Optimization and Characterization of Ultrasound-Assisted Pectin Extracted from Orange Waste

The concept of waste to valuable products is a hot topic with exploring ongoing worldwide to minimize food-based feedstocks. This work utilized a citric acid solution and an ultrasoundassisted to extract pectin from orange waste, a critical agroindustry byproduct. Artificial neural network and central composite design were utilized to assess the extraction of pectin using different levels of the extraction parameters and in turn to optimize the extraction process. The extraction of pectin from orange waste is found to be highly affected by pH solution and ultrasound power. The result of an artificial neural network was found to be better in terms of prediction capability and performance indexes. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry analysis confirmed the existence of functional groups in the fingerprint region of orange waste pectin. Ash and crude protein content of orange wastes are found to be low; meaning low ash and protein content contributes to better gelling ability of the pectin. The extracted pectin has a higher degree of esterification. The result of the current work highlighted that orange wastes are a good source of pectin. In addition, the extracted pectin from orange wastes can be used as a food additive as it fulfills all the standard requirements pectin for application.

Influence of replacement levels of orange waste silage on intake, nutrient digestion, ruminal fermentation and milk yield in Barki goats

Exploring new alternative sources of feedstuffs can contribute to animal production sustainability in some Mediterranean regions in order to overcome the rising food demand. The influence of dietary replacement of wheat straw (WS) with orange waste silage (OWS) on nutrient intakes, apparent digestibility, ruminal fermentation and blood biochemical constituents and milk production of dairy goats were evaluated. Forty pregnant goats (46.30±1.6 kg BW) were housed in individual pens in a completely randomized design and fed (ad libitum) a TMR for 75 days period. Goats were assigned to four experimental diets with the forage amounts consisting of either WS as a control diet (1000 g WS/kg DM in the TMR), a 50:50 mixture of both WS and OWS (500 g WS and 500 g OWS/kg DM in the TMR), an orange waste silage (1000 g OWS/kg DM in the TMR) or corn silage as a positive control (1000 g CS/kg DM in the TMR). The DMI increased linearly (P < 0.01), while fiber fractions intake decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing of OWS in the diet. Ruminal pH was increased quadratically (P < 0.01), whereas NH3-N concentration and total protozoa abundance decreased quadratically (P < 0.01) with increasing OWS in the diet. Ruminal acetate content was increased linearly (P = 0.012) by diet; whereas linear effects were observed on propionate and butyrate proportions (P < 0.01) as OWS amount increased. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), non-esterified free fatty acids (NEFA) and β-Hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) levels decreased linearly (P < 0.01) with ascending amounts of OWS. Serum glucose, BUN, NEFA and BHBA levels were lower (P < 0.01) for goats fed the OWS diet than those fed the CS diet. Milk yield and milk nitrogen efficiency were linearly increased (P < 0.01), whereas quadratic effects (P = 0.049) were observed on milk urea nitrogen content with increasing dietary OWS. In conclusion, the replacement of WS with OWS enhanced rumen fermentation and milk yield of late pregnant and early lactation Barki goats.

Recovery of Potassium from Incineration Ash of Chicken Dropping (IACD) by Sulphuric Acid Leaching Followed by Adsorption Using Orange Waste Gel

Two types of leaching solution namely; aqua-regia and 1MH2SO4 were investigated for the leaching of K(I) from incineration ash of chicken dropping (IACD), in this study. SOJR and Na(I)-SOJR adsorbents were prepared from orange juice residue for the adsorption of K(I) from IACD leached liquor, which was compared with READF-(PG) and 200CT resin. The characterization of IACD leaching was done in EDX and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. Aqua-regia solution completely dissolved IACD and all the adsorbents. One molar sulphuric acid (1MH2SO4) solution was optimized for effective leaching of K(I) from the IACD sample. SOJR, Na(I)-SOJR, and 200CT adsorbed K(I) from leached liquor whereas K(I) was insignificantly adsorbed onto READF-(PG). The desorption of adsorbed K(I) could be successfully done by H2SO4 solution for recovery and adsorbent regeneration for further usage. From comparisons, Na(I)-SOJR investigated in this study was found to be equally effective with a commercially available cation exchanger (200CT resin). Therefore, a new method of H2SO4 leaching of IACD followed by adsorption using Na(I)-SOJR investigated in this work can be an economic, environmentally benign, and promising technique for the recovery of K(I) ion from leach liquor of IACD.

Orange Juice Processing Waste As a Biopolymer Base For Biodegradable Film Formation Reinforced With Cellulose Nanofiber and Activated With Nettle Essential Oil

Concerns about environmental problems have led to the development of biodegradable packaging. Food wastes as a byproduct could be a good source for biopolymers. This study described the physical and antimicrobial features of nano biocomposite films based on orange waste powder (OWP) with different concentrations of nettle essential oil (NEO) (1.5 and 3 %) as an antibacterial agent and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) (3 and 6 %) as a structural reinforcement. Thus, tensile strength, elongation at break, water vapor permeability, FE-SEM, FTIR, XRD, DSC, and antimicrobial properties were investigated. As a result, adding CNF improved the tensile strength and water barrier properties of the samples. Compared to the control film, adding NEO (3 %) decreased the tensile strength but increased water vapor permeability and melting temperature. Moreover, the OWP film samples had an antimicrobial effect against five foodborne pathogens. Although, adding NEO increased antimicrobial properties, adding CNF did not exhibit antimicrobial effects. Consequently, orange waste could be used to produce an active film with improved physicomechanical and antibacterial properties by incorporating CNF and NEO.

To separate or not to separate: what is necessary and enough for a green and sustainable extraction of bioactive compounds from Brazilian citrus waste

Increasing demands to obtain chemicals via greener and more sustainable materials and processes introduces concepts that should be considered and applied from lab to larger scales. Obtaining bioactive chemicals from agro-industrial non-food biomass waste can combine benign techniques and bio-circular economy to reach this goal. After extraction, evaluating profitability and environmental impacts to decide whether separation – and to what extent – is necessary or not is indispensable. This could be integrated into an approach known as sufficiency, as an important criterion for sustainability. From this perspective, Brazil’s annual generation of 8 million tons of orange waste is relevant, since citrus waste has large amounts of high-value compounds, such as pectin, d-limonene and flavonoids. This case study aimed at developing and comparing green and sustainable analytical methods to obtain flavonoids from orange peel. Homogenizer, ultrasound and microwave-assisted extractions were employed using chemometric tools, considering time, sample/solvent ratio, temperature and ethanol concentration as variables to obtain extracts containing hesperidin, naringenin, hesperetin and nobiletin. The bioactive flavonoids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV). Microwave extraction was the most efficient method for obtaining the majority of flavonoids studied, six times more for hesperidin. Moreover, orange waste from different farming models showed diverse chemical profiles showing the importance of this alternative in natural product resources.