Soybean Hulls Research Articles

Exploring the potential of sprouted soybean and sesame hull to increase nutritional value of ice cream

The study aimed to produce nutritionally enhanced ice cream by adding sprouted soybean (SSB) and sesame hulls (SH) at different concentrations to partially replace skimmed milk powder (SMP). The physicochemical, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AOA), and sensory acceptability of ice cream fortified with SSB or SH were evaluated. The ice cream containing 15% SSB was found to have the best sensory characteristics and was most preferred by the taste panel. The addition of 15% SSB increased the protein and fiber content and improved melting resistance, while the addition of 15% SH resulted in a greater increase in dietary fiber but lower protein content and melting resistance. The highest overrun on the cost was obtained in the sample fortified with 25% SSB compared to the lowest in the sample fortified with 25% SH, but panelists generally did not like these samples in terms of taste-flavor. The study concluded that the addition of SSB and SH to replace SMP in ice cream can create a nutritious and low-cost product with similar physicochemical properties and acceptance to the control.

Evaluation of Growth Performance, Efficiency of Dietary Net Energy Utilization, and Carcass Trait Responses of Heavy Finishing Lambs Administered 12 mg of Zeranol Subcutaneously in the Ear 59 d before Harvest

The objective of this research was to determine the influence of implanting heavy wether lambs with 12 mg of zeranol (1 pellet Ralgro, Merck Animal Health. Madison, NJ, USA) 59 d before harvest. Average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency, and carcass merit were evaluated. Polypay and crossbred wethers (n = 32) were equally divided into two treatment groups: non-implanted; (CON) or implanted with 12 mg of zeranol (IMP) in a randomized complete block design. Sixteen pens were used, resulting in eight replicate pens per treatment. Wethers were fed a finishing diet consisting of cracked corn, soybean meal, and soybean hulls ad libitum for 59 d. Lambs had access to clean water at all times from water fountains. Lambs were weighed on d -1, 1, 14, and 59. On d 59, 16 lambs (8 lambs/treatment) were harvested in the South Dakota State University Meat Lab. Hot carcass weight (HCW), dressing percent (DP), rib fat, body wall thickness, loin eye area, boneless closely trimmed retail cut percentages, and yield grades were recorded. Final body weight (BW), cumulative ADG, and gain efficiency were greater (p ≤ 0.01) for implanted lambs by 2.9%, 25.0%, and 35.2%, respectively, while dry matter intake (DMI) was unaffected by implant treatment (p = 0.18); thus, the efficiency of dietary net energy utilization was increased for IMP (p ≤ 0.01). No appreciable differences were noted (p ≥ 0.17) between treatments for any carcass traits measured. These results indicate that zeranol improves growth performance in heavy finishing lambs without detriment to carcass quality, which implies that producers can improve profitability due to increased gains and efficiency.

Formation Mechanism of a Hierarchically Porous Carbon Based on Soybean Hull Residues and Its Adsorption Performance

AbstractSoybean residue has caused pollution to the environment due to high output. Herein, in order to reutilization soybean residue, a novel soybean hulls residue based hierarchically porous carbon was prepared by one‐step carbonization‐activation, and its structure and micromorphology were characterized by SEM, FT‐IR, Raman, TEM, BET and XPS. Based on results of characterization, which illustrated typical hierarchically pore structure with pore sizes are 1000 nm, 300 nm and 1.4 nm. The specific surface area and total pore volume were corresponded to 1455.41 m2/g and 0.731 cm3/g, respectively. And the pore‐forming mechanism was discussed in raw materials is a pyrolysis process. Furthermore, it was found that adsorption capacity of dye could got to 625 mg/g in 30 min when the adsorbent was 0.05 g. In summary, the soybean hulls residue based hierarchically pore material with large surface area and rich in pore structure, which will exhibit excellent performance towards wastewater treatment.

Performance Assessment of Compressive Strength Property of Concrete Made with Hong Soybeans Hull Ash and Groundnuts Shell Ash in the Production of Ternary Concrete

Rapid urbanization through infrastructural development has resulted in depletion of natural resources leading to effects of flooding, global warming with incidents of health issues. A more ecofriendly way to solve this problem is through the adoption, use and invention of more ecofriendly concrete composite. Therefore, this research investigated the effect of replacing blended mix of soyabeans hull ash (SBHA) and groundnuts shell ash (GSA) in concrete production. A total of 108 cubes of 100mm x 100mm x 150mm were cast. The study specifically determined the physical and chemical properties of Soybean hull ash and groundnut shell ash, setting time and the compressive behavior of the concrete cubes. 6 mixes were produced with identities T0, T10, T20, T30, T40 and T50, the cubes were cured in water at 7, 14, 28 56, 90 and 180 days. The result shows an increase in compressive strength with increase in days of hydration. On 28 days curing, the strength of the ternary composites cured in water were in the range of 83% to 87% strength of the control cubes. The compressive strengths of the ternary concrete at 28 days were T0: 25.5N/mm2, T10: 21.1N/mm2, T20: 22.2N/mm2, T30: 24.2N/mm2 , T40: 22.2N/mm2 and T50: 24.3N/mm2 indicating a slow level of formation of SiO2 at the early stage of curing however at a latter age of 56 days curing there was a rapid increment in the compressive strength with all the concrete cubes attaining higher strength than the control concrete cubes while T50 possessed the highest compressive strength of 27.5N/mm2. Therefore, this study recommends T50 composing of 80%OPC + 12.5 %SBHA + 7.5% GSA for use for structural elements in Hong, LGA Adamawa for construction purposes.

Fermentation characteristics of different sources of dietary fiber in vitro and impacts on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood para-meters of piglets

This study aimed to assess the effect of various source of high-fiber ingredients on growth performance, apparent digestibility of nutrients, and blood para- meters of piglets by investigating their in vitro fermentation characteristics. A total of 300 healthy crossbred piglets were randomly allocated to one of five diets including corn-soybean meal basal diet (CON), sugar beet pulp (SBP), soybean hull (SBH), fermented distillers’ grains (FDG), and kelp powder (KP). In vitro fermentation analysis revealed that the predominant short-chain fatty acids produced were acetate and valerate. Sugar beet pulp and kelp powder exhibited rapid fermentation rates, in contrast to SBH, oat bran, and FDG. The apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter (P < 0.05), gross energy (P < 0.05), and crude protein were decreased (P < 0.001) in different fiber diets than the CON diet. The serum concentration of threonine was increased by feeding fibers diets (P < 0.05). In conclusion, a diet containing 3% SBP (with a soluble-to-insoluble dietary fiber ratio of 17.04%) showed the best effects on increasing nutrients digestibility and serum amino acid concentrations. These findings may inform future applications of SBP in piglet nutrition.

Nanofibers from soybean hull insoluble polysaccharides as Pickering stabilizers in oil-in-water emulsions formulated under acidic conditions.

Pickering emulsions are a kind of emulsion stabilized by solid particles. These particles generate a physical or mechanical barrier that provides long-term stability to emulsion. Cellulose nanofibers are effective Pickering emulsifiers given their long length, high flexibility and entanglement capability. In this work, soybean hull insoluble polysaccharides (HIPS) were used as source of cellulose nanofibers by using a combination of chemical and mechanical treatment. The chemical composition, morphology, flow behavior, water holding capacity (WHC) and emulsifying properties of the nanofibers were studied. Nanofibers with diameters between 35 and 110 nm were obtained. The WHC increased significantly after the mechanical treatment, and the rheological behavior of the nanofibers was typical of cellulosic materials. Nanofibers were effective emulsifiers in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions formulated under acidic conditions, without the need of using any additional surfactant. Emulsions were not affected by changes in the pH of the medium (3.00-5.00), and were stable to coalescence. It is possible that cellulose nanofibers form an entangled network which acts as a mechanical steric barrier, providing stability to coalescence. These results are important for the development of effective O/W Pickering emulsifiers/stabilizers, with large applications in the food industry. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Enhanced exopolysaccharide production of Cordyceps militaris via mycelial cell immobilization on plastic composite support in repeated-batch fermentation

Repeated-batch fermentation with fungal mycelia immobilized in plastic composite support (PCS) eliminates the lag phase during fermentation and improves metabolite productivity. The strategy is implemented herein, and a novel modified PCS is developed to enhance exopolysaccharide (EPS) production from the medicinal fungus Cordyceps militaris. A modified PCS (SYE + PCS) was made by compositing polypropylene (PP) with a nutrient mixture containing soybean hull, peptone, yeast extract, and minerals (SYE+). The use of SYE + PCS has consistent cell productivity throughout the multiple fermentation cycles, which resulted in a more higher cell productivity after second batch compared to unmodified PCS. The cell grown on SYE + PCS also generates a higher yield of EPS (3.36, 6.93, and 5.72 g/L in the first, second, and third fermentation cycles, respectively) up to three-fold higher than the cell immobilized on unmodified PCS. It is also worth noting that the EPS from mycelium grown on SYE + PCS contains up to 2.3-fold higher cordycepin than those on unmodified PCS. The presence of nutrients in SYE + PCS also affects the hydrophobicity and surface roughness of the PC, improving mycelial cell adhesion. This study also provides a preliminary antioxidant activity assessment of EPS from immobilized C. militaris grown with SYE + PCS.

