Search Results (6)

The overwhelming amount of cassava residues and okara are a foremost challenge for the food processing industry environmental loading. The purpose of this article is to utilize Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium to ferment solid cassava and soybean residue, resulting in mycelial biomass with nutritional values and promising prebiotic activities from fermented waste sources. By blending a ratio of 80% cassava and 20% soybean residues, the mycelium spread rapidly after 3 days of culture, from 1.73 mm on the first day to 13.32 mm on the third day, and completely covered the surface after 9 days of culture (120 mm). Using the solid-state fermentation (SSF) method allowed us to improve the content of substances isolated from mycelium biomass, where polysaccharide content rose by 2.1 times to 3.44 mg/g, and the protein content increased by 1.84 times over the initial substrate. The prebiotic activity of extracted PS was greatest in P. acidilactici NBD8 (1.58); for L. pentosus NH1, L. argentoraten NH15, and L. plantarum WCFS1 strains, the indices were 0.11, 0.17, and 0.3, respectively. The SSF process with P. ostreatus mycelium has the potential to be an effective method for improving the nutrition and digestibility of soybean and cassava residues for application in the production of nature-derived animal feed, as well as contributing to fully utilized agricultural residue, agriculture’s circular economy, reducing environmental issues, and achieving the net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050, as the Vietnam government committed to achieving during the COP26 World Leaders’ Summit in 2021. Full article

The rising global production of tofu and soymilk has led to an increase in okara byproduct generation, creating a need for sustainable valorisation strategies to reduce environmental burdens. This study aims to understand the environmental impacts of seven okara valorisation scenarios compared to conventional disposal methods, such as landfilling and incineration, by conducting screening Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs). The results show that uncontrolled landfilling causes the highest environmental burden (37.2 EF-µPt/kg_okara), driven by methane and ammonia emissions that contribute to climate change, acidification, eutrophication, and particulate matter formation. Controlled landfilling (10.2 EF-µPt/kg_okara) and incineration (2.5 EF-µPt/kg_okara) lower these impacts but offer no circularity benefits. Biological treatments, such as anaerobic digestion (19.6 EF-µPt/kg_okara), composting (25.4 EF-µPt/kg_okara), and black soldier fly treatment (21.6 EF-µPt/kg_okara), provide climate benefits through energy recovery and feed production but introduce ammonia and organic dust emissions. In contrast, supercritical fluid extraction (−32.3 EF-µPt/kg_okara) and conventional protein hydrolysate production (−23.4 EF-µPt/kg_okara) deliver the greatest environmental savings by displacing soy protein and food-grade oil production. Animal feed use (−5.5 EF-µPt/kg_okara) emerges as a low-impact circular option, reducing climate change, land use, and eutrophication. The results show that regional weighting of emissions (e.g., ammonia, leachate) and uncertainties in substitution effects significantly influence outcomes. This study highlights the value of screening LCAs in identifying key environmental trade-offs in valorisation strategies and supports context-specific decision-making for circular processes. Full article

Soybean can be easily digested and is a valuable substitute for animal protein in various applications. That is why soy products are a very important component of a vegan and vegetarian diet. During soymilk processing, large quantities of by-products are generated. Hardly anyone knows that every kilogram of dried soybeans processed into soymilk or tofu gives about 1.2 kg of soybean curd residue, namely, okara, often regarded as a waste. Acting in the spirit of zero waste, a soybean processing technology has been developed that does not generate waste. The developed technology consists of obtaining soymilk followed by filtration to remove the insoluble residues (okara), preparing okara and fermenting to obtain vegan soft cheese. Samples analyzed for physical, chemical, and organoleptic properties. Also, the microbial quality of the obtained products was tested. Soy products produced with the proposed zero waste technology were assessed by the sensory panel and received very good marks. Fermented soy products are characterized with high levels of Lactobacillus spp. (10⁵–10⁸ cfu/mL), thus consuming them can bring health benefits. Cheese made from okara can be an alternative to cheeses currently obtained from soymilk. Full article

Parasites are a significant component of biodiversity. They negatively affect fish appearance, growth, and reproduction. In this study, the prevalence of infection, diversity, and mean intensity of parasites were examined in 9 freshwater fish species (45 samples per fish species). Ecto-parasites were examined on the skin, gills, and fins with a hand lens. Wet mounts were prepared using mucosal scrapings from all the external and internal organs of the sampled fish. Microscopy, muscle compression, and the pepsin-HCL artificial digestion technique were also performed. In this study, 26 species of parasites were identified including three taxa belonging to 9 species of protozoan parasites, 11 treamtodes, and 6 monogenean parasites. The identified protozoan parasites were Entamoeba histolitica, Chilodonella sp., Coccidia sp., Costia sp., Cryptobia sp., Ichthyopthiris-multifilis, Microsporidia, Piscinoodinium sp., and Ichthyobodo necator. The identified trematode parasites were Fasciola gigantica, Echinostoma revolutum, Fasciola hepatica, Haplorchis pumilio, Brachylaima cribbi, Echinostoma cinetorchis, Neascus sp., Deropegus sp., Trematode Soldier, Centrocestus formosanus, and Clinostomum marginatum. The identified monogenean parasites were Dactylogyrus limipopoensis, Dactylogyrus anchoratus, Dactylogyrus myersi, Dactylogyrus vastator, Gyrodactylus salaris, and Ancyrocephalus. The diversity of parasites was maximum at the Okara site. The host’s organs that were targeted for parasitic infection included the intestine, liver, gills, fins, skin, and kidneys. The majority of the parasites were identified in Labeo rohita followed by Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Oreochromis niloticus, Cyprinus carpio, and Wallagu attu. Two species appeared to be resistant species because none of the parasites were observed in Notopterus notopterus or Sperata seenghala. This study also concluded that the prevalence of parasites increased with increasing length, size, and age of fish. Full article

Okara is a soybean transformation agri-food by-product, the massive production of which currently poses severe disposal issues. However, its composition is rich in seed storage proteins, which, once extracted, can represent an interesting source of bioactive peptides. Antimicrobial and antifungal proteins and peptides have been described in plant seeds; thus, okara is a valuable source of compounds, exploitable for integrated pest management. The aim of this work is to describe a rapid and economic procedure to isolate proteins from okara, and to produce an enzymatic proteolyzed product, active against fungal plant pathogens. The procedure allowed the isolation and recovery of about 30% of okara total proteins. Several proteolytic enzymes were screened to identify the proper procedure to produce antifungal compounds. Antifungal activity of the protein digested for 24 h with pancreatin against Fusarium and R. solani mycelial growth and Pseudomonas spp was assessed. A dose-response inhibitory activity was established against fungi belonging to the Fusarium genus. The exploitation of okara to produce antifungal bioactive peptides has the potential to turn this by-product into a paradigmatic example of circular economy, since a field-derived food waste is transformed into a source of valuable compounds to be used in field crops protection. Full article

The apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of differently processed okara meals were assessed in Nile tilapia diets: dried okara not autoclaved (FOK), dried okara autoclaved (AOK), okara hydrolyzed with Alcalase (ALOK) or Cynara cardunculus proteases (CYOK), and hydrolyzed okara fermented with lactic bacteria: Lactobacillus rhamnosus R11 (CYR11OK) or Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb12 (CYB12OK). Okara processing significantly affected nutrient digestibility: dry matter ADC was highest in CYR11OK (80%) and lowest in FOK (40%). The lowest protein digestibility was observed in CYR11OK (72%), and the highest in AOK (97%) and CYOK (91%), evidencing the effectiveness of the autoclave and the use of C. cardunculus proteases to increase okara protein bioavailability. The inclusion of up to 20% of AOK or CYOK did not affect fish growth, nutrient utilization, or whole body composition of Nile tilapia. The flesh quality (color, pH, water activity, cohesiveness, elasticity and resilience) was not affected by the dietary incorporation of AOK or CYOK. Fish fed with AOK diets stand out for their high density of muscle fibers, particularly in AOK20, which can explain their high muscle firmness and may result in further hypertrophic growth. Altogether, results suggest that hydrolyzed or autoclaved okara are valuable ingredients for Nile tilapia diets. Full article