Sisal Waste Research Articles

Development of a Topical Cream from the Ethanolic of Agave sisalana Residues with Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Properties

Brazil is the largest producer in the world of the species Agave sisalana, sisal. The residue of the sisal, which is the result of the extraction of fibers from its leaves, represents 95% of its weight. Considering that sisal leaves have high concentrations of sapogenins and aiming at a future phytotherapeutic, in this study, the alcoholic fraction of sisal, AFS, was developed, and the sapogenins were characterized. In vitro, the cytotoxicity (MTT) and the anti-inflammatory effect of AFS (phagocytosis and hemolysis inhibition) were evaluated. In vivo, the analgesic (formalin test—FT) and anti-inflammatory (paw edema test—PET) activities of AFS, orally, and the cream containing AFS, topical, were analyzed. The results demonstrated that AFS contains hecogenin and tigogenin and is not cytotoxic. In vitro, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL of AFS showed anti-inflammatory activity similar to the positive control (PC). In the FT, the dose of 25 mg/kg did not differ from the PC in the neurogenic phase (p > 0.05). In the PET, 25 and 50 mg/kg of AFS differed from the negative control (NC) (p < 0.05), and the cream with AFS (5 mg/g) showed activity similar to the PC. The therapeutic activities of AFS probably result from sapogenins. In the future, we expect to develop an anti-inflammatory from the thousands of tons of sisal waste discarded in Brazil.

Development of an Antioxidant, Anti-Aging, and Photoprotective Phytocosmetic from Discarded Agave sisalana Perrine Roots

The primary source of hard fiber globally is Agave sisalana Perrine, also known as sisal. In areas where sisal is grown, the roots of the plant are usually left in the field after it has stopped producing, which leads to soil degradation and decreased sisal productivity. It is, therefore, critical to find alternatives to reuse this waste. This study explores the potential use of sisal waste in the cosmetic industry by incorporating a hydroethanolic extract (HER) into a cream–gel formulation, taking advantage of the plant’s recognized ethnopharmacological value. The study involves analyzing the extract’s phytochemical composition (flavonoids) and evaluating its cytotoxicity. Subsequently, the antioxidant and antiglycation activities of the extract and cream–gel are evaluated, as well as ex vivo ocular toxicity, photoprotective activity, and preliminary stability analyses. The HER extract showed a flavonoid composition (catechin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and chrysin) and maintained cell viability above 70% throughout all time points analyzed in the MTT assay. Furthermore, the extract and the formulation demonstrated proven antioxidant and antiglycation activities. The cream–gel’s UVB and UVA protection effectiveness with the HER was comparable to that of synthetic UVB/UVA sunscreens, with the samples proving nonirritating and stable. In conclusion, the extract has a significant presence of flavonoids, and the cream–gel developed with it did not present cytotoxicity and met the stability requirements, indicating phytocosmetic potential with antioxidant, antiglycation, and photoprotective properties.

Metabolite Profiling of Pleurotus ostreatus Grown on Sisal Agro-Industrial Waste Supplemented with Cocoa Almond Tegument and Wheat Bran.

Pleurotus ostreatus is an edible fungus with high nutritional value that uses industrial and agricultural lignocellulosic residues as substrates for growth and reproduction. Understanding their growth metabolic dynamics on agro-industrial wastes would help to develop economically viable and eco-friendly biotechnological strategies for food production. Thus, we used UHPLC/MS/MS and GNPS as an innovative approach to investigate the chemical composition of two strains of P. ostreatus, coded as BH (Black Hirataki) and WH (White Hirataki), grown on sisal waste mixture (SW) supplemented with 20 % cocoa almond tegument (CAT) or 20 % of wheat bran (WB). Metabolite dereplication allowed the identification of 53 metabolites, which included glycerophospholipids, fatty acids, monoacylglycerols, steroids, carbohydrates, amino acids, and flavonoids. This is the first report of the identification of these compounds in P. ostreatus, except for the steroid ergosterol. Most of the metabolites described in this work possess potential biological activities, which support the nutraceutical properties of P. ostreatus. Thus, the results of this study provide essential leads to the understanding of white-rot fungi chemical plasticity aiming at developing alternative biotechnologies strategies for waste recycling.

Highly microporous and mesoporous nanomaterials derived from Agave sisalana waste for supercapacitors

AbstractNanostructured electrodes with large surface area are essential for studying charge storage mechanisms in supercapacitors. Biomass‐based carbonaceous porous electrodes have proven to be good candidates for supercapacitor application. In this study, micropore and mesopore dominated carbon materials derived from Agave sisalana sisal waste were prepared through carbonization and chemical activation with ZnCl2. Scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction studies show that the microstructure and composition of the as‐prepared microporous carbon materials are influenced by adjusting the ZnCl2 to the carbon mass ratio. Sorption studies demonstrated a high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 1464 m2 g−1, type I isotherms for low temperature, type IV at 900 °C, and 99% micropore content in all the samples. The fabricated electrodes exhibited high specific capacitances of 497 F g−1at 5 mV s−1, which is indicative of our carbon materials’ strong potential for use in the production of high‐performance supercapacitors. Specific capacitance increased with increasing micropore surface areas.

Addressing Nutrient Depletion in Tanzanian Sisal Fiber Production Using Life Cycle Assessment and Circular Economy Principles, with Bioenergy Co-Production

Nutrient depletion in Tanzanian sisal production has led to yield decreases over time. We use nutrient mass balances embedded within a life cycle assessment to quantify the extent of nutrient depletion for different production systems, and then used circular economy principles to identify potential cosubstrates from within the Tanzanian economy to anaerobically digest with sisal wastes. The biogas produced was then used to generate bioelectricity and the digestate residual can be used as a fertilizer to address the nutrient depletion. Life cycle assessment was used in a gate-to-gate assessment of the anaerobic digestion options with different cosubstrates. If no current beneficial use of the cosubstrate was assumed, then beef manure and marine fish processing waste were the best cosubstrates. If agricultural wastes were assumed to have a current beneficial use as fertilizer, then marine fish processing waste and human urine were the best cosubstrates. The largest reduction in environmental impacts resulted from bioelectricity replacing electricity from fossil fuels in the national electricity grid and improved onsite waste management practices. There is significant potential to revitalize Tanzanian sisal production by applying circular economy principles to sisal waste management to address soil nutrient depletion and co-produce bioenergy.

Fermentation of dietary fibers modified by an enzymatic‐ultrasonic treatment and evaluation of their impact on gut microbiota in mice

Dietary fiber (DF) from sisal waste and Moringa oleifera stem were modified using a successive enzymatic-ultrasonic (E-U) treatment to produce modified DF products (MDFs), with reduced ratio of insoluble DF (IDF) and soluble DF (SDF) and decreased particle size. The water-holding capacity, swelling capacity, and oil-holding capacity of the MDFs were elevated upon E-U treatment. MDF-S (MDF from sisal waste) and MDF-M (MDF from M. oleifera stem) were fermented to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) by gut bacteria in mice, with total SCFA content of 3.81 μmol/g and 3.34 μmol/g, respectively, when added in basal feed at 10% (wt/wt). Metagenomic analyses demonstrated that MDFs tended to increase the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, and significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides, norank_f__Bacteroidales_S24-7_group, norank_f__Erysipelotrichaceae, Ruminococcus_1, and Akkermansia at genus level. These findings suggest that MDF supplementation in diet could favorably modulate gut microbiome in mice. Novelty impact statement We proposed a DF modification strategy to improve its role in intestinal flora modulation. Our results suggest that successive enzymatic and ultrasonic treatment effectively reduced the IDF/SDF ratio of DF. Supplement of the modified DF could alter the intestinal flora of mice to a high Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and elevate the relative abundance of several beneficial microbiota.

Enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis of sisal waste by sequential pretreatment with UV-catalyzed alkaline hydrogen peroxide and ionic liquid

Combinatorial pretreatment is widely recognized as a promising strategy for bioconversion of lignocellulosic feedstock. In this study, a two-step sequential approach with UV-catalyzed alkaline hydrogen peroxide (UHP) process and ionic liquid (IL) treatment was performed on sisal waste in order to achieve a higher saccharification. The integrated UHP-IL pretreatment removed lignin by 79.2%, increased cellulose content to 73.5% and reduced the crystallinity index to 16.2%. The maximum reducing sugar yield of 69.2 g/100 g dry sisal waste and sugar conversion of 89.4% were attained by UHP pretreatment with 0.1 g/g hydrogen peroxide for 6 h followed by IL pretreatment with 20 mL/g tetrabutylammonium hydroxide at 60 °C for 40 min and enzymatic hydrolysis for 36 h with enzyme loading of 10 FPU/g. Kinetic modeling analysis revealed that UHP-IL process promoted the adsorption and binding of the substrate to enzymes via its combination effect of delignification and decrystallization, which increased the initial rate of enzymatic hydrolysis and the yield of reducing sugar.

Removing Pb2+ with a pectin-rich fiber from sisal waste.

A pectin-rich dietary fiber from sisal waste (P-SF), containing 11.8% pectin, was produced by a sequential enzymatic-ultrasonic process. P-SF was effective in adsorbing Pb2+ from aqueous solution with a maximum adsorption amount of 184 mg g-1. Adsorption isotherms were fitted well by the Langmuir equation, and the adsorption kinetics could be described by a pseudo-second-order model. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy suggested that Pb2+ was adsorbed by P-SF via ion exchange, complexation and mineral precipitation. Dietary supplementation with 10% (w/w) P-SF in basal feed led to a significant decrease in Pb2+ in the brain, liver and kidney. P-SF has greater in vivo efficacy of Pb2+ removal as compared to commercial soybean dietary fiber. The reduction of brain Pb2+ level by P-SF was as effective as by a Pb2+ excretion drug. These findings suggested that P-SF has a great potential to be used as a dietary supplement to cope with Pb2+ poisoning.

Production and characterization of lignocellulosic fractions from sisal waste

An integrated fractionation process, UV-catalyzed hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (UHP) with subsequent alkali and acidic ethanol extraction, was developed to consecutively recover cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and pretreated liquid fractions from sisal waste. These fractions serve as a viable source of high-value industrial chemicals. Delignification rate reached approximately 80 % under the UHP pretreatment with 0.1 mL/g H2O2 for 6 h. The pretreated sisal waste was further fractionated into four parts, cellulose (35.5 g/100 g sisal waste), xylan-rich hemicellulose (12.5 g/100 g sisal waste), acid-insoluble lignin (5.7 g/100 g sisal waste) and the liquid fraction (21.0 g/100 g sisal waste). The cellulose fraction was in high purity with increased crystalline index of 51.4 %, and the hemicellulose fraction was rich in xylan. The lignin fraction had the GSH-type structure with some ferulic acid residues bound mainly via β-O-4 linkages. The liquid fraction had a high content of phenolic compounds (16.26∼41.88 mg GAE/L) with strong antioxidant activities, 11.16∼18.48 μmol TE/L reducing power, 66.78∼82.84 μmol TE/L hydroxyl radical scavenging and 14.83∼46.67 μmol TE/L ABTS radical scavenging.

