Search Results (1,457)

Nowadays, insects are reared for food and feed. This idea includes the rearing of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.). The study aimed to assess the effect of pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials on the growth, survival, and chemical composition of mealworm larvae. The main factor in the experiment was the type of feed. The components of the experimental mixed diets were wheat bran (control feed), enzymatically hydrolysed wheat straw pretreated with steam explosion (WES), enzymatically hydrolysed wheat straw pretreated by the organosolv method (WEO), and enzymatically hydrolysed cup plant pretreated by the organosolv method (CEO) in different combinations with wheat bran. Larval development and survival were monitored and measured. In the final bioassay, larval growth on all feeds containing 10% of pretreated lignocellulosic feed was similar to that of insects reared on the control diet. The specific growth rate of larvae reared on the WEO10 diet was significantly the highest (10.1%). The diet used to feed the insects had a significant effect on the crude protein and crude fat content in their biomass. The highest protein content was found in insects fed wheat bran and fed the CEO10 diet. Protein digestibility averaged 40.7% and did not differ statistically among diets. In conclusion, a moderate inclusion of processed lignocellulosic biomass can be used as a feed component for insect diets. Moreover, insect rearing on such substrates not only enables the utilisation of agricultural residues but also converts them into high-quality protein and fat, which can find applications in the feed, cosmetic, or food industries. Full article

The industrial sector is a major contributor to energy-related CO₂ emissions in Europe, making the transition to renewable energy solutions essential. Decarbonization strategies integrate renewable energy sources, power-to-heat technologies, and energy storage systems into existing production sites to enhance sustainability and flexibility. However, a key challenge lies in designing energy systems that remain robust under long-term operational uncertainties. Usually the design of each energy system component is discrete, as it is manufactured in a predetermined size. Classical state-of-the-art coupled design and operational optimization methods are based on continuous design variables, which might give sub-optimal solutions. This study overcomes this limitation by employing novel, computationally efficient robust quantum-classical discrete-design methods. Traditional approaches often optimize operations for a single year due to the computational limitations of operational optimization algorithms, leading to designs that lack robustness. By incorporating long-term operational uncertainties, this approach ensures that selected energy-system configurations minimize both CO₂ emissions and costs while maintaining resilience to variations in weather conditions and demand fluctuations. Robust discrete designs which consider operational uncertainties show 12% less global warming impact (GWI) with 27% higher total annualized cost (TAC) compared to designs based on operational optimization without uncertainty. A novel quantum-assisted non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (QANSGA-II) shows accuracy up to 90%, which leads to 27% less computational effort than the NSGA-II algorithm. This novel method can help industries to search larger and more optimal robust discrete-design spaces for making decarbonization decisions. Full article

Macroalgae are valuable natural sources for bioprospection and the development of raw materials applicable to the nutrition, health, and agriculture industries. To build a basis for the sustainable use of marine organisms from the Colombian Caribbean, a preliminary study was conducted focusing on known functional compounds in two genera of macroalgae, including the species Acanthophora spicifera (Rhodophyta), Sargassum ramifolium, and Sargassum fluitans (Ochrophyta). This study included the extraction and identification of polysaccharides using ultrafiltration, nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and size exclusion chromatography (SEC); fatty acids by gas chromatographic (GC) profiling; and phenolic composition and antioxidant activity by complementary semi-quantitative methods (ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and ORAC assays). Carrageenan-type polysaccharides were detected in A. spicifera, while alginate and fucoidan types were found in S. ramifolium and S. fluitans; palmitic acid was the predominant fatty acid in A. spicifera and S. ramifolium, but it was not detected in S. fluitans. S. ramifolium showed the highest ABTS, DPPH, and ORAC activities and phenolic compounds, while S. fluitans exhibited the highest FRAP activity. This study contributes to the chemical knowledge on Colombian macroalgae to establish potential applications in various fields, including biomedicine, cosmetics, functional foods, and nutraceutical ingredients. Full article

Lactobionic acid, widely used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, is produced through chemical and biological methods, each with distinct advantages and challenges. This review examines the key approaches to its production, highlighting the chemical oxidation of lactose and biotechnological processes using microbial and enzymatic systems. Chemical methods offer high yields and rapid production but are often hindered by environmental concerns and lower product purity. In contrast, biological methods provide eco-friendly alternatives with superior product quality, albeit with limitations in scalability and higher initial costs. The comparison in this overview focuses on productivity, cost efficiency, purity, and environmental impacts, underscoring the potential of biological methods to align with sustainability goals. This review highlights further advances in biological approaches and explores hybrid solutions that combine the strengths of both methods for optimal lactobionic acid production. Full article

Natural dyes and pigments are gaining importance as a sustainable alternative to synthetic dyes. Sourced from renewable materials, they are known for their biodegradable and non-toxic properties, offering a diverse range of color profiles and applications across industries such as textiles, cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals. This manuscript discusses various aspects of natural dyes and pigments (derived from plants and microbes), including anthocyanins, flavonoids, carotenoids, lactones, and chlorophyll. Furthermore, it highlights the polyphenolic nature of these compounds, which is responsible for their antioxidant activity and contributes to their anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, and immunomodulatory effects. However, natural dyes are often categorized as pigments rather than dyes due to their limited solubility, a consequence of their molecular characteristics. Consequently, this manuscript provides a detailed discussion of key structural challenges associated with natural dyes and pigments, including thermal decomposition, photodegradation, photoisomerization, cross-reactivity, and pH sensitivity. Due to these limitations, natural dyes are currently used in relatively limited applications, primarily in the food industry, and, to lesser extent, in textiles and coatings. Nevertheless, with ongoing research and technological innovations, natural dyes present a viable alternative to synthetic dyes, promoting a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future. Full article

Avocado (Persea americana), originally from Mesoamerica, has emerged as a focus of intense scientific and industrial interest due to its unique combination of nutritional richness, bioactive potential, and technological versatility. Its pulp, widely consumed across the globe, is notably abundant in monounsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid, which can comprise over two-thirds of its lipid content. In addition, it provides significant levels of dietary fiber, fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K, carotenoids, tocopherols, and phytosterols like β-sitosterol. These constituents are consistently associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, glycemic regulatory, and cardioprotective effects, supported by a growing body of experimental and clinical evidence. This review offers a comprehensive and critical synthesis of the chemical composition and functional properties of avocado, with particular emphasis on its lipid profile, phenolic compounds, and phytosterols. It also explores recent advances in environmentally sustainable extraction techniques, including ultrasound-assisted and microwave-assisted processes, as well as the application of natural deep eutectic solvents. These technologies have demonstrated improved efficiency in recovering bioactives while aligning with the principles of green chemistry. The use of avocado-derived ingredients in nanostructured delivery systems and their incorporation into functional foods, cosmetics, and health-promoting formulations is discussed in detail. Additionally, the potential of native cultivars and the application of precision nutrition strategies are identified as promising avenues for future innovation. Taken together, the findings underscore the avocado’s relevance as a high-value matrix for sustainable development. Future research should focus on optimizing extraction protocols, clarifying pharmacokinetic behavior, and ensuring long-term safety in diverse applications. Full article

Red deer fat makes up approximately 7–10% of the animal’s weight and is not currently used. Regarding sustainability in the food industry, it is desirable to look for opportunities for its processing and use, not only in the food industry. The aim of this study is the enzymatic modification of red deer fat, leading to modification of its physicochemical properties, and the study of changes in phase transitions of modified fat, its structure, color, and texture. Hydrolysis was performed using sn-1,3-specific lipase at different water concentrations (10–30%) and reaction times (2–6 h). The results showed that there was a significant decrease in melting and crystallization temperatures with an increasing degree of hydrolysis, which was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry. FTIR spectra revealed a decrease in the intensity of the ester bonds, indicating cleavage of triacylglycerols. Texture analysis of the modified fats confirmed a decrease in hardness of up to 50% and an increase in spreadability. The color parameter values remained within an acceptable range. The results show that enzymatic modification is an effective tool for targeted modification of red deer fat properties, and this expands the possibilities of its application in cosmetic matrices and food applications as functional lipids. Full article

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has emerged as a functional food oil with considerable health benefits and wide applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries due to its resident bioactive compounds, including lauric acid (LA). LA is the most abundant saturated medium-chain fatty acid in VCO and has been associated with several pharmacological activities. The literatures show the pharmacological effects of VCO and LA on chronic pathologies, infectious diseases, and metabolic disorders. A robust body of evidence shows that LA and other phenolic compounds are responsible for the VCO protection against toxicities and pharmacological efficacies. This review elucidates the anticancer mechanisms of VCO/LA and their modulation of the chemotherapy-induced side effect toxicity. VCO, LA, and their nanomaterial/encapsulated derivatives promote ROS generation, antiproliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, the inhibition of metastasis, and the modulation of cancer-related signaling pathways for cancer cell death in vivo and in vitro. VCO mitigates oxidative inflammation and apoptosis to block the underlying mechanisms of the side effect toxicity of chemotherapy. However, the possible beneficial effect of LA on the toxicity of chemotherapy is currently unknown. The available evidence emphasizes the anticancer effect and mechanism of VCO and LA, and the VCO potential to combat adverse side effects of chemotherapy. Thus, VCO and LA are potential adjuvant therapeutic agents in the management of various cancers. Nevertheless, future studies should be targeted at elucidating cancer-related molecular mechanisms to bridge the gap in knowledge. Full article

Recently, essential rose oils and rose products have gained increasing importance in both the cosmetic and food industries, as well as in the composition of medicinal products. We investigated the in vitro antiviral activity of essential oil and floral water from Rosa damascena Mill against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection in rabbit retinal cells (RRCs). The composition of the main chemical components in the rose essential oil was determined by means of gas chromatographic analysis. The effect on the viral replication cycle was determined using the cytopathic effect (CPE) inhibition assay. The virucidal activity, the effect on the adsorption stage of the virus to the host cell, and the protective effect on healthy cells were evaluated using the endpoint dilution method. The effects were determined as deviation in the viral titer, Δlg, for the treated cells from the one for the untreated viral control. The identified main active components of rose oil are geraniol (28.73%), citronellol (21.50%), nonadecane (13.13%), nerol (5.51%), heneicosane (4.87%), nonadecene (3.93), heptadecane (2.29), farnesol (2.11%), tricosane (1.29%), eicosane (1.01%), and eugenol (0.85%). The results demonstrated that both rose products do not have a significant effect on the virus replication but directly affect the viral particles and reduce the viral titer by Δlg = 3.25 for floral water and by Δlg = 3.0 for essential oil. Significant inhibition of the viral adsorption stage was also observed, leading to a decrease in the viral titers by Δlg = 2.25 for floral water and by Δlg = 2.0 for essential oil. When pretreating healthy cells with rose products, both samples significantly protected them from subsequent infection with HSV-1. This protective effect was more pronounced for the oil (Δlg = 2.5) compared to the one for the floral water (Δlg = 2.0). We used the in silico molecular docking method to gain insight into the mechanism of hindrance of viral adsorption by the main rose oil compounds (geraniol, citronellol, nerol). These components targeted the HSV-1 gD interaction surface with nectin-1 and HVEM (Herpesvirus Entry Mediator) host cell receptors, at N-, C-ends, and N-end, respectively. These findings could provide a structural framework for further development of anti-HSV-1 therapeutics. Full article

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanoscale membrane-enclosed particles, are natural carriers of proteins and nucleic acids. Microalgae are widely used as a source of bioactive substances in the food and cosmetic industries and definitely have a potential to be used as the producers of EVs for biomedical applications. In this study, the extracellular vesicles isolated from the culture medium of two unicellular microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamy-EVs) and Parachlorella kessleri (Chlore-EVs), were characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), cryo-electronic microscopy (cryo-EM), and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). The biocompatibility with human cells in vitro (HEK-293T, DF-2 and A172) and biodistribution in mouse organs and tissues in vivo were tested for both microalgal EVs. An exogenous therapeutic protein, human heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), was successfully loaded to Chlamy- and Chlore-EVs, and its efficient delivery to human glioma and colon carcinoma cell lines has been confirmed. Additionally, in order to search for potential therapeutic biomolecules within the EVs, their proteomes have been characterized. A total of 105 proteins were identified for Chlamy-EVs and 33 for Chlore-EVs. The presence of superoxide dismutase and catalase in the Chlamy-EV constituents allows for considering them as antioxidant agents. The effective delivery of exogenous cargo to human cells and the possibility of the particle yield optimization by varying the microalgae growth conditions make them favorable producers of EVs for biotechnology and biomedical application. Full article

Grape pomace (GP), the main by-product of the wine industry, represents a valuable source of bioactive metabolites with significant potential for valorization in the context of sustainable bioresource management. This study systematically characterizes the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profile, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS, ORAC) of GP derived from seven grape varieties across three consecutive vintages (2022–2024). White GP, particularly Verdelho and Sercial, exhibited a superior lipid quality with high concentrations of methyl linoleate (up to 1997 mg/100 g DW) and methyl oleate (up to 1294 mg/100 g DW), low atherogenic (AI < 0.05) and thrombogenic indices (TI ≤ 0.13), and elevated PUFA/SFA ratios (≥8.2). In contrast, red GP, especially from Complexa and Tinta Negra, demonstrated the highest antioxidant potential, with TPC values up to 6687 mgGAE/100 g DW, TFC up to 4624 mgQE/100 g DW, and antioxidant activities reaching 5399 mgTE/100 g (DPPH) and 7219 mgTE/100 g (ABTS). Multivariate statistical analyses (PCA, PLS-DA, HCA) revealed distinct varietal and vintage-dependent clustering and identified key discriminant fatty acids, including linolenic acid (C18:3), lauric acid (C12:0), and arachidic acid (C20:0). These findings underscore the compositional diversity and functional potential of GP, reinforcing its suitability for applications in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics, in alignment with circular economy principles. Full article

The resulting plant waste from R. idaeus, P. serotina, P. avium, and P. cerasus exhibits a complex chemical composition, depending on the variety from which it originates, with applications in multiple fields such as the food, pharmaceutical or dermato-cosmetic industry due to the presence of phytochemical compounds such as flavonoids, flavonols, tannins, cyanogenic glycosides, vitamins, aldehyde, and phenolic acids. The aim of this review was to summarize and analyze the most recent and significant data from literature on the importance of plant waste resulting from the pruning process of trees and shrubs, in the context of applying circular economy principles, with a focus on the pharmacological importance (antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiviral, and antitumoral) of some bioactive compounds identified in these species. Their applicability in various industries is closely linked to both the bioavailability of the final products and the study of their toxicity. The literature indicates that the isolation of these compounds can be carried out using conventional or modern methods, the last ones being favored due to the increased efficiency of the processes, as well as from the perspective of environmental protection. This review increases the attention and perspective of using plant waste as a linked source of pharmaceutical and dermato-cosmetic agents. Full article

Phycocyanin is a natural, non-toxic, blue pigment-protein with many commercial applications. Its exploitation in various biotechnological sectors strongly depends on its purity grade (P). Phycocyanin is largely used in food industry where a low purity grade is required, while its widespread use in sectors requiring a higher purity is hampered by the cost of large-scale industrial production. Industry, in fact, needs simple, easily scalable and cost-effective procedures to ensure sustainable production of high-quality pigment. In this work we applied the innovative two-step ultrasound-based process UltraBlu to the pilot-scale production of phycocyanin. A total of 50 L of biomass suspension of commercial Spirulina were processed in batch mode. The pigment extract was obtained in one day, including the biomass harvesting. Food/cosmetic grade (P = 1.41–1.76) and a good yield (Y = 59.2–76.1%) were achieved. The initial results obtained suggest that UltraBlu can be an effective scalable process suitable to produce phycocyanin also on an industrial scale. Full article

Two solvents, n-hexane and ethyl acetate, were employed to extract oil from Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. seeds using the Soxhlet extraction technique. The process was optimized using Central Composite Design (CCD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM). ANOVA and a second-order polynomial equation were applied to evaluate the effects of key operational factors, including extraction time (20–60 min) and solvent-to-solid ratio (0.2–0.6 g/mL), on oil yield. The physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, and functional groups of the extracted oil were analyzed. While both solvents influenced oil yield and quality, the fatty acid composition remained consistent, with unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid, identified as the main components. Under optimized conditions, the highest oil yields were 22% with n-hexane and 19.91% with ethyl acetate. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of ester groups, suggesting potential applications in biodiesel production. These findings offer valuable insights for producing oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids for food, cosmetic and renewable energy industries. These findings pave the way for further advancements in industrial applications by promoting the sustainable use of plant-derived oils. Full article

Industrial energy systems are increasingly required to reduce operating costs and CO₂ emissions while integrating variable renewable energy sources. Managing these objectives under uncertainty requires advanced optimization strategies capable of delivering reliable and real-time decisions. To address these challenges, this study focuses on the short-term operational planning of an industrial energy supply system using the rolling horizon approach (RHA). The RHA offers an effective framework to handle uncertainties by repeatedly updating forecasts and re-optimizing over a moving time window, thereby enabling adaptive and responsive energy management. To solve the resulting nonlinear and constrained optimization problem at each RHA iteration, we propose a novel hybrid algorithm that combines Bayesian optimization (BO) with the Interior Point OPTimizer (IPOPT). While global deterministic and stochastic optimization methods are frequently used in practice, they often suffer from high computational costs and slow convergence, particularly when applied to large-scale, nonlinear problems with complex constraints. To overcome these limitations, we employ the BO–IPOPT, integrating the global search capabilities of BO with the efficient local convergence and constraint fulfillment of the IPOPT. Applied to a large-scale real-world case study of a food and cosmetic industry in Germany, the proposed BO–IPOPT method outperformed state-of-the-art solvers in both solution quality and robustness, achieving up to 97.25%-better objective function values at the same CPU time. Additionally, the influence of key parameters, such as forecast uncertainty, optimization horizon length, and computational effort per RHA iteration, was analyzed to assess their impact on system performance and decision quality. Full article