Innovative and Sustainable Biorefinery Processes for Food Waste Valorization towards Circular Bioeconomy in Modern Agriculture and Agro-Industry

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2024) | Viewed by 7556

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Interests: agro-food waste upcycling; biorefinery approach; fungal enzyme production; green precipitation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación y Jardín Etnobiológico, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Viesca, Mexico
Interests: phenolic compounds; agroindustrial by-products; food security and nutrition; solid-state fermentation; edible films and coatings

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina, Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Interests: food science; bioative compounds; circular economy; integrated valorisation; upcycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Group of Bioprocesses and Bioproducts, Food Research Department, School of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Saltillo, Mexico
Interests: food fermentation; waste valorization; food biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural and agro-industrial activities are responsible for the overproduction/overaccumulation of many types of waste, raising huge environmental concern due to the scarcity of sustainable treatments and applications for these wastes. Therefore, the production and consumption systems throughout the supply chain need to upgraded. In this context, the circular bioeconomy is proposed as a revolutionary strategy to address various complex concerns such as limited and depleted resources, food wastage and security, as well as environmental pollution and climate change. Special attention should be focused on the full valorization of food waste materials, especially due to their interesting chemical composition and structural characteristics. These wastes could be considered renewable natural resources for the obtention of different ingredients/additives, including cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, proteins with or without enzymatic activity, natural antioxidant/antimicrobial agents, simple sugars and organic acids, among others. The development of biorefinery platforms and processes could act as a modern practical strategy for the sustainable management and exploitation of these wastes. These platforms are expected to yield multiple high-value products from these wastes, including biofuels, food and feed ingredients, biochemicals, and biomaterials through the combination of useful conversion processes involving consolidated and green technologies.

This Special Issue emphasizes the development of biorefinery cascading processes for the investigation of valorizing food waste from agricultural and agro-industrial sectors, yielding high-impact and valuable products. This issue on Biorefinery Processes for Food Waste Valorization will involve multidisciplinary areas comprising agriculture and agro-industry, with the disciplines of biotechnology, food science, bioprocessing, food chemistry, and engineering. Research articles will cover a broad scope of food waste from the processing of any type of crop, including vegetables and fruits as well as plants and trees. All types of articles, such as original research papers, opinions, and reviews, are welcome.

Dr. Ricardo Gómez-García
Prof. Dr. Cristian Torres-León
Dr. Débora A. Campos
Prof. Dr. Cristóbal Noé Aguilar González
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biorefinery systems
  • biowaste valorization
  • bioactive compounds
  • circular bioeconomy
  • functional ingredients
  • fiber
  • proteins
  • zero-waste approach

