Palm Plantations Research Articles

Macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) pulp oil reduces fat accumulation and enhances the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans at low temperatures via fat-1- and fat-7-dependent pathway.

Macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) is a Brazilian palm tree whose oil in the pulp is rich in oleic acid and carotenoids. However, its physiological function remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of macauba pulp oil (MPO) on the metabolic link between lipid metabolism and lifespan using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). C. elegans were treated with 5.0mg/mL of MPO for analyzing triglyceride and glycerol accumulation, fatty acid profile, gene expression of lipid and oxidative metabolism proteins under cold (4°C) stress conditions, and lifespan analysis under stress conditions such as cold (4°C), heat (37°C), and oxidative (paraquat) stress. MPO significantly suppressed fat accumulation and increased glycerol (a lipolysis index) and the lifespan of C. elegans at low temperature (4°C). This was accompanied by decreased mRNA levels of the genes involved in lipogenesis (spb-1 and pod-2) and increased levels of the genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation (acs-2 and nhr-49) and fat mobilization genes (hosl-1 and aak-2). Additionally, MPO treatment modulated fatty acid pools in C. elegans at low temperatures in that MPO treatment decreased saturated fatty acid levels and shifted the fatty acid profile to long-chain fatty acids. Moreover, the effect of MPO on fat accumulation at low temperatures was abolished in fat-7 mutants, whereas both fat-1 and fat-7 contribute, at least in part, to MPO-elevated survival of C. elegans under cold conditions. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The results obtained in the present study may contribute to the understanding of the health benefits of consuming macauba pulp oil and consequently stimulate economic growth and the industrial application of this new type of oil, which may result in the creation of new jobs and increased value of small producers.

Silencing sensory neuron membrane protein RferSNMPu1 impairs pheromone detection in the invasive Asian Palm Weevil

The red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), also known as the Asian palm weevil, is an invasive pest that causes widespread damage to palm trees around the globe. As pheromone communication is crucial for their mass attack and survival on palm trees, the olfactory concept of pest control strategies has been widely explored recently. We aim to understand the molecular basis of olfaction in RPW by studying one of the key olfactory proteins in insect pheromone communication, sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). SNMPs belong to the CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36) family that perform two distinct olfactory roles in insects, either in pheromone (odorant) transfer to the odorant receptors (SNMP1) or in the pheromone clearing process (SNMP2). In this study, we performed antennal transcriptomic screening and identified six SNMPs, mapping them on the R. ferrugineus genome, and confirmed four distinct SNMPs. Both SNMP1 proteins in RPW, viz., RferSNMPu1 and RferSNMPu2, were mapped onto the same scaffold in different loci in the RPW genome. To further understand the function of these proteins, we first classified them using phylogenetic analysis and checked their tissue-specific expression patterns. Further, we measured the relative transcript abundance of SNMPs in laboratory-reared, field-collected adults and pheromone-exposure experiments, ultimately identifying RferSNMPu1 as a potential candidate for functional analysis. We mapped RferSNMPu1 expression in the antennae and found that expression patterns were similar in both sexes. We used RNAi-based gene silencing to knockdown RferSNMPu1 and tested the changes in the RPW responses to aggregation pheromone compounds, 4-methyl-5-nonanol (ferrugineol) and 4-methyl-5-nonanone (ferrugineone), and a kairomone, ethyl acetate using electroantennogram (EAG) recordings. We found a significant reduction in the EAG recordings in the RferSNMPu1 knockdown strain of adult RPWs, confirming its potential role in pheromone detection. The structural modelling revealed the key domains in the RferSNMPu1 structure, which could likely be involved in pheromone detection based on the identified ectodomain tunnels. Our studies on RferSNMPu1 with a putative role in pheromone detection provide valuable insight into understanding the olfaction in R. ferrugineus as well as in other Curculionids, as SNMPs are under-explored in terms of its functional role in insect olfaction. Most importantly, RferSNMPu1 can be used as a potential target for the olfactory communication disruption in the R. ferrugineus control strategies.