Xylanase Production by Solid-State Fermentation for the Extraction of Xylooligosaccharides from Soybean Hulls§.

The development of a novel process for the production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) based on the 4R concept is made possible by the integration of numerous techniques, especially enzymatic modification together with the physical pretreatment of renewable materials. This study aims to integrate the use of agricultural wastes for the production of xylanase by a new strain of Penicillium sp. and value-added products, XOS. For the production of xylanase, a solid-state fermentation was performed using wheat bran as substrate. To obtain the most active crude extract of xylanase, the time frame of cultivation was first adjusted. Then, the downstream process for xylanase purification was developed by combining different membrane separation units with size exclusion chromatography. Further characterisation included determination of the optimal pH and temperature, determination of the molecular mass of the purified xylanase and analysis of kinetic parameters. Subsequently, the hydrolytic ability of the partially purified xylanase in the hydrolysis of alkali-extracted hemicellulose from soybean hulls was investigated. Our results show that Penicillium rubens produced extracellular xylanase at a yield of 21 U/g during solid-state fermentation. Using two ultrafiltration membranes of 10 and 3 kDa in combination with size exclusion chromatography, a yield of 49 % and 13-fold purification of xylanase was achieved. The purified xylanase (35 kDa) cleaved linear bonds β-(1→4) in beechwood xylan at a maximum rate of 0.64 μmol/(min·mg) and a Michaelis constant of 44 mg/mL. At pH=6 and 45 °C, the purified xylanase showed its maximum activity. The xylanase produced showed a high ability to hydrolyse the hemicellulose fraction isolated from soybean hulls, as confirmed by thin-layer chromatography. In the hydrothermally pretreated hemicellulose hydrolysate, the content of XOS with different degrees of polymerisation was detected, while in the non-pretreated hemicellulose hydrolysate, the content of xylotriose and glucose was confirmed. Future research focusing on the creation of new enzymatic pathways for use in processes to convert renewable materials into value-added products can draw on our findings.

Supplementing branched-chain volatile fatty acids in dual-flow cultures varying in dietary forage and corn oil concentrations. I: Digestibility, microbial protein, and prokaryotic community structure

Branched-chain amino acids are deaminated by amylolytic bacteria to branched-chain volatile fatty acids (BCVFA), which are growth factors for cellulolytic bacteria. Our objective was to determine the dietary conditions that would increase the uptake of BCVFA by rumen bacteria. We hypothesized that increased forage would increase cellulolytic bacterial abundance and incorporation of BCVFA into their structure. Supplemental polyunsaturated fatty acids, supplied via corn oil (CO), should inhibit cellulolytic bacteria growth, but we hypothesized that additional BCVFA would alleviate that inhibition. Further, supplemental BCVFA should increase neutral detergent fiber degradation and efficiency of bacterial protein synthesis more with the high forage and low polyunsaturated fatty acid dietary combination. The study was an incomplete block design with 8 dual-flow continuous cultures used in 4 periods with 8 treatments (n = 4 per treatment) arranged as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial. The factors were: high forage (HF) or low forage (LF; 67 or 33%), without or with supplemental CO (3% dry matter), and without or with 2.15 mmol/d (which included 5 mg/d of 13C each of BCVFA isovalerate, isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyrate). The isonitrogenous diets consisted of 33:67 alfalfa:orchardgrass pellet, and was replaced with a concentrate pellet that mainly consisted of ground corn, soybean meal, and soybean hulls for the LF diet. The main effect of supplementing BCVFA increased neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradability by 7.6%, and CO increased NDF degradability only in LF diets. Supplemental BCVFA increased bacterial N by 1.5 g/kg organic matter truly degraded (6.6%) and 0.05 g/g truly degraded N (6.5%). The relative sequence abundance decreased with LF for Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, and genus Butyrivibrio compared with HF. Recovery of the total 13C dose in bacterial pellets decreased from 144 µg/ mg with HF to 98.9 µg/ mg with LF. Although isotope recovery in bacteria was greater with HF, BCVFA supplementation increased NDF degradability and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis under all dietary conditions. Therefore, supplemental BCVFA has potential to improve feed efficiency in dairy cows even with dietary conditions that might otherwise inhibit cellulolytic bacteria.

