Jatropha Seed Cake Research Articles

The Comparative Study of the Proximate and Mineral Composition of Bush Okro (Corchorus olitorious L.) under the Influence of Jatropha Seed Cake, Chicken droppings and NPK fertilizer

This study compared the effects of chicken dropping, NPK fertilizer, and Jatropha seed cake on the growth of bush okro (Corchorus olitorious L.), as well as its proximate and mineral composition. In a completely randomized design with three fertilizer treatments at four levels, soil samples were homogenized with 1, 2, 4, and 8 g/bag each of Jatropha seed cake, chicken dropping, and NPK fertilizer for the growth of bush okra. Standard techniques were used to assess the compositions of the proximate and minerals. The highest percentages of ash, lipid, fiber, nitrogen, crude protein, and moisture observed in Jatropha seed cake were: 16.5% (4g/bag), 3.5% (8g/bag), 11.5% (4g/bag), 1.15% (1g/bag), 7.18% (1g/bag), and 7% (8g/bag), NPK fertilizer: 21.5% (1g/bag), 3.0% (2g/bag), 10.5% (1g/bag), 1.27% (1g/bag), 7.96% (1g/bag), and 7.5% (2g/bag), Chicken dropping: 20.5% (8g/bag), 3.5% (4g/bag), 10% (2g/bag), 1.12% (8g/bag), 7% (8g/bag), and 6.5% (2 and 8g/bag) respectively.. All of the minerals that were examined (Na, K, Ca, and Mg) were found to be present in modest amounts. The composition of Corchorus olitorious L. proximate and mineral components were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by fertilizer types. The study's findings indicate that the application of Jatropha seed cake, which is comparable to NPK fertilizer and chicken droppings at 8 g/bag, accelerates the growth of C. olitorious. The findings support the use of Jatropha seed cake as a source of organic fertilizer, which may aid in the present need for food that is produced.

Bioactives and Extracellular Enzymes Obtained from Fermented Macrofungi Cultivated in Cotton and Jatropha Seed Cakes.

This work focused on obtaining fermented oil cake (cotton or Jatropha) via macrofungi growth with potential characteristics for animal feed formulations, such as the presence of extracellular enzymes, bioactive (ergosterol and antioxidants), and detoxification of antinutritional compounds. The concentration of phorbol esters was reduced by four macrofungi in Jatropha seed cake (JSC) to non-toxic levels. At least two macrofungi efficiently degraded free gossypol in cottonseed cake (CSC). Fermentation with Coriolopsis sp. INPA1646 and Tyromyces sp. INPA1696 resulted in increased ergosterol concentrations, antioxidant activity reduction, and high activity of laccases and proteases. Bromatological analysis indicated high crude protein concentrations, with partial solubilization by fungal proteases. Fermented products from Coriolopsis sp. and Tyromyces sp. in JSC or CSC can be considered important biological inputs for monogastric and polygastric animal feed.

Evaluation of Bio-detoxification of Jatropha curcas Seed Cake and Cottonseed Cake by Basidiomycetes: Nutritional and Antioxidant Effects

Poultry and swine are the major proportion of the livestock industry in terms of output value. To meet the growing need for protein sources in these sectors, the use of biomasses coming from agro-industrial residues can be an interesting option in the future years. This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of seven basidiomycetes to grow, detoxicate, increase protein content, and its antioxidant activity when grew in pure Jatropha seed cake (JSC) and cottonseed cake (CSC) biomasses and mixtures containing 50% of lignocellulosic biomasses from coconut husks and Acrocomia aculeata (macauba cake). Results showed that five basidiomycetes were able to grow in these substrates. F. hepatica, P. lecomtei, and P. pulmonarius presented the highest bio-detoxification capacity. All treatments showed a reduction in total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, but treatments with coconut husks showed lower reductions. Results also indicated that there were molecules produced by basidiomycetes responsible for antioxidant activity other than phenolic compounds. These results indicated that basidiomycetes could detoxify JCS and CSC biomasses, suggesting their possible use in animal feed and that the addition of coconut husks in JSC and macauba cake in cottonseed cake could promote greater colonization by fungi.

