The increasing discharge of synthetic dyes into industrial wastewater necessitates sustainable and low-cost treatment strategies. This study valorizes orange seed powder (OSP), an abundant agro-food residue, as a novel biosorbent for Congo red (CR) removal through a combined experimental and molecular simulation approach. Raw OSP was prepared solely by drying and grinding, without chemical activation, emphasizing its practical applicability and environmental sustainability. Physicochemical characterization using FTIR, SEM, and EDX confirmed adsorption-induced structural and compositional changes. Batch experiments evaluated the effects of initial dye concentration, adsorbent dosage, pH, temperature, and contact time. Equilibrium data were well fitted by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models (R² ≈ 0.99), with a maximum adsorption capacity of 258.39 mg g⁻¹ at 25 °C and pH 4, and a removal efficiency exceeding 99.55%. The adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, while intraparticle diffusion contributed to the rate-controlling mechanism, as indicated by the Weber–Morris model. OSP demonstrated excellent regeneration performance over five adsorption–desorption cycles, retaining more than 96% of its initial CR removal efficiency when regenerated with methanol. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations revealed that adsorption is primarily driven by electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and π–π stacking interactions, in good agreement with the experimental findings. Overall, raw OSP represents an efficient, regenerable, and sustainable biosorbent, highlighting the originality of integrating experimental investigations with GCMC simulations for wastewater treatment applications.

This study explores the application of three fermented plant materials—wheat, acorns, and sorghum—in couscous preparation, as well as their impact on its properties. A survey was conducted in some localities in Algeria. The aim is to reproduce the diagrams for the manufacture of different types of couscous incorporated with fermented materials and to evaluate the pasting properties, culinary qualities, and microstructure of each type of couscous produced. The survey identified four couscous formulations made with durum wheat semolina: couscous 1 (4% sorghum, 4% wheat, 8% acorns), couscous 2 (8% acorns), couscous 3 (0.8% sorghum, 6% acorns), and couscous 4 (4% wheat, 4% acorns). A comparative study of the four types of couscous showed significant differences in their physicochemical and microstructural properties. Formulations C3 and C4 showed the best functional performance among all the couscous samples studied. In terms of the swelling index, measured at 25 °C and 95 °C, C3 reached 131.11% and 165.55%, respectively, while C4 recorded 124.9% and 157.0%. Furthermore, these two formulations had the highest viscosity values: initial viscosity of 25 mPas (C3) and 27 mPas (C4), maximum viscosity of 31 mPas (C3) and 30 mPas (C4), and final viscosity of 49 mPas (C3) and 46 mPas (C4). Analysis of the cooking loss revealed higher values for couscous 1 and 2. The microstructure of couscous 2 revealed the presence of native starch particles, open porosity, and a state of partial gelatinization. The study revealed that formulations C3 and C4 significantly (p < 0.05) impact couscous structure by enhancing functionality while preserving quality. It also maintained ancestral knowledge and offered valuable insights for future industrial applications.

Industrial almond by-products (ABPs, almond oil cake) and tomato by-products (TBPs, mixture of peel and seeds) are nutrient-rich residues that could enhance the nutritional value of gluten-free pasta and support sustainable waste reduction. This study investigated the impacts of ABP or TBP incorporation and the extrusion screw speed on rice-based pasta quality. Rice pasta (control) and pasta enriched with ABP or TBP at different rates (2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% and 10.0%) were processed by extrusion-cooking at two screw speeds (50 and 90 rpm), and their quality (cooking loss, water absorption capacity, hardness, firmness, adhesiveness and color) was evaluated, as well as energy requirements during processing (specific mechanical energy (SME)). The results showed that an increase in the ABP and TBP rates had a more pronounced positive effect on cooking loss, water absorption capacity, yellowness and redness values. Moreover, comparable hardness and firmness, but lower adhesiveness values, were recorded in cooked rice–ABP-enriched pasta. However, cooked pasta enriched with TBP had lower hardness than the control pasta. Regarding energy consumption, pasta processed with a higher by-product rate at a higher screw speed showed similar SME as compared to the control pasta. In this regard, ABP can be used successfully from 7.5 to 10.0% in rice–ABP pasta formulations without compromising its technological properties. However, the optimization of the additive rate of TBP requires further study.