Enhancement of agri-food by-products: green extractions of bioactive molecules with fungicidal action against mycotoxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins.

Introduction: Today, alternative strategies based on the use of bioactive compounds have been proposed to reduce mycotoxin contamination and limit the use of chemical fungicides.

Methods: In the present work, several by-products collected from the agri-food chain (i.e.

Rigid bioplastics shape the microbial communities involved in the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste.

While bioplastics are gaining wide interest in replacing conventional plastics, it is necessary to understand whether the treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) as an end-of-life option is compatible with their biodegradation and their possible role in shaping the microbial communities involved in the processes. In the present work, we assessed the microbiological impact of rigid polylactic acid (PLA) and starch-based bioplastics (SBB) spoons on the thermophilic anaerobic digestion and the aerobic composting of OFMSW under real plant conditions. In order to thoroughly evaluate the effect of PLA and SBB on the bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities during the process, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology was carried out.

Anaerobic digestion and aerobic composting of rigid biopolymers in bio-waste treatment: fate and effects on the final compost.

Bioplastics may be collected in the bio-waste treatment, which is often composed of anaerobic digestion and subsequent aerobic composting of the digestates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the degradability of polylactic acid (PLA) and starch-based bioplastics (SBB) spoons under industrial conditions. Biomethane potential (BMP) was measured and biogas production was monitored, while the quality of composts was assessed by phytotoxicity and ecotoxicity tests.

Dynamics of Clostridium genus and hard-cheese spoiling Clostridium species in anaerobic digesters treating agricultural biomass.

Biogas plants are a widespread renewable energy technology. However, the use of digestate for agronomic purposes has often been a matter of concern. It is controversial whether biogas plants might harbor some pathogenic clostridial species, which represent a biological risk.

Exploitable fish waste and stranded beach debris in the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy).

Within Circular Economy principles, this paper analyses and estimates exploitable marine residues, such as fish waste and stranded debris in beaches and their potential valorisation scenarios. The Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) has been chosen as a case study. Based on the sold fish, about 200 Mg/year of fish waste are produced at the five major fish markets of the Region.

Fate of mycotoxins and related fungi in the anaerobic digestion process.

In this study, the possibility to manage maize contaminated with aflatoxins and fumonisins for the production of biogas was considered. This is a priority in the climate change scenario that is expected to increase the occurrence of aflatoxins in maize. The results clearly underline how the anaerobic digestion process used in biogas plants is able to reduce aflatoxin contamination, mainly when highly contaminated maize is used for feeding the biodigestors without affecting the efficiency of methane production.

Anaerobic Digestion of Cattle Manure Influenced by Swirling Jet Induced Hydrodynamic Cavitation.

In this work, a modified swirling jet-induced cavitation has been employed for increasing anaerobic digestion efficiency of cattle manure. The hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) treatment improved the organic matter solubilization and the anaerobic biodegradability of cattle manure. The degree of disintegration increased by 5.