Chemical features and antioxidant profile by Schizophyllum commune produced on different agroindustrial wastes and byproducts of biodiesel production

Schizophyllum commune VE_07 was produced in different culture media containing pine sawdust (PS), grape residue (GR), cotton cake (CC) and jatropha seed cake (JC). The content of phenolics and antioxidant activity were determined for the substrates and mushrooms produced. The content of ß-glucans and the composition of S. commune were also evaluated. The medium formulated with 94% grape residue enabled the highest values of yield, biological efficiency, and productivity. Mushrooms grown in this condition showed the highest value (13.14%) of ß-glucans. The contents of proteins and dietary fibre were 16.59% and 59.61%, respectively. Mushrooms grown in cotton cake showed the highest phenolic content (291.51 ± 1.83 mg GAE/ 100 g mushroom) and antioxidant activity (58.15 ± 0.86 DPPH % scavenging). The results obtained indicate that substrate composition affected the production of S. commune and its chemical composition.

Charcoal Yield and Fixed Carbone Content of Jatropha Seed Cake Pyrolysis: Effect of Preheating Temperature, Extraction Pressure and Seed Form

The pyrolysis characteristics of cake from whole, kernels and crushed jatropha seed (Charcoal yield, fixed Carbone content, mineral matter) were assessed. The pyrolysis process consisted in introducing into an oven, at 300°C for 15 minutes, a 25 ml ceramic crucible containing 5 g of cake (2% water content) coated in pre-weighed aluminum foil. The main results were as follow. The highest charcoal yield (75,76±1,53%) was obtained with cake from crushed seeds preheated at 100°C associated to the extraction pressure of 15000 pounds. The highest fixed Carbone (18,64%) was registered with biochar from kernels cake obtained at the preheating temperature/extraction pressure couple of 25°C-15000 Pounds. The highest mineral matter content (Mg, Ca, P and K) are recorded in charcoal from the kernel cake pyrolysis. Seed form significantly affected the cake yield and biochar yield. The pH of jatropha biochar (7,5-10) are alkaline which can be useful for acid soil fertilization in Cameroon.

Comparative effects of jatropha seedcake, chicken and kraal manures on selected soil properties, growth and yield of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

A field trial was conducted to evaluate the comparative effects of jatropha seedcake, chicken and kraal manures on selected soil properties, growth and yield of tomato in Zambia during the cropping season of 2012-13. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replicates and six treatments, namely- jatropha seedcake (5.0 t ha-1), chicken manure (5.0 t ha-1), kraal manure (5.0 t ha-1), jatropha seedcake (2.5 t ha-1) + chicken manure (2.5 t ha-1), jatropha seedcake (2.5 t ha-1) + kraal manure (2.5 t ha-1) and control (0.0 t ha-1) was used. Soil total N, P, K, Ca, Mg, SOM, soil pH, bulk density, plant height, number of branches, number of fruits plant-1, and mean fruit weight effects were subsequently monitored. Organic manures significantly increased total N, available P, exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, SOM, soil pH, plant height, number of branches, number of fruits, mean fruit weight and yield of tomato compared to the control. Organic manures also significantly reduced soil bulk density compared to the control. Among the organic amendments treated alone, jatropha seedcake gave the highest yield of 28.62 t ha-1 compared to chicken manure (28.20 t ha-1) and kraal manure (27.50 t ha-1). Maximum yield benefits came from a mixture of jatropha seedcake + chicken manure (29.60 t ha-1)and jatropha seedcake + kraal manure (29.00 t ha- 1) which could have been due to balanced proportions of major nutrients required for tomato growth. Jatropha seedcake mostly performed favourably the same or better than chicken and kraal manures in many aspects.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 8 (1): 1-6, June, 2018

Optimization on Fermentation Process of Protein Concentrate of Jatropha Seed Cake with N Sources and Minerals Supplementation

The objective of this research is to produce alternative food sources of protein by optimizing the potential of jatropha curcas which is agroindustry waste. This study is planned in two years and is a series of jatropha seed exploration through fermentation using Lactobacillus acidophilus. Specific targets in the first year of study were to assess the optimization of the fermentation process by supplementing the source of N soybean meal and fish meal. Experiments using Completely Randomized Design (RAL) factorial pattern with first factor was supplementation (F) and second factor was incubation time (W), fermentation optimization consisted of: F1 (F0 + 2.5% soybean meal flour), F2 (F0 + 2.5% fish meal), F3 (F1 + 0.45% Dicalsium Phosphat) and F4 (F2 + 0.45% Dicalsium Phosphat). The incubation time is differentiated W1: 3 days, W2: 5 days and W3: 7 days. It can be concluded that: dry matter, gross energy, calcium and phospor are influenced by interaction between type of supplementation of source of N + DCP with fermentation time, whereas fat content is only influenced by fermentation time with optimal time decrease of fat content is 5,92 days. Total protein and amino acid levels are only influenced by different types of supplementation. Phorbolester antinutrition levels are influenced by the duration of the fermentation. Based on antinutritive as a limiting factor. F4W5 is the best treatment and can used as a feed ingredient.

Estimation of Energy Requirement of Jatropha Curcas L. Seedcake Briquettes under Compression Loading

The energy requirement of Jatropha curcas L. seedcake of different dimensions (4.5, 5.6, 6.7, 8 and 10 mm) for briquette compaction was investigated under compression loading (100, 200, 300 and 400 kN) using the universal compression-testing machine. The parameters measured and/or calculated were the deformation, thickness, numerical energy and theoretical energy. The statistical analysis results show that compression forces had a significant effect (P-value < 0.05) on the amounts of deformation and thickness, while that of the dimensions of the sample did not. The increase in compression forces increased the numerical energy while that of samples dimensions caused a decrease. Using the tangent curve mathematical model; the force coefficient of mechanical behaviour (kN), the deformation coefficient of mechanical behaviour and the fitting curve function exponent were determined for describing the experimental dependency between the force and deformation curves as well as the numerical energies of densified jatropha seedcake briquettes.

Behavior of Concrete and Mortar in Response to the Inclusion of Toxic Jatropha Seed Cake

As the world’s leading civil construction materials, concrete and mortar are the focus of ongoing studies aimed at improving their properties. These materials are highly versatile; hence, some of their aspects, such as their interaction with toxic materials, should be examined in greater depth. An investigation was therefore undertaken to ascertain how these products react to phorbol ester (PE), a toxin found in Jatropha seed cake (JSC). The mechanical behavior of mortar and concrete containing JSC waste from the manufacture of biofuel was examined based on the analysis of axial compressive strength. The interaction between mortar and PE molecules was examined by means of high performance liquid chromatography. A study of the mechanical behavior of the materials indicated that the inclusion of JSC greatly reduced their mechanical properties, and that this inclusion had a stronger impact on mortar than on concrete, while liquid chromatography showed that the toxic material inserted into the mortar remained inert, indicating the promising potential of this material to store toxic products.

Thermal kinetics and syngas production on co-gasification of deoiled jatropha seed cake residues with wood chips

The total energy demand has been escalating day to day globally as well as the quest for sustainable and affordable energy enforcing the paradigm shifts of predominant fossil fuels. The prospective bioavailability of biomass residues in India could induct the gasification and co-gasification technologies through the interaction of various sources either by adopting biochemical or thermochemical methods. Both gasification and co-gasification studies experimented with deoiled jatropha seed cake (JC) residues and wood chips (WC) along with their blends at the mass ratio of 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75 in the lab scale down draft type biomass gasifier. Thermogravimetric analysis at the heating rate of 30 o C per min in the nitrogen atmosphere was carried out to investigate the thermal decomposition behavior along with pyrolytic kinetics. The produced syngas was analyzed for its chemical composition (CO, H 2 , CH 4 , CO 2 , and O 2 ) by a portable gas analyzer. The co-gasification of 75JC:25WC exhibited the higher calorific value than the gasification of JC and WC individually at the respective pyrolytic regimes. It acts as evidence for substantial synergetic effects and thermal interaction for blending JC with WC during co-gasification for syngas production. The JC residues with low activation energy could be cogasified with WC to overcome the demand for fuel sources with higher activation energies.

