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Due to a lack of innovative valorization strategies, pomegranate processing generates a significant amount of residues with a negative environmental footprint. These by-products are a rich source of bioactive compounds with functional and medicinal benefits. This study reports the valorization of pomegranate leaves as a source of bioactive ingredients using maceration, ultrasound, and microwave-assisted extraction techniques. The phenolic composition of the leaf extracts was analyzed using an HPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn system. The extracts’ antioxidant, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and skin-beneficial properties were determined using validated in vitro methodologies. The results showed that gallic acid, (-)-epicatechin, and granatin B were the most abundant compounds in the three hydroethanolic extracts (between 0.95 and 1.45, 0.7 and 2.4, and 0.133 and 3.0 mg/g, respectively). The leaf extracts revealed broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects against clinical and food pathogens. They also presented antioxidant potential and cytotoxic effects against all tested cancer cell lines. In addition, tyrosinase activity was also verified. The tested concentrations (50–400 µg/mL) ensured a cellular viability higher than 70% in both keratinocyte and fibroblast skin cell lines. The obtained results indicate that the pomegranate leaves could be used as a low-cost source of value-added functional ingredients for potential nutraceutical and cosmeceutical applications.

Municipal biowaste management is at the core of the transition towards a circular bioeconomy in the EU. However, most urban systems are still far from being aligned with these principles. This paper addresses the case of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. The current system of biowaste management is compared with a more sustainable alternative scenario. Regulatory and non-regulatory drivers and barriers for the transition from the current state to the alternative scenario are identified and later transformed into policy recommendations using a multi-stakeholder approach. This paper focuses on the separate collection of biowaste and the production of biomethane. Increasing the quantity and quality of separate biowaste collection is a prerequisite for the market-relevant production of biogas from anaerobic digestion that can be converted into biomethane. The results show that more efficient collection systems such as door-to-door or smart bins together with tax incentives such as the pay-as-you-throw principle are key to increasing the amount of collected biowaste, while targeted communication combined with controls and penalties are key to minimizing impurities. In addition to financial incentives for the construction of new anaerobic digestion plants, financial incentive systems are also required for the biomethane sector to ensure competitiveness with fossil fuels.

The circular bioeconomy (CBE) is an evolving paradigm that promotes sustainable economic development. Artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as an important enabler within this paradigm, offering capabilities that could significantly enhance operational efficiencies and innovation. Despite its recognized potential, the full value of Al across the diverse areas of the CBE remains underexplored. This paper introduces a novel framework for assessing and harnessing the role of Al to facilitate a transition towards a CBE. The framework was developed through an interdisciplinary literature review and conceptual modeling. The framework maps ten key CBE domains against eight core AI functions (such as prediction, optimization, and discovery) that can be leveraged to enhance the circularity of bioeconomic processes. A case study on biowaste valorization, employing a framework-guided literature review methodology, demonstrates the framework’s utility in identifying research gaps and opportunities in using AI. The case study reveals a current emphasis on AI for prediction and optimization tasks, while highlighting significant underutilization in discovery and design functions. The framework can help guide researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders in identifying and deploying AI-driven solutions that help support a more sustainable bioeconomy.

In the present study, the flower of Chinese peony (CPF), major waste by-product of Chinese Herb , was comprehensively investigated for the first time. A validated UHPLC Orbitrap Mass spectrometry combined a three-levels characterization strategy were used to analyze CPF samples from four representative cultivars. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities were analyzed using RAW264.7 cells, and DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC antioxidant assays. A total of 150 chemical components were identified in CPF, among them, more than 50 components were reported from this species for the first time, with potential new chemicals reported. 67 quantified or semi-quantified targeted metabolomics analysis indicated a clear distinction between flower parts and four cultivars. CPF demonstrated significant antioxidant activities and displayed anti-inflammatory effects by reducing nitric oxide, IL-6, and TNF-a release in LPS-induced macrophages. Correlation analysis highlighted a strong positive correlation between total phenolic content and DPPH ABTS, and FRAP antioxidant activities. The present study is the first to comprehensively investigate the chemical profile and bioactivities of CPF, which provide insights into further understanding of its health-promoting potential.

