Low Oil Yield Research Articles

Electron-beam irradiation of ZSM-5 catalyst with a designed sample holder: Simulation and experiment

A sample holder has been designed to achieve the uniform absorbed-dose distribution in electron-beam (EB) irradiated ZSM-5 catalyst. Simulated results, without considering the holder’s rotation, demonstrated that the holder configuration should be a cylinder hollow, while its dimensions are recommended to be 10–14 cm in outer radius, 7–8 mm in thickness, and 50–54mm in height. The holder’s rotational contribution to the simulated results was estimated to be less than 1%. An actual holder was fabricated based on this design. Steamed ZSM-5 catalyst (∼32 g) was used to verify the catalytic cracking performance of the sample under EB irradiation. The irradiating experiment was conducted using the fabricated holder, with the 10 MeV EB and a fluence of 8×1014 e.cm−2 (257 kJ). The catalytic cracking experiments indicated that most catalytic productions strongly increased with low heavy cycle oil (HCO) yield when irradiated ZSM-5 was used instead of steamed non-irradiated sample. Excellent increases were simultaneously found, for the first time, for propylene (∼24%) and gasoline (∼15%) productions. Irradiated sample also exhibited superior stability compared to non-irradiated one.

Investigating the impact of solvent extraction parameters on oil yield and oil properties: a review

Oilseeds are rich in fatty acids, proteins, fibers, minerals, and vitamins that are necessary for human health. It mainly comprises triglycerides and other minor components, including phytosterols, phenols, carotenoids, tocopherols, and phospholipids. Oils can be extracted using a variety of extraction methods including but not limited to the conventional mechanical and solvent method, and novel methods like supercritical fluid extraction. However, the quality and quantity of extracted oil depends on the process parameters. Among many process parameters temperature is the main parameter which controls the yield and its quality. Temperature range depends upon the nature and type of oilseed. High temperature leads to increased yield while relatively low temperature results in low oil yield and longer extraction time. Large particle size of the solid creates a temperature gradient between the inner and outer surface of the seeds which in turn lowers oil yield. Based on this review, an extraction temperature slightly below the boiling point of the solvent is recommended.

Co-pyrolysis of refinery oil sludge with biomass and spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst for resource recovery.

Catalytic co-pyrolysis of two different refinery oily sludge (ROS) samples was conducted to facilitate resource recovery. Non-catalytic pyrolysis in temperatures ranging from 500 to 600°C was performed to determine high oil yields. Higher temperatures enhanced the oil yields up to ~ 24 wt%, while char formation remained unchanged (~ 45%) for S1. Conversely, S2 exhibited a notably lower oil yield (~ 4 wt%) than S1. Pyrolysis oil of S1 consisted of phenolics (~ 50% at 600°C) whereas hydrocarbons were predominant in S2 oil (~ 80% at 600°C). Catalytic pyrolysis of S1 did not exhibit a substantial impact on oil yields but the oil composition varied significantly. High hydrocarbons, phenolics, and aromatics were obtained with molecular sieve (MS), metal slag, and ZSM-5, respectively. Catalytic co-pyrolysis of S2 with sawdust (SD) in the presence of MS enhanced the oil yield, and the resulting oil consisted of high hydrocarbons (~ 54%) and aromatics (~ 44%).

Exploring the influence of external electric fields on the catalytic pyrolysis of oil shale kerogen molecules

Oil shale is a widely distributed and abundant sedimentary rock that can be converted into shale oil through pyrolysis, providing a supplementary solution to the increasing scarcity of conventional fossil energy. However, the traditional pyrolysis process of oil shale faces problems such as low oil yield, high energy consumption, and poor oil quality. Recent experiments have demonstrated that using an external electric field to catalyze the pyrolysis of oil shale can address these problems. However, due to the complex physical and chemical properties of oil shale and its pyrolysis process, the catalytic mechanisms and effects have not been reasonably explained. To address these issues, this study uses density functional theory to calculate the properties of oil shale molecules under external electric fields of different directions and strengths. The results indicate that at electric field strengths far exceeding experimental conditions, the external electric field does have a certain catalytic effect on oil shale, which varies depending on the molecule. However, at electric field strengths achievable in actual laboratory conditions, the catalytic effect of the electric field on oil shale is not significant. Therefore, the mechanisms revealed by past experiments on the catalytic effects of electric fields on oil shale pyrolysis may be partially flawed. This study not only fills the gap in understanding the mechanisms of external electric field catalysis of oil shale but also provides a theoretical foundation for future applications of electric fields in catalyzing oil shale.

Nutritional quality of fish oil extracted from selected freshwater fish species

There is increased consumer awareness of the nutritional importance of fish oil consumption in recent time, however there is paucity of information on the quality of oil obtained from freshwater fishes available in this study area. Nutritional quality of fish oil extracted from 9kg each of Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, Synodontis membranaceous and Clarias gariepinus were investigated with the aim of providing baseline information on the nutritional quality of oil in the fish available around the study area. Wet rendering, soxhlet extraction and microwave assisted extraction methods were used. Data collected were subjected to appropriate statistical analysis using SPSS 6.0. version. S. membranaceous have the largest oil yield while C. nigrodigitatus have the lowest oil yield; wet rendering oil extraction method gave the highest oil yield. The physical quality characteristics of S. membranaceous was the best with the lowest melting point (28.73 ±0.39°C), specific gravity (0.11± 0.01) and refractive index (1.14 ±0.01) while C. gariepinus oil had the poorest physical quality characteristics. Oil of C. nigrodigitatus have better chemical qualities than the rest having the lowest saponification value (9.81±0.01 mg KOH/g), iodine value (1.59±0.01 gl/100g), acid value (1.12±0.01 mgKOH/g) and free fatty acid (0.56±0.01%) while C. gariepinus oil was the poorest. C. nigrodigitatus also have the highest polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (18.75), highest Ʃn-3 FA (23.45), highest DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) (4.93), highest eicosapentaenoic acid EPA+DHA (7.8). The oils chemical qualities are in the order of C. nigrodigitatus> S. membranaceous> C. gariepinus and are of good quality. Oil obtained from C. nigrodigitatus is therefore recommended due to its good chemical qualities using wet rendering oil extraction method. Information provided in this study will guide industrialists and nutritionists on the best extraction method and fish that will give highest oil yield and best oil quality in the study area.

Aviation fuel hydrocarbons from camphorwood and low-density polyethylene: Cascade catalytic approach with CaO and Zn/HBeta

In this study, the co-pyrolysis of camphorwood and low-density polyethylene employing a cascade catalyst system consisting of CaO and Zn-modified HBeta in a fixed-bed reactor was investigated for the production of aviation fuel hydrocarbons (C8–C16). The effect of Zn loading on HBeta, CaO to Zn/HBeta mass ratio, and the feedstock to catalyst mass ratio on both oil yield and composition was investigated. Results revealed that loading Zn onto HBeta led to ZnO cluster and oxygen-bridged Zn dimers ([ZnOZn]2+) formation, which affects HBeta's acid properties and aromatization capacity. The 10 wt%Zn/HBeta catalyst with more ZnO content exhibited weak acid sites, and moderate aromatization capacity, increasing oil yield from 32.06 to 44.25 wt% compared to 3 wt%Zn/HBeta and favoring presence of straight-chain components in oil products. CaO also enhanced straight-chain alkane formation. The highest oil yield, reaching 48.44 wt%, was obtained when CaO and 10 wt%Zn/HBeta cascade by a 1:1 mass ratio was adopted, producing oil with aviation fuel with a maximum yield of 18.45 wt%, and selectivity of 38.09 area%, of which 26.54 area% being aromatics and 11.55 area% being alkanes. Furthermore, the feedstock-to-catalyst ratio influenced the products significantly, with lower feedstock-to-catalyst ratio enhanced aromatization and the ratio of 2:1 recommended. Therefore, this cascade catalytic approach, which combines cost-effective CaO and 10 wt%Zn/HBeta catalysts shows significant potential for enhancing bio-aviation fuel production from solid wastes. Moreover, it provides a viable and promising solution for addressing concerns related to low oil yield and excessive aromatization.

