Bioresource Technology Reports最新文献

{"title":"Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by Paracoccus denitrificans from hydrolysates of microalgal biomass grown in wastewater treatment photobioreactors","authors":"B. Muñoz-Madariaga,&nbsp;A.N. Pila,&nbsp;S. Bordel,&nbsp;A.A. Filipigh,&nbsp;S. Bolado-Rodríguez","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102999","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102999","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wastewater treatment plants generate large amounts of residual biomass that could potentially serve as substrates for the production of valuable biopolymers. This study evaluated the valorisation of residual microalgae–bacteria biomass generated during piggery wastewater treatment for polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by <em>Paracoccus denitrificans</em>. The effects of hydrolysis method, hydrolysate concentration, nutrient availability and aeration conditions on biomass growth and PHB accumulation were evaluated. Bacterial growth did not occur on thermo-alkaline hydrolysates. In contrast, 10% thermo-acid hydrolysate supported the highest PHB accumulation, yielding 0.75 g/L biomass with 8.3% PHB in closed reactors. Ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysate diluted to 20% resulted in similar biomass concentrations but lower PHB accumulation (3.6%). Bacteria consumed multiple carbon and nitrogen sources without clear preference. Glucose addition (1 g/L, C/N = 6.5) during cultivation in 10% thermo-acid hydrolysate increased PHB accumulation up to 17.5% while biomass concentration remained stable. Higher aeration levels were generally associated with lower PHB accumulation, as supported by flux balance analysis. Overall, these results demonstrate the potential of thermo-acid hydrolysates from waste microalgal biomass for PHB production while highlighting the operational limitations associated with oxygen availability and nutrient balance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 102999"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148934786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrochemical induced in situ biogas upgrading and nitrogen removal during anaerobic digestion of food waste hydrolysate","authors":"Weiyao Huang,&nbsp;Siman Yang,&nbsp;Ze Zhao,&nbsp;Feng Ju,&nbsp;Lei Huang,&nbsp;Meng Li,&nbsp;Hongguo Zhang,&nbsp;Jiaqi Yan,&nbsp;Yunmin Zhong,&nbsp;Xuanxian Liao,&nbsp;Shuyuan Hong,&nbsp;Yue Huang,&nbsp;Jia Yan","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.103031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.103031","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The utilization of food waste contributes to advancing the circular economy and delivering nature-positive outcomes, an area that is attracting growing global attention. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a waste-to-energy technology that widely used for treatment of biodegradable waste. However, co-production of CO₂ decreases the value of biogas and limits application of AD technology. This study investigates electrochemical coupled anaerobic digestion in microbial electrolysis cell (MEC-AD). The highest CH₄ (65%) and lowest CO₂ content (29%) are observed under an applied energy of 250 mV in MEC-AD, which increases 12.3% and decreases 25.6% in comparison with the control period, respectively. The maximum biogas (903.9 mL/g VS) and methane production yield (569.4 mL/g VS) increase up to 2.2-fold under 500 mV. Moreover, a significant enhancement in nitrogen removal is observed at input energies exceeding 200 mV, achieving a total nitrogen removal efficiency of up to 94.3%. This performance is likely attributed to a novel electrochemical pathway that couples direct ammonium oxidation with denitrification. This study may indicate energy-dependent methane production pathway, including acetic acid cleavage (&lt; 200 mV), CO₂ reduction by electrode electrons and methyl cracking (250 mV), and H₂ mediated CO₂ reduction and homoacetogenesis (500 mV). Thus, the MEC-AD may be a promising food waste utilization technology for enhancing biogas production, nitrogen removal and biogas in situ upgrading.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 103031"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148934919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Could cow manure amendment improve the vermicomposting efficiency and reduce phytotoxicity in pulp and paper mill sludge?","authors":"Dasinaa Subramaniam,&nbsp;Manokararajah Krishnapillai,&nbsp;Lakshman Galagedara","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102978","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102978","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) is a carbon-rich industrial by-product that possesses significant environmental risks due to its high organic content and oil contamination. Although vermicomposting offers a sustainable strategy to convert PPMS into nutrient-rich vermicompost, its high carbon-to‑nitrogen ratio (C:N) slows decomposition and prolongs maturation. Amending PPMS with N-rich cow manure could balance its nutrient profile and create favorable conditions for the growth of <em>Eisenia fetida</em>, thereby accelerating the degradation of PPMS. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of varying PPMS proportions (TS-85, TS-75, TS-67, TS-60, TS-50) amended with cow manure on vermicomposting efficiency, <em>E. fetida</em> performance, and phytotoxicity of vermicompost using <em>Raphanus sativus</em> L. bioassay.</div><div>Results indicated that increasing PPMS proportions (75–100%) resulted in reduced <em>E. fetida</em> activity significantly slowing down (<em>p</em> = 0.001) organic matter degradation, while retaining high oil content, and the resulting vermicompost exhibited pronounced phytotoxicity, resulting in reduced seed germination. In contrast, feedstocks amended with cow manure containing 50–67% PPMS achieved 13.8–22.2% faster organic matter degradation, maintained an optimal pH (6.8–6.9), reduced total C (by 26.3–28.1%), increased total N (by 18.1–26.5%), decreased oil content (by 85.1–86.9%), and produced vermicompost with a favorable C:N (20.4–25.1). This further enhanced the germination index, resulting in 100% seed germination, improved shoot and root elongation, increased seed vigor and water uptake, thereby confirming the reduced phytotoxicity of vermicompost. <em>E. fetida</em> achieved 2.6–2.9-fold increase in adult biomass, higher cocoon production (×3.6–3.9), juvenile proliferation (×3.2–3.3) with relative growth rate of 16.7–18.2 mg <em>E. fetida</em> day^-1, while reproductive output reached 1.3–1.5 cocoons/<em>E. fetida</em>. Population dynamics of <em>E. fetida</em> positively correlated with total N (<em>r</em> = 0.64, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) and composting period (<em>r</em> = 0.92, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) and negatively correlated with total C content (<em>r</em> = −0.84, <em>p</em> = 0.002). Overall, incorporation of 50–67% PPMS into the feedstock significantly accelerated vermicompost maturity in 56–60 days, yielding 69.4–78.0% vermicompost.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 102978"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148934782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating compostable bags in food waste streams: a semicontinuous anaerobic digestion trial","authors":"Juliana Catalina Suarez Murcia,&nbsp;Julie Lamarque,&nbsp;Cecilia Sambusiti,&nbsp;Bruno Grassl,&nbsp;Remy Guyoneaud,&nbsp;Florian Monlau","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.103020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.103020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the semicontinuous mesophilic anaerobic digestion of food waste, assessing process stability, performance, and microbial communities across emerging treatment scenarios. Following the EU mandate for separate bio-waste collection, food waste streams are expanding from medium/large-sized producers (FW-ML) to household food waste (FW-HH) likely to introduce biodegradable bags. Consequently, four scenarios were evaluated: one representing current FW-ML treatment and three simulating its treatment alongside FW-HH containing cellulose-based bags, PBAT/starch-based bags, or thermoalkaline pretreated PBAT/starch-based bags. The PBAT/starch-based bags led to a progressive acidification, with volatile organic acids reaching 4.1 ± 0.6 gHAc/L and total alkalinity decreasing to 8.3 ± 0.8 gCaCO₃/L. Correspondingly, methane yield declined to 469 ± 10 NLCH₄/kgVS, compared to 518 ± 9 NLCH₄/kgVS for FW-ML alone. The qualitative detection of terephthalic acid, a monomer of PBAT, suggests that incomplete biodegradation may have contributed to acidic stress. Conversely, the thermoalkaline pretreatment (3 M KOH, 70 °C, 4 h) provided the dual benefit of plastic solubilization and alkalinity enhancement (11 ± 1 g CaCO₃/L), minimizing performance losses (504 ± 46 NL CH₄/kg VS). Microbial analyses revealed stable overall diversity and a resilient methanogenic community dominated by <em>Methanoculleus</em> sp. Redundancy and discriminant analyses indicated active community structure shifts associated with the presence of FW-HH and the PBAT/starch-based bags, despite their low concentration (2.2 ± 0.3% of the organic loading rate). This study outlines operational challenges and mitigation strategies for treating FW-HH alongside biodegradable plastics, establishing a baseline that invites future techno-economic and life cycle assessment studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 103020"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148934784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A circular agriculture model based on vegetable tailing fermentation broth: a case study of cabbage production","authors":"Junjie Cui,&nbsp;Rongrong Zhang,&nbsp;Mingle Yang,&nbsp;Tingting Mu,&nbsp;Shilei Luo,&nbsp;Long Li,&nbsp;Guobin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102988","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102988","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agricultural waste recycling is critical for soil quality improvement, while field application of vegetable tailing fermentation broth (VTFB) remains largely underexplored. This study investigated partial chemical fertilizer substitution with VTFB (vegetable tailings: cow manure = 7:3) in cabbage production. The T30 treatment (30% chemical fertilizer reduction +30% VTFB substitution +9000 kg/ha bio-organic fertilizer) achieved the best overall performance: it significantly improved cabbage yield, nutritional quality and economic returns, while enhancing soil nutrient status, bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of beneficial microbial taxa. Material flow analysis indicated that 1 ha of cabbage production annually recycles 53 t of tailings and 22 t of cow manure, with N, P, K recycling rates of 48.43%, 50.39% and 58.19%. This circular agriculture model delivers notable economic and environmental benefits, providing a pathway for sustainable farming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 102988"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Eisenia fetida mediated eco-transformation of fluoride-sorbed biochar: a dual solution for fluoride waste management and boosting agroecosystem multifunctionality","authors":"Rupsha Nandi,&nbsp;Sandip Mondal,&nbsp;Sayantan Das,&nbsp;Suvrajit Dalal,&nbsp;Pradip Bhattacharyya","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.103010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.103010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to manage secondary waste generation from defluorination using a <em>Pontederia crassipes</em>-based biochar and evaluates the vermi-sanitation potential of <em>Eisenia fetida</em>. Interestingly, bioavailable fluoride fraction decreased during vermicomposting with increase of recalcitrant organic bound fraction. A three-fold rise in earthworm population (adults &amp; juveniles) was recorded in biochar-vermibeds, indicating successful reproduction and adaptation to the fluoride-laden feedstock. Declining pH, TOC%, increase in nutrient (N, P and K) at maturity, microbial activities augmentation peaking at 60 days, declining later. Supported mineralization and vermi-stabilization in vermibeds. Temporal decline in metabolic quotient and respiratory quotient suggested reduced stress. Agronomic trial to assess potential of vermichar showed no adversities on soil quality or yield. Plant parts (BCF &lt;1, TF &lt;1) had no significant fluoride bioaccumulation. Fruit fluoride levels remained within safe limits in vermichar, vermicompost, and control treatments, but were higher under chemical fertilizer, indicating that phosphatic fertilizers can increase fluoride accumulation in edible tissues. AEMF based on 22 ecosystem functions, varied significantly (F_7,16 = 45.1, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) across treatments, with cow-dung vermi amended T-5, T-6 being highest. Vermichar (V2) amended T-4 recorded 7.86% higher AEMF than chemical fertilizers and showed no significant differences to T-6, thus offering comparable multifunctionality. A cross-validated Random Forest model (R² = 0.977) identified the key functions driving AEMF were available N and FDA as top contributors. Vermicomposting fluoride-sorbed biochar thus efficiently boosted soil fertility while simultaneously tackling fluoride-waste generation sustainably.