Search Results (11)

Low-commercial-value natural pistachios (broken, closed, or immature) can be revalorised through oil extraction, obtaining a high-quality oil and partially defatted flour as by-product. This study evaluated the techno-functional and nutritional properties of the flours obtained by hydraulic press (HP) and single-screw press (SSP) systems, combined with pretreatment at 25 °C and 60 °C. The extraction method significantly influenced flour’s characteristics, underscoring the need to tailor processing conditions to the specific technological requirements of each food application. HP-derived flours presented lighter colour, greater tocopherol content, and higher water absorption capacity (up to 2.75 g/g), suggesting preservation of hydrophilic proteins. SSP-derived flours showed higher concentration of protein (44 g/100 g), fibre (12 g/100 g), and minerals, and improved emulsifying properties, enhancing their suitability for emulsified products. Pretreatment at 25 °C enhanced functional properties such as swelling power (~7.0 g/g) and water absorption index (~5.7 g/g). The SSP system achieved the highest oil extraction yield, with no significant effect of pretreatment temperature. The oils extracted showed high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid (~48% of ω-9), highlighting their nutritional and industrial value. The findings support the valorisation of pistachio oil extraction by-products as functional food ingredients, offering a promising strategy for reducing food waste and promoting circular economy approaches in the agri-food sector. Full article

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the composition of onion peels, tomato peels, and pistachio green hulls, with a focus on their structural and bioactive compounds. Onion peels, regardless of cultivar, were found to be rich in quercetin and its derivatives, along with other flavonoids and pectin. Tomato peels emerged as a notable source of naringenin (0.52 mg/g in ethanol extract) and rutin (0.24 mg/g in water extract) and showed an unexpectedly high lignin content, comprising nearly 50% of their structural components. Pistachio green hulls demonstrated a high extractive content (63.4 g/100 g), 73% of which were water-soluble. Protocatechuic acid, rutin, and quercetin derivatives were the dominant phenolic compounds in the water extract, while luteolin was most abundant in the ethanol extract. Regarding structural composition, tomato peels and pistachio green hulls shared similarities, exhibiting a high lignin content (53.4% and 33.8%, respectively) and uronic acids (10–15%). In contrast, onion peels were characterized by high levels of glucans (around 38%) and galacturonic acid (33%). The insights from this study pave the way for the design of sustainable and efficient extraction processes, enabling the sequential recovery of valuable bioactive compounds and promoting the valorization of these agro-industrial by-products. Additionally, onion and tomato peels were evaluated as sources of pectin using two extraction methods: conventional acid water extraction and subcritical water extraction. The results revealed significant differences in the pectin composition (53–68% galacturonic acid) and degree of esterification (79–92%) compared to commercial pectin (72.8% galacturonic acid and 68% esterification), highlighting the influence of the raw material and extraction method on the final properties of pectin. Full article

To meet the growing demand for sustainable aquaculture, plant proteins are being explored as alternative sources in fish diets. However, some plant proteins can have adverse health effects on fish, prompting research into functional feed ingredients to mitigate these issues. This study investigated pistachio shell powder (PSP), rich in antioxidants, as a functional feed ingredient for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The effects of PSP inclusion (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%) on growth performance, intestinal health, and gut microbiota were assessed in fish fed either a fishmeal (FM) or plant meal (PM) diet over a 12-week feeding period. The results indicated that PSP inclusion at 1% significantly (p < 0.05) improved weight gain and growth performance in FM treatments, with no impact on growth in PM treatments. No significant differences were observed in other growth parameters, intestinal morphology, or oxidative stress markers, although a trend toward the downregulation of inflammatory genes was noted in PM treatments at 2% PSP inclusion. PSP inclusion did not significantly alter gut microbiota alpha diversity but affected beta diversity at the 0.5% level in the FM treatments (p < 0.05). Differential abundance analysis of gut microbiota revealed taxa-specific responses to PSP, particularly the genus Candidatus arthromitus, increasing in relative abundance with PSP inclusion in both the FM- and PM-based treatments. Overall, PSP inclusion up to 2% did not have significant adverse effects on the growth, intestinal health, or antioxidant status of rainbow trout. Full article

The United States is a principal producer of tree nuts (almonds, pistachios, and walnuts), resulting in the generation of excess of tree-nutshell by-products each year, with few market outlets. A nutshell is an essential, lignocellulosic layer that protects a kernel (seed) from the environment during cultivation. The objective of this study was to develop nutshell by-products as herbicide delivery systems, which would not only enable sustainable weed control in fields but also increases nutshell value and reduce the cost of waste disposal. We recently identified a natural salicylaldehyde (SA) that emits volatiles with both herbicidal and antifungal properties. In this study, walnut shell particles saturated with 0.8 to 1.6 M SA were developed as delivery vehicles for SA to soil, which allowed for the controlled release of an SA fumigant for weed control. The pre- and post-emergent herbicidal efficacy of SA was investigated using model monocot (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh; turfgrass) and dicot (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis; Chinese cabbage) plants. We compared (1) the effects of different types of solvents for dissolving SA (dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and ethanol (60%, v/v)), and (2) the effect of covering soil with plastic layers (i.e., soil pasteurization) or not covering soil during SA fumigation using nutshells. Results: In the pre-emergent herbicidal testing with the soil covered, the dicot plants exhibited levels of higher susceptibility to SA in DMSO emitted from nutshells when compared to the monocot plants. The seed germination frequencies in the dicots were 15% and 1% with 0.8 and 1.6 M SA, respectively, while those in the monocots were 32% and 18%, respectively, under the same test conditions. In the post-emergent herbicidal testing with the soil covered, the growth of both the monocot and dicot plants was completely prevented after 5 to 7 days of SA fumigation, resulting in the deaths of entire plants. It was noteworthy that in the post-emergent herbicidal testing, SA dissolved in ethanol (60%, v/v) completely disrupted the growth of the monocot and dicot plants as early as 3 days after SA emission from the nutshells, even without the soil being covered. Tree-nutshell particles could serve as effective SA delivery vehicles with controlled release capabilities for SA. The SA exhibited pre- and post-emergent herbicidal activities against the monocot and dicot plants at most growth stages. SA (0.8 and 1.6 M) dissolved in ethanol (60%, v/v) might exert a synergism for higher herbicidal activity after emission from nutshells. Since tree nuts capture/store a substantial amount of carbon over their life-cycles, the new and sustainable utility of using nutshells not only reduces carbon emissions but also valorizes tree-nut by-products, thus benefitting the tree-nut industry. Full article

Organic hydromulches (liquid spray-on mulches) have been used traditionally in land rehabilitation, mainly to mitigate post-fire runoff and erosion. However, in recent years, a new application of these materials as an eco-friendly alternative to the widely used polyethylene mulch, both in vegetable and woody crops, has been studyied. This work analyzes the effects of six hydromulches, based on organic by-products, on different soil parameters (water content, temperature, and CO₂ flux), plant–water relations (stem water potential, leaf gas exchange, and leaf temperature), and the growth (trunk diameter) of young olive trees planted in large pots in the open field over a 2-year trial. The hydromulches tested were: rice husk (RH), rice husk with linen oil (RHL), mushroom substrate (MS), wheat straw (WS), pistachio (PW), and vineyard (VW) pruning wood chips, mixed with different additives (gypsum, recycled paper paste, and Kraft fiber). A non-mulched manual weeding control (NM) was included. The results indicated that hydromulches, in comparison with NM, resulted in increased volumetric soil water content (on average, 22.9% in hydromulches and 19.5% in NM), reduced soil temperature fluctuations (4.97 °C in hydromulches and 6.13 °C in NM), and increased soil CO₂ fluxes (0.80 and 0.49 g CO₂ m⁻² h⁻¹, respectively). Although the differences in the soil water content did not have an obvious effect on the plant–water status, crop growth was reduced in NM (≈23% lower than PW, MS, RHL, and WS), suggesting that vegetative growth, especially in young olive trees, is extremely sensitive to water deficit. The overall study leads to considering hydromulches as a good alternative to mulching in large pots, especially PW, which would be useful for nursery crops before their final establishment in the field. Full article

The use of by-products from the agri-food industry is a promising approach for production of value-added, polyphenol-rich dietary supplements or natural pharmaceutical preparations. During pistachio nut processing, a great amount of husk is removed, leaving large biomass for potential re-use. The present study compares antiglycative, antioxidant, and antifungal activities as well as nutritional values of 12 genotypes belonging to four pistachio cultivars. Antioxidant activity was measured using DPPH and ABTS assays. Antiglycative activity was evaluated as inhibition of advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation in the bovine serum albumin/methylglyoxal model. HPLC analysis was performed to determine the major phenolic compounds. Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside (120.81–181.94 mg/100 g DW), gallic acid (27.89–45.25), catechin (7.2–11.01), and eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside (7.23–16.02) were the major components. Among genotypes, the highest total flavonol content (14.8 mg quercetin equivalents/g DW) and total phenolic content (262 mg tannic acid equivalent/g DW) were in KAL1 (Kaleghouchi) and FAN2 (Fandoghi), respectively. The highest antioxidant (EC₅₀ = 375 μg/mL) and anti-glycative activities were obtained for Fan1. Furthermore, potent inhibitory activity against Candida species was recorded with MIC values of 3.12–12.5 µg/mL. The oil content ranged from 5.4% in Fan2 to 7.6% in Akb1. The nutritional parameters of the tested cultivars were highly variable: crude protein (9.8–15.8%), ADF (acid detergent fiber 11.9–18.2%), NDF (neutral detergent fiber, 14.8–25.6%), and condensed tannins (1.74–2.86%). Finally, cyanidin-3-O-galactoside was considered an effective compound responsible for antioxidant and anti-glycative activities. Full article

In creating sustainable food systems, alternative uses of food waste and by-products as a source of phenolic compounds or dietary fiber in food formulations should be evaluated to reduce food losses and waste. In this study, wheat bread was fortified with agro-industrial by-products, namely, fresh pistachio hull (FPH), pistachio hull powder (PHP), fresh grape seeds (FGS), and grape seed powder (GSP), at different levels (0.5–4%). The effects of this enrichment on moisture content, crust and crumb color, specific volume, baking loss, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and textural properties were evaluated and compared with control bread. Fortification with pistachio hulls and grape seeds, especially in powdered form, improved the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the bread compared with the control bread. With the increase in the amount of PHP from 0 to 4.0%, the total phenolic content of the bread initially increased from 0.89 to 14.66 mg GAE/g dry weight and the specific volume decreased from 3.59 cm³/g to 2.91 cm³/g. Bread containing PHP showed a significant reduction in baking loss and specific volume, while the addition of FGS and GSP at a low level (0.5%) improved the specific volume. The brightness (L*) of the crumb and crust gradually decreased with increasing levels of all additives. The crumbs of the breads with PHP and FPH were characterized by lower hardness, while GSP and especially FGS had higher hardness. All enriched breads (except those with FGS) were more elastic and easier to chew. Full article

Nuts are dry, single-seeded fruits, with a combination of beneficial compounds that aid in disease prevention and treatment. This review aims to summarize the antioxidant components and the nutraceutical properties and applications of hazelnut, almond, and pistachio skins, as well as discuss their ability to prevent and treat specific diseases based on in vitro and in vivo studies. The search strategy included searching PubMed database and Google Scholar for relevant articles published in English. Research articles focusing on hazelnut, pistachio, and almond were included. The nut skin extracts were considered and other by-products were excluded from this search. Pistachio and almond skin hydroalcoholic extracts have antibacterial effects and decrease the risk of liver cancer by eliminating reactive oxygen species. Moreover, hazelnut skin can lower plasma against low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of colon cancer, and its polyphenolic extract can also decrease the formation of advanced glycation end products in vitro with multidimensional effects. Overall, hazelnut, pistachio, and almond skins are a great source of antioxidants, making them suitable for nutraceuticals’ development. Full article

The agricultural processing industry usually generates a remarkable amount of by-products rich in bioactive compounds, which can be exploited for agri-food or nutraceutical applications. Pistachio’s hard shell is one of the major by-products from pistachio industrial processing. The aim of this work was the evaluation of pistachio shells as a potential source of natural antioxidants. We evaluated different extraction procedures by measuring total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and antioxidative activity (DPPH^•, TEAC and ORAC). The microwave-assisted ethanol extract turned out to be the most promising and was fractionated by XAD-16 column chromatography, affording six fractions analyzed through HPLC/ESI-MS/MS and ¹H-NMR to identify the main antioxidative constituents. Fractions Fr4–Fr6 demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity. Gallic acid and a monogalloylglusose isomer are the main phenolic constituents of Fr4. Both simple and complex phenolics, such as flavonoids and hydrolysable tannins, were identified in fractions Fr5 and Fr6; pentagalloylglucose and kaempferol, well-known for their antioxidant activity, are the most abundant constituents. The results highlighted that the proposed methodology can be an effective way to recover bioactive phenolic compounds from pistachio hard shell, making this by-product a promising source of compounds with potential applications in food and healthcare sectors. Full article

A sustainable and low-cost lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery was produced by reusing abundant waste from biomass as a raw material. Pistachio shell was the by-product from the agri-food industry chosen to obtain activated carbon with excellent textural properties, which acts as a conductive matrix for sulfur. Pistachio shell-derived carbon activated with phosphoric acid exhibits a high surface area (1345 m²·g⁻¹) and pore volume (0.67 cm³·g⁻¹), together with an interconnected system of micropores and mesopores that is capable of accommodating significant amounts of S and enhancing the charge carrier mobility of the electrochemical reaction. Moreover, preparation of the S composite was carried out by simple wet grinding of the components, eliminating the usual stage of S melting. The cell performance was very satisfactory, both in long-term cycling measurements and in rate capability tests. After the initial cycles required for cell stabilization, it maintained good capacity retention for the 300 cycles measured (the capacity loss was barely 0.85 mAh·g⁻¹ per cycle). In the rate capability test, the capacity released was around 650 mAh·g⁻¹ at 1C, a higher value than that supplied by other activated carbons from nut wastes. Full article

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) hulls (PVLH) represents a significant by-product of industrial pistachio processing that contains high amounta of phenolic and flavonoid compounds known to act as antioxidants. The current study was designed to evaluate the anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic potentials of PVLH extracts. The cytotoxic effects of hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water PVLH extracts toward human colon cancer (HT-29 and HCT-116), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), lung adenocarcinoma (H23), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), cervical cancer (Ca Ski), and normal fibroblast (BJ-5ta) cells were assessed using a MTT cell viability assay. Apoptosis induction was evaluated through the different nuclear staining assays and confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. Anti-angiogenic activities were also determined using chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. PVLH ethyl acetate extracts (PVLH-EAE) demonstrated a suppressive effect with an IC₅₀ value of 21.20 ± 1.35, 23.00 ± 1.2 and 25.15 ± 1.85 µg/mL against MCF-7, HT-29 and HCT-116, respectively, after 72 h of treatment. Morphological assessment and flow cytometry analysis showed the potential of PVLH-EAE to induce apoptosis. PVLH-EAE at the highest concentration demonstrated significant inhibition of angiogenesis as comparing with control group. Also the expression of Bax increased and the expression of Bcl-2 decreased in treated MCF-7 cells. Thus, the apoptosis induction and angiogenesis potential of PVLH-EAE make it to be the most suitable for further cancer research study to deal with selective antitumor active substances to human cancers especially breast cancer. Full article