Assessment of some serum biochemical and haematological parameters in blood samples of Japanese quails fed detoxified Jatropha seed cake

Jatropha curcas L. is a multipurpose shrub plant that grows wildly in the tropics and subtropics. The nutritional value of Jatropha seed cake (JSC), a by-product of Jatropha curcas seeds, compares favourably with conventional seed meals with a crude protein content of 58-64% and higher essential amino acids (excluding lysine) than soybean meal. However, the presence of anti-nutrients restricts the use of Jatropha seeds in poultry feeding. If properly detoxified, JSC can be utilised in livestock feeding. The detoxification and reuse of this seed cake are vital for adding economic value and also to reduce the potential environmental damage that may be caused by improper disposal of this by-product. The study was carried out to investigate the effect of heattreated Jatropha seed cake on haematological and some serum biochemical parameters of growing Japanese quails. Diet 1 was a corn-soybean meal (basal diet) with no Jatropha seed cake (JSC). Diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 contained the basal diet and 5, 10, 15 and 20% JSC inclusion respectively, in a completely randomised design. Two hundred 14-day–old Japanese quails were grouped, weighed and randomly assigned to five treatments with five replicates of eight birds each in an experiment that lasted for two weeks. On day 28, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of two birds per replicate into vials containing the anticoagulant ethylene diamine tetra-acetate (EDTA) for haematology and blood without EDTA to obtain serum for analysis. Diets had no significant effect on the haematological parameters of birds on the experimental diets except on the white blood cell (WBC) counts. White blood cell counts of birds fed 10% JSC diet was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those fed 5% JSC diet but WBC counts of birds on both diets were similar to birds on other dietary treatments. Total proteins of birds fed the control, 5%, 10% and 15% JSC diets were similar but significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of birds on 20% JSC diet. Serum urea, creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of birds on the experimental diets were identical but significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of birds on 20% JSC diet. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of birds on 15 and 20% JSC diets were similar to those on the control diet. It is concluded that 10% heat-treated jatropha seed cake could potentially be used in Japanese quail feeding because it reflects the optimal physiological state of the birds compared to other diets. Keywords: Jatropha seed cake, Japanese quails, heat treatment, blood metabolites

Performance of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) in response to organic and NPK fertilizers

AbstractThe soil of North-Central Nigeria is home to many plant products that are used as industrial raw materials, and after processing their waste are often left in drainage channels, which ultimately find their way into rivers and streams where they pollute these water bodies, and sometimes some of these materials are burnt, which further aggravates global warming. In addition, the soil of the region is characterized by low organic matter content because of annual bush burnings, which reduce the low humus content of soils. Watermelon requires a fertile soil, which is high in organic matter content, while infertile soils yield an increased production of male flowers at the expense of female flowers, which results in low fruit set. Therefore, a study was carried out at the University of Ilorin Teaching and Research Farm, Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria, during the rainy seasons of 2013 and 2014 to assess the effect of different organic materials on the growth and yield of watermelon. The factors imposed were a control, NPK fertilizer and five organic materials (neem seed cake (NSC), jatropha seed cake (JSC), poultry manure (PM), compost manure (CM), and cow dung (CD)). The experiment was a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated thrice. Data collected on soil physico-chemical properties were: organic matter content, soil pH, organic carbon, total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, bulk density (BD), micro porosity (MIP), macro porosity (MAP), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (KS). Plant parameters evaluated include growth (vine length and number of leaves) and yield (number of fruits per plant, fruit weight per plant, and yield ha−1). Results indicated that the organic matter content increased after the first year’s cropping and declined at the end of the study. The amended plots showed significantly higher values (P &lt; 0.05) with respect to most soil physical properties (MIP), (MAP), and (KS), except the BD, where the values were lower. The bulk density particularly deteriorated on soils that were not organically amended. In addition, the soil chemical properties examined increased following the first year’s cropping, and thereafter declined at the end of the second-year cropping season. The response of watermelon showed that the two years’ yield data ranged between 334 and 402 t/ha, 306 and 390 t/ha, and 38.25 and 59.20 t/ha for NPK, poultry manure, and control treatments respectively. From the results, it was observed that the organic amendments were environmentally more friendly compared to the inorganic amendment (NPK fertilizer) in terms of positive effects on soil structural properties.

