Non-edible Oilseed Research Articles

Development of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids among jatropha-related species and verification of the hybrids using EST–SSR markers

Jatropha curcas (jatropha) is an important non-edible oilseed crop with potential as a raw material for biofuel production. Although J. curcas has 30–35% oil content in its seeds, it has low seed yield ( < 2 ton/ha) and thus cannot become an economically viable crop. However, jatropha has many related species and genera such as J. integerrima, J. multifida, J. podagrica and Ricinus communis that are suitable for interspecific and intergeneric hybridization. The desirable features that can be obtained from these species are high number of inflorescences from J.integerrima, large fruit size from J. multifida, high oil content from J. podagrica and raceme-type inflorescence from R. communis. We were initially successful in producing hybrids between J. curcas and these related species. Hybridity was confirmed using expressed sequence tag (EST)–simple sequence repeat markers developed from the J. curcas EST database.

Potentiality of Biodiesel Production From Non-Edible Oil: Bangladesh Perspective

The present study focuses potentiality of biodiesel production in Bangladesh from non-edible oil. The increasing demands of energy are consumed by using fossil fuels which are non-renewable and will be depleted within 150 years from now if this growth rate stays but if this rate increases further the depleting time will decrease from the estimated one. Because of low reservation of crude oil, Bangladesh has to import oils from other countries, these costs a lot. About 95% of these demands can be meted through biodiesel. Biodiesel prepared from both edible and non-edible oils. After meeting demands of edible oil of the country it is impossible to produce biodiesel from edible oils. But it is possible to meet the biodiesel demand of the country almost 100% through non-edible oil derived biodiesel. Arable lands of Bangladesh can’t be used for the growing purposes of non-edible oil seeds, but if rail and road sides are used there is no need for extra lands. After surveying lands for this purpose it seems that Bangladesh can get a total amount of 47750 Km of road and rail side areas for the cultivation of non-edible seeds. Among these forest seeds Nageswar, Pitraj, Sultana champa Ponyal, Rata, Oil palm, Chaulmoogra, Bakul, Kusum, jaina have sufficient oil content along with plenty of growth in Bangladesh. Cultivating these seeds 1100000 tones of biodiesel can be produced on the basis of their oil content and yield. Which decreases the amount of imported crude oil as well as meets the oil demand of the country, thus Bangladesh can be able to save about $6 billion per year means a great economic savings that can be used for the development of the country. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jce.v27i2.17763 Journal of Chemical Engineering, IEB Vol. ChE. 27, No. 2, June 2012: 1-5

Investigated Cold Press Oil Extraction from Non-Edible Oilseeds for Future Bio-Jet Fuels Production

Bio-jet fuel produced from non-edible oilseeds can be an alternative to fossil fuels with the benefits of increasing national energy security, reducing environmental impact, and fostering rural economic growth. Efficient oil extraction from oilseeds is critical for economic production of bio-jet fuels. Oil extractions from camelina (sativa) and canola (Brassica napus) seeds were conducted using a cold press method. The effect of the frequency controlling the screw rotation speed on the oil recovery and quality was discussed. Characterization of the produced raw vegetable oils, such as heating value, elemental content and main chemical compositions, was carried out. The results showed that the oil recovery increased when the frequency decreased. The highest oil recoveries for camelina and canola seeds were 88.2% and 84.1% respectively, both at 15 Hz. The cold press frequency and processing temperature (97.2°C - 106.0°C) had a minor influence on the qualities and recovery of both camelina and canola oils. In addition, camelina and canola oils produced at 15 Hz underwent catalytic cracking to examine potential hydrocarbon fuels production. It was observed that some of oil physicochemical properties were improved after catalytic cracking. Although more study is needed for further improvement of oil recovery and qualities, cold press could be an efficient method for oil extraction from non-edible oilseeds. Additionally, the preliminary results of upgrading the oils produced show very promising for future bio-jet fuels production.

Seed and oil quality characteristics of some castor (Ricinus Communis L.) inbred lines

Castor (Ricinus communis L) is an important non-edible oilseed crop with diversified industrial usage. India is dominating in the production and productivity of castor. Thirteen inbred lines were studied for seed physical characteristics, oil quality, as well as fatty acid profile. Among the inbred studied, the maximum weight of 100 seed was 34.2 g, in JC-26, and maximum oil content was 51.3% in SKI-333. One hundred seed wt showed a positive correlation with % of kernel (r=0.472*) and seed oil content has positive correlation with kernel oil content (r=0.803**). Important oil characteristics for industrial use like specific gravity (g/cc) varied from 0.954 to 0.958 while the viscosity (cp) ranged from 604 to 626. The free Fatty acid as oleic acid was ranging between 4.33 to 6.02%. Among the fatty acid, the ricinolic acid was ranging from 83.93 to 87.02%, the minimum value was in 48-1 while the maximum value of ricinolic acid was recorded in DCS-9 inbred.

Kinetic study and thermal analysis of the pyrolysis of non-edible oilseed powders by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analysis

This work reports the kinetic study of the pyrolysis of four non-edible oil seeds such as Mahua, Karanja, Niger and Linseed conducted at a heating rate of 5, 10 and 15 °C min−1 under nitrogen atmosphere. The relation between kinetic parameters and degradation rate was observed with respect to temperature and heating rate. The results indicated that the kinetic parameters were very close to each other and directly proportional to temperature and heating rate. The comparison of kinetic parameters related to heating rate concluded that heating rate had a direct affinity towards activation energy and pre-exponential factor. The TG-DTG analysis indicated three stages of thermal degradation during pyrolysis of the oil seeds whereas DSC analysis point towards the endothermic and exothermic pathway of pyrolysis. The presence of hemicelluloses, cellulose and lignin was determined on the basis of degradation temperature and their respective functional groups in the seeds observed by FTIR analysis.

Transcriptome-Wide Identification and Characterization of MicroRNAs from Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.)

BackgroundMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously encoded small RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression and play essential roles in numerous developmental and physiological processes. Currently, little information on the transcriptome and tissue-specific expression of miRNAs is available in the model non-edible oilseed crop castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), one of the most important non-edible oilseed crops cultivated worldwide. Recent advances in sequencing technologies have allowed the identification of conserved and novel miRNAs in many plant species. Here, we used high-throughput sequencing technologies to identify and characterize the miRNAs in castor bean.ResultsFive small RNA libraries were constructed for deep sequencing from root tips, leaves, developing seeds (at the initial stage, seed1; and at the fast oil accumulation stage, seed2) and endosperms in castor bean. High-throughput sequencing generated a large number of sequence reads of small RNAs in this study. In total, 86 conserved miRNAs were identified, including 63 known and 23 newly identified. Sixteen miRNA isoform variants in length were found from the conserved miRNAs of castor bean. MiRNAs displayed diverse organ-specific expression levels among five libraries. Combined with criteria for miRNA annotation and a RT-PCR approach, 72 novel miRNAs and their potential precursors were annotated and 20 miRNAs newly identified were validated. In addition, new target candidates for miRNAs newly identified in this study were proposed.ConclusionsThe current study presents the first high-throughput small RNA sequencing study performed in castor bean to identify its miRNA population. It characterizes and increases the number of miRNAs and their isoforms identified in castor bean. The miRNA expression analysis provides a foundation for understanding castor bean miRNA organ-specific expression patterns. The present study offers an expanded picture of miRNAs for castor bean and other members in the family Euphorbiaceae.

Organization and Classification of Cytochrome P450 Genes in Castor (Ricinus communis L.)

