Green Extraction and Valorization of By-Products from Food Processing.

Agro-industrial valorization has been a hot topic recently since it leads to resource conservation and is economically and environmentally valuable [...].

Development of an Optimized Method to Obtain a Limonene-Rich Concentrate from the Discarded Lemon Peels.

In this study, lemon peels were used as volatile component source. Automatic solvent extraction has been used for the recovery of limonene rich citrus volatile extract for the first time. The process parameters (amount of raw material, immersion time and washing time) were analyzed to optimize the process by means of Box-Behnken design via response surface methodology. The optimum conditions were achieved by ~10 g fresh lemon peel, and ~15 min immersion time and ~13 min washing time. The difference between the actual (89.37 mg/g limonene) and predicted (90.85 mg/g limonene) results was satisfactory (<2 %). α-Terpinene, ß-pinene, citral, É£-terpinene and linalool were determined as other major volatiles in the peel extract. FT-IR and 1 H- and 13 C-NMR spectroscopies were applied to verify the identified volatile compounds.

Preservation of active components in olive leaf extract by spray drying method in biodegradable polymers: Optimization, in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and application.

INTRODUCTION: Encapsulation of the bioactive ingredients in biodegradable and edible polymers is an alternative novel application method to keep these kind of natural products stable. OBJECTIVE: The purpose is to optimize the encapsulation system of olive leaf extract by spray drying method, and to apply the products into a model food. METHODS: Olive leaf extract was encapsulated in arabic gum/maltodextrin blend by spray drying method. Combined design approach under I-optimal design type was used to optimize the system. Characterisation studies under moisture content, water activity, solubility, bulk density, tapped density, Carr index, particle size distribution, powder morphology and glass transition temperature were applied to the microparticles obtained under optimum conditions. The bioavailability of the encapsulated active material was tested by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. Furthermore, microparticles produced under optimum conditions were also evaluated for a potential functional food application. RESULTS: The optimum conditions were achieved by arabic gum/maltodextrin (3.7:6.3) with 10% (w/v) in the mixture of wall material and active material under 165.5°C to achieve maximum encapsulation efficiency (86.92%), encapsulation yield (71.32%) and antioxidant activity (5.74 mg Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity/g dry microparticle). CONCLUSIONS: Olive leaf extract encapsulated in arabic gum/maltodextrin may be a good alternative additive to prevent the lipid oxidation in fat-containing food products as well as improvement of the product quality by functional properties.

Design of encapsulation method for chlorogenic acid and caffeine in coffee waste by-product.

INTRODUCTION: Coffee silver skin (CSS) is a thin covering over green coffee seeds inside coffee cherry. It is a good source of bioactive compounds like chlorogenic acid and caffeine. It is produced as a by-product of the roasting process. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to apply spray drying method to encapsulate 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid) and caffeine extracted from CSS. METHODS: The main-plots for optimisation were feed solid concentration (2.5, 5, 10°Bx), and the sub-plots of the whole-plot were carrier material type (maltodextrin, modified starch, arabic gum) and inlet air temperature (130, 160, 190°C). Responses included were drying yield, chlorogenic acid concentration, caffeine content, Carr index, and solubility values. RESULTS: Suitable conditions were spray drying inlet temperature of 190°C, extract concentration of 10°Bx, and wall material composition [modified starch/arabic gum (MS:AG)] 10.5:9.5. As the feeding CSS extract concentration increased, the amount of chlorogenic acid and caffeine in the final powder increased, while the powder's flow characteristics improved. CONCLUSIONS: The concentration stage might be used to produce free-flowing powdered particles with good bioactive retention for use in the food processing industry.

Investigation of Bioactivity Degradation During Storage of Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) Peel Extract.

INTRODUCTION: Limited number of researches in the literature have been reported to examine degradation stability by regression methods. Monitoring storage stability of plant extracts containing phytochemicals has become a special field. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop model equations to examine the stability of total phenolic material (TPM) and total anthocyanin (TA) in the sour cherry peel extract under several conditions, such as keeping the samples in a freezer (-20°C), refrigerator (4°C) and room temperature (25°C) conditions. In addition, two types of ambient conditions (under dark and light, respectively) were applied to observe the effect of sunlight on oxidation. METHODS: The storage stability was monitored in terms of TPM and TA. 8 different polynomial regression equations were produced for the data obtained under each condition in order to define the deterioration of the TPM and TA during 60 days of the storage. RESULTS: Keeping the samples in the light at ambient conditions was the least efficient for stability (~10 days), while the shelf life of the product could have been quite long with the storage in the freezer after opening the package of the product. CONCLUSIONS: The most suitable condition for both TPM and TA has been determined as -20°C with the calculation of degradation days as 157 and 115 (R^2 = 0.9874 / 0.9265, and average error rates = 0.207097% / 0.119541%).

Adsorption of rutin from olive mill wastewater using copolymeric hydrogels based on N-vinylimidazole: Kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamics assessments.

Olive mill wastewater, also known as olive wastewater, contains biologically active components with various beneficial effects on health. The development of novel adsorbent materials for the recovery of these biologically active substances is important area of research. In this study, copolymeric hydrogels based on N-vinylimidazole (VIm), a new material that has never been used as an adsorbent in the separation of phenolic components, were synthesized. The hydrogels synthesized in this study is copolymer structures based on N-vinylimidazole (VIm) containing [2- (methacryloxy) ethyl] dimethylpentylammonium bromide (QDMAC5) in different moles. QDMAC5 was obtained by quaternization of 2- (dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DMA) with 1-bromopentane (C5). The production of copolymer hydrogels was carried out by free radical solution polymerization. The syntheses were carried out only by changing the monomer composition so that the crosslinker ratio remained constant (1.2 mol%). The QDMAC5 content in the copolymers was 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 mol%. So, the resulting structures were named PVQ-5%, PVQ-10%, PVQ-20%, PVQ-30%, and PVQ-50%, respectively. Functional group characterizations of hydrogels were made by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR). The surface of the hydrogels was analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Finally, thermogravimetric analyzes (TGA) were performed to investigate the thermal degradation behavior. The recovery of the rutin present in olive mill wastewater has been investigated as a model study. Kinetic data has been represented by the selected models (pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and intraparticle diffusion) convincingly (R2 > 0.76), while the equilibrium findings have fitted well to Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin equations (R2 > 0.77). Rutin adsorption process on N-vinylimidazole (VIm) based copolymeric hydrogels has been found as exothermic and spontaneous chemisorption process depending on the thermodynamic analysis.

The Association of Serum Electrolytes with Disease Severity and Obstetric Complications in Pregnant Women with COVID-19: a Prospective Cohort Study from a Tertiary Reference Center.

Introduction To evaluate the association of serum electrolytes with disease severity and obstetric complications in pregnant women with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Materials and Methods This prospective cohort study was conducted on pregnant women with confirmed COVID-19. Study population was divided into two groups: 1) Mild COVID-19 group (n = 811) and 2) Moderate/severe COVID-19 group (n = 52). Demographic features, clinical characteristics, obstetric complications, and serum electrolytes were compared between the groups. Afterward, a correlation analysis was performed to investigate the association between serum electrolyte disturbances with COVID-19 severity and obstetric complications. Results Highest serum sodium, hypernatremia, potassium replacement, hypopotassemia, hyperchloremia, initial serum magnesium, hypermagnesemia, and hypocalcemia were significantly higher in the moderate/severe COVID-19 group. The lowest serum sodium, lowest serum potassium, and initial serum calcium were significantly higher in the mild COVID-19 group (p < 0.05). Statistically significant positive weak correlations were found between hypernatremia, hypopotassemia, hyperchloremia, hypermagnesemia, hypocalcemia and COVID-19 severity (r values were 0.27, 0.20, 0.12, 0.18 and 0.12, p values were < 0.001, < 0.001, 0.02, 0.03 and 0.03, respectively). Furthermore, statistically significant positive weak correlations were found between hypopotassemia, hypochloremia, hypermagnesemia, and obstetric complications (r values were 0.10, 0.10, and 0.28, p values were 0.004, 0.03, and 0.001, respectively). A statistically significant negative weak correlation was found between hypomagnesemia and obstetric complications (r = - 0.23 and p = 0.01, respectively). Conclusion Electrolyte disturbances in pregnant women with COVID-19 seem to be associated with disease severity and obstetric complications.

Highly clean recovery of natural antioxidants from lemon peels: Lactic acid-based automatic solvent extraction.

INTRODUCTION: Food industry generates large amounts of waste by-products rich in natural antioxidants. On the other hand, application of advanced processes for the recovery of these fine chemicals is another popular topic of recent years. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to propose a green extraction method by application of deep eutectic solvent-based automated solvent extraction (AMSE) from lemon peels. METHODS: The primary polyphenols (hesperidin, naringin, and p-coumaric acid) and the total polyphenols of the lemon peel extract were quantified and used as response for the optimisation of the AMSE conditions. The Box-Behnken design type of the response surface method (RSM) was chosen for optimisation study. Scavenging activity of the lemon peel extract against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) free radical was also measured in vitro. RESULTS: The optimum conditions for the highest total phenolic (7.47 mg-gallic acid equivalent [GAE]/g-lemon peel [LP]), naringin (5.05 mg/g-LP), p-coumaric acid (3.27 mg/g-LP), and hesperidin (0.07 mg/g-LP) yields were obtained by 1.5 h of extraction time, 46% water (v/v), and 5 g of peel. The antioxidant activity changed between 37.31% and 94.10% in the peels. CONCLUSIONS: Extraction time was the most effective process factor for the total phenolic and p-coumaric acid yields, while water addition was statistically very important (p < 0.0001) for the naringin and hesperidin yields in the current AMSE system. The second-order models generated for the selected systems represent the data satisfyingly based on the high coefficients of determination (> 0.99), statistically significant p-values (<0.0001), coefficient of variation values (< 10%), and non-significant lack-of-fit values (p > 0.05).

Development of an Encapsulation Method for Trapping the Active Materials from Sour Cherry Biowaste in Alginate Microcapsules.

This study aims to contribute to those valorization approaches for the recovery process of high-value-added substances in environmentally friendly ways. In this study, one of the most consumed juice products was selected for providing waste byproducts (peel). Sour cherry peels were subjected to automatic solvent extraction using a GRAS solvent (aqueous 80% ethanol, v/v). Then, encapsulation for the preservation of the related extract was performed by ionic gelation in alginate beads. The process conditions (gelling medium concentration, wall material concentration, and hardening time) were optimized by a Box-Behnken design (statistical experimental design approach). An almost 80% encapsulation efficiency was achieved under the proposed method (7.8% CaCI2, 1.3% alginate, and 26 min). The inhibition effect of the produced capsules against DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil) radicals also shows that the current products might represent potential alternative natural antioxidants for food formulations. The morphological properties were also measured.

Boron removal from aqueous solutions by chitosan/functionalized-SWCNT-COOH: Development of optimization study using response surface methodology and simulated annealing.

Boron contamination in water resources (especially drinking waters and agricultural land) is a major problem for the ecosystem. In this study, a novel synthesized chitosan/functionalized-SWCNT-COOH was prepared to separate boron (as boric acid) from aqueous solutions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that SWCNT was dispersed in chitosan homogenously. Moreover, this study has related to the constrained optimization problem with an engineering approach. Response surface method (RSM) with face-centered central composite design (FCCCD) was chosen for maximizing the adsorption capacity as well as determining optimal independent factors such as pH, adsorbent dose, and concentration of boric acid. The optimized response (adsorption capacity) was reached 62.16 mg g-1 under the optimal conditions (98.77 mg L-1 of boric acid concentration, pH of 5.46 and 76 min). The present study has indicated that the synthesized material can be used as an adsorbent for eliminating boric acid from aqueous solutions depending on its high adsorbent capacity to remove boron and has better performance than existing adsorbents. Furthermore, simulated annealing (SA) optimization technique was used to compare the findings of RSM. Moreover, the selected optimization techniques were compared with error functions. The optimal conditions derived from SA were 91.17 mg L-1 of boric acid concentration, pH of 5.86, and 76.17 min. The optimal adsorption capacity of SA was found to be 62.06 mg g-1. These results revealed that the predictions of the two models are very close to each other.

Photocatalytic degradation of cefixime in aqueous solutions using functionalized SWCNT/ZnO/Fe3O4 under UV-A irradiation.

In this study, SWCNT/ZnO/Fe3O4 heterojunction composite was prepared for enhancing the degradation of ß-lactam drugs such as cefixime (CFX) from an aqueous solution. The effects of several factors such as pH, initial concentration of CFX, and photocatalyst dose were investigated. Among them, pH was the most effective parameter for the degradation of CFX. Pareto graph revealed that the degradation process was accelerated at acidic conditions. The surface morphology test such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied to enlighten the surface of the functionalized SWCNT/ZnO/Fe3O4 photocatalyst. Highly advanced analyzes such as X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDX), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and point of zero charge were included to explain the structure of the photocatalyst. The response surface methodology's results show that the optimum CFX efficiency was fully achieved at 94.19%. The optimal conditions with lower standard error (2.08) were given as pH of 5.93, 22.76 ppm of CFX, and 0.46 g L-1 of the amount of photocatalyst. Besides, the obtained photocatalyst can be easily used many times owing to its high reusability. SWCNT/ZnO/Fe3O4 photocatalyst might be recommended to be used for the mineralizing of drug compounds such as antibiotics in water. Moreover, thiazol-2-ol, N-(dihydroxymethyl)-2-(2-hydroxythiazol-4-yl)acetamide,(S)-N-(2-amino-1-hydroxy-2-oxoethyl)-2-(2 hydroxythiazol-4-yl), and 2-(2-hydroxythiazol-4-yl)-N-((2R,3R)-2-mercapto-4-oxoazetidin-3-yl)acetamide were among the detected intermediates products from the cefixime degradation in the process.

ANTIBACDUS-PAN: Antibacterial Utilization among Adult Patients Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic within 12-Months Period: A Tertiary Hospital Pharmacoepidemiology Study.

Objective: Irrational use of antibacterials is a concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospital pharmacoepidemiology studies are important for evaluating the rational use of medicines, especially antibacterials, during pandemics. Defined daily doses (DDD) and drug utilization 90% (DU90%) are established methods for the evaluation of drug utilization. We aimed to evaluate antibacterial utilization in a tertiary hospital setting at Koç University Hospital (KUH). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was retrospectively conducted with data extracted from KUH Inpatient Electronic Order System (CP) and was carried out for a period of one year. Antibacterial utilization of adult (aged ≥ 18 years) inpatients, who were prescribed at least one type of systemic antibacterial (ATC code J01), was evaluated using the recommended parameter DDD/100 admission and compared between 6 months before COVID-19 and during COVID-19 periods. March 11, 2020, the very first COVID-19 diagnosed case in Turkey, was set as the cutoff date of the 6-month period for the selection of the compared antibacterials using the DU90% method. Results: Finally, 3280 of 5942 and 2605 of 4942 prescriptions for pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods were included, respectively. Antibacterial utilization according to DDD/100 admissions increased from 193.96 to 201.26 DDD/100 admissions after the initiation of COVID-19 pandemic. The most utilized antibacterials were piperacillin and enzyme inhibitors in pre-COVID-19 period, whereas meropenem was utilized the most during COVID-19 period. Azithromycin utilization increased by 656.24%, whereas clarithromycin utilization decreased by 52.12%. Antibacterials were utilized most in general surgery department, with an increase of 17.57%. Conclusion: There is an increase in antibacterial utilization in KUH during COVID-19 pandemic, especially reserved antibacterials, which is a concern for antibacterial resistance.

Comparison of microwave-assisted techniques for the extraction of antioxidants from Citrus paradisi Macf. biowastes.

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and solvent-free microwave extraction and Soxhlet extraction were applied to Ray Ruby grapefruit leaves (Citrus paradisi Macf.) to compare extract efficiency. Face centered composite designs were constructed via response surface methodology. Effects of factors of MAE were investigated on total phenolic content (TPC) and naringin content (NC). The optimized conditions were established as 1.4 kWL-1 for microwave power density, 20.00 gL-1 for solid/solvent ratio, 218.180 s for extraction time, while responses were calculated as 14.210 mg of gallic acid equivalent per g of the dried leaf (mg GAE g-1DL) and 13.198 mg of naringin per g of dried leaf (mg Ng-1DL) for TPC and NC, respectively. SFME and classical Soxhlet methods were also conducted for comparison reasons.

Enrichment of Hazelnut Oil with Several Polyphenols: An Alternative Approach to A New Functional Food.

Hazelnut oil has been examined according to its oxidative stability and antioxidant activity. The oil sample has been treated with gallic acid, ascorbic acid, catechin, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid and rutin. Stability of the pure and treated oils against the oxidation has been assessed via Rancimat by detecting the protection factor. The quality parameters of the oil samples were compared depending on their antioxidant activity. D-Optimal design of Response Surface Method has been applied to optimize the enrichment conditions of hazelnut oil with several polyphenols. Principal component analysis has been applied to comprehend the relationship between the groups and their quality parameters. Depending on the analysis of variance test, the most important parameter (at p < 0.0001) affecting the relevant system has been found polyphenol type with respect to stability and antioxidant capacity. Gallic acid has enhanced the stability of hazelnut oil against oxidation ~3 times over that of pure sample. The maximum yields of protection factor, antioxidant activity and dissolved polyphenol level have been 2.738, 46.14% and 259.424 ppm under the optimum conditions (300 ppm gallic acid).

Molecular Communication Theoretical Modeling and Analysis of SARS-CoV2 Transmission in Human Respiratory System.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) caused the ongoing pandemic. This pandemic devastated the world by killing more than a million people, as of October 2020. It is imperative to understand the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV2 so that novel and interdisciplinary prevention, diagnostic, and therapeutic techniques could be developed. In this work, we model and analyze the transmission of SARS-CoV2 through the human respiratory tract from a molecular communication perspective. We consider that virus diffusion occurs in the mucus layer so that the shape of the tract does not have a significant effect on the transmission. Hence, this model reduces the inherent complexity of the human respiratory system. We further provide the impulse response of SARS-CoV2-ACE2 receptor binding event to determine the proportion of the virus population reaching different regions of the respiratory tract. Our findings confirm the results in the experimental literature on higher mucus flow rate causing virus migration to the lower respiratory tract. These results are especially important to understand the effect of SARS-CoV2 on the different human populations at different ages who have different mucus flow rates and ACE2 receptor concentrations in the different regions of the respiratory tract.

Special designed deep eutectic solvents for the recovery of high added-value products from olive leaf: a sustainable environment for bioactive materials.

