Synergistic interaction between hydrocolloids and kinnow peel biowaste for the development of edible fillers using response surface methodology

Rapidly rising societal awareness about the planet sustainability through developing environmentally friendly and biodegradable alternatives to current impact of plastics waste represents an emerging need for establishing a circular bioeconomy of cleaner, safer, greener, and sustainable future. Until now, no investigation has been done on edible tableware made from leftover fruit peels. Presently, Kinnow mandarin is the most commercially farmed citrus fruit commodity, with the highest production, productivity, and popularity among all horticulture crops worldwide, generating vast quantity of peels ending up as putrefying biowaste that impacts ecosystem health. Sustainable efforts are therefore required in the circular economy to develop a creative and comprehensive strategy to address aforementioned issues, raising profitability, enhancing processing efficiency, and exploring "taste over waste," which contributes to overall sustainability. Therefore, in the current study, we established an approach for transforming the citrus peels biowaste into food-related end products by creating edible fillers, which is a sustainable material in terms of its functional, physical, and microbiological qualities for holding of confectionery products. The optimum level of independent variables with maximum desirability were found to be 0.75% calcium chloride concentration, 1.01% agar concentration, and 10% moisture content. A significant (p < 0.05) effect of process parameters was found in all responses. Model validation revealed that the model developed was accurate, with a prediction error ranging from - 9.96 to 3.28%. The technology developed for biowaste-based biofillers is still in a nascent stage, and it is expected that significant advancements will be made in the bio-refinery industries that can make edible fillers a reality in the future and might be helpful in contributing towards sustainable development. This research also demonstrated an efficient and novel approach towards a "zero-waste."

Process Optimization for Development of Guar Gum-Based Biodegradable Hydrogel Film Using Response Surface Methodology

In the current study, a guar-gum-based biodegradable hydrogel film was prepared using an initiator (potassium persulfate), crosslinker (N-N methyl bis acrylamide), and plasticizer (glycerol) for packaging of fruits and vegetables. The effect of independent variables (initiator, crosslinker, and plasticizer) on the biodegradation (% wt. loss), color difference (ΔE), hardness (N), swelling index (%), and transparency (%) of the film was studied using Box-Behnken design, random surface methodology (RSM). The results showed significant effects on all the abovementioned parameters, and it was observed that the developed model was accurate, with a prediction error of only -3.19 to 2.99%. The optimized formulation for the preparation of hydrogel film was 0.15% initiator, 0.02% crosslinker, and 2.88% plasticizer exhibiting satisfactory biodegradability, color difference, hardness, swelling index, and transparency. Results showed that a guar-gum-based biodegradable hydrogel film has adequate physical, optical, and biodegradable properties and can be successfully utilized in the food packaging industry.

Microwave irradiation assisted intensive and quick delignification of lignocellulosic biomass, and confirmation by spectral, morphological and crystallinity characterization

The purpose of this work was to use a microwave-assisted technique to improve and accelerate lignin removal from rice straw biomass. Using a Box-Behnken experimental design, the effect of four critical process parameters, viz. microwave power (480-800 W), irradiation time (4-12 min), bleaching solution concentration (0.4-3.0 %), and bleaching time (1-5 h) on the delignification (%) was investigated, and the process was optimised using response surface methodology. The experimental data best fitted a quadratic model with an R² of 0.9964. The optimized value of process parameters (in aforementioned sequence) was found to be 671 W, 8.66 min, 2.67 %, and 1 h respectively, for the best delignification of 93.51 percent.The absence of lignin peaks (1516 and 1739 cm^-1) was corroborated by deconstructed morphological structure and higher crystallinity in the optimised delignified sample (53.7 %).

Optimization of parameters for enhanced oil recovery from enzyme treated wild apricot kernels

Present investigation was undertaken with the overall objective of optimizing the enzymatic parameters i.e. moisture content during hydrolysis, enzyme concentration, enzyme ratio and incubation period on wild apricot kernel processing for better oil extractability and increased oil recovery. Response surface methodology was adopted in the experimental design. A central composite rotatable design of four variables at five levels was chosen. The parameters and their range for the experiments were moisture content during hydrolysis (20-32%, w.b.), enzyme concentration (12-16% v/w of sample), combination of pectolytic and cellulolytic enzyme i.e. enzyme ratio (30:70-70:30) and incubation period (12-16 h). Aspergillus foetidus and Trichoderma viride was used for production of crude enzyme i.e. pectolytic and cellulolytic enzyme respectively. A complete second order model for increased oil recovery as the function of enzymatic parameters fitted the data well. The best fit model for oil recovery was also developed. The effect of various parameters on increased oil recovery was determined at linear, quadric and interaction level. The increased oil recovery ranged from 0.14 to 2.53%. The corresponding conditions for maximum oil recovery were 23% (w.b.), 15 v/w of the sample, 60:40 (pectolytic:cellulolytic), 13 h. Results of the study indicated that incubation period during enzymatic hydrolysis is the most important factor affecting oil yield followed by enzyme ratio, moisture content and enzyme concentration in the decreasing order. Enzyme ratio, incubation period and moisture content had insignificant effect on oil recovery. Second order model for increased oil recovery as a function of enzymatic hydrolysis parameters predicted the data adequately.