Effect of calcium and magnesium silicate on the growth of the castor oil plant subjected to salinity levels

Salt stress decreases the osmotic potential of soil solution causing water stress, causing toxic effects in the plants resulting in injuries on the metabolism and nutritional disorders, thus compromising the plant growth, resulting in lower production. The calcium silicate and magnesium can perform the same function as limestone, besides providing silicon to plants, may also contribute to the resistance of plants to salt stress. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of calcium and magnesium silicate on the growth of the castor oil plant BRS Energia cultivated under saline conditions. This study evaluated plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, dry weight of shoot and root, and soil chemical characteristics. There was no interaction between factors of salinity level and of silicate level regarding the evaluated variables. There was a direct relationship between salinity levels and plant growth in height and stem diameter. The K concentration in soil were affected by salinity levels.

Effect of lecithin and soy oil on the fermentative performance of Saccharomyces uvarum I Z 1904

The proposal of this work was to study the effects of lecithin and soy oil on the fermentative performance of Saccharomyces uvarum I Z 1904, a yeast used in the industrial production of ethanol. High Test Molasses (HTM) was chosen as the fermentation media because it is a substratum that is poor in nutrients, and because it permits one to distinguish the action of lipids from other nutritional factors. The study of the optimization of the concentration of lipids by surface response analysis showed that the lipids favor the performance of the yeast principally when applied separately. Maximum concentrations of the two sources of lipids in the media stimulated the budding rate but did not constitute a protection against cell death. Considering the action of lipids on the cellular parameters studied, the supplementation of the media with 3.0 g/l of soy oil permitted the obtention of maximum responses of cellular viability, budding rate and viability of the buds after 6 successive cycles. In relation to the fermentative parameters, the use of 1.5 g/l of soy oil provided high yields and an equilibrium between the mass of ethanol produced (EM) and the alcoholic yield (Y p/s) , whereas the cellular viability after 6 cycles did not differ statistically from that observed with 3g/l of oil.

Ultrasonic characterization of emulsions: milk and water in oil

Measurements of ultrasonic attenuation and velocity in milk and low concentration water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion were conducted, using a measurement cell with a double-element transducer that eliminates diffraction losses. The milk is characterized by the attenuation coefficient, while in the case of water-in-oil emulsions, the characterization is best represented by the propagation velocity.

Biomass production and essential oil yield in Ageratum conyzoides L. - Asteraceae in different stages of development

An experiment was carried out at Sâo Manuel Experimental Farm, FCA-UNESP, Botucatu-SP, in 1994 and 1995, aiming to determine the biomass production and essential oil yield of mentrasto (Ageratum conyzoides L. - Asteraceae) in different stages of development. The statistical design used was a complete randomized block with 8 replications and 3 treatments (pre-flowering, flowering and post-flowering). The spacing was 70 cm between rows and 50 cm between plants, with 70 plants/parcel. The seedlings were transplanted 40 days after sowing. After harvesting, the fragments (roots, stems, leaves, flowers) and whole plants were washed, separated and weighted. The extractions of essential oil were done by hydrodistillation, using Clevenger apparatus, for two hours. There were statistic differences (Tukey 5%) in fresh weight of all vegetal parts w'hen harvested in different development stages. About essential oil yield, statistic differences were not verified among the treatments.

Influence of organic and chemical fertilization on the yield of flowers, contents and composition of essential oil of (Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert)

