High Water Retention Capacity Research Articles

SIMULATION MODELING AND PRACTICAL USE OF THE HYDROLOGICAL FUNCTION OF DETRITUS IN SOIL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES

The high water retention and water capacity functions of detritus determine its potential hydrological signifi cance in the formation of the water regime of soils and phytoproductivity of forest landscapes. Using computer modeling of water exchange in the “soilplantatmosphere” HYDRUS1D system, we preliminary studied the hydrological function of detritus for water retention of precipitation and root water consumption at different amounts and variants of the arrangement of detritus layers in the soil profi le. The soil structures designed on the basis of this information for sustainable afforestation with increased carbon sequestration demonstrated in field experiments with water balance monitoring high eficiency in optimizing the water retention capacity of the soil and roots water consumption of the test crop (Glauca spruce) with a 23fold reduction in unproductive water losses and a 1.5-2fold increase in the current plant growth relative to untreated control. The physical mechanism of the detritus hydrological function is the formation of capillary barriers blocking evaporation and capillary resorption of soil water due to due to surface accumulation (forest litter) or placement in layers inside the soil (peat layers in constructosems).

Engineering geological characterization of micaceous residual soils considering effects of mica content and particle breakage

The engineering geological characteristics of micaceous residual soil (MRS), which is prevalent in subtropical regions, are markedly influenced by the presence and breakage of mica particles. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for these effects remains elusive. In this study, a series of experimental tests were conducted on two groups of reconstituted MRS samples. These samples were prepared by mixing natural MRS, from which the original mica had been removed, with intact and crushed mica powder, respectively. The aim was to investigate the effect of the mica content and particle breakage on the physical and mechanical properties of MRS. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to scrutinize the microstructural alternations of mica particles at different states of breakage, and a conceptual model was proposed based on the observations. The findings revealed that the presence of mica considerably altered the physical properties of MRS, resulting in higher Atterberg limits but lower plasticity, along with unfavorable mechanical properties, including high compressibility and swelling potential, low compactability, stiffness, strength, and ductility. The microstructural analysis elucidates that these effects stem from the resilient nature of layered mica flakes with high water-retention capacity. On the other hand, the breakage of mica particles changed these effects. The disappearance of interlayered voids following mica particle breakage leads to reduced Atterberg limits and enhanced compaction efficiency of the mixture. Moreover, MRS with a higher proportion of crushed mica exhibited more significant deformation and compression during shearing. This behavior can be attributed to the diminished stiffness of crushed mica and weaker interparticle contacts within the soil matrix. This study provided a multi-scale insight into how mica affected the engineering geological properties of MRS and proposes references for more effectively incorporating of MRS into engineering construction projects.

A Shape Memory Hydrogel with Excellent Mechanical Properties, Water Retention Capacity, and Tunable Fluorescence for Dual Encryption.

Information encryption platforms with reliable encryption performance, excellent mechanical performance, and high water retention capacity are highly desired. In this study, a tough double-network hydrogel is designed using the first network of a polyion complex containing lanthanide complexes via one-pot polymerization and the second network of a poly (N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (PHEAA) obtained by deep eutectic solvent (DES)-assisted introduction and subsequent photopolymerization. In this system, the pH-induced shape memory function and pH-/wavelength-dependent fluorescence allow the use of the prepared hydrogel as a dual-encryption platform. Owing to its high response reversibility, the hydrogel-based platform exhibits both a high security level and the advantages of rewritability, reprogrammability, and reusability. Additionally, the excellent mechanical properties and water retention capacity owing to the solvent exchange process involving the low-volatility solvent DES and the resulting introduction of the second network of PHEAA offer high practical application value for the hydrogel-based dual encryption platform, demonstrating its potential for information security protection.

