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Molecules
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Value-Added Agrifood Waste
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Value-Added Agrifood Waste

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 19982

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ramon Canela-Garayoa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry-DBA Center, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain
Interests: agrifood waste; biorrefineries; biocatalysis; carotenoids; circular bioecomy; DES; ionic solvents; organic synthesis; platform chemicals; valorization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mercè Balcells

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry Department-DBA Center, University of Lleida-Agrotecnio, Lleida, Spain
Interests: agrifood waste; biorrefineries; biocatalysis; circular bioecomy; food additives; food fibers; organic synthesis; platform chemicals; polyphenols; valorization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We recently offered to serve as Guest Editors for the Special Issue “Value-Added Agrifood Waste ” of the journal "Molecules" (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules).
We hope you will agree to contribute a short communication, research paper, or focus review to this Special Issue. Given below is some information that you may find useful in your consideration of this invitation.

(1) This Special Issue welcomes the submission of previously unpublished manuscripts (original researches or reviews) detailing all aspects of value-added agrifood waste. Examples of these studies may include the following:

  • Analytical platform for agrifood waste characterization;
  • Isolation of antioxidants;
  • Bioethanol production;
  • Biomethane production;
  • Isolation of cellulose;
  • Food additives isolation;
  • Green solvents to add value to agrifood wastes;
  • Isolation of lignin;
  • Lignin oil preparation;
  • Lignocellulose characterization;
  • Logistic for adding value to agrifood waste;
  • Isolation of hemicellulose;
  • Preparation of platform chemicals.

You are welcome to generate a unique topic. For more information about the Special Issue, please see
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules/special_issues/value-added_agrifood_waste

(2) The deadline for submissions is 31 May 2020, but articles may be submitted sooner as they will be published on an ongoing basis. Currently, the median time from submission to first decision in Molecules is 14 days and the period from acceptance to publication is 4.96 days on average, which is attributed to the rapid processing of papers upon acceptance for publication.

Molecules is fully open-access. Open access (unlimited and free access by readers) increases publicity and promotes more frequent citations, as indicated by several studies. Open access is supported by the authors and their institutes.
In order for us to plan this Special Issue, we kindly ask you to inform us at your earliest convenience if you wish to contribute a paper on this topic.

Many thanks in advance.

Kind regards,

Prof. Ramon Canela-Garayoa
Dr. Mercè Balcells
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. Molecules 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 2700 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

  • Biorefineries
  • Biotechnology
  • Bioplastics
  • Carotenoids
  • Circular bioeconomy
  • DES
  • Food additives
  • Food fibers
  • Ionic solvents
  • Organic fertilizers
  • Platform chemicals
  • Polyphenols

