High Calcium Concentrations Research Articles

Production and characterization of fruit jam with activated pectin using wild hawthorn puree (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.)

In this study, we developed a technology for the production of jelly confiture based on natural hawthorn puree. The use of activated low-esterified hawthorn pectin in the recipe was shown to increase the complexing ability of the product in relation to zinc and lead ions, making it suitable for functional preventive nutrition. The final product was characterised by a bright orange-yellow colour, a distinct hawthorn taste and odour, and a gelatinous consistency. Evaluation of the product based on organoleptic, physicochemical, and microbiological indicators showed that it had high nutritional and physiological value due to its retention of native micronutrients, high content of potassium, magnesium, and calcium, and antioxidant activity. The use of this product in a daily diet can satisfy the daily need for physiologically active substances and food ingredients. Overall, the use of natural puree from wild hawthorn fruit in the technology of jelly confiture allows for the expansion of raw material sources in the production of confectionery products with high nutritional and physiological value.

Sustainable mainstream deammonification by ion exchange and bioregeneration via partial nitritation/anammox

The partial nitritation and anammox (PN/A) process has gained popularity for the treatment of nitrogen removal in wastewater due to significant energy savings and its potentially much lower CO2 footprint. However, the treatment of mainstream municipal wastewater by PN/A has been limited mainly due to its unsuitable composition. In this research, we apply ion exchange using a zeolite column to selectively remove and concentrate ammonium from mainstream municipal wastewater. After an absorption phase, the ion exchange column is regenerated using a brine solution. The ammonium rich brine is “bioregenerated” in a PN/A reactor where ammonium is converted to nitrogen gas allowing the brine to be reused in another cycle of ion exchange regeneration. To successfully remove ammonium from the spent brine, anammox and ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were first cultivated in separate reactors under hypersaline conditions (4.0 %) and later combined in a single PN/A reactor. After continuous operation with sea water, the PN/A reactor treated recirculating brine from the ion exchange column for 48 cycles of ammonium absorption and bioregeneration with minimal blowdown. The various cations of the regenerant solution were stable except for calcium that reached very high values upwards of 3000 mg/L as Ca2+ and finally caused PN/A reactor failure due to mineral precipitation. The buildup of high concentrations of calcium in the regenerant was addressed in two ways: 1) 20 % regenerant replacement per cycle, and 2) precipitation of CaCO3 via the addition of sodium carbonate. Both methods were applied to 30 absorption and bioregeneration cycles each and shown to be effective in keeping calcium concentrations from accumulating in the regenerant allowing for stable PN/A reactor operation.

Can conventional forages be replaced with cotton plant (Gossypium hirsutum) wastes in fattening lambs? Laboratory and animal studies.

The cotton plant (Gossypium hirsutum) is a shrub native to many arid and semi-arid regions around the world, while the nutritional value of its wastes has been less scientifically investigated. Different components of whole cotton plant wastes (WCPW) including leaf blade, cotton pod, stem, root, bract, petiole, and cottonseed were evaluated for their nutritional values by standard laboratory methods. After that, we tested the WCPW for partial substitution (0, 20, 40, and 60% substitution or 0, 10, 20, and 30% of dietary dry matter (DM)) with dietary common forage in a completely randomized design with 32 feedlot male lambs for 90 days. A diverse range of chemical and mineral compositions was found among the different WCPW's components. The cottonseed had the highest crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) contents, while the lowest neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were observed in the leaf blade (P < 0.0001). The highest contents of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, and iron were also observed in the leaf blade (P < 0.0001). Higher potential gas production, in vitro organic matter digestibility (OMD), in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD), and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA) were also related to the leaf blade (P < 0.0001). Bract had the highest acid-base buffering capacity (P < 0.0001). The lambs fed on 30% of dietary DM with WCPW exhibited lower final body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), CP or NDF digestibility, ruminal TVFA, propionate, plasma total protein, and higher feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group. Generally, WCPW can be substituted up to 40% of common forages (or 20% of diet DM) without any adverse effect on growth performance and blood metabolites of feedlot lambs, especially during feed shortages.

DETERMINATION OF MINERALS IN LAVANDULA STOECHAS L. SUBSP. CARIENSIS (BOISS.) ROZEIRA BY X-RAY FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY

Background and objective: Medicinal herbs are sources of bioactive plant secondary metabolites such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, iridoids, tannins, anthracenes, alkaloids, terpenes. Herbs and herbal extracts are important sources for minerals that can create health effects in human diet. The infusion and decoction prepared from Lavandula stoechas L., subsp. cariensis known as Karabaşotu in Turkey, are used in traditional medicine. The objective of the present work was to comparatively determine the mineral content of dried aerial parts L. stoeachas L. subsp. cariensis and its water extract which is prepared by 2% infusion. Methods: The aerial parts of Lavandula stoechas L., were air-dried and grounded. 2% infusion was prepared by distilled water and water was evaporated until dryness. The water extract and the plant powder were analyzed for heavy metals and trace elements by Spectro-IQ II instrument. Results: The analyzed samples differed significantly in terms of mineral contents. The powdered aerial parts of L. stoechas L. subsp. cariensis and its water extract are characterized by high contents of potassium, calcium, sodium, chlorine, phosphorous and magnesium. Iron in powdered plant material (576.6 ppm) was found to be almost ten times higher than the water extract (51.7 ppm). Microelements such as copper (78.8 ppm) and zinc (3169 ppm) accumulated at higher levels in the water extract of L. stoechas L. subsp. cariensis. Conclusion: The mineral content of the water extract and the powdered aerial parts of L. stoechas L. subsp. cariensis are quantitatively determined by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for the first time. L. stoechas L. subsp. Cariensis collected from other regions of Turkey will be comparatively analyzed by XRF spectrometry in our further studies. Peer Review History: Received: 23 August 2023; Revised: 26 September; Accepted: 30 October, Available online: 15 November 2023 Academic Editor: Dr. Gehan Fawzy Abdel Raoof Kandeel, Pharmacognosy Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622, Giza, Egypt, gehankandeel9@yahoo.com Received file: Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10 Reviewers: Dr. Sangeetha Arullappan, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia, sangeetha@utar.edu.my Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Makassar, Indonesia, ahmad.najib@umi.ac.id

Quality of Thai Furikake dried seasoning powder fortified with natural calcium and phosphorus

Fresh Liang leaves, a local vegetable of Southern Thailand, were dried, seasoned, and fortified with different ratios of dried shrimp and sesame seeds at 1%–5% for making a rice topping product (Furikake) named as F1-F5. The F5 obtained the highest consumer acceptability with high calcium and phosphorus contents at 4,299.45 mg/kg and 3,436.32 mg/kg, respectively. Total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging antioxidant activity of F5 were 2,575.22 µg GAE/g DW and 676.99 µg TE/g DW, respectively. Total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were 11.38 mg/g DW and 3.52 mg/g DW, respectively. An increment of aw and moisture content (p &lt; 0.05) of the F5 kept at higher temperature storage was noticed, and a reduction of L* value under all storage conditions was noticed.

Study on the pollutant emission characteristics of the co-combustion of high S/Cl waste mixed with recycled papermaking waste

Using solid waste to replace coal for power generation is one of the effective ways to reduce CO2 emissions, but the incineration of some high-sulfur and high-chlorine solid waste will lead to the increase of pollutant emissions. This paper proposed a new way to self-control pollutant emissions by co-incinerating different solid wastes with specific properties. In this work, the recycled papermaking waste residue (RPR) and sludge (RPS) with high calcium content were chosen to co-combustion with high-sulfur and high-chlorine solid waste, and the emission characteristics and control mechanism of pollutants under co-combustion were explored. The primary calcium compound in the recycled papermaking solid waste was CaCO3. When RPR and RPS were mixed at a ratio of 1: 1, HCl could be fully captured, resulting in the least emissions. Pollutant emissions was controlled by adding RPR and RPS to high-sulfur textile dyeing sludge and polyvinyl chloride. The sulfur-fixing efficiency rose from 65 % to 91 % and the chlorine-fixing efficiency rose from 69 % to 93 % with an increase in Ca/(S + 0.5Cl) from 1 to 3. As the reaction temperature rose from 700 °C to 1000 °C, the sulfur-fixing efficiency and chlorine-fixing efficiency initially increased and subsequently dropped. The CaCO3 in the material was rapidly decomposed at 800 °C, which accelerated the positive reaction rate with SO2 and HCl, so that the sulfur-fixing efficiency and chlorine-fixing efficiency reached the maximum, which were 89 % and 92 %, respectively. CaSO4 and CaClOH were the principal reaction products at the temperature range of 700 °C to 1000 °C.

