Region specific foods in the Niger Delta like yam and cassava are consumed on a daily basis by at least 70% of the population. In addition to other commonly consumed foods, high volumes of unavoidable food wastes are generated. With 78% of the households in the region disposing their waste by burying, burning or in unauthorised heaps, environmental degradation is sustained. The region also suffers an infestation of Water Hyacinth (WH). Anaerobic Digestion (AD) presents a viable way of managing these wastes in addition to providing a clean source of energy. Limited research has been conducted on the characterisation and biogas potential of these exotic food wastes due to their localised availability, leading to a knowledge gap. My original contribution to knowledge is the Specific Waste Index (SWI), nutrient characterisation and biogas potential of the local food wastes and WH. Also novel is the design and optimisation of the AD process for mono and codigestion including the quarter hourly analysis of CH4 and CO2 content of the biogas composition over the complete duration of an AD test. The research approach was experimental and involved using conventional research methods in new fields of investigation. SWI was determined by replicating local food processing practices while nutrient composition was obtained using standard analytical methods. The Bio-Methane Potential (BMP) tests were carried out on the four most common food wastes, Yam Peel (YP), Cassava Peel (CP), Cocoyam Peel (CoP), Plantain Peel (PP), following VDI 4630 guidelines and using a newly designed cost-effective bioreactor. Laboratory scale batch reactors ran over 20 days at 37⁰C (310 K). The food wastes were anaerobically co-digested with WH in the ratio 2:1 g Volatile Solid (VS) with a total substrate mass of 8.4 g VS. The S:I ratio was 1:2 g VS and tests were carried out in duplicates to give an indication of repeatability. The results showed a wide range of SWI from 0.2-1.5. The Total Solid (TS) content varied from 7% for WH to 82% for Egusi Shell. Crude Protein and Crude Fibre were highest for Ugwu Stalk at 37% VS and Egusi Shell at 82% VS respectively. Cassava Peel had the highest oil content at 25% VS. NFE which was the major nutrient for 80% of the samples was highest for Yam Peel at 82% VS. YP+WH, CP+WH, CoP+WH and PP+WH had specific biogas yields of 0.42, 0.29, 0.39, and 0.38 m3/kg VS respectively. The yields represented 76%, 48%, 70% and 69% of their respective theoretical values. The samples had their highest methane content during the Technical Digestion Time (T80) period, which lasted up to the 8th day of digestion. The pH values ranged from 7.3 to 7.9 indicating that there was no inhibitory accumulation of organic acids. The results of the mono-digestion tests showed that co-digestion with WH reduced the biogas yields for YP, CP, CoP and PP by 16%, 22%, 7% and 7%. This drop in gas production was due to presence of complex molecules in the WH co-substrate, which cannot be digested by the anaerobic microbes. Further tests showed that fresh waste produced more biogas than dry samples, while a lower S:I produced more biogas due to increased microbial population. It was concluded that waste and nutrient content varied widely between different types of Niger Delta foods. In addition mesophilic digestion of food wastes have good biogas potentials which reduce when co-digested with water hyacinth. The methane content is shown to vary widely throughout an AD test. The findings of this research would provide valuable information to AD databases and its implementation would support clean energy production, environmental remediation and allow researchers in poor regions to perform BMP test on novel feedstock using cost-effective reactors. Key Words: Anaerobic Digestion, Co-Digestion, Water Hyacinth, Niger Delta, Yam, Cassava, Cocoyam, Food Waste, Specific Waste Index, Biogas.

Orientador: Jaime Amaya-Farfán / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T08:23:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Monteiro_ElisaBernardes_M.pdf: 1754921 bytes, checksum: 571697924b22f3a12f82cbadf20ec9fc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A taioba (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) é uma arácea comestível originária da América tropical de elevado valor nutritivo. Os órgãos subterrâneos da planta (cormos e cormilhos) são consumidos por algumas populações no mundo e constituem fonte energética importante na dieta; o consumo de suas folhas, no entanto, não é muito difundido, sendo considerada uma hortaliça não convencional. Visando-se o melhor conhecimento dessa fonte alimentar, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo a caracterização da fibra da folha de taioba, bem como a avaliação de possíveis efeitos funcionais fisiológicos in vivo promovidos pelo consumo da folha. A folha de taioba foi coccionada, liofilizada e teve sua composição centesimal e aminoacídica determinadas, sendo a fibra alimentar analisada quantitativa e qualitativamente. Através de ensaio biológico, foram avaliados os efeitos na produção de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta, no metabolismo de ácidos biliares e na modulação da microbiota intestinal, parâmetros importantes na avaliação da atividade prebiótica. A folha de taioba liofilizada apresentou teores de fibra alimentar total, solúvel e insolúvel de 35,23 ± 0,26%, 6,82 ± 0,06% e 28,04 ± 0,21%, respectivamente. O aminograma da folha liofilizada apontou os aminoácidos ácido aspártico, ácido glutâmico, arginina, alanina, leucina e lisina como os mais abundantes. A análise da composição monossacarídica demonstrou que a glicose é o monômero mais abundante (61%), sugerindo a presença de celulose e hemicelulose em grandes quantidades na folha. A frutose aparece como o segundo monossacarídeo mais abundante (29%), seguida dos demais monômeros analisados. Os monossacarídeos neutros constituíram em 19,23 ± 2,0% da folha de taioba liofilizada. Os animais que foram alimentados com dieta contendo folha de taioba apresentaram a maior atividade fermentativa no cólon, estimada pelas concentrações de ácidos graxos totais (dieta contendo 2,5% de celulose e 2,5% de fibra da folha de taioba). No ceco, também foi observada maior atividade fermentativa nos animais do referido grupo, porém diferenças significativas só foram observadas em relação aos grupos 4 e 5, que receberam dietas com os maiores teores de fibra total (7,5%). Os grupos alimentados com taioba também apresentaram maiores proporções de ácido butírico no cólon e no ceco, em detrimento dos demais ácidos graxos. Apesar das dietas não terem influenciado as concentrações de ácidos biliares totais no ceco e no cólon, os animais que receberam dietas contendo 5% de fibra, sendo elas celulose (grupo 1) ou celulose acrescida de inulina (grupo 2), tiveram maiores percentuais de ácidos biliares secundários em detrimento dos primários. Comportamento inverso foi observado em animais alimentados com taioba. Análise preliminar da microbiota intestinal demonstrou que os microrganismos probióticos e o gênero Clostridium foram predominantes no ceco de todos os animais em estudo, enquanto que as contagens de enterobactérias e de Bacteroides sp. apresentaram grandes variações entre as dietas. A inulina pareceu exercer efeito repressor no crescimento de enterobactérias. Sugere-se no presente trabalho que a folha de taioba possa influenciar a taxa fermentativa da microbiota intestinal e modular o perfil de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta. Sugere-se ainda que a folha de taioba possa exercer efeito benéfico no metabolismo de ácidos biliares / Abstract: Taioba (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) is an edible aroid originated from tropical America that exhibits significant nutritive value. Its tuberous portions (corms and cormels) are consumed by several populations worldwide and can provide an important part of the subsistence energy in these regions. However, the leafy portions of Taioba are generally discarded because of being considered as non-conventional vegetables. The main objective of this work was to determine and characterize the dietary fiber present in the Taioba¿s leaf, and to examine its possible in vivo physiological effects when fed to rats. The leafy portions of the plant were cooked, freeze-dried and chemically characterized, the dietary fiber determined both quantitative and qualitatively. Biological evaluation was conducted to assess the effect of leaf powder on the intestinal short-chain fatty acid production, bile acid metabolism and microflora modulation, all known to be indicators of prebiotic function. Total, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber contents in Taioba leaf powder (TLP) were 35.23 ± 0.26%, 6.82 ± 0.06% and 28.04 ± 0.21%, respectively. Amino acid composition showed that aspartic, glutamic acids, arginine, alanine, leucine and lysine were predominant in the TLP. Monosaccharide composition showed glucose as the main component (61%), suggesting the presence of cellulose. Fructose appeared as the second most abundant monosaccharide (29%), followed by other monosaccharides in less appreciable concentrations. Total neutral sugars constituted 19.29 ± 2.0% of the TLP. Animals fed with diets containing the leaf powder (2.5% cellulose and 2.5% TLP) showed the highest fermentative rate in the colon, as estimated by the total short-chain fatty-acid concentrations. The same animals showed that butyric acid also had the highest concentrations in comparison to the other acids. In the cecum contents of these animals, great fermentative rates were also observed. The TLP seemed to improve the bile acid profile in both colon and cecum by diminishing the proportion of secondary acids, notwithstanding the total concentration remaining unchanged. Preliminary analysis of the intestinal microflora in cecum contents showed high proportions of probiotic organisms and Clostridium sp.. All diets showed great variations for Enterobacter sp. and Bacteroides sp.. Apparently, inulin inhibited Enterobacter sp. growth. The present study suggests that dietary fiber and/or other bioactive compounds in the TLP could beneficially influence fermentative rate, short-chain fatty acid profile and bile acid metabolism / Mestrado / Nutrição Experimental e Aplicada à Tecnologia de Alimentos / Mestre em Alimentos e Nutrição