Biochemical substitution of fungal xylanases for prebleaching of hardwood kraft pulp

Xylanase enzymes of three fungi, Aspergillus indicus, A. flavus and A. niveus, were purified and characterized. The enzymes are used in the pretreatment of Hardwood kraft pulp prior to conventional alkali extraction and conventional chlorine extraction sequence (EDED process) normally used forbleaching of pulp. In the enzyme pretreated pulp when subjected to alkali extraction process the kappa number was reduced to a maximum of 5.0, 6.2 and 6.8 from 18.60 and the brightness was increased to a maximum of 43.12, 42.20 and 45.19 ISO units, respectively, from 19.83 by xylanases of A. indicus, A. flavus and A. niveus. Whereas, in the enzyme pretreated pulp, when subjected to EDED process, the maximum reduction in kappa number of 6.7, 7.2 and 7.1 and a maximum increase in brightness of 41.28, 41.06 and 41.07 ISO units, respectively, were observed in case of A. indicus, A. flavus and A. niveu

Isolation, identification and screening of potential xylanolytic enzyme from litter degrading fungi

Consortia of litter degrading fungal species were developed from different baiting substrates collected in and around Western ghat forest ecosystem, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India. Fifty-three litter degradingfungal species were isolated by nylon litterbag technique. The production of endo-b-1,4-xylanase (1,4-b-D-xylan xylanohydrolase, E.C. 3.2.1.8), b-D-xylosidase (1,4-b-xylan xylanohydrolase, E.C. 3.2.1.37) and protease was studied using oat spelt xylan as carbon source. Results showed that all fifty-three fungal species isolated from various litter samples produced fairly good xylanolytic enzyme activity. The xylanase and b-D-xylosidase activity ranges from 4.41 to 132.20 U and 48.72 to 1510.32 U, respectively. Growth was determined in terms of mycelial dry weight, which ranged between 0.209 and 1.047 mg/ml. The protease enzyme activity was from 19.7 to 60.8 U. This is the first report concerning xylanolyticenzyme production by the litter degrading fungi, isolated from litter samples

APPLICATION OF MULTIFACTORIAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN FOR OPTIMIZATION OF PRODIGIOSIN PRODUCTION USING SERRATIA MARCESCENS MBB01, MBB02 AND MBB05

Objective: The present study was aimed at investigating the prodigiosin production under optimized conditions with different parameters such astemperature, incubation time, substrate concentration, and inoculum size.Methods: Response surface methodology was found to be useful in optimizing and determining interactions among process variables in prodigiosinproduction by applying Box–Behnken and face-centered central composite design.Results: Prodigiosin producing Serratia marcescens (SM) MBB01, MBB02, and MBB05 were isolated from soil (Western Ghats Ecosystem). Thesignificant R value was 0.9666, 0.9459, and 0.9433, and the maximum experimental response for prodigiosin production was 497, 690, and560 mg/mL, whereas the predicted value was 495.3, 706.6, and 574.8 mg/mL for SM MBB01, SM MBB02, and SM MBB05, respectively.2Conclusion: Statistically optimized conditions by Box–Behnken design found to be very significant in improved pigment production by SM MBB01,MBB02, and MBB05. The correlation between the predicted and observed values indicates the adequacy of the model.Keywords: Prodigiosin, Serratia marcescens, RSM

Behaviour change for better health: nutrition, hygiene and sustainability.

As the global population grows there is a clear challenge to address the needs of consumers, without depleting natural resources and whilst helping to improve nutrition and hygiene to reduce the growth of noncommunicable diseases. For fast-moving consumer goods companies, like Unilever, this challenge provides a clear opportunity to reshape its business to a model that decouples growth from a negative impact on natural resources and health. However, this change in the business model also requires a change in consumer behaviour. In acknowledgement of this challenge Unilever organised a symposium entitled 'Behaviour Change for Better Health: Nutrition, Hygiene and Sustainability'. The intention was to discuss how consumers can be motivated to live a more healthy and sustainable lifestlye in today's environment. This article summarises the main conclusions of the presentations given at the symposium. Three main topics were discussed. In the first session, key experts discussed how demographic changes - particularly in developing and emerging countries - imply the need for consumer behaviour change. The second session focused on the use of behaviour change theory to design, implement and evaluate interventions, and the potential role of (new or reformulated) products as agents of change. In the final session, key issues were discussed regarding the use of collaborations to increase the impact and reach, and to decrease the costs, of interventions. The symposium highlighted a number of key scientific challenges for Unilever and other parties that have set nutrition, hygiene and sustainability as key priorities. The key challenges include: adapting behaviour change approaches to cultures in developing and emerging economies; designing evidence-based behaviour change interventions, in which products can play a key role as agents of change; and scaling up behaviour change activities in cost-effective ways, which requires a new mindset involving public-private partnerships

Five-Year Field Results and Long-Term Effectiveness of 20 mg/kg Liposomal Amphotericin B (Ambisome) for Visceral Leishmaniasis in Bihar, India

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL; also known as Kala-azar) is an ultimately fatal disease endemic in Bihar. A 2007 observational cohort study in Bihar of 251 patients with VL treated with 20 mg/Kg intravenous liposomal amphotericin B (Ambisome) demonstrated a 98% cure rate at 6-months. Between July 2007 and August 2012, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute (RMRI) implemented a VL treatment project in Bihar, India-an area highly endemic for Leishmania donovani-using this regimen as first-line treatment