Mohamed Koubaa

Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Organique et Minérale, Compiègne, France

This study was aimed to use almond gum as a potential adsorbent to remove methylene blue dye from aqueous solution. The adsorbent was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. The adsorption of methylene blue on almond gum material was studied as a function of almond gum dose (0.05–2 g), pH solution...

As of November/December 2016, this highly cited paper received enough citations to place it in the top 1% of the academic field of Agricultural Sciences based on a highly cited threshold for the field and publication year (Data from Essential Science Indicators). AbstractBackground A large amount of wastes and by-products are generated during oliv...

The South American plant Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a great source of non-caloric sweeteners (steviol glycosides), mainly concentrated in their leaves, but also has an important content of antioxidant compounds (vitamin C, polyphenols, chlorophylls, carotenoids) and other important macro and micronutrients such as folic acid, and all of the essen...

Phenolics content is a primary parameter for vegetables oil quality evaluation, and directly involved in the prevention of oxidation and oil preservation. Several methods have been reported in literature for polyphenols extraction from seed oil but the approaches commonly used remain manually handled. In this work, we propose a rapid and sensitive...

(1) Background: Kiwifruit is a globally valued fruit. Its industrial processing produces a substantial amount of waste, particularly peels, which present an appealing potential source of bioactive compounds. This study focuses on optimizing the extraction of phenolics from kiwi peels using a water bath (WB) and infrared irradiation (IR) and assessi...

In this study, three extraction methods of bioactive compounds from the brown algae Nizimuddinia zanardini were ranked using the fuzzy weighting system in two stages, ranking between different conditions and choosing the optimal conditions for each extraction method separately. The inputs included extraction yield (EY), antioxidant activity (DPPH),...

(1) Background: Odd-chain fatty acids (OCFAs) have garnered attention for their potential health benefits and unique roles in various biochemical pathways. Yarrowia lipolytica, a versatile yeast species, is increasingly studied for its capability to produce OCFAs under controlled genetic and environmental conditions. However, optimizing the synthes...

Brewer’s spent grains (BSG) offer valuable opportunities for valorization beyond its conventional use as animal feed. Among its components, lignin—a natural polymer with inherent antioxidant properties—holds significant industrial potential. This work investigates the use of microwave-assisted extraction combined with acidic natural deep eutectic s...

(1) Background: Cumin seeds, extracted from the plant Cuminum cyminum, are abundant in phenolic compounds and have been extensively researched for their chemical makeup and biological effects. The objective of this research is to enhance the water extraction of polyphenols through the water bath (WB) technique and to evaluate the antiradical, antib...

Colorimetric whole-cell biosensors are natural or genetically engineered microorganisms utilized to detect target molecules and ions as indicators of pollutants and biological activity in the environment. Upon detection, within specific concentration ranges which vary depending on the microorganism and its genetic circuitry among other factors, the...

Olive leaves are naturally generated as a by-product during olive harvesting and olive oil production. Usually discarded with no specific use, they are a valuable source of bioactive compounds that should not be overlooked. Their valorization must therefore be achieved through the recovery of their polyphenols using an ecological strategy. Conventi...

As greenhouse gas emissions are continuously increasing, research is now privileging greener and more sustainable human activities. An attractive strategy in the pursuit of sustainability is the valorization of lignocellulosic biomasses for the production of bioethanol. This approach relies on the bioconversion of wood and agricultural waste, which...

Violacein and deoxyviolacein are bis-indole pigments synthesized by a number of microorganisms. The present study describes the biosynthesis of a mixture of violacein and deoxyviolacein using a genetically modified Y. lipolytica strain as a production chassis, the subsequent extraction of the intracellular pigments, and ultimately their purificatio...

Peanuts are the seeds of a legume crop grown for nuts and oil production. Peanut allergy has gained significant attention as a public health issue due to its increasing prevalence, high rate of sensitization, severity of the corresponding allergic symptoms, cross-reactivity with other food allergens, and lifelong persistence. Given the importance o...

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, with an excellent source of bioactive compounds such as catechins, caffeine, and epigallocatechin. There is an increasing trend to extract these bioactive compounds to deliver them as value-added products. Generally, the extraction of polyphenols and other functional compoun...

Increasing the product's quality along with reducing the energy consumption are among the challenges sought in the food industry. To reach these challenges, numerous emerging technologies are being implemented at industrial scale as alternative to conventional ones. Among these technologies, ultrasound has taken attention due to its several advanta...

