliant; thus, compacted density was 9% to 17% greater than the control. During in situ digestion experiments, processing significantly increased the rapidly soluble DM fraction by 10 percentage points and the extent of DM disappearance by 5 percentage points through 16 h incubation. Full article

Heat stress (HS) negatively influences livestock productivity, but it can be, at least in part, mitigated by nutritional interventions. One such intervention is to use byproducts from various sources that are likely to be included in the consumer chain. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of solubles from shredded, steam-exploded pine particles (SSPPs) on the performance and cecum microbiota in broilers subjected to acute HS. One-week-old Ross 308 broilers (n = 108) were fed 0%, 0.1%, or 0.4% SSPP in their diets. On the 37th day, forty birds were allocated to one of four groups; namely, a group fed a control diet without SSPPs at thermoneutral temperature (NT) (0% NT) and acute heat-stressed birds with 0% (0% HS), 0.1% (0.1% HS), and 0.4% (0.4% HS) SSPP-supplemented diets. The NT was maintained at 21.0 °C, while the HS room was increased to 31 °C. The final BW, percent difference in body weight (PDBW), and feed intake (FI) were lower in HS birds, but PDBW was reversely associated with dietary SSPP. Similarly, HS birds had a higher rectal temperature (RT) and ΔT in comparison to birds kept at NT. The FI of SSPP-supplemented birds was not significant, indicating lower HS effects. Plasma triglyceride was decreased in HS birds but not affected in 0.1% HS birds in comparison to 0% NT birds. OTUs and Chao1 were increased by 0.1% HS compared to 0% NT. Unweighted Unifrac distances for 0.1% HS were different from 0% NT and 0.4% HS. The favorable bacterial phylum (Tenericutes) and genera (Faecalibacterium and Anaerofustis) were increased, while the pathogenic genus (Enterococcus) was decreased, in SSPP-supplemented birds. In sum, production performances are negatively affected under acute HS. Dietary supplementation of SSPPs is beneficial for improving community richness indices and unweighted Unifrac distances, and it enhanced the advantageous bacterial phyla and reduced virulent genera and triglyceride hydrolysis in acute HS broilers. Our results indicate that dietary SSPPs modulates the microbial profile of the cecum while resulting in relatively less weight loss and lower rectal temperature compared to control. Full article

The article discusses the effect of modification of the plasticizing system of a single-screw extruder on selected physicochemical properties of rapeseed straw and buckwheat straw. A TS-45 single-screw extruder (ZMCh Metalchem, Gliwice, Poland) with an L/D = 12 plasticizing system was used for the process. The shredded straws were moistened to four moisture levels: 20, 25, 30 and 35% dry matter. Three different rotational speeds of the extruder screw were applied for the test cycle: 70, 90 and 110 rpm. The following characteristics were determined for the extrusion-cooking process: efficiency and specific mechanical energy. Selected physical properties were determined for the extrudates obtained in the process: water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), bulk density, and the efficiency of cumulative biogas and cumulative methane production expressed on dry mass, fresh mass, and fresh organic mass basis. It has been proved that the modification of the plasticizing system had a significant impact on the course of the process and the tested physicochemical properties. An important factor confirming the correctness of the modification is the increase in biogas efficiency. After modification, the highest yield of cumulative biogas from the fresh mass was 12.94% higher than in the sample processed before modification. Full article

Kiwi fruit samples (Actinidia deliciosa Planch, cv. Hayward) represent a suitable and good source for fibers obtainment as well as for polyphenolic and carotenoid extraction. With this aim, in this study they were submitted to a double phase extraction to separate insoluble fibers by an organic phase containing lipophilic substances and an hydroalcoholic phase containing polyphenols and soluble fibers. Insoluble fibers could be separated by filtration and sent to be micronized and reused. Hydroalcoholic fractions were then furtherly fractionated by solid-phase extraction. Data coming from the color CIEL*a*b* and the HPLC-DAD analyses of the extracts were compared and correlate with those coming from the SPME-GC/MS analysis of either the finely shredded peels or of the extracts. The obtained extracts were also submitted to anti-radical activity evaluation and anti-Candida activity. Results show that all of the obtained residues are value added products. Hypotheses were also made about the nature and the possible recycle of the obtained purified solid residue. Full article

In the coming years, the demand for safe electrical energy storage devices with high energy density will increase drastically due to the electrification of the transportation sector and the need for stationary storage for renewable energies. Advanced battery concepts like all-solid-state batteries (ASBs) are considered one of the most promising candidates for future energy storage technologies. They offer several advantages over conventional Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs), especially with regard to stability, safety, and energy density. Hardly any recycling studies have been conducted, yet, but such examinations will play an important role when considering raw materials supply, sustainability of battery systems, CO₂ footprint, and general strive towards a circular economy. Although different methods for recycling LIBs are already available, the transferability to ASBs is not straightforward due to differences in used materials and fabrication technologies, even if the chemistry does not change (e.g., Li-intercalation cathodes). Challenges in terms of the ceramic nature of the cell components and thus the necessity for specific recycling strategies are investigated here for the first time. As a major result, a recycling route based on inert shredding, a subsequent thermal treatment, and a sorting step is suggested, and transferring the extracted black mass to a dedicated hydrometallurgical recycling process is proposed. The hydrometallurgical approach is split into two scenarios differing in terms of solubility of the ASB-battery components. Hence, developing a full recycling concept is reached by this study, which will be experimentally examined in future research. Full article

Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the recognized host cell receptor responsible for mediating infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). ACE2 bound to tissue facilitates infectivity of SARS-CoV-2; thus, one could argue that decreasing ACE2 tissue expression would be beneficial. However, ACE2 catalytic activity towards angiotensin I (Ang I) and II (Ang II) mitigates deleterious effects associated with activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) on several organs, including a pro-inflammatory status. At the tissue level, SARS-CoV-2 (a) binds to ACE2, leading to its internalization, and (b) favors ACE2 cleavage to form soluble ACE2: these actions result in decreased ACE2 tissue levels. Preserving tissue ACE2 activity while preventing ACE2 shredding is expected to circumvent unrestrained inflammatory response. Concerns have been raised around RAAS modulators and their effects on ACE2 expression or catalytic activity. Various cellular and animal models report conflicting results in various tissues. However, recent data from observational and meta-analysis studies in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients have concluded that RAAS modulators do not increase plasma ACE2 levels or susceptibility to infection and are not associated with more severe diseases. This review presents our current but evolving knowledge of the complex interplay between SARS-CoV-2 infection, ACE2 levels, modulators of RAAS activity and the effects of RAAS modulators on ACE2 expression. Full article

Studies on the oxidative changes in meat-based, low-moisture, ready to eat foods are complicated due to complex food system and slow lipid-protein oxidative deterioration. The current study evaluates the oxidative changes over six months of storage on shredded beef and chicken products (locally known as serunding) for physicochemical analysis, lipid oxidation (conjugated dienes and malondialdehydes) and protein co-oxidation (soluble protein content, amino acid composition, protein carbonyl, tryptophan loss and Schiff base fluorescence) at 25 °C, 40 °C and 60 °C. The lipid stability of chicken serunding was significantly lower than beef serunding, illustrated by higher conjugated dienes content and higher rate of malondialdehyde formation during storage. In terms of protein co-oxidation, chicken serunding with higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) experienced more severe oxidation, as seen from lower protein solubility, higher protein carbonyl and Schiff base formation compared to beef serunding. To conclude, chicken serunding demonstrates lower lipid and protein stability and exhibits higher rate of lipid oxidation and protein co-oxidation than beef serunding. These findings provide insights on the progression of lipid oxidation and protein co-oxidation in cooked, shredded meat products and could be extrapolated to minimize possible adverse effects arising from lipid oxidation and protein co-oxidation, on the quality of low-moisture, high-lipid, high-protein foods. Full article

In this study, the fruits and leaves of wild blueberries grown naturally in our country will be evaluated by using different infusion and boiling methods. Blueberry teas; leaves, raw fruit, dried and shredded raw fruit, fruit beans and seedless raw fruit of different infusions were used after boiling them for 1 min, 3 min, 5 min, 7 min, 10 min. Phenolic levels were determined by LC MS/MS technique. The antioxidant and activities of all products in the vitro HCT-116 colon cancer cell line were analyzed by spectrophotometric methods. MDA and TEAC were evaluated for antioxidant activity. Cytotoxicity and viability tests were performed by adding WST-8 (Water Soluble Tetrazolium Salt-8) solution. For apoptosis, TRAIL and Apaf-1 ELISA Kit were used for the activation of caspases of intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Full article

Liquid- or solid substrate-cultured Penicillium polonicum administered in feed to rats over several days evokes a histopathological response in kidney involving apoptosis and abnormal mitosis in proximal tubules. The amphoteric toxin is yet only partly characterized, but can be isolated from cultured sporulating biomass in a fraction that is soluble in water and ethanol, and exchangeable on either anion- or cation-exchange resins. After several weeks of treatment renal proximal tubule distortion became striking on account of karyocytomegaly, but even treatment for nearly two years remained asymptomatic. Extract from a batch of solid substrate fermentation of P. polonicum on shredded wheat was incorporated into feed for rats during four consecutive days, and also given as an aqueous solution by oral gavage to a vervet monkey daily for 10 days. Treatment was asymptomatic for both types of animal. Rat response was evident as the typical renal apoptosis and karyomegaly. In contrast there was no such response in the primate; and neither creatinine clearance nor any haematological characteristic or serum component concentration deviated from a control or from historical data for this primate. The contrast is discussed concerning other negative findings for P. polonicum in pigs and hamsters. Renal karyomegaly, as a common rat response to persistent exposure to ochratoxin A, is not known in humans suspected as being exposed to more than the usual trace amounts of dietary ochratoxin A. Therefore the present findings question assumptions that human response to ochratoxin A conforms to that in the rat. Full article