Reutilização de células imobilizadas na produção de hidromel

O hidromel é uma bebida alcoólica, obtida por fermentação do mel, que contém 8 a 18% (v/v) de etanol. Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito da reutilização das células de Saccharomyces cerevisiae imobilizadas na produção de hidromel. Foram utilizadas duas concentrações de alginato (2% e 4%), as células foram reutilizadas em cinco fermentações. Como controlo, efetuou-se uma fermentação com células livres. Em todos os ensaios monitorizou-se a fermentação diariamente através da leitura da densidade óptica, determinação das unidades formadoras de colónias (UFCs) e dos açúcares redutores. No final a qualidade do hidromel foi avaliada através da determinação de vários parâmetros enológicos. A acidez volátil do hidromel produzido com células livres foi inferior à do produzido por células imobilizadas. Não se verificaram diferenças significativas entre os dois sistemas de imobilização e entre as reutilizações. Na quinta reutilização das células imobilizadas em 4% de alginato verificou-se um menor consumo de azoto. Não se verificaram diferenças significativas para o rendimento em etanol, acidez total, SO2 e açúcares redutores nas diferentes condições testadas. Em todos os sistemas, no final das fermentações ficaram açúcares residuais que provavelmente são açúcares não fermentescíveis. A imobilização das células reduziu o tempo de fermentação. Verificou-se que à medida que aumentou o número de reutilizações o número de células no meio extracelular foi superior, provavelmente devido à desintegração das esferas

Reutilização de células imobilizadas na produção de hidromel

O hidromel é uma bebida alcoólica, obtida por fermentação do mel, que contém 8 a 18% (v/v) de etanol. Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar o efeito da utilização de células imobilizadas de levedura Saccharomyces cerevisiae em alginato de cálcio e consequentemente da sua reutilização na produção de hidromel, usando mel de segunda categoria. As células foram imobilizadas em duas concentrações diferentes de alginato (2% e 4%) e utilizadas em cinco fermentações sucessivas. Paralelamente realizou-se uma fermentação com células livres, como controlo. Todas as fermentações foram monitorizadas diariamente através da leitura da densidade ótica, determinação das unidades formadoras de colónias (UFC’s) e determinação dos açúcares redutores. No final das fermentações, a qualidade do hidromel foi avaliada através da determinação de vários parâmetros enológicos nomeadamente: pH, acidez volátil, azoto assimilável, SO2 total, teor alcoólico e açúcares redutores. Constatou-se que o mel de segunda categoria utilizado neste trabalho, cumpre todos os requisitos de qualidade descritos no Decreto-Lei nº214/2003 de 18 de Setembro. As duas concentrações de alginato (2% e 4%) utilizadas para imobilizar as células de S. cerevisiae não afetaram nenhum dos parâmetros estudados. Porém as esferas com 4% de alginato foram mecanicamente mais estáveis, podendo permitir um maior número de reutilizações tornando o processo mais económico. Nas fermentações conduzidas com células imobilizadas em esferas de alginato tanto a 2% como a 4% a velocidade de consumo de substrato foi superior relativamente ao processo realizado com células livres, reduzindo o tempo de fermentação 24h ou 48h. A imobilização de células não influenciou de forma significativa alguns dos parâmetros enológicos estudados nomeadamente o açúcar/etanol, o teor alcoólico, o pH e a acidez total. Na produção de ácido acético observou-se um ligeiro aumento (0,70 a 1,08 g/L), mas mantendo valores abaixo do limite legal (1,2 g/L) para o vinho branco. Por outro lado assistiu-se a uma diminuição da produção de SO2. No caso das fermentações com células imobilizadas, verificou-se a libertação de células para o mosto, devido à desintegração das esferas durante as várias fermentações, VI indicando que a matriz utilizada para a imobilização não é a mais adequada para a fermentação do hidromel.Mead is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of honey, which contains 8 to 18% (v/v) of ethanol. This work aimed to study the effect of the use of immobilized cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in calcium alginate and hence its reuse in the production of mead using honey second category. The cells were immobilized in alginate two different concentrations (2% and 4%) and used in five successive fermentations. In parallel there was a cell-free fermentation as a control. All fermentations were monitored daily by reading the optical density determination of colony forming units (CFU’s) and determination of reducing sugars. At the end of fermentation, the quality of the mead was assessed by determining various enological parameters such as: pH, volatile acidity, assimilable nitrogen, total SO2, alcohol and sugars. It was found that the second category of honey used in this work, meets all quality requirements described in Decree - Law No. 214/2003 of 18 September. The two alginate concentrations (2% and 4%) used to immobilize cells of S. cerevisiae does not affect any of the parameters studied. However balls with 4 % alginate were mechanically more stable and can allow a greater number of reuses making the process more economical. In fermentations conducted with cells immobilized in alginate balls as much as 2% to 4% of the speed of substrate consumption was higher for the process carried out with cell-free reducing fermentation time 24h or 48h. Immobilization of cells not significantly influenced some of oenological parameters studied including yield, alcohol content, pH and total acidity. In the production of acetic acid there was a slight increase (0.70 to 1.08 g/L) , while maintaining below the legal limit values (1.2 g/L) to white wine. On the other hand there has been a decrease in the production of SO2. In the case of fermentations with immobilized cells, there was the release of cells into the wort due to the disintegration of the balls during various fermentations, indicating that the matrix used for immobilization is not the most suitable for the fermentation of mead

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora