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Sample records for glucose glycerol 3-hydroxybutyrate

  1. Blood glucose, lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate measurements in man using a centrifugal analyser with a fluorimetric attachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, J; Hodson, A W; Skillen, A W; Stappenbeck, R; Agius, L; Alberti, K G

    1988-03-01

    Methods are described for the analysis of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, alanine, glycerol, 3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate in perchloric acid extracts of human blood, using the Cobas Bio centrifugal analyser fitted with a fluorimetric attachment. Intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation ranged from 1.9 to 7.9% and from 1.0 to 7.2% respectively. Correlation coefficients ranged from 0.96 to 0.99 against established continuous-flow and manual spectrophotometric methods. All seven metabolites can be measured using a single perchloric acid extract of 20 microliter of blood. The versatility of the assays is such that as little as 100 pmol pyruvate, 3-hydroxybutyrate or as much as 15 nmol glucose can be measured in the same 20 microliter extract.

  2. Optimized methods to measure acetoacetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, glycerol, alanine, pyruvate, lactate and glucose in human blood using a centrifugal analyser with a fluorimetric attachment

    OpenAIRE

    Stappenbeck, R.; Hodson, A. W.; Skillen, A. W.; Agius, L.; Alberti, K. G. M. M.

    1990-01-01

    Optimized methods are described for the analysis of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, alanine, glycerol, D-3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate in perchloric acid extracts of human blood using the Cobas Bio centrifugal analyser. Glucose and lactate are measured using the photometric mode and other metabolites using the fluorimetric mode. The intra-assay coefficients of variation ranged from 0.7 to 4.1%, except with very low levels of pyruvate and acetoacetate where the coefficients of variation were ...

  3. Valorization of waste glycerol for the production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymer by Cupriavidus necator and extraction in a sustainable manner.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gahlawat, Geeta; Soni, Sanjeev Kumar

    2017-11-01

    Glycerol is a by-product of many industrial processes and huge amounts of it are generated in the form of waste, thereby necessitating a search for the method of its disposal. An interesting solution is the valorization of crude glycerol into value added product such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). The feasibility of producing PHAs by Cupriavidus necator was evaluated using crude glycerol (WG). Various cultivation strategies were designed for the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymer by adding different organic acids as precursors at different concentrations levels. Batch cultivation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) production showed accumulation of 6.76g/L biomass containing 4.84g/L copolymer on WG with a maximum 3-hydroxyvalerate content of 24.6mol%. PHAs extraction using a non-toxic and recyclable solvent, 1,2 propylene carbonate, showed the highest recovery yield (90%) and purity (93%) at 120°C temperature and 30min incubation. This is the first report on jatropha based glycerol valorization for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) production coupled with extraction using non-toxic solvent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Efficient utilization of crude glycerol as fermentation substrate in the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) biopolymers

    Science.gov (United States)

    One refined and 2 crude glycerol samples were utilized to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) by Pseudomonas oleovorans NRRL B-14682. Fermentation conditions were determined to efficiently utilize glycerol while maintaining PHB yields. A batch culture protocol including 1% glycerol and an aerati...

  5. Optimized methods to measure acetoacetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, glycerol, alanine, pyruvate, lactate and glucose in human blood using a centrifugal analyser with a fluorimetric attachment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stappenbeck, R; Hodson, A W; Skillen, A W; Agius, L; Alberti, K G

    1990-01-01

    Optimized methods are described for the analysis of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, alanine, glycerol, D-3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate in perchloric acid extracts of human blood using the Cobas Bio centrifugal analyser. Glucose and lactate are measured using the photometric mode and other metabolites using the fluorimetric mode. The intra-assay coefficients of variation ranged from 0.7 to 4.1%, except with very low levels of pyruvate and acetoacetate where the coefficients of variation were 7.1 and 12% respectively. All seven metabolites can be measured in a perchloric acid extract of 20 mul of blood. The methods have been optimized with regard to variation in the perchloric acid content of the samples. These variations arise from the method of sample preparation used to minimize changes occurring in metabolite concentration after venepuncture.

  6. Magnesium Affects Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate Content and Composition by Affecting Glucose Uptake in Delftia acidovorans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lee, W. H.

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Precise control of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA composition is necessary in order to synthesize polymers with specific properties. Among the various types of PHA that have been identified, those that contain 4-hydroxybutyrate (4HB monomers are especially useful in the medical and pharmaceutical fields as absorbable biomaterial. In this study, we have investigated the effect of magnesium concentration on the biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate [P(3HB-co-4HB] by Delftia acidovorans DS-17. Our results show that, magnesium affects the copolymer content and composition by affecting glucose uptake from the culture medium. Higher concentrations of magnesium resulted in lower molar fractions of 3HB in the copolymer and reduced uptake of glucose. The results show for the first time that magnesium may be used to achieve fine control of biologically synthesized PHA copolymer composition.

  7. Radiometric assays for glycerol, glucose, and glycogen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bradley, D.C.; Kaslow, H.R.

    1989-01-01

    We have developed radiometric assays for small quantities of glycerol, glucose and glycogen, based on a technique described by Thorner and Paulus for the measurement of glycerokinase activity. In the glycerol assay, glycerol is phosphorylated with [32P]ATP and glycerokinase, residual [32P]ATP is hydrolyzed by heating in acid, and free [32P]phosphate is removed by precipitation with ammonium molybdate and triethylamine. Standard dose-response curves were linear from 50 to 3000 pmol glycerol with less than 3% SD in triplicate measurements. Of the substances tested for interference, only dihydroxyacetone gave a slight false positive signal at high concentration. When used to measure glycerol concentrations in serum and in media from incubated adipose tissue, the radiometric glycerol assay correlated well with a commonly used spectrophotometric assay. The radiometric glucose assay is similar to the glycerol assay, except that glucokinase is used instead of glycerokinase. Dose response was linear from 5 to 3000 pmol glucose with less than 3% SD in triplicate measurements. Glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine gave false positive signals when equimolar to glucose. When glucose concentrations in serum were measured, the radiometric glucose assay agreed well with hexokinase/glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H/GDH)-based and glucose oxidase/H2O2-based glucose assays. The radiometric method for glycogen measurement incorporates previously described isolation and digestion techniques, followed by the radiometric assay of free glucose. When used to measure glycogen in mouse epididymal fat pads, the radiometric glycogen assay correlated well with the H/GDH-based glycogen assay. All three radiometric assays offer several practical advantages over spectral assays

  8. Fluorimetric methods for the measurement of intermediate metabolites (lactate, pyruvate, alanine, β-hydroxybutyrate, glycerol) using a COBAS FARA centrifugal analyser

    OpenAIRE

    Monti, L. D.; Sandoli, P. E.; Costa, S.; Phan, V. C.; Piatti, P. M.

    1993-01-01

    Intermediate products of the metabolism of glucose, fat and amino-acid are important in the evaluation of such metabolic disorders as diabetes mellitus, liver disease and metabolic acidosis. In the present study, methods for the measurement of intermediate metabolites (lactate, pyruvate, alanine, β-hydroxybutyrate and glycerol) have been adapted to a fast centrifugal analyzer: the COBAS FARA. Correlation coeffcients rangedfrom 0.90 to 0.99, compared to established manual spectrophotometric me...

  9. Glycerol Production from Glucose and Fructose by 3T3-L1 Cells: A Mechanism of Adipocyte Defense from Excess Substrate.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María del Mar Romero

    Full Text Available Cultured adipocytes (3T3-L1 produce large amounts of 3C fragments; largely lactate, depending on medium glucose levels. Increased glycolysis has been observed also in vivo in different sites of rat white adipose tissue. We investigated whether fructose can substitute glucose as source of lactate, and, especially whether the glycerol released to the medium was of lipolytic or glycolytic origin. Fructose conversion to lactate and glycerol was lower than that of glucose. The fast exhaustion of medium glucose was unrelated to significant changes in lipid storage. Fructose inhibited to a higher degree than glucose the expression of lipogenic enzymes. When both hexoses were present, the effects of fructose on gene expression prevailed over those of glucose. Adipocytes expressed fructokinase, but not aldolase b. Substantive release of glycerol accompanied lactate when fructose was the substrate. The mass of cell triacylglycerol (and its lack of change could not justify the comparatively higher amount of glycerol released. Consequently, most of this glycerol should be derived from the glycolytic pathway, since its lipolytic origin could not be (quantitatively sustained. Proportionally (with respect to lactate plus glycerol, more glycerol was produced from fructose than from glucose, which suggests that part of fructose was catabolized by the alternate (hepatic fructose pathway. Earlier described adipose glycerophophatase activity may help explain the glycolytic origin of most of the glycerol. However, no gene is known for this enzyme in mammals, which suggests that this function may be carried out by one of the known phosphatases in the tissue. Break up of glycerol-3P to yield glycerol, may be a limiting factor for the synthesis of triacylglycerols through control of glycerol-3P availability. A phosphatase pathway such as that described may have a potential regulatory function, and explain the production of glycerol by adipocytes in the absence of

  10. Biosynthesis of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) from glycerol by Paracoccus denitrificans in a batch bioreactor: effect of process variables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalaiyezhini, D; Ramachandran, K B

    2015-01-01

    In this study, the kinetics of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) biosynthesis from glycerol by Paracoccus denitrificans DSMZ 413 were explored in a batch bioreactor. Effects of inorganic and organic nitrogen source, carbon to nitrogen ratio, and other process variables such as pH, aeration, and initial glycerol concentration on PHB production were investigated in a 2.5-L bioreactor. Yeast extract was found to be the best nitrogen source compared to several organic nitrogen sources tested. At pH 6, specific growth rate, product formation rate, and accumulation of PHB within the cell were maximum. Specific growth rate increased with increase in oxygen transfer rate, but moderate oxygen transfer rate promoted PHB production. High glycerol concentration inhibited specific product formation rate but not growth. High initial carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio favored PHB accumulation and its productivity. At a C/N ratio of 21.4 (mol mol(-1)), 10.7 g L(-1) of PHB corresponding to 72% of cell dry weight was attained.

  11. Glucose turnover, gluconeogenesis from glycerol, and estimation of net glucose cycling in cancer patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lundholm, K.; Edstroem, S.; Karlberg, I.; Ekman, L.; Schersten, T.

    1982-01-01

    A double isotope method was used in patients with progressive malignancy and in control patients to measure: glucose turnover, conversion rate of carbon skeleton of glycerol into glucose, and the interorgan cycling of glucose carbons (Cori-cycle plus alanine-glucose cycle). [U- 14 C]glycerol and [6- 3 H]glucose were given intravenously as a single dose injection. The time course of the specific radioactivities of [6- 3 H] and [U- 14 C]glucose was followed in blood. The pool size and the turnover rate of glucose were increased in the cancer group as compared with the control patients. The net recycling of glucose carbons was not increased in the cancer group, despite the increased turnover of glucose. The alterations in the metabolism of glucose did not correlate with the plasma levels of insulin or thyroid hormones (T4, T3, rT3) neither in the entire cancer group nor in those cancer patients who were repeatedly investigated at different intervals of time. The turnover rate of glucose in the cancer patients correlated inversely to their body weight index. The gluconeogenesis rate, given as the fractional conversion rate of the injected radioactive dose of [ 14 C]glycerol, or as mol glucose . kg body weight-1 . day-1, was increased in the cancer group, but still contributed only 3% of the glucose turnover rate in both cancer and control patients. We conclude that an increased gluconeogenesis from glycerol is not significant in terms of energy expenditure in patients with progressive malignancy, as has previously been concluded for the gluconeogenesis from alanine. It seems that increased turnover of glucose may contribute to inappropriately high energy expenditure in cancer patients

  12. Availability of neurotransmitter glutamate is diminished when beta-hydroxybutyrate replaces glucose in cultured neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lund, Trine M; Risa, Oystein; Sonnewald, Ursula; Schousboe, Arne; Waagepetersen, Helle S

    2009-07-01

    Ketone bodies serve as alternative energy substrates for the brain in cases of low glucose availability such as during starvation or in patients treated with a ketogenic diet. The ketone bodies are metabolized via a distinct pathway confined to the mitochondria. We have compared metabolism of [2,4-(13)C]beta-hydroxybutyrate to that of [1,6-(13)C]glucose in cultured glutamatergic neurons and investigated the effect of neuronal activity focusing on the aspartate-glutamate homeostasis, an essential component of the excitatory activity in the brain. The amount of (13)C incorporation and cellular content was lower for glutamate and higher for aspartate in the presence of [2,4-(13)C]beta-hydroxybutyrate as opposed to [1,6-(13)C]glucose. Our results suggest that the change in aspartate-glutamate homeostasis is due to a decreased availability of NADH for cytosolic malate dehydrogenase and thus reduced malate-aspartate shuttle activity in neurons using beta-hydroxybutyrate. In the presence of glucose, the glutamate content decreased significantly upon activation of neurotransmitter release, whereas in the presence of only beta-hydroxybutyrate, no decrease in the glutamate content was observed. Thus, the fraction of the glutamate pool available for transmitter release was diminished when metabolizing beta-hydroxybutyrate, which is in line with the hypothesis of formation of transmitter glutamate via an obligatory involvement of the malate-aspartate shuttle.

  13. High hydrogen production from glycerol or glucose by electrohydrogenesis using microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.

    2009-07-01

    The use of glycerol for hydrogen gas production was examined via electrohydrogenesis using microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). A hydrogen yield of 3.9 mol-H2/mol was obtained using glycerol, which is higher than that possible by fermentation, at relatively high rates of 2.0 ± 0.4 m3/m3 d (Eap = 0.9 V). Under the same conditions, hydrogen was produced from glucose at a yield of 7.2 mol-H2/mol and a rate of 1.9 ± 0.3 m3/m3 d. Glycerol was completely removed within 6 h, with 56% of the electrons in intermediates (primarily 1,3-propanediol), with the balance converted to current, intracellular storage products or biomass. Glucose was removed within 5 h, but intermediates (mainly propionate) accounted for only 19% of the electrons. Hydrogen was also produced using the glycerol byproduct of biodiesel fuel production at a rate of 0.41 ± 0.1 m3/m3 d. These results demonstrate that electrohydrogenesis is an effective method for producing hydrogen from either pure glycerol or glycerol byproducts of biodiesel fuel production. © 2009 International Association for Hydrogen Energy.

  14. Fluorimetric methods for the measurement of intermediate metabolites (lactate, pyruvate, alanine, beta-hydroxybutyrate, glycerol) using a COBAS FARA centrifugal analyser.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monti, L D; Sandoli, P E; Costa, S; Phan, V C; Piatti, P M

    1993-01-01

    Intermediate products of the metabolism of glucose, fat and amino-acid are important in the evaluation of such metabolic disorders as diabetes mellitus, liver disease and metabolic acidosis. In the present study, methods for the measurement of intermediate metabolites (lactate, pyruvate, alanine, beta-hydroxybutyrate and glycerol) have been adapted to a fast centrifugal analyzer: the COBAS FARA. Correlation coeffcients rangedfrom 0.90 to 0.99, compared to established manual spectrophotometric methods. Within-run coeffcients of variation (CVs) ranged between 2.9 and 8.8% at low levels, between 1.5 and 5.7% at medium levels and between 1.2 and 5.6% at high levels. Between-run CVs were between 4.0 and 15.0% at low levels, between 1.7 and 7.0% at medium levels and between 1.3 and 2.7% at high levels. These fluorimetric assays for the determination of intermediate metabolites on COBAS FARA (Roche) have a good sensitivity and precision, are less costly than manual methods and can be used on a routine basis.

  15. Breakfast, plasma glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate, body mass index and academic performance in children from Extremadura, Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres, M D; Carmona, I; Campillo, C; Pérez, G; Campillo, J E

    2007-01-01

    Nutritional aspects of breakfast, plasma levels of glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate, body mass index and academic performance have been studied in urban and rural children (Extremadura, Spain). Representative samples of schoolchildren (3 to 12 years old, random cluster-sampling in schools). Children's mean caloric intake with breakfast was 331 kcal. Rural population ingested more carbohydrates (46,9 +/- 12,3% versus 43,3 +/- 13,2% of the total caloric intake) and fewer lipids (40,5 +/- 11,8% versus 43,9 +/- 12,8% of the total caloric intake) than the urban population. Academic performance was significantly better in the children inhabiting the rural zone than in those of the urban zone. The glycaemia was higher in the urban than in the rural children, and that the contrary was the case for the beta-hydroxybutyrate values. Neither glucose nor beta-hydroxybutyrate levels were correlated with academic performance values. BMI was significantly increased in the urban versus rural children. The present results emphasize the importance of breakfast and life style in the weight and the academic performance of children.

  16. Model studies on acrylamide generation from glucose/asparagine in aqueous glycerol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hedegaard, Rikke Susanne Vingborg; Frandsen, Henrik Lauritz; Granby, Kit

    2007-01-01

    Acrylamide formation from asparagine and glucose in different ratios in neutral glycerol/water mixtures was found to increase with decreasing water activity (0.33......Acrylamide formation from asparagine and glucose in different ratios in neutral glycerol/water mixtures was found to increase with decreasing water activity (0.33...

  17. Improved productivity of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in thermophilic Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 using glycerol as the growth substrate in a fed-batch culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Bin; Huang, Shaobin; Xu, Fuqian; Zhang, Ruijian; Zhang, Yongqing

    2015-07-01

    A particularly successful polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) in industrial applications is poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). However, one of the major obstacles for wider application of PHB is the cost of its production and purification. Therefore, it is desirable to discover a method for producing PHB in large quantities at a competitive price. Glycerol is a cheap and widely used carbon source that can be applied in PHB production process. There are numerous advantages to operating fermentation at elevated temperatures; only several thermophilic bacteria are able to accumulate PHB when glycerol is the growth substrate. Here, we report on the possibility of increasing PHB production at low cost using thermophilic Chelatococcus daeguensis TAD1 when glycerol is the growth substrate in a fed-batch culture. We found that (1) excess glycerol inhibited PHB accumulation and (2) organic nitrogen sources, such as tryptone and yeast extract, promoted the growth of C. daeguensis TAD1. In the batch fermentation experiments, we found that using glycerol at low concentrations as the sole carbon source, along with the addition of mixed nitrate (NH4Cl, tryptone, and yeast extract), stimulated PHB accumulation in C. daeguensis TAD1. The results showed that the PHB productivity decreased in the following order: two-stage fed-batch fermentation > fed-batch fermentation > batch fermentation. In optimized culture conditions, a PHB amount of 17.4 g l(-1) was obtained using a two-stage feeding regimen, leading to a productivity rate of 0.434 g l(-1) h(-1), which is the highest productivity rate reported for PHB to date. This high PHB biosynthetic productivity could decrease the total production cost, allowing for further development of industrial applications of PHB.

  18. Utilization of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate and oleate as alternate energy fuels in brain cell cultures of newborn mice after hypoxia at different glucose concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bossi, E; Kohler, E; Herschkowitz, N

    1989-11-01

    In dissociated whole brain cell cultures from newborn mice, we have previously shown that during glucose deprivation under normoxia, D-beta-hydroxybutyrate and oleic acid are increasingly used for energy production. We now asked whether this glucose dependency of the utilization of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate and oleic acid as alternate energy fuels is also present after a hypoxic phase. 3-Hydroxy[3-14C]butyrate or [U-14C]oleic acid were added to 7- and 14-d-old cultures and 14CO2-production compared after hypoxia in normal and glucose-deprived conditions. After hypoxia, the ability of the cells 7 d in culture to increase D-beta-hydroxybutyrate consumption in response to glucose deprivation is diminished, 14-d-old cells lose this ability. In contrast, after hypoxia, both 7- and 14-d-old cultures maintain or even improve the ability to increase oleate consumption, when glucose is lacking.

  19. Production and characterization of bio plastics from potato starch, poly-hydroxybutyrate and poly-hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendes, Fernanda M.; Curvelo, Antonio A.S.

    2009-01-01

    This work describes the study of thermoplastic starch (TPS) blends obtained from potato starch (plasticised with glycerol) with biodegradable polymers poly-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly-hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHB V). For this purpose it were developed several formulations with TPS/PHB, TPS/PHB V and TPS/PHB/PHB V prepared by physical mixing and water and glycerol as plasticizers. The amount of glycerol was 30% based on starch (dry basis). The starting materials (starch, PHB and PHB V) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Then, it was determined the optimal processing conditions for the samples, performed by using an intensive mixer. The materials were hot pressed to produce the standardized samples employed in the characterizations: mechanical testing (tensile strength), dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry. (author)

  20. β-Hydroxybutyrate is the preferred substrate for GABA and glutamate synthesis while glucose is indispensable during depolarization in cultured GABAergic neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lund, Trine M; Obel, Linea F; Risa, Øystein; Sonnewald, Ursula

    2011-08-01

    The ketogenic diet has multiple beneficial effects not only in treatment of epilepsy, but also in that of glucose transporter 1 deficiency, cancer, Parkinson's disease, obesity and pain. Thus, there is an increasing interest in understanding the mechanism behind this metabolic therapy. Patients on a ketogenic diet reach high plasma levels of ketone bodies, which are used by the brain as energy substrates. The interaction between glucose and ketone bodies is complex and there is still controversy as to what extent it affects the homeostasis of the neurotransmitters glutamate, aspartate and GABA. The present study was conducted to study this metabolic interaction in cultured GABAergic neurons exposed to different combinations of (13)C-labeled and unlabeled glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate. Depolarization was induced and the incorporation of (13)C into glutamate, GABA and aspartate was analyzed. The presence of β-hydroxybutyrate together with glucose did not affect the total GABA content but did, however, decrease the aspartate content to a lower value than when either glucose or β-hydroxybutyrate was employed alone. When combinations of the two substrates were used (13)C-atoms from β-hydroxybutyrate were found in all three amino acids to a greater extent than (13)C-atoms from glucose, but only the (13)C contribution from [1,6-(13)C]glucose increased upon depolarization. In conclusion, β-hydroxybutyrate was preferred over glucose as substrate for amino acid synthesis but the total content of aspartate decreased when both substrates were present. Furthermore only the use of glucose increased upon depolarization. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Production of polyhydroxybutyrate and alginate from glycerol by Azotobacter vinelandii under nitrogen-free conditions

    OpenAIRE

    Yoneyama, Fuminori; Yamamoto, Mayumi; Hashimoto, Wataru; Murata, Kousaku

    2015-01-01

    Glycerol is an interesting feedstock for biomaterials such as biofuels and bioplastics because of its abundance as a by-product during biodiesel production. Here we demonstrate glycerol metabolism in the nitrogen-fixing species Azotobacter vinelandii through metabolomics and nitrogen-free bacterial production of biopolymers, such as poly-d-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and alginate, from glycerol. Glycerol-3-phosphate was accumulated in A. vinelandii cells grown on glycerol to the exponential phase...

  2. The direct effect of incretin hormones on glucose and glycerol metabolism and hemodynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karstoft, Kristian; P. Mortensen, Stefan; H. Knudsen, Sine

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the insulin-independent effects of incretin hormones on glucose and glycerol metabolism and hemodynamics under eu- and hyperglycemic conditions. Young, healthy males (n=10) underwent three trials in a randomized, controlled, cross-over study. Each trial c...... hyperglycemia, GIP increases femoral artery blood flow with no effect on glucose metabolism, whereas GLP-1 increases glucose disposal, potentially, however, due to increased insulin levels....... consisted of a 2-stage (eu- and hyperglycemia) pancreatic clamp (using somatostatin to prevent endogenous insulin secretion). Glucose and lipid metabolism were measured via infusion of stable glucose and glycerol isotopic tracers. Hemodynamic variables (femoral, brachial and common carotid artery blood flow...... or glycerol kinetics were seen during euglycemia, whereas hyperglycemia resulted in increased GIR and glucose rate of disappearance (Rd) during GLP-1 compared to CON and GIP (Plevels, no differences between trials were seen for GIR or glucose Rd. Besides...

  3. Peculiarities of glucose and glycerol metabolism in Nocardia vaccinii IMB B-7405

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. P. Pirog

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available It has been established that in cells of Nocardia vaccinii IMB B-7405 (surfactant producer glucose catabolism is performed through pentose phosphate cycle as well as through gluconate (activi­ty of NAD+-dependent glucose-6- phosphate dehydrogenase and FAD+-dependent glucose dehydrogenase 835 ± 41 and 698 ± 35 nmol∙min-1∙mg-1 of protein respectively. 6-Phosphogluconate formed in the gluconokinase reaction is involved in the pentose phosphate cycle (activity of constitutive NADP+-dependent 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase 357 ± 17 nmol∙min-1∙mg-1 of protein. Glyce­rol catabolism to dihydroxyacetonephosphate (the intermediate of glycolysis may be performed in two ways: through glycerol-3-phosphate (glycerol kinase activity 244 ± 12 nmol∙min-1∙mg-1 of protein and through dihydroxyacetone. Replenishment of the C4-dicarboxylic acids pool in N. vaccinii IMV B-7405 grown on glucose and glycerol occurs in the phosphoenolpyruvate(PEPcarboxylase reaction (714–803 nmol∙min-1∙mg-1 of protein. 2-Oxoglutara­te was involved in tricarboxylic acid cycle by alternate pathway with the participation of 2-oxoglutarate synthase. The observed activity of both key enzymes of gluconeogenesis (PEP- carboxykinase and PEP-synthase, trehalose phosphate synthase and NADP+-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase confirmed the ability of IMV B-7405 strain to the synthesis of surface active glyco- and aminolipids, respectively.

  4. Targeting of astrocytic glucose metabolism by beta-hydroxybutyrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valdebenito, Rocío; Ruminot, Iván; Garrido-Gerter, Pamela; Fernández-Moncada, Ignacio; Forero-Quintero, Linda; Alegría, Karin; Becker, Holger M; Deitmer, Joachim W; Barros, L Felipe

    2016-10-01

    The effectiveness of ketogenic diets and intermittent fasting against neurological disorders has brought interest to the effects of ketone bodies on brain cells. These compounds are known to modify the metabolism of neurons, but little is known about their effect on astrocytes, cells that control the supply of glucose to neurons and also modulate neuronal excitability through the glycolytic production of lactate. Here we have used genetically-encoded Förster Resonance Energy Transfer nanosensors for glucose, pyruvate and ATP to characterize astrocytic energy metabolism at cellular resolution. Our results show that the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate strongly inhibited astrocytic glucose consumption in mouse astrocytes in mixed cultures, in organotypic hippocampal slices and in acute hippocampal slices prepared from ketotic mice, while blunting the stimulation of glycolysis by physiological and pathophysiological stimuli. The inhibition of glycolysis was paralleled by an increased ability of astrocytic mitochondria to metabolize pyruvate. These results support the emerging notion that astrocytes contribute to the neuroprotective effect of ketone bodies. © The Author(s) 2015.

  5. Enhanced hydrogen and 1,3-propanediol production from glycerol by fermentation using mixed cultures

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.

    2009-12-15

    The conversion of glycerol into high value products, such as hydrogen gas and 1,3-propanediol (PD), was examined using anaerobic fermentation with heat-treated mixed cultures. Glycerol fermentation produced 0.28 mol-H 2/mol-glycerol (72 mL-H2/g-COD) and 0.69 mol-PD/mol-glycerol. Glucose fermentation using the same mixed cultures produced more hydrogen gas (1.06 mol-H2/mol-glucose) but no PD. Changing the source of inoculum affected gas production likely due to prior acclimation of bacteria to this type of substrate. Fermentation of the glycerol produced from biodiesel fuel production (70% glycerol content) produced 0.31 mol-H 2/mol-glycerol (43 mL H2/g-COD) and 0.59 mol-PD/mol-glycerol. These are the highest yields yet reported for both hydrogen and 1,3-propanediol production from pure glycerol and the glycerol byproduct from biodiesel fuel production by fermentation using mixed cultures. These results demonstrate that production of biodiesel can be combined with production of hydrogen and 1,3-propanediol for maximum utilization of resources and minimization of waste. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Hyperproduction of poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) from glucose by recombinant Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhou, Xiao-Yun; Yuan, Xiao-Xi; Shi, Zhen-Yu

    2012-01-01

    inactivated to enhance the carbon flux to poly(4HB) biosynthesis. Four PHA binding proteins (PhaP or phasins) including PhaP1, PhaP2, PhaP3 and PhaP4 from R. eutropha were heterologously expressed in the recombinant E. coli, respectively, leading to different levels of improvement in poly(4HB) production......-hydroxybutyrate or 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD) are provided as precursor which are much more expensive than glucose. At present, high production cost is a big obstacle for large scale production of poly(4HB). RESULTS: Recombinant Escherichia coli strain was constructed to achieve hyperproduction of poly(4....... Among them PhaP1 exhibited the highest capability for enhanced polymer synthesis. The recombinant E. coli produced 5.5 g L(-1) cell dry weight containing 35.4% poly(4HB) using glucose as a sole carbon source in a 48 h shake flask growth. In a 6-L fermentor study, 11.5 g L(-1) cell dry weight containing...

  7. Structure of d-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase prepared in the presence of the substrate d-3-hydroxybutyrate and NAD+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoque, Md Mominul; Shimizu, Satoru; Juan, Ella Czarina Magat; Sato, Yoshiteru; Hossain, Md Tofazzal; Yamamoto, Tamotsu; Imamura, Shigeyuki; Suzuki, Kaoru; Amano, Hitoshi; Sekiguchi, Takeshi; Tsunoda, Masaru; Takénaka, Akio

    2009-01-01

    The crystal structure of A. faecalisd-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase prepared in the presence of d-3-hydroxybutyrate and NAD + reveals the substrate/product-binding geometry as the first example which suggests that the catalytic reaction occurs by shuttle movements of a hydrogen negative ion from the substrate to NAD + and from NADH to the product. d-3-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase from Alcaligenes faecalis catalyzes the reversible conversion between d-3-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate. The enzyme was crystallized in the presence of the substrate d-3-hydroxybutyrate and the cofactor NAD + at the optimum pH for the catalytic reaction. The structure, which was solved by X-ray crystallography, is isomorphous to that of the complex with the substrate analogue acetate. The product as well as the substrate molecule are accommodated well in the catalytic site. Their binding geometries suggest that the reversible reactions occur by shuttle movements of a hydrogen negative ion from the C3 atom of the substrate to the C4 atom of NAD + and from the C4 atom of NADH to the C3 atom of the product. The reaction might be further coupled to the withdrawal of a proton from the hydroxyl group of the substrate by the ionized Tyr155 residue. These structural features strongly support the previously proposed reaction mechanism of d-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, which was based on the acetate-bound complex structure

  8. Glucose and glycerol concentrations and their tracer enrichment measurements using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bornø, Andreas; Foged, Lene; van Hall, Gerrit

    2014-01-01

    The present study describes a new liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for high-throughput quantification of glucose and glycerol in human plasma using stable isotopically labeled internal standards and is suitable for simultaneous measurements of glucose and glycerol enrichments...... of variation were 2.0% and 9.7%, respectively. After derivatization, plasma samples were stable for at least 14 days. In conclusion, we have developed and validated a novel, accurate, and sensitive high-throughput liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for simultaneous determination of glucose...

  9. 3-Hydroxybutyrate regulates energy metabolism and induces BDNF expression in cerebral cortical neurons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marosi, Krisztina; Kim, Sang Woo; Moehl, Keelin

    2016-01-01

    During fasting and vigorous exercise, a shift of brain cell energy substrate utilization from glucose to the ketone 3-hydroxybutyrate (3OHB) occurs. Studies have shown that 3OHB can protect neurons against excitotoxicity and oxidative stress, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Neurons ...... suggest cellular signaling mechanisms by which 3OHB may mediate adaptive responses of neurons to fasting, exercise, and ketogenic diets....

  10. Design and analysis of biorefineries based on raw glycerol: addressing the glycerol problem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posada, John A; Rincón, Luis E; Cardona, Carlos A

    2012-05-01

    Glycerol as a low-cost by-product of the biodiesel industry can be considered a renewable building block for biorefineries. In this work, the conversion of raw glycerol to nine added-value products obtained by chemical (syn-gas, acrolein, and 1,2-propanediol) or bio-chemical (ethanol, 1,3-propanediol, d-lactic acid, succinic acid, propionic acid, and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate) routes were considered. The technological schemes for these synthesis routes were designed, simulated, and economically assessed using Aspen Plus and Aspen Icarus Process Evaluator, respectively. The techno-economic potential of a glycerol-based biorefinery system for the production of fuels, chemicals, and plastics was analyzed using the commercial Commercial Sale Price/Production Cost ratio criteria, under different production scenarios. More income can be earned from 1,3-propanediol and 1,2-propanediol production, while less income would be obtained from hydrogen and succinic acid. This analysis may be useful mainly for biodiesel producers since several profitable alternatives are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate and Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate: Structure, Property, and Fiber

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qingsheng Liu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate [P(3HB] and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate [P(3HB-co-3HV] are produced by various microorganisms as an intracellular carbon and energy reserve from agricultural feedstocks such as sugars and plant oils under unbalanced growth conditions. P(3HB and P(3HB-co-3HV have attracted the attention of academia and industry because of its biodegradability, biocompatibility, thermoplasticity, and plastic-like properties. This review first introduced the isodimorphism, spherulites, and molecular interaction of P(3HB and P(3HB-co-3HV. In addition, the effects of 3HV content on the melting temperature and crystallization rate were discussed. Then the drawbacks of P(3HB and P(3HB-co-3HV including brittleness, narrow melt processing window, low crystallization rate, slow biodegradation rate in body, and so on were summarized. At last, the preparation, structure, and properties of P(3HB and P(3HB-co-3HV fiber were introduced.

  12. Production of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid by Arxula adeninivorans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biernacki, Mateusz; Riechen, Jan; Hähnel, Urs; Roick, Thomas; Baronian, Kim; Bode, Rüdiger; Kunze, Gotthard

    2017-12-01

    (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid can be used in industrial and health applications. The synthesis pathway comprises two enzymes, β-ketothiolase and acetoacetyl-CoA reductase which convert cytoplasmic acetyl-CoA to (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid [(R)-3-HB] which is released into the culture medium. In the present study we used the non-conventional yeast, Arxula adeninivorans, for the synthesis enantiopure (R)-3-HB. To establish optimal production, we investigated three different endogenous yeast thiolases (Akat1p, Akat2p, Akat4p) and three bacterial thiolases (atoBp, thlp, phaAp) in combination with an enantiospecific reductase (phaBp) from Cupriavidus necator H16 and endogenous yeast reductases (Atpk2p, Afox2p). We found that Arxula is able to release (R)-3-HB used an existing secretion system negating the need to engineer membrane transport. Overexpression of thl and phaB genes in organisms cultured in a shaking flask resulted in 4.84 g L -1 (R)-3-HB, at a rate of 0.023 g L -1  h -1 over 214 h. Fed-batch culturing with glucose as a carbon source did not improve the yield, but a similar level was reached with a shorter incubation period [3.78 g L -1 of (R)-3-HB at 89 h] and the rate of production was doubled to 0.043 g L -1  h -1 which is higher than any levels in yeast reported to date. The secreted (R)-3-HB was 99.9% pure. This is the first evidence of enantiopure (R)-3-HB synthesis using yeast as a production host and glucose as a carbon source.

  13. Comparing cellular performance of Yarrowia lipolytica during growth on glucose and glycerol in submerged cultivations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Workman, Mhairi; Holt, Philippe; Thykær, Jette

    2013-01-01

    . Growth on glycerol proceeded at approximately 0.30 h-1, and the substrate uptake rate was 0.02 mol L-1 h-1 regardless of the starting glycerol concentration (10, 20 or 45 g L-1). Utilisation of glycerol was accompanied by higher oxygen uptake rates compared to glucose growth, indicating import......Yarrowia lipolytica is an attractive host for sustainable bioprocesses due to its ability to utilize a variety of carbon substrates and convert them to a range of different product types (including lipids, organic acids and polyols) under specific conditions. Despite an increasing number...... of applications for this yeast, relatively few studies have focused on uptake and metabolism of carbon sources, and the metabolic basis for carbon flow to the different products. The focus of this work was quantification of the cellular performance of Y. lipolytica during growth on glycerol, glucose or a mixture...

  14. Effects of carbon dioxide on cell growth and propionic acid production from glycerol and glucose by Propionibacterium acidipropionici.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, An; Sun, Jianxin; Wang, Zhongqiang; Yang, Shang-Tian; Zhou, Haiying

    2015-01-01

    The effects of CO2 on propionic acid production and cell growth in glycerol or glucose fermentation were investigated in this study. In glycerol fermentation, the volumetric productivity of propionic acid with CO2 supplementation reached 2.94g/L/day, compared to 1.56g/L/day without CO2. The cell growth using glycerol was also significantly enhanced with CO2. In addition, the yield and productivity of succinate, the main intermediate in Wood-Werkman cycle, increased 81% and 280%, respectively; consistent with the increased activities of pyruvate carboxylase and propionyl CoA transferase, two key enzymes in the Wood-Werkman cycle. However, in glucose fermentation CO2 had minimal effect on propionic acid production and cell growth. The carbon flux distributions using glycerol or glucose were also analyzed using a stoichiometric metabolic model. The calculated maintenance coefficient (mATP) increased 100%, which may explain the increase in the productivity of propionic acid in glycerol fermentation with CO2 supplement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Evolutionary engineering of a glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase-negative, acetate-reducing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain enables anaerobic growth at high glucose concentrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guadalupe-Medina, Víctor; Metz, Benjamin; Oud, Bart; van Der Graaf, Charlotte M; Mans, Robert; Pronk, Jack T; van Maris, Antonius J A

    2014-01-01

    Glycerol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is required for redox-cofactor balancing in anaerobic cultures, causes yield reduction in industrial bioethanol production. Recently, glycerol formation in anaerobic S. cerevisiae cultures was eliminated by expressing Escherichia coli (acetylating) acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (encoded by mhpF) and simultaneously deleting the GPD1 and GPD2 genes encoding glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, thus coupling NADH reoxidation to reduction of acetate to ethanol. Gpd– strains are, however, sensitive to high sugar concentrations, which complicates industrial implementation of this metabolic engineering concept. In this study, laboratory evolution was used to improve osmotolerance of a Gpd– mhpF-expressing S. cerevisiae strain. Serial batch cultivation at increasing osmotic pressure enabled isolation of an evolved strain that grew anaerobically at 1 M glucose, at a specific growth rate of 0.12 h−1. The evolved strain produced glycerol at low concentrations (0.64 ± 0.33 g l−1). However, these glycerol concentrations were below 10% of those observed with a Gpd+ reference strain. Consequently, the ethanol yield on sugar increased from 79% of the theoretical maximum in the reference strain to 92% for the evolved strains. Genetic analysis indicated that osmotolerance under aerobic conditions required a single dominant chromosomal mutation, and one further mutation in the plasmid-borne mhpF gene for anaerobic growth. PMID:24004455

  16. Effects of visceral adiposity on glycerol pathways in gluconeogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neeland, Ian J; Hughes, Connor; Ayers, Colby R; Malloy, Craig R; Jin, Eunsook S

    2017-02-01

    To determine the feasibility of using oral 13 C labeled glycerol to assess effects of visceral adiposity on gluconeogenic pathways in obese humans. Obese (BMI ≥30kg/m 2 ) participants without type 2 diabetes underwent visceral adipose tissue (VAT) assessment and stratification by median VAT into high VAT-fasting (n=3), low VAT-fasting (n=4), and high VAT-refed (n=2) groups. Participants ingested [U- 13 C 3 ] glycerol and blood samples were subsequently analyzed at multiple time points over 3h by NMR spectroscopy. The fractions of plasma glucose (enrichment) derived from [U- 13 C 3 ] glycerol via hepatic gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle were assessed using 13 C NMR analysis of glucose. Mixed linear models were used to compare 13 C enrichment in glucose between groups. Mean age, BMI, and baseline glucose were 49years, 40.1kg/m 2 , and 98mg/dl, respectively. Up to 20% of glycerol was metabolized in the TCA cycle prior to gluconeogenesis and PPP activity was minor (gluconeogenesis from glycerol in obese humans. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that excess visceral fat disrupts multiple pathways in hepatic gluconeogenesis from glycerol. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. MicroRNA-451 Negatively Regulates Hepatic Glucose Production and Glucose Homeostasis by Targeting Glycerol Kinase-Mediated Gluconeogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuo, Shu; Yang, Mengmei; Zhao, Yanan; Chen, Xiaofang; Zhang, Feifei; Li, Na; Yao, Pengle; Zhu, Tengfei; Mei, Hong; Wang, Shanshan; Li, Yu; Chen, Shiting; Le, Yingying

    2016-11-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of regulatory molecules implicated in type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by insulin resistance and hepatic glucose overproduction. We show that miRNA-451 (miR-451) is elevated in the liver tissues of dietary and genetic mouse models of diabetes. Through an adenovirus-mediated gain- and loss-of-function study, we found that miR-451 negatively regulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and blood glucose levels in normal mice and identified glycerol kinase (Gyk) as a direct target of miR-451. We demonstrate that miR-451 and Gyk regulate hepatic glucose production, the glycerol gluconeogenesis axis, and the AKT-FOXO1-PEPCK/G6Pase pathway in an opposite manner; Gyk could reverse the effect of miR-451 on hepatic gluconeogenesis and AKT-FOXO1-PEPCK/G6Pase pathway. Moreover, overexpression of miR-451 or knockdown of Gyk in diabetic mice significantly inhibited hepatic gluconeogenesis, alleviated hyperglycemia, and improved glucose tolerance. Further studies showed that miR-451 is upregulated by glucose and insulin in hepatocytes; the elevation of hepatic miR-451 in diabetic mice may contribute to inhibiting Gyk expression. This study provides the first evidence that miR-451 and Gyk regulate the AKT-FOXO1-PEPCK/G6Pase pathway and play critical roles in hepatic gluconeogenesis and glucose homeostasis and identifies miR-451 and Gyk as potential therapeutic targets against hyperglycemia in diabetes. © 2016 by the American Diabetes Association.

  18. Effects of replacing lactose from milk replacer by glucose, fructose, or glycerol on energy partitioning in veal calves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, M S; Pantophlet, A J; van den Borne, J J G C; Hendriks, W H; Schols, H A; Gerrits, W J J

    2016-02-01

    Calf milk replacers contain 40 to 50% lactose. Fluctuating dairy prices are a major economic incentive to replace lactose from milk replacers by alternative energy sources. Our objective was, therefore, to determine the effects of replacement of lactose with glucose, fructose, or glycerol on energy and protein metabolism in veal calves. Forty male Holstein-Friesian calves (114±2.4 kg) were fed milk replacer containing 46% lactose (CON) or 31% lactose and 15% of glucose (GLUC), fructose (FRUC), or glycerol (GLYC). Solid feed was provided at 10 g of dry matter (DM)/kg of metabolic body weight (BW(0.75)) per day. After an adaptation of 48 d, individual calves were harnessed, placed in metabolic cages, and housed in pairs in respiration chambers. Apparent total-tract disappearance of DM, energy, and N and complete energy and N balances were measured. The GLUC, FRUC, and GLYC calves received a single dose of 1.5 g of [U-(13)C]glucose, [U-(13)C]fructose, or [U-(13)C]glycerol, respectively, with their milk replacer at 0630 h and exhaled (13)CO2 and (13)C excretion with feces was measured. Apparent total-tract disappearance was decreased by 2.2% for DM, 3.2% for energy, and 4.2% for N in FRUC compared with CON calves. Energy and N retention did not differ between treatments, and averaged 299±16 kJ/kg of BW(0.75) per day and 0.79±0.04 g/kg of BW(0.75) per day, respectively, although FRUC calves retained numerically less N (13%) than other calves. Recovery of (13)C isotopes as (13)CO2 did not differ between treatments and averaged 72±1.6%. The time at which the maximum rate of (13)CO2 production was reached was more than 3 h delayed for FRUC calves, which may be explained by a conversion of fructose into other substrates before being oxidized. Recovery of (13)C in feces was greater for FRUC calves (7.7±0.59%) than for GLUC (1.0±0.27%) and GLYC calves (0.5±0.04%), indicating incomplete absorption of fructose from the small intestine resulting in fructose excretion or

  19. Effects of feeding dry glycerol on milk production, nutrients digestibility and blood components in primiparous Holstein dairy cows during the early postpartum period

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kafilzadeh, F.; Piri, V.; Karami-Shabankareh, H.

    2015-07-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the glucogenic property of glycerol supplementation in the dairy cow’s diet. Sixty primiparous cows (control, n=30, and glycerol supplemented, n=30) were used to measure milk yield and components, blood hormone and metabolite profiles, and body condition score. Feed intake and apparent total-tract digestibility were also measured using 10 primiparous cows (control, n=5, and glycerol supplemented, n=5). Dry glycerol was top dressed at 250 g/day/cow from parturition to 21 days postpartum. Average feed intake, milk yield and components were not affected by glycerol supplementation. Apparent total–tract digestibility of organic matter and neutral detergent fibre were not influenced by dry glycerol supplementation, but lipid digestibility was greater (p=0.01) in cows fed glycerol. The serum concentration of glucose and insulin tended to be higher in dry glycerol-supplemented cows (p=0.1; p=0.06, respectively). While, serum concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate were not affected. Supplemented cows had lower body condition loss during weeks 1 to 5 after calving (p=0.09). The glucogenic effect of glycerol did not affect milk yield during the first 3 weeks of lactation. However, daily milk yield during the 13 weeks recording period was higher in the glycerol-supplemented cows (28.5 vs. 30.3 kg, p<0.001). Percentages of cows cycling at the planned breeding date was greater (p=0.01) for cows fed dry glycerol. The results demonstrated that feeding dry glycerol as a glucogenic supply could be useful in saving body reserves and improving energy balance of primiparous Holstein dairy cows during the early postpartum period. (Author)

  20. Effects of feeding dry glycerol on milk production, nutrients digestibility and blood components in primiparous Holstein dairy cows during the early postpartum period

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farokh Kafilzadeh

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the glucogenic property of glycerol supplementation in the dairy cow’s diet. Sixty primiparous cows (control, n=30, and glycerol supplemented, n=30 were used to measure milk yield and components, blood hormone and metabolite profiles, and body condition score. Feed intake and apparent total-tract digestibility were also measured using 10 primiparous cows (control, n=5, and glycerol supplemented, n=5. Dry glycerol was top dressed at 250 g/day/cow from parturition to 21 days postpartum. Average feed intake, milk yield and components were not affected by glycerol supplementation. Apparent total–tract digestibility of organic matter and neutral detergent fibre were not influenced by dry glycerol supplementation, but lipid digestibility was greater (p=0.01 in cows fed glycerol. The serum concentration of glucose and insulin tended to be higher in dry glycerol-supplemented cows (p=0.1; p=0.06, respectively. While, serum concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate were not affected. Supplemented cows had lower body condition loss during weeks 1 to 5 after calving (p=0.09. The glucogenic effect of glycerol did not affect milk yield during the first 3 weeks of lactation. However, daily milk yield during the 13 weeks recording period was higher in the glycerol-supplemented cows (28.5 vs. 30.3 kg, p<0.001. Percentages of cows cycling at the planned breeding date was greater (p=0.01 for cows fed dry glycerol. The results demonstrated that feeding dry glycerol as a glucogenic supply could be useful in saving body reserves and improving energy balance of primiparous Holstein dairy cows during the early postpartum period.

  1. Improved 1,3-Propanediol Synthesis from Glycerol by the Robust Lactobacillus reuteri Strain DSM 20016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ricci, Maria Antonietta; Russo, Annamaria; Pisano, Isabella; Palmieri, Luigi; de Angelis, Maria; Agrimi, Gennaro

    2015-06-01

    Various Lactobacillus reuteri strains were screened for the ability to convert glycerol to 1,3- propanediol (1,3-PDO) in a glycerol-glucose co-fermentation. Only L. reuteri DSM 20016, a well-known probiotic, was able to efficiently carry out this bioconversion. Several process strategies were employed to improve this process. CO(2+) addition to the fermentation medium, led to a high product titer (46 g/l) of 1,3-PDO and to improved biomass synthesis. L. reuteri DSM 20016 produced also ca. 3 μg/g of cell dry weight of vitamin B12, conferring an economic value to the biomass produced in the process. Incidentally, we found that L. reuteri displays the highest resistance to CO(2+) ions ever reported for a microorganism. Two waste materials (crude glycerol from biodiesel industry and spruce hydrolysate from paper industry) alone or in combination were used as feedstocks for the production of 1,3-PDO by L. reuteri DSM 20016. Crude glycerol was efficiently converted into 1,3-PDO although with a lower titer than pure glycerol (-18%). Compared with the fermentation carried out with pure substrates, the 1,3- PDO produced was significantly lower (40.7 vs. 24.2 g/l) using cellulosic hydrolysate and crude glycerol, but strong increases of the maximal biomass produced (+27%) and of the glucose consumption rate (+46%) were found. The results of this study lay the foundation for further investigations to exploit the biotechnological potential of L. reuteri DSM 20016 to produce 1,3-PDO and vitamin B12 using industry byproducts.

  2. Production of polyhydroxybutyrate and alginate from glycerol by Azotobacter vinelandii under nitrogen-free conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoneyama, Fuminori; Yamamoto, Mayumi; Hashimoto, Wataru; Murata, Kousaku

    2015-01-01

    Glycerol is an interesting feedstock for biomaterials such as biofuels and bioplastics because of its abundance as a by-product during biodiesel production. Here we demonstrate glycerol metabolism in the nitrogen-fixing species Azotobacter vinelandii through metabolomics and nitrogen-free bacterial production of biopolymers, such as poly-d-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and alginate, from glycerol. Glycerol-3-phosphate was accumulated in A. vinelandii cells grown on glycerol to the exponential phase, and its level drastically decreased in the cells grown to the stationary growth phase. A. vinelandii also overexpressed the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene when it was grown on glycerol. These results indicate that glycerol was first converted to glycerol-3-phosphate by glycerol kinase. Other molecules with industrial interests, such as lactic acid and amino acids including γ-aminobutyric acid, have also been accumulated in the bacterial cells grown on glycerol. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that glycerol-grown A. vinelandii stored PHB within the cells. The PHB production level reached 33% per dry cell weight in nitrogen-free glycerol medium. When grown on glycerol, alginate-overproducing mutants generated through chemical mutagenesis produced 2-fold the amount of alginate from glycerol than the parental wild-type strain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on bacterial production of biopolymers from glycerol without addition of any nitrogen source.

  3. Effect of Glycerol and Glucose on the Enhancement of Biomass, Lipid and Soluble Carbohydrate Production by Chlorella vulgaris in Mixotrophic Culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong Yang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Biodiesel-derived glycerol is a promising substrate for mixotrophic cultivation of oleaginous microalgae, which can also reduce the cost of microalgal biodiesel. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of using glycerol and glucose as a complex carbon substrate to produce microalgal biomass and biochemical components, such as photosynthetic pigments, lipids, soluble carbohydrates and proteins by Chlorella vulgaris. The results show that C. vulgaris can utilize glycerol as a sole carbon substrate, but its effect is inferior to that of the mixture of glycerol and glucose. The effect of glycerol and glucose could enhance the algal cell growth rate, biomass content and volumetric productivity, and overcome the lower biomass production on glycerol as the sole organic carbon source in mixotrophic culture medium. The utilization of complex organic carbon substrate can stimulate the biosynthesis of lipids and soluble carbohydrates as the raw materials for biodiesel and bioethanol production, and reduce the anabolism of photosynthetic pigments and proteins. This study provides a promising niche for reducing the overall cost of biodiesel and bioethanol production from microalgae as it investigates the by-products of algal biodiesel production and algal cell hydrolysis as possible raw materials (lipids and carbohydrates and organic carbon substrates (soluble carbohydrates and glycerol for mixotrophic cultivation of microalgae.

  4. Lipid and carotenoid synthesis by Rhodosporidium diobovatum, grown on glucose versus glycerol, and its biodiesel properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nasirian, Nima; Mirzaie, Maryam; Cicek, Nazim; Levin, David B

    2018-04-01

    Relationships between lipid and carotenoid synthesis by Rhodosporidium diobovatum were investigated for cell cultures in nitrogen-limited medium (GMY) containing equimolar amounts of carbon of glucose or glycerol. The cultures were also supplemented with additional substrate at 120 h postinoculation (pi) and during a fed-batch experiment. Growth of R. diobovatum on glucose resulted in higher yields of triacyglycerides (TAGs) and carotenoid than when grown on glycerol, even though the cultures contained equimolar amounts of carbon. After the addition of fresh substrate at 120 h pi, total carotenoid concentrations were significantly different from the concentrations measured at 120 h pi in both glucose and glycerol cultures, with no concomitant increase in lipid concentrations, suggesting that carotenoid synthesis is linked to exponential-phase growth, while lipid synthesis is linked to stationary phase. We also compared the calculated properties of biodiesel that could be made with TAGs derived from R. diobovatum with properties of biodiesel made from TAGs of other oleaginous yeasts, microalgae, vegetable oils, and animal fats. This study shows that R. diobovatum can be an effective strain for production of neutral lipids containing high percentages of oleic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid, as well as carotenoids.

  5. alpha-hydroxybutyrate is an early biomarker of insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in a nondiabetic population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter E Gall

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Insulin resistance is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease progression. Current diagnostic tests, such as glycemic indicators, have limitations in the early detection of insulin resistant individuals. We searched for novel biomarkers identifying these at-risk subjects.Using mass spectrometry, non-targeted biochemical profiling was conducted in a cohort of 399 nondiabetic subjects representing a broad spectrum of insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance (based on the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp and oral glucose tolerance testing, respectively.Random forest statistical analysis selected alpha-hydroxybutyrate (alpha-HB as the top-ranked biochemical for separating insulin resistant (lower third of the clamp-derived M(FFM = 33 [12] micromol x min(-1 x kg(FFM (-1, median [interquartile range], n = 140 from insulin sensitive subjects (M(FFM = 66 [23] micromol x min(-1 x kg(FFM (-1 with a 76% accuracy. By targeted isotope dilution assay, plasma alpha-HB concentrations were reciprocally related to M(FFM; and by partition analysis, an alpha-HB value of 5 microg/ml was found to best separate insulin resistant from insulin sensitive subjects. alpha-HB also separated subjects with normal glucose tolerance from those with impaired fasting glycemia or impaired glucose tolerance independently of, and in an additive fashion to, insulin resistance. These associations were also independent of sex, age and BMI. Other metabolites from this global analysis that significantly correlated to insulin sensitivity included certain organic acid, amino acid, lysophospholipid, acylcarnitine and fatty acid species. Several metabolites are intermediates related to alpha-HB metabolism and biosynthesis.alpha-hydroxybutyrate is an early marker for both insulin resistance and impaired glucose regulation. The underlying biochemical mechanisms may involve increased lipid oxidation and oxidative stress.

  6. Glycerol metabolism of Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469: cloning and expression of two glycerol kinase genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarez, María de Fátima; Medina, Roxana; Pasteris, Sergio E; Strasser de Saad, Ana M; Sesma, Fernando

    2004-01-01

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 was able to grow in glycerol as the sole source of energy in aerobic conditions, producing lactate, acetate, and diacetyl. A biphasic growth was observed in the presence of glucose. In this condition, glycerol consumption began after glucose was exhausted from the culture medium. Glycerol kinase activity was detected in L. rhamnosus ATCC 7469, a characteristic of microorganisms which catabolize glycerol in aerobic conditions. Genetic analysis revealed that this strain possesses two glycerol kinase genes: gykA and glpK, that encode for two different glycerol kinases GykA and GlpK, respectively. The glpK geneis associated in an operon with alpha-glycerophosphate oxidase (glpO) and glycerol facilitator (glpF) genes. Transcriptional analysis revealed that only glpK is expressed when L. rhamnosus was grown on glycerol. Copyright 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel

  7. Thrombin immobilization to methacrylic acid grafted poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and its in vitro application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akkaya, Alper; Pazarlioglu, Nurdan

    2013-01-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) is nontoxic and biodegradable, with good biocompatibility and potential support for long-term implants. For this reason, it is a good support for enzyme immobilization. Enzyme immobilization could not be done directly because poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) has no functional groups. Therefore, modification should be done for enzyme immobilization. In this study, methacrylic acid was graft polymerized to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and thrombin was immobilized to polymethacrylic acid grafted poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). In fact, graft polymerization of methacrylic acid to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and thrombin immobilization was a model study. Biomolecule immobilized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) could be used as an implant. Thrombin was selected as a biomolecule for this model study and it was immobilized to methacrylic acid grafted poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Then the developed product was used to stop bleeding.

  8. Graphene reinforced biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate nano-composites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Sridhar

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Novel biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate [PHBV]/graphene nanocomposites were prepared by solution casting. The thermal properties, crystallization behavior, microstructure, and fracture morphology of the composites were investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM results show that graphene layers are homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix. X-ray diffraction (XRD and dynamic scanning calorimetry (DSC studies show that the well dispersed graphene sheets act as nucleating agent for crystallization. Consequently, the mechanical properties of the composites have been substantially improved as evident from dynamic mechanical and static tensile tests. Differential thermal analysis (DTA showed an increase in temperature of maximum degradation. Soil degradation tests of PHBV/graphene nanocomposites showed that presence of graphene doesn’t interfere in its biodegradability.

  9. Metabolic engineering for high glycerol production by the anaerobic cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semkiv, Marta V; Dmytruk, Kostyantyn V; Abbas, Charles A; Sibirny, Andriy A

    2017-06-01

    Glycerol is used by the cosmetic, paint, automotive, food, and pharmaceutical industries and for production of explosives. Currently, glycerol is available in commercial quantities as a by-product from biodiesel production, but the purity and the cost of its purification are prohibitive. The industrial production of glycerol by glucose aerobic fermentation using osmotolerant strains of the yeasts Candida sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been described. A major drawback of the aerobic process is the high cost of production. For this reason, the development of yeast strains that effectively convert glucose to glycerol anaerobically is of great importance. Due to its ability to grow under anaerobic conditions, the yeast S. cerevisiae is an ideal system for the development of this new biotechnological platform. To increase glycerol production and accumulation from glucose, we lowered the expression of TPI1 gene coding for triose phosphate isomerase; overexpressed the fused gene consisting the GPD1 and GPP2 parts coding for glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase, respectively; overexpressed the engineered FPS1 gene that codes for aquaglyceroporin; and overexpressed the truncated gene ILV2 that codes for acetolactate synthase. The best constructed strain produced more than 20 g of glycerol/L from glucose under micro-aerobic conditions and 16 g of glycerol/L under anaerobic conditions. The increase in glycerol production led to a drop in ethanol and biomass accumulation.

  10. Endocrine, metabolic and cardiovascular responses to adrenaline after abdominal surgery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hilsted, J; Wilken-Jensen, Charlotte; Birch, K

    1990-01-01

    Adrenaline-induced changes in heart rate, blood pressure, plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline, cortisol, glucagon, insulin, cAMP, glucose lactate, glycerol and beta-hydroxybutyrate were studied preoperatively and 4 and 24 h after skin incision in 8 patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy. Late...... postoperative responses of blood glucose, plasma cAMP, lactate and glycerol to adrenaline infusion were reduced, whereas other responses were unaffected. Blood glucose appearance and disappearance rate as assessed by [3H]3-glucose infusion was unchanged pre- and postoperatively. The increase in glucose...... appearance rate following adrenaline was similar pre- and postoperatively. These findings suggest that several beta-receptor-mediated responses to adrenaline are reduced after abdominal surgery....

  11. Epigenetic regulation of the glucose transporter gene Slc2a1 by β-hydroxybutyrate underlies preferential glucose supply to the brain of fasted mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanegashima, Kosuke; Sato-Miyata, Yukiko; Funakoshi, Masabumi; Nishito, Yasumasa; Aigaki, Toshiro; Hara, Takahiko

    2017-01-01

    We carried out liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of metabolites in mice. Those metabolome data showed that hepatic glucose content is reduced, but that brain glucose content is unaffected, during fasting, consistent with the priority given to brain glucose consumption during fasting. The molecular mechanisms for this preferential glucose supply to the brain are not fully understood. We also showed that the fasting-induced production of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB) enhances expression of the glucose transporter gene Slc2a1 (Glut1) via histone modification. Upon β-OHB treatment, Slc2a1 expression was up-regulated, with a concomitant increase in H3K9 acetylation at the critical cis-regulatory region of the Slc2a1 gene in brain microvascular endothelial cells and NB2a neuronal cells, shown by quantitative PCR analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated disruption of the Hdac2 gene increased Slc2a1 expression, suggesting that it is one of the responsible histone deacetylases (HDACs). These results confirm that β-OHB is a HDAC inhibitor and show that β-OHB plays an important role in fasting-induced epigenetic activation of a glucose transporter gene in the brain. © 2016 Molecular Biology Society of Japan and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  12. Thermoplastic starch and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) bionanocomposites before and after prolonged storage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Magalhaes, N.F. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Macae, RJ (Brazil); Dahmouche, K.; Andrade, C.T. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2012-07-01

    Full text: Glycerol-plasticized cornstarch and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were melt-mixed at a constant 70:30 (wt/wt) ratio. One-step extrusion processing were performed in the presence of a commercial organically-modified clay. The effect of increasing clay contents on the morphologies and physical properties of the blends was investigated after processing, and compared to the neat blend, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results indicated that increasing clay contents promoted improvements in the compatibility between the components and allowed to better understand the role of clay in compatibilization mechanism. After aging for 12 months, the blends were characterized by SEM, XRD and Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). As revealed by all techniques, the reduced size of the PHBV dispersed phase and the decreased crystallinity of both phases promoted by clay particles were maintained, although some prejudicial effect of aging was noticed. Nevertheless, SAXS results unambiguously proved the presence of both exfoliated lamellae and a small number of clay tactoids in the aged bionanocomposites. (author)

  13. Effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, oligomycin and theophylline on in vitro glycerol metabolism in rat adipose tissue: response to insulin and epinephrine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dominguez, M C; Herrera, E [Barcelona Univ. (Spain). Catedra de Fisiologia General

    1976-01-01

    The effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG), oligomycin and theophylline on the in vitro production and metabolism of glycerol and its response to insulin and epinephrine were studied in epididymal fat pads from fed rats. 2-DG failed to affect basic or epinephrine-stimulated glycerol production but decreased the uptake of 1-/sup 14/C-glycerol by the tissue and its conversion to glyceride-glycerol. Oligomycin also failed to affect the basic production of glycerol, but it inhibited the affect of epinephrine on this parameter as well as the uptake and utilization of 1-/sup 14/C-glycerol. Theophylline enhanced the production of glycerol by the tissue, and this effect was not further augmented by epinephrine. Theophylline also inhibited the uptake and utilization of 1-/sup 14/C-glycerol; the most pronounced effect of theophylline was observed in the formation of /sup 14/C-fatty acids from 1-/sup 14/C-glycerol in the presence of glucose. Insulin, but not epinephrine, decreased the inhibitory effect of theophylline on glycerol utilization. It is concluded that these compounds affect the ability of adipose tissue to metabolize glycerol more intensely than the ability to release it through lipolysis. The pathway for glycerol utilization in adipose tissue appears to be more sensitive to changes in the availability of ATP than the mechanisms for the release of glycerol from the tissue.

  14. New Linear and Star-Shaped Thermogelling Poly([R]-3-hydroxybutyrate) Copolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barouti, Ghislaine; Liow, Sing Shy; Dou, Qingqing; Ye, Hongye; Orione, Clément; Guillaume, Sophie M; Loh, Xian Jun

    2016-07-18

    The synthesis of multi-arm poly([R]-3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)-based triblock copolymers (poly([R]-3-hydroxybutyrate)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-[[poly(methyl ether methacrylate)-g-poly(ethylene glycol)]-co-[poly(methacrylate)-g-poly(propylene glycol)

  15. Intraperitoneal lactate/pyruvate ratio and the level of glucose and glycerol concentration differ between patients surgically treated for upper and lower perforations of the gastrointestinal tract

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sabroe, Jonas E; Axelsen, Anne R; Ellebæk, Mark B

    2017-01-01

    collected every 4th hour for up to 7 postoperative days. Samples were analysed for concentrations of glucose, lactate, pyruvate and glycerol. RESULTS: Microdialysis results showed that patients with upper gastrointestinal tract lesions had significantly higher levels of postoperative intraperitoneal glucose...... and glycerol concentrations, as well as lower lactate/pyruvate ratios and lactate/glucose ratios. In the group with perforation of the lower gastrointestinal tract, those patients with a complicated course showed lower levels of postoperative intraperitoneal glucose concentration and glycerol concentration...... and higher lactate/pyruvate ratios and lactate/glucose ratios than those patients with an uncomplicated course. CONCLUSION: Patients with upper and lower gastrointestinal tract lesions showed differences in postoperative biomarker levels. A difference was also seen between patients with complicated...

  16. The effect of gamma radiation on mechanical properties of biodegradable polymers poly(3-hydroxybutyrate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leticia Maria Oliveira

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Brazilian poly(3-hydroxybutyrate, P(3-HB, and its copolymer, poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate, P(3-HB-co-3-HV were irradiated with gamma radiation (60Co at room temperature and in the presence of oxygen. The viscosity-average molar mass (Mv was analyzed by viscometry using an Ostwald-type capillary viscometer. Both polymers showed a decrease in molar mass with the increase in dose, reflecting that random main chain scissions occurred. The value G (scissions/100 eV of energy transferred to the system and the parameter α (scissions per original molecule were also determined. Mechanical properties decrease with the increase in dose, revealing that P(3-HB underwent significant changes, especially at doses higher than 50 kGy. Tensile at break and impact resistance properties were the most affected by radiation, while the elastic modulus remained virtually unaltered up to 100 kGy dose.

  17. Effects of β-hydroxybutyrate and isoproterenol on lipolysis in isolated adipocytes from periparturient dairy cows and cows with clinical ketosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Drift, S G A; Everts, R R; Houweling, M; van Leengoed, L A M G; Stegeman, J A; Tielens, A G M; Jorritsma, R

    2013-06-01

    An in vitro model was used to investigate effects of β-hydroxybutyrate and isoproterenol (β-adrenergic receptor agonist) on lipolysis in isolated adipocytes from late pregnant and recently calved dairy cows (n=5) and cows with clinical ketosis (n=3). Incubation with 3.0 mmol/L β-hydroxybutyrate reduced lipolysis in isolated adipocytes. This inhibitory effect was lower in the first lactation week (47%±16%) compared with late pregnancy (71%±6.5%). Incubation with 0.3 μmol/L isoproterenol stimulated lipolysis in isolated adipocytes from periparturient dairy cows. Basal lipolysis resulted in non-esterified fatty acid to glycerol ratios in the incubation media of 2.0±0.23 in prepartum samples, 2.1±0.23 in the first lactation week and 2.2±0.09 in cows with clinical ketosis. β-Hydroxybutyrate reduced lipolysis by 45%±9.6% in isolated adipocytes from cows with clinical ketosis, indicating that impaired feedback of β-hydroxybutyrate may not play a role in the disease etiology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Global changes in the proteome of Cupriavidus necator H16 during poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis from various biodiesel by-product substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Parveen K; Fu, Jilagamazhi; Spicer, Victor; Krokhin, Oleg V; Cicek, Nazim; Sparling, Richard; Levin, David B

    2016-12-01

    Synthesis of poly-[3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) by Cupriavidus necator H16 in batch cultures was evaluated using three biodiesel-derived by-products as the sole carbon sources: waste glycerol (REG-80, refined to 80 % purity with negligible free fatty acids); glycerol bottom (REG-GB, with up to 65 % glycerol and 35 % free fatty acids), and free fatty acids (REG-FFA, with up to 75 % FFA and no glycerol). All the three substrates supported growth and PHB production by C. necator, with polymer accumulation ranging from 9 to 84 % cell dry weight (cdw), depending on the carbon source. To help understand these differences, proteomic analysis indicated that although C. necator H16 was able to accumulate PHB during growth on all three biodiesel by-products, no changes in the levels of PHB synthesis enzymes were observed. However, significant changes in the levels of expression were observed for two Phasin proteins involved with PHB accumulation, and for a number of gene products in the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway, the Glyoxylate Shunt, and the hydrogen (H2) synthesis pathways in C. necator cells cultured with different substrates. The glycerol transport protein (GlpF) was induced in REG-GB and REG-80 glycerol cultures only. Cupriavidus necator cells cultured with REG-GB and REG-FFA showed up-regulation of β-oxidation and Glyoxylate Shunt pathways proteins at 24 h pi, but H2 synthesis pathways enzymes were significantly down-regulated, compared with cells cultured with waste glycerol. Our data confirmed earlier observations of constitutive expression of PHB synthesis proteins, but further suggested that C. necator H16 cells growing on biodiesel-derived glycerol were under oxidative stress.

  19. Bace1 activity impairs neuronal glucose metabolism: rescue by beta-hydroxybutyrate and lipoic acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John A Findlay

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Glucose hypometabolism and impaired mitochondrial function in neurons have been suggested to play early and perhaps causative roles in Alzheimer’s disease (AD pathogenesis. Activity of the aspartic acid protease, beta-site amyloid precursor protein (APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1, responsible for beta amyloid peptide generation, has recently been demonstrated to modify glucose metabolism. We therefore examined, using a human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y cell line, whether increased BACE1 activity is responsible for a reduction in cellular glucose metabolism. Overexpression of active BACE1, but not a protease-dead mutant BACE1, protein in SH-SY5Y cells reduced glucose oxidation and the basal oxygen consumption rate, which was associated with a compensatory increase in glycolysis. Increased BACE1 activity had no effect on the mitochondrial electron transfer process but was found to diminish substrate delivery to the mitochondria by inhibition of key mitochondrial decarboxylation reaction enzymes. This BACE1 activity-dependent deficit in glucose oxidation was alleviated by the presence of beta hydroxybutyrate or α-lipoic acid. Consequently our data indicate that raised cellular BACE1 activity drives reduced glucose oxidation in a human neuronal cell line through impairments in the activity of specific tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes. Because this bioenergetic deficit is recoverable by neutraceutical compounds we suggest that such agents, perhaps in conjunction with BACE1 inhibitors, may be an effective therapeutic strategy in the early-stage management or treatment of AD.

  20. Evaluation of 3-hydroxybutyrate as an enzyme-protective agent against heating and oxidative damage and its potential role in stress response of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) accumulating cells

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Obruča, S.; Sedláček, P.; Mravec, F.; Samek, Ota; Márová, I.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 100, č. 3 (2016), s. 1365-1376 ISSN 0175-7598 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1212; GA ČR(CZ) GA15-20645S Institutional support: RVO:68081731 Keywords : poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) * 3-Hydroxybutyrate * PHB cycle * chemical chaperone * compatible solutes Subject RIV: BH - Optics, Masers, Lasers Impact factor: 3.420, year: 2016

  1. Effect of Glycerol and Glucose on the Enhancement of Biomass, Lipid and Soluble Carbohydrate Production by Chlorella vulgaris in Mixotrophic Culture

    OpenAIRE

    Hong Yang; Yun-Tao Cao; Hao Song; Shao-Feng Hua; Chun-Gu Xia; Wei-Bao Kong

    2013-01-01

    Biodiesel-derived glycerol is a promising substrate for mixotrophic cultivation of oleaginous microalgae, which can also reduce the cost of microalgal biodiesel. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of using glycerol and glucose as a complex carbon substrate to produce microalgal biomass and biochemical components, such as photosynthetic pigments, lipids, soluble carbohydrates and proteins by Chlorella vulgaris. The results show that C. vulgaris can utilize glycerol as ...

  2. Ketone bodies effectively compete with glucose for neuronal acetyl-CoA generation in rat hippocampal slices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valente-Silva, Paula; Lemos, Cristina; Köfalvi, Attila; Cunha, Rodrigo A; Jones, John G

    2015-09-01

    Ketone bodies can be used for cerebral energy generation in situ, when their availability is increased as during fasting or ingestion of a ketogenic diet. However, it is not known how effectively ketone bodies compete with glucose, lactate, and pyruvate for energy generation in the brain parenchyma. Hence, the contributions of exogenous 5.0 mM [1-(13)C]glucose and 1.0 mM [2-(13)C]lactate + 0.1 mM pyruvate (combined [2-(13)C]lactate + [2-(13)C]pyruvate) to acetyl-CoA production were measured both without and with 5.0 mM [U-(13)C]3-hydroxybutyrate in superfused rat hippocampal slices by (13)C NMR non-steady-state isotopomer analysis of tissue glutamate and GABA. Without [U-(13)C]3-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, combined lactate + pyruvate, and unlabeled endogenous sources contributed (mean ± SEM) 70 ± 7%, 10 ± 2%, and 20 ± 8% of acetyl-CoA, respectively. With [U-(13)C]3-hydroxybutyrate, glucose contributions significantly fell from 70 ± 7% to 21 ± 3% (p neurons. The appearance of superfusate lactate derived from glycolysis of [1-(13)C]glucose did not decrease significantly in the presence of 3-hydroxybutyrate, hence total glycolytic flux (Krebs cycle inflow + exogenous lactate formation) was attenuated by 3-hydroxybutyrate. This indicates that, under these conditions, 3-hydroxybutyrate inhibited glycolytic flux upstream of pyruvate kinase. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. Pharmacokinetics and metabolic effects of growth hormone injected subcutaneously in growth hormone deficient patients: thich versus abdomen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Laursen, Torben; Jørgensen, Jens Otto Lunde; Christiansen, Jens Sandahl

    1994-01-01

    and IGFBP-3), glucose, insulin, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), glycerol, 3-hydroxybutyrate, alanine, lactate and glucagon were measured for 37 hours after GH injection (3 IU/m2 at 1900 hour). PATIENTS: Nine GH deficient patients (five males, four females). RESULTS: The mean (+/- SEM) thickness of the s...

  4. [From waste to treasure: turning activated sludge into bioplastic poly-3-hydroxybutyrate].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jia'ni

    2017-12-25

    Large quantity of activated sludge is generated from wastewater treatment but without yet an appropriate deposition. High temperature can lyse the activate sludge so that nitrogen and phosphorus containing nutrients are released. Halomonas CJN was found to grow on the heat lysed activated sludge and glucose for production of bioplastic poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the absence of yeast extract, nitrogen and phosphorus sources as well as trace elements. This reduces the PHB production cost significantly. Furthermore, acetic acid formed from anaerobic fermentation of heat lysed activated sludge can be used to replace glucose for cell growth but not much for PHB production. After construction of an additional PHB synthesis pathway in Halomonas CJN, we can produce PHB entirely from heat lysed activated sludge, reducing production cost of PHB roughly from ¥ 30 000 Yuan/ton to ¥ 20 000 Yuan/ton, thus turning waste activated sludge to valuable raw material resource.

  5. Microbial recycling of glycerol to biodiesel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Liu; Zhu, Zhi; Wang, Weihua; Lu, Xuefeng

    2013-12-01

    The sustainable supply of lipids is the bottleneck for current biodiesel production. Here microbial recycling of glycerol, byproduct of biodiesel production to biodiesel in engineered Escherichia coli strains was reported. The KC3 strain with capability of producing fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) from glucose was used as a starting strain to optimize fermentation conditions when using glycerol as sole carbon source. The YL15 strain overexpressing double copies of atfA gene displayed 1.7-fold increase of FAEE productivity compared to the KC3 strain. The titer of FAEE in YL15 strain reached to 813 mg L(-1) in minimum medium using glycerol as sole carbon source under optimized fermentation conditions. The titer of glycerol-based FAEE production can be significantly increased by both genetic modifications and fermentation optimization. Microbial recycling of glycerol to biodiesel expands carbon sources for biodiesel production. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. In vivo effect of the D-(-) isomer or natural form of 3-hydroxybutyrate on initial release of lactate dehydrogenase from the acutely ischaemic myocardium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lammerant, J; Huynh-Thu, T; Kolanowski, J

    1986-07-01

    D-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate, the isomer found in the circulation and in the urine of diabetic patients, generally is believed to be the physiologically important form of 3-hydroxybutyrate [10]. Little is known concerning the effects of an elevated plasma level of the D-(-) isomer of 3-hydroxybutyrate upon the acutely ischaemic heart. Using anaesthetized intact dogs with a balloon catheter inserted into the proximal part of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), we have recently demonstrated that a 1 mM ketonaemia induced with the arginine salt of D-(-)-3-hydroxybutyric acid reduces the uptake of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in the myocardial area distal to the inflated balloon [4]. The question arises as to whether the concomitant increase in ketone uptake in this area could be detrimental to the acutely ischaemic myocardium. Indeed, a previous study on isolated coronary ligated hearts from normal rats has shown that the rate of release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) during the first 90 min of ischaemia can be enhanced by replacing glucose (11 mM) in the perfusion fluid with either albumin-bound palmitate (0.9 mM) or sodium DL-3-hydroxybutyrate (10 mM) as the sole energy substrate [11]. This would suggest that the ketone might be as deleterious as its metabolic precursors for membrane integrity in the acutely ischaemic myocardium. In the present report, we examine the effect of arginine D-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate on LDH release from ischaemic myocardium in our in vivo preparation. The dogs were treated with lidocaine in order to minimize the frequency and, hence, the adverse metabolic effects of ectopic beats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  7. Structure formation in fibrous materials based on poly-3-hydroxybutyrate for traumatology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olkhov, A. A.; Sklyanchuk, E. D.; Staroverova, O. V.; Abbasov, T. A.; Guryev, V. V.; Akatov, V. S.; Fadeyeva, I. S.; Fesenko, N. I.; Filatov, Yu. N.; Iordanskii, A. L.

    2015-10-01

    The paper reviews the structure formation of fibrous materials based on poly-3-hydroxybutyrate depending on parameters of electrospinning and characteristics of polymer solution. Fiber structure was studied by DSC, ESR and SEM. The molecular weight affects the diameter and uniformity of the fiber. An electromechanical impact leads to an orientation of crystalline structure in the fiber. The design of an artificial bioresorbable implant based on nano- and microfibers of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate is created. Dynamics of growth of mesenchymal stem cells on poly-3-hydroxybutyrate scaffolds is studied. Successful field tests of implants of the Achilles tendon in Wistar rats are conducted.

  8. Isolation and partial characterization of a new strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae capable of high 1,3 propanediol production from glycerol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Sen

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Glycerol is a promising feedstock for microbial cultivation and production of 1,3 propanediol (1,3 PDO. Here we report a newly isolated bacterial strain BA11 from soil, capable of fermenting glycerol to 1,3 PDO, and has been identified to be a strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Strain BA11 was fast growing showing peak 1,3 PDO production in 6 h of cultivation with productivity of 1.2 g/L-h without the addition of Vitamin B12. Based on the optimum glycerol utilization (75% and 1,3 PDO production (8.3 g/L and yield (0.56 mol/mol glycerol utilized, the most appropriate glycerol concentration for cultivation was 20 g/L. The strain BA11 could tolerate the pH range of 6 to 8.5 as no inhibitory effects were seen on growth as well as 1,3 PDO production. Strain BA11 was most active and could produce high 1,3 PDO in the incubation temperature range of 25 to 40 oC. The production of 1,3 PDO was maximum (9.3 g/L under aerobic condition with 95.8% glycerol utilization. Addition of glucose to the glycerol fermentation led to increased cell mass but no improvement in the 1,3 PDO production.

  9. Enhancement of glycerol production by zygosaccharomyces ruxii using strawberry wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meleigy, S.A; Taha, S.M.A.

    2010-01-01

    Glycerol is important industrial product that can be produced using osmophilic yeasts. In this study a local isolate of osmophilic yeast, zygosaccharomyces ruxii, was used for glycerol production from strawberry waste. The effects of some important parameters including glucose and urea concentrations, incubation temperature, initial ph and gamma irradiation were investigated. The optimum conditions for maximum glycerol production (126.8 g/l)by z. ruxii were occurred at 31 degree C and initial ph 5 in the presence of 250 g/l glucose and 3 g/l urea in the production medium . Under these optimizing fermentation parameters, enhancement of glycerol production (130 g/l) were recorded when the inoculum of z. ruxii was exposed to 0.25 kGy. also, the present results showed reduction in BOD 5 levels of fermented strawberry waste.

  10. Waste cooking oil as substrate for biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate: Turning waste into a value-added product

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang, T. A.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims: Improper disposal of domestic wastes, such as waste cooking oil (WCO, contributes to the deterioration of the environment and may lead to health problems. In this study, we evaluated the potential of plant-based WCO as a carbon source for the commercial biosynthesis of the bio-plastics, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate. The consumption of WCO for this purpose would mitigate their pollution of the environment at the same time.Methodology and Results: WCO collected from several cafeterias in USM was tested as the carbon source for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA production. A selection of suitable nitrogen source was first conducted in order to obtain an acceptable number of dry cell weight (DCW and PHA content. Urea was found to be a suitable nitrogen source for the two bacterial strains used in our study, Cupriavidus necator H16 and its transformed mutant, C. necator PHB¯4 harboring the PHA synthase gene of Aeromonas caviae (PHB¯4/pBBREE32d13. With WCO as the sole carbon source, C. necator H16 yielded a relatively good dry cell weight (DCW=25.4 g/L, with 71 wt% poly(3-hydroxybutyrate P(3HBcontent. In comparison, the DCW obtained with fresh cooking oil (FCO was 24.8 g/L. The production of poly(3 hydroxybutyrate-co-3- hydroxyhexanoate [P(3HB-co-3HHx] from WCO by the transformant C. necator PHB¯4 was comparable, yielding a DCW of 22.3 g/L and P(3HB-co-3HHx content of 85 wt%. Lipase activities for both bacterial strains reached a maximum after 72 h of cultivation when time profile was conducted. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: The use of WCO as a carbon source in the biosynthesis of the bioplastic, PHA, turns a polluting domestic waste into a value-added biodegradable product. This renewable source material can thus be exploited for the low cost production of PHA.

  11. The role of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 in the progression of fatty liver after acute ethanol administration in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Tomoki; Morita, Akihito; Mori, Nobuko; Miura, Shinji

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Ethanol administration increased GPD1 mRNA expression. • Ethanol administration increased glucose incorporation into TG glycerol moieties. • No increase in hepatic TG levels was observed in ethanol-injected GPD1 null mice. • We propose that GPD1 is required for ethanol-induced TG accumulation in the liver. - Abstract: Acute ethanol consumption leads to the accumulation of triglycerides (TGs) in hepatocytes. The increase in lipogenesis and reduction of fatty acid oxidation are implicated as the mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced hepatic TG accumulation. Although glycerol-3-phosphate (Gro3P), formed by glycerol kinase (GYK) or glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GPD1), is also required for TG synthesis, the roles of GYK and GPD1 have been the subject of some debate. In this study, we examine (1) the expression of genes involved in Gro3P production in the liver of C57BL/6J mice in the context of hepatic TG accumulation after acute ethanol intake, and (2) the role of GPD1 in the progression of ethanol-induced fatty liver using GPD1 null mice. As a result, in C57BL/6J mice, ethanol-induced hepatic TG accumulation began within 2 h and was 1.7-fold greater than that observed in the control group after 6 h. The up-regulation of GPD1 began 2 h after administering ethanol, and significantly increased 6 h later with the concomitant escalation in the glycolytic gene expression. The incorporation of 14 C-labelled glucose into TG glycerol moieties increased during the same period. On the other hand, in GPD1 null mice carrying normal GYK activity, no significant increase in hepatic TG level was observed after acute ethanol intake. In conclusion, GPD1 and glycolytic gene expression is up-regulated by ethanol, and GPD1-mediated incorporation of glucose into TG glycerol moieties together with increased lipogenesis, is suggested to play an important role in ethanol-induced hepatic TG accumulation

  12. The role of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 in the progression of fatty liver after acute ethanol administration in mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sato, Tomoki, E-mail: s13220@u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp [Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526 (Japan); Morita, Akihito, E-mail: moritaa@u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp [Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526 (Japan); Mori, Nobuko, E-mail: morin@b.s.osakafu-u.ac.jp [Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-2 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai 599-8570 (Japan); Miura, Shinji, E-mail: miura@u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp [Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526 (Japan)

    2014-02-21

    Highlights: • Ethanol administration increased GPD1 mRNA expression. • Ethanol administration increased glucose incorporation into TG glycerol moieties. • No increase in hepatic TG levels was observed in ethanol-injected GPD1 null mice. • We propose that GPD1 is required for ethanol-induced TG accumulation in the liver. - Abstract: Acute ethanol consumption leads to the accumulation of triglycerides (TGs) in hepatocytes. The increase in lipogenesis and reduction of fatty acid oxidation are implicated as the mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced hepatic TG accumulation. Although glycerol-3-phosphate (Gro3P), formed by glycerol kinase (GYK) or glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GPD1), is also required for TG synthesis, the roles of GYK and GPD1 have been the subject of some debate. In this study, we examine (1) the expression of genes involved in Gro3P production in the liver of C57BL/6J mice in the context of hepatic TG accumulation after acute ethanol intake, and (2) the role of GPD1 in the progression of ethanol-induced fatty liver using GPD1 null mice. As a result, in C57BL/6J mice, ethanol-induced hepatic TG accumulation began within 2 h and was 1.7-fold greater than that observed in the control group after 6 h. The up-regulation of GPD1 began 2 h after administering ethanol, and significantly increased 6 h later with the concomitant escalation in the glycolytic gene expression. The incorporation of {sup 14}C-labelled glucose into TG glycerol moieties increased during the same period. On the other hand, in GPD1 null mice carrying normal GYK activity, no significant increase in hepatic TG level was observed after acute ethanol intake. In conclusion, GPD1 and glycolytic gene expression is up-regulated by ethanol, and GPD1-mediated incorporation of glucose into TG glycerol moieties together with increased lipogenesis, is suggested to play an important role in ethanol-induced hepatic TG accumulation.

  13. The metabolic impact of β-hydroxybutyrate on neurotransmission: Reduced glycolysis mediates changes in calcium responses and KATP channel receptor sensitivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lund, Trine M; Ploug, Kenneth B; Iversen, Anne; Jensen, Anders A; Jansen-Olesen, Inger

    2015-03-01

    Glucose is the main energy substrate for neurons, and ketone bodies are known to be alternative substrates. However, the capacity of ketone bodies to support different neuronal functions is still unknown. Thus, a change in energy substrate from glucose alone to a combination of glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate might change neuronal function as there is a known coupling between metabolism and neurotransmission. The purpose of this study was to shed light on the effects of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate on glycolysis and neurotransmission in cultured murine glutamatergic neurons. Previous studies have shown an effect of β-hydroxybutyrate on glucose metabolism, and the present study further specified this by showing attenuation of glycolysis when β-hydroxybutyrate was present in these neurons. In addition, the NMDA receptor-induced calcium responses in the neurons were diminished in the presence of β-hydroxybutyrate, whereas a direct effect of the ketone body on transmitter release was absent. However, the presence of β-hydroxybutyrate augmented transmitter release induced by the KATP channel blocker glibenclamide, thus giving an indirect indication of the involvement of KATP channels in the effects of ketone bodies on transmitter release. Energy metabolism and neurotransmission are linked and involve ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP ) channels. However, it is still unclear how and to what degree available energy substrate affects this link. We investigated the effect of changing energy substrate from only glucose to a combination of glucose and R-β-hydroxybutyrate in cultured neurons. Using the latter combination, glycolysis was diminished, NMDA receptor-induced calcium responses were lower, and the KATP channel blocker glibenclamide caused a higher transmitter release. © 2014 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  14. Triglyceride synthesis in epididymal adipose tissue: contribution of glucose and non-glucose carbon sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bederman, Ilya R; Foy, Steven; Chandramouli, Visvanathan; Alexander, James C; Previs, Stephen F

    2009-03-06

    The obesity epidemic has generated interest in determining the contribution of various pathways to triglyceride synthesis, including an elucidation of the origin of triglyceride fatty acids and triglyceride glycerol. We hypothesized that a dietary intervention would demonstrate the importance of using glucose versus non-glucose carbon sources to synthesize triglycerides in white adipose tissue. C57BL/6J mice were fed either a low fat, high carbohydrate (HC) diet or a high fat, carbohydrate-free (CF) diet and maintained on 2H2O (to determine total triglyceride dynamics) or infused with [6,6-(2)H]glucose (to quantify the contribution of glucose to triglyceride glycerol). The 2H2O labeling data demonstrate that although de novo lipogenesis contributed approximately 80% versus approximately 5% to the pool of triglyceride palmitate in HC- versus CF-fed mice, the epididymal adipose tissue synthesized approximately 1.5-fold more triglyceride in CF- versus HC-fed mice, i.e. 37+/-5 versus 25+/-3 micromolxday(-1). The [6,6-(2)H]glucose labeling data demonstrate that approximately 69 and approximately 28% of triglyceride glycerol is synthesized from glucose in HC- versus CF-fed mice, respectively. Although these data are consistent with the notion that non-glucose carbon sources (e.g. glyceroneogenesis) can make substantial contributions to the synthesis of triglyceride glycerol (i.e. the absolute synthesis of triglyceride glycerol from non-glucose substrates increased from approximately 8 to approximately 26 micromolxday(-1) in HC- versus CF-fed mice), these observations suggest (i) the importance of nutritional status in affecting flux rates and (ii) the operation of a glycerol-glucose cycle.

  15. The Ketone Body, β-Hydroxybutyrate Stimulates the Autophagic Flux and Prevents Neuronal Death Induced by Glucose Deprivation in Cortical Cultured Neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camberos-Luna, Lucy; Gerónimo-Olvera, Cristian; Montiel, Teresa; Rincon-Heredia, Ruth; Massieu, Lourdes

    2016-03-01

    Glucose is the major energy substrate in brain, however, during ketogenesis induced by starvation or prolonged hypoglycemia, the ketone bodies (KB), acetoacetate and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) can substitute for glucose. KB improve neuronal survival in diverse injury models, but the mechanisms by which KB prevent neuronal damage are still not well understood. In the present study we have investigated whether protection by the D isomer of BHB (D-BHB) against neuronal death induced by glucose deprivation (GD), is related to autophagy. Autophagy is a lysosomal-dependent degradation process activated during nutritional stress, which leads to the digestion of damaged proteins and organelles providing energy for cell survival. Results show that autophagy is activated in cortical cultured neurons during GD, as indicated by the increase in the levels of the lipidated form of the microtubule associated protein light chain 3 (LC3-II), and the number of autophagic vesicles. At early phases of glucose reintroduction (GR), the levels of p62 declined suggesting that the degradation of the autophagolysosomal content takes place at this time. In cultures exposed to GD and GR in the presence of D-BHB, the levels of LC3-II and p62 rapidly declined and remained low during GR, suggesting that the KB stimulates the autophagic flux preventing autophagosome accumulation and improving neuronal survival.

  16. Insulin, glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate responses to a medium-chain triglyceride-based sports supplement: A pilot study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas R. Wood

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available There is a current trend in endurance sports to move athletes towards a low-carbohydrate diet or use periods of low carbohydrate consumption to increase both health and performance. As a result, a market is developing for sports supplements to provide nutritional support during training and racing for athletes who follow a low-carbohydrate lifestyle. PHAT FIBRE (PF is a powdered sports supplement that includes medium-chain triglycerides suspended in a digestion-resistant carbohydrate and is tailored to the needs of low-carb athletes. Eleven healthy participants were administered 25 g of PF after an overnight fast. After 30 minutes, median blood glucose increased by 6 mg/dl from 94 mg/dl to 100 mg/dl (p = 0.002. At the same time points, median blood beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB increased from 0.3 mmol/L to 0.5 mmol/L. The increase in BHB was significant (p = 0.02 after excluding one outlier who had elevated levels of fasting BHB. Insulin levels did not change significantly at any point during the study. In a single participant, a revised formulation of PF (PFv2 produced a 0.6 mmol/L increase in BHB with no effect on blood glucose. These data suggest that PF can provide a source of energy for the low-carb athlete by supporting ketone production without negatively impacting insulin or blood glucose levels.

  17. Glycerol and environmental factors: effects on 1,3-propanediol production and NAD(+) regeneration in Lactobacillus panis PM1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, T S; Korber, D R; Tanaka, T

    2013-10-01

    This study was conducted to understand the influences of fermentation factors in NADH recycling and mechanisms of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) production in Lactobacillus panis PM1. We conducted metabolite analyses, qRT-PCR of the glycerol reductive pathway [glycerol dehydratase (DhaB) and 1,3-PDO dehydrogenase (DhaT)] and DhaT activity assays at different pH, temperature and initial glycerol concentrations. The supplementation of 150 mmol l(-1) glycerol caused a shift in NADH flux from ethanol to 1,3-PDO production, whereas 300 mol l(-1) glycerol negatively affected the regeneration of NAD(+) via 1,3-PDO production. This retardation decreased transcription levels and specific activities of DhaT. The decreased DhaT activity eventually caused the shutdown of 1,3-PDO production. Temperature and pH did not significantly affect the specific activity of DhaT, whereas expression of genes for DhaB and DhaT was activated under acidic conditions. Moreover, fresh glucose addition after its depletion could not restart the glycerol reduction, but increased ethanol production. Those environmental factors affect 1,3-PDO production in different ways through changing the expression level of enzymes and shifting the NAD(+) regeneration pathways. Our findings elucidated a key element to optimize 1,3-PDO production by Lact. panis PM1, which potentially improves 1,3-PDO manufacturing efficiencies. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  18. Glucose, Lactate, β-Hydroxybutyrate, Acetate, GABA, and Succinate as Substrates for Synthesis of Glutamate and GABA in the Glutamine-Glutamate/GABA Cycle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hertz, Leif; Rothman, Douglas L

    2016-01-01

    The glutamine-glutamate/GABA cycle is an astrocytic-neuronal pathway transferring precursors for transmitter glutamate and GABA from astrocytes to neurons. In addition, the cycle carries released transmitter back to astrocytes, where a minor fraction (~25 %) is degraded (requiring a similar amount of resynthesis) and the remainder returned to the neurons for reuse. The flux in the cycle is intense, amounting to the same value as neuronal glucose utilization rate or 75-80 % of total cortical glucose consumption. This glucose:glutamate ratio is reduced when high amounts of β-hydroxybutyrate are present, but β-hydroxybutyrate can at most replace 60 % of glucose during awake brain function. The cycle is initiated by α-ketoglutarate production in astrocytes and its conversion via glutamate to glutamine which is released. A crucial reaction in the cycle is metabolism of glutamine after its accumulation in neurons. In glutamatergic neurons all generated glutamate enters the mitochondria and its exit to the cytosol occurs in a process resembling the malate-aspartate shuttle and therefore requiring concomitant pyruvate metabolism. In GABAergic neurons one half enters the mitochondria, whereas the other one half is released directly from the cytosol. A revised concept is proposed for the synthesis and metabolism of vesicular and nonvesicular GABA. It includes the well-established neuronal GABA reuptake, its metabolism, and use for resynthesis of vesicular GABA. In contrast, mitochondrial glutamate is by transamination to α-ketoglutarate and subsequent retransamination to releasable glutamate essential for the transaminations occurring during metabolism of accumulated GABA and subsequent resynthesis of vesicular GABA.

  19. An improved glycerol biosensor with an Au-FeS-NAD-glycerol-dehydrogenase anode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahadevan, Aishwarya; Fernando, Sandun

    2017-06-15

    An improved glycerol biosensor was developed via direct attachment of NAD + -glycerol dehydrogenase coenzyme-apoenzyme complex onto supporting gold electrodes, using novel inorganic iron (II) sulfide (FeS)-based single molecular wires. Sensing performance factors, i.e., sensitivity, a detection limit and response time of the FeS and conventional pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-based biosensor were evaluated by dynamic constant potential amperometry at 1.3V under non-buffered conditions. For glycerol concentrations ranging from 1 to 25mM, a 77% increase in sensitivity and a 53% decrease in detection limit were observed for the FeS-based biosensor when compared to the conventional PQQ-based counterpart. The electrochemical behavior of the FeS-based glycerol biosensor was analyzed at different concentrations of glycerol, accompanied by an investigation into the effects of applied potential and scan rate on the current response. Effects of enzyme stimulants ((NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and MnCl 2 ·4H 2 O) concentrations and buffers/pH (potassium phosphate buffer pH 6-8, Tris buffer pH 8-10) on the current responses generated by the FeS-based glycerol biosensor were also studied. The optimal detection conditions were 0.03M (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and 0.3µm MnCl 2 ·4H 2 O in non-buffered aqueous electrolyte under stirring whereas under non-stirring, Tris buffer at pH 10 with 0.03M (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and 30µm MnCl 2 ·4H 2 O were found to be optimal detection conditions. Interference by glucose, fructose, ethanol, and acetic acid in glycerol detection was studied. The observations indicated a promising enhancement in glycerol detection using the novel FeS-based glycerol sensing electrode compared to the conventional PQQ-based one. These findings support the premise that FeS-based bioanodes are capable of biosensing glycerol successfully and may be applicable for other enzymatic biosensors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on adipogenic differentiation and insulin-induced glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, Hsin-Fen; Tsou, Tsui-Chun; Chao, How-Ran; Kuo, Ya-Ting; Tsai, Feng-Yuan; Yeh, Szu-Ching

    2010-01-01

    Dioxin exposure has been positively associated with human type II diabetes. Because lipophilic dioxins accumulate mainly in adipose tissue, this study aimed to determine if dioxins induce metabolic dysfunction in fat cells. Using 3T3-L1 cells as an in vitro model, we analyzed the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a model dioxin, on adipogenic differentiation, glucose uptake, and lipolysis. TCDD inhibited adipogenic differentiation, as determined by using oil droplet formation and adipogenic marker gene expression, including PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ), C/EBPα (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α), and Glut4 (glucose transporter type 4). Effects of TCDD on glucose uptake were evaluated using fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, revealing that TCDD significantly attenuated insulin-induced glucose uptake dose dependently. Inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by α-naphthoflavone (α-NF), an AhR inhibitor, did not prevent the inhibitory effect of TCDD on glucose uptake, suggesting that TCDD attenuates insulin-induced glucose uptake in an AhR-independent manner. Effects of TCDD on lipolysis were determined using glycerol release assay. We found that TCDD had no marked effect on isoproterenol-induced glycerol release in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results provide in vitro evidence of TCDD's effects on fat cell metabolism, suggesting dioxin exposure in development of insulin resistance and type II diabetes.

  1. Effects of replacing lactose from milk replacer by glucose, fructose, or glycerol on energy partitioning in veal calves

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gilbert, M. S.; Pantophlet, A. J.; van den Borne, J. J. G. C.; Hendriks, W. H.; Schols, H. A.; Gerrits, W. J. J.

    Calf milk replacers contain 40 to 50% lactose. Fluctuating dairy prices are a major economic incentive to replace lactose from milk replacers by alternative energy sources. Our objective was, therefore, to determine the effects of replacement of lactose with glucose, fructose, or glycerol on energy

  2. The metabolic impact of β-hydroxybutyrate on neurotransmission: Reduced glycolysis mediates changes in calcium responses and KATP channel receptor sensitivity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Trine Meldgaard; Ploug, K.B.; Iversen, Anne

    2015-01-01

    -hydroxybutyrate might change neuronal function as there is a known coupling between metabolism and neurotransmission. The purpose of this study was to shed light on the effects of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate on glycolysis and neurotransmission in cultured murine glutamatergic neurons. Previous studies have shown...... an effect of β-hydroxybutyrate on glucose metabolism, and the present study further specified this by showing attenuation of glycolysis when β-hydroxybutyrate was present in these neurons. In addition, the NMDA receptor-induced calcium responses in the neurons were diminished in the presence of β...... to a combination of glucose and R-β-hydroxybutyrate in cultured neurons. Using the latter combination, glycolysis was diminished, NMDA receptor-induced calcium responses were lower, and the KATP channel blocker glibenclamide caused a higher transmitter release....

  3. The relationship between gluconeogenic substrate supply and glucose production in humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jahoor, F.; Peters, E.J.; Wolfe, R.R.

    1990-01-01

    The relationship between gluconeogenic precursor supply and glucose production has been investigated in 14-h and 86-h fasted humans. In protocols 1 and 2 [6,6-2H]glucose and [15N2]urea were infused to measure glucose and urea production rates (Ra) in response to infusions of glycerol and alanine. In protocol 3 first [15N]alanine, [3-13C]lactate, and [6,6-2H]glucose were infused before and during administration of dichloroacetate (DCA) to determine the response of glucose Ra to decreased fluxes of pyruvate, alanine, and lactate, then alanine was infused with DCA and glucose Ra measured. After a 14-h fast, neither alanine nor glycerol increased glucose Ra. Basal glucose Ra decreased by one-third after 86 h of fasting, yet glycerol and alanine infusions had no effect on glucose Ra. Glycerol always reduced urea Ra (P less than 0.05), suggesting that glycerol competitively inhibited gluconeogenesis from amino acids. DCA decreased the fluxes of pyruvate, alanine (P less than 0.01), and glucose Ra (P less than 0.01), which was prevented by alanine infusion. These findings suggest that (1) the reduction in glucose Ra after an 86-h fast is not because of a shortage of gluconeogenic substrate; (2) nonetheless, the importance of precursor supply to maintain basal glucose Ra is confirmed by the response to DCA; (3) an excess of one gluconeogenic substrate inhibits gluconeogenesis from others

  4. Interfacial improvements in biocomposites based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) bioplastics reinforced and grafted with α-cellulose fibers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liqing Wei; Nicole M. Stark; Armando G. McDonald

    2015-01-01

    In this study, α-cellulose fibers reinforced green biocomposites based on polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and the copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were prepared and characterized. The α-cellulose fibers were isolated from at-risk intermountain lodgepole pine wood by successive removal of extractives, lignin and hemicellulose...

  5. A review of metabolism of labeled glucoses for use in measuring glucose recycling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Russell, R.W.; Young, J.W.

    1990-01-01

    The fate of tritium from each carbon of D-glucose and the metabolism of L-glucose and 2-deoxy-D-glucose are known. Differences in metabolism of labeled glucoses can be used to quantify physical and chemical recycling of glucose. Only physical recycling is measured by [1- 3 H]-L-glucose, whereas [U- 14 C]-D-glucose measures total recycling. The difference between [1- 3 H]-L-glucose and [U- 14 C]-D-glucose, therefore, is chemical recycling. Recycling from extracellular binding sites and hepatic glucose 6-phosphate can be measured by difference between [1,2- 3 H]-2-deoxy-D-glucose and [1- 3 H]-L-glucose, and the difference in irreversible loss of the two will measure extrahepatic uptake of D-glucose. Recycling via Cori-alanine cycle plus CO 2 is the difference in irreversible loss measured by using [6- 3 H]-glucose and [U- 14 C]-D-glucose. Recycling via the hexose monophosphate pathway can be determined by difference in irreversible loss between [1- 3 H]-D-glucose and [6- 3 H]-D-glucose. Recycling via CO 2 and glycerol must be measured directly with [U- 14 C]glucose, bicarbonate, and glycerol. Recycling via hepatic glycogen can be estimated by subtracting all other measured chemical recycling from total chemical recycling. This review describes means to quantify glucose recycling in vivo, enabling studies of mechanisms for conservation and utilization of glucose. 54 references

  6. Production of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid by fermentation and bioconversion processes with Azohydromonas lata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ugwu, Charles U; Tokiwa, Yutaka; Ichiba, Toshio

    2011-06-01

    Feasibility of producing (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid ((R)-3-HB) using wild type Azohydromonas lata and its mutants (derived by UV mutation) was investigated. A. lata mutant (M5) produced 780 m g/l in the culture broth when sucrose was used as the carbon source. M5 was further studied in terms of its specificity with various bioconversion substrates for production of (R)-3-HB. (R)-3-HB concentration produced in the culture broth by M5 mutant was 2.7-fold higher than that of the wild type strain when sucrose (3% w/v) and (R,S)-1,3-butanediol (3% v/v) were used as carbon source and bioconversion substrate, respectively. Bioconversion of resting cells (M5) with glucose (1% v/w), ethylacetoacetate (2% v/v), and (R,S)-1,3-butanediol (3% v/v), resulted in (R)-3-HB concentrations of 6.5 g/l, 7.3g/l and 8.7 g/l, respectively. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on adipogenic differentiation and insulin-induced glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsu, Hsin-Fen [Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County 35053, Taiwan (China); Tsou, Tsui-Chun, E-mail: tctsou@nhri.org.tw [Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County 35053, Taiwan (China); Chao, How-Ran [Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Neipu 912, Pingtung, Taiwan (China); Kuo, Ya-Ting; Tsai, Feng-Yuan; Yeh, Szu-Ching [Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County 35053, Taiwan (China)

    2010-10-15

    Dioxin exposure has been positively associated with human type II diabetes. Because lipophilic dioxins accumulate mainly in adipose tissue, this study aimed to determine if dioxins induce metabolic dysfunction in fat cells. Using 3T3-L1 cells as an in vitro model, we analyzed the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), a model dioxin, on adipogenic differentiation, glucose uptake, and lipolysis. TCDD inhibited adipogenic differentiation, as determined by using oil droplet formation and adipogenic marker gene expression, including PPAR{gamma} (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor {gamma}), C/EBP{alpha} (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein {alpha}), and Glut4 (glucose transporter type 4). Effects of TCDD on glucose uptake were evaluated using fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, revealing that TCDD significantly attenuated insulin-induced glucose uptake dose dependently. Inhibition of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by {alpha}-naphthoflavone ({alpha}-NF), an AhR inhibitor, did not prevent the inhibitory effect of TCDD on glucose uptake, suggesting that TCDD attenuates insulin-induced glucose uptake in an AhR-independent manner. Effects of TCDD on lipolysis were determined using glycerol release assay. We found that TCDD had no marked effect on isoproterenol-induced glycerol release in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results provide in vitro evidence of TCDD's effects on fat cell metabolism, suggesting dioxin exposure in development of insulin resistance and type II diabetes.

  8. High hydrogen production from glycerol or glucose by electrohydrogenesis using microbial electrolysis cells

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.; Perez, Joe M.; Lloyd, Wallis A.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2009-01-01

    The use of glycerol for hydrogen gas production was examined via electrohydrogenesis using microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). A hydrogen yield of 3.9 mol-H2/mol was obtained using glycerol, which is higher than that possible by fermentation

  9. Bovine oocytes and early embryos express mRNA encoding glycerol kinase but addition of glycerol to the culture media interferes with oocyte maturation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okawara, Sumika; Hamano, Seizo; Tetsuka, Masafumi

    2009-04-01

    Glycerol plays multi-functional roles in cellular physiology. Other than forming the backbone molecule for glycerophospholipid and triglyceride (TG), glycerol acts as an energy substrate for glycolysis. Spermatozoa are known to utilize glycerol for energy production, but there are no reports of this in oocytes. In this study, the value of glycerol as an energy substrate for bovine oocyte maturation (Exp. 1) and the gene expression of glycerol kinase (GK), an enzyme crucial for cellular glycerol utilization, in bovine oocytes and early embryos (Exp. 2) were examined. In Exp. 1, in vitro maturation (IVM) was conducted using synthetic oviduct fluid supplemented with/without glucose (1.5 mM) and/or glycerol (1.0 mM), and maturation rate, degree of cumulus expansion, glucose consumption and lactate production by cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) were examined. In Exp. 2, to examine the developmental expression of GK mRNA, cumulus cells, oocytes and embryos at the 2-, 8- and 16-cell, morula, expanded blastocyst and hatched blastocyst stages were obtained in separate experiments, and the expression of GK mRNA was quantified using a real-time PCR. Glycerol did not support oocyte maturation or cumulus expansion. Addition of glycerol to glucose-supplemented media significantly decreased the maturation rate. Expression of GK mRNA was very low in cumulus cells, whereas an appreciable level of the transcript was observed in the oocytes. GK mRNA was detected in embryos at all the stages examined, and its expression significantly increased at the morula stage. These results indicate that glycerol, at least at the present concentration, is not beneficial as a constituent of the medium for bovine oocyte maturation. However, the appreciable levels of GK mRNA found in the oocyte and embryo imply a physiological role for glycerol in bovine oocyte maturation and embryo development.

  10. Maintenance-energy-dependent dynamics of growth and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] production by Azohydromonas lata MTCC 2311 using simple and renewable carbon substrates

    OpenAIRE

    Zafar,M.; Kumar,S.; Kumar,S.; Dhiman,A. K.; Park,H.-S.

    2014-01-01

    The dynamics of microbial growth and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] production in growth/ non-growth phases of Azhohydromonas lata MTCC 2311 were studied using a maintenance-energy-dependent mathematical model. The values of calculated model kinetic parameters were: m s1 = 0.0005 h-1, k = 0.0965, µmax = 0.25 h-1 for glucose; m s1 = 0.003 h-1, k = 0.1229, µmax = 0.27 h-1 for fructose; and m s1 = 0.0076 h-1, k = 0.0694, µmax = 0.25 h-1 for sucrose. The experimental data of biomass growth, sub...

  11. 3-Hydroxybutyrate regulates energy metabolism and induces BDNF expression in cerebral cortical neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marosi, Krisztina; Kim, Sang Woo; Moehl, Keelin; Scheibye-Knudsen, Morten; Cheng, Aiwu; Cutler, Roy; Camandola, Simonetta; Mattson, Mark P

    2016-12-01

    During fasting and vigorous exercise, a shift of brain cell energy substrate utilization from glucose to the ketone 3-hydroxybutyrate (3OHB) occurs. Studies have shown that 3OHB can protect neurons against excitotoxicity and oxidative stress, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Neurons maintained in the presence of 3OHB exhibited increased oxygen consumption and ATP production, and an elevated NAD + /NADH ratio. We found that 3OHB metabolism increases mitochondrial respiration which drives changes in expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in cultured cerebral cortical neurons. The mechanism by which 3OHB induces Bdnf gene expression involves generation of reactive oxygen species, activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, and activity of the histone acetyltransferase p300/EP300. Because BDNF plays important roles in synaptic plasticity and neuronal stress resistance, our findings suggest cellular signaling mechanisms by which 3OHB may mediate adaptive responses of neurons to fasting, exercise, and ketogenic diets. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  12. Redox Balance in Lactobacillus reuteri DSM20016: Roles of Iron-Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenases in Glucose/ Glycerol Metabolism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Chen

    Full Text Available Lactobacillus reuteri, a heterofermentative bacterium, metabolizes glycerol via a Pdu (propanediol-utilization pathway involving dehydration to 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA followed by reduction to 1,3-propandiol (1,3-PDO with concomitant generation of an oxidized cofactor, NAD+ that is utilized to maintain cofactor balance required for glucose metabolism and even for oxidation of 3-HPA by a Pdu oxidative branch to 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP. The Pdu pathway is operative inside Pdu microcompartment that encapsulates different enzymes and cofactors involved in metabolizing glycerol or 1,2-propanediol, and protects the cells from the toxic effect of the aldehyde intermediate. Since L. reuteri excretes high amounts of 3-HPA outside the microcompartment, the organism is likely to have alternative alcohol dehydrogenase(s in the cytoplasm for transformation of the aldehyde. In this study, diversity of alcohol dehydrogenases in Lactobacillus species was investigated with a focus on L. reuteri. Nine ADH enzymes were found in L. reuteri DSM20016, out of which 3 (PduQ, ADH6 and ADH7 belong to the group of iron-dependent enzymes that are known to transform aldehydes/ketones to alcohols. L. reuteri mutants were generated in which the three ADHs were deleted individually. The lagging growth phenotype of these deletion mutants revealed that limited NAD+/NADH recycling could be restricting their growth in the absence of ADHs. Notably, it was demonstrated that PduQ is more active in generating NAD+ during glycerol metabolism within the microcompartment by resting cells, while ADH7 functions to balance NAD+/NADH by converting 3-HPA to 1,3-PDO outside the microcompartment in the growing cells. Moreover, evaluation of ADH6 deletion mutant showed strong decrease in ethanol level, supporting the role of this bifuctional alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase in ethanol production. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report revealing both internal and

  13. Plasma glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, and glycerol concentrations in the postmature rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harlow, A C; Roux, J F; Shapiro, M I

    1980-02-15

    Plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, glycerol, and glucose concentrations were measured in term and postmature rabbits. The data show that the term and postmature mothers have significantly higher glycemia than their fetuses. However, triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations are lower in the postmature mother than in her fetus. Postmature fetuses are characterized by very high plasma triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations. The results demonstrate that postmaturity is accompanied by maternal and fetal lipid metabolic changes related to a decrease in the transfer of maternal fatty acids through the placenta and to a diminution in fetal liver glucose utilization. The postmature fetus is then in a relative state of fasting and must rely on its own supply of fuel (glycogen and lipids) to provide cells for growth and survival. The maternal metabolic changes can possibly be explained by a decreased utilization of maternal substrates by the fetus, the placenta becoming insufficient. The close interrelationship of fetal and maternal lipid metabolism with the activity of the placenta suggests that an accurate knowledge of the metabolic changes taking place in the fetus during alteration of the maternal environment is indispensable to the understanding of the short- and long-term effects of maternal disease on the fetus.

  14. 1-O-alkyl-2-(omega-oxo)acyl-sn-glycerols from shark oil and human milk fat are potential precursors of PAF mimics and GHR

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hartvigsen, Karsten; Ravandi, A.; Harkewicz, R.

    2006-01-01

    This study examines the feasibility that peroxidation and lipolysis of 1-O-alkyl-2,3-diacyl-sn-glycerols (DAGE) found in shark liver oil and human milk fat constitutes a potential source of dietary precursors of platelet activating factor (PAF) mimics and of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB). Purified...... yielded 1-O-octadecyl-2-(9-oxo)nonanoyl-sn-glycerol, as the major core aldehyde. Because diradylglycerols with short fatty chains are absorbed in the intestine and react with cytidine diphosphate-choline in the enterocytes, it is concluded that formation of such PAF mimics as 1-O-alkyl-2-(omega...

  15. In situ crystallization and transformation kinetics of polymorphic forms of saturated-unsaturated-unsaturated triacylglycerols: 1-palmitoyl-2,3-dioleoyl glycerol, 1-stearoyl-2,3-dioleoyl glycerol, and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-linoleoyl glycerol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayés-García, L; Calvet, T; Cuevas-Diarte, M A; Ueno, S

    2016-07-01

    We examined the influence of dynamic thermal treatment (variation of cooling/heating rates) on the polymorphic crystallization and transformation pathways of 1-palmitoyl-2,3-dioleoyl glycerol (POO), 1-stearoyl-2,3-dioleoyl glycerol (SOO), and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-linoleoyl glycerol (POL), which are major saturated-unsaturated-unsaturated (SUU) triacylglycerols (TAGs) of vegetable oils and animal fats (e.g., palm oil, olive oil, and Iberian ham fat). Using mainly a combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD), we analyzed the polymorphic behavior of TAGs when high (15°Cmin -1 ), intermediate (2°Cmin -1 ), and low (0.5°Cmin -1 ) cooling and heating rates were applied. Multiple polymorphic forms were detected in POO, SOO, and POL (sub-α, α, β' 2 , and β' 1 ). Transient disordered phases, defined as kinetic liquid crystal (KLC) phases, were determined in POO and SOO for the first time. The results demonstrated that more stable forms were directly obtained from the melt by decreasing the cooling rates, whereas less stable forms predominated at high cooling rates, as confirmed in our previous work. Regarding heating rate variation, we confirmed that the nature of the polymorphic transformations observed (solid-state, transformation through KLC phase, or melt-mediation) depended largely on the heating rate. These results were discussed considering the activation energies involved in each process and compared with previous studies on TAGs with different saturated-unsaturated structures (1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol, 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol, trioleoyl glycerol, and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-linoleoyl glycerol). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Suppression of NaNO3 crystal nucleation by glycerol: micro-Raman observation on the efflorescence process of mixed glycerol/NaNO3/water droplets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Jun-Ying; Zhang, Yun; Zeng, Guang; Zheng, Chuan-Ming; Liu, Yong; Zhang, Yun-Hong

    2012-02-09

    Although the hygroscopicity of a NaNO(3)/water microdroplet and a polyalcohol/water microdroplet, two of the most important aerosols in atmosphere, has been widely studied, little is known about the relationship between the hygroscopic behavior of mixed NaNO(3)/polyalcohol/water droplets and their structures on the molecular level. In this study, the hygroscopicity of mixed glycerol/NaNO(3)/water droplets deposited on a hydrophobic substrate was studied by micro-Raman spectroscopy with organic-to-inorganic molar ratios (OIRs) of 0.5, 1, and 2. In the mixed glycerol/NaNO(3)/water droplets, glycerol molecules tended to combine with Na(+) and NO(3)(-) ions by electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding, respectively. On the basis of the analyses of the changes of symmetric stretching (v(s)-CH(2)), asymmetric stretching (v(a)-CH(2)), their area ratio (Av(a)-CH(2)/Av(s)-CH(2)) of glycerol, and symmetric stretching band of NO(3)(-) (ν(1)-NO(3)(-)) with relative humidity (RH), it was found that the conformation of glycerol was transformed from αα mainly to γγ and partly to αγ with a decreasing RH in the mixed droplets, contrary to the case in the glycerol/water droplet. In addition, the glycerol with γγ and αγ conformation had strong interaction with Na(+) and NO(3)(-) respectively, which suppressed the formation of contact of ions and delayed the efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) for the mixed droplets compared to the NaNO(3)/water droplet. © 2012 American Chemical Society

  17. Production of green biodegradable plastics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) from renewable resources of agricultural residues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahman, Yaser; Ugwu, Charles U

    2014-08-01

    This work describes potential opportunities for utilization of agro-industrial residues to produce green biodegradable plastics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). Wheat straws were examined with good efficacy of carbon substrates using Cupriavidus necator. Production was examined in separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) in the presence and absence of WS hydrolysis enzymes, and in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with enzymes. Results showed that production of PHB in SSF was more efficient in terms of viable cell count, cell dry weight, and PHB production and yield compared to those of SHF and glucose-control cultures. While glucose control experiment produced 4.6 g/L PHB; SSF produced 10.0 g/L compared to 7.1 g/L in SHF when utilizing enzymes during WS hydrolysis. Results showed that most of sugars produced during the hydrolysis were consumed in SHF (~98 %) compared to 89.2 % in SSF. Results also demonstrated that a combination of glucose and xylose can compensate for the excess carbon required for enhancing PHB production by C. necator. However, higher concentration of sugars at the beginning of fermentation in SHF can lead to cell inhibition and consequently catabolite repressions. Accordingly, results demonstrated that the gradual release of sugars in SSF enhanced PHB production. Moreover, the presence of sugars other than glucose and xylose can eliminate PHB degradation in medium of low carbon substrate concentrations in SSF.

  18. Bioconversion of glycerol for bioethanol production using isolated Escherichia coli SS1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheril Norliana Suhaimi

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Bioconverting glycerol into various valuable products is one of glycerol's promising applications due to its high availability at low cost and the existence of many glycerol-utilizing microorganisms. Bioethanol and biohydrogen, which are types of renewable fuels, are two examples of bioconverted products. The objectives of this study were to evaluate ethanol production from different media by local microorganism isolates and compare the ethanol fermentation profile of the selected strains to use of glucose or glycerol as sole carbon sources. The ethanol fermentations by six isolates were evaluated after a preliminary screening process. Strain named SS1 produced the highest ethanol yield of 1.0 mol: 1.0 mol glycerol and was identified as Escherichia coli SS1 Also, this isolated strain showed a higher affinity to glycerol than glucose for bioethanol production.

  19. Radiation induced graft copolymerization of acrylamide onto poly (3-hydroxybutyrate)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez Torres, Maykel; Rapado Paneque, Manuel; Paredes Zaldivar, Mayte; Altanes Valentin, Sonia; Barrera Gonzalez, Gisela

    2008-01-01

    The graft copolymer poly (3-hydroxybutyrate)-g- polyacrylamide [P (HB-g-AAm)] was synthesized by radiation induced graft copolymerization of acrylamide onto poly (3-hydroxybutyrate). The study was conducted by the simultaneous irradiation method. The structure of [P (HB-g-AAm)] was identified by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Thermal behavior of the graft copolymer was also studied by Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). From the results it was found that FTIR studies showed new signals (stretching -N-H) as strong evidence of grafting. The grafting degree was found to be 10 % and the thermodynamic parameter obtained from the DSC thermogram of plain PHB and the graft copolymer varied showing decrease in the material crystallinity and increase in the glass transition temperature. These results demonstrate that the radiation induced graft copolymerization reaction of acrylamide onto PHB was successively achieved. (Author)

  20. β-Hydroxybutyrate Boosts Mitochondrial and Neuronal Metabolism but is not Preferred Over Glucose Under Activated Conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Achanta, Lavanya B; Rowlands, Benjamin D; Thomas, Donald S; Housley, Gary D; Rae, Caroline D

    2017-06-01

    The ketone body, β-hydroxybutyrate (βOHB), is metabolised by the brain alongside the mandatory brain fuel glucose. To examine the extent and circumstances by which βOHB can supplement glucose metabolism, we studied guinea pig cortical brain slices using increasing concentrations of [U- 13 C]D-βOHB in conjunction with [1- 13 C]D-glucose under conditions of normo- and hypoglycaemia, as well as under high potassium (40 mmol/L K + ) depolarization in normo- and hypoglycaemic conditions. The contribution of βOHB to synthesis of GABA was also probed by inhibiting the synthesis of glutamine, a GABA precursor, with methionine sulfoximine (MSO). [U- 13 C]D-βOHB at lower concentrations (0.25 and 1.25 mmol/L) stimulated mitochondrial metabolism, producing greater total incorporation of label into glutamate and GABA but did not have a similar effect in the cytosolic compartment where labelling of glutamine was reduced at 1.25 mmol/L [U- 13 C]D-βOHB. At higher concentrations (2.5 mmol/L) [U- 13 C]D-βOHB inhibited metabolism of [1- 13 C]D-glucose, and reduced total label incorporation and total metabolite pools. When glucose levels were reduced, βOHB was able to partially restore the loss of glutamate and GABA caused by hypoglycaemia, but was not able to supplement levels of lactate, glutamine or alanine or to prevent the increase in aspartate. Under depolarizing conditions glucose was the preferred substrate over βOHB, even in hypoglycaemic conditions where comparatively less βOHB was incorporated except into aspartate isotopomers. Inhibition of glutamine synthesis with MSO had no significant effect on incorporation of label from [U- 13 C]D-βOHB into GABA C2,1 indicating that the majority of this GABA was synthesized in GABAergic neurons from [U- 13 C]D-βOHB rather than from Gln C4,5 imported from astrocytes.

  1. Effect of mild hypothermia on glucose metabolism and glycerol of brain tissue in patients with severe traumatic brain injury

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WANG Qiong; LI Ai-lin; ZHI Da-shi; HUANG Hui-ling

    2007-01-01

    Objective:To study the effect of mild hypothermia on glucose metabolism and glycerol of brain tissue in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) using clinical microdialysis.Methods: Thirty-one patients with STBI ( GCS ≤8) were randomly divided into hypothermic group (Group A) and control group (Group B). Microdialysis catheters were inserted into the cerebral cortex of perilesional and normal brain tissue. All samples were analyzed using CMA microdialysis analyzer.Results: In comparison with the control group, lactate/glucose ratio ( L/G) , lactate/pyruvate ratio ( L/P) and glycerol (Gly) in perilensional tissue were significantly decreased; L/P in normal brain tissue was significantly decreased. In control group, L/G, L/P and Gly in perilensional tissue were higher than that in normal brain tissue. In the hypothermic group, L/P in perilensional tissue was higher than that in relative normal brain.Conclusions: Mild hypothermia protects brain tissues by decreasing L/G, L/P and Gly in perilensional tissue and L/P in "normal brain" tissues. The energy crisis and membrane phospholipid degradation in perilensional tissue are easier to happen after traumatic brain injury, and mild hypothermia protects brain better in perilensional tissue than in normal brain tissue.

  2. UNIQUAC interaction parameters for molecules with -OH groups on adjacent carbon atoms in aqueous solution determined by molecular mechanics - glycols, glycerol and glucose

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jonsdottir, Svava Osk; Klein, R. A.

    1997-01-01

    UNIQUAC interaction parameters have been determined, using molecular mechanics calculations, for 1,2-ethanediol, 1,2-propanediol, glycerol and glucose with water in aqueous solution. Conformational space for individual pairs of molecules was explored using a stochastic method, the Boltzmann Jump...

  3. Effects of dapagliflozin on insulin-requirement, glucose excretion and ß-hydroxybutyrate levels are not related to baseline HbA1c in youth with type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biester, Torben; Aschemeier, Baerbel; Fath, Maryam; Frey, Marcel; Scheerer, Markus F; Kordonouri, Olga; Danne, Thomas

    2017-11-01

    Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) infrequently achieve HbA1c targets. Therefore, this placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover study was set up to assess the safety, effect and pharmacokinetics of a single dose of 10 mg dapagliflozin (DAPA) as add-on to insulin in relationship to HbA1c in youth. A total of 33 youths (14 males, median age 16 years, diabetes duration 8 years) were included and stratified into 3 baseline HbA1c categories (9.0; n = 11 each). During the study period of 24 hours, intravenous insulin administration and glucose-infusion kept blood glucose levels at 160 to 220 mg/dL. DAPA reduced mean insulin dose by 13.6% ( P  HbA1c. Six independent episodes in 6 patients with plasma ß-hydroxybutyrate levels between ≥0.6 and HbA1c levels, for adjunct SGLT2-inhibitor therapy in the paediatric age group by lowering insulin dose and increasing glucose excretion. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Valorization of glycerol through the production of biopolymers: the PHB case using Bacillus megaterium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naranjo, Javier M; Posada, John A; Higuita, Juan C; Cardona, Carlos A

    2013-04-01

    In this work technical and economic analyses were performed to evaluate the glycerol transformation into Polyhydroxybutyrate using Bacillus megaterium. The production of PHB was compared using glycerol or glucose as substrates and similar yields were obtained. The total production costs for PHB generation with both substrates were estimated at an industrial scale. Compared to glucose, glycerol showed a 10% and 20% decrease in the PHB production costs using two different separation schemes respectively. Moreover, a 20% profit margin in the PHB sales price using glycerol as substrate resulted in a 166% valorization of crude glycerol. In this work, the feasibility of glycerol as feedstock for the production of PHB at laboratory (up to 60% PHB accumulation) and industrial (2.6US$/kgPHB) scales is demonstrated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Study on the Effect of Levulinic Acid on Whey-Based Biosynthesis of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate by Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Koller

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objective: Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate copolyesters consisting of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate units was for the first time studied using the production strain Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava based on sustainable raw materials. This strategy provides for increased cost efficiency in PHA production and in enhanced material quality.Material and Methods: As a particularity, production of these poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- hydroxyvalerate copolyesters was based on a novel substrate/co-substrate combination: whey permeate from dairy industry, on the one hand, acted as substrate for biomass and 3HB biosynthesis; on the other hand, levulinic acid, accessible from various renewable resources, was used as 3HV-related precursor compound. The experiments were carried out on shaking flask scale using defined nutrient media.Results and Conclusion: Applied during nutritionally balanced growth of H. pseudoflava, levulinicacid displays drastic growth inhibition at rather low concentrations of 0.2 g l-1 (growth inhibition constant Ki = 0.032, which suggests the careful supply of this compound in the first phase of cultivation. Under nitrogen-free cultivation conditions, inhibition of the strain´s metabolism by levulinic acid was less pronounced. Here, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co- 3-hydroxyvalerate concentrations up to 4.2 g l-1 and volumetric poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3- hydroxyvalerate productivities up to 0.06 g l-1 h -1 were achieved in dependence on the precursor supply. Investigating poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate composition in setups supplied with differently composed whey/levulinic acid mixtures revealed 3- hydroxyvalerate fractions in the polymer between 0 and 0.6 mol mol-1 . This study successfully demonstrates the feasibility of combined utilization of different waste- and by-products from food industry and agriculture for generation of value-added 2nd generation biopolymers. Conflict of interest: The authors

  6. Crystallization and transformation of polymorphic forms of trioleoyl glycerol and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-rac-linoleoyl glycerol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayés-García, Laura; Calvet, Teresa; Cuevas-Diarte, Miquel Àngel; Ueno, Satoru; Sato, Kiyotaka

    2013-08-08

    This study examined the influence of different thermal treatments on the crystallization and transformation of trioleoyl glycerol (OOO) and 1,2-dioleoyl-3-rac-linoleoyl glycerol (OOL). Two triacylglycerol (TAG) samples were cooled at 0.5-15 °C·min(-1) and heated at 2 and 15 °C·min(-1). The polymorphic characteristics of the two TAGs were analyzed in situ using differential scanning calorimetry, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction. Multiple polymorphic forms were identified in OOO (α, β'2, β'1, β2, and β1) and OOL (α, β'2, and β'1). Larger quantities of more stable forms (e.g., β2 and β1 of OOO and β'1 of OOL) were obtained when the samples were slowly cooled and heated. In contrast, less stable polymorphs were obtained with increased cooling and heating rates. Polymorphic transformations occurred in either solid-state or melt-mediation and were influenced by heating rates. The results were analyzed by considering the activation energies for crystallization and transformation of stable and less stable polymorphic forms in comparison with previous studies on 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycerol and 1, 3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoyl-glycerol.

  7. Glycerol positive promoters for tailored metabolic engineering of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Ping-Wei; Klein, Mathias; Futschik, Matthias; Nevoigt, Elke

    2018-05-01

    Glycerol offers several advantages as a substrate for biotechnological applications. An important step toward using the popular production host Saccharomyces cerevisiae for glycerol-based bioprocesses has been the fact that in recent studies commonly used S. cerevisiae strains were engineered to grow in synthetic medium containing glycerol as the sole carbon source. For metabolic engineering projects of S. cerevisiae growing on glycerol, characterized promoters are missing. In the current study, we used transcriptome analysis and a yECitrine-based fluorescence reporter assay to select and characterize 25 useful promoters. The promoters of the genes ALD4 and ADH2 showed 4.2-fold and 3-fold higher activities compared to the well-known strong TEF1 promoter. Moreover, the collection contains promoters with graded activities in synthetic glycerol medium and different degrees of glucose repression. To demonstrate the general applicability of the promoter collection, we successfully used a subset of the characterized promoters with graded activities in order to optimize growth on glycerol in an engineered derivative of CEN.PK, in which glycerol catabolism exclusively occurs via a non-native DHA pathway.

  8. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-R-3-hydroxyhexanoate) nanoparticles with polyethylenimine coat as simple, safe, and versatile vehicles for cell targeting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Linping; Wang, Danyang; Parhamifar, Ladan

    2014-01-01

    A simple and highly safe poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-R-3-hydroxyhexanoate) nanoparticulate delivery system that targets different cell types is developed. A sub-cytotoxic level of polyethylenimine coat mediates universal cell targeting. Internalized nanoparticles traffic along endolysosomal compart...... compartments, endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex. Nanoparticles have no detrimental effects on cell morphology and respiration.......A simple and highly safe poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-R-3-hydroxyhexanoate) nanoparticulate delivery system that targets different cell types is developed. A sub-cytotoxic level of polyethylenimine coat mediates universal cell targeting. Internalized nanoparticles traffic along endolysosomal...

  9. Estratégias de cultivo para produção dos plásticos biodegradáveis poli(3-Hidroxibutirato e poli(3-hidroxibutirato-co-3-hidroxivalerato por bactérias Cultivation strategies for production of the biodegradable plastics poly(3-hydroxybutyrate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate by bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cláudia Regina Squio

    2004-08-01

    Full Text Available Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs are carbon and energy storage materials that are accumulated as intracellular granules in a variety of microorganisms during unbalanced growth. PHAs have drawn attention due to their properties similar to conventional plastics and complete biodegradability. They can be used for food and cosmetics packaging, and in medicine and agriculture. However, their applicability is reduced because of their high production cost compared to conventional plastics. An overview on production strategies of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate aiming at reducing the production costs is presented.

  10. Glycerol as a carbon source for xantan production by Xanthomonas campestris isolates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bajić Bojana Ž.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The success of xanthan biosynthesis depends on several factors, most importantly the genetic potential of the production microorganism and cultivation media composition. Cultivation media composition affects the yield and quality of the desired product as well as production costs. This is why many studies focus on finding cheap alternative raw materials, especially carbon sources, to replace commercially used glucose and sucrose. In addition to the Xanthomonas campestris ATCC 13951 which is the primary industrial production microorganism, other Xanthomonas strains can produce xanthan as well. Under the same conditions, different strains produce different amounts of the biopolymer of varying quality. The aim of this paper is to compare producibility of phytopathogenic X. campestris strains, isolated from the environment with the reference X. campestris ATCC 13951 strain and to estimate the possibility of xanthan production using alternative glycerol-based media than the synthetic glucose-based media. Submerged cultivation on the medium based on glucose or glycerol (2.0 %w/v was performed using the reference strain and eight isolated X. campestris strains. In order to assess the success of biosynthesis, xanthan yield and rheological properties were determined. Strains isolated from the environment produced yields between 2.98 g/L and 12.17 g/L on the glucose-based medium and 1.68 g/L and 6.31 g/L on the glycerol-based medium. Additionally, X. campestris ATCC 13951 provided the highest yield when using glucose (13.24 g/L, as well as glycerol-based medium (7.44 g/L. The obtained results indicate that in the applied experimental conditions and using all tested strains, glycerol is viable as a carbon source for the production of xanthan.

  11. Effects of feeding dry glycerol to primiparous Holstein dairy cows on follicular development, reproductive performance and metabolic parameters related to fertility during the early post-partum period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karami-Shabankareh, H; Kafilzadeh, F; Piri, V; Mohammadi, H

    2013-12-01

    This study examined the effects of dry glycerol supplementation on follicular growth, post-partum interval to first ovulation, concentration of serum metabolites and hormones related to fertility, body condition score (BCS) and body weight (BW) in primiparous Holstein dairy cows. Sixty primiparous Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to two groups (control: n = 30 and glycerol supplemented: n = 30). Dry glycerol (250 g/day/cow) was fed as a top dressing to the common lactating total mixed ration (TMR) from parturition to 21 days post-partum. Ovaries were examined four times using ultrasonography on days 13, 19, 25 and 36 post-partum to determine ovarian follicular growth. Concentration of serum metabolites and hormones was determined weekly. Body condition score was evaluated weekly from weeks 1 to 5 after parturition, and BWs were recorded three times on days 1, 11 and 21 during the experimental period. The cows fed dry glycerol had more large follicles (p cows. Days to the first ovulation (p = 0.06), days to first oestrus (p = 0.05), services per conception (p = 0.06) and days open (p = 0.004) were positively affected by dry glycerol supplementation. Serum concentration of glucose and insulin was higher in dry glycerol-supplemented cows (p = 0.1; p = 0.06, respectively). Feeding glycerol had no effect on mean serum concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate, non-esterified fatty acids and IGF-1 during the experimental period. However, significant differences were observed at concentration of BHBA and IGF-1 (p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively) between two groups on day 21 after calving. The cows in the glycerol-fed group had higher serum progesterone concentrations on days 33 (p = 0.007) and 36 (p = 0.004) after calving. Supplemented cows had lower body condition loss during weeks 1-5 after calving compared with the control cows (0.34 vs 0.41 BCS). In week 13 post-partum, the proportion of cycling cows was 83.3 and 69.9% for those which

  12. Synthesis of substituted 1,3-diesters of glycerol using wittig chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe, Henry I C; Toyang, Ngeh J; Watson, Charah T; Bryant, Joseph

    2014-05-01

    1,3-di-O-Cinnamoyl-glycerol is a natural compound isolated from a Jamaican medicinal plant commonly referred to as Ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata). The synthesis of this compound was achieved via a Wittig chemistry process. The synthetic approach started with acylation of a di-protected glycerol with cinnamoyl chloride, deprotection of the glycerol moiety, reaction of the primary alcohol with bromo acetylbromide followed by treatment with triphenyl phosphine to give the corresponding phosphonium bromide. The phosphonium bromide was then converted in situ to the Wittig reagent which is the basis for a novel route to 1,3-di-O-cinnamoyl glycerol. Four analogs were also synthesized, three of which are new and are being reported in this article for the first time. The new compounds include 3-(3,4-diemthoxy-phenyl)-acrylic acid 2-hydroxy-3-(3-ptolyl-acryloyloxy)-propyl ester (3), 2-acetoxy-5-((E)-3-(3-((E)-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)acryloyloxy)-2-hydropropoxy)-3-oxoprop- 1-enyl)benzoic acid (4) and 4-((E)-3-(3-((E)-3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)acryloyloxy)-2-hydropropoxy)-3-oxoprop-1-enyl)benzoic acid (5). The compounds showed no activity in our anticancer assay.

  13. Palatability, digestibility, and metabolizable energy of dietary glycerol in adult cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado, G S; Pezzali, J G; Marx, F R; Kessler, A M; Trevizan, L

    2017-02-01

    Glycerol is a humectant, which reduces water activity when added to the diet. This property seems to offer dietary benefits, specifically in high-moisture diets for cats, where some humectants cannot be used. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, glycerol is generally recognized as sustenance safe (GRAS). It is suggested that cats are able to metabolize glycerol and use it as an energy source without compromising health. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the following characteristics of glycerol in the diet for cats: 1) a preference test, 2) digestibility, ME, and fecal and urinary characteristics, and 3) postprandial plasma glycemia. Twelve healthy adult female cats were randomly distributed among 4 treatments consisting of a basal diet (4,090 kcal ME/kg DM, 32% CP, 11% fat, 2.3% crude fiber, and 7.0% ash) and 3 diets with varying percentages of glycerol, made by replacing the basal diet with 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0% purified glycerol (99.5%). The inclusion of glycerol proportionally reduced ( Cats did not show a preference for any diet in particular ( > 0.05). The digestibility assays showed that increasing dietary glycerol levels did not affect food intake or the apparent total tract digestibility of macronutrients and energy ( > 0.05). The inclusion of glycerol in the diets did not alter the stool moisture, fecal score, or urine volume. However, glycerol was detected in urine when it was incorporated into the diet at 10%. Glycemia increased up to 900 min following the first meal after the fasting period with no difference between treatments, even when the means were adjusted for food intake. The blood glucose area under the curve also showed no significant difference between treatments ( > 0.05). Cats accepted glycerol under the conditions of the study, and its nutritional value was determined as it has been done for other species. The ME of glycerol for adult cats was estimated to be 3,185 kcal/kg DM. Supplementing the diets of the cats

  14. In vitro three-dimensional coculturing poly3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate with mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells for myocardial patch application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shijun, Xu; Junsheng, Mu; Jianqun, Zhang; Ping, Bo

    2016-03-01

    Identifying a suitable polymeric biomaterial for myocardial patch repair following myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, and cartilage injury is essential. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the novel polymer material, poly3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate, on the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells in vitro. Mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells were isolated, expanded, and cultured on either two-dimensional or three-dimensional poly3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate films (membranes were perforated to imitate three-dimensional space). Following attachment onto the films, mouse-induced pluripotent stem cell morphology was visualized using scanning electron microscopy. Cell vitality was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and cell proliferation was observed using fluorescent 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. Mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells were induced into cardiomyocytes by differentiation medium containing vitamin C. A control group in the absence of an inducer was included. Mouse-induced pluripotent stem cell survival and differentiation were observed using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry, respectively. Mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells growth, proliferation, and differentiation were observed on both two-dimensional and three-dimensional poly3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate films. Vitamin C markedly improved the efficiency of mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells differentiation into cardiomyocytes on poly3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate films. Three-dimensional culture was better at promoting mouse-induced pluripotent stem cell proliferation and differentiation compared with two-dimensional culture. © The Author(s) 2016.

  15. Lipolytic response to glucose infusion in human subjects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wolfe, R.R.; Peters, E.J.

    1987-01-01

    The authors have determined the effect of various rates of glucose infusion on the rates of release of glycerol (R/sub a/ glycerol), free fatty acids (R/sub a/ FFA), and on energy metabolism in normal human volunteers. Plasma kinetics were determined with use of the stable isotopic tracers D-5-glycerol and [1- 13 C]palmitate, and energy metabolism was determined by indirect calorimetry. The effect of glucose infusion on R/sub a/ glycerol and R/sub a/ FFA was dose-dependent. At 4 mg x kg -1 x min -1 , both R/sub a/ glycerol and R/sub a/ FFA were suppressed; at 8 mg x kg -1 x min -1 , R/sub a/ FFA was even more depressed, but R/sub a/ glycerol was similar to the value during the 4 mg x kg -1 x min -1 infusion. At all infusion rates tested, the amount of potential energy available from the sum of the glucose infusion and endogenously mobilized fat was always greater than when no glucose was infused. Glucose decreased fat mobilization by both inhibiting lipolysis and stimulating reesterification, thus causing a significant increase in triglyceride-fatty acid substrate cycling within the adipose tissue. Plasma insulin was determined by radioimmunoassay

  16. Topological characterization of nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced Poly (lactic acid) and Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) bionanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhat, A. H.; Dasan, Y. K.; Khan, Ihsan Ullah; Ahmad, Faiz; Ayoub, Muhammad

    2016-11-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate the morphological and barrier properties of nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced Poly (lactic acid) and Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) bionanocomposites. Nanocrystalline cellulose was isolated from waste oil palm empty fruit bunch fiber using Sulphuric acid hydrolysis. Chemical modifications of nanocrystalline cellulose was performed to allow good compatibilization between fiber and the polymer matrices and also to improve dispersion of fillers. Bionanocomposite materials were produced from these nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced Poly (lactic acid) and Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) using solvent casting and evaporation techniques. The properties of extracted nanocrystalline cellulose were examined using FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer, TEM and AFM. Besides that, the properties of bionanocomposites were examined through FESEM and oxygen permeability properties analysis. Better barrier and morphological properties were obtained for nanocrystalline cellulose reinforced bionanocomposites than for neat polymer blend.

  17. Properties of PHA bi-, ter-, and quarter-polymers containing 4-hydroxybutyrate monomer units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhila, Natalia; Shishatskaya, Ekaterina

    2018-05-01

    The present study investigates physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers containing 4-hydroxybutyrate (4HB) synthesized in Cupriavidus eutrophus B10646 culture. In poly(3-hydroxybutyrate/4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB/4HB)] bipolymers, 4HB varied between 10.4 and 75.0 mol%; in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate/3-hydroxyvalerate/4-hydroxybutyrate) terpolymers, 4HB constituted 28.7-55.6 mol%; and in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate/3-hydroxyvalerate/4-hydroxybutyrate/3-hydroxyhexanoate) quaterpolymers, 4HB varied between 9.3 and 13.3 mol%. The degree of crystallinity of P(3HB/4HB) copolymers decreased consistently with an increase in 4HB content, reaching 38%. The incorporation of 3-hydroxyvalerate and 3-hydroxyhexanoate into copolymers enhanced that effect. The effect of 4HB monomer units on temperature properties of copolymers was exhibited as lowering of the melting temperature and crystallization temperature, which improved the processing-related properties of the copolymers. All copolymers containing 4HB showed enhanced elongation at break compared to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Polymer films prepared from PHAs with different chemical composition had similar microstructure and porosity and had no toxic effect on mouse fibroblast NIH 3 T3 cells, proving their high biocompatibility. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Fasting mitigates immediate hypersensitivity: a pivotal role of endogenous D-beta-hydroxybutyrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Shigeru; Hisamura, Ryuji; Shimoda, Sachiko; Shibuya, Izumi; Tsubota, Kazuo

    2014-01-01

    Fasting is a rigorous type of dietary restriction that is associate with a number of health benefits. During fasting, ketone bodies significantly increase in blood and become major body fuels, thereby sparing glucose. In the present study, we investigated effects of fasting on hypersensitivity. In addition, we also investigated the possible role of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate provoked by fasting in the attenuation of immediate hypersensitivity by fasting. Effects of fasting on systemic anaphylaxis were examined using rat model of toluene 2, 4-diisocyanate induced nasal allergy. In addition to food restriction, a ketogenic high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet that accelerates fatty acid oxidation and systemic instillation of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate were employed to elevate internal D-beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration. We assessed relationship between degranulation of rat peritoneal mast cells and internal D-beta-hydroxybutyrate concentration in each treatment. Changes in [Ca(2+)]i responses to compound 48/80 were analyzed in fura 2-loaded rat peritoneal mast cells derived from the ketogenic diet and fasting. Immediate hypersensitivity reaction was significantly suppressed by fasting. A significant reduction in mast cells degranulation, induced by mast cell activator compound 48/80, was observed in rat peritoneal mast cells delivered from the 24 hours fasting treatment. In addition, mast cells delivered from a ketogenic diet and D-beta-hydroxybutyrate infusion treatment also had reduced mast cell degranulation and systemic D-beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were elevated to similar extent as the fasting state. The peak increase in [Ca(2+)]i was significantly lower in the ketogenic diet and fasting group than that in the control diet group. The results of the present study demonstrates that fasting suppress hypersensitivity reaction, and indicate that increased level of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate by fasting plays an important role, via the stabilization of mast cells, in

  19. Randomized, Multicenter, Double-Blind Study of the Safety and Efficacy of 1%D-3-Hydroxybutyrate eye drops for Dry Eye Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawakita, Tetsuya; Uchino, Miki; Fukagawa, Kazumi; Yoshino, Kenichi; Shimazaki, Seika; Toda, Ikuko; Tanaka, Mari; Arai, Hiroyuki; Sakatani, Keiko; Hata, Seiichiro; Okano, Takashi; Tsubota, Kazuo

    2016-02-11

    In a previous study, we demonstrated that topical D-beta-hydroxybutyrate ameliorates corneal epithelial erosion and superficial punctate keratopathy in a rat model of dry eye disease. In the current investigation, we performed a prospective, randomized, multicentre, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate eye drops in patients with dry eye disease. A total of 65 patients were randomly assigned to either the placebo group or the 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate group, and the treatments were administered 6 times a day for 4 weeks. We then evaluated corneal fluorescein staining, corneal and conjunctival rose Bengal staining, tear film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer score, and subjective symptoms. At both 2 and 4 weeks, the corneal rose Bengal score was significantly better in the 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate group than in the placebo group. Among patients with an initial Schirmer score of ≤5 mm, the corneal fluorescein staining score was significantly better in the 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate group than in the placebo group at two weeks. Mild ocular symptoms occurred in both groups, and these spontaneously resolved. The present study suggested that 1% D-3-hydroxybutyrate eye drops are safe and effective in treating ocular surface disorders in patients with tear-deficient dry eye disease.

  20. [A comparative study of biodegradation kinetics of biopolymer systems based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boskhomdzhiev, A P; Banartsev, A P; Makhina, T K; Myshkina, V L; Ivanov, E A; Bagrov, D V; Filatova, E V; Iordanskiĭ, A L; Bonartseva, G A

    2009-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate and to compare of long-term kinetics curves of biodegradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), its copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), and PHB/polylactic acid blend. The total weight loss and the change of average viscosity molecular weight were used as an index of biodegradation degree. The rate of biodegradation was analyzed in vitro in presence oflipase and in vivo when the films were implanted in animal tissues. The morphology of PHB films surface was studied by atomic force microscopy technique. It was shown that biodegradation of PHB is occurred by means of as polymer hydrolysis, and as its enzymatic biodegradation. The obtained data can be used for development of medical devices on the base of PHB.

  1. Biodegradable block poly(ester-urethane)s based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) copolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ou, Wenfeng; Qiu, Handi; Chen, Zhifei; Xu, Kaitian

    2011-04-01

    A series of block poly(ester-urethane)s (abbreviated as PU3/4HB) based on biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P3/4HB) segments were synthesized by a facile way of melting polymerization using 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as the coupling agent and stannous octanoate (Sn(Oct)(2)) as catalyst, with different 4HB contents and segment lengths. The chemical structure, molecular weight and distribution were systematically characterized by (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The thermal property was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The hydrophilicity was investigated by static contact angle of deionized water and CH(2)I(2). DSC curves revealed that the PU3/4HB polyurethanes have their T(g) from -25.6 °C to -4.3 °C, and crystallinity from 2.5% to 25.3%, being almost amorphous to semi-crystalline. The obtained PU3/4HBs are hydrophobic (water contact angle 77.4°-95.9°), and their surface free energy (SFE) were studied. The morphology of platelets adhered on the polyurethane film observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that platelets were activated on the PU3/4HB films which would lead to blood coagulation. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay revealed that the PU3/4HBs displayed higher platelet adhesion property than raw materials and biodegradable polymer polylactic acid (PLA) and would be potential hemostatic materials. Crystallinity degree, hydrophobicity, surface free energy and urethane linkage content play important roles in affecting the LDH activity and hence the platelet adhesion. CCK-8 assay showed that the PU3/4HB is non-toxic and well for cell growth and proliferation of mouse fibroblast L929. It showed that the hydrophobicity is an important factor for cell growth while 3HB content of the PU3/4HB is important for the cell proliferation. Through changing the

  2. Pathway Construction in Corynebacterium glutamicum and Strain Engineering To Produce Rare Sugars from Glycerol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Jiangang; Zhu, Yueming; Men, Yan; Sun, Shangshang; Zeng, Yan; Zhang, Ying; Sun, Yuanxia; Ma, Yanhe

    2016-12-21

    Rare sugars are valuable natural products widely used in pharmaceutical and food industries. In this study, we expected to synthesize rare ketoses from abundant glycerol using dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP)-dependent aldolases. First, a new glycerol assimilation pathway was constructed to synthesize DHAP. The enzymes which convert glycerol to 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde and l-glyceraldehyde were selected, and their corresponding aldehyde synthesis pathways were constructed in vivo. Four aldol pathways based on different aldolases and phosphorylase were gathered. Next, three pathways were assembled and the resulting strains synthesized 5-deoxypsicose, 5-deoxysorbose, and 5-deoxyfructose from glucose and glycerol and produce l-fructose, l-tagatose, l-sorbose, and l-psicose with glycerol as the only carbon source. To achieve higher product titer and yield, the recombinant strains were further engineered and fermentation conditions were optimized. Fed-batch culture of engineered strains obtained 38.1 g/L 5-deoxypsicose with a yield of 0.91 ± 0.04 mol product per mol of glycerol and synthesized 20.8 g/L l-fructose, 10.3 g/L l-tagatose, 1.2 g/L l-sorbose, and 0.95 g/L l-psicose.

  3. An Electrochemical Enzyme Biosensor for 3-Hydroxybutyrate Detection Using Screen-Printed Electrodes Modified by Reduced Graphene Oxide and Thionine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gonzalo Martínez-García

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available A biosensor for 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB involving immobilization of the enzyme 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase onto a screen-printed carbon electrode modified with reduced graphene oxide (GO and thionine (THI is reported here. After addition of 3-hydroxybutyrate or the sample in the presence of NAD+ cofactor, the generated NADH could be detected amperometrically at 0.0 V vs. Ag pseudo reference electrode. Under the optimized experimental conditions, a calibration plot for 3-HB was constructed showing a wide linear range between 0.010 and 0.400 mM 3-HB which covers the clinically relevant levels for diluted serum samples. In addition, a limit of detection of 1.0 µM, much lower than that reported using other biosensors, was achieved. The analytical usefulness of the developed biosensor was demonstrated via application to spiked serum samples.

  4. Improved glycerol production from cane molasses by the sulfite process with vacuum or continuous carbon dioxide sparging during fermentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kalle, G.P.; Naik, S.C.; Lashkari, B.Z.

    1985-01-01

    The conventional sulfite process for glycerol production from molasses using Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. Hansen was modified to obtain product concentrations of up to 230 g/l and productivity of 15 g/l x d by fermenting under vacuum (80 mm) or with continuous sparging of CO/sub 2/ (0.4 vvm). Under these conditions the requirement of sulfite for optimum production of glycerol was reduced by two thirds (20 g/l), the ethanol concentration in the medium was kept below 30 g/l and the competence of yeast cells to ferment was conserved throughout the fermentation period for up to 20 days. In addition to the above, the rate of incorporation of sulfite had a significant effect on glucose fermentation and glycerol yields. There was an optimal relationship between glycerol yields and the molar ratio of sulfite to glucose consumed, which for cane molasses was 0.67. This ratio was characteristic of the medium composition. 10 references, 4 figures, 3 tables.

  5. STUDY ON BIODEGRADABILITY OF POLY (3-HYDROXYBUTYRATE-co-3-HYDROXYVALERATE)/ORGANOPHILIC MONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITES

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WANG Shufang; SONG Cunjiang; CHEN Guangxin; LIU Jing; YANG Chao; ZHANG Xihui; GUO Tianying; ZHANG Banghua

    2004-01-01

    Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/Organophilic montmorillonite (PHBV/OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared and the biodegradability of the PHBV/OMMT nanocomposites was studied by a cultivation degrading method in soil suspension. The relationship between structure and biodegradability of PHBV/OMMT nanocomposites was investigated. The results showed that the biodegradability of PHBV/OMMT nanocomposites decreased with increasing amount of OMMT and it was related to the number of PHBV degrading microorganisms in degradation environment, the anti-microbial property of OMMT and the degree of crystallinity of the nanocomposites.