Sisal xylem fibre-based activated carbon fibres for fuel adsorption: effect of thermal stabilization of diammonium phosphate

Activated carbon fibres (ACFs) are considered as the next generation of activated carbon products. However, lack of structural diversity in pore structure and high prices of raw materials for ACFs has restrained the development of ACF materials. In this paper, a sisal-based activated carbon fibre (SACF) material was prepared from sisal wastes with a unique thermal stabilization treatment to maintain fibrous shapes of SACFs while dispersing in solutions, and the SACFs were prepared as raw fibre materials for fuel evaporation emissions controlling products. Experimental results of N2 adsorption showed that SACF has a typical I-type adsorption isotherm, with specific surface area of SACF samples of approximately 1200 m2 g−1, and mainly microporous pore structure. Compared with commercial samples (specific surface area, 1841.29 m2 g−1), the butane working capacities of SACF for advanced fuel evaporation emissions controlling product was 0.4 g/100 ml higher. Furthermore, two dynamic models, Thomas model and Clark model, were applied to adsorption breakthrough data, which showed excellent fit. And it indicated from the adsorption breakthrough curves and parameters of both models that the SACF has better performance in fuel adsorption and desorption process than the commercial samples.

DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SISAL FIBER AND WOOD DUST REINFORCED POLYMERIC COMPOSITES

ABSTRACT Mechanical properties of composite board made from waste paper, wood dust, and sisal fibers with various weight proportions were investigated in this work. The composite board was produced by hand lay-up technique with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) binder. The result shows that the bending strength ranged between 3.5 N/mm2 and 7.5 N/mm2; water absorption values between 6.65% and 10.5%; as well as density between 280 kg/mm3 and 360 kg/mm3. A better combination of results has been found for sisal fiber (35%), wood dust (30%), PVA (10%) and waste paper (25%). The obtained result is compared with those of the conventional ceiling board results and it is observed that these composite materials can be used for internal low-cost construction work for separation, and acoustic & thermal insulation purposes.

Chemical and Physicochemical Characterization of Alkali Pretreated and in Natura Sisal Solid Waste

ABSTRACT Solid waste from sisal fiber is a great candidate for biorefinery feedstock and material for composite production. However, sisal solid waste needs to be pre-treated before being used for such application. One of pretreatment method is chemical pretreatment process using alkaline solution. Alkaline pretreatment can improve the digestibility and physicochemical properties of this lignocellulosic material. The aim of this study was to characterize the in natura and alkali pretreated sisal solid waste in order to evaluate their potential as biorefinery feedstock and material for composite production. The chemical characterization showed that the pretreatment resulted in an increase in cellulose content, which is in agreement with the results of infrared spectra. The DRX pattern and thermal characterization showed a crystallinity degree increase and thermal stability improving, respectively, indicating a partial removal of the amorphous fraction of the lignocellulosic material. The SEM analysis showed that the pretreatment increased the sisal solid waste superficial area, due to extractives removing. These results contributed to elucidate the potential uses of the lignocellulosic material from sisal and how the dilute alkaline pretreatment affected its composition and physicochemical properties.

Bitumen Retention of Modified Open Graded Asphalt Using Sisal Fibre and Waste Plastics

Bitumen Retention of Modified Open Graded Asphalt Using Sisal Fibre and Waste Plastics

Proximate Nutrient Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Pleurotus sapidus 969 Cultivated on Agave sisalana Saline Solid Waste

Effects of pure and mixed substrates of sisal waste, grass (Panicum coloratum) and a combination of the two substrates at 50:50 (w/w) on nutritional composition, minerals and antioxidant potential of sun-dried Pleurotus sapidus 969 were investigated in the present study. To determine the proximate chemical composition and antioxidant properties of the samples, standard analytical procedures were employed. Moisture content, crude protein and crude fibre ranged between 11.09-12.80%, 6.4-6.6% and 18.3-30.5%, respectively. Macro elements Ca, Mg, Na, K, and P were also found in substantial amounts with K being present in an exceedingly higher amount (541.3-657.1 mg/100g) than the other macro minerals. The samples from the three substrates contained antioxidant β-carotene (4.6-6.0 mg/100g), lycopene (4.9-5.1mg/100g), Vitamin C (5.2-5.6 mg/100g), phenols (361.0-859.0 mg of GA/g) and flavanoids (33.5-64.0 mg RE/g).Mushroom harvested from mixed substrates contained better nutritional qualities than the pure substrate, although the phenolic content in mushrooms cultivated on sisal substrate was higher. The results further showed that, all the extracts exhibited scavenging ability and metal chelating activity. The findings showed that Pleurotus sapidus 969 is rich in nutrients, macro minerals as well as natural antioxidant which could be explored for pharmaceutical applications.

Pretreatment with concurrent UV photocatalysis and alkaline H2O2 enhanced the enzymatic hydrolysis of sisal waste

This work studied a concurrent UV photocatalysis and alkaline H2O2 pretreatment (UHP) to enhance the subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of sisal waste in comparison with alkaline H2O2 pretreatment (AHP). An optimal condition was identified for UHP at H2O2 charge 0.1 g/g dried sisal waste, pH 10.0, and UV radiation for 6 h. Under this condition, UHP led to a delignification rate of 76.6%, a conversion to reducing sugar at 71.2%, and a conversion to glucose at 91.6%, respectively. XRD, FT-IR and SEM analysis showed an increase in crystalline degree and significant changes in the structure of sisal during UHP. The current study implicates that UHP is more efficient than AHP in pretreating sisal waste, with reduced H2O2 charge, shortened pretreatment time, and enhanced enzymatic digestibility.

Efficient extraction of pectin from sisal waste by combined enzymatic and ultrasonic process

Combined enzymatic and ultrasonic treatment was evaluated for efficient extraction of pectin from sisal waste in comparison with other extraction methods. The sequential treatment with enzyme (Celluclast 1.5 L) followed by ultrasound of sisal waste attained a much higher pectin yield of 31.1% than the ultrasound followed by enzyme, 14.6%. The pectin yield attained with the combined enzymatic/ultrasonic extraction was also higher than enzymatic extraction (9.4%), ultrasonic extraction (11.9%) and acidic extraction (5.8%). The pectin attained using the combined enzymatic/ultrasonic extraction (PEU) exhibited a higher galacturonic acid content (62.88%) and a higher degree of esterification (49.64%), indicating a better preserved polymer chain than that using acidic extraction (PA). PEU had a higher molar mass (7.65 × 105 g/mol) and a lower Mw/Mn than PA. Meanwhile, all sisal pectins showed the similar sugar composition regardless of the extraction methods according to FT-IR analysis. The results of rheological test showed that PEU in water turned from gel to liquid with increasing angle-frequency, while PA remained in a gel state. Compared with PA, the viscoelastic properties of PEU were more sensitive to temperature changes. SEM observation of the sisal residues after pectin extraction revealed a synergistic effect of the enzymatic and ultrasonic treatment on the solid structure, which may be contributable to the improved pectin extraction efficiency. The results from the present study suggest that the combination of enzymatic and ultrasonic extraction is an efficient process strategy for production of high quality pectins.

Fuel Briquettes from Sisal Waste in Thailand

The research aims to develop fuel briquettes from sisal waste material mixed with bagasse. Sisal wastes were collected from Hub Kapong Royal Project Phetchaburi Province Thailand. These material were mixed according to the ratios of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50 respectively. Characterization of physical and chemical properties of fuel briquettes were determined by percentage moisture content, percentage ash content, percentage volatile matter, percentage fixed carbon, and calorific value with the standard number ASTM 3173, ASTM D 3175, ASTM D 3174, ASTM D 3177 and ASTM D 3286 respectively. The results show that percentage moisture content values of 9.98 - 18.14, percentage volatile matter values of 42.59 - 68.04, percentage ash content values of 16.05 -25.41, percentage fixed carbon values of 5.93 - 13.86 and calorific values of 1,820.52 - 2,485.19 kcal/kg. Fuel briquettes to be used as a fuel substitute for firewood and charcoal.

