Physical and Chemical Properties of Biodiesel Obtained from Amazon Sailfin Catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) Biomass Oil

Amazon sailfin catfish (Pterygoplichthys pardalis) is considered one of the greatest threats to the biodiversity of continental aquatic systems, causing serious economic and environmental problems in the regions. In this work, the production of biodiesel from Amazon sailfin catfish biomass oil is studied. The physical and chemical properties of biofuel produced were evaluated under the specifications of the European standard EN-14214 by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectrometry analyses. The results show that the biodiesel complies with all the specifications of the standard, except the content of polyunsaturated methyl esters. The yields obtained from oil and biodiesel were 9.67 and 90.71% (m/m), respectively. The methyl ester concentrations study identified 17 components where 47.003% m/m corresponded to methyl esters with saturated chains, whereas 34.394% m/m was attributed to monosaturated methyl esters and the remaining (18.624% m/m) to polysaturated methyl esters. Finally, mineral analysis by atomic absorption showed the absence of heavy metals Cd, Ni, and Pb, as well as low concentrations of Ni, Fe, Cu, and Zn, demonstrating that the quality of the fuel is not compromised. The study indicates the feasibility of manufacturing biodiesel using Amazon sailfin catfish biomass oil as a low-cost raw material. It represents an environmental option to mitigate a global problem of atmospheric pollution, and at the same time, it shows a commercial alternative to reduce the ecological impact caused by this fish in the diverse ecosystems to which it has spread. In addition, the great adaptability of this fish provides the possibility of a profitable process to have very high rates of reproduction and growth, allowing the generation of large amounts of biomass for the production of biodiesel

Isolation of microsatellite loci in the Amazon sailfin catfish Pterygoplichlhys pardalis (Castelneau, 1855) (Teleostei: Loricariidae)

Pterygoplichlhys pardalis is an important freshwater ornamental fish in the Amazon Basin. Studies involving populations of P. pardalis are of great importance for the conservation and management of this species. We developed nine microsatellite loci and applied them to investigate the genetic variation of 20 wild individuals from floodplain lakes of the Solimões river. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 12, with an average of 6. 6. The observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0. 400 to 0. 923 (average 0. 706) and from 0. 358 to 0. 895 (average 0. 692), respectively. The value of f ranged from -0. 532 to 0. 467 (average 0. 032). One locus (Pp07) significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction (P: (5 %) < 0. 006). No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected. These microsatellite loci will contribute towards studies of genetic diversity and conservation of P. pardalis. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V