Enzyme production from food wastes using a biorefinery concept

According to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), one-third of food produced globally for human consumption (nearly 1.3 billion tonnes) is lost along the food supply chain. In many countries food waste is currently landfilled or incinerated together with other combustible municipal wastes for possible recovery of energy. However, these two options are facing more and more economic and environmental stresses. Due to its organic- and nutrient-rich nature, theoretically food waste can be converted to valuable products (e.g. bio-products such as methane, hydrogen, ethanol, enzymes, organic acids, chemicals and fuels) through various fermentation processes. Such conversion of food waste is potentially more profitable than its conversion to animal feed or transportation fuel. Food waste valorisation has therefore gained interest, with value added bio-products such as methane, hydrogen, ethanol, enzymes, organic acids, chemicals, and fuels. Therefore, the aim of this review is to provide information on the food waste situation with emphasis on Asia–Pacific countries and the state of the art food waste processing technologies to produce enzymes

Major vessel involvement in Behcet disease

Purpose of review. Large vessel vasculitis occurs in a subgroup of patients with Behcet disease at high risk for disease related morbidity and mortality. Recognition of patients at risk early detection of vasculitis, and the need for aggressive treatment are essential for optimal care of these patients. The authors review the clinical spectrum and management of large vessel problems in Behcet disease, highlighting contributions over past year

Kinetic studies on the multi-enzyme solution produced via solid state fermentation of waste bread by Aspergillus awamori

The aim of this study was kinetic analysis of the multi-enzyme solution produced from waste bread via solid state fermentation by Aspergillus awamori. It was found that at normal temperature for hydrolysis reactions, 60. °C, the activation energies for denaturation of A. awamori glucoamylase, 176.2. kJ/mol, and protease, 149.9. kJ/mol, are much higher than those for catalysis of bread starch, 46.3. kJ/mol, and protein, 36.8. kJ/mol. Kinetic studies showed that glucoamylase and protease in the multi-enzyme solution should have at least two conformations under the two temperature ranges: 30-55. °C and 60-70. °C. Thermodynamic analysis showed that, deactivation of glucoamylase and protease in the multi-enzyme solution can be reversible between 30. °C and 55. °C, since δ S is negative and δ H is positive. On the other hand, for glucoamylase and protease, both δ S and δ H are positive between 60. °C and 70. °C. This means that the deactivation of both enzymes in the multi-enzyme solution is spontaneous in this temperature range. It was also found that the glucoamylase produced in the solid state fermentation of waste bread is more thermally stable than the protease in the mixture. Consequently, the protease had little or no effect on the stability of the glucoamylase. Furthermore, the half-life of the glucoamylase produced from waste bread pieces was much higher than that produced from wheat flour. This is an important finding because the mode of production, via solid state fermentation, appears to have increased the thermostability of the enzyme significantly. © 2013 Elsevier B.V