Biochar from Waste Derived Fuels as Low-Cost Adsorbent for Waste Hydrocarbons

Abstract The aim of this study is to prove technical feasibility of combined refuse derived fuel (RDF) torrefaction and oily wastewater treatment approach by using RDF derived biochar as a sorption media. Biochars prepared from refuse derived fuels in torrefaction, carbonization and pyrolysis modes were analysed as fuels and as hydrocarbon sorbents. Changes of elemental composition and properties of material during thermal treatment and subsequent washing process have been analysed. Experimental evaluation of sorption behaviour of toluene and diesel fuel on obtained biochar performed. Our results show that torrefaction/carbonization of RDF coupled with the subsequent washing of biochar is a…

Highly-Efficient Release of Ferulic Acid from Agro-Industrial By-Products via Enzymatic Hydrolysis with Cellulose-Degrading Enzymes: Part I–The Superiority of Hydrolytic Enzymes Versus Conventional Hydrolysis

Historically Triticum aestívum L. and Secale cereále L. are widely used in the production of bakery products. From the total volume of grain cultivated, roughly 85% is used for the manufacturing of flour, while the remaining part is discarded or utilized rather inefficiently. The limited value attached to bran is associated with their structural complexity, i.e., the presence of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, which makes this material suitable mostly as a feed supplement, while in food production its use presents a challenge. To valorize these materials to food and pharmaceutical applications, additional pre-treatment is required. In the present study, an effective, sustainable, and …

Valorisation of Berry Pomace: From Waste to Bioactive Compounds

Fruits and berries are amongst the essential food components and their processing is a major direction of food industry.

Liquid chromatography and characterization of ether-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids on mixed-mode reversed-phase/cation exchange stationary phase

Abstract A new series [CnOmmim]Cl of imidazolium cation-based ionic liquids (ILs), with an ether functional group on the alkyl side-chain, has been prepared. The possibility of analyzing the ionic liquids by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was investigated on mixed-mode reversed/cation exchange stationary phase with the aqueous-acetonitrile mobile phase. Elution parameters, such as retention factor, selectivity and column efficiency, were studied as functions of mobile phase composition and pH. The ILs were characterized by elemental analysis, and infrared, UV and 1H, 13C NMR spectroscopy.

Analysis of composition, morphology, and biosynthesis of cuticular wax in wild type bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and its glossy mutant

Abstract In this study, cuticular wax load, its chemical composition, and biosynthesis, was studied during development of wild type (WT) bilberry fruit and its natural glossy type (GT) mutant. GT fruit cuticular wax load was comparable with WT fruits. In both, the proportion of triterpenoids decreased during fruit development concomitant with increasing proportions of total aliphatic compounds. In GT fruit, a higher proportion of triterpenoids in cuticular wax was accompanied by a lower proportion of fatty acids and ketones compared to WT fruit as well as lower density of crystalloid structures on berry surfaces. Our results suggest that the glossy phenotype could be caused by the absence o…

Antioxidative, hypoglycaemic and hepatoprotective properties of five Vaccinium spp. berry pomace extracts

Immobilised Humic Substances as Low-Cost Sorbents for Emerging Contaminants

Environmental pollution with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) is a worldwide problem that is receiving increasing attention. Although these substances have been released in the aquatic environment for a long time, wastewater treatment plants are still incapable of removing emerging contaminants completely. Consequently, trace metals, metalloids and pharmaceuticals, as well as surfactant leftovers, are often found in environmental samples. Environmentally friendly and cost-effective sorbents such as humic substances can be used for purification if their sorption properties are increased by immobilization. To our knowledge, immobilized humic substances have not been widely studied as s…

Clay-Humic Substance Composites for Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Water

Humic substances are the main component of soil organic matter and they actively interact with substances in soils, including pollutants. Humic acid-clay mineral composite materials can be considered as prospective and low-cost sorbents for contaminant removal. The aim of this study is to develop clay mineral and humic acid composite materials and to characterise their possible applications. For this research, montmorillonite, kaolinite and bentonite were saturated with three types of humic substances: technical humic acid from lignite, humic substances extracted from raised bog peat (Latvia) and technical K humate from lignite. Obtained sorbents were characterized using FTIR. The sorption …

Analysis of biosynthesis and composition of cuticular wax in wild type bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and its glossy mutant

AbstractCuticular wax plays an important role in fruits in protection against environmental stresses and desiccation. In this study, biosynthesis and chemical composition of cuticular wax in wild type (WT) bilberry fruit was studied during development and compared with its natural glossy type (GT) mutant. The cuticular wax load in GT fruit was comparable to WT fruit. In both fruits, triterpenoids were the dominant wax compounds with decreasing proportion during the fruit development accompanied with increasing proportion of aliphatic compounds. Gene expression studies supported the pattern of compound accumulation during fruit development. GenesCER26-like, FAR2, CER3-like, LTP, MIXTA, andBA…

Valorization of Wild Apple (Malus spp.) By-Products as a Source of Essential Fatty Acids, Tocopherols and Phytosterols with Antimicrobial Activity

The amplified production of fruit as well as burgeoning demand for plant-made food products have resulted in a sharp increase of waste. Currently, millions of tons of by-products are either being discarded or utilized rather ineffectively. However, these by-products may be processed and further incorporated as functional ingredients in making high-value food products with many physiological and biochemical effects. The chemical analysis of pomace oils using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and reversed-phase-liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detector (RP-HPLC/FLD) systems led to the identification and quantification of 56 individual lipophilic compounds including u…

Evaluation of furanocoumarins from seeds of the wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L. s.l.).

Abstract Although the wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L. s.l.) fruits are known to contain linear and angular furanocoumarins, the individual components of the seeds have not been fully identified and quantitated, and, in the case of immature seeds, reported. In view of this, the main furanocoumarin compounds were extracted using pyridine, and were isolated using semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The structural elucidation of isolated compounds was done based on detailed spectral analysis conducted by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (LC–ESI/MS), 1H and 13C NMR and, where possible, by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The quan…

Berry press residues as a valuable source of polyphenolics: Extraction optimisation and analysis

Abstract Vaccinium genus berries (bilberries, blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries) are gathered in the wild as well as cultivated on an industrial scale for use in the food industry. Extraction of juices from these berries produces press residues (pomace) as a waste product. Berry press residues are an excellent source of phenolic compounds and have a potential of use as a polyphenol-rich material. The aim of the present study was to optimise the method of extraction of polyphenols (anthocyanins specifically) from berry press residues of American cranberry using the response surface method and to validate the optimal polyphenol/anthocyanin extraction conditions also for other Vaccinium …

Compositional and morphological analyses of wax in northern wild berry species.

Accepted manuscript version, licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Aerial surfaces of plants are covered by a waxy cuticle protecting plants from excessive water loss and UV light. In the present study, composition and morphology of cuticular waxes of northern wild berry species bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), lingonberry (V. vitis-idaea L.), bog bilberry (V. uliginosum L.) and crowberry (Empetrum nigrum L.) were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed differences in epicuticular wax morphology, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis confirmed variation in chemical composition of cuticular waxes between the berry species. The dominant compounds in bilberry and li…

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Juice Exerts an Anticonvulsant Effect in Mice through Binding to GABA Receptors

Naturally occurring benzodiazepines have been identified in regular food such as wheat and potato, but there is still no evidence that potato extracts can affect CNS responses in vivo. Here we found that undiluted potato juice and potato juice diluted with saline 1 : 2 administered 10 min intracisternally ( I. C.) and 30 min per os before bicuculline exerted significant anticonvulsant activity in the bicuculline-induced seizure threshold test in mice. In vitro, potato juice from different harvests at dilution series from 10 % to 0.000001 %, diluted 100,000-fold, displaced 50 % of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor ligand [ (3)H]GABA and diluted 40-fold displaced 50 % of [(3)H]flunitraz…

Wild apple (Malus spp.) by-products as a source of phenolic compounds and vitamin C for food applications

Abstract The phytochemical profile and positive health effects of the fruits and by-products of domesticated Malus domestica Borkh. apple cultivars have been extensively investigated. The present study was designed to evaluate the hydrophilic composition and antioxidant activity of the compounds recovered from wild apple Malus spp. by-products. The phytochemical analysis of the 30 and 96% ethanolic extracts using LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS has led to the detection and isolation of 25 hydrophilic compounds. Amongst the polyphenols, chlorogenic acid, B-type procyanidins, and phloretin-2-glucoside dominated. The results of HPLC-DPPH• radical scavenging showed that the major contributors to the antioxida…