Optimization of sweet potato pectin extraction using hydrochloric acid

Pectin has been used widely as thickener, stabilizer and gelling agent. However, the sources of pectin industrially are still limited. This study aims to optimize the extraction of pectin from sweet potato residue using hydrochloric acid. In this study, proximate analysis of the sweet potato residues were performed and the extraction of pectin from sweet potato residues using hydrochloric acid was optimized to maximize its yield using response surface methodology (RSM). Three parameters were manipulated and optimized which were temperature (°C), pH and extraction time (min). The extracted pectin was further analyzed for its degree of esterification (DE) using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The sweet potato residue sample obtained moisture content of 79.7±1.7%, ash content of 1.08±0.09% and carbohydrate content of 34.3±2.7%. The optimum condition to extract pectin from sweet potato residues using hydrochloric acid was at extraction temperature 60 °C, pH 1 and extraction time 60 min with 23.48 % pectin yield. The pectin has 57.48% of DE which indicates high methoxyl pectin. The results show that hydrochloric acid can be used as one of the solvents to extract pectin from sweet potato

Statistical based bioprocess design for improved production of amylase from halophilic bacillus sp. H7 isolated from marine water

Amylase (EC 3.2.1.1) enzyme has gained tremendous demand in various industries, including wastewater treatment, bioremediation and nano-biotechnology. This compels the availability of enzyme in greater yields that can be achieved by employing potential amylase-producing cultures and statistical optimization. The use of Plackett–Burman design (PBD) that evaluates various medium components and having two-level factorial designs help to determine the factor and its level to increase the yield of product. In the present work, we are reporting the screening of amylase-producing marine bacterial strain identified as Bacillus sp. H7 by 16S rRNA. The use of two-stage statistical optimization, i.e., PBD and response surface methodology (RSM), using central composite design (CCD) further improved the production of amylase. A 1.31-fold increase in amylase production was evident using a 5.0 L laboratory-scale bioreactor. Statistical optimization gives the exact idea of variables that influence the production of enzymes, and hence, the statistical approach offers the best way to optimize the bioprocess. The high catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of amylase from Bacillus sp. H7 on soluble starch was estimated to be 13.73 mL/s/mg

Review on probiotic potential in human health, aquaculture and animal feed

Probiotics, a term that means ―promoting life‖ where living microbes function to regulate the microbiota of a host body compartment. Hence, it conferring health-promoting activities to the host. Current research has provided strong evidence that probiotics microorganisms are beneficial for human health, aquaculture and animal. The use of probiotics is increasing dramatically due to a better understanding of their beneficial effects. Consumption of probiotics increases with overall potential welfares such as antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activity, immunomodulatory abilities to enhance the health and welfare of humans, aquaculture and animal. This review emphasized on revising the existing data for the potential beneficial effect of probiotics on human, aquatic and animal for different species of probiotics. This review could contribute towards future studied to further puzzle out the mechanisms of probiotics action. Hence, the selection criteria for potential probiotics will be well defined in the future

Catalytic methanation over nanoparticle heterostructure of Ru/Fe/Ce/y-Al2O3 catalyst: performance and characterisation

A novel trimetal-oxides (Ru/Fe/Ce) supported on γ-Al2O3 catalyst was synthesised by simple impregnation method and the activity was investigated at atmospheric pressure. The results showed that Ru/Fe/Ce (5:10:85)/γ-Al2O3 catalyst calcined at 1000 °C for 5 h was effective and gave a 97.20% of CO2 conversion at 275 °C with 93.5% of CH4 formation. The catalyst possesses medium-strength basic sites with the best reduction temperature of <200 °C. The mesoporous structure was covered with small, dispersed particles of spherical in shape. The catalyst is formed by nanoparticles below 10 nm with a surface area of 51 m2/g. The physicochemical analyses showed that the active sites of the potential catalyst Ru/Fe/Ce (5:10:85)/γ-Al2O3 are RuO2 (tetragonal), Fe2O3 (rhombohedral), γ-Al2O3 (cubic), and CeO2 (cubic), with a good distribution on the catalyst surface

High xylooligosaccharides (XOS) production from pretreated kenaf stem by enzyme mixture hydrolysis

Advancement in industrial biotechnology offers potential opportunities for economic utilization of agro-industrial biomass such as kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) for the production of value-added products. This work was conducted to evaluate an enzymatic hydrolysis of kenaf stem (that has been pretreated) for xylooligosaccharides (XOS) production. Pretreated kenaf stems were subjected to two enzymatic hydrolysis approaches which are single xylanase (Xyn2) and a mixture of xylanase:arabinofuranosidase (Xyn2:An. abfA). Central Composite Design was used to optimize the enzymatic hydrolysis conditions on the pretreated kenaf stem to achieve maximum hemicellulose conversion. Under the optimized hydrolysis conditions, hemicellulose conversion (95.03%) with the highest XOS yield of 351.46 mg/g was achieved at 40 °C (pH 4.0) after 48. h incubation with Xyn2:An. abfA ratio of 400. U:10. U. Xylobiose (135.42 mg/g) is the main XOS product with xylotriose (102.04 mg/g) being the second highest. The high production of XOS yield from the pretreated kenaf stem demonstrated the biotechnological potential of the kenaf in the future

Enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated kenaf using a recombinant xylanase: effects of reaction conditions for optimum hemicellulose hydrolysis

An efficient hemicellulose hydrolysis has now become a crucial step for xylooligosaccharides production for food additives and nutraceuticals industries. In this study, xylanase hydrolysis of pretreated hemicellulosic kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) for substantial hemicellulose hydrolysis was demonstrated. Experiments were performed primarily to investigate the effect of several critical reaction conditions towards the enzymatic hydrolysis of the pre-treated kenaf. The effects of various ranges of reaction conditions (substrate loading, xylanase loading, pH, temperature and time) were systematically and thoroughly studied. The study of hemicellulosic kenaf conversion using single enzyme was proven to effectively yield up to 59% of conversion after 48 h incubation using 3% (w/v) of substrate loading and 400 U of xylanase loading at 50°C in pH 4.0 buffer systems. The use of a single xylanase on the pre-treated kenaf was a key parameter in understanding the action of the main hemicellulose degrading enzyme towards hydrolysing the hemicellulose backbone of the pre-treated kenaf. Enzyme feeding strategy was also conducted and the results revealed that a batch feeding strategy of 400 U xylanase loading yielded the highest hemicellulose hydrolysis compared to the other fed batch enzyme feeding strategy. It was concluded that each reaction conditions and enzyme feeding strategy gave a significant impact towards the enzymatic hydrolysis and the use of optimum reaction conditions resulted in a high product yield at the end of the reaction. With the discovery of the importance of each reaction conditions involved in a hydrolysis, this study highlights the need for a comprehensive investigation on the reaction conditions using a mixture of enzymes towards achieving a complete hydrolysis with a higher product yield