Date palm(Phoenix dactylifera L.)seeds,often discarded as by-products during date fruit processing,represent approximately 6-20%of the fruit’s mass depending on cultivar and maturity stage.Although traditionally used...Date palm(Phoenix dactylifera L.)seeds,often discarded as by-products during date fruit processing,represent approximately 6-20%of the fruit’s mass depending on cultivar and maturity stage.Although traditionally used for producing activated charcoal and in environmental remediation,their pharmacological potential remains underexplored.This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition,biological activity,and potential commercial value of seeds from four widely consumed Saharan cultivars(Assiane,Boufegouss,Aziza,and Majhoul)collected in the Figuig region.Soxhlet extraction was employed to obtain seed extracts,which were subsequently characterized by qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening.The analyses revealed the presence of polyphenols,flavonoids,terpenoids,steroids,alkaloids,and other secondary metabolites.The Aziza and Boufegouss varieties were particularly rich in flavonoids(82.09-139.61 mg quercetin equivalents/100 g dry matter)and total polyphenols(69.81-1183.96 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g dry matter).Mineral profiling confirmed the occurrence of essential trace elements,including Zn,Cu,Fe,and Co.To investigate their antidiabetic potential,in vitro assays ofα-glucosidase andα-amylase inhibition were performed.Acetone extracts demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against both enzymes,suggesting a promising role of P.dactylifera seed extracts as natural agents for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.展开更多
Background:Os Draconis is an important material in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).However,its market is saturated with counterfeit products,and the limitations of current identification methods pose a serious threa...Background:Os Draconis is an important material in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).However,its market is saturated with counterfeit products,and the limitations of current identification methods pose a serious threat to clinical effectiveness and drug safety.This study aims to establish a more accurate and comprehensive authentication system for Os Draconis.Methods:A comprehensive approach was employed to analyze authentic Os Draconis,fossilized Os Draconis,counterfeit products,and lab-prepared modern animal bones.The analytical techniques included ^(14)C dating,electron probe microanalysis(EPMA),polarized light microscopy,X-ray diffraction(XRD),inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS),and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR).The study focused on examining the microstructural features and micro-area elemental compositions to identify distinguishing characteristics.Results:Physical identification alone was insufficient to reliably distinguish authentic Os Draconis from its counterfeits.XRD analysis revealed that while hydroxyapatite is the main component in all samples,authentic Os Draconis also contains calcium carbonate and quartz,which were absent in counterfeit and lab-prepared samples.FTIR spectra identified the carbonate ion(CO_(3)^(2-))as a characteristic infrared marker for authentic Os Draconis.ICP-MS analysis showed that Ca and P are the major elements,with a notably high content of Lanthanum(La)among rare earth elements in authentic samples.The EPMA results demonstrated that the Ca/P ratio of authentic Os Draconis is distinct,falling between that of fossilized Os Draconis and counterfeit samples.Conclusion:This study successfully identified several precise markers,including the presence of calcium carbonate,the characteristic CO_(3)^(2-)infrared peak,a high La content,and a specific Ca/P ratio,for the accurate and rapid authentication of Os Draconis.Furthermore,the analysis of its natural porous structure,suitable pore size,and surface area suggests that Os Draconis has significant potential as a natural drug carrier.展开更多
In this study,an automated multimodal system for detecting,classifying,and dating fruit was developed using a two-stage YOLOv11 pipeline.In the first stage,the YOLOv11 detection model locates individual date fruits in...In this study,an automated multimodal system for detecting,classifying,and dating fruit was developed using a two-stage YOLOv11 pipeline.In the first stage,the YOLOv11 detection model locates individual date fruits in real time by drawing bounding boxes around them.These bounding boxes are subsequently passed to a YOLOv11 classification model,which analyzes cropped images and assigns class labels.An additional counting module automatically tallies the detected fruits,offering a near-instantaneous estimation of quantity.The experimental results suggest high precision and recall for detection,high classification accuracy(across 15 classes),and near-perfect counting in real time.This paper presents a multi-stage pipeline for date fruit detection,classification,and automated counting,employing YOLOv11-based models to achieve high accuracy while maintaining real-time throughput.The results demonstrated that the detection precision exceeded 90%,the classification accuracy approached 92%,and the counting module correlated closely with the manual tallies.These findings confirm the potential of reducing manual labour and enhancing operational efficiency in post-harvesting processes.Future studies will include dataset expansion,user-centric interfaces,and integration with harvesting robotics.展开更多
The links between the adakitic rocks and Cu-Au mineralization have long been argued.This study investigates petrogenesis and its link to mineralization potential by a series of in-situ geochronological and geochemical...The links between the adakitic rocks and Cu-Au mineralization have long been argued.This study investigates petrogenesis and its link to mineralization potential by a series of in-situ geochronological and geochemical signatures of apatite and zircon in three ore-related intrusions and one-barren intrusion in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt(MLYRB).Zircon U-Pb dating yield ages of 139–143 Ma and 121 Ma for the ore-related and ore-barren intrusions,respectively.The ore-related rocks have higher apatite Sr/Y(1.57–9.69),(La/Yb)_(N)(16.7–159.5),andδEu(0.45–0.74)than the ore-barren rocks of 0.57–1.02,19.3–24.1 and 0.40–0.45,respectively,indicating the former has an adakitic affinity,while the latter has a non-adakitic affinity.The ore-related rocks have enriched zircon Hf isotopes withε_(Hf)(t)values of-15.9 to-5.5 and T_(DMC)ages of 2408–1655 Ma and apatite Sr-Nd isotopes,indicating that the ore-related magmas were mainly originated from partial melting of subducted oceanic crust.The orebarren rocks have higherε_(Hf)(t)values of-6.6 to-4.6 and lower T_(DMC)ages of 1598–1469 Ma and apatite Sr-Nd isotopes,indicating a lithospheric mantle source.The ore-related rocks have higher oxygen fugacity of mean∆FMQ+2.00 and X_(F)/X_(OH)of 8.36–175 than the ore-barren rocks of mean∆FMQ+1.43 and3.72–4.96.It was inferred that magma source,water content,and oxygen fugacity emerge as critical factors governing the regional Cu-Au mineralization potential.展开更多
