THE APPLICATION OF THE IN VITRO DIGESTION TECHNIQUE TO SOME ARID-ZONE FODDERS

The in vitro digestibility of organic matter and cellulose was determined in 17 fodders collected in western New South Wales. Further determinations were made on samples fortified or not by the addition of glucose, urea and yeast extract. There was a significant positive response to fortification in both organic-matter and cellulose digestibility, the magnitude of the response varying with the fodder sample tested. The relationship between organic-matter digestibility and cellulose digestibility was close only in the case of grasses, but for all samples consideration of both the amount and digestibility of cellulose accounted for 97% of the variation in organic-matter digestibility. The results suggest that an inhibitor preventing cellulose digestion was present in Cassia eremophila .     

豆渣膳食纤维制备工艺的研究

本项目以新鲜豆渣为原料，通过L9（3^4）正交实验设计方法，就影响膳食纤维含量的碱浓度、温度、时间和酶用量四项因素进行了实验。研究确立了制备豆渣纤维的最佳工艺条件。利用本工艺，湿豆渣经浸泡、碱处理、酶解、干燥和超微粉碎等程序，即得到豆渣膳食纤维，工艺产率为85％，产品纤维素含量是80％。     

The effect of drying and processing red clover on the digestion of the energy and nitrogen moieties in the alimentary tract of sheep

The effect of artificial dehydration and processing of red clover on nutrient digestion and absorption has been studied with sheep. A total of three diets were fed, each at an intake of 900 g DM d^-1; comprising frozen (to represent fresh control), wafered and pelleted red clover.
Dehydration caused small depressions in energy and N digestibility. Grinding and pelleting had no further effect, although both treatments reduced the amount of energy digestion occurring in the rumen, frozen 63, dried 60, pelleted 48 MJ per 100 MJ digestible energy. Digestion of energy in the caecum and colon was increased on both dried diets, and in the small intestine on the pelleted diet.
Almost 40% of the extra duodenal energy on the pelleted diet was due to increased cellulose flow, with only 79% of digestible cellulose being digested in the rumen compared with 96% on the other two diets. There was an associated decrease in ruminal volatile fatty acid production of approx. 20%. Approximately half of the extra energy was due to an elevated flow of protein on the pelleted diet, but this increase was not reflected in amino acid absorption due to a reduced efficiency with the dried diets (frozen 72%, dried diets 54%).
The results demonstrate that dehydration and processing of red clover can markedly influence nutrient digestion and supply and thus offer attractive means of improving the nutritive value.     

微波消解——石墨炉原子吸收法测定椰果中铬

椰果是以椰子汁(乳)为主要原料，经灭菌、发酵制成的一种纤维素凝胶状物质。采用微波消解法溶解椰果样品，较干灰法节约时间、提高准确度；较压力罐消解法更方便、安全。试验证明，此法消解椰果快速、完全，样液透明，方法准确可靠。微波消解——石墨炉原子吸收法测定椰果中铬是一种比较理想的方法。     

Covalent immobilization of urease to modified ethyl cellulose

Graft polymerization technology is a good way to modify polymers. New functional groups are added to polymer structure using graft polymerization. Enzyme immobilization could be done from these added functional groups. Ethyl cellulose was selected as a support for enzyme immobilization and no many studies has been conducted about it. It is insoluble in water and suitable for reuse. In this study, methacrylic acid was graft polymerized to ethyl cellulose using benzophenone. In graft polymerization studies, optimum amounts of methacrylic acid and benzophenone were determined as 60 mmol and 0.6 g, respectively. Percentage of graft polymerization was maximum in toluene as solvent and optimum graft polymerization time was found as 3 hours. The graft polymerization percentage was 225.7 % at optimum conditions. This value was very good for UV-induced graft polymerization technique. FT-IR spectra of ethyl cellulose and methacrylic acid graft polymerized ethyl cellulose showed that graft polymerization was carried out successfully. -COOH groups were added to ethyl cellulose structure after graft polymerization. Then, urease was immobilized to methacrylic acid graft polymerized ethyl cellulose using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimetylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide as the condensing agent which accelerates the reaction between -COOH from methacrylic acid graft polymerized ethyl cellulose and -NH2 from urease. Optimization studies were also performed for the immobilization of urease. Optimized values for urease immobilization; optimum amount of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimetylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide was found as 5 mg, temperature was determined as 37 °C, 2 hours were selected as optimum time, pH and amount of urease were found to be pH 7 and 10 mg, respectively. Remained activity of immobilized urease was 1.74 % before optimization studies. After optimization of immobilization studies, this ratio has increased to 29.85 %. The immobilized urease activity was increased 17.2 times.     

