Biofortification of Oryza sativa L. with agri-food waste to improve the dietary value of crops

Due to the low dietary value of crops, Zn-deficient soils and insufficient intake of other minerals, soil fortification is often necessary. Fortification is defined as the addition of one or more crucial nutrients to a food to reduce poverty in a population or specific population groups. Currently available technologies for rice fortification with vitamins and minerals are high-energy and time-consuming methods. Therefore, mineral enrichment of crops has received much attention from scientists. The originality of the current study consists in determining the optimal use of hard hazelnut shells, orange peel and rice husks for enrichment of paddy soil and simultaneous immobilization of heavy metals. The combination of the identified wastes, namely hazelnut shells, orange peel and rice husks, showed good potential for immobilization/elimination or reduction of heavy metals to less than permissible limits. Therefore, the use of this combination could be an effective strategy to both introduce new micronutrients into rice grain and remove heavy metals.

Late Mesolithic, Middle Bronze Age and Late Iron Age/romano-british Activity at Crowdhill, Fair Oak, Eastleigh

Nine areas, totalling 1.3ha were excavated after evaluation and desk-based assessment at land near Crowdhill, Eastleigh (NGR 448830 119560). Features were densest in Areas 1 and 2, with evidence dating from the Palaeolithic to the early Romano- British period. Three pieces of flint from a Long Blade assemblage were recovered, probably from a small localised scatter. A core tool rough-out, probably for a Mesolithic tranchet axe, was found in a pit with charred hazelnut shells from which two radiocarbon dates were obtained. Two cremation graves, each containing urned deposits, and an urned 'cenotaph' provide information about the inhabitants of the area although contemporary settlement evidence is lacking. By the Late Bronze Age there was evidence for settlement in the form of a pit containing flint-tempered pottery, worked flint and burnt flint along with charred cereal grain. A radiocarbon date was obtained on charred cereal grain from this pit confirming its age. There was sparse evidence for occupation in the late prehistoric period but by the early Romano-British period a number of ditches and intercutting pits as well as artefactual material (pottery, ceramic building material, fired clay and saddle quern fragments) indicates the presence of a small rural settlement in the vicinity of the site.

Hazelnut Shells as Source of Active Ingredients: Extracts Preparation and Characterization

Hazelnut shells represent a waste material (about 42% of the total biomass) deriving from hazelnut harvest. These are mainly used as a heating source; however, they represent an interesting source of polyphenols useful in health field. The impact on phenolic profile and concentrations of hazelnut shell extracts obtained by three extraction methods (maceration, ultrasonic bath, and high-power ultrasonic), as well as temperature, extraction time, and preventive maceration, was studied. The prepared extracts were characterized in terms of chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Eighteen different phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by chemical analysis and gallic acid was the most abundant in all the extracts analyzed. Other relevant compounds were chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid and catechin. Preventive maceration had a positive effect on the extraction of different types of compounds regardless of the method performed. Application of the high-power ultrasonic method had different effects, either positive or negative, depending on the type of compound and extraction time. All the prepared extracts showed antioxidant activity especially those prepared by maceration, and many of them were able to inhibit the growth of both B. subtilis and B. cereus.

PROSPECTS FOR OBTAINING A COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE OF GASES FROM VEGETABLE AGRICULTURAL WASTE USING SOLAR ENERGY

This paper discusses the possibility of obtaining a combustible gas mixture (GHA) from a number of agricultural waste, such as stalks of cotton, grapes and tobacco, walnut and hazelnut shells, etc., by pyrolysis and gasification, using solar energy, in in particular, a solar high-temperature installation (SVTU), in which a parabolic concentrator (PC) is used to convert the sun's radiant energy into thermal energy. Provides data on solar energy resources, as well as plant waste available in various regions of Azerbaijan.

Potential Valorization of Hazelnut Shells through Extraction, Purification and Structural Characterization of Prebiotic Compounds: A Critical Review

Hazelnuts are one of the most widely consumed nuts, but their production creates large quantities of by-products, especially shells, that could be upcycled into much more valuable products. Recent studies have shown that hazelnut shell hemicellulose is particularly rich in compounds that are potential precursors of xylooligosaccharides and arabino-xylooligosaccharides ((A)XOS), previously defined as emerging prebiotics very beneficial for human health. The production of these compounds on an industrial scale-up could have big consequences on the functional foods market. However, to produce (A)XOS from a lignocellulosic biomass, such as hazelnut shell, is not easy. Many methods for the extraction and the purification of these prebiotics have been developed, but they all have different efficiencies and consequences, including on the chemical structure of the obtained (A)XOS. The latter, in turn, is strongly correlated to the nutritional effects they have on health, which is why the optimization of the structural characterization process is also necessary. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the progress made by research in this field, so as to contribute to the exploitation of hazelnut waste streams through a circular economy approach, increasing the value of this biomass through the production of new functional ingredients.

Effect of pyrolysis temperature on volatile products from hazelnut shells: products characteristics and antioxidant activity assessment of liquid products

It is being considered to pyrolyze lignin-rich biomass samples (hazelnut shells, HSs) into bio-fuels and chemicals to solve energy shortages and environmental concerns, volatile products (including liquid products and gas products) were produced and characterized from HSs pyrolysis at 400–1000 °C. With the temperature increases, the maximum output of liquid products was up to 35.79% produced at 700 °C, gas products yields increased from 21.82 to 55.46%. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC–MS) study indicated that liquid products from HSs riched in phenolic compounds, exceed 42% of liquid products and increased as the temperature rises. The application experiment showed that HSs liquid products had a significant role in antioxidant activity, and revealed that not limited to phenols, all compounds containing phenolic hydroxyl structure act as antioxidant. Composition analysis of gas products showed that more combustible gases were produced at the higher temperature, resulted in the significant increase in gas products higher heating value (HHV) from 6.21 to 24.36 MJ/kg.