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 3731 KiB  
Article
Impact of Lentinus sajor-caju on Lignocellulosic Biomass, In Vitro Rumen Digestibility and Antioxidant Properties of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus Stems under Solid-State Fermentation Conditions
by Yu-Qiong Wang, Li-Long Luo, Li-Ming Chen, Yang-Ci Liao, Hang Zhang and Chang-Long Gou
Agriculture 2024, 14(10), 1702; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14101702 - 28 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 877
Abstract
Lentinus sajor-caju has shown potential for the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass in various substrates. Here, we evaluated whether L. sajor-caju affects the lignocellulosic biomass, in vitro fermentation and antioxidant properties of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus (AMM) stems. The lignocellulosic biomass content and the [...] Read more.
Lentinus sajor-caju has shown potential for the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass in various substrates. Here, we evaluated whether L. sajor-caju affects the lignocellulosic biomass, in vitro fermentation and antioxidant properties of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus (AMM) stems. The lignocellulosic biomass content and the antioxidant activity of AMM stems were determined by scanning electron microscopy, chemical component analysis, in vitro fermentation and LC-MS metabolomics after 30 days of fermentation by L. sajor-caju at 25 °C. L. sajor-caju significantly altered the rigid structure of the stems. Compared with the control condition, the lignocellulose contents were significantly reduced (p < 0.001) and improved in vitro digestibility and total volatile fatty acids. In total, 624 differential metabolites, including 201 up-regulated and 423 down-regulated, were identified in unfermented and fermented comparison groups. Correlation analysis indicated that there were strongly correlations of the total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity. Meanwhile, the differential metabolites were primarily associated with antioxidant activity, with 4(3H)-quinazolinone, dihydrocarvyl acetate and jaceoside being the most representative. In summary, L. sajor-caju altered the composition of the cell wall of AMM stems, thereby enhancing their antioxidant activity. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 902 KiB  
Article
Solid-State Fermentation for Phenolic Compounds Recovery from Mexican Oregano (Lippia graveolens Kunth) Residual Leaves Applying a Lactic Acid Bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides)
by Israel Bautista-Hernández, Ricardo Gómez-García, Cristóbal N. Aguilar, Guillermo C. G. Martínez-Ávila, Cristian Torres-León and Mónica L. Chávez-González
Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1342; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081342 - 11 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2345
Abstract
The Mexican oregano by-products are a source of bioactive molecules (polyphenols) that could be extracted using solid-state fermentation (SSF). This study fermented the by-products via SSF (120 h) with a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Sequentially, a bioactive and chemical determination [...] Read more.
The Mexican oregano by-products are a source of bioactive molecules (polyphenols) that could be extracted using solid-state fermentation (SSF). This study fermented the by-products via SSF (120 h) with a lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Leuconostoc mesenteroides. Sequentially, a bioactive and chemical determination was made according to the phenolic content, antioxidant activity (DPPH/FRAP), bioactive properties (α-amylase inhibition and antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli), and chemical composition (HPLC-MS). The results showed that the total phenolics and flavonoid content, as well as the antioxidant activity, increased (0.60, 2.55, and 3.01 times, respectively) during the SSF process compared with unfermented material. Also, the extracts showed antimicrobial activity against E. coli and α-amylase inhibition. These inhibitory results could be attributed to bioactive compounds identified via HPLC, such as gardenin B, trachelogenin, ferulic acid, and resveratrol 3-O-glucoside. Therefore, the application of L. mesenteroides under SSF on oregano by-products comprises an eco-friendly strategy for their valorization as raw materials for the recovery of phenolic compounds that could be natural alternatives against synthetic antioxidant and antimicrobial agents, promoting a more circular and sustainable supply system within the oregano industry. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

19 pages, 4773 KiB  
Article
Implementation of a Circular Bioeconomy: Obtaining Cellulose Fibers Derived from Portuguese Vine Pruning Residues for Heritage Conservation, Oxidized with TEMPO and Ultrasonic Treatment
by Liliana Araújo, Adriana R. Machado, Sérgio Sousa, Óscar L. Ramos, Alessandra B. Ribeiro, Francisca Casanova, Manuela E. Pintado, Eduarda Vieira and Patrícia Moreira
Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 1905; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13101905 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1956
Abstract
Inspired by the principles of the circular economy, using vineyard pruning residues as a source of raw materials for producing nanocellulose is a promising approach to transforming vineyard resources into value-added products. This study aimed to obtain and characterize cellulose and cellulose nanofibers [...] Read more.
Inspired by the principles of the circular economy, using vineyard pruning residues as a source of raw materials for producing nanocellulose is a promising approach to transforming vineyard resources into value-added products. This study aimed to obtain and characterize cellulose and cellulose nanofibers from such sources. The cellulose collected from different fractions of micronized stems (500, 300, 150 μm, and retain) of vines was submitted to autohydrolysis and finally bleached. Soon, it underwent treatment via (2,2,6,6-tetrametil-piperidi-1-nil)oxil (TEMPO) oxidation and ultrasonic to obtain nanocellulose fibers. The cellulose films were obtained at a microscale thickness of 0.05 ± 0.00; 0.37 ± 0.03; 0.06 ± 0.01 e 0.030 ± 0.01 mm, with the following particle size: 500 µm, 300 µm, 150 µm, and retain (<150 µm). The bleaching efficiency of the cellulose fibers of each particle size fraction was evaluated for color through a colorimeter. In addition, the extraction of cellulose fibers was assessed by infrared with Fourier transform, and size and shape were assessed by microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction were performed to confirm the thermal and crystalline properties. Combining autohydrolysis with a bleaching step proved to be a promising and ecological alternative to obtain white fractions rich in cellulose. It was possible to perform the extraction of cellulose to obtain nanocellulose fibers from vine pruning residues for the development of coatings for the conservation of heritage buildings from environmental conditions through an environmentally friendly process. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop