Food Industry Waste Research Articles

Biological Response of Treatment with Saffron Petal Extract on Cytokine-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in the Caco-2/Human Leukemia Monocytic Co-Culture Model.

The pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) involves complex mechanisms, including immune dysregulation, gut microbiota imbalances, oxidative stress, and defects in the gastrointestinal mucosal barrier. Current treatments for IBD often have significant limitations and adverse side effects, prompting a search for alternative therapeutic strategies. Natural products with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties have demonstrated potential for IBD management. There is increasing interest in exploring food industry waste as a source of bioactive molecules with healthcare applications. In this study, a co-culture system of Caco-2 cells and PMA-differentiated THP-1 macrophages was used to simulate the human intestinal microenvironment. Inflammation was induced using TNF-α and IFN-γ, followed by treatment with Saffron Petal Extract (SPE). The results demonstrated that SPE significantly attenuated oxidative stress and inflammation by downregulating the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, and IL-6 via modulation of the NF-κB pathway. Given that NF-κB is a key regulator of macrophage-driven inflammation, our findings support further investigation of SPE as a potential complementary therapeutic agent for IBD treatment.

Assessing the impact of moisture buffering properties of materials on indoor environmental quality: A study on a recycled material plaster

This study examines Moisture Buffer Value (MBV) of interior finishing layers, which impacts buildings internal relative humidity, thus indoor environmental quality. The MBV depends on material's moisture capacity and vapour diffusion resistance factor, both of which depends on relative humidity. The paper aims to (i) characterize a new recycled material plaster that includes construction and food industry waste through laboratory measurements, (ii) use dynamical building simulations to quantify the impact of the MBV of existing and the new interior plaster on relative humidity in real design scenarios, and (iii) evaluate how changing the definition of the MBV to consider its dependence on indoor air relative humidity can improve its accuracy. Results show that the plaster's moisture buffering properties significantly reduce the variations of the relative humidity of interior climates compared to a vapour-tight finishing layer. The performances of the new plaster made with recycled materials are comparable to those of the other plasters. The new MBV definitions (“Dynamical MBV″ and “Summer/Winter MBV”) show a significantly improved correlation with the relative humidity variations of indoor climates of buildings, observed in dynamic simulations, with respect to the typically used practical MBV. The new definitions are therefore promising for practical applications.

A novel deep eutectic solvent-based green extraction and purification of DPP-IV inhibitory peptides from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) viscera hydrolysate

The use of green and low-cost techniques to produce bioactive peptides with anti-diabetic properties from protein-rich fish waste is a sustainable way to manage agro-fishery and food industrial waste. This study investigated a novel ultrasound (UL) assisted deep eutectic solvent (DES) based extraction approach to recover bioactive protein-rich extracts from tilapia fish viscera waste under optimized conditions (52.52% ultrasound amplitude, 1:4 DES molar ratio, 25 min extraction time). The aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) method successfully concentrated the crude proteins in the top phase and back-extracted proteins to the bottom phase with a high recovery yield. Hydrolysis by Alcalase produced tilapia viscera protein hydrolysate (TVPH) with low molecular weight (MW) peptides and low dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-IV half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 1.57 ±0.16 mg/mL. Notably, TVPH-3 fraction and TVPH-3-2 sub-fraction exhibited appreciable DPP-IV IC50 values of 1.36 ±0.08 mg/mL and 0.42 ±0.01 mg/mL, respectively. Ultrafiltration combined with RP-HPLC enriched the DPP-IV inhibitory concentration of the individual protein fractions. TVPH-3-2 sub-fraction contained hydrophobic amino acids and peptide sequences with typical DPP-IV inhibitory peptide sequence motifs. The results presented in this study indicate that tilapia viscera biomass is a potential source for protein recovery aided with a green extraction approach, and tilapia viscera protein-derived hydrolysates have potential applications as a potent functional food ingredient for the management of metabolic diseases like type-2 diabetes.

