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This study reports on the interactions of egg proteins, which represent a major health concern in food allergy, with polyphenols obtained from orange and lemon peels. The antioxidant properties of such citrus peel extracts prior to protein binding were evaluated. The resulting edible, and therefore inherently safe, matrices exhibit reduced IgE binding compared to pure proteins in indirect immunological assays (ELISA) using individual sera from patients allergic to ovalbumin and lysozyme. The reduced allergenicity could arise from the interactions with polyphenols, which alter the structure and functionality of the native proteins. It is hypothesized that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the polyphenols, described as inhibitors of the allergic response, could add immunomodulatory features to the hypoallergenic complexes. A docking analysis using lysozyme was conducted to scrutinize the nature of the protein–polyphenol interactions. An in silico study unravelled the complexity of binding modes depending on the isoforms considered. Altogether, the presented results validate the antioxidant properties and reduced allergenicity of polyphenol-fortified proteins. Lastly, this study highlights the upgrading of vegetable wastes as a source of natural antioxidants, thus showing the benefits of a circular economy in agri-food science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fermentation of syngas is an attractive technology that can be integrated with gasification of lignocellulosic biomass. The coupling of these two technologies allows for treating a great variety of raw materials. Lignin usually hinders microbial fermentations; thus, the thermal decomposition of the whole material into small molecules allows for the production of fuels and other types of molecules using syngas as substrate, a process performed at mild conditions. Syngas contains mainly hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in varying proportions. These gases have a low volumetric energy density, resulting in a more interesting conversion into higher energy density molecules. Syngas can be transformed by microorganisms, thus avoiding the use of expensive catalysts, which may be subject to poisoning. However, the fermentation is not free of suffering from inhibitory problems. The presence of trace components in syngas may cause a decrease in fermentation yields or cause a complete cessation of bacteria growth. The presence of tar and hydrogen cyanide are just examples of this fermentation's challenges. Syngas cleaning impairs significant restrictions in technology deployment. The technology may seem promising, but it is still far from large-scale application due to several aspects that still need to find a practical solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorption using bio‐based adsorbents has been pointed out as an economical and environmentally benign technology for CO₂ gas separation and storage. A bio‐based adsorbent can be fabricated from low‐cost worldwide available biomass feedstock and bio‐wastes from different industries (e.g., dairy manure, forestry, agriculture). As a result, it is a carbon rich material of hydrophobic nature, activated to gain high porosity development, and requires mild regeneration conditions. However, large‐scale deployment of bio‐based adsorption processes remains challenging. Our group has been intensively developing biomass‐based adsorbents in conjunction with the design of tailored CO₂ adsorption‐based cyclic processes for the envisioned application. Herein, key concepts on adsorption technology, biomass waste management, and different activation techniques for biomass‐based adsorbent precursors are discussed. This review addresses the most relevant studies in the literature, from lab experimentation on a milligram scale (volumetric and gravimetric tests) to dynamic tests in bench or large‐scale cyclic adsorption processes (i.e., pressure swing adsorption, temperature swing adsorption, vacuum swing adsorption). Therefore, the main target is to give a holistic view of the industrial applications where CO₂ separations with these materials are more suitable. Finally, concluding remarks and future perspectives of bio‐based adsorbents in carbon capture are presented. © 2023 The Authors. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to synthesize a magnetic magnetite/multi-walled carbon nanotube (Fe3O4/MWCNT) catalyst by a method combining co-precipitation and hydrothermal treatments for the efficient removal of diclofenac (DCF) by catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO). The support (MWCNTs) shows a moderate-large surface area and good adsorption capacity, leading to the improvement of the magnetite (Fe3O4) dispersion on its surface. The response surface methodology (RSM) was applied in order to find out the effect of the reaction parameters on DCF removal, allowing to establish the optimum operating conditions (T = 60 °C, [H2O2]0 = 2.7 mM, [catalyst] = 1.0 g L−1). The optimum CWPO experiment showed an outstanding catalytic activity at non-modified pH solution (6.7), obtaining a 95% of DCF removal after 3 h reaction time; this high efficiency can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the iron-based catalyst with the high quantity of •OH radicals generated on the surface of the catalyst. In addition, the Fe3O4/MWCNT material exhibited good reusability along three consecutive reaction cycles, finding a pollutant removal close to 95% in each cycle of 3 h reaction time. Additionally, a degradation mechanism pathway was proposed for the removal of DCF by