Untreated Corn Research Articles

Monitoring corn stover processing by the fungus Ustilago maydis.

A key aspect of sustainable bioeconomy is the recirculation of renewable, agricultural waste streams as substrates for microbial production of high-value compounds. One approach is the bioconversion of corn stover, an abundant maize crop byproduct, using the fungal maize pathogen Ustilagomaydis. U.maydis is already used as a unicellular biocatalyst in the production of several industrially-relevant compounds using plant biomass hydrolysates. In this study, we demonstrate that U. maydis can grow using untreated corn stover as its sole carbon source. We developed a small-scale bioreactor platform to investigate U.maydis processing of corn stover, combining online monitoring of fungal growth and metabolic activity profiles with biochemical analyses of the pre- and post-fermentation residues. Our results reveal that U. maydis primarily utilizes soluble sugars i.e., glucose, sucrose and fructose present in corn stover, with only limited exploitation of the abundant lignocellulosic carbohydrates. Thus, we further explored the biotechnological potential of enhancing U.maydis´ lignocellulosic utilization. Additive performance improvements of up to 120% were achieved when using a maize mutant with increased biomass digestibility, co-fermentation with a commercial cellulolytic enzyme cocktail, and exploiting engineered fungal strains expressing diverse lignocellulose-degrading enzymes. This work represents a key step towards scaling up the production of sustainable compounds from corn stover using U. maydis and provides a tool for the detailed monitoring of the fungal processing of plant biomass substrates.

Effects of Physicochemical and Biological Treatment on Structure, Functional and Prebiotic Properties of Dietary Fiber from Corn Straw.

Corn straw is one kind of agricultural by-product containing 70-80% insoluble dietary fiber (IDF). In order to develop corn straw dietary fiber, this study was conducted to increase soluble dietary fiber (SDF) yield and improve the structure, functional and prebiotic properties of IDF and SDF from corn straw treated by alkali oxidation treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation and the combination of these methods. The results demonstrated that the yield of SDF was significantly increased from 2.64% to 17.15% after corn straw was treated by alkali oxidation treatment + Aspergillus niger fermentation + cellulase hydrolysis, compared with untreated corn straw. The SDF extracted from corn straw treated by alkali oxidation treatment + Aspergillus niger fermentation + cellulase hydrolysis (F-SDF) exhibited a honeycomb structure, low crystallinity (11.97%), good antioxidant capacity and high capacities of water holding, water solubility and cholesterol absorption and promoted short-chain fatty acids production by chicken cecal microbial fermentation in vitro. F-SDF enhanced the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus proliferations of Lactobacillus plantarum when it was used as a substrate for Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation. It could be concluded that the combined treatments could increase SDF yield from corn straw and improve its functional and prebiotic properties.

Evaluating the Environmental Impacts of Pretreatment and Nanoparticles in Solid-State Anaerobic Digestion Using Life Cycle Assessment

The yield of green energy from solid-state anaerobic co-digestion (SSAD) has recently been enhanced by incorporating innovative pretreatment methods and nanoparticles. However, the environmental consequences of employing new processes have not been fully examined. In this study, the environmental impacts of three high-methane-yielding scenarios including SSAD of corn stover blended with dairy manure (DM) denoted as (SYM1), calcium hydroxide-pretreated corn stover (CpCS) blended with DM (SYM2), and the CpCS blended with DM and nanoparticles (SYM3) were assessed and compared the baselines of solid-state and semi-solid-state anaerobic digestion using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The approach investigated the best management practices that would result in high methane yield and low environmental impact. Results of the life cycle assessment indicate the inclusion of calcium hydroxide and nanoparticle has minimal negative environmental impact. There was an environmental gain in GWP when corn stover was co-digestion with DM (SYM1) relative to DM mono-digestions (baselines) and the carbon footprint of SYM1 was less by more than 85% compared to SYM2 and SYM3. However, the large volume of untreated corn stover harnessed for SYM1 scenario resulted in over 75% fossil fuel depletion compared to the other scenarios. The surplus methane from the SYM3 (at least twofold of other scenarios and baselines) in conjunction with being the least with the environmental implication makes the scenario the most attractive option for on-farm practice capable of harnessing the growing organic waste volume. These outcomes can guide trade-off between pretreatment and nanoparticle application to reduce solid-state anaerobic digestion’s negative environmental impact.

Effect of feeding treated or untreated corn cob as grass basal diet replacement on nutrient digestibility, N utilization, and rumen fermentation of lambs

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of substituting a grass basal diet with either untreated or treated corn cobs on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen utilization, and rumen fermentation in lambs. The research utilized 20 lambs aged of 6 months, with an average initial body weight of 17.29 ± 2.05 kg. These lambs were divided into six groups based body weight, each lamb in each group received one of basal diet treatment: fresh chopped grass (FG), ground corn cob (GC), ensiled corn cob (EC), and urea-treated corn cob (UC). The basal diet was provided ad libitum and supplemented with 350 g/head/day of concentrate. The concentrate was formulated to contain 18% crude protein and 73% TDN (total digestible nutrients). Results of the study indicated that the various basal diets influenced fibre digestibility (NDF, ADF, and cellulose). Among the diets, the highest fibre digestibility was observed in the lambs fed the urea-treated corn cob basal diet. The basal diet treatment also affected the excretion of nitrogen through faeces and urine. Lambs fed the urea-treated corn cob basal diet exhibited the highest urinary nitrogen excretion, whereas nitrogen absorption was most efficient in the grass basal diet. Conversely, nitrogen retention was similar across all diets, averaging 2.32 g/head/day. Rumen fermentation parameters, including ruminal pH, NH3-N, and total VFA, exhibited similarity across the different diet treatments. In conclusion, this study suggests that both untreated and treated corn cobs is potential as fibre sources to replace grass basal diet for lambs.

EFFECT OF REPLACING TREATED AND UNTREATED CORN IMPURITIES WITH UREA INSTEAD OF WHEAT BRAN ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF AWASSI LAMBS

The study was conducted to study the effect of replacing different levels of treated and untreated corn impurities with urea instead of wheat bran on productive performance of Awassi lambs. Wheat bran were replaced by five levels of treated and untreated corn impurities as: 44:0%, 32:11%, 20:22%, 10:32% and 0:39% bran: impurities in a 2×5 factorial experiment. Concentrated fed at 3% of live body weight as dry matter basis, while alfalfa hay was offered ad libitum. Forty Awassi lambs were used, with an initial weight of 27.45 ± 2.16 kg and 4-5 months old. All lambs were fed individually feeding for 70 days, preceded by 14 days as adaptation period. Results showed a non-significant superiority in dry matter and nutrients intake by increasing corn impurities and a highly significant increased (p<0.01) in ether extract and ash intake (g/day), with superiority of digestibility (P<0.05) of organic matter% (OM) and crude protein% (CP), feed efficiency, daily gain (g/ day) and total weight gain (kg) for feeding 30% of corn impurities treated with urea (T9). In conclusion, it is possible to use corn impurities instead of wheat bran, preferably treated with urea to increase crude protein content, degraded crude fibers and improved nutritional values.

INFLUENCE OF FEEDING CORN IMPURITIES ON RUMEN BACTERIA AND FERMENTATION CHARACTERISTICS OF SHEEP

This study was aimed to determine the effect of replacing treated and untreated corn impurities with urea instead of wheat bran on rumen bacteria and fermentation of Awassi lambs. Five levels of treated and untreated corn impurities as 44:0%, 32:11%, 20:22%, 10:32% and 0:39% bran:impurities in a 2×5 factorial experiment/ Completely Randomized Design using forty lambs with an initial weight of 27.45 ± 2.16kg and 4-5 months old. Individual feeding was used for 70 days and rumen fluid was sampled at 0, 3, 6h after morning feeding. Results showed an increasing (p<0.05) rumen pH at zero time especially corn impurities treated with urea and increasing (p<0.05) rumen ammonia at zero time and 3h after feeding with highly significant (p<0.01) increased at 6h, and superiority increased of volatile fatty acids (VFA's) for urea treated corn impurities (P<0.05) at zero time and after 3h of feeding, similar results for rumen bacterial count at zero time, 3h and 6h after morning feeding for two dilutions × 107 and × 109 Cfu/ml for impurities treated with urea. In conclusion, it is possible to use corn impurities instead of wheat bran, preferably treated with urea for positive increase rumen fermentation and total bacterial count in sheep.

