106 research outputs found

    Characterization of a novel AA3_1 xylooligosaccharide dehydrogenase from Thermothelomyces myriococcoides CBS 398.93

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    Background: The Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZy) auxiliary activity family 3 (AA3) comprises flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent (FAD) oxidoreductases from the glucose-methanol-choline (GMC) family, which play auxiliary roles in lignocellulose conversion. The AA3 subfamily 1 predominantly consists of cellobiose dehydrogenases (CDHs) that typically comprise a dehydrogenase domain, a cytochrome domain, and a carbohydrate-binding module from family 1 (CBM1).Results: In this work, an AA3_1 gene from T. myriococcoides CBS 398.93 encoding only a GMC dehydrogenase domain was expressed in Aspergillus niger. Like previously characterized CDHs, this enzyme (TmXdhA) predominantly accepts linear saccharides with beta-(1 -> 4) linkage and targets the hydroxyl on the reducing anomeric carbon. TmXdhA was distinguished, however, by its preferential activity towards xylooligosaccharides over cellooligosaccharides. Amino acid sequence analysis showed that TmXdhA possesses a glutamine at the substrate-binding site rather than a threonine or serine that occupies this position in previously characterized CDHs, and structural models suggest the glutamine in TmXdhA could facilitate binding to pentose sugars.Conclusions: The biochemical analysis of TmXdhA revealed a catalytic preference for xylooligosaccharide substrates. The modeled structure of TmXdhA provides a reference for the screening of oxidoreductases targeting xylooligosac-charides. We anticipate TmXdhA to be a good candidate for the conversion of xylooligosaccharides to added-value chemicals by its exceptional catalytic ability.Peer reviewe

    Whey Protein Films for Sustainable Food Packaging: Effect of Incorporated Ascorbic Acid and Environmental Assessment

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    The management of food waste and by-products has become a challenge for the agri-food sector and an example are whey by-products produced in dairy industries. Seeking other whey valorisation alternatives and applications, whey protein films for food packaging applications were developed in this study. Films containing different amounts (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%) of ascorbic acid were manufactured via compression-moulding and their physicochemical, thermal, barrier, optical, and mechanical properties were analysed and related to the film structure. Additionally, the environmental assessment of the films was carried out to analyse the impact of film manufacture. Regarding physicochemical properties, both FTIR and water uptake analyses showed the presence of non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, between whey protein and ascorbic acid as band shifts at the 1500–1700 cm−1 region as well as a water absorption decrease from 380% down to 240% were observed. The addition of ascorbic acid notably improved the UV-Vis light absorbance capacity of whey protein films up to 500 nm, a relevant enhancement for protecting foods susceptible to UV-Vis light-induced lipid oxidation. In relation to the environmental assessment, it was concluded that scaling up film manufacture could lead to a reduction in the environmental impacts, mainly electricity consumption.The authors would like to thank Basque Government (KK-2021/00131 and IT1658-22) for its financial support

    PREBIOTIC POTENTIAL OF STARCH OF TINOSPORA CORDIFOLIA, A COMPONENT OF SOMAVIT®: AN IN VITRO STUDY ON GROWTH MODULATION OF BIFIDOBACTERIUM AND LACTOBACILLUS STRAINS

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    Prebiotic is a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit. The present study aimed to investigate the prebiotic potential of starch of Tinospora cordifolia (5% w/v) based on in vitro growth stimulation of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bifidobacterium bifidum, using individual strains and consortia. Bacterial cultures were incubated under anaerobic conditions with starch of Tinospora cordifolia (test) and with distilled water as the control. At various contact time points (0, 1, 48 and 96 hours), small aliquots were sampled. The organisms were plated on specific growth media under anaerobic conditions for Bifidobacterium and microaerophilic for Lactobacillus, and total viable count was determined by standard plate count. Starch of Tinospora cordifolia promoted growth of both bacterial strains, singly and in consortia. The mean log colony forming units (CFU) ± standard deviation of Lactobacillus in test was significantly higher in comparison to control (8.09±0.07 vs 7.06±0.03, p<0.05) at 48 hours incubation, thereafter the growth of Lactobacillus plateaued through 96 hours. CFUs for Bifidobacterium in test were 8.52±0.28 at 48 hours and 8.74±0.14 at 96 hours incubation, both significantly higher (p<0.005) when compared to control. Bifidobacterium in test exhibited 90-fold relative increase in growth when compared to control. Lactobacillus being more robust showed an immediate increase in growth, while Bifidobacterium demonstrated a delayed but sustained growth, which extended over a period of time. These findings suggest that Starch of Tinospora cordifolia may enhance the gastrointestinal health of the host through modulation of overall composition of gut microbiota

