The world is confronted with the twin crisis of fossil fuel depletion and environmental degradation caused by fossil fuel usage. Biodiesel produced from renewable feedstocks such as Jatropha seed oil or animal fats by transesterification offers a solution. Although biodiesel has been produced from various vegetable oils such as Jatropha seed oil, the reaction kinetics studies are very few in literature, hence the need for this study. Jatropha curcas seed oil was extracted and analyzed to determine its free fatty acid and fatty acid composition. The oil was transesterified with methanol at a molar ratio of methanol to oil 8:1, using 1% sodium hydroxide catalyst, at different temperatures ranging from 32oC to 65oC, at atmospheric pressure. The order of the reactions with respect to the triglyceride's disappearance in the forward reaction at the chosen temperatures was found to be pseudo-first-order and found to be first-order for the reaction at 32oC. The rate constants of the three consecutive reaction steps at 65oC, namely, triglyceride to diglyceride, diglyceride to monoglyceride, and monoglyceride to glycerol, were found to be 0.422 min-1 0.117 min-1, and 0.037min-1, respectively. Their corresponding activation energies in J/mol were 22.165, 3.136, and 19.770, respectively.
Production and characterization of methionine γ- lyase from Pseudomonas putida and its effect on cancer cell lines
Several toxigenic cyanobacteria produce the cyanotoxin (microcystin). Being a health and environmental hazard, screening of water sources for the presence of microcystin is increasingly becoming a recommended environmental procedure in many countries of the world. This study was conducted to assess the ability of freshwater cyanobacterial species Westiellopsis prolifica to produce microcystins in Iraqi freshwaters via using molecular and immunological tools. The toxigenicity of W. prolifica was compared via laboratory experiments with other dominant bloom-forming cyanobacteria isolated from the Tigris River: Microcystis aeruginosa, Chroococcus turigidus, Nostoc carneum, and Lyngbya sp. signifi
... Show MoreThis study was aimed to investigate the effect of essential oil extracted from the yellow peels of Citrus aurantium on the growth of four species of fungi: Penicillium expansum, Penicillium oxalicum, Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium proliferatum and effect of one fungicide: Aliette (fosetyl-aluminum) against these fungi. The results showed that the essential oil of C. aurantium inhibited the radial growth of P. oxalicum at concentration 4.5% while P. expansum and F. oxysporum at concentrations 5% and F. proliferatum at concentrations 5.5% additionally the one fungicide tested showed inhibitory effect on radial growth of these fungi. So that there is a negative relationship between the increasing of concentration and radial growth of fungi.
In Libya, there are multiple sources of pollution, one of which is animal waste. The anaerobic digestion (AD) of organic wastes to produce biogas has the advantage of producing valuable, renewable energy while reducing the environmental impact of these wastes. Cowmanure have the potential to produce biogas due to their high organic content. This study aimed to study different concentrations for the feedstock (1:1 and 2:1 cow manure: water v/v) to monitor which one gives higher biogas production. A plastic tank with a capacity of 72 liters and a feedstock volume of 60 liters was used to create a pilot scale. The biogas was analyzed using a GC device at the end of the experiment in the Zawiya Oil Refining Company. The result indicated that th
... Show MoreThis research included the preparation of Ni, Pd oxide and Pt metal nanoparticles derived from Schiff base (E)-2-(((2,5-dichlorophenyl)imino)methyl)-4-methyl phenol octahedral from Ni(II) complex and square planar from Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes using pulsed laser ablation immersed in deionized water. The optical properties of the prepared NiO, PdO, and Pt nanoparticles were investigated using UV-Visible spectra and FTIR spectrophotometer. The shape and structure were analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and the X-ray Diffraction Instrument XRD. By using the Scherrer equation, the results showed Ni, Pd, and Pt nanos with average particle sizes of 28.53nm, 20.47nm, and 22.30nm. The biological acti
... Show MoreCyprinidae species are the most abundant and widely distributed fish species in the inland waters of Iraq. Cyprinids are complex species, and it is difficult to identify them on the basis of morphology. Thus, the morphological characteristics must be achieved and confirmed by molecular analysis. Twenty specimens of Cyprinion kais Heckel, 1843 (Piscies, Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae) were collected from two localities at Tigris River in the middle of Iraq: five specimens from Al-Tharthar Lake, Saladin Province, and 15 specimens from Al- Zubaydiyah sub-district, Wasit Province
Cyprinidae species are the most abundant and widely distributed fish species in the inland waters of Iraq. Cyprinids are complex species, and it is difficult to identify them on the basis of morphology. Thus, the morphological characteristics must be achieved and confirmed by molecular analysis. Twenty specimens of Cyprinion kais Heckel, 1843 (Piscies, Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae) were collected from two localities at Tigris River in the middle of Iraq: five specimens from Al-Tharthar Lake, Saladin Province, and 15 specimens from Al- Zubaydiyah sub-district, Wasit Province. The DNA sequences of C. kais were done using the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b (cytb) gene. After analysis, the sequences were compared with sequences of ot
... Show MoreThe extraction of Eucalyptus oil from Iraqi Eucalyptus Camadulensis leaves was studded using water distillation methods. The amount of Eucalyptus oil has been determined in a variety of extraction temperature and agitation speed. The effect of water to Eucalyptus leaves (solvent to solid) ratio and particle size of Eucalyptus leaves has been studied in order to evaluate the amount of Eucalyptus oil. The optimum experimental condition for the Eucalyptus oil extraction was established as follows: 100˚C extraction temperature, 200 rpm agitation speed; 0.5 cm leave particle size and 6:1 ml: g amount of water to eucalyptus leaves Ratio.
New heterocyclic compounds derived from 2-Morpholino-1,8-naphthyridine-4-carboxylic acid such as oxadiazolo, thiadiazolo – thione and triazolo-thione have been prepared and characterized on the basis of IR and 1H NMR spectra data. The hydrizide compound was utilized as a starting material for preparing of these compounds. The second part of this study involves the biological studies of some of these naphthyridine derivatives by using three different kinds of bacteria namely: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruglnosa and Escherichia coli. The data indicated that some of these compounds have a good activity against the tested bacteria in comparison to antibiotics.