Tomato Waste Research Articles

Effect of solvent addition sequence on lycopene extraction efficiency from membrane neutralized caustic peeled tomato waste

Lycopene is a high value nutraceutical and its isolation from waste streams is often desirable to maximize profits. This research investigated solvent addition order and composition on lycopene extraction efficiency from a commercial tomato waste stream (pH 12.5, solids ∼5%) that was neutralized using membrane filtration. Constant volume dilution (CVD) was used to desalinate the caustic salt to neutralize the waste. Acetone, ethanol and hexane were used as direct or blended additions. Extraction efficiency was defined as the amount of lycopene extracted divided by the total lycopene in the sample. The CVD operation reduced the active alkali of the waste from 0.66 to <0.01M and the moisture content of the pulp increased from 93% to 97% (wet basis), showing the removal of caustic salts from the waste. Extraction efficiency varied from 32.5% to 94.5%. This study demonstrates a lab scale feasibility to extract lycopene efficiently from tomato processing byproducts.

ACE-Inhibitory and Antioxidant Activities of Peptide Fragments Obtained from Tomato Processing By-Products Fermented Using Bacillus subtilis: Effect of Amino Acid Composition and Peptides Molecular Mass Distribution.

The effects of amino acid composition and peptide molecular mass on ACE-inhibitory and antioxidant activities of protein fragments obtained from tomato waste fermented using Bacillus subtilis were evaluated. The addition of B. subtilis increased the relative amounts of aromatic and positively-charged amino acids which have been described to influence the biological activities of peptide fragments. IC50 values of hydrolysates for ACE-inhibitory and 2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities were found to be 1.5 and 8.2mg/mL, respectively. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) pattern of the hydrolysate indicated the breakdown of parent proteins to smaller peptides with molecular weights mainly below 1400Da. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the highest ACE-inhibitory activity was due to peptides showing molecular mass range 500-800Da, while the most active antioxidant peptides were found to be mainly at the two different peptide weight ranges 500-800Da and 1200-1500Da.

Tomato waste turned into electricity

Tomato waste turned into electricity

Effect of Different Combinations of Unboiled and Boiled Tomato Waste in Diet on Performance, Internal Organ Development and Serum Lipid Profile of Broiler Chicken

Effect of Different Combinations of Unboiled and Boiled Tomato Waste in Diet on Performance, Internal Organ Development and Serum Lipid Profile of Broiler Chicken

Enhanced lycopene extraction from tomato industrial waste using microemulsion technique: Optimization of enzymatic and ultrasound pre-treatments

Abstract Microemulsion technique (MET) is a green scalable method allowing selective extraction of components of biological interest. This report deals with application of MET using natural surfactant, saponin, for lycopene extraction from industrial waste of tomato paste plants where the effects of ultrasound and enzyme treatments, surfactant:lycopene and surfactant:co-surfactant ratios as well as waste powder particle size on extraction efficiency were examined. Based on the results, a multi-step extraction scheme including ultrasound pre-treatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and then microemulsion extraction of tomato waste was led to an extended separation of the lycopene with minor surfactant use (mass ratio of saponin to lycopene 20:1). Under the optimized conditions, the efficiency showed an increase of just over 100% compared to initial experiment outcome. MET using saponin along with mild pre-treatments can be a simple, rapid, green and low-priced technique for lycopene extraction from tomato industrial waste and possibly other vegetable sources. Significance of the research data presented towards potential industrial applications Saponin is a renewable natural glycoside distributed in a wide variety of plants, low-priced to produce, stable over a wide range of pH values (from 2 to 11), already recognized as safe for use in foods and drinks by the FDA and therefore promising for its large scale industrial use in extracting applications as an appropriate alternative for synthetic surfactants. On the whole, simplicity and low energy requirements of the microemulsion technique as well as the low price of commercial saponin compared to biosurfactants and synthetic surfactants, make microemulsion technique a very promising technique to be scaled up.

