Aspergillus oryzae is a widely used host for heterologous expression of fungal natural products. However, the vectors previously developed are not convenient for use and screening positive transformants by PCR and fermentation is time- and effort-consuming. Hence, three plug-and-play vectors were developed here for multi-gene expression and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry detection was introduced to screen positive transformants. Using rug BGC for verification, we demonstrated that the vectors we developed perform well and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry detection is feasible to screen positive transformants. For deleterious gene expression, PxyrA rather than PamyB was employed. Utilizing the toolkit described here to express natural products, dozen days can be saved.

The global trend toward carbon neutrality and sustainability calls for collaborative efforts in both the basic and applied research sectors to utilize mushroom mycelia as environmentally friendly and sustainable materials. Fungi, along with animals and plants, are one of the major eukaryotic life forms. They have long been utilized in traditional biotechnology sectors, such as food fermentation, antibiotic production, and industrial enzyme production. Some fungi have also been consumed as major food crops, such as the fruiting bodies of various mushrooms. Recently, new trends have emerged, shifting from traditional applications towards the innovative use of mushroom mycelium as eco-friendly bioresources. This approach has gained attention in the development of alternative meats, mycofabrication of biocomposites, and production of mycelial leather and fabrics. These applications aim to replace animal husbandry and recycle agricultural waste for use in construction and electrical materials. This paper reviews current research trends on industrial applications of mushroom mycelia, covering strain improvements and molecular breeding as well as mycelial products and the production processes. Key findings, practical considerations, and valorization are also discussed.

The current study attempted to evaluate the influence of three extraction processes such as Soxhlet, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE,) and cold maceration on one hand and solvent polarities (ethanol 70%, ethyl acetate, and water) on the other hand, vs. phytoconstituents and biofunctional properties of Mentha longifolia L. Noteworthy, all extracts were examined in terms of their chemical components, phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant and antimicrobial potentials. Notably, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with array detector analysis (HPLC–DAD) showed the existence of many phenolic compounds. Hydro-ethanol extract (ETOH 70% (v/v)) prepared with maceration and Soxhlet process showed the ultimate rate of phenolic compounds coupled with the most powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity. Notably, ETOH extract obtained with UAE showed important nutritional properties, particularly soluble carbohydrate (50.1 ± 0.70 mg/g dry weight), and soluble protein (26.5 ± 0.5 mg/g dry weight), while aqueous extract obtained by use of UAE extraction maximized pigment content. The outcome of this work showed that Soxhlet and maceration extraction processes with many polar solvents are more appropriate for M. longifolia extraction. M. longifolia possesses promising phytochemicals, which can be used in different sectors like food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic formulations.

This study evaluated the ability of six purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) to convert olive oil by-products into poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). Strains were first independently cultivated in synthetic media with different carbon sources (acetic, lactic and malic acid) to assess their physiology and PHB production. Subsequently, their growth and PHB production using ingested pâté olive cake (IPOC) as a substrate were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations were conducted on strains cultivated on IPOC to investigate their cell morphologies and inclusion bodies presence and size. Rhodopseudomonas palustris strains accumulated up to 6.8% w PHB/w cells with acetate and 0.86% w PHB/w cells with a daily productivity of 0.54 mg PHB L⁻¹ culture d⁻¹ on IPOC. In contrast, Cereibacter johrii and Cereibacter sphaeroides reached 58.64% w PHB/w cells and 65.45% w PHB/w cells with acetate, respectively, while C. sphaeroides achieved 21.48% w PHB/w cells and a daily productivity of 10.85 mg PHB L⁻¹ culture d⁻¹ when cultivated on IPOC. All strains exhibited growth and PHB accumulation in both synthetic media and IPOC substrate. Specifically, R. palustris strains 42OL, AV33 and CGA009 displayed growth capability in all substrates, while C. johrii strains 9Cis and PISA 7, and C. sphaeroides F17 showed promising PHB synthesis capabilities. TEM observations revealed that R. palustris strains, with smaller cell and inclusion body sizes, exhibited lower PHB accumulations, while C. johrii and C. sphaeroides strains, characterized by larger cells and inclusion bodies, demonstrated higher PHB production, recognizing them as promising candidates for PHB production using olive oil by-products. Further investigations under laboratory-scale conditions will be necessary to optimize operating parameters and develop integrated strategies for simultaneous PHB synthesis and the co-production of value-added products, thereby enhancing the economic feasibility of the process within a biorefinery framework.

The cyanobacterium, Spirulina sp. is a photosynthetic blue-green alga with essential nutrients, vitamins nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids and pigments carotenes; and phycocyanins are the significant components having immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory properties, which are used in food and cosmetics industries. Spirulina sp. can play an important role in human and animal nutrition for potential health benefits due to their phycochemical and pharmaceutical significance. This study highlights antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant, nephroprotective, cardioprotective, anticancer, neuroprotective, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. It highlights anti-anemic, antidiabetic, probiotic, anti-malarial, anti-obesity and weight loss, anti-genotoxicity, anti-thrombic, radioprotective, and detoxifying effects of Spirulina sp. Pharmaceutical studies indicate it may improve heart health and add to the treatment of diabetes, obesity and weight loss. It can play a major role in protecting the environment by recycling wastewater and providing food for humans and animals. Spirulina sp. can supply ingredients for aquaculture and agricultural feeds, pigments, antioxidants, and essential omega-3 oils, among other human health and wellness products. The amino acid of Spirulina is among the greatest qualititavely of any plant, even higher than that of soybean. Furthermore, cyanobacterium Spirulina sp. could be a future antimicrobial drug agent.

Natural products of plant origin are being explored as safe alternatives for illness management. Their extraction processes play a crucial role in determining their phytochemical and pharmacological properties. In this context, Euphorbia trigona was extracted using Supercritical Fluid Extraction with CO₂ (SFE-CO₂) at two operating temperatures: 20 °C and 40 °C. Phytochemical characterization was performed via HPLC, along with anti-yeast evaluation using the well diffusion method, anticancer assessment using the MTT assay, wound healing analysis via the scratch assay, and anti-obesity evaluation through the lipase assay of the E. trigona extract. The results indicated that SFE-CO₂ at 40 °C extracted a greater quantity (0.198 g) of E. trigona than SFE-CO₂ at 20 °C (0.156 g). Several compounds, such as rosmarinic acid, gallic acid, daidzein, ellagic acid, naringenin, and ferulic acid, were identified at high concentrations of 10,034.29, 1,800.33, 750.22, 748.11, 462.15, and 207.05 µg/mL, respectively, in the E. trigona extract obtained using SFE-CO₂ at 40 °C, compared to the extract obtained using SFE-CO₂ at 20 °C. High inhibition zones of 24 ± 1.5, 24 ± 0.5, and 23 ± 0.33 mm were recorded against C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and G. candidum, respectively, using the extract from SFE-CO₂ at 40 °C, compared to the inhibition zones of 24 ± 1.5, 24 ± 0.5, and 23 ± 0.33 mm obtained from the extract using SFE-CO₂ at 20 °C. Moreover, the extract from SFE-CO₂ at 40 °C exhibited lower MIC and MFC values against the tested yeasts compared to the efficacy of the extract from SFE-CO₂ at 20 °C. The ultrastructure of the examined yeasts was severely affected by the extract from SFE-CO₂ at 40 °C. A lower IC₅₀ (98.87 ± 1.26 µg/mL) was recorded for the extract from SFE-CO₂ at 40 °C compared to the IC₅₀ (333.87 ± 1.8 µg/mL) of the extract from SFE-CO₂ at 20 °C against cancer cells (A431). The wound closure level was 84.08% using the extract from SFE-CO₂ at 40 °C, while it was 71.27% using the extract from SFE-CO₂ at 20 °C. Lipase was inhibited by the extract obtained via SFE-CO₂ at 40 °C and 20 °C, with IC₅₀ values of 15.77 and 28.14 µg/mL, respectively. Molecular docking indicated that rosmarinic acid is a suitable inhibitor for the tested yeasts.

This study investigates the in silico anti-arboviral potential of zoochemicals derived from the methanolic extract of Charybdis natator shell, alongside their larvicidal efficacy against Aedes aegypti 4th instar larvae. Through GC–MS analysis, 27 zoochemicals were identified, demonstrating promising in silico activity against molecular antiviral targets: DENV2 protease (PDB: 6MO1) for anti-dengue, RNA polymerase (PDB: 5U04) for anti-Zika, and nsP2 protease (PDB: 3TRK) for anti-chikungunya. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.726–0.889) in binding affinities (kcal/mol) suggests a consistent inhibitory mechanism across these targets. Furthermore, PASS analysis indicates higher probabilities of activity (Pa) for insecticidal properties compared to antiviral efficacy, highlighting their dual potential as larvicidal agents and antiviral candidates. The methanolic extract of Charybdis natator shell exhibited potent larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti (LC₅₀ = 81.001 µg/mL) in a dose-dependent manner (R² = 0.968). In silico analysis further elucidated its inhibitory action on key growth regulators of A. aegypti, underscoring its potential to disrupt larval development. These findings highlight the dual utility of C. natator shell extract in vector management and in mitigating the transmission of arboviral diseases such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya. The extract's promise as an eco-friendly, cost-effective source for developing novel insecticidal and antiviral agents merits further exploration.

Andrographolide (AG), one of the main active components of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees, has been proved to possess the pharmacological function of anti-inflammation in multiple disease including asthma. But the potential mechanism is still not clear. In this study, network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental validation were utilized to explore the molecular mechanism of AG in the treatment of asthma. AG-related targets and asthma-related targets were screened by Swiss Target Prediction, DrugBank, STITCH, OMIM, Genecards and TTD databases. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was obtained through the STRING Database. The plug-in of “Network Analyzer” in Cytoscape 3.7.1 software was used to conduct the topological analysis. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis were achieved by Metascape database and Bioinformatics platform. The target-pathway network was acquired by Cytoscape 3.7.1 software. The binding affinity between AG and the target genes was evaluated by Molecular docking with AutoDockTools 1.5.6. Flow cytometry was also used to verify the mechanism behind the treatment of asthma by AG, which was predicted in network pharmacology. In total, 38 targets were identified as potential targets of AG against asthma. The top 10 targets revealed by PPI are: IL-6, IL-1B, NFKB1, MMP9, CDK2, CREBBP, MAP2K1, JAK1, AR, PRKCA. GO and KEGG analysis showed that AG treatment of asthma mainly involved protein phosphorylation, peptidyl-serine phosphorylation, peptidyl-amino acid modification and other biological processes. The main signaling pathways are Th17 cell differentiation, JAK-STAT signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that AG has higher affinity with MMP9, PRKCA, JAK2, LTGAL and LRRK2. Flow cytometry showed that Th17 cell differentiation may be the potential target of AG in the treatment of asthma. This study successfully revealed the underlying target genes and mechanism involved in the treatment of asthma for AG, providing a reference and guidance for future mechanism research.

β-Glucanases are a series of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) that are of special interest for various medical and biotechnological applications. Numerous β-glucanases were produced by different types of microorganisms. Particularly, bacterial β-glucanases have the privilege of being stable, easily produced, and suitable for large-scale production. This study aimed for finding potent β-glucanase producing bacterial strains and optimizing its production. Soil samples from Egyptian governorates were screened for such strains, and 96 isolates were collected. The β-glucanase activity was qualitatively assessed and quantitatively measured using 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. The highest β-glucanase producing strain (0.74 U/ml) was identified as Streptomyces albogriseolus S13-1. The optimum incubation period and temperature, determined one-variable at a time, were estimated as 4 d and 45 ͦ C, respectively. Similarly, yeast β-glucan and beef extract were selected as the best carbon and nitrogen sources, with enzymatic activities of 0.74 and 1.12 U/ml, respectively. Other fermentation conditions were optimized through response surface methodology (RSM); D-optimal design (DOD) with a total of 28 runs. The maximum experimental β-glucanase activity (1.3 U/ml) was obtained with pH 6.5, inoculum volume of 0.5% v/v, agitation speed of 100 rpm, carbon concentration of 1% w/v, and nitrogen concentration of 0.11% w/v. This was 1.76-fold higher compared to unoptimized conditions. Using the same experimental matrix, an artificial neural network (ANN) was built to predict β-glucanase production by the isolated strain. Predicted β-glucanase levels by RSM and ANN were 1.79 and 1.32 U/ml, respectively. Both models slightly over-estimated production levels, but ANN showed higher predictivity and better performance metrics. The enzyme was partially purified through acetone precipitation, characterized, and immobilized on chitosan-coated iron oxide microparticles. The optimal pH and temperature for enzyme activity were 5 and 50 °C, respectively. The immobilized enzyme showed superior characters such as higher stability at temperatures 50, 60, and 70 °C compared to the free enzyme, and satisfactory reusability, losing only 30% of activity after 6 cycles of reuse.

The biosynthesis of bimetallic nanoparticles using plant extracts has garnered significant attention due to their eco-friendly and cost-effective nature. This study aimed to biosynthesize magnesium oxide-zinc oxide nanocomposite (MgO-ZnO nanocomposite) using Pluchea indica leaf extract for the first time, with a focus on characterizing its physicochemical properties and evaluating its biological activities. The biosynthesized MgO-ZnO nanocomposite was fully characterized, revealing an absorbance peak at 300 nm using UV–vis spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed particle stability within the size range of 5–35 nm. Cytotoxicity analysis on the Wi 38 normal cell line demonstrated an IC₅₀ value of 179.13 µg/mL, indicating good biosafety. The nanocomposite exhibited potent anticancer activity, with IC₅₀ values of 73.61 µg/mL and 31.25 µg/mL against Hep-G2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, respectively. Antibacterial assays revealed activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 31.25 to 250 µg/mL. Furthermore, the nanocomposite displayed antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ value of 175 µg/mL, as determined by the DPPH assay. In conclusion, the successful synthesis of the MgO-ZnO nanocomposite using P. indica leaf extract demonstrates its potential as a safe and effective agent for concentration-dependent antioxidants, antibacterial, and anticancer applications. This study highlights the versatility of plant-mediated biosynthesis in developing functional nanomaterials for biomedical use.

To explore the chemical and biological diversities of diterpenoids from the fungus Talaromyces adpressus, a previously unknown biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC, tdn) for sordarin (a well-known fungal antibiotics) was discovered by leveraging the genome mining method. Heterologous expressions of key genes of tdn in Aspergillus oryzae, led to the determination of one new diterpenoid, cycloaraneosene-9-ol-8-one (4), and three known diterpenoids, cycloaraneosene (1), cycloaraneosene-9-ol (2), cycloaraneosene-8,9-diol (3). The structures of 1–4 was elucidated well via detailed analysis of 1D and 2D NMR, GCMS, HRESIMS, IR data, and comparison with reported data. Structurally, compounds 1–4 were belonging to fusicoccane diterpenoids with a classical tricyclic 5/8/5 ring system, which are participated in the biosynthesis of sordarin. Compound 4 maybe a key precursor for a Baeyer–Villiger like reaction with C8–C9 bond cleavage in the biosynthetic pathway of sordarin. Moreover, all isolates were evaluated for their bioactivities, compounds 3, and 4 exhibited inhibitory activities against the human cancer cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 7.8 to 32.4 µM. 3 and 4 promote cell apoptosis of HCT-116 and HepG2 cells, and suppress cell migration of HepG2 cells. As well, 3 and 4 also decrease gene expression of cell proliferation related molecules BCL-2 and cyclin D1, while increase expression of cell apoptosis related gene BAX. Targets predication and molecular docking indicate that compound 4 exhibits stronger affinity for DBL, suggesting its excellent binding potential. This finding will be enriched the structures and bioactivities of diterpenoids with a tricyclic 5/8/5 ring system, most importantly, will provide new strategies for the synthetic biological research of sordarins.

Biomass recalcitrance makes pretreatment process a key step for efficient bioconversion process. In this study, differential effects of promising acid (AP) and alkaline pretreatments (ALP) on enzymatic hydrolysis of diverse herbaceous and woody wastes were systematically investigated. Four biomass samples were separately pretreated and sugar recovery was then recorded in the subsequent hydrolysis. Results showed that both dilute AP and ALP exhibited efficacy in the removal of hemicellulose. Specifically, soybean straw AP demonstrated the highest recovery of soluble sugars at the pretreatment stage [270 mg/g raw stalk (RS)], against 71–212 mg/g RS achieved in AP and ALP of other wastes. Compared with herbaceous soybean straw, both AP and ALP of more recalcitrant woody biomass (e.g., bamboo and poplar) showed much lower enzymatic sugar yields. Among tested samples, ALP soybean straw produced stronger structure modification, morphological changes and higher delignification, which increased its availability to cellulases. As a result, the sugar yield of ALP soybean straw using 1.5% NaOH reached 787 mg/g, which is much higher than those of other tested AP & ALP biomass wastes. The present study revealed differential responses of diverse biomass wastes to AP & ALP, hence providing valuable information for the development of effective bioconversion process of these promising biomass. Looking ahead, these classic AP and ALP will be further investigated together with other potential and emerging pretreatments (e.g., green solvent pretreatments) to provide a foundation for high value utilization of biomass.

This study investigated the potential use of pyrolysis liquid from bark as an anti-fungal substance against food decaying fungi. Four different fractions of pyrolysis liquid were collected during variable temperature phases of the pyrolysis process: F1 (25–260 °C), F2 (260–512 °C), F3 (512–800 °C), and F4 (800–25 °C). The thermal degradation of bark material was assessed using TGA analysis. The concentration, pH, total phenolic content, and functional groups of the liquid samples were determined. Additionally, the molecular composition was examined using UHPLC and QToF mass spectrometry methods. Fungal species were isolated from bell pepper and animal fat and identified through microscopic observation and DNA sequencing. The anti-fungal activity of the liquid fractions was evaluated using the disk diffusion test. The obtained degradation thermograms had a typical shape characteristic of lignocellulosic materials, revealing different thermal degradation phases of the bark. These phases served as a basis for the collection of the pyrolysis liquid in fractions, which were expected to differ in properties and molecular composition. In the fractions collected above 260 ºC (F2, F3, F4), the pyrolysis liquid presented an acidic character, resulting from the complex thermochemical reactions that occur during the slow pyrolysis of bark. F2 had the highest concentration of total phenolic compounds (6.46 mg GAE/g extract) while F1 and F4 contained only negligible amounts. The FTIR spectra of F2 displayed additional peaks compared to other samples which provided information on the occurrence of various compounds. The reversed phase UHPLC-UV analysis revealed that furfural, 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, and 5-methyl furfural were the most abundant compounds, and F2 had the highest concentration of summed furans (570 µg/mL) among all samples. The morphological assessment and DNA sequence analysis of the fungal strains revealed that Penicillium crustosum and Cladosporium sp were isolated from fat and bell pepper, respectively. The antifungal activity of the liquid fractions was limited due to their low concentration (ranging from 0.24% to 0.01% (v/v)), with only minor inhibition observed for F2, indicated by a small inhibition zone of approximately 1 mm around the 10 mm filter paper. However, concentrating the fraction F2 up to 1% (v/v) demonstrated a stronger inhibitory zone against Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides and Penicillium sp., indicating its antifungal potential at higher concentrations. Overall, the pyrolysis liquid demonstrated promising antifungal activity, particularly after concentration, with F2 exhibiting the highest bioactivity and strongest inhibition effect. These findings highlight its potential for controlling food-decaying fungi while emphasizing the need for further purification, toxicity assessments, and application studies to ensure its feasibility for agro-industrial applications.

Qu-aroma is a critical quality indicator for medium–high temperature Daqu (MT-Daqu). Due to the differences in regional and environmental conditions, these differences are likely to cause variations in the Qu-aroma of MT-Daqu. Despite this, comprehensive research on the variations in Qu-aroma across different regions has been lacking. This study aims to address this gap to analyze the differences in Qu-aroma characteristics of MT-Daqu from seven distinct production areas. Sensory analysis identified seven broad aroma categories and 25 specific aromas characterizing the Qu-aroma of MT-Daqu samples. Chen aroma and roasted aroma were notably more prevalent in MT-Daqu samples from Sichuan compared to those from other regions (P <  0.05). In total, 123 volatile compounds were detected in MT-Daqu, with 42 classified as aroma-active compounds. Among these, 21 aroma-active compounds were identified as markers distinguishing Sichuan MT-Daqu from those produced in non-Sichuan regions, showing significant differences in their concentrations (P <  0.05). Additionally, six major aroma-active compounds were found to significantly contribute to the aroma differences between Sichuan and non-Sichuan MT-Daqu. This study delineates the distinct Qu-aroma characteristics of MT-Daqu from various SAB production areas. The insights gained from this research offer valuable guidance for optimizing flavor profiles in MT-Daqu production.

The aging is a crucial stage in tobacco processing, which contributes to the reduction of impurities and irritation, and the stabilization of the internal chemical composition of the leaves. However, it usually takes a long time (2–3 years) for the nature aging process of tobacco (20 °C–30 °C, relative humidity of 65–75%), which seriously affects the processing efficiency of tobacco. Microorganisms play an important role in the change of chemical composition and characteristic aromatic substances of tobacco. Acinetobacter, Sphingomonas Aspergillus, Bacilli, and Pseudonocardia is the main microorganism in the aging process of tobacco, which increasing the aromatic substances (such as alcohols, ketones, and esters) by the action of the enzymes and metabolites, and degrade the harmful components (such as alkaloid, nicotine and nitrosamines in tobacco). This review systematically summarizes recent advancements in understanding the primary microbial composition and the changes in chemical composition during tobacco aging. This knowledge is helpful for screening functional strains, and control the process of tobacco aging by the inoculation of these strains.

Polysaccharides derived from Pleurotus eryngii possess various bioactive properties, including antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, polysaccharides were extracted from P. eryngii fruiting bodies and exposed to gamma irradiation at doses of 50 and 100 kGy, with a dose rate of 5 kGy/h. The surface morphology of the polysaccharide irradiated at 100 kGy exhibited numerous pores and a smaller flake structure compared to those irradiated at 50 kGy and the non-irradiated sample. ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of all samples indicated that both irradiated and non-irradiated polysaccharides exhibited α- and β-configurations, with signals corresponding to C1–C5 clearly observed. HPLC analysis of the polysaccharides revealed that glucose (75.23%), galactose (4.96%), glucuronic acid (1.38%), ribose (0.94%), rhamnose (2.35%), and mannose (3.87%) are the main components. All polysaccharides demonstrated antioxidant activity, which increased with concentration. Both non-irradiated and irradiated polysaccharides exhibited antidiabetic effects, significantly reducing blood glucose levels, and restoring insulin level with superiority of irradiated polysaccharides. Additionally, they significantly elevated body weight, slightly reduced MDA levels, and markedly enhanced catalase activity in treated rats compared to diabetic controls. The antidiabetic effects of the polysaccharides were further confirmed by histopathological examination of the pancreas and liver sections from polysaccharide-treated diabetic rats. This suggests that irradiation, by reducing the molecular weight of polysaccharides, enhances their bioavailability and efficacy in modulating glucose metabolism.

Astaxanthin, a red carotenoid with potent antioxidant properties, holds significant value in the feed, cosmetics, and nutraceutical industries. While traditionally sourced from microalgae, Corynebacterium glutamicum, a well-established industrial microorganism, has been engineered to serve as an efficient host for astaxanthin production. As astaxanthin integrates into the cellular membrane, effective extraction methods are essential to access this valuable compound. In this study, a sustainable batch extraction process using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) as a green solvent was developed. The effects of cosolvent concentration (0–9% (w/w)), temperature (50–75 °C), and pressure (450–650 bar) were investigated with regard to the extraction yield. An optimized extraction was achieved with 9% (w/w) ethanol as a cosolvent, at 68 °C and 550 bar, allowing the extraction of 67.5 ± 3.7% of the cellular astaxanthin within 0.5 h. Prolonging the extraction time further increased the recovery to 93.3%, which is comparable to processes that have been established for the extraction of astaxanthin from microalgae and yeast. This approach provides a scalable and environmentally friendly solution for industrial astaxanthin recovery.

In the present study, a novel technology called intermittent solvent-free microwave extraction (ISFME), which integrates intermittent microwave treatment with solvent-free extraction, was proposed. Taking Nanfeng citrus peel as the research object, the extraction efficiency and composition of its essential oil were evaluated and compared with conventional hydrodistillation (HD) and solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME). Results from single-factor experiments and response surface method optimization indicate that the optimal parameters for SFME are a power of 660 W, a duration of 20 min, and a water content of 60%, yielding an essential oil output of 3.47%. In contrast, the optimal parameters for ISFME, determined through single-factor experiments, are a moisture content of 50%, a power setting of 380 W, a reaction time of 6 min, a 15 min interval, and 4 reaction cycles, resulting in an essential oil yield of 3.51%. Notably, the extraction efficiencies of ISFME and SFME are significantly superior to that of HD, which requires 240 min and yields only 3.28% essential oil. Furthermore, ISFME demonstrates comparable performance to SFME in terms of reaction time, extraction rate, and oil quality, while operating at a substantially lower power requirement of 380 W compared to the 660 W needed for SFME. Additionally, the carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption associated with ISFME are markedly lower than those of traditional methods, amounting to only one-third of the energy consumption of SFME. These findings underscore that ISFME not only enhances the efficiency and quality of essential oil extraction but also minimizes environmental impact, thereby highlighting its significant advantages in terms of sustainability and ecological responsibility.

Pinus radiata is the dominant tree species in exotic plantation forestry of New Zealand producing timber for construction and pulp and paper. Additionally, the processing yields large amounts of bark as a byproduct that is either left at the harvest site or used for landscaping. P. radiata bark is rich in biochemical extractives containing polyphenols and waxes on sequential extraction with hydrophilic and lipophilic solvents, respectively. Previous studies have exclusively focussed on the effect of parameters such as solvent type, bark to solvent ratio, and extraction time on the yield of extractives. However, two parameters were always maintained constant: solvent order (lipophilic to hydrophobic) and particle size. This work investigated the the combined impact of these two parameters on total yield and product quality by using two solvents- water and hexane. Total extractives were highest when water was used first (11.74% and 9.45%) compared to hexane (10.53% and 6.53%). The individual yields of hexane extractives were in the range of 2.25–2.9% while those of water were 4.30–9.24%. Chemical analyses of the extracts and residues showed no qualitative differences, indicating the order in which bark is extracted does not alter the extract composition. Moreover, the results have successfully established that extracting bark with water first followed by hexane will increase the total yield of extractives and increasing particle size decreases the total yield of the sequential extraction.

Valorization of food byproducts, especially fruits and vegetables, has recently attracted considerable attention, mostly due to their high wastage rates. Exploitation of these byproducts, including the non-edible parts of crucifer vegetables, may provide value-added opportunities in the food, functional food, and nutraceutical industries as well as in non-food applications such as therapeutics, biofuels, and paper pulp production. This review focuses on the state-of-the-art valorization practices of crucifer vegetable agro-food wastes including those of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, collards, watercress and radish constituting the main cultivated crucifer vegetables worldwide and suggests potential novel uses through upcycling. A detailed comparative phytochemical composition of crucifer vegetable waste products as potential sources of raw materials in promising applications including the production of food enhancers, and antioxidants is presented. Different extraction techniques combining downstream and white biotechnology processes for the optimum utilization of such agro-food waste are discussed. The valorization of cruciferous vegetables by-products is shown to be economical, sustainable and a viable approach to unlock novel applications across diverse industries. To fully maximize the potential of these underutilized resources and promote an ecological bioeconomy, more research and development into extraction methods and upcycling techniques is needed

Global population growth underlies the need to explore alternative materials to address pressing challenges in food security, medicine, energy, and environmental pollution. Spirulina is a nutrient dense cyanobacteria that offers promising solutions to the aforementioned challenges, mainly due to its rich composition of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds such as β-carotene and phycocyanin. These compounds confer various health benefits, including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, which make Spirulina a valuable dietary and therapeutic supplement. Essential fatty acids and its rapid growth rate also makes Spirulina a potential source of biodiesel for energy related applications. Additionally, Spirulina's high porosity and variable functional groups endow it with remarkable biosorption properties for soil and wastewater remediation applications. The chemical structure and unique properties of Spirulina have been utilized to produce biotemplates for nanomaterials as well as the fabrication of functional composites for various applications. Thus, in this review, we have highlighted the broad potentials of Spirulina in diverse applications, emphasizing its eco-friendliness, economic viability, challenges, and the prospects of its biomass for sustainable, nutraceutical, therapeutic, energy related, and environmental applications.

This study aims to synthesize calcium oxide nanoparticles by employing green synthetic methods and explore their potential as nano-catalyst based upon the utilization of waste into a value-based product. Waste orange peel extract has been utilized as a reducing medium. The reaction was optimized by varying the reactants’ molar ratio to obtain calcium carbonate microparticles that were calcined to obtain calcium oxide nanoparticles with a particle size ranging from 70 to 100 nm. Various spectrochemical techniques analyzed the composition and morphology of the nano-catalyst. The nano-catalyst was further exploited in the one-pot transesterification of waste cooking oil. The biodiesel was analyzed for the presence of methyl ester groups by FTIR and GCMS analysis. The impact of varying reaction constraints, including temperature, contact time, nano-catalyst concentration, and methanol-oil molar ratio, were critically analyzed to optimize biodiesel yield. The study provided an economical and environmentally benign technique to successfully synthesize calcium oxide nano-catalyst to obtain biodiesel with 93.4% yield and effective waste minimization.

In recent years, there has been growing attention towards developing renewable energy and materials derived from abundant biomass resources. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is recognized as a promising bio-based platform compound for synthesizing value-added chemicals and materials due to its versatile reactivity. HMF can be directly synthesized from carbohydrates and various raw biomass through the acid-hydrolysis reaction. Heterogeneous catalysts have gained prominence in biomass conversion owing to their environmental friendliness, facile separation from reaction mixtures, high catalytic efficiency, and reduced corrosivity toward equipment. This review systematically examines the reaction pathways and mechanisms involved in HMF synthesis from fructose, glucose, cellulose, and raw biomass using heterogeneous catalysts. Then we give an introduction to the preparation of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from HMF with different catalytic methods. FDCA is an important degradable bio-material monomer for polyethylene furanoate to replace petroleum-based polyethylene terephthalate. This review ends with a prospect on the challenges and opportunities of HMF synthesis in the near future.

A new green composite material with antioxidant properties and specific-targeting capabilities was developed using Montmorillonite Clay in modified forms for rosemary essential oil gaseous adsorption without harmful chemicals or excessive heat. The modified clays were tested for their adsorption capabilities, with the sodic clay showing the highest affinity for the essential oil. The study also found that the adsorbed essential oil on sodic clay had the highest antioxidant activity compared to the organic and pillared clays. Adsorption isotherms revealed values of 40, 30, and 18 mg g⁻¹ for sodic, organic, and pillared clay respectively. To assess the experimental data three models were used: First Order, Second Order, and Intra-particular Diffusion. According to the models’ data, the Second Order model fits the experimental results. These results suggest combining modified clays with essential oils can create materials suitable for controlled release systems in food and pharmaceutical applications.

Highlights

The sugarcane bagasse was analyzed for Particle Size Distribution (PSD) with a mean geometric diameter of 0.722 mm. Various standard techniques assessed its physical and chemical properties, including density measurements, higher heating value (HHV), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA), and compositional, proximate, ultimate, and CHNS/O analysis. The raw bagasse showed higher volatile matter, fixed carbon, ash content, and HHV of 16 MJ/kg, with lower moisture content (8.71%). Thermal analysis indicated a peak degradation temperature for organic matter at 310–330 °C, and bagasse exhibited a higher combustion index than fossil fuels and other biomasses. Logarithmic models were obtained to determine the real, particle, and apparent densities of bagasse with the mean particle size within the 0.075–9.5 mm range, showing adequate results for particles with a mean diameter greater than 0.15 mm. For smaller particles, the reported errors were 12.6%, 8.23%, and 28%, respectively. These findings highlight sugarcane bagasse's significant potential for thermochemical conversion systems and its importance in selecting and designing fluidized bed technologies like pneumatic conveying, drying, combustion, and gasification equipment.

High-molecular weight heparosan (HMW-heparosan) is a member of the glycosaminoglycan family. It possesses various chemical and physical properties suitable for a range of high-quality tissue engineering biomaterials, gels, scaffolds, and drug delivery systems. In this study, the HMW-heparosan biosynthesis pathway was engineered in Corynebacterium glutamicum through the introduction of heparosan synthase PmHS2 from Pasteurella multocida combined with overexpression of the key genes ugdA and galU, resulting in the generation of a stable HMW-heparosan-producing strain. Subsequently, to address metabolic flux competition, endogenous glycosyltransferases were systematically deleted to minimize UDP-glucose consumption, leading to a significant increase in HMW-heparosan accumulation. Additionally, cell growth was optimized by overexpressing transcriptional regulators whcD and PnkB, which was found to improve cell growth while creating an improved intracellular environment for biosynthesis. Notably, the critical enzyme heparosan synthase PmHS2 was relocated to the cell membrane by cell membrane display motifs porB, with its stability and catalytic efficiency being significantly enhanced so that the titer of HMW-heparosan reached 1.40 g/L in shake-flasks. Ultimately, the engineered strain was demonstrated to achieve HMW-heparosan production at 7.02 g/L with an average molecular weight (Mw) of 801 kDa in 5 L fed-batch bioreactor. These results demonstrate combinatorial optimization of cell factories, especially cell morphology and membrane localization of key enzymes, is efficacious and likely applicable for the production of other biopolymers.

Catha edulis (Khat) waste (KW) is one of the challenging waste managements in Ethiopian urban areas. While biochar from other biomass sources has been studied, the effect of pyrolysis conditions on Catha edulis waste-based biochar yield and quality remains unexplored. Therefore, this study aims to optimize the biochar production process from Catha edulis waste for high yield and desirable characteristics. The KW and biochar were characterized using FTIR, BET, proximate analysis and other key parameters. The results indicated that KW possesses favorable properties for thermochemical conversion, with low ash content (4.35% wt. dry basis) and significant organic constituents (46.89% cellulose, 28.53% lignin, 19.62% hemicellulose, 4.96% extractives). The effect of pyrolysis process variables embracing reaction temperature, reaction time, and particle size on biochar yield and quality was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with central composite design (CCD). The biochar was desirably characterized by a pH of 8.96, fixed carbon of 60.08%, ash content of 10.55%, and a yield of 45.12% at the optimum production processes of 390 °C, 44 min, and 0.7 mm particle size. Moreover, the study found that pyrolysis temperature was the most influential factor across all responses (yield and quality). Consequently, the biochar (yield and quality) was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by pyrolysis temperature. In conclusion, the study inferred that KW holds substantial potential for biochar production with remarkable soil amendment characteristics.

Atmospheric and Room Temperature Plasma (ARTP) mutagenesis has emerged as a novel and powerful physical mutation technology for microbial strain improvement recently. ARTP operates at atmospheric pressure and room temperature using a helium plasma jet, inducing widespread genomic mutations through reactive species and DNA damage. Compared to traditional mutagenesis methods, ARTP is safer, more efficient, and capable of producing high mutation rates without genetic modification, making it a valuable and sophisticated tool in biomanufacturing. This review outlines the principles and diverse applications of ARTP technology for enhancing enzyme activity, metabolite yields, and stress tolerance across various organisms. It also provides a comprehensive discussion of underlying biological mechanisms, workflow, optimization parameters, and potential cellular instability associated with ARTP-induced mutagenesis. Finally, current breakthroughs and future perspectives of ARTP mutagenesis are addressed, emphasizing its role in advancing next-generation microbial platforms for industrial biotechnology and environmental sustainability.

As the world’s top producers of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), Indonesia and Malaysia are urged to propose a value-added valorization of its lignocellulosic biomass, oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB). Meanwhile, the nations’ signature ‘batik’ textile industries are in dire need of optimum remediation treatments of their wastewater high in harmful dyes and chemicals. Organic–inorganic hybrid systems of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for heavy metals removal were prepared using OPEFB-based cellulose acetate (CA) and zinc oxide (ZnO; 0.5, 0.75, 1%, w/v) in N-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP; 89, 90, 91%, v/v). The high crystallinity (62.42%) and fibrils’ web-like structure of OPEFB-CA were confirmed. Microscopic observation of OPEFB CA-NMP-ZnO membranes evidenced the porous yet smooth surface due to the use of plasticizing NMP, as well as uniform dispersion of ZnO particles. MMM 2 (0.75%ZnO; 90%NMP) was the best-performing membrane mechanically with excellent tensile strength (1.78 MPa), Young’s modulus (0.13 GPa), and elongation-at-break (2.59%), while thermal stability (T_d,5%, 291 °C) improvement was also highlighted. Pores characteristics on size, volume, and surface area were discussed, too. Remediation performance was excellent even at high (20%) effluent concentration reaching 28% and 65% removal of Cu and Pb, respectively, by MMM 1 (0.5%ZnO; 89%NMP). These findings confirmed the promising prospect of the developed membranes as a wastewater remediation treatment, including in textile industries.

Plant probiotics are bacteria that play a significant role in enhancing plant growth and health. To understand the interactions between plant probiotics and host plants, a comprehensive approach of antagonistic activity and analytical methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry (GC‒MS), and Fourier transform infrared (FT‒IR) spectroscopy, were employed. The previously isolated bacterial strains, namely, Corynebacterium accolens strain CNTC Th1/57, Bacillus rugosus strain SPB7, Lactobacillus pasteurii DSM 23907 and Cytobacillus firmus strain NBRC 15306, were exposed to antagonistic testing against Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum. Considering the results of the antagonistic activity both in vitro and statistically, the bacterial strains Bacillus rugosus strain SPB7 and Lactobacillus pasteurii DSM 23907 presented greater zones of inhibition. Hence these bacteria were moved to obtain comprehensive insights into the chemical composition. HPLC and GC‒MS resulted in the identification of phenols and organic acids. These results were further confirmed by FT-IR, which revealed a peak at 3500 cm⁻¹ for Bacillus rugosus strain SPB7, where O–H, aromatic C-H and aromatic C = C stretching vibrations were also observed at 3069 and 1549 cm⁻¹. The peak at 1736 cm⁻¹ corresponds to the carboxyl group (-COOH) as the functional group with respect to Lactobacillus pasteurii DSM 23907. Further confirmation was performed by observing the other absorption bands at 3451 cm⁻¹ and 2958 cm⁻¹, indicating the presence of hydroxyl group (O–H) and alkyl group (C-H) stretching vibrations, thus confirming their potential for the production of phenols and organic acids, respectively, by bacteria. This findings would make a way to explore plant diseases, tolerance against pathogens, and also study ecological role of these bacteria in plant communities.

Galactomannan oligosaccharides (GMOS), composed of 2–10 mannose units linked with β-1, 4 glycosidic bond as the main chain and galactose linked with α-1, 6 glycosidic bond as the side chain, are crucial for probiotic food synthesis due to their ability to promote the growth and activity of beneficial intestinal microbiota, enhance the host immune system, and improve nutrient digestion. GMOS is usually obtained by hydrolyzing plants such as locust bean gum and guar gum with mannanase. β-mannanase ManA from Alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. N16-5 can hydrolyze β-1, 4 glycosidic bond of galactomannan. In this study, an immobilization system was employed utilizing polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers, which naturally have an affinity mainly mediated by hydrophobic interaction for PhaP protein. Fusion protein combining ManA with PhaP from Aeromonas hydrophila, was subsequently immobilized on PHA support to form a multi-enzyme complex, facilitating the hydrolysis of locust bean gum to generate GMOS. This immobilized enzyme enhances enzyme stability and reusability, can be reused up to 32 times while maintaining ~ 80% of its activity, offering substantial cost savings through in-situ enzyme and product separation. Additionally, the different PHA forms were developed to hydrolyze locust bean gum to produce GMOS, such as nano PHA particles, PHA electrospun materials, while these preliminary investigations show promise, further research is needed to optimize their performance and practical application.

Rising environmental concerns and fossil fuel depletion necessitate the search for sustainable, alternative energy sources. Biodiesel is emerging as a viable alternative owing to its biodegradability, low toxicity, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. This review highlights the environmental and economic advantages of biodiesel, with a special emphasis on microbial lipids from wastewater as a promising third-generation feedstock. The novelty of this review is the comprehensive evaluation of wastewater and sewage sludge as low-cost, nutrient-rich substrates for microbial lipid production. In this review, the biodiesel production by direct lipid extraction and microbial conversion routes is discussed. Biodiesel production from different types of industrial wastewaters, such as municipal, dairy, pulp and paper, brewery, and textile wastewater using oleaginous microorganisms is discussed as well. This review revealed that lipid content in different microbes ranged from 27 to 90% when different wastewaters were used as substrates. Further, this review compares the fuel properties of biodiesel derived from plant oils, animal fats, and microbial lipids, their fatty acid profiles, and estimated production costs, and it varies from 0.1 to 0.83 USD/L. In addition, this review also focuses on the biodiesel production from wastewater using microalgae, fungi, and bacteria. Biodiesel with a high cetane number of 64.47 was produced by Cryptococcus curvatus. Finally, key challenges in producing biodiesel from wastewater and future prospects are discussed, emphasizing the potential of wastewater as a substrate for sustainable biodiesel production.

Recent research has indicated that polysaccharides extracted from Sargassum (SP) possess promising activity in alleviating type I hypersensitivity reactions. However, effects of SP and Sargassum oligosaccharides (SO) on immune regulation and gut microbiota in type IV hypersensitivity remain unexplored. In this study, SP and SO were prepared and structurally characterized. SP contained high-molecular-weight fractions (866 kDa and 276 kDa), whereas SO was composed of low-molecular-weight components (3.74 kDa and 126 Da), lacked sulfate groups, and exhibited higher reducing sugar contents. The influence of SP and SO on immune regulation and the structure of gut microbial communities was examined using a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH). Administration of SP and SO (25 or 250 mg/kg per day for 10 days) significantly attenuated DTH responses, evidenced by a decrease in footpad edema and a lower degree of cell infiltration. While both SP and SO had limited effects on serum IgG₁ levels and splenic TGF-β production, treatment with SO at 250 mg/kg significantly reduced serum total IgG, OVA-specific IgG, and splenic IL-2 levels, while increasing IL-10 production. Notably, SO exerted the most pronounced effect in lowering IgG_2a and IFN-γ levels. Additionally, SO treatment led to distinct shifts in gut microbial profile, marked by elevated levels of Muribaculaceae, Lactobacillus, and Bacteroides. These microbial changes were accompanied by elevated concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Collectively, these results indicate that SO holds potential as a functional dietary component for the alleviation of type IV hypersensitivity responses, through modulation of gut microbiota and immunomodulation.

The effect of pretreatment of raw biosludge (Bs) and centrifuged Bs (CBs) with microwave (MW) operated at constant conditions before an anaerobic digestion (AD) process on the energy requirement and production of hybrid system was investigated. With the successful breakdown of Bs and CBs by the MW irradiation, the soluble COD concentrations increased from average value of about 76 mg/L to 300 mg/L and 6400 mg/L for the Bs and CBs, respectively. After the MW disintegration, the protein and sugar concentrations were about 10 and 22 times higher in the pretreated samples compared to the biosludges. While, the total and volatile solids (TS and VS) concentrations in the liquor declined. The increase of readily bioavailable organics in pretreated samples improved about 22% CH₄ production in AD units, compared to the raw Bs and CBs. It was determined that the energy requirement of MW irradiation decreased about 3 times with the centrifugation of Bs. Although the applied whole models were well correlation, the kinetic analysis showed that Transference Function was the best model with the highest correlation coefficient (R² between 0.953 and 0.998) for predicting the most accurately CH₄ production. The nutrients concentrations in effluent of AD process was significantly higher than the liquors obtained after the MW irradiation was observed.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) have gained attention due to their prebiotic properties and potential health benefits. This study explores the production of FOS using Zymomonas mobilis ZM4, a promising candidate for biotechnological processes, utilizing corn steep liquor (CSL) and sugarcane molasses as alternative and sustainable carbon and nitrogen sources. Two distinct media formulations were investigated, namely one composed of CSL supplemented with yeast extract (YE), and another utilizing sugarcane molasses. CSL was evaluated at concentrations of 10 g L⁻¹ and 12 g L⁻¹ in combination with YE. The optimal combination, 12 g L⁻¹ CSL and 8 g L⁻¹ YE, yielded 60.00 ± 0.44 g L⁻¹ FOS with a productivity of 1.250 ± 0.009 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹, comparable to synthetic media. Molasses, another agro-industrial by-product, was tested at sucrose-equivalent concentrations of 150, 200, and 350 g L⁻¹. The highest FOS concentration, 58.67 ± 1.64 g L⁻¹, was achieved with 200 g L⁻¹ of molasses. Combining CSL and molasses (CSLM media) resulted in 58.15 ± 0.21 g L⁻¹ of FOS with a yield of 0.307 ± 0.003 g_FOS g_sucrose⁻¹. The FOS mixture included 1-kestose, 6-kestose, nystose, and neokestose. Although scaling up to a bioreactor led to a lower FOS concentration of 42.31 ± 0.16 g L⁻¹, the yield remained promising at 0.482 ± 0.008 g_FOS g_sucrose⁻¹. This study not only highlights the efficient production of FOS using Z. mobilis ZM4 but also demonstrates the potential of using CSL and molasses, byproducts of agro-industrial processes, as cost-effective and sustainable substrates for industrial-scale FOS production. The findings provide valuable insights for the development of bio-based processes for functional oligosaccharide production.

As an alternative to environmentally unfriendly disposal of spent activated carbon (SAC) from point-of-use water treatment systems, this study harnessed SAC as a co-substrate in anaerobic digestion for biogas production. The study investigated how SAC pre-treatment methods, namely, washing, particle size (milled vs. granular), and dosing levels (2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%), influenced biogas yield, methane content, and retention time using cow dung as the primary substrate. SAC from chlorinated water purification (KC) and the other from borehole water treatment (KZ) were investigated in this study. KZ had a higher %TOC (5.4955%) compared to < LOD for KC, indicating it retained more usable carbon for microbial activity. However, KC had a higher surface area (110.58 m²/g) than KZ (78.41 m²/g). suggesting better microbial support. Digesters dosed with 2.5% and 5% SAC generally maintained the most stable retention time, sustaining active digestion across the full 30-day period. Overall, unwashed granular KZ dosages of 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% respectively, supported the highest and most stable biogas output at 5047 mL, 2605 mL, and 1685 mL, respectively. A 2.5% KZ dosage outperformed the control (pure cow dung), which produced 2624 mL. Milled washed KC dosages of 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% generally showed lower biogas outputs, yielding 217.8 mL, 540.8 mL, and 300 mL, respectively. Their relatively low performance suggests that even after washing, the milled coconut husk SAC, at these concentrations, did not significantly enhance microbial activity, or perhaps the fine particle size led to aggregation or hindered mass transfer. KZ-dosed digesters’ highest methane composition range was 14.90–37.70% whereas for KZ digesters it was 47.73–52.53% compared to the control’s 33.70%. These findings underscore the complex interplay between particle size, washing, and dosage of SAC for enhancing anaerobic digestion, necessitating optimization.

White rot fungi including Phanerochaete chrysosporium are known for their ability to mineralize plant-derived materials, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, into CO₂ and H₂O. This process is achieved through a diverse array of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes. However, the mode of action and specific characteristics of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) from P. chrysosporium are not well understood. In this study, two auxiliary activity (AA) family 9 genes from P. chrysosporium, PchAA9C and PchAA9F, were heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris and functionally characterized. The recombinant PchAA9C and PchAA9F exhibited optimal activity at 60 °C and pH 6.0, with their activity significantly enhanced by 0.5–3.0 mmol/L ascorbic acid (P < 0.05). Substrate specificity analysis revealed that both PchAA9C and PchAA9F displayed robust activity against Icelandic moss lichenan, phosphoric acid swollen cellulose, and microcrystalline cellulose, indicating a preference for breaking down β-(Glc1 → 4Glc)-linked substrates. Further analysis using HPAEC-PAD and MALDI-TOF-MS revealed that PchAA9C functioned as a C1-specific oxidizing enzyme, whereas PchAA9F targeted both C1 and C4 positions of sugar rings. Synergistic experiments involving an enzyme cocktail of xylanase, glucanase, and pectinase showed that PchAA9C and PchAA9F significantly enhanced the production of reducing sugars from corn and soybean straws. Notably, PchAA9F represents the first reported C1/C4-double-oxidizing LPMO isolated from P. chrysosporium. This discovery provides new insights into the molecular basis of the biodegradation capabilities of wood-decaying fungi and highlights PchAA9F as a promising candidate for applications in lignocellulosic biomass biorefinery.

Epidermal photoinflammation has emerged as an atypical pathological response that poses a growing global threat to human health and well-being. In this study, a polysaccharide component (named LJGp) was isolated from Laminaria japonica and white Ganoderma lucidum fermentation broth, and its reparative effects on UVB-induced epidermal damage were investigated. LJGp was found to restore the migration ability of HaCaT cells, increase antioxidant enzyme activities, and clear excessive intracellular ROS. At 1500 μg/mL, ROS levels were reduced to about 50% of those in the UVB group, while IL-6 expression decreased to a level comparable with the control group. At the same time, LJGp increased barrier functional proteins, inhibited desmosome degradation, and maintained the stability of the epidermal barrier. Mechanistic results further showed that LJGp regulated the TRPV4-Keap-1/Nrf2 pathway, where UVB-induced TRPV4 activation suppressed Nrf2 activity and promoted AP-1–mediated inflammation. By reducing TRPV4 overexpression and restoring Nrf2 function, LJGp alleviated barrier dysfunction and improved epidermal repair. These results provide supporting data and a scientific basis for the development and utilization of LJGp as an epidermal photoinflammatory relief agent.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) corms, often discarded due to their small size, represent a valuable by-product with potential health benefits. This study aims to enhance the value of saffron corms by comparing stored corms (HEES) and fresh corms (HEEF) in terms of chemical composition, antioxidant, genotoxic, and cytotoxic effects. Both corm types were macerated in 50% ethanol, and levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, lycopene, anthocyanins, saponins, and sugars were quantified. Their antioxidant capacity was assessed through DPPH, FRAP, and β-carotene assays, while genotoxicity was evaluated via comet assays, and cytotoxicity was tested on CCD18 normal colon cells using MTT and crystal violet assays. Results showed that stored corms contained higher levels of phenolic compounds (0.781 ± 0.42 µg GAE/mg extract), flavonoids (1.13 ± 0.64 µg QE/mg extract), and carotenoids (27.99 µg β-carotene/g dry matter), compared to fresh corms. HEES also exhibited stronger antioxidant activity with an IC50 of 169.57 µg/mL in the DPPH assay, while HEEF showed an IC50 of 434.37 µg/mL. Both extracts displayed genotoxicity at 50 µg/mL and cytotoxicity on normal colon cells (CCD18) at approximately 300 µg/mL. Stored saffron corms are a rich source of bioactive molecules and exhibit greater antioxidant activity compared to fresh corms. However, both extracts demonstrate genotoxic and cytotoxic effects at higher doses, emphasizing the need for careful evaluation of their potential therapeutic applications. These findings suggest that saffron corms, particularly those that are stored, could be valuable in health-related fields but warrant further investigation.

