Total Reducing Sugars Research Articles

EVALUATION OF THE SUGAR CONTENT OF SELECTED COKE DRINKS

This research work is aimed at the Evaluation of sugar contents of Selected Coke Drinks. The study was motivated by the increasing global concern of reported cases of sugar-related ill health. Three different Coke drinks namely; RC, Pepsi and Coca-cola were tested to determine the amount of sugar present in the drinks. The selection of these three products was justified by the fact that they are the most commonly consumed coke drinks (amongst others), as reviewed. The soft drink bottles were purchased from “Everyday” supermarket in Owerri, Imo State; analysis was conducted on the samples at the New Concept Laboratory, Obinze Owerri. The parameters tested include pH, Total soluble sugar, Reducing sugar, Total reducing sugar, Sucrose, Glucose and Fructose. The results of the analysis showed that the pH of the three samples were 2.19, 2.21 and 2.27 for RC, Pepsi and Coca-Cola respectively. The Total Soluble Sugar was 8.50%, 10.20% and 7.20% for RC, Pepsi and Coca-cola products respectively. Also in that order, the Reducing sugar was gotten as 8.22%, 11.75%, and 10.18% respectively, while the Total reducing sugar was found to be 18.27%, 17.97% and 15.16% respectively. The sucrose content was 154.56% for RC, 148.53% for Pepsi and 125.06% for Coca-Cola. The glucose and fructose were 1.13%, 0.82%, 1.03% and 7.09%, 10.93% and 9.15% both for RC, Pepsi and Coca-Cola products respectively. Generally, RC was found to have the highest percentage of sugar content amongst the three samples examined. It is, thus, recommended that there should be prudent check in the rate of soft drink consumption, especially those that contain high sugar and phosphoric acids value (as are obtainable in our locality); also drinking plenty of water, instead of sugary drinks like soft drink, is better due to its high sugar and acidic contents. Keywords: Coke, Drinks, Evaluation, Sugar Content.

Centrifugal Cryoconcentration of Prickly Pear Juice: Effect on the Polyphenolic Content and their Antioxidant Activity

Centrifugal cryoconcentration has been shown to be effective in the desalination of seawater, concentration of proteins, and liquid foods, mainly fruit juices; in the latter, it is particularly interesting to be a non-destructive technology on various bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, which have been found in several fruit juices such as prickly pear. An important issue is related to centrifugation's effect on the concentration efficiency of cryoconcentration. The present work's main objective was to study the Block cryoconcentration assisted by centrifugation (BCCC), their effects on the polyphenols, and antioxidant activity applied to prickly pear juice. Prickly pear juice was obtained, Bx, pH, titratable acidity, color, total reducing sugars, total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoids, FRAP, DPPH, and process parameters (efficiency (η), concentration index (CI), and solute yield (Y)) were evaluated. Data obtained for physicochemical parameters showed high values of °Bx in cryoconcentrated samples, pH values decreased in treated samples, and total titratable acidity increased, total reducing sugars were higher in samples treated at the lower time of centrifugation, all experimental samples showed noticeable color changes. Higher total phenolic and flavonoid content were observed in samples treated at 15 min of centrifugation; DPPH and FRAP tests were highly correlated with TPC and flavonoid content (R2> 0.96). High efficiency and concentration index were observed; however, a low value of solute yield was found in cryoconcentrated juice. The use of cryoconcentration for prickly pear juices shows good results for physicochemical parameters, preservation of bioactive, and process parameters with the exception of solute yield.

Approach to an efficient pretreatment method for rice straw by deep eutectic solvent for high saccharification efficiency

Deep eutectic solvent comprising choline chloride (ChCl) and acetic acid (AA) was used for rice straw (RS) pretreatment. Effect of ChCl: AA molar ratio, time and temperature on lignin removal and retainment of total carbohydrate content (TCC) in pretreatment process were evaluated by central composite design (CCD) approach. The pretreatment temperature and molar ratio of AA to ChCl played a significant role in delignification. The optimized conditions for RS pretreatment were 1:3.59 (ChCl:AA molar ratio), 126 °C and 150 min. ChCl:AA pretreated RS (CApRS) gave 83.1% delignification, 679 mg/gCApRS TCC and 83.7% pretreatment efficiency. CApRS contained enriched cellulose content, 0.73 g/gCApRS as compared with 0.43 g/graw RS in raw RS. CApRS showed 31% higher crystallinity index, 17-fold higher surface area than raw RS. The morphological study of CApRS displayed porous surface. Saccharification of CApRS by commercial cellulase gave total reducing sugar of 18.8 g/L in hydrolysate with saccharification efficiency, 92.2%.

