Silymarin is derived from the milk thistle plant, and possesses numerous pharmacological actions, including hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The aim of the study was to the determination of influence different concentrations of Silymarin on the rumen performance in 30 local lambs (divided into three groups of 10 lambs each). In the first and second groups, 420 and 210 mg kg-1 of silymarin were administered for 8 weeks, and the third group was the control, which received normal saline solution. The parameters evaluated included the level of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), ammonia and pH in the rumen. Furthermore, the in vitro digestibility of ash, protein, fat and dry matter was investigated. These parameters were examined fortnightly, for eight weeks. The results showed that the level of volatile fatty acids and pH increased in the rumen in G1 and G2 compared to the control group, while the level of ammonia decreased in the rumen in G1 and G2 when compared to G3 (p<0.05). Silymarin increased the in vitro digestibility of crude ash (CA), crude protein (CP), crude fat (CF) and crude dry matter (CDM) in the rumen of lambs. These results indicate that silymarin can improve the digestibility of nutrient elements in the lamb rumen. Keywords: ammonia; digestibility; crude ash; crude protein; crude fat. Concentrações de silimarina nas atividades ruminais de cordeiros RESUMO: A silimarina é derivada da planta do cardo mariano e possui inúmeras ações farmacológicas, incluindo propriedades hepatoprotetoras, anti-inflamatórias, antioxidantes e anticancerígenas. O objetivo do estudo foi determinar a influência de diferentes concentrações de silimarina no desempenho ruminal de 30 cordeiros locais, divididos em três grupos (de 10 cordeiros cada). No primeiro e segundo grupo foi administrado 420 e 210 mg kg-1 de silimarina durante 8 semanas, e, o terceiro grupo foi o controle, que recebeu solução salina normal. Os parâmetros avaliados incluíram o nível de ácidos graxos voláteis (AGVs), amônia e pH no rúmen. Além disso, investigou-se a digestibilidade in vitro de cinzas, proteínas, gorduras e matéria seca. Esses parâmetros foram examinados quinzenalmente, durante oito semanas. Os resultados mostraram que o nível de ácidos graxos voláteis e pH aumentaram no rúmen em G1 e G2, em comparação com o grupo controle, enquanto, o nível de amônia diminuiu no rúmen em G1 e G2 quando comparado com G3 (p<0,05). A silimarina aumentou a digestibilidade in vitro da cinza bruta (CA), proteína bruta (PB), gordura bruta (CF) e matéria seca bruta (CDM) no rúmen dos cordeiros. Esses resultados indicam que silimarina pode melhorar a digestibilidade dos elementos nutrientes no rúmen do cordeiro. Palavras-chave: amônia; digestibilidade; cinza bruta; proteína bruta; gordura bruta.
Apple slice grading is useful in post-harvest operations for sorting, grading, packaging, labeling, processing, storage, transportation, and meeting market demand and consumer preferences. Proper grading of apple slices can help ensure the quality, safety, and marketability of the final products, contributing to the post-harvest operations of the overall success of the apple industry. The article aims to create a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to classify images of apple slices after immersing them in atmospheric plasma at two different pressures (1 and 5 atm) and two different immersion times (3 and again 6 min) once and in filtered water based on the hardness of the slices usin
The beet armyworm (BAW), Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a highly destructive pest of vegetables and field crops. Management of beet armyworm primarily relies on synthetic pesticides, which is threatening the beneficial community and environment. Most importantly, the BAW developed resistance to synthetic pesticides with making it difficult to manage. Therefore, alternative and environment-friendly pest management tactics are urgently required. The use of pesticidal plant extracts provides an effective way for a sustainable pest management program. To evaluate the use of pesticidal plant extracts against BAW, we selected six plant species (Lantana camara, Aloe vera, Azadirachta indica, Cymbopogon citratus, Nicotiana tabacum ,
... Show MoreThe present work reports the performance of three types of polyethersulfone (PES) membrane in the removal of highly polluting and toxic lead Pb2+ and cadmium Cd2+ ions from a single salt. This study investigated the effect of operating variables, including pH, types of PES membrane, and feed concentration, on the separation process. The transport parameters and mass transfer coefficient (k) of the membranes were estimated using the combined film theory-solution-diffusion (CFSD), combined film theory-Spiegler-Kedem (CFSK), and combined film theory-finely-porous (CFFP) membrane transport models. Various parameters were used to estimate the enrichment factors, concentration polarization modulus, and Péclet number. The pH values signif
... Show MoreThis study shows that it is possible to fabricate and characterize green bimetallic nanoparticles using eco-friendly reduction and a capping agent, which is then used for removing the orange G dye (OG) from an aqueous solution. Characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDAX), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were applied on the resultant bimetallic nanoparticles to ensure the size, and surface area of particles nanoparticles. The results found that the removal efficiency of OG depends on the G‑Fe/Cu‑NPs concentration (0.5-2.0 g.L-1), initial pH (2‑9), OG concentration (10-50 mg.L-1), and temperature (30-50 °C). The batch experiments showed
... Show MoreIn this study, a low-cost biosorbent, dead mushroom biomass (DMB) granules, was used for investigating the optimum conditions of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) biosorption from aqueous solutions. Various physicochemical parameters, such as initial metal ion concentration, equilibrium time, pH value, agitation speed, particles diameter, and adsorbent dosage, were studied. Five mathematical models describing the biosorption equilibrium and isotherm constants were tested to find the maximum uptake capacities: Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson, Sips, and Khan models. The best fit to the Pb(II) and Ni(II) biosorption results was obtained by Langmuir model with maximum uptake capacities of 44.67 and 29.17 mg/g for these two ions, respectively, w
... Show MoreIn this study, the antimicrobial properties of newly synthesized Schiff bases (4a-4e) and thiazolidinone compounds (5a-5e) generated from 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid were assessed. These compounds were obtained by reacting 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (1) with ethanol in a few drops of concentrated H2SO4 to produce the ester (2). The acid hydrazide (3), which was produced by treating the ester with hydrazine hydrate, reacted with the proper aldehydes, including 4-bromobenzaldehyde, 4-chlorobenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, respectively, to form Schiff bases (4a-4e). The thiazolidinone compounds (5a-5e) were produced by the cyclocondensation reaction of compounds (4a-4e) with thio
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