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Cruz RMS, Rainer B, Wagner I, Krauter V, Janalíková M, Vicente AA, Vieira JM. Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:1053. [PMID: 38674972 PMCID: PMC11053454 DOI: 10.3390/polym16081053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of sustainable materials from the valorization of waste is a good alternative to reducing the negative environmental impact of plastic packaging. The objectives of this study were to develop and characterize pectin-based composite films incorporated with cork or cork with either coffee grounds or walnut shells, as well as to test the films' genotoxicity, antioxidant properties, and biodegradation capacity in soil and seawater. The addition of cork, coffee grounds, or walnut shells modified the films' characteristics. The results showed that those films were thicker (0.487 ± 0.014 mm to 0.572 ± 0.014 mm), more opaque (around 100%), darker (L* = 25.30 ± 0.78 to 33.93 ± 0.84), and had a higher total phenolic content (3.17 ± 0.01 mg GA/g to 4.24 ± 0.02 mg GA/g). On the other hand, the films incorporated only with cork showed higher values of elongation at break (32.24 ± 1.88% to 36.30 ± 3.25%) but lower tensile strength (0.91 ± 0.19 MPa to 1.09 ± 0.08 MPa). All the films presented more heterogeneous and rougher microstructures than the pectin film. This study also revealed that the developed films do not contain DNA-reactive substances and that they are biodegradable in soil and seawater. These positive properties could subsequently make the developed films an interesting eco-friendly food packaging solution that contributes to the valorization of organic waste and by-products, thus promoting the circular economy and reducing the environmental impact of plastic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui M. S. Cruz
- Department of Food Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Universidade do Algarve, Campus da Penha, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Bernhard Rainer
- Packaging and Resource Management, Department Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, 1100 Vienna, Austria; (B.R.); (I.W.); (V.K.)
| | - Isabella Wagner
- Packaging and Resource Management, Department Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, 1100 Vienna, Austria; (B.R.); (I.W.); (V.K.)
| | - Victoria Krauter
- Packaging and Resource Management, Department Applied Life Sciences, FH Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences, 1100 Vienna, Austria; (B.R.); (I.W.); (V.K.)
| | - Magda Janalíková
- Department of Environmental Protection Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Vavrečkova 275, 760 01 Zlín, Czech Republic;
| | - António A. Vicente
- CEB—Centre of Biological Engineering, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (A.A.V.); (J.M.V.)
- LABBELS—Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Jorge M. Vieira
- CEB—Centre of Biological Engineering, Campus de Gualtar, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (A.A.V.); (J.M.V.)
- LABBELS—Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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Villarino G, Dahlberg-Wright S, Zhang L, Schaedel M, Wang L, Miller K, Bartlett J, Vu AMD, Busch W. PAT (Periderm Assessment Toolkit): A Quantitative and Large-Scale Screening Method for Periderm Measurements. PLANT PHENOMICS (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2024; 6:0156. [PMID: 38560381 PMCID: PMC10981931 DOI: 10.34133/plantphenomics.0156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The periderm is a vital protective tissue found in the roots, stems, and woody elements of diverse plant species. It plays an important function in these plants by assuming the role of the epidermis as the outermost layer. Despite its critical role for protecting plants from environmental stresses and pathogens, research on root periderm development has been limited due to its late formation during root development, its presence only in mature root regions, and its impermeability. One of the most straightforward measurements for comparing periderm formation between different genotypes and treatments is periderm (phellem) length. We have developed PAT (Periderm Assessment Toolkit), a high-throughput user-friendly pipeline that integrates an efficient staining protocol, automated imaging, and a deep-learning-based image analysis approach to accurately detect and measure periderm length in the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana. The reliability and reproducibility of our method was evaluated using a diverse set of 20 Arabidopsis natural accessions. Our automated measurements exhibited a strong correlation with human-expert-generated measurements, achieving a 94% efficiency in periderm length quantification. This robust PAT pipeline streamlines large-scale periderm measurements, thereby being able to facilitate comprehensive genetic studies and screens. Although PAT proves highly effective with automated digital microscopes in Arabidopsis roots, its application may pose challenges with nonautomated microscopy. Although the workflow and principles could be adapted for other plant species, additional optimization would be necessary. While we show that periderm length can be used to distinguish a mutant impaired in periderm development from wild type, we also find it is a plastic trait. Therefore, care must be taken to include sufficient repeats and controls, to minimize variation, and to ensure comparability of periderm length measurements between different genotypes and growth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Villarino
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Signe Dahlberg-Wright
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ling Zhang
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marianne Schaedel
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lin Wang
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karyssa Miller
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jack Bartlett
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Albert Martin Dang Vu
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wolfgang Busch
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory,
Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Páscoa RNMJ, Pinto C, Rego L, Silva JRE, Tiritan ME, Cidade H, Almeida IF. Application of NIR Spectroscopy for the Valorisation of Cork By-Products: A Feasibility Study over the Screening and Discrimination of Chemical Compounds of Interest. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:180. [PMID: 38399396 PMCID: PMC10892220 DOI: 10.3390/ph17020180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Quercus suber is considered a sustainable tree mainly due to its outer layer (cork) capacity to regenerate after each harvesting cycle. Cork bark is explored for several application; however, its industrial transformation generates a significant amount of waste. Recently, cork by-products have been studied as a supplier of bioactive ingredients. This work aimed to explore whether near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a non-destructive analysis, can be employed as a screening device for selecting cork by-products with higher potential for bioactives extraction. A total of 29 samples of cork extracts were analysed regarding their qualitative composition. Partial least squares (PLS) models were developed for quantification purposes, and R2P and RER values of 0.65 and above 4, respectively, were obtained. Discrimination models, performed through PLS-DA, yielded around 80% correct predictions, revealing that four out of five of samples were correctly discriminated, thus revealing that NIR can be successfully applied for screening purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo N. M. J. Páscoa
- Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry/Network of Chemistry and Technology, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Cláudia Pinto
- Laboratory of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Liliana Rego
- Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, MedTech, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana Rocha e. Silva
- Dimas & Silva, Lda. Industry, Rua Central de Goda 345, 4535-167 Mozelos, Portugal
| | - Maria E. Tiritan
- Laboratory of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
- Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, CESPU, CRL, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal
| | - Honorina Cidade
- Laboratory of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Avenida General Norton de Matos, S/N, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Isabel F. Almeida
- Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, MedTech, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
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Meng Y, Sui X, Pan X, Zhang X, Sui H, Xu T, Zhang H, Liu T, Liu J, Ge P. Density-oriented deep eutectic solvent-based system for the selective separation of polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus var. Mongholicus under ultrasound-assisted conditions. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2023; 98:106522. [PMID: 37451008 PMCID: PMC10368916 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The water extraction and ethanol precipitation method is an extraction method based on the solubility characteristics of polysaccharides that offers wide applicability in the extraction and separation of plant polysaccharides. However, this method leads to large amounts of proteins, nucleic acids, pigments, and other impurities in the polysaccharides products, which makes downstream purification complicated and time-consuming. In this study, a green, high-density natural deep eutectic solvents was used for the high-purity extraction and separation of polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bge. var. Mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao roots under ultrasound-assisted conditions. In this study, 16 different natural deep eutectic solvents were designed to screen the best solvent for extracting Astragalus polysaccharides (APSs). Based on the yield and recovery of APSs, a natural deep eutectic solvents composed of choline chloride and oxalic acid with a molar ratio of 1:2 was selected. The related factors affecting polysaccharides extraction and solvent precipitation were investigated. To improve the operating methodology, single-factor trials, a Plackett-Burman design, and a Box-Behnken design were used. The optimal extraction process conditions were obtained as follows: water content of 55%, liquid-solid ratio of 24 mL/g, ultrasonic irradiation time of 54 min, ultrasonic irradiation temperature of 50 °C, ultrasonic irradiation power of 480 W, ethanol precipitation time of 24 h, and ethanol concentration of 75%. Under optimal extraction conditions, the recovery of APSs was 61.4 ± 0.6 mg/g. Considering the special matrix characteristics of A. membranaceus var. Mongholicus roots, physical-technology-based ultrasonic waves promote penetration, and the mass transfer function also solves the bottleneck of high-viscosity deep eutectic solvents in the extraction stage. In comparison with the conventional method, the proposed method based on deep eutectic solvents isolation can significantly increase APSs recovery, which is beneficial to simplifying the process of polysaccharides purification by using solvent properties to separate extracts and reduce impurities in APSs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Meng
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China
| | - Xiaoyu Sui
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China
| | - Xu Pan
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China
| | - Xinyi Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China
| | - Huimin Sui
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China
| | - Tao Xu
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China
| | - Honglian Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China; Basic Medical College, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040 Harbin, China.
| | - Jicheng Liu
- College of Pharmacy, Qiqihar Medical University, 161006 Qiqihar, China
| | - Pengling Ge
- Basic Medical College, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, 150040 Harbin, China
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The Mechanism of Ochratoxin Contamination of Artificially Inoculated Licorice Roots. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15030219. [PMID: 36977110 PMCID: PMC10058647 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15030219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ochratoxin (OT) contamination of medicinal herbs is a serious threat to human health. This study was performed to investigate the mechanism of OT contamination of licorice (Glycyrrhiza sp.) root. Licorice root samples were cut into eight parts, which were placed separately on sucrose-free Czapek Dox agar medium, inoculated with the spores of ochratoxigenic Aspergillus westerdijkiae. After incubation for 10 and 20 days, the OT contents of the samples were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and microtome sections prepared from the samples were analyzed by desorption electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, to visualize OT localization. The same sections were further examined by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, to investigate the path of fungal mycelial penetration of the inner roots. OT concentrations tended to increase from the upper- to the middle-root parts. OTs were located in cut areas and areas of cork layer damage; they were not present in the undamaged cork layer, indicating that the structure of this layer prevents OT contamination of the licorice root.
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