The intensification of total phenolic compound (TPC) extraction from blood orange peels was optimized using a novel green infrared-assisted extraction technique (IRAE, Ired-Irrad®) and compared to the conventional extraction using a water bath (WB). Response surface methodology (RSM) allowed for the optimization of ethanol concentration (E), time (...

Mycotoxins in solid foods and feeds jeopardize the public health of humans and animals and cause food security issues. The inefficacy of most preventive measures to control the production of fungi in foods and feeds during the pre-harvest and post-harvest stages incited interest in the mitigation of these mycotoxins that can be conducted by the app...

While world energy demand has certainly decreased with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the need has been significantly on the rise since 2021, all as the world’s fossil fuel resources are depleting; it is widely accepted that these resources emit greenhouse gases (GHG), which are the leading cause for the climate crisis. The main co...

There is a great interest in the use of by-products from food processing such us pea pods (PP) and broad bean pods (BBP) that still contain many valuable substances such as dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols which are generally underestimated and used in animal feed. The present study describes the extraction process of polyphenols...

Odd-chain fatty acids (OCFAs) have recently gained interest as target compounds in microbial production due to their diverse applications in the medical, pharmaceutical and chemical industries for the production of biofuels. Yarrowia lipolytica is a promising oleaginous yeast that has the ability to accumulate high quantities of fatty acids. Howeve...

Odd-chain fatty acids (OCFA) have been studied for their therapeutic and nutritional properties, as well as for their potential use in the chemical industry for the production of biofuel. Genetic modification strategies have demonstrated an improved production of OCFA by oleaginous microorganisms. In this study, the production of OCFA-enriched lipi...

Wheat, alfalfa, and radish sprouts are well-renowned for their high nutritional content. However, their optimal imbibition and germination durations are rarely considered in the literature. In this study, reduced imbibition times of 3 h, 10 h, and 4 h were demonstrated for the wheat, alfalfa, and radish seeds, respectively. The evolution of their c...

The pulsed electric field (PEF) technology is a non-thermal processing technique usually used for microbial inactivation in food industries. The application of this technology at sub-lethal levels prior to or during the fermentation processes enhances the mass transfer and cell permeability. It could also cause changes in the genetic, metabolic, an...

Brewers’ spent grains constitute a valuable byproduct of the beer industry. They are characterized by a rich nutritional composition consisting of around 70% lignocellulosic fibrous material, 20% proteins, 10% lipids, in addition to vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and phenolic compounds. These spent grains are produced in large amounts all through...

Due to its pleasant rosy scent, the aromatic alcohol 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) has a huge market demand. Since this valuable compound is used in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, consumers and safety regulations tend to prefer natural methods for its production rather than the synthetic ones. Natural 2-PE can be either produced through the extracti...

Polyphenols are secondary metabolites, naturally found in plants. They are typically known for their antioxidant activity and beneficial impact on health. Extraction of polyphenols from biological matrices is the first step toward their valorization. Many methods of separation (chromatography) are used to separate the polyphenols from the undesirab...

Microbial-based biodiesel is produced by transesterification of lipids extracted from microbial cells, and is considered as a potential replacement of fossil fuel due to its advantages in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Yarrowia lipolytica is one of the most studied oleaginous yeasts able to produce lipids under some fermentation conditions and...

The production of pigments using single cell microorganisms is gaining traction as a sustainable alternative to conventional syntheses, which rely, in no negligible proportions, on petrochemicals. In addition to depending on petroleum, these syntheses involved the use of toxic organic solvents, which may be inadequately disposed of across a range o...

Fermentation Processes reviews the application of both conventional and emerging technologies for enhancing fermentation conditions, examining the principles and mechanisms of fermentation processes, the microorganisms used in bioprocesses, their implementation in industrial fermentation, and more. Designed for scientists and industry professionals...

For a long time, microorganisms present in the natural state allow us to obtain commercial products by using fermentation processes – for example, the yeasts participating in the development of beer, wine, and bread; the bacteria involved in the production of cheese, yogurt, vinegar, fermented meats, and marinades; and the molds synthesizing antibi...