Macauba palm endocarps under compression forces considering the different treatments: A study about physical and mechanical properties for seed extraction

Macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) is a palm tree native to the tropical forests of North America and Brazil, with fruits that hold significant potential across agricultural and industrial sectors, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and biofuels. The spherical, drupe-like fruit consists of a fibrous peel (epicarp), pulp (mesocarp), endocarp, and seed. The endocarp, housing the seeds, is a dense, mechanically robust triaxial spheroid with high caloric value. To harness macauba potential on an industrial scale, strategies incorporating high-performance machinery are necessary, replacing rudimentary extraction methods with more rational approaches to crop development. Understanding the physical and mechanical properties of such crops is crucial for designing machines and processes for agricultural product cultivation. This study focuses on the mechanical behavior of the macauba palm endocarp for seed extraction, evaluating its geometric and mechanical properties through compressive stress analysis. Geometric properties such as endocarp characteristics, circularity, sphericity, eccentricity, and surface area were examined, alongside the influence of different endocarp treatments on rupture strengths. Compression tests on macauba fruit endocarps revealed treatment methods (control, 24, 48, and 72-h water immersion, and 10-day sun exposure) influence on mechanical properties at various strain rates (100–600 mm.min-1).Results show the macauba palm endocarp behaves as a spheroid. Immersing macauba endocarps in water increased their rupture strength during compression. However, sun exposure for 10 days rendered the fruit more fragile and less tenacious, reducing rupture force by over 40 % compared to control samples. The Deformity Modulus of macauba fruit endocarp ranged from 30.1 GPa to 53.2 GPa depending on the treatment applied.

Image quality determination of palm leaf heritage documents using integrated discrete cosine transform features with vision transformer

Image quality determination of palm leaf heritage documents using integrated discrete cosine transform features with vision transformer

Synthesis of hydrochar from date palm seeds using microwave-enhanced hydrothermal carbonization and its application in dyes removal

This work reports new findings on the preparation of hydrochar from date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) seeds through the application of the microwave hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) method. Optimization investigations involving temperatures and reaction times were conducted to establish the highest yield, achieving a maximum yield of 60.87%. The prepared material was then impregnated in phosphoric acid and carbonized in the tube furnace at 550 °C for 1.5 h with a nitrogen flow of 50 CCM. The samples were characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The samples showed remarkable BET surface areas following activation, reaching up to 992 m2·g−1. The substance was subsequently used to absorb methylene blue with good fitting to the Freundlich and Redlich-Peterson isotherm and achieved a peak adsorption capacity of 196.6 ± 3.9 mg·g−1.

Screening factors to affect ultrasound-assisted extraction of (poly)phenols from date palm seeds.

The aim of the current work was to compare the (poly)phenol profile (free, soluble-conjugate, and insoluble-bound) and antioxidant activity of date palm seed flour using different extraction methods (conventional vs. ultrasound-assisted extraction [UAE]) and to determine the most critical variables in the extraction of (poly)phenols through UAE using the Plackett-Burman design experiment. Using the Plackett-Burman design, seven factors, namely, ethanol concentration, liquid:solid ratio (mL/g), sonotrode, amplitude (%), extraction time, extractant pH, and extraction cycle, were studied. After the factors were studied using conventional extraction methods, 23 compounds were quantified, with protocatechuic acid and catechin being the predominant (poly)phenols. Furthermore, the distribution of (poly)phenols within the cell varied, with glycosylated quercetins and caffeoyl shikimic acids predominantly found in free forms. Ultrasound-assisted extraction demonstrated efficiency in extracting free and soluble-conjugate (poly)phenols. However, it showed limitations in extracting insoluble-bound (poly)phenols. Nevertheless, similar amounts of total (poly)phenols were shown after conventional extraction and UAE, that is, 259.69 ± 43.54 and 189.00 ± 3.08mg/100g date seed flour, respectively. The Plackett-Burman design revealed the liquid-solid ratio as a crucial factor affecting (poly)phenol extraction, with higher ratios yielding better results. The sonotrode choice also influenced the extraction efficiency, highlighting that the sonotrode with a smaller diameter but higher displacement amplitude showed the best polyphenol recovery and antioxidant activity values. The nature of (poly)phenols influenced the studied extraction variables differently, emphasizing the complexity of the extraction process. In this line, pure water was sufficient to extract flavan-3-ols after UAE, whereas ethanol was a crucial factor in extracting quercetin. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing extraction methods for maximizing (poly)phenol recovery from date palm seed flour for various applications in food and pharmacology industries.

