Production and comparison of high surface area bamboo derived active carbons

High surface area activated carbons have been produced from the natural biomaterial bamboo, using phosphoric acid as the activating agent. The effects of phosphoric acid impregnation ratio, activation temperature, heating rate on the carbon surface area, porosity and mass yield are presented. Three of these bamboo derived active carbons, surface areas 1337, 1628 and 2123m(2)/g were assessed for their ability to adsorb Acid Red 18 dye from aqueous solution; these results were compared with three conventional adsorbents: activated carbon F400, bone char and peat. Isotherm data were analysed using Langmuir, Freundlich, Redlich-Peterson and Langmuir-Freundlich isotherms. Different isotherms provided the best fit correlations to the adsorption experimental data but the Langmuir-Freundlich equation provided the best overall correlation of data. The adsorption capacities of two of the selected bamboo derived carbons were much greater than the capacities of the other three adsorbents.     

Enzymatic hydrolysis of waste office paper using viscosity as operating parameter

Enzymatic hydrolysis of waste office (WO) paper with feeding WO paper in a reactor was investigated using apparent viscosity as operating parameter. Since the apparent viscosity was correlated with the concentration of pulping WO paper, the amount of hydrolyzed WO paper was assumed by measuring the decrease in the apparent viscosity. Then the amount of hydrolysis WO paper and the amount of enzyme corresponding to the desired ratio were fed into the reactor. When the WO paper and 1% (to the amount of WO paper) enzyme were fed to the hydrolytic reaction, 87 g/L of reducing sugar (RS) with a hydrolytic yield of 42.2% was obtained for a 24-h hydrolysis. However, when nonpulping WO paper and 5% (to the amount of WO paper) enzyme were fed to the hydrolytic reaction, 120 g/L of RS with a hydrolytic yield of 40% was obtained for a 24-h hydrolysis. Therefore, the RS concentration from this hydrolysis process feeding WO paper using apparent viscosity as operating parameter may be of sufficient concentration to serve as a carbon source in microorganism culture or chemical feedstock.     

工业木质素预处理及催化转化苯酚

传统化石能源日益枯竭以及环境污染压力日益加大使得开发以生物质为代表的可替代能源迫在眉睫,木质素作为仅次于纤维素的生物质中第二大主要成分用来制备高附加值化学品是提高生物质资源利用效率的关键。本文将工业木质素进行预处理后采用双液相反应体系将工业木质素转化为苯酚等化合物,使用微波辐照代替传统的加热,考察了预处理方式、温度、时间等条件对产物收率的影响。结果表明,以1-甲基-3-乙基咪唑醋酸盐([EMIM]OAc)处理的工业木质素在微波反应器输出功率为400 W、反应温度为90℃、催化剂为1-甲基-3-胺乙基咪唑四氟硼酸盐([AEMIM]BF4)双液相反应体系中反应60 min苯酚的收率最高可达8.14%。     

Adsorptive removal of inhibitory by-product in the enzymatic production of optically active D-p-hydroxyphenylglycine from 5-substituted hydantoin

Summary One-step enzymatic production of D-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-HPG) from 5-substituted hydantoin was carried out using a bacterium Agrobacterium sp I-671 which possesses D-hydantoinase and N-carbamoylase. From the inhibition study, it was found that N-carbamoylase was severely inhibited by ammonium ions which is co-produced with D-HPG. In order to increase the conversion yield of D-HPG, simultanious removal of inhibitory by-product from reaction mixture was carried out using the specific adsorbents for ammonium ions. The conversion yield of D-HPG reached about 98% in the presence of adsorbents in 27 hours, while 50% conversion was observed in the absence of adsorbents.     

