Sugar Alcohols Research Articles

Fully renewable oxygen barrier films of scCO2-processed thermoplastic starch/sugar alcohol blends

Abstract Excellent oxygen barrier films were prepared by blending very small loadings (<1 wt%) of dihydroxyacetone (DHA), erythritol (ET) or xylitol (XT) in thermoplastic starch (TPS), and/or processing with supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) assistance. The minimum oxygen transmission rates (OTR) and all free-volume-hole characteristic (FVH) values of each scCO2-processed TPS/sugar alcohol film series are somewhat smaller than those of corresponding TPS/sugar alcohol film series without scCO2-assistance, and decrease with the decrease in sugar alcohol’s molecular weight. The minimum OTR values acquired for scCO2-processed TPS/DHA and TPS/ET blown films are only 3.6 and 4.3 cm3/m2·day·atm, respectively, which meet the demand of high oxygen barrier films having OTR ≦5 cm3/m2·day·atm. The longitudinal or transversal tensile strengths acquired for each scCO2-processed TPS/sugar alcohol series films are ∼30 % to ∼40 % higher than those of the TPS blown films. Dynamic mechanical relaxations of each TPS/sugar alcohol or scCO2-processed TPS/sugar alcohol film series reveal that the sugar alcohols are compatible with TPS, as their sugar alcohol contents are ≤ the corresponding compatibility values. The decreased OTR and FVH values acquired for TPS/sugar alcohol or scCO2-processed TPS/sugar alcohol films are most likely due to them being scCO2-processed or incorporated with smaller molecular weight of sugar alcohols.

Interactions between small organic molecules and water measured using pressure perturbation calorimetry

Aqueous liquid mixtures play a critical role in many biological and chemical processes. Solutes including sugars, sugar alcohols, carboxylic acids, alcohols and acetone can affect the hydrogen-bonded structure of water and this can be measured using pressure perturbation calorimetry (PPC). In binary water–solute mixtures, Δ(∂CP/∂P)T is a measure of the structure of the water component. At low alcohol concentrations, negative Δ(∂CP/∂P)T values are consistent with clathrate-like water cages around the alkyl moieties. Conversely, when solutes hydrogen bond with water it interferes in the formation of “ice-like” water and is observable as a positive Δ(∂CP/∂P)T. The Δ(∂CP/∂P)T at increasing concentrations of ethanol, acetone and acetic acid in water displayed very different behaviors. Ethanol–water mixtures had three distinct concentration dependent phases; the first, with ethanol surrounded by water molecules, followed by the ethyl groups self-associating breaking the clathrate-like cages, and the ethanol–water network displacing all of the bulk water. Acetic acid–water mixtures display nonlinearity in Δ(∂CP/∂P)T versus acetic acid concentration consistent with acetic acid self-interaction which interferes with acetic acid capacity to disrupt water structure. Acetone-water mixtures display linearity in Δ(∂CP/∂P)T versus acetone concentration which is consistent with acetone’s inability to hydrogen bond with other acetone molecules. The lack of negative Δ(∂CP/∂P)T values in acetic acid-water and acetone-water mixtures suggests there is sufficient self-association between these solutes to prevent clathrate-like water cage formation. PPC can provide invaluable insight into the behavior of aqueous binary mixtures.

A Cross-sectional Study on the Awareness of Miscarriage among Students of the University of Cyberjaya

Miscarriage is generally defined as the loss of an intrauterine pregnancy before 24 completed weeks of gestation. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines miscarriage as ‘the expulsion from its mother of an embryo or fetus weighing 500 g or less, corresponding to a gestational age of up to 20 completed weeks of gestation with no signs of life’. This study serves as an initial investigation on the level of awareness of miscarriage among students of the University of Cyberjaya. It is a cross-sectional study which involves the students of University Of Cyberjaya, a set of questionnaires were distributed among themselves to determine the prevalence of the condition or knowledge in question. Overall, out of 449 respondents 73,7%; n:331 of the respondents are within the age of 20- 29 years old. The results of this study shows that four of five categories, which are the gender (female, 71%, p=0.004), age group (20-29 years old, 94.9%, p=0.002), ethnicity (Indian, 40.2%, p=0.013) and courses (MBBS, 52.1%, p=0.701) show remarkable associations with students' knowledge levels regarding miscarriage. It was also found that the respondents agreed on idea of substance abuse (57.0%, mean = 4.314) is the most common risk factor for miscarriage and the best preventative measure to overcome this problem is by controlling sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, tobacco, and alcohol consumption (56.1%, p<0.001). Our research also proves that there is a significant relationship among knowledge levels, awareness of risk factors, and the adoption of preventive measures related to miscarriage among students at the University of Cyberjaya. Higher knowledge levels are associated with increased awareness of risk factors (p<0.001), and both knowledge and awareness are positively correlated with the adoption of preventive measures (p<0.001 respectively).

Detection of antifreeze molecule ethylene glycol in the hot molecular core G358.93–0.03 MM1

ABSTRACT The identification of complex pre-biotic molecules using millimetre and submillimetre telescopes allows us to understand how the basic building blocks of life are formed in the universe. In the interstellar medium, ethylene glycol ($({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$) is the simplest sugar alcohol molecule, and it is the reduced alcohol of the simplest sugar-like molecule, glycolaldehyde (${\rm CH}_{2}{\rm OHCHO}$). We present the detection of the rotational emission lines of $aGg^{\prime }$ conformer of ethylene glycol ($({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$) towards the hot molecular core G358.93–0.03 MM1 using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array. The estimated column density of $aGg^{\prime }$-$({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$ towards the G358.93–0.03 MM1 is (4.5$\pm 0.1)\times 10^{16}$ cm$^{-2}$ with an excitation temperature of 155$\pm$35 K. The abundance of $aGg^{\prime }$-$({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$ with respect to ${\rm H}_{2}$ is (1.4$\pm 0.5)\times 10^{-8}$. Similarly, the abundances of $aGg^{\prime }$-$({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$ with respect to ${\rm CH}_{2}{\rm OHCHO}$ and ${\rm CH}_{3}{\rm OH}$ are 3.1$\pm$0.5 and (6.1$\pm 0.3)\times 10^{-3}$. We compare the estimated abundance of $aGg^{\prime }$-$({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$ with the existing three-phase warm-up chemical model abundance of $({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$, and we notice the observed abundance and modelled abundance are nearly similar. We discuss the possible formation pathways of $aGg^{\prime }$-$({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$ towards the hot molecular cores, and we find that $aGg^{\prime }$-$({\rm CH}_2{\rm OH})_{2}$ is probably created via the recombination of two ${\rm CH}_{2}{\rm OH}$ radicals on the grain surface of G358.93–0.03 MM1.

Unravelling molecular interactions in various alcohol-water binary mixtures using femtosecond laser-induced thermal lens spectroscopy

The FTLS (femtosecond laser-induced thermal lens spectroscopy) technique was utilized to explore the photothermal response and heat transfer dynamics in various water-based binary mixtures containing monohydric and polyhydric alcohols. Our results highlight the significant influence of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions and the molecular properties of the mixture constituents on the photothermal behavior of both pure solvents and their binary mixtures. Notably, we observed distinct effects of water inclusion on the heat transfer characteristics of monohydric alcohols (such as methanol and ethanol) compared to polyhydric alcohols (such as ethylene glycol (Etg) and glycerol (Gly)). This discrepancy can be attributed to the formation of unique molecular structures via hydrogen bonding interactions, which effectively hinders the natural molecular dynamics of short-chain length alcohols. Conversely, polyhydric alcohols like Etg and Gly exhibit contrasting photothermal characteristics due to their extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Our investigations reveal that molecular attributes, such as chain length and the number of hydroxyl (-OH) groups, play a crucial role in altering the heat transfer mechanisms and thermal lens signal characteristics of the mixtures. These findings emphasize the sensitivity of FTLS as a probe for understanding the effects of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions on the molecular dynamics and thermo-optical properties of aqueous-alcoholic solutions.

Metformin-Induced Invertase Unfolding: Enzyme Kinetics and Activity Regulation.

The effects of metformin on invertase activity and its inhibition on sucrose digestion were studied. The rapid unfolding kinetics of invertases, followed a two-state model with an inactive intermediate formation. The dynamic interaction between metformin and invertase caused the secondary structure of the enzyme to become less β-sheet, more α-helix, and random coiling oriented, which weakened the binding force between enzyme and its substrate. Metformin acted as a chaotrope and disrupted the hydrogen bonds of water, which facilitated the unfolding of invertase. However, some sugar alcohols, which promoted the H-bond formation of water, could repair the secondary structure of metformin-denatured invertase and therefore regulate the enzyme activity. This research enriches our understanding of the mechanism of enzyme unfolding induced by guanidine compounds. Moreover, because metformin and sugar substitutes are of concern to diabetes, this research also provides useful information for understanding the activity of the digestive enzyme that coexists with metformin and sugar alcohols.