A significant portion of the organic waste generated globally comprises garden and agricultural waste, which are primarily lignocellulosic and recalcitrant, making them unsuitable substrates for biorefineries. This investigation focuses on the effect of eight different treatments on grass clippings, providing a comprehensive comparison of mechanical combined with physical, chemical, and biological treatment methods. Additionally, it examines the economic implications of stirring during treatment. The effects of these treatments on grass clippings were assessed using Van Soest Fiber Analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The influence of stirring was explored by repeating the top four treatments, which achieved maximum lignin reduction, with and without stirring. Alkaline treatment with 0.9% NaOH at 37 °C achieved a 58% reduction in lignin content while preserving cellulose and hemicellulose. Subsequent effective treatment methods included ultrasound, hydrothermal, and ammonia treatments. Although acid thermal hydrolysis did not reduce lignin, it significantly removed hemicellulose. Stirring’s impact on lignin removal efficiency was found to be minimal with insignificant p-values from Welsch’s t-test. Overall, alkaline treatment at 37 °C emerges as a cost-effective and scalable approach for converting lignocellulosic waste into valuable products. This study uniquely contributes to the optimisation of lignocellulosic waste management by providing a comparative analysis of various treatments of lignin-rich grass clippings and evaluating the role of stirring in enhancing treatment efficiency and reducing costs, thereby paving the way towards sustainable waste valorisation.

This study presents a novel dual-stage bioprocessing approach that transforms poultry feather waste into multifunctional silver nanoparticles (FWH-AgNPs) with enhanced bioactivity. Bacillus subtilis degradation of feather waste produced bioactive hydrolysate (FWH) with dramatically altered chemical composition, generating novel compounds including 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid methyl ester (25.66%) and cyclopropaneoctanoic acid methyl ester (23.02%). The FWH effectively synthesized spherical AgNPs (30–69 nm) with strong colloidal stability (−44.5 mV zeta potential) and characteristic surface plasmon resonance (420 nm). FWH-AgNPs demonstrated superior antimicrobial efficacy with 4–eightfold improved minimum inhibitory concentrations against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (125 μg/mL), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (250 μg/mL), Aspergillus brasiliensis (275 μg/mL), and Candida albicans (125 μg/mL). Comparable enhancements were also observed for Serratia marcescens (300 μg/mL) and Bacillus cereus (325 μg/mL), further confirming the broad-spectrum antimicrobial potential of FWH-AgNPs. Anticancer evaluation revealed selective cytotoxicity toward MCF-7 breast cancer cells (IC₅₀: 294.7 μg/L) with favorable selectivity index (2.68) over normal fibroblasts. Optimized FWH-AgNPs achieved 87.38% larvicidal mortality against Culex pipiens, validated through Box-Behnken methodology. Mechanistic studies revealed systematic disruption of larval metabolism, including protein depletion, carbohydrate exhaustion, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition, coupled with severe midgut epithelial damage. Molecular docking identified α1-sitosterol as the primary bioactive compound with strong binding affinities to antimicrobial targets (−7.1 to −7.4 kcal/mol) and cancer receptors (−7.0 to −9.5 kcal/mol). This integrated approach successfully addresses environmental waste management while generating high-value nanomaterials for biomedical and vector control applications, establishing a new paradigm for circular bioeconomy applications.

Green biomass has always played a crucial role in fulfilling sustainable development goals (SDGs), be it in real or waste form. Simultaneously, these biomasses have also justified the circular bioeconomy concept by prioritizing the restoration and safeguarding of ecosystems, thus focusing on exploiting renewable biological resources along with the waste streams associated with them for producing value-added products. Edible or non-edible, flowers found in nature are best suited for biomass in this category. Primarily, the flowers have been considered as the source of fragrance, hence explored by the beauty and cosmetic industry only. This review highlights the harnessing of flowers in producing bio-based nanomaterials, along with the functional food’s enrichment, therefore emphasizing their nutritional and physiological advantages. The present analysis thoroughly corresponds with SDG2 (zero hunger), SDG3 (Good health and well-being), SDG6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG8 (decent work and economic growth), and 9 (industry innovation and infrastructure), as well as the circular bioeconomy idea. Besides this, the review also examines the safety considerations related to its utilization.

Five Escherichia coli proteins in the isochorismatase superfamily (EntB, RutB, Nic, YcaC, and YecD) were cloned and expressed. Among them, only RutB exhibited ( +) γ-lactamase activity. The primary structures of these five proteins were compared to those of a ( +) γ-lactamase (Mhpg) from Microbacterium hydrocarbonoxydans. Subsequently, the active site constellations (ASCs) of the proteins were superimposed. By imitating the ASCs of Mhpg and RutB, a single mutation converted YecD into an active ( +) γ-lactamase (YecD-G145C). A mutant with three mutations (YecD-G145C-W115E-V67I) engineered through combinatorial saturation mutagenesis was created. The catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) of this mutant was 31-fold higher than that of YecD-G145C. Furthermore, the specific production rate (SPR) of the triple mutant (106 ± 4 mg/h·g dry cell weight, DCW) exceeded those of both RutB (89 ± 3 mg/h·g DCW) and Mhpg (46 ± 1 mg/h·g DCW), underscoring its superior catalytic robustness. The discovery of RutB and the latent ( +) γ-lactamase activity of YecD suggests that several members of the isochorismatase superfamily remain to be discovered, and members of this family could be used to identify novel ( +) γ-lactamases. Some of the members, such as YecD, could be engineered into robust catalysts.

Seaweeds, a vital source of marine ecosystems, are gaining popularity for their importance in ecological, economic, and industrial applications. These are profusely found in coastal areas due to the promising environmental factors. Various biochemical compounds, such as polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and bioactive chemicals, are present in seaweed, which is useful in numerous industrial applications. Moreover, seaweeds are becoming a useful resource for addressing various environmental sustainability issues and food security, hydrocolloids to functional foods and nutraceuticals. Therefore, the cultivation and harvesting of seaweed using advanced and unique techniques are expanding globally for its efficient and sustainable production. In-depth understanding of the structural variation of seaweed, its taxonomy, and adaptation mechanisms is essential to evaluate its importance in the marine ecosystem. This review focused on botany, advanced farming techniques, and industrial prospects of seaweed, that especially emphasize the role of seaweed products in promoting a sustainable food industry. Further, this review also elaborates on various functional foods, bioactive compounds, and hydrocolloids derived from seaweed to improve food security and promote good health conditions. Besides this, insights into seaweed products for sustainable industrial application of seaweed are also emphasized in this review to address various issues related to global food systems, economic development, and environmental preservation.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a deadly disease with limited treatment options and poor long-term survival, necessitating the discovery of novel therapeutics. Our previous study has revealed that dimeric proanthocyanidins (PACs) mainly existed in the ethyl acetate extract from the roots of Ephedra sinica Stapf (ERE), however, its therapeutic effects on SU5416/hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) rats remain elusive. In this study, column chromatography combined with UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-HRMS analysis was performed to comprehensively characterize polyphenols in ERE. The therapeutic effects of ERE were investigated using the SU5416/hypoxia rat model, in which the rats were injected with SU5416 (20 mg/kg), followed by a three-week hypoxia exposure (10% O₂). Hemodynamic indicators determined by right heart catheterization, pulmonary arterial morphological changes assessed by histopathological analysis, cardiac function and pulmonary hemodynamics using echocardiography, as well as oxidative stress markers measured by corresponding kits were used to test the therapeutic effects of ERE. Moreover, 16S rRNA sequencing combined with untargeted metabolomics was employed to capture changes in gut microbiota and serum metabolites after ERE treatment. Comprehensive chemical analysis of polyphenols in ERE revealed various levels of proanthocyanidin monomers, dimers and trimers, especially A-type dimers. In vivo experiments showed that ERE decreased pulmonary arterial pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy, right ventricular free wall (RVFW) thickness and oxidative stress levels, increased pulmonary acceleration time (PAT) and alleviated pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats exposed to SU5416/hypoxia treatment. Meanwhile, ERE improved gut microbial dysbiosis and the disturbed glycerophospholipid metabolism. Collectively, this study presents the first report on the efficacy of A-type PACs from Ephedra sinica for the treatment of PH through regulating gut microbiota and host metabolism.

Carbohydrate-derived carbon quantum dots (CDCQDs) have evolved at a rapid rate as green, biocompatible nanomaterial, revolutionizing analytical chemistry with their unique optical and surface properties. Synthesized from different carbohydrate sources-ranging from mono-, di-, and polysaccharides to biomass wastes-CDCQDs offer tunability of fluorescence, low toxicity, and simple functionalization, enabling ultrasensitive detection in chemical, biomedical, environmental, and food safety applications. Recent developments (2021–2025) have reached detection sensitivities of as low as 0.077 µM for antibiotics, 7 nM for glucose, and single-cell sensitivity for pathogens with recovery rates routinely > 95%. Quantum yield (QY) up to 83% and superb photostability also allow them to be included in portable and point-of-care platforms. Notwithstanding such accomplishment, scalability, reproducibility, and integration into devices continue to be issues. Mitigation of these via green synthesis, surface engineering, and smart device coupling is crucial for commercial translation. CDCQDs are thus a synthesis of sustainability, sensitivity, and versatility and are poised to drive next-generation eco-friendly analytical systems for real-world diagnostics and monitoring.

Sarcopenia (SP) associated with functional impairment is highly prevalent; however, therapeutic strategies addressing this condition remain limited. Inflammation and oxidative stress are the key contributors. Suitably, formononetin (FMN) offers diverse benefits, including antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, this study used network pharmacology to identify 81 potential target genes for FMN to alleviate SP. Serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (AKT1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) as the core targets. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome analysis indicated that FMN primarily affects SP via the interleukin (IL)-17, PI3K-Akt and FoxO signalling pathways. Cell studies revealed that FMN reduces IL-6 release and boosts superoxide dismutase activity, thereby enhancing C2C12 skeletal muscle cell vitality. FMN intervention also enhanced AKT1 and SIRT1 gene and protein expression, decreased muscle-specific RING finger protein-1 gene expression, and increased EGFR protein expression. This suggests its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in dexamethasone-treated C2C12 cells, potentially preventing muscle atrophy by inhibiting protein breakdown. These findings highlight the promising multi-target role and molecular mechanism of FMN in the treatment of SP and suggest future clinical applications.

Mesoporous MIL-88A (Meso-MIL-88A) shows significant potential as an effective carrier for immobilizing large molecules such as lipases. This study investigates Meso-MIL-88A immobilized lipase for the catalysis of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) incorporation into soybean phosphatidylcholine. Phosphatidyl-EPA and phosphatidyl-DHA are known for their superior health benefits and have garnered significant global attention. Firstly, we developed a novel and green water-washing strategy to synthesize Meso-MIL-88A, demonstrating its significant potential as an effective carrier for immobilizing large molecules such as lipases. Nitrogen adsorption/desorption and XPS analyses revealed that water as the eluent yielded larger average pore diameters and lower sulfur residue content compared to ethanol. This optimized Meso-MIL-88A carrier was used to immobilize Candida antarctica lipase B (CalB@Meso-MIL-88A), which was applied to the production of phosphatidyl-EPA and phosphatidyl-DHA. The immobilized CalB@Meso-MIL-88A exhibited exceptional catalytic efficiency, achieving an unprecedented sn-1 positional incorporation rate of 86.8% (44.2% EPA, 42.7% DHA) with 90% EPA/DHA-ethyl ester (EE) donors, while 97% DHA-EE resulted in a record-high 90.1% DHA incorporation at the sn-1 position. Kinetic studies and molecular docking simulations indicated a higher substrate affinity for DHA-EE, attributed to enhanced transfer efficiency of EPA/DHA-EE in organic solvent system. This study presents the first demonstration of the potential of Meso-MIL-88A for industrial lipase immobilization via this optimized route, offering an eco-friendly and highly efficient catalytic application for nutraceutical synthesis.

The accumulation of foam cells, lipid-laden macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques, is a hallmark of cardiovascular disease progression. These cells contribute to chronic inflammation and plaque instability, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) is a nuclear receptor pivotal to lipid metabolism and inflammation control. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) processing techniques, such as stir-frying, are believed to enhance herb efficacy, yet the molecular basis remains insufficiently understood. Here, we demonstrate that stir-fried Perilla fruit significantly increase luteolin content-a flavonoid compound capable of binding PPAR-γ at key residues (SER289, HIS323, PHE360, TYR473) as validated by molecular docking and dynamics simulation. In ox-LDL-induced RAW264.7 macrophages, luteolin promoted cholesterol efflux, reduced lipid accumulation, and upregulated PPAR-γ pathway proteins, effects that were abolished by the antagonist GW9662. These results provide mechanistic insight into the enhanced efficacy of stir-fried Perilla and highlight luteolin as a promising natural compound for atherosclerosis prevention.

Synthetic microbial consortia (SyMCon), composed of different artificially engineered bacteria, offer a promising alternative to live biotherapeutic products for disease therapy. These microbial communities use a quorum sensing (QS) mechanism that allows for precise and low-interference communication. Compared to current therapy using only one engineered bacterium, they can reduce the metabolic load of one bacterium, thereby increase drug production, and respond to a wider variety of disease-related signals. This review summarizes recent developments and emphasizes the unique advantages of SyMCon, then proposes multiple perspectives of designs for therapeutic SyMCon. Although SyMCon possess advantages in colonization, responding to multiple environmental signals, and delivering high-yield drugs, future developments should focus on orthogonal QS systems, complex genetic circuits, and modular consortia. More complex consortia allow for better therapeutic functionality, and modular consortia allow for the rapid replacement of disease-specific components, which could unlock the potential of the next generation of personalized microbial therapy.

The thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila serves as a vital platform for producing cellulolytic complex enzymes. However, their efficiency still requires enhancement to meet the cost-effective demands of lignocellulosic biomass conversion. Herein, secretome analysis revealed that the cellulolytic enzyme system of M. thermophila comprises the oxidative system consisting of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and the hydrolytic system that includes endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, and β-glucosidase. Both in vitro supplementation and in vivo overexpression of MtLPMOs with C1 or C1/C4 oxidizing activity enhanced the enzymatic saccharification of Avicel using M. thermophila fermentation broth, resulting in a maximum increase of 485% in oxidized cello-oligosaccharides production. Furthermore, the simultaneous enhancement of LPMO and β-glucosidase expression in M. thermophila significantly improved cellulose depolymerization and lignocellulosic biomass degradation. Total production of native and oxidized cello-oligosaccharides from pretreated corncob residue increased from 5.55 to 0.27 mg/mL in the wild-type strain to 8.72 mg/mL and 0.61 mg/mL in the engineered strain. Taken together, these findings highlight the synergistic interaction between the oxidative and hydrolytic enzyme systems for efficient saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass, providing valuable insights for enhancing the performance of commercial cellulolytic enzyme products.

As a key short-chain alcohol compound, propanol has a diverse range of applications in solvents, pharmaceutical intermediates, fuel additives, and other fields. With the increasing global demand for sustainable development and green chemistry, the production technology of biopropanol is gradually shifting from traditional petroleum-based chemical synthesis to biosynthesis based on microbial fermentation. This paper reviews the recent research progress in the field of biopropanol production, encompassing various aspects such as natural propanol-producing strains, genetically engineered strains, metabolic pathway design, fermentation process optimization, and downstream purification technologies. Despite the remarkable progress in biopropanol production technology, it still faces numerous challenges, including the low production efficiency of natural microorganisms, the strong inhibitory effect of the product, and poor substrate conversion rates. Future research can be directed toward optimizing fermentation conditions, integrating downstream separation technology, and developing highly active key enzyme components and artificial metabolic pathways to enhance the production efficiency of biopropanol and improve its feasibility for industrial applications.

Caragana korshinskii Kom. represents a substantial biomass resource that can be converted into feed protein via microbial fermentation. This study aimed to improve the nutritional value of C. korshinskii through strain screening and substrate optimization. Amino acid content and in vitro digestibility were systematically investigated. Astral-DIA proteomics was employed to compare protein enrichment mechanisms underlying screened microbial involvement in substance conversion. The Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae co-culture increased the true protein content of the optimized substrate by 50.6% to 67.9%, while the highest nitrogen conversion ratio (69.5%) was achieved with low-level supplementation of (NH₄)₂SO₄. The relative abundances of hydroxyproline and lysine content increased by more than twice in the mixed fermentation. Proteomics analysis identified 291 differentially expressed proteins in the mixed culture versus A. oryzae alone, enriched in ribosome biogenesis; valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis; galactose metabolism; amino acids biosynthesis and sulfur relay system. This study provided guidance for the high-value utilization of C. korshinskii and elucidated the differential protein enrichment pathways between A. oryzae, S. cerevisiae and their cocktail in utilizing C. korshinskii.

This study focuses on the aging process of strong-flavor flue-cured tobacco leaves (SCTL) and light-flavor flue-cured tobacco leaves (FCTL), and explores the effects of microbial metabolism and enzyme action on tobacco leaf components and quality during this process. It employs methods including high-throughput sequencing, functional prediction of microbial communities via the PICRUSt2/MetaCyc database, dynamic analysis of conventional components and enzyme activities, and redundancy analysis. The results showed that under the same aging duration, the microbial community diversity structures of tobacco leaves with different quality grades were similar, and a total of 21 species of differential bacteria and 9 species of differential fungi were screened out; During the aging process, the contents of starch and total phenols in tobacco leaves decreased significantly, reducing sugars and total sugars showed a fluctuating trend, while total nitrogen and total plant alkaloids had no significant changes. Among them, the starch content in SCTL was higher than that in FCTL, while the contents of total phenols, reducing sugars and total sugars in SCTL were lower than those in FCTL; the contents of total nitrogen and total plant alkaloids were comparable between the two types of tobacco leaves. Additionally, the contents of reducing sugars, total sugars and starch in both types of tobacco leaves were positively correlated with tobacco leaf grade, while the contents of total phenols and total nitrogen were negatively correlated with tobacco leaf grade; The enzyme activities in the two types of tobacco leaves showed fluctuating changes during aging, and redundancy analysis (RDA) identified significant correlations between microbial taxa, enzyme activities and tobacco leaf compounds. This study provides a basis for microbial strain selection and precision fermentation strategies in tobacco aging.

Currently, ca. 30 million m³ of Pinus radiata are harvested annually in New Zealand to produce timber, pulp and paper, with by-products such as bark and sawdust generated during processing. The most common use for sawdust is as a solid fuel for process heat. However, it is a feedstock that can be processed into platform biochemicals. Although conversion processes focusing on biochemical production from wood are scarce, they are becoming more commercially established. Here, reactive extrusion was explored as a continuous, fast method to depolymerise sawdust into soluble biochemicals with residence times of less than two minutes. This is substantially shorter than other biotechnology routes or conventional batch processing and highlights the potential for integration of reactive extrusion into biorefinery operations. While conventional wood extrusion focused on the solid fraction, this work extensively investigated the liquid biochemical profile. The effects of temperature, moisture content, screw speed, and screw design on the biochemical yield from sawdust were studied. The results indicated that kneading elements in the screw design were key to achieving good processing of the sawdust. A high moisture content of 50% (by weight) was instrumental in the isolation of biochemicals. Moreover, the screw speed had little to no effect on the biochemical composition obtained from the reactive extrusion process. Finally, a maximum of 6.5–7.5% of biochemicals were recovered from sawdust in the liquid phase when processed between 325 °C and 375 °C. The biochemical analyses of the liquor showed a high amount of acetic acid (up to 7913 mg/L) and methanol (up to 2277 mg/L). Furthermore, the furanic content increased with an increase in temperature between 275 °C and 375 °C, while an inverse trend was observed for aromatic phenols. The analyses also revealed that lignin and hemicellulose were depolymerised to produce oligomeric and monomeric breakdown products, while cellulose was untouched. This study successfully demonstrated the successful use of a twin-screw reactive extruder to continuously produce a biochemical-rich liquor from sawdust.

The aqueous extract and Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation broth were prepared from forsythia as plant raw material, and the two extracts were investigated for the evaluation of cosmetic efficacy in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory repair, and safety after the establishment of the UVB damage HaCaT cell model. The results showed that the forsythia fermentation broth and the aqueous extract had good scavenging activities against DPPH radicals, hydroxyl radicals, ABTS radicals and reactive oxygen species, and the fermentation broth had significantly stronger antioxidant effects than the aqueous extract. At the level of protein expression and gene transcription, the forsythia fermentation broth reduced the content of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β) and apoptotic factors (Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bax, Bcl-2) in the cells and even tended to the normal level, and the effect was higher than that of aqueous solution as the blank control, which indicated that the forsythia fermentation broth had anti-inflammatory and restorative effects. Full metabolite profiling by chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) of the aqueous extract and forsythia fermentation broth revealed that the fermentation broth modulated the metabolite profile. This modulation was associated with significantly enhanced protective effects, as evidenced by boosted oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory responses at the cellular level against UVB-induced HaCaT cells. Using chicken embryo allantoic membrane eye irritation experiment and erythrocyte haemolysis experiment on the aqueous extract and forsythia fermentation broth for safety evaluation experiments, the irritation scores were 0.09, 0.08, respectively, and there was no haemolysis of blood vessels, which indicated that the aqueous extract of forsythia and the fermentation solution did not have eye irritation, and that the use of forsythia fermentation broth in a safe range had no detrimental effect on cell membranes and was not irritating.

Agricultural and municipal waste management is one of the most important topics nowadays due to the high rate of waste generation. Bioenergy is one of the key technologies to achieve the global net zero CO₂ emissions goal. In the era of biorefineries, and especially for new types of waste and new waste blends, a feasibility study is required to identify the optimum waste conversion process which is usually preceded by experimental investigation. Especially for developing countries, securing the corresponding funds is usually challenging. In this research work, machine learning has been applied to develop a statistical model based on 144 samples of the published experimental data for different types of wastes undergoing three thermochemical conversion processes; namely, slow pyrolysis, fast pyrolysis and gasification. Statistical analysis has been performed and models were built with (95% confidence level) which correlate the various products’ yields with the waste composition and operating conditions. These models provide a guide to researchers regarding the expected yield of products for each of the three studied processes so as to discard the non-promising processes for the used type of waste. This will accordingly minimize the number of required experimental runs; hence saving time and money. A decision matrix was also developed based on the statistical models of each of the studied thermochemical processes. It was concluded that when carbon content is moderate (40–46%, by mass), gasification process is favored if the hydrogen content is high; otherwise, slow pyrolysis is favored. On the other hand, if the waste has high carbon content (above 47%) then fast pyrolysis is favored.

Remediation plants combined with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is one of the most promising means of remediation of Cd-contaminated soils at present. One of the PGPR, named Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Bam1, possessed high Cd resistance. Herein, comparative transcriptome analysis of B. amyloliquefaciens Bam1 revealed that its main energy metabolism pathway was significantly down-regulated under Cd stress. The pivotal genes involved in the energy production pathway, such as TCA cycle and respiratory chain, were then selected to construct the energy production enhanced strains named as Bam1sdhA, Bam1fumC, and Bam1qoxD. The Cd resistance of the three recombinant strains increased significantly by producing more ATP and less ROS, allowing them to colonize Cd-contaminated soil better than the wild-type Bam1 strain. The better colonization of strain Bam1fumC improved the photosynthesis and growth of the remediation plant, tomatoes, under Cd stress significantly. Furthermore, the Cd concentration accumulated in tomatoes with the Cd + Bam1fumC treatment was 1.88 times that of the Cd + Bam1 treatment. As the energy production enhanced, Bam1fumC exhibited considerable potential for development as a bioaugmentation assistant in Cd-contaminated phytoremediation. This study also provided a novel strategy for addressing soil Cd pollution remediation.

Volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation is a common issue that compromises the performance of biological hydrogen methanation systems (BHMs). This accumulation is often triggered by fluctuations in hydrogen supply, which can disrupt microbial activity and lead to system instability. To address this challenge, this study investigated the impact of employing a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) in BHMs to mitigate system instability and acid build-up. As such, a conventional anaerobic digester (AD) and a microbial electrolysis cell, both supplemented with exogenous hydrogen, were evaluated for their performance in hydrogen methanation. The effect of exogenous hydrogen at high addition rates (> 4:1 CO₂:H₂ molar ratio) under instantaneous and gradual injection modes was investigated. The results showed that the instantaneous addition of hydrogen resulted in the total failure of the anaerobic digestion system. Propionate accumulated in the system (> 2 g/L) and resulted in low pH (pH = 5.3). Methane production stopped, and the reactor never recovered from hydrogen shock. However, the microbial electrolysis system was able to withstand the instantaneous hydrogen addition and maintain normal operation under toxic hydrogen addition levels (> 4:1 CO₂:H₂ molar ratio). Under the gradual injection mode, both MEC and AD reactors remained reasonably unaffected; even though the hydrogen injection exceeded the stoichiometric molar ratio. This study provides a new perspective on the application of MECs for reliable operation and storage of surplus renewable energy via biological hydrogen methanation.

This study presents the eco-friendly synthesis of Hydroxyapatite (HAP) using chicken eggshell biowaste as a sustainable calcium source to enhance biohydrogen production. The stoichiometric ratio of Ca/P was determined to be 1.67 by evaluating pH, temperature, and calcination time, revealing that pH 10.5, temperature 950ᵒC, and calcination time of 2 h were optimal. Structural and morphological characterization confirmed the successful formation of crystalline HAP with 78% crystallinity (XRD), accurate Ca/P ratio (EDS), and phosphate group presence (FTIR). The synthesized HAP was applied as a bio-additive in thermophilic dark fermentation using a Thermoanaerobacterium-enriched sludge. The optimal HAP dosage (560 mg/L) yielded the highest hydrogen yield of 1.085 mol H₂/mol sugar and a hydrogen production rate of 27.969 mL H₂/(L h), representing a 59.73% increase over the control. Volatile fatty acid analysis and microbial profiling confirmed enhanced butyrate metabolism and a dominant presence of Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum. This work demonstrates a novel waste-to-value approach by integrating green-synthesized HAP with thermophilic fermentation, contributing to both waste valorization and renewable hydrogen production.

This study introduces a robust machine learning framework for predicting hydrochar yield and higher heating value (HHV) using biomass proximate analysis. A curated dataset of 481 samples was assembled, featuring input variables such as fixed carbon, volatile matter, ash content, reaction time, temperature, and water content. Hydrochar yield and HHV served as the target outputs. To enhance data quality, Monte Carlo Outlier Detection (MCOD) was employed to eliminate anomalous entries. Thirteen machine learning algorithms, including convolutional neural networks (CNN), linear regression, decision trees, and advanced ensemble methods (CatBoost, LightGBM, XGBoost) were systematically compared. CatBoost demonstrated superior performance, achieving an R² of 0.98 and mean squared error (MSE) of 0.05 for HHV prediction, and an R² of 0.94 with MSE of 0.03 for yield estimation. SHAP analysis identified ash content as the most influential feature for HHV prediction, while temperature, water content, and fixed carbon were key drivers of yield. These results validate the effectiveness of gradient boosting models, particularly CatBoost, in accurately modeling hydrothermal carbonization outcomes and supporting data-driven biomass valorization strategies.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) has caused great concern worldwide due to its serious threat to human health. Astragalin is a bioactive natural flavonoid compound with several pharmacological activities, but it remains unclear about its effect on AP. The objective of this experiment was to explore the mitigating efficacy of astragalin on caerulein-induced AP model and examine the underlying mechanisms.

Following the assessment of astragalin’s direct effects on pancreatic acinar cells using an in vitro AP model, an in vivo mouse model was established to further validate its efficacy and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Pancreatic histopathology, amylase, and lipase levels of mice were observed to determine the optimal therapeutic dose of astragalin. The network pharmacology and RNA sequencing technology were used to reveal the possible targets and pathways. Subsequent molecular docking and western blot were conducted to validate the association between astragalin and key target molecules, as well as the NLRP3 signaling pathway. Combined with metagenomics and metabolomics analysis, the astragalin effective gut microbiota-metabolite-gene network was constructed. Moreover, fecal microbiota transplantation experiments were performed to clarify the importance of gut microbiota in astragalin-mediated alleviation of AP.

The results showed that astragalin attenuated caerulein-induced injury in AR42J cells in vitro. Consistent with these findings, in vivo experiments revealed that astragalin treatment significantly improved pancreatic pathological injury, cell apoptosis, and systemic inflammatory response in AP mice, particularly at high doses. The integrated analysis of network pharmacology and transcriptomics revealed that the NLRP3 signaling pathway was a key molecular pathway, which was further validated using western blot. Docking analysis showed that 12 target genes had good docking activity with astragalin. More intriguingly, it was found that astragalin could reverse gut microbiota dysbiosis by restoring microbial diversity, altering bacterial community composition, and modulating key metabolic pathways. Specifically, astragalin-effective correlation networks were constructed with Lachnoclostridium sp. YL32, Roseburia intestinalis, Ruminococcus gnavus, Lachnospiraceae bacterium Choco86, Anaerobutyricum hallii, etc. as the core strains, 22 metabolites, including 5-Methoxytryptophan, D-Serine, L-Tryptophan, L-Methionine, etc. as core metabolites, and NLRP3 pathway-related genes as the main regulatory targets. Furthermore, fecal microbiota transplantation experiments confirmed the involvement of gut microbiota in AP remission.

Collectively, these findings identify astragalin as a promising therapeutic agent for AP, targeting both the NLRP3 signaling cascade and gut microbial homeostasis.

Currently, there is growing interest in gaining healthy eating habits through the consumption of sufficient amounts of natural bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds and peptides. The major reason behind this interest is that the incorporation of such bioactive compounds into the diet exhibits great potential in the reduction of various types of chronic disease risks. Therefore, several strategies have been developed for the production and isolation of such compounds. Plant-based materials are the main source of natural bioactive compounds. However, the low concentration and the inactive form of these compounds in natural plant-based dietary resources appear as a limiting factor in most cases. Solid-state fermentation is a promising process for the generation and recovery of various high-value bioproducts. It has received more attention due to its exceptional potential to overcome all those limitations. This review provides an overview of various aspects of solid-state fermentation, including historical background, key microbial features, critical process variables, and cultivation systems. Furthermore, the potential of solid-state fermentation on the production of both phenolic compounds and nitrogenous bioactive compounds is described in detail by gathering the previous experiences and knowledge with the additional focus on the biorefinery concept.

Fish scales and bones, traditionally regarded as low-value seafood by-products, represent abundant and sustainable sources of collagen and bioactive proteins with high nutraceutical potential. These tissues typically contain 30–40% organic collagen matrix and 60–70% hydroxyapatite minerals, making them rich substrates for recovery. Advances in green and enzymatic extraction methods now achieve collagen yields of up to 25–35%, with ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction reducing processing times from days to minutes while preserving the triple-helix structure and bioactivity. Enzymatically derived peptides demonstrate potent health-promoting effects, with antioxidant capacities comparable to or exceeding vitamins C and E, ACE-inhibitory peptides lowering blood pressure in preclinical models, and clinical trials showing that daily supplementation with 10 g fish collagen peptides for 8–12 weeks improves skin hydration, elasticity, wrinkle reduction, and reduces osteoarthritis-related joint pain. These marine biomolecules, when delivered through advanced nanocarrier systems such as nanoliposomes and nanoemulsions, exhibit enhanced bioavailability, stability, and consumer acceptability. Beyond health benefits, valorisation of fish by-products supports environmental sustainability by diverting waste and contributing to the circular bioeconomy. Despite challenges in scalability, regulatory compliance, and standardization, ongoing technological innovations position fish scales and bones as promising raw materials for next-generation nutraceuticals.

Lactic acid (LA) is a versatile organic acid widely used in food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. Its demand has significantly increased due to its role in producing biodegradable and biocompatible polylactic acid (PLA) polymers. Fungal species from the Rhizopus genus offer several advantages over bacteria when producing lactic acid through fermentation of renewable substrates, including amylolytic capabilities, minimal nutrient requirements, and valuable fungal biomass as a by-product. This review highlights recent advancements in the metabolic and enzymatic pathways, fermentation substrates, modes, and methods utilized in LA production by Rhizopus species. It explores critical bioprocess parameters such as nutrient composition, pH, and fungal morphology, which are examined for their roles in optimizing production. Furthermore, developments in high cell-density fermentation and improved downstream processes for lactic acid recovery and purification are discussed. The challenges and opportunities for scaling up LA production from various substrates are critically analyzed, along with future strategies for improving fungal fermentation systems. Finally, the techno-economic feasibility of fungal-based LA production is also discussed.

Arenin is a cystine-rich Kunitz-type protease inhibitor originally isolated from the skin secretion of the tree frog Dryophytes arenicolor, whose limited natural yield has hindered comprehensive functional studies. In this work, we established an efficient recombinant production system in Escherichia coli and evaluated its anticancer and wound-healing properties. A codon-optimized arenin gene, fused to an N-terminal 6 × His-TEV tag, was cloned into a T7-lac expression cassette. IPTG induction at 30 °C and 37 °C revealed distinct temperature-dependent partitioning: at 30 °C, arenin predominantly accumulated in the soluble fraction, whereas at 37 °C, it was confined to inclusion bodies. Both strategies yielded ≥ 90% pure peptide, producing 7.8 ± 0.6 mg and 12.4 ± 1.0 mg per 250 mL culture, respectively. Bioassays showed that HDFa fibroblasts tolerated 31.25–500 µg mL⁻¹ arenin and had increased viability at 1000 µg mL⁻¹. ER⁺ MCF-7 cells showed mild inhibition at low doses but growth stimulation at the highest, suggesting hormetic protease–receptor effects. Caco-2 cells were sensitive, with viability at 60.2 ± 3.4% at 31.25 µg mL⁻¹ and below 80% up to 250 µg mL⁻¹. Scratch-wound assays under serum deprivation or high glucose showed complete closure within 72 h at all arenin concentrations, comparable to Centella asiatica (10 µg mL⁻¹), consistent with other Kunitz-family peptide activities in diverse protease environments. Overall, our results demonstrate the feasibility of a heterologous expression strategy for large-scale arenin production and highlight its dual functional potential, pro-regenerative effects in fibroblasts, and selective cytotoxicity toward hormone-independent cancer cells.

Valorization of waste from the agro-industry is important for the advancement of the circular bioeconomy framework and the establishment of integrated, sustainable biorefineries. This study demonstrates the valorization of Argemone ochroleuca seed meal, a hexane-defatted lignocellulosic biomass, for the simultaneous production of bioethanol, hydrochar, and biopolymer precursor. Compositional analysis shows that 30.2% cellulose, 19.7% hemicellulose, and 22.1% lignin, showing the potential conversion to biofuels and carbonaceous products. Structural characterization confirmed the presence of reactive functional groups, appropriate porosity, moderate crystallinity, and good thermal stability, ideal for hydrothermal process for biomaterial synthesis. Organosolv pre-treatment using acidified ethanol–water mixture enabled effective fractionation with 89.4% cellulose recovery and solubilization of over 86% hemicellulose and lignin. Recovered cellulose was hydrolysed and fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae to yield 2.17 g ethanol per 10 g biomass (67.2% theoretical yield). Parallel to this, hydrothermal carbonization of A. ochroleuca seed meal at 180–230 °C for 2–4 h yielded hydrochar with fixed carbon as high as 41.2% and a higher heating value of 27.5 MJ/kg. From the recovered hemicellulose fraction 0.887 g of pentose sugars per gram of hemicellulose obtained. On polymeric content adjustment, pentosan content was 0.781 g g⁻¹ or 78.1% of isolated hemicellulose. Coupling organosolv and hydrothermal valorization processes makes A. ochroleuca seed meal as a suitable feedstock for zero-waste biorefineries to co-produce bioethanol, hydrochar, and biopolymers precursors in a systemic manner. Pilot-scale validation, life-cycle analysis, and techno-economic viability should be targeted in subsequent studies.

The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into formate offers a promising route to enable a circular, carbon-smart bioeconomy. Formate is increasingly recognized as a versatile and energy-dense platform molecule that can serve as a feedstock for microbial fermentation, energy storage, and sustainable chemical and fuel production. A key bottleneck in this value chain is the availability of cost-effective and scalable formate dehydrogenase (FDH), which catalyze the initial reduction of CO₂ to formate. However, little is known about the economic feasibility of producing and purifying FDH at industrial scale. In this study, we developed data-driven techno-economic models to assess the production cost of FDH in Methylorubrum extorquens (M. extorquens) using lab-scale data and projected outcomes across four scenarios: 1 L empirical, 5 L empirical, base, and optimistic. Our results show that the minimum selling price when using FDH as a crude protein preparation ranged from $2300/kg (1 L empirical) to $75/kg (optimistic), while the use of purified FDH resulted in costs ranging from $99,000/kg to $970/kg, respectively. Sensitivity analyses revealed that protein purity has the greatest influence on final production cost, with substrate and electricity costs also contributing significantly to the two empirical scenarios. These findings provide insight into cost bottlenecks and help identify engineering targets for scaling FDH enzyme production, supporting the development of CO₂-to-formate technologies and the broader formate-based bioeconomy.

The extraction of bioactive compounds from plants has emerged as a promising strategy for developing resource-efficient solutions that are both economically viable and value-driven. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), has become a popular technique for extraction significant plant-based compounds. Our investigation contrasted the yield, biological functions and phytochemical compositions of green cardamom extracts generated with SFE at 100, 200, and 300 bar of pressures. The maximal obtained weight was 0.279 gm upon applying 300 bar. There is a proportional elevation in the levels of most of phenolic compounds which detected using HPLC upon raising the pressure levels for extraction. Gallic acid had a significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) upon applying ascending pressure levels The extract obtained at 300 bar demonstrated the most potent antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans, with inhibition zones of 23.33 ± 0.58 mm and 22.17 ± 1.04 mm, respectively. Furthermore, antibiofilm and anti-hemolytic assays confirmed that higher extraction pressure enhanced the bioactivity of the extracts, with 300 bar showing the maximum effect. Time-kill kinetics demonstrated a progressive increase in microbial inhibition over time, with the 300-bar extract again displaying the most effective results. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed significant ultrastructural damage in B. subtilis and C. albicans treated with the 300-bar extract, indicating strong antimicrobial action at the cellular level. The molecular docking performance of the main constituents in green cardamom extracts gallic acid and syringic acid against B. subtilis (PDB ID: 5VX6) and S. aureus (PDB ID: 3V8J) using the molecular operating environment (MOE) software was evaluated. The docking scores (S), root mean square deviation (RMSD)_refine values, and energy terms (E_conf, E_place, E_score1, E_refine, E_score2) were analyzed to assess binding affinities. Key interactions, including hydrogen bonds, were identified, with distances and energies quantified. Syringic acid exhibited better binding (S = − 4.27 to − 5.04 kcal/mol) compared to gallic acid (S = − 4.11 to − 4.68 kcal/mol) across both targets. Interactions with residues like GLU 187 (Glutamic acid residue at position 187 in the protein sequence) and ARG 172 (Arginine residue at position 172) in 5VX6, and ASP 239 (ASP 239: Aspartic acid residue at position 239) in 3V8J, highlighted critical binding motifs. The findings concluded that green cardamom extracts, particularly those obtained at 300 bar, possess enhanced antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties, supported by both experimental and computational evidence. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of pressure-optimized SFE in maximizing the bioactivity of plant extracts.

Rhizosphere microbial diversity from Western Ghats remains a relatively less explored source of therapeutic agents. Targeted screening of actinomycetes from an under studied area led to the isolation of 24 actinomycetes from Pinus patula rhizosphere. Screening led to identification of Streptomyces melanogenes WPF1 with strong therapeutic potential. Delineation of the whole genome of WPF1 and metabolic profiling of the partially purified active fraction (PF10) led to confirmation of kinamycin D, oleic acid, palmitic acid and other components. These molecules in unison can be correlated to the recorded biological activities of the active fraction. AntiSMASH analysis of the WPF1 genome identified 26 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) associated with secondary metabolite biosynthesis, including one cluster exhibiting over 97% similarity to known Kinamycin biosynthetic pathway. LC–MS and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analyses revealed presence of Kinamycin D in the partially purified fraction PF10. PF10 demonstrated selective antibacterial activity against Gram-positive human pathogens and effectively inhibited their biofilm formation. Additionally, PF10 suppressed the proliferation of cancer cell lines, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.0 to 2.5 µg/mL, and induced apoptosis, as evidenced by Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage, activation of caspase 3 and caspase 9 and Bax protein accumulation. These findings highlight S. melanogenes WPF1 as a promising source of bioactive secondary metabolites, and importance of rhizosphere microbial diversity for potential therapeutic discovery.

Fed-batch culture is a well-established and widely adopted platform for industrial antibody production using Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. However, conventional fixed feeding strategies often fall short in meeting the dynamically changing nutrient demands of cells, leading to metabolic imbalance and suboptimal productivity. Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR), as a real-time indicator of cellular respiratory activity, is tightly coupled to nutrient metabolism and holds strong potential for guiding adaptive, demand-driven feeding strategies.

To understand the decline in specific productivity (Q_P) during the late stationary phase (LSP) under a conventional reference feeding (RF) strategy, we examined whether it stemmed from cell-intrinsic metabolic changes or from environmental stressors such as nutrient imbalance, by-product accumulation, and osmotic pressure. Based on these insights, we developed an OUR-based continuous feeding (OBCF) strategy and benchmarked its performance against the RF strategy. Mechanistic understanding was elucidated through metabolic flux and transcriptional analyses.

The RF strategy resulted in a mismatch between nutrient supply and cellular demand during LSP, triggering osmotic stress and limiting antibody expression. In contrast, the OBCF strategy dynamically aligned nutrient delivery with cellular respiration, thereby mitigating osmotic stress and reshaping intracellular metabolism. Notably, OBCF enhanced pyruvate utilization and TCA cycle activity, promoted amino acid catabolism, and suppressed by-product accumulation. These metabolic improvements led to a 52% increase in specific productivity (Q_P) and a 32% increase in total antibody yield during LSP, along with reduced batch-to-batch variability.

Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polyester with mechanical and thermal properties comparable to those of petrochemical-based plastics. In this study, the synthesis of P3HB by Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 and Azotobacter vinelandii OP ATCC 13705 in complex media under different agitation conditions and cultivation times was evaluated. The growth kinetics of each microorganism responded differently to changes in agitation patterns. Maximum cell concentrations of 2.4 g L⁻¹ and 4.3 g L⁻¹ were achieved at 200 rpm (24 h) for B. cereus and 150 rpm (48 h) for A. vinelandii, respectively. While B. cereus reached an accumulation of 31.3% (0.37 g P3HB L⁻¹), A. vinelandii OP achieved 55.8% (2.3 g P3HB L⁻¹). The biopolymer was characterized by ATR-FTIR, with a prominent carbonyl (C = O) stretching vibration observed at 1724 cm⁻¹. SEC-HPLC analysis revealed mean molecular weights (MMW) weights of 80,050 g mol⁻¹ to 116,960 g mol⁻¹ for B. cereus and from 75,805 to 111,000 g mol⁻¹ for A. vinelandii OP. TGA/DSC analysis revealed that higher agitation rates decrease crystallinity and thermal stability by altering polymer chain alignment. The volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (k_La) confirmed the role of oxygen availability on P3HB. These results highlight two promising strains with distinct metabolic behaviors and strong potential for scale-up in P3HB production.

Pomegranate peels, a valuable waste byproduct, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals by United Nations offering a possibility for use as a raw material in herbal formulations. The review aims to highlight the pharmaceutical importance of pomegranate peel bioactive compounds and their applications in the skincare industry. A systematic search of studies identified through scientific databases resulted in the PRISMA chart. Additionally, an exhaustive search using keywords such as pomegranate peel, skincare, ADME, nanoparticles, therapeutics, and bioactive compounds led to a bibliometric analysis. The peels support the waste-to-wealth concept with a rich repertoire of flavonoids, including quercetin, kaempferol, and catechin, as well as polyphenolic compounds and other tannin compounds, such as punicalagin and ellagic acid. These compounds serve as natural reducing agents for synthesizing various nanoparticles and unveiling therapeutic activities, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. Furthermore, an attempt to bridge the gap by examining the pharmacokinetic studies on key bioactive compounds identified through ADME analysis, supported the transdermal and topical applications of these compounds. The profiling suggests that tannin compounds, such as punicalagin, have low skin permeability, indicating potential roles in topical applications. In contrast, ellagic acid exhibits high skin permeability, suggesting possible applications in products such as sunscreens. The combinatorial formulation, consisting of pomegranate peel-derived nanoparticles, has potential additional benefits by facilitating skincare products with photoprotection, enhanced hydration, and topical applications. The study also calls for future research focused on clinical validation and scalable commercial applications.

Levan, a fructose-based biopolymer with significant industrial potential, was produced using the native strain Bacillus velezensis KKSB6. This study aimed to optimize levan production through different cultivation strategies and to characterize the enzyme responsible, levansucrase. Production was compared in batch, fed-batch and continuous systems, revealing a critical point between final yield and productivity. Batch cultivation achieved a high levan yield of 187 g/L (93.50% yield), while a fed-batch cultivation delivered high productivity at 3.46 g/L/h but a low levan yield (55.33%). Continuous cultivation demonstrated the highest levan production of 746 g/L (93.25% yield) and high productivity (7.77 g/L/h). In those systems, production was limited by the inhibitory effect of glucose accumulation. The purified levansucrase, a 42 kDa protein, exhibited optimal activity at 35 °C and pH 7.0. Significantly, in vitro synthesis using the purified enzyme produced primarily high-molecular-weight (HMW) levan, in contrast to the lower-molecular-weight product obtained from whole-cell fermentation. In conclusion, B. velezensis KKSB6 is an exceptionally potent strain, with batch cultivation or continuous cultivation producing levan yield and with continuous cultivation favoring productivity. The purified enzyme represents a promising biocatalyst for the targeted synthesis of HMW levan.

Phycobiliproteins and microalgal exopolysaccharides serve as natural pigments and functional additives in food applications. Current production primarily relies on multicellular algae, where yields are constrained by challenges in achieving high-density cultivation. This study investigated photoperiod effects on growth and production of phycobiliproteins and polysaccharides in two unicellular red algae (Porphyridium purpureum and Porphyridium aerugineum). Results demonstrated that short photoperiods enhanced the accumulation of core phycobiliproteins, specifically by increasing phycoerythrin in P. purpureum to a maximum of 30.5 ± 0.8 mg/g DW and phycocyanin in P. aerugineum to 41.9 ± 0.2 mg/g DW. Conversely, long photoperiods promoted biomass accumulation, yielding peak phycoerythrin production (140.6 ± 0.9 mg/L) in P. purpureum and phycocyanin (137.7 ± 1.2 mg/L) in P. aerugineum at day 12. Both species exhibited superior exopolysaccharide production under long photoperiods, though P. purpureum showed significantly higher productivity (898.7 ± 41.0 mg/L at day 20). These findings offer strategic solutions for sustainable production of food-grade pigments and polysaccharides through optimized unicellular algal cultivation.

This study assessed mango seed husk (MSH) fractions for producing glucose and phenolic compounds using commercial enzymes. We focused on cleaving lignin–carbohydrate linkages, specifically feruloyl and glucuronoyl esters, to decrease biomass recalcitrance and enhance product extraction. For saccharification studies, we used Sigma’s C1184 cellulase from Aspergillus niger. Characterisation results of ground MSH using phloroglucinol and scanning electron microscopy revealed that it could be separated into a fine fraction, containing less lignin and cellulose fibres with parallel orientation, and a coarse fraction, with higher lignin content and cellulose fibres at an angled orientation. Activity assays and zymogram analysis of the C1184 preparation prior to saccharification studies revealed diverse CAZyme activities associated with distinct proteins, with xylanolytic activity dominating. Saccharification studies with ground MSH found that the C1184 preparation supplemented with feruloyl or glucuronoyl esterases was suitable for extracting phenolic compounds (0.4–1.7% w/w) from MSH while converting up to 20% of the total biomass as glucose. Interestingly, when replacing 50% (w/w) of the C1184 preparation with glucuronoyl esterase, glucose release nearly doubled from both MSH fractions. Additionally, phenolics attached to carbohydrates may be less condensed in the fine fraction, as all three esterases released three-to-five times more phenolics from the fine fraction compared to the coarse fraction with higher lignin content. Saccharification trials with alkali-pretreated ground MSH showed that the C1184 preparation supplemented with β-glucosidase produced low glucose levels (170–250 mg/g dry biomass) from the substrate after 24 h, even at 50 mg/g biomass protein loading. Overall, this work advances our understanding of the importance of lignin–carbohydrate linkages formed via glucuronoyl esters in biomass recalcitrance. Furthermore, our study corroborates the potential of MSH as a valuable feedstock for producing value-added products in the biorefinery sector.