Production effects of extruded soybean meal replacing canola meal in the diet of lactating dairy cows

This study investigated the effects of extruded soybean meal (ESBM) in comparison with canola meal (CM) fed on an equivalent crude protein (CP) basis on lactational performance and ruminal fermentation of dairy cows. Following a 2-wk covariate period, 48 Holstein cows averaging (±SD): 146 ± 46 d in milk (DIM) and 43 ± 7 kg/d milk yield (MY) were assigned 1 of 2 treatment diets in a randomized complete block design experiment, which included a 2-wk period for dietary treatment adaptation before experimental data were collected. Following the adaptation period, samples and experimental data were collected for a total of 7 wk. Cows were blocked based on parity, DIM, and MY. Treatment diets contained 15.8% CM (containing 41.2% CP) or 13.2% ESBM (with 48.7% CP) of total mixed ration dry matter (DM), with similar inclusion of other feed ingredients. The CM diet was supplemented with canola oil, whereas the ESBM diet was supplemented with soybean hulls to achieve similar ether extract and neutral detergent fiber contents between the diets. Urea and rumen-protected Met and Lys were added to both diets to meet or exceed cow recommendations. Whole-ruminal digesta samples were collected from 10 (5 per treatment) ruminally cannulated cows. Eight cannulated cows were removed during the last week of the experiment to participate in another study. Treatment did not affect DM intake and MY or energy-corrected MY of the cows. Energy-corrected MY, apart from experimental wk 5, was similar between treatments. Apart from experimental wk 3 and 7, milk fat concentration and yield were greater for cows fed ESBM compared with CM. In multiparous cows only, milk true protein yield was greater for cows fed CM compared with ESBM. Ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids and the molar proportion of acetate were greater for ESBM, and propionate and valerate were greater in cows fed CM. Acetate to propionate ratio was greater for cows fed ESBM versus CM diet. Compared with the CM diet, the ESBM diet increased plasma concentrations of Ile, Leu, and Phe but not the sum of essential AA. Apparent total-tract digestibility of acid detergent fiber was greater in cows fed ESBM relative to CM. In this experiment, CM and ESBM included on an equal CP basis in the diet of dairy cows, resulted in similar DM intake, MY, and feed efficiency.

One-pot synthesis of quaternized microcrystalline cellulose obtained from soybean hulls

A novel quaternized microcrystalline cellulose (Q-MCC) was obtained through a one-pot synthesis using agro-industrial waste, specifically soybean hulls (SBH), as the starting material. This work focuses on discussing the synthesis, physicochemical characterization, and application of Q-MCC, particularly its potential use in the removal of industrial textile dyes. The material underwent various characterization techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Additionally, Kjeldahl analysis, swelling measurements, and determination of the pH at the zero-point charge (pHzpc) were performed. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of attached quaternary ammonium groups. SEM and XRD analysis of Q-MCC revealed that the material consisted of short fibers with an average length of 30.93 µm and exhibited an increased crystallinity index of 76.4 %, respectively. Moreover, the pH at the point of zero charge (pHpzc) indicated that the adsorbent displayed a cationic nature across the tested pH range. The modification of SBH led to enhanced water absorption, and excellent dye removal results were achieved using two types of dyes: Direct Black 22 (DB 22) and Reactive Orange 122 (RO 122). To further investigate the behavior of Q-MCC in the adsorption of DB 22 dye, various studies were conducted, including kinetic, adsorption, thermodynamic analyses, and Weber-Morris intraparticle diffusion analysis. The kinetics results demonstrated that more than 90 % of the dye was adsorbed within just one minute of contact and were better represented by the pseudo-second order model, while the maximum adsorption capacity was approximately 470 mg/g. The experimental data fit very well with the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption process was determined to be exothermic, and the mechanism was proposed to be electrostatic interaction between the quaternary ammonium moiety and negatively charge anionic dyes. Finally, the Weber-Morris study suggested that both film diffusion and intraparticle diffusion contribute to the adsorption process.