Metabolic profiling and biomarkers identification in cluster bean under drought stress using GC-MS technique.

The Cluster bean is an economically significant annual legume, widely known as guar. Plant productivity is frequently constrained by drought conditions. In this work, we have identified the untargeted drought stress-responsive metabolites in mature leaves of cluster beans under drought and control condition. To analyse the untargeted metabolites, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was used. Supervised partial least-squares discriminate analysis and heat map were used to identify the most significant metabolites for drought tolerance. The mature leaves of drought-treated C. tetragonoloba cv. 'HG-365' which is a drought-tolerant cultivar, showed various types of amino acids, fatty acids, sugar alcohols and sugars as the major classes of metabolites recognized by GC-MS metabolome analysis. Metabolite profiling of guar leaves showed 23 altered metabolites. Eight metabolites (proline, valine, D-pinitol, palmitic acid, dodecanoic acid, threonine, glucose, and glycerol monostearate) with VIP score greater than one were considered as biomarkers and three metabolite biomarkers (D-pinitol, valine, and glycerol monostearate) were found for the first time in guar under drought stress. In this work, four amino acids (alanine, valine, serine and aspartic acid) were also studied, which played a significant role in drought-tolerant pathway in guar. This study provides information on the first-ever GC-MS metabolic profiling of guar. This work gives in-depth details on guar's untargeted drought-responsive metabolites and biomarkers, which can plausibly be used for further identification of biochemical pathways, enzymes, and the location of various genes under drought stress.

Boosted luminescence of chiral nanophosphors with circularly polarized luminescence

Achieving strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) responses in chiral inorganic materials is a challenge. Our study reports a synthesis of bismuth bromide oxybate-based inorganic nanomaterials that have been modified with chiral sugar alcohols (D/L-BYE) co-doped with Er3+ and Yb3+. Chiral molecules are used as inducers to preferentially grow the materials towards specific chirality. The Er3+, Yb3+ co-doped chiral sugar alcohol modified BiOBr has stronger luminescence intensity of up-conversion and the near-infrared second region (NIR II) under the excitation of 980 nm. It has been demonstrated that the enhancement of near-infrared and visible luminescence is attributable to electromagnetic field-induced acceleration of radiative excursion and Mie scattering effects. The study proposes a novel approach to simultaneously enhance the up/down conversion luminescence of chiral inorganic nanomaterials doped with rare earth ions. Meanwhile, this material exhibits strong circularly polarized luminescence properties in the visible range, which has great application potential in chiral optics and other fields.

In Situ Gelation Strategy for Efficient Drug Delivery in a Gastrointestinal System.

Developing a microenvironment-responsive drug delivery system (DDS) for the gastrointestinal system is of great interest to enhance drug efficiency and minimize side effects. Unfortunately, the rapid-flowing digestive juice in the gastrointestinal tract and the continuous contraction and peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract muscle accelerate the elimination of drug carriers. In this study, a boric hydroxyl-modified mesoporous Mg(OH)2 drug carrier is prepared to prolong the drug retention time. Results show that the newly designed DDS presents high biocompatibility and can immediately turn the free polyhydric alcohol molecules into a gelation form. The in situ-formed gelation network presents high viscosity and can prevent the drug carriers from being washed away by the digestive juice in the gastrointestinal tract.

Suitable Stereoscopic Configuration of Electrolyte Additive Enabling Highly Reversible and High-Rate Zn Anodes.

Electrolyte additive engineering is a crucial method for enhancing the performance of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Recently, most research predominantly focuses on the role of functional groups in regulating electrolytes, often overlooking the impact of molecule stereoscopic configuration. Herein, two isomeric sugar alcohols, mannitol and sorbitol, are employed as electrolyte additives to investigate the impact of the stereoscopic configuration of additives on the ZnSO4 electrolyte. Experimental analysis and theoretical calculations reveal that the primary factor for improving Zn anode performance is the regulation of the solvation sheath by these additives. Among the isomers, mannitol exhibits stronger binding energies with Zn2+ ions and water molecules due to its more suitable stereoscopic configuration. These enhanced bindings allow mannitol to coordinate with Zn2+, contributing to solvation structure formation and reducing the active H2O molecules in the bulk electrolyte, resulting in suppressed parasitic reactions and inhibited dendritic growth. As a result, the zinc electrodes in mannitol-modified electrolyte exhibit excellent cycling stability of 1600 h at 1 mA cm-2 and 900 h at 10 mA cm-2, respectively. Hence, this study provides novel insights into the importance of suitable stereoscopic molecule configurations in the design of electrolyte additives for highly reversible and high-rate Zn anodes.

Liquefaction pathway of corn stalk cellulose in the presence of polyhydric alcohols under acid catalysis

In this paper, the experiment of cellulose from corn stalk using 1, 2-propylene glycol (PG) and diethylene glycol (DEG) liquefaction catalyzed by phosphoric acid at atmosphere pressure was carried out. The effect of reaction time on the structural changes of cellulose in the liquefaction process of polyhydric alcohols was investigated, aiming at understanding the mechanism of cellulose liquefaction reaction under the action of acid catalyzed polyhydric alcohols. It was found that the liquefaction yield increased first and then decreased with the extension of reaction time, and reached the highest at 150 min (99.34 %). In the phase of increasing liquefaction yield, cellulose was degraded and translated into glucose, which was then converted into plenty of glycosides with PG/DEG. These glycosides were further converted into low molecular weight (LMW) substances such as hydrocarbons, acids, alcohols, esters, ketones, and ethers. At this time, the biofuel contained 70 %–85 % compounds with carbon number less than 25 and 5 %–10 % compounds with carbon number more than 25. As the prolongation of reaction time (after 150 min), quantities of unstable free radicals formed by cellulose degradation could combine with each other or with hydrogen atoms provided by PG/DEG to produce relatively stable macromolecular substances. That is, the polydispersity (Mw/Mn, abbreviated Ð = 1.28) of the generated biofuel at this stage no longer decreased. However, liquefaction residue produced at 240 min had changed essentially, which was completely different from the liquefaction residue produced in the early stage of liquefaction. In conclusion, this paper revealed the partial reaction process of cellulose by studying the structural changes in the liquefaction process of polyhydric alcohols, which laid a theoretical foundation for exploring the liquefaction mechanism of cellulose.

Lignocellulosic biomass to glycols: Simultaneous conversion of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin using an organic solvent

This study investigates the simultaneous conversion of holocellulose and lignin fractions during the catalytic hydrogenolysis of biomass to glycols, focusing on how different organic solvents, necessary to keep the lignin soluble, impact the conversion of non-delignified and deashed biomass, as well as the ethylene glycol production and lignin behavior. Although the catalyst amounts used were low, the cellulose and hemicellulose were converted into ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sugar alcohols, and glycerol, yielding about 40 wt%. This is slightly lower than the benchmark process (acidified water and de-ashed biomass), which had a total yield of around 50 wt%. A noticeable difference between using organic solvents and water was found in the behavior of depolymerized lignin. When using an organic solvent, up to 63 % of the lignin could be extracted from the biomass and kept soluble, compared to only 15 % when using acidified water. The molecular weight distribution of solubilized lignin was similar for all organic solvents (Mw = 833–1190 g/mol), but it was significantly different from the benchmark experiment with acidified water (Mw = 423 g/mol).

Sugar derived hydrochar catalysts for enhanced biodiesel production via esterification

Sugars and sugar alcohols are renewable raw materials which can be used for char production. Their acid-catalyzed hydro-carbonization results in the formation of carbon materials with acidic functional groups on the surface, which makes them suitable to be used as heterogeneous catalysts in esterification reactions. Hydrochars materials were prepared by low-temperature slow carbonization of glycerol, xylitol, sucrose, and glucose in the presence of different amounts of H2SO4 (mass ratios from 1 to 4). The hydrochars were extensively characterized and tested in the methanolysis reaction of oleic acid. All the carbon materials were amorphous with features of polyaromatic sheets with hydroxyl (–OH), carboxylic acid (–COOH), and sulfonic (−SO3H) functional groups. The effect of the oleic acid water content on catalytic performance was studied, showing a strong inhibition effect due to the hygroscopic character of catalysts induced by sulfonic groups and other surface groups with oxygen. Under the conditions evaluated (5 % wt. of catalyst, methanol/oleic acid = 9 M ratio, methanol reflux temperature) the sucrose-derived catalyst prepared with the highest H2SO4 content showed the best performance, leading to methyl oleate yield > 90 % after 2 h of reaction, which is only achieved by the majority of analogous catalysts reported in the literature after 4 to 8 h of reaction. The data showed that there is a correlation between the methyl ester yield and the graphitization of the catalyst, as this makes the catalyst more hydrophobic, which is an advantage in esterification catalysts.

Iron oxide nanoparticles of Cystoseira sp. Sugar alcohol treat MRSA and thyroid gland cancer

PurposeMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are emerging as a cause of suppurative thyroiditis. The resistance to several antibiotics and finding treatment has grown more difficult. Hence, the purpose of this study was to examine biosynthesized iron oxide nanostructures’ antimicrobial activity as well as their cytotoxicity on normal and thyroid cancer cells. MethodsBy using the sugar alcohols of Cystoseira sp., the authors synthesized the advanced biosynthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (COINs). An agar-well diffusion method and a broth dilution method were used to investigate COINs’ antimicrobial activity against MRSA isolates. However, their cytotoxicity against normal and thyroid cancer cell lines was determined by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. ResultsA GC–MS analysis of the dried Cystoseira sp. extract revealed a high percentage of D-mannitol, which is essential for the synthesis of spherical nanoparticles with a mean average size of 5.8 ± 0.8 nm. The COINs showed a higher inhibition zone (9–15 mm) for 66.6 % of MRSA isolates, and the MIC of COINs was 256 μg/ml. The cell wall of these bacteria inhabits the absorption of COINs. As a result, a large concentration of COINs is required to restrict bacterial growth. Moreover, COINs have cytotoxicity on thyroid cancer cell proliferation and normal thyroid cell lines at IC50s of 1.71 ± 0.1 and 25.9 ± 1.6 μg/ml, respectively. This can be due to the negative charge of sugar alcohols, which affect protein absorption and subsequent biological behaviors. ConclusionThe promising findings of this study are in favor of the creation of very small iron oxide nanostructures for therapy.

ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and machine/deep learning models for detecting adulteration in coconut water with sugars, sugar alcohols, and artificial sweeteners

Packaged coconut water offers various options, from pure to those with added sugars and other additives. While the purity of coconut water is esteemed for its health benefits, its popularity also exposes it to potential adulteration and misrepresentation. To address this concern, our study combines Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and machine learning techniques to detect potential adulterants in coconut water through classification models. The dataset comprises infrared spectra from coconut water samples spiked with 15 different types of potential sugar substitutes, including: sugars, artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols. The interaction of infrared light with molecular bonds generates unique molecular fingerprints, forming the basis of our analysis. Departing from previous research predominantly reliant on linear-based chemometrics for adulterant detection, our study explored linear, non-linear, and combined feature extraction models. By developing an interactive application utilizing principal component analysis (PCA) and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE), non-targeted sugar adulterant detection was streamlined through enhanced visualization and pattern recognition. Targeted analysis using ensemble learning random forest (RF) and deep learning 1-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D CNN) achieved higher classification accuracies (95% and 96%, respectively) compared to sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) at 77% and support vector machine (SVM) at 88% on the same dataset. The CNN’s demonstrated classification accuracy is complemented by exceptional efficiency through its ability to train and test on raw data.

Development of Solid Acid Catalysts for Synthesis of Chemicals from Sugars and Sugar Alcohols

Development of Solid Acid Catalysts for Synthesis of Chemicals from Sugars and Sugar Alcohols

Reversible thermochromic K2O·nSiO2-based anti-fire glass with bidirectional responsion and memory function

We describe a low-cost method for the synthesis of reversible thermochromic K2O·nSiO2-based anti-fire materials with bidirectional responsion and memory function, which was significant for energy-saving and fire-resistant applications. Here, the reversible thermochromic (RTC) and inverted reversible thermochromic (IRTC) K2O·nSiO2-based anti-fire glass were prepared via an in-situ reaction using a high solid content and low viscosity SiO2 sol (HSLV SiO2 sol, 55 wt%). The morphological, thermochromic, thermal insulation, and memory performances were systematically characterized. The pincer-like structure, rod-like structure and the layered microporous morphology were clearly shown in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs. The color change, foaming, and memory mechanisms were further investigated in detail. The significant differences appeared in the visible region of RTC and IRTC K2O·nSiO2-based anti-fire glass during heating and cooling process. FTIR spectra were used to characterize the difference among RTC, IRTC and control samples. The results indicated that a small amount of NH4+ caused the K2O·nSiO2-based anti-fire glass to exhibit IRTC characteristics, and the continuous addition of polyhydric alcohols was the key to obtain RTC performance. The IRTC K2O·nSiO2-based anti-fire glass was suitable for the conservatories or greenhouses, and the RTC K2O·nSiO2-based anti-fire glass reduced the direct sunlight exposure to control the indoor temperature. Combined with morphological and Tg analysis, the thermal insulation performance was enhanced by a microporous insulating layer with a sponge-like structure. We also used the bidirectional reversible thermochromic performance to prepare a novel anti-fire glass component for construction with anti-counterfeiting function. This work provided a new approach for the application of multifunctional smart windows.

Metroxylon sagu Rottb. Fruit Flour as Potential Prebiotics for Selected Probiotics and Phytochemical Profiling of its Methanolic Extract by LC-MS/MS

The plant of Metroxylon sago Rottb. which is found abundantly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Papua New Guinea, is famous as carbohydrate producing plants. The sago fruit has not been yet extensively used, although they are rich in oligosaccharides which is potential as prebiotic. Sago fruit flour was studied as growth substrate for five selected probiotics and phytochemical profile of its methanol extracts were determined. All bacteria grew well up to 24 h on the growth medium containing sago fruit flour as carbohydrate substitute. However, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus FNCC 0099 and Lactobacillus acidophilus FNCC 0051 showed viability stability up to 72 h, while the others were slightly decreased. The sago fruit flour contained 20.4 mg/g total sugars, 14.8 mg QE/g flavonoids, and 36.7 mg GAE/g phenolics. After extraction of the fruit flour with 80% methanol using an ultrasonicator at 55 °C at 40 kHz for 40 min, the extract was analysed for its phytochemical profiles using untargeted LC-MS/MS screening with negative ionization mode. Seven compounds categorised in three distinct groups i.e., sugar alcohol, plant glycosides and fatty acids, have been identified as having possible prebiotic activity. These include ((1xi)-1,5-anhydro-2,3,6-tris-O-(carboxymethyl)-1-methyl-4-O-methyl-D-glucitol), quercitrin, (15Z)-9,12,13-trihydroxy-15-octadecenoic acid, corchorifatty acid F, 3,5-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-7-yl-hexopyranoside, gynocardin, and (4-methylumbelliferone)-b-D-glucopyranoside. As the sago fruit flour has been proved as potential prebiotic in this study, its extensive prebiotics activity, prebiotic index, and stability under digestive condition will be subjected for further study.

Improving Energy Efficiency with Heat Exchanger and Optimizing Operating Conditions for Sorbitol Production from Dextrose

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol which has a molecular formula of C6H14O6. The production of sorbitol by the hydrogenation process is carried out at high pressure so that a large amount of energy is required. The use of considerable energy in the production process supports the need for innovation for energy efficiency in the production of sorbitol from dextrose, which is expected to help increase sorbitol production so that it can meet market needs. The innovation carried out here is to change the operating conditions with the help of Ru/ASMA@AC catalyst so that the temperature required during the reaction is low. In addition, modifying the use of heat exchanger units so that the heat generated during operation is reused. These innovations were simulated using Aspen HYSYS software. The results of the simulation proved to be able to improve energy efficiency by reducing the performance of compressors and coolers used during production and saving considerable energy. Copyright © 2024 by Authors, Published by Universitas Diponegoro and BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Construction and culture condition optimization of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain for production of galactitol

Galactitol, a rare sugar alcohol, has promising potential in the food industry and pharmaceutical field. The available industrial production methods rely on harsh hydrogenation processes, which incur high costs and environmental concerns. It is urgent to develop environmentally friendly and efficient biosynthesis technologies. In this study, a xylose reductase named AnXR derived from Aspergillus niger CBS 513.88 was identified and characterized for the enzymatic properties. AnXR exhibited the highest activity at 25 ℃ and pH 8.0, and it belonged to the NADPH-dependent aldose reductase family. To engineer a strain for galactitol production, we deleted the galactokinase (GAL1) gene in Saccharomyes cerevisiae by using the recombinant gene technology, which significantly reduced the metabolic utilization of D-galactose by host cells. Subsequently, we introduced the gene encoding AnXR into this modified strain, creating an engineered strain capable of catalyzing the conversion of D-galactose into galactitol. Furthermore, we optimized the whole-cell catalysis conditions for the engineered strain, which achieved a maximum galactitol yield of 12.10 g/L. Finally, we tested the reduction ability of the strain for other monosaccharides and discovered that it could produce functional sugar alcohols such as xylitol and arabinitol. The engineered strain demonstrates efficient biotransformation capabilities for galactitol and other functional sugar alcohols, representing a significant advancement in environmentally sustainable production practices.