Improvement of carotenoids production from Rhodotorula glutinis CCT-2186

Rhodotorula strains can produce industrial valuable bioproducts. In this work, the production of carotenoids, and lipids by Rhodotorula glutinis using different nitrogen sources was evaluated. Two statistical experimental designs were applied to improve carotenoid production: a first 25−1 fractional factorial design evaluating the influence of independent variables pH, nitrogen source, glucose, KH2PO4 and MgSO4 concentration; a second 22 central factorial design to optimize the effect of pH and nitrogen sources. After the optimization using two statistical designs, a culture mediium composed of (in g/L) glucose (10), asparagine (10), NH4NO3 (4), KH2PO4 (0.52), MgSO4 (0.52) was found as the best for the production of carotenoids at a pH 5 and 30 °C. The best bioprocess was scaled-up to a 5 L stirred-tank bioreactor. The change to a bioreactor allowed to improve aeration and agitation conditions, and consequently, increasing the production yields (m/v) in, approximately, 25.83 %, 11.88 %, 24.50 % and 10.32 % for β-carotene, torularhodin, torulene and lipids, respectively. The combined supplementation of the culture media with both organic (asparagine) and inorganic nitrogen (ammonium nitrate) sources was primordial for enhancing the carotenogenesis. R. glutinis are very efficient in the production of valuable carotenoids and lipids, presenting high potential of yeast for the industrial production of more sustainable cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food products.publishe

Purification of antileukemic drugs through silica-based supported ionic liquids

L-asparaginase (LA) is an enzyme used as a biopharmaceutical for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. LA can be produced via fermentation and its purification usually comprises several steps including precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction and chromatography techniques. Among these, ion exchange chromatography, which is often preceded by precipitation with salts as a first pre-chromatographic step, is the most used. However, theses common strategies for protein purification result in low yields and purity, requiring long processing times, while leading to a consequent increase of the process costs. Therefore, the demand for new cost-effective production/purification processes play now a priority role. This work aims the development of cost-effective technologies to purify LA from the complex fermentation medium from Bacillus Subtillis. Silica-based supported ionic liquids (SILs) are investigated as cost-effective purification materials for the target enzyme. The concentration of the extract from the fermentation, material/ extract from fermentation ratio and contact time effects in the purity and yield of LA were optimized. With this strategy, process costs, energy consumed, and waste generated, may be significantly decreased, which may lead to this biopharmaceutical price decrease and wider application.publishe

Purification of antileukemic drugs through silica-based supported ionic liquids

L-asparaginase (LA) is an enzyme used as a biopharmaceutical for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. LA can be produced via fermentation and its purification usually comprises ion exchange chromatography, which is often preceded by precipitation with salts as a first pre-chromatographic step. However, this purification strategy result in low yields and purity, requires long processing times, while leading to a consequent increase of the process costs. Therefore, the demand for new cost-effective purification processes play now a priority role. In this work silica-based supported ionic liquids (SILs) are investigated as an alternative technology to purify LA from the complex fermentation medium from Bacillus subtillis. The concentration of the extract from the fermentation, material/ extract from fermentation ratio and contact time effects in the purity and yield of LA were optimized. With this strategy, process costs, energy consumed, and waste generated, may be significantly decreased, which may lead to this biopharmaceutical price decrease and wider application.publishe

Bacterial cellulose production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus by employing alternative culture media

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is used in different fields as a biological material due to its unique properties. Despite there being many BC applications, there still remain many problems associated with bioprocess technology, such as increasing productivity and decreasing production cost. New technologies that use waste from the food industry as raw materials for culture media promote economic advantages because they reduce environmental pollution and stimulate new research for science sustainability. For this reason, BC production requires optimized conditions to increase its application. The main objective of this study was to evaluate BC production by Gluconacetobacter xylinus using industry waste, namely, rotten fruits and milk whey, as culture media. Furthermore, the structure of BC produced at different conditions was also determined. The culture media employed in this study were composed of rotten fruit collected from the disposal of free markets, milk whey from a local industrial disposal, and their combination, and Hestrin and Schramm media was used as standard culture media. Although all culture media studied produced BC, the highest BC yield60 mg/mLwas achieved with the rotten fruit culture. Thus, the results showed that rotten fruit can be used for BC production. This culture media can be considered as a profitable alternative to generate high-value products. In addition, it combines environmental concern with sustainable processes that can promote also the reduction of production cost.The authors would like to acknowledge the Brazil National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq, FAPESP, and CAPES), the financial support from FAPESP 2009/14897-7, and Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT)/Portugal through the project PTDC/EBB-EBI/112170/2009 for the financial support and scholarship. Special thanks to Talita Almeida Vicentin for technical support

Production and extraction of natural colorants from Penicillium purpurogenum DPUA 1275.

Há interesse mundial no desenvolvimento de pesquisas envolvendo produção e extração de colorantes naturais, devido a sérios problemas de segurança industrial associados ao uso de colorantes sintéticos. Este trabalho objetivou produzir colorantes naturais de Penicillium purpurogenum DPUA 1275 por cultivo submerso (em frascos agitados e em biorreator) e estudar a extração dos colorantes vermelhos. Para a produção, os estudos iniciais mostraram que 5 discos de micélio, sacarose e extrato de levedura como fontes de carbono e nitrogênio, respectivamente, e 336 horas de cultivo eram condições adequadas para a produção dos colorantes. Visando à otimização da produção, realizaram-se planejamentos fatoriais, com as variáveis independentes: tempo de cultivo; velocidade de agitação; pH; temperatura; concentração de sacarose e de extrato de levedura. As variáveis-respostas foram produção de colorantes amarelos, laranjas e vermelhos. Dos resultados obtidos, as variáveis mais significativas ao processo foram concentrações de extrato de levedura e de sacarose. A produção dos colorantes vermelhos foi otimizada, alcançando a produção de 2,97 UA490nm, nas condições 48,90 e 11,80 g/L de sacarose e extrato de levedura, respectivamente, 30°C, pH 4,5 150 rpm e 336 horas de cultivo. Nos experimentos em biorreator, o melhor resultado foi obtido na frequência de agitação de 500 rpm e na mudança do pH do meio para 8,0, após 96 horas de bioprocesso. Ademais, avaliou-se a estabilidade dos colorantes vermelhos presentes no meio fermentado em diferentes condições (pH, temperatura, sais, polímeros e tensoativos). Referente a pH e temperatura, os colorantes vermelhos mostraram-se mais estáveis nas condições alcalinas e a 70 °C. Tanto os sais (NaCl e Na2SO4) quanto os polímeros (PEG 1.000, 6.000 e 10.000 g/mol e NaPA 8.000 g/mol a 5 e 15%) e os tensoativos (Tween 20, CTAB e SDS) não causaram perda da cor nas condições avaliadas. Estudos de solubilidade e de coeficiente de partição octanol-água mostraram que os colorantes vermelhos apresentam solubilidade superior em solventes polares e característica mais hidrofílica. Nos estudos de extração, as técnicas avaliadas foram Sistemas Poliméricos de Duas Fases Aquosas (SPDFA) formados pelo sistema PEG/NaPA e Colloidal Gas Aphrons (CGA). Pela primeira técnica, os colorantes vermelhos migraram preferencialmente para a fase PEG. Os polímeros PEG 6.000 g/mol, na presença de NaCl 0,1 e 0,5 M, e PEG 10.000 g/mol, com Na2SO4 0,5M, se destacaram dentre as condições analisadas com coeficiente de partição (K) próximo a 13, em ambos os casos, e seletividade de proteínas (SeP) próximas a 3. Para a técnica de CGA, o CTAB proporcionou os melhores resultados, seguido do Tween 20. Porém, o valor de K foi inferior ao obtido com SPDFA, com um máximo de 5 (CTAB 2 mM/pH 9,0). Os resultados obtidos demonstram um novo produtor de colorantes naturais, as quais têm potencial de aplicação em diversos segmentos industriais. Ademais, os resultados obtidos mostraram a eficiência das técnicas utilizadas para extração dos colorantes vermelhos, com destaque para SPDFA, que apresentou maiores valores de K.There is worldwide interest in developing research projects involving the production and extraction of natural colorants due to serious safety problems associated with industrial use of synthetic ones. The aim of this work was to investigate the production of natural colorants from Penicillium purpurogenum DPUA 1275 by submerged culture (rotatory shaker and bioreactor) besides studying the red colorants extraction. To the production step, initial studies showed that 5 agar mycelial discs, sucrose and yeast extract as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, and 336 hours of bioprocess promoted the best results. To optimize the colorants production a serie of factorial designs were performed. The independent variables studied were: fermentation time, agitation speed, pH, temperature, sucrose and yeast extract concentration under the responses production of yellow, orange and red colorants. From these results, the most significant variables for the process were sucrose and yeast extract concentration. The red colorants production was optimized achieving 2.97 UA490nm, in the following conditions: 48.90 and 11.80 g/L of sucrose and yeast extract, respectively, 30 °C, 4.5 pH, 150 rev min-1 and 336 hours of culture. In the experiments performed in bioreactor, the condition that promoted the best results was 500 rpm and pH adjusted for 8.0 after 96 hours of bioprocess. Furthermore, we evaluated the red colorants stability at different conditions (pH, temperature, salts, polymers and surfactants). Concerning to pH and temperature, the red colorants were more stable under basic conditions and 70 °C; not only the salts (NaCl and Na2SO4) but also the polymers (PEG 1000, 6000 and 10000 g/mol and NaPA 8000 g/mol) and the surfactants (Tween 20, CTAB and SDS) not promoted loss of color upon the conditions evaluated. Studies of red colorants solubility and octanol water coefficient showed that these compounds exhibit a higher solubility in polar solvents and present hydrophilic characteristics. Subsequently, the extraction of red colorant was evaluated through two extraction methods: Polymeric Systems Aqueous Two Phase (ATPS) composed by PEG and NaPA and Colloidal Gas Aphrons (CGA). For the first technique, the red colorant preferentially migrated to the PEG phase. The best results were obtained with PEG 6000 g/mol in the presence of 0.1 to 0.5 M NaCl and with PEG 10000 g/mol with 0.5 M Na2SO4. To both cases the partition coefficient (K) was close to 13 and the Selectivity in terms of proteins (SeP) was close to 3. For the CGA technique, CTAB gave the best results followed by Tween 20. However, the K values were lower than the ones obtained with ATPS with a maximum of 5 in the following condition: CTAB 2 mM/pH 9.0. For the SeP, the values obtained for both techniques were close. The results above show a new producer of natural colorants which have potential application in various industries. Moreover, the results show the efficiency of the techniques used to extract the red colorants, especially to ATPS that presented higher K values

