Mosquitoes harvested from rice fields as alternative protein ingredient in broiler feed: insights from the first pilot study.

Global population continuous growth and increasing consumers' demands for protein-rich diets have posed sustainability challenges for traditional livestock feed sources. Consequently, exploring alternative and sustainable protein sources has become imperative to address the environmental burden and resource limitations associated with conventional ingredients. With respect to food security assurance, insects have emerged as a promising solution due to their exceptional nutritional profile, rapid reproduction rates, and low environmental impact. In the present pilot study, 10% of a soybean meal-based diet was replaced by adult mosquitoes harvested from rice fields. The objective was to assess the effect of this partial substitution on meat quality aspects and consumer acceptance. A total of 40 Cobb hybrid broiler chickens were randomly placed in a control and a mosquito-fed group. The study was conducted for 42 days and carcass physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological characteristics, as well as sensory attributes were evaluated. Overall, results regarding quality attributes were comparable between the control and the treatment group. The organoleptic evaluation showed that the thighs from the mosquito-fed group had the highest overall consumer acceptance. These outcomes indicate that mosquitoes could be successfully used as a protein source for broiler feed without compromising the quality and acceptability of the meat.

Sand Fly larvae are capable of positive chemotaxis: a proof of concept study using Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) as a model species.

Phlebotomine sand flies are important vectors of medical and veterinary importance, transmitting pathogens, such as the Leishmania parasites, responsible for 700,000 to 1 million new cases of leishmaniasis every year. The vast majority of the current sand fly surveillance and control tools are tailored against the adult stages, due to the limited knowledge on the ecology of the larval stages. Since vector control is primarily an ecological problem, an in-depth understanding of the behavior of the target insect pests across all the different life stages of their development is required prior to the development of effective control strategies. It is well known that chemical cues play an important role in insect behavior. While there are numerous studies investigating the behavior of adult sand flies in response to chemical sources, there is currently no information available on the response of their larval stages. In this study, novel bioassays were constructed to investigate the effect of chemical cues (gustatory and olfactory) on the behavior of Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) sand fly larvae. The larvae exhibited a clear food preference within a few hours of exposure in a 2-choice bioassay, while, also, demonstrated positive chemotaxis in response to volatile stimuli emitted from their preferred food source. Identification of the specific chemical compounds (or the combination thereof) eliciting attractance response to sand fly immature stages could lead to the development of innovative, and targeted (larval-specific) tools for the surveillance, and management of these important public health pests.

Assessment of the spoilage microbiota in minced free-range chicken meat during storage at 4 C in retail modified atmosphere packages.

This study assessed the evolution of spoilage microbiota in association with the changes in pH and concentrations of lactic and acetic acids in retail oxygen-free modified atmosphere (30:70 CO2/N2) packages (MAP) of minced free-range chicken meat during storage at 4 °C for 10 days. MAP retarded growth of spoilage lactic acid bacteria (LAB) below 6.5 log cfu/g and fully suppressed growth of pseudomonads, enterobacteria, enterococci, staphylococci and yeasts. Two distinct Latilactobacillus sakei strain biotypes were predominant and Leuconostoc carnosum, Carnobacterium divergens, Latilactobacillus fuchuensis and Weissella koreensis were subdominant at spoilage. The chicken meat pH ranged from 5.8 to 6.1. l-lactate (832 mg/100 g on day-0) decreased slightly on day-7. d-lactate remained constantly below 20 mg/100 g, whereas acetate (0-59 mg/100 g) increased 5-fold on day-7. All MAP samples developed off-odors on day-7 and a strong 'blown-pack' sulfur-type of spoilage on day-10. However, neither the predominant Lb. sakei nor other LAB or gram-negative isolates formed H2S in vitro, except for C. divergens.

Composting of anaerobic sludge from the co-digestion of used disposable nappies and expired food products.

