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Microorganisms Feb 2024Glycerol is a carbon source that produces good biomass under mixotrophic conditions. Enhancing the composition of culture media in algae biomass production improves...
Glycerol is a carbon source that produces good biomass under mixotrophic conditions. Enhancing the composition of culture media in algae biomass production improves growth rates, biomass yield, nutrient utilization efficiency, and overall cost-effectiveness. Among the key nutrients in the medium, nitrogen plays a pivotal role. Urea can be effectively used as a nitrogen source and is considered a low-cost form of nitrogen compared to other sources. Urea metabolism releases some CO in photosynthesis, and magnesium plays a major role in urea uptake. Magnesium is another key nutrient that is key in photosynthesis and other metabolic reactions. To maximize glycerol consumption in the mixotrophic system and to obtain high biomass and lipid productions, the variations in MgSO4·7HO and urea concentrations were evaluated in the growth medium of the microalgae. A response surface methodology (RSM) using a central composite design (CCD) was designed to maximize glycerol consumption at the initial cellular growth rates (up to four days). The magnesium and urea supply varied from 0.3 to 1.7 g L. Response surface methodology was utilized to analyze the results, and the highest glycerol consumption rate, 770.2 mg L d, was observed when was grown at 1.7 g L urea, 1.0 g L MgSO4·7HO. Using the optimal urea and magnesium concentrations with acetate, glucose, and glycerol as carbon sources, the same lipid content (10% average) was achieved on day 4 of mixotrophic culture. Overall, the results show that mixotrophic growth of using urea with an optimum magnesium concentration yields large amounts of fatty acids and that the carbon source greatly influences the profile of the fatty acids.
PubMed: 38399783
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12020379 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2024Interspecific hybrid crude palm oil (HCPO) HIE OxG derived from crossbred African oil palm () and American Caiaué () is prominent for its fatty acid and antioxidant...
Interspecific hybrid crude palm oil (HCPO) HIE OxG derived from crossbred African oil palm () and American Caiaué () is prominent for its fatty acid and antioxidant compositions (carotenoids, tocopherols, and tocotrienols), lower production cost, and high pest resistance properties compared to crude palm oil. Biodegradable and sustainable encapsulants derived from vegetable byproducts were used to formulate HCPO nanoparticles. Nanoparticles with hybrid crude palm oil and jackfruit seed flour as a wall material (N-JSF) and with hybrid crude palm oil and jackfruit axis flour as a wall material (N-JAF) were optimized using a 2 experimental design. They exhibited nanoscale diameters (<250 nm) and were characterized based on their zeta potential, apparent viscosity, pH, color, and total carotenoid content. The nanoparticles demonstrated a monodisperse distribution, good uniformity, and stability (polydispersity index < 0.25; zeta potentials: N-JSF -19.50 ± 1.47 mV and N-JAF -12.50 ± 0.17 mV), as well as high encapsulation efficiency (%) (N-JSF 86.44 ± 0.01 and N-JAF 90.43 ± 1.34) and an optimal carotenoid retention (>85%). These nanoparticles show potential for use as sustainable and clean-label HCPO alternatives in the food industry.
PubMed: 38397500
DOI: 10.3390/foods13040523 -
Ultrasonics Sonochemistry Mar 2024Durian peel, an abundant waste in Malaysia could be a potential substrate for fermentable sugar recovery for value-added biochemical production. Common pretreatment such...
Durian peel, an abundant waste in Malaysia could be a potential substrate for fermentable sugar recovery for value-added biochemical production. Common pretreatment such as acid or alkaline pretreatment resulted in the need for extensive solid washing which generated wastewater. Herein, this study aims to introduce sonication on top of chemical pretreatment to destruct lignin and reduce the chemical usage during the durian peel pretreatment process. In this study, the morphology and the chemical composition of the pretreated durian peels were studied. The sugar yield produced from the chemical pretreatment and the combined ultrasound and chemical pretreatment were compared. The morphology and chemical structure of durian peels were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM images showed that the structural change became more significant when sonication was introduced. Second, XRD profile indicated a relatively higher crystallinity index and FTIR spectra displayed a lower intensity of lignin and hemicellulose for ultrasound plus alkaline (UB) pretreatment as compared to acid, alkaline and ultrasound plus acid (UA) pretreatment. UB and UA pretreatment portrayed higher yield (376.60 ± 12.14 and 237.38 ± 3.96 mg reducing sugar/g dry biomass, respectively) than their controls without the application of ultrasound. Therefore, it could be concluded that ultrasound was able to intensify the fermentable sugar recovery from durian peel by inducing physical and chemical effect of cavitation to alter the morphology of durian peel. Fermentation of UB treated durian peel resulted in 2.68 mol hydrogen/mol consumed sugar and 131.56 mL/L/h of hydrogen productivity. This study is important because it will shed light on a way to handle durian waste disposal problems and generate fermentable sugars for the production of high value-added products.
Topics: Sugars; Lignin; Bombacaceae; Hydrolysis; Carbohydrates; Acids; Biomass; Hydrogen
PubMed: 38394823
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2024.106811 -
PloS One 2024Tropical peatland across Southeast Asia is drained extensively for production of pulpwood, palm oil and other food crops. Associated increases in peat decomposition have...
Tropical peatland across Southeast Asia is drained extensively for production of pulpwood, palm oil and other food crops. Associated increases in peat decomposition have led to widespread subsidence, deterioration of peat condition and CO2 emissions. However, quantification of subsidence and peat condition from these processes is challenging due to the scale and inaccessibility of dense tropical peat swamp forests. The development of satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has the potential to solve this problem. The Advanced Pixel System using Intermittent Baseline Subset (APSIS, formerly ISBAS) modelling technique provides improved coverage across almost all land surfaces irrespective of ground cover, enabling derivation of a time series of tropical peatland surface oscillations across whole catchments. This study aimed to establish the extent to which APSIS-InSAR can monitor seasonal patterns of tropical peat surface oscillations at North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest, Peninsular Malaysia. Results showed that C-band SAR could penetrate the forest canopy over tropical peat swamp forests intermittently and was applicable to a range of land covers. Therefore the APSIS technique has the potential for monitoring peat surface oscillations under tropical forest canopy using regularly acquired C-band Sentinel-1 InSAR data, enabling continuous monitoring of tropical peatland surface motion at a spatial resolution of 20 m.
Topics: Radar; Forests; Soil; Asia, Southeastern; Wetlands
PubMed: 38394278
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298939 -
Insects Jan 2024The palm leafhopper, , is a possible vector of the pathogen that causes the Lethal Wilt of oil palms in Colombia. This disease represents the biggest phytosanitary...
The palm leafhopper, , is a possible vector of the pathogen that causes the Lethal Wilt of oil palms in Colombia. This disease represents the biggest phytosanitary problem in the eastern palm zone. From 2010 to 2021, more than 7700 ha have been eradicated, with economic losses exceeding 154 million USD. Therefore, knowing the biology of this insect and its population parameters is necessary for developing population control tools. To evaluate these parameters, a cohort of 100 eggs obtained from adults from the breeding unit established in the Campo Experimental Palmar de las Corocoras de Cenipalma in Paratebueno, Cundinamarca, was monitored to record the life cycle and the population parameters using a life table under semi-controlled conditions in an oil palm plantation. The life cycle from egg to adult was 62.7 ± 15.5 days (26.1 ± 2.9 °C; HR: 89.8 ± 14.0%). The egg stage lasted 14.6 ± 0.6 days, the nymphal stage 48.1 ± 2.8 days through five instars, and the adult longevity was 14.8 ± 8.4 days. The specific mortality rate (qx) calculated in the life table was 0.14 (for the egg stage), 0.05 (for I instar), 0.05 (for II instar), 0.03 (for III instar), 0.04 (for IV instar), and 0.07 (for V instar). The population parameters' values were as follows: net reproductive rate Ro = 10.96; generation time T = 62.3 days, intrinsic natural growth rate rm = 0.03, and finite growth rate λ = 1.03. These results help us to understand the population dynamics of this insect in the field and for the development of population control studies.
PubMed: 38392505
DOI: 10.3390/insects15020085 -
Food & Function Mar 2024: Interesterification is an industrial processing technique used widely where hard fats are essential for functionality and consumer acceptability, margarines and lower... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Postprandial lipid and vascular responses following consumption of a commercially-relevant interesterified palmitic acid-rich spread in comparison to functionally-equivalent non-interesterified spread and spreadable butter: a randomised controlled trial in healthy adults.
