Sucrose Medium Research Articles

Acquisition and Transmission of the Lethal Bronzing Phytoplasma by Haplaxius crudus Using Infected Palm Spear Leaves and Artificial Feeding Media.

Lethal bronzing (LB) is a fatal palm disease caused by the phytoplasma 'Candidatus Phytoplasma aculeata'. This disease causes significant economic losses in palm industries and landscapes. The American palm cixiid, Haplaxius crudus, recently was identified as the vector of the phytoplasma. However, knowledge about LB phytoplasma transmission is limited due to the lack of a method to generate phytoplasma-infected insects in the laboratory. In this study, the acquisition and transmission of the LB phytoplasma by H. crudus were investigated. Successful acquisitions of the phytoplasma by H. crudus were observed at 2 days acquisition access period on LB-infected palm spear leaves. Analyses revealed increased phytoplasma infection rates of H. crudus with longer acquisition access periods and latent periods. A significantly higher phytoplasma infection rate was shown after various acquisition access periods and latent periods than the infection rate of the field-collected H. crudus population. Transmission of the phytoplasma from LB-infected spear leaves to sucrose media by H. crudus also was observed using digital PCR assays. These results further support the vector status of H. crudus and offer valuable information to understand LB phytoplasma transmission. Additionally, these results generate a critical baseline for future LB phytoplasma-vector research by providing a way to generate vectors with high phytoplasma infection rates in the laboratory setting.

First report on the metabolic characterization of Sterigmatocystin production by select Aspergillus species from the Nidulantes section in Foeniculum vulgare.

Spices are typically grown in climates that support the growth of toxigenic fungi and the production of mycotoxins. The Aspergilli described in this study, as well as the sterigmatocystin (STC) detected, are causes for concern due to their potential to induce food poisoning. One of the most well-known producers of the carcinogenic STC is Aspergillus nidulans. This research explores the occurrence of STC-producing fungi in Foeniculum vulgare, a spice that is marketed in India and other parts of the world. This innovative study details the mycotoxigenic potential of five Aspergilli belonging to Section Nidulantes, namely Aspergillus latus (02 isolates), Emericella quadrilineata (02 isolates), and Aspergillus nidulans (01 isolate), with respect to STC contamination. These five isolates of Aspergilli were screened to produce STC on yeast extract sucrose (YES) medium in a controlled environment with regard to light, temperature, pH, and humidity, among other variables. The expression patterns of regulatory genes, namely, aflR, laeA, pacC, fluG, flbA, pksA, and mtfA were studied on the Czapek–Dox agar (CDA) medium. STC biosynthesis by the test isolates was done in potato dextrose broth (PDB) under optimum conditions, followed by the extraction and purification of the broth using ethyl acetate. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an ultraviolet (UV) detector was utilized to detect compounds in eluted samples. F. vulgare contains Aspergilli that have been shown to have mycotoxigenic potential, which can accumulate in the spice during its active growth and thereby cause the elaboration of mycotoxins.

Investigation of biochemical changes in the leaves of Curcuma caesia Roxb. under sucrose-induced osmotic stress environment

Curcuma caesia Roxb., also known as black turmeric, is a rare rhizomatous herb in the Zingiberaceae family. In the present study, we used the two different sucrose concentrations (3% and 9% sucrose) in Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 8 mg/l benzyladenine, 8 mg/l kinetin, 100 mg/l citric acid, 200 mg/l adenine sulfate and 2 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid to investigate the biochemical differences in the leaves of C. caesia. Biochemical parameters such as total sugar, proline, protein, chlorophyll, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity, were analyzed to study the differences. All the parameters were performed on the 0th and 30th day after inoculation (DAI). It has been found that as sucrose concentration raised from 3% to 9% sucrose, the SOD activity, as well as the total sugar, proline, protein, chlorophyll, and H2O2 content increases significantly at 30th DAI. These increased enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense systems, thus helping the plant to maintain its growth under a stressed environment.

