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Wood from invasive tree species Acacia dealbata and Ailanthus altissima was used to produce high value-added nanocellulose. Firstly, bleached pulps were produced from the wood of these tree species after kraft cooking. Afterwards, the resultant pulps were pre-treated by TEMPO-mediated oxidation (Acacia dealbata) or enzymatic hydrolysis (Ailanthus altissima) followed by high-pressure homogenization. Hydrogels were obtained and characterized for their main physical and chemical properties, including rheology measurements. After freeze-drying, the surface properties of the materials were evaluated by inverse gas chromatography. Results showed that nano/micro fibrils could be obtained from the wood of these invasive species. Rheometry studies showed that Acacia-TEMPO cellulose nanofibrils form strong gels with high yield stress point and viscosities (reaching ca. 100,000 Pa·s). Additionally, the surfaces of the obtained nanocelluloses showed a dispersive component of the surface energy near 40 mJ/m2 and a prevalence of the Lewis acidic character over the basic one, as typical for cellulose-based materials. Finally, films with good mechanical and optical properties could be obtained from the cellulose hydrogels. Acacia-TEMPO film (produced by filtration/hot pressing) showed a tensile strength of 79 MPa, Young's modulus of 7.9 GPa, and a transparency of 88%. The water vapor barrier, however, was modest (permeability of 4.9 × 10−6 g/(Pa·day·m)).

Woody cells generate lignocellulosic biomass, which is a promising sustainable bioresource for wide industrial applications. Woody cell differentiation in vascular plants, including the model plant poplar (Populus trichocarpa), is regulated by a set of NAC family transcription factors, the VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN (VND), NAC SECONDARY CELL WALL THICKENING PROMOTING FACTOR (NST)/SND, and SOMBRERO (SMB) (VNS)-related proteins, but the precise contributions of each VNS protein to wood quality are unknown. Here, we performed a detailed functional analysis of the poplar SMB-type VNS proteins PtVNS13–PtVNS16. PtVNS13–PtVNS16 were preferentially expressed in the roots of young poplar plantlets, similar to the Arabidopsis thalianaSMB gene. PtVNS13 and PtVNS14, as well as the NST-type PtVNS11, suppressed the abnormal root cap phenotype of the Arabidopsis sombrero-3 mutant, whereas the VND-type PtVNS07 gene did not, suggesting a functional gap between SMB- or NST-type VNS proteins and VND-type VNS proteins. Overexpressing PtVNS13–PtVNS16 in Arabidopsis seedlings and poplar leaves induced ectopic xylem-vessel-like cells with secondary wall deposition, and a transient expression assay showed that PtVNS13–16 transactivated woody-cell-related genes. Interestingly, although any VNS protein rescued the pendant stem phenotype of the Arabidopsis nst1-1 nst3-1 mutant, the resulting inflorescence stems exhibited distinct cell wall properties: poplar VNS genes generated woody cell walls with higher enzymatic saccharification efficiencies compared with Arabidopsis VNS genes. Together, our data reveal clear functional diversity among VNS proteins in woody cell differentiation and demonstrate a novel VNS-based strategy for modifying woody cell wall properties toward enhanced utilization of woody biomass.

Lignin-decomposing ability of several bacteria and the degradation mechanism have been revealed in vitro. However, the abundance of such bacteria in decayed wood in nature remains unknown at genus and species levels. This study was aimed at identifying bacterial communities in the decayed wood coexisting with white-rot fungi, which play a potential role in lignin degradation, and predicting the functional profile of bacterial lignin degradation in wood via bacterial community analyses. The bacterial flora of forest soil and four decayed wood samples showed marked differences; particularly, in addition to Methylobacterium and Acidibrevibacterium, sphingomonads, which degrade the major skeleton of lignin in vitro, were more abundant in the decayed wood than in forest soil, suggesting that multiple bacteria were involved in lignin degradation. The bacterial community in the decayed wood was more influenced by wood type and lignin structure than the fungal species observed in the decayed wood.

Brown rot fungi show a two-step wood degradation mechanism comprising oxidative radical-based and enzymatic saccharification systems. Recent studies have demonstrated that the brown rot fungus Rhodonia placenta expresses oxidoreductase genes ahead of glycoside hydrolase genes and spatially protects the saccharification enzymes from oxidative damage of the oxidoreductase reactions. This study aimed to assess the generality of the spatial gene regulation of these genes in other brown rot fungi and examine the effects of carbon source on the gene regulation. Gene expression analysis was performed on 14 oxidoreductase and glycoside hydrolase genes in the brown rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum, directionally grown on wood, sawdust-agar, and glucose-agar wafers. In G. trabeum, both oxidoreductase and glycoside hydrolase genes were expressed at higher levels in sections behind the wafers. The upregulation of glycoside hydrolase genes was significantly higher in woody substrates than in glucose, whereas the oxidoreductase gene expression was not affected by substrates.

Büyükada, İstanbul’un en önemli doğasal ve turistik merkezlerinden biridir. Adalar’da yeşil örtünün korunmaya çalışılmasına rağmen son yıllarda artan çevresel problemlerin yanında artan antropojenik baskılar ve etkilerden dolayı ağaçlarda da tahribat ve hastalıklar hızlı bir yükseliş göstermiştir. Bu hastalıklar Büyükada’ya peyzaj değeri katan canlı ağaçların kalite ve görünümlerini bozacağı gibi, çoğu tabii anıt olan bu ağaçları yok olma tehlikesiyle karşı karşıya getirmektedir. Hastalıkların artmasının diğer olumsuz yönü de bu hastalıkların Büyükada’da Avrupa’nın en büyük ahşap eseri olan yetimhanenin, birçok köşk, villa, yalı ve bazı devlet kurum binalarının ahşap kısımlarında yaptığı ve yapacağı tahribatlardır. Bu çalışmada Büyükada’daki canlı ağaçlarda tespit edilen “odun çürüklüğü” yapan mantarlar incelenmiştir. Çalışmada belirlenen odun çürüklüğü yapan mantarlar tespit edilip, beyaz çürüklük, esmer (kahverengi) çürüklük ve yumuşak çürüklük yapan mantarlar şeklinde sınıflandırılmıştır. Çalışmada Basidiomycota (26) ve az sayıda Ascomycota üyesi (2) mantar tespit edilmiştir. Büyükada’da çok sayıda ağaçta tespit edilen beyaz çürüklük mantarlarından, Stereum hirsutum, Schizophyllum commune, Ganoderma applanatum, Trametes versicolor ve Porodaedalea pini mantarlarının çok sayıda ve yaygın olduğu görülmüştür. Çalışmanın en önemli sonuçlarından biri de çok sayıda hastalıklardan dolayı tamamen kurumuş ve kesilmek zorunda kalınmış ağaçlar olduğunun görülmesidir. Bu sonuca göre Büyükada’da ciddi bir ağaç tedavisi ve restorasyonu yapılması, ahşap binaların ahşap kısımlarının emprenyelenmesi veya boyanmasının zorunlu olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Buyukada, is one of the most important natural and touristic centers of Istanbul. Despite the efforts to protect the vegetation on the islands, the damage and diseases in the trees have shown a rapid increase due to the increasing environmental problems as well as the increasing anthropogenic impact in recent years. These diseases will deteriorate the quality and appearance of trees that add landscape value to Buyukada, and bring these trees, most of which are natural monuments, in danger of death. Another negative aspect of the increase of diseases is the destructions on the wooden parts of the biggest wooden structure of Europe; the orphanage, mansions, villas, and government buildings. In this study, the fungi that cause "Wood decay" detected on living trees in Buyukada. Wood decay fungi were determined in the study and classified as white, brown and soft rot. Basidiomycota (26) and a small number of Ascomycota members (2) were found. Among the white rot fungi detected in many trees, white rot fungi such as, Stereum hirsutum, Schizophyllum commune, Ganoderma applanatum, Trametes versicolor and Porodaedalea pini fungi have been seen to be numerous and common. One of the most important results of the study is also that it is seen that there are many trees; these have completely dried up and had to be cut because of the diseases. Therefore, it was determined that a serious tree treatment and restorations should be carried out in Buyukada, and the wooden parts of wooden buildings should be impregnated or painted.

An endophytic bacterium Bacillus velezensis BY6 was isolated from the wood stems of healthy Populus davidiana × P. alba var. pyramidalis (PdPap). The BY6 strain can inhibit pathogenic fungus Alternaria alternate in PdPap and promote growth of PdPap seedlings. In the present study, we used the Pacific Biosciences long-read sequencing platform, a single-molecule real-time (SMRT) technology for strain BY6, to perform complete genome sequencing. The genome size was 3,898,273 bp, the number of genes was 4,045, and the average GC content was 47.33%. A complete genome of strain BY6 contained 110 secondary metabolite gene clusters. Nine of the secondary metabolite gene clusters exhibited antifungal activity and promoted growth functions primarily involved in the synthesis of surfactin, bacteriocins, accumulated iron ions, and related antibiotics. Gene clusters provide genetic resources for biotechnology and genetic engineering, and enhance understanding of the relationship between microorganisms and plants.

Kraft lignin, so far useful for energy generation, has been gathering considerable attention as an alternative material to replace fossil-based resources mainly due to its high phenolic content. However, the wide molecular weight distribution and chemical composition heterogeneity led to the development of fractionation methods. Herein, to narrow such characteristics we used eucalypt kraft lignin fractionated at pH's 9, 7, 5 and 3 by sequential acid precipitation. These lignin fractions were first characterised by simultaneous pyrolysis and trimethylsilylation (SPyT) with N-Methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide with posterior tests of antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumour activities. We observed higher ratio of syringyl/guaiacyl groups and increase in antioxidant activity in those fractions with lower molecular weight (precipitated at lower pH's). Fractions precipitated at pH's 9 and 7 have shown an outstanding antibacterial activity against five bacteria. Moreover, fractions 7 and 5 presented at cytotoxicity tests higher ability to inhibit the growth of U87MG and T98G glioma cells, while only a slight inhibition of adult human fibroblasts (non-tumour cells) was detected.

Two new 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone derivatives (1–2) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of artificial agarwood induced by holing method originating from Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg, and they were isolated from this genus for the first time. The structures of these two new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses, including UV, IR, one- and two-dimensional NMR and HRESIMS measurements. Bioassay tests of these two new compounds showed compounds 1 and 2 had weak inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase at a concentration of 50.0 μg/ml.

Ginkgo shells as by-products from Ginkgo biloba L. industries with a remarkable annual output up to now are not fully analyzed and exploited. For the application of ginkgo shells beyond their current roles, structure and antioxidant activity of milled wood lignins successively extracted from two ginkgo shell species were investigated. Results showed lignin in ginkgo shells is abundant in guaiacyl units with the presence of ferulates and p-coumarates and demonstrates a high yield of vanillin (1.47–1.65 mmol/g-lignin) by nitrobenzene oxidation, much higher than general softwoods and hardwoods (0.6–0.9 mmol/g-lignin), which makes ginkgo shells good feedstocks for the production of food and beverage flavoring agent. By increasing the extent of ball-milling (4–8 h), the polydispersity of lignin molecular weight exhibits negligible change, but condensation and aldol interconversion occur to its Cβ/C5 structure and end-groups, respectively. Lignin in ginkgo shells also features outstanding antioxidant activity with the optimal radical scavenging index of 6.9, much higher than commercial butyl hydroxyanisole (3.85) and butylated hydroxytoluene (0.29), and the phenolic hydroxyl is demonstrated to dominate this contribution by the analysis of statistical product and service solutions. These results reveal lignin in ginkgo shells shows many unique structural and biological properties for materials.

Xylan extracted from neem sawdust gave 22.5%, (w/w) yield. The extracted xylan was composed of xylose and glucuronic acid at a molar ratio of 8:1 and with a molecular mass, ~66 kDa. FTIR and NMR analyses indicated a backbone of xylan substituted with 4-O-methyl glucuronic acid at the O-2 position. FESEM analysis showed a highly porous and granular surface structure of xylan. A thermogravimetric study of xylan showed thermal denaturation at 271 °C. The hydrolysis of xylan by recombinant endo-β-1,4-xylanase produced a mixture of xylooligosaccharides ranging from degree of polymerization 2–7. Xylooligosaccharides inhibited cell growth of human colorectal cancer (HT-29) cells but did not affect the mouse fibroblast cells confirming its biocompatibility. Western blotting, DNA laddering and flow cytometric analysis displayed inhibition of HT-29 cells by xylooligosaccharides. FLICA staining and mitochondrial membrane potential analyses confirmed the activation of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. The study amply indicated that the xylooligosaccharides produced from neem xylan could be potentially used as an antiproliferative agent.

Excess vegetative growth and irregular fruit-bearing are often undesirable in horticultural practice. However, the biological mechanisms underlying these traits in fruit trees are not fully understood. Here, we tested if growth vigour and susceptibility of apple and pear trees to alternate fruit-bearing are associated with vascular anatomy. We examined anatomical traits related to water transport and nutrient storage in young woody shoots and roots of 15 different scion/rootstock cultivars of apple and pear trees. In addition, soil and leaf water potentials were measured across a drought period. We found a positive correlation between the mean vessel diameter of roots and the annual shoot length. Vigorously growing trees also maintained less negative midday leaf water potential during drought. Furthermore, we observed a close negative correlation between the proportions of total parenchyma in the shoots and the alternate bearing index. Based on anatomical proxies, our results suggest that xylem transport efficiency of rootstocks is linked to growth vigour of both apple and pear trees, while limited carbohydrate storage capacity of scions may be associated with increased susceptibility to alternate bearing. These findings can be useful for the breeding of new cultivars of commercially important fruit trees.

Introduction Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is one of the most valuable conifer wood species in Europe. Among the main opportunistic pathogens that cause root and butt rot on silver fir are Armillaria ostoyae and Heterobasidion abietinum. Due to the different enzymatic pools of these wood-decay fungi, different strategies in metabolizing the phenols were available. Objective This work explores the changes in phenolic compounds during silver fir wood degradation. Methodology Phenols were analyzed before and after fungus inoculation in silver fir macerated wood after 2, 4 and 6 months. All samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometer. Results Thirteen compounds, including simple phenols, alkylphenyl alcohols, hydroxybenzoketones, hydroxycinnamaldehydes, hydroxybenzaldehydes, hydroxyphenylacetic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycoumarins, were detected. Pyrocatechol, coniferyl alcohol, acetovanillone, vanillin, benzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid contents decreased during the degradation process. Methyl vanillate, ferulic acid and p-coumaric were initially produced and then degraded. Scopoletin was accumulated. Pyrocatechol, acetovanillone and methyl vanillate were found for the first time in both degrading and non-degrading wood of silver fir. Conclusions Despite differences in the enzymatic pool, both fungi caused a significant decrease in the amounts of phenolic compounds with the accumulation of the only scopoletin. Principal component analysis revealed an initial differentiation between the degradation activity of the two fungal species during degradation, but similar phenolic contents at the end of wood degradation.