Impacts of industrial food wastes on nutritional value of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and its gut microbiota community shift

The extensive investigation into the capacity of mealworms to digest diverse food by-products, as well as plastic wastes, has been a focal point in recent years. The transition from traditional diet sources like brans to food wastes has the potential to impact the physiological properties of mealworms. This study explored the utilization of various industrial food wastes such as okara, barley spent grain (BSG), sesame oil meal (SOM), and spent coffee grounds (SCG) as feed alternatives, and reports on their survival rate, biomass variations, and nutritional composition. In additional, the shift in their gut microbiota was also assessed. Among the range of industrial food wastes, mealworms exhibited the most robust growth performance when nourished with BSG. This particular group showed a survival rate of 98.33 % and a biomass increase of 23.06 %. In contrast, mealworms fed with SCG demonstrated the lowest survival rate and experienced a significant reduction in biomass. Although the groups fed with okara and SCG displayed moderate growth performance, both exhibited protein levels comparable to those observed in the oatmeal-fed group (used as the positive control). Notably, the inclusion of BSG in the mealworm diet exhibited the potential to enrich their omega-3 fatty acid content, suggesting potential benefits for applications as animal feed or even human consumption. Furthermore, an analysis of the gut microbiome was conducted to investigate the associations between specific diets and the composition of mealworm gut microbiota. In summary, food wastes such as BSG may be repurposed as feed substrates for mealworms before converting them into an alternative source of protein.

A novel biodegradable film based on chicken gelatin and κ-carrageenan cross-linked with oxidized phenolic compounds.

Natural and renewable polymers are gradually replacing petroleum-based plastics, mostly as a result of environmental concerns. Moreover, upcycling industrial food waste into new added-value products is a creative approach that is crucial for cleaner and more sustainable manufacturing. The aim of this study was to obtain an environmentally friendly biodegradable film using a combination of k-carrageenan (KCAR) and chicken gelatin (CGEL), which obtained from poultry by-products. The effects of varying concentrations of KCAR (0-2%) on the physical, permeability, textural, thermal, and microstructural properties of CGEL/KCAR composite films were evaluated. The findings demonstrated that an increase in KCAR enhanced the lightness and opacity levels of the films. Water vapor permeability (WVP) values reduced as the KCAR concentration increased. The lowest WVP value (0.0012g.mm/h.m2.kpa) was seen in the treatment with 2% KCAR. Tensile strength (TS) values increased with increasing KCAR. The films' thermal stability was increased by the addition of KCAR. Microstructure assessments revealed a more compact and smooth structure in the KCAR-containing treatments, indicating improvements in WVP, thermal stability, and TS. Compared to the commercial cattle gelatin film, the CGEL film had higher TS and lower water solubility (WS). Overall, this study showed that the physical, mechanical, barrier and thermal and microstructural qualities of gelatin-based films may be enhanced by combining CGEL and KCAR to create an effective biodegradable film. Moreover, the comparison study between commercial cattle and chicken gelatin films revealed that cross-linked chicken gelatin films would be a suitable alternative for bovine gelatin films in the production of biodegradable film.

Techno-economic assessment of industrial food waste composting facility: Evaluating bulking agents, processing strategies, and market dynamics

Techno-economic assessment (TEA) of a valorization of bulking agent (BA) ratios on the food waste compost value chain is made to assess economic feasibility. TEA was performed with two plans (Plan A: existing composting facilities; Plan B: new composting facilities) and each plan was under four scenarios. The BA (i.e. corn stalks, garden waste, and watermelon seedlings) ratio of 5 % (S1), 10 % (S2), 20 % (S3), and garden waste with a ratio of 20 % (S4). Results indicate that S2, with a net present value (NPV) of 128.9 million, represents Plan A’s most economically viable scenario. Although the total operating costs of S4 were 18.9 %–23.5 % higher, 25.6 %–42.2 % higher total revenue made S4 have an NPV of 92.9 million, making it the most viable scenario in Plan B. All scenarios show positive NPV within a ± 20 % fluctuation range. Organic fertilizer price, government subsidies, and processing capacity were the key factors influencing NPV.

