Volume 21 Issue 3

The spathe of the date palm Phoenix dactylifera (L.) is a lignocellulosic agricultural by-product that can be exploited as a source of biomass for high value products. However, limited information is available regarding the toxicological safety of its extracts. This study aimed to evaluate the in vivo toxicity of date palm spathe extracts through acute and subacute oral tests in mice to support their potential valorization. In the acute test, female mice were treated with single oral doses of 300 and 2000 mg/kg for 14 days. For the subacute test, daily doses of 50, 300, and 1000 mg/kg were administered to both sexes for 28 days. In both studies, clinical symptoms, mortality, body weight variations, organ weights, biochemical and hematological criteria, and histopathological analyses were examined. No lethality or significant clinical signs were observed at any of the tested doses. Hematological and biochemical parameters showed no significant changes between groups. Histopathological examination of the organs showed similar results in both the acute and subacute phases, represented by mild, non-specific changes compatible with background lesions in mice. These findings indicate a favorable toxicological safety profile, supporting the potential valorization of date palm spathe extracts.

The shrub Ricinus communis, originally from Asia, has adapted to different regions of Mexico. The main value of this crop lies in the production of non-edible vegetable oil. In this work, extracts from the leaves of R. communis were obtained using various solvents: methanol, ethanol, and water; as well as 80:20 mixtures of methanol:water and ethanol:water. The extraction yield ranged between 1.00 and 2.10 g of extract per 100 g of plant material. The aqueous extract showed the highest yield, while the methanol: water mixture had the lowest. A SEM-EDS analysis was applied to the leaves before and after the extraction. The extracts were tested as antioxidants through free radical scavenging assays, ferric reducing capacity, and total phenolic content. The extract that exhibited the highest IC₅₀ value was the water, followed by ethanol, with values of 38.94 and 331.01, respectively. The extract from the leaves of R. communis, demonstrated antioxidant properties. This suggests that this biomass can serve as a source of natural antioxidants, thus utilizing this by product of the crop. The SEM-EDS results indicate that the leaves were not contaminated with metals or other sources, supporting the use of these extracts in applications such as biodiesel.

Rapid on-site assessment of wood quality can significantly enhance decision-making and operational efficiency in the pulp and paper industry. Spectroscopic techniques, including near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, can be used to characterise wood, but there is a need for development to use these methods in the field, especially for optimising the continuous kraft pulping process. This study focused on using a portable NIR spectrometer to measure lignin and moisture content in Nordic softwood chips, while also distinguishing between bound and free water, with particular focus on challenges related to field-based measurements and process-relevant information. Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) effectively reduced data dimensionality and simultaneously performed the regression. The performance of portable NIR model was found to be comparable with models based on data from a traditional benchtop NIR. However, several portable NIR spectra need to be acquired and averaged to achieve predictive capability. The results confirm that robustness of benchtop systems for accurate moisture determination. Portable NIR may be useful at kraft pulp mills during disturbance situations, when rapid information about chip quality is necessary.

Surface inspection plays a critical role in the wood industry, as it helps companies to enhance product quality, improves the utilization of wood resources, and increases the value of final products. In recent years, deep learning has emerged as a promising technique in this domain, offering significant advantages over traditional methods by enabling high-precision, real-time inspection. This paper presents a comprehensive review of advancements in the field from 2021 to 2025. It begins with a brief overview of three foundational aspects: common types of wood defects, publicly available datasets, and evaluation metrics. The core of the review then examines recent deep learning applications, organized according to three computer vision tasks—classification, detection, and segmentation. The paper concludes by discussing key challenges and proposing viable directions for future research, thereby offering a clear technical roadmap.

Wood is a renewable material, and advancements in machinery have made it possible to produce wood-based products in large quantities. This has led to environmental problems, which in turn have increased consumers’ environmental concern. This concern has caused consumers to prefer environmental-friendly products. Alongside green products and green marketing, greenwashing practices, which are not actually green but exploit consumer sensitivity, have also become widespread. These deceptive claims confuse consumers and provide an unfair competitive advantage against genuinely environmentally friendly products. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) windows, which can be used as a substitute for wood windows, were chosen as a research focus, and the greenwashing practices of enterprises manufacturing PVC window were investigated. The research was conducted using deductive content analysis. The corporate websites of the enterprises were examined in terms of greenwashing. Artificial intelligence was used, but identified greenwashing types were checked by the researcher. The study found that PVC window manufacturers most frequently resorted to greenwashing involving no proof, vagueness, and hidden trade-off approaches. Greenwashing types were also examined by topics, revealing that “general environmental benefits” is the most common type.

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) composite films incorporated with glycerol and citric acid were examined for development of biodegradable films with improved water resistance properties. Addition of citric acid at 30% effectively reduced water solubility of the film. To prepare functional active packaging films for storage of perishable products, the role of activated carbon (AC) at different percentages was also investigated. Various physical, mechanical, thermal, and functional properties of these films were then characterized. The study found that the inclusion of AC at 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75% did not affect the tensile strength (TS), elongation at break, and thermal properties, resulting in stronger films. Fourier transform infrared analysis suggested intermolecular interactions within the polymer matrix after incorporation of citric acid and activated carbon. The antimicrobial activity test revealed no inhibition zone; however, there was no noticeable increase or spread of bacteria during the testing period.

Epoxy composites were reinforced with alkali (NaOH)–treated pat (jute) fibers, untreated agave fibers, and coir dust to improve mechanical and moisture resistance properties. Alkali treatment was applied to the pat fibers. Ten formulations (PA1–PA10) were fabricated by varying fiber proportions and evaluated for tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, interlaminar shear strength (ILSS), density, water absorption, and thickness swelling. Mechanical performance strongly depended on fiber composition and interfacial bonding. Tensile strength increased from 22 MPa (neat epoxy, PA10) to 44 MPa (PA3), while flexural strength ranged from 25 to 52 MPa, with PA3 showing superior performance. The highest impact strength (0.40 J), hardness (84 Shore D), and ILSS (9 MPa) were also observed for PA3, indicating efficient stress transfer. Moisture analysis showed minimum water absorption (10%) and thickness swelling (2.3%) for PA3. Density ranged between 1.20 and 1.36 g/cm³, suggesting that performance was governed mainly by interfacial interaction. Overall, PA3 (15% treated pat and 15% agave fiber) demonstrated the best balance of strength and environmental resistance. That formulation demonstrated the most balanced combination of mechanical strength, interlaminar integrity, and environmental resistance, highlighting the effectiveness of fiber reinforcement with coir dust for green epoxy composites.

Trough composting is a highly efficient technology for treating livestock manure and converting it into valuable resources. The flow field in the aeration pipes and the flow field within the compost pile are critical factors affecting trough composting. Due to the large size of compost piles and the harsh internal environment, it is difficult to quantify the flow field distribution within the pipes and the compost piles. This study established a three-dimensional fluid model of the bottom pipeline and the compost pile within a 90 m³ trough composting system. The perforation spacing of the bottom pipe was optimized by gradually reducing the spaces between openings. Effect of optimized perforation spacing on flow velocity within the pipe and the compost pile were optimized. The results indicated that a gradually changed perforation structure can enhance both the magnitude and uniformity of flow velocity distribution within the pipeline and the compost pile. Field trials of trough composting at an engineering scale revealed that the average relative error between actual measured wind speeds over the compost pile and simulated values remained within 10%. This study provides a theoretical basis and data support for the engineering construction of aeration systems in trough composting.

Biochar exhibits application potential for treating wastes and reducing carbon emissions, thereby improving efficiency in the petrochemical industry. Application prospects are particularly prominent in the remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil and carbon dioxide capture. Specific surface area of biochar serves as a key parameter governing its environmental application performance. However, complexity of biomass precursors and pyrolysis processes poses significant challenges to targeted design and prediction of biochar specific surface area via conventional experimental approaches. In this work four models were constructed and compared. The Random Forest model exhibited the best generalization ability, with a coefficient of determination of 0.79 and a root mean square error of 57.88 on the test set, thus being identified as the optimal prediction model. Pyrolysis process parameters were more dominant than elemental composition of biochar, and pyrolysis temperature was the most critical feature. Recommended pyrolysis parameters include temperatures above 700 °C and time exceeding 3 h, while elemental composition of biochar should favor a chemical composition with high carbon content (>40%) and high nitrogen content (>3%). These findings significantly reduce trial-and-error costs and accelerate the targeted development of biochar-based environmental materials, thereby advancing the practical application of biochar in pollution control and climate change mitigation.

Salinity stress, a major abiotic factor, poses a threat to crops. Thus, strategies to mitigate adverse effects on crops are warranted. This study analyzed the effects of the red seaweed Gelidium robustum extract on tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) subjected to salt stress. The composition of seaweed was analyzed by analytical methods, showing that it consists of protein, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, glycine betaine, elements, tannins, proline, and growth hormones. The tomato plants were cultivated under salinity stress (2 to10 dS/m) and treated with seaweed liquid fertilizer (SLF) at various concentrations (2.5% to 10%). The tomato plants treated with SLF presented significant growth-promoting activity. Morphological analysis revealed improved shoot, root, and leaf growth. Compared with no treatment, SLF increased the total protein and fat contents in tomato leaves. Similarly, treatment of tomato plants with SLF improved their flavonoid and phenolic compound contents and antioxidant activity. SLF altered the biochemical profile, alleviated stress, and enhanced defenses. Overall, SLFs have the potential to mitigate salinity stress in tomato plants due to the antioxidant defense, and the application of red seaweed is useful for improving agriculture in salt-contaminated agricultural soils.