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Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jun 2024Methanol is a promising feedstock for the bio-based economy as it can be derived from organic waste streams or produced electrochemically from CO. Acetate production...
Methanol is a promising feedstock for the bio-based economy as it can be derived from organic waste streams or produced electrochemically from CO. Acetate production from CO in microbial electrosynthesis (MES) has been widely studied, while more valuable compounds such as butyrate are currently attracting attention. In this study, methanol was used as a co-substrate with CO to enhance butyrate production in MES. Feeding with CO and methanol resulted in the highest butyrate production rates and titres of 0.36 ± 0.01 g L d and 8.6 ± 0.2 g L, respectively, outperforming reactors with only CO feeding (0.20 ± 0.03 g L d and 5.2 ± 0.1 g L, respectively). Methanol acted as electron donor and as carbon source, both of which contributed ca. 50% of the carbon in the products. Eubacterium was the dominant genus with 52.6 ± 2.5% relative abundance. Thus, we demonstrate attractive route for the use of the C1 substrates, CO and methanol, to produce mainly butyrate. KEY POINTS: • Butyrate was the main product from methanol and CO in MES • Methanol acted as both carbon and electron source in MES • Eubacterium dominating microbial culture was enriched in MES.
Topics: Methanol; Carbon Dioxide; Butyrates; Bioreactors; Carbon; Acetates
PubMed: 38874789
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13218-y -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2023is used as a medicinal herb in many countries. In this study, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water were used as solvents in the extraction of...
is used as a medicinal herb in many countries. In this study, cyclohexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water were used as solvents in the extraction of fruits. The contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, total tannins and condensed tannins as well as the biological activities of these extracts were investigated using various and assays. Results showed that all solvent extracts of had no anticancer activity against cancerous (A-549 and DLD-1) and non-cancerous (WS-1) human cells. Methanol and ethyl acetate were the most effective solvent for extraction of phenolic compounds and also exhibited the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The methanol extract of fruits was the richest in phenolic compounds with the predominance of ferulic acid, catechin and narengin. These results supported the use of fruit as natural source of bioactive compound for pharmaceutical applications.
Topics: Humans; Antioxidants; Methanol; Fruit; Lycium; Plant Extracts; Solvents; Phytochemicals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Phenols
PubMed: 36001896
DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2115469 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024In the context of the increasing global use of ethanol biofuel, this work investigates the concentrations of ethanol, methanol, and acetaldehyde, in both the gaseous...
In the context of the increasing global use of ethanol biofuel, this work investigates the concentrations of ethanol, methanol, and acetaldehyde, in both the gaseous phase and rainwater, across six diverse urban regions and biomes in Brazil, a country where ethanol accounts for nearly half the light-duty vehicular fuel consumption. Atmospheric ethanol median concentrations in São Paulo (SP) (12.3 ± 12.1 ppbv) and Ribeirão Preto (RP) (12.1 ± 10.9 ppbv) were remarkably close, despite the SP vehicular fleet being ∼13 times larger. Likewise, the rainwater VWM ethanol concentration in SP (4.64 ± 0.38 μmol L) was only 26 % higher than in RP (3.42 ± 0.13 μmol L). This work demonstrated the importance of evaporative emissions, together with biomass burning, as sources of the compounds studied. The importance of biogenic emissions of methanol during forest flooding was identified in campaigns in the Amazon and Atlantic forests. Marine air masses arriving at a coastal site led to the lowest concentrations of ethanol measured in this work. Besides vehicular and biomass burning emissions, secondary formation of acetaldehyde by photochemical reactions may be relevant in urban and non-urban regions. The combined deposition flux of ethanol and methanol was 6.2 kg ha year, avoiding oxidation to the corresponding and more toxic aldehydes. Considering the species determined here, the ozone formation potential (OFP) in RP was around two-fold higher than in SP, further evidencing the importance of emissions from regional distilleries and biomass burning, in addition to vehicles. At the forest and coastal sites, the OFP was approximately 5 times lower than at the urban sites. Our work evidenced that transition from gasoline to ethanol or ethanol blends brings the associated risk of increasing the concentrations of highly toxic aldehydes and ozone, potentially impacting the atmosphere and threatening air quality and human health in urban areas.
Topics: Brazil; Acetaldehyde; Ethanol; Environmental Monitoring; Methanol; Rain; Air Pollutants; Cities
PubMed: 38649057
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172629 -
Nature Communications May 2024Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria are considered strict aerobes but are often highly abundant in hypoxic and even anoxic environments. Despite possessing denitrification...
Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria are considered strict aerobes but are often highly abundant in hypoxic and even anoxic environments. Despite possessing denitrification genes, it remains to be verified whether denitrification contributes to their growth. Here, we show that acidophilic methanotrophs can respire nitrous oxide (NO) and grow anaerobically on diverse non-methane substrates, including methanol, C-C substrates, and hydrogen. We study two strains that possess NO reductase genes: Methylocella tundrae T4 and Methylacidiphilum caldifontis IT6. We show that NO respiration supports growth of Methylacidiphilum caldifontis at an extremely acidic pH of 2.0, exceeding the known physiological pH limits for microbial NO consumption. Methylocella tundrae simultaneously consumes NO and CH in suboxic conditions, indicating robustness of its NO reductase activity in the presence of O. Furthermore, in O-limiting conditions, the amount of CH oxidized per O reduced increases when NO is added, indicating that Methylocella tundrae can direct more O towards methane monooxygenase. Thus, our results demonstrate that some methanotrophs can respire NO independently or simultaneously with O, which may facilitate their growth and survival in dynamic environments. Such metabolic capability enables these bacteria to simultaneously reduce the release of the key greenhouse gases CO, CH and NO.
Topics: Nitrous Oxide; Methane; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Oxidoreductases; Oxygen; Oxidation-Reduction; Anaerobiosis; Methanol; Hydrogen; Oxygenases
PubMed: 38762502
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48161-z -
Journal of Environmental and Public... 2023The continuous expansion of shipping trade has brought about increasingly serious marine pollution problems. In the context of emission reduction in the global shipping...
The continuous expansion of shipping trade has brought about increasingly serious marine pollution problems. In the context of emission reduction in the global shipping industry, this paper focuses on the operation optimization of container ships inside and outside the emission control area (ECA). From the dual perspectives of shipowners and the general public, models in the annual operating cycle are established to study the economic and environmental benefit differences between traditional fuels, i.e., heavy fuel oil (HFO) and low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO), and alternative fuels, i.e., liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol. Sensitivity analysis was carried out for the proportion of ECA and ship speed. The results show that, in the current situation of high natural gas prices, the use of HFO after the installation of scrubbers is still the most cost-effective option in the short term, followed by the use of LSFO and methanol. LNG is no longer an attractive option, while LSFO and methanol are the best options for both cost and the environment. With the tightening of ECA regulations, methanol will become the optimal choice when the ECA ratio is higher than 47%. By reducing the speed of the ship, the pollutant emission can be effectively reduced, but it will also lead to an overall decrease in profits. Considering the future "zero carbon" emission targets, slow streaming is only suitable as a short-term response measure, while switching to green power energy is a choice that is more in line with the long-term development strategy.
Topics: Fuel Oils; Natural Gas; Vehicle Emissions; Methanol; Ships; Air Pollutants
PubMed: 37457598
DOI: 10.1155/2023/6351337 -
Analytical Chemistry Oct 2023Detection of small molecule metabolites (SMM), particularly those involved in energy metabolism using MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), is challenging due to...
Detection of small molecule metabolites (SMM), particularly those involved in energy metabolism using MALDI-mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), is challenging due to factors including ion suppression from other analytes present (e.g., proteins and lipids). One potential solution to enhance SMM detection is to remove analytes that cause ion suppression from tissue sections before matrix deposition through solvent washes. Here, we systematically investigated solvent treatment conditions to improve SMM signal and preserve metabolite localization. Washing with acidic methanol significantly enhances the detection of phosphate-containing metabolites involved in energy metabolism. The improved detection is due to removing lipids and highly polar metabolites that cause ion suppression and denaturing proteins that release bound phosphate-containing metabolites. Stable isotope infusions of [C]nicotinamide coupled to MALDI-MSI ("Iso-imaging") in the kidney reveal patterns that indicate blood vessels, medulla, outer stripe, and cortex. We also observed different ATP:ADP raw signals across mouse kidney regions, consistent with regional differences in glucose metabolism favoring either gluconeogenesis or glycolysis. In mouse muscle, Iso-imaging using [C]glucose shows high glycolytic flux from infused circulating glucose in type 1 and 2a fibers (soleus) and relatively lower glycolytic flux in type 2b fiber type (gastrocnemius). Thus, improved detection of phosphate-containing metabolites due to acidic methanol treatment combined with isotope tracing provides an improved way to probe energy metabolism with spatial resolution .
Topics: Mice; Animals; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; Methanol; Glycolysis; Glucose; Lipids; Solvents; Isotopes; Phosphates; Lasers
PubMed: 37756255
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c01875 -
Environmental Science & Technology Dec 2023Molecular separations involving solvents and organic impurities represent great challenges for environmental and water-intensive industries. Novel materials with...
Molecular separations involving solvents and organic impurities represent great challenges for environmental and water-intensive industries. Novel materials with intrinsic nanoscale pores offer a great choice for improvement in terms of energy efficiency and capital costs. Particularly, in applications where gradient and ordered separation of organic contaminants remain elusive, smart materials with switchable pores can offer efficient solutions. Here, we report a hierarchically networked porous organic cage membrane with dynamic control over pores, elucidating stable solvent permeance and tunable dye rejection over different molecular weights. The engineered cage membrane can spontaneously modulate its geometry and pore size from water to methanol and DMF in a reversible manner. The cage membrane exhibits ≥585.59 g mol molecular weight cutoff preferentially in water and is impeded by methanol (799.8 g mol) and DMF (≈1017 g mol), reflecting 36 and 73% change in rejection due to self-regulation and the flexible network, respectively. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction illustrates a clear peak downshift, suggesting an intrinsic structural change when the cage membranes were immersed in methanol or DMF. We have observed reversible structural changes that can also be tuned by preparing a methanol/DMF mixture and adjusting their ratio, thereby enabling gradient molecular filtration. We anticipate that such cage membranes with dynamic selectivity could be promising particularly for industrial separations and wastewater treatment.
Topics: Solvents; Methanol; Porosity; Water; Chromatography, Liquid
PubMed: 37965815
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05883 -
Parasites & Vectors Jul 2023Helminth infections are an important public health problem in humans and have an even greater impact on domestic animal and livestock welfare. Current readouts for...
BACKGROUND
Helminth infections are an important public health problem in humans and have an even greater impact on domestic animal and livestock welfare. Current readouts for anthelmintic drug screening assays are stage development, migration, or motility that can be subjective, laborious, and low in throughput. The aim of this study was to apply and optimize a fluorometric technique using resazurin for evaluating changes in the metabolic activity of Ascaris suum third-stage larvae (L3), a parasite of high economic relevance in swine.
METHODS
Ascaris suum L3 were mechanically hatched from 6- to 8-week embryonated and sucrose-gradient-enriched eggs. Resazurin dye and A. suum L3 were titrated in 96-well microtiter plates, and resazurin reduction activity was assessed by fluorometry after 24 h of incubation. Fluorescence microscopy was used to localize the resazurin reduction site within the larvae. Finally, we exposed A. suum L3 to various stress conditions including heat, methanol, and anthelmintics, and investigated their impact on larval metabolism through resazurin reduction activity.
RESULTS
We show that the non-fluorescent dye resazurin is reduced inside vital A. suum L3 to fluorescent resorufin and released into the culture media. Optimal assay parameters are 100-1000 L3 per well, a resazurin concentration of 7.5 µg/ml, and incubation at 37 °C/5% CO for 24 h. An intact L2 sheath around the L3 of A. suum completely prevents the uptake of resazurin, while in unsheathed L3, the most intense fluorescence signal is observed along the larval midgut. L3 exposed to methanol or heat show a gradually decreased resazurin reduction activity. In addition, 24 h exposure to ivermectin at 0.625 µM, mebendazole at 5 µM, and thiabendazole from 10 to 100 µM significantly decreased larval metabolic activity by 55%, 73%, and 70% to 89%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Together, our results show that both metabolic stressors and anthelmintic drugs significantly and reproducibly reduce the resazurin reduction activity of A. suum L3, making the proposed assay a sensitive and easy-to-use method to evaluate metabolic activity of A. suum L3 in vitro.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Swine; Ascaris suum; Methanol; Anthelmintics; Xanthenes; Ascariasis; Larva
PubMed: 37468906
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05871-5 -
Bioresource Technology Jul 2024Carbon dioxide (CO) poses a significant threat, contributing to global warming and climate change. This study focused on isolating efficient CO-reducing methanogens and...
Carbon dioxide (CO) poses a significant threat, contributing to global warming and climate change. This study focused on isolating efficient CO-reducing methanogens and methanotrophs for converting methane into methanol. Samples from diverse regions in India were collected and processed, yielding 82 methanogenic and 48 methylotrophic isolates. Methanogenic isolate M11 produced a higher amount of methane, reaching 2.9 mol L on the sixth day of incubation at 35 °C, pH 7.0, and CO:H (80:20) as feeding rates. Under optimized conditions, isolate M11 effectively converted 8.3 mol CO to 7.9 mol methane in 24 h. Methylotrophic isolate M31 demonstrated significant soluble methane monooxygenase activity (450 nmol/ml) and produced 0.4 mol methanol in 24 h. 16S rRNA analysis identified Methanobacterium sp. and Methyloceanibacter sp. among the isolates, elucidating their taxonomic diversity. This study offers valuable insights into methanogens' potential in CO sequestration and methane conversion to methanol through methanotrophism, a promising sustainable biofuel production.
Topics: Methanol; Carbon Dioxide; Methane; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Phylogeny; Carbon Sequestration; Oxygenases
PubMed: 38810708
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130847 -
Vestnik Oftalmologii 2024Optic nerve atrophy is a pathomorphological consequence of diseases of the peripheral neuron of the visual pathway, manifested as atrophy of nerve fibers of varying... (Review)
Review
Optic nerve atrophy is a pathomorphological consequence of diseases of the peripheral neuron of the visual pathway, manifested as atrophy of nerve fibers of varying severity. The toxic effect of methanol is mainly associated with formic acid and formaldehyde, which suppress the cytochrome system, inhibit oxidative phosphorylation, and thereby cause a deficiency of adenosine triphosphoric acid, to which brain and retinal tissues are especially susceptible. When formiate accumulates, tissue respiration is disrupted, leading to pronounced tissue hypoxia. As a result of such methanol metabolism, metabolic acidosis occurs. Tissue hypoxia develops in the first few hours as a result of the action of formic acid on the respiratory enzyme chain at the cytochrome oxidase level. Hypoxia and, as a consequence, a decrease in energy supply lead to a disruption of biological oxidation and the development of apoptosis in the optic nerve fibers. Understanding the process of optic nerve atrophy development at the pathogenetic level in methyl alcohol intoxication will help make a correct early diagnosis and prescribe timely treatment.
Topics: Humans; Methanol; Optic Nerve; Optic Atrophy
PubMed: 38742504
DOI: 10.17116/oftalma202414002191