Synthesis of gold nanoparticles using bacterial cellulase and its role in saccharification and bioethanol production from aquatic weeds

In this investigation, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized using cellulase (partially purified from Glutamicibacter arilaitensis strain ALA4) as reducing agent. The biosynthesis of AuNPs was confirmed by observing the appearance of purple colour solution with surface plasmon resonance absorption peak (λmax) at 574 nm. The SEM analysis showed the synthesis of gold nanocrystals with an average size of 5–7 nm. Cellulase was partially purified from strain ALA4 using standard protocols, and further immobilized on AuNPs for assessing its role in the saccharification of alkali (4% w/v NaOH) pre-treated aquatic weeds (Alternanthera philoxeroides and Brachiaria mutica) biomass. The pre-treated biomass of A. philoxeroides exhibited maximum total reducing sugar (TRS) yield of 18.95 ± 0.18 mg/g at 72 h. The pre-treated biomass exhibited increased saccharification degree of 38.25 ± 0.8, 49.05 ± 0.7, 67.05 ± 0.7, 85.27 ± 0.8, and 67.99 ± 0.8% from 12 to 96 h. Likewise, the pre-treated biomass of B. mutica exhibited maximum TRS yield of 20.98 ± 0.17 mg/g at 72 h. The pre-treated biomass exhibited increased saccharification degree of 44.46 ± 0.7, 55.53 ± 0.8, 73.26 ± 0.7, 94.41 ± 0.8, and 73.3 ± 0.7% from 12 to 96 h. Bioethanol production from pre-treated aquatic weeds were estimated by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process using yeast cells immobilized on sodium alginate. Ethanol content was estimated using Gas Chromatography. The yeast cells immobilized in calcium alginate beads showed ethanol production of 45.09 and 50.1% from NaOH pre-treated A. philoxeroides and B. mutica biomass, respectively. Findings of this study suggested pronounced role of bacterial cellulase-assisted-synthesized AuNPs in biofuel industries for the successful production of bioethanol from distinct aquatic weeds biomass in a cost-effective manner in future.

An integrated ionic liquid hybrid polymeric fixed-bed reactor with a porous sponge-like structure for biomass hydrolysis

Biomass hydrolysis into fermentable reducing sugars is essential for the bioethanol production. Novel integrated ionic liquid (IL) hybrid polymeric fixed-bed reactor with porous sponge-like structure was constructed for inulin hydrolysis. The acidic IL, [(CH2)3SO3HVIm]HSO4 was covalently grafted on polysulfone (PSF). The PSF-ILs integrated porous fixed beds were elaborately prepared by famous non-solvent induced phase separation approach. Effects of coagulation bath composition and temperature, fixed bed height, permeation flux, feed temperature and concentration on inulin hydrolysis were explored intensively. The porous sponge-like structure and chemical binding of ILs endowed the fixed beds with excellent catalytic performance, stability, and reusability. Under optimized conditions, once the inulin aqueous solution permeated through the fixed beds, the yield of total reducing sugar (TRS) reached up to 98.82%. Compared with the catalytic membrane, the hydrolysis reaction time was drastically shortened by 92.5%. These findings provided a new strategy on developing high-performance fixed-bed reactors for biomass conversion.

Biochemical Characterization of Solid-State Fermented Cassava Stem (Manihot esculenta Crantz-MEC) and Its Application in Poultry Feed Formulation.

The utilization of solid-state fermentation (SSF) of cassava stem, "Manihot esculenta Crantz-MEC", is central in this study for its biochemical characterization and formulation of a new poultry feed using a starter culture of Rhizopus oligosporus strain at specified experimental conditions (26 ± 1°C, 72h and pH 6). The coupling of R. oligosporus strain to SSF of cassava stem caused significant increase (p < 0.05) in glucose, total reducing sugar (TRS) and total soluble protein (TSP) concentrations at variable but marked effect at 10% inoculum size of the fermented cassava stem, as compared with the unfermented type. Further evaluations of DPPH-radical scavenging activity, total phenolic and flavonoid contents (TPC and TFC), as indices of correlation to antioxidant activity in both fermented and unfermented cassava stems showed marked significant difference with prominence at 10% inoculum size (p < 0.05). Results of high α-amylase activities were observed in fermented cassava stem when compared with the unfermented type (p < 0.05) at increasing inoculum sizes (5-15%) but with marked dominance at 10%. Broiler chicks fed with formulated feed showed marked increase in weight gain at 10% inoculum size of the fermented cassava stem relative to a typical poultry feed. Also, examination of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST) showed no marked difference in their activities for fermented feed at increasing inoculum sizes when compared with typical poultry feed, respectively (p > 0.05). The study hereby suggests the use of fermented cassava stem as an alternative raw material during formulation of livestock feeds.

Pretreatment enhanced structural disruption, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentative hydrogen production from rice straw

Rice straw (RS) is one of the major lignocellulosic wastes in the world and an abundant feedstock for producing biofuels and chemicals. However, RS is difficult to decompose. In this study, NaOH/urea and electrohydrolysis pretreated RS were used to enhance the structural disruption, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentative hydrogen production. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy analyses demonstrated that both NaOH/urea and electrohydrolysis pretreatments could effectively disrupt the lignin structure and increase the cellulose crystallinity of RS. Following pretreatment, RS was hydrolyzed by cellulase. After 96 h of enzymatic hydrolysis, NaOH/urea- and electrohydrolysis-pretreated RS produced 3.2- and 1.7-fold higher total reducing sugars than the unpretreated RS (232.95 ± 3.60 mg/g), respectively. Finally, the obtained RS hydrolysates were used for fermentative hydrogen production. NaOH/urea- and electrohydrolysis-pretreatment hydrolysates produced 125.0 and 163.0 mL H2/g RS, respectively, which is much higher than the hydrogen yield of unpretreated hydrolysates.

Effect of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Yoba Fermentation on Physicochemical Properties, Amino Acids, and Antioxidant Activity of Cowpea-Peanut Milk

The global renewed interest in plant-based milk and products is increasing amongst health-conscious consumers. There is increased utilisation of generic probiotics in the processing of legume milk as alternatives to dairy milk are scarce in Africa. This study evaluated the probiotic potential, physicochemical, and sensory properties of novel fermented cowpea-peanut milk with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus Yoba. A 3 × 1 factorial design as ratio of cowpea-peanut milk (1 : 1, 2 : 1, 3 : 1v/v) and the application of 2% w/v L. rhamnosus Yoba obtained from Yoba for Life Foundation, Netherlands, was used. The chemical and mineral contents of the fermented cowpea-peanut milk was analysed using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods. Quality parameters such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging rate, total antioxidant activity, antinutrient, and amino acids content were determined. The fermented cowpea-peanut milk samples had 7.7–8.1 log CFU/mL viable L. rhamnosus Yoba cells after fermentation. Nutrient content range was given in g/100 g: carbohydrate 5.18–6.05, crude fat 3.3–3.5, crude protein 5.6–7.1, ash 1.04–1.26, crude fibre 0.72–1.18, and total reducing sugars 1.80–2.20. Lysine, leucine, and methionine content was 6.30–7.31, 6.60–8.75, and 1.7–1.86 g/100 g, respectively. Phytic acid and trypsin inhibitor content range was 0.3–0.34 mg/100 g and 0.86–1.12 TIU/mg, respectively. Iron and potassium content (mg/100 g) was 0.48–0.58 and 202–243 with pH 4.1–4.2. DPPH free radical scavenging, and total antioxidant rate was 56–59% and 49–54%, respectively. Physicochemical parameters were significantly different ( p &lt; 0.05). The fermented cowpea-peanut milk had an acceptance rating of 78%. The successful application and consumer acceptability of the fermented cowpea-peanut milk has the potential to increase the utilisation of these legumes and enhance their market value.

Characterization of Apple Juice Clarified by Tannase from Serratia marcescens IMBL5 Produced using Agro-industrial Waste Materials

In the present study, clarification of apple juice with tannase from S. marcescens IMBL5 produced using various agro-waste materials was carried out. Sugarcane bagasse was found to be the most suitable source for the augmented production of tannase enzyme by response surface methodology with the temperature at 40 °C, pH 4.5 and the incubation period of 96 hrs. The enzyme was quantified and partially purified through protein precipitation. The partially purified tannase with gelatin clarified about 62% of the apple juice in 3 hr of incubation at room temperature and it was gently increased with the incubation period. The detannification was characterized by estimating tannin content of the clarified juice. The amount of total reducing sugar in the juice was increased almost 50 % after 5 hours of incubation period. FTIR spectrum of the clarified juice revealed that the conformational changes that occurred in the functional groups. The spectrum absorptions between 500 and 1700 cm-1 mainly reflected the C=O stretch of the pectins and acids and C–O modes of the carbohydrates that correspond to the absorption zones of the sugars. The HPLC analysis of the clarified apple juice indicate the presence of phenolic compounds and sugar derivatives such as gallic acid, catechin, caffeic acid, epicatechin, glucose and sucrose which confirms the quality and clarity of the apple juice using the tannase enzyme.

Phosphomolybdic acid-catalyzed oxidation of waste starch: a new strategy for handling the OCC pulping wastewater.

When old corrugated cardboard (OCC) is returned to the paper mill for repulping and reuse, the starch, which is added to the paper surface as a reinforcement agent, is dissolved into the pulping wastewater. Most of the OCC pulping wastewater is recycled to save precious water resources; however, during the water recycling process, the accumulation of dissolved starch stimulates microbial reproduction, which causes poor water quality and putrid odor. This problem seriously affects the stability of the papermaking process and product quality. In this study, phosphomolybdic acid (H3PMo12O40, abbreviated as PMo12) was utilized to catalyze the waste starch present in papermaking wastewater to monosaccharides, realizing the resource utilization of waste starch. The results showed that the optimized yield of total reducing sugar (78.68 wt%) and glycolic acid (12.83 wt%) was achieved at 145°C with 30 wt% PMo12 at pH 2, which is equivalent to 91.51 wt% starch recovered from wastewater for resource utilization. In addition, the regeneration of the reduced PMo12 was realized by applying a potential of 1V for 2h. Overall, this study has theoretical significance and potential application value for resource utilization of waste starch in OCC pulping process and cleaner management of OCC waste paper.

Exploring Relationships between Aroma, Tasty Components Properties, and Marketing Price of Chinese Cabernet Sauvignon Using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrum and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

The purpose of this paper was to find the relationship between aroma and tasty component properties and marketing price of Chinese Cabernet Sauvignon red wines. One-way ANOVA was used to compare differences ( p &lt; 0.05 ) between concentrations of phenolic compounds, organic acids, monosaccharides and total acidity, total polyphenols, total sugars, and total reducing sugars in various Chinese Cabernet Sauvignon red wines with different marketing prices. Principal component analysis revealed that the presence of higher amount of alcohol appears to be the characteristic feature for the wine samples, which have a lower marketing price, and the higher level of esters and acids were the features of the wine samples with a higher marketing price. Moreover, samples in marketing price area 39 to 79 RMB and samples in marketing price area 188 to 258 RMB can be totally clustered into their own marketing price area by volatile compounds with OAV &gt; 1. Acetic acid, succinic acid, and glucose made a great contribution to most of the wine samples in the marketing price area ranging from 39 to 79 RMB, and glycerol, fructose, and malic acid were the features of most wine samples in the marketing price area ranging from 188 to 258 RMB. Concentrations of total acidity, total polyphenols, total sugars, total reducing sugars, and alcohol content seemed to have no significant distinguishing ( p &lt; 0.05 ) ability on different samples belonging to different marketing price areas.

Sequential Action of Different Fiber-Degrading Enzymes Enhances the Degradation of Corn Stover

Corn stover is one of the most agricultural residue abundances over the world; however, it is extremely prevented from microbial and enzymatic degradation into monomers because of the complex chemical and physical structure. In order to degrade corn stover, a large variety of enzymes with different specificities are required. However, each enzyme has its own reaction condition such as optimal pH and temperature to express its maximum activity. We hypothesize that the best sequence of an enzyme reaction could influence the degradation of corn stover. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of enzyme sequence action on the degradation of corn stover. A complete randomized design was used for this study. Four enzymes were used, cellulase (Cel) (pH 4.8 at 50 °C), hemicellulase (Hem) (pH 5 at 50 °C), pectinase (Pec) (pH 4 at 50 °C) and laccase (Lac) (pH 3 at 30 °C). This was subsequently submitted to enzyme sequence digestion following four steps (6 h incubation for each step) during which a single enzyme in each step was evaluated. The substrate (raw corn stover) was placed in sodium acetate buffer with an enzyme. The supernatant was then collected in each step for further chemical analysis. The results showed that there was a significant difference at p &lt; 0.05 between treatments, suggesting that sequential action of fiber-degrading enzymes affected the chemical composition of corn stover. The best enzyme sequence (in terms of the total reducing sugar in different steps) was Hem-Cel-Pec-Lac (2.2 mg/mL) at p &lt; 0.05; however, the worst enzyme sequence was Lac-Pec-Hem-Cel (0.8 mg/mL) at p &lt; 0.05. Almost all the first steps in the process showed an increasing level of reducing sugar except the step which started with Lac where a lower reducing sugar level was observed. Similarly, xylose showed a higher level in all the processes in the first steps regardless of the enzyme type. It was observed that glucose production was totally dependent on the position of Cel in the enzyme sequence. Therefore, enzyme sequence action may be a useful method for corn stover to improve its degradation as feed stock.

Supercritical Technology-Based Date Sugar Powder Production: Process Modeling and Simulation

Date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera) contain high levels of fructose and glucose sugars. These natural sugar forms are healthy, nutritional and easily assimilate into human metabolism. The successful production of soluble date sugar powder from nutritious date fruits would result in a new food product that could replace the commercial refined sugar. In this work, a novel process technology based on the supercritical extraction of sugar components from date pulp was modeled and simulated using Aspen Plus software. The process model consisted of three main steps that were individually simulated for their optimal working conditions as follows: (a) freeze-drying of the date pulp at −42 °C and 0.0001 bar; (b) supercritical extraction of the sugar components using a 6.77 wt.% water mixed CO2 solvent system at a pressure of 308 bar, temperature of 65 °C, and CO2 flow rate of 31,000 kg/h; and (c) spray-drying of the extract using 40 wt.% Gum Arabic as the carrier agent and air as drying medium at 150 °C. The overall production yield of the process showed an extraction efficiency of 99.1% for the recovery of total reducing sugars from the date fruit. The solubility of the as-produced date sugar powder was improved by the process selectivity, elimination of insoluble fiber contents, and the addition of Gum Arabic. The solubility of the final date sugar product was estimated as 0.89 g/g water.

Application of ligninolytic bacteria to the enhancement of lignocellulose breakdown and methane production from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB)

Efficient pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is needed to reduce associated energy costs. Lignin-degrading bacteria (Comamonas testosteroni, Agrobacterium sp., Lysinibacillus sphaericus, and Paenibacillus sp.) were tested as potential pre-treatment methods for oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) to enhance its methane yield during anaerobic digestion (AD). The lignocellulose fractions were analysed for total reducing sugar (TRS), total soluble phenols (TSP), lignin content, weight loss, pH and microscopic analysis carried out both before and after treatment. The methane production was tested using the biochemical methane potential (BMP) test. Bacteria mediated depolymerisation of OPEFB was confirmed through the observation of increased release of TSP and associated lignin breakdown and weight loss of the cultured OPEFB biomass. The highest percentage of lignin breakdown (25.84%) was obtained from OPEFB treated by Lysinibacillus sphaericus, while the highest average specific methane potential (0.042 m3/kg VS) was obtained from treatment with Comamonas testosteroni.

Determination of Acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF) Levels and Related Parameters in Turkish Pekmez (A Traditional Fruit Product)

Background: Pekmez is an important fruit-based food of Turkish culinary culture. The aim of this study is to determine the levels of acrylamide (AA), 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (HMF) and other selected parameters in grape, mulberry and carob Pekmez. Methods: AA and HMF were analyzed by Liquid Chromatography and High Performance Liquid Chromatography, respectively. Also, glucose, fructose, pH, protein, total phenolic, and color (L*a*b*) were analyzed. The analyses were done by IBM SPSS Statistics 26 software. Results: The average AA, HMF, glucose, fructose, total reducing sugar, pH, protein, total phenolic, and colour (L*a*b*) values of Pekmez were 302 µg/kg, 25.7 mg/kg, 13.2%, 14.0%, 27.2%, 5.27, 1.16%, 4.64 mg GAE/g, and 4.83*5.60*1.52, respectively. AA indicates a moderate positive linear correlation with HMF, protein, total phenolic; whereas AA indicates a moderate negative linear correlation with glucose, fructose, total reducing sugar, pH, and L*a*b. Conclusion: It is presumed that heat treatment is a determinant in AA and HMF formulation.

Saccharification of alkali pre-treated aquatic weeds biomass using partially purified cellulase immobilized on different matrices

Enzyme immobilization has gained considerable significance among other techniques for improving the saccharification ability of disparate lignocellulosic biomasses. In this investigation, the partially purified cellulase (approximately 38 kDa) from Glutamicibacter arilaitensis strain ALA4 was immobilized on various matrices (calcium alginate, k-carrageenan, agar-agar, and gelatin) for evaluating saccharification ability of alkali (4% w/v NaOH) pre-treated aquatic weeds (Alternanthera philoxeroides and Brachiaria mutica) biomass. The immobilization of cellulase using various matrices showed improvement in total reducing sugar (TRS) yield and saccharification efficiency of biomasses in the order of calcium alginate > gelatine > k-carrageenan > agar-agar. Calcium alginate immobilized cellulase exhibited maximum TRS and saccharification efficiency of 17.85±0.18 mg/g and 80.32±0.6%, respectively from pre-treated A. philoxeroides biomass. On the other hand, calcium alginate immobilized cellulase exhibited maximum TRS and saccharification efficiency of 19.51±0.2 mg/g and 87.79±0.6%, respectively from pre-treated B. mutica biomass. Further, the thermo-alkali stability, storage stability, and reusability of calcium alginate immobilized cellulase were determined using standard methodologies. The immobilized cellulase showed higher thermo-alkali stability than free cellulase with residual activities of 46.36±3.6 and 40.55±2.6% at 65 °C and pH 10.0, respectively. Likewise, the immobilized cellulase retained its activity for at least 22–24 days of storage at 4 °C. Most importantly, the immobilized enzyme maintained its saccharification ability towards pre-treated A. philoxeroides and B. mutica up to 4th and 5th cycle, respectively. In conclusion, bacterial cellulase can be immobilized on different matrices, particularly calcium alginate for improving the TRS yield and saccharification efficiency of aquatic weeds biomasses.

Production of bioethanol from fruit waste

Fruit wastes are plentiful as wastes all throughout the planet. In fact, value-added products must be recovered from these wastes. Fruit waste contains a lot of sugars and carbohydrates that can be collected and used to make bioethanol. Gasoline is used on a massive basis all over the world. If bioethanol is to replace gasoline, a large amount of bioethanol would have to be produced. The current research aims to identify cost-effective strategies to recover sugars from fruit wastes without the use of acidic or enzyme catalysts. Fruit wastes such as Banana peels, pineapple peels, and orange peels were investigated for their ability to produce total reducing sugars (TRS), pentose sugars (PS), and bioethanol.. The recovery of free sugars was achieved by just soaking in water and heating. Enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase and xylanase produced high quantities of total reducing sugars and pentose sugars. BP and PAP were discovered to be viable alternatives for bioethanol synthesis. The best conditions for ethanol production from fruit waste yields were pH 5.5, 32 °C, 0.865 specific gravity, and a concentration of roughly 6.10 %, according to the findings. We optimized for the viability of generating ethanol in big numbers at acceptable costs.

