Ferulic acid (FA) is widely used as an antioxidant, e.g., as a Ultraviolet (UV) protectant in cosmetics and in various medical applications. It has been produced by the hydrolysis of γ-oryzanol found in rice bran oil soapstock. In this study, the base-catalyzed, homogenous hydrolysis of γ-oryzanol was conducted using various ratios of potassium hydroxide (KOH) to γ-oryzanol, initial concentrations of γ-oryzanol in the reaction mixture, and ratios of ethanol (EtOH) (as cosolvent)/ethyl acetate (EtOAc) (γ-oryzanol solution). Acceleration of the reaction using a planar type of ultrasound sonicator (78 and 130 kHz) at different reaction temperatures was explored. By using a heating method, the 80% yield of FA was attained at 75 • C in 4 h under homogeneous conditions (initial concentration of γ-oryzanol 12 mg/mL, the KOH/γ-oryzanol ratio (wt/wt) 10/1, and EtOH/EtOAc ratio (v/v) 5/1). With the assistance of 78 and 130 kHz irradiation, the yields reached 90%. The heating method was applied for the γ-oryzanol-containing extract prepared from rice bran oil soapstock. From soapstock, the 74.3% yield of FA was obtained, but 20% of the trans-FA in the reaction mixture was transformed into cis-form within one month.

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Dietary inclusion of canthaxanthin, a common carotenoid pigment, has been long practiced in aquaculture to give the favorable flesh color in farmed salmonids. However, carotenoids are associated with limited solubility and poor physicochemical stability, and their dose in fish feed is widely regulated. In this study, we included canthaxanthin- and α-tocopherol-loaded liposomes into fish diets and evaluated the effects of supplemented fish feed on fish growth, color, nutrition, and canthaxanthin deposition in fillets of cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The liposomes were fabricated using lecithin as phospholipids with the initial concentrations (IC = mcanthaxanthin/mlipids, % wt/wt) of canthaxanthin at 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0%. Particle size characterization showed that liposome mean sizes were 109.70 ± 6.36, 105.10 ± 8.41, and 109.20 ± 5.66 nm (mean ± SD; n = 3), respectively, corresponding with liposomes synthesized at canthaxanthin IC = 0.1%, IC = 0.5%, and IC = 1%. The polydispersity index (PDI) of all samples remained lower than 0.2. There were no significant differences in the mean size and PDI between blank lecithin liposome and canthaxanthin- and α-tocopherol-loaded liposomes. The encapsulation efficiency of canthaxanthin- and α-tocopherol-loaded liposomes decreased when increasing the concentration of canthaxanthin in lecithin liposomes, with EE% values of IC = 0.1%, IC = 0.5%, and IC = 1% being 85.3 ± 2.1, 72.9 ± 1.8, and 55.3 ± 2.6, respectively. For fish growth, at the end of the experiment, final weight was significantly higher in fish fed with diet supplemented with 1 g/kg canthaxanthin- and α-tocopherol-loaded liposomes (IC = 0.5%) in comparison to other experimental control groups. The difference in color of the salmon muscle was most apparent after two months of feeding. However, after three months, there was no noticeable change in the color score of the fish muscle, indicating saturation of color of the fish muscle. The above results suggest the potential of canthaxanthin- and a-tocopherol-loaded liposomes as the red pigment in fish aquaculture.

This case study focused on zero emission via waste sludge treatment process from a brewery wastewater treatment plant. A perspective solution was based on three main processes by sludge digestion (40 m3/day), biogas recovery and purification for generation (20 kWh) and organic fertilizer production for green agriculture. The system is designed to integrated processes and operated autocompletively, except for the fertilization of crops. This work results showed that organic content decreased 55 - 70% after 20 days of sludge retention time (SRT) with 55 - 65% methane (CH4) yield. The contaminants in biogas was purified by high gravity rotating packed bed (HGRPB) device using aqueous solution (NaOH 0.01 M) and removal efficiency of CH4 concentration is 87%, this CH4 content met a demand of the standard for generator engines or boiler combustion. The digested sludge was combined with other by-products to produce organic fertilizer for green agricultural development, the quality of organic fertilizer was examined and met the regulations of Decree No. 84/2019/ND-CP of the Government: Regulations on fertilizer management. The achievements of this case study respond the harmonious combination among waste treatment, energy recovery and organic fertilizer production to contribute to the direction of the circular economy aspect and sustainable development.