    Operating Variables on Production of High Purity Bio-silica from Rice Hull Ash by Extraction Process

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    The huge amount of rice hull biomass available in Indonesia can be utilized as raw material for bio-silica production. This study investigated the production of high-purity bio-silica from rice hull ash through an alkaline extraction process. A full factorial design (FFD) was used to screen for significant effects of the observed variables. Three operating variables – acid concentration, solvent to feed ratio (RS/F), and extraction time – were investigated with the purpose of obtaining a high yield and high purity of bio-silica. Yield and purity above 96% were achieved by using pretreatment with 1 mol/L HCl. Employing an RS/F of 5 and a longer extraction time improved the bio-silica yield. The operating variable that enhanced the bio-silica yield and purity most was acid concentration. All variable interactions had an insignificant effect on purity, while two interacting variables had a significant effect on bio-silica yield. Based on the results of this study, rice crop residue can be optimally converted to a bio-silica product in terms of yield and purity by optimizing the most effective operating variables

    Operating Variables on Production of High Purity Bio-silica from Rice Hull Ash by Extraction Process

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    The huge amount of rice hull biomass available in Indonesia can be utilized as raw material for bio-silica production. This study investigated the production of high-purity bio-silica from rice hull ash through an alkaline extraction process. A full factorial design (FFD) was used to screen for significant effects of the observed variables. Three operating variables – acid concentration, solvent to feed ratio (RS/F), and extraction time – were investigated with the purpose of obtaining a high yield and high purity of bio-silica. Yield and purity above 96% were achieved by using pretreatment with 1 mol/L HCl. Employing an RS/F of 5 and a longer extraction time improved the bio-silica yield. The operating variable that enhanced the bio-silica yield and purity most was acid concentration. All variable interactions had an insignificant effect on purity, while two interacting variables had a significant effect on bio-silica yield. Based on the results of this study, rice crop residue can be optimally converted to a bio-silica product in terms of yield and purity by optimizing the most effective operating variables

    Production of prebiotic rich extracts from lignocellulosic biomass using subcritical water within the context of biorefining

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    Functional food ingredients such as prebiotics are emerging as effective tools for managing the risks associated with gastrointestinal diseases and gut related dysfunctions. This work explores the production of prebiotic rich extracts from two sources of lignocellulosic biomass – energy crop MiscanthusMiscanthus χχ giganteusgiganteus, and oat (AvenaAvena sativasativa) husks, an agricultural by-product. Whilst most of the research to date has been focusing on the utility of cellulose, the hemicellulose and lignin fractions have been underutilised. This work expands the value of the hemicellulose fraction by extracting the prebiotic xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) and other hemicellulose derived products using environmentally benign sub-critical water in a 0.5 L stirred batch reactor at temperatures between 120-220°C with residence times 0-77 min, and 0.5-13% (w/v) biomass loading. The extracts were analysed with HPAEC-PAD, HPLC and colorimetric assays. Almost complete hemicellulose solubilisation was achieved, and highest yields of prebiotic (DP 2-5) XOS were observed at 170°C and 35-77 min corresponding to 44-56% with little amounts of carbohydrate degradation products and low total phenolic contents. Although higher yields were achieved with oat husks, the XOS extractability was comparable between the biomass sources. Higher extraction severities resulted in further XOS depolymerisation into monosaccharides and eventual formation of furfural and 5-HMF

    Autohydrolysis of agricultural by-products for the production of xylo-oligosaccharides.

