Starch biocomposites preparation by incorporating organosolv lignins from potato crop residues.

Plastic wastes accumulated due to food packaging pose environmental threats. This study proposes biopolymeric films containing lignins extracted from potato crop residues (PCR) through organosolv treatment as a green alternative to non-degradable food packaging. The isolation process yielded 43.9 wt% lignins with a recovery rate of 73.5 wt% achieved under optimum conditions at 180 °C with 50 % v/v ethanol. The extracted lignins were then incorporated into a starch matrix to create biocomposite films. ATR-FTIR analysis confirmed interactions between the starch matrix and extracted lignins, and XRD analysis showed the amorphous structure of lignins, reducing film crystallinity. The addition of 1 wt% of extracted lignins resulted in a 87 % reduction in oxygen permeability, a 25 % increase in the thermal stability of the film, and a 78 % enhancement in antioxidant. Furthermore, introducing 3 wt% lignins led to the lowest water vapor transmission rate, measuring 9.3 × 10-7 kg/s·m2. Morphological studies of the films demonstrated a homogeneous and continuous structure on both the surface and cross-sectional areas when the lignins content was below 7 wt%. These findings highlight the potential of using organosolv lignins derived from potato crop residues as a promising additive for developing eco-friendly films designed for sustainable food packaging.

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity and Cytocompatibility of Polyphenolic Compounds Extracted from Food Industry Apple Waste: Potential in Biomedical Application.

Apple pomace (AP) from the food industry is a mixture of different fractions containing bioactive polyphenolic compounds. This study provides a systematic approach toward the recovery and evaluation of the physiochemical and biological properties of polyphenolic compounds from AP. We studied subcritical water extraction (SCW) and solvent extraction with ethanol from four different AP fractions of pulp, peel, seed, core, and stem (A), peel (B), seed and core (C), and pulp and peel (D). The subcritical water method at the optimum condition resulted in total polyphenolic compounds (TPC) of 39.08 ± 1.10 mg GAE per g of AP on a dry basis compared to the ethanol extraction with TPC content of 10.78 ± 0.94 mg GAE/g db. Phloridzin, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin were the main identified polyphenolics in the AP fractions using HPLC. DPPH radical scavenging activity of fraction B and subcritical water (SW) extracts showed comparable activity to ascorbic acid while all ethanolic extracts were cytocompatible toward human fibroblast (3T3-L1) and salivary gland acinar cells (NS-SV-AC). Our results indicated that AP is a rich source of polyphenolics with the potential for biomedical applications.

Evaluation of two fungal exopolysaccharides as potential biomaterials for wound healing applications.

Microbial exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are mostly produced by bacteria and fungi and have potential use in the production of biomedical products such as nutraceuticals and in tissue engineering applications. The present study investigated the in vitro biological activities and in vivo wound healing effects of EPSs produced from a Sclerotium-forming fungus (Sclerotium glucanicum DSM 2159) and a yeast (Rhodosporidium babjevae), denoted as scleroglucan (Scl) and EPS-R, respectively. EPS yields of 0.9 ± 0.07 g/L and 1.11 ± 0.4 g/L were obtained from S. glucanicum and R. babjevae, respectively. The physicochemical properties of the EPSs were characterized using infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Further investigations of the biological properties showed that both EPSs were cytocompatible toward the human fibroblast cell line and demonstrated  hemocompatibility. Favorable wound healing capacities of the EPSs (10 mg/mL) were also established via in vivo tests. The present study therefore showed that the EPSs produced by S. glucanicum and R. babjevae have the potential use as biocompatible components for the promotion of dermal wound healing.