Polyelectrolyte Nanoparticles of Amphiphilic Chitosan/Pectin from Banana Peel as Potential Carrier System of Hydrophobic Molecules

In this study, pectins were extracted from banana wastes Musa paradisiaca under different acidic conditions, obtaining pectins with different degrees of esterification (DE) depending on the acid type and pH. The formation of the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles was evaluated according to the DE of the pectin, the mass ratio of the polymers of pectin to amphiphilic chitosan (AmCh), and their concentration. The properties of the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles were evaluated at different pH and temperatures. The pectin with 24.3% DE formed polyelectrolyte nanoparticles through the electrostatic interaction with AmCh, which was evidenced by changes in the zeta potential and particle size. The study of mass ratio AmCh:Pectin, to get a stable system, showed that it must be at least equal (1:1), or AmCh must be in higher proportion (6:1, 50:1, 100:1), and the polymers concentration must be 1 mg/mL. The study of the temperature effect showed that, when the temperature increases, the particle size decreases, and the pH study showed a stable particle size for the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles in the range of pH 5–6. Nile Red (NR), a hydrophobic molecule, was encapsulated in the polyelectrolyte nanoparticles with a loading capacity of 1.8% and an encapsulation efficiency of 80%.

Characterization of Banana Peels Wastes as Potential Slow Pyrolysis Feedstock

Uganda is the world’s second largest producer and consumer of banana after India. This has resulted into vast quantities of banana wastes, including the leaves, pseudostem, stalks, rejected and rotten fruits and the fruit peels. This study focuses on the characterization of banana peels to yield banana peels vinegar (BPV), tar and biochar as value added products that can be useful to farmers. Dried banana peels were characterized via proximate, ultimate, lignocellulosic, thermogravimetric (TG), and calorific value analyses. The obtained results showed that the volatile matter and fixed carbon contents were 88.02% and 2.70% while carbon, nitrogen and sulphur were 35.65%, 1.94% and 20.75 ppm respectively. The hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin contents were 41.38%, 9.90% and 8.90% while the higher and lower heating values were 16.15 MJ/kg and 14.80 MJ/kg. The maximum devolatilization rate in the banana peel biomass occurred in the temperatures range of 450–550oC which was taken as the slow pyrolysis regime temperature. The high levels of fixed carbon, volatile matter and ash contents were strong indicators that banana wastes are adequate feedstock for pyrolysis work to yield bio-infrastructure products. Similarly, the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose fractions had significant correlation between the biomass heating values and the eventual chemical compounds present BPV and biochar. The characterization properties of the banana peels are akin to the leaves and pseudostem and thus are suitable for pyrolysis process.

Characterization of Slow Pyrolysis Wood Vinegar and Tar from Banana Wastes Biomass as Potential Organic Pesticides

Slow pyrolysis process has been used in the recent past to yield wood vinegar from various biomass wastes with a quest to investigate their chemical composition and possible uses. This study utilizes the abundant banana wastes in Uganda including leaves, pseudostem and peels (mpologoma, kisansa and kibuzi species) in the slow pyrolysis process to yield vinegar, tar and biochar. Characterization of these banana wastes’ vinegar and tar fractions were investigated via chromatographic and physicochemical analysis. The principle compounds present in the banana wastes vinegar and tar as per percentage peak areas were acids (68.6%), alcohols (62.5%), ketones (27.6%), phenols (25.7%) and furans (21.8%). The products characterization indicate that vinegar and tar contain compounds that can be used as pesticides, termiticide, fungicides, insect repellants, anti-leaching and soil degradation agents. Thus wood vinegar and tar can have sustainable impacts on agricultural sectors and chemical industries especially for developing countries.