The present study addresses the herbicidal activity and biological effects of the metribuzin (MET) and tribenuron-methyl (TBM) herbicides used to control various weed species (Amaranthus retroflexus, Sinapis arvensis, and Leucanthemum maximum). The effects of the free herbicides and the herbicides embedded in granules of degradable polymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate [P(3HB)] blended with birch wood flour were compared. Metribuzin, regardless of the form, caused 100% mortality of the three weeds by day 21. The herbicidal activity of tribenuron-methyl was lower than that of metribuzin, but the embedded TBM was superior to the free herbicide in the length and strength of its action on the weeds. Both metribuzin forms dramatically decreased the main parameters of fluorescence: maximum quantum yield of photosystem-II [Y(II)max], maximum quantum yield of non-photochemical quenching [Y(NPQ)max], and maximum rate of non-cyclic electron transport [ETRmax] and concentrations of chlorophyll a and b. The effect of the embedded TBM on the photosynthetic activity of the weeds was lower in the first two weeks of the growth of herbicide-treated plants but lasted longer than the effect of the free TBM and increased over time. Embedding of metribuzin in the matrix of degradable blend did not decrease its herbicidal activity.

Camphor wood is welcomed by museums due to its insect-repelling effect but the smell indicates a potential risk to the collections. In order to judge the suitability of camphor wood as a museum storage material, typical camphor wood (Cinnamomum camphora) samples aged for different years were evaluated by conducting the Oddy test. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and time of flight–secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) were applied to identifying the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the materials and the corrosion products, respectively. The results showed that the camphor wood samples led to visible corrosion on copper and lead coupons. GC-MS indicated that the major VOCs emitted were terpenes and their derivatives, while XRD, EDS, and ToF-SIMS provided various clues to the corrosion mechanisms. Pb10(CO3)6(OH)6O and CuO were regarded as the major corrosion products of lead and copper coupons, respectively. The study provides the museum curators and the conservators with abundant information to reassess the application of camphor wood to museums as well as a different way to understand the mechanism of metallic corrosion caused by camphor wood.

To evaluate a strain of Fusarium verticillioides ITV03 isolated from wood residues in the Veracruz region of Mexico. Endoglucanase and β-glucosidase production by submerged fermentation was optimized using a Box–Behnken design, where the independent variables were urea, ammonium sulfate and yeast extract. After optimization, an endoglucanase activity of 0.27 U/mL was achieved; subsequently, three carbon sources were evaluated (carboxymethyl cellulose, sweet sorghum bagasse cellulose and delignified sweet sorghum bagasse (DSSB). The results showed that DSSB yielded the greatest endoglucanase (0.28 U/mL) and β-glucosidase (0.12 U/mL) activities. Both enzymatic activities were characterized for the effect of pH, temperature and thermostability. The optimal parameters of β-glucosidase and endoglucanase activity were pH 5 and 4 respectively, the optimum temperature 60 °C. These enzymes were stable at 50 °C for 150.68 h and 8.54 h, with an activation energy (Ea(day)) of 265.55 kJ/mol and 44.40 kJ/mol respectively, for β-glucosidase and endoglucanase. The present work shows that a native strain like F. verticillioides ITV03 using DSSB supplemented with nitrogen has a great potential as a producer of cellulase for lignocellulosic residue hydrolysis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in all aspects of plant growth and development, but the genetic interactions of miRNAs and their target genes in woody plants are largely unknown. Here, we integrated association genetics and expression profiling to decipher the allelic variations and interactions of the Pto-MIR319 family of miRNAs and 12 putative Pto-miR319 target genes related to wood formation in 435 unrelated individuals of Populus tomentosa Carriere (Chinese white poplar). Expression pattern analysis showed that among all pairings between expressions of pre-miRNA of Pto-MIR319 members and targets, 70.0% showed negative correlation of expression levels (r = – 0.944 to 0.674, P

Aims This study was done to obtain denitrifiers that could be used for bioaugmentation in woodchip bioreactors to remove nitrate from agricultural subsurface drainage water. Methods and results We isolated denitrifiers from four different bioreactors in Minnesota, and characterized the strains by measuring their denitrification rates and analysing their whole genomes. A total of 206 bacteria were isolated from woodchips and thick biofilms (bioslimes) that formed in the bioreactors, 76 of which were able to reduce nitrate at 15°C. Among those, nine potential denitrifying strains were identified, all of which were isolated from the woodchip samples. Although many nitrate-reducing strains were isolated from the bioslime samples, none were categorized as denitrifiers but instead as carrying out dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. Conclusions Among the denitrifiers confirmed by 15 N stable isotope analysis and genome analysis, Cellulomonas cellasea strain WB94 and Microvirgula aerodenitrificans strain BE2.4 appear to be promising for bioreactor bioaugmentation due to their potential for both aerobic and anaerobic denitrification, and the ability of strain WB94 to degrade cellulose. Significance and impact of the study Denitrifiers isolated in this study could be useful for bioaugmentation application to enhance nitrate removal in woodchip bioreactors.

Nitrogen in sufficient quantities is strictly necessary for all living organisms. In this study, the ability of some xylotrophic basidiomycetes to grow extremely long on a solid growth medium full of carbon nutrition but lacking a nitrogen source in its composition was discovered. The nitrogen oligotrophy of wood-decaying fungi is associated with their adaptation to live in a wood substrate, which is also deficient in nitrogen content. This nitrogen-depleted cultural growth is called "pseudo-foraging" and can be used as a simplified model of wood-decaying growth. Four main nitrogen-obtaining and -conserving strategies (nitrogen concentration, using alternative sources of nitrogen, economy of growth, and nutritional recycling), which are attributed to wood-colonizing xylotrophs in the literature, were revised studying the pseudo-foraging model. Based on the results, some aspects of the behavior of xylotrophs deep in undecomposed wood were predicted. For example, one of the results is that for pseudo-foraging xylotrophs, the main way to obtain nitrogen is its concentration in their mycelium from the nutrient medium in which nitrogen is contained in the impurities of the components of the medium. The result suggests that in bulk solid wood, the nitrogen concentration strategy also dominates the strategy of using diazotrophic and other alternative nitrogen. In addition, three individual unprecedented mechanisms, which supposedly help the xylotrophic fungi to colonize wood in nature (generation of fine mycelium, macrovesicular endocytosis, formation and conversion of super-elongated mitochondria), were investigated in the laboratory.

Use of heated air to create lethal temperatures within infested wood serves as a nonchemical treatment option against western drywood termites, Incisitermes minor (Hagen). When treating a whole or large portion of the structure, however, the presence of hard-to-heat areas (structural heat sinks) and potential risk of damaging heat-sensitive items are recognized as important challenges. To address these challenges, we tested if the incorporation of a volatile essential oil would increase the overall efficacy of heat treatments against the drywood termites. To choose an essential oil for use, we tested the volatile action of several candidate compounds against individual termites using a fumigant toxicity assay. As a proof-of-concept experiment, field-collected termites were housed in small wooden arenas and subsequently subjected to 2-h heat treatment at various air temperatures within a gas chromatography oven. A simulated heat sink and essential oil treatment was also included in the experimental design. Analyses of lethal temperatures (LTemp50 and LTemp99 values), probabilities of mortality, and survivorship data over time suggested that 1) the presence of a heat sink significantly increased the minimum air temperature needed for complete kill of the termites and 2) the volatile essential oil added at the site of a heat sink effectively counteracted the impact of the heat sink. The use of volatile essential oils makes it possible to effectively kill drywood termites even in areas which might not reach lethal temperatures (~50°C), potentially improving the overall efficacy of heat treatments while reducing the risk of heat damage.

Termite colony size can influence its foraging activity, reproductive maturity, and, for pest species, potential for structural damage. Estimating colony size of subterranean termite species in field conditions has been challenging owing to their extensive foraging territory and their cryptic nesting habit and has primarily relied on mark–recapture methods. With laboratory-reared colonies in individual containers, determining colony size can be achieved by processing all termites from the nest material, which can be labor intensive and partially destructive. However, with the recent rise in the need of large laboratory colonies for use in colony-wide experimental protocols, there was an imperative to develop a procedure to estimate initial colony sizes without imposing a major stress on colonies before an experiment. In this study, the average daily wood consumption of whole colonies was used to infer the colony size of two Coptotermes, Wasmann (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) species and their hybrids in laboratory-rearing conditions. Correlations between the daily wood consumption and several demographic variables within colonies were established. Linear models varied across all species mating types with R2 values greater than 0.8 for all demographic variables. For colonies from all mating combinations, Pearson’s correlation coefficient values were greater than 0.94 between their daily wood consumption and both the number of workers and total number of termites, and greater than 0.91 between daily wood consumption and colony mass. Therefore, in colonies with fixed laboratory conditions, their average daily wood consumption determination, which is nondestructive on colonies, can be used to infer colony size of subterranean termites.

Relationships between xylem anatomical traits and cavitation resistance have always been a major content of plant hydraulics. To know how plants cope with drought, it is extremely important to acquire detailed knowledge about xylem anatomical traits and assess the cavitation resistance accurately. This study aims to increase our knowledge in the methods determining cavitation resistance and xylem anatomical traits. We selected a semi-ring-porous species, Hippophae rhamnoides L., and a diffuse-porous species, Corylus heterophylla F., to clarify the reasons for the difference in cavitation resistance based on detailed xylem anatomical traits and reliable vulnerability curves (VCs). Both Cavitron and bench dehydration (BD) were used to construct VCs. Xylem anatomical traits, including pit membrane ultrastructure of these two species, were determined. The VCs obtained by the two different techniques were of different types for H. rhamnoides, its Cavitron VCs might be unreliable because of open-vessel artifacts. On the basis of BD VCs, H. rhamnoides showed higher cavitation resistance than C. heterophylla, and this is attributed to its low vessel connectivity as well as non-porous and thicker pit membranes.

Addressing the risk from pests present in wood and wood products destined for international trade is an essential step towards minimizing the movement, introduction and establishment of invasive species. One method of managing the pest risk associated with wood commodities is the use of a systems approach that incorporates multiple independent measures applied along a production pathway. However, quantifying the reduction of risk can be difficult because the approach requires raw material infested with the pest of interest at a sufficient density to be able to quantify changes in pest abundance. We tested a systems approach for the production of sawn wood using green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall (Lamiales: Oleaceae), infested with emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), by quantifying the change in pest density during the milling process and the precise effect of heat treatment on insects in situ. Greater than 90% of emerald ash borer were removed at the first step of the milling process (debarking) and >99% were removed before the production of green sawn wood. No insects survived kilning or heat treatment. All life stages of emerald ash borer were killed at 56°C and above. Heat, however, had no sublethal effect on emerald ash borer performance. These results show that the application of a systems approach to mitigate emerald ash borer in heat-treated, sawn wood is effective. Moreover, the model-system approach developed in this study can be a template for investigating the effect of systems approaches for other phloem-feeding insects.

This study evaluated the effect of wood extracts from Tectona grandis, Dalbergia sissoo, Cedrus deodara, and Pinus roxburghii combined with linseed oil as protectants of two non-durable wood species against the termite, Heterotermes indicola. Heartwood blocks (19 × 19 × 19 mm) and wood shavings were extracted using an ethanol/toluene (2:1) solvent system. Results of choice and no-choice tests with solvent-extracted and non-extracted heartwood blocks showed greater wood mass loss from termite feeding on solvent-extracted blocks compared with non-extracted blocks for all wood species. Significantly higher termite mortality was observed after termite exposure to non-extracted blocks compared with extracted blocks for all durable species. Sapwood blocks of two non-durable wood species (southern pine and cottonwood) were vacuum/pressure impregnated separately with each of the four types of extract at a concentration of 7.5 mg ml−1, linseed oil (20%) and a mixture of oil (20%) and extracts (4.25 mg ml−1) for the laboratory and field tests. Results showed that extract-oil mixture imparted significantly higher termite resistance compared with linseed or extracts alone under laboratory conditions. This apparent synergistic effect was clearly noted when linseed oil was combined with extracts from T. grandis or D. sissoo followed by an extract-oil mixture using C. deodara. These extract oil mixtures showed significantly less weight loss for the treated non-durable wood species and higher termite mortality (83–100%) compared with the control treatments and other extract-linseed oil mixtures tested. Treatment of both non-durable wood species with T. grandis + oil and D. sissoo + oil prevented termite damage compared with other treatments when blocks and stakes were exposed in the field for a period of 2 years. Results of the current study indicated that a mixture of a particular heartwood extract with linseed oil has potential to be used as environmentally friendly wood protectants.

In this work, a novel delignification process was proposed for the fractionation of invasive species such as Acacia dealbata wood. Organosolv process catalyzed with an acidic ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrosulfate was evaluated to obtain cellulose-enriched solids and liquid fractions rich in hemicelluloses derived compounds and lignin. Under selected operating conditions (190 °C, 60% ethanol, 60 min of reaction time and 0.6 g 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrosulfate/g wood), high solubilization of lignin and hemicelluloses and cellulose recovery (87.5%, 88.7% and 88.3%, respectively), with a pulp yield of 43.1% were achieved. Moreover, 62.6 % of lignin was recovered by precipitation from the black liquor (composed mainly by 4.43 g xylose/L, 7.66 g furfural/L and 3.59 g acetic acid/L). In addition, enzymatic digestibility of delignified wood was also assayed. Overall, this work presents an alternative biorefinery scheme based in the use of environmentally friendly solvent and catalyst for selective fractionation of A. dealbata wood., The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the Spanish “Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness” (Project CTQ2017-82962-R) and from “Xunta de Galicia” (GRC ED431C 2018/47 and Centro Singular de Investigación Biomédica “CINBIO”). These projects are partially funded by the FEDER Program of the European Union (“Unha maneira de facer Europa”). A. Romaní thanks BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01–0145-FEDER-000004) funded by European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 – Programa Operacional Regional do Norte., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Land-use history is the template upon which contemporary plant and tree populations establish and interact with one another and exerts a legacy on the structure and dynamics of species assemblages and ecosystems. We use the first census (2010–2014) of a 35-ha forest-dynamics plot at the Harvard Forest in central Massachusetts to describe the composition and structure of the woody plants in this plot, assess their spatial associations within and among the dominant species using univariate and bivariate spatial point-pattern analysis, and examine the interactions between land-use history and ecological processes. The plot includes 108,632 live stems ≥ 1 cm in diameter (2,215 individuals/ha) and 7,595 standing dead stems ≥ 5 cm in diameter. Live tree basal area averaged 42.25 m2/ha, of which 84% was represented by Tsuga canadensis (14.0 m2/ ha), Quercus rubra (northern red oak; 9.6 m2/ ha), Acer rubrum (7.2 m2/ ha) and Pinus strobus (eastern white pine; 4.4 m2/ ha). These same four species also comprised 78% of the live aboveground biomass, which averaged 245.2 Mg/ ha. Across all species and size classes, the forest contains a preponderance (> 80,000) of small stems (A. rubrum and Q. rubra showed negative intraspecific correlations in diameters up to at least a 150-m spatial lag, likely indicative of crowding effects in dense forest patches following intensive past land use. Bivariate marked point-pattern analysis, showed that T. canadensis and Q. rubra diameters were negatively associated with one another, indicating resource competition for light. Distribution and abundance of the common overstory species are predicted best by soil type, tree neighborhood effects, and two aspects of land-use history: when fields were abandoned in the late 19th century and the succeeding forest types recorded in 1908. In contrast, a history of intensive logging prior to 1950 and a damaging hurricane in 1938 appear to have had little effect on the distribution and abundance of present-day tree species. Our findings suggest that current day composition and structure are still being influenced by anthropogenic disturbances that occurred over a century ago.

