Medicinal Residues Research Articles

A change in substance and microbial community structure during the co-composting of kitchen waste anaerobic digestion effluent, sewage sludge and Chinese medicine residue

Anaerobic digestion is a resource recovery method for organic waste, gaining attention due to carbon reduction. Disposing of anaerobic digestion effluent (ADE) is crucial for developing anaerobic digestion, but conventional wastewater treatment fails to effectively recover nutrients contained in the ADE. In the present study, the ADE without solid-liquid separation was mixed with sewage sludge and Chinese medicine residue for the composting, where the ADE could be recovered at high temperature through humification. Besides, the nitrogen balance, humification process, and microbial dynamics during the composting process were studied. The results showed that the group supplemented with ADE could increase the nitrogen retention efficiency by 2.21 % compared to the control group. High ammonia nitrogen content and salinity did not negatively affect the maturity and phytotoxicity of compost products and even increase the humification degree of compost products. Moreover, additional ADE may not alter microbial community structure, which could contribute to microbial succession. This is the first time to investigate the substance transformation and shift in microbial community structure while applying composting process for ADE treatment, in which the anaerobic-aerobic collaborative disposal process provides an alternative solution for the recovery of ADE.

Effect of Thermophilic Microbial Agents on Crude Fiber Content, Carbohydrate-Active Enzyme Genes, and Microbial Communities during Chinese Medicine Residue Composting.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of thermophilic bacteria on crude fiber content, carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) genes, and associated microbial communities during Chinese medicine residues composting. The study examines changes over 15 days of composting with (T) and without (CK) thermophilic microbial agents. Results show that the group T compost temperature reached a maximum of 71.0 °C and remained above 70 °C for 2 days, while the group CK maximum temperature was only 60.9 °C. On Day 15, the seed germination index (GI) of group T reached 98.7%, while the group CK GI was only 56.7%. After composting, the degradation rates of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in group T increased by 5.1, 22.5, and 18.5%, respectively, compared to those in group CK. Thermophilic microbial agents changed the microbial communities related to CAZymes, increasing unclassified_o_Myxococcales and Sphaerobacter abundance and reducing Acinetobacter and Sphingobacterium abundance. Thermophilic microbial agents also increased the abundance of the GT4, GT2_Glycos_transf_2, and AA3 gene families. These results show that thermophilic microbial agents can increase composting temperature, accelerate compost maturation, and promote crude fiber degradation. Therefore, they have broad application potential.

Product maturation and antibiotic resistance genes enrichment in food waste digestate and Chinese medicinal herbal residues co-composting

The land application of food waste digestate (FWD) requires a composting process to improve its soil amendment performance and alleviate environmental risks. This study proposed co-composting of Chinese medicinal herbal residues (CMHRs) and FWD as a means to improve the maturation performance and investigated the evolution of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Results demonstrated that CMHRs addition effectively accelerated the maturity of FWD composting to less than 35 days, remarkably removed its remaining antibiotics by 83.0% and promoted the formation of humification substances. However, both quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis indicated that a significant enrichment of ARGs and mobile genetic elements including frA1, tetX, blaTEM, InuB-01, aadA2-02 and IntI-1 was observed via the co-composting of FWD and CMHRs. These results indicated that the land application of products obtained from FWD and CMHRs co-composting is at risk of spreading ARGs, although the composting process could be significantly improved.

Recovery of Bovine Serum Albumin from Wastewater Using a Cellulose Blend Membrane Derived from Chinese Herbal Medicine Residues

Recovery of Bovine Serum Albumin from Wastewater Using a Cellulose Blend Membrane Derived from Chinese Herbal Medicine Residues

Herbal biochar preparation and its application as soil amendment: Is such disposal of traditional Chinese medicine residue cost-efficient towards carbon neutrality?

