Search

In this report, promising carbon-based novel metal phthalocyanine catalysts were prepared and tested in glucose dehydration at low temperatures (90-130 degrees C) under atmospheric conditions. Most of the prepared phthalocyanines exhibited high conversions in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). A complete conversion of glucose was obtained over Aluminum phthalocyanine (AlPcCl) and Tin phthalocyanine (SnPcCl2) catalysts. AlPcCl also provided the highest HMF yield (53% in 3 h at 130 degrees C). Al3+ cations promoted the glucose conversion and Cl- anions played an active role in 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) formation. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) as a solvent, was also found effective with phthalocyanines for high 5-HMF yield by stabilizing its structure. Thus, the 5-HMF yield was observed high (53.0% at 130 degrees C for 3 h) over AlPcCl in DMSO. Kinetic studies showed that the optimum reaction temperature was 130 degrees C at 1/5 catalyst/glucose ratio for 3 h. Dehydration reactions, performed in the aqueous phase, exhibited higher fructose selectivities with AlPcCl catalyst.

Recent works have established bio-based carboxylic acids as adaptable precursors to renewable biofuels and chemicals. However, the separation of carboxylic acids is a major energy and cost driver, accounting for 20-40% of the entire processing cost. Improved downstream separation technologies that reduce operating costs compared to conventional approaches are needed, particularly to enable bio-based commodity fuels and chemicals. Here, we combine techno-economic analysis (TEA) and an energy and environmental assessment with experimental results to compare weak-base adsorption (WBA) processes with the conventional strong ion exchange (IX) process for the recovery of the exemplary product, butyric acid. TEA indicates that WBA has the potential to reduce operating expenses from 34% to 6% relative to the selling price of butyric acid ($1.8 kg(-1)). Our energy analysis shows that the WBA process has 12.2-fold energy reduction and 9.2-fold GHG emission reduction compared to the conventional IX process.

The maintenance of tissue homeostasis and health relies on the efficient removal of damaged or otherwise suboptimal cells. One way this is achieved is through cell competition, a fitness quality control mechanism that eliminates cells that are less fit than their neighbours. Through this process, cell competition has been shown to play diverse roles in development and in the adult, including in homeostasis and tumour suppression. However, over the last few years it has also become apparent that certain oncogenic mutations can provide cells with a competitive advantage that promotes their expansion via the elimination of surrounding wild-type cells. Thus, understanding how this process is initiated and regulated will provide important insights with relevance to a number of different research areas. A key question in cell competition is what determines the competitive fitness of a cell. Here, we will review what is known about this question by focussing on two non-mutually exclusive possibilities; first, that the activity of a subset of transcription factors determines competitive fitness, and second, that the outcome of cell competition is determined by the relative cellular metabolic status.

Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) is a very versatile and widely used lipase in the aroma and flavor industry, the fat and oil industry, the pharmaceutical industry and is also applicable as a biosensor....

Although the vast majority of women encounters at least one vaginal infection during their life, the amount of microbiome-related research performed in this area lags behind compared to alternative niches such as the intestinal tract. As a result, effective means of diagnosis and treatment, especially of recurrent infections, are limited. The role of the metabolome in vaginal health is largely elusive. It has been shown that lactate produced by the numerous lactobacilli present promotes health by limiting the chance of infection. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) have been mainly linked to dysbiosis, although the causality of this relationship is still under debate. In this review, we aim to bring together information on the role of the vaginal metabolome and microbiome in infections caused by Candida. Vulvovaginal candidiasis affects near to 70% of all women at least once in their life with a significant proportion of women suffering from the recurrent variant. We assess the role of fatty acid metabolites, mainly SCFA and lactate, in onset of infection and virulence of the fungal pathogen. In addition, we pinpoint where lack of research limits our understanding of the molecular processes involved and restricts the possibility of developing novel treatment strategies. ispartof: FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY vol:12 ispartof: location:Switzerland status: published

L- and D-lactide polymerization kinetics using phenoxy-imine ligands of the type Me2Al[O-2-tert-Bu-6-(C6F5N=CH)C6H3] in the presence of n-butanol and benzyl alcohol by ring-opening polymerization into polylactide are investigated. Effects of initiator concentration, catalyst concentration, polymerization temperature, and time on the molecular weight of poly-L-lactide are also investigated. Purification and drying of L-lactide are found to significantly influence the polymerization kinetics and the final molecular weight achieved. Ultrahigh molecular weight poly(L-lactic acid) PLLA (M-w = 1.4 x 10(6) g/mol with D = 1.8) and ultrahigh molecular weight poly(D-lactic acid) PDLA (M-w = 1.3 x 10(6) g/mol with D = 2.0) are obtained when polymerization is performed with a molar ratio of monomer to catalyst (LA/Al) of 8000 for 72 h at 120 degrees C in the presence of benzyl alcohol with conversions of 96 and 91%, respectively. We report for the first time the synthesis of ultrahigh molecular weight poly-L- and D-lactide using the Me2Al[O-2-tert-Bu-6-(C6F5N=CH)C6H3] catalyst. The identified catalyst is found to be suitable for the synthesis of a broad range of molecular weights.

BACKGROUND: Fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosics has provided an abundant sugar source for production of value-added chemicals, and levoglucosan is the most representative sugar in pyrolysis liquid (bio oil). This paper explored the potential for producing methyl lactate from levoglucosan by employing the mixed catalysts of zeolite tin beta (Sn-Beta) and zeolite hydrogen beta (H-Beta). RESULTS: Under the optimal conditions (at 200 °C and mixed catalysts with H-Beta:Sn-Beta ratio of 1:5), the yield of methyl lactate obtained from levoglucosan conversion was as high as 35%. And the yield was comparable to that of methyl lactate obtained from glucose conversion under the similar conditions (at 200 °C and pure Sn-Beta). In order to investigate the reason, a contrasting experiment with glucose as substrate also was carried out with the mixed catalysts. The results indicated that during the levoglucosan conversion process, ‘the methanolysis of levoglucosan’ was likely to compete with ‘the dehydration of glucose’ for the Brønsted acid sites of H-Beta. In addition, the catalytic functions of H-Beta and Sn-Beta, and the reaction pathway were deeply investigated through tracking and comparing the conversion of levoglucosan over mixed H-Beta/Sn-Beta and over pure Sn-Beta catalysts, respectively. CONCLUSION: The appropriately lower ratio of H-Beta:Sn-Beta and relatively higher temperature were favorable for the reaction. H-Beta containing Brønsted acid could remarkably accelerate the conversion of levoglucosan and methyl-glucosides to glucose. Sn-Beta containing Lewis acid mainly promoted the retro-aldol condensation of glucose and formation of methyl lactate.

Objective: This study was carried out to determine the effects of cumin essential oil on the silage fermentation, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of alfalfa silages. Methods: Alfalfa was harvested at early bloom (5th cutting) stage in October and wilted for about 3 hours. The research was carried out at three groups which were the control group where no additive control was done (CON), cumin essential oil (CMN3) with 300 mg/kg and CMN5 with 500 mg/kg cumin essential oil addition. Alfalfa was ensiled in plastic bags. The packages were stored at 8 degrees C +/- 2 degrees C under laboratory conditions. All groups were sampled for physical, chemical and microbiological analysis 120th day after ensiling. At the end of the ensiling period, all silages were subjected to an aerobic stability test for 7 days. In addition, enzimatic solubility of organic matter (ESOM), metabolizable energy (ME), and relative feed value (RFV) of these silages were determined. Results: pH level decreased in the cumin groups compared to CON (p

In this study, we examined the effect of ethyl pyruvate on the efficacy of the inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on the surface of sausage samples by using quantitative PCR (Q-PCR). Propidium monoazide (PMA) was used for direct quantification of viable and dead cells. The samples inoculated with L. monocytogenes (3 to 4 log CFU/mL) and uninoculated samples were treated with 0, 42, 105, and 420 mg/L vaporized ethyl pyruvate (EP) in 1 L volume containers. Sausage samples were tested on Days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 with regards to changes in microbial, physicochemical, and quality characteristics. As compared with control samples (EP no-applied), 105 and 420 mg/L concentration of vaporized EP applications were provided 1 and 2 log reduction, respectively. The vaporized EP application was considered to be an alternative preservation method for the modified atmosphere and vacuum packaging and could be easily applied, especially in meat products such as sausages. Practical application EP could be used for successful preservation of meat and meat products. Kirklareli University, Scientific Research Projects Coordinatorship [KUBAP-79/02.11.2016] Kirklareli University, Scientific Research Projects Coordinatorship, Grant/Award Number: KUBAP-79/02.11.2016

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is one of the most important renewable platform-chemicals, a very valuable precursor for the synthesis of bio-fuels and bio-products. In this work, the hydrogenation of HMF to two furan diols, 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF) and 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)tetrahydrofuran (BHMTHF), both promising renewable monomers, was investigated. Three commercial catalysts, Ru/C, Pd/C and Pt/C, were tested in the hydrogenation of aqueous HMF solutions (2–3 wt%), using a metal loading of 1 wt% respect to HMF content. By appropriate tuning of the process conditions, either BHMF or BHMTHF were obtained in good yields, and Ru/C resulted the best catalyst for this purpose, allowing us to obtain BHMF or BHMTHF yields up to 93.0 and 95.3 mol%, respectively. This catalyst was also tested for in the hydrogenation of a crude HMF-rich hydrolyzate, obtained by one-pot the dehydration of fructose. The influence of each component of this hydrolyzate on the hydrogenation efficiency was investigated, including unconverted fructose, rehydration acids and humins, in order to improve the yields towards each furan diol. Moreover, ICP-OES and TEM analysis showed that the catalyst was not subjected to important leaching and sintering phenomena, as further confirmed by catalyst recycling study.

We present a fluorescence-based approach for determination of the permeability of small molecules across the membranes of lipid vesicles and living cells. With properly designed experiments, the method allows us to assess the membrane physical properties both in vitro and in vivo. We find that the permeability of weak acids increases in the order of benzoic > acetic > formic > lactic, both in synthetic lipid vesicles and the plasma membrane of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but the permeability is much lower in yeast (one to two orders of magnitude). We observe a relation between the molecule permeability and the saturation of the lipid acyl chain (i.e., lipid packing) in the synthetic lipid vesicles. By analyzing wild-type yeast and a manifold knockout strain lacking all putative lactic acid transporters, we conclude that the yeast plasma membrane is impermeable to lactic acid on timescales up to ∼2.5 h.

Multifunctional catalytic systems consisting of physical mixtures of Au nanoparticles (2-3 nm) supported on metal oxides and Sn-MCM-41 nanoparticles (50-120 nm) were synthesized and investigated for the selective conversion of glycerol to methyl lactate. The Au catalyst promotes the oxidation of glycerol to trioses, whereas the solid acid Sn-MCM-41 catalyzes the rearrangement of the intermediate trioses to methyl lactate. Among the supported Au nanoparticles, Au/CuO led to the highest yield and selectivity toward methyl lactate, while the Sn-MCM-41 nanoparticles showed much better catalytic performance than a benchmark solid acid catalyst (USY zeolite). The activity of the multifunctional catalytic system was further optimized by tuning the calcination temperature, the gold loading in the Au/CuO catalyst, and the Au/Sn molar ratio, reaching 63% yield of methyl lactate (ML) at 95% glycerol conversion. This catalytic system also showed excellent reusability. The catalytic results were rationalized on the basis of a detailed characterization by means of TEM, N2-physisorption, UV-vis spectroscopy, and by FT-IR using probe molecules (CO and ethanol).

