High-quality Oil Research Articles

The Emerging Oilseed Crop Sesamum indicum Enters the "Omics" Era.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the oldest oilseed crops widely grown in Africa and Asia for its high-quality nutritional seeds. It is well adapted to harsh environments and constitutes an alternative cash crop for smallholders in developing countries. Despite its economic and nutritional importance, sesame is considered as an orphan crop because it has received very little attention from science. As a consequence, it lags behind the other major oil crops as far as genetic improvement is concerned. In recent years, the scenario has considerably changed with the decoding of the sesame nuclear genome leading to the development of various genomic resources including molecular markers, comprehensive genetic maps, high-quality transcriptome assemblies, web-based functional databases and diverse daft genome sequences. The availability of these tools in association with the discovery of candidate genes and quantitative trait locis for key agronomic traits including high oil content and quality, waterlogging and drought tolerance, disease resistance, cytoplasmic male sterility, high yield, pave the way to the development of some new strategies for sesame genetic improvement. As a result, sesame has graduated from an “orphan crop” to a “genomic resource-rich crop.” With the limited research teams working on sesame worldwide, more synergic efforts are needed to integrate these resources in sesame breeding for productivity upsurge, ensuring food security and improved livelihood in developing countries. This review retraces the evolution of sesame research by highlighting the recent advances in the “Omics” area and also critically discusses the future prospects for a further genetic improvement and a better expansion of this crop.

Wastewater treatment by microalgae can generate high quality biodiesel feedstock

Botryococcus braunii strains are high-lipid producers. Despite this, their use as biodiesel feedstock is limited by their slow growth, which increases production costs. B. braunii wastewater bioremediation power, however, may be able to overcome this problem. This research evaluated the performance of two strains (UTEX-USA and IBL-Brazil) grown in pre-treated (influent) and treated (effluent) wastewater. The goal was to optimize algal-productivity and wastewater treatment in order to provide biomass rich in high-quality oil for biodiesel. The standard CHU-medium was used as control. Phosphorus was 100% removed in all treatments for both strains. Nitrogen removal was higher in wastewater (61–65%) than in CHU medium (48 and 61%), respectively for UTEX and IBL strains. Cultivation in the effluent generated higher biomass and lipid productivity for the UTEX strain, while the influent was the best for the IBL strain. The composition of the fatty-acids produced by Botryococcus was used to estimate the biodiesel quality. Hence, the biodiesels may have good fuel quality (high ignition and combustion efficiency) but limited application at low temperatures. The composition of fatty-acids, however, can be optimized by growing or mixing strategies. Therefore, Botryococcus braunii is a potential source for high quality biodiesel production.

Antioxidant response to cold stress in two oil plants of the genus Jatropha

Jatropha curcas and J. macrocarpa, suitable for production of biodiesel oil from their seeds, are able to live in arid and semi-arid regions, where most crops cannot survive. J. curcas is characterized by higher oil quality and seed yield, but it is not a good candidate for oil production in arid areas with freezing temperatures, due to its sensitivity to chilling in comparison to J. macrocarpa. In this work, for the first time, the effects of cold stress and different mechanisms activated in these conditions have been studied in the two species. Seedlings were treated with low non-freezing temperatures with or without a previous acclimation period. Water status, pigment content, oxidative stress and antioxidant response were studied in acclimated and non-acclimated plants. The key features that differentiate J. macrocarpa from J. curcas were the ability to accumulate, at low temperatures, high concentrations of pigments and glutathione and significantly higher activities of ascorbate peroxidase. These data could explain the greater resistance to low temperatures of J. macrocarpa. A period of acclimation was not able to improve cold tolerance of J. curcas and this confirms its limited adaptability to arid areas with freezing temperatures.

Seed yield, galactomannan content and quality traits of different guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) genotypes

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the productive and qualitative traits of seeds of six guar genotypes coming from India, South Africa and the USA, grown in a Mediterranean environment, both for industrial use (galactomannans) and as animal feed (guar meal). Yield of the six varieties ranged from 1.49 t ha−1 to 2.05 t ha−1. Galactomannan content reached values from 28.6 g/100 g to 34.6 g/100 g with the highest significative value exhibited by Indian genotype, Lewis and South African genotype. Galactomannan yield resulted 0.55 t ha−1, on average, with small differences among genotypes. The mean values of protein content of the guar seeds showed an average value of all the genotypes of 283 g/kg on a DM basis of 896 g/kg with the significantly highest values in Indian and South African genotypes. Lipids (on a DM basis) was of 28.3 g/kg DM on average, with the significantly highest value in South African and Indian genotypes. Crude Fibre, ranged from 107 to 122 g/kg. The fibrous fractions were on average 496 g/kg DM, 133 g/kg DM and 5.08 g/kg DM for NDF, ADF and ADL, respectively. Polyphenols ranged from 3.61 mg gallic acid/g of Matador to 6.63 mg gallic acid/g of Kinman and tannins from 2.01 mg/g of catechin equivalents of Kinman to 4.05 mg/g of catechin equivalents of South African genotype. Monument showed the highest content of n6-PUFA, whereas, the highest content of n3-PUFA was observed in Indian genotype. The ratio n3/n6 PUFA, the Atherogenic and Thrombogenic indices underline the high quality of guar oil for human and animal nutrition. This study underlines the double aptitude of guar seed of gum extraction and the by-product, assessing, respectively, its productive traits for industrial use and nutritional traits for increasing its use in feedstuff in the Mediterranean crop-livestock system. This double use represents an important added value to promote the widespread cultivation of the crop.

Integrated analysis of 454 and Illumina transcriptomic sequencing characterizes carbon flux and energy source for fatty acid synthesis in developing Lindera glauca fruits for woody biodiesel

BackgroundLindera glauca fruit with high quality and quantity of oil has emerged as a novel potential source of biodiesel in China, but the molecular regulatory mechanism of carbon flux and energy source for oil biosynthesis in developing fruits is still unknown. To better develop fruit oils of L. glauca as woody biodiesel, a combination of two different sequencing platforms (454 and Illumina) and qRT-PCR analysis was used to define a minimal reference transcriptome of developing L. glauca fruits, and to construct carbon and energy metabolic model for regulation of carbon partitioning and energy supply for FA biosynthesis and oil accumulation.ResultsWe first analyzed the dynamic patterns of growth tendency, oil content, FA compositions, biodiesel properties, and the contents of ATP and pyridine nucleotide of L. glauca fruits from seven different developing stages. Comprehensive characterization of transcriptome of the developing L. glauca fruit was performed using a combination of two different next-generation sequencing platforms, of which three representative fruit samples (50, 125, and 150 DAF) and one mixed sample from seven developing stages were selected for Illumina and 454 sequencing, respectively. The unigenes separately obtained from long and short reads (201, and 259, respectively, in total) were reconciled using TGICL software, resulting in a total of 60,031 unigenes (mean length = 1061.95 bp) to describe a transcriptome for developing L. glauca fruits. Notably, 198 genes were annotated for photosynthesis, sucrose cleavage, carbon allocation, metabolite transport, acetyl-CoA formation, oil synthesis, and energy metabolism, among which some specific transporters, transcription factors, and enzymes were identified to be implicated in carbon partitioning and energy source for oil synthesis by an integrated analysis of transcriptomic sequencing and qRT-PCR. Importantly, the carbon and energy metabolic model was well established for oil biosynthesis of developing L. glauca fruits, which could help to reveal the molecular regulatory mechanism of the increased oil production in developing fruits.ConclusionsThis study presents for the first time the application of an integrated two different sequencing analyses (Illumina and 454) and qRT-PCR detection to define a minimal reference transcriptome for developing L. glauca fruits, and to elucidate the molecular regulatory mechanism of carbon flux control and energy provision for oil synthesis. Our results will provide a valuable resource for future fundamental and applied research on the woody biodiesel plants.

Molecular Mapping of Oil Content and Fatty Acids Using Dense Genetic Maps in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.).