  6. Glycerol as a Cheaper Carbon Source in Bacterial Cellulose (BC) Production by Gluconacetobacter Xylinus DSM46604 in Batch Fermentation System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azila Adnan; Nair, G.R.; Roslan Umar; Roslan Umar

    2015-01-01

    Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a polymer of glucose monomers, which has unique properties including high crystallinity and high strength. It has potential to be used in biomedical applications such as making artificial blood vessel, wound dressings, and in the paper making industry. Extensive study on BC aimed to improve BC production such as by using glycerol as a cheaper carbon source. BC was produced in shake flask culture using five different concentrations of glycerol (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g/ L). Using concentration of glycerol above 20 g/ L inhibited culture growth and BC production. Further experiments were performed in batch culture (3-L bioreactor) using 20 g/ L glycerol. It produced yield and productivity of 0.15 g/ g and 0.29 g/ L/ day BC, respectively. This is compared with the control medium, 50 g/ L glucose, which only gave yield and productivity of 0.05 g/ g and 0.23 g/ L/ day, respectively. Twenty g/ L of glycerol enhanced BC production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus DSM46604 in batch fermentation system. (author)

  7. Synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate using enzymes Azospirillum brasilense in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soheila Abbasi

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction:Polyhydroxyalkaniates (PHAS are bacterial polymers that are formed as naturally occurring storage polyesters by a wide range of microorganisms usually under unbalanced growth conditions. Mechanical properties of PHAS make them suitable replacements for petrochemically produced bulk plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene etc., but in contrast to these commodity plastics PHA are completely degradable to carbon dioxide and water through natural microbiological mineralization. PHAS can be produced by biotechnological processes under controlled conditions. Polyhydroxybotyric acid (PHB was the first of thePHAS discovered and is the most abundant polyester found in bacteria. Materials and methods: First, a rich bacterial suspension prepared from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate, then the cells were broken down and ensure the absence of live cells.The cell free enzymes were added to M9 medium.Then the sample turbidity was measured at a wavelength of 600 nm and incubated at 30°C and centrifiuged at 120rpm. Next, the amount of PHB as well as solution turbidity were measured and compared with control. The physical and chemical analyzes of extracted PHB samples such as UV absorbtion, FTIR, HPLC and HNMR assesed and compared with standard sample. Results: In twelve days this experiment was conducted, from the third day, the amount of polyhydroxybutyrate was measurable and the highest polyhydroxybutyrate was gained on the tenth day. The level of PHB was constant. Moreover, the level of glucose was decreased gradually till the tenth day. By Physico-chemical analysis, production of polyhydroxybutyrate was approved. Discussion and conclusion: In this experiment, the reaction efficiency was 37.5 percent. Probably the rest of glucose could be changed to other intermediate compounds by other enzymes in the sample.Therefore, by purification of the enzyme, usage of specific substrate and optimization of conditions outside the cell could help the production of

  8. Methanol-induced chain termination in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) biopolymers: molecular weight control

    Science.gov (United States)

    A systematic study was performed to demonstrate the impact of methanol (MeOH) on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) synthesis and molecular weight (MW) control. Glycerine (init. conc. = 1.0%; w/v), was used as the primary carbon source in batch-culture fermentations with varying concentrations (0 to 0.85...

  9. Tailoring of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) copolymers for bone tissue applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hui

    Considerable scientific and technological progress has been made in formulating biomaterials based on natural and synthetic polymers for ultimate use in bone tissue scaffolding. One class of polymers that has drawn attention in recent years for bone tissue engineering application is the biodegradable polymer poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). PHBV, a microbial polymer, has gained special importance because of favorable mechanical characteristics, biological properties, highly adaptable structure, non-toxic degradation products, and minimal inflammatory response when used as scaffold. However, the lack of natural cell recognition sites on PHBV has resulted in delayed cell attachment, proliferation, differentiation, and tissue regeneration on the polymer. The primary objective of this research is to modify PHBV so as to improve the biocompatibility of the matrix. An approach was developed to prepare porous and bioactive molecule coated scaffold so as to improve the biocompatibility of PHBV matrix. We investigated the role of porosity, collagen coating, and ozone treatment of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) scaffold on cell proliferation. Based on biochemical assay, we established that maximum cell proliferation occurs on collagen coated and ozone treated porous PHBV film followed by collagen coated porous PHBV film than on porous PHBV film and the least on nonporous PHBV film. Confocal microscopy in combination with biochemical assay was used to generate 3D map of viable cell proliferation on the bulk PHBV matrix. The cells were cultivated on modified PHBV film in mineralization media containing beta-glycerol phosphate for predetermined time interval and later calcium deposits were stained with alizarin red-S assay. Atomic absorption (AA) technique was used to measure the Ca2+ content of the medium and it was found that the longer the cells were incubated in organic phosphate medium, the greater amount of Ca2+ from the medium

  10. Supplemental feeding with glycerol or propylene glycol of dairy cows in early lactation--effects on metabolic status, body condition, and milk yield.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lomander, H; Frössling, J; Ingvartsen, K L; Gustafsson, H; Svensson, C

    2012-05-01

    The objective of this field study was to evaluate the effect of supplemental feeding with glycerol or propylene glycol to dairy cows in early lactation on metabolic status, body condition and milk yield. In total, 673 newly calved cows from 12 commercial Swedish dairy herds were randomized to daily supplementation with 450 g of glycerol (GLY), 300 g of propylene glycol (PG), or nothing (control, CON). Supplements were fed twice daily from 0 to 21 d in milk (DIM) as a top dress on concentrates. For each cow, data on parity, breed, calving date, monthly test-day milk yield, and cases of diseases were collected. Blood samples were taken at approximately 2, 5, and 8 wk postpartum (pp) and analyzed for glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and insulin. Samples taken within 3 wk pp were also analyzed for insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Measurements of body condition score (BCS) and heart girth (HG) were obtained at approximately 2 and 5 wk pp and at time of first insemination. The effects of supplemental feeding with GLY or PG on the plasma concentrations of glucose, NEFA, BHBA, insulin, and IGF-1, and BCS, HG, and occurrence of disease were analyzed. No differences in BCS or HG or in plasma concentrations of glucose, BHBA, NEFA, or IGF-1 were found between the control group and any of the treatment groups. Cows in the GLY group had lower plasma insulin concentrations during DIM 0 to 63 compared with group CON, but no difference in insulin was found between the PG group and the CON group. Cows supplemented with GLY had a higher milk yield (kg of milk and kg of energy-corrected milk) during the first 90 DIM. Cows in the PG group tended to yield more milk during the same period. No differences in the occurrence of diseases were seen between the groups. In conclusion, supplementation with GLY in early lactation did increase milk yield without a subsequent decrease of metabolic status, and supplementation with PG tended to do the same

  11. Is the formula of Traub still up to date in antemortem blood glucose level estimation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmiere, Cristian; Sporkert, Frank; Vaucher, Paul; Werner, Dominique; Bardy, Daniel; Rey, François; Lardi, Christelle; Brunel, Christophe; Augsburger, Marc; Mangin, Patrice

    2012-05-01

    According to the hypothesis of Traub, also known as the 'formula of Traub', postmortem values of glucose and lactate found in the cerebrospinal fluid or vitreous humor are considered indicators of antemortem blood glucose levels. However, because the lactate concentration increases in the vitreous and cerebrospinal fluid after death, some authors postulated that using the sum value to estimate antemortem blood glucose levels could lead to an overestimation of the cases of glucose metabolic disorders with fatal outcomes, such as diabetic ketoacidosis. The aim of our study, performed on 470 consecutive forensic cases, was to ascertain the advantages of the sum value to estimate antemortem blood glucose concentrations and, consequently, to rule out fatal diabetic ketoacidosis as the cause of death. Other biochemical parameters, such as blood 3-beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, acetone, glycated haemoglobin and urine glucose levels, were also determined. In addition, postmortem native CT scan, autopsy, histology, neuropathology and toxicology were performed to confirm diabetic ketoacidosis as the cause of death. According to our results, the sum value does not add any further information for the estimation of antemortem blood glucose concentration. The vitreous glucose concentration appears to be the most reliable marker to estimate antemortem hyperglycaemia and, along with the determination of other biochemical markers (such as blood acetone and 3-beta-hydroxybutyrate, urine glucose and glycated haemoglobin), to confirm diabetic ketoacidosis as the cause of death.

  12. Biodegradation evaluation of bacterial cellulose, vegetable cellulose and poly (3-hydroxybutyrate in soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suellen Brasil Schröpfer

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, the inappropriate disposal of polymeric materials has increased due to industrial development and increase of population consumption. This problem may be minimized by using biodegradable polymers, such as bacterial cellulose and poly(hydroxybutyrate, from renewable resources. This work was aimed at monitoring and evaluating degradation of bacterial cellulose, vegetable cellulose and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate using Thermogravimetric Analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Controlled mass polymer samples were buried in pots containing soil. Samples were removed in 30 day intervals up to 180 days. The results show that the mass of the polymer increased in the first month when in contact with the soil but then it was degraded as evidenced by mass loss and changes on the sample surface.

  13. Selective Hydrogenolysis of Glycerol and Crude Glycerol (a By-Product or Waste Stream from the Biodiesel Industry to 1,2-Propanediol over B2O3 Promoted Cu/Al2O3 Catalysts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malaya R. Nanda

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The performance of boron oxide (B2O3-promoted Cu/Al2O3 catalyst in the selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol and crude glycerol (a by-product or waste stream from the biodiesel industry to produce 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO was investigated. The catalysts were characterized using N2-adsorption-desorption isotherm, Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES, X-ray diffraction (XRD, ammonia temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA, temperature programmed reduction (TPR, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM. Incorporation of B2O3 to Cu/Al2O3 was found to enhance the catalytic activity. At the optimum condition (250 °C, 6 MPa H2 pressure, 0.1 h−1 WHSV (weight hourly space velocity, and 5Cu-B/Al2O3 catalyst, 10 wt% aqueous solution of glycerol was converted into 1,2-PDO at 98 ± 2% glycerol conversion and 98 ± 2% selectivity. The effects of temperature, pressure, boron addition amount, and liquid hourly space velocity were studied. Different grades of glycerol (pharmaceutical, technical, or crude glycerol were used in the process to investigate the stability and resistance to deactivation of the selected 5Cu-B/Al2O3 catalyst.

  14. Chemical equilibrium of glycerol carbonate synthesis from glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jiabo; Wang Tao

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → Transesterification of glycerol with cyclic carbonates or alkyl carbonates is thermodynamically favourable for the preparation of glycerol carbonate from glycerol. → The reaction of glycerol and carbon dioxide is thermodynamically limited. → High temperature and low pressure is favourable to the reaction of glycerol and urea. → Increasing temperature can increase the chemical equilibrium constant for the reaction of glycerol and dimethyl carbonate. → For the reaction of glycerol and ethylene carbonate, increasing temperature can decrease the chemical equilibrium constant. - Abstract: In this paper, the chemical equilibrium for the glycerol carbonate preparation from glycerol was investigated. The chemical equilibrium constants were calculated for the reactions to produce glycerol carbonate from glycerol. The theoretical calculation was compared with the experimental results for the transesterification of glycerol with dimethyl carbonate. Transesterification of glycerol with cyclic carbonates or alkyl carbonates is thermodynamically favourable for producing glycerol carbonate from glycerol according to the equilibrium constant. Increasing temperature can increase the chemical equilibrium constant for the reaction of glycerol with dimethyl carbonate. For the reaction of glycerol with ethylene carbonate, increasing temperature can decrease the chemical equilibrium constant. The reaction of glycerol with carbon dioxide is thermodynamically limited. High temperature and low pressure are favourable to the reaction of glycerol and urea.

  15. The effects of peroral glycerol on plasma osmolarity in diabetic patients and healthy individuals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thornit, Dorte Nellemann; Sander, Birgit; la Cour, Morten

    2009-01-01

    Glycerol is used as a peroral treatment of increased intraocular and intracranial pressure due to its osmotic effect despite the potential increase in blood pressure and blood glucose. We examined the effects of peroral glycerol in diabetic patients and healthy individuals on blood pressure......, capillary glucose, and plasma osmolarity. On two separate days, 15 diabetic patients ingested glycerol in doses of 855 and 1710 mg/kg body weight in a randomised, unmasked sequence. Five healthy individuals ingested a dose of 1710 mg/kg body weight. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), capillary glucose (CG......, non-significant increase occurred in blood pressure. Maximal DeltaCG was approximately 1 mM irrespective of the dose and presence of diabetes (p > 0.1). The pOSM response was analysed with a kinetic model and found independent of the presence of diabetes (p = 0.6). The maximal fitted DeltapOSM was 12...

  16. A fed-batch strategy to produce high poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) terpolymer yield with enhanced mechanical properties in bioreactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aziz, Nursolehah Abd; Huong, Kai-Hee; Sipaut, Coswald Stephen; Amirul, A A

    2017-11-01

    This study reports an efficient fed-batch strategy to improve poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB)] terpolymer production by Cupriavidus sp. USMAA2-4 with enhanced mechanical properties in bioreactor. The cultivations have been performed by combining oleic acid with γ-butyrolactone at different concentration ratios with 1-pentanol at a fixed concentration. The batch and fed-batch fermentations have resulted in P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB) with compositions of 9-35 mol% 3HV and 4-24 mol% 4HB monomers. The DO-stat fed-batch fermentation strategies have significantly improved the production with a maximum 4.4-fold increment of cell dry weight (CDW). Besides, appropriate feeding of the substrates has resulted in an increment of terpolymer productivity from 0.086-0.347 g/L/h, with a significantly shortened cultivation time. The bacterial growth and terpolymer formation have been found to be affected by the concentration of carbon sources supplied. Characterization of P(3HB-co-3HV-co-4HB) has demonstrated that incorporation of 3HV and 4HB monomer has significantly improved the physical and thermodynamic properties of the polymers, by reducing the polymer's crystallinity. The tensile strength, Young's modulus of the terpolymer has been discovered to increase with the increase of M w . The fed-batch fermentation strategies employed in this study have resulted in terpolymers with a range of flexible materials having improved tensile strength and Young's modulus as compared to the terpolymer produced from batch fermentation. Possession of lower melting temperature indicates an enhanced thermal stability which broadens the polymer processing window.

  17. Enhanced hydrogen and 1,3-propanediol production from glycerol by fermentation using mixed cultures

    KAUST Repository

    Selembo, Priscilla A.; Perez, Joe M.; Lloyd, Wallis A.; Logan, Bruce E.

    2009-01-01

    The conversion of glycerol into high value products, such as hydrogen gas and 1,3-propanediol (PD), was examined using anaerobic fermentation with heat-treated mixed cultures. Glycerol fermentation produced 0.28 mol-H 2/mol-glycerol (72 mL-H2/g

  18. Biotechnological conversion of glycerol from biofuels to 1,3-propanediol using Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Przystałowska, Hanna; Lipiński, Daniel; Słomski, Ryszard

    2015-01-01

    In the face of shortage of fossil fuel supplies and climate warming triggered by excessive carbon dioxide emission, alternative resources for chemical industry have gained considerable attention. Renewable resources and their derivatives are of particular interest. Glycerol, which constitutes one of the by-products during biodiesel production, is such a substrate. Thus, generated excess glycerol may become an environmental problem, since it cannot be disposed of in the environment. The most promising products obtained from glycerol are polyols, including 1,3-propanediol, an important substrate in the production of synthetic materials, e.g. polyurethanes, unsaturated polyesters, and epoxy resins. Glycerol can be used as a carbon and energy source for microbial growth in industrial microbiology to produce 1,3-propanediol. This paper is a review of metabolic pathways of native producers and E. coli with the acquired ability to produce the diol via genetic manipulations. Culture conditions during 1,3-PDO production and genetic modifications of E. coli used in order to increase efficiency of glycerol bioconversion are also described in this paper.

  19. Thermal depolymerization mechanisms of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Hengxue Xiang; Xiaoshuang Wen; Xiaohui Miu; Yan Li; Zhe Zhou; Meifang Zhu

    2016-01-01

    Thermal degradation processes and decomposition mechanisms of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were investigated by using thermal gravity analysis(TGA), Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), elemental analyzer, pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PyGC-MS) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). The degradation activation energy was calculated via the dependence of residual mass on isothermal temperature. 1H NMR and PyGC-MS were used to investigate the chemical structure and component proportion of volatile gases and degradation residues which were produced by thermal decomposition, and to infer the process of macromolecular chain scission. Besides, the influence of the factors, such as outfield atmosphere, residual metal ions, on the degradation behaviors of PHBV was also studied. Finally, the PHBV thermal decomposition mechanisms were speculated on the basis of the degradation behaviors of molecular and chemical structure.

  20. Impact of Glycerol as Carbon Source onto Specific Sugar and Inducer Uptake Rates and Inclusion Body Productivity in E. coli BL21(DE3

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julian Kopp

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The Gram-negative bacterium E. coli is the host of choice for a multitude of used recombinant proteins. Generally, cultivation is easy, media are cheap, and a high product titer can be obtained. However, harsh induction procedures using isopropyl β-d-1 thiogalactopyranoside as inducer are often referred to cause stress reactions, leading to a phenomenon known as “metabolic” or “product burden”. These high expressions of recombinant proteins mainly result in decreased growth rates and cell lysis at elevated induction times. Therefore, approaches tend to use “soft” or “tunable” induction with lactose and reduce the stress level of the production host. The usage of glucose as energy source in combination with lactose as induction reagent causes catabolite repression effects on lactose uptake kinetics and as a consequence reduced product titer. Glycerol—as an alternative carbon source—is already known to have positive impact on product formation when coupled with glucose and lactose in auto-induction systems, and has been referred to show no signs of repression when cultivated with lactose concomitantly. In recent research activities, the impact of different products on the lactose uptake using glucose as carbon source was highlighted, and a mechanistic model for glucose-lactose induction systems showed correlations between specific substrate uptake rate for glucose or glycerol (qs,C and the maximum specific lactose uptake rate (qs,lac,max. In this study, we investigated the mechanistic of glycerol uptake when using the inducer lactose. We were able to show that a product-producing strain has significantly higher inducer uptake rates when being compared to a non-producer strain. Additionally, it was shown that glycerol has beneficial effects on viability of cells and on productivity of the recombinant protein compared to glucose.

  1. Maintenance-energy-dependent dynamics of growth and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate [P(3HB] production by Azohydromonas lata MTCC 2311 using simple and renewable carbon substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Zafar

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The dynamics of microbial growth and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate [P(3HB] production in growth/ non-growth phases of Azhohydromonas lata MTCC 2311 were studied using a maintenance-energy-dependent mathematical model. The values of calculated model kinetic parameters were: m s1 = 0.0005 h-1, k = 0.0965, µmax = 0.25 h-1 for glucose; m s1 = 0.003 h-1, k = 0.1229, µmax = 0.27 h-1 for fructose; and m s1 = 0.0076 h-1, k = 0.0694, µmax = 0.25 h-1 for sucrose. The experimental data of biomass growth, substrate consumption, and P(3HB production on different carbon substrates were mathematically fitted using non-linear least square optimization technique and similar trends, but different levels were observed at varying initial carbon substrate concentration. Further, on the basis of substrate assimilation potential, cane molasses was used as an inexpensive and renewable carbon source for P(3HB production. Besides, the physico-chemical, thermal, and material properties of synthesized P(3HB were determined which reveal its suitability in various applications.

  2. Lack of Aquaporin 3 in bovine erythrocyte membranes correlates with low glycerol permeation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos, Elisa; Moura, Teresa F; Oliva, Abel; Leandro, Paula; Soveral, Graça

    2011-05-13

    In general, erythrocytes are highly permeable to water, urea and glycerol. However, expression of aquaporin isoforms in erythrocytes appears to be species characteristic. In the present study, human (hRBC) and bovine (bRBC) erythrocytes were chosen for comparative studies due to their significant difference in membrane glycerol permeability. Osmotic water permeability (P(f)) at 23°C was (2.89 ± 0.37) × 10(-2) and (5.12 ± 0.61) × 10(-2)cms(-1) for human and bovine cells, respectively, with similar activation energies for water transport. Glycerol permeability (P(gly)) for human ((1.37 ± 0.26) × 10(-5)cms(-1)) differed in three orders of magnitude from bovine erythrocytes ((5.82 ± 0.37) × 10(-8)cms(-1)) that also showed higher activation energy for glycerol transport. When compared to human, bovine erythrocytes showed a similar expression pattern of AQP1 glycosylated forms on immunoblot analysis, though in slight higher levels, which could be correlated with the 1.5-fold larger P(f) found. However, AQP3 expression was not detectable. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed the absence of AQP3 expression in bovine erythrocyte membranes. In conclusion, lack of AQP3 in bovine erythrocytes points to the lipid pathway as responsible for glycerol permeation and explains the low glycerol permeability and high E(a) for transport observed in ruminants. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. The Role of Short-Chain Conjugated Poly-(R-3-Hydroxybutyrate (cPHB in Protein Folding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosetta N. Reusch

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Poly-(R-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB, a linear polymer of R-3-hydroxybutyrate (R-3HB, is a fundamental constituent of biological cells. Certain prokaryotes accumulate PHB of very high molecular weight (10,000 to >1,000,000 residues, which is segregated within granular deposits in the cytoplasm; however, all prokaryotes and all eukaryotes synthesize PHB of medium-chain length (~100–200 residues which resides within lipid bilayers or lipid vesicles, and PHB of short-chain length (<12 residues which is conjugated to proteins (cPHB, primarily proteins in membranes and organelles. The physical properties of cPHB indicate it plays important roles in the targeting and folding of cPHB-proteins. Here we review the occurrence, physical properties and molecular characteristics of cPHB, and discuss its influence on the folding and structure of outer membrane protein A (OmpA of Escherichia coli.

  4. Flux analysis of the Lactobacillus reuteri propanediol-utilization pathway for production of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde, 3-hydroxypropionic acid and 1,3-propanediol from glycerol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dishisha, Tarek; Pereyra, Luciana P; Pyo, Sang-Hyun; Britton, Robert A; Hatti-Kaul, Rajni

    2014-05-27

    Lactobacillus reuteri converts glycerol to 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP) and 1,3-propanediol (1,3PDO) via 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3HPA) as an intermediate using enzymes encoded in its propanediol-utilization (pdu) operon. Since 3HP, 1,3PDO and 3HPA are important building blocks for the bio-based chemical industry, L. reuteri can be an attractive candidate for their production. However, little is known about the kinetics of glycerol utilization in the Pdu pathway in L. reuteri. In this study, the metabolic fluxes through the Pdu pathway were determined as a first step towards optimizing the production of 3HPA, and co-production of 3HP and 1,3PDO from glycerol. Resting cells of wild-type (DSM 20016) and recombinant (RPRB3007, with overexpressed pdu operon) strains were used as biocatalysts. The conversion rate of glycerol to 3HPA by the resting cells of L. reuteri was evaluated by in situ complexation of the aldehyde with carbohydrazide to avoid the aldehyde-mediated inactivation of glycerol dehydratase. Under operational conditions, the specific 3HPA production rate of the RPRB3007 strain was 1.9 times higher than that of the wild-type strain (1718.2 versus 889.0 mg/gCDW.h, respectively). Flux analysis of glycerol conversion to 1,3PDO and 3HP in the cells using multi-step variable-volume fed-batch operation showed that the maximum specific production rates of 3HP and 1,3PDO were 110.8 and 93.7 mg/gCDW.h, respectively, for the wild-type strain, and 179.2 and 151.4 mg/gCDW.h, respectively, for the RPRB3007 strain. The cumulative molar yield of the two compounds was ~1 mol/mol glycerol and their molar ratio was ~1 mol3HP/mol1,3PDO. A balance of redox equivalents between the glycerol oxidative and reductive pathway branches led to equimolar amounts of the two products. Metabolic flux analysis was a useful approach for finding conditions for maximal conversion of glycerol to 3HPA, 3HP and 1,3PDO. Improved specific production rates were obtained with resting cells of

  5. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase from Bacillus thuringiensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yung Lin; Lin, Yi Ting; Chen, Chia Lin; Shaw, Gwo Chyuan; Liaw, Shwu Huey

    2014-10-01

    Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) is a microbial biopolymer that has been commercialized as biodegradable plastics. The key enzyme for the degradation is PHB depolymerase (PhaZ). A new intracellular PhaZ from Bacillus thuringiensis (BtPhaZ) has been screened for potential applications in polymer biodegradation. Recombinant BtPhaZ was crystallized using 25% polyethylene glycol 3350, 0.2 M ammonium acetate, 0.1 M bis-tris pH 6.5 at 288 K. The crystals belonged to space group P1, with unit-cell parameters a = 42.97, b = 83.23, c = 85.50 Å, α = 73.45, β = 82.83, γ = 83.49°. An X-ray diffraction data set was collected to 1.42 Å resolution with an Rmerge of 6.4%. Unexpectedly, a molecular-replacement solution was obtained using the crystal structure of Streptomyces lividans chloroperoxidase as a template, which shares 24% sequence identity to BtPhaZ. This is the first crystal structure of an intracellular poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase.

  6. Xylitol production by genetically modified industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using glycerol as co-substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kogje, Anushree B; Ghosalkar, Anand

    2017-06-01

    Xylitol is commercially used in chewing gum and dental care products as a low calorie sweetener having medicinal properties. Industrial yeast strain of S. cerevisiae was genetically modified to overexpress an endogenous aldose reductase gene GRE3 and a xylose transporter gene SUT1 for the production of xylitol. The recombinant strain (XP-RTK) carried the expression cassettes of both the genes and the G418 resistance marker cassette KanMX integrated into the genome of S. cerevisiae. Short segments from the 5' and 3' delta regions of the Ty1 retrotransposons were used as homology regions for integration of the cassettes. Xylitol production by the industrial recombinant strain was evaluated using hemicellulosic hydrolysate of the corn cob with glucose as the cosubstrate. The recombinant strain XP-RTK showed significantly higher xylitol productivity (212 mg L -1  h -1 ) over the control strain XP (81 mg L -1  h -1 ). Glucose was successfully replaced by glycerol as a co-substrate for xylitol production by S. cerevisiae. Strain XP-RTK showed the highest xylitol productivity of 318.6 mg L -1  h -1 and titre of 47 g L -1 of xylitol at 12 g L -1 initial DCW using glycerol as cosubstrate. The amount of glycerol consumed per amount of xylitol produced (0.47 mol mol -1 ) was significantly lower than glucose (23.7 mol mol -1 ). Fermentation strategies such as cell recycle and use of the industrial nitrogen sources were demonstrated using hemicellulosic hydrolysate for xylitol production.

  7. Experimentally Induced Bleaching in the Sea Anemone Exaiptasia Supports Glucose as a Main Metabolite Associated with Its Symbiosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Víctor Hugo Molina

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Our current understanding of carbon exchange between partners in the Symbiodinium-cnidarian symbioses is still limited, even though studies employing carbon isotopes have made us aware of the metabolic complexity of this exchange. We examined glycerol and glucose metabolism to better understand how photosynthates are exchanged between host and symbiont. The levels of these metabolites were compared between symbiotic and bleached Exaiptasia pallida anemones, assaying enzymes directly involved in their metabolism. We measured a significant decrease of glucose levels in bleached animals but a significant increase in glycerol and G3P pools, suggesting that bleached animals degrade lipids to compensate for the loss of symbionts and seem to rely on symbiotic glucose. The lower glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase but higher glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase specific activities measured in bleached animals agree with a metabolic deficit mainly due to the loss of glucose from the ruptured symbiosis. These results corroborate previous observations on carbon translocation from symbiont to host in the sea anemone Exaiptasia, where glucose was proposed as a main translocated metabolite. To better understand photosynthate translocation and its regulation, additional research with other symbiotic cnidarians is needed, in particular, those with calcium carbonate skeletons.

  8. Halophilic biohydrogen and 1,3-propanediol production from raw glycerol: A genomic perspective

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kivisto, A.

    2013-11-01

    Glycerol is produced in large amounts as a by-product in biodiesel industry (10 kg per 100 kg biodiesel). By-products and waste materials are typically economical substrates for bioprocesses. Furthermore, microorganisms are able to combine the degradation of organic material with production of a wide range of metabolites and other cellular products. The current biotechnological interest of industrial glycerol lies on bioprocesses yielding environmentally friendly energy carrier molecules (hydrogen, methane, ethanol, butanol) and reduced chemicals (1,3-propanediol, dihydroxyacetone). Industrial glycerol also called as raw or crude glycerol, however, is a challenging substrate for microorganisms due to its impurities including alcohol, soaps, salts and metals. Halophiles (the salt-loving microorganisms) require salt for growth and heavy metal resistances have been characterized for numerous halophiles. Therefore, halophiles are potentially useful for the utilization of raw glycerol from biodiesel waste streams without pre-processing. Another challenge for large-scale microbial bioprocesses is a potential contamination with unfavorable microorganisms. For example, H{sub 2}-producing systems tend to get contaminated with H{sub 2}-consuming microorganisms. Extremophiles are organisms that have been adapted for life under extreme conditions, such as high salinity, high or low temperature, asidic or basic pH, dryness or high pressure. For extremophilic pure cultures contamination and thus the need to ensure a sterile environment might not be a problem due to the extreme process conditions that efficiently prevent the growth of most other bacteria. In addition, hypersaline environments (above 12 % NaCl) do not support the growth of H{sub 2} utilizing methanogens due to bioenergetic reasons. Halophilic fermentative H{sub 2} producers, on the other hand, have been shown to be active up to near salt saturation. The aims of the present study can be divided into two categories

  9. POLY(3-HYDROXYBUTYRATE) PRODUCTION BY Cupriavidus necator SUPPLEMENTED WITH MINIEMULSIFIED SOYBEAN OIL

    OpenAIRE

    Schmidt, M.; Ienczak, J. L.; Quines, L. K.; Zanfonato, K.; Schmidell, W.; Aragão, G. M. F.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Studies have shown that the supplementation of vegetable oils, in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production, provides an increase in the process productivity, besides inducing lipase activity in the medium. The supplementation with miniemulsified oils could potentialize these results. In this work, the influence of supplementation of the medium with soybean oil, without treatment and miniemulsified, on polymerr production was evaluated. The best moment to supplement the medium and its influ...

  10. GC-MS based Gestational Diabetes Mellitus longitudinal study: Identification of 2-and 3-hydroxybutyrate as potential prognostic biomarkers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dudzik, Danuta; Zorawski, Marcin; Skotnicki, Mariusz; Zarzycki, Wieslaw; García, Antonia; Angulo, Santiago; Lorenzo, M Paz; Barbas, Coral; Ramos, M Pilar

    2017-09-10

    Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) causes severe short- and long-term complications for the mother, fetus and neonate, including type 2-diabetes (T2DM) later in life. In this pilot study, GC-Q/MS analysis was applied for plasma metabolomics fingerprinting of 24 healthy and 24 women with GDM at different stages of gestation (second and third trimester) and postpartum (one and three months). Multivariate (unsupervised and supervised) statistical analysis was performed to investigate variance in the data, identify outliers and for unbiased assessment of data quality. Plasma fingerprints allowed for the discrimination of GDM pregnant women from controls both in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of gestation. However, metabolic profiles tended to be similar after delivery. Follow up of these women revealed that 4 of them developed T2DM within 2 years postpartum. Multivariate PLS-DA models limited to women with GDM showed clear separation 3 months postpartum. In the 2nd trimester of gestation there was also a clear separation between GDM women that were normoglycemic after pregnancy and those with recognized postpartum T2DM. Metabolites that had the strongest discriminative power between these groups in the 2nd trimester of gestation were 2-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxybutyrate, and stearic acid. We have described, that early GDM comprises metabotypes that are associated with the risk of future complications, including postpartum T2DM. In this pilot study, we provide evidence that 2-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxybutyrate may be considered as future prognostic biomarkers to predict the onset of diabetic complications in women with gestational diabetes after delivery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) Synthesis Genes in Azotobacter sp. Strain FA8

    OpenAIRE

    Pettinari, M. Julia; Vázquez, Gustavo J.; Silberschmidt, Daniel; Rehm, Bernd; Steinbüchel, Alexander; Méndez, Beatriz S.

    2001-01-01

    Genes responsible for the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in Azotobacter sp. FA8 were cloned and analyzed. A PHB polymerase gene (phbC) was found downstream from genes coding for β-ketothiolase (phbA) and acetoacetyl-coenzyme A reductase (phbB). A PHB synthase mutant was obtained by gene inactivation and used for genetic studies. The phbC gene from this strain was introduced into Ralstonia eutropha PHB-4 (phbC-negative mutant), and the recombinant accumulated PHB when either glucos...

  12. 3D FT-IR imaging spectroscopy of phase-separation in a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(L-lactic acid) blend

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miriam Unger; Julia Sedlmair; Heinz W. Siesler; Carol Hirschmugl; Barbara Illman

    2014-01-01

    In the present study, 3D FT-IR spectroscopic imaging measurements were applied to study the phase separation of a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)/poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) (50:50 wt.%) polymer blend film. While in 2D projection imaging the z-dependent information is overlapped, thereby complicating the analysis, FT-IR spectro-micro-tomography,...

  13. Screening of bacterial strains capable of converting biodiesel-derived raw glycerol into 1,3-propanediol, 2,3-butanediol and ethanol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Metsoviti, Maria; Paramithiotis, Spiros; Drosinos, Eleftherios H.; Galiotou-Panayotou, Maria; Nychas, George-John E.; Papanikolaou, Seraphim [Department of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens (Greece); Zeng, An-Ping [Institute of Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Hamburg (Germany)

    2012-02-15

    The ability of bacterial strains to assimilate glycerol derived from biodiesel facilities to produce metabolic compounds of importance for the food, textile and chemical industry, such as 1,3-propanediol (PD), 2,3-butanediol (BD) and ethanol (EtOH), was assessed. The screening of 84 bacterial strains was performed using glycerol as carbon source. After initial trials, 12 strains were identified capable of consuming raw glycerol under anaerobic conditions, whereas 5 strains consumed glycerol under aerobiosis. A plethora of metabolic compounds was synthesized; in anaerobic batch-bioreactor cultures PD in quantities up to 11.3 g/L was produced by Clostridium butyricum NRRL B-23495, while the respective value was 10.1 g/L for a newly isolated Citrobacter freundii. Adaptation of Cl. butyricum at higher initial glycerol concentration resulted in a PD{sub max} concentration of {proportional_to}32 g/L. BD was produced by a new Enterobacter aerogenes isolate in shake-flask experiments, under fully aerobic conditions, with a maximum concentration of {proportional_to}22 g/L which was achieved at an initial glycerol quantity of 55 g/L. A new Klebsiella oxytoca isolate converted waste glycerol into mixtures of PD, BD and EtOH at various ratios. Finally, another new C. freundii isolate converted waste glycerol into EtOH in anaerobic batch-bioreactor cultures with constant pH, achieving a final EtOH concentration of 14.5 g/L, a conversion yield of 0.45 g/g and a volumetric productivity of {proportional_to}0.7 g/L/h. As a conclusion, the current study confirmed the utilization of biodiesel-derived raw glycerol as an appropriate substrate for the production of PD, BD and EtOH by several newly isolated bacterial strains under different experimental conditions. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  14. Poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrates (PHB) are Atherogenic Components of Lipoprotein Lp(a).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reusch, Rosetta N

    2015-12-01

    The hypothesis is that poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrates (PHB), linear polymers of the ketone body, R-3-hydroxybutyrate (R-3HB), are atherogenic components of lipoprotein Lp(a). PHB are universal constituents of biological cells and are thus components of all foods. Medium chain-length PHB (PHB (PHB are highly insoluble in water, but soluble in lipids in which they exhibit a high intrinsic viscosity. They have a higher density than other cellular lipids and they are very adhesive, i.e. they engage in multiple noncovalent interactions with other molecules and salts via hydrogen, hydrophobic and coordinate bonds, thus producing insoluble deposits. Following digestive processes, PHB enter the circulation in chylomicrons and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). The majority of the PHB (>70%) are absorbed by albumin, which transports them to the liver for disposal. When the amount of PHB in the diet exceed the capacity of albumin to safely remove them from the circulation, the excess PHB remain in the lipid core of LDL particles that become constituents of lipoprotein Lp(a), and contribute to the formation of arterial deposits. In summary, the presence of PHB – water-insoluble, dense, viscous, adhesive polymers – in the lipid cores of the LDL moieties of Lp(a) particles supports the hypothesis that PHB are atherogenic components of Lp(a).

  15. Biodegradable conductive composites of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate and polyaniline nanofibers: Preparation, characterization and radiolytic effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate is a biodegradable polyester produced by microorganisms under nutrient limitation conditions. We obtained a biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate composite having 8 to 55% of chemically in situ polymerized hydrochloric acid-doped polyaniline nanofibers (70-100 nm in diameter. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-rays diffractometry data did not show evidence of significant interaction between the two components of the nanocomposite, and polyaniline semiconductivity was preserved in all studied compositions. Gamma-irradiation at 25 kGy absorbed dose on the semiconductive composite presenting 28% of doped polyaniline increased its conductivity from 4.6*10-2 to 1.1 S/m, while slightly decreasing its biodegradability. PANI-HCl biodegradation is negligible when compared to PHB biodegradability in an 80 day timeframe. Thus, this unprecedented all-polymer nanocomposite presents, at the same time, semiconductivity and biodegradability and was proven to maintain these properties after gamma irradiation. This new material has many potential applications in biological science, engineering, and medicine.

  16. Enhanced glucose cycling and suppressed de novo synthesis of glucose-6-phosphate result in a net unchanged hepatic glucose output in ob/ob mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bandsma, RHJ; Grefhorst, A; van Dijk, TH; van der Sluijs, FH; Hammer, A; Reijngoud, DJ; Kuipers, F

    2004-01-01

    Aims/hypothesis. Leptin-deficient ob/ob mice are hyperinsulinaemic and hyperglycaemic; however, the cause of hyperglycaemia remains largely unknown. Methods. Glucose metabolism in vivo in 9-h fasted ob/ob mice and lean littermates was studied by infusing [U-C-13]-glucose, [2-C-13]-glycerol,

  17. Chemical modification of biodegradable polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by poly(ethylene oxide)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Almeida, Lilian L.; Rocha, Gisele A.; Hui, Wang S.

    2009-01-01

    Catalyzed transesterification in the melt was used to produce triblock copolymers from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEG), in a simplified process. PHB of high molecular weight was depolymerized by pyrolysis and transesterification with dihydroxy terminated PEG occurred through consecutive and partly simultaneous reactions. The effectiveness of the process was verified by the characterization of the formed copolymers by Hydrogen and Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopies (NMR) and solubility analysis in a series of solvents. (author)

  18. The effect of different treatments for early-lactation hyperketonemia on blood β-hydroxybutyrate, plasma nonesterified fatty acids, glucose, insulin, and glucagon in dairy cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mann, S; Yepes, F A Leal; Behling-Kelly, E; McArt, J A A

    2017-08-01

    Despite increased efforts in preventing the occurrence of metabolic disorders in transition cows, hyperketonemia remains a frequent early-lactation metabolic disease affecting an average of 40% of cows in herds in the United States. Despite the demonstrated economic effect of this disorder, controlled clinical trials comparing different treatment strategies in affected cows are lacking. The objective of our study was to investigate the effect of treatment with intravenous glucose, oral propylene glycol, or a combination of both on the reduction in blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations of early-lactation hyperketonemic dairy cows. Multiparous Holstein cows between 3 to 9 d in milk were screened for hyperketonemia using a handheld meter 3 times per week, and enrolled at whole blood BHB concentration ≥1.2 mmol/L to 1 of 4 treatment groups: (1) 500 mL of a 50% dextrose solution i.v. once daily for 3 d (GLU, n = 9), (2) 300 mL of propylene glycol as a drench once daily for 3 d (PG, n = 9), (3) a combination treatment of a 500 mL of 50% dextrose solution i.v. and 300 mL of propylene glycol orally once daily for 3 d (GLU+PG, n = 8), or (4) an untreated control group (CTRL, n = 8). Blood samples were collected immediately before as well as at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 h after administration of the first treatment through a jugular catheter and 3 times per week thereafter from coccygeal vessels. Concentrations of BHB were measured in whole blood, and plasma samples were analyzed for glucose, fatty acid (NEFA), insulin, glucagon, and electrolyte concentrations. The EDTA-anticoagulated blood samples were assessed for red blood cell indices, and smears were made for evaluation of red blood cell morphology. Outcomes were analyzed using repeated measures analysis. Overall least squares means (95% CI) of whole blood BHB concentrations between 1 h and d 11 relative to first treatment were 1.11 (0.95 to 1.30), 1.26 (1.07 to 1.47), 0.96 (0.81 to 1.13), and 1

  19. Biorefinery production of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate using waste office paper hydrolysate as feedstock for microbial fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neelamegam, Annamalai; Al-Battashi, Huda; Al-Bahry, Saif; Nallusamy, Sivakumar

    2018-01-10

    Waste paper, a major fraction of municipal solid waste, has a potential to serve as renewable feedstock for the biorefineries of fuels, chemicals and materials due to rich in cellulose and abundant at low cost. This study evaluates the possibility of waste office paper (WOP) to serve as a potential feedstock for the biorefinery production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate). In this study, the WOP was pretreated, enzymatically saccharified and the hydrolysate was used for PHB production. The hydrolysate mainly consists of glucose (22.70g/L) and xylose (1.78g/L) and the corresponding sugar yield was about 816mg/g. Ammonium sulphate and C/N ratio 20 were identified as most favorable for high yield of PHB. The batch fermentation of Cupriavidus necator using the pretreated WOP hydrolysate resulted in cell biomass, PHB production and PHB content of 7.74g/L, 4.45g/L and 57.52%, respectively. The volumetric productivity and yield achieved were 0.061g/L/h and 0.210g/g sugar, respectively. The results suggested that WOP could be a potential alternative feedstock for the biorefinery production of bioplastics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Conversion of Crude Glycerol to 1, 3-Propanediol by Newly Isolated Kluyvera Cryocrescens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loh, S.K.; Stasha Eleanor Rosland Abel

    2016-01-01

    Bio diesel, an environmental-friendly and renewable fuel, has gained market share and popularity as an alternative to fossil fuel. While expanding its production globally to meet the demand, the production of its principal co-product, crude glycerol which is surplus and under utilised, has affected both the economic and environment. Crude glycerol has limited usage due to the impurities present. It cannot be disposed naturally in the environment and its storage and processing are very costly. Glycerol with its triglyceride backbone serves as a natural metabolite susceptible to microbial degradation into high value-added compounds. In this study, a novel 1,3-PD producing bacterial strain isolated from palm oil mill effluent was used in microbial fermentation of crude glycerol. The strain, identified as Kluyvera cryocrescens NBRC 102467 based on its 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequences, was capable of producing 1,3-PD (5.28 g litre -1 ) along with by-products, butanol (0.34 g litre -1 ) and acetone (0.31 g litre -1 ) after an optimum 48 hour of incubation at 30 degree Celsius in agitated medium enriched with crude glycerol at 150 revolutions per minute. Interestingly, its productivity peaked at the 6 hour reaching 0.28 g litre -1 hour -1 and declined thereafter. In future, this strain has potential to be used in the bioprocess of interest. (author)

  1. Enhanced 1,3-propanediol production in Klebsiella pneumoniae by a combined strategy of strengthening the TCA cycle and weakening the glucose effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, X Y; Ren, S L; Lu, J Z; Zong, H; Song, J; Zhuge, B

    2018-03-01

    This study aimed to strengthen the reducing equivalent generation in Klebsiella pneumoniae for improving 1,3-propanediol (PDO) production. Disruption of the arcA gene activated the transcription levels of the TCA cycle genes and thus increased the NADH/NAD + ratio by 54·2%, leading to the improved PDO titre and yield per cell from 16·1 g l -1 and 4·0 g gDCW -1 to 18·8 g l -1 and 6·4 g gDCW -1 respectively. Further ldhA gene deletion eliminated lactate accumulation and promoted the PDO titre to 19·9 g l -1 . Finally, the glucose effect was weakened by deleting the crr gene to enhance the co-utilization of glucose and glycerol, resulting in the increased PDO production to 23·8 g l -1 with the glycerol conversion rate of 59·5%. The PDO titre in bioreactor was promoted from 61·2 to 78·1 g l -1 . Deletions of the arcA and the crr genes showed positive effects on the TCA cycle activity and the co-utilization of glucose and glycerol, leading to the strengthened reducing equivalent generation and the improved PDO titre by 47·8% in shaker. The PDO titre in the bioreactor was enhanced to 78·1 g l -1 . This study provided novel information on generating reducing equivalent for the PDO biosynthesis by strengthening the TCA cycle and weakening the glucose effect in K. pneumoniae. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  2. Targeted poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) bioplastic production from carbon dioxide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghysels, Stef; Mozumder, Md Salatul Islam; De Wever, Heleen; Volcke, Eveline I P; Garcia-Gonzalez, Linsey

    2018-02-01

    A microbial production process was developed to convert CO 2 and valeric acid into tailored poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) bioplastics. The aim was to understand microbial PHBV production in mixotrophic conditions and to control the monomer distribution in the polymer. Continuous sparging of CO 2 with pulse and pH-stat feeding of valeric acid were evaluated to produce PHBV copolyesters with predefined properties. The desired random monomer distribution was obtained by limiting the valeric acid concentration (below 1 gL -1 ). 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR and chromatographic analysis of the PHBV copolymer confirmed both the monomer distribution and the 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) fraction in the produced PHBV. A physical-based model was developed for mixotrophic PHBV production, which was calibrated and validated with independent experimental datasets. To produce PHBV with a predefined 3HV fraction, an operating diagram was constructed. This tool was able to predict the 3HV fraction with a very good accuracy (2% deviation). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Glycerol production by Oenococcus oeni during sequential and simultaneous cultures with wine yeast strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ale, Cesar E; Farías, Marta E; Strasser de Saad, Ana M; Pasteris, Sergio E

    2014-07-01

    Growth and fermentation patterns of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kloeckera apiculata, and Oenococcus oeni strains cultured in grape juice medium were studied. In pure, sequential and simultaneous cultures, the strains reached the stationary growth phase between 2 and 3 days. Pure and mixed K. apiculata and S. cerevisiae cultures used mainly glucose, producing ethanol, organic acids, and 4.0 and 0.1 mM glycerol, respectively. In sequential cultures, O. oeni achieved about 1 log unit at 3 days using mainly fructose and L-malic acid. Highest sugars consumption was detected in K. apiculata supernatants, lactic acid being the major end-product. 8.0 mM glycerol was found in 6-day culture supernatants. In simultaneous cultures, total sugars and L-malic acid were used at 3 days and 98% of ethanol and glycerol were detected. This study represents the first report of the population dynamics and metabolic behavior of yeasts and O. oeni in sequential and simultaneous cultures and contributes to the selection of indigenous strains to design starter cultures for winemaking, also considering the inclusion of K. apiculata. The sequential inoculation of yeasts and O. oeni would enhance glycerol production, which confers desirable organoleptic characteristics to wines, while organic acids levels would not affect their sensory profile. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Uncovering transcriptional regulation of glycerol metabolism in Aspergilli through genome-wide gene expression data anlysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Salazar, Margarita Pena; Vongsangnak, Wanwipa; Panagiotou, Gianni

    2009-01-01

    Glycerol is catabolized by a wide range of microorganisms including Aspergillus species. To identify the transcriptional regulation of glycerol metabolism in Aspergillus, we analyzed data from triplicate batch fermentations of three different Aspergilli (Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus oryzae...... and Aspergillus niger) with glucose and glycerol as carbon sources. Protein comparisons and cross-analysis with gene expression data of all three species resulted in the identification of 88 genes having a conserved response across the three Aspergilli. A promoter analysis of the up-regulated genes led...... to the identification of a conserved binding site for a putative regulator to be 5′-TGCGGGGA-3′, a binding site that is similar to the binding site for Adr1 in yeast and humans. We show that this Adr1 consensus binding sequence was over-represented on promoter regions of several genes in A. nidulans, A. oryzae and A...

  5. Cold exposure enhances fat utilization but not non-esterified fatty acids, glycerol or catecholamines availability during submaximal walking and running

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominique Daniel Gagnon

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Cold exposure modulates the use of carbohydrates and fat during exercise. This phenomenon has mostly been observed in controlled cycling studies, but not during walking and running when core temperature and oxygen consumption are controlled, as both may alter energy metabolism. This study aimed at examining energy substrate availability and utilization during walking and running in the cold when core temperature and oxygen consumption are maintained. Ten lightly clothed male subjects walked or ran for 60-min, at 50% and 70% of maximal oxygen consumption, respectively, in a climatic chamber set at 0°C or 22°C. Thermal, cardiovascular, and oxidative responses were measured every 15-min during exercise. Blood samples for serum non-esterified fatty acids, glycerol, glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate, plasma catecholamines, and serum lipids were collected immediately prior, and at 30- and 60-min of exercise. Skin temperature strongly decreased while core temperature did not change during cold trials. Heart rate was also lower in cold trials. A rise in fat utilization in the cold was seen through lower respiratory quotient (-0.03 ± 0.02, greater fat oxidation (+0.14 ± 0.13 g•min-1 and contribution of fat to total energy expenditure (+1.62 ± 1.99 kcal•min-1. No differences from cold exposure were observed in blood parameters. During submaximal walking and running, a greater reliance on derived fat sources occurs in the cold, despite the absence of concurrent alterations in non-esterified fatty acids, glycerol, or catecholamine concentrations. This disparity may suggest a greater reliance on intra-muscular energy sources such as triglycerides during both walking and running.

  6. Hydrogen Production via Glycerol Dry Reforming over La-Ni/Al2O3 Catalyst

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kah Weng Siew

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Glycerol (a bio-waste generated from biodiesel production has been touted as a promising bio-syngas precursor via reforming route. Previous studies have indicated that carbon deposition is the major performance-limiting factor for nickel (Ni catalyst during glycerol steam reforming. In the current paper, dry (CO2-reforming of glycerol, a new reforming route was carried out over alumina (Al2O3-supported non-promoted and lanthanum-promoted Ni catalysts. Both sets of catalysts were synthesized via wet co-impregnation procedure. The physicochemical characterization of the catalyst showed that the promoted catalyst possessed smaller metal crystallite size, hence higher metal dispersion compared to the virgin Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. This was also corroborated by the surface images captured by the FESEM analysis. In addition, BET surface area measurement gave 92.05m²/g for non-promoted Ni catalyst whilst promoted catalysts showed an average of 1 to 6% improvement depending on the La loading. Reaction studies at 873 K showed that glycerol dry reforming successfully produced H2 with glycerol conversion and H2 yield that peaked at 9.7% and 25% respectively over 2wt% La content. The optimum catalytic performance by 2%La-Ni/Al2O3 can be attributed to the larger BET surface area and smaller crystallite size that ensured accessibility of active catalytic sites.  © 2013 BCREC UNDIP. All rights reservedReceived: 12nd May 2013; Revised: 7th October 2013; Accepted: 16th October 2013[How to Cite: Siew, K.W., Lee, H.C., Gimbun, J., Cheng, C.K. (2013. Hydrogen Production via Glycerol Dry Reforming over La-Ni/Al2O3 Catalyst. Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis, 8 (2: 160-166. (doi:10.9767/bcrec.8.2.4874.160-166][Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.8.2.4874.160-166

  7. Improved glycerol production from cane molasses by the sulfite process with vacuum or continuous carbon dioxide sparging during fermentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kalle, G.P.; Naik, S.C.; Lashkari, B.Z.

    1985-01-01

    The conventional sulfite process for glycerol production from molasses using Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. Hansen was modified to obtain product concentrations of up to 230 g/l and productivity of 15 g/l.d by fermenting under vacuum (80 mm) or with continuous sparging of CO2 (0.4 vvm). Under these conditions the requirement of sulfite for optimum production of glycerol was reduced by two thirds (20 g/l), the ethanol concentration in the medium was kept below 30 g/l and the competence of yeast cells to ferment was conserved throughout the fermentation period for up to 20 days. In addition to the above, the rate of incorporation of sulfite had a significant effect on glucose fermentation and glycerol yields. There was an optimal relationship between glycerol yields and the molar ratio of sulfite to glucose consumed, which for cane molasses was 0.67. This ratio was characteristic of the medium composition.

  8. Dexamethasone-loaded poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) microparticles for controlled release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riekes, Manoela Klueppel; Paula, Josiane Padilha de; Farago, Paulo Vitor; Zawadzki, Sonia Faria

    2009-01-01

    Dexamethasone (DEX) has been widely used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The aim of the present study was to obtain DEX-loaded poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) microparticles prepared by simple emulsion/solvent evaporation method. The drug loading and the encapsulation efficiency were determined by a previously validated UV method at 233 nm. Morphological, spectroscopical and dissolution analyses were also performed. The microparticles (formulation F no. 0, F no. 1 and F no. 2) were successfully obtained as off-white powders. A drug loading of 92.27 mg.g -1 and 218.54 mg.g -1 and an encapsulation efficiency of 93.96 % and 87.43 % were respectively observed for F no. 1 and F no. 2. Particles showed spherical and rough aspect by SEM. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that the encapsulation reduced the drug crystallinity. FTIR spectra showed that no chemical bonding occurred between PHBV and DEX. Drug-loaded microparticles revealed controlled release profiles compared to pure DEX. (author)

  9. 13C-NMR reveals glycerol as an unexpected major metabolite of the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapman, A.; Lloyd, D.; Linstead, D.J.; Williams, J.

    1985-01-01

    13 C-NMR has been used to study the kinetics of the formation of metabolites from [l- 13 C]glucose in intact cells of Trichomonas vaginalis during anaerobic incubation. As well as the expected metabolites lactate and acetate, this technique revealed glycerol as an additional major product, present in amounts equimolar with acetate. The formation of glycerol is readily explained in terms of the need to maintain redox balance. This protozoan now joins the small group of organisms which are known to produce glycerol as a result of normal metabolic activities. (Auth.)

  10. Comparative Life Cycle Studies on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-Based Composites as Potential Replacement for Conventional Petrochemical Plastics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pietrini, M.; Roes, A.L.; Patel, M.K.; Chiellini, E.

    2007-01-01

    A cradle-to-grave environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of a few poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) based composites has been performed and was compared to commodity petrochemical polymers. The end products studied are a cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor housing (conventionally produced from high-impact

  11. Functional characterization of salt-tolerant microbial esterase WDEst17 and its use in the generation of optically pure ethyl (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yilong; Xu, Yongkai; Zhang, Yun; Sun, Aijun; Hu, Yunfeng

    2018-06-01

    The two enantiomers of ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate are important intermediates for the synthesis of a great variety of valuable chiral drugs. The preparation of chiral drug intermediates through kinetic resolution reactions catalyzed by esterases/lipases has been demonstrated to be an efficient and environmentally friendly method. We previously functionally characterized microbial esterase PHE21 and used PHE21 as a biocatalyst to generate optically pure ethyl (S)-3-hydroxybutyrate. Herein, we also functionally characterized one novel salt-tolerant microbial esterase WDEst17 from the genome of Dactylosporangium aurantiacum subsp. Hamdenensis NRRL 18085. Esterase WDEst17 was further developed as an efficient biocatalyst to generate (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate, an important chiral drug intermediate, with the enantiomeric excess being 99% and the conversion rate being 65.05%, respectively, after process optimization. Notably, the enantio-selectivity of esterase WDEst17 was opposite than that of esterase PHE21. The identification of esterases WDEst17 and PHE21 through genome mining of microorganisms provides useful biocatalysts for the preparation of valuable chiral drug intermediates. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Microbial Degradation Behavior in Seawater of Polyester Blends Containing Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate (PHBHHx

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hitoshi Sashiwa

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The microbial degradation behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate (PHBHHx and its compound with several polyesters such as poly(butylene adipate-co-telephtharate (PBAT, poly(butylene succinate (PBS, and polylactic acid (PLA in seawater was tested by a biological oxygen demand (BOD method. PHBHHx showed excellent biodegradation in seawater in this study. In addition, the biodegradation rate of several blends was much influenced by the weight ratio of PHBHHx in their blends and decreased in accordance with the decrement of PHBHHX ratio. The surface morphology of the sheet was important factor for controlling the biodegradation rate of PHBHHx-containing blends in seawater.

  13. Specific gamma-hydroxybutyrate-binding sites but loss of pharmacological effects of gamma-hydroxybutyrate in GABA-B1-deficient mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kaupmann, Klemens; Cryan, John F; Wellendorph, Petrine

    2003-01-01

    gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a metabolite of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), is proposed to function as a neurotransmitter or neuromodulator. gamma-Hydroxybutyrate and its prodrug, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), recently received increased public attention as they emerged as popular drugs of abuse. T...

  14. The YJR127C/ZMS1 gene product is involved in glycerol-based respiratory growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Lin; Roberts, George G; Oszust, Cynthia; Hudson, Alan P

    2005-10-01

    A putative yeast mitochondrial upstream activating sequence (UAS) was used in a one-hybrid screening procedure that identified the YJR127C ORF on chromosome X. This gene was previously designated ZMS1 and is listed as a transcription factor on the SGD website. Real time RT-PCR assays showed that expression of YJR127C/ZMS1 was glucose-repressible, and a deletion mutant for the gene showed a growth defect on glycerol-based but not on glucose- or ethanol-based medium. Real time RT-PCR analyses identified severely attenuated transcript levels from GUT1 and GUT2 to be the source of that growth defect, the products of GUT1 and GUT2 are required for glycerol utilization. mRNA levels from a large group of mitochondria- and respiration-related nuclear genes also were shown to be attenuated in the deletion mutant. Importantly, transcript levels from the mitochondrial OLI1 gene, which has an associated organellar UAS, were attenuated in the DeltaYJR127C mutant during glycerol-based growth, but those from COX3 (OXI2), which lacks an associated mitochondrial UAS, were not. Transcriptome analysis of the glycerol-grown deletion mutant showed that genes in several metabolic and other categories are affected by loss of this gene product, including protein transport, signal transduction, and others. Thus, the product of YJR127C/ZMS1 is involved in transcriptional control for genes in both cellular genetic compartments, many of which specify products required for glycerol-based growth, respiration, and other functions.

  15. Biosynthesis and characterization of diblock copolymer of p(3-hydroxypropionate)-block-p(4-hydroxybutyrate) from recombinant Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tripathi, Lakshmi; Wu, Linping; Meng, Dechuan

    2013-01-01

    Poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) (P4HB) is a highly elastic polymer, whereas poly(3-hydroxypropionate) (P3HP) is a polymer with enormous tensile strength. This study aimed to biosynthesize a block copolymer consisting of soft P4HB block with a strong P3HP block to gain unique and excellent material proper...

  16. Biotechnological strategies to improve production of microbial poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate): a review of recent research work

    OpenAIRE

    Peña, C; Castillo, T; García, A; Millán, M; Segura, D

    2014-01-01

    Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] is a polyester synthesized as a carbon and energy reserve material by a wide number of bacteria. This polymer is characterized by its thermo-plastic properties similar to plastics derived from petrochemical industry, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Furthermore, P(3HB) is an inert, biocompatible and biodegradable material which has been proposed for several uses in medical and biomedical areas. Currently, only few bacterial species such as Cupriavidus ...

  17. Production of poly(hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate) from waste organics by the two-stage process: focus on the intermediate volatile fatty acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Liang; Hu, Hongyou; Ji, Hongfang; Cai, Jiyuan; He, Ning; Li, Qingbiao; Wang, Yuanpeng

    2014-08-01

    The two-stage process, coupling volatile fatty acids (VFAs) fermentation and poly(hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate) (P(HB/HV)) biosynthesis, was investigated for five waste organic materials. The overall conversion efficiencies were glycerol>starch>molasses>waste sludge>protein, meanwhile the maximum P(HB/HV) (1.674 g/L) was obtained from waste starch. Altering the waste type brought more effects on VFAs composition other than the yield in the first stage, which in turn greatly changed the yield in the second stage. Further study showed that even-number carbon VFAs (or odd-number ones) had a good positive linear relationship with P(HB/HV) content of HB (or HV). Additionally, VFA producing microbiota was analyzed by pyrosequencing methods for five wastes, which indicated that specific species (e.g., Lactobacillus for protein; Ethanoligenens for starch; Ruminococcus and Limnobacter for glycerol) were dominant in the community for VFAs production. Potential competition among acidogenic bacteria specially involved to produce some VFA was proposed as well. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Early and rapid development of insulin resistance, islet dysfunction and glucose intolerance after high-fat feeding in mice overexpressing phosphodiesterase 3B

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Walz, Helena A; Härndahl, Linda; Wierup, Nils

    2006-01-01

    Inadequate islet adaptation to insulin resistance leads to glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. Here we investigate whether beta-cell cAMP is crucial for islet adaptation and prevention of glucose intolerance in mice. Mice with a beta-cell-specific, 2-fold overexpression of the c......AMP-degrading enzyme phosphodiesterase 3B (RIP-PDE3B/2 mice) were metabolically challenged with a high-fat diet. We found that RIP-PDE3B/2 mice early and rapidly develop glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, as compared with wild-type littermates, after 2 months of high-fat feeding. This was evident from...... did not reveal reduced insulin sensitivity in these tissues. Significant steatosis was noted in livers from high-fat-fed wild-type and RIP-PDE3B/2 mice and liver triacyl-glycerol content was 3-fold higher than in wild-type mice fed a control diet. Histochemical analysis revealed severe islet...

  19. Engineering of the glycerol decomposition pathway and cofactor regulation in an industrial yeast improves ethanol production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Liang; Tang, Yan; Guo, Zhongpeng; Shi, Guiyang

    2013-10-01

    Glycerol is a major by-product of industrial ethanol production and its formation consumes up to 4 % of the sugar substrate. This study modified the glycerol decomposition pathway of an industrial strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to optimize the consumption of substrate and yield of ethanol. This study is the first to couple glycerol degradation with ethanol formation, to the best of our knowledge. The recombinant strain overexpressing GCY1 and DAK1, encoding glycerol dehydrogenase and dihydroxyacetone kinase, respectively, in glycerol degradation pathway, exhibited a moderate increase in ethanol yield (2.9 %) and decrease in glycerol yield (24.9 %) compared to the wild type with the initial glucose concentration of 15 % under anaerobic conditions. However, when the mhpF gene, encoding acetylating NAD⁺-dependent acetaldehyde dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli, was co-expressed in the aforementioned recombinant strain, a further increase in ethanol yield by 5.5 % and decrease in glycerol yield by 48 % were observed for the resultant recombinant strain GDMS1 when acetic acid was added into the medium prior to inoculation compared to the wild type. The process outlined in this study which enhances glycerol consumption and cofactor regulation in an industrial yeast is a promising metabolic engineering strategy to increase ethanol production by reducing the formation of glycerol.

  20. Effects of the addiction of nucleating agents on crystallization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB;Efeito da adicao de agentes de nucleacao na cristalizacao do poli[(R)-3-hidroxibutirato], PHB

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarzi, Ariane C.; Felisberti, Maria I., E-mail: ari_sarzi@hotmail.co [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil)

    2009-07-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) is a naturally occurring polymer synthesized by bacteria. Because of its biodegradability, it has attracted much attention from medical researchers. However, the inherent brittleness impedes use of bacterial PHB as an engineering plastic. By using a nucleating agent, it is expected that the nucleation density will increase and the size of spherulites will be reduced, resulting in higher crystallization temperatures if compared with pure PHB. The crystallization behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) induced by poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET ) and other commercials additives as nucleating agents was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. (author)

  1. Dual production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and glutamate using variable biotin concentrations in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jo, Sung-Jin; Leong, Chean Ring; Matsumoto, Ken'ichiro; Taguchi, Seiichi

    2009-04-01

    We previously synthesized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] in recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum, a prominent producer of amino acids. In this study, a two-step cultivation was established for the dual production of glutamate and P(3HB) due to the differences in the optimal concentration of biotin. Glutamate was extracellularly produced first under the biotin-limited condition of 0.3 microg/L. Production was then shifted to P(3HB) by addition of biotin to a total concentration of 9 microg/L. The final products obtained were 18 g/L glutamate and 36 wt% of P(3HB).

  2. Characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) mats obtained by electro spinning method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goncalves, Joel; Branciforti, Marcia C.; Bretas, Rosario E.S.; Agnelli, Jose A.M.

    2009-01-01

    Nanofibers of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) were produced by electro spinning of chloroform/dimethylformamide (90 / 10% v/v) solutions. The influence of the solution concentration on the processing, morphology and properties of the nanofibers was evaluated. The nanofibers were characterized by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The nanofibers morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal properties of the nanofibers were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that the obtained PHB nanofibers exhibit small average diameter (<500 nm) and narrow diameter distribution. A decrease in the fibers average diameters of PHB fibers with the decrease of the solution concentration was observed. The nanofibers were observed to be less crystalline than pure polymer. (author)

  3. Effect of Graphite Nanosheets on Properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larissa Stieven Montagna

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The influence of different contents, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 wt%, of graphite nanosheets (GNS on the properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV nanocomposites obtained by solution casting method has been studied. GNS were prepared by three steps: intercalation (chemical exfoliation, expansion (thermal treatment, and the GNS obtainment (physical treatment by ultrasonic exfoliation. X-ray diffraction (XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM showed that the physical, chemical, and thermal treatments preserved the graphite sheets structure. XRD and Raman results also showed that GNS were dispersed in the PHBV matrix. The degree of crystallinity (Xc of the nanocomposites did not change when the graphite nanosheets were added. However, the GNS acted as nucleation agent for crystallization; that is, in the second heating the samples containing GNS showed two melting peaks. The addition the GNS did not change the thermal stability of the PHBV.

  4. [2,4-(13)C]β-hydroxybutyrate metabolism in astrocytes and C6 glioblastoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eloqayli, Haytham; Melø, Torun M; Haukvik, Anne; Sonnewald, Ursula

    2011-08-01

    This study was undertaken to determine if the ketogenic diet could be useful for glioblastoma patients. The hypothesis tested was whether glioblastoma cells can metabolize ketone bodies. Cerebellar astrocytes and C6 glioblastoma cells were incubated in glutamine and serum free medium containing [2,4-(13)C]β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) with and without glucose. Furthermore, C6 cells were incubated with [1-(13)C]glucose in the presence and absence of BHB. Cell extracts were analyzed by mass spectrometry and media by (1)H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and HPLC. Using [2,4-(13)C]BHB and [1-(13)C]glucose it could be shown that C6 cells, in analogy to astrocytes, had efficient mitochondrial activity, evidenced by (13)C labeling of glutamate, glutamine and aspartate. However, in the presence of glucose, astrocytes were able to produce and release glutamine, whereas this was not accomplished by the C6 cells, suggesting lack of anaplerosis in the latter. We hypothesize that glioblastoma cells kill neurons by not supplying the necessary glutamine, and by releasing glutamate.

  5. Photoacoustic Monitoring of Internal Plastification in Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate Copolymers: Measurements of Thermal Parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanchez Ruben R.

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Basic data on thermophysical properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate copolymers poly(3HB-co-3HV were investigated with the aim of understanding the role of 3-hydroxyvalerate monomeric units (3HV incorporated during random copolymerization. The results show strong evidence that internal plastification is produced by the introduction of 3HV units in the copolymer. It was observed that copolymer thermal conductivity increased approximately linearly with the 3HV content. On the other hand, thermal diffusivity was very sensitive to the change in the copolymer composition showing a sudden rise that attained a saturation plateau. Amplitude-frequency plots indicate that a thermoelastic bending mechanism is operating. In this paper a new photoacoustic arrangement for the measurement of thermal effusivity is presented.

  6. Multi-objective optimization of a continuous bio-dissimilation process of glycerol to 1, 3-propanediol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Gongxian; Liu, Ying; Gao, Qunwang

    2016-02-10

    This paper deals with multi-objective optimization of continuous bio-dissimilation process of glycerol to 1, 3-propanediol. In order to maximize the production rate of 1, 3-propanediol, maximize the conversion rate of glycerol to 1, 3-propanediol, maximize the conversion rate of glycerol, and minimize the concentration of by-product ethanol, we first propose six new multi-objective optimization models that can simultaneously optimize any two of the four objectives above. Then these multi-objective optimization problems are solved by using the weighted-sum and normal-boundary intersection methods respectively. Both the Pareto filter algorithm and removal criteria are used to remove those non-Pareto optimal points obtained by the normal-boundary intersection method. The results show that the normal-boundary intersection method can successfully obtain the approximate Pareto optimal sets of all the proposed multi-objective optimization problems, while the weighted-sum approach cannot achieve the overall Pareto optimal solutions of some multi-objective problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Glycerol acetals, kinetic study of the reaction between glycerol and formaldehyde

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Agirre, I.; Garcia, I.; Requies, J.; Barrio, V.L.; Gueemez, M.B.; Cambra, J.F.; Arias, P.L.

    2011-01-01

    The acetalization reaction between glycerol and formaldehyde using Amberlyst 47 acidic ion exchange resin was studied. These acetals can be obtained from renewable sources (bioalcohols and bioalcohol derived aldehydes) and seem to be good candidates for different applications such as oxygenated diesel additives. A preliminary kinetic study was performed in a batch stirred tank reactor studying the influence of different process parameters like temperature, feed composition and the stirring speed. A pseudo homogenous kinetic model able to explain the reaction mechanism was adjusted. Thus, the corresponding order of reaction was determined. Amberlyst 47 acidic ion exchange resin showed a fairly good behavior allowing 100% of selectivity towards acetals formation. However, the studied acetalization reaction showed high thermodynamic limitations achieving glycerol conversions around 50% using a stoichiometric feed ratio at 353 K. The product is a mixture of two isomers (1,3-Dioxan-5-ol and 1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol) and the conversion of 1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol into 1,3-Dioxan-5-ol was also observed. -- Highlights: → The reaction between glycerol and acetaldehyde shows thermodynamic limitations. → Amberlyst 47 ion exchange resins show 100% of selectivity. → A pseudo-homogeneous kinetic model is able to predict the reaction progress. → Isomerization reactions were observed from dioxalanes to dioxanes.

  8. α-Mangostin Improves Glucose Uptake and Inhibits Adipocytes Differentiation in 3T3-L1 Cells via PPARγ, GLUT4, and Leptin Expressions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Taher

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Obesity has been often associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. The development of obesity is also accompanied by significant differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes. In this study, we investigated the activity of α-mangostin, a major xanthone component isolated from the stem bark of G. malaccensis, on glucose uptake and adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells focusing on PPARγ, GLUT4, and leptin expressions. α-Mangostin was found to inhibit cytoplasmic lipid accumulation and adipogenic differentiation. Cells treated with 50 μM of α-mangostin reduced intracellular fat accumulation dose-dependently up to 44.4% relative to MDI-treated cells. Analyses of 2-deoxy-D-[3H] glucose uptake activity showed that α-mangostin significantly improved the glucose uptake (P<0.05 with highest activity found at 25 μM. In addition, α-mangostin increased the amount of free fatty acids (FFA released. The highest glycerol release level was observed at 50 μM of α-mangostin. qRT-PCR analysis showed reduced lipid accumulation via inhibition of PPARγ gene expression. Induction of glucose uptake and free fatty acid release by α-mangostin were accompanied by increasing mRNA expression of GLUT4 and leptin. These evidences propose that α-mangostin might be possible candidate for the effective management of obesity in future.

  9. Thermal stability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/vegetable fiber composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cipriano, Pâmela Bento; de Sá, Mayelli Dantas; Andrade, André L. Simões; de Carvalho, Laura Hecker; Canedo, Eduardo Luis

    2015-05-01

    The present work deals with the thermal stability during and after processing of composites of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) - a fully biodegradable semi-crystalline thermoplastic obtained from renewable resources through low-impact biotechnological process, biocompatible and non-toxic - and vegetable fiber from the fruit (coconut) of babassu palm tree. PHB/babassu composites with 0, 5, 10 and 20% w/w load were prepared in a laboratory internal mixer. Two fractions of the mesocarp of babassu with different particle sizes were compounded with PHB and test specimens molded by compression. The effect of loading level and processing conditions on torque, temperature and mechanical energy dissipation were studied using a new engineering model. It was found that PHB degrades during processing at temperatures slightly above the melting point. To minimize thermal degradation stabilizer and chain extender additives were incorporated, with mixed results. These findings were confirmed by the dependence of the melt flow rate on the processing temperature.

  10. Quantitative evaluation of yeast's requirement for glycerol formation in very high ethanol performance fed-batch process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nevoigt Elke

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Glycerol is the major by-product accounting for up to 5% of the carbon in Saccharomyces cerevisiae ethanolic fermentation. Decreasing glycerol formation may redirect part of the carbon toward ethanol production. However, abolishment of glycerol formation strongly affects yeast's robustness towards different types of stress occurring in an industrial process. In order to assess whether glycerol production can be reduced to a certain extent without jeopardising growth and stress tolerance, the yeast's capacity to synthesize glycerol was adjusted by fine-tuning the activity of the rate-controlling enzyme glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH. Two engineered strains whose specific GPDH activity was significantly reduced by two different degrees were comprehensively characterized in a previously developed Very High Ethanol Performance (VHEP fed-batch process. Results The prototrophic strain CEN.PK113-7D was chosen for decreasing glycerol formation capacity. The fine-tuned reduction of specific GPDH activity was achieved by replacing the native GPD1 promoter in the yeast genome by previously generated well-characterized TEF promoter mutant versions in a gpd2Δ background. Two TEF promoter mutant versions were selected for this study, resulting in a residual GPDH activity of 55 and 6%, respectively. The corresponding strains were referred to here as TEFmut7 and TEFmut2. The genetic modifications were accompanied to a strong reduction in glycerol yield on glucose; the level of reduction compared to the wild-type was 61% in TEFmut7 and 88% in TEFmut2. The overall ethanol production yield on glucose was improved from 0.43 g g-1 in the wild type to 0.44 g g-1 measured in TEFmut7 and 0.45 g g-1 in TEFmut2. Although maximal growth rate in the engineered strains was reduced by 20 and 30%, for TEFmut7 and TEFmut2 respectively, strains' ethanol stress robustness was hardly affected; i.e. values for final ethanol concentration (117 ± 4 g

  11. Genome-engineered Sinorhizobium meliloti for the production of poly(lactic-co-3-hydroxybutyric) acid copolymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Tam T; Charles, Trevor C

    2016-02-01

    Economically competitive commercial production of biodegradable bioplastics with desirable properties is an important goal. In this study, we demonstrate the use of chromosome engineering of an alternative bacterial host, Sinorhizobium meliloti, for production of the copolymer, poly(lactate-co-3-hydroxybutyrate). Codon-optimized genes for 2 previously engineered enzymes, Clostridium propionicum propionate CoA transferase (Pct532Cp) and Pseudomonas sp. strain MBEL 6-19 polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase 1 (PhaC1400Ps6-19), were introduced into S. meliloti Rm1021 by chromosome integration, replacing the native phbC gene. On the basis of phenotypic analysis and detection of polymer product by gas chromatography analysis, synthesis and accumulation of the copolymer was confirmed. The chromosome integrant strain, with the introduced genes under the control of the native phbC promoter, is able to produce over 15% cell dry mass of poly(lactate-co-3-hydroxybutyrate), containing 30 mol% lactate, from growth on mannitol. We were also able to purify the polymer from the culture and confirm the structure by NMR and GC-MS. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of production of this copolymer in the Alphaproteobacteria. Further optimization of this system may eventually yield strains that are able to produce economically viable commercial product.

