Sirutka i njeno korištenje u prehrambenoj i fermentacijskoj industriji

Kao i druge tako i mljekarska industrija ima otpadnih materijala koji trebaju biti obrađeni prije njihovog ispuštanja u prirodne vodotokove ili na zemljište. Obrada takvih materijala je dosta skupa i može znatno utjecati na cijenu proizvoda koje ta industrija izrađuje, a ako bi bili ispušteni neobrađeni zagadili bi okolinu

Production of fructooligosaccharides and b-fructofuranosidase by batch and repeated batch fermentation with immobilized cells of Penicillium expansum

The production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and b-fructofuranosidase (FFase) by immobilized cells of Penicillium expansum was evaluated. In an initial stage, different low-cost materials including synthetic fiber, polyurethane foam, stainless steel sponge, loofah sponge, and cork oak were tested as carrier for the fungus immobilization. Additionally, the influence of the inoculum age (1 or 3 weeks) on cells immobilization, FOS and FFase production was also verified. Synthetic fiber and polyurethane foam were the best materials for P. expansum immobilization (2.21 and 1.98 g/g carrier, respectively) and FOS production (120.3 and 104.8 g/l), and gave also high results of FFase activity (23.01 and 32.42 U/ml). Then, the production of FOS and FFase by repeated batch fermentation with P. expansum immobilized on synthetic fiber was studied, aiming to improve the batch fermentation results. The results obtained in this stage were very promising with FOS yields of 87, 72, and 44 %, in the 3 initial cycles (60 h), respectively; the FFase activity was constant throughout the process (6 cycles, 96 h). Repeated batch fermentation with immobilized cells of P. expansum was found as being a technology with great potential for FOS and FFase production on industrial scaleThe financial support from FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (research grant SFRH/BPD/38212/2007) is gratefully acknowledged

Biomedical and therapeutic applications of biosurfactants

During the last years, several applications of biosurfactants with medical purposes have been reported. Biosurfactants are considered relevant molecules for applications in combating many diseases and as therapeutic agents due to their antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities. Furthermore, their role as anti-adhesive agents against several pathogens illustrate their utility as suitable anti-adhesive coating agents for medical insertional materials leading to a reduction of a large number of hospital infections without the use of synthetic drugs and chemicals. Biomedical and therapeutic perspectives of biosurfactants applications are presented and discussed in this chapter