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Lychees from two years ago are still bright red and juicy! The National Chung Hsing University and I-Shou University team turns agricultural waste into micro-nano antibacterial materials, and antibacterial cutting boards are now being promoted globally

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Lychees from two years ago are still bright red and juicy! The National Chung Hsing University and I-Shou University team turns agricultural waste into micro-nano antibacterial materials, and antibacterial cutting boards are now being promoted globally

"Before color-preservation technology appeared, the lychees eaten by Yang Guifei and by Americans today were all black." Lin Hui-ling, a professor in the Department of Horticulture at National Chung Hsing University, peeled open a bright red, juicy lychee, and a delicate fruity fragrance wafted up. The sweet-and-sour taste spread through her mouth, and yet these were lychees harvested two years ago! Thanks to the agricultural waste material "chitin," their original flavor was successfully preserved. She said, "This is not my achievement, but the team's achievement."

The team Lin Hui-ling refers to is composed of professors from National Chung Hsing University and I-Shou University. Professors with professional backgrounds in agriculture, materials and other fields work across disciplines to reuse common agricultural and fishery waste such as shrimp shells and oyster shells. Lin Yao-tung, a professor in the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences at National Chung Hsing University, turned the waste into antibacterial cutting boards, opening a window for domestically produced antibacterial materials. This agricultural waste research and development achievement, "Circular Economy Application of Micro-Nano Natural Materials in Agricultural Product Production and Preservation," won the 16th National Innovation Award in December last year.

Lychees harvested two years ago, preserved to this day with food-grade chitin (photo_Lin Yi-chun)

A cross-university, cross-disciplinary team was established, jointly targeting shellfish waste

"After meetings, we usually chat a bit and see what everyone is doing, and before we knew it we were connected." Lin Yao-tung smiled. Looking carefully at the team lineup, there are Lin Hui-ling, professor in the Department of Horticulture at National Chung Hsing University; Huang Chen-wen, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at National Chung Hsing University; Hsieh Ching-chang, director of the National Chung Hsing University Horticulture Experiment Station; Ho Meng-shu, chair of the Department of Physics at National Chung Hsing University; and Weng Chih-huang, chair of the Department of Civil and Ecological Engineering at I-Shou University.

"National Chung Hsing University was founded on agriculture, and the school's focus revolves around agriculture." Lin Hui-ling, who has studied postharvest handling technology for fruits and vegetables for more than thirty years, said that most research projects on campus focus on how to solve existing agricultural problems. "Even if it is not the College of Agriculture, we still need to help provide technical support." This also indirectly explains the role played by teachers in the team with non-agricultural backgrounds.

This time the research and development team targeted agricultural and fishery waste, especially shrimp and crab shells. Lin Yao-tung pointed out that the world produces 6 million to 8 million tonnes of shellfish waste each year, but the disposal cost is NT$2,000 to NT$4,500 per tonne. If it can be further utilized with high value, about NT$2.5 billion in disposal costs can be saved each year.

Lin Yao-tung, professor in the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences at National Chung Hsing University, and Lin Hui-ling, professor in the Department of Horticulture (photo_Lin Yi-chun)

Traditional processing methods have low output value; micronizing and nanonizing shrimp and crab shell powder can be antibacterial

Current methods for handling shrimp and crab shell waste fall into roughly four categories: burning, landfilling, making fertilizer and other uses. Lin Yao-tung explained that the disadvantages of burning and landfilling are that they easily cause air, water and soil pollution, while making compost has high costs and low selling prices. Other uses, such as making seedling cultivation media or feed, have even higher production costs, but the extent to which the waste can be absorbed is limited.

The research and development team found that chitosan extracted from shrimp and crab shell waste has antibacterial properties, and oyster shells modified through micro-nano processing not only are antibacterial but also have a mildew-proof effect. Lin Yao-tung said that by using the antibacterial properties, this waste can become high-value antibacterial materials, with an estimated annual commercial value of about NT$4 billion.

The research and development team also pointed out that more than 500 million person-times flow internationally each year, and highly dangerous pathogens can easily spread across borders. In addition, the global population is aging at an alarming rate. It is estimated that by 2020, the global population aged 65 and over will exceed 21.1%, and future medical demand will increase greatly, making the development of environmentally friendly antibacterial materials even more urgent.

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