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Bast Fiber Crops: Novel Extractions and Applications of Fiber, Cellulose and Polysaccharide

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 5389

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Liangliang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410205, China
Interests: separation and analysis of natural products; molecularly imprinted materials; nanotoxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lifeng Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha 410205, China
Interests: natural fiber; cellulose; modification; nanomaterials; cellulose
Dr. Shengwen Duan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Institute of Bast Fiber Crops, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Changsha 410205, China
Interests: functional materials; biodegradation; nanomaterials; cellulose

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Historically, natural fibers and their derived cellulose components, as well as functional polysaccharide from bast fiber crops (e.g. ramie, hemp, kenaf, jute, flax and so on), have been major contributors to textiles (especially for clothes), drugs, foods and so on. The extraction and modification of natural fibers from plants and novel functional polysaccharides, as well as their advantageous applications in pharmacotherapy, have always been popular areas of study. A major challenge of strong acid–base-based chemical processes is their inefficient and environmentally polluting extraction and isolation processes. Therefore, novel techniques, such as green chemical approaches and the application of biological approaches, have been employed.

Functional materials derived from natural bast fibers with potential applications in packaging materials, medical and food materials, composite materials and cellulose-based chemical materials are produced through methods such as fermentation, modification and biological transformation, which can effectively improve the efficiency and high value utilization of agricultural bio-based resources. Therefore, it is necessary to find newer and greener methods for obtaining cellulose and related compounds; additionally, more cellulose-based functional materials could provide more inspiration and promotion in various fields.

In this Special Issue, we will accept papers regarding the application of novel techniques for the extraction and modification of plant bast fibers, as well as industrial applications. Moreover, papers on the functional polysaccharides of natural-fiber-product-derived ingredients, such as bioactive functions and applications in medicines, foods, cosmetics, etc., are welcome.

Dr. Liangliang Liu
Dr. Lifeng Cheng
Guest Editors

Dr. Shengwen Duan
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural fibers
  • functional materials
  • modification
  • nanomaterials
  • cellulose

