Benchmarking of Processes for the Biosynthesis of Natural Products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seita, Catarina Sanches

putida GS1. (R)-perillic acid is a monoterpenoic acid with antimicrobial properties. It has a strong inhibitory effect on bacteria and fungus, which makes it an attractive compound to be used as a preservative for instance in cosmetic industry, but on the other hand makes the biosynthesis a complicated....... These biological activities can be of interest for use in different sectors of chemical industry, in particular pharmaceutical industry where several drugs are derived or inspired by natural products structure. However, the large scale production of natural products is hindered by its relatively poor abundance...... of the process in comparison with other sweeteners. The main benefit of this early-stage evaluation is putting the biosynthesis of natural products into context in relation to demands of an industrially feasible chemical process. Moreover, it can give very meaningful insight into process development and provides...

Studies on the Bio production of Gibberellic Acid from Fungi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sleem, D.A.E.

2013-01-01

Gibberellic acid is a natural plant growth hormone which is gaining much more attention all over the world due to its effective use in agriculture and brewing industry. At present gibberellic acid is produced throughout the world by fermentation technique using the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi (recently named Fusarium moniliforme). The aim of the current study is the isolation of local F. moniliforme isolate have the ability to produce gibberellic acid on specific production media. The submerged fermentation technique for the production of gibberellic acid is influenced to a great extent by a variety of physical factors (incubation time, temperature, ph, agitation speed) also, gibberellic acid production by F. moniliforme depends upon the nature and concentrations of carbon and nitrogen sources. The optimization of these factors is prerequisite for the development of commercial process. The addition of some elements in a significant quantities to the production media stimulate gibberellic acid production. The use of seed culture inocula (24 h) age at rate of (2% v/v) also enhance the production. Working volume 50 ml in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask was found to be the best volume for the production. Low doses of gamma radiation (0.5 kGy) stimulate gibberellic acid production and microbial growth by the local F. moniliforme isolate. Immobilized cell fermentation technique had also been developed as an alternative to obtain higher yield of gibberellic acid. Milk permeate (cheap dairy by- product) was found suitable to used as main production medium for gibberellic acid production by the fungus under investigation. The influence of gibberellic acid on enhancement growth of Aspergillus niger and chitosan production was also studied, the addition of 2 mg/l of gibberellic acid to chitosan production medium stimulate its production in comparison with media without gibberellic acid

Anti-cancer natural products isolated from chinese medicinal herbs

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Wu Guosheng

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract In recent years, a number of natural products isolated from Chinese herbs have been found to inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, suppress angiogenesis, retard metastasis and enhance chemotherapy, exhibiting anti-cancer potential both in vitro and in vivo. This article summarizes recent advances in in vitro and in vivo research on the anti-cancer effects and related mechanisms of some promising natural products. These natural products are also reviewed for their therapeutic potentials, including flavonoids (gambogic acid, curcumin, wogonin and silibinin, alkaloids (berberine, terpenes (artemisinin, β-elemene, oridonin, triptolide, and ursolic acid, quinones (shikonin and emodin and saponins (ginsenoside Rg3, which are isolated from Chinese medicinal herbs. In particular, the discovery of the new use of artemisinin derivatives as excellent anti-cancer drugs is also reviewed.

Improving a natural enzyme activity through incorporation of unnatural amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugwumba, Isaac N; Ozawa, Kiyoshi; Xu, Zhi-Qiang; Ely, Fernanda; Foo, Jee-Loon; Herlt, Anthony J; Coppin, Chris; Brown, Sue; Taylor, Matthew C; Ollis, David L; Mander, Lewis N; Schenk, Gerhard; Dixon, Nicholas E; Otting, Gottfried; Oakeshott, John G; Jackson, Colin J

2011-01-19

The bacterial phosphotriesterases catalyze hydrolysis of the pesticide paraoxon with very fast turnover rates and are thought to be near to their evolutionary limit for this activity. To test whether the naturally evolved turnover rate could be improved through the incorporation of unnatural amino acids and to probe the role of peripheral active site residues in nonchemical steps of the catalytic cycle (substrate binding and product release), we replaced the naturally occurring tyrosine amino acid at position 309 with unnatural L-(7-hydroxycoumarin-4-yl)ethylglycine (Hco) and L-(7-methylcoumarin-4-yl)ethylglycine amino acids, as well as leucine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. Kinetic analysis suggests that the 7-hydroxyl group of Hco, particularly in its deprotonated state, contributes to an increase in the rate-limiting product release step of substrate turnover as a result of its electrostatic repulsion of the negatively charged 4-nitrophenolate product of paraoxon hydrolysis. The 8-11-fold improvement of this already highly efficient catalyst through a single rationally designed mutation using an unnatural amino acid stands in contrast to the difficulty in improving this native activity through screening hundreds of thousands of mutants with natural amino acids. These results demonstrate that designer amino acids provide easy access to new and valuable sequence and functional space for the engineering and evolution of existing enzyme functions.

In silico Design of "Un-Natural" Natural Products

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Zucko; J. ...(et al.

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Polyketides and non-ribosomal peptides represent a large class of structurally diverse natural products much studied over recent years because the enzymes that synthesise them, the modular polyketide synthases (PKSs and the non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs, share striking architectural similarities that can be exploited to generate "un-natural" natural products. PKS and NRPS proteins are multifunctional, composed of a co-linear arrangement of discrete protein domains representing each enzymic activity needed for chain elongation using either carboxylic acid or amino acid building blocks. Each domain is housed within larger modules which form the complex. Polyketide and peptide antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, cytostatics, immunosuppressants, antihypertensives, antidiabetics, antimalarials and anticholesterolemics are in clinical use. Of commercial importance are also polyketide and peptide antiparasitics, coccidiostatics,animal growth promoters and natural insecticides.Polyketides are assembled through serial condensations of activated coenzyme-A thioester monomers derived from simple organic acids such as acetate, propionate and butyrate. The choice of organic acid allows the introduction of different chiral centres into the polyketide backbone. The active sites required for condensation include an acyltransferase (AT, an acyl carrier protein (ACP and a ß-ketoacylsynthase (KS. Each condensation results in a ß-keto group that undergoes all, some or none of a series of processing steps. Active sites that perform these reactions are contained within the following domains; ketoreductase (KR, dehydratase (DH and an enoylreductase (ER. The absence of any ß-keto processing results in the incorporation of a ketone group into the growing polyketide chain, a KR alone gives rise to a hydroxyl moiety, a KR and DH produce an alkene, while the combination of KR, DH and ER domains lead to complete reduction to an alkane. Most often, the last

Biotechnological Production of Lactic Acid and Its Recent Applications

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Young-Jung Wee

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Lactic acid is widely used in the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries and has received increased attention for use as a monomer for the production of biodegradable poly(lactic acid. It can be produced by either biotechnological fermentation or chemical synthesis, but the former route has received considerable interest recently, due to environmental concerns and the limited nature of petrochemical feedstocks. There have been various attempts to produce lactic acid efficiently from inexpensive raw materials. We present a review of lactic acid-producing microorganisms, raw materials for lactic acid production, fermentation approaches for lactic acid production, and various applications of lactic acid, with a particular focus on recent investigations. In addition, the future potentials and economic impacts of lactic acid are discussed.

Biotransformation and Production from Hansenula Anomala to Natural Ethyl Phenylacetate

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Tian Xun

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ethyl phenylacetate can be widely applied in many industries, such as food, medicines, cosmetics and medicinal herbs. At the moment, the production of natural ethyl phenylacetate is very limited. However, the biotransformation production of natural ethyl phenylacetate has an very extensive application prospect. This paper is written by taking the phenylacetic acid tolerance and the esterifying enzyme activity as the two indexes for screening the HA14 strain of hansenula anomala mutagenic which is regarded as the microorganism of ethyl phenylacetate production through biotransformation. By optimizing the production condition of phenylacetic acid and the esterification condition of ethyl phenylacetate, the production of ethyl phenylacetate accomplished through biotransformation within 72 hours can reach 864mg/L which is 171% of that of the initial bacterial strain.

Organic acids in naturally colored surface waters

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Lamar, William L.; Goerlitz, D.F.

1966-01-01

Most of the organic matter in naturally colored surface waters consists of a mixture of carboxylic acids or salts of these acids. Many of the acids color the water yellow to brown; however, not all of the acids are colored. These acids range from simple to complex, but predominantly they are nonvolatile polymeric carboxylic acids. The organic acids were recovered from the water by two techniques: continuous liquid-liquid extraction with n-butanol and vacuum evaporation at 50?C (centigrade). The isolated acids were studied by techniques of gas, paper, and column chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. About 10 percent of the acids recovered were volatile or could be made volatile for gas chromatographic analysis. Approximately 30 of these carboxylic acids were isolated, and 13 of them were individually identified. The predominant part of the total acids could not be made volatile for gas chromatographic analysis. Infrared examination of many column chromatographic fractions indicated that these nonvolatile substances are primarily polymeric hydroxy carboxylic acids having aromatic and olefinic unsaturation. The evidence suggests that some of these acids result from polymerization in aqueous solution. Elemental analysis of the sodium fusion products disclosed the absence of nitrogen, sulfur, and halogens.

Genetic and metabolic engineering for microbial production of poly-γ-glutamic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Mingfeng; Feng, Jun; Sirisansaneeyakul, Sarote; Song, Cunjiang; Chisti, Yusuf

2018-05-28

Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a natural biopolymer of glutamic acid. The repeating units of γ-PGA may be derived exclusively from d-glutamic acid, or l-glutamic acid, or both. The monomer units are linked by amide bonds between the α-amino group and the γ-carboxylic acid group. γ-PGA is biodegradable, edible and water-soluble. It has numerous existing and emerging applications in processing of foods, medicines and cosmetics. This review focuses on microbial production of γ-PGA via genetically and metabolically engineered recombinant bacteria. Strategies for improving production of γ-PGA include modification of its biosynthesis pathway, enhancing the production of its precursor (glutamic acid), and preventing loss of the precursor to competing byproducts. These and other strategies are discussed. Heterologous synthesis of γ-PGA in industrial bacterial hosts that do not naturally produce γ-PGA is discussed. Emerging trends and the challenges affecting the production of γ-PGA are reviewed. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Opportunities, perspectives and limits in lactic acid production from waste and industrial by-products

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Mladenović Dragana D.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In line with the goals of sustainable development and environmental protection today great attention is directed towards new technologies for waste and industrial by-products utilization. Waste products represent potentially good raw material for production other valuable products, such as bioethanol, biogas, biodiesel, organic acids, enzymes, microbial biomass, etc. Since the first industrial production to the present, lactic acid has found wide application in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. In recent years, the demand for lactic acid has been increasing considerably owing to its potential use as a monomer for the production of poly-lactic acid (PLA polymers which are biodegradable and biocompatible with wide applications. Waste and industrial by-products such are whey, molasses, stillage, waste starch and lignocellulosic materials are a good source of fermentable sugars and many other substances of great importance for the growth of microorganisms, such as proteins, minerals and vitamins. Utilization of waste products for production of lactic acid could help to reduce the total cost of lactic acid production and except the economic viability of the process offers a solution of their disposal. Fermentation process depends on chemical and physical nature of feedstocks and the lactic acid producer. This review describes the characteristics, abilities and limits of microorganisms involved in lactic acid production, as well as the characteristics and types of waste products for lactic acid production. The fermentation methods that have been recently reported to improve lactic acid production are summarized and compared. In order to improve processes and productivity, fed-batch fermentation, fermentation with immobilized cell systems and mixed cultures and opportunities of open (non-sterilized fermentation have been investigated.

A practical synthesis of long-chain iso-fatty acids (iso-C12–C19 and related natural products

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Mark B. Richardson

2013-09-01

Full Text Available A gram-scale synthesis of terminally-branched iso-fatty acids (iso-C12–C19 was developed commencing with methyl undec-10-enoate (methyl undecylenate (for iso-C12–C14 or the C15 and C16 lactones pentadecanolide (for iso-C15–C17 and hexadecanolide (for iso-C18–C19. Central to the approaches outlined is the two-step construction of the terminal isopropyl group through addition of methylmagnesium bromide to the ester/lactones and selective reduction of the resulting tertiary alcohols. Thus, the C12, C17 and C18 iso-fatty acids were obtained in three steps from commercially-available starting materials, and the remaining C13–C16 and C19 iso-fatty acids were prepared by homologation or recursive dehomologations of these fatty acids or through intercepting appropriate intermediates. Highlighting the synthetic potential of the iso-fatty acids and various intermediates prepared herein, we describe the synthesis of the natural products (S-2,15-dimethylpalmitic acid, (S-2-hydroxy-15-methylpalmitic acid, and 2-oxo-14-methylpentadecane.

Tropospheric chemistry of natural hydrocarbons, aldehydes, and peroxy radicals: Their connections to sulfuric acid production and climate effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaffney, J.S.; Marley, N.A.

1993-05-01

Recent work has shown that natural hydrocarbon emissions can significantly affect the levels of urban and regional tropospheric ozone. We report on the reactivities of these biogenic trace gases, particularly isoprene, focusing on their importance in the production of aldehydes and peroxy radicals, leading to increased levels of hydrogen over regional forests. Hydrogen peroxide can lead to the wet oxidation of sulfur dioxide to acidic sulfate in aerosols, fogs, and clouds. In turn, acidic sulfate can act to as a light scattering aerosol and a source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), potentially leading to global cooling. Aerosol sulfate and other dissolved organic and inorganic compounds can also play important roles as a greenhouse species in the lower troposphere

Plants as natural antioxidants for meat products

Science.gov (United States)

Tomović, V.; Jokanović, M.; Šojić, B.; Škaljac, S.; Ivić, M.

2017-09-01

The meat industry is demanding antioxidants from natural sources to replace synthetic antioxidants because of the negative health consequences or beliefs regarding some synthetic ones. Plants materials provide good alternatives. Spices and herbs, generally used for their flavouring characteristics, can be added to meat products in various forms: whole, ground, or as isolates from their extracts. These natural antioxidants contain some active compounds, which exert antioxidative potential in meat products. This antioxidant activity is most often due to phenolic acids, phenolic diterpenes, flavonoids and volatile oils. Each of these compounds often has strong H-donating activity, thus making them extremely effective antioxidants; some compounds can chelate metals and donate H to oxygen radicals, thus slowing oxidation via two mechanisms. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of natural antioxidants when used in meat products. Based on this literature review, it can be concluded that natural antioxidants are added to fresh and processed meat and meat products to delay, retard, or prevent lipid oxidation, retard development of off-flavours (rancidity), improve colour stability, improve microbiological quality and extend shelf-life, without any damage to the sensory or nutritional properties.

Bioactive activities of natural products against herpesvirus infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Myoungki; Lee, Minjung; Sung, Gi-Ho; Lee, Taeho; Shin, Yu Su; Cho, Hyosun; Lieberman, Paul M; Kang, Hyojeung

2013-10-01

More than 90% of adults have been infected with at least one human herpesvirus, which establish long-term latent infection for the life of the host. While anti-viral drugs exist that limit herpesvirus replication, many of these are ineffective against latent infection. Moreover, drug-resistant strains of herpesvirus emerge following chemotherapeutic treatment. For example, resistance to acyclovir and related nucleoside analogues can occur when mutations arise in either HSV thymidine kinase or DNA polymerases. Thus, there exists an unmet medical need to develop new anti-herpesvirus agents with different mechanisms of action. In this Review, we discuss the promise of anti-herpetic substances derived from natural products including extracts and pure compounds from potential herbal medicines. One example is Glycyrrhizic acid isolated from licorice that shows promising antiviral activity towards human gammaherpesviruses. Secondly, we discuss anti-herpetic mechanisms utilized by several natural products in molecular level. While nucleoside analogues inhibit replicating herpesviruses in lytic replication, some natural products can disrupt the herpesvirus latent infection in the host cell. In addition, natural products can stimulate immune responses against herpesviral infection. These findings suggest that natural products could be one of the best choices for development of new treatments for latent herpesvirus infection, and may provide synergistic anti-viral activity when supplemented with nucleoside analogues. Therefore, it is important to identify which natural products are more efficacious anti-herpetic agents, and to understand the molecular mechanism in detail for further advance in the anti-viral therapies.

Production of a conjugated fatty acid by Bifidobacterium breve LMC520 from α-linolenic acid: conjugated linolenic acid (CLnA).

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hui Gyu; Cho, Hyung Taek; Song, Myoung-Chong; Kim, Sang Bum; Kwon, Eung Gi; Choi, Nag Jin; Kim, Young Jun

2012-03-28

This study was performed to characterize natural CLnA isomer production by Bifidobacterium breve LMC520 of human origin in comparison to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) production. B. breve LMC520 was found to be highly active in terms of CLnA production, of which the major portion was identified as cis-9,trans-11,cis-15 CLnA isomer by GC-MS and NMR analysis. B. breve LMC520 was incubated for 48 h using MRS medium (containing 0.05% L-cysteine · HCl) under different environmental conditions such as atmosphere, pH, and substrate concentration. The high conversion rate of α-linolenic acid (α-LNA) to CLnA (99%) was retained up to 2 mM α-LNA, and the production was proportionally increased nearly 7-fold with 8 mM by the 6 h of incubation under anaerobic conditions at a wide range of pH values (between 5 and 9). When α-LNA was compared with linoleic acid (LA) as a substrate for isomerization by B. breve LMC520, the conversion of α-LNA was higher than that of LA. These results demonstrated that specific CLnA isomer could be produced through active bacterial conversion at an optimized condition. Because many conjugated octadecatrienoic acids in nature are shown to play many positive roles, the noble isomer found in this study has potential as a functional source.

Nephrotoxicity of Natural Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Nauffal, Mary; Gabardi, Steven

2016-01-01

The manufacture and sale of natural products constitute a multi-billion dollar industry. Nearly a third of the American population admit to using some form of complementary or alternative medicine, with many using them in addition to prescription medications. Most patients fail to inform their healthcare providers of their natural product use and physicians rarely inquire. Annually, thousands of natural product-induced adverse events are reported to Poison Control Centers nationwide. Natural product manufacturers are not responsible for proving safety and efficacy, as the FDA does not regulate them. However, concerns exist surrounding the safety of natural products. This review provides details on natural products that have been associated with renal dysfunction. We have focused on products that have been associated with direct renal injury, immune-mediated nephrotoxicity, nephrolithiasis, rhabdomyolysis with acute renal injury, hepatorenal syndrome, and common adulterants or contaminants that are associated with renal dysfunction. The potential for natural products to cause renal dysfunction is justifiable. It is imperative that natural product use be monitored closely in all patients. Healthcare practitioners must play an active role in identifying patients using natural products and provide appropriate patient education. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Lipid and fatty acid metabolism in Ralstonia eutropha: relevance for the biotechnological production of value-added products.

Science.gov (United States)

Riedel, Sebastian L; Lu, Jingnan; Stahl, Ulf; Brigham, Christopher J

2014-02-01

Lipid and fatty acid metabolism has been well studied in model microbial organisms like Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. The major precursor of fatty acid biosynthesis is also the major product of fatty acid degradation (β-oxidation), acetyl-CoA, which is a key metabolite for all organisms. Controlling carbon flux to fatty acid biosynthesis and from β-oxidation allows for the biosynthesis of natural products of biotechnological importance. Ralstonia eutropha can utilize acetyl-CoA from fatty acid metabolism to produce intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). R. eutropha can also be engineered to utilize fatty acid metabolism intermediates to produce different PHA precursors. Metabolism of lipids and fatty acids can be rerouted to convert carbon into other value-added compounds like biofuels. This review discusses the lipid and fatty acid metabolic pathways in R. eutropha and how they can be used to construct reagents for the biosynthesis of products of industrial importance. Specifically, how the use of lipids or fatty acids as the sole carbon source in R. eutropha cultures adds value to these biotechnological products will be discussed here.

Effects of acid deposition on microbial processes in natural waters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilmour, C.C.

1992-01-01

Biogeochemical processes mediated by microorganisms are not adversely affected by the acidification of natural waters to the same extent as are the life cycles of higher organisms. Basic processes, e.g., primary production and organic matter decomposition, are not slowed in moderately acidified systems and do not generally decline above a pH of 5. More specifically, the individual components of the carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles are, with few exceptions, also acid resistant. The influence of acid deposition on microbial processes is more often stimulation of nitrogen and sulfur cycling, often leading to alkalinity production, which mitigates the effect of strong acid deposition. Bacterial sulfate reduction and denitrification in sediments are two of the major processes that can be stimulated by sulfate and nitrate deposition, respectively, and result in ANC (acid-neutralizing capacity) generation. One of the negative effects of acid deposition is increased mobilization and bioaccumulation of some metals. Bacteria appear to play an important role, especially in mercury cycling, with acidification leading to increased bacterial methylation of mercury and subsequent bioaccumulation in higher organisms

A review on usnic acid, an interesting natural compound

Science.gov (United States)

Cocchietto, Moreno; Skert, Nicola; Nimis, Pier Luigi; Sava, Gianni

2002-03-01

Lichens are a world-widespread consortium of fungal and photosynthetic partners. Usnic acid is one of the most common and abundant lichen metabolites, well known as an antibiotic, but also endowed with several other interesting properties. This review summarises the most relevant studies on usnic acid, focusing on a number of biological activities in different fields. On the basis of the existing literature, usnic acid seems to be an exclusive lichen product. No synthetic derivatives more effective than the natural form are known. Both the (+) and (-) enantiomers of usnic acid are effective against a large variety of Gram-positive (G+) bacterial strains, including strains from clinical isolates, irrespective of their resistant phenotype. Of particular relevance is the inhibition of growth of multi-resistant strains of Streptococcus aureus, enterococci and mycobacteria. The (+)-usnic acid enantiomer appears to be selective against Streptococcus mutans without inducing perturbing side effects on the oral saprophyte flora. On the other hand, the (-)-usnic acid enantiomer is a selective natural herbicide because of its blocking action against a specific key plant enzyme. Other recognised characteristics of usnic acid are ultraviolet absorption and preserving properties. The toxicology, the in vitro anti-inflammatory effects and the mechanism of action of usnic acid need to be investigated in greater detail in order to reach clinical trials and to allow further applications. Furthermore, more research is needed to make possible intensive lichen culture, in order to produce large quantities of lichen substances for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and agricultural purposes. Some biological aspects, i.e. the possible biological roles of usnic acid, are discussed.

Production process for ursolic acid%乌索酸的生产工艺

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李开泉; 陈武; 李翔一

2006-01-01

Production of ursolic acid, the anti-hepatitis effective composition from natural plant,Sambucus chinensis Lindl.was carried out and the scale-up preparation technology was studied.Extraction of the herb Sambucus chinensis Lindl.was extracted in reflux with 7 volume times of refluxing ethanol at 80℃ for 1 h for two times.The extract was purified with a selt-made specific impurity remover "YCXY-1" to yield ursolic acid of high purity.A new "Extraction/Gelation" technology for the production of ursolic acid was developed. The specific impurity remover "YCXY-1" showed high effectiveness in purification. The purity of the mass-produced ursolic acid was up to 99.8%. The chemical structure of the product was confirmed by the physicochemical constants and spectroscopic identification. The production of high-purity ursolic acid was optimized with natural plant as raw material and with only ethanol as extracting solvent. The difficulties such as isolation and impurity removal were addressed effectively. The novel technology is reasonable, convenient, practical, low-cost, high-yield, suitable for mass production.

Biosynthesis, natural sources, dietary intake, pharmacokinetic properties, and biological activities of hydroxycinnamic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Seedi, Hesham R; El-Said, Asmaa M A; Khalifa, Shaden A M; Göransson, Ulf; Bohlin, Lars; Borg-Karlson, Anna-Karin; Verpoorte, Rob

2012-11-07

Hydroxycinnamic acids are the most widely distributed phenolic acids in plants. Broadly speaking, they can be defined as compounds derived from cinnamic acid. They are present at high concentrations in many food products, including fruits, vegetables, tea, cocoa, and wine. A diet rich in hydroxycinnamic acids is thought to be associated with beneficial health effects such as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The impact of hydroxycinnamic acids on health depends on their intake and pharmacokinetic properties. This review discusses their chemistry, biosynthesis, natural sources, dietary intake, and pharmacokinetic properties.

Selective removal of lanthanides from natural waters, acidic streams and dialysate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yantasee, Wassana, E-mail: wassana.yantasee@pnl.gov [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Fryxell, Glen E.; Addleman, R. Shane; Wiacek, Robert J.; Koonsiripaiboon, View; Pattamakomsan, Kanda; Sukwarotwat, Vichaya [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352 (United States); Xu Jide; Raymond, Kenneth N. [Chemistry Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); LBNL, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2009-09-15

The increased demand for the lanthanides in commercial products result in increased production of lanthanide containing ores, which increases public exposure to the lanthanides, both from various commercial products and from production wastes/effluents. This work investigates lanthanide (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Gd and Lu) binding properties of self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous silica supports (SAMMS{sup TM}), that were functionalized with diphosphonic acid (DiPhos), acetamide phosphonic acid (AcPhos), propionamide phosphonic acid (Prop-Phos), and 1-hydroxy-2-pyridinone (1,2-HOPO), from natural waters (river, ground and sea waters), acid solutions (to mimic certain industrial process streams), and dialysate. The affinity, capacity, and kinetics of the lanthanide sorption, as well as regenerability of SAMMS materials were investigated. Going from the acid side over to the alkaline side, the AcPhos- and DiPhos-SAMMS maintain their outstanding affinity for lanthanides, which enable the use of the materials in the systems where the pH may fluctuate. In acid solutions, Prop-Phos- and 1,2-HOPO-SAMMS have differing affinity along the lanthanide series, suggesting their use in chromatographic lanthanide separation. Over 95% of 100 {mu}g/L of Gd in dialysate was removed by the Prop-Phos-SAMMS after 1 min and 99% over 10 min. SAMMS can be regenerated with an acid wash (0.5 M HCl) without losing the binding properties. Thus, they have a great potential to be used as in large-scale treatment of lanthanides, lanthanide separation prior to analytical instruments, and in sorbent dialyzers for treatment of acute lanthanide poisoning.

Selective removal of lanthanides from natural waters, acidic streams and dialysate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yantasee, Wassana; Fryxell, Glen E.; Addleman, R. Shane; Wiacek, Robert J.; Koonsiripaiboon, View; Pattamakomsan, Kanda; Sukwarotwat, Vichaya; Xu Jide; Raymond, Kenneth N.

2009-01-01

The increased demand for the lanthanides in commercial products result in increased production of lanthanide containing ores, which increases public exposure to the lanthanides, both from various commercial products and from production wastes/effluents. This work investigates lanthanide (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Gd and Lu) binding properties of self-assembled monolayers on mesoporous silica supports (SAMMS TM ), that were functionalized with diphosphonic acid (DiPhos), acetamide phosphonic acid (AcPhos), propionamide phosphonic acid (Prop-Phos), and 1-hydroxy-2-pyridinone (1,2-HOPO), from natural waters (river, ground and sea waters), acid solutions (to mimic certain industrial process streams), and dialysate. The affinity, capacity, and kinetics of the lanthanide sorption, as well as regenerability of SAMMS materials were investigated. Going from the acid side over to the alkaline side, the AcPhos- and DiPhos-SAMMS maintain their outstanding affinity for lanthanides, which enable the use of the materials in the systems where the pH may fluctuate. In acid solutions, Prop-Phos- and 1,2-HOPO-SAMMS have differing affinity along the lanthanide series, suggesting their use in chromatographic lanthanide separation. Over 95% of 100 μg/L of Gd in dialysate was removed by the Prop-Phos-SAMMS after 1 min and 99% over 10 min. SAMMS can be regenerated with an acid wash (0.5 M HCl) without losing the binding properties. Thus, they have a great potential to be used as in large-scale treatment of lanthanides, lanthanide separation prior to analytical instruments, and in sorbent dialyzers for treatment of acute lanthanide poisoning.

Folic Acid Production by Engineered Ashbya gossypii.

Science.gov (United States)

Serrano-Amatriain, Cristina; Ledesma-Amaro, Rodrigo; López-Nicolás, Rubén; Ros, Gaspar; Jiménez, Alberto; Revuelta, José Luis

2016-11-01

Folic acid (vitamin B 9 ) is the common name of a number of chemically related compounds (folates), which play a central role as cofactors in one-carbon transfer reactions. Folates are involved in the biosynthesis and metabolism of nucleotides and amino acids, as well as supplying methyl groups to a broad range of substrates, such as hormones, DNA, proteins, and lipids, as part of the methyl cycle. Humans and animals cannot synthesize folic acid and, therefore, need them in the diet. Folic acid deficiency is an important and underestimated problem of micronutrient malnutrition affecting billions of people worldwide. Therefore, the addition of folic acid as food additive has become mandatory in many countries thus contributing to a growing demand of the vitamin. At present, folic acid is exclusively produced by chemical synthesis despite its associated environmental burdens. In this work, we have metabolically engineered the industrial fungus Ashbya gossypii in order to explore its potential as a natural producer of folic acid. Overexpression of FOL genes greatly enhanced the synthesis of folates and identified GTP cyclohydrolase I as the limiting step. Metabolic flux redirection from competing pathways also stimulated folic acid production. Finally, combinatorial engineering synergistically increased the production of different bioactive forms of the folic vitamin. Overall, strains were constructed which produce 146-fold (6595µg/L) more vitamin than the wild-type and by far represents the highest yield reported. Copyright © 2016 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of shape memory natural rubber using palmitic acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeff Sze-Hua Wee

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the practicability of fabricating a shape memory natural rubber with the use of palmitic acid as the swelling agent. Strips of natural rubber samples were swollen in molten palmitic acid at 75 °C. Equilibrium swelling of natural rubber with palmitic acid was found to occur at approximately 50 min of swelling time. Under cooling effect, the palmitic acid crystallized to form a percolated crystalline platelet network. These networks allow fabricated shape memory natural rubber (SMNR to deform and recover its shape at a temperature above the melting point of palmitic acid. Under controlled uniaxial stress, the natural rubber sample with 0 parts per hundred rubber (phr carbon black loading exhibits fixity and recovery of 80 ± 10%. Motivation of this research is primarily on practicability of palmitic acid to be used as a swelling agent for shape memory properties. Results show that palmitic acid is a relatively good swelling agent to induce shape memory properties into natural rubber.

Production of Fatty Acid-Derived Valuable Chemicals in Synthetic Microbes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Ai-Qun; Pratomo Juwono, Nina Kurniasih; Leong, Susanna Su Jan; Chang, Matthew Wook

2014-01-01

Fatty acid derivatives, such as hydroxy fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty acid methyl/ethyl esters, and fatty alka(e)nes, have a wide range of industrial applications including plastics, lubricants, and fuels. Currently, these chemicals are obtained mainly through chemical synthesis, which is complex and costly, and their availability from natural biological sources is extremely limited. Metabolic engineering of microorganisms has provided a platform for effective production of these valuable biochemicals. Notably, synthetic biology-based metabolic engineering strategies have been extensively applied to refactor microorganisms for improved biochemical production. Here, we reviewed: (i) the current status of metabolic engineering of microbes that produce fatty acid-derived valuable chemicals, and (ii) the recent progress of synthetic biology approaches that assist metabolic engineering, such as mRNA secondary structure engineering, sensor-regulator system, regulatable expression system, ultrasensitive input/output control system, and computer science-based design of complex gene circuits. Furthermore, key challenges and strategies were discussed. Finally, we concluded that synthetic biology provides useful metabolic engineering strategies for economically viable production of fatty acid-derived valuable chemicals in engineered microbes.

Production of Fatty Acid-Derived Valuable Chemicals in Synthetic Microbes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Ai-Qun; Pratomo Juwono, Nina Kurniasih [Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore (Singapore); Synthetic Biology Research Program, National University of Singapore, Singapore (Singapore); Leong, Susanna Su Jan [Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore (Singapore); Synthetic Biology Research Program, National University of Singapore, Singapore (Singapore); Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore (Singapore); Chang, Matthew Wook, E-mail: bchcmw@nus.edu.sg [Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore (Singapore); Synthetic Biology Research Program, National University of Singapore, Singapore (Singapore)

2014-12-23

Fatty acid derivatives, such as hydroxy fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty acid methyl/ethyl esters, and fatty alka(e)nes, have a wide range of industrial applications including plastics, lubricants, and fuels. Currently, these chemicals are obtained mainly through chemical synthesis, which is complex and costly, and their availability from natural biological sources is extremely limited. Metabolic engineering of microorganisms has provided a platform for effective production of these valuable biochemicals. Notably, synthetic biology-based metabolic engineering strategies have been extensively applied to refactor microorganisms for improved biochemical production. Here, we reviewed: (i) the current status of metabolic engineering of microbes that produce fatty acid-derived valuable chemicals, and (ii) the recent progress of synthetic biology approaches that assist metabolic engineering, such as mRNA secondary structure engineering, sensor-regulator system, regulatable expression system, ultrasensitive input/output control system, and computer science-based design of complex gene circuits. Furthermore, key challenges and strategies were discussed. Finally, we concluded that synthetic biology provides useful metabolic engineering strategies for economically viable production of fatty acid-derived valuable chemicals in engineered microbes.

Expanding the chemical space for natural products by Aspergillus-Streptomyces co-cultivation and biotransformation

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Changsheng; Zacchetti, Boris; Ram, Arthur F.J.; van Wezel, Gilles P.; Claessen, Dennis; Hae Choi, Young

2015-01-01

Actinomycetes and filamentous fungi produce a wide range of bioactive compounds, with applications as antimicrobials, anticancer agents or agrochemicals. Their genomes contain a far larger number of gene clusters for natural products than originally anticipated, and novel approaches are required to exploit this potential reservoir of new drugs. Here, we show that co-cultivation of the filamentous model microbes Streptomyces coelicolor and Aspergillus niger has a major impact on their secondary metabolism. NMR-based metabolomics combined with multivariate data analysis revealed several compounds that correlated specifically to co-cultures, including the cyclic dipeptide cyclo(Phe-Phe) and 2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, both of which were produced by A. niger in response to S. coelicolor. Furthermore, biotransformation studies with o-coumaric acid and caffeic acid resulted in the production of the novel compounds (E)-2-(3-hydroxyprop-1-en-1-yl)-phenol and (2E,4E)-3-(2-carboxy-1-hydroxyethyl)-2,4-hexadienedioxic acid, respectively. This highlights the utility of microbial co-cultivation combined with NMR-based metabolomics as an efficient pipeline for the discovery of novel natural products. PMID:26040782

A review on the current status and production technology of 32,33P-orthophosphoric acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ul Jae; Han, Hyun Soo; Cho, Woon Kap; Kuznetsov, Rostislav A.

2000-10-01

The current status of 32 , 33 P-Orthophosphoric acid production technology is reviewed. The following aspects of the technology are covered: - production of phosphorus-32 and phosphorus-33 using various nuclear reactions; - chemical properties of sulfur and phosphorus effecting the technology of radioactive phosphorus production; - chemical state of 32 , 33 P in neutron irradiated sulfur; - the technology of radioactive phosphorus isolation from neutron irradiated target and orthophosphoric acid production; - purification of 32 , 33 P-orthophosphoric acid from impurities and some related problems, like the nature of impurities, the storage of the final product, etc. - the quality control procedures of carrier-free ( 32 , 33 P)-orthophosphoric acid preparations

Production of carboxylic acid and salt co-products

Science.gov (United States)

Hanchar, Robert J.; Kleff, Susanne; Guettler, Michael V.

2014-09-09

This invention provide processes for producing carboxylic acid product, along with useful salts. The carboxylic acid product that is produced according to this invention is preferably a C.sub.2-C.sub.12 carboxylic acid. Among the salts produced in the process of the invention are ammonium salts.

Natural Products and HIV/AIDS.

Science.gov (United States)

Cary, Daniele C; Peterlin, B Matija

2018-01-01

The study of natural products in biomedical research is not a modern concept. Many of the most successful medical therapeutics are derived from natural products, including those studied in the field of HIV/AIDS. Biomedical research has a rich history of discovery based on screens of medicinal herbs and traditional medicine practices. Compounds derived from natural products, which repress HIV and those that activate latent HIV, have been reported. It is important to remember the tradition in medical research to derive therapies based on these natural products and to overcome the negative perception of natural products as an "alternative medicine."

Recent advances in the elucidation of enzymatic function in natural product biosynthesis [version 2; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gao-Yi Tan

2016-02-01

Full Text Available With the successful production of artemisinic acid in yeast, the promising potential of synthetic biology for natural product biosynthesis is now being realized. The recent total biosynthesis of opioids in microbes is considered to be another landmark in this field. The importance and significance of enzymes in natural product biosynthetic pathways have been re-emphasized by these advancements. Therefore, the characterization and elucidation of enzymatic function in natural product biosynthesis are undoubtedly fundamental for the development of new drugs and the heterologous biosynthesis of active natural products. Here, discoveries regarding enzymatic function in natural product biosynthesis over the past year are briefly reviewed.

Recent advances in the elucidation of enzymatic function in natural product biosynthesis [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tan Gao-Yi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available With the successful production of artemisinic acid in yeast, the promising potential of synthetic biology for natural product biosynthesis is now being realized. The recent total biosynthesis of opioids in microbes is considered to be another landmark in this field. The importance and significance of enzymes in natural product biosynthetic pathways have been re-emphasized by these advancements. Therefore, the characterization and elucidation of enzymatic function in natural product biosynthesis are undoubtedly fundamental for the development of new drugs and the heterologous biosynthesis of active natural products. Here, discoveries regarding enzymatic function in natural product biosynthesis over the past year are briefly reviewed.

Molecular modeling of human acidic mammalian chitinase in complex with the natural-product cyclopentapeptide chitinase inhibitor argifin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gouda, Hiroaki; Terashima, Shinichi; Iguchi, Kanami; Sugawara, Akihiro; Saito, Yoshifumi; Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi; Hirose, Tomoyasu; Shiomi, Kazuro; Sunazuka, Toshiaki; Omura, Satoshi; Hirono, Shuichi

2009-09-01

Human acidic mammalian chitinase (hAMCase) is an attractive target for developing anti-asthma medications. We used a variety of computational methods to investigate the interaction between hAMCase and the natural-product cyclopentapeptide chitinase inhibitor argifin. The three-dimensional structure of hAMCase was first constructed using homology modeling. The interaction mode and binding free energy between argifin and hAMCase were then examined by the molecular-docking calculation and the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area method combined with molecular dynamics simulation, respectively. The results suggested that argifin binds to hAMCase in a similar fashion to the interaction mode observed in the crystal structure of argifin-human chitotriosidase complex, and possesses inhibitory activity against hAMCase in the micromolar range. We further designed argifin derivatives expected to be selective for hAMCase.

Soil Properties and Plant Biomass Production in Natural Rangeland Management Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romeu de Souza Werner

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Improper management of rangelands can cause land degradation and reduce the economic efficiency of livestock activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate soil properties and quantify plant biomass production in four natural rangeland management systems in the Santa Catarina Plateau (Planalto Catarinense of Brazil. The treatments, which included mowed natural rangeland (NR, burned natural rangeland (BR, natural rangeland improved through the introduction of plant species after harrowing (IH, and natural rangeland improved through the introduction of plant species after chisel plowing (IC, were evaluated in a Nitossolo Bruno (Nitisol. In the improved treatments, soil acidity was corrected, phosphate fertilizer was applied, and intercropped annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum, velvet grass (Holcus lanatus, and white clover (Trifolium repens were sown. Management systems with harrowed or chisel plowed soil showed improved soil physical properties; however, the effect decreased over time and values approached those of burned and mowed natural rangelands. Natural rangeland systems in the establishment phase had little influence on soil organic C. The mowed natural rangeland and improved natural rangeland exhibited greater production of grazing material, while burning the field decreased production and increased the proportion of weeds. Improvement of the natural rangelands increased leguminous biomass for pasture.

Combinatorial synthesis of natural products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, John

2002-01-01

Combinatorial syntheses allow production of compound libraries in an expeditious and organized manner immediately applicable for high-throughput screening. Natural products possess a pedigree to justify quality and appreciation in drug discovery and development. Currently, we are seeing a rapid...... increase in application of natural products in combinatorial chemistry and vice versa. The therapeutic areas of infectious disease and oncology still dominate but many new areas are emerging. Several complex natural products have now been synthesised by solid-phase methods and have created the foundation...... for preparation of combinatorial libraries. In other examples, natural products or intermediates have served as building blocks or scaffolds in the synthesis of complex natural products, bioactive analogues or designed hybrid molecules. Finally, structural motifs from the biologically active parent molecule have...

Microbial Propionic Acid Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Axayacatl Gonzalez-Garcia

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Propionic acid (propionate is a commercially valuable carboxylic acid produced through microbial fermentation. Propionic acid is mainly used in the food industry but has recently found applications in the cosmetic, plastics and pharmaceutical industries. Propionate can be produced via various metabolic pathways, which can be classified into three major groups: fermentative pathways, biosynthetic pathways, and amino acid catabolic pathways. The current review provides an in-depth description of the major metabolic routes for propionate production from an energy optimization perspective. Biological propionate production is limited by high downstream purification costs which can be addressed if the target yield, productivity and titre can be achieved. Genome shuffling combined with high throughput omics and metabolic engineering is providing new opportunities, and biological propionate production is likely to enter the market in the not so distant future. In order to realise the full potential of metabolic engineering and heterologous expression, however, a greater understanding of metabolic capabilities of the native producers, the fittest producers, is required.

An Overview of Some Natural Products with Two A-Level Science Club Natural Products Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Sosabowski, Michael Hal; Olivier, George W. J.; Jawad, Hala; Maatta, Sieja

2017-01-01

Natural products are ubiquitous in nature but do not form a large proportion of the A-level syllabuses in the UK. In this article we briefly discuss a small selection of natural products, focusing on alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, and alkaloids. We then outline two natural product experiments that are suitable for A-level chemistry clubs or…

Complex forming properties of natural occurring fulvic acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinsky, J.A.; Mathuthu, A.; Bicking, M.; Ephraim, J.

1985-07-01

The experimental program developed in our earlier investigations of the protonation equilibria encountered with Armadale Horizons Bh and Suwannee River fulvic-acid has been employed in the present investigation of a Swedish fulvic acid source. Complications introduced by the polyelectrolyte nature and the degree of heterogeneity in the functional unit content of this natural organic acid molecule have been resolved as they were with the previous fulvic acid samples. The physical chemical properties of this fulvic acid have been compared with those resolved for the Armadale Horizons Bh and the Suwannee River fulvic acid as well. The insight gained from these protonation studies and metal ion binding studies, also carried out in the course of this investigation, has led to the development of a model for interpretation of the binding of metal ions to fulvic acid at any fulvic acid concentration level. With 12 refs. (Author)

Influence of nitrogen sources on amino acid production by aspergillus niger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almani, F.; Dahot, M.U.

2007-01-01

The effect of different organic and inorganic nitrogen sources in 0.1% and 0.2% concentration on the production of amino acid was studied using a wild strain of Aspergillus niger. The rate of amino acid biosynthesis was found to be higher when 0.2% corn steep liquor was incorporated in the mineral medium. It was concluded from the study that the amino acid synthesis by wild strain depends not only on the nature and type of nitrogen sources used but the concentration of nitrogen source also play an important in the accumulation of free amino acids in the medium. (author)

A Natural Love of Natural Products

OpenAIRE

Kingston, David G. I.

2008-01-01

Recent research on the chemistry of natural products from the author?s group that led to the receipt of the ACS Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products is reviewed. REDOR NMR and synthetic studies established the T-taxol conformation as the bioactive tubulin-binding conformation, and these results were confirmed by the synthesis of compounds which clearly owed their activity or lack of activity to whether or not they could adopt the T-taxol conformation. Similar studies wit...

Production of gaba (γ - aminobutyric acid by microorganisms: a review

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Radhika Dhakal

2012-12-01

Full Text Available GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid is a four carbon non-protein amino acid that is widely distributed in plants, animals and microorganisms. As a metabolic product of plants and microorganisms produced by the decarboxylation of glutamic acid, GABA functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that directly affects the personality and the stress management. A wide range of traditional foods produced by microbial fermentation contain GABA, in which GABA is safe and eco-friendly, and also has the possibility of providing new health-benefited products enriched with GABA. Synthesis of GABA is catalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase, therefore, the optimal fermentation condition is mainly based on the biochemical properties of the enzyme. Major GABA producing microorganisms are lactic acid bacteria (LAB, which make food spoilage pathogens unable to grow and act as probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract. The major factors affecting the production of GABA by microbial fermentation are temperature, pH, fermentation time and different media additives, therefore, these factors are summarized to provide the most up-dated information for effective GABA synthesis. There has been a huge accumulation of knowledge on GABA application for human health accompanying with a demand on natural GABA supply. Only the GABA production by microorganisms can fulfill the demand with GABA-enriched health beneficial foods.

Production of gaba (γ - Aminobutyric acid) by microorganisms: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dhakal, Radhika; Bajpai, Vivek K; Baek, Kwang-Hyun

2012-10-01

GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) is a four carbon non-protein amino acid that is widely distributed in plants, animals and microorganisms. As a metabolic product of plants and microorganisms produced by the decarboxylation of glutamic acid, GABA functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that directly affects the personality and the stress management. A wide range of traditional foods produced by microbial fermentation contain GABA, in which GABA is safe and eco-friendly, and also has the possibility of providing new health-benefited products enriched with GABA. Synthesis of GABA is catalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase, therefore, the optimal fermentation condition is mainly based on the biochemical properties of the enzyme. Major GABA producing microorganisms are lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which make food spoilage pathogens unable to grow and act as probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract. The major factors affecting the production of GABA by microbial fermentation are temperature, pH, fermentation time and different media additives, therefore, these factors are summarized to provide the most up-dated information for effective GABA synthesis. There has been a huge accumulation of knowledge on GABA application for human health accompanying with a demand on natural GABA supply. Only the GABA production by microorganisms can fulfill the demand with GABA-enriched health beneficial foods.

The effect of cocoa fermentation and weak organic acids on growth and ochratoxin A production by Aspergillus species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Copetti, Marina V.; Iamanaka, Beatriz T.; Mororó, Raimundo C.

2012-01-01

The acidic characteristics of cocoa beans have influence on flavor development in chocolate. Cocoa cotyledons are not naturally acidic, the acidity comes from organic acids produced by the fermentative microorganisms which grow during the processing of cocoa. Different concentrations of these met...... by Aspergillus carbonarius in cocoa, and the effect of weak organic acids such as acetic, lactic and citric at different pH values on growth and ochratoxin A production by A. carbonarius and Aspergillus niger in culture media. A statistical difference (ρ......The acidic characteristics of cocoa beans have influence on flavor development in chocolate. Cocoa cotyledons are not naturally acidic, the acidity comes from organic acids produced by the fermentative microorganisms which grow during the processing of cocoa. Different concentrations...... of these metabolites can be produced according to the fermentation practices adopted in the farms, which could affect the growth and ochratoxin A production by fungi. This work presents two independent experiments carried out to investigate the effect of some fermentation practices on ochratoxin A production...

Production of citric acid from whey permeate by fermentation using Aspergillus niger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hossain, M; Brooks, J D

1983-08-01

The use of lactic casein whey permeate as a substrate for citric acid production by fermentation has been investigated. Using a mutant strain of Aspergillus niger IMI 41874 in fermenter culture, a citric acid concentration of 8.3 g/l, representing a yield of 19% (w/w) based on lactose utilized, has been observed. Supplementation of the permeate with lactose (final concentration 140 g/l) increased the production to 14.8 g/l (yield 23%). The natural pH of the permeate (pH 4.5) was the most suitable initial pH for the process, and pH control during the fermentation was unnecessary. The addition of methanol (final concentration 3% v/v) to the fermentation increased the citric acid production to 25 g/l (yield 33%, based on lactose utilized). 13 references.

Targeted natural product isolation guided by HPLC-SPE-NMR: constituents of Hubertia species.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprogøe, Kennett; Staerk, Dan; Jäger, Anna K; Adsersen, Anne; Hansen, Steen Honoré; Witt, Matthias; Landbo, Anne-Katrine R; Meyer, Anne S; Jaroszewski, Jerzy W

2007-09-01

The hyphenated technique, high-performance liquid chromatography-solid-phase extraction-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HPLC-SPE-NMR), has been applied for rapid identification of novel natural products in crude extracts of Hubertia ambavilla and Hubertia tomentosa. The technique allowed full or partial identification of all major extract constituents and demonstrated the presence of unusual quinic acid derivatives containing the (1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetyl residue that exhibit strongly coupled ABXY patterns, the parameters of which were obtained by spin simulations. Using homo- and heteronuclear 2D NMR data acquired in the HPLC-SPE-NMR mode, complete structure determination of three new natural products, i.e., 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-4-O-[(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetyl]quinic acid (1), its 2-hydroxy derivative (2), and 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-4-O-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)acetyl]quinic acid (3), was performed. Finally, targeted isolation of 1 was achieved by SPE fractionation and preparative HPLC, followed by evaluation of its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. In contrast to chlorogenic acid and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, which act as antioxidants, compound 1 proved at the same conditions to possess prooxidant activity in an assay evaluating the oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein induced by Cu(2+).

[Fatty acids in confectionery products].

Science.gov (United States)

Daniewski, M; Mielniczuk, E; Jacórzyński, B; Pawlicka, M; Balas, J; Filipek, A; Górnicka, M

2000-01-01

The content of fat and fatty acids in 144 different confectionery products purchased on the market in Warsaw region during 1997-1999 have been investigated. In examined confectionery products considerable variability of both fat and fatty acids content have been found. The content of fat varied from 6.6% (coconut cookies) up to 40% (chocolate wafers). Saturated fatty acids were present in both cis and trans form. Especially trans fatty acids reach (above 50%) were fats extracted from nut wafers, coconuts wafers.

Production of cinnamic and p-hydroxycinnamic acids in engineered microbes

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Alejandra eVargas-Tah

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The aromatic compounds cinnamic and p-hydroxycinnamic acids are phenylpropanoids having applications as precursors for the synthesis of thermoplastics, flavoring, cosmetic and health products. These two aromatic acids can be obtained by chemical synthesis or extraction from plant tissues. However, both manufacturing processes have shortcomings such as the generation of toxic subproducts or a low concentration in plant material. Alternative production methods are being developed to enable the biotechnological production of cinnamic and p-hydroxycinnamic acids by genetically engineering various microbial hosts, including Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pseudomonas putida and Streptomyces lividans. The natural capacity to synthesize these aromatic acids is not existent in these microbial species. Therefore, genetic modification have been performed that include the heterologous expression of genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and tyrosine ammonia-lyase activities, which catalyze the conversion of L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine to cinnamic acid and p-hydroxycinnamic acid, respectively. Additional host modifications include the metabolic engineering to increase carbon flow from central metabolism to the L-phenylalanine or L-tyrosine biosynthetic pathways. These strategies include the expression of feedback insensitive mutant versions of enzymes from the aromatic pathways, as well as genetic modifications to central carbon metabolism to increase biosynthetic availability of precursors phosphoenolpyruvate and erythrose-4-phosphate. These efforts have been complemented with strain optimization for the utilization of raw material, including various simple carbon sources, as well as sugar polymers and sugar mixtures derived from plant biomass. A systems biology approach to production strains characterization has been limited so far and should yield important data for future strain improvement.

Biotechnological and in situ food production of polyols by lactic acid bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, Maria Eugenia; Bleckwedel, Juliana; Raya, Raúl R; Mozzi, Fernanda

2013-06-01

Polyols such as mannitol, erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol are naturally found in fruits and vegetables and are produced by certain bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and algae. These sugar alcohols are widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries and in medicine because of their interesting physicochemical properties. In the food industry, polyols are employed as natural sweeteners applicable in light and diabetic food products. In the last decade, biotechnological production of polyols by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been investigated as an alternative to their current industrial production. While heterofermentative LAB may naturally produce mannitol and erythritol under certain culture conditions, sorbitol and xylitol have been only synthesized through metabolic engineering processes. This review deals with the spontaneous formation of mannitol and erythritol in fermented foods and their biotechnological production by heterofermentative LAB and briefly presented the metabolic engineering processes applied for polyol formation.

Seasonal Changes in Mycosporine-Like Amino Acid Production Rate with Respect to Natural Phytoplankton Species Composition

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Sun-Yong Ha

2015-11-01

Full Text Available After in situ incubation at the site for a year, phytoplanktons in surface water were exposed to natural light in temperate lakes (every month; thereafter, the net production rate of photoprotective compounds (mycosporine-like amino acids, MAAs was calculated using 13C labeled tracer. This is the first report describing seasonal variation in the net production rate of individual MAAs in temperate lakes using a compound-specific stable isotope method. In the mid-latitude region of the Korean Peninsula, UV radiation (UVR usually peaks from July to August. In Lake Paldang and Lake Cheongpyeong, diatoms dominated among the phytoplankton throughout the year. The relative abundance of Cyanophyceae (Anabaena spiroides reached over 80% during July in Lake Cheongpyeong. Changes in phytoplankton abundance indicate that the phytoplankton community structure is influenced by seasonal changes in the net production rate and concentration of MAAs. Notably, particulate organic matter (POM showed a remarkable change based on the UV intensity occurring during that period; this was because of the fact that cyanobacteria that are highly sensitive to UV irradiance dominated the community. POM cultured in Lake Paldang had the greatest shinorine (SH production rate during October, i.e., 83.83 ± 10.47 fgC·L−1·h−1. The dominance of diatoms indicated that they had a long-term response to UVR. Evaluation of POM cultured in Lake Cheongpyeong revealed that there was an increase in the net MAA production in July (when UVR reached the maximum; a substantial amount of SH, i.e., 17.62 ± 18.34 fgC·L−1·h−1, was recorded during this period. Our results demonstrate that both the net production rate as well as the concentration of MAAs related to photoinduction depended on the phytoplankton community structure. In addition, seasonal changes in UVR also influenced the quantity and production of MAAs in phytoplanktons (especially Cyanophyceae.

Acid Gas Removal from Natural Gas with Alkanolamines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sadegh, Negar

commercially for the removal of acid gas impurities from natural gas. Alkanolamines, simple combinations of alcohols and ammonia, are the most commonly used category of chemical solvents for acid gas capture. This Ph.D. project is aboutthermodynamics of natural gas cleaning process with alkanolamines......Some 40 % of the world’s remaining gas reserves are sour or acid, containing large quantities of CO2 and H2S and other sulfur compounds. Many large oil and gas fields have more than 10 mole % CO2 and H2S content. In the gas processing industry absorption with chemical solvents has been used...... pressure on acid gas solubility was also quantitatively investigated through both experimental and modeling approaches....

Perturbing dissimilar biomolecular targets from natural product scaffolds and focused chemical decoration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, John; Tung, Truong Thanh; Tim, Holm Jakobsen

agents. On first attempt, by screening natural product sources we have successfully discovered that curcuminoids as potent inhibitors of p-type ATPases from diverse kingdoms of life including Pma1. On other attempt, the fungal metabolite fusaric acid was reported to reduce stomatal conductance in banana...

NCI Program for Natural Product Discovery: A Publicly-Accessible Library of Natural Product Fractions for High-Throughput Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Thornburg, Christopher C; Britt, John R; Evans, Jason R; Akee, Rhone K; Whitt, James A; Trinh, Spencer K; Harris, Matthew J; Thompson, Jerell R; Ewing, Teresa L; Shipley, Suzanne M; Grothaus, Paul G; Newman, David J; Schneider, Joel P; Grkovic, Tanja; O'Keefe, Barry R

2018-06-13

The US National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Natural Product Repository is one of the world's largest, most diverse collections of natural products containing over 230,000 unique extracts derived from plant, marine, and microbial organisms that have been collected from biodiverse regions throughout the world. Importantly, this national resource is available to the research community for the screening of extracts and the isolation of bioactive natural products. However, despite the success of natural products in drug discovery, compatibility issues that make extracts challenging for liquid handling systems, extended timelines that complicate natural product-based drug discovery efforts and the presence of pan-assay interfering compounds have reduced enthusiasm for the high-throughput screening (HTS) of crude natural product extract libraries in targeted assay systems. To address these limitations, the NCI Program for Natural Product Discovery (NPNPD), a newly launched, national program to advance natural product discovery technologies and facilitate the discovery of structurally defined, validated lead molecules ready for translation will create a prefractionated library from over 125,000 natural product extracts with the aim of producing a publicly-accessible, HTS-amenable library of >1,000,000 fractions. This library, representing perhaps the largest accumulation of natural-product based fractions in the world, will be made available free of charge in 384-well plates for screening against all disease states in an effort to reinvigorate natural product-based drug discovery.

Glutamic acid and folic acid production in aerobic and anaerobic probiotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zohre Taghi Abadi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction:From an industrial application or commercial point of view, glutamic acid is one of the most important amino acids and its microbial production has been reported from some bacteria. Regarding the role of probiotics to modulate human health and the ever-increasing demand of prebiotics in the food industry, in the current study, production of glutamic acid and folic acid from three probiotic bacteria (Bifidobacterium, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Sporolactobacillus was evaluated for the first time. Materials and methods: MRS broth and exclusive media was used for probiotic culture. The glutamic acid was identified using thin-layer chromatography and folic acid production was measured by folate kit. Each bacterium in terms of quality and quantity were measured by high pressure liquid chromatography. Results: Production of glutamic acid confirmed is based on the thin layer chromatography analysis and high pressure liquid chromatography results. In addition, it was observed that all three probiotics produce folic acid. The prevalence of folate in Bifidobacterium was measured as 315 mg/ml that was more than two other bacteria. Discussion and conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of microbial production of glutamic acid and folate from the probiotic bacteria. These beneficial bacteria can be used as a good source for mass production of these valuable compounds.

A review on the current status and production technology of {sup 32,} {sup 33}P-orthophosphoric acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Ul Jae; Han, Hyun Soo; Cho, Woon Kap; Kuznetsov, Rostislav A

2000-10-01

The current status of {sup 32}, {sup 33}P-Orthophosphoric acid production technology is reviewed. The following aspects of the technology are covered: - production of phosphorus-32 and phosphorus-33 using various nuclear reactions; - chemical properties of sulfur and phosphorus effecting the technology of radioactive phosphorus production; - chemical state of {sup 32}, {sup 33}P in neutron irradiated sulfur; - the technology of radioactive phosphorus isolation from neutron irradiated target and orthophosphoric acid production; - purification of {sup 32}, {sup 33}P-orthophosphoric acid from impurities and some related problems, like the nature of impurities, the storage of the final product, etc. - the quality control procedures of carrier-free ({sup 32}, {sup 33}P)-orthophosphoric acid preparations.

Natural products from Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. with antiproliferation activities in HCT116 colorectal cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Riaz, Muhammad; Bilal, Aishah; Ali, Muhammad Shaiq; Fatima, Itrat; Faisal, Amir; Sherkheli, Muhammad Azhar; Asghar, Adnan

2017-03-01

Parasitic Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. possesses many medicinal properties and is a rich source of a variety of biologically relevant natural products. Natural products are the prime source of leads, drugs, and drug templates, and many of the anticancer and antiviral drugs are either based on natural product or derived from them. Cancer is a devastating disease and one of the leading causes of death worldwide despite improvements in patient survival during the past 50 years; new and improved treatments for cancer are therefore actively sought. Colorectal cancer is the fourth most prevalent cancer worldwide and is responsible for nearly 9% of all cancer deaths. Our search for anticancer natural products from C. reflexa has yielded four natural products: Scoparone (1), p-coumaric acid (2), stigmasta-3,5-diene (3) and 1-O-p-hydroxycinnamoylglucose (4) and among them 1-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyldlucose (4) showed promising antiproliferative activities in HCT116 colorectal cell lines, whereas compounds 1-3 showed moderate activities.

Preparation of sulfonic acid-containing rubbers from natural rubber vulcanizates

Science.gov (United States)

Poonsawat, Worapong; Poompradub, Sirilux; Ngamcharussrivichai, Chawalit

2014-06-01

In this work, a series of sulfonic acid-containing rubbers were prepared by aqueous phase oxidation of natural rubber vulcanizates in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and formic acid (HCOOH). The starting vulcanizates were neatly prepared via an efficient vulcanization (EV) system by varying mass ratio of N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazole sulfonamide (CBS), as an accelerator, to sulfur. The oxidation conditions were controlled at the molar ratio of H2O2: HCOOH = 1:1, the concentration of H2O2 = 15 wt.%, the temperature = 50 °C, and the reaction time = 3 h. The rubber materials before and after the oxidation were characterized for their physicochemical properties by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, bomb calorimetry, acid-base titration and swelling measurements. The results indicated the presence of sulfonic acid group in the oxidized rubbers, generated by the oxidative cleaves of sulfide crosslinks in the rubber vulcanizates. The oxidation decreased the sulfur content of the rubber in which the level of sulfur loss was determined by the CBS/sulfur ratio. Moreover, the acidity of the oxidized products was correlated with the amount of sulfur remaining.

Benzoic Acid Production with Respect to Starter Culture and Incubation Temperature during Yogurt Fermentation using Response Surface Methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Hyung-Seok; Lee, Na-Kyoung; Jeon, Hye-Lin; Eom, Su Jin; Yoo, Mi-Young; Lim, Sang-Dong; Paik, Hyun-Dong

2016-01-01

Benzoic acid is occasionally used as a raw material supplement in food products and is sometimes generated during the fermentation process. In this study, the production of naturally occurring yogurt preservatives was investigated for various starter cultures and incubation temperatures, and considered food regulations. Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Bifidobacterium breve were used as yogurt starter cultures in commercial starters. Among these strains, L. rhamnosus and L. paracasei showed the highest production of benzoic acid. Therefore, the use of L. rhamnosus, L. paracasei, S. thermophilus, and different incubation temperatures were examined to optimize benzoic acid production. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on a central composite design was performed for various incubation temperatures (35-44℃) and starter culture inoculum ratios (0-0.04%) in a commercial range of dairy fermentation processes. The optimum conditions were 0.04% L. rhamnosus, 0.01% L. paracasei, 0.02% S. thermophilus, and 38.12℃, and the predicted and estimated concentrations of benzoic acid were 13.31 and 13.94 mg/kg, respectively. These conditions maximized naturally occurring benzoic acid production during the yogurt fermentation process, and the observed production levels satisfied regulatory guidelines for benzoic acid in dairy products.

Modulation of saturation and chain length of fatty acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for production of cocoa butter-like lipids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bergenholm, David; Gossing, Michael; Wei, Yongjun

2018-01-01

Chain length and degree of saturation plays an important role for the characteristics of various products derived from fatty acids, such as fuels, cosmetics, and food additives. The seeds of Theobroma cacao are the source of cocoa butter, a natural lipid of high interest for the food and cosmetics...... as the saturated fatty acid stearic acid is typically found only in low abundance. Demand for cocoa butter is increasing, yet T. cacao can only be cultivated in some parts of the tropics. Alternative means of production of cocoa butter lipids (CBLs) are, therefore, sought after. Yeasts also store fatty acids...... industry. Cocoa butter is rich in saturated fatty acids that are stored in the form of triacylglycerides (TAGs). One of the major TAG species of cocoa butter, consisting of two stearic acid molecules and one oleic acid molecule (stearic acid-oleic acid-stearic acid, sn-SOS), is particularly rare in nature...

Structure Properties and Mechanisms of Action of Naturally Originated Phenolic Acids and Their Derivatives against Human Viral Infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yi-Hang; Zhang, Bing-Yi; Qiu, Li-Peng; Guan, Rong-Fa; Ye, Zi-Hong; Yu, Xiao-Ping

2017-01-01

A great effort has been made to develop efficacious antiviral drugs, but many viral infections are still lack of efficient antiviral therapies so far. The related exploration of natural products to fight viruses has been raised in recent years. Natural compounds with structural diversity and complexity offer a great chance to find new antiviral agents. Particularly, phenolic acids have attracted considerable attention owing to their potent antiviral abilities and unique mechanisms. The aim of this review is to report new discoveries and updates pertaining to antiviral phenolic acids. The relevant references on natural phenolic acids were searched. The antiviral phenolic acids were classified according to their structural properties and antiviral types. Meanwhile, the antiviral characteristics and structure-activity relationships of phenolic acids and their derivatives were summarized. The review finds that natural phenolic acids and their derivatives possessed potent inhibitory effects on multiple virus in humans such as human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus, influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus. In particular, caffeic acid/gallic acid and their derivatives exhibited outstanding antiviral properties by a variety of modes of action. Naturally derived phenolic acids especially caffeic acid/gallic acid and their derivatives may be regarded as novel promising antiviral leads or candidates. Additionally, scarcely any of these compounds has been used as antiviral treatment in clinical practice. Therefore, these phenolic acids with diverse skeletons and mechanisms provide us an excellent resource for finding novel antiviral drugs. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Neuroprotection by Combined Administration with Maslinic Acid, a Natural Product from Olea europaea, and MK-801 in the Cerebral Ischemia Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yisong Qian

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity is a major cause of ischemic brain damage. MK-801 confers neuroprotection by attenuating the activation of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA receptor, but it failed in clinical use due to the short therapeutic window. Here we aim to investigate the effects of maslinic acid, a natural product from Olea europaea, on the therapeutic time window and dose range for the neuroprotection of MK-801. Rats were administered with maslinic acid intracerebroventricularly and cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO followed by reperfusion. MK-801 was administered at 1 h, 2 h, 3 h and 4 h after ischemia, respectively. The cerebral infarct volume was determined by 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC staining, neuronal damage was assessed by Haematoxylin Eosin (H&E staining, and the expression of glial glutamate transporters and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot post-ischemia. Results showed that the presence of maslinic acid extended the therapeutic time window for MK-801 from 1 h to 3 h. Co-treatment of maslinic acid and MK-801 at a subthreshold dosage obviously induced neuroprotection after ischemia. The combination of these two compounds improved the outcome in ischemic rats. Moreover, maslinic acid treatment promoted the expression of GLT-1 and GFAP post-ischemia. These data suggest that the synergistic effect of maslinic acid on neurological protection might be associated with the improvement of glial function, especially with the increased expression of GLT-1. The combination therapy of maslinic acid and MK-801 may prove to be a potential strategy for treating acute ischemic stroke.

Neuroprotection by Combined Administration with Maslinic Acid, a Natural Product from Olea europaea, and MK-801 in the Cerebral Ischemia Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Qian, Yisong; Tang, Xuzhen; Guan, Teng; Li, Yunman; Sun, Hongbin

2016-08-19

Glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity is a major cause of ischemic brain damage. MK-801 confers neuroprotection by attenuating the activation of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, but it failed in clinical use due to the short therapeutic window. Here we aim to investigate the effects of maslinic acid, a natural product from Olea europaea, on the therapeutic time window and dose range for the neuroprotection of MK-801. Rats were administered with maslinic acid intracerebroventricularly and cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion. MK-801 was administered at 1 h, 2 h, 3 h and 4 h after ischemia, respectively. The cerebral infarct volume was determined by 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining, neuronal damage was assessed by Haematoxylin Eosin (H&E) staining, and the expression of glial glutamate transporters and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blot post-ischemia. Results showed that the presence of maslinic acid extended the therapeutic time window for MK-801 from 1 h to 3 h. Co-treatment of maslinic acid and MK-801 at a subthreshold dosage obviously induced neuroprotection after ischemia. The combination of these two compounds improved the outcome in ischemic rats. Moreover, maslinic acid treatment promoted the expression of GLT-1 and GFAP post-ischemia. These data suggest that the synergistic effect of maslinic acid on neurological protection might be associated with the improvement of glial function, especially with the increased expression of GLT-1. The combination therapy of maslinic acid and MK-801 may prove to be a potential strategy for treating acute ischemic stroke.

Structure of a putative fluorinated natural product from Streptomyces sp. TC1.

Science.gov (United States)

Aldemir, Hülya; Kohlhepp, Stefanie V; Gulder, Tanja; Gulder, Tobias A M

2014-11-26

Fluorine-containing natural products are extremely rare. The recent report on the isolation and biological activity of the bacterial secondary metabolite 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-fluorophenyl)propionic acid was thus highly remarkable. The compound contained the first aromatic fluorine substituent known to date in any natural product. The promise to discover an enzyme capable of aromatic fluorination in the producing strain Streptomyces sp. TC1 prompted our immediate interest. A close inspection of the originally reported analytical data of the fluoro metabolite revealed inconsistencies that triggered us to validate the reported structure. The results of these efforts are presented in this communication.

Biobased organic acids production by metabolically engineered microorganisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Yun; Nielsen, Jens

2016-01-01

Bio-based production of organic acids via microbial fermentation has been traditionally used in food industry. With the recent desire to develop more sustainable bioprocesses for production of fuels, chemicals and materials, the market for microbial production of organic acids has been further...... expanded as organic acids constitute a key group among top building block chemicals that can be produced from renewable resources. Here we review the current status for production of citric acid and lactic acid, and we highlight the use of modern metabolic engineering technologies to develop high...... performance microbes for production of succinic acid and 3-hydroxypropionic acid. Also, the key limitations and challenges in microbial organic acids production are discussed...

Dry-extrusion of Asian Carp to supplement natural methionine for organic poultry production

Science.gov (United States)

Methionine, a sulfur containing amino acid, is essential for healthy poultry production. Synthetic methionine is commonly used as a supplement in conventional poultry. However, for organic poultry in the United States, a natural, cost effective source of methionine that can replace synthetic methion...

Glutamic acid production from wheat by-products using enzymatic and acid hydrolysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sari, Y.W.; Alting, A.C.; Floris, R.; Sanders, J.P.M.; Bruins, M.E.

2014-01-01

Glutamic acid (Glu) has potential as feedstock for bulk chemicals production. It has also been listed as one of the top twelve chemicals derived from biomass. Large amounts of cheaper Glu can be made available by enabling its production from biomass by-products, such as wheat dried distillers grains

Production of gaba (γ – Aminobutyric acid) by microorganisms: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Dhakal, Radhika; Bajpai, Vivek K.; Baek, Kwang-Hyun

2012-01-01

GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) is a four carbon non-protein amino acid that is widely distributed in plants, animals and microorganisms. As a metabolic product of plants and microorganisms produced by the decarboxylation of glutamic acid, GABA functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain that directly affects the personality and the stress management. A wide range of traditional foods produced by microbial fermentation contain GABA, in which GABA is safe and eco-friendly, and also has the possibility of providing new health-benefited products enriched with GABA. Synthesis of GABA is catalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase, therefore, the optimal fermentation condition is mainly based on the biochemical properties of the enzyme. Major GABA producing microorganisms are lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which make food spoilage pathogens unable to grow and act as probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract. The major factors affecting the production of GABA by microbial fermentation are temperature, pH, fermentation time and different media additives, therefore, these factors are summarized to provide the most up-dated information for effective GABA synthesis. There has been a huge accumulation of knowledge on GABA application for human health accompanying with a demand on natural GABA supply. Only the GABA production by microorganisms can fulfill the demand with GABA-enriched health beneficial foods. PMID:24031948

Microbial production of hyaluronic acid: current state, challenges, and perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Long

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Hyaluronic acid (HA is a natural and linear polymer composed of repeating disaccharide units of β-1, 3-N-acetyl glucosamine and β-1, 4-glucuronic acid with a molecular weight up to 6 million Daltons. With excellent viscoelasticity, high moisture retention capacity, and high biocompatibility, HA finds a wide-range of applications in medicine, cosmetics, and nutraceuticals. Traditionally HA was extracted from rooster combs, and now it is mainly produced via streptococcal fermentation. Recently the production of HA via recombinant systems has received increasing interest due to the avoidance of potential toxins. This work summarizes the research history and current commercial market of HA, and then deeply analyzes the current state of microbial production of HA by Streptococcus zooepidemicus and recombinant systems, and finally discusses the challenges facing microbial HA production and proposes several research outlines to meet the challenges.

Rewiring protein synthesis: From natural to synthetic amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Yongqiang; Evans, Christopher R; Ling, Jiqiang

2017-11-01

The protein synthesis machinery uses 22 natural amino acids as building blocks that faithfully decode the genetic information. Such fidelity is controlled at multiple steps and can be compromised in nature and in the laboratory to rewire protein synthesis with natural and synthetic amino acids. This review summarizes the major quality control mechanisms during protein synthesis, including aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, elongation factors, and the ribosome. We will discuss evolution and engineering of such components that allow incorporation of natural and synthetic amino acids at positions that deviate from the standard genetic code. The protein synthesis machinery is highly selective, yet not fixed, for the correct amino acids that match the mRNA codons. Ambiguous translation of a codon with multiple amino acids or complete reassignment of a codon with a synthetic amino acid diversifies the proteome. Expanding the genetic code with synthetic amino acids through rewiring protein synthesis has broad applications in synthetic biology and chemical biology. Biochemical, structural, and genetic studies of the translational quality control mechanisms are not only crucial to understand the physiological role of translational fidelity and evolution of the genetic code, but also enable us to better design biological parts to expand the proteomes of synthetic organisms. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Biochemistry of Synthetic Biology - Recent Developments" Guest Editor: Dr. Ilka Heinemann and Dr. Patrick O'Donoghue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patterns of free amino acids in German convenience food products: marked mismatch between label information and composition.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermanussen, M; Gonder, U; Jakobs, C; Stegemann, D; Hoffmann, G

2010-01-01

Free amino acids affect food palatability. As information on amino acids in frequently purchased pre-packaged food is virtually absent, we analyzed free amino acid patterns of 17 frequently purchased ready-to-serve convenience food products, and compared them with the information obtained from the respective food labels. Quantitative amino acid analysis was performed using ion-exchange chromatography. gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations were verified using a stable isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method. The patterns of free amino acids were compared with information obtained from food labels. An obvious mismatch between free amino acid patterns and food label information was detected. Even on considering that tomatoes and cereal proteins are naturally rich in glutamate, the concentrations of free glutamate outranged the natural concentration of this amino acid in several products, and strongly suggested artificial enrichment. Free glutamate was found to be elevated even in dishes that explicitly state 'no glutamate added'. Arginine was markedly elevated in lentils. Free cysteine was generally low, possibly reflecting thermal destruction of this amino acid during food processing. The meat and brain-specific dipeptide carnosine (CARN) was present in most meat-containing products. Some products did not contain detectable amounts of CARN in spite of meat content being claimed on the food labels. We detected GABA at concentrations that contribute significantly to the taste sensation. This investigation highlights a marked mismatch between food label information and food composition.

Citric acid production from extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers by the genetically engineered yeast Yarrowia lipolytica strain 30 and purification of citric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ling-Fei; Wang, Zhi-Peng; Liu, Xiao-Yan; Chi, Zhen-Ming

2013-11-01

In this study, citric acid production from extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers by the genetically engineered yeast Yarrowia lipolytica strain 30 was investigated. After the compositions of the extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers for citric acid production were optimized, the results showed that natural components of extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers without addition of any other components were suitable for citric acid production by the yeast strain. During 10 L fermentation using the extract containing 84.3 g L(-1) total sugars, 68.3 g L(-1) citric acid was produced and the yield of citric acid was 0.91 g g(-1) within 336 h. At the end of the fermentation, 9.2 g L(-1) of residual total sugar and 2.1 g L(-1) of reducing sugar were left in the fermented medium. At the same time, citric acid in the supernatant of the culture was purified. It was found that 67.2 % of the citric acid in the supernatant of the culture was recovered and purity of citric acid in the crystal was 96 %.

Production of γ-aminobutyric acid by microorganisms from different food sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Hudec, Jozef; Kobida, Ľubomír; Čanigová, Margita; Lacko-Bartošová, Magdaléna; Ložek, Otto; Chlebo, Peter; Mrázová, Jana; Ducsay, Ladislav; Bystrická, Judita

2015-04-01

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a potentially bioactive component of foods and pharmaceuticals. The aim of this study was screen lactic acid bacteria belonging to the Czech Collection of Microorganisms, and microorganisms (yeast and bacteria) from 10 different food sources for GABA production by fermentation in broth or plant and animal products. Under an aerobic atmosphere, very low selectivity of GABA production (from 0.8% to 1.3%) was obtained using yeast and filamentous fungi, while higher selectivity (from 6.5% to 21.0%) was obtained with bacteria. The use of anaerobic conditions, combined with the addition of coenzyme (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) and salts (CaCl2 , NaCl), led to the detection of a low concentration of GABA precursor. Simultaneously, using an optimal temperature of 33 °C, a pH of 6.5 and bacteria from banana (Pseudomonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae families), surprisingly, a high selectivity of GABA was obtained. A positive impact of fenugreek sprouts on the proteolytic process and GABA production from plant material as a source of GABA precursor was identified. Lactic acid bacteria for the production of new plant and animal GABA-rich products from different natural sources containing GABA precursor can be used. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of global change factors on fatty acids and mycosporine-like amino acid production in Chroothece richteriana (Rhodophyta).

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Silvera, Daniel; Pérez, Sandra; Korbee, Nathalie; Figueroa, Félix L; Asencio, Antonia D; Aboal, Marina; López-Jiménez, José Ángel

2017-10-01

Under natural conditions, Chroothece richteriana synthesizes a fairly high proportion of fatty acids. However, nothing is known about how environmental changes affect their production, or about the production of protective compounds, when colonies develop under full sunshine with high levels of UV radiation. In this study, wild colonies of C. richteriana were subjected to increasing temperature, conductivity, ammonium concentrations and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and UV radiations to assess the potential changes in lipid composition and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) concentration. The PERMANOVA analysis detected no differences for the whole fatty acid profile among treatments, but the percentages of α-linolenic acid and total polyunsaturated fatty acids increased at the lowest assayed temperature. The percentages of linoleic and α-linolenic acids increased with lowering temperature. γ-linolenic and arachidonic acids decreased with increasing conductivity, and a high arachidonic acid concentration was related with increased conductivity. The samples exposed to UVB radiation showed higher percentages of eicosapentaenoic acid and total monounsaturated fatty acids, at the expense of saturated fatty acids. MAAs accumulation increased but not significantly at the lowest conductivity, and also with the highest PAR and UVR exposure, while ammonium and temperature had no effect. The observed changes are probably related with adaptations of both membrane fluidity to low temperature, and metabolism to protect cells against UV radiation damage. The results suggest the potential to change lipid composition and MAAs concentration in response to environmental stressful conditions due to climate change, and highlight the interest of the species in future research about the biotechnological production of both compound types. © 2017 Phycological Society of America.

Dynamic regulation of fatty acid pools for improved production of fatty alcohols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teixeira, Paulo Goncalves; Ferreira, Raphael; Zhou, Yongjin J.

2017-01-01

Background: In vivo production of fatty acid-derived chemicals in Saccharomyces cerevisiae requires strategies to increase the intracellular supply of either acyl-CoA or free fatty acids (FFAs), since their cytosolic concentrations are quite low in a natural state for this organism. Deletion...... of the fatty acyl-CoA synthetase genes FAA1 and FAA4 is an effective and straightforward way to disable re-activation of fatty acids and drastically increase FFA levels. However, this strategy causes FFA over-accumulation and consequential release to the extracellular medium, which results in a significant...... faa4 Delta strain constitutively expressing a carboxylic acid reductase from Mycobacterium marinum (MmCAR) and an endogenous alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh5) for in vivo production of fatty alcohols from FFAs. We observed production of fatty acids and fatty alcohols with different rates leading to high...

Towards Sustainable Production of Formic Acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulushev, Dmitri A; Ross, Julian R H

2018-03-09

Formic acid is a widely used commodity chemical. It can be used as a safe, easily handled, and transported source of hydrogen or carbon monoxide for different reactions, including those producing fuels. The review includes historical aspects of formic acid production. It briefly analyzes production based on traditional sources, such as carbon monoxide, methanol, and methane. However, the main emphasis is on the sustainable production of formic acid from biomass and biomass-derived products through hydrolysis and oxidation processes. New strategies of low-temperature synthesis from biomass may lead to the utilization of formic acid for the production of fuel additives, such as methanol; upgraded bio-oil; γ-valerolactone and its derivatives; and synthesis gas used for the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of hydrocarbons. Some technological aspects are also considered. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Degradation of emerging contaminants from water under natural sunlight: The effect of season, pH, humic acids and nitrate and identification of photodegradation by-products.

Science.gov (United States)

Koumaki, Elena; Mamais, Daniel; Noutsopoulos, Constantinos; Nika, Maria-Christina; Bletsou, Anna A; Thomaidis, Nikolaos S; Eftaxias, Alexander; Stratogianni, Georgia

2015-11-01

Both photodegradation and hydrolysis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were investigated in order to evaluate their photochemical fate in aquatic environment and to assess the effect of season and specific characteristics of water (pH, humic acids and nitrate concentration) on the removal of target EDCs and NSAIDs through photodegradation. An additional objective was the identification of the photodegradation by-products of specific NSAIDs and their dependence on irradiation time. Selected compounds' transformation was investigated under natural sunlight radiation while control experiments were conducted in the dark. As expected, most of compounds' degradation rate decreased with decreasing light intensity between two different experimental periods. Most of the tested compounds exhibited different rates of degradation during direct and indirect photolysis. The degradation rate of the selected compounds increased in the presence of NO3(-) and the photodegradation rate was higher for some compounds in alkaline than in acidic solution. The effect of humic acids' presence in the water depends on the absorbance spectrum of the compound and the produced photosensitizers. More specifically, humic acids act as inner filter toward most of the selected NSAIDs and as photosensitizers toward most of the EDCs. The results of the irradiation experiments in the presence of both humic acids and NO3(-), indicate that the direct photolysis is much more efficient than indirect photochemical processes. Finally, several degradation by-products of ketoprofen and diclofenac were identified in the samples, exposed to sunlight. The dependence of these by-products on radiation time is also demonstrated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production and physicochemical assessment of new stevia amino acid sweeteners from the natural stevioside.

Science.gov (United States)

Khattab, Sherine N; Massoud, Mona I; Jad, Yahya El-Sayed; Bekhit, Adnan A; El-Faham, Ayman

2015-04-15

New stevia amino acid sweeteners, stevia glycine ethyl ester (ST-GL) and stevia l-alanine methyl ester (ST-GL), were synthesised and characterised by IR, NMR ((1)H NMR and (13)C NMR) and elemental analysis. The purity of the new sweeteners was determined by HPLC and their sensory properties were evaluated relative to sucrose in an aqueous system. Furthermore, the stevia derivatives (ST-GL and ST-AL) were evaluated for their acute toxicity, melting point, solubility and heat stability. The novel sweeteners were stable in acidic, neutral or basic aqueous solutions maintained at 100 °C for 2 h. The sweetness intensity rate of the novel sweeteners was higher than sucrose. Stevia amino acid (ST-GL and ST-AL) solutions had a clean sweetness taste without bitterness when compared to stevioside. The novel sweeteners can be utilised as non-caloric sweeteners in the production of low-calorie food. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expanding the range of 'druggable' targets with natural product-based libraries: an academic perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Renato A; Wurst, Jacqueline M; Tan, Derek S

2010-06-01

Existing drugs address a relatively narrow range of biological targets. As a result, libraries of drug-like molecules have proven ineffective against a variety of challenging targets, such as protein-protein interactions, nucleic acid complexes, and antibacterial modalities. In contrast, natural products are known to be effective at modulating such targets, and new libraries are being developed based on underrepresented scaffolds and regions of chemical space associated with natural products. This has led to several recent successes in identifying new chemical probes that address these challenging targets. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Complex forming properties of natural organic acids. Pt. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ephraim, J.H.; Mathuthu, A.S.; Marinsky, J.A.

1990-07-01

An ultrafiltration technique combined with ion-selective-electrode and atomic absorption methods have been employed to obtain information on the complex forming properties of fulvic acid with iron and calcium. A model for interpreting complexation of metal ions to fulvic acid at any pH, medium ionic strength and metal to fulvic acid ratio developed earlier has been used in an attempt to predict the nature of iron and calcium interaction to Armadale Horizon Bh fulvic acid. Binding of calcium to fulvic acid which is enhanced at pHs greater than 6.0 has reasonably been predicted by the model taking into consideration complications due to the polyelectrolyte nature and the heterogeneity of the fulvic acid. The lack of agreement observed between the model predicted binding behavior and the experimentally observed results for the fulvic acid-iron system has been attributed to the formation of metal-induced aggregation. Reduction of Fe(III) to Fe(II) by the fulvic acid as reported by other workers is corroborated. (orig.)

Milk fatty acid composition and associated rumen lipolysis and fatty acid hydrogenation when feeding forages from intensively managed or semi-natural grasslands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lourenco, M.; Vlaeminck, B.; Bruinenberg, M.H.; Demeyer, D.; Fievez, V.

2005-01-01

In order to evaluate the effect of replacing intensive forage by semi-natural grassland products on rumen lipid metabolism and milk fatty acid composition, four lactating and rumen canulated Holstein cows were used in a 4×4 Latin square design. Four different diets were fed: diet 100 IM - 100%

Construction of a 3D-shaped, natural product like fragment library by fragmentation and diversification of natural products.

Science.gov (United States)

Prescher, Horst; Koch, Guido; Schuhmann, Tim; Ertl, Peter; Bussenault, Alex; Glick, Meir; Dix, Ina; Petersen, Frank; Lizos, Dimitrios E

2017-02-01

A fragment library consisting of 3D-shaped, natural product-like fragments was assembled. Library construction was mainly performed by natural product degradation and natural product diversification reactions and was complemented by the identification of 3D-shaped, natural product like fragments available from commercial sources. In addition, during the course of these studies, novel rearrangements were discovered for Massarigenin C and Cytochalasin E. The obtained fragment library has an excellent 3D-shape and natural product likeness, covering a novel, unexplored and underrepresented chemical space in fragment based drug discovery (FBDD). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Succinic acid production from Jerusalem artichoke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gunnarsson, Ingólfur Bragi; Karakashev, Dimitar Borisov; Angelidaki, Irini

In this work, A. succinogenes 130Z was used to produce succinic acid from Jerusalem artichoke tuber hydrolysate. Results showed that both fructose and glucose in the tuber hydrolysate were utilized for succinic acid production. The sugar utilization was found to be dependent on process control...... that Jerusalem artichoke tubers could be utilized for production of bio-succinic acid....

Marine natural products in prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Ghanbari

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Undoubtedly, pharmaceutical and nutritional factors play an important role in the prevention of age-related bone loss. According to the several studies so far, the effects of nutrients and bioactive components which are extracted from marine resources are very promising in osteoporosis. Most of these investigations have been done on various marine algae extracts. Since, algae are rich source of essential minerals, primary and secondary unique natural products, several amino acids and growth factors their extracts show favorable effects on bone metabolism. Moreover, it has been shown that marine nutrients such as marine fishes, shrimp and crabs increase the absorption of calcium and bone collagen synthesis or reduce the production of prostaglandins and decrease the deoxypyridinoline disposal. On the other hand, secondary products which are extracted and characterized from marine organisms such as mollusks, fungi, bacteria, sponges and coral reefs show anti-osteoporosis activities via the inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and the induction of apoptosis in osteoclasts like cells or stimulation of osteoblast differentiation. Although, several investigations have been done in this area, many of studies have been carried out on animal models, like ovariectomy-induced bone loss in mice. Hence, clinical investigations are warranted to develop marine natural products against bone loss and to prevent osteoporosis.

Potent in vitro antifungal activities of naturally occurring acetylenic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xing-Cong; Jacob, Melissa R; Khan, Shabana I; Ashfaq, M Khalid; Babu, K Suresh; Agarwal, Ameeta K; Elsohly, Hala N; Manly, Susan P; Clark, Alice M

2008-07-01

Our continuing effort in antifungal natural product discovery has led to the identification of five 6-acetylenic acids with chain lengths from C(16) to C(20): 6-hexadecynoic acid (compound 1), 6-heptadecynoic acid (compound 2), 6-octadecynoic acid (compound 3), 6-nonadecynoic acid (compound 4), and 6-icosynoic acid (compound 5) from the plant Sommera sabiceoides. Compounds 2 and 5 represent newly isolated fatty acids. The five acetylenic acids were evaluated for their in vitro antifungal activities against Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton rubrum by comparison with the positive control drugs amphotericin B, fluconazole, ketoconazole, caspofungin, terbinafine, and undecylenic acid. The compounds showed various degrees of antifungal activity against the 21 tested strains. Compound 4 was the most active, in particular against the dermatophytes T. mentagrophytes and T. rubrum and the opportunistic pathogens C. albicans and A. fumigatus, with MICs comparable to several control drugs. Inclusion of two commercially available acetylenic acids, 9-octadecynoic acid (compound 6) and 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (compound 7), in the in vitro antifungal testing further demonstrated that the antifungal activities of the acetylenic acids were associated with their chain lengths and positional triple bonds. In vitro toxicity testing against mammalian cell lines indicated that compounds 1 to 5 were not toxic at concentrations up to 32 muM. Furthermore, compounds 3 and 4 did not produce obvious toxic effects in mice at a dose of 34 mumol/kg of body weight when administered intraperitoneally. Taking into account the low in vitro and in vivo toxicities and significant antifungal potencies, these 6-acetylenic acids may be excellent leads for further preclinical studies.

Cashew apple juice as microbial cultivation medium for non-immunogenic hyaluronic acid production.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Adriano H; Ogrodowski, Cristiane C; de Macedo, André C; Santana, Maria Helena A; Gonçalves, Luciana R B

2013-12-01

In this work, natural cashew apple juice was used as cultivation medium as an alternative to substitute brain heart infusion medium. The effect of aeration and juice supplementation with yeast extract on the production of hyaluronic acid in batch fermentation was also investigated. Similar levels of cell mass were obtained in inoculum using cashew apple juice supplemented with yeast extract or the conventional brain heart infusion medium. Fermentation in Erlenmeyer flasks produced low biomass and hyaluronic acid concentrations. The hyaluronic acid concentration and viscosity increased from 0.15 g/L and 3.87 cP (no aeration or medium supplementation) to 1.76 g/L and 107 cP, when aeration (2 vvm) and 60 g/L of yeast extract were used. The results suggest the production of low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid oligomers instead of the high molecular weight polymer.

Detoxification of Sap from Felled Oil Palm Trunks for the Efficient Production of Lactic Acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunasundari, Balakrishnan; Arai, Takamitsu; Sudesh, Kumar; Hashim, Rokiah; Sulaiman, Othman; Stalin, Natra Joseph; Kosugi, Akihiko

2017-09-01

The availability of fermentable sugars in high concentrations in the sap of felled oil palm trunks and the thermophilic nature of the recently isolated Bacillus coagulans strain 191 were exploited for lactic acid production under non-sterile conditions. Screening indicated that strain 191 was active toward most sugars including sucrose, which is a major component of sap. Strain 191 catalyzed a moderate conversion of sap sugars to lactic acid (53%) with a productivity of 1.56 g/L/h. Pretreatment of oil palm sap (OPS) using alkaline precipitation improved the sugar fermentability, providing a lactic acid yield of 92% and productivity of 2.64 g/L/h. To better characterize potential inhibitors in the sap, phenolic, organic, and mineral compounds were analyzed using non-treated sap and saps treated with activated charcoal and alkaline precipitation. Phthalic acid, 3,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid, aconitic acid, syringic acid, and ferulic acid were reduced in the sap after treatment. High concentrations of Mg, P, K, and Ca were also precipitated by the alkaline treatment. These results suggest that elimination of excess phenolic and mineral compounds in OPS can improve the fermentation yield. OPS, a non-food resource that is readily available in bulk quantities from plantation sites, is a promising source for lactic acid production.

Decoupling Hydrogen and Oxygen Production in Acidic Water Electrolysis Using a Polytriphenylamine-Based Battery Electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yuanyuan; Dong, Xiaoli; Wang, Yonggang; Xia, Yongyao

2018-03-05

Hydrogen production through water splitting is considered a promising approach for solar energy harvesting. However, the variable and intermittent nature of solar energy and the co-production of H 2 and O 2 significantly reduce the flexibility of this approach, increasing the costs of its use in practical applications. Herein, using the reversible n-type doping/de-doping reaction of the solid-state polytriphenylamine-based battery electrode, we decouple the H 2 and O 2 production in acid water electrolysis. In this architecture, the H 2 and O 2 production occur at different times, which eliminates the issue of gas mixing and adapts to the variable and intermittent nature of solar energy, facilitating the conversion of solar energy to hydrogen (STH). Furthermore, for the first time, we demonstrate a membrane-free solar water splitting through commercial photovoltaics and the decoupled acid water electrolysis, which potentially paves the way for a new approach for solar water splitting. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Current Status and Future Prospects of Marine Natural Products (MNPs) as Antimicrobials.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhary, Alka; Naughton, Lynn M; Montánchez, Itxaso; Dobson, Alan D W; Rai, Dilip K

2017-08-28

The marine environment is a rich source of chemically diverse, biologically active natural products, and serves as an invaluable resource in the ongoing search for novel antimicrobial compounds. Recent advances in extraction and isolation techniques, and in state-of-the-art technologies involved in organic synthesis and chemical structure elucidation, have accelerated the numbers of antimicrobial molecules originating from the ocean moving into clinical trials. The chemical diversity associated with these marine-derived molecules is immense, varying from simple linear peptides and fatty acids to complex alkaloids, terpenes and polyketides, etc. Such an array of structurally distinct molecules performs functionally diverse biological activities against many pathogenic bacteria and fungi, making marine-derived natural products valuable commodities, particularly in the current age of antimicrobial resistance. In this review, we have highlighted several marine-derived natural products (and their synthetic derivatives), which have gained recognition as effective antimicrobial agents over the past five years (2012-2017). These natural products have been categorized based on their chemical structures and the structure-activity mediated relationships of some of these bioactive molecules have been discussed. Finally, we have provided an insight into how genome mining efforts are likely to expedite the discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds.

Fumaric acid production by fermentation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roa Engel, C.A.; Straathof, A.J.J.; Zijlmans, T.W.; Van Gulik, W.M.; Van der Wielen, L.A.M.

2008-01-01

Abstract The potential of fumaric acid as a raw material in the polymer industry and the increment of cost of petroleum-based fumaric acid raises interest in fermentation processes for production of this compound from renewable resources. Although the chemical process yields 112% w/w fumaric acid

Desorption of cadmium from a natural Shanghai clay using citric acid industrial wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Yingying; Yeung, Albert T.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → CAIW is very effective in desorbing cadmium from soil particle surfaces at soil mixture pHs of lower than 5. → The cadmium desorption efficiency of CAIW also depends on the initial sorbed concentration of cadmium on soil particle surfaces. → Complexions of cadmium with citric acid and acetic acid are the dominant mechanisms for cadmium desorption in the soil mixture pH range of 4-8. → CAIW may be a promising enhancement agent for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. - Abstract: The sorption/desorption characteristics of heavy metals onto/from soil particle surfaces are the primary factors controlling the success of the remediation of heavy-metal contaminated soils. These characteristics are pH-dependent, chemical-specific, and reversible; and can be modified by enhancement agents such as chelates and surfactants. In this study, batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using citric acid industrial wastewater (CAIW) to desorb cadmium from a natural clay from Shanghai, China at different soil mixture pHs. It can be observed from the results that the proportion of cadmium desorbed from the soil using synthesized CAIW is generally satisfactory, i.e., >60%, when the soil mixture pH is lower than 6. However, the proportion of desorbed cadmium decreases significantly with increase in soil mixture pH. The dominant cadmium desorption mechanism using CAIW is the complexion of cadmium with citric acid and acetic acid in CAIW. It is concluded that CAIW can be a promising enhancement agent for the remediation of cadmium-contaminated natural soils when the environmental conditions are favorable. As a result, CAIW, a waste product itself, can be put into productive use in soil remediation.

Desorption of cadmium from a natural Shanghai clay using citric acid industrial wastewater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gu Yingying, E-mail: guyong99hg@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), 66 West Changjiang Road, Qingdao 266555 (China); Yeung, Albert T., E-mail: yeungat@hku.hk [Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong)

2011-07-15

Highlights: {yields} CAIW is very effective in desorbing cadmium from soil particle surfaces at soil mixture pHs of lower than 5. {yields} The cadmium desorption efficiency of CAIW also depends on the initial sorbed concentration of cadmium on soil particle surfaces. {yields} Complexions of cadmium with citric acid and acetic acid are the dominant mechanisms for cadmium desorption in the soil mixture pH range of 4-8. {yields} CAIW may be a promising enhancement agent for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. - Abstract: The sorption/desorption characteristics of heavy metals onto/from soil particle surfaces are the primary factors controlling the success of the remediation of heavy-metal contaminated soils. These characteristics are pH-dependent, chemical-specific, and reversible; and can be modified by enhancement agents such as chelates and surfactants. In this study, batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using citric acid industrial wastewater (CAIW) to desorb cadmium from a natural clay from Shanghai, China at different soil mixture pHs. It can be observed from the results that the proportion of cadmium desorbed from the soil using synthesized CAIW is generally satisfactory, i.e., >60%, when the soil mixture pH is lower than 6. However, the proportion of desorbed cadmium decreases significantly with increase in soil mixture pH. The dominant cadmium desorption mechanism using CAIW is the complexion of cadmium with citric acid and acetic acid in CAIW. It is concluded that CAIW can be a promising enhancement agent for the remediation of cadmium-contaminated natural soils when the environmental conditions are favorable. As a result, CAIW, a waste product itself, can be put into productive use in soil remediation.

Cordyceps fungi: natural products, pharmacological functions and developmental products.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xuanwei; Gong, Zhenghua; Su, Ying; Lin, Juan; Tang, Kexuan

2009-03-01

Parasitic Cordyceps fungi, such as Cordyceps sinensis, is a parasitic complex of fungus and caterpillar, which has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries particularly in China, Japan and other Asian countries. This article gives a general idea of the latest developments in C. sinensis research, with regard to the active chemical components, the pharmacological effects and the research and development of products in recent years. The common names for preparations include DongChongXiaCao in Chinese, winter worm summer grass in English. It has many bioactive components, such as 3'-deoxyadenosine, cordycepic acid and Cordyceps polysaccharides. It is commonly used to replenish the kidney and soothe the lung, and for the treatment of fatigue. It also can be used to treat conditions such as night sweating, hyposexuality, hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, asthenia after severe illness, respiratory disease, renal dysfunction, renal failure, arrhythmias and other heart disease and liver disease. Because of its rarity and outstanding curative effects, several mycelia strains have been isolated from natural Cordyceps and manufactured by fermentation technology, and are commonly sold as health food products. In addition, some substitutes such as C. militaris and adulterants also have been used; therefore, quality control of C. sinensis and its products is very important to ensure their safety and efficacy. Recent research advances in the study of Cordyceps, including Cordyceps mushrooms, chemical components, pharmacological functions and developmental products, has been reviewed and discussed. Developing trends in the field have also been appraised.

Metaproteomics and ultrastructure characterization of Komagataeibacter spp. involved in high-acid spirit vinegar production.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrés-Barrao, Cristina; Saad, Maged M; Cabello Ferrete, Elena; Bravo, Daniel; Chappuis, Marie-Luise; Ortega Pérez, Ruben; Junier, Pilar; Perret, Xavier; Barja, François

2016-05-01

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are widespread microorganisms in nature, extensively used in food industry to transform alcohols and sugar alcohols into their corresponding organic acids. Specialized strains are used in the production of vinegar through the oxidative transformation of ethanol into acetic acid. The main AAB involved in the production of high-acid vinegars using the submerged fermentation method belong to the genus Komagataeibacter, characterized by their higher ADH stability and activity, and higher acetic acid resistance (15-20%), compared to other AAB. In this work, the bacteria involved in the production of high-acid spirit vinegar through a spontaneous acetic acid fermentation process was studied. The analysis using a culture-independent approach revealed a homogeneous bacterial population involved in the process, identified as Komagataeibacter spp. Differentially expressed proteins during acetic acid fermentation were investigated by using 2D-DIGE and mass spectrometry. Most of these proteins were functionally related to stress response, the TCA cycle and different metabolic processes. In addition, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and specific staining of polysaccharide SDS-PAGE gels confirmed that Komagataeibacter spp. lacked the characteristic polysaccharide layer surrounding the outer membrane that has been previously reported to have an important role in acetic acid resistance in the genus Acetobacter. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Natural Products for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ríos, José Luis; Francini, Flavio; Schinella, Guillermo R

2015-08-01

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. High blood sugar can produce long-term complications such as cardiovascular and renal disorders, retinopathy, and poor blood flow. Its development can be prevented or delayed in people with impaired glucose tolerance by implementing lifestyle changes or the use of therapeutic agents. Some of these drugs have been obtained from plants or have a microbial origin, such as galegine isolated from Galega officinalis, which has a great similarity to the antidiabetic drug metformin. Picnogenol, acarbose, miglitol, and voglibose are other antidiabetic products of natural origin. This review compiles the principal articles on medicinal plants used for treating diabetes and its comorbidities, as well as mechanisms of natural products as antidiabetic agents. Inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, effects on glucose uptake and glucose transporters, modification of mechanisms mediated by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B activity, modification of gene expression, and activities of hormones involved in glucose homeostasis such as adiponectin, resistin, and incretin, and reduction of oxidative stress are some of the mechanisms in which natural products are involved. We also review the most relevant clinical trials performed with medicinal plants and natural products such as aloe, banaba, bitter melon, caper, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, fenugreek, garlic, guava, gymnema, nettle, sage, soybean, green and black tea, turmeric, walnut, and yerba mate. Compounds of high interest as potential antidiabetics are: fukugetin, palmatine, berberine, honokiol, amorfrutins, trigonelline, gymnemic acids, gurmarin, and phlorizin. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A simple and rapid method for calixarene-based selective extraction of bioactive molecules from natural products.

Science.gov (United States)

Segneanu, Adina-Elena; Damian, Daniel; Hulka, Iosif; Grozescu, Ioan; Salifoglou, Athanasios

2016-03-01

Natural products derived from medicinal plants have gained an important role in drug discovery due to their complex and abundant composition of secondary metabolites, with their structurally unique molecular components bearing a significant number of stereo-centers exhibiting high specificity linked to biological activity. Usually, the extraction process of natural products involves various techniques targeting separation of a specific class of compounds from a highly complex matrix. Aiding the process entails the use of well-defined and selective molecular extractants with distinctly configured structural attributes. Calixarenes conceivably belong to that class of molecules. They have been studied intensely over the years in an effort to develop new and highly selective receptors for biomolecules. These macrocycles, which display remarkable structural architectures and properties, could help usher a new approach in the efficient separation of specific classes of compounds from complex matrices in natural products. A simple and rapid such extraction method is presented herein, based on host-guest interaction(s) between a calixarene synthetic receptor, 4-tert-butyl-calix[6]arene, and natural biomolecular targets (amino acids and peptides) from Helleborus purpurascens and Viscum album. Advanced physicochemical methods (including GC-MS and chip-based nanoESI-MS analysis) suggest that the molecular structure and specifically the calixarene cavity size are closely linked to the nature of compounds separated. Incorporation of biomolecules and modification of the macrocyclic architecture during separation were probed and confirmed by scanning electronic microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The collective results project calixarene as a promising molecular extractant candidate, facilitating the selective separation of amino acids and peptides from natural products.

Probing fatty acid metabolism in bacteria, cyanobacteria, green microalgae and diatoms with natural and unnatural fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Beld, Joris; Abbriano, Raffaela; Finzel, Kara; Hildebrand, Mark; Burkart, Michael D

2016-04-01

In both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, fatty acid synthases are responsible for the biosynthesis of fatty acids in an iterative process, extending the fatty acid by two carbon units every cycle. Thus, odd numbered fatty acids are rarely found in nature. We tested whether representatives of diverse microbial phyla have the ability to incorporate odd-chain fatty acids as substrates for their fatty acid synthases and their downstream enzymes. We fed various odd and short chain fatty acids to the bacterium Escherichia coli, cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. Major differences were observed, specifically in the ability among species to incorporate and elongate short chain fatty acids. We demonstrate that E. coli, C. reinhardtii, and T. pseudonana can produce longer fatty acid products from short chain precursors (C3 and C5), while Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 lacks this ability. However, Synechocystis can incorporate and elongate longer chain fatty acids due to acyl-acyl carrier protein synthetase (AasS) activity, and knockout of this protein eliminates the ability to incorporate these fatty acids. In addition, expression of a characterized AasS from Vibrio harveyii confers a similar capability to E. coli. The ability to desaturate exogenously added fatty acids was only observed in Synechocystis and C. reinhardtii. We further probed fatty acid metabolism of these organisms by feeding desaturase inhibitors to test the specificity of long-chain fatty acid desaturases. In particular, supplementation with thia fatty acids can alter fatty acid profiles based on the location of the sulfur in the chain. We show that coupling sensitive gas chromatography mass spectrometry to supplementation of unnatural fatty acids can reveal major differences between fatty acid metabolism in various organisms. Often unnatural fatty acids have antibacterial or even therapeutic properties. Feeding of short

Ascorbic acid reduces noise-induced nitric oxide production in the guinea pig ear.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinrich, Ulf-Rüdiger; Fischer, Ilka; Brieger, Jürgen; Rümelin, Andreas; Schmidtmann, Irene; Li, Huige; Mann, Wolf J; Helling, Kai

2008-05-01

Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused, among other causes, by increased nitric oxide (NO) production in the inner ear leading to nitroactive stress and cell destruction. Some studies in the literature suggest that the degree of hearing loss (HL) could be reduced in an animal model through ascorbic acid supplementation. To identify the effect of ascorbic acid on tissue-dependent NO content in the inner ear of the guinea pig, we determined the local NO production in the organ of Corti and the lateral wall separately 6 hours after noise exposure. Prospective animal study in guinea pigs. Over a period of 7 days, male guinea pigs were supplied with minimum (25 mg/kg body weight/day) and maximum (525 mg/kg body weight/day) ascorbic acid doses, and afterwards exposed to noise (90 dB sound pressure level for 1 hour). The acoustic-evoked potentials were recorded before and after noise exposure. The organ of Corti and the lateral wall were incubated differently for 6 hours in culture medium, and the degree of NO production was determined by chemiluminescence. Ascorbic acid treatment reduced the hearing threshold shift after noise exposure depending on concentration. When the maximum ascorbic acid dose was substituted, NO production was significantly reduced in the lateral wall after noise exposure and slightly reduced in the organ of Corti. Oral supplementation of the natural radical scavenger ascorbic acid reduces the NO-production rate in the inner ear in noisy conditions. This finding supports the concept of inner ear protection by ascorbic acid supplementation.

Parabanic acid is the singlet oxygen specific oxidation product of uric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Iida, Sayaka; Ohkubo, Yuki; Yamamoto, Yorihiro; Fujisawa, Akio

2017-11-01

Uric acid quenches singlet oxygen physically or reacts with it, but the oxidation product has not been previously characterized. The present study determined that the product is parabanic acid, which was confirmed by LC/TOFMS analysis. Parabanic acid was stable at acidic pH (acid at neutral or alkaline pH. The total yields of parabanic acid and oxaluric acid based on consumed uric acid were ~100% in clean singlet oxygen production systems such as UVA irradiation of Rose Bengal and thermal decomposition of 3-(1,4-dihydro-1,4-epidioxy-4-methyl-1-naphthyl)propionic acid. However, the ratio of the amount of uric acid consumed to the total amount of singlet oxygen generated was less than 1/180, indicating that most of the singlet oxygen was physically quenched. The total yields of parabanic acid and oxaluric acid were high in the uric acid oxidation systems with hydrogen peroxide plus hypochlorite or peroxynitrite. They became less than a few percent in peroxyl radical-, hypochlorite- or peroxynitrite-induced oxidation of uric acid. These results suggest that parabanic acid could be an in vivo probe of singlet oxygen formation because of the wide distribution of uric acid in human tissues and extracellular spaces. In fact, sunlight exposure significantly increased human skin levels of parabanic acid.

Oxidative metabolism of 5-o-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic acid), a bioactive natural product, by metalloporphyrin and rat liver mitochondria.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Santos, Michel D; Martins, Patrícia R; dos Santos, Pierre A; Bortocan, Renato; Iamamoto, Y; Lopes, Norberto P

2005-09-01

Synthetic metalloporphyrins, in the presence of monooxygen donors, are known to mimic the various reactions of cytochrome P450 enzymes systems in the oxidation and oxygenation of various drugs and biologically active compounds. This paper reports an HPLC-MS-MS investigation of chlorogenic acid (CGA) oxidation by iodosylbenzene using iron(III) tetraphenylporphyrin chloride as catalyst. The oxidation products have been detected by sequential MS analyses. In addition, CGA was submitted to an in vitro metabolism assay employing isolated rat liver mitochondria. The single oxidized product obtained from mitochondrial metabolism corresponds to the major product formed by the metalloporphyrin-catalyzed reaction. These results indicate that biomimetic oxidation reactions, in addition to in vitro metabolism assays employing isolated organs/organelles, could replace some in vivo metabolism studies, thus minimizing the problems related to the use of a large number of living animals in experimental research.

Covalently functionalized graphene sheets with biocompatible natural amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallakpour, Shadpour; Abdolmaleki, Amir; Borandeh, Sedigheh

2014-01-01

Graphene sheets were covalently functionalized with aromatic–aliphatic amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine) and aliphatic amino acids (alanine, isoleucine, leucine, methionine and valine) by simple and green procedure. For this aim, at first natural graphite was converted into graphene oxide (GO) through strong oxidation procedure; then, based on the surface-exposed epoxy and carboxylic acid groups in GO solid, its surface modification with naturally occurring amino acids, occurred easily throughout the corresponding nucleophilic substitution and condensation reactions. Amino acid functionalized graphene demonstrates stable dispersion in water and common organic solvents. Fourier transform infrared, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the nanostructures and properties of prepared materials. Each amino acid has different considerable effects on the structure and morphology of the pure graphite, from increasing the layer spacing to layer scrolling, based on their structures, functional groups and chain length. In addition, therogravimetric analysis was used for demonstrating a successful grafting of amino acid molecules to the surface of graphene.

Cashew apple juice as microbial cultivation medium for non-immunogenic hyaluronic acid production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriano H. Oliveira

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this work, natural cashew apple juice was used as cultivation medium as an alternative to substitute brain heart infusion medium. The effect of aeration and juice supplementation with yeast extract on the production of hyaluronic acid in batch fermentation was also investigated. Similar levels of cell mass were obtained in inoculum using cashew apple juice supplemented with yeast extract or the conventional brain heart infusion medium. Fermentation in Erlenmeyer flasks produced low biomass and hyaluronic acid concentrations. The hyaluronic acid concentration and viscosity increased from 0.15 g/L and 3.87 cP (no aeration or medium supplementation to 1.76 g/L and 107 cP, when aeration (2 vvm and 60 g/L of yeast extract were used. The results suggest the production of low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid oligomers instead of the high molecular weight polymer.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Conventional Natural Gas Production

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Synthesis of Polycyclic Natural Products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Tuan Hoang [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2003-01-01

With the continuous advancements in molecular biology and modern medicine, organic synthesis has become vital to the support and extension of those discoveries. The isolations of new natural products allow for the understanding of their biological activities and therapeutic value. Organic synthesis is employed to aid in the determination of the relationship between structure and function of these natural products. The development of synthetic methodologies in the course of total syntheses is imperative for the expansion of this highly interdisciplinary field of science. In addition to the practical applications of total syntheses, the structural complexity of natural products represents a worthwhile challenge in itself. The pursuit of concise and efficient syntheses of complex molecules is both gratifying and enjoyable.

Regulation of acidity and reduction of turbidity in the clarified pomegranate juice production

OpenAIRE

ESHMATOV FOZIL KHIDIROVICH; MAKSUMOVA DILRABO KUCHKAROVNA; DODAEVA LAYLO KUCHKAROVNA

2016-01-01

Regulation of acidity and reduction of turbidity in the clarified pomegranate juice production. From sour varieties of pomegranates may obtain normal natural pomegranate juice by anion-exchange resin. There are determined problems quantity of precipitate and unstable color in the pomegranate juice and concentrate by experimentally.

Cooking methods employing natural anti-oxidant food additives effectively reduced concentration of nephrotoxic and carcinogenic aristolochic acids in contaminated food grains.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weiwei; Chan, Chi-Kong; Wong, Yee-Lam; Chan, K K Jason; Chan, Ho Wai; Chan, Wan

2018-10-30

Emerging evidence suggests that aristolochic acids (AA) produced naturally by a common weed Aristolochia clematitis in the cultivation fields is contaminating the food products in Balkan Peninsula and acting as the etiological agent in the development of Balkan endemic nephropathy. In this study, we investigated the combined use of natural anti-oxidative "food additives" and different cooking methods to find a solution for the widespread contamination of AA in food products. The results indicated that the addition of healthy dietary supplements (such as cysteine, glutathione, ascorbic acid, citric acid and magnesium) during cooking, is a highly efficient method in lowering the concentration of AA in the final food products. Because previous observation indicated one of the toxicological mechanisms by which AA exert its toxicity is to induce oxidative stress in internal organs, it is anticipated that these added anti-oxidants will also help to attenuate the nephrotoxicity of AA. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biotechnological Production of Organic Acids from Renewable Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Pleissner, Daniel; Dietz, Donna; van Duuren, Jozef Bernhard Johann Henri; Wittmann, Christoph; Yang, Xiaofeng; Lin, Carol Sze Ki; Venus, Joachim

2017-03-07

Biotechnological processes are promising alternatives to petrochemical routes for overcoming the challenges of resource depletion in the future in a sustainable way. The strategies of white biotechnology allow the utilization of inexpensive and renewable resources for the production of a broad range of bio-based compounds. Renewable resources, such as agricultural residues or residues from food production, are produced in large amounts have been shown to be promising carbon and/or nitrogen sources. This chapter focuses on the biotechnological production of lactic acid, acrylic acid, succinic acid, muconic acid, and lactobionic acid from renewable residues, these products being used as monomers for bio-based material and/or as food supplements. These five acids have high economic values and the potential to overcome the "valley of death" between laboratory/pilot scale and commercial/industrial scale. This chapter also provides an overview of the production strategies, including microbial strain development, used to convert renewable resources into value-added products.

Amino acid nitrosation products as alkylating agents.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Santos, M del P; Calle, E; Casado, J

2001-08-08

Nitrosation reactions of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-amino acids whose reaction products can act as alkylating agents of DNA were investigated. To approach in vivo conditions for the two-step mechanism (nitrosation and alkylation), nitrosation reactions were carried out in aqueous acid conditions (mimicking the conditions of the stomach lumen) while the alkylating potential of the nitrosation products was investigated at neutral pH, as in the stomach lining cells into which such products can diffuse. These conclusions were drawn: (i) The alkylating species resulting from the nitrosation of amino acids with an -NH(2) group are the corresponding lactones; (ii) the sequence of alkylating power is: alpha-lactones > beta-lactones > gamma-lactones, coming respectively from the nitrosation of alpha-, beta-, and gamma-amino acids; and (iii) the results obtained may be useful in predicting the mutagenic effectiveness of the nitrosation products of amino acids.

NATURAL ACID IN OVERCOMING PINHA SEED DORMANCY (ANNONA SQUAMOSA L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. R. Santos

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The production of good quality seedlings becomes essential strategy for those who wish to become production that is more competitive. To induce dormancy breaking and germination and emergence of these, the imbibing of natural acid in seeds can be an alternative for the optimization of this process. The aim of this study is to evaluate the dormancy breaking in Anonna seeds squamosa immersed in different natural acid in times through the lemon juice Rangpur (Citrus limonia Osbeck. This work is being conducted in Biotecnogia laboratory greenhouse at the Federal Institute Goiano campus Urutaí where the seeds were soaked in lemon juice Rangpur (C. limonia in five different times, each time constituting a treatment: seeds without soaking in lemon groove variety Cravo '(T1; soaked for 8 hours (T2; soaked for 16 hours (T3; soaked for 24 hours (T4; soaked for 32 hours (T5. The seeds were sown in plastic boxes with dimensions 40 x 27 x 10 cm, containing washed sand substrate, 2 cm deep in spacing of 2 x 2 cm. The germination percentage data were determined up to 45 days after sowing (DAS, and survival to 73 (DAS. After 73 DAS were evaluated after 73 days of sowing, they were evaluated; germination and survival; emergence speed index (EVI; total length of seedlings; shoot length of seedlings and radicle length (cm; Stem diameter (mm; pair of leaf number (MPN; total fresh mass changes (MFT; dry matter of shoot and radicle (g. There was not statistical diseases among treatments. T4 treatment in comparison to others on the numerical difference CTM, NPF, DC and CPA.

Rationale for a natural products approach to herbicide discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Dayan, Franck E; Owens, Daniel K; Duke, Stephen O

2012-04-01

Weeds continue to evolve resistance to all the known modes of herbicidal action, but no herbicide with a new target site has been commercialized in nearly 20 years. The so-called 'new chemistries' are simply molecules belonging to new chemical classes that have the same mechanisms of action as older herbicides (e.g. the protoporphyrinogen-oxidase-inhibiting pyrimidinedione saflufenacil or the very-long-chain fatty acid elongase targeting sulfonylisoxazoline herbicide pyroxasulfone). Therefore, the number of tools to manage weeds, and in particular those that can control herbicide-resistant weeds, is diminishing rapidly. There is an imminent need for truly innovative classes of herbicides that explore chemical spaces and interact with target sites not previously exploited by older active ingredients. This review proposes a rationale for a natural-products-centered approach to herbicide discovery that capitalizes on the structural diversity and ingenuity afforded by these biologically active compounds. The natural process of extended-throughput screening (high number of compounds tested on many potential target sites over long periods of times) that has shaped the evolution of natural products tends to generate molecules tailored to interact with specific target sites. As this review shows, there is generally little overlap between the mode of action of natural and synthetic phytotoxins, and more emphasis should be placed on applying methods that have proved beneficial to the pharmaceutical industry to solve problems in the agrochemical industry. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rewiring a secondary metabolite pathway towards itaconic acid production in Aspergillus niger.

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Abeer H; Li, An; Brickwedde, Anja; Wilms, Lars; Caspers, Martien; Overkamp, Karin; Punt, Peter J

2016-07-28

The industrially relevant filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is widely used in industry for its secretion capabilities of enzymes and organic acids. Biotechnologically produced organic acids promise to be an attractive alternative for the chemical industry to replace petrochemicals. Itaconic acid (IA) has been identified as one of the top twelve building block chemicals which have high potential to be produced by biotechnological means. The IA biosynthesis cluster (cadA, mttA and mfsA) has been elucidated in its natural producer Aspergillus terreus and transferred to A. niger to enable IA production. Here we report the rewiring of a secondary metabolite pathway towards further improved IA production through the overexpression of a putative cytosolic citrate synthase citB in a A. niger strain carrying the IA biosynthesis cluster. We have previously shown that expression of cadA from A. terreus results in itaconic acid production in A. niger AB1.13, albeit at low levels. This low-level production is boosted fivefold by the overexpression of mttA and mfsA in itaconic acid producing AB1.13 CAD background strains. Controlled batch cultivations with AB1.13 CAD + MFS + MTT strains showed increased production of itaconic acid compared with AB1.13 CAD strain. Moreover, preliminary RNA-Seq analysis of an itaconic acid producing AB1.13 CAD strain has led to the identification of the putative cytosolic citrate synthase citB which was induced in an IA producing strain. We have overexpressed citB in a AB1.13 CAD + MFS + MTT strain and by doing so hypothesize to have targeted itaconic acid production to the cytosolic compartment. By overexpressing citB in AB1.13 CAD + MFS + MTT strains in controlled batch cultivations we have achieved highly increased titers of up to 26.2 g/L IA with a productivity of 0.35 g/L/h while no CA was produced. Expression of the IA biosynthesis cluster in Aspergillus niger AB1.13 strain enables IA production. Moreover, in the AB1.13 CAD

Toward Sustainable Amino Acid Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Usuda, Yoshihiro; Hara, Yoshihiko; Kojima, Hiroyuki

Because the global amino acid production industry has been growing steadily and is expected to grow even more in the future, efficient production by fermentation is of great importance from economic and sustainability viewpoints. Many systems biology technologies, such as genome breeding, omics analysis, metabolic flux analysis, and metabolic simulation, have been employed for the improvement of amino acid-producing strains of bacteria. Synthetic biological approaches have recently been applied to strain development. It is also important to use sustainable carbon sources, such as glycerol or pyrolytic sugars from cellulosic biomass, instead of conventional carbon sources, such as glucose or sucrose, which can be used as food. Furthermore, reduction of sub-raw substrates has been shown to lead to reduction of environmental burdens and cost. Recently, a new fermentation system for glutamate production under acidic pH was developed to decrease the amount of one sub-raw material, ammonium, for maintenance of culture pH. At the same time, the utilization of fermentation coproducts, such as cells, ammonium sulfate, and fermentation broth, is a useful approach to decrease waste. In this chapter, further perspectives for future amino acid fermentation from one-carbon compounds are described.

Measurement of the incorporation rates of four amino acids into proteins for estimating bacterial production.

Science.gov (United States)

Servais, P

1995-03-01

In aquatic ecosystems, [(3)H]thymidine incorporation into bacterial DNA and [(3)H]leucine incorporation into proteins are usually used to estimate bacterial production. The incorporation rates of four amino acids (leucine, tyrosine, lysine, alanine) into proteins of bacteria were measured in parallel on natural freshwater samples from the basin of the river Meuse (Belgium). Comparison of the incorporation into proteins and into the total macromolecular fraction showed that these different amino acids were incorporated at more than 90% into proteins. From incorporation measurements at four subsaturated concentrations (range, 2-77 nm), the maximum incorporation rates were determined. Strong correlations (r > 0.91 for all the calculated correlations) were found between the maximum incorporation rates of the different tested amino acids over a range of two orders of magnitude of bacterial activity. Bacterial production estimates were calculated using theoretical and experimental conversion factors. The productions calculated from the incorporation rates of the four amino acids were in good concordance, especially when the experimental conversion factors were used (slope range, 0.91-1.11, and r > 0.91). This study suggests that the incorporation of various amino acids into proteins can be used to estimate bacterial production.

Bioactive natural products from novel microbial sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Challinor, Victoria L; Bode, Helge B

2015-09-01

Despite the importance of microbial natural products for human health, only a few bacterial genera have been mined for the new natural products needed to overcome the urgent threat of antibiotic resistance. This is surprising, given that genome sequencing projects have revealed that the capability to produce natural products is not a rare feature among bacteria. Even the bacteria occurring in the human microbiome produce potent antibiotics, and thus potentially are an untapped resource for novel compounds, potentially with new activities. This review highlights examples of bacteria that should be considered new sources of natural products, including anaerobes, pathogens, and symbionts of humans, insects, and nematodes. Exploitation of these producer strains, combined with advances in modern natural product research methodology, has the potential to open the way for a new golden age of microbial therapeutics. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

The design, synthesis, and anti-inflammatory evaluation of a drug-like library based on the natural product valerenic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Egbewande, Folake A; Nilsson, Niclas; White, Jonathan M; Coster, Mark J; Davis, Rohan A

2017-07-15

The plant natural product, valerenic acid (1) was chosen as a desirable scaffold for the generation of a novel screening library due to its drug-like physicochemical parameters (such as LogP, hydrogen bond donor/acceptor counts, and molecular weight). An 11-membered amide library (2-12) was subsequently generated using parallel solution-phase synthesis and Ghosez's reagent. The chemical structures of all semi-synthetic analogues (2-12) were elucidated following analysis of the NMR, MS, UV and IR data. The structures of compounds 8 and 11 were also confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. All library members were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the release of IL-8 and TNF-α. Six analogues showed moderate activity in the IL-8 assay with IC 50 values of 2.8-8.3μM, while none of the tested compounds showed any significant effect on inhibiting TNF-α release. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fatty acid composition of Swedish bakery products, with emphasis on trans-fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Trattner, Sofia; Becker, Wulf; Wretling, Sören; Öhrvik, Veronica; Mattisson, Irene

2015-05-15

Trans-fatty acids (TFA) have been associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease, by affecting blood lipids and inflammation factors. Current nutrition recommendations emphasise a limitation of dietary TFA intake. The aim of this study was to investigate fatty acid composition in sweet bakery products, with emphasis on TFA, on the Swedish market and compare fatty acid composition over time. Products were sampled in 2001, 2006 and 2007 and analysed for fatty acid composition by using GC. Mean TFA levels were 0.7% in 2007 and 5.9% in 2001 of total fatty acids. In 1995-97, mean TFA level was 14.3%. In 2007, 3 of 41 products had TFA levels above 2% of total fatty acids. TFA content had decreased in this product category, while the proportion of saturated (SFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids had increased, mostly through increased levels of 16:0 and 18:2 n-6, respectively. The total fat content remained largely unchanged. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Production of lipids and docosahexasaenoic acid (DHA) by a native Thraustochytrium strain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shene, Carolina; Leyton, Allison; Rubilar, Mónica

2013-01-01

/w. Under this growth condition lipids and DHA productivities were 50 and 23 mg/(L h), respectively. Practical applications: Consumption of long chain‐polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC‐PUFA) belonging to the omega‐3 family such as DHA has several positive effects on human and animal health. However, natural...... sources are restricted to cold‐water fish and their oils. Marine protists are also good candidates for the production of microbial DHA. For evaluating the potential of new strains the effect of the growth medium composition, growth conditions, and cultivation mode on DHA productivity has to be determined...

Gluconic Acid: Properties, Applications and Microbial Production

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Sumitra Ramachandran

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Gluconic acid is a mild organic acid derived from glucose by a simple oxidation reaction. The reaction is facilitated by the enzyme glucose oxidase (fungi and glucose dehydrogenase (bacteria such as Gluconobacter. Microbial production of gluconic acid is the preferred method and it dates back to several decades. The most studied and widely used fermentation process involves the fungus Aspergillus niger. Gluconic acid and its derivatives, the principal being sodium gluconate, have wide applications in food and pharmaceutical industry. This article gives a review of microbial gluconic acid production, its properties and applications.

Microbial reverse-electrodialysis chemical-production cell for acid and alkali production

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Xiuping

2013-06-01

A new type of bioelectrochemical system, called a microbial reverse-electrodialysis chemical-production cell (MRCC), was developed to produce acid and alkali using energy derived from organic matter (acetate) and salinity gradients (NaCl solutions representative of seawater and river water). A bipolar membrane (BPM) was placed next to the anode to prevent Cl- contamination and acidification of the anolyte, and to produce protons for HCl recovery. A 5-cell paired reverse-electrodialysis (RED) stack provided the electrical energy required to overcome the BPM over-potential (0.3-0.6 V), making the overall process spontaneous. The MRCC reactor produced electricity (908 mW/m2) as well as concentrated acidic and alkaline solutions, and therefore did not require an external power supply. After a fed-batch cycle, the pHs of the chemical product solutions were 1.65 ± 0.04 and 11.98 ± 0.10, due to the production of 1.35 ± 0.13 mmol of acid, and 0.59 ± 0.14 mmol of alkali. The acid- and alkali-production efficiencies based on generated current were 58 ± 3% and 25 ± 3%. These results demonstrated proof-of-concept acid and alkali production using only renewable energy sources. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Retinoic Acid Modulates Interferon-γ Production by Hepatic Natural Killer T Cells via Phosphatase 2A and the Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Heng-Kwei

2015-01-01

Retinoic acid (RA), an active metabolite converted from vitamin A, plays an active role in immune function, such as defending against infections and immune regulation. Although RA affects various types of immune cells, including antigen-presenting cells, B lymphocytes, and T lymphocytes, whether it affects natural killer T (NKT) cells remain unknown. In this study, we found that RA decreased interferon (IFN)-γ production by activated NKT cells through T-cell receptor (TCR) and CD28. We also found that RA reduced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, but increased phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity in TCR/CD28-stimulated NKT cells. The increased PP2A activity, at least partly, contributed to the reduction of ERK phosphorylation. Since inhibition of ERK activation decreases IFN-γ production by TCR/CD28-stimulated NKT cells, RA may downregulate IFN-γ production by TCR/CD28-stimulated NKT cells through the PP2A-ERK pathway. Our results demonstrated a novel function of RA in modulating the IFN-γ expression by activated NKT cells. PMID:25343668

Targeted natural product isolation guided by HPLC-SPE-NMR: Constituents of Hubertia species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sprogoe, K.; Staek, D.; Jager, A.K.

2007-01-01

-hydroxyphenyl)acetyl]quinic acid (3), was performed. Finally, targeted isolation of 1 was achieved by SPE fractionation and preparative HPLC, followed by evaluation of its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. In contrast to chlorogenic acid and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, which act as antioxidants...... full or partial identification of all major extract constituents and demonstrated the presence of unusual quinic acid derivatives containing the (1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetyl residue that exhibit strongly coupled ABXY patterns, the parameters of which were obtained by spin simulations....... Using homo- and heteronuclear 2D NMR data acquired in the HPLC-SPE-NMR mode, complete structure determination of three new natural products, i.e., 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-4-O-[(1-hydroxy-4-oxocyclohexa-2,5-dienyl)acetyl]quini c acid (1), its 2-hydroxy derivative (2), and 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-4-O-[(4...

Natural products as photoprotection.