The use of small diameter nozzles in temperature-controlled hemp oil extraction allows high oil yields and good quality residual hemp cake feed.

The use of two nozzle diameters (6 and 8 mm) in a cold (50°C) hemp seed oil extraction process was evaluated in terms of extraction efficiency, and chemical composition and in vitro fermentation characteristics of the residual cake. Seeds of the varieties Futura 75 and Uso 31 were pressed using a mechanical press with a cooling device. Five pressings were carried out for each variety and nozzle size, the functional parameters of the extraction processes were recorded, and sample of the residual cakes (n = 20) were analyzed. The 6 mm nozzle determined a higher oil yield (+4%) with a limited increase in temperature in the pressing chamber and in the oil (on average + 3°C compared to the 8 mm nozzle). A lower oil yield and consequently a higher fat content in the corresponding cake was observed when using the 8 mm nozzle. Despite the similar fat content, the two varieties had different oil yields and different residual cake compositions. The gas production kinetic of cakes was influenced by variety but little by nozzle size. Overall, the use of a smaller nozzle in a temperature-controlled extraction process can be a useful option to increase hemp oil yield while maintaining good fermentation characteristics of the residual cakes as ruminant feed.

CIM-Suras: A menthol rich, erect growth habit, sucker producing and high yielding peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) variety

Peppermint (Mentha piperita L., Lamiaceae), is an essential oil-bearing crop cultivated in temperate and sub-tropical countries for perfumery and aroma industries. The plant is vegetatively propagated through runners derived from mother stalks of the plants, resulting in a low genetic base. Induced mutagenesis is a unique and supplemental breeding approach to overcome the limitations of a low genetic base. A few popular varieties, namely Kukrail, Tushar, Pranjal and CIM-Madhuras, have already been released for commercial cultivation. However, all of those have creeping growth habit, propagation only by runners, low oil content, low oil yield, and higher than 5% menthofuran content. Due to these drawbacks of previously released varieties, CSIR- CIMAP has used mutation breeding to develop a peppermint variety with erect growth habit, sucker-producing ability, and increased oil yield with high menthol and low menthofuran content. CIMAP/MPS-36, a half-sib seed progeny of variety Kukrail, served as the mother genotype for mutation breeding using different doses of gamma irradiation. A mutant, MPS-3633, was identified as a novel and promising mutant with a distinct quality of peppermint oil and released for its commercial cultivation in the name of variety CIM-Suras. CIM-Suras displayed novel and industrially useful characteristics, i.e. high menthol (68–78%) content with low menthofuran (0.2-0.8%) content, sucker generating, erect growth habit, flower-bearing and an increase in herb yield, oil content, and oil yield. This cultivar could be a sustainable solution to bottlenecks of already released peppermint varieties. Further, dementholisation (DMO) can be used as peppermint oil and to extract menthol from oil.

Morphoanatomical, Histochemical, and Essential Oil Composition of the Plectranthus ornatus Codd. (Lamiaceae).

Plectranthus ornatus is a medicinal and aromatic plant used in traditional and alternative medicine. In this study, leaves of P. ornatus were collected in two cities of the state of Pará, "Quatipuru" and "Barcarena", and were used with the objective of analyzing, through morphoanatomical data and histochemical and phytochemical studies of essential oil, the samples present structural differences and differences in their chemical composition. Anatomical and histochemical analyses were performed by transverse, using longitudinal sections of 8 μm to 10 μm to perform epidermal dissociation, diaphonization, and tests to identify classes of secondary metabolites. The essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation, and the identification of the chemical composition was performed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The anatomical study shows that there is no difference between specimens collected in different locations, and stellate trichomes were identified. The histochemical study detected total lipids and acids, terpenes, polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, tannins, alkaloids, and calcium oxalate. The low essential oil yield may be related to the low density of secretory cells (glandular trichomes), the unidentified compounds in the highest concentration in the essential oil were in relation to the chemical composition of the essential oils, and the major compounds were α-pinene, sabinene, (E)-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, and oct-1-en-3-ol. The results provide new information about the anatomy and histochemistry of P. ornatus.