For facing the environmental challenge induced by the arbitrary release of biowaste, numerous renewable biowastes have served as raw materials for valuable biomaterials, including biowaste-derived natural dyes (BND) and biowaste-derived carbon materials (BCM). The emergence of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has paved the way for the application of the BND and BCM in energy conversion field. We investigated the configuration and photovoltaic performance of a dual-biowaste-based DSSCs using the BND as a natural photosensitizer and the BCM as a natural counter electrode catalyst, with emphasis on understanding the influence of the molecular structure of chlorophyll in the BND and the porous structure of the BCM upon the device performance. The BND and BCM were fabricated employing both fallen leaves as the raw materials through facile technique. The chlorophyll with keto C=O in the mulberry leaf extracted BND displays more integrated porphyrin structure than that without keto C=O in the plantain leaf extracted BND, giving the device higher photocurrent density. In contrast, compared with the mulberry leaf pyrolyzed BCM, the plantain leaf pyrolyzed BCM possesses better electrochemical performances owing to its own larger surface areas, more developed mesopore and ordered tubular macropores, which brings about higher fill factor for the device. Consequently, the conversion efficiency ( η ) of the dual-biowaste-based DSSCs employing the mulberry leaf-derived BND and plantain leaf-derived BCM is 0.28%. Moreover, the BCM used as the catalyst in a typical N719 sensitized cells has higher η in comparison with the graphite, thanks to its own unique porous structure and dual-doped amorphous carbon skeleton with oxygen-containing groups. The η of 1.28% and 1.51% are, respectively, obtained for the mulberry and plantain leaves-based device, whereas that of 0.77% is achieved for the graphite-based one. These results obviously exhibit a facile biowaste valorization into valuable BND and BCM used in energy conversion field.

Steady extraction methods need improvement to obtain pure pectin from citrus biowaste while enabling environmental waste management and advancing green manufacturing systems. Specifically, ultrasound cavitation will enhance mass transfer and microwave irradiation will provide rapid and uniform heating, leading to more efficient pectin extraction with improved functional properties. A full factorial experimental design (2³) was employed, analyzing the effects of three independent variables: temperature (°C), microwave power (W), and ultrasonic amplitude (%), on both pectin yield and its quality parameters, such as degree of esterification and sugar composition. Statistical validation was performed using ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test to confirm significant differences among treatments. Under optimal conditions (60°C and 500 W with 50% amplitude and 3 min duration), the pectin extraction process achieved a maximum yield of 65.40% (p < 0.001, η² = 0.961, 95% CI: (59.88%, 63.37%)). The derived pectin exhibited exceptional physicochemical attributes, including 78.67% (p < 0.001, η² = 0.954, 95% CI: (69.5%, 79.1%)) anhydrouronic acid, 81.56% (p < 0.001, η² = 0.950, 95% CI: (71.8%, 81.6%)), galacturonic acid content, and a 70.48% (p < 0.001, η² = 0.948, 95% CI: (61.8%, 70.2%)) degree of esterification, qualifying it as high-methoxyl class pectin with superior gelling and emulsifying properties. UMAE resulted in improved performance indicators, such as a water holding capacity of 11.01 g/g (p < 0.001, η² = 0.996), an oil holding capacity of 5.42 g/g (p < 0.001, η² = 0.990), an emulsifying activity index of 65.40%, and foam stability of 93.25%. Additionally, the method reduced overall extraction time by 70% (p < 0.001, η² = 0.970) and energy usage by 38.84% (p < 0.001, η² = 0.967), significantly contributing to sustainable production. While UMAE demonstrates improvements in extraction time and energy efficiency, claims of sustainability require further validation through life cycle analysis (LCA) and techno-economic assessments. These analyses would help quantify the environmental and economic impact of UMAE at an industrial scale.