Enabling Sustainable Chemistry with Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Fad or the Future?

Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) debuted with a promise of a superior sustainability footprint due to their low vapor pressure. However, their toxicity and high cost compromise this footprint, impeding their real‐world applications. Fortunately, their property tunability through a rational selection of precursors, including bioderived ones, provides a strategy to ameliorate toxicity, lower cost, and endow new functions. This Review discusses whether ILs and DESs are sustainable solvents and how they contribute to sustainable chemical processes. Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) continue to generate interest within and beyond the chemistry community. Their property tunability through a rational selection of precursors, including bioderived ones, provides a strategy to ameliorate toxicity, lower cost, and endow new functions for sustainable chemistry. This Review discusses whether ILs and DESs are sustainable solvents and how they contribute to sustainable chemical processes

Thermal kinetic analusis of aliviibrio fischeri recombinant L-Asparaginase

Thermal kinetic analysis is one of the main factors to establish a biopharmaceutical application. L-Asparaginase is an important enzyme for the pharmaceutical industry due to its application in the treatment of some lymphoid malignancies as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Novel recombinant enzymes may be the solution in order to reduce or eliminate the side effects showed by the commercial preparations. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the thermal kinetic of a novel recombinant Aliivibrio fischeri L-Asparaginase produced by engineered Bacillus subtilis. Cultivations were carried out in orbital shaker using 500 mL Erlenmeyer flasks containing 100 mL of Luria-Bertani medium, at 30 ºC, 200 rpm for 24 h. Cells were recovered by centrifugation and submitted to sonication for cell lysis. Enzymatic extract was evaluated at 25 ºC, 37 ºC, 45 ºC and 60 ºC considering the enzymatic activity over times. L- Asparaginase activity was measured according the ammonium release in L-Asparagine hydrolysis. Thermal parameters were calculated considering a single and a consecutive reactions model. Models analysis indicated that enzyme thermal inactivation follow a single reaction model, where k values of 0.128 h-1, 0.148 h-1, 0.262 h-1, 0.701 h-1 and 1.187 h-1 were obtained for 25 ºC, 37º, 45 ºC and 60 ºC, respectively. The enzymatic extract showed a half life time of 13 h at 25 ºC and 5 h at 37 ºC, indicating the product have satisfactory properties at room temperature and at human body temperature. The results herein showed the analyzed recombinant L-Asparaginase have potential to be used as a biopharmaceutical.publishe

Utilization of Clay Materials as Support for Aspergillus japonicus Lipase: An Eco-Friendly Approach

Lipase is an important group of biocatalysts, which combines versatility and specificity, and can catalyze several reactions when applied in a high amount of industrial processes. In this study, the lipase produced by Aspergillus japonicus under submerged cultivation, was immobilized by physical adsorption, using clay supports, namely, diatomite, vermiculite, montmorillonite KSF (MKSF) and kaolinite. Besides, the immobilized and free enzyme was characterized, regarding pH, temperature and kinetic parameters. The most promising clay support was MKSF that presented 69.47% immobilization yield and hydrolytic activity higher than the other conditions studied (270.7 U g−1). The derivative produced with MKSF showed high stability at pH and temperature, keeping 100% of its activity throughout 12 h of incubation in the pH ranges between 4.0 and 9.0 and at a temperature from 30 to 50 °C. In addition, the immobilized lipase on MKSF support showed an improvement in the catalytic performance. The study shows the potential of using clays as support to immobilized lipolytic enzymes by adsorption method, which is a simple and cost-effective process