Effect of steam explosion on the physicochemical properties and enzymatic saccharification of rice straw

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - The effects of steam explosion pretreatment on the physical and chemical properties of rice straw and on the enzymatic saccharification of the straw were...     

Effect of cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose

Effect of cationic surfactants alkyltrimethylammonium bromide (C_nTAB) with varied alkyl chain lengths on the enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel and the surface charge of cellulase was investigated. Enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel increased linearly from 42.1 to 61.4 % with the increase of the concentration of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (C₁₆TAB) logarithmically from 0.0001 to 0.01 mM, and reached a maximum value at the concentration of 0.01–0.03 mM. When the concentration was increased further, the cellulase solution became positively charged and the enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel decreased rapidly. With the increasing alkyl chain length, C_nTAB provided more proton and neutralized the negative charge of cellulase more obviously. Therefore, the required concentration of C_nTAB could be less to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel. In addition, C₁₆TAB could enhance enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of corncob at high solid content from 35.0 to 56.3 %; C₁₆TAB could reduce about 60 % of the cellulase loading in the enzymatic hydrolysis of corncob to obtain the same glucose yield. Effect of C₁₆TAB on the enzymatic hydrolysis of typical pretreated softwood and hardwood was also investigated. This study laid the foundation for using C_nTAB to recover cellulase, and provided the design direction for cellulase with higher activity and better stability by adjusting its hydrophilicity and chargeability.     

Effect of pretreatment severity on the enzymatic hydrolysis of bamboo in hydrothermal deconstruction

Bamboo was subjected to hydrothermal deconstruction to release xylans for the enhancement of enzymatic hydrolysis. The de-waxed and de-starched bamboo culm was non-isothermally pretreated in a batch reactor at a solid to liquid ratio of 1:10 g/mL at 120–240 °C. With the increase of the maximum heating temperature from 120 to 240 °C, the pH value of the liquor decreased from 5.98 to 2.71. A maximum yield of the non-volatile components in the liquid was achieved at a pretreatment severity of 4.20. With the increase of the pretreatment severity from 1.18 to 4.82, the yield of the solid residue decreased from 99.52 to 59.91 %, accompanying a decrease of xylan content from 28.86 to 0 %, an increase of glucan content from 42.80 to 59.14 % and an increase of lignin content from 28.10 to 40.57 %. The solid residues after the hydrothermal pretreatment were comprehensively characterized by FT IR, XRD, and element analysis. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the solid residues was assayed by commercial cellulase. Under enzymatic hydrolysis for 96 h, the enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated bamboo at the pretreatment severity of 4.82 was 81.16 %, which equaled to 4.7 times of that of the untreated bamboo. This study provided an environmentally friendly process to pretreat biomass for the production of energy.     

Effect of sulfuric and phosphoric acid pretreatments on enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover

The pretreatment of corn stover with H₂SO₄ and H₃PO₄ was investigated. Pretreatments were carried out from 30 to 120 min in a batch reactor at 121°C, with acid concentrations ranging from 0 to 2% (w/v) at a solid concentration of 5% (w/v). Pretreated corn stover was washed with distilled water until the filtrate was adjusted to pH 7.0, followed by surfactant swelling of the cellulosic fraction in a 0–10% (w/v) solution of Tween-80 at room temperature for 12 h. The dilute acid treatment proved to be a very effective method in terms of hemicellulose recovery and cellulose digetibility. Hemicellulose recovery was 62–90%, and enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose that remained in the solid was >80% with 2% (w/v) acid. In all cases studied, the performance of H₂SO₄ pretreatment (hemicellulose recovery and cellulose digestibility) was significantly better than obtained with H₃PO₄. Enzymatic hydrolysis was more effective using surfactant than without it, producing 10–20% more sugar. Furthermore, digestibility was investigated as a function of hemicellulose removal. It was found that digestibility was more directly related to hemicellulose removal than to delignification.     

Effect of alkaline ultrasonic pretreatment on crystalline morphology and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose

In this study, ultrasound-assisted alkaline pretreatment is developed to evaluate the morphological and structural changes that occur during pretreatment of cellulose, and its effect on glucose production via enzymatic hydrolysis. The pretreated samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction to understand the change in surface morphology, crystallinity and the fraction of cellulose Iβ and cellulose II. The combined pretreatment led to a great disruption of cellulose particles along with the formation of large pores and partial fibrillation. The effects of ultrasound irradiation time (2, 4 h), NaOH concentration (1–10 wt%), initial particle size (20–180 μm) and initial degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose on structural changes and glucose yields were evaluated. The alkaline ultrasonic pretreatment resulted in a significant decrease in particle size of cellulose, besides significantly reducing the treatment time and NaOH concentration required to achieve a low crystallinity of cellulose. More than 2.5 times improvement in glucose yield was observed with 10 wt% NaOH and 4 h of sonication, compared to untreated samples. The glucose yields increased with increase in initial particle size of cellulose, while DP had no effect on glucose yields. The glucose yields exhibited an increasing tendency with increase in cellulose II fraction as a result of combined pretreatment.     

