The Effect of Mineral Fertilization on the Content of Bioactive Compounds in Hemp Seeds and Oil.

The popularity of hemp cultivation for industrial purposes has been steadily growing for many years. With the addition of products derived from these plants to the Novel Food Catalogue, maintained by the European Commission, a significant increase in interest in hemp food is also expected. The aim of the study was to determine the characteristics of hempseed, oil, and oil cake samples produced from experimental plots grown in different conditions. The research was conducted on the Henola variety, one of the newest and most popular varieties of hemp, recently bred for grain and oil. The content of bioactive compounds in grain and oil has been subjected to detailed chemical analyses in order to determine the effect of fertilization, the method of plant cultivation, and processing conditions on their quantity. The test results and the statistical analysis carried out showed a significant impact of the tested factors on the content of some of the tested bioactive compounds. The obtained results will help in the development of an effective method of cultivation for this hemp variety in order to maximize the content of the desired bioactive compounds per unit of cultivation area.

Bioethanol production from sorghum grain with Zymomonas mobilis: increasing the yield and quality of raw distillates.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to demonstrate the superiority of bioethanol yield and its quality from sorghum using the granular starch degrading enzyme Stargen™ 002 over simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, and separate hydrolysis and fermentation using Zymomonas mobilis CCM 3881 and Ethanol Red® yeast. RESULTS: Bacteria were found to produce ethanol at higher yield than the yeast in all fermentations. The highest ethanol yield was obtained with Z. mobilis during 48 h of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (83.85% theoretical yield) and fermentation with Stargen™ 002 (81.27% theoretical yield). Pre-liquefaction in fermentation with Stargen™ 002 did not improve ethanol yields for both Z. mobilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Chromatographic analysis showed twice less total volatile compounds in distillates obtained after bacterial (3.29-5.54 g L-1 ) than after yeast (7.84-9.75 g L-1 ) fermentations. Distillates obtained after bacterial fermentation were characterized by high level of aldehydes (up to 65% of total volatiles) and distillates obtained after yeast fermentation of higher alcohols (up to 95% of total volatiles). The process of fermentation using granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme cocktail Stargen™ 002 resulted in low amounts of all volatile compounds in distillates obtained after bacterial fermentation, but the highest amounts in distillates obtained after yeast fermentation. CONCLUSION: The present study emphasizes the great potential of bioethanol production from sorghum with Z. mobilis using granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme Stargen™ 002, which leads to reduced water and energy consumption, especially when energy sources are strongly related to global climate change. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Concentration of Pro-Health Compound of Sorghum Grain-Based Foods.

More than 35% of the world sorghum seed production is a human food source. The main ingredient of fully ripe sorghum grains is starch. Sorghum does not contain gluten, and it is also a rich source of antioxidant compounds other than vitamins or macro- and microelements, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and sterols. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity and the content of selected bioactive compounds, i.e., total phenolic acids, total flavonoids, and total phytosterols, as well as determination of the qualitative and quantitative profile of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and phytosterols in various food products, the basic ingredient of which was sorghum grain. It was found that antioxidant activity is related to the total phenolic compounds content. The ABTS•+ ranged from 319 to 885 µmol TROLOX/kg. However, white sorghum grain flour contained almost two times more polyphenols than red sorghum grain flour. The FPA ranged from 224 in raw pasta to 689 mgGAE/100 g in white sorghum grain. During this study, the quantitative profile of selected polyphenols in grain flour, wafers, pasta, and cookies containing sorghum grain was also investigated, as well as the content of 11 selected phenolic acids. Total content of the latter ranged from 445 to 2850 mg/kg. Phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol were found in all the analyzed products. Based on this research, it was investigated that the products containing sorghum grains can be classified as functional food.

The biogas production potential from silkworm waste.

In view of the increasing demand of organic agriculture, utilization of waste and environmental protection, sericulture focuses not only on the cocoon production, but also on other ways that can benefit the farm's economy. It is necessary to find new sources of income for small-scale farmers not only through cocoon selling, but also by the multiple uses of by-products. Insect farming technology provides a cheap source of biomass, which may be a good material in biogas production. Studies showed that the examined substrates, both silkworm breeding waste and caterpillar excreta, generate a biogas yield comparable to other substrates of agricultural origin, such as cattle, pig and chicken manures. Fermentation of silkworm excreta under mesophilic conditions produces 167.32 m3/Mg TS of methane and 331.97 m3/Mg TS of biogas, while fermentation of silkworm breeding waste yields 256.59 m3/Mg TS of methane and 489.24 m3/Mg TS of biogas. Moreover, the chemical composition of these raw materials was analyzed.

The comprehensive analysis of sorghum cultivated in Poland for energy purposes: Separate hydrolysis and fermentation and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation methods and their impact on bioethanol effectiveness and volatile by-products from the grain and the energy potential of sorghum straw.

The aim of this work was to study the potential of sorghum crop cultivated in European climate as an energy material. The investigation showed strong interaction between the fermentation method and the sorghum cultivar. It was also noted that the cultivar with the highest grain yield showed the highest yield of ethanol per hectare, achieving 1269 L/ha in SHF (separate hydrolysis and fermentation) and 1248 L/ha in SSF (simultaneous saccharification and fermentation). Chromatographic analysis of raw spirits showed that smaller amounts of impurities are formed in the SSF process than in the SHF process. The calorific value of sorghum straw was also measured, and amounted to 16,050-16,840 kJ/kg. The results have demonstrated the high value of sorghum as grain for bioethanol production and as straw as a valuable feedstock for forming pellets or briquettes.