From Forest Residue to Biorefinery: Cascade Valorization of Diospyros melanoxylon Foliar Biomass through Morpho-Physiological Dynamics, Green Solvent Extraction, Biocomposite Valorization, and Regional Techno-Economic Modeling
Aditya Raj Gupta
*
Department of Commerce, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Government College, Jobi-Barra, Kharsia, Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, Pin-496665, India.
Shweta Kumbhaj
Department of Chemistry, Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Government College, Jobi-Barra, Kharsia, Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, Pin-496665, India.
Anjali Verma
Department of Botany, Government Naveen College Pondi Bachra, Baikunthpur, Koriya, Chhattisgarh – 497449, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. (Tendupatta) is an economically important non-timber forest product in central India, but physical grading generates a substantial stream of rejected foliage with limited value in the conventional bidi-centred chain. This study evaluates an interdisciplinary cascade-biorefinery framework that integrates foliar morpho-physiology, post-harvest stabilisation, aqueous-ethanol ultrasound-assisted extraction, lignocellulosic residue conversion, and regional techno-economic modelling. Coppice foliage showed a specific leaf weight of 81.5 ± 3.8 g/m², lamina thickness of 182.0 ± 11.0 µm, and apparent tensile elastic modulus of 14.8 ± 1.2 MPa, indicating distinct material characteristics relative to mature crown foliage. Elevated shade-rack curing reduced moisture to 11.2% within 72 h and lowered polyphenol oxidase activity by 64.2% relative to ground curing. Extraction with 70:30 v/v aqueous ethanol yielded 28.0% dry soluble extract and recovered diospyrin equivalents, betulinic acid, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and soluble tannins. The residual lignocellulosic marc was subsequently converted into starch-bound moulded packaging material. At the modelled regional scale, a 50 kg/h processing line operating for 3,000 h/year was linked to 20 decentralised aggregation hubs and 150 MT of annual sorting-discard feedstock. The baseline discounted-cash-flow model produced an NPV of ₹96.86 lakh at a 12% cost of capital. Overall, the framework demonstrates a potential route for diversified utilisation of rejected Tendupatta biomass, subject to analytical confirmation, independent replication, pilot-scale validation, and market qualification.
Keywords: Diospyros melanoxylon, Tendupatta, non-timber forest products, forest bioeconomy, cascade valorisation, ultrasound-assisted extraction, green solvents, phytochemicals, biocomposites, techno-economic analysis