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Batch cultivation of Azadirachta indica hairy roots was carried out in different liquid-phase bioreactor configurations (stirred-tank, bubble column, bubble column with polypropylene basket, and polyurethane foam disc as root supports) to investigate possible scale-up of the A. indica hairy root culture for in vitro production of the biopesticide azadirachtin. The hairy roots failed to grow in the conventional bioreactor designs (stirred tank and bubble column). However, modified bubble column reactor (with polyurethane foam as root support) configuration facilitated high-density culture of A. indica hairy roots with a biomass production of 9.2 g l-1dry weight and azadirachtin yield of 3.2 mg g-1 leading to a volumetric productivity of azadirachtin as 1.14 mg l-1 day-1. The antifeedant activity in the hairy roots was also evaluated by no choice feeding tests with known concentrations of the hairy root powder and its solvent extract separately on the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. The hairy root powder and its solvent extract demonstrated a high level of antifeedant activity (with an antifeedant index of 97 % at a concentration of 2 % w/v and 83 % at a concentration of 0.05 % (w/v), respectively, in ethanol). � 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Present investigation involves hairy root cultivation of Azadirachta indica in a modified stirred tank reactor under optimized culture conditions for maximum volumetric productivity of azadirachtin. The selected hairy root line (Az-35) was induced via Agrobacterium rhizogenes LBA 920-mediated transformation of A. indica leaf explants (Coimbatore variety, India). Liquid culture of the hairy roots was developed in a modified Murashige and Skoog medium (MM2). To further enhance the productivity of azadirachtin, selected growth regulators (1.0 mg/l IAA and 0.025 mg/l GA3), permeabilizing agent (0.5 % v/v DNBP), a biotic elicitor (1 % v/v Curvularia (culture filtrate)) and an indirectly linked biosynthetic precursor (50 mg/l cholesterol) were added in the growth medium on 15th day of the hairy root cultivation period in shake flask. Highest azadirachtin production (113 mg/l) was obtained on 25th day of the growth cycle with a biomass of 21 g/l DW. Further, batch cultivation of hairy roots was carried out in a novel liquid-phase bioreactor configuration (modified stirred tank reactor with polyurethane foam as root support) to investigate the possible scale-up of the established A. indica hairy root culture. A biomass production of 15.2 g/l with azadirachtin accumulation in the hairy roots of 6.4 mg/g (97.28 mg/l) could be achieved after 25 days of the batch cultivation period, which was 27 and ?14 % less biomass and azadirachtin concentration obtained respectively, in shake flasks. An overall volumetric productivity of 3.89 mg/(l day) of azadirachtin was obtained in the bioreactor. � Springer-Verlag 2012.

In this study COD, ammonia and nitrate were treated through methanogenesis, nitrification denitrification and anammox processes in anaerobic-aerobic and anaerobic/anoxic sequential in leachate samples produced from municipal solid waste in an anaerobic simulated landfilling bioreactor. The experiments were performed in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB), aerobic completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and upflow anaerobic/anoxic sludge blanket reactor (UA/ANSB). Hydraulic retention times in anaerobic, aerobic and anaerobic/anoxic stages were 1, 3.6 and 1 days, respectively, through 244 days of total operation period with 168 days of adaptation period of microorganisms to the reactors. The organic loading rates increased from 5.9 to 50 kg COD m-3 day-1. The total COD and TN removal efficiencies of the anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic system were 96 % and 99 %, respectively, at an influent OLR as high as 50 kg COD m-3 day-1. The maximum methane percentage in the UASB reactor was 82 % while the methane percentage was zero in UA/ANSB reactor for the aforementioned OLR at the end of steady-state conditions. NH4-N removal efficiency of the aerobic reactor was 90% while anaerobic ammonia oxidation was measured as 99 % in the anoxic reactor. The denitrification efficiency was 99% in the same reactor. Total TN removal of the whole system was 99 %. © Taylor & Francis, 2008.

The biodegradation of toluene was studied in two lab-scale air biofilters operated in parallel, packed respectively with perlite granules (PEG) and polyurethane foam cubes (PUC) and inoculated with the same toluene-degrading fungus. Differences on the material pore size, from micrometres in PEG to millimetres in PUC, were responsible for distinct biomass growth patterns. A compact biofilm was formed around PEG, being the interstitial spaces progressively filled with biomass. Microbial growth concentrated at the core of PUC and the excess of biomass was washed-off, remaining the gas pressure drop comparatively low. Air dispersion in the bed was characterised by tracer studies and modelled as a series of completely stirred tanks (CSTR). The obtained number of CSTR (n) in the PEG packing increased from 33 to 86 along with the applied gas flow (equivalent to empty bed retention times from 48 to 12 s) and with operation time (up to 6 months). In the PUC bed, n varied between 9 and 13, indicating that a stronger and steadier gas dispersion was achieved. Michaelis-Menten half saturation constant (km) estimates ranged 71-113 mg m-3, depending on the experimental conditions, but such differences were not significant at a 95% confidence interval. The maximum volumetric elimination rate (rm) varied from 23 to 50 g m -3 h-1. Comparison between volumetric and biomass specific biodegradation activities indicated that toluene mass transfer was slower with PEG than with PUC as a consequence of a smaller biofilm surface and to the presence of larger zones of stagnant air. © 2008 Springer-Verlag. Chemicals / CAS: polyurethan foam, 9009-54-5; toluene, 108-88-3; Air Pollutants; Aluminum Oxide, 1344-28-1; Gases; Perlite, 12427-27-9; polyurethane foam, 9009-54-5; Polyurethanes; Silicon Dioxide, 7631-86-9; Toluene, 108-88-3

The biodegradation of toluene was studied in two lab-scale air biofilters operated in parallel, packed respectively with perlite granules (PEG) and polyurethane foam cubes (PUC) and inoculated with the same toluene-degrading fungus. Differences on the material pore size, from micrometres in PEG to millimetres in PUC, were responsible for distinct biomass growth patterns. A compact biofilm was formed around PEG, being the interstitial spaces progressively filled with biomass. Microbial growth concentrated at the core of PUC and the excess of biomass was washed-off, remaining the gas pressure drop comparatively low. Air dispersion in the bed was characterised by tracer studies and modelled as a series of completely stirred tanks (CSTR). The obtained number of CSTR (n) in the PEG packing increased from 33 to 86 along with the applied gas flow (equivalent to empty bed retention times from 48 to 12 s) and with operation time (up to 6 months). In the PUC bed, n varied between 9 and 13, indicating that a stronger and steadier gas dispersion was achieved. Michaelis-Menten half saturation constant (km) estimates ranged 71-113 mg m-3, depending on the experimental conditions, but such differences were not significant at a 95% confidence interval. The maximum volumetric elimination rate (rm) varied from 23 to 50 g m -3 h-1. Comparison between volumetric and biomass specific biodegradation activities indicated that toluene mass transfer was slower with PEG than with PUC as a consequence of a smaller biofilm surface and to the presence of larger zones of stagnant air. © 2008 Springer-Verlag. Chemicals / CAS: polyurethan foam, 9009-54-5; toluene, 108-88-3; Air Pollutants; Aluminum Oxide, 1344-28-1; Gases; Perlite, 12427-27-9; polyurethane foam, 9009-54-5; Polyurethanes; Silicon Dioxide, 7631-86-9; Toluene, 108-88-3