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Sustainability: Recovery and Reuse of Brewing-Derived By-Products

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 15293

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tiziana Amoriello

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Chief Guest Editor

CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, 00178 Rome, Italy
Interests: agricultural sustainability; climate change; modeling; circular economy; waste recovery and reuse; food technology; food quality; food product design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Roberto Ciccoritti

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Assistant Guest Editor

CREA—Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, Via di Fioranello 52, 00134 Rome, Italy
Interests: food processing; biochemistry; chromatography; spectrometry; bioactive compounds; extraction; antioxidant activity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The brewing industry generates huge amounts of by-products in the form of spent grain, spent yeast, spent hops, and unwanted material. These wastes are mainly sold as feed or disposed of as waste. However, industries are interested in new solutions and they have been adopting technological advances to reduce the amount of waste produced and to generate useful materials from the by-products of brewing. At the same time, because they are heterogeneous materials, brewery by-products can be very attractive for applications in food technology, energy production, agriculture, and chemical and biotechnological processes. The advantages of re-using them include the reduction of organic wastes; environmental sustainability; the production of value-added foods at low cost; the production of molecules to reuse in food, pharmaceuticals, or cosmetics; the promotion of technological development; and the opening of new competitive market opportunities.

This Special Issue of Sustainability will address topics relevant to the extraction of valuable compounds (non-starch polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, bioactive peptides, β-glucans, proteins, microfibrillated cellulose, etc.) and their application, sustainable feed and functional food production, sustainable energy systems, and sustainable agricultural practices. Articles that assess the sustainability implications (environmental, economic, and social impacts or benefits) of the implementation of such technologies and innovations are also encouraged. This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and review articles, as well as theoretical and experimental research articles.

Dr. Tiziana Amoriello
Dr. Roberto Ciccoritti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

brewers’ spent grain
spent yeast, spent hops
high-added-value products
bioactive compounds extraction
bioenergy
fertilizer
feed
food ingredients
specialties for nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and flavoring

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 199 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Sustainability: Recovery and Reuse of Brewing-Derived By-Products

by Tiziana Amoriello and Roberto Ciccoritti

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2355; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042355 - 22 Feb 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3860

Abstract

The great global challenge in order to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth over the coming decades is the promotion of the efficient use of resources, favoring a transition to a cleaner and circular economy [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability: Recovery and Reuse of Brewing-Derived By-Products)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

20 pages, 2150 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Isolation and Characterisation of Hordatine-Rich Fractions from Brewer’s Spent Grain and Their Biological Activity on α-Glucosidase and Glycogen Phosphorylase α

by Daniela Becker, Sandra Permann, Tamara Bakuradze, Simone Stegmüller and Elke Richling

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8421; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148421 - 09 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1805

Abstract

Hordatines are a characteristic class of secondary metabolites found in barley which have been reported to be present in barley malt, beer and, recently, brewer´s spent grain (BSG). However, little is known about their biological activities such as antioxidative effects in beer or antifungal activity as their main task within the plants. We conducted an in vitro investigation of the activity of hordatines isolated from BSG towards enzymes of glucose metabolism. Hordatine-rich fractions from BSG were prepared by solid-liquid extraction (SLE) with 60% acetone followed by purification and fractionation. The fractions were characterised and investigated for their in vitro inhibitory potential on α-glucosidase and glycogen phosphorylase α (GPα). Both enzymes are relevant within the human glucose metabolism regarding the digestion of carbohydrates as well as the liberation of glucose from the liver. In total, 10 hordatine-rich fractions varying in the composition of different hordatines were separated and analysed by mass spectrometry. Hordatine A, B and C, as well as hydroxylated aglycons and many glycosides, were detected in the fractions. The total hordatine content was analysed by HPLC-DAD using a semi-quantitative approach and ranged from 60.7 ± 3.1 to 259.6 ± 6.1 µg p-coumaric acid equivalents/mg fraction. Regarding the biological activity of fractions, no inhibitory effect on GPα was observed, whereas an inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase was detected (IC₅₀ values: 77.5 ± 6.5–194.1 ± 2.6 µg/mL). Overall, the results confirmed that hordatines are present in BSG in relatively high amounts and provided evidence that they are potent inhibitors of α-glucosidase. Further research is needed to confirm these results and identify the active hordatine structure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability: Recovery and Reuse of Brewing-Derived By-Products)

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17 pages, 1232 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Optimization of Phenolic Compound Extraction from Brewers’ Spent Grain Using Ultrasound Technologies Coupled with Response Surface Methodology

by Rosamaria Iadecola, Roberto Ciccoritti, Brunella Ceccantoni, Andrea Bellincontro and Tiziana Amoriello

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3309; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063309 - 11 Mar 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2767

