Percent Moisture Research Articles

ISSUES OF IMPROVING THE MOISTURE CONTENT CRITERIA FOR THE INSULATION OF OIL-FILLED TRANSFORMERS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGIES FOR ITS AUTOMATED RECOVERY

The operational reliability of oil-filled transformers largely depends on the characteristics of the insulation, which is confirmed by the failure statistics. Moisture significantly affects both the reliability and the overload capacity and durability of power transformers. Drying insulation by traditional methods is a complex and expensive job, the complexity of which depends on the size of the transformer and the percentage of paper moisture, the more, the more difficult. An equally difficult task is to reliably measure the moisture content of the paper. To improve the accuracy of diagnosing insulation in terms of oil quality, changes are proposed to the requirements for the sampling procedure of a number of standards. To improve the efficiency of service maintenance of power transformers, improved criteria for the moisture content of solid insulation are proposed. The period of the most effective use of automated insulation restoration systems of the TRANSEC type has been determined. Field tests of the TRANSEC technology were carried out in an operating electrical installation. The high efficiency of automated insulation restoration systems was established, the dependence of insulation characteristics on temperature was confirmed, the admissibility of using the indicator of relative moisture saturation to assess the dynamics of the insulation restoration process, the comparability of the results of the measured and calculated values of paper moisture at an insulation temperature of at least 40 °C.

The Effect of Adding Tartaric Acid and Salicylic Acid on the Chemical Composition of Eggs Produced from Lohman Chickens.

This experiment was conducted in the poultry field of the College of Agriculture, University of Diyala, and the Biochemistry Laboratory in the Department of Animal Production to show the effect of using tartaric and salicylic acids on the chemical composition of eggs produced by Lohman chickens raised at high temperatures, in which 210 laying hens of brown Lohman strain were used. Sixty weeks were divided into seven treatments: T1, the control treatment, T2 and T3, in which 0.2% of tartaric and salicylic acid were added to drinking water, respectively, and T4 added to it a mixture of organic acids at a rate of 0.4% to the drinking water, and treatments T5 and T6 were added. It contained 0.2% of tartaric and salicylic acid to the ration, respectively, and T7 was added to the ration of 0.4% of the two organic acids to the diet formulation. At the age of 75 weeks, eggs were taken randomly from the treatments and at a rate of 5 eggs/treatment to know the effect of the treatments on the chemical composition of the eggs produced, and the results of the statistical analysis showed It is proved in Appendix 1 that there was no significant effect (P≥0.05) of the different treatments on the studied traits, which included the percentage of moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrates and ash in each of the whites and yolks. The present study showed that adding tartaric and salicylic acids to water and feed did not significantly affect the quality of eggs produced from Lohman chickens.

Effect of packages types and some treatments on wheat seed during storage

This experiment was conducted at the laboratory of Seed Technology Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr EL-Sheikh, Egypt, during the period between 2018 and 2019 seasons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of packages types and some treatments on wheat seed during storage. The experiment was designed in factorial experiment in completely randomized design with four replicates. The samples were treated with the recommended dose of malathion, recommended rate of phosphine, the powders and extracts of each of (ficus, camphor, clove), the powder of copper nanoparticles and untreated seed as a control treatment. Treated seed were stored in different packages (Jute, Plastic and Polyethylene) for 18 months. The most important results can be summarized as follows: Increasing storage periods of wheat seed up to 18 months significantly affected storage efficacy, vitality and quality of wheat seed. The best results of storage efficacy of wheat recorded when seed stored in polyethylene packages, followed by seed stored in jute packages and lastly stored in plastic packages. Seed treated with copper nanoparticles were the best in germination percentage, electrical conductivity, acidity, protein percentage, carbohydrate percentage, relative density and 1000-seed weight. While treatment with malathion was the best in acidity, relative density, 1000- seed weight and insect infestation percentage. As for phosphine, it was the best in moisture percentage, insect infestation percentage and weight loss percentage. This study recommended that treated seed with copper nanoparticles before storage and stored it in polyethylene packages under the environmental conditions of the experiment in Sakha, Kafr EL-Sheikh, Egypt.