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2020 KiB  
Article
Enzymatic Extraction and Characterization of Pectin from Cocoa Pod Husks (Theobroma cacao L.) Using Celluclast® 1.5 L
by Licelander Hennessey-Ramos, Walter Murillo-Arango, Juliana Vasco-Correa and Isabel Cristina Paz Astudillo
Molecules 2021, 26(5), 1473; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26051473 - 9 Mar 2021
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 8383
Abstract
Cocoa pod husks are a waste generated during the processing of cocoa beans. We aimed to explore the enzymatic extraction of pectin using cellulases. The extraction process was optimized using a central composite design (CCD) and analyzed by response surface methodology (RSM). The [...] Read more.
Cocoa pod husks are a waste generated during the processing of cocoa beans. We aimed to explore the enzymatic extraction of pectin using cellulases. The extraction process was optimized using a central composite design (CCD) and analyzed by response surface methodology (RSM). The parameters optimized were feedstock concentration (%), enzyme dosage (µL/g), and time (h). Three dependent variables were studied: pectin yield (g/100 g dry husk) (R2 = 97.02), galacturonic acid content (g/100 g pectin) (R2 = 96.90), and galacturonic acid yield (g/100 g feedstock) (R2 = 95.35). The optimal parameters were 6.0% feedstock concentration, 40 µL g−1 of enzyme, and 18.54 h, conditions that produced experimentally a pectin yield of 10.20 g/100 g feedstock, 52.06 g galacturonic acid/100 g pectin, and a yield 5.31 g galacturonic acid/100 g feedstock. Using the chemical extraction method, a yield of 8.08 g pectin/100 g feedstock and a galacturonic acid content of 60.97 g/100 g pectin were obtained. Using assisted sonication, a pectin yield of 8.28 g/100 g feedstock and a galacturonic acid content of 42.77 g/100 g pectin were obtained. Enzymatically optimized pectin has rheological and physicochemical features typical of this biomaterial, which provides an interesting alternative for the valorization of cocoa husks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Value-Added Agrifood Waste)
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16 pages, 2361 KiB  
Article
Acetone Prospect as an Additive to Allow the Use of Castor and Sunflower Oils as Drop-In Biofuels in Diesel/Acetone/Vegetable Oil Triple Blends for Application in Diesel Engines
by Laura Aguado-Deblas, Jesus Hidalgo-Carrillo, Felipa M. Bautista, Diego Luna, Carlos Luna, Juan Calero, Alejandro Posadillo, Antonio A. Romero and Rafael Estevez
Molecules 2020, 25(12), 2935; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25122935 - 25 Jun 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4627
Abstract
The present paper investigates the feasibility of using acetone (ACE) in triple blends with fossil diesel (D) and straight vegetable oils (SVOs) as alternative fuel for diesel engines. In this respect, ACE is selected as an oxygenated additivedue to its favorable propertiesto be [...] Read more.
The present paper investigates the feasibility of using acetone (ACE) in triple blends with fossil diesel (D) and straight vegetable oils (SVOs) as alternative fuel for diesel engines. In this respect, ACE is selected as an oxygenated additivedue to its favorable propertiesto be mixed with vegetable oils and fossil diesel. In fact, the very low kinematic viscosity allows reduces the high viscosity of SVOs. ACE’s oxygen content, low autoignition temperature, and very low cloud point and pour point values highlight its possibilities as an additive in D/ACE/SVO triple blends. Moreover, ACE can be produced through a renewable biotechnological process, an acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation from cellulosic biomass. The SVOs tested were castor oil (CO), which is not suitable for human consumption, and sunflower oil (SO), used as a standard reference for waste cooking oil. The viscosity measurement of the ACE/SVO double blend was considered crucial to choose the optimum proportion, which better fulfilled the specifications established by European standard EN 590. Moreover, some of the most significant physicochemical properties of D/ACE/SVO triple blends, such as kinematic viscosity, cloud point, pour point, and calorific value, were determined to assess their suitability as fuels. The blends were evaluated in a conventional diesel generator through the study of the following parameters: engine power, smoke emissions, and fuel consumption. Despite the low calorific value of ACE limits its ratio in the mixtures due to engine knocking problems, the experimental results reveal an excellent performance for the blends containing up to 16-18% of ACE and 22-24% of SVO. These blends produce similar engine power as to fossil diesel, but with slightly higher fuel consumption. Considerable reductions in emissions of air pollutants, as well as excellent cold flow properties are also obtained with these triple blends. In summary, the use of these biofuels could achieve a substitution of fossil diesel up to 40%, independently on the SVO employed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Value-Added Agrifood Waste)
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Review

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38 pages, 11126 KiB  
Review
Preparation and Uses of Chlorinated Glycerol Derivatives
by Anna Canela-Xandri, Mercè Balcells, Gemma Villorbina, Paul Christou and Ramon Canela-Garayoa
Molecules 2020, 25(11), 2511; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25112511 - 28 May 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6392
Abstract
Crude glycerol (C3H8O3) is a major by-product of biodiesel production from vegetable oils and animal fats. The increased biodiesel production in the last two decades has forced glycerol production up and prices down. However, crude glycerol from [...] Read more.
Crude glycerol (C3H8O3) is a major by-product of biodiesel production from vegetable oils and animal fats. The increased biodiesel production in the last two decades has forced glycerol production up and prices down. However, crude glycerol from biodiesel production is not of adequate purity for industrial uses, including food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The purification process of crude glycerol to reach the quality standards required by industry is expensive and dificult. Novel uses for crude glycerol can reduce the price of biodiesel and make it an economical alternative to diesel. Moreover, novel uses may improve environmental impact, since crude glycerol disposal is expensive and dificult. Glycerol is a versatile molecule with many potential applications in fermentation processes and synthetic chemistry. It serves as a glucose substitute in microbial growth media and as a precursor in the synthesis of a number of commercial intermediates or fine chemicals. Chlorinated derivatives of glycerol are an important class of such chemicals. The main focus of this review is the conversion of glycerol to chlorinated derivatives, such as epichlorohydrin and chlorohydrins, and their further use in the synthesis of additional downstream products. Downstream products include non-cyclic compounds with allyl, nitrile, azide and other functional groups, as well as oxazolidinones and triazoles, which are cyclic compounds derived from ephichlorohydrin and chlorohydrins. The polymers and ionic liquids, which use glycerol as an initial building block, are highlighted, as well. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Value-Added Agrifood Waste)
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