Production of Pectin-Cellulose Biofilms: A New Approach for Citrus Waste Recycling

While citrus waste is abundantly generated, the disposal methods used today remain unsatisfactory: they can be deleterious for ruminants, can cause soil salinity, or are not economically feasible; yet citrus waste consists of various valuable polymers. This paper introduces a novel environmentally safe approach that utilizes citrus waste polymers as a biobased and biodegradable film, for example, for food packaging. Orange waste has been investigated for biofilm production, using the gelling ability of pectin and the strength of cellulosic fibres. A casting method was used to form a film from the previously washed, dried, and milled orange waste. Two film-drying methods, a laboratory oven and an incubator shaker, were compared. FE-SEM images confirmed a smoother film morphology when the incubator shaker was used for drying. The tensile strength of the films was 31.67 ± 4.21 and 34.76 ± 2.64 MPa, respectively, for the oven-dried and incubator-dried films, which is within the range of different commodity plastics. Additionally, biodegradability of the films was confirmed under anaerobic conditions. Films showed an opaque appearance with yellowish colour.

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To separate or not to separate: what is necessary and enough for a green and sustainable extraction of bioactive compounds from Brazilian citrus waste

Pure and Applied Chemistry ◽

10.1515/pac-2020-0706 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Vânia G. Zuin ◽

Luize Z. Ramin ◽

Mateus L. Segatto ◽

Aylon M. Stahl ◽

Karine Zanotti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Orange Peel ◽

Solvent Ratio ◽

Biomass Waste ◽

Chemical Profiles ◽

Orange Waste ◽

Sustainable Materials ◽

Citrus Waste ◽

Sustainable Extraction

AbstractIncreasing demands to obtain chemicals via greener and more sustainable materials and processes introduces concepts that should be considered and applied from lab to larger scales. Obtaining bioactive chemicals from agro-industrial non-food biomass waste can combine benign techniques and bio-circular economy to reach this goal. After extraction, evaluating profitability and environmental impacts to decide whether separation – and to what extent – is necessary or not is indispensable. This could be integrated into an approach known as sufficiency, as an important criterion for sustainability. From this perspective, Brazil’s annual generation of 8 million tons of orange waste is relevant, since citrus waste has large amounts of high-value compounds, such as pectin, d-limonene and flavonoids. This case study aimed at developing and comparing green and sustainable analytical methods to obtain flavonoids from orange peel. Homogenizer, ultrasound and microwave-assisted extractions were employed using chemometric tools, considering time, sample/solvent ratio, temperature and ethanol concentration as variables to obtain extracts containing hesperidin, naringenin, hesperetin and nobiletin. The bioactive flavonoids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV). Microwave extraction was the most efficient method for obtaining the majority of flavonoids studied, six times more for hesperidin. Moreover, orange waste from different farming models showed diverse chemical profiles showing the importance of this alternative in natural product resources.

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Incorporation of Lipids into Wheat Bran Cellulose/Wheat Gluten Composite Film Improves Its Water Resistance Properties

Membranes ◽

10.3390/membranes12010018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 18

Author(s):

Guanghui Shen ◽

Guoxian Yu ◽

Hejun Wu ◽

Shanshan Li ◽

Xiaoyan Hou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Composite Film ◽

Wheat Bran ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Water Resistance ◽

Wheat Gluten ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Scanning Calorimetry ◽

Sem Images ◽

Water Contact ◽

Cross Sectional

This work evaluated the improvement effects of lipids incorporation on water resistance of composite biodegradable film prepared with wheat bran cellulose/wheat gluten (WBC/WG) using an alkaline–ethanol film forming system. Four types of lipids, paraffin wax (PW), beeswax (BW), paraffin oil (PO), and oleic acid (OA), were tested. We found that PW, BW, and PO incorporation at 5–20% improved water vapor permeability (WVP) and surface hydrophobicity of prepared films. Particularly, incorporation of 15% BW could best improve the water resistance properties of the film, with the lowest WVP of 0.76 × 10−12 g/cm·s·Pa and largest water contact angle (WCA) of 86.18°. Incorporation of OA led to the decline in moisture barrier properties. SEM images revealed that different lipids incorporation changed the morphology and of the composite film, and cross-sectional morphology indicated BW-incorporated film obtained more uniform and compact structures compared to other films. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated that the incorporation of PW or BW enhanced the molecular interactions between the film components, confirmed by the chemical shift of characteristic peaks at 3277 and 1026 cm−1. Differential scanning calorimetry results revealed that incorporation of PW, BW, and PO increased films’ melting point, decomposition temperatures, and enthalpy values. Furthermore, the presence of most lipids decreased tensile strength and elongation at the break of the film. Overall, the composite film containing 15% BW obtained the most promising water resistance performance and acceptable mechanical properties, and it thus most suitable as a hydrophobic biodegradable material for food packaging.

