This research work sets objectives that combine the principles of circular economy, bioeconomy and sustainability in the agrifood field, to identify strategies for the enhancement of agro-industrial waste through a typical approach of biorefinery applications The main focus is dedicated to the large productions of Cucurbitaceae, with particular reference to the cultivars of Citrullus Lanatus (watermelon) and Cucumis Melo (melon), since the agri-food sector represented by these primary crops generates huge quantities of waste materials along the entire supply chain “from farm to fork”. The key idea of the PhD project consists in the possibility of extending the value chain, which currently seems to be interrupted with the abandonment of waste products in the open field, or those generically devalued due to morphological non-compliance, for over-production or over-ripening, restoring its continuity through the transformation of recovered material. The challenges of product and process technological innovation for the agrifood sector, would allow the use of these materials for transformations in any direction, anyhow all oriented according to the program targets of the 2030 Agenda. While recognizing the strategic value of the whole context of change identified by the ONU program, we have chosen to seize some of the major challenges to turn them into great opportunities, always operating along the guidelines of the food&feed context, neglecting the aspects directly related to energy recovery from residual biomass and the enhancement through composting processes. Therefore, through effective fractionation steps starting from the selected matrices, it was possible to obtain: ● dietary fibers of cellulosic origin, either natural “as it is”, or bleached through treatments with H2O2, red fibers with a high lycopene content; ● lycopene from red fibers, and other natural pigments-dyes from other fractions and by-products from the exocarp; ● germplasm oil from Citrullus seeds, and ● proteic-starchy flour (residue of the oil extraction) from the kernel of the same seeds; ● acetification products of the sugary juice extracted from the endocarp of the watermelon; ● candying products starting from the watermelon mesocarp (albedo). For the extended characterization of the different fractions, we have applied several instrumental techniques, analytical and chemical-physical methodologies, including the proper preparation of the samples, which can be summarized as follows:  UV-Vis spectroscopy both on samples in solid state and in solution, also for the evaluation of the color point with the CIELab method;  chromatographic techniques GC-MS, SPME-GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, HPLC-MS;  elemental analysis (CHNS);  thermal analysis (TG/DTG/DTA/DSC);  Water Holding Capacity (WHC);  ICP-OES analysis for the evaluation of the metal content;  morphological analysis using surface techniques (SEM). At the end of the PhD activities, we can take a critical look at the targets achieved. Extending the value chain to waste materials can make it possible to acquire competitiveness for the agrifood system, but only if adequate efforts are made for investments in research and innovation. The reported analysis describes some structural features of a production sector that, at a regional and national level, is related to the performance of an oversized agrifood system, since it tends to reject pre-waste resources that are still easily recoverable. Projecting these results, which express competitive potential, in a gritty productive horizon and of reasoned consumption, can guarantee even only a small effective contribution to global food sustainability.

Questo lavoro di ricerca si pone obiettivi che coniugano i principi di economia circolare, bioeconomia e sostenibilità in ambito agrifood, per individuare percorsi di recupero valorizzativo di scarti agroindustriali mediante un approccio tipico delle applicazioni di bioraffineria. Il focus principale è dedicato alle grandi produzioni massive di Cucurbitaceae, con particolare riferimento alle cultivar di Citrullus Lanatus (cocomero) e Cucumis Melo (melone), poiché il comparto agroalimentare rappresentato da queste colture primarie genera immense quantità di materiali di scarto lungo tutta la filiera ‘from farm to fork’. L’idea cardine del progetto di dottorato consiste nella possibilità di estendere la catena del valore, che attualmente sembra interrompersi con l’abbandono in pieno campo dei prodotti di scarto, o di quelli genericamente devalorizzati per non conformità morfologica, per sovraproduzione o sovramaturazione, ripristinandone la continuità mediante trasformazioni dei cascami recuperati. Le sfide dell’innovazione tecnologica di prodotto e di processo per l’agroalimentare, consentirebbero di utilizzare questi materiali per trasformazioni in ogni direzione, comunque tutte orientate secondo i target di programma dell’Agenda 2030. Pur riconoscendo la valenza strategica dell’intero contesto di cambiamento identificato dal programma ONU, abbiamo scelto di cogliere alcune delle maggiori sfide per convertirle in grandi opportunità operando sempre lungo le direttrici di contesto food&feed, trascurando gli aspetti direttamente connessi col recupero energetico da biomasse residuali e la valorizzazione mediante processi di compostaggio. Pertanto, mediante efficace frazionamento a partire dalle matrici selezionate, è stato possibile ricavare: ● fibre alimentari di origine cellulosica, sia naturali tal quali, sia sbiancate per trattamenti con H2O2, fibre rosse ad alto contenuto di licopene; ● licopene da fibre rosse, ed altri pigmenti-coloranti naturali da altre frazioni e sottoprodotti da esocarpo; ● olio da germoplasma dei semi di Citrullus, e ● farina amido-proteica residuale post-estrazione dell’olio dai semi medesimi; ● prodotti di acetificazione del succo zuccherino estratto dall’endocarpo del cocomero; ● prodotti della canditura a partire dalla frazione mesocarpo (albedo) del cocomero. Per la caratterizzazione estesa delle diverse frazioni, abbiamo applicato una varietà di tecniche strumentali, metodologie analitiche e chimico-fisiche, compresa la preparativa adeguata dei campioni, che si possono così riassumere:  spettroscopia UV-Vis sia su campioni in stato solido che in soluzione, anche per la valutazione del punto colore con metodo CIELab;  tecniche cromatografiche GC-MS, SPME-GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, HPLC-MS;  analisi elementare (CHNS);  metodi termici di analisi (TG/DTG/DTA/DSC);  Water Holding Capacity (WHC);  analisi ICP-OES per la valutazione del contenuto di metalli;  analisi morfologica con tecniche di superficie (SEM). A chiusura delle attività di dottorato, possiamo rivolgere uno sguardo critico ai target conseguiti. Estendere la catena del valore ai materiali di scarto può consentire di acquisire competitività per il sistema agrifood, ma solo a fronte di sforzi adeguati per investimenti in ricerca ed innovazione. L’analisi riportata descrive alcune caratteristiche strutturali di un comparto produttivo che, in ambito regionale e nazionale, è correlato alle performance del sistema agroalimentare sovradimensionato, poiché tende a sprecare risorse pre-waste ancora facilmente recuperabili. Proiettare questi risultati, che esprimono potenzialità competitive, in un orizzonte produttivo grintoso e di consumo ragionato, potrà garantire anche solo un piccolo contributo fattivo alla sostenibilità alimentare globale.