Treatment of corn with lactic acid delayed in vitro ruminal degradation without compromising fermentation: a biological and morphological monitoring study.

Grain processed by lactic acid (LA) is known to improve ruminant growth and health. However, the exact mechanism regarding rumen hydrolysis of LA-treated grain is still ambiguous. This experiment was designed to compare the effects of 5% LA treatment on the trophic and morphological variations in corn and to discover the alternations in ruminal hydrolysis between LA-treated and untreated corn macroscopically and microscopically using in vitro fermentation method. The results showed that, compared with untreated corn (CN), corn treated with 5% LA for 48 h (CNLA) experienced a decrease in the dry matter, albumin fraction, aNDFom, and water-soluble carbohydrate content but an increase in the resistant starch content. The in vitro fermentation showed that the pH of CNLA was higher, but dry matter disappearance was lower than that of CN. Most of the fermentation indices were unaffected, except for decreased iso-butyrate and iso-valerate. The abundances of total bacteria, Prevotella spp., Streptococcus bovis, and Selenomonas ruminantium were higher, but those of Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Ruminococcus albus were lower in CNLA than in CN. There were differences in the scanning electron micrographs between CNLA and CN after 3 h of fermentation. This study suggests that treating corn with LA for 48 h can induce changes in its nutrient composition and alter the bacterial flora during subsequent in vitro fermentation. These changes appeared to be crucial contributors to the beneficial effects observed in rumen fermentation.

Physical and Chemical Quality of Corn Husks with Ammoniation, Biofermentation and Ammonia Fermentation Processing

This study aimed to evaluate the processing of ammoniated, biofermented and amorphous corn husks on physical quality, dry matter, ash content, crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), and nitrogen free extract (NFE). This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) which consisted of 4 treatments and 4 replications. The treatments given were P1: untreated corn husks (control), P2: ammoniated corn husks (2% urea), P3: fermented corn husks (5% Aspergillus niger), and P4: amofered corn husks (2% urea + 5% Aspergillus niger). The variables observed included physical quality and nutrient content (dry matter, ash, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, and nitrogen free extract). The data obtained analyzed using Analysis of Variety and followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results of the study had a significant effect on the physical quality, dry matter, ash, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber and nitrogen free extract (P<0,05), but had no effect (P>0,05) on the ash content. Amopheric processing has the best effect on physical quality, crude protein and crude fiber content of corn husks. Fermentation processing gives the best effect on ether extract and nitrogen free extract.

345 Bioconversion Treatment of Corn Stover Can Create Cheap Feed Resource for Limited Resource Farmers

Abstract The study aimed to improve the nutritive value of corn stover to provide a viable and sustainable source of cheap feed resource for ruminant production since feed is the single largest cost in any livestock enterprise. Corn stover is the largest non-food biomass available in the United States. It could be a low-cost feed, but high lignocellulose content limits both digestibility and nutritive value. Some fungi, especially white rot fungi (WRF), are known to selectively degrade fiber lignin and secrete bioactive compounds that could benefit digestibility and feed value. Pleurotus ostreatus is a mushroom-forming WRF. We tested corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus for improvement in nutrients and digestibility (Table 1). Two ruminally cannulated dairy cows were used in an in vitro study to test the effect of P. ostreatus use in solid state fermentation on the chemical composition in corn stover. The experiment was 2 x 3 factorial design with 4 replicates sampled at 6, 24 and 48 h on treated and untreated (control) corn stover. The dry matter disappearance (DMd) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production (Table 2). Treatments were 1) untreated corn stover as control, and 2) corn stover treated with P. ostreatus. Crude protein (CP) and ash were significantly (P < 0.001) impacted with 52.9 and 31.2% increment in CP and ash respectively for treated samples. We noted an increase (P < 0.001) of 106 to 681% in microbial yield in treated vs untreated samples which demonstrated a greater potential for increased microbial protein synthesis. Acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) by 6.71, 18.2 and 37.8%, respectively for the treated samples. Non-fiber carbohydrate was significantly (P < 0.001) impacted with a 118% increment and both DMd and total VFA were significantly (P < 0.001) greater, ranging between 40.9 to 240% and 5.85 to 11.2%, respectively (Table 3). Additionally, the rumen fermentation pathway favored the production of propionate with a significant (P < 0.001) treatment and time effect that resulted in 9.37 - 14.0% increment in propionate production for the treated samples. Consequently, a significant (P < 0.001) effect was observed in acetate production with 1.76 - 4.01% reduction, which resulted in 7.09 - 11.42% reduction in A:P ratio for the treated samples (Table 4). The study showed that bioconversion can improve the feeding value of corn stover to provide an economical novel feed resource, and that corn stover spent mushroom substrate could potentially substitute conventional feeds to support animal requirements. Although actual cow performance remains to be determined experimentally via feeding studies, we are convinced that bioconversion of agricultural waste from crop farming could be a functional system approach to alleviate the feed cost challenges faced by socially disadvantaged and limited-resource farmers.

Effects of the Incubation Period of Pleurotus ostreatus on the Chemical Composition and Nutrient Availability of Solid-State-Fermented Corn Stover.

The current study aimed to optimize and improve the feeding value of Pleurotus ostreatus-fermented corn stover by evaluating the effects of five solid-state fermentation times and three in vitro fermentation periods on the chemical composition, dry matter disappearance (DMD), microbial mass and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production of treated and untreated corn stover. The study utilized a 3 × 5 factorial design, with eight replicates per treatment. Dry matter, crude protein (CP), ash and non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) contents increased quadratically (p < 0.05) with increases in the solid-state fermentation time. Increases of 44.4-59.1%, 20.6-78.6% and 40.5-121% were noted for the CP, ash and NFC contents, respectively. Organic matter, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose contents decreased quadratically (p < 0.05) across the treatments. Similar trends were noted for DM and fiber disappearance in the treatments. The total gas production and in vitro true dry matter digestibility (IVTDMD) increased quadratically, while microbial mass and in vitro apparent DMD increased in a linear manner. The total VFA, propionate and butyrate contents increased linearly. Both the acetate content and the A:P ratio decreased in a linear manner. The results show that the rumen fermentation pathway favors the production of propionate, with increases in propionate production of 7.46 and 8.30% after 2 and 4 wk, respectively. The study showed that a 2 wk period of solid-state fermentation is sufficient to provide a bio-transformed cow-calf feed resource from P. ostreatus-treated corn stover.

EFFECT OF EXTRUSION ON PROBIOTIC FEED ADDITIVE

Today, in Ukraine, the issue of producing high-quality and safe livestock products is solved by the introduction of intensive technologies that involve the use of various feed additives, including vitamins, probiotics, prebiotics, macro- and microelements. In recent years, the development of feed additives using live cultures of microorganisms, so-called probiotic products, has attracted much attention of scientists. The strategy in the creation of these products is aimed, first of all, at ensuring the physiological needs of the animal body in biologically active substances. The addition of probiotic supplements to feed increases the bioavailability of nutrients, health, immunity, performance and conservation of animals. Probiotic feed additive EnzActive is a special product on the market of feed additives, the addition of which to feed is aimed at reducing, and in the future, the complete elimination of the use of antibiotics in animal feeding. The article examines the mechanism of action of active fodder yeast on the body of farm animals and proves that the use of active fodder yeast in animal feeding helps reduce the cost of feed due to better assimilation by the animal's body and reduction of morbidity among animals. Methods of introduction of active fodder yeast into the technological process of compound feed production are analyzed. On the basis of theoretical and experimental data, a structural scheme for the extrusion of grain raw materials with active fodder yeast is proposed, which involves preliminary mixing with crushed grain raw materials to obtain a highly homogeneous and stable composition. The physical properties of the feed additive, which includes corn grain and active feed yeast EnzActive, were experimentally determined, which indicate that, compared to the loose, extruded feed additive, it has the following advantages: the mass fraction of moisture decreases by 24.4%, the natural slope angle increases by 11, 6%, the flowability decreases by 48.2%, and the volumetric weight decreases by 24%. When extruding corn grain with active fodder yeast, the degree of starch dextrinization is 59%, and the extrudate expansion index is 2.3. Microbiological indicators were determined, which indicate that the number of yeast cells in extruded grain with active feed yeast EnzActive was only 6% compared to the number of yeast cells in untreated corn grain with active feed yeast.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) modulates sweet corn-corn earworm interactions

Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) induces systemic resistance against plant diseases and insect herbivores in plants. The impact of single and blends of PGPR strains on plant-insect interactions with a focus on feeding and oviposition behavior of insect herbivores was studied using sweet corn (Zea mays) and corn earworm (CEW) (Helicoverpa zea) as a model system. Sweet corn plants were treated with single and blends of PGPR strains that include Blend 5 consists of PGPR strains AP-209 and AP-136, whereas Blend 8 consists of three strains, AP-136, AP-218, and AP-219, and a single strain, AP-209. The control sweet corn plants were untreated with PGPR. Adult female CEWs laid a significantly low number of eggs on PGPR-treated plants compared to the number of eggs laid on untreated sweet corn plants. Moreover, the leaf area damage inflected by the larvae was higher in untreated corn plants when compared with the PGPR-treated plants. Interestingly, plants treated with blends of PGPR are less preferred than the single-strain treated plants by the adult and larvae. These findings reveal that treating plants with rhizobacteria may induce significant physiological changes with potential ramifications for plant-insect interactions.

IMPACT OF ZYMOMONAS MOBILIS TREATED CORN COBS ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, APPARENT NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY, ILEAL DIGESTA VISCOSITY AND COST BENEFITS OF BROILER CHICKENS

The fibrous nature of ground corn cobs limited their utilization in poultry production. Zymomonas mobilis derivable from fresh palm sap is proposed to ferment corn cobs to improve their nutritive values. An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of ground corn cobs inoculated with Zymomonas mobilis (CCZ) on growth response, apparent nutrient digestibility and ileal digesta viscosity of broiler chickens. Five diets containing treated and untreated corn cobs were formulated to replace wheat offal at 0, 50 and 100 % levels on weight for weight basis. A total of three hundred and seventy-five 1-day-old unsexed Marshall broiler chickens were randomly allotted to the five dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Results showed that the biodegradation of corn cobs resulted in improved (p &lt; 0.05) nutrient composition, crude protein increased by 63.90 % while the crude fibre decreased by 137.89 % after fermentation with Zymomonas mobilis. The broiler chickens fed 100 % CCZ had the lowest (p &lt; 0.05) values for feed conversion ratio (FCR) at both phases. The 50 % CCZ improved (p &lt; 0.05) crude fibre digestibility (CFD) at the finisher phase. However, 50 % and 100 % CCZ reduced (p &lt; 0.05) the ileal digesta viscosity of the broiler chickens. The birds fed 100 % CCZ had the highest (p &lt; 0.05) values of rate of return on investment, economic efficiency and relative cost-benefit. The study concluded that wheat offal could be replaced with 50 % and 100 % CCZ in the ration of broiler chickens with positive economic returns.

Tomato Chemical Defenses Intensify Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa zea) Mortality from Opportunistic Bacterial Pathogens.

Insect herbivores face multiple challenges to their ability to grow and reproduce. Plants can produce a series of defenses that disrupt and damage the herbivoredigestive system, which are heightened upon injuryby insect feeding. Additionally, insects face threats from virulent microorganisms that can incur their own set of potential costs to hosts. Microorganisms that invade through the digestive system may function in concert with defenses generated by plants, creating combined assailments on host insects. In our study, we evaluated how tomato defenses interact with an enteric bacterial isolate, Serratia marcescens, in the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea). We performed bioassays using different tomato cultivars that were induced by methyl jasmonate and larvae orally inoculated with a S. marcescens isolate. Untreated corn earworm larval mortality was low on constitutive tomato, while larvae inoculated with S. marcescens exhibited > 50% mortality within 5days. Induction treatments elevated both control mortality (~ 45%) and in combination with S. marcescens (> 95%). Larvae also died faster when encountering induced defenses and Serratia. Using a tomato mutant, foliar polyphenol oxidase activity likely had stronger impacts on S. marcescens-mediated larval mortality. Induction treatments also elevated the number of bacterial colony-forming units in the hemolymph of larvae inoculated with Serratia. Larval mortality by S. marcescens was low (< 10%) on artificial diets. Our results demonstrate that plant chemical defenses enhance larval mortality from an opportunistic gut microbe. We propose that the combined damage from both the plant and microbial agent overwhelm the herbivore to increase mortality rates and expedite host death.

Briquettes Of Activated Corncob Charcoal Burning Characteristics

This study aims to find out and analyze the characteristics of briquettes in burning activated corn charcoal. The preparation procedure of this study includes material collection, carbonization, crushing, sifting through an 80-mesh sieve, activation, merging with adhesives, compaction, and drying. Sago powder is used as an adhesive with a mass ratio of 9:1. After being heated separately at 550°C and 650°C for 30 minutes and 20 minutes, the samples were compressed at various pressures. Another difference in compaction pressure also leads to similar results. Untreated corn cob briquettes reach their maximum temperature before activated corn cob briquettes. At an activation value of 550°C for 30 minutes and a compaction pressure of 70.33 kg/cm2, the highest combustion temperature was 528°C. In this study, it can be identified characteristics that can improve the burning efficiency of corn charcoal. This research has implications for better combustion efficiency, can reveal factors that affect combustion efficiency.

Enhanced enzymatic saccharification and ethanol production of corn stover via pretreatment with urea and steam explosion

Enhancing the degradation of lignocellulosic structure is essential for the efficient use of corn stover. This study investigated the effects of using urea combined with steam explosion on the enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol production of corn stover. The results demonstrated that 4.87% urea addition and 1.22 MPa steam pressure were optimal for ethanol production. The highest reducing sugar yield (350.12 mg/g) was increased by 116.42% (p < 0.05), and the corresponding degradation rates of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in pretreated corn stover were increased by 40.26%, 45.89% and 53.71% compared with the untreated corn stover (p < 0.05). Moreover, the maximal sugar alcohol conversion rate was approximately 48.3%, and the ethanol yield reached 66.5%. In addition, the key functional groups in corn stover lignin under combined pretreatment were identified. These findings offer new insights into corn stover pretreatment and can help develop feasible technologies to enhance ethanol production.

Effect of Ammonia–Autoclave Pretreatment on the Performance of Corn Straw and Cow Manure Batch Anaerobic Digestion

Biomass pretreatment is a critical method for improving the anaerobic digestion (AD) performance of lignocellulosic feedstocks. In this study, an effective combined ammonia–autoclave pretreatment method was selected for the pretreatment of corn straw at 90 °C using four ammonia concentrations (7%, 9%, 11%, and 13%). The results showed that the combined pretreatment improved the substrate’s degradation efficiency and the system’s buffer capacity, and significantly improved the hydrolysis and biogas production performance of corn straw. After pretreatment, the lignin removal rate increased by 11.28–39.69%, and the hemicellulose degradation rate increased from 10.12% to 21.23%. Pretreatment of corn straw with 9% ammonia and an autoclave gave the highest methane yield of 257.11 mL/gVS, which was 2.32-fold higher than that of untreated corn straw, making it the optimal pretreatment condition for corn straw. Therefore, the combined ammonia–autoclave pretreatment technology can further improve the AD performance of corn straw.

Bioethanol production from corn straw pretreated with deep eutectic solvents

BackgroundDeep eutectic solvents (DESs) have gained increasing attention as alternative solvents of environmental unfriendly solvents for biomass pretreatment. ResultsIn this study, bioethanol production from DES-pretreated corn straw was investigated. The results revealed effective lignin removal from corn straw after pretreatment with choline chloride/oxalic acid (C:O), choline chloride/glycerol (C:G), or choline chloride/urea (C:U) DESs. After pretreatment with DESs, cellulose conversion significantly increased to 96.51% from 44.35% in the case of untreated corn straw. The best performance was obtained after the pretreatment of corn straw with C:O with a mass ratio of 1:15 at 120°C for 6 h, and this was mainly attributed to high lignin removal (60.60%). Another experiment showed that corn straw pretreated with C:G had a cellulose conversion of 86.82%, a glucose yield of 63.57%, and an ethanol yield of 54.86%. ConclusionsOverall, this study demonstrated that the pretreatment of corn straw by a suitable DES can lead to efficient bioethanol production.How to cite: Liu J, Wang C, Zhao X, et al. Bioethanol production from corn straw pretreated with deep eutectic solvents. Electron J Biotechnol 2023;62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2022.12.004.

The effect of corn grain micronization on diet digestibility and blood biochemical parameters in weaned Holstein calves

Aim of study: To evaluate corn grain micronization for calves fed a grower diet. Area of study: Padinska Skela – Belgrade, Serbia. Material and methods: Thirty weaned Holstein dairy calves (65–74 days of age) were randomly assigned to one of two treatments with growers containing micronized (MCG) or untreated corn grain (UCG). The experimental period lasted for 60 days. Main results: The values of total tract apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and nonfiber carbohydrates (NFC) were higher for calves fed MCG versus those within the UCG treatment by 3.9% (p&lt;0.05), 7.0% (p&lt;0.01), 7.1% (p&lt;0.01) and 7.5% (p&lt;0.05), respectively, for the days 25–30 of the experimental period. In addition, the values of digestibility of OM, CP, and NFC were higher by 4.9% (p&lt;0.05), 5.7% (p&lt;0.05), and 6.0% (p&lt;0.05), respectively, for the days 55–60 of the experimental period. The density of metabolizable energy, net energy for maintenance and gain in consumed dietary DM was higher (p&lt;0.001) by 4.7, 5.5, and 7.2%, respectively for calves fed on the grower containing micronized corn grain (MCG), during the first digestibility period, and by 3.0, 3.6, and 4.6%, respectively, during the second digestibility period. Energy intake was lower (p&lt;0.05) during the second digestibility period, for calves fed a diet with micronized corn. Blood urea N was affected (p&lt;0.001) by dietary treatments. Lower values (10.2%) were observed for calves fed the grower containing MCG. Research highlights: The micronization of corn grain is a useful tool for optimizing weaned calf production due to the improvement in the digestibility and energy content of the ration.

Enhanced Rate of Enzymatic Saccharification with the Ionic Liquid Treatment of Corn Straw Activated by Metal Ion Solution

The aim of this paper was to effectively reduce environmental pollution and further improve the enzymatic hydrolysis rate of corn straw. Thus, a pretreatment method for activating cellulose by using ionic liquid to treat metal ion solution was developed. By investigating the effects of the three factors of substrate mass fraction, reaction temperature, and reaction time, and the interaction between the factors on the pretreatment effect, the response surface design method was used to optimize the conditions of ionic liquid (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride) treatment of corn straw after activation, and the physicochemical structure and enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency before and after treatment were compared and analyzed. The experimental results showed that the yield of reducing sugar was increased by 157.85% and 150.41%, respectively, compared with the untreated corn straw. The analysis of chemical composition and structure showed that the cellulose content of the material increased significantly by 68.11% and 60.54%, respectively, after ionic liquid treatment. The results of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the relative crystallinity of the material decreased after ionic liquid treatment, which was more conducive to the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose.