Assessment of Biotransformation of Sludge from Vegetable Oil Refining by Composting

The evolution of organic matter of sludge from vegetable oil refining (50%) mixed with turf (40%) and straw (10%) during 6 months of composting was evaluated by physicochemical and spectroscopy analysis. The intense microbial activity is characterized by a significant increase in temperature (over 67°C) during the thermophilic phase (7 days). The final product is characterized by a decomposition rate of 50, C/N ratio about 12, NH₄⁺/NO₃^? ratio less than 1, and a neutral pH. The lipid analysis showed that total lipids decreased by 83% as a result of biodegradation of lipid compounds of the composted substrate. The degree of polymerization during composting is of about 16%, which provides information on the success of the process. The spectroscopic analysis showed a decrease of the ratios E4/E6 and E2/E6, which clearly shows the humification of organic matter. The physicochemical and spectroscopy parameters of the mixture show the stability and maturity of the final compost, which is confirmed by the germination index (60% for lettuce and turnips, and 90% for cress and lucerna). The results of the evolution of sludge from vegetable oil refining mixed with green wastes produced a mature product that can be applied in agriculture.     

Foliar Spray with Different Agrochemicals on Fruit Quality and Exportability of ‘Washington’ Navel Orange Fruit (Citrus sinensis L.)

The present study was carried out to improve fruit set, yield, quality, marketability, and exportability of ‘Washington’ Navel orange. Pre-harvest foliar sprays of GA₃, K, and Ca, either alone or combined, were applied at full bloom. The following treatments were applied: {control (T₁), 25 mg/L GA₃ (T₂), 2% K₂SO₄ (T₃), 25 mg/L GA₃ + 2% K₂SO₄ (T₄), 25 mg/L GA₃ + 2% Ca Cl₂ (T₅), 2% K₂SO₄ + 2% Ca Cl₂ (T₆), and 25 mg/L GA₃ + 2% K₂SO₄ + 2% Ca Cl₂ (T₇). All treatments improved fruit set, yield, physical and chemical characteristics, mineral content of leaves and fruit rind, and the percentage of exportable fruit in comparison to the control. Fruit set, fruit detachment force, peel firmness, and the mineral content of leaves and fruit rind were enhanced significantly with the combination of GA₃ + K₂SO₄ + Ca Cl₂ (T₇) in comparison to all other treatments and the control. Results indicated that all foliar combination treatments improved fruit quality and marketability, and increased the percentage of exportable fruit and reduced the defects of non-exportable fruit.     

A plant growth promoting rhizobacterium and temperature effects on performance of 18 clones of potato

A survey of genotypic responses to beneficial bacterium (Pseudomonas sp. strain PsJN) was conductedin vitro andex vitro, under two temperature conditions, using eighteen clones of potato of different heat stress tolerance: temperate adapted cultivars Kennebec and Russet Burbank; heat tolerant DTO-2, DTO-28, DTO-33, LT-1, LT-2, LT-5, LT-6, LT-7, LT-8, LT-9, Y84-02, NDD277-2, Désirée, and Maine-47; and heat sensitive abscissic acid (ABA)-deficient mutants 11401-01 and 9120-05. Nodal explants taken from 6-week-old bacterized and non-bacterized control plantlets were culturedin vitro on a hormone-free potato nodal cutting medium, and placed at either 20/15 C or 33/25 C day/night temperature, 12h photoperiod and 250 µE m^?2 s^?1 mixture of fluorescent and incandescent light, for six weeks. The tuberization response was studiedex vitro after two weeks acclimation of 2-week old plantlets at 33/25C. The acclimated plantlets were transplanted to 3L plastic nursery pots containing peat-based Pro-Mix growing medium and placed in growth chambers at either 20/15 or 33/25 C day/night temperature, 12 h photoperiod, 475 μE m^?2 s^?1 light and ≈80% RH, for 12 weeks. Compared to the non-bacterized controls, bacterization significantly increased stem length of 12, shoot biomass of 9, and root biomass of 2 clones at 20/15C; and stem length of 14, shoot biomass of 15, and root biomass of 13 clones at 33/25C. High temperature increased length of internodes and had either no effect or slightly decreased node number. Temperature increase had the most dramatic effect on root development. An average shoot to root ratio decreased from 3.7 at 20/15 C to 1.7 at 33/25 C for non-bacterized plantlets and, respectively, from 4.3 to 1.5 for bacterized. The beneficial effect of bacterization on root biomass was the most pronounced in LT-1 and Maine-47 at 20/15 C and LT-8, Maine 47, DTO-2, Kennebec, NDD277-2 and 11401-01 at 33/25C. The temperature elevation did not significantly affect root biomass of LT-6, DTO-28 and Désirée. Temperature stress caused severe reduction in tuber number and tuber fresh weight. ABA-deficient mutants did not produce any tubers and LT-8, LT-9, Y84-027 and DTO-28 tuberized very poorly at 33/25C. DTO-33, Désirée, LT-1 and Kennebec gave the highest number of tubers per pot and Kennebec, LT-1, Désirée and LT-7 the highest yields at this temperature. There was no significant effect of bacterization on tuberization at 20/15 C but at 33/25 C bacterization significantly enhanced tuber number and weight in LT-7 and reduced tuber weight in DTO-2. Although there was no clear link between thein vitro response of particular clones to bacterization and their heat stress tolerance, improvement ofex vitro performance of heat tolerant LT-7 indicates that rhizosphere bacteria may play a role in clonal adaptation of potato to heat stress.     

Effect of Garlic,Echinacea, Organic Green and Vet-Yeast on Survival,Weight Gain,and Bacterial Challenge of Overwintered Nile Tilapia Fry (Orechromis niloticus)

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of some immunostimulants and probiotics on the survival rate, final weight, and disease resistance of overwintered tilapia fry. There were five treatments: T1 (control) fed a balanced diet (35% protein) without additives. Treatments 2 to 5 were fed diets supplemented with 4% garlic, 4 g/kg Echinacea, 4 g/kg Organic Green or 4 g/kg Vet-Yeast, respectively. Growth and resistance to disease challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas flourescens were not different among treatments, but survival of overwintered fry increased in treatments fed probiotics or immunostimulents. The use of garlic in overwintering feeds could allow hatchery operators to increase their prices for fry and fish farmers to stock production ponds earlier, increasing hatchery revenues by 74% and improving land use efficiency and productivity for the Egyptian aquaculture industry.     

Exploring the impacts of different fasting and refeeding regimes on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.): growth performance,histopathological study,and expression levels of some muscle growth-related genes

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - The current study investigated how different fasting and refeeding regimes would impact Nile tilapia growth performance, histopathological examination, and gene...     

Growth performance,oxidative stress indices and hepatic carbohydrate metabolic enzymes activities of juvenile Nile tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus L., in response to dietary starch to protein ratios

The effect of various dietary starch to proteins ratios (STA/P) on growth performance, oxidative status and liver enzyme activities involved in intermediary metabolism in juvenile Nile tilapia was evaluated. Four isocaloric‐practical diets (12.73 MJ kg^?1 digestible energy) with increasing STA/CP ratios were formulated. These were designated D₀ (344 g crude protein (CP) and 163.5 g starch (STA) kg^?1), D₁ (310 g CP and 243 g STA kg^?1), D₂ (258 g CP and 322 g STA kg^?1) and D₃ (214 g CP and 401 g STA kg^?1). Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of 60 fish (2.7 g) for 45 days. Compared with the control diet (D₀), significantly (P < 0.05) depressed growth and feed efficiency were observed only in the groups fed on diet D₃. The activities of hepatic enzymes involved in glycolysis and lipogenesis pathways were significantly enhanced in groups fed on diet D₃ compared with other diets. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in catalase activity was detected only in groups fed on diet D₃. Similarly, a significant (P < 0.05) enhancement in superoxyde dismutase, glutathione S‐transferases and glutathione peroxidise was observed in groups fed on diets D₂ and D₃ compared with other diets. Results demonstrate the ability of juvenile Nile tilapia to spare protein by dietary carbohydrate.     