Antibacterial properties of functionalized cellulose extracted from deproteinized soybean hulls

Soybean hulls (SBHs) are one of the main by-products of soybean crushing, usually destined for animal feeding or to become a putrescible waste. In this work, we upgraded the SBHs to materials with antimicrobial properties. After the extraction of soybean peroxidase from SBHs, an enzyme applicable in different technological sectors and naturally present in soybean hulls, the exhausted biomass was subjected to an acid–base treatment to isolate cellulose. The obtained material was, in turn, functionalized with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) to achieve new hybrids with antimicrobial properties. The synthetic procedure was optimized by varying the solvent type (ethanol or toluene) and APTES amount. Overall, the amino-functionalization process was effective and the activity was outstanding against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, reaching complete disinfection practically in all cases. The samples were studied by means of several characterization techniques, demonstrating that the solvent and cellulose types had a significant influence on the physical–chemical features, together with the eco-sustainability of the process. In particular, the use of greener ethanol and waste cellulose (with respect to a commercial one) resulted in a higher APTES immobilization efficiency and superior thermal stability of the final materials. Interestingly, the presence of various unremoved compounds from the lignocellulosic SBH matrix, although in small quantities, emerged as a crucial factor, also in terms of antibacterial activity, hypothesizing a role of residual phytochemicals.

Emission of Greenhouse Gases and Ammonia from the Excreta of Nellore Bulls Submitted to Energy and Tannin Supplementation

Animal supplementation during the background phase may increase greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The inclusion of tannins in the diet of Nellore bulls can mitigate nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and ammonia (NH3) production. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of energy supplementation associated with sources of tannins in the diet of young Nellore bulls backgrounded in pastures with N2O, CH4, and NH3 emissions. Two experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design. The treatments were three supplementation strategies: (1) soybean hulls 0.3% of body weight (BW), (2) sorghum grain 0.3% of the BW, and (3) peanut peel 0.3% of BW, the last two being sources of tannin. The static closed chambers method was used to quantify N2O and CH4 emissions and the semi-open chamber technique to estimate NH3 volatilization. Supplementation strategies did not affect the N2O emissions (p = 0.9116). The soil water-filled pore space explained the variation in the N2O fluxes (p = 0.0071). The treatments did not change the total CH4 emissions (p = 0.3599), and no explanatory variable was correlated with the CH4 fluxes. The NH3 volatilization did not vary according to the supplements or tannin inclusion (p = 0.5170). However, the type of excreta affected the NH3 volatilization (p &lt; 0.0001). Ammonia volatilization averaged 14.05, 4.16, and 2.25% of the applied N for urine, urine + dung, and dung, respectively. The energetic supplementation of Nellore bulls containing sources of tannins in the evaluated dosages was not a mitigation strategy for the emissions of N2O, CH4, and NH3.

Does the use of corn and soybean hulls affect calf performance in the preweaning period?

Does the use of corn and soybean hulls affect calf performance in the preweaning period?

The Usage of Banana Peels and Soybean Hull for the Treatment of Lake Water: Turbidity and Total Suspended Solids

Lake water getcontaminate due to the growth of population and modernization which causing problems like sewage disposal has a high-volume and low-strength wastewater that can be reused for many purposes after being treated. It is crucial for wastewater to go through wastewater treatment to improves the quality of water where one of the processes involved is coagulation yet using conventional coagulant leaves excess heavy metal in the water causes in the absence of green chemistry. Chemical coagulants may have an adverse effect on the consumer and the environment such as aluminum build up in the environment, as well as have a harmful influence on the human body, resulting in Alzheimer's disease. The use of natural coagulants can be a secure replacement for chemical coagulants. Therefore, this study was conducted to reduce the usage of chemicals in the coagulation process by using natural coagulant of banana peels and soybean hulls. The main aim of this study is to investigate the effect of natural coagulant for wastewater treatment of lake water. Banana peels and soybean hulls were the main materials in making a plant-based coagulant by drying, grinding, and sieving. Jar test was carried out to investigate the effectiveness of natural coagulant by determining their turbidity and total suspended solids.It was found that banana peels perform effectively at a dosage of 400mg/L with turbidity removal achieved is almost 50%. On the other hand, soybean hulls work effectively at a dosage of 600mg/L with turbidity removal achieved is 54%. Based on the result, it is shown that using banana peels as a natural coagulant has effectively reduced the turbidity and total suspended solids of lake water with the optimum number of dosages of 600mg/L.

