The essential oil (EO) from basil—Ocimum basilicum—was characterized, microencapsulated by vibration technology, and used to prepare a new type of packaging system designed to extend the food shelf life. The basil essential oil (BEO) chemical composition and antimicrobial activity were analyzed, as well as the morphological and biological properties of the derived BEO microcapsules (BEOMC). Analysis of BEO by gas chromatography demonstrated that the main component was linalool, whereas the study of its antimicrobial activity showed a significant inhibitory effect against all the microorganisms tested, mostly Gram-positive bacteria. Moreover, the prepared BEOMC showed a spheroidal shape and retained the EO antimicrobial activity. Finally, chitosan-based edible films were produced, grafted with BEOMC, and characterized for their physicochemical and biological properties. Since their effective antimicrobial activity was demonstrated, these films were tested as packaging system by wrapping cooked ham samples during 10 days of storage, with the aim of their possible use to extend the shelf life of the product. It was demonstrated that the obtained active film can both control the bacterial growth of the cooked ham and markedly inhibit the pH increase of the packaged food.

Essential oils (EOs) are one of the most important groups of plant metabolites responsible for their biological activities. This study was carried out to study the chemical composition and the antimicrobial effects of Artemisia herba-alba and Origanum majorana essential oils against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and a fungal strain isolated from spoiled butter. The plants were collected in the region Azzemour of South West Morocco and the EOs, extracted by hydrodistillation, were analyzed by GC-MS. The antimicrobial activity was determined using the agar paper disc method. The main components of A. herba-alba EO were cis-thujone, trans-thujone and vanillyl alcohol; in O. majorana EO terpinen-4-ol, isopulegol and β-phellandrene predominated. Both essential oils exhibited growth inhibiting activities in a concentration-dependent manner on several microorganism species. Our results demonstrated that O. majorana and A. herba-alba EOs could be effective natural antibacterial agents in foods.

Pig slurry is considered a high-risk effluent that causes several environmental problems if it is not adequately managed and treated. White Iberian pig farms in the southeast of Spain treat their slurry in situ using separation, double filtration, decantation, and constructed wetland treatments. However, the pretreatment process does not successfully reduce solids, which leads to clogging in the constructed wetlands (CWs). The main objective of this research paper is to reduce the turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from the effluent to make it appropriate for CW treatment. Optimization of the coagulation–flocculation (CF) process using iron chloride and a cationic flocculent DKFLOCC-1598 was investigated by a central composite design method (CCD). The effects of coagulant concentration, pH, and flocculent on the COD and turbidity removal were evaluated. The best results were found using 0.024 mol L⁻¹ iron chloride and 0.164 mL L⁻¹ flocculent at pH 7.5, which reduced COD by 96% and delivered turbidity removal of 97%. Therefore, the results indicate the high efficiency of the treatment method in reducing the COD and suspended solids.

Filtration is a simple ecological process for the treatment of effluents. This research examined the physicochemical properties of micronutrients, macronutrients, and heavy metals (HM) removed after the slow filtration of pig slurry (PS) through multiple media: sands, silt loam soils, fly ash, and zeolite. The objective was to find a new layer that can be added to our constructed wetland (CW) to improve its efficiency and study how the slurry reacts to these natural materials. The filtration achieved an approximate removal rate of 99.99% for total suspended solids (TSS) and nitrogen and 61, 94, 72, and 97%, respectively, for electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and five-day biological oxygen demand (BOD₅). The two sands, soil 1, and zeolite, had a macronutrient reduction median of 60%, whereas soil 2, 3, 4, and fly ash released macronutrients such as Na, Ca, and Mg. All the media achieved nearly 99.99% micronutrient removal for Fe and Zn. The Cu removal rate was over 86% except for sand 1 and 2 and soil 1, which reduced it to only 46%; the overall Mn removal rate was more than 80% except for soil 3 and soil 4, where it was only 9%. Zeolite had a 99.99% removal capacity for HM as opposed to sand 2, soil 4, and fly ash, which released some HMs (Ni, Cu). This inexpensive and abundant media filtration process is sound technically and financially sound and seems to be an ideal cost-efficient treatment for pig slurry.