Utility of Luffa cylindrica and Litchi chinensis peel, an agricultural waste biomass in cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei under solid state cultivation

Strong and tough bioplastics prepared by in-situ polymerization of ε-caprolactone-oligomers in lignocellulosic nanofiber network

Cellulose biocomposites have emerged as attractive alternatives to fossil-based plastics because of their excellent renewability and biodegradability; however, their water resistance and mechanical properties remain challenging. Herein, a cellulose- containing bioplastic with high a reinforcement content, water stability, and toughness is reported. Lignin-containing cellulose nanofibers (LCNF) were prepared by pretreating eucalyptus wood powder with a deep eutectic solvent and high-pressure homogenization. Then, the pre-synthesized ε-caprolactone oligomers were in-situ polymerized in LCNF. The interaction of LCNF with ε-caprolactone-oligomers in the LCNF-crosslinked polycaprolactone (LCNF-PCL) bioplastic resulted in excellent mechanical properties (tensile strength: 76.59 MPa; toughness: 9.82 MJ m-3). The LCNF-PCL bioplastic also demonstrated excellent water stability (wet tensile strength: 34.21 MPa; water absorption: <5 %), thermal stability, and UV protection. This approach may provide a potential method for utilizing lignocellulosic resources to develop environmentally friendly bioplastics with good toughness and water stability.

Biogenic nanoparticles from waste fruit peels: Synthesis, applications, challenges and future perspectives

Nanotechnology is a continually growing field with a wide range of applications from food science to biotechnology and nanobiotechnology. As the current world is grappling with non-biodegradable waste, considered more challenging and expensive to dispose of than biodegradable waste, new technologies are needed today more than ever. Modern technologies, especially nanotechnology, can transform biodegradable waste into products for human use. Researchers are exploring sustainable pathways for nanotechnology by utilizing biodegradable waste as a source for preparing nanomaterials. Over the past ten years, the biogenic production of metallic nanoparticles (NPs) has become a promising alternative technique to traditional NPs synthesis due to its simplicity, eco-friendliness, and biocompatibility in nature. Fruit and vegetable waste (after industrial processing) contain various bioactives (such as flavonoids, phenols, tannins, steroids, triterpenoids, glycosides, anthocyanins, carotenoids, ellagitannins, vitamin C, and essential oils) serving as reducing and capping agents for NP synthesis and they possess antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This review addresses various sources of biogenic NPs including their synthesis using fruit/vegetable waste, types of biogenic NPs, extraction processes and extracted biomaterials, the pharmacological functionality of NPs, industrial aspects, and future perspectives. In this manner, this review will cover the most recent research on the biogenic synthesis of NPs from fruit/vegetable peels to transform them into therapeutic nanomedicines.

Probiotics in the Sourdough Bread Fermentation: Current Status

Sourdough fermentation is an ancient technique to ferment cereal flour that improves bread quality, bringing nutritional and health benefits. The fermented dough has a complex microbiome composed mainly of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. During fermentation, the production of metabolites and chemical reactions occur, giving the product unique characteristics and a high sensory quality. Mastery of fermentation allows adjustment of gluten levels, delaying starch digestibility, and increasing the bio-accessibility of vitamins and minerals. This review focuses on the main steps of sourdough fermentation, the microorganisms involved, and advances in bread production with functional properties. The impact of probiotics on human health, the metabolites produced, and the main microbial enzymes used in the bakery industry are also discussed.

Current perspective on production and applications of microbial cellulases: a review

The potential of cellulolytic enzymes has been widely studied and explored for bioconversion processes and plays a key role in various industrial applications. Cellulase, a key enzyme for cellulose-rich waste feedstock-based biorefinery, has increasing demand in various industries, e.g., paper and pulp, juice clarification, etc. Also, there has been constant progress in developing new strategies to enhance its production, such as the application of waste feedstock as the substrate for the production of individual or enzyme cocktails, process parameters control, and genetic manipulations for enzyme production with enhanced yield, efficiency, and specificity. Further, an insight into immobilization techniques has also been presented for improved reusability of cellulase, a critical factor that controls the cost of the enzyme at an industrial scale. In addition, the review also gives an insight into the status of the significant application of cellulase in the industrial sector, with its techno-economic analysis for future applications. The present review gives a complete overview of current perspectives on the production of microbial cellulases as a promising tool to develop a sustainable and greener concept for industrial applications.

Fruit and Vegetable Peels: Utilization of High Value Horticultural Waste in Novel Industrial Applications

Fruits and vegetables are the highly used food products amongst the horticultural crops. These items are consumed uncooked, nominally cooked or fully cooked, according to their nature and cooking process. With the change in diet habits and rising population, the production, as well as the processing of horticultural crops, has exponentially improved to meet its increasing demand. A large amount of peel waste is generated from fruit and vegetable-based industries and household kitchen and has led to a big nutritional and economic loss and environmental problems. Processing of fruits and vegetables alone generates a significant waste, which amounts to 25-30% of the total product. Most common wastes include pomace, peels, rind and seeds, which are highly rich in valuable bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, enzymes, polyphenols, oils, vitamins and many other compounds. These bioactive compounds show their application in various industries such as food to develop edible films, food industries for probiotics and other industries for valuable products. The utilization of these low-cost waste horticultural wastes for producing the value-added product is a novel step in its sustainable utilization. The present review intends to summarize the different types of waste originating from fruits as well as vegetables peels and highlight their potential in developing edible films, probiotics, nanoparticles, carbon dots, microbial media, biochar and biosorbents.

Impact of process parameters and plant polysaccharide hydrolysates in cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei and Neurospora crassa under wheat bran based solid state fermentation

Lignocellulosic biomass is a promising feedstock for future renewable fuels. It constitutes a substantial renewable substrate for the production of value-added chemicals. Lignocellulosic materials mostly contain a mixture of polymers such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Utilizing waste lignocellulosic materials such as agricultural residues, grasses, forestry wastes can significantly reduce the cost of raw materials. Optimization of significant process parameters is also a very important stage to develop an efficient and cost-effective bioprocess. The present paper describes the Box-Behnken design based optimization to evaluate the effects of various process parameters viz.temperature, pH, inoculum dosages, particle size, moisture percentage and incubation period on the production of cellulases by T. reesei NCIM 1186 and N. crassa NCIM 1021 under wheat bran based solid-state fermentation. It also portrays the utility of various plant polysaccharide hydrolysates such as boiled bagasse, bagasse, wheat straw, waste newspaper as well as starch hydrolysates in cellulase production.