: Interesterification is an industrial processing technique used widely where hard fats are essential for functionality and consumer acceptability, margarines and lower fat spreads. : The aim of this study was to compare acute cardiovascular effects of functionally equivalent spreads (similar solid fat content) made with interesterified (IE) or non-IE palm-based fats, or spreadable butter. : A randomised, controlled, 4-armed crossover, double-blind study (25 men, 25 women; 35-75 years; healthy; mean BMI 24.5, SD 3.8), compared effects of mixed nutrient meals containing 50 g fat from functionally equivalent products [IE spread, non-IE spread and spreadable butter (SB), with rapeseed oil (RO) as a reference treatment: with 16.7%, 27.9%, 19.3% and 4% palmitic acid, respectively] on 8 h postprandial changes in plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) and endothelial dysfunction (flow-mediated dilatation; FMD). Circulating reactive oxygen species (estimated using a neutrophil oxidative burst assay), glucose, insulin, NEFA, lipoprotein particle profiles, inflammatory markers (glycoprotein acetylation (Glyc-A) and IL-6), and biomarkers of endotoxemia were measured. : Postprandial plasma TAG concentrations after test meals were similar. However following RO the 3 spreads, there were significantly higher postprandial apolipoprotein B concentrations, and small HDL and LDL particle concentrations, and lower postprandial extra-large, large, and medium HDL particle concentrations, as well as smaller average HDL and LDL particle sizes. There were no differences following IE compared to the other spreads. Postprandial FMD% did not decrease after high-fat test meals, and there were no differences between treatments. Postprandial serum IL-6 increased similarly after test meals, but RO provoked a greater increase in postprandial concentrations of glycoprotein acetyls (GlycA), as well as 8 h sCD14, an endotoxemia marker. All other postprandial outcomes were not different between treatments. : In healthy adults, a commercially-available IE-based spread did not evoke a different postprandial triacylglycerol, lipoprotein subclass, oxidative stress, inflammatory or endotoxemic response to functionally-equivalent, but compositionally-distinct alternative spreads. Clinical trial registry number: NCT03438084 (https://ClinicalTrials.gov).
Topics: Adult; Male; Humans; Female; Palmitic Acid; Dietary Fats; Endotoxemia; Interleukin-6; Triglycerides; Butter; Lipoproteins; Glycoproteins; Postprandial Period; Cross-Over Studies
PubMed: 38380649
DOI: 10.1039/d3fo05324e -
RSC Advances Feb 2024Crude glycerol (CG) is a major byproduct of biodiesel production. Most of it cannot be utilized due to major impurities. The CG generally contains alkalis, which...
Crude glycerol (CG) is a major byproduct of biodiesel production. Most of it cannot be utilized due to major impurities. The CG generally contains alkalis, which generate the residual salts in a series of its purification stages. This study aims to obtain the optimum process conditions and acid molar ratio to produce a higher potassium salt yield while improving the purity of glycerol by a simple acidification procedure. The CG was obtained from the transesterification of palm oil using a catalyst based on potassium carbonate. A phosphoric acid (85%) is utilized at various molar ratios and the process temperature is 60-80 °C. The strong acid was slowly added to the CG and heated for 30 minutes with a mixing speed of 250 rpm. The optimum acidification process occurred at a temperature of 70 °C with a molar crude glycerol ratio to phosphoric acid of 1 : 0.5. The glycerol purity was increased from 43.3% to 67.63% (w/w). It effectively obtains a potassium phosphate salt with a yield of 6.78%. The functional group infrared (IR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectra identified the salt residue as potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KHPO). This is composed predominantly of potassium oxide (KO) and phosphorus pentoxide (PO), 50% and 47.9%, respectively.
PubMed: 38375015
DOI: 10.1039/d3ra08264d -
Food & Nutrition Research 2024This scoping review for the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 summarizes the available evidence on fats and oils from a food level perspective. A literature search... (Review)
Review
This scoping review for the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 summarizes the available evidence on fats and oils from a food level perspective. A literature search for systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses was conducted in PubMed. There are few SRs and meta-analyses available that investigate the association between fats and oils (food level) and health outcomes; the majority report associations at the nutrient level (fatty acid classes). All identified SRs and meta-analyses were of low methodological quality, thus the findings and conclusions presented within this scoping review should be interpreted cautiously. Based on this limited evidence, the following results were indicated: the intake of olive oil may be associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and total mortality in prospective cohort studies. The intake of butter was not associated with the risk of CVD but may be related to slightly lower risk of T2D and higher risk of total mortality in prospective cohort studies. For cancer, the evidence is sparse and primarily based on case-control studies. The intake of olive oil may be associated with reduced risk of cancer, whereas the intake of butter may be associated with increased risk of certain cancer types. Butter increases LDL-cholesterol when compared to virtually all other fats and oils. Palm oil may increase LDL-cholesterol when compared to oils rich in MUFA or PUFA but may not have any effect on glucose or insulin. Coconut oil may increase LDL-cholesterol when compared to other plant oils but may decrease LDL-cholesterol when compared to animal fats rich in SFA. Canola/rapeseed oil may decrease LDL-cholesterol compared to olive oil, sunflower oil and sources of SFA and may also reduce body weight compared to other oils. Olive oil may decrease some inflammation markers but may not have a differential effect on LDL-cholesterol compared to other fats and oils. The effect on risk markers likely differs depending on the type/version of oil, for example, due to the presence of polyphenols, phytosterols and other minor components. Taken together, based on the available evidence, oils rich in unsaturated fat (e.g. olive oil, canola oil) are to be preferred over oils and fats rich in saturated fat (e.g. butter, tropical oils).
PubMed: 38370114
DOI: 10.29219/fnr.v68.10487 -
Animal Nutrition (Zhongguo Xu Mu Shou... Mar 2024Net energy (NE) enables the prediction of more accurate feed energy values by taking into account the heat increment which is approximately 25% of apparent metabolizable...
Net energy (NE) enables the prediction of more accurate feed energy values by taking into account the heat increment which is approximately 25% of apparent metabolizable energy (AME) in poultry. Nevertheless, application of NE in poultry industry has not been practiced widely. To predict the NE values of broiler diets, 23 diets were prepared by using 13 major ingredients (wheat, corn, paddy rice, broken rice, cassava pellets, full-fat soybean, soybean meal, canola meal, animal protein, rice bran, wheat bran, palm kernel meal and palm kernel oil). The diets were formulated in order to meet the birds' requirements and get a wide range of chemical compositions (on DM basis; 33.6% to 55.3% for starch; 20.8% to 28.4% for CP, 2.7% to 10.6% for ether extract [EE] and 7.0% to 17.2% for NDF), with low correlations between these nutrients and low correlations between the inclusion levels of ingredients allowing for the calculation of robust prediction equations of energy values of diets or ingredients. These diets were fed to Ross 308 broilers raised in 12 open-circuit respiratory chambers from 18 to 23 d of age (4 birds per cage) and growth performance, diet AME content and heat production were measured, and dietary NE values were calculated. The trial was conducted on a weekly basis with 12 diets measured each week (1 per chamber), 1 of the 23 diets (reference diet) being measured each week. Each diet was tested at least 8 times. In total, 235 energy balance data values were available for the final calculations. Growth performance, AME (15.3 MJ/kg DM on average) and AME/GE (79.4% on average) values were as expected. The NE/AME value averaged 76.6% and was negatively influenced by CP and NDF and positively by EE in connection with efficiencies of AME provided by CP, EE and starch for NE of 73%, 87% and 81%, respectively. The best prediction equation was: NE = (0.815 × AME) - (0.026 × CP) + (0.020 × EE) - (0.024 × NDF) with NE and AME as MJ/kg DM, and CP, EE and NDF as % of DM. The NE prediction equations from this study agree with other recently reported equations in poultry and are suitable for both ingredients and complete feeds.
PubMed: 38362510
DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2023.11.009 -
Microbial Cell Factories Feb 2024Among the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] is reported to closely resemble polypropylene and...
BACKGROUND
Among the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyhexanoate] [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] is reported to closely resemble polypropylene and low-density polyethylene. Studies have shown that PHA synthase (PhaC) from mangrove soil (PhaC) is an efficient PhaC for P(3HB-co-3HHx) production and N-termini of PhaCs influence its substrate specificity, dimerization, granule morphology, and molecular weights of PHA produced. This study aims to further improve PhaC through N-terminal truncation.
RESULTS
The N-terminal truncated mutants of PhaC were constructed based on the information of the predicted secondary and tertiary structures using PSIPRED server and AlphaFold2 program, respectively. The N-terminal truncated PhaC mutants were evaluated in C. necator mutant PHB4 based on the cell dry weight, PHA content, 3HHx molar composition, molecular weights, and granule morphology of the PHA granules. The results showed that most transformants harbouring the N-terminal truncated PhaC showed a reduction in PHA content and cell dry weight except for PhaC G8. PhaC G8 and A27 showed an improved weight-average molecular weight (M) of PHA produced due to lower expression of the truncated PhaC. Transformants harbouring PhaC G8, A27, and T74 showed a reduction in the number of granules. PhaC G8 produced higher M PHA in mostly single larger PHA granules with comparable production as the full-length PhaC.
CONCLUSION
This research showed that N-terminal truncation had effects on PHA accumulation, substrate specificity, M, and granule morphology. This study also showed that N-terminal truncation of the amino acids that did not adopt any secondary structure can be an alternative to improve PhaCs for the production of PHA with higher M in mostly single larger granules.
Topics: Polyhydroxyalkanoates; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; Caproates; Hydroxybutyrates; Acyltransferases; Cytoplasmic Granules; Cupriavidus necator
PubMed: 38360657
DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02329-w