CWPO. The versatility of the material was finally demonstrated in the treatment of different environmentally relevant aqueous matrices (a wastewater treatment plant effluent, surface water, and hospital wastewater), obtaining an effective reduction in the ecotoxicity values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eco-friendly “on water” reactions of carbohydrate-derived nitroalkenes with furan, 2-methylfuran and furfural N,N-dimethylhydrazone have been investigated under different mixing methods, such as a magnetic stirrer and a wrist-action shaker. Cyclic and acyclic furyl derivatives from carbohydrates were obtained with high diastereoselectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cycloaddition reactions between N-alkyl and N-arylsubstituted maleimides and furan derivatives have been carried out using the 'on-water' methodology. Transformations are faster and products can easily be isolated by simple workup protocols, often in quantitative yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetite supported on multiwalled carbon nanotubes catalysts were synthesized by co-precipitation and hydrothermal treatment. The magnetic catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis and N2 physisorption. The catalysts were then tested for their ability to remove diclofenac (DCF) and naproxen (NAP) from an aqueous solution at different conditions (pH, temperature, and hydrogen peroxide) to determine the optimum conditions for chemical oxidation. The optimization of the process parameters was conducted using response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box–Behnken design (BBD). By RSM–BBD methodology, the optimal parameters (1.75 mM H2O2 dosage, 70 °C and pH 6.5) were determined, and the removal percentages of NAP and DCF were 19 and 54%, respectively. The NAP–DCF degradation by catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) was caused by •OH radicals. In CWPO of mixed drug solutions, DCF and NAP showed competitive oxidation. Hydrophobic interactions played an important role during the CWPO process. On the other hand, the magnetic catalyst reduced its activity after the second cycle of reuse. In addition, proof of concept and disinfection tests performed at the operating conditions showed results following the complexity of the water matrices. In this sense, the magnetic catalyst in CWPO has adequate potential to treat water contaminated with NAP–DCF mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, magnetic yeast (MY) was produced through an in situ one-step method. Then, MY was used as the core and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) as the template to produce highly selective magnetic yeast-molecularly imprinted polymers (MY@MIPs). The physicochemical properties of MY@MIPs were assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), specific surface area (SBET) determination, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to compare MY@MIPs with MY and MY@NIPs (magnetic yeast-molecularly imprinted polymers without template), with MY@MIPs showing a better performance in the removal of SMX from water. Adsorption of SMX onto MY@MIPs was described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm, with maximum adsorption capacities of 77 and 24 mg g−1 from ultrapure and wastewater, respectively. Furthermore, MY@MIPs displayed a highly selective adsorption toward SMX in the presence of other pharmaceuticals, namely diclofenac (DCF) and carbamazepine (CBZ). Finally, regeneration experiments showed that SMX adsorption decreased 21 and 34% after the first and second regeneration cycles, respectively. This work demonstrates that MY@MIPs are promising sorbent materials for the selective removal of SMX from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studies the effects of rice bran extract (RBE) on pork burgers which were treated by hydrostatic high pressure, in order to increase their shelf‐life. Changes after processing and during the refrigerated storage were analyzed. High pressure processing (HPP) was effective in the reduction of microbiological counts; however, the addition of the extract did not show an important effect on this parameter. Burgers without RBE showed a significant increase of lipid oxidation during the storage while burgers with the RBE showed a less marked increase. RBE was effective in decreasing protein oxidation extent during storage. Panellists did not find significant differences among the different batches when the burgers were treated with HPP. These results suggest that the combination of the extracts obtained together with HPP could be effective in increasing the shelf‐life of pork burgers manufactured without synthetic additives. Practical applications: Several amounts of waste are produced every year in agri‐food industry, worsening the environmental situation. This study can contribute to reduce the problem and to improve the burger quality by the application of RBE in meat products which can be an interesting alternative for food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study has been to assess the composition and antioxidant activities of rice bran extracts submitted to a human simulated digestion, which extraction process was previously optimized. In order to adjust the optimum values for the extraction, D-optimal experimental design and response surface methodology have been applied. Phenolic compounds and γ-oryzanol contents have been used as response parameters. In this way, two different extracts have been obtained. The first one, was obtained with 100% water as solvent, and it was mainly composed by phenolic acids. Ferulic acid was the majority compound