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Biodegradable bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a highly in-demand but expensive polymer, and the reduction of its production cost is an important task. The present study aimed to biosynthesize BNC on biologically high-quality hydrolyzate media prepared from miscanthus and oat hulls, and to explore the properties of the resultant BNC depending on the microbial producer used. In this study, three microbial producers were utilized for the biosynthesis of BNC: individual strains Komagataeibacter xylinus B-12429 and Komagataeibacter xylinus B-12431, and symbiotic Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12. The use of symbiotic Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12 was found to have technological benefits: nutrient media require no mineral salts or growth factors, and pasteurization is sufficient for the nutrient medium instead of sterilization. The yield of BNCs produced by the symbiotic culture turned out to be 44–65% higher than that for the individual strains. The physicochemical properties of BNC, such as nanofibril width, degree of polymerization, elastic modulus, Iα allomorph content and crystallinity index, are most notably dependent on the microbial producer type rather than the nutrient medium composition. This is the first study in which we investigated the biosynthesis of BNC on hydrolyzate media prepared from miscanthus and oat hulls under the same conditions but using different microbial producers, and showed that it is advisable to use the symbiotic culture. The choice of a microbial producer is grounded on the yield, production process simplification and properties. The BNC production from technical raw materials would cover considerable demands of BNC for technical purposes without competing with food resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Dietary fibres with increased particle size may develop foregut more efficiently in meat poultry fed diets moderately low in crude protein. The study investigated the performance of broilers fed low-density crude protein diets with the inclusion of oat hulls increasing in particle size. Ross 308 male broiler chicks (n = 336) were divided into 48 pens, 12 pens per treatment (7 chicks per pen). Pens were allocated to 4 dietary treatments in mash form; positive control (PC), a standard crude protein diet, negative control (NC), around 5% lower in protein with 5% celite as an inert material, OH400: 5% lower protein diet with 5% oat hulls of geometric mean diameter (GMD) 400 µm, OH850: 5% lower protein diet with 5% oat hulls of GMD 850µm. Birds were fed ad libitum from d 1 to 35 in 3 phases; starter: d 0 to 10, grower: d 10 to 24 and finisher: d 24 to 35. Growth performance was calculated at the end of the trial. Two birds per pen were sampled on d 24 and 35 to collect data on proventriculus and gizzard weights and pooled ileal digesta. Apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids on d 24, and metabolizable energy on d 24 and 35 were recorded for each pen. Litter was sampled from each pen on d 34 to analyze litter N and moisture content. Footpad dermatitis scores of all birds per pen were recorded on d 35. Overall, no difference (P > 0.05) in body weight gain and feed intake was found between the treatments. However, NC and OH400 showed poorer FCR than PC, whereas FCR on PC and OH850 was similar (P > 0.05). Gizzard absolute weight and relative to body weight, and gizzard to proventriculus ratio were higher (P < 0.05) on OH850 compared to PC and NC on d 24 and 35. Gizzard digesta particle size was reduced (P < 0.05) on OH850 compared to all other diets on d 24 and 35. Amino acids digestibility coefficients for aspartic acid and valine increased (P < 0.05) in birds fed OH850 compared to PC, whereas coefficients for several other amino acids were improved compared to NC and OH400. The apparent ileal digestibility of metabolizable energy was similar (P > 0.05) between PC and OH850. Litter moisture and nitrogen, and footpad dermatitis scores were reduced (P < 0.05) on OH850 compared to PC. In conclusion, the inclusion of coarse oat hulls of GMD 850 µm in low-density crude protein diets can be beneficial for the broilers in developing the foregut, utilizing the nutrients efficiently and reducing litter nitrogen and moisture, and footpad scores.

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Biodegradable bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a highly in-demand but expensive polymer, and the reduction of its production cost is an important task. The present study aimed to biosynthesize BNC on biologically high-quality hydrolyzate media prepared from miscanthus and oat hulls, and to explore the properties of the resultant BNC depending on the microbial producer used. In this study, three microbial producers were utilized for the biosynthesis of BNC: individual strains Komagataeibacter xylinus B-12429 and Komagataeibacter xylinus B-12431, and symbiotic Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12. The use of symbiotic Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12 was found to have technological benefits: nutrient media require no mineral salts or growth factors, and pasteurization is sufficient for the nutrient medium instead of sterilization. The yield of BNCs produced by the symbiotic culture turned out to be 44–65% higher than that for the individual strains. The physicochemical properties of BNC, such as nanofibril width, degree of polymerization, elastic modulus, Iα allomorph content and crystallinity index, are most notably dependent on the microbial producer type rather than the nutrient medium composition. This is the first study in which we investigated the biosynthesis of BNC on hydrolyzate media prepared from miscanthus and oat hulls under the same conditions but using different microbial producers, and showed that it is advisable to use the symbiotic culture. The choice of a microbial producer is grounded on the yield, production process simplification and properties. The BNC production from technical raw materials would cover considerable demands of BNC for technical purposes without competing with food resources.

In this work, the performance of oat hull-filled sodium alginate (SA-O) biocomposite microbeads in the adsorptive removal of methylene blue (MB) dye was examined. First, oat hulls were pulverized and biocomposite gels containing different weight ratios of oat hulls (10 %, 20 %, and 30 %, concerning the SA amount) were prepared by dispersing them in SA solution by ultrasonic homogenization method. Finally, gels were cross-linked by dropping into a 2 % CaCl 2 solution. The study revealed that the optimal adsorbent dosage was 0.025 g/50 mL, pH was roughly 6-8, and the contact time was 120 min. According to isotherm models, the non-linear Sips and Langmuir model was more appropriate compare to other isotherms from error analysis, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 687.65 mg/g and 757.57 mg/g at 298 K, respectively. Furthermore, the non-linear kinetic data and error analyzes demonstrated that the process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic. The adsorption process was exothermic (∆H ° =-17.71 kJ/mol) and spontaneous (∆G ° =-26.23 kJ/mol) at 298 K, based on thermodynamic characteristics. Furthermore, reusability investigations demonstrated that the adsorbent retained its performance with no major changes in characteristics. This work reveals that highly efficient, low-cost, sustainable, and eco-friendly SA-O composites with properties might be useful adsorbents for cationic dye adsorption., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

ABSTRACT: The influence of infrared beak trimming at hatch (IRBT) and the inclusion of oat hulls (OH) in the diet on growth performance, feed preference, exploratory pecking behavior, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, was studied in brown-egg pullets from 0 to 15 wk of age. The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with IRBT (sham vs. treated) and OH inclusion (0 vs. 3%) as main effects. Each treatment was replicated 20 times and the experimental unit was a cage with 10 pullets. Feed intake (FI), BW gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), energy intake (EI, kcal AMEn/d), and energy conversion ratio (ECR, kcal AMEn/g of BW gain) were determined by feeding period (0 to 6, 7 to 10, and 11 to 15 wk of age) and cumulatively. Particle size preference was measured at 7 wk and exploratory pecking behavior of the pullets and at 8 to 14 wk of age. From 0 to 6 wk of age, beak trimming decreased FI (P < 0.01) and increased pullet mortality (P < 0.001) but did not affect BW gain. From 0 to 15 wk of age, OH inclusion improved BW uniformity (P = 0.090) but impaired FCR (P < 0.05) without showing any effect on BW gain or ECR. Preference for coarse particles was greater for the sham than for the treated pullets. Beak trimming and OH feeding reduced (P < 0.05) the exploratory pecking behavior of the pullets from 8 to 12 wk of age but not thereafter. Oat hulls increased the relative weights of the full gizzard and intestines at all ages (P < 0.05). In summary, beak trimming did not affect pullet performance at 15 wk of age or GIT development at any age. Oat hulls improved GIT development at all ages but did not affect BW or ECR. Both beak treatment and OH inclusion affected particle size preference and reduced the exploratory pecking behavior of the birds.

