Valorization of Peanut Waste: Green Techniques for Obtaining Bioactive Compounds and Developing Nanoparticles for Photodynamic Therapy

• Grant number: 25/06438-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2029
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Rinaldo
• Grantee: Mirella Thaisa Ferreira Ranzeti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Brazil, whose economy is heavily based on the agro-industrial sector, generates a large amount of waste. It is therefore essential to look for alternatives for reusing this waste, adding value to the production chain and reducing environmental impacts. In the state of São Paulo, peanuts (Arachis hypogea) are one of the main agricultural crops, ranking sixth in production. This plant generates waste such as husks, stems, roots and leaves, which contain compounds of industrial and pharmaceutical interest, such as resveratrol. With this in mind, some green strategies for the efficient extraction of these compounds can be explored, such as Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE), Ultrasound Assisted Extraction (UAE) and Dynamic Maceration Extraction (DME) with the use of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES), which are eutectic mixtures of low or no toxicity, composed of natural substances from renewable sources. The extraction method will be developed using experimental planning to optimize the best experimental conditions for obtaining extracts enriched with resveratrol and other bioactive compounds. The methods of each extraction technique will be compared in terms of efficiency and environmental impact, using appropriate metrics. The extracts obtained will be used for the green synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs). The synthesized NPs will be applied in the treatment of glioblastomas (GBM), a highly aggressive and incurable type of brain cancer, classified as grade IV by the World Health Organization (WHO). The efficacy of the NPs will be assessed by in vivo tests on Drosophila melanogaster flies to analyze their phenotypic impact, longevity and locomotor capacity.