Biowaste raw materials were used for biochar preparation through pyrolysis at 850 °C under a limited oxygen atmosphere. Raw materials and the corresponding biochar samples were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TGA, N2-sorption, pH-equilibrium, and ash content measurements. These samples were evaluated as sustainable sorbents for use in methylene blue (MB) removal from artificial fresh water. All biochar samples exhibited high specific surface areas (367–870 m2·g−1), low crystallinity, and low population of functional groups (C–O–C, –COOH, –N–O, –N–H, and –OH) on their surfaces. They were mainly micro-porous materials with a significant fraction of pores in the meso-porous range. The specific surface area of the latter pores proved very important for the physical adsorption of MB from aqueous solution. Although the raw materials exhibited low MB sorption capacity, ranging from 29 to 54 mg·g−1, the corresponding biochar samples exhibited important MB sorption efficiency ranging from 58 to 370 mg·g−1. Among the biochar samples studied, those produced from coffee residues proved most promising for MB removal from water solution (sorption capacity: 280–370 mg·g−1), addressing the United Nations Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) 6: Clean Water and Sanitation by improving the index related to anthropogenic wastewater that has received treatment.

The production of citrus juice generates a large quantity of by-products, which are often discarded or used for animal feed. However, several studies have shown its richness in valuable compounds, namely organic acids. Thus, this work intended to valorize orange and lime peels as renewable sources of citric acid. An experimental design combining five levels of the independent variables time (2–45 min), ultrasonic power (50–500 W), and ethanol proportion (0–100%) was implemented and response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the extraction process. The UPLC-PDA analysis showed that orange peel presented a higher citric acid content than lime. For lime and orange peels, the extraction yield was maximized by sonicating at low power for 5.8 or 35.5 min, using a low ethanol proportion or only water as a solvent, respectively. Overall, optimal UAE conditions were defined for the sustainable extraction of citric acid from citrus by-products, thus contributing to its valorization and upcycling into natural food ingredients.

The use of renewable biological resources, including biowaste, within a circular framework, is crucial for the transition to more sustainable production and consumption patterns. By means of life cycle assessment and life cycle costing methodologies, this study compares the environmental and economic performances of two disposal scenarios for coffee silverskin, the major waste from coffee roasting. The business-as-usual (BaU) scenario, currently applied in the Metropolitan City of Naples (Italy), involves silverskin composting, while the proposed alternative scenario explores the valorization of silverskin as a functional ingredient in bakery products. The alternative scenario results are more advantageous since replacing flour with silverskin in bakery products reduces environmental impact by 96% more than replacing synthetic fertilizers with compost in the BaU scenario. Furthermore, in the alternative scenario, coffee roasters halve their silverskin disposal costs, compared to the BaU scenario (447.55 € versus 190.09 €, for 1 ton). Finally, the major environmental burdens are resource use for equipment construction (37% for BaU, 62% for alternative, on average) and electricity consumption (30% for BaU, 67% for alternative, on average), while the highest economic cost is due to personnel (58% for BaU, 88% for alternative, on average).

Kadsura coccinea (Lem.) is a woody wine plant with a peculiar fruit enriched in important health-promoting compounds. The non-editable part of the fruit, i.e., the seed and peel, represents more than 60% of the fruit and is considered a biowaste. This significantly restricts the development of the K. coccinea fruit industry. Clarifying the metabolic components of the different fruit parts can help to improve the utilization rate and valorization ofK. coccinea. Herein, we evaluated K. coccinea fruit peel, pulp, and seed using widely-targeted metabolomics and quantified a set of 736 bioactive compounds from 11 major metabolite classes. The most prominent metabolite classes included lipids, amino acids, flavonoids, and lignans. Furthermore, our results emphasized a significant accumulation of flavonoids in pulp tissues, while alkaloids and lignans were abundant in peel and seed tissues, respectively. A total of 183 metabolites were differentially accumulated among the three tissues. Procyanidin C2, rutinoside, 2-hydroxyoleanolic acid, 5-hydroxymethyluracil, nootkatol, isoquercitrin, isohyperoside, quercetin-7-O-glucoside, hyperin, and rutin showed elevated accumulation in the peel. In the seed, kadsuralignan G, kadcoccilactone A, kadsuralignan H, lysoPE 20:5, iso-schisandrin ethyl alcohol, and kadangustin were significantly enriched. Our results highlight the diverse metabolome composition of K. coccinea fruit parts, which can be further exploited for its valorization in various industries.