Search Results (842)

Industrial effluents include toxic chemicals, particularly heavy metals, that remain in the environment and jeopardize human and ecological health. This research synthesized hybrid biosorbents (HBs) for the extraction of Cr (III) from wastewater by using sugarcane bagasse, banana peels, and orange peels in conjunction with magnetite at ratios of 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1. The synthesized biosorbents—MSC, MBP, and MOP—were characterized using FTIR, XRD, TEM, BET, and SEM/EDX, therefore validating their structural, functional, morphological attributes and elementary composition. Batch studies showed MBP (1:1) to be the most efficient sorbent, with over 80% removal of Cr (III). Optimization experiments indicated that the peak removal efficiency (92.10%) was achieved at an initial concentration of 100 mg/L, a pH of 3, a dose of 0.4 g/100 mL, and a contact duration of 60 min. Isotherm analysis revealed that adsorption adhered to a homogeneous monolayer mechanism, optimally characterized by the Langmuir Type 1 model (R² = 0.9688), whereas kinetic analysis demonstrated that the pseudo-second-order model (R² = 0.9419) yielded the most accurate fit. MBP (1:1) has significant promise as an economical and sustainable biosorbent for the efficient removal of Cr (III) from wastewater. Full article

The automation of quality control in agricultural food processing, particularly the detection of incomplete peeling in taro, constitutes a critical frontier for ensuring food safety and optimizing production efficiency in the Industry 4.0 era. However, this domain is fraught with significant technical challenges, primarily stemming from the inherent visual characteristics of residual peel: extremely minute scales relative to the vegetable body, highly irregular morphological variations, and the dense occlusion of objects on industrial conveyor belts. To address these persistent impediments, this study introduces a comprehensive solution comprising a specialized dataset and a novel detection architecture. We established the Taro Peel Industrial Dataset (TPID), a rigorously annotated collection of 18,341 high-density instances reflecting real-world production conditions. Building upon this foundation, we propose MDB-YOLO, a lightweight, multi-dimensional bionic detection model evolved from the YOLOv8s architecture. The MDB-YOLO framework integrates a synergistic set of innovations designed to resolve specific detection bottlenecks. To mitigate the conflict between background texture interference and tiny target detection, we integrated the C2f_EMA module with a Wise-IoU (WIoU) loss function, a combination that significantly enhances feature response to low-contrast residues while reducing the penalty on low-quality anchor boxes through a dynamic non-monotonic focusing mechanism. To effectively manage irregular peel shapes, a dynamic feature processing chain was constructed utilizing DySample for morphology-aware upsampling, BiFPN_Concat2 for weighted multi-scale fusion, and ODConv2d for geometric preservation. Furthermore, to address the issue of missed detections caused by dense occlusion in industrial stacking scenarios, Soft-NMS was implemented to replace traditional greedy suppression mechanisms. Experimental validation demonstrates the superiority of the proposed framework. MDB-YOLO achieves a mean Average Precision (mAP50-95) of 69.7% and a Recall of 88.0%, significantly outperforming the baseline YOLOv8s and advanced transformer-based models like RT-DETR-L. Crucially, the model maintains high operational efficiency, achieving an inference speed of 1.1 ms on an NVIDIA A100 and reaching 27 FPS on an NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX using INT8 quantization. These findings confirm that MDB-YOLO provides a robust, high-precision, and cost-effective solution for real-time quality control in agricultural food processing, marking a significant advancement in the application of computer vision to complex biological targets. Full article

Fruit cracking in jujube is a major constraint on the sustainable development of the jujube industry. In this study, 60 mg L⁻¹ of 6-Benzylaminopurine (6-BA) was foliar-sprayed at the early fruit stage. Fruit cracking incidence was recorded during the green and white fruit periods, and these observations were integrated with transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to explore the potential mechanisms by which 6-BA influences fruit cracking. The results showed that the fruit cracking in the treatment groups was 53% and 18% of that in the control group during the green period and the white period, respectively. In jujube peel, catalase (CAT) activity was significantly increased in the treated peel during both periods. In the peel metabolites, compounds belonging to the cytokinin (CTK) category exhibited significant accumulation in both periods. Transcriptomic analysis showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in pathways related to starch and sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, and cellular polysaccharide metabolism. These findings suggest that 6-BA treatment may alleviate jujube fruit cracking by enhancing antioxidant capacity, modulating hormone homeostasis, and upregulating genes associated with carbohydrate and cell wall metabolism. Full article

Background: Atherosclerosis is the pathological basis for lethal cardio-cerebral vascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease and stroke. Fructus Choerospondiatis (FC) has demonstrated cardiac protective effects in multiple ethnomedicine. Whether these protective effects are attributed to the prevention of vascular atherosclerosis, however, remains unknown. We aim to examine the anti-atherosclerotic effect of FC aqueous extract and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Methods: FC was separated into peel and pulp, and the aqueous extract was obtained separately by boiling in water to mimic decocting. Atherosclerosis model was established in ApoE^−/− mice fed with a high-fat diet, and histological analysis were utilized to evaluate the development of atherosclerosis. Various inflammatory models were constructed in mice to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of FC extract systemically, including acute local inflammation induced by traumatic injury (ear/foot swelling), acute systemic inflammation triggered by pathogenic infection (LPS- and POLY (I:C)-induced), as well as chronic inflammatory conditions associated with oxidative stress (D-galactose-induced), metabolic disorder (db/db mice), and aging. LC-MS and network pharmacology identified bioactive components and targets. Western blotting, ELISA, qPCR, and immunofluorescence were utilized to analyze the key genes involved in the mechanisms. Results: FC peel extract reduced serum IL-6 level, atherosclerotic plaque area, and macrophage content in the plaque, while pulp extract showed no protective effects. Peel extract exhibits anti-inflammatory effects in all models. The integrative application of LC-MS and network pharmacology identified ellagic acid as the major bioactive component and AKT as its target protein. Mechanistically, FC peel extract inhibits AKT phosphorylation, suppresses c-FOS expression and nuclear translocation, reduces IL-6 transcription and inflammation, and thus alleviates atherosclerosis. Conclusions: FC peel aqueous extract exerts anti-atherosclerotic effect by inhibiting inflammation through AKT/c-FOS/IL-6 axis. This study provides novel insights into the protective effects against atherosclerosis of FC peel and highlights its potential application in the prevention and treatment of coronary artery diseases. Full article

It is well known that food waste, especially perishable fruits, is one of the pressing issues worldwide, and as much as 50% of harvested fruits are wasted in developing countries as a result of poor preservation methods. Other traditional options such as plastic films or chemical preservatives are harmful to the environment and to our health. In this work, the limitations are overcome through the fabrication of an innovative camellia saponin/sodium alginate (CS/SA) composite hydrogel film that not only recycles agricultural waste but also improves fruit protection. CS/SA films were prepared by ionic crosslinking with CaCl₂ with different CS content (0–10% w/v, corresponding to 0–3.1 wt% in air-dried films). Detailed SEM, FTIR, XRD and rheological studies indicated that CS addition led to a gradual microstructural densification, stronger intermolecular interactions (involving hydrogen bonding and electrostatic complexation) and superior viscoelasticity, with the best performance at 8% CS (2.5 wt% in dried film). Mechanical tests confirmed that the stable CS/SA film showed higher tensile strength (152 kPa) and compressive strength (353 kPa) than pure SA (10 kPa) with a relatively low Young’s modulus (0.82 MPa) and high elongation at break (116.33%), which could be easily peeled off from fruit surfaces—an essential benefit of this over stiff chitosan/alginate composites. Structure: The composite film exhibited lower porosity (103.2%), reduced moisture content (94.7%), a controlled swelling ratio (800%) and improved barrier property with a water vapor permeability of 1.3 $\times {10}^{-6}$ g·m⁻¹·s⁻¹·kPa⁻¹ and an oxygen permeability of 1.9 × cm³$·\mathsf{\mu }$m·m⁻²·d⁻¹·kPa⁻¹. The 8% CS film showed very strong antioxidant activity (86% DPPH scavenging). Results of application tests on bananas and strawberries indicated that the ripening process was delayed by the CS/SA coatings, the decay rate was decreased from 99.9% (uncoated control) to 55.6% after 9 days, the weight loss was reduced to 29.3%, and the fruit’s firmness and titratable acidity were maintained. This degradable, multifunctional hydrogel film has the potential to be a sustainable measure to simultaneously mitigate food waste, valorize agricultural byproducts, and protect the environment, which could offer substantial benefit for enhancing global food security as well as fruit shelf life. Full article

The color change in the peel of Jaboticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora Berg) ‘Essart’ is primarily driven by the spatiotemporal regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis, but its molecular mechanism remains unclear. This study employed a multi-omics integrated analysis approach, combining targeted metabolomics, transcriptomics, and small RNA sequencing, to systematically elucidate the regulatory mechanism underlying color change during Jaboticaba fruit peel development. The results showed that during the color-turning stage, the content of most anthocyanins tended to decrease, while the content of Cyanidin significantly increased during the fully ripe stage. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified the brown module as a highly relevant module for anthocyanin accumulation, which includes a co-expression network of 98 transcription factors and 6 structural genes (F3H, CHI, ANS, CHS). Furthermore, small RNA sequencing results discovered a novel regulatory relationship: plant-MIR408-4—McMYB88. This regulatory relationship exhibited precise temporal dynamics: during the green fruit stage, plant-MIR408-4 was highly expressed and McMYB88 was lowly expressed, thereby inhibiting anthocyanin synthesis; however, during the fully ripe stage, plant-MIR408-4 expression decreased and McMYB88 expression increased, promoting anthocyanin accumulation. In summary, this study revealed the molecular regulatory mechanism of color formation in Jaboticaba fruit peel, providing an important theoretical basis for its color improvement and molecular breeding. Full article

This study innovatively combines the cyclic catalytic pyrolysis system (CCPS) with a circular pipe device, using biochar from potato peels (PP) and pig manure (PM) to passivate Cd and Pb in the soil, and explores the influencing mechanisms via multiple methods. Results showed that in aqueous adsorption, biochar from the CCPS performed better, with the potato peel-based biochar produced via the cyclic catalytic pyrolysis system (PPB-2) achieving 100% removal of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ within 100–270 min. In the soil remediation experiment using a ring pipe setup, pig manure-based biochar produced via the cyclic catalytic pyrolysis system (PMB-2) exhibited superior performance, reducing Cd concentration from 22.36 mg/kg to 11.21 mg/kg (49.87% removal) and Pb concentration from 718.28 mg/kg to 400.09 mg/kg (44.3% removal) after 40 days. This confirms that the PM-derived biochar prepared by CCPS is more suitable for the remediation of cadmium- and lead-contaminated soils, providing a reference for research on soil heavy metal passivation. Notably, the raw materials (PP and PM) are low-cost, locally abundant agricultural wastes, enabling resource recycling and lowering large-scale application costs. The ring pipe encapsulation further simplifies operational procedures for practical promotion while avoiding direct biochar–soil contact and mitigating secondary pollution risks. Full article

This article aims to point out new perspectives opened by genomics and epigenomics in skin rejuvenation strategies which target the main hallmarks of the ageing. In this respect, this article presents a concise overview on: the clinical relevance of the most important clocks and biomarkers used in skin anti-ageing strategy evaluation, the fundamentals, the main illustrating examples preclinically and clinically tested, the critical insights on knowledge gaps and future research perspectives concerning the most relevant skin anti-ageing and rejuvenation strategies based on novel epigenomic and genomic acquisitions. Thus the review dedicates distinct sections to: senolytics and senomorphics targeting senescent skin cells and their senescent-associated phenotype; strategies targeting genomic instability and telomere attrition by stimulation of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair enzymes and proteins essential for telomeres’ recovery and stability; regenerative medicine based on mesenchymal stem cells or cell-free products in order to restore skin-resided stem cells; genetically and chemically induced skin epigenetic partial reprogramming by using transcription factors or epigenetic small molecule agents, respectively; small molecule modulators of DNA methylases, histone deacetylases, telomerases, DNA repair enzymes or of sirtuins; modulators of micro ribonucleic acid (miRNA) and long-non-coding ribonucleic acid (HOTAIR’s modulators) assisted or not by CRISPR-gene editing technology (CRISPR: Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats); modulators of the most relevant altered nutrient-sensing pathways in skin ageing; as well as antioxidants and nanozymes to address mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative stress. In addition, some approaches targeting skin inflammageing, altered skin proteostasis, (macro)autophagy and intercellular connections, or skin microbiome, are very briefly discussed. The review also offers a comparative analysis among the newer genomic/epigenomic-based skin anti-ageing strategies vs. classical skin rejuvenation treatments from various perspectives: efficacy, safety, mechanism of action, evidence level in preclinical and clinical data and regulatory status, price range, current limitations. In these regards, a concise overview on senolytic/senomorphic agents, topical nutrigenomic pathways’ modulators and DNA repair enzymes, epigenetic small molecules agents, microRNAs and HOTAIRS’s modulators, is illustrated in comparison to classical approaches such as tretinoin and peptide-based cosmeceuticals, topical serum with growth factors, intense pulsed light, laser and microneedling combinations, chemical peels, botulinum toxin injections, dermal fillers. Finally, the review emphasizes the future research directions in order to accelerate the clinical translation of the (epi)genomic-advanced knowledge towards personalization of the skin anti-ageing strategies by integration of individual genomic and epigenomic profiles to customize/tailor skin rejuvenation therapies. Full article

Pineapple waste is an underexplored source for producing nanocomposites, from which nanocellulose, namely cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) or cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), can be produced. This review summarizes extraction methods from different pineapple residues (leaves, crown leaves, stem, peel, pulp, and pomace), covering top-down processes (hydrolysis, oxidation, carboxymethylation, and mechanical fibrillation) and bottom-up strategies (ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents). The review examines the influence of the morphology and crystallinity of nanocellulose on the functional performance of the nanocomposites. Strategies for processing pineapple-derived nanocellulose composites are analyzed by technique (solution casting, film stacking, and melt blending/extrusion) and polymer matrices (starch, PVA, chitosan, PLA, PHBV, PBAT, proteins, and polysaccharides), including typical loading levels for most polymer-reinforced systems (0.5–5 wt.%), while higher levels (15–50 wt.%) are used in particular cases such as PVA, CMC, and cellulosic matrices. The impact on mechanical strength, barrier behavior, UV shielding, and optical properties is summarized, along with reports of self-reinforced and hybrid cellulose-derived matrices. A benchmarking section was prepared to show nanocellulose loading ranges, trends in properties, and processing-relevant information categorized by type of matrix. Finally, the review describes the potential roles of pineapple waste within a bioeconomy context and identifies some extraction by-products that could be incorporated into diverse value chains. Full article

The growing environmental pollution and the imminent depletion of natural resources highlight the need for alternative building materials derived from renewable sources, including those that promote waste recycling and biodegradability. One promising alternative is biocomposites produced from filamentous fungal mycelium. In Argentina, orange and lemon peels are among the most abundant organic waste generated by the citrus industry. This study explores the development of a sustainable insulating biocomposite using Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium grown on mixtures of citrus peels, paper, and cardboard. The test specimens were prepared using varying concentrations of these components. The resulting fungal biocomposite exhibited a density approximately ten times higher than expanded polystyrene, with drying shrinkage ranging from 28% to 51%, depending on the formulation. Key properties were evaluated, including compressive strength (${\sigma }_{10}$ = 7–33 kPa), bulk density ($\rho$ = 152–181 kg/m³), and thermal conductivity ($\lambda$ = 0.29–0.36 W/mK), indicating advantageous performance for thermal insulation in construction applications. Specimens containing orange peel also demonstrated repellent activity against Triatoma infestans, main vector of transmission of Chagas’ disease, attributed to the residual limonene content retained from the citrus peels. This fungal biocomposite aligns with principles of green chemistry and circular economy, offering a biodegradable, low-impact solution with potential use in construction. The citrus waste proved to be an effective substrate for mycelial growth, producing a material with desirable mechanical and thermal properties, and added resistance to biodeterioration. Full article

Fruit peel cracking significantly reduces the commercial value of melons (Cucumis melo). To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of peel cracking, we conducted integrated investigations including morphological, physiological, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of cracked and non-cracked peels from the crack-resistant ‘Xizhoumi 17’ and crack-susceptible ‘Xizhoumi 25’ cultivars. The parenchyma cells in ‘Xizhoumi 17’ exhibited a compact and well-organized arrangement, whereas those in ‘Xizhoumi 25’ displayed a loosely packed and disordered structure. Notably, cracked peels exhibited significantly higher levels of water-soluble pectin and lignin, along with increased cellulase, polygalacturonase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase activities. In contrast, protopectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose contents, as well as polyphenol oxidase activity, were markedly reduced compared to non-cracked peels. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway is positively correlated with the progression of peel cracking. RNA-seq analysis revealed 119 and 82 differentially expressed genes associated with cell wall metabolism and lignin biosynthesis pathways, respectively. Collectively, these findings underscore the involvement of genes related to cell wall synthesis and degradation, as well as lignin synthesis, in modulating peel cracking through alterations in cell wall composition and structural stability, thereby offering practical implications for reducing melon peel cracking incidence via targeted molecular breeding of key genes regulating cell wall composition and the phenylpropanoid pathway. Full article

This study examined the effects of hot-air drying (HAD), infrared drying (IRD), and microwave-infrared combined drying (MICD) on the drying characteristics and quality of citrus peels. Increasing temperature and microwave power significantly shortened drying time, with MICD showing the highest efficiency due to its volumetric heating mechanism. MICD also exhibited the highest effective moisture diffusivity and lowest activation energy, indicating enhanced moisture migration, but caused structural collapse and color deterioration. In contrast, HAD and IRD better preserved color and oil gland integrity. Under optimal conditions, MICD and IRD retained higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents, accompanied by superior antioxidant activity. Electronic nose and PCA analyses revealed better volatile flavor retention in HAD and IRD, while microstructural observations showed that IRD produced more uniform and intact tissues. Correlation analysis indicated strong associations among color, flavor retention, and antioxidant activity. The entropy-weight comprehensive evaluation identified IRD at 70 °C as the optimal drying method, balancing efficiency, bioactive compound preservation, and flavor quality. These findings provide practical guidance for selecting energy-efficient drying technologies to enhance the quality of dried citrus peels. Full article

Inorganic gap filling technology is an effective method to improve reliability and heterogeneous integration density in 2.5D and 3D integration. It uses plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) to deposit silicon dioxide (SiO₂) filler layers in gaps between chiplets. This technology is used to replace the Epoxy Mold Compound (EMC) commonly used in traditional packaging. However, as an inorganic filling material, SiO₂ poses reliability challenges such as cracking and peeling during or after deposition. Furthermore, there lacks quantitative characterization and modeling of the microscale mechanical properties, thermal stress distribution, and fracture failure risk in the filler layer. By combining nanoindentation technology with three-point bending tests, this study reports a comprehensive characterization route for quantitative characterization of mechanical behavior of the filler. A finite element method (FEM) model was also established to predict the thermomechanical reliability of the gap filling process. Raman spectroscopy measured data confirm the model’s reliable predictive ability. The results reveal the impact of filler thickness on the stress. The microscale SiO₂ mechanical characterization method and the thermal stress and fracture risk FEM prediction model in this study not only address the limitations of traditional testing and simulation but also provide support for process optimization and structural design of gap filling in high-density 2.5D/3D packaging. This work promotes the understanding of inorganic filling process reliability in chiplet integration. Full article

Gelatin has been widely used as a raw material for packaging development in the food industry. Edible films made from biopolymers such as gelatin can incorporate functional ingredients from natural sources like peel powder and fresh pulp from Opuntia guerrana (tuna fruit). The formulations GFP, GPP, GM, and the control GF, were developed and characterized. The physicochemical composition of PP and FP (protein, fat, ash, fiber, and carbohydrates) was evaluated. Antioxidant activity showed 98.19 ± 0.21% ABTS radical inhibition for PP. FTIR analysis showed a characteristic peak at 3294–3284 cm⁻¹, associated with the interaction between gelatin and hydroxyl (OH) groups from Opuntia guerrana phenolic compounds. The color and barrier properties of the films were affected by the addition of prickly pear peel and pulp. Mechanical properties such as Young’s modulus and tensile strength showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) when pulp was added to the films. The film with PP exhibited the highest concentration of bioactive compounds (phenols, flavonoids, and betalains) and inhibited the ABTS radical 98.24 ± 0.08% and 38.50 ± 2.11% DPPH radical. All films reached biodegradation levels of approximately 90% after 15 days of incubation. The use of prickly pear residues to obtain value-added compounds can significantly modify the physicochemical and functional properties of gelatin films. Full article

Polysaccharide-based edible coatings are increasingly explored as sustainable strategies for maintaining quality of fresh produce, acting as barriers to gas exchange while improving mechanical and optical properties. However, their effectiveness depends not only on the intrinsic features but also on the structural and physiological diversity of fruits and vegetables, which vary in peel composition, hydrophobicity, and texture. This study investigated plant-derived polysaccharide films (cassava starch, potato starch, corn starch, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, and pectin) characterized for moisture resistance, solubility, permeability, thermal stability, hydrophilicity, opacity, gloss, and mechanical strength. Concurrently, different fruits and vegetables (fruit, root, and tubers) were analyzed for their surface hydrophilicity to establish correlations between film properties and peel characteristics. The findings emphasize that no single polymer can be universally applied. In addition, the choice of matrix must be guided by both film functionality and produce surface traits. Starch-based films presented high hydrophilicity, suggesting better wettability, while pectin and cellulose derivatives presented distinct advantages for less hydrophilic peels. This work highlights the importance of tailoring edible coatings according to the physicochemical compatibility between films and fresh produce surfaces, providing insights for improving post-harvest preservation strategies and guiding the development of effective, sustainable coatings for diverse horticultural commodities. Full article