BioResources (E-Journal)
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Pistachio Shell Powder as an Additive in Molded Pulp Products
No full textMolded pulp products (MPP) products can accommodate a variety of fiber types and additives, including agricultural residues. This work showed the industrial scale production of molded pulp food trays made of double lined kraft clipping fibers with the addition of pistachio shell (PS) powder at levels from 5 to 30 wt% and evaluated the mechanical and barrier properties of the trays. The PS powder used to make the trays was ground using an impact mill and a cryo mill to a D50 of approximately 50 microns. Tray compression strength was tested to simulate the wrapping of food trays with plastic wrap. Additionally, the tray material’s basis weight, thickness, density, tensile strength, short span compressive strength, and absorptiveness were determined. The results showed that compared to the control tray sample, the trays containing the cryo-milled pistachio powder had essentially the same engineering properties as the control trays without PS. For the trays made with the impact-milled powder, the tensile strength, bending resistance, and compressive strength increased relative to the control 11.3%, 6.2%, and 13.5%, respectively. The study demonstrates a method to evaluate the incorporation of alternative materials into pulp molded products.
Assessment of Extracts and Hydrosol from Yarrow as Wood Preservative and Its Effects on Physical Performance
No full textThis study aimed to assess the applicability of the extract and hydrosol obtained from the yarrow (Achillea millefolium) plant, which has grown widely in places where the Mediterranean climate prevails, as an impregnation agent for wooden materials. Red pine (Pinus brutia), oriental beech (Fagus orientalis), and walnut (Juglans regia) were selected as test samples of wood. An immersion method was used for the impregnation process that was performed for different time periods, 30 min (short), 3 h, (medium), and 24 h (long). Following the impregnation process, test samples were soaked in water for 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h to determine some physical properties of wooden material (retention, specific gravity, shrinkage, swelling, and water uptake). The results revealed that the highest retention after yarrow extract impregnation was achieved with red pine at 10% hydrosol concentration (2.29%) in a 30 min period whereas the lowest retention was observed with walnut material at 10% hydrosol concentration (1.17%) within a 24 h period. Yarrow extract did not have a significant effect on the physical properties of impregnated wooden materials; however, it was argued that the hydrosol was effective in the dimensional stability of all test samples due to its water-repellent properties
Performance and Profitability of Growing Ginger Using Single Bud Technique under High Density Arecanut-based Multispecies Cropping System
No full textThe performance of five known ginger cultivars of eastern India, namely Gorubathan, Suruchi, Suprabha, Bhaisay and a Local collection, were studied in an eight-year-old 2.7 m × 2.7 m spaced arecanut plantation at Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya within the Teraiagro-ecological region of West Bengal. Plantlets of ginger were raised through single bud sprout techniques (SBT) using 5 g cut piece of rhizome with a plump bud and transplanted under an arecanut-based high density crop model along with bay leaf and citrus as component crops. Different ginger cultivars showed considerable variations with respect to their growth behavior and yield. The Local cultivar produced vigorous growth with a higher average number of tillers (5.83) per plant with maximum height (57.6 cm). However, the cultivar Suprabha proved its superiority over other cultivars with respect to rhizome yield, producing 2.45 tons from one hectare of crop model, with 11% net cropped area of ginger and possessing a higher benefit cost ratio (6.51)
Feasibility of Bio-Based Molasses and Citric Acid for The Manufacturing of Oil Palm Frond Particleboard
No full textThe oil palm frond (OPF) particleboard can be manufactured using bio-adhesive-based molasses and citric acid (MOCA) at different ratios. Before particleboard manufacture, each bio-adhesive was diluted in distilled water with a solid content of 59 wt% at three different mixture ratios of MO and CA (100:0, 75:25, and 50:50). Subsequently, the OPF particles were mixed with MOCA adhesives, oven-dried at 80 °C for 12 h, and then hot pressed at 200 °C for 10 min. In general, the basic properties and thermal behaviour of the MO adhesive changed with the increasing amount of CA. The MOCA adhesives had a lower gelation time, viscosity, pH, and a comparable solids content to that of the pure MO adhesive. The thermal behaviour of the MOCA adhesive showed an alteration in the melting point with slightly lower weight loss during thermal degradation. Applying MOCA adhesive in OPF particleboard manufacturing significantly increased its physical properties, including dimensional stabilization and mechanical properties. The OPF particleboard bonded with the MOCA adhesive at a 50:50 mixture ratio generated a product with higher dimensional stabilization and the best mechanical properties. The latter product fulfilled the JIS A 5908:2003 standard, except for the MOR and SHS parameters
Influence of Zeolite, Kaolin, and Chitosan on the Growth and Productivity of Strawberry
No full textAlthough chemical fertilizers increase crop productivity, they have undesirable effects on the environment, soil fertility, and negatively influence fruit shelf life and quality. Therefore, the application of plant biostimulants and biostimulant-like substances has become necessary to improve the availability and absorption of nutrients, enhance growth, yield, quality, and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, and serve as an alternative to mineral fertilizers. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of zeolite, kaolin (KL), and chitosan (Cs) in alleviating abiotic stress and improving productivity and quality of strawberry plants. Strawberry plants were soil fertilized by zeolite at 0, 2, and 3 kg and then they were sprayed with 2% g/L KL + 500 ppm Cs, 4% KL + 1000 ppm Cs, and 6% KL + 1500 ppm Cs. The individual application of zeolite improved the performance of strawberry plants, and its influence greatly increased with the combination spraying of different combinations from KL + Cs. The highest increments resulted from the application of 3 and 2 kg of zeolite combined with the spraying of 4% KL + 1000 ppm Cs and 6% KL + 1500 ppm Cs compared to non-treated plants
Improvement of Acoustic Properties of Alder and Soft Maple Modified with Wood Rot Fungi
No full textWood has been used as the primary material for musical instruments for a long time. The density and elastic modulus of wood are known to be important factors in determining its acoustic properties of stringed instruments. The objective of this study was to show that fungal decay processes can be applied to improve the acoustic quality of the woods. The effects of biological modification of two woods, alder and soft maple, which were treated with wood rot fungi, were evaluated in terms of density (r), dynamic modulus of elasticity along the wood grain (EL), acoustic constant (A), and acoustic conversion efficiency (ACE). Incubation of two woods in eight species of wood rot fungi was carried out for 4 weeks. Among the fungi, Trametes versicolor and Ceriporia lacerata significantly increases the A (33.0% and 21.0%, respectively) and ACE (50.4% and 37.6%, respectively) values of alder woods. These two strains also increased the A (51.4% and 29.1%, respectively) and ACE (42.4% and 35.3%, respectively) values of soft maple. This study showed that fungal treatment significantly altered the density and elastic modulus of wood, which ultimately influenced the factor A value and the ACE value, both of which determine sound quality
Integration of Intangible Cultural Heritage Elements into Furniture Design Based on Symbolic Semantics and AHP: A Case Study of Qianci
No full textThis study explored methods for integrating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements into modern furniture design, using Qianci as an example. Through symbolic semantics analysis, the cultural external layers of form, color, craftsmanship, and composition and the cultural internal layers of symbolic meaning, ideology, religious beliefs, and moral ethics of Qianci symbols were interpreted, extracting core design elements suitable for modern furniture design. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a hierarchical model was established to integrate intangible cultural heritage symbols with furniture design, quantitatively analyzing the importance of key elements in the design process. The results indicate that cultural symbolism, form design, cultural element integration, decorative patterns, cultural heritage value, and environmental friendliness are key indicators in furniture design. Accordingly, two thematic furniture design proposals were developed and evaluated, confirming the innovative potential and application value of Qianci symbols in modern furniture design. This study provides new perspectives and practical examples for the revitalization of intangible cultural heritage elements and the diversification of furniture design
Analysis of Spontaneous Ignition Temperature and Flash Point for Predicting Fire Risk in Biomass Fuel Pellet Storage
No full textBiomass pellet fuel is one of the alternative renewable energy sources, which has an important place in the fuel market. This article analyses the spontaneous ignition temperature and flash point temperature, which are the most important characteristics for fire risk prediction, especially in the storage. The Norway spruce pellet and experimental pellet with digestate sawdust were tested according to ISO 871: 2010. The novelty of this research is the application of the Setchin Furnace test. The spontaneous ignition temperature for the Norway spruce pellet and the experimental pellet were established as 420 and 450 °C, respectively. The flash point temperature for the Norway spruce pellet was 330 °C and for the experimental pellet 320 °C. The activation energy was higher for the Norway spruce pellet (65.4 KJ.mol-1) for spontaneous ignition temperature and for the experimental pellet (42.1 KJ.mol-1) for flash point temperature
Essential Oils from Citrus Fruit Peels to Control Foodborne Bacteria in Fresh-cut Guava Fruits
No full textPeels from Citrus sinensis and C. limon were used for the preparation of essential oils. The hydrodistilled citrus peels presented various compounds, including cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)-, (S)- (91.8%) and 7-methyl-3-methylene-1,6-octadiene(3.40%). Compared with the essential oils isolated from C. limon, the C. sinensis essential oil showed maximum radical scavenging activity, with an IC50 value of 4.31 µg/mL. Bacillus subtilis growth was generally inhibited by essential oils, and the zone of inhibition was 21 ± 1 mm, while the zone of inhibition was 20 ± 2 mm against Escherichia coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration ranged from 12 ± 1 to 128 ± 2.6 µg/mL. Similarly, essential oils presented lower minimum bactericidal concentrations against Bacillus subtilis, followed by Escherichia coli. The antimicrobial activity was tested using packed samples of fresh-cut guava fruit stored under refrigeration. The essential oil-treated guava fruit presented a decreased viable cell count. After 2 days of C. sinensis and C. limon essential oil treatment, the reduction in B. subtilis was approximately 1.7 log CFU/g compared with that of the control. In cut fruits treated with L. monocytogenes, the essential oils significantly reduced the bacterial population, and a 7 log CFU/g reduction was achieved after 8 days of treatment (p<0.05)
Some Bioactivities of Limonium meyeri Extracts and their Separated Compounds
No full textThe antimicrobial and tyrosinase enzyme inhibition activities of various extracts and isolated compounds of Limonium meyeri were investigated. Apigenin-7-O-β-glucuronide and myricetin 3-O-α-rhamnoside were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction using chromatographic methods. Methanol extract showed 62.0% and ethyl acetate extract showed 57.6% tyrosinase enzyme inhibition activities at 400 µg/mL concentration. Myricetin 3-O-α-rhamnoside (IC50 = 27.7 ± 0.6 µg/mL) showed higher tyrosinase enzyme inhibitory effect than apigenin-7-O-β-glucuronide (IC50 = 43.0 ± 0.9 µg/mL). n-Hexane extract was found to be effective against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 1 µg/mL), while methanol extract was effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC = 16 µg/mL). Myricetin 3-O-α-rhamnoside showed antimicrobial effect against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 128 µg/mL). Thus, Limonium meyeri and its compounds may provide valuable insights for future studies as antityrosinase and antibacterial agents