Crepitans Seeds Research Articles

Proximate and Antinutrient Composition of Hura crepitans (Sandbox Tree) Seeds

Analysis of proximate and antinutrient composition of Hura crepitans (Sandbox tree) seeds obtained from campus of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic Ikot Osurua, Ikot Ekpene were carried out using standard analytical procedures. The result of the proximate composition analysis showed that H. crepitans seeds contain moisture content (13.875 ± 0.176%), crude fat (36.750±1.060%), crude fibre (0.5±0.000%), crude protein (36.625±0.884%), ash content (0.25±0.000%) and carbohydrate (25.875±0.200%). The result of the antinutrient analysis showed that H. crepitans seeds contain phytic acid (phytate) (0.615±0.002mg/100g), hydrogen cyanide (3.289±0.003mg/100g), oxalate (1.386±0.001mg/100g) and tannins (8.130±0.003mg/100g). Tannins had the highest concentration while phytate had the lowest concentration of all the antinutrients analyzed. The antinutrients can be removed during processing. The result of the proximate composition reveals high crude fat and protein contents of the seed of H. crepitans, showing that the seed is nutritional. Findings from this study therefore suggest intensified research on the seeds of H. crepitans so as to harness its potentials in the production of animal feed.

A nonlinear autoregressive exogenous neural network (NARX-NN) model for the prediction of solvent-based oil extraction from Hura crepitans seeds

Abstract Vegetable oils are a crucial source of raw materials for many industries. In order to meet the rising demand for oil on global scale, it has become essential to investigate underutilized plant oilseeds. Hura crepitans seeds are one of the underused plant oilseeds from which oil can be produced via solvent-based extraction. For the purpose of predicting the oil yield from Hura crepitans seeds, the extraction process was modelled using a nonlinear autoregressive exogenous neural network (NARX-NN). The input variables to the model are seed/solvent ratio, extraction temperature and extraction time, while oil yield is the response output variable. NARX-NN model is based on 200 data samples, and model architecture comprises of 3 inputs, 1 hidden layer (with 15 neurons) and 1 output with 2 delay elements. The performance evaluation was carried out to examine the accuracy of the developed model in predicting oil yield from Hura crepitans using different statistical indices. The overall correlation coefficient, R (0.80829), mean square error, MSE (0.0120), root mean square error, RMSE (0.1080) and standard prediction error, SEP (0.1666) show that NARX-NN model can accurately be used for the prediction oil yield from Hura crepitans seeds.

Hura crepitans Seeds for Control of Eimeria spp. in Lambs as an Alternative to Conventional Therapies.

Simple SummaryThe anticoccidial effect of Hura crepitans seed was evaluated for 3 weeks. For this, 21 lambs were used, which were housed individually in raised wire-mesh pens with individual water troughs and feeders. The lambs were randomly divided into three groups (n = 7) that received different doses of Hura crepitans seeds. The treatment was administered at the beginning of the experiment once orally. Faecal samples were taken for quantitative analysis of oocysts and blood for haematological and biochemical analyses. Lambs that received the seeds showed significant excretion of coccidia oocysts between days 5 and 7 post-treatment, without affecting feed intake and growth. Most blood parameters analysed showed values within the reference interval, while urea and BUN levels increased slightly but without statistical difference. We can conclude that Hura crepitans seeds, at doses of 4 and 6 g/kg, favour the expulsion of coccidia oocysts, without affecting either the health or the productive behaviour of lambs.To evaluate the anticoccidial effect of the Hura crepitans seed, 21 cross-breed lambs, 23 ± 3 kg live weight (PV) and 70 ± 6 days old, were used. Animals were housed individually in raised wire-mesh pens, with individual water troughs and feeders. Lambs were randomly divided into three groups (n = 7) that received different doses of Hura crepitans seeds: 4 g/kg B.W. (group 1), 6 g/kg B.W. (group 2) and 0 g/kg B.W. (control group or group 0). The treatment was administered at the beginning of the experiment once orally and the study lasted 21 days. Stool samples were taken for quantitative analysis of oocysts using the McMaster technique and blood for haematological and biochemical analysis. Lambs that received the seeds showed a higher excretion of coccidia oocysts between days 5 and 7 after treatment (p < 0.05) due to the antiparasitic effect of these seeds, without affecting their productive performance (daily feed intake (DFI)- total weight gain (TWG), daily weight gain (DWG)). In addition, the daily feed consumption (DFC) and dry matter intake (DMI) were similar between the groups. The analysed enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT and FA) and creatinine showed reference values. Only the urea and BUN levels were slightly increased, but without statistical difference between the groups. Therefore, the Hura crepitans seed, at doses of 4 and 6 g/kg, favours the expulsion of coccidial oocysts, without affecting either the health or the productive behaviour of lambs.