Science.gov (United States)

Saewan, Nisakorn; Jimtaisong, Ampa

2015-03-01

The rise in solar ultraviolet radiation on the earth's surface has led to a depletion of stratospheric ozone over recent decades, thus accelerating the need to protect human skin against the harmful effects of UV radiation such as erythema, edema, hyperpigmentation, photoaging, and skin cancer. There are many different ways to protect skin against UV radiation's harmful effects. The most popular way to reduce the amount of UV radiation penetrating the skin is topical application of sunscreen products that contain UV absorbing or reflecting active molecules. Based on their protection mechanism, the active molecules in sunscreens are broadly divided into inorganic and organic agents. Inorganic sunscreens reflect and scatter UV and visible radiation, while organic sunscreens absorb UV radiation and then re-emit energy as heat or light. These synthetic molecules have limited concentration according to regulation concern. Several natural compounds with UV absorption property have been used to substitute for or to reduce the quantity of synthetic sunscreen agents. In addition to UV absorption property, most natural compounds were found to act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory agents, which provide further protection against the damaging effects of UV radiation exposure. Compounds derived from natural sources have gained considerable attention for use in sunscreen products and have bolstered the market trend toward natural cosmetics. This adds to the importance of there being a wide selection of active molecules in sunscreen formulations. This paper summarizes a number of natural products derived from propolis, plants, algae, and lichens that have shown potential photoprotection properties against UV radiation exposure-induced skin damage. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Synthesis and characterization of novel bioactive 1,2,4-oxadiazole natural product analogs bearing the N-phenylmaleimide and N-phenylsuccinimide moieties

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Catalin V. Maftei

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Taking into consideration the biological activity of the only natural products containing a 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring in their structure (quisqualic acid and phidianidines A and B, the natural product analogs 1-(4-(3-tert-butyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylphenylpyrrolidine-2,5-dione (4 and 1-(4-(3-tert-butyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylphenyl-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (7 were synthesized starting from 4-(3-tert-butyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylaniline (1 in two steps by isolating the intermediates 4-(4-(3-tert-butyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylphenylamino-4-oxobutanoic acid (3 and (Z-4-(4-(3-tert-butyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-5-ylphenylamino-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid (6. The two natural product analogs 4 and 7 were then tested for antitumor activity toward a panel of 11 cell lines in vitro by using a monolayer cell-survival and proliferation assay. Compound 7 was the most potent and exhibited a mean IC50 value of approximately 9.4 µM. Aniline 1 was synthesized by two routes in one-pot reactions starting from tert-butylamidoxime and 4-aminobenzoic acid or 4-nitrobenzonitrile. The structures of compounds 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 were confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

SERIES I ARTICLE. Learning Organic Chemistry. Through Natural Products. 2. Determination of Absolute Stereochemistry. N R Krishnaswamy was initiated into the world of natural products by T R. Seshadri at University of. Delhi and has carried on the glorious traditions of his mentor. He has taught at Bangalore University,.

Production of extracellular fatty acid using engineered Escherichia coli

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Liu Hui

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As an alternative for economic biodiesel production, the microbial production of extracellular fatty acid from renewable resources is receiving more concerns recently, since the separation of fatty acid from microorganism cells is normally involved in a series of energy-intensive steps. Many attempts have been made to construct fatty acid producing strains by targeting genes in the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway, while few studies focused on the cultivation process and the mass transfer kinetics. Results In this study, both strain improvements and cultivation process strategies were applied to increase extracellular fatty acid production by engineered Escherichia coli. Our results showed overexpressing ‘TesA and the deletion of fadL in E. coli BL21 (DE3 improved extracellular fatty acid production, while deletion of fadD didn’t strengthen the extracellular fatty acid production for an undetermined mechanism. Moreover, the cultivation process controls contributed greatly to extracellular fatty acid production with respect to titer, cell growth and productivity by adjusting the temperature, adding ampicillin and employing on-line extraction. Under optimal conditions, the E. coli strain (pACY-‘tesA-ΔfadL produced 4.8 g L−1 extracellular fatty acid, with the specific productivity of 0.02 g h−1 g−1dry cell mass, and the yield of 4.4% on glucose, while the ratios of cell-associated fatty acid versus extracellular fatty acid were kept below 0.5 after 15 h of cultivation. The fatty acids included C12:1, C12:0, C14:1, C14:0, C16:1, C16:0, C18:1, C18:0. The composition was dominated by C14 and C16 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Using the strain pACY-‘tesA, similar results appeared under the same culture conditions and the titer was also much higher than that ever reported previously, which suggested that the supposedly superior strain did not necessarily perform best for the efficient production of desired

Supercritical Fluid Chromatography--Theoretical Background and Applications on Natural Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, Anja; Ganzera, Markus

2015-11-01

The use of supercritical fluid chromatography for natural product analysis as well as underlying theoretical mechanisms and instrumental requirements are summarized in this review. A short introduction focusing on the historical development of this interesting separation technique is followed by remarks on the current instrumental design, also describing possible detection modes and useable stationary phases. The overview on relevant applications is grouped based on their basic intention, may it be (semi)preparative or purely analytical. They indicate that supercritical fluid chromatography is still primarily considered for the analysis of nonpolar analytes like carotenoids, fatty acids, or terpenes. The low polarity of supercritical carbon dioxide, which is used with modifiers almost exclusively as a mobile phase today, combined with high efficiency and fast separations might explain the popularity of supercritical fluid chromatography for the analysis of these compounds. Yet, it has been shown that more polar natural products (e.g., xanthones, flavonoids, alkaloids) are separable too, with the same (if not superior) selectivity and reproducibility than established approaches like HPLC or GC. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Potential of Different Coleus blumei Tissues for Rosmarinic Acid Production

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Rosemary Vuković

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rosmarinic acid is one of the main active components of Coleus blumei and is known to have numerous health benefi ts. The pharmacological significance of rosmarinic acid and its production through in vitro culture has been the subject of numerous studies. Here, the ability of different tissues to accumulate rosmarinic acid and sustainability in production over long cultivation have been tested. Calli, tumours, normal roots and hairy roots were established routinely by application of plant growth regulators or by transformation with agrobacteria. The differences among the established tumour lines were highly heterogeneous. Hairy root lines showed the highest mean growth rate and consistency in rosmarinic acid production. Although some tumour lines produced more rosmarinic acid than the hairy root lines, over a long cultivation period their productivity was unstable and decreased. Further, the effects of plant growth regulators on growth and rosmarinic acid accumulation were tested. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid significantly reduced tumour growth and rosmarinic acid production. 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid strongly stimulated hairy root growth whilst abscisic acid strongly enhanced rosmarinic acid production. Hairy roots cultured in an airlift bioreactor exhibited the highest potential for mass production of rosmarinic acid.

Guaiacol production from ferulic acid, vanillin and vanillic acid by Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris.

Science.gov (United States)

Witthuhn, R Corli; van der Merwe, Enette; Venter, Pierre; Cameron, Michelle

2012-06-15

Alicyclobacilli are thermophilic, acidophilic bacteria (TAB) that spoil fruit juice products by producing guaiacol. It is currently believed that guaiacol is formed by Alicyclobacillus in fruit juices as a product of ferulic acid metabolism. The aim of this study was to identify the precursors that can be metabolised by Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris to produce guaiacol and to evaluate the pathway of guaiacol production. A. acidoterrestris FB2 was incubated at 45°C for 7days in Bacillus acidoterrestris (BAT) broth supplemented with ferulic acid, vanillin or vanillic acid, respectively. The samples were analysed every day to determine the cell concentration, the supplement concentration using high performance liquid chromatography with UV-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and the guaiacol concentration, using both the peroxidase enzyme colourimetric assay (PECA) and HPLC-DAD. The cell concentration of A. acidoterrestris FB2 during the 7days in all samples were above the critical cell concentration of 10(5)cfu/mL reportedly required for guaiacol production. The guaiacol produced by A. acidoterrestris FB2 increased with an increase in vanillin or vanillic acid concentration and a metabolic pathway of A. acidoterrestris FB2 directly from vanillin to guaiacol was established. The high concentration of vanillic acid (1000mg/L) resulted in an initial inhibitory effect on the cells, but the cell concentration increased after day 2. Guaiacol production did not occur in the absence of either a precursor or A. acidoterrestris FB2 and guaiacol was not produced by A. acidoterrestris FB2 in the samples supplemented with ferulic acid. The presence of Alicyclobacillus spp. that has the ability to produce guaiacol, as well as the substrates vanillin or vanillic acid is prerequisite for production of guaiacol. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ruminal Methane Production on Simple Phenolic Acids Addition in in Vitro Gas Production Method

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A. Jayanegara

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Methane production from ruminants contributes to total global methane production, which is an important contributor to global warming. In this experiment, six sources of simple phenolic acids (benzoic, cinnamic, phenylacetic, caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids at two different levels (2 and 5 mM added to hay diet were evaluated for their potential to reduce enteric methane production using in vitro Hohenheim gas production method. The measured variables were gas production, methane, organic matter digestibility (OMD, and short chain fatty acids (SCFA. The results showed that addition of cinnamic, caffeic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids at 5 mM significantly (P p-coumaric > ferulic > cinnamic. The addition of simple phenols did not significantly decrease OMD. Addition of simple phenols tends to decrease total SCFA production. It was concluded that methane decrease by addition of phenolic acids was relatively small, and the effect of phenolic acids on methane decrease depended on the source and concentration applied.

Natural gas product and strategic analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Layne, A.W.; Duda, J.R.; Zammerilli, A.M.

1993-12-31

Product and strategic analysis at the Department of Energy (DOE)/Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) crosscuts all sectors of the natural gas industry. This includes the supply, transportation, and end-use sectors of the natural-gas market. Projects in the Natural Gas Resource and Extraction supply program have been integrated into a new product focus. Product development facilitates commercialization and technology transfer through DOE/industry cost-shared research, development, and demonstration (RD&D). Four products under the Resource and Extraction program include Resource and Reserves; Low Permeability Formations; Drilling, Completion, and Stimulation: and Natural Gas Upgrading. Engineering process analyses have been performed for the Slant Hole Completion Test project. These analyses focused on evaluation of horizontal-well recovery potential and applications of slant-hole technology. Figures 2 and 3 depict slant-well in situ stress conditions and hydraulic fracture configurations. Figure 4 presents Paludal Formation coal-gas production curves used to optimize the hydraulic fracture design for the slant well. Economic analyses have utilized data generated from vertical test wells to evaluate the profitability of horizontal technology for low-permeability formations in Yuma County, Colorado, and Maverick County, Texas.

Using Genomics for Natural Product Structure Elucidation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tietz, Jonathan I; Mitchell, Douglas A

2016-01-01

Natural products (NPs) are the most historically bountiful source of chemical matter for drug development-especially for anti-infectives. With insights gleaned from genome mining, interest in natural product discovery has been reinvigorated. An essential stage in NP discovery is structural elucidation, which sheds light not only on the chemical composition of a molecule but also its novelty, properties, and derivatization potential. The history of structure elucidation is replete with techniquebased revolutions: combustion analysis, crystallography, UV, IR, MS, and NMR have each provided game-changing advances; the latest such advance is genomics. All natural products have a genetic basis, and the ability to obtain and interpret genomic information for structure elucidation is increasingly available at low cost to non-specialists. In this review, we describe the value of genomics as a structural elucidation technique, especially from the perspective of the natural product chemist approaching an unknown metabolite. Herein we first introduce the databases and programs of interest to the natural products chemist, with an emphasis on those currently most suited for general usability. We describe strategies for linking observed natural product-linked phenotypes to their corresponding gene clusters. We then discuss techniques for extracting structural information from genes, illustrated with numerous case examples. We also provide an analysis of the biases and limitations of the field with recommendations for future development. Our overview is not only aimed at biologically-oriented researchers already at ease with bioinformatic techniques, but also, in particular, at natural product, organic, and/or medicinal chemists not previously familiar with genomic techniques.

The lipoxygenase metabolic pathway in plants: potential for industrial production of natural green leaf volatiles

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Gigot, C.

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Lipoxygenase enzymatic pathway is a widely studied mechanism in the plant kingdom. Combined actions of three enzymes: lipase, lipoxygenase (LOX and hydroperoxide lyase (HPL convert lipidic substrates such as C18:2 and C18:3 fatty acids into short chain volatiles. These reactions, triggered by cell membrane disruptions, produce compounds known as Green Leaf Volatiles (GLVs which are C6 or C9-aldehydes and alcohols. These GLVs are commonly used as flavors to confer a fresh green odor of vegetable to food products. Therefore, competitive biocatalytic productions have been developed to meet the high demand in these natural flavors. Vegetable oils, chosen for their lipidic acid profile, are converted by soybean LOX and plant HPL into natural GLVs. However this second step of the bioconversion presents low yield due to the HPL instability and the inhibition by its substrate. This paper will shortly describe the different enzymes involved in this bioconversion with regards to their chemical and enzymatic properties. Biotechnological techniques to enhance their production potentialities will be discussed along with their implication in a complete bioprocess, from the lipid substrate to the corresponding aldehydic or alcoholic flavors.

Metabolic Engineering of the Actinomycete Amycolatopsis sp. Strain ATCC 39116 towards Enhanced Production of Natural Vanillin

OpenAIRE

Fleige, Christian; Meyer, Florian; Steinbüchel, Alexander

2016-01-01

The Gram-positive bacterium Amycolatopsis sp. ATCC 39116 is used for the fermentative production of natural vanillin from ferulic acid on an industrial scale. The strain is known for its outstanding tolerance to this toxic product. In order to improve the productivity of the fermentation process, the strain's metabolism was engineered for higher final concentrations and molar yields. Degradation of vanillin could be decreased by more than 90% through deletion of the vdh gene, which codes for ...

Incorporating Natural Products, Pharmaceutical Drugs, Self-Care and Digital/Mobile Health Technologies into Molecular-Behavioral Combination Therapies for Chronic Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Bulaj, Grzegorz; Ahern, Margaret M.; Kuhn, Alexis; Judkins, Zachary S.; Bowen, Randy C.; Chen, Yizhe

2016-01-01

Merging pharmaceutical and digital (mobile health, mHealth) ingredients to create new therapies for chronic diseases offers unique opportunities for natural products such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), curcumin, resveratrol, theanine, or α-lipoic acid. These compounds, when combined with pharmaceutical drugs, show improved efficacy and safety in preclinical and clinical studies of epilepsy, neuropathic pain, osteoarthritis, depression, schizophrenia, diabetes and cancer. Their additional clinical benefits include reducing levels of TNFα and other inflammatory cytokines. We describe how pleiotropic natural products can be developed as bioactive incentives within the network pharmacology together with pharmaceutical drugs and self-care interventions. Since approximately 50% of chronically-ill patients do not take pharmaceutical drugs as prescribed, psychobehavioral incentives may appeal to patients at risk for medication non-adherence. For epilepsy, the incentive-based network therapy comprises anticonvulsant drugs, antiseizure natural products (n-3 PUFA, curcumin or/and resveratrol) coupled with disease-specific behavioral interventions delivered by mobile medical apps. The add-on combination of antiseizure natural products and mHealth supports patient empowerment and intrinsic motivation by having a choice in self-care behaviors. The incentivized therapies offer opportunities: (1) to improve clinical efficacy and safety of existing drugs, (2) to catalyze patient-centered, disease self-management and behavior-changing habits, also improving health-related quality-of-life after reaching remission, and (3) merging copyrighted mHealth software with natural products, thus establishing an intellectual property protection of medical treatments comprising the natural products existing in public domain and currently promoted as dietary supplements. Taken together, clinical research on synergies between existing drugs and pleiotropic natural products

Modulation of saturation and chain length of fatty acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for production of cocoa butter-like lipids.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergenholm, David; Gossing, Michael; Wei, Yongjun; Siewers, Verena; Nielsen, Jens

2018-04-01

Chain length and degree of saturation plays an important role for the characteristics of various products derived from fatty acids, such as fuels, cosmetics, and food additives. The seeds of Theobroma cacao are the source of cocoa butter, a natural lipid of high interest for the food and cosmetics industry. Cocoa butter is rich in saturated fatty acids that are stored in the form of triacylglycerides (TAGs). One of the major TAG species of cocoa butter, consisting of two stearic acid molecules and one oleic acid molecule (stearic acid-oleic acid-stearic acid, sn-SOS), is particularly rare in nature as the saturated fatty acid stearic acid is typically found only in low abundance. Demand for cocoa butter is increasing, yet T. cacao can only be cultivated in some parts of the tropics. Alternative means of production of cocoa butter lipids (CBLs) are, therefore, sought after. Yeasts also store fatty acids in the form of TAGs, but these are typically not rich in saturated fatty acids. To make yeast an attractive host for microbial production of CBLs, its fatty acid composition needs to be optimized. We engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains toward a modified fatty acid synthesis. Analysis of the fatty acid profile of the modified strains showed that the fatty acid content as well as the titers of saturated fatty acids and the titers of TAGs were increased. The relative content of potential CBLs in the TAG pool reached up to 22% in our engineered strains, which is a 5.8-fold increase over the wild-type. SOS content reached a level of 9.8% in our engineered strains, which is a 48-fold increase over the wild type. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

L-lactic acid production by Aspergillus brasiliensis overexpressing the heterologous ldha gene from Rhizopus oryzae.

Science.gov (United States)

Liaud, Nadège; Rosso, Marie-Noëlle; Fabre, Nicolas; Crapart, Sylvaine; Herpoël-Gimbert, Isabelle; Sigoillot, Jean-Claude; Raouche, Sana; Levasseur, Anthony

2015-05-03

Lactic acid is the building block of poly-lactic acid (PLA), a biopolymer that could be set to replace petroleum-based plastics. To make lactic acid production cost-effective, the production process should be carried out at low pH, in low-nutrient media, and with a low-cost carbon source. Yeasts have been engineered to produce high levels of lactic acid at low pH from glucose but not from carbohydrate polymers (e.g. cellulose, hemicellulose, starch). Aspergilli are versatile microbial cell factories able to naturally produce large amounts of organic acids at low pH and to metabolize cheap abundant carbon sources such as plant biomass. However, they have never been used for lactic acid production. To investigate the feasibility of lactic acid production with Aspergillus, the NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) responsible for lactic acid production by Rhizopus oryzae was produced in Aspergillus brasiliensis BRFM103. Among transformants, the best lactic acid producer, A. brasiliensis BRFM1877, integrated 6 ldhA gene copies, and intracellular LDH activity was 9.2 × 10(-2) U/mg. At a final pH of 1.6, lactic acid titer reached 13.1 g/L (conversion yield: 26%, w/w) at 138 h in glucose-ammonium medium. This extreme pH drop was subsequently prevented by switching nitrogen source from ammonium sulfate to Na-nitrate, leading to a final pH of 3 and a lactic acid titer of 17.7 g/L (conversion yield: 47%, w/w) at 90 h of culture. Final titer was further improved to 32.2 g/L of lactic acid (conversion yield: 44%, w/w) by adding 20 g/L glucose to the culture medium at 96 h. This strain was ultimately able to produce lactic acid from xylose, arabinose, starch and xylan. We obtained the first Aspergillus strains able to produce large amounts of lactic acid by inserting recombinant ldhA genes from R. oryzae into a wild-type A. brasiliensis strain. pH regulation failed to significantly increase lactic acid production, but switching nitrogen source and changing culture feed

Teaching 'natural product chemistry' in Tanzania | Buchanan ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Natural products 'historically' and 'today' have vast importance. This article describes the course 'Natural Product Chemistry', a new course in the 2011/2012 academic year in the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences at St. John's University of Tanzania. It reveals how the course has been applied to the African and ...

Natural Cinnamic Acids, Synthetic Derivatives and Hybrids with Antimicrobial Activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan David Guzman

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Antimicrobial natural preparations involving cinnamon, storax and propolis have been long used topically for treating infections. Cinnamic acids and related molecules are partly responsible for the therapeutic effects observed in these preparations. Most of the cinnamic acids, their esters, amides, aldehydes and alcohols, show significant growth inhibition against one or several bacterial and fungal species. Of particular interest is the potent antitubercular activity observed for some of these cinnamic derivatives, which may be amenable as future drugs for treating tuberculosis. This review intends to summarize the literature data on the antimicrobial activity of the natural cinnamic acids and related derivatives. In addition, selected hybrids between cinnamic acids and biologically active scaffolds with antimicrobial activity were also included. A comprehensive literature search was performed collating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of each cinnamic acid or derivative against the reported microorganisms. The MIC data allows the relative comparison between series of molecules and the derivation of structure-activity relationships.

Significant thermal energy reduction in lactic acid production process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mujtaba, Iqbal M.; Edreder, Elmahboub A.; Emtir, Mansour

2012-01-01

Lactic acid is widely used as a raw material for the production of biodegradable polymers and in food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The global market for lactic acid is expected to reach 259 thousand metric tons by the year 2012. For batch production of lactic acid, the traditional process includes the following steps: (i) esterification of impure lactic acid with methanol in a batch reactor to obtain methyl lactate (ester), (ii) separation of the ester in a batch distillation, (iii) hydrolysis of the ester with water in a batch reactor to produce lactic acid and (iv) separation of lactic acid (in high purity) in a batch distillation. Batch reactive distillation combines the benefit of both batch reactor and batch distillation and enhances conversion and productivity (Taylor and Krishna, 2000 ; Mujtaba and Macchietto, 1997 ). Therefore, the first and the last two steps of the lactic acid production process can be combined together in batch reactive distillation () processes. However, distillation (batch or continuous) is an energy intensive process and consumes large amount of thermal energy (via steam). This paper highlights how significant (over 50%) reduction in thermal energy consumption can be achieved for lactic acid production process by carefully controlling the reflux ratio but without compromising the product specification. In this paper, only the simultaneous hydrolysis of methyl lactate ester and the separation of lactic acid using batch reactive distillation is considered.

Biosynthesis of therapeutic natural products using synthetic biology.

Science.gov (United States)

Awan, Ali R; Shaw, William M; Ellis, Tom

2016-10-01

Natural products are a group of bioactive structurally diverse chemicals produced by microorganisms and plants. These molecules and their derivatives have contributed to over a third of the therapeutic drugs produced in the last century. However, over the last few decades traditional drug discovery pipelines from natural products have become far less productive and far more expensive. One recent development with promise to combat this trend is the application of synthetic biology to therapeutic natural product biosynthesis. Synthetic biology is a young discipline with roots in systems biology, genetic engineering, and metabolic engineering. In this review, we discuss the use of synthetic biology to engineer improved yields of existing therapeutic natural products. We further describe the use of synthetic biology to combine and express natural product biosynthetic genes in unprecedented ways, and how this holds promise for opening up completely new avenues for drug discovery and production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of Citric Acid Production through Manipulation of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An Aspergillus niger isolate was screened for citric acid production from glucose and the cultural conditions were manipulated for optimum citric acid production. Optimization studies improved citric acid yield by 13.34% from 12.81 g/l obtained during the screening test to 14.52 g/l obtained at the end of the optimization ...

Natural product synthesis at the interface of chemistry and biology

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Nature has evolved to produce unique and diverse natural products that possess high target affinity and specificity. Natural products have been the richest sources for novel modulators of biomolecular function. Since the chemical synthesis of urea by Wöhler, organic chemists have been intrigued by natural products, leading to the evolution of the field of natural product synthesis over the past two centuries. Natural product synthesis has enabled natural products to play an essential role in drug discovery and chemical biology. With the introduction of novel, innovative concepts and strategies for synthetic efficiency, natural product synthesis in the 21st century is well poised to address the challenges and complexities faced by natural product chemistry and will remain essential to progress in biomedical sciences. PMID:25043880

Production of 3-Oxo-2-(2'-pentenyl)-cyclopentane-1-octanoic Acid in the Fungus Aspergillus oryzae: A Step Towards Heterologous Production of Pyrethrins in Fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohamed, Maged E; Pahirulzaman, Khomaizon A K; Lazarus, Colin M

2016-03-01

Pyrethrins are natural insecticides, which accumulate to high concentrations in pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) flowers. Synthetic pyrethroids are more stable, more efficacious and cheaper, but contemporary requirements for safe and environmentally friendly pesticides encourage a return to the use of natural pyrethrins, and this would be favoured by development of an efficient route to their production by microbial fermentation. The biosynthesis of pyrethrins involves ester linkage between an acid moiety (chrysanthemoyl or pyrethroyl, synthesised via the mevalonic acid pathway from glucose), and an alcohol (pyrethrolone). Pyrethrolone is generated from 3-oxo-2-(2'-pentenyl)-cyclopentane-1-octanoic acid, which originates from α-linolenic acid via the jasmonic acid biosynthetic cascade. The first four genes in this cascade, encoding lipoxygenase 2, allene-oxide synthase, allene-oxide cyclase 2 and 12-oxophytodienoic acid reductase 3, were amplified from an Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA library, cloned in a purpose-built fungal multigene expression vector and expressed in Aspergillus oryzae. HPLC-MS analysis of the transgenic fungus homogenate gave good evidence for the presence of 3-oxo-2-(2'-pentenyl)-cyclopentane-1-octanoic acid.

Amino acids production focusing on fermentation technologies - A review.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Este, Martina; Alvarado-Morales, Merlin; Angelidaki, Irini

Amino acids are attractive and promising biochemicals with market capacity requirements constantly increasing. Their applicability ranges from animal feed additives, flavour enhancers and ingredients in cosmetic to specialty nutrients in pharmaceutical and medical fields. This review gives an overview of the processes applied for amino acids production and points out the main advantages and disadvantages of each. Due to the advances made in the genetic engineering techniques, the biotechnological processes, and in particular the fermentation with the aid of strains such as Corynebacterium glutamicum or Escherichia coli, play a significant role in the industrial production of amino acids. Despite the numerous advantages of the fermentative amino acids production, the process still needs significant improvements leading to increased productivity and reduction of the production costs. Although the production processes of amino acids have been extensively investigated in previous studies, a comprehensive overview of the developments in bioprocess technology has not been reported yet. This review states the importance of the fermentation process for industrial amino acids production, underlining the strengths and the weaknesses of the process. Moreover, the potential of innovative approaches utilizing macro and microalgae or bacteria are presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contrasting effects of anthropogenic and natural acidity in streams: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrin, Zlatko; Englund, Göran; Malmqvist, Björn

2008-05-22

Large-scale human activities including the extensive combustion of fossil fuels have caused acidification of freshwater systems on a continental scale, resulting in reduced species diversity and, in some instances, impaired ecological functioning. In regions where acidity is natural, however, species diversity and functioning seem to be less affected. This contrasting response is likely to have more than one explanation including the possibility of adaptation in organisms exposed to natural acidity over evolutionary time scales and differential toxicity due to dissimilarities in water chemistry other than pH. However, empirical evidence supporting these hypotheses is equivocal. Partly, this is because previous research has mainly been conducted at relatively small geographical scales, and information on ecological functioning in this context is generally scarce. Our goal was to test whether anthropogenic acidity has stronger negative effects on species diversity and ecological functioning than natural acidity. Using a meta-analytic approach based on 60 datasets, we show that macroinvertebrate species richness and the decomposition of leaf litter -- an important process in small streams -- tend to decrease with increasing acidity across regions and across both the acidity categories. Macroinvertebrate species richness, however, declines three times more rapidly with increasing acidity where it is anthropogenic than where it is natural, in agreement with the adaptation hypothesis and the hypothesis of differences in water chemistry. By contrast, the loss in ecological functioning differs little between the categories, probably because increases in the biomass of taxa remaining at low pH compensate for losses in functionality that would otherwise accompany losses of taxa from acidic systems. This example from freshwater acidification illustrates how natural and anthropogenic stressors can differ markedly in their effects on species diversity and one aspect of

LC/MS/MS identification of some folic acid degradation products after E-beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araújo, M.M.; Marchioni, E.; Zhao, M.; Kuntz, F.; Di Pascoli, T.; Villavicencio, A.L.C.H.; Bergaentzle, M.

2012-01-01

Folates belong to the B vitamin group based on the parental compound folic acid (FA). They are involved in important biochemical processes like DNA synthesis and repair. FA is composed of a pteridine ring, p-aminobenzoic acid and glutamate moieties. The human metabolism is not able to synthesize folates and therefore obtain them from diet. FA, a synthetic vitamin, is used as a food fortificant because of its low price, relative stability and increased bioavailability compared to natural folate forms. FA is known to be a sensitive compound easily degradable in aqueous solution by ultraviolet and visible light towards various by-products. Irradiation is a process for preservation of foods that uses accelerated electrons, gamma rays or X-rays. Irradiation is proposed for the treatment of various food products, eliminating or reducing pathogens and insects, increasing the storage time and replacing chemical fumigants. This study concerns the identification of degradation products of FA after E-beam irradiation. FA aqueous solutions were irradiated with a Van de Graaff electrons beam accelerator (2 MeV, 100 μA current, 20 cm scan width, dose rate about 2 kGy/s). Applied doses were between 0 (control) and 10.0 kGy. Absorbed doses were monitored with FWT 60.00 radiochromic dosimeters. - Highlights: ► We investigated the degradation of folic acid aqueous solution after electron beam treatment. ► Radiation doses over 5 kGy promote huge folic acid degradation and appearance of several degradation products. ► PCA, PABA and pABGA, already known folic acid degradation products, are formed due to E-beam treatment. ► Xanthopterin, a new radio-induced breakdown product, is formed after irradiation treatment.

Natural Connections on Riemannian Product Manifolds

OpenAIRE

Gribacheva, Dobrinka

2011-01-01

A Riemannian almost product manifold with integrable almost product structure is called a Riemannian product manifold. In the present paper the natural connections on such manifolds are studied, i.e. the linear connections preserving the almost product structure and the Riemannian metric.

230Th, 232Th and 238U determinations in phosphoric acid fertilizer and process products by ICP-MS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nascimento, Marcos R.L. do; Guerreiro, Luisa M.R.; Bonifacio, Rodrigo L.; Taddei, Maria H.T.

2015-01-01

Through processing of Santa Quiteria-CE mine phosphate rock, Brazil has established a project for production of phosphoric acid fertilizer and uranium as a by-product. Under leaching conditions of phosphate rock with sulfuric acid, which is the common route for preparing phosphoric acid fertilizer, a large part of uranium, thorium and their decay products naturally present in the rock are solubilized. In order to assess the contamination potential in phosphoric acid and others process products, this paper describes a previous precipitation and direct methods for routine analysis of thorium and uranium isotopes by ICP-MS. In all samples, 230 Th, 232 Th and 238 U were directly determined after dilution, except 230 Th in phosphoric acid loaded with uranium sample, which to overcome equipment contamination effect, was determined after its separation by oxalate precipitation using lanthanum as a carrier. The results obtained by the proposed method by ICP-MS, were in good agreement when compared to alpha spectrometry for 230 Th, and ICP-OES and spectrophotometry with arsenazo III for elementary uranium and thorium determinations. (author)

Nature tourism: a sustainable tourism product

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Violante Martínez Quintana

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Nature tourism has emerged in the tourism field as a result of a logical evolution in line with public policies and academic research. After negative outcomes from traditional models first raised the alarm, the entire sector has tried to foster local development based on models of responsibility and sustainability. This article revises key concepts of nature – based tourism and shows new tendencies and the perception of cultural landscapes that are seen as tourism products. Finally, it concludes by analysing new tendencies to foster alternative nature – based tourism. It also presents a planning proposal based on a responsible and sustainable tourism model to guarantee a sustainable tourism product within the natural and cultural heritage context.

[CONTENT OF TRANS FATTY ACIDS IN FOOD PRODUCTS IN SPAIN].

Science.gov (United States)

Robledo de Dios, Teresa; Dal Re Saavedra, M Ángeles; Villar Villalba, Carmen; Pérez-Farinós, Napoleón

2015-09-01

trans fatty acids are associated to several health disorders, as ischemic heart disease or diabetes mellitus. to assess the content of trans fatty acids in products in Spain, and the percentage of trans fatty acids respecting total fatty acids. 443 food products were acquired in Spain, and they were classified into groups. The content in fatty acids was analyzed using gas chromatography. Estimates of central tendency and variability of the content of trans fatty acids in each food group were computed (in g of trans fatty acids/100 g of product). The percentage of trans fatty acids respecting total fatty acids was calculated in each group. 443 products were grouped into 42 groups. Median of trans fatty acids was less than 0.55 g / 100 g of product in all groups except one. 83 % of groups had less than 2 % of trans fatty acids, and 71 % of groups had less than 1 %. the content of trans fatty acids in Spain is low, and it currently doesn't play a public health problem. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

New Synthetic Methods for Hypericum Natural Products

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeon, Insik [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2006-01-01

Organic chemistry has served as a solid foundation for interdisciplinary research areas, such as molecular biology and medicinal chemistry. An understanding of the biological activities and structural elucidations of natural products can lead to the development of clinically valuable therapeutic options. The advancements of modern synthetic methodologies allow for more elaborate and concise natural product syntheses. The theme of this study centers on the synthesis of natural products with particularly challenging structures and interesting biological activities. The synthetic expertise developed here will be applicable to analog syntheses and to other research problems.

Biotechnological applications for rosmarinic acid production in plant ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Biotechnological applications for rosmarinic acid production in plant. ... rosmarinic acid in medicinal plants, herbs and spices has beneficial and health promoting ... of rosmarinic acid starts with the amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine.

Availability of lignocellulosic feedstocks for lactic acid production - Feedstock availability, lactic acid production potential and selection criteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, R.R.C.

2013-01-01

The overall objective of this study is to assess the worldwide availability and suitability of agricultural residues for lactic acid production, based on fermentation of carbohydrates. The study focuses on lignocellulosic biomass that is produced as a by-product of agricultural production. The

Lactic acid Production with in situ Extraction in Membrane Bioreactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hamidreza Ghafouri Taleghani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background and Objective: Lactic acid is widely used in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The major problems associated with lactic acid production are substrate and end-product inhibition, and by-product formation. Membrane technologyrepresents one of the most effective processes for lactic acid production. The aim of this work is to increase cell density and lactic acid productivity due to reduced inhibition effect of substrate and product in membrane bioreactor.Material and Methods: In this work, lactic acid was produced from lactose in membrane bioreactor. A laboratory scale membrane bioreactor was designed and fabricated. Five types of commercial membranes were tested at the same operating conditions (transmembrane pressure: 500 KPa and temperature: 25°C. The effects of initial lactose concentration and dilution rate on biomass growth, lactic acid production and substrate utilization were evaluated.Results and Conclusion: The high lactose retention of 79% v v-1 and low lactic acid retention of 22% v v-1 were obtained with NF1 membrane; therefore, this membrane was selected for membrane bioreactor. The maximal productivity of 17.1 g l-1 h-1 was obtainedwith the lactic acid concentration of 71.5 g l-1 at the dilution rate of 0.24 h−1. The maximum concentration of lactic acid was obtained at the dilution rate of 0.04 h−1. The inhibiting effect of lactic acid was not observed at high initial lactose concentration. The critical lactose concentration at which the cell growth severely hampered was 150 g l-1. This study proved that membrane bioreactor had great advantages such as elimination of substrate and product inhibition, high concentration of process substrate, high cell density,and high lactic acid productivity.Conflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest.

Inhibitive effect of a naturally-occurring substance, tobacco, on the dissolution of mild steel in hydrochloric acid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Srivastava, K; Srivastava, P

1980-12-01

A number of naturally-occurring substances has been found to be effective inhibitors for the dissolution of mild steel in hydrochloric acid. The alkaloids nicotine and papaverine, contained in natural products such as tobacco leaves and black pepper, have proved themselves as excellent inhibitors. Considering the low cost of tobacco leaves, detailed studies were made with these, and they have been found to form an effective inhibitor under all practical conditions. Adsorption studies based on weight-loss measurements showed that adsorption of inhibitor obeys Freundlich's adsorption isoth

Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Fruit Extract as Natural Indicator in Acid-Base Titration

OpenAIRE

Manoj A. Suva

2014-01-01

In routine experiments synthetic indicators are the choice of acid base titrations. But there are some limitations like environmental pollution, availability and higher cost which leads to search for natural compounds as an acid base indicator was started. The present work highlights theexploit of the methanolic and aqueous extract of the fruit of Opuntia ficus indica plants as a natural acid base indicator in acid base titrations. Opuntia ficus indica plant was identified and fruits were was...

Multi-channel counter-current chromatography for high-throughput fractionation of natural products for drug discovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shihua; Yang, Lu; Gao, Yuan; Liu, Xiaoyue; Liu, Feiyan

2008-02-08

A multi-channel counter-current chromatography (CCC) method has been designed and fabricated for the high-throughput fractionation of natural products without complications sometimes encountered with other conventional chromatographic systems, such as irreversible adsorptive constituent losses and deactivation, tailing of solute peaks and contamination. It has multiple independent CCC channels and each channel connects independent separation column(s) by parallel flow tubes, and thus the multi-channel CCC apparatus can achieve simultaneously two or more independent chromatographic processes. Furthermore, a high-throughput CCC fractionation method for natural products has been developed by a combination of a new three-channel CCC apparatus and conventional parallel chromatographic devices including pumps, sample injectors, effluent detectors and collectors, and its performance has been displayed on the fractionation of ethyl acetate extracts of three natural materials Solidago canadensis, Suillus placidus, and Trichosanthes kirilowii, which are found to be potent cytotoxic to tumor cell lines in the course of screening the antitumor candidates. By combination of biological screening programs and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) purification, 22.8 mg 6 beta-angeloyloxykolavenic acid and 29.4 mg 6 beta-tigloyloxykolavenic acid for S. canadensis, 25.3mg suillin for S. placidus, and 6.8 mg 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin B for T. Kirilowii as their major cytotoxic principles were isolated from each 1000 mg crude ethyl acetate extract. Their chemical structures were characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. The overall results indicate the multi-channel CCC is very useful for high-throughput fractionation of natural products for drug discovery in spite of the solvent balancing requirement and the lower resolution of the shorter CCC columns.

Fumaric acid production using renewable resources from biodiesel and cane sugar production processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Papadaki, Aikaterini; Papapostolou, Harris; Alexandri, Maria; Kopsahelis, Nikolaos; Papanikolaou, Seraphim; de Castro, Aline Machado; Freire, Denise M G; Koutinas, Apostolis A

2018-04-13

The microbial production of fumaric acid by Rhizopus arrhizus NRRL 2582 has been evaluated using soybean cake from biodiesel production processes and very high polarity (VHP) sugar from sugarcane mills. Soybean cake was converted into a nutrient-rich hydrolysate via a two-stage bioprocess involving crude enzyme production via solid state fermentations (SSF) of either Aspergillus oryzae or R. arrhizus cultivated on soybean cake followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of soybean cake. The soybean cake hydrolysate produced using crude enzymes derived via SSF of R. arrhizus was supplemented with VHP sugar and evaluated using different initial free amino nitrogen (FAN) concentrations (100, 200, and 400 mg/L) in fed-batch cultures for fumaric acid production. The highest fumaric acid concentration (27.3 g/L) and yield (0.7 g/g of total consumed sugars) were achieved when the initial FAN concentration was 200 mg/L. The combination of VHP sugar with soybean cake hydrolysate derived from crude enzymes produced by SSF of A. oryzae at 200 mg/L initial FAN concentration led to the production of 40 g/L fumaric acid with a yield of 0.86 g/g of total consumed sugars. The utilization of sugarcane molasses led to low fumaric acid production by R. arrhizus, probably due to the presence of various minerals and phenolic compounds. The promising results achieved through the valorization of VHP sugar and soybean cake suggest that a focused study on molasses pretreatment could lead to enhanced fumaric acid production.

Effects of Phenolic Acids on the Growth and Production of T-2 and HT-2 Toxins by Fusarium langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferruz, Elena; Atanasova-Pénichon, Vessela; Bonnin-Verdal, Marie-Noëlle; Marchegay, Gisèle; Pinson-Gadais, Laëtitia; Ducos, Christine; Lorán, Susana; Ariño, Agustín; Barreau, Christian; Richard-Forget, Florence

2016-04-04

The effect of natural phenolic acids was tested on the growth and production of T-2 and HT-2 toxins by Fusarium langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides, on Mycotoxin Synthetic medium. Plates treated with 0.5 mM of each phenolic acid (caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic and p-coumaric) and controls without phenolic acid were incubated for 14 days at 25 °C. Fungal biomass of F. langsethiae and F. sporotrichioides was not reduced by the phenolic acids. However, biosynthesis of T-2 toxin by F. langsethiae was significantly reduced by chlorogenic (23.1%) and ferulic (26.5%) acids. Production of T-2 by F. sporotrichioides also decreased with ferulic acid by 23% (p phenolic acids had a variable effect on fungal growth and mycotoxin production, depending on the strain and the concentration and type of phenolic acid assayed.

Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitors (MMPIs from Marine Natural Products: the Current Situation and Future Prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Se-Kwon Kim

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs are a family of more than twenty five secreted and membrane-bound zinc-endopeptidases which can degrade extracellular matrix (ECM components. They also play important roles in a variety of biological and pathological processes. Matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors (MMPIs have been identified as potential therapeutic candidates for metastasis, arthritis, chronic inflammation and wrinkle formation. Up to present, more than 20,000 new compounds have been isolated from marine organisms, where considerable numbers of these naturally occurring derivatives are developed as potential candidates for pharmaceutical application. Eventhough the quantity of marine derived MMPIs is less when compare with the MMPIs derived from terrestrial materials, huge potential for bioactivity of these marine derived MMPIs has lead to large number of researches. Saccharoids, flavonoids and polyphones, fatty acids are the most important groups of MMPIs derived from marine natural products. In this review we focus on the progress of MMPIs from marine natural products.

Strain-related acid production by oral streptococci

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Soet, JJ; Nyvad, Bente; Kilian, Mogens

2000-01-01

Acid production, in particular at low pH, is thought to be an important ecological determinant in dental caries. The aim of the present study was to determine the acid producing capability at different pH levels of 47 streptococcal strains, representing 9 species, isolated from human dental plaque....... The bacteria were grown until mid log-phase under anaerobic conditions and acid production was measured in a pH-stat system at pH 7.0, 6.0, 5.5 and 5.0. At all pH values, the mean velocity of acid production (V(ap)) by Streptococcus mutans and S. sobrinus was significantly higher (p... that of the other oral streptococci, including S. mitis, S. oralis, S. gordonii, S. sanguis, S. intermedius, S. anginosus, S. constellatus, and S. vestibularis. However, the V(ap) of some strains of S. mitis biovar 1 and S. oralis, particularly at pH values of 7.0 and 6.0, exceeded that of some strains of S. mutans...

On the Relation between Natural and Enforced Syneresis of Acidic Precipitated Silica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Wilhelm

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Silica in industrial production processes is precipitated by mixing an acid and an inorganic precursor. In this aqueous solution, silica particles form due to a polymerization reaction and agglomeration and, finally, build a gel. Thereafter, the reaction continues, and the gel network shrinks with the expulsion of the enclosed pore liquid. This slow process is known as “natural syneresis” and strongly affects the product properties, such as the agglomerate size, specific surface or porosity of the silica produced. In order to investigate the influence of process parameters, such as temperature, pH or ionic strength, on the shrinkage in shorter time-scales, we propose an acceleration of this process and define it as “enforced syneresis”. The acceleration is performed by applying a mechanical external force to the gel by means of a plunger and measuring the shrinkage behavior under these conditions. Thereby, the conceptual idea is the prediction of the shrinkage due to natural syneresis based on the results of enforced syneresis. We are now able to predict the natural syneresis behavior from enforced syneresis data by the development of a correlative model. Using this prediction model, we can show the influence of temperature on the maximum shrinkage and on its rate in a significantly shorter time of about 12 h instead of several days.

An innovative model for regulating supplement products: Natural health products in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nestmann, Earle R.; Harwood, Melody; Martyres, Stephanie

2006-01-01

On 1 January 2004, Health Canada officially added a new term to the global list of synonyms for dietary supplements: natural health products (NHP). Developed with the intent of providing Canadian consumers with ready access to NHP that are safe, effective, and of high quality, the Natural Health Products Regulations (the NHP regulations) are applicable to the sale, manufacture, packaging, labelling, importation, distribution, and storage of NHP, and are administered by the recently formed Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) within Health Canada. This paper provides an overview of the process for regulating supplement products in Canada

Research and development on process components for hydrogen production. (1) Test-fabrication of sulfuric acid transfer pump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iwatsuki, Jin; Terada, Atsuhiko; Hino, Ryutaro; Kubo, Shinji; Onuki, Kaoru; Watanabe, Yutaka

2009-01-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been conducting a research and development on hydrogen production system using High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor. As a part of this effort, thermochemical water-splitting cycle featuring iodine- and sulfur-compounds (IS process) is under development considering its potential of large-scale economical hydrogen production. The IS process constitutes very severe environments to the materials of construction because of the corrosive nature of process chemicals, especially of the high temperature acidic solutions of sulfuric acid and hydriodic acid dissolving iodine. Therefore, selection of the corrosion-resistant materials and development of the components have been the crucial subjects of process development. This paper concerns the sulfuric acid transfer pump. The development has been implemented of a pump for transporting concentrated sulfuric acid at temperatures of higher than 300degC and at elevated pressure. Recent progress of these activities will be reported. (author)

Uric acid disrupts hypochlorous acid production and the bactericidal activity of HL-60 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Larissa A C; Lopes, João P P B; Kaihami, Gilberto H; Silva, Railmara P; Bruni-Cardoso, Alexandre; Baldini, Regina L; Meotti, Flavia C

2018-06-01

Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism in humans and is an alternative physiological substrate for myeloperoxidase. Oxidation of uric acid by this enzyme generates uric acid free radical and urate hydroperoxide, a strong oxidant and potentially bactericide agent. In this study, we investigated whether the oxidation of uric acid and production of urate hydroperoxide would affect the killing activity of HL-60 cells differentiated into neutrophil-like cells (dHL-60) against a highly virulent strain (PA14) of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While bacterial cell counts decrease due to dHL-60 killing, incubation with uric acid inhibits this activity, also decreasing the release of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α). In a myeloperoxidase/Cl - /H 2 O 2 cell-free system, uric acid inhibited the production of HOCl and bacterial killing. Fluorescence microscopy showed that uric acid also decreased the levels of HOCl produced by dHL-60 cells, while significantly increased superoxide production. Uric acid did not alter the overall oxidative status of dHL-60 cells as measured by the ratio of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione. Our data show that uric acid impairs the killing activity of dHL-60 cells likely by competing with chloride by myeloperoxidase catalysis, decreasing HOCl production. Despite diminishing HOCl, uric acid probably stimulates the formation of other oxidants, maintaining the overall oxidative status of the cells. Altogether, our results demonstrated that HOCl is, indeed, the main relevant oxidant against bacteria and deviation of myeloperoxidase activity to produce other oxidants hampers dHL-60 killing activity. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Succinic acid production from acid hydrolysate of corn fiber by Actinobacillus succinogenes.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kequan; Jiang, Min; Wei, Ping; Yao, Jiaming; Wu, Hao

2010-01-01

Dilute acid hydrolysate of corn fiber was used as carbon source for the production of succinic acid by Actinobacillus succinogenes NJ113. The optimized hydrolysis conditions were obtained by orthogonal experiments. When corn fiber particles were of 20 mesh in size and treated with 1.0% sulfuric acid at 121 degrees C for 2 h, the total sugar yield could reach 63.3%. It was found that CaCO(3) neutralization combined with activated carbon adsorption was an effective method to remove fermentation inhibitors especially furfural that presented in the acid hydrolysate of corn fiber. Only 5.2% of the total sugar was lost, while 91.9% of furfural was removed. The yield of succinic acid was higher than 72.0% with the detoxified corn fiber hydrolysate as the carbon source in anaerobic bottles or 7.5 L fermentor cultures. It was proved that the corn fiber hydrolysate could be an alternative to glucose for the production of succinic acid by A. succinogenes NJ113.

Bioengineering natural product biosynthetic pathways for therapeutic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming-Cheng; Law, Brian; Wilkinson, Barrie; Micklefield, Jason

2012-12-01

With the advent of next-generation DNA sequencing technologies, the number of microbial genome sequences has increased dramatically, revealing a vast array of new biosynthetic gene clusters. Genomics data provide a tremendous opportunity to discover new natural products, and also to guide the bioengineering of new and existing natural product scaffolds for therapeutic applications. Notably, it is apparent that the vast majority of biosynthetic gene clusters are either silent or produce very low quantities of the corresponding natural products. It is imperative therefore to devise methods for activating unproductive biosynthetic pathways to provide the quantities of natural products needed for further development. Moreover, on the basis of our expanding mechanistic and structural knowledge of biosynthetic assembly-line enzymes, new strategies for re-programming biosynthetic pathways have emerged, resulting in focused libraries of modified products with potentially improved biological properties. In this review we will focus on the latest bioengineering approaches that have been utilised to optimise yields and increase the structural diversity of natural product scaffolds for future clinical applications. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nigerian Journal of Natural Products and Medicine

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nigerian Journal of Natural Products and Medicine is published by the Nigerian Society of Pharmacognosy, a non profit organisation established in 1982 dedicated to the promotion of Pharmacognosy, Natural Products and Traditional Medicine. It has a current circulation of about 500 to scientists in Nigeria and abroad.

Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria with Potential to Design Natural Biofunctional Health-Promoting Dairy Foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Linares, Daniel M; Gómez, Carolina; Renes, Erica; Fresno, José M; Tornadijo, María E; Ross, R P; Stanton, Catherine

2017-01-01

Consumer interest in healthy lifestyle and health-promoting natural products is a major driving force for the increasing global demand of biofunctional dairy foods. A number of commercial sources sell synthetic formulations of bioactive substances for use as dietary supplements. However, the bioactive-enrichment of health-oriented foods by naturally occurring microorganisms during dairy fermentation is in increased demand. While participating in milk fermentation, lactic acid bacteria can be exploited in situ as microbial sources for naturally enriching dairy products with a broad range of bioactive components that may cover different health aspects. Several of these bioactive metabolites are industrially and economically important, as they are claimed to exert diverse health-promoting activities on the consumer, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, immune-modulatory, anti-cholesterolemic, or microbiome modulation. This review aims at discussing the potential of these health-supporting bacteria as starter or adjunct cultures for the elaboration of dairy foods with a broad spectrum of new functional properties and added value.

Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria with Potential to Design Natural Biofunctional Health-Promoting Dairy Foods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel M. Linares

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Consumer interest in healthy lifestyle and health-promoting natural products is a major driving force for the increasing global demand of biofunctional dairy foods. A number of commercial sources sell synthetic formulations of bioactive substances for use as dietary supplements. However, the bioactive-enrichment of health-oriented foods by naturally occurring microorganisms during dairy fermentation is in increased demand. While participating in milk fermentation, lactic acid bacteria can be exploited in situ as microbial sources for naturally enriching dairy products with a broad range of bioactive components that may cover different health aspects. Several of these bioactive metabolites are industrially and economically important, as they are claimed to exert diverse health-promoting activities on the consumer, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, immune-modulatory, anti-cholesterolemic, or microbiome modulation. This review aims at discussing the potential of these health-supporting bacteria as starter or adjunct cultures for the elaboration of dairy foods with a broad spectrum of new functional properties and added value.

Ferulic acid: an antioxidant found naturally in plant cell walls and feruloyl esterases involved in its release and their applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathew, Sindhu; Abraham, T Emilia

2004-01-01

Ferulic acid is the most abundant hydroxycinnamic acid in the plant world and maize bran with 3.1% (w/w) ferulic acid is one of the most promising sources of this antioxidant. The dehydrodimers of ferulic acid are important structural components in the plant cell wall and serve to enhance its rigidity and strength. Feruloyl esterases are a subclass of the carboxylic acid esterases that hydrolyze the ester bond between hydroxycinnamic acids and sugars present in plant cell walls and they have been isolated from a wide range of microorganisms, when grown on complex substrates such as cereal brans, sugar beet pulp, pectin and xylan. These enzymes perform a function similar to alkali in the deesterification of plant cell wall and differ in their specificities towards the methyl esters of cinnamic acids and ferulolylated oligosaccharides. They act synergistically with xylanases and pectinases and facilitate the access of hydrolases to the backbone of cell wall polymers. The applications of ferulic acid and feruloyl esterase enzymes are many and varied. Ferulic acid obtained from agricultural byproducts is a potential precursor for the production of natural vanillin, due to the lower production cost.

Production and Recovery of Pyruvic Acid: Recent Advances

Science.gov (United States)

Pal, Dharm; Keshav, Amit; Mazumdar, Bidyut; Kumar, Awanish; Uslu, Hasan

2017-12-01

Pyruvic acid is an important keto-carboxylic acid and can be manufactured by both chemical synthesis and biotechnological routes. In the present paper an overview of recent developments and challenges in various existing technique for the production and recovery of pyruvic acid from fermentation broth or from waste streams has been presented. The main obstacle in biotechnological production of pyruvic acid is development of suitable microorganism which can provide high yield and selectivity. On the other hand, technical limitation in recovery of pyruvic acid from fermentation broth is that, it could not be separated as other carboxylic acid in the form of salts by addition of alkali. Besides, pyruvic acid cannot be crystallized. Commercial separation by distillation is very expensive because pyruvic acid decomposes at higher temperature. It is also chemically reactive due to its peculiar molecular structure and has tendency to polymerize. Thus, at high concentration the various type of reaction leads to lower yield of the product, and hence, conventional methods are not favorable. Alternate separation technologies viable to both synthetic and biological routes are the current research areas. Latest techniques such as reactive extraction is new to the field of recovery of pyruvic acid. Recent development and future prospects in downstream processing of biochemically produced pyruvic acids has been discussed in this review article.

Succinic acid production by escherichia coli under anaerobic fermentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Shafey, H.M.; Meleigy, S.A.

2009-01-01

The effect of alteration of growth conditions, addition of different sodium salts, and irradiation by gamma rays on succinic acid production by E. coli was studied. Twenty one isolates were obtained from buffalo's rumen, and anaerobic screening of the isolated bacterial strains showed the abilities of seventeen strains to produce succinic acid. The two bacterial strains having highest succinic acid production were identified as escherichia coli SP9 and SP16, and were selected for further studies. Results showed that growth conditions yielded highest succinic acid production for the two isolates were: 72 hours incubation, 37 degree c incubation temperature, initial ph of the fermentation medium 6.0,and 3% (v/v)inoculum size. Addition of 5 mm of nine different sodium salts to the fermentation medium showed stimulating effect on succinic acid production of the nine tried sodium salts, sodium carbonate was found to have the highest enhancing effect, especially if used at 15 mm concentration. Gamma irradiation doses tried were in the range of (0.25-1.50 kGy). An enhancing effect on succinic acid production was shown in the range of 0.25-0.75 kGy with a maximal production at 0.75 kGy (giving 8.36% increase) for e.coli SP9, and in the range of 0.25-1.00 kGy with a maximal production at 1.0 kGy (7.60% increase) for e.coli SP16. higher gamma doses led to a decrease in the enhancing effect. An overall increase in the succinic acid yield of 79.45% and 94.26% for e. coli SP9 and SP16, respectively, was achieved in implicating all optimized factors for succinic acid production in one time

PRODUCTION OF TRIFLUOROACETIC ACID COMPOUNDS

Science.gov (United States)

Haworth, W.N.; Stacey, M.

1949-08-30

A process is described for the preparation of trifluoroacetic acid. Acetone vapor diluted wlth nitrogen and fluorine also diluted with nltrogen are fed separately at a temperature of about 210 deg C into a reaction vessel containing a catalyst mass selected from-the group consisting of silver and gold. The temperature in the reaction vessel is maintained in the range of 200 deg to 250 deg C. The reaction product, trifluoroacetyl fluoride, is absorbed in aqueous alkali solution. Trifluoroacetic acid is recovered from the solution by acidification wlth an acid such as sulfuric followed by steam distillation.

Production of highly unsaturated fatty acids using agro-processing by-products

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Jacobs, A

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The South African agro-processing industry generates millions of tons of cereal derived by-products annually. The by-products from biofuel production are expected to increase these volumes dramatically. Highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA...

Microbial Production of Malic Acid from Biofuel-Related Coproducts and Biomass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas P. West

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The dicarboxylic acid malic acid synthesized as part of the tricarboxylic acid cycle can be produced in excess by certain microorganisms. Although malic acid is produced industrially to a lesser extent than citric acid, malic acid has industrial applications in foods and pharmaceuticals as an acidulant among other uses. Only recently has the production of this organic acid from coproducts of industrial bioprocessing been investigated. It has been shown that malic acid can be synthesized by microbes from coproducts generated during biofuel production. More specifically, malic acid has been shown to be synthesized by species of the fungus Aspergillus on thin stillage, a coproduct from corn-based ethanol production, and on crude glycerol, a coproduct from biodiesel production. In addition, the fungus Ustilago trichophora has also been shown to produce malic acid from crude glycerol. With respect to bacteria, a strain of the thermophilic actinobacterium Thermobifida fusca has been shown to produce malic acid from cellulose and treated lignocellulosic biomass. An alternate method of producing malic acid is to use agricultural biomass converted to syngas or biooil as a substrate for fungal bioconversion. Production of poly(β-l-malic acid by strains of Aureobasidium pullulans from agricultural biomass has been reported where the polymalic acid is subsequently hydrolyzed to malic acid. This review examines applications of malic acid, metabolic pathways that synthesize malic acid and microbial malic acid production from biofuel-related coproducts, lignocellulosic biomass and poly(β-l-malic acid.

Production of caffeoylmalic acid from glucose in engineered Escherichia coli.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Tianzhen; Zhou, Wei; Bi, Huiping; Zhuang, Yibin; Zhang, Tongcun; Liu, Tao

2018-07-01

To achieve biosynthesis of caffeoylmalic acid from glucose in engineered Escherichia coli. We constructed the biosynthetic pathway of caffeoylmalic acid in E. coli by co-expression of heterologous genes RgTAL, HpaBC, At4CL2 and HCT2. To enhance the production of caffeoylmalic acid, we optimized the tyrosine metabolic pathway of E. coli to increase the supply of the substrate caffeic acid. Consequently, an E. coli-E. coli co-culture system was used for the efficient production of caffeoylmalic acid. The final titer of caffeoylmalic acid reached 570.1 mg/L. Microbial production of caffeoylmalic acid using glucose has application potential. In addition, microbial co-culture is an efficient tool for producing caffeic acid esters.

Natural Products in the Discovery of Agrochemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Loiseleur, Olivier

2017-12-01

Natural products have a long history of being used as, or serving as inspiration for, novel crop protection agents. Many of the discoveries in agrochemical research in the last decades have their origin in a wide range of natural products from a variety of sources. In light of the continuing need for new tools to address an ever-changing array of fungal, weed and insect pests, new agricultural practices and evolving regulatory requirements, the needs for new agrochemical tools remains as critical as ever. In that respect, nature continues to be an important source for novel chemical structures and biological mechanisms to be applied for the development of pest control agents. Here we review several of the natural products and their derivatives which contributed to shape crop protection research in past and present.

Production and analysis of organic acids in hairy-root cultures of Isatis indigotica Fort. (indigo woad).

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Tiefeng; Zhang, Lei; Sun, Xiaofen; Zhang, Hanming; Tang, Kexuan

2004-02-01

Hairy roots were induced from both cotyledon and hypocotyl explants of Isatis indigotica Fort. (indigo woad) through transformation with Agrobaterium rhizogenes strain A4, R1601 and ATCC15834. The results showed that the cotyledons were the preferred explants to hypocotyls and A4 was the most suitable A. rhizogenes strain for the transformation and induction of hairy roots of I. indigotica. High-voltage paper electrophoresis (HVPE) analysis demonstrated the production of mannopine in hairy roots and confirmed the successful transfer of Ri T-DNA (root-inducing transferred DNA) of A. rhizogenes into the I. indigotica genome. Five organic acids, namely CPQ [3-(2-carboxyphenol)-4(3 H )-quinazolinone], syringic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid and 2-aminobenzoic acid, which were considered as main antiviral components of I. indigotica, were detected in natural roots, hairy roots and liquid media with high-performance capillary electrophoresis. The results showed CPQ production in hairy roots was significantly higher than that in natural roots. Our results also revealed that all the five organic acids could be excreted from hairy roots into liquid media, and the concentrations of organic acids in the liquid media paralleled those in hairy roots. The hairy roots of I. indigotica grew fast and showed an S-shaped growth curve that reached its apex on the day 24 of culture with a 20-fold increase in fresh weight compared with the starting inoculums. The accumulation of the two organic acids CPQ and syringic acid in liquid media paralleled the growth of hairy roots. MS [Murashige, T. and Skoog, F. (1962) Physiol. Plant. 15, 473-497] medium or half-strength MS medium supplemented with 30 g/l maltose was found to be best for hairy-root culture and accumulation of CPQ.

Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Higher Learning. ... The Series on "learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products". Nature is a remarkable ... skeletal structure to the interior electronic configu- ration ... Among the advantages of this approach are the fact that unlike the.

[Hydrocyanic acid content in cerals and cereal products].

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, G; Zinsmeister, H D; Erb, N; Neunhoeffer, O

1979-03-01

In the above paper for the first time a systematic study of the amount of hydrocyanic acid in grains and cereal products is reported. Among 24 analysed wheat, rye, maize and oats types, the presence of hydrocyanic acid could be identified in 19 cases in their Karyopses. Similar is the result with 28 among 31 analysed cereal products. The content of hydrocyanic acid lies between 0.1 and 45 microgram/100 gr dried mass.

Trans-fatty acid content of food products in Spain in 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Farinós, Napoleón; Dal Re Saavedra, María Ángeles; Villar Villalba, Carmen; Robledo de Dios, Teresa

2016-01-01

To ascertain the content of trans-fatty acids (TFA) in food products in Spain in 2015 and assess trends in TFA content since 2010. We analysed the fat content of 277 food products purchased in Spanish supermarkets in 2015 and calculated both the total fat and TFA content and the proportion of TFA to total fats. The results obtained in 2015 were compared to those yielded by a similar study in 2010. In 2015, the majority of food products studied had a TFA content of less than 0.2g/100g product, and a TFA/total fat ratio of less than 2%. No significant increases were found compared to 2010. Food groups with a higher TFA content were dairy products of possible natural origin. TFA content in Spain is low and has significantly fallen since 2010. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Scaffold architecture and pharmacophoric properties of natural products and trade drugs: application in the design of natural product-based combinatorial libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, M L; Schneider, G

2001-01-01

Natural products were analyzed to determine whether they contain appealing novel scaffold architectures for potential use in combinatorial chemistry. Ring systems were extracted and clustered on the basis of structural similarity. Several such potential scaffolds for combinatorial chemistry were identified that are not present in current trade drugs. For one of these scaffolds a virtual combinatorial library was generated. Pharmacophoric properties of natural products, trade drugs, and the virtual combinatorial library were assessed using a self-organizing map. Obviously, current trade drugs and natural products have several topological pharmacophore patterns in common. These features can be systematically explored with selected combinatorial libraries based on a combination of natural product-derived and synthetic molecular building blocks.

Natural product-based nanomedicine: recent advances and issues

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Rebekah; Wu, Ling; Zhang, Chenming; Davis, Richey M; Xu, Bin

2015-01-01

Natural products have been used in medicine for many years. Many top-selling pharmaceuticals are natural compounds or their derivatives. These plant- or microorganism-derived compounds have shown potential as therapeutic agents against cancer, microbial infection, inflammation, and other disease conditions. However, their success in clinical trials has been less impressive, partly due to the compounds’ low bioavailability. The incorporation of nanoparticles into a delivery system for natural products would be a major advance in the efforts to increase their therapeutic effects. Recently, advances have been made showing that nanoparticles can significantly increase the bioavailability of natural products both in vitro and in vivo. Nanotechnology has demonstrated its capability to manipulate particles in order to target specific areas of the body and control the release of drugs. Although there are many benefits to applying nanotechnology for better delivery of natural products, it is not without issues. Drug targeting remains a challenge and potential nanoparticle toxicity needs to be further investigated, especially if these systems are to be used to treat chronic human diseases. This review aims to summarize recent progress in several key areas relevant to natural products in nanoparticle delivery systems for biomedical applications. PMID:26451111

Natural product mode of action (MOA) studies: a link between natural and synthetic worlds.

Science.gov (United States)

La Clair, James J

2010-07-01

In our understanding of matter, natural products deliver plots that would stun even the best productions of the legendary filmmaker, Sergio Leone. While every decade heralds a new genre of film (as well as avenues of small-molecule discovery), natural products and their "untamed prehistoric" plots continue to dazzle the fields of biotechnology, drug discovery, fragrances, food additives and agrochemistry. This review provides an abridged synopsis of the modes of natural product action discovered within the last decade and the tools and methods used in their discovery. Their stories are united in a common theme that unveils one of the more vital aspects of chemical biological research:understanding the global activity of Nature's arsenal of secondary metabolites.

Novel Method of Lactic Acid Production by Electrodialysis Fermentation

OpenAIRE

Hongo, Motoyoshi; Nomura, Yoshiyuki; Iwahara, Masayoshi

1986-01-01

In lactic acid fermentation by Lactobacillus delbrueckii, the produced lactic acid affected the lactic acid productivity. Therefore, for the purpose of alleviating this inhibitory effect, an electrodialysis fermentation method which can continuously remove produced lactic acid from the fermentation broth was applied to this fermentation process. As a result, the continuation of fermentation activity was obtained, and the productivity was three times higher than in non-pH-controlled fermentati...

An endophytic fungus isolated from finger millet (Eleucine coracona produces anti-fungal natural products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walaa Kamel Mousa

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Finger millet is an ancient African cereal crop, domesticated 7000 years ago in Ethiopia, reaching India at 3000 BC. Finger millet is reported to be resistant to various fungal pathogens including Fusarium sp. We hypothesized that finger millet may host beneficial endophytes (plant-colonizing microbes that contribute to the antifungal activity. Here we report the first isolation of endophyte(s from finger millet. Five distinct fungal species were isolated from roots and predicted taxonomically based on 18S rDNA sequencing. Extracts from three putative endophytes inhibited growth of F. graminearum and three other pathogenic Fusarium species. The most potent anti-Fusarium strain (WF4, predicted to be a Phoma sp. was confirmed to behave as an endophyte using pathogenicity and confocal microscopy experiments. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the WF4 extract identified four anti-fungal compounds, viridicatol, tenuazonic acid, alternariol and alternariol monomethyl ether. All the purified compounds caused dramatic breakage of F. graminearum hyphae in vitro. These compounds have not previously been reported to have anti-Fusarium activity. None of the compounds, except for tenuazonic acid, have previously been reported to be produced by Phoma. We conclude that the ancient, disease-tolerant crop, finger millet, is a novel source of endophytic anti-fungal natural products. This paper suggests the value of the crops grown by subsistence farmers as sources of endophytes and their natural products. Application of these natural chemicals to solve real world problems will require further validation.

An endophytic fungus isolated from finger millet (Eleusine coracana) produces anti-fungal natural products.

Science.gov (United States)

Mousa, Walaa K; Schwan, Adrian; Davidson, Jeffrey; Strange, Philip; Liu, Huaizhi; Zhou, Ting; Auzanneau, France-Isabelle; Raizada, Manish N

2015-01-01

Finger millet is an ancient African cereal crop, domesticated 7000 years ago in Ethiopia, reaching India at 3000 BC. Finger millet is reported to be resistant to various fungal pathogens including Fusarium sp. We hypothesized that finger millet may host beneficial endophytes (plant-colonizing microbes) that contribute to the antifungal activity. Here we report the first isolation of endophyte(s) from finger millet. Five distinct fungal species were isolated from roots and predicted taxonomically based on 18S rDNA sequencing. Extracts from three putative endophytes inhibited growth of F. graminearum and three other pathogenic Fusarium species. The most potent anti-Fusarium strain (WF4, predicted to be a Phoma sp.) was confirmed to behave as an endophyte using pathogenicity and confocal microscopy experiments. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the WF4 extract identified four anti-fungal compounds, viridicatol, tenuazonic acid, alternariol, and alternariol monomethyl ether. All the purified compounds caused dramatic breakage of F. graminearum hyphae in vitro. These compounds have not previously been reported to have anti-Fusarium activity. None of the compounds, except for tenuazonic acid, have previously been reported to be produced by Phoma. We conclude that the ancient, disease-tolerant crop, finger millet, is a novel source of endophytic anti-fungal natural products. This paper suggests the value of the crops grown by subsistence farmers as sources of endophytes and their natural products. Application of these natural chemicals to solve real world problems will require further validation.

improving citric acid production from some carbohydrates by-products using irradiated aspergillus niger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farag, S.S.

2011-01-01

Twenty strains of A. niger were isolated from different sources, screened for their capacity to produce citric acid. All the isolated strains were able to produce citric acid in different quantities at different time intervals i.e. 4, 8 and 12 days on indicator medium. The best incubation period for production for all isolates was 12 days. The most potent strains for production were A 1 , A 4 and A 5 , while A 8 , A 1 6, A 18 and A 19 recorded weak production on that medium. Citric acid productivity were obtained by all strains when using different concentrations of four carbohydrate by-products (maize straw, potato peel wastes, sugar beet pulp and molasses) when each used alone without any additions after 12 days incubation and the production enhanced when the fermentation medium amended with the same concentrations of the mentioned substrates. Type and concentration of carbohydrate by-product affect the production of citric acid by A. niger strains under the study. Increasing substrate concentration led to increase in production, the best concentration for production was 25% for all carbohydrate by-products. As recorded with indicator medium, A 1 , A 4 and A 5 are also the most potent strains for production when growing on the four carbohydrate by-products supplemented to the basal medium, while A 8 , A 6 , A 18 and A 19 recorded the weak production with the carbohydrate by-products used.production of the parental isolates A 1 , A 4 and A 5 on indicator medium were: 0.96, 0.95 and 0.99 (mg/ml) respectively after 12 days incubation, while maximum production by the obtaining resulting isolates (Treated by UV irradiation) were: 1.78, 1.70 and 1.73 (mg/ml) from A 4 T 2 (5 min.), A 4 T 1 (10 min.) and A 1 T 1 (5 min.), respectively.

Membrane engineering via trans unsaturated fatty acids production improves Escherichia coli robustness and production of biorenewables.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Zaigao; Yoon, Jong Moon; Nielsen, David R; Shanks, Jacqueline V; Jarboe, Laura R

2016-05-01

Constructing microbial biocatalysts that produce biorenewables at economically viable yields and titers is often hampered by product toxicity. For production of short chain fatty acids, membrane damage is considered the primary mechanism of toxicity, particularly in regards to membrane integrity. Previous engineering efforts in Escherichia coli to increase membrane integrity, with the goal of increasing fatty acid tolerance and production, have had mixed results. Herein, a novel approach was used to reconstruct the E. coli membrane by enabling production of a novel membrane component. Specifically, trans unsaturated fatty acids (TUFA) were produced and incorporated into the membrane of E. coli MG1655 by expression of cis-trans isomerase (Cti) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. While the engineered strain was found to have no increase in membrane integrity, a significant decrease in membrane fluidity was observed, meaning that membrane polarization and rigidity were increased by TUFA incorporation. As a result, tolerance to exogenously added octanoic acid and production of octanoic acid were both increased relative to the wild-type strain. This membrane engineering strategy to improve octanoic acid tolerance was found to require fine-tuning of TUFA abundance. Besides improving tolerance and production of carboxylic acids, TUFA production also enabled increased tolerance in E. coli to other bio-products, e.g. alcohols, organic acids, aromatic compounds, a variety of adverse industrial conditions, e.g. low pH, high temperature, and also elevated styrene production, another versatile bio-chemical product. TUFA permitted enhanced growth due to alleviation of bio-product toxicity, demonstrating the general effectiveness of this membrane engineering strategy towards improving strain robustness. Copyright © 2016 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chocolate: A Marvelous Natural Product of Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Tannenbaum, Ginger

2004-08-01

Chocolate is a natural product as ubiquitous as television. Of course, it is eaten, but it is also found in air fresheners, marking pens, flavoring in a multitude of products including soda pop, and as an aroma in "chocolate-dyed" T-shirts. However, most of us are completely unaware of the complex chemical reactions that take place to produce chocolate and the necessary technology that has evolved to produce chocolate and all its byproducts. Processing results in a mixture of many components, an interesting contrast to most of the simple, one-step reactions introduced at the high school level. This article is a survey of chocolate from tree to table. After a brief introduction to the history of chocolate and how and where it is grown, the manufacturing process is examined, and the chemistry is explored. A bit of the jargon used in the industry is mentioned. Cocoa butter is a significant ingredient in chocolate, and an investigation of it introduces triglycerides, fatty acids, polymorphic behavior, and molecular packing of the fats in chocolate and how they affect the tempering process. There is a brief discussion of chocolate's non-Newtonian behavior and the resulting challenges presented in the manufacturing process. See Featured Molecules Featured on the Cover

Metabolic engineering of Pseudomonas fluorescens for the production of vanillin from ferulic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Gioia, Diana; Luziatelli, Francesca; Negroni, Andrea; Ficca, Anna Grazia; Fava, Fabio; Ruzzi, Maurizio

2011-12-20

Vanillin is one of the most important flavors in the food industry and there is great interest in its production through biotechnological processes starting from natural substrates such as ferulic acid. Among bacteria, recombinant Escherichia coli strains are the most efficient vanillin producers, whereas Pseudomonas spp. strains, although possessing a broader metabolic versatility, rapidly metabolize various phenolic compounds including vanillin. In order to develop a robust Pseudomonas strain that can produce vanillin in high yields and at high productivity, the vanillin dehydrogenase (vdh)-encoding gene of Pseudomonas fluorescens BF13 strain was inactivated via targeted mutagenesis. The results demonstrated that engineered derivatives of strain BF13 accumulate vanillin if inactivation of vdh is associated with concurrent expression of structural genes for feruloyl-CoA synthetase (fcs) and hydratase/aldolase (ech) from a low-copy plasmid. The conversion of ferulic acid to vanillin was enhanced by optimization of growth conditions, growth phase and parameters of the bioconversion process. The developed strain produced up to 8.41 mM vanillin, which is the highest final titer of vanillin produced by a Pseudomonas strain to date and opens new perspectives in the use of bacterial biocatalysts for biotechnological production of vanillin from agro-industrial wastes which contain ferulic acid. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new approach to microbial production of gallic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajpai, Bhakti; Patil, Shridhar

2008-10-01

In a new approach to microbial gallic acid production by Aspergillus fischeri MTCC 150, 40gL(-1) of tannic acid was added in two installments during the bioconversion phase of the process (25gL(-1) and 15gL(-1) at 32 and 44h respectively). The optimum parameters for the bioconversion phase were found to be temperature: 35°C, pH: slightly acidic (3.3-3.5), aeration: nil and agitation: 250 rpm. A maximum of 71.4% conversion was obtained after 71h fermentation with 83.3% product recovery. The yield was 7.35 g of gallic acid per g of biomass accumulated and the fermenter productivity was 0.56 g of gallic acid produced per liter of medium per hour.

Vinegar production from post-distillation slurry deriving from rice shochu production with the addition of caproic acid-producing bacteria consortium and lactic acid bacterium.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Hua-Wei; Tan, Li; Chen, Hao; Sun, Zhao-Yong; Tang, Yue-Qin; Kida, Kenji

2017-12-01

To establish a zero emission process, the post-distillation slurry of a new type of rice shochu (NTRS) was used for the production of health promoting vinegar. Since the NTRS post-distillation slurry contained caproic acid and lactic acid, the effect of these two organic acids on acetic acid fermentation was first evaluated. Based on these results, Acetobacter aceti CICC 21684 was selected as a suitable strain for subsequent production of vinegar. At the laboratory scale, acetic acid fermentation of the NTRS post-distillation slurry in batch mode resulted in an acetic acid concentration of 41.9 g/L, with an initial ethanol concentration of 40 g/L, and the acetic acid concentration was improved to 44.5 g/L in fed-batch mode. Compared to the NTRS post-distillation slurry, the vinegar product had higher concentrations of free amino acids and inhibition of angiotensin I converting enzyme activity. By controlling the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient to be similar to that of the laboratory scale production, 45 g/L of acetic acid was obtained at the pilot scale, using a 75-L fermentor with a working volume of 40 L, indicating that vinegar production can be successfully scaled up. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Natural Products from Mangrove Actinomycetes

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Dong-Bo; Ye, Wan-Wan; Han, Ying; Deng, Zi-Xin; Hong, Kui

2014-01-01

Mangroves are woody plants located in tropical and subtropical intertidal coastal regions. The mangrove ecosystem is becoming a hot spot for natural product discovery and bioactivity survey. Diverse mangrove actinomycetes as promising and productive sources are worth being explored and uncovered. At the time of writing, we report 73 novel compounds and 49 known compounds isolated from mangrove actinomycetes including alkaloids, benzene derivatives, cyclopentenone derivatives, dilactones, macrolides, 2-pyranones and sesquiterpenes. Attractive structures such as salinosporamides, xiamycins and novel indolocarbazoles are highlighted. Many exciting compounds have been proven as potential new antibiotics, antitumor and antiviral agents, anti-fibrotic agents and antioxidants. Furthermore, some of their biosynthetic pathways have also been revealed. This review is an attempt to consolidate and summarize the past and the latest studies on mangrove actinomycetes natural product discovery and to draw attention to their immense potential as novel and bioactive compounds for marine drugs discovery. PMID:24798926

Study on bioactive compounds of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis and natural Calculus Bovis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Tien-Chun; Cheng, Fu-Yuan; Liu, Yu-Tse; Lin, Liang-Chuan; Sakata, Ryoichi

2009-12-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate bioactive compounds of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis and natural Calculus Bovis obtained as valuable by-products from animals used for meat production. The results showed that the components of natural Calculus Bovis were rich in bilirubin and biliverdin and had higher content of essential amino acids. The major amino acids of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis were identified as glycine, alanine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid, and those for natural Calculus Bovis were found to be glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, and arginine. The methionine and cysteine contents of precursors for glutathione in natural Calculus Bovis were significantly higher than those of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis. The mineral contents of zinc, iron and manganese of natural Calculus Bovis were significantly higher than those of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis. The major bile acids in both products were cholic acid and dehydrocholic acid, respectively. The chenodeoxycholic and ursodeoxycholic acid content of in vitro cultured Calculus Suis was significantly higher than that of natural Calculus Bovis.

Plant Natural Products Calycosin and Gallic Acid Synergistically Attenuate Neutrophil Infiltration and Subsequent Injury in Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Infarction: A Possible Role for Leukotriene B4 12-Hydroxydehydrogenase?

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yuanyuan; Tse, Hung Fat; Le, X. Chris; Rong, Jianhui

2015-01-01

Leukotriene B4 12-hydroxydehydrogenase (LTB4DH) catalyzes the oxidation of proinflammatory LTB4 into less bioactive 12-oxo-LTB4. We recently discovered that LTB4DH was induced by two different natural products in combination. We previously isolated gallic acid from Radix Paeoniae through a bioactivity-guided fractionation procedure. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that LTB4DH inducers may suppress neutrophil-mediated inflammation in myocardial infarction. We first isolated the active compound(s) from another plant, Radix Astragali, by the similar strategy. By evaluating LTB4DH induction, we identified calycosin and formononetin from Radix Astragali by HPLC-ESI-MS technique. We confirmed that gallic acid and commercial calycosin or formononetin could synergistically induce LTB4DH expression in HepG2 cells and human neutrophils. Moreover, calycosin and gallic acid attenuated the effects of LTB4 on the survival and chemotaxis of neutrophil cell culture. We further demonstrated that calycosin and gallic acid synergistically suppressed neutrophil infiltration and protected cardiac integrity in the isoproterenol-induced mice model of myocardial infarction. Calycosin and gallic acid dramatically suppressed isoproterenol-induced increase in myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Collectively, our results suggest that LTB4DH inducers (i.e., calycosin and gallic acid) may be a novel combined therapy for the treatment of neutrophil-mediated myocardial injury. PMID:26265982

Separation process design for isolation and purification of natural products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malwade, Chandrakant R.

Natural products are defined as secondary metabolites produced by plants and form a vast pool of compounds with unlimited chemical and functional diversity. Many of these secondary metabolites are high value added chemicals that are frequently used as ingredients in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals...... and other consumer products. Therefore, process technology towards industrial scale production of such high value chemicals from plants has significant value. Natural products can be obtained in pure form via synthetic or semi-synthetic route, but due to their complicated nature these methods have not been...... developed to the extent of industrial production for majority of natural products. Thus, isolation and purification of such natural products from plants is the most viable way to obtain natural products in pure form. This PhD project is mainly concerned with the design of separation process to isolate...

Biodiesel production from acid oils and ethanol using a solid basic resin as catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchetti, J.M.; Errazu, A.F.

2010-01-01

In the search of an alternative fuel to substitute diesel fuel, biodiesel appears as one of the most promising sources of energy for diesel engines because of its environmental advantages and also due to the evolution of the petroleum market. Refined oil is the conventional raw material for the production of this biofuel; however, its major disadvantage is the high cost of its production. Therefore, frying oils, waste oils, crude oils and/or acid oils are being tested as alternative raw materials; nevertheless, there will be some problems if a homogeneous basic catalyst (NaOH) is employed due to the high amount of free fatty acid present in the raw oil. In this work, the transesterification reaction of acid oil using solid resin, Dowex monosphere 550 A, was studied as an alternative process. Ethanol was employed to have a natural and sustainable final product. The reaction temperature's effects, the initial amount of free fatty acid, the molar ratio of alcohol/oil and the type of catalyst (homogeneous or heterogeneous) over the main reaction are analyzed and their effects compared. The results obtained show that the solid resin is an alternative catalyst to be used to produce fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) by a transesterification reaction with a final conversion over 90%. On the other hand, the time required to achieve this conversion is bigger than the one required using conventional technology which employs a homogeneous basic catalyst. This reaction time needs to be optimized. (author)

Natural gas and production of electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Defago, E.

2005-01-01

The forthcoming power supply shortage in Switzerland due to increasing consumption is discussed, as are the possibilities for securing the future supply. Today, the main sources are hydroelectric (roughly 55 %) and nuclear (40 %) power. The share of electricity from natural gas amounts to only 1.4 %. The possibilities of further economic production of hydropower are practically exhausted. Therefore, further electric power has to be either imported or generated from other energy sources (renewable, nuclear, fossil) in the country itself. Due to the low acceptance of nuclear energy and the limited potential of renewable energy sources, natural gas is the most favoured candidate. The advantages of distributed production in cogeneration plants are compared with the centralized production in larger plants using combined cycles. Finally, a project currently under development is presented: an existing thermal power plant fueled with heavy fuel oil shall be refurbished and converted to natural gas as the new fuel

Ravynic acid, an antibiotic polyeneyne tetramic acid from Penicillium sp. elucidated through synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Myrtle, J D; Beekman, A M; Barrow, R A

2016-09-21

A new antibiotic natural product, ravynic acid, has been isolated from a Penicillium sp. of fungus, collected from Ravensbourne National Park. The 3-acylpolyenyne tetramic acid structure was definitively elucidated via synthesis. Highlights of the synthetic method include the heat induced formation of the 3-acylphosphorane tetramic acid and a selective Wittig cross-coupling to efficiently prepare the natural compounds carbon skeleton. The natural compound was shown to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus down to concentrations of 2.5 µg mL(-1).

Method for production of petroselinic acid and OMEGA12 hexadecanoic acid in transgenic plants

Science.gov (United States)

Ohlrogge, John B.; Cahoon, Edgar B.; Shanklin, John; Somerville, Christopher R.

1995-01-01

The present invention relates to a process for producing lipids containing the fatty acid petroselinic acid in plants. The production of petroselinic acid is accomplished by genetically transforming plants which do not normally accumulate petroselinic acid with a gene for a .omega.12 desaturase from another species which does normally accumulate petroselinic acid.

Structure-based synthesis from natural products to drug prototypes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanessian, S.

2009-01-01

X-Ray crystallographic data available from complexes of natural and synthetic molecules with the enzyme thrombin has aided to the design and synthesis of truncated and hybrid molecules exhibiting excellent inhibition in vitro. The vital importance of natural products for the well-being of man has been known lor millennia. Their therapeutic benefits to alleviate pain or cure diseases continue to rank natural products among the primary sources of potential drugs. Great advances have been made in the methods of isolation, identification, and structure elucidation of some of the most complex natural products in recent years. The advent of molecular biology and genetic mapping has also aided in our understanding of the intriguing biosynthetic pathways leading to various classes of therapeutically relevant antibiotic, anticancer, and related natural products. Elegant and practical methodology has been developed leading to the total synthesis of virtually every class of medicinally important natural product. In some cases, natural products or their chemically modified congeners have been manufactured by total synthesis on an industrial level which is a testament to the ingenuity of process chemists. In spite of their potent activities HI enzymatic ox receptor-mediated assays, not all natural products are amenable to being developed as marketable drags. In many instances unfavorable pharmacological effects cannot be overcome without drastic structural and functional modifications, which may also result in altered efficacy. Structure modification through truncation, functional group variations, isosteric replacements, and skeletal rigidifications aided by molecular modeling, X ray crystallography of protein targets, or NMR data are valid objectives in the context of small molecule drug discovery starting with bioactive natural products. A large proportion of these pertain to chemotherapeutic agents against cancer

Natural Products from Mangrove Actinomycetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong-Bo Xu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Mangroves are woody plants located in tropical and subtropical intertidal coastal regions. The mangrove ecosystem is becoming a hot spot for natural product discovery and bioactivity survey. Diverse mangrove actinomycetes as promising and productive sources are worth being explored and uncovered. At the time of writing, we report 73 novel compounds and 49 known compounds isolated from mangrove actinomycetes including alkaloids, benzene derivatives, cyclopentenone derivatives, dilactones, macrolides, 2-pyranones and sesquiterpenes. Attractive structures such as salinosporamides, xiamycins and novel indolocarbazoles are highlighted. Many exciting compounds have been proven as potential new antibiotics, antitumor and antiviral agents, anti-fibrotic agents and antioxidants. Furthermore, some of their biosynthetic pathways have also been revealed. This review is an attempt to consolidate and summarize the past and the latest studies on mangrove actinomycetes natural product discovery and to draw attention to their immense potential as novel and bioactive compounds for marine drugs discovery.

Peracetic Acid Depolymerization of Biorefinery Lignin for Production of Selective Monomeric Phenolic Compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Ruoshui [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Guo, Mond [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Lin, Kuan-ting [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Hebert, Vincent R. [Food and Environmental Laboratory, Washington State, University-TriCities, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Zhang, Jinwen [Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164 USA; Wolcott, Michael P. [Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164 USA; Quintero, Melissa [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan K. [Chemical and Biological Process Development Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99354 USA; Chen, Xiaowen [National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Lab, 1617 Cole Blvd Golden CO 80127 USA; Zhang, Xiao [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA

2016-07-04

Lignin is the largest source of renewable material with an aromatic skeleton. However, due to the recalcitrant and heterogeneous nature of the lignin polymer, it has been a challenge to effectively depolymerize lignin and produce high-value chemicals with high selectivity. In this study, a highly efficient lignin-to-monomeric phenolic compounds (MPC) conversion method based on peracetic acid (PAA) treatment was reported. PAA treatment of two biorefinery lignin samples, diluted acid pretreated corn stover lignin (DACSL) and steam exploded spruce lignin (SESPL), led to complete solubilization and production of selective hydroxylated monomeric phenolic compounds (MPC-H) and monomeric phenolic acid compounds (MPC-A) including 4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The maximized MPC yields obtained were 18 and 22 % based on the initial weight of the lignin in SESPL and DACSL, respectively. However, we found that the addition of niobium pentoxide catalyst to PAA treatment of lignin can significantly improve the MPC yields up to 47 %. The key reaction steps and main mechanisms involved in this new lignin-to-MPC valorization pathway were investigated and elucidated.