Nowadays, the interest in biomass fractionation from agricultural and food residues such as reduced sugars based on emerging technologies has increased. Most of these techniques are green, eco‐friendly, and economic, reduce time, and improve productivity and quality, which make them good choices to substitute for conventional methods for biomass fr...

This chapter describes new developments and achievements in industrial scale‐up fermentation processes in the key sectors of food, chemistry, and pharmaceuticals. It includes various achievements in the fields of enzymes, alcoholic beverages, biofuels, syngas, organic acids, as well as drugs and recombinant proteins. Besides, the current progresses...

Steviol glycosides are natural sweeteners extracted from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. Conventional extraction processes are currently used for the industrial production of these molecules, which involve the application of chemical and physical treatments that consume a significant amount of energy. Increasing the extraction yield and purity of...

This study investigates the feasibility of producing ethanol from date palm seeds. The chemical compositions of three varieties of date seeds were first studied, showing mainly the presence of cellulose and hemicellulose. Ethanol was produced after a pre-treatment of date seeds using acid hydrolysis to extract the cellulosic fraction and to remove...

Pyrolysis of pine wood sawdust was carried out using microwave-heating technology in the presence of activated carbon (AC). Experimental conditions were of 20 min processing time, 10 wt.% of AC, and a microwave power varying from 100 to 800 W. The results obtained showed that the microwave absorber allowed increasing the bio-oil yield up to 2 folds...

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF) on the growth and acidification kinetics of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CFL1 during fermentation. The PEF treatments were applied during the fermentation process using a recirculation pump and a PEF treatment chamber coupled with a PEF generator. The...

Fermented apple beverages are produced all over the world with diverse characteristics associated with each country. Despite the diversifications, cider producers are confronted with similar issues and risks. The nature of the raw material, also known as the fermentation medium, plays a key role in fermentation. A well-defined composition of apples...

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have a long history of applications in the food industry for fermentation and preservation. This feature is due to their metabolic products that can improve the nutritional and sensory characteristics of foods as well as their antimicrobial compounds that contribute to extend the shelf life of food products. Some emerging...

The present work studied the fermentative potential and carbon metabolism of an indigenous yeast isolated from Lebanese apples for cider production. The indigenous yeast strain was isolated from a spontaneous fermented juice of the Lebanese apple variety 'Ace spur'. The sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) domain of ribosomal DNA ide...

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of date seed water-soluble polysaccharides (DSP) and hemicellulose (DSH) as dietary fiber sources in enhancing the wheat bread’s quality. DSP and DSH were extracted from the three date seed varieties Deglet Nour, Ghars Souf, and Allig. The extraction yields ranged from 3.8% to 6.14% and from 13.29%...

In this study, the physicochemical characterization, functional properties, and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides extracted from Ephedra alata (EAP) were investigated. EAP were extracted in water during 3 h with a liquid/solid ratio of 5 in a water bath at 90 °C. The structure of the extracted EAP was examined by Fourier transform infrared sp...

In this study, the optimization of ultrasound‐assisted aqueous extraction of polyphenols from pomegranate peels and seeds was conducted. A 10‐min sonication (tu) pre‐treatment (≈60 W) accelerated the extraction kinetics and intensified the polyphenol recovery from peels and seeds. Ultrasound pre‐treatment permitted the selective recovery of polyphe...

In the present research work, the physicochemical and fermentative properties of the “Ace spur” apple variety, obtained from a Lebanese farm, and the “Kermerrien” variety, obtained from a French cider industry, were investigated. The pomological properties were first determined for both varieties showing significant differences in the shapes and si...

Single cell oils have been considered as potential replacers of plant and animal oils, and are mainly produced by yeasts, molds, and algae. Oleaginous yeasts have taken special attention due to the similarity of their metabolism with that of higher plants, and the numerous genetic tools available for their modification. However, a special need has...

The present work studies the impact of low-intensity ultrasound (US) on Hanseniaspora sp. yeast fermentations. The effect of pulse duration and growth phase on US application was first evaluated using a synthetic medium. The optimal conditions were then applied to apple juice US-assisted fermentation. An US treatment chamber was first designed to a...

This work aims to investigate the efficiency of bead milling combined or not with high-pressure homogenization on the cell disruption and lipid recovery from Yarrowia lipolytica oleaginous yeast. First, a simulation study involving the use of the Hansen solubility parameters’ approach was performed in order to identify, among 41 conventional and “g...