Strategie di recupero valorizzativo per la sostenibilità in ambito agrifood e metodologie di caratterizzazione dei prodotti da bioraffineria / Laura Maletti , 2022 May 19. 34. ciclo, Anno Accademico 2020/2021.

Strategie di recupero valorizzativo per la sostenibilità in ambito agrifood e metodologie di caratterizzazione dei prodotti da bioraffineria

MALETTI, LAURA
2022

Abstract

This research work sets objectives that combine the principles of circular economy, bioeconomy and sustainability in the agrifood field, to identify strategies for the enhancement of agro-industrial waste through a typical approach of biorefinery applications The main focus is dedicated to the large productions of Cucurbitaceae, with particular reference to the cultivars of Citrullus Lanatus (watermelon) and Cucumis Melo (melon), since the agri-food sector represented by these primary crops generates huge quantities of waste materials along the entire supply chain “from farm to fork”. The key idea of the PhD project consists in the possibility of extending the value chain, which currently seems to be interrupted with the abandonment of waste products in the open field, or those generically devalued due to morphological non-compliance, for over-production or over-ripening, restoring its continuity through the transformation of recovered material. The challenges of product and process technological innovation for the agrifood sector, would allow the use of these materials for transformations in any direction, anyhow all oriented according to the program targets of the 2030 Agenda. While recognizing the strategic value of the whole context of change identified by the ONU program, we have chosen to seize some of the major challenges to turn them into great opportunities, always operating along the guidelines of the food&feed context, neglecting the aspects directly related to energy recovery from residual biomass and the enhancement through composting processes. Therefore, through effective fractionation steps starting from the selected matrices, it was possible to obtain: ● dietary fibers of cellulosic origin, either natural “as it is”, or bleached through treatments with H2O2, red fibers with a high lycopene content; ● lycopene from red fibers, and other natural pigments-dyes from other fractions and by-products from the exocarp; ● germplasm oil from Citrullus seeds, and ● proteic-starchy flour (residue of the oil extraction) from the kernel of the same seeds; ● acetification products of the sugary juice extracted from the endocarp of the watermelon; ● candying products starting from the watermelon mesocarp (albedo). For the extended characterization of the different fractions, we have applied several instrumental techniques, analytical and chemical-physical methodologies, including the proper preparation of the samples, which can be summarized as follows:  UV-Vis spectroscopy both on samples in solid state and in solution, also for the evaluation of the color point with the CIELab method;  chromatographic techniques GC-MS, SPME-GC-MS, HPLC-DAD, HPLC-MS;  elemental analysis (CHNS);  thermal analysis (TG/DTG/DTA/DSC);  Water Holding Capacity (WHC);  ICP-OES analysis for the evaluation of the metal content;  morphological analysis using surface techniques (SEM). At the end of the PhD activities, we can take a critical look at the targets achieved. Extending the value chain to waste materials can make it possible to acquire competitiveness for the agrifood system, but only if adequate efforts are made for investments in research and innovation. The reported analysis describes some structural features of a production sector that, at a regional and national level, is related to the performance of an oversized agrifood system, since it tends to reject pre-waste resources that are still easily recoverable. Projecting these results, which express competitive potential, in a gritty productive horizon and of reasoned consumption, can guarantee even only a small effective contribution to global food sustainability.
Enhancement strategies for sustainability in the agrifood field and characterization methodologies of products from biorefinery
19-mag-2022
TASSI, Lorenzo
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