Development of Banana Peel Powder Incorporated Functional Cookies

Nendran Banana is one of the most common fruits consumed worldwide, and it contributes significantly to the waste produced by food consumption. Banana peel waste has a significant amount of food fibre, phenols, flavonoids, antioxidants, antibacterial, and anticarcinogenic substances. Repurposing banana processing waste, such as peel, has the potential to boost raw material output and, as a result, reduce food industry waste while simultaneously improving the availability of nutritional and nutraceutical potential among the human population. This study is aimed to assess the nutritional, functional and bioactive compounds of prepared nendran banana peel flour and its incorporation in to various proportion of cookies formulation. Nendran bananas were purchased from a local market, sorted, peeled, soaked in 2% lime juice for 15 minutes, dried, powdered with a mixer grinder, sieved to produce a fine powder, and analysed for physical and functional properties such as length, width, and dimension, water and oil holding capacity, swelling powder, and proximate composition such as moisture, ash, carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fibre. The approximate composition of the banana flour was determined using AOAC standard techniques. Bioactive components were also assessed. The two varieties of cookies were prepared with the incorporation of nendran banana peel powder at the rate of 5 % and 10% and analysed for their nutritional components. The functional features of nendran banana peel powder revealed that it had a higher water-holding capacity, good oil-holding capacity, high solubility, and a high swelling capacity. Nendran Banana Peel Flour was discovered to be high in protein and crude fibre. It possesses greater antioxidant scavenging activity as well as possible polyphenolic substances. The produced food formulation was organoleptically evaluated using a 5-point hedonic rating scale, and the best product was chosen based on the sensory scores. The study suggested that the nendran banana peel flour is a versatile nutritional supplementation and provides a great health impact.

DETERMINATION OF THE FEATURES OF THERMAL DECOMPOSITION OF SUNFLOWER HUSK IN A FLUIDIZED BED

Sunflower husk (SH) is a plant waste fuel. The carbon content in different samples of SH ranges from 40.5% to 54.5% in an operating state, with ash content ranging from 1.5% to 8.5%, moisture content ranging from 6.9% to 9.5%, chlorine content ranging from 0.05% to 0.3%, and lower heating value ranging from 14.5 MJ/kg to 20.5 MJ/kg. These characteristics make it a suitable substitute for fossil fuels in power boilers. Waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies are rapidly developing worldwide, offering the potential for generating renewable energy from waste, including agricultural and food industry waste such as SH. According to our estimates, Ukraine has an annual energy potential of approximately 3.4 million tons of SH or about two million tons of fuel equivalent. Approximately half of this volume is currently being burned in oil extraction plants' boilers; however, up to one million tons of SH end up in landfills annually, resulting in significant energy losses. To develop new and improve existing WTE technologies that utilize SH as a fuel source, it's essential to understand the thermal processing characteristics of SH under conditions similar to those found in different zones within real power boilers - specifically the heating of fuel particles at rates up to 500 °C/s over a temperature range of 500–1000 °C. In this study, we aimed to investigate the thermal processing characteristics by subjecting SH particles within a laboratory fluidized bed reactor to high-speed heating within the aforementioned temperature range. During rapid heating between 500–1000 °C temperatures range, SH particles undergo conversion into volatile compounds and solid carbon residue. Two distinct stages can be observed on the dynamic yield curves for volatiles. The release and burnout of volatiles occurs during the first stage while the second stage involves coke ash residue burnout. We obtained empirical temperature-dependents for total heat treatment time and carbon residue burnout time under fast heating conditions in the investigated temperature range. The stage of carbon residue combustion is the most enduring and determines the overall duration of thermal treatment. This stage determines the degree of fuel transformation, especially in cases where low-reactivity carbon residue enters the low-temperature combustion chamber area of the boiler. The obtained regularities have practical significance in designing combustion chambers for thermal processing of sunflower husk.

Antimicrobial potential of oregano essential oil vehiculated in Pickering cellulose nanofibers-stabilized emulsions

Essential oils show several biological properties, such as antimicrobial activity, but have limitations regarding their availability and stability. To maximize their antimicrobial effect and protection against environmental conditions, Pickering-type emulsions were used to vehiculate oregano essential oil (OEO) using cellulose nanofibers (CNF) as emulsion stabilizer. Enzymatic hydrolysis was used to produce CNF from a food industry waste (cassava peel), obtaining an environmentally sustainable emulsion stabilizer. It was evaluated how the different properties of the nanofibers affected the stability of the emulsions. Furthermore, the composition of the dispersed phase was varied (different ratios of OEO and sunflower oil-SO) in view of the target application in biodegradable active coatings. Even at very low concentration (0.01 % w/w), CNF was able to form kinetically stable emulsions with small droplet sizes using oil mixtures (OEO + SO). The stabilization mechanism was not purely Pickering, as there was a reduction in interfacial tension. Excellent antimicrobial activity was observed against bacteria and the fungus Alternaria alternata, demonstrating the ability to apply these emulsions in active systems such as coatings and films. An improvement in the stability of emulsions was observed when using a mixture of oils, which is extremely advantageous considering costs and stability to heat treatments, since the desired antimicrobial activity is maintained for the final application.

Arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides production from unexploited agro-industrial sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) hulls waste

This work demonstrates that sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) hull, an unexploited food industrial waste, can be used as an efficient source for the extraction of hemicellulose and/or pectin polysaccharides to further obtain functional oligosaccharides. Different polysaccharides extraction methods were surveyed including alkaline and several enzymatic treatments. Based on the enzymatic release of xylose, arabinose, glucose, and galacturonic acid from sesame hull by using different enzymes, Celluclast®1.5 L, Pectinex®Ultra SP-L, and a combination of them were selected for the enzymatic extraction of polysaccharides at 50 °C, pH 5 up to 24 h. Once the polysaccharides were extracted, Ultraflo®L was selected to produce arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides (AXOS) at 40 °C up to 24 h. Apart from oligosaccharides production from extracted polysaccharides, alternative approaches for obtaining oligosaccharides were also explored. These were based on the analysis of the supernatants resulting from the polysaccharide extraction, alongside a sequential hydrolysis performed with Celluclast®1.5 L and Ultraflo®L of the starting raw sesame hull. The different fractions obtained were comprehensively characterized by determining low molecular weight carbohydrates and monomeric compositions, average Mw and dispersity, and oligosaccharide structure by MALDI-TOF-MS. The results indicated that sesame hull can be a useful source for polysaccharides extraction (pectin and hemicellulose) and derived oligosaccharides, especially AXOS.

PENDAMPINGAN PETERNAK BABI DALAM PERENCANAAN PENYEDIAAN PAKAN DI DUSUN WAIYARI DESA SULI KECAMATAN SALAHUTU KABUPATEN MALUKU TENGAH

Pig farming is one of the livestock sectors with good roles and prospects to be developed in Indonesia, especially in non-Muslim settlement areas. Suli Village is one of the villages on Ambon Island that can be used for pig farming development, as currently, there are already 1112 pigs being raised. The problem lies in the maintenance system, including the feeding system, which has not been implemented properly. To overcome this, assistance, counselling, and practice in formulating and providing rations for pig farmers are conducted. The method used in this activity is participatory counselling, which involves farmers in decision-making and discussion. In this activity, other feed ingredients that are not commonly used are introduced. The feeding does not consider the needs of the animals because only a 5 kg paint can is provided to the pigs in one block of the pen without considering the quantity and needs of the animals. Therefore, feeding according to qualitative and quantitative needs is introduced. The evaluation results of the activities show that the farmers have sufficiently understood the material conveyed because they have provided feed to the pigs being raised according to the quantity and needs, utilizing more agricultural and food industry waste in animal feed.

Green Methods to Recover Bioactive Compounds from Food Industry Waste: A Sustainable Practice from the Perspective of the Circular Economy.

The worrying and constant increase in the quantities of food and beverage industry by-products and wastes is one of the main factors contributing to global environmental pollution. Since this is a direct consequence of continuous population growth, it is imperative to reduce waste production and keep it under control. Re-purposing agro-industrial wastes, giving them new life and new directions of use, is a good first step in this direction, and, in global food production, vegetables and fruits account for a significant percentage. In this paper, brewery waste, cocoa bean shells, banana and citrus peels and pineapple wastes are examined. These are sources of bioactive molecules such as polyphenols, whose regular intake in the human diet is related to the prevention of various diseases linked to oxidative stress. In order to recover such bioactive compounds using more sustainable methods than conventional extraction, innovative solutions have been evaluated in the past decades. Of particular interest is the use of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and compressed solvents, associated with green techniques such as microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and pulsed-electric-field-assisted extraction (PEF). These novel techniques are gaining importance because, in most cases, they allow for optimizing the extraction yield, quality, costs and time.

Development and Characterization of Polymeric-based Biomaterial from Agro-food Waste: A Sustainable and Eco-friendly Approach Towards Plastic Pollution

Commercial plastics are potentially hazardous and can be carcinogenic due to the incorporation of chemical additives along with other additional components utilized as brominated flame retardants and phthalate plasticizers during production that excessively produce large numbers of gases, litter, and toxic components resulting in environmental pollution. Biodegradable plastic derived from natural renewable resources is the novel, alternative, and innovative approach considered to be potentially safe as a substitute for traditional synthetic plastic as they decompose easily without causing any harm to the ecosystem and natural habitat. The utilization of undervalued compounds, such as by-products of fruits and vegetables in the production of biodegradable packaging films, is currently a matter of interest because of their accessibility, affordability, ample supply, nontoxicity, physiochemical and nutritional properties. Industrial food waste was processed under controlled conditions with appropriate plasticizers to extract polymeric materials. Biodegradability, solubility, and air test analysis were performed to examine the physical properties of polymers prior to the characterization of the biofilm by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the determination of polymeric characteristics. The loss of mass examined in each bioplastic film was in the range of 0.01g to 0.20g. The dimension of each bioplastic was recorded in the range of 4.6 mm to 28.7 mm. The existence of -OH, C=C, C=O stretching, and other crucial functional groups that aid in the creation of a solid polymeric material are confirmed by FTIR analysis. This study provides an alternative approach for sustainable and commercially value-added production of polymeric-based biomaterials from agro-industrial waste as they are rich in starch, cellulose, and pectin for the development of bio-plastics. The rationale of this project is to achieve a straightforward, economical, and durable method for the production of bio-plastics through effective utilization of industrial and commercial fruit waste, ultimately aiding in revenue generation.

High-pressure gas adsorption on activated carbons from pomegranate peels biochar: A promising approach for biogas purification

Biogas is a promising bioenergy source and its composition is based on methane (55–70% vol) but contains impurities such as CO2 (30–45% vol). Various technologies are available to purify biogas and produce biomethane that can be injected into the existing natural gas network. In this work, the effectiveness of activated carbons (ACs) obtained by chemical activation from industrial food waste for CO2 removal by adsorption was investigated. ACs with better textural development were obtained at higher activation temperature and dose of the activating agent (BET surface area and total pore volume up to 1446 m2/g and 0.589 cm3/g, respectively). The adsorbents exhibited a microporous character (micropore volume up to 0.472 cm3/g). The ACs were tested in high-pressure gas adsorption tests (CO2, CH4 and H2 up to 3, 8 and 4 MPa, respectively). All of them showed high, medium and low selectivity against for the adsorption of CO2, CH4 and H2, respectively, although with different efficiencies. The adsorbent obtained under the most aggressive activation conditions (900 °C, 1:1 wt ratio) showed the greatest textural development and the maximum adsorption capacity for CO2 (at 3 MPa) and CH4 (at 8 MPa) (495 mgCO2/g and 126 mgCH4/g). Despite the porosity of the materials, all showed a very low affinity for hydrogen adsorption at 4 MPa (up to 3.71 mgH2/g). Taking the above into account, these activated carbons could be used in the purification of biogas and in the separation of CO2/H2 mixtures to produce pure H2 and obtain hydrogen-free CO2 for capture and storage.

Electric Arc Synthesis of Titanium Carbide Using Carbon Obtained by the Thermal Conversion of Food Industry Wastes

Electric Arc Synthesis of Titanium Carbide Using Carbon Obtained by the Thermal Conversion of Food Industry Wastes

High-performance PVDF/PVB blend membranes with tailored sponge-like structure and antifouling properties for beer filtration

Currently limited research reported the design of microfiltration (MF) membranes specially for handling complex food processing streams such as rough beer. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap by tailoring for the first time a new class of polyvinylidene fluoride/poly(vinyl butyral) (PVDF/PVB) blend MF membrane with highly controllable pore structure and improved anti-fouling properties, and demonstrate its potential in real rough beer filtration. Combining an unconventional nonsolvent thermally induced phase separation (NTIPS) method and a unique quinary dope solution (i.e., PVDF/PVB/PVP/DMAc/MgCl2) with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) feature, the roles of PVB content and coagulation temperature were investigated in terms of pore structure characteristics and hydrophilicity. Although both the control PVDF membrane M0 without PVB and M6 with optimal 6.0 % PVB achieved similar turbidity removal (98–100 %), M6 exhibited enhanced permeance ranging from 27 % to 12 % with increasing simulated feed complexity from containing dextran only, yeast only to yeast/dextran mixture. The contribution of fouling of these key beer components was analyzed, indicating that the co-existence of yeast and dextran significantly aggravated fouling. Combining with membrane autopsy, in real rough beer filtration M6 showed permeance of 26.7 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1 at 1 bar that was ∼70 % higher than M0. Although with ∼50 % less irreversible fouling than M0, water cleaning implemented on M6 only recovered 62.5 % of flux. The simultaneous investigations on alkaline cleaning and operating pressure found that: a reasonably low pressure seemed favorable, e.g., 63.6 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1 at 0.2 bar, achieving up to flux recovery of ∼91 % with only ∼10 % contributed by irreversible fouling. Overall this study offers a facile yet practical strategy to tailor membranes for beer filtration, serving as an inspiration for designing future membrane processes for treating complex food processing and industry waste streams.

Sustainable proteins from wine industrial by-product: Ultrasound-assisted extraction, fractionation, and characterization

Plant proteins are increasingly being used in the food industry due to their sustainability. They can be isolated from food industry waste and converted into value-added ingredients, promoting a more circular economy. In this study, ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction (UAAE) was optimized to maximize the extraction yield and purity of protein ingredients from grapeseeds. Grapeseed protein was extracted using UAAE under different pH (9–11), temperature (20–50 °C), sonication time (15–45 min), and solid/solvent ratio (10–20 mL/g) conditions. The structural and functional attributes of grapeseed protein and its major fractions (albumins and glutelins) were investigated and compared. The albumin fractions had higher solubilities, emulsifying properties, and in vitro digestibilities but lower fluid binding capacities and thermal stability than the UAAE and glutelin fraction. These findings have the potential to boost our understanding of the structural and functional characteristics of grapeseed proteins, thereby increasing their potential applications in the food and other industries.

