Agricultural food waste is rich in cellulosic and non-cellulosic fermentable substance. In this study, we investigated the bioconversion of pineapple waste cell wall sugars into bioethanol by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 4126. Soluble and insoluble cell wall sugars were investigated during the fermentation process. Moreover, the fermentation medium was investigated for protein, moisture, ash, lignin and glycerol determinations with a particular focus on the increase in single cell protein due to yeast growth, allowing a total valorization of the resulting fermentation medium, with no further waste production, with respect to environmental sustainability. Soluble and insoluble sugars in the starting material were 32.12% and 26.33% respectively. The main insoluble sugars resulting from the cell wall hydrolysis detected at the beginning of the fermentation, were glucose, xylose and uronic acid. Glucose and mannose were the most prevalent sugars in the soluble sugars fraction. The ethanol theoretical yield, calculated according to dry matter lost, reached up to 85% (3.9% EtOH). The final fermentation substrate was mainly represented by pentose sugars. The protein content increased from 4.45% up to 20.1% during the process.

Citrus bergamiaandOlea europaeaL. variety Carolea are accounted as niche functional food for their high content of bio active compounds. Their extracts were used as adjunct to produce two beers with different styles, Blanche and Weiss, rich in antioxidants for a pool of consumers interested in a healthy lifestyle. The nutraceutical properties of these two beers were compared to Blanche and Weiss without any addition to verify if the beers enriched with natural extracts changed their aromaticity, flavors, and functionality. The antioxidant activity changed in the order: blanche bergamot beer > Weiss olive beer > blanche basal beer > Weiss basal beer. The phenolic profile of bergamot beer was qualitatively and quantitatively the richest in bio-compounds. Pearson’s correlation evidenced that total phenols contained in bergamot and olive beers were positively and significantly correlated with the antioxidant activities and precisely, with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Correlation data evidenced that the bergamot was the beer with the greatest antioxidant activity and bioactive compound amount. This study highlighted as the addition of these natural extracts together with the right productive process improved sensorial beer properties, satisfying consumer taste while potentially increasing the beneficial effects on human health.

The study reports the alternative use of non-edible fermented olives for the production of high-quality natural soaps with a fast production process, low environmental impact, and without preliminary treatments for the raw material. Damaged olives, not used as food, were fermented naturally and the oil was extracted by mechanical extraction. The product obtained was not for human consumption due to its high acidity, but it had a low content of peroxides. The non-edible olive oil obtained and an extra virgin olive oil, produced from the same olive cultivar, were subjected to saponification with sodium hydroxide. The soaps were produced with complete (0% of non-neutralized fatty acids) and incomplete (5% of non-neutralized fatty acids) saponification; the amount of sodium hydroxide to be used was determined with the saponification index. The soaps were aged for six months by monitoring pH, color, and behavior in an aqueous solution. The results show that the olives’ fermentation improves and speeds up the soap production and maturation process since the oil obtained from fermented non-edible olives is more suitable for the saponification process than the oil obtained from non-fermented edible olives. Non-edible fermented olives can be used for obtaining natural and high-quality soaps, reusing drupes classified as food waste.

In this study, a UHPLC-PDA method for the simultaneous identification of polyphenols and bitter acids (alpha, beta, and isoalpha) in beer was developed. The resulting chemical profiles were leveraged to distinguish the characteristics of four (IPA, Lager, Blanche, ALE) bergamot-flavored beers, produced on a pilot-scale plant. In a streamlined 29 min analysis, thirty polyphenols and fourteen bitter acids were successfully identified under optimized separation conditions. Validation, encompassing parameters such as LOD (from 0.028 ppm for isorhamnetin to 0.106 for narirutin), LOQ (from 0.077 ppm for naringenin to 0.355 for narirutin), R² (always more than 0.9992), repeatability (from 0.67% for tangeretin to 6.38% for myricetin), and reproducibility (from 0.99% for sinensetin to 6% for naringin), was conducted for polyphenol quantification using constructed calibration curves with seven levels. Exploring polyphenolic components as potential discriminators among different beer styles, a total of thirty-two polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified, including characteristic bergamot peel polyphenols like neoeriocitrin (from 7.85 ppm for CBS2 to 11.95 ppm in CBS1); naringin (from 4.56 ppm for CBS4 to 10.96 in CBS1), and neohesperidin (from 5.93 in CBS3 to 15.95 for CBS2). The multivariate analysis provided additional insights into variations among specific beer styles, revealing discrepancies in the presence or relative concentrations of specific compounds linked to brewing ingredients and processes. This research enhances the fingerprinting of the chemistry governing beer quality through a straightforward and cost-effective analytical approach.

This study outlines the development of an innovative method utilizing UHPLC-PDA for the simultaneous identification of polyphenols and bitter acids (alpha-acids, beta-acids, and iso-alpha-acids) in beer samples. The resulting chemical profiles were leveraged to distinguish the characteristics of four bergamot-flavored beers, each representing distinct styles (IPA, Lager, Blanche, and ALE), produced on a pilot-scale plant. In a streamlined 29-minute analysis, twenty-nine polyphenols and fourteen bitter acids were successfully identified under optimized separation conditions. Rigorous validation, encompassing parameters such as Limit of Detection (LOD), Limit of Quantification (LOQ), R-squared (R2), repeatability, and reproducibility, was conducted for polyphenol quantification using constructed calibration curves with seven levels. Exploring polyphenolic components as potential discriminators among different beer styles, a total of thirty-two polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified, including characteristic bergamot peel polyphenols like neoeriocitrin, naringin, and neohesperidin. The determination of bitter units and total phenols further aided in style differentiation. Multivariate analysis provided additional insights into variations among specific beer styles, revealing discrepancies in the presence or relative concentrations of specific compounds linked to brewing ingredients and processes. This research enhances to trace the fingerprinting of the chemistry governing beer quality through a straightforward and cost-effective analytical approach, readily applicable in common laboratories.