Improving the network architecture of YOLOv7 to achieve real-time grading of canola based on kernel health

The occurrence of heated and immature canola kernels caused by excessive drying and frost damage is undesired by grain buyers due to lower oil yield and diminished market value. The current grading process is visually examining each kernel's endosperm color and counting the damaged seeds. As this process is time-consuming, laborious, and prone to errors, this study proposes an automated grading technique based on object detection, multi-object tracking, and counting. The detection task was achieved via an improved YOLOv7 network (YOLOv7_ours) that was modified to increase its performance in accurately identifying small objects by adding two convolutional block attention modules in the neck region and decrease its computational complexity (cost) and size by substituting convolutional layers with ghost layers in all the Efficient Layer Aggregation Networks modules, and in the Spatial Pyramid Pooling Cross Stage Partial module present in YOLOv7. The weights of the trained network were fed to the ByteTrack multiple object tracker to track the detections frame-by-frame in a video feed. The unique identities generated by the tracker for each detected object of interest were then used to count the number of defects using a line cross algorithm. The mean average precision (mAP@0.5) obtained after training the YOLOv7_ours model was 1.02% better and its cost and size were 32.1% and 37.1% lower than the baseline YOLOv7 model. In a test video, the overall model achieved a multi-object tracking accuracy and counting accuracy of 84.8% and 93.9%, respectively. This three-stage model can be readily deployed in an edge device for accurate and real-time grading of canola kernels by grain buyers.

Evaluation of Selected Medicinal, Timber and Ornamental Legume Species' Seed Oils as Sources of Bioactive Lipophilic Compounds.

Bioactive lipophilic compounds were investigated in 14 leguminous tree species of timber, agroforestry, medicinal or ornamental use but little industrial significance to elucidate their potential in food additive and supplement production. The tree species investigated were: Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia concinna, Albizia lebbeck, Albizia odoratissima, Bauhinia racemosa, Cassia fistula, Dalbergia latifolia, Delonix regia, Entada phaseoloides, Hardwickia binata, Peltophorum pterocarpum, Senegalia catechu, Sesbania sesban and Vachellia nilotica. The hexane-extracted oils of ripe seeds were chromatographically analysed for their fatty acid composition (GC-MS), tocochromanol (RP-HPLC/FLD), squalene and sterol (GC-FID) content. A spectrophotometrical method was used to determine total carotenoid content. The results showed generally low oil yield (1.75-17.53%); the highest was from H. binata. Linoleic acid constituted the largest proportion in all samples (40.78 to 62.28% of total fatty acids), followed by oleic (14.57-34.30%) and palmitic (5.14-23.04%) acid. The total tocochromanol content ranged from 100.3 to 367.6 mg 100 g-1 oil. D. regia was the richest and the only to contain significant amount of tocotrienols while other oils contained almost exclusively tocopherols, dominated by either α-tocopherol or γ-tocopherol. The total carotenoid content was highest in A. auriculiformis (23.77 mg 100 g-1), S. sesban (23.57 mg 100 g-1) and A. odoratissima (20.37 mg 100 g-1), and ranged from 0.7 to 23.7 mg 100 g-1 oil. The total sterol content ranged from 240.84 to 2543 mg 100 g-1; A. concinna seed oil was the richest by a wide margin; however, its oil yield was very low (1.75%). Either β-sitosterol or Δ5-stigmasterol dominated the sterol fraction. Only C. fistula oil contained a significant amount of squalene (303.1 mg 100 g-1) but was limited by the low oil yield as an industrial source of squalene. In conclusion, A. auriculiformis seeds may hold potential for the production of carotenoid-rich oil, and H. binata seed oil has relatively high yield and tocopherol content, marking it as a potential source of these compounds.

