Suomessa ja Itävallassa toimivien liiketoimintamallien siirrettävyys puupohjaisen uusiutuvan energian tuotantoon Puolaan, Romaniaan ja Slovakiaan

Tutkimus kuvaa tiedon, osaamisen ja teknologian siirtoa Suomesta ja Itävallasta Puolaan, Romaniaan ja Slovakiaan hajautetussa puupohjaisessa sähkö- ja lämpöenergian tuotannossa. Metsävaroiltaan rikas ja bioenergia-asioissa toimintatavoiltaan edistynyt Suomi toimi Metsäntutkimuslaitoksen (nykyisin Luonnonvarakeskus) johdolla tutkimuksen empiirisen aineiston tuottaneen kehittäjäverkostohankkeen pääkoordinaattorina vuosina 2011-2014. Tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin hankkeen dokumentaation sisällönanalyysiä. Itävalta on tunnettu edistyksellisistä bioenergia-alan tuki- ja ohjausjärjestelmistä. Suomi ja Itävalta kuuluvat EU:n viiden edistyneimmän maan joukkoon uusiutuvien energialähteiden hyödyntämisessä. Tämän työn tavoitteena oli selvittää, miten Suomessa ja Itävallassa hyvin toimivia liiketoimintamalleja voidaan siirtää kohdemaihin puupohjaisen uusiutuvan energian tuotannossa hyödynnettäviksi. Työssä kuvataan tiedonsiirtäjämaiden eli Suomen ja Itävallan ydinosaaminen kiinteän biomassan energiantuotannossa politiikkatasolta käytännön liiketoiminnan tasolle. Lisäksi työssä analysoidaan poliittisen ohjauksen merkitystä alan kehittämisessä, missä käydään läpi maakohtaiset uusiutuvan energian toimintasuunnitelmat vuodelta 2010. Lopuksi arvioidaan tiedonsiirtäjä- ja tiedonhyödyntäjämaiden välisiä eroavaisuuksia kyseisellä liiketoiminta-alueella, ja onko olemassa sellaisia tekijöitä, mitkä estävät tiedonsiirtoa tai hyväksi todettujen liiketoimintamallien soveltamista kohdemaissa. Kussakin maassa metsänomistusolosuhteet ratkaisevat kiinteän biomassan tarjonnan toimivuuden eli tilanteen toimitusketjun alkupäässä. Tuotannon ohjauksen pyrkimys on myös hyödyntää mekaanisen puunjalostuksen sivutuotevirrat mahdollisimman tarkoin energiantuotannon tarpeisiin. Yleiset taloudelliset suhdanteet vaikuttavat ketjun toimivuuteen ja tehokkuuteen. Yksin energiantuotannon tarpeisiin puunkorjuuta ei kannata suunnitella, koska se harvemmin erikseen toteutettuna on kannattavaa liiketoimintaa. Puun käyttö energiantuotantoon tarvitsee hyvin suunniteltua tuki- ja ohjausjärjestelmää, joista kansalliset hallitukset vastaavat. Suomalainen tuotannon suunnittelun ja ohjauksen ajattelutapa sekä itävaltalainen energiapuun varastointi biomassan logistiikkakeskuksiin koettiin kohdemaiden yrittäjäkunnassa varteenotettavimpina liiketoiminnan kehittämisvaihtoehtoina paikallisissa toimintaympäristöissä. Lean-tuotantoajatteluun kuuluva hukan poistaminen toimitusketjusta liittyy mm. varastonhallinnan järjestelyihin ja sivutuotevirtojen hyödyntämiseen. Näitä piirteitä oli myös löydettävissä tiedonhyödyntäjämaiden yritysten toiminnassa hankkeen toteutuksen aikana.

Isolation and Characterization of Ovomucin - a Bioactive Agent of Egg White

The hen’s egg is a source of new life. Therefore, it contains many biologically active compounds. In addition to being a very nutritious food and also commonly used in the food industry due to its many techno-functional properties, the egg can serve as a source of compounds used as nutra-, pharmaand cosmeceuticals. One such interesting compound is ovomucin, an egg white protein responsible for the gel-like properties of thick egg white. Previous studies have indicated that ovomucin and ovomucin-derived peptides have several different bioactive properties. The objectives of the present study were to develop isolation methods for ovomucin, to characterize the structure of ovomucin, to compare various egg fractions as sources of ovomucin, to study the effects of various dissolving methods for ovomucin, and to investigate the bioactive properties of ovomucin and ovomucin-derived peptides. A simple and rapid method for crude ovomucin separation was developed. By using this method crude ovomucin was isolated within hours, compared to the 1-2 days (including a dialysis step) needed when using several other methods. Structural characterization revealed that ovomucin is composed of two subunits, α- and β-ovomucin, as egg white protein formerly called α1-ovomucin seemed to be ovostatin. However, it might be possible that ovostatin is associated within β- and α-ovomucin. This interaction could even have some effect on the physical nature of various egg white layers. Although filtration by-product fraction was a very prominent source of both crude and β-ovomucin, process development has reduced its amount so significantly that it has no practical meaning anymore. Thus, the commercial liquid egg white is probably the best option, especially if it generally contains amounts of β-ovomucin as high as were found in these studies. Crude ovomucin was dissolved both by using physical and enzymic methods. Although sonication was the most effective physical method for ovomucin solubilisation, colloid milling seemed to be a very promising alternative. A milk-like, smooth and opaque crude ovomucin suspension was attained by using a colloid mill. The dissolved ovomucin fractions were further tested for bioactive properties, and it was found that three dissolving methods tested produced moderate antiviral activity against Newcastle disease virus, namely colloid milling, enzymatic hydrolysis and a combination of sonicaton and enzymatic hydrolysis. Moreover, trypsin-digested crude ovomucin was found to have moderate antiviral activity against avian influenza virus: both subtype H5 and H7.

Selvitys erilaisten mäntyöljynkeittoprosessien toiminnasta

Työn tavoitteena oli tutustua eri mäntyöljyprosessien toimintaan. Sulfaattisellun valmistuksessa syntyy sivutuotteena mäntyöljyä. Se tuo lisätuottoa sellutehtaalle. Nykypäivänä mäntyöljyn valmistukseen on kiinnitetty yhä enemmän huomiota uusien jalostusmahdollisuuksien vuoksi. Mäntyöljyä syntyy, kun mustalipeän pinnalta kuorittu suopa palstoitetaan sopivalla hapolla. Suopa koostuu puun uuteaineista eli hartsi- ja rasvahapoista sekä saippuattomista aineista. Suopa pitää erottaa mustalipeästä mahdollisimman hyvin, jotta se ei aiheuttaisi ongelmia sellutehtaan eri prosessin vaiheissa. Suopaa voidaan erottaa mustalipeästä säiliöerotuksena, sentrifugeilla tai hydrosykloneilla. Suovan palstoitusprosessi voi olla erä- tai jatkuvatoiminen prosessi. Jatkuvatoimisia prosesseja ovat: sentrifugi-, säiliödekantointi- ja HDS-prosessi. Mäntyöljyä voidaan käyttää kemianteollisuuden raaka-aineena tai siitä voidaan jalostaa biodieseliä. Tämä biodiesel on niin sanottua toisen polven biopolttoainetta eli se ei sisällä ravinnoksi kelpaavaa raaka-ainetta. Nykypäivänä markkinoilla on sekä eräkeitto- sekä jatkuvatoimisia prosesseja. Suovan erotussäiliöiden rinnalle on tullut uusi sentrifugeilla tapahtuva suovan erotussysteemi.

The husk fiber of Cocos nucifera L. (Palmae) is a source of anti-neoplastic activity

In the present study, we investigated the in vitro anti-tumoral activities of fractions from aqueous extracts of the husk fiber of the typical A and common varieties of Cocos nucifera (Palmae). Cytotoxicity against leukemia cells was determined by the 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cells (2 x 104/well) were incubated with 0, 5, 50 or 500 µg/mL high- or low-molecular weight fractions for 48 h, treated with MTT and absorbance was measured with an ELISA reader. The results showed that both varieties have almost similar antitumoral activity against the leukemia cell line K562 (60.1 ± 8.5 and 47.5 ± 11.9% for the typical A and common varieties, respectively). Separation of the crude extracts with Amicon membranes yielded fractions with molecular weights ranging in size from 1-3 kDa (fraction A) to 3-10 kDa (fraction B) and to more than 10 kDa (fraction C). Cells were treated with 500 µg/mL of these fractions and cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT. Fractions ranging in molecular weight from 1-10 kDa had higher cytotoxicity. Interestingly, C. nucifera extracts were also active against Lucena 1, a multidrug-resistant leukemia cell line. Their cytotoxicity against this cell line was about 50% (51.9 ± 3.2 and 56.3 ± 2.9 for varieties typical A and common, respectively). Since the common C. nucifera variety is extensively cultured in Brazil and the husk fiber is its industrial by-product, the results obtained in the present study suggest that it might be a very inexpensive source of new antineoplastic and anti-multidrug resistant drugs that warrants further investigation.

Modification of Photocatalyst with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Water

Increasing demand and shortage of energy resources and clean water due to the rapid development of industry, population growth and long term droughts have become an issue worldwide. As a result, global warming, long term droughts and pollution-related diseases are becoming more and more serious. The traditional technologies, such as precipitation, neutralization, sedimentation, filtration and waste immobilization, cannot prevent the pollution but restrict the waste chemicals only after the pollution emission. Meanwhile, most of these treatments cannot thoroughly degrade the contaminants and may generate toxic secondary pollutants into ecosystem. Heterogeneous photocatalysis as the innovative wastewater technology attracts many attention, because it is able to generate highly reactive transitory species for total degradation of organic compounds, water pathogens and disinfection by-products. Semiconductor as photocatalysts have demonstrated their efficiency in degrading a wide range of organics into readily biodegradable compounds, and eventually mineralized them to innocuous carbon dioxide and water. But, the efficiency of photocatalysis is limited, and hence, it is crucial issue to modify photocatalyst to enhance photocatalytic activity. In this thesis, first of all, two literature views are conducted. A survey of materials for photocatalysis has been carried out in order to summarize the properties and the applications of photocatalysts that have been developed in this field. Meanwhile, the strategy for the improvement of photocatalytic activity have been explicit discussed. Furthermore, all the raw material and chemicals used in this work have been listed as well as a specific experimental process and characterization method has been described. The synthesize methods of different photocatalysts have been depicted step by step. Among these cases, different modification strategies have been used to enhance the efficiency of photocatalyst on degradation of organic compounds (Methylene Blue or Phenol). For each case, photocatalytic experiments have been done to exhibit their photocatalytic activity.The photocatalytic experiments have been designed and its process have been explained and illustrated in detailed. Moreover, the experimental results have been shown and discussion. All the findings have been demonstrated in detail and discussed case by case. Eventually, the mechanisms on the improvement of photocatalytic activities have been clarified by characterization of samples and analysis of results. As a conclusion, the photocatalytic activities of selected semiconductors have been successfully enhanced via choosing appropriate strategy for the modification of photocatalysts.

Production of yeast extracts from whey for food use: market and technical considerations

Whey is produced in large amounts by cheese industries. This by-product can be used for biomass production by yeast cultivation, resulting in commercially attractive products. The use of yeast extracts as source of flavour enhancer consists of an expansible market, encouraged by costumer's choice for natural additives. The development of a suitable and economically viable project for the generation of valued-added by-products, may allow the dairy industry to diversify their portfolio and increase their rentability.

Modified broken rice starch as fat substitute in sausages

The demand for low-fat beef products has led the food industry to use fat substitutes such as modified starch. About 14% of broken rice is generated during processing. Nevertheless, this by-product contains high levels of starch; being therefore, great raw material for fat substitution. This study evaluated the applicability of chemically and physically modified broken rice starch as fat substitute in sausages. Extruded and phosphorylated broken rice was used in low-fat sausage formulation. All low-fat sausages presented about 55% reduction in the fat content and around 28% reduction in the total caloric value. Fat replacement with phosphorylated and extruded broken rice starch increased the texture acceptability of low-fat sausages, when compared to low-fat sausages with no modified broken rice. Results suggest that modified broken rice can be used as fat substitute in sausage formulations, yielding lower caloric value products with acceptable sensory characteristics.

Effect of storage and processing of Brazilian flaxseed on lipid and lignan contents

Flaxseed has been widely studied around the world; its incorporation into products habitually consumed by human populations has been stimulated due to its unique nutritional value. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of Brazilian flaxseed, to analyze the stability of lipids present in whole flaxseed flour (WFF) or partially defatted flaxseed flour (DFF) stored under several temperatures, and to investigate the effect of bread making on a product containing flaxseed. Whole flaxseed flour presented (g.100 g-1) 25.7 of insoluble fiber, 10.7 of soluble fiber, 38.9 of lipids, and 2.65 of lignan. Defatted flaxseed flour presented 65% less lipids, 36% more fiber and 56% more lignan than whole flaxseed flour. The fatty acid profile was maintained in the defatted flaxseed flour, and it presented a stable composition during storage under ambient temperature, refrigeration, and freezing. The fatty acid profile was similar in the bread containing defatted flaxseed flour after dough development, baking, and storage at room temperature or refrigerated. After baking, 89% of the lignan content was kept in bread. Results show that Brazilian flaxseed has an interesting chemical composition, and that defatted flaxseed, by-product of lipid extraction, presents a good stability to grind and storage under several temperatures. Thus, defatted flaxseed flour can be incorporated in bread, increasing its nutritional and functional value.

Application of roasted rice bran in cereal bars

The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability of using microwave-roasted rice bran as an ingredient in high-fiber cereal bars to obtain a product with good acceptability. The influence of the rice flakes, corn flakes, and roasted rice bran levels on the physical and chemical characteristics of the cereal bars was studied. The overall acceptability of three selected formulations was also evaluated. An increase in the roasted rice bran level in the formulation reduced the force of rupture and water activity, resulted in intermediate density, and caused darkening of the bars. The contents of lipid and total dietary fiber were higher in the formulation with the highest rice bran content, which was therefore classified as functional food. The formulation containing 0.34; 0.32; and 0.34 roasted rice bran, rice flakes, and corn flakes, respectively, seemed to be the best outcome. Cereal bars with roasted rice bran levels between 10 and 20% were accepted by consumers.

Study of adsorption isotherms of green coconut pulp

Brazil is considered one of the largest producers and consumers of tropical fruits. Green coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) stands out not only for its production and consumption, but also for the high amount of waste produced by coconut water industry and in natura consumption. Therefore, there is a need for utilization of this by-product. This study aims to study the adsorption isotherms of green coconut pulp and determine its isosteric heat of sorption. The adsorption isotherms at temperatures of 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C were analyzed, and they exhibit type III behavior, typical of sugar rich foods. The experimental results of equilibrium moisture content were correlated by models present in the literature. The Guggenheim, Anderson and De Boer (GAB) model proved particularly good overall agreement with the experimental data. The heat of sorption determined from the adsorption isotherms increased with the decrease in moisture content. The heat of sorption is considered as indicative of intermolecular attractive forces between the sorption sites and water vapor, which is an important factor to predict the shelf life of dried products.

Marolo (Annona crassiflora Mart.): a study of value chain and processing

This article aims to discuss the needs and problems of marolo value chain, as well as to evaluate the rehydration process of this fruit as a possibility of using it as a by-product during the interharvest growth periods. The study of the value chain included interviews with producers, handlers, and fruit and by-product sellers. In order to evaluate the rehydration process of this fruit, marolo was dehydrated using a conventional procedure and freeze-drying. The experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design and a triple factorial scheme (2 × 2 × 6). ANOVA was performed, followed by the Tukey's test (p < 0.05). Regression models were generated and adjusted for the time factor. The precariousness of the value chain of marolo was observed. The best procedure for marolo dehydration should be determined according to the intended use of the dehydrated product since the water-absorption capacity of the flour is higher and convective hot-air-drying is more effective in retaining soluble solids and reducing damage to the fruit. These results aim at contributing to the marolo value chain and to the preservation of native trees in the Brazilian savanna biome and can be used to analyze other underutilized crops.

Chemical characterization of the flour of peel and seed from two papaya cultivars

Papaya is among the currently most important tropical fruits grown in Brazil and in the world. The fruit is mainly consumed fresh although it offers many industrial products. The processing of this fruit, as well as its fresh consumption, results in large amounts of waste, such as peels and seeds. Papaya consumption is one of the causes of significant loss of food value; therefore, new aspects on the use of its waste as by-products, or in the production of food additives, or even the incorporation of its flour in food have aroused great interest because these are products of high nutritional value, and their use may be economically viable. The objective of this study was to produce and characterize peel and seed flours from two papaya cultivars (Havai and Calimosa) for their chemical constituents focusing on possible use in foods. The proximate and mineral composition, titratable acidity, soluble solids, pH, contents of vitamin C, and phenolic compounds were determined. According to the results obtained, the papaya peel and seed flours had high contents of protein and fiber and therefore can be used as alternative sources of nutrients and can also be added in foods avoiding waste and adding value to the fruit.

Nutritional value and antioxidant capacity of "cocoa honey" (Theobroma cacao L.)

Cocoa honey is considered as the liquid portion of cocoa pulp that is released from the fruit soon after it is cut open and can be used before fermentation by simple extraction due to its nutritional characteristics. The objective of the present study is to determine the biochemical characteristics of a cocoa by-product, "cocoa honey" (CH), produced in the State of Bahia-Brazil. The biochemical characterization was conducted to determine reducing sugars, total sugars, vitamin C, total dietary fiber, flavonoids, and total antioxidant activity using an EC50. It was observed that cocoa honey can be considered a source of bioactive compounds, can be consumed in natura or processed, and used as an ingredient in the chocolate industry and in other food products. However, it is necessary to use complementary methods, such as HPLC, to quantify the phenolic compounds of this by-product.

Check all that apply (CATA) as an instrument for the development of fish products

Abstract The objective of this paper is to develop a fish-based product. Through the innovative sensorial check all that apply (CATA) technique, employed in two stages of the development of the product – market research and the sensorial and hedonistic characterization of the final product – the aim was to develop a fish by-product that could respond to the needs of the consumer market. Results showed that the CATA technique is an important instrument for researching the consumer market and indicated the kind of fish by-product to be developed and its desired features. Nugget was the resulting by-product. The second application of CATA made possible the sensorial description of the by-product as being crisp, with little fish odor, light in color, well-seasoned and tasty. Therefore, the CATA technique proved to be an important research instrument in the fish consumption market as well as a quick technique for the complete description of fish nuggets.

Mäntyöljyn tislauksen esikäsittely

Raakamäntyöljy on selluteollisuuden sivutuote. Suopa erotetaan mustalipeästä ja palstoitetaan tuottaen siten raakamäntyöljyä. Raakamäntyöljy tislataan tavanomaisesti viiteen pääjakeeseen: rasvahapot, hartsihapot, mäntyöljytisle, esiöljy ja mäntyöljypiki. Näiden jakeiden lisäksi raakamäntyöljyssä on erityisesti mustalipeästä siihen erottuneita epäpuhtauksia, jotka haittaavat raakamäntyöljyn prosessointia. Epäpuhtauksia ovat orgaaniset ja epäorgaaniset yhdisteet, kuten metallit, suolat ja ligniini. Nämä epäpuhtaudet aiheuttavat haitallisia reaktioita prosessissa huonontaen siten lopputuotejakeiden laatua. Tämän lisäksi epäpuhtaudet aiheuttavat saostumia prosessilaitteissa alentaen siten prosessointitehokkuutta. Raakamäntyöljyn esikäsittelyllä tehostetaan tislauksen toimintaa. Työssä esitetään esikäsittelymenetelmistä mm. degumming-menetelmä, laimea happopesu, hiilidioksidikäsittely, valkaisu ja lämpökäsittely. Menetelmien pohjalta valitaan tätä työtä varten yksi menetelmä, jonka pohjalta suunnitellaan kokeellisessa osassa suoritettavat kokeet. Kokeellinen osuus koostuu esikokeista, varsinaisista kokeista ja lisäkokeista. Menetelmän tarkoituksena on saavuttaa epäpuhtauksille 90–95 % reduktioaste. Kokeiden onnistumista tutkitaan analysoimalla alkuperäinen raakamäntyöljy, sekä jokaisen kokeen jälkeen erotetut faasit. Työssä saavutettiin hyvä erotustehokkuus. Alkuperäisen tavoitteen mukaista reduktioastetta ei pystytty määrittämään eri analyysimenetelmien ja niiden analyysituloksissa ilmenneiden eroavaisuuksien vuoksi, mutta lisäkokeiden ansiosta pystyttiin vahvistamaan kyseisen koejärjestelmän optimaalinen poistoaste. Lisäksi työssä havaittiin että esikäsittelytulos on hyvin riippuvainen käsiteltävän raaka-aineen koostumuksesta.