On seeing the Autumn leaves in Vermont, some may even be overcome to the point of a religious experience by the stunning array of colors over all these myriad trees with all their billions of leaves.
My God, surely you are painting for us.
We're going to hit the ground with a bit of a crash since the science sees some great natural pigments in those leaves which could be applied to many purposes. (Science Daily: Natural pigments, useful raw materials from autumn leaves for industry)
We're not so sure we want the science because there's an existential beauty to those Autumn leaves which is given by the knowledge they will only last until the next rain and then they will disappear, Winter will be upon us. There are so many magnificent contributions in literature toward this specific moment and many come directly from the inspiration of Vermont in the Autumn.
Ed: ahem, the science.
Yes, yes, the science.
Autumn leaves derive their colour from orange and yellow carotenoids and red anthocyanins. In addition to pigments, autumn leaves contain many beneficial compounds, such as phenols, lignin, carbohydrates and protein. There is a fast-growing need for natural pigments in various industries around the world -- for example, these natural pigments can even have health-promoting effects and use as nutraceuticals.
In a process developed by VTT, leaves gathered in gardens and parks are dried and ground, and compounds are extracted. The processing stages were developed by VTT in laboratory experiments; R&D has now entered the piloting stage, using leaf material collected in the Otaniemi area by waste disposal company Lassila & Tikanoja. Special attention has been paid to the environmental friendliness of the overall process and the safety of the compounds produced.
"In laboratory experiments, we discovered several, promising alternative ways of utilising leaves. Piloting assays are under way, in which we are examining how our methods work in practice and what quantities of valuable compounds can be extracted from the leaves," comments Liisa Nohynek, Senior Scientist at VTT.
Residual biomass, which is remaining after extraction, is high in nutrients and suitable for soil improvement in home gardens. On the other hand, this waste can also be further processed to compounds that inhibit the growth of harmful microbes, thus being suitable e.g. for cosmetic and hygiene products.
Nohynek believes that the methods developed by VTT are applicable for raw material processors and for example in textile and cosmetic industries. In addition, the residual material offers business opportunities for firms in the horticultural, cosmetics, hygiene and pharmaceutical sectors.
My God, surely you are painting for us.
We're going to hit the ground with a bit of a crash since the science sees some great natural pigments in those leaves which could be applied to many purposes. (Science Daily: Natural pigments, useful raw materials from autumn leaves for industry)
We're not so sure we want the science because there's an existential beauty to those Autumn leaves which is given by the knowledge they will only last until the next rain and then they will disappear, Winter will be upon us. There are so many magnificent contributions in literature toward this specific moment and many come directly from the inspiration of Vermont in the Autumn.
Ed: ahem, the science.
Yes, yes, the science.
Autumn leaves derive their colour from orange and yellow carotenoids and red anthocyanins. In addition to pigments, autumn leaves contain many beneficial compounds, such as phenols, lignin, carbohydrates and protein. There is a fast-growing need for natural pigments in various industries around the world -- for example, these natural pigments can even have health-promoting effects and use as nutraceuticals.
In a process developed by VTT, leaves gathered in gardens and parks are dried and ground, and compounds are extracted. The processing stages were developed by VTT in laboratory experiments; R&D has now entered the piloting stage, using leaf material collected in the Otaniemi area by waste disposal company Lassila & Tikanoja. Special attention has been paid to the environmental friendliness of the overall process and the safety of the compounds produced.
"In laboratory experiments, we discovered several, promising alternative ways of utilising leaves. Piloting assays are under way, in which we are examining how our methods work in practice and what quantities of valuable compounds can be extracted from the leaves," comments Liisa Nohynek, Senior Scientist at VTT.
- Science Daily
We grok what they're doing but we're not so sure we're diggin' it that they're doing it. This necessarily goes hippie dippie since a leaf is only a problem if it falls in the wrong place. It's not my purpose to try to throw the Deep Thought of the Day and ...
Ed: it wasn't that deep!
Uh, thanks for that. So it's not my purpose to do more than observe the leaves are part of the fuel for the forest and some of it will be give the strength to the trees to grow new leaves in the following season, some of that leaf cover will break down into improving the soil, and there's all manner of life in that leaf cover as well.
Therefore, we take a tentative view of regarding the leaves as a resource for anything else but we continue.
Uh oh ...
Pigments from autumn leaves can be used to colour cosmetics and textiles. The chemical composition of leaves varies largely between different tree species. Added value can be obtained by processing the autumn leaves of certain tree types only, thereby producing well-defined compounds suitable for new products.
Residual biomass, which is remaining after extraction, is high in nutrients and suitable for soil improvement in home gardens. On the other hand, this waste can also be further processed to compounds that inhibit the growth of harmful microbes, thus being suitable e.g. for cosmetic and hygiene products.
Nohynek believes that the methods developed by VTT are applicable for raw material processors and for example in textile and cosmetic industries. In addition, the residual material offers business opportunities for firms in the horticultural, cosmetics, hygiene and pharmaceutical sectors.
- Science Daily
This is sounding industrial so the grok is turning in a southward direction toward displeasure.
Furthermore, also other applications could be developed for autumn leaves. Compounds obtained from the leaves may be suitable for use as food colouring and preservatives, and as nutritional supplements. In addition, these colourants could be used to improve the nutritional properties of edible plant cells under development at VTT. New bioactive compounds could be obtained for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, by using biotechnological methods to modify pigments. In addition, the carbohydrates from the extraction residue could be used to produce protein-rich feed for livestock and protein supplements for people. Furthermore, the nutrient-rich residual biomass can also have domestic applications, for example in growing mushrooms.
- Science Daily
Sorry but I've got to go Greenpeace with you on this one. The more I read of it, the more I don't like harvesting those leaves like they're irrelevant rubbish when in fact they're a vital component in the forest ecosystem.
Your interpretation may differ and the link to the article is there for you to review as you will.
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