Microwave irradiation assisted intensive and quick delignification of lignocellulosic biomass, and confirmation by spectral, morphological and crystallinity characterization.

The purpose of this work was to use a microwave-assisted technique to improve and accelerate lignin removal from rice straw biomass. Using a Box-Behnken experimental design, the effect of four critical process parameters, viz. microwave power (480-800 W), irradiation time (4-12 min), bleaching solution concentration (0.4-3.0 %), and bleaching time (1-5 h) on the delignification (%) was investigated, and the process was optimised using response surface methodology. The experimental data best fitted a quadratic model with an R2 of 0.9964. The optimized value of process parameters (in aforementioned sequence) was found to be 671 W, 8.66 min, 2.67 %, and 1 h respectively, for the best delignification of 93.51 percent.The absence of lignin peaks (1516 and 1739 cm-1) was corroborated by deconstructed morphological structure and higher crystallinity in the optimised delignified sample (53.7 %).

Edible hydrocolloids as sustainable substitute for non-biodegradable materials.

Edible hydrocolloid polymers have created significant deliberation in modern eons due to their numerous advantages of being used as edible materials over synthetic materials, which could be helpful to the food industry as well as toward environmental sustainability. In the current scenario, where biopolymers have replaced petroleum-based materials, natural edible hydrocolloids are now in demand to combat the harmful impacts of non-biodegradable materials. This review addresses the importance of natural edible hydrocolloids, materials that can be used to form hydrocolloid gel, their properties, synergistic interactions of hydrocolloids and various applications in food and biomedical fields.