volatile oil and fatty acid compositions of Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae) seeds grown in Iran determined by GC and GC/MS. Eight fatty acide (99.5%) and thirty - two compounds (86.7%) have been identified in the fixed and volatile oils, repectively. The main fatty acids of the fixed oil were linoleic acid (55.6%), oleic acid (23.4%), and palmitic acid (12.5%). The major compounds of the volatile oil were trans-anethole (38.3%), p-cymene (14.8%), limonene (4.3%), and carvone (4.0%).

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAS) is known to be temporarily stored by microorganisms in activated sludge, especially in the anaerobic-aerobic processes. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of fatty acids (VFAs) compounds coexistence in substrate of SBR on PHAs productivity of activated sludge. It has been found that addition of different concentrations of VFAs results in an increase of PHAs content of activated sludge in the range of 90-130% as compared to the one acclimatized with only sucrose as a carbon source. In this study the optimum concentration of acetate and propionate as the sole carbon sources in the PHAs production reactor was also found to be 30-35 and 15-20 mgC/L.h.gSS, respectively. Finally, the work was conducted in order to try and control PHAs composition by applying carbon sources with different acetate to propionate ratios. It has been observed that inclusion of propionate in the carbon sources lowered PHAs productivity. The produced PHAs is composed mainly of 3-hydroxy-butyrate and 3-hydroxy-valerate, and when the propionate in the substrate was increased from 0 to 100% the mass ratio of 3HV produced is increased from 6 to 85%.

volatile fatty acids are the most important intermediates in anaerobic digestion, and their degradations are extremely complicated thermodynamically. In this research, syntrophic anaerobic digestion of volatile fatty acids using enriched acetogenic and methanogenic cultures in a batch reactor at mesophilic conditions was investigated. Interactive effects of key microbiological and operating variables (propionic, butyric and acetic acids, retention time and methanogen to acetogen populations ratio) on the anaerobic degradation of volatile fatty acids were analyzed. Acetogenic and methanogenic anaerobes in the granular sludge from an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor were enriched at mesophilic conditions within a period of four weeks, separately. Enriched cultures were mixed with known proportions and then used in the bioreactor. Experiments were carried out based on central composite design and analyzed using response surface methodology. Four parameters (final concentrations of propionic, butyric and acetic acids and biogas production) were directly measured as response. Also, the optimum conditions for volatile fatty acid degradation were found to be 937.5 mg/L, 3275.5 mg/L, 2319.5 mg/L, 45 h and 2.2 proportions for propionic acid, butyric acid, acetic acid, retention time and methanogen to acetogen populations ratio, respectively (corresponding to maximum volatile fatty acid removal efficiencies and biogas production). The results of the verification experiment and the predicted values from the fitted correlations at the optimum conditions were in close agreement at a 95% confidence interval. The present study provides valuable information about the interrelations of quality and process parameters at different values of microbiological and operating variables.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate the chemical properties of wild Tagetes minuta L. (family Astreacea) collected from Northern Iran during the flowering period concerning the chemical combination of the essential oil along with its antioxidant properties and composition of fatty acids. Methods: The essential oil of the plant was extracted by a Clevenger approach and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (Capillary HP-5ms GC/MS Column). fatty acid contents of this species as a result of hexane extraction were analyzed by means of gas chromatography (GC-FID) while their phenolic contents were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV). In this research also the total polyphenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) content was determined spectrophotometrically while the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH (2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) bleaching method. Results: GC/MS analysis of the essential oil identified monoterpenoid fractions (52. 13%) as the main components and among them dihydrotagetone (23. 44%) and spathulenol (10. 56%) were the predominant compounds. The evaluation of fatty acid content revealed that saturated acids were prevailing compounds and the major components are: palmitic (30. 74± 0. 4%) and capric (24. 15± 0. 5%) acids. Chromatographic separation of its phenolic contents indicated that this herb contain sinapic acid derivatives rather than hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives. Also the essential oil showed an effective antioxidant capacity (TPC=153. 27± 0. 9 mg/g, TFC=63. 79± 0. 1 mg/g, IC50 = 29. 31± 0. 8 μ g/ml). Conclusion: The results proved that the plant could be used for nutritional and pharmaceutical purposes.

An experiment was conducted for evaluation the effects of raisin waste (RW) on the performance, blood parameters and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Numbers of 15 Baluchi male lambs (average weight of 21. 15± 0. 67 kg) were allocated to 3 treatments with a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments included: 1) control (40% alfalfa and no RW), 2) replacement of 50% alfalfa with RW and 3) replacement of 100% alfalfa with RW. Using RW in treatments 2 and 3 had a significant effect on average daily gain compared with control ration (P<0. 05). With increasing the amount of RW in the ration, the total protein of serum (TPP) decreased significantly (P<0. 05) in the first period of experiment (14-28 days). However, other blood parameters such as glucose, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (AST), triglycerides (TG), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were not affected by the treatments (P>0. 05). The level of TG, AST, TPP and BUN decreased compared with control ration (P<0. 05) within the second period of experiment (42-56 days). The lowest amount of acetic acid and valeric acid within the first period of the experiment was for treatment 3, while the highest level of valeric acid and isovaleric acid within the second period was for treatment 1( P<0. 05). Adding RW to the ration had no significant effect on pH of ruminal fluid (P>0. 05). Overall results showed that replacing part of alfalfa with RW as a low cost product not only had no negative-impact on the studied parameters in Baluchi lambs but it also improved their performance.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of monensin alone or in combination with Methafix (a commercial product containing malate and fumarate) on rumen fermentation parameters and fatty acids composition of longissimus dorsi muscle (LD) of Farhani finishing lambs. Twenty four male Farhani lambs (4-6 months old, average body weight 35. 9 ± 7. 4 kg) were used. The lambs were randomly divided into four groups and individually fed with one of the four dietary treatments; control diet (Control), Control plus 24 mg of monensin/kg of DM (Monensin), control plus 4 g of Methafix/kg DM (Metafix) and Control plus 24 mg of monensin and 4 g of Methafix/kg DM (MonMet). Results showed that Monensin and/or MonMet decreased acetate (P<0. 05) but increased propionate in comparision with control (P<0. 05). Monensin, Metafizx and MonMetall had higher concentrations of lauric, myristic and margaric acids than control (P<0. 05). However, palmitic, stearic and behenic acids content of LD were decreased by dietary supplementation with Monensin and metafix (P<0. 05). Dietary treatments had no effect on LM concentrations of all mono-unsaturated fatty acids (except for nervonic acid), eicosatetraenoic, arachidonic, eicosaenoic and α-linoleic acids (P>0. 05). However, dietary supplementation with M and ME increased LM concentrations of docosahexaenoic, docosatetraenoic, eicosapentaenoic and omega-3 fatty acids in comparison with control (P<0. 05). In conclusion, both monensin and metafix seems to be promising agents for manipulation of rumen fermentation and fatty acid composition of meat in fattening Farahani lambs, however for revealing their functional mechanisms further research is needed.

This study carried out to investigate the effects of soybean fatty acids and soybean calcium salt fatty acids on broiler chicken performance, carcass yield, pancreas and abdominal fat percentage. A total of 500 commercial crossbred of Ross was examined in 5 treatments and arranged on a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 replicates per each treatment. Twenty five chicks were placed in each pen. The experiment lasted for 49 days. Neither soybean fatty acids nor soybean calcium salt fatty acids were used during the experiment in the first treatment. In the second treatment, for starter, grower and finisher period 0, 2.5 and 5 percents of soybean fatty acids were included respectively. During the third treatment 0, 2.5 and 5 percents of calcium salt fatty acids were used respectively, but in the fourth treatment 2.5, 5 and 5 percents of soybean fatty acids were used respectively, and in fifth treatment within the same period, 2.5, 5 and 5 percents of calcium salt fatty acids were used respectively. The results of the statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio during the whole rearing periods (P<0.05). The results also showed significant differences among all treatments for carcass yield as well as pancreas percentage (P<0.05), and the use of soybean fatty acids and soybean calcium salt fatty acids had no significant effects on abdominal fat. It can be concluded from the results that the use of soybean fatty acids has precedence over calcium salt fatty acids on broiler performance.