The present work deals with enzymatic hydrolysis of sweet sorghum bagasse to fermentable sugars. The bagasse was treated with phosphoric acid and sodium hydroxide prior to enzymatic hydrolysis by commercial cellulase and β-glucosidase. The phosphoric acid pretreatment was performed at 50°C for 30 min, while 12% NaOH was used for the alkali treatment at 0°C for 3 h. The phosphoric acid pretreatm...

The RT-CaCCO process for enzymatic saccharification was applied to readily-milled fractions of wet sugarcane bagasse. Wet bagasse immediately after juice extraction was crushed with shark-mill blades to prepare two fractions referred to as readily-milled (RF) and hardly-milled fraction (HF). Monosaccharide recoveries from RFs via the RT-CaCCO process were 1.03-1.21 times higher than those from ...

Sugarcane bagasse, rice hulls, peanut shells, and cassava stalks are abundant lignocellulosic residues that could be considered as raw materials for ethanol production in tropical countries. The knowledge on the composition of lignocellulosic materials is important for their effective utilisation. In this work, a systematic comparison of the chemical composition of sugarcane bagasse, peanut she...

Phytochemical investigation of the fronds of Microsorum membranifolium resulted in the isolation of a new phytoecdysteroid, E-2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 3-[4-(1-β-D-glucopyranosyl)]-caffeate (1), together with two known phytoecdysteroids, E-2-deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone 3-[4-(1-β-D-glucopyranosyl)]-ferulate (2), E-2-deoxyecdysone 3-[4-(1-β-D-glucopyranosyl)]-ferulate (3). Their respective Z-isomer...

Antioxidant activity of phytosterols, oryzanol, ferulic acid ester of sterols, corn fiber oil, and rice bran oil was investigated. Commercial soybean oil and distilled soybean oil FAME were used as substrates for both oxidative stability determination and viscosity analysis after the oil was oxidized. At low concentration, these materials did not improve the oxidative stability of the oil subst...

Fibre supplements from wheat bran and sugar cane residue (bagasse) were added to the normal diet of volunteers for 12-week periods in a controlled metabolic study. Stool weights and stool fat excretion increased on both dietary fibres. Bagasse increased the daily loss of acid steroids, but bran failed to affect bile acid excretion. Decreased transit time without alteration in faecal flora occur...

Prolonged storage of large quantities of bagasse for off-season power generation presents challenges different from those associated with small-scale storage or large-scale, wet storage for pulp and paper production. The challenges include loss of fuel value, spontaneous combustion, bagasse handling and a variety of health and environmental impacts. Experiences with these challenges in Australi...

Ferulate polysaccharide esters in grasses enter into free-radical condensation reactions in the cell wall. By radical dimerisation of ferulates, polysaccharide–polysaccharide cross-linking is eþ ected. A range of diferulate isomers are produced, not solely the 5-5o-coupled dimer which has been quantiüed historically. Both ferulates and diferulates enter ligniücation reactions and become intimat...

Bacillus subtilis, locally isolated, produced significant level of xylanase activity in the presence of different carbon sources. However, B. subtilis performed well when grown on pretreated natural substrates such as rice straw, wheat straw, bagasse, wheat bran and kraft pulp at 2% concentration. The organism produced higher level of xylanasse activity when bagasse was used as a carbon source ...

Agave bagasse was successfully separated into fractions that were used in sheep feeding trials. Agave bagasse can be substituted for corn stubble in the sheep's diet which resulted in improved weight gain. Agave bagasse was also processed into long and short fiber fractions with a hammermill and fiberboards of medium and high specific gravities being produced. Medium specific gravity agave fibe...