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Rubber seed oil (RSO) (Hevea brasiliensis) was extracted from rubber seeds by chemical means. The effect of temperature on the oil yield was investigated. The experiment suggested that the maximum yield of the oil occurs at 60 °C. This is a result of the proximity to the boiling point of n-hexane, which is about 68 °C. Epoxidized and hydroxylated RSOs were further synthesized by performic acid generated in situ by the reaction of formic acid with 30% hydrogen peroxide. The physiochemical properties of the epoxidized rubber seed oil (ERSO) and hydroxylated rubber seed oil (HRSO) were determined. A separate study was also carried out on castor seed oil (CSO). The improved products were characterized with respect to their configuration and properties. Spectroscopic analysis was carried out on the oil base stocks (RSO, CSO, ERSO, and HRSO). All of the experimental findings were compared with one another. The lubricating properties of CSO and HRSO are further studied as a result of their common hydroxyl nature to ascertain their suitability as a lubricant base. Both oils can be categorized as a nondrying oil with saponification values of 179.52 and 255.25 mgKOH/g, respectively, and as such possess advantageous properties for industrial application. When compared to one another, HRSO appears to be a more effective choice as a lubricant base. This is because of its higher viscosity index of 380.65. The outcomes of this study indicate that hydroxylated and epoxidized RSO with high oxirane content can be synthesized concurrently by one-pot multistep reactions.

Aims: In this work, the effect of drying temperature on the available carbohydrate is investigated. Background: Nigerian climate favours the cultivation of banana and it is a ready fruit delight in almost all homes. Hybrids and polypoids of the species musa acuminata and musa balbisiana are very common. Unfortunately, post-harvest losses of 40 – 60%, of this energy rich fruit are encountered yearly. Drying is an age long method of preservation which has stood the test of time. Bananas are known to possess high carbohydrates with low glycaemic index which makes it a healthy fruit or snack. Objective: To determine the optimum drying temperature for the drying of Banana fruit. Methods: The banana fruit was peeled and sliced to about 5 mm thick and dried in a tray dryer at varying temperatures of 40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C. The control sample was air dried at the average prevailing temperature of 30 °C. Results: Results obtained showed that increased drying temperature favoured more loss of moisture from the samples and in turn, favoured an increase in the available carbohydrate in the dried fruit. The ash, fat and crude fibre content marginally changed with drying temperature. Conclusion: The optimum temperature for treated and untreated samples, from the results obtained, were 60 °C and 70 °C respectively. Drying impacts positively on the available sugar in the Banana fruit.

This article presents data on Aspergillus niger effects on the biologically-mediated remediation of soil polluted by raw and treated crude oil (Escravos Light blend). Absorbance of different concentrations of polluted soil samples (5% and 8% w/w) and types (raw and treated), for simulating different onshore crude oil spill, were obtained from the A. niger inoculated samples using ultra violet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry. This measurement was carried out for each sample at selected intervals for the 30-day measurements. The bioremediation data, presented in the article, were subjected to descriptive/analytical statistics of probability density functions and goodness-of-fit test-statistics for dataset-detailing and dataset-comparisons. Information details from these data of biologically-mediated remediation of crude oil polluted soil are useful for furthering research on bioremediation kinetics such as hydrocarbon content analyses, crude oil pollutant removal performance, biodegradation rate parameter and biostimulant efficiencies by the A. niger effects on the different concentrations of polluted soil.

This study was conducted to investigate the degree of bioremediation that would occur in the samples of soil polluted with raw and treated crude petroleum (oil) with the aid of Aspergillus niger (fungi) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (bacteria). This was achieved by monitoring the Organic carbon content in the soil over 45 days and pH over 25 days. Four systems of 500 g soil were polluted with 40 g treated crude petroleum, while four systems were contaminated with 40 g raw crude petroleum. The eight systems were labeled accordingly. Two systems for raw crude control and treated crude control (RCC and TCC) were left as control, two systems for raw crude Aspergillus niger and treated crude Aspergillus niger (RCA and TCA) were treated with Aspergillus niger only, two systems for raw crude Pseudomonas aeruginosa and treated crude Pseudomonas aeruginosa (RCP and TCP) were treated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa only and the last two systems for raw crude Aspergillus niger and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (RCAP and TCAP) were treated with both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aspergillus niger . At the end of the bioremediation period, the results obtained showed that the pH was not particularly a solid parameter to estimate the degree of bioremediation. This is because a proper trend in the results obtained could not be determined. Additionally, it was observed that Aspergillus niger (fungi) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (bacteria) alone and separate remediate raw crude polluted soil better than treated crude polluted soil. This was determined by the TOC (Total Organic Carbon) values on the 45th day of the experiment.

Waste paper is known to be the major component of organic solid waste. In this research, waste paper was used as a feedstock for the production of fermentable sugar with the aid of two (2) microorganisms. The waste papers used included newspaper, officpaper and foolscap paper. Enzymatic hydrolysis was carried out on the waste papers after the alkaline treatment using Aspergillus niger and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at different temperatures of 25 o C, 37 o C and 42 o C. The highest yield was obtained from the foolscap paper, which produced reducing sugar at a maximum concentration of 486.66 mg/L after two weeks using Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 37 o C. On the other hand, hydrolysing using Aspergillus niger, produced reducing sugar at a maximum concentration of 365 mg/L at an optimum temperature of 25 o C with office paper.

Fermented African locust bean seeds can be used as substitute to chemically based food spices. It improves sensory properties of foods which includes the organoleptic characteristics. P. biglobosa (African locust bean) seeds were processed and fermented to a vegetable protein based African condiment known as ‘Iru’. Fermentation process was carried out at four different temperatures which are 40, 50, 60 and 70°C. The monitoring of the fermentation rate was based on three parameters namely: Carbon dioxide production, pH and reduction in substrate weight. Substrates were inoculated with Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as starter culture while fermentation process took place for the duration of five days under anaerobic condition. The result obtained from the pH of fermented seeds confirmed the fermentation process to be alkaline in nature.

The optimum conditions for the fermentation of African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) into a vegetable protein based condiment (Iru) were developed using Levenberg-Marquardt (or Powell) method (using PSI software) with three (3) variables namely; inoculum concentration (bacillus subtilis), temperature and the fermentation duration. African locust bean seeds were fermented at various temperature of 40 - 70 °С for five days (120 hours) with different concentrations of Inoculum. The proximate analysis shows that fermentation increased the percentage protein. Protein had the highest composition with about 51 % after 72 hours at the lowest fermentation temperature of 40°С.

The present study described the use of percentage moisture left and salting as a preservative method in studying the shelf life of fermented Parkia biglobosa (African Locust bean seed) over a period of four weeks. Bacillus subtilis was used as starter culture in the fermentation of Parkia biglobosa to ‘Iru’. Fermented samples [Iru] were dried to various % moisture content and salt of various concentrations were added. Samples were stored for four weeks at room temperature in an air tight plastic container. Functional properties such as pH, % protein, % titratable acidity and peroxide value of the seeds were analyzed on weekly basis during the storage period. Protein concentration of the preserved samples

This paper investigates Tectona grandis capped silver nanoparticle material effects on the microbial strains inducing microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of metals. Leaf-extract from Tectona grandis natural plant was used as a precursor for the synthesis of silver-nanoparticle material, which was characterised by a scanning electron microscopy having Energy Dispersion Spectroscopy (SEM + EDS) facility. Sensitivity and resistance studies by the synthesized Tectona grandis capped silver nanoparticle material on three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative, thus totalling six, MIC inducing microbial strains were then studied and compared with what was obtained from a control antibiotic chemical. Results showed that all the microbial strains studied were sensitive to the Tectona grandis capped silver nanoparticle materials whereas two strains of microbes, a Gram-positive and a Gram-negative strain, were resistant to the commercial antibiotic chemical. These results suggest positive prospects on Tectona grandis capped silver nanoparticle usage in corrosion control/protection applications on metallic materials for the microbial corrosion environment.

African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) seed was fermented to a protein based soup and stew additive. Fermentation was carried out for three days after which the fermented seeds were oven dried at a very low temperature for four days. Dried fermented seed were powdered and compressed using the fabricated mold into cubes

The optimum conditions for the fermentation of a local legume known as African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) into a vegetable protein based food condiment or spice (Iru) were developed using Levenberg-Marquardt (or Powell) method (using PSI software) with three (3) variables namely; inoculum concentration (bacillus subtilis), temperature and the fermentation duration. P. biglobosa seeds were fermented at various temperature of 40 - 70 °C for five days (120 hours) with different concentrations of Inoculum. The proximate analysis shows that fermentation increased the percentage protein. Protein had the highest composition with about 51 % after 72 hours at the lowest fermentation temperature of 40°C.

Studies on the epoxidation of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seed oil, a renewable source with formic acid was performed in the presence of 30% hydrogen peroxide at a of temperature 40, 50, 60, 70 °C. The process is favoured by an increase in temperature forming a product with high oxirane content which is as a result of mole ratios of formic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Products of high oxirane content are commercialy viable in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Natural rubber and other products can be obtained from this in- situ technique. Studies in this research shows that the rate of epoxidation increases with an increase in temperature.Oxirane values of 2.30, 3.62 and 4.73 for the various temperature. However high oxirane content of 6.22 was obtained at 70 °C which is in line with literature. FTIR analysis was also carried out on the epoxidized rubber seed oil which shows the peaks of oxirane cleavage.

This study involves the extraction of oil from three sources: orange peel, guava leaves, and cassia fistula leaves using Soxhlet apparatus. The variables considered in this study were time of extraction and sample weight. Minitab statistical software was used to randomize the runs. The combination of operating parameters that gave the optimum yield for the three sources were identified. The regression equation for each source was reported. The coefficient of determination (R2) value for orange, guava leaves and cassia fistula extract were 99.51%, 99.90%, and 99.77% respectively. This shows that the model is a good prediction tool for extraction of oil from these sources. Based on the R2 values guava leaves (99.90%) gave the highest prediction accuracy followed by Cassia fistula (99.90%), with orange leaves having the lowest R2 value (99.77%) among the three sources considered.

The effectiveness of remediating soils polluted with crude and treated hydrocarbon oil using a fungi - Aspergillus niger, bacteria - Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the combination of the two were investigated and the first order kinetics were studied. Eight systems of 500g soil sample were polluted with both raw and treated crude oil. Four systems were polluted with 100 ml treated crude oil while other remaining systems with same quantity of raw crude oil. Two systems with raw and treated crude oil were left as control (RCC and TCC). Samples of soil polluted with raw crude oil were amended with A. niger (RCA) and P. aeruginosa (RCP) respectively, while treated crude samples were also treated with same (TCA) and (TCP) only. The last two systems were treated with both P. aeruginosa and A. niger (RCAP and TCAP). First order bioremediation kinetics and biostimulant efficiency for these systems were studied by monitoring Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH). The result obtained at the end of the bioremediation period, revealed that treated crude oil polluted soil remediate faster and better than raw crude oil polluted soil. The highest level of bioremediation occurred in systems amended with both A. niger and P. aeruginosa which had about 98 % TPH decrease.

This work identifies the chemical components of Azadirachta indica (neem plant) leave extracts . A. indica is a vascular plant which belongs to the Meliaceae family and its use as herb in folk medicine is widely acclaimed. Essential oils were extracted from leaves of A. indica. Steam and solvent extraction methods were used with two sol- vents: Ethanol and Hexane. The crude oil extracted using both extraction methods were analyzed using GC–MS. The result of the analyses show that the major con- stituents were Eicosane (9.7662%), Diacenaphtho[1,2-j:1 � ,2 � -l]fluoranthene (11.301%), Phenol, 4-[[(4-methoxyphenyl)methylene]amino]- (11.84%) and (3Ar,6S,9ar)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9a- octahydro-8-methyl-3a,6-methano-3ah-cyclopentacycloocten-10-one (36.883%) in steam extracted oil; Eicosane (10.259%), Diacenaphtho[1,2-j:1 � ,2 � -l]fluoranthene (13.51%) and Butanamide, N-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxo- (16.615%) in the ethanol extracted oil, and (3Ar,6S,9ar)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9a-octahydro-8-methyl-3a,6-methano-3ah-cyclopentacycloocten- 10-one (10.72%), n-Hexadecanoic acid (14.688%) and 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic acid, (Z,Z,Z)- (34.719%) in the hexane extracted A. indica essential oil.