Eggshell membrane (ESM) is a natural proteinaceous by-product of the food industry, especially in the pasteurized egg industry, resulting in the availability of much discarded egg waste. In the literature, eggshell (ES) and ESM usage for their adsorbent properties to remove various organic and inorganic hazardous chemicals, especially from wastewater, has gained interest. In addition, agricultural (olive leaf) and food industry (eggshell and eggshell membrane) waste can together be valorized to produce value-added functional products. This study’s objective was to evaluate the eggshell membrane’s loading capacity for bioactive compounds obtained from olive leaf extract (OLE) in order to prepare functional biomaterial. In this study, waste eggshell membranes were used to adsorb the phenolic compounds from olive leaf extract to design functional biomaterials. Using the foam separation method, both separation of the eggshell membrane and adsorption of bioactive compounds to the eggshell membrane were achieved simultaneously. The characterization studies showed that OLE was successfully adsorbed to the eggshell membrane. Cytotoxicity and antimicrobial studies showed that prepared OLE-loaded membranes were functional materials with bioactive properties. In conclusion, ESM was determined as a promising protein in the production of functional antioxidative and antimicrobial food or dietary supplement after the adsorption of bioactive olive leaf polyphenols.

The present study proposes a method for designing small bioactive nanoparticles using silk fibroin as a carrier to deliver hydrophobic polyphenols. Quercetin and trans-resveratrol, widely distributed in vegetables and plants, are used here as model compounds with hydrophobic properties. Silk fibroin nanoparticles were prepared by desolvation method and using various concentrations of ethanol solutions. The optimization of the nanoparticle formation was achieved by applying Central Composite Design (CCD) and the response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of silk fibroin and ethanol solution concentrations together with the pH on the selective encapsulation of phenolic compounds from a mixture were reported. The obtained results showed that nanoparticles with an average particle size of 40 to 105 nm can be prepared. The optimized system for the selective encapsulation of the polyphenols on the silk fibroin substrate was determined to be 60% ethanol solution and 1 mg/mL silk fibroin concentration at neutral pH. The selective encapsulation of the polyphenols was achieved, with the best results being obtained in the case of resveratrol and quercetin and encapsulation of gallic and vanillic acids being rather poor. Thin-layer chromatography confirmed the selective encapsulation and the loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles exhibited antioxidant activity.

Different parts of Cistus species are traditionally used in folk medicine as a remedy for several microbial disorders and infections. At the beginning of the study, crude extract of the Cistus leaves was obtained to determine its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Then volatile compounds were extracted using hydrodistillation and hexane. The Cistus oil was obtained by hydrodistillation of fresh material, using leaves in an altered Clevenger-type device. Aqueous extract of Cistus leaves was neutralized to precipitate gums. The yield of gum was determined as 1%. Resinoid was obtained after ethanol extraction of gum. Antibacterial activities of extract were determined using disc diffusion and micro-dilution assays against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The extract of Cistus leaves tested and exhibited antibacterial activities by inhibiting one or more microorganisms. The tested plant extract was more active against gram-positive bacteria compared with gram-negative bacteria. Total phenol content of the extract was determined with Folin-ciocalteu method. Total phenolic content of Cistus extract was 520 ± 15 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/ g extract. The water soluble (ACW) and lipid soluble (ACL) antioxidant capacities of the extract were also determined. ACW and ACL antioxidant capacities of Cistus extract were found as 650±80 μg Ascorbic acid/ mg extract and 540 ±30 μg Trolox Equivalent/ mg extract, respectively. In this study, there is a clear relationship between the total antioxidant and phenol content analysis results and antibacterial activities. Hereby, bioactive natural compounds present in Cistus species can be used as natural raw material in some related industrial applications.

Click here for manuscript sample template Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms which are recently grown to produce biomass for food, pharmaceutical, dye, and bioenergy industries. Microalgae are the carbon source found in crude oil and natural gas. Over the years, there have been several advances in the design and operation of closed photobioreactors for microalgal cultures based on new reactor geometries as well as optimized aeration and mixing strategies. Closed photobioreactors ensure heat control, and high production through effective use of high-intensity light and prevent contamination in microalgae production. One of the most important factors that control cell growth in a photobioreactor is light availability. In this study, cultivation of Chlorella sp., as microalgae were performed in a specially designed photobioreactor for productivity analysis and the pigment capacity analysis. The applied light energy was kept constant while applying either continuous or intermittent lighting during the growth of microalgae. The cultivation parameters were tested to find the optimal light mode as the continuous light or 12h light/ 12h dark cycle to maximize pigment amount. In order to determine the pigment amount in the cultivated algae extraction was done. Then by using UV spectrophotometer amount of chlorophyll a and b were determined in the obtained extracts.