Search Results (719)

The Houpoea officinalis flower (HOF) represents an underutilized sustainable bio-resource. This study systematically evaluated its potential using an ethanol-based green extraction process optimized by Response Surface Methodology, with the optimal conditions consisting of approximately 50% ethanol, a solvent-to-solid ratio of 54 mL/g, and an extraction time of 31 min. Chemical profiling across four developmental stages—S1 (Bud), S2 (Bud swelling), S3 (Initial flowering), and S4 (Full bloom)—suggested magnolol and honokiol as the major phenolic compounds, showing a trend of decline during early development followed by an increase at the S4 stage. A significant positive correlation was observed between total phenolic content and antioxidant activity, and the S1 stage extract displayed the strongest antioxidant capacity in multiple in vitro assays. Network pharmacology analysis predicted oxidative stress-related targets and pathways, with TP53, AKT1, IL6, BCL2, and CASP3 recognized as key hub genes. Molecular docking further predicted favorable binding interactions between major HOF phenolics and these target proteins. Collectively, these findings reveal the multi-target antioxidant potential of HOF and provide evidence supporting its potential role in antioxidant-related traditional applications based on predicted mechanisms. Moreover, HOF, particularly at the S1 developmental stage, shows promise as a sustainable source of natural antioxidants and functional ingredients, promoting the high-value utilization of agricultural by-products. Full article

Vermicomposting is an eco-friendly biotechnology for organic waste valorization. As the primary product of earthworm biotransformation, vermicompost is a high-value bio-organic fertilizer abundant in diverse biologically active components. To date, most studies have focused on quality variation during the earthworm transformation process, while research on quality variations in the resulting vermicompost fertilizer during long-term storage remains scarce. To explore the shelf-life of vermicompost fertilizer and its key influencing indicators, this study investigated the changes in quality indicators in sealed-packaged vermicompost over a 180-day period using two typical vermicompost, namely cattle manure vermicompost (CM) and straw-amended cattle manure vermicompost (CMS). The temporal dynamics of physicochemical properties, nutrient contents, humification indices, enzyme activities, and microbial communities were monitored. The vermicompost quality was evaluated, and core quality drivers were identified using an integrated principal component analysis-partial least squares (PCA-PLS) approach. The results indicated that moisture content (MC), total organic carbon (TOC), and total nitrogen (TN) declined progressively, whereas available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) peaked at day 150 and day 120, respectively, and the humification rate (HR) increased by 2.6–4.0-fold. Bacterial diversity and relative abundance slightly decreased, accompanied by taxonomic differentiation, whereas fungal communities maintained stable diversity. Most enzyme activities, including urease, phosphatase, catalase, and dehydrogenase, reached their maxima at day 120. Comprehensive quality scores peaked at day 150, with a marked decline observed by day 180. The recommended shelf-life of vermicompost fertilizer is 150 days. The key quality determinants include TN, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, actinomycete abundance, TOC, TP, bacterial abundance, AP, AK, and HR. These findings provide theoretical support and references for the storage management and quality control of commercial vermicompost products in practice. Full article

Bio-based and biodegradable polymers such as short-chain-length (scl) poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) are widely adopted in diverse areas such as healthcare, manufacturing, and packaging. However, high production costs and the complexity of tailoring their thermal properties, such as glass transition temperature (Tg), melting temperature (Tm), and crystallization temperature (Tc), hinder further adoption. The current study reported on the development of a raw dataset of PHB and PHBV materials compiled from 572 instances collected from the literature (558 instances) and in-house experiments (14 instances). The dataset encompassed compositional physicochemical parameters, molecular features, and corresponding thermal characteristics. After assessing data quality and filtering for completeness and available features, curated datasets were created for machine learning (ML) analysis. Two ML models, Random Forest (RF) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), were utilized to predict values of Tg, Tc, and Tm using feature engineering methods that integrated chemistry-based descriptors with polymer-specific and experimental variables. The predictive performance of the models was systematically investigated using different combinations of input features to identify the most informative descriptor sets for each target property. The best-performing models were obtained using 118 data points for Tg and Tm and 201 data points for Tc, achieving R² values of 0.77, 0.76, and 0.82 for Tg, Tc, and Tm, respectively. Despite the reliable prediction of the thermal properties of scl-PHAs, the main limitations of the study were the relatively small dataset size for certain targets and incomplete or missing reporting of experimental conditions in the literature sources, which may introduce variability in the compiled data. The findings implied that curated polymer datasets and interpretable ML models can support the rational design of sustainable polymers with tailored properties for specific applications. Full article

With the expansion of modern protected agriculture, the amount of post-harvest tomato biomass has increased sharply. Conventional unmanaged disposal practices disrupt carbon flows and cause substantial environmental emissions. Tomato plant residues (TPRs), which are rich in lignocellulose and selected high-value secondary metabolites, have considerable potential as feedstocks for green industrial materials. However, their complex biophysical properties, high physiological moisture content, and recalcitrant cell-wall barriers hinder large-scale processing. This review systematically examines the mechanisms and process architectures for converting TPRs into macromolecular products. First, it analyzes cross-scale anatomical heterogeneity and dynamic rheological properties of TPRs, defining their physicochemical boundaries as industrial precursors. Second, it summarizes the development of physical field-coupled equipment, ranging from anti-tangling harvest-shredding to die-roller densification. Furthermore, it examines the core mechanisms of multi-field-coupled pretreatment technologies, including steam explosion, deep eutectic solvents (DES), and mechanochemistry, in deconstructing vascular skeletons and reducing multiphase mass-transfer resistance. Finally, this review discusses reconstruction pathways for TPR-derived components in advanced polymer materials, including biodegradable nanocellulose films, bio-based composites, aerogels, and lignin-based polyurethane networks. Overall, it links microscopic reaction kinetics with macroscopic equipment engineering, proposes a closed-loop material conversion system from in-field volume reduction to cascaded biorefinery, and provides an engineering framework for future multi-machine intelligent collaboration and continuous production across the industrial chain. Full article

Medicine food homology (MFH) plants are rich in nutrients and bioactive specialized metabolites, and their endophytic fungi mediate key biotransformation of host secondary metabolites. Licorice, a representative MFH herb, accumulates glycyrrhizin (GL) as its dominant bioactive triterpenoid saponin. Its hydrolysates glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and glycyrrhetinic acid 3-O-mono-β-D-glucuronide (GAMG) show stronger bioactivity and bioavailability than GL. However, the enzymatic mechanisms of licorice-derived endophytic fungi-mediated GL biotransformation remain unclear. Here, nine licorice endophytic fungi were screened for significant GL-inducible β-glucuronidase activity. Four functional GH2 β-glucuronidase were obtained by prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems, and confirmed to catalyze glycyrrhizin biotransformation via two distinct hydrolytic pathways. Inoculation of these four strains into licorice markedly enhanced host glycyrrhizin accumulation. This study provides novel enzymatic resources for the efficient bioproduction of high-value glycyrrhizin derivatives, and proposes a green strategy to improve glycyrrhizin content in licorice, deepening the understanding of endophyte–host metabolic crosstalk in medicinal herbs. Full article

Bioeconomy is an important concept of economic development, supported at the highest political levels. However, its successful implementation calls for action within local markets. This study, therefore, examined the market readiness to engage in bioeconomy growth and emerging value chains in Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria. The objectives were to assess the market readiness for placing novel bioproducts based on by-products and waste from primary production and agri-food processing sectors, and to evaluate the economics of their production. Specific goals were to estimate the availability of by-products and waste used for making new products, evaluate the main directions and trends in the use of by-products and waste, analyse the main barriers and restrictions to by-product and waste supplies to new enterprises and innovative applications, and make an economic assessment of the market entry of innovative products and their development. The study showed that the oil industry, with a high residue potential, was most often chosen to market new products. Other sectors where value chains can be created or modified are the fruit, winery, grain and milling, wood, hemp, and vegetable industries. PESTEL analysis demonstrated that economic factors, at both national and global levels, are the most common barriers to supplying by-products and waste to new business entities. Technological factors also significantly impede the delivery of by-products and waste to such new enterprises and their processing into novel products. In contrast, social conditions are the main factors stimulating supply of by-products and waste to such new plants. The results provide a preliminary insight into the Central European market and its enormous development potential, which is already implicated in the context of growing bioeconomy. Full article

Agricultural cold chain logistics is characterized by inherent challenges—product perishability, high carbon emissions, and stringent time windows—which are further exacerbated by dynamic disruptions. Existing methods suffer from slow adaptability, unstable multi-objective convergence, and severe cold-start issues. This work falls within the broad scope of biomimetics—the science of emulating nature’s time-tested strategies to solve complex engineering problems—and bio-inspired data-driven methods and their applications in engineering control, optimization, and artificial intelligence. The proposed H-MODRL framework embodies core biomimetic principles: the Genetic Algorithm (GA) mimics Darwinian natural selection and genetic inheritance, the Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) abstracts the cooperative foraging and anti-predation behaviors of sparrow populations in nature, and the Arrhenius-based freshness-decay model captures the biochemical kinetics governing perishable biological products. By synergistically integrating these biological evolution principles, swarm intelligence, and deep learning, the framework tackles real-world logistics complexity in a manner directly inspired by living systems. This study presents a well-organized hybrid optimization framework (H-MODRL) that couples a three-stage hybrid evolutionary mechanism, synergistically integrating heuristic warm-start, evolutionary policy guidance, and deep reinforcement learning decision-making. First, an improved genetic algorithm combined with the earliest deadline first strategy constructs a feasible initial population satisfying hard time-window constraints. Second, a large neighborhood search-enhanced chaotic sparrow search algorithm builds a high-quality elite guidance set for policy learning. Third, a physics-based multi-objective proximal policy optimization model embedded with Arrhenius equation-derived freshness-decay kinetics performs online decision-making. Experiments demonstrate that pre-computed all-pairs shortest paths and an O(1) hash-based dynamic-disruption indexing mechanism support fast online replanning. On heterogeneous simulated terrains based on real Chinese geospatial data, H-MODRL outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms across four objectives—logistics cost, carbon emissions, terminal freshness, and delivery time—while exhibiting compact, low-variance performance distributions, thereby validating its engineering robustness and practical value in complex agricultural cold chain environments. Full article

This focused review examines fermentation and fermentation-integrated microbial platforms that convert two regionally relevant substrate classes, Latin American agro-industrial residues and concentrated CO₂ streams, into high-value bioproducts. The review is not intended as a complete survey of all biomass valorization routes in Latin America. Instead, it evaluates platform–feedstock–product combinations with clear translational relevance for regional biorefineries, with emphasis on literature from 2020–2025 and on earlier benchmark studies only when they define current technical performance limits. Latin America and the Caribbean combine high-volume sugarcane, agave, coffee, citrus, banana, cacao, and tuber-processing residues with biogenic CO₂ from ethanol fermentation and industrial point sources from cement, lime, and oil-and-gas operations. The technical opportunity is therefore not residue abundance alone, but the rational coupling of residue chemistry, CO₂-source quality, locally isolated microbial strains, and process architectures that can be scaled under regional constraints. We compare phototrophic CO₂-fixing modules based on cyanobacteria and microalgae, chemoautotrophic gas fermentation using Cupriavidus necator and related systems, heterotrophic yeast platforms including Rhodotorula spp. and Yarrowia lipolytica, and bacterial platforms for PHAs, bacterial cellulose, and organic acids. The core technical analysis focuses on substrate conditioning, hydrolysate inhibition, oxygen- and gas-transfer constraints, light delivery, C/N control, mixed-sugar utilization, metabolic engineering, reactor configuration, downstream processing, and quantitative reporting metrics. One fermentation-integrated laboratory case study—the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803–Rhodotorula mucilaginosa UANL-001L CO₂-to-carotenoid relay—and one explicitly defined non-fermentative boundary case on peel-extract-derived coating films are used to illustrate two different aspects of regional biorefinery design: dual-feedstock microbial conversion and low-CapEx product-fit decisions for agro-industrial residues. We conclude that Latin America’s strongest near-term position is in technically disciplined, product-specific biorefineries that integrate local feedstock chemistry with engineered or locally adapted chassis, rather than in generic biomass-to-product claims. Full article

The low production efficiency of tannase and the insufficient utilization of high-tannin feed resources form the research background and research significance of this study. In this experiment, the tannase sequence TanLpl from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC14917T (obtained from a microbial culture collection) was selected. These sequences were respectively integrated into the expression systems of Bacillus subtilis 168 (BS168) and Bacillus subtilis WB600 (WB600) through plasmids TanLpl-p43NMK and TanLpl-pHT43. This successfully constructed three tannase-producing strains: TanLpl-p43NMK-Bacillus subtilis 168 (BS168(p43NMK)), TanLpl-pHT43-Bacillus subtilis 168 (BS168(pHT43)), and TanLpl-pHT43-Bacillus subtilis WB600 (WB600(pHT43)). An evaluation of the recombinant strains’ growth characteristics, expression stability, and enzymatic properties revealed that all three strains reached the stationary phase after 18 h of growth, with no significant differences in growth rate compared to the parental strains. At the 10th generation of subculture, the plasmid loss rate of BS168(p43NMK) was significantly higher than that of BS168(pHT43) or WB600(pHT43) (p < 0.05). The optimal temperature for tannase activity in all three recombinant strains was 30 °C, with an optimal pH value of 5.0. Under these conditions, the tannase activities were 68.81 U/mL, 397.36 U/mL, and 461.12 U/mL, respectively. The recombinant strain WB600(pHT43) exhibited superior expression stability and enzyme production capability compared to the other two strains. The research on the heterologous expression of tannase and its application in feed utilization has important theoretical and practical significance: it enriches the technical system for the heterologous expression of functional enzymes in Bacillus subtilis, provides new ideas for the efficient production of industrial enzymes, and promotes the development of bio-manufacturing technology. Full article

Lignocellulosic biomass from hardwood and softwood species represents a highly abundant and renewable resource for biofuel and bio-based material production. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the chemical composition and structural organization of the three major polymers—hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin—across different wood fractions, including bark, sapwood, and heartwood. Typically, wood consists of a significant number of these components, approximately 20–35% hemicellulose, 40–50% cellulose, and 20–30% lignin. Significant variations exist between hardwood and softwood species, particularly in lignin composition and hemicellulose structure, which strongly influence biomass recalcitrance and conversion efficiency. Bark is rich in lignin (often 20–40%) and extractives, making it suitable for thermochemical processes, while sapwood exhibits higher carbohydrate accessibility, favoring biochemical conversion. Heartwood, enriched with extractives and condensed lignin, shows reduced reactivity but high potential for value-added chemicals. The review also evaluates extraction techniques and conversion pathways, highlighting the importance of fraction-specific processing strategies. Understanding these variations is essential for optimizing biorefinery performance and advancing sustainable biomass utilization. Full article

The growing global demand for sustainable biotechnological routes for bioenergy production has paved the way for Brazil to position itself as a strategic leader due to its vast agricultural production and, consequently, agricultural residues, among which rice husk stands out. Although rice husk is widely used for energy cogeneration, its potential for producing high-value platform chemicals remains underexplored. This study aims to evaluate the production of value-added pyrolytic derivatives from rice husk by investigating the synergy between acid pretreatments and fast pyrolysis temperatures (350–600 °C). Thus, the experimental strategy involved intensifying the production of target compounds in the condensable fraction (bio-oil) from pyrolysis gases using different biomass pretreatments before fast pyrolysis according to the following conditions: (i) acid washing using acetic acid (10%), (ii) acid washing using nitric acid (0.1%) followed by impregnation using sulfuric acid (0.1–0.3%), and (iii) impregnation using sulfuric acid alone (0.1–0.3%). Fast pyrolysis was carried out over a temperature range of 350–600 °C using a pyroprobe microreactor coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The best results, regarding overall volatile fraction, were observed when impregnation with 0.3% sulfuric acid was used prior to pyrolysis at 600 °C, resulting in around an 8.88-fold increase compared with untreated biomass. Nevertheless, the experimental conditions that favored the formation of our main chemical targets, such as levoglucosan, furfural and some phenols, were different. For instance, levoglucosan, furfural and eugenol increased by 21-, 10- and 22-fold, respectively, for biomass treated with HNO₃ (0.1%)/H₂SO₄ (0.2%) at 450 °C, whereas phenol and 4-vinylphenol increased by 35- and 14-fold at 500 °C. These findings can be considered satisfactory, highlighting the potential of the thermochemical conversion process as a valuable tool for the production of high-value chemicals from agricultural waste like rice husk. Full article

Cheese production generates large volumes of whey, and high-strength wastewater with elevated organic load, salinity, and nutrient content. Although whey contains valuable components including lactose, proteins, and minerals, approximately half of global production remains underutilized, contributing to eutrophication and oxygen depletion in aquatic ecosystems. Conventional physicochemical and biological treatment methods are limited by high operational costs, energy demands, and secondary waste generation. Microalgae-based bioremediation has emerged as a promising sustainable strategy for whey valorization, enabling simultaneous nutrient removal and biomass production. Through a focused review of the current literature, this study analyzes microalgal strains commonly applied in whey remediation, their cultivation modes (photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic), nutrient uptake mechanisms, and operational conditions. The review highlights cultivation systems, biomass recovery techniques, and potential conversion of microalgal biomass into high value bioproducts, including biofuels, pigments, proteins, and biofertilizers. Critically, a major research gap exists: no studies systematically examine whey-grown microalgal biomass for bioplastic or film production, despite its elevated polysaccharide and protein content. Future development requires integrated biorefinery approaches, optimized cultivation strategies, and supportive policy frameworks to enable large-scale circular economy implementation within the dairy industry. Full article

Eucalypt plantations have expanded across tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions and now play an important role in the global supply of wood and renewable biomass, while remaining at the center of debates on water use, biodiversity, and socio-economic trade-offs. This review examines whether these plantations can deliver ecological, social, and technological benefits under appropriate management. This review synthesizes evidence from nearly 200 peer-reviewed papers, technical reports, and books covering environmental services, livelihood outcomes, and emerging bio-based applications of Eucalyptus species. The literature shows that well-planned plantations can deliver clear benefits. High biomass production supports carbon sequestration, while improvements in soil structure, nutrient cycling, and the recovery of degraded lands are frequently reported. Effects on water, often described in general terms as negative, vary widely with climate, soils, stand age, and previous land use, and are documented to play roles in biodrainage, salinity control, erosion reduction, and local microclimate regulation under suitable conditions. From a socio-economic perspective, Eucalyptus, a widely planted species, supports rural development by generating income, strengthening value chains for wood products and bioenergy, and offering smallholders a fast-growing resource. Technological work on materials and bioproducts, including nanocellulose, essential-oil formulations, biochar-based applications, and wood vinegar, further illustrates this versatility. Overall, while outcomes remain site-specific and dependent on governance, the evidence indicates that, under science-based management and careful landscape planning, eucalypt plantations can contribute to climate mitigation, rural livelihoods, and the circular bioeconomy. Full article

Yellow onion (Allium cepa L.) outer skins are a high-volume agricultural waste that can be converted into commercially valuable bioproducts using various extraction techniques. This research focused on optimizing a green ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method which allows for the isolation of several phytochemicals valued for their health benefits, such as polyphenols and flavonoids. HPLC/UV analysis of the extracts showed that the main component was quercetin. A one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) design was used to identify the extraction parameters needed in order to maximize the amount of extracted target phytochemicals. The polyphenols, flavonoids and quercetin contents, along with the antioxidant activity of the extracts, were optimized by response surface methodology using a Box–Behnken design. Ultrasound amplitude, ethanol concentration, and time were selected as the most appropriate variables. The final results showed that TPC ranged from 78.16 to 97.16 mg GAE/g DM, TFC ranged from 22.77 to 26.46 mg QE/g DM, while CUPRAC values varied between 145.24 and 163.75 mg TE/g DM. The optimal extraction conditions were determined using a Box–Behnken model as 30% ultrasound amplitude, 53% ethanol concentration, and an extraction time of 13 min. The use of these conditions allowed the TPC, TFC and CUPRAC to show predicted values of 97.8 mg GAE/g DM, 27.2 mg QE/g DM, and 159.8 mg TE/g DM, respectively. These findings indicate that onion skin extracts could represent a green and promising source of antioxidant phytochemicals. Full article

The production of pre-basic (G0) seed tubers underpins the certified potato value chain. However, the transition from in vitro laboratory conditions to the ex vitro greenhouse environment remains a persistent production constraint, with reported mortality rates of 50–70%. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, synthesizes data from 63 selected studies (spanning 2010–2026) to propose a conceptual “Physiological Competence Framework”. We introduce a conceptual hypothesis termed the “Nitrogen Paradox”, which suggests that excessive ammonium influx may inhibit lignin biosynthesis, explaining the structural vulnerability of the vitrotype. Our analysis proposes three pillars for acclimatization success: (1) Nutritional hardening and exogenous PGR modulation, characterized by reduced nitrogen and sucrose levels to mitigate hyperhydricity; (2) photo-autotrophic induction, where optimized LED spectra replace conventional lighting to stimulate stomatal functionality; and (3) rhizosphere engineering, utilizing bio-priming with Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) to create a biotic shield against transplant shock. Furthermore, we examine emerging evidence for nanoparticle-based stress priming (AgNPs, ZnNPs). The evidence supports replacing high-nitrogen multiplication media with reduced-nitrogen formulations, replacing fluorescent lamps with balanced Red–Blue LED spectra, and incorporating PGPR bio-priming before transplant. Full article