Process modeling of solvent extraction of oil from Hura crepitans seeds: adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system versus response surface methodology

Vegetable oils are a very important feedstock for many industries such as biofuels. There is the need to source for novel and underexploited plant oilseeds to meet the world demand for oils. Thus, the extraction of oil from Hura crepitans (sandbox) seeds was conducted using the solvent extraction method. Modeling of the extraction process was carried out using response surface methodology (RSM) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). The effects of the nature of the solvent (non-polar (n-hexane) and polar (acetone and ethyl acetate)), solid-solvent ratio (0.1–0.3 g/mL), extraction time (2–6 h), and their interactions on the oil yield were investigated using the D-optimal design technique. Performance assessment of the developed models was carried out to check their effectiveness in predicting the H. crepitans seed oil (HCSO) yield using various fit statistics. The coefficient of determination (R2) observed for the RSM and ANFIS models was 0.9720 and 0.9988, respectively, with corresponding mean relative percent deviation (MRPD) of 2.50 and 0.37%. Maximum HCSO yield of 62.95 wt% was achieved by ANFIS coupled with genetic algorithm (GA) using 0.1 g/mL solid-solvent ratio, extraction time of 4.19 h, and acetone, while maximum HCSO yield of 62.50 wt% was observed by RSM with a solid-solvent ratio of 0.1 g/mL, extraction time of 4.04 h, and acetone. Characteristics of the HCSO indicated that it could serve as a good feedstock for the production of oleochemicals such as biodiesel. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that ANFIS is marginally superior to RSM in the modeling of the HCSO extraction process, while GA was slightly better than the numerical tool of RSM in the optimization of the process.

Adsorption and Treatment of Petroleum Products Contaminated Water using Activated Carbon Produced from Hura crepitans Linn Seeds

Industrial waste water arising from crude oil exploration and processing activities poses a serious environmental problem in Nigeria. Consequently, a study of the use of activated carbon in the clean up was designed by this study with the aim of reducing the water contamination to a more acceptable level. Locally produced activated carbon produced from Hura crepitans seeds of different mass was employed as adsorbent with its adsorption potentials compared with standard commercial activated carbon. A 2h contact time was allowed after which physicochemical parameters such as temperature, odour, appearance, density, pH, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sulphate, total hardness, calcium and magnesium concentrations were determined. Results of the analyses showed that the produced activated carbon is an excellent means for the removal of the contaminants as seen by the decrease in the contaminant concentration from an initial concentration to that within or close to both WHO and refinery specifications. The results of this study revealed that the powdered form of the activated carbon from H. crepitans seed would be very effective in the remediation of petroleum-hydrocarbon contaminated ground water and its use is therefore recommended.

The rheological behavior of a pseudo-oil-based mud formulated with Hura crepitans plant oil as base fluid

The need to prevent our environment from deterioration caused by toxic waste from drilling mud is a prime objective to the oil and gas industry. The exploration of non-edible plant oil for potential base oil in formulating drilling mud is progressing due to the environmentally friendly nature. This research work involves using a commercial synthetic oil from the oil industry and Hura crepitans oil. This oil samples were used as a base fluid in preparing the mud from which the rheological properties were analyzed. Chemical oil extraction method using soxhlet apparatus was used to extract the oil from H. crepitans seeds; it was then distilled to remove the solvent. The mud samples were formulated with 7 and 9 g concentrations of the viscosifier, and properties were measured at 113 and 158 °F. It was then aged for 16 h at 240 °F, and mud properties were measured before and after hot rolling for comparison. Different rheological models were used to describe the experimental data. The physical properties of the synthetic oil and H. crepitans oil reveal a flash point of 213.8 and 399.2 °F, fire point of 226.4 and 500 °F, viscosity index of 297 and 207, specific gravity/density of 805 and 907, respectively. The mud properties of the synthetic oil-based mud had a better emulsion stability, lower plastic viscosity, higher yield point values, and lower gel strength than the H. crepitans oil-based mud. The rheological properties of synthetic and H. crepitans oil-based mud increase and decrease, respectively, after hot rolling. The optimal concentration of viscosifier was 7 g to have maintained the API acceptable range for the rheological properties. Based on the R^{2} values, RMSE values, and the fitted plots, Herschel–Bulkley had a better description of the experimental data.