Deep Eutectic Solvents have been specially designed, and used for the extraction of phenolics from olive tree (Olea europea) leaves. 11 deep eutectic solvents containing a hydrogen bond donor (glycerol, ethylene glycol, lactic acid, urea, dimethyl urea and D-sorbitol) and a hydrogen bond acceptor (L-proline, citric acid, glycerol, ethylimidazole and methylimidazole) with several molar ratios have been designed. Addition of water into the solvent system increased the extraction efficiency by a remarkable difference (45%). After the best combination has been decided to extract the primary phenolic (oleuropein), operation conditions (water content in the deep eutectic solvent, speed of the homogenizer and time for the extraction) of the homogenizer-aided extraction (HAEX) for olive leaf extract has been optimized through Box-Behnken design of Response Surface Approach. The experimental yields of oleuropein, verbascoside and rutin were 15.50, 5.51 and 0.98 mg per gram dried leaf under the optimal conditions (48.9% of water in DES for 60 sec at 13310 rpm). Our best DES (citric acid/lactic acid) has yielded the most efficient extract rich in oleuropein, even with an ≈8% higher performance than that of a most commonly used solvent (75% ethanol).

Recovery of anthocyanins from sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) peels via microwave assisted extraction: monitoring the storage stability.

Utilization of economical and environmental methods as an alternative process to recover the industrial crops and food products into high-added value compounds is of great significant. In the current study, microwave assisted extraction (MAE) was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) in order to evaluate the waste of sour cherry as a source of phenolic compounds rich in anthocyanins. The process parameters (microwave power, irradiation time and ethanol solvent concentration) of MAE method were optimized by face centered composite design of RSM. Responses such as total phenolic componds (TPC), total anthocyanin (TA) contents and antioxidant capacity (DPPH) of extracts were measured spectrophotometrically after extractions of samples. The optimized result of MAE was 500 W of microwave power, 90 s of irradation time and 80% ethanol solvent concentration. Antioxidant capacity was tested using by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Chromatographic analysis (HPLC) was also used to measure the concentration of major anthocyanin (cyanidin-3-glucoside) of the samples. Maximum predicted TPC, TA and DPPH yields on optimized conditions were 44.15 mg-GAE/g-FM (mg- gallic acid equivalent per g- fresh matter), 12.47 mg-cyanidin-3-glucoside/g-FM and 69.90 (%, inhibition), respectively. A stability assay under different conditions (light, dark, ambient condition, refrigerator and deep freezer) has been also performed in order to display the stability of bioactivity profile. All of the process parameters were significant at the level of p < 0.0001.

Improving the quality of vegetable oils treated with phytochemicals: a comparative study.

In this study, sunflower, corn, peanut and hazelnut oils were investigated according to their oxidative stability and antioxidant activity parameters. The related vegetable oils were treated with gallic acid, rutin and carotenoid. Olive leaf extract having a large variety of phytochemical was also valorized. After the leaf samples were extracted through a homogenizer, they were added into the vegetable oils, respectively. Moreover, synthetic antioxidants were also dissolved into the oils for control reasons. Stability of the vegetable oils against the oxidation was evaluated via Rancimat by measuring induction time. The quality parameters of treated and untreated oil samples were compared depending on phenolic and carotenoid contents, antioxidant activity and induction time.

Kinetics and thermodynamics evaluation of oxidative stability in Oleum hyperici: A comparative study.

In this study, Oleum hyperici (St. John's Wort oil) was investigated according to its oxidative stability and antioxidant activity parameters. A homemade and two different brands of oils were used for comparative reasons. Oxidation process regarding kinetics and thermodynamics studies achieved by accelerated Rancimat conditions (100-140 °C). The quality parameters of the oil samples were compared depending on phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity, free fatty acid quantity and shelf-life. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been also applied to comprehend the relationship between these three groups and their quality parameters. The homemade oil has been predicted to have almost twice longer shelf-life than that of the commercial ones (119 days versus 66/69 days). Additionally, lipid oxidation in the St. John's Wort oils has been found to be endothermic and non-spontaneous depending on the thermodynamic indexes.

Polyphenolic Antioxidants from Agri-Food Waste Biomass.

As the world's population is rapidly expanding, environmental aggravation and bioresource depletion are becoming challenges of paramount importance [...].