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The crude oil extracted from milk thistle seeds was employed as a precursor for creating biodiesel (BD) via the cosolvent esterification–transesterification process. The high acid value of the extracted oil (11.90 mg KOH/g) encouraged its pre‐esterification in the occurrence of hexane as a cosolvent. The cosolvent esterification of oil diminished its acidity index to below 2.0 mg KOH/g using 1.5:1 hexane:methanol volume ratio, 50°C, 60‐min reaction time, 6:1 methanol:oil molar ratio, and 0.75 wt.% HCl. Alcoholysis reaction of the esterified oil with methanol and a blend of methanol:ethanol to synthesize, respectively, methylic BD and methylic/ethylic BD was accomplished in the presence of hexane as a cosolvent as well. Under the ideal reaction conditions, methylic BD yield and methylic/ethylic BD yield were 96.23% and 95.63%, respectively. The Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra affirmed the lipid transformation from milk thistle seeds into BD. The attained samples of BD exhibited properties conforming to those specified by ASTM D6751. Also, the cosolvent methanolysis kinetic obeyed the pseudo‐first‐order with 35.94 KJ/mol activation energy and 6.32‐s frequency factor.

Brucella infection in animals is considered a great problem in most countries of the world. Our study designed to determine the prevalence of brucella in field animal’s milk in Dhamar governorate, Yemen. Total of 808 raw milk samples from non-aborted field animals, 120 milk samples from aborted animals, and 30 pasteurized milk samples were teste by Milk-Ring Test (MRT), milk-ELISA test, isolation and identification of brucella species, and antibiotic susceptibility. The prevalence of brucella in milk samples from field animals was 0.8%, 2.6%, and 2% in cows, sheep, and goat milk samples respectively with MRT, and 0.8%, 1.3% and 1.6% in cows, sheep and goat milk samples respectively with the milk- ELISA test. The prevalence rate in milk samples from aborted animals was 33%, 64% and 41.2% with the MRT and 39%, 49%, and 41.2% in cows, sheep and goats respectively with the milk-ELISA test. All pasteurized milk samples were negative for the milk-ELISA test. The result of isolation showed 0.1% of Brucella in milk samples from field animals while 9.2% from aborted animals. All isolates of Brucella species were sensitivities to rifampicin, doxycycline, kanamycin, gentamicin, streptomycin, tetracycline, and ciprofloxacin, while resistant to ampicillin, erythromycin, and novobiocin. In conclusion, the high prevalence of milk brucella especially in aborted animals needs focusing and build controlling strategies plans to decrease the losses to the economy and avoid transferred to humans with unpasteurized milk consumption.