The global abundance and availability of oat hulls make them a promising feedstock to produce a unique type of cellulose, the bacterial one. This is the first study examining how a chemical pretreatment method of oat hulls influences the yield and properties of bacterial cellulose (BC) in extended cultivation. Here we employed our own pretreatment methods that use dilute HNO3 and NaOH solutions in one and two stages, a total of four pretreatment methods. Further technological stages were performed in the same manner: pulps were enzymatically hydrolyzed with commercial enzymes CelloLux-A and BrewZyme BGX, and biosynthesis of BC was run using the Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12 symbiotic culture. A two-stage (HNO3 + NaOH) pretreatment of oat hulls was found to afford a biologically good medium and increase the BC yield 1.8−3.2-fold compared to the other pretreatments used. A pretreatment method of oat hulls determined the BC yield and degree of polymerization. However, a pretreatment method had no impact on the highest crystallinity index and allomorph Iα content of all the BC samples, which is explained by Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12 used. The crystallinity index and allomorph Iα content, as measured by X-ray diffractometry, are proposed for use as BC quality assessment criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of sustainable bioeconomies requires the utilization of new renewable biomaterials. One such material currently seen as a waste product is oat hulls. Oat hulls exhibit a great potential for the production of dietary fibres due to their exceptionally large hemicellulose content (35%). Their recalcitrant structure however requires a suitable pre-treatment method to access and process the hemicellulose. After a screening of various physical, chemical and physico-chemical pre-treatment methods, including autoclaving, ultrasonication, microwave-, deep eutectic solvents-, as well as alkaline treatments, a combined ultrasonication and alkali pre-treatment method was here found to be the most suitable. A factorial design resulted in optimized conditions of 10 min ultrasonication in water, followed by an incubation in 5 M NaOH at 80 ºC for 9 h yielding solubilisation of 72% of all hemicellulose in the hulls. The method was shown to efficiently break the ester bonds between ferulic acid and the hemicellulose main chain, contributing to its solubilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oat hulls are an excellent dietary fibre source for food supplements due to their rich lignocellulose composition as well as their great abundance as low-value agricultural side stream. For the production of white fibre supplements, a mild, but effective bleaching of the hulls is required. Chemical bleaching with hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide was here found to be a suitable method increasing the CIE L* value (corresponds to a lightness value) above 85. The developed method is mild, retaining the hull’s chemical composition. Only a minor decrease in coniferaldehyde structures upon bleaching was detected. Colour and chemical variabilities of oat hulls from different growth seasons did not influence the required bleaching conditions to achieve the desired optical properties. The inclusion of biochemical bleaching steps utilizing the xylanase Pentopan Mono BG, the laccase NS51003 and sonication was industrially not feasible as they could not reduce the required amount of subsequently applied bleaching chemicals significantly.

Provision of an appropriate dustbathing substrate may allow broiler chickens to satisfy a natural motivation and give them an opportunity to exercise. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which different substrates promote dustbathing behaviour in broilers. The trial was replicated over three production cycles in one commercial broiler house, with ~22 000 Ross broilers housed per cycle. The birds were provided with access to five experimental substrates from day 10 of the 6-week production cycle. The substrates included the following: (1) peat (P), (2) oat hulls (OH), (3) straw pellets (SP), (4) clean wood shavings (WS), and (5) litter control (C). The substrates were provided in 15 steel rings (1.1 m in diameter, three rings per substrate) dispersed throughout the house. The level of occupancy of the rings, behaviours performed in each substrate, and the effect of ring position (central or edge of house) were assessed in weeks 3, 4, 5 and 6 using scan sampling from video footage. Where substrates successfully promoted dustbathing, the length and components of the bouts (including number of vertical wing shakes and ground pecks) were also assessed. Results showed that birds used P significantly more than the remaining substrates for dustbathing (P0.05). The use of OH is likely to be more environmentally sustainable than that of P, and our results suggest that this substrate is relatively successful in promoting dustbathing. However, a preference was still observed for P and further work should investigate whether other suitable substrates could better reflect its qualities.