Comparison of alternative neutral detergent fiber methods to the AOAC definitive method

Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is the most commonly reported metric for fiber in dairy cattle nutrition. An empirical method, NDF is defined by the procedure used to measure it. The current definitive method for NDF treated with amylase (aNDF) is AOAC Official Method 2002.04 performed on dried samples ground through the 1-mm screen of a cutting mill with refluxing and then filtration through Gooch crucibles without (AOAC-; reference method) or with (AOAC+) a glass fiber filter filtration aid. Other methods in use include grinding materials through the 1-mm screen of an abrasion mill, using filtration through a Buchner funnel with a glass fiber filter (Buch), and use of the ANKOM system (ANKOM Technology, Macedon, NY) that simultaneously extracts and filters samples through filter bags with larger (F57) or smaller (F58) particle size retentions. Our objective was to compare the AOAC and alternative methods using samples ground through the 1-mm screens of cutting or abrasion mills. Materials analyzed were 2 alfalfa silages, 2 corn silages, dry ground and high-moisture corn grains, mixed grass hay, ryegrass silage, soybean hulls, calf starter, and sugar beet pulp. Samples were run in duplicate in replicate analytical runs performed on different days by experienced technicians. Compared with cutting mill-ground samples, the aNDF% of dry matter results from abrasion mill-ground samples were or tended to be lower for 8 of 11 samples. Method affected aNDF% results for all materials, with method × grind interactions for 6 of 11 samples. For ash-free aNDF% assessed with cutting mill-ground materials, a priori selected contrasts showed that the number of materials for which methods differed or tended to differ from the AOAC methods were 4 (Buch), 8 (F57), and 3 (F58); and 3 for AOAC- versus AOAC+. However, statistically different does not necessarily mean substantially different. For a given feed and grind, a positive value for the absolute difference between the AOAC- mean and an alternative method mean minus 2 times the standard deviation of AOAC- suggests that values for the alternative method fall outside of the range of results likely to be observed for the reference method. The number of observed positive values for materials processed with cutting and abrasion mills, respectively, were 0 and 2 (AOAC+); 2 and 2 (Buch); 8 and 10 (F57); 4 and 7 (F58); and 0 and 4 (AOAC-). With the materials tested, methods in order of agreement with the reference method were Buch, F58, and F57, which often gave lower values. The AOAC+ gave results similar to AOAC-, substantiating it as an allowed modification of AOAC-. Best agreement between the reference method and variant NDF methods was achieved with the 1-mm screen cutting mill grind. The 1-mm abrasion mill grind produced more aNDF% results that were lower than the reference method but with fewer differences when filter particle retention size was smaller. The use of filters that retain finer particles could be explored to improve comparability of variant NDF methods and grinds. Further evaluation with an expanded set of materials is warranted.

Cellulose acetate from lignocellulosic residues: An eco-friendly approach based on a hydrothermal process

The objective of this study was to produce cellulose acetate (CA) from oat (OH) and soybean (SH) hulls through an eco-friendly solvent-and catalyst-free hydrothermal process, and also to compare the acetylation of cellulose by the conventional synthesis process, employing sulfuric acid as the catalyst, and acetic acid as solvent. Cellulose was extracted from OH and SH using a one-step chlorine-free process, resulting in materials with 86 and 81 % cellulose, respectively. CA samples obtained by hydrothermal process had degrees of substitution ranging from 0.95 to 1.47, and from 1.10 to 1.50, for OH and SH samples, respectively, being classified as monoacetates, while the conventional acetylation resulted in cellulose di- and triacetates. The acetylation by the hydrothermal process did not affect cellulose fibers morphology or crystallinity. CA samples obtained by the conventional process showed changes in their surface morphology, with decrease in crystallinity indexes. Viscosimetric average molar mass increased for all modified samples, with mass gain ranging from 16.26 to 519.70 %. The hydrothermal treatment proved to be a promising process for obtaining cellulose monoacetates with some advantages, including short reaction times, it is a one-step process, and lower effluents generation when compared to the conventional processes.