Castor is an important non-edible oilseed crop with several industrial applications. Cytochrome P450s represent ~1 % of plant proteome and constitutes one of the largest family of enzymes controlling primary and secondary metabolism. Analysis of castor genomic resources identified 210 putative Cytochrome P450 genes. Based on sequence similarity with Arabidopsis orthologs and CYP nomenclature these genes have been classified into 45 families representing 77 subfamilies and grouped into ten clans. Genes pertaining to ten CYP families (CYP80, CYP92, CYP702, CYP705, CYP708, CYP728, CYP729, CYP733, CYP736 and CYP749) are not present in the castor genome. Maximum number (92) of CYP450 genes possessed single intron followed by intron less genes(35),two intron containing genes (25) and four intron containing genes (20). Deduced CYP proteins of castor on an average exhibited 485 amino acid residues. In general, among the subfamily members conserved sequences as well as length of exons and phasing of introns have been observed. However, variable intron length(s) recorded was attributed to continuous genome expansion. Distinctive phylogenetic groups of castor CYPs showed varying levels of conserved gene organization. A novel gene RcCYPN could be identified in the present study.

EFFECT OF BOTANICAL INSECTICIDES ON THE GROWTH AND SILK PRODUCTION OF AMBAGOAN AND LAKHIMPUR STRAINS OF ERI SILKWORM, SAMIA CYNTHIA RICINI (BOISDUVAL)

ABSTRACT Castor, Ricinus communis L. (Malpighiales : Euphorbiaceae) is an important non-edible oilseed crop, the leaves of which also serve as primary food plant of eri silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini Boisduval. A study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of botanical insecticides viz., Neem oil and Karanj oil on the growth and silk production of plain white and brick red strains of eri silkworm during Kharif and Rabi, 2011-12 at Ericulture Laboratory of RARS, Palem. The experiment was conducted with 50 larvae per treatment with five treatments of botanicals and an untreated control. During fourth instar least larval weight of 0.38g was recorded in the plain white strain of eri silkworm larvae that were fed with karanj oil (5mL/lit) treated leaves followed by the larvae fed with 2 mL/lit karanj oil (0.46 g) and 10 mL/lit neem oil (0.5g). In brick red strain the weight of the larva was significantly higher compared to the plain white strains and this strain has shown some resistance to karanj oil treatment. Effective rate of rearing (ERR) varied from 76.84 to 89.9% in plain white strains, whereas in brick red strains it ranged from 79.88% to 91.46%. Comparatively shorter larval duration was recorded in brick red strains than plain white strains. In plain white strains, significantly higher weight was recorded in the cocoons formed out of worms fed with 3mL/lit neem oil (1.89g) and 2 mL/lit karanj oil (1.82g) treated leaves. In brick red strains, higher shell weight of 0.64g was recorded with control treatment closely followed by 2 ml/lit karanj oil (0.50g) treatment showing its loss of efficacy. The treatmental differences were significant with respect to fecundity and non significant differences were noticed with hatching percent.

Characterization of nonconventional oil containing seeds towards the production of bio-fuel

This work presents the thermochemical characterization of some nonconventional oil containing seeds. The non-edible and less-edible oil seeds such as Mahua (Madhuca indica), Karanja (Pongamia pinnata), Niger (Hyoscyamus L. Niger), and Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) were characterized on the basis of their degradation profile, oil percentage, cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, and mineral content. TGA analysis confirmed that the active pyrolytic zone for all the seeds lies in the temperature range between 150 and 450 °C. It was observed that these seeds contain maximum percent of oil/extractives such as Mahua: 57.16%, Karanja: 53.19%, Niger: 39.75%, and Linseed: 33.55%. The result indicated that these seeds contains higher amount of celluloses than that of hemicelluloses and lignin. The elemental analysis confirmed that these types of biomasses are suitable for pyrolysis due to the presence of less sulphur, less moisture, and higher volatile matter content. The suitability as a feed for fuel production was observed from the relation between O/C and H/C ratio from the Van Krevelen diagram.