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Active Edible Films Based on Arrowroot Starch with Microparticles of Blackberry Pulp Obtained by Freeze-Drying for Food Packaging

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym11091382 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 1382 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Gislaine Ferreira Nogueira ◽

Farayde Matta Fakhouri ◽

José Ignacio Velasco ◽

Rafael Augustus de Oliveira

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Capacity ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Freeze Drying ◽

Water Solubility ◽

Research Work ◽

Edible Films ◽

Sem Images ◽

Film Forming ◽

Starch Films ◽

Arrowroot Starch

This research work evaluated the influence of the type of incorporation and variation in the concentration of blackberry pulp (BL) and microencapsulated blackberry pulp (ML) powders by freeze-drying on the chemical and physical properties of arrowroot starch films. Blackberry powders were added to the film-forming suspension in different concentrations, 0%, 20%, 30% and 40% (mass/mass of dry starch) and through two different techniques, directly (D) and by sprinkling (S). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed that the incorporation of blackberry powder has rendered the surface of the film rough and irregular. Films incorporated with BL and ML powders showed an increase in thickness and water solubility and a decrease in tensile strength in comparison with the film containing 0% powder. The incorporation of blackberry BL and ML powders into films transferred colour, anthocyanins and antioxidant capacity to the resulting films. Films added with blackberry powder by sprinkling were more soluble in water and presented higher antioxidant capacity than films incorporated directly, suggesting great potential as a vehicle for releasing bioactive compounds into food.

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Investigation of Ultrasonic Treatment on Physicochemical, Structural and Morphological Properties of Sodium Alginate/AgNPs/Apple Polyphenol Films and Its Preservation Effect on Strawberry

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym12092096 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 2096

Author(s):

Wenting Lan ◽

Siying Li ◽

Shiti Shama ◽

Yuqing Zhao ◽

Dur E. Sameen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibacterial Activity ◽

Composite Film ◽

Sodium Alginate ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Base Material ◽

Morphological Properties ◽

Vapor Permeability ◽

Sem Images ◽

Active Food Packaging ◽

Ultrasonic Time

An antibacterial and anti-oxidation composite film was prepared by a casting method using sodium alginate (SA) and apple polyphenols (APPs) as the base material and glycerol as the plasticizer. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were deposited by ultrasonic-assisted electrospray method. The degree of influence of the addition ratio of SA and AgNPs and different ultrasonic time on the mechanical properties, barrier properties, optical properties, and hydrophilicity of the composite film was explored. The composite films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the SA: AgNPs ratio of 7:3 and the ultrasonic time for 30 min have the best comprehensive performance, and SA/AgNPs/APP films showed the lowest water vapor permeability value of 0.75 × 10−11 g/m·s·Pa. The composite film has good strength and softness, with tensile strength (TS) and elongation at break (E) at 23.94 MPa and 29.18%, respectively. SEM images showed that the surface of the composite film was smooth and the AgNPs’ distribution was uniform. The composite film showed broad antibacterial activity, and the antibacterial activity of Escherichia coli (92.01%) was higher than that of Staphylococcus aureus (91.26%). However, due to the addition of APP, its antioxidant activity can reach 98.39%, which has a synergistic effect on antibacterial activity. For strawberry as a model, the results showed that this composite film can prolong the shelf life of strawberries for about 8 days at 4 °C, effectively maintaining their storage quality. Compared with the commonly used PE(Polyethylene film) film on the market, it has a greater fresh-keeping effect and can be used as an active food packaging material.

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New Approach of Multi Scale Modeling Based on the Hygro-Cosserat Theory for Self Desiccation Deformation of Cement Mortars at Early Age

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.123-125.563 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 123-125 ◽

pp. 563-566 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Jeong ◽

P. Mounanga ◽

Hamidreza Ramezani ◽

Marwen Bouasker ◽

D. Bassir

Keyword(s):

Autogenous Shrinkage ◽

Early Age ◽

Cosserat Theory ◽

Sem Images ◽

Element Analysis ◽

New Approach ◽

Multi Scale ◽

Scale Modeling ◽

Cement Mortars ◽

Macro Scale

In the present paper, we concentrate on the heterogeneous cement mortars and we treat them as Cosserat-based media. The autogenous shrinkage phenomenon at early age (from 1 up to 3 days after mixing) has been analyzed by means of Cosserat theory. The characteristic length scale parameter Lc in this theory helps us to change the size specimen from macro-scale to micro-scale using the theoretical size effect aspects. This methodology is also capable of treating cracks initiation and their appearance in the cementitious matrix surrounding the sand-inclusions, which should occurred inside of the Representative Volume Elementary (RVE) of mortar subjected to self-desiccation shrinkage during hydration at early age. By taking advantage of the Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (NFEA), the numerical experiments have been performed. The numerical outcomes are well agreed with the experimental observations coming from Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM) images. It concludes that the inclusions create not only a hygro stress concentration around the grains but also the number of inclusions should influence the network in cementitous matrix.

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Effects of Different Drying Methods and Temperature on the Drying Behavior and Quality Attributes of Cherry Laurel Fruit

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr8070761 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 761 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fatma Turkmen ◽

Salih Karasu ◽

Ayse Karadag

Keyword(s):

Bioactive Compounds ◽

Color Change ◽

Total Phenolic ◽

Drying Methods ◽

Rehydration Ratio ◽

Sem Images ◽

Drying Time ◽

Total Anthocyanin ◽

Drying Temperature ◽

Cherry Laurel

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different drying methods and drying temperature on the drying kinetics, total bioactive compounds, phenolic profile, microstructural properties, rehydration kinetics, and color change of cherry laurel fruit. For this aim, hot air drying (HAD), ultrasound-assisted vacuum drying (USV), and freeze-drying (FD) were conducted on drying of cherry laurel. HAD and USV were conducted at 50, 60, and 70 °C. Drying times of the samples were 1980, 1220, and 770 min for HAD at 50, 60 and 70 °C, and 950, 615, and 445 min at 50, 60, and 70 °C, respectively, for USV. The total bioactive compound was significantly affected by both drying methods and temperature (p < 0.05). FD exhibited the highest total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC), total anthocyanin (TAC), and antioxidant capacity value USV showed a higher amount of bioactive compounds than those of HAD at the same drying temperature. The content of total bioactive compounds significantly increased as the temperature increased for both HAD and USV (p < 0.05). The chlorogenic acid was identified as a major phenolic, and its amount significantly depended on drying methods (p < 0.05). SEM images described the surface characteristic of dried samples. HAD dried products showed higher shrinkage compared to FD and USV. All drying methods significantly affected the total color difference (ΔE) values (p < 0.05). This study proposed that USV could be as an alternative method to HAD due to higher bioactive compounds retention and rehydration ratio, shorter drying time, less color change, and shrinkage formation.

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Bandgap tunability from synergistic mixture of Pandanus amaryllifolius and Curcuma longa as photo-absorber candidates

Journal of Tropical Resources and Sustainable Science (JTRSS) ◽

10.47253/jtrss.v6i1.728 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 50-56

Author(s):

Nik Muhammad Muqit Ali ◽

Khairul Nizar Syazwan W.S.W. ◽

Syed Muhammad Al-Amsyar ◽

Hasiah Salleh ◽

Hasyiya Karimah Adli

Keyword(s):

Electrical Conductivity ◽

Solar Cells ◽

Curcuma Longa ◽

Low Cost ◽

Orbital System ◽

New Approach ◽

Natural Plant ◽

Electronic Delocalization ◽

Environmentally Safe ◽

Pandanus Amaryllifolius

The application of natural plant-derived dyes to replace ruthenium-based material as photo-absorber in solar cells application, have been extensively studied. Several advantages such as low cost, abundant in supply, sustainability and environmentally-safe make natural materials as current favourite photo-absorber. Natural plant-derived dyes are known containing natural compounds (e.g. carotenoids, chlorophylls, anthocyanins) that have the characteristics of electronic delocalization in extended ?-orbital system involving in electronic transfer mechanism. To date, massive investigations were done to exploit this system to be used as a potential photo-absorber in solar cells. Due to this matter, the hybrid dyes from the mixture of Pandanus amaryllifolius (pandan, P) and Curcuma longa (turmeric, T) were successfully prepared and several physical characterizations were carried out to analyse the photo-absorber (sensitizer) properties. From the results obtained, the ratios of P:T was varied into 1:2, 1:4, 4:1, and 8:1. This ratio has changed the wavelength of absorbers that were slightly shifted and the indirect bandgap (Eg) also were significantly changed. With this new approach, the bandgap of the hybrid dyes as core point in modulating electrical conductivity of photo-absorber can be simply tuned. By implying two different extract dyes to form hybrid dyes, the bandgap was found decreased with higher ratio of T used. Overall results suggesting that by adjusting the ratio of hybrid dyes, the photo-absorber properties and the Eg values were differed and with slightly modification, better electrical conductivity can be expected for solar cells application.

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Nanotechnology: A New Approach in Food Packaging

Journal of Food Microbiology Safety & Hygiene ◽

10.4172/2476-2059.1000121 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 02 (02) ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Mahendra Pal

Keyword(s):

Food Packaging ◽

New Approach

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Waste recycling as direction of increase in efficiency of use of resources

Voprosy regionalnoj ekonomiki ◽

10.21499/2078-4023-2019-38-1-36-42 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 36-42

Author(s):

M. D. Dzhamaldinova ◽

N. O. Kurdukova

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Russian Federation ◽

Waste Recycling ◽

Economic Regulation ◽

Ecological Strategy ◽

Alternative Models ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Models Of Development ◽

Environmentally Safe ◽

The Russian Federation

The article investigates the approaches of waste management, studied and analyzed the ways of using waste for further production of goods. Special attention is paid to the study of the main tasks, principles of economic regulation in the field of waste management in the Russian Federation. The directions of ensuring environmentally safe waste management are presented; alternative models of development of ecological strategy of the enterprise are formed.

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