Application of polysaccharide-rich solution derived from waste macroalgae Enteromorpha prolifera in cherry tomato preservation and utilizing post-extraction residue for crude bio-oil production

Preservative is of importance to retard fruit deterioration and prolong the shelf-life. The suitability of using water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from waste macroalgae Enteromorpha prolifera (EPP) for cherry tomato preservation was evaluated. As compared with the control, the EPP-treated cherry tomatoes exhibited better fruit appearance, lower disease index and rot index during storage. Around 47 % EPP-treated cherry tomatoes were commercially acceptable after 36 days, which was however only 15.6 % for untreated cherry tomatoes, indi-cating the satisfactory preservation effectiveness of EPP-rich solution for cherry tomatoes. The post-extraction residue was commonly underutilized, we herein attempted to employ an emerging thermochemical conver-sion technique, hydrothermal liquefaction, to produce crude bio-oil (biocrude) from post-extraction E. prolifera. A biocrude yield of-23 wt% (dry-ash-free, daf) was obtained, and fatty acids and phenolics were identified to be the two main components in biocrude. The biocrude contained-70 % carbon and the higher heating value was-30 MJ/kg.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the suitability of using water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from waste macroalgae Enteromorpha prolifera (EPP) as a preservative for cherry tomato preservation. The EPP-treated cherry tomatoes showed better appearance, lower disease index, and rot index compared to the control during storage. Around 47% of EPP-treated cherry tomatoes remained commercially acceptable after 36 days, indicating the satisfactory preservation effectiveness of EPP-rich solution for cherry tomatoes. Furthermore, hydrothermal liquefaction was used to produce crude bio-oil from post-extraction E. prolifera, yielding a biocrude with a carbon content of about 70% and a higher heating value of approximately 30 MJ/kg.