found with a concentration of 1.00 ± 0.03 mg/g extract, followed by p-coumaric acid (0.19 ± 0.02 mg/g), The second extract, extracted with ethanol as solvent, was a γ-oryzanol enriched fraction with a content of 14.41 ± 0.26 mg/g extract. The optimized rice bran extracts thus obtained were subjected to a process of human in-vitro digestion. In the first extract, with high polyphenol content, the phenolic content was oscillating during the digestion, like antioxidant activity. The oryzanol content found in this fraction (0.079 ± 0.002 mg/g) has not been detected in any phase of digestion. In the second extract, with a high oryzanol content at the beginning, oryzanol content was not detected in any of digestion steps. However, phenolic composition was stable in all phases of simulation (ranging from 0.117 and 0.094 mg/g in the case of ferulic acid). This fact evidence that oryzanol is not a bioavailability fraction, while phenolic compounds support to some extent, the conditions of digestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Antimicrobial activity of rice bran extract is firstly tested in food. • Rice bran extracts decrease peroxide value in mayonnaise-type emulsions. • Ethanolic extract of rice bran could be employed for food preservation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of different bran extracts and concentrations, and their influence on the parameters of a mayonnaise-type emulsion. To that end, first ethanol and then water were used to extract two rice bran extracts (RBE) from rice bran. Both these extracts were then added at two different concentrations (0.5 and 2%) to the emulsions that were subsequently analysed after seven days under two different storage temperatures, 4 °C and 20 °C. The antioxidant and antimicrobial ability of the extracts were evaluated, along with a control and a synthetic antioxidant. Results indicate the positive effect of rice bran extracts as additives in the food matrix. Ethanolic rice bran extract (EE) at 2% decreased the oxidation as well as mould and yeast proliferation and preserved the emulsion structure, while the other treatments acted in a similar way although their effect was less pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to assess the fixed-bed adsorptive performance of a primary paper mill sludge-based granular activated carbon (PSA-PA) for the removal of pharmaceuticals, namely carbamazepine (CBZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and paroxetine (PAR), from water. The breakthrough curves corresponding to the adsorption of CBZ at different flow rates and in two different matrices (distilled and municipal wastewater) were firstly determined, which allowed to select the most favorable flow rate for the subsequent experiments. The fixed-bed adsorption of CBZ, SMX and PAR from single and ternary solutions in wastewater showed that the performance of PSA-PA was different for each pharmaceutical. According to the obtained breakthrough curves, the poorest bed adsorption capacity, either from single or ternary solution, was observed for SMX, which may be related with electrostatic repulsion at the pH of the wastewater used (pH ~ 7.3–7.7). Also, the bed adsorption capacity of PSA-PA for SMX, in the ternary solution, was notoriously lower compared to the single solution, while it slightly decreased for CBZ and even increased for PAR. The regeneration studies showed that the CBZ adsorption capacity of the PSA-PA bed decreased about 38 and 71% after the first and the second thermal regeneration stages, respectively. This decline was comparatively larger than the corresponding reduction of the PSA-PA specific surface area (S BET), which decreased only 5 and 25% for the first and second regeneration stages, respectively, and pointed to the lack of viability of more than one regeneration stage. Unlabelled Image • An alternate granular activated carbon was used in the fixed-bed adsorption of drugs. • Fixed-bed adsorption of 3 pharmaceuticals was tested in single and ternary systems. • Flow rate influenced the adsorption of carbamazepine from distilled and wastewater. • Bed capacity for the ternary system followed the order PAR > CBZ > SMX. • Thermal regeneration of the carbon was evaluated for two serial adsorption cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, a granular activated carbon (GAC) was produced using primary paper mill sludge (PS) as raw material and ammonium lignosulfonate (AL) as binder agent. PS is a residue from the pulp and paper industry and AL is a by-product of the cellulose pulp manufacture and the proposed production scheme contributes for their valorisation together with important savings in GAC precursors. The produced GAC (named PSA-PA) and a commercially available GAC (GACN), used as reference material, were physically and chemically characterized. Then, these materials were tested in batch experiments for the adsorption of carbamazepine (CBZ), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and paroxetine (PAR) from ultra-pure water and wastewater. Even though GACN and PSA-PA possess very similar specific surface areas (S BET) (629 and 671 m2 g−1, respectively), PSA-PA displayed lower maximum adsorption capacities (q m) than GACN for the pharmaceuticals here studied (6 ± 1–44 ± 5 mg g−1 and 49 ± 6–106 ± 40 mg g−1, respectively). This may be related to the comparatively higher incidence of mesopores in GACN, which might have positively influenced its adsorptive performance. Moreover, the highest hydrophobic character and degree of aromaticity of GACN could also have contributed to its adsorption capacity. On the other hand, the performance of both GACs was significantly