Kinetic modeling of brewery's spent grain autohydrolysis

Isothermal autohydrolysis treatments of brewery's spent grain were used as a method for hemicellulose solubilization and xylo-oligosaccharides production. The time course of the concentrations of residual hemicelluloses (made up of xylan and arabinan) and reaction products were determined in experiments carried out at temperatures in the range from 150 to 190 degrees C using liquid-to-solid ratios of 8 and 10 g/g. To model the experimental findings concerning to brewery's spent grain autohydrolysis several kinetic models based on sequential pseudo-homogeneous first-order reactions were tested. Xylan and arabinan were assumed to yield oligosaccharides, monosaccharides (xylose or arabinose), furfural, and other decomposition products in consecutive reaction steps. The models proposed provide a satisfactory interpretation of the hydrolytic conversion of xylan and arabinan. An additional model merging the two proposed models for xylan and arabinan degradation assuming that furfural was formed from both pentoses was developed and the results obtained are discussed. The dependence of the calculated kinetic coefficients on temperature was established using Arrhenius-type equations.     

不同碳源条件下广叶绣球菌转录组分析

【背景】广叶绣球菌(Sparassis latifolia)是一种名贵的食用菌,其木质纤维素降解的分子机制尚不明确。【目的】了解广叶绣球菌在不同碳源条件下木质纤维素降解相关基因表达动态。【方法】通过转录组测序技术对分别以葡萄糖、纤维素+木质素、纤维素及松木屑为碳源的广叶绣球菌基因表达谱进行分析。以葡萄糖为碳源的样本为对照,分别对不同碳源下广叶绣球菌显著差异表达的基因进行功能分析。【结果】Geneontology(Go)富集分析表明,以葡萄糖为碳源的样本为对照,差异表达基因主要富集在碳水化合物利用的过程,如多糖催化过程、碳水化合物催化过程、碳水化合物代谢过程及多糖代谢过程等。碳水化合物活性酶(Carbohydrate-activeenzymes,CAZymes)功能注释表明,碳源种类主要影响了半纤维素和纤维素降解相关糖苷水解酶家族基因的表达,其中涉及半纤维素降解的相关酶基因上调幅度最大。同时,在纤维素+木质素、松木屑为碳源的处理组中一些转录因子基因上调表达显著。【结论】不同碳源显著影响了广叶绣球菌基因表达谱,这种对碳源的适应也可能反映了广叶绣球菌攻击植物细胞壁的机制,研究结果为深入了解广叶绣球菌木质纤维素降解的分子机理和相关功能基因提供了一些参考。     

Preparation and characterization of activated carbon produced from rice straw by (NH4)2HPO4 activation

Effects of different pretreatment protocols in (NH(4))(2)HPO(4) activation of rice straw on porous activated carbon evolution were evaluated. The pore structure, morphology and surface chemistry of obtained activated carbons were investigated by nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that pretreatment combining impregnation with (NH(4))(2)HPO(4) and preoxidation could significantly affect the physicochemical properties of prepared activated carbons. The apparent surface area and total pore volume as high as 1154 m(2)/g and 0.670 cm(3)/g were obtained respectively, when combined process of impregnation followed by preoxidation at 200°C and activation at 700°C was carried out. Meanwhile, the activated carbon yield and maximum methylene blue adsorption capacity up to 41.14% and 129.5 mg/g were achieved, respectively. The results exhibited that (NH(4))(2)HPO(4) could be an effective activating agent for producing activated carbons from rice straw.     

Assessment of black liquor gasification in supercritical water

Supercritical water gasification of black liquor (waste pulping chemicals) has been examined. The aim was to evaluate the feasibility of using this technique to convert such bio-based waste to value added fuel products, as well as recovery of pulping materials. Supercritical gasification may improve overall process efficiency by eliminating the energy intensive evaporation step necessary in conventional process and product gas obtained at high pressure may be ready for utilization without any compression requirement. Appropriate operating parameters, including pressure, temperature, feed concentration, and reaction time, which would yield the highest conversion and energy efficiency were determined. Reaction was performed in a quartz capillary heated in a fluidized bed reactor. Results indicated that pressure between 220 and 400 atm has insignificant influence on the gas products and extent of carbon conversion. Increasing temperature and residence time between 375-650 degrees C and 5-120 s resulted in greater gas production, overall carbon conversion, and energy efficiency. Maximum conversion to H(2), CO, CH(4), and C(2)H(X) was achieved at the highest temperature and longest residence time tested showing an overall carbon conversion of 84.8%, gas energy content of 9.4 MJ/m(3) and energy conversion ratio of 1.2. Though higher carbon conversion and energy conversion ratio were obtained with more dilute liquor, energy content was lower than for those with higher solid contents. Due to anticipated complex design and high initial investment cost of this operation, further studies on overall feasibility should be carried out in order to identify the optimum operating window for this novel process.     