Influence of residual ionic liquid on the thermal stability and electromechanical behavior of cellulose regenerated from 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate

The regenerated cellulose films were prepared by dissolving cotton cellulose pulp directly in room temperature ionic liquid namely, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate at 80 °C, followed by washing/curing in different coagulants namely, methanol, deionized water, methanol-deionized water, and isopropyl alcohol-deionized water. It was found that the type of coagulants employed for curing the cellulose films has a significant influence on the amount of residual ionic liquid entrapped in the films. The amount of residual ionic liquids was 2.68, 1.01, 0.84, and 0.75 wt.% for the films cured with deionized water, isopropyl alcohol-deionized water, methanol, and methanol-deionized water, respectively. The DTG peaks of regenerated cellulose films showed two decomposition temperatures at 280 °C and 320 °C. Among all the cases studied, deionized water curing case showed the lowest decomposition temperature, attributed to entrapment of large residual ionic liquid in it. Electromechanical characteristic of the regenerated cellulose films was also investigated.     

The removal of heavy metals in aqueous solution by hydroxyapatite/cellulose composite

Hydroxyapatite has an excellent ion-exchangeability and is expected to be used as an agent for the removal of heavy metal ions in wastewater. However, the pure hydroxyapatite is very difficult to use because it exists in the form of white powder. Thus, the pure hydroxyapatite was mixed with cellulose to utilize its ion-exchangeability. In this research, a method for dispersion of hydroxyapatite in cellulose matrix is described and its dispersion is observed with scanning electron microscopy. The removal ratios of some heavy metal ions with hydroxyapatite composite are examined with regard to reaction time and amount of hydroxyapatite composite. The ion-exchangeability of hydroxyapatite composite did not seem to be interfered by cellulose matrix during removing heavy metal ions.     

Rheology of new green lubricating grease formulations containing cellulose pulp and its methylated derivative as thickener agents

This work is focused on the development of gel-like formulations, potentially applicable as biodegradable lubricating greases obtained by dispersing eucalyptus Kraft cellulose pulp, or its methylated derivative, in an ethyl cellulose/castor oil medium. The effects that concentration and weight ratio of the different cellulosic derivatives exert on the rheological properties, thermal resistance and mechanical stability of these oleogels were studied. The evolution of linear viscoelasticity functions with frequency was very similar to that found for traditional lubricating greases. In general, linear viscoelastic functions increase with Kraft cellulose pulp or methylcellulose concentrations and ethyl cellulose/Kraft cellulose pulp weight ratio. However, the relative elasticity of gel-like dispersions based on ethyl cellulose/Kraft cellulose pulp is not affected by the composition of these thickener blends, which allows the application of an empirical superposition method to obtain generalized master curves for describing the viscoelastic response of these formulations. On the contrary, the relative elasticity of methylcellulose-based gel-like dispersions depends on the composition of methylated cellulose pulp/ethyl cellulose blends. An Arrhenius-type equation can be used to quantify the linear viscoelastic functions thermal dependence of these gel-like dispersions. Moreover, formulations prepared using Kraft cellulose pulp/ethyl cellulose blends show appropriate mechanical stabilities to be used as bio-lubricating greases.     