Enhancing feeding value of corn distiller’s grains with solubles via fungal co-cultured solid-state fermentation for monogastric animal nutrition

Corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles (cDDGS) as a major co-product from dry-grind corn-ethanol processes have imbalanced key amino acids (AA), high indigestible fiber and phytate, and risk of mycotoxin contamination, which limit its inclusion rate in monogastric animal diets. This study used cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma reesei (TR), two zygomycete fungi Mucor indicus (MI) and Rizopus oryzae (RO) and their co-cultures to ferment corn wet distiller’s grains with solubles (WDGS) with the supply of soybean hulls and urea via solid-state fermentation at 28 °C for up to 9 days. Compared to control (non-inoculation) and monoculture, TR and RO co-culture (TR+RO) after 6 and 9 days showed more balanced branch-chain AA (BCAA) of valine (Val), leucine (Leu), and isoleucine (Ile), higher phytate reduction (56–61%), lower concentration of deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN) and total aflatoxins (AFT). However, the treatments with MI (MI, RO+MI, TR+MI) showed increase of DON while reduction of ZEN compared to treatment without MI. Due to fast growth of RO and MI, the co-culture of TR+MI and TR+RO after 3 days of fermentation improved total AA by 32 % and 28 %, respectively, higher than monoculture of TR (18 % after 3 days). Compared with co-culture, monoculture of TR produced feed with higher in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) with 22–43 % improvement from control, and higher in vitro digestibility of total AA (IVDAA) with 35–50 % improvement from control, the similar level was also achieved by co-culture of TR+RO after 6 days of fermentation. Therefore, co-culture of TR+RO and monoculture of TR in fungal bioprocessing could provide a feasible solution to improve the overall feeding value of the cDDGS.

The effects of the inclusion of ensiled and dehydrated grape pomace in beef cattle diet: Growth performance, health, and economic viability

The present study aimed to determine whether the inclusion of 100 g/kg of grape pomace silage (GPS) and grape pomace bran (GPB) as a feed ingredient in place of wheat bran and soybean hulls would improve performance, health, fermentation parameters, and digestibility of steers in a feedlot. Thus, 24 crossbred steers (Charolais x Nellore) with an initial average body weight of 248 kg were allocated in a randomized controlled design (n = 8 steers/treatment) into three experimental groups: control group (traditional confinement diet), GPS diet (confinement diet with 100 g/kg of grape pomace silage, DM basic) and GPB group (confinement diet with 100 g/kg of grape pomace bran, DM basic). Diets did not influence dry matter intake; however, steers fed the GPB diet consumed higher starch and ether extract (EE). Steer fed the GPS diet had higher EE consumption. There was lower starch and EE digestibility with the GPS diet. The growth performance and rumen fermentation of the animals that received the GPS diet were not affected, unlike those consuming the GPB diet, which had a lower concentration of total short-chain fatty acid in the rumen. The diets influenced animal health, demonstrated by the modulation of the immune and inflammatory responses. The GPS steer showed higher lymphocyte counts but lower concentrations of ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin, and higher antioxidant capacity, represented by higher serum, hepatic, and intestinal protein thiols. GPS steers also showed decreased reactive oxygen species (in the liver and serum) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (in the liver). It was challenging to determine how significant the benefits of the GPB diet were on health and antioxidant capacity because these animals gained less weight. Finally, GPS improved economic viability, providing more significant revenue from feed costs, an effect not observed with GPB. We conclude that including GPS as an ingredient in steer diets can reduce feed costs and improve animal health in feedlot cattle.

Multi-Response Optimization of Thermochemical Pretreatment of Soybean Hulls for 2G-Bioethanol Production

Soybean is a major crop used in the production of human food. The soybean hull (SH) is also known as the seed coat and it constitutes about 5–8% of the total seed on a dry weight basis, depending on the variety and the seed size. Dilute sulfuric acid was employed for the thermochemical pretreatment of SH prior to enzymatic saccharification and alcoholic fermentation. Empirical modeling of response surface, severity factor and multi-response desirability function methodology, were used to perform the process optimization. Temperature, acid concentration and reaction time were defined as operational variables, while furfural, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and solubilized hemicellulose and cellulose were defined as response variables. Mathematical models satisfactorily described the process and optimal conditions were found at 121 °C; 2.5% w/v H2SO4 and 60 min. More than 80% and 90% of hemicelluloses and celluloses, respectively, were able to solubilize at this point. The fermentation performance of an industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain was also evaluated. The glucose available in the hydrolysates was completely consumed in less than 12 h, with an average ethanol yield of 0.45 gethanol/gglucose. Thus, the thermochemical conditioning of SH with dilute sulfuric acid is a suitable operation for 2G-bioethanol production.