Banana Pseudostem Research Articles

ANN-GA, ANFIS-GA and Thermodynamics base modeling of crude oil removal from surface water using organic acid grafted banana pseudo stem fiber

Banana pseudo stem fiber adsorbent (BPSF) with well-ordered framework of porosity was fabricated via esterification reaction between organic acid and the biomass. The resulting adsorbent (BPSF) was applied for the removal of crude oil from water surface. Optimization and modeling of the process parameters was done using response surface methodology (RSM), artificial neural network-genetic algorithm (ANN-GA), and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system-genetic algorithm (ANFIS-GA). Result shows that the optimum removal of oil occurred at oil water ratio of 0.4 g /100cm3 with 94.8% oil removal. Meanwhile, BPSF exhibited high adsorptive potential at a very low pH of 4 with 95.12% oil removal. Thermodynamic studies revealed activation energy, change in enthalpy and change in entropy of the process as (19.55, 24.68, -0.438 KJ/mols) and (53.82,31.66, -0.186 KJ/mols) indicating non-spontaneous process. Equilibrium modeling revealed that the composite material was highly matched to Langmuir isotherm model with regression coefficient > 98% with maximum adsorption capacity of 53.26 mg/g. Optimization of the process shows the optimum conditions as 100 °C, 0.4 g/100cm3, 2.1 g, 6 and 75 mins for temperature, oil concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH and time. RSM, ANFIS, and ANN models adequately predicted the oil removal with correlation coefficient > 0.97 but statistically, ANN was the best model followed by ANFIS and RSM models. Results obtained from this investigation has shown that esterified banana pseudo stem fiber composite is an efficient, economic viable and sustainable adsorbent since the properties obtained is competing favorably with commercial adsorbents.

Assessment of Product Yield and Characteristics of Biocrude from Hydrothermal Liquefaction

Biomass is a promising renewable energy source for fuel conversion. Hydrothermal liquefaction technology converts biomass into an energy-rich biofuel called biocrude which can potentially substitute fossil fuels. In this study, wet biomass namely water hyacinth, banana pseudostem, banana peduncle, wine waste and beer waste were investigated for biocrude production. The biomass macro molecules underwent anaerobic thermochemical disintegration to yield biocrude in the range of 7.3 to 16% at the hydrothermal liquefaction temperature and pressure of 275 ºC and 15 MPa respectively. Wine waste showed higher biocrude yield (16%) among the selected biomass materials with aqueous phase (63%) and char (3%) as by products. The recovered biocrude showed good quality fuel properties similar to diesel and bio-diesel with heating value of about 30 MJ kg-1. GCMS and FTIR analyses proved the biocrude to be rich in aliphatic and aromatic fuel and chemical derivatives of alkenes, alcohols, ketones and amines which necessitate its potential to drop in advanced fuels and chemicals for supplementing conventional resources.

Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanofibers from Banana Pseudostem by Acid Hydrolysis: Physico-Chemical and Thermal Properties

Cellulose is a biopolymer that may be derived from a variety of agricultural wastes such as rice husks, wheat straw, banana, and so on. Cellulose fibril that is reduced in size, often known as nanocellulose (NC), is a bio-based polymer with nanometer-scale widths with a variety of unique properties. The use of NC as a reinforcing material for nanocomposites has become a popular research issue. This research paper focuses on the production of banana pseudostem cellulose nanofiber. Nano-sized fiber was obtained from banana pseudostem through several processes, namely, grinding, sieving, pre-treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis. The product yield was found to be 40.5% and 21.8% for Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, respectively, by the weight of the raw fiber. The reduction in weight was due to the removal of hemicellulose and lignin during processing. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the average fiber size decreased from 180 µm to 80.3 ± 21.3 nm. Finally, FTIR analysis showed that the fibers experienced chemical changes after the treatment processes.

