Ionic liquids vs. ethanol as extraction media of algicidal compounds from mango processing waste.

The race for environmentally-safe pesticides and biocides has been showing solutions ranging from pest-pathologic microorganisms to safer botanical extracts that can be incorporated in several formulations. Often linked to high biological activities, fruit residues can be recovered from food processing factories to obtain complex extracts enriched with several bioactive chemicals. Mango (Mangifera indica) fruits are processed into food products in high volumes across the globe and generate a consistent residue that contains, among others, the xanthonoid mangiferin and the flavonoid hyperoside. Both compounds have been linked to several pharmacological and pesticidal activities, although not yet studied for algicidal applications, a current concern specially for antifouling and harmful algae blooms control products. The challenge lies, however, not only on the degree of activity of the natural compounds, but also on the processes necessary to separate, isolate and formulate the bioactive compounds in order to obtain an effective final product. The solvent choice plays an important part regarding the selectivity of the separation and isolation of the main bioactive compounds from the solid waste matrix. Ethanolic mixtures in water have been consolidated recently as a promising extraction medium for flavonoids and xanthonoids, although hindered by solubility limitations. In this paper, aqueous solutions of ionic liquids (ILs) were tested, screened and optimized using Box-Behnken design and Response Surface Methodology to obtain mangiferin and hyperoside-enriched extracts. Results showed a greater concentration of mangiferin and hyperoside with 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C8MIm] Cl), when compared to choline acetate and ethanolic extracts using optimized parameters. In terms of sufficiency, solvent selection between ILs and ethanolic extraction media was discussed considering economic and environmental factors. Ethanol/water mango waste extracts were then studied for their activity against Raphidocelis subcapitata microalgae, which showed a higher growth inhibition in comparison to standard solutions of mangiferin and hyperoside, either individually and in a 1:1 mixture. A EC50 value was found in relative low concentrations of mangiferin and hyperoside (0.015 mg L-1) detected in the extract, showcasing a promising approach to the direct use of residuary plant extracts in biocidal formulations.

Green and Sustainable Separation of Natural Products from Agro-Industrial Waste: Challenges, Potentialities, and Perspectives on Emerging Approaches.

New generations of biorefinery combine innovative biomass waste resources from different origins, chemical extraction and/or synthesis of biomaterials, biofuels, and bioenergy via green and sustainable processes. From the very beginning, identifying and evaluating all potentially high value-added chemicals that could be removed from available renewable feedstocks requires robust, efficient, selective, reproducible, and benign analytical approaches. With this in mind, green and sustainable separation of natural products from agro-industrial waste is clearly attractive considering both socio-environmental and economic aspects. In this paper, the concepts of green and sustainable separation of natural products will be discussed, highlighting the main studies conducted on this topic over the last 10 years. The principal analytical techniques (such as solvent, microwave, ultrasound, and supercritical treatments), by-products (e.g., citrus, coffee, corn, and sugarcane waste) and target compounds (polyphenols, proteins, essential oils, etc.) will be presented, including the emerging green and sustainable separation approaches towards bioeconomy and circular economy contexts.

Maracujá: um alimento funcional? / Passion fruit: a functional food?

Este artigo é uma revisão bibliográfica sobre as espécies brasileiras de Passiflora (Passiflora edulis fo. flavicarpa O. Deg., P. alata Curtis e P. edulis fo. edulis). A maioria dos artigos da literatura focaliza somente as folhas de Passiflora, enquanto que esta revisão contém informações sobre a polpa, cascas e sementes dos frutos do maracujá, com destaque para a composição química, estudos nutricionais e farmacológicos. O enfoque nos frutos do maracujá fundamenta-se no amplo consumo do suco de maracujá (fresco ou industrializado) no Brasil e também nas investigações em andamento para avaliar o seu potencial uso como alimento funcional.

This paper consists of a bibliographic review of the most relevant edible Brazilian Passiflora species (Passiflora edulis fo. flavicarpa O. Deg., P. alata Curtis and P. edulis fo. edulis). Most of the reports in the literature focus solely on Passiflora leaves, whereas this review contains information about passion fruit pulp, rind and seeds, highlightening chemical composition, nutritional and pharmacological studies. The emphasis on the "maracujá" fruit is due to the extensive consumption of passion fruit juice (fresh or processed) in Brazil and on ongoing investigations into its potential as a functional food.