In this modest work, a local biopolymer (CHA), biodegradable, non-toxic, and soluble in acidic media, was extracted from the plant Artemisia herba-alba located in the eastern region of Morocco, and characterized by FT-IR, in order to valorize it as a corrosion inhibitor of mild steel in 1 M HCl medium. The electrochemical tests show that the extract is an excellent corrosion protective agent, reaching a maximum value of 96.17% at the concentration of 800 mg/L in the inhibitor. The potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) curves indicate the mixed behavior of the extract, to reduce the current density from 3.445 mA/cm2 to 0.104 mA/cm2 in the presence of 800 mg/L in the inhibitor. The biopolymer CHA of the extract of Artemisia herba-alba undergoes the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, whose adsorption energy is −20.75 kJ/mol, which is attributed to the presence of electrostatic and covalent bonds. In addition, the visualization of the metal surface by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicates the formation of a protective layer formed by the extracts of Artemisia herba-alba, which confirms the protective characteristic of the extract used. Theoretical investigations by DFT, MD, and MC confirm previous experimental results.
20 November 2017 in Journal of Agricultural Studies
Omega-3 has an important role in the human body. This and other lipids should be contained in the diet and cannot be synthesized by the body. Several developed countries have successfully used an approach to naturally enrich eggs with omega-3 and place this product on the market. This method consists of subjecting laying hens to a diet rich in omega-3. To our knowledge, this approach has not yet been included in the egg marketing chain in Morocco. We conducted market research on omega-3 enriched eggs to obtain information from customers about their needs, their motivation to buy this product, and their preferences. Large supermarkets in six major Moroccan cities were chosen. The number of customers surveyed was set at 360 customers. The results show that 42.5% of these customers already know about omega-3, and 83% of them are aware of the interest in this nutrient. On the other hand, 38% of respondents suffer from a disease or different diseases: 22% are diabetic, 16% suffer from hypercholesterolemia, 16% are hypertensive, and 10% have other diseases. After explaining to them the benefits of omega-3, about 80% of respondents believe that the product is interesting, of which 74% are ready to buy it at a base price of 2 dirhams. This study demonstrates that the marketing of this enriched egg could have a positive impact on the local economy, help to correct dietary deficiencies, and prevent certain diseases.