Valorization of Parthenium hysterophorus weed for cellulose extraction and its application for bioplastic preparation

The alarming use of fossil fuel based plastics causing hazardous environmental impact has drawn attention towards alternative sources. Therefore, the present study aims to utilize Parthenium hysterophorus for the production of bioplastic films and illustrates its biodegradability. A rapid biodegradable bioplastic films were synthesized using cellulose acetate (CA) prepared from Parthenium hysterophorus weed by incorporating different concentrations of polyethylene glycol 600 (PEG600) ranging from 0 to 50% w/v (BP00, BP10, BP20, BP30, BP40 and BP50) as plasticizer. The films were evaluated based on their physicochemical and mechanical properties. The highest tensile strength and Young's modulus of 11.5 ± 0.23 MPa and 170 ± 0.89 MPa, respectively have been observed for the BP10. The highest elongation at break of 9.13 ± 0.12% was exhibited by BP40. The functional groups of the plasticized and unplasticized films were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The bioplastic film BP50 exhibits highest relative crystallinity of 21.27% determined by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). All the bioplastic films exhibit a good thermal stability and shows three degradation stages in Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The bioplastic films are 69.29% biodegradable in natural conditions in 45 days, while 70.29% and 83.57% degradation are observed under composting and laboratory condition, respectively. Hence, the bioplastic films prepared from Parthenium hysterophorus by incorporating PEG600 can be a potential substitute for petroleum based plastics.

ABSTRACTThe Parthenium hysterophorus biomass has been pretreated using sulphuric acid to improve fermentable sugar recovery. In the first phase, a mild concentration of sulphuric acid was used for pretreatment of the biomass followed by enzymatic saccharification. The total carbohydrate content of the dry biomass was estimated to be approximately 51.14 ± 0.98 gm percent whereas the lignin content was calculated to be 26.60 ± 0.180 gm percent. The biomass complexity and structure was investigated using the X-ray diffraction method. Analysis revealed a 63.01% crystallinity index of acid pretreated biomass. Optimization of enzymatic saccharification was performed using a Box–Behnken design in response surface methodology (RSM). The variables taken were substrate concentration, working volume, temperature and enzyme loading to achieve maximum yield. It was observed that enzymatic saccharification worked well with 2.0 ml enzyme load, 2.0 g substrate concentration, 30 ml of working volume and incubation temperature of 35 °C for 72 h. The data obtained from RSM were validated using ANOVA. After optimization, the predicted values were in agreement with the experimental values. This study indicated that Parthenium hysterophorus can be used as a potential and inexpensive biomass source for the commercial production of biofuel.

The current study focused on the extraction of cellulose from two selected plants, hemp (Cannabis sativa) and parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus). The research successfully isolated high-purity cellulose from both plants using a chlorination and alkaline extraction process. A higher yield (%) (38.4 ± 0.18) was obtained from hemp compared to parthenium (22 ± 0.82). Characterization techniques were used to probe the structure and properties of the extracted cellulose. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed functional groups characteristic of cellulose, while X-ray diffraction confirmed its highly crystalline structure in both samples. Scanning electron microscopy provided valuable insights into the cellulose morphology, indicating a smoother surface and reduced fiber diameter after treatment due to the removal of noncellulosic components. The research paved the way for the development of eco-friendly bioproducts utilizing cellulose from hemp and parthenium, promoting a more sustainable future.

Senna didymobotrya is one of the emerging invasive weeds in East and South Africa. One of the solutions for weed management involves isolating cellulose and converting it into valuable materials. In this research, the isolation of cellulose was optimized by the Plackett‐Burman design (PBD) and response surface methodology using Box‐Behnken design (BBD), both of which are statistical empirical models. The maximum isolated cellulose yield was 37.5% (w/w) using sulfuric acid 1.75% (w/v), sodium chlorite 3% (w/v) at pH of 3.5, and potassium hydroxide 6% (w/v) treatment. Each chemical treatment was done by heating the mixture at 90°C for 2 hrs. The cellulose yield obtained (37.5% (w/w)) was higher than the preoptimized value of 35.5% (w/w). The dewaxed powder of the weed, isolated cellulose, and commercial cellulose was characterized side by side for comparison using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and TGA/DTA. All the characterizing methods indicated that the isolated material was cellulose. Even though the intensity of FTIR and XRD graphs of the isolated cellulose was higher than the commercial cellulose, the crystallinity index calculated from XRD analysis showed that the commercial cellulose (83%) was higher than the isolated cellulose (78%). The TGA/DTA indicates that the isolated cellulose and commercial cellulose had comparable thermal stability, both stable at up to 360°C. Therefore, using this optimized method, cellulose isolation from S. didymobotrya opens avenues for converting cellulose into valuable materials like carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose hydrogel, and cellulose nanocrystals.