Herbal biochar from traditional Chinese medicine residue (TCMR) and related carbon-negative utilization could contribute to the realization of carbon-neutral disposal process of TCMR. For this purpose, herbal biochar preparation by low-temperature pyrolysis and its application as soil amendment is designed, and the integrated effects are assessed by a combined techno-economic, exergy, thermoeconomic and life cycle analyses based on the accounting of material flow, energy flow and environmental flow. Firstly, the economic benefits (i.e., net present value, internal rate of return and payback period) of the system is analyzed by combination of cost-benefit method and sensitivity analysis. Secondly, exergy analysis determines exergy destruction, exergy destruction ratio, exergy destruction coefficient, energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of pyrolysis system. Furthermore, by combining techno-economic and exergy analyses, exergy destruction cost and exergy economic coefficient are calculated to optimize pyrolysis system. Thirdly, the CO2 mitigation cost, carbon neutrality potential and environmental impact are evaluated via combining life cycle assessment with techno-economic and exergy analyses. The results indicate that the higher pyrolysis temperature shows preferable exergy efficiency, energy efficiency and thermodynamic performance. From 400 to 600 °C, herbal biochar preparation and its application can improve economic benefits by 12.9–15%. At 550 °C, such TCMR disposal process can reduce environmental impact to −8651.65 mPts, and the GHG emissions and CO2 mitigation cost of the life cycle process are 395.1 kg CO2-eq/t feedstock and 63.4 CNY/t CO2-eq, respectively. In general, herbal biochar preparation by low-temperature pyrolysis and related application as soil amendment can realize the carbon-negative disposal of TCMR by an economical and efficient way.

Full-value preparation of biochar and 2D N-doped CDs@ZIF-L from fermentation residues for sensitive sensing tetracyclines in food samples

The use of thermal conversion to convert Chinese patent medicines (CPM) residues into porous carbon-based materials and carbon dots (CDs) has effectively resolved the challenges associated with resource waste and environmental pollution while enhancing the added value of CPM residues. In this study, biochar and N-doped CDs with high quantum yield (QY) were simultaneously prepared from fermentation residues by employing a hydrothermal carbonization method without any chemical reagents. The obtained biochar had remarkable adsorption capacity, with an iodine adsorption value of 693.22 mg g–1. The QY of N-doped CDs could reach to 36.17 % by the mean of self-doping due to the high nitrogen content of the fermentation residues. Considering the structural integrity and permeable porous structure of the two-dimensional leaf-like zeolitic imidazole framework (ZIF-L), N-doped CDs were encapsulated into ZIF-L to form novel fluorescent composites (N-doped CDs@ZIF-L). Moreover, N-doped CDs@ZIF-L as a novel fluorescent probe could be efficiently quenched in the presence of tetracycline (TC), doxycycline (DOC), and chlortetracycline (CTC) by static quenching and the inner filter effect. Notably, the fluorescent probe exhibited a good linear relationship with the TC, DOC, and CTC at 0–50, 0–50, and 0–45 μM, respectively, with limits of detection of 0.025, 0.033, and 0.027 μM, respectively. This probe could be employed to detect TC antibiotics in honey and milk, suggesting that it had the great potential for applications in environmental monitoring and food safety.

Natural substance-mediated synthesis for biochar-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron enhanced the performance of the catalytic process

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has gained increasing attention as a heterogeneous catalyst. However, problems such as aggregation, oxidation, or iron leaching limit its application. An appropriate dispersant and carrier may help solve the problems. Natural substances and their waste have been investigated as potential dispersants and carriers. Chinese herbal medicine residue is a promising raw material for this purpose. Here, black bean peel, a natural substance, was used as a dispersant and stabilizer, and biochar from chaga mushroom residue was used as a support for the first time to synthesize a zero-valent iron composite (B-nZVI-BC). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron spin resonance (ESR) studies confirm that the natural extracts prevented the agglomeration and oxidation of nZVI and promoted hydroxyl radical (·OH) generation. The experimental results showed that the B-nZVI-BC (2:1) + H2O2 system reduced Fe leaching to 0.66 mg/L. The synergistic effects of natural extracts, biochar (BC), and nZVI activated H2O2 for tetracycline (TC) removal and increased the removal from 67.56% to 90.07%. New insights were provided into the green synthesis and regeneration of nZVI, offering a promising solution for its practical application.

Hydrothermal treatment of traditional Chinese medicine residues: detailed characterization of hydrochar and liquid phase products

Hydrothermal treatment of traditional Chinese medicine residues: detailed characterization of hydrochar and liquid phase products

A green synthesized medicine residue carbon-based iron composite for the removal of chromium (VI) and cadmium (II): Performance, kinetics and mechanism.

Nowadays, clean-up of heavy metals from wastewaters using waste residue carbon-based material has received increasing attention. In this work, a novel Chinese medicine residue carbon-based nano zero-valent iron composite (CM-nZVI) had been successfully prepared using the combined Chinese medicine residue, FeCl3 and green tea extract. Cr(VI) and/ or Cd(II) removal in water by the CM-nZVI were systematacially investigated with a series of batch experiments. The most relevant findings indicated the adsorption efficiecy and capacity of Cr(VI) by CM-nZVI were respecitvely nearly 98% and 26mg/g under optimized reaction conditions. The negative influences of the cations on the Cr(VI) removal followed the order of Al3+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ Na+ > K+, but the anions followed the order of HCO3- > PO43- > NO3- > Cl- > SO42-. Humic acid (HA) and ionic strength with high concentrations severely inhibited Cr(VI) removal. The Cr(VI) adsorption on CM-nZVI fitted well by the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir models. A monolayer endothermic chemisorption occurred on Cr(VI) adsorption over CM-nZVI, and Cr(VI) removal by CM-nZVI primarily involved in the absorption, reduction, precipitation and complexation processes. Both Cr(VI) and Cd(II) removals had been achieved by CM-nZVI at their low concentrations. This CM-nZVI showed a better reusability proprity for Cr(VI) and Cd(II) removal with the regeneration of CM-nZVI through simple pickling. The outcomes of this work show that CM-nZVI could be used an effective material for heavy metals removal from water.

Traditional Chinese medicine residues promote the growth and quality of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge by improving soil health under continuous monoculture.

Continuous monoculture of crops has resulted in reduced yields and quality, as well as soil deterioration. Although traditional Chinese medicine residues (TCMRs) are known to promote plant growth and soil health, few studies have investigated their effectiveness in continuous monoculture soils. Here, we studied the impact of chemical fertilizers (CF) and four TCMRs with antibacterial activities on the growth of S. miltiorrhiza (a widely used medicinal plant in China), accumulation of active ingredients in plants, and soil health under continuous monoculture conditions. Compared with no fertilizer (CK) and CF, fermented Sophora flavescens radix residue (SFRf) and fermented and unfermented Moutan cortex residue (MCRf and MCRu, respectively) resulted in a reduction of the disease index of root rot, while CF did not. The CF and four TCMR treatments increased the accumulation of nitrogen (N) (42.8-124.6% and 17.0-101.7%), phosphorous (P) (19.8-74.7% and 8.3-27.4%), and potassium (K) (104.1-212.0% and 9.3-51.8%) in shoots and roots compared to CK. The differences in nutrient accumulation between the CF and TCMR treatments were statistically insignificant, excepted for the N accumulation in the roots. All fertilization treatments increased plant biomass compared to CK, with increases of 25.57-89.86% and 2.62-35.28% in shoots and roots, respectively. The SFRf treatment exhibited the most significant enhancement in both shoot and root biomass. CF significantly reduced the accumulation of seven active ingredients in roots by 23.90-78.95% compared to CK, whereas each TCMR increased accumulation of certain active ingredients. The TCMR treatments effectively improved the health of deteriorated soil by enhancing soil physicochemical properties, restoring the balance of the microbial community, recruiting beneficial bacteria, and reducing the relative abundance of the pathogen Fusarium. The SFRf treatment exhibited superior performance in improving soil health than other treatments. Overall, the TCMRs outperformed CF in restoring soil health and promoting the yield and quality of S. miltiorrhiza. These findings offer guidance for improving the health of continuous cropping soil and recycling TCMRs.

Experimental Study on the Preparation of Hydrogen-Rich Gas by Gasifying of Traditional Chinese Medicine Residue in a DFB Based on Calcium Looping

Using traditional Chinese medicine residue biomass as the raw material and industrial limestone as a carbon absorbent, this paper investigates the production of hydrogen-rich synthesis gas in a pilot-scale calcium looping dual fluidized bed (DFB) system. The study focuses on analyzing the distribution characteristics of temperature and pressure, as well as the operation and control methods of the DFB system. The effects of reaction temperature, material layer height (residence time), water vapor/biomass ratio (S/B), and calcium/carbon molar ratio (Ca/C) on gasification products are examined. The experimental results demonstrate that as the temperature (600–700 °C), S/B ratio (0.5–1.5), Ca/C ratio (0–0.6), and other parameters increase, the gas composition shows a gradual increase in the volume content of H2, a gradual decrease in the volume content of CO, and an initial increase and subsequent decrease in the volume content of CH4. Within the range of operating conditions in this study, the optimal conditions for producing hydrogen-rich gas are 700 °C, an S/B ratio of 1.5, and a Ca/C ratio of 0.6. Furthermore, increasing the height of the material layer in the gasification furnace (residence time) enhances the absorption of CO2 by the calcium absorbents, thus promoting an increase in the volume content of H2 and the carbon conversion rate in the gas.

Magnetic hydrochar from the extract and residue of herbal medicines for adsorption and Fenton reaction

Residues of herbs medicines are potential resources to prepare hydrochar. However, problems such as limited adsorption capacity and difficulty in recovery restrict the application of residues. Here, Ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4·H2O) was used to load Fe3O4 to prepare Fe3O4-modified hydrochar (Fe-CBC). Herbal extract (silymarin) was used to prepare functionalized hydrochar (Sil-Fe-CBC) for the first time by using the residue of clematis. Sil-Fe-CBC was used to remove methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC) from water. The MB adsorption quantity was increased to 124.7 mg/g within 30 min, and the removal was increased to 84.26%. The TC removal was achieved approximately 91% in 120 min at an optimum pH of 3, an H2O2 dosage of 0.4 mL, a Sil-Fe-CBC dosage of 0.6 g/L, and a temperature of 30 °C. The FTIR spectra and XRD spectrum studies confirm that the form of ·OH is linked to Fe2+ in the catalysis process via the reduction of silymarin. Silymarin functionalization is a new approach to promote the efficiency of Fenton. Herbal medicine residues are potential raw materials in hydrochar preparation, and the extracts can improve hydrochars' performance.

Multi-factorial investigation of the effect of biochar of the secondary medicinal residue of snow lotus on the adsorption of two azo dyes,methyl red and methyl orange.

Azo dye residues pollute water, which are difficult to decompose, and posing a major threat to the ecological environment. The residues of Chinese medicine still have many possibilities for use after its medicinal value has been brought into play. In this study, secondary residue biochar activation (Na2 CO3 -modified, SBA) and secondary residue biochar (unmodified, SBC) were prepared from the secondary residue of snow lotus at 200-600°C. Surface features were obtained by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller N2 method and combined with scanning electron microscopy, and their structures were analyzed by x-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier infrared and near-infrared spectroscopy. The effects of five factors, including initial concentration, contact time and adsorption temperature and so forth, on the adsorption of methyl red (MR) and methyl orange (MO) solutions were investigated. Results showed that the biochar yield, specific surface area, and pore size increased after modification. modification promoted the formation of the internal structure aromatization and oxygen-containing functional groups. Adsorption experiments showed that the surroundings pH = 8, the dyes adsorption concentration of 8 mg/L, adsorption temperature of 20-40°C and time of about 1 h were more stable. Under the condition, the removal of MO by SBA could reach approximately 60%-80% (480-640 mg/g), while the removal of MR could reach more than 90% (>720 mg/g).The charcoal prepared and modified under high temperature conditions was more effective for MO adsorption, while MR relied on low temperature effectively. This study provides a new choice of adsorbent for MR and MO and finds a new direction for the utilization of snow lotus residues.

Cistanches herba residues derived nitrogen and oxygen self-doped porous carbon for high performance supercapacitor

Cistanches herba residues are successfully employed as starting materials to prepare porous carbon through pre-carbonization and KOH activation method. The effects of pre-carbonization, KOH activation, and pre-carbonization temperature are investigated. The optimal structure of as-prepared carbon has abundant micropores, high specific surface area (2767.2 m2 g−1), good affinity for electrolyte, and high content of self-doped O (29.09%) and N (1.37%). The supercapacitors constructed with the as-prepared carbon materials are able to exhibit good specific capacitance of 360.26 F g−1 at 1.0 A g–1 and 191.3 F g−1 at 100 A g–1 in 6.0 mol L−1 KOH electrolyte. Moreover, the as-prepared carbon-based supercapacitors also display good energy density of 21.72 Wh kg−1 (at 250 W kg −1) and achieve 100% specific capacitance retention after 13,000 cycles at 10 A g−1 in 1.0 mol L−1 H2SO4 electrolyte. Overall, this research presents a new avenue for high-value utilization of traditional Chinese medicine residues.

Co-Application of Sewage Sludge, Chinese Medicinal Herbal Residue and Biochar Attenuated Accumulation and Translocation of Antibiotics in Soils and Crops

Sewage sludge (SL), Chinese medicinal herbal residues (CMHRs) and the raw materials of biochar (BC) are normally treated as wastes. However, SL, CMHRs and BC are potential candidates for soil amendments. The performances of soils amended with three different proportions (5%, 10% and 20% on a dry-weight basis) of SL-BC and SL-CMHR-BC in terms of ameliorating soil properties and attenuating antibiotics in soil–plant systems were investigated with two common crop species: carrot and lettuce. The amended soils in general showed higher nutrient levels than the control soils, and particularly for the 20% SL-CMHR-BC. The soils with 10% or 20% SL-BC or SL-CMHR-BC apparently retarded the germination performances of the two crop species, but the negative effects were not noticeable after a growing period. Six target antibiotics, amoxicillin (AMX), tetracycline (TC), sulfamethazine (SMX), norfloxacin (NOR), erythromycin (ERY) and chloramphenicol (CAP), were applied for growing the crops by using irrigation water with 3 μg L−1 (IW3) and 30 μg L−1 (IW30) of each antibiotic. The amended soils led to lower levels of antibiotics in the soils and crop tissues as compared with the control, with the 20% SL-CMHR-BC soils showing the most pronounced effect. The effects of the soil amendments on the bioconcentration factor (BCF) varied, but generally with lower values in the amended soils. Both SL-BC and SL-CMHR-BC were proven in the study as potential soil amendments for alleviating the environmental dispersal and human exposure risks of different antibiotics, and specifically 20% SL-CMHR-BC.

Comparison of the basic processes of aerobic, anaerobic, and aerobic-anaerobic coupling composting of Chinese medicinal herbal residues

Chinese medicinal herbal residues (CMHRs) are waste generated after extracting Chinese medicinal materials, and they can be used as a renewable bioresource. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of aerobic composting (AC), anaerobic digestion (AD), and aerobic-anaerobic coupling composting (AACC) for the treatment of CMHRs. CMHRs were mixed with sheep manure and biochar, and composted separately under AC, AD, and AACC conditions for 42 days. Physicochemical indices, enzyme activities, and bacterial communities were monitored during composting. Results showed that AACC- and AC-treated CMHRs were well-rotted, with the latter exhibiting the lowest C/N ratio and maximal germination index (GI) values. Higher phosphatase and peroxidase activities were detected during the AACC and AC treatments. Better humification was observed under AACC based on the higher catalase activities and lower E4/E6. AC treatment was effective in reducing compost toxicity. This study provides new insights into biomass resource utilisation.

TG-GC-MS study of pyrolysis characteristics and kinetic analysis during different kinds of biomass

In this paper, TG-GC-MS was used to study the pyrolysis characteristics and kinetic parameters of the atypical biomass such as traditional Chinese medicine residues, livestock and poultry wastes, fungus planting sticks, bagasse and the typical biomass such as bark. It was found that the activation energies of the five kinds of biomass were significantly different. The activation energies of the mixed kinds of traditional Chinese medicine residues and livestock and poultry waste were lower. The mixed biomasses could reduce the initial pyrolysis temperature and accelerate the pyrolysis speed. The water released in the whole process of the atypical biomasses mass loss process. There were two peaks of HR at ∼78 °C and ∼367 °C respectively. The second peak value is significantly higher than the first one, and the peak intensity is 2.44 times of woody biomasses. The peak intensities of non-condensible gas during the atypical biomass pyrolysis are CO + C2H4 > CO2 > H2 > CH4. The proportion of CO + C2H4 pyrolysised by HR is 39.45%, the H2 is 16.47%, and the CH4 is 5.17%.

