Cellulose is a biopolymer that may be derived from a variety of agricultural wastes such as rice husks, wheat straw, banana, and so on. Cellulose fibril that is reduced in size, often known as nanocellulose (NC), is a bio-based polymer with nanometer-scale widths with a variety of unique properties. The use of NC as a reinforcing material for nanocomposites has become a popular research issue. This research paper focuses on the production of banana pseudostem cellulose nanofiber. Nano-sized fiber was obtained from banana pseudostem through several processes, namely, grinding, sieving, pre-treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis. The product yield was found to be 40.5% and 21.8% for Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, respectively, by the weight of the raw fiber. The reduction in weight was due to the removal of hemicellulose and lignin during processing. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the average fiber size decreased from 180 µm to 80.3 ± 21.3 nm. Finally, FTIR analysis showed that the fibers experienced chemical changes after the treatment processes.

Fluctuation in fossil fuel prices and the increasing awareness of environmental degradation have prompted the search for alternatives from renewable energy sources. Biodiesel is the most efficient alternative to fossil fuel substitution because it can be properly modified for current diesel engines. It is a vegetable oil-based fuel with similar properties to petroleum diesel. Generally, biodiesel is a non-toxic, biodegradable, and highly efficient alternative for fossil fuel substitution. In Malaysia, oil palm is considered as the most valuable commodity crop and gives a high economic return to the country. However, the ethical challenge of food or fuel makes palm oil not an ideal feedstock for biodiesel production. Therefore, attention is shifted to non-edible feedstock like Jatropha curcas Linnaeus (Jatropha curcas L.). It is an inedible oil-bearing crop that can be processed into biodiesel. It has a high-seed yield that could be continually produced for up to 50 years. Furthermore, its utilization will have zero impact on food sources since the oil is poisonous for human and animal consumption. However, Jatropha biodiesel is still in its preliminary phase compared to palm oil-based biodiesel in Malaysia due to a lack of research and development. Therefore, this paper emphasizes the potential of Jatropha curcas as an eco-friendly biodiesel feedstock to promote socio-economic development and meet significantly growing energy demands even though the challenges for its implementation as a national biodiesel program might be longer.

To meet the need for food products to be safe and fresh, smart food packaging that can monitor and give information about the quality of packaged food has been developed. In this study, pH-sensitive films with sago starch and various anthocyanin concentrations of Brassica oleracea also known as red cabbage anthocyanin (RCA) at 8, 10, 12, and 14% (w/v) were manufactured using the solvent casting process. Investigation of the physicochemical, mechanical, thermal, and morphological characteristics of the films was performed and analysed. The response of these materials against pH changes was evaluated with buffers of different pH. When the films were exposed to a series of pH buffers (pH 3, 5, 9, 11, and 13), the RCA-associated films displayed a spectacular colour response. In addition, the ability of the starch matrix to overcome the leaching and release of anthocyanins was investigated. Higher concentrations of RCA can maintain the colour difference of films after being immersed in a series of buffer solutions ranging from acidic to basic conditions. Other than that, incorporating RCA extracts into the starch formulation increased the thickness whereas the water content, swelling degree, tensile strength, and elongation at break decreased as compared to films without RCA. The immobilisation of anthocyanin into the film was confirmed by the FTIR measurements. The surface patterns of films were heterogeneous and irregular due to the presence of RCA extract aggregates, which increased as the extract concentration enhanced. However, this would not affect the properties of films. An increase in thermal stability was noted for the anthocyanin-containing films at the final stage of degradation in TGA analysis. It is concluded that RCA and sago starch formulation has great potential to be explored for food packaging purposes.

Two main disadvantages of starch‐based biofilms are their low mechanical strength and high hydrophobicity. This work investigated incorporation of cellulose microfibers (CMF) with a range of CMF loading (i.e., 0, 0.5, and 1.0 wt% of CMF) as fillers to improve the mechanical properties of starch‐based biofilm. CMFs (average diameter = 75 μm) were isolated from midrib of Musa Saba' banana residue using chemical treatments of steam explosion alkaline treatment, acid‐chlorite treatment, and acid hydrolysis. The starch‐based biofilm showed improved tensile strength (32.5%), Young's Modulus (55.4%), opacity (23.7%), crystallinity (54.2%), and reduction in elongation (27%) with 1.0 wt% CMF loading compared with biofilm without CMF. The film's mechanical properties improvement is further supported by the even filler dispersion within the film matrix shown in field emission scanning electron microscope micrographs. Active packaging containing the antimicrobial compound of myricetin was incorporated into the 1.0 wt% CMF reinforced film to produce SC1M, which showed the fastest release of myricetin in 95% ethanol (fatty acid simulant), followed by 3% acetic acid (acidic simulant) and slowest in distilled water (aqueous simulant). CMF derived from banana midrib residue can be a viable bioreinforcement component for developing biofilms for fatty food packaging, which protects against humidity, oxygen, temperature, and light‐induced deterioration.

In Asian countries, the primary palm oil producers, used cooking oil (UCO) is the primary feedstock for biodiesel production. It can be converted into an eco-fuel for application in heavy machinery and diesel engine vehicles due to its low carbon emissions and low global warming potential. However, the illegal dumping of UCO containing triglyceride into flowing water bodies (resulting in wastewater treatment and purification complications) has prompted the design of smart UCO collection systems. This study aims to investigate the heterogeneous catalytic performance of biochar as a support catalyst derived from woodchips calcined at 400 °C and 800 °C under nitrogen gas flow. The catalyst was synthesized through the wet impregnation method using two metal oxides (5 wt.%, nickel and molybdenum) via transesterification to enhance the biodiesel yield. High biodiesel yield was obtained through the controlled parameters: 65–95 °C temperature, 10:1 methanol to oil ratio, and 2 h reaction time. The synthesized catalyst was characterized through X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron (FESEM). The biodiesel production was confirmed by Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) Spectroscopy. The results showed that the highest biodiesel yield was produced by the catalyst calcined at 800 °C, which shows a consistent trend in the yields obtained at temperatures in the order 75–85–95–65 °C. In conclusion, calcination at 800 °C resulted in a higher yield (74.66%) and catalyst reusability (≥5 cycles).