Use Of Agro-industrial By-products Research Articles

Fatty Amides from Crude Rice Bran Oil as Green Corrosion Inhibitors

Due to its high oil content, this research proposes the use of an agroindustrial byproduct (rice bran) as a sustainable option for the synthesis of corrosion inhibitors. From the crude rice bran oil, the synthesis of fatty amide-type corrosion inhibitors was carried out. The corrosion inhibitory capacity of the fatty amides was evaluated on an API X-70 steel using electrochemical techniques such as real-time corrosion monitoring and potentiodynamic polarization curves. As a corrosive medium, a CO2-saturated solution (3.5% NaCl) was used at three temperatures (30, 50, and 70°C) and different concentrations of inhibitor (0, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 ppm). The results demonstrate that the sustainable use of agroindustrial byproducts is a good alternative to the synthesis of environmentally friendly inhibitors with high corrosion inhibition efficiencies.

Assessment of feed resources, feeding practices and coping strategies to feed scarcity by smallholder urban dairy producers in Jimma town, Ethiopia.

Smallholder dairy production is increasingly becoming popular in Jimma town. However, feed shortage is a major constraint to dairy production. The objectives of this study was to assess feed resources, feeding practices and farmers’ perceived causes of feed shortage and coping strategies to feed scarcity in smallholder dairy producers in Jimma town, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. A total of 54 randomly selected dairy farmers were interviewed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and through direct observations. Twenty major feed types used by dairy farmers were identified and categorized into five classes: natural pasture grazing, green feeds, hay, concentrate (commercial mix and agro-industrial by-products) and non-conventional feed resources. Green feeds-fresh or succulent grasses and legumes (mean rank = 0.361), concentrate (0.256), hay (0.198), non-conventional feeds (0.115) and natural pasture grazing (0.070) were ranked as the main feed resources in that order of importance. Green feed (94.4 % of the respondents) was found to be the main basal diet of dairy cattle. Overall, wheat bran (85.2 % of the respondents), commercial concentrate (55.6 %), noug (Guizotia abyssinica) cake (20.4 %), cotton seed cake (7.4 %) and molasses (7.4 %) were the main concentrate supplements used (P > 0.05). Local brew waste (attela) (77.8 % of the respondents), bean and pea hulls (42.6 %) enset (Ensete ventricosum) leaf and pseudo-stem (37 %), sugarcane tops (33.3 %), banana leaf and stem/stover (16.7 %) and papaya stem (16.7 %) were the dominant non-conventional feed resources in the surveyed area (P > 0.05). About 79.6, 7.4, 1.9 and 11.1 % of the farmers used zero-, semi-zero-, and the combination of zero- and semi-zero- and free-grazing systems, respectively. Most farmers (90.7 %) offered concentrate supplements to milking cows. However, supplementation did not consider milk yield, physiological status and condition of cows. All the farmers (100 %) offered common salt to their cattle as mineral supplement. The majority (98.1 %) of the farmers experience feed shortage in the dry season. Land scarcity (55.6 % of the respondents) was reported as the most important cause of feed scarcity followed by a combination of land scarcity and poor feed availability (42.2 %). Increasing use of agro-industrial by-products and commercial concentrate mix (87 % of the respondents), increasing use of hay (74.1 %), increasing use of non-conventional feeds (50 %), purchasing green feeds (19.8 %) and reducing herd size (2.7 %) were the strategies adopted for coping with feed scarcity. From results of this study, it could be concluded that to ensure sustainable availability of dairy cattle feed in the surveyed area, technological, technical and institutional innovations would be vital.

Prospects of complete feed system in ruminant feeding: A review.

