Teodoro Espinosa-Solares

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) is a potential material to produce value-added products. The objective of this study was to optimize the microwave-assisted hydrothermal pretreatment (MA-HTP) of CPH and CPH hemicellulose (HMC-CPH) using only water as the extraction medium, in combination with response surface analysis (RSA), Box–Behnken design (BBD), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance identification and quantification (¹H NMR Qu) to provide an efficient protocol for the extraction of mono- and disaccharides, as a novel method for which no precedent was found. The methodology consisted of 15 CPH MA-HTPs and 15 HMC-CPH MA-HTPs (triplicate) designed by RSA-BBD; the experimental variables were time, temperature, and power, and the response was the concentration of extraction products. Glucose, sucrose, and fructose were identified as products of the extractions by ¹H NMR. With 95% confidence, higher sucrose content was determined for CPH (45.62%) compared to HMC-CPH (17.34%), high fructose content for both CPH and HMC-CPH (37.88% and 35.37%, respectively), and minimal glucose concentrations were obtained in both CPH and HMC-CPH (4.57% and 0.93%, respectively). Using RSA-BBD, optimal temperature, power, and time points were predicted for glucose CPH: 135.4 °C, 180.6 W, and 5.8 min; sucrose: 154.3 °C, 256.3 W, and 20. 2 min; fructose 129.5 °C, 173.8 W, and 5.27 min. For HMC-CPH, the optimal conditions were as follows: glucose: 142.2 °C, 204.4 W, and 10.5 min; sucrose: 148.8 °C, 215.6 W, and 14.3 min; fructose: 151.6 °C, 231.6 W, and 13 min.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a key biotechnological process for the valorization of organic residues, as it reduces their pollutant load and generates valuable products such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs). These compounds have industrial applications as precursors for biopolymers, solvents, and biofuels. In this study, the kinetics of VFAs were evaluated using cattle manure (CM) and swine manure (SM), incubated at 37 °C for 18 days. A completely randomized design was applied with ten sampling times and three replicates per treatment. VFA quantification was performed by HPLC, and parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH, and nutrient concentrations (N, P, K) were also analyzed. SM reached a maximum production of 1.699 g/L at day 4, whereas CM peaked at 1.817 g/L on day 10. In both substrates, pH exhibited an initial decline, indicating hydrolytic and acidogenic phases, followed by stabilization toward acetogenic and methanogenic stages. Reductions in COD, nitrogen, and phosphorus were also observed, reflecting intense microbial activity. Both manures proved viable, with SM being more efficient at early stages and CM performing better in later phases. These findings provide key information for the design of biorefineries within circular economy frameworks.

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) is a potential material to produce value-added products. The objective of this study was to optimize the microwave-assisted hydrothermal pretreatment (MA-HTP) of CPH and CPH hemicellulose (HMC-CPH) using a combination of response surface analysis (RSA), Box Behnken design (BBD), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance identification and quantification (1H NMR Qu) to provide an efficient protocol for the extraction of mono- and disaccharides. The methodology consisted of 15 CPH MA-HTPs and 15 HMC-CPH MA-HTPs (triplicate) designed by RSA-BBD; experimental variables: time, temperature and power; response: concentration of extraction products. Glucose, sucrose and fructose were identified as products of the extractions by 1H NMR. With 95% confidence, higher sucrose content was determined for CPH (45.62%) compared to HMC-CPH (17.34%) and high fructose content for both CPH and HMC-CPH (37.88% and 35.37%, respectively), minimal glucose concentrations were obtained in both CPH and HMC-CPH (4.57% and 0.93%, respectively). Using RSA-BBD, optimal temperature, power and time points were predicted for glucose CPH: 135.4°C-180.6 W and 5.8 min; sucrose: 154.3°C-256.3 W and 20. 2 min; fructose 129.5°C-173.8 W and 5.27 min. For HMC-CPH: glucose: 142.2°C-204.4 W and 10.5 min; sucrose 148.8°C-215.6 W and 14.3 min; fructose: 151.6°C-231.6 W and 13 min.

The diverse applications of nanomaterials, and their rapidly increasing demand, have spurred the development of novel multifunctional materials. As such, this study aimed to synthesize and characterize a magneto-luminescent nanocomposite, composed of magnetite and fluorescent quantum dots (NaGdF₄:Nd³⁺@Fe₃O₄). Nanomaterial synthesis was accomplished through solvothermal and co-precipitation methods. Stable nanoparticles (NPs) with a zeta potential of −19.57 ± 0.42 mV, and a size of 4.55 ± 1.44 nm were obtained. The crystalline structure of the NPs, verified via x-ray diffraction, affirmed the hexagonal pattern of the NaGdF₄:Nd³⁺ NPs and the inverse spinel pattern of Fe₃O₄ NPs. In the diffraction pattern of the NaGdF₄:Nd³⁺@Fe₃O₄ NPs, only the phase pertaining to the Fe₃O₄ NPs was identified, indicating their influence on the nanocomposite. Magnetic measurements revealed the superparamagnetic behavior of the material. Photoluminescence spectra of NaGdF₄:Nd³⁺ and NaGdF₄:Nd³⁺@Fe₃O₄ NPs verified the luminescent emission around 1060 nm; a feature of the radiative transitions of Nd³⁺ ions. Based on the assessed characteristics, the nanocomposite’s multifunctionality was confirmed, positioning the material for potential use in various fields, such as biomedicine.

Plant-based beverages have gained consumers’ attention for being the main substitutes for dairy milk, especially for people with lactose intolerance, milk allergies, and a prevalence of hypercholesterolemia. Moreover, there is a growing demand for a more sustainable diet and plant-based lifestyle due to concerns related to animal wellbeing, environmental impacts linked to dairy production, and the rising cost of animal-derived foods. However, there are some factors that restrict plant-based beverage consumption, including their nutritional quality and poor sensory profile. In this context, fermentation processes can contribute to the improvement of their sensory properties, nutritional composition, and functional/bioactive profile. In particular, the fermentation process can enhance flavor compounds (e.g., acetoin and acetic acid) while decreasing off-flavor components (e.g., hexanal and hexanol) in the substrate. Furthermore, it enhances the digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients, leading to increased levels of vitamins (e.g., ascorbic acid and B complex), amino acids (e.g., methionine and tryptophan), and proteins, while simultaneously decreasing the presence of anti-nutritional factors (e.g., phytic acid and saponins). In contrast, plant-based fermented beverages have been demonstrated to possess diverse bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols and peptides) with different biological properties (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive). Therefore, this article provides an overview of plant-based fermented beverages including their production, technological aspects, and health benefits.