Sugar Beet Waste Research Articles

Upcycling sugar beet waste into sustainable organo-nanocatalysis for carbon dioxide fixation and cyclic carbonate synthesis: a research design study

Environmental pollution is a major global issue due to the increase of various pollutants all over the world. Enhancing pollutant remediation strategies for environmental sustainability necessitates increasing the efficiency of conventional methods or introducing innovative approaches. Nanotechnology, particularly carbon-based nanomaterials, offers substantial promise due to their high surface area and absorption potential. Concurrently, organocatalysts have emerged as sustainable and versatile alternatives to traditional metal-based catalysts in modern chemical research. This study highlights the synthesis and application of organo-nanocatalysts derived from biomass, specifically a spherical carbon nanocatalyst synthesized from sugar beet pulp. This novel green catalyst, characterized by high selectivity and efficiency, successfully converts epoxides and CO2 into valuable cyclic carbonates under solvent-free conditions. The hydroxyl groups on the Sugar Beet-derived Carbon NanoSphere (SCNS) surface act as Bronsted acid sites, facilitating epoxide activation via hydrogen bonding. The integration of carbon-based nanomaterials and organocatalysis represents a promising, sustainable solution for pollutant remediation and green chemistry advancements.Graphical

Non-composted and blended agro-industrial by-products an as alternative soilless substrate affect potted zonal geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum) and murva (Murraya paniculata) production

Due to their hiking prices and import restrictions, peat moss and coco coir are not readily available in many developing countries including Pakistan. Therefore, it is necessary to explore alternative soilless substrates having low cost and comparable physico-chemical properties with peat moss and coco coir for local and global market. For this purpose, indigenous agro-industrial by-products, viz., sesame straw, date palm coir, sugarcane pressmud, sugar beet waste and pine bark were collected, cleaned, crushed (where needed) and blended for physico-chemical analyses. Zonal geranium ‘Pinto White’ and murva (Murraya paniculata Kaneh.) were used to evaluate the efficacy of various combinations of substrates on plant growth and production. Three experiments were conducted with six treatments of each experiment replicated three times. Blending of sesame straw with sugarcane pressmud and pine bark (4:4:2 by volume) yielded best results and marketable plants were produced with tallest height (35.8 cm), canopy diameter (20.8 cm), leaf area (29.2 cm2), leaf total chlorophyll contents (62.1 SPAD) and flowers per plant (5.0 No.) along with shortest production time (103 days). Same results were recorded when murva plants were grown in 4:4:2 blending of sesame straw, sugarcane pressmud and pine bark. Zonal geranium and murva plants did not perform well when sesame straw was blended with date palm coir and sugar beet waste. Blending of sesame straw with sugarcane pressmud and pine bark had low pH (7.0), electrical conductivity (1.37 mS cm-1), bulk density (0.29 g cm-3) while high water retention (34.7 %) as compared to other blended substrates. However, shrinkage of substrates in containers was highest (7.7 %) when sesame straw was blended with sugarcane pressmud and pine bark in 5:3:2 followed by 4:4:2. pH value of all blended substrates decreased at termination except when sesame straw, sugarcane pressmud and pine bark were blended in 4:4:2 and 5:2:3, which was increased from 7.0 to 7.1. Electrical conductivity of all blended substrates was decreased at termination of the experiments. It can be concluded that blending of sesame straw, sugarcane pressmud and pine bark in 4:4:2 (v/v/v) significantly improved physico-chemical characteristics of substrates as well as plant growth and production attributes of zonal geranium and murva. Therefore, this indigenous soilless substrate, which is cheaper and readily available to nurserymen can be used as alternative of peat moss and coco coir for containerized plant production.

The Impact of Incorporating Varying Proportions of Sugar Beet Waste on the Combustion Process and Emissions in Industrial Burner Fuelled with Conventional Diesel Fuel

Abstract The main objective of the case study is to investigate the effectiveness of using solid fuel additives in conventional diesel fuel for industrial furnaces. The study focuses on utilizing agricultural waste derived from sugar beet plant waste as additives to enhance the combustion process and reduce emissions from industrial burners. In this study, experimental measurent for the flame temperatures inside the furnace while altering the proportions of the solid materials have ben achived. The goal was to assess the impact of different loading from these additives on the combustionprocess. Furthermore, the study involved measuring exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), unburned hydrocarbon (UH), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The experimental facility arranment allowed the researchers to evaluate the emissions resulting from the combustion process with the addition of solid fuel additives. By measuring these parameters, the study aimed to understand the effect of utilizing agricultural waste as additives on the burning processes and emission formation in industrial furnaces. These findings can contribute to improving the efficiency of combustion processes, reducing emissions, and promoting the utilization of renewable and sustainable fuel sources in industrial settings. In this study, varying the proportions of solid materials used as additives had an impact on the levels of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust gases. By increasing the proportion of solid materials in the fuel mixture resulted in changes in the emission levels. The levels of carbon monoxide in the exhaust gases decreased as the proportion of solid materials increased. While the addition of solid fuel additives did contribute to the production of CO2 due to the combustion of the additives, the overall effect on its levels varied depending on the specific proportions used. Also, the levels of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gases showed different trends depending on the proportions of solid materials used. Typically, increasing the proportion of solid fuel additives led to reduce NOx emissions. However, this may also depend on other factors such as combustion temperature and the composition of the solid materials.

Fertilizer Management Strategies of Glycine max L. (Soybean) in Northcentral and North-Western North Dakota

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is a new cash crop grown in north central and northwestern North Dakota (ND). Soils and climate in these new soybean areas differ from current fertilizer guidelines. A three-year study to evaluate soybean fertility best management practices was initiated in the spring of 2016 and concluded in 2018. Each year had two sites and twelve treatments. One site was acidic (pH < 6.2) and the other was alkaline (pH > 7.2). Both site treatments were: untreated check, inoculated with rhizobia (Bradyrhizobium japonicum L.), broadcast urea (55 kg ha−1), broadcast MAP (110 kg ha−1), In-furrow 10-34-0 (28 L ha−1), in-furrow 6-24-6 (28 L ha−1), foliar 3-18-18 (28 L ha−1) at V5 and R2, and foliar 3-18-18 (28 L ha−1) with sulfate (1.1 kg ha−1) at V5 and R2. The acidic site had two treatments of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) waste lime (4411 kg ha−1 and 8821 kg ha−1). The alkaline site received treatments of iron ortho-ortho-EDDHA (7.1 L ha−1), and naked ortho-ortho-EDDHA (7.1 L ha−1). An in-furrow treatment of cobalt (2.9 kg cobalt-sulfate ha−1) was added in 2018. Fertilizer treatments did not impact soybean yield, protein content and oil content at the 0.05 significance level.

Soil Stabilization Using Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) Derived from Sugar Beet Waste

The objective of this research is to examine the use of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), obtained during the production of sugar from sugar beets, and to stabilize subgrades beneath highway pavements or to stabilize foundations built on loess (windblown silt). The research also aims to permanently capture the carbon from PCC in soil. The experimental process involved the collection of representative loess samples, the addition of variable percentages of PCC, and conducting laboratory experiments on compacted PCC soil mixes to evaluate the effect of PCC on subgrades beneath pavement and foundations beneath buildings. Samples of PCC were obtained from the Amalgamated Sugar Corporation, located 187 km away from Pocatello. In addition, soil was collected from local sources in which saturation collapse and damage have occurred in the past. Unconfined compressive strength tests, which index subgrade bearing failures, were performed on both untreated and PCC-treated soils to evaluate the effect of PCC in stabilizing pavement subgrades and foundations as well as sequestering carbon. The experimental test results revealed a significant average increase of 10% to 28% in the strength of loess samples stabilized with 5% PCC compared to the native soil. The chemical composition and microstructure of PCC were further analyzed through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests. EDX analysis unveiled a carbon content of 9% by weight in PCC, which could contribute to the carbon footprint when it breaks down. Additionally, SEM images displayed an unsymmetrical and sub-rounded microstructure of PCC particles. Based on these findings, the study suggests that utilizing PCC could improve the resistance of loess to saturation collapse and potentially reduce carbon emissions associated with cement or lime production while offering an opportunity to use PCC in soil application.