Peracetic Acid Depolymerization of Biorefinery Lignin for Production of Selective Monomeric Phenolic Compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Ruoshui [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Guo, Mond [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Lin, Kuan-ting [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Hebert, Vincent R. [Food and Environmental Laboratory, Washington State, University-TriCities, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Zhang, Jinwen [Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164 USA; Wolcott, Michael P. [Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164 USA; Quintero, Melissa [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan K. [Chemical and Biological Process Development Group, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA 99354 USA; Chen, Xiaowen [National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Lab, 1617 Cole Blvd Golden CO 80127 USA; Zhang, Xiao [Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Bioproducts, Science & Engineering Laboratory, Washington State University, 2710 Crimson Way Richland WA 99354 USA

2016-07-04

Lignin is the largest source of renewable material with an aromatic skeleton. However, due to the recalcitrant and heterogeneous nature of the lignin polymer as well as its complex side chain structures, it has been a challenge to effectively depolymerize lignin and produce high value chemicals with high selectivity. In this study, a highly efficient lignin-to-monomeric phenolic compounds (MPC) conversion method based on peracetic acid (PAA) treatment was reported. PAA treatment of two biorefinery lignin samples, diluted acid pretreated corn stover lignin (DACSL) and steam exploded spruce lignin (SESPL), led to complete solubilization and production of selective hydroxylated monomeric phenolic compounds (MPC-H) and monomeric phenolic acid compounds (MPC-A) inclduing 4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The maximized MPCs yields obtained were 18% and 22% based on the initial weight of the lignin in SESPL and DACSL respectively. However, we found that the addition of niobium pentoxide catalyst to PAA treatment of lignin can significantly improve the MPC yields up to 47%. The key reaction steps and main mechanisms involved in this new lignin-to-MPC valorization pathway were investigated and elucidated.

Optimization of lactic acid production with immobilized Rhizopus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

sule

2012-04-26

Apr 26, 2012 ... Lactic acid is the most widely utilized organic acid in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical industries. One of its most promising applications is for used biodegradable and ... polymer supports, by embedding with natural polymers like alginate gels and synthetic polymers (Tamada et al.,. 1992).

Application of 13C-labeling and 13C-13C COSY NMR experiments in the structure determination of a microbial natural product.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Yun; Park, Sunghyouk; Shin, Jongheon; Oh, Dong-Chan

2014-08-01

The elucidation of the structures of complex natural products bearing many quaternary carbons remains challenging, even in this advanced spectroscopic era. (13)C-(13)C COSY NMR spectroscopy shows direct couplings between (13)C and (13)C, which comprise the backbone of a natural product. Thus, this type of experiment is particularly useful for natural products bearing consecutive quaternary carbons. However, the low sensitivity of (13)C-based NMR experiments, due to the low natural abundance of the (13)C nucleus, is problematic when applying these techniques. Our efforts in the (13)C labeling of a microbial natural product, cyclopiazonic acid (1), by feeding (13)C-labeled glucose to the fungal culture, enabled us to acquire (13)C-(13)C COSY NMR spectra on a milligram scale that clearly show the carbon backbone of the compound. This is the first application of (13)C-(13)C COSY NMR experiments for a natural product. The results suggest that (13)C-(13)C COSY NMR spectroscopy can be routinely used for the structure determination of microbial natural products by (13)C-enrichment of a compound with (13)C-glucose.

Transport of perfluoroalkyl acids in a water-saturated sediment column investigated under near-natural conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vierke, Lena; Möller, Axel; Klitzke, Sondra

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the transport of C 4–10 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and C 4,6,8 perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) in a water-saturated sediment column representing a riverbank filtration scenario under near-natural conditions. Short-chain PFCAs and PFSAs with up to six C-atoms showed complete tracer-like breakthrough. Longer chain ones were retarded due to sorption to the sediment or due to other processes in the aqueous phase. The study reports the first column derived sediment–water partition coefficients ranging from 0.01 cm 3 g −1 to 0.41 cm 3 g −1 for C 4,6 PFSAs and from 0.0 cm 3 g −1 to 6.5 cm 3 g −1 for C 4,5,6,8,9 PFCAs. The results clearly indicate that short-chain PFCAs and PFSAs may pose a problem if contaminated surface waters are used for drinking water production via riverbank filtration. Highlights: • Transport of per- and polyfluorinated compounds in a riverbank filtration scenario. • Investigations under near-natural conditions with a water-saturated sediment column. • Processes in water and sediment control the transport of analytes. • Short chain PFCAs and PFSAs are not retarded in the water-saturated sediment column. • First column derived sediment–water partition coefficients. -- Quantification of breakthrough of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs) under conditions simulating a riverbank filtration scenario

Discovery of a novel amino acid racemase through exploration of natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Science.gov (United States)

Strauch, Renee C.; Svedin, Elisabeth; Dilkes, Brian; Chapple, Clint; Li, Xu

2015-01-01

Plants produce diverse low-molecular-weight compounds via specialized metabolism. Discovery of the pathways underlying production of these metabolites is an important challenge for harnessing the huge chemical diversity and catalytic potential in the plant kingdom for human uses, but this effort is often encumbered by the necessity to initially identify compounds of interest or purify a catalyst involved in their synthesis. As an alternative approach, we have performed untargeted metabolite profiling and genome-wide association analysis on 440 natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana. This approach allowed us to establish genetic linkages between metabolites and genes. Investigation of one of the metabolite–gene associations led to the identification of N-malonyl-d-allo-isoleucine, and the discovery of a novel amino acid racemase involved in its biosynthesis. This finding provides, to our knowledge, the first functional characterization of a eukaryotic member of a large and widely conserved phenazine biosynthesis protein PhzF-like protein family. Unlike most of known eukaryotic amino acid racemases, the newly discovered enzyme does not require pyridoxal 5′-phosphate for its activity. This study thus identifies a new d-amino acid racemase gene family and advances our knowledge of plant d-amino acid metabolism that is currently largely unexplored. It also demonstrates that exploitation of natural metabolic variation by integrating metabolomics with genome-wide association is a powerful approach for functional genomics study of specialized metabolism. PMID:26324904

Effects of Natural Products on Fructose-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qian Chen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As a sugar additive, fructose is widely used in processed foods and beverages. Excessive fructose consumption can cause hepatic steatosis and dyslipidemia, leading to the development of metabolic syndrome. Recent research revealed that fructose-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD is related to several pathological processes, including: (1 augmenting lipogenesis; (2 leading to mitochondrial dysfunction; (3 stimulating the activation of inflammatory pathways; and (4 causing insulin resistance. Cellular signaling research indicated that partial factors play significant roles in fructose-induced NAFLD, involving liver X receptor (LXRα, sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP-1/1c, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC, fatty acid synthase (FAS, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD, peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor α (PPARα, leptin nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α, c-Jun amino terminal kinase (JNK, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K and adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK. Until now, a series of natural products have been reported as regulators of NAFLD in vivo and in vitro. This paper reviews the natural products (e.g., curcumin, resveratrol, and (−-epicatechin and their mechanisms of ameliorating fructose-induced NAFLD over the past years. Although, as lead compounds, natural products usually have fewer activities compared with synthesized compounds, it will shed light on studies aiming to discover new drugs for NAFLD.

Cashew apple juice as microbial cultivation medium for non-immunogenic hyaluronic acid production

OpenAIRE

Oliveira, Adriano H.; Ogrodowski, Cristiane C.; de Macedo, André C.; Santana, Maria Helena A.; Gonçalves, Luciana R.B.

2014-01-01

In this work, natural cashew apple juice was used as cultivation medium as an alternative to substitute brain heart infusion medium. The effect of aeration and juice supplementation with yeast extract on the production of hyaluronic acid in batch fermentation was also investigated. Similar levels of cell mass were obtained in inoculum using cashew apple juice supplemented with yeast extract or the conventional brain heart infusion medium. Fermentation in Erlenmeyer flasks produced low biomass...

Metabolic inhibitors as stimulating factors for citric acid production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adham, N.Z.; Ahmed, E.M.; Refai, H.A.E.

2008-01-01

The effect of some metabolic inhibitors on citric acid (CA) production by Aspergillus niger in cane molasses medium was investigated. Addition of 0.01-0.1 mM iodoacetic acid and sodium arsenate, 0.05-1.0 mM sodium malonate, 0.01 mM sodium azide, 0.01-0.05 mM sodium fluoride, 0.1-1.0 mM EDTA stimulated CA production (5-49%). Higher concentrations (10 mM) of iodoacetic acid, sodium malonate and 0.5 mM sodium azide caused a complete inhibition of fungal growth, Iodoacetic acid, sodium arsenate and sodium fluoride (0.2 mM) caused a remarkable inhibition of CA production. The implications of those preliminary functions was discussed. (author)

Amino acids production focusing on fermentation technologies – A review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D'Este, Martina; Alvarado-Morales, Merlin; Angelidaki, Irini

2018-01-01

Amino acids are attractive and promising biochemicals with market capacity requirements constantly increasing. Their applicability ranges from animal feed additives, flavour enhancers and ingredients in cosmetic to specialty nutrients in pharmaceutical and medical fields. This review gives...... an overview of the processes applied for amino acids production and points out the main advantages and disadvantages of each. Due to the advances made in the genetic engineering techniques, the biotechnological processes, and in particular the fermentation with the aid of strains such as Corynebacterium...... glutamicum or Escherichia coli, play a significant role in the industrial production of amino acids. Despite the numerous advantages of the fermentative amino acids production, the process still needs significant improvements leading to increased productivity and reduction of the production costs. Although...

Aspergillus oryzae-based cell factory for direct kojic acid production from cellulose.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Ryosuke; Yoshie, Toshihide; Wakai, Satoshi; Asai-Nakashima, Nanami; Okazaki, Fumiyoshi; Ogino, Chiaki; Hisada, Hiromoto; Tsutsumi, Hiroko; Hata, Yoji; Kondo, Akihiko

2014-05-18

Kojic acid (5-Hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-4-pyrone) is one of the major secondary metabolites in Aspergillus oryzae. It is widely used in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. The production cost, however, is too high for its use in many applications. Thus, an efficient and cost-effective kojic acid production process would be valuable. However, little is known about the complete set of genes for kojic acid production. Currently, kojic acid is produced from glucose. The efficient production of kojic acid using cellulose as an inexpensive substrate would help establish cost-effective kojic acid production. A kojic acid transcription factor gene over-expressing the A. oryzae strain was constructed. Three genes related to kojic acid production in this strain were transcribed in higher amounts than those found in the wild-type strain. This strain produced 26.4 g/L kojic acid from 80 g/L glucose. Furthermore, this strain was transformed with plasmid harboring 3 cellulase genes. The resultant A. oryzae strain successfully produced 0.18 g/L of kojic acid in 6 days of fermentation from the phosphoric acid swollen cellulose. Kojic acid was produced directly from cellulose material using genetically engineered A. oryzae. Because A. oryzae has efficient protein secretion ability and secondary metabolite productivity, an A. oryzae-based cell factory could be a platform for the production of various kinds of bio-based chemicals.

Cultivation characteristics of immobilized Aspergillus oryzae for kojic acid production.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, M Y; Rhee, J S

1992-04-15

Aspergillus oryzae in situ grown from spores entrapped in calcium alginate gel beads was used for the production of kojic acid. The immobilized cells in flask cultures produced kojic acid in a linear proportion while maintaining the stable metabolic activity for a prolonged production period. Kojic acid was accumulated up to a high concentration of 83 g/L, at which the kojic acid began to crystallize, and, thus, the culture had to be replaced with fresh media for the next batch culture. The overall productivities of two consecutive cultivations were higher than that of free mycelial fermentation. However, the production rate of kojic acid by the immobilized cells was suddenly decreased with the appearance of central cavernae inside the immobilized gel beads after 12 days of the third batch cultivation.

Alternative solvents for natural products extraction

CERN Document Server

Chemat, Farid

2014-01-01

This book presents a complete picture of the current state-of-the-art in alternative and green solvents used for laboratory and industrial natural product extraction in terms of the latest innovations, original methods and safe products. It provides the necessary theoretical background and details on extraction, techniques, mechanisms, protocols, industrial applications, safety precautions and environmental impacts. This book is aimed at professionals from industry, academicians engaged in extraction engineering or natural product chemistry research, and graduate level students. The individual chapters complement one another, were written by respected international researchers and recognized professionals from the industry, and address the latest efforts in the field. It is also the first sourcebook to focus on the rapid developments in this field.

Linking neuroethology to the chemical biology of natural products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olivera, Baldomero M.; Raghuraman, Shrinivasan; Schmidt, Eric W.

2017-01-01

From a biological perspective, a natural product can be defined as a compound evolved by an organism for chemical interactions with another organism including prey, predator, competitor, pathogen, symbiont or host. Natural products hold tremendous potential as drug leads and have been extensively...... a better understanding of the evolution, biology and biochemistry of natural products will facilitate both neuroscience and the potential for drug leads. The larger goal is to establish a new sub-discipline in the broader field of neuroethology that we refer to as “Chemical Neuroethology”, linking...... the substantial work carried out by chemists on natural products with accelerating advances in neuroethology....

Production of sugars and levulinic acid from marine biomass Gelidium amansii.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Gwi-Taek; Park, Don-Hee

2010-05-01

This study focused on optimization of reaction conditions for formation of sugars and levulinic acid from marine algal biomass Gelidium amansii using acid catalyst and by using statistical approach. By this approach, optimal conditions for production of sugars and levulinic acid were found as follows: glucose (reaction temperature of 139.4 degrees C, reaction time of 15.0 min, and catalyst concentration of 3.0%), galactose (108.2 degrees C, 45.0 min, and 3.0%), and levulinic acid (160.0 degrees C, 43.1 min, and 3.0%). While trying to optimize the conditions for the production of glucose and galactose, levulinic acid production was found to be minimum. Similarly, the production of glucose and galactose were found to be minimum while optimizing the conditions for the production of levulinic acid. In addition, optimized production of glucose required a higher reaction temperature and shorter reaction time than that of galactose. Levulinic acid was formed at a high reaction temperature, long reaction time, and high catalyst concentration. The combined results of this study may provide useful information to develop more economical and efficient systems for production of sugars and chemicals from marine biomass.

Liquid biofuel production from volatile fatty acids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steinbusch, K.J.J.

2010-03-19

The production of renewable fuels and chemicals reduces the dependency on fossil fuels and limits the increase of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere only if a sustainable feedstock and an energy efficient process are used. The thesis assesses the possibility to use municipal and industrial waste as biomass feedstock to have little of no competition with food production, and to save greenhouse gasses emissions. Waste is a complex substrate with a diverse composition and high water content. It can be homogenized without losing its initial energy value by anaerobic conversion to volatile fatty acids (VFA). Using VFA gives the opportunity to process cheap and abundantly present biomass residues to a fuel and chemical instead of sugar containing crops or vegetable oil. This thesis describes the feasibility to convert VFA to compounds with a higher energy content using mixed culture fermentations by eliminating of oxygen and/or increasing the carbon and hydrogen content. At high hydrogen pressure, protons and electrons release via the reduction of organic products such as VFA becomes thermodynamically more attractive. Three VFA reduction reactions were studied: hydrogenation to an alcohol with (1) hydrogen and (2) an electrode as electron donor, and (3) by chain elongation with hydrogen and ethanol. Based on concentration, production rate and efficiency, elongation of acetate with hydrogen and/or ethanol was the best technique to convert VFA into a fuel. In a CSTR (Continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor), 10.5 g L{sup -1} caproic acid and 0.48 g L{sup -1} caprylic acid were produced with ethanol and/or hydrogen at a specific MCFA (medium-chain fatty acids) production activity of 2.9 g caproate and 0.09 g caprylate per gram VSS d{sup -1} (volatile suspended solids). The products were selectively removed by calcium precipitation and solvent extraction with ethyl hexanoate and petroleum ether. Microbial characterization revealed that the microbial populations were stable and

Natural Product Biosynthetic Diversity and Comparative Genomics of the Cyanobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Dittmann, Elke; Gugger, Muriel; Sivonen, Kaarina; Fewer, David P

2015-10-01

Cyanobacteria are an ancient lineage of slow-growing photosynthetic bacteria and a prolific source of natural products with intricate chemical structures and potent biological activities. The bulk of these natural products are known from just a handful of genera. Recent efforts have elucidated the mechanisms underpinning the biosynthesis of a diverse array of natural products from cyanobacteria. Many of the biosynthetic mechanisms are unique to cyanobacteria or rarely described from other organisms. Advances in genome sequence technology have precipitated a deluge of genome sequences for cyanobacteria. This makes it possible to link known natural products to biosynthetic gene clusters but also accelerates the discovery of new natural products through genome mining. These studies demonstrate that cyanobacteria encode a huge variety of cryptic gene clusters for the production of natural products, and the known chemical diversity is likely to be just a fraction of the true biosynthetic capabilities of this fascinating and ancient group of organisms. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Natural Products Combating Neurodegeneration: Parkinson's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Solayman, Md; Islam, Md Asiful; Alam, Fahmida; Khalil, Md Ibrahim; Kamal, Mohammad Amjad; Gan, Siew Hua

2017-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by neurodegeneration and a progressive functional impairment of the midbrain nigral dopaminergic neurons. The cause remains unknown; however, several pathological processes and central factors, such as protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, iron accumulation, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, have been reported. The current treatment method primarily targets symptoms by using anti-Parkinson drugs such as levodopa, carbidopa, dopamine (DA) agonists, monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors and anticholinergics to replace DA. When drug therapy is not satisfactory, surgical treatments are recommended. Unfortunately, the existing conventional strategies that target PD are associated with numerous side effects and possess an economic burden. Therefore, novel therapeutic approaches that regulate the pathways leading to neuronal death and dysfunction are necessary. For many years, nature has provided the primary resource for the discovery of potential therapeutic agents. Remarkably, many natural products from medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables have been demonstrated to be efficacious anti-Parkinson agents. These products possess neuroprotective properties as a result of not only their wellrecognized anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities but also their inhibitory roles regarding iron accumulation, protein misfolding and the maintenance of proteasomal degradation, as well as mitochondrial homeostasis. The aim of this review is to report the available anti-Parkinson agents based on natural products and delineate their therapeutic actions, which act on various pathways. Overall, this review emphasizes the types of natural products that are potential future resources in the treatment of PD as novel regimens or supplementary agents. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Natural product-based nanomedicine: recent advances and issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Watkins R

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Rebekah Watkins,1,2,* Ling Wu,1,* Chenming Zhang,3–5 Richey M Davis,3,5,6 Bin Xu1,3 1Department of Biochemistry, 2Program in Nanoscience, 3Center for Drug Discovery, 4Department of Biological Systems Engineering, 5Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, 6Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Natural products have been used in medicine for many years. Many top-selling pharmaceuticals are natural compounds or their derivatives. These plant- or microorganism-derived compounds have shown potential as therapeutic agents against cancer, microbial infection, inflammation, and other disease conditions. However, their success in clinical trials has been less impressive, partly due to the compounds’ low bioavailability. The incorporation of nanoparticles into a delivery system for natural products would be a major advance in the efforts to increase their therapeutic effects. Recently, advances have been made showing that nanoparticles can significantly increase the bioavailability of natural products both in vitro and in vivo. Nanotechnology has demonstrated its capability to manipulate particles in order to target specific areas of the body and control the release of drugs. Although there are many benefits to applying nanotechnology for better delivery of natural products, it is not without issues. Drug targeting remains a challenge and potential nanoparticle toxicity needs to be further investigated, especially if these systems are to be used to treat chronic human diseases. This review aims to summarize recent progress in several key areas relevant to natural products in nanoparticle delivery systems for biomedical applications. Keywords: natural products, nanomedicine, drug delivery, bioavailability, targeting, controlled release

Harnessing natural product assembly lines: structure, promiscuity, and engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Ladner, Christopher C; Williams, Gavin J

2016-03-01

Many therapeutically relevant natural products are biosynthesized by the action of giant mega-enzyme assembly lines. By leveraging the specificity, promiscuity, and modularity of assembly lines, a variety of strategies has been developed that enables the biosynthesis of modified natural products. This review briefly summarizes recent structural advances related to natural product assembly lines, discusses chemical approaches to probing assembly line structures in the absence of traditional biophysical data, and surveys efforts that harness the inherent or engineered promiscuity of assembly lines for the synthesis of non-natural polyketides and non-ribosomal peptide analogues.

Kinetics Studies on citric acid production by gamma ray induced mutant of Aspergillus niger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begum, A.A.; Choudhury, N.; Islam, M.S.

1991-01-01

Effect of cultural pH and incubation temperature on citric acid yield and kinetic patterns of citric acid fermentation by a natural isolate of aspergillus niger as CA16 and one of its gamma ray induced mutants were studied using cane molasses as growth and fermentation substrate. Mutant strain, 277/30 gave maximum citric acid yield of 85 g/l at pH 3.5 and 28 degree centigrade in molasses medium adjusted to 16% sugar and 25% prescott salt in the medium. Parent strain, CA16 gave a maximum yield of 34 g/l at pH 4.0 and 26 degree centigrade in molasses medium adjusted to 16% sugar and 100% prescott salt in the medium. In kinetic studies, strains showed combination kinetics of citric acid fermentation where product formation is directly related to growth and cell mass and indirectly related to carbohydrate uptake

Sugar-Based Ethanol Biorefinery: Ethanol, Succinic Acid and By-Product Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donal F. Day

2009-03-31

The work conducted in this project is an extension of the developments itemized in DE-FG-36-04GO14236. This program is designed to help the development of a biorefinery based around a raw sugar mill, which in Louisiana is an underutilized asset. Some technical questions were answered regarding the addition of a biomass to ethanol facility to existing sugar mills. The focus of this work is on developing technology to produce ethanol and valuable by-products from bagasse. Three major areas are addressed, feedstock storage, potential by-products and the technology for producing ethanol from dilute ammonia pre-treated bagasse. Sugar mills normally store bagasse in a simple pile. During the off season there is a natural degradation of the bagasse, due to the composting action of microorganisms in the pile. This has serious implications if bagasse must be stored to operate a bagasse/biorefinery for a 300+ day operating cycle. Deterioration of the fermentables in bagasse was found to be 6.5% per month, on pile storage. This indicates that long term storage of adequate amounts of bagasse for year-round operation is probably not feasible. Lignin from pretreatment seemed to offer a potential source of valuable by-products. Although a wide range of phenolic compounds were present in the effluent from dilute ammonia pretreatment, the concentrations of each (except for benzoic acid) were too low to consider for extraction. The cellulosic hydrolysis system was modified to produce commercially recoverable quantities of cellobiose, which has a small but growing market in the food process industries. A spin-off of this led to the production of a specific oligosaccharide which appears to have both medical and commercial implications as a fungal growth inhibitor. An alternate use of sugars produced from biomass hydrolysis would be to produce succinic acid as a chemical feedstock for other conversions. An organism was developed which can do this bioconversion, but the economics of

Production of Odd-Carbon Dicarboxylic Acids in Escherichia coli Using an Engineered Biotin-Fatty Acid Biosynthetic Pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Haushalter, Robert W; Phelan, Ryan M; Hoh, Kristina M; Su, Cindy; Wang, George; Baidoo, Edward E K; Keasling, Jay D

2017-04-05

Dicarboxylic acids are commodity chemicals used in the production of plastics, polyesters, nylons, fragrances, and medications. Bio-based routes to dicarboxylic acids are gaining attention due to environmental concerns about petroleum-based production of these compounds. Some industrial applications require dicarboxylic acids with specific carbon chain lengths, including odd-carbon species. Biosynthetic pathways involving cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation of fatty acids in yeast and bacteria have been reported, but these systems produce almost exclusively even-carbon species. Here we report a novel pathway to odd-carbon dicarboxylic acids directly from glucose in Escherichia coli by employing an engineered pathway combining enzymes from biotin and fatty acid synthesis. Optimization of the pathway will lead to industrial strains for the production of valuable odd-carbon diacids.

Effect of inhibitors on acid production by baker's yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Sigler, K; Knotková, A; Kotyk, A

1978-01-01

Glucose-induced acid extrusion, respiration and anaerobic fermentation in baker's yeast was studied with the aid of sixteen inhibitors. Uranyl(2+) nitrate affected the acid extrusion more anaerobically than aerobically; the complexing of Mg2+ and Ca2+ by EDTA at the membrane had no effect. Inhibitors of glycolysis (iodoacetamide, N-ethylmaleimide, fluoride) suppressed acid production markedly, and so did the phosphorylation-blocking arsenate. Fluoroacetate, inhibiting the citric-acid cycle, had no effect. Inhibition by uncouplers depended on their pKa values: 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (pKa 0.4) less than 2,4-dinitrophenol (4.1) less than azide (4.7) less than 3-chlorophenylhydrazonomalononitrile (6.0). Inhibition by trinitrophenol was only slightly increased by its acetylation. Cyanide and nonpermeant oligomycin showed practically no effect; inhibition by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide was delayed but potent. The concentration profiles of inhibition of acid production differed from those of respiration and fermentation. Thus, though the acid production is a metabolically dependent process, it does not reflect the intensity of metabolism, except partly in the first half of glycolysis.

Microbial production of citric acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana P. S Vandenberghe

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Citric acid is the most important organic acid produced in tonnage and is extensively used in food and pharmaceutical industries. It is produced mainly by submerged fermentation using Aspergillus niger or Candida sp. from different sources of carbohydrates, such as molasses and starch based media. However, other fermentation techniques, e.g. solid state fermentation and surface fermentation, and alternative sources of carbon such as agro-industrial residues have been intensively studied showing great perspective to its production. This paper reviews recent developments on citric acid production by presenting a brief summary of the subject, describing micro-organisms, production techniques, and substrates, etc.O ácido cítrico é o ácido mais produzido em termos de tonagem e é extensivamente utilizado pelas indústrias alimentícia e farmacêutica. É produzido principalmente por fermentação submersa utilizando o fungo Aspergillus niger e leveduras do gênero Candida sp. à partir de diferentes fontes de carbono, como a glicose e meios à base de amido. No entanto, outras técnicas de fermentação, e.g. fermentação no estado sólido e em superfície, e fontes alternativas de carbono tem sido intensamente estudadas mostrando grande perspectivas para o processo. O presente trabalho apresenta um resumo dos últimos avanços sobre a produção do ácido cítrico, descrevendo de maneira sucinta os trabalhos mais recentes, descrevendo microrganismos, técnicas de produção e substratos empregados, etc.

Potential Use of Gelidium amansii Acid Hydrolysate for Lactic Acid Production by Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung-Soo Jang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Galactose and glucose are the main monosaccharides produced from the saccharification of Gelidium amansii. They were hydrolysed with 3 % (by volume H2SO4 at 140 °C for 5 min and obtained at concentrations of 19.60 and 10.21 g/L, respectively. G. amansii hydrolysate (5 %, by mass per volume was used as a substrate for L(+-lactic acid production by Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The maximum lactic acid yield (YP/S was 42.03 % with optical purity of 84.54 %. Lactic acid produced from G. amansii hydrolysate can be applicable, among others, for the production of lactic acid esters, like ethyl or methyl lactate, and disinfectant in seaweed cultivation.

Relationship between Platelet PPARs, cAMP Levels, and P-Selectin Expression: Antiplatelet Activity of Natural Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Fuentes

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Platelets are no longer considered simply as cells participating in thrombosis. In atherosclerosis, platelets are regulators of multiple processes, with the recruitment of inflammatory cells towards the lesion sites, inflammatory mediators release, and regulation of endothelial function. The antiplatelet therapy has been used for a long time in an effort to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. However, limited efficacy in some patients, drug resistance, and side effects are limitations of current antiplatelet therapy. In this context, a large number of natural products (polyphenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, and fatty acids have been reported with antiplatelet activity. In this sense, the present paper describes mechanisms of antiplatelet action of natural products on platelet P-selectin expression through cAMP levels and its role as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors agonists.

Antifungal Activity of Phenyllactic Acid against Molds Isolated from Bakery Products

Science.gov (United States)

Lavermicocca, Paola; Valerio, Francesca; Visconti, Angelo

2003-01-01

Phenyllactic acid (PLA) has recently been found in cultures of Lactobacillus plantarum that show antifungal activity in sourdough breads. The fungicidal activity of PLA and growth inhibition by PLA were evaluated by using a microdilution test and 23 fungal strains belonging to 14 species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium that were isolated from bakery products, flours, or cereals. Less than 7.5 mg of PLA ml−1 was required to obtain 90% growth inhibition for all strains, while fungicidal activity against 19 strains was shown by PLA at levels of ≤10 mg ml−1. Levels of growth inhibition of 50 to 92.4% were observed for all fungal strains after incubation for 3 days in the presence of 7.5 mg of PLA ml−1 in buffered medium at pH 4, which is a condition more similar to those in real food systems. Under these experimental conditions PLA caused an unpredictable delaying effect that was more than 2 days long for 12 strains, including some mycotoxigenic strains of Penicillium verrucosum and Penicillium citrinum and a strain of Penicillium roqueforti (the most widespread contaminant of bakery products); a growth delay of about 2 days was observed for seven other strains. The effect of pH on the inhibitory activity of PLA and the combined effects of the major organic acids produced by lactic acid bacteria isolated from sourdough bread (PLA, lactic acid, and acetic acid) were also investigated. The ability of PLA to act as a fungicide and delay the growth of a variety of fungal contaminants provides new perspectives for possibly using this natural antimicrobial compound to control fungal contaminants and extend the shelf lives of foods and/or feedstuffs. PMID:12514051

Thermodynamic analyses of hydrogen production from sub-quality natural gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Cunping; T-Raissi, Ali [Florida Solar Energy Center, University of Central Florida, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922-5403 (United States)

2007-01-01

Part I of this paper analyzed sub-quality natural gas (SQNG) pyrolysis and autothermal pyrolysis. Production of hydrogen via direct thermolysis of SQNGs produces only 2mol of hydrogen and 1mol of carbon per mole of methane (CH{sub 4}). Steam reforming of SQNG (SRSQNG) could become a more effective approach because the processes produce two more moles of hydrogen via water splitting. A Gibbs reactor unit operation in the AspenPlus(TM) chemical process simulator was employed to accomplish equilibrium calculations for the SQNG+H{sub 2}O and SQNG+H{sub 2}O+O{sub 2} systems. The results indicate that water and oxygen inlet flow rates do not significantly affect the decomposition of hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) at temperatures lower than 1000{sup o}C. The major co-product of the processes is carbonyl sulfide (COS) while sulfur dimer (S{sub 2}) and carbon disulfide (CS{sub 2}) are minor by-products within this temperature range. At higher temperatures (>1300{sup o}C), CS{sub 2} and S{sub 2} become major co-products. No sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) or sulfur trioxide (SO{sub 3}) is formed during either SRSQNG or autothermal SRSQNG processes, indicating that no environmentally harmful acidic gases are generated. (author)

Survival and Growth of Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria in Refrigerated Pickle Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Sicun; Breidt, Fred; Price, Robert; Pérez-Díaz, Ilenys

2017-01-01

We examined 10 lactic acid bacteria that have been previously characterized for commercial use as probiotic cultures, mostly for dairy products, including 1 Pediococcus and 9 Lactobacilli. Our objectives were to develop a rapid procedure for determining the long-term survivability of these cultures in acidified vegetable products and to identify suitable cultures for probiotic brined vegetable products. We therefore developed assays to measure acid resistance of these cultures to lactic and acetic acids, which are present in pickled vegetable products. We used relatively high acid concentrations (compared to commercial products) of 360 mM lactic acid and 420 mM acetic acid to determine acid resistance with a 1 h treatment. Growth rates were measured in a cucumber juice medium at pH 5.3, 4.2, and 3.8, at 30 °C and 0% to 2% NaCl. Significant differences in acid resistance and growth rates were found among the 10 cultures. In general, the acid resistant strains had slower growth rates than the acid sensitive strains. Based on the acid resistance data, selected cultures were tested for long-term survival in a simulated acidified refrigerated cucumber product. We found that one of the most acid resistant strains (Lactobacillus casei) could survive for up to 63 d at 4 °C without significant loss of viability at 10 8 CFU/mL. These data may aid in the development of commercial probiotic refrigerated pickle products. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Screening of Gibberellic Acid Production by Pseudomonas SPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khine Zar Wynn Myint; Khin Mya Lwin; Myo Myint

2010-12-01

The microbial gibberellic acid (GA3) production of Pseudomonas spp., was studied and qualitatively indentified by UV spectrophotometer. 20 strains of Pseudomonas spp., were isolated and screened the gibberellic acid productivily in King's B medium. Among them, only four strains can produce microbial gibberellic acid. The Rf values and colour appearance under UV were the same as authentic gibberellic acid. Moreover, the gibberellic acid producer strains were identified as Pseudomonas spp., by cultural, biochemical and drug sensitivity pattern.

Batch fermentative production of lactic acid from green- sugarcane juices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liliana Serna Cock

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Juice from the CC85-92 variety of green (unburned sugar cane was tested as a suitable substrate in lactic-acid production. Fermentations were carried out with a homo-fermentative strain isolated from crops of the same variety of cane. Both the centrifugation pre-treatment and concentrated-nitrogen effects on substrate conversion, lactic-acid concentration and yield were evaluated. After a fermentation time of 48 h at 32° C with 5% of yeast extract as nitrogen source, 40,78 g/L of lactic-acid concentration, 0.58 g/g of product yield and 33% of substrate conversion were obtained. Centrifugation did not affect lactic acid production. Key words: Lactic acid, green sugar cane, Lactococcus lactis subs. lactis.

21 CFR 573.500 - Condensed, extracted glutamic acid fermentation product.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Condensed, extracted glutamic acid fermentation product. 573.500 Section 573.500 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND... fermentation product. Condensed, extracted glutamic acid fermentation product may be safely used in animal feed...

Growth of aspergillus terreus and the production of itaconic acid in batch and continuous cultures. The influence of pH

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rychtera, M.; Wase, J.D.A.

1981-01-01

Aspergillus terreus (NRRL 1960) was cultivated in batch and in continuous single-stage culture. The influence of pH on the growth of the organism, on the formation of itaconic acid and on the kinetics of fermentation was studied under phosphate limitation, both at controlled ph values and also when the pH was allowed to decrease in a natural way. In the pH range 1.7-3.5, the ratio of undissociated:half-dissociated acid varied from 190:1 to 1.5:1. The amount of completely dissociated acid may be regarded as negligible. In batch systems operated without pH control, an initial pH of 3.1 proved to be the most effective. Product formation under such conditions started at a point where the exponential growth phase commenced and was described by a zero-order equation. The maximum itaconic acid production rate was shifted behind maximum growth rate. The continuous single-stage system was first order with respect to product formation. At pH greater than 3.1, a number of aberrant and pellet forms of the mould occurred, resulting in decreased acid production. (Refs. 41).

Rational synthetic pathway refactoring of natural products biosynthesis in actinobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Gao-Yi; Liu, Tiangang

2017-01-01

Natural products (NPs) and their derivatives are widely used as frontline treatments for many diseases. Actinobacteria spp. are used to produce most of NP antibiotics and have also been intensively investigated for NP production, derivatization, and discovery. However, due to the complicated transcriptional and metabolic regulation of NP biosynthesis in Actinobacteria, especially in the cases of genome mining and heterologous expression, it is often difficult to rationally and systematically engineer synthetic pathways to maximize biosynthetic efficiency. With the emergence of new tools and methods in metabolic engineering, the synthetic pathways of many chemicals, such as fatty acids and biofuels, in model organisms (e.g. Escherichia coli ), have been refactored to realize precise and flexible control of production. These studies also offer a promising approach for synthetic pathway refactoring in Actinobacteria. In this review, the great potential of Actinobacteria as a microbial cell factory for biosynthesis of NPs is discussed. To this end, recent progress in metabolic engineering of NP synthetic pathways in Actinobacteria are summarized and strategies and perspectives to rationally and systematically refactor synthetic pathways in Actinobacteria are highlighted. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Peracetic Acid Depolymerization of Biorefinery Lignin for Production of Selective Monomeric Phenolic Compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ruoshui; Guo, Mond; Lin, Kuan-Ting; Hebert, Vincent R; Zhang, Jinwen; Wolcott, Michael P; Quintero, Melissa; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan K; Chen, Xiaowen; Zhang, Xiao

2016-07-25

Lignin is the largest source of renewable material with an aromatic skeleton. However, due to the recalcitrant and heterogeneous nature of the lignin polymer, it has been a challenge to effectively depolymerize lignin and produce high-value chemicals with high selectivity. In this study, a highly efficient lignin-to-monomeric phenolic compounds (MPC) conversion method based on peracetic acid (PAA) treatment was reported. PAA treatment of two biorefinery lignin samples, diluted acid pretreated corn stover lignin (DACSL) and steam exploded spruce lignin (SESPL), led to complete solubilization and production of selective hydroxylated monomeric phenolic compounds (MPC-H) and monomeric phenolic acid compounds (MPC-A) including 4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The maximized MPC yields obtained were 18 and 22 % based on the initial weight of the lignin in SESPL and DACSL, respectively. However, we found that the addition of niobium pentoxide catalyst to PAA treatment of lignin can significantly improve the MPC yields up to 47 %. The key reaction steps and main mechanisms involved in this new lignin-to-MPC valorization pathway were investigated and elucidated. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An analysis of FDA-approved drugs: natural products and their derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Patridge, Eric; Gareiss, Peter; Kinch, Michael S; Hoyer, Denton

2016-02-01

Natural products contribute greatly to the history and landscape of new molecular entities (NMEs). An assessment of all FDA-approved NMEs reveals that natural products and their derivatives represent over one-third of all NMEs. Nearly one-half of these are derived from mammals, one-quarter from microbes and one-quarter from plants. Since the 1930s, the total fraction of natural products has diminished, whereas semisynthetic and synthetic natural product derivatives have increased. Over time, this fraction has also become enriched with microbial natural products, which represent a significant portion of approved antibiotics, including more than two-thirds of all antibacterial NMEs. In recent years, the declining focus on natural products has impacted the pipeline of NMEs from specific classes, and this trend is likely to continue without specific investment in the pursuit of natural products. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cleaner production of citric acid by recycling its extraction wastewater treated with anaerobic digestion and electrodialysis in an integrated citric acid-methane production process.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jian; Su, Xian-Feng; Bao, Jia-Wei; Chen, Yang-Qiu; Zhang, Hong-Jian; Tang, Lei; Wang, Ke; Zhang, Jian-Hua; Chen, Xu-Sheng; Mao, Zhong-Gui

2015-01-01

To solve the pollution problem of extraction wastewater in citric acid production, an integrated citric acid-methane production process was proposed. Extraction wastewater was treated through anaerobic digestion and the anaerobic digestion effluent (ADE) was recycled for the next batch of citric acid fermentation, thus eliminating wastewater discharge and reducing water consumption. Excessive Na(+) contained in ADE could significantly inhibit citric acid fermentation in recycling and was removed by electrodialysis in this paper. Electrodialysis performance was improved after pretreatment of ADE with air stripping and activated carbon adsorption to remove precipitable metal ions and pigments. Moreover, the concentrate water was recycled and mixed with feed to improve the water recovery rate above 95% in electrodialysis treatment, while the dilute water was collected for citric acid fermentation. The removal rate of Na(+) in ADE was above 95% and the citric acid production was even higher than that with tap water. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haidan Yuan

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. Such forms of medicine as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Kampo, traditional Korean medicine, and Unani have been practiced in some areas of the world and have blossomed into orderly-regulated systems of medicine. This study aims to review the literature on the relationship among natural products, traditional medicines, and modern medicine, and to explore the possible concepts and methodologies from natural products and traditional medicines to further develop drug discovery. The unique characteristics of theory, application, current role or status, and modern research of eight kinds of traditional medicine systems are summarized in this study. Although only a tiny fraction of the existing plant species have been scientifically researched for bioactivities since 1805, when the first pharmacologically-active compound morphine was isolated from opium, natural products and traditional medicines have already made fruitful contributions for modern medicine. When used to develop new drugs, natural products and traditional medicines have their incomparable advantages, such as abundant clinical experiences, and their unique diversity of chemical structures and biological activities.

The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Haidan; Ma, Qianqian; Ye, Li; Piao, Guangchun

2016-04-29

Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. Such forms of medicine as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Kampo, traditional Korean medicine, and Unani have been practiced in some areas of the world and have blossomed into orderly-regulated systems of medicine. This study aims to review the literature on the relationship among natural products, traditional medicines, and modern medicine, and to explore the possible concepts and methodologies from natural products and traditional medicines to further develop drug discovery. The unique characteristics of theory, application, current role or status, and modern research of eight kinds of traditional medicine systems are summarized in this study. Although only a tiny fraction of the existing plant species have been scientifically researched for bioactivities since 1805, when the first pharmacologically-active compound morphine was isolated from opium, natural products and traditional medicines have already made fruitful contributions for modern medicine. When used to develop new drugs, natural products and traditional medicines have their incomparable advantages, such as abundant clinical experiences, and their unique diversity of chemical structures and biological activities.