STUDIES IN THE DIGESTIBILITY OF HERBAGE

Data from 291 digestion trials have been used to derive regression equations relating the organic-matter digestibility of herbage to the nitrogen percentage of its dry matter and to the nitrogen percentage in the organic matter of the resulting faces.
The residual errors are very high and it is shown that the deviations from the lines are not randomly distributed but have a seasonal trend. The seasonal biases have been calculated, and the inclusion of month of cutting as a factor is found to improve the two regressions to some extent. Monthly regressions have also been calculated. Even with these, however, the errors are still too high for many practical purposes.     

施氮量对甜菜品质性状遗传参数的影响

试验结果表明，有害Ｎ含量的基因型与施Ｎ量互作极显著，说明对该性状通过育种手段改进的机会很小。在不同施Ｎ量条件下；含糖量、纳含量和纯度间相关十分密切，推断这３个性状受同一基因控制或存在连锁关系。各性状的遗传参数对不同施氮量没有表现出一致趋势。间接选择效应研究结果表明，将适于某种环境条件下的品种放在另一种环境条件下进行选择，对钾和含糖率是非常有效的。本试验进行的品质性状通径分析结果表明，含糖率和钠对纯度的直接效应最大，说明在品质育种中这两个性状处于极为重要的地位     

Composition of peptide mixtures derived from simulated gastrointestinal digestion of prolamins from different wheat varieties

Gliadin content of wheat is highly variable, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in function of the plant genetic and of the growing conditions. The gliadins are among the major triggers of celiac disease: peptides derived from the gastrointestinal digestion of these proteins and absorbed from the lamina propria cause the immunological reactions that damage the villous structure in affected subjects. In the present work, the peptide mixtures generated by simulated gastrointestinal digestion of the prolamin fraction extracted from different wheat varieties (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum and Triticum aestivum) were characterized by LC/MS and LC-MS/MS techniques. Peptides related to the amount of α-gliadin, as well as toxic and immunogenic peptides for celiac patients have been identified and quantified using an isotopically labeled internal standard. The quantification demonstrated strong differences among the varieties tested. Some samples, belonging to the same varieties and/or cultivation area, showed a lower α-gliadin content, and a smaller amount of toxic and immunogenic peptides.     

Preparation of carboxymethyl cellulose superabsorbents from waste textiles

Production of superabsorbent polymers from cotton and viscose waste textiles was investigated. The cellulose wastes were carboxymethylated, crosslinked by divinylsulfone, and then converted to superabsorbent material using air-drying, freeze-drying, or air-drying after phase inversion. The separation of cellulose from synthetic polymers in the textile (polyester) was carried out by direct dissolution of cellulose in N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO), or separation by dissolution in water after carboxymethylation of the textiles. The progress of the carboxymethylation reaction was evaluated by measurement of the degree of substitution (DS) of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The DS values of 0.50–0.86 confirmed the prosperous substitution of hydrophilic carboxymethyl groups into the cellulosic chains. The water binding capacity and the swelling rate of the superabsorbents prepared under different conditions were measured. Under the best condition the superabsorbent obtained from waste textiles showed an ultimate water binding capacity of 541 g/g which was notably higher than that of the reference superabsorbent derived from cotton linter (470 g/g). The amount of absorbed water by this product exceeded that of the reference sample after 60 min immersion.     

Nitrogen and Italian ryegrass.

The regrowth of Italian ryegrass was studied at weekly intervals from 2 to 14 weeks after a cut in late April when 140 kg ha^-1 N was applied. Reduction in digestibility with delay in date of harvest was due to both an increase in the proportion of cell wall and a reduction in the digestibility of the cell wall, particularly the former from week 2 to about week 5 and particularly the latter after week 5. The reduction in the digestibility of the cell wall was about equally attributable to reduction in digestibility of cellulose and to reduction in digestibility of hemicellulose. The proportion of lignin in cell wall was highly correlated with both digestibility of cellulose and digestibility of hemicellulose. The proportion of digestible cell wall in dry matter was not as constant as has sometimes been noted, increasing by about 5 percentage units from week 2 to week 5 and decreasing by about 10 percentage units from week 5 to week 13. During the latter period the decline in digestible cell wall in dry matter accounted for nearly half the decline in true digestibility of dry matter. The ratio of cellulose:hemicellulose averaged 1:0.89 and hemicellulose was more digestible than cellulose. Rate of increase in yield of cell contents appeared to diminish from about the third week of regrowth onwards, whereas the rate of increase in yield of dry matter did not begin to diminish until about the seventh week. In vitro dry matter digestibility was not increased by adding extra N to the digestion tubes, even with samples containing only 1% N in dry matter.     