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    OF THE THESIS TITLED "AUTOHYDROLYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL BYPRODUCTS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF XYLO-OLIGOSACCHARIDES"Débora A. Nabarlatz Lignocellulosic biomass is a fully renewable resource that can be used as raw material for the production of a wide variety of ompounds, such as biomass‐derived fuels, power, chemicals or materials. In the present research, agricultural residues typical from the Mediterranean region of Spain, were used for the production of xylo‐oligosaccharides with potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical field.  Autohydrolysis reaction was tested at several temperatures and reaction times to produce these xylo‐oligosaccharides. It was found that the increase in the temperature and longer reaction times increased the depolymerization of xylan and the fomation of low molar mass products. Cellulose and lignin remained quantitatively in the solid, which suggests that the solid residue could be used to recover them in a subsequent step. The maximal yield of xylo‐oligosaccharides was around 63 wt% for almond shells at 190°C and 19 min of reaction. The molar mass distribution of the products was very broad (between 100 to 106 g/mol), and was strongly dependent on the reaction conditions and the raw material used.  All the xylo‐oligosaccharides obtained by autohydrolysis reaction showed structural features of a partially O‐acetylated 4‐O‐methylglucuronoxylan with different degrees of substitution depending on the raw material where they came from.  Several purification methods were tested for the removal of impurities and/or separation in different molecular weight fractions. The precipitation using a non solvent allowed to recover between 85% and 95% of the theoretical 1xylo‐oligosaccharides for corncobs and almond shells, respectively, obtained at 169°C and 25 min of reaction. The yield of product precipitated tended to be much lower at higher reactions times, since the low molar mass oligomers and monomers were soluble in the ethanol‐water mixture.  The ultrafiltration using polymeric membranes seems the most promising method for the removal of low molar mass impurities, and also for the separation in different molecular weight fractions. The results obtained demonstrated that the 1 kDa membrane was the more selective for the removal of lignin‐derived impurities. It was also observed that the increase in the pressure of operation decrease the selectivity, and for this reason the membranes should be operated at low pressure to maximize it, although this will imply a larger area for the same flow rate of permeate.  The adsorption of impurities on activated carbons was tested, and it was higher for lignin‐related products than for xylo‐oligosaccharides. The retention for lignin‐derived products was limited because part of them seemed to be linked to the xylo‐oligosaccharides.  Preliminary results obtained with the experiments using enzymatic membrane reactors showed that is possible to depolymerize dexrans and separate dextran oligomers in only one step, which suggest that the same treatment could be applied for the production of low molar mass xylo‐oligosaccharides useful for food applications.  The antioxidant activity was measured for the different xylo‐oligosaccharides obtained, and it was higher for xylo‐oligosaccharides from corncobs and olive stones. It was found that all of them have a strong antioxidant activity compared with natural products, making them potential candidates for their use as food additives.  Preliminary results about the immunomodulatory activity of xylo‐oligosaccharides from almond shells demonstrated that they showed dose‐dependent direct mitogenic as well as comitogenic activities, similarly as the 2immunogenic water‐soluble arabinoglucuronoxylan from corncobs used as positive control. The activities in the whole doses range were about 30% lower in comparison to the control. Further studies have to be done in the possible applications of these xylo‐oligosaccharides, determining the corresponding combination of reaction/separation process to obtain the required product.   DE LA TESIS TITULADA "AUTOHIDRÓLISIS DE RESIDUOS PROCEDENTES DE LA AGRICULTURA PARA LA PRODUCCIÓN DE XILO-OLIGOSACÁRIDOS"DÉBORA A. NABARLATZ La biomasa lignocelulósica es un recurso completamente renovable, que está cobrando cada vez mayor importancia debido a que puede ser utilizado para la producción de una amplia variedad de comuestos, tales como biocombustibles, biopolímeros, etc. Para esta tesis, se han utilizado diversos residuos procedentes de cultivos agrícolas (típicos de la región del Mediterráneo en España), con el objetivo de producir xilo‐oligosacáridos con potencial aplicación en la industria alimentaria y farmacéutica.  Se propuso una etapa de reacción basada en la autohidrólisis para la producción de los xilo‐oligosacáridos. Se estudió el efecto de los parámetros de reacción en las características de los xilo‐oligosacáridos obtenidos, observándose que el incremento en la temperatura de reacción junto con tiempos de reacción más largos, aumentan el grado de depolimerización del xilano y la formación de productos de bajo peso molecular. La celulosa y la lignina permanecen en el sólido, lo que sugiere que dicho residuo sólido puede ser recuperado y utilizado en una etapa subsiguiente para la producción de otroscomponentes. El máximo rendimiento de xilo‐oligosacáridos es alrededor del 63% (peso/peso) para la cáscara de almendra a 190ºC y 19 min de reacción. La distribución de masa molar de los productos (xilo‐oligosacáridos, monómeros y productos de bajo peso molecular) es muy amplia (entre 100 a 106 g/mol), siendo ésta fuertemente dependiente de las condiciones de reacción, y del material original utilizado.   1La estructura química de los xilo‐oligosacáridos obtenidos es la misma para todos los residuos agrícolas estudiados, siendo en todos los casos del tipo 4‐O‐metil‐glucuronoxilano parcialmente acetilado, con diferentes grados de sustitución dependiendo de la especie de origen.  Se evaluaron también diversos métodos de purificación con el objetivo de remover el material de bajo peso molecular, y/o separar en fracciones de diferente peso molecular. La precipitación con un no solvente (etanol) permite recuperar entre el 85% y el 95% (para marlos de maíz y cáscara de almendra, respectivamente) de la cantidad teórica presente en la solución, obtenida a 169ºC y 25 min de reacción. El rendimiento del producto precipitado disminuye considerablemente a tiempos de reacción mayores, debido a que los oligómeros de bajo peso molecular junto con los monómeros permanecen solubles en la mezcla etanol‐agua.  La ultrafiltración con membranas poliméricas parece el método más prometedor para la eliminación de impurezas de bajo peso moleular. Los resultados demuestran que la membrana con MWCO 1 kDa es la más selectiva para la eliminación de las impurezas derivadas delignina.  La adsorción de impurezas en carbones activados comerciales también fue evaluada. Se pudo observar que la adsorción es mayor para los productos derivados de lignina y las impurezas de bajo peso molecular que ara los xilo‐oligosacáridos. La retención para los compuestos derivados de la lignina se ve limitada porque parte de ellos parecen estar enlazados a los xio‐oligosacáridos.  Se han realizado algunos estudios para evaluar las posibles aplicaciones de los xilo‐oligosacáridos obtenidos. Con este propósito, se determinó su actividad antioxidante, encontrando que los procedentes del hueso de oliva o marlos de maíz tenían la mayor actividad antioxidante. Esta actividad es muy alta si se la compara con la actividad antioxidante de frutos naturales, lo que hace a estos xilo‐oligosacáridos candidatos potenciales para su uso como aditivos alimentarios. En un estudio diferente, se evaluó la actividad inmuno‐2modulatoria de los xilo‐oligosacáridos procedentes de la cáscara de almendra. Se encontró que estos xilo‐oligosacáridos poseen actividad, tanto mitogénica como comitogénica, siendo ésta un 30% menor comparada con la del control.  En el futuro, otros estudios deberían llevarse a cabo sobre las posibles aplicaciones de estos xilo‐oligosacáridos, determinando la combinación correspondiente de los pasos de reacción y purificación de acuerdo al producto requerido.

    Rice straw as a valuable source of cellulose and polyphenols: Applications in the food industry

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    Background: Rice plants generate a large amount of straw after harvesting, which is currently managed mainly by incineration or used as animal bedding, animal fodder or wrapping of materials during transport. Other technological uses, such as the production of energy and biofuels, pulp and paper production or construction materials have also been described. However, due to the current European Union (EU) restrictions, alternatives for waste management must be sought. Valorisation of rice straw is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals agenda set by the EU, since interesting biocompounds have been described in their composition and, after a successful extraction and purification, they can be used in various sectors. Scope and approach: This review gathers the most relevant works related to the valorisation of rice straw. It focuses on polyphenolic extracts and cellulose derivatives obtained by different extraction techniques, either conventional or innovative. In addition, the different applications that these compounds have in the field of food and nutrition sciences are summarized. Key findings and conclusions: Polyphenols and cellulose fractions have shown their viability to be extracted from rice straw, showing great potential as antioxidants in the food sector or as nutritional components in the development of new food or packaging materials, respectively. In conclusion, the valorisation of rice straw as a rich source of valuable compounds has been demonstrated, which currently generates serious environmental and human problems due to difficulties in its management and incineration, adding value to these underutilized residues and contributing to the circular bioeconomy concept

    Rice straw as a valuable source of cellulose and polyphenols: Applications in the food industry

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    Background: Rice plants generate a large amount of straw after harvesting, which is currently managed mainly by incineration or used as animal bedding, animal fodder or wrapping of materials during transport. Other technological uses, such as the production of energy and biofuels, pulp and paper production or construction materials have also been described. However, due to the current European Union (EU) restrictions, alternatives for waste management must be sought. Valorisation of rice straw is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals agenda set by the EU, since interesting biocompounds have been described in their composition and, after a successful extraction and purification, they can be used in various sectors. Scope and approach: This review gathers the most relevant works related to the valorisation of rice straw. It focuses on polyphenolic extracts and cellulose derivatives obtained by different extraction techniques, either conventional or innovative. In addition, the different applications that these compounds have in the field of food and nutrition sciences are summarized. Key findings and conclusions: Polyphenols and cellulose fractions have shown their viability to be extracted from rice straw, showing great potential as antioxidants in the food sector or as nutritional components in the development of new food or packaging materials, respectively. In conclusion, the valorisation of rice straw as a rich source of valuable compounds has been demonstrated, which currently generates serious environmental and human problems due to difficulties in its management and incineration, adding value to these underutilized residues and contributing to the circular bioeconomy concept.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science Innovation and Universities, [PID2020-116496RB-C21 and PDC2021-121345-C21]
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