Productive Performance, Serum Antioxidant Status, Tissue Selenium Deposition, and Gut Health Analysis of Broiler Chickens Supplemented with Selenium and Probiotics-A Pilot Study.

The effect and interaction of dietary selenium (Se) and probiotics on three yellow chicken growth performance, tissue Se content, antioxidant capacity, and gut health were studied from 0 to 70 days of age. A total of 400 one-day-old broilers were distributed into four groups (I-Se, O-Se, I-Se + pros, and O-Se + pros groups) consisting of a 2 × 2 factorial design. The main factors were the source of Se (I-Se = inorganic Se: 0.2 mg/kg sodium selenite; O-Se = organic Se: 0.2 mg/kg Selenium yeast) and the level of probiotics (0.5% EM or 0% EM, the component of EM mainly includes Lactobacillus and Yeast at the dose of 2 × 108 cfu/kg and 3 × 107 cfu/kg, respectively). Each treatment had 5 duplicates consisting of 20 broilers. The results showed that the I-Se group had a greater (p < 0.05) ratio of feed: weight gain (F/G) of broilers at Starter (0−35 d) than the other treatments. Compared to the I-Se group, the O-Se group increased (p < 0.05) Se concentrations in the liver, pancreas, breast muscles, thigh muscle, and the activity of total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) in serum, as well as the relative abundance of Barnesiella and Lactobacillus in cecum. Meanwhile, probiotics enhanced (p < 0.05) Se concentrations in the pancreas, thigh muscle, serum, and the activity of T-AOC and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the duodenum's ratio of villi height to crypt depth (V/C), the jejunum villus height and V/C, and the ileum's villus height. Furthermore, the significant interactions (p < 0.05) between Se sources and the level of probiotics were observed in Se concentrations in the pancreas, thigh muscle, serum, crypt depth of duodenum, and villus height of jejunum of birds, and Barnesiella abundance in the cecal. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the combination of O-Se + pros can improve broiler early growth performance, tissue Se content in the pancreas, thigh muscle, and serum, promote intestinal development, and regulate the composition of intestinal flora, suggesting a better combination. These findings provide an effective method of nutrient combination addition to improving the performance of three yellow chickens.

Effects of Different Patterns and Sources of Trace Elements on Laying Performance, Tissue Mineral Deposition, and Fecal Excretion in Laying Hens.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different patterns and sources of Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Se on performance, mineral deposition (liver, kidney, pancreas, spleen, pectorals muscle, and tibia), and excretion of laying hens, then to find an optimal dietary supplemental pattern of trace elements in laying hens. A total of 864 healthy laying hens with similar laying rate (Roman, 26-week-old) were randomly divided into nine treatments, with six replications of 16 birds per replication, including a control treatment and four patterns with different element sources (inorganic or organic): (1) Control treatment (basic diet without added extra trace minerals, CT); pattern 1, NRC (1994) recommended level (NRC-L): (2) inorganic minerals of NRC-L pattern (IN), (3) organic minerals of NRC-L pattern (ON); pattern 2, NY/T 33-2004 recommended level (NY/T-L): (4) inorganic minerals of NY/T-L pattern (IY), (5) organic minerals of NY/T-L pattern (OY); pattern 3, 50% NRC (1994) recommended level (50% NRC-L): (6) inorganic minerals of 50% NRC-L pattern (IHN), (7) organic minerals of 50% NRC-L pattern (OHN); pattern 4, the ratio of minerals in blood of laying hens was taken as the supplement proportion of trace elements, and Zn was supplemented depended on NRC recommended level (TLB): (8) inorganic minerals of TLB pattern (IB), (9) organic minerals of TLB pattern (OB). Two weeks were allowed for adjustment to the conditions and then measurements were made over eight weeks. Supplementation of trace elements led to increased daily egg weight (p < 0.05). Patterns of minerals in diets affected the content of liver Mn, pancreas Mn, tibia Mn, and the tissues Se (p < 0.05). Sources of minerals had positive effects on daily egg weight (p < 0.05), the concentrations of liver Fe, kidney Cu, tissues Se (except spleen), and fecal Se (p < 0.05). In conclusion, diet supplemented with the organic trace minerals of 50% NRC-L pattern (OHN) in laying hens promoted optimum laying performance, mineral deposition, and reduced mineral excretion.

