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Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 14751

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Erminda Tsouko

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Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, GR 81400 Lemnos, Greece
Interests: biodegradable food packaging materials; oleogelation for the production of fat substitutes; biopolymers and ex situ modification to nanostructures; renewable waste and by-product streams; biomass pretreatment; biorefinery development; bioprossesing, fermentation; fatty acid esters for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals
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Dr. Sofia Maina

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Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos, 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: bioprocess engineering and fermentation technology; industrial biotechnology; lignocellulosic conversion; green technology; biorefinery development

Dr. Maria Alexandri

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Guest Editor

Department of Food Science and Technology, Ionian University, Argostoli, 28100 Kefalonia, Greece
Interests: extraction and analysis of bioactive compounds; industrial biotechnology; lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment and bioconversion; biorefinery development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing generation of waste and the reduction of primary resources are major problems of modern society closely interlinked with escalating raw material costs. Their efficient management is of outmost importance to meet sustainability. The alternative of a circular bio-economy would convert end-of-life goods into resources, minimizing waste and replacing production with sufficiency. The transition to a low carbon economy must be based on the utilization of renewable resources incorporating novel technologies and bioprocessing to provide clean energy, green chemicals, biodegradable and safe products of high quality and functionality. Sectors of the EU bioeconomy have been reported to be worth €2 trillion in an annual turnover, and they account for approximately 9% of the EU workforce.

Contributions to this Special Issue may include empirical studies, case studies, and comparative and theoretical studies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Biomass pretreatment and waste valorization;
Biorefinery development for bio-based products;
Recovery of values added products from agricultural waste streams;
Sustainable production of biobased products;
Biofuels towards a carbon neutral economy;
Sustainable applications in food formulations, packaging, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc.;
Development of bio-economy business models;
Sustainability challenges and aspects of the circular economy;
Life cycle assessment for bio-based production using renewable resources;
Policy and social strategies, finance and the transition towards a circular bioeconomy.

Based on the aforementioned topics, this Special Issue will supplement the existing literature by providing a holistic overview regarding waste valorization and bio-based production within a cicrcular bioeconomy era. “State of the art” and “beyond the state of the art” scientific research is anticipated to update the current situation enlightening and giving directions for sustainable future development and innovation.

Dr. Erminda Tsouko
Dr. Sofia Maina
Dr. Maria Alexandri
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biobased production
renewable biomass
life cycle assessment
carbon neutral bioeconomy
pretreatment
waste management
environmental footprint
biofuels
policy strategies
transition to bio-circularity

Related Special Issue

Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bioeconomy Principles: Second Edition in Sustainability

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1671 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of a Calcium Carbonate-Based Container for Transportation and Storage of Fresh Fish as a Sustainable Alternative to Polystyrene Boxes

by Evgenia Basdeki, Eleni Mpenetou, Polyxeni Papazoglou, Dimitrios Ladakis, Emmanouil Flemetakis, Apostolos Koutinas and Theofania Tsironi

Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010130 - 22 Dec 2023

Viewed by 987

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the effect of alternative packaging materials on the quality retention and shelf-life of whole fish under low and abuse temperature conditions. Red sea bream (Pagrus major) was harvested and stored in different packaging containers, i.e., a conventional polystyrene (PS) box, a CaCO₃-based box and a cardboard box (tested as a simple alternative container for transportation and short-term storage of food). After harvesting and transportation, fish was stored in the tested containers at 2 °C for 11 days and periodically kept at room temperature (25 °C) to simulate potential temperature fluctuations in the actual supply chain. The effect of temperature fluctuations and packaging materials on the quality and remaining shelf-life of fish was determined by microbial enumeration (total viable counts, Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae). PS retained fish quality and maintained a low temperature of fish for longer periods of time during storage at ambient conditions. The CaCO₃-based containers also showed satisfactory performance, resulting in a similar microbial load in fish flesh to the samples stored in PS boxes after 11 days of simulated transportation and storage (TVC load 7.8–8.0 logcfu/g). Cardboard resulted in a rapid increase in the internal temperature during the temperature fluctuations at ambient conditions, resulting in higher microbial loads of fish flesh at all stages of the simulated cold chain. The replacement of conventional plastic packaging materials with alternative, environmentally friendly packaging systems without affecting the shelf-life of fish may reduce plastic waste while ensuring the high quality and shelf-life of perishable food products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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18 pages, 2371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Valorization of Grape Pomace for Trametes versicolor Mycelial Mass and Polysaccharides Production

by Vasiliki Kachrimanidou, Maria Alexandri, Harris Papapostolou, Aikaterini Papadaki and Nikolaos Kopsahelis

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 15080; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152015080 - 20 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1057

Abstract

Polysaccharides and protein–polysaccharide complexes produced from the fungal strain Trametes versicolor have demonstrated bioactive properties that depend on the substrate, the fermentation conditions and also the fungal strain. Likewise, the submerged and controlled fermentation of medicinal mushrooms elicits numerous advantages over traditional processes to produce mycelia and added-value products, along with the exploitation of biodiversity. This study evaluated the growth profile of an indigenous T. versicolor isolate using commercial nutrients that were subsequently replaced with renewable resources, specifically, grape pomace extract (GPE), under static and shaking conditions. The effect of elicitor addition was also assessed using GPE. The process productivity was significantly improved, yielding 21 g/L of biomass. Agitation proved beneficial for all examined cases regarding biomass productivity and substrate consumption rates. The chemical and antioxidant profile of crude intracellular and extracellular polysaccharides was determined, whereby intracellular extracts indicated >50% antioxidant activity. FTIR analysis validated the preliminary chemical characterization of the extracts, whereas the amino acid profile of IPS extracts was also included. Evidently, our study elaborates on the development of a bioconversion concept to valorize wine-making side-streams to formulate added-value products with potential bioactive attributes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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21 pages, 4398 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving the Biogas Production and Methane Yield in a UASB Reactor with the Addition of Sulfate

by Dimitra Theodosi Palimeri, Konstantina Papadopoulou, Apostolos G. Vlyssides and Anestis A. Vlysidis

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14896; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014896 - 16 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1506

Abstract

Sulfate is of great importance in anaerobic digestion as its addition can help control the microbial community. In this study, the effect of sulfuric acid addition on the performance of a UASB reactor fed with hydrolyzed starch was investigated. The total organic carbon (TOC), Fe, SO₄²⁻ removal and methane production were monitored under various chemical oxygen demand (COD) to SO₄²⁻ ratios, hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and organic loading rates (OLRs). When the HRT was 16 h, and the OLR was equal to 2 g COD/L_UASB-day, methane production was 0.24 L CH₄/L_UASB-day. After the addition of sulfuric acid, TOC removal reached 95%, and the population of Ruminococcus sp. that utilize soluble carbohydrates increased by 19.7%. Nitrogen removal was less than 25%, while the population of Ignavibacterium sp. accounted for 2.3%. When the HRT, OLR and COD/SO₄²⁻ ratios were equal to 16 h, 2 g COD/L_UASB-d and 3.72, respectively, methane production was 0.267 L CH₄/L_UASB-day. When the OLR increased to 5.94 g, the COD/L_UASB-day and COD/SO₄²⁻ ratios were equal to 12.5, and methane production was three times higher (0.84 L CH₄/L_UASB-day), with a methane content in the produced biogas greater than 70% due to the increased amount of Methanosaeta sp. and direct interspecies electron transfer. Sulfate addition increased the relative abundance of Desulfovibrio sp., accounting for 9.9% and an iron accumulation exceeding 98.0%. This study indicates that appropriate sulfate concentrations in the feed in combination with the presence of iron in the UASB lead to enhanced methane yields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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14 pages, 1305 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Extraction of Fish Protein Concentrates from Discards and Combined Application with Gelatin for the Development of Biodegradable Food Packaging

by Evmorfia Athanasopoulou, Anna Michailidi, Dimitrios Ladakis, Katerina I. Kalliampakou, Emmanouil Flemetakis, Apostolis Koutinas and Theofania Tsironi

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 12062; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151512062 - 7 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1574

Abstract

Fish waste accounts for almost one-third of the total fish production annually. The main objective of this study was to upcycle fish by-products to produce biodegradable packaging materials. Fish protein concentrate (FPC) was extracted from gilthead seabream by-catch (flesh and skin). FPC (3%) and gelatin (3%) were used to produce film-forming solutions. The films were produced according to the solvent casting method. The produced films were tested as packaging materials via the determination of different film properties. The wettability of the packaging materials was characterized based on the determination of the contact angle. Water vapor permeability was evaluated using the ASTM E96/E96M standardized method. The evaluation of mechanical properties was based on the Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and elongation at break. Color was measured using a CIELab system. The incorporation of FPC into the produced membranes resulted in a reduced contact angle from 108.5° to 90.6°; however, both films were characterized as hydrophobic materials. Films supplemented with FPC had lower tensile strength values compared to pure gelatin films, but higher elongation values without statistically significant differences. The color parameters (L,a,b) indicated that gelatin films and FPC–gelatin films were colorless and transparent (L > 90), an important parameter for food packaging materials. The production of biodegradable packaging materials from FPC and gelatin may effectively reduce petroleum-based plastics under the circular economy model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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11 pages, 1068 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pilot-Scale Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Food Waste and Polylactic Acid

by Angeliki Maragkaki, Christos Tsompanidis, Kelly Velonia and Thrassyvoulos Manios

Sustainability 2023, 15(14), 10944; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151410944 - 12 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1103

Abstract

Bioplastics are frequently utilized in daily life, particularly for food packaging and carrier bags. They can be delivered to biogas plants through a separate collection of the organic fraction of municipal waste (OFMSW). The increased demand for and use of bioplastics aimed at mitigating plastic pollution raises significant questions concerning their life cycle and compatibility with waste management units. Anaerobic digestion (AD) in OFMSW is a valuable resource for biogas production. In this work, the valorization of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) composed of food waste within the Biowaste to Bioplastic (B2B) Project framework was studied in laboratory and pilot-scale anaerobic liquid conditions. Taking into account that the addition of PLLA to biowaste can increase biogas production, we performed laboratory-scale anaerobic tests on food waste enriched with different molecular-weight PLLAs produced from food waste or commercial PLLA at a mesophilic temperature of 37 °C. PLLA with the highest molecular weight was subjected to AD on the pilot scale to further validate our findings. The addition of PLLA increased biogas production and had no apparent negative impact on the operation of the reactors used in the laboratory or on the pilot scale. Biogas production was higher when using PLLA with the lowest molecular weight. In the pilot-scale experiments, co-digestion of FW with PLLA increased biogas production by 1.1 times. When PLLA was added to the feed, biomethane was 8% higher, while volatile solids (VS) and total chemical oxygen demand (TCOD) removal were almost the same. Importantly, no effect was observed in the operation of the digesters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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11 pages, 995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chitin Oligosaccharide N,N′-Diacetylchitobiose (GlcNAc₂) as Antimicrobial Coating against Listeria monocytogenes on Ready-to-Eat Shrimp

by Munira Zainal Abidin, Konstantina Kourmentza and Keshavan Niranjan

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10099; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310099 - 26 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1154

Abstract

N,N′-diacetylchitobiose, also known as GlcNAc₂, is a chitin oligosaccharide and is reported to possess antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria. In this study, 1% (w/v) GlcNAc₂ solution was applied on ready-to-eat (RTE) shrimp and evaluated as an antimicrobial coating against Listeria monocytogenes during storage at 4 °C for 16 days. Texture properties, colour, TBARS values, moisture content and bacterial counts were monitored and analysed every four days. The results indicated that the GlcNAc₂ coating retarded the changes in texture properties, TBARS values and moisture content of the RTE shrimp during storage. The presence of GlcNAc₂ showed no significant changes in RTE shrimp colour in contrast to the control. However, the growth of L. monocytogenes inoculated on the GlcNAc₂-coated RTE shrimp was slower than that of the control sample with the highest log reduction of 0.5 log CFU/mL being observed. This study showed that the GlcNAc₂ used as an antimicrobial coating was able to inhibit the growth of L. monocytogenes, while maintaining the quality of the RTE shrimp during refrigerated storage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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16 pages, 1649 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Potential of Halloumi Second Cheese Whey for the Production of Lactic Acid Cultures for the Dairy Industry

by Eleni Naziri, Eugenia Papadaki, Iordanis Savvidis, George Botsaris, Konstantinos Gkatzionis, Ediriisa Mugampoza and Fani Th. Mantzouridou

Sustainability 2023, 15(11), 9082; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15119082 - 5 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1914

Abstract

Production of halloumi cheese in Cyprus has increased rapidly over the last decade since the popularity of the cheese is growing. This results in excess production of whey streams that pose serious environmental concerns and are difficult to manage. In our study, the poorly investigated second cheese whey (SCW) generated after the extraction of anari, a by-product of halloumi cheese manufacture, was examined for dairy industry lactic acid bacteria (LAB) culture production. The LAB studied were all initially isolated from SCW. These LAB were molecularly identified and characterized in an attempt to explore their potential use as starter cultures for the dairy industry. A total of 11 Gram-positive and catalase-negative isolates were identified, belonging to four different species/subspecies: Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. jakobsenii, Lactobacillus leichmannii and Lactobacillus crispatus. Lactose/galactose utilization tests demonstrated species-specific differences in galactose and lactose catabolism. Interestingly, culturing the selected isolates in SCW supplemented with skimmed milk (30% total solids) improved their freeze-drying tolerance (75–91% survival rate depending on the species). Moreover, isolates in vacuum-packed powders maintained viability and metabolic activity over 3-month storage at 4 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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22 pages, 3634 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioconversion of Agro-Residues into Microbial Oil-Based Oleochemicals Employing Packed Bed Bioreactor

by Erminta Tsouko, Aikaterini Papadaki, Miguel Carmona-Cabello, MP Dorado, Denise Maria Guimarães Freire, Seraphim Papanikolaou and Apostolis A. Koutinas

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14135; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114135 - 29 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1717

Abstract

Lignocellulosic waste-streams are resources worth investigating to produce value-added bioproducts due to their low-cost, renewability, versatility, and abundance. This study evaluated five Zygomycota strains as potential oleaginous microorganisms for direct bioconversion of cakes derived from the vegetable-oil-milling industry into microbial oil. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) conditions in tray bioreactors revealed that temperature, moisture content, and substrate affected lipid production and fatty acids composition. Employing SSF, under optimal conditions (30 °C, 65% initial moisture content), and substrate supplementation with nitrogen sources increased lipid productivity 1.1-fold on palm kernel cake (PKC) substrate. Supplementation strategies using glycerol, molasses, or mineral solution did nοt favor lipid production. When cotton seed cake (CoSC) was applied, C. echinulata was able to produce 304.1 mg/gfs of biomass with a lipid content of 40.2% (w/w) in tray bioreactors. Scaling-up SSF using CoSC in packed bed reactors led to the highest biomass production (320.5 mg/gfs), while lipids production was unaffected. Then, microbial oil was enzymatically converted into polyol esters achieving the highest conversion yield of 80% after 2 h. Physicochemical properties of polyol esters demonstrated their potential utilization as biolubricants. The present study showed the perspective of bioconverting industrial side streams into microbial oil and a route for sustainable synthesis of oleochemicals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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Review

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20 pages, 1922 KiB

Open AccessReview

Microbial Melanin: Renewable Feedstock and Emerging Applications in Food-Related Systems

by Erminta Tsouko, Eirini Tolia and Dimitris Sarris

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7516; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097516 - 4 May 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2863

Abstract

Melanin is among the most important natural pigments produced by various organisms, from microbes to plants and mammals. Melanins possess great properties such as radioprotective and antioxidant activity, heavy metal chelation and absorption of organic compounds. The biosynthesis of melanin through the DOPA metabolic pathway and/or the DHN pathway mainly involves the tyrosinase and laccase enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of phenolic and indolic substrates to form melanin classes, namely eumelanin, pheomelanin, allomelanins and pyomelanin. The cost-efficient production of melanin at a large scale, with a chemically specified composition, constitutes a major technical challenge. Alternative production routes including highly efficient microbial stains cultivated on renewable resources could sustain and up-scale melanin production capacity. The strategy of valorizing low-cost and abundant agro-industrial waste and byproduct streams complies with concepts of sustainable development and circular economy, thus eliminating the environmental footprint. Genetic engineering tools could substantially contribute to enhancing melanogenesis in natural producers via target gene overexpression and the recombination of novel strains. The production of biobased films for food packaging applications reinforced with melanin nanoparticles constitutes a market segment of high interest due to environmental and societal concerns around the end-of-life management of conventional plastics, gradual depletion of fossil resources, sustainability issues and high performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products through the Implementation of Circular Bio-Economy Principles)

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