Food Feedstock Research Articles

Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. fruits are a source of biologically active substances and high-quality feedstock for Food for Specific Health Use

From the Southern Coast collection of Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. the fruits cultivars of the Nikitsky Gardens’ breeding Medovaya, Olenka, Rumyanaya Zorka and Idilliya were distinguished by their high taste qualities and the content of BAS. According to the norms of the Russian Federation, the fruits of these cultivars belong to the group of products with a high content of potassium and cuprum; satisfactory content of magnesium and ferrum, pastilles and jams from them belong to the group of products with a satisfactory content of potassium and cuprum. Cherry plum fruits, especially dark-colored ones, are a natural complex source of antioxidants, characterized by a high content of phenolic compounds and cuprum, and a satisfactory content of ascorbic acid and zinc. The content of pectin substances in the studied cultivars is comparable to that in apples. The fruits of the Idyllia cultivar with dark-colored pulp are distinguished by the maximum accumulation of pectins - 1.14%, ascorbic acid - 9.3, phenolic compounds – 441 mg/100 g, potassium – 11239, magnesium - 464, ferrum -10.81, zinc - 10.23, cuprum - 4.17, manganese - 0.228 mg/kg. Cherry plum fruits are characterized by a high content of BAS and are suitable for use in health nutrition both in fresh form and as raw materials for Food for Specific Health Use.

Sequential Extraction and Characterisation of Lipids, Proteins, and Chitin from Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae, Prepupae, and Pupae

Over the past years, several insect species have gained increased attention as feedstock for food, feed, and industrial applications. One such species is Hermetia illucens, whose larvae can convert low-value organic waste into valuable fat- and protein-rich biomass. Previous research on extracting their lipids, proteins, and chitin has repeatedly focused on one life stage, while in practice different life stages coexist in the same rearing batch. In this study, the feasibility of the sequential extraction of said components from the larval, prepupal, and pupal stage of H. illucens was investigated. Additionally, the chemical composition of the life stages and their extracts was analysed. Following the lipid extraction with petroleum ether, insect proteins were extracted via solubilisation at pH 11.0 and precipitation at pH 4.0. This procedure delivered protein recoveries ranging between 27 and 57% for the three life stages, with the extracts having high protein contents (85–98%). After protein extraction, the residual impure chitin was treated sequentially with HCl and NaOH for further purification. No residual amino acids were detected by UPLC analysis of the purified chitin, which showed acetylation degrees of ± 90%. Overall, it was concluded that the extraction procedure is indeed suitable for all investigated life stages of H. illucens, allowing for the extraction high-value biomolecules for use in industrial applications.

Basic geometric and physical parameters of pumpkin seeds

The granulometric composition of Pumpkin seeds of the “Samson” variety used as feedstock for food and vegetable oils producing industry are studied. Their geometric dimensions and physical indices are obtained experimentally. Results and dependencies necessary for designing and dimensioning of drying ovens from installation for vegetable oils production are obtained.

Chlorococcum humicola (Nageli) Rabenhorst as a Renewable Source of Bioproducts and Biofuel

Among the diverse new generation biomass yielding species, green algae are the most promising organisms. Compared to biomass production of other organisms, production of algae is less laborious, quite fast, and more economical. Moreover, eutrophicated waters get naturally purified in the cultivation process of algae. Algal biomass from monoculture of specific species, which are rich in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, is considered a good source of diverse bio-products and feed-stock for food, feeds and bio-fuels. Quantity and quality of algal biomass for specific products depend on the species and strains as well as environmental conditions of cultivation. In this connection, biomass productivity and oil-yield of a local strain of <em>Chlorococcum humicola </em>(Nageli) Rabenhorst was assessed in Bold’s Basal Medium. Long-term storage capacity of the alga was tried by entrapping the algal cells in sodium alginate beads, which showed viability up to 14 months. Estimation of total carbohydrate, protein, lipid and chemical characterization of oil as well as the feasibility of its conversion to biodiesel revealed the industrial potential of this local strain as a source of food and biofuel. Fatty acid profiling of the extracted oil showed that 70% are mono-saturated and 12.2 % are nutritionally important polyunsaturated fatty acids. The oil could be effectively trans-esterified to methyl esters and the conversion was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Further standardization of the mass production of the alga in natural environmental conditions for biomass and oil is progressing to optimize its value as globally competent food, nutraceutical and biofuel resource.

Sugarcane as an energy source

Sugarcane is being used for centuries as a feedstock for sugar production, and all breeding programs around the world are producing new varieties with the objective to improve the sucrose yield per hectare, among other properties. In Brazil, ethanol became a significant coproduct of sugar mills more than a century ago and the first mandate to blend ethanol in the gasoline dates back to 1931. Toward the end of the of twentieth century, many countries, including Brazil, Mauritius and Reunion Islands, Guatemala, and India, started to generate significant amounts of surplus electricity, and this practice is becoming a trend for new sugar/ethanol mills. With this changing picture of the sugarcane industry, some specialists in the sector started to look at sugarcane as an energy feedstock rather than a food feedstock in such a way that other characteristics related to total primary energy content became important quality parameters. The second point is how efficiently this primary energy is converted to useful energy products (ethanol and surplus electricity). Now, from the energy viewpoint, not only the sucrose but also the fibers in the cane are important quality parameters. Taking the Brazilian average conditions, the primary energy content of sugarcane is around 7,400 MJ/tonne of cane or 510 GJ/ha/year, and in an average distillery, less than 30 % of it is converted into useful energy products. This work analyzes the present situation of the Brazilian sugarcane industry focused on the production of energy products and evaluates areas for improvements and new cane breeding goals for an energy-minded industry. The impacts of these improvements in the primary energy conversion efficiency will be estimated, and the barriers for maximum recovery will be pointed out.