Anaerobic sludge originating from the co-digestion of used disposable nappies and expired food products treated in a pilot two-stage system was examined as feed material for a continuous pilot-scale composter (capacity: 300 L feed per week). The feed materials and final compost products were analyzed and evaluated for their suitability as compost materials. Ιn terms of stability, the compost products were identified as stable through static respiratory index measurement (0.11-0.24 g O2/(kg Volatile Solids h)), heavy metals concentrations were within acceptable limits (i.e. concentration of Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Cr, As lower than 1 mg/kg dry mass) as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (0.06-0.34 mg/kg dry mass lower than 6 mg/kg dry mass). During composting, significant losses of nitrogen from the digestate and the urea added for C/N correction were observed (51-75%), indicating that the adjustment of C/N ratio through the addition of chemicals is not efficient in composting processes with forced aeration and the pre-existing nitrogen in digestate was susceptible to air-stripping. The continuous composting process implemented proved capable of producing mature compost with a retention time of 14 d. The final products were within acceptable limits for all the parameters examined, except for the presence of pathogens (Salmonella and Enterococcus) which were not eliminated, even though the composter reached 56 °C for 3-4 days at the thermophilic stage. The characteristics of the anaerobic sludge samples examined indicate that direct land application of the anaerobic effluent should be considered as an option.

Fermented Cereal-based Products: Nutritional Aspects, Possible Impact on Gut Microbiota and Health Implications.

Fermentation, as a process to increase the security of food supply, represents an integral part of food culture development worldwide. Nowadays, in the evolving functional food era where new sophisticated technological tools are leading to significant transformations in the field of nutritional sciences and science-driven approaches for new product design, fermentation technology is brought to the forefront again since it provides a solid foundation for the development of safe food products with unique nutritional and functional attributes. Therefore, the objective of the present review is to summarize the most recent advances in the field of fermentation processes related to cereal-based products. More specifically, this paper addresses issues that are relevant to nutritional and health aspects, including their interrelation with intestinal (gut) microbiome diversity and function, although clinical trials and/or in vitro studies testing for cereal-based fermented products are still scarce.

Pretreatment of used disposable nappies: Super absorbent polymer deswelling.

Typical used disposable nappies usually consist of nonwoven fabrics, Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP), and organic material, namely fluffy pulp, urine and/or excreta. Currently, this waste stream is being disposed to landfills causing many environmental issues. An alternative management method could be the valorisation of the biodegradable material through anaerobic digestion, and the recycling of plastics and SAP. Pretreatment of nappies is mandatory to separate SAP and plastics from the organic material. The aim of this work was the development of a process to minimize SAP's volume, as this component can swell up to 1500 times its own mass by water absorbance, thus hindering any further biological process. CaCl2, MgCl2, and a range of CaCl2/MgCl2 combinations were tested against their deswelling efficiency on SAP, residual reagent concentration and reagent cost. The mixture of 20% CaCl2 and 50% MgCl2 (w/w) of SAP was concluded as the suitable combination of salts achieving a final SAP volume reduction of 92.7% with low residual cation concentrations and minimum cost. The physicochemical characterization of nappies' hydrolysate that took place to estimate its adequacy as substrate for anaerobic digestion resulted to a COD:N ratio within the acceptable range for a subsequent anaerobic digestion processing.

Bacterial Cellulose Production Using the Corinthian Currant Finishing Side-Stream and Cheese Whey: Process Optimization and Textural Characterization.

The aim of this work was to develop bioprocesses to produce a high-value microbial product, bacterial cellulose (BC), utilizing the industrial side-stream of Corinthian currants finishing (CFS), with/without the addition of N-sources and cheese whey, and at various process conditions (temperature, pH level, and sugar concentration). For the optimization of BC production, the response surface methodology based on the central composite design was applied. Among the possible retrieved combinations, the most ideal conditions for BC in CFS extracts supplemented with N-source were 28 °C, pH 6.42, and 46.24 g/L concentration of sugars. In a similar manner, the best conditions for BC production in CFS/whey mixtures were pH 6.36, 50.4% whey percentage in the mixture, and 1.7% yeast extract. The textural characteristics of the produced BC, at different times of production and using different drying methods, were studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, porosimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis, revealing increased porosity of BC compared with delignified cellulosic materials of plant origin, and a level of crystallinity that depended on the BC production time. The proposed methodology can be used to produce foods with potential prebiotic properties, using the highly nutritious CFS and the abundant cheese whey effluent as raw materials.

Aloe vera waste biomass-based adsorbents for the removal of aquatic pollutants: A review.

Aloe vera has been cultivated for many centuries for its beneficial properties, finding application in a wide range of medical and health products. Nowadays, the research has also focused on an alternative use of Aloe vera which is related to environmental applications such as clean water technology/wastewater treatment process. In recent years, biosorption has been shown to be a cost-effective and efficient alternative method for removing various pollutants from wastewater and water. This work provides a comprehensive review on using Aloe vera waste biomass-based sorbents, as well as modified counterparts, for the removal of heavy metals, dyes and other pollutants from aqueous media. The discussed biosorbents have been grouped in five categories based on the treatment of the Aloe vera leaves. Adsorption mechanisms, in addition to the significant factors influencing sorption capability like physical and chemical properties of the adsorbent, initial concentration, initial pH and temperature of the solution, dosage and contact time, have been discussed in detail. Furthermore, the applied equilibrium and kinetic models have been also summarized. The history, taxonomy, botany, and applications of Aloe vera are also presented in brief.

Bio-Based Products from Microalgae Cultivated in Digestates.

In recent years the increasing demand for food, energy, and valuable chemicals has necessitated research and development on renewable, novel, and sustainable sources. Microalgae represent a promising option to produce various products with environmentally friendly applications. However, several challenges must be overcome to reduce production cost. To this end, using effluents from biogas production units, called digestates, in cultivation systems can help to optimize bioprocesses, and several bioproducts including biofuels, biofertilizers, proteins and valuable chemicals can be obtained. Nevertheless, several parameters, including the productivity and quality of biomass and specific target products, downstream processes, and cost-effectiveness, must be improved. Further investigations will be necessary to take full advantage of the produced biomass and effectively upscale the process.

Progress in bacterial cellulose matrices for biotechnological applications.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an extracellular polymer produced by many microorganisms. The Komagataeibacter genus is the best producer using semi-synthetic media and agricultural wastes. The main advantages of BC are the nanoporous structure, high water content and free hydroxyl groups. Modification of BC can be made by two strategies: in-situ, during the BC production, and ex-situ after BC purification. In bioprocesses, multilayer BC nanocomposites can contain biocatalysts designed to be suitable for outside to inside cell activities. These nanocomposites biocatalysts can (i) increase productivity in bioreactors and bioprocessing, (ii) provide cell activities does not possess without DNA cloning and (iii) provide novel nano-carriers for cell inside activity and bioprocessing. In nanomedicine, BC matrices containing therapeutic molecules can be used for pathologies like skin burns, and implantable therapeutic devices. In nanoelectronics, semiconductors BC-based using salts and synthetic polymers brings novel films showing excellent optical and photochemical properties.

Economic evaluation of technology for a new generation biofuel production using wastes.

An economic evaluation of an integrated technology for industrial scale new generation biofuel production using whey, vinasse, and lignocellulosic biomass as raw materials is reported. Anaerobic packed-bed bioreactors were used for organic acids production using initially synthetic media and then wastes. Butyric, lactic and acetic acid were predominately produced from vinasse, whey, and cellulose, respectively. Mass balance was calculated for a 16,000L daily production capacity. Liquid-liquid extraction was applied for recovery of the organic acids using butanol-1 as an effective extraction solvent which serves also as the alcohol for the subsequent enzyme-catalyzed esterification. The investment needed for the installation of the factory was estimated to about 1.7million€ with depreciation excepted at about 3months. For cellulosics, the installation investment was estimated to be about 7-fold higher with depreciation at about 1.5years. The proposed technology is an alternative trend in biofuel production.