  12. Changes in the microbial community during the acclimation stages of the methane fermentation for the treatment of glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dinh, Nga Thi; Hatta, Kohei; Kwon, Sang Hagk; Rollon, Analiza P.; Nakasaki, Kiyohiko

    2014-01-01

    Granular sludge from a full-scale methane reactor treating brewery wastewater was used as a seed for the treatment of glycerol in a laboratory-scale repeated-batch methane reactor, and the change in the microbial community during the acclimation stages was examined. Two types of substrate solutions, a glucose, sodium acetate, and lactic acid mixture, as well as glycerol, were prepared and fed by mixing the two solutions to increase the ratio, in a stepwise manner, of glycerol from 0% to 100%, while keeping a loading of COD at 2.5 kg m −3  d −1 throughout the fermentation process. Vigorous methane gas production, approximately 580 dm 3  m −3  d −1 , was observed during the acclimation stages. Microbial analysis revealed that both bacterial and archaeal communities changed significantly; bacteria (genus Trichococcus and family Syntrophomonadaceae) became dominant rapidly after the start of acclimation, and archaea belonging to the hydrogenotrophic methanogens (genera Methanobacterium and Methanospirillum), increased gradually with the progress of acclimation. - Highlights: • Acclimation stages to the methane fermentation of glycerol were examined. • Vigorous methane gas production, approximately 580 dm 3  m −3  d −1 , was observed. • Both bacteria and archaea, changed significantly during the acclimation stages. • Bacteria belonging to genus Trichococcus and Syntrophomonadaceae became dominant. • Archaea belonging to the hydrogenotrophic methanogens increased gradually

  13. Ketosis proportionately spares glucose utilization in brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yifan; Kuang, Youzhi; Xu, Kui; Harris, Donald; Lee, Zhenghong; LaManna, Joseph; Puchowicz, Michelle A

    2013-08-01

    The brain is dependent on glucose as a primary energy substrate, but is capable of utilizing ketones such as β-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, as occurs with fasting, starvation, or chronic feeding of a ketogenic diet. The relationship between changes in cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMRglc) and degree or duration of ketosis remains uncertain. To investigate if CMRglc decreases with chronic ketosis, 2-[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose in combination with positron emission tomography, was applied in anesthetized young adult rats fed 3 weeks of either standard or ketogenic diets. Cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (μmol/min per 100 g) was determined in the cerebral cortex and cerebellum using Gjedde-Patlak analysis. The average CMRglc significantly decreased in the cerebral cortex (23.0±4.9 versus 32.9±4.7) and cerebellum (29.3±8.6 versus 41.2±6.4) with increased plasma ketone bodies in the ketotic rats compared with standard diet group. The reduction of CMRglc in both brain regions correlates linearly by ∼9% for each 1 mmol/L increase of total plasma ketone bodies (0.3 to 6.3 mmol/L). Together with our meta-analysis, these data revealed that the degree and duration of ketosis has a major role in determining the corresponding change in CMRglc with ketosis.

  14. Enhanced poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production in transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells using engineered acetoacetyl-CoA reductase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokoo, Toshinori; Matsumoto, Ken'ichiro; Ooba, Takashi; Morimoto, Kenjiro; Taguchi, Seiichi

    2015-01-01

    Highly active mutant of NADPH-dependent acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (PhaB) was expressed in Nicotiana tabacum cv. Bright Yellow-2 cultured cells to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)]. The mutated PhaB increased P(3HB) content by three-fold over the control, indicating that the mutant was a versatile tool for P(3HB) production. Additionally, the PhaB-catalyzed reaction was suggested to be a rate-limiting step of P(3HB) biosynthesis in tobacco BY-2 cells.

  15. Generalized decrease in brain glucose metabolism during fasting in humans studied by PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Redies, C.; Hoffer, L.J.; Beil, C.

    1989-01-01

    In prolonged fasting, the brain derives a large portion of its oxidative energy from the ketone bodies, beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, thereby reducing whole body glucose consumption. Energy substrate utilization differs regionally in the brain of fasting rat, but comparable information has hitherto been unavailable in humans. We used positron emission tomography (PET) to study regional brain glucose and oxygen metabolism, blood flow, and blood volume in four obese subjects before and after a 3-wk total fast. Whole brain glucose utilization fell to 54% of control (postabsorptive) values (P less than 0.002). The whole brain rate constant for glucose tracer phosphorylation fell to 51% of control values (P less than 0.002). Both parameters decreased uniformly throughout the brain. The 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose lumped constant decreased from a control value of 0.57 to 0.43 (P less than 0.01). Regional blood-brain barrier transfer coefficients for glucose tracer, regional oxygen utilization, blood flow, and blood volume were unchanged

  16. Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate/Poly(butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate)/Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposites

    OpenAIRE

    Pak, Yen Leng; Bin Ahmad, Mansor; Shameli, Kamyar; Yunus, Wan Md Zin Wan; Ibrahim, Nor Azowa; Zainuddin, Norhazlin

    2013-01-01

    Nanocomposites of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate/poly(butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate)/layered double hydroxide (PHB/PBAT/LDH) were prepared from a binary blend of PHB/PBAT and stearate-Zn3Al LDH via a solution casting method using chloroform as solvent in this study. The pristine Zn3Al LDH was synthesized from nitrate salts solution at pH 7 by using coprecipitation technique and then was modified by stearate anions surfactant via ion exchange reaction. As a result, the basal spacing of the LDH was ...

  17. Cupriavidus malaysiensis sp. nov., a novel poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) accumulating bacterium isolated from the Malaysian environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramachandran, Hema; Shafie, Nur Asilla Hani; Sudesh, Kumar; Azizan, Mohamad Noor; Majid, Mohamad Isa Abdul; Amirul, Al-Ashraf Abdullah

    2018-03-01

    Bacterial classification on the basis of a polyphasic approach was conducted on three poly(3 hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB-co-4HB)] accumulating bacterial strains that were isolated from samples collected from Malaysian environments; Kulim Lake, Sg. Pinang river and Sg. Manik paddy field. The Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile, non-sporulating and non-fermenting bacteria were shown to belong to the genus Cupriavidus of the Betaproteobacteria on the basis of their 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. The sequence similarity value with their near phylogenetic neighbour, Cupriavidus pauculus LMG3413 T , was 98.5%. However, the DNA-DNA hybridization values (8-58%) and ribotyping analysis both enabled these strains to be differentiated from related Cupriavidus species with validly published names. The RiboPrint patterns of the three strains also revealed that the strains were genetically related even though they displayed a clonal diversity. The major cellular fatty acids detected in these strains included C15:0 ISO 2OH/C16:1 ω7c, hexadecanoic (16:0) and cis-11-octadecenoic (C18:1 ω7c). Their G+C contents ranged from 68.0  to 68.6 mol%, and their major isoprenoid quinone was Ubiquinone Q-8. Of these three strains, only strain USMAHM13 (= DSM 25816 = KCTC 32390) was discovered to exhibit yellow pigmentation that is characteristic of the carotenoid family. Their assembled genomes also showed that the three strains were not identical in terms of their genome sizes that were 7.82, 7.95 and 8.70 Mb for strains USMAHM13, USMAA1020 and USMAA2-4, respectively, which are slightly larger than that of Cupriavidus necator H16 (7.42 Mb). The average nucleotide identity (ANI) results indicated that the strains were genetically related and the genome pairs belong to the same species. On the basis of the results obtained in this study, the three strains are considered to represent a novel species for which the name Cupriavidus malaysiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The

  18. Structure of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, an essential monotopic membrane enzyme involved in respiration and metabolism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yeh, Joanne I.; Chinte, Unmesh; Du, Shoucheng

    2008-01-01

    Sn-glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GlpD) is an essential membrane enzyme, functioning at the central junction of respiration, glycolysis, and phospholipid biosynthesis. Its critical role is indicated by the multitiered regulatory mechanisms that stringently controls its expression and function. Once expressed, GlpD activity is regulated through lipid-enzyme interactions in Escherichia coli. Here, we report seven previously undescribed structures of the fully active E. coli GlpD, up to 1.75 (angstrom) resolution. In addition to elucidating the structure of the native enzyme, we have determined the structures of GlpD complexed with substrate analogues phosphoenolpyruvate, glyceric acid 2-phosphate, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, and product, dihydroxyacetone phosphate. These structural results reveal conformational states of the enzyme, delineating the residues involved in substrate binding and catalysis at the glycerol-3-phosphate site. Two probable mechanisms for catalyzing the dehydrogenation of glycerol-3-phosphate are envisioned, based on the conformational states of the complexes. To further correlate catalytic dehydrogenation to respiration, we have additionally determined the structures of GlpD bound with ubiquinone analogues menadione and 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide, identifying a hydrophobic plateau that is likely the ubiquinone-binding site. These structures illuminate probable mechanisms of catalysis and suggest how GlpD shuttles electrons into the respiratory pathway. Glycerol metabolism has been implicated in insulin signaling and perturbations in glycerol uptake and catabolism are linked to obesity in humans. Homologs of GlpD are found in practically all organisms, from prokaryotes to humans, with >45% consensus protein sequences, signifying that these structural results on the prokaryotic enzyme may be readily applied to the eukaryotic GlpD enzymes.

  19. Inhibition of mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase by alpha-tocopheryl succinate

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Rauchová, Hana; Vokurková, Martina; Drahota, Zdeněk

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 53, AUG (2014), s. 409-413 ISSN 1357-2725 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP304/12/0259 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : brown adipose tissue mitochondria * oxygen consumption * glycerol-3-phosphate * succinate * reactive oxygen species Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 4.046, year: 2014

  20. Etherification of Glycerol with Propylene or 1-Butene for Fuel Additives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chakrapong Saengarun

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The etherification of glycerol with propylene over acidic heterogeneous catalysts, Amberlyst-15, S100, and S200 resins, produced mono-propyl glycerol ethers (MPGEs, 1,3-di- and 1,2-di-propyl glycerol ethers (DPGEs, and tri-propyl glycerol ether (TPGE. The propylation of glycerol over Amberlyst-15 yielded only TPGE. The glycerol etherification with 1-butene over Amberlyst-15 and S200 resins produced 1-mono-, 2-mono-, 1,2-di-, and 1,3-di-butyl glycerol ethers (1-MBGE, 2-MBGE, 1,2-DBGE, and 1,3-DBGE. The use of Amberlyst-15 resulted in the propylation and butylation of glycerol with higher yields than those obtained from the S100 and S200 resins. The PGEs, TPGE, and BGEs were evaluated as cold flow improvers and octane boosters. These alkyl glycerol ethers can reduce the cloud point of blended palm biodiesels with diesel. They can increase the research octane number and the motor octane number of gasoline.

  1. Synthesis, Characterization and Biocompatibility of Biodegradable Elastomeric Poly(ether-ester urethane)s Based on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) and Poly(ethylene glycol) via Melting Polymerization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Li, Zibiao; Yang, Xiaodi; Wu, Linping

    2009-01-01

    Poly(ether-ester urethane)s (PUs) multiblock co-polymers were synthesized from telechelic hydroxylated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) via a melting polymerization (MP) process using 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as a non-toxic couplin...

  2. Water and vapor permeability at different temperatures of poly (3-Hydroxybutyrate dense membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luiz H. Poley

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs are polymers produced from renewable resources with biodegradability and biocompatibility, being therefore attractive for medical and pharmaceutical purposes. Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB is the most important polymer of this family by considering the biotechnology process of its synthesis. In the present study, dense films of PHB were prepared by casting from chloroform solutions (1% m/m. Permeability studies with water, methanol, ethanol and n-propanol were performed using the gravimetric method at different temperatures (from 50 ºC to 65 ºC. Results provide new data on permeability coefficients of PHB membranes.

  3. Preparation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/carboxymethyl cellulose acetate butyrate blends using gel formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomes, A.L.; Rodrigues, G.V.; Goncalves, M.C.

    2009-01-01

    This study investigates poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) gel formation with a binary combination of solvents and its use on the preparation of PHB and carboxymethyl cellulose acetate butyrate (CMCAB) blends. The gel preparation method was compared to a precipitation method followed by hot pressing. The results from DSC and X-ray diffractions showed that both methodologies produced blends with very similar thermal properties and crystallization behavior. Scanning electron microscopy indicated better homogeneity in gel formation blends. Apart from this, the gel formation methodology provided new ways to prepare immiscible blends with the advantage of using friendlier solvents. (author)

  4. Synthesis and applications of 13C glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stocking, E.; Khalsa, O.; Martinez, R.A.; Silks, L.A. III

    1994-01-01

    Due in part to the use of labeled glycerol for the 13 C enrichment of biomolecules, we are currently developing new synthetic routes to various isotopomers of glycerol. Judging from our experience, traditional methods of glycerol synthesis are not easily adapted for isotopic enrichment and/or have poor overall yields (12 to 15%). Furthermore, the use of glycerol for enrichment can be prohibitively expensive and its availability is limited by the level of demand. We are presently developing a short de novo synthesis of glycerol from carbon dioxide (∼53% overall yield for four steps) and are examining the feasibility of synthesizing site-specific 13 C-labeled glycerol and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) from labeled methanol and carbon dioxide. One application of 13 C glycerol we have examined is enzymatic conversion of glycerol to glyceraldehyde-3-monophosphate or dihydroxyacetone monophosphate (DHAP) with yields ranging from 25 to 50% (as determined by NMR spectroscopy). We are also pursuing the chemical conversion of 13 C-labeled DHA to DHAP. We are especially interested in 13 C-labeled DHAP because we are investigating its use as a chemo-enzymatic precursor for both labeled 2-deoxyribose and 2-deoxyribonucleic acids

  5. Combinations of glycerol percent, glycerol equilibration time, and thawing rate upon freezability of bull spermatozoa in plastic straws.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiggin, H B; Almquist, J O

    1975-03-01

    Twelve ejaculates were used in a central composite experiment to test 15 combinations of glycerol (7, 9, 11, 13, or 15%), glycerol equilibration times (1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 h) and thawing rates (water at 35 C for 15 s, 50 C for 13 s, 65 C for 11 s, 80 C for 9 s, or 95 C for 7 s). Semen was diluted in heated skim milk-glycerol, packaged in .3-ml. Continental U.S. straws and frozen in liquid nitrogen vapor. Based on post-thaw progressive sperm motility after storage at -196 C for 9 to 11 days, estimated optima from multiple regression were 10.7% for glycerol, 2.0 h for glycerol equilibration time, and 76 C for thawing bath temperature. Only the linear effect for each variable was significant. Much faster thawing rates and shorter glycerol equilibration times than those for freezing bull spermatozoa in glass ampules should be used for maximum post-thaw sperm motility in straws.

  6. Synthesis and applications of 13C glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stocking, E.; Khalsa, O.; Martinez, R.; Silks, L.A. III

    1994-01-01

    The authors are currently developing new synthetic routes to the various isotopomers of glycerol. Labeled glycerol is useful for 13 C enrichment of biomolecules. However, traditional methods of glycerol synthesis are not easily adapted for isotopic enrichment or have poor overall yields (12-15%). In addition, the use of glycerol for enrichment can be prohibitively expensive and its availability depends on the level of demand. The authors have developed a short de novo synthesis of [U- 13 C]glycerol from carbon dioxide (∼53% overall yield for four steps) and are currently examining the feasibility of synthesizing site-specific 13 C labeled glycerol and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) from methanol and carbon dioxide. The authors have examined the enzymatic conversion of [U- 13 C]glycerol to glyceraldehyde-3-monophosphate or dihydroxyacetone monophosphate (DHAP) with yields ranging from 25-50% (as determined by NMR spectroscopy). The authors are also pursuing the chemical conversion of 13 C labeled DHA to DHAP and the results are presented. Labeled DHAP is a possible enzymatic precursor for both labeled 2-deoxyribose and 2-deoxyribonucleic acids

  7. Protective effects of exogenous β-hydroxybutyrate on paraquat toxicity in rat kidney

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Teng; Tian, Wulin; Liu, Fangning; Xie, Guanghong, E-mail: xiegh@jlu.edu.cn

    2014-05-16

    Highlights: • β-Hydroxybutyrate inhibits paraquat-induced toxicity in rat kidney. • β-Hydroxybutyrate inhibits lipid peroxidation and caspase-mediated apoptosis. • β-Hydroxybutyrate increases the activities of SOD and CAT. • The study describes a novel finding for the renoprotective ability of β-hydroxybutyrate. - Abstract: In this study, we demonstrated the protective effects of β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) against paraquat (PQ)-induced kidney injury and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms. By histological examination and renal dysfunction specific markers (serum BUN and creatinine) assay, β-HB could protect the PQ-induced kidney injury in rat. PQ-induced kidney injury is associated with oxidative stress, which was measured by increased lipid peroxidation (MDA) and decreased intracellular anti-oxidative abilities (SOD, CAT and GSH). β-HB pretreatment significantly attenuated that. Caspase-mediated apoptosis pathway contributed importantly to PQ toxicity, as revealed by the activation of caspase-9/-3, cleavage of PARP, and regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax, which were also effectively blocked by β-HB. Moreover, treatment of PQ strongly decreased the nuclear Nrf2 levels. However, pre-treatment with β-HB effectively suppressed this action of PQ. This may imply the important role of β-HB on Nrf2 pathway. Taken together, this study provides a novel finding that β-HB has a renoprotective ability against paraquat-induced kidney injury.

  8. Intrinsic ratios of glucose, fructose, glycerol and ethanol 13C/12C isotopic ratio determined by HPLC-co-IRMS: toward determining constants for wine authentication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guyon, François; Gaillard, Laetitia; Salagoïty, Marie-Hélène; Médina, Bernard

    2011-09-01

    High-performance liquid chromatography linked to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (HPLC-co-IRMS) via a Liquiface© interface has been used to simultaneously determine (13)C isotope ratios of glucose (G), fructose (F), glycerol (Gly) and ethanol (Eth) in sweet and semi-sweet wines. The data has been used the study of wine authenticity. For this purpose, 20 authentic wines from various French production areas and various vintages have been analyzed after dilution in pure water from 20 to 200 times according to sugar content. If the (13)C isotope ratios vary according to the production area and the vintage, it appears that internal ratios of (13)C isotope ratios (R((13)C)) of the four compounds studied can be considered as a constant. Thus, ratios of isotope ratios are found to be 1.00 ± 0.04 and 1.02 ± 0.08 for R((13)C(G/F)) and R((13)C(Gly/Eth)), respectively. Moreover, R((13)C(Eth/Sugar)) is found to be 1.15 ± 0.10 and 1.16 ± 0.08 for R((13)C(Gly/Sugar)). Additions of glucose, fructose and glycerol to a reference wine show a variation of the R((13)C) value for a single product addition as low as 2.5 g/L(-1). Eighteen commercial wines and 17 concentrated musts have been analyzed. Three wine samples are suspicious as the R((13)C) values are out of range indicating a sweetening treatment. Moreover, concentrated must analysis shows that (13)C isotope ratio can be also used directly to determine the authenticity of the matrix.

  9. Beneficial Effect of Paljeong-san Pharmacopuncture Treatment Combined with Peritoneal Injection on Glycerol-Induced Acute Renal Failure in Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chi-Yeon Lim

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: The present study was carried out to determine if Paljeong-san extract (PJS treatment exerts beneficial effect against the glycerol-induced acute renal failure in rabbits. Material and Method: PJS was selected in the basis of invigorating kidney which can eliminate pathogens. Rabbits were treated with PJS pharmacopuncture on Shin-shu (BL23 point for 5 days right after the injection of 50% concentration of glycerol (5㎖/㎏ body weight. Results and Conclusions: Glycerol injection caused an increase in serum creatinine and BUN level and urine glucose secretion, which were accompanied by a reduction in GFR. PJS Pharmacopuncture treatment combined with peritoneal injection showed beneficial effect on glycerol-induced acute renal failure by inhibition of serum creatinine increase and GFR decrease.

  10. Investigation of miscibility of p(3hydroxybutyrate-co-3hydroxyhexanoate) and epoxidized natural rubber blends

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akram, Faridah; Chan, Chin Han; Natarajan, Valliyappan David

    2015-08-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] produced by C. necator PHB-4 harboring phaCcs from crude palm kernel oil with 21 mol% of 3-hydroxyhexanoate and epoxidized natural rubber with 25 mol% of epoxy content (ENR-25) were used to study the miscibility of the blends by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The polymers used were purified and the blends were prepared by solution casting method. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra confirm the purity and molecular structures of P(3HB-co-3HHx) and ENR-25. FTIR spectra for different compositions of P(3HB-co-3HHx) and ENR-25 blends show absorbance change of the absorbance bands but with no significant shifting of the absorbance bands as the P(3HB-co-3HHx) content decreases, which shows that there is no intermolecular interaction between the parent polymer blends. On top of that, there are two Tgs present for the blends and both remain constant for different compositions which corresponds to the Tgs of the parent polymers. This indicates that the blends are immiscible.

  11. Enhanced enzymatic activity of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from the cryophilic Saccharomyces kudriavzevii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Bruno M; Barrio, Eladio; Querol, Amparo; Pérez-Torrado, Roberto

    2014-01-01

    During the evolution of the different species classified within the Saccharomyces genus, each one has adapted to live in different environments. One of the most important parameters that have influenced the evolution of Saccharomyces species is the temperature. Here we have focused on the study of the ability of certain species as Saccharomyces kudriavzevii to grow at low temperatures, in contrast to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We observed that S. kudriavzevii strains isolated from several regions are able to synthesize higher amounts of glycerol, a molecule that has been shown to accumulate in response to freeze and cold stress. To explain this observation at the molecular level we studied the expression of glycerol biosynthetic pathway genes and we observed a higher expression of GPD1 gene in S. kudriavzevii compared to S. cerevisiae in micro-vinification conditions. We observed higher enzymatic activity of Gpd1p in S. kudriavzevii in response to osmotic and cold stress. Also, we determined that S. kudriavzevii Gpd1p enzyme presents increased catalytic properties that will contribute to increase glycerol production. Finally, we evaluated the glycerol production with S. cerevisiae, S. kudriavzevii or a recombinant Gpd1p variant in the same background and observed that the S. kudriavzevii enzyme produced increased glycerol levels at 12 or 28°C. This suggests that glycerol is increased in S. kudriavzevii mainly due to increased V max of the Gpd1p enzyme. All these differences indicate that S. kudriavzevii has changed the metabolism to promote the branch of the glycolytic pathway involved in glycerol production to adapt to low temperature environments and maintain the NAD(+)/NADH ratio in alcoholic fermentations. This knowledge is industrially relevant due to the potential use, for example, of S. cerevisiae-S. kudriavzevii hybrids in the wine industry where glycerol content is an important quality parameter.

  12. Enzymatic Synthesis of Glyserol-Coconut Oil Fatty Acid and Glycerol-Decanoic Acis Ester as Emulsifier and Antimicrobial Agents Using Candida rugosa Lipase EC 3.1.1.3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Handayani, Sri; Putri, Ayu Tanissa Tamara; Setiasih, Siswati; Hudiyono, Sumi

    2018-01-01

    In this research, enzymatic esterification was carried out between glycerol and fatty acid from coconut oil and decanoic acid using n-hexane as solvent. In this reaction Candida rugosa lipase was used as biocatalyst. Optimization esterification reaction was carried out for parameter of the substrate ratio. The mmol ratio between fatty acid and glycerol were used are 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1: 4. The highest conversion percentage obtained at the mole ratio of 1: 4 with the value of 78.5% for the glycerol-decanoic acid ester and 55.4% for the glycerol coconut oil fatty acid ester. Esterification products were characterized by FT-IR. The FT-IR spectrum showed that the ester bond was formed as indicated by the wave number 1750-1739 cm-1. The esterification products were then examined by simple emulsion test and was proved to be an emulsifier. The glycerol-coconut oil fatty acid ester produced higher stability emulsion compare with glycerol decanoic ester. The antimicrobial activity assay using disc diffusion method showed that both glycerol-coconut oil fatty acid ester and glycerol-decanoic ester had the ability inhibiting the growth of Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Glycerol-decanoic ester shows higher antimicrobial activity than glycerol-coconut oil fatty acid ester.

  13. 1,3-Propanediol dehydrogenases in Lactobacillus reuteri: impact on central metabolism and 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stevens, Marc J A; Vollenweider, Sabine; Meile, Leo; Lacroix, Christophe

    2011-08-03

    Lactobacillus reuteri metabolizes glycerol to 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA) and further to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), the latter step catalysed by a propanediol dehydrogenase (PDH). The last step in this pathway regenerates NAD+ and enables therefore the energetically more favourable production of acetate over ethanol during growth on glucose. A search throughout the genome of L. reuteri DSM 20016 revealed two putative PDHs encoded by ORFs lr_0030 and lr_1734. ORF lr_1734 is situated in the pdu operon encoding the glycerol conversion machinery and therefore likely involved in 1,3-PDO formation. ORF lr_0030 has not been associated with PDH-activity so far. To elucidate the role of these two PDHs, gene deletion mutant strains were constructed. Growth behaviour on glucose was comparable between the wild type and both mutant strains. However, on glucose + glycerol, the exponential growth rate of Δlr_0030 was lower compared to the wild type and the lr_1734 mutant. Furthermore, glycerol addition resulted in decreased ethanol production in the wild type and Δlr_1734, but not in Δlr_0030. PDH activity measurements using 3-HPA as a substrate revealed lower activity of Δlr_0030 extracts from exponential growing cells compared to wild type and Δlr_1734 extracts.During biotechnological 3-HPA production using non-growing cells, the ratio 3-HPA to 1,3-PDO was approximately 7 in the wild type and Δlr_0030, whereas this ratio was 12.5 in the mutant Δlr_1734. The enzyme encoded by lr_0030 plays a pivotal role in 3-HPA conversion in exponential growing L. reuteri cells. The enzyme encoded by lr_1734 is active during 3-HPA production by non-growing cells and this enzyme is a useful target to enhance 3-HPA production and minimize formation of the by-product 1,3-PDO.

  14. Calibrating the glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether temperature signalin speleothems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blyth, A.J.; Schouten, S.

    2013-01-01

    Palaeotemperature proxies based on glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) lipids have been established for marine and lacustrine environments, but there has been relatively little study of their application in speleothems. In this study we analyse the GDGT content of 33 speleothem samples

  15. Biological Conversion of Glycerol to Ethanol by Enterobacter aerogenes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nwachukwu, Raymond E. S.

    In a search to turn the economically and environmentally non-valuable "waste" streams of biodiesel production into a profitable byproduct, a mutant strain of Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 was developed by six-tube subculturing technique. This technique is based on the principle of adaptive evolution, and involved subculturing the bacterium in a tryptic soy broth without dextrose (TSB) containing specific glycerol and ethanol concentration for six consecutive times. Then, the six consecutive subculturing was repeated in a fresh TSB of higher glycerol and ethanol concentrations. A new mutant strain, E. aerogenes S012, which could withstand a combination of 200 g/l glycerol and 30 g/l ethanol concentrations, was developed. The wild and mutant strains were used for the fermentation of pure (P-) and recovered (R-) glycerol. Taguchi and full factorial methods of design of experiments were used to screen and optimize the important process factors that influence the microbial production of ethanol. A statistically sound regression model was used to establish the mathematical relationship between the process variables and ethanol production. Temperature of 38°C, agitation speed of 200 rpm, pH of 6.3-6.6, and microaerobic condition were the optimum process conditions. Different pretreatment methods to recover glycerol from the crude glycerol and the subsequent fermentation method showed that direct acidification using 85% H3PO4 was the best. The R-glycerol contained 51% pure glycerol and 21% methanol. The wild strain, E. aerogenes ATCC 13048, produced only 12 g/l and 12.8 g/l ethanol from 20 g/l P- and R-glycerol respectively, and could not utilize higher glycerol concentrations. The mutant, E. aerogenes S012, produced ethanol amount and yield of 43 g/l and 1.12 mol/mol-glycerol from P-glycerol, respectively within 96 h. It also produced ethanol amount and yield of 26.8 g/l and 1.07 mol/mol-glycerol, respectively, from R-glycerol within the same duration. In a

  16. Thresholds of whole-blood β-hydroxybutyrate and glucose concentrations measured with an electronic hand-held device to identify ovine hyperketonemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pichler, M; Damberger, A; Schwendenwein, I; Gasteiner, J; Drillich, M; Iwersen, M

    2014-03-01

    Metabolic disorders, especially hyperketonemia, are very common in dairy sheep. The whole-blood concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and glucose can be determined by commercially available electronic hand-held devices, which are used in human medicine and for the detection of ketosis in dairy cows. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the hand-held device Precision Xceed (PX; Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Park, IL) to detect hyperketonemia in ewes. An additional objective of this study was to evaluate the agreement between samples obtained by minimal invasive venipuncture of an ear vein and measurements of whole-blood samples from the jugular vein (vena jugularis, v. jug.). Blood samples taken from the v. jug. were collected from 358 ewes on 4 different farms. These samples and a blood drop obtained from an ear vein were analyzed simultaneously on farm with the PX. For method comparison, the samples obtained from the v. jug. were also analyzed by standard methods, which served as the gold standard at the Central Laboratory of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria. The correlation coefficients between the serum BHBA concentration and the concentrations measured with the hand-held meter in the whole blood from an ear vein and the v. jug. were 0.94 and 0.96, respectively. The correlation coefficients of plasma and whole-blood glucose concentration were 0.68 for the v. jug. and 0.47 for the ear vein. The mean glucose concentration was significantly lower in animals classified as hyperketonemic (BHBA ≥ 1.6 mmol/L) compared with healthy ewes. Whole-blood concentrations of BHBA and glucose measured with the PX from v. jug. showed a constant negative bias of 0.15 mmol/L and 8.4 mg/dL, respectively. Hence, a receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine thresholds for the PX to detect hyperketonemia in ewes. This resulted in thresholds for moderate ketosis of BHBA concentrations of 0.7 mmol/L in blood

  17. The rate of cerebral utilization of glucose, ketone bodies, and oxygen: a comparative in vivo study of infant and adult rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dahlquist, G; Persson, B

    1976-11-01

    Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by means of Celabeled microspheres in infant (20-day-old) and adult (3-month-old) rats, anesthetised with Na-5-ethyl-5-(1-methylpropyl)2-thiobarbituric acid. Cerebral arteriovenous differences of acetoacetate, D-beta-hydroxybutyrate, glucose, lactate, and oxygen and brain DNA content were determined in other groups of similarly treated infant and adult animals fed or starved for 48 or 72 hr. The mean CBF values of 0.48+/-0.04 and 0.62+/-0.07 ml/(g X min), +/- SEM, in infant and adult animals, respectively, were not significantly different. CBF was unaffected by starvation. At any given arterial concentration the cerebral arteriovenous difference of acetoacetate was significantly higher in infant than adult rats. The same was true for D-beta-hydroxybutyrate at arterial concentrations above 1 mmol/liter. There was an approximately linear relationship between arterial concentration of acetoacetate and its cerebral arteriovenous difference in both infant and adult rats. A similar relationship was found for D-beta-hydroxybutyrate only in infant animals. In the fed state, the cerebral uptake of glucose and ketone bodies (micromoles per (mg DNA X min)) was not different in infant and adult rats. During starvation, cerebral uptake of ketone bodies expressed as micromoles per (mg DNA X min) was higher in infant than adult rats, indicating a higher rate of utilization of ketone bodies per cell in these animals. For glucose, no such difference was found in either fed or starved groups (Table 3). The average percentage of the total cerebral uptake of substrates (micromoles per min) accounted for by ketone bodies increased in both infant and adult rats during starvation. This percentage value was clearly higher in infant than adult rats during starvation. After 72 hr of starvation the values were 38.8% and 15.2% in infant and adult rats, respectively (Fig. 3). Calculated cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMRO2), assuming complete

  18. Nanofiber-bonded cloth materials based on poly-3-hydroxybutyrate with antibacterial properties for medical purposes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyubaeva, P. M.; Olkhov, A. A.; Karpova, S. G.; Iordansky, A. L.; Popov, A. A.

    2017-12-01

    Different transdermal systems based on solid polymer matrices or gels containing functional substances with antiseptic (antibacterial) properties have application to the therapy of many infectious diseases and cancer. Today the most promising type of matrices with antiseptic characteristics are the nano- and microfiber nonwoven materials. Fibers on the biopolymer (poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)) basis were obtained using the electrospinning method. In the present work, the effects of iron (III) complex with tetraphenylporphyrin and its influence on bactericidal and antibacterial properties of the ultrathin PHB fibers were investigated.

  19. Glycerol tertiary butyl ethers via etherification of glycerol with isobutene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Behr, A. [Dortmund Univ. (Germany). Chair of Chemical Process Development/Technical Chemistry A

    2007-07-01

    Glycerol and isobutene can react to a mixture of glycerol tertiary butyl ethers (GTBE) which can be used as additives for gasoline, diesel or biodiesel. This reaction was investigated in lab scale yielding a proposal for a process flow diagram containing reaction, extraction, flash and rectification units. This process has the advantages that only the suitable higher ethers are formed and that both glycerol and isobutene are fully converted. The homogeneous acid catalyst is low-priced and can be completely recycled. (orig.)

  20. Biosynthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol by lipase in dimethyl carbonate as the solvent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyung Hwa; Park, Chang-Ho; Lee, Eun Yeol

    2010-11-01

    Glycerol carbonate was synthesized from renewable glycerol and dimethyl carbonate using lipase in solvent-free reaction system in which excess dimethyl carbonate played as the reaction medium. A variety of lipases have been tested for their abilities to catalyze transesterification reaction, and Candida antartica lipase B and Novozyme 435 exhibited higher catalytic activities. The silica-coated glycerol with a 1:1 ratio was supplied to prevent two-phase formation between hydrophobic dimethyl carbonate and hydrophilic glycerol. Glycerol carbonate was successfully synthesized with more than 90% conversion from dimethyl carbonate and glycerol with a molar ratio of 10 using Novozyme 435-catalyzed transesterification at 70 °C. The Novozyme 435 [5% (w/w) and 20% (w/w)] and silica gel were more than four times recycled with good stability in a repeated batch operation for the solvent-free synthesis of glycerol carbonate.

  1. Evaluation of propylene glycol and glycerol infusions as treatments for ketosis in dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piantoni, P; Allen, M S

    2015-08-01

    To evaluate propylene glycol (PG) and glycerol (G) as potential treatments for ketosis, we conducted 2 experiments lasting 4 d each in which cows received one bolus infusion per day. Blood was collected before infusion, over 240min postinfusion, as well as 24 h postinfusion. Experiment 1 used 6 ruminally cannulated cows (26±7 d in milk) randomly assigned to 300-mL infusions of PG or G (both ≥99.5% pure) in a crossover design experiment with 2 periods. Within each period, cows were assigned randomly to infusion site sequence: abomasum (A)-cranial reticulorumen (R) or the reverse, R-A. Glucose precursors were infused into the R to simulate drenching and the A to prevent metabolism by ruminal microbes. Glycerol infused in the A increased plasma glucose concentration the most (15.8mg/dL), followed by PG infused in the R (12.6mg/dL), PG infused in the A (9.11mg/dL), and G infused in the R (7.3mg/dL). Infusion of PG into the R increased plasma insulin and insulin area under the curve (AUC) the most compared with all other treatments (7.88 vs. 2.13μIU/mL and 321 vs. 31.9min×μIU/mL, respectively). Overall, PG decreased plasma BHBA concentration after infusion (-6.46 vs. -4.55mg/dL) and increased BHBA AUC (-1,055 vs. -558min ×mg/dL) compared with G. Plasma NEFA responses were not different among treatments. Experiment 2 used 8 ruminally cannulated cows (22±5 d in milk) randomly assigned to treatment sequence in a Latin square design experiment balanced for carryover effects. Treatments were 300mL of PG, 300mL of G, 600mL of G (2G), and 300mL of PG + 300mL of G (GPG), all infused into the R. Treatment contrasts compared PG with each treatment containing glycerol (G, 2G, and GPG). Propylene glycol increased plasma glucose (14.0 vs. 5.35mg/dL) and insulin (7.59 vs. 1.11μIU/mL) concentrations compared with G, but only tended to increase glucose and insulin concentrations compared with 2G. Propylene glycol increased AUC for glucose (1,444 vs. 94.3mg/dL) and insulin (326

  2. Dimethylformamide is not better than glycerol for cryopreservation of boar semen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malo, C; Gil, L; Cano, R; Martínez, F; García, A; Jerez, R A

    2012-05-01

    To improve the boar sperm cryopreservation process, the influence of the sugar (lactose, trehalose) source and the cryoprotectant [glycerol, dimethylformamide (DMF)] on the success of freezing was investigated. Sperm samples were frozen in one of six extenders: lactose plus 3% glycerol (LG); lactose plus 1.5% glycerol and 1.5% DMF (LGD); lactose plus 3% DMF (LD); trehalose plus 3% glycerol (TG); trehalose plus 1.5% glycerol and 1.5% DMF (TGD); trehalose plus 3% DMF (TD). Effects on motility, viability, acrosome integrity and hypoosmotic test (HOST) were measured. The results showed that extender containing 3% glycerol retained the highest motility percentages. In regard to viability and acrosome integrity, all extenders yielded similar rates except for the decreasing values of TD. Endosmosis was diminished in TD and LD at 2 h (P = 0.0018), as compared with the others. The results of the study demonstrated that the use of DMF as a cryoprotectant adversely affected boar sperm quality after cryopreservation. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  3. Synthesis and applications of {sup 13}C glycerol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stocking, E.; Khalsa, O.; Martinez, R.A.; Silks, L.A. III [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)

    1994-12-01

    Due in part to the use of labeled glycerol for the {sup 13}C enrichment of biomolecules, we are currently developing new synthetic routes to various isotopomers of glycerol. Judging from our experience, traditional methods of glycerol synthesis are not easily adapted for isotopic enrichment and/or have poor overall yields (12 to 15%). Furthermore, the use of glycerol for enrichment can be prohibitively expensive and its availability is limited by the level of demand. We are presently developing a short de novo synthesis of glycerol from carbon dioxide ({approximately}53% overall yield for four steps) and are examining the feasibility of synthesizing site-specific {sup 13}C-labeled glycerol and dihydroxyacetone (DHA) from labeled methanol and carbon dioxide. One application of {sup 13}C glycerol we have examined is enzymatic conversion of glycerol to glyceraldehyde-3-monophosphate or dihydroxyacetone monophosphate (DHAP) with yields ranging from 25 to 50% (as determined by NMR spectroscopy). We are also pursuing the chemical conversion of {sup 13}C-labeled DHA to DHAP. We are especially interested in {sup 13}C-labeled DHAP because we are investigating its use as a chemo-enzymatic precursor for both labeled 2-deoxyribose and 2-deoxyribonucleic acids.

  4. Accumulation of a poly(hydroxyalkanoate) copolymer containing primarily 3-hydroxyvalerate from simple carbohydrate substrates by Rhodococcus sp. NCIMB 40126.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haywood, G W; Anderson, A J; Williams, D R; Dawes, E A; Ewing, D F

    1991-04-01

    A number of taxonomically-related bacteria have been identified which accumulate poly(hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) copolymers containing primarily 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) monomer units from a range of unrelated single carbon sources. One of these, Rhodococcus sp. NCIMB 40126, was further investigated and shown to produce a copolymer containing 75 mol% 3HV and 25 mol% 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) from glucose as sole carbon source. Polyesters containing both 3HV and 3HB monomer units, together with 4-hydroxybutyrate (4HB), 5-hydroxyvalerate (5HV) or 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx), were also produced by this organism from certain accumulation substrates. With valeric acid as substrate, almost pure (99 mol% 3HV) poly(3-hydroxyvalerate) was produced. N.m.r. analysis confirmed the composition of these polyesters. The thermal properties and molecular weight of the copolymer produced from glucose were comparable to those of PHB produced by Alcaligenes eutrophus.

  5. The expression of glycerol facilitators from various yeast species improves growth on glycerol of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathias Klein

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Glycerol is an abundant by-product during biodiesel production and additionally has several assets compared to sugars when used as a carbon source for growing microorganisms in the context of biotechnological applications. However, most strains of the platform production organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae grow poorly in synthetic glycerol medium. It has been hypothesized that the uptake of glycerol could be a major bottleneck for the utilization of glycerol in S. cerevisiae. This species exclusively relies on an active transport system for glycerol uptake. This work demonstrates that the expression of predicted glycerol facilitators (Fps1 homologues from superior glycerol-utilizing yeast species such as Pachysolen tannophilus, Komagataella pastoris, Yarrowia lipolytica and Cyberlindnera jadinii significantly improves the growth performance on glycerol of the previously selected glycerol-consuming S. cerevisiae wild-type strain (CBS 6412-13A. The maximum specific growth rate increased from 0.13 up to 0.18 h−1 and a biomass yield coefficient of 0.56 gDW/gglycerol was observed. These results pave the way for exploiting the assets of glycerol in the production of fuels, chemicals and pharmaceuticals based on baker's yeast. Keywords: Yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Glycerol, Transport, Glycerol facilitator, Fps1, Stl1

  6. The Use of a Fractional Factorial Design to Determine the Factors That Impact 1,3-Propanediol Production from Glycerol by Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shivani Kalia

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, biodiesel, a substitute for fossil fuels, has led to the excessive production of crude glycerol. The resulting crude glycerol can possess a high concentration of salts and an alkaline pH. Moreover, current crude glycerol purification methods are expensive, rendering this former commodity a waste product. However, Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans, a haloalkaliphilic bacterium, possesses the metabolic capability to convert glycerol into 1,3-propanediol, a valuable commodity compound, without the need for salt dilution or adjusting pH when grown on this waste. Experiments were performed with different combinations of 24 medium components to determine their impact on the production of 1,3-propanediol by using a fractional factorial design. Tested medium components were selected based on data from the organism’s genome. Analysis of HPLC data revealed enhanced production of 1,3-propanediol with additional glycerol, pH, vitamin B12, ammonium ions, sodium sulfide, cysteine, iron, and cobalt. However, other selected components; nitrate ions, phosphate ions, sulfate ions, sodium:potassium ratio, chloride, calcium, magnesium, silicon, manganese, zinc, borate, nickel, molybdenum, tungstate, copper and aluminum, did not enhance 1,3-propanediol production. The use of a fractional factorial design enabled the quick and efficient assessment of the impact of 24 different medium components on 1,3-propanediol production from glycerol from a haloalkaliphilic bacterium.

  7. The Use of a Fractional Factorial Design to Determine the Factors That Impact 1,3-Propanediol Production from Glycerol by Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalia, Shivani; Trager, Jordan; Sitton, Oliver C; Mormile, Melanie R

    2016-08-20

    In recent years, biodiesel, a substitute for fossil fuels, has led to the excessive production of crude glycerol. The resulting crude glycerol can possess a high concentration of salts and an alkaline pH. Moreover, current crude glycerol purification methods are expensive, rendering this former commodity a waste product. However, Halanaerobium hydrogeniformans, a haloalkaliphilic bacterium, possesses the metabolic capability to convert glycerol into 1,3-propanediol, a valuable commodity compound, without the need for salt dilution or adjusting pH when grown on this waste. Experiments were performed with different combinations of 24 medium components to determine their impact on the production of 1,3-propanediol by using a fractional factorial design. Tested medium components were selected based on data from the organism's genome. Analysis of HPLC data revealed enhanced production of 1,3-propanediol with additional glycerol, pH, vitamin B12, ammonium ions, sodium sulfide, cysteine, iron, and cobalt. However, other selected components; nitrate ions, phosphate ions, sulfate ions, sodium:potassium ratio, chloride, calcium, magnesium, silicon, manganese, zinc, borate, nickel, molybdenum, tungstate, copper and aluminum, did not enhance 1,3-propanediol production. The use of a fractional factorial design enabled the quick and efficient assessment of the impact of 24 different medium components on 1,3-propanediol production from glycerol from a haloalkaliphilic bacterium.

  8. Two-Dimensional Raman Correlation Spectroscopy Study of Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate- co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] Copolymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noda, Isao; Roy, Anjan; Carriere, James; Sobieski, Brian J; Chase, D Bruce; Rabolt, John F

    2017-07-01

    Two-dimensional correlation analysis was applied to the time-dependent evolution of Raman spectra during the isothermal crystallization of bioplastic, poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate- co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] or PHBHx copolymer. Simultaneous Raman measurement of both carbonyl stretching and low-frequency crystalline lattice mode regions made it possible to carry out the highly informative hetero-mode correlation analysis. The crystallization process of PHBHx involves: (1) the early nucleation stage; (2) the primary growth of well-ordered crystals of PHBHx; and (3) the secondary crystal growth phase. The latter stage probably occurs in the inter-lamellar region, with an accompanying reduction of the amorphous component, which occurs most dominantly during the primary crystal growth. The development of a fully formed lamellar structure comprising the 2 1 helices occurs after the primary growth of crystals. In the later stage, secondary inter lamellar space crystallization occurs after the full formation of packed helices comprising the lamellae.

  9. Raman spectroscopy of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) modified with poly (vinyl acetate) by radiation- induced copolymerization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez, Maykel; Galego Fernandez, Norma; Ortiz del Toro, Pedro; Rapado, Manuel; Paredes

    2007-01-01

    Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is an important material used in the field of medicine. However in common conditions, PHB has some deficiencies. It is very brittle and slightly hydrophobic polymer. This somewhat limit its applications. Radiation chemistry can be used to improve its chemical properties. In the present study, the substrate, modified by radiation-induced graft copolymerization with vinyl acetate (VAc), was characterized using FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy did not reveal any significant bands but Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of a new band that characterize the material

  10. Monitoring of monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, ethanol and glycerol during wort fermentation by biosensors, HPLC and spectrophotometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monošík, Rastislav; Magdolen, Peter; Stredanský, Miroslav; Šturdík, Ernest

    2013-05-01

    The aim of the present study was to analyze sugar levels (namely maltose, maltotriose, glucose and fructose) and alcohols (ethanol and glycerol) during the fermentation process in wort samples by amperometric enzymatic biosensors developed by our research group for industrial application, HPLC and spectrophotometry, and to compare the suitability of the presented methods for determination of individual analytes. We can conclude that for the specific monitoring of maltose or maltotriose only the HPLC method was suitable. On the other hand, biosensors and spectrophotometry reflected a decrease in total sugar concentration better and were able to detect both glucose and fructose in the later stages of fermentation, while HPLC was not. This can be attributed to the low detection limits and good sensitivity of the proposed methods. For the ethanol and glycerol analysis all methods proved to be suitable. However, concerning the cost expenses and time analysis, biosensors represented the best option. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Investigation of miscibility of p(3hydroxybutyrate-co-3hydroxyhexanoate) and epoxidized natural rubber blends

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akram, Faridah; Chan, Chin Han; Natarajan, Valliyappan David [Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, 40450 Selangor Darul Ehsan (Malaysia)

    2015-08-28

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] produced by C. necator PHB{sup −}4 harboring phaC{sub cs} from crude palm kernel oil with 21 mol% of 3-hydroxyhexanoate and epoxidized natural rubber with 25 mol% of epoxy content (ENR-25) were used to study the miscibility of the blends by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The polymers used were purified and the blends were prepared by solution casting method. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra confirm the purity and molecular structures of P(3HB-co-3HHx) and ENR-25. FTIR spectra for different compositions of P(3HB-co-3HHx) and ENR-25 blends show absorbance change of the absorbance bands but with no significant shifting of the absorbance bands as the P(3HB-co-3HHx) content decreases, which shows that there is no intermolecular interaction between the parent polymer blends. On top of that, there are two T{sub g}s present for the blends and both remain constant for different compositions which corresponds to the T{sub g}s of the parent polymers. This indicates that the blends are immiscible.

  12. Investigation of miscibility of p(3hydroxybutyrate-co-3hydroxyhexanoate) and epoxidized natural rubber blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akram, Faridah; Chan, Chin Han; Natarajan, Valliyappan David

    2015-01-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] produced by C. necator PHB − 4 harboring phaC cs from crude palm kernel oil with 21 mol% of 3-hydroxyhexanoate and epoxidized natural rubber with 25 mol% of epoxy content (ENR-25) were used to study the miscibility of the blends by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The polymers used were purified and the blends were prepared by solution casting method. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra confirm the purity and molecular structures of P(3HB-co-3HHx) and ENR-25. FTIR spectra for different compositions of P(3HB-co-3HHx) and ENR-25 blends show absorbance change of the absorbance bands but with no significant shifting of the absorbance bands as the P(3HB-co-3HHx) content decreases, which shows that there is no intermolecular interaction between the parent polymer blends. On top of that, there are two T g s present for the blends and both remain constant for different compositions which corresponds to the T g s of the parent polymers. This indicates that the blends are immiscible

  13. Diversity of Lactobacillus reuteri Strains in Converting Glycerol into 3-Hydroxypropionic Acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgé, G; Saulou-Bérion, C; Moussa, M; Pollet, B; Flourat, A; Allais, F; Athès, V; Spinnler, H E

    2015-10-01

    The present study aims at comparing the performances of three Lactobacillus reuteri strains (DSM 20016, DSM 17938, and ATCC 53608) in producing 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) from glycerol and at exploring inhibition phenomena during this bioconversion. Differences were highlighted between the three strains in terms of 3-HP production yield, kinetics of substrate consumption, and metabolite production. With a maximal productivity in non-optimal conditions (free pH) around 2 g.L(-1).h(-1) of 3-HP and 4 g.L(-1).h(-1) of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA) depending on the strain, this study confirmed the potential of L. reuteri for the biotechnological production of 3-HP. Moreover, the molar ratios of 3-HP to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) obtained for the three strains (comprised between 1.25 and 1.65) showed systematically a higher 3-HP production. From these results, the DSM 17938 strain appeared to be the most promising strain. The impact of glycerol bioconversion on the bacteria's physiological state (a decrease of around 40 % in DSM 17938 cells showing an enzymatic activity after 3 h) and survival (total loss of cultivability after 2 or 3 h depending on the strains) was revealed and discussed. The effect of each metabolite on L. reuteri DSM 17938 was further investigated, displaying a drastic inhibition caused by 3-HPA, while 3-HP induced lower impact and only at acidic pH.

  14. Using crude glycerol and thin stillage for the production of microbial lipids through the cultivation of Rhodotorula glutinis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yen, Hong-Wei; Yang, Ya-Chun; Yu, Yi-Huan

    2012-10-01

    Single cell oils (SCO) produced from oleaginous microorganisms are a potential alternative oil feedstock for biodiesel production. The worldwide production of glycerol, a 10% (w/w) byproduct produced in the transesterfication process of oils converted to biodiesel, is increasing as more biodiesel is being produced. For the purposes of cost reduction, crude glycerol was regarded as a suitable carbon source for the cultivation of Rhodotorula glutinis. In addition to using renewable crude glycerol, waste solution collected from the brewing company (called thin stillage) was adopted as a substitute to replace a costly nitrogen source used in the medium. The results of using mixture of crude glycerol and thin stillage indicated about a 27% increase in total biomass as compared to that of using crude glycerol with a standard medium. Using glycerol instead of glucose as the carbon source could also alter the lipid profile, resulting in an increase in linolenic acid (C18:2) to comprise over 20% of the total lipid. Successfully using renewable crude glycerol and thin stillage for the cultivation of oleaginous microorganisms could greatly enhance the economic competition of biodiesel produced from SCO. Copyright © 2012 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Effects of hyperglycemia on glucose production and utilization in humans. Measurement with [3H]-2-, [3H]-3-, and [14C]-6-glucose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, P.M.; Firth, R.G.; Rizza, R.A.

    1986-01-01

    Studies with tritiated isotopes of glucose have demonstrated that hyperglycemia per se stimulates glucose utilization and suppresses glucose production in humans. These conclusions rely on the assumption that tritiated glucose provides an accurate measure of glucose turnover. However, if in the presence of hyperglycemia the isotope either loses its label during futile cycling or retains its label during cycling through glycogen, then this assumption is not valid. To examine this question, glucose utilization and glucose production rates were measured in nine normal subjects with a simultaneous infusion of [ 3 H]-2-glucose, an isotope that may undergo futile cycling but does not cycle through glycogen; [ 14 C]-6-glucose, an isotope that may cycle through glycogen but does not futile cycle; and [ 3 H]-3-glucose, an isotope that can both undergo futile cycling and cycle through glycogen. In the postabsorptive state at plasma glucose concentration of 95 mg X dl-1, glucose turnover determined with [ 14 C]-6-glucose (2.3 +/- 0.1 mg X kg-1 X min-1) was greater than that determined with [3 3 H]glucose (2.1 +/- 0.1 mg X kg-1 X min-1, P = 0.002) and slightly less than that determined with [ 3 H]-2-glucose (2.7 +/- 0.2 mg X kg-1 X min-1, P = 0.08). Plasma glucose was then raised from 95 to 135 to 175 mg X dl-1 while insulin secretion was inhibited, and circulating insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone concentrations were maintained constant by infusion of these hormones and somatostatin. Glucose production and utilization rates determined with [ 14 C]-6-glucose continued to be less than those determined with [ 3 H]-2-glucose and greater than those seen with [ 3 H]-3-glucose

  16. Glycerol (byproduct of biodiesel production) as a source of fuels and chemicals : mini review

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fan, X.; Burton, R. [Piedmont Biofuels Industrial, Pittsboro, NC (United States); Zhou, Y. [Yonezawa Hamari Chemical, Ltd., Yonezawa, Yamagata (Japan)

    2010-07-01

    Glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel production, is a potential renewable feedstock for the production of functional chemicals. This paper reviewed recent developments in the conversion of glycerol into value-added products, including citric acid, lactic acid, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA), 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD), dichloro-2-propanol (DCP), acrolein, hydrogen, and ethanol. The new applications of glycerol will improve the economic viability of the biodiesel industry and capitalize on the oversupply of crude glycerol that the biodiesel industry has produced. Increasing abundance and attractive pricing make glycerol an attractive feedstock for deriving value-added chemical compounds. The processes turn glycerol into chemicals, materials, and fuels and fuel additives. Whereas glycerol from first-generation biodiesel production has low purity, glycerol from second-generation biodiesel production, which uses non-edible oil as a feedstock, produces a higher purity glycerol, minimizing the related impurity problem and potentially increasing the applications of glycerol. Glycerol is also being looked at as a carbon source for algal biomass fermentation. 36 refs.

  17. Analysis of structure of hyperfine poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) fibers (PHB) for controlled drug delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olkhov, A. A.; Kosenko, R. Yu; Markin, V. S.; Zykova, A. K.; Pantyukhov, P. V.; Karpova, S. G.; Iordanskii, A. L.

    2017-12-01

    Hyperfine fibers based on biodegradable poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) with encapsulated drug substance (dipyridamol) were obtained by using electrospinning method. Addition of dipyridamol has a significant effect on geometrical shape and structure of microfibers as well as total porosity of fibrous material. Observation of fibers using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) method showed that without or at lower dipyridamol content (<3%) fibers consisted of interleaved ellipsoid and cylindrical fragments. At higher dipyridamol content (3-5%) anomalous ellipsoid structures did not practically form, and fiber’s shape became cylindrical. The totality of morphological and structural characteristics determined the rate of dipyridamol diffusive transports. The simplified model of drug desorption from fibrous matrix was presented. In current work it was showed that the rate-limiting stage of transport was the diffusion of dipyridamol in the bulk of cylindrical fibers.

  18. Calibrating the glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether temperature signal in speleothems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blyth, A.J.; Schouten, S.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/137124929

    2013-01-01

    Palaeotemperature proxies based on glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) lipids have been established for marine and lacustrine environments, but there has been relatively little study of their application in speleothems. In this study we analyse the GDGT content of 33 speleothem samples

  19. Triacylglycerol secretion in rats: validation of a tracer method employing radioactive glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bird, M.; Williams, M.A.; Baker, N.

    1984-01-01

    A two-compartment model was developed to analyze the temporal changes in plasma triacylglycerol (TG)-specific radioactivity after injection of [2- 3 H]glycerol into rats. The analysis, which yielded fractional rate constants of TG secretion, was tested in rats fed diets either adequate or deficient in essential fatty acids (EFA) and containing either glucose, fructose or sucrose as the dietary carbohydrate. The method of analysis appeared valid, first, because of a close agreement between experimental and computer-fitted TG-specific radioactivity curves, and second, because the fractional rate constants obtained were quite similar to fractional rate constants determined previously by the Triton WR-1339 technique in rats maintained on identical diets. The results show that EFA deficiency increased the fractional rate constant of TG secretion 1.7-, 1.8- and 3.3-fold and the rate of TG secretion 1.8-, 1.6- and 1.4-fold when the dietary carbohydrate was glucose, sucrose and fructose, respectively, in comparison with control rats fed diets supplying these same carbohydrates but adequate in EFA. In the latter groups, the rates of plasma TG secretion were in the range of 0.14-0.17 mg/min per 100 g body weight, and the rate of secretion in the fructose-fed rats was only 20% higher than in the glucose-fed rats

  20. Modeling and Parameter Identification Involving 3-Hydroxypropionaldehyde Inhibitory Effects in Glycerol Continuous Fermentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaohua Gong

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Mathematical modeling and parameter estimation are critical steps in the optimization of biotechnological processes. In the 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD production by glycerol fermentation process under anaerobic conditions, 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA accumulation would arouse an irreversible cessation of the fermentation process. Considering 3-HPA inhibitions to cells growth and to activities of enzymes, we propose a novel mathematical model to describe glycerol continuous cultures. Some properties of the above model are discussed. On the basis of the concentrations of extracellular substances, a parameter identification model is established to determine the kinetic parameters in the presented system. Through the penalty function technique combined with an extension of the state space method, an improved genetic algorithm is then constructed to solve the parameter identification model. An illustrative numerical example shows the appropriateness of the proposed model and the validity of optimization algorithm. Since it is difficult to measure the concentrations of intracellular substances, a quantitative robustness analysis method is given to infer whether the model is plausible for the intracellular substances. Numerical results show that the proposed model is of good robustness.

  1. Glycolysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) via enzyme catalysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paula, Everton Luiz de; Campos, Tiago Ferreira; Mano, Valdir

    2014-01-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, is a polymer with broad potential applications because of its biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, its high crystallinity is a limiting factor for many applications. To overcome this drawback, one strategy currently employed involves the reduction of the molecular weight of PHB with the concomitant formation of end-functionalized chains, such as those obtained via glycolysis. The glycolysis of PHB can be catalyzed by acid, base, or organometallic compounds. However, to our knowledge, there are no reports regarding PHB glycolysis catalyzed enzymatically. Among the major types of enzymes used in biocatalysis, the lipases stand out because they have the ability to catalyze reactions in both aqueous and organic media. Thus, in this study, we performed the enzymatic glycolysis of PHB using the lipase Amano PS (Pseudomonas cepacia) with ethane-1,2-diol (ethylene glycol) as the functionalizing agent. The results indicated that the glycolysis was successful and afforded hydroxyl-terminated oligomeric PHB polyols. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the products showed characteristic signals for the terminal hydroxyl groups of the polyols, while thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analyses confirmed an increase in the thermal stability and a decrease in the crystallinity of the polyols compared with the starting PHB polymer, which were both attributed to the reduction in the molecular weight due to glycolysis. (author)

  2. A new disease? Persistent isolated beta.hydroxybutyrate ketosis and mild congenital hyperinsulinism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christesen, Henrik Thybo; Brusgaard, Klaus; Ditkovskaya, L

    A new disease? Persistent isolated beta.hydroxybutyrate ketosis and mild congenital hyperinsulinism.......A new disease? Persistent isolated beta.hydroxybutyrate ketosis and mild congenital hyperinsulinism....

  3. Composite scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering based on natural polymers of bacterial origin, thermoplastic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and micro-fibrillated bacterial cellulose

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Akaraonye, E.; Filip, J.; Šafaříková, Miroslava; Salih, V.; Keshavarz, T.; Knowles, J.C.; Roy, I.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 65, č. 7 (2016), s. 780-791 ISSN 0959-8103 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : polyhydroxyalkanoates * poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) * bacterial cellulose * micro-fibrillated cellulose * tissue engineering scaffold * composite materials Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.070, year: 2016

  4. Trace glucose and lipid metabolism in high androgen and high-fat diet induced polycystic ovary syndrome rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhai Hua-Ling

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background There is a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM and dyslipidemia in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of different metabolic pathways in the development of diabetes mellitus in high-androgen female mice fed with a high-fat diet. Methods Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: the control group(C, n = 10; the andronate-treated group (Andronate, n = 10 (treated with andronate, 1 mg/100 g body weight/day for 8 weeks; and the andronate-treated and high-fat diet group (Andronate+HFD, n = 10. The rate of glucose appearance (Ra of glucose, gluconeogenesis (GNG, and the rate of glycerol appearance (Ra of glycerol were assessed with a stable isotope tracer. The serum sex hormone levels, insulin levels, glucose concentration, and the lipid profile were also measured. Results Compared with control group, both andronate-treated groups exhibited obesity with higher insulin concentrations (P P Conclusions Andronate with HFD rat model showed ovarian and metabolic features of PCOS, significant increase in glucose Ra, GNG, and lipid profiles, as well as normal blood glucose levels. Therefore, aberrant IR, increased glucose Ra, GNG, and lipid metabolism may represent the early-stage of glucose and lipid kinetics disorder, thereby might be used as potential early-stage treatment targets for PCOS.

  5. Alkaline conditions stimulate the production of 1,3-propanediol in Lactobacillus panis PM1 through shifting metabolic pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grahame, Douglas A S; Kang, Tae Sun; Khan, Nurul H; Tanaka, Takuji

    2013-07-01

    A novel Lactobacillus panis PM1 isolate was found to be capable of converting glycerol to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), an increasingly valuable commodity chemical. In this study the effects of various process parameters, including glucose and glycerol concentrations, inoculum size, temperature, aeration, pH, and carbon source were examined to determine the optimal conditions for the production of 1,3-PDO using a culture method simulating late log to early stationary phases. Inoculum size did not influence the production of 1,3-PDO, and temperature variance showed similar 1,3-PDO production between 25 and 37 °C under the examined conditions. Glycerol concentration and pH played a primary role in the final concentration of 1,3-PDO. The highest production occurred at 150-250 mM glycerol when 50 mM glucose was available. Alkaline initial conditions (pH 9-10) stimulated the production of 1,3-PDO which concurrently occurred with increased acetic acid production. Under these conditions, 213.6 mM of 1,3-PDO were produced from 300 mM glycerol (conversion efficiency was 71 %). These observations indicated that the production of 1,3-PDO was associated with the shift of the metabolic end-product ethanol to acetic acid, and that this shift resulted in an excess concentration of NADH available for the processing of glycerol to 1,3-PDO.

  6. Crystal structures, thermal behaviors, and C-H...O=C hydrogen bondings of poly(3-hydroxyvalerate) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) studied by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sato, H.; Ando, Y.; Dybal, Jiří; Iwata, T.; Noda, I.; Ozaki, Y.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 41, č. 12 (2008), s. 4305-4312 ISSN 0024-9297 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/05/0425 Grant - others:Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(JP) MEXT Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : poly(3-hydroxyvalerate) * poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) * infrared spectroscopy Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 4.407, year: 2008

  7. Metabolic engineering of a glycerol-oxidative pathway in Lactobacillus panis PM1 for utilization of bioethanol thin stillage: potential to produce platform chemicals from glycerol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Tae Sun; Korber, Darren R; Tanaka, Takuji

    2014-12-01

    Lactobacillus panis PM1 has the ability to produce 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) from thin stillage (TS), which is the major waste material after bioethanol production, and is therefore of significance. However, the fact that L. panis PM1 cannot use glycerol as a sole carbon source presents a considerable problem in terms of utilization of this strain in a wide range of industrial applications. Accordingly, L. panis PM1 was genetically engineered to directly utilize TS as a fermentable substrate for the production of valuable platform chemicals without the need for exogenous nutrient supplementation (e.g., sugars and nitrogen sources). An artificial glycerol-oxidative pathway, comprised of glycerol facilitator, glycerol kinase, glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate isomerase, and NADPH-dependent aldehyde reductase genes of Escherichia coli, was introduced into L. panis PM1 in order to directly utilize glycerol for the production of energy for growth and value-added chemicals. A pH 6.5 culture converted glycerol to mainly lactic acid (85.43 mM), whereas a significant amount of 1,3-propanediol (59.96 mM) was formed at pH 7.5. Regardless of the pH, ethanol (82.16 to 83.22 mM) was produced from TS fermentations, confirming that the artificial pathway metabolized glycerol for energy production and converted it into lactic acid or 1,3-PDO and ethanol in a pH-dependent manner. This study demonstrates the cost-effective conversion of TS to value-added chemicals by the engineered PM1 strain cultured under industrial conditions. Thus, application of this strain or these research findings can contribute to reduced costs of bioethanol production. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  8. Microbial production and characterization of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate by Neptunomonas antarctica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Jie Liu

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Considering the industrial interest of biodegradable polymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB, the marine bacteria Neptunomonas antarctica was studied for its ability to accumulate PHB. The extracted polymer was confirmed to be PHB by nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. In shake flask cultures using natural seawater as medium components, PHB was produced up to 2.12 g/L with a yield of 0.18 g PHB/g fructose. In the presence of artificial seawater, the PHB titer and yield reached 2.13 g/L and 0.13 g PHB/g fructose, respectively. The accumulated polymer gradually decreased when fructose was exhausted, indicating that intracellular PHB was degraded by N. antarctica. The weight-average and number-average molecular weights of PHB produced within natural seawater were 2.4 × 105 g/mol and 1.7 × 105 g/mol, respectively. Our results highlight the potential of N. antarctica for PHB production with seawater as a nutrient source.

  9. Evidence for dual control mechanism regulating hepatic glucose output in nondiabetic men

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clore, J.N.; Glickman, P.S.; Helm, S.T.; Nestler, J.E.; Blackard, W.G.

    1991-01-01

    The authors previously reported a fall in hepatic glucose output (HGO) during sleep accompanied by reductions in glucose utilization (Rd) and free fatty acids (FFAs). This study was undertaken to determine the potential role of changes in Rd and FFA on HGO in nondiabetic men. To determine if the fall in HGO during sleep could be reversed by FFA elevation, seven nondiabetic men underwent [3-3H]glucose infusions from 2200 to 0800, with heparin (90 mU.kg-1.min-1) added at 0200. Glucose appearance (Ra) fell from 11.7 ± 1.1 at 2430 to 8.9 ± 0.8 mumol.kg-1.min-1 (P less than 0.05) at 0200. The fall in Ra was associated with decreases in FFA (0.57 ± 0.10 to 0.48 ± 0.07 mM) and glycerol (0.08 ± 0.01 to 0.06 ± 0.01 mM). Infusion of heparin significantly increased FFA and glycerol (1.09 ± 0.21 and 0.11 ± 0.01 mM, respectively, P less than 0.01) and resulted in a significant fall in plasma alanine, suggesting that gluconeogenesis had been increased. However, rates of glucose turnover were indistinguishable from overnight studies without heparin. In additional studies (n = 6), intralipid and heparin-induced FFA elevation (from 0.61 ± 0.07 to 0.95 ± 0.05 mM, P less than 0.01) stimulated gluconeogenesis ([U-14C]alanine to glucose) twofold (188 ± 22% increase compared to 114 ± 6% in saline control studies, P less than 0.01). However, despite increasing gluconeogenesis, overall HGO did not change (10.6 ± 0.5 vs. 10.7 ± 0.6 mumol.kg-1.min-1) during lipid infusion

  10. Batch, design optimization, and DNA sequencing study for continuous 1,3-propanediol production from waste glycerol by a soil-based inoculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanjilal, Baishali; Noshadi, Iman; Bautista, Eddy J; Srivastava, Ranjan; Parnas, Richard S

    2015-03-01

    1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) was produced with a robust fermentation process using waste glycerol feedstock from biodiesel production and a soil-based bacterial inoculum. An iterative inoculation method was developed to achieve independence from soil and selectively breed bacterial populations capable of glycerol metabolism to 1,3-PD. The inoculum showed high resistance to impurities in the feedstock. 1,3-PD selectivity and yield in batch fermentations was optimized by appropriate nutrient compositions and pH control. The batch yield of 1,3-PD was maximized to ~0.7 mol/mol for industrial glycerol which was higher than that for pure glycerin. 16S rDNA sequencing results show a systematic selective enrichment of 1,3-PD producing bacteria with iterative inoculation and subsequent process control. A statistical design of experiments was carried out on industrial glycerol batches to optimize conditions, which were used to run two continuous flow stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) experiments over a period of >500 h each. A detailed analysis of steady states at three dilution rates is presented. Enhanced specific 1,3-PD productivity was observed with faster dilution rates due to lower levels of solvent degeneration. 1,3-PD productivity, specific productivity, and yield of 1.1 g/l hr, 1.5 g/g hr, and 0.6 mol/mol of glycerol were obtained at a dilution rate of 0.1 h(-1)which is bettered only by pure strains in pure glycerin feeds.

  11. Mechanisms whereby insulin increases diacylglycerol in BC3H-1 myocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farese, R V; Cooper, D R; Konda, T S; Nair, G; Standaert, M L; Davis, J S; Pollet, R J

    1988-01-01

    We previously suggested that insulin increases diacylglycerol (DAG) in BC3H-1 myocytes, both by increases in synthesis de novo of phosphatidic acid (PA) and by hydrolysis of non-inositol-containing phospholipids, such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). We have now evaluated these insulin effects more thoroughly, and several potential mechanisms for their induction. In studies of the effect on PA synthesis de novo, insulin stimulated [2-3H]glycerol incorporation into PA, DAG, PC/PE and total glycerolipids of BC3H-1 myocytes, regardless of whether insulin was added simultaneously with, or after 2 h or 3 or 10 days of prelabelling with, [2-3H]glycerol. In prelabelled cells, time-related changes in [2-3H]glycerol labelling of DAG correlated well with increases in DAG content: both were maximal in 30-60 s and persisted for 20-30 min. [2-3H]Glycerol labelling of glycerol 3-phosphate, on the other hand, was decreased by insulin, presumably reflecting increased utilization for PA synthesis. Glycerol 3-phosphate concentrations were 0.36 and 0.38 mM before and 1 min after insulin treatment, and insulin effects could not be explained by increases in glycerol 3-phosphate specific radioactivity. In addition to that of [2-3H]glycerol, insulin increased [U-14C]glucose and [1,2,3-3H]glycerol incorporation into DAG and other glycerolipids. Effects of insulin on [2-3H]glycerol incorporation into DAG and other glycerolipids were half-maximal and maximal at 2 nM- and 20 nM-insulin respectively, and were not dependent on glucose concentration in the medium, extracellular Ca2+ or protein synthesis. Despite good correlation between [3H]DAG and DAG content, calculated increases in DAG content from glycerol 3-phosphate specific radioactivity (i.e. via the pathway of PA synthesis de novo) could account for only 15-30% of the observed increases in DAG content. In addition to increases in [3H]glycerol labelling of PC/PE, insulin rapidly (within 30 s) increased PC

  12. 1,3-Propanediol dehydrogenases in Lactobacillus reuteri: impact on central metabolism and 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meile Leo

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lactobacillus reuteri metabolizes glycerol to 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA and further to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO, the latter step catalysed by a propanediol dehydrogenase (PDH. The last step in this pathway regenerates NAD+ and enables therefore the energetically more favourable production of acetate over ethanol during growth on glucose. Results A search throughout the genome of L. reuteri DSM 20016 revealed two putative PDHs encoded by ORFs lr_0030 and lr_1734. ORF lr_1734 is situated in the pdu operon encoding the glycerol conversion machinery and therefore likely involved in 1,3-PDO formation. ORF lr_0030 has not been associated with PDH-activity so far. To elucidate the role of these two PDHs, gene deletion mutant strains were constructed. Growth behaviour on glucose was comparable between the wild type and both mutant strains. However, on glucose + glycerol, the exponential growth rate of Δlr_0030 was lower compared to the wild type and the lr_1734 mutant. Furthermore, glycerol addition resulted in decreased ethanol production in the wild type and Δlr_1734, but not in Δlr_0030. PDH activity measurements using 3-HPA as a substrate revealed lower activity of Δlr_0030 extracts from exponential growing cells compared to wild type and Δlr_1734 extracts. During biotechnological 3-HPA production using non-growing cells, the ratio 3-HPA to 1,3-PDO was approximately 7 in the wild type and Δlr_0030, whereas this ratio was 12.5 in the mutant Δlr_1734. Conclusion The enzyme encoded by lr_0030 plays a pivotal role in 3-HPA conversion in exponential growing L. reuteri cells. The enzyme encoded by lr_1734 is active during 3-HPA production by non-growing cells and this enzyme is a useful target to enhance 3-HPA production and minimize formation of the by-product 1,3-PDO.

  13. Surface wettability and energy effects on the biological performance of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate films treated with RF plasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Syromotina, D.S. [Department of Experimental Physics, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk (Russian Federation); Surmenev, R.A., E-mail: rsurmenev@gmail.com [Department of Experimental Physics, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk (Russian Federation); Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Surmeneva, M.A. [Department of Experimental Physics, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, 634050 Tomsk (Russian Federation); Boyandin, A.N.; Nikolaeva, E.D. [Institute of Biophysics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 50/50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036 (Russian Federation); School of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny pr., 660041 Krasnoyarsk (Russian Federation); Prymak, O.; Epple, M. [Inorganic Chemistry and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CeNIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45117 Essen (Germany); Ulbricht, M. [Technical Chemistry II and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CeNIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141 Essen (Germany); Oehr, C. [Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, 70569 Stuttgart (Germany); Volova, T.G. [Institute of Biophysics of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 50/50 Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036 (Russian Federation); School of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny pr., 660041 Krasnoyarsk (Russian Federation)

    2016-05-01

    The surface properties of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB) membranes were modified using oxygen and an ammonia radio-frequency (RF, 13.56 MHz) plasma. The plasma treatment procedures used in the study only affected the surface properties, including surface topography, without inducing any significant changes in the crystalline structure of the polymer, with the exception being a power level of 250 W. The wettability of the modified P3HB surfaces was significantly increased after the plasma treatment, irrespective of the treatment procedure used. It was revealed that both surface chemistry and surface roughness changes caused by the plasma treatment affected surface wettability. A treatment-induced surface aging effect was observed and resulted in an increase in the water contact angle and a decrease in the surface free energy. However, the difference in the water contact angle between the polymers that had been treated for 4 weeks and the untreated polymer surfaces was still significant. A dependence between cell adhesion and proliferation and the polar component of the surface energy was revealed. The increase in the polar component after the ammonia plasma modification significantly increased cell adhesion and proliferation on biodegradable polymer surfaces compared to the untreated P3HB and the P3HB modified using an oxygen plasma. - Highlights: • Plasma treatment affected the topography of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB). • Plasma treatment resulted in improvement of the surface wettability. • No alteration of the bulk properties of the polymers was observed. • The ammonia plasma treatment at 150 W improved the cell adhesion and proliferation.

  14. Synthesis of Diblock copolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate -block-poly-3-hydroxyhexanoate [PHB-b-PHHx] by a β-oxidation weakened Pseudomonas putida KT2442.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathi, Lakshmi; Wu, Lin-Ping; Chen, Jinchun; Chen, Guo-Qiang

    2012-04-05

    Block polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were reported to be resistant against polymer aging that negatively affects polymer properties. Recently, more and more attempts have been directed to make PHA block copolymers. Diblock copolymers PHB-b-PHHx consisting of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) block covalently bonded with poly-3-hydroxyhexanoate (PHHx) block were for the first time produced successfully by a recombinant Pseudomonas putida KT2442 with its β-oxidation cycle deleted to its maximum. The chloroform extracted polymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermo- and mechanical analysis. NMR confirmed the existence of diblock copolymers consisting of 58 mol% PHB as the short chain length block with 42 mol% PHHx as the medium chain length block. The block copolymers had two glass transition temperatures (Tg) at 2.7°C and -16.4°C, one melting temperature (Tm) at 172.1°C and one cool crystallization temperature (Tc) at 69.1°C as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. This is the first microbial short-chain-length (scl) and medium-chain-length (mcl) PHA block copolymer reported. It is possible to produce PHA block copolymers of various kinds using the recombinant Pseudomonas putida KT2442 with its β-oxidation cycle deleted to its maximum. In comparison to a random copolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate (P(HB-co-HHx)) and a blend sample of PHB and PHHx, the PHB-b-PHHx showed improved structural related mechanical properties.

  15. Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus aryabhattai Strain PHB10, a Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate)-Accumulating Bacterium Isolated from Domestic Sewerage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balakrishna Pillai, Aneesh; Jaya Kumar, Arjun; Thulasi, Kavitha; Reghunathan, Dinesh; Prasannakumar, Manoj; Kumarapillai, Harikrishnan

    2017-10-12

    Bacillus aryabhattai PHB10 is a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)-accumulating bacterium isolated from domestic sewerage. Here, we report the 4.19-Mb draft genome sequence, with 4,050 protein-coding genes and a G+C content of 37.5%. This sequence will be helpful in the study of the high-level PHB accumulation mechanism of the strain. Copyright © 2017 Balakrishna Pillai et al.