Analisis Produktifitas Pada Mesin Empty Bunch Press Untuk Menaikkan Jumlah Oil Extraction Rendemen (OER) Minyak Kelapa Sawit

Empty Palm Oil Bunches (TTKS) or empty fruit bunches are one of the solid wastes produced by palm oil mills. Judging from the oil content, TTKS has the potential to be re-quoted. Empty Bunch Press machine, so as to produce oil before being pressed (oil before press) and oil after being pressed (oil after press) produced using this machine and knowing the factors that cause OER or low oil yields. The analysis of this calculation can result in an average % OER empty bunch press of 0.16% and a total % OER from the addition of an empty bunch press machine of 21.91% where in this case there is an additional OER using an empty bunch press machine. Without the use of an empty bunch press machine,%OER 21.17%. The results of the analysis show that extracting oil obtained from TTKS using an empty bunch press machine can increase the factory's OER of about 0.16% to processed FFB. The results of the analysis from June 14 to June 27 2022 OER of palm oil has decreased or is low due to factors such as the maturity level of the fruit, processing at the factory, and poor fruit quality

An Assessment of Biodiesel Production from Three Species of Micro Algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chroococcus species and Ankistrodesmus falcatus)

Aim: Over dependence on fossil fuels has triggered environmental and economic concerns, creating an ultimate need to redirect towards renewable energy options. Hence, the study on biodiesel production from algal biomass.
 Study Design: Modified open pond culture system was applied in the biomass culture and growth was monitored via pH and turbidity.
 Place and Duration of Study: Study was done in the laboratory of the Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun between June 2020 and July 2021.
 Methodology: Soxhlet extraction was applied in algal oil extraction. Alkali-mediated transesterification of algal oil blends into biodiesel was conducted. Biodiesel blends were characterized physically and spectroscopically for fuel properties and chemical position. The synthesis and fuel properties of biodiesels from three micro algal species: Chroococcus sp, Ankistrodesmus falcatus, and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were conducted. Due to low algal oil yield, characterization of four types of hybrid oils were prepared: 100 percen(%)t lavender oil (100LO), 10% Ankistrodesmus falcatus oil plus 90% LO (10AN90LO), 10% Chlamydomonas reinhardtii oil plus 90% LO (10CHL90LO), and 10% Chroococcus sp oil plus 90% LO (10CHR90LO).
 Results: The synthesis and fuel properties of biodiesels from the micro algal species: Chroococcus sp, Ankistrodesmus falcatus, and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii gave a percentage yield of algal oil of 29.6%, 23.4% and 15.5%, respectively. The percentage yield of biodiesel from 10AN90LO, 10CHL90LO, 10CHL90LO was 66.7%, 61.7% and 50.0%, respectively. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry(GC-MS) analysis revealed presence of four fatty acid methyl and vinyl esters namely; hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, octadecadienoic acid methyl ester, methyl stearate, carbonic acid eicosyl vinyl ester and carbonic acid, tetradecyl vinyl ester. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIS) confirms that chemicals produced are esters.
 Conclusion: Fuel properties of biodiesel from these selected algal strains appear appreciable when compared to standard limits. Blends with petroleum diesel showed great potential for use in diesel engines.

Determination of Major, Minor and Chiral Components as Quality and Authenticity Markers of Rosa damascena Oil by GC-FID.

Rose oil is traditionally produced by the water distillation of Rosa damascena and is of high economic value due to the low essential oil yield. It is therefore a common target for adulteration, which can cause harm to consumers. Current standards for authenticity control only consider the analysis of major components and overlook minor quality markers as well as the enantiomeric ratio of terpenes, which have proven useful in originality determination. The aim of this study was the development of two analytical GC-FID methods for the analysis of 21 and 29 rose oil analytes including major, minor and chiral components on a DB-wax and BGB 178 30% CD (chiral) capillary column, respectively. The total run time for both methods was within 60 min. For all target analytes, the % bias at the lower and upper calibration range varied from -7.8 to 13.2% and -13.1 to 5.2% analysed on the DB-wax column and 0.5 to 13.3% and -6.9 to 7.0% analysed on the chiral column. The chiral analysis successfully separated the enantiomers (+/-)-camphene, (+/-)-rose oxide, (+/-)-linalool, (+/-)-citronellol and (+/-)-citronellyl acetate, as well as the diastereomers of citral and β-damascenone. Both methods were applied to the analysis of 10 authentic rose oil samples and the enantiomeric/diastereomeric ratios, as well as the content of major and minor components, were determined. The identity of the analysed components in the authentic samples was further confirmed by GC-MS.

Investigation on the characteristics and interaction of co-pyrolysis of oil shale and peanut shell

Aiming at the low oil yield of oil shale, and the high content of oxygen in biomass pyrolysis oil, the co-pyrolysis of oil shale and peanut shell were studied by thermogravimetric analyzer and fixed bed reactor. Based on the co-pyrolysis characteristics, kinetic and oil phase products analysis, a series of co-pyrolysis interaction mechanism has been proposed. The co-pyrolysis caused the earlier decomposition of oil shale and higher conversion rate of blended feedstock. The contribution of co-pyrolysis to the total conversion and oil phase products yield was most significant with biomass blending ratio of 50 %, while the contribution to the activation energy and the generation of aliphatic hydrocarbons was most significant when the ratio was 25 %. The co-pyrolysis interaction at low-temperature (160–400 °C) is dominated by oil shale radicals promoting biomass bond breaking and the minerals catalysis on biomass decomposition. For high-temperature (400–600 °C), it is dominated by biomass alkali/alkaline earth metals which catalyze oil shale decomposition. The interaction promotes the formation of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in the oil, reduces the average carbon chain length and increases the light oil content.

Influence of Post-Harvest Drying Processes on the Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Leaves of Camphor Tree from Uttarakhand Himalaya, India

Cinnamomum camphora L. belonging to family Lauraceae, is an aromatic evergreen plant which has been traditionally used to heal several health problems such as cold, fever, pneumonia, diarrhea and various infections. In this study, four drying treatments (sun, shade, blower and oven) were applied on the leaves of C. camphora collected in summer season and their effect on the yield, composition and biological properties of the essential oil was evaluated. Hydro distillation of fresh and dried samples was carried out by Clevenger apparatus and essential oils obtained were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Alpha-pinene, camphene, myrcene, limonene and camphor were the common major constituents of the essential oils. The highest essential oil yield was obtained by blower drying technique. Shade dried sample possessed the best antioxidant, antiinflammatory and α-amylase inhibition activities. The highest percentage of camphor was obtained in sun dried plant material. Despite of comparatively low essential oil yield in sun dried C. camphora, sun drying technique is less energy consuming and increased the content of major component of camphora leaves.

New insights into the base catalyzed depolymerization of technical lignins: a systematic comparison.

A first systematic approach on the base catalyzed depolymerization (BCD) of five technical lignins derived from various botanical origins (herbaceous, hardwood and softwood) and covering the main three industrial pulping methods (soda, kraft and organosolv) is reported. This study provides a first of its kind in-depth quantification and structural characterization of two main BCD fractions namely lignin oil and lignin residue, describing the influence of the BCD process conditions. Depolymerization is evaluated in terms of lignin conversion, lignin oil yield, phenolic monomer selectivity and the production of lignin residue and char. Lignin oils were extensively characterized by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), GC-MS, GC-FID, 13C-NMR, HSQC NMR and elemental analysis. GC × GC-FID was used to identify and quantify distinct groups of monomeric compounds (methoxy phenols, phenols, dihydroxy-benzenes) in the lignin oil. The lignin oil yields (w/w) ranged from 20-31% with total monomer contents ranging from 48 to 57% w/w. SEC analysis indicated the presence of dimers/oligomers in the lignin oil, which through HSQC NMR analysis were confirmed to contain new, non-native interunit linkages. 13C NMR analyses of the lignin oils suggest the presence of diaryl type linkages (i.e. aryl-aryl, aryl C-O) evidencing deconstruction and recombination of lignin fragments during BCD. Irrespective of the lignin source, a residue, often regarded as 'unreacted' residual lignin was the main product of BCD (43 to 70% w/w). Our study highlights that this residue has different structural properties and should not be considered as unreacted lignin, but rather as an alkali soluble condensed aromatic material. HSQC, DEPT-135, 13C, and 31P NMR and SEC analyses confirm that the BCD residues are indeed more condensed, with increased phenolic hydroxyl content and lower molecular weights compared to all feed lignins. Subsequent BCD of solid residual fractions produced only low oil yields (6-9% w/w) with lower phenolic monomer yields (4% w/w) compared to original lignin, confirming the significantly more recalcitrant structure. Our study improves the overall understanding of the BCD process, highlights important feedstock-dependent outcomes and ultimately contributes to the complete valorization of BCD-derived lignin streams.