INVESTIGATION OF THE PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ELEMENTAL CONSTITUENTS OF Euphorbia graminae

Medicinal plants are the origin of biologically active elements, which are essential for both plants and animals. Trace elements help various biochemical mechanisms in the body of living organisms. The major reason for numerous medical issues in the human being is either a deficiency or toxicity of essential elements. Therefore, investigating the distinct biodynamic elements of medicinal plants and their evaluation is very important. Therapeutic plants have been utilized in traditional drugs for the treatment of ailments. The most abundant necessary elements found in such plants are Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Selenium, Iron, Calcium, Sodium, and Zinc which are known for their capability to treat different diseases. This study was aimed at determining the phytochemical and elemental composition of the leaves of E. graminae. The qualitative phytochemical screening reveals that alkaloids, tannins, saponins, terpenoids, and flavonoids are popular phytochemical constituents that are abundant in the leaves of E. graminae. The atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used for quantitative analysis of various elements. A total number of nine important elements were analyzed and found to be present in the leaves of E. graminae, these are Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, P, Cu, and Mn. The most important finding of the work was that the leaves of E. graminae showed high concentrations of calcium followed by magnesium and potassium respectively.

Ammonia gas treatment in low cost biological reactor

Ammonia gas contributes to a number of environmental and human health concerns. The use of chalk, a cheap alkalinity source may reduce costs for biological systems. This research studies a closed liquid flow reactor to treat ammonia gas using chalk as biomass media and alkalinity source with high value calcium nitrate fertilizer production.The proposed reactor showed complete ammonia gas removal at high rate (500 mg N/L/day) and with low cost; where chalk dissolution and ammonia gas absorption contributed to alkalinity in the water for nitrification. High calcium ion concentration (up to 10,000 mg Ca2+ as CaCO3/L) showed only minor effects on ammonia absorption and nitrification rate.

Sustainable removal of nutrients (n and p) in a wastewater treatment plant, with eggshell (biocalcium)

Biological treatments have become insufficient to treat municipal wastewater with greater toxicity and excess nitrogen and phosphate species, thus affecting the organisms that consume the water. In this work, a process was implemented for the removal of nutrients through three stages: stage A, complete aeration (24 h, 43 months); stage B, decreased aeration (12 h, 17 months); and stage C, decreased aeration with biocalcium (12 h, 19 months). The addition of biocalcium from eggshell promoted the formation of flocks, which resulted in the removal of nitrites (61 %), nitrates (84 %), total nitrogen (57 %), total phosphorus (8.3 %), sedimentable solids (50 %), total suspended solids (69 %), BOD5 (76 %), helminth eggs (50 %) and fecal coliforms (54 %). The statistical analyses in the three stages indicated that there is a strong correlation between the concentration of fats and oils and the removal of sedimentable solids and total suspended solids, since these parameters were correlated by 97 and 89 %, respectively. Sedimentable solids were correlated with total suspended solids by 94 %, while nitrates and total nitrogen were correlated 92 %, which favors the removal of nutrients in wastewater. The increase in the concentration of nitrogen in the sludge in stage C generated a C:N ratio of 7.98. This ratio shows that the sludge is feasible for use as a mediator of soils and a biofertilizer because of the high contents of calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen. In addition, biocalcium promoted the precipitation of hydroxyapatite, struvite, calcite and quartz. In general, the three stages of the treatment contributed to the stabilization of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in an efficient, economical, and safe way.