Energy recovery from Tunisian agri-food wastes: Evaluation of combustion performance and emissions characteristics of green pellets prepared from tomato residues and grape marc

In Tunisia, seasonal and centralized discharges of tomato waste and grape marc generated from agri-food industries have negative effects on the environment. Characterization of these residues shows that their calorific values are suitable for their energy recovery. However, the high mineral contents and the low bulk densities limit their direct use as biofuel. Therefore, a blending process using sawdust followed by densification into pellets is proposed for the recovery of these agri-food residues. Such strategy allows the pellets to meet standard requirements of the biofuels market. Furthermore, the performance of the pellets is evaluated during combustion tests in domestic boiler. The combustion parameters, the gaseous and particulate matter emissions are analyzed. Results indicate that the pellets prepared from agri-food residues have boiler and combustion efficiencies comparable to wood pellets. However, gaseous and particulate emissions are strongly affected by the operating parameters of the domestic boilers. Therefore, these parameters such as mass flow of water in the heat exchanger, combustible mass flow, primary and secondary inlet air flow should be adapted to each agri-food residue to benefit from these resources without leading to negative environmental impacts.

Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Electricity from Biogas Produced by Anaerobic Digestion.

The aim of this study was to evaluate life cycle environmental impacts associated with the generation of electricity from biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion (AD) of agricultural products and waste. Five real plants in Italy were considered, using maize silage, slurry, and tomato waste as feedstocks and cogenerating electricity and heat; the latter is not utilized. The results suggest that maize silage and the operation of anaerobic digesters, including open storage of digestate, are the main contributors to the impacts of biogas electricity. The system that uses animal slurry is the best option, except for the marine and terrestrial ecotoxicity. The results also suggest that it is environmentally better to have smaller plants using slurry and waste rather than bigger installations, which require maize silage to operate efficiently. Electricity from biogas is environmentally more sustainable than grid electricity for seven out of 11 impacts considered. However, in comparison with natural gas, biogas electricity is worse for seven out of 11 impacts. It also has mostly higher impacts than other renewables, with a few exceptions, notably solar photovoltaics. Thus, for the AD systems and mesophilic operating conditions considered in this study, biogas electricity can help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to a fossil-intensive electricity mix; however, some other impacts increase. If mitigation of climate change is the main aim, other renewables have a greater potential to reduce GHG emissions. If, in addition to this, other impacts are considered, then hydro, wind, and geothermal power are better alternatives to biogas electricity. However, utilization of heat would improve significantly its environmental sustainability, particularly global warming potential, summer smog, and the depletion of abiotic resources and the ozone layer. Further improvements can be achieved by banning open digestate storage to prevent methane emissions and regulating digestate spreading onto land to minimize emissions of ammonia and related environmental impacts.

Adsorption Kinetics of Cupric Ions on Mixture of Modified Corn Stalk and Modified Tomato Waste

The water crisis is an increasingly severe global problem that may be reduced by reusing wastewater after suitable treatment methods. Nowadays, biosorption is one of the main parts of environmental technology which could adsorb heavy metals. This paper describes the adsorption of Copper(II) ions from aqueous solution using a mixture of corn stalk and tomato waste which were oxidized with nitric acid. Kinetic and isotherm studies were carried out by studying the effects of parameters such as concentration dosage, time and pH. It was found that the maximum sorption capacity of the mixture of modified corn stalk and modified tomato waste (qm = 25 mg/g) was higher than the modified corn stalk (qm = 20.8 mg/g). Analysis indicated that pseudo-second-order kinetics controlled the adsorption rate and it has been proposed to correlate the experimental data well.

Greenhouse-gas mitigation potential of agro-industrial by-products in the diet of dairy goats in Spain: a life-cycle perspective

Goat milk production is an important agricultural resource in the Mediterranean basin. Market demands and scarcity of pastures during drought periods has led to farms becoming more intensive and based on imported concentrate feeds. The use of alternative feedstuffs from agro-industry can help decrease dependence on external concentrates, while preventing the environmental issues associated with livestock production and by-product disposal. From a life-cycle assessment perspective, we investigated the change on greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions of replacing a conventional dairy goat diet in southern Spain with two alternative dietary strategies, including tomato waste or olive by-products silages. The effect on enteric methane emissions and milk productivity was assessed through specific feeding trials. Experimental data were integrated within a modelling framework comprising different submodels to describe the farm system and associated production chain. A new model describing carbon and nitrogen losses from solid waste was applied to estimate the emissions associated with the baseline scenarios for food by-product management. The assessment revealed that the two dietary strategies achieve GHG reductions (~12–19% per kg milk). In both cases, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from crop production were partially reduced through the displacement of typical concentrate ingredients. An additional mitigation effect was obtained when including tomato wastes in the diet because it reduced the methane emissions from enteric fermentation. Results suggested that use of agro-industrial residues for feeding is a feasible mitigation option in this case. However, as organic by-products could have alternative uses (bioenergy, soil amendment), with different implications for land use and soil carbon stocks, a more complete overview of both scenarios is recommended. Potential trade-offs from non-GHG categories may play an important role in a decision-making process.

Windrow composting as horticultural waste management strategy – A case study in Ecuador

In Ecuador, enormous quantities of vegetable wastes are produced annually from the horticultural industries. Composting can be a feasible treatment to stabilise horticultural wastes and, thus, to improve their properties for use as organic fertilisers. In this study, two different piles were prepared, using laying hen manure and sawdust mixed with broccoli or tomato waste, respectively, and composted by the turned windrow composting system. Throughout the composting process, the temperature of the mixtures was monitored and physico-chemical and chemical properties and the degree of maturity were determined. Also, principal component analysis was used to interpret the data set of compost characteristics. In both piles, the temperature exceeded 55°C for more than 2weeks, which ensured maximum pathogen reduction. Organic matter (OM) losses followed a first-order kinetic equation in both piles. The final composts showed a suitable degree of stability and maturity and an absence of phytotoxins, as observed in the evolution and final values of the total organic carbon/total nitrogen ratio (Corg/NT<20), water-soluble organic carbon (Cw<1.7%), germination index (GI>50%) and cation exchange capacity (CEC>67meq (100g OM)−1). As well, the evolution of different humification indexes during composting was a good indicator of the OM humification process. The type of vegetable waste used influenced OM and NT mineralisation and the final properties of the composts, showing the mixture with tomato waste a higher fertilising capacity and less environmental problems.

Ultrasound assisted extraction and characterization of pectin from tomato waste

Pectin was extracted from tomato waste using two different extraction methods to assess its potential utilization as an alternative source of commercial pectin production. Tomato waste was treated with ammonium oxalate/oxalic acid by conventional extraction (CE), under reflux and ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) at 37kHz and temperatures of 60°C and 80°C. The pectin obtained from these methods was analysed and compared in terms of yield, chemical properties and structure. Among examined methods, CE at 60°C resulted with the highest yield, but UAE during 15min of sonication produced the pectin of better quality (anhydrouronic acid, methoxy and calcium pectate contents and degree of esterification). NMR and FTIR spectroscopy of isolated pectins revealed predominantly esterified structure, irrespective of extraction conditions. The comparison of the pectin yields obtained after extraction at 80°C, indicate that similar values were found at times of 24h and 15min for CE and UAE, respectively. According to obtained results it can be concluded that main advantage of UAE is considerable shortening of extraction procedure with strong emphasis on environmental friendly processing approach. Therefore, these results suggested that UAE could be used as an efficient technique for the extraction of pectin from tomato waste and by-products.

Assessment of tomato and wine processing solid wastes as soil amendments for biosolarization

Pomaces from tomato paste and wine production are the most abundant fruit processing residues in California. These residues were examined as soil amendments for solarization to promote conditions conducive to soil disinfestation (biosolarization). Simulated biosolarization studies were performed in both aerobic and anaerobic soil environments and soil temperature elevation, pH, and evolution of CO2, H2 and CH4 gases were measured as metrics of soil microbial activity. Tomato pomace amendment induced conditions associated with soil pest inactivation, including elevation of soil temperature by up to 2°C for a duration of 4days under aerobic conditions and a reduction of soil pH from 6.5 to 4.68 under anaerobic conditions. White wine grape pomace amendment showed similar trends but to a lesser extent. Red wine grape pomace was generally less suitable for biosolarization due to significantly lower soil temperature elevations, reduced acidification relative to the other pomaces and induction of methanogenesis in the soil.

Valorization of tomato waste proteins through production of antioxidant and antibacterial hydrolysates by proteolytic Bacillus subtilis: optimization of fermentation conditions.

In this study, protein-rich waste of tomato processing industries was fermented by Bacillus subtilis A14h to produce hydrolysates with antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The effects of different levels of initial pH, incubation temperature, fermentation time, protein concentration and inoculum size on proteolytic activity, release of amino acids and peptides, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of hydrolysates were evaluated and optimized by using response surface methodology (RSM). Results showed that all the evaluated variables significantly influenced the hydrolysis and bioactivities of hydrolysates in polynomial models. Hydrolysates showed remarkable 2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity (up to 70%), ferric ion reducing power, and inhibitory activity against B. cereus (up to 69.8%) and E. coli (up to 29.8%). Overall, good correlation between the concentration of amino acids and peptides, and antioxidant as well as antibacterial activities (in particular for B. cereus inhibition activity) was observed. Finally, optimum conditions for fermentative conversion of tomato waste proteins to antioxidant and antibacterial hydrolysates were established. Results of this study showed that tomato waste protein can be valorized to produce antioxidant and antibacterial hydrolysates in a fermentative system using B. subtilis A14h.

Bread enriched in lycopene and other bioactive compounds by addition of dry tomato waste.

The tomato processing industry generates high amounts of waste, mainly tomato skins and seeds, which create environmental problems. These residues are attractive sources of valuable bioactive components and pigments. A relatively simple recovery technology could consist of production of powders to be directly incorporated into foods. Tomato waste coming from a Romanian tomato processing unit were analyzed for the content of several bioactive compounds like ascorbic acid, β-carotene, lycopene, total phenolics, mineral and trace elements. In addition, its antioxidant capacity was assayed. Results revealed that tomato waste (skins and seeds) could be successfully utilized as functional ingredient for the formulation of antioxidant rich functional foods. Dry tomato processing waste were used to supplement wheat flour at 6 and 10% levels (w/w flour basis) and the effects on the bread's physicochemical, baking and sensorial characteristics were studied. The following changes were observed: increase in moisture content, titratable acidity and bread crumb elasticity, reduction in specific volume and bread crumb porosity. The addition of dry tomato waste at 6% resulted in bread with good sensory characteristics and overall acceptability but as the amount of dry tomato waste increased to 10%, bread was less acceptable.

Mixture optimization of anaerobic co-digestion of tomato and cucumber waste

Greenhouse cultivation has significantly increased the production of vegetables and reduced dependence on environmental conditions. In Mediterranean areas, vegetable crops are nowadays one of the most important sources of organic waste generation. Anaerobic digestion is among the methods used to treat this type of biodegradable waste. However, the selection of the organic wastes to be subjected to this microbial treatment is a crucial aspect due to seasonality and simultaneity of the original crops. In this sense, as waste does not have frequently the proper nutrient balance, co-digestion with other substrates generated in the same geographical area is recommended to ensure the correct development of the process. This work studies the mesophilic co-digestion of tomato waste (TW) and cucumber waste (CW), which are common greenhouse wastes that do not contain an adequate ratio among nutrients (C/N/P) and are generated simultaneously. The influence of the percentage of both wastes in the mixture on the overall performance of the process was evaluated. The combination of TW and CW was found to be feasible in terms of stability, biodegradability and methane yield, which reached a value of 292 mLSTP CH4/g VS (STP: standard temperature and pressure, 0°C and 760 mmHg) for the percentage of tomato in the mixture, which is considered optimal at 55–75%. The most suitable organic load rate was determined for a percentage of 65% of TW, reaching a value of 1562 kgwaste m−3 month−1.

Screening of cellulase producing bacteria from tomato waste materials for lycopene extraction

Cellulase is one of the industrially important enzymes that has the ability to degrade cellulose. This enzyme is produced by a variety of microorganisms. It has numerous commercial applications like malting, wood processing, and preparation of denim fabrics in textile industries, maceration of protoplasts from plant tissues and de-inking process in recycling of printed papers. The aim of the present study was the isolation, identification and screening of extracellular cellulase producing bacteria with high cellulase activity from tomato waste materials and their identification by phenotypic, biochemical and molecular tests. Cellulose degrading bacteria were isolated after serial dilution preparation from tomato waste matraials and surface culturing on CMC agar medium. 40 bacteria were isolated. Bacteria were further identified by morphological, biochemical and molecular tests. All of the isolates were Gram positive endospore forming rods, thus they were identified as Bacillus sp. The obtained isolates were screened for cellulase production and lycopene extraction in submerged fermentation process. The best isolate was Bacillus axarquiensis strain CHMS1B6 based on molecular analysis. The bacteria was subjected to different optimum conditions include pH, temperature and time of incubation. The highest cellulase activity was obtained in pH 7 and the optimum temperature at 30°C after 72 hours incubation period. Our findings indicate that the tomato waste materials are as attractive sources for the study of novel cellulolytic bacteria and effective enzymes for cellulose biodegradation and lycopene extraction.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijls.v9i2.12055 International Journal of Life Sciences 9 (2) : 2015; 43-47

Preparation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) films from halophilic archaea and their potential use in drug delivery.

Halophilic archaea offer a potential source for production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Hence, the experiments were carried out with five extremely halophilic archaeal isolates to determine the highest PHA-producing strain. PHA production of each isolates was separately examined in cheap carbon sources such as corn starch, sucrose, whey, apple, melon and tomato wastes. Corn starch was found to be a fairly effective substrate for PHA production. Among the strains studied here, the strain with the highest capability for PHA biosynthesis was found to be 1KYS1. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison showed that 1KYS1 closely related to species of the genus Natrinema. The closest phylogenetic similarity was with the strain of Natrinema pallidum JCM 8980 (99 %). PHA content of 1KYS1 was about 53.14 % of the cell dry weight when starch was used as a carbon source. The formation of large and uniform PHA granules was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and the biopolymer was identified as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). PHBV produced by 1KYS1 was blended with low molar mass polyethylene glycol (PEG 300) to prepare biocompatible films for drug delivery. Rifampicin was used as a model drug and its release from PHBV films was investigated at pH 7.4, 37 °C. It was found that PHBV films obtained from 1KYS1 were very effective for drug delivery. In conclusion, PHBV of 1KYS1 may have a potential usage in drug delivery applications.

Utilization of Egyptian Tomato Waste as a Potential Source of Natural Antioxidants Using Solvents, Microwave and Ultrasound Extraction Methods

Utilization of Egyptian Tomato Waste as a Potential Source of Natural Antioxidants Using Solvents, Microwave and Ultrasound Extraction Methods

Development and physicochemical characterization of a new magnetic nanocomposite as an economic antibiotic remover

Maghemite (ϒ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles were impregnated to nanoporous carbon obtained from tomato waste (TWNC). The prepared magnetic composite (MTWNC) was characterized and used to remove tetracycline (TC) from water and then easily be separated from the medium by a magnetic technique. The morphologies and surface chemistries of both magnetic and non-magnetic nanoporous carbons were studied by FTIR, XRD, SEM, SEM-EDX, VSM, BET surface area, proximate and elemental analysis determinations. Batch adsorption studies were carried out and the effects of pH, initial TC concentration, adsorbent dose, ionic strength and temperature were investigated. The adsorption kinetics of TC on MTWNC could be expressed well by the pseudo-second order model, and sorption isotherms were described by Langmuir equation with maximum adsorption capacity of 60.60mg/g at pH 4 and 50°C. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption of TC onto MTWNC was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic. Furthermore, the recyclability of the adsorbent was tested with 0.01M NaOH solution, and the results show that the synthesized composite adsorbent could be employed repeatedly in wastewater treatment.

Recovery of carotenoids from tomato processing by-products – a review

Industrial tomato processing generates large amount of low-value by-products, primarily used as livestock feed or disposed of; however, being a rich source of natural carotenoids, tomato waste can be used to produce high value-added products for food, cosmetics, or pharmaceutical applications. The objective of this review is to summarize and give an overview of the extraction methods available for the recovery of carotenoids and, especially, lycopene from tomato processing by-products. Organic solvent extraction techniques are presented and the effect of extraction conditions on carotenoids recovery is evaluated. In particular, the use of Ultrasound Assisted (UAE), Microwave Assisted (MAE), Enzyme-Assisted (EAE) and Extraction at High Pressure (HPE) for the recovery of carotenoids is assessed. Also, this review examines the efficiency of Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) and in particular the effect of process parameters on carotenoid recovery from industrial tomato waste.