Waste Barley Research Articles

Antibacterial, antioxidant and fruit packaging ability of biochar-based silver nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan composite film

Silver nanoparticles were prepared by loading Ag+ into biochar of waste barley distillers' grains shell by reduction with trisodium citrate, and this silver-loaded biochar was introduced into polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan. Various analysis with Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Thermogravimetric analysis, and water contact angle revealed that biochar-based silver nanoparticle was incorporated into the polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan film, the biochar-based silver nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan (C-Ag-loaded PVA/CS) composite film had good thermostability and hydrophobicity. Through the analysis via disk diffusion method, the composite containing 3 % of biochar-based silver nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan had high antibacterial activity (inhibition zone: 18 mm against E. coli and 15 mm against S. aureus), and the bacterial membrane permeability was measured, indicating that C-Ag-loaded PVA/CS composite film could destroy the cell membrane, release intracellular substances, and have high antioxidant activity. During the storage, the weight loss rate of the biochar-based silver nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan plastic wrap group was 0.14 %, and the titratable acid content only decreased by 0.061 %, which had a good effect on extending the shelf life of blueberries. The C-Ag-loaded PVA/CS composite film could also delay deterioration of blueberries and prolong storage time. Overall, this composite film had potential in food packaging and extending food shelf-life aspects.

Ön işlemden geçirilmiş atık arpa kullanarak Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001 ile hidrojen üretimi

In the present study, valorization of waste barley by producing hydrogen (H2) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) using Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001 was aimed. Firstly, 3 % (w/v) waste barley hydrolysate was prepared by treating 3 g of powdered waste barley with H2SO4 in a total volume of 100 mL mixture and then autoclaving this mixture at 121 ºC for 30 min. Upon generation of fermentable simple sugars by pretreatment and analytical examination of the hydrolysate in terms of ammonium content, element composition and light transmittance, various types of growth media containing various concentrations of sugar (5 - 6 - 7 - 8 g/L) were prepared. The cells were cultivated in these media under photo-heterotrophic conditions which favor H2 and 5-ALA generations. pH changes, growth, H2 production and 5-ALA generation were monitored in the media. The results showed that all the media prepared from 3 % (w/v) waste barley hydrolysate sustained the cell growth appreciably. The highest OD value (OD660: 1.71) was attained when using 8 g/L sugar. Furthermore, biological H2 evolution was seen in each bioreactor. In particular, the highest hydrogen accumulation (0.29 L H2/L) was achieved in 6 g/L sugar-containing medium. However, 5-ALA was not detected in any of the media. To conclude, considerable cell growth and biological hydrogen production was achieved using 3 % (w/v) waste barley hydrolysate under the conditions tested but there was no detectable 5-ALA generation.

Evaluation of a Vacuum Technique to Estimate Abundance of Waste Barley

Abstract Reliable estimates of seasonal waste-grain abundance are needed for wildlife conservation and management because these resources influence carrying capacity, behavior, and movement of birds. We tested efficacy and precision of a vacuum-sampling device for collecting waste barley Hordeum vulgare at Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada, 2011 and 2012. We used a Stihl BG 65E blower-vac to sample barley following methodology developed to sample moist-soil seeds. We collected samples by vacuum sampling (n = 51) and hand-picking (n = 51) in three randomly selected cut barley fields to estimate the proportion collected by vacuum sampling. We also collected experimental samples (n = 72) to estimate percent recovery using predetermined densities of dyed barley. Because our results were more variable and our percent recovery was less than published values, we acquired the blower-vac unit (BG 85) used in the moist-soil seed study to test for an equipment effect by repeating our experiments in 2012. We tested for equipment effects on percent recovery using generalized linear mixed-effect models with our observational and experimental data sets while controlling for spatial autocorrelation. Our analysis suggested that equipment type did not account for differences in percent recovery. Hand-picking yielded more precise estimates of waste barley density (x¯ = 97.1%, SD = 7.67%, n = 60) as compared with the blower-vacs under natural conditions (BG 65E: x¯ = 19.2%, SD = 96.0%, n = 27; BG 85: x¯ = 27.0%, SD = 40.37%, n = 24). Although the technique was not effective here for waste barley, we suggest that further research into small cereal grain applications is warranted.

Biohydrogen and 5-aminolevulinic acid production from waste barley by Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001 in a biorefinery concept

The production of biohydrogen and 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) by Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U.001 was investigated in a biorefinery concept. Waste barley was used as a substrate after acid hydrolysis. The hydrolysate was analyzed in terms of its total simple sugar, organic acid, ammonium, element and total phenol contents. Four different growth media having 5 g/L, 7 g/L, 9 g/L and 11 g/L sugar content were prepared using the waste barley hydrolysate to produce biohydrogen and 5-ALA. The increased sugar concentrations resulted in higher cell density and hydrogen accumulation. Accordingly, the highest cell density (OD660: 1.78) and hydrogen production (0.4 L H2/L culture) were observed in the 11 g/L sugar-containing medium. A 67.4 μM 5-ALA was produced upon vitamin B12 and levulinic acid additions. These results showed that waste barley can be used as a substrate for R. sphaeroides for biohydrogen and 5-ALA production within a biorefinery concept.

Removal of emulsified oil from oily wastewater using agricultural waste barley straw

An agricultural byproduct, barley straw, was chemically modified by a cationic surfactant, hexadecylpyridinium chloride monohydrate (CPC) and employed as an adsorbent to remove emulsified canola oil from aqueous solution. The textural and surface properties of the surfactant modified barley straw (SMBS) were characterized by N 2 adsorption, FT-IR, SEM, surface acidic/basic groups and surfactant desorption. The low desorption of CPC from SMBS demonstrated a strong bonding of the CPC to straw surface. Several factors such as adsorption temperature, solution pH, loading of adsorbent, and particle size on oil adsorption were investigated. It was found that addition of CPC created a non-polar layer on barley straw surface thus endowing SMBS with much better adsorption capacity for oil removal from water. The adsorption was found less favorable at high acidic condition and the maximum adsorption capacity was observed at about neutrality. Larger particle size would result in lower adsorption while adsorption temperature would not affect oil adsorption significantly. The kinetic study revealed that equilibrium time was short and the isotherm study indicated that the oil adsorption was fitted well by the Langmuir model. The adsorption capacity determined from the Langmuir isotherm was 576.0 ± 0.3 mg g −1 at 25 °C.