Detection of the Electrical Conductivity and Acidity of Honey from Different Areas of Tepi
Honey is the ingredient of most industrial products for sweetening and improving its food composition. The study is therefore based on the determination of physical parameters such as electrical conductivity and acidity. The instrumentation and apparatuses used in the work are conductometry and titration apparatuses. Honey samples obtained from different areas with respect to Tepi town have been analyzed and the result obtained is on the basis of conductometry and acidity measurement. Hence 20g of each anhydrous honey sample was weighed and dissolved in 100mL of deionized water in order to prepare 20 %( w/v) solution to measure conductivity. The acidity is detected after 10g of each honey sample is dissolved in 75mL of deionized water. The conductivity in summer honey determined to be 0.097mS/cm, 0.153mS/cm 0.117mS/cm and 0.337mS/cm in Korcha, Mexi, Sheko and Gobito respectively. Acidity is found to be 17, 28.67, 29 and 25miliequi/Kg. The conductivity in winter honey is detected to be 0.123, 0.186, 0.103 and 0.246mS/cm. The acidity in winter honey is 3.36-4.26 and 18.3-25.3meq/Kg from pH meter and titration respectively. The conductivity of darker honey is slightly greater than lighter honey, which indicated that the darker honey has more mineral content; and acidity of three honey samples is almost similar. The honey products are safe and fit the international honey commission standard and probably both darker and lighter honey are nutritionally important.
Effect of pulsed He-Ne laser irradiation on bee honey physicochemical properties
This research aimed to study the effect of laser irradiation on bee honey (Seder) physical and chemical properties. Four honey samples were used in this study with 250 g of each; three of them were irradiated by He-Ne laser with output powers 1 mW, 1.5 mW and 2 mW for 5 minutes for each sample. Analysis included measuring of some honey physical and chemical properties for the irradiated and no irradiated samples particularly electrical conductivity, refractive index, density, viscosity, moisture, Ashes, wax, monocular sugars, total sugars, glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose and acidity, it also included estimation of some elements like Na, Ca, K, Fe, Mg. The results show that irradiation by He-Ne lead to upward effect for some physical and chemical properties like electrical conductivity, monocular sugars and density, and it lead to downward effect for ashes, wax, sucrose and density, while it lead to no significant differences (P>0.05) on refractive index, viscosity. Correspondence to: Ali AS Marouf, Institute of Laser, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan, Tel: 00249912176796; E-mail: alisaeed@sustech.edu/Marouf.44@gmail.com
Investigations on the rôle of organic matter in plant nutrition
1. As the result of decomposition of green manure in a swamp soil, the coarse fractions (including coarse and fine sand) of the surface layer (first 3 inches) decreased by 11·2 per cent. while the fine ones (silt+clay) increased by 9·8 per cent. in the course of 43 days. The effect was less pronounced in the manured soil maintained at 60 per cent. saturation, while no alteration was to be noticed in the case of the unmanured specimens. 2. Treatment with dilute hydrochloric acid prior to dispersion had no appreciable effect on the estimates of mechanical composition obtained in the different cases. Loss in solution was also comparatively small. 3. The silica-sesquioxide ratio increased slightly as the result of decomposition of green manure in swamp soil. The composition of the fine fractions was also altered, the total percentages of the oxides of iron, aluminium and silicon increasing from 90·5 to 99·3 in the course of 71 days. 4. The practical significance of the above and related observations has been discussed.