  16. ROS generation and multiple forms of mammalian mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Mráček, Tomáš; Holzerová, Eliška; Drahota, Zdeněk; Kovářová, Nikola; Vrbacký, Marek; Ješina, Pavel; Houštěk, Josef

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 1837, č. 1 (2014), s. 98-111 ISSN 0005-2728 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GPP303/10/P227; GA MŠk(CZ) LL1204 Grant - others:Univerzita Karlova(CZ) 750213 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase * ROS production * supercomplex * in-gel ROS detection Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.353, year: 2014

  17. Conserved family of glycerol kinase loci in Drosophila melanogaster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez Agosto, Julian A.; McCabe, Edward R.B.

    2009-01-01

    Glycerol kinase (GK) is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of glycerol 3-phosphate from ATP and glycerol, the rate-limiting step in glycerol utilization. We analyzed the genome of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster and identified five GK orthologs, including two loci with sequence homology to the mammalian Xp21 GK protein. Using a combination of sequence analysis and evolutionary comparisons of orthologs between species, we characterized functional domains in the protein required for GK activity. Our findings include additional conserved domains that suggest novel nuclear and mitochondrial functions for glycerol kinase in apoptosis and transcriptional regulation. Investigation of GK function in Drosophila will inform us about the role of this enzyme in development and will provide us with a tool to examine genetic modifiers of human metabolic disorders. PMID:16545593

  18. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-R-3-hydroxyhexanoate) nanoparticles with polyethylenimine coat as simple, safe, and versatile vehicles for cell targeting: population characteristics, cell uptake, and intracellular trafficking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Lin-Ping; Wang, Danyang; Parhamifar, Ladan; Hall, Arnaldur; Chen, Guo-Qiang; Moghimi, Seyed M

    2014-06-01

    A simple and highly safe poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-R-3-hydroxyhexanoate) nanoparticulate delivery system that targets different cell types is developed. A sub-cytotoxic level of polyethylenimine coat mediates universal cell targeting. Internalized nanoparticles traffic along endolysosomal compartments, endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi complex. Nanoparticles have no detrimental effects on cell morphology and respiration. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Assessment of insulin action in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus using [6(14)C]glucose, [3(3)H]glucose, and [2(3)H]glucose. Differences in the apparent pattern of insulin resistance depending on the isotope used

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, P.M.; Firth, R.G.; Rizza, R.A.

    1986-01-01

    To determine whether [2(3)H], [3(3)H], and [6(14)C]glucose provide an equivalent assessment of glucose turnover in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and nondiabetic man, glucose utilization rates were measured using a simultaneous infusion of these isotopes before and during hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps. In the nondiabetic subjects, glucose turnover rates determined with [6(14)C]glucose during insulin infusion were lower (P less than 0.02) than those determined with [2(3)H]glucose and higher (P less than 0.01) than those determined with [3(3)H]glucose. In IDDM, glucose turnover rates measured with [6(14)C]glucose during insulin infusion were lower (P less than 0.05) than those determined with [2(3)H]glucose, but were not different from those determined with [3(3)H]glucose. All three isotopes indicated the presence of insulin resistance. However, using [3(3)H]glucose led to the erroneous conclusion that glucose utilization was not significantly decreased at high insulin concentrations in the diabetic patients. [6(14)C] and [3(3)H]glucose but not [2(3)H]glucose indicated impairment in insulin-induced suppression of glucose production. These results indicate that tritiated isotopes do not necessarily equally reflect the pattern of glucose metabolism in diabetic and nondiabetic man

  20. Glycerol-3-phosphate metabolism in wheat contributes to systemic acquired resistance against Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuheng Yang

    Full Text Available Glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P is a proposed regulator of plant defense signaling in basal resistance and systemic acquired resistance (SAR. The GLY1-encoded glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH and GLI1-encoded glycerol kinase (GK are two key enzymes involved in the G3P biosynthesis in plants. However, their physiological importance in wheat defense against pathogens remains unclear. In this study, quantification analysis revealed that G3P levels were significantly induced in wheat leaves challenged by the avirulent Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst race CYR23. The transcriptional levels of TaGLY1 and TaGLI1 were likewise significantly induced by avirulent Pst infection. Furthermore, knocking down TaGLY1 and TaGLI1 individually or simultaneously with barley stripe mosaic virus-induced gene silencing (BSMV-VIGS inhibited G3P accumulation and compromised the resistance in the wheat cultivar Suwon 11, whereas the accumulation of salicylic acid (SA and the expression of the SA-induced marker gene TaPR1 in plant leaves were altered significantly after gene silencing. These results suggested that G3P contributes to wheat systemic acquired resistance (SAR against stripe rust, and provided evidence that the G3P function as a signaling molecule is conserved in dicots and monocots. Meanwhile, the simultaneous co-silencing of multiple genes by the VIGS system proved to be a powerful tool for multi-gene functional analysis in plants.

  1. Biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) film grafted with vinyl acetate: Effect of grafting and saponification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wada, Yuki; Seko, Noriaki; Nagasawa, Naotsugu; Tamada, Masao; Kasuya, Ken-ichi; Mitomo, Hiroshi

    2007-06-01

    Radiation-induced graft polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) onto poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) film was carried out. At a degree of grafting higher than 5%, the grafted films (PHB-g-VAc) completely lost the enzymatic degradability that is characteristic of PHB due to the grafted VAc covering the surface of the PHB film. However, the biodegradability of the PHB-g-VAc films was recovered when the films were saponified in alkali solution under optimum conditions. Graft chains of the PHB-g-VAc film reacted selectively to become biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The biodegradability of the saponified PHB-g-VAc film increased rapidly with time.

  2. Biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) film grafted with vinyl acetate: Effect of grafting and saponification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wada, Yuki; Seko, Noriaki; Nagasawa, Naotsugu; Tamada, Masao; Kasuya, Ken-ichi; Mitomo, Hiroshi

    2007-01-01

    Radiation-induced graft polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) onto poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) film was carried out. At a degree of grafting higher than 5%, the grafted films (PHB-g-VAc) completely lost the enzymatic degradability that is characteristic of PHB due to the grafted VAc covering the surface of the PHB film. However, the biodegradability of the PHB-g-VAc films was recovered when the films were saponified in alkali solution under optimum conditions. Graft chains of the PHB-g-VAc film reacted selectively to become biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The biodegradability of the saponified PHB-g-VAc film increased rapidly with time

  3. Bio-hydrogen production from glycerol by a strain of Enterobacter aerogenes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marques, P.A.S.S; Bartolomeu, M.L.; Tome, M.M.; Rosa, M.F. [INETI, Unit of Biomass/Renewable Energy Department, Estrada do Paco do Lumiar, 22, 1649-038 Lisboa (Portugal)

    2008-07-01

    The goal of this work was to evaluate the H2 production from glycerol-containing byproducts obtained from biodiesel industrial production, using Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048 Sputum. H2 production using as substrate pure glycerol and glycerol-containing biodiesel byproducts was compared. The effect of parameters such as initial substrate concentration and sodium chloride addition on the bio-hydrogen production efficiency was also investigated. The results showed that using 10 g/L of pure glycerol or biodiesel residues, containing the same concentration of glycerol as substrate, lead to similar bio-hydrogen productions (3.46 LH2/L and 3.28 LH2/L fermentation medium, respectively). This indicates that the performance of the E. aerogenes strain used was not influenced by the presence of other components than glycerol in biodiesel residues, at least for the tested waste concentration range. When sodium chloride was added to the fermentation medium with pure 10 g/L glycerol, H2 production was not affected (3.34 LH2/L fermentation medium), showing that metabolism of the E. aerogenes strain was not inhibited by this biodiesel waste component up to 4 g/L chloride concentration. Biodiesel residues used without sterilization provided a higher H2 production (1.03 L) than the ones submitted to previous sterilization in autoclave (0.89 L).

  4. Application of Glycerol for Induced Powdery Mildew Resistance in Triticum aestivum L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yinghui; Song, Na; Zhao, Chuanzhi; Li, Feng; Geng, Miaomiao; Wang, Yuhui; Liu, Wanhui; Xie, Chaojie; Sun, Qixin

    2016-01-01

    Previous work has demonstrated that glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) and oleic acid (18:1) are two important signal molecules associated with plant resistance to fungi. In this article, we provide evidence that a 3% glycerol spray application 1-2 days before powdery mildew infection and subsequent applications once every 4 days was sufficient to stimulate the plant defense responses without causing any significant damage to wheat leaves. We found that G3P and oleic acid levels were markedly induced by powdery mildew infection. In addition, TaGLI1 (encoding a glycerol kinase) and TaSSI2 (encoding a stearoylacyl carrier protein fatty acid desaturase), two genes associated with the glycerol and fatty acid (FA) pathways, respectively, were induced by powdery mildew infection, and their promoter regions contain some fungal response elements. Moreover, exogenous application of glycerol increased the G3P level and decreased the level of oleic acid (18:1). Glycerol application induced the expression of pathogenesis-related ( PR ) genes ( TaPR-1, TaPR-2, TaPR-3, TaPR-4 , and TaPR-5 ), induced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) before powdery mildew infection, and induced salicylic acid (SA) accumulation in wheat leaves. Further, we sprayed glycerol in a wheat field and found that it significantly ( p powdery mildew disease and lessened disease-associated kernel weight loss, all without causing any noticeable degradation in wheat seed quality.

  5. Vanadium-Catalyzed Deoxydehydration of Glycerol Without an External Reductant

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Allan Robertson; Nielsen, Lasse Bo; Dethlefsen, Johannes Rytter

    2018-01-01

    A vanadium‐catalysed deoxydehydration (DODH) of neat glycerol has been developed. Cheap and readily available ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3) affords higher yields of allyl alcohol than the well‐established catalyst methyltrioxorhenium. A study in which deuterium‐labelled glycerol was used...

  6. Effect of Glycerol Pretreatment on Levoglucosan Production from Corncobs by Fast Pyrolysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liqun Jiang

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available In this manuscript, glycerol was used in corncobs’ pretreatment to promote levoglucosan production by fast pyrolysis first and then was further utilized as raw material for chemicals production by microbial fermentation. The effects of glycerol pretreatment temperatures (220–240 °C, time (0.5–3 h and solid-to-liquid ratios (5–20% were investigated. Due to the accumulation of crystalline cellulose and the removal of minerals, the levoglucosan yield was as high as 35.8% from corncobs pretreated by glycerol at 240 for 3 h with a 5% solid-to-liquid ratio, which was obviously higher than that of the control (2.2%. After glycerol pretreatment, the fermentability of the recovered glycerol remaining in the liquid stream from glycerol pretreatment was evaluated by Klebsiella pneumoniae. The results showed that the recovered glycerol had no inhibitory effect on the growth and metabolism of the microbe, which was a promising substrate for fermentation. The value-added applications of glycerol could reduce the cost of biomass pretreatment. Correspondingly, this manuscript offers a green, sustainable, efficient and economic strategy for an integrated biorefinery process.

  7. Polymer blends made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) and epoxidized natural rubber: Thermal and mechanical response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salim, Yoga Sugama; Han, Chan Chin; Kammer, Hans-Werner; Kumar, Sudesh; Neon, Gan Seng

    2015-08-01

    The ever-increasing demand of biodegradable over conventional polymers places microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) as an ideal choice of research material for specific applications. In this study, polymer blends made of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-3HHx) and epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) were prepared using solution casting technique. The influence of ENR on thermal, morphological and mechanical properties of P(3HB-co-3HHx) was investigated. There are two glass transition (Tg) temperatures observed using differential scanning calorimeter. This indicates that P(3HB-co-3HHx) and ENR are immiscible at macroscopic level. Although the Tg of P(3HB-co-3HHx) is seen to shift toward ENR in the least manner, infrared analysis suggests that the crystal structure of P(3HB-co-3HHx) retains its conformational structure. In terms of morphology, ENR exists as droplets in P(3HB-co-3HHx)-rich phase, e.g. at ENR weight fraction (wENR) of 0.3. In dynamic mechanical analysis, all blend compositions exhibit solid-like behavior, with storage moduli larger than loss moduli, across the frequency sweep at room temperature.

  8. Underestimation of glucose turnover corrected with high-performance liquid chromatography purification of [6-3H]glucose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwenk, W.F.; Butler, P.C.; Haymond, M.W.; Rizza, R.A.

    1990-01-01

    We have recently reported that during infusion of commercially available [6-3H]glucose, a radioactive nonglucose contaminant may accumulate in plasma causing errors in the measurement of glucose turnover. To determine whether purification of this tracer by HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) before infusion would eliminate the contaminant in plasma and remove the underestimation of glucose turnover reported during hyperinsulinemia, four normal subjects each underwent two 5-h euglycemic clamps during infusion of insulin (1 mU.kg-1.min-1). Glucose turnover was measured with either commercially available [6-3H]glucose or with HPLC-purified [6-3H]glucose. HPLC analysis of samples from the clamps done with commercially available [6-3H]glucose showed that 9.7% of the infused tracer and 26% of the plasma glucose 3H radioactivity were contaminants. In contrast, no contaminant was observed in the plasma during infusion of HPLC-purified [6-3H]glucose. During the last hour of the clamp, mean glucose turnover using commercially available [6-3H]glucose was less (P less than 0.01) than the mean glucose infusion rate (7.6 +/- 0.3 vs. 10.5 +/- 0.3 mg.kg-1.min-1) yielding apparent negative (P less than 0.001) hepatic glucose release. In contrast, when HPLC-purified [6-3H]glucose was employed, glucose turnover equaled the glucose infusion rate (10.4 +/- 0.9 vs. 10.2 +/- 0.9 mg.kg-1.min-1) and hepatic glucose release was no longer negative. We conclude that removal of a tritiated nonglucose contaminant in [6-3H]glucose by HPLC yields correct estimations of glucose turnover at steady state

  9. Efficient synthetic protocols in glycerol under heterogeneous catalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cravotto, Giancarlo; Orio, Laura; Gaudino, Emanuela Calcio; Martina, Katia; Tavor, Dorith; Wolfson, Adi

    2011-08-22

    The massive increase in glycerol production from the transesterification of vegetable oils has stimulated a large effort to find novel uses for this compound. Hence, the use of glycerol as a solvent for organic synthesis has drawn particular interest. Drawbacks of this green and renewable solvent are a low solubility of highly hydrophobic molecules and a high viscosity, which often requires the use of a fluidifying co-solvent. These limitations can be easily overcome by performing reactions under high-intensity ultrasound and microwaves in a stand-alone or combined manner. These non-conventional techniques facilitate and widen the use of glycerol as a solvent in organic synthesis. Glycerol allows excellent acoustic cavitation even at high temperatures (70-100 °C), which is otherwise negligible in water. Herein, we describe three different types of applications: 1) the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol in which glycerol plays the dual role of the solvent and hydrogen donor; 2) the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling; and (3) the Barbier reaction. In all cases glycerol proved to be a greener, less expensive, and safer alternative to the classic volatile organic solvents. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Characterization of biodegradable poly-3-hydroxybutyrate films and pellets loaded with the fungicide tebuconazole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volova, Tatiana; Zhila, Natalia; Vinogradova, Olga; Shumilova, Anna; Prudnikova, Svetlana; Shishatskaya, Ekaterina

    2016-03-01

    Biodegradable polymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) has been used as a matrix to construct slow-release formulations of the fungicide tebuconazole (TEB). P3HB/TEB systems constructed as films and pellets have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray structure analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. TEB release from the experimental formulations has been studied in aqueous and soil laboratory systems. In the soil with known composition of microbial community, polymer was degraded, and TEB release after 35 days reached 60 and 36 % from films and pellets, respectively. That was 1.23 and 1.8 times more than the amount released to the water after 60 days in a sterile aqueous system. Incubation of P3HB/TEB films and pellets in the soil stimulated development of P3HB-degrading microorganisms of the genera Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, Variovorax, and Streptomyces. Experiments with phytopathogenic fungi F. moniliforme and F. solani showed that the experimental P3HB/TEB formulations had antifungal activity comparable with that of free TEB.

  11. Analysis of the structure of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate ultrathin fibers modified with iron (III) complex with tetraphenylporphyrin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olkhov, A. A.; Karpova, S. G.; Lobanov, A. V.; Tyubaeva, P. M.; Artemov, N. S.; Iordansky, A. L.

    2017-12-01

    In the treatment of many infectious diseases and cancer, transdermal systems based on solid polymer matrices or gels containing functional substances with antiseptic (antibacterial) properties are often used. One of the most promising types of matrices with antiseptic properties are the ones of nano- and microfiber-bonded cloth obtained by electrospinning based on biopolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). The present work investigates the effects of iron (III) complex with tetraphenylporphyrin and the influence on the geometry, crystalline order and molecular dynamics in the intercrystalline (amorphous phase) of ultrathin PHB fibers.

  12. Glycerol from biodiesel production: the new corn for dairy cattle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shawn S Donkin

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Glycerol, also known as glycerin, is a colorless, odorless, hygroscopic, and sweet-tasting viscous liquid. It is a sugar alcohol with high solubility index in water and has a wide range of applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The use of glycerol in diets for dairy cattle is not novel; however, this interest has been renewed due to the increased availability and favorable pricing of glycerol as a consequence of recent growth in the biofuels industry. Experimental evidence supports the use of glycerol as a transition cow therapy but feeding rates are low, ranging from 5 to 8 % of the diet DM. There is a paucity of research that examines the use of glycerol as a macro-ingredient in rations for lactating dairy cows. Most reports indicate a lack of effect of addition of glycerol to the diet when it replaces corn or corn starch. Recent feeding experiments with lactating dairy cows indicate replacing corn with glycerol to a level of 15% of the ration DM does not adversely effect milk production or composition. Milk production was 37.0, 36.9, 37.3, 36.4 ± 0.6 kg/d and feed intake was 24.0, 24.5, 24.6, 24.1 ± 0.5 kg/d for 0, 5, 10 and 15% glycerol treatments respectively and did not differ (P > 0.05 except for a modest reduction in feed intake during the first 7 days for the 15% glycerol treatment. Glycerol fed to dairy cattle is fermented to volatile fatty acids in the rumen and early reports indicated that glycerol is almost entirely fermented to propionate. In vitro data indicates glycerol fermentation increases the production of propionate and butyrate at the expense of acetate. Rumen microbes appear to adapt to glycerol feeding and consequently, cows fed glycerol also require an adaptation period to glycerol inclusion. Debate exists regarding the fate of glycerol in the rumen and although most reports suggest that glycerol is largely fermented in the rumen, the extent of rumen digestion may depend on level of

  13. Activity-Dependent Regulation of Surface Glucose Transporter-3

    OpenAIRE

    Ferreira, Jainne M.; Burnett, Arthur L.; Rameau, Gerald A.

    2011-01-01

    Glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) is the main facilitative glucose transporter in neurons. Glucose provides neurons with a critical energy source for neuronal activity. However, the mechanism by which neuronal activity controls glucose influx via GLUT3 is unknown. We investigated the influence of synaptic stimulation on GLUT3 surface expression and glucose import in primary cultured cortical and hippocampal neurons. Synaptic activity increased surface expression of GLUT3 leading to an elevation o...

  14. Catalytic glycerol steam reforming for hydrogen production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dan, Monica; Mihet, Maria; Lazar, Mihaela D.

    2015-01-01

    Hydrogen production from glycerol by steam reforming combine two major advantages: (i) using glycerol as raw material add value to this by product of bio-diesel production which is obtained in large quantities around the world and have a very limited utilization now, and (ii) by implication of water molecules in the reaction the efficiency of hydrogen generation is increased as each mol of glycerol produces 7 mol of H 2 . In this work we present the results obtained in the process of steam reforming of glycerol on Ni/Al 2 O 3 . The catalyst was prepared by wet impregnation method and characterized through different methods: N 2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, TPR. The catalytic study was performed in a stainless steel tubular reactor at atmospheric pressure by varying the reaction conditions: steam/carbon ratio (1-9), gas flow (35 ml/min -133 ml/min), temperature (450-650°C). The gaseous fraction of the reaction products contain: H 2 , CH 4 , CO, CO 2 . The optimum reaction conditions as resulted from this study are: temperature 550°C, Gly:H 2 O ratio 9:1 and Ar flow 133 ml/min. In these conditions the glycerol conversion to gaseous products was 43% and the hydrogen yield was 30%

  15. From Symmetric Glycerol Derivatives to Dissymmetric Chlorohydrins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gemma Villorbina

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The anticipated worldwide increase in biodiesel production will result in an accumulation of glycerol for which there are insufficient conventional uses. The surplus of this by-product has increased rapidly during the last decade, prompting a search for new glycerol applications. We describe here the synthesis of dissymmetric chlorohydrin esters from symmetric 1,3-dichloro-2-propyl esters obtained from glycerol. We studied the influence of two solvents: 1,4-dioxane and 1-butanol and two bases: sodium carbonate and 1-butylimidazole, on the synthesis of dissymmetric chlorohydrin esters. In addition, we studied the influence of other bases (potassium and lithium carbonates in the reaction using 1,4-dioxane as the solvent. The highest yield was obtained using 1,4-dioxane and sodium carbonate.

  16. Production of Microbial Transglutaminase on Media Made from Sugar Cane Molasses and Glycerol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manuel Vázquez

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Transglutaminase is an enzyme that catalyses an acyl transfer reaction between γ-carboxamide groups of glutaminyl residues and lysine residues in proteins. Due to this property, this enzyme is used for enhancing textural properties of protein-rich food. The transglutaminase used as food additive is obtained by microorganisms, mainly by Streptoverticillium ladakanum. On the other hand, sugar cane molasses is a viscous liquid rich in noncrystallized carbohydrates (saccharose, glucose and fructose. In this work, the feasibility of using sugar cane molasses as a carbon source for the production of microbial transglutaminase by Streptoverticillium ladakanum NRRL 3191 has been studied. Carbon sources including sugar cane molasses (60 g of total sugars per L, glycerol (60 g/L and their mixture in a ratio of 1:1 (30 g/L of each were evaluated. Time course of microbial growth, transglutaminase activity and carbon source consumption were determined every 24 h during 120 h of fermentations at three agitation speeds (200, 300 or 400 rpm. The results showed that with the increase in agitation speed, the biomass concentration increased up to 8.39 g/L in the medium containing sugar cane molasses alone or the mixture of molasses and glycerol. The highest transglutaminase activity was obtained at 400 rpm in the medium containing a mixture of molasses and glycerol, reaching 0.460 U/mL, while in the medium containing sugar cane molasses alone, the activity was 0.240 U/mL, and using glycerol alone it was 0.250 U/mL. These results show that sugar cane molasses is a suitable medium for transglutaminase production when it is combined with glycerol.

  17. Recent advances in the metabolic engineering of microorganisms for the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid as C3 platform chemical.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valdehuesa, Kris Niño G; Liu, Huaiwei; Nisola, Grace M; Chung, Wook-Jin; Lee, Seung Hwan; Park, Si Jae

    2013-04-01

    Development of sustainable technologies for the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP) as a platform chemical has recently been gaining much attention owing to its versatility in applications for the synthesis of other specialty chemicals. Several proposed biological synthesis routes and strategies for producing 3HP from glucose and glycerol are reviewed presently. Ten proposed routes for 3HP production from glucose are described and one of which was recently constructed successfully in Escherichia coli with malonyl-Coenzyme A as a precursor. This resulted in a yield still far from the required level for industrial application. On the other hand, strategies employing engineered E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae capable of producing 3HP from glycerol are also evaluated. The titers produced by these recombinant strains reached around 3 %. At its current state, it is evident that a bulk of engineering works is yet to be done to acquire a biosynthesis route for 3HP that is acceptable for industrial-scale production.

  18. The quantification of gluconeogenesis in healthy men by (2)H2O and [2-(13)C]glycerol yields different results: rates of gluconeogenesis in healthy men measured with (2)H2O are higher than those measured with [2-(13)C]glycerol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ackermans, M. T.; Pereira Arias, A. M.; Bisschop, P. H.; Endert, E.; Sauerwein, H. P.; Romijn, J. A.

    2001-01-01

    The quantification of gluconeogenesis (GNG) by (2)H2O and [2-(13)C]glycerol and the mass isotopomer dilution analysis of glucose does not involve assumptions regarding the enrichment of the oxaloacetate precursor pool. To compare these two methods we measured GNG in six healthy postabsorptive males

  19. Effects of addition glycerol co-product of biodiesel in the thermophysical properties of water-glycerol solution applied as secondary coolant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Medeiros, Pedro Samuel Gomes; Barbosa, Cleiton Rubens Formiga; Fontes, Francisco de Assis Oliveira [Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN (Brazil). Energy Laboratory. Thermal Systems Studies Group], e-mail: cleiton@ufrnet.br

    2010-07-01

    This paper evaluates the effects of glycerol concentration on thermophysical properties of water-glycerol solution applied as a secondary coolant in refrigeration systems by expansion-indirect. The processing of triglycerides for biodiesel production generates glycerol as co-product and there are concerns of environmental and economic order on the surplus of glycerol. The addition of glycerol in water alters the colligative and thermophysical properties (melting point, mass, specific heat, thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity). There are studies that prove the feasibility of using glycerol as an additive and this paper has the goal to verify the changes on properties compared with pure water. This comparison was made from data obtained by the software simulation and they analyzed using graphs and tables. It was shown that glycerol increases the density and dynamic viscosity, and reduces the specific heat and thermal conductivity. This behavior of water-glycerol solution is proportional to the mass concentration of glycerol and it is justified because the glycerol has low values of specific heat, thermal conductivity and high viscosity when compared with water. Despite the losses in the thermophysical properties, glycerol shows its potential application, because of the cryoscopic effect and it is a non-toxic substance at low cost. (author)

  20. Ammonia control and neurocognitive outcome among urea cycle disorder patients treated with glycerol phenylbutyrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diaz, George A; Krivitzky, Lauren S; Mokhtarani, Masoud; Rhead, William; Bartley, James; Feigenbaum, Annette; Longo, Nicola; Berquist, William; Berry, Susan A; Gallagher, Renata; Lichter-Konecki, Uta; Bartholomew, Dennis; Harding, Cary O; Cederbaum, Stephen; McCandless, Shawn E; Smith, Wendy; Vockley, Gerald; Bart, Stephen A; Korson, Mark S; Kronn, David; Zori, Roberto; Merritt, J Lawrence; C S Nagamani, Sandesh; Mauney, Joseph; Lemons, Cynthia; Dickinson, Klara; Moors, Tristen L; Coakley, Dion F; Scharschmidt, Bruce F; Lee, Brendan

    2013-06-01

    Glycerol phenylbutyrate is under development for treatment of urea cycle disorders (UCDs), rare inherited metabolic disorders manifested by hyperammonemia and neurological impairment. We report the results of a pivotal Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, crossover trial comparing ammonia control, assessed as 24-hour area under the curve (NH3 -AUC0-24hr ), and pharmacokinetics during treatment with glycerol phenylbutyrate versus sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPBA) in adult UCD patients and the combined results of four studies involving short- and long-term glycerol phenylbutyrate treatment of UCD patients ages 6 and above. Glycerol phenylbutyrate was noninferior to NaPBA with respect to ammonia control in the pivotal study, with mean (standard deviation, SD) NH3 -AUC0-24hr of 866 (661) versus 977 (865) μmol·h/L for glycerol phenylbutyrate and NaPBA, respectively. Among 65 adult and pediatric patients completing three similarly designed short-term comparisons of glycerol phenylbutyrate versus NaPBA, NH3 -AUC0-24hr was directionally lower on glycerol phenylbutyrate in each study, similar among all subgroups, and significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the pooled analysis, as was plasma glutamine. The 24-hour ammonia profiles were consistent with the slow-release behavior of glycerol phenylbutyrate and better overnight ammonia control. During 12 months of open-label glycerol phenylbutyrate treatment, average ammonia was normal in adult and pediatric patients and executive function among pediatric patients, including behavioral regulation, goal setting, planning, and self-monitoring, was significantly improved. Glycerol phenylbutyrate exhibits favorable pharmacokinetics and ammonia control relative to NaPBA in UCD patients, and long-term glycerol phenylbutyrate treatment in pediatric UCD patients was associated with improved executive function (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00551200, NCT00947544, NCT00992459, NCT00947297). (HEPATOLOGY 2012). Copyright © 2012 American Association for the

  1. Catalytic glycerol steam reforming for hydrogen production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dan, Monica, E-mail: monica.dan@itim-cj.ro; Mihet, Maria, E-mail: maria.mihet@itim-cj.ro; Lazar, Mihaela D., E-mail: diana.lazar@itim-cj.ro [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 67-103 Donat Street, 400293 Cluj Napoca (Romania)

    2015-12-23

    Hydrogen production from glycerol by steam reforming combine two major advantages: (i) using glycerol as raw material add value to this by product of bio-diesel production which is obtained in large quantities around the world and have a very limited utilization now, and (ii) by implication of water molecules in the reaction the efficiency of hydrogen generation is increased as each mol of glycerol produces 7 mol of H{sub 2}. In this work we present the results obtained in the process of steam reforming of glycerol on Ni/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. The catalyst was prepared by wet impregnation method and characterized through different methods: N{sub 2} adsorption-desorption, XRD, TPR. The catalytic study was performed in a stainless steel tubular reactor at atmospheric pressure by varying the reaction conditions: steam/carbon ratio (1-9), gas flow (35 ml/min -133 ml/min), temperature (450-650°C). The gaseous fraction of the reaction products contain: H{sub 2}, CH{sub 4}, CO, CO{sub 2}. The optimum reaction conditions as resulted from this study are: temperature 550°C, Gly:H{sub 2}O ratio 9:1 and Ar flow 133 ml/min. In these conditions the glycerol conversion to gaseous products was 43% and the hydrogen yield was 30%.

  2. Heterometallic metal-organic framework-templated synthesis of porous Co3O4/ZnO nanocage catalysts for the carbonylation of glycerol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lü, Yinyun; Jiang, Yating; Zhou, Qi; Li, Yunmei; Chen, Luning; Kuang, Qin; Xie, Zhaoxiong; Zheng, Lansun

    2017-12-01

    The efficient synthesis of glycerol carbonate (GLC) has recently received great attention due to its significance in reducing excess glycerol in biodiesel production as well as its promising applications in several industrial fields. However, the achievement of high conversion and high selectivity of GLC from glycerol in heterogeneous catalytic processes remains a challenge due to the absence of high-performance solid catalysts. Herein, highly porous nanocage catalysts composed of well-mixed Co3O4 and ZnO nanocrystals were successfully fabricated via a facile heterometallic metal-organic framework (MOF)-templated synthetic route. Benefiting from a high porosity and the synergistic effect between Co3O4 and ZnO, the as-prepared composite catalysts exhibited a significantly enhanced production efficiency of GLC in the carbonylation reaction of glycerol with urea compared to the single-component counterparts. The yield of GLC over the Co50Zn50-350 catalyst reached 85.2%, with 93.3% conversion and near 91% GLC selectivity, and this catalytic performance was superior to that over most heterogeneous catalysts. More importantly, the proposed templated synthetic strategy of heterometallic MOFs facilitates the regulation of catalyst composition and surface structure and can therefore be potentially extended in the tailoring of other metal oxide composite catalysts.

  3. Human skeletal muscle fatty acid and glycerol metabolism during rest, exercise and recovery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Van Hall, Gerrit; Sacchetti, M; Rådegran, G

    2002-01-01

    glycerol uptake was observed, which was substantially higher during exercise. Total body skeletal muscle FA and glycerol uptake/release was estimated to account for 18-25 % of whole body R(d) or R(a). In conclusion: (1) skeletal muscle FA and glycerol metabolism, using the leg arterial-venous difference......This study was conducted to investigate skeletal muscle fatty acid (FA) and glycerol kinetics and to determine the contribution of skeletal muscle to whole body FA and glycerol turnover during rest, 2 h of one-leg knee-extensor exercise at 65 % of maximal leg power output, and 3 h of recovery....... To this aim, the leg femoral arterial-venous difference technique was used in combination with a continuous infusion of [U-(13)C]palmitate and [(2)H(5)]glycerol in five post-absorptive healthy volunteers (22 +/- 3 years). The influence of contamination from non-skeletal muscle tissues, skin and subcutaneous...

  4. The increase of apatite layer formation by the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) surface modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szubert, M; Adamska, K; Szybowicz, M; Jesionowski, T; Buchwald, T; Voelkel, A

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was the surface modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate by poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) grafting and characterization of modificates. The bioactivity examination was carried out by the determination to grow an apatite layer on modified materials during incubation in simulated body fluid at 37°C. The additional issue taken up in this paper was to investigate the influence of fluid replacement. The process of the surface modification of biomaterials was evaluated by means of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Formation of the apatite layer was assessed by means of scanning electron microscopy and confirmed by energy dispersive, Raman and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. During exposure in simulated body fluid, the variation of the zeta potential, pH measurement and relative weight was monitored. Examination of scanning electron microscopy micrographs suggests that modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate by poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) significantly increases apatite layer formation. Raman spectroscopy evaluation revealed that the formation of the apatite layer was more significant in the case of hydroxyapatite modificate, when compared to the β-tricalcium phosphate modificate. Both modificates were characterized by stable pH, close to the natural pH of human body fluids. Furthermore, we have shown that a weekly changed, simulated body fluid solution increases apatite layer formation. © 2013.

  5. Novel Poly[(R-3-Hydroxybutyrate]-Producing Bacterium Isolated from a Bolivian Hypersaline Lake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Soledad Marqués-Calvo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Poly[(R-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB constitutes a biopolymer synthesized from renewable resources by various microorganisms. This work focuses on finding a new PHB-producing bacterium capable of growing in conventional media used for industrial biopolymer production, its taxonomical identification, and characterization of its biopolymer. Thus, a bacterial isolation process was carried out from environmental samples of water and mud. Among the isolates, strain S29 was selected and used in a fed-batch fermentation to generate a biopolymer. This biopolymer was recovered and identified as PHB homopolymer. Surprisingly, it featured several fractions of different molecular masses, and thermal properties unusual for PHB. Hence, the microorganism S29, genetically identified as a new strain of Bacillus megaterium, proved to be interesting not only due to its growth and PHB accumulation kinetics under the investigated cultivation conditions, but also due to the thermal properties of the produced PHB.

  6. Rapid monitoring of glycerol in fermentation growth media: Facilitating crude glycerol bioprocess development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abad, Sergi; Pérez, Xavier; Planas, Antoni; Turon, Xavier

    2014-04-01

    Recently, the need for crude glycerol valorisation from the biodiesel industry has generated many studies for practical and economic applications. Amongst them, fermentations based on glycerol media for the production of high value metabolites are prominent applications. This has generated a need to develop analytical techniques which allow fast and simple glycerol monitoring during fermentation. The methodology should be fast and inexpensive to be adopted in research, as well as in industrial applications. In this study three different methods were analysed and compared: two common methodologies based on liquid chromatography and enzymatic kits, and the new method based on a DotBlot assay coupled with image analysis. The new methodology is faster and cheaper than the other conventional methods, with comparable performance. Good linearity, precision and accuracy were achieved in the lower range (10 or 15 g/L to depletion), the most common range of glycerol concentrations to monitor fermentations in terms of growth kinetics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Synthesis of racemic, R- and S-[1-11C]-β-hydroxybutyric acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thorell, J.-O.; Stone-Elander, S.; Karolinska Hospital and Inst., Stockholm; Koenig, W.A.; Halldin, C.; Widen, L.

    1991-01-01

    Racemic, R- and S-β-hydroxybutyric acid were labelled with 11 C in the carboxylic position by a two-step stereospecific synthesis starting with carrier-added [ 11 C]cyanide and R/S, R- or S-propylene oxide. Hydrolysis of the intermediate nitrile with hydrochloric acid gave racemic [1- 11 C]-β-hydroxybutyric acid and R- or S-[1- 11 C]-β-hydroxybutyric acid with an enantiomeric excess of 87-97%. The total synthesis time (including HPLC purification) was 45-50 min from end of trapping. The isolated decay-corrected radiochemical yield was 20-30% based on [ 11 C]cyanide. The radiochemical purity of the products was > 99%]. (author)

  8. Comparison of breath gases, including acetone, with blood glucose and blood ketones in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blaikie, Tom P J; Edge, Julie A; Hancock, Gus; Lunn, Daniel; Megson, Clare; Peverall, Rob; Richmond, Graham; Ritchie, Grant A D; Taylor, David

    2014-11-25

    Previous studies have suggested that breath gases may be related to simultaneous blood glucose and blood ketone levels in adults with type 2 and type 1 diabetes. The aims of this study were to investigate these relationships in children and young people with type 1 diabetes in order to assess the efficacy of a simple breath test as a non-invasive means of diabetes management. Gases were collected in breath bags and measurements were compared with capillary blood glucose and ketone levels taken at the same time on a single visit to a routine hospital clinic in 113 subjects (59 male, age 7 years 11 months-18 years 3 months) with type 1 diabetes. The patients were well-controlled with relatively low concentrations of the blood ketone measured (β hydroxybutyrate, 0-0.4 mmol l(-1)). Breath acetone levels were found to increase with blood β hydroxybutyrate levels and a significant relationship was found between the two (Spearman's rank correlation ρ = 0.364, p acetone (ρ = 0.16, p = 0.1), but led to the conclusion that single breath measurements of acetone do not provide a good measure of blood glucose levels in this cohort. This result suggests a potential to develop breath gas analysis to provide an alternative to blood testing for ketone measurement, for example to assist with the management of type 1 diabetes.

  9. Comparison of glycerol, lactamide, acetamide and dimethylsulfoxide as cryoprotectants of Japanese white rabbit spermatozoa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kashiwazaki, Naomi; Okuda, Yasushi; Seita, Yasunari; Hisamatsu, Shin; Sonoki, Shigenori; Shino, Masao; Masaoka, Toshio; Inomata, Tomo

    2006-08-01

    The rabbit is considered to be a valuable laboratory animal. We compared glycerol, lactamide, acetamide, and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as cryoprotectants in egg-yolk diluent of ejaculated Japanese white rabbit spermatozoa for improvement of sperm cryopreservation methods. Rabbit semen was frozen with 1.0 M glycerol, lactamide, acetamide, or DMSO in plastic straws. Forward progressive motility and plasma membrane integrity of the post-thaw spermatozoa were examined. The rate of forward progressive motile spermatozoa in lactamide (37.8 +/- 3.0%) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than in glycerol (17.0 +/- 3.3%). In addition, the rates of sperm plasma membrane integrity in lactamide and acetamide (35.9 +/- 3.3% and 30.2 +/- 3.0%, respectively) were significantly (P<0.05) higher than in glycerol (17.0 +/- 2.6%). The results indicate that 1.0 M lactamide and acetamide have higher cryoprotective effects than 1.0 M glycerol for cryopreservation of Japanese white rabbit spermatozoa.

  10. Thermal properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/vegetable fiber composites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vitorino, Maria B. C.; Reul, Lízzia T. A.; Carvalho, Laura H.; Canedo, Eduardo L.

    2015-05-01

    The present work studies the thermal properties of composites of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) - a fully biodegradable semi-crystalline thermo-plastic obtained from renewable resources through low-impact biotechno-logical process, biocompatible and non-toxic - and vegetable fiber from the fruit (coconut) of babassu palm tree. PHB is a highly crystalline resin and this characteristic leads to suboptimal properties in some cases. Consequently, thermal properties, in particular those associated with the crystallization of the matrix, are important to judge the suitability of the compounds for specific applications. PHB/babassu composites with 0-50% load were prepared in an internal mixer. Two different types of babassu fibers with two different particle size ranges were compounded with PHB and test specimens molded by compression. Melting and crystallization behavior were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at heating/cooling rates between 2 and 30°C/min. Several parameters, including melting point, crystallization temperature, crystallinity, and rate of crystallization, were estimated as functions of load and heating/cooling rates. Results indicate that fibers do not affect the melting process, but facilitate crystallization from the melt. Crystallization temperatures are 30 to 40°C higher for the compounds compared with the neat resin. However, the amount of fiber added has little effect on crystallinity and the degree of crystallinity is hardly affected by the load. Fiber type and initial particle size do not have a significant effect on thermal properties.

  11. Preliminary Evaluation of Glyceric Acid-producing Ability of Acidomonas methanolica NBRC104435 from Glycerol Containing Methanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Shun; Kitamoto, Dai; Habe, Hiroshi

    2017-06-01

    Some acetic acid bacteria produce large amounts of glyceric acid (GA) from glycerol in culture broth. However, methanol, which is a major contaminant of raw glycerol derived from the biodiesel fuel industry, sharply decreases cell growth and GA production [AMB Express, 3, 20, 2013]. Thus, we evaluated the methylotrophic acetic acid bacterium Acidomonas methanolica NBRC104435 for its ability to produce GA from glycerol containing methanol. This strain accumulated GA in its culture broth when 1-3 wt% glycerol was available as a carbon source. We observed improved cell growth and GA accumulation when 1 vol% methanol was added to the 3-5 wt% glycerol medium. The maximum concentration of GA was 12.8 g/L in medium containing 3 wt% glycerol plus 1 vol% methanol. In addition, the enantiomeric excess (ee) of the GA produced was revealed to be 44%, indicating that this strain converted glycerol to d-GA with a lower enantioselectivity than other acetic acid bacteria, which had 70-99% ee.

  12. Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate/Poly(butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate/Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yen Leng Pak

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanocomposites of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate/poly(butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate/layered double hydroxide (PHB/PBAT/LDH were prepared from a binary blend of PHB/PBAT and stearate-Zn3Al LDH via a solution casting method using chloroform as solvent in this study. The pristine Zn3Al LDH was synthesized from nitrate salts solution at pH 7 by using coprecipitation technique and then was modified by stearate anions surfactant via ion exchange reaction. As a result, the basal spacing of the LDH was increased from 8.77 to 24.94 Å after the modification. Intercalated nanocomposites were formed due to the presence of diffraction peak in XRD diffractograms. The infrared spectrum of stearate-Zn3Al LDH exhibited the existence of stearate anions in the synthesized Zn3Al LDH. Mechanical properties with 2 wt% stearate-Zn3Al LDH loading nanocomposites showed 56 wt% improvements in elongation at break compared to those of the blend.

  13. Trichosanthes cucumerina extracts enhance glucose uptake and regulate adiponectin and leptin concentrations in 3T3-L1 adipocytes model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sassi, A.,

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Trichosanthes cucumerina (Cucurbitaceae commonly known as Snake gourd or Labu Ular is considered the largest genre in the Cucurbitaceae family and is mainly found in the southeast areas of Asia. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for certain diseases such as Diabetes mellitus, but these acclaims lack scientific-based evidence. In this study, water and ethanol extracts of three parts of Trichosanthes cucumerina namely; whole vegetable, peels, and seeds, were assessed for toxicity through a cell viability assay using 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes model which revealed a maximum toleration concentration of 0.063 mg/mL. The extracts were further tested on adipocytes’ differentiation and positively showed a stimulation of lipid droplets formation during adipogenesis and significantly (p<0.001 increased glycerol release levels (75.34±3.69 μg/ml during adipolysis. The extracts also significantly (p<0.001 promoted the uptake of glucose into the cells (2636.22±91.33 Bq in an action similar to that of insulin. Similar results were observed during ELISA assay with a significant increase (p<0.001 in adiponectin concentrations (3593.1±225.25 ng/mL and a decrease in leptin concentrations (23870±5066.07 pg/mL. The present study results indicate a beneficial effect of Trichosanthes cucumerina extracts on adipogenesis, adipolysis and glucose uptake, in addition to a regulation of adiponectin and leptin concentrations in 3T3-L1 adipocytes which can be of clinical importance in energy regulation which is a key factor in treating diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

  14. Engineering an Obligate Photoautotrophic Cyanobacterium to Utilize Glycerol for Growth and Chemical Production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanno, Masahiro; Atsumi, Shota

    2017-01-20

    Cyanobacteria have attracted much attention as a means to directly recycle carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals that are currently produced from petroleum. However, the titers and productivities achieved are still far below the level required in industry. To make a more industrially applicable production scheme, glycerol, a byproduct of biodiesel production, can be used as an additional carbon source for photomixotrophic chemical production. Glycerol is an ideal candidate due to its availability and low cost. In this study, we found that a heterologous glycerol respiratory pathway enabled Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to utilize extracellular glycerol. The engineered strain produced 761 mg/L of 2,3-butanediol in 48 h with a 290% increase over the control strain under continuous light conditions. Glycerol supplementation also allowed for continuous cell growth and 2,3-butanediol production in diurnal light conditions. These results highlight the potential of glycerol as an additional carbon source for photomixotrophic chemical production in cyanobacteria.

  15. Stimulation of glucose phosphorylation by fructose in isolated rat hepatocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Schaftingen, E; Vandercammen, A

    1989-01-15

    The phosphorylation of glucose was measured by the formation of [3H]H2O from [2-3H]glucose in suspensions of freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. Fructose (0.2 mM) stimulated 2-4-fold the rate of phosphorylation of 5 mM glucose although not of 40 mM glucose, thus increasing the apparent affinity of the glucose phosphorylating system. A half-maximal stimulatory effect was observed at about 50 microM fructose. Stimulation was maximal 5 min after addition of the ketose and was stable for at least 40 min, during which period 60% of the fructose was consumed. The effect of fructose was reversible upon removal of the ketose. Sorbitol and tagatose were as potent as fructose in stimulating the phosphorylation of 5 mM glucose. D-Glyceraldehyde also had a stimulatory effect but at tenfold higher concentrations. In contrast, dihydroxyacetone had no significant effect and glycerol inhibited the detritiation of glucose. Oleate did not affect the phosphorylation of glucose, even in the presence of fructose, although it stimulated the formation of ketone bodies severalfold, indicating that it was converted to its acyl-CoA derivative. These results allow the conclusion that fructose stimulates glucokinase in the intact hepatocyte. They also suggest that this effect is mediated through the formation of fructose 1-phosphate, which presumably interacts with a competitive inhibitor of glucokinase other than long-chain acyl-CoAs.

  16. Aquaglyceroporin-null trypanosomes display glycerol transport defects and respiratory-inhibitor sensitivity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Jeacock

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Aquaglyceroporins (AQPs transport water and glycerol and play important roles in drug-uptake in pathogenic trypanosomatids. For example, AQP2 in the human-infectious African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, is responsible for melarsoprol and pentamidine-uptake, and melarsoprol treatment-failure has been found to be due to AQP2-defects in these parasites. To further probe the roles of these transporters, we assembled a T. b. brucei strain lacking all three AQP-genes. Triple-null aqp1-2-3 T. b. brucei displayed only a very moderate growth defect in vitro, established infections in mice and recovered effectively from hypotonic-shock. The aqp1-2-3 trypanosomes did, however, display glycerol uptake and efflux defects. They failed to accumulate glycerol or to utilise glycerol as a carbon-source and displayed increased sensitivity to salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM, octyl gallate or propyl gallate; these inhibitors of trypanosome alternative oxidase (TAO can increase intracellular glycerol to toxic levels. Notably, disruption of AQP2 alone generated cells with glycerol transport defects. Consistent with these findings, AQP2-defective, melarsoprol-resistant clinical isolates were sensitive to the TAO inhibitors, SHAM, propyl gallate and ascofuranone, relative to melarsoprol-sensitive reference strains. We conclude that African trypanosome AQPs are dispensable for viability and osmoregulation but they make important contributions to drug-uptake, glycerol-transport and respiratory-inhibitor sensitivity. We also discuss how the AQP-dependent inverse sensitivity to melarsoprol and respiratory inhibitors described here might be exploited.

  17. Evaluation of glucose as a cryoprotectant for boar semen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De los Reyes, M; Saenz, L; Lapierre, L; Crosby, J; Barros, C

    2002-10-19

    Fertility parameters of boar spermatozoa were evaluated in vitro, after freeze-thawing the semen in three different extenders containing permeable and non-permeable cryoprotectants: A (111.0 mM Tris, 31.4 mM citric acid, 185.0 mM glucose, 20 per cent egg yolk, 3 per cent glycerol and 100 iu/ml penicillin G); B (200 mM Tris; 70.8 mM citric acid, 55.5 mM glucose, 20 per cent egg yolk, three per cent glycerol and 100 iu/ml penicillin G); C (200 mM Tris, 70.8 mM citric acid, 55.5 mM fructose, 20 per cent egg yolk, 3 per cent glycerol and 100 iu/ml penicillin G). The freeze-thawing techniques were the same for each extender. Eight ejaculates from four boars were obtained; the sperm-rich fraction of each ejaculate was extended in each of the three media at a final concentration of 400 x 106 sperm/ml, loaded into 0.5 ml straws and frozen at a rate of 30 degrees C/minute to -196 degrees C. The straws were thawed at 60 degrees C for eight seconds. Sperm motility, acrosomal integrity and in vitro sperm penetration through the zona pellucida of gilt oocytes matured in vitro were evaluated. The motility of unfrozen spermatozoa was 93.1 per cent compared with 60.7 per cent, 48.2 per cent and 35 per cent for sperm frozen in extenders A, B and C respectively; these values were all significantly different (Pextender A, but there were significant decreases in sperm motility after 30 minutes of incubation in B and C. The percentage acrosomal integrities were 97.2 per cent for the control and 45.5 per cent, 30.3 per cent and 16.8 per cent for the frozen-thawed spermatozoa in extenders A, B and C respectively. The results of the in vitro penetration assay were 80.7 per cent when using control spermatozoa, and 42.2 per cent, 18.4 per cent and 3.3 per cent when using frozen-thawed spermatozoa in extenders A, B and C respectively

  18. Biotechnological strategies to improve production of microbial poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate): a review of recent research work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peña, C; Castillo, T; García, A; Millán, M; Segura, D

    2014-07-01

    Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)] is a polyester synthesized as a carbon and energy reserve material by a wide number of bacteria. This polymer is characterized by its thermo-plastic properties similar to plastics derived from petrochemical industry, such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Furthermore, P(3HB) is an inert, biocompatible and biodegradable material which has been proposed for several uses in medical and biomedical areas. Currently, only few bacterial species such as Cupriavidus necator, Azohydromonas lata and recombinant Escherichia coli have been successfully used for P(3HB) production at industrial level. Nevertheless, in recent years, several fermentation strategies using other microbial models such as Azotobacter vinelandii, A. chroococcum, as well as some methane-utilizing species, have been developed in order to improve the P(3HB) production and also its mean molecular weight. © 2014 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  19. Effects of yeast stress and pH on 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD)-producing reactions in model dough systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamlet, C G; Sadd, P A

    2005-07-01

    A major precursor of 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD) in leavened cereal products is glycerol, which is formed as a natural by-product of yeast fermentation. However, yeast metabolism is affected by stresses such as low osmotic pressure from, for example, the incorporation of sugar or salt in the dough recipe. Tests with model doughs have shown that glycerol production was proportional to yeast mass and limited by available sugars, but that high levels of yeast inhibited 3-MCPD formation. The yeast fraction responsible for the inhibition of 3-MCPD in model dough was shown to be the soluble cytosol proteins, and the inhibition mechanism could be explained by the known reactions of 3-MCPD and/or its precursors with ammonia/amino acids (from yeast proteins). Added glucose did not increase the production of glycerol by yeast but it did promote the generation of 3-MCPD in cooked doughs. The latter effect was attributed to the removal of 3-MCPD inhibitors such as ammonia and amino acids by their reactions with added glucose (e.g. Maillard). The thermal generation of organic acids from added glucose also reduced the pH of cooked doughs, so the effect of pH and short-chain organic acids on 3-MCPD generation in dough was measured. There was a good correlation between initial dough pH and the level of 3-MCPD generated. The effect was weaker than that predicted by simple kinetic modelling, suggesting that the involvement of H+ and/or the organic acid was catalytic. The results showed that modifications to dough recipes involving the addition of reducing sugars and/or organic acids can have a significant impact on 3-MPCD generation in bakery products.

  20. Production and characterization of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate from Bacillus cereus PS 10.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Priyanka; Bajaj, Bijender Kumar

    2015-11-01

    Usage of renewable raw materials for production of fully degradable bioplastics (bacterial poly-3-hydroxybutyrate, PHB) has gained immense research impetus considering recalcitrant nature of petroleum based plastics, dwindling fossil fuel feed stocks, and associated green house gas emissions. However, high production cost of PHB is the major bottleneck for its wide range industrial applications. In current study, Bacillus cereus PS 10, a recent isolate, efficiently utilized molasses, an abundantly available by-product from sugar industries as sole carbon source for growth and PHB production. Most influential bioprocess variables i.e. molasses, pH and NH4Cl were identified based on Plackett-Burman-designed experiments. Design of experiment approach (response surface methodology) was further employed for optimization of these bioprocess variables, and an enhanced PHB yield (57.5%) was obtained. PHB produced by Bacillus cereus PS 10 was investigated using various physico-chemical approaches viz. thermogravimetric analysis, proton and carbon NMR ((1)H and (13)C) spectroscopy, melting point, elemental analysis and polarimetry for its detail characterization, and assessment for industrial application potential. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Reaction pathways for catalytic gas-phase oxidation of glycerol over mixed metal oxides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suprun, W.; Glaeser, R.; Papp, H. [Leipzig Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Chemical Technology

    2011-07-01

    Glycerol as a main by-product from bio-diesel manufacture is a cheap raw material with large potential for chemical or biochemical transformations to value-added C3-chemicals. One possible way of glycerol utilization involves its catalytic oxidation to acrylic acid as an alternative to petrochemical routes. However, this catalytic conversion exhibits various problems such as harsh reaction conditions, severe catalyst coking and large amounts of undesired by-products. In this study, the reaction pathways for gas-phase conversion of glycerol over transition metal oxides (Mo, V und W) supported on TiO{sub 2} and SiO{sub 2} were investigated by two methods: (i) steady state experiments of glycerol oxidation and possible reactions intermediates, i.e., acrolein, 3-hydroxy propionaldehyde and acetaldehyde, and (ii) temperature-programmed surface reaction (TPSR) studies of glycerol conversion in the presence and in the absence of gas-phase oxygen. It is shown that the supported W-, V and Mo-oxides possess an ability to catalyze the oxidation of glycerol to acrylic acid. These investigations allowed us to gain a deeper insight into the reaction mechanism. Thus, based on the obtained results, three possible reactions pathways for the selective oxidation of glycerol to acrylic acid on the transition metal-containing catalysts are proposed. The major pathways in presence of molecular oxygen are a fast successive destructive oxidation of glycerol to CO{sub x} and the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein which is a rate-limiting step. (orig.)

  2. Insulin, concanavalin A, EGF, IFG-I and vanadate activate de novo phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol synthesis, C-kinase, and glucose transport in BC3H-1 myocytes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cooper, D.R.; Hernandez, H.; Konda, T.S.; Standaert, M.S.; Pollet, R.J.; Farese, R.V.

    1987-01-01

    The authors have reported that insulin stimulates de novo synthesis of phosphatidic acid (PA) which is metabolized directly to diacylglycerol (DG) in BS3H-1 myocytes; this is accompanied by increases in C-kinase activity in membrane and cytosolic extracts. This pathway may be involved in stimulating glucose transport and other metabolic processes. In this study, the authors have compared the effects of concanavalin A, EGF, IGF-I and sodium orthovanadate to insulin on PA/DG synthesis, C-kinase activity and glucose transport. All were found to be effective in stimulating glucose transport. Additionally, all activators rapidly increased the incorporation of [ 3 H]glycerol into DG and total glycerolipids, although none were as effective as insulin, which increased [ 3 H]DG 400% in 1 minute. Increased incorporation into phospholipids and triacylglycerols and to a lesser extent monoacylglycerol was also noted. They examined effects of concanavalin A and EGF on C-kinase activity and found that both agonists, like insulin, increase C-kinase activity in cytosolic and/or membrane fractions. Their findings raise the possibility that activation of receptors having associated tyrosine kinase activity may provoke some cellular responses through de novo PA/GD synthesis and C-kinase activation

  3. Psychiatric comorbidity, psychological distress, and quality of life in gamma-hydroxybutyrate-dependent patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamal, Rama M; Dijkstra, Boukje A G; de Weert-van Oene, Gerdien H; van Duren, Josja A M; de Jong, Cornelis A J

    2017-01-01

    Understanding the psychiatric state and psychological distress level of patients with gamma-hydroxybutyrate dependence is important to develop effective detoxification and relapse management methods. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence among gamma-hydroxybutyrate-dependent individuals of psychiatric comorbidity and psychological distress levels and their association with the individuals' pattern of misuse and quality of life. There were 98 patients tested with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview-plus, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Depression Anxiety Stress scale, and the EuroQoL-5D as a part of the Dutch gamma-hydroxybutyrate detoxification monitor in 7 addiction treatment centers. Participants were selected from those undergoing inpatient gamma-hydroxybutyrate detoxification treatment between March 2011 and September 2012. Males accounted for 68% of the participants and the average age was 28-years-old. A high rate of psychiatric comorbidity (79%) was detected, including anxiety (current 38%, lifetime 40%), mood (13%, 31%), and psychotic disorders (13%, 21%). The level of psychological distress was significantly higher than the standard outpatient reference group, especially in patients with current psychiatric comorbidity (Brief Symptom Inventory Global Severity Index mean 1.61 versus 1.09, p ≤ 0.01). Increased gamma-hydroxybutyrate misuse (higher dose and shorter interval between doses) was associated with the presence of lifetime psychosis, current mood disorders (r pb = 0.23, p = 0.025), and psychoticism as a symptom of psychological distress. Current anxiety, mood disorders and high psychological stress had a negative effect on participants' quality of life. Gamma-hydroxybutyrate dependence is characterized by serious psychiatric comorbidity and psychological distress, both of which are, in turn, associated with increased gamma-hydroxybutyrate use and a lower quality of life. This needs to be considered during

  4. Biohydrogen Production from Glycerol using Thermotoga spp

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maru, B.T.; Bielen, A.A.M.; Kengen, S.W.M.; Constantini, M.; Medina, F.

    2012-01-01

    Given the highly reduced state of carbon in glycerol and its availability as a substantial byproduct of biodiesel production, glycerol is of special interest for sustainable biofuel production. Glycerol was used as a substrate for biohydrogen production using the hyperthermophilic bacterium,

  5. Biohydrogen production by dark fermentation of glycerol using Enterobacter and Citrobacter Sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maru, Biniam T; Constanti, Magda; Stchigel, Alberto M; Medina, Francesc; Sueiras, Jesus E

    2013-01-01

    Glycerol is an attractive substrate for biohydrogen production because, in theory, it can produce 3 mol of hydrogen per mol of glycerol. Moreover, glycerol is produced in substantial amounts as a byproduct of producing biodiesel, the demand for which has increased in recent years. Therefore, hydrogen production from glycerol was studied by dark fermentation using three strains of bacteria: namely, Enterobacter spH1, Enterobacter spH2, and Citrobacter freundii H3 and a mixture thereof (1:1:1). It was found that, when an initial concentration of 20 g/L of glycerol was used, all three strains and their mixture produced substantial amounts of hydrogen ranging from 2400 to 3500 mL/L, being highest for C. freundii H3 (3547 mL/L) and Enterobacter spH1 (3506 mL/L). The main nongaseous fermentation products were ethanol and acetate, albeit in different ratios. For Enterobacter spH1, Enterobacter spH2, C. freundii H3, and the mixture (1:1:1), the ethanol yields (in mol EtOH/mol glycerol consumed) were 0.96, 0.67, 0.31, and 0.66, respectively. Compared to the individual strains, the mixture (1:1:1) did not show a significantly higher hydrogen level, indicating that there was no synergistic effect. Enterobacter spH1 was selected for further investigation because of its higher yield of hydrogen and ethanol. Copyright © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

  6. Genome, secretome and glucose transport highlight unique features of the protein production host Pichia pastoris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mattanovich Diethard

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Pichia pastoris is widely used as a production platform for heterologous proteins and model organism for organelle proliferation. Without a published genome sequence available, strain and process development relied mainly on analogies to other, well studied yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Results To investigate specific features of growth and protein secretion, we have sequenced the 9.4 Mb genome of the type strain DSMZ 70382 and analyzed the secretome and the sugar transporters. The computationally predicted secretome consists of 88 ORFs. When grown on glucose, only 20 proteins were actually secreted at detectable levels. These data highlight one major feature of P. pastoris, namely the low contamination of heterologous proteins with host cell protein, when applying glucose based expression systems. Putative sugar transporters were identified and compared to those of related yeast species. The genome comprises 2 homologs to S. cerevisiae low affinity transporters and 2 to high affinity transporters of other Crabtree negative yeasts. Contrary to other yeasts, P. pastoris possesses 4 H+/glycerol transporters. Conclusion This work highlights significant advantages of using the P. pastoris system with glucose based expression and fermentation strategies. As only few proteins and no proteases are actually secreted on glucose, it becomes evident that cell lysis is the relevant cause of proteolytic degradation of secreted proteins. The endowment with hexose transporters, dominantly of the high affinity type, limits glucose uptake rates and thus overflow metabolism as observed in S. cerevisiae. The presence of 4 genes for glycerol transporters explains the high specific growth rates on this substrate and underlines the suitability of a glycerol/glucose based fermentation strategy. Furthermore, we present an open access web based genome browser http://www.pichiagenome.org.

  7. Melting temperature evolution of non-reorganized crystals. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Righetti, Maria Cristina; Di Lorenzo, Maria Laura

    2011-01-01

    In the present study the correlation between the melting behaviour of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) original, non-reorganized crystals and the crystallinity increase during isothermal crystallization is presented and discussed. Since the reorganization processes modify the melting curve of original crystals, it is necessary to prevent and hinder all the processes that influence and increase the lamellar thickness. PHB exhibits melting/recrystallization on heating, the occurring of lamellar thickening in the solid state being excluded. The first step of the study was the identification of the scanning rate which inhibits PHB recrystallization at sufficiently high T c . For the extrapolated onset and peak temperatures of the main melting endotherm, which is connected to fusion of dominant lamellae, a double dependence on the crystallization time was found. The crystallization time at which T onset and T peak change their trends was found to correspond to the spherulite impingement time, so that the two different dependencies were put in relation with primary and secondary crystallizations respectively. The increase of both T onset and T peak at high crystallization times after spherulite impingement was considered an effect due to crystal superheating and an indication of a stabilization process of the crystalline phase. Such stabilization, which produces an increase of the melting temperature, is probably connected with the volume filling that occurs after spherulite impingement.

  8. Seasonal variability of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) in a temperate lake system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Loomis, S.E.; Russell, J.M.; Heureux, A.M.; D'Andrea, W.J.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.

    2014-01-01

    Quantitative climate reconstructions are crucial for understanding the magnitude of and mechanisms behind natural and anthropogenic climate change, yet there are few proxies that can reliably reconstruct terrestrial temperature. Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are bacterial

  9. Integrated multienzyme electrochemical biosensors for the determination of glycerol in wines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamella, M; Campuzano, S; Reviejo, A J; Pingarrón, J M

    2008-02-25

    The construction and performance of integrated amperometric biosensors for the determination of glycerol are reported. Two different biosensor configurations have been evaluated: one based on the glycerol dehydrogenase/diaphorase (GDH/DP) bienzyme system, and another using glycerol kinase/glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase/peroxidase (GK/GPOx/HRP). Both enzyme systems were immobilized together with the mediator tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) on a 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) self-assembled monolayer (SAM)-modified gold electrode by using a dialysis membrane. The electrochemical oxidation of TTF at +150mV (vs. Ag/AgCl), and the reduction of TTF(+) at 0mV were used for the monitoring of the enzyme reactions for the bienzyme and trienzyme configurations, respectively. Experimental variables concerning both the biosensors composition and the working conditions were optimized for each configuration. A good repeatability of the measurements with no need of cleaning or pretreatment of the biosensors was obtained in both cases. After 51 days of use, the GDH/DP biosensor still exhibited 87% of the original sensitivity, while the GK/GPOx/HRP biosensor yielded a 46% of the original response after 8 days. Calibration graphs for glycerol with linear ranges of 1.0x10(-6) to 2.0x10(-5) or 1.0x10(-6) to 1.0x10(-5)M glycerol and sensitivities of 1214+/-21 or 1460+/-34microAM(-1) were obtained with GDH/DP and GK/GPOx/HRP biosensors, respectively. The calculated detection limits were 4.0x10(-7) and 3.1x10(-7)M, respectively. The biosensors exhibited a great sensitivity with no significant interferences in the analysis of wines. The biosensors were applied to the determination of glycerol in 12 different wines and the results advantageously compared with those provided by a commercial enzyme kit.

  10. Alterations of hippocampal glucose metabolism by even versus uneven medium chain triglycerides

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Tanya S; Tan, Kah Ni; Hodson, Mark P; Borges, Karin

    2014-01-01

    Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) are used to treat neurologic disorders with metabolic impairments, including childhood epilepsy and early Alzheimer's disease. However, the metabolic effects of MCTs in the brain are still unclear. Here, we studied the effects of feeding even and uneven MCTs on brain glucose metabolism in the mouse. Adult mice were fed 35% (calories) of trioctanoin or triheptanoin (the triglycerides of octanoate or heptanoate, respectively) or a matching control diet for 3 weeks. Enzymatic assays and targeted metabolomics by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry were used to quantify metabolites in extracts from the hippocampal formations (HFs). Both oils increased the levels of β-hydroxybutyrate, but no other significant metabolic alterations were observed after triheptanoin feeding. The levels of glucose 6-phosphate and fructose 6-phosphate were increased in the HF of mice fed trioctanoin, whereas levels of metabolites further downstream in the glycolytic pathway and the pentose phosphate pathway were reduced. This indicates that trioctanoin reduces glucose utilization because of a decrease in phosphofructokinase activity. Trioctanoin and triheptanoin showed similar anticonvulsant effects in the 6 Hz seizure model, but it remains unknown to what extent the anticonvulsant mechanism(s) are shared. In conclusion, triheptanoin unlike trioctanoin appears to not alter glucose metabolism in the healthy brain. PMID:24169853

  11. Enhanced cellulase production by Trichoderma harzianum by cultivation on glycerol followed by induction on cellulosic substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delabona, Priscila da Silva; Lima, Deise Juliana; Robl, Diogo; Rabelo, Sarita Cândida; Farinas, Cristiane Sanchez; Pradella, José Geraldo da Cruz

    2016-05-01

    The use of glycerol obtained as an intermediate of the biodiesel manufacturing process as carbon source for microbial growth is a potential alternative strategy for the production of enzymes and other high-value bioproducts. This work evaluates the production of cellulase enzymes using glycerol for high cell density growth of Trichoderma harzianum followed by induction with a cellulosic material. Firstly, the influence of the carbon source used in the pre-culture step was investigated in terms of total protein secretion and fungal morphology. Enzymatic productivity was then determined for cultivation strategies using different types and concentrations of carbon source, as well as different feeding procedures (batch and fed-batch). The best strategy for cellulase production was then further studied on a larger scale using a stirred tank bioreactor. The proposed strategy for cellulase production, using glycerol to achieve high cell density growth followed by induction with pretreated sugarcane bagasse, achieved enzymatic activities up to 2.27 ± 0.37 FPU/mL, 106.40 ± 8.87 IU/mL, and 9.04 ± 0.39 IU/mL of cellulase, xylanase, and β-glucosidase, respectively. These values were 2 times higher when compared to the control experiments using glucose instead of glycerol. This novel strategy proved to be a promising approach for improving cellulolytic enzymes production, and could potentially contribute to adding value to biomass within the biofuels sector.

  12. Engineering the productivity of recombinant Escherichia coli for limonene formation from glycerol in minimal media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willrodt, Christian; David, Christian; Cornelissen, Sjef; Bühler, Bruno; Julsing, Mattijs K; Schmid, Andreas

    2014-08-01

    The efficiency and productivity of cellular biocatalysts play a key role in the industrial synthesis of fine and bulk chemicals. This study focuses on optimizing the synthesis of (S)-limonene from glycerol and glucose as carbon sources using recombinant Escherichia coli. The cyclic monoterpene limonene is extensively used in the fragrance, food, and cosmetic industries. Recently, limonene also gained interest as alternative jet fuel of biological origin. Key parameters that limit the (S)-limonene yield, related to genetics, physiology, and reaction engineering, were identified. The growth-dependent production of (S)-limonene was shown for the first time in minimal media. E. coli BL21 (DE3) was chosen as the preferred host strain, as it showed low acetate formation, fast growth, and high productivity. A two-liquid phase fed-batch fermentation with glucose as the sole carbon and energy source resulted in the formation of 700 mg L(org) (-1) (S)-limonene. Specific activities of 75 mU g(cdw) (-1) were reached, but decreased relatively quickly. The use of glycerol as a carbon source resulted in a prolonged growth and production phase (specific activities of ≥50 mU g(cdw) (-1) ) leading to a final (S)-limonene concentration of 2,700 mg L(org) (-1) . Although geranyl diphosphate (GPP) synthase had a low solubility, its availability appeared not to limit (S)-limonene formation in vivo under the conditions investigated. GPP rerouting towards endogenous farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) formation also did not limit (S)-limonene production. The two-liquid phase fed-batch setup led to the highest monoterpene concentration obtained with a recombinant microbial biocatalyst to date. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Biosynthesis of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by bacterial community from propylene oxide saponification wastewater residual sludge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yiwei; Zhu, Ying; Gu, Pengfei; Li, Yumei; Fan, Xiangyu; Song, Dongxue; Ji, Yan; Li, Qiang

    2017-05-01

    The saponification wastewater from the process of propylene oxide (PO) production is contaminated with high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and chlorine contents. Although the activated sludge process could treat the PO saponification wastewater effectively, the residual sludge was difficult to be disposed properly. In this research, microbes in PO saponification wastewater residual sludge were acclimated to produce poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) from volatile fatty acids. Through Miseq Illumina highthroughput sequencing, the bacterial community discrepancy between the original and the acclimated sludge samples were analyzed. The proportions of Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Brevundimonas and Pseudomonas, the potential PHBV-producers in the residual sludge, were all obviously increased. In the batch fermentation, the production of PHBV could achieve 4.262g/L at 300min, with the content increased from 0.04% to 23.67% of mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) in the acclimated sludge, and the COD of the PO saponification wastewater was also decreased in the fermentation. This work would provide an effective solution for the utilization of PO saponification wastewater residual sludge. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. High cell density strategy for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate production by Cupriavidus necator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. L. Ienczak

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate (P(3HB is a carbon and intracellular storage source for different microorganisms and its production can achieve high productivities by means of high cell density cultures. The aim of this study was to propose a high cell density strategy for P(3HB production by Cupriavidus necator. The exponential growth phase demands an accurate control of the oxygen transfer system in the bioreactor, due to maximum specific growth rate (µXr, and, consequently, a maximum specific oxygen uptake rate (QO2, in addition to significant residual biomass (Xr growth in high cell density cultures. In this context, this work investigated the strategy for obtaining high cell density, with the inclusion of a linear growth phase for P(3HB production by C. necator in a fed-batch culture. The linear growth phase was included between the exponential growth phase and the P(3HB production phase as a strategy to reduce the specific growth rate (µXr and specific oxygen uptake rate (QO2, with constant residual biomass growth rate (d(V.Xr/dt = k = constant and linear increase of biomass. Three strategies of culture were performed. The results showed that a high residual biomass concentration (30 gXr.L-1 can be reached by the inclusion of the linear growth strategy and specific growth rates (µXr between 0.08 and 0.05 h-1, at the beginning of the production phase, are necessary to attain a high P(3HB productivity.

  15. Are free glucose and glucose-6-phosphate in milk indicators of specific physiological states in the cow?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Torben; Moyes, Kasey M

    2015-01-01

    that they are not hydrolysis product from lactose post secretion, but rather reflecting the energy status of the mammary epithelial cells pre-secretion. Wide variation in range of these metabolites, that is, from 90 to 630 μM and 5 to 324 μM, for glucose and G6P, respectively, was observed. During the first 21 weeks in milk....... In addition, lactose, protein, fat, citrate and β-hydroxybutyrate were determined and comparisons between these variables were made. Data were analysed using GLM model for the effect of parity, breed, time from last milking and stage of lactation on variations in parameters in milk. Pearson’s correlations...

  16. Effect of triiodothyronine and insulin on glucose metabolism in tissue explants and isolated adipocytes from lean and obese Zucker rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bailey, J.W.

    1985-01-01

    Glucose metabolism in adipocytes from 6 week old lean and obese Zucker rats were sensitive to direct and chronic treatment with insulin and triidothyronine (T 3 ). Insulin had a large stimulatory effect on glucose metabolism in acutely isolated adipocytes. This effect was greater in the lean than in the obese. Fatty acid, CO 2 , and glycerol-glyceride formation from radiolabeled glucose was elevated in the obese over the leans. Pretreatment of isolated adipocytes with pharmacological concentrations of T 3 for 30 minutes prior to the measurement of glucose metabolism had a greater effect on lean than obese adipocytes. The presence of insulin was required to observe the acute effects of T 3 . A 2-hour exposure to physiological levels of T 3 in the presence of insulin in both lean and obese adipocytes decreased lipogenesis. In the absence of insulin, a 2 hour pretreatment with physiological levels of T 3 in tissue from a euthyroid animal produced increased lipogenesis

  17. Synthesis and characterization of polyesters derived from glycerol and phthalic acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danilo Hansen Guimarães

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available The production of polyester via polycondensation between glycerol and phthalic acid using dibutyltin dilaurate is reported. Three glycerol:phthalic acid molar ratio used for the bulk polymerization were: 2:2; 2:3 and 2:4. FTIR confirmed the esterification of glycerol by the acid for all the polymers. DSC indicated no crystallinity, although the XRD plots indicate a very incipient crystallinity for the polymers containing higher amounts of phthalic anhydride. Scanning electron microscopy results indicates high homogeneity for all the polymers prepared.

  18. Design and analysis of fuel ethanol production from raw glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Posada, J.A.; Cardona, C.A.

    2010-01-01

    Three configurations for fuel ethanol production from raw glycerol using Escherichia coli were simulated and economically assessed using Aspen Plus and Aspen Icarus, respectively. These assessments considered raw glycerol (60 wt%) purification to both crude glycerol (88 wt%) and pure glycerol (98 wt%). The highest purification cost (PC) was obtained using pure glycerol due to its higher energy consumption in the distillation stage. In addition, the remaining methanol in the raw glycerol stream was recovered and recycled, decreasing the purification costs. The E. coli strain is able to convert crude glycerol (at 10 g/L or 20 g/L), or pure glycerol (at 10 g/L) to ethanol. Among these three glycerol concentrations, the lowest bioconversion cost was obtained when crude glycerol was diluted at 20 g/L. Purification and global production costs were compared with the commercial prices of glycerol and fuel ethanol from corn and sugarcane. Purification costs of raw glycerol were lower than previously reported values due to the methanol recovery. Global production costs for fuel ethanol from glycerol were lower than the reported values for corn-based production and higher than those for cane-based production. (author)

  19. Diffusion of intracerebrally injected [1-14C]arachidonic acid and [2-3H]glycerol in the mouse brain. Effects of ischemia and electroconvulsive shock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pediconi, M.F.; Rodriguez de Turco, E.B.; Bazan, N.G.

    1982-01-01

    [2- 3 H]Glycerol and [1- 14 C]arachidonic acid were injected into the region of the frontal horn of the left ventricle of mice and were distributed rapidly throughout the brain. After 10 sec, most of the radioactive fatty acid was found in the hemisphere near the injection site; after 10 min, it was recovered in similar proportions in the cerebellum and brain stem. [2- 3 H]Glycerol showed a heterogeneous distribution, with most of the label remaining in the left hemisphere even after 10 min. On a fresh weight basis, cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem were found to contain similar amounts of labeled glycerol. However, the amount of [1- 14 C]arachidonate in cerebrum was only 50% of that recovered from cerebellum or brain stem. Brain ischemia or a single electroconvulsive shock reduced the spread of the label, producing an accumulation of radioactivity in the injected hemisphere, except for an increase in [2- 3 H]glycerol in the brain stem during ischemia. Despite the significant decrease in available precursor in the cerebellum and brain stem after electroshock, the amount of label incorporated into lipids was not altered in these areas and only slightly diminished in the cerebrum

  20. Gibbs Free-Energy Gradient along the Path of Glucose Transport through Human Glucose Transporter 3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Huiyun; Bourdon, Allen K; Chen, Liao Y; Phelix, Clyde F; Perry, George

    2018-06-11

    Fourteen glucose transporters (GLUTs) play essential roles in human physiology by facilitating glucose diffusion across the cell membrane. Due to its central role in the energy metabolism of the central nervous system, GLUT3 has been thoroughly investigated. However, the Gibbs free-energy gradient (what drives the facilitated diffusion of glucose) has not been mapped out along the transport path. Some fundamental questions remain. Here we present a molecular dynamics study of GLUT3 embedded in a lipid bilayer to quantify the free-energy profile along the entire transport path of attracting a β-d-glucose from the interstitium to the inside of GLUT3 and, from there, releasing it to the cytoplasm by Arrhenius thermal activation. From the free-energy profile, we elucidate the unique Michaelis-Menten characteristics of GLUT3, low K M and high V MAX , specifically suitable for neurons' high and constant demand of energy from their low-glucose environments. We compute GLUT3's binding free energy for β-d-glucose to be -4.6 kcal/mol in agreement with the experimental value of -4.4 kcal/mol ( K M = 1.4 mM). We also compute the hydration energy of β-d-glucose, -18.0 kcal/mol vs the experimental data, -17.8 kcal/mol. In this, we establish a dynamics-based connection from GLUT3's crystal structure to its cellular thermodynamics with quantitative accuracy. We predict equal Arrhenius barriers for glucose uptake and efflux through GLUT3 to be tested in future experiments.

  1. Conditions With High Intracellular Glucose Inhibit Sensing Through Glucose Sensor Snf3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karhumaa, Kaisa; Wu, B.Q.; Kielland-Brandt, Morten

    2010-01-01

    as for amino acids. An alternating-access model of the function of transporter-like sensors has been previously suggested based on amino acid sensing, where intracellular ligand inhibits binding of extracellular ligand. Here we studied the effect of intracellular glucose on sensing of extracellular glucose...... through the transporter-like sensor Snf3 in yeast. Sensing through Snf3 was determined by measuring degradation of Mth1 protein. High intracellular glucose concentrations were achieved by using yeast strains lacking monohexose transporters which were grown on maltose. The apparent affinity...... of extracellular glucose to Snf3 was measured for cells grown in non-fermentative medium or on maltose. The apparent affinity for glucose was lowest when the intracellular glucose concentration was high. The results conform to an alternating-access model for transporter-like sensors. J. Cell. Biochem. 110: 920...

  2. Conformational Preferences of Glycerol in the Gas Phase and in Water

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeong, Keun Hong [Korea Military Academy, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Byun, Byung Jin; Kang, Young Kee [Chungbuk National University, Cheongju (Korea, Republic of)

    2012-03-15

    The conformational study of glycerol has been carried out using the M06-2X/cc-pVTZ level of theory in the gas phase and the SMD M06-2X/cc-pVTZ level of theory in water in order to understand its conformational preferences and solvation effects. Most of the preferred conformers of glycerol have two C{sub 5} hydrogen bonds in the gas phase, as found by the analysis of calorimetric data. It has been known that the solvation drove the hydrogen bonds of glycerol to be weaker and its potential surface to be fatter and that glycerol exists as an ensemble of many feasible local minima in water. The calculated populations of glycerol in the gas phase and in water are consistent with the observed values, which are better than the previously calculated ones at the G2(MP2), CBS-QB3, and SM5.42 HF/6-31G(d) levels of theory

  3. Formation and stability of .beta.-structure in biodegradable ultra-high-molecular-weight poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by infrared, Raman, and quantum chemical calculation studies

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Murakami, R.; Sato, H.; Dybal, Jiří; Iwata, T.; Ozaki, Y.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 48, č. 9 (2007), s. 2672-2680 ISSN 0032-3861 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/05/0425 Grant - others:Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(JP) 18750107 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : ultra-high-molecular-weight poly(hydroxybutyrate) * .beta.-form * Raman spectroscopy Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.065, year: 2007

  4. Role of β-hydroxybutyrate, its polymer poly-β-hydroxybutyrate and inorganic polyphosphate in mammalian health and disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena N. Dedkova

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available We provide a comprehensive review of the role of β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB, its linear polymer poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB and inorganic polyphosphate (polyP in mammalian health and disease. β-OHB is a metabolic intermediate that constitutes 70% of ketone bodies produced during ketosis. Although ketosis has been generally considered as an unfavorable pathological state (e.g. diabetic ketoacidosis in type-1 diabetes mellitus, it has been suggested that induction of mild hyperketonemia may have certain therapeutic benefits. β-OHB is synthesized in the liver from acetyl-CoA by β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and can be used as alternative energy source. Elevated levels of PHB are associated with pathological states. In humans, short-chain, complexed PHB (cPHB is found in a wide variety of tissues and in atherosclerotic plaques. Plasma cPHB concentrations correlate strongly with atherogenic lipid profiles, and PHB tissue levels are elevated in type-1 diabetic animals. However, little is known about mechanisms of PHB action especially in the heart. In contrast to β-OHB, PHB is a water-insoluble, amphiphilic polymer that has high intrinsic viscosity and salt-solvating properties. cPHB can form non-specific ion channels in planar lipid bilayers and liposomes. PHB can form complexes with polyP and Ca2+ which increases membrane permeability. The biological roles played by polyP, a ubiquitous phosphate polymer with ATP-like bonds, have been most extensively studied in prokaryotes, however polyP has recently been linked to a variety of functions in mammalian cells, including blood coagulation, regulation of enzyme activity in cancer cells, cell proliferation, apoptosis and mitochondrial ion transport and energy metabolism. Recent evidence suggests that polyP is a potent activator of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in cardiomyocytes and may represent a hitherto unrecognized key structural and functional component of the mitochondrial

  5. Melting and thermal history of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) using step-scan DSC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gunaratne, L.M.W.K.; Shanks, R.A.

    2005-01-01

    Melting behaviour and crystal morphology of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and its copolymer of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) with various hydroxyvalerate (HV) contents [5 wt.% (PHB5HV), 8 wt.% (PHB8HV) and 12 wt.% (PHB12HV)] have been investigated by conventional DSC, step-scan differential scanning calorimetry (SDSC) and hot-stage polarised optical microscopy (HSPOM). Crystallisation behaviour of PHB and its copolymers were investigated by SDSC. Thermal properties were investigated after different crystallisation treatments, fast, medium and slow cooling. Multiple melting peak behaviour was observed for all polymers. SDSC data revealed that PHB and its copolymers undergo melting-recrystallisation-remelting during heating, as evidenced by exothermic peaks in the IsoK baseline (non-reversing signal). An increase in degree of crystallinity due to significant melt-recrystallisation was observed for slow-cooled copolymers. PHB5HV showed different crystal morphologies for various crystallisation conditions. SDSC proved a convenient and precise method for measurement of the apparent thermodynamic specific heat (reversing signal) HSPOM results showed that the crystallisation rates and sizes of spherulites were significantly reduced as crystallisation rate increased

  6. Preparation and characterization of biohybrid poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) based nanofibrous scaffolds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kouhi, Monireh; Fathi, Mohammadhossein; Venugopal, Jayarama Reddy; Shamanian, Morteza; Ramakrishna, Seeram

    2018-01-01

    Development of bioengineered scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration is a growing area of research, especially those involving biodegradable electrospun nanofibers incorporated with ceramic nanoparticles, since they can mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the native bone. In the current study, a biocomposite nanofibrous scaffolds consisting of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), fibrinogen (FIB) and bredigite (BR) nanoparticles was fabricated through electrospinning. The morphological, chemical and mechanical characteristics of the resultant scaffolds were studied by using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and tensile tester, respectively. It was found that PHBV-FIB-BR scaffolds exhibited enhanced tensile strength and young modulus compared to PHBV and PHBV-FIB scaffolds. In addition, the measurements of the water contact angle suggested that incorporation of bredigite and fibrinogen into PHBV could improve the hydrophilicity of the composites. The results of bioactivity assessment performed in the simulated body fluid (SBF) demonstrated that the presence of the bredigite nanoparticles induced the nucleation and growth of apatite layer on the surface of PHBV-FIB-BR scaffold in SBF. Furthermore, the ion concentration changes of SBF solutions with composite scaffolds showed that PHBV-FIB-BR scaffolds released Ca and Si ions, which can stimulate osteoblast proliferation. The results of cell culture studies revealed the higher osteoblast proliferation, mineralization and differentiation on PHBV-FIB-BR and PHBV-FIB scaffolds than on PHBV. Our results suggest that PHBV-FIB-BR nanofibrous scaffold would be a promising candidate as a biocomposite nanofibrous scaffold material for tissue engineering applications.

  7. Gastric submucosal microdialysis in the detection of rat stomach ischemia—a comparison of the 3H2O efflux technique with metabolic monitoring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cibicek, Norbert; Palicka, Vladimir; Zivna, Helena; Vrublova, Eva; Cibicek, Jaroslav; Cermakova, Eva

    2010-01-01

    Microdialysis has been utilized for nutritive blood flow measurements, but both the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches have not been evaluated in parallel in the stomach yet. Our aim was to compare the 3 H 2 O efflux technique with biochemical monitoring during temporary celiac artery occlusion in anesthetized rats. Microdialysis probes were implanted in the gastric submucosa and perfused with 3 H 2 O; samples were analyzed for β-activity, glucose, lactate, pyruvate and glycerol. Gastric mucosa and plasma were subjected to morphometry and analysis of myeloperoxidase, total thiols and lactatdehydrogenase. The most dramatic responses to ischemia were observed in lactate/pyruvate and lactate/glucose (%) ratios (6.1–9.3×, p 3 H 2 O efflux and glycerol were less pronounced (1.1–1.7×, p 3 H 2 O efflux correlated best with the lactate/glucose ratio and glucose alone (r = 0.693 and −0.681, respectively, p −1 , p −1 , p 3 H 2 O efflux technique. The results question the efficacy of the utilized model to produce standardized major gastric damage

  8. Lysophosphatidic acid activates peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ in CHO cells that over-express glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase-1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cliona M Stapleton

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA is an agonist for peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPARγ. Although glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase-1 (GPAT1 esterifies glycerol-3-phosphate to form LPA, an intermediate in the de novo synthesis of glycerolipids, it has been assumed that LPA synthesized by this route does not have a signaling role. The availability of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO cells that stably overexpress GPAT1, allowed us to analyze PPARγ activation in the presence of LPA produced as an intracellular intermediate. LPA levels in CHO-GPAT1 cells were 6-fold higher than in wild-type CHO cells, and the mRNA abundance of CD36, a PPARγ target, was 2-fold higher. Transactivation assays showed that PPARγ activity was higher in the cells that overexpressed GPAT1. PPARγ activity was enhanced further in CHO-GPAT1 cells treated with the PPARγ ligand troglitazone. Extracellular LPA, phosphatidic acid (PA or a membrane-permeable diacylglycerol had no effect, showing that PPARγ had been activated by LPA generated intracellularly. Transient transfection of a vector expressing 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase-2, which converts endogenous LPA to PA, markedly reduced PPARγ activity, as did over-expressing diacylglycerol kinase, which converts DAG to PA, indicating that PA could be a potent inhibitor of PPARγ. These data suggest that LPA synthesized via the glycerol-3-phosphate pathway can activate PPARγ and that intermediates of de novo glycerolipid synthesis regulate gene expression.

  9. SELECTIVE HYDROGENOLYSIS OF GLYCEROL TO PROPYLENE GLYCOL IN A CONTINUOUS FLOW TRICKLE BED REACTOR USING COPPER CHROMITE AND Cu/Al2O3 CATALYSTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Sepúlveda

    Full Text Available The glycerol hydrogenolysis reaction was performed in a continuous flow trickle bed reactor using a water glycerol feed and both copper chromite and Cu/Al2O3 catalysts. The commercial copper chromite had a higher activity than the laboratory prepared Cu/Al2O3 and was used for most of the tests. Propylene glycol was the main product with both catalysts, acetol being the main by-product. It was found that temperature is the main variable influencing the conversion of glycerol. When the state of the glycerol-water reactant mixture was completely liquid, at temperatures lower than 190 ºC, conversion was low and deactivation was observed. At reaction temperatures of 210-230 ºC the conversion of glycerol was complete and the selectivity to propylene glycol was stable at about 60-80% all throughout the reaction time span of 10 h, regardless of the hydrogen pressure level (1 to 20 atm. These optimal values could not be improved significantly by using other different reaction conditions or increasing the catalyst acidity. At higher temperatures (245-250 ºC the conversion was also 100%. Under reaction conditions at which copper chromite suffered deactivation, light by-products and surface deposits were formed. The deposits could be completely burned at 250 ºC and the catalyst activity fully recovered.

  10. Exercise promotes the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through the action of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sleiman, Sama F; Henry, Jeffrey; Al-Haddad, Rami; El Hayek, Lauretta; Abou Haidar, Edwina; Stringer, Thomas; Ulja, Devyani; Karuppagounder, Saravanan S; Holson, Edward B; Ratan, Rajiv R; Ninan, Ipe; Chao, Moses V

    2016-06-02

    Exercise induces beneficial responses in the brain, which is accompanied by an increase in BDNF, a trophic factor associated with cognitive improvement and the alleviation of depression and anxiety. However, the exact mechanisms whereby physical exercise produces an induction in brain Bdnf gene expression are not well understood. While pharmacological doses of HDAC inhibitors exert positive effects on Bdnf gene transcription, the inhibitors represent small molecules that do not occur in vivo. Here, we report that an endogenous molecule released after exercise is capable of inducing key promoters of the Mus musculus Bdnf gene. The metabolite β-hydroxybutyrate, which increases after prolonged exercise, induces the activities of Bdnf promoters, particularly promoter I, which is activity-dependent. We have discovered that the action of β-hydroxybutyrate is specifically upon HDAC2 and HDAC3, which act upon selective Bdnf promoters. Moreover, the effects upon hippocampal Bdnf expression were observed after direct ventricular application of β-hydroxybutyrate. Electrophysiological measurements indicate that β-hydroxybutyrate causes an increase in neurotransmitter release, which is dependent upon the TrkB receptor. These results reveal an endogenous mechanism to explain how physical exercise leads to the induction of BDNF.

  11. Insulin-sensitive phospholipid signaling systems and glucose transport. Update II.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farese, R V

    2001-04-01

    Insulin provokes rapid changes in phospholipid metabolism and thereby generates biologically active lipids that serve as intracellular signaling factors that regulate glucose transport and glycogen synthesis. These changes include: (i) activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and production of PIP3; (ii) PIP3-dependent activation of atypical protein kinase Cs (PKCs); (iii) PIP3-dependent activation of PKB; (iv) PI3K-dependent activation of phospholipase D and hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine with subsequent increases in phosphatidic acid (PA) and diacylglycerol (DAG); (v) PI3K-independent activation of glycerol-3-phosphate acylytansferase and increases in de novo synthesis of PA and DAG; and (vi) activation of DAG-sensitive PKCs. Recent findings suggest that atypical PKCs and PKB serve as important positive regulators of insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism, whereas mechanisms that result in the activation of DAG-sensitive PKCs serve mainly as negative regulators of insulin signaling through PI3K. Atypical PKCs and PKB are rapidly activated by insulin in adipocytes, liver, skeletal muscles, and other cell types by a mechanism requiring PI3K and its downstream effector, 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK-1), which, in conjunction with PIP3, phosphorylates critical threonine residues in the activation loops of atypical PKCs and PKB. PIP3 also promotes increases in autophosphorylation and allosteric activation of atypical PKCs. Atypical PKCs and perhaps PKB appear to be required for insulin-induced translocation of the GLUT 4 glucose transporter to the plasma membrane and subsequent glucose transport. PKB also appears to be the major regulator of glycogen synthase. Together, atypical PKCs and PKB serve as a potent, integrated PI3K/PDK-1-directed signaling system that is used by insulin to regulate glucose metabolism.

  12. Characterization of starch-based bioplastics from jackfruit seed plasticized with glycerol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santana, Renata Ferreira; Bonomo, Renata Cristina Ferreira; Gandolfi, Olga Reinert Ramos; Rodrigues, Luciano Brito; Santos, Leandro Soares; Dos Santos Pires, Ana Clarissa; de Oliveira, Cristiane Patrícia; da Costa Ilhéu Fontan, Rafael; Veloso, Cristiane Martins

    2018-01-01

    Biodegradable films based on starches from different botanical sources exhibited physicochemical and functional properties which were related with the starch characteristics. However, had inadequate mechanical properties and were hard and brittle. In this research, jackfruit seed starch plasticized with glycerol were developed and characterized. The starch and glycerol concentrations ranged from 2 to 6% w/w and 20 to 60 g/100 g starch, respectively. Bioplastics were obtained by the casting method and characterized in terms of color, mechanical properties, solubility, water vapor permeability ( WVP ), morphology and free energy of the hydrophobic interaction. Electronic micrographics showed the presence of some intact starch granules. The bioplastics were hydrophilic and those of 6% starch and 40% glycerol were the most hydrophilic ([Formula: see text] = 41.35 mJ m -1 ). The solubility of the films presented a direct relationship with the starch concentration ranging from 16.42 to 23.26%. Increased opacity and color difference were observed with increasing starch concentration. The WVP ranged from 1.374 × 10 -3 to 3.07 × 10 -4  g m/day m 2 which was positively related with the concentration of starch and glycerol. Tensile strength, percent elongation and Young's Modulus indicated that the jackfruit starch and glycerol provided a film with good mechanical properties. The results replaced that jackfruit starch can be used to develop films, with low opacity, moderate WVP and relatively high mechanical stability, by using glycerol in the gelatinized starch dispersions.

  13. Glycerol as source of energy in broiler chicken fattening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leo Kroupa

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to verify the possibility of replacing soybean oil in a diet with glycerol, and investigate the effect of glycerol on performance indicators and health in broiler chickens. The experiment was performed on 122 one-day-old chickens that were divided based on sex into two control groups (30 females and 31 males and two experimental groups (30 females and 31 males. Half (50% of the soybean oil in diets used in the experimental groups was replaced with glycerol at a ratio of 1:2. On 15, 32 and 38 day of age chickens of both sexes in the experimental group that were fed with diets containing glycerol showed significantly higher (p ≤ 0.01 mean body weight compared to the control group. At the end of the experiment, the mean weight of chickens in the control group was 2.078 kg, whereas the mean weight of chickens in the experimental group was 2.341 kg. In females, the overall consumption of diets within 38 days of fattening was 3.588 kg in the control group and 4.011 kg in the experimental group, in males, it was 3.915 kg in the control group and 4.366 kg in the experimental group, i.e. it was higher in experimental chickens. Feed conversion in chickens in experimental groups was better, being 1.84 kg in the control group and 1.81 kg in the experimental group in females, and 1.73 kg in the control group and 1.72 kg in the experimental group in males. It follows from our results that the optimum amount of glycerol in feed for poultry is 5%.This study presents an original solution to optimize feed formula by replacing plant oil with glycerol. The results of the study can improve production indicators and economy in broiler fattening.

  14. A forward-design approach to increase the production of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate in genetically engineered Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard Kelwick

    Full Text Available Biopolymers, such as poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P(3HB are produced as a carbon store in an array of organisms and exhibit characteristics which are similar to oil-derived plastics, yet have the added advantages of biodegradability and biocompatibility. Despite these advantages, P(3HB production is currently more expensive than the production of oil-derived plastics, and therefore, more efficient P(3HB production processes would be desirable. In this study, we describe the model-guided design and experimental validation of several engineered P(3HB producing operons. In particular, we describe the characterization of a hybrid phaCAB operon that consists of a dual promoter (native and J23104 and RBS (native and B0034 design. P(3HB production at 24 h was around six-fold higher in hybrid phaCAB engineered Escherichia coli in comparison to E. coli engineered with the native phaCAB operon from Ralstonia eutropha H16. Additionally, we describe the utilization of non-recyclable waste as a low-cost carbon source for the production of P(3HB.

  15. A forward-design approach to increase the production of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate in genetically engineered Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelwick, Richard; Kopniczky, Margarita; Bower, Iain; Chi, Wenqiang; Chin, Matthew Ho Wai; Fan, Sisi; Pilcher, Jemma; Strutt, James; Webb, Alexander J; Jensen, Kirsten; Stan, Guy-Bart; Kitney, Richard; Freemont, Paul

    2015-01-01

    Biopolymers, such as poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P(3HB)) are produced as a carbon store in an array of organisms and exhibit characteristics which are similar to oil-derived plastics, yet have the added advantages of biodegradability and biocompatibility. Despite these advantages, P(3HB) production is currently more expensive than the production of oil-derived plastics, and therefore, more efficient P(3HB) production processes would be desirable. In this study, we describe the model-guided design and experimental validation of several engineered P(3HB) producing operons. In particular, we describe the characterization of a hybrid phaCAB operon that consists of a dual promoter (native and J23104) and RBS (native and B0034) design. P(3HB) production at 24 h was around six-fold higher in hybrid phaCAB engineered Escherichia coli in comparison to E. coli engineered with the native phaCAB operon from Ralstonia eutropha H16. Additionally, we describe the utilization of non-recyclable waste as a low-cost carbon source for the production of P(3HB).

  16. Blends of ethylene-co-vinyl acetate and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate with adhesion property

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. de Lucas-Freile

    2018-07-01

    Full Text Available The structure and properties of ethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB blends depended on their PHB content, i.e. PHB phase dominated the structure for amounts of PHB higher than 50 wt%, whereas EVA phase is dominant for PHB content lower than 50 wt%. EVA/PHB (70:30 blend showed unexpected different structure because of higher miscibility and the creation of new interfacial interactions between C=O and CH3 groups of PHB and CH3 and C=O groups of EVA, these interactions led changing of the phase structure of ethylene and vinyl acetate domains in EVA. As a consequence, improved thermal, viscoelastic and morphological properties were obtained. EVA+PHB blends containing 60 wt% or more PHB did not show tack and, interestingly, the addition of 20–30 wt% PHB enhanced the tack and displaced the maximum tack of pure EVA to lower temperature. The tack of EVA/PHB (70:30 blend was the highest among all blends because of its particular structure, fibrillation was also shown. Finally, the adhesion of EVA+PHB blends containing 20–30 wt% PHB to polypropylene (PP substrate was higher than the one of pure EVA because of the interactions between the ethylene domains in EVA phase of the blend and PP substrate surface.

  17. Validation of different measures of insulin sensitivity of glucose metabolism in dairy cows using the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp test as the gold standard.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Koster, J; Hostens, M; Hermans, K; Van den Broeck, W; Opsomer, G

    2016-10-01

    The aim of the present research was to compare different measures of insulin sensitivity in dairy cows at the end of the dry period. To do so, 10 clinically healthy dairy cows with a varying body condition score were selected. By performing hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (HEC) tests, we previously demonstrated a negative association between the insulin sensitivity and insulin responsiveness of glucose metabolism and the body condition score of these animals. In the same animals, other measures of insulin sensitivity were determined and the correlation with the HEC test, which is considered as the gold standard, was calculated. Measures derived from the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) are based on the disappearance of glucose after an intravenous glucose bolus. Glucose concentrations during the IVGTT were used to calculate the area under the curve of glucose and the clearance rate of glucose. In addition, glucose and insulin data from the IVGTT were fitted in the minimal model to derive the insulin sensitivity parameter, Si. Based on blood samples taken before the start of the IVGTT, basal concentrations of glucose, insulin, NEFA, and β-hydroxybutyrate were determined and used to calculate surrogate indices for insulin sensitivity, such as the homeostasis model of insulin resistance, the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, the revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index and the revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index including β-hydroxybutyrate. Correlation analysis revealed no association between the results obtained by the HEC test and any of the surrogate indices for insulin sensitivity. For the measures derived from the IVGTT, the area under the curve for the first 60 min of the test and the Si derived from the minimal model demonstrated good correlation with the gold standard. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Studies on the production of glucose isomerase by Bacillus licheniformis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nwokoro Ogbonnaya

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available This work reports the effects of some culture conditions on the production of glucose isomerase by Bacillus licheniformis. The bacterium was selected based on the release of 3.62 mg/mL fructose from the fermentation of glucose. Enzyme was produced using a variety of carbon substrates but the highest enzyme activity was detected in a medium containing 0.5% xylose and 1% glycerol (specific activity = 6.88 U/mg protein. Media containing only xylose or glucose gave lower enzyme productivies (specific activities= 4.60 and 2.35 U/mg protein respectively. The effects of nitrogen substrates on glucose isomerase production showed that yeast extract supported maximum enzyme activity (specific activity = 5.24 U/mg protein. Lowest enzyme activity was observed with sodium trioxonitrate (specific activity = 2.44 U/mg protein. In general, organic nitrogen substrates supported higher enzyme productivity than inorganic nitrogen substrates. Best enzyme activity was observed in the presence of Mg2+ (specific activity = 6.85 U/mg protein while Hg2+ was inhibitory (specific activity = 1.02 U/mg protein. The optimum pH for best enzyme activity was 6.0 while optimum temperature for enzyme production was 50ºC.

  19. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-based glucose biosensors

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kros, A.; Hövell, W.F.M. van; Sommerdijk, N.A.J.M.; Nolte, R.J.M.

    2001-01-01

    Amperometric biosensors for the recognition of glucose oxidase (GOx) based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) were fabricated for the first time. The resulting biosensor has potential applications for long-term glucose measurements.

  20. Glycerol metabolism induces Listeria monocytogenes biofilm formation at the air-liquid interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crespo Tapia, Natalia; den Besten, Heidy M W; Abee, Tjakko

    2018-05-20

    Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne pathogen that can grow as a biofilm on surfaces. Biofilm formation in food-processing environments is a big concern for food safety, as it can cause product contamination through the food-processing line. Although motile aerobic bacteria have been described to form biofilms at the air-liquid interface of cell cultures, to our knowledge, this type of biofilm has not been described in L. monocytogenes before. In this study we report L. monocytogenes biofilm formation at the air-liquid interface of aerobically grown cultures, and that this phenotype is specifically induced when the media is supplemented with glycerol as a carbon and energy source. Planktonic growth, metabolic activity assays and HPLC measurements of glycerol consumption over time showed that glycerol utilization in L. monocytogenes is restricted to growth under aerobic conditions. Gene expression analysis showed that genes encoding the glycerol transporter GlpF, the glycerol kinase GlpK and the glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase GlpD were upregulated in the presence of oxygen, and downregulated in absence of oxygen. Additionally, motility assays revealed the induction of aerotaxis in the presence of glycerol. Our results demonstrate that the formation of biofilms at the air-liquid interface is dependent on glycerol-induced aerotaxis towards the surface of the culture, where L. monocytogenes has access to higher concentrations of oxygen, and is therefore able to utilize this compound as a carbon source. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Aqueous-phase reforming of crude glycerol : effect of impurities on hydrogen production

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boga, Dilek A.; Liu, Fang; Bruijnincx, Pieter C. A.; Weckhuysen, Bert M.

    2016-01-01

    The aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of a crude glycerol that originates from an industrial process and the effect of the individual components of crude glycerol on APR activity have been studied over 1 wt% Pt/Mg-Al) O, 1 wt% Pt/Al2O3, 5 wt% Pt/Al2O3 and 5 wt% Pt/C catalysts at 29 bar and 225 degrees

  2. Application of glycerol as a foliar spray activates the defence response and enhances disease resistance of Theobroma cacao.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yufan; Smith, Philip; Maximova, Siela N; Guiltinan, Mark J

    2015-01-01

    Previous work has implicated glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) as a mobile inducer of systemic immunity in plants. We tested the hypothesis that the exogenous application of glycerol as a foliar spray might enhance the disease resistance of Theobroma cacao through the modulation of endogenous G3P levels. We found that exogenous application of glycerol to cacao leaves over a period of 4 days increased the endogenous level of G3P and decreased the level of oleic acid (18:1). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were produced (a marker of defence activation) and the expression of many pathogenesis-related genes was induced. Notably, the effects of glycerol application on G3P and 18:1 fatty acid content, and gene expression levels, in cacao leaves were dosage dependent. A 100 mm glycerol spray application was sufficient to stimulate the defence response without causing any observable damage, and resulted in a significantly decreased lesion formation by the cacao pathogen Phytophthora capsici; however, a 500 mm glycerol treatment led to chlorosis and cell death. The effects of glycerol treatment on the level of 18:1 and ROS were constrained to the locally treated leaves without affecting distal tissues. The mechanism of the glycerol-mediated defence response in cacao and its potential use as part of a sustainable farming system are discussed. © 2014 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

  3. Valorization of crude glycerol from biodiesel production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konstantinović Sandra S.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The increased production of biodiesel as an alternative fuel involves the simultaneous growth in production of crude glycerol as its main by-product. Therefore, the feasibility and sustainability of biodiesel production requires the effective utilization of crude glycerol. This review describes various uses of crude glycerol as a potential green solvent for chemical reactions, a starting raw material for chemical and biochemical conversions into value-added chemicals, a substrate or co-substrate in microbial fermentations for synthesis of valuable chemicals and production of biogas and biohydrogen as well as a feedstuff for animal feed. A special attention is paid to various uses of crude glycerol in biodiesel production. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 45001

  4. 1,3-Propanediol production by Klebsiella oxytoca NRRL-B199 from glycerol. Medium composition and operational conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mateusz Wojtusik

    2015-06-01

    Under the best operating conditions, i.e., a programmed variable stirring rate ranging from 50 to 100 rpm and a temperature of 37 °C, a final concentration of 13.5 g/L of 1,3-propanediol with a selectivity of 86% with respect to the glycerol consumed was obtained.

  5. HPLC-MS Determination of Acrolein and Acetone Generated from 13C3 -Labeled Glycerol Added to Cigarette Tobacco Using Two Machine-Smoking Regimes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yip SH

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The extent of blend glycerol degradation in a burning cigarette to form acrolein and acetone has been quantitatively determined by the addition of glycerol-13C3 to three styles of a leading commercial cigarette brand. Multiple Cambridge pads soaked with a solution of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH were employed to trap hydrazone derivatives of low molecular weight carbonyl compounds in both mainstream and sidestream smoke. High performance liquid chromatography coupled with negative ion mass spectrometry was used to isolate DNPH derivatives of the volatile carbonyl products of combustion and to ascertain their concentration. Acrolein, acetone, and propionaldehyde were the principal compounds of interest. The DNPH derivatives of acrolein-13C3 and acetone-13C3 were independently synthesized, and they served as external standards for absolute quantitation. The cost of fully labeled propionaldehyde precluded its use in this study. The brand styles selected for study represent the cigarette design features that are most prevalent in the U.S. market today and afford a representative range of standardized “tar” yields (14, 10, and 5 mg/cig, respectively by the Cambridge Filter Method. The brand styles studied are part of a commercial cigarette brand family that does not contain additives to the tobacco blend, including glycerol. Mainstream smoke was generated by an automated smoking machine employing the standard Cambridge Filter Smoking Regime and a more intense regime requiring larger, more frequent puffs and 100% vent blocking that is specified for regulatory purposes by the Canadian federal government. The research indicated that only a small fraction of added glycerol (~0.25%-0.30%, w/w was converted to the two compounds of interest, with the larger portion generally observed in sidestream smoke. Less than 0.1% of the added glycerol was converted to acrolein in mainstream smoke for all cigarette designs and smoking regimes studied.

  6. The role of tungsten oxide in the selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol over Pt/WO x /Al 2 O 3

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    García-fernández, Sara; Gandarias, Inaki; Requies, Jesús; Soulimani, Fouad|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/313889449; Arias, Pedro L.; Weckhuysen, Bert M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/285484397

    2017-01-01

    Bi-functional heterogeneous catalysts combining a noble metal with an oxophilic metal (mainly W or Re) were reported to be selective for the CO hydrogenolysis of glycerol to the high added-value 1,3-propanediol. Despite intensive research work carried out, there is a great deal of controversy about

  7. Performance of a direct glycerol fuel cell using KOH doped polybenzimidazole as electrolyte

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nascimento, Ana P.; Linares, Jose J.

    2014-01-01

    This paper studies the influence of the operating variables (glycerol concentration, temperature and feed rate) for a direct glycerol fuel cell fed with glycerol using polybenzimidazole (PBI) impregnated with KOH as electrolyte and Pt/C as catalyst. Temperature displays a beneficial effect up to 75 °C due to the enhanced conductivity and kinetics of the electrochemical reactions. The optimum cell feed corresponds to 1 mol L -1 glycerol and 4 mol L -1 KOH, supplying sufficient quantities of fuel and electrolyte without massive crossover nor mass transfer limitations. The feed rate increases the performance up to a limit of 2 mL min -1 , high enough to guarantee the access of the glycerol and the exit of the products. Finally, the use of binary catalysts (PtRu/C and Pt 3 Sn/C) is beneficial for increasing the cell performance. (author)

  8. Differential utilization of ketone bodies by neurons and glioma cell lines: a rationale for ketogenic diet as experimental glioma therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maurer, Gabriele D; Brucker, Daniel P; Bähr, Oliver; Harter, Patrick N; Hattingen, Elke; Walenta, Stefan; Mueller-Klieser, Wolfgang; Steinbach, Joachim P; Rieger, Johannes

    2011-07-26

    Even in the presence of oxygen, malignant cells often highly depend on glycolysis for energy generation, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. One strategy targeting this metabolic phenotype is glucose restriction by administration of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet. Under these conditions, ketone bodies are generated serving as an important energy source at least for non-transformed cells. To investigate whether a ketogenic diet might selectively impair energy metabolism in tumor cells, we characterized in vitro effects of the principle ketone body 3-hydroxybutyrate in rat hippocampal neurons and five glioma cell lines. In vivo, a non-calorie-restricted ketogenic diet was examined in an orthotopic xenograft glioma mouse model. The ketone body metabolizing enzymes 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (BDH1 and 2), 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase 1 (OXCT1) and acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1) were expressed at the mRNA and protein level in all glioma cell lines. However, no activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway was observed in glioma cells, consistent with the absence of substantial 3-hydroxybutyrate metabolism and subsequent accumulation of succinate. Further, 3-hydroxybutyrate rescued hippocampal neurons from glucose withdrawal-induced cell death but did not protect glioma cell lines. In hypoxia, mRNA expression of OXCT1, ACAT1, BDH1 and 2 was downregulated. In vivo, the ketogenic diet led to a robust increase of blood 3-hydroxybutyrate, but did not alter blood glucose levels or improve survival. In summary, glioma cells are incapable of compensating for glucose restriction by metabolizing ketone bodies in vitro, suggesting a potential disadvantage of tumor cells compared to normal cells under a carbohydrate-restricted ketogenic diet. Further investigations are necessary to identify co-treatment modalities, e.g. glycolysis inhibitors or antiangiogenic agents that efficiently target non-oxidative pathways.

  9. Differential utilization of ketone bodies by neurons and glioma cell lines: a rationale for ketogenic diet as experimental glioma therapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maurer, Gabriele D; Brucker, Daniel P; Bähr, Oliver; Harter, Patrick N; Hattingen, Elke; Walenta, Stefan; Mueller-Klieser, Wolfgang; Steinbach, Joachim P; Rieger, Johannes

    2011-01-01

    Even in the presence of oxygen, malignant cells often highly depend on glycolysis for energy generation, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. One strategy targeting this metabolic phenotype is glucose restriction by administration of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet. Under these conditions, ketone bodies are generated serving as an important energy source at least for non-transformed cells. To investigate whether a ketogenic diet might selectively impair energy metabolism in tumor cells, we characterized in vitro effects of the principle ketone body 3-hydroxybutyrate in rat hippocampal neurons and five glioma cell lines. In vivo, a non-calorie-restricted ketogenic diet was examined in an orthotopic xenograft glioma mouse model. The ketone body metabolizing enzymes 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (BDH1 and 2), 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase 1 (OXCT1) and acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1) were expressed at the mRNA and protein level in all glioma cell lines. However, no activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway was observed in glioma cells, consistent with the absence of substantial 3-hydroxybutyrate metabolism and subsequent accumulation of succinate. Further, 3-hydroxybutyrate rescued hippocampal neurons from glucose withdrawal-induced cell death but did not protect glioma cell lines. In hypoxia, mRNA expression of OXCT1, ACAT1, BDH1 and 2 was downregulated. In vivo, the ketogenic diet led to a robust increase of blood 3-hydroxybutyrate, but did not alter blood glucose levels or improve survival. In summary, glioma cells are incapable of compensating for glucose restriction by metabolizing ketone bodies in vitro, suggesting a potential disadvantage of tumor cells compared to normal cells under a carbohydrate-restricted ketogenic diet. Further investigations are necessary to identify co-treatment modalities, e.g. glycolysis inhibitors or antiangiogenic agents that efficiently target non-oxidative pathways

  10. Isolation of a solventogenic Clostridium sp. strain: fermentation of glycerol to n-butanol, analysis of the bcs operon region and its potential regulatory elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panitz, J C; Zverlov, V V; Pham, V T T; Stürzl, S; Schieder, D; Schwarz, W H

    2014-02-01

    A new solventogenic bacterium, strain GT6, was isolated from standing water sediment. 16S-rRNA gene analysis revealed that GT6 belongs to the heterogeneous Clostridium tetanomorphum group of bacteria exhibiting 99% sequence identity with C. tetanomorphum 4474(T). GT6 can utilize a wide range of carbohydrate substrates including glucose, fructose, maltose, xylose and glycerol to produce mainly n-butanol without any acetone. Additional products of GT6 metabolism were ethanol, butyric acid, acetic acid, and trace amounts of 1,3-propanediol. Medium and substrate composition, and culture conditions such as pH and temperature influenced product formation. The major fermentation product from glycerol was n-butanol with a final concentration of up to 11.5 g/L. 3% (v/v) glycerol lead to a total solvent concentration of 14 g/L within 72 h. Growth was not inhibited by glycerol concentrations as high as 15% (v/v). The solventogenesis genes crt, bcd, etfA/B and hbd composing the bcs (butyryl-CoA synthesis) operon of C. tetanomorphum GT6 were sequenced. They occur in a genomic arrangement identical to those in other solventogenic clostridia. Furthermore, the sequence of a potential regulator gene highly similar to that of the NADH-sensing Rex family of regulatory genes was found upstream of the bcs operon. Potential binding sites for Rex have been identified in the promoter region of the bcs operon of solvent producing clostridia as well as upstream of other genes involved in NADH oxidation. This indicates a fundamental role of Rex in the regulation of fermentation products in anaerobic, and especially in solventogenic bacteria. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  11. Electrochemical Oxidation of Glycerol Using Gold Electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohamed Rozali Othman; Amirah Ahmad

    2015-01-01

    Cyclic voltammetry, potential linear V and chronocuolometry methods were carried out to gain electrochemical behavior of glycerol at a gold electrode. Potassium hydroxide and sulfuric acid were chosen to be the electrolyte for the electro-oxidation of this organic compound. Besides gold plate electrode, gold composite electrode (Au-PVC) was also used as the working electrode. The Au-PVC composite electrode was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to determine its morphological aspects before and after used in electrochemical oxidation of glycerol. In alkaline solution, the adsorption of hydroxide species onto the surface of both gold plate and composite Au-PVC electrodes occurs at potential around 500 mV vs SCE. However, at gold plate electrode, there was a small, broad peak before the drastic escalation of current densities which indicates the charge transfer of the chemisorbed OH - anion. In acidic media, the gold oxide was formed after potential 1.0 V. From the cyclic voltammogram glycerol undergo oxidation twice in potassium hydroxide at gold plate and Au-PVC composite electrodes, while in sulfuric acid, oxidation reaction happened once for glycerol on the gold plate electrode. Overall, electrochemical oxidation of glycerol was more effective in alkaline media. Tafel graph which plotted from potential linear V method shows that Au-PVC composite electrode is better than gold plate electrode for the electro-oxidation of glycerol in alkaline solution. Electrochemical oxidation of glycerol products as analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) produced several carboxylic acids and phenolic compounds. (author)

  12. A population study of urine glycerol concentrations in elite athletes competing in North America.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Brian N; Madsen, Myke; Sharpe, Ken; Nair, Vinod; Eichner, Daniel

    2013-01-01

    Glycerol is an endogenous substance that is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of prohibited threshold substances due to its potential use as a plasma volume expansion agent. The WADA has set the threshold for urine glycerol, including measurement uncertainty, at 1.3 mg/mL. Glycerol in circulation largely comes from metabolism of triglycerides in order to meet energy requirements and when the renal threshold is eclipsed, glycerol is excreted into urine. In part due to ethnic differences in postprandial triglyceride concentrations, we investigated urine glycerol concentrations in a population of elite athletes competing in North America and compared the results to those of athletes competing in Europe. 959 urine samples from elite athletes competing in North America collected for anti-doping purposes were analyzed for urine glycerol concentrations by a gas chromatography mass-spectrometry method. Samples were divided into groups according to: Timing (in- or out-of-competition), Class (strength, game, or endurance sports) and Gender. 333 (34.7%) samples had undetectable amounts of glycerol (sport classes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. The increase of apatite layer formation by the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) surface modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szubert, M., E-mail: mm.szubert@gmail.com [Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan (Poland); Adamska, K. [Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan (Poland); Szybowicz, M. [Faculty of Technical Physics, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan (Poland); Jesionowski, T. [Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan (Poland); Buchwald, T. [Faculty of Technical Physics, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan (Poland); Voelkel, A. [Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan (Poland)

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was the surface modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate by poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) grafting and characterization of modificates. The bioactivity examination was carried out by the determination to grow an apatite layer on modified materials during incubation in simulated body fluid at 37 °C. The additional issue taken up in this paper was to investigate the influence of fluid replacement. The process of the surface modification of biomaterials was evaluated by means of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Formation of the apatite layer was assessed by means of scanning electron microscopy and confirmed by energy dispersive, Raman and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. During exposure in simulated body fluid, the variation of the zeta potential, pH measurement and relative weight was monitored. Examination of scanning electron microscopy micrographs suggests that modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate by poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) significantly increases apatite layer formation. Raman spectroscopy evaluation revealed that the formation of the apatite layer was more significant in the case of hydroxyapatite modificate, when compared to the β-tricalcium phosphate modificate. Both modificates were characterized by stable pH, close to the natural pH of human body fluids. Furthermore, we have shown that a weekly changed, simulated body fluid solution increases apatite layer formation. - Highlights: • Surface modification of HA and β-TCP was performed by PHB grafting. • The growth of apatite layer on materials was examined in simulated body fluid (SBF). • The bioactivity of obtained materials was proved. • The replacement of SBF solution plays an important role in the process of apatite formation.

  14. The increase of apatite layer formation by the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) surface modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szubert, M.; Adamska, K.; Szybowicz, M.; Jesionowski, T.; Buchwald, T.; Voelkel, A.

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was the surface modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate by poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) grafting and characterization of modificates. The bioactivity examination was carried out by the determination to grow an apatite layer on modified materials during incubation in simulated body fluid at 37 °C. The additional issue taken up in this paper was to investigate the influence of fluid replacement. The process of the surface modification of biomaterials was evaluated by means of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Formation of the apatite layer was assessed by means of scanning electron microscopy and confirmed by energy dispersive, Raman and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. During exposure in simulated body fluid, the variation of the zeta potential, pH measurement and relative weight was monitored. Examination of scanning electron microscopy micrographs suggests that modification of hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate by poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) significantly increases apatite layer formation. Raman spectroscopy evaluation revealed that the formation of the apatite layer was more significant in the case of hydroxyapatite modificate, when compared to the β-tricalcium phosphate modificate. Both modificates were characterized by stable pH, close to the natural pH of human body fluids. Furthermore, we have shown that a weekly changed, simulated body fluid solution increases apatite layer formation. - Highlights: • Surface modification of HA and β-TCP was performed by PHB grafting. • The growth of apatite layer on materials was examined in simulated body fluid (SBF). • The bioactivity of obtained materials was proved. • The replacement of SBF solution plays an important role in the process of apatite formation

  15. Release of the Diclofenac Sodium by Nanofibers of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate Obtained from Electrospinning and Solution Blow Spinning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelle Andrade Souza

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Electrospun fibers are explored as a new system for controlled drug delivery. Novel techniques capable of obtaining polymer nanofibers have been reported in the literature. They include solution blow spinning (SBS, which is a technique to produce polymer nanofibers in the same range as electrospinning, using pressurized gas instead of high voltage. The present study investigates release characteristics of diclofenac sodium encapsulated at three concentrations (5, 10, and 20% w/v in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV nanofibers made by electrospinning and SBS and determines the drug’s effect on fiber morphology and structural properties. PHBV nanofibers were characterized using scanning electronic microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction, and the release profile was examined via UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Both electrospinning and SBS encapsulated diclofenac sodium in PHBV membranes efficiently and effectively. The profile of the in vitro release of diclofenac sodium was dependent on drug concentration and temperature. The drug reduced crystallinity and increased flexibility.

  16. Impact of impurities in biodiesel-derived crude glycerol on the fermentation by Clostridium pasteurianum ATCC 6013

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Venkataramanan, Keerthi P.; Boatman, Judy J.; Taconi, Katherine A. [Alabama Univ., Huntsville, AL (United States). Dept. of Chemical and Materials Engineering; Kurniawan, Yogi; Bothun, Geoffrey D. [Rhode Island Univ., Kingston, RI (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Scholz, Carmen [Alabama Univ., Huntsville, AL (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

    2012-02-15

    During the production of biodiesel, crude glycerol is produced as a byproduct at 10% (w/w). Clostridium pasteurianum has the inherent potential to grow on glycerol and produce 1,3-propanediol and butanol as the major products. Growth and product yields on crude glycerol were reported to be slower and lower, respectively, in comparison to the results obtained from pure glycerol. In this study, we analyzed the effect of each impurity present in the biodiesel-derived crude glycerol on the growth and metabolism of glycerol by C. pasteurianum. The crude glycerol contains methanol, salts (in the form of potassium chloride or sulfate), and fatty acids that were not transesterified. Salt and methanol were found to have no negative effects on the growth and metabolism of the bacteria on glycerol. The fatty acid with a higher degree of unsaturation, linoleic acid, was found to have strong inhibitory effect on the utilization of glycerol by the bacteria. The fatty acid with lower or no degrees of unsaturation such as stearic and oleic acid were found to be less detrimental to substrate utilization. The removal of fatty acids from crude glycerol by acid precipitation resulted in a fermentation behavior that is comparable to the one on pure glycerol. These results show that the fatty acids in the crude glycerol have a negative effect by directly affecting the utilization of glycerol as the carbon source, and hence their removal from crude glycerol is an essential step towards the utilization of crude glycerol. (orig.)

  17. Influence of gamma radiation on thermal properties and water vapor transmission of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in blends

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Forster, Pedro L.; Martins, Natalia A.; Parra, Duclerc F.; Egute, Nayara S.; Lugao, Ademar B., E-mail: dfparra@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2009-07-01

    Biodegradable polymers are a newly emerging field. A vast number of biodegradable polymers have been synthesized recently and some microorganisms and enzymes capable of degrading them have been identified. Polyesters such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) or other polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have attracted commercial and academic interest as new biodegradable materials. In this work, we investigated the effect of gamma radiation on the thermal properties and biodegradation behavior of PHB in blend with poly(ethyleneglycol)(PEG). The samples were irradiated at gamma radiation of 5 and 10 kGy. The thermal behaviour was investigated by utilization of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) changes in thermal stability, glass transition and melting point were reported. (author)

  18. Influence of gamma radiation on thermal properties and water vapor transmission of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in blends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forster, Pedro L.; Martins, Natalia A.; Parra, Duclerc F.; Egute, Nayara S.; Lugao, Ademar B.

    2009-01-01

    Biodegradable polymers are a newly emerging field. A vast number of biodegradable polymers have been synthesized recently and some microorganisms and enzymes capable of degrading them have been identified. Polyesters such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) or other polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have attracted commercial and academic interest as new biodegradable materials. In this work, we investigated the effect of gamma radiation on the thermal properties and biodegradation behavior of PHB in blend with poly(ethyleneglycol)(PEG). The samples were irradiated at gamma radiation of 5 and 10 kGy. The thermal behaviour was investigated by utilization of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) changes in thermal stability, glass transition and melting point were reported. (author)

  19. A specific glycerol kinase induces rapid cold hardening of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Youngjin; Kim, Yonggyun

    2014-08-01

    Insects in temperate zones survive low temperatures by migrating or tolerating the cold. The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, is a serious insect pest on cabbage and other cruciferous crops worldwide. We showed that P. xylostella became cold-tolerant by expressing rapid cold hardiness (RCH) in response to a brief exposure to moderately low temperature (4°C) for 7h along with glycerol accumulation in hemolymph. Glycerol played a crucial role in the cold-hardening process because exogenously supplying glycerol significantly increased the cold tolerance of P. xylostella larvae without cold acclimation. To determine the genetic factor(s) responsible for RCH and the increase of glycerol, four glycerol kinases (GKs), and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (PxGPDH) were predicted from the whole P. xylostella genome and analyzed for their function associated with glycerol biosynthesis. All predicted genes were expressed, but differed in their expression during different developmental stages and in different tissues. Expression of the predicted genes was individually suppressed by RNA interference (RNAi) using double-stranded RNAs specific to target genes. RNAi of PxGPDH expression significantly suppressed RCH and glycerol accumulation. Only PxGK1 among the four GKs was responsible for RCH and glycerol accumulation. Furthermore, PxGK1 expression was significantly enhanced during RCH. These results indicate that a specific GK, the terminal enzyme to produce glycerol, is specifically inducible during RCH to accumulate the main cryoprotectant. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Biocomposite coatings based on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/calcium phosphates obtained by MAPLE for bone tissue engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raşoga, O.; Sima, L.; Chiriţoiu, M.; Popescu-Pelin, G.; Fufǎ, O.; Grumezescu, V.; Socol, M.; Stǎnculescu, A.; Zgurǎ, I.; Socol, G.

    2017-09-01

    The aim of our research was to synthesize and investigate the physico-chemical and biological features of composite coatings based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and commercial calcium phosphates (CaPs), hydroxyapatite and β-tricalcium phosphate, obtained by means of matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) technique. In this respect, laser fluence and dropcast studies were performed for pristine polymer and PHBV-CaPs composites. The microstructure of the synthesized coatings was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, while for the chemical structure and functional integrity we performed Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy comparative analysis. By using the X-ray diffraction measurements we experimentally evaluated the crystalline nature of the obtained composite materials, while relevant data regarding the hydrophilic/hydrophobic behavior of the synthesized coatings were obtained by performing static CA measurements. The biocompatibility of PHBV/CaPs coatings was evaluated by performing cellular adhesion and differentiation in vitro assays on mesenchymal stem cells.

  1. Unusual poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) biosynthesis behavior of Pseudomonas putida Bet001 and Delftia tsuruhatensis Bet002 isolated from palm oil mill effluent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razaif-Mazinah, Mohd Rafais Mohd; Anis, Siti Nor Syairah; Harun, Hazwani Izzati; Rashid, Khairunnisa Abdul; Annuar, Mohamad Suffian Mohamad

    2017-03-01

    Pseudomonas putida Bet001 and Delftia tsuruhatensis Bet002, isolated from palm oil mill effluent, accumulated poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) when grown on aliphatic fatty acids, sugars, and glycerol. The substrates were supplied at 20:1 C/N mole ratio. Among C-even n-alkanoic acids, myristic acid gave the highest PHA content 26 and 28 wt% in P. putida and D. tsuruhatensis, respectively. Among C-odd n-alkanoic acids, undecanoic gave the highest PHA content at 40 wt% in P. putida and 46 wt% in D. tsuruhatensis on pentadecanoic acid. Sugar and glycerol gave <10 wt% of PHA content for both bacteria. Interestingly, D. tsuruhatensis accumulated both short- and medium-chain length PHA when supplied with n-alkanoic acids ranging from octanoic to lauric, sucrose, and glycerol with 3-hydroxybutyrate as the major monomer unit. In P. putida, the major hydroxyalkanoates unit was 3-hydroxyoctanoate and 3-hydroxydecanoate when grown on C-even acids. Conversely, 3-hydroxyheptanoate, 3-hydrxoynonanoate, and 3-hydroxyundecanoate were accumulated with C-odd acids. Weight-averaged molecular weight (M w ) was in the range of 53-81 kDa and 107-415 kDa for P. putida and D. tsuruhatensis, respectively. Calorimetric analyses indicated that both bacteria synthesized semicrystalline polymer with good thermal stability with degradation temperature (T d ) ranging from 178 to 282 °C. © 2016 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  2. 1,3-Propanediol production from crude glycerol by Clostridium butyricum DSP1 in repeated batch

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daria Szymanowska-Powałowska

    2014-11-01

    Conclusions: The experiments proved that by using a portion of metabolically active biomass as inoculum for another fermentation formula it is possible to eliminate the stage of inoculum growth and thereby reduce the length of the whole operation. Additionally, that strategy avoids the phase of microbial adaptation to a different source of carbon such as crude glycerol, which is more difficult to utilize, thus improving the kinetic parameters of 1,3-PD production.

  3. Hollow fibers made from a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate/poly-ε-caprolactone blend

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Since poly(3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB is inherently brittle and possesses poor elastic properties, hollow fibers produced by melt spinning from pure PHB, as described in our earlier study [Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 2010, 295/6, 585–594], do not meet the required needs regarding the mechanical performance. Besides hardly available PHB copolymers, also blend systems are known to enhance material properties and have thus been considered to be eligible to fabricate flexible or rather pliable hollow fibers based on PHB. Blends of PHB and poly-!-caprolactone (PCL are promising for the application in tissue engineering due to the inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability. A wide range of PHB/PCL compositions have been prepared by melt extrusion. Thermal and mechanical properties of the obtained specimens were analyzed in order to identify miscibility and degree of dispersion as well as to determine the influence on the overall mechanical performance. Even though these constituents are known to be immiscible, PHB/PCL 70/30 was proven to be an adequate composition. This blend showed a highly increased elongation and was found to be easily processable by melt spinning compared to pure PHB. From this blend well defined dimensionally stable bendable hollow fibers were fabricated.

  4. Thermal, mechanical and morphological properties of poly (hydroxybutyrate and polypropylene blends after processing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wagner Mauricio Pachekoski

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The ever increasing accumulation of plastic waste in the environment has motivated research on polymers that degrade rapidly after being discarded as possible substitutes for conventional inert plastics. Biodegradable polymers can be an alternative, since they have non-toxic residual products and low environmental permanence. Poly (hydroxybutyrate is a biodegradable polymer with a strong potential for industrial purposes, but its thermal instability and fragility limit its applications. Thus, an alternative to improve the processability and properties of poly (hydroxybutyrate is to mix it with another polymer, not necessarily a biodegradable one. In this work, different mixtures of poly(hydroxybutyrate or PHB and polypropylene or PP were extruded and injected. After processing, the blends were studied and their miscibility, mechanical properties and degradability in different soils were analyzed. The main results indicated that the PHB/PP blends had better mechanical properties than pure PHB, as well as improved immiscibility and higher degradation in alkaline soil. The poly-hydroxybutyrate/polypropylene blends showed a tendency for lower crystallinity and stiffness of the polymer matrix, proportional to the amount of polypropylene in the blends, rendering them less stiff and fragile. The degradation tests showed that both pure PHB and blends with 90% PHB and 10% PP were degraded, with loss of their mechanical properties and weight.

  5. Chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock MRI of glucose analog 3-O-methyl-d-glucose in normal and ischemic brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Tao; Mehrens, Hunter; Wang, Ping; Kim, Seong-Gi

    2018-05-01

    Glucose transport is important for understanding brain glucose metabolism. We studied glucose transport with a presumably non-toxic and non-metabolizable glucose analog, 3-O-methyl-d-glucose, using a chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock MRI technique at 9.4 Tesla. 3-O-methyl-d-glucose showed comparable chemical exchange properties with d-glucose and 2-deoxy-d-glucose in phantoms, and higher and lower chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock sensitivity than Glc and 2-deoxy-d-glucose in in vivo experiments, respectively. The changes of the spin-lattice relaxation rate in the rotating frame (Δ R 1 ρ) in normal rat brain peaked at ∼15 min after the intravenous injection of 1 g/kg 3-O-methyl-d-glucose and almost maintained a plateau for >1 h. Doses up to 4 g/kg 3-O-methyl-d-glucose were linearly correlated with Δ R 1 ρ. In rats with focal ischemic stroke, chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock with 3-O-methyl-d-glucose injection at 1 h after stroke onset showed reduced Δ R 1 ρ in the ischemic core but higher Δ R 1 ρ in the peri-core region compared to normal tissue, which progressed into the ischemic core at 3 h after stroke onset. This suggests that the hyper-chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock region observed at 1 h is the ischemic penumbra at-risk of infarct. In summary, 3-O-methyl-d-glucose-chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock can be a sensitive MRI technique to probe the glucose transport in normal and ischemic brains.

  6. Serum Beta Hydroxybutyrate Concentrations in Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease, Hyperthyroidism, or Hepatic Lipidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gorman, L; Sharkey, L C; Armstrong, P J; Little, K; Rendahl, A

    2016-01-01

    Ketones, including beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB), are produced in conditions of negative energy balance and decreased glucose utilization. Serum BHB concentrations in cats are poorly characterized in diseases other than diabetes mellitus. Serum BHB concentrations will be increased in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD), hyperthyroidism (HT), or hepatic lipidosis (HL). Twenty-eight client-owned cats with CKD, 34 cats with HT, and 15 cats with HL; 43 healthy cats. Prospective observational study. Serum BHB concentrations were measured at admission in cats with CKD, HT, and HL, for comparison with a reference interval established using healthy cats. Results of dipstick urine ketone measurement, when available, were compared to BHB measurement. Beta hydroxybutyrate was above the reference interval (<0.11 mmol/L) in 6/28 cats (21%) with CKD, 7/34 cats (20%) with HT, and 11/15 cats (73%) with HL, significantly exceeding the expected 2.5% above the reference interval for healthy cats (P < .001 for all groups). Elevations were mild in CKD and HT groups (median BHB 0.1 mmol/L for both groups, 80th percentile 0.12 and 0.11 mmol/L, respectively), but more marked in HL cats (median BHB 0.2 mmol/L, 80th percentile 0.84 mmol/L). None of 11 cats with increased serum BHB concentration having urine dipstick analysis performed within 24 h of sampling for BHB were ketonuric. Increases in serum BHB concentrations occur in cats with CKD, HT, and HL, and might provide an useful index of catabolism. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

  7. Adipose tissue insulin receptor and glucose transporter 4 expression, and blood glucose and insulin responses during glucose tolerance tests in transition Holstein cows with different body condition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaakson, H; Karis, P; Ling, K; Ilves-Luht, A; Samarütel, J; Henno, M; Jõudu, I; Waldmann, A; Reimann, E; Pärn, P; Bruckmaier, R M; Gross, J J; Kaart, T; Kass, M; Ots, M

    2018-01-01

    Glucose uptake in tissues is mediated by insulin receptor (INSR) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of body condition during the dry period on adipose tissue mRNA and protein expression of INSR and GLUT4, and on the dynamics of glucose and insulin following the i.v. glucose tolerance test in Holstein cows 21 d before (d -21) and after (d 21) calving. Cows were grouped as body condition score (BCS) ≤3.0 (thin, T; n = 14), BCS = 3.25 to 3.5 (optimal, O; n = 14), and BCS ≥3.75 (overconditioned, OC; n = 14). Blood was analyzed for glucose, insulin, fatty acids, and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. Adipose tissue was analyzed for INSR and GLUT4 mRNA and protein concentrations. During the glucose tolerance test 0.15 g/kg of body weight glucose was infused; blood was collected at -5, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min, and analyzed for glucose and insulin. On d -21 the area under the curve (AUC) of glucose was smallest in group T (1,512 ± 33.9 mg/dL × min) and largest in group OC (1,783 ± 33.9 mg/dL × min), and different between all groups. Basal insulin on d -21 was lowest in group T (13.9 ± 2.32 µU/mL), which was different from group OC (24.9 ± 2.32 µU/mL. On d -21 the smallest AUC 5-60 of insulin in group T (5,308 ± 1,214 µU/mL × min) differed from the largest AUC in group OC (10,867 ± 1,215 µU/mL × min). Time to reach basal concentration of insulin in group OC (113 ± 14.1 min) was longer compared with group T (45 ± 14.1). The INSR mRNA abundance on d 21 was higher compared with d -21 in groups T (d -21: 3.3 ± 0.44; d 21: 5.9 ± 0.44) and O (d -21: 3.7 ± 0.45; d 21: 4.7 ± 0.45). The extent of INSR protein expression on d -21 was highest in group T (7.3 ± 0.74 ng/mL), differing from group O (4.6 ± 0.73 ng/mL), which had the lowest expression. The amount of GLUT4 protein on d -21 was lowest in group OC (1.2 ± 0.14 ng/mL), different from group O (1.8 ± 0.14 ng/mL), which had the highest amount

  8. Glucose Transporter 3 Potentiates Degranulation and Is Required for Platelet Activation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fidler, Trevor P; Middleton, Elizabeth A; Rowley, Jesse W; Boudreau, Luc H; Campbell, Robert A; Souvenir, Rhonda; Funari, Trevor; Tessandier, Nicolas; Boilard, Eric; Weyrich, Andrew S; Abel, E Dale

    2017-09-01

    On activation, platelets increase glucose uptake, glycolysis, and glucose oxidation and consume stored glycogen. This correlation between glucose metabolism and platelet function is not well understood and even less is known about the role of glucose metabolism on platelet function in vivo. For glucose to enter a cell, it must be transported through glucose transporters. Here we evaluate the contribution of GLUT3 (glucose transporter 3) to platelet function to better understand glucose metabolism in platelets. Platelet-specific knockout of GLUT3 was generated by crossing mice harboring GLUT3 floxed allele to a PF4 (platelet factor 4)-driven Cre recombinase. In platelets, GLUT3 is localized primarily on α-granule membranes and under basal conditions facilitates glucose uptake into α-granules to be used for glycolysis. After activation, platelets degranulate and GLUT3 translocates to the plasma membrane, which is responsible for activation-mediated increased glucose uptake. In vivo, loss of GLUT3 in platelets increased survival in a collagen/epinephrine model of pulmonary embolism, and in a K/BxN model of autoimmune inflammatory disease, platelet-specific GLUT3 knockout mice display decreased disease progression. Mechanistically, loss of GLUT3 decreased platelet degranulation, spreading, and clot retraction. Decreased α-granule degranulation is due in part to an impaired ability of GLUT3 to potentiate exocytosis. GLUT3-mediated glucose utilization and glycogenolysis in platelets promotes α-granule release, platelet activation, and postactivation functions. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

  9. Glucose uptake and pulsatile insulin infusion: euglycaemic clamp and [3-3H]glucose studies in healthy subjects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmitz, O.; Arnfred, J.; Hother Nielsen, O.; Beck-Nielsen, H.; Oerskov, H.

    1986-01-01

    To test the hypothesis that insulin has a greater effect on glucose metabolism when given as pulsatile than as continuous infusion, a 354-min euglycaemic clamp study was carried out in 8 healthy subjects. At random order soluble insulin was given intravenously either at a constant rate of 0.45mU/kg · min or in identical amounts in pulses of 1 1 / 2 to 2 1 / 4 min followed by intervals of 10 1 / 2 to 9 3 / 4 min. Average serum insulin levels were similar during the two infusion protocols, but pulsatile administration induced oscillations ranging between 15 and 62 μU/ml. Glucose uptake expressed as metabolic clearance rate (MCR) for glucose was significantly increased during pulsatile insulin delivery as compared with continuous administration (270-294 min: 8.7±0.7 vs 6.8±0.9 ml/kg · min, P 3 H]glucose infusion technique was suppressed to insignificant values. Finally, the effect of insulin on endogenous insulin secretion and lipolysis as assessed by changes in serum C-peptide and serum FFA was uninfluenced by the infusion mode. In conclusion, insulin infusion resulting in physiological serum insulin levels enhances glucose uptake in peripheral tissues in healthy subjects to a higher degree when given in a pulsed pattern mimicking that of the normal endocrine pancreas than when given as a continuous infusion. (author)

  10. Performance of a direct glycerol fuel cell using KOH doped polybenzimidazole as electrolyte

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nascimento, Ana P.; Linares, Jose J., E-mail: joselinares@unb.br [Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), Brasilia, DF (Brazil). Instituto de Quimica

    2014-03-15

    This paper studies the influence of the operating variables (glycerol concentration, temperature and feed rate) for a direct glycerol fuel cell fed with glycerol using polybenzimidazole (PBI) impregnated with KOH as electrolyte and Pt/C as catalyst. Temperature displays a beneficial effect up to 75 °C due to the enhanced conductivity and kinetics of the electrochemical reactions. The optimum cell feed corresponds to 1 mol L{sup -1} glycerol and 4 mol L{sup -1} KOH, supplying sufficient quantities of fuel and electrolyte without massive crossover nor mass transfer limitations. The feed rate increases the performance up to a limit of 2 mL min{sup -1}, high enough to guarantee the access of the glycerol and the exit of the products. Finally, the use of binary catalysts (PtRu/C and Pt{sub 3}Sn/C) is beneficial for increasing the cell performance. (author)

  11. Toxicity of palmitoyl glycerol to mice: depression of thyroid function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trumbo, P.R.; Meuten, D.J.; King, M.W.; Tove, S.B.

    1987-01-01

    Mice given propylthiouracil, a thyroid inhibitor, and fed a diet containing a nontoxic level of rac-1(3)-palmitoyl glycerol showed the hypothermia and mortality expected for a toxic dose, but did not show these signs when linoleate or oleate was added to the diet. Loss of radioiodine from the whole animal and thyroid gland was slower when mice were fed the toxic palmitoyl glycerol diet than when fed the same diet containing 4% safflower oil. However, mice fed the two diets did not differ in the extent of the incorporation of radioiodine, and essentially all was bound to protein in each case. Follicular thyroid cells from mice fed the potentially toxic diet that contained unsaturated fat were normal in appearance. Conversely, cells from mice fed the toxic diet were smaller and more densely stained, showing evidence of glycoprotein inside the cell. These findings show that the thyroid gland is affected by the palmitoyl glycerol diet. However, the thyroid is not the only organ affected, because giving either thyroxine or triiodothyronine had no effect on the toxicity of palmitoyl glycerol

  12. Penggunaan H-Zeolit dan Tawas dalam Pemurnian Crude Glycerol dengan Proses Adsorpsi dan Koagulasi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isalmi Aziz, M.T

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Production of biodiesel from used cooking oil byproducts such as crude glycerol with low purity. The crude glycerol containing compounds impurities such as free fatty acids, alcohol, soap, catalyst and water. Compound adsorption of impurities can be done with the H-zeolite as adsorbent, but the resulting quality is still not good. To improve its quality, this research was added alum (coagulation process so that the adsorption of colloidal-sized compound impurities which can be separated from the glycerol. The purpose of this research is determine optimal condition of adsorption and coagulation impurity compounds of crude glycerol by using H-zeolite and  alum and  also determine quality of glycerol  was obtained. First, crude glycerol acidified by phosphoric acid 85% (pure analysis until desired pH ±2.5. It was obtained purity of glycerol 72.797%. The next process is adsorption with activated H-zeolite and it obtained purity of glycerol 77.079%. The last process in this research is adsorption and coagulation by using H-zeolite and alum. The highest purity glycerol 93.803% was obtained from condition of adsorption and coagulation for 75 minutes; alum’s concentration 80 ppm; and temperature 60 ºC. The glycerol discharged from adsorption and coagulation process by using H-zeolite and alum is qualify Indonesia National Standard number 06-1564-1995 with 3.512% water content; 2.438% ash content; 0.247% MONG content; has no sugar; 1.259 g/mL density of glycerol; 0.2356% potassium content and 0.0410% aluminium content; and brighter color.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/jkv.v0i0.5143

  13. Biocompatibility of plasma-treated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) nanofiber mats modified by silk fibroin for bone tissue regeneration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unalan, Irem [Biomedical Technologies Department, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir (Turkey); Colpankan, Oylum [Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir (Turkey); Albayrak, Aylin Ziylan, E-mail: aylin.albayrak@deu.edu.tr [Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir (Turkey); Gorgun, Cansu [Biomedical Technologies Department, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Ege University, Izmir (Turkey); Urkmez, Aylin Sendemir [Biomedical Technologies Department, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Ege University, Izmir (Turkey); Bioengineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Ege University, Izmir (Turkey)

    2016-11-01

    The objective of this study was to produce biocompatible plasma-treated and silk-fibroin (SF) modified poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) nanofiber mats. The mats were plasma-treated using O{sub 2} or N{sub 2} gas to increase their hydrophilicity followed by SF immobilization for the improvement of biocompatibility. Contact angle measurements and SEM showed increased hydrophilicity and no disturbed morphology, respectively. Cell proliferation assay revealed that SF modification together with N{sub 2} plasma (PS/N{sub 2}) promoted higher osteoblastic (SaOs-2) cell viability. Although, O{sub 2} plasma triggered more mineral formation on the mats, it showed poor cell viability. Consequently, the PS/N{sub 2} nanofiber mats would be a potential candidate for bone tissue engineering applications. - Highlights: • N{sub 2}-plasma treated and silk fibroin modified mats do not show hydrophobic recovery. • Biomineralization is better on O{sub 2}-plasma treated and silk fibroin modified mats. • SaOS-2 cells like to proliferate on N{sub 2}-plasma treated surfaces.

  14. Analysis of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in environmental samples by GC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elhottová, D; Tríska, J; Petersen, S O; Santrůcková, H

    2000-05-01

    Application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) can significantly improve trace analyses of compounds in complex matrices from natural environments compared to gas chromatography only. A GC-MS/MS technique for determination of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), a bacterial storage compound, has been developed and used for analysis of two soils stored for up to 319 d, fresh samples of sewage sludge, as well as a pure culture of Bacillus megaterium. Specific derivatization of beta-hydroxybutyrate (3-OH C4:0) PHB monomer units by N-tert-butyl-dimethylsilyl-N-methyltrifluoracetamide (MTBSTFA) improved chromatographic and mass spectrometric properties of the analyte. The diagnostic fragmentation scheme of the derivates tert-butyldimethylsilyl ester and ether of beta-hydroxybutyric acid (MTBSTFA-HB) essential for the PHB identification was shown. The ion trap MS was used, therefore the scan gave the best sensitivity and with MS/MS the noise decreased, so the S/N was better and also with second fragmentation the amount of ions increased compared to SIM. The detection limit for MTBSTFA-HB by GC-MS/MS was about 10(-13) g microL(-1) of injected volume, while by GC (FID) and GC-MS (scan) it was around 10(-10) g microL(-1) of injected volume. Sensitivity of GC-MS/MS measurements of PHB in arable soil and activated sludge samples was down to 10 pg of PHB g(-1) dry matter. Comparison of MTBSTFA-HB detection in natural soil sample by GC (FID), GC-MS (scan) and by GC-MS/MS demonstrated potentials and limitations of the individual measurement techniques.

  15. Phase diagrams in blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid with various aliphatic polyesters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Phase behavior with immiscibility, miscibility, crystalline morphology, and kinetic analysis in blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB with aliphatic polyesters such as poly(butylene adipate (PBA, poly(ethylene adipate (PEA, poly(trimethylene adipate (PTA, or poly(ethylene succinate (PESu, respectively, were explored mainly using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC and polarized-light optical microscopy (POM. Immiscibility phase behavior with reversible upper-critical-solution-temperature (UCST is common in the PHB/polyester blends. The polyester/polyester blend of PHB/PTA is partially miscible with no UCST in melt and amorphous glassy states within a composition range of PTA less than 50 wt%. The miscible crystalline/crystalline blend exhibits ring-banded spherulites at Tc = 50~100°C, with inter-ring spacing dependent on Tc. All immiscible or partially miscible PHB/polyester blends, by contrast, exhibit disrupted ringbanded spherulites or discrete spherical phase domains upon cooling from UCST to crystallization. The blends of PHB with all other aliphatic polyesters, such as PESu, PEA, PBA, etc. are only partially miscible or immiscible with an upper critical solution temperature (UCST at 180~221°C depending on blend composition. UCST with reversibility was verified.

  16. [Treatment of gamma-hydroxybutyrate withdrawal].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strand, Niels August Willer; Petersen, Tonny Studsgaard; Nielsen, Lars Martin; Boegevig, Soren

    2017-12-11

    Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a drug of abuse, for which physical addiction develops quickly. GHB withdrawal can develop into a life-threatening condition and has previously been treated mainly with benzodiazepines. These have not always proven effective, leading to long hospitalizations in intensive care units. Based on successful Dutch treatment results for using GHB to treat GHB withdrawal symptoms, we propose to implement a similar method in Denmark. The method requires an interdisciplinary effort for which The Danish Poison Information Centre should be consulted for expertise.

  17. Transcriptome profiling of brown adipose tissue during cold exposure reveals extensive regulation of glucose metabolism

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hao, Qin; Yadav, Rachita; Basse, Astrid L.

    2015-01-01

    We applied digital gene expression profiling to determine the transcriptome of brown and white adipose tissues (BAT and WAT, respectively) during cold exposure. Male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to cold for 2 or 4 days. A notable induction of genes related to glucose uptake, glycolysis, glycogen...... exposure, we propose a model for the intermediary glucose metabolism in activated BAT: 1) fluxes through glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway are induced, the latter providing reducing equivalents for de novo fatty acid synthesis; 2) glycerol synthesis from glucose is increased, facilitating...

  18. Processing and characterization of biocomposites Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) / hydroxyapatite for temporary support in bone regeneration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cardoso, Cyntia Esteves; Ferreira, Willian Hermogenes; Andrade, Cristina Tristao

    2011-01-01

    Composite materials like biopolymer / hydroxyapatite (HA) has been attracting the interest of researchers because of its applications in medicine. These materials have been used as temporary supports during the regeneration of bone tissue. In this work, poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) was chosen as matrix because it has good processability and biocompatibility. The HA was obtained by precipitation from calcium hydroxide and phosphoric acid, varying the speed of dripping, the synthesis temperature and time of calcination. The techniques of infrared absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the samples synthesized HA. The biocomposites were prepared in an internal mixer, with compositions PHB / HA varied. After processing, the biocomposites were ground, characterized by XRD analysis and the crystallinity index. The aim of this study was to examine the variables during the synthesis of HA and its thermal treatment in order to obtain a powder of HA using a simple technique and accessible, creating good properties for the biocomposites prepared. (author)

  19. Glycerol gelatin for 3D-printing of implants using a paste extrusion technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kempin Wiebke

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Fused deposition modeling as an additive manufacturing technique has gained great popularity for the fabrication of medical devices as well as pharmaceutical dosage forms over the last years. Particularly the variety of geometries that can be printed determines the attractiveness of this technique enabling a shape adaption of e.g. implants. In the presented work the soft hydrogel material glycerol gelatin was investigated towards its applicability in 3D-printing as an alternative to the commonly applied and mostly rigid polyesters. Model implants loaded with the model drug quinine and with the shape of a hollow cylinder were printed via an extrusion based technique utilizing the piston feed in a hydrogel filled heatable syringe. Glycerol gelatin hydrogels need to be crosslinked to avoid gel-sol-transition at body temperature. For this purpose three different crosslinking methods (insertion, dipping, spraying with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide (EDC and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS were evaluated regarding their crosslinking efficiency and drug losses during the crosslinking process. Dipping of the implant into an aqueous solution with at least 50 mM EDC and 10 mM NHS was found to be the most efficient crosslinking technique in conjunction with a smaller drug loss during processing compared to inserting. However, the use of hydrogels also causes problems as an intense and highly variable swelling of the printed structures during crosslinking (120.7 % ± 11.9 % for 10 times dipping in 50mM EDC/10 mM NHS and a great dependency of the volume on storage conditions complicate the preparation of tailor-made implants. The release of the model drug quinine from printed and crosslinked implants was fast and nearly completed within 6 hours.

  20. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate production in an integrated electromicrobial setup: Investigation under stress-inducing conditions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Israa Salem Al Rowaihi

    Full Text Available Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB, a biodegradable polymer, can be produced by different microorganisms. The PHB belongs to the family of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA that mostly accumulates as a granule in the cytoplasm of microorganisms to store carbon and energy. In this study, we established an integrated one-pot electromicrobial setup in which carbon dioxide is reduced to formate electrochemically, followed by sequential microbial conversion into PHB, using the two model strains, Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 and Cupriavidus necator H16. This setup allows to investigate the influence of different stress conditions, such as coexisting electrolysis, relatively high salinity, nutrient limitation, and starvation, on the production of PHB. The overall PHB production efficiency was analyzed in reasonably short reaction cycles typically as short as 8 h. As a result, the PHB formation was detected with C. necator H16 as a biocatalyst only when the electrolysis was operated in the same solution. The specificity of the source of PHB production is discussed, such as salinity, electricity, concurrent hydrogen production, and the possible involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS.

