Non-food Sources Research Articles

Experimentally Investigating the Potential of Iso-Stoichiometric GEM Blends as a Drop-in Replacement for E50 in SI Engines

Background: Research on alternative fuels for internal combustion engines is crucial due to climate change and energy security concerns. Ethanol-blended gasoline has been a popular alternative fuel, but biomass limitations restrict its widespread use. Methanol offers a solution as it can be produced from non-food sources, extending ethanol's availability. Objective: This study explores a ternary fuel blend consisting of gasoline, ethanol, and methanol as an alternative to binary gasoline-ethanol blend. The objective is to investigate if the isostoichiometric ternary blend offers equivalent fuel properties to E50 (Ethanol 50%, Gasoline 50% (v/v)) gasohol while potentially enhancing engine performance, reducing emissions, and improving combustion characteristics. Methods: A single-cylinder, four-stroke, port fuel injection spark ignition engine was used. The engine was tested with three fuels: pure gasoline, E50 blend, and an equivalent iso-stoichiometric GEM blends. Engine tests were conducted at constant load with varying engine speeds. Performance, emission, and combustion parameters were experimentally measured and compared across all fuels. Results: E50 and its equivalent blends improved brake thermal efficiency but increased brake specific fuel consumption compared to gasoline. It significantly reduced unburned hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions but slightly increased nitrogen oxide emissions. Conclusion: Formulated E50 equivalent blends have identical air to fuel ratio, lower heating values as conventional binary E50 gasoline-ethanol blends. The study suggests that iso-stoichiometric GEM blends have the potential to be a viable alternative drop-in fuel for E50 in internal combustion engines. The future advancements in GEM blends, particularly in optimizing ratios, could lead to patentable inventions.

Development of Hematite Nano Ellipsoids/Pectin Composite Films for Green Packaging Applications.

Synthetic packaging materials are known to cause serious environmental and human health problems. Among the eco-friendly biopolymers from nonfood sources that are suitable for packaging applications, pectin is a promising candidate. However, native pectin films (NPF) exhibit poor mechanical strength, high hydrophilicity, and poor gas diffusion barrier properties. These shortcomings offset the advantages of pectin as a potential packaging material. To address these limitations, in this study, hematite nano ellipsoids (HNEs) were incorporated as fillers to reinforce native pectin films. This reinforcement resulted in substantial improvements in the mechanical properties, hydrophobicity, thermal stability, barrier properties, and optical attributes of pectin films. Compared to NPF, the pectin-hematite composite film exhibited a 35% increase in tensile strength, a 30° increase in contact angle, a 6-fold increase in the oxygen diffusion barrier properties, and a 20% increase in the water vapor barrier properties. This study presents a sustainable, biocompatible, and biodegradable packaging solution by capitalizing on eco-friendly biopolymer and nanoparticle engineering.

Physicochemical Study of Ethanol Ratio in the Transesterification Process for Biodiesel Synthesis from Kesambi (Schleichera Oleosa) Seed Oil

The demand for energy, particularly for fossil fuels, has been increasing in line with the growing number of transportation units. However, natural resource conditions such as fossil fuels are not always fulfilled. This is because fossil fuels are categorized as non-renewable resources. Moreover, all countries in the world are required to reduce the use of fossil resources and increase the use of green energy. Therefore, alternative green energy sources are needed to replace fossil fuels. Biodiesel is a green energy source that could be produced from renewable resources. Biodiesel could be obtained from non-food sources such as kesambi oil. In this research, the biodiesel production process was carried out by esterification and transesterification methods. The transesterification process was performed by varying the molar ratio between ethanol and kesambi oil. The molar ratio used in the transesterification process were 4:1, 6:1, 8:1, 10:1, and 12:1. The results showed that the molar ratio of 12:1 produced the lowest values of density, viscosity, and flash point, which were 0.839 g/ml, 3.98 CST, and 109.4°C, respectively, but the highest values of calorific value and yield, which were 9,040 cal/g and 91.30%, respectively.

Assessment of The Elemental Composition of Ageratum Conyzoides And Its Contribution to Ethno Medicine

This study aimed at assessing the elemental composition Ageratum conyzoides. The leaves of Ageratum conyzoides (goat weed), has been acknowledged as a non-food source of ethno medicine associated with the treatment of some ailments. The AAS analysis results indicate that the plant contained elements essential for human nutrition. The data were analyzed and the results showed that Ageratum conyzoides leaf extract contained Ca, Mg, Pb, Zn, Al, Cr, Ni, Cu, Co, Cd and Fe were present in the leaves of Ageratum conyzoides. Ageratum conyzoides contains, in addition such acknowledged non-essential and environmentally unfriendly elements as Pb, Co and Cd, which may be a pointer to its non-food use, in combination with its high lipid content. The concentration of minerals in Ageratum conyzoides can be attributed to some of its use such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-poison, anti-allergic and other therapeutic activities.

From waste to health-supporting molecules: biosynthesis of natural products from lignin-, plastic- and seaweed-based monomers using metabolically engineered Streptomyces lividans

BackgroundTransforming waste and nonfood materials into bulk biofuels and chemicals represents a major stride in creating a sustainable bioindustry to optimize the use of resources while reducing environmental footprint. However, despite these advancements, the production of high-value natural products often continues to depend on the use of first-generation substrates, underscoring the intricate processes and specific requirements of their biosyntheses. This is also true for Streptomyces lividans, a renowned host organism celebrated for its capacity to produce a wide array of natural products, which is attributed to its genetic versatility and potent secondary metabolic activity. Given this context, it becomes imperative to assess and optimize this microorganism for the synthesis of natural products specifically from waste and nonfood substrates.ResultsWe metabolically engineered S. lividans to heterologously produce the ribosomally synthesized and posttranslationally modified peptide bottromycin, as well as the polyketide pamamycin. The modified strains successfully produced these compounds using waste and nonfood model substrates such as protocatechuate (derived from lignin), 4-hydroxybenzoate (sourced from plastic waste), and mannitol (from seaweed). Comprehensive transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses offered insights into how these substrates influenced the cellular metabolism of S. lividans. In terms of production efficiency, S. lividans showed remarkable tolerance, especially in a fed-batch process using a mineral medium containing the toxic aromatic 4-hydroxybenzoate, which led to enhanced and highly selective bottromycin production. Additionally, the strain generated a unique spectrum of pamamycins when cultured in mannitol-rich seaweed extract with no additional nutrients.ConclusionOur study showcases the successful production of high-value natural products based on the use of varied waste and nonfood raw materials, circumventing the reliance on costly, food-competing resources. S. lividans exhibited remarkable adaptability and resilience when grown on these diverse substrates. When cultured on aromatic compounds, it displayed a distinct array of intracellular CoA esters, presenting promising avenues for polyketide production. Future research could be focused on enhancing S. lividans substrate utilization pathways to process the intricate mixtures commonly found in waste and nonfood sources more efficiently.

The Application of Bio-Emulsion from Soybean Oil Partially Epoxidized as a Maintenance Technique for Flexible Pavements

Abstract An increase in the use of biomaterials has been noted in recent years because of several impacts caused by human activities, especially for engineering and paving industry benefits. Several renewable resources, such as a nonfood source of soybean oil, have been successfully tested on modification of asphalt binders. However, their impact on the pavement life cycle is still unknown. Thereby, the objective of this research was to investigate soybean oil as a new, green supply for the maintenance of flexible pavements. The experimental plan consisted of the construction of field test sections through the application of sub-epoxidized soybean oil (SESO) over a flexible pavement surface. Rates of 0.1 and 0.3 L/m2 were chosen, and the main tests intended for study were functional procedures including the British pendulum and sand patch tests on the pavement surface, which were complemented with the indirect tensile strength test for mechanical analysis. The change in the chemical composition of the recovered binder was analyzed by thin layer chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The rheological properties were analyzed by frequency sweep, linear amplitude sweep, and multiple stress creep and recovery, and the tests were carried out with a dynamic shear rheometer. The effects of the SESO bio-emulsion demonstrated a rejuvenating activity on the properties of the aged binder, with mechanical and rheological improvements for both analyzed rates. A further investigation is indicated to evaluate the influence of time on the modification studied in this work. Such testing could ensure the use of SESO bio-emulsion as an environmentally friendly alternative for the maintenance of flexible pavements.

Review Literatur: DINAMIKA PENGEMBANGAN PERKEBUNAN SAGU BERKELANJUTAN BERBASIS KEARIFAN LOKAL

Sago is a native Indonesian plant that has the potential to be developed as a food and non-food source because it has several advantages, namely high starch content, resistance to climate change, being able to grow and adapt to marginal environments. Sustainability of sago plantation management must meet environmental, economic, social and institutional aspects. The purpose of this study is to identify the dynamics in the development of sago plantations and forms of local wisdom that can support the development of sustainable sago plantations. The research method used is a qualitative approach with Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The results of article review show that the development of sago plantations faces constraints of low productivity and unsustainability from social, economic, environmental culture and institutional aspects. Meanwhile in the community there are local wisdom sago management practices that have a positive effect on the five aspects of sustainability. However, previous study is still partial and does not focus on the sago plantation sector. Research questions about how to develop sustainable sago plantations based on comprehensive local wisdom is the novelty that are offered to be answered in future research.

Techno-economic feasibility and exergy analysis of bioethanol production from waste

The increased dependence on fossil fuels has led to its shortage. Adding to this, awareness around the world has risen about the ill effects of fossil fuels and thus there has been an increasing shift to green sources of fuel. At the production level, ethanol has a significant effect on agricultural commodity markets, and with the price of the commodities approximately doubling in the past few years, feedstock prices have increased significantly. Bioethanol obtained from non-food sources can also eliminate the dependence on oil. In this work, two models are developed using Aspen Plus V11 for the production of bioethanol using second-generation feedstocks (waste materials) i.e., sugarcane bagasse and brown algae. The basic process involves four main steps which are the Pretreatment of the raw materials, the saccharification, the fermentation process of the pre-treated product using the necessary enzymes, and the purification process. A detailed exergy analysis for the processes was carried out which showed that for 2000 tons per day of feed used in the processes, the exergy losses were around 625 kW and 180 kW for sugar cane bagasse and brown algae as feedstocks respectively. An economic analysis was performed using the Aspen economic analyzer which estimated the Total capital investment per gallon of bioethanol at around USD 17 and USD 12 for the production processes of bioethanol using sugar cane bagasse and brown algae respectively.

Safety Evaluation of Polyethylene Terephthalate Chemical Recycling Processes

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the main packaging materials for beverage bottles. Even if this polymer is good to recycle, mechanical recycling processes need a well-sorted input fraction. For less-sorted PET packaging, or even non-food input sources, chemical recycling seems to be a solution to increase PET recycling. For post-consumer recyclates in packaging applications, it is essential that the safety of the recyclates is guaranteed, and the consumers’ health protected. For mechanical recycling processes, evaluation criteria are already established. For chemical recycling processes, however, such evaluation criteria are only roughly available. This study evaluated the safety of the chemical recycling process similar to the approach of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). However, due to the lack of information about the contamination level of the input materials for the chemical recycling process, the evaluation was adapted. In addition, the evaluation should be performed separately for the depolymerisation and for the repolymerisation steps. However, due to the high cleaning efficiencies of both steps, the evaluation can focus on the repolymerisation. This simplifies the assessment of the chemical recycling processes considerably.

Exploring the potentials of microalgae as an alternative source of renewable energy

The world’s energy needs highly depend on fossil fuels, which were formed over several million centuries. The price of petroleum increases daily and unfortunately, its exploitation is currently at an alarming rate for such essential non-renewable energy. Also, the recent clamour for safe and cheap alternative means of energy generation to mitigate global warming and its detrimental effects is drawing attention towards biofuel production to supplement and possibly, substitute fossil fuels. To this effect, many plant materials have been tested and employed in the past decades for biofuel production. However, a good number of plants used in biofuel production as feedstock are crop plants, which have more economic value as food. Therefore, it is imperative to explore the possibility of biofuel production from non-food sources, hence, we examine the potential of microalgae as an alternative source of renewable energy. Microalgae are of great interest in biofuel production for its high productivity, cosmopolitan nature, easy culturing on waters and land, and noncompeting with conventional agriculture for resources. In view of these, this article focuses on the potentials of microalgae in biofuel production and mitigation of environmental pollution by its considerably low greenhouse gas emissions.

Knowledge and Consumption Practices on Probiotics in Selected Low to Middle-Income Class Filipino Mothers in an Urban City

Objective. Mothers are exposed to various functional food components, including probiotics, which have a direct effect on the quality of their breast milk. Probiotics enhance the microbial composition of breast milk, making it more beneficial for the infant’s gut health. This study aimed to explore the extent of knowledge and dietary practices on probiotics among low- to middle-income healthy Filipino mothers in an urban area.Methods. Data was gathered using three focus group discussions (FGD) participated in by low- to middle-income healthy Filipino mothers residing in Barangays West Rembo and Rizal in Makati City, Philippines. Prior to the FGD, preliminary interviews of selected participants and market surveys were done to determine the food items to be included in the FGD questionnaire.Results. A total of 19 mothers participated in the FGDs. The most common probiotic sources identified were yogurt, fermented milk product (Yakult), miso and tausi. The most consumed probiotic source was fermented milk product (94.7% of participants), at least once a month; followed by powdered milk (78.9%), consumed daily. The most commonly reported influence for consumption of these food items was advertisements from television (89.5%). About 53% of the participants related probiotics to better digestion and increased immunity as heard from advertisements and through counselling by physicians. When asked to elaborate on how probiotics influence digestion and immunity, almost all participants had difficulty explaining the benefits.Conclusion. Although majority of the participants consumed food sources of probiotics, they had limited knowledge on its other non-food sources and benefits. In addition, the consumed food source was confined to the food item that was most advertised on television. Thus, there is a need for health and nutrition experts to exert a stronger influence in the community by disseminating information regarding probiotics.

Pemanfaatan Lahan Gambut Menjadi Lahan Potensial untuk Menjaga Ketahanan Pangan di Kalimantan Barat

The role of the agricultural sector as a provider of food and non-food sources is directly related to the 2030 SDGs target of eradicating poverty and hunger. In Kubu Raya, one of the developing areas in the agricultural sector is Rasau Jaya District, with main crops being food crops and vegetables for food security. Agricultural land in Rasau Jaya District is dominated by peatlands with 14,371,392 hectares area. This study aims to determine the form of peatland use into potential land, the role of agriculture as a provider of food and non-food sources, and the form of its use. The method used is remote sensing method and survey method. The results showed that land use in the Rasau Jaya District included rice fields, gardens, fields, moor, yards, settlements, forests, shrubs, water bodies, and vacant land. Food crop agricultural products are used to meet food needs as well as non-food needs such as education and health. Most people use the harvest for personal consumption and for sale. There are still not many people in Rasau Jaya District who process agricultural products into a product. Farmers sell their crops in several ways, among others: directly sold to consumers, sold directly to the market by opening their own kiosks, deposited with middlemen and agents, and taken by investors who invest in farmers. Keywords: peatlands, food security, food crops

Genomic characterisation of Salmonella enterica serovar Wangata isolates obtained from different sources reveals low genomic diversity.

Salmonella enterica serovar Wangata is an important pathogen in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The incidence of S. Wangata is increasing and transmission is suspected to be via a non-food source. A recent outbreak investigation of sources of S. Wangata recovered isolates from humans, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment. Here, we extend that investigation by characterising and describing the genomic determinates of these isolates. We found that Australian S. Wangata isolates from different sources exhibited similar virulence and antimicrobial resistance gene profiles. There were no major genomic differences between isolates obtained from different geographical regions within Australia or from different host species. In addition, we found evidence (low number of SNPs and identical virulence gene profiles) suggestive of an international transmission event between Australia and the United Kingdom. This study supports the hypothesis that S. Wangata is shared between different hosts in NSW, Australia and provides strong justification for the continued use of genomic surveillance of Salmonella.

Method validation for analysis of phorbol esters from Jatropha curcas

Jatropha curcas is a promising non-food source of oil for biodiesel. However, the presence of phorbol esters (PE) is the main limiting factor for utilization of defatted cakes for animal feed. Reliable methods of analysis and quantification of phorbol esters are useful for plant breeding research as well as for detoxification process. Analytical methods for PE extraction show different conditions, temperatures, contact times, solvents and mass/solvent ratio. In this work, methanol and dichloromethane were evaluated as extraction solvent, and Soxhlet, ultrasound and stirring assisted extractions at different times of contact were compared. The quantification was performed by HPLC-DAD. Methanol was more efficient for exhaustive J. curcas PE extraction as compared to dichloromethane. Among the evaluated extraction methods, Soxhlet extraction with methanol during 6 h was the most efficient to quantify PE, showing RSD (Relative Standard Deviation) varying from 3 to 5%. The validated method showed limits of detection and quantification of 0.48 and 1.4 μg, respectively, with good linearity and precision. The specificity of the method was confirmed by LC–MS/MS and UV spectra data using three different columns and mobile phases.

Whole Genome Sequencing: Bridging One-Health Surveillance of Foodborne Diseases.

Infections caused by pathogens commonly acquired from consumption of food are not always transmitted by that route. They may also be transmitted through contact to animals, other humans or the environment. Additionally, many outbreaks are associated with food contaminated from these non-food sources. For this reason, such presumed foodborne outbreaks are best investigated through a One Health approach working across human, animal and environmental sectors and disciplines. Outbreak strains or clones that have propagated and continue to evolve in non-human sources and environments often show more sequence variation than observed in typical monoclonal point-source outbreaks. This represents a challenge when using whole genome sequencing (WGS), the new gold standard for molecular surveillance of foodborne pathogens, for outbreak detection and investigation. In this review, using recent examples from outbreaks investigated in the United States (US) some aspects of One Health approaches that have been used successfully to solve such outbreaks are presented. These include using different combinations of flexible WGS based case definition, efficient epidemiological follow-up, traceback, surveillance, and testing of potential food and environmental sources and animal hosts.

SKREENING FITOKIMIA DAUN SEGAR Nypa fruticans Wurmb ASAL PESISIR ACEH BARAT

West Aceh Region have Nypa fruticans mangrove community that distributed almost ± 100 Ha. But there are several habitat of N. fruticans have experienced damage that caused by tsunami. The utilization of N. fruticans still limited that only utilized its leaves as cigarette. The utilization of N. fruticans toward marine natural product for overcoming healthy community. The aim of this research is to study the phytochemical screening of N. fruticans fresh leave from the coast of West Aceh. The method was used by using experimental. The result shown phytochemical properties in N. fruticans fresh leaves shown that N. fruticans plant contained phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, saponin and triterpenoid. This indicated that the phenolic, flavonoid, tannin and saponin compounds in such sample that have potency as food and non-food sources. Keywords : Phytochemical, West Aceh, Screening, N. fruticans leaveWest Aceh Region have Nypa fruticans mangrove community that distributed almost ± 100 Ha. But there are several habitat of N. fruticans have experienced damage that caused by tsunami. The utilization of N. fruticans still limited that only utilized its leaves as cigarette. The utilization of N. fruticans toward marine natural product for overcoming healthy community. The aim of this research is to study the phytochemical screening of N. fruticans fresh leave from the coast of West Aceh. The method was used by using experimental. The result shown phytochemical properties in N. fruticans fresh leaves shown that N. fruticans plant contained phenolic, flavonoid, tannin, saponin and triterpenoid. This indicated that the phenolic, flavonoid, tannin and saponin compounds in such sample that have potency as food and non-food sources. Keywords : Phytochemical, West Aceh, Screening, N. fruticans leave

Fuel Crisis vis-à-vis Green Fuel

The real sense of crisis often leads to bring some changes for betterment of society. We are in an age, where every day we are facing the crisis of energy. Decisions on current energy as well as fuel crisis in right direction can bring about a better, more sustainable future for our planet. We have huge opportunities and scope for innovative research and discoveries towards a more sustainable lifestyle. The requirement to modify the present energy model is at the top priority and is accepted as a mainstream business issue too.When it comes to fossil fuels, it suggests somewhat of very old with a prehistoric impression due to its usage from very ancient times as back as Iron Age. However, the wide-scale extraction has been started due to the result of Industrial Revolution. The present form of such fuel probably took millions and millions of years to become so. But in a very short span of time- say approximately just 200 odd years- it has been consumed an incredible part forever. The report says- the oil reserves will vanish very soon based on the current rate of consumption and the oil deposit will be gone by 2052 even there won’t be any change in population growth and aspiration. However, there are also certain arguments on the coal deposits, which can help to run the show with its adverse effect till 2088. Based on the increasing standard of living with the world's population, the fossil fuel might run out much earlier than the predicted time. So Now the Big Question for the Planet - Does the Show Run upto 2088 and beyond that the whole World will be Run out of Fossil Fuels? Obviously, the simple answer to this is NO. Some new reserves might be found out in between to extend this deadline slightly forward, though would be significantly smaller in size than the previous ones. So the only alternative would be obviously- renewables.To overcome this fuel crisis, scientists have come up with innovative ideas to get alternate to fossil fuels as bio-fuels, using plants and animal origin to get biodiesel. Similarly, using ethanol, originated from various agricultural sources such as from corn, cereals, sugar cane etc to get blended gasohol or power alcohol to name a few. However, the major effect of such biofuels boon is the – increasing cost of foodstuff. But the advanced technology focus on non-food sources such as landfill materials, wood and inedible plant parts for the production of certain biofuels. This not only helps in cutting down the use of fossil fuels but also recycling an enormous part of the waste effectively.In addition to these, a different form of synthetic fuel has been formulated from green algae and popularly known as green fuel. These small blue - green algae are the kind of bacteria known as cyanobacteria, with relatively simple primitive life forms and surprisingly, this simple form of life could able to solve the world’s big fuel crisis. This miracle happened in the laboratory of Biochemist Dan Robertson's at Life Sciences Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For the culture of these little life forms, sunlight, saline water along with little fertilizers and carbon dioxide are needed without any farmland of course. On the other hand, these algae are surprisingly productive and a hectare of desert land filled with algae vats can produce biofuel per unit of biomass approximately eight times than the corn grown for fuel purpose. Besides, the positive aspects of this algaculture are the utilization of saline water without any additional farmland and fresh water. Apart from, the major advantages are to utilize both waste CO2 and wastewater as nutrient for the algal growth and moreover the fuel is inherently renewable. But on the other way round, there are also few limitations like algal growth require controlled temperature condition, phosphorous as fertilizers, which is becoming scare. And lastly, this needs relatively high upfront capital cost. But, however, in comparison with others, these fuels certainly have the potential to replace a significant portion of the total fuel used in today’s scenario. California-based firm Sapphire Energy is already started producing crude oil using algae. This firm transformed desert areas into fertile, energy-producing land. The production of green algal fuel is not only limited to Sapphire Energy but most of the other developed and developing countries including India also started doing enormous research on it. The first tests of this green fuel have already been conducted in automobiles as well as in aircrafts successfully. Moreover, the innovators have already admit about the usage of green fuel, which will likely take a while longer. Even, at some point of time monotonous things still stand in the way of the green revolution.

Original Pt-Sn/Al2O3 catalyst for selective hydrodeoxygenation of vegetable oils

The preparation of biodiesel from fatty materials HDO provides a very constructive idea to solve the global clean energy problem. The application of catalytic technology to convert oils into green liquid hydrocarbon fuel has great potential for industrial application. The main problem with the development of green diesel technology is the limited number of available non-food sources of fatty acid triglycerides. Also the researchers have made remarkable achievements in the field of catalyst, the stability of the catalyst is insufficient and the selectivity of large molecules of direct alkanes is low. These defects hinder the large-scale resource development of biodiesel. In current paper the potential of hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of fatty materials and model esters was explored by enhancing the synergy of platinum and tin by using heterometallic (PPh4)3 [Pt (SnCl3)5 complex. Heterometallic (PPh4)3 [Pt (SnCl3)5] complex provides in its structure platinum and tin atoms linked by a metal–metal bond that causes the originality of catalytic performance. The performance of bimetallic Pt-Sn/Al2O3 catalyst, which is characterized by the Sn/Pt molar ratio of 5/1, has been studied at hydrogen pressure 50 atm and temperature 400–480 °C. HDO reaction of a number of fatty materials has been shown to proceed with the highest ever yield of direct hydrocarbons derived from alkoxy and acyl groups of the initial ester. Also it was investigated a performance in HDO reaction of mixture containing rapeseed oil oleic acid and water that simulate cooked oil that may be a prospective soure for green hydrocarbons in megalopolises. A structural studies of the catalyst showed that its high selectivity in HDO reaction of fatty materials provided by two important factors: impregnated particles size and formation of intermettallic species of PtSn3±σ. Finally, catalysts sustained activity and stability were tested during five turns of 24 h each.

Methanol fermentation increases the production of NAD(P)H-dependent chemicals in synthetic methylotrophic Escherichia coli

BackgroundMethanol has attracted increased attention as a non-food alternative carbon source to sugar for biological production of chemicals and fuels. Moreover, the high degree of reduction of methanol offers some advantages in increasing the production yields of NAD(P)H-dependent metabolites. Here, we demonstrate an example of methanol bioconversion with the aim of improving production of NAD(P)H-dependent chemicals in synthetic methylotrophic Escherichia coli.ResultsA synthetic methylotrophic E. coli was engineered with a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) and ribulose monophosphate (RuMP) pathway. Regarding the limited MDH activity, the role of activator proteins in vivo was investigated, and the NudF protein was identified capable of improving MDH activity and triggering increased methanol metabolism. Using 13C-methanol-labeling experiments, we confirmed methanol assimilation in the methylotrophic E. coli. A cycling RuMP pathway for methanol assimilation was also demonstrated by detecting multiple labeled carbons for several compounds. Finally, using the NAD(P)H-dependent metabolite lysine as a test, the potential of methanol bioconversion to generate value-added metabolites was determined. To further characterize the benefit of methanol as the carbon source, extra NADH from methanol oxidation was engineered to generate NADPH to improve lysine biosynthesis by expression of the POS5 gene from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which resulted in a twofold improvement of lysine production. Moreover, this new sink further pulled upstream methanol utilization.ConclusionThrough engineering methanol metabolism, lysine biosynthesis, and NADPH regeneration pathway from NADH, the bioconversion of methanol to improve chemical synthesis was successfully achieved in methylotrophic E. coli.

Valorisation of avocado seeds: extraction and characterisation of starch for textile applications

Sustainable disposal of the waste is problematic due to increasing shortages of landfill space. Avocado is a common fruit that is widely consumed in many countries. This consumption results in large quantities of avocado waste being generated by the avocado processing industries. However, avocado seeds contain large amounts of starch that could be beneficiated. Starch is widely used in various industrial applications and is routinely sourced from food crops, thus competing with traditional sources of food. Alternative non-food sources of starch are needed. This work focused on ascertaining the cleaner way of extracting starch from avocado seeds for use in industrial applications. The starch was extracted from avocado seeds via a wet extraction method and tested for application in the textile industry. Optimal conditions for the extraction of starch were determined using statistically designed experiments employing a Box–Behnken design and Statistica 13 software for the experimental design, statistical analysis and optimisation of the extraction process. The analysis of variance results revealed that a quadratic model is significant for the factors and responses studied. A quadratic mathematical model was developed, and the optimum combination of a response factor was obtained by the simultaneous optimisation of the responses. The starch yield was 64% (on dry weight basis). Analysis of the extracted starch showed that it contained well over 90% starch content. Application of the starch in textile applications showed that it performed as well as a commercial starch sample. The collection and processing of waste avocado seeds can be a new source of employment and provide income generation opportunities.