The effects of forage preservation method and proportion of concentrate on digestion of cell wall carbohydrates and rumen digesta pool size in cattle

Six bulls with ruminal and duodenal cannulae were used in a 6 × 6 Latin square design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Barn-dried grass (G) and direct-cut silage (S) from the same sward were fed together with 250 (L), 500 (M) and 750 (H) g kg^-1 total dry matter (DM) of a barley-based concentrate (barley 875 and rape-seed meal 125 g kg^-1) at the level of 80 g DM kg^-1 live weight^0·75. Rumen and total digestibility of cell wall constituents were measured by a double marker and total collection method. Rumen pool sizes of dietary constituents were estimated by emptying the rumen. Particle-associated enzyme activities were measured from rumen particulate material and feed particles incubated in nylon bags in the rumen. Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and hemicellulose digestibility were higher (P<0·05) for G diets than for S diets while no differences were observed between the forages in acid detergent fibre (ADF) and cellulose digestibility. Both rumen and total digestibility of cell wall constituents decreased with increasing level of concentrate. The proportion of total cell wall digestion in the rumen was unaffected by the forage preservation method and the proportion of concentrate. NDF, and especially cellulose digestibility, declined quadratically with increasing level of concentrate. Dietary effects on particle-associated carboxymethylcellulase and xylanase activity were consistent with those observed in cell wall digestion. There were no differences between the forages in rumen pool size of total ingesta or any dietary constituent. Rumen pool size of total ingesta decreased with increasing level of concentrate. On the other hand, DM content of ingesta increased with the level of concentrate, while the pool size of DM, NDF and ADF declined quadratically reaching a minimum on M level of concentrate. The differences in rumen NDF pool size were mainly in the digestible fraction. Calculation of digestion kinetic parameters showed that both the rate of passage and especially the rate of digestion were markedly depressed in animals fed on the highest level of concentrate. The results suggest that a reduced fate of digestion of NDF with high concentrate diets can be partially compensated for by an increased NDF retention time in the rumen of animals fed at a restricted level of feeding.     

Study of nano-fiber cellulose production by Glucanacetobacter xylinum ATCC 10245

Bacterial Celluloses (BC) are gaining importance in research and commerce due to numerous factors affecting the bacterial cellulose characteristics and application in different industries. The aim of the present study was to produce bacterial cellulose in different media using different cultivation vessels. Bacterial cellulose was produced by static cultivation of Glucanacetobacter xylinum ATCC 10245 in different culture media such as Brain Heart Agar, Luria Bertani Agar /Broth, Brain Heart Infusion, Hestrin-Schramm and medium no. 125. Cultivation of bacterium was conducted in various culture vessels with different surface area. The cellulose membrane was treated and purified with a 0.1 M NaOH solution at 90 degreesC for 30 min and dried by a freeze- drier at -40 degreesC to obtain BC. The prepared bacterial cellulose was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The amount of produced BC was related directly to the surface area of culture vessels.     

Short rotation willow coppice biomass as an industrial and energy feedstock

In order to increase the yield of short rotation willow coppice cultivated on agricultural land and to improve the biomass quality as an industrial and energy feedstock, particular consideration should be devoted to proper location and to the cultivation of woody plants. This paper presents the yield of five new cultivars of willow coppice and the relationship between the chemical composition of biomass and the plant harvest cycle. The Tur cultivar has been shown to have the highest mean productivity of 21.5 t of d.m. ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. In a three-year harvest cycle, the cultivar also gave biomass with the highest cellulose:lignin ratio (2.14). The significantly highest yield of dry biomass from the cultivars under study (20.5 t of d.m. ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) was achieved in a three-year harvest cycle. It was lower by 3.4% on average in a two-year harvest cycle and lower by 17.2% in a one-year harvest cycle as compared to a three-year cycle. As the harvest cycle was extended, the biomass quality in terms of its chemical composition improved. The biomass obtained in a three-year cycle contained the highest amount of cellulose (44.6% of d.m.) and the lowest amount of lignin (21.8% of d.m.). The results indicate that the agrotechnical factors, including the cultivar and the harvest cycle, affect not only the yield, but also the qualitative features of short rotation coppice willow biomass.     