Presently, sugarcane bagasse (SB) and oat hulls (OH) have a distinctive potential as a renewable source of biomass, due to its global availability, which is advantageous for producing liquid and gaseous fuels by thermochemical processes. Thermo-Catalytic Reforming (TCR) is a pyrolysis based technology for generating energy vectors (char, bio-oil and syngas) from biomass wastes. This work aims to study the conversion of SB and OH into fuels, using TCR in a 2 kg/h continuous pilot-scale reactor at different pyrolysis temperatures. The pyrolysis temperatures were studied at 400, 450 and 500 °C, while the subsequent reforming temperature remained constant at 500 °C. The bio-oil contained the highest calorific value of 33.4 and 33.5 MJ/kg for SB and OH, respectively at 500 °C pyrolysis temperature, which represented a notable increase compared to the raw material calorific value of SB and OH (16.4 and 16.0 MJ/kg, respectively), this was the result of deoxygenation reactions occurring. Furthermore, the increment of the pyrolysis temperature improved the water content, total acid number (TAN), viscosity and density of the bio-oil. The syngas and the biochar properties did not change significantly with the increase of the pyrolysis temperature. In order to use TCR bio-oil as an engine fuel, it is necessary to carry out some upgrading treatments; or blend it with fossil fuels if it is to be used as a transportation fuel. Overall, TCR is a promising future route for the valorisation of lignocellulosic residues to produce energy vectors. Image 1 • SB and OH were successfully converted into valuable products using the TCR reactor. • The fuel properties of the TCR oil were improved with the increment of the pyrolysis temperature. • TCR technology proved its efficiency in terms of mass balance and energy yield. • The chemical properties of the TCR products showed the potential to be used as energy vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pretreatment of lignocellulosic bioresources is a key step in obtaining fermentable sugars. The present study explored the recycling of an HNO3 cooking solution during one-step chemical pretreatment of oat hulls and examined the enzymatic hydrolysis performance of the resultant substrates. Two series of experiments on solution recycling were performed: stabilization and experimental elevation of HNO3 concentration by adding 70 wt% HNO3. When the HNO3 concentration was stabilized at 4.4 wt%, the solution could be used five times. Meanwhile, when the HNO3 concentration was experimentally elevated from 4.4 wt% to 5.6 wt% (at the tenth pretreatment) by adding 70 wt% HNO3, the cooking solution could be used ten times. The yield of reducing sugars on a hydrolyzables content basis was 95% to 99% for ten substrates. In this case, the lignin contents of the substrates did not increase and had no adverse effect on the enzymatic hydrolysis performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of infra-red beak treatment (IRBT) at hatch and the inclusion of oat hulls (OH) in the diet on growth performance, water intake (WI), preference behaviour for coarse particles and the development of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), was studied in brown-egg pullets from 1 to 35 days of age. The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with beak treatment (IRBT vs. sham) and OH inclusion (0 vs. 30 g/kg diet) as main effects. Each treatment was replicated 20 times and the experimental unit was a cage with 10 pullets. Growth performance and water intake were determined by week and cumulatively. Preference behaviour for coarse particles and the development of selected organs of the GIT, were determined at 28 and 35 days of age, respectively. No interactions between IRBT and OH inclusion were detected for any of the traits studied at any age, and therefore, only main effects are discussed. Cumulatively (1–35 days of age), IRBT increased mortality (P < 0.01) and reduced feed consumption (P < 0.001), body weight (BW) gain (P < 0.01) and water intake (P < 0.001), but improved feed conversion (P < 0.001) of the pullets. Oat hulls inclusion did not affect BW gain, BW uniformity or energy conversion ratio, but reduced pullet mortality (P = 0.099) and water to feed ratio (P < 0.05). The interactions detected between age and IRBT on pullet performance were numerous. From 1–21 days of age, BW gain was better for the sham than for the IRBT pullets but an opposite effect was observed from 29 to 35 days of age (P < 0.01). Similarly, from 1 to 28 days of age, BW uniformity and WI were higher for the sham than for the IRBT pullets but no differences were detected from 29 to 35 days of age. Preference behaviour for coarse particles, measured at 28 days of age, was greater for the sham than for the IRBT pullets (P < 0.001). In summary, infra-red beak treatment increased mortality from 1 to 7 days of age and reduced pullet performance from 1 to 28 days of age but not thereafter. Young pullets show a clear preference to consume coarse particles. Oat hulls inclusion increased feed intake and decreased mortality and water to feed ratio of the pullets but did not affect energy efficiency or the development of the gastrointestinal tract. • Pullets need 21–28 days of age to recover after infra-red beak treatment at hatch. • For the last week of the experiment treated pullets grew better than sham pullets. • Young pullets show a preference for consuming coarse vs. fine particles. • Water to feed intake ratio decreases with beak treatment and oat hulls inclusion. • Oat hulls inclusion did not affect pullet growth but tended to reduce mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Oat hulls (OH) as side streams are good source of proteins and phenolic compounds. • Proteins and phenolic acids were increased in the supernatants of all treatments. • Feruloyl esterase had better capacity of recovering proteins and organic acids. • Avenanthramides were degraded after enzymatic treatments. • Impact of ultrasonication was dependent on enzymes and phytochemicals studied. Ultrasonication-assisted enzymatic treatments using Viscozyme®, Alcalase®, and feruloyl esterase were applied to recover proteins, avenanthramides, phenolic acids, free sugars, and organic acids from oat hulls (OH). The profiles of the chemical compounds in OH were markedly influenced by the nature of enzymes, ultrasonication frequency, and processing time. A significant increase in the contents of proteins and phenolic acids was observed in the liquid fraction of all enzymatic treatments, which was 2–19 folds higher than those detected in untreated OH. In contrast, avenanthramides were mostly degraded during enzyme hydrolyses. The highest content of proteins (68.9 g/100 g DM) was found in the liquid fraction after the feruloyl esterase treatment assisted with 90 min of ultrasonication at 25 kHz. This fraction also contained 0.07% phenolic acids, 14.1% free sugars, and 1.8% organic acids, which can be potentially used as the ingredient of novel food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of oat hulls (OH) to substitute traditional fiber (a mixture of rice hulls and mugwort (RHM) leaf) in the diets of fattening rabbits by examining on its effect on the growth performance, coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of nutrients, gastrointestinal tract development, cecum fermentation and carcass traits. A total of 160 mixed sex Hyla commercial meat rabbits (40/treatment) were used to study the effects of including OH in the diet from 30 to 80 days of age. A control diet based on RHM and containing 175.2 g crude fiber and 169.7 g CP/kg was included. Growth performance and CTTAD of nutrients were recorded from day 35 to day 80 and day 74 to day 80, respectively, whereas gastrointestinal tract development, cecum fermentation and carcass traits were determined at day 80. Increasing concentrations of OH in the diet increased average daily feed intake (P=0.0018), but have no effects on average daily gain and feed conversion ratio (P>0.05). Moreover, the 150 g/kg OH diet decreased the relative weight of full cecum and cecal content (P0.05). The concentrations of total volatile fatty acid, acetic and butyric acids were greater in rabbits fed the lower levels of OH (0 to 100 g/kg) compared with higher rate (150 g/kg; P0.05). Furthermore, no significant effect on the ratios of acetic/(propionic+butyric) was observed (P>0.05). Hot carcass weight, pH (45 min, 24 h), lightness, redness, yellowness, 24-h drip loss of longissimus lumborum muscles were not affected by diet OH (P>0.05). However, dressing out percentage increased with higher (150 g/kg) inclusion of OH. It is concluded that OH can be included in rabbit diets at levels up to 100 g/kg, but negative effect on digestion and performance were observed with the increasing of OH (150 g/kg).

The influence of the composition of the working mixed acid, mass ratio, and nitration temperature and time on the properties and yield of cellulose nitrates from an unconventional feedstock such as the large-tonnage grain-processing residue, oat hulls, was studied. Experimental statistical models were constructed on the basis of a series of experiments. They enable the properties of cellulose nitrates to be predicted as a function of the mixed acid composition and conditions of the nitration process. The mixed acid composition and the mass ratio of mixed acid to cellulose were found to have the primary effect on the properties of cellulose nitrates, while the nitration temperature and time had no noticeable effect on the final result. Under the optimum synthetic conditions, pilot batches of cellulose nitrates were produced, which corresponded to Colloxiline-N in the main properties: mass fraction of nitrogen was 12.08–12.18%, viscosity was 12–15 mPa s, and the solubility in an alcohol—ether mixture was 98%. The correspondence of the synthesized samples to Colloxiline-N was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. The cellulose nitrates derived from the unconventional feedstock may find practical use in manufacturing ballistic powder and composite explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: • Biosorbent was developed from oat hulls and characterized for water and butanol adsorption. • The affinity of water for oat hulls based biosorbent is stronger than that of butanol. • The oat hulls based biosorbent is able to dehydrate butanol. • The large pore Dubinin-Polanyi model described water adsorption equilibrium data. • The site energy distribution of water, and butanol adsorption was analyzed. Abstract Bio-butanol is an important source of renewable biofuels. It contains significant amount of water in the production process through fermentation. The current technologies to remove water from butanol are energy intensive and costly. In this work, oat hulls, representative of cellulosic material abundantly generated as agricultural by-product, was used to dehydrate butanol in a packed column in order to produce biofuel product. The results demonstrate that the oat hull based biosorbent is able to effectively remove water from butanol. The biosorbent was characterized by Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) surface area, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The adsorption performance and breakthrough curve of the single component (butanol or water) adsorption on the biosorbent were investigated separately. Besides, the separation factors of water over butanol on the biosorbent were determined according to the equilibrium data in the butanol-water binary system. The effects of feed concentration and temperature on adsorption capacity were investigated. The water adsorption equilibrium data in the single water system and the butanol-water binary system were fitted to the Dubinin-Polanyi model. The approximate sorption site energy distribution was calculated to analyze the adsorption equilibrium data on the biosorbent. The results indicate the oat hulls based biosorbent has the capability for butanol dehydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Novel adsorbents based on oat hulls were developed and characterized. • Ciprofloxacin (CIP) adsorption equilibrium and kinetics were determined and simulated. • Thermodynamics of CIP adsorption was studied, and the adsorption was endothermic. • The pretreated oat hulls have a higher adsorption capacity than a number of reported adsorbents. Abstract In this work, a novel and environmentally friendly adsorbent was developed from oat hulls, representative of cellulosic materials abundantly generated as by-products in agriculture industry, for removal ciprofloxacin (CIP) from water. Results of various characterization techniques (e.g. SEM, FTIR, and BET) showed substantial enhancement in porosity, surface functional groups and surface area of the precursor through pre-treatment process. The effects of most influential process parameters of adsorbent dose (0.1–0.8 mg/L), solution pH (3–10), temperature (288, 298, and 318 K) and pre-treatment process on adsorption performance were investigated. The Freundlich isotherm successfully described equilibrium data, suggesting the heterogeneous surface of the adsorbent. The kinetic data were well expressed by the pseudo-second order kinetic model, indicating chemisorption to be the rate-limiting step of the process. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that adsorption was spontaneous (ΔG ° < 0), endothermic in nature (ΔH° > 0) and along with increase in randomness (ΔS° > 0). The maximum adsorption capacity of pretreated oat hulls (83 mg/g), at the determined optimum condition, was higher than a number of previously studied adsorbents. This study revealed that oat hulls or similar materials in agriculture industry can be made into adsorbents with high performance for removal of CIP, and similar pharmaceutical or organic pollutants from contaminated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary fibres with increased particle size may develop foregut more efficiently in meat poultry fed diets moderately low in crude protein. The study investigated the performance of broilers fed low-density crude protein diets with the inclusion of oat hulls increasing in particle size. Ross 308 male broiler chicks (n = 336) were divided into 48 pens, 12 pens per treatment (7 chicks per pen). Pens were allocated to 4 dietary treatments in mash form; positive control (PC), a standard crude protein diet, negative control (NC), around 5% lower in protein with 5% celite as an inert material, OH400 : 5% lower protein diet with 5% oat hulls of geometric mean diameter (GMD) 400 µm, OH850 : 5% lower protein diet with 5% oat hulls of GMD 850µm. Birds were fed ad libitum from d 1 to 35 in 3 phases; starter: d 0 to 10, grower: d 10 to 24 and finisher: d 24 to 35. Growth performance was calculated at the end of the trial. Two birds per pen were sampled on d 24 and 35 to collect data on proventriculus and gizzard weights and pooled ileal digesta. Apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids on d 24, and metabolizable energy on d 24 and 35 were recorded for each pen. Litter was sampled from each pen on d 34 to analyze litter N and moisture content. Footpad dermatitis scores of all birds per pen were recorded on d 35. Overall, no difference (P > 0.05) in body weight gain and feed intake was found between the treatments. However, NC and OH400 showed poorer FCR than PC, whereas FCR on PC and OH850 was similar (P > 0.05). Gizzard absolute weight and relative to body weight, and gizzard to proventriculus ratio were higher (P < 0.05) on OH850 compared to PC and NC on d 24 and 35. Gizzard digesta particle size was reduced (P < 0.05) on OH850 compared to all other diets on d 24 and 35. Amino acids digestibility coefficients for aspartic acid and valine increased (P < 0.05) in birds fed OH850 compared to PC, whereas coefficients for several other amino acids were improved compared to NC and OH400. The apparent ileal digestibility of metabolizable energy was similar (P > 0.05) between PC and OH850. Litter moisture and nitrogen, and footpad dermatitis scores were reduced (P < 0.05) on OH850 compared to PC. In conclusion, the inclusion of coarse oat hulls of GMD 850 µm in low-density crude protein diets can be beneficial for the broilers in developing the foregut, utilizing the nutrients efficiently and reducing litter nitrogen and moisture, and footpad scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental - Agriambi is the property of Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agricola e Ambiental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Provision of an appropriate dustbathing substrate may allow broiler chickens to satisfy a natural motivation and give them an opportunity to exercise. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which different substrates promote dustbathing behaviour in broilers. The trial was replicated over three production cycles in one commercial broiler house, with ~22 000 Ross broilers housed per cycle. The birds were provided with access to five experimental substrates from day 10 of the 6-week production cycle. The substrates included the following: (1) peat (P), (2) oat hulls (OH), (3) straw pellets (SP), (4) clean wood shavings (WS), and (5) litter control (C). The substrates were provided in 15 steel rings (1.1 m in diameter, three rings per substrate) dispersed throughout the house. The level of occupancy of the rings, behaviours performed in each substrate, and the effect of ring position (central or edge of house) were assessed in weeks 3, 4, 5 and 6 using scan sampling from video footage. Where substrates successfully promoted dustbathing, the length and components of the bouts (including number of vertical wing shakes and ground pecks) were also assessed. Results showed that birds used P significantly more than the remaining substrates for dustbathing (P <0.001). Oat hulls were the second most preferred substrate for dustbathing, with significantly more birds dustbathing in the OH compared with SP, WS and C (P <0.001). The least sitting inactive was also seen in the P and OH rings compared with the SP, WS and C (P <0.001). The highest levels of foraging were recorded in the P, OH and WS compared with SP and the C. Position of the rings did not affect the types of behaviours performed in any substrate, although overall more birds were counted in the central compared with edge rings (P= 0.001). More detailed information on dustbathing behaviour was only recorded in the P and OH treatments, and there were no differences in the length of dustbathing bout, or components of the bout between them (P> 0.05). The use of OH is likely to be more environmentally sustainable than that of P, and our results suggest that this substrate is relatively successful in promoting dustbathing. However, a preference was still observed for P and further work should investigate whether other suitable substrates could better reflect its qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The optimum composition is determined for a nutrient medium corresponding to the maximum yield of bioethanol during the alcohol fermentation of the enzymatic hydrolyzate of lignocellulosic material, produced by treating oat hulls with a diluted solution of nitric acid in trial production. The biotechnological steps of saccharification and fermentation are performed using commercially available enzymatic preparations CelloLux-A and BrewZyme BGX, plus a strain of Saccharomyces сerevisiae Y-1693 (VKPM) that is resistant to inhibitors from hydrolyzates. The composition of a nutrient medium that produced a bioethanol yield which was 89.9% of the theoretical one (8.4% higher than the native hydrolyzate) is found to have a 1.82 g/L concentration of ammonium sulfate, a 0.98 g/L concentration of potassium monophosphate, and a 6.47 g/L concentration of yeast extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complete cycle of ethylene production from oat hulls as widespread agricultural waste was studied on a pilot scale. The cycle involved mechano-chemical, biotechnological and catalytic units. The oat hulls were pretreated with a 2%(w/w) sodium hydroxide solution in a setup consisting of a rotary-pulsating apparatus and a 100-L vessel to produce a pulp containing 90.3% of hydrolyzables. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of oat hull pulp with delayed inoculation (dSSF) into ethanol using commercial enzymes CelloLux-A and BrewZyme-BGX and non-GMO yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was carried out in 63-L reactor . At a solid loading of 33.3 g/L, the yield of reducing sugars was 97.9% on overall hydrolyzables basis. The ethanol yield during dSSF at a solid loading of 60 g/L was as high as 95 g ethanol/kg oat hulls. The produced raw-ethanol sample contained low impurities of methanol, propanol and alkali metals. The rectified ethanol samples were used for dehydration to ethylene with the overall production index as high as 38–51 g ethylene/kg oats hulls. A negative impact of the propanol and alkali metals impurities in the rectified ethanol on conversion and selectivity to ethylene were observed. Being purified from organic impurities, ethanol was dehydrated with higher conversion and selectivity to ethylene. When the ethanol samples that contain less than 0.02 g/L organic and no sodium impurities were used in ethanol dehydration process, the yield of ethylene was as high as 56 g ethylene/kg oats hulls. In this work, 12 kg of oat hulls was converted to 1.21 kg 94%(w/w) ethanol, which was then converted to 0.62 kg 99.5% ethylene; this is the first experimental study devoted to the production of ethylene from oat hulls on a pilot scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pretreatment of biomass is a key step in the production of valuable products, including high-tech bacterial cellulose. The efficiency of five different pretreatment methods of Miscanthus and oat hulls for enzymatic hydrolysis and subsequent synthesis of bacterial cellulose (BC) was evaluated herein: Hydrothermobaric treatment, single-stage treatments with dilute HNO3 or dilute NaOH solution, and two-stage combined treatment with dilute HNO3 and NaOH solutions in direct and reverse order. The performance of enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreatment products was found to increase by a factor of 4−7. All the resultant hydrolyzates were composed chiefly of glucose, as the xylose percentage in total reducing sugars (RS) was 1−9%. The test synthesis of BC demonstrated good quality of nutrient media prepared from all the enzymatic hydrolyzates, except the hydrothermobaric treatment hydrolyzate. For biosynthesis of BC, single-stage pretreatments with either dilute HNO3 or dilute NaOH are advised due their simplicity and the high performance of enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreatment products (RS yield 79.7−83.4%).

Oat hulls are a promising feedstock annually renewable at an industrial scale for the production of second generation ethanol. Chemical pretreatment of oat hulls with a 4% (w/w) nitric acid solution at atmospheric pressure was performed in pilot production to give a pulp in which hydrolyzables account for 79.9%. Acid-insoluble lignin totaling 12.5% in the pulp does not deteriorate the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis using an enzyme cocktail of commercial BrewZyme BGX and CelloLux-A. At an initial solid loading of 33.3 g/L, a hydrolyzate was obtained with a reducing sugar yield of 93.0% of the overall hydrolyzables. The high yield is assured only by removal of residual, water-soluble, nitrated lignin by water washing. Alcoholic fermentation was run using Saccharomyces сerevisiae Y-1693. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation with delayed inoculation (dSSF) at an initial pulp loading of 90 g/L was found to improve the ethanol yield by 1.2 times compared to separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF), i.e. 0.428 versus 0.343 g/g cellulose, respectively. The ethanol samples obtained from oat hulls contain low percentages of esters and methanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments were done to model enzymatic hydrolysis of Miscanthus and oat hulls treated with dilute solutions of nitric acid and sodium hydroxide in direct and reverse sequences. The enzymatic hydrolysis kinetics of the substrates was studied at an initial solid loading from 30 to 120 g/L. The effects of feedstock type and its pretreatment method on the initial hydrolysis rate and reducing sugar yield were evaluated. The fitting results by the developed models showed good agreement with the experimental data. These models designed for developing the production technology of concentrated glucose solutions can also be applied for glucose fermentation into ethanol. The initial solid loading of 60-90 g/L provides the reducing sugar concentration of 40-80 g/L necessary for ethanol synthesis. The kinetic model can also be applied to investigate enzymatic hydrolysis of other substrates (feedstock type, pretreatment method) under the similar conditions used herein, with adjusted empirical coefficient values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of flaxseed meal and oat hulls supplementation on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of fat, serum lipids, and concentrations of VFA, bile acids (BA), and neutral sterols (NS) in digesta and feces in growing pigs. Forty-eight Genesus [(Duroc boar x Yorkshire-Landrace sows] barrows (25.0 ± 0.32 kg initial BW) were housed in pairs. Pigs were assigned to 1 of the 3 corn-soybean meal-based diets--a basal corn-soybean meal-containing diet (control), a flaxseed meal-containing diet (FM), or an oat hulls-containing diet (OH)--in a completely randomized design. All diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and to contain similar standardized ileal digestible AA contents and meet other nutrient requirements for growing pigs. The experiment lasted for 28 d. Average daily feed intake; ADG; G:F; ATTD of fat, serum lipids, and digesta; and fecal VFA, BA, and NS concentrations were determined. Pigs fed the control or OH had greater final BW (P < 0.001), ADFI (P = 0.005), and ADG (P < 0.001) than FM-fed pigs. The ATTD of fat in the FM was lowest at 70.1% followed by 79.2% in OH and was greatest at 92.4% in the control (P = 0.020). Total serum cholesterol content was 2.25 and 1.99 mmol/L and lower (P < 0.001) in pigs fed FM and OH, respectively, than the 2.36 mmol/L in pigs fed the control. Pigs fed the FM and OH had greater ileal and cecal total VFA (P < 0.001), ileal deoxycholic acid (P < 0.01), and cecal (P < 0.001) and fecal cholesterol (P = 0.002) concentrations than those fed the control. Pigs fed the FM excreted more fecal lithocholic acid (P = 0.002) and ursodeoxycholic acid (P = 0.001) compared with those that consumed the control and OH. The concentrations of coprostanol in cecal digesta (P < 0.001) and feces (P = 0.011) were higher in pigs fed the FM and OH than in pigs fed the control. In conclusion, feeding flaxseed meal and oat hulls induced intestinal fermentation; however, the former depressed growth performance whereas the latter did not have any effect. Addition of flaxseed meal and oat hulls in growing pig diets reduced fat digestibility and serum cholesterol and stimulated malabsorption of primary BA and excretion of secondary BA and NS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The full cycle of bioethanol production from pretreated oat hulls is scaled for a pilot plant. The one-stage pretreatment of oat hulls with a dilute nitric acid at atmospheric pressure is scaled for a 250-L reactor. The total amount of hydrolysable polysaccharides in the resulting substrate is 87.2%. Using the commercially available enzyme preparations CelloLux-A and BrewZyme BGX and the industrial strain BKPM Y-1693 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, the process of enzymatic hydrolysis and alcoholic fermentation is successfully scaled for a 63-L reactor. The scaling factor is 1: 400. Bioethanol is obtained with a high yield of 17.9 daL/t. After rectification, the test sample of bioethanol meets the standards for high-purity alcohol from food raw materials according to the mass concentration of aldehydes, esters, and by the content of methanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of oat hulls (OH) to substitute traditional fiber (a mixture of rice hulls and mugwort (RHM) leaf) in the diets of fattening rabbits by examining on its effect on the growth performance, coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of nutrients, gastrointestinal tract development, cecum fermentation and carcass traits. A total of 160 mixed sex Hyla commercial meat rabbits (40/treatment) were used to study the effects of including OH in the diet from 30 to 80 days of age. A control diet based on RHM and containing 175.2 g crude fiber and 169.7 g CP/kg was included. Growth performance and CTTAD of nutrients were recorded from day 35 to day 80 and day 74 to day 80, respectively, whereas gastrointestinal tract development, cecum fermentation and carcass traits were determined at day 80. Increasing concentrations of OH in the diet increased average daily feed intake ( P = 0.0018), but have no effects on average daily gain and feed conversion ratio ( P>0.05). Moreover, the 150 g/kg OH diet decreased the relative weight of full cecum and cecal content ( P<0.05), but did not affect other gastrointestinal organs. The CTTAD of NDF and gross energy decreased with the inclusion of OH ( P<0.05). No effects of CTTAD of ADF, ADL, dry matter, CP and ether extract were observed ( P>0.05). The concentrations of total volatile fatty acid, acetic and butyric acids were greater in rabbits fed the lower levels of OH (0 to 100 g/kg) compared with higher rate (150 g/kg; P<0.05). However, the proportions of acetic, propionic and butyric acids were not affected by treatments ( P>0.05). Furthermore, no significant effect on the ratios of acetic/(propionic +butyric) was observed ( P>0.05). Hot carcass weight, pH (45 min, 24 h), lightness, redness, yellowness, 24-h drip loss of longissimus lumborum muscles were not affected by diet OH ( P>0.05). However, dressing out percentage increased with higher (150 g/kg) inclusion of OH. It is concluded that OH can be included in rabbit diets at levels up to 100 g/kg, but negative effect on digestion and performance were observed with the increasing of OH (150 g/kg). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the effects of different feed structures and beddings on the spread of C. jejuni in broiler flocks, and the effect on the cecal microbiota. Broiler chickens raised in 24 eight-bird group cages on either rubber mat or wood shavings were fed either a wheat-based control diet (Control), a diet where 50% of the ground wheat was replaced by whole wheat prior to pelleting (Wheat), or a wheat-based diet, such as the control diet diluted with 12% oat hulls (Oat). Samples from the cloacal mucosa of all birds were taken daily for C. jejuni quantification and cecum samples were collected at the end of the experiment for C. jejuni quantification and microbiota analyses. We have shown a statistically significant effect of increased feed structure on the reduced spread of C. jejuni in chicken flocks, but no significant differences were detected between types of structure included in the feed. No significant changes in the dominating microbiota in the lower lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract were observed, which indicates that feed structure only has an effect on the upper GI tract. Delaying the spread of C. jejuni in broiler flocks could, at time of slaughter, result in fewer C. jejuni-positive broilers.