Influence of Nutrient Contents and Particle Sizes on the Functional Characteristics of Moringa oleifera Leaf (Lam) Powders | Chapter 8 | Food Science and Agriculture: Research Highlights Vol. 1

Background: The Moringa  oleifera  is a tree native to Asia and widely cultivated in sub-Saharan Africa and all Cameroon regions. Their nutritional and medicinal potential has recently appealed to the attention of various researchers and industries worldwide.

Objective: This study aims to determine the influence of the contents of compounds and particle size on the functional properties of leaf powders of M. oleifera.

Methodology: The leaves were collected from three farms in the localities of Mbouda and Maroua and processed in powders. The M. oleifera leaf powders were analyzed for moisture, protein, lipid, and ash contents. The proximate composition, some functional properties such as particle size, true Water Absorption Capacity (WACt), apparent Water Absorption Capacity (WACa), Water Solubility Index (WSI), Oil Holding Capacity (OHC), and Bulk density were determined. Stat-graphic Centurion 15.2 software (StatPoint Technologies, Inc, Warrenton, Virginia, USA) was used for statistical analysis.

Results: The mean contents of young and mature leaves powders are 24.96 ± 0.29 and 23.13 ± 0.50 g/100 DM in total proteins; 34.26 ± 0.52 and 29.11 ± 1.44 g/100g DM in available carbohydrate, 8.34 ± 0.64 and 8.34 ± 0.68 g/100g DM in total lipids, 8.75 ± 0.74 and 9.08 ± 0.48 g/100g DM in total ash, 21.13 ± 1.34 and 27.14 ± 1.04 g/100g DM in total fibers, respectively. The particle size of young and mature leaf powders of M. oleifera varies from 40 to 800 µm. The particle size of powders is majority large. The fiber's contents significantly affect the increase of rehydration properties and the OHC, while the large particle size, the density. Values of WACt and WACa are 27.02 ± 0.20 and 32.88 ± 1.24 % in young leaves and 28.98 ± 0.15 and 35.88 ± 1.02 % in mature leaves, respectively. The WSI and OHC are 3.02 ± 0.06 and 257 ± 1% in young leaves and 3.5 ± 0.04 and 261 ± 2 % in mature leaves, respectively. The Bulk density is 0.42 ± 0.01 g/ml in young leaves and 0.39 ± 0.01 in mature leaves.

Conclusion: Functional properties of M. oleifera leaf powders do not always depend on the contents of compounds and particle size distribution. To maximize these properties, fiber contents and the more abundant particle size should be considered. 

 

Author (s) Details

 

Assiéné Agamou Julien Armel}
Department of Home Economics, University of Douala, PO. Box 24 157 Douala, Cameroon.

 

Assiéné Oyong Damase Serge
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Douala, PO. 2 701 Douala, Cameroon.

Ngah Esther
Department of Food Sciences and Nutrition, University of Ngaoundere, 455, Ngaoundere, Cameroon.

 

 Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/fsarh/v1/4545

Nematicidal Action of Chitosan Nanoformulation: A Detailed Study | Chapter 6 | Chemistry and Biochemistry: Research Progress Vol. 2

Biopolymers are naturally occurring materials formed during the life cycle of plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. Chitosan is the second most abundant biopolymer available in the world, second only to cellulose. It is found in crustaceous shells, e.g., those of crabs, shrimps, prawns, and fungi, as well as insect exoskeletons. The use of nano-formulations for the management of pests and diseases is receiving increased interest with the advancement of nanotechnology. Here, chitosan nanospheres were obtained from chitosan using the ionic gelation technique. The nano-formulations obtained were characterized using a particle size analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and a transmission electron microscope. The efficacy of chitosan nanospheres in suppressing the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita was studied. The particle size of nanospheres formulated for this study was 380.2 nm, with a polydispersity index (PI) of 0.4 and zeta potential of 45.7 or 50.9 mV at pH 5.2. The chitosan nanospheres were spherical, and the particles did not agglomerate. FTIR spectra of the chitosan nanospheres peaked at 3334 cm-1, thereby indicating the stretching of the OH and NH groups. In in-vitro studies, chitosan nanospheres showed significant nematicidal activity against M. incognita. Under pot culture conditions, chitosan nanospheres (1% active compound chitosan) at 2 ml/plant decreased the nematode population in roots or soil. Compared to the control, the number of galls was reduced by 83.68%, the number of egg masses by 83.85%, the number of adult females by 66.56%, and the number of second-stage juveniles by 73.20%. In a field experiment, the application of chitosan nanospheres (1%) was followed by an 18.75% increase in fruit yield compared to the non-treated control. The study concluded that as chitosan nanospheres are synthesized from a biological source, the formulation is environmentally friendly and does not leave any toxic residues in the ecosystem.

 

Author (s) Details

R. Mouniga
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.

B. Anita
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.

A. Lakshmanan
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.

A. Shanthi
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.

G. Karthikeyan
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cbrp/v2/3958

Performance of Coconut Fibre Particles as a Filler Material and High-density Polyethylene as Matrix in Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC) | Chapter 10 | Research Highlights in Science and Technology Vol. 5

 This episode investigated the performance of top part of an animate body fibre particles as a filler material and extreme-density polyethylene as matrix in polymer origin composites (PMC). Good thermal conductivity, covering, thermal cohesion, and mechanical properties are well desired for the application of HDPE composites in energetic and electronic fields. The filler material was secondhand in three different particle sizes to generate the composite samples, and its volume aggregation ranged from 0% to 40%. Injection moulding was used to found the composite samples, which were then preserved at room hotness for 48 hours prior to testing so that encourage stress relaxation. The methods of this research employs exploratory and analytical methods to interrogate tensile strength, elastic modulus, flexural substance, impact strength and hardness worth of coconut fibre particles supported high-mass polyethylene composite at different volume parts and particle sizes.  The test specimens were processed and tested in accordance with ASTM principles D638, D790, D256, and D785 for tensile strength, elastic modulus, flexural substance, impact strength and Rockwell hardness individually. At optimum condition of volume parts and particle sizes of coconut fibre-stuffing, the coconut fibre supported HDPE (CFRP) has 28.6 MPa, 800 MPa, 22.3 MPa, 55.0 J/m and 54.0 HR as optimum value for stiffness, elastic modulus, flexural strength, impact substance and hardness. It can be decided from the results obtained that the Coconut fibre reinforced HDPE granted improved performance for uses of HDPE. Developed composites have shown improved machinelike properties as compared accompanying the unreinforced high-mass polyethylene resin. Developed composites can be used for applications requiring strength absorbtion and dissipation such as autobodies.

Author(s) Details:

Christopher Chukwutoo Ihueze,
Department of Industrial/Production Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

Maduabuchi Kingsley Achike,
Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Nigeria.

C. E. Okafor,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RHST-V5/article/view/11149

Properties of the 5-Dimensional Extended Space Model with Variable Photons Mass and Size

We suggest the generalisation of the special relativity theory (STR) of Einstein. The (1 + 4)-dimensional space G, which is the extension of the (1 + 3)-dimensional Minkowski space M(T;X, Y , Z), is used in our model. The intervals are used as a fifth extra co-ordinate. Action is the physical sense of the Fifth Coordinate. Under the normal Lorentz transformations in M, this value is constant but changes when the transformations in the extended space G(T, X , Y, Z, S) are used. We call this model the Extended Model for Space (ESM). Our extension from a physical point of view implies that procedures in which the residual mass of the particles shifts are now appropriate. In the 4D Minkowski space, Lorentz transformations M(T; X , Y , Z) in the planes (T, X), (T, Y), (T, Z) allow the energy and momentum of a particle to be modified in the conjugate space of the extended 4D energy momentum space M*(E; Px, Py, Pz). In addition to Lorentz rotations, new forms of hyperbolic rotations (T, S) and (T, X) have a simple physical sense in the 5D energy-momentum-mass space G*(E, Px, Py, Pz, M) in the new 5D space G(T, X , Y, Z, S) compared to the Minkowski space M(1, 3). This space is ad-connected to G(T, X , Y, Z, S) space. Rotation (T, S) changes the energy and mass of the particle in a consistent manner, and rotation (X, S) changes the momentum and mass of the particles in a consistent manner , especially in space G*(E, Px, Py, Pz, M). Gravity and electromagnetism are merged into one field in the ESM, and a 5x5 Energy-MomentumMass tensor can be constructed. A photon can have a variable mass that is not zero in the ESM, and this mass can be either positive or negative. It is also possible to create a relationship between the mass of a particle and its size in the ESM frame.

Author(s) Details

V. A. Andreev
Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow, Russia.

D. Yu. Tsipenyuk
Prokhorov General Physics Institute of RAS, Moscow, Russia and Moscow Polytechnic University, Moscow, Russia.

View Book :- https://bp.bookpi.org/index.php/bpi/catalog/book/301