The effect of moderate pulsed electric fields (PEF) on Hanseniaspora sp. fermentations in apple juice was examined. The treatments were applied prior to or during the fermentation using a field strength of 285 V/cm. A significant increase (p < 0.05) in the biomass growth was observed during all the treatments along with a significant decrease (p <...

Hanseniaspora sp. yeast was stimulated using pulsed electric field (PEF) during the different fermentation phases. The impact of PEF parameters on the growth rate and substrate consumption was studied. The PEF intensities chosen for this study were mainly in the range of 72-285 V.cm-1. A PEF treatment chamber was designed for this study with a rati...

Enhancing fatty acid synthesis in maize (Zea mays) has tremendous potential nutritional and economic benefits due to the rapidly growing demand for vegetable oil. In maize kernels, the endosperm and the embryo are the main site for synthesis and accumulation of starch and oil, respectively. So far, breeding efforts to achieve elevated oil content i...

Applying pulsed electric field (PEF) at low intensities to microorganisms, considered at sub-lethal levels, may involve microbial stimulation rather than inactivation. Several observations have been reported compared to the non-stimulated controls, such as the acceleration of fermentation, a better production of the metabolites of interest, and a l...

The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of different cell disruption techniques on oil extraction from Y. lipolytica oleaginous yeast. The techniques tested were mechanical expression (ME), moderate pulsed electric field assisted mechanical expression (MPEF-ME), high pulsed electric fields (HPEF), high voltage electrical discharges (HVE...

This text comprehensively covers novel, innovative technologies used in the food and beverage industries in order to provide safe and healthy foods for consumers. The research provided in these chapters aims to show that the traditional pasteurization and commercial sterilization of foods result in unacceptable quality and nutrient retention, creat...

This work aims at investigating the impact of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) for oil recovery from Yarrowia lipolytica yeast. First, HPH parameters (pressure and number of passes) were optimized, by measuring the disintegration index and the release of ions, proteins, and nucleic acids during the HPH pre-treatment. Results obtained showed that...

Various food‐grade emulsion‐based delivery systems have been developed for the encapsulation of functional food ingredients. This is because many food components (e.g. minerals, oil‐ and water‐soluble pigments, vitamins, phenolic compounds, proteins and amino acids, oils, and micro‐organisms) are sensitive to extreme conditions such as pH, ionic st...

Several applications for emulsion‐based delivery systems have been explored, including release control of encapsulated components, targeted delivery, and prevention of undesirable chemical reactions of nutrients against environmental stresses. Among various emulsion‐based technologies, multilayer emulsions are considered as a potential approach for...

Food industry is increasingly interested in replacing conventional processes of plant extraction, as well as microbial inactivation, by alternative, greener and cheaper techniques. In many cases, chemical extraction processes are hindered by several drawbacks such as the use of chemical solvents, which is associated with many health and environment...

Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid, which has received extensive attention over the past decades due to its various physiological implications in plants, animals, and microorganisms. It has anti-diabetic and hypotensive effects, depression and anxiety reduction properties, and many other health-related benefits. Recent effor...

The baby foods industry is currently seeking technologies to pasteurize products without formation of processing contaminants such as furan. This work demonstrates the applicability of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) as a non-thermal decontamination intervention for fruit purée based baby foods. HHP processing was evaluated at 200, 300, and 400 MPa...

Microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) has been currently utilized to form new food structures and matrices with high physicochemical stability. Incorporation of this multi-functional enzyme into structural composition of milk protein-based products, such as cheese and ice cream, can not only be a successful strategy to improve their nutritional and t...

Thermal treatment is one of the main unit operations applied to improve the microbiological quality of food products. It utilizes the lethal effects of heat against thermosensitive microorganisms and pathogens which cause food spoilage; however, at the same time it induces degradation of the organoleptic and nutritional properties of foods due to M...

Identification of microorganisms in fruit juices plays an important role as it determines the viability of this food product from a commercial point of view. Several microorganisms use fruit as a substrate, thus causing spoilage and generating off-flavors and odors. In addition, under favorable conditions, toxigenic fungi can produce mycotoxins in...

Dairy products constitute one of the most important types of functional foods. Most of these functional properties have been attributed to their complex microbial ecosystems. Thus, it is of paramount importance to control the microbial ecosystem of dairy products. Traditionally, culture-based methods have been used for the identification of microbi...