Nutritional and anti-nutritional analyses of Hura crepitans seeds cultivated in Sokoto North L.G.A, North-North-Western Nigeria

The proximate, minerals constituents and anti-nutritional factors of Hura crepitans seeds were evaluated. The results of the proximate analysis showed that 3.13%, 4.00%, 7.83%, 33.17%, 17.30%, 8.17%, 29.53% were the percentage composition of moisture, ash, crude lipid, crude protein, fibre and carbohydrate respectively. The calorific value was obtained to be 485.85±7.22 kJ/kg. The anti-nutritional analysis showed that phytate had the highest concentration of 20.28±0.90 while oxalate has the lowest concentration of 0.017±0.15 mg/100g dry weight respectively. The mineral analysis of Hura crepitans seed also indicates that K has the highest value of 238.33 mg/100g dry weight while Cd with a value 0.71±0.01 mg/100g dry weight has the least. The result shows that the H. crepitans seeds if properly utilized can serve as good source of minerals.Keywords: Anti-nutritional, Hura crepitans, Proximate, Mineral, Nutritional

Effects of Cooking and Fermentation on the Chemical Composition, Functional Properties and Protein Digestibility of Sandbox(Hura Crepitans)Seeds

The effects of cooking and natural fermentation on the chemical composition, functional properties and protein digestibility of Hura crepitans seeds were investigated. The results showed a high protein content and in vitro protein digestibility which increased with cooking (at 100C) and increase in fermentation period (24–96 h). Functional analyses showed a decrease in oil absorption, water absorption, foaming and emulsion properties while fermentation increased the pH, bulk density and least gel concentration. The protein solubility profile of H. crepitans was pH-dependent as higher solubility was observed in the alkaline than acidic region. The foaming and emulsifying properties were decreased with increase in salt (NaCl) concentration. Therefore, cooking and fermentation processes of H. crepitans seeds can enhance utilization of the seeds. Practical Applications Sandbox (Hura crepitans) seed is one of the underutilized oilseeds in Nigeria that is rich in protein. This study shows that through cooking and fermentation processes, the chemical composition and functional properties of the seeds can be enhanced. These processes will also increase availability and digestibility of protein in the seeds. Therefore, cooked and fermented sandbox seeds can be used as ingredients in food fortification owing to the high protein content and good functional properties.

Studies on lipase [EC 3.1.1.3] from germinating Hura crepitans seeds

Lipase activity was monitored on germinating Hura crepitans seeds for 16 days in the dark with olive oil as substrate. The enzyme actvity increases from 45 units on day zero to 120 units on the12th day and later fell to 105 units on the 16th day of germination. The efect of pH on lipase activity was determined with two diferent peaks at 6.0 and 8.0 respectvely. This suggests that there are both acidic and alkaline lipases in the seeds of Hura crepitans. Inhibition showed that EDTA is an activator at concentration below 0.18M. It is also an activator at concentration above 0.5M. The enzyme has a Km of 0.18M with a Vmax of 0.69.Keywords: Hura crepians, Lipase, Inhibition, Activation, Km and Vmax

Hormonal Effect on Germination and Seedling Development of Hura crepitans Seeds

To establish propagation test and nursery establishment protocols for Hura crepitans. Various concentrations and timing were performed on the seeds of Hura crepitans using growth hormones; Thiourea, Gibberellic acid and Coumain. Gibberellic acid pretreated seeds recorded high cumulative germination (100%) and germination energy (95%). Similarly, high percentages were recorded for Thiourea. However, Coumain showed poor germination as well as recorded high percentage of abnormal seedlings (90%), a poor option for nursery establish of Hura crepitans. Ranked mean for the germinated seedlings was significant at p<0.05 for Thiourea and Gibberellic acid treatments.

Isolation and studies on the physico-chemical and biological properties of lectins from Hura crepitans (author's transl)

The lectins from Hura crepitans (Euphorbiaceae) seeds were isolated by a three steps procedure including ammonium sulfate precipitation, molecular sieving on Sephadex G 200 and affinity chromatography on Sepharose 4B. The lectins appear to be glycoproteins composed of apparently identical subunits with a molecular weight of 23000. Their main biological properties are reported.

Mitogenic and haemagglutinating properties of a lectin purified from Hura crepitans seeds

A lectin from the seeds of Hura crepitans has been purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography on acid-treated Sepharose CL-6B, followed by elution with d-galactose. The lectin is a glucosamine-containing glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 120 000, as determined by sucrose densityy gradient centrifugation, and consists of identical subunits with molecular weights of 30 000. The amino acid composition and total neutral sugar content are given. The Hura lection agglutinates directly erythrocytes from several species, without specificity for human blood groups. In all cases, with the exception of pig erythrocytes, agglutination was enhanced by neuraminidase. Agglutination was inhibited, in decreasing order of potency, by N- acetyl- d-galactosamine , by d-galactose and galactose-containing oligosaccharides. The lectin has mitogenic acvity for purified human T lymphocytes but not for B lympocytes, and the activity is still evident at a concentration as low as 10 ng/ml. The specific mitogenic activity increases throughout the purification process.