Three in One: The Potential of Brassica By-Products against Economic Waste, Environmental Hazard, and Metabolic Disruption in Obesity.

A large amount of waste is generated within the different steps of the food supply chain, representing a significant loss of natural resources, plant material, and economic value for producers and consumers. During harvesting and processing, many parts of edible plants are not sold for consumption and end up as massive waste, adding environmental hazards to the list of concerns regarding food wastage. Examples are Brassica oleracea var. Italica (broccoli) by-products, which represent 75% of the plant mass. A growing concern in the Western world is obesity, which results from incorrect lifestyles and comprises an extensive array of co-morbidities. Several studies have linked these co-morbidities to increased oxidative stress; thus, naturally occurring and readily available antioxidant compounds are an attractive way to mitigate metabolic diseases. The idea of by-products selected for their biomedical value is not novel. However, there is innovation underlying the use of Brassica by-products in the context of obesity. For this reason, Brassica by-products are prime candidates to be used in the treatment of obesity due to its bioactive compounds, such as sulforaphane, which possess antioxidant activity. Here, we review the economic and health potential of Brassica bioactive compounds in the context of obesity.

Triboelectric Nanogenerator from Used Surgical Face Mask and Waste Mylar Materials Aiding the Circular Economy.

Apart from claiming the lives of more than 3.2 million people, the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the global plastic pollution every day, mainly with the overflux of single-use polypropylene (PP) face masks. In this scenario, as an innovative solution to mitigate plastic pollution as well as to meet the rising electrical energy demand, we are introducing an all-flexible and facile waste material-based triboelectric nanogenerator (WM-TENG), aiding toward the circular economy. The WM-TENG operating in contact separation mode is fabricated using the PP from a used face mask in combination with recovered Mylar sheets from solid wastes as triboelectric contact layers and a flexible supporting structure. After detailed investigation and trials to study the effect of various disinfection mechanisms of PP materials on the energy output of WM-TENG, UV-C radiation is selected for disinfecting the used masks owing to the retention of electrical energy output. Under a tapping force of 3 N, the WM-TENG having an active area of 6 cm2 delivers an open-circuit voltage of 200 V and a short-circuit current density of 0.29 mA/m2, respectively. The WM-TENG also delivered a maximum power density of 71.16 mW/m2 under 108 Ω load. Additionally, the WM-TENG is demonstrated for powering electronic gadgets such as a calculator, digital thermometer, and LCD clock. This flexible and low-cost nanogenerator without any complex fabrication steps is a sustainable solution for the alarming plastic pollution as well as the rising energy demands.

Aging characteristics of asphalt binders modified with waste tire and plastic pyrolytic chars.

Globally, the growing volume of waste tires and plastics has posed significant concerns about their sustainable and economical disposal. Pyrolysis provides a way for effective treatment and management of these wastes, enabling recovery of energy and produces solid pyrolytic char as a by-product. The use of pyrolytic chars in asphalt binder modification has recently gained significant interest among researchers. As asphalt binder aging influences the cracking, rutting, and moisture damage performance of asphalt binder and the mixtures, evaluation of aging characteristics of char modified asphalt binders is quite important. The main objective of this study is the investigation of the aging characteristics of asphalt binders modified with waste tire pyrolytic char (TPC) and waste plastic pyrolytic char (PPC) through rheological and spectroscopic evaluations. To imitate short-term and long-term aging conditions, the asphalt binders were first treated in a rolling thin film oven (RTFO) and then in a pressure aging vessel (PAV). The aging characteristics were determined using four rheological aging indices based on complex modulus (G*), phase angle (δ), zero shear viscosity (ZSV), and non-recoverable creep compliance (Jnr) from multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) test. The fatigue cracking potential was then measured through binder yield energy test (BYET). These parameters were measured through a dynamic shear rheometer. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy analyses were then used to investigate changes in chemical composition due to aging in the char modified binders. Both TPC and PPC improved the high-temperature deformation resistance properties of asphalt binder. The TPC-modified binder showed better aging resistance than the control and PPC-modified binders, based on the different rheological and spectroscopic indices. The pyrolytic char modified binders also demonstrated good fatigue performance.

Inedible Food Waste Linked to Diet Quality and Food Spending in the Seattle Obesity Study SOS III.

Americans waste about a pound of food per day. Some of this is represented by inedible food waste at the household level. Our objective was to estimate inedible food waste in relation to diet quality and participant socio-economic status (SES). Seattle Obesity Study III participants (n = 747) completed the Fred Hutch Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and socio-demographic and food expenditure surveys. Education and geo-coded tax-parcel residential property values were measures of SES. Inedible food waste was calculated from diet records. Retail prices of FFQ component foods (n = 378) were used to estimate individual-level diet costs. The NOVA classification was used to identify ultra-processed foods. Multivariable linear regressions tested associations between inedible food waste, SES, food spending, Nutrient Rich Food (NRF9.3) and Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015) scores. Inedible food waste was estimated at 78.7 g/d, mostly from unprocessed vegetables (32.8 g), fruit (30.5 g) and meat, poultry, and fish (15.4 g). Greater inedible food waste was associated with higher HEI-2015 and NRF9.3 scores, higher food expenditures and lower percent energy from ultra-processed foods. In multivariable models, more inedible food waste was associated with higher food expenditures, education and residential property values. Higher consumption of unprocessed foods were associated with more inedible food waste and higher diet costs. Geo-located estimates of inedible food waste can provide a proxy index of neighborhood diet quality.

Utilization of Agave durangensis leaves by Bacillus cereus 4N for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) biosynthesis.

Lignocellulosic wastes may provide a means to economize polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production. This study has proposed the use of Agave durangensis leaves obtained from the artisanal mezcal industry as a novel substrate for this aim. Results revealed an increase in PHB biosynthesis (0.32 g/L) and improvement in %PHB (16.79-19.51%) by Bacillus cereus 4N when A. durangensis leaves used as carbon source were physically pre-treated by ultrasound for 30 min (ADL + US30') and thermally pre-treated (ADL + Q). Chemical analyses and SEM studies revealed compositional and morphological changes when A. durangensis leaves were physically pre-treated. Also, elemental analysis of growth media showed that carbon/nitrogen ratios of 14-21, and low nitrogen, hydrogen, and protein content were well-suited for PHB biosynthesis. Confocal microscopy revealed morphological changes in the bacterial cell and carbonosome structure under the influence of different substrates. Finally, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses showed that homopolymeric PHB with a high thermal-resistance (271.94-272.89 °C) was produced. Therefore, the present study demonstrates the potential use of physically pre-treated A. durangensis leaves to produce PHB. These results promote the development of a circular economy in Mexico, where lignocellulosic wastes can be employed to produce value-added biotechnological products.

Plant Secondary Metabolites: An Opportunity for Circular Economy.

Moving toward a more sustainable development, a pivotal role is played by circular economy and a smarter waste management. Industrial wastes from plants offer a wide spectrum of possibilities for their valorization, still being enriched in high added-value molecules, such as secondary metabolites (SMs). The current review provides an overview of the most common SM classes (chemical structures, classification, biological activities) present in different plant waste/by-products and their potential use in various fields. A bibliographic survey was carried out, taking into account 99 research articles (from 2006 to 2020), summarizing all the information about waste type, its plant source, industrial sector of provenience, contained SMs, reported bioactivities, and proposals for its valorization. This survey highlighted that a great deal of the current publications are focused on the exploitation of plant wastes in human healthcare and food (including cosmetic, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food additives). However, as summarized in this review, plant SMs also possess an enormous potential for further uses. Accordingly, an increasing number of investigations on neglected plant matrices and their use in areas such as veterinary science or agriculture are expected, considering also the need to implement "greener" practices in the latter sector.

The Potential of Selected Agri-Food Loss and Waste to Contribute to a Circular Economy: Applications in the Food, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries.

The food sector includes several large industries such as canned food, pasta, flour, frozen products, and beverages. Those industries transform agricultural raw materials into added-value products. The fruit and vegetable industry is the largest and fastest-growing segment of the world agricultural production market, which commercialize various products such as juices, jams, and dehydrated products, followed by the cereal industry products such as chocolate, beer, and vegetable oils are produced. Similarly, the root and tuber industry produces flours and starches essential for the daily diet due to their high carbohydrate content. However, the processing of these foods generates a large amount of waste several times improperly disposed of in landfills. Due to the increase in the world's population, the indiscriminate use of natural resources generates waste and food supply limitations due to the scarcity of resources, increasing hunger worldwide. The circular economy offers various tools for raising awareness for the recovery of waste, one of the best alternatives to mitigate the excessive consumption of raw materials and reduce waste. The loss and waste of food as a raw material offers bioactive compounds, enzymes, and nutrients that add value to the food cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This paper systematically reviewed literature with different food loss and waste by-products as animal feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products that strongly contribute to the paradigm shift to a circular economy. Additionally, this review compiles studies related to the integral recovery of by-products from the processing of fruits, vegetables, tubers, cereals, and legumes from the food industry, with the potential in SARS-CoV-2 disease and bacterial diseases treatment.

Physical wastage of immunobiological products in the state of Ceará, Brazil, 2014-2016. / Perdas físicas de imunobiológicos no estado do Ceará, 2014-2016.

OBJECTIVE: to describe discarded wasted immunobiological products provided by the National Im-munization Program (PNI) to the State of Ceará between 2014 and 2016, and the costs of discarded doses. METHODS: this was a descriptive study using data from suspect im-munobiological product evaluation forms and data from disposal approval forms. RESULTS: a total of 317 forms were included, 72.0% of which had a disposal approval form, and 160,767 discarded doses were identified, at a total cost of BRL 1,834,604.75; wastage accounted for 0.45%, 0.93% and 0.53% of the total cost of vaccines in 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively; the main reason for the wastage identified was electric power shortage (54.9%). CONCLUSION: we identified a large number of discarded wasted doses, with high absolute cost; tighter control is necessary, as failures in conservation dynamics may interfere with the supply of immunobiologicals.

Towards the integration of lean principles and optimization for agricultural production systems: a conceptual review proposition.

Operative planning in agricultural production has historically had the objective of improving yields and quality. Sowing, cropping, and harvesting are usually treated independently, and waste and the sustainability of operations are generally not integrated into operational planning methodologies for agricultural production. This study shows the need to have a clear and precise methodology to minimize waste in agricultural production systems to ensure sustainability. This need is addressed with a novel methodological guide to minimizing waste in agricultural operations, crop maintenance, and harvesting. The proposed methodology is founded on the use of lean manufacturing as a waste-management tool. Lean manufacturing principles allow agricultural operations and the variables that represent wastes to be identified, mathematical models to be built, constraints to be defined, and the cost of waste to be illustrated, as well as its minimization through an objective function. To guide implementation, we propose a conceptual model to explain the construction of a mathematical model that represents the development of decision variables on agricultural operations with the elements to consider and the constraints and theoretical proposal of the necessary objective function. The proposed conceptual model and the constructed methodology constitute a novel development within agricultural production systems that could be used by decision makers and farmers. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Could squalene be an added value to use olive by-products?

Squalene (SQ) is an intermediate hydrocarbon in the biosynthesis of phytosterols and terpenes in plants. It is widely used for applications such as skin moisturizers, vaccines, or in carriers for active lipophilic molecules. It has commonly been obtained from sharks, but restrictions on their use have created a need to find alternative sources. We present a review of studies concerning SQ in olive groves to characterize its content and to provide new aspects that may increase the circular economy of the olive tree. There is a large variation in SQ content in virgin olive oil due to cultivars and agronomic issues such as region, climate, types of soil, crop practices, and harvest date. Cultivars with the highest SQ content in their virgin olive oil were 'Nocellara de Belice', 'Drobnica', 'Souri', and 'Oblica'. An interaction between cultivar and aspects such as irrigation practices or agricultural season is frequently observed. Likewise, the production of high SQ content needs precise control of fruit maturation. Leaves represent an interesting source, if its extraction and yield compensate for the expenses of their disposal. Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction from olive oil deodorizer distillates offers an opportunity to obtain high-purity SQ from this derivative. Exploiting SQ obtained from olive groves for the pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries poses new challenges and opportunities to add value and recycle by-products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Economic impact of Patient's Own Medication use during hospitalisation: a multicentre pre-post implementation study.

Background Medication is frequently thrown away after a patient's discharge from hospital, with undesirable economic and environmental consequences. Because of the rising costs of healthcare, interventions to reduce medication wastage (and associated costs) are warranted. Using Patient's Own Medication during hospitalisation might decrease medication wastage and associated costs. Objective To study the economic impact of patient's own medication use on medication waste and hospital staff's time spent during hospitalisation. Setting In seven Dutch hospitals, of which university, teaching, general, and specialised hospitals, eight different hospital wards, surgical and medical, were selected. Method In this prospective pre-post intervention study data on the economic value of medication waste and time spent by healthcare professionals were collected for a 2 months period each. The economic value of medication waste was defined as the value (€) of wasted medication per 100 patient days. For each ward, time spent on medication process activities was measured 10 times per staff member. The average time spent (in hours) on medication process steps (multiple activities) per staff member per 100 patients and associated salary costs were calculated for both periods. Main outcome measure The primary outcome of the study was the total economic value (€) of wasted medication per 100 patient days. Results Implementation of Patient's Own Medication decreased the economic value of wasted medication by 39.5% from €3983 to €2411 per 100 patient days. The mean time spent on the total medication process was reduced with 5.2 h per 100 patients (from 112.7 to 104.4 h per 100 patients). We observed a shift in professional activities, as physicians and nurses spent less time on the medication process, whereas pharmacy technicians had a greater role in it. When time spent was expressed as salary; €1219 could be saved per 100 patients. Conclusions This study showed that 'Patient's Own Medication' implementation may have a positive economic impact, as the value of medication waste decreases, hospital staff devoted less time on the medication process, and staff deployment is more efficient.

Methodology for the design and economic assessment of anaerobic digestion plants to produce energy and biofertilizer from livestock waste.

The generation and poor disposal of waste from livestock industries is the major cause of pollution of water sources, soil, and air. Therefore, profitable alternatives are required for their correct disposal and use. Anaerobic digestion plants are a technologically viable solution to overcome this problem. In this study, it is proposed a methodology for the design and economic assessment of projects using anaerobic digestion plants to produce electrical energy, thermal energy, and biofertilizer from livestock waste. The methodology is developed based on the assumption that the process is mainly composed of an anaerobic digester and an electric generator having a Diesel-cycle internal combustion engine. It is programmed in "MS Excel" sheet and assessed using technical and economic data from a three real anaerobic digestion plants. The methodology obtains technical parameters such as energy production efficiency with an average difference of 35% compared to the real plants data. In addition, the unit capital costs are calculated, obtaining a value of €3789/kW with a difference of 21.1%, as well as unit operating costs of €729/kW per year with a difference of 15.2%. The financial viability of the project is assessed by calculating the net present value and obtaining €577,050 with a difference of 17.8% and an internal rate of return with a percentage difference of 3%. The proposed methodology specifies the technical parameters and the basic engineering of an anaerobic digestion plant in a stationary state, where the basic streams and dimensions of primary equipment, such as anaerobic reactors and electric generators, are specified. Moreover, the methodology calculates capital and operating expenses for an anaerobic digestion plant, which may be useful to assess the technical and financial feasibility for a project of this type.

Cancer chemotherapy drug wastage in a tertiary care hospital in India-A 3-month prospective and 1-year retrospective study.

This study prospectively quantified wastage of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs in an oncology unit to find the associated cost in 3 months. Retrospective analysis of drug usage for 12 months was also conducted to determine the expected drug loss in 1 year. The effect of vial sharing was evaluated under the assumption of sharing. A significant drug wastage of 19.72% (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.52-24.93%) in 3 months and 17.14% (95% CI 14.69-19.59%) in 1 year occurred in our oncology unit. Number of vials purchased (r = 0.362, p < 0.01), weight (r = -0.146, P < .01) and body surface area (r = -0.26, P < .01) correlated with the drug wasted. Vial sharing assumption showed a 9% (95% CI, 2.5-15.5%) reduction in cost in 1 year.

Design of a low-cost culture medium based in whey permeate for biomass production of enological Lactobacillus plantarum strains.

The production of malolactic starter cultures requires the obtention of suitably large biomass at low-cost. In this work it was possible to obtain a good amount of biomass, at laboratory scale, of two enological strains of Lb. plantarum, by formulating a culture medium based on whey permeate (WP), a by-product of the cheese industry usually disposed as waste, when this was supplemented with yeast extract (Y), salts (S) and Tween 80 (T) (WPYST). Bacteria grown in WPYST medium exhibited good tolerance to stress conditions of synthetic wine (pH 3.5, ethanol 13% vol/vol). However, when WPYST was added with 8% vol/vol ethanol, cultures inoculated in synthetic wine, showed a lower viability and capacity to consume L-malic acid than when they were cultured in WPYST without ethanol. Subsequently, strains grown in WPYST were inoculated in sterile wine samples (final stage of alcoholic fermentation) of the red varietals Merlot and Pinot noir, and incubated at laboratory scale. Cultures from WPYST, inoculated in Pinot noir wine, showed a better performance than bacteria grown in MRS broth, and exhibited a consumption of L-malic acid higher than 90%. However, cultures from WPYST or from MRS broth, inoculated in sterile Merlot wine, showed a lower survival. This study allowed the formulation of a low-cost culture medium, based on a by-product of the food industry, which showed to be adequate for the growth of two enological strains of Lb. plantarum, suggesting their potentiality for application in the elaboration of malolactic starter cultures.

Bacterial biopolymer (polyhydroxyalkanoate) production from low-cost sustainable sources.