A Study of Biodiesel Production from Non-Edible Oil Seeds: A Comparative Study

Education Trust Fund, Abuja in Nigeria and Cape Peninsula University of Technology and National Research

The Production Of Biodegradable Fuel From Nonedible Oilseed In India: A Review

As the stock of fossil fuels are decreasing throughout the world and demands for energy based Comforts and mobility ever increasing, so there is a need to increase biodiesel production. Bio diesel is an alternative diesel fuel prepared from renewable resources and is most popular as an alternative energy sources because it is non toxic and biodegradable. India has great potential for production of biodiesel from non-edible oil seeds. From about 100 varieties of oil seeds, only 10-12 varieties have been tapped so far. The promising non-edible sources in India are Madhuca Indica (Mahua),Jatropha curcas(Ratan Jyot), Pongamia and pinnata (Karanja). This review paper assesses and integrates the biological, chemical and genetic attributes of the plant and describes about the different tree borne oilseeds in India,

Biplot Approach for Identification of Heterotic Crosses in Linseed (Linum usitatissimumL.)

In India, among nonedible oilseed crops, linseed is a commercial crop having tremendous economic and industrial importance. The seed production is low due to limited resources, so the development of high-yielding lines with desirable characters is urgently needed. In the present study seven parents' half diallel data was subjected to biplot analysis to identify the heterotic crosses, genetically similar parents, and to study their interrelationship. Parent Sln-Ys with A-79 and A-03 with A-79 for capsules per plant and seed yield, parent Mukta with Sln-Ys and Mukta with BAU-45 for seeds per capsule, and parents Mukta, A-103, A-79 and A-94 for test weight had lowest correlation. Parent B [Mukta] and F [A-79] were good general combiner for all the traits. The crosses F [A-79] × A [Sln-Ys] and D [A-03] × F [A-79] for capsules per plant, test weight and seed yield per plant, cross D [A-03] × A [Sln-Ys] for capsules per plant and test weight and cross D [A-03] × F [A-79] for test weight and seed yield per plant were heterotic. None of the crosses were heterotic for seeds per capsule.

Efficacy of karanjin and phorbol ester fraction against termites ( Odontotermes obesus)

The non-edible oil seeds of Jatropha curcas (physic nut) and Pongamia pinnata (karanja) contain some toxic components (phorbol esters in J. curcas and karanjin in P. pinnata), which may be used as biopesticides. In this study, the active components of J. curcas and P. pinnata oil were extracted and their efficacy against the termites Odontotermes obesus (Rambur), was tested. The phorbol ester fraction of J. curcas and karanjin of P. pinnata oil were found to be effective against termites. A mortality rate of 100% was achieved in 6 h with karanjin and in 12 h with phorbol ester fraction. The LC 50 levels of karanjin and phorbol esters fractions were 0.038 and 0.071 g ml −1, respectively, after 24 h at a 95% (0.05) confidence limit.

De novo assembly and transcriptome analysis of five major tissues of Jatropha curcas L. using GS FLX titanium platform of 454 pyrosequencing

BackgroundJatropha curcas L. is an important non-edible oilseed crop with promising future in biodiesel production. However, factors like oil yield, oil composition, toxic compounds in oil cake, pests and diseases limit its commercial potential. Well established genetic engineering methods using cloned genes could be used to address these limitations. Earlier, 10,983 unigenes from Sanger sequencing of ESTs, and 3,484 unique assembled transcripts from 454 pyrosequencing of uncloned cDNAs were reported. In order to expedite the process of gene discovery, we have undertaken 454 pyrosequencing of normalized cDNAs prepared from roots, mature leaves, flowers, developing seeds, and embryos of J. curcas.ResultsFrom 383,918 raw reads, we obtained 381,957 quality-filtered and trimmed reads that are suitable for the assembly of transcript sequences. De novo contig assembly of these reads generated 17,457 assembled transcripts (contigs) and 54,002 singletons. Average length of the assembled transcripts was 916 bp. About 30% of the transcripts were longer than 1000 bases, and the size of the longest transcript was 7,173 bases. BLASTX analysis revealed that 2,589 of these transcripts are full-length. The assembled transcripts were validated by RT-PCR analysis of 28 transcripts. The results showed that the transcripts were correctly assembled and represent actively expressed genes. KEGG pathway mapping showed that 2,320 transcripts are related to major biochemical pathways including the oil biosynthesis pathway. Overall, the current study reports 14,327 new assembled transcripts which included 2589 full-length transcripts and 27 transcripts that are directly involved in oil biosynthesis.ConclusionThe large number of transcripts reported in the current study together with existing ESTs and transcript sequences will serve as an invaluable genetic resource for crop improvement in jatropha. Sequence information of those genes that are involved in oil biosynthesis could be used for metabolic engineering of jatropha to increase oil content, and to modify oil composition.

