Macauba fruits are oil-rich drupes with high moisture content at harvest. This feature can affect... more Macauba fruits are oil-rich drupes with high moisture content at harvest. This feature can affect the chemical properties of the oil and increase the costs of biodiesel production. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt postharvest strategies to ensure oil quality. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of drying macauba fruit on the quality of the pulp oil. Husked and dehusked fruits were dried at 60°C and then stored. At 0, 15, 45, 100, and 180 days after storage, fruit samples were retrieved, and the oil from the pulp was evaluated for physicochemical parameters. The removal of the husk from the fruits considerably reduced the drying time compared to that of the husked fruits. Drying prevented deterioration of the fruit even after 180 days of storage, regardless of the presence of the husk. The drying process allowed for efficient storage of the macauba fruit while maintaining low levels of oil acidity. Furthermore, the oxidative stability of the pulp oil from the dehusked ...
ABSTRACT: Macauba palm stands out for having favorable features to biodiesel production such as t... more ABSTRACT: Macauba palm stands out for having favorable features to biodiesel production such as the high oil content of its fruit. Considering the great potential of the species and their applicability in the renewable energy field, it becomes indispensable to establish the right conditions for storing the seeds for propagation purpose. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of seed moisture content, packaging, and storage conditions such as temperature and relative humidity on the quality of seeds from Minas Gerais State, during a 12-month storage period. The research had two independent assays: (I) the seeds were stored with three moisture contents/ranges 4.0≤6.0%; 6.0≤8.0% and 8.0≤10.0% in impermeable packages, under room temperature and at 10ºC; (II) seeds with approximately 5.9% of moisture content were stored in three different types of packages: a) permeable, b) semi-permeable and c) impermeable. Three storing conditions were tested: a) room temperature and RH un...
Main conclusion Macauba palm fruiting is supra-annual, and the fruit growth follows a double sigm... more Main conclusion Macauba palm fruiting is supra-annual, and the fruit growth follows a double sigmoidal trend. The prevailing compound in the mesocarp differs as the fruit ages, oil being the major storage compound. Acrocomia aculeata, macauba palm, is a conspicuous species in the tropical Americas. Because the species is highly productive in oil-rich fruits, it is the subject of domestication as an alternative vegetable oil crop, especially as a bioenergy feedstock. This detailed study first presents the macauba fruit growth and development patterns, morphological changes and accumulation of organic compounds. Fruits were monitored weekly in a natural population. The fruiting was supra-annual, and the fruit growth curve followed a double sigmoidal trend with four stages (S): SI-slow growth and negligible differentiation of the fruit inner parts; SII-first growth spurt and visible, but not complete, differentiation of the inner parts; SIII-growth slowed down and all structures attained differentiation; and SIV-second growth spurt and fruit maturation. In SII, the exocarp and endocarp were the main contributors to fruit growth, whereas the mesocarp and endosperm were responsible for most of the weight gain during SIV. In comparison with starch and oil, soluble sugars did not accumulate in the mesocarp. However, starch was transitory and fueled the oil synthesis. The protective layers, the exocarp and endocarp, fulfilling their ecological roles, were the first to reach maturity, followed by the storage tissues, the mesocarp, and endosperm. The amount and nature of organic compounds in the mesocarp varied with the fruit development and growth stages, and oil was the main and final storage material. The description of macauba fruit's transformations and their temporal order may be of importance for future ecological and agronomical references.
The phytoremediation technique, which consists of using plants to remove ions, has been increasin... more The phytoremediation technique, which consists of using plants to remove ions, has been increasingly chosen over past decades due to its low-cost technology to mitigate contaminated areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of the aquatic macrophytes, Azolla caroliniana Willd, Salvinia minima Baker and Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden, to accumulate manganese (Mn), an element which, at high concentrations, may be toxic to human populations. The three species accumulated Mn in their tissues and the absorption was independent of the metal concentration in the solution. Spirodela polyrhiza accumulated Mn at higher concentrations of the ion (17.062 mg g-1 MS), followed by S. minima (4.283 mg g-1 MS) and A. caroliniana (1.341 mg g-1 MS). Manganese excess reduced total chlorophyll content in all three species. Carotenoid content was reduced in A. caroliniana (27.02 %) and S. polyrhiza (25.34 %). Growth was only significantly reduced (21.34%) in S. polyrhiza. The species...
In Brazil’s littoral, many iron ore industries are located in areas of restinga, a type of coasta... more In Brazil’s littoral, many iron ore industries are located in areas of restinga, a type of coastal ecosystem; such industries represent stationary sources of iron and acid particulates. The industrial sector is under expansion, threatening the already fragile ecosystem. In the present study, the simulated impact of these emissions was studied on the early establishment stages of two native plant
Macauba fruits are oil-rich drupes with high moisture content at harvest. This feature can affect... more Macauba fruits are oil-rich drupes with high moisture content at harvest. This feature can affect the chemical properties of the oil and increase the costs of biodiesel production. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt postharvest strategies to ensure oil quality. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of drying macauba fruit on the quality of the pulp oil. Husked and dehusked fruits were dried at 60°C and then stored. At 0, 15, 45, 100, and 180 days after storage, fruit samples were retrieved, and the oil from the pulp was evaluated for physicochemical parameters. The removal of the husk from the fruits considerably reduced the drying time compared to that of the husked fruits. Drying prevented deterioration of the fruit even after 180 days of storage, regardless of the presence of the husk. The drying process allowed for efficient storage of the macauba fruit while maintaining low levels of oil acidity. Furthermore, the oxidative stability of the pulp oil from the dehusked ...
ABSTRACT: Macauba palm stands out for having favorable features to biodiesel production such as t... more ABSTRACT: Macauba palm stands out for having favorable features to biodiesel production such as the high oil content of its fruit. Considering the great potential of the species and their applicability in the renewable energy field, it becomes indispensable to establish the right conditions for storing the seeds for propagation purpose. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of seed moisture content, packaging, and storage conditions such as temperature and relative humidity on the quality of seeds from Minas Gerais State, during a 12-month storage period. The research had two independent assays: (I) the seeds were stored with three moisture contents/ranges 4.0≤6.0%; 6.0≤8.0% and 8.0≤10.0% in impermeable packages, under room temperature and at 10ºC; (II) seeds with approximately 5.9% of moisture content were stored in three different types of packages: a) permeable, b) semi-permeable and c) impermeable. Three storing conditions were tested: a) room temperature and RH un...
Main conclusion Macauba palm fruiting is supra-annual, and the fruit growth follows a double sigm... more Main conclusion Macauba palm fruiting is supra-annual, and the fruit growth follows a double sigmoidal trend. The prevailing compound in the mesocarp differs as the fruit ages, oil being the major storage compound. Acrocomia aculeata, macauba palm, is a conspicuous species in the tropical Americas. Because the species is highly productive in oil-rich fruits, it is the subject of domestication as an alternative vegetable oil crop, especially as a bioenergy feedstock. This detailed study first presents the macauba fruit growth and development patterns, morphological changes and accumulation of organic compounds. Fruits were monitored weekly in a natural population. The fruiting was supra-annual, and the fruit growth curve followed a double sigmoidal trend with four stages (S): SI-slow growth and negligible differentiation of the fruit inner parts; SII-first growth spurt and visible, but not complete, differentiation of the inner parts; SIII-growth slowed down and all structures attained differentiation; and SIV-second growth spurt and fruit maturation. In SII, the exocarp and endocarp were the main contributors to fruit growth, whereas the mesocarp and endosperm were responsible for most of the weight gain during SIV. In comparison with starch and oil, soluble sugars did not accumulate in the mesocarp. However, starch was transitory and fueled the oil synthesis. The protective layers, the exocarp and endocarp, fulfilling their ecological roles, were the first to reach maturity, followed by the storage tissues, the mesocarp, and endosperm. The amount and nature of organic compounds in the mesocarp varied with the fruit development and growth stages, and oil was the main and final storage material. The description of macauba fruit's transformations and their temporal order may be of importance for future ecological and agronomical references.
The phytoremediation technique, which consists of using plants to remove ions, has been increasin... more The phytoremediation technique, which consists of using plants to remove ions, has been increasingly chosen over past decades due to its low-cost technology to mitigate contaminated areas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of the aquatic macrophytes, Azolla caroliniana Willd, Salvinia minima Baker and Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleiden, to accumulate manganese (Mn), an element which, at high concentrations, may be toxic to human populations. The three species accumulated Mn in their tissues and the absorption was independent of the metal concentration in the solution. Spirodela polyrhiza accumulated Mn at higher concentrations of the ion (17.062 mg g-1 MS), followed by S. minima (4.283 mg g-1 MS) and A. caroliniana (1.341 mg g-1 MS). Manganese excess reduced total chlorophyll content in all three species. Carotenoid content was reduced in A. caroliniana (27.02 %) and S. polyrhiza (25.34 %). Growth was only significantly reduced (21.34%) in S. polyrhiza. The species...
In Brazil’s littoral, many iron ore industries are located in areas of restinga, a type of coasta... more In Brazil’s littoral, many iron ore industries are located in areas of restinga, a type of coastal ecosystem; such industries represent stationary sources of iron and acid particulates. The industrial sector is under expansion, threatening the already fragile ecosystem. In the present study, the simulated impact of these emissions was studied on the early establishment stages of two native plant
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