Sarai Agustin-Salazar

Institute for Polymers Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB-CNR)

A straightforward, low-cost, and scalable solid-state mechanochemical protocol for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) based on the use of the highly reducing agri-food by-product pecan nutshell (PNS) is reported herein. Under optimized conditions (180 min, 800 rpm, PNS/AgNO3 ratio = 55/45 w/w), a complete reduction in silver ions was achi...

Dear Colleagues, Since the discovery of synthetic polymers in 1869, plastic materials have been considered a practical and economical solution for several applications. Their popularity is largely due to their processability, physical properties, and ready availability. However, due to their negative environmental impact, fuel-based polymers are o...

The use of lignocellulose-rich biowaste as reinforcing filler in biodegradable polymers represents a sustainable option to obtain cost-effective bio-based materials to be used for several applications. In addition, the scarce polymer–biofiller interaction can be improved by reactive functionalization of the matrix. However, the obtained biocomposit...

Biodegradable polymer composites reinforced with agri-food lignocellulosic biowaste represent cost-effective and sustainable materials potentially able to replace traditional composites for structural, household, and packaging applications. Herein, the preparation of polylactic acid (PLA)/pecan nutshell (PNS) biocomposites at high filler loading (5...

The last years have seen a general rise in individual awareness on the environmental issues that our society is about to face. The almost total scientific agreement over Global Warming and the day-by-day growing evidences of plastic pollution have fed requests worldwide to public institutions to take actively part in a radical change in today conce...

Largely produced agri-food byproducts represent a sustainable and easily available source of phenolic compounds, such as lignins and tannins, endowed with potent antioxidant properties. We report herein the characterization of the antioxidant properties of nine plant-derived byproducts. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing/antio...

Herein the antioxidant and food stabilizing properties of a PNS hydroalcoholic extract (PNSE) are reported. Chemical degradation of PNSE demonstrated the presence of condensed tannins as the main phenolic components. PNSE showed remarkable antioxidant properties in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay (EC50= 0.004 mg/mL). PNSE was initial...

The proximal composition of Western and Wichita cultivars of pecan nut [Carya illinoinen-sis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] was evaluated, as well as, the phenol content, total flavonoids, condensed tannins and the antioxidant capacity of kernel cake extracts. The presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the kernel cake was demonstrated by MS 2 analysis....

The proximal composition of Western and Wichita cultivars of pecan nut [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] was evaluated, as well as, the phenol content, total flavonoids, condensed tannins and the antioxidant capacity of kernel cake extracts. The presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the kernel cake was demonstrated by MS² analysis. In...

Recovery of functional molecules from by-products of agro-food industries is an appealing approach to waste reduction, and to obtain safe and value-added phytochemicals with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. On the other hand, more information about the operational costs is needed for a successful industrial scale-up. In this study, the pot...

Treatment with boiling 6 M HCl increases up to 30 times the intrinsic antioxidant potency of spent coffee grounds, leading to a versatile multifunctional material (hydrolyzed spent coffee grounds, HSCG). Spectral and morphological analysis suggest that the remarkable potentiation of the antioxidant activity is due to efficient removal of the hydrol...

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring polyphenol, well known as a nutritional supplement due to its strong antioxidant properties associated with anti-inflammatory activity and possible prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In this work, the effect of resveratrol on thermal, thermo-oxidative, and photo-oxidative degradation of polylactide is report...

Background and AimsGrape marc (GM), a byproduct of winemaking, contains significant amounts of substances that are not efficiently used. This study investigated the effect of solvent systems on the extraction of phenolic substances and antioxidant capacity (AC) from the Carignan grape (Vitis vinifera L.) marc, as well as from the peduncle, skin and...