Exploiting EST databases for the development and characterization of EST-SSR markers in castor bean (Ricinus communisL.)

BackgroundThe castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), a monotypic species in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae, 2n = 20), is an important non-edible oilseed crop widely cultivated in tropical, sub-tropical and temperate countries for its high economic value. Because of the high level of ricinoleic acid (over 85%) in its seed oil, the castor bean seed derivatives are often used in aviation oil, lubricants, nylon, dyes, inks, soaps, adhesive and biodiesel. Due to lack of efficient molecular markers, little is known about the population genetic diversity and the genetic relationships among castor bean germplasm. Efficient and robust molecular markers are increasingly needed for breeding and improving varieties in castor bean. The advent of modern genomics has produced large amounts of publicly available DNA sequence data. In particular, expressed sequence tags (ESTs) provide valuable resources to develop gene-associated SSR markers.ResultsIn total, 18,928 publicly available non-redundant castor bean EST sequences, representing approximately 17.03 Mb, were evaluated and 7732 SSR sites in 5,122 ESTs were identified by data mining. Castor bean exhibited considerably high frequency of EST-SSRs. We developed and characterized 118 polymorphic EST-SSR markers from 379 primer pairs flanking repeats by screening 24 castor bean samples collected from different countries. A total of 350 alleles were identified from 118 polymorphic SSR loci, ranging from 2-6 per locus (A) with an average of 2.97. The EST-SSR markers developed displayed moderate gene diversity (He) with an average of 0.41. Genetic relationships among 24 germplasms were investigated using the genotypes of 350 alleles, showing geographic pattern of genotypes across genetic diversity centers of castor bean.ConclusionCastor bean EST sequences exhibited considerably high frequency of SSR sites, and were rich resources for developing EST-SSR markers. These EST-SSR markers would be particularly useful for both genetic mapping and population structure analysis, facilitating breeding and crop improvement of castor bean.

Natural and synthetic antioxidants: Influence on the oxidative stability of biodiesel synthesized from non-edible oil

According to the proposed National Mission on Biodiesel in India, we have undertaken studies on the oxidative stability of biodiesel synthesized from tree borne non-edible oil seeds jatropha. Neat jatropha biodiesel exhibited oxidation stability of 3.95 h and research was conducted to investigate the influence of natural and synthetic antioxidants on the oxidation stability of jatropha methyl ester. Antioxidants namely α-tocopherol, tert -butylated hydroxytoluene, tert -butylated phenol derivative, octylated butylated diphenyl amine, and tert -butylhydroxquinone were doped to improve the oxidation stability. It was found that both types of antioxidants showed beneficial effects in increasing the oxidation stability of jatropha methyl ester, but comparatively, the synthetic antioxidants were found to be more effective.

