Membrane Technologies for Bioengineering Microalgae: Sustainable Applications in Biomass Production, Carbon Capture, and Industrial Wastewater Valorization.

In accordance with growing environmental pressures and the demand for sustainable industrial practices, membrane technologies have emerged as key enablers for increasing efficiency, reducing emissions, and supporting circular processes across multiple sectors. This review focuses on the integration among microalgae-based systems, offering innovative and sustainable solutions for biomass production, carbon capture, and industrial wastewater treatment. In cultivation, membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) have demonstrated biomass productivity up to nine times greater than that of conventional systems and significant reductions in water (above 75%) and energy (approximately 0.

Development and Comparative Characterization of poly(lactic acid) nanofibers produced by Conventional and needleless electrospinning.

Polymeric nanofibers have significantly contributed to biotechnological advancements due to their high surface area and porosity, which support the immobilization of bioactive compounds and microorganisms. These features make them valuable in diverse sectors such as food packaging and enrichment, environmental remediation, and biomedical applications. Conventional electrospinning (CE) is a well-established method for producing nanofibers; however, it presents limitations including low productivity, capillary clogging, and long processing times, which restrict its scalability.

Production of biomass and biomolecules in Limnospira indica PCC 8005 cultivation under magnetic fields and polymeric nanofibers.

Researchers often apply physical, chemical, or biological stresses to cyanobacteria cultivation to enhance biomass production by triggering cellular adaptation mechanisms, increasing growth or boosting target compound synthesis. Static magnetic fields (SMF) offer a non-toxic, cost-effective way to modulate microalgal growth, alter biomass composition, and promote metabolite production. Polymeric nanofibers (Nano) function as a physical barrier in cultivation, while monoethanolamine (MEA) acts as a chemical absorbent, reducing CO₂ loss and enhancing biofixation.

Starch-octenyl succinic anhydride nanoemulsions with clove and white thyme essential oils: In vitro antifungal activity and application on orange (Citrus sinensis cv. Salustiana) preservation.

Starch modified by octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) is a polysaccharide that can be used as a stabilizer in the development of emulsions added with essential oils (EOs). The objective of this study was to develop nanoemulsions based on starch-OSA containing clove essential oil (CEO) and white thyme essential oil (WTEO) and a proportional mixture of the two EOs (CWTEO) using high-pressure homogenization. The emulsions were characterized by particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, stability during 150 days, and antifungal activity, with inhibition of mycelial growth, against the fungus Penicillium digitatum.

Biodegradation Study of Food Packaging Materials: Assessment of the Impact of the Use of Different Biopolymers and Soil Characteristics.

In this article, the relationship between the properties of different membranes (agar, chitosan, and agar + chitosan) and biodegradability in natural and sterilized soil was investigated. The membranes under investigation exhibited variations in the biodegradation process, a phenomenon closely linked to both the soil microbiota composition and their water affinity. Higher solubility in water and greater swelling tendencies correlated with shorter initiation times for the biodegradation process in soil.

Production and SERS characterization of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances by latilactobacillus sakei in whey permeate powder: exploring natural antibacterial potential.

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial compounds that have awakened interest across several industries due to their effectiveness. However, their large-scale production often becomes unfeasible on an industrial scale, primarily because of high process costs. Addressing this challenge, this work analyzes the potential of using low-cost whey permeate powder, without any supplementation, to produce bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) through the fermentation of Latilactobacillus sakei.

Biological Significance of Probiotic Microorganisms from Kefir and Kombucha: A Review.

(1) Background: The human microbiota is essential for maintaining a healthy body. The gut microbiota plays a protective role against pathogenic bacteria. Probiotics are live microorganisms capable of preventing and controlling gastrointestinal and balancing the immune system.

Nano‑selenium functionalized chitosan gel beads for Hg(II) removal from apple juice.

The presence of potentially toxic elements and compounds poses threats to the quality and safety of fruit juices. Among these, Hg(II) is considered as one of the most poisonous heavy metals to human health. Traditional chitosan-based and selenide-based adsorbents face challenges such as poor adsorption capacity and inconvenient separation in juice applications.

Recognition-Activated Primer-Mediated Exponential Rolling Circle Amplification for Signal Probe Production and Ultrasensitive Visual Detection of Ochratoxin A with Nucleic Acid Lateral Flow Strips.

We proposed a visual strategy for rapid and ultrasensitive detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) by integration of primer-mediated exponential rolling circle amplification (P-ERCA) with a designed nucleic acid lateral flow strip (LFS). The recognition component was preimmobilized in the tube by hybridization between the immobilized functionalized aptamer and complementary ssDNA. Recognition of OTA induces the release of complementary ssDNA from the tube, which will also act as the primer of the designed P-ERCA.

An integrative review of Açaí (Euterpe oleracea and Euterpe precatoria): Traditional uses, phytochemical composition, market trends, and emerging applications.

The increasing trade and popularity of açaí prompt this review. Therefore, it is imperative to provide an overview of the fruit's characteristics and the available data on its marketing, research, and products derived from its pulp and seeds to comprehend the current state of the açaí industry. Concerning food applications, it was observed that there is still room for developing processes that effectively preserve the bioactive compounds of the fruit while also being economically feasible, which presents an opportunity for future research.

Accuracy and stability enhanced honey authenticity visual tracing method via false positive-eradicating PCR assisted nucleic acid-capturing lateral flow strip.

Honey authenticity guarantee is crucial for consumer health and fair-trading commerce. New visual false-positive-free molecular lateral flow strip (LFS), termed 5'-3' exonuclease activity -directed false positive-eradicating PCR assisted lateral flow strip (FPE-PCR-LFS) was developed. This FPE-PCR-LFS explored the availability of using a signal-probe as the mediator to integrate the efficient amplification module with visual LFS module.

Preparation of size-tunable FeO magnetic nanoporous carbon composites by MOF pyrolysis regulation for magnetic resonance sensing of aflatoxin B with excellent anti-matrix effect.

Magnetic nanoporous materials represent a new emerging category of magnetic materials for construction of magnetic resonance sensors. In this study, we adopted the metal-organic framework materials, MIL-101(Fe), as the precursor to prepare series nanoporous-carbon-FeO (NPC-FeO) composites. Results showed that FeO were uniformly distributed in MIL-101(Fe) and the size of MNP was precisely tuned at different pyrolysis temperatures, conferring the optimal NPC-FeO-450 °C composite with dramatically improved T relaxivity.

Biochar production from microalgae: a new sustainable approach to wastewater treatment based on a circular economy.

The generation of wastewater due to human activities are the main responsible for environmental problems. These problems are caused by the large amount of organic and inorganic pollutants related to the presence of pesticides, metals, pathogens, drugs and dyes. The photosynthetic treatment of effluents emerges as a sustainable and low-cost alternative for developing wastewater treatment systems based on a circular economy.

Use of exogenous substrate in Chlorella cultivation: Strategy for biomass and polyhydroxybutyrate production.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of exogenous carbon supplementation and nitrogen source reduction on Chlorella fusca LEB 111 growth, biomass composition, and polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation. First, assays were performed with 50 % and 25 % reduced nitrogen source concentrations (NaNO). In the second stage, the influence of culture supplementation with 10, 20, and 30 mg L D-xylose, associated with 50 and 25 % reductions in NaNO, was evaluated.

Cost Reduction in the Production of Spirulina Biomass and Biomolecules from Indole-3-Acetic Acid Supplementation in Different Growth Phases.

Despite the great potential for the industrial application of microalgae, production costs are still too high to make them a competitive raw material for commodities. Therefore, studying more efficient cultivation strategies in biomass production and economic viability is necessary. In this sense, this work aimed to reduce the production costs of biomass and biomolecules using phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid in different phases of Spirulina sp.

How Information on Superfoods Changes Consumers' Attitudes: An Explorative Survey Study.

Increasing interest in healthy habits has created the market for what is commonly called "superfoods." The goal of this study was to explore Swiss consumers' initial and final attitudes toward superfoods as well as their change in attitude toward those foods after being provided selected information. A questionnaire survey was conducted to explore the individual traits of the respondents.

