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Applied Radiation and Isotopes :... Jun 2024The plant acts as an important route for the transfer of radionuclides from the soil to animals, leading to the transfer of radiation to human food products such as beef...
The plant acts as an important route for the transfer of radionuclides from the soil to animals, leading to the transfer of radiation to human food products such as beef and milk. Therefore, the level of radioactivity in fodder plays a crucial role in deciding whether cattle may be allowed to graze in a certain area. In this study, the activities of Ra, Th and K were measured via gamma-ray spectrometry on different fodder samples, including napier leaves, rice straw, corn stalks, guinea grass, mixed pasture, palm oil leaves and palm kernel collected from Penang, Malaysia. Theoretical calculations were also conducted to estimate the levels of these radionuclides in caw's products (beef and milk), as well as their potential radiological impact on local consumers. On average, the annual effective dose due to ingestion of radionuclides in milk was 11.39 μSv y, whereas in beef it was 5.63 μSv y. These values are significantly lower than the worldwide average of 290 μSv y. Research confirmed that farmers' usage of the aforementioned feeds did not cause any radiation-related health risks.
PubMed: 38944898
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2024.111413 -
Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam,... Jun 2024This study assessed the viability of an anion-exchange microbial fuel cell (MFC) for extracting electricity from palm oil mill effluent (POME), a major pollutant in...
This study assessed the viability of an anion-exchange microbial fuel cell (MFC) for extracting electricity from palm oil mill effluent (POME), a major pollutant in palm-oil producing regions due to increasing demand. The MFC incorporated a tubular membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with an air core, featuring a carbon-painted carbon-cloth cathode, an anion exchange membrane (AEM), and a nonwoven graphite fabric (NWGF) anode. An additional carbon brush (CB) anode was placed adjacent to the tubular MEA. The MFC operated under semi-batch conditions with POME replacement every 7 days. Results showed superior performance of the AEM, with the highest power density (P) observed in POME-treated MFCs. Current and power density increased with CB addition; the best chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency reached 73 %, decreasing from 1249 to 332 mg/L with three CBs. The P was 0.18 W/m(-|-) with 1000 mg/L COD and three CBs, dropping to 0.0031 W/m(-|-) without CB and at 410 mg/L COD. Anode resistance, calculated using organic matter supplementation, COD, and anode surface area, decreased with increased COD or surface area, improving electricity production. AEM and CB compatibility synergistically enhanced MFC performance, offering potential for POME wastewater treatment and energy recovery.
PubMed: 38943780
DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108770 -
IET Nanobiotechnology 2024The desire to reduce reliance on oil resources arises from the concerns about carbon footprint and nonrenewability. Conversely, the global presence of over 100 million...
The desire to reduce reliance on oil resources arises from the concerns about carbon footprint and nonrenewability. Conversely, the global presence of over 100 million palm trees poses a significant challenge due to the substantial amount of biowaste generated annually. Additionally, the use of nanocellulose (NC) as a cost-effective material is steadily gaining recognition for its growing adaptability over time. The main goal of this study is to biosynthesized NC from Iraqi date palm leaves waste with low-concentration acid-alkali treatment. The date palm leaves waste yields 20 g of NC from 100 g of leaves before acid hydrolysis treatment. The chemical components of biosynthesized NC were 47.90%, 26.78%, and 24.67% for -cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, respectively. In order to study their properties, NC from raw date palm leaves was studied by microscopic techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and atomic force microscope (AFM). SEM results revealed rod-like structured NC as well as combined long-fine fibrous structures rather than compacted bundles with sizes ranging between 31 and 74 nm. With EDX, all spectra exhibit the peaks of carbon and oxygen as the main elements with 63.8% and 10.44%, respectively, in their compositions, which relate to the typical composition of cellulose. The 3D image of AFM NC with a tapping mode presented a highly uniform distribution of NC with a size of ∼15 nm. The statistical roughness analysis shows that the obtained roughness average is 7.20 nm with the root-mean-square roughness value of 21.56 nm, which corresponded relatively with the micrographs of SEM. The results of this study demonstrate the promise of using date palm waste as raw material to produce NC as green nanocomposite from biodegradable nanomaterials for water purification and sustained drug delivery for biomedical applications. In this regard and because of the insufficient reports about the extraction of NC from palm tree leaves waste, the objective of this study was designed to fabricate NC biologically from fibers sourced from the waste of Iraqi date palm leaves that left in agricultural lands or burned, which can be an ecological and health problem as a bionanocomposites in the medical and industrial field and as alternative resources of wood materials.
Topics: Cellulose; Phoeniceae; Plant Leaves; Nanostructures
PubMed: 38938743
DOI: 10.1049/2024/7867463 -
Plant Disease Jun 2024is a basidiomycete pathogen of African oil palm () and the causal agent of basal stem rot (BSR) disease, which is the most destructive fungal disease of oil palm in...
is a basidiomycete pathogen of African oil palm () and the causal agent of basal stem rot (BSR) disease, which is the most destructive fungal disease of oil palm in Southeast Asia. The disease is fatal for infected palms and can result in 50 to 80% losses in oil yields because of a reduction in productive life span and a yield decline of infected oil palms. In this study, isolates collected from different locations and planting blocks with different palm ages were molecularly characterized using microsatellite genotyping. Results showed high pathogen genetic diversity (H = 0.67 to 0.74) among planting blocks and between oil palm estates. Two nearby planting blocks with similar planting ages (i.e., 1999 and 2001) had a similar percentage of BSR incidence (>20%) but showed distinct genetic structure as detected using STRUCTURE. Similar results were obtained from another trial site where planting blocks differing in planting age but located only less than 1 km apart showed a diverse genetic background. The pathogen genetic admixture of the oldest planting (>30% BSR incidence) differed significantly from the younger planting (1.8 to 2.8% BSR incidence, breeding trial block), suggesting that the host-pathogen genotype interaction may impact the genetic variation over time. The genetic structure of , as revealed in this study, implies positive selection resulting from the pathogen genetic variation, host-pathogen interaction, and possible introductions of novel genetic variants (through spores) from adjacent plantings. These findings offer new insights into the genetic changes of over time. The information is essential to design disease management strategies and breeding for BSR resistance in oil palm.
PubMed: 38937876
DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-07-23-1426-SC -
Spectrochimica Acta. Part A, Molecular... Jun 2024As a unconventional oil, perilla oil is much more expensive than conventional oils since it has the highest content of α-linolenic acid among vegetable oils. Thus the...
As a unconventional oil, perilla oil is much more expensive than conventional oils since it has the highest content of α-linolenic acid among vegetable oils. Thus the adulteration of perilla oil is serious, which needs to be solved. In this study, the single component oil in perilla oil blends were first quantitatively analyzed by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy combined with chemometric methods. Soybean oil and palm oil were added into perilla oil to form binary and ternary perilla oil blends. Partial least squares (PLS), back propagation-artificial neural network (BP-ANN), support vector regression (SVR) and extreme learning machine (ELM) were compared and the best model was selected for calibration. In order to improve the prediction performance of the calibration model, ten preprocessing methods and five variable selection methods were investigated. Results show that PLS was the best calibration method for binary and ternary perilla oil blends. For binary perilla oil blends, the correlation coefficients of prediction (R) obtained by PLS were both above 0.99, which does not need preprocessing and variable selection. For ternary perilla oil blends, after the best continuous wavelet transform (CWT) preprocessing and discretized whale optimization algorithm (WOA) variable selection, the R values obtained by the best model CWT-WOA-PLS were all above 0.97. This research provides a common framework for calibration of perilla oil blends, which maybe a promising method for quality control of perilla oil in industry.
PubMed: 38936207
DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2024.124710 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Water scarcity is a significant constraint on agricultural practices, particularly in Colombia, where numerous palm cultivators rely on rainfed systems for their...
Water scarcity is a significant constraint on agricultural practices, particularly in Colombia, where numerous palm cultivators rely on rainfed systems for their plantations. Identifying drought-tolerant cultivars becomes pivotal to mitigating the detrimental impacts of water stress on growth and productivity. This study scrutinizes the variability in drought responses of growth, physiological, and biochemical variables integral to selecting drought-tolerant oil palm cultivars in the nursery. A comprehensive dataset was compiled by subjecting seedlings of eleven cultivars to four soil water potentials (-0.05 MPa, -0.5 MPa, -1 MPa, and -2 MPa) over 60 days. This dataset encompasses growth attributes, photosynthetic parameters like maximum quantum yield and electron transfer rate, gas exchange (photosynthesis, transpiration, and water use efficiency), levels of osmolytes (proline and sugars), abscisic acid (ABA) content, as well as antioxidant-related enzymes, including peroxidase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) elucidated two principal components that account for approximately 65% of the cumulative variance. Noteworthy enzyme activity was detected for glutathione reductase and ascorbate peroxidase. When juxtaposed with the other evaluated cultivars, one of the cultivars (IRHO 7001) exhibited the most robust response to water deficit. The six characteristics evaluated (photosynthesis, predawn water potential, proline, transpiration, catalase activity, sugars) were determined to be the most discriminant when selecting palm oil cultivars with tolerance to water deficit.
PubMed: 38931030
DOI: 10.3390/plants13121598 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Phytopathogenic species pose a significant threat to global plant health, resulting in estimated annual economic losses exceeding USD (US Dollars) 68 billion in the... (Review)
Review
Phytopathogenic species pose a significant threat to global plant health, resulting in estimated annual economic losses exceeding USD (US Dollars) 68 billion in the agriculture and forestry sectors worldwide. To combat this pervasive menace effectively, a comprehensive understanding of the biology, ecology, and plant infection mechanisms of these pathogens is imperative. This comprehensive review critically examines various aspects of spp., including their intricate life cycle, their disease mechanisms, and the multifaceted environmental factors influencing their spread. Recent studies have quantified the economic impact of infections, revealing staggering yield losses ranging from 20% to 80% across various crops. In particular, oil palm plantations suffer devastating losses, with an estimated annual reduction in yield exceeding 50 million metric tons. Moreover, this review elucidates the dynamic interactions between and host plants, delineating the pathogen's colonization strategies and its elicitation of intricate plant defense responses. This comprehensive analysis underscores the imperative for adopting an integrated approach to disease management. By synergistically harnessing cultural practices, biological control, and chemical treatments and by deploying resistant plant varieties, substantial strides can be made in mitigating infestations. Furthermore, a collaborative effort involving scientists, breeders, and growers is paramount in the development and implementation of sustainable strategies against this pernicious plant pathogen. Through rigorous scientific inquiry and evidence-based practices, we can strive towards safeguarding global plant health and mitigating the dire economic consequences inflicted by infections.
PubMed: 38921400
DOI: 10.3390/jof10060414 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Jun 2024This review investigates coconut as a sustainable and nutrient-rich plant-based alternative to traditional animal-based food sources. We have explored the nutritional... (Review)
Review
This review investigates coconut as a sustainable and nutrient-rich plant-based alternative to traditional animal-based food sources. We have explored the nutritional profile, culinary versatility, particularly focusing on the use of coconut meat, milk, cream, and oil in diverse dietary contexts when consumed in balance. Comparative analysis with animal-derived products reveals the high content of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), essential vitamins, and minerals in coconut, contrasted with its lower protein content. Researchers have underscored the environmental sustainability of coconut, advocating for its role in eco-friendly food production chains. We have also addressed challenges like potential allergies, nutritional balance, sensory attributes, and consumer motivations for coconut-based products, in terms of understanding the market dynamics. In conclusion, this review positions coconut as a promising candidate within sustainable diet frameworks, advocating for further research to augment its nutritional value, sensory characteristics, and product stability, thereby facilitating its integration into health-conscious and eco-centric dietary practices.
PubMed: 38920018
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09838 -
G3 (Bethesda, Md.) Jun 2024Elaeis guineensis and E. oleifera are the two species of oil palm. E. guineensis is the most widely cultivated commercial species, and introgression of desirable traits...
Elaeis guineensis and E. oleifera are the two species of oil palm. E. guineensis is the most widely cultivated commercial species, and introgression of desirable traits from E. oleifera is ongoing. We report an improved E. guineensis genome assembly with substantially increased continuity and completeness, as well as the first chromosome-scale E. oleifera genome assembly. Each assembly was obtained by integration of long-read sequencing, proximity ligation sequencing, optical mapping and genetic mapping. High interspecific genome conservation is observed between the two species. The study provides the most extensive gene annotation to date, including 46,697 E. guineensis and 38,658 E. oleifera gene predictions. Analyses of repetitive element families further resolve the DNA repeat architecture of both genomes. Comparative genomic analyses identified experimentally validated small structural variants between the oil palm species and resolved the mechanism of chromosomal fusions responsible for the evolutionary descending dysploidy from 18 to 16 chromosomes.
PubMed: 38918881
DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae135 -
Nutrition Reviews Jun 2024Vitamin E, a well-known antioxidant with numerous positive effects on human health, encompasses tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), a natural variant abundant in palm oil.
CONTEXT
Vitamin E, a well-known antioxidant with numerous positive effects on human health, encompasses tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), a natural variant abundant in palm oil.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review analyzed findings from randomized controlled trials published until 2022 to evaluate the health impacts of palm TRF.
DATA SOURCES
A literature search was performed in Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, OVID Medline, SCOPUS, and Web of Science from inception until December 2022. Thirty studies involving 2646 patients, including both healthy individuals and those with underlying conditions, were identified.
RESULTS
This review shows palm TRF to be a promising natural supplement against inflammation and lipid peroxidation and that can significantly enhance overall health. Additionally, the study underscores the necessity for further research to ascertain the optimal dosage, formulation, and duration of supplementation, maximizing the potential health advantages.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review provides evidence supporting the health benefits associated with palm TRF.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO registration no. CRD42020204070.
PubMed: 38916919
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae061