A new broad spectrum disinfectant suitable for the food industry

A unique biocide composition (patent pending) that is formed from a hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite mixture was investigated. A biocidal complex is formed by adding the peroxide to the hypochlorite in an amount so that the weight ratio of the peroxide to the hypochlorite is no less than 1:10. The chemical structure of this biocidal complex is uncertain but we postulate that it is a semi-stable complex, whose stability is disrupted by heat, acid, U/V exposure and the presence of organic matter (i.e., microbes) The antimicrobial activity of the biocidal complex is most likely a combination effect between oxidation and reductive mechanisms The biocidal complex needed from one sixth to one half the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and from one twentieth to one half that of sodium hypochlorite to kill a range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative cells. In the case of bacterial spores (Bacillus sp.), MICs of the biocidal complex ranged from one twentieth to one half and from one fourth to one half for hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite, respectively. FIC values for both bacterial cells and spores were less than one. FIC values of less than one indicate that a synergistic effect exists between biocide components. The activity of the biocide is stable at alkaline pH, with a half-life of at least 42 days. It is non-corrosive and can be effective in both a dip and spray mode against bacterial cells in their planktonic or sessile state. Our studies indicate that sodium hypochlorite is not only synergistic with hydrogen peroxide but with sodium peroxide as well The use of this biocidal complex may provide a safe, effective and easy method for killing potential pathogens as well as for disinfecting and removing biofilms, as they pose a threat to human safety, particularly in the Food Industry

Enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol yields of combined surfactant and dilute ammonia treated sugarcane bagasse

Tween 80, Tween 20, PEG 4000 or PEG 6000 was used in combination with ammonium hydroxide for the pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse. Pretreatment was carried out by mixing sugarcane bagasse, ammonium hydroxide (28% v/v solution), and water at a ratio of 1:0.5:20, adding 3% (w/w) surfactant based on the weight of dry biomass, and heating the mixture to 160 °C for 1 h. Fibers were hydrolyzed using two concentrations of commercially available enzymes, Spezyme CP and Novozyme 188. The results indicated that PEG 4000 and Tween 80 gave the highest cellulose digestibilities (62%, 66%) and ethanol yields (73%, 69%) as compared to the use of only dilute ammonia (38%, 42%) or water (27%, 26%) as catalysts, respectively. The enhanced digestibilities of non-ionic surfactant–dilute ammonia treated biomass can be attributed to delignification and reduction of cellulose crystallinity as confirmed by FTIR, TGA and XRD analysis

Enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol yields of combined surfactant and dilute ammonia treated sugarcane bagasse

Tween 80, Tween 20, PEG 4000 or PEG 6000 was used in combination with ammonium hydroxide for the pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse. Pretreatment was carried out by mixing sugarcane bagasse, ammonium hydroxide (28% v/v solution), and water at a ratio of 1:0.5:20, adding 3% (w/w) surfactant based on the weight of dry biomass, and heating the mixture to 160 °C for 1 h. Fibers were hydrolyzed using two concentrations of commercially available enzymes, Spezyme CP and Novozyme 188. The results indicated that PEG 4000 and Tween 80 gave the highest cellulose digestibilities (62%, 66%) and ethanol yields (73%, 69%) as compared to the use of only dilute ammonia (38%, 42%) or water (27%, 26%) as catalysts, respectively. The enhanced digestibilities of non-ionic surfactant–dilute ammonia treated biomass can be attributed to delignification and reduction of cellulose crystallinity as confirmed by FTIR, TGA and XRD analysis

Prevention of infection caused by enteropathogenic E. coli O157:H7 in intestinal cells using enrofloxacin entrapped in polymer based nanocarriers

A previous study revealed that energy cane bagasse (ECB) pretreated with ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM][OAc]), exhibited significantly higher enzymatic digestibility than untreated or water-treated ECB due to delignification and reduction of cellulose crystallinity. This study evaluated the effect of multiple recycled IL on the pretreatment of ECB for enzymatic hydrolysis. ECB was pretreated with [EMIM][OAc] (5% (w/w)) at 100 °C or 120 °C for 0.5 h up to 4 h followed by hydrolysis with commercially available enzymes. The post-pretreatment IL-containing liquid was evaporated at 100 °C for 12 h to remove water and then reused during pretreatment without any further purification. The enzymatic digestibility decreased as the number of pretreatment recycles increased. Decreasing pretreatment temperatures from 120 °C to 100 °C and extending the residence times from 0.5 h to 2 h brought significant improvement to the pretreatment efficiency of recycled [EMIM][OAc] on ECB

Compositional changes in sugarcane bagasse on low temperature, long-term diluted ammonia treatment

