Search Results (1,851)

Citrus processing by-products represent a sustainable source of bioactive plant complexes with potential applications in intestinal health. This study investigated the effects of standardized food-grade orange (OE) and lemon (LE) pomace extracts and their simulated gastrointestinal digestates (DIGs) on intestinal epithelial responses and selected probiotic strains. Caco-2 cells were used to assess cytotoxicity, epithelial wound closure, and, in differentiated monolayers challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), extracellular levels of SOD2, catalase, Nrf2, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-1β. In parallel, the effects of OE, LE, and their corresponding DIGs on the growth and cell-surface hydrophobicity of four probiotic lactic acid bacteria were evaluated. OE and LE DIGs were non-cytotoxic and promoted epithelial wound closure in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. In LPS-challenged monolayers, both DIGs counteracted alterations in extracellular oxidative stress-related proteins and reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine levels without affecting cell viability. OE and LE also produced strain-dependent effects on probiotic growth and cell-surface hydrophobicity, which were modified by gastrointestinal digestion. Overall, these findings extend previous evidence on the intestinal bioactivity of Citrus pomace-derived plant complexes and support their further investigation as sustainable food-grade ingredients for gut health applications. Full article

Sustainability concerns are driving greater interest in valorizing agri-food by-products as ingredients in meat products. This study aimed to optimize a cooked turkey sausage formulation incorporating apple pomace powder (APP), turkey skin (TS), and iced water (IW) and to evaluate their effects on physicochemical, textural, and sensory properties. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied with APP (1–5%), TS (20–30%), and IW (15–30%) as independent variables. The responses evaluated were pH, cooking yield, color parameters (L*, a*, and b*), hardness, and overall acceptability. Numerical optimization identified a formulation containing 4.45% APP, 23.19% TS, and 15.73% IW, with predicted values of pH 5.63, cooking yield 87.21%, lightness (L*) 73.78, redness (a*) 4.81, yellowness (b*) 11.35, hardness 51.21 N, and overall acceptability 6.59. Experimental validation showed that the measured responses were generally consistent with the RSM predictions, although a larger deviation was observed for b*. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that PC1 and PC2 explained 51.66% and 28.89% of the total variance, respectively, accounting for 80.55% cumulatively. PCA provided an exploratory representation of relationships among the measured responses, with PC1 primarily contrasting pH and lightness with cooking yield, redness, and yellowness, while hardness and overall acceptability were more strongly associated with PC2. Overall, the results demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating APP and TS into cooked turkey sausage and identify an optimized formulation that balances by-product incorporation with physicochemical, textural, and sensory responses. Full article

Sustainability policies introduced under the European Green Deal have strengthened climate-related disclosure requirements for agri-food companies. In particular, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive requires in-scope companies to transparently disclose information on their environmental performance. However, the academic literature on decarbonisation in the olive oil sector remains fragmented. This systematic literature review synthesises findings by considering cultivation, milling and retail, and waste management as interconnected stages of the olive oil supply chain and by developing a matrix linking decarbonisation strategies to the relevant European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics. Following the PRISMA protocol, 42 peer-reviewed studies from Scopus and Web of Science were included in the final synthesis, covering cultivation (RQ1), milling and retail (RQ2), and waste management (RQ3). The cultivation stage represents an important part of the emission profile of the chain while also offering potential for carbon sequestration through sustainable management practices, such as reduced tillage, cover crops, organic amendments and biochar application. In the downstream stages, the mill and its retail interface rely on a different set of measures, including two-phase extraction, rooftop photovoltaic systems, thermal recovery from pits, and lighter bottles transported in bulk. Waste management also offers opportunities to recover value from pomace, mill wastewater and pruning waste through biogas, biochar, compost or phenolic extracts. The potential for a net-negative carbon balance is context-dependent and varies with system boundaries, the balancing period, functional units, and the methods used to account for carbon sequestration. The matrix offers a clear classification of decarbonisation strategies and ESRS topics, opening valuable avenues for upcoming studies to extend its practical utility. Full article

The sustainable management of olive pomace (OP) residues remains a major environmental challenge, requiring integrated strategies that enhance resource recovery while minimizing environmental impacts. This study evaluated the effects of OP-derived biochar (BC) produced at two pyrolysis temperatures (300 and 600 °C) and applied at two rates (5 and 10%, w/w) on composting performance and the physicochemical, biological, and nutrient characteristics of OP compost. Composting was initiated in a pilot-scale forced-aeration bioreactor to accelerate the decomposition of the composting mixture, after which the materials were transferred to indoor piles to complete the composting and maturation process. Two-way ANOVA showed that both BC pyrolysis temperature and application rate significantly affected several compost quality attributes, although their relative influence varied among the measured properties. The observed responses were consistent with differences in the physicochemical characteristics of the OP-derived BC resulting from the pyrolysis conditions. Compared with BC produced at 300 °C, BC produced at 600 °C significantly reduced moisture content (MC) from 17.81 to 11.44%, decreased bulk density (BD) from 0.69 to 0.52 g cm⁻³, increased organic matter (OM) from 70.61 to 82.78%, and raised compost pH from 7.67 to 8.43 (p < 0.001), and reduced microbial respiration from 2.00 to 1.60 CO₂ g⁻¹ OM day⁻¹ (p = 0.0270). Increasing the BC application rate from 5 to 10% significantly enhanced nitrogen (N) (1.64–1.79%), phosphorus (P) (0.57–0.67%), ammonium (NH₄⁺) (162–214 mg kg⁻¹), nitrate (NO₃⁻) (42.98–52.42 mg kg⁻¹), sulfur (S) (0.35–0.39%), and compost stability index (SI). Overall, the higher BC application rate, particularly when combined with BC produced at 600 °C, generally resulted in the most favourable compost characteristics, although several responses were statistically comparable with those obtained using BC produced at 300 °C and applied at 10%. Germination indices of 97.5–135.8% indicated that the final composts exhibited low phytotoxicity and generally mature. These findings indicate that integrating OP-derived BC into OP composting can improve the quality and stability of the resulting compost while providing an integrated strategy for the valorization of within circular bioeconomy approach. Full article

Rising feed costs and the shift towards circular bioeconomy systems have generated interest in agro-industrial by-products as livestock feeds, but the evidence on fruit pomaces is fragmented across single pomaces, single species and single processing methods. This review compares apple, citrus and grape pomaces against a common set of nutritional, processing, functional and environmental criteria, and grades the strength of the evidence supporting each comparison. Under particular species-, processing- and dose-specific conditions, properly prepared pomaces have been reported to improve ruminal fermentation, nutrient digestibility, milk composition and oxidative status in ruminants, and gut health, antioxidant status and product quality in non-ruminants. Responses are heterogeneous, and null or adverse effects on intake, digestibility and performance also occur, particularly at high inclusion levels and with lignin- and tannin-rich material. Reductions in enteric methane have been measured in vivo for grape by-products in dairy cattle, whereas the evidence for citrus flavonoids remains in vitro; whole-system environmental and economic benefits are unquantified. Research priorities include standardised processing and compositional reporting, routine control of mycotoxins, pesticide residues and heavy metals, species-specific dose–response trials, and whole-chain techno-economic and life-cycle assessment. Full article

Circular economy is today a key driver of every transformation process aimed at reducing and optimizing the use of energy and materials. The production of solid biofuel from waste is a typical route to lower the potential impact of greenhouse-gas emissions. In this context, olive pomace is a relevant feedstock, as 4 million tonnes are generated worldwide each year alongside olive oil production. However, only a small fraction of olive pomace is currently valorized. Fresh olive pomace must first be quickly dried to a low, controlled moisture. This step is performed poorly and at a high energy cost. This paper presents an automation-based approach to enhance biomass production from olive pomace, thereby advancing circular-economy practices in olive oil production. The work is focused on four aspects. In the first part, a review of the state of automation in agricultural engineering with a focus on biomass and olive pomace is proposed. Then, the design and construction of an innovative drying system that integrates an infrared solution directly into the transporting screw conveyor is described, integrating real-time online microwave moisture sensing and PLC control. After that, a cloud-based service is presented for remote monitoring, data analysis, and optimization. The innovative and automated drying system was validated during a preliminary field campaign at an olive mill. After about sixteen hours of continuous, cloud-monitored operation, the resulting olive pomace moisture fell below the 5% threshold across a wide range of inlet-moisture conditions, with a stable electrical power demand of approximately 1.85 kW. Finally, an environmental analysis is provided to evaluate the environmental aspects related to the proposed system. The preliminary analysis confirms a significant avoided-carbon potential if the resulting olive pomace is reused as biomass for energy production. The impact associated with 1 kWh_-eq produced from olive pomace is in the range of 0.006–0.033 kg CO_2-eq. Full article

The global deterioration of water quality caused by industrial, agricultural, and domestic pollutants poses significant threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. The significance of this study lies in addressing a critical gap in the remediation of emerging contaminants by evaluating biochar-based adsorption under environmentally relevant hydrochemical conditions. Four activated biocarbons—A-ac-NiO-ext-1:1, A-ac-Fe₃O₄-NiO-ext-1:1, A-ac-Fe₃O₄-1:2, and A-ac-Alg—synthesized from apple pomace were investigated. Their adsorption performance was evaluated under four salinity conditions (M0–M3; total dissolved solids: 0–6123 mg/L), at temperatures of 298, 318, and 338 K, and over three consecutive adsorption–desorption cycles. DBP concentrations were determined by GC–MS. The maximum adsorption capacity, 6.25 mg DBP/g, was achieved by A-ac-Fe₃O₄-1:2 at 338 K under M3. Salinity effects were material-dependent: A-ac-NiO-ext-1:1 exhibited decreased adsorption with increasing ionic strength, whereas A-ac-Fe₃O₄-1:2 showed enhanced adsorption, potentially due to salting-out effects. A-ac-Fe₃O₄-NiO-ext-1:1 maintained stable performance across salinity conditions, while A-ac-Alg exhibited a nonlinear response. The main novelty of this study was the systematic comparative evaluation of four differently functionalized apple pomace-derived activated biochars, integrating the effects of salinity, temperature, thermodynamics, and cyclic reusability within a unified experimental framework. Full article

The growing interest in sustainable materials has stimulated interest in biodegradable biocomposites produced from renewable and industrial by-product resources. In this study, the feasibility of replacing wood particles with nigella, rapeseed, and evening primrose pomace residues in modified thermoplastic starch (MS)-based composites was investigated. Composite boards were manufactured using lignocellulosic filler containing wood substituted by untreated pomace at different substitution levels (30%, 65%, and 100%) and matrix ratios (30% and 40%). Mechanical performance, surface roughness, wettability, and water stability were evaluated. Pomace content was the dominant factor affecting MOR, and contact angle. Increasing wood substitution reduced the MOR. Intermediate levels of nigella substitution reduced surface roughness. Rapeseed and evening primrose residues improved resistance to water-induced disintegration at higher substitution levels, whereas composites containing nigella residues remained highly susceptible to degradation during soaking. The results demonstrate that unmodified oil press residues can serve as alternative lignocellulosic fillers in starch-based biocomposites and provide a promising route for valorization of agro-industrial by-products. Full article

Impaired bone formation and extracellular matrix mineralization contribute to the progressive loss of bone quality associated with aging and skeletal disorders. In this context, the growing interest in sustainable bioactive ingredients for health-related and nutraceutical applications has drawn attention to grape pomace, a phenol-rich byproduct of winemaking. This study investigated the chemical composition and osteogenic potential of Nerello Mascalese pomace extract (NMPE), evaluating its effects on key processes involved in human osteoblast differentiation, extracellular matrix maturation, and mineralized matrix formation. NMPE was chemically characterized by means of liquid chromatographic techniques, revealing a phenolic-rich profile dominated by anthocyanins. The osteogenic effects of NMPE were evaluated by analyzing extracellular matrix mineralization through Alizarin Red S staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymatic activity, and the expression of genes involved in osteoblast differentiation and matrix mineralization by quantitative real-time PCR. NMPE promoted osteoblast differentiation and extracellular matrix mineralization, together with coordinated changes in the expression of osteogenesis- and matrix-associated genes. These findings identify Nerello Mascalese pomace as a promising source of bioactive compounds capable of supporting bone-forming processes and strengthen its potential for sustainable valorization in bone-health applications. Full article

The utilization of grape seeds, a by-product of winemaking, and the production of valuable bioactive products from them is a very promising concept in the field of industrial waste management. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of grape variety and storage conditions on the polyphenol stability and antioxidant capacities of grape seed extracts over a long period of time (10 months). The separated seeds from the pomace of the red grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc were dried at 23 °C for 10 days and at 40 °C and 60 °C for 24 h. The polyphenol extraction from all types of dried seeds was carried out under the same conditions: 70% aqueous ethanol, magnetic stirring at 600 rpm, for 3 h. Seeds dried at 40 °C yielded extracts with the highest total phenolic content. The extracts obtained from them were prepared in three physical forms: liquid concentrated form, lyophilized form and dried form at 40 °C. All the obtained extract forms were stored at 4 °C and 23 °C for 10 months. The effects of grape variety, extract physical forms and extract storage conditions on the total phenolic content, total flavonoids, procyanidins and antioxidant capacity of the extracts were studied. All parameters were determined at 0, 3, 6 and 10 months. It was found that the two types of dried extracts showed the highest stability of polyphenols at 4 °C for 10 months. The loss of total phenolic content of lyophilized Cabernet Franc GSE under these conditions was only 8.17%. All the physical forms of Cabernet Franc GSE exhibited lower losses of antioxidant activities compared to those of the Cabernet Sauvignon GSE. It was found that the reduction of antioxidant activity followed first-order kinetics. The individual compounds of the liquid and lyophilized Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon seed extracts stored at 4 °C and 23 °C for 0 and 10 months were determined by HPLC, and their percentage loss was calculated. After 10 months of storage, the greatest degradation losses were recorded for gallic acid, procyanidin C1 and epicatechin, followed by procyanidin B3. Among the analyzed polyphenolic compounds, procyanidin B1 demonstrated the highest stability, with a loss of only 0.6%, followed by catechin and procyanidin B2, with losses of 4.02% and 2.35%, respectively. The effect of differences in the chemical composition of the two grape varieties on the stability of polyphenols and antioxidant activity of the extracts was also evaluated. Full article

Pomaces, by-products from beverage industries, which are extremely rich in various bioactive compounds such as dietary fiber, polyphenolic compounds, carotenoids, etc., represent valuable sources of natural antioxidants. Due to their nutritional properties, innovative food products could be developed by incorporating pomace powders as potentially functional ingredients. In the present work, new dehydrated fruit-based products, known as fruit rolls or leathers, were developed from apples and bananas (2/1, w/w), with honey (2%), lemon juice (2%), and freeze-dried grape or sea buckthorn pomace powders (3%), without artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or hydrocolloids. Several physicochemical (moisture content, water activity, pH, CIE L*a*b*) and chemical (total phenolic and carotenoid contents) parameters were investigated both for pomace powders and developed fruit rolls. Moreover, the prepared fruit rolls were evaluated in terms of sensorial characteristics using a seven-point hedonic scale. The samples obtained by incorporation of freeze-dried pomace powders exhibited increased values of the total phenolic content (86.54 and 95.77 mg GAE/g d.m.) compared to the control sample (59.62 mg GAE/g d.m.). Sensory evaluation with twenty untrained panelists indicated good acceptability, with mean scores above 6.00. The addition of freeze-dried pomace powders improved the visual attributes, the appearance and color of the corresponding fruit rolls receiving slightly higher scores compared to the control. The newly developed fruit rolls with freeze-dried grape or sea buckthorn pomace powders could represent a tasty, interesting alternative for sweet snacks. Full article

Hydrochars (HCs) were produced from pine needles (urban waste), brewer’s spent grain, and grape pomace via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) at 230 °C, and were comparatively assessed as unmodified, low-dose amendments (1 wt%) in an alkaline soil slurry. Fixed-contact-time (4 h) batch tests were conducted using a Taguchi L9 array to screen the effects of feedstock type, HTC residence time, initial metal concentration, and test temperature on the aqueous-phase removal of for Zn, Pb, and Cd at this fixed endpoint. In the ternary test containing 20 mg/L of each metal, the soil-only control removed 94% Zn, 99% Pb, and 96% Cd, whereas the soil amended with 1 wt% pine-needle HC removed 98% Zn and 99% Pb, while Cd in the recovered liquid was below the instrumental detection limit. Operational distribution coefficients (K_d) and separation factors (SF) calculated at the 4 h endpoint indicated preferential Cd partitioning within the amended soil system. These findings support further evaluation of minimally processed, low-dose hydrochars for metal-contaminated soils, while providing a potential valorization route for residual biomass within a circular economy framework. Full article

Winery activities generate large amounts of residues requiring sustainable management. Anaerobic digestion offers opportunities for resource recovery while reducing the environmental burdens associated with these residues. This study presents a gate-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of two anaerobic digestion pathways: winery wastewater treatment (Scenario A) and grape pomace valorization (Scenario B). Inventory data were obtained from pilot-scale operation and complemented with the Ecoinvent 3.10 database. Environmental impacts were assessed using the ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (H) method across seven impact categories. To ensure comparability, results were evaluated using both process-based functional units and an energy-normalized functional unit of 1 MJ of useful electricity, applied as an exploratory indicator of energy-recovery intensity under pilot-scale conditions. Although grape pomace digestion showed higher impacts per unit of substrate processed, it achieved lower impacts per MJ of electricity generated, with reductions of approximately 8–10 times across categories. Higher methane yields and lower electricity demand were contributors to this performance. However, both pilot-scale systems exhibited negative net electricity balances, indicating that the energy-normalized comparison represents energy-recovery intensity rather than net energy delivery. The findings highlight the importance of functional unit selection and the complementary role of both pathways in circular winery residue management. Full article

One way to utilize by-products from fruit production is the extraction of bioactive compounds and their subsequent complexation with appropriate carriers. Consequently, we used chokeberry pomace extract for complexation with plant-based proteins, namely almond, rice, pea, and pumpkin-seed protein matrices, which differ in their composition and protein content. The obtained complexes, as well as the chokeberry pomace extract and protein matrices, were evaluated for the concentration of individual polyphenols, total polyphenols, procyanidins, and antioxidant activity. Color parameters and IR spectra were also recorded. The results of this study emphasized the importance of the structure and properties of polyphenols and proteins, which are significant factors affecting polyphenol adsorption onto protein-based carriers. All proteins showed similar affinity for anthocyanins (69% for cyanidin-3-galactoside, and 23% to 29% for cyanidin-3-arabinoside). Rice proteins had the highest affinity for quercetin-3-rutinoside (87%), while pumpkin proteins showed the highest affinity for quercetin-3-galactoside (87%) and quercetin-3-glucoside (65%). Rice proteins also had the highest affinity for phenolic acids (67% for neochlorogenic acid, 81% for chlorogenic acid, and 48% for isochlorogenic acid). These results provide a good baseline for the formulation of dried protein-based complexes, based on chokeberry pomace, rich in polyphenols which can have possible uses in food products, to enhance their antioxidant potential. Full article

Recent advances in non-thermal and hybrid extraction technologies—such as pulsed electric field (PEF), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and enzymatic treatments—have been widely reviewed in the context of general food processing. However, the current literature lacks a critical evaluation of how these modalities reshape the molecular fingerprints, authenticity markers, and cultivar-specific phenolic baselines of olive products, particularly within the Greek production landscape. Existing studies primarily emphasize extraction yield, operational parameters, or sustainability aspects, leaving important gaps regarding molecular consequences, including shifts in secoiridoids, lignans, pigments, oxidation markers, and the composition of by-products such as olive mill wastewater and pomace. This commentary addresses these gaps by integrating emerging extraction technologies with Greece’s omics-enabled analytical capacity (FoodOmicsGR_RI), highlighting how processing innovations may influence authenticity claims, phenolic integrity, and circular economy valorization routes. We discuss mechanistic pathways, molecular-level effects, and technology-specific limitations and propose a structured framework for developing national databases of processing-induced molecular markers. By linking technological mechanisms with cultivar-dependent molecular responses, this commentary aims to support coordinated Greek research efforts toward robust authenticity assurance, sustainable processing, and high-value valorization of olive by-products under evolving climatic and industrial pressures. Full article