Bamboo Charcoal Powder Research Articles

Dietary bamboo charcoal powder ameliorates high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia by enhancing fecal lipid excretions in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Bamboo charcoal powder (BCP) is increasingly used as a food colorant. This study aims to evaluate the effects of BCP consumption on improving high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia. Fifty male SD rats were randomly assigned into five groups, with 10 rats in each group: the control group was fed a low-fat diet (LFD); the model control group was fed a high-fat diet (HFD); the low-BCP dose group was fed a HFD and given 2.81 g of BCP/kg of body weight (BCP-L) by gavage; the medium-BCP dose group was fed a HFD and given 5.62 g of BCP/kg of body weight (BCP-M) by gavage; the high-BCP dose group was fed a HFD and given 11.24 g of BCP/kg of body weight (BCP-H) by gavage. After 90 days, the consumption of BCP caused a decrease in body weight, plasma lipids (triglyceride, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)), liver triglyceride, and cholesterol levels, and liver histopathological scores. BCP caused a significant increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in liver tissues. BCP also led to an increase in 72-h fecal dry weight and crude fat in a rat metabolic cage. The analysis of fecal samples with liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) showed that the biomarkers associated with BCP consumption were mainly related to fatty and amino acid metabolism. Notably, BCP treatment significantly promoted linoleic acid metabolism. These results suggest that BCP may have a preventive effect against diet-induced hyperlipidemia through the promotion of fecal fat excretion. BCP may potentially be used as an alternative functional food component for people with diet-induced hyperlipidemia.

Exploring the Role of Bamboo Charcoal Powder as Filler in Rubber Vulcanisates

Exploring the Role of Bamboo Charcoal Powder as Filler in Rubber Vulcanisates

Analysis of the adsorption mechanism of phosphoric acid-modified bamboo charcoal for chlorogenic acid based on density functional theory

BackgroundBamboo charcoal has garnered wide recognition as an adsorbent owing to its stability and availability. Phosphoric acid modification contributes to forming specific functional groups on the surface of bamboo charcoal, culminating in the augmentation of its adsorption capabilities.ResultsThe modification process in this study involved impregnating the bamboo charcoal in a 45% mass fraction of phosphoric acid solution with a 1:10 ratio (bamboo charcoal powder to phosphoric acid), followed by activation at a temperature of 500 °C for a duration of 1.5 h. The modification resulted in the formation of hydroxyl, carboxyl, and phosphate groups on the surface of the bamboo charcoal. Furthermore, the specific surface area of the modified bamboo charcoal surged from 4.91 m2/g to 115.18 m2/g, the average aperture decreased from 7.15 nm to 1.99 nm, and the pore volume escalated by 6.5 times. On this basis, a comparison in the adsorption capability for chlorogenic acid, a natural small-molecule active ingredient, was drawn before and after the modification of bamboo charcoal. The results indicate that the modified bamboo charcoal showcases an impressive 46.8-fold increase in its adsorption capacity when juxtaposed with the unmodified bamboo charcoal. Through the calculations based on density functional theory (DFT), the addition of functional groups on the surface of the modified bamboo charcoal module allows for the formation of hydrogen bonds with the chlorogenic acid module, with the highest binding energy reaching − 57.59 kJ/mol.ConclusionAs evidenced by the adsorption kinetic studies, the curve of modified bamboo charcoal for chlorogenic acid abides by a first-order kinetic equation. Additionally, adsorption thermodynamic studies reveal that the curve of modified bamboo charcoal for chlorogenic acid conforms to the Boltzmann equation. These results shed light on the mechanism of selectively adsorbing specific constituents using phosphoric acid-modified bamboo charcoal, thereby providing a solid theoretical foundation for the application of bamboo charcoal.Graphical

Electrode Material Optimization for Microbial Fuel Cells Using Bamboo Charcoal Powder and Bokuju

