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This study investigated the potential and sustainable use of the biomass derived from various stages of the grape drying process. A total of eleven byproducts, each containing varying organic materials, were produced and subjected to testing. Ultimate analysis, as well as analyses of heating values, chemical composition, lignocellulose composition, total solids concentration and biogas production were performed with the recommended criteria and assessment methods. The results reveal that carbon (C), nitrogen (N), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) levels were significantly different among the byproducts. The ash content of byproducts 5–11 ranged from 3.56 to 5.11%, which was lower than the estimated values in the other byproducts. The analysis of higher heating value showed significantly higher calorific values for byproducts 10 and 11 (22.73 ± 0.08 and 22.80 ± 0.07 MJ kg−1, respectively). Byproducts 1–9 had lower sugar content than byproducts 10 and 11 (rejected raisins). Byproducts 5–9 had the lowest lignin content, and there were no significant differences in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents between byproducts 1–6. The highest accumulated biogas volume after 40 days was 11.50 NL L−1 of substrate for byproduct group C (byproducts 10 to 11), followed by 11.20 NL L−1 of substrate for byproduct group B (byproducts 5–9) and 9.51 NL L−1 of substrate for byproduct group A (byproducts 1–4). It is concluded that byproducts consisting of biomass derived at different stages of raisin production may be an effective solid fuel and energy source. The amounts of volatile solids in the tested raisin processing byproducts indicated their appropriateness for pyrolysis conversion to a liquid product with high volatile content.

Faba bean seeds' sustainability correlates with the initial quality of cultivated seeds. The duration of storage is a significant factor that can affect the quality retention of any crop seed. Additionally, the hermetic bags effectively influence the quality of crop seeds during the storage process. This study evaluated two faba bean cultivars, Nubaria 1 and Giza 716, after various storage periods of 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Seeds stored in 3 and 7-layer hermetic bags have shown significantly improved bulk temperature after 12, 18, and 24 months (neither more than ≈ 30 °C nor less than ≈ 15 °C). However, the relative humidity (RH%) increased significantly in both bags and cultivars throughout the storage periods, reaching 61, 59.77% and 59.53, 57.53% at the end of the storage period for Nubaria 1 and Giza 716 inside the 3 and 7-layer bags, respectively. The seeds' germination % decreased significantly (20%) after 24 months at the 3-layers compared with 13.12% at the 7-layer bags for Nubaria 1 with superior germination% of Giza 716 under the same conditions where the decrease in the percentage of germination reached 15.56% and 8.86% reduction for both 3 and 7 layers, respectively. The seedling vigor index exhibited the same trend of germination % with better results of the 7-layer bags for both cultivars. The moisture content (MC%) was substantially elevated by 1% at the end of the storage for both cultivars and bags. After 12 months, beans considerably increased color deterioration, with a loss of 43.16 and 53.60% for Giza 716 and Nubaria 1 stored in 3-layer bags, respectively; however, 7-layer bags were always better than 3-layer bags (with a loss of 32.56 and 45.56%). Furthermore, storage in 7-layer hermetic bags triggered a significant decrease (14.94%) in the total phenolic (TPC) after 24 months for Giza 716 without a substantial difference with Nubaria 1. Additionally, the simulation showed that after 18 months and 24 months of storage, the Nubaria 1 seeds packed in the 7-layer hermetic bags produced total tannins (TTC) 39.1% and 42.5%, respectively, more than those packed in the 3-layer hermetic bags. That TTC had a negative correlation with the testa's darkness. Taken together, the faba bean seeds could be stored for a long period in the 7-layer hermetic bags, preserving seed quality and expanding marketing prospects.

Wheat still suffers from the problem of traditional storage methods, limited storage capacity, and a high percentage of losses in terms of quantity and quality. Hermetic silo bags are economical and alternative technique to the traditional storage methods. Ten horizontal plastic silos with the capacity of 200 tons/silo were tested and evaluated for eight months of wheat storage. The evaluations included grain bulk temperature, CO2 concentration, fungal and microbial count, insect count, grain moisture content, 1000-grain weight, falling number, and protein content. The results showed that the stored wheat quality was maintained without any significant difference during the storage period in terms of 1000-grain weight, grain moisture content, and falling number, while there were slight changes in protein content and kernel hardness with a decrease of 5.5% and 4.6% at the end of the storage period. There were no statistically significant differences at the sampling location along the length of the storage silos, which confirms the homogeneity of the internal conditions of the examined silo. The grain bulk temperature inside the silos was always lower than the surrounding ambient air temperature. The higher concentration of carbon dioxide inside the silos during the storage period led to a decrease in fungal and microbial count and the presence of dead insects at the end of the storage period.

BackgroundSpices are susceptible to surface microbial contamination. Countries’ ban on ethylene oxide fumigation due to possible residual toxicity encouraged the usage of irradiation. Surface sterilization with low doses of ultraviolet radiation has been extensively researched as a safe, eco-friendly, and fast route. This study examines the quality of Apiaceae spices for consumption, including anise, fennel, caraway, and cumin, in response to germicidal ultraviolet radiation using a developed sterilization unit.MethodsThe influence of UV-C (254 nm, 10.5 mW/cm2) on the fungal and microbial count, germination percentage, respiration rate, phenolic content, essential oil, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes was investigated at exposure durations of 0–45 min in increments of 5 min. The treated seeds were packed in polyethylene bags in a naturally aerated storage room for 30 days before the inspection.ResultsThe obtained data showed that UV-C stimulated seeds germination and increased respiration rate for all studied types. The 25 min of exposure exhibited the highest significant values compared to the control, considered a good indicator of seed vigor. In addition, UV-C exposure between 20 and 35 min promoted the accumulation of phenolic compounds and increased the oil content as a defense mechanism against radiation. Conversely, higher exposure to UV-C led to a significant reduction in phenolic and oil contents. Furthermore, the exposure to UV-C radiation enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes in terms of peroxidase and catalase, which progressively increased with increasing exposure durations, reached their peak at 25–30 min, and subsequently declined with extended exposure time was extended. In a similar pattern, exposure to UV-C radiation increased polyphenol oxidase activity to its highest level at 25 min, owing to the development of antioxidant protective mechanisms against oxidative stress.ConclusionUV-C irradiation in the range of 25–30 min is the most appropriate pretreatment to maintain the vitality of the examined seeds.

This study aimed to evaluate the experiment of drying grapes that applied three different airflow patterns: vertical and two horizontal (HMP-1 and HMP-2) inside convective hot air dryers. Experiments were conducted using a forced convection dryer at 40–60 °C and air velocities range of 1.0–2 m s −1 to dried grapes. The drying time was significantly decreased due to the greater air velocity and temperature at different dryers. The horizontal dryer (HMP-2) exhibited the lowest significant drying time reduction of 3.79 and 8.46% lower than the horizontal (HMP-1) and vertical airflow patterns, respectively. Compared to the vertical dryer, the horizontal (HMP-2) dryer had the maximum thermal efficiency in the range of 50.31 to 74.52% and the lowest in the 29.77–52.45% range. The minimum specific energy consumption of 27.44 MJ kg −1 was recorded using the horizontal (HMP-2) dryer, which was 53.82% and 141.91% lower than horizontal (HMP-1) and vertical, respectively. Additionally, implementing the horizontal (HMP-2) dryer for drying grapes has many advantages over the vertical dryer, including faster operating times, lower overall energy consumption, and improved dryer thermal efficiency.

