Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OLEAF4VALUE (OLIVE LEAF MULTI-PRODUCT CASCADE BASED BIOREFINERY: FROM AN UNDER-USED BIOMASS IN THE PRIMARY SECTOR TO TAILORMADE SOLUTIONS FOR HIGH ADDED VALUE INTERNATIONAL MARKET APPLICATIONS)
Période du rapport: 2021-07-01 au 2022-12-31
Circular bioeconomy and bio-based product development and production are becoming essential in the current transition from a fossil-based economy towards a new sustainable green revolution taking place in Europe. In this context, the possibility to give a new life to certain underexploited bio-based side streams and residues has huge benefits. However, cascading, circular product design, and aspects related to product use seem to be underrepresented in today’s bio-based product market. Its full potential is still to be untapped.
Currently, 4,5 million ton of olive leaves are produced annually in the world by the olive oil industry, a key industry in southern Europe and along the Mediterranean coast (Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, among others). This biomass contains high added value bioactive compounds with high-market potential (food, feed, chemical, nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical). However, it represents a problem for both the farmers and the whole olive oil industry, who need to remove it from the fields and the olive oil mills.
The goal of OLEAF4VALUE is to set up the basis of a smart value chain based on a disruptive and first-of-its kind concept: Smart Dynamic Multi-Valorisation-Route Biorefinery (SAMBIO) for the cascade valorisation of the olive leaf biomass according to its physicochemical composition, particularly modulated by specific pre-treatments to produce target products. Advanced green extraction and isolation technologies will be used to sequentially separate all fractions and compounds of value, with a zero-waste approach. Enzymatic biotransformation and nanoencapsulation technologies will be applied to develop tailor-made prototypes according to end user market needs from high value sectors: food, feed, health, cosmetic, pharma, and chemical industries. Large companies from these sectors within the consortium will guarantee a good market-oriented approach throughout the project.
Currently, 4,5 million ton of olive leaves are produced annually in the world by the olive oil industry, a key industry in southern Europe and along the Mediterranean coast (Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia, among others). This biomass contains high added value bioactive compounds with high-market potential (food, feed, chemical, nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical). However, it represents a problem for both the farmers and the whole olive oil industry, who need to remove it from the fields and the olive oil mills.
The goal of OLEAF4VALUE is to set up the basis of a smart value chain based on a disruptive and first-of-its kind concept: Smart Dynamic Multi-Valorisation-Route Biorefinery (SAMBIO) for the cascade valorisation of the olive leaf biomass according to its physicochemical composition, particularly modulated by specific pre-treatments to produce target products. Advanced green extraction and isolation technologies will be used to sequentially separate all fractions and compounds of value, with a zero-waste approach. Enzymatic biotransformation and nanoencapsulation technologies will be applied to develop tailor-made prototypes according to end user market needs from high value sectors: food, feed, health, cosmetic, pharma, and chemical industries. Large companies from these sectors within the consortium will guarantee a good market-oriented approach throughout the project.
OLEAF4VALUE has progressed significantly at each stage of the project development during the first 18 months of exhaustive work done by the consortium. Key advancements are listed below:
Smart supply chain development: from an underexploited biomass to a standardized starting material: In this stage, an overview of the state-of-the-art of olive tree farms and identification of the most suitable providers of biomass was scrutinized. Samples were characterized in the laboratory as well as in the fields, with portable spectroscopic instruments. An important activity was to systematically analyse the leaves' residual streams providing detailed quantifiers of potential resources available for bio-refinery. The previously mentioned activities showed that olive leaves supply chains are varying fundamentally in different regions represented within the team of the OLEAF4VALUE project. The quantity of biomass available for bio-refineries varies depending on the tree species, pruning/harvesting methods, handling of residuals as well as storage duration.
Multi valorisation route: from a standardized starting material to added value fractions and bioproducts: This stage is devoted to the development of the downstream process routes that the olive leaf raw material will go through. Partners involved in these actions have begun the development of the biorefinery's Smart Optimization Tool, a software program that guides the downstream processing of each olive leaf batch towards different end products, taking into consideration its composition and market demand at the given moment. 15 products have been already produced in this stage, achieving our first milestone.
Post-extraction technologies: From extracted fractions to high added value tailor made bioproducts: In this stage, project partners have developed different formulations for oral administration and different Molecularly Imprinted Polymers to aid with the production of tailor made bioproducts from diverse olive leaf extracts. The formulations increased the solubility of the olive leaf compounds and they showed good stability at different temperatures and in simulated gastrointestinal fluids.
The road towards market applications: In this stage, the olive leaf extracts that are available so far have been assessed for their solubility and large concentration ranges have been applied in various experiments. For application in cosmetics, extracts were encapsulated in different formulation trials.
OLEAF4VALUE impact assessment, regulatory & consumer considerations: The consortium has been working on the development of the life cycle cost analysis and life cycle assessment of the multi-valorisation routes of the olive leaf defined in the project.
Ensuring the impact of the project’s results and developments: Along with technological developments, the consortium also worked on implementing strategies to maximise the project’s impact. Research on key bioeconomy market sectors, and research on potential business models and value chains was carried out.
Smart supply chain development: from an underexploited biomass to a standardized starting material: In this stage, an overview of the state-of-the-art of olive tree farms and identification of the most suitable providers of biomass was scrutinized. Samples were characterized in the laboratory as well as in the fields, with portable spectroscopic instruments. An important activity was to systematically analyse the leaves' residual streams providing detailed quantifiers of potential resources available for bio-refinery. The previously mentioned activities showed that olive leaves supply chains are varying fundamentally in different regions represented within the team of the OLEAF4VALUE project. The quantity of biomass available for bio-refineries varies depending on the tree species, pruning/harvesting methods, handling of residuals as well as storage duration.
Multi valorisation route: from a standardized starting material to added value fractions and bioproducts: This stage is devoted to the development of the downstream process routes that the olive leaf raw material will go through. Partners involved in these actions have begun the development of the biorefinery's Smart Optimization Tool, a software program that guides the downstream processing of each olive leaf batch towards different end products, taking into consideration its composition and market demand at the given moment. 15 products have been already produced in this stage, achieving our first milestone.
Post-extraction technologies: From extracted fractions to high added value tailor made bioproducts: In this stage, project partners have developed different formulations for oral administration and different Molecularly Imprinted Polymers to aid with the production of tailor made bioproducts from diverse olive leaf extracts. The formulations increased the solubility of the olive leaf compounds and they showed good stability at different temperatures and in simulated gastrointestinal fluids.
The road towards market applications: In this stage, the olive leaf extracts that are available so far have been assessed for their solubility and large concentration ranges have been applied in various experiments. For application in cosmetics, extracts were encapsulated in different formulation trials.
OLEAF4VALUE impact assessment, regulatory & consumer considerations: The consortium has been working on the development of the life cycle cost analysis and life cycle assessment of the multi-valorisation routes of the olive leaf defined in the project.
Ensuring the impact of the project’s results and developments: Along with technological developments, the consortium also worked on implementing strategies to maximise the project’s impact. Research on key bioeconomy market sectors, and research on potential business models and value chains was carried out.
Progress beyond the state of the art
The results obtained in WP1 regarding the olive phytochemical variation due to agronomic factors represents a step forward towards the state-of-the-art knowledge.
The real time NIR base sensor first results confirm the hypothesis of the potential of this technology. This is totally game changing for the extract industry, as it will allow to make decisions on real time, both in field for biomass recovery and at the factory during processing.
The valorisation routes developed in WP2, specially VR1 and VR2, offer a new way of dynamic cascading that will optimize the outcomes obtained out of olive leaf biomass.
The first results of molecularly imprinted polymers development for isolation of minority compounds represent a huge step forward in future product development.
The new nano formulations developed are very good examples on how post-extraction technologies can improve the performance of native products. In this case, huge improvements in oleanolic solubility, bioaccessibility and potential bioavailability have been already achieved.
Impact
New technologies developed by academia and research institutions will be transferred to industry to generate value. Newly developed concept SAMBIO will increase the competitiveness of companies within the consortium, specially Natac.
New qualified bio-based industry job positions will be created, with a special impact in rural areas.
D&C actions conducted during RP1 are aimed at creating awareness and positive engagement towards biobased solutions.
Valorisation of olive leaves will reduce the CO2 emission of olive leaf combustion. Valorisation of olive leaves, an underexploited biomass, will give a new life to this biomass.
The results obtained in WP1 regarding the olive phytochemical variation due to agronomic factors represents a step forward towards the state-of-the-art knowledge.
The real time NIR base sensor first results confirm the hypothesis of the potential of this technology. This is totally game changing for the extract industry, as it will allow to make decisions on real time, both in field for biomass recovery and at the factory during processing.
The valorisation routes developed in WP2, specially VR1 and VR2, offer a new way of dynamic cascading that will optimize the outcomes obtained out of olive leaf biomass.
The first results of molecularly imprinted polymers development for isolation of minority compounds represent a huge step forward in future product development.
The new nano formulations developed are very good examples on how post-extraction technologies can improve the performance of native products. In this case, huge improvements in oleanolic solubility, bioaccessibility and potential bioavailability have been already achieved.
Impact
New technologies developed by academia and research institutions will be transferred to industry to generate value. Newly developed concept SAMBIO will increase the competitiveness of companies within the consortium, specially Natac.
New qualified bio-based industry job positions will be created, with a special impact in rural areas.
D&C actions conducted during RP1 are aimed at creating awareness and positive engagement towards biobased solutions.
Valorisation of olive leaves will reduce the CO2 emission of olive leaf combustion. Valorisation of olive leaves, an underexploited biomass, will give a new life to this biomass.