The facile and controllable synthesis of a bacterial cellulose/polyhydroxybutyrate composite by co-culturing Gluconacetobacter xylinus and Ralstonia eutropha.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) are microbial polymers considered to be promising biodegradable alternatives to fossil fuel derivatives. BC and PHB can be combined into a composite with enhanced mechanical properties. The synthesis processes of BC/PHB composites described until now are complicated with multiple steps. Here, BC/PHB composites were synthesized by a facile Gluconacetobacter xylinus and Ralstonia eutropha co-culture method generating BC and PHB simultaneously in situ. This co-culture approach ensured a certain level of control over the synthesis process. By simply varying the R. eutropha inoculum, the weight ratio of PHB into BC/PHB was adjusted from 15.62 to 42.88 %. The fabricated composites were networks of BC fibers connecting PHB particles. BC/PHBs were characterized by thermal and mechanical analyses and exhibited a 2.6 times higher capacity for toxic copper adsorption than pure BC. The co-culture technique described here is a simple synthesis method to obtain BC/PHB with adjustable characteristics.

Crystalline CdS/MoS2 shape-controlled by a bacterial cellulose scaffold for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

The conversion of sunlight into H2 by noble-metal-free photocatalysts is a promising approach for the production of easy-to-store chemical energy. For this purpose, higher efficiency is achieved by photocatalysts with heterojunctions preventing fast charge recombination. Most processes for the synthesis of high-performance heterojunction photocatalysts require solvents harmful to living organisms. Here, berry-shaped (b)-CdS/MoS2 particles were fabricated instead by a hydrothermal process where non-toxic bacterial cellulose was used to mold b-CdS into nanostructures with enhanced spatial arrangement. Subsequently, MoS2 was combined with b-CdS resulting in a composite with suitable shape and intimate semiconductor contacts beneficial for charge transfer. The photocatalytic H2 evolution (PHE) of b-CdS/1%MoS2 was 63.59 mmol g-1 h-1. It was 61.1 times, 397 times, and 10.2 times higher than PHE with b-CdS, CdS fabricated without BC scaffold, and b-CdS doped with Pt, respectively. These results show the high potential of b-CdS/MoS2 and the associated synthesis method for PHE.

Two-step sequential liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass by crude glycerol for the production of polyols and polyurethane foams.

A two-step sequential biomass liquefaction process was developed to produce bio-based polyols and polyurethane (PU) foams using crude glycerol as a liquefaction solvent. The first step, acid-catalyzed liquefaction, was highly effective in liquefying biomass, while the second step, base-catalyzed liquefaction, featured extensive condensation reactions. By using the developed two-step liquefaction process, the polyols produced from lignocellulosic biomass and crude glycerol containing 26-40% organic impurities showed hydroxyl numbers ranging from 536 to 936mgKOH/g, viscosities from 20.6 to 28.0Pas, and molecular weights (Mw) from 444 to 769g/mol. The PU foams produced had densities ranging from 0.04 to 0.05g/cm(3), compressive strengths from 223 to 420kPa, and thermal conductivities from 32.2 to 38.9mW/mK. Polyols and PU foams produced from the two-step liquefaction process had improved properties over their analogs derived from a one-step biomass liquefaction by crude glycerol process catalyzed by acid or base.

Polyols and polyurethanes from the liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass.

Polyurethanes (PUs), produced from the condensation polymerizations between polyols and isocyanates, are one of the most versatile polymer families. Currently, both polyols and isocyanates are largely petroleum derived. Recently, there have been extensive research interests in developing bio-based polyols and PUs from renewable resources. As the world's most abundant renewable biomass, lignocellulosic biomass is rich in hydroxyl groups and has potential as a feedstock to produce bio-based polyols and PUs. Lignocellulosic biomass can be converted to liquid polyols for PU applications through acid- or base-catalyzed atmospheric liquefaction processes using polyhydric alcohols as liquefaction solvents. Biomass liquefaction-derived polyols can be used to prepare various PU products, such as foams, films and adhesives. The properties of biomass liquefaction-derived polyols and PUs depend on various factors, such as feedstock characteristics, liquefaction conditions, and PU formulations.

Thermochemical conversion of crude glycerol to biopolyols for the production of polyurethane foams.

This study aimed to produce biopolyols from crude glycerol via a novel thermochemical conversion process. The effect of operational parameters, including sulfuric acid loading and reaction temperature and time, on the properties of the produced biopolyols was investigated. Biopolyols produced under preferred reaction conditions of 200°C, 90 min, and 3% sulfuric acid loading showed a hydroxyl number of around 481 mg KOH/g, an acid number of around 5mg KOH/g, and a viscosity of around 25.0 Pas. The resulting polyurethane (PU) foams showed a compressive strength of around 184.5 kPa and a density of around 43.0 kg/m(3), comparable to those of some petroleum-based analogs. Characterization of the biopolyols via pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), gas chromatography (GC), and thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA) showed that the major reactions of this process were the formation of monoglycerides and diglycerides through the esterification and transesterification of different components in crude glycerol.

Characterization of crude glycerol from biodiesel plants.

Characterization of crude glycerol is very important to its value-added conversion. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of five biodiesel-derived crude glycerol samples were determined. Three methods, including iodometric-periodic acid method, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gas chromatography (GC), were shown to be suitable for the determination of glycerol content in crude glycerol. The compositional analysis of crude glycerol was successfully achieved by crude glycerol fractionation and characterization of the obtained fractions (aqueous and organic) using titrimetric, HPLC, and GC analyses. The aqueous fraction consisted mainly of glycerol, methanol, and water, while the organic fraction contained fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), free fatty acids (FFAs), and glycerides. Despite the wide variations in the proportion of their components, all raw crude glycerol samples were shown to contain glycerol, soap, methanol, FAMEs, water, glycerides, FFAs, and ash.

Production and characterization of biopolyols and polyurethane foams from crude glycerol based liquefaction of soybean straw.

The feasibility of using crude glycerol to liquefy soybean straw for the production of biopolyols and polyurethane (PU) foams was investigated in this study. Liquefaction conditions of 240 °C, >180 min, 3% sulfuric acid loading, and 10-15% biomass loading were preferred for the production of biopolyols with promising material properties. Biopolyols produced under preferential conditions showed hydroxyl numbers from 440 to 540 mg KOH/g, acid numbers below 5 mg KOH/g, and viscosities from 16 to 45 Pa.s. PU foams produced under preferential conditions showed densities from 0.033 to 0.037 g/cm3 and compressive strength from 148 to 227 kPa. These results suggest that crude glycerol can be used as an alternative solvent for the liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass such as soybean straw for the production of biopolyols and PU foams. The produced biopolyols and PU foams showed material properties comparable to their analogs from petroleum solvent based liquefaction processes.

Polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis on biodiesel wastewater using mixed microbial consortia.

Crude glycerol (CG), a by-product of biodiesel production, is an organic carbon-rich substrate with potential as feedstock for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production. PHA is a biodegradable thermoplastic synthesized by microorganisms as an intracellular granule. In this study we investigated PHA production on CG using mixed microbial consortia (MMC) and determined that the enriched MMC produced exclusively polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) utilizing the methanol fraction. PHB synthesis appeared to be stimulated by a macronutrient deficiency. Intracellular concentrations remained relatively constant over an operational cycle, with microbial growth occurring concurrent with polymer synthesis. PHB average molecular weights ranged from 200-380 kDa, while thermal properties compared well with commercial PHB. The resulting PHB material properties and characteristics would be suitable for many commercial uses. Considering full-scale process application, it was estimated that a 38 million L (10 million gallon) per year biodiesel operation could potentially produce up to 19 metric ton (20.9t on) of PHB per year.