Search Results (23)

The present study targets key limitation ‘separation after the process’ that is responsible for the loss of the photocatalyst in water treatment during heterogeneous photocatalysis. Therefore, eco-friendly nanostructured ZnO coatings were engineered by the doctor blade technique through the immobilization of green ZnO nanomaterials onto alumina substrate. ZnO/BPE 30 and ZnO/BPE 60 coatings were obtained from banana peel extract-based ZnO powder (ZnO/BPE). Likewise, ZnO/GTE 30 and ZnO/GTE 60 were prepared using green tea extract-based ZnO powder (ZnO/GTE). XRD characterization verified hexagonal wurtzite ZnO phase, while HRSEM analysis revealed that the flat surface of ZnO/BPE had rod-like nanostructures below 120 nm, and ZnO/GTE had spherical, porous nanoparticle networks with less than 70 nm. According to UV–vis spectrometry, all four coatings have bandgaps of ~5 eV. The highest efficiency for the solar-driven photocatalytic degradation of emerging organic pollutants was for ciprofloxacin (among pesticides clomazone and tembotrione; pharmaceuticals ciprofloxacin and 17α-ethinylestradiol; and mycotoxin zearalenone) in ultrapure water with the presence of all studied ZnO-based coatings, after 60 min of simulated solar irradiation. Its highest removal (89.1%) was achieved with ZnO/GTE 30, also having good reusability across three consecutive cycles in river water, thus supporting the application of eco-friendly, immobilized ZnO nanomaterials for wastewater treatment and environmental remediation. Full article

We intend to prepare pumpkin puree based on the health benefits of both the flesh of pumpkins (Cucurbita maxima) and the peel of bananas (Musa spp.). However, before we begin we would like to optimize the conditions by using thermosonication, rather than conventional pasteurization, and a quantity of banana peel powder. Therefore, this study aimed to use response surface methodology (RSM) to find the best temperature and time settings for the ultrasonication process of functional pumpkin puree (FPP) with banana peel powder (BPP) to increase the amount of total phenolics and DPPH scavenging activity while also making the quality of the puree better. To enhance the FPP production process, quality attributes (responses), including total phenolic content (TPC), 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging activity, pH, acidity, and color change (ΔE) were assessed. The model demonstrated validity (R² = 0.97–0.988) and was highly significant (p < 0.0001). The experimental values of the responses supported the validity of the utilized RSM model, which closely matched the expected values at the ideal processing conditions of process temperature (40 °C), ultrasonic process duration (8.23 min), and BPP (2 g/100 g). Under these conditions, the generated FPP had quality attributes of 205.79 mg GAE/100 mL, 83.01%, 5.78, 0.32 g/100 g, and 3.81 for responses, respectively. Full article

This study addresses environmental concerns by utilizing banana peel waste to develop innovative adsorbent materials for wastewater treatment, aligning with circular economy principles. Spherical beads were synthesized from sodium alginate mixed with various banana peel-based materials, including pure powder (PBP), activated carbon (AC), and magnetic activated carbon (MAC). These beads were evaluated for their efficiency in removing tetracycline (TC) and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) as model pollutants representing antibiotics and heavy metals, respectively. Characterization of the beads revealed functional groups and thermal stability conducive to effective adsorption. Adsorption trials demonstrated that MAC beads achieved the highest removal efficiencies, up to 92% for TC and 79% for Cr(VI). The adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherms. Remarkably, the beads retained a significant adsorption capacity across reuse cycles, indicating their regenerative potential. Comparisons with other adsorbents highlight the competitive performance of these banana peel-based materials. The results emphasize the potential of banana peel-derived adsorbents as cost-effective, sustainable solutions for mitigating emerging pollutants in water systems, promoting waste valorization and environmental protection. The research demonstrates a novel approach to sequential adsorption without intermediate regeneration, showing that the beads can effectively remove both tetracycline and chromium (VI) in successive cycles. This finding is particularly significant because it reveals that the presence of previously adsorbed chromium actually enhanced the beads’ capacity for tetracycline removal in the second cycle, suggesting a synergistic effect that had not been previously reported in the literature. These innovations contribute meaningfully to both waste valorization and water treatment technologies, offering new insights into the development of multi-functional adsorbents from agricultural waste materials. Full article

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which is classified as a catecholamine. It is also one of the main metabolites produced by some tumor types (such as paragangliomas and neoblastomas). As such, determining and monitoring the level of dopamine is of the utmost importance, ideally using analytical techniques that are sensitive, simple, and low in cost. Due to this, we have developed a non-enzymatic dopamine sensor that is highly sensitive, selective, and rapidly detects the presence of dopamine in the body. A hybrid material fabricated with NiO and ZnO, based on date fruit extract, was synthesized by hydrothermal methods and using NiO as a precursor material. This paper discusses the role of date fruit extracts in improving NiO’s catalytic performance with reference to ZnO and the role that they play in this process. An X-ray powder diffraction study, a scanning electron microscope study, and a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study were performed in order to investigate the structure of the samples. It was found that, in the composite NiO/ZnO, NiO exhibited a cubic phase and ZnO exhibited a hexagonal phase, both of which exhibited well-oriented aggregated cluster shapes in the composite. A hybrid material containing NiO and ZnO has been found to be highly electro-catalytically active in the advanced oxidation of dopamine in a phosphate buffer solution at a pH of 7.3. It has been found that this can be accomplished without the use of enzymes, and the range of oxidation used here was between 0.01 mM and 4 mM. The detection limit of non-enzymatic sensors is estimated to be 0.036 μM. Several properties of the non-enzymatic sensor presented here have been demonstrated, including its repeatability, selectivity, and reproducibility. A test was conducted on Sample 2 for the detection of banana peel and wheat grass, and the results were highly encouraging and indicated that biomass waste may be useful for the manufacture of medicines to treat chronic diseases. It is thought that date fruit extracts would prove to be valuable resources for the development of next-generation electrode materials for use in clinical settings, for energy conversion, and for energy storage. Full article

In this study, environmentally friendly and low-cost biomass materials were selected as wood flame retardants. Three polyelectrolyte flame-retardant coatings made from chitosan (CS), tea polyphenols (TP), soybean isolate protein (SPI), and banana peel powder (BBP) were constructed on wood surfaces by layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly. The results of SEM-EDS and FT-IR analyses confirmed the successful deposition of CS-TP, CS-SPI, and CS-BPP on the wood surface, and the content of N element increased. The TG results showed that the initial decomposition temperature and the maximum thermal decomposition temperature of the coated wood specimens decreased, while the char residue increased significantly. This is due to the earlier pyrolysis of CS-TP, CS-SPI, and CS-BBP. This shows that the three polyelectrolyte flame-retardant coatings can improve the thermal stability of wood. The combustion behavior of the wood specimen was observed by exposure to combustion; the coated wood could self-extinguish within a certain period of time after ignition, and the flame-retardant performance was improved to a certain extent. SEM and EDS characterization analyses of the carbon residue after combustion showed that the coated wood charcoal layer was denser, which could effectively block heat and combustible gas. Full article

Porous anorthite (CaAl₂Si₂O₈) ceramics, suitable for thermal insulation in buildings, were obtained using waste seashells as a source of CaO, kaolin as a source of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ and banana peel as a pore former. Changing the volume of banana peel as well as the processing temperature was found to be an effective approach to control the thermo-mechanical properties of the obtained anorthite ceramics. The sintering of powder compacts containing up to 30 wt% banana peel at temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1200 °C resulted in anorthite ceramics possessing up to 45% open porosity, a compressive strength between 13 and 92 MPa, a bulk density between 1.87 and 2.62 g/cm³ and thermal conductivity between 0.097 and 3.5 W/mK. It was shown that waste materials such as seashells and banana peel can be used to obtain cost-effective thermal insulation in buildings. Full article