Poly(lactic acid), PLA, is a polyester that can be produced from lactic acid derived from renewable resources. This polymer offers attracting uses in packaging industry due to its biodegradability and high tensile strength. However, PLA is quite brittle, which limits its applications. To overcome this drawback, PLA was plasticized with epoxy-type plasticizer derived from a fatty acid, octyl epoxy stearate (OES) at different loadings (1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20 phr). The addition of OES decreases the glass transition temperature and provides a remarkable increase in elongation at break and impact-absorbed energy. Plasticizer saturation occurs at relatively low concentrations of about 5 phr OES; higher concentration leads to phase separation as observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Optimum balanced mechanical properties are obtained at relatively low concentrations of OES (5 phr), thus indicating the usefulness of this material as environmentally friendly plasticizer for PLA industrial formulations., This research was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness-MINECO, Ref: MAT2014-59242-C2-1-R. Authors also thank to "Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esport"-Generalitat Valenciana, Ref: GV/2014/008 for financial support.

Behavioral responses of the malaria mosquito Anopheles coluzzii (An. gambiae sensu stricto molecular 'M form') to an expanded blend of human-derived volatiles were assessed in a dual-port olfactometer. A previously documented attractive three-component blend consisting of NH3, (S)-lactic acid, and tetradecanoic acid served as the basis for expansion. Adding 4.5 % CO2 to the basic blend significantly enhanced its attractiveness. Expansion of the blend with four human-derived C4-volatiles was then assessed, both with and without CO2. Only when CO2 was offered simultaneously, did addition of a specific concentration of 3-methyl-1-butanol or 3-methyl-butanoic acid significantly enhance attraction. The functional group at the terminal C of the 3-methyl-substituted C4 compounds influenced behavioral effectiveness. In the absence of CO2, addition of three concentrations of butan-1-amine caused inhibition when added to the basic blend. In contrast, when CO2 was added, butan-1-amine added to the basic blend strongly enhanced attraction at all five concentrations tested, the lowest being 100,000 times diluted. The reversal of inhibition to attraction by adding CO2 is unique in the class Insecta. We subsequently augmented the three-component basic blend by adding both butan-1-amine and 3-methyl-1-butanol and optimizing their concentrations in the presence of CO2 in order to significantly enhance the attractiveness to An. coluzzii compared to the three- and four-component blends. This novel blend holds potential to enhance malaria vector control based on behavioral disruption.

Thermophilic bacteria are regarded as attractive production organisms for cost-efficient conversion of renewable resources to green chemicals, but their genetic accessibility is a major bottleneck in developing them into versatile platform organisms. In this study, we aimed to isolate thermophilic, facultatively anaerobic bacilli that are genetically accessible and have potential as platform organisms. From compost, we isolated 267 strains that produced acids from C 5 and C 6 sugars at temperatures of 55°C or 65°C. Subsequently, 44 strains that showed the highest production of acids were screened for genetic accessibility by electroporation. Two Geobacillus thermodenitrificans isolates and one Bacillus smithii isolate were found to be transformable with plasmid pNW33n. Of these, B. smithii ET 138 was the best-performing strain in laboratory-scale fermentations and was capable of producing organic acids from glucose as well as from xylose. It is an acidotolerant strain able to produce organic acids until a lower limit of approximately pH 4.5. As genetic accessibility of B. smithii had not been described previously, six other B. smithii strains from the DSMZ culture collection were tested for electroporation efficiencies, and we found the type strain DSM 4216 T and strain DSM 460 to be transformable. The transformation protocol for B. smithii isolate ET 138 was optimized to obtain approximately 5 × 10 3 colonies per μg plasmid pNW33n. Genetic accessibility combined with robust acid production capacities on C 5 and C 6 sugars at a relatively broad pH range make B. smithii ET 138 an attractive biocatalyst for the production of lactic acid and potentially other green chemicals.

Background Medium chain carboxylic acids, such as caproic acid, are conventionally produced from food materials. Caproic acid can be produced through fermentation by the reverse β-oxidation of lactic acid, generated from low value lignocellulosic biomass. In situ extraction of caproic acid can be achieved by membrane electrolysis coupled to the fermentation process, allowing recovery by phase separation. Results Grass was fermented to lactic acid in a leach-bed-type reactor, which was then further converted to caproic acid in a secondary fermenter. The lactic acid concentration was 9.36 ± 0.95 g L−1 over a 33-day semi-continuous operation, and converted to caproic acid at pH 5.5–6.2, with a concentration of 4.09 ± 0.54 g L−1 during stable production. The caproic acid product stream was extracted in its anionic form, concentrated and converted to caproic acid by membrane electrolysis, resulting in a >70 wt% purity solution. In a parallel test exploring the upper limits of production rate through cell retention, we achieved the highest reported caproic acid production rate to date from a lignocellulosic biomass (grass, via a coupled process), at 0.99 ± 0.02 g L−1 h−1. The fermenting microbiome (mainly consisting of Clostridium IV and Lactobacillus) was capable of producing a maximum caproic acid concentration of 10.92 ± 0.62 g L−1 at pH 5.5, at the border of maximum solubility of protonated caproic acid. Conclusions Grass can be utilized as a substrate to produce caproic acid. The biological intermediary steps were enhanced by separating the steps to focus on the lactic acid intermediary. Notably, the pipeline was almost completely powered through electrical inputs, and thus could potentially be driven from sustainable energy without need for chemical input.Graphical abstractMicrobial and electrochemical production of lactic acid, caproic acid and decane from grass. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13068-017-0863-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

10.1021/sc500648g; International audience; Polylactide (PLA) is one of the most mature biobased and biocompostable plastics currently in the market. Despite its mechanical properties comparable to the ones of some mainstream petroleum-based thermoplastics (PS, for instance), PLA inherent brittleness and heat sensitivity are issues for its full industrial development. In this study, we investigated the melt-blending of PLLA (poly-L-lactide) with fatty acid-based flexible polyesters as an efficient way to tailor PLLA toughness. To that aim, a set of aliphatic polyesters has been developed by taking benefit of the large range of biobased building blocks that can be obtained from plant oils. Melt-blending of the so-formed polyesters with PLLA resulted in improved properties that can be finely tailored by varying the structure and the properties of the plant-based polyester additives.

Interest in sustainable development has led to efforts to replace petrochemical-based monomers with biomass-based ones. Itaconic acid, a C5-dicarboxylic acid, is a potential monomer for the chemical industry with many prospective applications. cis-aconitate decarboxylase (CadA) is the key enzyme of itaconate production, converting the citric acid cycle intermediate cis-aconitate into itaconate. Heterologous expression of cadA from Aspergillus terreus in Escherichia coli resulted in low CadA activities and production of trace amounts of itaconate on Luria-Bertani (LB) medium (

In this paper we show that carbon nanofiber supported copper and nickel nanoparticles can selectively transform ethylene glycol and glycerol into value added oxygenates (organic acids) under anaerobic aqueous conditions. During aqueous phase oxidation Cu based catalysts showed a nearly quantitative yield (96% selectivity at 82% conversion) of glycolic acid from ethylene glycol. The reaction was carried out under alkaline conditions at relatively mild temperatures (150-180 °C) and produced H2 as co-product. The high selectivity towards glycolic acid was independent of the temperature. For glycerol oxidation a high selectivity (67% at full conversion) towards lactic acid was observed using Cu with competitive formation of glyceric acid, 1,2-propanediol tartronic acid and formation of H2 as co-product. The activity of Ni was comparable to that of Cu but it was less selective for the formation of desired oxygenates, glycolic acid (31%) and lactic acid (24%), due to the formation of formic acid.

We report an efficient one-pot conversion of glycerol (GLY) to methyl lactate (MLACT) in methanol in good yields (73 % at 95 % GLY conversion) by using Au nanoparticles on commercially available ultra-stable zeolite-Y (USY) as the catalyst (160 °C, air, 47 bar pressure, 0.25 M GLY, GLY-to-Au mol ratio of 1407, 10 h). The best results were obtained with zeolite USY-600, a catalyst that has both Lewis and Bronsted sites. This methodology provides a direct chemo-catalytic route for the synthesis of MLACT from GLY. MLACT is stable under the reaction conditions, and the Au/USY catalyst was recycled without a decrease in the activity and selectivity. From glycerol to green building blocks and solvents! An efficient, base-free conversion of glycerol to methyl lactate in methanol is reported, achieving good yields (73 % at 95 % glycerol conversion) using Au/ultra-stable zeolite-Y (USY) as the catalyst and environmentally benign oxygen as the oxidant by combining two separate reaction steps efficiently in a one pot procedure. The Au/USY catalyst can be recycled without a decrease in the activity and selectivity.

We have successfully developed an electrochemical biosensor which could detect low level concentration of misty lactic-acid (LA) directly. In our method, enzyme lactate oxidase (LOD) was immobilized within mesoporous silica (FSM8.0) which was formed on screen-printed Prussian Blue (PB)-modified working electrode and the top of that was covered with hydrophilic porous membrane. The resulting biosensor showed an excellent sensitivity (150nM-1.1 mM in solution) and can detect misty LA directly. This result indicates that our method provides a high-performance biosensor to determine LA levels in exhaled breath and that our approach is ideal for various medical applications and might improve the detection or management of disease.

The aim of this study is to determine the release of lysozyme from oxidized starch microgels and subsequently test its antimicrobial activity. The gels are made of oxidized potato starch polymers, which are chemically cross-linked by sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP). The microgel is negatively charged and interacts with positively charged lysozyme by electrostatic attraction. Application of the lysozyme-containing starch particles to environments contaminated with microbes, may lead to hydrolysis of the starch by microbial enzymes. As a result, lysozyme is released in the environment where it inhibits microbial growth. In this study, first bacteria were screened for amylase production and lysozyme sensitivity. Then, the bacteria were mixed with empty gel particles (i.e., without lysozyme) in a Nutrient Broth liquid medium to test whether the bacteria that can produce amylase are also able to degrade oxidized starch gel. Subsequently the amylase-producing lysozyme sensitive bacteria, Bacillus licheniformis 7558 and Bacillus subtilis 168, were selected for further quantification of the antimicrobial activity of the gel-lysozyme particles after incubation with these bacteria in Nutrient Broth liquid suspensions. The results prove that the starch microgel has a potential as antimicrobial carrier targeting amylase-producing and lysozyme-sensitive bacteria. The controlled antimicrobial delivery for inactivating undesired microorganisms may find applications in food related systems, where amylase-producing bacteria may be abundantly present.

Lactobacillus sakei in Meat Fermentation

In the present study the combined effect of gamma irradiation (2 and 4 kGy) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) (30% CO2/70% N-2 and 70% CO2/30% N-2) on shelf life extension of fresh chicken meat stored under refrigeration was investigated. The study was based on microbiological (TVC, Pseudomonas spp., Lactic Acid Bacteria, Yeasts, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Enterobacteriaceae), physicochemical (pH, TBA, color) and sensory (odor, taste) changes occurring in chicken samples. Microbial populations were reduced by 1-5 log cfu/g for a given sampling day depending on the specific treatment. The effect was more pronounced in the case of the combination of MAP (70% CO2/30% N-2) and the higher irradiation dose of 4 kGy. Of the chemical indicators of spoilage, TBA values for all treatments remained lower than 1 mg malondialdehyde (MDA)/kg meat throughout the 25 day storage period. pH values varied between 6.4 (day 0) and 5.9 (day 25). The values of the color parameters L*, a* and b* were not considerably affected by MAP. Irradiation resulted in a small increase of the parameter a*. Irradiation had a greater effect in extending the shelf life of chicken as compared to MAP. Sensory evaluation showed that the combination of irradiation at 4 kGy and MAP (70% CO2/30% N-2) resulted in the highest shelf-life extension by 12 days compared to the air packaged samples. European Food Research and Technology

Responses of antennal olfactory cells associated with sensilla trichodea were recorded in females of four Anopheles species (Diptera, Culicidae) with different host preferences: the anthropophilic An. gambiae s.s., the opportunistic An. arabiensis, and the zoophilic An. quadriannulatus and An. maculipennis atroparvus. Stimuli were vapours of synthetic host-odours: ethanoic, propanoic, butanoic, 3-methyl propanoic, 4-methyl butanoic acid, 1-octen-3-ol, and 3- and 4-methyl phenol. On stimulation with fatty acids and phenols either excitation or inhibition of spike activity was found, whereas responses to 1-octen-3-ol were invariably excitatory. The odour spectra of the cells could include activating as well as inhibiting substances. Differences in host preferences may be reflected in the numbers of olfactory cells responding to different odours and/or in the sensitivities of these cells. In An. gambiae more cells were excited by fatty acids than in An. arabiensis and An. m. atroparvus, whereas inhibition occurred more often in the latter two species. In addition, the fatty acid-excited cells in An. gambiae were more sensitive to these substances than in An. m. atroparvus and An. quadriannulatus. On the contrary, in the latter two species cells were more responsive to 1-octen-3-ol. In An. arabiensis, responses of stimulus-excited cells were intermediate between those in the anthropophilic and zoophilic species. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Racemases catalyse the inversion of stereochemistry in biological molecules, giving the organism the ability to use both isomers. Among them, lactate racemase remains unexplored due to its intrinsic instability and lack of molecular characterization. Here we determine the genetic basis of lactate racemization in Lactobacillus plantarum. We show that, unexpectedly, the racemase is a nickel-dependent enzyme with a novel α/β fold. In addition, we decipher the process leading to an active enzyme, which involves the activation of the apo-enzyme by a single nickel-containing maturation protein that requires preactivation by two other accessory proteins. Genomic investigations reveal the wide distribution of the lactate racemase system among prokaryotes, showing the high significance of both lactate enantiomers in carbon metabolism. The even broader distribution of the nickel-based maturation system suggests a function beyond activation of the lactate racemase and possibly linked with other undiscovered nickel-dependent enzymes.

International audience; In this work, a set of ABA triblock poly(L-lactide)-b-poly(ricinoleic acid)-b-poly(L-lactide) aliphatic copolyesters were prepared by consecutive AB type self-condensation and ring-opening polymerization. Condensation of methyl ricinoleate, produced from castor oil, in the presence of a small amount of 1,3-propanediol afforded alpha,omega-hydroxy-terminated poly(ricinoleic acid) with a molar mass of 11 kg mol(-1). Polymerization of L-lactide initiated from the terminal hydroxyl moieties of the alpha,omega-hydroxy-terminated poly(ricinoleic acid) led to triblock copolymers with a composition ranging from 35 to 83 wt% of PLLA. The block structure was confirmed by several techniques. The copolymers displayed a multi-step thermal degradation with a temperature corresponding to 5 wt% loss in the range 175-225 degrees C. DSC analyses showed that the PRic block had a moderate effect on PLLA melting behavior. The solid-state morphology of the so-formed copolymers was highly dependent on their chemical composition, as evidenced by SAXS and WAXD analyses. The high degree of separation of hard and soft phases was also confirmed by dynamic mechanical analysis as seen from the distinct alpha-relaxations. Finally, the tensile properties of these block copolymers ranged from thermoplastic to elastomeric depending on their composition.

This challenge study demonstrates that Listeria monocytogenes does not grow in Gouda cheese: during the first 8 weeks of ripening no growth was observed and between 8 and 52 weeks viable numbers declined significantly in a well-established Gouda microcheese system. Cheese milk was artificially contaminated just prior to addition of the starter culture. Three individual L. monocytogenes strains were used, including strains originating from cheese, a cheese plant environment and a reference strain. During curd formation, viable numbers of L. monocytogenes increased by 0.5 log cfu g−1, resulting from entrapment in the curd. No growth was observed during the first 8 weeks of ripening. A significant decline in the viable numbers of L. monocytogenes was observed in Gouda cheese that was ripened for longer than 8 weeks. Two factors that could possibly control the fate of L. monocytogenes in Gouda cheese were lactic acid and water activity.

Lactobacillus species constitute one of the dominant and beneficial bacteria in our body and are used in developed countries as a microbial adjuvant. Identification of these probiotic bacteria is traditionally performed by culture-based techniques. However, such methods are very time-consuming and can give inaccurate results, especially when Lactobacillus is present in mixed bacterial complex communities. Our study aimed to accurately identify Lactobacillus spp. using a novel Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA) Fluorescence In Situ Hibridization (FISH) probe. The probe (Lac663) was tested on 36 strains belonging to different Lactobacillus species and on 20 strains of other bacterial species. The sensitivity and specificity of the method were 100% (95% confidence interval (CI), 88.0 to 100.0%) and 95.0% (95% CI, 73.1 to 99.7%), respectively. Additionally, we tested the applicability of the method on milk samples added with Lactobacillus strains at probiotic range concentrations and others taxonomically related bacteria, as well as pathogenic bacteria. The Lac663 probe bound exclusively to Lactobacillus strains and the described PNA-FISH method was capable of directly quantifying Lactobacillus spp. in concentrations at which these potential probiotic bacteria are considered to have an effective benefit on human health., This work was supported by European Union funds (FEDER/COMPETE) and by national funds (FCT) under the project with reference FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-008991 (PTDC/BIA-MIC/098228/2008. Antonio Machado acknowledges the FCT individual fellowship-SFRH/BD/62375/2009. However, it is important to refer that FCT did not have any role in the design of the experiments or manuscript writing.

International audience; o improve glutamic acid production from Corynebacterium glutamicum 2262 using date juice, a culture medium was screened and optimized using the statistical experimental designs of Plackett-Burman and response-surface methodology. In the first step, a two-level Plackett-Burman design was adopted to select the most important nutrients influencing the glutamic acid production, which showed that the date juice sugars, urea, peptone, and glycine betaine were the most significant ingredients (P < 0.05). Finally, response surface Box-Behnken design was employed to develop a mathematical model to identify the optimum concentrations of key components for higher glutamic acid production, which revealed the following: date juice (45 g/L), urea (16.9 g/L), peptone (15 g/L), and glycine betaine (12 g/L). The high correlation between the predicted and observed values indicated the validity of the model. Glutamic acid concentration increased significantly with optimized medium (33.2 g/L) when compared with non-optimized medium (12 g/L).

WOS: 000301320500021, PubMed ID: 22197058, Mesoporous silica SBA-15 has been synthesized and functionalized by one-step synthesis method to widen their various application possibilities. In this study, phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS), 3-mercapto-propyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and trimethoxypropylsilane (TMPS) were used as silane precursors for the functionalization, and after treated with HCl solution, their catalytic activities were evaluated in the lactic acid-methanol esterification. The presence of anchoring of functional groups on SBA-15 was proved by XRD, FT-IR, BET surface area and pore size distributions. Good catalytic activity was observed especially for SBA-15-SO3H-MPTMS, and the catalytic activity order was determined as follows: SBA-15SO(3)H-MPTMS > SBA-15-TMPS > SBA-15-PTMS, which is directly associated with the surface area, pore size and pore volume. As compared with homogeneous catalyst, SBA-15-SO3H-MPTMS heterogeneous catalyst shows remarkable performance, such as separation, recovery and reusability

Gold nanoparticles on different oxidic supports (TiO2, Al2O3 and ZnO) have been studied for the oxidation of glycerol in methanol, using molecular oxygen as the oxidizing agent in a batch set-up. The main oxidation products are methyl glycerate and dimethyl mesoxalate in over 95% selectivity at high glycerol conversion, indicating that C-C bond scission occurs at a significantly lower extent compared to glycerol oxidations in water. The product selectivity is a function of the support. Highest selectivity (82% at 72% conversion) to methyl glycerate is observed in the case of Au/TiO2 as the catalyst. The use of a base is not essential for the glycerol oxidation reaction to occur, although for TiO2 and Al2O3 higher initial activities are found in the presence of sodium methoxide. Au/ZnO gives comparable activity and selectivity both in the presence and absence of a base. Oxidation experiments with reaction intermediates indicate that oxidation of methyl glycerate to higher oxygenates does not occur to a significant extent in methanol. An alternative pathway for the formation of dimethyl mesoxalate involving dihydroxyacetone is proposed.

Cyanophycin or cyanophycin granule peptide is a protein that results from non-ribosomal protein synthesis in microorganisms such as cyanobacteria. The amino acids in cyanophycin can be used as a feedstock in the production of a wide range of chemicals such as acrylonitrile, polyacrylic acid, 1,4-butanediamine, and urea. In this study, an auxotrophic mutant (Rhizopus oryzae M16) of the filamentous fungus R. oryzae 99-880 was selected to express cyanophycin synthetase encoding genes. These genes originated from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803, Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120, and a codon optimized version of latter gene. The genes were under control of the pyruvate decarboxylase promoter and terminator elements of R. oryzae. Transformants were generated by the biolistic transformation method. In only two transformants both expressing the cyanophycin synthetase encoding gene from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 was a specific enzyme activity detected of 1.5 mU/mg protein. In one of these transformants was both water-soluble and insoluble cyanophycin detected. The water-soluble fraction formed the major fraction and accounted for 0.5% of the dry weight. The water-insoluble CGP was produced in trace amounts. The amino acid composition of the water-soluble form was determined and constitutes of equimolar amounts of arginine and aspartic acid.

We propose here a significantly improved process for the preparation of a lactide-clay intercalated mixture, which yields a high molecular weight (MW, M(n) similar to 126,000 Da) poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) clay nanocomposite (PLACN) in short times of in situ ring opening polymerization (ROP). In situ ROP using such a lactide-clay mixture enables ROP in the "nano-sized reactors" formed by the clay galleries. Cloisite (R) Na clays have been modified in-house with two different surfactant modifiers, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide, and these modified clays are compared with Cloisite (R) 20A and Cloisite (R) 30B. Interlayer spacings of modified clays are correlated with the resulting PLACN morphology and polymer MW growth. The optical purity of PLACNs is found similar, whereas thermal stability is significantly superior to that of neat PLLA. XRD/SAXS and TEM analyses confirm that PLACN can be prepared either with intercalated or exfoliated morphology when using either nonfunctionalized or functionalized modified clay, respectively. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51:2066-2077, 2011. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers

We propose here, a comprehensive model for the solid-state polymerization (SSP) of a low to moderate molecular weight (MW) prepolymer of lactic acid, to produce high MW poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA). The reactions are rationally assumed to occur only in the amorphous region, and effective concentrations of end groups, vary with crystalinity, X(c), during SSP. We estimate byproduct diffusivities, D, using free volume theory. The effects of various parameters on the SSP of PLLA prepolymer have been examined with respect to the optimum MW, X(c) and D. We introduce self-consistently, scaling factors of similar to 0.27, in the experimental procedure, to determine via (19)F-NMR, concentrations of the end groups, after converting them to fluorinated ester groups. The relevant reaction rate constants are obtained by fitting to early time data from representative SSP experiments at 150 degrees C, under high vacuum, on PLLA prepolymer powder (i.e., spherical geometry) of number average MW, (M(n0)) over bar similar to 10,200 Da, which attains (M(n)) over bar similar to 150,000 Da, via SSP. The subsequent successful comparison of the model predictions with experimental data throughout the entire SSP duration indicates that the model is comprehensive and accounts for all the relevant phenomena occurring during the SSP to synthesize high MW PLLA. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122:2966-2980, 2011

This work aimed at analyzing the effect of microfiltration conditions (cross-flow velocity and transmembrane pressure) on the quality of frozen Lactobacillus bulgaricus CFL1 starters produced on pilot scale. Microfiltered cells were less resistant during the concentration process than centrifuged cells. In contrast, bacterial cryotolerance during freezing was improved after microfiltration, in a range of 28-88%, depending on the microfiltration conditions. During frozen storage, cell resistance was also affected by microfiltration conditions, either positively or negatively, compared to centrifugation. The best cryotolerance was obtained for cells microfiltered at a cross-flow velocity of 2 m/s and a transmembrane pressure of 0.15 MPa. This improvement was explained by considering membrane fatty acid composition of Lb. bulgaricus CFL1. This condition increased unsaturated to saturated and cyclic to saturated fatty acid ratios, which enhanced membrane fluidity, thus helping the cells to better resist freezing and frozen storage.

A method is described for the measurement and on-line monitoring of muscular extracellular lactate concentration in both anaesthetized and freely moving rats. This method is based on microdialysis sampling and lactic dehydrogenase-catalysed nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced (NADH)-fluorescence detection techniques. In vivo calibration revealed a resting extracellular lactate concentration of 1.92 +/- 0.13 mmol/l (+/- SEM) in the gastrocnemius muscle of adult male Wistar rats (n = 6), while the average whole-blood lactate level was 0.76 +/- 0.12 mmol/l (+/- SEM). This measured extracellular lactate concentration was 1.73-times higher than that deduced from the arterial lactate concentration. Blocking glycolysis with iodoacetate reduced the extracellular lactate concentration to 52 + 6% (+/- SEM, n = 4) of the resting level. The extracellular lactate concentration in rat gastrocnemius muscle had increased to significantly (P less-than-or-equal-to 0.05) different levels, 2.4 +/- 0.03 (+/- SEM) or 4.0 +/- 0.55 (+/- SEM) times the control value, 1 h after aortic clamping (n = 3) or cardiac arrest (n = 3), respectively. Stimulation of the sciatic nerve induced elevations of the extracellular lactate concentration in the tibialis anterior muscle which were linearly related to the recorded isometric force-time integral. We also monitored on-line the changes in extracellular lactate concentration in the tibialis anterior muscle of a swimming rat. Our results indicate that microdialysis lactate reflects also intracellular metabolism. Lactography may be a useful alternative to biopsies and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in clinical medicine and physiology for the monitoring of metabolism in vivo.

Aims: The aim of this study was to associate the growth limits of Listeria monocytogenes during exposure to combined stresses with specific serotypes or origins of isolation, and identify potential genetic markers. Methods and Results: The growth of 138 strains was assessed at different temperatures using combinations of low pH, sodium lactate, and high salt concentrations in brain heart infusion broth. None of the strains was able to grow at pH ≤ 4·4, aw ≤ 0·92, or pH ≤ 5·0 combined with aw ≤ 0·94. In addition, none of the strains grew at pH ≤ 5·2 and NaLac ≥ 2%. At 30°C, the serotype 4b strains showed the highest tolerance to low pH and high NaCl concentrations at both pH neutral (pH 7·4) and mild acidic conditions (pH 5·5). At 7°C, the serotype 1/2b strains showed the highest tolerance to high NaCl concentrations at both pH 7·4 and 5·5. Serotype 1/2b meat isolates showed the highest tolerance to low pH in the presence of 2% sodium lactate at 7°C. ORF2110 and gadD1T1 were identified as potential biomarkers for phenotypic differences. Conclusions: Differences in growth limits were identified between specific L. monocytogenes strains and serotypes, which could in some cases be associated with specific genetic markers. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our data confirm the growth limits of L. monocytogenes as set out by the European Union for ready-to-eat foods and provides an additional criterion. The association of L. monocytogenes serotypes with certain stress responses might explain the abundance of certain serotypes in retail foods while others are common in clinical cases.

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) is a combined process of saccharification of a renewable bioresource and fermentation process to produce products, such as lactic acid and ethanol. Recently, SSF has been extensively used to convert various sources of cellulose and starch into fermentative products. Here, we present a study on production of buttery flavors, namely diacetyl and acetoin, by growing Lactobacillus rhamnosus on a starch medium containing the enzyme glucoamylase. We further develop a structured kinetics for the SSF process, which includes enzyme and growth kinetics. The model was used to simulate the effect of pH and temperature on the SSF process so as to obtain optimum operating conditions. The model was experimentally verified by conducting SSF using an initial starch concentration of 100 g/L. The study demonstrated that the developed kinetic was able to suggest strategies for improved productivities. The developed model was able to accurately predict the enhanced productivity of flavors in a three stage process with intermittent addition of starch. Experimental and simulations demonstrated that citrate addition can also lead to enhanced productivity of flavors. The developed optimal model for SSF was able to capture the dynamics of SSF in batch mode as well as in a three stage process. The structured kinetics was also able to quantify the effect of multiple substrates present in the medium. The study demonstrated that structured kinetic models can be used in the future for design and optimization of SSF as a batch or a fed-batch process.

Weaning of the pig is generally regarded as a stressful event which could lead to clinical implications because of the changes in the intestinal ecosystem. The functional properties of microbiota inhabiting the pig's small intestine (SI), including lactobacilli which are assumed to exert health-promoting properties, are yet poorly described. Thus, we determined the ecophysiology of bacterial groups and within genus Lactobacillus in the SI of weaning piglets and the impact of dietary changes. The SI contents of 20 piglets, 4 killed at weaning (only sow milk and no creep feed) and 4 killed at 1, 2, 5, and 11 days post weaning (pw; cereal-based diet) were examined for bacterial cell count and bacterial metabolites by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Lactobacilli were the predominant group in the SI except at 1 day pw because of a marked reduction in their number. On day 11 pw, bifidobacteria and E. coli were not detected, and Enterobacteriaceae and members of the Clostridium coccoides/Eubacterium rectale cluster were only found occasionally. L. sobrius/L. amylovorus became dominant species whereas the abundance of L. salivarius and L. gasseri/johnsonii declined. Concentration of lactic acid increased pw whereas pH, volatile fatty acids, and ammonia decreased. Carbohydrate utilization of 76 Lactobacillus spp. isolates was studied revealing a shift from lactose and galactose to starch, cellobiose, and xylose, suggesting that the bacteria colonizing the SI of piglets adapt to the newly introduced nutrients during the early weaning period. Identification of isolates based on partial 16S rRNA gene sequence data and comparison with fermentation data furthermore suggested adaptation processes below the species level. The results of our study will help to understand intestinal bacterial ecophysiology and to develop nutritional regimes to prevent or counteract complications during the weaning transition.

We showed previously that fructooligosaccharides (FOS) decrease the resistance to salmonella infection in rats. However, the mechanism responsible for this effect is unclear. Therefore, we examined whether dietary FOS affects intestinal permeability before and after infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis. Male Wistar rats were fed restricted quantities of a purified diet that mimicked the composition of a Western human diet. The diet was supplemented with 60 g/kg cellulose (control) or 60 g/kg FOS and with 4 mmol/kg of the intestinal permeability marker chromium EDTA (CrEDTA) (n = 8 or 10). After an adaptation period of 2 wk, rats were orally infected with 10(8) colony-forming units (cfu) of S. enteritidis. Mucin concentrations in intestinal contents and mucosa were measured fluorimetrically, as markers of mucosal irritation. Intestinal permeability was determined by measuring urinary CrEDTA excretion. Translocation of salmonella was quantified by analysis of urinary nitric oxide metabolites with time. Before infection, FOS increased mucosal lactobacilli and enterobacteria in cecum and colon, but not in the ileum. However, FOS increased cytotoxicity of fecal water and intestinal permeability. Moreover, FOS increased fecal mucin excretion and mucin concentrations in cecal and colonic contents, and in cecal mucosa before infection. After infection, mucin excretion and intestinal permeability in the FOS groups increased even further in contrast to the control group. In addition, FOS increased translocation of salmonella to extraintestinal sites. Thus, FOS impairs the intestinal barrier in rats, as indicated by higher intestinal permeability. Whether these results can be extrapolated to humans requires further investigation.

Microbial interaction can be ignored in predictive microbiology under most conditions. We show that interactions are only important at high population densities, using published data on inhibition of growth of Listeria monocytogenes in broth. Our analysis using growth models from predictive microbiology indicated that interactions only occur at population densities of ∼108 cfu/ml of the protective cultures. Spoilage is evident at these levels, except for fermented foods. In bacterial colonies, diffusion limitation acts as a constraint to growth. We have shown that these constraints only become important after large outgrowth of colonies (in the order of 5-log growth in Lactobacillus curvatus colonies), which depends on the initial inoculation density. Intra-colony interactions play an important role under these conditions. There is no large outgrowth of colonies when the initial inoculation densities are high and broth culture growth can be used to approximate colony growth. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Chemicals/CAS: Culture Media

The fungus Rhizopus oryzae converts both glucose and xylose under aerobic conditions into chirally pure l(+)-lactic acid with by-products such as xylitol, glycerol, ethanol, carbon dioxide and fungal biomass. In this paper, we demonstrate that the production of lactic acid by R. oryzae CBS 112.07 only occurs under growing conditions. Deprivation of nutrients such as nitrogen, essential for fungal biomass formation, resulted in a cessation of lactic acid production. Complete xylose utilisation required a significantly lower C/N ratio (61/1) compared to glucose (201/1), caused by higher fungal biomass yields that were obtained with xylose as substrate. Decreasing the oxygen transfer rate resulted in decline of xylose consumption rates, whereas the conversion of glucose by R. oryzae was less affected. Both results were linked to the fact that R. oryzae CBS 112.07 utilises xylose via the two-step reduction/oxidation route. The consequences of these effects for R. oryzae as a potential lactic acid producer are discussed.

Background Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto is considered to be highly anthropophilic and volatiles of human origin provide essential cues during its host-seeking behaviour. A synthetic blend of three human-derived volatiles, ammonia, lactic acid and tetradecanoic acid, attracts A. gambiae. In addition, volatiles produced by human skin bacteria are attractive to this mosquito species. The purpose of the current study was to test the effect of ten compounds present in the headspace of human bacteria on the host-seeking process of A. gambiae. The effect of each of the ten compounds on the attractiveness of a basic blend of ammonia, lactic and tetradecanoic acid to A. gambiae was examined. Methods The host-seeking response of A. gambiae was evaluated in a laboratory set-up using a dual-port olfactometer and in a semi-field facility in Kenya using MM-X traps. Odorants were released from LDPE sachets and placed inside the olfactometer as well as in the MM-X traps. Carbon dioxide was added in the semi-field experiments, provided from pressurized cylinders or fermenting yeast. Results The olfactometer and semi-field set-up allowed for high-throughput testing of the compounds in blends and in multiple concentrations. Compounds with an attractive or inhibitory effect were identified in both bioassays. 3-Methyl-1-butanol was the best attractant in both set-ups and increased the attractiveness of the basic blend up to three times. 2-Phenylethanol reduced the attractiveness of the basic blend in both bioassays by more than 50%. Conclusions Identification of volatiles released by human skin bacteria led to the discovery of compounds that have an impact on the host-seeking behaviour of A. gambiae. 3-Methyl-1-butanol may be used to increase mosquito trap catches, whereas 2-phenylethanol has potential as a spatial repellent. These two compounds could be applied in push-pull strategies to reduce mosquito numbers in malaria endemic areas.