PM 4/17 (3) Certification scheme for olive trees and rootstocks

<scp>PM</scp> 4/17 (3) Certification scheme for olive trees and rootstocks

Irrigation of Young Olives Grown on Reclaimed Karst Soil Increases Fruit Size, Weight and Oil Yield and Balances the Sensory Oil Profile.

The influence of different irrigation regimes on olive fruit morphological parameters and on the quantity and quality (marketable indices, phenolic content, fatty acid composition, and sensory profile) of virgin olive oil (VOO) obtained from the Croatian cultivar Oblica, grown on an extremely rocky and dry reclaimed karst soil, was studied over three years. Four treatments were applied: rain-fed and three treatments calculated as 50%, 75%, and 100% of the crop’s irrigation requirement (Irr). Principal component analysis separated growing seasons (GS) that differed in precipitation. In the 2016 season, which had a low number of fruits per kilogram and provided a higher amount of balanced VOO with medium to intense bitterness and pungency (rain-fed treatment), the oil yield increased by irrigation (Irr 75 and Irr 100) up to 18%, while unchanged phenolics, bitterness, and pungency were observed for the VOOs obtained. In the drier GS (2017), which under rain-fed conditions had high fruit per kg, smallest fruit sizes, and lowest oil yield, and in which the VOOs had high phenolic content and intense sensory taste attributes, fruit weight, fruit sizes, and oil yield increased by 35% in all irrigation treatments, while phenols, bitterness, and pungency decreased, balancing the sensory profile of the VOOs. The results obtained here led us to conclude that the irrigation of young olives resulted in a positive effect, with the indication that an abundant water supply is more effective in drought conditions.

Chemometric analysis of the seasonal variation in the essential oil composition and antioxidant activity of a new geraniol chemotype of Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E.Br. ex Britton & P. Wilson from the Brazilian Amazon

Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E.Br. ex Britton & P. Wilson is an aromatic shrub native and not endemic to Brazil, popularly known as lemon balm, and widely used throughout Brazil in folk medicine. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of climatic parameters on the yield, radical-scavenging, and chemical composition of the L. alba essential oil. The specimen was collected monthly from August/2021 to May/2022. Essential oils (EOs) were obtained by hydrodistillation, and GC-MS analyzed their chemical composition. Chemometric analyses were performed to verify the climatic influences on the yields, chemical composition, and radical-scavenging apacity on L. alba EOs. The radical-scavenging capacity was performed by the DPPH radical-scavenging method. The lowest oil yield was obtained in October (0.6%) and the highest in March (2.2%). The average yields in the dry season (August–February, 1.1 ± 0.3%) did not show a statistical difference with the rainy season (April–May, 1.7 ± 0.5%). On the other hand, there was a strong and significant correlation between oil yields and humidity (r = 0.79), precipitation (r = 0.77) and insolation (r = −0.76). Oxygenated monoterpenoids (44.4–66.8%), followed by oxygenated sesquiterpenoids (11.1–26.4%) were predominant in the EOs. The major constituents in the EO were geraniol (21.0–46.9%, average 37.5 ± 8.0%) and elemol (9.0–22.2%). The average amounts of geraniol in the dry season (37.9 ± 5.8%) did not show statistical difference with the rainy season (36.5 ± 13.7%). Furthermore, there was no significant correlation between geraniol and elemol amounts with climatic parameters. The PCA analysis showed a separation between the samples from the dry and rainy seasons, and classified them into three groups: groups I and III (rainy season) and group II (dry season). Geraniol standard content showed a moderate correlation (r = 0.52) with antioxidant capacity. However, L. alba EOs showed low antioxidant capacity against DPPH radicals (<8.6%, 148.5 mg. ET/g). The constant chemical composition of the studied specimens, along with low environmental influence, suggests that seasonal changes do not alter the phytotherapeutic effects.