Abstract

Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is the main solid by-product from the brewery industry, rich in valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to valorize this by-product, recovering phenolic compounds from BSG using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and chemometric techniques, such as the response surface methodology (RSM). Therefore, UAE process parameters (temperature and time) and solvent composition (ethanol aqueous mixtures) were optimized using a three-level Box–Behnken design, in order to carry out the maximum yield in phenols. Then, the extract obtained under optimal conditions was characterized for the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity (2,20-azino-bis(3-ethylbenothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid, ABTS, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH), and individual phenolic compounds were identified using HPLC-DAD. The results show the highest level of total soluble phenolic content (4.1 ± 0.1 mg GAE/g d.w.) at 80 °C, 50 min and 65:35% ethanol:water, with a high goodness of fit between experimental and predicted values (R² = 0.987), and a high antioxidant potential (DPPH: 0.42 ± 0.01 mg TE eq/g d.w.; ABTS: 5.82 ± 0.04 mg TE eq/g d.w.). A comparison between the classic extraction techniques and the UAE with the same solvent showed an increase of 156% in the phenol yield. The characterization of phenolic profile revealed that ferulic acid (1.5 ± 0.2 mg/L), vanillic acid (0.78 ± 0.18 mg/L) and p-coumaric acid (0.12 ± 0.03 mg/L) were the prevalent ones. UAE coupled with RSM was a useful tool to inexpensively and quickly recover bioactive phenolic compounds from BSG, which can be used in the food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability: Recovery and Reuse of Brewing-Derived By-Products)

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17 pages, 6470 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergetic Co-Production of Beer Colouring Agent and Solid Fuel from Brewers’ Spent Grain in the Circular Economy Perspective

by Mateusz Jackowski, Łukasz Niedźwiecki, Krzysztof Mościcki, Amit Arora, Muhammad Azam Saeed, Krystian Krochmalny, Jakub Pawliczek, Anna Trusek, Magdalena Lech, Jan Skřínský, Jakub Čespiva, Ján Vereš, Tadeáš Ochodek and Halina Pawlak-Kruczek

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10480; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810480 - 21 Sep 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2533

Abstract

Brewers’ Spent Grain is a by-product of the brewing process, with potential applications for energy purposes. This paper presents the results of an investigation aiming at valorization of this residue by torrefaction, making product for two purposes: a solid fuel that could be used for generation of heat for the brewery and a colouring agent that could replace colouring malt for the production of dark beers. Decreased consumption of malt for such purposes would have a positive influence on the sustainability of brewing. Torrefaction was performed at temperatures ranging between 180 °C and 300 °C, with a residence time between 20 and 60 min. For the most severe torrefaction conditions (300 °C, 60 min), the higher heating value of torrefied BSG reached 25 MJ/kg. However, the best beer colouring properties were achieved for mild torrefaction conditions, i.e., 180 °C for 60 min and 210 °C for 40 min, reaching European Brewery Convention colours of 145 and 159, respectively. From the solid fuel properties perspective, the improvements offered by torrefaction in such mild conditions were modest. Overall, the obtained results suggest some trade-off between the optimum colouring properties and optimum solid fuel properties that need to be considered when such dual-purpose torrefaction of BSG for brewery purposes is implemented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability: Recovery and Reuse of Brewing-Derived By-Products)

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18 pages, 4176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Valorisation of Brewer’s Spent Yeasts’ Hydrolysates as High-Value Bioactive Molecules

by David San Martin, Jone Ibarruri, Bruno Iñarra, Nagore Luengo, Jorge Ferrer, Carmen Alvarez-Ossorio, Carlos Bald, Monica Gutierrez and Jaime Zufía

Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6520; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126520 - 08 Jun 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2959

Abstract

Brewer’s spent yeast (BSY) is produced by the beer industry and has high nutritional value and great potential for producing high-value molecules, such as peptides, for nutraceutical, food and feed applications. In the present research, Flavourzyme^® and Protamex^® enzymes were selected for protein hydrolysis based on previous studies. The optimum conditions for the enzymatic hydrolysis were defined by response surface methodology (RSM) by the Box–Behnken design composed of four variables: temperature, pH, enzyme dosage and time. Protein content, hydrolysis degree and the anti-microbial and antioxidant bioactivities of obtained hydrolysates were quantified. Obtained results show that time, enzyme dosage and pH had the highest effect on protein extraction yield (PEY), degree of hydrolysis (DH) and antioxidant activity. Response variables ranged from 13.7 to 29.7% for PEY, from 6.3 to 35.7% for DH and from 0.65 to 1.65 g for Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. Antimicrobial activity, measured as minimum inhibitory concentration, against Aeromonas salmonicida, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella enterica, ranged from 6.25 to 50 mg/mL. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity showed the potential use of BSY hydrolysates as an ingredient for functional foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability: Recovery and Reuse of Brewing-Derived By-Products)

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