Application Effect of Cassava Starch Anaerobic Fermentation Liquid on Watermelon Production

In order to find out a new way for environment-friendly and resourcelized utilization of cassava starch processing wastewater, the cassava starch anaerobic fermentation liquid was applied in watermelon production, and its effects on the growth and development, yield and fruit quality of watermelon were investigated. The results showed that the cassava starch anaerobic fermentation liquid significant- ly promoted the vegetative and reproductive growth and improved the yield and fruit quality of watermelon. Compared with conventional fertilization, the application of cassava starch anaerobic fermentation both with COD concentration of 1 200 mg/L according to the amount of 150 t/hm2 promoted the growth of vines and leaves of watermelon plants, brought forward the flowering, fruiting and harvest of watermelon and significantly increased the fruit number, fruit weight, yield, fruit size, fruit shape index, soluble solid content, soluble sugar content, soluble protein content and Vita- min C content of watermelon. At the same time of improving the yield and quality of watermelon, cassava starch anaerobic fermentation liquid was turned into treasure as a liquid fertilizer. This study provides a new ideal for the yield and quality im- provement of watermelon and the wastewater treating of starch factories.

Physicochemical Properties Comparative Analysis of Corn Starch and Cassava Starch, and Comparative Analysis as Adhesive

The morphology and properties of corn starch and cassava starch were compared by SEM, DSC and TGA. Theeffects of amylose and amylopectin content on starch properties were studied by FT-IR, XRD and XPS. The plywood was pressed with the prepared adhesive and the bonding strength of the plywood was tested to analyze thedifference among the adhesives from different plant sources and the difference after blending PAPI prepolymer.FT-IR results showed that the hydroxyl peak of cassava starch was stronger and wider. TGA showed that the residue of cassava starch was lower, but the thermal stability of cassava starch was almost the same. XPS data showedthat the oxygen content of cassava starch was slightly higher, but the carbon content was slightly lower. SEM analysis showed that corn starch granules were more irregular and sharper than cassava starch, and cassava starchgranules were more uniform, regular and round.

Edible Films of Blended Cassava Starch and Rice Flour with Sorbital and Their Mechanical Properties

In this study, the mechanical properties （tensile strength, elongation at break and folding resistance） of edible biopolymer film blends formed from blended cassava starch and rice flour at different compositions with sorbital used as a plasticizer. A suitable ratio of cassava starch and rice flour to water at 10% w/v was used to form a film solution. The addition of a plasticizer agent up to 30% w/w of blending compositions improved the mechanical properties of the generated films. The mechanical properties of the edible blended films with 30% plasticizer were strongly dependent on the blending compositions. Our results pointed out that the cassava starch and rice flour films at a ratio of 70：30 with sorbitol 30% （w/w） had the highest tensile strength which related to folding endurance of the films.

Modeling and Optimization of the Shear Strength of Cassava Starch-Based Adhesives Using Artificial Intelligence Methods

With the exponential growth of the computing power,machine learning techniques have been successully used in various applications.This paper intended to predict and optimize the shear strength of single lap cassava starch-based adhesive joints for comparison with the application of artificial intelligence(AI)methods.The shear strength was firstly determined by the experiment with three independent experimental variables(starch content,NaOH concentration and reaction temperature).The analysis of range(ANORA)and analysis of variance(ANOVA)were applied to investigate the optimal combination and the significance of each factor for the shear strength based on the orthogonal experiment.The performance of all AI models was char acterized by mean absolute error(MAE),root mean square error(RMSE)and regression coefficient(R^(2))compared with the experi-mental ones.The GA optimized ANN model was combined with the genetic algorithm(GA)to find the optimal combination of factors for the finalized optimized cassava starch adhesives(CSA-OP).The physicochemical prop-erties of the cassava starch and CSA-OP were determined by the FTIR,TGA and SEM EDS,respectively.The results showed that the numerical optimized condition of the GA optimized ANN model was superior to the orthogonal experimental optimized condition.The sensitivity analysis revealed that the relative importance of variables was consistent with the results from ANOVA.FTIR results showed that there were high hydroxyl groups in cassava starch.TGA results showed that the residue of CSA OP was higher than the assava starch.SEM EDS results showed that both the cassava starch and CSA OP had abundant carbon and oxygen functional groups.Consequently,the obtained results revealed that the use of AI methods was an adequate approach to model and optimize the experimental variables of the shear strength of single lap cassava starch-based adhesive joints.

Decay Resistance of Particleboards Manufactured with Four Agro-Forest Residues Using Cassava Starch and Urea Formaldehyde as Adhesives

Many factors including depletion of the forest, environmental awareness, and generation of large quantities of agro-forest residues have increased the need to partially or wholly replace wood with agro-forest residue for particleboard production. This study assessed the decay resistance of particleboards produced from four agro-forest residues using cassava starch and urea formaldehyde as adhesives. Musa paradisiaca pseudostem, Theobroma cacao stem and pod, and sawdust of Ceiba pentandra were used for the study. Properties determined were: Weight loss, decay resistance rating and decay susceptibility index. These properties were evaluated after 12 weeks of exposure to Coriolopsis polyzona in accordance with ASTM D 2017-05. The results indicate that the weight loss for Musa paradisiaca pseudostem particleboard was least for both urea formaldehyde and cassava starch adhesives. Even though almost all the particleboards produced were classified as resistant or highly resistant to fungi attack, those produced with urea formaldehyde had better decay resistance properties than that of cassava starch. Furthermore, particleboards coated with synthetic polyvinyl lacquer had better resistance to fungi attack than the uncoated ones. At 5% level of significance, the agro-forest residue, adhesive and surface finish as well as their interactions had significant effects on decay resistance of the particleboards produced. It is recommended that further studies which aim at determining the effect of combination of the agro-forest residues and that of urea formaldehyde and cassava starch be conducted to determine their effects on decay properties of particleboards.

Thermo-Mechanical Properties Study of Stabilized Soil Bricks to Sugar Cane Molasses and Cassava Starch Binders

The current study deals Swith thermo-mechanical properties of stabilized soil small bricks with the help of organic binders of sugar cane molasses and cassava starch. Different formulations of soil concrete have been suggested after the geotechnical characterization of samples of soil was taken. From these, it arises that the studied soil is the most plastically clay (of type A3) according to GTR classification. Samples made of small bricks and measured out at 4%, 6% and 8% of binders (molasses, starch or molasses + starch) have been warmed up to different temperatures (100°C, 150°C, 200°C and 250°C) for the rising of the thermic behavior under different conditions and submitted to crushing testings for the estimation of characteristic resistances to the compression. According to the mechanical behavior, we note an improvement of resistances for small bricks measured 4%, 6% and 8%, of molasses respectively of 32.44%, 32.06% and 23.43% against the value of reference for small bricks without molasses. In the same way, the binder (molasses + starch) also reveals an improvement of resistance to the compression of 13.27%, 26.17% and 26.17%. On the contrary, the stabilization with the starch binder did not bring a significative improvement. According to the thermic influence, the heating at 100°C of stabilized small bricks at 4%, 6% and 8% of molasses, reveals a significative improvement of resistances. Moreover, the stabilization with the starch reveals on the contrary a good behavior for heatings at 150°C and 250°C. In short, for the binder (molasses + starch), it is the heating at 200°C that shows some improvements of remarkable resistances. Different analyses of realized statistics also show the effectivity of obtained results. For all realized formulations, the measuring out at 6% of binders (molasses, or molasses + starch) seems as optimal in front of the best thermo-mechanical revealed properties.

Effect of Cassava Starch and Sodium Carbonate on the Properties of Local Drilling Mud: Beneficiation to Improve the Rheological and Flow Properties of Locally Formulated Mud

Drilling mud is a key component in drilling operations and in accessing oil and gas reservoirs. Bentonite is applied as a viscosifier, fluid loss control agent, and as a weighting material in water-based drilling mud. The type of bentonite used in drilling mud formulation is sodium bentonite due to its high dispersion properties and high swelling capacity. Nigeria has a huge bentonite clay deposit resources which can be evaluated and enhanced in order to be utilized as drilling mud. However, bentonite clay from different parts of Nigeria was investigated and found to be calcium bentonite which is not suitable for drilling mud, because it has low swelling capacity and poor rheological properties. In this study, local bentonite obtained from Afuze, Edo state was used to formulate different samples of drilling mud with each treated using thermo-chemical beneficiation process with sodium carbonate and cassava starch, and then undergo characterization to identify the changes in physical properties and finally, draw comparison with API values for standard drilling mud. The results obtained from this study indicates that, the flow and rheological properties of the beneficiated drilling mud developed through thermo-chemical treatment, showed significant improvement compared to the untreated mud. Therefore, pure calcium bentonite from natural deposits in Nigeria can be modified to sodium bentonite and sufficiently used in drilling mud formulation.

Production of Corn (Zea mays) Starch and Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Starch and Their Application as Yogurt Stabilizer

The present study evaluated the stabilizing effect of starch produced from corns and cassava on the stability of cow milk yogurt. A sample of both corn and cassava starch was selected and used in the yogurt making as stabilizers. The yogurt samples have been analyzed for their WHC, syneresis and protein content. The yogurt with no added starch has found to have very low WHC and high syneresis compared to other samples. The yogurt made with the addition of corn starch as a stabilizer was highly accepted than the yogurt with cassava starch and the yogurt without starch. The findings from this study provide an alternative to add the value of local corns and cassava.

Preparation of Cassava Starch-based Superabsorbent Polymer Using a Twin-roll Mixer as Reactor

Cassava starch-based superabsorbent polymer was successfully synthesized using a new technology that based on modification of a Haake twin-roll mixer as reactor. The cassava starch was first gelatinized then modified by grafting under external shear stress in the reactor. The torque and temperature curves as a function of time can reflect the variations in the reactor and also offer some information about the copolymerization reaction. The advantages of this system include starch modification can be carried out （l） with high starch concentration, （2） under controlled ticne and （3） smaller amount of sample （60 g） required. The technology provides useful guides for reactive extrusion. The starch grafted composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）, nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） and thermal gravimetric analysis （TGA）. The TGA was also used for determining the percentage of grafting ratio. The results show that the cassava starch has been successfully grafted with acrylamide then crosslinked by N,N＇-methylene-bisacrylamide using this reactor. The ultimate water absorbent capacity of the cassava-based superabsorbent polymer impacted by various pH values illustrated that the acid and basic solutions inhibit the ability of imbibing water. Additionally, gel properties of the cassava-based superabsorbent polymer were investigated. It can be concluded that the structure of cassava gel is stable, while the three dimensional network of cassava-based superabsorbent polymer is rigid but its structure could not resist external force effectively and everlastingly since G＇ was decreased with increasing amplitude.

Effects of Bacterial Manure from Cassava Alcohol Fermentation Mash on Yield and Starch Content of Cassava

In order to provide a scientific basis for the utilization of cassava alcohol fermentation mash and the high-yield and high-efficiency cultivation of cassava,compound microbial inoculum was inoculated into the cassava alcohol fermentation mash to prepare bacterial manure,which was then applied to two cassava varieties,Nanzhi 199 and SC 205 to explore the optimum application amount,application method and application concentration. The results showed that when the inoculation amount of the compound microbial inoculum was 2‰ of the mass of the mash,the requirements of industrial production of liquid bacterial manure and agricultural application can be met,saving costs. After the emergence of cassava seedlings,if they were drenched with the bacterial manure of cassava alcohol fermentation mash through roots once according to the amount of 67. 5 t/ha and irrigated with the bacterial manure once every 15 d under drought conditions,both the yield and quality of cassava can be improved significantly. The yield and starch content of Nanzhi 199 reached 26 196. 23 kg/ha and 30. 32%,36. 57% and4. 75 percentage points higher than those of CK. The yield and starch content of SC 205 reached 41 126. 06 kg/ha and 23. 74%,99. 25% and3. 19 percentage points higher than those of CK. Under the application modes of foliar spray,root irrigation and foliar spray + root irrigation,the fertilization effect was more obvious. When undiluted bacterial manure of cassava alcohol fermentation mash was applied according to the amount of 52. 5 t/( ha·time),the fertilization effect of the application mode of foliar spray + root irrigation was the best. The bacterial manure from cassava alcohol fermentation mash can be directly applied without dilution,and the fertilizer efficiency will be reduced significantly after dilution.

Structural and Thermomechanical Study of Plastic Films Made from Cassava-Starch Reinforced with Kaolin and Metakaolin

The structural and thermomechanical properties of starch-based plastic films reinforced with kaolin and metakaolin have been studied by various techniques (X-ray diffraction, IR-TF spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, tensile tests, and thermal resistance). The results obtained showed that kaolin, an inert material, prevents the starch from losing its granular structure and to solubilize during the heating, generating plastic films of low Young’s modulus (7 MPa). On the other hand, metakaolin, an amorphous and dehydroxylated material obtained after heating of kaolin at 700°C for 1 hour, substantially improves the thermomechanical properties of the plastic films. The Young’s modulus increases from 19 MPa to 25 MPa while the thermal resistance increases from 90°C to 120°C. This was attributed to good dispersion of the metakaolin in the polymer matrix after the loss of the granular structure of the starch during heating.

Influence of Processing Variables on Some Physico-Chemical Properties and Quality of Manioc Starch-Based Adhesives

Bio-degradable cassava starch-based adhesives were produced from chemically gelatinized starch formulations. The varying combinations of process parameters applied include: concentration of gelatinization modifier, mass % borax/starch, and temperature of reaction mixture. The physico-chemical parameters for characterizing the adhesive samples were viscosity, density, pH and bonding strength. The effects of the variation of process parameters on the quality of the adhesives were assessed using response surface (central composite) designs with 2 factors, to relate the highest adhesive quality with the optimal combination of process factors. The adhesives produced using HCl as the gelatinization modifier were of a higher quality than those produced using NaOH with one of the most important quality assessment parameters which is the bond strength being 22.31 kPa at 0.01 M and 20% mass borax/starch and 11.60 kPa at 0.01 M and 8% mass borax/starch for HCl and NaOH respectively. The experimental results demonstrated that the optimal temperature for the production of the adhesive was 85˚C.

Modeling the Drying Kinetics of Earth Bricks Stabilized with Cassava Flour Gel and Amylopectin

Earth bricks could contribute to alleviate the housing shortage in the world, thanks to their low cost, easy production, and low environmental impact. However, to manufacture bricks with required properties, many raw soils must be ameliorated. In Central and Eastern Africa, the waste water of the cassava processing is used to improve earth brick mechanical properties. This technique is interesting, because it is sustainable, low-cost and easy to implement. But, studies on this stabilization method are scarce, in particular on the drying kinetics of these bricks. Now, it is important to know the drying duration, because the earth brick’s strength is strongly correlated to its moisture content. Thus, this study aims to quantify and to model the effect of adding cassava flour gel and amylopectin on the drying kinetics of earth bricks. Depending on the soil nature, the drying duration decreases from 7% to 25% for a stabilizer content of 20%. For the five models used, the coefficient of determination is superior to 0.997 and the chi square is inferior to 3 × 10−4. In average, the best model is Khazaei, followed in order by Avrami-Page, diffusion, Yong and Peleg. The effective coefficient of diffusion of water is about 4 × 10−5 m⋅s−2. The parameter T of the Khazaei’s model is strongly correlated to the drying duration and the stabilizer content, and their relationships have been deduced.

White Gold: Cassava as an Industrial Base

A great number of production sectors in Africa that make use of maize, rice and wheat starches have carried out several experiments on cassava (Manihot esculenta) flour and starch, and found them to be potentially valuable substitutes. The benefits ranged from being a human staple food, constituent of animal feeds, and raw material in food processing, textile, pharmaceutical, detergent, alcohol and plastic industries to production of confectioneries like bread, spaghetti and chinchin. The vast availability of this “white gold” in most African countries can be explored in order to fully maximize its potential as an industrial base for interested entrepreneurs.

4种植物源性成分多重real-time PCR检测方法的建立及其在食用淀粉中的应用

建立一种可同时快速检测红薯、木薯、马铃薯、玉米源性成分的多重实时聚合酶链式反应(real-time polymerase chain reaction,real-time PCR)方法。分别以红薯g3pdh基因、木薯g3pdh基因、马铃薯UGPase基因、玉米zSSIIb基因为靶基因设计特异性引物和TaqMan探针,以18S rRNA基因为内参基因,建立多重real-time PCR方法,开展方法学验证,并对不同掺入比例模拟样品和实际淀粉样品进行检测。结果显示,该方法具有高通量、特异性强、灵敏度高等优点。与15种非目标源性均无交叉反应;对目标DNA的检测灵敏度可达到3×10^(-3) ng/μL,且具有良好的线性关系和扩增效率;对淀粉样品的检出限可达0.1%,对50份实际样品进行检测,结果与参比方法一致,说明建立的多重real-time PCR法可用于食用淀粉种类掺假鉴别检测。

Analysis on Sequence and Bioinformatics of Gene Fragment from Cassava

[ Objective ] The study aimed to establish an efficient method to extract RNA from cassava, and clone the core sequence d SSS II gene. [ Method ] The cassava RNA was obtained using the modified CTAB method, which was then reversely transefiptod into eDNA. Degenerate primers were designed based on the ho- mology property of known SSS II sequences in other plant species. A fragment was amplified with the previously mentioned eDNA as template and the degenerate primers through Polymerase Chain Reaction （PCR）. [Result] After online blasting in NCBI, the sequence was identified as the core fragment of cassava SSS I1 gene. [ Conclusion] Our research would lay the original basis for the cloning of the cassava SSS II full length cDNA sequence and construction of its anti - sense vector, which could further provide proper candidate genes for the development of starch metah）lic en^necring.

Cassava Peel Starch as a Raw Material for Polyhydroxyalkanoates Synthesis by Cupriavidus necator

The environmental problems caused by plastics of fossil origin are well known. To reduce harmful impact on the environment, bacterial-based plastics, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), are a promising solution. Microbial PHAs can be produced using abundant and inexpensive agricultural by-products as raw material. In this study, the potential use of Cupriavidus necator 11599 for the bioconversion of cassava starch into biodegradable PHAs was explored. Although Cupriavidus necator 11599 is a well-known PHA producer, it cannot grow directly on starch. Thus, acid hydrolysis was carried out on the starch extracted from cassava peels to obtain fermentable sugars. Optimal concentration of reducing sugars (RSs) was obtained by hydrolysis of cassava peel starch with sulfuric acid concentrations of 0.4 N and 0.6 N, at 95˚C and 4 h. The hydrolyzed starch was used for PHA production in Erlenmeyer flasks using reducing sugars (RSs) concentrations ranging from 10 g/L to 25 g/L. The best RS concentration 20 g/L and 25 g/L gave 85.13% ± 1.17% and 89.01% ± 2.49% of biomass PHA content and biomass concentrations of 8.18 g/L and 8.32 g/L, respectively in 48 hours. This research demonstrates that cassava peel starch as an inexpensive feedstock could be used for PHA production, paving the way for the use of other starchy materials to make bioplastics.

淀粉的改性及其对淀粉/PBAT/碳酸钙复合材料结构和性能的影响

采用甘油、六偏磷酸钠(SHMP)和聚乙二醇(PEG)改性木薯淀粉并制备改性淀粉/聚己二酸对苯二甲酸丁二醇酯(PBAT)/碳酸钙复合材料,采用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、热失重分析仪(TG)等对改性淀粉和复合材料进行分析,研究改性淀粉对复合材料结构和性能的影响。结果表明,甘油的外增塑作用和PEG、SHMP的内增塑作用使淀粉化学结构改变、无定形成分增加,淀粉颗粒由饱满的圆球状变成了不规则的大颗粒,250℃前稳定性提高,250℃后稳定性降低,有利于使用加工和热分解,不同改性剂改性淀粉结晶熔融行为存在差异;复合不会改变PBAT、碳酸钙和淀粉的原有晶型,但相容性的差异导致复合材料热性能和力学性能的差异,改性淀粉增加了复合材料的韧性,甘油、SHMP和PEG的协同改性使淀粉与PBAT、碳酸钙的相容性最佳,复合材料的综合性能最好。