Appreciation of sugar beet waste in metakaolin geopolymer mortar for compressive strength and drying shrinkage

It is known that the waste of the sugar industry is increasing day by day, and this causes environmental problems. The optimum solution for this waste is to recycle it into building materials. In this paper, for the first time, the possibility of recycling carbonation lime residue after calcination (C-CR) into the metakaolin (MK) geopolymer mortar was studied. The carbonation lime residue (CR) is a waste generated during the production of sugar beet. To achieve this aim, the MK was partially replaced with C-CR at ratios alternated from 2.5 wt% to 10 wt% with a stride of 2.5 wt%. The effects of C-CR on the flowability, compressive strength and drying shrinkage, crystalline phases, hydration product, and microstructure morphology were investigated. The results showed that C-CR is similar to carbon oxide. The introduction of C-CR into the mortars showed a negative effect on the flowability, whilst up to 7.5% showed a positive effect on the compressive strength, as well as drying shrinkage. The optimum C-CR ratio was 5%, which gave the lowest drying shrinkage and the highest compressive strength.

Alternative methods for RuBisCO extraction from sugar beet waste: A comparative approach of ultrasound and high voltage electrical discharge

Ultrasound (US) and high voltage electric discharge (HVED) with water as a green solvent represent promising novel non-thermal techniques for protein extraction from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. altissima) leaves. Compared to HVED, US proved to be a better alternative method for total soluble protein extraction with the aim of obtaining high yield of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase enzyme (RuBisCO). Regardless of the solvent temperature, the highest protein yields were observed at 100% amplitude and 9 min treatment time (84.60 ± 3.98 mg/gd.m. with cold and 96.75 ± 4.30 mg/gd.m. with room temperature deionized water). US treatments at 75% amplitude and 9 min treatment time showed the highest abundance of RuBisCO obtained by immunoblotting assay. The highest protein yields recorded among HVED-treated samples were observed at a voltage of 20 kV and a treatment time of 3 min, disregarding the used gas (33.33 ± 1.06 mg/gd.m. with argon and 34.89 ± 1.59 mg/gd.m. with nitrogen as injected gas), while the highest abundance of the RuBisCO among HVED-treated samples was noticed at 25 kV voltage and 3 min treatment time. By optimizing the US and HVED parameters, it is possible to affect the solubility and improve the isolation of RuBisCO, which could then be purified and implemented into new or already existing functional products.

Promising methods for intensifying the process of sucrose extraction from beet chips

The sugar beet industry in Russia has unexhausted reserves of its development, so to use them requires a set of measures to improve the efficiency of sugar production, in which an important role should be given to the extraction process. The efficiency of the extraction process determines the conditions of subsequent technological operations and affects the production of sugar in general. In addition, as a result of extraction produces a multi-tonnage waste of sugar beet production - pulp, the problem of disposal of which is acute for the sugar industry. Therefore, a comprehensive consideration of the process of sugar production includes the issues of deep processing of pulp, as a valuable raw material resource, which contributes to reducing the amount of waste sugar beet production and solving the problem of environmental pollution. Sugar beet industry occupies an important place in the agro-industrial complex of the country. Among the food and processing industries in Russia, sugar beet production is one of the most highly industrialized and energy-intensive. This monoproduct industry is a very peculiar phenomenon in the economy and, in particular, in the food industry. In this article we will consider some of the most promising methods for intensifying the process of sucrose extraction from beet chips, as well as processing of secondary resources of sugar beet production with obtaining new products of high quality.

Sugar beet processing waste as a substrate for yeast protein production for livestock feed

This study investigated the optimal yeast strains for producing single cell protein based on waste sugar beet pulp (SBP) under various biomass loads. All tested strains were capable of growing on the waste biomass. Candida utilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ethanol Red produced the greatest increase in protein on fresh SBP (ΔN 1.84%). Scheffersomyces stipitis (ΔN 2.27%) provided the highest increase on dried SBP. All tested strains showed significant assimilation of nitrogenous compounds. Based on the crude fiber content after fermentation, the largest reduction in fiber occurred with Candida utilis R6 (10.5%) on fresh SBP, and Yarrowia lipolytica (13.1%) on dried SBP. These results demonstrate the potential of SBP as a substrate for the production of single cell protein and highlight the importance of selecting the appropriate strains to optimize the process.

Facile synthesis of eco-friendly activated carbon from leaves of sugar beet waste as a superior nonconventional adsorbent for anionic and cationic dyes from aqueous solutions

The current study presents a unique and innovative approach to sustainable activated carbon (AC) synthesis using non-conventional agricultural wastes, leaves of sugar beet (LSB), via a thermo-chemical activation process. This approach not only offers a sustainable solution for LSB elimination, but also provides an eco-friendly alternative to commercially available activated carbon. The thermo-chemical activation process was conducted at various ratios of H3PO4 / LSB (0.5:1, 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 w/w ratios) at a fixed temperature (550 °C/2h). The unique amorphous nature, porous structure, BET surface area (SBET = 700.7 m2/g), and surface chemistry nominated the synthesized AC at 2:1 ratio as a superior adsorbent material for methyl orange, MO, and methylene blue, MB, from standard solutions in the batch system at different experimental conditions. Kinetic investigations revealed that the pseudo-second order equation explained the sorption data well. In contrast, intra-particle diffusion was not the only limiting stage in the adsorption of the addressed dyes. Similarly, the linear Langmuir equation described the adsorption data of the investigated dyes better than Freundlich one with maximum removal capacity (qmax) of 185.2 and 140.8 mg/g for MB and MO, orderly. This confirms the homogenous/monolayer nature of the adsorbed ions through isoenergetic active sites upon the AC(2:1) surface. Furthermore, the electrostatic attraction was not the only leading mechanism of adsorption of both dyes, but substantial participations by hydrophobic hydrogen-bonding forces may be considered.

Effects of filter mud applications on growth, physiological characteristics, and nutrient transfer pattern of sugar beet seedlings

Filter mud is an industrial waste produced by sugar crops during the sugar production process, which contains N, P, K, organic matter, and a variety of trace elements required for plant growth. Therefore, a soil cultivation experiment was devised to verify the effects of applying diverse proportions of filter mud on the growth and physiological variations of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. subsp. vulgaris) seedlings. For this study, sugar mill filter mud equivalent to 1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, 9%, 11%, and 13% of the dry weight of neutral black soil was used. Sugar beet seeds were planted in soil with filter mud and their growth, nutrient, and physiological indexes are measured after they grew into sugar beet seedlings. After the application of filter mud, the growth status of sugar beet seedlings increased significantly compared to the non-application of filter mud. Soil application of filter mud increases the content of inorganic N, available P, available K, and organic matter in the soil. And the most pronounced growth of sugar beet seedlings was achieved at 7% of the applied filter mud. In addition, the content of chlorophyll, transpiration rate, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity all increased significantly. As a result, it was determined that filter mud from sugar beet waste was an effective soil improver material, a certain percentage of filter mud can promote the growth of sugar beet seedlings. This has important implications for the improvement of sugar beet yields and the recycling of agricultural wastes.

Integration of enzymatic modification and ultrafiltration for the production of pectin fractions with highly potent antioxidant capacity as green valorization of sugar beet pulp.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of pectin followed by ultrafiltration of hydrolysate was applied with the aim to produce fractions with potent antioxidant capacity. Pectin was isolated from waste sugar beet pulp by acidic extraction, washed by diafiltration and concentrated by ultrafiltration. Enzymatic hydrolysis was performed with endo-polygalacturonase, and hydrolysate was processed by ultrafiltration into four fractions using membranes in series of decreasing cut-offs from 10 to 1kDa. Hydrolysis with endo-polygalacturonase increased total antioxidant capacity by twofold in comparison to un-hydrolyzed pectin. Antioxidant capacity of all fractions was considerably higher than that of pectin-from 14.7 to 25-fold, for fraction containing fragments 10kDa > Mw > 5kDa and Mw < 1kDa, respectively. Considerable increase of total antioxidant capacity of pectin through the integration of enzymatic modification and ultrafiltration fractionation indicated great potential of applied green protocol for the production of high-value hydrolysates of pectin from waste sugar beet pulp.

Sugar Beet Fiber and Rice Based Distillers Dried Grain as a Food Additive: A Short Communication

The utilization of sugar beet fiber (SBF) and rice-based distillers dried grain (RB-DDG) as a source of food ingredients is a prime focus of this short study. SBF and RB-DDG are extracted from waste sugar beet pulp produced in the sugar industry and grain-based distillery respectively. The mixture of SBF and RB-DDG has been given the name HNFP (Healthy nutrients-rich fine powder). The oven drying, grinding, mixing, and mesh screening were used for the preparation of HNFP from the two raw industrial wastes. HNFP has components, Carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. Which has the potential to be utilized as an essential food ingredient. The prepared HNFP has obtained results that show cation exchange capacity, water holding capacity, and oil binding capacity as 0.5 mEq/gm, 8.5 gm/gm, and 1.95 gm/gm respectively, or the average swelling capacity 12 ml/gm was obtained. These properties complete the requirements of good food ingredients for the human gut system. This communication is the first article that represents an idea that will analyze the use of HNFP as a food additive extracted from sugar beet fiber with a combination of high nutrients rich rice-based distillers dried grain (RB-DDG).

Valorization of sugar beet waste as a foaming agent for metakaolin geopolymer activated with phosphoric acid

This study is the first attempt to investigate the possibility of recycling carbonated lime residue (CR) (a by-product from the sugar beet-making industry) as a foaming agent. For this purpose, phosphoric acid (H3PO4) was used as an activator for metakaolin (MK) to obtain MK geopolymer pastes. Subsequently, the MK was partially replaced by CR at ratios oscillated from 2 wt% to 6 wt% with a step of 2 wt%. After suitable curing, the bulk density, compressive strength, water absorption, total porosity, and thermal conductivity were determined. Furthermore, the durability of this new type of foamed geopolymer was determined by the test of accelerated aging depending on wetting/drying cycling. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis/its derivative (TGA/DTG), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS) were used to analyze the results. The results confirmed that it is possible to use CR as a renewable foaming agent which can produce porous microstructure. The incorporation of 6 wt% CR showed the lowest thermal conductivity (0.08 W/mK), the lowest bulk density (631.5 kg/m3), the lowest compressive strength (2 MPa), the highest water absorption (35%), and the highest total porosity (61.2%). In addition, the specimens containing CR foaming agent showed superior durability as estimated from accelerating aging due to their porous microstructure which helped in facilitating water vapor mobility in and out of the geopolymer hardened skeleton.

Effect of lime fertilizer on reducing the larvae harmfulness of the beetles of the Elateridae family and sunflower productivity

The article presents the research results on the effect of lime mud (lime fertilizer from sugar beet waste during processing) in doses of 3.9 and 5.9 t/ha on the yield and infestation of sunflower sowings with the beetle larvae of the Elateridae family. We carried out the research in 2016-2018 at V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops (Krasnodar, Russia). We established that lime mud applied 30 days before crop planting resulted in a significant decrease of wireworm population from 15-21 to 6-10 specimens/m2. Recording of plant density at the stage of full sprouts showed considerable thinning of sowings due to pest damage; in the control variant, it reached up to 80 % whereas plant death under fertilizer application at the doses of 3.9 and 5.9 t/ha was 42 and 32 %, respectively. The application of lime mud at a dose of 3.9 t/ha resulted in the highest increase in yield - 0.58 t/ha. The oil content of sunflower seeds in the experiment was 48.9-52.1 % but we noted the decrease of this indicator in the variant with the lime mud at a dose of 3.9 t/ha. Oil acid value was at the same level in both variants (3.9 and 5.9 t/ha) of lime application and reached 1.5 mg KOH.

Impact of Sugar Beet Waste on Strength and Durability of Alkali-Activated Slag Cement

Impact of Sugar Beet Waste on Strength and Durability of Alkali-Activated Slag Cement

Capric-stearic acid mixture impregnated carbonized waste sugar beet pulp as leak-resistive composite phase change material with effective thermal conductivity and thermal energy storage performance

The present investigation aims to develop a potential composite phase change material (PCM) with leak-resistive and high thermal conductivity. Sugar beet pulp (CSBP) as an industrial waste was carbonized to produce a porous framework and used for solving leakage issue and boosting thermal conductivity of capric-stearic acid eutectic mixture (CSEM) used as PCM. FTIR and XRD results proved that the integration of CSEM and CSBP was carried out physically. The SEM analysis demonstrated that the CSEM was well uniformly impregnated within the pores of CSBP scaffold. DSC analysis revealed that the CSBP/CSEM (70 wt%) composite showed melting enthalpy and temperature as 117 J/g and 24 °C. The TGA measurements demonstrated that the produced composite was thermally stable. The incorporation of CSEM with CSBP leaded to a 79% increase in its thermal conductivity and this improvement was proved by comparing heating-cooling periods of CSEM and the composite PCM. The latent heat of the composite PCM was reduced less than 3% as its melting temperature was almost constant after 1000 thermal cycles. All findings of this work disclosed that the developed CSBP/CSEM as cost-effective and environmentally friendly composite PCM can be handled potential TES material for temperature controlling of buildings.