Ovicidal activity of succinic acid isolated from sisal waste (Agave sisalana) against gastrointestinal nematodes of goats

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic activity of the succinic acid (SA) isolated from sisal waste against gastrointestinal nematodes of goats, using the egg hatching and larvae motility assays. In addition, potential cytotoxicity of SA on Vero cell cultures was investigated by means of MTT (3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl, 2,5diphenyltetrazolium bromide) test. The SA induced a significant inhibition of egg hatching (P<0.05) at all concentrations tested (60 to 250µg mL-1), and the concentrations to inhibit 50% (EC50) and 90% (EC90) values (mean ± standard deviation) were 90.3±2.8 and 130.6±3.5µg mL-1, respectively. The SA has not shown larvicidal activity. The SA was less toxic to the Vero cells, with the mean percentage of cell viability equal to 85±6.2% at the concentration of 130µg mL-1. The results suggested that SA has potential anthelmintic effect; although, more research is needed to confirm its activity in vivo.

Potencial agrícola de um composto organomineral à base de resíduo de sisal, esterco e farinha de rocha para produção de mudas de sisal

O sisal é uma cultura de grande importância socioeconômica para a Bahia, contudo, ainda pouco estudada, tornando-se necessárias pesquisas que apontem alternativas tecnológicas para a produção de mudas com boa qualidade fitossanitária e nutricional. O aproveitamento do resíduo gerado do desfibramento das folhas é uma alternativa viável para adubação dos plantios. O presente trabalho avaliou o potencial agrícola de um composto produzido com diferentes proporções de resíduo de sisal, farinha de rocha e esterco no crescimento e nutrição de mudas de sisal. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento de bloco casualizado, esquema fatorial 2 x 5 x 5, sendo 2 solos, 5 compostos organominerais e 5 doses (0, 10, 20, 30 e 50 t/ha), com quatro repetições. Não foi possível definir a melhor dose a ser aplicada dos compostos, entretanto, estes foram superiores ao tratamento controle (dose zero) favorecendo o crescimento das mudas. Os compostos C1 com 10% esterco+ 10% farinha de rocha + 80% resíduo de sisal e C5 com 20% esterco + 20% farinha de rocha + 60% resíduo de sisal promoveram aumento de até 253,2% e 87,5% nos teores de N e P em comparação aos demais compostos no solo argiloso. No solo arenoso, o composto C9 (30% esterco + 30% farinha de rocha + 40% resíduo) destacou-se favorecendo a absorção dos nutrientes N e P nas mudas de sisal. Fatores como tipo e grau de fertilidade do solo, ciclo vegetativo da cultura, bem como, material a ser utilizado devem ser considerados no preparo do composto organomineral.

Production of Oxidative and Hydrolytic Enzymes by Coprinus cinereus (Schaeff.) Gray from Sisal Wastes Supplemented with Cow Dung Manure.

The activity of oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes of the edible and medicinal white rot fungi Coprinus cinereus (Schaeff.) Gray mushroom was observed during mycelia growth and fruiting body development in solid substrate fermentation using sisal waste fractions amended with cow dung manure as supplement. Laccase had the highest titre value among the five detected enzymes. Its activity was higher during mycelia growth compared to fruiting phase, with 10% supplemented substrate formulation unmixed sisal leaf decortication residues [abbreviated SL : SB (100 : 0)] displaying the highest activity of 39.45 ± 12.05 Ug−1. Lignin peroxidase (LiP) exhibited a characteristic wave-like pattern with the highest peaks found either during full mycelia colonization or soon after first flush harvest; the highest activity of 1.93 ± 0.62 Ug−1 was observed on unsupplemented SL : SB (100 : 0) substrate formulation during mycelia colonization. For hydrolytic enzymes, the highest carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) activity of 2.03 ± 0.70 Ug−1 was observed on 20% supplemented SL : SB (0 : 100) after first flush; that of pectinase (1.90 ± 0.32 Ug−1) was revealed after third flush on 10% supplemented SL : SB (0 : 100) substrate formulation while 10% supplemented SL : SB (25 : 75) exhibited the highest xylanase activity (1.23 ± 0.12 Ug−1) after first flush. These findings show that the activities of both oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes were regulated in line with developmental phase of growth of Coprinus cinereus.