Polymeric Materials Obtained by Extrusion and Injection Molding from Lignocellulosic Agroindustrial Biomass.

This review presents the advances in polymeric materials achieved by extrusion and injection molding from lignocellulosic agroindustrial biomass. Biomass, which is derived from agricultural and industrial waste, is a renewable and abundant feedstock that contains mainly cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. To improve the properties and functions of polymeric materials, cellulose is subjected to a variety of modifications. The most common modifications are surface modification, grafting, chemical procedures, and molecule chemical grafting. Injection molding and extrusion technologies are crucial in shaping and manufacturing polymer composites, with precise control over the process and material selection. Furthermore, injection molding involves four phases: plasticization, injection, cooling, and ejection, with a focus on energy efficiency. Fundamental aspects of an injection molding machine, such as the motor, hopper, heating units, nozzle, and clamping unit, are discussed. Extrusion technology, commonly used as a preliminary step to injection molding, presents challenges regarding fiber reinforcement and stress accumulation, while lignin-based polymeric materials are challenging due to their hydrophobicity. The diverse applications of these biodegradable materials include automotive industries, construction, food packaging, and various consumer goods. Polymeric materials are positioned to offer even bigger contributions to sustainable and eco-friendly solutions in the future, as research and development continues.

Low-cost homemade cocktails for enzymatic conversion of sugarcane and cassava bagasses.

The agricultural industries generate lignocellulosic wastes that can be modified by fungi to generate high value-added products. This work aimed to analyze the efficiency and the cost-effectiveness of the bioconversion of sugarcane and cassava bagasses using low-cost homemade enzymatic cocktails from Aspergillus niger LBM 134. Both bagasses were pretreated with a soft alkaline solution without any loss of polysaccharides. After the hydrolysis, a 28% of conversion to glucose and 42% to xylose were reached in the hydrolysis of sugarcane bagasse while an 80% of saccharification yield, in the hydrolysis of cassava bagasse using the homemade enzymes. Furthermore, a more disorganised surface and no starch granules were observed in the sugarcane and cassava bagasses, respectively. The bioethanol yield from sugarcane and casava bagasses was predicted to be 4.16 mg mL-1 and 2.57 mg mL-1, respectively. A comparison of the cost of the homemade and the commercial enzymes was carried out. Similar hydrolysis percentages were achieved employing any enzyme; however, it was 1000-2000 times less expensive using the homemade cocktails than using the commercial enzymes. Therefore, the cost of obtaining glucose from bagasses was most expensive when applying the commercial enzymes. Moreover, the hydrolysis of the cassava bagasse was most efficient with the homemade cocktails. The importance and novelty of this work lie in the similar performance and the lower cost of the homemade cocktails from the fungus A. niger LBM 134 compared with the commercial enzymes on the hydrolysis of the sugarcane and cassava bagasses.

Data that support the use of agro-industrial residues from orange peel and sugarcane bagasse for the production of carbonaceous structures and their application in the removal of metal ions.

This document contains additional information for the production of activated carbons (AC) and carbon foams (CF) from agroindustrial wastes, orange peel (OP) and sugarcane bagasse (SCB). In particular, a set of data is presented for the characterization of carbonaceous structures (AC and CF) and their application in the removal of metallic ions contained in polluted waters. The adsorbent materials were obtained combining chemical and physical activation processes. Data presented here included characterization of AC and CF using dynamic light scattering (DLS), BET (Brunauer, Emmet and Teller) surface area analysis, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method to assess pore size distribution and zeta potential (ζ) to evaluate electrokinetic potential of carbonaceous structures. In addition, energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) to identify heavy metals on the surface of carbonaceous materials is shown and complementary adsorption capacity data for metal ion removal are presented in the paper. The data can be used as a reference to promote reuse of agroindustrial wastes and provide added value; particularly for the synthesis of carbonaceous structures applied to the water purification.

Enhancement of undecylprodigiosin production from marine endophytic recombinant strain Streptomyces sp. ALAA-R20 through low-cost induction strategy.

Genetic manipulation of the undecylprodigiosin-producing strains and engineered culture medium approaches were applied as the most economical induction strategy for improving production. The hyper-producing recombinant strain ALAA-R20 was obtained after applying protoplast fusion strategy between the potent producer marine endophytic strains Streptomyces sp. ESRAA-10 (P1) and Streptomyces sp. ESRAA-31 (P2) of Dendronephthya hemprichi. Recombinant strain ALAA-R20 produced undecylprodigiosin yield higher than its parental strains ESRAA-10 and ESRAA-31 by 82.45% and 105.52% under submerged fermentation using modified R2YE medium. In order to reduce the costs of producing undecylprodigiosin, a solid-state fermentation (SSF) was applied. Scaled-up of optimized SSF parameters consisting of groundnut oil cake (GOC) sized to 3 mm, initial moisture content 80% with a mixture of dairy mill and fruit processing wastewaters (1:1), pH 7.0, inoculum size equal to 3 × 105 spores/g dry substrate (gds), incubation temperature 30 °C, and 7-day incubation period yielded the highest yield of 181.78 mg/gds of undecylprodigiosin by the recombinant strain Streptomyces sp. ALAA-R20. Extraction and purification of the pigment using the chromatographic techniques as well as mass spectral analysis exhibited maximum absorbance at 539 nm which is physiological property of the undecylprodigiosin. Undecylprodigiosin was stable over a wide temperature ranged from - 20 to 35 °C even after storage for 6 months. The maximum yield and stability of pigment was obtained at the acidic pH (acidified methanol, pH 4.0). Undecylprodigiosin obtained from the recombinant strain Streptomyces sp. ALAA-R20 demonstrated strong antimicrobial activity against all multidrug-resistant bacterial and fungal strains tested with minimum inhibitory, minimum bactericidal, and minimum fungicidal concentrations ranged between 0.5 and 4.0, 0.5 to 4.0, and 1.0 to 8.0 µg/mL, respectively. It also showed complete inhibition of cancer cells; HCT-116, HepG-2, MCF-7 and A-549 at 5, 8, 4, and 7 µM with IC50 equal to 2.0, 4.7, 1.2, and 2.8 µM, respectively.

Fatores que influenciam a produção de ácidos carboxílicos a partir de resíduos agroindustriais / Factors that influence the production of carboxylic acids from agroindustrial wastes

RESUMO Os ácidos carboxílicos (ACs) são componentes químicos de base produzidos principalmente a partir da plataforma petroquímica. Entretanto, em razão de impactos ambientais, risco de escassez e elevados preços do petróleo, a produção biológica de AC por meio da digestão anaeróbia de recursos renováveis de baixo custo, como resíduos orgânicos das atividades agroindustriais, vem recebendo atenção crescente. Nesse contexto, o presente artigo objetiva discutir o processo de digestão anaeróbia aliada ao alongamento de cadeia carboxílica, a fim de orientar tomadas de decisão, como, por exemplo, escolha do substrato e definição das condições ambientais e dos parâmetros operacionais. Em geral, as condições que apresentam melhor viabilidade para produção de ácidos carboxílicos de cadeia média (ACCM) são: pH próximo a 6,0; temperatura mesofílica, já que oferece maior estabilidade operacional e os rendimentos obtidos em condições termofílicas não se mostram muito superiores; pressão parcial de hidrogênio (PPH) próxima a 10-5 aliada à limitação de CO2; tempo de residência celular (θc) inferior a 5 dias; e tempo de detenção hidráulica (TDH) baixo para sistemas contínuos. Uma das configurações mais promissoras é o uso de sistemas de dois estágios utilizando baixo pH como inibidor da metanogênese e extração de ACs em linha, para evitar a inibição devido à toxicidade dos produtos.

ABSTRACT Carboxylic acids (CA) are basic chemical components produced mainly through the petrochemical platform. However, due to environmental impacts, risk of scarcity and high petroleum prices, organic production of CA from the anaerobic digestion of low-cost renewable resources, such as organic wastes from agro-industrial activities, has been receiving increasing attention. In this context, the present paper aims to discuss the process of anaerobic digestion allied to the carboxylic chain elongation process, in order to guide decision making such as substrate choice, definition of environmental conditions, and operational parameters. In general, the conditions that present the best viability for MCCA production are: pH close to 6.0; mesophilic temperature since it offers greater operational stability and the yields obtained under thermophilic conditions are not much higher; hydrogen partial pressure (HPP) close to 10-5 combined with CO2 limitation; solids retention time (θc) < 5 days and low hydraulic retention time (HRT) for continuous systems. One of the most promising configurations is the use of two-stage systems using low pH as a methanogenesis inhibitor and inline CA extraction to avoid inhibition due to product toxicity.

Dataset of operating conditions to Isolate Cellulose Nanocrystalline from Sugarcane Bagasse and Pinewood Sawdust as Possible Material to Fabricate Polymer Electrolyte Membranes.

The data shown in this document provides all the experimental data that complement the article published in Carbohydrate Polymers entitled "Influence of operating conditions on Proton Conductivity of Nanocellulose films using two Agroindustrial Wastes: Sugarcane Bagasse and Pinewood Sawdust" [1]. The data of this paper are the result of a large series of experiments to optimize the extraction of cellulose nanocrystalline (CNC) from these two agro-industrial wastes: sugarcane Bagasse (SCB) and pinewood sawdust (PSW). The conditions of pretreatment (5 wt.% or 10 wt.% of NaOH) and hydrolysis temperature (60, 75 and 90°C) in an aqueous solution of 45 wt.% of H2SO4 were analyzed exhaustively. The data includes the characterization by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry/Thermogravimetric Analysis (DSC/TGA), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) micrographs with their corresponding SAED patterns and nanoindentation tests. Additionally, photographs during the isolation of cellulose nanocrystalline in dependence of the syntheses parameters. It is also included the data that complement the molecular dynamic simulation generated by GLYCAM carbohydrate builder based on the coordinates for alpha and beta cellulose considering a microfibril of 5, 10 and 20 glucosyl residues (degree of polymerization, DP). Overall data have not been previously published and are available contributing to a better understanding of the CNCs isolation through different pretreatment concentrations and temperatures of processing.

Relation between changes in organic matter structure of poultry litter and heavy metals solubility during composting.

Poultry litter (PL) is widely used as fertilizer because of its rich N, P and Ca content. When PL is applied to previously untreated soil, it is a potential contaminant. Composting is an alternative for stabilizing organic and mineral components. This study aimed to elucidate the structural changes and its influence on the solubility of heavy metals in poultry litter during the first 30 d of composting, which is the period when the most intense transformations occur. For this analysis, the transformation dynamics of the organic structures and the availability of mineral elements were studied via spectroscopic characterization, total heavy metal content determination and chemical fractionation at three composting times (0, 15, and 30 d). During composting, the material's aromaticity increased, while its aliphaticity decreased, and the hydrophobicity index increased as the polarity decreased. These results indicate that during the first 30 d, PL composting occurs via transformation of the most labile structures (carbohydrate, peptide and fatty acid fragments), thereby preserving the most stable and least functionalized structures. Composting increased the concentrations of Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn and the transformation of CAlk-O and CAlk-di-O associated with peptides and carbohydrates and favored solubilizing and leaching a water-soluble fraction rich in these compounds. The labile fractions of Fe and the humified organic matter fractions of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Al increased. The structural changes reduced heavy metal solubility, thus indicating that after 30 d of composting, the heavy metal contamination risk is low.

Synthesis of carbon nanotubes using biochar as precursor material under microwave irradiation.