EFFECT OF FERMENTATION TIME ON MINERAL PROFILE AND TOTAL MOLD OF COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata) TEMPEH

Tempe is one of the popular foods in Indonesia which comes from fermented soybeans with the help of Rhizopus oligosporus. The development of tempeh with non-soy ingredients is starting to be carried out frequently. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata) is one of the nuts that is often consumed by Indonesian people. Cowpeas can be an alternative substrate for tempeh fermentation, because of their nutritional content, including vitamins and minerals, which are quite good for the body. However, some of these minerals are still bound to the phytic acid compound so it needs to be explained by the fermentation process. This research aimed to determine the ash content, mineral content of iron, calcium, and total mold in cowpea tempeh at a fermentation time of 35, 45, and 54 hours using standard methods. The research design used was a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with repetition 3 times for each treatment for fermentation duration P1 (35 hours), P2 (45 hours), and P3 (54 hours). The ash and calcium content of cowpea tempeh decreased with fermentation times of 45 and 54 hours compared to 35 hours. In terms of iron content, the amount was almost the same at all fermentation times. Meanwhile, the total number of molds increased with fermentation times of 45 and 54 hours. Based on the results of observations for further research, the fermentation time for making cowpea tempeh used in this optimization was determined to be 35 hours. A fermentation time of 35 hours produces good cowpea tempeh, high calcium content, and efficient time and energy.

Effect of electrokinetic process on in situ stabilization and detoxification of arsenic-contaminated soil with high content of calcium

Owing to the high risk of human exposure to arsenic-contaminated soil, reducing its toxicity is essential. This study used the electrokinetic (EK) process with iron-rich electrodes to synchronously achieve the accumulate, stabilize and detoxify soil arsenic. Changes in arsenic valence, leaching toxicity, and microbial communities related to toxicity were comprehensively considered. The results demonstrated that arsenic was mainly transported toward the anode and accumulated by electromigration owing to the negatively charged arsenic anions under EK conditions. The cathode approaching effectively promote arsenic movement to the anode; the largest As(T) transportation rate of 30.61% was achieved near the cathode (S4). The transportation ratio of As(III) was 1.84 times more than that of As(V). The As(III) content and leaching toxicity of soil arsenic in all treatments decreased after applying the EK process. In particular, the anode approaching effectively elevated the average ratios of soil As(III) oxidation and stabilization to 37.88% and 61.73%, respectively. Correspondingly, the total phospholipid fatty acid content increased substantially after EK treatment and showed a pollution stress elimination effect. The electrokinetic effect can essentially cause highly active and easily migrated arsenic to accumulate near the anode and middle sections. The electric field mediated iron mineralization and stabilized arsenic by oxidizing As(III) and reacting with newly formed iron-rich phases (S). Meanwhile, the electric field regulated the form of soil calcium from CaCO3 to CaSO4 and caused calcium-bound arsenic to change to a more stable form. According to these results, in situ stabilization and detoxification of arsenic-contaminated soil can be realized by the EK process, avoiding stabilizer addition and excavation.

Interaction of Ca2+ and Fe3+ in co-precipitation process induced by Virgibacillus dokdonensis and its application

Biomineralization has garnered significant attention in the field of wastewater treatment due to its notable cost reduction compared to conventional methods. The reinjection water from oilfields containing an exceedingly high concentration of calcium and ferric ions will pose a major hazard in production. However, the utilization of biomineralization for precipitating these ions has been scarcely investigated due to limited tolerance among halophiles towards such extreme conditions. In this study, free and immobilized halophiles Virgibacillus dokdonensis were used to precipitate these ions and the effects were compared, at the same time, biomineralization mechanisms and mineral characteristics were further explored. The results show that bacterial concentration and carbonic anhydrase activity were higher when additionally adding ferric ion based on calcium ion; the content of protein, polysaccharides, deoxyribonucleic acid and humic substances in the extracellular polymers also increased compared to control. Calcium ions were biomineralized into calcite and vaterite with multiple morphology. Due to iron doping, the crystallinity and thermal stability of calcium carbonate decreased, the content of OC = O, NC = O and CO-PO3 increased, the stable carbon isotope values became much more negative, and β-sheet in minerals disappeared. Higher calcium concentrations facilitated ferric ion precipitation, while ferric ions hindered calcium precipitation. The immobilized bacteria performed better in ferric ion removal, with a precipitation ratio exceeding 90%. Free bacteria performed better in calcium removal, and the precipitation ratio reached a maximum of 56%. This research maybe provides some reference for the co-removal of calcium and ferric ions from the oilfield wastewater.

Three-Dimensional Membranes of Natural Polymer Complex Nanoparticle for Potential Medical Applications.

Skin wound healing is a complex biological process of tissue regeneration in which the wound dressing is crucial for rapid healing; it must protect the wound keep an adequate level of moisture and prevent infections. Alginate (AL), a polysaccharide from brown algae, has been extensively studied for wound treatment, and aloe vera gels (AVGs) have also been used in the treatment of skin. The AVG main bioactive polysaccharide was combined with AL for the preparation of membranes. Two-dimensional membranes were prepared by casting and, for comparison, transparent nanoparticle 3D membranes were produced by high-intensity ultrasonication followed by ionotropic crosslinking. The effects of the amount of AVG, ionotropic gelation, and the structure (2D or 3D) of the AL-AVG membranes were compared. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed higher surface roughness on 3D membranes. Three-dimensional membranes showed a higher swelling ratio, and swelling increased with AVG content and decreased with higher calcium concentration and longer gelation times. The degradation of the membranes was evaluated with and without a lysozyme at pH 5.5, 7.5, and 8.5, to simulate different skin conditions; the results evidence that pH had a higher effect than the enzyme. The cytotoxicity of the membranes was evaluated with ATCC CCL 163 and ATCC CCL 81 cells, and an excellent biocompatibility of both cell types (>90% of cell viability after 48 h incubation) was observed for all AL-AVG membranes.

Biowelding 3D-Printed Biodigital Brick of Seashell-Based Biocomposite by Pleurotus ostreatus Mycelium.

Mycelium biocomposites are eco-friendly, cheap, easy to produce, and have competitive mechanical properties. However, their integration in the built environment as durable and long-lasting materials is not solved yet. Similarly, biocomposites from recycled food waste such as seashells have been gaining increasing interest recently, thanks to their sustainable impact and richness in calcium carbonate and chitin. The current study tests the mycelium binding effect to bioweld a seashell biocomposite 3D-printed brick. The novelty of this study is the combination of mycelium and a non-agro-based substrate, which is seashells. As well as testing the binding capacity of mycelium in welding the lattice curvilinear form of the V3 linear Brick model (V3-LBM). Thus, the V3-LBM is 3D printed in three separate profiles, each composed of five layers of 1 mm/layer thickness, using seashell biocomposite by paste extrusion and testing it for biowelding with Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium to offer a sustainable, ecofriendly, biomineralized brick. The biowelding process investigated the penetration and binding capacity of the mycelium between every two 3D-printed profiles. A cellulose-based culture medium was used to catalyse the mycelium growth. The mycelium biowelding capacity was investigated by SEM microscopy and EDX chemical analysis of three samples from the side corner (S), middle (M), and lateral (L) zones of the biowelded brick. The results revealed that the best biowelding effect was recorded at the corner and lateral zones of the brick. The SEM images exhibited the penetration and the bridging effect achieved by the dense mycelium. The EDX revealed the high concentrations of carbon, oxygen, and calcium at all the analyzed points on the SEM images from all three samples. An inverted relationship between carbon and oxygen as well as sodium and potassium concentrations were also detected, implying the active metabolic interaction between the fungal hyphae and the seashell-based biocomposite. Finally, the results of the SEM-EDX analysis were applied to design favorable tessellation and staking methods for the V3-LBM from the seashell-mycelium composite to deliver enhanced biowelding effect along the Z axis and the XY axis with <1 mm tessellation and staking tolerance.

Effects of oyster shells on maturity and calcium activation in organic solid waste compost

With the rapid development of aquaculture, the production of oyster shells has surged, posing a potential threat to the environment. While oyster shell powder is widely recognized for its inherent alkalinity and rich calcium carbonate content, making it a superior soil conditioner, its role in organic solid waste composting remains underexplored. To investigate the effects of varying concentrations of oyster shell powder on compost maturation and calcium activation, this study employed thermophilic co-composting with acidic sugar residue and bean pulp, incorporating 0% (control), 10% (T1), 20% (T2), 30% (T3), and 40% (T4) oyster shell powder. Findings revealed that appropriate proportions of oyster shell powder significantly enhance temperature stability during composting and elevate maturation levels, notably reducing ammonia emissions between 62.5% and 76.7%. Intriguingly, the calcium in the oyster shell powder was significantly activated during composting, with the 40% addition group achieving the highest calcium activation rate of 48.5%. In summation, the inclusion of oyster shell powder not only optimizes the composting process but also efficiently activates the calcium, resulting in an alkaline organic-inorganic composite soil conditioner with high exchangeable calcium content. This research holds significant implications for promoting the high-value utilization of oyster shells.