Innovative application of brackish groundwater without the addition of nutrients in the cultivation of Spirulina and Chlorella for carbohydrate and lipid production.

Brackish groundwater is promising for the cultivation of economically important microalgae; however, its effects have been evaluated only after nutrient supplementation. In this study, 100% brackish groundwater was evaluated as a culture medium for Spirulina sp. (BGWS) and Chlorella fusca (BGWC).

Peroxidase-mimetic activity of a nanozyme with uniformly dispersed FeO NPs supported by mesoporous graphitized carbon for determination of glucose.

A FeO/mesoporous graphitized carbon (FeO/m-GC) composite was prepared through a facile calcination method with iron-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) as a sacrificial template. After carbonization, the FeO nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the mesoporous carbon support, resulting in spatial structural stability. The mesoporous carbon support obtained was highly graphitized and exhibited eminent electrical conductivity, which accelerated the electron transfer between the FeO nanoparticles by Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox cycles and m-GC by C = C/C-C redox cycles, leading to the excellent peroxidase-mimetic activity of FeO/m-GC.

Photocatalytic degradation of imidacloprid by optimized BiWO/NH-MIL-88B(Fe) composite under visible light.

Imidacloprid as a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide can cause harmful pesticide residue inevitably. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were innovatively composited to improve the light absorption and degradation performance of BiWO semiconductor, which expanded the photodegradation application in solving environmental problems. Based on the synergistic effect of BiWO and NH-MIL-88B(Fe), a BiWO/NH-MIL-88B(Fe) (BNM) heterojunction photocatalyst with high-performance of photocatalytic degradation activities was successfully synthesized.

A solvent-assisted ESIPT fluorescent dye for F/Ag sensing and high-resolution imaging of the cilia in live cells.

A solvent-assisted ESIPT fluorescent dye was synthesized and used as a probe (2-PPN) for the detection of F/Ag and high-resolution imaging of the cilia in live cells. The developed ESIPT fluorophore exhibited strong tautomeric fluorescence in protic solvents and normal emission in aprotic solvents, which is a significant departure from that of conventional intramolecular ESIPT compounds. The H-binding interaction of F and the chelation of Ag with the ESIPT module of 2-PPN resulted in significant tautomeric emission quenching.

[Determination of four bisphenol environmental hormone residues in infant serum by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

Bisphenols are important industrial raw materials that are widely used to produce plastic bottles (feeding bottles), infant cups, and food and beverage (milk powder) cans. Because of the estrogen-like effect of bisphenols, even low-dose intake of these compounds by trace migration affects normal hormone levels in the human body. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a rapid, accurate, and highly sensitive method for the determination of bisphenols in serum.

New peptides with immunomodulatory activity identified from rice proteins through peptidomic and in silico analysis.

The new food-derived bio-functional peptides are urgently needed globally, but the separation and purification process for obtaining the immunopeptides from food is low efficiency and highly time-consuming. In the present study, rice proteins were extracted and identified by using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Furthermore, a strategy combining immuno-prediction and in silico simulation was used to screen for peptides showing immunomodulatory activity, including inhibition of the release of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α, and the interleukins IL-6 and IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.

Magnetic field as promoter of growth in outdoor and indoor assays of Chlorella fusca.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of a magnetic field (MF) intensity of 25 mT on Chlorella fusca cultivation in outdoor and indoor conditions, and evaluate the changes in the macromolecules, pigment content and protein profile. C. fusca was cultivated for 15 d in raceway photobioreactor.

Three-dimensional assembly and disassembly of FeO-decorated porous carbon nanocomposite with enhanced transversal relaxation for magnetic resonance sensing of bisphenol A.

The design and construction of a novel magnetic resonance sensor (MRS) is presented for bisphenol A (BPA) detection. The MRS has been built based on the core component of magnetic FeO nanoparticles (~ 40 nm), which were uniformly distributed in nanoporous carbon (abbreviated as FeO@NPC). The synthesis was derived from the calcination of the metal organic framework (MOF) precursor of Fe-MIL-101 at high temperature.