Twenty-six different bacterial strains were isolated from samples taken from different locations Dammam, Saudi Arabia, for screening of their polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production capability. The initial screening was conducted by staining with Sudan Black B and Nile Red, followed by examination under fluorescence and electron microscopes to characterize PHA granule formation. The PHA-producing bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene analyses; the most potent bacterial strain was identified as Pseudomonas sp. strain-P(16). The PHA production capability of this strain in the presence of different low-cost carbon sources, such as rice bran, dates, and soy molasses, was analyzed. PHA production in the presence of rice bran, dates, and soy molasses was 90.9%, 82.6%, and 91.6%, respectively.

Mushroom cultivation in the circular economy.

Commercial mushrooms are produced on lignocellulose such as straw, saw dust, and wood chips. As such, mushroom-forming fungi convert low-quality waste streams into high-quality food. Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is usually considered a waste product. This review discusses the applications of SMS to promote the transition to a circular economy. SMS can be used as compost, as a substrate for other mushroom-forming fungi, as animal feed, to promote health of animals, and to produce packaging and construction materials, biofuels, and enzymes. This range of applications can make agricultural production more sustainable and efficient, especially if the CO2 emission and heat from mushroom cultivation can be used to promote plant growth in greenhouses.

Cost-effective production of bacterial cellulose using acidic food industry by-products.

To reduce the cost of obtaining bacterial cellulose, acidic by-products of the alcohol and dairy industries were used without any pretreatment or addition of other nitrogen sources. Studies have shown that the greatest accumulation of bacterial cellulose (6.19g/L) occurs on wheat thin stillage for 3 days of cultivation under dynamic conditions, which is almost 3 times higher than on standard Hestrin and Schramm medium (2.14g/L). The use of whey as a nutrient medium makes it possible to obtain 5.45g/L bacterial cellulose under similar conditions of cultivation. It is established that the pH of the medium during the growth of Gluconacetobacter sucrofermentans B-11267 depends on the feedstock used and its initial value. By culturing the bacterium on thin stillage and whey, there is a decrease in the acidity of the waste. It is shown that the infrared spectra of bacterial cellulose obtained in a variety of environments have a similar character, but we found differences in the micromorphology and crystallinity of the resulting biopolymer.

A novel biological recovery approach for PHA employing selective digestion of bacterial biomass in animals.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a family of microbial polyesters that is completely biodegradable and possesses the mechanical and thermal properties of some commonly used petrochemical-based plastics. Therefore, PHA is attractive as a biodegradable thermoplastic. It has always been a challenge to commercialize PHA due to the high cost involved in the biosynthesis of PHA via bacterial fermentation and the subsequent purification of the synthesized PHA from bacterial cells. Innovative enterprise by researchers from various disciplines over several decades successfully reduced the cost of PHA production through the efficient use of cheap and renewable feedstock, precisely controlled fermentation process, and customized bacterial strains. Despite the fact that PHA yields have been improved tremendously, the recovery and purification processes of PHA from bacterial cells remain exhaustive and require large amounts of water and high energy input besides some chemicals. In addition, the residual cell biomass ends up as waste that needs to be treated. We have found that some animals can readily feed on the dried bacterial cells that contain PHA granules. The digestive system of the animals is able to assimilate the bacterial cells but not the PHA granules which are excreted in the form of fecal pellets, thus resulting in partial recovery and purification of PHA. In this mini-review, we will discuss this new concept of biological recovery, the selection of the animal model for biological recovery, and the properties and possible applications of the biologically recovered PHA.

Minimising food waste: a call for multidisciplinary research.

Food losses and waste have always been a significant global problem for mankind, and one which has become increasingly recognised as such by policy makers, food producers, processors, retailers, and consumers. It is, however, an emotive subject whereby the extent, accuracy and resolution of available data on postharvest loss and waste are questionable, such that key performance indicators on waste can be misinformed. The nature and extent of food waste differ among developed economies, economies in transition and developing countries. While most emphasis has been put on increasing future crop production, far less resource has been and is still channelled towards enabling both established and innovative food preservation technologies to reduce food waste while maintaining safety and quality. Reducing food loss and waste is a more tractable problem than increasing production in the short to medium term, as its solution is not directly limited, for instance, by available land and water resources. Here we argue the need for a paradigm shift of current funding strategies and research programmes that will encourage the development, implementation and translation of collective biological, engineering and management solutions to better preserve and utilise food. Such multidisciplinary thinking across global supply chains is an essential element in the pursuit of achieving sustainable food and nutritional security. The implementation of allied technological and management solutions is reliant on there being sufficient skilled human capital and resources. There is currently a lack of robust postharvest research networks outside of the developed world, and insufficient global funding mechanisms that can support such interdisciplinary collaborations. There is, thus, a collective need for schemes that encourage inter-supply chain research, knowledge exchange and capacity building to reduce food losses and waste. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.