The paper aimed at evaluating the effects of biochar (BC) produced by slow pyrolysis of vine pruning residue on soil physicochemical properties and tomato plant growth. A greenhouse experiment was conducted for 66 days, applying different treatments for 3 soil types, i.e., foliar fertilizer, BC (at a volumetric ratio between BC and soil of 20/80), BC + foliar fertilizer, and no treatments. Strongly alkaline BC (pH = 9.89 ± 0.01) had a significant beneficial effect on the growth performance of tomato plants sown in a strongly acidic soil (pH = 5.40 ± 0.02). The mean values of height, number of leaves, and collar diameter of plants grown in BC-amended soil without foliar treatment were up to 50% higher than those of plants grown in soil with the other treatments. This positive effect of BC on plant growth is due to the changes in the soil properties. The addition of BC led to increased values of electrical conductivity, pH, soluble and available nutrient concentration. Moreover, BC reduced soil bulk density by about 50%, resulting in improved plant root development and thus enhanced water and nutrient uptake. Accordingly, BC derived from vine pruning residues can improve soil quality and tomato plant growth, as well as reduce biomass residues.

This study aimed at establishing the optimal conditions for the classic extraction of phenolic compounds from Prunus spinosa L. fruits. The effects of different parameters, i.e., ethanol concentration in the extraction solvent (mixture of ethanol and water), operation temperature, and extraction time, on process responses were evaluated. Total phenolic content (TPC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), antioxidant capacity (AC), and contents of protocatechuic acid (PA), caffeic acid (CA), vanillic acid (VA), rutin hydrate (RH), and quercetin (Q) of fruit extracts were selected as process responses. A synergistic effect of obtaining high values of TPC, TAC, AC, PA, and VA was achieved for the extraction in 50% ethanol at 60 °C for 30 min. At a higher level of process temperature, the extraction of protocatechuic acid and vanillic acid was enhanced, but the flavonoids, i.e., rutin hydrate and quercetin, were degraded. A lower temperature should be used to obtain a higher amount of flavonoids. TPC, TAC, AC, and phenolic acid contents (PA, CA, and VA) in the extract samples obtained at an ethanol concentration of 50–100%, a temperature of 30–60 °C, and an extraction time of 30 min were strongly directly correlated.

As a renewable and sustainable resource, lignocellulosic biomass serves as a crucial raw material for the production of biofuels, biochemicals, and various value-added products. This paper aims to develop and optimize a mild alkaline treatment of sawdust assisted by ultrasound, along with enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated material. The alkaline sonochemical pretreatment emerged as the optimal approach to enhance the susceptibility of cellulose to subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis to improve the yield of reducing sugars. A comparative study was performed using various ultrasonic applicators (horn and bath) and conventional assisted alkaline pretreatment. The ultrasonic-assisted pretreatment revealed a higher delignification of 68% (horn) and 57% (bath) compared with conventional pretreatment. Processes were optimized using a statistical analysis based on a 2³ factorial design. The ratios between sawdust and alkaline solution (R_SL = 0.5–1.5 g/100 mL), US amplitude (A = 20–60%), and working temperature (t = 30–50 °C) were selected as process factors. The optimal operating conditions to maximize the reducing sugar yield (138.15 mg GE/g_substrate) were found as follows: a solid/liquid ratio of R_SL,opt = 1.25 g/100 mL, US amplitude of A_opt = 60%, and pretreatment temperature of t_opt = 50 °C. The overall outcomes clearly confirmed the intensification of delignification by ultrasound-assisted alkaline pretreatment.