Banana peel waste is abundant and can be utilized as a low-cost adsorbent for removing toxic Cr (VI) from wastewater. The acid modification of banana peels significantly enhances their adsorption capacity for Cr (VI). An adsorbent was prepared by treating banana peel powder with 50% H₂SO₄ at 50 °C for 24 h. The acid treatment increased the surface area of the adsorbent from 0.0363 to 0.0507 m²/g. The optimum adsorbent dose was found to be 1 g/L for the complete removal of Cr (VI) from 100 ppm solutions. The adsorption capacity was 161 mg/g based on the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second order model. Increasing the temperature from 20 to 50 °C increased the initial adsorption rate but had a minor effect on the equilibrium adsorption capacity. Thermodynamics studies showed that the process was spontaneous and endothermic. The activation energy was estimated as 24.5 kJ/mol, indicating physisorption. FTIR analyses before and after adsorption showed the involvement of hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxyl groups in binding the Cr (VI). The Cr (VI) was reduced to Cr (III), which then bound to functional groups on the adsorbent. Desorption under acidic conditions could recover 36% of the adsorbed Cr as Cr (III). No desorption occurred at a neutral pH, indicating irreversible adsorption. Overall, acid-modified banana peel is an efficient, low-cost and eco-friendly adsorbent for removing toxic Cr (VI) from wastewater. Full article

Due to the growing concerns about pharmaceutical contamination and its devastating impact on the economy and the health of humans and the environment, developing efficient approaches for removing such contaminants has become essential. Adsorption is a cost-effective technique for removing pollutants. Thus, in this work, banana peels as agro-industrial waste were utilized for synthesizing activated carbon for removing pharmaceuticals, namely amoxicillin and carbamazepine from different water matrices. The chemically activated carbon by phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄) was carbonized at temperatures 350 °C, 450 °C and 550 °C. The material was characterized by several techniques such as scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Boehm titration, point of zero charge (pH_PZC), BET surface area (S_BET), the proximate and ultimate analyses, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and thermos-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The SEM of banana peel activated carbon (BPAC) depicted a semi-regular and heterogeneous morphology, characterized by an abundance of pores with diverse forms and sizes. Boehm titration revealed an increase in the amounts of acidic groups by 0.711 mmol/g due to activation by H₃PO₄. FTIR recorded different peaks suggesting significant modifications in the spectroscopic characteristics of the BPAC surface due to the successful activation and adsorption of the pollutant molecules. The pHpzc of BPAC was calculated to be 5.005. The S_BET surface area dramatically increased to 911.59 m²/g after the activation. The optimum conditions were 25 °C, a materials dosage of 1.2 g/L, a saturation time of 120 min, a pollutants mixture of 25 mg/L, and a pH of 5. Langmuir exhibits a slightly better fit than Freundlich with a low value of the residual sum of squares (SSE) and the data were better fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic. Furthermore, the efficacy of BPAC in eliminating pharmaceuticals from Milli Q water, lake water, and wastewater was successfully investigated over the seven cycles. The results of the present work highlighted a potential usage of agro-industrial waste in eliminating organic micropollutants while exhibiting sustainable management of this waste. Full article

In this work, ZnO, SnO₂, and their mixed ZnO-SnO₂(25%) nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully green synthesized in a straightforward manner with a low-cost and environmentally friendly approach using a banana peel extract. The synthesized nanophotocatalysts were characterized using various techniques including FTIR, XRD, UV-Vis, TEM, SEM, BET, PL, EDS, and TGA. The characterization results showed that the ZnO and SnO₂ powders were crystallized in a hexagonal wurtzite and rutile-type tetragonal structures, respectively, and their mixed ZnO-SnO₂(25%) NPs contain both structures. Also, it was found that the addition of SnO₂ into the ZnO structure reduces the PL intensity of the latter, confirming better separation of electron/hole pairs. The average particle size of a ZnO-SnO₂(25%) NP photocatalyst was found to be 7.23 nm. The cationic dyes methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV) as well as the anionic dyes naphthol blue black (NBB) and Coomassie brilliant blue R 250 (CBB) were employed as model dyes to assess the dye removal efficiencies of the biosynthesized nanophotocatalysts under sunlight. In all cases, the mixed ZnO-SnO₂(25%) NP photocatalyst showed much better photocatalytic activity than individual photocatalysts. The degradation percent of dyes using ZnO-SnO₂(25%) NPs ranged between 92.2% and 98%. The efficient photocatalytic activity of ZnO-SnO₂(25%) NPs is attributed to the effective charge separation and reduced electron/hole recombination rate. The kinetic study results conformed to a pseudo first-order reaction rationalized in terms of the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. Furthermore, the results showed that the ZnO-SnO₂(25%) NP photocatalyst is highly stable and could be recycled several times without a noticeable reduction in its catalytic activity towards dye removal. Full article

In banana cultivation, a considerable amount of the production is wasted every year because of various constraints present in the post-harvest management chain. Converting green banana pulp and peels into flour could help to reduce losses and enable the food sector to keep the product for an entire year or more. In order to use green banana fruit and peel flour in the food industry as a raw ingredient such as in bakery and confectionery items—namely biscuits, cookies, noodles, nutritious powder, etc.—it is essential to standardize the process for the production of the flour. As a result, the purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of pretreatment and temperature on the drying capabilities and quality of dried green banana peel. The green banana peel pieces were pretreated with 0.5 and 1.0% KMS (potassium metabisulfite), and untreated samples were taken as control, and dried at 40°, 50°, and 60 °C in a tray dryer. To reduce the initial moisture content of 90–91.58% (wb) to 6.25–9.73% (wb), a drying time of 510–360 min was required in all treatments. The moisture diffusivity (D_eff) increased with temperature, i.e., D_eff increased from 5.069–6.659 × 10⁻⁸, 6.013–7.653 × 10⁻⁸, and 4.969–6.510 × 10⁻⁸ m²/s for the control sample, 0.5% KMS, and 1.0% KMS, respectively. The Page model was determined to be the best suited for the drying data with the greatest R² and the least χ² and RSME values in comparison with the other two models. When 0.5% KMS-pretreated materials were dried at 60 °C, the water activity and drying time were minimal. Hue angle, chroma, and rehydration ratio were satisfactory and within the acceptable limits for 0.5% KMS-pretreated dried banana peel at 60 °C. Full article

Disposing of pollutants in water sources poses risks to human health and the environment, but biosorption has emerged as an eco-friendly, cost-effective, and green alternative for wastewater treatment. This work shows the ability of banana peel powder (BPP) biosorbents for efficient sorption of methylene blue (MB), atrazine, and glyphosate pollutants. The biosorbent highlights several surface chemical functional groups and morphologies containing agglomerated microsized particles and microporous structures. BPP showed a 66% elimination of MB in 60 min, with an adsorption capacity (q_e) of ~33 mg g⁻¹, and a combination of film diffusion and chemisorption governed the sorption process. The biosorbent removed 91% and 97% of atrazine and glyphosate pesticides after 120 min, with q_e of 3.26 and 3.02 mg g⁻¹, respectively. The glyphosate and atrazine uptake best followed the Elovich and the pseudo-first-order kinetic, respectively, revealing different sorption mechanisms. Our results suggest that BPP is a low-cost biomaterial for green and environmentally friendly wastewater treatment. Full article

One potential solution to enhance the nutritional value of food while addressing environmental concerns is to use bioactive extracts from agro-waste in the food industry. This study aimed to investigate the effects of replacing sucrose with powders made from Stevia leaves (SLP), banana peels (BPP), and carrot leaves (CLP), as well as their mixtures, in cupcakes. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the impact of these substitutes on alloxan-induced diabetic rats fed the cupcakes. Sensory evaluation revealed that up to 60% of sucrose in the cupcake formula could be replaced without significant changes in sensory attributes. Substituting agro-wastes and SLP increased the protein content from 12.86% to 14.26% and the dietary fiber content from 3.65% to 5.60% compared to the control sample. The treated diabetic groups, particularly those fed cupcakes containing SLP-CLP mixture, showed increased body weight gain % and feed intake, reducing serum glucose levels from 427.5 to 180.8 mg/dL after 28 days. The mix of CLP-SLP had the highest additive effect, indicating a significant reduction in various biochemical parameters, including ALT, AST, albumin, urea, uric acid, creatinine, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL, compared to the positive control. No histopathological alterations were detected in the pancreas and liver of diabetic rats fed cupcakes supplemented with SLP-CLP. However, moderate degenerations were observed in the hepatocytes of diabetic rats fed cupcakes fortified with SLP-BPP. Full article

The application of processing waste by-products along with probiotics is an interesting choice to confer potential functional aspects to food products. This study was designed to investigate the nutritional capacity of freeze-dried mango peel powder (MPP) and banana peel powder (BPP) in the presence of a mixture of three probiotic species (1% of each of three probiotics (Lacticaseibacillus casei (431^®), Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (LGG^®) and Bifidobacterium subsp. Lactis (Bb-12^®)) as sources of additional nutrients and prebiotics in fresh and rehydrated freeze-dried (RFD) yogurts for 28 days of refrigerated storage. The net count of probiotics in yogurt fortified with MPP and BPP increased by at least 1 log CFU/g after 4 weeks of refrigerated storage. Adding fruit peel powder (FPP) significantly (p < 0.05) increased fat, ash, and protein contents in both fresh and RFD yogurts in comparison with the control yogurt. Similarly, the total phenolic contents (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AOA) was enhanced significantly (p < 0.05). The TPC reached 2.27 ± 0.18 and 2.73 ± 0.11 mg GAE/g in RFD enriched with BPP and MPP compared to a TPC of 0.31 ± 0.07 mg GAE/g in the control. Additionally, yogurt samples enriched with BPP (Y-5) and MPP (Y-6) demonstrated 12% more sugar contents than non-fortified yogurts (Y-1). Higher titratable acidity and lower pH values were also recorded in the RFD yogurt. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in the color parameters were detected in both fresh and RFD yogurts with reduced brightness (L*) and increased redness (a*) of the product. These findings demonstrated the suitability of MPP and BPP in yogurt formulations to optimize the advantages of such synbiotic products with higher availability of phenolic compounds. Full article

Banana peel powder (BPP) was used to prepare poly(lactic acid) (PLA) bio-based composites and the flame retardancy was enhanced by introducing silica-gel microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate (MCAPP). The results showed that the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of PLA containing 15 wt % BPP was 22.1% and just passed the UL-94 V-2 rate. Moreover, with the introduction of 5 wt % MCAPP and 15 wt % BPP, the PLA composite had a higher LOI value of 31.5%, and reached the UL-94 V-0 rating, with self-extinguishing and anti-dripping abilities. The PLA/M5B15 also had a lower peak heat release rate (296.7 kW·m⁻²), which was 16% lower than that of the PLA/B15 composite. Furthermore, the synergistic effects between MCAPP and BPP impart better thermal stability to PLA composites. According to the investigation of the char residue and pyrolysis gaseous products, MCAPP with BPP addition is beneficial to the formation of a higher quality char layer in the solid phase but also plays the flame retardant effect in the gas phase. This work provides a simple and efficient method to solve the high cost and flammability issues of PLA composites. Full article

The aim of the present work is to investigate the potential use of banana peel waste as a natural coagulant and to enhance its coagulation performance using a green modification approach for the removal of synthetic water turbidity and river water treatment. Here, the regular banana peel powder had an average particle size and diameter of 978 ± 37 nm and 602 ± 13 nm, respectively, while the modified powder possessed 571 ± 41 nm and 360 ± 19 nm particle size and diameter, respectively. The coagulation performance was investigated at different pH levels, doses, sedimentation times, and NaCl quantities. The optimum dose was found to be 0.4 g/L for modified banana peel with turbidity removal of up to 90%. NaCl slightly enhanced the coagulation performance at low quantities of less than 0.4 g/L, but the activity was reduced at higher concentrations even in the modified powder. Banana peel powder had a weaker turbidity reduction of 76 and 84% for non-modified and modified powders in river water, respectively, in addition to significant reduction in water color, total dissolved and suspended solids, and chemical and biochemical oxygen demand. SEM and FT-IR characterization were performed to investigate and confirm the coagulation mechanism. Such a green modification of banana peel powder can be an alternative with significantly potential as a low cost and easily available bio-coagulant, which can certainly contribute to the waste reduction. Full article