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4217 KiB  
Article
Obtaining Cellulose Fibers from Almond Shell by Combining Subcritical Water Extraction and Bleaching with Hydrogen Peroxide
by Irene Gil-Guillén, Pedro A. V. Freitas, Chelo González-Martínez and Amparo Chiralt
Molecules 2024, 29(14), 3284; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29143284 - 11 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1087
Abstract
Almond shell (AS) represents about 33% of the almond fruit, being a cellulose-rich by-product. The use of greener methods for separating cellulose would contribute to better exploitation of this biomass. Subcritical water extraction (SWE) at 160 and 180 °C has been used as [...] Read more.
Almond shell (AS) represents about 33% of the almond fruit, being a cellulose-rich by-product. The use of greener methods for separating cellulose would contribute to better exploitation of this biomass. Subcritical water extraction (SWE) at 160 and 180 °C has been used as a previous treatment to purify cellulose of AS, followed by a bleaching step with hydrogen peroxide (8%) at pH 12. For comparison purposes, bleaching with sodium chlorite of the extraction residues was also studied. The highest extraction temperature promoted the removal of hemicellulose and the subsequent delignification during the bleaching step. After bleaching with hydrogen peroxide, the AS particles had a cellulose content of 71 and 78%, with crystallinity index of 50 and 62%, respectively, for those treated at 160 and 180 °C. The use of sodium chlorite as bleaching agent improved the cellulose purification and crystallinity index. Nevertheless, cellulose obtained by both bleaching treatments could be useful for different applications. Therefore, SWE represents a promising green technique to improve the bleaching sensitivity of lignocellulosic residues, such as AS, allowing for a great reduction in chemicals in the cellulose purification processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bast Fiber Crops: Novel Extractions and Applications of Fiber, Cellulose and Polysaccharide)
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21 pages, 17506 KiB  
Article
Aqueous Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass for Binderless Material Production: Influence of Twin-Screw Extrusion Configuration and Liquid-to-Solid Ratio
by Julie Cavailles, Guadalupe Vaca-Medina, Jenny Wu-Tiu-Yen, Laurent Labonne, Philippe Evon, Jérôme Peydecastaing and Pierre-Yves Pontalier
Molecules 2024, 29(13), 3020; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29133020 - 26 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1039
Abstract
This study was carried out to investigate the continuous aqueous pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) through twin-screw extrusion for a new integrated full valorization, where the solid residue (extrudate) was used for the production of bio-based materials by thermocompression and the filtrate for [...] Read more.
This study was carried out to investigate the continuous aqueous pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) through twin-screw extrusion for a new integrated full valorization, where the solid residue (extrudate) was used for the production of bio-based materials by thermocompression and the filtrate for the production of high-value-added molecules. Two configurations, with and without a filtration module, were tested and the influence of the SCB composition and structure on the properties of the materials were determined. The impact of the liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratio was studied (0.65–6.00) in relation to the material properties and the biomolecule extraction yield in the filtrate (with the filtration configuration). An L/S ratio of at least 1.25 was required to obtain a liquid filtrate, and increasing the L/S ratio to 2 increased the extraction yield to 11.5 g/kg of the inlet SCB. The extrudate obtained without filtration yielded materials with properties equivalent to those obtained with filtration for L/S ratios of at least 1.25. Since the molecule extraction process was limited, a configuration without filtration would make it possible to reduce water consumption in the process while obtaining high material properties. Under the filtration configuration, an L/S ratio of 2 was the best tradeoff between water consumption, extraction yield, and the material properties, which included 1485 kg/m3 density, 6.2 GPa flexural modulus, 51.2 MPa flexural strength, and a water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) of 37% and 44%, respectively, after 24 h of water immersion. The aqueous pretreatment by twin-screw extrusion allowed for the overall valorization of SCB, resulting in materials with significantly improved properties compared to those obtained with raw SCB due to fiber deconstruction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bast Fiber Crops: Novel Extractions and Applications of Fiber, Cellulose and Polysaccharide)
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12 pages, 1429 KiB  
Article
Levan Production by Suhomyces kilbournensis Using Sugarcane Molasses as a Carbon Source in Submerged Fermentation
by Mariana González-Torres, Francisco Hernández-Rosas, Neith Pacheco, Josafhat Salinas-Ruiz, José A. Herrera-Corredor and Ricardo Hernández-Martínez
Molecules 2024, 29(5), 1105; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29051105 - 29 Feb 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1556
Abstract
The valorization of byproducts from the sugarcane industry represents a potential alternative method with a low energy cost for the production of metabolites that are of commercial and industrial interest. The production of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) was carried out using the yeast Suhomyces kilbournensis [...] Read more.
The valorization of byproducts from the sugarcane industry represents a potential alternative method with a low energy cost for the production of metabolites that are of commercial and industrial interest. The production of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) was carried out using the yeast Suhomyces kilbournensis isolated from agro-industrial sugarcane, and the products and byproducts of this agro-industrial sugarcane were used as carbon sources for their recovery. The effect of pH, temperature, and carbon and nitrogen sources and their concentration in EPS production by submerged fermentation (SmF) was studied in 170 mL glass containers of uniform geometry at 30 °C with an initial pH of 6.5. The resulting EPSs were characterized with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results showed that the highest EPS production yields were 4.26 and 44.33 g/L after 6 h of fermentation using sucrose and molasses as carbon sources, respectively. Finally, an FT-IR analysis of the EPSs produced by S. kilbournensis corresponded to levan, corroborating its origin. It is important to mention that this is the first work that reports the production of levan using this yeast. This is relevant because, currently, most studies are focused on the use of recombinant and genetically modified microorganisms; in this scenario, Suhomyces kilbournensis is a native yeast isolated from the sugar production process, giving it a great advantage in the incorporation of carbon sources into their metabolic processes in order to produce levan sucrose, which uses fructose to polymerize levan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bast Fiber Crops: Novel Extractions and Applications of Fiber, Cellulose and Polysaccharide)
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18 pages, 5465 KiB  
Article
Extraction of Polysaccharides from Root of Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax. and the Effects of Ultrasound Treatment on Its Properties and Antioxidant and Immune Activities
by Hangyu Li, Ziwei Liu, Qianqian Liu, Xinnan Zhang, Sheng Li, Feng Tang, Linzi Zhang, Qian Yang, Qiran Wang, Shuyao Yang, Ling Huang, Yuwei Ba, Xihui Du, Falong Yang and Haibo Feng
Molecules 2024, 29(1), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29010142 - 26 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1244
Abstract
The hydrophilic polysaccharides (PS) were isolated and purified from the tuberous roots of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. The extraction process of PS from Pesudostellariae radix was optimized by single–factor experiments and orthogonal design. The extract was purified by DEAE cellulose column to obtain the [...] Read more.
The hydrophilic polysaccharides (PS) were isolated and purified from the tuberous roots of Pseudostellaria heterophylla. The extraction process of PS from Pesudostellariae radix was optimized by single–factor experiments and orthogonal design. The extract was purified by DEAE cellulose column to obtain the pure polysaccharide PHP. Then PHP was treated with different intensities of sonication to study the effect of sonication on PHP’s characteristics and its biological activity in vitro and in vivo. The results of this study revealed that ultrasound treatment did not significantly change the properties of PHP. Further, with the increase of ultrasound intensity, PHP enhanced the proliferation and phagocytosis of macrophage RAW264.7. Meanwhile, it could also significantly improve the body’s antioxidant activity and immune function. The results of this study demonstrated that PHP has the potential as a food additive with enhanced antioxidant and immune functions, and its biological activities could be enhanced by sonication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bast Fiber Crops: Novel Extractions and Applications of Fiber, Cellulose and Polysaccharide)
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