Plant derived α-amylase inhibitors are proteinaceous molecules that regulate the enzyme activity in plants and also protect plants from insect attack. In the current study, 28 accessions of 19 plant species were screened for their α-amylase inhibitory activity. The durum wheat varieties, Beni Suef-1 and Beni Suef-5, showed strong α-amylase inhibitory activity and were subjected to further purification studies using ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-Sephadex G-25 column. The isolated inhibitors were found to be stable at temperatures below 80°C with maximum activity obtained at 40−50°C. Also, they were stable in a wide pH range (2−12). The ion exchange products of purified α-amylase inhibitors from Beni Suef-1 and Beni Suef-5 varieties showed a molecular weight of 16 and 24 kDa, respectively. The purified α-amylase inhibitors were tested against Tribolium castaneum and Callosobruchus maculatus both in vitro and in vivo. There was linear inhibition of α-amylase activity with increasing inhibitor concentration until saturation was reached. Beni Suef-5 α-amylase inhibitor was more potent against α-amylase with lower IC50 values than Beni Suef-1 α-amylase inhibitor except in the case of T. castaneum larva. Kinetics analysis revealed that Beni Suef-1 and Beni Suef-5 α-amylase inhibitors are non-competitive types of inhibitors with high affinity toward α-amylase of T. castaneum and C. maculatus. Results of the in vivo studies demonstrated that α-amylase inhibitors isolated from durum wheat, Beni Suef-1 and Beni Suef-5 varieties, were very effective in inhibiting the development of T. castaneum and C. maculatus and could be used for future studies in developing insect resistant transgenic plants approaching α-amylase inhibitor genes.

Feldspar is a basic requirement for glass, ceramics, and other industries. The presence of iron in feldspar is one of the challenging aspects of feldspar processing. To improve the quality of feldspar for use in various industries, dry magnetic separation is one of the best techniques for reducing iron in feldspar, especially in arid regions to overcome the common problem of lack of water resources as well as to reduce the operational cost of the enrichment process. Therefore, dry magnetic separation experiments were carried out to remove the iron content from feldspar ore in the Wadi Umm Harjal area in Egypt to meet the specifications required for different industries. The sample was analysed using XRD, XRF, and optical microscopy, which revealed that it is a mixture of potassium feldspar (microcline/orthoclase), albite, and quartz in the presence of hematite mineral serving as the main iron impurities in addition to the free silica content. The effect of parameters on the activity of the dry high magnetic separators was investigated in addition to cleaning the products. The iron oxide reduced from 0.69% in the head sample to 0.08% after dry high-intensity magnetic separation, and the whiteness increased from 82.01% in the head sample to 95.97% in the separated concentrate. The experimental results showed that there is a possibility to obtain feldspar concentrates with low content of Fe2O3 from the area where according to the results, approximately 88.4% of iron was removed from the head sample.

Because of hydraulic jump, the scour downstream a stepped spillway is the most confusing issue that endangers the overall stability of the spillway. In this paper, thirty-six exploratory runs are described to explore the impact of utilizing submerged water jets fixed in the stilling basin of a stepped spillway on the downstream scour measurements under various flow conditions. A smooth apron where the water jets are disabled is incorporated to characterize the impact of adjustments studied. Trials are performed utilizing different upstream discharges, jets arrangements, and tailwater depths. The results are analyzed and graphically presented. The experimental data are contrasted to a scour formulae developed by other specialists. Outcomes indicated that by utilizing submerged floor water jets, the maximum scour depth is decreased between 14.3 and 36.0%. Additionally, the maximum scour length is reduced by 9.7 to 42.3%. Finally, involving regression analysis, simple formulas are developed to estimate different scour parameters.