  1. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production in an integrated electromicrobial setup: Investigation under stress-inducing conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Rowaihi, Israa Salem; Paillier, Alexis; Rasul, Shahid; Karan, Ram; Grötzinger, Stefan Wolfgang; Eppinger, Jörg

    2018-01-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a biodegradable polymer, can be produced by different microorganisms. The PHB belongs to the family of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) that mostly accumulates as a granule in the cytoplasm of microorganisms to store carbon and energy. In this study, we established an integrated one-pot electromicrobial setup in which carbon dioxide is reduced to formate electrochemically, followed by sequential microbial conversion into PHB, using the two model strains, Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 and Cupriavidus necator H16. This setup allows to investigate the influence of different stress conditions, such as coexisting electrolysis, relatively high salinity, nutrient limitation, and starvation, on the production of PHB. The overall PHB production efficiency was analyzed in reasonably short reaction cycles typically as short as 8 h. As a result, the PHB formation was detected with C. necator H16 as a biocatalyst only when the electrolysis was operated in the same solution. The specificity of the source of PHB production is discussed, such as salinity, electricity, concurrent hydrogen production, and the possible involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS). PMID:29698424

  2. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production in an integrated electromicrobial setup: Investigation under stress-inducing conditions

    KAUST Repository

    Al Rowaihi, Israa Salem

    2018-04-26

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a biodegradable polymer, can be produced by different microorganisms. The PHB belongs to the family of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) that mostly accumulates as a granule in the cytoplasm of microorganisms to store carbon and energy. In this study, we established an integrated one-pot electromicrobial setup in which carbon dioxide is reduced to formate electrochemically, followed by sequential microbial conversion into PHB, using the two model strains, Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 and Cupriavidus necator H16. This setup allows to investigate the influence of different stress conditions, such as coexisting electrolysis, relatively high salinity, nutrient limitation, and starvation, on the production of PHB. The overall PHB production efficiency was analyzed in reasonably short reaction cycles typically as short as 8 h. As a result, the PHB formation was detected with C. necator H16 as a biocatalyst only when the electrolysis was operated in the same solution. The specificity of the source of PHB production is discussed, such as salinity, electricity, concurrent hydrogen production, and the possible involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

  3. Determining Atmospheric Pressure with a Eudiometer and Glycerol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brody, Jed; Rohald, Kate; Sutton, Atasha

    2010-01-01

    We consider a volume of air trapped over a glycerol column in a eudiometer. We demonstrate that there is an approximately linear relationship between the volume of trapped air and the height of the glycerol column. Simply by moving the eudiometer up and down, we cause the glycerol-column height and trapped-air volume to vary. The plot of volume…

  4. Crude glycerol combustion: Particulate, acrolein, and other volatile organic emissions

    KAUST Repository

    Steinmetz, Scott

    2013-01-01

    Crude glycerol is an abundant by-product of biodiesel production. As volumes of this potential waste grow, there is increasing interest in developing new value added uses. One possible use, as a boiler fuel for process heating, offers added advantages of energy integration and fossil fuel substitution. However, challenges to the use of crude glycerol as a boiler fuel include its low energy density, high viscosity, and high autoignition temperature. We have previously shown that a refractory-lined, high swirl burner can overcome challenges related to flame ignition and stability. However, critical issues related to ash behavior and the possible formation of acrolein remained. The work presented here indicates that the presence of dissolved catalysts used during the esterification and transesterification processes results in extremely large amounts of inorganic species in the crude glycerol. For the fuels examined here, the result is a submicron fly ash comprised primarily of sodium carbonates, phosphates, and sulfates. These particles report to a well-developed accumulation mode (0.3-0.7 μm diameter), indicating extensive ash vaporization and particle formation via nucleation, condensation, and coagulation. Particle mass emissions were between 2 and 4 g/m3. These results indicate that glycerol containing soluble catalyst is not suitable as a boiler fuel. Fortunately, process improvements are currently addressing this issue. Additionally, acrolein is of concern due to its toxicity, and is known to be formed from the low temperature thermal decomposition of glycerol. Currently, there is no known reliable method for measuring acrolein in sources. Acrolein and emissions of other volatile organic compounds were characterized through the use of a SUMMA canister-based sampling method followed by GC-MS analysis designed for ambient measurements. Results indicate crude glycerol combustion produces relatively small amounts of acrolein (∼15 ppbv) and other volatile organic

  5. Isolation and identification of poly beta hydroxybutyric acid accumulating bacteria of Staphylococcal sp. and characterization of biodegradable polyester.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Bappaditya; Banerjee, Rajat; Chatterjee, Sumana

    2009-04-01

    Staphylococcus sp. strain BP/SU1, capable of degrading the biopolymer and utilize it as a source of carbon and energy, was isolated from activated sludge using METABOLIX (MBX D411G). It was found that this strain was capable of accumulating poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) P(3-HB), as granule poly (3-hydroxybutyric acid), p(3-HB), inclusion bodies when grown under suitable nutrient conditions. These strains could sustain cell growth up to a dry mass of 9.24 g/l with a doubling time of 8 to 10 hr and could accumulate P(3-HB) as granular inclusion bodies to a cell dry weight of more than 12%. P(3-HB) accumulated by this organism was isolated and characterized through NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy, UV Spectroscopy, Mass spectroscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. P(3-HB) granules so isolated showed physical and chemical properties that should be possessed by a superior quality thermoplastic biopolymer.

  6. In vitro study of the effects of ultrasound-mediated glycerol on optical attenuation of human normal and cancerous esophageal tissues with optical coherence tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Y Q; Wei, H J; Guo, Z Y; Gu, H M; Guo, X; Zhu, Z G; Yang, H Q; Xie, S S

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies from our group have demonstrated that glucose solution can induce optical clearing enhancement of esophageal tissues with optical coherence tomography (OCT). The aims of this study were to evaluate the optical clearing effects of ultrasound-mediated optical clearing agents (OCAs) and to find more effective methods to distinguish human normal esophageal tissues (NE) and cancerous esophageal tissues (CE). Here we used the OCT technique to investigate the optical attenuation of NE and CE in vitro after treatment with 30% glycerol alone and glycerol combined with ultrasound, respectively. Experimental results showed that the averaged attenuation coefficient of CE was significantly larger than that of NE. The maximal decreases of averaged attenuation coefficients of NE and CE were approximately 48.7% and 36.2% after treatment with 30% glycerol alone, and they were significantly lower than those treated with 30% glycerol and ultrasound (57.5% in NE and 44.8% in CE). Moreover, after treatment with 30% glycerol alone, the averaged attenuation coefficients of NE and CE reached their minima in about 80 min and 65 min, respectively. The times were much shorter in NE and CE after treatment with glycerol with ultrasound, being about 62 min and 50 min, respectively. The results suggest that there is a significant difference in the optical properties of NE and CE, and that OCT with an ultrasound–OCAs combination has the ability to distinguish CE from NE. (paper)

  7. Synthesis of biodiesel fuel additives from glycerol using green chemistry and supercritical fluids

    Science.gov (United States)

    For every 3 moles of fatty acid esters produced, 1 mole of glycerol remains, ~11% of the biodiesel volume. One new method of glycerol use could be as a biodiesel fuel additive/extender using eco-friendly heterogeneous catalysts and supercritical fluids (SFs). SFs have advantages such as greater diff...

  8. Effect of fermentation parameters on bio-alcohols production from glycerol using immobilized Clostridium pasteurianum: an optimization study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khanna, Swati; Goyal, Arun; Moholkar, Vijayanand S

    2013-01-01

    This article addresses the issue of effect of fermentation parameters for conversion of glycerol (in both pure and crude form) into three value-added products, namely, ethanol, butanol, and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), by immobilized Clostridium pasteurianum and thereby addresses the statistical optimization of this process. The analysis of effect of different process parameters such as agitation rate, fermentation temperature, medium pH, and initial glycerol concentration indicated that medium pH was the most critical factor for total alcohols production in case of pure glycerol as fermentation substrate. On the other hand, initial glycerol concentration was the most significant factor for fermentation with crude glycerol. An interesting observation was that the optimized set of fermentation parameters was found to be independent of the type of glycerol (either pure or crude) used. At optimum conditions of agitation rate (200 rpm), initial glycerol concentration (25 g/L), fermentation temperature (30°C), and medium pH (7.0), the total alcohols production was almost equal in anaerobic shake flasks and 2-L bioreactor. This essentially means that at optimum process parameters, the scale of operation does not affect the output of the process. The immobilized cells could be reused for multiple cycles for both pure and crude glycerol fermentation.

  9. Physical-chemical properties of nanocomposites based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braga, Natália F.; da Silva, Ana Paula; Moraes Arantes, Tatiane; Lemes, Ana Paula; Cristovan, Fernando Henrique

    2018-01-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was reinforced with titanium dioxide (TiO2) in concentrations of 1.0%, 2.5% and 5.0% (m/m) to produce nanocomposites by the solvent casting technique. TiO2 was synthesized by a hydrothermal treatment to produce nanoparticles. The nanostructure of the nanoparticles was studied by x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD confirmed TiO2 crystalline nanoparticles, with a mixture of anatase and rutile phases. Through TEM analysis, the formation of TiO2 nanorod agglomerates with an average diameter and length of 40 and 12 nm, respectively, was observed. The thermal and mechanical properties of the pure PHBV and nanocomposite films were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis. The DSC analysis showed that the glass transition temperature decreased with the inclusion of TiO2 in the PHBV matrix in relation to pure PHBV. The results of biodegradation assays for the PHBV and nanocomposites in an aqueous medium and in soil showed morphological and structural changes for all samples, indicating a high biodegradation rate for this material. The most important conclusion is that the biodegradation of the PHBV was not affected by the addition of nanoparticles, thus enabling the use of nanocomposites in applications requiring biodegradable materials.

  10. Composite biodegradable biopolymer coatings of silk fibroin - Poly(3-hydroxybutyric-acid-co-3-hydroxyvaleric-acid) for biomedical applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miroiu, Floralice Marimona; Stefan, Nicolaie; Visan, Anita Ioana; Nita, Cristina; Luculescu, Catalin Romeo; Rasoga, Oana; Socol, Marcela; Zgura, Irina; Cristescu, Rodica; Craciun, Doina; Socol, Gabriel

    2015-11-01

    Composite silk fibroin-poly(3-hydroxybutyric-acid-co-3-hydroxyvaleric-acid) (SF-PHBV) biodegradable coatings were grown by Matrix Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation on titanium substrates. Their physico-chemical properties and particularly the degradation behavior in simulated body fluid at 37 °C were studied as first step of applicability in local controlled release for tissue regeneration applications. SF and PHBV, natural biopolymers with excellent biocompatibility, but different biodegradability and tensile strength properties, were combined in a composite to improve their properties as coatings for biomedical uses. FTIR analyses showed the stoichiometric transfer from targets to coatings by the presence in the spectra of the main absorption maxima characteristic of both polymers. XRD investigations confirmed the FTIR results showing differences in crystallization behavior with respect to the SF and PHBV content. Contact angle values obtained through wettability measurements indicated the MAPLE deposited coatings were highly hydrophilic; surfaces turning hydrophobic with the increase of the PHBV component. Degradation assays proved that higher PHBV contents resulted in enhanced resistance and a slower degradation rate of composite coatings in SBF. Distinct drug-release schemes could be obtained by adjusting the SF:PHBV ratio to controllably tuning the coatings degradation rate, from rapid-release formulas, where SF predominates, to prolonged sustained ones, for larger PHBV content.

  11. Investigation of the kinetics and mechanism of the glycerol chlorination reaction using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    JUN WANG

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available As a primary by-product in biodiesel production, glycerol can be used to prepare an important fine chemical, epichlorohydrin, by the glycerol chlorination reaction. Although this process has been applied in industrial production, unfortunately, less attention has been paid to the analysis and separation of the compounds in the glycerol chlorination products. In this study, a convenient and accurate method to determine the products in glycerol chlorination reaction was established and based on the results the kinetic mechanism of the reaction was investigated. The structure of main products, including 1,3--dichloropropan-2-ol, 2,3-dichloropropan-1-ol, 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol, 2-chloro-1,3-propanediol and glycerol was ascertained by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and the isomers of the products were distinguished. Apidic acid was considered as the best catalyst because of its excellent catalytic effect and high boiling point. The mechanism of the glycerol chlorination reaction was proposed and a new kinetic model was developed. Kinetic equations of the process in the experimental range were obtained by data fitting and the activation energies of each tandem reaction were 30.7, 41.8, 29.4 and 49.5 kJ mol-1, respectively. This study revealed the process and mechanism of the kinetics and provides the theoretical basis for engineering problems.

  12. Acrolein Production by Gas-Phase Glycerol Dehydration Using PO₄/Nb₂O5 Catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Kyu Am; Ryoo, HeeKyoung; Ma, Byung Chol; Kim, Youngchul

    2018-02-01

    In this study, modified niobium oxide were prepared to study the addictive effects on the catalytic performance for gas-phase glycerol dehydration. The catalysts were characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption, XRD, NH3-TPD, FT-IR. The amount of phosphoric acid was up to 50 wt% in niobium. As a result, the highest glycerol conversion was achieved over 20 wt% PO4/Nb2O5. It indicates that the optimal amount of phosphoric acid leads the catalyst to have appropriate acidity which is an important factor for gas-phase glycerol dehydration.

  13. Intercalation compounds of vanadium(5) phosphates with glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yakovleva, T.N.; Vykhodtseva, K.I.; Tarasova, D.V.; Soderzhinova, M.M.

    1997-01-01

    Interaction products of glycerol aqueous solutions with vanadium(5) phosphates were investigated by the methods of ESR, X-ray phase and thermal analyses. It is shown that glycerol molecules enter the interlayer space of VOPO 4 · 2H 2 O lattice with formation of disordered intercalated compounds with glycerol on the basis of partially reduced vanadium phosphate form when using α-VOPO 4 . 16 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab

  14. Physical-chemical basis of the protection of slowly frozen human erythrocytes by glycerol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rall, W.F.; Mazur, P.; Souzu, H.

    1978-07-01

    One theory of freezing damage suggests that slowly cooled cells are killed by being exposed to increasing concentrations of electrolytes as the suspending medium freezes. A corollary to this view is that protective additives such as glycerol protect cells by acting colligatively to reduce the electrolyte concentration at any subzero temperature. Recently published phase-diagram data for the ternary system glycerol-NaCl-water by M.L. Shepard et al. (Cryobiology, 13: 9-23, 1976), in combination with the data on human red cell survival vs. subzero temperature presented here and in the companion study of Souzu and Mazur (Biophys. J., 23: 89-100), permit a precise test of this theory. Appropriate liquidus phase-diagram information for the solutions used in the red cell freezing experiments was obtained by interpolation of liquidus data of Shepard and his co-workers. The results of phase-diagram analysis of red cell survival indicate that the correlation between the temperature that yields 50% hemolysis (LT/sub 50/) and the electrolyte concentration attained at that temperature in various concentrations of glycerol is poor. With increasing concentrations of glycerol, the cells were killed at progressively lower concentrations of NaCl. For example, the LT/sub 50/ for cells frozen in the absence of glycerol corresponds to a NaCl concentration of 12 weight percent (2.4 molal), while for cells frozen in 1.75 M glycerol in buffered saline the LT/sub 50/ corresponds to 3.0 weight percent NaCl (1.3 molal). The data, in combination with other findings, lead to two conclusions: (a) The protection from glycerol is due to its colligative ability to reduce the concentration of sodium chloride in the external medium, but (b) the protection is less than that expected from colligative effects; apparently glycerol itself can also be a source of damage, probably because it renders the red cells susceptible to osmotic shock during thawing.

  15. Anchor-dependent lipofection with non-glycerol based cytofectins containing single 2-hydroxyethyl head groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkata Srilakshmi, Gollapudi; Sen, Joyeeta; Chaudhuri, Arabinda; Ramadas, Yerramsetti; Madhusudhana Rao, Nalam

    2002-02-15

    Detailed structure-activity investigations aimed at probing the anchor chain length dependency for glycerol-based lipofectins have been reported previously. Herein, we report on the first detailed investigation on the anchor-dependent transfection biology of non-glycerol based simple monocationic cytofectins containing single 2-hydroxyethyl head group functionality using 11 new structural analogs of our previously published first generation of non-glycerol based transfection lipids (lipids 1-11). The C-14 and C-16 analogs of DOMHAC (lipids 4 and 5, respectively) were found to be remarkably efficient in transfecting COS-1 cells. In addition, the present anchor-dependency investigation also revealed that the C-14 analog of DOHEMAB (lipid 10) is significantly efficient in transfecting both COS-1 and NIH3T3 cells. Our results also indicate that too strong lipid-DNA interactions might result in weaker transfection for non-glycerol based cationic lipids. In summary, the anchor-dependence investigations presented here convincingly demonstrate that non-glycerol based cationic lipids containing a single hydroxyethyl head group and hydrophobic C-14 or C-16 anchors are promising non-toxic cationic transfection lipids for future use in liposomal gene delivery.

  16. Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 3 (TRPC3) Channels Are Required for Hypothalamic Glucose Detection and Energy Homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chrétien, Chloé; Fenech, Claire; Liénard, Fabienne; Grall, Sylvie; Chevalier, Charlène; Chaudy, Sylvie; Brenachot, Xavier; Berges, Raymond; Louche, Katie; Stark, Romana; Nédélec, Emmanuelle; Laderrière, Amélie; Andrews, Zane B; Benani, Alexandre; Flockerzi, Veit; Gascuel, Jean; Hartmann, Jana; Moro, Cédric; Birnbaumer, Lutz; Leloup, Corinne; Pénicaud, Luc; Fioramonti, Xavier

    2017-02-01

    The mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) contains neurons capable of directly detecting metabolic signals such as glucose to control energy homeostasis. Among them, glucose-excited (GE) neurons increase their electrical activity when glucose rises. In view of previous work, we hypothesized that transient receptor potential canonical type 3 (TRPC3) channels are involved in hypothalamic glucose detection and the control of energy homeostasis. To investigate the role of TRPC3, we used constitutive and conditional TRPC3-deficient mouse models. Hypothalamic glucose detection was studied in vivo by measuring food intake and insulin secretion in response to increased brain glucose level. The role of TRPC3 in GE neuron response to glucose was studied by using in vitro calcium imaging on freshly dissociated MBH neurons. We found that whole-body and MBH TRPC3-deficient mice have increased body weight and food intake. The anorectic effect of intracerebroventricular glucose and the insulin secretory response to intracarotid glucose injection are blunted in TRPC3-deficient mice. TRPC3 loss of function or pharmacological inhibition blunts calcium responses to glucose in MBH neurons in vitro. Together, the results demonstrate that TRPC3 channels are required for the response to glucose of MBH GE neurons and the central effect of glucose on insulin secretion and food intake. © 2017 by the American Diabetes Association.

  17. Low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet increases glucose uptake and fatty acid synthesis in brown adipose tissue of rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aparecida de França, Suélem; Pavani Dos Santos, Maísa; Nunes Queiroz da Costa, Roger Vinícius; Froelich, Mendalli; Buzelle, Samyra Lopes; Chaves, Valéria Ernestânia; Giordani, Morenna Alana; Pereira, Mayara Peron; Colodel, Edson Moleta; Marlise Balbinotti Andrade, Cláudia; Kawashita, Nair Honda

    2014-04-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate glucose uptake and the contribution of glucose to fatty acid (FA) synthesis and the glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) of triacylglycerol synthesis by interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) of low-protein, high-carbohydrate (LPHC) diet-fed rats. LPHC (6% protein; 74% carbohydrate) or control (17% protein; 63% carbohydrate) diets were administered to rats (∼ 100 g) for 15 d. Total FA and G3P synthesis and the synthesis of FA and G3P from glucose were evaluated in vivo by (3)H2O and (14)C-glucose. Sympathetic neural contribution for FA synthesis was evaluated by comparing the synthesis in denervated (7 d before) IBAT with that of the contralateral innervated side. The insulin signaling and β3 adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) contents, as well as others, were determined by Western blot (Student's t test or analysis of variance; P ≤ 0.05). Total FA synthesis in IBAT was 133% higher in the LPHC group and was reduced 85% and 70% by denervation for the LPHC and control groups, respectively. Glucose uptake was 3.5-fold higher in the IBAT of LPHC rats than in that of the control rats, and the contribution of glucose to the total FA synthesis increased by 12% in control rats compared with 18% in LPHC rats. The LPHC diet increased the G3P generation from glucose by 270% and the insulin receptor content and the p-AKT insulin stimulation in IBAT by 120% and reduced the β3-AR content by 50%. The LPHC diet stimulated glucose uptake, both the total rates and the rates derived from glucose-dependent FA and G3P synthesis, by increasing the insulin sensitivity and the sympathetic flux, despite a reduction in the β3-AR content. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Conversion of 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerols to platelet activating factor and related phospholipids by rabbit platelets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blank, M.L.; Lee, T.; Cress, E.A.; Malone, B.; Fitzgerald, V.; Snyder, F.

    1984-01-01

    The metabolic pathway for 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerols, a recently discovered biologically active neutral lipid class, was elucidated in experiments conducted with rabbit platelets. The total lipid extract obtained from platelets incubated with 1-[1-,2- 3 H]alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerols or 1-alkyl-2-[ 3 H]acetyl-sn-glycerols contained at least six metabolic products. The six metabolites, identified on the basis of chemical and enzymatic reactions combined with thin-layer or high-performance liquid chromatographic analyses, corresponded to 1-alkyl-sn-glycerols, 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphates, 1-alkyl-2-acyl(long-chain)-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamines, 1-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamines, 1-alkyl-2-acyl(long-chain)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines, and 1-alkyl-2-actyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholines (platelet activating factor). These results indicate that the metabolic pathway for alkylacetylglycerols involves reaction steps catalyzed by the following enzymatic activities: choline- and ethanolamine- phosphotransferases, acetyl-hydrolase, an acyltransferase, and a phosphotransferase. The step responsible for the biosynthesis of platelet activating factor would appear to be the most important reaction in this pathway and this product could explain the hypotensive activities previously described for alkylacetyl-(or propionyl)-glycerols. Of particular interest was the preference exhibited for the utilization of the 1-hexadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol species in the formation of platelet activating factor

  19. Investigation of glycerol assimilation and cofactor metabolism in Lactococcus lactis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Anders Koefoed

    of glycerol kinase from L. lactis, introduction of a heterologous glycerol assimilation pathway and construction of a library of NADH oxidase activity. Based on a preliminary analysis of transcription level data, an attempt was made to stimulate glycerol assimilation by overexpressing the glycerol kinase...... already present in L. lactis. The construction and verification of a strain with increased glycerol kinase activity was not fully completed and is still ongoing. Similarly the construction of mutants expressing a heterologous pathway for glycerol dissimilation is also an ongoing task. An artificial...... effects and improve the growth rate, though not completely to the level of the reference strain. The fact that this effect was predominantly observed while utilizing xylose implicates the involvement of the pentose phosphate pathway. A possible mechanism underlying the observed growth characteristics...

  20. Microcellular poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate)-hyperbranched polymer-nanoclay nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alireza Javadi; Yottha Srithep; Srikanth Pilla; Craig C. Clemons; Shaoqin Gong; Lih-Sheng Turng

    2012-01-01

    The effects of incorporating hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) and different nanoclays [Cloisite® 30B and halloysite nanotubes (HNT)] on the mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties of solid and microcellular poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were investigated. According to the X-ray diffraction (...

  1. Effects of ketamine on glucose uptake by glucose transporter type 3 expressed in Xenopus oocytes: The role of protein kinase C

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tomioka, Shigemasa, E-mail: tomioka@dent.tokushima-u.ac.jp [Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Kuramoto-cho 18-15, Tokushima City, Tokushima 770-8504 (Japan); Kaneko, Miyuki [Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Kuramoto-cho 18-15, Tokushima City, Tokushima 770-8504 (Japan); Satomura, Kazuhito [First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Kuramoto-cho 18-15, Tokushima City, Tokushima 770-8504 (Japan); Mikyu, Tomiko; Nakajo, Nobuyoshi [Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Kuramoto-cho 18-15, Tokushima City, Tokushima 770-8504 (Japan)

    2009-10-09

    We investigated the effects of ketamine on the type 3 facilitative glucose transporter (GLUT3), which plays a major role in glucose transport across the plasma membrane of neurons. Human-cloned GLUT3 was expressed in Xenopus oocytes by injection of GLUT3 mRNA. GLUT3-mediated glucose uptake was examined by measuring oocyte radioactivity following incubation with 2-deoxy-D-[1,2-{sup 3}H]glucose. While ketamine and S(+)-ketamine significantly increased GLUT3-mediated glucose uptake, this effect was biphasic such that higher concentrations of ketamine inhibited glucose uptake. Ketamine (10 {mu}M) significantly increased V{sub max} but not K{sub m} of GLUT3 for 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Although staurosporine (a protein kinase C inhibitor) increased glucose uptake, no additive or synergistic interactions were observed between staurosporine and racemic ketamine or S(+)-ketamine. Treatment with ketamine or S(+)-ketamine partially prevented GLUT3 inhibition by the protein kinase C activator phorbol-12-myrisate-13-acetate. Our results indicate that ketamine increases GLUT3 activity at clinically relevant doses through a mechanism involving PKC inhibition.

  2. Effects of ketamine on glucose uptake by glucose transporter type 3 expressed in Xenopus oocytes: The role of protein kinase C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomioka, Shigemasa; Kaneko, Miyuki; Satomura, Kazuhito; Mikyu, Tomiko; Nakajo, Nobuyoshi

    2009-01-01

    We investigated the effects of ketamine on the type 3 facilitative glucose transporter (GLUT3), which plays a major role in glucose transport across the plasma membrane of neurons. Human-cloned GLUT3 was expressed in Xenopus oocytes by injection of GLUT3 mRNA. GLUT3-mediated glucose uptake was examined by measuring oocyte radioactivity following incubation with 2-deoxy-D-[1,2- 3 H]glucose. While ketamine and S(+)-ketamine significantly increased GLUT3-mediated glucose uptake, this effect was biphasic such that higher concentrations of ketamine inhibited glucose uptake. Ketamine (10 μM) significantly increased V max but not K m of GLUT3 for 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Although staurosporine (a protein kinase C inhibitor) increased glucose uptake, no additive or synergistic interactions were observed between staurosporine and racemic ketamine or S(+)-ketamine. Treatment with ketamine or S(+)-ketamine partially prevented GLUT3 inhibition by the protein kinase C activator phorbol-12-myrisate-13-acetate. Our results indicate that ketamine increases GLUT3 activity at clinically relevant doses through a mechanism involving PKC inhibition.

  3. Effect of glucose on poly-γ-glutamic acid metabolism in Bacillus licheniformis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Wencheng; Chen, Zhen; Ye, Hong; Liu, Peize; Li, Zhipeng; Wang, Yuanpeng; Li, Qingbiao; Yan, Shan; Zhong, Chuan-Jian; He, Ning

    2017-02-08

    Poly-gamma-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is a promising macromolecule with potential as a replacement for chemosynthetic polymers. γ-PGA can be produced by many microorganisms, including Bacillus species. Bacillus licheniformis CGMCC2876 secretes γ-PGA when using glycerol and trisodium citrate as its optimal carbon sources and secretes polysaccharides when using glucose as the sole carbon source. To better understand the metabolic mechanism underlying the secretion of polymeric substances, SWATH was applied to investigate the effect of glucose on the production of polysaccharides and γ-PGA at the proteome level. The addition of glucose at 5 or 10 g/L of glucose decreased the γ-PGA concentration by 31.54 or 61.62%, respectively, whereas the polysaccharide concentration increased from 5.2 to 43.47%. Several proteins playing related roles in γ-PGA and polysaccharide synthesis were identified using the SWATH acquisition LC-MS/MS method. CcpA and CcpN co-enhanced glycolysis and suppressed carbon flux into the TCA cycle, consequently slowing glutamic acid synthesis. On the other hand, CcpN cut off the carbon flux from glycerol metabolism and further reduced γ-PGA production. CcpA activated a series of operons (glm and epsA-O) to reallocate the carbon flux to polysaccharide synthesis when glucose was present. The production of γ-PGA was influenced by NrgB, which converted the major nitrogen metabolic flux between NH 4 + and glutamate. The mechanism by which B. licheniformis regulates two macromolecules was proposed for the first time in this paper. This genetic information will facilitate the engineering of bacteria for practicable strategies for the fermentation of γ-PGA and polysaccharides for diverse applications.

  4. Influence of Exogenous β-Hydroxybutyrate on Walking Economy and Rating of Perceived Exertion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Shaun; Kjerulf Greer, Beau

    2018-06-28

    This study investigates the effect of a supplementary ketone, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), on walking economy and ratings of perceived exertion in apparently healthy individuals. In a repeated-measures, crossover design, ten non-aerobically trained participants (three males; seven females) performed two stages of a duration-modified Bruce treadmill protocol. Participants blindly consumed either 1 ounce of an exogenous BHB solution (KETO) or a noncaloric placebo (CON) 30 minutes prior to exercise testing. Blood ketone and glucose concentrations were measured prior to supplementation (baseline), immediately before exercise, and after exercise. Oxygen consumption (VO 2 ), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), energy expenditure (EE), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded during the last two minutes of each stage. Blood BHB concentrations were significantly elevated at the pre-exercise and postexercise time points as compared to the CON condition (p .05) were found for VO 2 , RER, EE, or RPE. The intervention of this study did not produce evidence of an ergogenic benefit from BHB supplementation in a healthy subject pool.

  5. The (non)sense of routinely analysing beta-hydroxybutyric acid in forensic toxicology casework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadones, Nele; Lambert, Willy E; Stove, Christophe P

    2017-05-01

    Beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) is a ketone body which is generated from fatty acids as an alternative energy source when glucose is not available. Determination of this compound may be relevant in the forensic laboratory as ketoacidosis - an elevated level of ketone bodies - may contribute to the cause of death. In this study, we aimed at determining the relevance of routinely implementing BHB analysis in the forensic toxicological laboratory, as BHB analysis typically requires an additional workload. We therefore performed an unbiased retrospective analysis of BHB in 599 cases, comprising 553 blood, 232 urine and 62 vitreous humour samples. Cases with BHB concentrations above 100mg/L (in blood, urine and/or vitreous humour) were invariably associated with elevated levels of acetone, another ketone body, the detection of which is already implemented in most forensic laboratories using the gas chromatographic procedure for ethanol quantification. Our retrospective analysis did not reveal any positive case that had been missed initially and confirms that BHB analysis can be limited to acetone positive cases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Correlation between TCA cycle flux and glucose uptake rate during respiro-fermentative growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyland, Jan; Fu, Jianan; Blank, Lars M

    2009-12-01

    Glucose repression of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated under different environmental conditions using (13)C-tracer experiments. Real-time quantification of the volatile metabolites ethanol and CO(2) allowed accurate carbon balancing. In all experiments with the wild-type, a strong correlation between the rates of growth and glucose uptake was observed, indicating a constant yield of biomass. In contrast, glycerol and acetate production rates were less dependent on the rate of glucose uptake, but were affected by environmental conditions. The glycerol production rate was highest during growth in high-osmolarity medium (2.9 mmol g(-1) h(-1)), while the highest acetate production rate of 2.1 mmol g(-1) h(-1) was observed in alkaline medium of pH 6.9. Under standard growth conditions (25 g glucose l(-1) , pH 5.0, 30 degrees C) S. cerevisiae had low fluxes through the pentose phosphate pathway and the TCA cycle. A significant increase in TCA cycle activity from 0.03 mmol g(-1) h(-1) to about 1.7 mmol g(-1) h(-1) was observed when S. cerevisiae grew more slowly as a result of environmental perturbations, including unfavourable pH values and sodium chloride stress. Compared to experiments with high glucose uptake rates, the ratio of CO(2) to ethanol increased more than 50 %, indicating an increase in flux through the TCA cycle. Although glycolysis and the ethanol production pathway still exhibited the highest fluxes, the net flux through the TCA cycle increased significantly with decreasing glucose uptake rates. Results from experiments with single gene deletion mutants partially impaired in glucose repression (hxk2, grr1) indicated that the rate of glucose uptake correlates with this increase in TCA cycle flux. These findings are discussed in the context of regulation of glucose repression.

  7. Influence of glycerol and an alternative humectant on the immediate and 3-hours bactericidal efficacies of two isopropanol-based antiseptics in laboratory experiments in vivo according to EN 12791

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miranda Suchomel

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Guidelines for hand hygiene recommend the use of alcohol-based hand rubs containing humectants in order to improve dermal tolerance. However, the bactericidal efficacy of pre-surgical hand rubs is negatively affected by the WHO-recommended humectant glycerol, especially the 3-h efficacy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether replacing glycerol as humectant increases the bactericidal efficacy of surgical hand rubs based on isopropanol (75%, wt/wt. Material and methods The efficacy of 3 and 5 min applications of a modified WHO II-formulation (containing lower glycerol concentrations and the TPH 5766 hand rub which contains a new humectant (containing ethylhexylglycerin, dexpanthenol and a fatty alcohol were compared to the European Norm 12,791 reference (n-propanol, 60%, vol/vol immediately following and 3 h after application. Results Immediately after application both isopropanol-based surgical rubs approximated the performance of the reference. The 3-h effect of the modified WHO II-formulation was found to be less efficacious than the EN 12791, showing a 30% decrease in log10 reduction values. The 3-h post application effect for the TPH 5766 hand rub was found to not be different from EN 12791. Conclusion Based on our data, the bactericidal efficacy of isopropanol-based surgical hand rubs can best be obtained if glycerol is not used in the formulation. Unlike glycerol, a humectant comprised of ethylhexylglycerin, dexpanthenol and a fatty alcohol was found not to decrease hand rub effectiveness. Further investigation of the bactericidal efficacy of other humectants is necessary and may prove useful.

  8. Covalent immobilization of lipase, glycerol kinase, glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase & horseradish peroxidase onto plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC strip & its application in serum triglyceride determination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nidhi Chauhan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background & objectives:Reusable biostrip consisting enzymes immobilized onto alkylamine glass beads affixed on plasticized PVC strip for determination of triglyceride (TG suffers from high cost of beads and their detachments during washings for reuse, leading to loss of activity. The purpose of this study was to develop a cheaper and stable biostrip for investigation of TG levels in serum. Methods: A reusable enzyme-strip was prepared for TG determination by co-immobilizing lipase, glycerol kinase (GK, glycerol-3-phosphate oxidase (GPO and peroxidase (HRP directly onto plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC strip through glutaraldehyde coupling. The method was evaluated by studying its recovery, precision and reusability. Results: The enzyme-strip showed optimum activity at pH 7.0, 35 o C and a linear relationship between its activity and triolein concentration in the range 0.1 to 15 mM. The strip was used for determination of serum TG. The detection limit of the method was 0.1 mM. Analytical recovery of added triolein was 96 per cent. Within and between batch coefficients of variation (CV were 2.2 and 3.7 per cent, respectively. A good correlation (r=0.99 was found between TG values by standard enzymic colrimetric method employing free enzymes and the present method. The strip lost 50 per cent of its initial activity after its 200 uses during the span of 100 days, when stored at 4 o C. Interpretation & conclusions: The nitrating acidic treatment of plasticized PVC strip led to glutaraldehyde coupling of four enzymes used for enzymic colourimetric determination of serum TG. The strip provided 200 reuses of enzymes with only 50 per cent loss of its initial activity. The method could be used for preparation of other enzyme strips also.

  9. Trehalose in glycerol-free freezing extender enhances post-thaw survival of boar spermatozoa

    Science.gov (United States)

    ATHURUPANA, Rukmali; TAKAHASHI, Daisen; IOKI, Sumire; FUNAHASHI, Hiroaki

    2015-01-01

    Cryopreservation of boar semen is still considered suboptimal due to lower fertility as compared with fresh samples when glycerol, a permeating cryoprotectant, is used. Trehalose is a non-permeable cryoprotectant and nonreducing disaccharide known to stabilize proteins and biologic membranes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cryosurvival and in vitro penetrability of boar spermatozoa when glycerol was replaced with trehalose in a freezing extender. Ejaculated Berkshire semen samples were diluted in egg yolk-based freezing extender containing glycerol (100 mM) or trehalose (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mM) and cryopreserved using a straw freezing procedure. Thawed samples were analyzed for motility, viability, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and acrosome integrity. In experiment 2, penetrability of spermatozoa cryopreserved with 100 mM glycerol or trehalose was examined. Replacement of cryoprotectant glycerol (100 mM) with trehalose had no effect on sperm viability, but replacing it with 100 mM trehalose improved motility, MMP and acrosome integrity significantly. Sperm motility and MMP were considerably higher in 100 mM trehalose, whereas the acrosome integrity was substantially higher in 100–250 mM trehalose. The in vitro penetration rate was also significantly higher in spermatozoa cryopreserved with trehalose (61.3%) than in those cryopreserved with glycerol (43.6%). In conclusion, 100 mM non-permeable trehalose can be used to replace glycerol, a permeating cryoprotectant, for maintenance of better post-thaw quality of boar spermatozoa. PMID:25754239

  10. ZnO-reinforced poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) bionanocomposites with antimicrobial function for food packaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díez-Pascual, Ana M; Díez-Vicente, Angel L

    2014-06-25

    Biodegradable nanocomposites were prepared by adding ZnO nanoparticles to bacterial polyester poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) via solution casting technique. The morphology, thermal, mechanical, antibacterial, barrier, and migration properties of the nanocomposites were analyzed. The nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed within PHBV without the aid of coupling agents, and acted effectively as nucleating agents, raising the crystallization temperature and the level of crystallinity of the matrix while decreasing its crystallite size. A gradual rise in thermal stability was found with increasing ZnO loading, since the nanofillers hinder the diffusion of volatiles generated during the decomposition process. The nanocomposites displayed superior stiffness, strength, toughness, and glass transition temperature, whereas they displayed reduced water uptake and oxygen and water vapor permeability compared to the neat biopolymer, related to the strong matrix-nanofiller interfacial adhesion attained via hydrogen bonding interactions. At an optimal concentration of 4.0 wt % ZnO, the tensile strength and Young's and storage moduli showed a maximum that coincided with the highest crystallinity and the best barrier properties. PHBV/ZnO films showed antibacterial activity against human pathogen bacteria, and the effect on Escherichia coli was stronger than on Staphylococcus aureus. The overall migration levels of the nanocomposites in both nonpolar and polar simulants dropped upon increasing nanoparticle content, and were well below the limits required by the current normative for food packaging materials. These sustainable nanomaterials with antimicrobial function are very promising to be used as containers for beverage and food products as well as for disposable applications like cutlery or overwrap films.

  11. Glycolysis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) via enzyme catalysis; Glicolise do poli(3-hidroxibutirato) por via enzimatica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paula, Everton Luiz de, E-mail: everton2804@gmail.com [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Departamento de Quimica; Campos, Tiago Ferreira; Mano, Valdir [Universidade Federal de Sao Joao del-Rei (UFSJ), MG (Brazil). Departamento de Ciencias Naturais

    2014-05-15

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, is a polymer with broad potential applications because of its biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, its high crystallinity is a limiting factor for many applications. To overcome this drawback, one strategy currently employed involves the reduction of the molecular weight of PHB with the concomitant formation of end-functionalized chains, such as those obtained via glycolysis. The glycolysis of PHB can be catalyzed by acid, base, or organometallic compounds. However, to our knowledge, there are no reports regarding PHB glycolysis catalyzed enzymatically. Among the major types of enzymes used in biocatalysis, the lipases stand out because they have the ability to catalyze reactions in both aqueous and organic media. Thus, in this study, we performed the enzymatic glycolysis of PHB using the lipase Amano PS (Pseudomonas cepacia) with ethane-1,2-diol (ethylene glycol) as the functionalizing agent. The results indicated that the glycolysis was successful and afforded hydroxyl-terminated oligomeric PHB polyols. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the products showed characteristic signals for the terminal hydroxyl groups of the polyols, while thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analyses confirmed an increase in the thermal stability and a decrease in the crystallinity of the polyols compared with the starting PHB polymer, which were both attributed to the reduction in the molecular weight due to glycolysis. (author)

  12. Biohydrogen and Bioethanol Production from Biodiesel-Based Glycerol by Enterobacter aerogenes in a Continuous Stir Tank Reactor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rujira Jitrwung

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Crude glycerol from the biodiesel manufacturing process is being produced in increasing quantities due to the expanding number of biodiesel plants. It has been previously shown that, in batch mode, semi-anaerobic fermentation of crude glycerol by Enterobacter aerogenes can produce biohydrogen and bioethanol simultaneously. The present study demonstrated the possible scaling-up of this process from small batches performed in small bottles to a 3.6-L continuous stir tank reactor (CSTR. Fresh feed rate, liquid recycling, pH, mixing speed, glycerol concentration, and waste recycling were optimized for biohydrogen and bioethanol production. Results confirmed that E. aerogenes uses small amounts of oxygen under semi-anaerobic conditions for growth before using oxygen from decomposable salts, mainly NH4NO3, under anaerobic condition to produce hydrogen and ethanol. The optimal conditions were determined to be 500 rpm, pH 6.4, 18.5 g/L crude glycerol (15 g/L glycerol and 33% liquid recycling for a fresh feed rate of 0.44 mL/min. Using these optimized conditions, the process ran at a lower media cost than previous studies, was stable after 7 days without further inoculation and resulted in yields of 0.86 mol H2/mol glycerol and 0.75 mol ethanol/mole glycerol.

  13. Biohydrogen and Bioethanol Production from Biodiesel-Based Glycerol by Enterobacter aerogenes in a Continuous Stir Tank Reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jitrwung, Rujira; Yargeau, Viviane

    2015-01-01

    Crude glycerol from the biodiesel manufacturing process is being produced in increasing quantities due to the expanding number of biodiesel plants. It has been previously shown that, in batch mode, semi-anaerobic fermentation of crude glycerol by Enterobacter aerogenes can produce biohydrogen and bioethanol simultaneously. The present study demonstrated the possible scaling-up of this process from small batches performed in small bottles to a 3.6-L continuous stir tank reactor (CSTR). Fresh feed rate, liquid recycling, pH, mixing speed, glycerol concentration, and waste recycling were optimized for biohydrogen and bioethanol production. Results confirmed that E. aerogenes uses small amounts of oxygen under semi-anaerobic conditions for growth before using oxygen from decomposable salts, mainly NH4NO3, under anaerobic condition to produce hydrogen and ethanol. The optimal conditions were determined to be 500 rpm, pH 6.4, 18.5 g/L crude glycerol (15 g/L glycerol) and 33% liquid recycling for a fresh feed rate of 0.44 mL/min. Using these optimized conditions, the process ran at a lower media cost than previous studies, was stable after 7 days without further inoculation and resulted in yields of 0.86 mol H2/mol glycerol and 0.75 mol ethanol/mole glycerol. PMID:25970750

  14. The Lubricity of Glycerol and its Solutions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sivebæk, Ion Marius; Jakobsen, J.

    2016-01-01

    Glycerol has been recognised as an excellent diesel fuel and lubricant. It is a liquid that can originate from the transesterification of plant oil that also results in plant oil metyl (or ethyl) ester (biodiesel). Machine elements lubricated by glycerol show very low friction, in fact lower than...

  15. Synthesis, characterizations and biocompatibility of novel biodegradable star block copolymers based on poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] and poly(epsilon-caprolactone)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Linping; Wang, Liang; Wang, Xiaojuan

    2010-01-01

    Star block copolymers based on poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL), termed SPHBCL, were successfully synthesized with structural variation on arm numbers and lengths via coupling reactions and ring opening polymerizations. Arm numbers 3, 4 and 6 of SPHBCL were...... weights of the SPHBCL due to the discrepancy of star copolymer structures. The melting temperature of SPHBCL decreased with increasing degree of branching. Thermal decomposition temperature was revealed to be lower than that of linear block copolymer LPHBCL counterparts based on PHB and PCL. Films made...... from various SPHBCL copolymers had different porous or networking surface morphology, and all possessed improved biocompatibility in terms of less blood clotting and more osteoblast cell growth compared with their corresponding homopolymers PHB and PCL. Among them, it was found, however, that the 4-arm...

  16. Sequential spectrofluorimetric determination of free and total glycerol in biodiesel in a multicommuted flow system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Silva, Sidnei G. [Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Quimica, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Morales-Rubio, Angel; Guardia, Miguel de la [Universidad de Valencia, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Burjassot, Valencia (Spain); Rocha, Fabio R.P. [Universidade de Sao Paulo, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Piracicaba (Brazil)

    2011-07-15

    A new procedure for spectrofluorimetric determination of free and total glycerol in biodiesel samples is presented. It is based on the oxidation of glycerol by periodate, forming formaldehyde, which reacts with acetylacetone, producing the luminescent 3,5-diacetyl-1,4-dihydrolutidine. A flow system with solenoid micro-pumps is proposed for solution handling. Free glycerol was extracted off-line from biodiesel samples with water, and total glycerol was converted to free glycerol by saponification with sodium ethylate under sonication. For free glycerol, a linear response was observed from 5 to 70 mg L{sup -1} with a detection limit of 0.5 mg L{sup -1}, which corresponds to 2 mg kg{sup -1} in biodiesel. The coefficient of variation was 0.9% (20 mg L{sup -1}, n = 10). For total glycerol, samples were diluted on-line, and the linear response range was 25 to 300 mg L{sup -1}. The detection limit was 1.4 mg L{sup -1} (2.8 mg kg{sup -1} in biodiesel) with a coefficient of variation of 1.4% (200 mg L{sup -1}, n = 10). The sampling rate was ca. 35 samples h{sup -1} and the procedure was applied to determination of free and total glycerol in biodiesel samples from soybean, cottonseed, and castor beans. (orig.)

  17. Chemical synthesis of perfectly isotactic and high melting bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) from bio-sourced racemic cyclic diolide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Xiaoyan; Chen, Eugene Y-X

    2018-06-11

    Bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) is a perfectly isotactic, crystalline material possessing properties suitable for substituting petroleum plastics, but high costs and low volumes of its production are impractical for commodity applications. The chemical synthesis of P3HB via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of racemic β-butyrolactone has attracted intensive efforts since the 1960s, but not yet produced P3HB with high isotacticity and molecular weight. Here, we report a route utilizing racemic cyclic diolide (rac-DL) derived from bio-sourced succinate. With stereoselective racemic catalysts, the ROP of rac-DL under ambient conditions produces rapidly P3HB with perfect isotacticity ([mm] > 99%), high melting temperature (T m  = 171 °C), and high molecular weight (M n  = 1.54 × 10 5  g mol -1 , Đ = 1.01). With enantiomeric catalysts, kinetic resolution polymerizations of rac-DL automatically stops at 50% conversion and yields enantiopure (R,R)-DL and (S,S)-DL with >99% e.e. and the corresponding poly[(S)-3HB] and poly[(R)-3HB] with high T m  = 175 °C.

  18. New recombinant bacterium comprises a heterologous gene encoding glycerol dehydrogenase and/or an up-regulated native gene encoding glycerol dehydrogenase, useful for producing ethanol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2010-01-01

    dehydrogenase encoding region of the bacterium, or is inserted into a phosphotransacetylase encoding region of the bacterium, or is inserted into an acetate kinase encoding region of the bacterium. It is operably linked to an inducible, a regulated or a constitutive promoter. The up-regulated glycerol......TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preparation (claimed): Producing recombinant bacterium having enhanced ethanol production characteristics when cultivated in growth medium comprising glycerol comprises: (a) transforming a parental bacterium by (i) the insertion of a heterologous gene encoding...... glycerol dehydrogenase; and/or (ii) up-regulating a native gene encoding glycerol dehydrogenase; and (b) obtaining the recombinant bacterium. Preferred Bacterium: In the recombinant bacterium above, the inserted heterologous gene and/or the up-regulated native gene is encoding a glycerol dehydrogenase...

  19. Conductive PEDOT:PSS coated polylactide (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) electrospun membranes: Fabrication and characterization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Hui Chung [Faculty of Bioscience and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81300, Johor (Malaysia); Sun, Tao [Miniaturized Medical Devices Program, Institute of Microelectronics, Agency for Science, Technology and Research - A*STAR (Singapore); Sultana, Naznin, E-mail: naznin@biomedical.utm.my [Faculty of Bioscience and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81300, Johor (Malaysia); Advanced Membrane Technology Research Center, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81300, Johor (Malaysia); Lim, Mim Mim [Faculty of Bioscience and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81300, Johor (Malaysia); Khan, Tareef Hayat [KALAM, Faculty of Alam Bina, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81300, Johor (Malaysia); Ismail, Ahmad Fauzi [Advanced Membrane Technology Research Center, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81300, Johor (Malaysia)

    2016-04-01

    In the current study, electrospinning technique was used to fabricate composite membranes by blending of a synthetic polymer, polylactic acid (PLA) and a natural polymer, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), PHBV. Conductive membranes were prepared by dipping PLA/PHBV electrospun membranes into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) solution, which is a biocompatible polymer. The coated and uncoated membranes were evaluated using several techniques. The electrical conductivity of the coated membranes was measured using a digital multimeter. In vitro cell cytotoxicity and cell viability were measured by culturing human skin fibroblast (HSF) cells onto the membranes using MTT assays. It was observed that electrospinning of 20% (w/v) PLA/PHBV with a weight ratio of 50:50 produced the most uniform fibers with no beads. It was observed that the wettability and surface roughness of the PEDOT:PSS coated PLA/PHBV membranes were greatly increased than uncoated membrane. The results of cell viability using MTT assay, cell attachment and cell proliferation showed that the conductive PEDOT:PSS coated PLA/PHBV membrane were more favorable for tissue engineering application than their uncoated counterparts. - Highlights: • Coating with PEDOT:PSS increased the wettability of PLA/PHBV membrane. • PEDOT:PSS rendered the PLA/PHBV membrane conductive. • PEDOT:PSS coated PLA/PHBV had significantly higher cell attachment.

  20. Conductive PEDOT:PSS coated polylactide (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) electrospun membranes: Fabrication and characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Hui Chung; Sun, Tao; Sultana, Naznin; Lim, Mim Mim; Khan, Tareef Hayat; Ismail, Ahmad Fauzi

    2016-01-01

    In the current study, electrospinning technique was used to fabricate composite membranes by blending of a synthetic polymer, polylactic acid (PLA) and a natural polymer, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), PHBV. Conductive membranes were prepared by dipping PLA/PHBV electrospun membranes into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) solution, which is a biocompatible polymer. The coated and uncoated membranes were evaluated using several techniques. The electrical conductivity of the coated membranes was measured using a digital multimeter. In vitro cell cytotoxicity and cell viability were measured by culturing human skin fibroblast (HSF) cells onto the membranes using MTT assays. It was observed that electrospinning of 20% (w/v) PLA/PHBV with a weight ratio of 50:50 produced the most uniform fibers with no beads. It was observed that the wettability and surface roughness of the PEDOT:PSS coated PLA/PHBV membranes were greatly increased than uncoated membrane. The results of cell viability using MTT assay, cell attachment and cell proliferation showed that the conductive PEDOT:PSS coated PLA/PHBV membrane were more favorable for tissue engineering application than their uncoated counterparts. - Highlights: • Coating with PEDOT:PSS increased the wettability of PLA/PHBV membrane. • PEDOT:PSS rendered the PLA/PHBV membrane conductive. • PEDOT:PSS coated PLA/PHBV had significantly higher cell attachment.

  1. Simultaneous determination of wine sugars, glycerol and organic acids 13C/12C isotopic ratio by ion chromatography-co-IRMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guyon Francois

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Ion chromatography (IC isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS coupling is possible using a liquid interface allowing chemical oxidation (co of organic compounds. Synthetic solutions containing a mixture of glycerol, sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose and organic acids (gluconic, lactic, malic, tartaric, oxalic, fumaric, citric and isocitric were elaborated to estimate analytical applications of two different IC systems. It appears that the use of carbonated solution in the eluting phase is a perturbation for 13C isotope measurements as it creates a δ13C deviation from the expected values. A sample of authentic sweet wine was analyzed by IC-co-IRMS using KOH gradient. Ratios of isotopic, ratios of organic acids and glycerol was found to be, in average, equal 1.01 ± 0.04 that is in accordance with our previous results.

  2. Impairments of hepatic gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis in PPARα-deficient neonatal mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cotter, David G; Ercal, Baris; d'Avignon, D André; Dietzen, Dennis J; Crawford, Peter A

    2014-07-15

    Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-α (PPARα) is a master transcriptional regulator of hepatic metabolism and mediates the adaptive response to fasting. Here, we demonstrate the roles for PPARα in hepatic metabolic adaptations to birth. Like fasting, nutrient supply is abruptly altered at birth when a transplacental source of carbohydrates is replaced by a high-fat, low-carbohydrate milk diet. PPARα-knockout (KO) neonatal mice exhibit relative hypoglycemia due to impaired conversion of glycerol to glucose. Although hepatic expression of fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenases is imparied in PPARα neonates, these animals exhibit normal blood acylcarnitine profiles. Furthermore, quantitative metabolic fate mapping of the medium-chain fatty acid [(13)C]octanoate in neonatal mouse livers revealed normal contribution of this fatty acid to the hepatic TCA cycle. Interestingly, octanoate-derived carbon labeled glucose uniquely in livers of PPARα-KO neonates. Relative hypoketonemia in newborn PPARα-KO animals could be mechanistically linked to a 50% decrease in de novo hepatic ketogenesis from labeled octanoate. Decreased ketogenesis was associated with diminished mRNA and protein abundance of the fate-committing ketogenic enzyme mitochondrial 3-hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase (HMGCS2) and decreased protein abundance of the ketogenic enzyme β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 (BDH1). Finally, hepatic triglyceride and free fatty acid concentrations were increased 6.9- and 2.7-fold, respectively, in suckling PPARα-KO neonates. Together, these findings indicate a primary defect of gluconeogenesis from glycerol and an important role for PPARα-dependent ketogenesis in the disposal of hepatic fatty acids during the neonatal period. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

  3. Rheological properties of purified illite clays in glycerol/water suspensions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dusenkova, I.; Malers, J.; Berzina-Cimdina, L.

    2015-04-01

    There are many studies about rheological properties of clay-water suspensions, but no published investigations about clay-glycerol suspensions. In this work apparent viscosity of previously purified illite containing clay fraction clay minerals were almost totally removed by centrifugation. All obtained suspensions behaved as shear-thinning fluids with multiple times higher viscosity than pure glycerol/water solutions. Reduction of clay fraction concentration by 5% decreased the apparent viscosity of 50% glycerol/water suspensions approximately 5 times. There was basically no difference in apparent viscosity between all four 50% glycerol/water suspensions, but in 90% glycerol/water suspensions samples from Iecava deposit showed slightly higher apparent viscosity, which could be affected by the particle size distribution.

  4. Differential utilization of ketone bodies by neurons and glioma cell lines: a rationale for ketogenic diet as experimental glioma therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mueller-Klieser Wolfgang

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Even in the presence of oxygen, malignant cells often highly depend on glycolysis for energy generation, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. One strategy targeting this metabolic phenotype is glucose restriction by administration of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate (ketogenic diet. Under these conditions, ketone bodies are generated serving as an important energy source at least for non-transformed cells. Methods To investigate whether a ketogenic diet might selectively impair energy metabolism in tumor cells, we characterized in vitro effects of the principle ketone body 3-hydroxybutyrate in rat hippocampal neurons and five glioma cell lines. In vivo, a non-calorie-restricted ketogenic diet was examined in an orthotopic xenograft glioma mouse model. Results The ketone body metabolizing enzymes 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (BDH1 and 2, 3-oxoacid-CoA transferase 1 (OXCT1 and acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1 were expressed at the mRNA and protein level in all glioma cell lines. However, no activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α pathway was observed in glioma cells, consistent with the absence of substantial 3-hydroxybutyrate metabolism and subsequent accumulation of succinate. Further, 3-hydroxybutyrate rescued hippocampal neurons from glucose withdrawal-induced cell death but did not protect glioma cell lines. In hypoxia, mRNA expression of OXCT1, ACAT1, BDH1 and 2 was downregulated. In vivo, the ketogenic diet led to a robust increase of blood 3-hydroxybutyrate, but did not alter blood glucose levels or improve survival. Conclusion In summary, glioma cells are incapable of compensating for glucose restriction by metabolizing ketone bodies in vitro, suggesting a potential disadvantage of tumor cells compared to normal cells under a carbohydrate-restricted ketogenic diet. Further investigations are necessary to identify co-treatment modalities, e.g. glycolysis inhibitors or antiangiogenic

  5. Preparation and characterization of ibuprofen-loaded microspheres consisting of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and methoxy poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly (D,L-lactide) blends or poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and gelatin composites for controlled drug release

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bidone, Juliana; Melo, Ana Paula P. [Laboratorio de Farmacotecnica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmaceuticas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis (Brazil); Bazzo, Giovana C. [Grupo de Estudos em Materiais Polimericos (POLIMAT), Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis (Brazil); Carmignan, Francoise [Laboratorio de Farmacotecnica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmaceuticas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis (Brazil); Soldi, Marli S.; Pires, Alfredo T.N. [Grupo de Estudos em Materiais Polimericos (POLIMAT), Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis (Brazil); Lemos-Senna, Elenara [Laboratorio de Farmacotecnica, Departamento de Ciencias Farmaceuticas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis (Brazil)], E-mail: lemos@ccs.ufsc.br

    2009-03-01

    Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)) is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer that has been used to obtain polymer-based drug carriers. However, due to the high crystallinity degree of this polymer, drug release from P(3HB) microspheres frequently occurs at excessive rates. In this study, two strategies for prolonging ibuprofen release from P(3HB)-based microspheres were tested: blending with poly(D,L-lactide)-b-polyethylene glycol (mPEG-PLA); and obtaining composite particles with gelatin (GEL). SEM micrographs showed particles that were spherical and had a rough surface. A slight decrease of the crystallinity degree of P(3HB) was observed only in the DSC thermogram obtained from unloaded-microspheres prepared from 1:1 P(3HB):mPEG-PLA blend. For IBF-loaded microspheres, a reduction of around 10 deg. C in the melting temperature of P(3HB) was observed, indicating that the crystalline structure of the polymer was affected in the presence of the drug. DSC studies also yielded evidence of the presence of a molecular dispersion coexisting with a crystalline dispersion in the drug in the matrix. Similar results were obtained from X-ray diffractograms. In spite of 1:1 mPEG-PLA:P(3HB) blends having contributed to the reduction of the burst effect, a more controlled drug release was provided by the use of the 3:1 P(3HB):mPEGPLA blend. This result indicated that particle hydration played an important role in the drug release. On the other hand, the preparation of P(3HB):GEL composite microspheres did not allow control of the IBF release.

  6. Preparation and characterization of ibuprofen-loaded microspheres consisting of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and methoxy poly (ethylene glycol)-b-poly (D,L-lactide) blends or poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and gelatin composites for controlled drug release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bidone, Juliana; Melo, Ana Paula P.; Bazzo, Giovana C.; Carmignan, Francoise; Soldi, Marli S.; Pires, Alfredo T.N.; Lemos-Senna, Elenara

    2009-01-01

    Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)) is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer that has been used to obtain polymer-based drug carriers. However, due to the high crystallinity degree of this polymer, drug release from P(3HB) microspheres frequently occurs at excessive rates. In this study, two strategies for prolonging ibuprofen release from P(3HB)-based microspheres were tested: blending with poly(D,L-lactide)-b-polyethylene glycol (mPEG-PLA); and obtaining composite particles with gelatin (GEL). SEM micrographs showed particles that were spherical and had a rough surface. A slight decrease of the crystallinity degree of P(3HB) was observed only in the DSC thermogram obtained from unloaded-microspheres prepared from 1:1 P(3HB):mPEG-PLA blend. For IBF-loaded microspheres, a reduction of around 10 deg. C in the melting temperature of P(3HB) was observed, indicating that the crystalline structure of the polymer was affected in the presence of the drug. DSC studies also yielded evidence of the presence of a molecular dispersion coexisting with a crystalline dispersion in the drug in the matrix. Similar results were obtained from X-ray diffractograms. In spite of 1:1 mPEG-PLA:P(3HB) blends having contributed to the reduction of the burst effect, a more controlled drug release was provided by the use of the 3:1 P(3HB):mPEGPLA blend. This result indicated that particle hydration played an important role in the drug release. On the other hand, the preparation of P(3HB):GEL composite microspheres did not allow control of the IBF release

  7. Exploring the potential of the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 2 (GPD2) promoter for recombinant gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Jan Dines; Johanson, Ted; Eliasson Lantz, Anna

    2015-01-01

    A control point for keeping redox homeostasis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during fermentative growth is the dynamic regulation of transcription for the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 2 (GPD2) gene. In this study, the possibility to steer the activity of the GPD2 promoter was investigated by p...

  8. Effects of Mutations in the Substrate-Binding Domain of Poly[(R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) Depolymerase from Ralstonia pickettii T1 on PHB Degradation▿

    OpenAIRE

    Hiraishi, Tomohiro; Hirahara, Yoko; Doi, Yoshiharu; Maeda, Mizuo; Taguchi, Seiichi

    2006-01-01

    Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) depolymerase from Ralstonia pickettii T1 (PhaZRpiT1) adsorbs to denatured PHB (dPHB) via its substrate-binding domain (SBD) to enhance dPHB degradation. To evaluate the amino acid residues participating in dPHB adsorption, PhaZRpiT1 was subjected to a high-throughput screening system consisting of PCR-mediated random mutagenesis targeted to the SBD gene and a plate assay to estimate the effects of mutations in the SBD on dPHB degradation by PhaZRpiT1. Genetic...

  9. Incorporation of glucose carbons into rat lung lipids after exposure to 0.6 ppm ozone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bassett, D.J.; Rabinowitz, J.L.

    1985-01-01

    Continuous exposure to low concentrations of ozone has previously been associated with proliferation of lung alveolar type II epithelial cells. In this study, 14 C incorporation into tissue lipids was determined in isolated rat lungs by perfusion with [U- 14 C]glucose, at a time of maximal hyperplasia brought about by 3 days continuous exposure to 0.6 ppm ozone. Ozone exposed lungs exhibited increased rates of glycolytic energy production, indicated by an 89% increase in 3 H 2 O generation on perfusion with [5-3H]glucose. Ozone exposure resulted in enhanced 14 C incorporations into glyceride-glycerol and fatty acid moieties of lung lipids of 95 and 180%, respectively, with a greater proportion of label being recovered in shorter chain fatty acids. Although increased labeling was observed in both neutral and phospholipids, the pattern of 14 C recovery suggested a relative increased glucose carbon incorporation into lung free fatty acids, phosphatidic acid, and such membrane associated lipids as phosphatidylinositol and those containing sphingosine. These results are consistent with the needs of a dividing cell population for enhanced energy production and synthesis of new lipids

  10. Glycerol transesterification with ethyl acetate to synthesize acetins using ethyl acetate as reactant and entrainer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amin Shafiei

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Transesterification of glycerol with ethyl acetate was performed over acidic catalysts in the batch and semi-batch systems. Ethyl acetate was used as reactant and entrainer to remove the produced ethanol during the reaction, through azeotrope formation. Since the azeotrope of ethyl acetate and ethanol forms at 70 oC, all the experiments were performed at this temperature. Para-toluene sulfonic acid, sulfuric acid, and Amberlyst 36 were used as catalyst. The effect of process parameters including ethyl acetate to glycerol molar ratio (6-12, reaction time (3-9 h, and the catalyst to glycerol weight (2.5-9.0%, on the conversion and products selectivities were investigated. Under reflux conditions, 100% glycerol conversion was obtained with 45%, 44%, and 11% selectivity to monoacetin, diacetin, and triacetin, respectively. Azeotropic reactive distillation led to 100% conversion of glycerol with selectivities of 3%, 48% and 49% for monoacetin, diacetin, and triacetin. During the azeotropic reactive distillation, it was possible to remove ethanol to shift the equilibrium towards diacetin and triacetin. Therefore, the total selectivity to diacetin and triacetin was increased from 55% to 97% through azeotropic distillation.

  11. Glycerol and microwave preservation of annual statice (Limonium sinuatum Mill.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paparozzi, E.T.; McCallister, D.E.

    1988-01-01

    Stems of annual statice (Limonium sinuatum Mill.) were harvested from the field in 1982 and soaked in varying concentrations of glycerol: water solutions for 24 and 48 h and then microwaved for 0, 1, 3 or 5 min. Half of the branch stems were measured for flexibility, with the remainder being assessed 1 year later. Stems harvested in 1983 were wet- and dry-stored at 3°C for varying lengths of time and then preserved. Preservation was best when statice was preserved immediately. Cold storage decreased preserved statice flexibility, but was better than air-drying. Fresh cut statice stems, up to 34 cm long, should be preserved by soaking in a 1:2 or 1:3 glycerol: water solution for 48 h followed by microwaving for 1 min at medium-high (34°C)

  12. Glycerol extracting dealcoholization for the biodiesel separation process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Jianchu; Sha, Yong; Zhang, Yun; Yuan, Yunlong; Wu, Housheng

    2011-04-01

    By means of utilizing sunflower oil and Jatropha oil as raw oil respectively, the biodiesel transesterification production and the multi-stage extracting separation were carried out experimentally. Results indicate that dealcoholized crude glycerol can be utilized as the extracting agent to achieve effective separation of methanol from the methyl ester phase, and the glycerol content in the dealcoholized methyl esters is as low as 0.02 wt.%. For the biodiesel separation process utilizing glycerol extracting dealcoholization, its technical and equipment information were acquired through the rigorous process simulation in contrast to the traditional biodiesel distillation separation process, and results show that its energy consumption decrease about 35% in contrast to that of the distillation separation process. The glycerol extracting dealcoholization has sufficient feasibility and superiority for the biodiesel separation process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Overexpression of the truncated version of ILV2 enhances glycerol production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murashchenko, Lidiia; Abbas, Charles; Dmytruk, Kostyantyn; Sibirny, Andriy

    2016-08-01

    Acetolactate synthase is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyses the conversion of two pyruvate molecules to an acetolactate molecule with release of carbon dioxide. The overexpression of the truncated version of the corresponding gene, ILV2, that codes for presumably cytosolic acetolactate synthase in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, led to a decrease in intracellular pyruvate concentration. This recombinant strain was also characterized by a four-fold increase in glycerol production, with a concomitant 1.8-fold reduction in ethanol production, when compared to that of the wild-type strain under anaerobic conditions in a glucose alcoholic fermentation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Potential of Electrospun Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate/Collagen Blends for Tissue Engineering Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luca Salvatore

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, tunable nonwoven mats based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB and type I collagen (Coll were successfully produced by electrospinning. The PHB/Coll weight ratio (fixed at 100/0, 70/30, and 50/50, resp. was found to control the morphological, thermal, mechanical, and degradation properties of the mats. Increasing collagen amounts led to larger diameters of the fibers (in the approximate range 600–900 nm, while delaying their thermal decomposition (from 245°C to 262°C. Collagen also accelerated the hydrolytic degradation of the mats upon incubation in aqueous medium at 37°C for 23 days (with final weight losses of 1%, 15%, and 23% for 100/0, 70/30, and 50/50 samples, resp., as a result of increased mat wettability and reduced PHB crystallinity. Interestingly, 70/30 meshes were the ones displaying the lowest stiffness (~116 MPa; p<0.05 versus 100/0 and 50/50 meshes, while 50/50 samples had an elastic modulus comparable to that of 100/0 ones (~250 MPa, likely due to enhanced physical crosslinking of the collagen chains, at least at high protein amounts. All substrates were also found to allow for good viability and proliferation of murine fibroblasts, up to 6 days of culture. Collectively, the results evidenced the potential of as-spun PHB/Coll meshes for tissue engineering applications.

  15. Determination of steady state and nonsteady-state glycerol kinetics in humans using deuterium-labeled tracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beylot, M.; Martin, C.; Beaufrere, B.; Riou, J.P.; Mornex, R.

    1987-01-01

    Using deuterium-labeled glycerol as tracer and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques for the determination of isotopic enrichment, we have developed a simple and ethically acceptable method of determining glycerol appearance rate in humans under steady-state and nonsteady-state conditions. In normal subjects, the appearance rate of glycerol in the post-absorptive state was 2.22 +/- 0.20 mumol X kg-1 X min-1, a value in agreement with those reported in studies with radioactively labeled tracers. The ratio nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) appearance rate/glycerol appearance rate ranged from 1.95 to 3.40. In insulin-dependent diabetic patients with a mild degree of metabolic control, the appearance rate of glycerol was 2.48 +/- 0.29 mumol X kg-1 X min-1. The volume of distribution of glycerol, determined by the bolus injection technique, was (mean) 0.306 l X kg-1 in normal subjects and 0.308 l X kg-1 in insulin-independent diabetic patients. To evaluate the usefulness of the method for determination of glycerol kinetics in nonsteady-state conditions, we infused six normal subjects with natural glycerol and calculated the isotopically determined glycerol appearance rate using a single compartment model (volume of distribution 0.31 l X kg-1). During these tests, the expected glycerol appearance rates were successively 5.03 +/- 0.33, 7.48 +/- 0.39, 9.94 +/- 0.34, 7.48 +/- 0.39, and 5.03 +/- 0.33 mumol +/- kg-1 X min-1, whereas the corresponding isotopically determined appearance rates were 4.62 +/- 0.45, 6.95 +/- 0.56, 10.85 +/- 0.51, 7.35 +/- 0.34, and 5.28 +/- 0.12 mumol X kg-1 X min-1

  16. Novel high dielectric constant hybrid elastomers based on glycerol-insilicone emulsions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mazurek, Piotr Stanislaw; Skov, Anne Ladegaard

    2016-01-01

    Novel hybrid elastomers were prepared by speedmixing of two virtually immiscible liquids – glycerol and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) prepolymer. Upon crosslinking ofthe PDMS phase of the resulting glycerol-in-silicone emulsion freestanding films were obtained. In this way glycerol became uniformly...... elastomeractuators. Conductivities of samples based on various PDMS compositions with different loadings of embedded glycerol were thoroughly investigated providing useful information about the dielectric behavior....

  17. The performance of a glucose-ketone meter in the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis in patients with type 2 diabetes in the emergency room.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voulgari, Christina; Tentolouris, Nicholas

    2010-07-01

    Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a serious metabolic complication. One of its precipitating causes is insulin omission. DKA requires early diagnosis and strict glucose control, which increases the use of glucose meters in the Emergency Room (ER). We aimed to determine the performance of a glucose-ketone meter in the diagnosis of DKA. From 450 type 2 diabetes mellitus insulin-treated patients attending the ER with a capillary glucose level >13.9 mmol/L, 50 patients (26 men and 24 women, mean age 60.2 +/- 8.2 years) had DKA. Capillary glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-OHB) were measured with the Precision-Xtra device (Abbott Laboratories, Abingdon, UK). Serum glucose and biochemical parameters were measured on an automatic analyzer; serum beta-OHB was determined using an enzymatic end-point spectrophotometric method. Urine ketones were determined using a semiquantitative assay (Ketodiastix, Bayer Diagnostics, Stoke Poges, Slough, UK). Serum and capillary beta-OHB values were highly correlated (r = 0.99, P 3.0 mmol/L) had the highest performance (sensitivity 99.87%, specificity 92.89%, positive predictive value 92.89%) for the diagnosis of DKA compared with serum ketonemia (sensitivity 90.45%, specificity 88.65%, positive predictive value 87.76%) or ketonuria (sensitivity 89.89%, specificity 52.73%, positive predictive value 41.87%). Implementation of measures such as home glucose and ketone monitoring can possibly decrease the number of hospital admissions due to DKA.

  18. Biodiesel biorefinery: opportunities and challenges for microbial production of fuels and chemicals from glycerol waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, João R M; Fávaro, Léia C L; Quirino, Betania F

    2012-07-18

    The considerable increase in biodiesel production worldwide in the last 5 years resulted in a stoichiometric increased coproduction of crude glycerol. As an excess of crude glycerol has been produced, its value on market was reduced and it is becoming a "waste-stream" instead of a valuable "coproduct". The development of biorefineries, i.e. production of chemicals and power integrated with conversion processes of biomass into biofuels, has been singled out as a way to achieve economically viable production chains, valorize residues and coproducts, and reduce industrial waste disposal. In this sense, several alternatives aimed at the use of crude glycerol to produce fuels and chemicals by microbial fermentation have been evaluated. This review summarizes different strategies employed to produce biofuels and chemicals (1,3-propanediol, 2,3-butanediol, ethanol, n-butanol, organic acids, polyols and others) by microbial fermentation of glycerol. Initially, the industrial use of each chemical is briefly presented; then we systematically summarize and discuss the different strategies to produce each chemical, including selection and genetic engineering of producers, and optimization of process conditions to improve yield and productivity. Finally, the impact of the developments obtained until now are placed in perspective and opportunities and challenges for using crude glycerol to the development of biodiesel-based biorefineries are considered. In conclusion, the microbial fermentation of glycerol represents a remarkable alternative to add value to the biodiesel production chain helping the development of biorefineries, which will allow this biofuel to be more competitive.

  19. Comparing Finger-stick β-Hydroxybutyrate with Dipstick Urine Tests in the Detection of Ketone Bodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baris KURU

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available SUMMARY: Objectives: Blood ketone (beta-hydroxybutyrate measurements are suggested instead of urine ketone (acetoacetate measurements in the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis. Urine ketone examination is difficult and time consuming, and may result in an incorrect interpretation. Studies performed in emergency departments on blood ketones are limited. Our objective is to compare urine ketones and capillary blood ketones in patients whose serum glucose levels were ≥150 mg/dl. Methods: In our cross-sectional prospective study, finger-stick blood beta-hydroxybutyrate, arterial blood gas and urine ketone measurements of patients whose serum glucose levels were 150 mg/dL and higher were performed in the emergency department. Results: A total of 265 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 62.4±14.9 years, and 65.7% of them were female. The mean of the capillary blood ketone levels of the patients was determined to be 0.524±0.9 mmol/L (min: 0 mmol/L, max: 6.7 mmol/L. In 29 (13.1% of the 221 patients whose urine ketone levels were negative, the finger-stick blood ketone levels were positive. Three of these patients were severely ketonemic, six were moderately ketonemic, and 20 were mildly ketonemic. Conclusions: In patients admitted to the emergency department with a blood glucose level of 150 mg/dL or higher, performing a capillary blood ketone measurement instead of a urine ketone measurement was a better predictor of ketonemia. ÖZET: Amaç: Diyabetik keto asidoz tanısında idrar ketonu (asetoasetat yerine kan ketonu (beta-hidroksibütirat ölçümü önerilmektedir. İdrar ketonu bakılması zahmetli, zaman alıcı ve yanlış yorumlara yol açabilen bir testtir. Acil servislerde kan ketonu ile ilgili yapılan çalışmalar sınırlıdır. Bu çalışmadaki amacımız serum glikoz düzeyi ≥150 mg/dl tespit edilen hastalarda idrar ketonu ile kapiller kanda keton varlığını karşılaştırmaktır. Gereç ve Y

  20. Optimization PHAs production from dairy industry wastewater (cheese whey) by Azohydromonas lata DSMZ 1123

    OpenAIRE

    M. Sharifzadeh Baei; G.D. Najafpour; Z. Lasemi; F. Tabandeh; H. Younesi; H. Issazadeh; M. Khodabandeh

    2010-01-01

    In the present research, whey was used as useful substrate which retained from permeates of dairy industry. The obtained whey was hydrolyzed to cleave its main carbon source, lactose to glucose and galactose.The hydrolyzed products were chosen as carbon sources for the production of poly-3-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) by Azohydromonas lata DSMZ 1123. The biosynthesis of PHA copolyesters containing 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) units from hydrolyzed whey permeate and valerat...

  1. Siliceous mesostructured cellular foams/ poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate composite biomaterials for bone regeneration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang S

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Shengbing Yang,1,* Shuogui Xu,2,* Panyu Zhou,2,* Jing Wang,3 Honglue Tan,4 Yang Liu,5 TingTing Tang,4 ChangSheng Liu1,3,5 1The State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 2Changhai Hospital, Department of Orthopedics, the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopedic Implant, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai 9th People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine China, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 5Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Materials of Ministry of Education, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Osteoinductive and biodegradable composite biomaterials for bone regeneration were prepared by combining poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate (PHBHHx with siliceous mesostructured cellular foams (SMC, using the porogen leaching method. Surface hydrophilicity, morphology, and recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 adsorption/release behavior of the SMC/PHBHHx scaffolds were analyzed. Results of scanning electron microscopy indicated that the SMC was uniformly dispersed in the PHBHHx scaffolds, and SMC modification scaffolds have an interconnected porous architecture with pore sizes ranging from 200 to 400 µm. The measurements of the water contact angles suggested that the incorporation of SMC into PHBHHx improves the hydrophilicity of the composite. In vitro studies with simulated body fluid show great improvements to bioactivity and biodegradability versus pure PHBHHx scaffolds. Cell adhesion and cell proliferation on the scaffolds was also evaluated, and the new

  2. Co-digestion of sewage sludge with glycerol to boost biogas production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fountoulakis, M.S.; Petousi, I.; Manios, T.

