Animal Oils Research Articles

Challenges and perspectives on using acidic ionic liquids for biodiesel production via reactive distillation

Biodiesel, known as a renewable fuel, is an environmentally friendly energy source derived from animal and vegetable oils, as well as recycled oil.

Effect of dietary lysophospholipid supplementation on growth performance, serum lipids, small intestine morphology and caeca microflora in broiler chickens.

The digestibility of animal fats and oils is limited by a reduction in the production and secretion of lipase and bile salts in young chickens. The addition of a natural emulsifier (lysophospholipids [LPL]) in poultry diet may increase the emulsification of lipids and their digestibility. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feed LPLs supplementation with different fat sources on performance, serum lipid composition, small intestine morphology and caeca microflora in broiler chickens. A completely randomized factorial design (2×3×2) was used to evaluate the effect of LPL supplementation (0 and 0.25g/kg) and three different fat sources (soybean oil, tallow and a 50:50 mixture of the two) in corn and soybean meal diets containing two levels of fat (1.5 and 3%), providing 12 isocaloric and isonitrogenous grower diets. Each experimental diet was fed to six replications of 10 birds from 15 to 28 days of age. Average growth performance during this period and small intestine morphology, serum lipid composition and caeca microflora were evaluated on day 28. The interaction effects of LPL supplementation, source and/or level of fats were not significant for the performance parameters measured during the 15 to 28 days. The treatment effects were significant for the villus width and crypt depth measured in the jejunum on day 28. The LPL supplementation significantly increased crypt depth. The interaction effect of fat source and level of fat were significant for villus width. The addition of a 3% blend of soybean oil/tallow (50/50) reduced the serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level. The Lactobacillus population was increased by the addition of LPL, or a 1.5% blend of soybean oil and tallow, to the diet. Our study showed that LPL supplementation of diet containing a 1.5% blend of soybean oil and tallow can improve serum lipid indices and caeca Lactobacillus populations in broiler chickens.

Soil moisture and fertility drive earthworm diversity in north temperate semi-natural grasslands

Intensive management of arable land reduces earthworm density and diversity. This may impair earthworm-mediated soil functions, such as nutrient mineralization and soil structure formation. To sustain earthworm source populations for re-colonization of cultivated soils, it is therefore important to preserve habitats with high earthworm diversity. Semi-natural grasslands, with a long continuity without soil disturbance, could serve as such earthworm diversity reservoirs. This is particularly important in mixed agricultural landscapes with elements of multiple land uses. Nonetheless, earthworm density and diversity vary greatly among grasslands. To preserve and optimally manage the most suitable grasslands, knowledge about which grassland characteristics best explain earthworm diversity is needed. Additionally, we have a limited picture of earthworm diversity in general, because previous studies have neglected juvenile earthworms and cryptic species. The juvenile fraction commonly comprises the main part of earthworm samples, whereas morphologically inseparable cryptic species account for an unknown fraction. This fraction is of particular importance, as juveniles reflect the local reproductive and regeneration potential of earthworm populations and communities. To determine the full species composition of earthworm communities, we sampled earthworms from 28 semi-natural grasslands in south-central Sweden and identified them to species by DNA barcoding. To test how grassland characteristics explain earthworm density, diversity, and community composition, we measured several characteristics of soils, vegetation, and management of the grasslands, and descriptors of the surrounding landscape. DNA barcoding revealed nearly twice as many species as were identified morphologically. Earthworm densities were higher in grasslands with higher Ellenberg moisture indicator values and lower soil C:N ratios. The diversity and occurrence of many earthworm species was also higher in grasslands with higher soil moisture indicator values and lower C:N ratios, and further increased with habitat heterogeneity. Certain species occurred more likely in grasslands with higher grazing intensity. Epigeic earthworms, which live in and feed on surface litter, were more common in grasslands with higher moisture indicator values and SOM content. Thus, dry and relatively unproductive semi-natural grasslands, which are common in Sweden, are unlikely to sustain high earthworm diversity – a pattern contrasting to previously reported plant diversity responses. Instead, earthworm diversity seems concentrated to more productive grazed grasslands, with large within-grassland heterogeneity. Therefore, we highlight the importance of considering soil animals in conservation policies for semi-natural grasslands.

Dietary patterns and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in China’s multi-ethnic regions

BackgroundThe prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been rising rapidly in western China. Diet acts as an effective therapy for MAFLD. However, there has been scarce research on the association between a posteriori diet patterns (DPs) and MAFLD in this region.MethodWe identified three a posteriori DPs which were “Sichuan Basin pattern” characterized by a high intake of fish/seafood, poultry, fresh fruit and vegetables, indicating a balanced and modern DP; the “Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau dietary pattern” characterized mainly by a high intake of animal oil and salt, indicating an agricultural and poor DP; and the “Qinghai–Tibet Plateau dietary pattern” characterized by a high intake of coarse grains, wheat products, tubers and tea, respectively, indicating a high-altitude DP. Then, we performed marginal structural models that combined logistic regression and inverse probability exposure weighting (IPEW) to examine the associations between MAFLD and these a posteriori DPs.ResultWe found the “Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau dietary pattern” revealed stronger positive association (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.40–1.60) with MAFLD than that of the “Qinghai–Tibet Plateau dietary pattern” (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.14–1.30). In contrast, the “Sichuan Basin dietary pattern” showed no significant association with MAFLD. In the further stratified analysis, we found those above associations were stronger in ethnic minorities and rural residents than their counterparts.ConclusionOur study implied the unfavourable effects of “Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau dietary pattern” on MAFLD and provided evidence that reducing the intake of oil and sodium may be optimal for MAFLD control in the multi-ethnic region in western China.

The Life-History Traits of Soil-Dwelling Nematode (Acrobeloides sp.) Exhibit More Resilience to Water Restriction Than Caenorhabditis elegans.

In the context of climate warming, the intensity and frequency of drought occurrences are progressively increasing. However, current research on the impacts of drought on the life-history traits and physiological activities of animals rarely encompasses soil animals that play crucial roles within soil ecosystems. Therefore, this study focused on a soil nematode species (Acrobeloides sp.) and a model nematode (Caenorhabditis elegans) to investigate whether nematodes adjust the trade-off of their life-history traits to confront arid environments, utilizing a Petri dish experiment. Subsequently, we assessed the resilience of the two nematode species to moisture variations by comparing the extent of changes in various indicators (i.e., life-history traits, physiological traits, and oxidative stress) of nematodes before and after drought and rehydration. The results revealed that both nematode species are capable of adapting to arid environments by altering the trade-off between life-history traits. Specifically, they reduce reproductive investment and body mass while maintaining life span, thus responding to drought conditions. Follow-up rehydration experiments post-drought stress highlighted that the soil-dwelling nematode exhibits a superior recovery capacity in response to moisture fluctuations in comparison to the model nematode. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation into life history of drought adaptation within soil-dwelling nematodes. Moreover, the findings hold significant implications for the exploration of drought adaptation and its mechanisms in soil-dwelling animals.

Intraspecific variability and species turnover drive variations in Collembola body size along a temperate-boreal elevation gradient

Investigating functional facets of biodiversity across elevation gradients provides the perspective to deepen understanding of the response of communities to global changes. Functional ecology approaches typically assume that filtering of traits across broad environmental gradients is largely due to species turnover rather than intraspecific trait variability. However, few studies quantified the relative importance of species turnover versus intraspecific variability for the composition of soil animal communities across environmental gradients. Here, for the first time, we investigated the relative contribution of species turnover, intraspecific trait variability and their covariation to changes in Collembola body size based on measurements at the individual level along a temperate-boreal elevation gradient in northeastern China. The results indicated that community weighted mean (CWM) body size of Collembola varied significantly with elevation as well as with life form, with the variations in CWM body size in total, epedaphic and hemiedaphic species being similar and more pronounced than in euedaphic Collembola. These variations in body size were driven to a similar extent by intraspecific trait variability and species turnover, with the former being somewhat higher in total, epedaphic and euedaphic but not in hemiedaphic Collembola. Further, variations in body size were better explained by local habitat-related soil factors than by temperature, but the relative importance of these factors differed among ecological groups of Collembola. Overall, these findings show that intraspecific variations in traits may be of similar importance than the turnover of species and needs closer consideration when using trait approaches to understand biodiversity – ecosystem functioning relationships in face of global change.

