Biocompatible ionic liquids for recovering high-added value by-products from apple pomace (Malus domestica)

• Grant number: 23/01685-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Effective date (Start): July 10, 2023
• Effective date (End): July 09, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Tânia Forster Carneiro
• Grantee: Josiel Martins Costa
• Supervisor: Jason Patrick Hallett
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Imperial College London, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/03950-6 - Subcritical hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion for the production of sugars and biogas from apple pomace from juice processing, BP.PD

Abstract

The devaluation of agri-food industry by-products increases global economic concerns and hunger caused by food shortages. Therefore, proper management and development, and optimization of innovative technologies based on ionic liquid application and extraction techniques can improve yield and value by-products. Different residues from the agro-food chains, such as bagasse, bark, and seeds, have been used to obtain products, such as sugars, amino acids, biogas, phenolic compounds, pectin, and others. In addition, the combination of processes can increase the efficiency of waste conversion into new products in a sustainable economy approach. In this regard, the objective of this project is to maximize the production of xylooligosaccharides and pectin from apple pomace (Malus domestica) by comparing the performance of emerging technologies such as high-intensity ultrasound, enzyme-assisted extraction, and biocompatible ionic liquids (cholinium lysinate and dimethylbutyl ammonium hydrogen sulfate), besides their combined mechanism. The process operational parameters (acoustic energy, holding time, solid-liquid ratio) will be optimized to increase the yield and fractionation of biomass from the agro-food industry. (AU)