Optimization of gluten-free cake formulation by replacement of rice flour and baking powder with different levels of eggshell powder using response surface methodology

AbstractThe shell and membrane of the egg constitute approximately 11% of the whole egg and is an important food industry waste. Eggshells can be used as an additional source of calcium to the diet because of their low cost and high bioavailability. This study aimed to design and produce the optimum formulation for the gluten-free cake using eggshell powder as rice flour and baking powder replacer by Face-Centered Composite Design. According to the results, it was determined that the optimized formulation should contain 9.85% eggshell powder as a rice flour replacer and 32.78% eggshell powder as a baking powder replacer to obtain a gluten-free cake with a desirable profile in terms of hardness, specific volume, color ($${\text{L}}_{{{\text{crust}}}}^{*}$$ L crust ∗ and $${\text{L}}_{{{\text{crumb}}}}^{*}$$ L crumb ∗ values), ash content, calcium content, and overall acceptability. The gluten-free cake with eggshell powder obtained was characterized as a product rich in calcium, high in ash content, high in specific volume, with a brighter colour and good sensory acceptability. Also, the proximate properties of the gluten-free cake produced with the optimum formulation were also reported. These findings show for the first time that eggshell powder can be used as a rice flour and a baking powder replacer for the formulation of gluten-free cake.

Microbial and insect oils: A sustainable approach to functional lipid

AbstractThe increasing global population, coupled with the effects of climate change on agricultural activities has spurred a demand for sustainable food production to meet human needs. In response to this, there has been a growing interest in sustainable food production initiatives. One of such initiatives is harnessing microbial and insect lipids as valuable ingredients to address increase in demand for lipids across various sectors, including functional food, nutritional supplements, and biodiesel production. Over the last decades, there has been increasing scientific investigations exploring lipid from algae, microbes, and insects as alternatives to traditional agro‐ and marine‐based sources. This review, therefore, presents progress made in microbial and insect oils production, with emphasis on sustainability. Emerging extraction techniques, regulatory and safety requirements, and challenges that exist in the production and utilization of these new lipids are also discussed. The review shows that lipids from a wide range of oleaginous microorganisms and insect species have the potential to serve as a valuable ingredient for healthful food preparation. However, challenges such as cultural acceptance, lack of standardized regulations, high cost, and low yield associated with most emerging environmentally friendly extraction technologies continue to hinder widespread use or adoption of microbial and insect lipids on a global scale. These challenges call for innovations to reduce cost of production and improve lipids yield. So far, a substantial progress has been made in the utilization of readily available feedstocks such as industrial food wastes and sugar‐rich industrial wastewater to grow insects and microorganisms which will significantly reduce the processing costs.

A comparative metabolomic investigation of different sections of Sicilian Citrus x limon (L.) Osbeck, characterization of bioactive metabolites, and evaluation of in vivo toxicity on zebrafish embryo.

Citrus fruits are a diverse and economically important group of fruit crops known for their distinctive flavors and high nutritional value. Their cultivation and consumption contribute significantly to the global agricultural economy and offer a wide range of health benefits. Among the genetic diversity of citrus species, Citrus x limon (L.) Osbeck is particularly relevant due to its chemical composition and potential health benefits. Two cultivars from the Sicily region (southern Italy) were compared for their phenolic content and preliminary antioxidant activity to select the distinctive extract with potential biological activity. A detailed characterization revealed the occurrence of phenolics, coumarins, and flavonoids. The quantification of metabolites contained in the selected extract was performed by an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatographic method coupled with an ultraviolet detector. Different concentrations were tested in vivo through the fish embryo acute toxicity test, and the 50% lethal dose of 107,833µgmL-1 was calculated. Finally, the effect of the extract on hatching was evaluated, and a dose-dependent relationship with the accelerated hatching rate was reported, suggesting a Femminello Zagara Bianca green peel upregulating effect on the hatching enzymes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Citrus fruits and their products continue to be one of the natural food sources with the highest waste output. In this study, we demonstrate how food industry waste, particularly lemon peel, is rich in bioactive compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that may be used in the nutraceuticals industry.