Sugarcane bagasse is the major by-product of the sugar industry. It has a great potential for the production of biofuels and chemicals due to its considerable amount of cellulose and hemicellulose. In this study, we investigated a simple and economic pretreatment process using dilute ammonia for the storage of sugarcane bagasse. Sugarcane bagasse was stored in 0, 0.03, and 0.3% (w/w) ammonium hydroxide in a closed bottle for 40 days at 30 degrees C under atmospheric pressure without any agitation or circulation. Samples were taken every 10 days and analyzed for changes on lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose composition, ammonia concentration, and microbial counts. Biomass storage for 40 days at 0.3% ammonium hydroxide removed 46% of lignin and retained 100% cellulose and 73% hemicellulose

Ethanol production from sorghum by a microwave-assisted dilute ammonia pretreatment

The efficiency of a batch microwave-assisted ammonia heating system was investigated as pretreatment for sweet sorghum bagasse and its effect on porosity, chemical composition, particle size, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation into ethanol evaluated. Sorghum bagasse, fractionated into three particle size groups (9.5-18, 4-6 and 1-2mm), was pretreated with ammonium hydroxide (28% v/v solution) and water at a ratio of 1:0.5:8 at 100, 115, 130, 145 and 160°C for 1h. Simon\u27s stain method revealed an increase in the porosity of the biomass compared to untreated biomass. The most lignin removal (46%) was observed at 160°C. About 90% of the cellulose and 73% of the hemicellulose remained within the bagasse. The best glucose yields and ethanol yields (from glucose only) among all different pretreatment conditions averaged 42/100g dry biomass and 21/100g dry biomass, respectively with 1-2mm sorghum bagasse pretreated at 130°C for 1h

Effect of ionic liquid pretreatment on the chemical composition, structure and enzymatic hydrolysis of energy cane bagasse

Ionic liquids (ILs) are promising solvents for the pretreatment of lignocellulose as they are thermally stable, environmentally friendly, recyclable, and have low volatility. This study evaluated the effect of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM][OAc]) for the pretreatment of energy cane bagasse in terms of biomass composition, structural changes and enzymatic digestibility. Energy cane bagasse was pretreated with [EMIM][OAc] (5% (w/w)) at 120 °C for 30 min followed by hydrolysis with commercially available enzymes, Spezyme CP and Novozyme 188. IL-treated energy cane bagasse resulted in significant lignin removal (32.0%) with slight glucan and xylan losses (8.8% and 14.0%, respectively), and exhibited a much higher enzymatic digestibility (87.0% and 64.3%) than untreated (5.5% and 2.8%) or water-treated (4.0% and 2.1%) energy cane bagasse in terms of both cellulose and hemicellulose digestibilities, respectively. The enhanced digestibilities of IL-treated biomass can be attributed to delignification and reduction of cellulose crystallinity as confirmed by FTIR and XRD analyses

Dilute ammonia pretreatment of sorghum and its effectiveness on enzyme hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation

A new pretreatment technology using dilute ammonium hydroxide was evaluated for ethanol production on sorghum. Sorghum fibers, ammonia, and water at a ratio of 1:0.14:8 were heated to 160 degrees C and held for 1 h under 140-160 psi pressure. Approximately, 44% lignin and 35% hemicellulose were removed during the process. Hydrolysis of untreated and dilute ammonia pretreated fibers was carried out at 10% dry solids at an enzyme concentration of 60 FPU Spezyme CP and 64 CBU Novozyme 188/g glucan. Cellulose digestibility was higher (84%) for ammonia pretreated sorghum as compared to untreated sorghum (38%). Fermentations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae D(5)A resulted in 24 g ethanol /100 g dry biomass for dilute ammonia pretreated sorghum and 9 g ethanol /100 g dry biomass for untreated sorghum

Effect of frequency and reaction time in focused ultrasonic pretreatment of energy cane bagasse for bioethanol production

Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is a critical steps in bioethanol production. Ultrasonic pretreatment significantly improves cellulose hydrolysis increasing sugar yields, but current system designs have limitations related to efficiency and scalability. This study evaluates the ultrasonic pretreatment of energy cane bagasse in a novel scalable configuration and by maximizing coupling of ultrasound energy to the material via active modulation of frequency. Pretreatment was conducted in 28% ammonia water mixture at a sample:ammonia:water ratio of 1:0.5:8. Process performance was investigated as a function of frequency (20, 20.5, 21kHz), reaction time (30, 45, 60min), temperature, and power levels for multiple combinations of ammonia, water and sample mixture. Results indicated an increased enzymatic digestibility, with maximum glucose yield of 24.29g/100g dry biomass. Theoretical ethanol yields obtained ranged from 6.47 to a maximum of 24.29g/100g dry biomass. Maximum energy attainable was 886.34kJ/100g dry biomass