Effects of Zn2+ on Ca2+ uptake by mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum in permeabilized tilapia gill cells

An intracellular ATP-dependent Ca²⁺ pumping mechanism, distinct from mitochondrial Ca²⁺ accumulation, was identified within tilapia gill cells. Cell suspensions treated with 0.003% saponin, which selectively permeabilizes the plasma membrane, were used to characterize the Ca²⁺ sequentering mechanisms as endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria and to determine the effect of Zn²⁺ on their Ca²⁺ storing activity. Of the Ca²⁺ taken up by the endoplasmic reticulum, 80% was released by IP₃ (10 mol l^–1). The Ca²⁺ pump of the endoplasmic reticulum was 2.5 times less sensitive to Zn²⁺ (IC₅₀=0.05 nmol l^–1) than was the mitochondrial uptake mechanism (IC₅₀=0.20 nmol l^–1). The results indicate that Ca²⁺ is stored predominantly within the endoplasmic reticulum at 0.1 mol l^–1 and that this storing capacity is seriously attenuated by namomolar concentrations Zn²⁺.     

Yield and chromone content of Ammi visnaga in relation to nitrogen and phosphorus supply

A field experiment on an alluvial clay loam soil at Giza revealed that the dry matter yield, as well as N and P uptake of Ammi visnaga fruits or herb were significantly increased with nitrogen application up to 60 kg N/ha. P application up to 30 kg P₂0₅/ha significantly increased the dry matter yield and the uptake of N and P of herb, but did not significantly affect those of fruits. At maturity, most, if not all, chromones rest in the fruits. The concentration in herb (Stems + rays) did not exceed 0.01 %. Higher yields of total chomones, khelling and visnagin in fruits were brought about with nitrogen application at the rate of 60 kg N/ha. P application tends to increase all these parameter, yet all were nonsignificant. The interacting effect between nitrogen and phosphorus on these characters was insignificant. Plant analysis of leaves, stem, or shoot at 120, 135 and 150 days old plants revealed no relation between phosphorus concentration and final yield. However, nitrogen concentrations provided a good tool to evaluate the nutritional status of the plants. The critical level was 2.75, 1.85, or 1.45 % N in shoots of 120, 135, or 150 days old plants. The P % in these shoots was around 0.35–0.50 %.     

Endocrine disruption,oxidative stress,and testicular damage induced by 4-nonylphenol in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clarias gariepinus</Emphasis>: the protective role of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cydonia oblonga</Emphasis>

Exposure to xenoestrogens like 4-nonylphenol (NP) is recognized by disrupting endocrine functions and causes reproductive dysfunction in male fish. The present study aimed at investigating the 4-nonylphenol propensity to induce oxidative stress and hormonal disturbances in male catfish and at studying the protective role of quince (Cydonia oblonga). To fulfill this aim, catfish Clarias gariepinus were exposed to pure 100 μg/L 4-NP and to quince the leaf extract added to 4-NP, both for 15 days. The 4-NP exposure induced a marked increase in 17ß-estradiol (E2), LH, and cortisol, while thyroid hormone (TSH, T3), testosterone (T), and FSH levels noticeably decreased; however, 4-NP had no effect on T4 level. Moreover, 4-NP exposure was accompanied by histological impairments in testes. Existence of 4-NP was associated with oxidative damage as evidenced by the significant increase (p < 0.05) of the enzymes, superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), acetylcholinesterase (AchE), glutathione s-transferase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Adding quince was effective to neutralize hormonal levels and to repair the testicular histological alterations. In response to quince remedy, the enzymes AchE and MDA reduced significantly (p < 0.05), while limited or no response was detected for other tested enzymes. Our results concluded that quince can antagonize 4-NP toxicity in catfish, confirming that quince leaf extract displayed antioxidant activities against the toxicity of hazardous chemicals.     

Crude oil dissolution in saline water

The solubilities and diffusion coefficients of crude oils having API° ranging from 11 to 28 have been measured in distilled and saline water of 44 g L^?1 NaCl at temperatures 25, 35, and 45 °C. A linear relationship was observed between the maximum oil solubilities in distilled water and those in saline water for all the crudes over the range of temperature studied. The Setschenow salting-out parameter was found to be 0.125 independent of temperature and API°. Such a parameter is valuable in estimating the crude oil solubilities in waters of different salinity. An analytical solution for unsteady-state diffusion was done using Fourier series. A linear relationship was found between the diffusion coefficients of oils in distilled water and those in saline water. Observed data for diffusion coefficients of the oils have been correlated in terms of API°, temperature and ionic strength with an average absolute deviation of 2%.