Allergens and Toxins from Oleaginous Plants: Problems and Solutions

Abstract

Population growth, industrialisation worldwide and the consequent increase in the use of fossil fuels such as petroleum contribute to the advancement of environmental damage. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, which contributes to an increase in the earth's greenhouse effect and climatic change (Balat & Balat, 2010). Factors such as increased demand for energy, price hikes in crude oil, global warming due to emission of green house gases, environmental pollution, and a fast diminishing supply of fossil fuels contribute to the search for alternative sources of energy (Atadashi et al., 2010). Petroleum is a finite fuel resource that is rapidly becoming scarcer and more expensive. Petroleum-based products are one of the main causes of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to the atmosphere (Balat & Balat, 2010). The current scenario of the world, confronted with the twin crises of fossil fuel depletion and environmental degradation, encourage research programs to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by the use of alternative and sustainable fuel sources, such as solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, ocean thermal energy, hydropower, biofuels and others (Atadashi et al., 2010; Sharma & Singh, 2009). Biodiesel are one a biofuel that can be compound for fatty acid alkyl esters (methyl esters) that are produced from renewable natural sources such as vegetable oils, animal fats and microalgal oil by a new technology, the transesterification reaction (Atadashi et al., 2010). Biodiesel is considered a biodegradable, sustainable and clean energy because the oleaginous plants used to produce the biofuel absorb carbon dioxide during growth to a greater extent than that which is released to the atmosphere when used as a fuel in diesel engines (Sharma & Singh, 2009).