Biochar is a carbon-rich porous material obtained by the thermochemical treatment of biomass. Biochar presents a suitable composition as precursor material for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) growth, and can be used as a sustainable alternative in the valorization of biomass. In this study, the synthesis of CNTs using biochar as biological precursor material is presented. CNTs were synthesized using a mixture of biochar and ferrocene including microwave assisted heating. Biochar samples used in the synthesis of CNTs were obtained from agroindustrial waste such as wheat straw, oat hulls, rapeseed cake and hazelnut hulls pyrolyzed at 400 °C and 600 °C. Synthesized CNTs were examined by dynamic light scattering, UV-VIS spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that the physicochemical properties of CNTs were influenced by pyrolysis temperature of biomass. Biochars obtained at 600 °C produced higher CNTs concentration and smaller hydrodynamic diameter. Moreover, CNTs synthesized from biochar of hazelnut hulls and wheat straw show a higher degree of wall graphitization, suggesting superior CNT quality. The results of this study show the feasible production of CNTs using biochar as precursor material.

Production of milk peptides with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties through fungal proteases.

Bioactive peptides can provide health benefits due to different mechanisms. The aims of the present study are to produce bioactive peptides from bovine and goat milk subjected to the proteolytic activity of Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus flavipes enzymes, as well as to assess their putative antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. Bioactive peptides were successfully generated from proteases of fungi cultivated in solid-state fermentation. The generated peptides were effective against all tested bacteria and fungi. There was antioxidant activity, up to 92.5% DPPH reduction and ORAC stabilization at 52.5 µmol µL-1 of Trolox Equivalent. The generation of milk-specific sequences peptides in the samples was obtained through 2D-PAGE fractioning followed by mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS). Based on results in the present study, milk bioactive peptides presenting broad antimicrobial action and antioxidant activity spectra can be cost-effectively produced through solid-state fermentation. The herein addressed approach can be valuable for the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Repercussion of microbial additive on the productive, Zoometric and diarrheal incidences of piglets / Repercusión de aditivos microbianos en el comportamiento productivo, zoométrico e incidencia diarreica de lechones

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the impact of two microbial additives on the productive behavior, zoometric, incidence of diarrhea and mortality of post-weaning piglets. Materials and methods. A total of 120 piglets (Duroc / Yorkshire / Landrace) were used, divided into three groups of 40 animals each, control (T1); microbial preparation A (T2) and microbial preparation B (T3). The T2 contained Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgariccus y Streptoccus thermophilus. The T3 was composed of microorganisms of T2 plus Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces fragilis (L-4 UCLV). We used a completely randomized design where we evaluated, live weight, daily mean gain, height: raised at the cross, raised to the rump, body length, for both sexes and diarrheal incidence and mortality. Results. Live weight in the offspring (males and females) consuming microbial additives were higher and of these were higher in T3. Regarding the average daily gain, the largest increases were found in T3 group. Elevated to the cross, raised to the rump and length of body was greater (p<0.05) in T2 and T3 at birth; while at the end of the study in T3 it was superior. The incidence of diarrhea was higher (p<0.05) in the control group. The animals of the groups that consumed microbial preparation had no deaths during the study. Conclusions. The use of the microbial additives evaluated had a positive effect on the productive and zoometric behavior of the piglets. In addition, the reduction of the incidence of diarrhea and mortality of the animals was achieved.

Resumen Objetivo. Evaluar la repercusión de dos aditivos microbianos en el comportamiento productivo, zoométricos, incidencia de diarreas y mortalidad de lechones post-destete. Materiales y métodos. Se emplearon 120 lechones (Duroc/Yorkshire/Landrace), distribuidos en tres grupos de 40 animales cada uno, control (T1); preparado microbiano A (T2) y preparado microbiano B (T3). El T2 contenía Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgariccus y Streptoccus thermophilus. El T3 estuvo compuesto por microorganismos del T2 más Saccharomyces cerevisiae y Kluyveromyces fragilis (L-4 UCLV). Se utilizó un diseño completamente aleatorizado donde se evaluó, peso vivo, ganancia media diaria, talla: alzada a la cruz, alzada a la grupa, largo de cuerpo, para ambos sexos e incidencia diarreica y mortalidad. Resultados. Peso vivo en las crías (machos y hembras) que consumieron aditivos microbianos fueron superiores y de estos fueron mayores en el T3. En cuanto a la ganancia media diaria, los mayores incrementos se encontraron en el grupo T3. Alzada a la cruz, alzada a la grupa y largo de cuerpo fue mayor (p<0.05) en el T2 y T3 en el nacimiento; mientras que al final del estudio en el T3 fue superior. La incidencia de diarrea fue mayor (p<0.05) en el grupo control. Los animales de los grupos que consumieron preparado microbiano no presentaron muertes durante el estudio. Conclusiones. El uso de los aditivos microbianos evaluados produjo un efecto positivo en el comportamiento productivo y zoométrico de los lechones. Así mismo, se logró la reducción de la incidencia de diarreas y mortalidad de los animales.

Xanthan Gum Production by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris IBSBF 1866 and 1867 from Lignocellulosic Agroindustrial Wastes.

This study aimed to evaluate the properties of xanthan gum produced by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris 1866 and 1867 from lignocellulosic agroindustrial wastes. XG was produced using an orbital shaker in a culture medium containing coconut shell (CS), cocoa husks (CH), or sucrose (S) minimally supplemented with urea and potassium. The XG production results varied between the CS, CH, and S means, and it was higher with the CH in strains 1866 (4.48 g L-1) and 1867 (3.89 g L-1). However, there was more apparent viscosity in the S gum (181.88 mPas) and the CS gum (112.06 mPas) for both 1866 and 1867, respectively. The ability of XGCS and XGCH to emulsify different vegetable oils was similar to the ability of XGS. All gums exhibited good thermal stability and marked groups in the elucidation of compounds and particles with rough surfaces.

Mice exposure to tannery effluents changes their olfactory capacity, and their response to predators and to the inhibitory avoidance test.

The current study has assessed whether the oral and/or dermal exposure of C57Bl/6 J mice to tannery effluent (a complex pollutant consisting of xenobiotic mixtures) could damage their olfactory functions, as well as whether it changes their aversive behavior in the inhibitory avoidance test. Accordingly, the animals were distributed in groups which were exposed or not to this xenobiotic through two different routes (oral and dermal), for 15 days. The effluent group subjected to oral exposure received drinking water containing 5% tannery effluent, whereas the animals in the dermal group were exposed to raw tannery effluent for 1 h/day. The animals dermally exposed to the tannery effluent (males and females) have shown the highest latency to find palatable food in the buried food test. The shortest time spent by the animals (orally or dermally) exposed to tannery effluent in the safety zone of the apparatus used in the predator exposure test, as well as the longest time spent by them in the aversive zone, have shown failures in their perception to the risk represented by the presence of the predator (cat). The passive avoidance test results have shown that the dermal exposure to tannery effluent led to partial memory deficit in male and female mice; therefore, the present study has confirmed the tannery effluent toxicity to mammals. Moreover, the present study was pioneer in demonstrating that the dermal exposure to this xenobiotic, even for a short period-of-time, can change the olfactory and cognitive functions of animals, as well as lead to harmful consequences to their health.

Rhizopus oryzae - Ancient microbial resource with importance in modern food industry.

Filamentous fungi are microorganisms widely known for their diverse biochemical features. Fungi can efficiently invade a wide variety of substrates under operational conditions producing numerous bioproducts of interest, such as enzymes, organic acids, aromatic compounds and colorants. An additional interesting characteristic of some fungi is their safety classification for different uses, which guarantees that the bioproducts obtained from them do not contain any toxic component deleterious to humans. Rhizopus oryzae is among this group of fungi and is classified as a GRAS filamentous fungus, commonly used for production of some oriental traditional foods. It is mainly recognized as a good producer of lactic acid; however, its potential for other biotechnological processes is under study. This review analyzes and discusses the current scientific and technical contributions which may maximize the potential of R. oryzae as a producer of different compounds of industrial interest.

A pioneering study on cytotoxicity in Australian parakeets (Melopsittacus undulates) exposed to tannery effluent.

Waste effluent from the tannery industry is a major source of environmental pollution. Considering that the bird intake of water contaminated with tannery effluent constitutes a potential genotoxic source, especially for birds inhabiting areas closest to tanning industries, the aim of this study is to assess the possible mutagenic effects that the intake may have on Melopsittacus undulatus (Australian parakeet). In order to do so, adult male and female M. undulatus were distributed in two experimental groups: control (drinking water) and TE (5%). After 60 days of exposure, the micronucleus test, as well as tests looking for other nuclear abnormalities in the peripheral blood of the birds were performed. The male and female birds exposed to the pollutant have presented the highest total number of nuclear abnormalities, as well as increased individual abnormalities such as nuclei with symmetrical constricted bi-lobed/bi-nucleated erythrocytes, indented nuclei and micro-lobed nuclei (top)/micro-nuclei (bottom). In addition, the exposure to TE has caused a nuclear variant increase rarely reported in the literature concerning poultry erythrocyte nuclei. The birds exposed to the pollutant have presented the highest frequency of displaced nuclei forming different rotation/displacement angles within the cells. Therefore, the current study confirmed the toxicological potential of TE and was pioneer in showing that male and female M. undulatus exposed to pollutant present the highest frequency of erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities, thus corroborating the initial hypothesis herein presented.

Development of polyphenol-enriched vacuum and atmospheric fried matrices: Evaluation of quality parameters and in vitro bioavailability of polyphenols.

Polyphenols are very unstable and may be degraded when exposed to harsh conditions, such as those found in frying. The inclusion of vacuum seems to be a reasonable solution to avoid these adverse effects. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of olive-leaf polyphenol extract on quality parameters of vacuum and atmospheric fried gluten-starch matrices. Matrices were prepared using 12% (d.b.) gluten and 88% (d.b.) starch, using either native or a mixture of native (90%) and pre-gelatinized starch (10%). Polyphenols were added as a freeze-dried powder. Atmospheric and vacuum (91.4kPa, Twater boiling point=46°C) frying were compared using an equivalent thermal driving force, which is defined as the difference between oil temperature and water boiling point at the working pressure. Bioavailability of polyphenols was evaluated using simulated digestion and caco-2 cells absorption. The addition of pre-gelatinized starch significantly decreased oil absorption in vacuum fried matrices, however, no significant differences were noted when added into atmospheric fried ones. Polyphenols retention was higher than 70% in vacuum fried matrices. Their bioavailability was ~15%, much higher than in atmospheric fried ones (~8%), and that the one reported in other studies. Interestingly, polyphenol addition reduced the oil content of vacuum fried snacks by 20%. This could be attributed to the hydrating effect of polyphenols, which may facilitate starch gelatinization, improving structure formation during vacuum frying, which will be the focus of future research.

[Agroindustrial wastes methanization and bacterial composition in anaerobic digestion]. / Residuos agroindustriales con potencial para la producción de metano mediante la digestión anaerobia.

The tons of organic waste that are annually generated by agro-industry, can be used as raw material for methane production. For this reason, it is important to previously perform biodegradability tests to organic wastes for their full scale methanization. This paper addresses biodegradability, methane production and the behavior of populations of eubacteria and archaeabacteria during anaerobic digestion of banana, mango and papaya agroindustrial wastes. Mango and banana wastes had higher organic matter content than papaya in terms of their volatile solids and total solid rate (94 and 75% respectively). After 63 days of treatment, the highest methane production was observed in banana waste anaerobic digestion: 63.89ml CH4/per gram of chemical oxygen demand of the waste. In the PCR-DGGE molecular analysis, different genomic footprints with oligonucleotides for eubacteria and archeobacteria were found. Biochemical methane potential results proved that banana wastes have the best potential to be used as raw material for methane production. The result of a PCR- DGGE analysis using specific oligonucleotides enabled to identify the behavior of populations of eubacteria and archaeabacteria present during the anaerobic digestion of agroindustrial wastes throughout the process.

Residuos agroindustriales con potencial para la producción de metano mediante la digestión anaerobia / Agroindustrial wastes methanization and bacterial composition in anaerobic digestion

Las toneladas de residuos orgánicos que se generan anualmente en la agroindustria pueden aprovecharse como materia prima para la producción de metano. Para que los residuos orgánicos se puedan convertir a metano a gran escala, es importante que previamente se realicen sobre ellos pruebas de biodegradabilidad; un parámetro importante que conviene establecer es su potencial bioquímico de metano. En el presente trabajo se estudió la biodegradabilidad, la producción de metano y el comportamiento de poblaciones de eubacterias y arqueobacterias durante la digestión anaerobia de residuos de plátano, mango y papaya provenientes de la agroindustria, adicionando un inóculo microbiano. Los residuos de mango y plátano tenían mayor contenido de materia orgánica (94 y 75 %, respectivamente) que el residuo de papaya con base en su relación sólidos volátiles/sólidos totales. Después de 63 días de tratamiento, la mayor producción de metano se observó en la digestión anaerobia del residuo de plátano: 63,89 ml de metano por g de demanda química de oxígeno del residuo. Los resultados del potencial bioquímico de metano demostraron que el residuo de plátano tiene el mejor potencial para ser usado como materia prima en la producción de metano. A través de un análisis por PCR-DGGE con oligonucleótidos específicos se logró evaluar el tamaño y la composición de las poblaciones de eubacterias y arqueobacterias presentes en la digestión anaerobia de residuos agroindustriales a lo largo del proceso.

The tons of organic waste that are annually generated by agro-industry, can be used as raw material for methane production. For this reason, it is important to previously perform biodegradability tests to organic wastes for their full scale methanization. This paper addresses biodegradability, methane production and the behavior of populations of eubacteria and archaeabacteria during anaerobic digestion of banana, mango and papaya agroindustrial wastes. Mango and banana wastes had higher organic matter content than papaya in terms of their volatile solids and total solid rate (94 and 75 % respectively). After 63 days of treatment, the highest methane production was observed in banana waste anaerobic digestion: 63.89 ml CH4/per gram of chemical oxygen demand of the waste. In the PCR-DGGE molecular analysis, different genomic footprints with oligonucleotides for eubacteria and archeobacteria were found. Biochemical methane potential results proved that banana wastes have the best potential to be used as raw material for methane production. The result of a PCR- DGGE analysis using specific oligonucleotides enabled to identify the behavior of populations of eubacteria and archaeabacteria present during the anaerobic digestion of agroindustrial wastes throughout the process.

Challenges and opportunities of the bio-pesticides production by solid-state fermentation: filamentous fungi as a model.

In recent years, production and use of bio-pesticides have increasing and replacing some synthetic chemical pesticides applied to food commodities. In this review, biological control is focused as an alternative, to some synthetic chemical treatments that cause environmental, human health, and food quality risks. In addition, several phytopathogenic microorganisms have developed resistance to some of these synthetic chemicals and become more difficult to control. Worldwide, the bio-pesticides market is growing annually at a rate of 44% in North America, 20% in Europe and Oceania, 10% in Latin and South American countries and 6% in Asia. Use of agro-industrial wastes and solid-state fermentation (SSF) technology offers an alternative to bio-pesticide production with advantages versus conventional submerged fermentations, as reduced cost and energy consumption, low production of residual water and high stability products. In this review, recent data about state of art regarding bio-pesticides production under SSF on agroindustrial wastes will be discussed. SSF can be defined as a microbial process that generally occurs on solid material in the absence of free water. This material has the ability to absorb water with or without soluble nutrients, since the substrate must have water to support the microorganism's growth and metabolism. Changes in water content are analyzed in order to select the conditions for a future process, where water stress can be combined with the best spore production conditions, obtaining in this way an inexpensive biotechnological option for modern agriculture in developing countries.

Economic and environmental assessment of syrup production. Colombian case.

This work presents a techno-economic and environmental assessment of the glucose syrups production from sugarcane bagasse, plantain husk, cassava husk, mango peel, rice husk and corncobs. According to the economic analysis, the corncob had both, the lowest production cost (2.48USD/kg syrup) and the highest yield (0.61kgofsugars/kg of wet agroindustrial waste) due to its high content in cellulose and hemicellulose. This analysis also revealed that a heat integration strategy is necessary since the utilities consumption represent an important factor in the production cost. According to the results, the pretreatment section requires more energy in the syrup production in comparison with the requirements of other sections such as production and sugar concentration. The environmental assessment revealed that the solid wastes such as furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural affected the environmental development of the process for all the agroindustrial wastes, being the rice husk the residue with the lowest environmental impact.

Evaluación del crecimiento y producción de Pleurotus ostreatus sobre diferentes residuos agroindustriales del departamento de Cundinamarca / Evaluation of growth and production of pleurotus ostreatus on different agroindustrials wastes of Cundinamarca

Se llevó a cabo la evaluación del cultivo de Pleurotus ostreatus, para determinar el residuo sobre el cual este hongo genera mejor crecimiento y producción. Los sustratos evaluados fueron residuos agroindustriales del departamento de Cundinamarca (capacho de uchuva, cáscara de arveja y tusa de maíz); teniendo como sustrato control el aserrín de roble. Las mezclas a evaluar fueron empacadas en bolsas de 1Kg de volumen de mezcla de sustrato, del cual el 78 por ciento fue el residuo agroindustrial. Se esterilizaron e inocularon con 30g de semillas de Pleurotus ostreatus, adquiridas comercialmente. Se evaluó el tiempo de corrida del micelio, el diámetro de los carpóforos, el número de hongos producidos por bolsa, el peso fresco, la eficiencia biológica y el rendimiento de cada uno de los sustratos trabajados. Finalmente, el mejor sustrato para el crecimiento y producción de Pleurotus ostreatus fue el capacho de uchuva ya que alcanzó una eficiencia biológica de 76.1 por ciento en un período total de producción de 41 días y una rentabilidad de 39.03 Kg/m2 con excelentes características organolépticas, considerándose así un sustrato adecuado y eficiente para el cultivo de este hongo.

The culture of Pleurotus ostreatus was evaluated to determine the best waste on which this mushroom can show the highest growth and production rates.. The substrates evaluated were agroindustrial wastes of theDepartment of Cundinamarca (dry skin of goldenberries (Physalis), skin of pea pods and maize cobs). The control substrate was sawdust of oak. The mixtures evaluated were packed in bags of 1 kg containing 78 % ofagroindustrial waste of the volume of substrate mixture . Mixtures were sterilized and inoculated with 30 g ofseeds of Pleurotus ostreatus obtained commercially. Running time of the mycelium, diameter of fruit bodies,number of fruit bodies produced per bag, fresh weight, biological efficiency, and yield were evaluated on eachof the substrates. Finally, the best substrate for the growth and production of Pleurotus ostreatus was the dryskin of goldenberries (Physalis) with a biological efficiency of 76.1% after a total production period of 41 days and a yield of 39.03 Kg/m2 with excellent organoleptic characteristics, therefore being an adequate and efficient substrate for cultivating this mushroom.