Preparation and characterization of a CDs based hydrogel slow-release fertilizer

Low utilization rate of chemical fertilizers is a main limitation for improving crop yields. Peanut bran carbon dots (CDs) have been shown to boost Italian lettuce growth, while hydrophilic CDs can easily flow away with water during application, which leads to CDs wastage and water losing. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a material with slow-release capacity of nutrient elements and CDs along with water-retaining function. In this study, acrylic acid and acrylamide were reacted with urea, potassium phosphate and other materials, thus a hydrogel slow-release fertilizer was firstly designed. Then, peanut bran CDs were added into the hydrogels to prepare a novel CDs based hydrogel slow-release fertilizer (CDs-hydrogels). Experimental results show that the prepared CDs-hydrogels have high water retention capacity and element release capacity of N, P, K. Most importantly, the CDs within these hydrogels, via its changes in luminescence, the releasing rate of nutrient elements can be monitored.

Bacterial Cellulose Applied in Wound Dressing Materials: Production and Functional Modification - A Review.

In recent years, the development of new type wound dressings has gradually attracted more attention. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural polymer material with various unique properties, such as ultrafine 3D nanonetwork structure, high water retention capacity, and biocompatibility. These properties allow BC to be used independently or in combination with different components (such as biopolymers and nanoparticles) to achieve diverse effects. This means that BC has great potential as a wound dressing. However, systematic summaries for the production and commercial application of BC-based wound dressings are still lacking. Therefore, this review provides a detailed introduction to the production fermentation process of BC, including various production strains and their biosynthetic mechanisms. Subsequently, with regard to the functional deficiencies of bacterial cellulose as a wound dressing, recent research progress in this area is enumerated. Finally, prospects are discussed for the low-cost production and high-value-added product development of BC-based wound dressings.

Eco-efficient cementitious composites using waste cellulose fibers: Effects on autogenous shrinkage, strength and energy absorption capacity

Waste cellulose fibers (WCF) constitute a large portion of biomass which are often burned during removal processing. As a sustainable approach to reduce the negative environmental impacts of the agricultural waste burning, substituting WCF for synthetic and other fibers that are routinely used to reinforce the concrete matrix presents a major opportunity. In this study, the WCF used show groundbreaking potential for mitigating the autogenous shrinkage of high strength cementitious mixes, due to the high water-retention capacity of the fibers, 947%, which perform as internal curing agents and alleviate the internally induced stresses. The reinforcing efficiency of the WCF led to outstanding improvements in the flexural strength and energy absorption capacity of the WCF reinforced mortars, especially at early ages. Based on the findings, WCF are an attractive option as an eco-component in concrete that offers completely new prospects for the construction industry in efficiently mitigating the potential of autogenous shrinkage.

Potential of Rice-Based Food Processing Industries Along Eastern Plains of River Ganga

The Indo-Gangetic plains are considered to be the most fertile land area within India. It contains alluvium type of soil which is rich in nutrients and have high water retention capacity. According to many agricultural think tanks, including Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the northern belt of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and Bihar are the only states having naturally sustainable soil conditions for the cultivation of water-intensive rice crops in India and are also among very few regions of Asia. This paper will be an attempt to propose an integrated system where Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets like poverty, well-being, economic growth, innovation and infrastructure, and sustainable communities will be addressed. With the optimum production of rice in the region and with the support of government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampda Yojana scheme for overall growth and development of food processing units, food processing industries can be established in selected pockets of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The food processing industries based on rice processing will produce varied local sweets such as Anarsa, Lakhtho, Thekua, etc., and food products that can get a vital push from the government’s One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. With the help of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the products can be promoted for international exports as well. Also, it will address the much-known menace of outmigration (4–5 million of workforce per annum) from states and will provide local human capital with income growth and identity. A whole integrated system can be built where linkages from farm to market can be created which will reap farmers: good prices and regular procurement, food industries: good promotion of products plus profits, and local people: economic and social protection. Therefore, by using locally climate suited crop and government supported food parks or industrial system, the holistic aim of 3P’s – people, planet, and profit, will be realized.

Alta producción de ácido cítrico en fermentación en estado sólido por Aspergillus brasiliensis sobre espuma de poliuretano

A statistical approach based on fractional and complete factorial designs to increase the citric acid yield was used. Polyurethane foam (PUF) was used as inert support for solid-state fermentation (SSF) due to its high-water retention capacity (up to 60-fold of its weight), resulting in the recovery of concentrated citric acid by squeezing it. The maximum yields for citric acid (0.62 Cmol/Cmol glucose) and polyols (0.11 Cmol/Cmol glucose) are obtained by growing Aspergillus brasiliensis in a well-defined culture medium (at 30°C for 120 h). Citric acid, polyols, and glucose consumption are negatively affected by a high glucose concentration (250 g/L). In contrast, enrichment of the culture medium with yeast extract only enhances citric acid production yield (0.54 Cmol/Cmol glucose). This study demonstrates that the citric acid production yield is negatively affected by phosphate (> 4.54 g/L) and magnesium (> 0.26 g/L). The PUF for SSF is an inexpensive and useful support for the commercial production of citric acid. The utilization of low-cost inert supports through SSF can contribute to achieving industrially viable and sustainable citric acid production. As far as we know, this work reports the highest citric acid production yield using SSF on an inert support such as PUF soaked with a defined medium.

Levan-based bioactive hydrogels containing herbal liposome in treating acute wounds

Hydrogels in active wound care products are 3D polymeric scaffolds that provide the desired moisture balance in the wound area with their high water retention capacity. Thanks to their biocompatible properties, flexible and porous structures, and high hydrophilic properties, they have frequently been preferred in the repair and regeneration of cells and tissues and the controlled release of bioactive substances to the target area. In this study, hydrogel structures were developed for the first time with levan produced by Halomonas elongata 153B halophilic bacteria. Extracts from Plantago lanceolata L., commonly known as a wound herb, which has medicinal importance for cell regeneration, ensuring tissue integrity in a short time and reducing infections in the wound area, were obtained and extract-loaded liposome structures were formed for controlled release into the wound area. The wound healing efficacy of the composite material developed by loading herbal liposomes into levan-based hydrogel structures was evaluated in an in vitro wound model. Thus, a natural, biocompatible, biodegradable, and functional wound care product containing herbal liposomes suitable for both clinical applications and point-of-care use has been developed. The developed bioactive hydrogels are a promising therapeutic approach for the healing of acute wounds. Graphical abstract [Formula: see text]

Thermal-mechanical treatment of blackcurrant pomace for enrichment in yoghurt

Blackcurrant pomace (BP) is currently rarely used in human nutrition, although it contains a high amount of dietary fibre (∼60%). A proper enrichment of foods could provide a good opportunity to improve the recommended daily fibre intake. Yoghurt, as a dispersed system, with high consumer acceptance, is a suitable candidate for pomace enrichment. Due to its strong tendency towards sedimentation, direct enrichment is not possible. The aim of the study was to thermal-mechanically functionalise BP, to enrich cow milk yoghurt to an amount of 5%. Chemical composition, particle size and techno-functional properties of BP and functionalised BP, as well as functional and rheological properties and physical microstructure of the resulting yoghurts, were characterised. Fermentation of enriched yoghurt with functionalised pomace containing a high amount of soluble dietary fibre (SDF) and in consequence exhibiting a high water retention capacity (WRC) and good swelling behaviour led to improved product texture. The study shows that pomace, as a by-product of juice production, is suitable for enriching dispersed systems such as yoghurt without negatively affecting rheological properties. The results confirm that a thermal-mechanical functionalisation of the pomace is necessary to reach this goal.

Effect of Fruit Peel Biochar on Growth and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon Mill.) and Country Bean (Lablab purpureus) in Acidic Soil of Sylhet, Bangladesh

The potential of biochar as a soil conditioner has been approved by scientists worldwide due to its large surface area, high water retention capacity, slow nutrient releasing nature and liming ability; and it might also help to get desirable crop yield in problem soil like acidic soil. Hence, an experimental field trial was operated at the research field of the Department of Agroforestry and Environmental Science, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet to evaluate the performance of banana peel biochar (BB) and orange peel biochar (OB) in the growth and yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicon Mill.) and country bean (Lablab purpureus) under acidic soil conditions. In case of tomato, plant height (PH), number of leaves plant-1 (NLP), leaf length (LL), and stem diameter (SD) in treatments having different levels of biochar were significantly higher than the control. The maximum PH (72.20 cm), NLP (21), LL (35.66 cm), SD (9.05 cm), and total leaf chlorophyll content (TLCC) (50.56 µmol m-2) of tomato were found in T7 (3% OB w/w + CF) followed by T4 (3% BB w/w + CF) whereas in country bean, the PH (373 cm), NLP (34), branch number (BN) (3), and TLCC (36.65 µmol m-2) were also recorded in T7 followed by T4. The root length (RL) (43.5 cm) and fresh root weight (FRW) (14 g) of country bean were the maximum at T7, followed by T5 (1% OB w/w + CF). According to the results, positive effects of BB and OB application were observed on all the yield parameters of country bean and tomato. The number of pod plant-1 (NPP) (384), individual pod weight (IPW) (5.78 g), total pod weight plant-1 (TPWP) (2220 g), and pod length (PL) (10.57 cm) of country bean were also found to be highest in T7, followed by the T4. Similarly, the highest NFP (37), IFW (55 g), and TFWP (1980 g) of tomato were noted in T7, followed by T4. After the cultivation of country bean and tomato, a significant increase in the soil pH was noticed at T3 (2% BB w/w + CF), T4, T6 (2% OB w/w + CF) and T7 in respect of the control. Therefore, the findings of the study suggest that both BB and OB could have a positive impact on growth and yield components of tomato and country bean by altering soil pH of acidic soil.

Effect of liquid contaminants on tribological performance of greases

This study investigates the effects of liquid contamination factors, including water, cutting fluid, and anti-rust oil, on the tribological properties of two lithium-based greases. Results show that these factors increase the friction coefficients and wear behaviors of both Li_M and Li_S greases. Empirical equations establish a correlation between the concentrations of contaminants and the specific wear rate of greases, showing not only the quality of the greases, but also their capacity to withstand the effects of liquid contaminants. The presence of water or cutting fluid in the tested greases decreases the tribofilm thickness, which is attributed to the grease–water spray phenomenon on the steel ball surface outside the wear scar. Li_M grease, characterized by a high total acid number and water retention capacity, has less friction and higher wear resistance than Li_S grease, but in the presence of contaminants its behavior is similar, with a slight improvement in Li_S grease. Moreover, the addition of water to the greases significantly increases the level of vibrations. These findings provide fundamental information for the selection of greases to be used under wet performance conditions.

Nanocellulose-Based Film-Forming Hydrogels for Improved Outcomes in Atopic Skin.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by impaired skin barrier function. Amongst the various dermal formulations that are being used and/or investigated for AD treatment, one of the advanced approaches is the use of hydrogels as film-forming systems that are applied directly to the skin and have the added value of providing a physical barrier, which is lacking in atopic skin. Novel film-forming hydrogels based on two different nanocrystalline celluloses (NCCs) in combination with one of two natural polymers (alginate or pectin) were developed for incorporation of betamethasone dipropionate (BDP). Initially, the low water solubility of BDP was resolved by prior dissolution in a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS). The mixture of Kolliphor® EL/Capryol® 90 in a ratio of 8/2 was chosen on the merit of its high BDP-saturated solubility and no BDP precipitation upon water dilution, enabling BDP to remain dissolved after incorporation into hydrogels. The solvent evaporation method was used to prepare the films, and their high water retention capacity was confirmed in vitro on artificial membranes and pig ear skin. The presented results thus confirm NCC-based film-forming hydrogels as a very promising drug delivery system for AD treatment.

Indigenously produced biochar retains fertility in sandy soil through unique microbial diversity sustenance: a step toward the circular economy.

Agricultural productivity in the arid hot desert climate of UAE is limited by the unavailability of water, high temperature, and salt stresses. Growing enough food under abiotic stresses and decreasing reliance on imports in an era of global warming are a challenge. Biochar with high water and nutrient retention capacity and acid neutralization activity is an attractive soil conditioner. This study investigates the microbial community in the arid soil of Dubai under shade house conditions irrigated with saline water and the shift in the microbial community, following 1 year of amendment with indigenously prepared biochar from date palm waste. Amplicon sequencing was used to elucidate changes in bacterial, archaeal, and fungal community structures in response to long-term biochar amendment. Samples were collected from quinoa fields receiving standard NPK doses and from fields receiving 20 and 30 tons ha-1 of biochar, in addition to NPK for 1 year. Water holding capacity, pH, electrical conductivity, calcium, magnesium, chloride, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, total carbon, organic matter, and total nitrogen in the soil from biochar-treated and untreated controls were determined. The results show that soil amendment with biochar helps retain archaeal and bacterial diversity. Analysis of differentially abundant bacterial and fungal genera indicates enrichment of plant growth-promoting microorganisms. Interestingly, many of the abundant genera are known to tolerate salt stress, and some observed genera were of marine origin. Biochar application improved the mineral status and organic matter content of the soil. Various physicochemical properties of soil receiving 30 tons ha-1 of biochar improved significantly over the control soil. This study strongly suggests that biochar helps retain soil fertility through the enrichment of plant growth-promoting microorganisms.

Possibility of complex use of bentonite clays and modeling of research processes


 
 
 The efficient and complex use of resources of high quality bentonite clays, as well as the application of relatively low quality bentonite clays in accordance with their mineralogical and lithological properties are identified in the article. As Azerbaijan’s oil industry developed, interest in studying the geological structure of bentonite deposits increased. Prospects for bentonite production to reach 1-1.5 million tons of annual productivity in the next 40-50 years are related to the industrial development of the Daşsalakhli deposit, the largest in terms of resources (explored reserves are 180 million tons). The Dashsalakhli field is unique in terms of mineral quality and is one of the largest deposits in the world. Since the Dashsalakhli field has been researched and prepared for industrial development, and taking into account the demand of the world market, it is possible to increase the production and pro- cessing of bentonites by 1.5-2 times with the production of various commodity products in the republic. For this purpose, a unique and powerful “Azbentonite” processing enterprise equipped with modern equipment was established in Baku. One of the most important physical properties of bentonite clay which determines its industrial use is swelling. The swelling of clays is determined by their granulometric and mineral composition, as well as the content of absorbed cations. Massive bentonites have a relatively low density due to the significant moisture content, in most cases greater than 2.09 g/cm3. Attention was paid principally to the study of the degree swelling of the studied clay samples . The process of swelling in clays depends on their mineralogical composition. As is known, according to P.A. Rebinder, clays with a hard crystal lattice are less exposed to swelling. The elastic skeletal lattice of «Dashsalahli» bentonite clay, which is characteristic of other bentonite clays, causes the swelling process to intensify on contact with water. Bentonite clays are char- acterized by high water absorption or water retention capacity compared to other types of clay. One of the important natural properties of bentonites is their dispersibility, which depends on the type and amount of functionally modifiable clay cations .The more alkali metal (usually sodium) cations in the diffuse layer of bentonite particles, the higher the dispersion. In order to comprehensively study the physical and chemical properties of «Dashsalahli» bentonite clay, samples were taken from the northern, southern, western, eastern and central directions of the clay deposit, and research work was carried out. As a result of the research, it was established that «Dashsalahli» bentonite clay belongs to the class of small dispersed, alkali-based montmorillonite clays and is characterized by plastic texture. The composition of these clays is weakly carbonate and consists mainly of quartz and plagioclase minerals. Reconstructive diagnostic and electron-microscopic data of the corresponding montmorillonite showed that these clays have variable cation capacity. The analysis of «Dashsalahli» bentonite clay ultimately examined the use of this clay in the production of drilling fluids used in wells drilled in the oil industry and in other industries. Bentonite clays, as well as their processed products, have many special qualities and are widely used in certain leading sectors of the economy, as well as in many industries. The possibility of their application in high-quality detergent used in the steel casting industry, granulation of iron ore concentrate, drilling of deep wells, production of expanded clay in the construction industry, production of special purpose aluminum sheets, and their application in the oil refining, chemical , food , liquid and gas in- dustries was determined. The feature of using low-condition bentonite clays and opening rocks in various fields ensures the full use of this raw material and the complex development of the deposit. Currently, bentonite clays, especially their montmorillonite varieties, are considered an important raw material in the world market due to the use of bentonites in the production of iron ore pellets.
 
 

Hydrogeological Properties of Till Amended with Green Liquor Dregs (GLD): Recycling of an Industrial Residue for Reclamation of Acid Generating Mine Sites

The oxidation of sulfide minerals in mine wastes is a possible threat to the environment as it might have potential to generate acid rock drainage (ARD). A common method to reduce ARD is to apply a dry cover on the mine waste deposit. Considering the massive amounts of mine waste produced in Sweden (104-million-ton in year 2018) there is a great need for suitable dry cover materials. Using non-hazardous industrial residues in the dry cover would be beneficial for both the mining industry and the providing industry as stricter waste management legislation incentivizes them to develop their waste management strategies. The objective of this study was to investigate if an addition of Green Liquor Dregs (GLD), a residue from pulp production, can decrease the hydraulic conductivity and increase the water retention capacity (WRC) of three different tills, with the purpose of improving the performance of a dry cover material on a mine waste deposit. Another objective was to investigate how the hydraulic conductivity and WRC are affected by the contents of fines and clays in the tills. The study concludes that the water retention capacity of the tills improves with GLD addition, however, the hydraulic conductivity did not decrease enough to reach the in Sweden required < 10−8 m/s. Even though, GLD could still successfully be used in the reclamation of mine sites as the high WRC can be seen as the most important factor in deterring acid rock drainage by keeping the sealing layer close to saturation. This study further indicates that there are other factors than the particle size distribution of the materials that controls the hydraulic conductivity of the mixtures, such as initial water content, dry density, and compaction effort.

Influence of carbon sources on the physicochemical properties and yield of bacterial cellulose production

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biopolymer of great interest for application in various industrial and medical areas, due to its peculiar characteristics of biocompatibility, tensile strength, high water retention capacity and crystallinity. CB can be produced using culture media with different nutrient sources, under static or agitated cultivation conditions. The objectives of this work were to produce CB membranes, using the bacterial strain Komagateibacter hansenii ATCC 23769, in static cultivation, using media containing different sources of carbon (glucose, fructose, glycerol and ethanol) and nitrogen (yeast extract and peptone), aiming to study the influence on the physicochemical properties of the BC produced and its possible biomedical application. The obtained BC were comparatively evaluated for dry mass yield, swelling capacity, and characterized by Field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), and Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR). Membranes with significant swelling capacity were obtained, demonstrating that the composition of the culture medium influences the physicochemical properties of BC. The results of this work also demonstrate that the BC has great possibilities in several areas, including biomedical applications.

Breeding value of drought-resistant sterile sorghum lines

Currently, breeders often use multidimensional statistics methods to process a large set of experimental data. To characterize the breeding value of 20 sorghum lines with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS lines) under arid cultivation conditions, during the research there was applied a cluster analysis, allowing to group the lines into clusters according to similar indicators from 15 analyzed agronomic and physiological characteristics. The studies were carried out during 2019-2021, various in meteorological conditions: the hydrothermal coefficient was 0.59-0.84 during the vegetation period of plants. Cytoplasmic male sterility lines were sown at a density of 100 thousand plants per 1 hectare. Breeding and physiological traits were evaluated according to generally accepted methods. The assessment of agronomic and physiological characteristics was carried out according to generally accepted methods. For further practical work, based on the results of the conducted studies, four CMS lines of grain sorghum (clusters 2, 3, 5) were identified according to a complex of physiological and breeding characteristics. Sterile lines (A2 Vostorg, M35-1А Pischevoe 614, A3 Feterita 14 and A2 KVV 114) were distinguished by the highest seed yield of 3.02-3.50 t/ha, high water content (72.7-73.7 %) and water retention capacity of leaves (72.2-84.3 %), low water deficiency (6.5-8.7 %). The study of moisture loss during the natural wilting of leaves confirmed the high resistance to drought in the flowering phase of the sterile A2 KVV 114 line, in which the intensity of moisture loss after 1 hour was only 9.9 %, 1.5 h – 15.8 % and 24 h – 68.6 %. In breeding for increasing drought resistance the CMS-line A1 Efremovskoe 2 (the sixth cluster) should be noted, as it was inferior to the above-described lines only in terms of low water deficiency (16.5 %), indicating average drought resistance. The line is the tallest with large leaves (length – 46.7 cm, area – 163.8 cm2) and form 3.21 t/ha of seeds on average for the period presented. The use of the obtained data provides the increasing of the breeding process for the creation of productive drought-resistant F1 sorghum hybrids.

Performance and meat quality of broiler chickens fed diets containing hydroethanolic extract of guavira seed or peel

The dietary inclusion of hydroethanolic extract of guavira seed or peel was evaluated on broiler performance, intestinal morphometry, carcass yield, and meat quality. A total of 1,680 male chicks, one day old, were distributed in a 2×5+2 factorial design (hydroethanolic extract of guavira seed (HEGS) or hydroethanolic extract of guavira peel (HEGP); 100; 200; 300; 400 and 500 mg/kg of inclusion and a positive control (PC) with antibiotics and negative control (NC) without growth promoter), with seven replicates and 20 birds each. A better feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed from days 1–7 and days 1–21 on the PC diet than on the NC diet. FCR from 1–7d of broilers on PC was better than those on HEGS or HEGP, and this better FCR was maintained until 21 d for the HEGS treatment. The HEGP diet showed lower average feed intake and better FCR for the total period compared to NC diets. Higher carcass yield and a higher L15 value for breast meat was observed in the HEGP group compared to HEGS. Broilers fed the PC diet showed a higher a* value 15 min and 24 h postmortem, higher water retention capacity in breast meat compared to birds fed HEGS, and a higher value of a* 24 h postmortem than those receiving NC. The inclusion of 100 to 500 mg/kg of HEGP or HEGS did not improve performance, intestinal morphometry, and carcass characteristics when compared to the performance-enhancing antibiotic. However, the HEGP diet provided better performance of broilers than the non-use of growth promoter additives in the diet.

Evaluation of chia gel incorporation as a fat substitute in Nile tilapia fishburger

Chia gel is known for its functional properties such as high water and oil retention capacity, emulsifying activity, and as a stabilizer for foams and emulsions. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of chia gel as a substitute for pork fat in formulations of fishburgers made with Nile tilapia. Five formulations, one control and four with increasing levels of substitution of chia gel (12.50, 25.00, 37.50 and 50.00%) were evaluated. The fishburgers were characterized regarding their physicochemical composition, their technological characteristics, and microbiological viability. With the incorporation of the gel, there was a significant reduction in lipid component and the caloric value of the formulations, in addition to an increase in the percentage of dietary fibre. In addition, no negative effects were observed regarding yield and the main texture parameters studied. However, the formulations with the highest percentage replacement of pork fat by chia gel were darker when compared to the control treatment. Chia gel may be considered as a novel substitute for pork fat; however, it is recommended that techniques be employed to produce lighter gels, thus avoiding possible rejection by the consumer.