1. Citrus Pomace Biomass as a Source of Pectin and Lignocellulose Fibers: From Waste to Upgraded Biocomposites for Mulching Applications
- Author
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Domenico Zannini, Gabriella Santagata, Barbara Immirzi, Mario Malinconico, and Giovanni Dal Poggetto
- Subjects
citrus pomace waste ,food.ingredient ,Polymers and Plastics ,Pectin ,green extraction ,Biomass ,02 engineering and technology ,Raw material ,Article ,lcsh:QD241-441 ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0404 agricultural biotechnology ,food ,lcsh:Organic chemistry ,Hemicellulose ,Cellulose ,pectin ,biocomposites ,Extraction (chemistry) ,Pomace ,food and beverages ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,General Chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Pulp and paper industry ,040401 food science ,mulching application ,chemistry ,Biocomposite ,0210 nano-technology ,circular economy approach - Abstract
Citrus pomace derived from the industrial processing of juice and essential oils mostly consists of pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose, and simple sugars. In this work, citrus pomace waste from an agricultural company in South Italy was used as source of pectin. The extraction conditions of the polysaccharide were optimized using a suitable combination of time and a concentration of a mild organic solvent, such as acetic acid, thus recovering high Mw pectin and bioactive molecules (flavonoids and polyphenols). The pectin was structurally (GPC, FTIR), morphologically (SEM), thermally (TGA/DTG), and mechanically characterized, while bioactive molecules were separated and the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC) were evaluated. With the aim to develop novel biocomposite-based materials, the pectin extracted from citrus waste was reinforced with different amounts of lignocellulose fractions also recovered from citrus waste after polysaccharide extraction, according to a “zero waste” circular economy approach. The prepared biocomposites were morphologically and mechanically characterized to be used as biodegradable mulching systems for crop protection. Thus, the citrus waste biomass was recovered, fractionated into its main raw materials, and these were recombined to develop novel upgraded biocomposites for mulching applications, by means of a cost-effective and eco-sustainable approach.
- Published
- 2021
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