Bamboo is a fast-growing plant in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Due to its rapid growth, bamboo is considered a problem because it rapidly invades forested areas and alters the original ecosystem. On the other hand, it is regarded as a material that is readily available and very accessible in many countries and has great potential for both ecological and social purposes. Therefore, bamboo was employed as the material for the electrodes of microbial fuel cells in this study. Typically, biochar used for electrodes is chemically activated to remove impurities and increase its surface area. However, chemical treatment of biochar can have a negative impact on the activity of microorganisms. The Bamboo charcoal powder, prepared by heat-treating powdered bamboo for one hour under air at 500°C, contained about 75% carbon and had a porous structure. Therefore, the material could be used as an electrode material for microbial fuel cells without complicated and time-consuming treatment processes. Some of these treatment processes include chemical treatment, and chemically treated biochar may impact the environment. Bamboo charcoal, which does not require this chemical treatment process, is effective as an electrode material for microbial fuel cells. Bokuju, a common kind of drawing ink in Japan and mainly composed of carbon black, was used as a binder for the prepared bamboo charcoal. The reason for using powdered bamboo charcoal with Bokuju is that it is easier to obtain a solid electrode shape by a drying process. We used this electrode in a floating microbial fuel cell and optimized the ratio of Bamboo charcoal powder and Bokuju in the electrode. By evaluating the performance of the microbial fuel cell using the Bamboo charcoal Bokuju electrode, we were able to improve the effectiveness of the electrode material.

Dietary Bamboo Charcoal Decreased Visceral Adipose Tissue Weight by Enhancing Fecal Lipid Excretions in Mice with High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity.

Bamboo charcoal (BC) powder is prepared from thick bamboo stems via dry distillation and is often used for food coloring. Due to the unique structure of the micropores in bamboo stems, BC powder also serves as an indigestible carrier to prevent the absorption of toxic substances and nutrients from the digestive tract. This study evaluated the health-promoting function of BC, particularly its effects in decreasing visceral adipose tissue in a mouse model with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Four-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were divided into three groups and fed either a low-fat (LF) diet (7% fat), HF diet (25% fat), or HF diet with 0.5% BC (HF-BC). After 80 days, the HF-BC diet was found to have decreased epididymal and mesenteric white adipose tissue weights compared to HFD. The inhibition of visceral fat accumulation by BC intake was partly due to enhanced fecal fatty acid excretion induced by its bile acid-binding and pancreatic lipase inhibition. Contrarily, the gut microbiota, known to influence systemic energy metabolism, did not change significantly between the HF and HF-BC groups. These results indicate that dietary BC inhibits visceral fat accumulation, which could reduce obesity development.

Green synthesis, formation mechanism and oxidation of Ti3SiC2 powder from bamboo charcoal, Ti and Si

Using low-cost and highly reactive bamboo charcoal, Ti and Si elemental powders as starting materials, Ti3SiC2 powder was synthesized via a simple and cost-efficient pressureless sintering technique in argon atmosphere. The influences of synthesis temperature, holding time and Si content on the Ti3SiC2 content of the synthesized products were investigated, and the analysis indicated that the relative content of Ti3SiC2 reached 98.9 wt% with a molar ratio of 3Ti/1.2Si/2.2C at 1400 °C for 1.5 h. The Ti3SiC2 with good crystallinity and homogeneous nanolayered structure was synthesized at lower temperatures due to the high reactivity and high specific surface area of bamboo charcoal. The non-isothermal oxidation behavior showed that Ti3SiC2 powder was stable in air below 540 °C. With the temperature increasing up to 1300 °C, continuous and dense TiO2 and SiO2 oxidation layers were formed on the surface of Ti3SiC2 particles, which conferred good oxidation resistance to Ti3SiC2 powder.

Improving the Deodorizing Ability of Cotton Fabric by Printing with Bamboo Charcoal

ABSTRACT Due to its relatively large specific surface area and microporous structure, bamboo charcoal is widely employed in a variety of industries, including the textile sector. In this investigation, bamboo charcoal powder was formulated as a natural colorant in the pigment print paste and then applied to cotton fabric by screen printing. Colorimetric values were assessed and color fastness to washing, light, and crocking as well as mechanical properties was performed according to related standards. By varying the amount of bamboo charcoal, the printed fabric had a light to dark gray color with good to excellent wash, light, and crock fastness. The combination of binder and fixing agent in the print paste increased fabric tensile strength, elongation, tear strength, and more pronounced stiffness. Besides, the bamboo charcoal printed cotton exhibited a deodorizing rate of 80.3–87.8% against ammonia gas after 40 min and was maintained at 54.8–73.1% after 10 washing cycles.

Impacts of dietary supplementation of bamboo vinegar and charcoal powder on growth performance, intestinal morphology, and gut microflora of large-scale loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus.

Although accumulating data demonstrate that dietary supplementation of bamboo vinegar and charcoal powder (BVC) can significantly strengthen the immunity and boost the growth of domestic animals, its application potency still awaits verification in commercial fish species such as the large-scale loach Paramisgurnus dabryanus. The impacts of 90-day dietary supplementation of 1% and 2% BVC on survival and growth performance of the loach, and on the intestinal morphological characteristics and gut microflora were analyzed. Our data show that the large-scale loach supplied with BVC at the experimental doses had significant higher survival rates and better growth performance (indicated by greater weight gain (1.13-1.14 times), higher specific growth rate (1.04 times), and lower feed conversion ratio (0.88-0.89 times)) compared to that of the control (P<0.05). Histological examination revealed significant longer villus (3.22-5.54 times), deeper crypt (1.77-1.87 times), and thicker muscle (1.59-3.17 times) in the intestines of large-scale loach fed with BVC (P<0.05). Furthermore, we found that the gut microflora consisted of significantly fewer proportions of potential pathogenic bacterial species (Aeromonas veronii and Escherichia coli), but significantly greater proportions of beneficial microbes (Lactococus raffinolactis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii). Therefore, dietary intake of BVC can promote intestinal tract development and optimize gut microflora, by which the survival and growth of large-scale loach may be improved.

The Effect of Bamboo Charcoal Powder on the Tensile Strength of Wood Plastic Composite

This research study was focused on the effect of bamboo charcoal powder on the tensile strength of wood plastic composite reinforced with rice husk ash (silica). This study used 3 different proportions of composite that is 10% bamboo charcoal powder-90% polypropylene, 20% bamboo charcoal powder-80% polypropylene and 30% bamboo charcoal powder-70% polypropylene with added rice husk ash of 0%, 5% and 10%. The size of the particle for the bamboo charcoal powder is 60μm. The method used to produce this wood plastic composite is by mixing and injection molding method. The test performed on the sample is tensile test and surface morphological test. It is observed that the tensile strength of the composite increased when the percentage of rice husk ash added increased. The highest tensile strength of the composite is at 10% rice husk ash reinforced with 10% bamboo charcoal powder and 90% polypropylene with value of 23.15 MPa. Overall, the proportion of 10% rice husk ash reinforced with 10% bamboo charcoal powder and 90% polypropylene showed the best result to enhance the wood plastic composite.

Improvement of bearing capacity of clay that is stabilized with bamboo charcoal powder

A building construction must be built on the soil with good bearing capacity. Increasing of bearing capacity of the soil can be done by adding material of soil stabilizer. Bamboo charcoal powder was used in this study as a stabilizer for clay. The percentage of the addition of bamboo charcoal powder to clay soil in this study was 5%, 10%, and 15%. The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test was carried out on original clay and stabilized clay to determine the bearing capacity of the soil. The results of this study as showed an increase in the CBR value of each percentage of the addition of bamboo charcoal powder. The highest CBR value was the addition of 15% bamboo charcoal powder with an increase in the CBR value of the original clay by 82.87%. The increase in the CBR value of the soil indicates that there is an increase in the bearing capacity of the clay due to the addition of bamboo charcoal powder

Dietary intake of bamboo vinegar and charcoal powder (BVC) enhances resistance of African catfish Clarias gariepinus to bacterial pathogen

Dietary intake of bamboo vinegar and charcoal powder (BVC) enhances resistance of African catfish Clarias gariepinus to bacterial pathogen

Addition of Bamboo Charcoal to Selenium (Se)-Rich Feed Improves Growth and Antioxidant Capacity of Blunt Snout Bream (Megalobrama amblycephala).

Simple SummaryIn our previous studies, we determined that juvenile blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) require a selenium (Se) dietary intake of 0.958–0.959 mg/kg based on the quadratic fitting method. Nevertheless, growth rates were significantly affected, and the expression of anti-inflammatory factors was inhibited when the feed contained excessively high Se concentrations. Given its activity as an insoluble carrier, bamboo charcoal can be used as a dietary supplement in fish feed to absorb and slowly release excess nutrients. However, these hypotheses have not been evaluated in diets containing excess Se. The present study determined that 2–3 g/kg bamboo charcoal inclusion in Se-rich feed could improve the growth performance of blunt snout bream. Dietary bamboo charcoal supplementation mobilized the antioxidant system and inhibited the inflammatory response by activating Nrf2-Keap1 signaling while suppressing NF-κB signaling.The ability of bamboo charcoal to reduce the negative effects of high dietary selenium (Se) concentrations was assessed by feeding juvenile blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) one of five Se-rich diets (1.5 mg/kg Se; 36% protein, 8.7% lipid) containing graded levels (0–4 g/kg) of bamboo charcoal powder for eight weeks. There were four tanks (350 L) of fish (initial weight 16.0 ± 0.5 g) for each treatment, and the fish were fed to satiation four times each day. At the end of the feeding trial, all of the fish from each tank were weighed to calculate the growth performance. Blood samples were firstly obtained to collect plasma for the biochemical indexes determination. Liver tissues were then collected to determine the antioxidant enzyme activities and gene expression. Dorsal muscles were also collected to determine the nutrient composition. The results show that when the bamboo charcoal content in the Se-rich feed ranged between 0 and 3 g/kg, the weight growth rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) values increased with the higher dietary bamboo charcoal content, and the maximum WGR and SGR values were achieved when the bamboo charcoal content in the Se-rich feed was 2–3 g/kg (p < 0.05). The Se content in muscle tissues decreased significantly with the increased bamboo charcoal content (p < 0.05) in the Se-rich feed, which ranged from 0 to 4 g/kg. When the bamboo charcoal content in the Se-rich feed was 2–3 g/kg, the levels of glucose (GLU) and albumin (ALB) in plasma reached a maximum (p < 0.05), whereas the level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) reached a minimum (p < 0.05). Additionally, the activities of catalase (CAT), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) when the bamboo charcoal content was 3 g/kg. In contrast, the malondialdehyde (MDA) level increased sharply when the bamboo charcoal content in the Se-rich feed was 1 g/kg, compared to the control group and the groups supplemented with 2–3 g/kg bamboo charcoal (p < 0.05). Regarding mRNA-level gene expression, the results show that dietary supplementation with 0 to 3 g/kg of bamboo charcoal increased the expression of keap1 and nrf2, whereas nfkb expression was inhibited (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of the antioxidant enzymes cat, gpx, and mn-sod was consistently enhanced in the group fed with the 3 g/kg bamboo charcoal diet (p < 0.05). The expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tnfα and tgfβ was inhibited in the groups supplemented with 2–3 g/kg bamboo charcoal, whereas the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines (il10) increased in the bamboo charcoal supplementation groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Generally, supplementation with 2–3 g/kg of bamboo charcoal in Se-rich feed improved the growth performance, physiological status, and antioxidant enzyme activities of blunt snout bream. Moreover, bamboo charcoal supplementation in Se-rich diets stimulated the antioxidant system and inhibited the inflammatory response by activating Nrf2-Keap1 and suppressing NF-κB.

Perbandingan Kepadatan Kering Tanah Lempung Distabilisasi Serbuk Arang Tempurung Kelapa dengan Serbuk Arang Bambu

Clay soil is the basic part of a building construction, but such type of soil has the stability problems, hence it needs to be stabilized to increase its bearing capacity. Some natural materials in Bangka Belitung Province have not been optimally utilized, e.g. coconut shells and bamboo, which can be used as stabilization materials. In this article, we compare the dry density of clay soil mixed with coconut shell charcoal powder to clay soil mixed with bamboo charcoal powder. The percentage of stabilizing material used is 5%, 10% and 15% of the dry soil weight. Soil classification is based on the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) standard including the low plasticity inorganic clay (CL) group and following the standards of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Classification (AASHTO) including the A-6 soil group. The compaction test result show that the dry density of the clay soil increases with the addition of stabilization agent using either coconut shell charcoal powder or bamboo charcoal powder. The results were almost the same where the difference was only about 0.001 (gr / cm3) for the stabilizer mixture of 5% and 10% as well as the difference of 0.002% (gr / cm3) for the stabilizer mixture of 15%. The increase in soil dry density indicates that the bearing capacity of clay soil increases with the increase in the percentage of stabilizing material

Effects of bamboo charcoal powder, bamboo vinegar, and their combination in laying hens on performance, egg quality, relative organ weights, and intestinal bacterial populations.

This experiment examines the effects of bamboo charcoal (BC) powder, bamboo vinegar (BV), and their combination (BCV) in the diet of laying hens on performance, egg quality, relative organ weights, and intestinal bacterial populations. A total of 320 laying hens (36weeks of age) were divided into 4 treatment groups, with 10 replicates per treatment and 8 hens per replicate. They were fed on a control diet, the control diet supplemented with 0.8% BC, the control diet supplemented with 0.4% BV, or the control diet supplemented with a combination of BC (0.8%) and BV (0.4%) from 36 to 51weeks of age. Egg production increased in the hens fed the BV and BCV diets during 48 to 51weeks of age (P < 0.05). Damaged egg rate decreased in the hens fed the BV and BCV diets for the whole experiment (P < 0.05). Shell thickness was highest in the BCV-fed group at week 43, and shell strength was higher in the BV-fed group at week 51 (P < 0.05). Supplementation of BC or BCV in the diet resulted in a decreased abdominal fat pad (P < 0.05). In the ileal content, the population of Salmonella spp. decreased in the BV and BCV groups and the population of Lactobacillus spp. increased in the BV group (P < 0.05). The present results indicate that feeding BV or BCV alleviates damaged egg rate and decreases intestinal pathogenic bacteria, while feeding BC benefits by reducing abdominal fat. These results suggest that the effect of BCV seems to be induced by the synergistic effect of BC and BV, and that the BCV contributes to the effective use of bamboo on the laying hen's production.

Development of bamboo charcoal and fragaria vesca powder photocatalysts in hydrogen production via water splitting

Hydrogen has become the subject of attention as an environmentally friendly and effective source in recent years. The photocatalysis method with biomass-photocatalyst is an alternative step for hydrogen production via water splitting. In this study, bamboo charcoal (BC) and Fragaria Vesca Powder (FVP) are biomass materials used to develop photocatalysts in hydrogen production. The light source for photocatalysis was a halogen lamp with a wavelength of 560 nm. The hydrogen gas produced is measured using the MQ-8 sensor which is capable of measuring hydrogen gas in 100–10,000 ppm. Hydrogen production is significantly increased with the combination of the BC and FVP photocatalysts. Based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) image analysis by Image J software, BC and FVP have a negative and positive charge, respectively. The aromatic carbon ring in BC has an energy gap of 2.48 eV whereas that in FVP has a lower energy gap, 2.32 eV due to functional groups energizing electron in the FVP aromatic ring. The interaction between positive and negative charges when BC and FVP are combined generates the second lower energy gap in the combined catalyst, 1.66 eV that tends to increase electron density on the catalyst surface. The more dense electrons destabilize more hydrogen and covalent bonds in water increasing hydrogen production by 20 times from that with BC only or by 4 times from that with FVP only. When aluminum foil (AF) was added to the bottom of the reactor tube, the photocatalyst's performance was strengthened. The AF material was an 8011 aluminum alloy with a thickness of 0.02 mm and a diameter of 80 mm. AF has two important roles, that is, accelerates reduction reaction and facilitates the breaking of the hydrogen and covalent bonds in water

Development of masterbatch for composites using bamboo charcoal powders in poly(lactic) acid

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to develop polymer composite masterbatches by using poly(lactic) acid as a carrier resin and bamboo charcoal particle as a natural pigment. Moreover, antioxidant and dispersing agent were added to the masterbatches where the antioxidant improves thermal and ultraviolent stability of pigment masterbatches while dispersing agent enhances the distribution and dispersion of bamboo charcoal particles in the polymer matrix. The natural pigment masterbatches were diluted in the poly(lactic) acid matrix. The morphology, thermal property, and rheological properties of bamboo charcoal particles/poly(lactic) acid composites comparing before and after weathering tests are studied. It was concluded that natural pigment charcoal masterbatches can make good bamboo charcoal particles/poly(lactic) acid composites for high‐temperature food packaging applications.

Antibacterial Efficacy of Novel Eastern Medicine-Inspired Toothpastes Compared to Commercial Formulations

Toothpaste is an oral health care agent that dates back to the 5th Century B.C. in East Asia. Following the conception of dentistry in the 7th Century B.C. and the field’s subsequent growth, the embodiment of toothpaste has evolved from containing natural substances such as tea leaves to abrasive chemicals, particularly: fluoride, triclosan, and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Regarding how each respective reagent functions, fluoride forms a complex with calcium ions in the teeth to prevent erosion of the protective enamel coating. This ion also disrupts metabolic activities of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), which are the bacteria that cause cavities. Similarly, triclosan is involved in countering gingivitis and limiting bacterial growth. SLS serves as a foaming agent in many toothpastes for texture. Although these chemicals are generally effective in maintaining oral health and are present in many mainstream toothpastes, they also impose various health complications in humans. In particular, fluoride disrupts a vital metabolic pathway in odontoblasts (teeth cells), resulting in cellular death. Regarding triclosan, even in small concentrations within toothpaste, has been found to downregulate anticancer genes. Concerning SLS, this ingredient contributes to the formation and prolongation of mouth ulcers and also diminishes oral epithelial tissue thickness. In place of these ingredients, I have formulated three toothpastes that contain different combinations of the following, minimally abrasive Eastern medicine ingredients: coconut oil, sodium bicarbonate, bamboo charcoal powder, xylitol, matcha, and cinnamon oil. After conducting a minimum inhibitory concentration test to determine the efficacy of these formulations against S. mutans, my pilot data suggest that one of the formulations exhibits antimicrobial properties that are qualitatively comparable to three mainstream toothpastes from Colgate®, Crest®, and Sensodyne®.

Composite of natural bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) and TiO2: Its photocatalytic potential in the degradation of methylene blue under the direct irradiation of solar light

Composites of visible-light-active bamboo charcoal powder (BCP)/TiO2 were fabricated by the straight calcination method by using TiCl4 as the source of titanium and natural bamboo as the carbon source. The dispersion of TiO2 nanoparticles was observed onto the surface of the BCP. The introduction of microstructure sizes of the bamboo powder played an important role in enhancing the optical properties of BCP/TiO2 composites. The composites of BCP/TiO2 showed the photocatalytic activities both under visible-light irradiation and UV irradiation. The methylene blue dye was used as the experimental check-up. The photodegradation reactions followed zero-order and pseudo-first-order kinetics. In the time duration of 100 min, about 58.31% and 95% of methylene blue were degraded by TiO2 and BCP/TiO2, respectively; 60 min more time was required by TiO2 to achieve 93% of degradation. This suggests that addition of BCP helps in the reduction in time and also shows high durability after up to four cycles having the degradation efficiencies of 95%, 94.1%, 92.7% and 86.6%, respectively. Hence, this research could overlay in the domain of green energy.

Adding bamboo charcoal powder to Shiraia bambusicola preculture improves hypocrellin A production

Hypocrellin A (HA), a photodynamic therapy (PDT) photosensitizer for cancers and viruses, is a perylenequinone pigment from the fruiting bodies of a bamboo pathogenic Shiraia bambusicola. Due to the limitation of the supply of wild Shiraia fruiting bodies and the complex chemosynthesis of HA, mycelium culture is becoming a biotechnological alternative for HA production. In this study, the novel approach recruited the addition of bamboo charcoal powder (BCP) (Ø2.3-5.5 μm) in preculture of S. bambusicola to stimulate HA production. BCP decreased the size of S. bambusicola pellets, enhanced the oxygen and sugar consumption, and increased the pH value of the broth of the production culture without any fungal growth retardation. The highest HA production (604.81 mg/L) was achieved when BCP at 2.0 g/L was added in the preculture. BCP treatment not only increased HA content in mycelia by 44.9-265.5%, but promoted its exudation to the medium by 57.0-160.5%, compared with the control respectively. Further analysis revealed that BCP treatment could induce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and occurrence of cell apoptosis in the pellets. The BCP addition up-regulated the gene expressions for HA biosynthesis and its exudation. Our study provides BCP as an inexpensive, bio-friendly and less toxic microparticle used in microparticle-enhanced cultivation (MPEC) to enhance the sustainable production of pharmaceutical important metabolites in mycelium cultures.

Characterizations of poly-lactic acid/polypropylene filled with bamboo charcoal powder

In this study, polymer blend was prepared in the ratio of Polypropylene (PP) to Polylactic acid (PLA) of 70:30 by weight. Bamboo charcoal powder (BC), at different loading was added to identify its potential use as filler for the PP/PLA blend. The polymer blend and composites were prepared by using a twin screw extruder. The effects of BC content on the mechanical and thermal properties of the PP/PLA blend were investigated. The results of tensile strength and Izod impact strength show a significant decreased with the addition of BC content. The Young modulus of composites was significantly increased (80%) with the addition of 20 wt.% BC content. The SEM results of composites with 20 wt.% BC filler show a brittle fracture surface. TGA results revealed that, blending PP with PLA cause an increase in thermal stability of PLA. However, the incorporation of 20 wt.% BC has shifted the temperature of initial weight loss of PP/PLA blend towards lower temperature. DSC measurement indicates that the melting temperature (Tm) values of the PP/PLA blend decrease with the addition of 20 wt% BC content, from 169 to 164 °C.