Background Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe psychiatric disorder with multiple psychopathological domains; so studying the correlation of clinical or behavioral data with underlying structural and functional neurological findings in BPD is the focus of interest in recent years. The aim of our study was to compare the presence of neurological soft signs (NSS) in patients with borderline personality disorder with their presence in normal controls, and to correlate the severity of different symptoms of BPD with the presence of NSS through a case-control study which was conducted on 30 patients and 30 matching controls recruited from Al Kasr Al Ainy Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt. All subjects were assessed by the Borderline Personality Questionnaire, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale-11, the Brief Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment tool, and the Cambridge Neurological Inventory. Results The BPD group had significantly higher total NSS scores, primitive reflexes subscale score, and sensory integration subscale scores. There was also a positive correlation between NSS and overall severity of borderline symptoms. Conclusions The increased rates of NSS were associated with specific clinical symptoms in BPD including suicidality, self-harm, emptiness, and quasi-psychosis. Impulsivity was found to have the highest correlation with NSS.

Abstract This study examined the physicochemical, antioxidant, and microbiological properties of tomatoes coated with gum arabic (G), chitosan (CH), a gum arabic–chitosan blend (G+CH), and a composite enriched with Saussurea costus extract (X). Coating pH ranged from 4.68 (CH) to 5.80 (G), while viscosity increased from 0.019 Pa·s (G) to 0.044 Pa·s (X). Transparency was lowest in X (68.41%), and water vapour permeability (WVP) was lowest in X (3.41 g·mm/m2·day·kPa), indicating superior barrier performance. After 15 days at 4 °C, weight loss was significantly reduced in G+CH (4.66%) and X (4.83%) compared to control (7.64%). Firmness was best preserved in G+CH (80.00 N), and X retained the highest titratable acidity (0.46%), ascorbic acid (18.21 mg/100 g), and total phenolic content (24.29 mg GAE/100 g). Microbial growth in X remained below 7 log CFU/g by day 30. A multilayer perceptron-based artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed using five input neurons (coating type and storage time), one hidden layer of 10 neurons, and six output neurons (WL, FM, TA, TSS, AAC, and TPC). The model achieved excellent performance with R2 = 0.961–0.991 and RMSE = 0.019–0.811. The ANN model (R2 > 0.95) provides a robust predictive tool for optimising edible coating formulations. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the impact of different roasting conditions on the chemical and functional properties of Colombian coffee beans, focusing on phenolic compounds, caffeine, antioxidant activity, proteins, and amino acids. Coffee samples roasted under five levels—light, medium, city, French, and Italian—were analysed using HPLC, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assays. The results revealed a significant degradation of total chlorogenic acids (CQAs) with roasting intensity, exceeding 90% reduction in Italian roasts, particularly 5-CQA. In contrast, caffeine content remained relatively stable across all roast levels. Antioxidant capacity was maintained up to city roast but declined significantly in French and Italian roasts. Protein analysis showed that unroasted beans had detectable bands (32 and 22 kDa) corresponding to α- and β-chains, which disappeared in all roasted samples, indicating protein denaturation. Additionally, free amino acid content dropped markedly from 130.70 mg/100 g in green beans to 75.18 mg/100 g in the darkest roast. These findings suggest that moderate roasting (light to city) can preserve key bioactive compounds and antioxidant properties while enhancing flavour, making it optimal for functional coffee production. The study recommends further investigation into the bioavailability of thermally degraded phenolics and the sensory implications of roast-driven compositional changes in coffee. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to develop environmentally friendly packaging films using a statistical optimisation approach—response surface methodology—to identify the most effective combination of sodium caseinate (SC), guar gum (GG), and Alhagi graecorum extract (AE) that would enhance mechanical properties. Key evaluations included surface morphology, mechanical performance, and thermal stability. The optimal film composition was achieved with 1.40 g of SC, 1.80 g of GG, and 1.66 g of AE dissolved in 250 ml of distilled water. The resulting films displayed notably improved homogeneity, mechanical integrity, and thermal resistance. They also demonstrated a significant reduction in water vapour permeability (1.01 × 10−10 g·m−1·s−1·Pa−1) and an increased water contact angle of 82.7°. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed physical interactions between AE and the SC/GG matrix. Moreover, the incorporation of AE contributed to preserving beef burger quality throughout storage, highlighting the films’ potential for active packaging applications. Graphical Abstract Graphical Abstract