Enhancing seed oil content with desirable fatty acid composition is one of the most important objectives of groundnut breeding programs globally. Genomics-assisted breeding facilitates combining multiple traits faster, however, requires linked markers. In this context, we have developed two different F2 mapping populations, one for oil content (OC-population, ICGV 07368 × ICGV 06420) and another for fatty acid composition (FA-population, ICGV 06420 × SunOleic 95R). These two populations were phenotyped for respective traits and genotyped using Diversity Array Technology (DArT) and DArTseq genotyping platforms. Two genetic maps were developed with 854 (OC-population) and 1,435 (FA-population) marker loci with total map distance of 3,526 and 1,869 cM, respectively. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis using genotyping and phenotyping data identified eight QTLs for oil content including two major QTLs, qOc-A10 and qOc-A02, with 22.11 and 10.37% phenotypic variance explained (PVE), respectively. For seven different fatty acids, a total of 21 QTLs with 7.6–78.6% PVE were identified and 20 of these QTLs were of major effect. Two mutant alleles, ahFAD2B and ahFAD2A, also had 18.44 and 10.78% PVE for palmitic acid, in addition to oleic (33.8 and 17.4% PVE) and linoleic (41.0 and 19.5% PVE) acids. Furthermore, four QTL clusters harboring more than three QTLs for fatty acids were identified on the three LGs. The QTLs identified in this study could be further dissected for candidate gene discovery and development of diagnostic markers for breeding improved groundnut varieties with high oil content and desirable oil quality.

Isolation and identification of Choricystis minor Fott and mass cultivation for oil production

The use of wastewater-grown algae for biofuel production is economical and eco-friendly. In the present study, an algal strain was isolated from the wastewater of a local dairy farm. On the basis of the morphology, ultrastructure, and 18S rRNA gene sequences, the specimen was identified to be conspecific with Choricystis minor Fott, which is a newly reported species in China. The C. minor cells accumulated predominantly neutral lipids that accounted for 60.82% of total lipids with 35.61% being triacylglycerol. Enlarged oil droplets were observed under nitrogen-depleted condition. C. minor was further cultivated outdoors on a larger scale, in which we employed both flat-plate and tubular photobioreactors (PBRs). The algae quickly adapted to the outdoor conditions and exhibited good growth performance (biomass and lipid productivities were 162.86 and 36 mg L−1 day−1 in flat-plate PBRs). Taken together, these results support the finding that C. minor is a promising source of low-cost, high-quality oil for biofuel production.

Effect of Drying Methods on Yield and Quality of the Avocado Oil

This experimental study was carried out to verify the quality enhancement of avocado oil production by different drying methods. During this study, samples of green avocado cake were obtained from Tak Province, Thailand. The small size of fresh green avocados was the raw material to prepare the high quality of avocado oil. The drying methods composed of air drying, hot air drying and vacuum drying, respectively. The dried avocado pulp was evaluated the moisture contents and then pressed avocado oil using the extraction machine. All avocado oil were determined the physical and chemical properties. The current study revealed that hot air drying and air drying had the highest and lowest yield, respectively. The unsaturated fatty acids in avocado oil were higher than the saturated fatty acids in all avocado oils from the three drying methods. The costs of drying methods were considered and the present study revealed that the best method for drying green avocado cake was hot air drying with the desired oven.

The utilisation of oils produced from plastic waste at different pyrolysis temperatures in a DI diesel engine

Chemical recycling is an attractive way to address the explosive growth of plastic waste and disposal problems. Pyrolysis is a chemical recycling process that can convert plastics into high quality oil, which can then be utilised in internal combustion engines for power and heat generation. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the potential of using oils that have been derived from the pyrolysis of plastics at different temperatures in diesel engines. The produced oils were analysed and found to have similar properties to diesel fuel. The plastic pyrolysis oils were then tested in a four-cylinder direct injection diesel engine, and their combustion, performance and emission characteristics analysed and compared to mineral diesel. The engine was found to perform better on the pyrolysis oils at higher loads. The pyrolysis temperature had a significant effect, as the oil produced at a lower temperature presented higher brake thermal efficiency and shorter ignition delay period at all loads. This oil also produced lower NOX, UHC, CO and CO2 emissions than the oil produced at a higher temperature, although diesel emissions were lower.

Breeding winter rapeseed for the temperate forest zone

The requirements and key characteristics for breeding winter rapeseed for the temperate/forest zone are formulated on the basis of agritechnical and climatic conditions. Assessment of the stock material discovered the sources of the valuable agronomic traits, such as winter hardiness, seed quality, and productivity. Freezing in a climate-controlled growth room was used along with geographically diverse intravariety hybridization for subsequent selection of the most winter-hardy specimen. Use of parental forms that provide both high yields and superb seed quality resulted in a number of varieties combining winter hardiness with good harvesting features. As a result, winter rapeseed cultivars yielding a capacity of 6.0–6.5 t of seeds ha–1 and oil content of 44–48% with low glucosinolates and zero erucic acid content were created, thus opening vaster cultivation areas for the crop. Using the cultivars created by the All-Russia Williams Fodder Research Institute for further breeding facilitates a more sustainable and economically efficient oilseed production, expanding the cultivation areas of winter rapeseed in the European center of Russia, providing high-quality cooking oil and energy feed additives for animal husbandry.

Simple Technologies for Converting Rest Raw Materials of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) into High-Quality, Valuable, and Tasty Feed Ingredients

ABSTRACTRest raw materials as viscera, heads, and frames from farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were hydrolyzed with the use of endogenous enzymes and the commercial enzymes Protamex and a mixture of Papain and Bromelain. Composition of the prehydrolysis mixture clearly influenced the quality of final hydrolysate and process kinetics. An increased proportion of viscera increased the amount of endogenous enzymes, which influenced hydrolysis kinetics, the extent of hydrolysis, and increased bitterness. Commercial enzymes, in addition to endogenous enzymes, are not always more yield efficient or economically beneficial but can be used to improve the taste and to ease the separation of oil from the hydrolysate fraction. Hydrolysis of denatured proteins in rest raw materials was hardly detectable. Optimum temperature should therefore be selected to avoid protein denaturation and simultaneously maintain high enzymatic activity. Hydrolysates preferably contain a low concentration of oil, and this work shows that high-quality oil can be separated before hydrolysis by mild thermal treatment. The previous separation of oil did not influence hydrolysate yield and decreased the concentration of lipids in the final hydrolysate. The initial separation of oil also increased productivity of the hydrolysis reactor, due to the reduction of hydrolysis volume.

Physico-Chemical Characteristic and Fatty Acids Compositions of Cottonseed Oils

In this study, three cotton genotypes of species Gossypium hirsutum L., Cukurova 1518, PAUM 15 and BA 119 were investigated for their some physicochemical properties of oils such as free fatty acids, peroxide value, iodine value, unsaponifiable matter, total carotenoid and tocopherol contents and fatty acids composition in Cukurova region in Turkey. Seed oil content ranged 17.2-19.6% and PAUM 15 was found to be genotype with the highest oil content. The range of other physicochemical properties and their values are as follows; free fatty acids 1.7-2.8%, peroxide value 5.3- 6.0 meq O2 kg-1, unsaponifiable matters 2.1-2.3%, iodine value 102-110, total carotenoid content 119-140 mg kg-1, total tocopherol content 887-920 mg kg-1, linoleic acid 52.00-55.82%, palmitic acid 24.85-25.63%, oleic acid 14.06-17.00%, stearic acid 3.01-3.13% in the cottonseed oils. PAUM 15 was determined to be more suitable for food consumption as edible oil due to its highest oil content and quality characteristics than the others genotypes.