Effective utilization of available feed resources is the key for economical livestock rearing. Complete feed system is one of the latest developments to exploit the potential of animal feed resources in the best possible way. The complete feed is a quantitative mixture of all dietary ingredients, blended thoroughly to prevent separation and selection, fed as a sole source of nutrients except water and is formulated in a desired proportion to meet the specific nutrient requirements. The concentrate and roughage levels may vary according to the nutrient requirement of ruminants for different production purposes. The complete feed with the use of fibrous crop residue is a noble way to increase the voluntary feed intake and thus animal’s production performance. In this system of feeding, the ruminant animals have continuous free choice availability of uniform feed mixture, resulting in more uniform load on the rumen and less fluctuation in release of ammonia which supports more efficient utilization of ruminal non-protein nitrogen. Feeding complete diet stabilizes ruminal fermentation, thereby improves nutrient utilization. This feeding system allows expanded use of agro-industrial by­products, crop residues and nonconventional feeds in ruminant ration for maximizing production and minimizing feeding cost, thus being increasingly appreciated. However, to extend the concept extensively to the field and make this technology successful and viable for farmers, more efforts are needed to be taken.

The Emerging Potential of By-Products as Platforms for Drug Delivery Systems

Natural resources are widely used as raw materials by industries. In most cases, abundant byproducts with low economic interest are also generated from agro-industrial supply chains. There are several examples for the rational use of agro-industrial byproducts in the nanobiotechnology field aiming for the development of novel products and high value added processes. Such raw materials include carapaces, pelages, blood, bagasses, and straws. Molecules from such materials (e.g. chitosan, cellulose, and albumin) are used as scaffolds of unprecedented novel nanostructure. Research efforts comprising a combination of sustainability, nanobiotechnology, and nanomedicine have emerged. One major area in nano-biotechnological research of agro-industrial byproducts is represented by the field of drug delivery systems (DDS). Among the main advantages of agro-industrial byproducts used as drug carriers are their abundance; low price; high biocompatibility; good biodegradability; moderate bioresorbability, associated with reduced systemic toxicity or even no toxicity; and often bioactivity. The goal of these efforts includes not only the possibility to characterize and manipulate matter on the nanoscale, but also to develop sustainable products and processes, including the development of platforms for drug delivery aiming for the treatment of pathologies such as cancer and diabetes. Indeed, there is great hope that the use of agro-industrial byproducts in nanobiotechnology will increase not only agricultural and livestock productivity, but will also contribute to other areas such as the development of DDS with new properties and low production costs; and sustainable environmental management due to the reuse of industrial discharged byproducts. This review will compile current findings on the use of byproducts as building blocks for modern drug carrier systems, emphasizing the challenges and promising applications.

El cultivo de Lepista nuda en sustrato con hojas de olivo para el aprovechamiento de subproductos agroindustriales en almazaras

The cultivation of Lepista nuda in substrate with olive tree leaves, for the use of agro-industrial by-products in oil mills The mycological production of Lepista nuda, known as wood blewit, a white rot basidiomycota fungus, was evaluated on substrate with olive tree leaves, in order to be applied as an environmentally sustainable use of the biomass generated by the oil mills. Its mushroom is an excellent edible and, thanks to its versatile enzymatic complex, the mycelium can be applied to the decomposition of vegetable waste from agro-industries. The main objective of this research is to demonstrate the possibility to produce mushrooms from L. nuda on substrate with olive tree leaves and evaluate its productivity. The final results corroborated the initial hypothesis. Four weeks after inoculation, the whole substrate was invaded and colonized by the fungus.

English

Laccases are copper polyphenol oxidases that are interesting for several applications such as in the food industry, sewage treatment and decolorization. The use of agro-industrial byproducts allows bioprocesses development for the production of large quantities at viable cost enzymes. In this study, the laccase production of Agaricus blazei was optimized in submerged cultivation (SmC). First, the following agro-industrial substrates were evaluated: sugarcane molasses, soybean molasses, coffee husks, soybean husks and pellet citrus pulp; and then these nitrogen sources: urea, ammonium sulfate, yeast extract. For the optimization of laccase production, a Plackett-Burman and 2(4-1) incomplete factorial designs were used to evaluate the effect of KH2PO4, MgSO4, KCl, FeSO4, ZnSO4 and the ethanol on laccase activity, and for the optimization of sugarcane molasses, urea, MgSO4 and ethanol concentrations. Finally, laccase production kinetics was determined. The best substrate for laccase production by A. blazei was sugarcane molasses. After optimization, it was found that laccase activity of 9635 U/L was obtained in medium with sugarcane molasses (6 g/L), urea (1.5 g/L), MgSO4 (12 mM), ethanol (1.2 mM ) at 28°C and pH 8.0 during 10 days of cultivation. The results indicate that sugarcane molasses is a promising substrate for A. blazei laccase production.   Key words: Agaricus brasiliensis, Agaricus subrufescens, laccase, manganese peroxidase, sugarcane molasses.