Optimization of fertilizer use efficiency, soil quality and oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) growth with biochar under drip irrigation conditions irrigation conditions

Biochar (BC) is an eco-friendly product characterized with high content of carbon and usually obtained by heating biomass without oxygen. Utilizing BC as organic material to amend the problematic soils and improve plant growth and yield has been proved previously. This study investigated the effect of vetiver grass biochar (VGB) on fertilizer use efficiency, soil quality, and oil palm growth performance. A net house experiment was conducted at the Farm Unit, UiTM Sarawak Branch, between August 2022 and March 2023. A factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments and four replications was devised. Treatments applied were: T0) absolute control; T1) 100% NPK fertilizer; T2) 100% vetiver grass biochar; T3) 50% vetiver grass biochar + 50% NPK fertilizer; and T4) 25% vetiver grass biochar + 75% NPK fertilizer. The BC application significantly improved the fertilizer use efficiency through reducing the rate of fertilizer applied. It also significantly enhanced most soil-measured chemical properties and soil nutrients. The growth performance of oil palm plant was significantly enhanced by BC application in terms of plant height, hump diameter, leaf number, chlorophyll content, and plant biomass. The BC application demonstrated its usefulness in managing soil and cultivating oil palm plant sustainably by reducing the rate of fertilizer applied and improve the fertilizer use efficiency. Based on the output, we suggest that treatment T3 (50% vetiver grass biochar + 50% NPK) can be used to improve the growth performance of oil palm.

KONTRIBUSI USAHATANI GULA AREN TERHADAP PENDAPATAN KELUARGA DI DESA TANGKENO KECAMATAN KABAENA TENGAH (Contribution of palm sugar farming to family income in Tangkeno village, central Kabaena subdistrict)

Sugar palm is a type of palm plant that is almost spread throughout Indonesia. All parts of this plant can be used, starting from the sap which can be processed into sugar, and the stems can be processed into palm flour, the unripe fruit can be processed into palm fruit, and the fibers can be processed into crafts. The aim of this research is to find out how much palm sugar farming contributes to family income in Tangkeno Village, Central Kabaena District. Meanwhile, the benefit of this research is to provide information regarding how much palm sugar processing contributes to family income in Tangkeno Village, Central Kabaena District. The method used in this research is the interview method. The types of data used to conduct research are primary data and secondary data. The results of research from 38 respondents show that the average contribution to palm sugar farming income in Tangkeno Village, Central Kabaena District for one year is IDR 22.934.210 with an average amount of palm sugar production of 4.323 kilograms, so the annual contribution of palm sugar farming is by 55%. The amount of income from palm sugar farming is quite large and is able to help the family to meet their needs. Keywords: Contribution, Income, Palm Sugar Farming Business, Tangkeno Village, Central Kabaena District

Law Certainty for Farmers and Oil Palm Plantations Established in Forest Areas after The Issuance of The Job Creation Omnibus Law (Case Study: Tanah Laut Regency, South Kalimantan Province)

Palm oil is a leading commodity for Indonesia's foreign exchange and is a plantation crop that has experienced rapid production growth compared to other plantation crops in Indonesia. Many residents in Tanah Laut Regency have been planting oil palm in forest areas after the issuance of the Omnibus Law. However, the Omnibus Law and its derivative regulations only accommodate the community and oil palm plantations that were already established before the law was issued. If any party plants oil palm after the issuance of the Omnibus Law, whether it is a corporation or individuals, they will be strictly prosecuted by law enforcement officials formed by the government, consisting of the Police, the Prosecutor's Office, and the PPNS KLHK. The purpose of this research is to analyze and gather information on the legal aspects through regulations and the aspirations of the community involved in oil palm planting, the potential impact of law enforcement related to oil palm plantations planted after the issuance of the Omnibus Law, and possible alternative policies that the government might adopt. The research methods that will be used are normative (examining regulations) and empirical (surveys and observations). The results of this research will produce policy formulations in the form of special regulations for farmers and oil palm plantations that have already been established and the continuation of the TORA program, considering aspects of forest and environmental sustainability.

Investigation of oil palm fiber reinforced polylactic acid composite extruded filament quality

This study examines the quality of Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament reinforced with Oil Palm Fiber (OPF) for additive manufacturing applications. The research aims to create a composite filament that leverages the advantages of PLA, a biodegradable polymer, and OPF, a natural fiber from the oil palm tree, to enhance mechanical strength, dimensional stability, and printability. The methodology involves crushing the PLA filament and OPF to the desired size using a crusher machine, blending them in different ratios (e.g., 90:10 and 80:20 PLA to OPF), and using a hot-pressing process to bond the components. The resulting pelletized composites are then extruded into filaments using an extruder machine. The quality of the produced filament is assessed based on diameter consistency, surface smoothness, and printability, considering compatibility with 3D printers. The study reveals that composition ratios and processing parameters impact filament quality, leading to challenges such as diameter variations, rapid hardening, breakage, and extruder die clogs. Future recommendations were suggested to optimize compositions, refine processing, explore advanced extrusion, and investigate fiber distribution and bonding for improved filament properties. This research offers valuable insights for creating high-quality OPF-reinforced PLA filaments for additive manufacturing, advancing understanding of filament quality factors, and proposing ways to enhance composite filament performance across applications.

Preparation and mechanical characterization of natural polymer composite material obtained from fox tail palm seeds

This experimental investigation reveals the preparation of natural composite material from foxtail palm tree seeds. The fruits from the foxtail palm tree are used for the extraction of oil, and the by-product of the extraction process is freely dumped. This study attempts to utilize the waste by-product of foxtail palm tree fruit as a valuable natural composite material. The fabrication was done using the hand lay-up method for the proposed reinforcement (4% and 8%) of filler materials. The obtained composite materials are subjected to significant mechanical characterization of tensile behaviour, flexural property, and hardness. In addition, the morphological study was also carried out by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that, as the reinforcement percentages of filler material increase, the mechanical properties are improved. This may be due to the uniform dispersion of natural fibres in the polymer. The tensile strength was improved by 22.43% and 29.08% for 4% and 8% filler reinforcement. Similarly, the stiffness property was improved by 9.32% for 4% reinforcement and 18.68% for 8% reinforcement when compared with neat composite. The SEM images reveal the failure analysis, bonding strength and fibre pull-out in the composites. Finally, the foxtail fruit fibre shows promise as a reinforcing agent in composite materials, improving their mechanical properties and making them suitable for various applications requiring strength, stiffness, and resistance to deformation.

γ-Tocotrienol enhances autophagy of gastric cancer cells by the regulation of GSK3β/β-Catenin pathway.

γ-Tocotrienol (γ-T3) is a major subtype of vitamin E, mainly extracted from palm trees, barley, walnuts, and other plants. γ-T3 has effects on anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and potential chemoprevention against malignancies. It is still uncompleted to understand the effect of γ-T3 on the inhibitory mechanism of cancer. This study aimed to investigate whether γ-T3 enhanced autophagy in gastric cancer and the underlying molecular mechanism. The results showed that γ-T3 (0-90 μmol/L) inhibited the proliferation of gastric cancer MKN45 cells and AGS cells, and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase in a dose-dependent manner. Autophagy was increased in MKN45 cells treated with γ-T3 (0-45 μmol/L), especially at a dose of 30 μmol/L for 24 h. These effects were reversed by 3-methyladeninepretreatment. Furthermore, γ-T3 (30 μmol/L) also significantly downregulated the expression of pGSK-3β (ser9) and β-catenin protein in MKN45 cells, and γ-T3 (20 mg/kg b.w.) effectively decreased the growth of MKN45 cell xenografts in BABL/c mice. GSK-3β inhibitor-CHIR-99021 reversed the negative regulation of GSK-3β/β-Catenin signaling and autophagy. Our findings indicated that γ-T3 enhances autophagy in gastric cancer cells mediated by GSK-3β/β-Catenin signaling, which provides new insights into the role of γ-T3 enhancing autophagy in gastric cancer.

Kinetics and Mechanism of Cyanobacteria Cell Removal Using Biowaste-Derived Activated Carbons with Assessment of Potential Human Health Impacts.

Harmful cyanobacteria blooms and the escalating impact of cyanotoxins necessitates the effective removal of cyanobacteria from water ecosystems before they release cyanotoxins. In this study, cyanobacteria removal from water samples taken from the eutrophic Aleksandrovac Lake (southern Serbia) was investigated. For that purpose, novel activated carbons derived from waste biomass-date palm leaf stalk (P_AC), black alder cone-like flowers (A_AC), and commercial activated carbon from coconut shell (C_AC) as a reference were used. To define the best adsorption conditions and explain the adsorption mechanism, the influence of contact time, reaction volume, and adsorbent mass, as well as FTIR analysis of the adsorbents before and after cyanobacteria removal, were studied. The removal efficiency of P_AC and A_AC achieved for the applied concentration of 10 mg/mL after 15 min was ~99%, while for C_AC after 24 h was only ~92% for the same concentration. To check the safety of the applied materials for human health and the environment, the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), the health impact (HI) after water purification, and the toxicity (MTT and Comet assay) of the materials were evaluated. Although the P_AC and A_AC achieved much better removal properties in comparison with the C_AC, considering the demonstrated genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of the P_AC and the higher HI value for the C_AC, only the A_AC was further investigated. Results of the kinetics, FTIR analysis, and examination of the A_AC mass influence on removal efficiency indicated dominance of the physisorption mechanism. Initially, the findings highlighted the superior performance of A_AC, with great potential to be globally commercialized as an effective cyanobacteria cell adsorbent.

PLM-Res-U-Net: A light weight binarization model for enhancement of multi-textured palm leaf manuscript images

This paper proposes a deep semantic binarization model, PLM-Res-U-Net, for enhancing palm-leaf manuscripts. PLM-Res-U-Net is a lightweight model comprising encoding and decoding blocks with skip connections. The model enhances the palm leaf manuscript by efficiently retaining the text strokes by removing the degradations such as uneven illumination, aging marks, brittleness, and background discolorations. Two datasets of palm leaf manuscript collections with multiple degradation patterns and diverse textured backgrounds are used for experimentation. PLM-Res-U-Net is trained from scratch with 50 epochs with a learning rate of1e−8 with three sampling strategies. The performance of state-of-the-art deep learning models ResUnet, Pspnet, U-Net++, and Segnet are also evaluated along with two diverse benchmark datasets. Analysis shows that results obtained by the proposed PLM-Res-U-Net prove generalizability and computational efficacy with a dice score of 0.986. Additionally, PLM-Res-U-Net successfully preserves the edge strokes of the text compared with state-of-the-art models.

Determination of Water-Soluble Vitamins in Palmyrah Sweet Sap and Its Derived Products using RP-HPLC Method

Palmyrah sweet sap, obtained from the inflorescence of the Borassus flabellifer L. palm tree, is a popular natural drink in Sri Lanka, available seasonally from January to August. It contains a blend of water, sugars, and essential vitamins and minerals. The sweet sap is processed thermally to produce sugary products like crude sugar, jaggery, and treacle. It is crucial to analyze them to ensure their nutritional value, due to the possibility of vitamin decomposition during the production stage. This study aimed to quantify the existing vitamins in sweet sap and its derived products using validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC method validation parameters, such as linearity, accuracy, precision, range, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ), were determined. The results showed that the derived products from palmyrah sap had high concentrations of vitamins, with thiamine ranging from 2.81 to 35.16 mg/100g, niacin from 4.35 to 45.03 mg/100g, pyridoxine from 4.44 to 87.16 mg/100g, and ascorbic acid from 5.42 to 52.52 mg/100g. The accuracy of the HPLC method for vitamin analysis was between 98.43 and 100.64%, with a limit of detection ranging from 0.357 to 1.152 ppm and a limit of quantification from 1.081 to 13.573 ppm. The study successfully quantified the existing vitamins in the sap and its derived products, with overall results indicating that the vitamins were retained even after thermal processing.

Production of ethanol from oil palm trunk by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process at bench scale

Abstract A largenumber of oil palm trees are replanted every year. Considering the extent of replanting and OPT’s high starch and sugar content, it was determined to be a potential raw material for bioethanol production. This study conducted ethanol production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of starch-rich powder extracted from oil palm trunks. Fermentation was conducted on a 100 L bench scale to evaluate the feasibility and further development of the process before the process is implemented at a larger scale. The preparation of the starch-rich flour involves shredding, drying, and screening of the trunks until the starch-rich powder passes through an 80-mesh sieve. Furthermore, starch was liquefied and partially saccharified. Subsequent saccharification was performed simultaneously with fermentation. The initial total sugar content was adjusted to 15 % w/v and starch was enzymatically hydrolyzed using commercial α-amylase (Liquozyme) and glucoamylase (Novozyme) produced by NOVO. Fermentation was performed using Saccharomyces cerevisiae Hakken No. 1. Since the starch-rich flour contains useful nutrients and growth factors for microbes, the fermentation medium only required the addition of a nitrogen source (urea 1 g/L). The ethanol content after fermentation was approximately 8.7 % v/v with a fermentation ratio of 88.8 %. These results were obtained at a fermentation time of 60 h. One OPT yields 80 kg of starch-rich powder, equivalent to 33 liters of bioethanol.

Utilizing Date Palm Leaf Biochar for Simultaneous Adsorption of Pb(II) and Iodine from Aqueous Solutions

This study addresses the environmental and health hazards posed by Pb(II) and iodine, two significant contaminants. The objective was to explore the adsorption of these substances from aqueous solutions using biochar derived from the leaf midribs of the date palm through a slow pyrolysis process. The pyrolysis was conducted in two stages within a vacuum furnace: initially at 300 °C for 1 h followed by overnight cooling, and then at 600 °C with a similar cooling process. The resulting biochar was characterized for its microstructural features and functional groups using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. It exhibited a porous structure with large numbers of pores (20 to 50 μm in size) and functional groups including O-H, C-H, and C=C, which are integral to its adsorption capabilities. For the adsorption studies, a 100 ppm Pb(II) ion solution was treated with varying amounts of biochar (20, 40, 60, and 80 mg) for 24 h. In parallel, iodine adsorption was tested, with biochar quantities ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 g/50 mL. Both treatments were followed by filtration and analysis using atomic absorption spectroscopy to determine the remaining concentrations of Pb(II) and iodine. The study also explored the effect of varying incubation periods (up to 30 h) on iodine adsorption. The results were significant; 100% adsorption of Pb(II) was achieved with the addition of 60 mg of biochar per 10 mL of solution. In contrast, for iodine, a maximum adsorption of 39.7% was observed with 30 mg or 40 mg of biochar per 50 mL. These findings demonstrate the potential of date palm-derived biochar as an effective and sustainable material for the removal of Pb(II) and iodine from contaminated water, offering valuable insights for environmental remediation strategies.

Optimized extraction of furfural from omani date palm seeds: A comparative study of soxhlet and distillation techniques

Optimized extraction of furfural from omani date palm seeds: A comparative study of soxhlet and distillation techniques

Extracting and characterizing novel cellulose fibers from Chamaerops humilis rachis for textiles' sustainable and cleaner production as reinforcement for potential applications

New cellulose (CL) fibers are derived from Chamaerops humilis (Ch) rachis. They play an essential role in various industries to produce environmentally friendly products as an alternative to enhancing and strengthening lightweight composites, such as dashboards automotive. Distinctive properties of Ch fibers (ChFs) were determined by extracting fibers from dwarf palm plant branches using anaerobic analysis. This search comprehensively studies morphological, physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics and water absorption testing. The fiber diameter was 241.23 ± 34.77 μm, while the obtained linear density and density were 13.71 ± 0.57 Tex and 0.801 ± 0.05 g/cm3, respectively. The moisture content was 8.5 %, and the moisture regain was 9.29 %. Scanning electron microscopy images showed the fibers and smooth and rough surfaces. The thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated the maximum degradation of 352 °C, thermal stability of 243 °C, and the kinetic activation energy reached (79.78 kJ/mol). X-ray diffraction proves the availability of CL, with a crystallinity index = 68.38 % and crystal size = 2.92 nm. Fourier transform infrared succeeded in detecting functional groups and chemical compounds of fibers. The fibers exhibited a tensile stress of 110.85 ± 77.08 MPa, an elongation at a break rate of 2.29 ± 1.27 %, and Young's modulus of 6.05 ± 3.9 GPa. The maximum likelihood method (2P-Weibull distribution) was employed to examine the distribution of mechanical properties of fibers. According to the results above, new ChFs are an excellent reinforcement for elaborating fiber-reinforced biocomposites.

Triacontanol ‘TRIA’ application to mitigate the adverse effects of drought and salinity stress under in vitro culture of date palm plants

Abstract This study was conducted to attempt adaptation to combined drought and salt stresses (DS) (PEG- 6000 + NaCl) in date palm cv. Barhee implanted in vitro, keeping in mind the detrimental influence of DS. In vitro experimentation was executed on P. dactylifera L. to examine the efficacy of the application of triacontanol (TRIA), on growth attributes, and some biochemical constituents under DS. The optimal treatment was 10 µg l–1 TRIA. Such treatment under DS improved the callus growth and increased its weight to 215.0 mg. This treatment also showed the highest response rate and the number of shoots per jar (72.23% and 10.30 shoots, respectively) under DS stress. TRIA enhanced DS tolerance by increasing the contents of osmoregulatory substances such as proline, total soluble carbohydrates, and total soluble proteins, were obtained by adding 20 and 10 mg l–1 TRIA. This treatment was also more effective under DS in increasing Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+, as well as Fe2+, and chlorophyll pigment. These results also indicate that using 10 µg l–1 TRIA as a supplement under DS can increase SOD, APX, and PAL activity, to 31.68, 3.377 unit g–1 min–1, and 33.78%, respectively. Data analysis also indicated that the application of 10 µg l–1 TRIA countered the DS-induced harmful effects by reducing the content of malondialdehyd (MDA) and H2O2 in stressed tissues to 1.06, and 1.278 μMg of fresh weight (FW). Our work could reveal detailed changes in the quantity and number of protein bands by SDS-PAGE. New protein bands appeared in both stressed with TRIA-treated plants. The result of the present study will be useful for rapid clonal propagation of date palm which can be used to enhance the tolerance of plants to drought and salt stress.