A field experiment was conducted with chamomile (Chamomilla recutita [L.] Rauschert), in an area of the Olericulture and Medicinal Plants of the Horticulture Department at UNESP - Jaboticabal Campus, with the aim to evaluate the influence of organic and chemical fertilization on the yield of flowers, and content and composition of the essential oil of chamomile. The experimental design for the yield of flowers consisted of randomized blocks with 7 treatments and 4 replications, for the analysis of the contents and composition of the oil, the completely randomized block was used and for analysis of the correlation between harvesting and treatment, the split-plot design into randomized blocks was used. The treatments tested were: no fertilization, green manure (Mucuna aterrima + Crotalaria spectabilis), green manure (plant cocktail), organic fertilizer (farmyard manure), N as urea, N as ammonium sulphate, NPK with N supplement as ammonium sulphate. There was no influence of the treatments on the yield of flowers nor on the essential oil content; on the other hand both characteristics did show significant differences in harvesting times (Tukey 5%). The main yield was 885.90 kg/ha dry flowers and the mean oil content was 0,86%. The green manure treatment (M. aterrima + C. spectabilis) showed a higher percentage of chamazulene content, with a highly significant difference in harvesting times (Tukey 1%). The a-bisabolol percentages did not evidence significant differences between treatments. However, among harvesting times, there was a variation. A negative correlation was verified between the chamazulene and abisabolol percentages; the first increasing - from 21.02 to 36.17% - and the latter decreasing - from 14.12 to 8.72 % - from the first to the sixth harvest. The observed mean content of chamazulene was 14.64 % and a-bisabolol was 16.72 %.

Transient flow of the oil-refrigerant mixture through the radial clearance in rolling piston compressors

Unsteady flow of oil and refrigerant gas through radial clearance in rolling piston compressors has been modeled as a heterogeneous mixture, where the properties are determined from the species conservation transport equation coupled with momentum and energy equations. Time variations of pressure, tangential velocity of the rolling piston and radial clearance due to pump setting have been included in the mixture flow model. Those variables have been obtained by modeling the compression process, rolling piston dynamics and by using geometric characteristics of the pump, respectively. An important conclusion concerning this work is the large variation of refrigerant concentration in the oil-filled radial clearance during the compression cycle. That is particularly true for large values of mass flow rates, and for those cases the flow mixture cannot be considered as having uniform concentration. In presence of low mass flow rates homogeneous flow prevail and the mixture tend to have a uniform concentration. In general, it was observed that for calculating the refrigerant mass flow rate using the difference in refrigerant concentration between compression and suction chambers, a time average value for the gas concentration should be used at the clearance inlet.

In vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of a castor oil-based irrigant

The antimicrobial activity of irrigating solutions - Endoquil (castor oil detergent), 2% chlorhexidine gluconate solution, and 0.5% NaOCI solution - was evaluated against Gram-positive cocci (Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans, and Streptococcus sobrinus), Gramnegative rods (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and the yeast Candida albicans. Activity was evaluated using the two-layer agar diffusion technique. The base layer was obtained by pouring 10.0 ml of Muller Hinton Medium or 10.0 ml of Brain Heart Infusion agar in a Petri dish. After solidification a 5.0 ml seed layer of Muller Hinton Medium or Brain Heart Infusion agar with inoculum (106/ml) was added. Absorbent paper disks (6.0 mm in diameter) immersed in the solutions were placed at equidistant points. Plates were maintained at room temperature for 2 h for prediffusion of the solutions and incubated at 37°C for 24 h. The candle jar system was used for the Brain Heart Infusion agar plates. All tests were performed in duplicate. After incubation the medium was optimized with 0.05 g% triphenyltetrazolium chlorate gel and inhibition halos were measured. All bacterial strains were inhibited by 2.0% chlorhexidine gluconate. Endoquil was effective against Grampositive microorganisms, and 0.5% NaOCI was effective only against S. aureus. Copyright © 2001 by The American Association of Endodontists.

Characterization of lubricating oil using ultrasound

This paper presents an ultrasonic method to measure small concentrations of water in lubricating oil. It uses an ultrasonic measurement cell composed by a piezoceramic emitter (5 and 10 MHz), and a large aperture PVDF receiver that eliminates diffraction effects. The propagation velocity, attenuation coefficient and density of several samples of water-in-oil emulsion were measured. The concentrations of water of the samples were in the range of 0 to 5% in volume, and the results showed that these low concentrations can be discriminated within a resolution of 0.2% in the studied range, using the measurement of the propagation velocity.

Drying temperature effects in peppermint essential oil content and composition

Studies were conducted to show the effect of different temperatures in the drying process on the amount and quality of essential oils of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) The leaves were harvested in the Demeter Farmer, Botucatu, SP, Brazil in december, 1997. The leaves were dried at 40°C, 60°C and 80°C, until establishment of the weights. The essential oil was extracted by destilation in Clevenger apparatus and analysed by GC-MS. Higher drying temperature sharply decreased the essential oil content (% v/w) from 1.0% (40°C) to 0.14% (60°C) and 0.12% (80°C). Higher drying temperatures also affected the composition, decreasing the contents of 1,8 cineol and citronelal until 80°C, and increasing the contents of menthol and neomenthol until 60°C.

Content of essential oil of fennel seeds in two different stages of development

This experiment was carried out at Plant Production Sector, Agronomical Science College-Botucatu, S.P., Brazil, in March, 2000. The aim of this assay was to determine the yield of essential oil of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) in different stages of development. Essential oils were prepared by hydrodistillation from the seeds using of Clevenger apparatus. The water utilized for the extraction of essential oil was sufficient to cover 100 g of seeds and the mixture was distilled for three hours. The volume of essential oil in the graduated side -arm of Clevenger apparatus was observed. There were no significative difference statistic was observed (Tukey 5%) in percentage (v/m) of oil content, based on dry weight of green seeds compared with dry weight of mature seeds, when they were harvested in two different stages of development. There was significative difference statistic between data obtained of humidity content of green seeds when these were compared with mature seeds. These results shows that others specifics studies about adaptation of fennel in tropical conditions are necessary, because the obtained data were different of data described on literature.

Influence of organic fertilisation on leaves and essential oil production of Ocimum gratissimum L.

The experiment was installed in Lageado Experimental Farm with aim to verify the influence of organic fertilisation (0, 4, 8 and 12 kg of manure/m2 - with four replications) on leaves and essential oil production of Ocimum gratissimum. The harvesting was done twice (May - autumn and August - winter), and the leaves were separated for extraction of essential oil by Clevenger apparatus. The leaf production and oil content were calculated on dry mass basis. The results showed no statistical difference for organic fertilisation, although significant difference was verified for seasons. The main constituents of essential oil were eugenol and 1,8-cineole. The amount of the eugenol was higher in autumn, while the presence of other components including 1,8-cineole, β-selinene and trans-caryophyllene were more dominant at wintertime.

Toothbrushing with vegetable oil: a clinical and laboratorial analysis.

The dentifrices currently available in the marketplace contain many anticariogenic substances, fluoride and abrasives aimed to better clean the dental surface, remove dental plaque, improve salivary flow and its buffer capacity and reduce colonies of bacteria such as S. mutans, the causative agent of dental caries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of adequately removing dental plaque using an experimental almond oil dentifrice (Titoil) with no abrasives or antiplaque agents. This study was carried out with 80 volunteers, all of them 18-year-old recruits from the military training school of Araçatuba -- SP. Saliva sampling and dental plaque disclosing were undertaken both before and after 28 days of toothbrushing with a low abrasive dentifrice (Group 1: 40 volunteers) or with Titoil (Group 2: 40 volunteers). Statistical analysis of the results revealed that the experimental dentifrice (Titoil) did not interfere with salivary flow and reduced dental plaque more than the low abrasive dentifrice, improved the salivary buffer capacity and decreased salivary S. mutans (Caritest-SM) as much as regular dentifrices. It was concluded that if the dental industry replaces abrasive by vegetable oil in dentifrices, these will be more effective in maintaining oral health and will cause less dental abrasion.

Synergistic action of olive oil supplementation and dietary restriction on serum lipids and cardiac antioxidant defences

Caloric intake is higher than recommended in many populations. Therefore, enhancing olive oil intake alone may not be the most effective way to prevent cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the association of olive oil and dietary restriction on lipid profile and myocardial antioxidant defences. Male Wistar rats (180-200 g, n = 6) were divided into 4 groups: control ad libitum diet (C), 50% restricted diet (DR), fed ad libitum and supplemented with olive oil (3 mL/(kg-day)) (OO), and 50% restricted diet and supplemented with olive oil (DROO). After 30 days of treatments, OO, DR, and DROO groups had increased total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. DR and DROO animals showed decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. DROO had the lowest low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration. Total lipids and triacylglycerols were raised by dietary restriction and diminished by olive oil. OO rats had higher myocardial Superoxide dismutase and lower catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities than C rats. DR and DROO showed enhanced cardiac Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities from the control. Olive oil supplementation alone improved the lipid profile but was more effective when coupled with dietary restriction. There was a synergistic beneficial action of dietary restriction and olive oil on serum lipids and myocardial antioxidant defences.

Essential oil composition of Aloysia triphylla (L'Herit) Britton leaves cultivated in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil

The family Verbenaceae comprises about 175 genera and 2300 species, distributed in tropics and subtropics, mainly in temperate zone of southern hemisphere. The lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla (L'Herit) Britton) is a perennial, bushy plant originally from South America. The essential oil of this plant is used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and perfumery industry. Therapeutic properties include febrifuge, sedative, stomachical, diuretic, and antispasmodic activities. The present work aimed to identify the chemical composition of essential oil of Aloysia triphylla leaves. The study was done in Lageado Experimental Farm of the Department of Plant Production-Horticulture, Agronomical Sciences College, São Paulo State University Campus of Botucatu. Leaves of lemon verbena from Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Garden, were collected in the end of winter (September/2001). The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation, in Clevenger apparatus. 100 g of leaves were used in each extraction. Four extractions were performed during three hours. The essential oils of the leaves were analyzed in Gas Chromatography Mass spectrometry (CG-MS, Shimadzu, QP-5000), equipped with capillary column DB-5 (30 m × 0,25 mm × 0,25 mm), split 1/35, injector for 220 C°, detector for 230 C°, dragged by gas He (1,0 mL/min), with programmed temperature for 60 C° to 240 C°, 3 C°/min. The identification of the substances was held by comparison of their mass spectra with data of the CG-MS (Nist 62 lib), literature references and retention index of Kovats. The main constituents of essential oils were geranial (29.54 %), neral (27.01 %), limonene (15.93 %), geranyl acetate (4.0 %) and geraniol (3.96 %). This species possesses high quantity of monoterpenes and low quantity of sesquiterpenes.

Composition of coriander essential oil from Brazil

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) is an annual and herbaceous plant, belonging to the Apiaceae family. Native of southern Europe and western Mediterranean region, this herb is cultivated world widely. This species, rich in linalool, has potential using as source of essential oil and as a medicinal plant. It has been used as analgesic, carminative, digestive, depurative, anti-rheumatic and antispasmodic agent. Its fruits (commonly called seeds) are used for flavoring candies, in cookery, perfumery, beverage and in tobacco industry. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition of the seed essential oil of this species grown in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. The experiment was carried out in Lageado Experimental Farm, Department of Plant Production, Agronomical Sciences College, São Paulo State University. The fruits were harvest 108 days after sowing. The essential oils were extracted by hydro distillation, in Clevenger apparatus. 50 g of fruits were used in each extraction. Three extractions were performed during three hours. The essential oils were analyzed in Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometer (CG-MS, Shimadzu, QP-5000), equipped with DB-5 capillary column (30 m × 0,25 mm × 0,25 mm), split 1/20, injector for 240 C°, detector for 230 C°, dragged by gas He (1,7 mL/min), with programmed temperature for 40 C° (5 min)-150 C°, 4 C°/min; 150 C°-280 C°, 8 C°/min. The identification of the compounds was made by comparison of their spectra of masses with data from CG-MS (Nist 62 lib), literature references and retention index of Kovats. The 18 most important components were identified and quantified. The main components of the oil were linalool (77.48 %), γ-terpinene (4.64 %), α-pinene (3.97 %), limonene (1.28 %), geraniol (0.64 %) and 2-decenal (0.16 %).