Rangelands worldwide have experienced significant shifts from grass-dominated to woody-plant dominated states over the past century. In North America, these shifts are largely driven by overgrazing and landscape-scale fire suppression. Such shifts reduce productivity for livestock, can have broad-scale impacts to biodiversity, and are often difficult to reverse. Restoring grass dominance often involves restoring fire as an ecological process. However, many resprouting woody plants persist following disturbance, including fire, by resprouting from protected buds, rendering fire ineffective for reducing resprouting woody plant density. Recent research has shown that extreme fire (high-energy fires during periods of water stress) may reduce resprouting capacity. This previous research did not examine whether high-energy fires alone would be sufficient to cause mortality. We created an experimental framework for assessing the “buds-protection-resources” hypothesis of resprouting persistence under different fire energies. In July–August 2018 we exposed 48 individuals of a dominant resprouting woody plant in the region, honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), to two levels of fire energy (high and low) and root crown exposure (exposed vs unexposed) and evaluated resprouting capacity. We censused basal and epicormic resprouts for two years following treatment. Water stress was moderate for several months leading up to fires but low in subsequent years. Epicormic and basal buds were somewhat protected from low- and high-energy fire. However, epicormic buds were protected in very few mesquites subjected to high-energy fires. High-energy fires decreased survival, caused loss of apical dominance, and left residual dead stems, which may increase chances of mortality from future fires. Basal resprout numbers were reduced by high-energy fires, which may have additional implications for long-term mesquite survival. While the buds, protection, and resources components of resprouter persistence all played a role in resprouting, high-energy fire decreased mesquite survival and reduced resprouting. This suggests that high-energy fires affect persistence mechanisms to different extents than low-energy fires. In addition, high-energy fires during normal rainfall can have negative impacts on resprouting capacity; water stress is not a necessary precursor to honey mesquite mortality from high-energy fire.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of biological and chemical remediation of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated Corymbia citriodora poles, removed from service after 30 years. The presence of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr) and copper (Cu) was quantified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES). Twelve species of decay fungi were used for the biological remediation assay. For chemical remediation oxalic, citric, maleic and ethylenediamine tetraacetic (EDTA) acids were used for 24 and 48 h. In biological remediation, copper-tolerant brown-rot fungi, Wolfiporia cocos, Antrodia xantha and Fibroporia radiculosa, performed the best results, with the highest removals for As (59–85 %) and Cr (38–61 %). Cu was the most easily extracted, with removals above 60 % among the tested fungi, with the best results (90–98 %) for F. radiculosa, Coniophora puteana, Antrodia vaillantii and Postia placenta. In chemical remediation, the extraction time of 48 h was the most effective, and oxalic acid generally reached the highest removals. The EDTA + oxalic acid combination reached the highest value for Cu extraction (98 %).

International audience; This study investigated the performance and microbiome of cyclic denitrification filters (CDFs) for wood and sulfur heterotrophic-autotrophic denitrification (WSHAD) of saline wastewater. Wood-sulfur CDFs integrated into two pilot-scale marine recirculating aquaculture systems achieved high denitrification rates (103 ± 8.5 g N/(m3·d)). The combined use of pine wood and sulfur resulted in lower SO42− accumulation compared with prior saline wastewater denitrification studies with sulfur alone. Although fish tank water quality parameters, including ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and sulfide, were below the inhibitory levels for marine fish production, lower survival rates of Poecilia sphenops were observed compared with prior studies. Heterotrophic denitrification was the dominant removal mechanism during the early operational stages, while sulfur autotrophic denitrification increased as readily biodegradable organic carbon released from wood chips decreased over time. 16S rRNA-based analysis of the CDF microbiome revealed that Sulfurimonas, Thioalbus, Defluviimonas, and Ornatilinea as notable genera that contributed to denitrification performance.

Knowledge of plant responses to environmental heterogeneity during ontogeny is important to elucidate the changes that occur to promote resource capture in tropical forests. We tested the hypothesis that expression changes in leaf metamer traits of Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), from seedlings to emergent canopy trees, occur as new microclimate environments are achieved. We also tested the hypothesis that increased light heterogeneity in the understorey leads to higher plasticity in leaf traits of seedlings and saplings than in sun-exposed metamers of emergent trees subject to stressful conditions. We compared leaf metamer traits of 53 individuals including seedlings, saplings and emergent trees. We also evaluated the light heterogeneity in vertical strata and the variations in leaf traits within individuals (among metamers of the same individual). These were associated with height of the individuals. Compared to understorey plants, emergent trees presented larger metamers, with lower specific leaf area (SLA), lower investment in leaf area per total dry mass of metamer (LARm ), lower specific petiole length (SPL) and lower specific internode length (SIL). Higher phenotypic variation within individuals was observed in seedlings, which decreased as the trees grew taller. The results suggest the integration of ontogenetic changes in leaf traits under new microclimate conditions as the plants reach different vertical strata in the forest. Additionally, our results support the hypothesis that increased light heterogeneity in the understorey shaped higher phenotypic variation within individuals in juveniles and that stressful conditions in sun-exposed leaf metamers of emergent trees led to increased phenotypic stability.

Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable and sustainable feedstock, mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Lignin, as the most abundant natural aromatic polymer occurring on Earth, has great potential to produce value-added products. However, the isolation of highly pure lignin from biomass requires the use of efficient methods during lignocellulose fractionation. Therefore, in this work, novel acidic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were prepared, characterized and screened for lignin extraction from maritime pine wood (Pinus pinaster Ait.) sawdust. The use of cosolvents and the development of new DES were also evaluated regarding their extraction and selectivity performance. The results show that an 1 h extraction process at 175 ?C, using a novel DES composed of lactic acid, tartaric acid and choline chloride, named Lact:Tart:ChCl, in a molar ratio of 4:1:1, allows the recovery of 95 wt% of the total lignin present in pine biomass with a purity of 89 wt%. Such superior extraction of lignin with remarkable purity using a ?green? solvent system makes this process highly appealing for future large-scale applications. ? 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, FCTPortuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [PTDC/AGR-TEC/4814/2014, PTDC/ASPSIL/30619/2017, UIDB/05183/2020]; FCTPortuguese Foundation for Science and TechnologyEuropean Commission [SFRH/BD/132835/2017, UID/QUI/00313/2020, UIDB00102/2020]; FCT through the project COMPETE; FCT/MCTESPortuguese Foundation for Science and TechnologyEuropean Commission [UIDB/QUI/50006/2019]; ERCEuropean Research Council (ERC)European Commission [ERC-2016-COG 725034]; [CEECIND/01014/2018] ERC-2016-COG 725034 UID/QUI/00313/2020 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Currently, the forest plantations of Castanea sativa Mill. are largely damaged by phytopathogenic organisms, of which Cryphoneciria parasitica (Murrill) М. Е. Barr. has the most negative impact. The spread of this type of disease reduces the vital state and significantly reduces the life expectancy of C. sativa trees. For the first time, using dendrochronological analysis, the specificity of distribution and degree of phytopathogenic damage to C. sativa trunk tissues were assessed. It was revealed that in its lower part the dieback of the peripheral layers of wood occurs fairly evenly with a total degradation of cellular structures in the amount of 18-20%. In the middle segments of the trunk this figure increases almost twice. And the greatest degree of wood dieback is observed in the upper part of damaged trees. It was found that climatic changes of the last decades determine the strengthening of destructive processes in the woodland of C. sativa of the Caucasus.

Under the effect of disturbances, like unbalanced stem, but also during normal development, poplar trees can develop a specific secondary xylem, called "tension wood" (TW), which is easily identifiable by the presence of a gelatinous layer in the secondary cell walls (SCW) of the xylem fibers. Since TW formation was mainly performed on 2-year-old poplar models, an in vitro poplar that produces gelatinous fibers (G-fibers) while offering the same experimental advantages as herbaceous plants has been developed. Using specific cell wall staining techniques, wood structural features and lignin/cellulose distribution were both detailed in cross-sections obtained from the curved stem part of in vitro poplars. A supposed delay in the SCW lignification process in the G-fibers, along with the presence of a G-layer, could be observed in the juvenile plants. Moreover, in this G-layer, the immunolabeling of various polymers carried out in the SCW of TW has allowed detecting crystalline cellulose, arabinogalactans proteins, and rhamnogalacturonans I; however, homogalacturonans, xylans, and xyloglucans could not be found. Interestingly, extensins were detected in this typical adaptative or stress-induced structure. These observations were corroborated by a quantitation of the immunorecognized polymer distribution using gold particle labeling. In conclusion, the in vitro poplar model seems highly convenient for TW studies focusing on the implementation of wall polymers that provide the cell wall with greater plasticity in adapting to the environment.

Ceriporiopsis subvermispora (C. subvermispora) is a selective degrader of lignin in the woody biomass. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional enzymes that play important roles in cellular detoxification and metabolism. The crystal structures of a GST of C. subvermispora, CsGST83044, in GSH-free and -bound forms were solved at 1.95 and 2.19 A resolution, respectively. The structure of the GSH-bound form revealed that CsGST83044 can be categorized as an atypical-type of GST. In the GSH-bound form of CsGST83044, Asn22, Asn24, and Tyr46 are located closest to the sulfur atom and form hydrogen bonds with the thiol group. The functional mutagenesis indicated that they are critical for the enzymatic activities of CsGST83044. The critical residues of an atypical-type GST belonging to the GSTFuA class were revealed for the first time. A previous study indicated that CsGST83044 and another GST, CsGST63524, differ in substrate preference; CsGST83044 prefers smaller substrates than CsGST63524 for its esterase activity. The GSH-bound pocket of CsGST83044 turns out to be small, which may explain the preference for smaller substrates. Protein engineering of GSTs of C. subvermispora in the light of the obtained insight may pave a path in the future for utilization of the woody biomass.

Recently, the worldwide production of dissolving pulp has grown rapidly. Enzymatic technologies play an important role in producing high-quality dissolving pulp, due to their green, mild conditions, high specificity and efficiency. In this review, the relevant publications regarding enzyme applications for dissolving pulp are summarized. Cellulase and xylanase are two major enzymes used for this purpose. Cellulase can improve the quality of dissolving pulp, such as improving the reactivity/accessibility, controlling the intrinsic viscosity and adjusting the molecular weight. Xylanase is mainly used to increase the purity of the dissolving pulp and improve the pulp brightness. Furthermore, in order to increase the enzymatic treatment efficiency, the enzymatic technology can be combined with other techniques, including mechanical refining, fiber fractionations, alkali treatment and use of additives. The advantages, disadvantages and practical implications are analyzed. Also, the potential of other enzymes (such as laccase, mannanase) are discussed.

Wood ash recycling to forests is beneficial because it regains nutrients and prevents acidification, but wood ash application is restricted due to its cadmium (Cd) content. We question if Cd in wood ash represents a problem, since decreases in Cd bioavailability due to ash-induced pH changes may counteract increased total Cd concentration. We studied effects of wood ash (0, 3, 9 and 30 t ha −1 ) and lime (pH increase equivalent to the wood ash treatments) on growth and Cd uptake in Deschampsia flexuosa. After four months, we measured plant biomass and Cd accumulation, and extracted Cd from the soil using three different methods; HNO 3 (total), EDTA (chelator-based) and NH 4 NO 3 (salt-based). Wood ash and lime strongly stimulated plant growth. Cd concentration in the plant tissue decreased with wood ash and lime addition, and correlated positively with the NH 4 NO 3 extractable fraction of Cd in the soil. In contrast, HNO 3 and EDTA extracted more Cd with increased wood ash application. We conclude that wood ash amendment increases soil pH, total Cd concentration, nutrient levels and stimulates plant growth. However, it does not increase Cd accumulation in D. flexuosa, as pH-driven decreases in Cd bioavailability leads to reduced plant Cd uptake. Finally, soil bioavailable Cd is best determined using NH 4 NO 3 -extraction.

This study intended to help illustrate the Mn accumulation ability of Camellia oleifera and provide it as a novel species for possible use in Mn-contaminated sites. Field surveys have been carried out on Mn accumulation in C. oleifera growing near Mn mining area in Hezhou. Pot growth experiments in soil and sand culture were conducted to investigate Mn tolerance, accumulation, and translocation patterns in C. oleifera. C. oleifera grew well and showed no symptoms of Mn toxicity at a Mn treatment level below 1026 mg kg−1 in soil culture and 15.0 mmol L−1 in sand culture. Mn concentrations in leaves and stems reached a maximum of 9612.8 ± 83.5 and 6134.8 ± 94.0 mg kg−1, respectively, in soil culture and 28,465.8 ± 1276.7 and 15,398.4 ± 1148.6 mg kg−1, respectively, in sand culture. Meanwhile, most of the Mn taken from the substrates was transported to the aboveground tissues in soil and sand culture, e.g., over 92.07% of the total Mn taken up by C. oleifera was translocated to shoots in the 10.0 mmol L−1 treatment. Our findings confirmed that C. oleifera exhibited extraordinary Mn accumulation and toleration abilities, and C. oleifera was a suitable species for phytoremediation of Mn-contaminated sites in Guangxi Province.

Poplar wood hemicellulose prehydrolysate was used for microbial oil production using an oleaginous microorganism Cryptococcus curvatus. Initially, the effect of substrate concentration and nitrogen content was investigated on synthetic media. Then poplar wood prehydrolysate without detoxification was used as substrate in the fermentation. The result showed that this strain is capable of consuming both hexose and pentose sugars, a challenge in fermentation of hemicellulosic streams. It was able to accumulate 36.98% of lipid and the fermentation resulted in 13.78 g/L of biomass and 5.13 g/L of lipid under optimum conditions after 164 h of fermentation. The lipid product obtained was characterized in terms of their fatty acid profiles. Overall, this study shows that it is possible to produce microbial oil from a sustainable renewable feedstock like poplar wood hemicellulose prehydrolysate. This robust strain used has the ability to grow on industrially produced hemicellulose which can help in the development of an integrated biorefinery, where all the three components of lignocellulosic biomass are utilized.

