Research Articles

Mushroom production can contribute to food security through producing food of high nutritional value and medicinal interest. This study examined the effectiveness of using date kernel (K) in a mixture with wheat straw (WS) as substrate on yield and different crop stages duration for Pleurotus ostreatus (P.O) cultivation. Five substrate formulas were investigated using K and WS, alone and in combination. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between formulas. Using wastes separately showed the lowest yield, whereas the substrate with 25% K gave the highest total yield (478 g) and biological efficiency (BE) of 95.61%, in 223 d and 78.52% as BE of three first flushes in 110.8 d. substrate with 75% K was more effective in term of time; it gave in 198.4 d 414 g of mushroom (BE: 82.95%) and 310.6 g (BE: 62.12%) for the three first flushes in 83.2 d. It is more effective to use K and WS in mixture than separately to cultivate P.O., The proportion depends on which we can give up; around 70 g of yield or 26 d as time difference; for more yield in longer time, using 25% K is more suitable, and 75% K is used for shorter time and less yield.

Protease enzyme at concentrations of 50, 75, and 100 U (μmol/min), in both solution and paste form, was evaluated for cleaning stains caused by Aspergillus flavus. This applied study was conducted on paper sheets that had been formed from either cotton or wood-derived cellulose fibers. After cleaning, the infected samples were examined and analyzed to identify any changes and assess the effectiveness of the cleaning process. Color change, digital microscopy, ATR-FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, and pH measurement were employed. The results confirmed that the most effective treatment was the enzyme paste form at 50 and 75 U, as this was able to remove existing fungus spots on the surface or permeate within the fibers. IR spectroscopy confirmed that the chemical composition of both cotton and wood paper remained unchanged. Conversely, there was a significant increase in the characteristic vibrations of water and the crystallization sites of cellulose at the wavenumber of 1300 cm^-1.

Hornification of cellulose-rich materials, particularly wood pulps, occurs when chemical bonds form between cellulose surfaces, along with intermolecular forces created during dewatering and drying, preventing the material from reswelling in water to its original structure. Hornification of pulps results in a reduced ability to form effective fiber networks and therefore weaker paper products. The objective of this work was to investigate the role of hornification in pelletized cellulosic biomass and materials in general to provide more information than can be obtained by measuring standard wet state properties, such as water retention. Pellets were produced from chemical pulps with different degrees of hornification, as indicated by the water retention value (WRV), and their mechanical performance was evaluated. The chemical pulps served as a model material for investigating hornification. Pulps with higher hornification produced pellets with inferior mechanical properties, which has not been shown before by such a test. This effect is attributed to increased fiber stiffness and reduced surface flexibility, which limits fiber-fiber bonding. In addition, high drying temperatures prior to pelletizing, and thus higher hornification, will increase compression energy and friction in the pelletizing process. A novel connection was observed between WRV and mechanical performance, highlighting the impact of hornification on the surface interactions of cellulose-based materials.