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Monocotyledons I
Published in Donald H. Les, Aquatic Monocotyledons of North America, 2020
Economic importance: food: Because of their potential cyanide content, the foliage of Triglochin species never should be eaten. Yet, despite their toxicity, plants of Triglochin maritima were eaten as a vegetable by the Klamath and Salish tribes. The seeds (which contain little cyanide) were used as food by the Gosiute and Montana tribes and were roasted (which volatilizes the toxins) by the Klamath people as a coffee substitute; medicinal: The mature foliage and seedlings of Triglochin maritima contain the toxic cyanogenic glucosides taxiphyllin and triglochinin. The substances are synthesized by two P450 enzymes (CYP79E1 and CYP79E2), which encode multifunctional N-hydroxylases that catalyze the conversion of tyrosine to p-hydroxyphenylacetonitrile, the preferred substrate for cyanide production in the biosynthetic pathway. Annually, the highest concentration of triglochinin (up to 4% of the DM biomass) occurs in the new spring foliage and inflorescences. Lower triglochinin levels occur in saline compared to non-saline sites. Concentrations of the toxic glycosides also can become elevated during prolonged periods of moisture deficit. Triglochin palustris and T. scilloides also contain triglochinin; cultivation:Triglochin species are not distributed in the horticultural trade. Triglochin concinna has been planted in salt marsh restoration projects in California; misc. products: Seeds of Triglochin maritimum have been used in wetland restoration projects; weeds: none reported in North America; nonindigenous species:Triglochin scilloides is naturalized in Australia, Portugal, and Spain; T. striata has been introduced to the Iberian Peninsula and elsewhere in western Europe.
Biogas production from raw and oil-spent date palm seeds mixed with wastewater treatment sludge
Published in Biofuels, 2020
Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is one of the main trees in the Middle East and North Africa. The UAE is among the top date fruit producing countries in the world [1] and the industry generates various types of organic wastes, including date seeds. A variety of date palm fruits are available and the fruit has a large seed that makes up about 10% of the fruit weight [2]. The seeds are rich in biodegradable organic matter, including protein, carbohydrates, fibers, and lipids [3,4]. Date seeds are mostly wasted after the fruit is consumed as food; however they are also used as an animal feed supplement, coffee substitute and a source of edible date seed oil and fiber, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, oil for biofuel production and carbon for production of activated carbon [3,4,5–7]. Date seeds have been confirmed to possess antibacterial activity against various Gram negative and Gram positive pathogenic bacteria [8–10]. Antibiotic active ingredients in seeds, roots and leaves typically stem from their antioxidant contents [11–13] and date seeds are known to be rich in antioxidants, especially phenolics [14–17].