Investigation of ionic liquids as a pretreatment solvent for extraction of collagen biopolymer from waste fish scales using COSMO-RS and experiment

Switchable Deep Eutectic Solvents for Lignin Dissolution and Regeneration

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are promising for lignin dissolution and extraction. However, they usually possess high polarity and are difficult to recycle. To overcome this drawback, a variety of switchable ionic liquids (SILs) composed of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) and alcohols was synthesized and screened. According to the thermodynamic modeling suggestions, the selected DBU-HexOH SIL was coupled with hydrogen-bond donors to form switchable-DES (SDES) systems with moderated viscosity, conductivity, and pH while maintaining switchability. The SDESs produced a well-improved lignin and lignin model compound solubility compared with those of SILs; charging CO2 into SDES (SDESCO2) caused a further increase in solubility. The solubility (25 °C) of syringic acid, ferulic acid, and milled wood lignin in SDESCO2 reached 230.57, 452.17, and 279.12 mg/g, respectively. Such SDES-dissolved lignin can be regenerated using acetone as an anti-solvent. The SDES-regenerated lignin exhibited a well-preserved structure with no noticeable chemical modifications. Furthermore, the SDESCO2 lignin possessed a higher molecular weight (Mw = 10,340 g/mol; Mn = 7672 g/mol), improved uniformity (polydispersity index = 1.35), and a higher guaiacyl lignin unit content compared with the original milled wood lignin. The SDES system proposed in the present work could benefit the fractionation of lignin compounds and facilitate downstream industrial processes.

Turning Food Protein Waste into Sustainable Technologies

For each kilogram of food protein wasted, between 15 and 750 kg of CO₂ end up in the atmosphere. With this alarming carbon footprint, food protein waste not only contributes to climate change but also significantly impacts other environmental boundaries, such as nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, global freshwater use, change in land composition, chemical pollution, and biodiversity loss. This contrasts sharply with both the high nutritional value of proteins, as well as their unique chemical and physical versatility, which enable their use in new materials and innovative technologies. In this review, we discuss how food protein waste can be efficiently valorized not only by reintroduction into the food chain supply but also as a template for the development of sustainable technologies by allowing it to exit the food-value chain, thus alleviating some of the most urgent global challenges. We showcase three technologies of immediate significance and environmental impact: biodegradable plastics, water purification, and renewable energy. We discuss, by carefully reviewing the current state of the art, how proteins extracted from food waste can be valorized into key players to facilitate these technologies. We furthermore support analysis of the extant literature by original life cycle assessment (LCA) examples run ad hoc on both plant and animal waste proteins in the context of the technologies considered, and against realistic benchmarks, to quantitatively demonstrate their efficacy and potential. We finally conclude the review with an outlook on how such a comprehensive management of food protein waste is anticipated to transform its carbon footprint from positive to negative and, more generally, have a favorable impact on several other important planetary boundaries.

Solubility of Amino Acids in the Eutectic Solvent Constituted by Sodium Acetate Trihydrate and Urea and in Its Mixture with Water

Industrial fish and aquaculture processing leads to the generation of a huge quantity of by-products, whose accumulation and mismanagement involve serious environmental consequences as well as high economic losses. Taking advantage of these residues as a source of added-value compounds must be a priority in a circular economy. This work is a preliminary study to analyze the possibility of using the eutectic mixture of urea and sodium acetate trihydrate as a solvent for collagen extraction. To that end, the solid-liquid equilibrium of the system was determined in order to define the exact composition and temperature of the eutectic. The solubility in this solvent of the main amino acids that constitute fish collagen was studied at several temperatures and atmospheric pressure. At 308.15 K, solubilities of the major constituents of the target protein, namely L-proline, trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline, and glycine, were 0.19, 0.16, and 0.12 (mass fraction), respectively. These values increased with temperature. Dilution with water (50 wt%) allowed operation at lower temperature and led to an increase in the solubilities. The van 't Hoff model was satisfactorily used to correlate the experimental data and to calculate apparent properties of dissolution. All the dissolution processes studied herein are endothermic, non-spontaneous, and enthalpy-driven. Both the eutectic and its mixture with water are promising solvents for the design of an environmentally benign process for collagen extraction.

Review on biopolymers and composites - Evolving material as adsorbents in removal of environmental pollutants

The presence of pollutants and toxic contaminants in water sources makes it unfit to run through. Though various conventional techniques are on deck, development of new technologies are vital for wastewater treatment and recycling. Polymers have been intensively utilized recently in many industries owing to their unique characteristics. Biopolymers resembles natural alternative to synthetic polymers that can be prepared by linking the monomeric units covalently. Despite the obvious advantages of biopolymers, few reviews have been conducted. This review focuses on biopolymers and composites as suitable adsorbent material for removing pollutants present in environment. The classification of biopolymers and their composites based on the sources, methods of preparation and their potential applications are discussed in detail. Biopolymers have the potentiality of substituting conventional adsorbents due to its unique characteristics. Biopolymer based membranes and effective methods of utilization of biopolymers as suitable adsorbent materials are also briefly elaborated. The mechanism of biopolymers and their membrane-based adsorption has been briefly reviewed. In addition, the methods of regeneration and reuse of used biopolymer based adsorbents are highlighted. The comprehensive content on fate of biopolymer after adsorption is given in brief. Finally, this review concludes the future investigations in recent trends in application of biopolymer in various fields in view of eco-friendly and economic perspectives.

Characterization and Cytocompatibility of Collagen-Gelatin-Elastin (CollaGee) Acellular Skin Substitute towards Human Dermal Fibroblasts: In Vitro Assessment

Full-thickness skin wounds have become a serious burden to patients, medical care, and the socio-economic environment. The development of a safe and effective acellular skin substitute that can rapidly restore intact physiological skin is required. Natural bioactive materials including collagen, gelatin, and elastin possess significant advantages over synthetic biomaterials regarding biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, low mechanical strength, a faster biodegradation rate, and thermally unstable biomaterials lead to slow-healing and a high rate of post-implantation failure. To overcome these concerns, naturally occurring genipin (GNP) flavonoids were added to improve the mechanical strength, degradation rate, and thermal properties. Therefore, this study aimed to fabricate and characterize collagen−gelatin−elastin (CollaGee) biomaterials cross-linked with GNP as an acellular skin substitute potentially used in full-thickness wound healing. CollaGee at different ratios was divided into non-cross-linked and cross-linked with 0.1% GNP (w/v). The physicochemical, mechanical, and biocompatibility properties of CollaGee were further investigated. The results demonstrated that GNP-cross-linked CollaGee has better physicochemical (>50% porosity, pore size range of 100−200 µm, swelling ratio of >1000%) and mechanical properties (resilience and cross-linking degree of >60%, modulus of >1.0 GPa) compared to non-cross-linked CollaGee groups. Furthermore, both cross-linked and non-cross-linked CollaGee demonstrated pivotal cellular compatibility with no toxicity and sustained cell viability until day 7 towards human dermal fibroblasts. These findings suggest that GNP-cross-linked CollaGee could be a promising ready-to-use product for the rapid treatment of full-thickness skin loss.

Strength Enhancement of Regenerated Cellulose Fibers by Adjustment of Hydrogen Bond Distribution in Ionic Liquid

To improve the physical strength of regenerated cellulose fibers, cellulose dissolution was analyzed with a conductor-like screening model for real solvents in which 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AMIMCl) worked only as a hydrogen bond acceptor while dissolving the cellulose. This process could be promoted by the addition of urea, glycerol, and choline chloride. The dissolution and regeneration of cellulose was achieved through dry-jet and wet-spinning. The results demonstrated that the addition of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors either on their own or in combination can enhance the tensile strength, but their effects on the crystallinity of the regenerated fibers were quite limited. Compared with the regenerated fibers without any additives, the tensile strength was improved from 54.43 MPa to 139.62 MPa after introducing the choline chloride and glycerol, while related the crystallinity was only changed from 60.06% to 62.97%. By contrast, a more compact structure and fewer pores on the fiber surface were identified in samples with additives along with well-preserved cellulose frameworks. Besides, it should be noted that an optimization in the overall thermal stability was obtained in samples with additives. The significant effect of regenerated cellulose with the addition of glycerol was attributed to the reduction of cellulose damage by slowing down the dissolution and cross-linking in the cellulose viscose. The enhancement of the physical strength of regenerated cellulose fiber can be realized by the appropriate adjustment of the hydrogen bond distribution in the ionic liquid system with additives.

Challenges in Predicting Aqueous Solubility of Organic Molecules Using the COSMO-RS Model

The conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) is an emerging tool for predicting the thermodynamic properties of small molecules, such as activity coefficients, vapor pressure, and solubility in mixed solvents. We have evaluated the validity and performance of the COSMO-RS model in predicting aqueous solubility using a high-fidelity experimental data set containing 1852 small organic molecules. Our analysis indicates that overreliance on distributions of the screening charge densities on the outer surface of the molecule, known as the σ-profile, leads to frequent overestimation or underestimation, rendering the predicted aqueous solubility of organic molecules unreliable. Despite our efforts to refine the inherent parameters of the COSMO-RS model using a comprehensive experimental data set, the prediction accuracy remained limited (R² ∼ 0.5). We analyzed the correlation between prediction accuracy and common molecular descriptors, such as dipole moment, molar mass, symmetry of charges, and types of charge centers. A notable challenge of COSMO-RS prediction arises from the electronegative atoms, which likely generate uneven charge distributions in the σ-profile, leading to overtly strong hydrogen bond corrections and thereby causing overestimation of aqueous solubilities.

Upgrading of marine (fish and crustaceans) biowaste for high added-value molecules and bio(nano)-materials

Currently, the Earth is subjected to environmental pressure of unprecedented proportions in the history of mankind. The inexorable growth of the global population and the establishment of large urban areas with increasingly higher expectations regarding the quality of life are issues demanding radically new strategies aimed to change the current model, which is still mostly based on linear economy approaches and fossil resources towards innovative standards, where both energy and daily use products and materials should be of renewable origin and 'made to be made again'. These concepts have inspired the circular economy vision, which redefines growth through the continuous valorisation of waste generated by any production or activity in a virtuous cycle. This not only has a positive impact on the environment, but builds long-term resilience, generating business, new technologies, livelihoods and jobs. In this scenario, among the discards of anthropogenic activities, biodegradable waste represents one of the largest and highly heterogeneous portions, which includes garden and park waste, food processing and kitchen waste from households, restaurants, caterers and retail premises, and food plants, domestic and sewage waste, manure, food waste, and residues from forestry, agriculture and fisheries. Thus, this review specifically aims to survey the processes and technologies for the recovery of fish waste and its sustainable conversion to high added-value molecules and bio(nano)materials.

Steam Explosion in alkaline medium for gelatine extraction from chromium-tanned leather wastes: time reduction and process optimization

Alkaline hydrolysis of chromium-tanned leather wastes (CTLW) is a well-known process that allows the extraction of its most valuable portion: the protein. However, alkaline hydrolysis is time-consuming. It usually takes from 2 to 10 h to be completed. In this work, alkaline hydrolysis was performed in a steam explosion reactor, using CaO as the alkalinizing agent and aiming at a short-time process. Three different temperatures and residence times were tested: 130, 140, and 150°C; 5, 10, and 15 min. When performed at 140°C for 10 min, the steam explosion in alkaline medium resulted in the optimum combination of protein extraction yield (30%) and gelatine quality (viscosity of 2.4 cP at 25°C in a 24.6 g/L protein solution - 39 kDa of molecular mass [Formula: see text]w). Not only a high extraction yield was achieved, but when compared to traditional methods, steam explosion in alkaline medium reduced the process time by a factor that varied from 12 to 36 times. It also reduced chromium content in the gelatine by a factor that varied from 16 to 96 times. Finally, to produce a high quality product, the ash content of the gelatine was reduced from 11.8% (dry basis) to 1.2% (dry basis) through diafiltration. This purification allows the application of the gelatine, for example, in the production of polymeric films.

Investigation of the solubility and dispersion degree of calf skin collagen in ionic liquids

Abstract

The dissolution of collagen in ionic liquids (ILs) was highly dependent on the polarity of ILs, which was influenced by their sorts and concentrations. Herein, the solubility and dispersion degree of collagen in two sorts of ILs, namely 1-ethyl-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF4]) with low polarity and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM][Ac]) with high polarity in a concentration range from 10% to 70% at 10 °C were investigated. When 150 mg of collagen was added to 30 mg of ILs, the minimum soluble collagen concentration was 0.02 mg/mL in 70% [EMIM][BF4] with lowest polarity and the maximum was 3.57 mg/mL in 70% [EMIM][Ac] with highest polarity, which indicates that soluble collagen and insoluble collagen fibers were both present. For insoluble collagens, differential scanning calorimetry showed that the thermal-stability was weakened when increasing the ILs concentration and polarity, and the fiber arrangement was looser with a more uniform lyophilized structure, observed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. For soluble collagens, electrophoresis patterns and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that no polypeptide chain degradation occurred during dissolution, but the thermal denaturation temperature decreased by 0.26 °C~ 7.63 °C with the increase of ILs concentrations, measured by ultra-sensitive differential scanning calorimetry. Moreover, the aggregation of collagen molecules was reduced when ILs polarity was increased as determined by fluorescence measurements and dynamic light scattering, which resulted in an increased loose fiber arrangement observed by atomic force microscopy. If the structural integrity of collagen needs to be retained, then the ILs sorts and concentrations should be considered.

Graphical abstract

Comparative assessment of the interface between poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) and fish scales in composites: Preparation, characterization, and applications

Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) composites containing fish scales (FSs) were prepared and used in the fabrication of three-dimensional printing filaments. Maleic anhydride (MA)-grafted polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHBV-g-MA) and FS were used to improve the compatibility of FS within a PHBV matrix. Mechanical and morphological characterization indicated that improved adhesion between FS and PHBV-g-MA enhanced the tensile strength of the composite compared with that of PHBV/FS. The PHBV-g-MA/FS composites were also more water-resistant than the PHBV/FS composites. Human foreskin fibroblasts (FBs) were seeded on two series of these composites to assess cytocompatibility. FB proliferation was greater on PHBV/FS composites than on PHBV-g-MA/FS composites. Cell-cycle assays with FBs on PHBV/FS and PHBV-g-MA/FS series composites were unaffected. Moreover, FS enhanced the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of PHBV-g-MA/FS and PHBV/FS composites, demonstrating the potential of PHBV-g-MA/FS and PHBV/FS composites for biomedical material applications.

Fish Scale Valorization by Hydrothermal Pretreatment Followed by Enzymatic Hydrolysis for Gelatin Hydrolysate Production

Protein hydrolysates from fish by-products have good process suitability and bioavailability in the food industry. The objective of this work was to develop a method for protein recovery from fish scales and evaluate the hydrolysis of the scale protein. The effect of the hydrothermal process on protein recovery, degree of hydrolysis (DH) and structural properties of the hydrolysates was investigated. Results showed that hydrothermal treatment could enhance protein recovery of tilapia scales without demineralization and dramatically improve the DH of the hydrolysates. The hydrothermal treated scales showed a better protein recovery (84.81%) and DH (12.88%) and released peptides more efficiently than that of the conventional treated samples. The obtained gelatin hydrolysates mainly distributed in the range of 200–2000 Da with an angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) IC₅₀ value of 0.73 mg/mL. The ACE inhibitory activity of gelatin hydrolysates was stable under high temperature, pH and gastrointestinal proteases. Hydrothermal treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis offers a potential solution for preparation of gelatin hydrolysates for food ingredients from fish processing by-products.

Proteins in Ionic Liquids: Reactions, Applications, and Futures

Biopolymer processing and handling is greatly facilitated by the use of ionic liquids, given the increased solubility, and in some cases, structural stability imparted to these molecules. Focussing on proteins, we highlight here not just the key drivers behind protein-ionic liquid interactions that facilitate these functionalities, but address relevant current and potential applications of protein-ionic liquid interactions, including areas of future interest.

Stability of collagen in ionic liquids: Ion specific Hofmeister series effect

In protein-ionic liquids (ILs) interactions, anions play an important role. In this work, imidazolium-based ILs (IILs) with varying anions namely dicyanamide (DCA), hydrogen sulfate (HS), dimethyl phosphate (DP), acetate (A), sulfate (S) and dihydrogen phosphate (DHP) have been chosen with the aim of understanding the role of anions in bringing about the destabilization effect on collagen based on the kosmotropicity and chaotropicity of ions. Imidazolium-based ILs destabilized the triple helical structure of collagen, thereby proving as strong denaturants for collagen and this was confirmed by various spectroscopic techniques viz., CD, FT-IR, viscosity and impedance measurements. The solution studies were in accordance to the changes in the dimensional stability of RTT collagen fibres at the fibrillar level. Imidazolium cations with varied anions have exhibited destabilizing effect on collagen in order of ions in Hofmeister series; IDP < IDHP < IA < IDCA < IS < IHS. Presumably, these notable effect and changes were facilitated by electrostatic interactions between the anions and amine functional groups of collagen.

MoDoop: An Automated Computational Approach for COSMO-RS Prediction of Biopolymer Solubilities in Ionic Liquids

An automated computational framework (MoDoop) was developed to predict the biopolymer solubilities in ionic liquids (ILs) on the basis of conductor-like screening model for real solvents calculations of two thermodynamic properties: logarithmic activity coefficient (ln γ) at infinite dilution and excess enthalpy (H ^E) of mixture. The calculation was based on the optimized two-dimensional structures of biopolymer models and ILs by searching the lowest-energy conformer and optimizing molecular geometry. Three lignin models together with one IL dataset were used to evaluate the prediction ability of the developed method. The evaluation results show that ln γ is a more reliable property to predict lignin solubilities in ILs and the p-coumaryl alcohol model is considered as the best model to represent lignin molecules. The developed MoDoop approach is efficient for rapid in silico screening of suitable ionic liquids to dissolve biopolymers.

Waste-to-wealth: biowaste valorization into valuable bio(nano)materials

The waste-to-wealth concept aims to promote a future sustainable lifestyle where waste valorization is seen not only for its intrinsic benefits to the environment but also to develop new technologies, livelihoods and jobs.

Characterization of natural hydroxyapatite originated from fish bone and its biocompatibility with osteoblasts

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) was very attractive for using as bone implant material for a long period due to the close similarity with natural bone in composition and osteoconductive properties. In this study, three kinds of natural HAP (nHAP) derived from rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mkiss), cod (Gadus) and salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) bones were prepared using thermal calcination method for the first time. Resultant nHAPs were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Biocompatibility of calcined nHAP was evaluated through MTT cell viability assay and alkaline phosphatase activity experiment using mouse preosteoblast MC3T3-E1. Results of cell experiment indicated that the nHAP originated from rainbow trout and salmon bones showed better biological compatibility compared with the nHAP originated from cod bone and chemical synthetic HAP (cHAP). This is most likely attributed to the different element composition in nHAP, i.e., the nHAP derived from rainbow trout and salmon bones showed the presence of CO₃^2- and Mg²⁺. Therefore, the nHAP originated from rainbow trout and salmon bones have a great potential for application as implant material substitute in bone tissue engineering and the natural waste fish bone product can be used for hydroxyapatite synthesis as a part of bio-waste management.

Pyridinium ionic liquid-based liquid-solid extraction of inorganic and organic iodine from Laminaria

A simple, green and effective extraction method, namely, pyridinium ionic liquid- (IL) based liquid-solid extraction (LSE), was first designed to extract the main inorganic and organic iodine compounds (I-, monoiodo-tyrosine (MIT) and diiodo-tyrosine (DIT)). The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: ultrasonic intensity 100W, IL ([EPy]Br) concentration 200mM, extraction time 30min, liquid/solid ratio 10mL/g, and pH value 6.5. The morphologies of Laminaria were studied by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The recovery values of I-, MIT and DIT from Laminaria were in the range of 88% to 94%, and limits of detection were in the range of 59.40 to 283.6ng/g. The proposed method was applied to the extraction and determination of iodine compounds in three Laminaria. The results showed that IL-based LSE could be a promising method for rapid extraction of bioactive iodine from complex food matrices.