Preparation of PES ultrafiltration membranes with natural amino acids based zwitterionic antifouling surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Chen; Liu, Xiaojiu; Xie, Binbin; Yao, Chen; Hu, Wenhan; Li, Yi; Li, Xinsong

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Amino acids have been successfully grafted onto the surface of PES membranes via amino groups induced epoxy ring opening. • Zwitterionic PES ultrafiltration membranes exhibit excellent antifouling performance and improved permeation properties. • A facile strategy to combat fouling of PES ultrafiltration membranes is developed by grafting natural amino acids. - Abstract: In this report, a simple and facile approach to enhance the antifouling property of poly(ether sulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration membrane was developed by grafting natural amino acids onto surface. First of all, poly(ether sulfone) composite membranes blended with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) were fabricated by phase inversion method followed by grafting of different types of natural amino acids onto the membrane surface through epoxy ring opening reaction. The analysis of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified the substantial enrichment of amino acids onto the surface of PES membranes. The hydrophilicity of the PES membranes was improved after grafting amino acids. The mechanical property and morphologies of the PES membranes proved that their basic performances were not obviously affected by grafting reaction, and these parameters were all still in the typical range for ultrafiltration membranes. The antifouling property of the grafted PES membranes against bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (Lyz) was investigated in detail. It was found that PES membranes incorporated with neutral amino acids exhibited higher fouling resistance to both BSA and Lyz than the parent PES membrane. It can be ascribed to the formation of zwitterionic structure on the surface consisting of protonated secondary amino cations and carboxyl anions. Meanwhile, PES membranes grafted with charged amino acids had better antifouling properties against protein with same electric charges and improved adsorption

Preparation of PES ultrafiltration membranes with natural amino acids based zwitterionic antifouling surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Chen; Liu, Xiaojiu; Xie, Binbin; Yao, Chen [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189 (China); Hu, Wenhan; Li, Yi [Suzhou Faith & Hope Membrane Technology Co., Ltd., Suzhou, 215000 (China); Li, Xinsong, E-mail: lixs@seu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189 (China)

2016-11-01

Highlights: • Amino acids have been successfully grafted onto the surface of PES membranes via amino groups induced epoxy ring opening. • Zwitterionic PES ultrafiltration membranes exhibit excellent antifouling performance and improved permeation properties. • A facile strategy to combat fouling of PES ultrafiltration membranes is developed by grafting natural amino acids. - Abstract: In this report, a simple and facile approach to enhance the antifouling property of poly(ether sulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration membrane was developed by grafting natural amino acids onto surface. First of all, poly(ether sulfone) composite membranes blended with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) were fabricated by phase inversion method followed by grafting of different types of natural amino acids onto the membrane surface through epoxy ring opening reaction. The analysis of attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified the substantial enrichment of amino acids onto the surface of PES membranes. The hydrophilicity of the PES membranes was improved after grafting amino acids. The mechanical property and morphologies of the PES membranes proved that their basic performances were not obviously affected by grafting reaction, and these parameters were all still in the typical range for ultrafiltration membranes. The antifouling property of the grafted PES membranes against bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (Lyz) was investigated in detail. It was found that PES membranes incorporated with neutral amino acids exhibited higher fouling resistance to both BSA and Lyz than the parent PES membrane. It can be ascribed to the formation of zwitterionic structure on the surface consisting of protonated secondary amino cations and carboxyl anions. Meanwhile, PES membranes grafted with charged amino acids had better antifouling properties against protein with same electric charges and improved adsorption

Nitrogenous compounds stimulate glucose-derived acid production by oral Streptococcus and Actinomyces.

Science.gov (United States)

Norimatsu, Yuka; Kawashima, Junko; Takano-Yamamoto, Teruko; Takahashi, Nobuhiro

2015-09-01

Both Streptococcus and Actinomyces can produce acids from dietary sugars and are frequently found in caries lesions. In the oral cavity, nitrogenous compounds, such as peptides and amino acids, are provided continuously by saliva and crevicular gingival fluid. Given that these bacteria can also utilize nitrogen compounds for their growth, it was hypothesized that nitrogenous compounds may influence their acid production; however, no previous studies have examined this topic. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the effects of nitrogenous compounds (tryptone and glutamate) on glucose-derived acid production by Streptococcus and Actinomyces. Acid production was evaluated using a pH-stat method under anaerobic conditions, whereas the amounts of metabolic end-products were quantified using high performance liquid chromatography. Tryptone enhanced glucose-derived acid production by up to 2.68-fold, whereas glutamate enhanced Streptococcus species only. However, neither tryptone nor glutamate altered the end-product profiles, indicating that the nitrogenous compounds stimulate the whole metabolic pathways involving in acid production from glucose, but are not actively metabolized, nor do they alter metabolic pathways. These results suggest that nitrogenous compounds in the oral cavity promote acid production by Streptococcus and Actinomyces in vivo. © 2015 The Societies and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

2012: no trans fatty acids in Spanish bakery products.

Science.gov (United States)

Ansorena, Diana; Echarte, Andrea; Ollé, Rebeca; Astiasarán, Iciar

2013-05-01

Trans fatty acids (TFA) are strongly correlated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Current dietary recommendations exclude bakery products from frequent consumption basically due to their traditionally high content of TFA. The aim of this work was to analyse the lipid profile of different bakery products currently commercialised in Spain and with a conventionally high fat and TFA content. Premium and store brands for each product were included in the study. No significant amounts of TFA were found in any of the analysed products, regardless the brand. TFA content ranged between 0.17 g and 0.22 g/100 g product (mean=0.19 g/100 g product). Expressed on percentage of fatty acids, the maximum value was 0.87 g/100 g fatty acids and the mean value was 0.68%. These data are significantly lower than those observed in previously published papers for these types of products, and highlighted the importance of updating food composition databases in order to accurately estimate the real and current intake of TFA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Use of natural fatty acids in processing tritium gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sharnouby, A.K.; Abdelgeleel, M.; Eskander, S.B.

1997-01-01

Natural unsaturated fatty acid (e.g cotton, corn, litmus, castor and palm oils) were used to fix tritium gas. The data obtained show that the affinity of the different used natural oils fixation of hydrogen (tritium) was in the following order: cotton oils> corn oil> litmus oil> castor oil> palm oil. The quantity of hydrogen (tritium) which can be fixed by one gram cotton oil is about 5.824 ml H 2 (5.56 x 10 1 1 Bq tritium) while one gram corn oil can fix only 5.04 ml H 2 (4.811 x 10 1 1 Bq tritium). Tritiated cotton oil and corn oil can be solidified using an epoxy resin (Araldite-B-W-1193), the polymer sample can contain up to 5% by weight from hydrogenated (tritiated) oils. The results obtained show that the compressive strength measurements of the final solid waste forms (fatty acid/epoxy) increased with increasing curing time and decreased with increasing fatty acid content. The leachability of tritium from the final solid waste forms increased with increasing fatty acid content in the polymer matrix. The cumulative leach fraction of tritium varied between 4.00 x 10 -3 cm and 6.60 x 10 -3 cm according to the experimental conditions. 15 figs., 1 tab

ruminants by amino acid analysis of the products of

African Journals Online (AJOL)

reveals that in all cases histidine is the limiting amino acid for milk production. Comparison of the milk production potential predicted from the duodenal amino acid supply with that predicted from ... also recognized, in ruminants, as'a critical point in the chain .... be used to model the in vivo situation and measurement of.

Marine actinobacteria: an important source of bioactive natural products.

Science.gov (United States)

Manivasagan, Panchanathan; Kang, Kyong-Hwa; Sivakumar, Kannan; Li-Chan, Eunice C Y; Oh, Hyun-Myung; Kim, Se-Kwon

2014-07-01

Marine environment is largely an untapped source for deriving actinobacteria, having potential to produce novel, bioactive natural products. Actinobacteria are the prolific producers of pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites, accounting for about 70% of the naturally derived compounds that are currently in clinical use. Among the various actinobacterial genera, Actinomadura, Actinoplanes, Amycolatopsis, Marinispora, Micromonospora, Nocardiopsis, Saccharopolyspora, Salinispora, Streptomyces and Verrucosispora are the major potential producers of commercially important bioactive natural products. In this respect, Streptomyces ranks first with a large number of bioactive natural products. Marine actinobacteria are unique enhancing quite different biological properties including antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, insecticidal and enzyme inhibitory activities. They have attracted global in the last ten years for their ability to produce pharmaceutically active compounds. In this review, we have focused attention on the bioactive natural products isolated from marine actinobacteria, possessing unique chemical structures that may form the basis for synthesis of novel drugs that could be used to combat resistant pathogenic microorganisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anthropogenic and natural sources of acidity and metals and their influence on the structure of stream food webs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hogsden, Kristy L.; Harding, Jon S.

2012-01-01

We compared food web structure in 20 streams with either anthropogenic or natural sources of acidity and metals or circumneutral water chemistry in New Zealand. Community and diet analysis indicated that mining streams receiving anthropogenic inputs of acidic and metal-rich drainage had much simpler food webs (fewer species, shorter food chains, less links) than those in naturally acidic, naturally high metal, and circumneutral streams. Food webs of naturally high metal streams were structurally similar to those in mining streams, lacking fish predators and having few species. Whereas, webs in naturally acidic streams differed very little from those in circumneutral streams due to strong similarities in community composition and diets of secondary and top consumers. The combined negative effects of acidity and metals on stream food webs are clear. However, elevated metal concentrations, regardless of source, appear to play a more important role than acidity in driving food web structure. - Highlights: ► Food webs in acid mine drainage impacted streams are small and extremely simplified. ► Conductivity explained differences in food web properties between streams. ► Number of links and web size accounted for much dissimilarity between food webs. ► Food web structure was comparable in naturally acidic and circumneutral streams. - Food web structure differs in streams with anthropogenic and natural sources of acidity and metals.

Glucose-stimulated acrolein production from unsaturated fatty acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Medina-Navarro, R; Duran-Reyes, G; Diaz-Flores, M; Hicks, J J; Kumate, J

2004-02-01

Glucose auto-oxidation may be a significant source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and also be important in the lipid peroxidation process, accompanied by the release of toxic reactive products. We wanted to demonstrate that acrolein can be formed directly and actively from free fatty acids in a hyperglycemic environment. A suspension of linoleic and arachidonic acids (2.5 mM) was exposed to different glucose concentrations (5, 10 and 15 mmol/L) in vitro. The samples were extracted with organic solvents, partitioned, followed at 255-267 nm, and analysed using capillary electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy. The total release of aldehydes significantly (P products, acrolein (5% of total) and its condensing product, 4-hydroxy-hexenal, were identified. From the results presented here, it was possible to demonstrate the production of acrolein, probably as a fatty acid product, due to free radicals generated from the glucose auto-oxidation process. The results led us to propose that acrolein, which is one of the most toxic aldehydes, is produced during hyperglycemic states, and may lead to tissue injury, as one of the initial problems to be linked to high levels of glucose in vivo.

Acid drainage (AD) in nature and environmental impact of acid mine drainage (AMD) in Southern Tuscany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Lella, Luigi Antonello; Protano, Giuseppe; Riccobono, Francesco

2005-01-01

Acid drainage (AD) is a natural process occurring locally at the Earth's surface. It consists in a substantial increase of acidity of surface waters as a result of chemical reactions occurring in the atmosphere (i.e. acid rain) or involving reactive phases (i.e. pyrite) present in the percolated medium. Acidic surface waters (usually pH < 4) can be produced by oxidation of sulphides (mainly pyrite and other iron sulphides) exposed to atmospheric oxygen, while human activities, such as mining, can greatly enhance this process. Acid drainage promoted by mining activities is called acid mine drainage (AMD) and is a primary source of environmental pollution and a world-wide problem in both active and abandoned mining areas. In fact, exposure of iron sulphides to oxidising conditions produces strongly acidic drainage waters rich in sulphate and a variety of heavy elements (i.e. As, Cd, Pb, Sb). Several occurrences of active acid mine drainage have been found in the Metalliferous Hills (southern Tuscany). The most important AMD phenomena were observed in the Fenice Capanne and Niccioleta mining areas

Malic acid production from thin stillage by Aspergillus species.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Thomas P

2011-12-01

The ability of Aspergillus strains to utilize thin stillage to produce malic acid was compared. The highest malic acid was produced by Aspergillus niger ATCC 9142 at 17 g l(-1). Biomass production from thin stillage was similar with all strains but ATCC 10577 was the highest at 19 g l(-1). The highest malic acid yield (0.8 g g(-1)) was with A. niger ATCC 9142 and ATCC 10577 on the stillage. Thus, thin stillage has the potential to act as a substrate for the commercial production of food-grade malic acid by the A. niger strains. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Applications of natural products in the control of mosquito ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Applications of natural products in the control of mosquito-transmitted ... African Journal of Biotechnology ... Ultimately, a paradigm shift in research that evaluates natural products in a comparative manner will help to produce new materials for ...

Continuous butyric acid fermentation coupled with REED technology for enhanced productivity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baroi, George Nabin; Skiadas, Ioannis; Westermann, Peter

strains, C.tyrobutyricum seems the most promising for biological production of butyric acid as it is characterised by higher selectivity and higher tolerance to butyric acid. However, studies on fermentative butyric production from lignocellulosic biomasses are scarce in the international literature...... of continuous fermentation mode and in-situ acids removal by Reverse Enhanced Electro Dialysis (REED) resulted to enhanced sugars consumption rates when 60% PHWS was fermented. Specifically, glucose and xylose consumption rate increased by a factor of 6 and 39, respectively, while butyric acid productivity...

Review: Natural products from Genus Selaginella (Selaginellaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AHMAD DWI SETYAWAN

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Setyawan AD. 2011. Natural products from Genus Selaginella (Selaginellaceae. Nusantara Bioscience 3: 44-58. Selaginella is a potent medicinal-stuff, which contains diverse of natural products such as alkaloid, phenolic (flavonoid, and terpenoid. This species is traditionally used to cure several diseases especially for wound, after childbirth, and menstrual disorder. Biflavonoid, a dimeric form of flavonoids, is the most valuable natural products of Selaginella, which constituted at least 13 compounds, namely amentoflavone, 2',8''-biapigenin, delicaflavone, ginkgetin, heveaflavone, hinokiflavone, isocryptomerin, kayaflavone, ochnaflavone, podocarpusflavone A, robustaflavone, sumaflavone, and taiwaniaflavone. Ecologically, plants use biflavonoid to response environmental condition such as defense against pests, diseases, herbivory, and competitions; while human medically use biflavonoid especially for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti carcinogenic. Selaginella also contains valuable disaccharide, namely trehalose that has long been known for protecting from desiccation and allows surviving severe environmental stress. The compound has very prospects as molecular stabilizer in the industries based bioresources.

Top value platform chemicals: bio-based production of organic acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Judith; Lange, Anna; Fabarius, Jonathan; Wittmann, Christoph

2015-12-01

Driven by the quest for sustainability, recent years have seen a tremendous progress in bio-based production routes from renewable raw materials to commercial goods. Particularly, the production of organic acids has crystallized as a competitive and fast-evolving field, related to the broad applicability of organic acids for direct use, as polymer building blocks, and as commodity chemicals. Here, we review recent advances in metabolic engineering and industrial market scenarios with focus on organic acids as top value products from biomass, accessible through fermentation and biotransformation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Culture-independent discovery of natural products from soil metagenomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Micah; Hover, Bradley M; Brady, Sean F

2016-03-01

Bacterial natural products have proven to be invaluable starting points in the development of many currently used therapeutic agents. Unfortunately, traditional culture-based methods for natural product discovery have been deemphasized by pharmaceutical companies due in large part to high rediscovery rates. Culture-independent, or "metagenomic," methods, which rely on the heterologous expression of DNA extracted directly from environmental samples (eDNA), have the potential to provide access to metabolites encoded by a large fraction of the earth's microbial biosynthetic diversity. As soil is both ubiquitous and rich in bacterial diversity, it is an appealing starting point for culture-independent natural product discovery efforts. This review provides an overview of the history of soil metagenome-driven natural product discovery studies and elaborates on the recent development of new tools for sequence-based, high-throughput profiling of environmental samples used in discovering novel natural product biosynthetic gene clusters. We conclude with several examples of these new tools being employed to facilitate the recovery of novel secondary metabolite encoding gene clusters from soil metagenomes and the subsequent heterologous expression of these clusters to produce bioactive small molecules.

World statistics on natural gas reserves, production and utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raikaslehto, S.

2001-01-01

By reviewing the statistics of BP Amoco on natural gas reserves, production and usage, it is easy to see that Russia and USA, both being large natural gas producers, differ significantly from each other. The natural gas reserves of USA are 6th largest in the world, simultaneously the natural gas consumption and import are largest in the world. About one third of the known natural gas reserves of the world are in Russia. The known natural gas reserves of both USA and Canada have decreases, but they have potential gas reserves left. Known natural gas reserves of the USA have been calculated to be sufficient for 9 years consumption at present usage and those of Canada for 11 years. The reserves of Algeria correspond to the usage of 55 years, and the Russian reserves for are about 83 years. Annual production figures of both Russia and the USA are nearly the same. Russia is the largest exporter (125.5 billion m 3 ) of natural gas and the USA the largest importer (96 billion m 3 ). The natural gas reserves of the largest European producers, the Netherlands and Norway have been estimated to be sufficient for use of about 20 years, but those of Great Britain only for about 10 years. The annual production of Russia has varied in the 1990s between nearly 600 billion m 3 and present 550 billion m 3 , the minimum being in 1997 only about 532 billion m 3 . Ten largest natural gas consumers use 67% of the natural gas consumed annually in the world. USA consumes about 27% of the total natural gas produced in the world, the amount of Russia being 364 billion m 3 (16%). Other large natural gas consumers are Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Ukraine, Canada, Italy, Iran and Uzbekistan. The share of these countries of the total consumption varied in between 2-4%. Only Japan has no natural gas production of its own. The foreign trade between Japan and Indonesia is trade on LNG. On the other hand the natural gas consumption of the world's 10th largest producer Norway is nearly zero, so

Detoxification of acidic biorefinery waste liquor for production of high value amino acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Christopher, Meera; Anusree, Murali; Mathew, Anil K; Nampoothiri, K Madhavan; Sukumaran, Rajeev Kumar; Pandey, Ashok

2016-08-01

The current study evaluates the detoxification of acid pretreatment liquor (APL) using adsorbent (ADS 400 & ADS 800) or ion-exchange (A-27MP & A-72MP) resins and its potential for amino acid production. The APL is generated as a by-product from the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass and is rich monomeric sugars as well as sugar degradation products (fermentation inhibitors) such as furfural and hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF). Of the four resins compared, ADS 800 removed approximately 85% and 60% of furfural and HMF, respectively. ADS 800 could be reused for up to six cycles after regeneration without losing its adsorption properties. The study was further extended by assessing the fermentability of detoxified APL for l-lysine production using wild and mutant strains of Corynebacterium glutamicum. The detoxified APL was superior to APL for l-lysine production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Natural personal care products-analysis of ingredient lists and legal situation.

Science.gov (United States)

Klaschka, Ursula

2016-01-01

Many natural substances are classified as dangerous substances according to the European regulation on classification and labelling. Are they used in natural personal care products today? One hundred ingredient lists were analyzed to find this out. All products with natural substances contained dangerous natural substances or they contained natural substances, for which the information about their classification as dangerous substances is not available. 54 natural substances quoted in the ingredient lists were found to be classified, with 37 substances being classified due to hazardous effects for skin and eyes. However, the most frequently used natural substances are not classified as dangerous. Natural substances are multi-constituent compounds, leading to two main problems in personal care products: the potential interactions of a multitude of substances and the fact that dangerous constituents are not disclosed in the ingredient lists. For example, the fragrance allergens citral, farnesol, limonene, and linalool are frequent components of the natural substances employed. In addition, 82 products listed allergenic fragrance ingredients as single substances in their ingredient lists. Recommendations for sensitive skin in a product's name do not imply that the '26 fragrance allergens' are omitted. Furthermore, 80 products listed 'parfum'/'aroma', and 50 products listed ethanol. The data show that the loopholes for natural substances and for personal care products in the present European chemical legislation (e.g. the exception for classification and labelling of cosmetic products and the exception for information transfer in the supply chain) are not in line with an adequate consumer and environmental protection.

By-products from the biodiesel chain as a substrate to citric acid production by solid-state fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Manuella; Zimmer, Gabriela F; Cremonese, Ezequiel B; de C de S Schneider, Rosana; Corbellini, Valeriano A

2014-07-01

In this study, we propose the use of tung cake for the production of organic acids, with an emphasis on citric acid by solid-state fermentation. We evaluated the conditions of production and the by-products from the biodiesel chain as raw materials involved in this bioprocess. First, we standardized the conditions of solid-state fermentation in tung cake with and without residual fat and with different concentrations of glycerine using the fungus Aspergillus niger The solid-state fermentation process was monitored for 7 days considering the biomass growth and pH level. Citric acid production was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Fungal development was better in the crude tung cake, consisting of 20% glycerine. The highest citric acid yield was 350 g kg(-1) of biomass. Therefore, the solid-state fermentation of the tung cake with glycerine led to citric acid production using the Aspergillus niger fungus. © The Author(s) 2014.

Psychoactive natural products: overview of recent developments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

István Ujváry

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Natural psychoactive substances have fascinated the curious mind of shamans, artists, scholars and laymen since antiquity. During the twentieth century, the chemical composition of the most important psychoactive drugs, that is opium, cannabis, coca and "magic mushrooms", has been fully elucidated. The mode of action of the principal ingredients has also been deciphered at the molecular level. In the past two decades, the use of herbal drugs, such as kava, kratom and Salvia divinorum, began to spread beyond their traditional geographical and cultural boundaries. The aim of the present paper is to briefly summarize recent findings on the psychopharmacology of the most prominent psychoactive natural products. Current knowledge on a few lesser-known drugs, including bufotenine, glaucine, kava, betel, pituri, lettuce opium and kanna is also reviewed. In addition, selected cases of alleged natural (or semi-natural products are also mentioned.

Planning of optimum production from a natural gas field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van Dam, J

1968-03-01

The design of an optimum development plan for a natural gas field always depends on the typical characteristics of the producing field, as well as those of the market to be served by this field. Therefore, a good knowledge of the field parameters, such as the total natural gas reserves, the well productivity, and the dependence of production rates on pipeline pressure and depletion of natural gas reserves, is required prior to designing the development scheme of the field, which in fact depends on the gas-sales contract to be concluded in order to commit the natural gas reserves to the market. In this paper these various technical parameters are discussed in some detail, and on this basis a theoretical/economical analysis of natural gas production is given. For this purpose a simplified economical/mathematical model for the field is proposed, from which optimum production rates at various future dates can be calculated. The results of these calculations are represented in a dimensionless diagram which may serve as an aid in designing optimum development plans for a natural gas field. The use of these graphs is illustrated in a few examples.

High production of D-tagatose by the addition of boric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Byung-Chul; Kim, Hye-Jung; Oh, Deok-Kun

2007-01-01

An L-arabinose isomerase mutant enzyme from Geobacillus thermodenitrificans was used to catalyze the isomerization of D-galactose to D-tagatose with boric acid. Maximum production of D-tagatose occurred at pH 8.5-9.0, 60 degrees C, and 0.4 molar ratio of boric acid to D-galactose, and the production increased with increasing enzyme concentration. Under the optimum conditions, the enzyme (10.8 units/mL) converted 300 g/L D-galactose to 230 g/L D-tagatose for 20 h with a yield of 77% (w/w); the production and conversion yield with boric acid were 1.5-fold and 24% higher than without boric acid, respectively. In 24 h, the enzyme produced 370 g/L D-tagatose from 500 g/L D-galactose with boric acid, corresponding to a conversion yield of 74% (w/w) and a production rate of 15.4 g/L.h. The production and yield of D-tagatose obtained in this study are unprecedented.

Biotechnology for improved hHydroxy fatty acid production in oilseed lesquerella

Science.gov (United States)

The conventional source of hydroxy fatty acid (HFA) is from castor (Ricinus communis), 90% of castor oil is ricinoleic acid (18:1OH). Ricinoleic acid and its derivatives are used as raw materials for numerous industrial products, such as lubricants, plasticizers and surfactants. The production of ca...

Synthesis of All-Z-1,6,9,12,15-Octadecapenten-3-one, A Vinyl Ketone Polyunsaturated Marine Natural Product Isolated from Callysponga sp.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Marie Langseter

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The synthesis of the marine natural product 1,6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z-octadecapentaen-3-one (1 has been achieved by two different routes starting from the ethyl esters of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, respectively. Using EPA ethyl ester as starting material the polyunsaturated vinyl ketone lipid 1 was obtained in 17% overall yield.

Production of ethoxylated fatty acids derived from Jatropha non-edible oil as a nonionic fat-liquoring agent.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Shattory, Y; Abo-Elwafa, Ghada A; Aly, Saadia M; Nashy, El-Shahat H A

2012-01-01

Natural fatty derivatives (oleochemicals) have been used as intermediate materials in several industries replacing the harmful and expensive petrochemicals. Fatty ethoxylates are one of these natural fatty derivatives. In the present work Jatropha fatty acids were derived from the non edible Jatropha oil and used as the fat source precursor. The ethoxylation process was carried out on the derived fatty acids using a conventional cheap catalyst (K₂CO₃) in order to obtain economically and naturally valuable non-ionic surfactants. Ethoxylation reaction was proceeded using ethylene oxide gas in the presence of 1 or 2% K₂CO₃ catalyst at 120 and 145°C for 5, 8 and 12 hours. The prepared products were evaluated for their chemical and physical properties as well as its application as non- ionic fat-liquoring agents in leather industry. The obtained results showed that the number of ethylene oxide groups introduced in the fatty acids as well as their EO% increased as the temperature and time of the reaction increased. The highest ethoxylation number was obtained at 145°C for 8 hr. Also, the prepared ethoxylated products were found to be effective fat-liquors with high HLB values giving stable oil in water emulsions. The fat-liquored leather led to an improvement in its mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation at break. In addition, a significant enhancement in the texture of the treated leather by the prepared fat-liquors as indicated from the scanning electron microscope (SEM) images was observed.

LC-NMR: profiling and dereplication of natural product extracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Urban, Sylvia

2006-01-01

Natural products have served as a major source of drugs for centuries, with over half of the pharmaceuticals in use today derived from natural origins. Natural products continue to play a dominant role in the discovery of leads for the development of drugs for the treatment of human diseases. Much remains to be explored, particularly the marine and microbial environments, from which a host of novel bioactive chemical entities await discovery. The search for new drugs from natural origins (either terrestrial or marine) involves screening of extracts for the presence of novel compounds and an investigation of their biological activities. Suspected novel or bioactive compounds are usually isolated to elucidate the structure and for further biological and toxicological testing. The path that leads from the intact terrestrial or marine organism to the pure constituents is long, involving work that might last from weeks to years. Recognition of natural products at the earliest possible stage of separation is known as dereplication and is essential to avoid the time-consuming isolation of common constituents and nuisance compounds. In the search for new natural products, crude extracts are typically subjected to multi-step work-up and isolation procedures, which include various separation methods, in order to obtain pure compounds whose structure is then elucidated using off-line spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectroscopy (MS). The characterisation of a natural product can be summarised by the information obtained from each of the individual spectroscopic techniques. With the application of one or more of these individual techniques a dereplication by partial characterisation is possible. As natural product extracts often contain a large number of closely related, and thus difficult to separate, compounds, this classical approach may become very tedious and time-consuming. The characterisation of natural products in complex

Marine Natural Products as Models to Circumvent Multidrug Resistance

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Solida Long

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Multidrug resistance (MDR to anticancer drugs is a serious health problem that in many cases leads to cancer treatment failure. The ATP binding cassette (ABC transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp, which leads to premature efflux of drugs from cancer cells, is often responsible for MDR. On the other hand, a strategy to search for modulators from natural products to overcome MDR had been in place during the last decades. However, Nature limits the amount of some natural products, which has led to the development of synthetic strategies to increase their availability. This review summarizes the research findings on marine natural products and derivatives, mainly alkaloids, polyoxygenated sterols, polyketides, terpenoids, diketopiperazines, and peptides, with P-gp inhibitory activity highlighting the established structure-activity relationships. The synthetic pathways for the total synthesis of the most promising members and analogs are also presented. It is expected that the data gathered during the last decades concerning their synthesis and MDR-inhibiting activities will help medicinal chemists develop potential drug candidates using marine natural products as models which can deliver new ABC transporter inhibitor scaffolds.

Natural product-like virtual libraries: recursive atom-based enumeration.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Melvin J

2011-03-28

A new molecular enumerator is described that allows chemically and architecturally diverse sets of natural product-like and drug-like structures to be generated from a core structure as simple as a single carbon atom or as complex as a polycyclic ring system. Integrated with a rudimentary machine-learning algorithm, the enumerator has the ability to assemble biased virtual libraries enriched in compounds predicted to meet target criteria. The ability to dynamically generate relatively small focused libraries in a recursive manner could reduce the computational time and infrastructure necessary to construct and manage extremely large static libraries. Depending on enumeration conditions, natural product-like structures can be produced with a wide range of heterocyclic and alicyclic ring assemblies. Because natural products represent a proven source of validated structures for identifying and designing new drug candidates, mimicking the structural and topological diversity found in nature with a dynamic set of virtual natural product-like compounds may facilitate the creation of new ideas for novel, biologically relevant lead structures in areas of uncharted chemical space.

The dissolution of natural and artificial dusts in glutamic acid

Science.gov (United States)

Ling, Zhang; Faqin, Dong; Xiaochun, He

2015-06-01

This article describes the characteristics of natural dusts, industrial dusts, and artificial dusts, such as mineral phases, chemical components, morphological observation and size. Quartz and calcite are the main phases of natural dusts and industrial dusts with high SiO2 and CaO and low K2O and Na2O in the chemical composition. The dissolution and electrochemical action of dusts in glutamic acid liquor at the simulated human body temperature (37 °C) in 32 h was investigated. The potential harm that the dust could lead to in body glutamic acid acidic environment, namely biological activity, is of great importance for revealing the human toxicological mechanism. The changes of pH values and electric conductivity of suspension of those dusts were similar, increased slowly in the first 8 h, and then the pH values increased rapidly. The total amount of dissolved ions of K, Ca, Na, and Mg was 35.4 to 429 mg/kg, particularly Ca was maximal of 20 to 334 mg/kg. The total amount of dissolved ions of Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, and Ba was 0.18 to 5.59 mg/kg and in Al and Si was 3.0 to 21.7 mg/kg. The relative solubility order of dusts in glutamic acid is wollastonite > serpentine > sepiolite, the cement plant industrial dusts > natural dusts > power plant industrial dusts. The wollastonite and cement plant industrial dusts have the highest solubility, which also have high content of CaO; this shows that there are a poorer corrosion-resisting ability and lower bio-resistibility. Sepiolite and power plant industrial dusts have lowest solubility, which also have high content of SiO2; this shows that there are a higher corrosion-resisting ability and stronger bio-resistibility.

Effect of Pyruvate Decarboxylase Knockout on Product Distribution Using Pichia pastoris (Komagataella phaffii) Engineered for Lactic Acid Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Melo, Nadiele T M; Mulder, Kelly C L; Nicola, André Moraes; Carvalho, Lucas S; Menino, Gisele S; Mulinari, Eduardo; Parachin, Nádia S

2018-02-16

Lactic acid is the monomer unit of the bioplastic poly-lactic acid (PLA). One candidate organism for lactic acid production is Pichia pastoris , a yeast widely used for heterologous protein production. Nevertheless, this yeast has a poor fermentative capability that can be modulated by controlling oxygen levels. In a previous study, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was introduced into P. pastoris, enabling this yeast to produce lactic acid. The present study aimed to increase the flow of pyruvate towards the production of lactic acid in P. pastoris . To this end, a strain designated GLp was constructed by inserting the bovine lactic acid dehydrogenase gene (LDHb) concomitantly with the interruption of the gene encoding pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC). Aerobic fermentation, followed by micro-aerophilic culture two-phase fermentations, showed that the GLp strain achieved a lactic acid yield of 0.65 g/g. The distribution of fermentation products demonstrated that the acetate titer was reduced by 20% in the GLp strain with a concomitant increase in arabitol production: arabitol increased from 0.025 g/g to 0.174 g/g when compared to the GS115 strain. Taken together, the results show a significant potential for P. pastoris in producing lactic acid. Moreover, for the first time, physiological data regarding co-product formation have indicated the redox balance limitations of this yeast.

Citric acid production from whey by fermentation using Aspergillus spp.

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Óscar Julián Sánchez Toro

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Whey has become the main dairy-industry waste product, despite continuous efforts aimed at finding a way to use it. The aim of this research was to investigate citric acid production by submerged fermentation using Aspergillus genus fungi, using whey as substrate to take economical advantage of it and to reduce the environmental impact caused by discharging this by-product into nearby streams. The following three strains were used: A. carbonarius NRRL 368, A. carbonarius NRRL 67 and A. niger NRRL 3. The best adaptation medium for inoculum propagation was selected. Proposed experimental design for evaluating citric acid biosynthesis from whey modified through different treatments showed that the two A. carbonarius strains did not present significant differences in acid production whereas A. niger NRRL 3 reached higher concentration when evaporated, deproteinised and p-galactosidase lactose-hydrolysed whey was used. However, A. carbonarius gave higher average citric acid titres than those found for A. niger. This suggests the need for carrying out further research on it as a potential producing strain. Cell growth, substrate consumption and acid production kinetics in a 3-L stirred-tank bioreactor with aeration were developed in the case of A. niger; kinetics were simulated through non-structured mathematical models. Key words: Aspergilluscarbonarius, Aspergillus niger, bioreactor, simulation, p-galactosidase.

Effects of culture conditions on acetic acid production by bacteria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SARAH

2015-11-30

Nov 30, 2015 ... acid under certain culture conditions similar to cocoa fermentation stress. However ... Keywords: Acetic acid bacteria, acetic acid production, Cocoa fermentation, culture conditions ..... American Society Microbiology Press, pp.

Effect of some metabolic inhibitors on citric acid production Aspergillus niger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agrawal, P.K.; Bhatt, C.S.; Viswanathan, L.

1983-09-01

Stationary cultures of Aspergillus niger grown on a synthetic medium have been used to study the effect of some metabolic inhibitors on citric acid production. Addition of 0.05 to 1 mM sodium malonate or 0.01 to 0.1 mM potassium ferricyanide, iodoacetate, sodium azide, soldium arsenate or sodium fluoride stimulated citric acid production (3.6 to 45%), but not total titratable acids. Addition of higher concentrations (0.2 to 10 mM) of later inhibitors caused a marked inhibition of fungal growth and citric acid production. The implications of these preliminary findings are discussed. (Refs. 25).

Recovery of fission products from acidic waste solutions thereof

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlin, W.W.; Darlington, W.B.; Dubois, D.W.

1975-01-01

Fission products, e.g., palladium, ruthenium and technetium, are removed from aqueous, acidic waste solutions thereof. The acidic waste solution is electrolyzed in an electrolytic cell under controlled cathodic potential conditions and technetium, ruthenium, palladium and rhodium are deposited on the cathode. Metal deposit is removed from the cathode and dissolved in acid. Acid insoluble rhodium metal is recovered, dissolved by alkali metal bisulfate fusion and purified by electrolysis. In one embodiment, the solution formed by acid dissolution of the cathode metal deposit is treated with a strong oxidizing agent and distilled to separate technetium and ruthenium (as a distillate) from palladium. Technetium is separated from ruthenium by organic solvent extraction and then recovered, e.g., as an ammonium salt. Ruthenium is disposed of as waste by-product. Palladium is recovered by electrolysis of an acid solution thereof under controlled cathodic potential conditions. Further embodiments wherein alternate metal recovery sequences are used are described. (U.S.)

Employing natural reagents from turmeric and lime for acetic acid determination in vinegar sample

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Sam-ang Supharoek

2018-04-01

Full Text Available A simple, rapid and environmentally friendly sequential injection analysis system employing natural extract reagents was developed for the determination of acetic acid following an acid–base reaction in the presence of an indicator. Powdered lime and turmeric were utilized as the natural base and indicator, respectively. Mixing lime and turmeric produced an orange to reddish-brown color solution which absorbed the maximum wavelength at 455 nm, with absorbance decreasing with increasing acetic acid concentration. Influential parameters including lime and turmeric concentrations, reagent and sample aspirated volumes, mixing coil length and dispensing flow rate were investigated and optimized. A standard calibration graph was plotted for 0–5.0 mmol/L acetic acid with r2 = 0.9925. Relative standard deviations (RSD at 2.0 and 4.0 mmol/L acetic acid were less than 3% (n = 7, with limit of detection (LOD and limit of quantification (LOQ at 0.12 and 0.24 mmol/L, respectively. The method was successfully applied to assay acetic acid concentration in cooking vinegar samples. Results achieved were not significantly different from those obtained following a batchwise standard AOAC titration method. Keywords: Acetic acid assay, Natural reagent, Turmeric, Lime, Sequential injection analysis

Anthropogenic and natural sources of acidity and metals and their influence on the structure of stream food webs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hogsden, Kristy L; Harding, Jon S

2012-03-01

We compared food web structure in 20 streams with either anthropogenic or natural sources of acidity and metals or circumneutral water chemistry in New Zealand. Community and diet analysis indicated that mining streams receiving anthropogenic inputs of acidic and metal-rich drainage had much simpler food webs (fewer species, shorter food chains, less links) than those in naturally acidic, naturally high metal, and circumneutral streams. Food webs of naturally high metal streams were structurally similar to those in mining streams, lacking fish predators and having few species. Whereas, webs in naturally acidic streams differed very little from those in circumneutral streams due to strong similarities in community composition and diets of secondary and top consumers. The combined negative effects of acidity and metals on stream food webs are clear. However, elevated metal concentrations, regardless of source, appear to play a more important role than acidity in driving food web structure. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effects of reactants ratios, reaction temperatures and times on Maillard reaction products of the L-ascorbic acid/L-glutamic acid system

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Yong-Yan ZHOU

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The transformation law of the Maillard reaction products with three different reactants ratios - equimolar reactants, excess L-glutamic acid and excess L-ascorbic acid reaction respectively, five different temperatures, and different time conditions for the L-ascorbic acid / L-glutamic acid system were investigated. Results showed that, the increase of the reaction time and temperature led to the increase of the browning products, uncoloured intermediate products, as well as aroma compounds. Compared with the equimolar reaction system, the excess L-ascorbic acid reaction system produced more browning products and uncoloured intermediate products, while the aroma compounds production remained the same. In the excess L-glutamic acid system, the uncoloured intermediate products increased slightly, the browning products remained the same, while the aroma compounds increased.

Interleukin-2 stimulates osteoclastic activity: Increased acid production and radioactive calcium release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ries, W.L.; Seeds, M.C.; Key, L.L.

1989-01-01

Recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2) was studied to determine effects on acid production by individual osteoclasts in situ on mouse calvarial bones. This analysis was performed using a microspectrofluorimetric technique to quantify acid production in individual cells. Radioactive calcium release was determined using calvarial bones in a standard tissue culture system. This allowed us to correlate changes in acid production with a measure of bone resorption. IL-2 stimulated acid production and bone resorbing activity. Both effects were inhibited by calcitonin. No stimulation of bone resorption occurred when IL-2-containing test media was incubated with a specific anti-IL-2 antibody and ultrafiltered. Our data demonstrated a correlation between acid production and bone resorbing activity in mouse calvaria exposed to parathyroid hormone (PTH). The data obtained from cultured mouse calvaria exposed to IL-2 demonstrated similar stimulatory effects to those seen during PTH exposure. These data suggest that calvaria exposed to IL-2 in vitro have increased osteoclastic acid production corresponding with increased bone resorption. (author)

Production of Citric Acid from Solid State Fermentation of Sugarcane ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Aspergillus niger is the leading microorganism of choice for citric acid production. Sugarcane waste was used as substrate under solid state fermentation to comparatively evaluate the citric acid production capacity of Aspergillus niger isolates and the indigenous microflora in the sugarcane waste. Known optimal cultural ...

Prevention of volatile fatty acids production and limitation of odours from winery wastewaters by denitrification.

Science.gov (United States)

Bories, André; Guillot, Jean-Michel; Sire, Yannick; Couderc, Marie; Lemaire, Sophie-Andréa; Kreim, Virginie; Roux, Jean-Claude

2007-07-01

The effect of the addition of nitrate to winery wastewaters to control the formation of VFA in order to prevent odours during storage and treatment was studied in batch bioreactors at different NO(3)/chemical oxygen demand (COD) ratios and at full scale in natural evaporation ponds (2 x 7000 m(2)) by measuring olfactory intensity. In the absence of nitrate, butyric acid (2304 mgL(-1)), acetic acid (1633 mgL(-1)), propionic acid (1558 mgL(-1)), caproic acid (499 mgL(-1)) and valeric acid (298 mgL(-1)) were produced from reconstituted winery wastewater. For a ratio of NO(3)/COD=0.4 gg(-1), caproic and valeric acids were not formed. The production of butyric and propionic acids was reduced by 93.3% and 72.5%, respectively, at a ratio of NO(3)/COD=0.8, and by 97.4% and 100% at a ratio of NO(3)/COD=1.2 gg(-1). Nitrate delayed and decreased butyric acid formation in relation to the oxidoreduction potential. Studies in ponds showed that the addition of concentrated calcium nitrate (NITCAL) to winery wastewaters (3526 m(3)) in a ratio of NO(3)/COD=0.8 inhibited VFA production, with COD elimination (94%) and total nitrate degradation, and no final nitrite accumulation. On the contrary, in ponds not treated with nitrate, malodorous VFA (from propionic to heptanoïc acids) represented up to 60% of the COD. Olfactory intensity measurements in relation to the butanol scale of VFA solutions and the ponds revealed the pervasive role of VFA in the odour of the untreated pond as well as the clear decrease in the intensity and not unpleasant odour of the winery wastewater pond enriched in nitrates. The results obtained at full scale underscored the feasibility and safety of the calcium nitrate treatment as opposed to concentrated nitric acid.

Effects of rare sugar D-allulose on acid production and probiotic activities of dairy lactic acid bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimoto-Nira, H; Moriya, N; Hayakawa, S; Kuramasu, K; Ohmori, H; Yamasaki, S; Ogawa, M

2017-07-01

It has recently been reported that the rare sugar d-allulose has beneficial effects, including the suppression of postprandial blood glucose elevation in humans, and can be substituted for sucrose as a low-calorie food ingredient. To examine the applications of d-allulose in the dairy industry, we investigated the effects of d-allulose on the acid production of 8 strains of yogurt starter (Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus) and 4 strains of lactococci, including potential probiotic candidates derived from dairy products. Acid production by 2 L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus yogurt starter strains in milk was suppressed by d-allulose, but this phenomenon was also observed in some strains with another sugar (xylose), a sugar alcohol (sorbitol), or both. In contrast, among the dairy probiotic candidates, Lactococcus lactis H61, which has beneficial effects for human skin when drunk as part of fermented milk, was the only strain that showed suppression of acid production in the presence of d-allulose. Strain H61 did not metabolize d-allulose. We did not observe suppression of acid production by strain H61 with the addition of xylose or sorbitol, and xylose and sorbitol were not metabolized by strain H61. The acid production of strain H61 after culture in a constituted medium (tryptone-yeast extract-glucose broth) was also suppressed with the addition of d-allulose, but growth efficiency and sugar fermentation style were not altered. Probiotic activities-such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity of H61-fermented milk and the superoxide dismutase activity of H61 cells grown in tryptone-yeast extract-glucose broth-were not affected by d-allulose. d-Allulose may suppress acid production in certain lactic acid bacteria without altering their probiotic activity. It may be useful for developing new probiotic dairy products from probiotic strains such as Lactococcus lactis H61. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science

Natural Product Total Synthesis in the Organic Laboratory: Total Synthesis of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester (CAPE), a Potent 5-Lipoxygenase Inhibitor from Honeybee Hives

Science.gov (United States)

Touaibia, Mohamed; Guay, Michel

2011-01-01

Natural products play a critical role in modern organic synthesis and learning synthetic techniques is an important component of the organic laboratory experience. In addition to traditional one-step organic synthesis laboratories, a multistep natural product synthesis is an interesting experiment to challenge students. The proposed three-step…

An automatic on-line 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-high performance liquid chromatography method for high-throughput screening of antioxidants from natural products.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Yanzhen; Wu, Nan; Fang, Yingtong; Shaheen, Nusrat; Wei, Yun

2017-10-27

Many natural products are rich in antioxidants which play an important role in preventing or postponing a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular and inflammatory disease, diabetes as well as breast cancer. In this paper, an automatic on-line 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-high performance liquid chromatography (DPPH-HPLC) method was established for antioxidants screening with nine standards including organic acids (4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and benzoic acid), alkaloids (coptisine and berberine), and flavonoids (quercitrin, astragalin, and quercetin). The optimal concentration of DPPH was determined, and six potential antioxidants including 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, quercitrin, astragalin, and quercetin, and three non-antioxidants including benzoic acid, coptisine, and berberine, were successfully screened out and validated by conventional DPPH radical scavenging activity assay. The established method has been applied to the crude samples of Saccharum officinarum rinds, Coptis chinensis powders, and Malus pumila leaves, consecutively. Two potential antioxidant compounds from Saccharum officinarum rinds and five potential antioxidant compounds from Malus pumila eaves were rapidly screened out. Then these seven potential antioxidants were purified and identified as p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, phloridzin, isoquercitrin, quercetin-3-xyloside, quercetin-3-arabinoside, and quercetin-3-rhamnoside using countercurrent chromatography combined with mass spectrometry and their antioxidant activities were further evaluated by conventional DPPH radical scavenging assay. The activity result was in accordance with that of the established method. This established method is cheap and automatic, and could be used as an efficient tool for high-throughput antioxidant screening from various complex natural products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anaerobic Fermentation for Production of Carboxylic Acids as Bulk Chemicals from Renewable Biomass.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jufang; Lin, Meng; Xu, Mengmeng; Yang, Shang-Tian

Biomass represents an abundant carbon-neutral renewable resource which can be converted to bulk chemicals to replace petrochemicals. Carboxylic acids have wide applications in the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. This chapter provides an overview of recent advances and challenges in the industrial production of various types of carboxylic acids, including short-chain fatty acids (acetic, propionic, butyric), hydroxy acids (lactic, 3-hydroxypropionic), dicarboxylic acids (succinic, malic, fumaric, itaconic, adipic, muconic, glucaric), and others (acrylic, citric, gluconic, pyruvic) by anaerobic fermentation. For economic production of these carboxylic acids as bulk chemicals, the fermentation process must have a sufficiently high product titer, productivity and yield, and low impurity acid byproducts to compete with their petrochemical counterparts. System metabolic engineering offers the tools needed to develop novel strains that can meet these process requirements for converting biomass feedstock to the desirable product.

