On the Cover

Biomass valorization is conventionally associated with the production of green biofuels. However, this could extend well beyond the conventional perception of biomass application into other domains, such as biomedical sciences. Acid condensate, also known as wood vinegar or pyroligneous acid obtained from biomass pyrolysis, promises a good potential for biomedical applications, notably for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Exploring these potentials, in the September 2022 Issue of Biofuel Research Journal, a team of Malaysian researchers attempted to use acid condensate as a wound healing agent and scrutinized the underlying mechanism. Through this study, they observed faster wound closure when treated with phenolic-rich acid condensate, attributing the enhanced wound healing activity to the increase in protein activation of Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Protein kinase B, related to the common wound healing signaling pathway. This study highlights the untapped biomedical potential of acid condensate, the aqueous fraction from the biomass pyrolysis process (DOI: 10.18331/BRJ2022.9.3.2). Cover art by BiofuelResJ. ©2022.