Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Nutraceuticals Greener Applications: The Cynara cardunculus Case Study

Nutraceuticals are an ever-expanding market worldwide, facing the unstoppable transition towards a green economy. Developing economically feasible and sustainable alternatives to current raw materials for the extraction of nutraceuticals is, therefore, essential to reach these goals and, at the same time, achieve social and economic competitiveness. This paper intends to propose an economical and environmentally sustainable feedstock for chlorogenic acid (CGA) and inulin, whose current extraction from green coffee and chicory, respectively, is unsustainable. Our approach is based on the multi-criteria decision-making approach (MCDA), supported by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), ranking the performance of competitor biomasses according to economic, social, and technological criteria. The results of this study highlight cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) as a promising raw material for the extraction of CGA and inulin in virtue of the high concentration, low-input growth regime, and the possibility of being grown on marginal lands. Nevertheless, cardoon biomass availability is currently scarce, extraction methods are underdeveloped, and consequently, the obtained product’s price is higher than the benchmark competitors. Policies and investments favoring sustainable cultivations could stimulate cardoon employment, linking economic advantages and land requalification while limiting phenomena such as desertification and food competition in the Mediterranean basin.

Social disappointment and partner presence affect long-tailed macaque refusal behaviour in an "inequity aversion" experiment

Inequity aversion plays a central role in human cooperation. Some animals similarly show frustration and become demotivated when rewarded more poorly than a conspecific, which has been taken as evidence of inequity aversion. An alternative explanation - social disappointment - shifts the cause of frustration from the unequal reward to the human experimenter who could – but elects not to – treat subject and partner equally. This study investigates whether social disappointment could explain frustration patterns in long-tailed macaques, Macaca fascicularis. We tested twelve monkeys in a novel inequity aversion paradigm. Subjects had to pull a lever and were rewarded with low-value food; in half of the trials a partner worked alongside the subjects receiving high-value food. Rewards were distributed either by a human or a machine. In line with the social disappointment hypothesis monkeys rewarded by the human refused food more often than monkeys rewarded by the machine. Our study extends previous findings in chimpanzees and suggests that both social disappointment and food competition drive refusal patterns.

Analysis of macro nutrient content in biofouling waste organic fertilizer pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima L.)

Biofouling development is a major problem in bilvave aquaculture around the world. The purpose of this study was to obtain macro nutrient analysis data for organic fertilizer from pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima L) biofouling waste. Where is the manufacture of solid organic fertilizer products that have quality equivalent to other commercial organic fertilizers by utilizing pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima L.) biofouling waste so that high quality solid organic fertilizers are produced which are in accordance with the Quality Standards for solid organic fertilizers and the Indonesian National Standard. Organic fertilizer from pearl oyster biofouling waste is obtained by using pearl oyster biofouling waste which is taken from the results of cleaning microorganisms attached to the pearl oyster shell area. Another major concern regarding biofouling is the potential for food competition caused by the attachment of the filter-feeder. Besides, the waste of biofouling pearl oysters is extracted and soaked in fresh water for one week at a time. Afterward, the pearl oyster biofouling waste is dried in the sun to dry, odorless, blackish brown in color. Analysis of macro nutrient content using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer and UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. The results of the analysis of macro nutrient content were Water Content (5.76%), C (14.48%), Organic Matter (24%), N-total (0.92%), P-total (0, 25%), K-total (1.02%), C/N ratio (15.72).

Single Cell Protein: A Potential Substitute in Human and Animal Nutrition

Single cell protein (SCP) is the first product of the fermentation process and has proven to be a good protein alternative. Food competition is becoming more intense as the world’s population continues to grow. Soon, SCP may be able to compensate for a protein deficit. Various global businesses are focusing on SCP production, and the scope of its application is expanding as time and knowledge increases. High quantities of SCP can be produced by microorganisms, such as algae, yeast, fungi and bacteria, due to their fast development rate and the significant level of protein in their chemical structure. Beside proteins, SCP contains carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids, minerals, vitamins and several important amino acids. SCP has been an effective substitute for more expensive protein sources such as fish and soybean products. In conclusion, SCP can easily replace traditional protein sources in human and animal feed without detrimental effects. Potential substrate candidates and optimization strategies for SCP production have been extensively studied. This review article focuses on the various aspects of SCP, from its production, using different substrates, player microorganisms and nutritional benefits, to its economic aspects.

Novel competition test for food rewards reveals stable dominance status in adult male rats

Social hierarchy is a potent modulator of behavior, that is typically established through overt agonistic interactions between individuals in the group. Once established, social ranks are maintained through subtler interactions allowing the redirection of energy away from agonistic interactions towards other needs. The available tasks for assessing social rank in rats allow the study of the mechanisms by which social hierarches are formed in early phases but fail to assess the maintenance of established hierarchies between stable pairs of animals, which might rely on distinct neurobiological mechanisms. Here we present and validate a novel trial-based dominancy assay, the modified Food Competition test, where established social hierarchies can be identified in the home cage of non-food deprived pairs of male rats. In this task, we introduce a small conflict in the home cage, where access to a new feeder containing palatable pellets can only be gained by one animal at a time. We found that this subtle conflict triggered asymmetric social interactions and resulted in higher consumption of food by one of the animals in the pair, which reliably predicted hierarchy in other tests. Our findings reveal stable dominance status in pair-housed rats and provide a novel tool for the evaluation of established social hierarchies, the modified Food Competition test, that is robust and easy to implement.