Aims Wood as a packing tool is used for packaging and transportation of fruits and vegetables for a time period varying from hours to days. During transportation, fruits and vegetables can be affected by moulds with significant postharvest problems. The present study describes the possibility of using wood-treated oil fungicide of n-hexane extracts from Eucalyptus camaldulensis (aerial parts), Vitex agenus-castus (leaves) and Matricaria chamomilla (flowers) against the infestation of Fusarium culmorum, Rhizoctonia solani and Penicillium chrysogenum. Methods and results Air-dried wood samples of Melia azedarach were prepared with the dimensions of 0·5 × 1 × 2 cm and treated with the oily extracts at the concentrations of 0, 1, 2 and 3%. Oils extracted with n-hexane from E. camaldulensis and V. agenus-castus showed promising antifungal activities against the isolated and molecularly identified three fungi F. culmorum, R. solani and P. chrysogenum, while M. chamomilla observed the lowest activity against the studied fungi. GC/MS analysis of oils reported that the major components in E. camaldulensis were β-fenchol (25·51%), Cyclobuta[1,2:3,4]dicyclooctene-1,7(2H,6bH)-dione,dodecahydro,(6αβ,6βα,12αα,12ββ)- (17·05), 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) (12·01%) and sabinene (9·45%); in V. agenus-castus were eucalyptol (22·17%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (18·39%), and β-sitosterol (12·44%); while in M. chamomilla were bisabolol oxide A (27·87%), (Z)-β-farnesene (16·11%), D-limonene (14·18%) and chamazulene (11·27%). Conclusions The results suggest using n-hexane oily extracts from E. camaldulensis and V. agenus-castus as a biofungicide for wood protection. Significance and impact of the study This study highlights the importance of using bio-friendly fungicide agents to protect wood against most common moulds occurring during handling of food packaging.

Biochar as a carbon-rich highly porous substance has been proposed for use in agriculture and horticulture as a soil amendment. One of the main concerns of this application of biochar is its potential contamination with heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The aim of this research was to access the environmental risk of biochar used as a soil amendment on soil mesofauna (mites and springtails). We conducted both field and laboratory experiments with the use of wood-chip biochar from low-temperature (300 °C) flash pyrolysis. Biochar was free from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and the concentration of all tested toxic compounds was very low or even under the level of detection. Both the results of field and laboratory studies show no toxic effects on soil mesofauna. In the field studies, the biochar application of 50 t/ha in maize and oilseed rape crops significantly increased the mean number of mesofauna. This change probably resulted from improved soil chemical properties (in particular organic carbon content and cation exchange capacity) upon biochar addition. The results of the avoidance test with the use of springtail species Folsomia candida showed the possible short-term toxicity risk from a dose of 5%. The results of the reproduction test indicate the negative response of F. candida from the rate of 25% (higher than the field dose, which corresponds to 10% in laboratory tests). The reason for the short-term toxicity might be the considerable increase in soil pH after biochar addition. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has looked so widely into the effect of biochar on soil mesofauna. We encourage further studies into the risk assessment of biochar on soil organisms in both a controlled laboratory environment and in the open field.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the oenological potential of natural extracts from winery and cooperage by-products, either alone or with a colloidal silver complex (CSC), on the quality of red wines, as possible substitutes to SO2. Natural extracts were obtained from grape seeds and American oak wood by accelerated extraction with subcritical water. The prefermentative addition of grape seed or oak wood extracts was an useful tool to control acetic acid bacteria development, without affecting the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations. Both extracts protected the wines against oxidation, without negatively modifying their phenolic and volatile composition. They did not cause organoleptic defects in wines, which presented greater aromatic complexity and were positively evaluated by the tasters. Therefore, the use of grape seed or oak wood extracts in red vinification could be a good alternative to replace or reduce the doses of SO2.

Four new dimeric 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones (1-4) were isolated from the agarwood of Aquilaria crassna in Laos. All structures were determined based on extensive spectroscopic methods including IR, UV, 1D and 2D NMR, ECD, and HRMS. The structures of compounds 1-3 were characterized by two C-O-C linkages between the two chromone moieties, while compound 4 featured one C-O-C linkage and one CC bond connecting with two chromone moieties. Compounds 1 and 3 showed weak cytotoxicity against human hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cell line with IC50 values of 44.68 and 42.10 μΜ.

The Symphyta has long been recognized as a paraphyletic grade forming the base of the remaining Hymenopteran, and the superfamily relationships within Symphyta remain controversial. Here, the first two representative mitochondrial genomes from the superfamily Siricoidea and Xiphydrioidea (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) are obtained using next-generation sequencing. The complete mitochondrial genome of Xiphydria sp. is 16,482 bp long with an A + T content of 84.18% while the incomplete one of Tremex columba is 16,847 bp long and A + T content is 81.69%. All 37 typical mitochondrial genes are possessed in both species. The secondary structure of tRNAs and rRNAs for both species are successfully predicted. Compared with the ancestral organization, seven and five tRNA genes are rearranged in mitochondrial genomes of Tremex and Xiphydria, respectively, which are the most rearrangement events within Symphyta. The rearrangement patterns in Tremex and Xiphydria present in this study are all novel to the Symphyta. Phylogenetic relationships among the major lineages of Symphyta are reconstructed using mitochondrial genomes. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses highly support Symphyta is a paraphyletic grade, Xyeloidea + (Tenthredinoidea + (Pamphilioidea + (Xiphydrioidea + (Cephoidea + (Orussoidea + Apocrita))))).

Brown-rot fungi are the wood-decay basidiomycetes and have ability to break down plant cell wall carbohydrates. It has been suggested that degradation of pectin is important for the initial stages of brown rot. We purified an endo-polygalacturonase (FpPG28A) from the brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis palustris, analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence indicated that FpPG28A belongs to GH family 28. The highest activity of purified FpPG28A was observed at 60 °C in 50 mM sodium acetate buffer (pH 5.0); this activity was highly specific for polygalacturonic acid chains. However, calcium polygalacturonate gel was not degraded by FpPG28A under those optimal conditions. We observed that calcium polygalacturonate gel was readily degraded by the enzyme in the oxalate buffer. Furthermore, the thermostability of FpPG28A was elevated in oxalate buffer at pH 3.0. These results indicated that oxalate has an important role in the degradation of woody pectin by FpPG28A.

Evidence indicates that wood pulp-derived sterols (WS) have beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases. The present study aimed to (i) investigate the serum cholesterol-lowering activity of dietary WS and (ii) investigate the effects of dietary WS on the balance of gut microbiota in hamsters fed with a high-fat diet. Thirty-six hamsters were divided into four groups fed on a normal chow diet (NCD), a high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD plus 0.1% or 0.5% wood pulp-derived sterols (WSL, WSH), respectively, for 6 weeks. Levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, non-HDL-C, and non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratio in hamsters fed the NCD were originally 120.4 mg dL-1, 235.8 mg dL-1, 71.7 mg dL-1, 48.7 mg dL-1 and 0.68 mg dL-1, which were elevated by being fed the HFD to 187.7 mg dL-1, 389.5 mg dL-1, 92.3 mg dL-1, 95.3 mg dL-1 and 1.03 mg dL-1, and alleviated completely by being fed the WSH. The excretion of total fecal neutral sterols was dose-dependently increased with the amounts of dietary WS. Furthermore, dietary supplementation with WS modulated the relative abundance of gut microbiota compared with the HFD group. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that Bacteroides, Allobaculum, Coprobacillus, Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, Coprococcus, and Oscillospira were correlated negatively with most of the serum metabolic parameters and cholesterol metabolic parameters, whereas Desulfovibrio was positively correlated with most of the lipid metabolism-associated parameters. Taken together, dietary supplementation with WS was found to have cholesterol-lowering activity, in part mediated by modulating the gut microbiota in a positive way and regulating the cholesterol absorption and metabolism-related genes.

In the present work, palm wood was pretreated using hydrothermal technique in conjunction with chemical method for removal of lignin. Pretreated palm wood was subjected to hydrolysis using Trichoderma reesei MTCC 4876. Subsequently bioethanol was produced using palm wood hydrolysate by Kluveromyces marxianus MTCC 1389. RSM was used to identify the non-linear relationship and optimize various process parameters such as parameters such as pH, temperature, agitation rate, substrate concentration and inoculum size for bioethanol production. ANN constructed with 5-2-1 topology was also used to optimize process parameters. The experimental bioethanol yield of 22.90 g/l was obtained at ANN optimum conditions of temperature 45 degrees C, agitation rate 156 rpm, pH 5, substrate concentration 8% (v/v) and inoculum size 3.2% (v/v).

Black carbon such as biochar has been shown to support microbial redox transformation by accepting and/or donating electrons. Electron storage capacity (ESC) is an important property that determines the capacity of a biochar to mediate redox processes in natural and engineered systems. However, it remained unclear whether a biochar's ESC is constant and reversible and if so to what extent, over what redox potential range ESC is distributed, and what fraction of the ESC is microbially accessible. In this study, we developed chemical methods that employed combinations of reductants and oxidants of different potentials – Ti(III) citrate, ferricyanide, dithionite, and dissolved O2 – to measure the ESC of Soil Reef biochar, a wood-derived biochar that can serve as an electron donor or acceptor for Geobacter metallireducens. For a given oxidant–reductant pair, the ESC obtained over multiple redox cycles was constant and fully reversible, though lower than that of the virgin biochar. Pore diffusion within biochar particles was rate-limiting and controlled the timescale for redox equilibrium. Results suggest that redox-facile functional groups in biochar were distributed over a broad range of potentials. The ESC measured using dithionite indicates approximately 22% of the biochar's reversible ESC was accessible to G. metallireducens. We propose that reversible ESC may be regarded as a constant and quantifiable property of black carbon.

Chronic smoke exposure, emitted by biomass fuel burning leads to many diseases, which are originated due to oxidative stress. The present study investigated the levels of PM2.5, PM10 and PM2.5 bound trace metals released during cooking with fuelwood and subsequent changes in haematological parameters along with oxidative stress in rural tribal women of northeast India exposed to wood smoke. The levels of PM2.5, PM10 and trace metals associated with PM2.5 (nickel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, cadmium, lead and copper) were measured. In addition, blood samples were analyzed for concentrations of different blood related parameters (haemoglobin, platelet count, red blood cells and white blood cells) and levels of antioxidants (reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase). Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured as a biomarker of lipid peroxidation. Health risk assessment was done to assess the potential risk posed by inhalation of fine particles emitted from cooking with fuel wood. Levels of both PM2.5 and PM10 were higher in wood users compared to LPG users during cooking period (644.4 ± 368.3 µg/m³ vs 50 ± 23.8 µg/m³; 915 ± 441.3 µg/m³ vs 83.3 ± 33 µg/m³) and it exceeded the permissible limits of WHO. Levels of trace metals during the cooking period in fuel wood users were significantly higher than LPG users (p = 0.01). After controlling possible confounders, both platelet count and white blood cells (WBC) had a significant positive association with PM2.5and PM10. Similarly, haemoglobin had a negative association with both PM2.5 and PM10. Depleted levels of antioxidant enzymes and increase in lipid peroxidation (MDA) suggest a close association with pollutants released from wood smoke, indicating oxidative stress in women who used fuelwood for cooking. The total hazard quotient (HQ) of 0.11 was within the acceptable limit (i.e., 1.0). The total excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was 5.4 × 10−6 which is five times higher than the acceptable limit of 1.0 × 10−6. Individual carcinogenic risk of Ni (2.3 × 10−6) and Cd (3.1 × 10−6) were also higher compared to acceptable limit. These results indicate that tribal women cooking with wood are at greater risk of developing cancer and also give support to the positive association between wood smoke and oxidative stress.

The scarcity of available drinking water has led the researchers to develop novel and cost-effective ways of bioremediation process for wastewater treatment. Bioremediation is a cost-effective and environmentally sound method for the removal of toxic compounds. Such approach is not only a chemical-less effort but also an energy savior. In the present work Phlebia acerina, a white rot wood rotting fungi have been used to degrade the toxic wastewater pollutants. Congo Red (CR) and Eriochrome Black T (EBT) have been selected as model pollutants to test the wastewater cleaning ability of the fungus. The Lignin modifying enzyme (LME) and Cellulolytic enzyme assays (CMC) potential of Phlebia acerina helped in understanding the dye degradation mechanism. Under the optimum conditions, the fungi was able to degrade as high as 92.4% CR while the EBT was degraded to a maximum of 50%. Phlebia acerina was found to show first-order kinetics of dyes degradation. Further, the seed germination and antimicrobial assay of treated and untreated water were carried out in order to establish the formation of non-toxic end product after degradation.

Producción Científica, Different oak species or origins have been studied to find an alternative to traditional ones and Quercus humboldtii from Colombia is a candidate. Some studies analyse the composition of this oak, but no work has been found to study its use for wine treatment. The aim was to evaluate volatile composition of toasted Q. humboldtii oak chips and the wines treated with these chips. To evaluate its oenological potential Q. alba and Q. petraea have been included in this trial. The wines were subjected to a sensory analysis. Results indicated that oak chips and wines macerated for 90 days with toasted Colombian chips exhibited higher 5-methylfurfural, guaiacol, trans-isoeugenol and syringol concentrations than others, while the furfural and cis-β-methyl-γ-octalactone content was lower. Sensory analysis showed that the wines treated with Colombian oak presented more notes of smoked and less of coconut. Therefore, this oak could probably be considered suitable for ageing., Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Proyect AGL2014-54602P), Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación - Ref. VA028U16), Fondecyt de Iniciación. Grant Number: 11150462

Agarwood originating from Aquilaria sinensis contains sesquiterpenoids that have tremendous commercial value in the pharmaceutical and fragrance industries. Aquilaria sinensis sesquiterpene synthase (AsSTS) is the key enzyme in the agarwood biosynthesis pathway, and its activity directly affects the chemical composition of agarwood; however, its role in species evolution remains unclear. In this study, we performed an evolutionary analysis based on 68 plant sesquiterpene synthase (STS) genes and further structural characterization of the gene encoding AsSTS to explore its molecular evolution. The phylogenetic tree indicated that these STS genes included three subfamilies. Additionally, 23 positively selected sites were detected, and no influence of recombination was found. Furthermore, the protein structure of AsSTS was characterized using primary sequence and structural analyses as having a functional active site lid domain, a substrate binding site, two post-translational modification sites and four conserved motifs. Finally, most virtual mutations of positively selected sites could be stabilized against thermal denaturation by a decrease in free energy, and three virtual mutations (D403R, G470Q and S538K) were shown to play important roles in the function and stability of AsSTS. The molecular evolutionary analysis of plant STSs provides essential clues for further experimental site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modification of AsSTS.