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 103010"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148934932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of GABA on the resilience of Scenedesmus abundans to ampicillin stress and bioactive compounds production","authors":"Afreen Parveen,&nbsp;Md. Sanawar,&nbsp;Jerin James,&nbsp;Manisha Nanda,&nbsp;Krishna Kumar Jaiswal,&nbsp;Jin Huang,&nbsp;Anna I. kurbatova,&nbsp;Mikhail S. Vlaskin,&nbsp;Vinod Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102952","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102952","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotic contamination from ampicillin (AMP) poses significant environmental and health risks due to its persistence in aquatic ecosystems and contribution to antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and bacteria (ARB). This study investigates the efficacy of exogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in improving physiological performance of the microalga <em>Scenedesmus abundans</em> (SA) for mitigating AMP-induced stress and improving biomass and bioactive compounds production. Experimental setups included SA (control), SA + GABA, SA + AMP, and SA + GABA+AMP, with AMP at IC₅₀ concentrations (163.019 mg/L for SA + AMP and 201.412 mg/L for SA + GABA+AMP). Results demonstrated that SA + GABA exhibited the highest biomass yield (1.273 ± 0.008 g/L), lipid (32.66 ± 0.6%) and protein content (32.64 ± 1.2%) followed by SA + GABA+AMP i.e., (1.135 ± 0.005 g/L) biomass yield, (30.16 ± 1.2%) of lipid and (31.78 ± 0.9%) protein content in comparison to control (0.992 ± 0.002 g/L, 24.33 ± 0.7%, 30.53 ± 0.6% respectively). GABA supplementation significantly enhanced photosynthetic pigment content, with SA + GABA showing the highest chlorophyll <em>a</em> (4.27 ± 0.2 μg/mL) and carotenoid levels (1.48 ± 0.03 μg/mL). Additionally, SA + GABA+AMP displayed elevated total phenolic (8.75 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g DW) and flavonoid content (9.43 ± 0.3 mg QE/g DW), indicating improved antioxidant activity against reactive oxygen species (ROS). FTIR, GC–FID, and UHPLC analyses confirmed enhanced lipid, fatty acid, and amino acid profiles in GABA-treated samples. These findings highlight the potential role of GABA in enhancing microalgal stress tolerance and modulating metabolic responses under antibiotic exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 102952"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148951377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An integrated experimental and computational approach for mycoremediation of toxic Congo Red azo dye and its decolorization kinetic study","authors":"Seema Bisht,&nbsp;Raju Ratan Yadav,&nbsp;Divya Pant,&nbsp;Varsha Mishra,&nbsp;Lakshmi Tewari","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102979","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102979","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Widespread discharge of toxic, recalcitrant azo dyes such as Congo red (CR) poses serious environmental and health risks. Although white-rot fungi (WRF) are widely studied for dye removal, the decolourization potential of less-explored ascomycetous fungi remains poorly understood. Therefore, two indigenous isolates, <em>Acrophialophora levis</em> SSF 4 and <em>Chrysocorona lucknowensis</em> SSF 5, were evaluated in vitro for CR (100 mg L⁻¹) removal and extracellular enzyme production in comparison with two WRF through an integrated experimental, computational and mathematical approach. <em>A. levis</em> SSF 4 achieved complete decolourization within 12 h, whereas the other isolates required 48–72 h. The biosorption efficacy (100%) of live fungal biomass was higher than that of dead biomass (&lt;45%). CR removal was accompanied by extracellular enzyme production, suggesting a possible contribution of enzymatic mechanisms. The maximum laccase activity (11.603 U mL⁻¹) was achieved by SSF 5, whereas lignin peroxidase and azoreductase activities (1.396 and 8.253 U mL⁻¹, respectively) were higher in SSF 4. Molecular docking suggested a stable interaction between laccase and CR at the enzyme active site. The pseudo-first-order provided the best fit for all cultures (R² = 0.87–0.94), with SSF 4 exhibiting the highest rate constant (0.245 h⁻¹) and shortest half-life (2.83 h). UV–Vis and FTIR analyses suggested possible structural modification of CR. Phytotoxicity assessment revealed enhanced fenugreek seed germination (33% to 67%) in the pots irrigated with fungal–treated water samples. These findings establish <em>A. levis</em> SSF 4 as a promising candidate for treatment of CR-contaminated aqueous systems under laboratory conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 102979"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148934779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Waste-to-resource valorization from plant leaf biomass to bio-based composite functional footwear material: Fabrication, structure–property optimization, and antimicrobial performance","authors":"Oyunchimeg Zandraa,&nbsp;Fahanwi Asabuwa Ngwabebhoh,&nbsp;Nabanita Saha,&nbsp;Tomas Saha,&nbsp;Petr Saha","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.103004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.103004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The growing demand for sustainable footwear materials has stimulated interest in converting biomass wastes into high-value functional composites. In this study, maple plant leaf biomass was valorized into bio-based polyurethane (PU) composites through alkali extraction, oxidative purification, and hexadecyltrimethoxysilane surface modification of extracted lignocellulosic fibers, followed by incorporation into PU matrices to produce functional antimicrobial footwear insole (PuML) materials. Rheological analysis of the prepared mixtures revealed enhanced viscoelasticity, with storage modulus increasing from approximately 75 Pa for pristine PU to 450 Pa for PuML, indicating improved filler–matrix interactions. FTIR confirmed successful silane grafting and composite formation, while SEM showed homogeneous filler dispersion and controlled porosity. XRD analysis demonstrated increasing structural organization, with crystallinity indices rising from 28.4% to 37.6%. In addition, thermal analysis showed good stability above 250 °C and mechanical testing revealed that PuML exhibited considerable tensile strength (3.82 MPa) and elongation at break (204.65%), comparable to commercially available based insole materials. Contact angle measurements were determined in the range of 71.91–77.69°, indicating moderate wettability suitable for moisture management. Antimicrobial evaluation demonstrated high inhibition of <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> and <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> after prolonged exposure of up to 7 days, confirming the effectiveness of the incorporated antimicrobial system. Overall, the developed composites provide a sustainable waste-to-resource strategy for producing mechanically robust, thermally stable, moisture-regulating, and antimicrobial footwear materials with strong potential for next-generation eco-friendly insole applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 103004"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148934930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biochar-mediated enhancement of nitrogen retention and antibacterial activity during Chinese medical herb waste composting: production of a pathogen-suppressive soil amendment","authors":"Long Cao,&nbsp;Yanjiao Qi,&nbsp;Qian Li,&nbsp;Jiazhi Gao,&nbsp;Shen Yang,&nbsp;Huining Lu,&nbsp;Linshan Wang,&nbsp;Zhen Li,&nbsp;Yidan Duan,&nbsp;Yamin Zhao,&nbsp;Shengfu Kang,&nbsp;Hong Zhang,&nbsp;Zifan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102982","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biteb.2026.102982","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The disposal of Chinese medical herb waste (CMHW) and continued reliance on chemical agricultural inputs are important environmental concerns. This study evaluated whether biochar amendment could improve nitrogen retention and antibacterial activity during CMHW composting and assessed the resulting compost in soil challenged with a phytopathogen. Compared with the biochar-free control, 9–15% biochar reduced total nitrogen loss to 11.1–17.9% and increased antibacterial activity against plant pathogens by 44.6–51.7%. Microbial co-occurrence analysis showed that potentially beneficial taxa, including <em>Pseudomonas</em> and <em>Monascus</em>, were associated with ammonia monooxygenase activity and antibacterial properties. Structural equation modeling further indicated a positive association between antibacterial activity and NO₃⁻-N (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and identified a strong direct effect of bacterial α-diversity on antibacterial activity (standardized path coefficient = 0.94, P &lt; 0.05). In the subsequent pot experiment, the medium-dose CLD2 compost provided multifunctional benefits relative to the separately tested urea and chemical disease-control reference treatments; Chinese cabbage flavonoid content reached 0.26 μg/cm², and soil nitrogen-fixation-related enzyme activity reached 270.9 U/g. Tax4Fun2 predictions also indicated enrichment of functions related to siderophore production, nitrogen fixation, and indole-3-acetic acid metabolism after the application of biochar-amended CMHW compost. Overall, biochar-amended CMHW compost simultaneously improved nitrogen retention, nutrient cycling, and pathogen suppression. Future studies should include a combined urea-plus-fungicide treatment to determine how this approach compares with conventional integrated chemical management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8947,"journal":{"name":"Bioresource Technology Reports","volume":"35 ","pages":"Article 102982"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148935030","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}