4a-methyl-dodecahydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-b]quinoline-6-one produced by Endophytic Fungi Aspergillus niger E12 obtained from Dodonaea viscosa Plant Leaves as a Novel Antibacterial Compound.

Endophytic fungi were isolated from forty plant leaf samples from Gudiyam forest. The potent antibacterial strain Aspergillus niger E12 isolated from the plant Dodonaea viscosa showed maximal antibacterial activity against all the test organisms, viz., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus coagulans, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The production of the antibacterial compound was optimized using the yeast extract sucrose medium (2% YES) using response surface methodology (RSM). For the production, the optimal parameters were carbon/nitrogen (C:N) ratio, 9:1; temperature, 25°C; pH, 5.7; incubation time, 240h; and rpm, 30. A zone of inhibition of 19.33mm was observed as maximal bioactivity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The antibacterial compound was purified by extraction with ethyl acetate, activity-guided fractionation, and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies showed that the Aspergillus niger E12 bioactive substance is 4a-methyl-dodecahydro-1H-pyrrolo [3,4-b] quinoline-6-one.

Yeast-Mycelial Dimorphism in Pichia pastoris SMD1168 Is Triggered by Nutritional and Environmental Factors

This study reports, for the first time, morphological transition from yeast-like to filamentous form, normally associated with pathogenicity/increased protein secretion, in Pichia pastoris SMD1168 strain. The response was recorded in response to nutritional and environmental cues. The factors affecting this switch were extracellular pH (under nitrogen starvation conditions), carbon and nitrogen source under nitrogen- and carbon-limiting conditions respectively. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, addition of fructose and sucrose in the culture medium induced filamentous morphology in a segregated form whereas addition of galactose led to a mixture of yeast and the filamentous form of the cells. Under carbon-limiting conditions, isoleucine and proline forced a filamentous form whereas glycine, valine, alanine and phenylalanine promoted yeast-like morphology. Similar dimorphic shift was also displayed by a recombinant methanol slow utilizing (Muts) strain (SMD-GCSF Muts) producing human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in response to change in the initial inoculum level. Analysis of the extracellular metabolome by GC-MS indicated that several amino acids (leucine, proline, tyrosine), carboxylic acids (phenylacetic-, propanoic acid), alcohols and butylamine were present at different levels in the culture broth of the two morphological forms. High accumulation of proline and butylamine was seen in the extracellular culture filtrate of the filamentous form of the yeast. Presence of quorum-sensing molecules (phenylethyl alcohol, dodecanol) suggested complex network of pathways involved in this morphological transition.

Saliva sampling methods. Cariogenic streptococci count using two different methods of saliva collection in children.

The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of two methods for collecting saliva samples from infants under 2 years of age for cariogenic streptococci (CS) count. Two collection methods were applied in 11 infants. In Method (A), saliva samples were collected by swabbing the inner cheek mucosa and floor of the mouth in figure of eight motions with a sterile cotton swab until it was soaked. In method (B), saliva samples were collected by aspiration of 1 ml of saliva with a sterile plastic syringe on the floor of the mouth, after stimulation with glove. The samples were cultured in modified Gold's broth (MSMG), and on trypticase, yeast extract, sucrose, cystine and bacitracin culture medium (TYSCB). In method (A), the swab with the sample was unloaded in situ on TYSCB and placed in PBS medium for transport. Then, 100 μl of the eluate was seeded in MSMG. In method (B) 100 μl were seeded in TYSCB and 100 μl in MSMG. Both culture media were incubatedundercapnophilicconditions for 48 hours at 37 °C. Colony forming units (CFU/ml) were counted by calibrated operators (kappa = 0.75). The presence of cariogenic streptococci (CS) (Streptococcus mutans-Streptococcus sobrinus) was determined by qPCR in the samples collected by both methods. The CFU/ml counts in MSMG differed significantly between methods (p = 0.021). In TYSCB, the recovery of CFU/ml was higher in method (A), without significant difference (p = 0.705). The molecular technique detected presence of CS, with no difference between collection methods. Collecting saliva samples by swabbing proved more effective in terms of recovery of microorganisms, and did not affect the detection of presence of CS by molecular techniques.

DETERMINATION OF THE OPTIMAL CONDITIONS FOR LEVAN PRODUCTION FROM THE LOCAL ISOLATE OF Bacillus subtilis Strain AE77

Background: Levan is a promising safe, renewable, and environmentally friendly exocellular homopolysaccharides. It has recently gained increasing research interest because of its significant impact on biotechnology applications due to its biocompatibility and ability to biodegradability. Aim: The study aimed to determine some of the optimal cultural conditions for levan production by studying many parameters affecting production by local isolation Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis Strain AE77). Methods: B. subtilis Strain AE77 It was obtained from the Department of Food Science/College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences as a local levan-producing isolate isolated from rotten sweets. The Mineral Salts Broth (MSB) medium was approved to study the optimized conditions for levan production. Then precipitation of levan from the fermentation medium. Then the identification of levan with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technology by estimating the retention time of levan, compared with the standard model produced from the bacterial isolate Erwinia herbicola (E.herbicola). Besides, each of the standard solutions of sugars (fructose, glucose, and sucrose). Results: The study results proved that the polysaccharide produced from this isolate is pure and consists of fructose and is a homopolysaccharide with the HPLC technique. The best levan production was from B. subtilis Strain AE77 using a modified MSB medium of 20% sucrose in a 48 hours incubation period. An inoculum volume of 1×108 cell/ml at a concentration of 2% at an incubation temperature of 35 °C and pH = 7.0 and agitation speed of 150 rpm reached 4.80 g/100ml. Conclusion: HPLC was used to separate, identify and quantify both B.subtilis Strain AE77 and standard levan produced from the bacterial isolate E. herbicola, as well as standard fructose, glucose, and sucrose, respectively. The results showed that levan is a homopolysaccharide consisting of one type of monomer (the fructose sugar units). Conditions for levan production were determined by isolating B. subtilis Strain AE77 in a sucrose medium. The results showed that the optimal medium for production contained 20% sucrose without any nitrogen source, pH7.0, and inoculum volume 1x108 cell/ml at a concentration of 2% at a temperature of 35 °C agitation speed 150 rpm, and incubation period of 48 hours.

Ex situ conservation of the endangered “sempre-viva” species Comanthera mucugensis

The “sempre-viva” species Comanthera mucugensis is endemic to the municipality of Mucugê, Bahia, Brazil, where it was widely exploited through extractivism to be commercialized as an ornamental, causing a drastic reduction of its population, so that it is now classified as endangered. Although its main area of occurrence is now protected for being within Chapada Diamantina National Park, the continued risks of inclement conditions and anthropic actions make it necessary to develop alternative methods for ex situ conservation of the species, such as in vitro conservation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test the effect of different concentrations of salts and sucrose on the in vitro conservation of Comanthera mucugensis. Two salts concentrations of the medium MS (½ and ¼) and two sucrose levels (7.5 and 15.0 g L-1) were tested, and the experimental design was completely randomized with four treatments. After 365 days, the survival, growth and regeneration of the conserved plants were analyzed, achieving up to 100% survival, reduced shoot growth and maintenance of regenerative capacity. Reduction of the concentration of salts and sucrose in the culture medium is indicated to conserve the plants in vitro for a period of one year.

Pollen tube growth in Calotropis procera is controlled by environmental changes: does it have an impact on delayed fertilization?