Valorization of banana pseudostem: endoxylanase production by Streptomyces sp. SH5027 using statistical approaches and its characterization and application in bread making

The present study aimed to achieve a cost-effective production of endoxylanase by Streptomyces sp. SH5027 using banana pseudostem with the combination of conventional and statistical optimization and to determine the biochemical properties of the enzyme and its effect on bread making. Enzyme production increased from 7.25 U/mL to 50.21 U/mL as a result of the optimization studies. The enzyme was stable at 50-75 °C and also retained more than 50% of its activity at pH 5.0-9.0 for an hour at optimum temperature. The calculated Km value for the purified enzyme was 1.689 mg/mL.min, while the Vmax value was 23.17 µmol/min.mg. The specific volume of the bread increased 9.6%, 12.8%, and 16.8% when 200 U, 300 U, and 400 U endoxylanase was added to the flour per kg, respectively. This study is the first to be conducted on the statistical optimization of endoxylanase production using banana pseudostem.

Influence of Organic Nutrient Sources on Yield and Economics of Vegetable Cluster Bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) Variety – MDU1

Cluster bean is one of the important industrial legume crop, favoured semi-arid and arid farmers by its drought tolerance and nitrogen fixation capacity. A investigation was carried out to study the impact of various organic nutrient sources on the yield and economics of the vegetable cluster bean. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and three replications at wetland farms, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during Kharif season, 2018. The yield parameters were recorded after each picking from five tagged plants and averaged for statistical analysis. The yield of vegetable cluster bean from the net plot area at each picking was noted. The harvest index, gross returns, net returns and the benefit-cost ratio was calculated for each of the treatment. Significantly higher pod length, pod weight, yield, harvest index and gross returns (11.6 cm, 2.4 g, 11084 kg/ha, 2.4, Rs. 1,66,254/ha, respectively) were recorded under recommended dose of fertilizer (50:50:40-N:P:K) in addition to the foliar spray of TNAU pulse wonder. However, all these parameters were statistically on par with treatments such as organic farmer’s practice and 25 t/ha of Farm yard manure (FYM) along with a foliar spray of 3% Panchagavya. But economics net returns and benefit-cost ratio were higher with humic acid @ 6 l/ha along with banana pseudostem sap @ 2% followed by Humic acid @ 6 l/ha along with Panchagavya @ 3% and organic farmers practice. Considering the safer environment, human health and economic feasibility the farmer’s practice of applying FYM @ 10 t/ha in addition with Jeevamruth @ 500l/ha and foliar spray of Panchagavya @ 3% is found to provide higher yields and profits in vegetable cluster bean.

High-pressure carbon dioxide-hydrothermal enhance yield and methylene blue adsorption performance of banana pseudo-stem activated carbon

In order to reduce environmental risks and fungus disease spread of banana waste, the high-pressure CO2-hydrothermal treatment was developed to produce hydrochar as a precursor of activated carbon from banana pseudo-stem(BP). SEM, BET, XRD, Raman and FTIR was used to investigate the influence mechanism of the high-pressure CO2-hydrothermal pretreatment on the yield and methylene blue(MB) adsorption capacities of the activated carbon. The results show that although the adsorption capacities of BP after high-pressure CO2-hydrothermal pretreatment(BPx) is decrease due to decrease of oxygen-containing functional group and flatter spatial structure, that of BPx after KOH activation(BPx-A) significantly increase and is higher than that of BP by direct KOH activation(BP-A). Because BP-A presents honeycomb porous microstructures and has a higher mesoporous structure(138–472 m2/g), plentiful active sites and rich the abundant influential adsorption group of MB adsorption. In addition, compared to BP-A(0.68%), the total yield of BPx-A(2.42–9.11%) is 356–1340%.