A small sample of human bone from Tomb BSII of the Chalcolithic cemetery of RemedelloSotto (Brescia, Northern Italy) was processed with the AMS technique. It gave a date of 4070 ± 70BP (Beta-35224; ETH-6196) corr...A small sample of human bone from Tomb BSII of the Chalcolithic cemetery of RemedelloSotto (Brescia, Northern Italy) was processed with the AMS technique. It gave a date of 4070 ± 70BP (Beta-35224; ETH-6196) corresponding to 2711 (2609) 2512 cal BC yrs (1 sigma). Una datazione radiometrica per la Tomba BSII del cimitero Calcolitico di RemedelloSotto (Brescia). Viene presentata la datazione radiometrica eseguita con il metodo dell’acceleratore sudi un frammento di osso di calcagno del piede destro dello scheletro di inumato della Tomba BSII delsepolcreto di Remedello Sotto. L’analisi ha fornito il risultato di 4070 ± 70 BP (Beta-35224; ETH-6196)corrispondente a 2711 (2609) 2512 cal BC (1 sigma).展开更多
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose （CMCNa） is an anionic water soluble polyelectrolyte widely used in many industrial sectors including food, textiles, papers, adhesives, paints, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and mineral pr...Sodium carboxymethylcellulose （CMCNa） is an anionic water soluble polyelectrolyte widely used in many industrial sectors including food, textiles, papers, adhesives, paints, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and mineral processing. CMCNa was produced by chemical modification of cellulose, and represents many advantages： natural, renewable, non-toxic and biodegradable. In this study, different kinds of CMCNa, prepared from an agricultural waste date palm rachis, were tested as eco-friendly flocculants for drinking water treatment and their performances as flocculants in turbidity removal enhancement were assessed. The prepared materials were characterized by the degree of substitution （DS） and polymerisation （DP）. The study of the effect of some experimental parameters on the coagulation-flocculation performance, using the prepared materials combined with aluminium sulphate （as coagulant）, showed that the best conditions for turbidity treatment were given for pH 8, coagulant dose 20 mg/L, flocculant concentration of 100 mg/L and stirring velocity （during the flocculation step） of 30 r/min. Under the optimum conditions, the turbidity removal using CMCNa, prepared from raw material, was about 95%. A comparison study between the flocculation performance of a commercial anionic flocculant （A100PWG： polyacrylamide） and that of the prepared CMCNa showed that the performance of the waste-based flocculant with a DS of 1.17 and a DP of 480 was 10% better than that achieved by the commercial one.展开更多
Five Paleogene volcanics sampled from the northern South China Sea were analyzed via LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating, including basalt and andesite from Borehole SCSVI and volcanic agglomerate from Borehole SCSV2, respec...Five Paleogene volcanics sampled from the northern South China Sea were analyzed via LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating, including basalt and andesite from Borehole SCSVI and volcanic agglomerate from Borehole SCSV2, respectively. A total of 162 zircon U-Pb dates for them cover an age range from Neoarchean to Eocene, in which the pre-Paleocene data dominate. The Paleogene dates of 62.5±2.2 Ma and 42.1±2.9 Ma are associated with two igneous episodes prior to opening of South China Sea basin. Those pre-Paleocene zircons are inherited zircons mostly with magmatogenic oscillatory zones, and have REE features of crustal zircon. Zircon U-Pb dates of 2518-2481 Ma, 1933- 1724 Ma, and 1094-1040 Ma from the SCSV1 volcanics, and 2810-2718 Ma, 2458-2421 Ma, and 1850-993.4 Ma from the SCSV2 volcanics reveal part of Precambrian evolution of the northern South China Sea, well comparable with age records dated from the Cathaysia block. The data of 927.0±6.9 Ma and 781±38 Ma dated from the SCSV2 coincide with amalgamation between Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks and breakup of the Rodinia, respectively. The age records of Caledonian orogeny from the Cathaysia block are widely found from our volcanic samples with concordant mean ages of 432.0±5.8 Ma from the SCSV1 and of 437±15 Ma from the SCSV2. The part of the northern South China Sea resembling the Cathaysia underwent Indosinian and Yanshannian tectonothermal events. Their age signatures from the SCSV1 cover 266.5±3.5 Ma, 241.1±6.0 Ma, 184.0±4.2 Ma, 160.9±4.2 Ma and 102.8±2.6 Ma, and from the SCSV2 are 244±15 Ma, 158.1±3.5 Ma, 141±13 Ma and 96.3±2.1 Ma. Our pre-Paleogene U-Pb age spectra of zircons from the borehole volcanics indicate that the northern South China Sea underwent an evolution from formation of Precambrian basement, Caledonian orogeny, and Indosinian orogeny to Yanshannian magmatism. This process can be well comparable with the tectonic evolution of South China, largely supporting the areas of the northern South China Sea as part of southward extension of the Cathaysia.展开更多
Located along the southern part of the West Qinling orogenic belt,the Yangshan gold deposit is one of the largest in China.The major gold ores of Yangshan are disseminated in metasedimentary host rocks with minor nati...Located along the southern part of the West Qinling orogenic belt,the Yangshan gold deposit is one of the largest in China.The major gold ores of Yangshan are disseminated in metasedimentary host rocks with minor native gold amounts in stibnite-gold quartz veins.Pyrite and arsenopyrite are the major Au-bearing minerals.Hydrothermal muscovite from gold-bearing quartz veins was dated using the in situ Rb-Sr method to determine the formation age of the Yangshan gold deposit.The Rb-Sr isochron date of the muscovite yielded 210.1±5.6 Ma(MSWD=1.2).This date is near the lower end of the period of the mineralized granitic dykes(210.49-213.10 Ma).Two stages of gold enriching process are recognized in the gold-bearing pyrite:the first is incorporated with the Co,Cu,As,Ni enrichment;and the second is accompanied by Bi,Co,Ni,Pb,Cu,Sb concentration.The in-situ sulfur isotopic values of pyrites show a restrictedΔ34s range of-1.43‰to 2.86‰with a mean value of 0.43‰.Trace-element mapping and in-situ sulfur isotopic analysis of pyrite suggest that the sulfur deposits are likely derived from a magmatic source and likely assimilated by sulfur from the sedimentary bedrock.Thus,magmatism plays a critical role in the formation of the Yangshan gold deposit.展开更多
In this paper, the East Asia summer monsoon onset date lines in East China are calculated by the definition similar to the traditional one, with the ECMWF reanalyzed 850 hPa daily wind and observed, reana-lyzed and co...In this paper, the East Asia summer monsoon onset date lines in East China are calculated by the definition similar to the traditional one, with the ECMWF reanalyzed 850 hPa daily wind and observed, reana-lyzed and combined daily rainfall during 1980 ~ 1993. To make the onset date line as close as possible to the previous work, the earliest onset date limits have to be applied for the regions with different latitude and the daily mean datasets have to be smoothed by space before calculation, therefore their space-resolution is reduced to about 3 longitude ×1 latitude. The results show that the multiyear mean summer monsoon onset date lines are quite similar to each other. Compared with the one from the reanalysis, the 14-year average onset date line form combination is obviously improved in the southern Sichuan Basin and the correlation between observed and combined onset date is also slightly higher over the Huaihe valley and Northeast China. Since daily rainfall combination also improved the long term daily mean and standard deviation through the pentad CMAP, if no better daily dataset is available, such a kind of daily rainfall combination can be used to get reasonable result in the Indian monsoon region without sufficient observatories or over the North Pacific without any ground obser-vation at all in future study.展开更多
The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition, minerals and antioxidants of heart of date palm from three Saudi cultivars. Moisture (ranged from 80.44% - 82.82%) was the predominant component in the ...The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition, minerals and antioxidants of heart of date palm from three Saudi cultivars. Moisture (ranged from 80.44% - 82.82%) was the predominant component in the heart date palm. Sukkari cultivar had the highest protein (5.27%) and ash (7.9%) compared to the other two cultivars. Fat was low in the three cultivars. Sucrose was the predominant sugar in the heart date palm and ranged from 7.65% - 20.25%. Potassium was the predominant mineral in the heart date palm and was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in Sukkari and Solleg compared to the Naboat Saif cultivar. Sulfur and chloride were next to potassium in abundance in the three heart date palm cultivars. Total phenols and flavonoids were higher in Solleg compared to the other two cultivars. IC50 for Solleg, Sukkari and Naboat Saif were 0.12, 0.13 and 0.29 mg/ml, respectively. The results of the present study may highlight the potential importance of heart of date palm as a product rich in essential minerals and antioxidants. Future researches are needed to explore other characteristics of heart of date palm which could be considered for human nutrition.展开更多
The present study aimed to estimate the individual and total phenols and antioxidant activity of the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of three premium quality date varieties (Khalas, Sukkari and Ajwa) from Saudi Arabia....The present study aimed to estimate the individual and total phenols and antioxidant activity of the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of three premium quality date varieties (Khalas, Sukkari and Ajwa) from Saudi Arabia. In general, water extract has shown significantly higher contents of total phenols than alcoholic, especially in Ajwa (455.88 and 245.66 mg/100 g respectively). However, phenolic profile indicated that Sukkari contained the highest rutin concentration (8.10 mg/kg), whereas, catechin was approximately the same in Sukkari and Ajwa (7.50 and 7.30 mg/kg respectively). Khalas was the highest variety content of caffeic acid (7.40 mg/kg). A significant difference has indicated among extracts and varieties in suppressing lipid peroxidation. Sukkari and Ajwa have reduced the oxidation with 50% at lower concentration in water extract than alcoholic (0.63, 0.70 and 1.60, 1.43 mg/ml respectively). Furthermore, high positive linear correlation was found between total phenols in water (r = 0.96) and alcohol (r = 0.85) extracts and inhibition of lipid oxidation activity. The compounds responsible for the activity were catechin (r = 0.96), and rutin (r = 0.74) in water extract, whereas this correlation decreased in alcoholic extract (r = 0.66) for catechin and very weak (r = 0.38) for rutin. No correlation was found between caffeic acid and lipid peroxidation in both extracts. Similar significant results were obtained with DPPH test, except with Sukari, which has shown no difference between aqueous and alcoholic extracts (4.30, 4.10 mg/ml respectively).展开更多
A comprehensive review of scientific literature has uncovered no reported cases of date palm trees infected by a virus and no viral infections have been reported by farmers. In spite of the hot and humid environment t...A comprehensive review of scientific literature has uncovered no reported cases of date palm trees infected by a virus and no viral infections have been reported by farmers. In spite of the hot and humid environment they inhabit, the abundance of viral infestations in the soil, other plants and organisms surrounding the trees and the frequency of importation and transplantation of these trees into the region. Such conditions should cause the date palms to also be infected. Notably, other palm trees do not exhibit the same level of innate viral immunity that is found in date palms. The date palm tree’s innate viral immunity is a virgin area in botanical research. The biological segment in date palm tree DNA that enables survival under genotoxic radiation also deserves further investigation. This field of study may enable the breeding of other economically important plants to improve desert ecology and economy, land management, agriculture and horticulture.展开更多
We investigated genetic variation of a rice HEADING DATE 1(HD1) homolog in foxtail millet.First, we searched for a rice HD1 homolog in a foxtail millet genome sequence and designed primers to amplify the entire coding...We investigated genetic variation of a rice HEADING DATE 1(HD1) homolog in foxtail millet.First, we searched for a rice HD1 homolog in a foxtail millet genome sequence and designed primers to amplify the entire coding sequence of the gene. We compared full HD1 gene sequences of 11 accessions(including Yugu 1, a Chinese cultivar used for genome sequencing) from various regions in Europe and Asia, found a nucleotide substitution at a putative splice site of intron 1, and designated the accessions with the nucleotide substitution as carrying a splicing variant. We verified by RT-PCR that this single nucleotide substitution causes aberrant splicing of intron 1. We investigated the geographical distribution of the splicing variant in 480 accessions of foxtail millet from various regions of Europe and Asia and part of Africa by d CAPS and found that the splicing variant is broadly distributed in Europe and Asia. Differences of heading times between accessions with wild type allele of the HD1 gene and those with the splicing variant allele were unclear. We also investigated variation in 13 accessions of ssp. viridis, the wild ancestor, and the results suggested that the wild type is predominant in the wild ancestor.展开更多
The melt onset dates(MOD)over Arctic sea ice plays an important role in the seasonal cycle of sea ice surface properties,which impacts Arctic surface solar radiation absorbed by the ice-ocean system.Monitoring interan...The melt onset dates(MOD)over Arctic sea ice plays an important role in the seasonal cycle of sea ice surface properties,which impacts Arctic surface solar radiation absorbed by the ice-ocean system.Monitoring interannual variations in MOD is valuable for understanding climate change.In this study,we investigated the spatio-temporal variability of MOD over Arctic sea ice and 14 Arctic sub-regions in the period of 1979 to 2017 from passive microwave satellite data.A set of mathematical and statistical methods,including the Sen’s slope and Mann-Kendall mutation tests,were used to comprehensively assess the variation trend and abrupt points of MOD during the past 39 years for different Arctic sub-regions.Additionally,the correlation between Arctic Oscillation(AO)and MOD was analyzed.The results indicate that:(1)all Arctic sub-regions show a trend toward earlier MOD except the Bering Sea and St.Lawrence Gulf.The East Siberian Sea exhibits a significantly earlier trend,with the highest rate of-9.45 d/decade;(2)the temporal variability and statistical significance of MOD trend exhibit large interannual differences with different time windows for most regions in the Arctic;(3)during the past 39 years,the MOD changed abruptly in different years for different sub-regions;(4)the seasonal AO has more influence on MOD than monthly AO.The findings in this study can improve our knowledge of MOD changes and are beneficial for further Arctic climate change study.展开更多
In this study,the potential of a low-cost bio-adsorbent,taken directly from Date Palm Trunk Fibers(DPTF)agricultural wastes,for cadmium ions removal from wastewaters is examined.The performances of this adsorbent are ...In this study,the potential of a low-cost bio-adsorbent,taken directly from Date Palm Trunk Fibers(DPTF)agricultural wastes,for cadmium ions removal from wastewaters is examined.The performances of this adsorbent are evaluated by building breakthrough curves at different bed heights and flow rates while keeping other parameters,such as the initial feed concentration,pH,and particle size,constant.The results indicate that the maximum cadmium adsorption capacity of DTPF can be obtained from the Thomas model as 51.5 mg/g with the most extended mass transfer zone of 83 min at the lowest flow rate at 5 ml/min.The saturation concentrations(NO)and the rate constant(kab)obtained from the BDST(bed depth service time)model are 7022.16 mg/l and 0.0536 l/mg.min,respectively.Using the Yon-Nelsen Model,it is found that operating at a lower flow rate leads to a larger value of the elapsed needed time to reach a 50%breakthrough.The Wolborska model indicates that the bed capacity increases with decreasing the flow rate,and the adsorbent can achieve a greater external mass transfer kinetic coefficient(2.271/min)at a higher flow rate.展开更多
The conformity of Saudi dates cultivars to date standards has not been studied extensively. In this study, microbial loads and physicochemical characteristics of four Saudi date cultivars (Sukkary, Khalas, Sugai and A...The conformity of Saudi dates cultivars to date standards has not been studied extensively. In this study, microbial loads and physicochemical characteristics of four Saudi date cultivars (Sukkary, Khalas, Sugai and Anbara) were determined. Anbara cultivar had significantly higher mould and yeast counts than recommended under Saudi technical regulation and standards for packaged whole dates. Moisture content and insect damage for all studied cultivars fell within Codex standards. Single fruit weight for pitted and unpitted dates was higher than recommended under international standards. Date cultivar had a significant effect on fruit color thus fruit color should be included in Saudi technical regulation and standards for date grading.展开更多
Biodiesel production had received a considerable attention as a green, non-toxic and renewable alternative to petroleum diesel. To avoid using vegetable oils, which are expensive and compete with food, as feedstock, w...Biodiesel production had received a considerable attention as a green, non-toxic and renewable alternative to petroleum diesel. To avoid using vegetable oils, which are expensive and compete with food, as feedstock, waste oils have been proposed. However, these waste materials contain a large amount of free fatty acids that complicates the production process. In this work, biodiesel production using an alternative feedstock;namely oils from date-pits, has been investigated. These oils have the same favorable features of straight oils, and at the same time are considered waste, since they are extracted from a waste material. The yield of oils extracted using n-hexane in a Soxhlet apparatus was compared to that of oils extracted using methanol-chloroform solvent mixture. The extracted oils were then converted to biodiesel via transesterification with methanol in presence of Novozym𪥣 or Eversa®Transform. The highest oils extraction yield of 11.7%, per dry weight sample, was obtained using Soxhlet extraction apparatus compared to 8.9% using methanol-chloroform mixture. The highest biodiesel production yield was 30% of the oil used, achieved after 6 hours using Novozym𪥣 at 40°C, 5:1 methanol to oil molar ratio and 10wt% enzyme loading. By using a chemical alkaline catalyst, NaOH, at the same conditions, the yield was 27%.展开更多
Chemical compositionof the residual pits from processing of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) variety khalas from AL-Hasa region–Saudi Arabia was investigated. The extracted oil from residual pits was analyzed for its ph...Chemical compositionof the residual pits from processing of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) variety khalas from AL-Hasa region–Saudi Arabia was investigated. The extracted oil from residual pits was analyzed for its physico-chemical properties, (refractive index, colour, acid value, peroxide value, iodine number, saponification number and unsaponifiable matter), total phenols, tocopherol content, fatty acid composition, hydrocarbons, and sterol compounds by gas liquid chromatography, and oxidative stability by Rancimat method at 100℃ ± 2℃. Mineral content of date pits was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Date pit oil was used to replace conventional oil in producing mayonnaise, and sensory qualities were evaluated in comparison with commercial mayonnaise prepared from corn oil. The data demonstrated that mayonnaise containing date pit oil was superior in sensory characteristics as compared with control manufactured from corn oil. Results showed that the date pit oil could be used as nontraditional oil in some food processing such as mayonnaise products.展开更多
Activated carbon was prepared from date stems by one step H3PO4 activation and used as adsorbent for the removal of cadmium ions Cd2+.This agricultural by-product is available in large amount in Algeria.Batch adsorpti...Activated carbon was prepared from date stems by one step H3PO4 activation and used as adsorbent for the removal of cadmium ions Cd2+.This agricultural by-product is available in large amount in Algeria.Batch adsorption experiments were performed as a function of contact time,pH,adsorbent dose and initial cadmium concentration.It was found that the equilibrium was achieved less than 60 rain of contact time.The effect of pH on adsorption equilibrium was studied at values ranging from 1 to 6,demonstrating the importance of this parameter for an accurate evaluation of the adsorption process.Maximum adsorption was found for pH values ranging from 5 to 6.5.The models of adsorption isotherms,such as Langmuir,Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich,were tested for the quantitative description of the cadmium uptake.The results obtained revealed that the cadmium was considerably adsorbed on activated carbon prepared from date stems and it could be an economical method for the removal of cadmium from aqueous solutions.展开更多
A survey was conducted in 2011 in the major date growing regions of Saudi Arabia to identify and evaluate date palms with fruit characteristics preferred by the producers and consumers. The regions in the Kingdom surv...A survey was conducted in 2011 in the major date growing regions of Saudi Arabia to identify and evaluate date palms with fruit characteristics preferred by the producers and consumers. The regions in the Kingdom surveyed for this purpose were Al-Zulfi, Al-Hassa, Najran, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah and AI-Qassim. Seventy palms from seedlings were initially identified for the study based on the following fruit characteristics, i.e., fruit length, breadth, weight, color, taste, texture, sugar content, external appearance and also the market value. Subsequently, 12 palms （Al-Afiah, Duhiba, Adbah, Aliah, Shamshula, Masifat Al-Asedy, Suwaid, Batlyah, AI-Nassar, Hussan, Sukariyat Al-Zulfi and Al-Hamat） mainly from the Zulfi and Riyadh regions were found to meet the required standards with potential for commercial date farming. Among these, fruits of Adbah had the highest total sugars of 72.9% followed by Duhiba with a total sugar content of 71.9%. Fruit length was maximum （49.1 mm） in the variety Allah, while the fruits of the variety Hussan recorded the maximum weight of 19.5 g. Furthermore, it is pertinent to mention that fruit size of the 12 selected cultivars was generally large and comparable to Majdool, a well-known date palm cultivar of North Africa. The fruits of the selected cultivars were also tasty and can be stored separately.展开更多
文摘Date palm(Phoenix dactylifera L.)seeds,often discarded as by-products during date fruit processing,represent approximately 6-20%of the fruit’s mass depending on cultivar and maturity stage.Although traditionally used for producing activated charcoal and in environmental remediation,their pharmacological potential remains underexplored.This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition,biological activity,and potential commercial value of seeds from four widely consumed Saharan cultivars(Assiane,Boufegouss,Aziza,and Majhoul)collected in the Figuig region.Soxhlet extraction was employed to obtain seed extracts,which were subsequently characterized by qualitative and quantitative phytochemical screening.The analyses revealed the presence of polyphenols,flavonoids,terpenoids,steroids,alkaloids,and other secondary metabolites.The Aziza and Boufegouss varieties were particularly rich in flavonoids(82.09-139.61 mg quercetin equivalents/100 g dry matter)and total polyphenols(69.81-1183.96 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g dry matter).Mineral profiling confirmed the occurrence of essential trace elements,including Zn,Cu,Fe,and Co.To investigate their antidiabetic potential,in vitro assays ofα-glucosidase andα-amylase inhibition were performed.Acetone extracts demonstrated significant inhibitory activity against both enzymes,suggesting a promising role of P.dactylifera seed extracts as natural agents for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
基金supported by the Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences(CI2021A04013)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82204610)+1 种基金the Qihang Talent Program(L2022046)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Public Welfare Research Institutes(ZZ15-YQ-041 and L2021029).
文摘Background:Os Draconis is an important material in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM).However,its market is saturated with counterfeit products,and the limitations of current identification methods pose a serious threat to clinical effectiveness and drug safety.This study aims to establish a more accurate and comprehensive authentication system for Os Draconis.Methods:A comprehensive approach was employed to analyze authentic Os Draconis,fossilized Os Draconis,counterfeit products,and lab-prepared modern animal bones.The analytical techniques included ^(14)C dating,electron probe microanalysis(EPMA),polarized light microscopy,X-ray diffraction(XRD),inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS),and fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR).The study focused on examining the microstructural features and micro-area elemental compositions to identify distinguishing characteristics.Results:Physical identification alone was insufficient to reliably distinguish authentic Os Draconis from its counterfeits.XRD analysis revealed that while hydroxyapatite is the main component in all samples,authentic Os Draconis also contains calcium carbonate and quartz,which were absent in counterfeit and lab-prepared samples.FTIR spectra identified the carbonate ion(CO_(3)^(2-))as a characteristic infrared marker for authentic Os Draconis.ICP-MS analysis showed that Ca and P are the major elements,with a notably high content of Lanthanum(La)among rare earth elements in authentic samples.The EPMA results demonstrated that the Ca/P ratio of authentic Os Draconis is distinct,falling between that of fossilized Os Draconis and counterfeit samples.Conclusion:This study successfully identified several precise markers,including the presence of calcium carbonate,the characteristic CO_(3)^(2-)infrared peak,a high La content,and a specific Ca/P ratio,for the accurate and rapid authentication of Os Draconis.Furthermore,the analysis of its natural porous structure,suitable pore size,and surface area suggests that Os Draconis has significant potential as a natural drug carrier.
基金supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research,Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research,King Faisal University,Saudi Arabia,Grant No.KFU250098.
文摘In this study,an automated multimodal system for detecting,classifying,and dating fruit was developed using a two-stage YOLOv11 pipeline.In the first stage,the YOLOv11 detection model locates individual date fruits in real time by drawing bounding boxes around them.These bounding boxes are subsequently passed to a YOLOv11 classification model,which analyzes cropped images and assigns class labels.An additional counting module automatically tallies the detected fruits,offering a near-instantaneous estimation of quantity.The experimental results suggest high precision and recall for detection,high classification accuracy(across 15 classes),and near-perfect counting in real time.This paper presents a multi-stage pipeline for date fruit detection,classification,and automated counting,employing YOLOv11-based models to achieve high accuracy while maintaining real-time throughput.The results demonstrated that the detection precision exceeded 90%,the classification accuracy approached 92%,and the counting module correlated closely with the manual tallies.These findings confirm the potential of reducing manual labour and enhancing operational efficiency in post-harvesting processes.Future studies will include dataset expansion,user-centric interfaces,and integration with harvesting robotics.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42472117)the China Geological Survey Project(DD20230040)+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province(2108085MD133)the PI Project of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory(Guangzhou)(GML2020GD0802)。
文摘The links between the adakitic rocks and Cu-Au mineralization have long been argued.This study investigates petrogenesis and its link to mineralization potential by a series of in-situ geochronological and geochemical signatures of apatite and zircon in three ore-related intrusions and one-barren intrusion in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt(MLYRB).Zircon U-Pb dating yield ages of 139–143 Ma and 121 Ma for the ore-related and ore-barren intrusions,respectively.The ore-related rocks have higher apatite Sr/Y(1.57–9.69),(La/Yb)_(N)(16.7–159.5),andδEu(0.45–0.74)than the ore-barren rocks of 0.57–1.02,19.3–24.1 and 0.40–0.45,respectively,indicating the former has an adakitic affinity,while the latter has a non-adakitic affinity.The ore-related rocks have enriched zircon Hf isotopes withε_(Hf)(t)values of-15.9 to-5.5 and T_(DMC)ages of 2408–1655 Ma and apatite Sr-Nd isotopes,indicating that the ore-related magmas were mainly originated from partial melting of subducted oceanic crust.The orebarren rocks have higherε_(Hf)(t)values of-6.6 to-4.6 and lower T_(DMC)ages of 1598–1469 Ma and apatite Sr-Nd isotopes,indicating a lithospheric mantle source.The ore-related rocks have higher oxygen fugacity of mean∆FMQ+2.00 and X_(F)/X_(OH)of 8.36–175 than the ore-barren rocks of mean∆FMQ+1.43 and3.72–4.96.It was inferred that magma source,water content,and oxygen fugacity emerge as critical factors governing the regional Cu-Au mineralization potential.
文摘A small sample of human bone from Tomb BSII of the Chalcolithic cemetery of RemedelloSotto (Brescia, Northern Italy) was processed with the AMS technique. It gave a date of 4070 ± 70BP (Beta-35224; ETH-6196) corresponding to 2711 (2609) 2512 cal BC yrs (1 sigma). Una datazione radiometrica per la Tomba BSII del cimitero Calcolitico di RemedelloSotto (Brescia). Viene presentata la datazione radiometrica eseguita con il metodo dell’acceleratore sudi un frammento di osso di calcagno del piede destro dello scheletro di inumato della Tomba BSII delsepolcreto di Remedello Sotto. L’analisi ha fornito il risultato di 4070 ± 70 BP (Beta-35224; ETH-6196)corrispondente a 2711 (2609) 2512 cal BC (1 sigma).
基金supported by the Institute of Cooperation Francaise of the Embassy of France in Tunisia(IFC Tunisia)and by the Region Rhone Alpes(MIRA program)
文摘Sodium carboxymethylcellulose （CMCNa） is an anionic water soluble polyelectrolyte widely used in many industrial sectors including food, textiles, papers, adhesives, paints, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and mineral processing. CMCNa was produced by chemical modification of cellulose, and represents many advantages： natural, renewable, non-toxic and biodegradable. In this study, different kinds of CMCNa, prepared from an agricultural waste date palm rachis, were tested as eco-friendly flocculants for drinking water treatment and their performances as flocculants in turbidity removal enhancement were assessed. The prepared materials were characterized by the degree of substitution （DS） and polymerisation （DP）. The study of the effect of some experimental parameters on the coagulation-flocculation performance, using the prepared materials combined with aluminium sulphate （as coagulant）, showed that the best conditions for turbidity treatment were given for pH 8, coagulant dose 20 mg/L, flocculant concentration of 100 mg/L and stirring velocity （during the flocculation step） of 30 r/min. Under the optimum conditions, the turbidity removal using CMCNa, prepared from raw material, was about 95%. A comparison study between the flocculation performance of a commercial anionic flocculant （A100PWG： polyacrylamide） and that of the prepared CMCNa showed that the performance of the waste-based flocculant with a DS of 1.17 and a DP of 480 was 10% better than that achieved by the commercial one.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 41272218)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universitiesthe State Key Program of the National Natural Science of China (grant no. 2011ZX05023-003)
文摘Five Paleogene volcanics sampled from the northern South China Sea were analyzed via LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating, including basalt and andesite from Borehole SCSVI and volcanic agglomerate from Borehole SCSV2, respectively. A total of 162 zircon U-Pb dates for them cover an age range from Neoarchean to Eocene, in which the pre-Paleocene data dominate. The Paleogene dates of 62.5±2.2 Ma and 42.1±2.9 Ma are associated with two igneous episodes prior to opening of South China Sea basin. Those pre-Paleocene zircons are inherited zircons mostly with magmatogenic oscillatory zones, and have REE features of crustal zircon. Zircon U-Pb dates of 2518-2481 Ma, 1933- 1724 Ma, and 1094-1040 Ma from the SCSV1 volcanics, and 2810-2718 Ma, 2458-2421 Ma, and 1850-993.4 Ma from the SCSV2 volcanics reveal part of Precambrian evolution of the northern South China Sea, well comparable with age records dated from the Cathaysia block. The data of 927.0±6.9 Ma and 781±38 Ma dated from the SCSV2 coincide with amalgamation between Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks and breakup of the Rodinia, respectively. The age records of Caledonian orogeny from the Cathaysia block are widely found from our volcanic samples with concordant mean ages of 432.0±5.8 Ma from the SCSV1 and of 437±15 Ma from the SCSV2. The part of the northern South China Sea resembling the Cathaysia underwent Indosinian and Yanshannian tectonothermal events. Their age signatures from the SCSV1 cover 266.5±3.5 Ma, 241.1±6.0 Ma, 184.0±4.2 Ma, 160.9±4.2 Ma and 102.8±2.6 Ma, and from the SCSV2 are 244±15 Ma, 158.1±3.5 Ma, 141±13 Ma and 96.3±2.1 Ma. Our pre-Paleogene U-Pb age spectra of zircons from the borehole volcanics indicate that the northern South China Sea underwent an evolution from formation of Precambrian basement, Caledonian orogeny, and Indosinian orogeny to Yanshannian magmatism. This process can be well comparable with the tectonic evolution of South China, largely supporting the areas of the northern South China Sea as part of southward extension of the Cathaysia.
基金financially supported by China Geological Survey Project(Grant No.DD20220971)。
文摘Located along the southern part of the West Qinling orogenic belt,the Yangshan gold deposit is one of the largest in China.The major gold ores of Yangshan are disseminated in metasedimentary host rocks with minor native gold amounts in stibnite-gold quartz veins.Pyrite and arsenopyrite are the major Au-bearing minerals.Hydrothermal muscovite from gold-bearing quartz veins was dated using the in situ Rb-Sr method to determine the formation age of the Yangshan gold deposit.The Rb-Sr isochron date of the muscovite yielded 210.1±5.6 Ma(MSWD=1.2).This date is near the lower end of the period of the mineralized granitic dykes(210.49-213.10 Ma).Two stages of gold enriching process are recognized in the gold-bearing pyrite:the first is incorporated with the Co,Cu,As,Ni enrichment;and the second is accompanied by Bi,Co,Ni,Pb,Cu,Sb concentration.The in-situ sulfur isotopic values of pyrites show a restrictedΔ34s range of-1.43‰to 2.86‰with a mean value of 0.43‰.Trace-element mapping and in-situ sulfur isotopic analysis of pyrite suggest that the sulfur deposits are likely derived from a magmatic source and likely assimilated by sulfur from the sedimentary bedrock.Thus,magmatism plays a critical role in the formation of the Yangshan gold deposit.
基金National Science Foundation of China (No.49875020) and National Key Programme for developing Basic Sciences (No. G1999043803)
文摘In this paper, the East Asia summer monsoon onset date lines in East China are calculated by the definition similar to the traditional one, with the ECMWF reanalyzed 850 hPa daily wind and observed, reana-lyzed and combined daily rainfall during 1980 ~ 1993. To make the onset date line as close as possible to the previous work, the earliest onset date limits have to be applied for the regions with different latitude and the daily mean datasets have to be smoothed by space before calculation, therefore their space-resolution is reduced to about 3 longitude ×1 latitude. The results show that the multiyear mean summer monsoon onset date lines are quite similar to each other. Compared with the one from the reanalysis, the 14-year average onset date line form combination is obviously improved in the southern Sichuan Basin and the correlation between observed and combined onset date is also slightly higher over the Huaihe valley and Northeast China. Since daily rainfall combination also improved the long term daily mean and standard deviation through the pentad CMAP, if no better daily dataset is available, such a kind of daily rainfall combination can be used to get reasonable result in the Indian monsoon region without sufficient observatories or over the North Pacific without any ground obser-vation at all in future study.
文摘The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition, minerals and antioxidants of heart of date palm from three Saudi cultivars. Moisture (ranged from 80.44% - 82.82%) was the predominant component in the heart date palm. Sukkari cultivar had the highest protein (5.27%) and ash (7.9%) compared to the other two cultivars. Fat was low in the three cultivars. Sucrose was the predominant sugar in the heart date palm and ranged from 7.65% - 20.25%. Potassium was the predominant mineral in the heart date palm and was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in Sukkari and Solleg compared to the Naboat Saif cultivar. Sulfur and chloride were next to potassium in abundance in the three heart date palm cultivars. Total phenols and flavonoids were higher in Solleg compared to the other two cultivars. IC50 for Solleg, Sukkari and Naboat Saif were 0.12, 0.13 and 0.29 mg/ml, respectively. The results of the present study may highlight the potential importance of heart of date palm as a product rich in essential minerals and antioxidants. Future researches are needed to explore other characteristics of heart of date palm which could be considered for human nutrition.
文摘The present study aimed to estimate the individual and total phenols and antioxidant activity of the aqueous and alcoholic extracts of three premium quality date varieties (Khalas, Sukkari and Ajwa) from Saudi Arabia. In general, water extract has shown significantly higher contents of total phenols than alcoholic, especially in Ajwa (455.88 and 245.66 mg/100 g respectively). However, phenolic profile indicated that Sukkari contained the highest rutin concentration (8.10 mg/kg), whereas, catechin was approximately the same in Sukkari and Ajwa (7.50 and 7.30 mg/kg respectively). Khalas was the highest variety content of caffeic acid (7.40 mg/kg). A significant difference has indicated among extracts and varieties in suppressing lipid peroxidation. Sukkari and Ajwa have reduced the oxidation with 50% at lower concentration in water extract than alcoholic (0.63, 0.70 and 1.60, 1.43 mg/ml respectively). Furthermore, high positive linear correlation was found between total phenols in water (r = 0.96) and alcohol (r = 0.85) extracts and inhibition of lipid oxidation activity. The compounds responsible for the activity were catechin (r = 0.96), and rutin (r = 0.74) in water extract, whereas this correlation decreased in alcoholic extract (r = 0.66) for catechin and very weak (r = 0.38) for rutin. No correlation was found between caffeic acid and lipid peroxidation in both extracts. Similar significant results were obtained with DPPH test, except with Sukari, which has shown no difference between aqueous and alcoholic extracts (4.30, 4.10 mg/ml respectively).
文摘A comprehensive review of scientific literature has uncovered no reported cases of date palm trees infected by a virus and no viral infections have been reported by farmers. In spite of the hot and humid environment they inhabit, the abundance of viral infestations in the soil, other plants and organisms surrounding the trees and the frequency of importation and transplantation of these trees into the region. Such conditions should cause the date palms to also be infected. Notably, other palm trees do not exhibit the same level of innate viral immunity that is found in date palms. The date palm tree’s innate viral immunity is a virgin area in botanical research. The biological segment in date palm tree DNA that enables survival under genotoxic radiation also deserves further investigation. This field of study may enable the breeding of other economically important plants to improve desert ecology and economy, land management, agriculture and horticulture.
基金supported by the NIAS Genebank Project,NIAS,Japan
文摘We investigated genetic variation of a rice HEADING DATE 1(HD1) homolog in foxtail millet.First, we searched for a rice HD1 homolog in a foxtail millet genome sequence and designed primers to amplify the entire coding sequence of the gene. We compared full HD1 gene sequences of 11 accessions(including Yugu 1, a Chinese cultivar used for genome sequencing) from various regions in Europe and Asia, found a nucleotide substitution at a putative splice site of intron 1, and designated the accessions with the nucleotide substitution as carrying a splicing variant. We verified by RT-PCR that this single nucleotide substitution causes aberrant splicing of intron 1. We investigated the geographical distribution of the splicing variant in 480 accessions of foxtail millet from various regions of Europe and Asia and part of Africa by d CAPS and found that the splicing variant is broadly distributed in Europe and Asia. Differences of heading times between accessions with wild type allele of the HD1 gene and those with the splicing variant allele were unclear. We also investigated variation in 13 accessions of ssp. viridis, the wild ancestor, and the results suggested that the wild type is predominant in the wild ancestor.
基金The National Key Research and Development Program of China under contract No.2018YFA0605403the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No.42071084Jiangyuan Zeng was supported by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS under contract No.2018082。
文摘The melt onset dates(MOD)over Arctic sea ice plays an important role in the seasonal cycle of sea ice surface properties,which impacts Arctic surface solar radiation absorbed by the ice-ocean system.Monitoring interannual variations in MOD is valuable for understanding climate change.In this study,we investigated the spatio-temporal variability of MOD over Arctic sea ice and 14 Arctic sub-regions in the period of 1979 to 2017 from passive microwave satellite data.A set of mathematical and statistical methods,including the Sen’s slope and Mann-Kendall mutation tests,were used to comprehensively assess the variation trend and abrupt points of MOD during the past 39 years for different Arctic sub-regions.Additionally,the correlation between Arctic Oscillation(AO)and MOD was analyzed.The results indicate that:(1)all Arctic sub-regions show a trend toward earlier MOD except the Bering Sea and St.Lawrence Gulf.The East Siberian Sea exhibits a significantly earlier trend,with the highest rate of-9.45 d/decade;(2)the temporal variability and statistical significance of MOD trend exhibit large interannual differences with different time windows for most regions in the Arctic;(3)during the past 39 years,the MOD changed abruptly in different years for different sub-regions;(4)the seasonal AO has more influence on MOD than monthly AO.The findings in this study can improve our knowledge of MOD changes and are beneficial for further Arctic climate change study.
文摘In this study,the potential of a low-cost bio-adsorbent,taken directly from Date Palm Trunk Fibers(DPTF)agricultural wastes,for cadmium ions removal from wastewaters is examined.The performances of this adsorbent are evaluated by building breakthrough curves at different bed heights and flow rates while keeping other parameters,such as the initial feed concentration,pH,and particle size,constant.The results indicate that the maximum cadmium adsorption capacity of DTPF can be obtained from the Thomas model as 51.5 mg/g with the most extended mass transfer zone of 83 min at the lowest flow rate at 5 ml/min.The saturation concentrations(NO)and the rate constant(kab)obtained from the BDST(bed depth service time)model are 7022.16 mg/l and 0.0536 l/mg.min,respectively.Using the Yon-Nelsen Model,it is found that operating at a lower flow rate leads to a larger value of the elapsed needed time to reach a 50%breakthrough.The Wolborska model indicates that the bed capacity increases with decreasing the flow rate,and the adsorbent can achieve a greater external mass transfer kinetic coefficient(2.271/min)at a higher flow rate.
文摘The conformity of Saudi dates cultivars to date standards has not been studied extensively. In this study, microbial loads and physicochemical characteristics of four Saudi date cultivars (Sukkary, Khalas, Sugai and Anbara) were determined. Anbara cultivar had significantly higher mould and yeast counts than recommended under Saudi technical regulation and standards for packaged whole dates. Moisture content and insect damage for all studied cultivars fell within Codex standards. Single fruit weight for pitted and unpitted dates was higher than recommended under international standards. Date cultivar had a significant effect on fruit color thus fruit color should be included in Saudi technical regulation and standards for date grading.
文摘Biodiesel production had received a considerable attention as a green, non-toxic and renewable alternative to petroleum diesel. To avoid using vegetable oils, which are expensive and compete with food, as feedstock, waste oils have been proposed. However, these waste materials contain a large amount of free fatty acids that complicates the production process. In this work, biodiesel production using an alternative feedstock;namely oils from date-pits, has been investigated. These oils have the same favorable features of straight oils, and at the same time are considered waste, since they are extracted from a waste material. The yield of oils extracted using n-hexane in a Soxhlet apparatus was compared to that of oils extracted using methanol-chloroform solvent mixture. The extracted oils were then converted to biodiesel via transesterification with methanol in presence of Novozym𪥣 or Eversa®Transform. The highest oils extraction yield of 11.7%, per dry weight sample, was obtained using Soxhlet extraction apparatus compared to 8.9% using methanol-chloroform mixture. The highest biodiesel production yield was 30% of the oil used, achieved after 6 hours using Novozym𪥣 at 40°C, 5:1 methanol to oil molar ratio and 10wt% enzyme loading. By using a chemical alkaline catalyst, NaOH, at the same conditions, the yield was 27%.
文摘Chemical compositionof the residual pits from processing of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) variety khalas from AL-Hasa region–Saudi Arabia was investigated. The extracted oil from residual pits was analyzed for its physico-chemical properties, (refractive index, colour, acid value, peroxide value, iodine number, saponification number and unsaponifiable matter), total phenols, tocopherol content, fatty acid composition, hydrocarbons, and sterol compounds by gas liquid chromatography, and oxidative stability by Rancimat method at 100℃ ± 2℃. Mineral content of date pits was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Date pit oil was used to replace conventional oil in producing mayonnaise, and sensory qualities were evaluated in comparison with commercial mayonnaise prepared from corn oil. The data demonstrated that mayonnaise containing date pit oil was superior in sensory characteristics as compared with control manufactured from corn oil. Results showed that the date pit oil could be used as nontraditional oil in some food processing such as mayonnaise products.
文摘Activated carbon was prepared from date stems by one step H3PO4 activation and used as adsorbent for the removal of cadmium ions Cd2+.This agricultural by-product is available in large amount in Algeria.Batch adsorption experiments were performed as a function of contact time,pH,adsorbent dose and initial cadmium concentration.It was found that the equilibrium was achieved less than 60 rain of contact time.The effect of pH on adsorption equilibrium was studied at values ranging from 1 to 6,demonstrating the importance of this parameter for an accurate evaluation of the adsorption process.Maximum adsorption was found for pH values ranging from 5 to 6.5.The models of adsorption isotherms,such as Langmuir,Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich,were tested for the quantitative description of the cadmium uptake.The results obtained revealed that the cadmium was considerably adsorbed on activated carbon prepared from date stems and it could be an economical method for the removal of cadmium from aqueous solutions.
文摘A survey was conducted in 2011 in the major date growing regions of Saudi Arabia to identify and evaluate date palms with fruit characteristics preferred by the producers and consumers. The regions in the Kingdom surveyed for this purpose were Al-Zulfi, Al-Hassa, Najran, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah and AI-Qassim. Seventy palms from seedlings were initially identified for the study based on the following fruit characteristics, i.e., fruit length, breadth, weight, color, taste, texture, sugar content, external appearance and also the market value. Subsequently, 12 palms （Al-Afiah, Duhiba, Adbah, Aliah, Shamshula, Masifat Al-Asedy, Suwaid, Batlyah, AI-Nassar, Hussan, Sukariyat Al-Zulfi and Al-Hamat） mainly from the Zulfi and Riyadh regions were found to meet the required standards with potential for commercial date farming. Among these, fruits of Adbah had the highest total sugars of 72.9% followed by Duhiba with a total sugar content of 71.9%. Fruit length was maximum （49.1 mm） in the variety Allah, while the fruits of the variety Hussan recorded the maximum weight of 19.5 g. Furthermore, it is pertinent to mention that fruit size of the 12 selected cultivars was generally large and comparable to Majdool, a well-known date palm cultivar of North Africa. The fruits of the selected cultivars were also tasty and can be stored separately.
