The Plant Oil as Bio-Fuel and Food Product From Aesandra butyracea (Chiuri) for the Economic Growth of Rural People and Greenery Promotion in the Marginal Lands Jyoti. Karki (Malakar)1 Parashu. Rai2 1. Department of Botany, Trichandra M. Campus, T. U. 2. Center for Rural Development Technology.The Open Institute Nepal Abstract This paper aims at highlighting the natural resource management of oil seed plants and preparation of different food products. Most exciting part of this paper is the oil extract from seeds are used for healthy cooking in kitchen, as fuel in cooking pressure stoves, preheating wick stoves and floating lamps. For industrial purposes, it is used in soap, candles. It may also be used in cosmetics products. The byproduct after oil extraction, oils cakes is used as a fertilizer in paddy field. This paper also reports the possibility of producing different foods products from completely ripe fruits pulps, alcoholic beverages like wine, whiskey, cider, and general foods products like Jam, syrups and juice for the enrichment of economic growth of rural people. It also deals with the eco-friendly utilization in bioengineering for environment conservation and promotion of clean energy supply for future generation. Keywords – oil extract, preheating wick stoves, wine, cider, and bioengineering, clean energy, marginal land.
1. INTRODUCTION The plant oil extracted from a various edible, and non edible seeds and nuts are valuable energy recourse. Such energy resources are renewable. There is a great opportunity to enhance economic and environment conservation through the production of a clean and eco-friendly renewable fuel. Cultivation of oil bearing trees on unutilized barren and marginal lands of hilly region can promote economic development in rural area and supply renewable clean energy for illumination and cooking etc. Organic byproduct is utilized for crop growth and crop protection from disease and pests. Improvement in agriculture productivity, health and environment conservation are to be expected through promoting bio-oil. Local bio fuel and fertilizer station can be promoted through out the nation. Mitigation of global carbon dioxide emission is also possible by replacing fossil fuel with bio-fuel and large-scale utilization of atmospheric carbon dioxide by plants. Over utilization of fossil fuel and industrial growth global are quality has become a serious concern. Air pollution is increasing and serious human, animal and disease are aspersed due the polluted air of surroundings. Plant oil has clean burning and low smoke emission. When used as substitute for wood, agricultural residue and fossil fuel in cooking and illumination there is potential improvement in air quality. There are potentially high impact other well being of rural communities from the use of renewable plant oil for cooking and lighting. No doubt, Nepal is rich in natural resources covering about 30 percent of total land of it with the forest. We find different wild edible and non edible oil bearing trees here. Among them Aesandra butyracea (Chiuri) is one oil bearing plants which keeps the great economic importance for the enrichment of economic condition of rural people and clean energy promotion. Aesandra butyracea (Chiuri) is perennial a medium sized deciduous tree up to 10-20 meter height and 1.5 meter girth, leaves are ovate and oblong,
flower yellowish brown. Generally flowering season is December and fruiting in May. Aesandra batyracea (the butter tree of Nepal) is found wildly distributed in Nepal mainly in sub Himalayan tracts on steep slops and cliffs unutilized land an altitude of 400 meter to 2000 meters. The sweet tasty juicy pulp of the ripe fruits are eaten while vegetable butter expelled from the dry seed are used for cooking and lighting lamps, burning pressure stoves, plant oil fuelled wick stoves and other many industrial purposes as soap, candle preparation. Climatic conditions favorable for the cultivation of Aesandra butyracea are in the hilly steep lands, barren marginal land and landslides area for checking soil erosion. 2. METHODOLOGY The raw materials were collected from different parts of Nepal mainly from Khotang, Chitawan, Kathmandu, Arghakhanchi, Makawanpur and Dakshinkali. The physical composition of fruits was studied with replicating more than two times a data. Oil extraction quantity was studied comparatively with traditional Kol (Chepuwa) methods and modern electric compression oil extraction methods. Fermentation process of fruit pulp is first time carried out during the course study for the product diversification of Aesandra butyracca. Pressure stove was operated intermixing plant oil with kerosene. Data were collected in field visit of concerning product, traditional practice, and market feasibility. Many studies have been carried out for new product variation. 3. HARVESTING AND PROCESSING METHODS Generally, Chiuri tree is found at difficult unutilized slope lands. Climbing the tree is difficult and
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dangerous to collect Chiuri fruits. In many instances, collector fall down from the tree and seriously injured and sometimes loss of life has occurred. The collector place Thumse (traditional bamboo basket) on one shoulder and pick up the fruits. Generally, male climbs on the tree and hits the fruits with long bamboo stick and women gathers the fruits that have fallen down from the tree. In earlier days, ghee was processed at a villager's community level. But Nowadays it is under taken individually. Average 20 kg fruit is required to produce one kg of ghee. The processed ghee is used for domestic consumption and raw material for many industrial products as soap, candles, creams, vegetable ghee production and many more.
or hydraulic oil press machine. There is low rate of oil extraction by traditional 'chepuwa' which has only 3035 percent recovery, but from compression oil expeller or hydraulic oil press machine about 40-55 percent oil can be extracted from Chiuri seeds. The oil product is bitter in taste due to content of impurities such as saponins, glucosidic saponin and basic acids, which are carried out along with oil extracted from above process. So, further study is necessary to develop removal technique of impurities.