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic raw materials to produce nutrient broths for microbiological synthesis of ethanol and other valuable products is an important field of modern biotechnology. Biotechnological processing implies the selection of an effective pretreatment technique for raw materials. In this study, the hydrotropic treatment increased the reactivity of the obtained substrates toward enzymatic hydrolysis by 7.1 times for Miscanthus and by 7.3 times for oat hulls. The hydrotropic pulp from oat hulls was more reactive toward enzymatic hydrolysis compared to that from Miscanthus, despite that the substrates had similar compositions. As the initial substrate loadings were raised during enzymatic hydrolysis of the hydrotropic Miscanthus and oat hull pulps, the concentration of reducing sugars increased by 34 g/dm and the yield of reducing sugars decreased by 31 %. The findings allow us to predict the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of hydrotropic pulps from Miscanthus and oat hulls when scaling up the process by volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorptive potential of an agricultural waste, oat hull for the removal of a dye, Malachite Green from aqueous solutions was investigated. The adsorbent was characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM, and BET. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to examine the sorption behavior of MG at different adsorbent particle sizes, solution pH, initial dye concentration, contact time and temperature. Optimum conditions were investigated as adsorbent particle size ~ 150 μm; initial pH, 8.0, contact time, 80 min and at 313 K. The study of sorption kinetics was found to be more consistent with pseudo second-order model and film diffusion mechanism was interpreted as rate limiting step. The adsorbate–adsorbent interaction as a function of temperature was assessed and the data fitted better in Freundlich model. The adsorption capacity increases with increasing temperature and maximum Langmuir's adsorption capacity was found to be 83 mg/g at 313 K. Thermodynamic studies indicated that the process of removal of MG was spontaneous in nature. The efficacy of the batch sorption process was further investigated by column experiments. Factors like effect of flow rate and bed depth were examined in column mode. The column sorption data was mathematically treated with bed depth service time (BDST) and Thomas models. The above findings recommend that oat hulls can be successfully used for the decoloration of MG contaminated wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of feed form and the inclusion of insoluble fiber in the diet on growth performance and water intake were studied in female broilers from 0 to 21 d of age. The experimental design was completely randomized with 14 treatments arranged as a 2 × 7 factorial with 2 feed forms (mash vs. pelleted) and 7 diets that consisted of a control diet low in fiber (1.6% crude fiber) based on broken rice, fermented soybean meal, and fish meal and 6 extra diets that resulted from the inclusion of 3 insoluble fiber sources (oat hulls; OH, rice hulls; RH, and sunflower hulls; SFH) at 2 levels (2.5 vs. 5%). Each treatment was replicated 6 times. Broilers fed pellets had 32% greater ADG and 3% better feed to gain ratio (F:G) than those fed mash (P ≤ 0.001). The inclusion of the fiber sources improved ADG (P ≤ 0.05) and F:G (P = 0.05). Pelleting increased (P ≤ 0.001) water intake from 6 to 8 d, water-to-feed intake ratio from 18 to 20 d, and moisture content of the excreta at 20 d of age. The inclusion of the insoluble fiber sources increased water intake (P ≤ 0.05) from d 18 to 20 but not from d 6 to 8. Increasing the level of fiber inclusion from 2.5 to 5.0% tended to increase (P = 0.086) moisture content in the excreta at d 20. Pelleting and the inclusion of insoluble fiber sources improved ADG and F:G in broilers fed low-fiber diets, and the improvements observed were more pronounced with pellets than with mash. Growth performance of young broilers improves with the addition of moderate amounts of structural insoluble fiber in the diet, regardless of feed form. The inclusion of OH or SFH into low fiber diets was more beneficial for improving broiler performance than the inclusion of RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetics of the enzymatic hydrolysis of two substrates-lignocellulosic materials from Miscanthus and oat hulls-in an acetate buffer is studied at different concentrations of the substrates. The substrates are obtained via single-step treatment with a dilute solution of nitric acid. The content of a nonhydrolyzable component-acid-insoluble lignin-for Miscanthus and oat hulls was 11 and 14%, respectively. A multi-enzyme composition of commercially available enzyme preparations CelloLux-A and BrewZyme BGX was used as a catalyst. It is shown that treatment with the nitric acid solution produces reactive substrates for the enzymatic hydrolysis. The innovative science of the results is confirmed by Russian patent 2533921. Kinetics of the enzymatic hydrolysis of these substrates in an acetate buffer can be described by a mathematical model based on a modified Michaelis-Menten equation. The main kinetic constants for both substrates are determined from the experimental data. The equilibrium concentrations of reducing substances (RSes) for the substrates are calculated from the initial substrate concentrations. It is found that within the studied range of substrate concentrations (33.3-120.0 g/L), the initial rate of enzymatic hydrolysis for the lignocellulosic material from oat hulls is higher than that for the lignocellulosic material from Miscanthus by 1 g/(L h). It is shown that the yield of RS depends of the initial concentration of the substrates: as the concentration rises from 33.3 to 120 g/L, the yield of RS falls 1.5-2.0 times, due to substrate inhibition. At low initial concentrations, the yields of RS are similar for the substrates from Miscanthus and oat hulls. When the initial concentration of the substrate reaches 120 g/L, the yield of reducing substances for the lignocellulosic material from Miscanthus is approximately 20% higher than that for the lignocellulosic material from oat hulls. The established dependences and the proposed mathematical model allow us to optimize the initial concentration of the substrate for efficient enzymatic hydrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas and particle emissions from co-firing coal and two types of biomass versus coal was evaluated in a circulating fluidized bed boiler operating with a constant energy input. Compared to coal, co-firing 50% oat hulls (by weight) significantly reduced the emission of particulate matter (PM) by 90%, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by 40%, metals by 65%, and fossil carbon dioxide by 40%. In contrast, co-firing 3.8% wood chips (by weight) had a negligible impact on the emissions of PM and PAH, but caused a 6% reduction in metals. Fuel-based emission factors for PM, metals, and organic species including biomass burning markers retene and levoglucosan, were determined. Enrichment factors (EF) were computed to examine the distribution of metals across PM, fly ash, and bottom ash and demonstrated enrichment in volatile metals (e.g. Fe, Al, and Cr) in PM and fly ash. Co-firing 50% oat hulls led to a significant depletion of K in PM and its enrichment in bottom ash. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX) analysis revealed a wide heterogeneity in particle sizes and compositions across particles for all fuel types. Overall, this study demonstrates that co-firing a 50% oat hulls with coal provides several benefits to air quality and outlines important changes to PM composition when biomass is co-fired with coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An incomplete factorial design with three independent variables at three levels of variation was used to evaluate the effect of the treatment with alkaline hydrogen peroxide concomitant with extrusion on some properties of oat hulls. The independent variables were hydrogen peroxide level, feed moisture and extrusion temperature. The dependent variables were water retention capacity (WRC), swollen volume (SV) and color. The analysis of variance showed that temperature was the most important variable for the hydration properties. The highest values of WRC and SV were obtained when oat hulls were processed in the condition of 7% hydrogen peroxide, 32% feed moisture and 90ºC extrusion temperature. Modified hulls had a WRC 70% higher and SV 55% higher than the untreated material. The instrumental measure of color was conducted to analyze the modifications promoted due to the treatment in this parameter. The highest value of brightness was obtained with 7% hydrogen peroxide. The modifications in the fibers were accompanied indirectly through hydration properties.Um delineamento fatorial incompleto 3³ foi utilizado para estudar o efeito do tratamento com peróxido de hidrogênio alcalino associado à extrusão sobre algumas propriedades funcionais da fibra da casca de aveia. As variáveis do tratamento avaliadas incluíram teor de peróxido de hidrogênio (%), umidade da amostra (%) e temperatura de extrusão (ºC). A análise de variância (ANOVA) mostrou que a temperatura foi a variável mais importante para as propriedades de hidratação. Os maiores valores de capacidade de retenção de água (CRA) e volume de intumescimento foram obtidos na condição de 7% de peróxido de hidrogênio, 32% de umidade e 90ºC de temperatura, obtendo um incremento de 70% na CRA e 55% no volume de intumescimento. A medida instrumental de cor foi usada para analisar as modificações ocorridas neste parâmetro. O mais alto valor de luminosidade foi alcançado com maior nível de peróxido de hidrogênio (7%), obtendo-se, nessa condição, produtos mais claros. Ensaios realizados para controle mostraram que tanto a extrusão quanto o tratamento químico tiveram efeito nas propriedades avaliadas, e que o efeito conjunto foi superior ao de cada um isoladamente. As modificações ocorridas nas fibras foram acompanhadas indiretamente, através das propriedades de hidratação.