Effect of structural and physico-chemical features of cellulosic substrates on the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis

Effects of major physicochemical and structural parameters of cellulose on the rate and degree of its enzymatic hydrolysis were tested with cellulosic materials from various sources. Some different pretreatments were: mechanical (milling), physical (X-ray irradiation), and chemical (cadoxen, H₃PO₄, H₂SO₄, NaOH, Fe²+/H₂O₂). The average size of cellulose particles and its degree of polymerization had little effect on the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. For samples of pure cellulose (cotton linter, microcrystalline cellulose, α-cellulose), increase in the specific surface area accessible to protein molecules and decrease in the crystallinity index accelerated the enzymatic hydrolysis (the correlation coefficients were 0.89 and 0.92, respectively). In the case of lignocellulose (bagasse), a quantitative linear relationship only between specific surface area and reactivity was observed.     

Physicochemical properties of cross-linked and acetylated starches and products of their hydrolysis in continuous recycle membrane reactor

The aim of the present work was to study the physicochemical properties of doubly modified, by cross-linking and acetylating, starches as well as the products of their enzymatic hydrolysis. A two step procedure of hydrolysis, including the batch and membrane reactors, were investigated. The second step of enzymatic processes were carried out in a continuous recycle membrane reactor (CRMR). Three kinds of commercial starches – two preparations of acetylated distarch adipate E1422 of different degrees of cross-linking, as well as one preparation of acetylated distarch phosphate E1414 were examined. It was found that the degree of substitution of acetyl groups in the macromolecules of starch did not influence the effectiveness of hydrolysis. However, the degree of cross-linking with adipate groups slightly decreased the efficiency of processing in the CRMR. Additionally, the relationship between the type of hydrocolloid and its adsorption activity in the air/water and oil/water systems was considered. All obtained derivatives revealed adsorption properties and reduced the surface/interface tension in the air/water and oil/water systems. The efficiency and effectiveness of adsorption of the investigated hydrocolloids were affected by the type of modification as well as the degree of substitution of acetyl groups in the macromolecules of starch. Particle size distributions formed in aqueous solutions for all investigated hydrolyses were determined and compared with results obtained for commercial products.     

Interfacial properties of cellulose nanoparticles obtained from acid and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose

Rod-shaped cellulose nanocrystals obtained by acid hydrolysis of eucalyptus fibers (CNCa) presented high aspect ratio (estimated length and width of 180 and 5 nm, respectively) and zeta potential of ?(17 ± 1) mV at pH 6. This typical morphology of cellulose nanocrystals was in contrast to nanoparticles obtained upon enzymatic hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose (CNCe), which were asymmetric and irregular due to surface-bound cellulases and presented a distinctive surface roughness. Interestingly, CNCe also displayed axial grooves, to yield a C-shape cross section that has not been reported before. The effect of the characteristic shape and surface chemistry of CNCa and of grooved CNCe was studied at oil/water interfaces and solid surfaces. Emulsions (20 % v/v oil) prepared with the CNCa were more stable than those prepared with CNCe, owing to their characteristic shape and surface chemistry. Hydrophilic (silica surfaces cationized by pre-adsorbed polycation) and hydrophobic (polystyrene films) solid surfaces were used as substrates for the adsorption of CNCe and CNCa for each type of surface. The ellipsometric data and AFM images indicated larger affinity of CNCe than CNCa for the hydrophobic surface. On the other hand, CNCa formed homogeneous monolayer on hydrophilic surfaces, whereas CNCe formed discontinuous films. Sequential adsorption behavior of CNCa on CNCe layers (or vice versa) suggested that the interaction between them is controlled by the orientation of enzymes bound to CNCe.     

Effect of inhibitors released during steam-explosion pretreatment of barley straw on enzymatic hydrolysis

The influence of the liquid fraction (prehydrolysate) generated during steam-explosion pretreatment (210°C, 15 min) of barley straw on the enzymatic hydrolysis was determined. Prehydrolysate was analyzed for degradation compounds and sugars' content and used as a medium for enzymatic hydrolysis tests after pH adjusting to 4.8. Our results show that the presence of the compounds contained in the prehydrolysate strongly affects the hydrolysis step (a 25% decrease in cellulose conversion compared with control). Sugars are shown to be more potent inhibitors of enzymatic hydrolysis than degradation products.     

