A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE INTRODUCTION OF DESCURAINIA SOPHIA, AN OIL PLANT SPECIES FOR INDUSTRIAL USES

The authors had collected some cruciferous oil plants with high linolenic acid content in Sichuan Province. The result of fatty acid analysis had shown that Malcolmia africrma (L.) R. Br. and Arabis hirsuta (L.) Scop, have a higher linolenic acid content of 57.37% and 51.38% respectively . Thus they are worthy for further study. Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. ex Prantl, especially that collected from Hongyuan County, has a high seed oil content of 44.17% , a linolenic acid content of 40.9 % and a high seed yield of 1 264.5 kg/hm2 . It is suggested that this oil plant species can be introduced for industrial utilization.

Effects of Plant Extracts Replacing Anticoccidial Drugs on Broiler Performance and Fecal Coccidia Count

[Objective]The paper was to investigate the impact of plant extracts replacing anticoccidial drugs on growth performance and fecal coccidia count in broilers.[Method]A total of 234 one-day-old healthy yellow-feathered broilers were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups,with 6 replicates in each group and 13 broilers in each replicate.The test lasted for a total of 55 d,The control group was fed the basic diet,the anticoccidial group was fed the basic diet+500 g/t dinitolmide,and the plant extract group was fed the basic diet+500 g/t plant extract.[Result]The daily gain of the plant extract group from 1 to 21 days of age was significantly higher than that of the anticoccidial drug group(P<0.05),and the feed/gain ratio was significantly lower than that of the anticoccidial drug group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in daily gain and feed intake between the plant extract group and the anticoccidial drug group from 1 to 55 days of age(P>0.05),and the feed/gain ratio was reduced by 6.30%and the mortality and culling rate was reduced by 10.26%.The number of fecal coccidia at 33 days of age in the plant extract group was found to be significantly lower than that observed in the anticoccidial group and the control group(P<0.05).In conclusion,the administration of plant extracts resulted in a notable enhancement in the growth performance of chicks aged 1-21 days,when compared with the use of anticoccidial drugs.No significant difference was observed in growth performance between the plant extract and the anticoccidial drugs from 1 to 55 days of age.The administration of plant extracts resulted in a notable reduction in the fecal coccidia count.[Conclusion]Plant extracts may serve as viable alternatives to anticoccidial drugs and show promise for application in animal husbandry.

Review of Plant Essential Oils for Plant Pests Management

This paper reviews the origins and classification of plant essential oil resources,along with prevalent extraction techniques for their active constituents.By integrating insights on the utilization of plant essential oils for plant pest management,the comprehensive analysis reveals multiple functionalities exhibited by plant essential oils,including fumigation,contact toxicity,repellent action,antifeedant activity,and growth inhibition.Furthermore,the paper highlights the challenges associated with plant essential oils in plant protection and outlines future research directions,aiming to offer valuable insights for the advancement of botanical insecticides.

Agronomic Practices and Macronutrients Status of Different Age Groups of Smallholder Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Plantations in Dibombari Sub-Division, Cameroon

Oil palm is cultivated by agro-industries and smallholders for vegetable oil production. Good farm management practices with balanced soil and plant macronutrients are needed to attain optimum yields. Smallholder oil palm farmers of Dibombari Sub-Division, Cameroon, suffer from low on farm yields which could emanate from the agronomic practices implemented, which also has an influence on the soil and plant macronutrient status. This study provides information on the agronomic practices, soil and plant macronutrients status in smallholder oil palm fields. Structured questionnaires were administered to 200 farmers to collect data on their agronomic practices, using a stratified random sampling design. Soil and plants were sampled from plantations of different age groups (control, >0 - 4 years, >4 - 8 years and >8 - 15 years’ plantations) in four locations of the Sub-Division (i.e. Dibombari-central, Bonamateke, Bomono and Nkapa) using a randomized complete block design. Data collected, was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that 65% of farmers planted Tenera variety, with majority of them below the standards for weeding (81%), fertilizer use (100%), pruning (62%), pest/disease control (90.5%) and harvesting (96%) practices. Soil macronutrients were low across the different plantations except P which was optimal at >0 - 4 years and >4 - 8 years’ plantations but low at >8 - 15 years’ plantation. Similarly, for plant macronutrients, N and P were optimal across the different plantations, while K and Mg were optimal at >0 - 4 years’ plantation but low at >4 - 8 years and >8 - 15 years’ plantations. Thus, agronomic practices and macronutrient status of soil and plants were below standards in smallholder oil palm plantations of Dibombari, leading to low yields of fresh fruit bunches.

Effects of vegetable oil residue after soil extraction on physical-chemical properties of sandy soil and plant growth

Vegetable oil has the ability to extract polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)from contaminated sandy soil for a remediation purpose,with some of the oil remaining in the soil.Although most of the PAHs were removed,the risk of residue oil in the soil was not known.The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the vegetable oil residue on higher plant growth and sandy soil properties after soil extraction for a better understanding of the soil remediation.Addition of sunflower oil and column ex...

Efficacies of four plant essential oils as larvicide, pupicide and oviposition deterrent agents against dengue fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti Linn.(Diptera: Culicidae)

Objective:To evaluate larvicidal,pupicidal and oviposition deterrent activities of four plant essential oils from Alpinia galanga(L.)Willd rhizome,Anethum graveolens L.(An.graveolens)fruit,Foeniculum vulgare Mill.fruit,and Pimpinella anisum L.fruit against Aedes aegypti(Ae.aegypti).Methods:Four essential oils at 1%,5%and 10%concentrations were assessed for insecticidal activity against larvae and pupae of Ae.aegypti,following the procedure of a dipping method assay.Oviposition deterrent activity of four essential oils was evaluated on gravid female of Ae.aegypti by a dual-choice oviposition bioassay.Results:The results revealed that An.graveolens oil provided the strongest larvicidal activity against Ae.aegypti among four tested plant essential oils with the highest mortality rate of 100%and LC_(50)value of-0.3%.From the pupicidal experiment,An.graveolens also showed the highest toxicity against Ae.aegypti pupae with the highest mortality rate of 100%at 72 h and LC_(50)value of2.9%.In addition,10%An.graveolens had an oviposition deterrent effect against Ae.aegypti with effective repellency of 100%and an oviposition activity index of-1.0.Conclusions:An.graveolens oil has a good potential as a larvicidal,pupicidal and oviposition deterrent agent for controlling Ae.aegypti.

Initial Screening of 10 Plant Essential Oils in Vitro Antibacterial Activity Against Blueberry Pathogens

In order to develop natural antistaling agent for blueberries preservation,the antibacterial activities of 10 kinds of plant essential oils were analyzed by oxford-cup test and tube dilution method,and their inhibitory abilities to two kinds of representative Gram bacteria which are Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus,and three kinds of harmful fungi in blueberries,involving Alternaria alternata,Penicillium digitatum and Botrytis cinerea,were tested.The results showed that 7 kinds of essential oils can inhibit the three fungi,among which cinnamon oil,clove oil,anise oil and thyme oil have strong fungi static efficacy.Cinnamon oil and thyme oil can effectively inhibit the Gram-positive bacterium(Staphylococcus aureus);cinnamon oil and masson pine oil are strongly inhibitory to Gram-negative bacterium(E.coli).Cinnamon oil has broad-spectrum ability to inhibit fungi,Gram-negative and positive bacteria,with a minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)ranging from 0.0391 to 0.1560 L/mL.With strong inhibition effects on fungi,cinnamon oil can be used as a compound base oil and mixed with other essential oils to retain the freshness of blueberries,thus achieving better antibacterial and anti-corrosion effects.

Blend of Polyhydroxyalkanoates Synthesized By Lipase Positive Bacteria From Plant Oils

A total of 5 biochemically characterized lipase positive bacterial strains were screened for Polyhydroxyalkanoates(PHA)production by Nile blue staining and confirmation was done by Sudan Black B.PHA production ability for all strains was optimized followed by time profiling calculation and comparison via using glucose and two plant oils i.e.,canola and mustard oil.Quantitative analysis showed that glucose can serve as a carbon source for maximum biomass(2.5 g/L CDW for strain 5)and PHA production(70.3%for strain 2).PHA produced by strain 2 was further analyzed for its chemical composition and type via Fourier Transform Infrared(FT-IR)spectroscopy.It revealed homopolymer(PHB)and copolymer(PHB-co-PHV)production of PHA(peaks at 1743 cm-1 and 2861 cm-1,respectively)with both canola and mustard oil unlike glucose which produced only homopolymer one i.e.,PHB(peaks at 1110 cm-1,1411 cm-1 and 1650 cm-1).Crystallinity of FT-IR analyzed PHA was calculated using mathematical formulas which showed decrease from glucose to canola to mustard oil.This study revealed that plant oils can serve as better carbon source to produce better quality(ductile and copolymer)PHA.Moreover,16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that strain 1,strain 2,strain 3,strain 4 and strain 5 are Stenotrophomonas sp.N3,Exiguobacterium sp.N4,Exiguobacterium sp.Ch3,Cellulosimicrobium sp.A8 and Klebsiella sp.LFSM2,respectively.

Genetic Manipulation of Non-Classic Oilseed Plants for Enhancement of Their Potential as a Biofactory for Triacylglycerol Production

Global demand for vegetable oil is anticipated to double by 2030. The current vegetable oil production platforms, including oil palm and temperate oilseeds, are unlikely to produce such an expansion. Therefore, the exploration of novel vegetable oil sources has become increasingly important in order to make up this future vegetable oil shortfall. Triacylglycerol （TAG）, as the dominant form of vegetable oil, has recently attracted immense interest in terms of being produced in plant vegetative tissues via genetic engineering technologies. Multidiscipline-based ＂-omics＂ studies are increasingly enhancing our understanding of plant lipid biochemistry and metabolism. As a result, the identification of biochemical pathways and the annotation of key genes contributing to fatty acid biosynthesis and to lipid assembly and turnover have been effectively updated. In recent years, there has been a rapid development in the genetic enhancement of TAG accumulation in high-biomass plant vegetative tissues and oilseeds through the genetic manipulation of the key genes and regulators involved in TAG biosynthesis. In this review, current genetic engineering strategies ranging from single-gene manipulation to multigene stacking aimed at increasing plant biomass TAG accumulation are summarized. New directions and suggestions for plant oil production that may help to further alleviate the potential shortage of edible oil and biodiesel are discussed.

Comparative effects of plant oils and trans-fat on blood lipid profiles and ischemic stroke in rats

Since plant oils are believed to be better than animal fats for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, the effects of various plant oils and trans-fat on blood lipid profiles and ischemic stroke were investigated. Sprague- Dawley rats were fed a diet containing the oils or trans-fat, and then body weights, blood lipids, and effects on brain infarction and physical dysfunction induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） were analyzed. All the oils and trans-fat, except perilla oil, significantly increased body fats and body weight gain. Sesame oil and trans-fat specifically increased blood cholesterols and triglycerides, respectively, while perilla oil decreased both cholesterols and triglycerides. Perilla oil not only attenuated cerebral infarction, but also restored locomotor activity and rota-rod performances of MCAO rats. It is suggested that perilla oil among oils and fats could be the first choice to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and ischemic stroke.

Effects of Plant Oil Mixture on Production Performance,Carcass and Beef Quality in Beef Cattle

[Objective] To study the effects of plant oil mixture on production performance, carcass and beef quality in beef cattle. [Method] Single-factor randomized blocks design was used. Sixteen healthy Yanbian yellow bulls having close body weight were selected and randomly divided into four groups, four cattle per group. Been oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil were mixed respectively at a volume ratio of 11：5：4. The oil blend was added to the daily diets of beef cattle respectively at a proportion of 4%, 5% and 6%. The effects of the plant oil mixture on production performance, carcass and beef quality were investigated. [ Result.] Compared with the control cattle, the experimental cattle had significantly lower feed intake （P 〈 0.05）, non-significantly higher efficiency of feed utilization, and significantly lower digestibility of crude fiber and calcium （P 〈 0.05）. With the increasing level of plant oil, the digestibility of dry matter showed a decreasing trend. The digestibility of dry matter was significantly lower in the cattle fed on the plant oil mixture at a level of 6% than in the control （ P 〈 0.05）. The plant oil mixture had no effect on the digestibility of crude protein, ether extract, crude ash, nitrogen-free extract and phosphorus. With the increasing level of plant oil, the serum content of high-density lipoprotein showed an increasing trend. The serum content of high-density lipoprotein was significantly higher in the cattle fed on the plant oil mixture at a level of 6% than in the control （ P 〈 0.05）. With the increasing level of plant oil, the content of total cholesterol showed an increasing trend, whereas the content of low-density lipoprotein showed a decreasing trend. Moreover, other indicators did not change significantly. The experimental cattle had larger eye muscle area and better beef quality than the control group. The content of crude protein and ether extract in beef increased with the increasing level of plant oil. [ Conclusion] The plant oil mixture added to the daily feed decreases intake and digestibility of crude fiber and calcium but has no remarkable effect on production performance of beef cattle. The addition also increases eye muscle area and improves beef quality, thereby improving quality of carcass and beef. The proportion of the plant oil mixture should be added at a proportion lower than 5%.

Preparation and Characterization of Multiester Derivative from Plant Oil as Base Stock for Biolubricants

As an alternative to petroleum-based lubricants, which are harmful to the environment in excessive amounts, a biodegradable multiester derivative(OFANE) was obtained from plant oil through a chemical modification process with four steps as follows: hydrolysis, esterification, epoxidation, and ring-opening reaction. The physical and chemical properties of OFANE, such as viscosity, acid value, pour point, evaporation loss, and oxidation induction time were measured. Results showed that OFANE had good low-temperature fluidity, thermal-oxidative stability, and tribological properties. The tribological properties of OFANE with dimeric acid additive were evaluated. The final biodegradation experiment indicated that OFANE had excellent biodegradability. The prepared OFANE showed great potential as substitute for petroleum-based lubricating base oils.

Larvicidal, pupicidal and oviposition deterrent activities of essential oils from Umbelliferae plants against house fly Musca domestica

To evaluate the toxicity against house fly Musca domestica L.(M. domestica)-larvicidal, pupicidal, and oviposition deterrent activities of essential oils(EOs) from five plants: Anethum graveolens L.(A. graveolens), Centratherum anthelminticum L.(C. anthelminticum), Foeniculum vulgare Mill.(F. vulgare), Pimpinella anisum L.(P. anisum), and Trachyspermum ammi L.(T. ammi) Sprague. Methods: Dipping, topical and dual-choice assays were performed by using each EO at three concentrations(1%, 5% and 10%) as well as cypermethrin(positive control) and ethyl alcohol(negative control) in order to determine their larvicidal, pupicidal and oviposition deterrent activities against M. domestica mortality rate and morphogenic abnormality of larvae and pupae were recorded after 3 and 10 days of incubation. Oviposition deterrent activity was recorded for 5 consecutive days from the beginning of the assay. Results: All EOs at the highest concentration(10%) were highly effective in oviposition deterrent with 100% effective repellency and an oviposition activity index of-1.00. Ten percent of F. vulgare oil exhibited the highest efficacy against the larvae with 89.6% mortality rate at 3 days and an LC50 value of 5.4%. Ten percent of A. graveolens and T. ammi oils showed the highest efficacy against the pupae with 100% mortality and an LC50 value ranging from 1.81%-2.24%. Conclusions: These results indicate that F. vulgare, A. graveolens and T. ammi EOs are effective larvicidal, pupicidal and oviposition deterrent agents against house fly M. domestica.

Application of bacteria-plant association in bio-degradation of diesel oil pollutants in soil

The bacteria and plants were associated to remove diesel oil pollutants from soil.Three efficiently degrading bacteria(named strains Q10,Q14 and Q18,respectively) were isolated.Two plants(alfalfa and Indian mustard) were selected to form the association.Biodegradation of diesel oil pollutants in soil was accelerated by bacteria-plants association.The main results are summarized as follows.The plants-bacteria association was more effective in biodegradation of diesel oil pollutants in soil than in respective experiments carried out with plants or bacteria alone.Strain Q18-Indian mustard association resulted in the maximum diesel oil reduction(69.18%).The activities of catalase and polyphenol oxidase in soil were enhanced and microbial populations in soil,especially in rhizosphere,were also stimulated in the treatment of bacteria-plant association.Overall,the soil conditions might be improved by alfalfa or Indian mustard to benefit the growth of bacteria,which resulted in degradation of diesel oil pollutants more effective by the bacteria-plant association.The bacteria-plants association may be a better approach to the removal of diesel oil pollutants from soil.

Implications of crude oil pollution on natural regeneration of plant species in an oil-producing community in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

The study evaluated the impact of crude oil pollution on natu- ral regeneration of plant species in a major oil-producing community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Three sites--unpolluted site （US）, polluted and untreated site （PUS）, and polluted and treated site （PTS）-- were purposively chosen for the study. The seedling emergence method was used to evaluate soil seed banks in the various sites at two depths, 0 to 10 cm and 10 to 20 cm. Woody-plant species richness, abundance, and diversity were higher in the US seed bank than in the PUS and PTS seed banks. The highest number of non-woody plants was observed in the US, followed by the PTS, and then the PUS. Both species richness and diversity of non-woody plants were highest at the US, followed by the PUS, and lowest in the PTS. Woody species in the US seed bank were 87.5% and 80% dissimilar with those of the PUS and PTS at 0-10 cm and 10--20 cm respectively. No variation was observed between woody species in the PUS and PTS seed banks. Non-woody species at 0-10 em US seed bank were 73.08% dissimilar with those of PUS at the two soil depths and 81.48/88.46% dissimilar with those of the 0-10/10-20 cm of the PTS respectively. At 10-20 cm, non-woody species of theUS were 69.66% dissimilar with those from each of the two soil depths in PUS; and 73.91/81.82% dissimilar with those of 0-10/10-20 cm of the PTS respectively. Non-woody species variation between the PUS and PTS was higher at 10-20 cm than 0-10 cm. The poor seed bank attributes at the polluted sites demonstrates that crude oil pollution negatively af- fected the natural regeneration potential of the native flora because soil seed banks serve as the building blocks for plant succession. Thorough remediation and enrichment planting are recommended to support the recovery process of vegetation in the polluted areas.

How to Adjust XPCC's Planting Structure of Grain,Cotton,Oil and Sugar?

XPCC has long shouldered the mission of exploitation of virgin land in border area,but the special geographic distribution leads to regional segmentation and administrative division in the planting structure of grain,cotton,oil and sugar for XPCC. Since 1980,XPCC's total planting area of grain,cotton,oil and sugar has increased steadily year by year. The yield levels show a unimodal trend; the total yield of cotton has been showing a geometric growth trend; the total yield of oil crops and sugar beet shows a fluctuating growth trend,but the total yield of grain crops shows a bimodal growth trend. XPCC's grain crops are mainly in the farms of Division 4 in Ili Valley and Division 6 in Changji;cotton production in South and North Xinjiang is basically the same,and the yield in South Xinjiang is slightly higher than in North Xinjiang,but cotton can not be planted in most farms of Division 9 and Division 10; oil crops are grown mainly in cold regions; sugar beet is mainly in the farms of Division 2,Division 4,Division 7 and Division 9. Some factors are limiting XPCC's farming development such as unreasonable agricultural structure,quite different regional production levels and great grain crop yield fluctuations. Therefore,it is recommended to optimize regional distribution,increase efforts to promote new technologies,and strengthen brand building to help XPCC to give play to the agricultural resource advantages.

Catalytic Cracking Characteristics of Plant Oil for Producing Light Olefins and Light Aromatics

Catalyst containing shape selective zeolite is used to investigate the catalytic cracking characteristics of palm oil and three types of hydrocarbon VGOs on a fixed fluidized bed(FFB) unit. The advantage of producing light olefins and light aromatics by catalytic cracking of plant oil is discussed. Results indicate that the hydrocarbyl group of the plant oil molecule is quite readily crackable; the C_6—C_8 aromatics yield is well above and the light olefins yield is about the same with the hydrocarbon feeds, while the yields of low value products are lower; the hydrocarbyl group of the plant oil molecule has strong tendency of aromatization, and can enter the zeolite pores to selectively form C_6—C_8 aromatics; during catalytic cracking of plant oil and fatty acids, a portion of the oxygen is removed in the form of water through hydrogen transfer reaction, while olefins are prevented from being saturated, which can ensure proper yields of both low-carbon olefins and light aromatics.

Biodiesel from Plant Resources—Sustainable Solution to Ever Increasing Fuel Oil Demands

The demand for fuel oil is ever increasing with the advance of the modern world, whereas worldwide reserves of fossil oils are diminishing at an alarming rate. However, there exist large stockpiles of vegetable oil feedstocks that could be exploited to produce fuel oil, called biodiesel with the aid of biotechnology. Initially, the biodiesel produced from vegetable oil did not attract much attention because of its high cost. However, the recent increase in petroleum prices and the uncertainties of petroleum availability led to the renewal of interest in biodiesel production from such sustainable resources (i.e., vegetable oil feedstocks). This research focuses on the production of biodiesel from plant resources, and further investigates the influences of key process parameters, such as the molar ratio of methanol to oil, catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, reaction period and stirring speed on the biodiesel yield. This investigation is to determine the optimum process parameters for maximum biodiesel yield. The biodiesel was produced from three vegetable oil feedstocks, namely palm, soybean and sunflower oil via a transesterification process. It was observed that all the process parameters significantly influenced the biodiesel yield. The maximum biodiesel yields for palm, sunflower and soybean oil feedstocks were found to be 87.5%, 83.6% and 80.2%, respectively at optimum condition. The results suggest that through proper optimization of the process parameters the biodiesel yields could be maximized. In conclusion, the production of biodiesel from plant resources would be regarded as a sustainable solution to the ever increasing demand of fuel oils.

Uptake of Organic Contaminants by Plants from Oil Sands Fine Tailings

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the performance of different plant species growing in different kinds of oil sands fine tailings,and to estimate the uptake of organic contaminants by plants from the oil sands fine tailings.In general,total hydrocarbon in the plant could be ranked(beginning with the highest)as:unweathered plant 4 tailings (UWT),Freeze Thawtailings(FT),weathered plant 4 tailings(WT),and consolidated tailings(CT) for the willow,poplar and cattails.For grass,CT amended with tailings sand and muskeg had the highest hydrocarbon level in the field treatment,however,other three kinds of tailings(FT,WT and UWT) had lower but similar to each other hydrocarbon levels.

Variability in Content and Chemical Constituents of Essential Oil of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Obtained from Aerial Plant Parts

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) project that is being conducted at the National Oilseed Processing Research Institute (NOPRI) aims at exploiting the genetic diversity and associated phenotypic variation in the investigated basil germplasm and evaluating key factors such as variety, plant ontogeny and plant parts that affect yield, chemical constituents, aroma and flavor of essential oils. This paper discussed the variability inessential oils content and chemical constituents of the aerial plant parts of the basil. An open-air pot experiment was carried out using three accessions provided by Agricultural Research Corporation-Genetic Resources Unit, Sudan. The essential oils were hydro distilled from the aerial parts, flowers, leaves, stems, using Clevenger apparatus. The chemical constituents of the essential oils were determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). As the hydro distillation yielded no oil from the stem, we present only the results for leaves and flowers. The results revealed that the essential oil content varied with a range of 0.29% to 0.33% for flowers and 0.32% to 0.48% for leaves. As usual, the content of essential oils was higher in leaves than in flowers. The Silate-Egyptian accession had the lowest essential oil content obtained from leaves and flowers. However, South Darfur accession from Sudan had the highest oil content but did not significantly differ from Kennana accession. Several oil components were identified based upon comparison of their mass spectral data with those of reference compounds published in literature or stored in a computer library. The combined GC-MS analysis showed that methyl eugenol was the major constituent of the essential oil of Kennana accession. While the major constituent of essential oil of South-Darfur and Silate-Egyptian accessions were germacrene and linalool, respectively.