The influence of infrared beak trimming at hatch (IRBT) and the inclusion of oat hulls (OH) in the diet on growth performance, feed preference, exploratory pecking behavior, and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, was studied in brown-egg pullets from 0 to 15 wk of age. The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with IRBT (sham vs. treated) and OH inclusion (0 vs. 3%) as main effects. Each treatment was replicated 20 times and the experimental unit was a cage with 10 pullets. Feed intake (FI), BW gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), energy intake (EI , kcal AMEn/d), and energy conversion ratio (ECR , kcal AMEn/g of BW gain) were determined by feeding period (0 to 6, 7 to 10, and 11 to 15 wk of age) and cumulatively. Particle size preference was measured at 7 wk and exploratory pecking behavior of the pullets and at 8 to 14 wk of age. From 0 to 6 wk of age, beak trimming decreased FI (P < 0.01) and increased pullet mortality (P < 0.001) but did not affect BW gain. From 0 to 15 wk of age, OH inclusion improved BW uniformity (P = 0.090) but impaired FCR (P < 0.05) without showing any effect on BW gain or ECR. Preference for coarse particles was greater for the sham than for the treated pullets. Beak trimming and OH feeding reduced (P < 0.05) the exploratory pecking behavior of the pullets from 8 to 12 wk of age but not thereafter. Oat hulls increased the relative weights of the full gizzard and intestines at all ages (P < 0.05). In summary, beak trimming did not affect pullet performance at 15 wk of age or GIT development at any age. Oat hulls improved GIT development at all ages but did not affect BW or ECR. Both beak treatment and OH inclusion affected particle size preference and reduced the exploratory pecking behavior of the birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of inclusion of additional fiber in the Phase I diet on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in piglets reared under "optimal" or "poor" hygienic conditions. In both experiments, the design was completely randomized with a control diet that contained 2.2% crude fiber and 8 additional isonutritive diets that included 2.5 or 5.0% of sugar beet pulp (SBP), straw, oat hulls (OH), or wheat middlings (WHM). Preplanned polynomial contrasts were used to study the effects of 1) fiber inclusion (control diet vs. average of the 8 fiber-containing diets), 2) source of fiber, 3) level of fiber, and 4) interaction between source and level of fiber. In Exp. 1 (clean barn), fiber inclusion increased (P < 0.01) the incidence of postweaning diarrhea (PWD) and reduced (P < 0.05) feed efficiency and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of all nutrients except that of CP, which was not affected. Piglet performance was not affected by source or level of dietary fiber. The ATTD of all nutrients decreased (P < 0.05) as the level of fiber increased and was lower in pigs fed straw or OH than in pigs fed SBP or WHM. The apparent ileal digestibility of GE and DM decreased (P < 0.05) with fiber inclusion, a reduction that was more pronounced (P < 0.05) with straw or SBP than with OH inclusion, with WHM inclusion being intermediate. Fiber inclusion did not affect villous height to crypt depth ratio of the ileum mucosa. The inclusion of 5% of a fiber source increased Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus counts in the cecum (P < 0.001) but the E. coli to Lactobacillus ratio was not affected. In Exp. 2 (dirty barn), fiber inclusion did not affect piglet performance but tended to increase PWD (P = 0.07). Also, fiber inclusion reduced (P < 0.05) the ATTD of all dietary components except that of CP, which was not affected. Source and level of fiber did not affect ATTD of nutrients except for DM, which was greater for pigs fed SBP than for pigs fed straw (P < 0.05). In conclusion, in the current research, pigs reared under optimal hygienic conditions had lower incidence of PWD, better growth performance, and greater DM and GE digestibility than pigs reared under poor hygienic conditions. An excess of dietary fiber was more detrimental for all these traits in piglets reared under optimal hygienic conditions. The effects of the source and level of fiber on piglet performance was limited in the 2 experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this work were to determine some of the physicochemical properties of four agro-industrial residues, namely malt bagasse, oat hulls, rice hulls and fibrous residue from banana pseudo-stems (FRBPS). Oat hulls contained the highest dietary fiber content (89.08 g/100 g), followed by malt bagasse (63.84 g/100 g), rice hulls (56.26 g/100 g) and FRBPS (47.99 g/100 g). The insoluble fiber in all residues formed the major fraction of the fiber contents, ranging from 43.79 (FRBPS) to 88.0 g/100 g (oat hulls). FRBPS exhibited the highest soluble fiber content (4.44 g/100 g), water (4.71 g/g) and oil-holding capacity (2.68 g/g). Only malt bagasse and FRBPS exhibited emulsifying capacity, which was 59.83 and 8.28 mL oil/g, respectively. As demonstrated by water sorption isotherms, rice hulls were less hygroscopic and FRBPS were more hygroscopic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the susceptibility of herbaceous plants to delignification with hydrotropic liquors, the pulping of Miscanthus, oat hulls, and intermediate flax straw was performed with a concentrated sodium benzoate solution. The main characteristics of pulp samples derived hydrotropically from Miscanthus, oat hulls, and intermediate flax straw are given. Miscanthus was found to be more susceptible to delignification, with a pulp yield of 45% and lignin content of 7%. For oat hulls, the pulp yield is 31% and lignin content 9%. The cooking of intermediate flax straw affords a pulp in 51% yield but the lignin content is as high as 17%; further studies are needed. The pulps obtained from Miscanthus and oat hulls were confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]