TOPBIOPLAS Project: Research into the use of tomato by-products for the development of functional bioplastics
- Type Operational group
- Status Filled
- Scope Autonómico
- Autonomous community Extremadura
- Main source of financing CAP 2023-2027
- Project website TOPBIOPLAS
Tomato skins and seeds are a valuable source of nutrients, making them useful as raw materials in production processes aimed at obtaining higher value-added products. In the skins and seeds discarded during the processing of tomatoes, the most valuable compound is lycopene, a carotenoid with potent antioxidant properties. Furthermore, it is important to note that this byproduct has a high fiber content.
The objective is to use tomato byproducts to add value to polylactic acid (PLA). By incorporating tomato oleoresin, skins, and seeds, the physical and mechanical properties of PLA will be improved, resulting in a new bioplastic that enhances food preservation by inhibiting or reducing the presence of microorganisms due to the antioxidant power of the starting byproducts.
To carry out this project, the collaboration of the University Institute for Biomedical Research of Extremadura (INUBE) is essential. INUBE comprises eight research groups and two support services, forming a multidisciplinary institution. For the development of this project, we will work with the research group FQM006: Biosurfaces and Interfacial Phenomena.
- Phase 1: Laboratory-scale proof of concept of a new extraction process for oleoresin from tomato skins and seeds (CTAEX and CONESA)
- Phase 2: Research on the development of a new bioplastic (INUBE)
- Phase 3: Validation of the products obtained under controlled conditions (CONESA and CTAEX)
The main objective of the TOPBIOPLAS project is to valorize the by-products of the tomato industry by incorporating them into the manufacture of plastic biomaterials with potential applications in agriculture and food preservation.
The specific objectives are shown below:
- OE1. Optimize an extraction method to obtain the active ingredients from skins and seeds
- OE2. Design and develop bioplastic materials composed of PLA and skins/seeds or PLA and oleoresin
- OE3. Characterize the new bioplastics in a physicochemical way
- OE4. Obtain the in vitro response of the antimicrobial capacity of films applied to the food sector
- OE5. Assess the temporal response of new biomaterials
- OE6. Evaluate at laboratory scale the seedbeds and mulching plastics in agricultural applications
- OE7. Evaluate the functionality of bioplastics in food applications at laboratory scale
- OE8. Analyze the technical and economic feasibility of the optimized process for the production of bioplastics from tomato by-products
- Technical data sheet for the characterization of conditioned hides and seeds
- Oleoresin characterization sheet
- Optimized oleoresin extraction protocol
- Bioplastic with agricultural potential
- Bioplastic for use in absorbent feeding pads
- Technical data sheet for the characterization of new bioplastics
- Antimicrobial and antioxidant indicators in films associated with the food sector
- Biopolymer lifespan
- Seedbed and plastic mulch tested as an agricultural input
- Technical report on the validation of results
- Absorbent pad functionally tested at laboratory level
- Technical-economic study report of the proposed technological solution at laboratory scale
- CONESA GROUP
- Centro Tecnológico Nacional Agroalimentario CTAEX
- Universidad de Extremadura, Grupo de investigación de Biosuperficies y Fenómenos Interfaciales
- Universidad de Extremadura, Grupo de Microbiología de la Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud