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The study demonstrates the lab-scale production of biodiesel from soybean acid oil (SAO) in a 5 L lab-scale bioreactor using immobilized whole cells as a catalyst. The maximum lipase activity 2.89 ...

The objective of the study was to assess selenium and other elements levels in Indian Roti bread from Se-rich maize and rice using inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. Se levels in Roti bread from Se-rich maize and rice exceeded those in the control samples by a factor of more than 594 and 156, respectively. Using Se-enriched maize increased bread Co, Cr, Mn, Mo, and Zn content, whereas Fe and I levels were reduced. In Se-rich rice-based bread a decrease in Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, I, Mo, and Zn contents was observed. Daily consumption of Se-rich maize and rice bread (100 g) could account for 5.665% and 4.309% from recommended dietary allowance, also exceeding the upper tolerable levels by a factor of 7.8 and 5.9, respectively. Therefore, Roti bread from both Se-rich maize and rice may be considered as an additional source of selenium. At the same time, regular intake of Se-rich grains and its products including breads may cause adverse health effects even after a few days and should be regularly monitored in order to prevent Se overload and toxicity.

A concise stereoselective approach to functionalized δ-lactone skeleton from monosilylated ethylene glycol as a starting material and its application to the asymmetric total synthesis of (−)-trans-aerangis lactone have been demonstrated. The synthesis utilizes the organocatalyzed MacMillan’s cross aldol reaction as a key step.

Transesterification reaction of soybean acid oil was carried out by whole cell biocatalysis. The lipase production by Aspergillus sp. (RBD01) was optimized by modulating sources of nitrogen, pH of growth medium, and percentage of carbon source (acid oil). Soybean acid oil containing significant amount of free fatty acids (FFA) was hydrolyzed and transesterified using cell suspension and immobilized culture of Aspergillus sp. (RBD01) as catalysts. Complete hydrolysis of acid oil to free fatty acids was achieved by both forms (suspension and immobilized) of catalysts, within 12 h of the reaction time. Further, addition of ethanol resulted in conversion of FFA to ethyl ester to the extent of up to 72% in case of both immobilized and cell suspension. FFA and ethyl ester were quantified using 1H NMR. The process of generation of ethyl esters through biocatalyzed transesterification of acid oils is thus observed to be a potential means of producing these products for diverse variety of industrial/commercial use such as biodiesel. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 1840–1846, 2017

Esterification is an industrially important reaction in the field of food and fuel industries. In biofuel and allied industries, long-chain alkyl esters are generally produced from different fat rich feedstocks including non-edible oils, acid oils, and tallow, using a variety of catalysts. Amongst these, whole cell systems have prominently been explored in recent past. The present study focused on the use of Aspergillus sp. RBD01 as a whole cell catalyst, in dry and whole cell suspension, to esterify oleic acid with different alcohols as acyl acceptors. Esterification with dried biomass resulted in better conversion of oleic acid to its respective ester as compared to cell suspension. Further, increase in chain length of alcohol resulted in decrease in the yield from ethyl oleate (98% EO) to decyl oleate (77% DO) with alcohols having an even number of carbon atoms giving better yield of esters over alcohols with odd numbers.

The objective of the present study was to assess the levels of Se, as well as other essential and toxic trace elements in wheat grains and traditional Roti-bread from whole-grain flour in a seleniferous area of Punjab (India) using inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. Wheat grain and bread selenium levels originating from seleniferous areas exceeded the control values by a factor of more than 488 and 179, respectively. Se-rich wheat was also characterized by significantly increased Cu and Mn levels. Se-rich bread also contained significantly higher levels of Cr, Cu, I, Mn, and V. The level of Li and Sr was reduced in both Se-enriched wheat and bread samples. Roti bread from Se-enriched wheat was also characterized by elevated Al, Cd, and Ni, as well as reduced As and Hg content as compared to the respective control values. Se intake with Se-rich bread was estimated as more than 13,600% of RDA. Daily intake of Mn with both Se-unfortified and Se-fortified bread was 133% and 190% of RDA. Therefore, Se-rich bread from wheat cultivated on a seleniferous area of Punjab (India) may be considered as a potent source of selenium, although Se status should be monitored throughout dietary intervention.

Intensive rice-wheat cultivation cycle in Northern belt of India in general and in the State of Punjab in particular results in large volumes of straw and other post-harvest residue annually. The agricultural area, bordering the districts of Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur, is popularly known as the seleniferous belt of India. The agri-residues, generated in seleniferous region of this state, are observed to contain significantly high concentration of selenium (Se). The present study was aimed to evaluate the Se uptake by different mushroom species: Pleurotus sajor-caju, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus citrinopileatus, Agaricus bisporus, and Volvariella volvacea, cultivated on Se-rich wheat and paddy straw from the seleniferous region. Wheat (Pleurotus species and A. bisporus) and paddy straw (V. volvacea) was inoculated with the mycelium spawn and left for 7–20 days, depending on the species, to grow. Control mushrooms were grown analogously using the agricultural residues from non-seleniferous area of the State of Punjab. All fruiting bodies were collected and analyzed in triplicate. Se was quantified using inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry. The Se accumulation was high in all species under study, being the highest in A. bisporus (1396 μg/g vs. 46.8 μg/g in controls – dry weight) and V. volvacea (231 μg/g vs. 3.77 μg/g – dry weight). The observed biological efficiency and total yield for all mushroom species showed good and unaltered productivity in Se-rich conditions, if compared to the controls. The Se-rich mushrooms can be prospective Se-supplements sourcing and biofortified foods, providing readily bioavailable and accessible Se for the diets deficient of this biologically essential element.

Wheat, an important staple cereal crop cultivated in seleniferous region of India, noted to accumulated significantly high concentrations of Se, was examined for the distribution of selenium in various protein fractions of the grains. Amongst the protein fractions, Se was dominantly (33–37%) present in the albumin fraction in Se rich grains followed by other fractions viz., globulin (20–25%), glutelin (20–25%), and prolamin (17–20%). The observations are important in context of exploring the use of this material as functional foods in formulating Se-enriched diets for Se-deficient population.

The present study was carried out to examine the antioxidant activity in oyster mushroom cultivated on selenium (Se) rich substrate. Pleurotus fossulatus was cultivated on Se-rich wheat straw collected from the seleniferous belt of Punjab (India) and its potential to accumulate Se from substrate was examined. Using different assay systems the modulations in the anti-oxidant profile of Se enriched mushroom was studied in comparison to the mushrooms cultivated on normal straw. The oyster mushrooms were observed to potentially mobilize Se from Se-rich substrates to fruiting bodies, resulting in significantly high uptake (37.2±0.6 μg g−1) as compared to control (3.57±0.53 mg g−1). The antioxidant activity, as determined by various assays, such as reducing power, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging, and metal chelating activity, was higher in the experimental mushrooms when compared to control. The results obtained demonstrate that Se-fortified mushrooms through cultivation on straw containin...

Cultivation of saprophytic fungi on selenium-rich substrates can be an effective means to produce selenium-fortified food. Pleurotus florida, an edible species of oyster mushrooms, was grown on wheat straw from the seleniferous belt of Punjab (India) and its potential to mobilize and accumulate selenium from the growth substrate was studied. Selenium concentration in biofortified mushrooms was 800 times higher compared with control samples grown on wheat straw from non selenium-rich areas (141 vs 0.17 μg Se g(-1) dry weight). Seventy-five percent of the selenium was extracted after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion and investigation of the selenium molecular fractions by size exclusion HPLC-ICP-MS revealed that proteins and any other high molecular weight selenium-containing molecule were hydrolyzed to peptides and low molecular weight selenocompounds. Analysis of the gastrointestinal hydrolysates by anion exchange HPLC-ICP-MS showed that the bioaccessible selenium was mainly present as selenomethionine, a good bioavailable source of selenium, which accounted for 73% of the sum of the detected species. This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing selenium-biofortified edible mushrooms using selenium-rich agricultural by-products as growth substrates. The proposed approach can be used to evaluate whether selenium-contaminated plant waste materials harvested from high-selenium areas may be used to produce selenium-biofortified edible mushrooms based on the concentration, bioaccessibility and speciation of selenium in the mushrooms.

In an effort to produce selenium (Se)-fortifying edible mushrooms, five species of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sp.), were cultivated on Se-rich wheat straw collected from a seleniferous belt of Punjab, India. Total selenium was analyzed in the selenium hyperaccumulated wheat straw and the fruiting bodies. Significantly high levels (p

Selenium (Se) hyperaccumulated Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) cultivated in a seleniferous region of India was collected and quantified for Se levels using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The seeds were subjected to oil extraction using a conventional screw extractor and Se content was estimated in seed, oil and oil cake. High uptake of selenium by the mustard seeds occurred, which was predominantly found to be retained and concentrated in the oil cake (143 ± 5.18 mg kg−1) when compared to seed before extraction (110 ± 3.04 mg kg−1) or oil (3.50 ± 0.66 mg L−1) after extraction. In conclusion, the study envisages application of Se-rich mustard oil or cake as sources of chemotherapeutic isoselenocyanates and exploitation of their bioactivity.

SUMMARYNative plantlets of Allium cepa (onion) were cultivated in selenium (Se)-supplemented soils to observe dose- and time-dependent uptake and associated pro/anti-oxidant activity. Allium plantlets were grown in soils supplemented with Se at 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mg kg−1 as selenite (Na2SeO3) and selenate (Na2SeO4) for 40–120 days. The effect of different concentrations of Se oxyanions on the growth and accumulation profile in plants in relation to glutathione peroxidase activity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances was studied. Total Se concentrations in plantlets were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The accumulation of Se in plant was observed to be dose dependent in the case of selenite, but, no definite correlation between accumulation levels and exposed concentration was observed. The changes in pro/anti-oxidant properties were observed to be dependent on the accumulation of Se in plant.

A fungal strain, Syncephalastrum racemosum, was isolated from oil-leak contaminated soils from Kanpur, India. The strain was examined for potential to emulsify soybean oil using a 18 per cent oil supplement as carbon source in minimal salt medium. On 72 h growth of the fungus in oil and salt medium, the cellfree supernatant (CFS) showed presence of mono- and di-glycerides indicating degradation of oils to free fatty acids (FFAs). Increasing concentration of oil resulted in enhanced formation of FFAs. The degradation process was observed to be related to the emulsification activity in CFS which was observed to increase with time. The study reports the emulsification and hydrolytic activity of S. racemosum, an activity that can be exploited for increasing the accessibility and treatment of hazardous substance including hydrophobic explosives. Defence Science Journal, 2010, 60(3), pp.251-254 , DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.60.350

Extracellular lipase production by Aspergillus sp. (RBD-01) was monitored by modulating pH of the growth medium, ambient temperature for growth, source of nitrogen and percentage of carbon (virgin cottonseed oil). This strain was observed to be viable and produces lipase even up to 50% oil as a main carbon source. Maximum lipase activity of 21.8 U/ml was obtained with 50% (v/v) oil acting as the main carbon source and peptone (0.5% w/v) as nitrogen source. The optimum pH and temperature for enzymatic activity were observed to be 7.5 and 35 degrees C, respectively. The observations are of significance due to limited reports on use of 50% of oil as the main carbon source while obtaining significant lipase activity of 21.8 U/ml.

Selenium (Se) is a metalloid required at trace concentrations for normal metabolic activities of the cell. The bioavailable forms viz., selenate and selenite have been found in localized high concentrations in seleniferous environments. Studies are in progress on bacterial strains that were isolated from one such location in the North-West region of Punjab, India. A facultative anaerobe, identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa by 16S rRNA gene homology, was isolated from the rhizosphere of crop plants from this region and was examined for selenium mobilization potential in the presence of selenium oxyanions. The isolate was observed to reduce 53 and 21% of sodium selenite and selenate to elemental selenium, respectively, and volatilize 4.7 and 5.1% within 72-hour duration. This is one of the few selenium tolerant aerobic bacteria isolated and reported from tropical seleniferous soils from India, and the first to show volatilization potential. These organisms are being considered for bioaugmenting Se-impacted soils for enhanced Semobilization and removal. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

The aim of the study was to explore the biogenesis of nano-structures through reduction of selenium by soil bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The strain under study indicated tolerance of selenium upto 50 mg L-1, using reductive mechanisms for detoxication, thus biotransforming selenium oxyanions to elemental red selenium. Partial characterization using AFM of the biotransformed selenium was carried out which indicated formation of spherical amorphous allotropic elemental selenium.

This study outlines the results of a biobleaching study of acacia (A. mangium) and eucalyptus (E. globulus) hardwood kraft pulps with commercial xylanase (Optimase CX 72 L). The comparative study was carried out using an elemental chlorine-free (ECF) bleaching sequence (D0EPD1D2) after the enzyme (X) stage. The enzyme treatment resulted in improved optical properties with a reduction in bleach chemical consumption. At an equivalent bleach chemical consumption, a brightness gain of 2.1 and 1.7 units and a whiteness gain of 2.7 and 2.3 units were observed with xylanase treatment in acacia and eucalyptus pulps, respectively. In ECF bleaching using the D0EPD1D2 sequence, a final brightness was achieved to the extent of 90% ISO and 89% ISO for acacia and eucalyptus, respectively, at an equivalent charge of bleach chemicals. The post-color (PC) number was also reduced by up to 45% for both hardwood pulps compared with the control. The bleachability of acacia was observed to be significantly higher than that of eucalyptus. In addition, a 17.0% and 23.0% reduction in chlorine dioxide and sodium hydroxide, respectively, were obtained for both hardwood pulps after xylanase pre-bleaching, thus indicating an environmentally friendly approach to the process.

Intrinsic transcription terminators are functionally defined as sites that bring about termination in vitro with purified RNA polymerase alone. Based on studies in Escherichia coli, intrinsic termination requires a palindromic stretch followed by a trail of T (or U) residues in the coding strand. We have developed a highly efficient algorithm to identify hairpin potential sequences in bacterial genomes in order to build a general model for intrinsic transcription termination. The algorithm was applied to analyze the Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome. We find that hairpin potential sequences are concentrated in the immediate downstream of stop codons. However, most of these structures either lack the U trail entirely or have a mixed A/U trail reflecting an evolutionarily relaxed requirement for the U trail in the mycobacterial genome. Predicted atypical structures were shown to work efficiently as terminators both inside the mycobacterial cell and in vitro with purified RNA polymerase. The results are discussed in light of the kinetic competition models for transcription termination. The algorithm identifies >90% of experimentally tested terminators in bacteria and is an invaluable tool in identifying transcription units in whole genomes.

Fungus isolate, Aspergillus sp. (RBD01), which was isolated from biocontaminated clarified butter was evaluated for its potential to transesterify used edible and non-edible oils for generation of alkyl esters, when used as biocatalyst as dry biomass. The work aimed at determining the potential of dry biomass of Aspergillus sp. (RBD01) to transesterify used cottonseed oil and non-edible oils viz., jatropha and karanj under various culture conditions. A conversion of oil (cotton seed) to ethyl ester to the extent of 84% was obtained at reaction temperature of 35°C, with 20% biomass and step-wise addition of ethanol at 1:5 molar ratio (oil to ethanol), within total reaction time of 36 h. Under similar conditions, transesterification of Jatropha and Karanj oils resulted in only 75 and 78.2% ethyl ester. Further, with reference to the effect of frying on transesterification, increase in frying time decreased the extent of transesterification from 84% to 30%.

Aspergillus sp. (MTCC 5436), isolated from contaminated clarified butter was used as a whole cell catalyst for transesterification of oils from different sources. The strain was observed to be tolerant and grow in 90% oil as carbon source. Oils of Jathropa, karanj and spent cottonseed were used as carbon sources in the study. The product, alkyl ester, was characterized and quantified using (1) H-NMR. The strain was observed to facilitate transesterification in an oil:minimal medium with the ratio of 70:30 resulting in a 98% conversion of oil to ethyl esters within 48 h at 28 °C and 120 rpm. The physico-chemical characteristics of the ethyl ester (>98%) at 70% oil as carbon source were similar to the standards specified for biodiesel as per standards of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India.

Four bacterial strains designated as SNTP-1, NS-2 to NS-4 were isolated from selenium contaminated soils of Nawanshahr-Hoshiarpur region of Punjab, India, by enrichment technique and a consortium was developed using these isolates. The isolates were observed to be belonging to Bacillus sp. In soil microcosm, complete removal was observed by the consortium in selenite augmented soils while the rate of removal with consortia in selenate treatment was 72% after 120 days. Population survival of isolates showed stability at lower treatments and decline at higher levels of Se enrichment. The consortium can, thus, be used for removal of Se contaminated sites.

Background Age at onset of Huntington's disease (HD) is correlated with the size of the abnormal CAG repeat expansion in the HD gene; however, several studies have indicated that other genetic factors also contribute to the variability in HD age at onset. To identify modifier genes, we recently reported a whole-genome scan in a sample of 629 affected sibling pairs from 295 pedigrees, in which six genomic regions provided suggestive evidence for quantitative trait loci (QTL), modifying age at onset in HD. Methods In order to test the replication of this finding, eighteen microsatellite markers, three from each of the six genomic regions, were genotyped in 102 newly recruited sibling pairs from 69 pedigrees, and data were analyzed, using a multipoint linkage variance component method, in the follow-up sample and the combined sample of 352 pedigrees with 753 sibling pairs. Results Suggestive evidence for linkage at 6q23-24 in the follow-up sample (LOD = 1.87, p = 0.002) increased to genome-wide significance for linkage in the combined sample (LOD = 4.05, p = 0.00001), while suggestive evidence for linkage was observed at 18q22, in both the follow-up sample (LOD = 0.79, p = 0.03) and the combined sample (LOD = 1.78, p = 0.002). Epistatic analysis indicated that there is no interaction between 6q23-24 and other loci. Conclusion In this replication study, linkage for modifier of age at onset in HD was confirmed at 6q23-24. Evidence for linkage was also found at 18q22. The demonstration of statistically significant linkage to a potential modifier locus opens the path to location cloning of a gene capable of altering HD pathogenesis, which could provide a validated target for therapeutic development in the human patient.

Background The PARK2 gene at 6q26 encodes parkin , whose inactivation is implicated in an early-onset autosomal recessive form of Parkinson disease (PD). Objective To evaluate the influence of heterozygosity for parkin mutation on onset age in a sample of families with at least 2 PD-affected members. Design Clinical and genetic study. Setting Twenty collaborative clinical sites. Patients Patients with familial PD collected in the Gene PD study. Studied families were selected for (1) affected sibling pairs sharing 2 alleles identical by state at PARK2 ( D6S305 ) or (2) 1 or more family members with onset age younger than 54 years, regardless of D6S305 status. At least 1 member from each of 183 families underwent comprehensive screening for deletion/insertion variants and point mutations in PARK2 . Main Outcome Measures Mutations in the parkin gene were screened by means of single-stranded conformation polymorphism and sequencing in all 12 coding exons and flanking intronic sequences for point mutations and duplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction in all exons for rearrangement, duplication, and deletion. Results Mutations were found in 23 families (12.6% of those screened). Among the mutation-positive families, 10 (43%) contained compound heterozygotes; 3 (13%), homozygotes; and 10 (43%), heterozygotes. The onset age in patients with parkin gene mutations ranged from 20 to 76 years. Patients with 1 parkin mutation had an 11.7-year age at onset than did patients with none ( P = .04), and patients with 2 or more parkin mutations had a 13.2-year decrease in age at onset compared with patients with 1 mutation ( P = .04). Conclusions These data indicate that parkin mutations are not rare in multiply affected sibships, and that heterozygous mutation carrier status in PARK2 significantly influences age at onset of PD.

A secondary structure in the nascent RNA followed by a trail of U residues is believed to be necessary and sufficient to terminate transcription. Such structures represent an extremely economical mechanism of transcription termination since they function in the absence of any additional protein factors. We have developed a new algorithm, GeSTer, to identify putative terminators and analysed all available complete bacterial genomes. The algorithm classifies the structures into five classes. We find that potential secondary structure sequences are concentrated downstream of coding regions in most bacterial genomes. Interestingly, many of these structures are not followed by a discernible U-trail. However, irrespective of the nature of the trail sequence, the structures show a similar distribution, indicating that they serve the same purpose. In contrast, such a distribution is absent in archaeal genomes, indicating that they employ a distinct mechanism for transcription termination. The present algorithm represents the fastest and most accurate algorithm for identifying terminators in eubacterial genomes without being restricted by the classical Escherichia coli paradigm.

Background Majority of the post-harvest agri-residues from agricultural activity in Punjab, India, is burnt in the field resulting in the loss of soil fertility and release of large amounts of air pollutants. In an effort to reutilize the selenium-accumulated waste wheat and paddy straw from seleniferous region of Punjab, two varieties of edible mushrooms, Pleurotus sajor-kaju and Volvariella volvacea, were cultivated on Se-rich wheat and paddy straw, respectively.