大豆施用粉煤灰磁化肥增产肥效研究

粉煤灰磁化肥在大豆上试验表蝗：粉煤灰磁化肥在大豆上一般用量为４９ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２左右。粉煤灰磁化肥比对照增产２５．９％,增产２３．７ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２,比当地农民习惯施肥措施增产１５．２％,增产１５．２ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２;比等量Ｎ,Ｐ,Ｋ混合肥增产４．５％,增产４．９ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２,比未磁化粉煤灰复混肥增产２．４％,增产２．８ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２。最高产量施用粉煤灰磁化肥为６６．４ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２。大豆产量为１３．０３ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２;最佳产量施用粉煤灰磁化肥为４９ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２,大豆产量为１２７．１８ｋｇ／６６７ｍ＾２。     

碱预处理提高香蕉茎秆厌氧消化产气性能的研究

为有效利用香蕉茎秆资源,提高其厌氧消化效率,采用碱法对香蕉茎秆固体剩余物进行预处理,探讨不同预处理条件下香蕉茎秆厌氧消化产气性能的影响。结果表明：当NaOH浓度为8%时,对香蕉茎秆原料半纤维素、纤维素、木质素降解率达最高,分别为22.5%、9.1%、13.7%;6% NaOH处理组30 d累积产气量最高可达3 775 mL,比对照组提高24.2%,单位干物质产气量达377.5 mL/g TS。碱预处理可有效提高香蕉茎秆产气潜力。     

Study on the effects of reaction conditions on carboxymethyl cellulose nonwoven manufactured by wet-laid process

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) has been used in medical area by virtue of their high water absorption property, bio-degradability, and biocompatibility. It has been mainly used as forms of gel, powder, and film due to the limitation in processability on textile structures, especially nonwoven. In this study we demonstrated wet-laid nonwoven process for viscose rayon and carboxymethylation to produce CMC nonwoven. The effects of process conditions, such as reaction time and amount of monochloroacetic acid (MCA) in carboxymethylation, were investigated in terms of the degree of substitution (DS), morphological properties and mechanical properties of the CMC nonwoven. Molar ratio of MCA to cellulose and etherification time played important roles in determining characteristics of CMC nonwoven. As DS increased, strength was improved while elongation decreased. Gel blocking behavior of CMC nonwoven with higher DS indicated the applicability of CMC nonwoven as wound dressing and adhesion prevention materials.     

Carotenoid Content of Commonly Consumed Herbs and Assessment of Their Bioaccessibility Using an In Vitro Digestion Model

Herbs are a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals such as carotenoids, which are known to exert various positive biological effects. However, there is very limited information in the literature regarding the content and bioavailability of carotenoids from commonly consumed herbs. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were first, to determine the carotenoid content of eight herbs namely basil (Ocimum basilicum), coriander (Coriandrum sativum), dill (Anethum graveolens), mint (Metha L.), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), sage (Salvia officinalis), and tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.); and second, to assess carotenoid bioaccessibility from these herbs using a simulated human in vitro digestion model. Carotenoid bioaccessibility is defined as the amount of carotenoids transferred to micelles after digestion when compared with the original amount present in the food. The content of individual carotenoids varied significantly among the herbs tested. Carotenoid bioaccessibility varied from 0 to 42.8%. Basil and coriander, and their respective micelles, contained the highest levels of β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lutein + zeaxanthin. Our findings show that herbs are rich sources of carotenoids and that these foods can significantly contribute to the intake of bioaccessible carotenoids.