Investigation into Alternative Energy Sources from Waste Citrus Peel (Orange): Approach to Environmental Protection

An experimental study has been carried out on an alternative source of energy from citrus peel waste. A widely used material, pectin, has been extracted from orange peel (OP) and subsequently converted into ethanol with the use of a bacteria and fungi. Dried peels were split into several particle sizes of 0.075, 0.5, 1.0 and 5 mm. It was noted that OP with 0.75 mm particle size produced pectin of low volume while larger 1.0 mm OP particle size produced a high pectin volume. OP of 802 g was used to produce 1,770 ml of pectin, this illustrate that citrus fruit (specifically orange) contains pectin in a large quantity. A mixture of E.coli (bacteria) with yeast (fungus), and their individual components were used on pectin obtained. However, it was observed that a mixture of pectin, E.coli & S. cerevisiae, and a combination of sample pectin with E.coli produced an encouraging volume of ethanol as against no ethanol produced when a mixture of sample pectin, yeast and pectin sample only. The amount of energy contained in the gross ethanol produced was 1526.6 btu, this can be combined with purified gasoline so as to attain the optimum energy content that can be used to run an indigenous processing plant for citrus fruit in Nigeria

High-Frequency Ultrasound Imaging of the Intestine in Normal Subjects and Patients with Intestinal Parasites

High-frequency ultrasound imaging was used to evaluate the intestinal walls of the duodenum and colon in patients with intestinal parasitic infections. Ultrasound images were obtained from 100 consecutive patients with symptomatic intestinal parasitic diseases and 40 healthy controls. High-frequency annular array transducer of 7.5 MHz was used to obtain B-mode ultrasound gray-scale and color images of the duodenum and colon with and without water contrast. The diagnosis of parasitic infections was based on clinical presentation, serial stool microscopy, and finding of parasites in duodenal aspirates. We demonstrated normal duodenum and colon echoanatomy in control subjects. In patients with giardiasis, the lesions of the duodenum and colon were associated with increased dimensions and wall thickness compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). The ultrasound features of giardial lesions were characterized by increased wall echogenicity, flattening or loss of duodenal folds, and/or colonic haustration, hyperechoic floating foci demonstrating chaotic motility, increased perilesional tissue echogenicity, and altered colonic peristalsis. In amebic lesions there were hyperechoic floating foci with bulk motility. There is loss of wall thickness at amebic ulcer sites or wall thickening at amebic granuloma. Helminths were visualized as large hyperechoic linear or curvilinear foci with serpentine or jolting motility. In conclusion, high-frequency B-mode ultrasound imaging with water contrast demonstrated details of duodenal and colonic echoanatomy in normal subjects and patients with giardiasis

BIOCONVERSION OF ORANGE PEEL WASTE BY ESCHERICHIA COLI AND SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE TO ETHANOL

An alternative energy sources using the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) waste as the feedstock was investigated, this is an approach to environmental protection. The extraction of pectin from sweet orange peel waste (pith) and the production of ethanol from the resultant liquid pectin with the aid of Escherichia coli (E.coli) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) were carried out. Dried pith was separated using various particle sizes ranging from 0.075, 0.5, 1.0 and 5 mm. It was observed that pith with particle size of 1.0 mm produced a larger volume of pectin while the pith with particle size of 0.075 mm produced the least volume of pectin. 1,770 mL pectin was obtained from 802 g of pith, this shows that citrus fruit (especially orange) contains a high amount of pectin. E.coli (bacteria), yeast (fungus) and a mixture of both were added to the produced pectin which was fermented to Ethanol. It was however noticed that sample pectin + E.coli + yeast and sample pectin + E.coli produced a good volume of ethanol but sample pectin only and sample pectin + yeast did not produce ethanol. The energy content of the total produced ethanol is 1526.6 btu which can be mixed with pure gasoline to obtain an optimum energy content that can be used to power a citrus processing plant in Nigeria. The purpose of this paper is to obtain an alternative energy source for citrus plants using the waste generated by them such as Orange peel