Cottonseed

The increase in the population in Egypt makes it imperative to explore promising approaches to increase food supply, including protein and oil, to meet the needs of the Egyptian people. Cotton is the principal crop of Egyptian agriculture, it is grown mainly for its fiber, but cottonseed products are also of economic importance. Cottonseed is presently the main source of edible oil and meal for livestock in Egypt. Economic conditions in modern agriculture demand high crop yields in order to be profitable and consequently meet the high demand for food that comes with population growth. Oil crop production can be improved by development of new high yielding varieties, and the application of appropriate agronomic practices. There is limited information about the most suitable management practice for application of N, P, K, Zn, Ca and PGRs in order to optimize the quantity and quality of oil and protein of cottonseed. In maximizing the quantity and quality of a crop’s nutritional value in terms of fatty acids and protein, field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, foliar application of zinc and calcium, the use of plant growth retardants (Pix, Cycocel or Alar), on cottonseed, protein, oil yields, and oil properties of Egyptian cotton. From the findings of this study, it seems rational to recommend that application of N, P, K, foliar application of Zn and Ca, the use of PGRs (Pix, Cycocel or Alar), could bring about better impact on cottonseed yield, seed protein content, oil and protein yields, oil refractive index, unsaponifiable matter, and unsaturated fatty acids in comparison with the ordinary cultural practices adopted by Egyptian cotton producers.

Cottonseed is a sustainable source of plant protein, producing ~10 million metric tons of protein globally. This protein has the potential to fulfil the annual protein requirement of more than half a billion people globally. Its functional properties have established the potential of cottonseed protein (CSP) as a candidate for alleviating malnutrition in the Asian and African continents. Regardless of these quality attributes, the inherent association of gossypol with CSP makes it unsuitable for direct human consumption due to its toxicity. Scope and approach: The present review elaborates on physical, chemical and biological methods for enhancing the quality and suitability of CSP for human nutrition by reducing the gossypol content to permissible limits (450 ppm) per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization. Amino acid profiling, functional property (water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, foaming properties, emulsification characteristics , and protein solubility), in vitro protein digestibility and molecular weight analyses are the parameters considered important for the application of CSP in foods. This review also highlights the diverse applications of CSP directly in human nutrition or indirectly as animal protein. Key findings and conclusions: Degossypolyzation is mainly performed by solvent extraction, although gamma irradiation and the use of microorganisms are gaining momentum. CSP is a good candidate for use in food and feed formulations, with a balanced amino acid composition and functional properties comparable to those of soy protein. Integration of both chemical and biological methods might prove to be more efficient for degossypo-lization and improving the utilization of CSP for human nutrition.

... instability, because two or more droplets coagulate to form larger droplets destroying the original emulsion while in creaming which is a reversible process, the emulsion droplets separate from the continuous phase and flocculate (Damodaran, 1997; Danner & Schubert, 2001). ...

Fossil fuel depletion, global warming with rapid changes in climate, and increases in oil prices have motivated scientists to search for alternative fuel. Biodiesel can be an effective solution despite some limitations, such as poor fuel properties and engine performance. From this perspective, experiments were carried out to improve fuel properties and engine performance by using a binary blend of palm and coconut biodiesel at an optimized ratio. MATLAB optimization tool was used to determine this blend ratio. A new biodiesel was developed and represented by PC (optimum blend of palm and coconut biodiesel). Engine performance and emission were tested under a full load at variable speed condition by using a 20% blend of each biodiesel with petroleum diesel, and the results were compared with petroleum diesel under both turbocharged and non-turbocharged conditions. PC20 (blend of 20% PC biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel) showed the highest engine power with lower brake-specific fuel consumption than the other tested fuels in the presence of a turbocharger. The emissions of PC20 were lower than those of all other tested fuels. The experimental analysis reveals that PC showed superior performance and emission over palm biodiesel blend. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019689041400973X