Comparison of hydrogel- and xerogel-based sorbent from Empty Fruit Bunch (EFB)

Purpose: This paper focuses on the synthesis and comparison of hydrogel- and xerogel-based sorbents from EFB. Design/methodology/approach: Hydrogels were synthesised by polymerisation of EFB biochar with acrylamide (AAm) as a monomer, N, N'-Methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as cross-linker and ammonium persulfate (APS) as initiator, as well as by internal gelation method of sodium alginate, empty fruit bunch (EFB), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and glucono delta-lactone (GDL). From the alginate hydrogels obtained, xerogels were synthesised via the oven-drying method. Then, EFB-based hydrogel and xerogel sorbents were analysed and compared based on characterisation analysis by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer− Emmett−Teller (BET), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Findings: The xerogel-based EFB is a better adsorbent than the hydrogel-based EFB because it has a larger pore volume (0.001449 cm3/g), larger pore size (63.7987 nm), higher moisture content (7.97%), lower ash content (12.55%), and is more thermally stable. Research limitations/implications: The research is to compare two new adsorbents, namely Hydrogel and Xerogel, from EFB in terms of their characteristics. Practical implications: Both adsorbents show a highly toxic material uptake, especially EFB xerogel. This adsorbent is comparable with the other commercialised adsorbent. Thus, this product can be a highly potential adsorbent for gas and wastewater adsorption. Originality/value: The authenticity results of this article were found to be 15% similar. The novelty of this paper is to compare the two adsorbents, namely hydrogel and xerogel, that originated from EFB

Nodulin gene expression during soybean (Glycine max) nodule development.

In vitro translation products of total RNA isolated from soybean nodules at successive stages of nodule development were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. In that way the occurrence of over 20 mRNAs specifically transcribed from nodulin genes was detected. The nodulin genes could be divided into two classes according to the time of expression during nodule development. Class A comprises at least 4 nodulin mRNAs which are found when a globular meristem is present in the root cortex. These class A nodulin genes have a transient expression. Class B nodulin genes are expressed when the formation of a nodule structure has been completed. Bradyrhizobium japonicum nod fix-mutants, with large deletions spanning the nif H,DK region, still induced nodules showing normal expression of all nodulin genes, indicating that the nif H,DK region is not involved in the induction of nodulin genes. In nodules induced by Bradyrhizobium japonicum nod fix-mutant HS124 the bacteria are rarely released from the infection thread and the few infected cells appear to be collapsed. All class A and class B nodulin genes are expressed in HS124 nodules with the exception of 5 class B genes

Asparagine in plants

Interest in plant asparagine has rapidly taken off over the past 5 years following the report that acrylamide, a neurotoxin and potential carcinogen, is present in cooked foods, particularly carbohydrate-rich foods such as wheat and potatoes which are subjected to roasting, baking or frying at high temperatures. Subsequent studies showed that acrylamide could be formed in foods by the thermal degradation of free asparagine in the presence of sugars in the Maillard reaction. In this article, our current knowledge of asparagine in plants and in particular its occurrence in cereal seeds and potatoes is reviewed and discussed in relation to acrylamide formation. There is now clear evidence that soluble asparagine accumulates in most if not all plant organs during periods of low rates of protein synthesis and a plentiful supply of reduced nitrogen. The accumulation of asparagine occurs during normal physiological processes such as seed germination and nitrogen transport. However, in addition, stress-induced asparagine accumulation can be caused by mineral deficiencies, drought, salt, toxic metals and pathogen attack. The properties and gene regulation of the enzymes involved in asparagine synthesis and breakdown in plants are discussed in detail