Anti-Enterovirus 71 Agents of Natural Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liyan; Wang, Junfeng; Wang, Lishu; Ma, Shurong; Liu, Yonghong

2015-09-09

This review, with 42 references, presents the fascinating area of anti-enterovirus 71 natural products over the last three decades for the first time. It covers literature published from 2005-2015 and refers to compounds isolated from biogenic sources. In total, 58 naturally-occurring anti-EV71 compounds are recorded.

Production of gluconic acid by using some irradiated microorganisms

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Ashraf S. Ahmed

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to isolate the potential fungal isolates have the ability for gluconic acid production by using some agro industrial byproducts as sugarcane molasses, banana-must and grape-must. The effect of gamma-irradiation on the most potent isolates and the fermentation conditions as pH, incubation temperature and incubation period was also investigated. Results showed that the most potential fungal isolates were Aspergillus niger, Penicillium puberulum and Penicillium frequentans whereas their gluconic acid production was 62.17, 56.25 and 39.69 g/L, respectively on Czapek's Dox media at 28 ± 1 °C, pH 6 for 7 days fermentation period. Irradiation of the three most potential isolates at 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 kGy doses of gamma ray showed that 0.1 kGy dose caused an increase in gluconic acid production whereas it was 69.35, 60.17 and 40.31 g/L by the three potential isolates respectively. Data showed that utilization of sugarcane molasses, banana-must and grape-must as a sole carbon source in gluconic acid production by the three potential (0.1 kGy irradiated isolates at pH 6, 30 °C for a 7 days incubation period caused increasing in gluconic acid production whereas the productivity of the three (0.1 kGy irradiated isolates (A. niger, P. puberulum and P. frequentans was 69.87, 63.14 and 51.28 g/L by utilizing sugarcane molasses, 61.28, 56.37, 47.15 g/L by utilizing banana-must and 54.25, 52.75 and 44.75 g/L by utilizing grape-must.

Catalytic amino acid production from biomass-derived intermediates

KAUST Repository

Deng, Weiping

2018-04-30

Amino acids are the building blocks for protein biosynthesis and find use in myriad industrial applications including in food for humans, in animal feed, and as precursors for bio-based plastics, among others. However, the development of efficient chemical methods to convert abundant and renewable feedstocks into amino acids has been largely unsuccessful to date. To that end, here we report a heterogeneous catalyst that directly transforms lignocellulosic biomass-derived α-hydroxyl acids into α-amino acids, including alanine, leucine, valine, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine in high yields. The reaction follows a dehydrogenation-reductive amination pathway, with dehydrogenation as the rate-determining step. Ruthenium nanoparticles supported on carbon nanotubes (Ru/CNT) exhibit exceptional efficiency compared with catalysts based on other metals, due to the unique, reversible enhancement effect of NH3 on Ru in dehydrogenation. Based on the catalytic system, a two-step chemical process was designed to convert glucose into alanine in 43% yield, comparable with the well-established microbial cultivation process, and therefore, the present strategy enables a route for the production of amino acids from renewable feedstocks. Moreover, a conceptual process design employing membrane distillation to facilitate product purification is proposed and validated. Overall, this study offers a rapid and potentially more efficient chemical method to produce amino acids from woody biomass components.

Exposures from consumption of agricultural and semi-natural products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strand, P.; Skuterud, L.; Balonov, M.; Travnikova, I.; Hove, K.; Howard, B.; Prister, B.S.; Ratnikov, A.

1996-01-01

The importance of food from different production systems to the internal dose from radiocesium, was investigated in selected study sites in Ukraine and Russia. Food products from semi-natural ecosystems are major contributors to the individual internal dose to rural population in areas affected by the Chernobyl accident. At the selected study sites it is estimated in 1995 that foods from private farms and forests contribute on average 35% to 60%, to the individual internal dose, variation relating to soil types and implemented countermeasures. The importance of food products from private farms and particularly forest products increases with time since Cs concentration in some of the natural food products have longer ecological half life than food products from agricultural systems. A significant relationship was observed between consumption of mushrooms and whole body content of radiocesium in rural people. The contribution to the collective dose of food products produced in the semi-natural ecosystems is less than the contribution to the individual internal dose for the local rural population

Biomarkers in natural fish populations indicate adverse biological effects of offshore oil production.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lennart Balk

Full Text Available Despite the growing awareness of the necessity of a sustainable development, the global economy continues to depend largely on the consumption of non-renewable energy resources. One such energy resource is fossil oil extracted from the seabed at offshore oil platforms. This type of oil production causes continuous environmental pollution from drilling waste, discharge of large amounts of produced water, and accidental spills.Samples from natural populations of haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua in two North Sea areas with extensive oil production were investigated. Exposure to and uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs were demonstrated, and biomarker analyses revealed adverse biological effects, including induction of biotransformation enzymes, oxidative stress, altered fatty acid composition, and genotoxicity. Genotoxicity was reflected by a hepatic DNA adduct pattern typical for exposure to a mixture of PAHs. Control material was collected from a North Sea area without oil production and from remote Icelandic waters. The difference between the two control areas indicates significant background pollution in the North Sea.It is most remarkable to obtain biomarker responses in natural fish populations in the open sea that are similar to the biomarker responses in fish from highly polluted areas close to a point source. Risk assessment of various threats to the marine fish populations in the North Sea, such as overfishing, global warming, and eutrophication, should also take into account the ecologically relevant impact of offshore oil production.

Potential of Food and Natural Products to Promote Endothelial and Vascular Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Auger, Cyril; Said, Amissi; Nguyen, Phuong Nga; Chabert, Philippe; Idris-Khodja, Noureddine; Schini-Kerth, Valérie B

2016-07-01

Endothelial dysfunction is now well established as a pivotal early event in the development of major cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. The alteration of the endothelial function is often triggered by an imbalance between the endothelial formation of vasoprotective factors including nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization, and an increased level of oxidative stress involving several prooxidant enzymes such as NADPH oxidase and, often also, the appearance of cyclooxygenase-derived vasoconstrictors. Preclinical studies have indicated that polyphenol-rich food and food-derived products such as grape-derived products, black and red berries, green and black teas and cocoa, and omega-3 fatty acids can trigger activating pathways in endothelial cells promoting an increased formation of nitric oxide and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization. Moreover, intake of such food-derived products has been associated with the prevention and/or the improvement of an established endothelial dysfunction in several experimental models of cardiovascular diseases and in humans with cardiovascular diseases. This review will discuss both experimental and clinical evidences indicating that different types of food and natural products are able to promote endothelial and vascular health, as well as the underlying mechanisms.

Lactic Acid Bacteria from Kefir Increase Cytotoxicity of Natural Killer Cells to Tumor Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamane, Takuya; Sakamoto, Tatsuji; Nakagaki, Takenori; Nakano, Yoshihisa

2018-03-27

The Japanese fermented beverage, homemade kefir, contains six lactic acid bacteria: Lactococcus. lactis subsp. Lactis , Lactococcus . lactis subsp. Cremoris , Lactococcus. Lactis subsp. Lactis biovar diacetylactis , Lactobacillus plantarum , Leuconostoc meseuteroides subsp. Cremoris and Lactobacillus casei . In this study, we found that a mixture of the six lactic acid bacteria from kefir increased the cytotoxicity of human natural killer KHYG-1 cells to human chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells and colorectal tumor HCT116 cells. Furthermore, levels of mRNA expression and secretion of IFN-γ (interferon gamma) increased in KHYG-1 cells that had been treated with the six lactic acid bacteria mixture from kefir. The results suggest that the six lactic acid bacteria mixture from kefir has strong effects on natural immunity and tumor cell cytotoxicity.

Production of hydrophobic amino acids from biobased resources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Widyarani, W.; Sari, Yessie W.; Ratnaningsih, Enny; Sanders, Johan P.M.; Bruins, Marieke E.

2016-01-01

Protein hydrolysis enables production of peptides and free amino acids that are suitable for usage in food and feed or can be used as precursors for bulk chemicals. Several essential amino acids for food and feed have hydrophobic side chains; this property may also be exploited for subsequent

Fermentatative production of itaconic acid by Aspergillus terreus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fermentation process for the production of itaconic acid was carried out using jatropha seed cake. Itaconic acid is commercially produced by the cultivation of Aspergillus terreus with molasses. Jatropha seed cake is one of the best carbon sources among various carbohydrates, because it is pure, inexpensive and available ...

Optimising the Effect of Stimulants on Citric Acid Production from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Additives such as low molecular weight alcohols, trace metals, phytate, lipids etc have been reported to stimulate citric acid production. Hence the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of stimulating the metabolic activity of Aspergillus niger for the purpose of improved citric acid production from cocoyam starch.

Engineering the fatty acid metabolic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for advanced biofuel production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoling Tang

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Fatty acid-derived fuels and chemicals have attracted a great deal of attention in recent decades, due to their following properties of high compatibility to gasoline-based fuels and existing infrastructure for their direct utilization, storage and distribution. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the ideal biofuel producing candidate, based on the wealth of available genetic information and versatile tools designed to manipulate its metabolic pathways. Engineering the fatty acid metabolic pathways in S. cerevisiae is an effective strategy to increase its fatty acid biosynthesis and provide more pathway precursors for production of targeted products. This review summarizes the recent progress in metabolic engineering of yeast cells for fatty acids and fatty acid derivatives production, including the regulation of acetyl-CoA biosynthesis, NADPH production, fatty acid elongation, and the accumulation of activated precursors of fatty acids for converting enzymes. By introducing specific enzymes in the engineered strains, a powerful platform with a scalable, controllable and economic route for advanced biofuel production has been established. Keywords: Metabolic engineering, Fatty acid biosynthesis, Fatty acid derivatives, Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Regulation of natural health products in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Alysyn; Jogalekar, Sumedha; Gibson, Adam

2014-12-02

In Canada, all natural health products (NHPs) are regulated by Health Canada (HC) under the Food and Drugs Act and the Natural Health Product Regulations. All authorized products undergo pre-market assessment for safety, efficacy and quality and the degree of pre-market oversight varies depending on the risk of the product. In Canada, over 70,000 products have been authorized for sale and over 2000 sites have been licensed to produce NHPs. In the management of NHPs on the Canadian market, HC employs a number of active and collaborative methods to address the most common issues such as contamination, adulteration and deceptive or misleading advertising practices. HC is currently evolving its approaches to NHPs to recognize them as part of the larger group of health products available without a prescription. As such, the regulatory responsibility for all over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, including non-prescription drugs and NHPs, has been transferred to a single federal division. As a result of this transition a number of benefits are being realized with respect to government efficiency, clarity for industry, support for new innovations and consolidated government interactions with the Canadian market. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancing Fatty Acid Production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an Animal Feed Supplement.

Science.gov (United States)

You, Seung Kyou; Joo, Young-Chul; Kang, Dae Hee; Shin, Sang Kyu; Hyeon, Jeong Eun; Woo, Han Min; Um, Youngsoon; Park, Chulhwan; Han, Sung Ok

2017-12-20

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used for edible purposes, such as human food or as an animal feed supplement. Fatty acids are also beneficial as feed supplements, but S. cerevisiae produces small amounts of fatty acids. In this study, we enhanced fatty acid production of S. cerevisiae by overexpressing acetyl-CoA carboxylase, thioesterase, and malic enzyme associated with fatty acid metabolism. The enhanced strain pAMT showed 2.4-fold higher fatty acids than the wild-type strain. To further increase the fatty acids, various nitrogen sources were analyzed and calcium nitrate was selected as an optimal nitrogen source for fatty acid production. By concentration optimization, 672 mg/L of fatty acids was produced, which was 4.7-fold higher than wild-type strain. These results complement the low level fatty acid production and make it possible to obtain the benefits of fatty acids as an animal feed supplement while, simultaneously, maintaining the advantages of S. cerevisiae.

Natural products: the new engine for African trade growth

OpenAIRE

Bennett, Ben

2006-01-01

This report was to further develop the trade component of the Natural Resources Enterprise Programme (NATPRO). The field work was undertaken in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Namibia, the Republic of South Africa and the United Kingdom between 9th January and 25th February 2006. The work concentrated on ten countries in Southern Africa with potential to export significant quantities of natural products. These products are defined by the project as follows: being plant derived, occurring naturally, wild ha...

Effects of abscisic acid, gibberellin, ethylene and their interactions on production of phenolic acids in salvia miltiorrhiza bunge hairy roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Zongsuo; Ma, Yini; Xu, Tao; Cui, Beimi; Liu, Yan; Guo, Zhixin; Yang, Dongfeng

2013-01-01

Salvia miltiorrhiza is one of the most important traditional Chinese medicinal plants because of its excellent performance in treating coronary heart disease. Phenolic acids mainly including caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B are a group of active ingredients in S. miltiorrhiza. Abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA) and ethylene are three important phytohormones. In this study, effects of the three phytohormones and their interactions on phenolic production in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots were investigated. The results showed that ABA, GA and ethylene were all effective to induce production of phenolic acids and increase activities of PAL and TAT in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots. Effects of phytohormones were reversed by their biosynthetic inhibitors. Antagonistic actions between the three phytohormones played important roles in the biosynthesis of phenolic acids. GA signaling is necessary for ABA and ethylene-induced phenolic production. Yet, ABA and ethylene signaling is probably not necessary for GA3-induced phenolic production. The complex interactions of phytohormones help us reveal regulation mechanism of secondary metabolism and scale-up production of active ingredients in plants.

Lactic acid production from xylose by Geobacillus stearothermophilus strain 15

Science.gov (United States)

Kunasundari, B.; Naresh, S.; Chu, J. E.

2017-09-01

Lactic acid is an important compound with a wide range of industrial applications. The present study tested the efficiency of xylose, as a sole carbon source to be converted to lactic acid by Geobacillus stearothermophilus strain 15. To the best of our knowledge, limited information is available on the directed fermentation of xylose to lactic acid by this bacterium. The effects of different parameters such as temperature, pH, incubation time, agitation speed, concentrations of nitrogen and carbon sources on the lactic acid production were investigated statistically. It was found that the bacterium exhibited poor assimilation of xylose to lactic acid. Temperature, agitation rate and incubation time were determined to improve the lactic acid production slightly. The highest lactic acid yield obtained was 8.9% at 45°C, 300 RPM, 96 h, pH of 6.0 with carbon and nitrogen source concentrations were fixed at 5% w/v.

Thermodynamic modelling of acid gas removal from natural gas using the Extended UNIQUAC model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sadegh, Negar; Stenby, Erling Halfdan; Thomsen, Kaj

2017-01-01

Thermodynamics of natural gas sweetening process needs to be known for proper design of natural gas treating plants. Absorption with aqueous N-Methyldiethanolamine is currently the most commonly used process for removal of acid gas (CO2 and H2S) impurities from natural gas. Model parameters...... for the Extended UNIQUAC model have already been determined by the same authors to calculate single acid gas solubility in aqueous MDEA. In this study, the model is further extended to estimate solubility of CO2 and H2S and their mixture in aqueous MDEA at high pressures with methane as a makeup gas....

New trends and challenges in lactic acid production on renewable biomass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đukić-Vuković Aleksandra J.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Lactic acid is a relatively cheap chemical with a wide range of applications: as a preservative and acidifying agent in food and dairy industry, a monomer for biodegradable poly-lactide polymers (PLA in pharmaceutical industry, precursor and chemical feedstock for chemical, textile and leather industries. Traditional raw materials for fermentative production of lactic acid, refined sugars, are now being replaced with starch from corn, rice and other crops for industrial production, with a tendency for utilization of agro industrial wastes. Processes based on renewable waste sources have ecological (zero CO2 emission, eco-friendly by-products and economical (cheap raw materials, reduction of storage costs advantages. An intensive research interest has been recently devoted to develop and improve the lactic acid production on more complex industrial by-products, like thin stillage from bioethanol production, corncobs, paper waste, straw etc. Complex and variable chemical composition and purity of these raw materials and high nutritional requirements of Lare the main obstacles in these production processes. Media supplementation to improve the fermentation is an important factor, especially from an economic point of view. Today, a particular challenge is to increase the productivity of lactic acid production on complex renewable biomass. Several strategies are currently being explored for this purpose such as process integration, use of Lwith amylolytic activity, employment of mixed cultures of Land/or utilization of genetically engineered microorganisms. Modern techniques of genetic engineering enable construction of microorganisms with desired characteristics and implementation of single step processes without or with minimal pre-treatment. In addition, new bioreactor constructions (such as membrane bioreactors, utilization of immobilized systems are also being explored. Electrodialysis, bipolar membrane separation process, enhanced filtration

Fermentation Conditions and Media Optimization for Isocitric Acid Production from Ethanol by Yarrowia lipolytica

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Svetlana V. Kamzolova

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Isocitric acid exists in the form of four stereoisomers, of which only the threo-Ds-form (ICA is a natural active compound, an intermediate of Krebs cycle, and suitable for nutritional and pharmaceutical use. In this paper, we propose a method for ICA production from ethanol by yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. The effects of temperature, pH of the medium, and aeration on the growth of the producer Y. lipolytica VKM Y-2373 and synthesis of ICA were studied. An optimal fermentation regime, which ensures a good growth of the producer and directed synthesis of the target product, was determined. The producer is advised to carry out cultivation at 29°C and various pH of the medium and the oxygen concentration (pH 5 and pO2 20–25% (of saturation during the growth period and pH 6 and pO2 50–55% (of saturation during the acid formation on a nutrient medium containing an increased content of zinc (0.6 mg/L, iron (1.2 mg/L, and 30 mM itaconic acid (inhibitor of isocitrate lyase—the key enzyme of ICA metabolism should also be introduced into the nutrition medium. Such fermentation production mode provides 90.5 g/L ICA with process selectivity of 80%, mass yield (YICA of 0.77 g/g, and energy yield (ηICA of 0.278 g/g.

Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 16; Issue 12. Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products - Architectural Designs in Molecular Constructions. N R Krishnaswamy. Volume 16 Issue 12 December 2011 pp 1287-1293 ...

Anti-Enterovirus 71 Agents of Natural Products

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Liyan Wang

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This review, with 42 references, presents the fascinating area of anti-enterovirus 71 natural products over the last three decades for the first time. It covers literature published from 2005–2015 and refers to compounds isolated from biogenic sources. In total, 58 naturally-occurring anti-EV71 compounds are recorded.

Fatty acid synthesis in Escherichia coli and its applications towards the production of fatty acid based biofuels

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

The idea of renewable and regenerative resources has inspired research for more than a hundred years. Ideally, the only spent energy will replenish itself, like plant material, sunlight, thermal energy or wind. Biodiesel or ethanol are examples, since their production relies mainly on plant material. However, it has become apparent that crop derived biofuels will not be sufficient to satisfy future energy demands. Thus, especially in the last decade a lot of research has focused on the production of next generation biofuels. A major subject of these investigations has been the microbial fatty acid biosynthesis with the aim to produce fatty acids or derivatives for substitution of diesel. As an industrially important organism and with the best studied microbial fatty acid biosynthesis, Escherichia coli has been chosen as producer in many of these studies and several reviews have been published in the fields of E. coli fatty acid biosynthesis or biofuels. However, most reviews discuss only one of these topics in detail, despite the fact, that a profound understanding of the involved enzymes and their regulation is necessary for efficient genetic engineering of the entire pathway. The first part of this review aims at summarizing the knowledge about fatty acid biosynthesis of E. coli and its regulation, and it provides the connection towards the production of fatty acids and related biofuels. The second part gives an overview about the achievements by genetic engineering of the fatty acid biosynthesis towards the production of next generation biofuels. Finally, the actual importance and potential of fatty acid-based biofuels will be discussed. PMID:24405789

Natural products in soil microbe interactions and evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Traxler, Matthew F; Kolter, Roberto

2015-07-01

In recent years, bacterial interspecies interactions mediated by small molecule natural products have been found to give rise to a surprising array of phenotypes in soil-dwelling bacteria, especially among Streptomyces and Bacillus species. This review examines these interspecies interactions, and the natural products involved, as they have been presented in literature stemming from four disciplines: soil science, interspecies microbiology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. We also consider how these interactions fit into accepted paradigms of signaling, cueing, and coercion.

Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica for Enhanced Production of Lipid and Citric Acid

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Ali Abghari

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Increasing demand for plant oil for food, feed, and fuel production has led to food-fuel competition, higher plant lipid cost, and more need for agricultural land. On the other hand, the growing global production of biodiesel has increased the production of glycerol as a by-product. Efficient utilization of this by-product can reduce biodiesel production costs. We engineered Yarrowia lipolytica (Y. lipolytica at various metabolic levels of lipid biosynthesis, degradation, and regulation for enhanced lipid and citric acid production. We used a one-step double gene knock-in and site-specific gene knock-out strategy. The resulting final strain combines the overexpression of homologous DGA1 and DGA2 in a POX-deleted background, and deletion of the SNF1 lipid regulator. This increased lipid and citric acid production in the strain under nitrogen-limiting conditions (C/N molar ratio of 60. The engineered strain constitutively accumulated lipid at a titer of more than 4.8 g/L with a lipid content of 53% of dry cell weight (DCW. The secreted citric acid reached a yield of 0.75 g/g (up to ~45 g/L from pure glycerol in 3 days of batch fermentation using a 1-L bioreactor. This yeast cell factory was capable of simultaneous lipid accumulation and citric acid secretion. It can be used in fed-batch or continuous bioprocessing for citric acid recovery from the supernatant, along with lipid extraction from the harvested biomass.

High-level production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Washburn, L.C.; Sun, T.T.; Byrd, B.L.; Hayes, R.L.; Butler, T.A.; Callahan, A.P.

1979-01-01

Carbon-11-labeled amino acids have significant potential as agents for positron tomographic functional imaging. We have developed a rapid, high-temperature, high-pressure modification of the Buecherer--Strecker amino acid synthesis and found it to be quite general for the production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled neutral amino acids. Production of C-11-carboxyl-labeled DL-tryptophan requires certain modifications in the procedure. Twelve different amino acids have been produced to date by this technique. Synthesis and chromatographic purification require approximately 40 min, and C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids have been produced in yields of up to 425 mCi. Two C-11-carboxyl-labeled amino acids are being investigated clinically for tumor scanning and two others for pancreatic imaging. Over 120 batches of the various agents have been produced for clinical use over a three-year period

Antifouling Activity of Marine Natural Products

KAUST Repository

Qian, Pei-Yuan; Xu, Sharon Ying

2012-01-01

for marine industries. Marine natural products have been considered as one of the most promising sources of antifouling compounds in recent years. In antifouling compound screening processes, bioassay systems often play most critical/vital roles in screening

Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 1; Issue 2. Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products Determination of Absolute Stereochemistry. N R Krishnaswamy. Series Article Volume 1 Issue 2 February 1996 pp 40-46 ...

Production of Odd-Carbon Dicarboxylic Acids in Escherichia coli Using an Engineered Biotin–Fatty Acid Biosynthetic Pathway

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haushalter, Robert W. [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Bioscience Division; Phelan, Ryan M. [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Bioscience Division; Hoh, Kristina M. [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Bioscience Division; Su, Cindy [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Bioscience Division; Wang, George [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Bioscience Division; Baidoo, Edward E. K. [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Bioscience Division; Keasling, Jay D. [Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Bioscience Division

2017-03-14

Dicarboxylic acids are commodity chemicals used in the production of plastics, polyesters, nylons, fragrances, and medications. Bio-based routes to dicarboxylic acids are gaining attention due to environmental concerns about petroleum-based production of these compounds. Some industrial applications require dicarboxylic acids with specific carbon chain lengths, including odd-carbon species. Biosynthetic pathways involving cytochrome P450-catalyzed oxidation of fatty acids in yeast and bacteria have been reported, but these systems produce almost exclusively even-carbon species. Here in this paper we report a novel pathway to odd-carbon dicarboxylic acids directly from glucose in Escherichia coli by employing an engineered pathway combining enzymes from biotin and fatty acid synthesis. Optimization of the pathway will lead to industrial strains for the production of valuable odd-carbon diacids.

Citric acid production and citrate synthase genes in distinct strains of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

2014-05-28

May 28, 2014 ... synthase in lactic acid production by A. niger and with the ... A number of microorganisms, including both bacteria and fungi, possess the capacity ..... citric acid production by solid-state fermentation from cassava bagasse and ...

Flavin-catalyzed redox tailoring reactions in natural product biosynthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Teufel, Robin

2017-10-15

Natural products are distinct and often highly complex organic molecules that constitute not only an important drug source, but have also pushed the field of organic chemistry by providing intricate targets for total synthesis. How the astonishing structural diversity of natural products is enzymatically generated in biosynthetic pathways remains a challenging research area, which requires detailed and sophisticated approaches to elucidate the underlying catalytic mechanisms. Commonly, the diversification of precursor molecules into distinct natural products relies on the action of pathway-specific tailoring enzymes that catalyze, e.g., acylations, glycosylations, or redox reactions. This review highlights a selection of tailoring enzymes that employ riboflavin (vitamin B2)-derived cofactors (FAD and FMN) to facilitate unusual redox catalysis and steer the formation of complex natural product pharmacophores. Remarkably, several such recently reported flavin-dependent tailoring enzymes expand the classical paradigms of flavin biochemistry leading, e.g., to the discovery of the flavin-N5-oxide - a novel flavin redox state and oxygenating species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simulation study of the production of biodiesel using feedstock mixtures of fatty acids in complex reactive distillation columns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cossio-Vargas, E.; Hernandez, S.; Segovia-Hernandez, J.G.; Cano-Rodriguez, M.I.

2011-01-01

Biodiesel can be produced from a number of natural, renewable sources, but vegetable oils are the main feedstocks. The current manufacturing biodiesel processes, however, have several disadvantages: expensive separation of products from the reaction mixture, and high costs due to relatively complex processes involving one to two reactors and several separation units. Therefore, to solve these problems, in recent years several researchers have developed a sustainable biodiesel production process based on reactive distillation. In this paper the production of biodiesel using feedstock mixtures of fatty acids is explored using reactive distillation sequences with thermal coupling. The results indicate that the complex reactive distillation sequences can produce a mixture of esters as bottoms product that can be used as biodiesel. In particular, the thermally coupled distillation sequence involving a side rectifier can handle the reaction and complete separation in accordance with process intensification principles. -- Highlights: ► Production of biodiesel using thermally coupled distillation sequences without reboilers. ► Esterification of fatty organic acids using reactive distillation. ► Carnot’s factor in reactive distillation.

Integrated production of lactic acid and biomass on distillery stillage.

Science.gov (United States)

Djukić-Vuković, Aleksandra P; Mojović, Ljiljana V; Vukašinović-Sekulić, Maja S; Nikolić, Svetlana B; Pejin, Jelena D

2013-09-01

The possibilities of parallel lactic acid and biomass production in batch and fed-batch fermentation on distillery stillage from bioethanol production were studied. The highest lactic acid yield and productivity of 92.3 % and 1.49 g L(-1) h(-1) were achieved in batch fermentation with initial sugar concentration of 55 g L(-1). A significant improvement of the process was achieved in fed-batch fermentation where the concentration of lactic acid was increased to 47.6 % and volumetric productivity for 21 % over the batch process. A high number of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 viable cells of 10(9) CFU ml(-1) was attained at the end of fed-batch fermentation. The survival of 92.9 % of L. rhamnosus cells after 3 h of incubation at pH 2.5 validated that the fermentation media remained after lactic acid removal could be used as a biomass-enriched animal feed thus making an additional value to the process.

Production of itaconic acid from acetate by engineering acid-tolerant Escherichia coli W.

Science.gov (United States)

Noh, Myung Hyun; Lim, Hyun Gyu; Woo, Sung Hwa; Song, Jinyi; Jung, Gyoo Yeol

2018-03-01

Utilization of abundant and cheap carbon sources can effectively reduce the production cost and enhance the economic feasibility. Acetate is a promising carbon source to achieve cost-effective microbial processes. In this study, we engineered an Escherichia coli strain to produce itaconic acid from acetate. As acetate is known to inhibit cell growth, we initially screened for a strain with a high tolerance to 10 g/L of acetate in the medium, and the W strain was selected as the host. Subsequently, the WC strain was obtained by overexpression of cad (encoding cis-aconitate decarboxylase) using a synthetic promoter and 5' UTR. However, the WC strain produced only 0.13 g/L itaconic acid because of low acetate uptake. To improve the production, the acetate assimilating pathway and glyoxylate shunt pathway were amplified by overexpression of pathway genes as well as its deregulation. The resulting strain, WCIAG4 produced 3.57 g/L itaconic acid (16.1% of theoretical maximum yield) after 88 hr of fermentation with rapid acetate assimilation. These efforts support that acetate can be a potential feedstock for biochemical production with engineered E. coli. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

α-Haloaldehydes: versatile building blocks for natural product synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Britton, Robert; Kang, Baldip

2013-02-01

The diastereoselective addition of organometallic reagents to α-chloroaldehydes was first reported in 1959 and occupies a historically significant role as the prototypical reaction for Cornforth's model of stereoinduction. Despite clear synthetic potential for these reagents, difficulties associated with producing enantiomerically enriched α-haloaldehydes limited their use in natural product synthesis through the latter half of the 20th century. In recent years, however, a variety of robust, organocatalytic processes have been reported that now provide direct access to optically enriched α-haloaldehydes and have motivated renewed interest in their use as building blocks for natural product synthesis. This Highlight summarizes the methods available for the enantioselective preparation of α-haloaldehydes and their stereoselective conversion into natural products.

Lactic Acid Bacteria from Kefir Increase Cytotoxicity of Natural Killer Cells to Tumor Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takuya Yamane

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Japanese fermented beverage, homemade kefir, contains six lactic acid bacteria: Lactococcus. lactis subsp. Lactis, Lactococcus. lactis subsp. Cremoris, Lactococcus. Lactis subsp. Lactis biovar diacetylactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc meseuteroides subsp. Cremoris and Lactobacillus casei. In this study, we found that a mixture of the six lactic acid bacteria from kefir increased the cytotoxicity of human natural killer KHYG-1 cells to human chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells and colorectal tumor HCT116 cells. Furthermore, levels of mRNA expression and secretion of IFN-γ (interferon gamma increased in KHYG-1 cells that had been treated with the six lactic acid bacteria mixture from kefir. The results suggest that the six lactic acid bacteria mixture from kefir has strong effects on natural immunity and tumor cell cytotoxicity.

Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 1; Issue 10. Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products Architectural Designs in Molecular Constructions. N R Krishnaswamy. Series Article Volume 1 Issue 10 October 1996 pp 37-43 ...

Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural Products

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 1; Issue 7. Learning Organic Chemistry Through Natural engine Products - Structure and Biological Functions. N R Krishnaswamy. Series Article Volume 1 Issue 7 July 1996 pp 23-30 ...

Glutamate dehydrogenase (RocG) in Bacillus licheniformis WX-02: Enzymatic properties and specific functions in glutamic acid synthesis for poly-γ-glutamic acid production.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Guangming; Wang, Qin; Wei, Xuetuan; Ma, Xin; Chen, Shouwen

2017-04-01

Poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA), a natural biopolymer, is widely used in cosmetics, medicine, food, water treatment, and agriculture owing to its features of moisture sequestration, cation chelation, non-toxicity and biodegradability. Intracellular glutamic acid, the substrate of γ-PGA, is a limiting factor for high yield in γ-PGA production. Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis are both important γ-PGA producing strains, and B. subtilis synthesizes glutamic acid in vivo using the unique GOGAT/GS pathway. However, little is known about the glutamate synthesis pathway in B. licheniformis. The aim of this work was to characterize the glutamate dehydrogenase (RocG) in glutamic acid synthesis from B. licheniformis with both in vivo and in vitro experiments. By re-directing the carbon flux distribution, the rocG gene deletion mutant WX-02ΔrocG produced intracellular glutamic acid with a concentration of 90ng/log(CFU), which was only 23.7% that of the wild-type WX-02 (380ng/log(CFU)). Furthermore, the γ-PGA yield of mutant WX-02ΔrocG was 5.37g/L, a decrease of 45.3% compared to the wild type (9.82g/L). In vitro enzymatic assays of RocG showed that RocG has higher affinity for 2-oxoglutarate than glutamate, and the glutamate synthesis rate was far above degradation. This is probably the first study to reveal the glutamic acid synthesis pathway and the specific functions of RocG in B. licheniformis. The results indicate that γ-PGA production can be enhanced through improving intracellular glutamic acid synthesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Degradation of fructans and production of propionic acid by Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron are enhanced by shortage of amino acids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Signe eAdamberg

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron is commonly found in the human colon and stabilizes its ecosystem by the catabolism of various polysaccharides. A model of cross-talk between the metabolism of amino acids and fructans in B. thetaiotaomicron was proposed. The growth of B. thetaiotaomicron DSM 2079 in two defined media containing mineral salts and vitamins, and supplemented with either 20 or 2 amino acids, was studied in an isothermal microcalorimeter. The polyfructans inulin (from chicory and levan (synthesized using levansucrase from Pseudomonas syringae, two fructooligosaccharide preparations with different composition, sucrose and fructose were tested as substrates. The calorimetric power-time curves were substrate specific and typically multiauxic. A surplus of amino acids reduced the consumption of longer oligosaccharides (DP > 3. Bacterial growth was not detected either in the carbohydrate free medium containing amino acids or in the medium with inulin as a sole carbohydrate. In amino acid-restricted medium, fermentation leading to acetic acid formation was dominant at the beginning of growth (up to 24 h, followed by increased lactic acid production, and mainly propionic and succinic acids were produced at the end of fermentation. In the medium supplemented with 20 amino acids, the highest production of D-lactate (82 ± 33 mmol/gDW occurred in parallel with extensive consumption (up to 17 mmol/gDW of amino acids, especially Ser, Thr and Asp. The production of Ala and Glu was observed at growth on all substrates, and the production was enhanced under amino acid deficiency. The study revealed the influence of amino acids on fructan metabolism in B. thetaiotaomicron and showed that defined growth media are invaluable in elucidating quantitative metabolic profiles of the bacteria. Levan was shown to act as an easily degradable substrate for B. thetaiotaomicron. The effect of levan on balancing or modifying colon microbiota will be studied in

Bio-succinic acid production: Escherichia coli strains design from genome-scale perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bashir Sajo Mienda

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Escherichia coli (E. coli has been established to be a native producer of succinic acid (a platform chemical with different applications via mixed acid fermentation reactions. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs of E. coli have been published with capabilities of predicting strain design strategies for the production of bio-based succinic acid. Proof-of-principle strains are fundamentally constructed as a starting point for systems strategies for industrial strains development. Here, we review for the first time, the use of E. coli GEMs for construction of proof-of-principles strains for increasing succinic acid production. Specific case studies, where E. coli proof-of-principle strains were constructed for increasing bio-based succinic acid production from glucose and glycerol carbon sources have been highlighted. In addition, a propose systems strategies for industrial strain development that could be applicable for future microbial succinic acid production guided by GEMs have been presented.

Capillary gas chromatographic analysis of mycolic acid cleavage products, cellular fatty acids, and alcohols of Mycobacterium xenopi.

OpenAIRE

Luquin, M; Lopez, F; Ausina, V

1989-01-01

The fatty acids, alcohols, and mycolic acids of 26 strains of Mycobacterium xenopi were studied by capillary gas chromatography and thin-layer chromatography. All strains contained alpha-, keto-, and omega-carboxymycolates. The primary mycolic acid cleavage product was hexacosanoic acid. The fatty acid patterns and, especially, the presence of 2-docosanol are characteristic markers of M. xenopi.

Microbial reverse-electrodialysis chemical-production cell for acid and alkali production

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Xiuping; Hatzell, Marta C.; Cusick, Roland D.; Logan, Bruce E.

2013-01-01

A new type of bioelectrochemical system, called a microbial reverse-electrodialysis chemical-production cell (MRCC), was developed to produce acid and alkali using energy derived from organic matter (acetate) and salinity gradients (NaCl solutions

Towards an understanding of feedbacks between plant productivity, acidity and dissolved organic matter

Science.gov (United States)

Rowe, Ed; Tipping, Ed; Davies, Jessica; Monteith, Don; Evans, Chris

2014-05-01

The recent origin of much dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (Tipping et al., 2010) implies that plant productivity is a major control on DOC fluxes. However, the flocculation, sorption and release of potentially-dissolved organic matter are governed by pH, and widespread increases in DOC concentrations observed in northern temperate freshwater systems seem to be primarily related to recovery from acidification (Monteith et al., 2007). We explore the relative importance of changes in productivity and pH using a model, MADOC, that incorporates both these effects (Rowe et al., 2014). The feedback whereby DOC affects pH is included. The model uses an annual timestep and relatively simple flow-routing, yet reproduces observed changes in DOC flux and pH in experimental (Evans et al., 2012) and survey data. However, the first version of the model probably over-estimated responses of plant productivity to nitrogen (N) deposition in upland semi-natural ecosystems. There is a strong case that plant productivity is an important regulator of DOC fluxes, and theoretical reasons for suspecting widespread productivity increases in recent years due not only to N deposition but to temperature and increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations. However, evidence that productivity has increased in upland semi-natural ecosystems is sparse, and few studies have assessed the major limitations to productivity in these habitats. In systems where phosphorus (P) limitation prevails, or which are co-limited, productivity responses to anthropogenic drivers will be limited. We present a revised version of the model that incorporates P cycling and appears to represent productivity responses to atmospheric N pollution more realistically. Over the long term, relatively small fluxes of nutrient elements into and out of ecosystems can profoundly affect productivity and the accumulation of organic matter. Dissolved organic N (DON) is less easily intercepted by plants and microbes than mineral N, and DON

Natural derivatives of diphenolic acid as substitutes for bisphenol-A

Science.gov (United States)

Ertl, Johanna; Cerri, Elisa; Rizzuto, Matteo; Caretti, Daniele

2014-05-01

Diphenolic acid had been originally used in the first epoxy resins and was later on forgotten as it was substituted by the cheaper bisphenol A. But in the recent years major health concerns have been raised as bisphenol A has a pseudo-hormonal effect on the body, playing the role of estrogen it can cause a severe impact on the organism, especially in males. Moreover it is produced from acetone and phenol, both from fossil, and thus limited resources. On the contrary, diphenolic acid is synthesized from levulinic acid and phenol. Levulinic acid being directly produced by hydrolysis of biomass. By substituting the fossil phenol with natural phenols from lignin or plant extraction we are able to synthesize a fully renewable substitute for bisphenol A. The reactions to yield an epoxy resin have been examined and the reactivity with epichlorohydrin is satisfying. Moreover, some of the derivatives of diphenolic acid have interesting curing properties and preliminary results show excellent properties of the cured resin, including thermal stability and pencil hardness.

Production of l(+)-lactic acid from acid pretreated sugarcane bagasse using Bacillus coagulans DSM2314 in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation strategy.

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van der Pol, Edwin C; Eggink, Gerrit; Weusthuis, Ruud A

2016-01-01

Sugars derived from lignocellulose-rich sugarcane bagasse can be used as feedstock for production of l(+)-lactic acid, a precursor for renewable bioplastics. In our research, acid-pretreated bagasse was hydrolysed with the enzyme cocktail GC220 and fermented by the moderate thermophilic bacterium Bacillus coagulans DSM2314. Saccharification and fermentation were performed simultaneously (SSF), adding acid-pretreated bagasse either in one batch or in two stages. SSF was performed at low enzyme dosages of 10.5-15.8 FPU/g DW bagasse. The first batch SSF resulted in an average productivity of 0.78 g/l/h, which is not sufficient to compete with lactic acid production processes using high-grade sugars. Addition of 1 g/l furfural to precultures can increase B. coagulans resistance towards by-products present in pretreated lignocellulose. Using furfural-containing precultures, productivity increased to 0.92 g/l/h, with a total lactic acid production of 91.7 g in a 1-l reactor containing 20% W/W DW bagasse. To increase sugar concentrations, bagasse was solubilized with a liquid fraction, obtained directly after acid pretreatment. Solubilizing the bagasse fibres with water increased the average productivity to 1.14 g/l/h, with a total lactic acid production of 84.2 g in a 1-l reactor. Addition of bagasse in two stages reduced viscosity during SSF, resulting in an average productivity in the first 23 h of 2.54 g/l/h, similar to productivities obtained in fermentations using high-grade sugars. Due to fast accumulation of lactic acid, enzyme activity was repressed during two-stage SSF, resulting in a decrease in productivity and a slightly lower total lactic acid production of 75.6 g. In this study, it is shown that an adequate production of lactic acid from lignocellulose was successfully accomplished by a two-stage SSF process, which combines acid-pretreated bagasse, B. coagulans precultivated in the presence of furfural as microorganism, and GC220 as enzyme

Production of amino acids - Genetic and metabolic engineering approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jin-Ho; Wendisch, Volker F

2017-12-01

The biotechnological production of amino acids occurs at the million-ton scale and annually about 6milliontons of l-glutamate and l-lysine are produced by Escherichia coli and Corynebacterium glutamicum strains. l-glutamate and l-lysine production from starch hydrolysates and molasses is very efficient and access to alternative carbon sources and new products has been enabled by metabolic engineering. This review focusses on genetic and metabolic engineering of amino acid producing strains. In particular, rational approaches involving modulation of transcriptional regulators, regulons, and attenuators will be discussed. To address current limitations of metabolic engineering, this article gives insights on recent systems metabolic engineering approaches based on functional tools and method such as genome reduction, amino acid sensors based on transcriptional regulators and riboswitches, CRISPR interference, small regulatory RNAs, DNA scaffolding, and optogenetic control, and discusses future prospects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.