Effect of pretreatment reagent and hydrogen peroxide on enzymatic hydrolysis of oak in percolation process

The effect of pretreatment reagent and hydrogen peroxide on enzymatic digestibility of oak was investigated to compare pretreatment performance. Pretreatment reagents used were ammonia, sulfuric acid, and water. These solutions were used without or in combination with hydrogen peroxide in the percolation reactor. The reaction was carried out at 170°C for the predetermined reaction time. Ammonia treatment showed the highest delignification but the lowest digestibility and hemicellulose removal among the three treatments. Acid treatment proved to be a very effective method in terms of hemicellulose recovery and cellulose digestibility. Hemicellulose recovery was 65–90% and digestibilities were >90% in the range of 0.01–0.2% acid concentration. In both treatments, hydrogen peroxide had some effect on digestibility but decomposed soluble sugars produced during pretreatment. Unlike ammonia and acid treatments, hydrogen peroxide in water treatment has a certain effect on hemicellulose recovery as well as delignification. At 1.6% hydrogen peroxide concentration, both hemicellulose recovery and digestibility were about 90%, which were almost the same as those of 0.2% sulfuric acid treatment. Also, digestibility was investigated as a function of hemicellulose removal or delignification. It was found that digestibility was more directly related to hemicellulose removal rather than delignification.     

Effect of chemical modification on the adsorption and chromatographic properties of aluminas

The effect of chemical modification by sodium hydrogen carbonate on the adsorption and chromatographic properties of aluminas was studied by low-temperature nitrogen adsorption followed by thermal desorption, IR spectrometry, and gas chromatography. It was found that, at a decrease in the volume of micropores, adsorption and desorption proceed in mesopores. It was shown that, at the higher chemical homogeneity of the alumina surface, the symmetry of the chromatographic peaks and the efficiency of the column are considerably improved.     

Effect of the macrocycle chemical modification on the tetraphenylporphin basic properties

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - Basic properties of tetraphenylporphin and its derivatives with electron-donor and electron-acceptor substituents in the position 4 of meso-aryl fragments are...     

Effect of acid steam explosion on enzymatic hydrolysis ofO. nervosum andC. cardunculus

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology -     

Synthesis and physicochemical properties of cationic starches

The reaction kinetics of an aqueous suspension of potato starch, various amounts of NaOH, and cationic 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium (chloride) were studied in detail. It was found that the compositions of the sparsely substituted cationic starch ethers and the efficiency of the reaction depended strongly on the ratio of components in the alkylating mixture. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized samples were studied using chemical analysis, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray structure analysis, and thermogravimetry. It was shown that the temperature regime of the reaction had a determining influence on the thermal stability and structural changes of the cationic starch derivative.     

Barrier and mechanical properties of modified starches

The study addressed starch-based coatings on paper and fabrics. Coated materials and free starch films containing different amounts of a well-established plasticizer (glycerol) or potential plasticizer (mainly polyols) were tested with respect to water vapour permeance (WVPe), water vapour permeability (WVP), glass transition temperature (T_g), and mechanical strength (tensile tests). Both normal and high- amylose potato starch were used. These starches were modified by (a) oxidation, (b) oxidation and hydroxypropylation or (c) oxidation and hydrophobically modified by reaction with octenyl- or alkenyl-substituted succinic acid anhydride. Free films of hydroxypropylated high-amylose potato starch showed a lower WVP than did the corresponding starches based on regular potato starch. The WVP of the hydrophobically modified regular potato starches was substantially higher than that of films of the corresponding hydroxypropylated starches. The expected hydrophobic effect of the succinic acid anhydrides in terms of a reduced WVP could not be observed. When glycerol was used as a plasticizer, about 30 parts (by wt.) per hundred parts of starch were needed in order to reduce the T_g and to cause observable changes in the mechanical properties of the free films.     

Method for accelerating the enzymatic hydrolysis of triacylglycerols

The basic possibility of lowering the concentration of pancreatic lipase in the hydrolysis of triacylglycerols (TAGs) deposited on a solid sorbent has been shown. The method of preparing the initial TAGs for hydrolysis that has been developed permits not only a 10-fold reduction in the amount of ligase but also the retention of a short time of hydrolysis with a high yield of reaction products.Moscow Technological Institute of the Food Industry. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 329–332, May–June, 1985.     

Effect of polysulfone modification techniques on the properties of polymer-silicate nanocomposites

An effect of different methods of structural modification of the heat-resistant amorphous polysulfone with layered silicate montmorillonite on the properties of the resulting polymer-silicate nanocomposites has been studied. Comparative evaluation of the technological, physical, mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties of the nanocomposites has been performed.