Rapid and mass production of biopesticide Trichoderma Brev T069 from cassava peels using newly established solid-state fermentation bioreactor system

Converting agricultural waste into value-added biopesticides to replace chemical pesticides for plant protection is a good alternative for environmental sustainability and resource recycling. In this study, five tropical wastes (cassava peels, banana pseudostem, coconut shell, sugarcane bagasse, and pineapple peels) were screened as substrates for the rapid production of biopesticide Trichoderma Brev T069. Five single tests and a Box-Behnken design (BBD) with response surface methodology were used to optimize the culture conditions to improve the spore yield. The results showed that cassava peel was the optimal solid fermentation substrate, and the optimization enabled a spore yield of 9.31 × 109 spores/g at 3rd day, which was equal to 93.19% of spore yield obtained at 5th day (9.99 × 109 spores/g). A newly packed-bed bioreactor with agitation and ventilation system was developed and used to expand the production that 250 kg of biopesticide (2.89 × 109 spores/g) could be available on the 3rd day. A pot experiment indicated that the biopesticide T. Brev T069 obtained under this production system, when applied at 1 × 107 spores/g of soil had a 64.65% biocontrol efficiency on banana fusarium wilt. This study provides a practical solution for turning a tropical waste into an effective biopesticide which can prevent banana wilt disease, thereby helping to reduce disease management cost and overcome environmental hazards caused by synthetic pesticides.

Design and Development of a Catalytic Fixed-Bed Reactor for Gasification of Banana Biomass in Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen produced from biomass is an alternative energy source to fossil fuels. In this study, hydrogen production by gasification of the banana plant is proposed. A fixed-bed catalytic reactor was designed considering fluidization conditions and a height/diameter ratio of 3/1. Experimentation was carried out under the following conditions: 368 °C, atmospheric pressure, 11.75 g of residual mass of the banana (pseudo-stem), an average particle diameter of 1.84 mm, and superheated water vapor as a gasifying agent. Gasification reactions were performed using a catalyzed and uncatalyzed medium to compare the effectiveness of each case. The catalyst was Ni/Al2O3, synthesized by coprecipitation. The gas mixture produced from the reaction was continuously condensed to form a two-phase liquid–gas system. The synthesis gas was passed through a silica gel filter and analyzed online by gas chromatography. To conclude, the results of this study show production of 178 mg of synthesis gas for every 1 g of biomass and the selectivity of hydrogen to be 51.8 mol% when a Ni 2.5% w/w catalyst was used. The amount of CO2 was halved, and CO was reduced from 3.87% to 0% in molar percentage. Lastly, a simulation of the distribution of temperatures inside the furnace was developed; the modeled behavior is in agreement with experimental observations.

Quality and economics of fenugreek as influenced by effect of foliar application of panchagavya and banana pseudostem sap

A field experiment on “Effect of foliar application of panchagavya and banana pseudostem sap on growth and seed yield of fenugreek” was carried out at Agronomy Instructional Farm, Chimanbhai Patel College of Agriculture, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar during rabi 2020-21. The results revealed that significant improvement in seed yield, straw yield, protein content, highest gross realization (₹64,746/ha) and net realization (₹34,259/ha) was noted with an application of treatment T4 (Panchagavya @ 4% spray at pre flowering + pod setting stage) over other treatments but which remained at par with treatment T10 with respect to seed yield, straw yield, protein content and gross realization ₹62,748 and T3 (Panchagavya @ 4% spray at pod setting) for net realization (₹32,863). The highest value of benefit: cost ratio (2.14) was accrued with treatment T3 closely followed by treatment T4 with BCR of 2.12.

Electrospinning of liquefied banana stem residue in conjugation with hydroxyapatite nanocrystals: towards new scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Electrospun fibers have high structural similarity to the extracellular matrix. Some researchers have tried to fabricate cellulose nanofibers using electrospinning, although the fabricated fibers usually exhibited a non-uniform texture. Moreover, the fabricated mats always suffer from low biological and mechanical properties. Thus, the objective of this study was first to produce a naturally occurring cellulose from banana pseudo-stem. The native cellulose was then used to electrospin in order to determine how a Taguchi L9 orthogonal array can be used to fabricate a defect-free fibrous mat. Finally, cellulose was incorporated with hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles to generate a new fibrous construct in which cellulose provides a suitable environment for cell attachment and HA act as a strong filler increasing the mechanical properties. The results revealed that cellulose concentration of solution and applied voltage had the greatest effect on morphology of the fibers. The morphological characterization of the nanocomposites showed that they had a uniform nanofibrous texture without any significant bead, splashing or particle agglomeration. According to the mechanical tests, the samples containing the higher concentration of HA had a significantly higher mechanical strength. The results obtained from bioactivity analysis indicated an interesting morphological transformation into a flake-like structure which confirmed the high bioactivity of the scaffolds. Moreover, in vitro studies showed a pronounced increase in proliferation of bone cells on cellulose/HA nanocomposites compared to the neat cellulose. Given the high strength and the high biological activity, the new cellulose/HA scaffold can be promising for bone regeneration applications.Graphical abstract

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF VERMICOMPOST USING AGROWASTES

Agricultural waste disposal is a major problem in agricultural sector. The use of agricultural waste for making compost is a better way for waste management. On this aspect a study was conducted to make use of agricultural waste to a useful product that could be beneficial to agriculture. The experiment on vermicomposting using various agricultural wastes was performed to improve the quality of vermicompost. The effect of various agricultural wastes such as paddy straw T1, banana leaf T2 and banana pseudostem T3 wastes were determined. From the results of the study, it was found that vermicompost productivity was 58±1.3% in T1, 50.5±2.3% in T2 and 46.5±1.8% in T3. The result suggested that T3 (banana pseudostem + 30% cow dung) showed significantly higher NPK content (1.86±0.07, 0.88±0.02 and 1.74±0.02%) and short harvest period when compared to vermicomposting using paddy straw and banana leaf waste. The pH, EC and organic carbon were reduced in all the three (T1, T2 and T3) treatments. Hence from the current study, it was concluded that massive amount of banana pseudostem wasted after harvest can be used to make vermicompost with less effort and low cost with potential application in agriculture and thereby reduce air and land pollution.

Enzymatic Degumming of Banana Fibers by Enterobacter cloacae PMC04 for Fineness Improvisation: An Eco-friendly Approach

ABSTRACT Banana fibers could gruntle the thirst for natural fibers in textile industries. Banana fibers are prominent for eco-friendliness, durability, and biodegradability. Our study demonstrates that Enterobacter cloacae PMC04, isolated from banana waste decomposed soil, could produce pectinolytic enzymes using dried banana pseudostem as solid substrate by fermentation and their application in banana fiber degumming for textile processing. Enterobacter cloacae PMC04 exhibited elevated pectinase activity (177.1901 U/ml) and pectin lyase activity (34.21818 U/ml) with citrus pectin and yeast extract under optimal pH (pH 10.0) and temperature (45°C) conditions. In reconciliation with the obtained results, it is found that pectinase enzyme is suitable for the degumming of banana fibers. The optimized degumming condition of banana fiber was identified to be 55°C, 4 hours and 30% enzymatic dosage. The maximum galacturonide released from the fiber degumming system was recognized to be 0.8121 mmol/ml. The surface morphology, functional group, thermal analysis, and tensile analysis of the enzymatic degummed banana fiber were significant compared to the chemically treated fiber. Based on the studies, it is inferred that enzymatic degumming of banana fiber could be regarded as an alternative approach for feasible application in textile industries

Enhanced Cellulase Production by Talaromyces amestolkiae CMIAT055 Using Banana Pseudostem

Cellulases are a complex of enzymes necessary for the complete solubilization of cellulose in sugars, thus playing a key role in the natural carbon cycle through the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic structures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the increase in the capacity of Talaromyces amestolkiae CMIAT 055 to produce cellulases by optimizing the components of the culture medium containing banana pseudostem as an inducer, as well as in different agitation configurations in a bioreactor. Optimization was performed through statistical experimental design (Plackett–Burman and DCCR), a study of pH control in bioreactors, and a study of the agitation system by comparing impellers with different flow profiles in the liquid medium. For this purpose, a wild strain of Talaromyces amestolkiae CMIAT 055 was used. In the Plackett–Burman and DCCR statistical design, four components of the culture medium were significant and optimized for greater synthesis of FPase: banana pseudostem, CaCl2, KH2PO4, and urea. In bioreactors tests, these parameters were beneficial for greater enzyme activities: maintenance of pH at 5.0, use of Pitched blade impeller, and rotation speed at 300 rpm. Comparing the first test using banana pseudostem in an Erlenmeyer flask to the last fermentation process in bioreactors, it was observed that the total cellulase activity increased from 424.7 to 2172.8 FPU/L. This fact showed that the strategies adopted in this study are a pertinent way to reduce the cost of enzyme production through the use of lignocellulosic materials.Graphical Abstract

ECO-FRIENDLY PULPING OF BANANA PSEUDO-STEM WASTES WITH POTASSIUM-BASED PROCESSES

This study aimed to investigate the usability of banana pseudo-stem wastes, remaining from banana cultivation, with eco-friendly K-based pulping processes. Three different K-based pulping processes, KOH, KOH-K2SO3, KOH-NH4OH, and soda process as control were studied. The temperature and the total alkali ratio were kept constant, while the cooking time was varied (60 min and 120 min) for each K-based pulping method. It was found that 60 min at 165 °C with 20% alkaline charge (calculated as Na2O) are the optimum conditions for all K-based pulping processes of banana pseudo-stems. K-based pulps produced under the same pulping conditions were compared with the control soda pulp. The pulp samples were characterized in terms of their mechanical, physical, morphological and optical properties. Also, their Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was performed. Among the eco-friendly K-based pulping processes investigated here, the KOH process can be considered as a promising alternative for pulping banana pseudo-stem waste, due to the excellent papermaking properties achieved.

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystals Produced by Acid Hydrolysis from Banana Pseudostem

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanocrystals Produced by Acid Hydrolysis from Banana Pseudostem

A highly alkaline pectate lyase from the Himalayan hot spring metagenome and its bioscouring applications

From the vast enzymatic weaponry encrypted in the metagenomic resource of the Himalayan hot spring, a novel gene encoding pectate lyase (eplM) was identified. Mapping against the nucleotide non-redundant NCBI database could not reveal any match for this gene sequence. At the protein level, it was about 56.86% identical to an uncharacterized sequence from Rheinheimera tangshanensis. The novel gene, eplM, was cloned and expressed in a heterologous host, Escherichia coli. The purified protein, EPLM, was biochemically characterized for pectate lyase activity towards pectin. It exhibited the maximum activity in the alkaline pH range, with optimum activity at 11.0 pH (1524.10 U/mg). The enzyme was functional in the temperature range of 30–50 °C, with the optimum activity at 40 °C. EPLM was found to be a calcium-dependent enzyme that can efficiently act on the methylated pectin obtained from a diverse source of plant biomass. The catalytic utility of EPLM was tested by demonstrating bioscouring of banana pseudostem biomass. The micrographic changes in surface structures of the fibers and release of unsaturated galacturonides endorsed EPLM as a promising biocatalyst for pectin-removal processing applications.

Valorization of Agro-industrial Discards in Fermentation for the Production of Cellulase Enzyme

Cellulases are commercially important enzymes with application in various industries such as biofuel, detergent, food processing, brewery, pulp and paper. To make its production cost-effective, a preferred method is to use solid-state fermentation and with use of inexpensive substrates. Solid-state fermentation is an alternative culturing method and yields higher enzymes compared to submerged fermentation. In the current study, Aspergillus niger was isolated and further developed as inoculum for solid-state fermentation. Agroindustrial discards like banana pseudostem, jackfruit waste were used as the substrates. The substrates were pretreated by acid and were characterized by FTIR analysis to confirm the presence of cellulosic content. Different concentrations of the substrates were attempted for fermentation and the yield of the enzyme was compared. The solid-state fermentation was stable for enzyme production as well as microbial growth. The cellulase activity per gram of the substrate (U/g) was obtained maximum for jackfruit waste-based media (17±1.1 U/g). Both the lignocellulosic substrates were potential substrates for the production of cellulase enzyme. With further optimization and scale-up, this could be a cheap and sustainable process. This study has validated agro-industrial waste’s bioconversion into value-added products that have a remarkable environmental and economic advantage.

Acoustic performance of the banana pseudostem fiber

Environmental degradation caused by the extraction of the most commonly used materials in the acoustic treatment of enclosures has encouraged researchers to investigate the acoustic potential of natural ingredients and fibers, seeking possibilities for replacements. The acoustic potential of samples made with fibers extracted from the banana pseudostem, without the addition of a binder and with the application of a natural glue, was analyzed in the present study. For the experimental tests, an impedance tube was used, where sound absorption coefficients were verified using the transfer function technique, described in ISO 10534:2, at a frequency range of 100 to 6300 Hz. The results demonstrated that the fiber presents good potential for application at high frequencies, reaching a coefficient of 0.89 at 6300 Hz. In addition, the fiber was found to have similar sound absorption performance to yucca fiber and, at frequencies above 4000 Hz, it was superior to coconut fiber.

Diversity of Fusarium associated banana wilt in northern Viet Nam.

Fusarium is one of the most important fungal genera of plant pathogens that affect the cultivation of a wide range of crops. Agricultural losses caused by Fusariumoxysporumf.sp.cubense (Foc) directly affect the income, subsistence, and nourishment of thousands of farmers worldwide. For Viet Nam, predictions on the impact of Foc for the future are dramatic, with an estimated loss in the banana production area of 8% within the next five years and up to 71% within the next 25 years. In the current study, we applied a combined morphological-molecular approach to assess the taxonomic identity and phylogenetic position of the different Foc isolates collected in northern Viet Nam. In addition, we aimed to estimate the proportion of the different Fusarium races infecting bananas in northern Viet Nam. The morphology of the isolates was investigated by growing the collected Fusarium isolates on four distinct nutritious media (PDA, SNA, CLA, and OMA). Molecular phylogenetic relationships were inferred by sequencing partial rpb1, rpb2, and tef1a genes and adding the obtained sequences into a phylogenetic framework. Molecular characterization shows that c. 74% of the Fusarium isolates obtained from infected banana pseudostem tissue belong to F.tardichlamydosporum. Compared to F.tardichlamydosporum, F.odoratissimum accounts for c.10% of the Fusarium wilt in northern Viet Nam, demonstrating that Foc TR4 is not yet a dominant strain in the region. Fusariumcugenangense – considered to cause Race 2 infections among bananas – is only found in c. 10% of the tissue material that was obtained from infected Vietnamese bananas. Additionally, one of the isolates cultured from diseased bananas was phylogenetically not positioned within the F.oxysporum species complex (FOSC), but in contrast, fell within the Fusariumfujikuroi species complex (FFSC). As a result, a possible new pathogen for bananas may have been found. Besides being present on several ABB ‘Tay banana’, F.tardichlamydosporum was also derived from infected tissue of a wild Musalutea, showing the importance of wild bananas as a possible sink for Foc.

Biodegradable Pot (Biopot) Made from Water Hyacinth and Banana Pseudostem as Polybag Substitution for Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao L.) Nursery

The plant nursery is an important cultivation phase to improve the quality of cocoa. However, the conventional nursery container namely polybag has the potential risk to contaminate the environment if the waste is wrongfully handled. A biodegradable pot (BioPot) is a satisfactory alternative nursery container considering its plantable and degradable characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the effect of BioPot compositions and size to support the growth of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) seedling as polybag substitution. This research was conducted using a randomized complete design with 1 control (polybag) and 15 treatments combination. The treatments consisted of 5 BioPot compositions (percentage of water hyacinth and banana pseudostem range from 30-70%) and 3 BioPot size (width 5,5 cm and length range from 10.5-11.5 cm). The seedling growth data were analyzed using ANOVA then by means using HSD (Tukey test) and Dunnet test at a 5%. The results showed that the several BioPot compositions and size produced equal seedling quality to polybag and not statistically different based on seedling growth variables. This finding confirmed that the all tested BioPot compositions and size in this study, customized and adjusted according to the raw aterials availability, can be used as polybag substitutes for cocoa nurseries. The implication of this study is the use of BioPot for seedling container that support environmentally sustainable agriculture especially in plant nurseries.