In this study, we present a strategy for valorizing lignocellulosic wastes (licorice root and willow bark) that result from industrial extraction of active principles using water as green solvent and aqueous NaOH solution. The wastes were submitted to severe ultrasound (US) and microwave (MW) treatments. The aim of these treatments was to extract the remaining active principles (using water as a solvent) or to prepare them for cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis to hexoses (performed in an NaOH aqueous solution). The content of glycyrrhizic acid and salicin derivatives in licorice root and willow bark wastes, respectively, were determined. The best results for licorice root were achieved by applying the US treatment for 5 min at 25 °C (26.6 mg glycyrrhizic acid/gDM); while, for willow bark, the best results were achieved by applying the MW treatment for 30 min at 120 °C (19.48 mg salicin/gDM). A degradation study of the targeted compounds was also performed and showed good stability of glycyrrhizic acid and salicin derivatives under US and MW treatments. The soluble lignin concentration prior to enzymatic hydrolysis, as well as the saccharide concentration of the hydrolyzed solution, were determined. As compared with the MW treatment, the US treatment resulted in saccharides concentrations that were 5% and 160% higher for licorice root and willow bark, respectively.

The purpose of this study was to produce additional data for the valorization process of vegetable waste originating from dietary supplement technology. Two types of vegetable waste originating from different technological processes of sea buckthorn oil were used: vegetable waste from organic solvent extraction (P1) and vegetable waste from cold extraction (P2). Batch experiments evaluated the influence of pH, initial metal concentration, contact time, and Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. The following pollutants—Cu, Cr, Co, Ni, Pb and Zn—from the wastewater were studied. The removal efficiency of metals from wastewater was evaluated at pH 3, 5 and 7. The highest metals removal efficiency was obtained at pH 5. It was observed that the Langmuir isotherm fits the adsorption process very well. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that vegetable waste resulting from the sea buckthorn oil industry could have potential applications for removing toxic metals from wastewater due to its high removal efficiency (>80%).

Vegetable biomass consumes a small part of the solar energy, about 1%, but enough to cover the energy needs of mankind and maintain the life of the entire planet [1]. Vegetable biomass is generators of minerals, chemical compounds, materials and fibres for industry and animal husbandry feed. The enormous interest in the superior recovery of biomass and vegetable waste has led to the additional research within the Research and Development Department at Hofigal SA, which I am a member of, in 2022 for: Making soils and substrates, from vegetable waste, for the growth of fungi. Industrial reuse of waste from industrial production activity. Obtain liquid, natural fertilizers and solid compost (humus) by recovering vegetable waste resulting from industrial activity and vegetable biomass resulting from crop maintenance. Create new sources of raw materials by acclimatizing new plants. Create new aqueous and hydroalcoholic plant extracts from spontaneous flora to protect agricultural crops against pests without using synthetic chemicals and other research activities. The major objective of this research is to reduce the amount of waste and plant biomass resulting at Hofigal, as well as to create new resources of plant raw materials, leading to new products and food supplements for health care. For this purpose, we aimed to reduce the amount of vegetable waste, from industrial activity, from 30 tons to one ton/year. We also aimed to obtain 5 tons of plant protection solutions and 20 tons of liquid organic fertilizer from the aerobic fermentation of compost on concrete platforms. This liquid fertilizer will be used for fertilizing the plants with the irrigation/watering of the plants, because it is applied diluted. We managed to acclimatize, in industrial cultures, in a 1-year cycle of culture, five new plants, three from the local spontaneous flora (wormwood, black wormwood and orpine-Sedum telephium) and two from the specific flora of China and Japan (lophantus and perilla). The achievements of the Hofigal Research and Development Department were validated by the Hofigal Scientific Council and proposed in the production plan for the year 2023-2024.

In this study, we had developed a method of ultrasound assisted extraction from Elecampane in order to obtain, identify and the dosing the main bioactive compounds from plant, such as: alantolactone and isoalantolactone, inulin etc. Aqueous/hydroalcoholic extraction assisted by ultrasound, was used in order to obtain plant extracts rich in bioactive compounds, in order to ensure the highest possible extraction yield (exhausting the plant). In the process of extracting bioactive compounds from plant, the acoustic energy of the ultrasound is not absorbed by the molecules and, as such, has an effect of breaking the cell walls and improving the mass transfer. Ultrasound are transmitted in the reaction medium in the form of pressure waves that induce vibrational movements of the molecules, thus the molecular structure of the medium, alternately, it compresses and expands, as a result of a pressure, that varies over time. When the ultrasound intensity is high enough, the expansion cycle can create bubbles or cavities. Cavitation is the process by which bubbles form, grow and undergo implosion. Ultrasound allows the solvent to penetrate the cell walls, and the bubbles produced by the acoustic cavitation favor the breaking of the cell wall and the release of the active compounds, increasing the reaction yield.