Flow Chart of Chiuri Processing Collection of fruit
Squeezing of the fruit
Pulp
Seed
Crushing and steaming of seed flour Whole pulp
Squeezing pulp Oil expelled
Fermentation
Juice
Purified Cider
Alcoholic product
Jam
Raw
Syrups
The Chiuri fruit is squeezed to liberate seeds. Then pulp is again squeezed to obtain pulp juice, which is utilized for preparing juice, jam, syrups. The whole fruit pulp is used in alcoholic fermentation to produce wine and cider. After cleaning and drying, the seeds are pounded and the powder is steamed on perforated iron plate over the heating pan. The oil is then expelled using a traditional oil expeller called a Chepuwa or Kol. In spite of traditional oil expelling method, nowadays oil is extracted from electric compression oil expeller
Edible oil
Industrial raw material
4. MULTIPLE USES OF CHIURI (AESANDRA BUTYRACEA) Chiuri (Aesandra butyracca) species is considered to be of high value to enhance the rural economy. The matured dry seed of Chiuri contains high percentage of fat, which is used by rural people for cooking. It is often called Chiuri butter. The oil extract is considered as an excellent raw material for soap, and candle preparation. Now a days, many educational institute, local NGO's and INGO's have studied and experimented the production of various product using 2
Fungal stains Aspergillus, oryzae, Endomyces lactis, Neusospora crassa, Saccharomyces beticus, S. cerevisiae, S. ellipsodeus, S. oviformis and S. saki etc. The alcoholic concendration of wine, under, bear depends on the microorganism inoculated on fermentable substrate.
Chiuri as a base ingredient. Such as fruit, pulp is utilized in fermentation for producing wine, cider, pulp Chiuri jam, Chiuri squash and syrup and Chiuri creams for cracked skin and massage. Besides these mentioned products, oil may be used in burning stoves, floating lamps, soap preparation and emulsifying agent in confectionary product that is under study
Multiple uses chart of Chiuri Bark Dying, Latex, Medicinal uses
Seed hulls Green manure
Whole plant Fodder, firewood, leaf plates Bioengineering
Whole Seed food, fuel, Soap Vegetable and ghee etc.
Aesandra butyracea
Seed pulp Food, wine, cider, Jam, Squash, Syrup
Significance of ghee production is novel approach to the management of energy resources, where complementary social, economic and environmental initiatives for the rural people are driven by production green renewable fuel oil. If the collection processing and marketing net works are made accessible, living standard of rural people will be enhanced. 5. PLANT OIL (CHIURI GHEE) IN COOKING Initial ghee is bitter in taste due to the impurities content such as saponin and some basic acid, which are carried out along with oil. Before cooking food items, it must be valorized for 10-15 minutes when becomes edible (Traditional practice found in Chepang community in Dhading). The final product is white with a strong smell and taste. The oil is used to cook different food items such as vegetable, roti (Nepali bread), samosa, frying potato, banana chips etc. The use of Chiuri product is found in different fields such as confectionary, bakery, pharmaceutical and vegetable ghee production. 5.1 Fruit pulp in fermentation and pulp base product Fermentation process: - Simply fermentation is brought by the action of microorganism on carbohydrate containing substances i.e. fermentable substrate such as apple, Grapes Maize, wheat, Chiuri etc. The main fermentation product is alcohol. Some of the alcohol-producing microorganisms are bacterial stains clostridium acetobutylicum, klebsiella pheumoniae, sarcina ventriculi, zymomonas etc.
Oil cakes Green Manure fish poisoning Bio-pesticides
General flow chart of producing wine and cider Fermentable substrate Chiuri pulp Boiling
Inoculation Microorganism
Chiuri pulp
Incubation
At room temp. for 2-3 days Transfer at fomenter vessel
Distillation
Harvesting fermented liquid
Wine, mainly an European drink which is produced from the juice of fresh grapes (grape juice Preservative Wine, rum etc. 3
Cider
contains 27 % sugar)which is fermented by various stains of S. ellipsoideus. For the Aesandra butyracea (Chiuri) wine production, fermentation was brought by using yeast of S. ellipsodeus stain. When distilled in simple distillation device, 15-25 percent alcohol was found on wine and 7-12 percent on cider prepared by A.butyracea pulp. This study also concludes that it is possible to produce similar alcoholic beverages such as Rum, fertified wine (brandy) and whiskey. Note: The biochemistry of alcoholic fermentation of A.butyracea is not mentioned here. 5.2 Oil filled lamps (floating lamps) and candle making Generally, kerosene is utilized in the kerosene fuelled lamp (traditional tuki) for lightening in millions of households throughout the nation where hydroelectricity service and alternative source of light are not available. Despite the disadvantage of smoke coming out from the tuki and high price of kerosene, they have been using tuki for a long time. The common tuki made from iron bronze or from recycled glass bottle consisting a reservoir for kerosene and simple cotton wick is introduced through upper part. Kerosene ascends on the wick from the reservoir by capillary action and the kerosene is consumed. The floating lamp is simple and low cost device which can be made from bronze or lead which permits clean combustion of viscous A.butyracea oil by using smiple cotton wick system. Study it is found that if general types of floating lamps is burn 3 hours per day it can illuminate a month per kg,Which is more economic than kerosene. The floating lamps emit low smoke. The A.butyracea oil can be used in candle preparation; intermixing 15 to 20 percent ghee easily intermixed with wax, which saves total cost of candle production. Comparatively there is no any change in illumination power of candle. 5.3 Chiuri Pulp in Jam, Squash and Syrups Production Due to the lack of product diversification, many rural people are not getting proper benefit from the Chiuri pulp product. However, there is a market of such product to meet this needs, It is possible to produce Jam, squash and syrups from A.butyracea pulp. There are successful results on Jam, squash, syrups production. This entire product can be stored for 12-15 months from the date of packaging.
Collection of fruit
Squeezing
Pulp
Seed Again Squeezing
Removal of outer part
Pulp Juice Sugar + pectin + citric acid Mixing
Boiling Preservatives Boil until it become more viscous
Packing
Stored at room temperature
Fruit pulp has a significantly higher commercial value as base ingredient in jam, Squash and Syrups production. This is simple and affordable technology, so these may be an attractive commercial product for income generation in rural area. 5.4 The plant oil in soap preparation A.butyracea oil can be basic ingredient in soap production. Many industries commonly utilize imported palm oil, animal fat and other vegetable oil for soap production which is expensive than Chiuri ghee. Toilet soap, laundry soap and detergent production industry can be established at the village where we can find plenty of Ciuri trees. We can also produce chemical and animal fat free soap which has high commercial value so that many house women can involve in such small scale industries to enhance their economic condition. Now a days, some N.G.Os and woman group are promoting soap made from Chiuri ghee in the market.
An outline of preparing Jam from A.butyracea pulp 4
5.5 Oil extract by products Oil seed extract by product have an extra commercial and agricultural value. Oil cakes have been utilized as organic bio fertilizer in the commercial vegetable farming and other food crops. Recently, we found that antifungal, insecticidal and pesticidal properties in oil cake and we noticed effective result controlling Blast disease caused by pyricularia oryzae. It may also be utilized in fishing. Therefore, it has high commercial value in organic Agro-farming system and biological controlling of plant disease and pest on vegetable and crops. 5.6 Greenery promotion and bioengineering Chiuri is widely distributed on sub Himalayan ranges of Nepal. Especially it is found on steep and difficult sloppy land. Therefore, it is possible to cultivate in marginal sloppy land of hilly region. Cultivation can be done by nursery methods and cutting of 2-3 years old twigs of Chiuri tree. If cultivation is promoted through out the unutilized marginal land, there is double benefit; it increases greenery and conserves the environment and microclimate of local area. In other hand, farmer of such area could enhance their economic condition through promoting Chiuri fruits processing and marketing its products, such as oil, Soap, Jam, Squash, Wine etc. Landslides, soil erosion, watershed destruction mainly occur in sloppy land of hilly region. So Aesandra plays important role in bio-engineering technology for checking landslides, soil erosion and watershed destruction. Aesandra can be grown easily by nursery and cutting methods. So there is no technical problem in implementation of bioengineering on affected local area. 6. OIL FUELLED PRESSURE STOVE AND WICK STOVES Commonly, imported kerosene is utilized in pressure stoves for cooking in thousand of households and commercial enterprises throughout the Nepal. Simple pressure stoves consist of fuel reservoir where fuel is pressurized by hand pumping. Due to the pressure on reservoir, it effects the flow of fuel through pipe work to a vaporizer where fuel vaporized before issuing from nozzle of stoves to mix with outer oxygen as it enters combustion zone. The out put heat is simply controlled by a valve, which regulates the flow of fuel. 15 to 20 percent Chiuri ghee can be successfully intermixed with kerosene. Several experimental studies have been carried-out to operate the simple pressure stoves, which is easily available in local market imported from India and China. Preheating process has to be brought by fitting coiled metal tube from vaporizer to reservoir tank1. Preheating of natural oil can be achieved easily by utilizing the rejected exhaust heat. Without intermixing plant oil with kerosene, it is also possible to operate "Oil fuelled wick stoves"
Oil fuelled wick stove consists of two reservoir tank. Lower tank is filled with kerosene and upper filled with plant oil. Those two tanks consist of wick tube where cotton wick are introduced. Flame filters are adjusted such that flame coming from wick burning are stabilized similarly. Initially pre-heating of plant oil is achieved by burning lower kerosene wick. After pre-heating, solid plant oil turns into liquid and upper oil wick lights automatically by lower flame. In this way, out-put flame heat is increased 2. Operation is similar to kerosene fuelled wick stoves. 7. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Aesandra butyracea (Butter tree of Nepal) which is known as multipurpose plant oil bearing tree. Traditionally oil-extracted from seeds has been utilizing for a long time in Chepang community in Chitwan, Makawanpur, and Dhading District and other ethnic group of Nepal. Most of Aesandra butyracea are found distributed in sloppy land of hill region. There is no considerable easiest modern harvesting method. Mostly Chiuri are harvested by climbing on tree, which poses risk to life. Because of the difficult condition in collection and harvesting, a large quantity of Aesandra butyracea fruit remains unpicked from the tree. This shows the biggest loss of economic opportunities for the rural people. Pulps, seeds of Chiuri have a great economic and industrial importance. However, there is lack of product diversification. Mainly oil keeps the importance in fossil fuel saving as an alternative of kerosene base Tuki (floating lamp), pressure stoves and oil fuelled wick stoves. Besides the cooking purposes, Aerandra butyracea oil can be utilized in other industrial product. Alcoholic beverages like wine, cider; Jam, squash and Syrups production are possible as its product diversification. Oil extract by products i.e. oil cakes are used as bio-fertilizer, fungicides and pesticides. The yield of crop production can be increased by the application of oil cakes on field as the substitute of imported chemical fertilizer. Alcoholic product: wine and cider are produced in institutional scale, which opens the way of large scale production in future. There is successful result on Jam, Squash and Syrup production from the ripe fruit pulp. There is low rate of oil extraction by traditional "Chepuwa" methods which has only 30-35 percent recovery but by general compression oil expeller about 45-50 percent oil be extracted. Tree has good soil binding capacity so that it can be utilized in bio-engineering for control of landslide, soil erosion on sloppy land of hilly region such that greenery are promoted on marginal hilly land. 8. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS • There are more opportunities to enhance rural economy. Improvement and modification is required in the technique and technology practice on fruit collection drying, squeezing, pounding and storage.
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Processing of the product requires more quantity of firewood, which may lead to deforestation. Therefore, intervention of efficient and low cost fuel alternative is necessary. Standard modification is necessary on conventional pressure stoves to be made more efficient plant oil fuelled pressure stove. Awareness program must be done through out the nation about importance and utilization of Aesandra butyracea. Plantation of Aesandra butyracea is fuel plantation so A. butyracea plantation must be promoted through out the unutilized marginal land. Annually government investing forty million rupees3 importing kerosene only for lighting tukis in remote area, instead it if floating lamp is promoted throughout the nation, 10-15 percent dependency of imported fuel is reduced. Organized marketing of fruits and its product has to be managed through a wide marketing network. Training and workshops on entrepreneurship building and product diversification seems essential for the small-scale producers and processors. Further research is needed to promote its potential uses in different fields.
9. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Center for Rural Development Technology for supporting this study. Authors of these references mentioned materials are gratefully acknowledged.
10. REFERENCES Awasthi, P.R. (1994) Bahuguni Chiuri. Ghosh, T.K (1980) Symposium on Fuels and Feedstocks for Chemical Industry, I.I.T. New Delhi. Ghimire, G. Chiuri Bahu Upayogi Rukh, Praktit, Year 2, Vol.-II NHHPA, Nepal. K.R, Colonel, Basu, B.D. Indian Medicinal Plants, Second, Edition, Vol. – II. Karki (Malakar) J, Rai, P. (2006) Chiuri and BioEngineering Implementation in Sloppy Land Unpublished case study Report. Karki (Malakar) J, Rai, P. Product Diversification of Chiuri and Fermentation Practice (2005) An Experimental Report, Center for Rural Development Technology, Nepal. M.R, Shakya, Chepangs and Chiuri The use of Non Timber Forest Product in Nepal. Inter Mediate Technology Food Chain. ITDG, Nepal. 1) Rai, P. Standard Per-Heating Pressure Stoves Design Description (2005) Center for Rural Development Technology. 2) Rai, P. Plant Oil Fuelled Wick Stores Design description (2005) CRDT, Nepal. 3) Statistical Pocket Book Nepal (2005). Government of Nepal. National Planning Commission Secretariat Central Bureau of Statistics, Ktm. Nepal.
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