Partial electro-neutralisation of -α-p-hydroxyphenylglycine in sulphuric acid medium

In the industrial synthesis of -α-p-hydroxyphenylglycine the separation of amino acid is carried out by precipitation. During this process, a mother liquor is produced with a high salt content (2 M phosphates and sulphates) and an amino acid concentration of 0.11–0.12 M. The disposal of this mother liquor causes an environmental problem and an economic loss. The salt content of this mother liquor can be reduced in 70% of the initial by means of an electrodialysis process previously carried out by us, with only an amino acid loss of 15% of the initial. To improve and simplify this process, an electro-electrodialysis process (a membrane electrolysis process; the electrode processes and the transport process across the membrane are used) has been developed in which as a first step, the electro-neutralisation of solutions containing sulphuric acid and -α-p-hydroxyphenylglycine is studied. The sulphuric acid content is reduced to 87% of the initial, without detected loss of amino acid. The final solution is posteriorly neutralised by working up the pH of the solution for precipitating the amino acid, and a mother liquor with approximately 0.10 M -α-p-hydroxyphenylglycine and a low salt content (0.08 M Na₂SO₄) is produced. This mother liquor with low salinity can be recirculated again to a new electro-electrodialysis process.     

A Novel Mechanism of Preferential Enrichment Phenomenon Observed for the Cocrystal of (RS)-2-{4-[(4-Chlorophenoxy)methyl]phenoxy}propionic Acid and Isonicotinamide

A new entry of chiral anti-hyperlipoproteinemia drug is reported, showing an excellent preferential enrichment (PE) phenomenon which is not caused by a polymorphic transition during crystallization, but is proposed to occur by a novel mechanism involving partially irregular stacking of R and S homochiral two-dimensional (2D) sheets with a large dipole moment, followed by selective redissolution of one homochiral 2D sheet into the mother liquor during crystallization. The cocrystal composed of (RS)-2-{4-[(4-chlorophenoxy)methyl]phenoxy}propionic acid (CPPPA) and achiral isonicotinamide exhibited a substantial enrichment in the mother liquor up to 93 % ee by simply repeating recrystallization under nonequilibrium conditions using high supersaturation. Furthermore, the deposited crystals with low ee values obtained at the end of PE experiment were second harmonic generation (SHG)-positive, indicating the formation of homochiral domains in the deposited crystals, which reflects the proposed mechanism of PE.     

Novel Biotreatment Process for Glycol Waters

Propylene oxide (PO), propylene glycol (PG), and polyols are produced from propylene via propylene chlorohydrin. Effluents from these plants contain biological oxygen demand/chemical oxygen demand (BOD/COD) loads besides high chloride concentrations. The high salinity poses severe problem to adopt conventional methods like activated sludge processes. Presently, a simple, economically viable and versatile microbiological process has been developed to get more than 90% biodegradation in terms of BOD/COD, utilizing specially developedPseudomonas andAerobacter. The process can tolerate high salinity up to 10 wt% NaCl or 5 wt% CaCl₂ and can withstand wide variations in_pH (5.5–11.0) and temperature (15–45°C). The biodegradation of glycols involves two steps. The enzymatic conversion of glycols to carboxylic and hydroxycarboxylic acids is aided byPseudo- omonas. Further degradation to CO₂ and H₂O by carboxylic acid utilizingAerobacter, and possible metabolic degradative pathway of glycols are discussed. Various process parameters obtained in the lab scale (50 L bioreactor) and pilot scale (20 m³ bioreactor), and unique features of our process are also discussed.     

