Human civilization will need to reduce its impacts on air and water quality and reduce its use of fossil fuels in order to advance towards a more sustainable future. Using microalgae to treat wastewater as well as simultaneously produce biofuels is one of the approaches for a sustainable future. The manufacture of biofuels from microalgae is one of the next-generation biofuel solutions that has recently received a lot of interest, as it can remove nutrients from the wastewater whilst capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The resulting biomass are employed to generate biofuels, which can run fuel cell vehicles of zero emission, power combustion engines and power plants. By cultivating microalgae in wastewater, eutrophication can be prevented, thereby enhancing the quality of the effluent. Thus, by combining wastewater treatment and biofuel production, the cost of the biofuels, as well as the environmental hazards, can be minimized, as there is a supply of free and already available nutrients and water. In this article, the steps involved to generate the various biofuels through microalgae are detailed.

Background. Traditional rice processing methods preserve beneficial properties that are lost during conventional milling, potentially making them superior sources for bioplastic development. This study compares the physicochemical characteristics of traditional hand pound rice (THR) and conventionally milled rice (CMR). Poongar variety rice was processed using traditional hand-pounding and conventional milling methods. A comprehensive analysis included physical properties (dimensional characteristics, density, frictional properties, cooking properties), chemical composition (amylose, amylopectin, moisture content), functional characteristics (water absorption capacity, solubility index, hydration capacity, swell ing power) and micronutrient content (iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus). Results and conclusions. THR exhibited significantly superior properties, including higher amylose content (28.64 ± 0.92 % vs. 24.35 ± 0.84 %), enhanced water absorption capacity (2.48 ± 0.11 g/g vs. 2.18 ± 0.09 g/g), greater swelling power (9.32 ± 0.42 g/g vs. 8.24 ± 0.35 g/g) and substantially higher micronu trient levels. THR also demonstrated better grain integrity with lower broken ratio (3.82 ± 0.42 % vs. 8.67 ± 0.95 %) and higher porosity (60.54 ± 1.85 % vs. 54.93 ± 1.62 %). Traditional hand-pounding preserves beneficial rice properties, particularly higher amylose content and superior functional characteristics that facilitate film formation.

Abrus precatorius a herbaceous flowering plant belonging to the Fabaceae (bean) family is extensively utilized in traditional medicine across India and tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, including China, Indonesia, and parts of South Africa. This study focuses on extracting oil using purified A. precatorius seeds, Eclipta prostrata leaves (Karisalankanni keerai), and sesame oil. The formulated oil was assessed for its physical properties, including a density of 0.88 g/cm³, 0.41% moisture content, 0.8820 specific gravity, and 0.01% ash content. Additionally, its physicochemical characteristics were analyzed, revealing a free fatty acid content of 2.96%, an iodine value of 58.3 mgI₂/g, a peroxide value of 4.2 mEq/kg, an acid value of 5.90 mgKOH/g, a refractive index of 1.4620 at 40°C, a saponification value of 221 mgKOH/g, and a total phenolic content of 1.5 mgGAE/g. The obtained results were compared with those of other oils, and the extracted oil was further examined for its total fatty acid composition and the formulated oil comprises 99.43 g of total fat per 100 g, with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) constituting 42.05%, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) 40.42%, saturated fatty acids (SFA) 16.96%, and trans-fatty acids (TF) present in negligible amounts (<0.05%). Additionally, its shelf life was evaluated to ensure its quality and stability.