Jute leaves ash@Fe3O4 as efficient nanocatalyst for sustainable biodiesel production: Characterization, optimization and kinetic investigation

A magnetically separable heterogeneous basic jute leaves ash@Fe3O4 nanocatalyst was utilized for biodiesel synthesis from jatropha and soybean oil. The magnetic catalyst was synthesized via calcination process followed by co-precipitation method. The XRD(X-ray diffraction) and FTIR(Fourier transform infrared) analysis confirmed the existence of magnetic Fe3O4, various metal oxides and carbonates in the catalyst. The jute leaves ash@Fe3O4 nanocatalyst was found in quasi spherical and core/shell structured in nature with average particle size of 15.66 nm. The XPS (X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrometer) and EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray) elemental analysis showed the high content of calcium (21.5%) and potassium (4.8%) which makes the catalyst extremely basic in nature. The calculated basicity and surface area of the catalyst was 0.609 mmol g−1 and 85.5 m2 g−1 respectively and the reaction exhibits activation energy of 34.75 kJ mol−1. The VSM(Vibrating sample magnetometer) analysis recorded the magnetic saturation of uncalcined ash and calcined ash loaded magnetic catalyst as 17.32 and 12.56 emu g−1. The synthesized basic nanocatalyst furnishes maximum 98.1 ± 1.27% biodiesel yield after 60 ± 2 min with the catalyst load and methanol to oil ratio of 6 wt% and 9:1 at 60 °C. The magnetic catalyst was effectively employed in three consecutive cycles with promising catalyst stability and reactivity toward transesterification.

Impact of inherent calcium in coal on the structure and performance of activated carbon in flue gas activation: The enhanced mechanism of calcite on the methylene blue adsorption

To investigate the correlation and mechanism of inherent calcium species in coal on the preparation and performance of activated carbon (AC) when using flue gas activation. In this study, XCaCO3/AC (X means calcite contents in coal, 0–8 wt.%) was successfully produced by mixing different contents of calcite and demineralized Taixi coal and then using flue gas activation. The textual evolution and methylene blue (MB) removal of AC were conducted by a series of characterizations and tests, and revealed its mechanism. Coal with a high content of calcium could result in a low yield of AC. Calcite could transform into calcium oxide. During AC preparation by flue gas activation, calcium oxide also could react with CO2 and transform into calcium carbonate. Calcite in coal reduced the degree of AC's graphitization. The calcite in coal promotes the increment of CO, COO, and π-π* of AC linearly as the calcite content increases. Due to the excessive catalytic effect of calcite, high-content calcium could result in inferior porosity through promoting the collapse of pore topology. Calcite in coal strengthens the methylene blue (MB) removal capacity of AC. The 5CaCO3/AC possesses the utmost MB adsorption capacity, up to 118.8 mg/g, which is higher by 122.9% than AC of 53.3 mg/g. The various kinetics models were also verified and data was well matched to Pseudo second-order kinetics (R2=0.9165 for AC and R2=9729 for 3CaCO3/AC). Calcite in coal increases the content of CO and π–π* of AC, which strengthens chemical adsorption by functional groups complexation and π–π* stacking. Meanwhile, the existence of calcium species, OH− and CO32− is beneficial for ion exchange and complexation, respectively. Thus, the removal ability of MB by AC is enhanced. The results of this investigation could cast novel light on the high-performance AC design by utilization of high-calcium coal, and further multiple pollutants treatment.

Wild edible yams from Madagascar: New insights into nutritional composition support their use for food security and conservation.

Yams (Dioscorea species) are an important food resource in Madagascar, where both cultivated winged yam (D. alata) and wild edible yams are consumed. However, there is limited knowledge on the nutrient composition of wild edible yams in Madagascar, and on how they compare with the cultivated winged yam. Therefore, in this study, nine wild edible yam species, one with two subspecies from Madagascar (D. bako, D. buckleyana, D. irodensis, D. maciba, D. orangeana, D. pteropoda, D. sambiranensis subsp. bardotiae and subsp. sambiranensis, D. seriflora, and Dioscorea species Ovy valiha), were analyzed for their nutrient composition, compared with cultivated D. alata. They include 6/6 of the most favored wild edible yam species in Madagascar. New nutrient composition data (protein, carbohydrate/starch, energy, lipid, β-carotene, and minerals) are presented for these nine wild edible yam species. The results show that they contain comparable levels of lipids and starch to D. alata, but none are better sources of protein than D. alata. The results show that D. irodensis contains a significantly higher β-carotene content when compared to all other edible yams analyzed, and that D. buckleyana, D. irodensis, and D. sambiranensis subsp. bardotiae have a higher calcium content than cultivated D. alata, while all nine wild edible yam species analyzed contain a higher iron content, compared to cultivated D. alata. The nutrient composition data presented could provide new incentives to conserve wild edible yams and inform on strategies to select Dioscorea species for sustainable cultivation and use, providing opportunities to enhance future food security in Madagascar.

Heat-induced gels from pea protein soluble colloidal aggregates: Effect of calcium addition or pH adjustment on gelation behavior and rheological properties

Heat-induced protein gels are appreciated due to their texture in a variety of food products. To support the shift to more sustainable protein consumption more knowledge is needed about plant protein gelation behavior and rheological properties of gels. In this study, the effect of calcium concentration (10 mM–100 mM) and pH (5.9–6.8) on heat-induced gelation behavior of 10 w/w% pea protein water-soluble extract separated from a commercial pea protein isolate (WSE-PPI) were for the first time investigated and compared. The rheological results show Gʹ values of around 3000 Pa for gels containing 20 mM calcium, and then a decrease in Gʹ by a factor ∼1.3 when the calcium concentration increased to 100 mM, whereas a continuous increase in gel strength was observed with the pH decrease of WSE-PPI dispersions. By comparison of calcium-addition and pH-adjusted heat-induced gels at the same pH, it was found that at low calcium concentrations (≤20 mM), the calcium-assisted gels exhibited higher gel strength. Contrariwise, at high calcium concentrations (≥50 mM), the pH-adjusted gels have higher gel stiffness and larger deformability before rupture. CLSM results verified this finding and show that the gel structure of pH-adjusted gels are more homogenous, containing significantly more compact structure. Overall, our findings show a systematic link between microstructure and rheological properties of heat-induced gels, which can be controlled by the calcium addition and pH adjustment. These results provide valuable information for the modulation, design, and customization of plant derived protein gels for specific food applications.

Preparation of magnesium oxysulfate cement with semidry carbonation high calcium content light-burned magnesium (Ca-LBM)

With the large amount of high-quality magnesite mining, low-grade magnesite is discarded, which not only pollutes the environment but also wastes resources. Therefore, to utilize high-calcium magnesite tailings, carbonated light-burned magnesium with a high calcium content was used to prepare magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) cement. Characterization was performed by FT-IR, SEM, TEM, TG-DTG, TG-MS, MIP, XRD, and zeta potential measurements. The following conclusions are drawn: a porous shell layer was formed on the surface of the carbonated powder particles; thus, the hydration reactivity was reduced, but a better dispersibility was obtained. The setting time of the samples increased with increasing carbonation treatment time, and the early strength was lower than that of the control, but it increased significantly with the curing period. The 28 d compressive strength of the samples treated with carbonation for 2 min was 12.1 % higher than that of the control, and the volume density was 3.7 % lower than that of the control. In addition, a carbon-containing 517 phase (C- 517) structure was found. This C-517 phase exhibited better stability and resistance to sodium chloride erosion. After immersion in sodium chloride solution for 28 d, the softening coefficient was 0.84, which was 385 % of the control, so the carbonated samples had better durability than the ordinary MOS cement. The semidry method is used to carbonate light-burned magnesium with high calcium content, which avoids the negative effect of calcium oxide on the hydration process of MOS cement and provides a method to solve the discarding of high-calcium magnesite tailings.