Enhancement of acid tolerance in Zymomonas mobilis by a proton-buffering peptide

A portion of the cbpA gene from Escherichia coli K-12 encoding a 24 amino acid proton-buffering peptide (Pbp) was cloned via the shuttle vector pJB99 into E. coli JM105 and subsequently into Zymomonas mobilis CP4. Expression of Pbp was confirmed in both JM105 and CP4 by HPLC. Z. mobilis CP4 carrying pJB99-2 (Pbp) exhibited increased acid tolerance (p<0.05) in acidified TSB (HCl [pH 3.0] or acetic acid [pH 3.5]), glycine-HCl buffer (pH 3.0), and sodium acetate-acetic acid buffer (pH 3.5) in comparison to the parent strain (CP4) and CP4 with pJB99 (control plasmid). Although the expression of Pbp influenced survival at a low pH, the minimum growth pH was unaffected. Growth of Z. mobilis in the presence of ampicillin also significantly increased acid tolerance by an unknown mechanism. Results from this study demonstrate that the production of a peptide with a high proportion of basic amino acids can contribute to protection from low pH and weak organic acids such as acetic acid.     

Large-Scale Synthesis of 4-Methyl-2-(2H-1,2,3-triazol-2-yl)benzoic Acid – A Key Fragment of Single Orexin Receptor Antagonist ACT-539313 – through Cu2O-Catalyzed,Ligand-Free Ullmann–Goldberg Coupling

A vastly improved 2nd generation process for the large scale manufacturing of 4-methyl-2-(2H-1,2,3-triazol-2-yl)benzoic acid ( 1 ) through an Ullmann–Goldberg coupling from 2-bromo-4-methylbenzoic acid and 1H-1,2,3-triazole has been developed. The new process features several key process improvements compared to the original process: 1) MeCN was found as new reaction solvent, replacing the previously used undesired 1,4-dioxane, 2) the CuI/DMCHDA catalyst system was successfully replaced by inexpensive Cu₂O in the absence of any ligand, 3) the amounts of 1H-1,2,3-triazole and K₂CO₃ were both drastically decreased compared to the original route, 4) the potassium salt of the desired N²-isomer directly crystallized from the reaction mixture and was isolated by filtration. The more soluble, undesired N¹-isomer potassium salt was purged into the mother liquor. 5) After dissolution of the N²-isomer potassium salt in H₂O and acidification with aq. HCl, the free carboxylic acid 1 crystallized as a white, crystalline solid in 61 % yield (200 g scale) and excellent HPLC purity (99.8 % a/a).     

Kinetic salt effects in the acid hydrolysis of potassium ethyl malonate in water and in 50% dioxane—Water mixture

The rates of the acid hydrolysis of potassium ethyl malonate in presence of KCl, NaCl, Li₂SO₄ and MgSO₄ in water and in 50% by weight of dioxane—water mixture were measured. The concentration of the added salts covered the range 0–1M. A negative salt effect on the rate of the half-ester hydrolysis was observed. The applicability ofBrønsted's equation was tested and deviations found were explained as due among other reasons, to the operation of an iondipole type of interaction. The correlation between the hydration numbers as well as the radii of the cations of the added electrolytes and the reaction rate were discussed. The activation energy was found to increase with an increase of the concentration of electrolyte due to the relative changes in solvation of the transition state as a result of hydration of the electrolytes added. The thermodynamic properties of the activated complex were calculated and discussed as functions of the salt concentration. A remarkable linear compensation between H and S was found.

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Der kinetische Salz-Effekt bei der sauren Hydrolyse von Kaliumethylmalonat in Wasser und in 50% Dioxan—Wasser

Zusammenfassung Es wurde die Kinetik der Hydrolyse von Kaliumethylmalonat in Gegenwart von KCl, NaCl, Li₂SO₄ und MgSO₄ (jeweils 0–1M) in Wasser und in 50% (w/w) Dioxan—Wasser untersucht. Es wurde ein negativer Salz-Effekt bezüglich der Hydrolysegeschwindigkeit des Halbesters beobachtet. Es werden sowohl Korrelationen zwischen Hydratationszahlen bzw. Ionenradien und der Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit, als auch zwischen Aktivierungsenergie und Elektrolytkonzentration diskutiert. Die thermodynamischen Parameter werden als Funktion der Salzkonzentration untersucht.

     

Semi‐preparative LC‐SPE‐cryoflow NMR for impurity identifications: use of mother liquor as a better source of impurities

Unambiguous structural elucidation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) impurities is a particularly challenging necessity of pharmaceutical development, particularly if the impurities are low level (0.1% level). In many cases, this requires acquiring high‐quality NMR data on a pure sample of each impurity. High‐quality, high signal‐to‐noise (S/N) one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR data can be obtained using liquid chromatography‐solid phase extraction‐cryoflow NMR (LC‐SPE‐cryoflow NMR) with a combination of semi‐preparative column for separation and mother liquor as a source of concentrated impurities. These NMR data, in conjunction with mass spectrometry data, allowed for quick and unambiguous structural elucidations of four impurities found at low level in the crystallized API but found at appreciable levels in the mother liquor that was used as the source for these impurities. These data show that semi‐preparative columns can be used at lower than ideal flow rates to facilitate trapping of HPLC components for LC‐SPE‐cryoflow NMR analysis without compromising chromatographic resolution. Also, despite the complex chromatography encountered with the use of mother liquor as a source of impurities, acceptably pure analytes were obtained for acquiring NMR data for unambiguous structure elucidations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploiting pH mismatch in preparative high-performance liquid chromatographic recovery of ertapenem from mother liquor streams

Preparative chromatography was successfully employed to recover ertapenem from mother liquor streams. The recovery process involved concentration of mother liquor stream by evaporation, purification by reversed-phase preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and removal of chromatographic solvents in the recovered fractions by evaporation. HPLC feed was prepared by stripping off the organic solvents from the mother liquor using a wiped-film evaporator. Purification was first carried out on a 25 cm x 0.46 cm analytical column packed with 10-microm Kromasil C8 particles and then scaled up to a 25 cm x 5 cm preparative column. Gram-level recovery of ertapenem with high purity was achieved by exploiting a novel approach based on pH mismatch between the feed and the eluent. Purified ertapenem streams from preparative HPLC runs were combined, evaporated and recycled into the crystallizer for ertapenem isolation.     

Preservative Effect on Canned Mackerel (Scomber colias) Lipids by Addition of Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) Cooking Liquor in the Packaging Medium

The preservative properties of waste liquor obtained from octopus (Octopus vulgaris) cooking were investigated. Three different concentrations (high, medium, and low) of octopus cooking liquor (OCL) were included, respectively, in the aqueous packaging medium employed for mackerel (Scomber colias) canning. As a result, the canning process led to an increase (p < 0.05) of lipid content, lipid oxidation (development of fluorescent compounds and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, TBARS), lipid hydrolysis (formation of free fatty acids, FFA) and ω3/ω6 ratio in fish muscle. In all canned samples, primary (peroxides) and secondary (TBARS) levels of lipid oxidation were low. Remarkably, the presence in the packaging medium of the high and medium OCL concentrations led to lower (p < 0.05) lipid oxidation development (fluorescent compound and TBARS detection, respectively). Furthermore, an increasing OCL presence led to an average decrease of peroxide and FFA content and to an average increase of the polyene index (PI). All OCL-packaged muscle showed lower average values of saturated fatty acids and ω3/ω6 ratio and higher average values of PI and monounsaturated fatty acid presence. This study provides a first approach to novel and beneficial use of the present marine waste to inhibit lipid damage of commercial canned fish.     

Microporous Silica Particles Prepared by the Salt-Catalytic Sol-Gel Process with Extremely Low Content of Water

Microporous silica was synthesized by the salt catalytic sol-gel process with extremely low content of water to tetramethoxysilane. Silica particles were precipitated even when the extent of hydrolysis was very low, since ammonium carbonate as a salt catalyst made the polycondensation faster than an acid catalyst. Microporous silica with a high surface area (680 m² g^–1) was obtained by combustion of methoxy groups at 450°C. The methoxy groups can be removed by the post-hydrolysis before heating. A high specific surface area (>750 m²g^–1) of microporous silica was obtained with pore diameter between 1.2 and 2.0 nm.     

