Effectiveness of microbial pretreatment by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora on different biomass feedstocks

Different types of feedstocks, including corn stover, wheat straw, soybean straw, switchgrass, and hardwood, were tested to evaluate the effectiveness of fungal pretreatment by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. After 18-d pretreatment, corn stover, switchgrass, and hardwood were effectively delignified by the fungus through manganese peroxidase and laccase. Correspondingly, glucose yields during enzymatic hydrolysis reached 56.50%, 37.15%, and 24.21%, respectively, which were a 2 to 3-fold increase over those of the raw materials. A further 10-30% increase in glucose yields was observed when pretreatment time extended to 35 d. In contrast, cellulose digestibility of wheat straw and soybean straw was not significantly improved by fungal pretreatment. When external carbon sources and enzyme inducers were added during fungal pretreatment of wheat straw and soybean straw, only glucose and malt extract addition improved cellulose digestibility of wheat straw. The cellulose digestibility of soybean straw was not improved.     

Ergosterol contents of some wood-rotting basidiomycete fungi grown in liquid and solid culture conditions

Ergosterol contents of six wood-rotting basidiomycetes were analyzed under different cultivation conditions. Four white-rot and two brown-rot fungi were cultivated in liquid synthetic medium with low nutrient nitrogen (2 mM) and 0.1% glucose, and ergosterol in mycelial biomasses were measured weekly for 35 days. The highest ergosterol content per fungal dry mass in the white-rot fungi was found in Phanerochaete chrysosporium being 2100 μg g⁻¹, while in Ceriporiopsis subvermispora it was 1700 μg g⁻¹, Phlebia radiata 700 μg g⁻¹, and Physisporinus rivulosus 560 μg g⁻¹. In brown-rot fungi the ergosterol content was in Poria placenta 2868 μg g⁻¹ and in Gloeophyllum trabeum 3915 μg g⁻¹. On agar media, P. chrysosporium and P. radiata reached the highest ergosterol value in 7 days, while in wood block cultures the ergosterol contents were quite stable. The conversion factors for ergosterol-to-fungal biomass varied from 48 and 243, which were lower than values for ascomycetous soil fungi reported in the literature.     

Bio-softening of mature coconut husk for facile coir recovery

Bio-softening of the mature coconut husk using Basidiomyceteous fungi was attempted to recover the soft and whiter fibers. The process was faster and more efficient in degrading lignin and toxic phenolics. Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pleurotus eryngii and Ceriporiopsis subvermispora were found to degrade lignin efficiently without any appreciable loss of cellulose, yielding good quality fiber ideal for dyeing.     

Evaluation of the white-rot fungi Ganoderma australe and Ceriporiopsis subvermispora in biotechnological applications

Ganoderma australe is a white-rot fungus that causes a selective wood biodelignification in some hardwoods found in the Chilean rainforest. Ceriporiopsis subvermispora is also a lignin-degrading fungus used in several biopulping studies. The enzymatic system responsible for lignin degradation in wood can also be used to degrade recalcitrant organic pollutants in liquid effluents. In this work, two strains of G. australe and one strain of C. subvermipora were comparatively evaluated in the biodegradation of ABTS and the dye Poly R-478 in liquid medium, and in the pretreatment of Eucalyptus globulus wood chips for further kraft biopulping. Laccase was detected in liquid and wood cultures with G. australe. Ceriporiopsis subvermispora produce laccase and manganese peroxidase when grown in liquid medium and only manganese peroxidase was detected during wood decay. ABTS was totally depleted by all strains after 8 days of incubation while Poly R-478 was degraded up to 40% with G. australe strains and up to 62% by C. subvermispora after 22 days of incubation. Eucalyptus globulus wood chips decayed for 15 days presented 1–6% of lignin loss and less than 2% of glucan loss. Kraft pulps with kappa number 15 were produced from biotreated wood chips with 2% less active alkali, with up to 3% increase in pulp yield and up to 20% less hexenuronic acids than pulps from undecayed control. Results showed that G. australe strains evaluated were not as efficient as C. subvermispora for dye and wood biodegradation, but could be used as a feasible alternative in biotechnological processes such as bioremediation and biopulping.     

Mycelium growth kinetics and optimal temperature conditions for the cultivation of edible mushroom species on lignocellulosic substrates

The influence of environmental parameters on mycelial linear growth ofPleurotus ostreatus, P. eryngii, P. pulmonarius, Agrocybe aegerita, Lentinula edodes, Volvariella volvacea andAuricularia auricula-judae was determined in two different nutrient media in a wide range of temperature, forming the basis for the assessment of their temperature optimaV. volvacea grew faster at 35°C,P. eryngii at 25°C,P. ostreatus andP. pulmonarius at 30°C,A. aegerita at 25 or 30°C andA. auricula-judae at 20 or 25°C depending on the nutrient medium used andL. edodes at 20 or 30°C depending on the strain examined. The mycelium extension rates were evaluated on seven mushroom cultivation substrates: wheat straw, cotton gin-trash, peanut shells, poplar sawdust, oak sawdust, corn cobs and olive press-cake. The mycelium extension rates (linear growth and colonization rates) were determined by the ‘race-tube’ technique, and were found to be the highest on cotton gin-trash, peanut shells and poplar sawdust forPleurotus spp. andA. aegerita. Wheat straw, peanut shells and particularly cotton gin-trash supported fast growth ofV. volvacea, whereas wheat straw was the most suitable substrate forL. edodes andA. auricula-judae. Supplemented oak sawdust and olive press-cake were poor substrates for most species examined, white almost all strains performed adequately on corn cobs.     

Fate of Escherichia coli O145 present naturally in bovine slurry applied to vegetables before harvest,after washing and simulated wholesale and retail distribution

Aims

To determine the fate of Escherichia coli on vegetables that were processed through commercial wash treatments and stored under simulated retail conditions at 4°C or wholesale at fluctuating ambient temperatures (0–25°C, dependent on season).

Methods and Results

Bovine slurry that was naturally contaminated with E. coli O145 was applied without dilution or diluted 1:10 using borehole water to growing potatoes, leeks or carrots. Manure was applied 1 week prior to harvest to simulate a near‐harvest contamination event by manure deposition or an application of contaminated water to simulate a flooding event or irrigation from a contaminated water source. At harvest, crops were contaminated at up to 2 log cfu g^?1. Washing transferred E. coli into the water of a flotation tank used for potato washing and did not completely remove all traces of contamination from the crop. Manure‐contaminated potatoes were observed to contain 0·72 cfu E. coli O145 g^?1 after processing and retail storage. Manure‐contaminated leeks harboured 0·73–1·55 cfu E. coli O145 g^?1 after washing and storage. There was no cross‐contamination when leeks were spray washed. Washing in an abrasive drum resulted in less than perfect decontamination for manure‐contaminated carrots. There were five post‐distribution isolations from carrots irrigated with contaminated water 24 h prior to harvest.

Conclusions

Standard commercial washing and distribution conditions may be insufficient to reliably control human pathogenic E. coli on fresh produce.

Significance and Impact

Previous speculation that the cause of a UK foodborne disease outbreak was soil from imperfectly cleaned vegetables is plausible.     

The effects of N+ ion implantation mutagenesis on the laccase production of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora

In order to obtain genetically stable, high-yield, laccase-producing strains, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora was induced by N⁺ ion implantation and subcultured. The results revealed that, with energy of 30 keV and a dose of 80×10¹⁴ ions/cm², a relatively high increase in mutations and positive mutations were achieved. Three screened high-yield strains (NL3, NL4, and NL6) were obtained and subcultured. The results of the comparison showed that, NL4 had stable genetic traits and the highest laccase activity (323 U/L). In the course of fermentation, NL4 entered a vigorous growth period 24 h ahead of the original strain, and produced a large amount of laccase during the stationary phase. Up until the sixth day of fermentation achieved the highest laccase activity of 377 U/L, and a corresponding biomass dry weight of 4.2 mg/mL. The relative laccase activity of the per gram dry cells was 89.76 U, which was 4.79 times that of the original strain. The results indicated that N⁺ ion implantation was an ideal technique for microbial breeding, which could be applied for the improvement of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora.     