Assessment of some serum biochemical and haematological parameters in blood samples of Japanese quails fed detoxified jatropha seed cake

Jatropha curcas L. is a multipurpose shrub plant that grows wildly in the tropics and subtropics. The nutritional value of Jatropha seed cake (JSC), a by-product of Jatropha curcas seeds, compares favourably with conventional seed meals with a crude protein content of 58-64% and higher essential amino acids (excluding lysine) than soybean meal. However, the presence of anti-nutrients restricts the use of Jatropha seeds in poultry feeding. If properly detoxified, JSC can be utilised in livestock feeding. The detoxification and reuse of this seed cake are vital for adding economic value and also to reduce the potential environmental damage that may be caused by improper disposal of this by-product. The study was carried out to investigate the effect of heattreated Jatropha seed cake on haematological and some serum biochemical parameters of growing Japanese quails. Diet 1 was a corn-soybean meal (basal diet) with no Jatropha seed cake (JSC). Diets 2, 3, 4 and 5 contained the basal diet and 5, 10, 15 and 20% JSC inclusion respectively, in a completely randomised design. Two hundred 14-day–old Japanese quails were grouped, weighed and randomly assigned to five treatments with five replicates of eight birds each in an experiment that lasted for two weeks. On day 28, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of two birds per replicate into vials containing the anticoagulant ethylene diamine tetra-acetate (EDTA) for haematology and blood without EDTA to obtain serum for analysis. Diets had no significant effect on the haematological parameters of birds on the experimental diets except on the white blood cell (WBC) counts. White blood cell counts of birds fed 10% JSC diet was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those fed 5% JSC diet but WBC counts of birds on both diets were similar to birds on other dietary treatments. Total proteins of birds fed the control, 5%, 10% and 15% JSC diets were similar but significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of birds on 20% JSC diet. Serum urea, creatinine and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of birds on the experimental diets were identical but significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of birds on 20% JSC diet. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of birds on 15 and 20% JSC diets were similar to those on the control diet. It is concluded that 10% heat-treated jatropha seed cake could potentially be used in Japanese quail feeding because it reflects the optimal physiological state of the birds compared to other diets. Keywords: Jatropha seed cake, Japanese quails, heat treatment, blood metabolites

Comparative nutritional value of Jatropha curcas protein isolate and soy protein isolate in common carp.

Jatropha seed cake (JSC) is an excellent source of protein but does contain some antinutritional factors (ANF) that can act as toxins and thus negatively affect the growth and health status of fish. While this can limit the use of JSC, detoxified Jatropha protein isolate (DJPI) may be a better option. An 8-week study was performed to evaluate dietary DJPI to common carp Cyprinus carpio. Five iso-nitrogenous diets (crude protein of 38%) were formulated that consisted of a C ontrol (fish meal (FM) based protein), J 50 or J 75 (50 and 75% of FM protein replaced by DJPI), and S 50 or S 75 (50 and 75% of FM protein replaced by soy protein isolate, SPI) and fed to triplicate groups of 75 carp fingerlings (75; av. wt.±SD; 11.4±0.25g). The growth, feeding efficiencies, digestibility, plasma biochemistry, and intestinal enzymes were measured. Results showed that growth performance of fish fed the S 75- or DJPI-based diets were not significantly different from those fed the C ontrol diet, while carp fed the S 50 had significantly better growth than the J 75 diet. Fish fed the J 75 diet had significantly lower protein and lipid digestibility as well as significantly lower intestinal amylase and protease activities than all other groups. However, all plant protein-based diets led to significantly higher crude protein, crude lipid, and gross energy in the body of common carp compared to the control treatment. Plasma cholesterol and creatinine significantly decreased in the plant protein fed groups, although plasma triglyceride as well as the red blood cells count, hematocrit, albumin, globulin, total plasma protein, and lysozyme activity were higher in plant protein fed groups compared to FM fed group. White blood cells, hemoglobulin concentration, alkaline phosphatase and alanine transaminase activities, and glucose level in blood did not differ significantly among treatments. The results suggest that the DJPI is non-toxic to carp and can be used to replace FM in the diets of common carp up to 75%, but further research to potentially reduce some inherent ANF within this protein source, such as non-starch polysaccharides, may improve nutrient utilization.

Amino Acid and Mineral Supplementation in Fermentation Process of Concentrate Protein of Jatropha Seed Cake (Jatropha curcas L.)

The purpose of this study is to assess the optimization of fermentation process by adding a minerals and amino acids so that the potential of protein of Concentrate Protein-Jatropha seed cake (CP-JSC) can be optimally used as a substitute for soybean meal. The method used was completely randomized design. The treatment consisted of F1: Fermentation CP-BBJ + methionine-lysine (0.25%: 0.25%), F2: Fermentation CP-JSC + methionine-lysine (0.5%: 0.5%), F3: F1 + 0.45% Dicalsium Phosphate, F4: F2 + 0.45% Dicalsium Phosphate. Each treatment was repeated four times, When treatment significantly continued by Least Significant Difference (LSD), variables observed are the levels of antinutrients (phorbolester, antitrypsin), the levels of nutrients (fat, protein, crude fiber, Ca, P and gross energy) and amino acid. Results of analysis of variance showed that the addition of amino acids and minerals Ca, P in the fermentation process was highly significant effect on the levels of crude fiber and phosphorus (P &lt;0.01) and significantly affected the gross energy content of CP-JSC post-fermentation (P &lt;0.05). Dry matter, crude protein, crude lipid and calcium are not affected by supplementation of methionine and lysine as well as calcium and phosphorus. Supplementation of methionine and lysine in the fermentation substrate showed good levels of essential amino acids and non essential higher than previous studies although not statistically significant (P&gt; 0.05). While the levels obtained phorbolester range of 0.055% - 0.08%. It was concluded that the optimization of fermentation can be done without adding the amino acid supplementation of minerals calcium and phosphorus. Supplementation significantly affect a significant increase or decrease in some nutrients (crude fiber, gross energy, phosphor) and capable of suppressing a decrease in amino acids. Supplementation of amino acids Lysine and Methionin 0.05% is the best treatment.

Amino Acid and Mineral Supplementation in Fermentation Process of Concentrate Protein of Jatropha Seed Cake (Jatropha curcas L.)

The purpose of this study is to assess the optimization of fermentation process by adding a minerals and amino acids so that the potential of protein of Concentrate Protein-Jatropha seed cake (CP-JSC) can be optimally used as a substitute for soybean meal. The method used was completely randomized design. The treatment consisted of F1: Fermentation CP-BBJ + methionine-lysine (0.25%: 0.25%), F2: Fermentation CP-JSC + methionine-lysine (0.5%: 0.5%), F3: F1 + 0.45% Dicalsium Phosphate, F4: F2 + 0.45% Dicalsium Phosphate. Each treatment was repeated four times, When treatment significantly continued by Least Significant Difference (LSD), variables observed are the levels of antinutrients (phorbolester, antitrypsin), the levels of nutrients (fat, protein, crude fiber, Ca, P and gross energy) and amino acid. Results of analysis of variance showed that the addition of amino acids and minerals Ca, P in the fermentation process was highly significant effect on the levels of crude fiber and phosphorus (P &lt;0.01) and significantly affected the gross energy content of CP-JSC post-fermentation (P &lt;0.05). Dry matter, crude protein, crude lipid and calcium are not affected by supplementation of methionine and lysine as well as calcium and phosphorus. Supplementation of methionine and lysine in the fermentation substrate showed good levels of essential amino acids and non essential higher than previous studies although not statistically significant (P&gt; 0.05). While the levels obtained phorbolester range of 0.055% - 0.08%. It was concluded that the optimization of fermentation can be done without adding the amino acid supplementation of minerals calcium and phosphorus. Supplementation significantly affect a significant increase or decrease in some nutrients (crude fiber, gross energy, phosphor) and capable of suppressing a decrease in amino acids. Supplementation of amino acids Lysine and Methionin 0.05% is the best treatment.

Thermoanalytical Characterization and Catalytic Conversion of Deoiled Micro Algae and Jatropha Seed Cake

The thermal decomposition of the byproducts of the biodiesel process was studied by thermoanalytical methods. Deoiled algae cake and jatropha seed deoiled cake were pyrolyzed and the catalytic effects of silica supported iron catalysts (Fe/FSM-16 and Fe/SBA-15) and magnetite (Fe3O4) were tested. The evolution profiles of the decomposition products as well as the thermal stability of the samples were determined by thermogravimetry/mass spectrometry (TG/MS). The formation of the volatile products was monitored by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The composition and the amounts of the gaseous products changed significantly in the presence of the silica supported iron catalysts: the yield of hydrogen and carbon monoxide considerably increased above the decomposition temperature of 400 °C. Both silica supported iron catalysts had important effects on the yield of the products originating from carbohydrates and lignins. The formation of anhydrosugars and phenolic compounds was hindered, while the evolution of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons was enhanced. Fe/FSM-16 proved to be more efficient than Fe/SBA-15 and Fe3O4 catalysts. The thermal decomposition of the protein content of the samples resulted in the formation of 2,5-diketopiperazines and smaller molecules (e.g., ammonia). The silica supported iron catalysts had a special effect: their presence promoted the reaction of fatty acid esters and ammonia resulting in the formation of alkyl nitriles during the thermal decomposition.

Investigation of Co-Gasification Reactivity of Torrefied Jatropha Seed Cake with Illinois #6 Coal Char

Coal and torrefied biomass co-gasification is one of the potential solutions to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For this study, Jatropha seed cake was torrefied at a temperature range of 200 to 300 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The torrefied material was then co-pyrolyzed and isothermally co-gasified at 900 °C with two Illinois (IL) #6 coal chars in a fixed-bed reactor connected to an on-line gas chromatography analyzer. Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide were the primary gas products from the torrefaction process. Kinetic models, such as the shrinking core model, the homogenous model, and the catalysis-controlled model, were used to analyze the gasification mechanism. The results showed that the shrinking core and homogenous models provided the best fits for the gasification reaction data. Jatropha seed cake torrefied at 260 and 280 °C exhibited the best reaction activity with the IL #6 coal chars. The reactivities of coal char with torrefied biomass obtained at 200 and 300 °C were lower in comparison with the others.

Utilization of De-oiled Jatropha Seed Cake for Renewable Gaseous Fuel Production and Digested Slurry for Growing Crops

Bio-methanation potential of de-oiled Jatropha seed cake was tested in a 1,200 l existing pilot plant digester in semi-continuous mode. The plant performance was monitored for 12 months at 15% (w/v) total solid concentration. Biogas production in the range of 229-370 l.kg-1 total solids was achieved in 40-days hydraulic retention time. The biogas produced from de-oiled Jatropha seed cake had higher calorific value as compared to the gas generated from cattle dung, as it had more methane content. The nutrient potential of the digested slurry and its toxicity on plants was studied by a series of pot culture experiments using maize (Zea mays L.) yields as the reference. The results indicated that the experimental digested slurry served as an excellent organic fertilizer, and was non-toxic to the plants.

Jatropha seed cake and organic waste compost: the potential for improvement of soil fertility

Abstract Modern agriculture faces to new challenges and problems. Application of organic waste compost (Cp) and Jatropha seed cake (JSC) represents new possibilities to improve soil organic matter (SOM) and thus reduce the risk of soil degradation. Our paper presents results of laboratory experiment. Based on these results, we conclude that the application of organic substances has positive effect on soil fertility but the impact of individual substances is different. JSC has higher influence on soil properties (microbial activity and plant production) in the short term. Conversely, Cp affects soil properties in the long term. These properties are due to their chemical composition.