Use of fermented Chinese medicine residues as a feed additive and effects on growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal health of broilers.

The purpose of this research was to investigate how dietary supplementation with fermented herbal residues (FCMR) affected birds' development capacity, quality of meat, gut barrier, and cecum microbiota. 540 cyan-shank partridge birds aged 47 days were chosen and divided into two groups of six replicates each and 45 birds for each replicate. The control group (CON) received a basal diet, while the trial group decreased a basic diet containing 5% FCMR. The findings revealed that the addition of FCMR decreased FCR and increased ADG in broilers (P < 0.05). Adding FCMR increased steaming loss in broiler chicken breasts (p < 0.05). Supplementation with FCMR significantly enhanced VH/CD and VH in the bird's intestine (jejunum, duodenum, and ileum) (p < 0.05). In addition, the addition of FCMR significantly down-regulated mRNA expression of INF-γ, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α and up-regulated mRNA expression of ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin (P < 0.05). Microbial 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing study revealed that supplements with FCMR modified the cecum microbiota, and α-diversity analysis showed that supplementation with FCMR reduced the cecum bacterial abundance in broilers (P < 0.05). At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Spirochaetota increased considerably following FCMR supplementation (P < 0.05). The broiler cecum's close lot of Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 (P < 0.05), Desulfovibrio, Muribaculaceae, and Fusobacterium (p < 0.05) reduced when FCMR was supplemented. Supplementation with FCMR can promote growth capacity and maintain intestinal health in birds by enhancing gut barrier function and modulating the inflammatory response and microbial composition.

Insight into Chinese medicine residue biochar combined with ultrasound for persulfate activation in atrazine degradation: Acanthopanax senticosus precursors, synergistic effects and toxicity assessment

The synergistic activation of persulfate by multiple factors could degrade pollutants more efficiently. However, the co-activation method based on metal ions has the risk of leakage. The non-metallic coupling method could achieve the same efficiency as the metal activation and meanwhile release environmental stress. In this study, the original biochar (BC) was prepared through using Chinese medicinal residue of Acanthopanax senticosus as the precursor. Compared with other biochar, the pore size structure was higher and toxicity risk was lower. The ultrasonic (US)/Acanthopanax senticosus biochar (ASBC)/persulfate oxidation system was established for Atrazine (ATZ). Results showed that 45KHz in middle and low frequency band cooperated with ASBC600 to degrade nearly 70 % of ATZ within 50 min, and US promoted the formation of SO4− and OH. Meanwhile, the synergy index of US and ASBC was calculated to be 1.18, which showed positive synergistic effect. Finally, the potential toxicity was examined by using Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and luminescent bacteria. This study provides a promising way for the activation of persulfate, which is expected to bring a new idea for the win-win situation of pollutant degradation and solid waste resource utilization.

Ultra-high specific surface area porous carbons derived from Chinese medicinal herbal residues with potential applications in supercapacitors and CO2 capture

Ultra-high specific surface area (SSA, > 3000 m2 g−1) porous carbons are promising materials for energy storage and gas selective adsorption and separation. In this work, we have synthesized porous carbons with ultra-high SSAs (up to 3410 m2 g−1) and large pore volumes (up to 2.095 cm3 g−1) from Chinese medicinal herbal residues (CHRs). The obtained ultra-high SSA porous carbons display good electrochemical performance as the electrode materials for supercapacitors with specific capacitances of up to 291.6 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 in 6 M KOH, as well as high rate retentions (72.0–82.1 %) at 50 A g−1. Moreover, as the CO2 capture materials, the ultra-high SSA porous carbons display high CO2 uptake capacities (up to 30.0 mmol g−1 at 298 K, 30 bar). Our work provides an effective strategy to fabricate ultra-high SSA CHRs derived porous carbons which simultaneously possess the great potential for energy storage and CO2 capture.