A comparative study of the hydrolysis of gamma irradiated lignocelluloses

The effect of high-dose irradiation as a pretreatment method on two common lignocellulosic materials; hardwood (Khaya senegalensis) and softwood (Triplochiton scleroxylon) were investigated by assessing the potential of cellulase enzyme derived from Aspergillus flavus Linn isolate NSPR 101 to hydrolyse the materials. The irradiation strongly affected the materials, causing the enzymatic hydrolysis to increase by more than 3 fold. Maximum digestibility occurred in softwood at 40kGy dosage of irradiation, while in hardwood it was at 90kGy dosage. The results also showed that, at the same dosage levels (p < 0.05), hardwood was hydrolysed significantly better compared to the softwood

The effect of total replacement of fish oil with DHA-Gold® and plant oils on growth and fillet quality of rainbow trout (\u3ci\u3eOncorhynchus mykiss\u3c/i\u3e) fed a plant-based diet

This study investigated the effect of the replacement of fish oil (FO) with DRA-Gold (DRA-G)-supplemented plant oils (PO) in rainbow trout fed plant-protein-based diets. Five diets (450 mg g-1 digestible protein and 150 mg g-I crude lipid) were fed to rainbow trout (initial weight 37 ± 0.5 g) for 12 weeks in a 15°C recirculating water system. The lipid inclusion types and levels were FO, PO and PO with DRAG supplemented at 30 mg g-1, 60 mg g-1 or 90 mg g-1 of the diet replacement for corn oil. Fish fed 90 mg g-I DRA-G were significantly larger and consumed more feed than fishfed PO or FO (218 g and 2.6% bwd-1 versus 181 g and 2.4% and 190 g and 2.3%, respectively). Feed conversion ratio was significantly increased in fish fed 90 mg g-1 DHAG (0.99) as compared to fish-fed FO (0.90) and 30 mg g-1 DHA-G (0.91). Panellists found trout fillets from fish fed the 90 mg g-1 DHA-G diet to have significantly fishier aroma and flavour than fish fed the FO diet. Fatty acid analysis demonstrated that 60 mg g-1 or 90 mg g-1 DHA-G supplementation increased PO fed fish fillet DHA to fatty acid levels equivalent or higher than those fish fed a FO diet

Validation of wet chemistry method as alternative to gas chromatography for biogas methane content determination

Anaerobic digestion technology has the potential for simultaneous waste treatment and biogas generation. Its rate of dissemination and adoption in most developing countries has however, slowed down for many years partly due to inadequate research facilities such as advanced gas measuring equipment, and associated cost of analyses. This study, therefore, tested and validated the use of classical wet chemistry analysis method (CWCAM) as a readily accessible and cheaper alternative to gas chromatographic method (GCM), for determining the proportion of methane (CH4) in produced biogas. Biogas samples were simultaneously collected every week in 5 ml and 20 ml hypodermic syringes, from a digester in which cassava vinasse (CV) was being codigested with poultry droppings (PD), using ruminal fluids of cattle (RFC) as inoculum. While samples in 5ml syringes were analyzed using the GCM, the 20 ml samples were analyzed using the CWCAM, to determine the percentage of methane in the biogas samples collected each week. The corresponding volumes, corrected to standard temperature and pressure (STP) condition was then calculated. The results from both analytical methods were statistically analyzed and compared using the Data Analysis tool in Microsoft Office Excel. The difference in results from the two methods ranged from -3 to +2.9% with CWCAM giving slightly higher values of methane percentage. Overall, a relatively high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9728) and low standard error (SE = 1.4) of the regression equation between the two sets of results indicate that the two methods may be used interchangeably. &nbsp