Synergistic effect of metal deactivator and antioxidant on oxidation stability of metal contaminated Jatropha biodiesel

Abstract Biodiesel is relatively unstable on storage and European biodiesel standard EN-14214 calls for determining oxidation stability at 110 °C with a minimum induction time of 6 h by the Rancimat method (EN-14112). According to proposed National Mission on biodiesel in India, we have undertaken studies on stability of biodiesel from tree borne non-edible oil seeds Jatropha. Neat Jatropha biodiesel exhibited oxidation stability of 3.95 h. It is found possible to meet the desired EN specification for neat Jatropha biodiesel and metal contaminated Jatropha biodiesel by using antioxidants; it will have a cost implication, as antioxidants are costly chemicals. Research was conducted to increase the oxidation stability of metal contaminated Jatropha biodiesel by doping metal deactivator with antioxidant, with varying concentrations in order to meet the aforementioned standard required for oxidation stability. It was found that usage of antioxidant can be reduced by 30–50%, therefore the cost, even if very small amount of metal deactivator is doped in Jatropha biodiesel to meet EN-14112 specification.

Blends of Biodiesels Synthesized from Non-edible and Edible Oils: Effects on the Cold Filter Plugging Point

To minimize use of biodiesels synthesized from edible oils, such as palm oil, because of the raising food versus fuel issue, palm biodiesel (PBD) was blended in different weight ratios with biodiesels synthesized from tree-borne non-edible oil seeds, jatropha and pongamia, to examine the effects on the cold filter plugging point (CFPP) of PBD. The CFPP of PBD improved significantly after blending with jatropha biodiesel (JBD) and pongamia biodiesel (PoBD). The dependence of CFPP upon the esters of fatty acid composition was also examined. Good correlations between the CFPP and palmitic acid methyl ester (PAME) were obtained. A correlation between CFPP and total unsaturated fatty acid methyl ester (X) was also determined. Using these two correlations, the CFPP of different biodiesel blends can be determined.

Fractional characterisation of jatropha, neem, moringa, trisperma, castor and candlenut seeds as potential feedstocks for biodiesel production in Cuba

A preliminary investigation on the suitability of various non-edible oil seeds for the integral utilisation of their fractions for production of biodiesel and other products was carried out. The oil seeds considered were jatropha (Jatropha curcas), neem (Azadirachta indica), moringa (Moringa oleifera), trisperma (Aleurites trisperma), castor beans (Ricinus communis) and candlenut (Aleurites moluccana). The highest oil content (62.0% (w/w)) was found in trisperma seeds, but the use of that oil for biodiesel production is restricted by its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The oils of castor beans and moringa contained 86.0% of ricinoleic acid and 70.6% of oleic acid, respectively, while in the oils from the other seeds no predominance of any acid was observed. According to the oil yield and to the fatty acid composition of the oil, jatropha was identified as the most promising oil seed for biodiesel production in Cuba. All the press cakes were rich in protein, the highest content (68.6%) being detected in moringa cake. The investigation revealed that the husks of neem and moringa can be considered potential substrates for ethanol production due to their high cellulose content (approximately 30%). A high concentration (4.3%) of acetyl groups was found in neem husks, what is favourable for the hydrolytic conversion of polysaccharides to simple sugars. A high protein content (15.2%) was detected in moringa husks, which is a positive feature for lowering the cost of nutrient supplementation in ethanolic fermentation.

Performance and Emissions of Biodiesel Blends in an Automotive Diesel Engine

Biodiesel has advantages over conventional diesel fuel in terms of lesser pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. It has the capability to partially replace diesel fuel and thereby reduces the dependence on dwindling crude oil resources. Biodiesel can be used in diesel engines with little or no modification. It is renewable and can be produced from non-edible oil seeds such as jatropha carcus and pongamia pinnata, which can be grown on wasteland. In this paper, results of a study on performance and mass emissions of an automotive diesel engine using jatropha curcus derived ethyl ester (JEE) blends are reported. The physico-chemical properties of the biodiesel, teseted as per ASTM methods, were within the standard limits. The mass emissions of NOx showed 4–9% increase with 10–20% JEE blends. PM emission for JEE-20 was almost same as that of diesel. There was no significant change in brake horse power (bhp) of both blends when compared to that of diesel.