Local climate modulates the development of soil nematode communities after glacier retreat

AbstractThe worldwide retreat of glaciers is causing a faster than ever increase in ice‐free areas that are leading to the emergence of new ecosystems. Understanding the dynamics of these environments is critical to predicting the consequences of climate change on mountains and at high latitudes. Climatic differences between regions of the world could modulate the emergence of biodiversity and functionality after glacier retreat, yet global tests of this hypothesis are lacking. Nematodes are the most abundant soil animals, with keystone roles in ecosystem functioning, but the lack of global‐scale studies limits our understanding of how the taxonomic and functional diversity of nematodes changes during the colonization of proglacial landscapes. We used environmental DNA metabarcoding to characterize nematode communities of 48 glacier forelands from five continents. We assessed how different facets of biodiversity change with the age of deglaciated terrains and tested the hypothesis that colonization patterns are different across forelands with different climatic conditions. Nematodes colonized ice‐free areas almost immediately. Both taxonomic and functional richness quickly increased over time, but the increase in nematode diversity was modulated by climate, so that colonization started earlier in forelands with mild summer temperatures. Colder forelands initially hosted poor communities, but the colonization rate then accelerated, eventually leveling biodiversity differences between climatic regimes in the long term. Immediately after glacier retreat, communities were dominated by colonizer taxa with short generation time and r‐ecological strategy but community composition shifted through time, with increased frequency of more persister taxa with K‐ecological strategy. These changes mostly occurred through the addition of new traits instead of their replacement during succession. The effects of local climate on nematode colonization led to heterogeneous but predictable patterns around the world that likely affect soil communities and overall ecosystem development.

Differential changes in body size and stoichiometry in genetic lineages of the earthworm Eisenia nordenskioldi with elevation

Exploring species and their functional diversity is of fundamental importance in biology and ecology. Many earthworm species comprise a wide range of genetic lineages/cryptic species, but it remains unclear whether these lineages/cryptic species represent distinct ecological entities that differ in traits. We barcoded 280 individuals of the earthworm species Eisenia nordenskioldi from 42 forest plots across seven elevations (800–1700 m) on Changbai Mountain, northeast China, and found them to comprise two genetic lineages with a p-distance in the COI gene of 16.7%. We evaluated whether the two distinct lineages differ in morphological (body length, body with, body mass and length:width ratio) and stoichiometric traits (C, N and P concentrations and C:N, C:P and N:P ratios), and whether these traits vary with elevation. At elevations where lineages co-existed, we further evaluated their ecological niche overlap. When co-existing, the two lineages of E. nordenskioldi significantly differed in body length, body mass, length:width ratio, and C and N concentrations as well as C:N and N:P ratios. With increasing elevation, body length, body mass and the length:width ratio of the two lineages linearly increased, whereas body width and C:N ratio linearly decreased; while C and N concentrations as well as C:P and N:P ratios showed a hump-shaped relationship with elevation. Across elevations trait distribution overlapped by 29%–100%, but the overlap in body mass, body length and length:width ratio decreased to 0%–15% when the two lineages co-existed. The significant differences in multiple traits indicate that the two lineages have different physiologies, supporting their status as cryptic species. The documented variations in morphological and stoichiometric traits of the two lineages/cryptic species call for integration of genetics and ecology for understanding biodiversity and ecological functioning of soil animal species.

Conservation tillage impacts on soil biodiversity: Additional insights from the Collembola-associated bacteria

The effects of conservation tillage on soil biodiversity are crucial for maintaining the balance and stability of agroecosystems, but research on soil animal-associated microbiota, an important compartment of soil biodiversity in addition to soil microbiota and soil animals, is still lacking. Here, we used 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing to investigate the diversity and composition of bacteria associated with two Collembola species (Entomobrya sibirica and Ceratophysella sp.) of different life forms under four different tillage practices: (1) conventional moldboard plow tillage with no straw mulch (CT), (2) moldboard plow tillage with straw mulch (MT), (3) no-tillage with straw cover (NT) and (4) no-tillage with straw cover and crop rotation (NTR). We found that conservation tillage increased Collembola abundance and Collembola-associated bacterial diversity, with no significant effect on soil bacteria. Ceratophysella sp. seemed to be more adapted to NTR, whereas E. sibirica was more adapted to MT. Interestingly, Collembola abundance was positively correlated with its associated bacterial diversity, with the relative abundance of Sphingomonas and Pelomonas being positively correlated, but Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus being negatively correlated with Collembola abundance. We identified Methylobacterium-Methtylorubrum and Streptomyces as indicator bacteria for the MT treatment, but no common indicator between the two Collembola species in the NTR treatment. Conservation tillage significantly affected the composition and network structure of Collembola-associated bacteria, particularly in the MT and NTR treatments. Our study suggests that conservation tillage practices affect at least two of the three compartments of soil biodiversity – soil microbiota, soil animals and soil-animal associated microbiota. If only one tillage practice is preferred, we recommend the no-tillage with straw mulch and rotation (NTR) as the most optimal strategy for conserving soil biodiversity.

Adverse Effects of Octocrylene on Cultivated and Spontaneous Plants and in Soil Animal

Adverse Effects of Octocrylene on Cultivated and Spontaneous Plants and in Soil Animal

Responses of taxonomic and functional diversity of soil mites to altitudinal changes in forest ecosystems of Lyuliang Mountains, Shanxi, China

The altitudinal gradient pattern of mountain biodiversity and its formation mechanism are hot topics in ecological research. The altitudinal variations of belowground invertebrates are less understood than aboveground plants and animals. With soil mites as the model soil animals, we investigated their distribution patterns from 1318 m to 2500 m above sea level in three mountains of Lyuliang Mountains based on species diversity and functional diversity. We used soil pH, total N, total P, total K, and organic matter content to identify potential drivers of soil mite communities and diversity along the altitudinal gradient. A total of 715 soil mites were collected, belonging to 3 orders, 27 families, 28 genera, and 29 species. Phthiracarus clemens, Geolaelaps praesternalis and Diapterobates humeralis were dominant mites. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed that soil mites community composition varied significantly among different altitudes due to Epilohmannia ovata predominated in high altitude and P. clemens predominated in middle altitude. There were significant differences in individual density of soil mites among different altitudes. The Margalef, Shannon, and Simpson indices followed a unimodal distribution pattern along the altitudinal gradient. Functional richness and functional evenness showed a unimodal distribution pattern along the altitudinal gradient, while other functional diversity indices changed little with altitude. The RDA results indicated that total K and soil pH were the major drivers for the variations in soil mite communities. The Pielou index of soil mites was significantly positively correlated with soil pH, while functional evenness was negatively correlated with altitude. Individual density, species number, Margalef, Simpson and Shannon indices were significantly positively correlated with functional richness index. Species diversity and functional diversity of soil mites varied differently with altitude. In the future, we should strengthen long-term monitoring and dynamic functional properties of soil mites and the community assembly to deeply understand the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

Investigation of physicochemical and sensory characteristics of low calorie sponge cake made from flaxseed mucilage and flaxseed flour

This research aimed to extract flaxseed mucilage (FM) and investigate its rheological properties (static and dynamic tests) compared with animal oil. In the next stage, the D-optimal design was applied to investigate the effect of FM (0–60%) and FF (0–30%) replacements with animal oil and cake flour, respectively on the sponge cake's physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties. According to the flow behavior test, FM showed Newtonian behavior while animal oil had pseudoplastic behavior. The results of the dynamic test showed with an increase in frequency, the loss modulus (G״) and storage modulus (Gʹ) of samples increased. However, Gʹ was higher than G״ in all samples. By replacement of FM and FF, the moisture content, water activity, antioxidant capacity, crumb hardness, and cohesiveness of the samples increased while springiness, crust hardness, and specific volume decreased (P < 0.05). Lightness of samples with replacement of FF decreased (P < 0.05). The overall acceptance score was enhanced with an increase in FM substitution while it was decreased with the replacement of FF (P < 0.05). The amounts of fat, calories, and peroxide values were decreased in sponge cake with the incorporation of FF and FM (P < 0.05). In general, the substitution of FM (60%) and FF (28%) in the cake formulation as an optimized sample to make new products with low-calorie content is possible without significant decreases in product quality.

The bioindicator role of phytonematode groups in the assessment of the state of transformation of secondary forest ecosystems

The methodology for assessing the state of terrestrial ecosystems using diagnostic properties of soil microfauna remains underestimated in contemporary Ukrainian science. We have analyzed a significant amount of foreign and domestic literature to demonstrate the importance of this aspect in the overview article concerning the monitoring of natural ecosystems. Based on our own research results, we have shown the outcomes that can be achieved by utilizing the bioindicative properties of a specific group of organisms, such as phytonematodes. The fundamental principles and methodologies that should be applied, including using the functional characteristics of phytonematode complexes, have also been described. For evaluating the state of ecosystems, the most valuable information pertains to organisms that are widely distributed over a significant territory, have high population density, play a significant role in ecosystem functioning, and can rapidly respond to environmental changes. Organisms fitting these criteria can be considered bioindicators. This group of organisms is sensitive to natural or anthropogenic environmental transformations and can respond to them by altering their population density, distribution, or specific characteristics. Therefore, the use of soil animals from specific taxonomic groups as bioindicators has a long-standing tradition. Groups of soil invertebrates are integral structural components of natural ecosystems, together providing them with stable development and resilience. Assessment of the functional role of soil fauna in the ecosystem involves establishing the structural-functional organization of different groups of soil invertebrates, which differ both morphologically and functionally in the ecosystem and their impact on soil-forming processes. The use of soil nematodes as bioindicators is promising for evaluating the sanitary condition of forest ecosystems based on the indicator of energy utilization by trophic groups of nematodes, as well as for bioindication of soil quality based on the relative ratio of persisters and colonizers. The zoological method of soil diagnostics was established as a separate scientific direction thanks to the works of M.S. Gilyarov. This method is based on the presence of certain species of invertebrates in the soil and the analysis of the structure of their communities. Later, it found practical application in the research of forest ecosystems. Therefore, nematodes are an effective model group for the indirect assessment of the zoocenosis’ state.

High use of non-hydrogenated plant source oils and mayonnaise sauce increase the risk of Parkinson disease

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study aimed to assess the contribution of edible/cooking oils and mayonnaise sauce in the severity, motor and non-motor symptoms, and risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods: In this study, 120 patients with PD and 50 healthy individuals participated. The frequency and quantity of edible/cooking oils including animal and plant source oils (hydrogenated and nonhydrogenated) and mayonnaise sauce used by participants were determined using a food frequency questionnaire. The severity of PD was determined by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Results: Patients with PD had lower use of hydrogenated plant-based oil (HPO) (p < 0.001) and animal oils (p < 0.001) but had higher use of non-hydrogenated plant-based oil (NHPO) (p < 0.001), olive oil (p = 0.02), and mayonnaise sauce (p < 0.001) compared with the healthy subjects. Use of each unit HPO reduced 4% the odds of PD (p = 0.01). The odds of PD increased 20% by each unit increase in NHPO usage (p = 0.001), 49% by olive oil (p = 0.02), and 127% by mayonnaise sauce (p = 0.004) intake. According to receiver operator characteristics curve analysis, mayonnaise sauce and NHPO had the largest area under the curve in predicting PD. Intake of animal oil was positively correlated with total score of UPDRS (p = 0.05) and motor symptoms (p = 0.04). Intake of butter was positively correlated with total score of UPDRS (p = 0.047), nonmotor aspects of experiences of daily living (p = 0.02), and motor examination (p = 0.02). Discussion: The findings indicate that high intake of HPO reduces, while high intake of NHPO, olive oil, and mayonnaise sauce increases the odds of PD.

Research on Ecological Effects of Microplastics and Removal Methods

In recent years, with the continuous accumulation of microplastics (MPs), the environmental pollution caused by MPs has become increasingly serious. In this paper, whether the accumulation of MPs will cause serious damage to the ecological environment and organisms and if harm is caused, how to eliminate it are analyzed. The results show that MPs are mainly produced by human activities, which have caused pollution to the water environment, soil environment and atmospheric environment. MPs destroying the water cycle, enriching heavy metals in the soil and aggravating the greenhouse effect indirectly threaten the organisms living in the environment. Due to the large amount of MPs enrichment, the survival rate of soil animals and aquatic animals is decreasing year by year, their growth and development are seriously inhibited, and the living conditions are becoming difficult. Because of the blockage of MPs, the ability of plant roots to absorb water is greatly reducing, the activity of various enzymes in the plant body is decreasing, and the efficiency of photosynthesis is affected. As the highest trophic level, humans are naturally not immune to the harm of MPs. The higher the trophic level, the more enriched the content of MPs, which poses a great threat to health. In the future, the elimination of MPs will become a focus of attention. The existing physical treatment method, chemical treatment method and biological treatment method should be improved and reasonably combined to achieve the optimal treatment effect, hoping to reduce the harm of MPs as much as possible.

A numerical study on the thermal response of biodegradable ferrous oxide/aluminium oxide nanofluid flow past an unsteady contracting permeable cylinder: A comparative analysis

Esters that are considered natural come from renewable sources like vegetable or animal oils or other bio-based materials. Due to natural esters' great biodegradability, lack of toxicity, and high flash point, their use in industrial applications has been expanding quickly in recent years. The current study, thus numerically investigates an unsteady laminar flow and heat transfer of biodegradable nanofluids past over a shrinking cylinder of time dependent radius. Natural Ester (NE) is used as the base fluids, and two nanoparticles such as Fe3O4 (ferrous oxide) and Al2O3 (aluminium oxide) are used to create different combinations of nanofluids. The unsteady Navier-Stokes equations are used to model it, and similarity solutions are introduced to solve the problem. A MATLAB built-in package BVP4c has been employed to tackle the problem. The physical behavior of the solution has been explored in terms of parametric analysis and graphical demonstration and the validation of present solutions is reported by the comparative benchmark with already available results in a limiting sense. Our findings demonstrate that Fe3O4 biodegradable nanofluids are capable of carrying and dispersing thermal energy more effectively, resulting in improved heat transfer rates compared to Al2O3 biodegradable nanofluids.

Soil oribatid mite community structure and its relationship with environmental factors in different agricultural land-use types in Shibing Karst

The karst world natural heritage site is characterized by fragility due to severe rocky desertification. Buffer zone functions as the ecological barrier of the core area of the heritage site, and can play an ecological filtering role in the core area. Therefore, buffer zones are of great ecological significance. In order to reveal the community characteristics of soil oribatid mites in different agricultural land-use in the buffer zone of Shibing Karst World Natural Heritage and their relationship with environmental factors, soil oribatid mites in the buffer zone of corn field (CF), golden pear garden (GP) and tobacco field (TF) were collected in September 2021. A total of 1220 oribatid mites belonging to 79 genera and 41 families were found in the study. Our key results include (1) The family number, genus number, individual number, and individual density of GP are higher (2) Scheloribates is the dominant group, 22 genera such as Oppiella, Tectocepheus, and Xylobates are common groups, and 56 genera such as Neoribates and Protoribates are rare groups. (3) The Diversity index of GP is higher than that of other cultivated land types. Community similarity analysis shows that the similarity between GP and CF is high, but all habitats are at a medium level of dissimilarity. (4) Analysis of the ecological group of oribatid mites shows that Poronota is more abundant than Macropylina and Gymnonota. (5) The Diversity index, richness index, family and genus level of oribatid mites were significantly positively correlated with soil humidity (SH) and the number of genera, individuals and individual density were significantly positively correlated with total phosphorus (TP). Redundancy analysis indicates that total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), and soil organic matter (SOM) are the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of soil oribatid mites communities. Based on the above research results, it can be seen that there are differences in the community structure of soil oribatid mites in different agricultural land-use in the study area. The use of dominant genera of mites can preliminarily indicate the soil ecological environment of different agricultural land-use. The research results provide basic data for the biodiversity protection of soil animals in different agricultural land-use in the buffer zone of Shibing Karst World Natural Heritage.

Production of Single-Cell Oil from a Local Isolate Bacillus subtilis Using Palm Fronds.

This study, conducted at the Department of Biology, University of Anbar, Iraq, focuses on addressing the escalating issue of contamination and aims to acquire microbial oils to alleviate the global shortage in plant and animal oil production, utilizing environmental waste as a carbon source to reduce global pollution and select efficient local bacterial isolates of Bacillus subtilis for the production of single-cell oil (SCO) using local soil and environmental waste as a carbon source. Four isolates were selected as the best in producing single-cell oil, with the isolate with code C4 standing out as it recorded the highest production. It is worth noting that all these isolates belong to the bacteria type Bacillus subtilis. Palm fronds were found to be the most suitable environmental residue for SCO production compared to other waste materials (wheat straw and wheat bran). Submerged cultures were used to improve SCO production, with optimal conditions determined as pH 7, a temperature of 30°C, carbon source concentration of 3 g/100 ml, inoculum volume of 3 ml/100 ml, inoculum density of 20 × 107 cells, and an incubation period of 72 hours. The Soxhlet extraction method was used to obtain the oil, which was found to contain high percentages of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid (46.030%) and palmitoleic acid (16.579%). The oil was highly soluble in chloroform and ethanol but insoluble in water. The saponification test indicated the potential for soap production from the oil. This comprehensive research addresses the need for locally sourced and sustainable SCO production, offering insights into the selection of efficient bacterial isolates, the optimization of cultivation conditions, and the valuable properties of the resulting SCO. The significance of this study lies in the production of single-cell oil from soil-isolated Bacillus subtilis bacteria for use in food applications.

Fat, oil and grease wastewater and dishwashers: Uncovering the link to FOG deposition

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) in wastewater generated by commercial food establishments can cause severe environmental damage if not adequately treated. Grease interceptors (GIs) are an effective solution to limit FOG disposal into the sewer, but their efficiency greatly depends on the wastewater's characteristics. This laboratory study examined the physical and chemical properties of synthetic FOG wastewater from handwashing sinks and dishwashers using cooked animal fats and oils, some food solids and the same amount of detergent to explore the impact of dishwashers on key FOG components that contribute to FOG depositions. Results showed that dishwasher-generated wastewater had a significant influence on fatty acid (FA) transformations, particularly in producing very long chain saturated FAs. Relative proportions of FAs revealed a considerable proportion of very long chain FAs, such as palmitoleic (C16:1), linoleic (C18:2), α-linolenic (C18:3), arachidic (C20:0), paullinic (C20:1), behenic (C22:0), erucic (C22:1), lignoceric (C24:0) and nervonic (C24:1), among which most were not highlighted in the real field FOG wastewater. These FAs may play a significant role in FOG solidification if not sufficiently removed before disposal to sewer. The study also found that dishwashers were able to break down FOG particles, creating smaller particles (75 % being ≤68.8 μm and 50 % being ≤7 μm), while handwashing sinks produced larger particles (50 % being ≤118 μm and 10 % being ≤7 μm and). Samples containing cooked animal fats were more likely to be fragmented into smaller sizes than cooking oils due to the impact of the dishwasher. Confocal microscopy analysis results were consistent with the particle sizes measured by laser diffraction. These distinct properties could serve as criteria for updating GI designs, limiting the amount of FOG and FAs disposed of in the sewer system and controlling solidification and blockages, which pose significant threats to the environment.

Analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in edible oils using the QuEChERS/GC‐MS method: A health risk assessment study

Population growth has made it difficult to provide safe food; because various toxic substances such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can contaminate food products such as edible oils which have very high-rate consumption worldwide. Aims of study are to determine the concentration of PCBs in edible oil samples and to evaluate the carcinogenic risk of PCBs in them among Iranian people by Monte Calo Simulation (MCS). After finding the location of high customer hyper market in Tehran, 42 samples of 7 various types of edible oils were collected; then PCBs content of them measured using the modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) extraction method and GC/MS technique. According to the findings the mean level of NDL-PCB in oil samples were ranged from 1.88 to 25.62 ng/g fat. Results of uncertainty analysis showed that among children the 95th percentile of Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) were 7.80E-3, 5.37E-4, 5.37E-4, 2.00E-3, 1.59E-3, 13.9E-3 and 7.04E-4 for animal oil, corn oil, frying oil, olive oil, bran oil, sesame oil and sunflower oil, respectively. Also, the 95th percentile of ILCR among adults were 4.12E-2, 3.04E-3, 3.09E-3, 1.06E-2, 8.43E-3, 7.38E-3 and 3.74E-3 for animal oil, corn oil, frying oil, olive oil, bran oil, sesame oil and sunflower oil, respectively. The risk evaluation showed that in all edible oils the 95th percentile of simulated ILCR were more than 10−5, so it can be threatening health among both aging groups, although, the producers don't deliberately subject the users' lives to such danger, but high consumption rate and accumulation of PCBs in body tissues are contribute to increasing carcinogenic risk. Also, the 95th percentile of ILCR among adults were more than children, because the edible oil ingestion rate among adults was more than children.