    2010-01-01

    The feasibility of adding crude glycerol from the biodiesel industry to the anaerobic digesters treating sewage sludge in wastewater treatment plants was studied in both batch and continuous experiments at 35 o C. Glycerol addition can boost biogas yields, if it does not exceed a limiting 1% (v/v) concentration in the feed. Any further increase of glycerol causes a high imbalance in the anaerobic digestion process. The reactor treating the sewage sludge produced 1106 ± 36 ml CH 4 /d before the addition of glycerol and 2353 ± 94 ml CH 4 /d after the addition of glycerol (1% v/v in the feed). The extra glycerol-COD added to the feed did not have a negative effect on reactor performance, but seemed to increase the active biomass (volatile solids) concentration in the system. Batch kinetic experiments showed that the maximum specific utilization rate (μ max ) and the saturation constant (K S ) of glycerol were 0.149 ± 0.015 h -1 and 0.276 ± 0.095 g/l, respectively. Comparing the estimated values with the kinetics constants for propionate reported in the literature, it can be concluded that glycerol uptake is not the rate-limiting step during the process.

  3. Isolation and chemical characterization of phosphatidyl glycerol from spinach leaves

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haverkate, E.; Deenen, L.L.M. van

    1965-01-01

    Pure phosphatidyl glycerol was obtained from spinach leaves after repeated chromatography on silica columns. Ascertainment of the configuration of the hydrolysis products formed by the action of phospholipases C (EC 3.1.4.3) and D (EC 3.1.4.4) demonstrated that this phospholipid is identical with

  4. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate/ZnO Bionanocomposites with Improved Mechanical, Barrier and Antibacterial Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana M. Díez-Pascual

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB-based bionanocomposites incorporating different contents of ZnO nanoparticles were prepared via solution casting technique. The nanoparticles were dispersed within the biopolymer without the need for surfactants or coupling agents. The morphology, thermal, mechanical, barrier, migration and antibacterial properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. The nanoparticles acted as nucleating agents, increasing the crystallization temperature and the degree of crystallinity of the matrix, and as mass transport barriers, hindering the diffusion of volatiles generated during the decomposition process, leading to higher thermal stability. The Young’s modulus, tensile and impact strength of the biopolymer were enhanced by up to 43%, 32% and 26%, respectively, due to the strong matrix-nanofiller interfacial adhesion attained via hydrogen bonding interactions, as revealed by the FT-IR spectra. Moreover, the nanocomposites exhibited reduced water uptake and superior gas and vapour barrier properties compared to neat PHB. They also showed antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, which was progressively improved upon increasing ZnO concentration. The migration levels of PHB/ZnO composites in both non-polar and polar simulants decreased with increasing nanoparticle content, and were well below the current legislative limits for food packaging materials. These biodegradable nanocomposites show great potential as an alternative to synthetic plastic packaging materials especially for use in food and beverage containers and disposable applications.

  5. Inverse relationship between brain glucose and ketone metabolism in adults during short-term moderate dietary ketosis: A dual tracer quantitative positron emission tomography study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Courchesne-Loyer, Alexandre; Croteau, Etienne; Castellano, Christian-Alexandre; St-Pierre, Valérie; Hennebelle, Marie; Cunnane, Stephen C

    2017-07-01

    Ketones (principally β-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate (AcAc)) are an important alternative fuel to glucose for the human brain, but their utilisation by the brain remains poorly understood. Our objective was to use positron emission tomography (PET) to assess the impact of diet-induced moderate ketosis on cerebral metabolic rate of acetoacetate (CMRa) and glucose (CMRglc) in healthy adults. Ten participants (35 ± 15 y) received a very high fat ketogenic diet (KD) (4.5:1; lipid:protein plus carbohydrates) for four days. CMRa and CMRglc were quantified by PET before and after the KD with the tracers, 11 C-AcAc and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG), respectively. During the KD, plasma ketones increased 8-fold ( p = 0.005) while plasma glucose decreased by 24% ( p = 0.005). CMRa increased 6-fold ( p = 0.005), whereas CMRglc decreased by 20% ( p = 0.014) on the KD. Plasma ketones were positively correlated with CMRa (r = 0.93; p < 0.0001). After four days on the KD, CMRa represented 17% of whole brain energy requirements in healthy adults with a 2-fold difference across brain regions (12-24%). The CMR of ketones (AcAc and β-hydroxybutyrate combined) while on the KD was estimated to represent about 33% of brain energy requirements or approximately double the CMRa. Whether increased ketone availability raises CMR of ketones to the same extent in older people as observed here or in conditions in which chronic brain glucose hypometabolism is present remains to be determined.

  6. A simple and efficient method for poly-3-hydroxybutyrate quantification in diazotrophic bacteria within 5 minutes using flow cytometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.P.S. Alves

    Full Text Available The conventional method for quantification of polyhydroxyalkanoates based on whole-cell methanolysis and gas chromatography (GC is laborious and time-consuming. In this work, a method based on flow cytometry of Nile red stained bacterial cells was established to quantify poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB production by the diazotrophic and plant-associated bacteria, Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Azospirillum brasilense. The method consists of three steps: i cell permeabilization, ii Nile red staining, and iii analysis by flow cytometry. The method was optimized step-by-step and can be carried out in less than 5 min. The final results indicated a high correlation coefficient (R2=0.99 compared to a standard method based on methanolysis and GC. This method was successfully applied to the quantification of PHB in epiphytic bacteria isolated from rice roots.

  7. A simple and efficient method for poly-3-hydroxybutyrate quantification in diazotrophic bacteria within 5 minutes using flow cytometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, L P S; Almeida, A T; Cruz, L M; Pedrosa, F O; de Souza, E M; Chubatsu, L S; Müller-Santos, M; Valdameri, G

    2017-01-16

    The conventional method for quantification of polyhydroxyalkanoates based on whole-cell methanolysis and gas chromatography (GC) is laborious and time-consuming. In this work, a method based on flow cytometry of Nile red stained bacterial cells was established to quantify poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by the diazotrophic and plant-associated bacteria, Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Azospirillum brasilense. The method consists of three steps: i) cell permeabilization, ii) Nile red staining, and iii) analysis by flow cytometry. The method was optimized step-by-step and can be carried out in less than 5 min. The final results indicated a high correlation coefficient (R2=0.99) compared to a standard method based on methanolysis and GC. This method was successfully applied to the quantification of PHB in epiphytic bacteria isolated from rice roots.

  8. A simple and efficient method for poly-3-hydroxybutyrate quantification in diazotrophic bacteria within 5 minutes using flow cytometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, L.P.S.; Almeida, A.T.; Cruz, L.M.; Pedrosa, F.O.; de Souza, E.M.; Chubatsu, L.S.; Müller-Santos, M.; Valdameri, G.

    2017-01-01

    The conventional method for quantification of polyhydroxyalkanoates based on whole-cell methanolysis and gas chromatography (GC) is laborious and time-consuming. In this work, a method based on flow cytometry of Nile red stained bacterial cells was established to quantify poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production by the diazotrophic and plant-associated bacteria, Herbaspirillum seropedicae and Azospirillum brasilense. The method consists of three steps: i) cell permeabilization, ii) Nile red staining, and iii) analysis by flow cytometry. The method was optimized step-by-step and can be carried out in less than 5 min. The final results indicated a high correlation coefficient (R2=0.99) compared to a standard method based on methanolysis and GC. This method was successfully applied to the quantification of PHB in epiphytic bacteria isolated from rice roots. PMID:28099582

  9. Availability of neurotransmitter glutamate is diminished when beta-hydroxybutyrate replaces glucose in cultured neurons

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund, Trine Meldgaard; Risa, Øystein; Sonnewald, Ursula

    2009-01-01

    Ketone bodies serve as alternative energy substrates for the brain in cases of low glucose availability such as during starvation or in patients treated with a ketogenic diet. The ketone bodies are metabolized via a distinct pathway confined to the mitochondria. We have compared metabolism of [2...

  10. Miscibility and Crystallization Behavior of Poly (3- Hydroxybutyrate) and Poly (Ethylene Glycol) Blends Studied by Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdel-Hady, E.E.; Hammam, A.M.

    2010-01-01

    Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is linear stereo regular aliphatic polyester synthesized by some bacteria as a store of carbon and energy. Because of its high biocompatibility and the ability to be fully biodegraded, PHB is of special interest in medicine. To improve the physiochemical properties of PHB, Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used for modifications of PHB. By using the chloroform as co-solvent a series of (PHB/PEG) blend with different ratio ranging from 100:0.0 (wt %) to 50:50 (wt %) was prepared by solution casting-technique. Positron Annihilation Lifetime (PAL) technique has been applied to study the effect of addition PEG on the structure of PHB. The positron annihilation lifetime measurements were performed with a conventional fast-fast coincidence system. The lifetime parameter, ι3 which represents the ortho-positronium atom (o-Ps) lifetime and I 3 which reflects the (o-Ps) intensity, give indication of the free-volume size and concentration respectively. Positron annihilation lifetime measurements showed that, ι3 increases by increasing PEG ratio until the concentration (80:20 wt %) then start to decrease by increasing PEG ratio. The obtained results are in agreement with the results of X-ray diffraction.

  11. Glycerol reforming in supercritical water : a short review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Markocic, Elena; Kramberger, Boris; van Bennekom, Joost G.; Heeres, Hero Jan; Vos, John; Knez, Zeljko; Markočič, Elena; Knez, Željko

    Due to the rise in global biodiesel production, the amount of crude glycerol, the main byproduct, has increased steadily. Identification of high value added outlets for crude glycerol has been explored in detail to increase the overall economics of the biodiesel process. Examples are the use of

  12. Biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) by Cupriavidus necator H16 from jatropha oil as carbon source.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batcha, Abeed Fatima Mohidin; Prasad, D M Reddy; Khan, Maksudur R; Abdullah, Hamidah

    2014-05-01

    Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a biodegradable polymer that can be synthesized through bacterial fermentation. In this study, Cupriavidus necator H16 is used to synthesize PHB by using Jatropha oil as its sole carbon source. Different variables mainly jatropha oil and urea concentrations, and agitation rate were investigated to determine the optimum condition for microbial fermentation in batch culture. Based on the results, the highest cell dry weight and PHB concentrations of 20.1 and 15.5 g/L, respectively, were obtained when 20 g/L of jatropha oil was used. Ethanol was used as external stress factor and the addition of 1.5 % ethanol at 38 h had a positive effect with a high PHB yield of 0.987 g PHB/g jatropha oil. The kinetic studies for cell growth rate and PHB production were conducted and the data were fitted with Logistic and Leudeking–Piret models. The rate constants were evaluated and the theoretical values were in accordance with the experimental data obtained

  13. The GLP-1 Analogue Exenatide Improves Hepatic and Muscle Insulin Sensitivity in Diabetic Rats: Tracer Studies in the Basal State and during Hyperinsulinemic-Euglycemic Clamp

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Wu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 analogues (e.g., exenatide increase insulin secretion in diabetes but less is known about their effects on glucose production or insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in peripheral tissues. Methods. Four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were studied: nondiabetic (control, C; nondiabetic + exenatide (C + E; diabetic (D; diabetic + exenatide (D + E with diabetes induced by streptozotocin and high fat diet. Infusion of 3-3H-glucose and U-13C-glycerol was used to measure basal rates of appearance (Ra of glucose and glycerol and gluconeogenesis from glycerol (GNG. During hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, glucose uptake into gastrocnemius muscles was measured with 2-deoxy-D-14C-glucose. Results. In the diabetic rats, exenatide reduced the basal Ra of glucose (P<0.01 and glycerol (P<0.01 and GNG (P<0.001. During the clamp, Ra of glucose was also reduced, whereas the rate of disappearance of glucose increased and there was increased glucose uptake into muscle (P<0.01 during the clamp. In the nondiabetic rats, exenatide had no effect. Conclusion. In addition to its known effects on insulin secretion, administration of the GLP-1 analogue, exenatide, is associated with increased inhibition of gluconeogenesis and improved glucose uptake into muscle in diabetic rats, implying improved hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity.

  14. Effects of Exercise Induced Dehydration and Glycerol Rehydration on Anaerobic Power in Male Collegiate Wrestlers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Zachary J; Gillum, Trevor L

    2017-11-01

    McKenna, ZJ and Gillum, TL. Effects of exercise induced dehydration and glycerol rehydration on anaerobic power in male collegiate wrestlers. J Strength Cond Res 31(11): 2965-2968, 2017-Wrestlers attempting to reach a specific weight class often use rapid weight loss (RWL). Rapid weight loss is associated with high levels of dehydration, which may hinder athletic performance. Thus, there is a need for wrestlers to optimize rehydration after achieving a specific weight. We sought to observe the effects of RWL on anaerobic power and the impact of glycerol on rehydration and power in male collegiate wrestlers (n = 7, 19.75 ± 1.67 years, 76.8 ± 4.32 kg, 11.6 ± 4.32% body fat, 59.9 ± 6.42 ml·kg·min). Subjects were assessed for body mass (BM), hydration, and mean power output (Wmean) before exercise (pre), immediately after exercise (3% dehydrated), and 60 minutes after exercise (rehydrated). Participants ran at 70% of V[Combining Dot Above]O2max in a heated room (30° C) until 3% BM loss (BML). Subjects rehydrated drinking either 26 ml·kg of water (control) or a 3% glycerol (treatment) solution containing 26 ml·kg of water and 1 g·kg of glycerol. Participants lost 3.00 ± 0.31% (control) and 2.89 ± 0.26% (treatment) of their BM from the pre- to dehydrated conditions. Wmean (control: 659.29 ± 79.12, 651.43 ± 70.71, 659.71 ± 82.78; treatment: 647.71 ± 110.64, 644.57 ± 118.15, 638.14 ± 100.71) did not differ across time (p = 0.87) nor condition (p = 0.80). In addition, glycerol had no significant impact on acute hydration (control: urine-specific gravity [SG] = 1.019 ± 0.010; treatment: SG = 1.017 ± 0.017). These data show that 3% BML did not impair anaerobic performance, and furthermore that glycerol proved ineffective for rehydration in a match like scenario for the competing wrestler.

  15. A novel insulin resistance index to monitor changes in insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance: the ACT NOW study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tripathy, Devjit; Cobb, Jeff E; Gall, Walter; Adam, Klaus-Peter; George, Tabitha; Schwenke, Dawn C; Banerji, MaryAnn; Bray, George A; Buchanan, Thomas A; Clement, Stephen C; Henry, Robert R; Kitabchi, Abbas E; Mudaliar, Sunder; Ratner, Robert E; Stentz, Frankie B; Reaven, Peter D; Musi, Nicolas; Ferrannini, Ele; DeFronzo, Ralph A

    2015-05-01

    The objective was to test the clinical utility of Quantose M(Q) to monitor changes in insulin sensitivity after pioglitazone therapy in prediabetic subjects. Quantose M(Q) is derived from fasting measurements of insulin, α-hydroxybutyrate, linoleoyl-glycerophosphocholine, and oleate, three nonglucose metabolites shown to correlate with insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. Participants were 428 of the total of 602 ACT NOW impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) subjects randomized to pioglitazone (45 mg/d) or placebo and followed for 2.4 years. At baseline and study end, fasting plasma metabolites required for determination of Quantose, glycated hemoglobin, and oral glucose tolerance test with frequent plasma insulin and glucose measurements to calculate the Matsuda index of insulin sensitivity were obtained. Pioglitazone treatment lowered IGT conversion to diabetes (hazard ratio = 0.25; 95% confidence interval = 0.13-0.50; P < .0001). Although glycated hemoglobin did not track with insulin sensitivity, Quantose M(Q) increased in pioglitazone-treated subjects (by 1.45 [3.45] mg·min(-1)·kgwbm(-1)) (median [interquartile range]) (P < .001 vs placebo), as did the Matsuda index (by 3.05 [4.77] units; P < .0001). Quantose M(Q) correlated with the Matsuda index at baseline and change in the Matsuda index from baseline (rho, 0.85 and 0.79, respectively; P < .0001) and was progressively higher across closeout glucose tolerance status (diabetes, IGT, normal glucose tolerance). In logistic models including only anthropometric and fasting measurements, Quantose M(Q) outperformed both Matsuda and fasting insulin in predicting incident diabetes. In IGT subjects, Quantose M(Q) parallels changes in insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance with pioglitazone therapy. Due to its strong correlation with improved insulin sensitivity and its ease of use, Quantose M(Q) may serve as a useful clinical test to identify and monitor therapy in insulin-resistant patients.

  16. Changes in glutamate concentration, glucose metabolism, and cerebral blood flow during focal brain cooling of the epileptogenic cortex in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nomura, Sadahiro; Fujii, Masami; Inoue, Takao; He, Yeting; Maruta, Yuichi; Koizumi, Hiroyasu; Suehiro, Eiichi; Imoto, Hirochika; Ishihara, Hideyuki; Oka, Fumiaki; Matsumoto, Mishiya; Owada, Yuji; Yamakawa, Takeshi; Suzuki, Michiyasu

    2014-05-01

    Recently, focal brain cooling (FBC) was proposed as a method for treating refractory epilepsy. However, the precise influence of cooling on the molecular basis of epilepsy has not been elucidated. Thus the aim of this study was to assess the effect of FBC on glutamate (Glu) concentration, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and glucose metabolism in patients with intractable epilepsy. Nine patients underwent FBC at 15°C for 30 min prior to cortical resection (n = 6) or hippocampectomy (n = 3). Measurement of metabolites and CBF, as well as electrocorticography (ECoG), was performed. Epileptic discharge (ED), as observed by ECoG, disappeared in the cooling period and reappeared in the rewarming period. Glu concentrations were high during the precooling period and were reduced to 51.2% during the cooling period (p = 0.025). Glycerol levels showed a similar decrease (p = 0.028). Lactate concentration was high during the precooling period and was reduced during the cooling period (21.3% decrease; p = 0.005). Glucose and pyruvate levels were maintained throughout the procedure. Changes in CBF were parallel to those observed by ECoG. FBC reduced EDs and concentrations of Glu and glycerol. This demonstrates the neuroprotective effect of FBC. Our findings confirm that FBC is a reasonable and optimal treatment option for patients with intractable epilepsy. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

  17. Effects of rumen-protected Capsicum oleoresin on productivity and responses to a glucose tolerance test in lactating dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, J; Harper, M; Giallongo, F; Bravo, D M; Wall, E H; Hristov, A N

    2017-03-01

    The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of rumen-protected Capsicum oleoresin (RPC) supplementation on feed intake, milk yield and composition, nutrient utilization, fecal microbial ecology, and responses to a glucose tolerance test in lactating dairy cows. Nine multiparous Holstein cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design balanced for residual effects with three 28-d periods. Each period consisted of 14 d for adaptation and 14 d for data collection and sampling. Treatments were 0 (control), 100, and 200 mg of RPC/cow per day. They were mixed with a small portion of the total mixed ration and top-dressed. Glucose tolerance test was conducted once during each experimental period by intravenous administration of glucose at a rate of 0.3 g/kg of body weight. Dry matter intake was not affected by RPC. Milk yield tended to increase for RPC treatments compared to the control. Feed efficiency was linearly increased by RPC supplementation. Concentrations of fat, true protein, and lactose in milk were not affected by RPC. Apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein was linearly increased, and fecal nitrogen excretion was linearly decreased by RPC supplementation. Rumen-protected Capsicum oleoresin did not affect the composition of fecal bacteria. Glucose concentration in serum was not affected by RPC supplementation post glucose challenge. However, compared to the control, RPC decreased serum insulin concentration at 5, 10, and 40 min post glucose challenge. The area under the insulin concentration curve was also decreased 25% by RPC. Concentration of nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate in serum were not affected by RPC following glucose administration. In this study, RPC tended to increase milk production and increased feed efficiency in dairy cows. In addition, RPC decreased serum insulin concentration during the glucose tolerance test, but glucose concentration was not affected

  18. Effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate and isoproterenol on lipolysis in isolated adipocytes from periparturient dairy cows and cows with clinical ketosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Drift, S. G. A.; Everts, R. R.; Houweling, M.; van Leengoed, L. A. M. G.; Stegeman, J. A.; Tielens, A. G. M.; Jorritsma, R.

    An in vitro model was used to investigate effects of beta-hydroxybutyrate and isoproterenol (beta-adrenergic receptor agonist) on lipolysis in isolated adipocytes from late pregnant and recently calved dairy cows (n = 5) and cows with clinical ketosis (n =3). Incubation with 3.0 mmol/L

  19. Indian culinary plants enhance glucose-induced insulin secretion and glucose consumption in INS-1 β-cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaur, Lovedeep; Han, Kyoung-Sik; Bains, Kiran; Singh, Harjinder

    2011-12-01

    Six Indian plants, commonly used as culinary plants, herbs or spices (kikar; jamun; neem; harad; fenugreek; bitter gourd), were screened and compared for their antidiabetic potential in vitro. Aqueous plant extracts were prepared and assessed for their effect on the insulin secretion activity of rat pancreatic INS-1 β-cells and glucose consumption in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes in order to study their specific mechanisms of action. The effect of the plant extract concentration (25-1000μg/ml) on insulin release and glucose consumption was also studied. All the extracts had a significant stimulatory effect on the insulin secretion of INS-1 cells. In the presence of kikar extract (100μg/ml), an increase of 228% in insulin release was recorded compared to the control (5.6mM glucose) whereas that was 270% and 367% in the presence of kikar and jamun extracts (500μg/ml), respectively. 3T3-L1 cells treated with jamun extract (100μg/ml) exhibited the highest increase in glucose consumption by the cells (94%, compared with the control) followed by harad (53%) and fenugreek (50%) extracts. A significant inhibitory effect of the fenugreek, kikar and jamun extracts on glucose diffusion across a dialysis membrane suggested that these extracts could partly act by decreasing glucose absorption in the small intestine. The results showed that a combination of these plants in diet could help in the management of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The role of genotype in protection against gamma-radiation of E. coli cells by glycerol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amirtaev, K.G.; Krasavin, E.A.; Kozubek, S.; Tokarova, B.; Nyamsambuu, A.

    1984-01-01

    The protective effect of glycerol and anoxia on the survival of γ-irradiated E.coli cells of wild type, recA - , polA - mutants has been investigated. The protection by glycerol increases from recA - mutant to wild type and polA - mutant with dose modifying factors (DMF) being 2.03+-0.12, 2.52+-0.25, and 2.80+-0.26. Analogically the protection by hypoxia is genetically determined, too. The value of oxygen effect increases from 1.77+-0.23 for recA - mutant to 3.38+-0.29 for wild type cells and 4.66+-0.41 for polA - -mutant. The oxygen independent component of glycerol protection is geltically independent (DMF=2). Possible mechanisms of genetic determination of the protection by glycerol and anoxia are discussed

  1. Beta-hydroxybutyrate increases reactive oxygen species in late but not in early postimplantation embryonic cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forsberg, H; Eriksson, U J; Melefors, O; Welsh, N

    1998-02-01

    Embryonic dysmorphogenesis has been blocked by antioxidant treatment in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that embryonic excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has a role in the teratogenic process of diabetic pregnancy. We report that the basal levels of ROS in dispersed rat embryonic cells in vitro, as determined by fluorescence of dichlorofluorescein (DCF), were not different in cells from control and diabetic pregnancy at day 10 or 12. Beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-HB) and succinic acid monomethyl ester both augmented DCF fluorescence in cells from day 12 embryos of normal and diabetic rats but not from day 10 embryos. Cells of day 10 and day 12 embryos from normal and diabetic rats responded to increasing glucose concentrations with a dosage-dependent alleviation of DCF fluorescence. Day 10 embryonic cells exhibited high glucose utilization rates and high pentose phosphate shunt rates, but low mitochondrial oxidation rates. Moreover, in vitro culture of embryos between gestational days 9 and 10 in the presence of 20% oxygen induced an increased and glucose-sensitive oxidation of glucose compared with embryos not cultured in vitro. At gestation day 12, however, pentose phosphate shunt rates showed a decrease, whereas the mitochondrial beta-HB oxidation rates were increased compared with those at gestation day 10. This was paralleled by a lower expression of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase- and phosphofructokinase-mRNA levels at day 12 than at day 10. On the other hand, H-ferritin mRNA expression at day 12 was high compared with day 10. None of the mRNA species investigated were affected by the diabetic state of the mother. It was concluded that beta-HB-induced stimulation of mitochondrial oxidative events may lead to the generation of ROS at gestational day 12, but probably not at day 10, when only a minute amount of mitochondrial activity occurs. Thus our results do not support the notion of diabetes-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress before the development of

  2. Fermentative utilization of glycerol residue for the production of acetic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irvan; Trisakti, B.; Hasibuan, R.; Joli, M.

    2018-02-01

    Glycerol residue, frequently known as pitch, is a waste produced from the downstream product of crude glycerine distillation. With the increasing need of pure glycerine in the world, the glycerol residue produced is also increasing. Glycerol residue is a solid waste at room temperature, highly alkaline (pH > 13), corrosive, and categorized as hazardous and poisonous waste. In this research, acetic acid was produced from glycerol residue through the anaerobic fermentation process by using purple non-sulphur photosynthetic bacteria. The purpose of this study was to find out the influence of concentration change of glycerol residue on time and to find out the possibility of glycerol residue to be utilized as acetic acid. In this research, at first 400 g of glycerol residue was diluted with 200 ml of distilled water to change the glycerine phase, from solid to liquid at room temperature, acidified by using hydrochloric acid until pH 2. The top layer formed was fatty acid and triglycerides that should be removed. Meanwhile, the bottom layer was diluted glycerol residue which was then neutralized with caustic soda. To produce acetic acid, glycerol residue with various concentrations, salt, and purple non-sulphur photosynthetic bacteria were put together into a 100 ml bottle which had been previously sterilized, then incubated for four weeks under the light of 40-watt bulb. The result showed that on the 28th day of fermentation, the produced acetic acid were 0.28, 1.85, and 0.2% (w/w) by using glycerine with the concentration of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% (w/w), respectively.

  3. Ethylene glycol, but not DMSO, could replace glycerol inclusion in soybean lecithin-based extenders in ram sperm cryopreservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Najafi, Abouzar; Daghigh-Kia, Hossein; Dodaran, Hossein Vaseghi; Mehdipour, Mahdieh; Alvarez-Rodriguez, Manuel

    2017-02-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of glycerol, ethylene glycol or DMSO in a soybean lecithin extender for freezing ram semen. In this study, 20 ejaculates were collected from four Ghezel rams and diluted with soybean lecithin extender with glycerol (7%), ethylene glycol (3%, 5% and 7%) or DMSO (3%, 5% and 7%). Sperm motility (CASA), membrane integrity (HOS test), viability, total abnormality, mitochondrial activity (Rhodamine 123) and apoptotic features (Annexin V/Propidium iodide) were assessed after thawing. There was no significant difference between glycerol and ethylene glycol at different concentrations (3% and 5%) regarding sperm total and progressive motility, viability, and membrane integrity. The least percentages of mitochondrial functionality were observed in samples frozen with all different DMSO concentrations tested (Plecithin extender. We propose that glycerol in a soybean lecithin based extender could be replaced by ethylene glycol at 3% or 5% concentrations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Extensibility effect of poly(3-hexylthiophene) on the glucose sensing performance of mixed poly(3-hexylthiophene)/octadecylamine/glucose oxidase Langmuir-Blodgett films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ke-Hsuan; Hsu, Wen-Ping; Chen, Liang-Huei; Lin, Wei-Don; Lee, Yuh-Lang

    2017-07-01

    Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is utilized as a material to enhance the glucose sensing performance of glucose oxidase (GOx) Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. To enhance the extensibility and homogeneity of the P3HT in the LB films, octadecylamine (ODA) is introduced. The characteristics of the mixed P3HT/ODA Langmuir monolayers are investigated first and then, utilized as template layers to adsorb GOx from the subphase, preparing P3HT/ODA/GOx Langmuir-Blodgett films for glucose sensing. The results show that P3HT molecules tend to aggregate at the air/liquid interface and, furthermore, the P3HT monolayer has a weak ability to adsorb GOx from the subphase. By using mixed P3HT/ODA monolayer, the presence of ODA not only inhibits the aggregation of P3HT, but also increases the adsorption ability of the monolayer to GOx. The extensibility of P3HT and the homogeneity of the P3HT/ODA monolayers are closely related to the concentration of P3HT/ODA stock solutions. On the glucose sensing experiments, the performance of the P3HT/ODA/GOx LB film is greatly improved due to the presence of P3HT and, furthermore, the sensibility increases with increasing extensibility of P3HT molecules. The best sensitivity achieved for the P3HT/ODA/GOx film is 5.4μAmM -1 cm -2 which is over two times the value obtained by the ODA/GOx film (2.3μAmM -1 cm -2 ). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Synthesis of Diblock copolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate -block-poly-3-hydroxyhexanoate [PHB-b-PHHx] by a β-oxidation weakened Pseudomonas putida KT2442

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tripathi, Lakshmi; Wu, Lin-Ping; Chen, Jinchun

    2012-01-01

    ), thermo- and mechanical analysis. NMR confirmed the existence of diblock copolymers consisting of 58 mol% PHB as the short chain length block with 42 mol% PHHx as the medium chain length block. The block copolymers had two glass transition temperatures (Tg) at 2.7°C and -16.4°C, one melting temperature...... (Tm) at 172.1°C and one cool crystallization temperature (Tc) at 69.1°C as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. This is the first microbial short-chain-length (scl) and medium-chain-length (mcl) PHA block copolymer reported. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to produce PHA......BACKGROUND: Block polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) were reported to be resistant against polymer aging that negatively affects polymer properties. Recently, more and more attempts have been directed to make PHA block copolymers. Diblock copolymers PHB-b-PHHx consisting of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB...

  6. Effects of solvents on the radiation grafting reaction of vinyl compounds on poly (3-hydroxybutyrate)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torres, Maykel González; Talavera, José Rogelio Rodríguez; Muñoz, Susana Vargas; Pérez, Manuel González; Castro, Ma. Pilar. Carreón.; Cortes, Jorge Cerna

    2015-01-01

    Vinyl Acetate was grafted onto poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) by the simultaneous gamma irradiation method using different types of solvents and in bulk (solvent free), at 10 kGy and 1.62 kGy/h dose and dose rate respectively. Subsequent complete hydrolysis allowed the conversion of grafted chains from poly (vinyl acetate) to poly (vinyl alcohol). The aim of this study is to determine the effect of solvent through the estimation of the dependence of the degree of grafting with the choice of solvent, the calculation of the degree of crystallinity, and to study the biodegradation of the products. The results showed a greater degree of grafting in bulk, while the more suitable solvent was hexane. Characterization of the grafted copolymer indicated that crystallinity percentage decreased by an increase in grafting, while the biodegradability was promoted by the increment in poly (vinyl alcohol) grafted. - Highlights: • PHB was indirectly grafted with PVA, by complete hydrolysis of grafted PVAc. • The effect of solvents on the grafting, crystallinity and biodegradation was studied. • The characterizations of the products were obtained by SEM, TGA, and DSC

  7. Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 2 expression modulates cell roughness and membrane permeability: An atomic force microscopy study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizabeth R Cattaneo

    Full Text Available In mammalian cells, de novo glycerolipid synthesis begins with the acylation of glycerol-3-phosphate, catalyzed by glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPAT. GPAT2 is a mitochondrial isoform primarily expressed in testis under physiological conditions, and overexpressed in several types of cancers and cancer-derived human cell lines where its expression contributes to the tumor phenotype. Using gene silencing and atomic force microscopy, we studied the correlation between GPAT2 expression and cell surface topography, roughness and membrane permeability in MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, we analyzed the glycerolipid composition by gas-liquid chromatography. GPAT2 expression altered the arachidonic acid content in glycerolipids, and the lack of GPAT2 seems to be partially compensated by the overexpression of another arachidonic-acid-metabolizing enzyme, AGPAT11. GPAT2 expressing cells exhibited a rougher topography and less membrane damage than GPAT2 silenced cells. Pore-like structures were present only in GPAT2 subexpressing cells, correlating with higher membrane damage evidenced by lactate dehydrogenase release. These GPAT2-induced changes are consistent with its proposed function as a tumor-promoting gene, and might be used as a phenotypic differentiation marker. AFM provides the basis for the identification and quantification of those changes, and demonstrates the utility of this technique in the study of cancer cell biology.

  8. Provenance of tetraether membrane lipids in a large temperate lake (Loch Lomond, UK): implications for glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT)-based palaeothermometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buckles, L.K.; Weijers, J.W.H.; Tran, X.-M.; Waldron, S.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.

    2014-01-01

    The application of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT)-based palaeoenvironmental proxies, such as the branched vs. isoprenoidal tetratether (BIT) index, TEX86 and the MBT–CBT palaeothermometer, has lately been expanded to lacustrine sediments. Given recent research identifying the production

  9. Provenance of tetraether membrane lipids in a large temperate lake (Loch Lomond, UK) : Implications for glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT)-based palaeothermometry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buckles, L. K.; Weijers, J. W H; Tran, X.-M.; Waldron, S.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.

    2014-01-01

    The application of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT)-based palaeoenvironmental proxies, such as the branched vs. isoprenoidal tetratether (BIT) index, TEX86 and the MBT-CBT palaeothermometer, has lately been expanded to lacustrine sediments. Given recent research identifying the production

  10. Bioconversion of crude glycerol feedstocks into ethanol by Pachysolen tannophilus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Xiaoying; Jensen, Peter Ruhdal; Workman, Mhairi

    2012-01-01

    Glycerol, the by-product of biodiesel production, is considered as a waste by biodiesel producers. This study demonstrated the potential of utilising the glycerol surplus through conversion to ethanol by the yeast Pachysolen tannophilus (CBS4044). This study demonstrates a robust bioprocess which...... was not sensitive to the batch variability in crude glycerol dependent on raw materials used for biodiesel production. The oxygen transfer rate (OTR) was a key factor for ethanol production, with lower OTR having a positive effect on ethanol production. The highest ethanol production was 17.5 g/L on 5% (v/v) crude...... glycerol, corresponding to 56% of the theoretical yield. A staged batch process achieved 28.1 g/L ethanol, the maximum achieved so far for conversion of glycerol to ethanol in a microbial bioprocess. The fermentation physiology has been investigated as a means to designing a competitive bioethanol...

  11. Biodiesel biorefinery: opportunities and challenges for microbial production of fuels and chemicals from glycerol waste

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Almeida João R M

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The considerable increase in biodiesel production worldwide in the last 5 years resulted in a stoichiometric increased coproduction of crude glycerol. As an excess of crude glycerol has been produced, its value on market was reduced and it is becoming a “waste-stream” instead of a valuable “coproduct”. The development of biorefineries, i.e. production of chemicals and power integrated with conversion processes of biomass into biofuels, has been singled out as a way to achieve economically viable production chains, valorize residues and coproducts, and reduce industrial waste disposal. In this sense, several alternatives aimed at the use of crude glycerol to produce fuels and chemicals by microbial fermentation have been evaluated. This review summarizes different strategies employed to produce biofuels and chemicals (1,3-propanediol, 2,3-butanediol, ethanol, n-butanol, organic acids, polyols and others by microbial fermentation of glycerol. Initially, the industrial use of each chemical is briefly presented; then we systematically summarize and discuss the different strategies to produce each chemical, including selection and genetic engineering of producers, and optimization of process conditions to improve yield and productivity. Finally, the impact of the developments obtained until now are placed in perspective and opportunities and challenges for using crude glycerol to the development of biodiesel-based biorefineries are considered. In conclusion, the microbial fermentation of glycerol represents a remarkable alternative to add value to the biodiesel production chain helping the development of biorefineries, which will allow this biofuel to be more competitive.

  12. Duodenal mucosal protein kinase C-δ regulates glucose production in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kokorovic, Andrea; Cheung, Grace W C; Breen, Danna M; Chari, Madhu; Lam, Carol K L; Lam, Tony K T

    2011-11-01

    Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) enzymes in liver and brain alters hepatic glucose metabolism, but little is known about their role in glucose regulation in the gastrointestinal tract. We investigated whether activation of PKC-δ in the duodenum is sufficient and necessary for duodenal nutrient sensing and regulates hepatic glucose production through a neuronal network in rats. In rats, we inhibited duodenal PKC and evaluated whether nutrient-sensing mechanisms, activated by refeeding, have disruptions in glucose regulation. We then performed gain- and loss-of-function pharmacologic and molecular experiments to target duodenal PKC-δ; we evaluated the impact on glucose production regulation during the pancreatic clamping, while basal levels of insulin were maintained. PKC-δ was detected in the mucosal layer of the duodenum; intraduodenal infusion of PKC inhibitors disrupted glucose homeostasis during refeeding, indicating that duodenal activation of PKC-δ is necessary and sufficient to regulate glucose homeostasis. Intraduodenal infusion of the PKC activator 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG) specifically activated duodenal mucosal PKC-δ and a gut-brain-liver neuronal pathway to reduce glucose production. Molecular and pharmacologic inhibition of duodenal mucosal PKC-δ negated the ability of duodenal OAG and lipids to reduce glucose production. In the duodenal mucosa, PKC-δ regulates glucose homeostasis. Copyright © 2011 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Insulin-induced activation of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase by a chiro-inositol-containing insulin mediator is defective in adipocytes of insulin-resistant, type II diabetic, Goto-Kakizaki rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farese, R V; Standaert, M L; Yamada, K; Huang, L C; Zhang, C; Cooper, D R; Wang, Z; Yang, Y; Suzuki, S; Toyota, T

    1994-11-08

    Type II diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats were insulin-resistant in euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies. We therefore examined insulin signaling systems in control Wistar and diabetic GK rats. Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (G3PAT), which is activated by headgroup mediators released from glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI), was activated by insulin in intact and cell-free adipocyte preparations of control, but not diabetic, rats. A specific chiro-inositol-containing inositol phosphoglycan (IPG) mediator, prepared from beef liver, bypassed this defect and comparably activated G3PAT in cell-free adipocyte preparations of both diabetic GK and control rats. A myo-inositol-containing IPG mediator did not activate G3PAT. Relative to control adipocytes, labeling of GPI by [3H]glucosamine was diminished by 50% and insulin failed to stimulate GPI hydrolysis in GK adipocytes. In contrast to GPI-dependent G3PAT activation, insulin-stimulated hexose transport was intact in adipocytes and soleus and gastrocnemius muscles of the GK rat, as was insulin-induced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and protein kinase C. We conclude that (i) chiro-inositol-containing IPG mediator activates G3PAT during insulin action, (ii) diabetic GK rats have a defect in synthesizing or releasing functional chiro-inositol-containing IPG, and (iii) defective IPG-regulated intracellular glucose metabolism contributes importantly to insulin resistance in diabetic GK rats.

  14. Ethanol production from biodiesel-derived crude glycerol by newly isolated Kluyvera cryocrescens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Won Jae; Hartono, Maria Regina; Chan, Weng Heng; Yeo, Suan Siong [Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Jurong Island (Singapore). Inst. of Chemical and Engineering Sciences

    2011-02-15

    The rapidly expanding market for biodiesel has increased the supply and reduced the cost of glycerol, making it an attractive sustainable feed stock for the fuel and chemical industry. Glycerol-based biorefinery is the microbial fermentation of crude glycerol to produce fuels and chemicals. A major challenge is to obtain microbes tolerant to inhibitors such as salts and organic solvents present in crude glycerol. Microbial screening was attempted to isolate novel strain capable of growing on crude glycerol as a sole carbon source. The newly isolated bacteria, identified as nonpathogenic Kluyvera cryocrescens S26 could convert biodiesel-derived crude glycerol to ethanol with high yield and productivity. The supplementation of nutrients such as yeast extract resulted in distinguished enhancement in cell growth as well as ethanol productivity under anaerobic condition. When glycerol fermentation is performed under microaerobic condition, there is also a remarkable improvement in cell growth, ethanol productivity and yield, compared with those under strict anaerobic condition. In batch fermentation under microaerobic condition, K. cryocrescens S26 produced 27 g/l of ethanol from crude glycerol with high molar yield of 80% and productivity of 0.61 g/l/h. (orig.)

  15. Tumor metabolism, the ketogenic diet and β-hydroxybutyrate: novel approaches to adjuvant brain tumor therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric C. Woolf

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Malignant brain tumors are devastating despite aggressive treatments such as surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The average life expectancy of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma is approximately ~18 months. It is clear that increased survival of brain tumor patients requires the design of new therapeutic modalities, especially those that enhance currently available treatments and/or limit tumor growth. One novel therapeutic arena is the metabolic dysregulation that results in an increased need for glucose in tumor cells. This phenomenon suggests that a reduction in tumor growth could be achieved by decreasing glucose availability, which can be accomplished through pharmacological means or through the use of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (KD. The KD, as the name implies, also provides increased blood ketones to support the energy needs of normal tissues. Preclinical work from a number of laboratories has shown that the KD does indeed reduce tumor growth in vivo. In addition, the KD has been shown to reduce angiogenesis, inflammation, peri-tumoral edema, migration and invasion. Furthermore, this diet can enhance the activity of radiation and chemotherapy in a mouse model of glioma, thus increasing survival. Additional studies in vitro have indicated that increasing ketones such as β-hydroxybutyrate in the absence of glucose reduction can also inhibit cell growth and potentiate the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Thus, while we are only beginning to understand the pluripotent mechanisms through which the KD affects tumor growth and response to conventional therapies, the emerging data provide strong support for the use of a KD in the treatment of malignant gliomas. This has led to a limited number of clinical trials investigating the use of a KD in patients with primary and recurrent glioma.

  16. Production of gaseous and liquid chemicals by aqueous phase reforming of crude glycerol: Influence of operating conditions on the process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Remón, J.; Giménez, J.R.; Valiente, A.; García, L.; Arauzo, J.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Aqueous phase reforming: a tailor-made process for the valorisation of crude glycerol. • In-depth understanding of the effect of the operating conditions on the process. • Process optimisation for the selective production of valuable gas and liquid products. • Low pressure and high temperature and spatial time favour gas production. • High pressure and medium temperature maximise the production of valuable liquids. - Abstract: The present work studies the influence of the temperature (200–240 °C), pressure (38–50 bar), glycerol concentration (10–50 wt.%) and mass of catalyst/ glycerol mass flow rate ratio (W/m_g_l_y_c_e_r_o_l = 10–40 g catalyst min/g glycerol) during the aqueous phase reforming (APR) of a glycerol solution obtained from the production of biodiesel. The operating conditions exerted a statistically significant influence on the reforming results. Specifically, the global glycerol conversion and the carbon converted into gas and liquid products varied as follows: 4–100%, 1–80% and 16–93%, respectively. The gas phase was made up of H_2 (8–55 vol.%), CO_2 (34–66 vol.%), CO (0–4 vol.%) and CH_4 (6–45 vol.%). The liquid phase consisted of a mixture of alcohols (monohydric: methanol and ethanol; and polyhydric: 1,2-propanediol, 1,2-ethanediol, 2,3-butanediol), aldehydes (acetaldehyde), ketones (C3-ketones: acetone and 2-propanone-1-hydroxy; C4-ketones: 2-butanone-3-hydroxy and 2-butanone-1-hydroxy; and cyclic ketones), carboxylic acids (acetic and propionic acids) and esters (1,2,3-propanetriol-monoacetate), together with unreacted glycerol and water. The relative amount (free of water and un-reacted glycerol) of these compounds in the liquid phase was as follows: monohydric alcohols: 4–47%, polyhydric-alcohols: 14–68%, aldehydes: 0–5%, C3-ketones: 2–33%, C4-ketones: 0–10%, ciclo-ketones: 0–6%, carboxylic acids: 2–43%, and esters: 0–46%. This process turned out to be highly customisable for the

  17. Synthesis of high specific activity [1-3H]-D-glucose

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saljoughian, M.; Morimoto, Hiromi; Williams, P.G.; Lee, Hakno

    1991-01-01

    Specifically labeled [1- 3 H]-D-glucose has been used for metabolic and mechanistic studies in erythrocytes. In vitro metabolism of the a and b anomers of the tritiated glucose was readily traced by 3 H NMR spectroscopy. Initial studies used labeled glucose obtained by catalytic exchange labeling (at 4.5-9 Ci/mmole, or 15-30% tritiated at the C-1 position), and this necessitated sample glucose concentrations of 2-4 times physiological. The availability of glucose at maximum specific activity (28.7 Ci/mmole, 100% at the C-1 position) would allow the authors to observe metabolic behavior using 1 mM levels of glucose. Accordingly, they have devised a new route for the synthesis of C-1 tritiated glucose, involving the synthesis of 4,6-O-benzylidene-D-gluconolactone followed by reduction with supertritide. Preliminary work with commercial superdeuteride is complete, and chromatographic and NMR analyses are promising. The analogous tritium reactions are currently underway, and experimental results are presented for all stages of investigation. This strategy should be generally applicable to the labeling of many reducing sugars, with the substrates 2-deoxyglucose and maltotriose being of particular interest to their research

  18. SNF3 as high affinity glucose sensor and its function in supporting the viability of Candida glabrata under glucose-limited environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzu Shan eNg

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Candida glabrata is an emerging human fungal pathogen that has efficacious nutrient sensing and responsiveness ability. It can be seen through its ability to thrive in diverse range of nutrient limited-human anatomical sites. Therefore, nutrient sensing particularly glucose sensing is thought to be crucial in contributing to the development and fitness of the pathogen. This study aimed to elucidate the role of SNF3 (Sucrose Non Fermenting 3 as a glucose sensor and its possible role in contributing to the fitness and survivability of C. glabrata in glucose-limited environment. The SNF3 knockout strain was constructed and subjected to different glucose concentrations to evaluate its growth, biofilm formation, amphotericin B susceptibility, ex vivo survivability and effects on the transcriptional profiling of the sugar receptor repressor (SRR pathway-related genes. The SNF3Δ strain showed a retarded growth in low glucose environments (0.01% and 0.1% in both fermentation and respiration-preferred conditions but grew well in high glucose concentration environments (1% and 2%. It was also found to be more susceptible to amphotericin B in low glucose environment (0.1% and macrophage engulfment but showed no difference in the biofilm formation capability. The deletion of SNF3 also resulted in the down-regulation of about half of hexose transporters genes (4 out of 9. Overall, the deletion of SNF3 causes significant reduction in the ability of C. glabrata to sense limited surrounding glucose and consequently disrupts its competency to transport and perform the uptake of this critical nutrient. This study highlighted the role of SNF3 as a high affinity glucose sensor and its role in aiding the survivability of C. glabrata particularly in glucose limited environment.

  19. N-Methyl-D aspartate receptor-mediated effect on glucose transporter-3 levels of high glucose exposed-SH-SY5Y dopaminergic neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engin, Ayse Basak; Engin, Evren Doruk; Karakus, Resul; Aral, Arzu; Gulbahar, Ozlem; Engin, Atilla

    2017-11-01

    High glucose and insulin lead to neuronal insulin resistance. Glucose transport into the neurons is achieved by regulatory induction of surface glucose transporter-3 (GLUT3) instead of the insulin. N-methyl-D aspartate (NMDA) receptor activity increases GLUT3 expression. This study explored whether an endogenous NMDA receptor antagonist, kynurenic acid (KynA) affects the neuronal cell viability at high glucose concentrations. SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were exposed to 150-250 mg/dL glucose and 40 μU/mL insulin. In KynA and N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) supplemented cultures, oxidative stress, mitochondrial metabolic activity (MTT), nitric oxide as nitrite+nitrate (NOx) and GLUT3 were determined at the end of 24 and 48-h incubation periods. Viable cells were counted by trypan blue dye. High glucose-exposed SH-SY5Y cells showed two-times more GLUT3 expression at second 24-h period. While GLUT3-stimulated glucose transport and oxidative stress was increased, total mitochondrial metabolic activity was significantly reduced. Insulin supplementation to high glucose decreased NOx synthesis and GLUT3 levels, in contrast oxidative stress increased three-fold. KynA significantly reduced oxidative stress, and increased MTT by regulating NOx production and GLUT3 expression. KynA is a noteworthy compound, as an endogenous, specific NMDA receptor antagonist; it significantly reduces oxidative stress, while increasing cell viability at high glucose and insulin concentrations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Quantitative analysis of glycerol accumulation, glycolysis and growth under hyper osmotic stress.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elzbieta Petelenz-Kurdziel

    Full Text Available We provide an integrated dynamic view on a eukaryotic osmolyte system, linking signaling with regulation of gene expression, metabolic control and growth. Adaptation to osmotic changes enables cells to adjust cellular activity and turgor pressure to an altered environment. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae adapts to hyperosmotic stress by activating the HOG signaling cascade, which controls glycerol accumulation. The Hog1 kinase stimulates transcription of genes encoding enzymes required for glycerol production (Gpd1, Gpp2 and glycerol import (Stl1 and activates a regulatory enzyme in glycolysis (Pfk26/27. In addition, glycerol outflow is prevented by closure of the Fps1 glycerol facilitator. In order to better understand the contributions to glycerol accumulation of these different mechanisms and how redox and energy metabolism as well as biomass production are maintained under such conditions we collected an extensive dataset. Over a period of 180 min after hyperosmotic shock we monitored in wild type and different mutant cells the concentrations of key metabolites and proteins relevant for osmoadaptation. The dataset was used to parameterize an ODE model that reproduces the generated data very well. A detailed computational analysis using time-dependent response coefficients showed that Pfk26/27 contributes to rerouting glycolytic flux towards lower glycolysis. The transient growth arrest following hyperosmotic shock further adds to redirecting almost all glycolytic flux from biomass towards glycerol production. Osmoadaptation is robust to loss of individual adaptation pathways because of the existence and upregulation of alternative routes of glycerol accumulation. For instance, the Stl1 glycerol importer contributes to glycerol accumulation in a mutant with diminished glycerol production capacity. In addition, our observations suggest a role for trehalose accumulation in osmoadaptation and that Hog1 probably directly contributes to the

  1. Efficacy Study of Carrageenan as an Alternative Infused Material (Filler in Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate Porous 3D Scaffold

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nor Syamimi Che Johari

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Polymeric porous 3D scaffold plays an important role in culturing mammalian cells as ex vivo model. However, the scaffold used is ineffective due to its structural and cell acceptability weaknesses. Therefore, this research attempts to overcome the weaknesses by using carrageenan from red seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii as an alternative infused material (filler of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV porous 3D scaffold. The 3D scaffold was conventionally fabricated using the solvent-casting particulate-leaching (SCPL method. Carrageenan was later infused into 3D porous scaffolds under vacuum pressure and freeze-drying process. Five carrageenan concentrations were prepared and its physicochemical properties such as pH and viscosity were carried out on each concentration to determine the best solutions to produce a new composite 3D structure. The preliminary result shows that carrageenan concentrations of 2, 4, and 6% (w/v were considered the best solutions for the infusion process due to its stable rheology properties. The pH and viscosity profiles of three selected carrageenan solutions were exhibited in the range of 9.00–9.20 and 0.047–1.144 Pa·s, respectively. Moreover, the incorporated carrageenan gel fraction was in the range of 4.30% to 14.95% (w/w which was determined by gravimetric analysis and dye staining method (visual assessment. The well-infused carrageenan 3D scaffold was further characterized based on its internal morphology and degradability study. The vertical cross-sections of the scaffolds revealed homogeneous accumulation of dried gelatinous carrageenan which was covered throughout its pores wall. The degradation rate (K of the carrageenan infused 3D scaffold was between 0.01±1.66 (mg/day and 0.03±3.23 (mg/day. The higher the carrageenan concentration used, the faster the degradation rate occurring (p2 weeks. In conclusion, the usage of carrageenan as a composite material exhibits its great potential to be

  2. Glycerol Salicylate-based Pulp-Capping Material Containing Portland Cement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portella, Fernando Freitas; Collares, Fabrício Mezzomo; Santos, Paula Dapper; Sartori, Cláudia; Wegner, Everton; Leitune, Vicente Castelo Branco; Samuel, Susana Maria Werner

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the water sorption, solubility, pH and ability to diffuse into dentin of a glycerol salicylate-based, pulp-capping cement in comparison to a conventional calcium hydroxide-based pulp capping material (Hydcal). An experimental cement was developed containing 60% glycerol salicylate resin, 10% methyl salicylate, 25% calcium hydroxide and 5% Portland cement. Water sorption and solubility were determined based on mass changes in the samples before and after the immersion in distilled water for 7 days. Material discs were stored in distilled water for 24 h, 7 days and 28 days, and a digital pHmeter was used to measure the pH of water. The cement's ability to diffuse into bovine dentin was assessed by Raman spectroscopy. The glycerol salicylate-based cement presented higher water sorption and lower solubility than Hydcal. The pH of water used to store the samples increased for both cements, reaching 12.59 ± 0.06 and 12.54 ± 0.05 after 7 days, for Hydcal and glycerol salicylate-based cements, respectively. Both cements were able to turn alkaline the medium at 24 h and sustain its alkalinity after 28 days. Hydcal exhibited an intense diffusion into dentin up to 40 µm deep, and the glycerol salicylate-based cement penetrated 20 µm. The experimental glycerol salicylate-based cement presents good sorption, solubility, ability to alkalize the surrounding tissues and diffusion into dentin to be used as pulp capping material.

  3. Insulin-stimulated conversion of D-[5-3H] glucose to 3HOH in the perifused isolated rat adipocyte

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duckworth, W.C.; Peavy, D.E.; Frechette, P.; Solomon, S.S.

    1986-01-01

    Characteristics of basal and insulin-stimulated glucose utilization by perifused adipocytes have been investigated by measuring the formation of 3 HOH from D-(5- 3 H) glucose. At a glucose concentration of 0.55 mmol/L, basal glucose utilization ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 nmol/min/10(6) cells. Perifused adipocytes showed a maximal response to insulin of a threefold to fourfold increase in the conversion of (5- 3 H) glucose to 3 HOH with a half-maximal response at an insulin concentration of 20 microU/mL. The response to insulin was blocked by phlorizin and cytochalasin B, competitive inhibitors of glucose transport, consistent with an effect of insulin on glucose transport. Insulin increased the Vmax for glucose metabolism but had no effect on the apparent affinity for glucose utilization. The characteristics of glucose utilization and the stimulation of glucose metabolism by insulin in the perifused adipocyte are therefore similar to characteristics previously observed with incubated adipocytes. Because insulin can readily be removed from the system, perifused adipocytes are especially suited for studying the termination of insulin action. The termination of insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism occurred at the same rate in the presence of tracer (1 nmol/L) (5- 3 H)-glucose alone as when 0.55 mmol/L glucose or 2 mmol/L pyruvate were added to the perifusion buffer. The halftime for this process in both cases was approximately 40 minutes. These data suggest that the presence of metabolizable substrate is not required for the termination of the insulin response, but the time course suggests that termination requires more than simply insulin-receptor dissociation

  4. Formation of 3-MCPD Fatty Acid Esters from Monostearoyl Glycerol and the Thermal Stability of 3-MCPD Monoesters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Yue; Zhang, Yaqiong; Zhang, Zhongfei; Liu, Jie; Wang, Yi-Lin; Gao, Boyan; Niu, Yuge; Sun, Xiangjun; Yu, Liangli

    2016-11-23

    Formation of 3-monochloropropanediol (3-MCPD) esters from monostearoyl glycerol (MSG) was investigated under high temperature and low moisture conditions. Different organic and inorganic chlorides, including lindane, KCl, CaCl 2 , NaCl, MgCl 2 , AlCl 3 , CuCl 2 , MnCl 2 , SnCl 2 , ZnCl 2 , and FeCl 3 , were evaluated for their potential to react with MSG to form 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters at 120 and 240 °C using a UPLC-Q-TOF MS analysis. The results indicated that different chlorine compounds differed in their capacity to react with MSG and formed different products including 3-MCPD mono- and diesters, distearoylglycerol, and glycidyl esters. According to electron spin resonance (ESR) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies, free radical mediated formation mechanisms involving either five-membered or six-membered cyclic acyloxonium free radicals (CAFR) from monoacylglycerol (MAG) were proposed. Tandem quadrupole-time-of-flight (Q-TOF) MS and MS/MS analyses confirmed the free radical mechanisms. In addition, the results from the present study showed that 3-MCPD monoester could be degraded upon thermal treatment and suggested a possible catalytic role of Fe 3+ under the experimental conditions.

  5. Bile acid sequestration reduces plasma glucose levels in db/db mice by increasing its metabolic clearance rate.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maxi Meissner

    Full Text Available AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Bile acid sequestrants (BAS reduce plasma glucose levels in type II diabetics and in murine models of diabetes but the mechanism herein is unknown. We hypothesized that sequestrant-induced changes in hepatic glucose metabolism would underlie reduced plasma glucose levels. Therefore, in vivo glucose metabolism was assessed in db/db mice on and off BAS using tracer methodology. METHODS: Lean and diabetic db/db mice were treated with 2% (wt/wt in diet Colesevelam HCl (BAS for 2 weeks. Parameters of in vivo glucose metabolism were assessed by infusing [U-(13C]-glucose, [2-(13C]-glycerol, [1-(2H]-galactose and paracetamol for 6 hours, followed by mass isotopologue distribution analysis, and related to metabolic parameters as well as gene expression patterns. RESULTS: Compared to lean mice, db/db mice displayed an almost 3-fold lower metabolic clearance rate of glucose (p = 0.0001, a ∼300% increased glucokinase flux (p = 0.001 and a ∼200% increased total hepatic glucose production rate (p = 0.0002. BAS treatment increased glucose metabolic clearance rate by ∼37% but had no effects on glucokinase flux nor total hepatic or endogenous glucose production. Strikingly, BAS-treated db/db mice displayed reduced long-chain acylcarnitine content in skeletal muscle (p = 0.0317 but not in liver (p = 0.189. Unexpectedly, BAS treatment increased hepatic FGF21 mRNA expression 2-fold in lean mice (p = 0.030 and 3-fold in db/db mice (p = 0.002. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: BAS induced plasma glucose lowering in db/db mice by increasing metabolic clearance rate of glucose in peripheral tissues, which coincided with decreased skeletal muscle long-chain acylcarnitine content.

  6. Digestible energy of crude glycerol for pacu and silver catfish

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafael Ernesto Balen

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The increase in global biodiesel production is originating a glycerol surplus, which has no defined destination. An alternative to overcome this problem is its use as energy source in animal feeding. In Brazil, Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus is one of the most farmed native fish species, whereas Silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen is suitable for production in subtropical region. Considering little knowledge about crude glycerol utilization in feeds for Neotropical fish species, it was evaluated the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs for energy of crude glycerol for P. mesopotamicus and R. quelen. The digestibility and digestible energy content of crude glycerol can be considered excellent even when compared to energy of common ingredients such as maize and wheat, presenting 0.97 and 0.89 of energy ADCs, and 15.2 and 13.95MJ kg-1 of digestible energy for Pacu and Silver catfish, respectively. In conclusion, crude glycerol is an energetic ingredient with good potential in Brazilian native fish diets.

  7. Synergetic hydrothermal co-liquefaction of crude glycerol and aspen wood

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Thomas Helmer; Jasiunas, Lukas; Casamassima, Luca

    2015-01-01

    quality were all invariant to the reaction temperature. By increasing the crude glycerol to aspen wood mass ratio from 0:1 to 3:1, char yield was decreased from 18.3% (only aspen wood) to 3.4%. Furthermore, the biocrude quality in terms of the effective hydrogen-to-carbon ratio (H/Ceff) was significantly...

  8. Recent Advances in Glycerol Polymers: Chemistry and Biomedical Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Heng

    2015-01-01

    Glycerol polymers are attracting increased attention due to the diversity of polymer compositions and architectures available. This article provides a brief chronological review on the current status of these polymers along with representative examples of their use for biomedical applications. First, we describe the underlying chemistry of glycerol, which provides access to a range of monomers for subsequent polymerizations. We then review the various synthetic methodologies to prepare glycerol-based polymers including polyethers, polycarbonates, polyesters, and so forth. Next, we describe several biomedical applications where glycerol polymers are being investigated including carriers for drug delivery, sealants or coatings for tissue repair, and agents possessing antibacterial activity. Fourth, we describe the growing market opportunity for the use of polymers in medicine. Finally we conclude and summarize the findings, as well as discuss potential opportunities for continued research efforts. PMID:25308354

  9. Methanol-dependent production of dihydroxyacetone and glycerol by mutants of the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha blocked in dihydroxyacetone kinase and glycerol kinase

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koning, W. de; Weusthuis, R.A.; Harder, W.; Dijkhuizen, L.

    Various factors controlling dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and glycerol production from methanol by resting cell suspensions of a mutant of Hansenula polymorpha, blocked in DHA kinase and glycerol kinase, were investigated. The presence of methanol (250 mM) and an additional substrate (0.5%, w/v) to

  10. Hibernation impact on the catalytic activities of the mitochondrial D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in liver and brain tissues of jerboa (Jaculus orientalis

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    Hafiani Assia

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Jerboa (Jaculus orientalis is a deep hibernating rodent native to subdesert highlands. During hibernation, a high level of ketone bodies i.e. acetoacetate (AcAc and D-3-hydroxybutyrate (BOH are produced in liver, which are used in brain as energetic fuel. These compounds are bioconverted by mitochondrial D-3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (BDH E.C. 1.1.1.30. Here we report, the function and the expression of BDH in terms of catalytic activities, kinetic parameters, levels of protein and mRNA in both tissues i.e brain and liver, in relation to the hibernating process. Results We found that: 1/ In euthemic jerboa the specific activity in liver is 2.4- and 6.4- fold higher than in brain, respectively for AcAc reduction and for BOH oxidation. The same differences were found in the hibernation state. 2/ In euthermic jerboa, the Michaelis constants, KM BOH and KM NAD+ are different in liver and in brain while KM AcAc, KM NADH and the dissociation constants, KD NAD+and KD NADH are similar. 3/ During prehibernating state, as compared to euthermic state, the liver BDH activity is reduced by half, while kinetic constants are strongly increased except KD NAD+. 4/ During hibernating state, BDH activity is significantly enhanced, moreover, kinetic constants (KM and KD are strongly modified as compared to the euthermic state; i.e. KD NAD+ in liver and KM AcAc in brain decrease 5 and 3 times respectively, while KD NADH in brain strongly increases up to 5.6 fold. 5/ Both protein content and mRNA level of BDH remain unchanged during the cold adaptation process. Conclusions These results cumulatively explained and are consistent with the existence of two BDH enzymatic forms in the liver and the brain. The apoenzyme would be subjected to differential conformational folding depending on the hibernation state. This regulation could be a result of either post-translational modifications and/or a modification of the mitochondrial membrane state

  11. Glass polymorphism in glycerol-water mixtures: I. A computer simulation study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahn, David A; Wong, Jessina; Bachler, Johannes; Loerting, Thomas; Giovambattista, Nicolas

    2016-04-28

    We perform out-of-equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of water-glycerol mixtures in the glass state. Specifically, we study the transformations between low-density (LDA) and high-density amorphous (HDA) forms of these mixtures induced by compression/decompression at constant temperature. Our MD simulations reproduce qualitatively the density changes observed in experiments. Specifically, the LDA-HDA transformation becomes (i) smoother and (ii) the hysteresis in a compression/decompression cycle decreases as T and/or glycerol content increase. This is surprising given the fast compression/decompression rates (relative to experiments) accessible in MD simulations. We study mixtures with glycerol molar concentration χ(g) = 0-13% and find that, for the present mixture models and rates, the LDA-HDA transformation is detectable up to χ(g) ≈ 5%. As the concentration increases, the density of the starting glass (i.e., LDA at approximately χ(g) ≤ 5%) rapidly increases while, instead, the density of HDA remains practically constant. Accordingly, the LDA state and hence glass polymorphism become inaccessible for glassy mixtures with approximately χ(g) > 5%. We present an analysis of the molecular-level changes underlying the LDA-HDA transformation. As observed in pure glassy water, during the LDA-to-HDA transformation, water molecules within the mixture approach each other, moving from the second to the first hydration shell and filling the first interstitial shell of water molecules. Interestingly, similar changes also occur around glycerol OH groups. It follows that glycerol OH groups contribute to the density increase during the LDA-HDA transformation. An analysis of the hydrogen bond (HB)-network of the mixtures shows that the LDA-HDA transformation is accompanied by minor changes in the number of HBs of water and glycerol. Instead, large changes in glycerol and water coordination numbers occur. We also perform a detailed analysis of the effects that

  12. Underestimation of glucose turnover measured with [6-3H]- and [6,6-2H]- but not [6-14C]glucose during hyperinsulinemia in humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McMahon, M.M.; Schwenk, W.F.; Haymond, M.W.; Rizza, R.A.

    1989-01-01

    Recent studies indicate that hydrogen-labeled glucose tracers underestimate glucose turnover in humans under conditions of high flux. The cause of this underestimation is unknown. To determine whether the error is time-, pool-, model-, or insulin-dependent, glucose turnover was measured simultaneously with [6-3H]-, [6,6-2H2]-, and [6-14C]glucose during a 7-h infusion of either insulin (1 mU.kg-1.min-1) or saline. During the insulin infusion, steady-state glucose turnover measured with both [6-3H]glucose (8.0 +/- 0.5 mg.kg-1.min-1) and [6,6-2H2]glucose (7.6 +/- 0.5 mg.kg-1.min-1) was lower (P less than .01) than either the glucose infusion rate required to maintain euglycemia (9.8 +/- 0.7 mg.kg-1.min-1) or glucose turnover determined with [6-14C]glucose and corrected for Cori cycle activity (9.8 +/- 0.7 mg.kg-1.min-1). Consequently negative glucose production rates (P less than .01) were obtained with either [6-3H]- or [6,6-2H2]- but not [6-14C]glucose. The difference between turnover estimated with [6-3H]glucose and actual glucose disposal (or 14C glucose flux) did not decrease with time and was not dependent on duration of isotope infusion. During saline infusion, estimates of glucose turnover were similar regardless of the glucose tracer used. High-performance liquid chromatography of the radioactive glucose tracer and plasma revealed the presence of a tritiated nonglucose contaminant. Although the contaminant represented only 1.5% of the radioactivity in the [6-3H]glucose infusate, its clearance was 10-fold less (P less than .001) than that of [6-3H]glucose. This resulted in accumulation in plasma, with the contaminant accounting for 16.6 +/- 2.09 and 10.8 +/- 0.9% of what customarily is assumed to be plasma glucose radioactivity during the insulin or saline infusion, respectively (P less than .01)

  13. Influence of hyperosmotic agent (glycerol) in contrast enhancement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moriyama, Takashi; Suzuki, Shigeharu; Nakaoka, Tsutomu

    1981-01-01

    For getting a better contrast enhancement (CE) of computed tomography (CT) in brain tumors, we tried to increase the extravascular iodine concentration. A vailing ourselves of the period of returning water following intravenously administered glycerol, a drip injection of the contrast medium gave a better CE effect than the usual CE. In two benign gliomas, CE with glycerol was much better than CE without glycerol, and in two malignant gliomas and two metastatic tumors, CE with glycerol was better, but not so much better as with the benign tumors. In general, the CE effect in primary brain tumors showed a decreasing pattern, whereas in metastatic brain tumors the best time was 60 minutes after the injection of the contrast material (increasing and decreasing pattern), suggesting an increase in the extravascular iodine and a severe failure of the blood brain barrier. Two cystic malignant gliomas allowed the intravenously injected contrast medium to enter the cysts. It appears that the contrast medium passes through and/or is secreted from the wall of the cyst. (author)

  14. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and Eudragit E microparticles: a release system to enhance the aqueous solubility of felodipine and simvastatin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bazzo, Giovana C.; Pezzini, Bianca R.; Zetola, Melissa; Wagner, Theodoro M.; Caetano, Daniela B.; Boch, Maura; Schmucker, Iara C.; Schucko, Sacha K.

    2009-01-01

    Poor water-soluble drugs are a problem for the development of oral solid dosage forms, since it has great potential for low bioavailability. Thus, release systems that promote the increase of aqueous solubility of these drugs are advantageous. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of incorporation of felodipine and simvastatin in polymeric microparticles, to improve the aqueous solubility of the drugs. Microparticles of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [PHB] and Eudragit E was prepared by emulsion - solvent evaporation technique and characterized as to morphology and encapsulation efficiency of the drugs. Particles with spherical shapes and high levels of drug encapsulated were obtained. There was a significant increase in aqueous solubility of felodipine and simvastatin after its incorporation into the polymeric microparticles. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the conversion of both drugs to amorphous form, which may have contributed to increased the solubility. (author)

  15. Glycerol reforming and methanol synthesis for the production of renewable methanol

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Bennekom, Joost Gerardus

    2013-01-01

    De productie van biodiesel is flink toegenomen in het eerste decennium van de 21ste eeuw. Bij de productie van 100 kg biodiesel komt ongeveer 10 kg aan glycerol vrij, wat heeft geleid tot een sterk gestegen glycerol aanbod. Een mogelijkheid om wat met de glycerol te doen, is het omzetten van

  16. Bio-Propane from glycerol for biogas addition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brandin, Jan; Hulteberg, Christian; Liljegren Nilsson, Andreas (Biofuel-Solution AB, Malmoe (Sweden))

    2008-11-15

    In this report, the technical and economical feasibility to produce higher alkanes from bioglycerol has been investigated. The main purpose of producing this kind of chemicals would be to replace the fossil LPG used in upgraded biogas production. When producing biogas and exporting it to the natural gas grid, the Wobbe index and heating value does not match the existing natural gas. Therefore, the upgraded biogas that is put into the natural gas grid in Sweden today contains 8-10 vol-% of LPG. The experimental work performed in association to this report has shown that it is possible to produce propane from glycerol. However, the production of ethane from glycerol may be even more advantageous. The experimental work has included developing and testing catalysts for several intermediate reactions. The work was performed using different micro-scale reactors with a liquid feed rate of 18 g/h. The first reaction, independent on if propane or ethane is to be produced, is dehydration of glycerol to acrolein. This was showed during 60 h on an acidic catalyst with a yield of 90%. The production of propanol, the second intermediate to producing propane, was shown as well. Propanol was produced both using acrolein as the starting material as well as glycerol (combining the first and second step) with yields of 70-80% in the first case and 65-70% in the second case. The propanol produced was investigated for its dehydration to propene, with a yield of 70-75%. By using a proprietary, purposely developed catalyst the propene was hydrogenated to propane, with a yield of 85% from propanol. The formation of propane from glycerol was finally investigated, with an overall yield of 55%. The second part of the experimental work performed investigated the possibilities of decarbonylating acrolein to form ethane. This was made possible by the development of a proprietary catalyst which combines decarbonylation and water-gas shift functionality. By combining these two functionalities, no

  17. The structure of teichoic acid from Bacillus subtilis var. niger WM as determined by 13C nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Boer, W.R.; Kruyssen, F.J.; Wouters, J.T.M.; Kruk, C.

    1976-01-01

    The walls of Bacillus subtilis var. niger WM, grown in a Mg 2+ -limited chemostat culture (carbon source glucose, dilution rate = 0.2 h -1 , 37 0 C, pH 7) contained 45% (w/w) teichoic acid, a polymer composed of glycerol, phosphate and glucose in the molar ratio 1.00 : 1.00 : 0.88. Alkaline hydrolysis of this teichoic acid yielded 1-O-β-glucosylglycerol phosphate (together with small amounts of glycerol phosphate), and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of this hydrolysis product, and its derivative after alkaline phosphatase treatment, confirmed that the monomeric unit was 1-O-β-glucosylglycerol-3-phosphate. Assignment of the resonances in the spectrum of undegraded teichoic acid revealed that the polymer was a poly[(2,3)glycerol phosphate], glucosidically substituted on C-1 of glycerol with β-glucose. (orig.) [de

  18. Involvement of PlsX and the acyl-phosphate dependent sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase PlsY in the initial stage of glycerolipid synthesis in Bacillus subtilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hara, Yoshinori; Seki, Masahide; Matsuoka, Satoshi; Hara, Hiroshi; Yamashita, Atsushi; Matsumoto, Kouji

    2008-12-01

    The gene responsible for the first acylation of sn-glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) in Bacillus subtilis has not yet been determined with certainty. The product of this first acylation, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), is subsequently acylated again to form phosphatidic acid (PA), the primary precursor to membrane glycerolipids. A novel G3P acyltransferase (GPAT), the gene product of plsY, which uses acyl-phosphate formed by the plsX gene product, has recently been found to synthesize LPA in Streptococcus pneumoniae. We found that in B. subtilis growth arrests after repression of either a plsY homologue or a plsX homologue were overcome by expression of E. coli plsB, which encodes an acyl-acylcarrier protein (acyl-ACP)-dependent GPAT, although in the case of plsX repression a high level of plsB expression was required. B. subtilis has, therefore, a capability to use the acyl-ACP dependent GPAT of PlsB. Simultaneous expression of plsY and plsX suppressed the glycerol requirement of a strict glycerol auxotrophic derivative of the E. coli plsB26 mutant, although either one alone did not. Membrane fractions from B. subtilis cells catalyzed palmitoylphosphate-dependent acylation of [14C]-labeled G3P to synthesize [14C]-labeled LPA, whereas those from DeltaplsY cells did not. The results indicate unequivocally that PlsY is an acyl-phosphate dependent GPAT. Expression of plsX corrected the glycerol auxotrophy of a DeltaygiH (the deleted allele of an E. coli homologue of plsY) derivative of BB26-36 (plsB26 plsX50), suggesting an essential role of plsX other than substrate supply for acyl-phosphate dependent LPA synthesis. Two-hybrid examinations suggested that PlsY is associated with PlsX and that each may exist in multimeric form.

  19. Effective Removal of Heavy Metal Ions Using Glycerol and Starch Xanthate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aliyu Mohammed

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Glycerol and insoluble starch xanthates were synthesised and effectively used in the removal of Pb, Cd and Cu from aqueous solutions. The insoluble metal complex formed between the sulphur atoms in the xanthates and the heavy metals were easily separated. Lower dosage of glycerol xanthate was required in each case, with the optimum molar ratio (M2+/GX of 2. Moreover, the use of glycerol xanthate required no pH adjustments to give a 100 % heavy metal removal within the range of the detection limit. As for the ISX, there was a remarkable metal scavenging activity when the ISX contained high amount of Sulphur per molecule (10.12% S and when the pH was adjusted to 6. Butyl xanthate was also synthesised to make a good comparison with the glycerol and insoluble starch xanthate. The xanthates from these two sustainable materials (Starch and glycerol are proven to be more effective in metal scavenging activity. FTIR and CHNS elemental analyses were used to prove the evidence of xanthation, in addition, 13C NMR was used to characterise the glycerol xanthate.

  20. Pharmacological investigations of Punica granatum in glycerol-induced acute renal failure in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Amrit Pal; Singh, Amteshwar Jaggi; Singh, Nirmal

    2011-09-01

    The present study was designed to investigate the ameliorative potential and possible mechanism of hydroalcoholic extract of flowers of P. granatum in glycerol-induced acute renal failure (ARF) in rats. The rats were subjected to rhabdomyolytic ARF by single intramuscular injection of hypertonic glycerol (50% v/v; 8 ml/kg) and the animals were sacrificed after 24 hours of glycerol injection. The plasma creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine clearance, and histopathological studies were performed to assess the degree of renal injury. Pretreatment with hydroalcoholic extract of flowers of P. granatum (125 and 250 mg/kg p.o. twice daily for 3 days) significantly attenuated hypertonic glycerol-induced renal dysfunction in a dose-dependent manner. BADGE (Bisphenol-A-diglycidyl ether) (30 mg/kg), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ antagonist, and N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME) (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg), nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, were employed to explore the mechanism of renoprotective effects of Punica granatum. Administration of BADGE (30 mg/kg) and L-NAME (40 mg/kg) abolished the beneficial effects of P. granatum in glycerol-induced renal dysfunction. Hydroalcoholic extract of flowers of P. granatum has ameliorative potential in attenuating myoglobinuric renal failure and its renoprotective effects involve activation of PPAR-γ and nitric oxide-dependent signaling pathway.