ОБ ОБЛАГОРАЖИВАНИИ ВЫСОКОСЕРНИСТОГО МАЗУТА АСТРАХАНСКОГО ГАЗОВОГО КОНДЕНСАТА

The process of catalytic hydroprocessing of residual gas-condensate raw materials is one of the ways to improve the quality and expand the product assortment of the enterprise. Hydrocatalytic technology of refining high-sulphur fuel oil includes the process of heat treatment, when hydrogen is acting as a reagent under high pressure in the presence of catalysts, which reduces the concentration of impurities (metals, sulphur and nitrogen compounds) in the product. The article offers and substantiates operation principles of catalytic hydrogenation of fuel oil in the Astrakhan gas processing plant, and main technological parameters of the process. There has been carried out the preliminary economic assessment the qualified processing 500 t/year of fuel oil. To develop the technology for qualified fuel oil processing there has been created an experimental setup, which is operating under high pressure. The scope of major parameters of experimental research has been defined. Astrakhan fuel oil refining using hydrogenation catalytic process allows to obtain the high quality oil product with sulphur content less than 1% of mass. Using the hydrogenate is feasible as a marine fuel component, because it helps to decrease environmental burden from combustion product emissions.

First Investigation in the Biochemical Analysis of the Invasive Crab Portunus segnis from Tunisian Waters

AbstractThe invasive Portunus segnis, an atlantic species, was recently recorded in Tunisian waters. Since its record in the Gulf of Gabes, no studies have been carried out about the biochemical analysis of this alien species. In this context, our study aims to evaluate the fatty acid profile, lipid classes (neutral and polar), and nutritional value of breast of this invasive species. Specimens sampled from the gulf of Gabes were found to be rich in protein and oil, with significant differences between sexes. The level of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in neutral and polar showed a significant difference between sexes. Saturated fatty acids were significantly higher in male P. segnis compared to the female. Docosahexaenoic (DHA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and arachidonic (ARA) were the most predominate polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in all oil classes. Oleic (C18:1) and Palmitoleic (C16:1) were the most abundant in monounsaturated. Palmitic (C16:0) and Stearic (C18:0) were the major saturated fatty acids. Consequently, the breast of P. segnis was a valuable source of high oil quality: It is rich in essential fatty acids and has an important n‐3/n‐6 ratio in both male and female blue crab. Therefore, the atherogenicity and the thrombogenicity were also evaluated, showing that P. segnis is a shellfish of greater value for human consumption in Tunisia.

Distribution of Persea schiedeana in Mexico and Potential for the Production of Fruits with High-quality Oil

The fruit of Persea schiedeana is consumed in various rural regions of Mexico and Central America and is mainly sold in local markets. Information regarding the ecological conditions where it grows and the potential for its distribution in Mexico has been little studied. The States of Chiapas, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Tabasco, and Veracruz in Mexico were explored to locate P. schiedeana trees. The ecological conditions of the places where P. schiedeana was found were characterized using thematic cartography and by evaluating the ecological niches to identify potential areas for its distribution. The trees were found in wide physiographic, geological, and edaphic conditions, but they were primarily located in semiwarm humid and warm humid climates. Persea schiedeana trees grow from almost sea level to 2000 m in altitude. Zones with the best developmental conditions for P. schiedeana were in the region of the high mountains in the center of Veracruz and the highland zone of northern Oaxaca. The oil obtained from the fruit of P. schiedeana trees growing at 1300 m had high oleic acid content. This wild fruit has the potential for obtaining new products for cosmetic and alimentary industries.

Effects of potassium hydroxide on the catalytic pyrolysis of oily sludge for high-quality oil product

Oily sludge has received increasing attention for its hazardousness as well as its high potential as an energy resource. Previous studies have developed many methods for oil recovery from oily sludge. In this paper, the effect of KOH on improving the quality of oil product from different oily sludge through pyrolysis was studied. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), rheometer and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were applied to characterize the pyrolysis oil products. The product yields along with possible reaction mechanisms and kinetic characteristics were discussed. It was found that the oil yield decreased while the gaseous yield and solid residues increased with the addition of KOH. The GPC results showed that hydrocarbon species in the pyrolysis oil were more pure and the average molecular weight could be reduced by 53% for the used sample when KOH was added, which could be possibly explained by the cracking reaction of heavy oil into light species. The viscosity of the oil product also showed a significant reduction while the heating value increased in the case of adding KOH. Additionally, SARA fractions were extracted from oil to obtain the asphaltenes content and to identify the detailed components of saturated compounds. Results showed that the concentration of asphaltenes was declined by half and more saturate hydrocarbons (such as C14H30 to C17H36) were produced when KOH ratio reached up to 10%. It revealed that quality of oil product was improved in terms of smaller average molecular weight, lower viscosity, higher heating value, less asphaltenes and more straight chain hydrocarbons.

Experimental evaluation of a diesel engine fuelled by pyrolysis oils produced from low-density polyethylene and ethylene–vinyl acetate plastics

Depletion of oil resources and increase in energy demand have driven the researchers to seek ways to convert the waste products into high quality oils that could replace fossil fuels. Plastic waste is in abundance and can be converted into high quality oil through the pyrolysis process. In this study, pyrolysis oils were produced from polyethylene (LDPE700), the most common used plastic, and ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA900) at pyrolysis temperatures of 700 °C and 900 °C respectively. The oils were then tested in a four cylinder diesel engine, and the performance, combustion and emission characteristics were analysed in comparison with mineral diesel. It was found that the engine could operate on both oils without the addition of diesel. LDPE700 exhibited almost identical combustion characteristics and brake thermal efficiency to that of diesel operation, with lower NOX, CO and CO2 emissions but higher unburned hydrocarbons (UHC). On the contrary, EVA900 presented longer ignition delay period, lower efficiency (1.5–2%), higher NOX and UHC emissions and lower CO and CO2 in comparison to diesel. The addition of diesel to the EVA900 did not significantly improve the overall engine performance.

Optimization of Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Essential Oil from Artemisia annua L. by Means of Response Surface Methodology

In this paper, the extraction of essential oils from Artemisia annua L. with supercritical carbon dioxide method has been studied by means of the parameter optimization using response surface methodology. The extracted oil was then purified with molecular distillation. The results showed that the response surface methodology was an effective tool to predict optimal values of extraction parameters, with which the crude oil yield of 11.17% could be achieved at 25 MPa pressure, 50°C, 25 g/minute carbon dioxide flow rate and 2 hours extraction time. The purification below 120°C could produce high-quality essential oil with the yield of 56.1%. The essential oil was mainly composed of six bioactive terpenes, namely limonene, (1s)-α-pinene, β-pinene, β-farnesene, α-caryophyllene, γ-elemene. It was suggested that A. annua L. was a potential source of antimicrobial/ antioxidant compounds and the combination of supercritical carbon dioxide and molecular distillation was a good process for the isolation of essential oil.

Piriformospora indica promotes growth, seed yield and quality of Brassica napus L.

In current scenario, crop productivity is being challenged by decreasing soil fertility. To cope up with this problem, different beneficial microbes are explored to increase the crop productivity with value additions. In this study, Brassica napus L., an important agricultural economic oilseed crop with rich source of nutritive qualities, was interacted with Piriformospora indica, a unique root colonizing fungus with wide host range and multifunctional aspects. The fungus-treated plants showed a significant increase in agronomic parameters with plant biomass, lodging-resistance, early bolting and flowering, oil yield and quality. Nutritional analysis revealed that plants treated by P. indica had reduced erucic acid and glucosinolates contents, and increased the accumulation of N, Ca, Mg, P, K, S, B, Fe and Zn elements. Low erucic acid and glucosinolates contents are important parameters for high quality oil, because oils high in erucic acid and glucosinolates are considered undesirable for human nutrition. Furthermore, the expression profiles of two encoding enzyme genes, Bn-FAE1 and BnECR, which are responsible for regulating erucic acid biosynthesis, were down-regulated at mid- and late- life stages during seeds development in colonized plants. These results demonstrated that P. indica played an important role in enhancing plant growth, rapeseed yield and quality improvement of B. napus.

Co-Deoxy-Liquefaction of Macroalgae and Lignocellulosic Biomass for Production of High-quality Liquid Oil

Co-Deoxy-Liquefaction of Macroalgae and Lignocellulosic Biomass for Production of High-quality Liquid Oil