Partial Purification and Characterization of Exo-Polygalacturonase Produced by Penicillium oxalicum AUMC 4153.

Pectinase enzymes are important industrial enzymes having considerable applications in several industries, especially in food processing. Pectinases contribute 25% of global food enzyme sales. Therefore, the demand for a commercial enzyme with desirable characteristics and low production costs has become one of the great targets. Hence, this study aims to produce exo-polygalacturonase (exo-PG) using local fungal isolate Penicillium oxalicum AUMC 4153 by utilizing sugar beet manufacturing waste (sugar beet pulp) as a sole raw carbon source under shaken submerged fermentation, which is purified and characterized to optimize enzyme biochemical properties for industrial application. The purity of the obtained exo-PG was increased by about 28-fold, and the final enzyme yield was 57%. The partially purified enzyme was active at a broad range of temperatures (30–60 °C). The optimum temperature and pH for the purified exo-PG activity were 50 °C and pH 5. The enzyme was stable at a range of pH 3 to 6 and temperature 30–50 °C for 210 min. The values for Km and Vmax were 0.67 mg/mL, with polygalacturonic acid as substrate and 6.13 µmole galacturonic acid/min/mg protein, respectively. It can be concluded that purified exo-PG production by P. oxalicum grown on sugar beet waste is a promising effective method for useful applications.

Sugar beet pulp: Resurgence and trailblazing journey towards a circular bioeconomy

The present review article will outline alternative uses of sugar beet pulp residue produced during the preparation of sugar from sugar beet. Traditionally, sugar beet pulp has been used as cattle fodder and was not considered to have much potential to be utilised in other competitive industries such as bio-energy, polymer composites, water purification industries, etc. However, with technological advancement, sugar beet pulps have been successfully employed to reinforce polymer composites, extract nano elements, and bio-adsorb contaminants from wastewater or as precursor molecules to create various bio-chemicals.As per the data from the Food and Agriculture Association of United States (FAAU, 2019), the e sugar beet production is very much lower (85.71% approx.) compared to sugar cane. However, in near future, because of increasing demands of sugar from the growing world population and also due to shortage of freshwater resources, we may anticipate bulk production of sugar beet (which requires less freshwater resources than cane sugar and whose production as per FAAU data has increased inconsistently about 1.74% approx. in last five years, in tropical regions more specifically in European countries (currently share about 69.6% of total world sugar beet production) or in other parts of the world and thus it may lead to overproduction of sugar beet pulp. Therefore, it is the need for time and efforts made by different scientists to develop new chemical technologies t can consume waste sugar beet pulps residue for the generation of different beneficial products. The promising strategies for producing multifunctional materials from sugar beet pulp include pyrolysis, enzymatic/acid hydrolysis, surface functionalization, nanofibres extraction, stacking them as reinforcing agents in polymer composites and carbonization. The technologies evaluated in the present article will be of great interest to both scientists and industrialists.

Ferulated Pectins from Sugar Beet Bioethanol Solids: Extraction, Macromolecular Characteristics, and Enzymatic Gelling Properties

Pectin from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) (SBP) was extracted from a sugar beet waste (SBW) registering a 4.4% (w/w) yield. SBP presented a weight-average molar mass of 459 kDa, galacturonic acid content of 52.2%, and a low esterification degree (30%). The macromolecular characteristics of SBP revealed a flexible and extended coil chain conformation. The main neutral sugars in SBP were galactose (20.7%), mannose (5.0%), and arabinose (3.60%) while ferulic acid (FA) content was 2.1 µg·mg−1 sample. FA remained in the SBP chain mainly in RG I region even after suffering both, industrial processing and harsh weathering conditions. Consequently, SBP formed covalent gels induced by laccase. Covalent cross-linking content (dimers and trimer of FA) was 0.97 mg·g−1 SBP. The 8-5′, 5-5′, and 8-O-4′ dimers of FA isomers proportions were 75, 17, and 8%, respectively. SBP gels at 4% (w/v ) registered storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli final values of 44 and 0.66 Pa, respectively. SBP gels were soft and adhesive according to texture profile analysis. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of SBP lyophilized gels revealed an imperfect honeycomb-like structure with 4.5 ± 1.4 µm average cavities diameter.