Calotropis procera (Apocynaceae) is a Sudanian plant that grows throughout the eastern Saharo-Arabian region. In Israel, it grows along the Rift Valley under extremely hot and dry climatic conditions. In C. procera, as in many other Apocynaceae, the nectar is secreted in the flowers from the nectaries located inside the stigmatic chamber, with the excess flowing via the capillary system into special reservoirs (cucculi). The nectar has two functions: it is used as a reward to attract pollinating insects and it serves as the germination medium for pollen grains. Under natural conditions the nectar concentration is subjected to a large variability, ranging from 22-68% sucrose. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of the natural fluctuations of nectar concentration on pollen germination and pollen tube growth, and their possible role in delaying fertilization in Calotropis procera. We followed the process of pollen germination under various experimental sucrose concentrations simulating the nectar. We found that the optimal concentration of a sucrose medium for pollen germination is 20%. However, if the already-germinated pollen grains are subjected to high sucrose concentration for different periods of time (between one and three hours), elongation of the pollen tubes is inhibited. In all the experimental groups, the pollen tubes renewed their elongation following a reduction of the sucrose. In conclusion, we found that C. procera pollen grains’ germination is able to adjust to the large fluctuations in sucrose concentration, caused by the changes in temperature and relative humidity conditions of the plant’s habitat during the day. This phenomenon probably enables postponing the fertilization towards a time of better conditions and enables the plant to retain the pollen tubes alive, albeit inactive, and thus allow the plant to overcome temporary harsh conditions and develop seeds.

Selection of initial culture medium in fed-batch bioreactor culture of Rhodiola sachalinensis cells

In fed-batch culture, numerous factors, such as initial culture conditions and feeding strategies, affect the culture efficiency. Among the factors, the effect of initial culture medium is rarely investigated. In this work, Rhodiola sachalinensis cells were cultured in the fed-batch bioreactor system and the effects of volume, medium strength, and sucrose concentration of initial culture medium on biomass and accumulation of salidroside, polysaccharides, flavonoids, and phenolics were investigated. The results showed that an initial medium volume of 3 L significantly (p < 0.05) increased biomass and the four bioactive compound contents. The maximum biomass and the highest contents of different bioactive compounds were determined at various MS medium strengths. Therefore, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) - technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was implemented and half-strength MS medium was selected. Furthermore, the effect of sucrose concentration was examined and 30 g/L sucrose in the initial medium was optimal, at which concentration, 39.45 mg/g DW of salidroside, 531.25 mg/g DW of total polysaccharides, 3.89 mg/g DW of total flavonoids, and 10.84 mg/g DW of total phenolics were produced. The findings of the present study provided a reference for further establishing the fed-batch culture system of R. sachalinensis cells.

Studies on size, sterility and germination of pollen grains of certain members of the family Malvaceae

The present study attempted to evaluate the pollen size, percentage of sterility using acetocarmine, percentage of germination in sucrose medium among the members of the family Malvaceae like Malvaviscus arboreus Cav., Sida rhombifolia L., Urena lobata L. Hibiscus furcatus Roxb. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. and Gossypium arboreum L. Regarding the size pollen grains of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis showed largest pollen. The smallest pollen grains belong to Urena lobata, L. The pollen sterility using acetocarmine indicated that the pollens of Hibiscus furcatus were completely fertile, while Sida rhombifolia showed highest amount of sterility. The germination of pollen grain in sucrose medium indicated that the pollen grain of all the members studied showed poor germination.

MICROPROPAGATION OF POTATO SEED TUBERS (Solanum tuberosum L.) UNDER IN VITRO CONDITIONS

In this paper the results of influence of phytohormone gibberellic acid GA3 on sprout formation in in vivo conditions and in vitro microtuberization of the potato varieties Agria, Agata, Sunshine, Ultra and Marabel are presented. The tubers from all varieties utilized in the experiment were certified potato seed tuber material. The experiment in in vitro conditions was established on &nbsp;sprout explants and nodal segment explants on the MS medium (Murashige &amp; Skoog, 1962) with addition of different combination and concentration of auxins and cytokines. Microtuberization was stimulated by rising the concentration of sucrose in MS medium from 40g/l to 60 g/l and 80g/l, respectively. The in vivo tuber treatment with 30mg/l GA3 was the most effective treatment for all potato varieties in proliferation of sprouts. All tubers that were treated with GA3 resulted in de novo sprouting of tubers. The variety Agata resulted with 100% of microtuberization from nodal segment explants on MS medium supplied with 40g/l and 80g/l sucrose. Microtuberization of the variety Sunshine was stimulated with addition of 80 g/l sucrose in MS medium. The developed microtubers were detached from the nodal segments and subcultured on new MS medium supplied with BAP 4mg/l, KIN 4mg/l and 8% of sucrose to increase their weight.

Production of vitamin A and vitamin E: expression of vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene in Erwinia herbicola

Vitamin A prevents eye problems, blindness and skin problems by strengthening the immune system. Vitamin E is a nutrient that has important roles in many areas such as skin health, eye health and hormonal order. Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) gives an advantage in later phases of grown conditions to cells. In this study, the intracellular and extracellular production of vitamin A and E in E. herbicola and its recombinant strains (vgb– and vgb+) in the three different M9 mediums with supplemented 0.1% glucose, 0.1% fructose and 0.1% sucrose was investigated. Additionally, the viable cell number and total cell mass (OD600) were measured by the host and the recombinant bacteria in these mediums. The VHb gene expression in E. herbicola enhanced vitamin A under different carbon conditionals. Especially, in the vgb + strain (carrying vgb gene) the production of total vitamin in 0.1% glucose medium was recorded as 0.14 µg/ml, while the production in fructose and sucrose media was recorded as 0.07 µg/ml. The production of intracellular vitamin E in the host strain (0.025 µg/ml) was about 13-fold (0.002 µg/ml) higher than vgb + recombinant strain in 0.1% fructose. The vgb + strain showed about 2-fold higher extracellular vitamin E production than the host strain.

Single sperm vitrification with permeable cryoprotectant-free medium is more effective in patients with severe oligozoospermia and azoospermia

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is an invasive surgery for achieving the spermatozoa in cases with azoospermia. In these patients, the number of retrieved spermatozoa is limited and the optimal cryo-storage is very critical for their fertility preservation. Therefore, single sperm vitrification has been introduced for preservation of low number of spermatozoa.The goal was to assess the efficacy of sperm freezing medium (SFM) and sucrose medium as cryoprotectants for single sperm vitrification in cases with severe oligozoospermia and azoospermia.A total of 20 ejaculates from severe oligozoospermia and 20 testicular samples from azoospermia were processed. Twenty-five sperm cells were collected using ICSI injection pipette and transferred to a cryoprotectant droplet placed on the Cryotech, then vitrified by plunging in liquid nitrogen. Sperm motility, viability, fine-morphology, mitochondrial activity and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were assessed before and after vitrification.Sperm motility, viability and the percentage of cells with mitochondrial activity were significantly decreased after vitrification in both severe oligozoospermic and testicular samples in either cryoprotectants. However, the rates of post-warm sperm motility and the cells with mitochondrial activity increased significantly in sucrose medium in both severe oligozoospermic and testicular samples compared to SFM. In testicular samples, the DFI of spermatozoa vitrified in SFM was significantly higher than those vitrified with sucrose medium.Sperm motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, and DNA integrity were better preserved in sucrose medium than SFM after single cell vitrification. The presented method may be a useful candidate for successful freezing of individual sperm cells in clinical setting.

Heterologous expression of the peach sucrose transporter (PpSUT2) in increased cold and drought stress tolerance in tobacco

ABSTRACT Peach is an important fruit tree worldwide. Sucrose transporters (SUTs) have been extensively studied in relation to plant growth, development, and stress responses. In this study, we cloned a putative SUT, PpSUT2, from the peach cultivar ‘New Kawanakajima.’ Bioinformatics analysis predicted that the protein had functional domains typical of the GPH_sucrose family. Phylogenetic analysis revealed high sequence similarity between PpSUT2 and SUTs from other plant species. The qRT-PCR suggested that PpSUT2 was expressed concurrently in the petals, sepals, pistils, stamen, phloem, and leaves. Different trends and different relative expression levels were observed during the flowering and fruit development periods. Western blot analysis produced similar results. The heterologous expression of SUTs in the defective yeast SUSY7/ura3 showed that PpSUT2 had a complementary function on SD sucrose medium. This indicated that it had sucrose transport activity and might be a signal protein. Then, 11PpSUT2 transgenic tobacco plants were obtained.After exposure to low temperature and drought stress conditions, the transgenic overexpression plants exhibited increased proline and soluble sugar content, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reduced relative conductivity, and less membrane injury. These results suggest that the overexpression of PpSUT2 in tobacco promoted greater resistance to cold and drought.

Identification of Vibrio spp. causing vibriosis in spiny lobsters (Panulirus homarus L.) in Bengkulu marine temporary shelter ponds

Spiny lobster (Panulirus homarus) is one of the export commodities of the Indonesian fisheries subsector and an important component for shrimp fisheries in Indonesia. In the development of lobster cultivation, there are several obstacles, the presence of vibriosis infection caused by the pathogenic Vibrio bacteria. This study aimed to identify Vibrio spp. bacteria in spiny lobsters (P. homarus) reared in the marine cultivation ponds, Bengkulu, Indonesia. Clinical symptoms of lobsters infected with vibriosis are red spots on the uropod, pleopod, and abdominal parts. Bacterial isolation was conducted by isolated some internal organs in spiny lobsters, that are, gills, stomachs, haemolymph, and hepatopancreas. The result showed there are 5 isolates of Vibrio bacteria that coded by IN3, ST2, HA1, HP2, and HP3. These bacteria isolates were identified through their colony morphology and biochemical tests. Characterization on the Thiosulfate Citrate Bile Salt Sucrose (TCBS) medium showed that lobsters were infected with Vibrio species. Based on Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, Austin and Austin, the identification results showed that HA1 isolate was identified as Vibrio algynolyticus, IN3 isolate was identified as V. anguillarum, ST2 was identified as V. ordalii, HP2 in first lobster was identified as with V. algynolyticus that mostly in the hepatopancreas, and HP3 was identified as V. splendidus

Flowering Biological Characteristics of Camellia weiningensis Y.K. Li.

This study aimed to investigate the flowering biological characteristics, floral organ characteristics, and pollen morphology of Camellia weiningensis Y.K. Li. These features of adult C. weiningensis plants were observed via light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pollen viability and stigma receptivity were detected using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazole chloride (TTC) staining and the benzidine–hydrogen peroxide reaction method. C. weiningensis is monoecious, with alternate leaves and glabrous branchlets. Its flowering period lasts 2 to 4 months, and the flowering time of individual plants lasts ≈50 days, with the peak flowering period from the end of February to the middle of March. It is a “centralized flowering” plant that attracts a large number of pollinators. Individual flowers are open for 12 to 13 days, mostly between 1230 and 1630 hr, and include four to six sepals, six to eight petals, ≈106 stamens, an outer ring of ≈24.6-mm-long stamens, an inner ring of ≈13.4-mm-long stamens, one pistil, and nine to 12 ovules. The flowers are light pink. The style is two- to three-lobed and 16.6 mm long, showing a curly “Y” shape. The contact surface of the style is covered with papillary cells and displays abundant secretory fluid and a full shape, facilitating pollen adhesion. The pollen is rhombohedral cone-shaped, and there are germ pores (tremoids). The groove of the germ pore is slender and extends to the two poles (nearly reaching the two poles). The pollen is spherical in equatorial view and trilobate in polar view. The pollen vitality was highest at the full flowering stage, and the stigma receptivity was greatest on days 2 to 3 of flowering. The best concentration of sucrose medium for pollen germination was 100 g/L. The number of pollen grains per anther was ≈2173, and the pollen-to-ovule ratio was 23,034:1. C. weiningensis is cross-pollinated. Seventy-two hours after cross-pollination, the pollen tube reached the base, and a small part entered the ovary. The time when the pollen tube reached the base after pollination was later than that in commonly grown Camellia oleifera. The results of this study might lay an important foundation for the flowering management, pollination time selection, and cross-breeding of C. weiningensis.

Luteapyrone, a Novel ƴ-Pyrone Isolated from the Filamentous Fungus Metapochonia lutea.

In the process of screening for new bioactive microbial metabolites we found a novel ƴ-pyrone derivative for which we propose the trivial name luteapyrone, in a recently described microscopic filamentous fungus, Metapochonia lutea BiMM-F96/DF4. The compound was isolated from the culture extract of the fungus grown on modified yeast extract sucrose medium by means of flash chromatography followed by preparative HPLC. The chemical structure was elucidated by NMR and LC-MS. The new compound was found to be non-cytotoxic against three mammalian cell lines (HEK 263, KB-3.1 and Caco-2). Similarly, no antimicrobial activity was observed in tested microorganisms (gram positive and negative bacteria, yeast and fungi).

Transformation of sugarcane molasses into fructooligosaccharides with enhanced prebiotic activity using whole-cell biocatalysts from Aureobasidium pullulans FRR 5284 and an invertase-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae 1403-7A

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) can be used as feed prebiotics, but are limited by high production costs. In this study, low-cost sugarcane molasses was used to produce whole-cell biocatalysts containing transfructosylating enzymes by Aureobasidium pullulans FRR 5284, followed by FOS production from molasses using the whole-cells of A. pullulans. A. pullulans in molasses-based medium produced cells and broth with a total transfructosylating activity of 123.6 U/mL compared to 61.0 and 85.8 U/mL in synthetic molasses-based and sucrose-based media, respectively. It was found that inclusion of glucose in sucrose medium reduced both transfructosylating and hydrolytic activities of the produced cells and broth. With the use of pure glucose medium, cells and broth had very low levels of transfructosylating activities and hydrolytic activities were not detected. These results indicated that A. pullulans FRR 5284 produced both constitutive and inducible enzymes in sucrose-rich media, such as molasses while it only produced constitutive enzymes in the glucose media. Furthermore, treatment of FOS solutions generated from sucrose-rich solutions using an invertase-deficient Saccharomyces yeast converted glucose to ethanol and acetic acid and improved FOS content in total sugars by 20–30%. Treated FOS derived from molasses improved the in vitro growth of nine probiotic strains by 9–63% compared to a commercial FOS in 12 h incubation. This study demonstrated the potential of using molasses to produce FOS for feed application.

Preparation and characterization of templated porous carbons from sucrose by one-pot method and application as a CO2 adsorbent.

The templated porous carbons were prepared from sucrose by one-pot method. In this method in which the pre-synthesis of the hard template is eliminated, the porous carbons were produced by organic-inorganic self-assembly of sucrose, tetraethyl ortosilicate (TEOS), Pluronic P123 and n-butanol in an acidic medium, and subsequent carbonization. The synthesis parameters such as sucrose amount, TEOS molar ratio and carbonization temperature were evaluated for describing their effects on the pore structures of the synthesized carbons. The prepared porous carbons were characterized by N2 adsorption, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The carbon dioxide adsorption uptakes of the obtained porous carbons were determined at 1 bar and 273 K. The templated carbon obtained with the lowest TEOS molar ratio exhibited the highest BET surface area of 1289 m2/g and micropore volume of 0.467 cm3/g, and showed the highest CO2 uptake of 2.28 mmol/g.