Food strategy: Antioxidants Synergistic effect of natural plant extracts

This study is based on the exploitation of plant extracts and the subsequent conversion of knowledge into a tactile application in the food industry in order to promote sustainable solutions to various challenges, in particular the excessive use of synthetic products (food, food supplements, cosmetics, etc.). The latter has long been linked to many questions in terms of risks to human health (cancer diseases among others). While creating positive synergies with the various sectors (pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, etc.) and the discovery of new paths (nutraceuticals, etc.), energy and cost aspects are of interest. Economical, effective, and natural are three basic valleys of research and applications, products or even molecules with antioxidant effects and their combinations in order to preserve the food system in particular and other sectors and integrate biodiversity into value chains

Characterization of a Dialdehyde Chitosan Generated by Periodate Oxidation

This article reports the oxidation of Chitosan by using periodate and the characterization of the dialdehyde chitosan (DAC) generated by the reaction. Oxidised chitosan were further characterised by FTIR analysis, 1HNMR and TGA. The morphological analyses of oxidized chitosan by SEM confirmed the non change of elongated and fibrous network of chitosan. FTIR and TGA show no significant change on chemical structure and thermal properties successively. 1H NMR study confirmed the presence of imines generated by the reaction between dialdehyde chitosan and amino groups of chitosan (spontaneous assembling)

Chitosan-Clay Based (CS-NaBNT) Biodegradable Nanocomposite Films for Potential Utility in Food and Environment

The aim of this work is to design newer material for food packaging applications and to valorize the Moroccan marine wastes using chitosan (CS) prepared from exoskeletons of shrimps. Biodegradable and uniform nanocomposite films developed from sodium bentonite nanoparticles dispersed in chitosan matrix were carefully studied. The montmorillonite is used as nanofiller, and aqueous acetic acid solution is employed as a medium for dissolving and dispersing chitosan and montmorillonite. The existence of dialdehyde chitosan as cross-linking agent was examined. Morphology, thermal behavior, and mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films have been studied using FTIR, TGA, FEGSEM, TEM, XRD, and a tensile test. The XRD results indicate the formation of an intercalated and exfoliated nanostructure at low bentonite content and an intercalated and flocculated nanostructure at high bentonite content. Plastic deformation of the chitosan film is carried out using a thermomechanical treatment in the presence of a solvent and a plasticizer. The nanocomposite films obtained show a good tensile strength due to the reinforcement of chitosan intercalation in the silicate, which is an interesting mechanical property needed for food packaging applications. These nanocomposite films made from naturally occurring materials might play an important role in advanced research in food and environmental science

Effects of Phenol Addition on Oil Extraction from Moroccan Oil Shale by Supercritical Toluene

In the present work, the effect of phenol on the supercritical extraction of the organic matter from Tarfaya's oil shale with toluene was evaluated. The experimental results showed clearly that phenol had a significant effect on the yield and the composition of the oils obtained. Moreover, it was shown that phenol was a very efficient modifier for oil shale, giving a good yield of recovery and a suitable maturation of the organic matter. The pitches prepared by mixing phenol and toluene contain more aromatics and have a high char yield at 950 °C compared to those obtained by extraction with supercritical toluene alone

Effect of processing conditions on the improvement of properties and recovering yield of Moroccan oil shale

In the present work, Moroccon Tarfaya oil shale was treated by acids and different solvents under supercritical conditions, successively. Experimental results showed clearly that residual mineral matter had a significant effect on the yield and composition of the resulting organic fraction. Indeed, theoil yields obtained from some samples, 43% and 56%, respectively, were much higher than that from the sub-layer, 18%. In addition, the yield of recuperation and quality of extracted oils were largely dependent on the nature of solvents (toluene, water, shale oil). Thus, phenol was shown to be a very efficient modifier for the supercritical extraction of organic matter from Tarfaya oil shale with toluene, affording a good yield of recovery and a suitable maturation of organic matter. The pitches prepared by mixing phenol and toluene contained more aromatics and had a high char yield (46%) at 950 °C compared to those obtained by extraction with supercritical toluene alone

The effect of various parameters on the supercritical extraction of Moroccan oil shales: Application in the elaboration of carbon foams and graphitizable carbons

This study evaluates the possibilities to produce new materials, starting from Moroccan oil shales, for different applications. More specifically, the authors aimed to demonstrate that the organic fraction of the oil shales could be used as a precursor of carbon foams and graphitizable carbons, after appropriate chemical treatments resulting in the âmaturationâ of this organic phase. First, the researchers studied the optimization of experimental conditions and the identification of various parameters influencing the yield and composition of oils obtained by the supercritical extraction of Moroccan oil shale. The effect of various experimental parameters, such as mineral matter, thermal treatment temperature (T), treatment duration (t) and solvent type, was studied. The experimental results obtained show clearly that the organic matter contained in the Moroccan Tarfaya oil shale (sub-layer R3 ) can be recovered by phenol under the following optimal conditions: T = 390 °C, t = 2.5 hours using phenol as a solvent with an amount of 15 g for each 10 g of sub-layer R3 carbonate-free oil shale (RH). The results reveal that the yield and composition of the oil obtained by extraction with phenol is markedly different from those obtained by extraction with toluene, quinoline or without solvent. Furthermore, the phenol has a very signiï¬cant role in increasing the recovery yield and the degree of maturation of the obtained oil. It was shown that phenol was a suitable extraction solvent to produce graphitizable carbon at a relatively low temperature, below 1800 °C

Comparison of chemical and physical activation processes at obtaining adsorbents from moroccan oil shale

Within the Moroccan natural resources valorisation scheme, new adsorbents have been prepared from oil shale by chemical and physical activation processes. The activation process the authors have developed in this study give effective adsorbent materials. In view of the physico-chemical properties of these materials and application to the treatment of water loaded with a metal (Cr6+ ion) or organic (methylene blue (MB)) pollutant, it is concluded that the chemical activation process of oil shale at low temperature (250 °C) affords the best material. The material’s yield is good in comparison with the physical activation at the same temperature and the process is energy saving differently from that at 450 °C. Moreover, the chemical activation of oil shale with phosphoric acid at 250 °C produces a material with a good yield (about 70%), a high specific surface area (approximately 600 m2 /g) and a highly porous structure, which gives it a high retention of methylene blue and the Cr6+ ion