DETERMINATION OF THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS, SATURATION AND UNSATURATION OF SOME BRANDED AND UNBRANDED VEGETABLE OILS SOLD IN SABO MARKET, KADUNA STATE BY FOURIER TRANSFORMED INFRARED (FTIR) ANALYSIS

The present study determined the physicochemical parameters, saturation and unsaturation of twenty-four branded and unbranded vegetable oils sold in Sabo Market, Kaduna State by Fourier Transformed Infrared Analysis (FTIR) analysis. The branded vegetable oils were (U1 - U13), U14- U17 = unbranded vegetable oils; U18- U19 = branded palm oils; U20- U24 = unbranded palm oils. Percentage moisture content, colour, odour and rancidity were the physicochemical parameters analysed. The percentage moisture content was found to be within the ranges of 0.00 – 0. 33%. Higher moisture content was observed in samples U13 and U24. The colours and odour are in line with the standard of SON except for sample U22 which had an objectionable odour. There were records of rancidity in four (4) vegetable oils U1, U5, U16 and U17 and two (2) palm oils, U20 and U22 analyzed. The FTIR analysis indicated that there is unsaturated C-H stretching vibration peak of carbon chain at 3006 and 3648 cm-1 for the unheated samples. In comparison, peaks attributable to the presence of an aromatic group was not identified in samples U5 and U15 but was identified in H5 and H15 respectively. There was an increase in the peaks of sample U5 from 3008 and 2925 cm-1 to 3853 and 3646 cm-1 in sample H5. Heating of edible oils at smoke point changes the composition of the oil slightly by the formation of new additional compounds.

Comparative Analysis on Impact of Different Mulches on Growth and Yield Parameters of Mulberry under Rainfed Condition of Poonch District of Jammu and Kashmir

The current study was formulated to analyse the impact of different biodegradable and synthetic mulches on growth and yield parameters of mulberry plant. Among the selected parameters survival rate of mulberry plants was recorded to be maximum in T-2 i.e, paddy straw and husk as 95% followed by T-1 and T-3 i.e, Black polythene mulch and Green branches of tree respectively as 90% and least for Control i.e, without any mulch as 70%. Least population of weeds with minimum intensity was recorded in T-1 (05) followed by T-2 (08) and T-3 (10). Maximum weed flora with highest intensity of weeds was found in Control i.e, without any mulch (20). For the studied samples, maximum soil moisture percentage and moisture retention capacity (MRC) of 66.57 & 95.6% was recorded in T-1 followed by T-3 as 40.31 & 87% and T-2 as 16.36 & 91% and minimum in control as 13.43 & 85.56%. The pH was recorded as 6.1 in T-1 depicting the slightly acidic soiland could be viewed as the most appropriate soil pH for mulberry cultivation. Available NPK were recorded to be in the most ideal range for T-1 as 8.2, 1.3 and 9.6%. Maximum leaf size was recorded in T-1 as 126cm followed by T-2 and T-3 as 116cm and 110cm respectively and 105cm in control. Moisture percentage was recorded to be highest 76.23% followed by 74.61% and 54.16% for T-3, T-1 and T-2 respectively and 68.2% in control. Maximum MRC was observed in case of plants grown under Black polythene mulch (73.24%) and least in green branch mulch (61.39%). Therefore, it can be concluded that application of suitable bio-mulches in mulberry fields can reduce the dependency of chemical weedicides.

Development of Bioactive Opuntia ficus-indica Edible Films Containing Probiotics as a Coating for Fresh-Cut Fruit.

Bioactive edible films have received more attention in recent years as a method for food preservation with value-added functions. The aim of this study was to develop a bioactive edible film containing mucilage of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) and incorporating the probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium FM11-2 as an active component to promote consumer health benefits. Opuntia ficus-indica is rich in nutritional and bioactive compounds and the abundance of this cactus makes it attractive for food applications. Mucilage of Opuntia ficus-indica contained 0.47 ± 0.06 mg/g total sugar, 0.33 ± 0.06 mg AGE/mL phenolic content, 0.14 mg/ mL vitamin C, and possessed 35.51 ± 1.88% DPPH scavenging activity. The edible film that was developed exhibited the following characteristics: thickness of 0.02-0.11 mm, percent moisture content 0.19-0.24%, water solubility 30.66-59.41% and water vapor permeability of 0.15-1.5 g·mm/m2·min·kpa, while the range of the variation depended on the type of plasticizer used (either sorbitol or glycerol). The addition of sorbitol in the film provided the maximum mechanical strength based on the evaluation of tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation at break (44.71 ± 0.78 MPa, 113.22 ± 0.23 MPa and 39.47 ± 0.61%, respectively). The optimal formulation of the edible film, according to the physicochemical, physical and maintenance of fresh-cut apple slices, contained cactus mucilage, gelatin, glycerol and a probiotic. The incorporation of a probiotic into the cactus film created a bioactive edible film that could provide a health benefit. While improvement is needed to maintain the survival rate of the probiotic, this work presents an exciting method for furthering the study of food preservation with edible films.

Effect of Thermal Processing on Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties of Raw and Cooked Moringa oleifera Lam. Pods.

Moringa is regarded as a miracle tree because all components of the plant, including the roots, leaves, pod, and flowers, have significant nutritional and therapeutic value. Moringa oleifera Lam. pods have excellent antioxidant characteristics and are a good source of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, beta-carotene, amino acids, and phenolic compounds. The pods of Moringa oleifera Lam. were collected from the local market of Sunamganj, and their nutritional value was assessed in raw condition and after thermal processing. The goal of this research was to observe how the thermal temperature affected the antioxidant and physicochemical qualities of thermally-processed Moringa oleifera Lam. pods. Thermal treatment diminished the amount of crude protein, fat, carbohydrate, ash, ascorbic acid, and beta-carotene in the pods, as well as DPPH, total phenol content, and total flavonoid content. The moisture percentage of raw and thermally-processed Moringa oleifera Lam. pods was determined to be 83.12%, 86.03% with a total ash level of 2.01%, and 1.8%, respectively. The crude protein, fat content, and carbohydrate were 3.0%, 0.1%, and 3.2%, respectively, in thermally-processed pods. The values for total phenol content, total flavonoid content, vitamin C, DPPH free radical scavenging activity, and β-carotene were 28.13 mg, 2.98 mg, 38.23%, 3.98 mg, and 0.12 mg, respectively, in raw samples whereas 24.56 mg, 2.72 mg, 3.50 mg, 34.32%, and 0.0904 mg, respectively, in thermally-processed samples. According to the findings, Moringa oleifera Lam. pods have high nutritional content and thus can be used as an excellent source of diet, and even after thermal processing, a significant nutritive value remains in the Moringa oleifera Lam. pods.

A Comparative Study on Proximate and Micronutrient Composition of Various Varieties of Rice Produced in Punjab, Pakistan


 
 The present work aims to assess and compare the nutritional composition of the indigenously produced samples of Basmati Pak, Basmati KS 282, Super Basmati, Organic Brown Rice, 1121 Kainat Sella Rice (parboiled), Super Kernel (parboiled).The proximate analysis of macronutrients and micronutrients (Thiamine, Riboflavin Niacin, Fe, Ca, and Zn) was conducted according to AOAC, 2005 and AOAC, 2008 official methods respectively. The results showed that protein (N×5.7), crude fiber and ash contents were found to be highest in the Organic Brown rice, while the fat content was similar in all rice types. The highest moisture and protein content was found in Super Kernel Rice. Basmati Pak had the lowest percentage of moisture and ash, Super White Basmati had the least amount of protein and crude dietary fiber while the lowest percentage of fat was found in Basmati KS 282. In terms of micro-nutrients, Super Kernel Rice showed to have a higher content of Thiamin, Riboflavin, and Niacin as compared to the rest of the varieties. 1121 Kainat Sella Rice had the highest contents of Ca. Organic Brown Rice was found to have the highest level of Fe and Zn. The significantly lower levels of Thiamin and Riboflavin were found in Basmati Pak and lowest level of Niacin was found in Super Basmati. Similarly Basmati Pak had the lowest level of Ca and Zn while Kainat Sella Rice (parboiled) had the lowest levels of Fe content. The nutritional composition data suggests that some nutrients are present in one variety of rice while others are present in another variety. Basmati Pak variety had least amount of nutrients. The information obtained from this research may be of interest to food manufacturers and consumers for acknowledging the compositional variation in indigenous rice varieties.
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Survey of the Microbial Communities of Commercial Presliced, Packaged Deli-Style Ham Throughout Storage

The goal of this study was to evaluate the variation in spoilage microbiota associated with sliced, prepackaged deli-style ham from varying processing environments available in the retail market in the United States. Three different brands of presliced ham, water added were purchased at local markets and evaluated every 2 wk beginning 4 wk prior to the sell-by date until 4 wk beyond the sell-by date. Analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA genes using operational taxonomic units showed that Brand A had a different bacterial community structure compared with Brands B and C, according to unweighted (P=0.006) and weighted (P<0.001) UniFrac distance matrices. Brand A had a greater proportion of sequence reads mapping to Carnobacterium, Bacillus, and Prevotella, whereas B and C had greater proportions of Pseudomonas, Photobacterium, and Lactococcus. Brand A also had a lower salt concentration (P<0.007), greater moisture percentage and less fat percentage (P<0.012), and increased aerobic plate count (P=0.017). Differences in spoilage microbiota can in part be attributed to the factors involved with different processing locations, as shown by 3 different brands of ham, as well as slight differences in formulation including salt concentration and organic acid use.

Quinoa seeds (Chenopodium Quinoa): Nutritional value and potential biological effects on hyperglycemic rats

Quinoa seeds have an excellent nutrient characterization and contains many phytochemicals which play an important health role. The current study pointed to the chemical composition, minerals content, active compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids and tocopherols), vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids of quinoa seeds (Chinopodium quinoa). Also, evaluation of quinoa seeds on plasma glucose and lipid profiles in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in male rats. Rats were split into three groups,the firstgroup was the normal control, the second group was the diabetic control, and the third group was diabetic rats treated with quinoa seeds. Chemical composition revealed that the percent of moisture, protein, fat, fiber, ash and calculated carbohydrates were 11.20 %, 13.64 %, 5.89 %, 6.7 %, 3.1 % and 70.67 % respectively. The total essential amino acid of quinoa seed was 4.88 g/100 g sample. The results indicate that serum alanine amino transferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine and urea were significantly unchanged in diabetic rats whereas, statistically decreased in diabetic rats treated with quinoa seeds compared with control rats. Total serum lipids, total cholesterol, and low density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol levels were significantly increased in diabetic rats, while high density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol levels were decreased, compared to control rats. Otherwise, no significant effect was observed in these parameters between the rats in group 3 and the control group. Eating quinoa seeds among diabetic rats had a hypoglycemic effect and caused the best changes regarding cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels. The results obtained suggest that quinoa may become important as an inexpensive and unique natural source of anti-diabetes, and thus quinoa seed is a promising complementary therapeutic agent against diabetes.

Development and in-vitro evaluation of Etoricoxib loaded Transdermal Film containing MWCNT

Nanocomposites are materials that integrate either a unit of nanoscale material or multi-units of nanoscale material into a matrix of a standard substance. The main purpose of the current study is to fabricate and evaluate nanocomposite transdermal films of Etoricoxib. The transdermal films of etoricoxib were developed with a mixture of polymers viz. Eudragit RL-100 and HPMC K4M, with or without different percentages of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT, 1, 3, 5, and 10%, w/w of total polymer) using solvent casting method. Various parameters including FT-IR, DSC, drug content, folding endurance, moisture content, moisture uptake, water vapour permeability (WVP), and in-vitro drug release employing Franz diffusion cell were assessed for the prepared films. The absence of interaction between the drug and polymers was confirmed by FT-IR and DSC studies. The thickness of the resulted films was within the range of 0.33±2.76 µm to 0.43±2.76 µm. The weights of prepared films were between 85.1±1.3 mg to 85.15±0.8 mg. The drug content was measured to be between 4.486 and 5.993 mg. The folding endurance of the developed films ranged from 237.33±7.8 to 342±6.5. The moisture content (%) was between 5.91 ± 1.2% and 8.84 ± 4.0%, whereas the percent moisture uptake of prepared films was observed to be between 8.23 ± 2.1% and 12.38 ±3.6%. The WVP of films was found to be 97.08 ± 0.57 g/m2/day to 194.17 ± 0.81 g/m2/day. In-vitro release studies revealed that formulation F4 prepared with an equal amount (50:50) of Eudragit RL-100 and HPMC K4M, and 5% MWCNT shows the highest drug release after 24 hr of study.The above results imply that the nanocomposite films could be an effective tool for transdermal delivery of etoricoxib and could act as a better prospect in replacing the oral dosage form.

A long-acting hygroscopic and antibacterial composite filler: A new approach to phytoextraction solid residues from Citrus aurantium L.

A promising new composite filler with hygroscopic and antibacterial properties was developed based on the Fructus Aurantii Immaturus solid residues (FAIR) from Citrus aurantium L. , a typical bulk forest industrial crops. FAIR@AM-APTAC composite filler was established using FAIR as substrate, allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) as the cross-linker, while functional monomers of acrylamide (AM) and (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride (APTAC) were introduced. The structure of FAIR@AM-APTAC was characterized by FTIR , SEM, BET and TG–DSC analysis. The results confirmed that the FAIR@AM-APTAC composite filler was successfully prepared, which exhibited a three-dimensional(3D) network structure with a specific surface area of 0.1758 m²/g and exhibited excellent thermal stability. The equilibrium percent moisture absorption of FAIR@AM-APTAC (63.0%) was higher than that of FAIR (15.7%) under RH= 80% at 25 ℃ for 48 h, and much better moisture adsorption was achieved. The moisture adsorption process of FAIR@AM-APTAC followed a type III moisture adsorption isotherm and conformed to GAB, Peleg and pseudo-second order kinetics model. The moisture adsorption process of FAIR@AM-APTAC was a multi-layer adsorption process with enthalpy driven non-spontaneous and endothermic, which was dominated by chemical adsorption simultaneous existing physical adsorption, and the adsorption force was the synergy of both hydrogen bond and van der Waals force. The inhibition ratio of FAIR@AM-APTAC was 97.1% for E. coli and 95.4% for S. aureus . The antimicrobial efficacy of FAIR@AM-APTAC was enormously improved compared with that of FAIR due to the introduction of quaternary ammonium groups. The antibacterial mechanism of FAIR@AM-APTAC may be that the surface contact between bacterial and FAIR@AM-APTAC leads to inactivation. Significantly, FAIR@AM-APTAC showed long-acting hygroscopic and antibacterial properties, with little weakness even after 120 times cycle of wetting-drying. It is expected to be applied to an indoor air purifier or filter. • A new approach to phytoextraction solid residues from Citrus aurantium L. • Establishment of 3D structure long-acting hygroscopic and antibacterial composite. • Superior hygroscopic properties. Percent moisture absorption: 63.0% (25 ℃，RH=80%). • Superb antibacterial properties. Inhibition ratio: 97.1% ( E. coli ) and 95.4% ( S. aureus ). • A promising new filler: expected to be applied to indoor air purifier or filter.

Growth, Physiology, Weed Abundance and Yield in Rice (<em>Oryza Sativa</em> L.) Under Three Nutrient Input Systems in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka

A field experiment was conducted to compare the growth, physiology, weed abundance and yield in rice under three input systems; organic, conventional and integrated, during the 2019 <em>Yala </em>season as the second season of a long-term cropping systems trial. The design used a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), with six (6) replicates for each treatment. The rice variety used in the experiment was Bg 300 and three treatments were based on three input systems such as T1 – Conventional input system (100% Department of Agriculture (DOA) inorganic fertilizer recommendation), T2 – Integrated system (50% of Department of Agriculture (DOA) inorganic fertilizer recommendation+50% of the rate of compost added to organic input system) and T3 – Organic system (No inorganic fertilizers and only compost with the rate of 10000 kg ha -1). At the panicle initiation and harvesting stages, there was a (p&lt;0.05) significant difference (in rice shoot biomass across the three input systems, with the organic system having the lowest values compared to the other two. At panicle initiation, 50 % heading, and harvesting phases, a significant difference (p&lt;0.05) in plant height was noted among the three input systems, with the organic system showing the lowest values at all stages. The organic system had the highest weed count at all three crop stages and no significant difference between integrated and conventional systems. The three input systems had a significant difference in final grain yield at 14 percent moisture. At 14% moisture, there was no difference in final grain yield between conventional and reduced systems (4.85 and 4.67 tonnes/ha) with the organic system having the lowest value (2.74 tonnes/ha). Overall results indicate that reducing inorganic fertilizers by 50% with the combination of organic manure as in the integrated system gives similar final grain yields as the conventional system of new improved varieties like Bg 300 in high potential areas like Anuradhapura. Also, organic systems can show low crop growth and yields due to inadequate nutrient supply through organic materials and high weed density during the first year of transition.

The effect of adding lysine and arginine to improve the quality and sensory characteristics of low-sodium processed meat

This study was conducting in order to evaluate the effect of adding lysine and arginine to improve the quality and sensory characteristics of processed low-sodium Beef meat where stored in freez for 45 days. The study included ten different treatments T1 (100% NaCL), T2 (50% NaCL + 50% KCL), T3 (25 % NaCL + 75% KCL), T4 (50% NaCL + 50% KCL + 3% Lysine), T5 (50% NaCL + 50% KCL + 3% Arginine), T6(25% NaCL + 75% KCL + 3% Lysine), T7(25% NaCL + 75% KCL + 3% Arginine), T8(100% KCL), T9(100% KCL + 3% Lysine), T10(100% KCL + 3% Arginine) Treatment were stored for 1, 15, 30, 45 days then some physical, chemical, microbial and sensory tests were conducted. The results showed that the added to potassium chloride, lysine and arginine added were, recorded a significant (P&lt;0.01) increased in the percentages of both moisture and protein and a high concentration of myoglobin pigment, and a significant (P&lt;0.01) decreasing in TBA values and cholesterol concentration, and Thaw loss percentage was recorded. It was lost after thawing and the best results were achieved in reducing the increasing in the number of cryophilic bacteria in frozen low sodium beef burgers as compared with control treatment. It can be concluded that the addition of lysine and arginine to low-sodium beef burgers stored in freezing for different storage periods of 1, 15, 30 and 45 days, achieved high antioxidant activity through low oxidation indicators represented by TBA value, low cholesterol concentration and reducing total bacteria count.

Assessments of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe and Mg in some brands of green tea in Baghdad markets

This study aimed to measure the concentration of the elements: Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe and Mg, as well as the percentage of fat, ash, protein and moisture of ten sample of green tea that collected from Baghdad city markets. The results showed the highest value of ash and moisture (6.10, 4.55) in chamain, Dilmah, while lowest value (5.12, 3.21) in Lipton, Mahmood green tea respectively. Dilmah and Alghazalaen show the highest value of fat, protein (2.80, 15.03) respectively, the lowest percent of fat and protein was abserved in Mahmood, Alwazah green tea, respectively. The levels of elements in this study were investigated by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. All elements concentration was below the permissible limits of the Iraqi standard specifications for tea.

Effects of adding mixed chicken and quail egg yolks to the cryodiluent on the quality of ram semen before and after cryopreservation.

The effects of adding mixed chicken and Japanese quail egg yolks (EYs) to the cryodiluent on the quality of ram semen before freezing and post-thawing were evaluated. Additionally, the composition of chicken and quail egg EYs and their mixture were analyzed for results explanation. The semen was collected from rams (n = 5) and extended with cryodiluent containing the EY of chicken, quail or their mixture (1:1). The extended semen was chilled slowly to 5 °C within 2 h and equilibrated for 2 h, before frozen on the liquid nitrogen vapor and cryopreserved at −196 °C. The straws were evaluated before freezing and post-thawing for sperm motility, vitality and abnormality besides plasma-membrane and DNA integrities. The moisture, ash, protein, and fatty acid (FA) contents of chicken EY, quail EY and their mixture were analyzed. Sperm vitality, plasma membrane integrity and DNA integrity before freezing were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in quail EY than chicken EY and mixed EYs cryodiluent. The chicken EY extender significantly improved the vitality, plasma membrane and DNA integrities of post-thawed ram semen in comparison with quail EY or mixed EYs extenders. While, the post-thawing sperm abnormalities was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in quail EY than chicken EY and mixed EYs cryodiluent. The post-thawing sperm motion kinetics parameters were higher in quail EY than chicken EY and mixed EYs cryodiluent. The highest percentages of moisture, ash, saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were detected in quail EY had. While, the highest percentages of fat, protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were detected in chicken EY. In conclusion, using of chicken EY can improve total motility, vitality, plasma membrane integrity and DNA integrity of cryopreserved ram semen. While, using of quail EY can improve sperm abnormalities and kinetic motion parameters of cryopreserved ram semen. Mixing chicken and quail EYs added no value for post-thawing ram semen parameters.

Estimation of statistical parameters in candidate wheat genotypes for yield-related traits

BackgroundThe selection of genotypes in breeding programs relies on accurate estimates of heritability for variables relevant to yield. The better genotypes may be chosen rapidly using statistical estimate. Seventeen advanced breeding lines and three commercial bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes (used as checks) were assessed regarding their genetic characteristics for yield-related traits in the current study. MethodsGrain yield's correlation with several possible qualities was investigated and compared to regional controls. ResultsThe results showed that the peduncle length was positively correlated with the spike length, plant height, and total number of spikes. There was a favorable correlation between grain yield and spike count. The number of tillers per square meter was favorably connected with days to maturity but negatively correlated with grain weight, moisture percentage, and gluten content. The percentage of protein and gluten also declined with the increasing quantity of grains ineach spike. Weight per 1000 grains was favorably connected with moisture percent and negatively correlated with days to maturity. Day of maturity was positively correlated with yield, whereas day of blooming was negatively correlated. The number of tillers m−2 hadstrong heritability and rapid genetic improvement. The number of grains per spike, plant height, 1000-grain weight, peduncle length, days to maturity, and protein percentage all demonstrated high broad sense heritability and moderate genetic advance, whereas spike length and starch percentage both displayed low heritability and poor genetic advance. The number of spikes per plant, plot yield, days to flowering, moisture%, and gluten% all showed moderate heritability with modest genetic progress. ConclusionFollowing from the above, it is recommended that plant features with high heritability and genetic advancement be given preference in selection, while qualities with a negative link to grain output be subjected to cautious selection.

Study on Chemical Composition of Napier Pak Chong (Pennisetum purpureum x Pennisetum glaucum) Harvested at Different Growth Stages

Napier Pak Chong is a new hybrid crossing Pennisetum purpureum and Pennisetum glaucum known as Pearl Millet Napier. The Napier Pak Chong grass has been introduced due to its high nutritional contents, particularly in terms of crude protein compared to other napier grass varieties. Therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the chemical composition of the Napier Pak Chong harvested at three different growth ages which are 45 days, 60 days and 75 days and to identify the best harvesting ages of the Napier Pak Chong grass. The samples were collected at Kaprima Hulu Seladang Valley Farm. Then, the samples were dried and ground before being analyzed using proximate analysis and mineral analysis using Induced Couple Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). In the proximate analysis, the plant samples were analyzed to determine the percentage of moisture, ash, crude fibre (CF), crude protein (CP) and fat. For the mineral analysis, the samples were analyzed for magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and calcium. Results showed that the percentages of crude protein in the Napier Pak Chong grass decreased with increased harvesting ages meanwhile the crude fibre increased along with maturity. The percentage of crude protein is highest at 45 days which is 19.48%. The results also showed that the chemical compositions were highest at the early stage of harvesting, which is at 45 days. Thus, this study showed that the harvesting ages have an effect on the chemical composition of Napier Pak Chong grass.

Effect of Lactic Acid Bacteria on the Quality Attributes of Tea-Like Product from Blends of Drumstick (Moringa oleifera) Leaves and Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Moringa oleifera leaves and Ginger crops still remain an underutilized commodity because of limited information on its wider use. Moringa oleifera is very rich in nutrition but has undesirable taste and flavor. However, addition of ginger takes the edge off the bitter spinachy taste of Moringa oleifera leaves. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important microbes that have long been used in both traditional and modern industrial food fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria can be used for production of food due to their ability to coax microorganisms into producing In the process of food fermentation; microorganisms produce enzymes to break down complex compounds to simple bio-molecules for several biological activities such as proteinase, amylase, mannase, cellulase, and catalase. The aim of this research work is to determine the effect of Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation on the quality attributes of tea-like beverage produced from blends of Moringa oleifera leaves and Ginger(Zingiber officinale). The results showed that The phenotypic and biochemical characteristic of Blends of Drumstick leaves (Moringa oleifera) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reveals that the isolates were presumptively categorized to belong to the genus Lactobacillus, the isolates are gram positive, cocci, rod shaped, either, short rod or long rods, non-sporulating, ferments carbohydrate, non-motile and catalase negative. Technological properties of isolates are the properties that indicate the quality of the isolate to be used as a starter culture in the course of fermentation. A total of 35 colonies were isolated from the blend samples. Of them, 3 colonies were identified as Lactobacillus species, through observation of phenotypic characters, and identification, It was found that L. plantarum had tolerance under acid conditions, as its viable cell count remained at pH 2.0 and under 1.0 % bile salt condition, after 72 h incubation time. The proximate and energy content of fermented beverage produced from the blends shows that percent Dry matter, Moisture content, Crude protein, Ether extract , Crude fibre, Ash, carbohydrate and energy value were ranged from 10.00- 30.00, 4.0-5.0, 35.00 -71.00, 3.0-5.0, 11.00 - 18.00,3.0-10,7.0-15 and 74Kcal - 396Kcal respectively. The study concludes that The phenotypic and biochemical characteristic of blends of drum stick leaves (Moringa oleifera) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reveals that the isolates were to belong to the genus Lactobacillus. Also, Many of the LAB metabolites such as low molecular weight acids, alcohols, carbon dioxide, diacetyl and hydrogen peroxides have broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against other species of bacteria. The proximate and energy value of the beverage plays a crucial role in assessing its nutritional significance (P&lt;0.05). Consequently, the fermentation of these blends with LAB species might provide a means of retaining more of the nutrients that are trapped in the matrix of the cells of these plant materials.

Effect of Different Drying Methods on Physico-Chemical Attributes of Guava’s Fruit Pulp Powder

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is one of the most popular fruits in tropical and subtropical regions of India. It is popularly known as” Apple of tropics”, belongs to the family Myrtaceae and often considered as “super fruit”. It is rich in vitamin A and C, omega-3 and 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and contains high levels of dietary fiber and other nutritional properties. Guava is a highly perishable fruit crop and has a very limited shelf life, so there is a need to preserve the fruits in dried form, whose powder can be used for processing purposes, value addition in off season demands. Therefore, we conducted an experiment to study the effect of different drying methods on physico-chemical attributes of guava’s fruit pulp powder (Santos et al., 2017). Fruits of guava pulp were used to prepare powder by different drying methods like freeze drying, sun drying, air drying and oven drying. Results showed that bulk density and moisture percent was highest recorded in sun drying method followed by air drying while minimum was recorded with oven drying followed by freeze drying. Maximum nutritional value likeFiber (5.97%), Ash(1.38%), Protein percent (1.82%), Total sugar (32.88%), reducing (23.14%) &amp; non-reducing sugar (9.73%), ascorbic acid (227.90 mg/100 g), Titratable acidity (2.20%), Total phenols (250.66) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (83.40) was observed maximum with freeze drying followed by air drying. Taste, flavour, aroma and overall acceptability were better in freeze drying followed by Air drying.