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Sustainable Biorefinery for the Production of Plant-Based Products

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A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2021) | Viewed by 8338

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Around the world, different measures are being taken to move from today's fossil-based economy to a more sustainable economy based on greater use of renewable feedstocks. In the coming decades, biorefinery and biomass will play a crucial role as we move towards a bio-based economy. Thus, the development of new sustainable plant-based value chains is therefore a highly interesting approach. Biorefining is defined as the sustainable processing of biomass into a range of marketable plant-based products. Similar to the value of refinery to fossil fuel resources, biorefinery is important in the utilization of biomass for the production of bioproducts.

The present Special Issue aims to collect and publish recent advances in the area of this following biorefinery pathway: the production of plant-based products derived from primary and secondary metabolites from sustainable resources (agricultural products, cellulosic biomass, aquatic and marine biomass; agri-food chain wastes and byproducts, microorganisms). We welcome all reviews and research articles dealing with the following subjects.

Dr. Maryline Abert-Vian
Guest Editor

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Keywords

Bio-based economy
Circular economy
Design of biorefinery
Biomass deconstruction
Value-added products
Green extraction technologies
Plant-based value chain

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 1605 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Valorization Potentials of Rapeseed Meal in a Biorefinery Perspective: Focus on Nutritional and Bioactive Components

by Gabriella Di Lena, Jose Sanchez del Pulgar, Massimo Lucarini, Alessandra Durazzo, Petra Ondrejíčková, Florin Oancea, Rodica-Mihaela Frincu, Altero Aguzzi, Stefano Ferrari Nicoli, Irene Casini, Paolo Gabrielli, Roberto Caproni, Igor Červeň and Ginevra Lombardi-Boccia

Molecules 2021, 26(22), 6787; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26226787 - 10 Nov 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3641

Abstract

Rapeseed meal (RSM), a by-product of oilseed extraction connected to the agri-food and biofuel sectors, is currently used as animal feed and for other low-value purposes. With a biorefinery approach, RSM could be valorized as a source of bio-based molecules for high-value applications. This study provides a chemical characterization of RSM in the perspective of its valorization. A qualitative study of main functional groups by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was integrated with a chemical characterization of macronutrients, minerals by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), phenolic acids and lipid components by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), HPLC-diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/flame ionization detector (GC-MS/FID). The study, conducted on different lots of RSM collected over a one-year period from an oil pressing factory serving a biofuel biorefinery, highlighted a constant quality over time of RSM, characterized by high protein (31–34%), fiber (33–40%) and mineral (5.5–6.8%) contents. Polyphenol extracts showed a significant antioxidant activity and a prevalence of sinapic acid, accounting for more than 85% of total phenolic acids (395–437 mg kg⁻¹ RSM). Results highlight the potentialities of RSM for further valorization strategies that may lead to the creation of new cross-sector interconnections and bio-based value chains with improvement of the economics and sustainability of the bioeconomy sectors involved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Biorefinery for the Production of Plant-Based Products)

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Review

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22 pages, 19866 KiB

Open AccessReview

An Overview on Total Valorization of Litsea cubeba as a New Woody Oil Plant Resource toward a Zero-Waste Biorefinery

by Yufei Qiu, Yasi Yu, Ping Lan, Yong Wang and Ying Li

Molecules 2021, 26(13), 3948; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/molecules26133948 - 28 Jun 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3890

Abstract

With the increasing global demand for edible oils and the restriction of arable land minimum in China, woody oil plants have gradually become the optimal solution to cover the shortage of current edible oil supply and to further improve the self-sufficiency rate. However, due to the lack of knowledge and technique, problems like “how to make full use of these plant resources?” and “how to guide consumers with reasonable data?” limit the development of woody oilseed industry towards a sustainable circular economy. In this review, several emerging unique woody oil plants in China were introduced, among which Litsea cubeba as a new woody oil plant was highlighted as a reference case based on its current research progress. Unlike other woody oil plants, essential oil rather than oil from Litsea cubeba has always been the main product through the years due to its interesting biological activities. Most importantly, its major component, citral, could be the base for other synthesized perfume compounds with added value. Moreover, the sustainable biorefinery of large amounts of waste residual after Litsea cubeba essential oil processing is now technically feasible, which could inspire a total valorization pathway for other woody oil plants to make more competitive plant-based products with both economic, social, and ecological benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Biorefinery for the Production of Plant-Based Products)

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