Presence of pink sugarcane mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) increases probability of red rot on sugarcane

Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell, 1895) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is globally disseminated on sugarcane plants. In Brazil, this species has been occurred in the same region as the occurrence of the fungal pathogen causing red rot, Colletotrichum falcatum Went, 1893 (Glomerellales). The objective of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that this pseudococcid could act as a facilitator of the penetration of the phytopathogen C. falcatum. Species of this mealybug were reared at laboratory to infest sugarcane plants during the experiment. A total of 320 sugarcane plants were utilized for this study, 160 of CTC4 and 160 of RB86 7515 cultivars (cv.), each group subdivided into four treatments: (1) infested with mealybugs; (2) infected with fungal conidia; (3) infested with mealybugs and infected with fungal conidia; and (4) control. Biometrics of the plants, disease symptoms, Total Reducing Sugars (TRS) and Reducing Sugar (RS) were evaluated. To both cv., there was no difference in the height and diameter of the plants in all treatments; and only in “mealybug + fungus”, significant difference on the lengths of the disease lesions inside the plants was found to each cv. as well as the levels of TRS and RS. The presence of the pseudococcid increased the incidence of the disease in both cv., although RB86 7515 was more susceptible to red rot than CTC4.

Effect of biosurfactant on hydrolysis of municipal waste by cellulases producing bacteria for bioethanol production

The present study deals with the disposal of MW in an eco-friendly manner to the environment and the production of valuable products from cheap waste. From the MW sample, fifteen bacterial isolates (B1–B15) have been isolated. The screening for the biological hydrolysis of MW by cellulases producing bacteria and total reducing sugar production (TRS) was studied. Bacterial isolates B1, B2, B3, B6, B7, and B10 were selected for their ability to hydrolyse MW and TRS production. The highest (TRS) were at 8528.1, 7636.1, 7189.8, 7152.9, 6564.1, and 6539.4 ​μg/mL produced by bacterial isolates B10, B2, B7, B6, B1 and B3 respectively. Carboxy methyl cellulase (CMCase), filter paperase (FPase), and avicelase production were studied. Bacterial isolate (B10) has the highest levels of CMCase (1576.5 U/mL), FPase (1421.4 U/mL), and Avicellase (2080.3 U/mL). Each selected bacterial isolate was tested for the production of biosurfactants. The highest drop displacement test and emulsification power, at 30 ​mm and 97%, respectively, were obtained from the biosurfactant. The isolate (B10) was identified as Bacillus subtilis DSM15029 by 16S rRNA. The effect of chemical and bio-surfactants on MW hydrolysis and cellulolytic enzyme production was carried out. The highest TRS, 9076.1 and 8367.6 ​μg/mL was observed using biosurfactant and Tween-80, respectively. The highest CMCase, FPase, and Avicellase activities (1643.5, 1590.73, and 2113.69 U/mL) were recorded with a biosurfactant. The batch fermentation of MW hydrolysate was performed with a biosurfactant. The highest bioethanol production (60.27 ​mL/L) was recorded after 72 ​h using GC analysis.

Role of Exogenous Application of Alpha-Tocopherol in Reducing Low Temperature Stress in Bell Pepper

Changing climatic conditions have an impact on the commercial harvest and production of Capsicum annuum L. across the world. It is a summer crop that grows best at 21°C (low) to 37 °C (high) temperature. Changes in normal growth, poor shoot and root length, increased antioxidant activity, low sugar content, high proline content, and poor yield were observed in bell pepper at low temperature stress. A research trial was conducted on bell peppers in the Department of Plant Pathology at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Bell peppers were cultivated hydroponically and alpha-tocopherol control (0ppm), 25ppm, 50ppm, and 100ppm were applied in foliar application. At the reproductive period, a low temperature stress of 18 °C day and 15 °C night was used given. After seven days of foliar spray, plants were exposed to cold temperatures during the day and night. After seven days of stress, the plants were harvested and morphological, physiological, and biochemical data were examined. Plant growth, leaf area, number of leaves, buds, and flowers, photosynthetic pigments, relative water content, cell membrane permeability, total soluble sugar, total reducing sugar, protein contents, and total free amino acid levels were all reduced when exposed to high temperatures. When the stress of low temperature was applied, there was a rise in proline, phenolic, flavonoid, H2O2, MDA, enzymatic antioxidants SOD, CAT, POD, and in APX. Under temperature stress, foliar application of alpha-tocopherol significantly improved CAT, POD, APX activity, decreased MDA, H2O2, and improved proline content. Exogenously administered alpha-tocopherol was found to be effective in boosting capsicum growth and antioxidant capability under low temperature stress.