Uronic (hexenuronic) acid profile of ethanol–alkali delignification of giant reed Arundo donax L.

The effect of process variables on uronic acids (UAs) and hexenuronic acids (HexAs) in the annual crop Arundo donax L. during ethanol–alkali pulping has been examined. A substantial loss of UA moieties (up to 90%) was observed by the end of pulping (target kappa number 18) performed with 25% NaOH and 40% EtOH (by volume) within the temperature range of 130–150 °C. At the same time, the progressive formation of HexA in pulp was detected from the early phases of delignification. The proportion of HexA in the residual UA of the final pulp was found to be 84%, indicating almost complete conversion of 4-O-methylglucuronic acid side groups (MeGlcA) of heteroxylan into HexA. The kinetics of UA degradation and HexA formation has been described in terms of three consecutive first-order reaction stages. The overall rate of UA degradation was one order higher than the rate of UA conversion into HexA. The values of apparent activation energy were estimated as 68.6 and 94.7 kJ mol^–1, respectively. The reaction medium alkalinity was shown to be the controlling factor for UA and HexA stability during ethanol–alkali pulping. An increase in alkali charge from 5% to 35% (as NaOH) led to UA loss of 40%, but promoted HexA formation from 11.8 to 20.1 mol g^–1. The addition of organic solvent to the alkaline pulping solution had a similar effect, and about 10% of UA was lost and the content of HexA increased from 6.9 to 10.9 mol g^–1 with an increase in ethanol proportion in the liquor from 20% to 60%.     

Nutritional profile of food yeast kluyveromyces fragilis biomass grown on whey

Biomass of food yeast Kluyveromyces fragilis (MTCC 188) grown on deproteinized whey supplemented with 0.8% diammonium hydrogen phosphate and 10 ppm indole-3-acetic acid, had a crude protein content of 37%. The true protein content based on nitrogen fractionation procedure was 28.1%. Total nucleic acid content was 4.82%. This amount does not appear to be toxicologically offensive. Crude fiber, ash, and lipid content of K. fragilis dry cells were found to be 4.9%, 16%, and 7.8%, respectively. Essential fatty acids of both ω-3 and ω-6 series were found present in the fat of the yeast and represented 21.5% of the total fatty acids. All the essential amino acids were present in the proteins of K. fragilis; however, sulfur containing amino acids were found in lower amounts. Calculated protein scores indicate moderate biological value. Bvitamins in the biomass were present as expected, but folic acid and pyridoxine were present in high concentration.     

Biodegradation of Mixed Phenolic Compounds Under High Salt Conditions and Salinity Fluctuations by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arthrobacter</Emphasis> sp. W1

High salt concentration and salinity fluctuations in wastewater challenge the efficiency of microbial strains used for cleanup of pollutants. In this study, it was investigated that the new isolated Arthrobacter sp. W1 degraded mixed phenolic compounds under complex salt conditions. The results showed that Arthrobacter sp. W1 was able to utilize various phenolic compounds as carbon source under high salt conditions. It can degrade phenol and p-cresol mixture at 10% NaCl, although rates of degradation and cell growth were lower compared to 5% NaCl. The presence of trace p-cresol significantly inhibited phenol biodegradation. When salinity fluctuations were between 1% and 10% NaCl, strain W1 was able to degrade substrates and survived. It was also suggested that the presence of salts (i.e., NaCl, KCl, Na₂SO₄, and K₂SO₄) had almost no effects on the microbial growth and biodegradation process. Therefore, Arthrobacter sp. W1 would be a promising candidate for bioremediation of phenolic compounds under complex salt conditions.     

Green synthesis of caffeine based on methylating reagent dimethyl carbonate and environmental friendly separating method

In this paper, a green process for the synthesis and separation of caffeine was reported. Theophylline sodium is used as the raw material, diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene as the catalyst, and Turkey red oil as the solvent, particularly, dimethyl carbonate was adopted in place of high toxic dimethyl sulfate to form a mixture of caffeine and by-product sodium bicarbonate. After converting sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate, the solubility difference between caffeine and sodium carbonate at 40°C was for the first time utilized to achieve the purpose of separating caffeine with an excellent yield of 98.4% and a purity of greater than 99.0%. Furthermore, both the reaction mother liquor and separation mother liquor can be recycled and reused during the reaction and separation processes, respectively, with little caffeine loss. No industrial waste was discharged in the process of the improved synthesis and separation, which is therefore environmental friendly.     

Optimization of seed production for a simultaneous saccharification cofermentation biomass-to-ethanol process using recombinantZymomonas

The five-carbon sugard-xylose is a major component of hemicellulose and accounts for roughly one-third of the carbohydrate content of many lignocellulosic materials. The efficient fermentation of xylose-rich hemicellulose hydrolyzates (prehydrolyzates) represents an opportunity to improve significantly the economics of large-scale fuel ethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is currently investigating a simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF) process for ethanol production from biomass that uses a dilute-acid pretreatment and a metabolically engineered strain ofZymomonas mobilis that can coferment glucose and xylose. The objective of this study was to establish optimal conditions for cost-effective seed production that are compatible with the SSCF process design. Two-level and three-level full factorial experimental designs were employed to characterize efficiently the growth performance of recombinantZ. mobilis CP4:pZB5 as a function of nutrient level, pH, and acetic acid concentration using a synthetic hardwood hemicellulose hydrolyzate containing 4% (w/v) xylose and 0.8% (w/v) glucose. Fermentations were run batchwise and were pH-controlled at low levels of clarified corn steep liquor (cCSL, 1-2% v/v), which were used as the sole source of nutrients. For the purpose of assessing comparative fermentation performance, seed production was also carried out using a “benchmark” yeast extract-based laboratory medium. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) of experimental results was performed to determine the main effects and possible interactive effects of nutrient (cCSL) level, pH, and acetic acid concentration on the rate of xylose utilization and the extent of cell mass production. Results indicate that the concentration of acetic acid is the most significant limiting factor for the xylose utilization rate and the extent of cell mass production; nutrient level and pH exerted weaker, but statistically significant effects. At pH 6.0, in the absence of acetic acid, the final cell mass concentration was 1.4 g dry cell mass/L (g DCM/L), but decreased to 0.92 and 0.64 g DCM/L in the presence of 0.5 and 1.0% (w/v) acetic acid, respectively. At concentrations of acetic acid of 0.75 (w/v) or lower, fermentation was complete within 1.5 d. In contrast, in the presence of 1.0% (w/v) acetic acid, 25% of the xylose remained after 2 d. At a volumetric supplementation level of 1.5–2.0% (v/v), cCSL proved to be a cost-effective single-source nutritional adjunct that can support growth and fermentation performance at levels comparable to those achieved using the expensive yeast extract-based laboratory reference medium.     

Intraframework Migration of Tetrahedral Atoms in a Zeolite

The transformation from a disordered into an ordered version of the zeolite natrolite occurs on prolonged heating of this material in the crystallizing medium, but not if the mother liquor is replaced by water or an alkaline solution. This process occurs for both aluminosilicate and gallosilicate analogues of natrolite. In cross experiments, the disordered Al‐containing (or Ga‐containing) analogue is heated while in contact with the mother liquor of the opposite analogue, that is, the Ga‐containing (or Al‐containing) liquor. Therefore, strong evidence for the mechanism of the ordering process was obtained, which was thus proposed to proceed by intraframework migration of tetrahedral atoms without diffusion along the pores. Migration is first triggered, then fuelled by surface rearrangement through reactions with the mother liquor, and stops when an almost fully ordered state is attained. Classical dissolution–recrystallization and Ostwald ripening processes do not appear to be relevant for this phase transformation.     