Development of feed package for layers using low energy agro-industrial by products.

A feeding trial of 20 weeks duration was conducted using 240 point-of-lay Hy-line layers to study the nutritive value of diets containing low-energy agro-industrial by-products namely wheat bran, maize bran, rice bran, brewers’ spent grains and cocoa pod husk on laying performance. The experimental diets were formulated to be iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous. They contained an average of 16.3% crude protein and metabolisable energy of 10.38 MJ/kg. Each dietary treatment was replicated four times in a completely randomized design. The initial average live weight of the experimental birds was 1.75 kg. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Among the production parameters studied were feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, hen-day production, hen-housed egg production, egg weight, mortality, shell thickness, and Haugh unit. In addition, cost-benefit analysis was carried out to establish the economic feasibility of the experimental diets. With the exception of feed intake which showed significant response (p 0.05). Cost per kilogram diet was reduced when agro-industrial by-products were used. Dietary treatment T2 supported the best egg production with a net revenue of GH¢371.30. Seasonal increases in the prices of conventional feedstuffs like maize and fishmeal would make the use of agro-industrial by-products in poultry diets even more attractive. Key words: Feed package, low energy agro-industrial by-product, layer hens, performance.

Relation between Respirometric Data and Amylolytic Enzyme Production by SSF in Column-Type Bioreactor

The use of agro industrial by-products like cassava starch and sugar cane bagasse show great potential as substrates and support amylases production by solid-substrate fermentation (SSF). The production of amylolytic enzymes by Aspergillus niger LPB 28 increased with forced air using a column fermentation system and optimized conditions in a column bioreactor when it was followed by kinetics of respiratory metabolism. The O2 consumption and CO2 production by A. niger were measured in the top of the columns through the use of a GC system linked to a program for chromatograph control and integration with 2m length, with helium as the carrier gas and a thermal conductivity detector. The kinetic parameters were determined using the program FERSOL.

A survey on processing and marketing characteristics of peri-urban agropastoral Dairying in Ghana

A survey was conducted in five districts on the Accra plains to characterize the peri-urban dairy production system. Results from the survey indicated that farmers were keeping cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry (Guinea fowl, turkey, chicken, and duck), cattle being the only species milked. The mean flock size was 73.6 TLU with a coefficient of variation of 103 per cent. The average cattle herd size was 133. Farmers made limited use of agro-industrial by-products. Cultivation of pastures, improved fodder, and multipurpose trees was non-existent, and neither was any system of cut and carry practised. The use of concentrate and protein supplementation was also negligible. The mean length of the dry season was 5.2 1 0.7 months. Offtake was low at 8.9 per cent per annum. Replacement and calving rates were 0.7 and 0.67, respectively. The mean age at first calving and calving interval were 36 and 14.4 months, respectively. The mean lactation length was 8.5 months. There were no crossbreds of the type 'exotic W local'. The Sanga was the predominant breed of cattle and constituted over 76 per cent of cattle kept on the Accra plains. Feeding of calves was by suckling residual milk from dams after partial milking. Calves were allowed to suckle until the cow was nearly dry, leading to a long mean calf weaning age of 8.4 months. Cows were milked once daily usually in the mornings. The mean daily partial milk yield per cow was 1.55 1 0.22 l. Mean partial annual milk yield per farm was 10,040 1 2952 l. It was concluded that the system required substantial transfer of improved technologies to increase milk production. Ghana Jnl.agric. Sci Vol.32(1), 1999: 53-58

Use of agro-industrial by-products for fattening lambs: pasta factory residues. Influence on meat production and meat quality

Use of agro-industrial by-products for fattening lambs: pasta factory residues. Influence on meat production and meat quality