affected by the matrix in the case of CBZ and SMX, with lower q m in wastewater than in ultra-pure water. However, the adsorption of PAR was not affected by the matrix. Electrostatic interactions and pH effects might also have influenced the adsorption of the pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Industrial wastes were used as precursors of granular activated carbon (PSA-PA). • Key properties of PSA-PA are identical to reference materials (e.g. S BET 671 m2/g). • PSA-PA was applied in the removal of 3 pharmaceuticals from wastewater. • Electrostatic interactions and average pore diameter strongly influenced adsorption. • Matrix effects were highly dependent on the pharmaceuticals electrical charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Michael additions between carbohydrate derived nitroalkenes and several aliphatic and aromatic amines proceeded in a stereoselective way, leading to peracetylated 2-amino-1,2-dideoxy-1-nitro-heptitols. In addition, the antiproliferative activity of some of the new adducts has been studied. The results allowed to identify lead compounds which show GI 50 values in the range 1.7–19 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work describes the production of alternative adsorbents from industrial residues and their application for the removal of a highly consumed antidepressant (citalopram) from water. The adsorbents were produced by pyrolysis of both primary and biological paper mill sludge at different temperatures and residence times. The original sludge and the produced chars were fully characterized by elemental and proximate analyses, total organic carbon, specific surface area (BET), N2 isotherms, FTIR, 13C and ¹H solid state NMR and SEM. Batch kinetic and equilibrium experiments were carried out to describe the adsorption of citalopram onto the produced materials. The fastest kinetics and the highest adsorption capacity were obtained using primary sludge pyrolysed at 800 °C during 150 min. The use of pyrolysed paper mill sludge for the remediation of contaminated waters might constitute an interesting application for the valorization of those wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few years, severaloutbreaks caused by Listeria monocytogenes from meat products have been reported, implying potential health problems that can be very serious for the population at risk. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure processing (HPP) combined with chitosan-based films on the reduction of L. monocytogenes inoculated onto the surface of sliced dry-cured Iberian ham. Chitosan-based films used in this study contained nisin and/or a rice bran extract as antimicrobial agents. A process of 600 MPa for 8 min was established as optimum in this product, although this treatment alone was not effective enough and therefore must be combined with other technologies following a multiple hurdle approach. The combination of HPP with nisin or oryzanol chitosan based-films was the best treatments tested, reducing the population of L. monocytogenes by 6 log cfu/g. • HPP at 600 MPa during 8 min reduced 3 log cfu/g of L. monocytogenes in sliced dry-cured Iberian ham. • Chitosan-based film with rice bran extract and/or nisin exhibits listericidal activity in sliced dry-cured Iberian ham. • The combination of HPP and chitosan-based film passed the challenge test for L. monocytogenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 caught the interest of many scientists. Recent studies suggested that these models could be useful in chemistry and materials science. To explore these possibilities, we organized a hackathon. This article chronicles the projects built as part of this hackathon. Participants employed LLMs for various applications, including predicting properties of molecules and materials, designing novel interfaces for tools, extracting knowledge from unstructured data, and developing new educational applications. The diverse topics and the fact that working prototypes could be generated in less than two days highlight that LLMs will profoundly impact the future of our fields. The rich collection of ideas and projects also indicates that the applications of LLMs are not limited to materials science and chemistry but offer potential benefits to a wide range of scientific disciplines., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

In this work, magnetic yeast (MY) was produced through an in situ one-step method. Then, MY was used as the core and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) as the template to produce highly selective magnetic yeast-molecularly imprinted polymers (MY@MIPs). The physicochemical properties of MY@MIPs were assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), specific surface area ( S BET ) determination, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to compare MY@MIPs with MY and MY@NIPs (magnetic yeast-molecularly imprinted polymers without template), with MY@MIPs showing a better performance in the removal of SMX from water. Adsorption of SMX onto MY@MIPs was described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Langmuir isotherm, with maximum adsorption capacities of 77 and 24 mg g -1 from ultrapure and wastewater, respectively. Furthermore, MY@MIPs displayed a highly selective adsorption toward SMX in the presence of other pharmaceuticals, namely diclofenac (DCF) and carbamazepine (CBZ). Finally, regeneration experiments showed that SMX adsorption decreased 21 and 34% after the first and second regeneration cycles, respectively. This work demonstrates that MY@MIPs are promising sorbent materials for the selective removal of SMX from wastewater.