Effect of alkaline and autohydrolysis processes on the purity of obtained hemicelluloses from corn stalks

A study of the potential of autohydrolysis and alkaline extraction processes from corn stalks was performed for high purity hemicellulose extraction. The influence of process parameters on the purity of obtained hemicelluloses was analyzed. An experimental design was developed for the autohydrolysis treatments to determine the optimal conditions to solubilize the hemicelluloses with lowest content in contaminants. On the other hand, alkaline extraction, including raw material pretreatment (dewaxing and delignification step) was carried out analyzing the effectiveness of this processes for maximum pure hemicellulose recovery. The maximum yield (54% of the raw material hemicelluloses) and the best physicochemical properties (highest hemicellulose content free of lignin) were obtained with these pretreatments in alkaline extraction. Moreover, the effect of lignin removal by sulfuric acid from the autohydrolysis liquors before hemicellulose precipitation was studied. This purification step has allowed to obtain lignin-free autohydrolysis hemicellulose but with the presence of sulfur as predominant contaminant.     

Is post-contrast MRI a valuable method for the study of the nutrition of the intervertebral disc?

Decreased nutrition has been proposed as a potential mechanism leading to intervertebral disc degeneration. A method to investigate it in vivo is the MRI evaluation of the transport of a paramagnetic contrast agent, which is assumed to diffuse through the endplate to the disc using the same mechanisms as the cell nutrients. However, previous numerical studies questioned the value of this method as a model to investigate disc nutrition. To assess its validity, a parametric osmoporoelastic finite element model of a lumbar intervertebral disc incorporating diffusion and convection of a solute (representing the contrast agent) was developed. A Taguchi sensitivity analysis was performed in order to assess the relevance of various parameters which influence the solute transport. Subsequently, a full-factorial sensitivity analysis was used to investigate specifically the diffusion coefficients of the contrast agent. The most important parameters in determining the results were the disc height, the diffusion coefficients and the pharmacokinetic of the contrast agent. However, diffusion coefficients values as measured in in vitro studies would lead to insubstantial enhancement of the MRI signal. Thus, transport mechanisms other than pure diffusion should be active in in vivo transport of the contrast agent. In conclusion, the study showed that post-contrast MRI may not be suited for a quantitative analysis, but only for a qualitative examination aimed for example to detect endplate lesions. Open questions remain on the use of post-contrast MRI for the investigation of the relevance of reduced nutrition as a trigger to disc degeneration.     

Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from palm shell by chemical activation with K2CO3

Palm shell was used to prepare activated carbon using potassium carbonate (K2CO3) as activating agent. The influence of carbonization temperatures (600-1000 degrees C) and impregnation ratios (0.5-2.0) of the prepared activated carbon on the pore development and yield were investigated. Results showed that in all cases, increasing the carbonization temperature and impregnation ratio, the yield decreased, while the adsorption of CO2 increased, progressively. Specific surface area of activated carbon was maximum about 1170 m2/g at 800 degrees C with activation duration of 2 h and at an impregnation ratio of 1.0.     

Examining the role of particle size on ammonia‐based bioprocessing of maize stover

The role of particle size in carbohydrate fractionation upon pretreatment and glucan yields upon enzymatic hydrolysis was investigated at two different temperatures, to examine the possibility of pretreating under milder conditions smaller particles, in order to satisfy pilot‐scale operational constraints. Maize stover was knife‐milled through 1‐mm and 0.5‐mm screens and pretreated by soaking in aqueous ammonia pretreatment at 60 or 110°C for 6 h. Pretreated solids were analyzed for composition and a material balance calculated for glucan, xylan, and lignin. At 60°C, milling resulted in greater delignification compared to unmilled biomass. Delignification was more uniform at 110°C. Pretreated solids were washed and cellulase hydrolysis carried out at 10% w/w solids loading, with low and high enzyme loadings. Liquid samples were drawn and concentration data developed through HPLC to calculate 48‐h glucan and xylan hydrolytic yields. The differences in hydrolytic yield between milled and unmilled treatments were found to vary with pretreatment temperature and enzyme loading. The results show that while particle size impacts carbohydrate recovery and hydrolytic yield, it is less important in bioprocessing than pretreatment temperature and enzyme loading, possibly owing to the particles’ morphology rather than the size. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:134–140, 2016     

Fractionation of Eucalyptus grandis chips by dilute acid-catalysed steam explosion

Steam explosion of Eucalyptus grandis has been carried out under various pretreatment conditions (200-210 degrees C, 2-5 min) after impregnation of the wood chips with 0.087 and 0.175% (w/w) H2SO4. This study, arranged as a 2(3) factorial design, indicated that pretreatment temperature is the most critical variable affecting the yield of steam-treated fractions. Pretreatment of 0.175% (w/w) H2SO4-impregnated chips at 210 degrees C for 2 min was the best condition for hemicellulose recovery (mostly as xylose) in the water soluble fraction, reaching almost 70% of the corresponding xylose theoretical yield. By contrast, lower pretreatment temperatures of 200 degrees C were enough to yield steam-treated substrates from which a 90% cellulose conversion was obtained in 48 h, using low enzyme loadings of a Celluclast 1.5 1 plus Novozym 188 mixture (Novo Nordisk). Release of water-soluble chromophores was monitored by UV spectroscopy and their concentration increased with pretreatment severity. The yield of alkali-soluble lignin increased at higher levels of acid impregnation and pretreatment temperatures. Thermoanalysis of these lignin fractions indicated a pattern of lignin fragmentation towards greater pretreatment severities but lignin condensation prevailed at the most drastic pretreatment conditions.     

iTRAQ-based quantitative secretome analysis of Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The basidiomycete fungi such as Phanerochaete chrysosporium secrete large amount of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes and degrade lignocellulosic biomass. The lignin depolymerizing proteins were extensively studied, but cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin hydrolyzing enzymes were poorly explored. In this study P. chrysosporium was grown in cellulose, lignin and mixture of cellulose and lignin, and secretory proteins were quantified by isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative proteomics using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). An iTRAQ quantified 117 enzymes comprising cellulose hydrolyzing endoglucanases, exoglucanases, beta-glucosidases; hemicelluloses hydrolyzing xylanases, acetylxylan esterases, mannosidases, mannanases; pectin-degrading enzymes polygalacturonase, rhamnogalacturonase, arabinose and lignin degrading protein belonging to oxidoreductase family. Under cellulose and cellulose with lignin culture conditions, enzymes such as endoglucanases, exoglucanases, β-glucosidases and cellobiose dehydrogenase were significantly upregulated and iTRAQ data suggested hydrolytic and oxidative cellulose degradation. When lignin was used as a major carbon source, enzymes such as copper radical oxidase, isoamyl oxidase, glutathione S-transferase, thioredoxin peroxidase, quinone oxidoreductase, aryl alcohol oxidase, pyranose 2-oxidase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and alcohol dehydrogenase were expressed and significantly regulated. This study explored cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin degrading enzymes of P. chrysosporium that are valuable for lignocellulosic bioenergy.     

Kinetics of Veratryl Alcohol Oxidation by Lignin Peroxidase and in situ Generated Hydrogen Peroxide in an Electrochemical Reactor

The cathodic reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide, the current efficiency for the production of H₂O₂ and the oxidation of veratryl alcohol with an in situ generated hydrogen peroxide‐lignin peroxidase complex were studied in this paper. The complex was prepared by utilizing a novel preparation technique in an electrochemical reactor. The oxidation of veratryl alcohol (VA; 3,4‐dimethoxybenzyl alcohol) was carried out with or without lignin peroxidase under an electric field. The redox properties of veratryl alcohol on a carbon electrode in the presence of lignin peroxidase have been investigated using cyclic voltammetry. The kinetics of veratryl alcohol oxidation in an electrochemical reactor were compared to the oxidation when hydrogen peroxide was supplied externally. Further, the oxidation of veratryl alcohol by lignin peroxidase was optimized in terms of enzyme dosage, pH, and electrical potential. The novel electroenzymatic method was found to be effective using in situ generated hydrogen peroxide for the oxidation of veratryl alcohol by lignin peroxidase.     

Lignin--from natural adsorbent to activated carbon: a review

The present review compiles the work done over the last few decades on the use of lignin and lignin-based chars and activated carbons as adsorbents for the removal of substances from water and focuses on the utilisation of lignin as adsorbent, its conversion to chars and activated carbons and the use of these materials as adsorbents. Moreover, the review also examines the textural and surface chemical properties of lignin-based activated carbons. The work so far carried out indicates that lignin is relatively non-reactive and probably the component of lignocellulosic precursors primarily responsible for the microporosity of activated carbons. Under appropriate conditions of activation it is possible to obtain materials with surface areas and pore volumes approaching 2000 m(2)g(-1) and 1cm(3)g(-1), respectively, and these materials have capacities for the aqueous phase adsorption of metallic pollutants that are comparable to those of commercial activated carbons. Relatively little work has so far been published and there is considerable scope for more detailed studies on the preparation, characterisation and adsorption applications of lignin-based activated carbons.     

狂犬疫苗单克隆抗体制备过程中细胞融合条件的探索

在充分了解SP2/0细胞系的生长、增殖和遗传特性后,以聚乙二醇(PEG)诱导动物细胞融合为契机,意在探索不同分子量、不同浓度的PEG作融合剂对诱导SP2/0细胞与脾细胞融合的最适条件,在HAT选择培养基下通过细胞融合率的变化进行比较。结果表明,分子量为4000,浓度为50%的PEG诱导的细胞融合率最高,为下一步制备狂犬病毒疫苗单克隆抗体奠定基础。     

微生物蛋白酶水解液的脱色条件实验研究

通过实验比较了不同吸附剂的脱色效果及其在脱色过程中引起的氨基酸损失率,选择活性炭作为微生物菌体蛋白质水解溶液脱色的吸附剂。对影响其脱色效果的几个主要因素进行研究,并通过正交实验分析优化后得到脱色条件为:吸附剂用量1.5 g(每50 mL蛋白提取液),脱色温度55℃,pH值5和脱色时间1 h。     

不同诱导培养基对糙皮侧耳液体发酵产漆酶活性的影响

利用1株糙皮侧耳Pleurotus ostreatus栽培菌株为材料,研究添加碱性木质素或者配合简单碳源或氮源后对其液体发酵产漆酶活性的影响。结果表明,不同诱导培养基对糙皮侧耳漆酶活性具有极显著的影响（P<0.001）,而且不同诱导培养基对糙皮侧耳菌丝生物量也产生了极显著的影响（P<0.001）。此外,只利用碱性木质素或者是再添加碳源葡萄糖均有利于糙皮侧耳产漆酶,既包括产漆酶酶活性的提升,同时也包括产漆酶时间的提前,但只利用碱性木质素诱导不利于菌丝生物量的积累;而富含简单碳/氮源的诱导培养基,无论是否含碱性木质素,均有利于菌丝生物量的积累,其中,富含简单碳/氮源的培养基中再添加碱性木质素后的菌丝生物量和漆酶活性均高于不添加碱性木质素时的菌丝生物量和漆酶活性。相比而言,含碱性木质素的培养基中测得的漆酶活性大部分时间下都要高于不含木质素的简单碳/氮源培养基,含碱性木质素的培养基对糙皮侧耳菌株产漆酶的诱导作用更强。     

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of lipids from Eucalyptus globulus wood

Various typical lipid components of wood extractives have been isolated from Eucalyptus globulus wood by supercritical carbon dioxide modified with methanol. The influence of various extraction parameters on the yield and qualitative composition of the extracts have been studied. The extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and compared with those obtained by Soxhlet extraction with acetone, the standard method for the determination of wood extractives. The qualitative and quantitative results obtained by both methods were in good agreement. The experimental planning to asses the influence of pressure, temperature and percentage of methanol and their interactions on the extraction efficiency was carried out with a factorial design, followed by multiple linear regression algorithm.