Potential of selected fungal species to degrade wheat straw,the most abundant plant raw material in Europe

Background

Structural component of plant biomass, lignocellulose, is the most abundant renewable resource in nature. Lignin is the most recalcitrant natural aromatic polymer and its degradation presents great challenge. Nowadays, the special attention is given to biological delignification, the process where white-rot fungi take the crucial place owing to strong ligninolytic enzyme system. However, fungal species, even strains, differ in potential to produce high active ligninolytic enzymes and consequently to delignify plant biomass. Therefore, the goals of the study were characterization of Mn-oxidizing peroxidases and laccases of numerous mushrooms as well as determination of their potential to delignify wheat straw, the plant raw material that, according to annual yield, takes the first place in Europe and the second one in the world.

Results

During wheat straw fermentation, Lentinus edodes HAI 858 produced the most active Mn-dependent and Mn-independent peroxidases (1443.2 U L⁻¹ and 1045.5 U L⁻¹, respectively), while Pleurotus eryngii HAI 711 was the best laccase producer (7804.3 U L⁻¹). Visualized bends on zymogram confirmed these activities and demonstrated that laccases were the dominant ligninolytic enzymes in the studied species. Ganoderma lucidum BEOFB 435 showed considerable ability to degrade lignin (58.5%) and especially hemicellulose (74.8%), while the cellulose remained almost intact (0.7%). Remarkable selectivity in lignocellulose degradation was also noted in Pleurotus pulmonarius HAI 573 where degraded amounts of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose were in ratio of 50.4%:15.3%:3.8%.

Conclusions

According to the presented results, it can be concluded that white-rot fungi, due to ligninolytic enzymes features and degradation potential, could be important participants in various biotechnological processes including biotransformation of lignocellulose residues/wastes in food, feed, paper and biofuels.

     

Postprocessing microflora of commercial attieke (a fermented cassava product) produced in the south of Côte d'Ivoire

The distribution and presence of hygiene indicator and pathogenic micro‐organisms in 375 samples of attieke marketed in Côte d'Ivoire, and their roles in the food poisoning were evaluated. Microbiological analyses were carried out, which included the total viable bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Bacillus spores, fungi and Clostridium perfringens. The results revealed that the viable bacteria counts ranged from 2·2 ± 1·2 × 10⁵ to 3·4 ± 1·4 × 10⁶ CFU g^?1, while the yeasts and the moulds counts ranged, respectively, from 2·4 ± 0·12 × 10⁴ to 9·8 ± 0·4 × 10⁵ CFU g^?1 and 1·3 ± 0·7 × 10¹ to 1·7 ± 0·7 × 10² CFU g^?1. Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Citrobacter freundi, Enterobacter amnigenus, Citrobacter youngae, Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia marcescens, Enterobacter agglomerans and Klebsiella oxytoca were the bacteria isolated, and Rhizopus spp., Mucor spp., Thamnidium spp., Fusarium spp., Moniliella spp. the fungi. Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella spp. were not found. The occurrence of some bacteria and fungi illustrate that attieke collected in Côte d'Ivoire markets may act as a reservoir of pathogenic micro‐organisms for human.

Significance and Impact of Study

This study demonstrates the great need to carry out microbiological tests frequently on attieke and even more the need to apply correct HACCP system during the production. Attieke is especially a well‐known product in West Africa; hence, it is extremely important to ensure an adequate microbiological quality to guarantee consumers health. Overall, the study highlighted the need for effective communication on microbiological food risks, proper instruction and supervision in food‐handling procedures, greater education on food safety risks.     

Fungal pretreatment to enhance the yield of phytochemicals and evaluation of α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition using Cinnamomum zeylanicum (L.) quills pressurized water extracts

Bioactive compounds entrapped in plant materials can be effectively recovered using fungal enzymes. Cinnamomum zeylanicum Sri Wijaya (SW) and Sri Gemunu (SG) accessions and commercially available C. zeylanicum (CC) were subjected to fungal pretreatment and extracted with pressured water (PWE, 0·098 MPa). Thirteen fungal species were isolated and the substrate utilization ability of the species was tested using cellulose, pectin and lignin (indirectly). Total phenolic content (TPC, Folin–Ciocalteu method), proanthocyanidin content (PC, vanillin method) and α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory potential of the extracts were evaluated. The anti-diabetic drug, Acarbose was used as the positive control. Trichoderma harzianum (MH298760) showed the highest cell lysis ability and hence was used for the microbial pretreatment process. Extracts of SW treated with T. harzianum species (Pre-SW) gave the highest percentage yield (4·08% ± 0·15%), significantly potent inhibition (P < 0·05) of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities (IC₅₀ 57 ± 8 and 36 ± 8 μg ml⁻¹ respectively), TPC (2·24 ± 0·02 mg gallic acid equivalent g⁻¹), and PC (48·2 ± 0·4 mg of catechin equivalent g⁻¹) compared to Pre-SG, Pre-CC and nontreated samples. Trichoderma harzianum treatment can enhance the hypoglycaemic properties, PC and TPC of Cinnamon extracts and provide new insights into the recovery of phytochemicals.     

Functional and Phylogenetic Divergence of Fungal Adenylate-Forming Reductases

A key step in fungal l-lysine biosynthesis is catalyzed by adenylate-forming l-α-aminoadipic acid reductases, organized in domains for adenylation, thiolation, and the reduction step. However, the genomes of numerous ascomycetes and basidiomycetes contain an unexpectedly large number of additional genes encoding similar but functionally distinct enzymes. Here, we describe the functional in vitro characterization of four reductases which were heterologously produced in Escherichia coli. The Ceriporiopsis subvermispora serine reductase Nps1 features a terminal ferredoxin-NADP⁺ reductase (FNR) domain and thus belongs to a hitherto undescribed class of fungal multidomain enzymes. The second major class is characterized by the canonical terminal short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase domain and represented by Ceriporiopsis subvermispora Nps3 as the first biochemically characterized l-α-aminoadipic acid reductase of basidiomycete origin. Aspergillus flavus l-tyrosine reductases LnaA and LnbA are members of a distinct phylogenetic clade. Phylogenetic analysis supports the view that fungal adenylate-forming reductases are more diverse than previously recognized and belong to four distinct classes.     

Enrichment of laccase production by Phoma herbarum isolate KU4 under solid-state fermentation by optimizing RSM coefficients using genetic algorithm

The process parameters were optimized to obtain enhanced enzyme activity from the fungus Phoma herbarum isolate KU4 using rice straw and saw dust as substrate under solid-state fermentation using Response surface methodology (RSM). Genetic algorithm was used to validate the RSM for maximum laccase production. Six variables, viz., pH of the media, initial moisture content, copper sulphate concentration, concentration of tannic acid, inoculum concentration and incubation time were found to be effective and optimized for enhanced production. Maximum laccase production was achieved by RSM at pH 5·0 and 86% of initial moisture content of the culture medium, 150 µmol l⁻¹ of CuSO₄, 1·5% tannic acid and 0·128 g inoculum g⁻¹ dry substrate inoculum size on the fourth day of fermentation. The highest laccase activity was observed as 79 008 U g⁻¹, which is approximately sixfold enhanced production compared to the unoptimized condition (12 085·26 U g⁻¹).     

Characterization and flocculation properties of biopolymeric flocculant (glycosaminoglycan) produced by Cellulomonas sp. Okoh

Aims

Bioflocculant production potential of an actinobacteria isolated from a freshwater environment was evaluated and the bioflocculant characterized.

Methods and Results

16S rDNA nucleotide sequence and BLAST analysis was used to identify the actinobacteria and fermentation conditions, and nutritional requirements were evaluated for optimal bioflocculant production. Chemical analyses, FTIR, 1H NMR spectrometry and SEM imaging of the purified bioflocculant were carried out. The 16S rDNA nucleotide sequences showed 93% similarities to three Cellulomonas species (strain 794, Cellulomonas flavigena DSM 20109 and Cellulomonas flavigena NCIMB 8073), and the sequences was deposited in GenBank as Cellulomonas sp. Okoh (accession number HQ537132 ). Bioflocculant was optimally produced at an initial pH 7, incubation temperature 30°C, agitation speed of 160 rpm and an inoculum size of 2% (vol/vol) of cell density 1·5 × 10⁸ cfu ml^?1. Glucose (88·09% flocculating activity; yield: 4·04 ± 0·33 g l^?1), (NH₄)₂NO₃ (82·74% flocculating activity; yield: 4·47 ± 0·55 g l^?1) and MgCl₂ (90·40% flocculating activity; yield: 4·41 g l^?1) were the preferred nutritional source. Bioflocculant chemical analyses showed carbohydrate, protein and uronic acids in the proportion of 28·9, 19·3 and 18·7% in CPB and 31·4, 18·7 and 32·1% in PPB, respectively. FTIR and 1H NMR indicated the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl and amino groups amongst others typical of glycosaminoglycan. SEM imaging revealed horizontal pleats of membranous sheets closely packed.

Conclusion

Cellulomonas sp. produces bioflocculant predominantly composed of glycosaminoglycan polysaccharides with high flocculation activity.

Significance and Impact of the Study

High flocculation activity suggests suitability for industrial applications; hence, it may serve to replace the hazardous flocculant used in water treatment.     

Biobleaching of wheat straw pulp with recombinant laccase from the hyperthermophilic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thermus thermophilus</Emphasis>

The recombinant laccase from Thermus thermophilus was applied to the biobleaching of wheat straw pulp. The best bleaching effect was when the pulp was treated with 3 U laccase g⁻¹ dry pulp at 90°C, pH 4.5, 8% consistency for 1.5 h. Under these conditions, the pulp brightness was increased by 3.3% ISO, and the pulp kappa number was decreased by 5.6 U. Enzymatic treatment improved the bleachability of wheat straw pulp but caused no damage to the pulp fibers. The use of enzyme-treated pulp saved 25% H₂O₂ consumption in subsequent peroxide bleaching without decreasing the final brightness. Pulp biobleaching in the presence of 5 mM ABTS further increased the pulp brightness by 1.5% ISO. This is the first report on the application of laccase from T. thermophilus in the pulp and paper sector.     

Identification and characterization of rhizosphere fungal strain MF‐91 antagonistic to rice blast and sheath blight pathogens

Aim

To examine the inhibition effects of rhizosphere fungal strain MF‐91 on the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe grisea and sheath blight pathogen Rhizoctonia solani.

Methods and Results

Rhizosphere fungal strain MF‐91 and its metabolites suppressed the in vitro mycelial growth of R. solani. The inhibitory effect of the metabolites was affected by incubation temperature, lighting time, initial pH and incubation time of rhizosphere fungal strain MF‐91. The in vitro mycelial growth of M. grisea was insignificantly inhibited by rhizosphere fungal strain MF‐91 and its metabolites. The metabolites of rhizosphere fungal strain MF‐91 significantly inhibited the conidial germination and appressorium formation of M. grisea. Moreover, the metabolites reduced the disease index of rice sheath blight by 35·02% in a greenhouse and 57·81% in a field as well as reduced the disease index of rice blast by 66·07% in a field. Rhizosphere fungal strain MF‐91 was identified as Chaetomium aureum based on the morphological observation, the analysis of 18S ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequence and its physiological characteristics, such as the optimal medium, temperature and initial pH for mycelial growth and sporulation production.

Conclusions

Rhizosphere fungus C. aureum is effective in the biocontrolling of rice blast pathogen M. grisea and sheath blight pathogen R. solani both in in vitro and in vivo conditions.

Significance and Impact of the Study

This study is the first to show that rhizosphere fungus C. aureum is a potential fungicide against rice blast and sheath blight pathogens.     

Biomass,laccase and endoglucanase production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lentinula edodes</Emphasis> during solid state fermentation of reed grass,bean stalks and wheat straw residues

Mycelium growth rates, biomass concentration (estimated as glucosamine content) and laccase and endoglucanase secretion were monitored during solid state fermentation (SSF) of wheat straw (WS), reed grass (RG) and bean stalk (BS) residues by Lentinula edodes strains 119, 121, and 122. In a first experiment, these strains were subjected to screening regarding their growth rates and biomass yield, where strain 121 proved to be the fastest colonizer. However, the greater biomass yield at the end of colonization was demonstrated by strain 122 on BS (465.93 mg g⁻¹ d.w.). In a second experiment, growth characters, as well as endoglucanase and laccase production patterns of the selected strains 121 and 122 were monitored at three intervals i.e., at 33, 66, and 100% of substrate colonization. BS furnished the highest endoglucanase production for strain 121, while RG for strain 122. A strain and substrate-dependent behaviour of the enzyme secretion was detected, with strain 122 presenting maximal endoglucanase activity in all substrates at the initial (33%) and final (100%) stages of colonization (0.64–0.90 and 0.79–0.97 U g^−1, respectively). However, in strain 121 the peak of endoglucanase production was detected in the early stages of colonization (at 33% on WS and at 66% on RG and BS). Laccase activity showed increased values (maxima on WS, 353.68 and 548.67 U g⁻¹ by strains 121 and 122, respectively) at 66% of colonization. Correlation analysis of growth data demonstrated negative relations between growth rate and biomass yield and between laccase and endoglucanase activities on WS and RG substrates fermented by strain 122. Finally, possible relations of growth parameters with nutritional constituents of the substrates were investigated.     

Microbial diversity and prevalence of foodborne pathogens in cheap and junk foods consumed by primary schoolchildren

Aerobic plate counts (APC), coliforms, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and eight foodborne pathogens were tested in 1008 cheap and junk foods, including candies, dried cakes, chewing gum, chocolate, dried and seasoned seafood, ice cream, and sugary foods. APCs were positive for 342 samples (33·9%), and the majority of the counts were 2–3 log CFU g^?1 or ml^?1 (average: 1·10 log CFU g^?1 or ml^?1). Most samples (97·3%) contained no coliforms (average: 0·07 log CFU g^?1 or ml^?1). Bacillus cereus was detected in 68 samples (average: 0·14 log CFU g^?1 or ml^?1). Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes were detected in 6 and 1 samples, respectively, whereas other foodborne pathogens were not isolated. The highest bacterial counts were associated with dried and seasoned seafood products and dried cakes, suggesting that appropriate regulations of these food types should be considered. Cheap and junk foods were produced mainly in developing countries, but there were no significant differences in the bacterial counts among different countries of origin. The presence of foodborne pathogens may pose a risk for children. These results suggest that there is cause for deeper concern about the safety of these foods and that effective countermeasures should be established to improve their microbiological safety.

Significance and Impact of the Study

Food safety is especially important for children, but only limited information is available about the microbiological quality of cheap and junk foods that are consumed frequently by primary schoolchildren (e.g. dried cakes, candies and chocolates). The present study investigated the microbial quality of cheap and junk foods, and our results indicate that these foods are a potential health risk for children, therefore, deeper concern about the safety of these foods and effective countermeasures should be established to improve their microbiological safety. The present study may contribute to the development of an appropriate child food safety management system.     

Surface carbohydrate analysis and bioethanol production of sugarcane bagasse pretreated with the white rot fungus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora and microwave hydrothermolysis

Effects of pretreatments with a white rot fungus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, and microwave hydrothermolysis of bagasse on enzymatic saccharification and fermentation were evaluated. The best sugar yield, 44.9 g per 100 g of bagasse was obtained by fungal treatments followed by microwave hydrothermolysis at 180 °C for 20 min. Fluorescent-labeled carbohydrate-binding modules which recognize crystalline cellulose (CjCBM3-GFP), non-crystalline cellulose (CjCBM28-GFP) and xylan (CtCBM22-GFP) were applied to characterize the exposed polysaccharides. The microwave pretreatments with and without the fungal cultivation resulted in similar levels of cellulose exposure, but the combined treatment caused more defibration and thinning of the plant tissues. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of the pulp fractions obtained by microwave hydrothermolysis with and without fungal treatment, gave ethanol yields of 35.8% and 27.0%, respectively, based on the holocellulose content in the pulp. These results suggest that C. subvermispora pretreatment could be beneficial part of the process to produce ethanol from bagasse.     

Substrate-dependent degradation patterns in the decay of wheat straw and beech wood by ligninolytic fungi

Summary The ability of 45 fungal strains to degrade wheat straw and beech wood was studied. Degradation patterns were defined in terms of chemical evolution of substrates and changes in lignin and polysaccharides. Trametes versicolor produced an important degradation of lignin and increased substrate digestibility, but it caused high weight losses and gave rise to similar decay patterns on both substrates. A preferential degradation of lignin was produced during straw transformation by Pleurotus eryngii. The increase of soluble lignin and decreases of lignin content and H/C ratio defined the degradation tendency after principal component analysis. The cation exchange capacity and water and alkali solubility presented the highest loading factors for the characterization of fungal transformation of beech wood. Offprint requests to: A. T. Martínez     

Spaceflight‐induced enhancement of 2‐keto‐L‐gulonic acid production by a mixed culture of Ketogulonigenium vulgare and Bacillus thuringiensis

Two bacterial strains used for industrial production of 2‐keto‐L‐gulonic acid (2‐KLG), Ketogulonigenium vulgare 2 and Bacillus thuringiensis 1514, were loaded onto the spacecraft Shenzhou VII and exposed to space conditions for 68 h in an attempt to increase their fermentation productivities of 2‐KLG. An optimal combination of mutants B. thuringiensis 320 and K. vulgare 2194 (KB2194‐320) was identified by systematically screening the pH and 2‐KLG production of 16 000 colonies. Compared with the coculture of parent strains, the conversion rate of L‐sorbose to 2‐KLG by KB2194‐320 in shake flask fermentation was increased significantly from 82·7% to 95·0%. Furthermore, a conversion rate of 94·5% and 2‐KLG productivity of 1·88 g l^?1 h^?1 were achieved with KB2194‐320 in industrial‐scale fermentation (260 m³ fermentor). An observed increase in cell number of K2194 (increased by 47·8%) during the exponential phase and decrease in 2‐KLG reductase activity (decreased by 46·0%) were assumed to explain the enhanced 2‐KLG production. The results suggested that the mutants KB2194‐320 could be ideal substitutes for the currently employed strains in the 2‐KLG fermentation process and demonstrated the feasibility of using spaceflight to breed high‐yielding 2‐KLG‐producing strains for vitamin C production.

Significance and Impact of the Study

KB2194‐320, a combination of two bacterial strains bred by spaceflight mutation, exhibited significantly improved 2‐KLG productivity and hence could potentially increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of vitamin C production by the two‐step fermentation process. In addition, a new pH indicator method was applied for rational screening of K2, which dramatically improved the efficiency of screening.