BHU researchers harness coconut coir waste to produce flavouring compound
The team of researchers employed temple waste coconut coir as a foundational material for fermentative production of this novel food flavour.
VARANASI Researchers from Banaras Hindu University have successfully developed a flavouring compound using coconut coir, demonstrating remarkable antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer properties. The team of researchers employed temple waste coconut coir as a foundational material for fermentative production of this novel food flavour.
The research team, consisting of Dr Abhishek Dutt Tripathi from the Department of Dairy Science and Food Technology at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Dr Veena Paul from the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Dr Vibhav Gautam from the Centre for Experimental Medicine and Surgery at the Institute of Medical Sciences, and Dr Aparna Agarwal from the University of Delhi, collaborated on this pioneering project.
In a press release, BHU highlighted that Dr Abhishek Dutt Tripathi emphasized the significance of cities like Varanasi, which hold immense religious and spiritual importance, generating substantial quantities of temple waste, particularly coconut coir. While this waste is biodegradable, inadequate regulation can endanger the environment and foster various microbial diseases. Dr Tripathi pointed out the extensive potential of coconut coir due to its rich lignocellulosic biomass.
Several studies have outlined diverse strategies to convert the lignocellulosic biomass of coconut coir waste into value-added aromatic compounds. “We have taken a progressive stride by transforming this concept into reality, crafting an edible flavouring compound from coconut coir’s lignocellulosic biomass using Bacillus aryabhattai. This marks a pioneering achievement,” he conveyed.
Research Methodology:
During the study, coconut coir underwent pretreatment before being dried for 72 hours at 50 ℃. Subsequently, it was finely ground into a powder. After hydro-distillation of the coconut coir, it was subjected to digestion at 100±2 ℃ for an hour. The mixture was then filtered and acidified to separate lignin and cellulose. The extracted lignin was subsequently employed in the fermentation process using Bacillus Aryabhattai.
Following fermentation, the broth underwent filtration, with the resulting supernatant transferred to a separating funnel and treated with ethyl acetate. A 15-minute centrifugation followed, during which all organic fractions were collected and concentrated using a rotary vacuum evaporator. The retrieved flavour compound underwent cell line testing, demonstrating anti-cancer properties against breast cancer.
The outcomes of this study have been documented in journals such as Bioresource Technology, Food Biotechnology, and Applied Food Biotechnology. These findings hold substantial promise for the food processing and pharmaceutical industries, offering innovative avenues for further exploration.