Time Evolution of Microbial Composition and Metabolic Profile for Biogenic Amines and Free Amino Acids in a Model Cucumber Fermentation System Brined with 0.5% to 5.0% Sodium Chloride

Salt concentrations in brine and temperature are the major environmental factors that affect activity of microorganisms and, thus may affect formation of biogenic amines (BAs) during the fermentation process. A model system to ferment cucumbers with low salt (0.5%, 1.5% or 5.0% NaCl) at two temperatures (11 or 23 °C) was used to study the ability of indigenous microbiota to produce biogenic amines and metabolize amino acid precursors. Colony counts for presumptive Enterococcus and Enterobacteriaceae increased by 4 and up to 2 log of CFU∙mL⁻¹, respectively, and remained viable for more than 10 days. 16S rRNA sequencing showed that Lactobacillus and Enterobacter were dominant in fermented cucumbers with 0.5% and 1.5% salt concentrations after storage. The initial content of BAs in raw material of 25.44 ± 4.03 mg∙kg⁻¹ fluctuated throughout experiment, but after 6 months there were no significant differences between tested variants. The most abundant BA was putrescine, that reached a maximum concentration of 158.02 ± 25.11 mg∙kg⁻¹. The Biogenic Amines Index (BAI) calculated for all samples was significantly below that needed to induce undesirable effects upon consumption. The highest value was calculated for the 23 °C/5.0% NaCl brine variant after 192 h of fermentation (223.93 ± 54.40). Results presented in this work indicate that possibilities to control spontaneous fermentation by changing salt concentration and temperature to inhibit the formation of BAs are very limited.     

一种含树枝单元的高流动性尼龙6的原位聚合及性能测试

将低代数的树枝状大分子聚酰胺胺(polyamidomine,即PAMAM)分别与对苯二甲酸配制成母盐溶液,再以母盐溶液,己内酰胺,封端剂一起投入高压釜进行原位聚合,通过调节PAMAM在己内酰胺中的比例及改变不同的PAMAM代数得到新型高流动性尼龙6.FTIR显示,与线性尼龙相比较,高流动性尼龙6的γ(N—H)和2δ(N—H)两处对应峰都发生了明显的蓝移.对于树枝单元含量较低(0.3 wt%~0.5 wt%)的新型尼龙6,拉伸性能没有下降,缺口冲击强度增加,而熔体流动却显著得到改善.DSC显示,新型尼龙6的结晶曲线的结晶峰温度有不同程度的降低,晶体生长速率明显减慢.     

The Mutual Resoluton of Dl-ephedrine and N-Benzyloxycarbonyl-Dl-Amino Acids

D(-)-Ephedrine was prepared by resolving the racemate through its N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanine salt in ether solution. The L(+)-ephedrine in mother liquid was recovered and precipitated exclusivly with N -benzyloxycarbonyl-L-alanine in ethyl acetate. The amino acid derivatives were recovered from the salts by acid decomposition and the optically pure ephedrine was also recovered, which was again useful for the resolution of racemic amino acid derivatives synthesized chemically. Other amino acid derivatves are also tested for the mutual resolution. Mutual resolution was also effected by dissolving DL-ephedrine and N -benzyloxycarbonyl-DL-alanine in ethyl acetate to obtain the optically pure D(-)-ephedrine and N -benzyloxycarbonyl-D-alanine.     

Inulinase production by Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y-7571 using solid state fermentation

Inulinase is an enzyme relevant to fructose production by enzymatic hydrolysis of inulin. This enzyme is also applied in the production of fructo-oligosaccharides that may be used as a new food functional ingredient. Commercial inulinase is currently obtained using inulin as substrate, which is a relatively expensive raw material. In Brazil, the production of this enzyme using residues of sugarcane and corn industry (sugarcane bagasse, molasses, and corn steep liquor) is economically attractive, owing to the high amount and low cost of such residues. In this context, the aim of this work was the assessment of inulinase production by solid state fermentation using by Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y-7571. The solid medium consisted of sugar cane bagasse supplemented with molasses and corn steep liquor. The production of inulinase was carried out using experimental design technique. The effect of temperature, moisture, and supplements content were investigated. The enzymatic activity reached a maximum of 445 units of inulinase per gram of dry substrate.