The scientific community is increasingly focused on developing bio-based materials to substitute non-renewable and petroleum-derived resources that pose environmental risks. This study explores the use of non-edible sea mango (Cerbera odollam) fibre waste as a source for cellulose and lignin extraction. Three types of ultrasound-assisted solvent systems were investigated, including zinc chloride, lithium bromide, and a deep eutectic solvent composed of choline chloride and lactic acid, followed by either dry or wet post-ball milling. Extracted lignin using an alkaline process was used to determine optimal solvent concentration and temperature for effective lignin dissolution. The most efficient conditions for lignin dissolution were found to be 40 wt% zinc chloride at 65 °C, 50 wt% lithium bromide at 80 °C, and a 1:10 molar ratio of choline chloride to lactic acid at 80 °C. Under optimized conditions developed by response surface methodology, the maximum cellulose yield obtained was 87.23%, with lignin and hemicellulose contents reduced to 4.10% and 3.95%, respectively, using the choline chloride/lactic acid solvent. The integration of wet post-ball milling further enhanced the cellulose content to 93.80%, representing a 3.04% improvement over dry milling. Successful cellulose extraction was confirmed through characterization, including functional groups, crystallinity index, morphological structure, and thermal stability analyses. Key findings included the detection of hydroxy, alkyl, and ether functional groups, an increase in crystallinity from 57.54 to 77.77%, and smoother fiber morphology comparable to commercial cellulose. These results highlight the potential of sea mango fibre waste as a viable and sustainable source of cellulose using environmentally friendly pretreatment. Graphical abstract

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) microencapsulation technology was developed by spray drying method and the technology was optimized by response surface methodology. Soybean protein isolates (SPI) and maltodextrin were used as wall materials, sucrose esters (SE) and glycerin monostearate (GMS) were used as emulsifiers. Plackett-Burman(PB) design and Box-Behnken (BB) design were applied to screen and optimize influential factors in the process of microencapsulaiton effcency(MEE). The PB design and statistic analysis showed that homogenization pressure, emulsifying time and inlet air temperature were three key factors in this process. Other factors were identified that the total solids concentration was 25%, the ratio of wall materials and core materials was 1:3, the ratio of maltodextrin and SPI was 1:1, the dosage of sucrose esters was 0.5%, and the emulsifying temperature was 40 °C. The quadratic model for three significant factors was established with the MEE as the target response by BB design and response surface analysis. The optimum conditions were as follows: emulsifying time was 60min, homogenization pressure was 40MPa and the inlet air temperature was 177°C. The MEE of microencapsulaiton virgin coconut oil (MEVCO) can reached 65.89% under the optimal conditions．

Parthenium hysterophorus is a potential source of a wide range of value-added products. Sulfuric acid-catalyzed pretreatment of P. hysterophorus biomass was used to see how it affected the P. hysterophorus characteristics and the sugar yield from enzymatic hydrolysis. The optimised pretreatment (utilized 2% (w/v) of a substrate, 1.50% (v/v) sulfuric acid, and 45 (min) autoclaving times at 121°C) reduced lignin content by 50.98% (w/w), and increased the available cellulose content (20.72% w/w) over native biomass, which was confirmed by compositional studies of treated biomass. The saccharification rate was increased by 2.08-fold following statistical optimisation using response surface methods (167.17 ± 0.84 mg/g substrate after 12 h saccharification was significantly higher than control 80.16 ± 0.36 mg/g substrate). This justifies that P. hysterophorus is a promising non-conventional lignocellulosic candidate for the production of fermentable sugars.

In view of environmental footprints and growing demand for green energy materials, employing biomass by eliminating lignin and hemicellulose has been topic of recent interests due to their applications in food packaging, textile, automobile, and polymer industries. Herein, we report on optimization of the cellulose extraction (removal of lignin and hemicellulose) from agro‐waste (wheat straw) by the response surface methodology (RSM), where, the Box Behnken Design has been implemented to study the effect of sodium hydroxide/sodium hypochlorite amount, temperature, and time on the extraction process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction study, and thermal degradation analysis indicate the successful isolation of cellulose with maximum (56%) removal of hemicellulose and lignin under optimal conditions. Furthermore, nano‐indenter analysis and tensile strength have been examined for cellulose/poly(lactide) biocomposites at different wt.% of cellulose, which indicated better tensile strength (28.15 MPa), tensile modulus (2430.24 MPa), and elongation at break (1.89%) as compared to intrinsic poly(lactide). Such studies on the cellulose extraction with optimized conditions and their mechanically stable biocomposites will pave the way for their utilization in polymer industrial applications.

A Box–Behnken design approach for the production of xylanase by Aspergillus candidus under solid state fermentation and its application in saccharification of agro residues and Parthenium hysterophorus L.

A Mycena purpureofusca strain screened from six basidiomycota fungi is well characterized in submerged fermentation for its high production of laccase and very low mycelium generation. Optimization of submerged fermentation medium for laccase production by M. purpureofusca was carried out with two statistical methods including Plackett-Burman (P-B) and Box-Behnken (B-B) designs. Three variables (sucrose, MgSO 4 and CuSO 4 ) were found to affect laccase production significantly by P-B screening. B-B design with three-factor at three levers was performed to explain the combined effects of the three medium constituents. The optimum medium consisted of sucrose (4.26 g/L), yeast powder (15 g/L), MgSO 4 (4.83 g/L), KH 2 PO 4 (2.7 g/L), CuSO 4 (5.625 mg/L) and vitamin B1 (0.1 g/L). The laccase production was increased by 1.87 folds (277.5 U/L) using this optimized medium. Furthermore, the experimental value was closed to the prediction under the optimal condition, indicating that the chosen methods were successful to determine the optimal medium components, which is the least time consuming and most effective for laccase production. The data obtained in this study may provide new insights to large-scale laccase production by Mycena sp. Key words: Mycena purpureofusca, Laccase, Medium optimization, Plackett-Burman design, Box-Behnken design

The increase in the use of plastics during the past few decades has caused environmental pollution due to the non-biodegradable and recalcitrance nature of the plastics. This has caused great problems for the solid waste management efforts. The development of biodegradable polymers from natural and renewable ingredients can address the challenges caused by plastic pollution. The present work deals with the optimization of the preparation process of sago starch-based biodegradable bioplastic films. The sago starch, glycerol-sorbitol mixture, and chitosan were used as polysaccharides, plasticizers, and antimicrobial agents, respectively. The factors screening and design optimization were performed using response surface methodology and Box-Behnken Design to investigate the interactions between all components in the film preparation. Furthermore, the developed bioplastic films were characterized through field emission scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The antimicrobial susceptibility assay showed the inhibition of the growth of Bacillus pumilus and Alcaligenes faecalis XF1 by incorporation of cinnamon essential oil into the film. Moreover, the developed films successfully reduced the proliferation of fungal growth on packaged bread samples. The microbial analysis found that the shelf life of the wheat bread was improved from 3 to 15 days. The sago starch bioplastic films developed in this study can potentially meet the requirements for food packaging films.

Optimization of extraction conditions for cellulose from jackfruit peel using RSM, its characterization and comparative studies to commercial cellulose

In this study, heterotrophic growth conditions for Micractinium sp. ME05 cells were investigated for the improvement of biomass production. Plackett Burman (PB) method was used to screen process variables, namely, pH, carbon source and yeast extract concentrations, temperature and inoculum ratio, that affect the biomass production. The Box-Behnken (BB) design of response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to evaluate the interaction effect of process variables and to optimize them. The biomass obtained from PB design was 1.07 g/L and pH, temperature and carbon source concentration were selected based on their positive effect on biomass production. Applying response optimizer tool of RSM, the highest biomass obtained was 2.08 g/L. The results revealed that a 1.9-fold increase in biomass concentration was achieved by manipulating cultivation conditions which would be valuable for large scale cost efficient industrial applications of biomass production.

Background: Phenolic compounds, response surface methodology, optimization, apricot kernel shell, box-behnken design, central composite design. Objective: This study aimed to optimize the extraction of phenolic compounds from apricot kernel shells by different extraction techniques by studying the effects of different parameters on the extraction efficiency, and the comparison between the Box-Behnken Design and the Central Composite Design of the response surface methodology is done in order to have good extraction estimation. Methods: In this study, response surface methodology; Box-Behnken and Central Composite Designs, was used to contrast the efficacy and investigate the principal interactions of three operating parameters (ethanol concentration, microwave power, and extraction time), in the optimization of phenolic compounds extraction from apricot kernel shells by microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and maceration techniques. Results: The results indicated that the optimal total phenolic compounds obtained with microwave assisted extraction techniques by Box-Behnken Design was 9.30 ± 0.22 mg/g, where the ethanol concentration, microwave power, and extraction time, were 45.85%, 370.5 W, and 11 min, respectively. However, the optimal total phenolic compounds revealed by Central Composite Design were 8.86 ± 0.05mg/g under ethanol concentration, microwave power, and extraction time of 51.99%, 394.37W, and 9.68min, respectively. Conclusion: This work proposes the best mathematical model to optimize the extraction of polyphenols from this by-product which seems to be a possible source of phenolic compounds that can be used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

Rice husk has high cellulose content so that it could be used as a basis for making bioplastic. This research aims to synthesize cellulose-based bioplastic films from rice husks. The method stages of this study were cellulose extraction, alkali treatment, bleaching, and analyzing by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR). Bioplastic film were synthesized using cellulose, chitosan and sorbitol with variaion in cellulose and chitosan masses to obtain bioplastic films with high mechanical strength. The obtained bioplastic films were tested mechanically by using Universal Testing Machine (UTM). The result of this research showed that cellulose obtained from the extraction was 59.2%, odorless, and white powder. The best bioplastic film was at a variation of 0.8 g cellulose, 1.2 g chitosan, and 1 mL sorbitol with a tensile strength 0f 5.4147 N/mm2