Enhanced production of xylanase from locally isolated fungal strain using agro-industrial residues under solid-state fermentation

This study is related to the isolation of fungal strain for xylanase production using agro-industrial residues. Forty fungal strains with xylanolytic potential were isolated by using xylan agar plates and quantitatively screened in solid-state fermentation. Of all the tested isolates, the strain showing highest ability to produce xylanase was assigned the code Aspergillus niger LCBT-14. For the enhanced production of the enzyme, five different fermentation media were evaluated. Out of all media, M4 containing wheat bran gave maximum enzyme production. Effect of different variables including incubation time, temperature, pH, carbon and nitrogen sources has been investigated. The optimum enzyme production was obtained after 72 h at 30°C and pH 4. Glucose as a carbon source while ammonium sulphate and yeast extract as nitrogen sources gave maximum xylanase production (946 U/mL/min). This study was successful in producing xylanase by A. niger LCBT-14 economically by utilising cheap indigenous substrate.     

Bioconversion potential of Trichoderma viride HN1 cellulase for a lignocellulosic biomass Saccharum spontaneum

The industrialisation of lignocellulose conversion is impeded by expensive cellulase enzymes required for saccharification in bioethanol production. Current research undertakes cellulase production from pretreated Saccharum spontaneum through Trichoderma viride HN1 under submerged fermentation conditions. Pretreatment of substrate with 2% NaOH resulted in 88% delignification. Maximum cellulase production (2603 ± 16.39 U/mL/min carboxymethyl cellulase and 1393 ± 25.55 U/mL/min FPase) was achieved at 6% substrate at pH 5.0, with 5% inoculum, incubated at 35°C for 120 h of fermentation period. Addition of surfactant, Tween 80 and metal ion Mn⁺², significantly enhanced cellulase yield. This study accounts proficient cellulase yield through process optimisation by exploiting cheaper substrate to escalate their commercial endeavour.     

Kinetically locked, trinuclear Ru(II) metallo-macrocycles--synthesis, electrochemical, and optical properties

Using a [Ru(II)([9]aneS3)] templating moiety, kinetically-locked, metallomacrocycles incorporating adenine based ligands have been synthesised through self-assembly. The kinetically robust nature of these structures is confirmed by electrochemical studies: each can be reversibly oxidised in a four-member redox series, containing two formally mixed valence states. Unusually, the electrochemically derived comproportionation constants for these mixed valence states are very different, suggesting that intermetallic coupling differs between the two states. Spectroelectochemistry studies confirm that while the [Ru(II)2Ru(III)] state is valence localised, the [Ru(II)Ru(III)2] state is electronically delocalised. Mechanisms by which this switching effect could occur, which involve the unusual connectivities in these mixed valence species, are presented.     

Study of the Interaction Between Promazine Hydrochloride and Surfactant (Conventional/Gemini) Mixtures at Different Temperatures

In the present paper, the micellization of an amphiphilic drug, promazine hydrochloride, and gemini surfactants (16-s-16) with s = 4–6 and the monomeric hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) counterparts has been examined conductometrically in the pure and mixed states in aqueous solutions at different compositions and temperatures (298.15–308.15 K). Dicationic gemini surfactants provide much better environment for the micellization behavior than the corresponding monocationic counterpart CTAB. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) values are lower than the cmc for ideal mixing, cmc ^id, suggesting attractive interactions between the two components in mixed micelles. The micellar mole fractions of surfactants, evaluated by different models, show greater contributions of surfactants in mixed micelles and increase with increasing concentrations of these surfactants. The negative values of β suggest synergism in the mixtures, which is highly beneficial as it reduces the total amount of surfactants required in a particular application, leading to reductions of cost and environmental impact. Activity coefficients (f ₁ and f ₂) are always less than unity showing nonideality in the systems. The data have been also used for evaluation of thermodynamic parameters.     

Antimicrobial silica particles loaded with quaternary ammonium polyethyleneimine network

Silica particles functionalized with quaternary ammonium groups were prepared by interpenetrating polyethylenimine (PEI) into silica particles and crosslinking with diiodopentane, followed by octyliodide alkylation and methyliodide quaternarization (S‐QA‐PEI). The synthesized S‐QA‐PEI particles were identified with a slight particle size increase of 2–3 µm. Different ratios of PEI:silica particles were prepared and analyzed. While silica particles are negatively charged, ?16.7 ± 5.11 mV, the prepared S‐QA‐PEI particles are positively charged, +50–60 mV. These particles were embedded in poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) and poly(ethylene methacrylic acid) coatings which exhibited strong antibacterial activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Role of added counterions in the micellar growth of bisquaternary ammonium halide surfactant (14-s-14): 1H NMR and viscometric studies

The change in the morphology of a series of dicationic gemini surfactants C(14)H(29)(CH(3))(2)N(+)-(CH(2))(s)-N(+)(CH(3))(2)C(14)H(29), 2Br(-) (14-s-14; s=4-6) on their interaction with inorganic (KBr, KNO(3), KSCN) and organic salts (NaBenz, NaSal) have been thoroughly investigated by means of (1)H NMR spectral analysis and the results are well supported by viscosity measurements. The presence of salt counterions results in structural transition (spherical to nonspherical) of gemini micelles in aqueous solution. With an increase in salt concentration all the three gemini surfactants showed changes in their aggregate morphology. This change is dependent on the nature and size of the added counterion. The effect of inorganic counterions on the micellar growth is observed to follow the Hofmeister series (Br(-) < NO(3)(-) < SCN(-)). The roles of organic counterions are discussed on the basis of probable solubilization sites of the substrate molecule in the gemini micelles, showing more growth in case of Sal(-) than Benz(-). The results are confirmed in terms of the obtained values of chemical shift (δ), line width at half height (lw), and relative viscosity (η(r)). Also, the growth of micelles was most pronounced for the gemini surfactant with the shortest spacer (s=4). This was attributed to the unique molecular structure of gemini surfactant micelles having flexible polymethylene spacer chain linking the twin polar headgroups.     

Antioxidant activity,phytochemical screening,and total phenolic content of extracts from three genders of carob tree barks growing in Morocco

We evaluated the in vitro antioxidant property and phytochemical constituents of the crude ethyl acetate and methanol extract of the three genders of carob tree barks (spontaneous male, spontaneous female, and grafted female). The scavenging activity on DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) was determined, as well as the phenolic contents (Folin–Ciocalteu method) of both the extracts. The highest antioxidant activity and the higher amounts of total phenols were shown in methanol crude bark extract for the three genders. Variety significantly affected the phenol content and the antioxidant activity, with the spontaneous male variety globally showed a higher polyphenol concentration and antioxidant activity than the grafted female and spontaneous female.     

Dosimetric characteristics of aqueous solution of crystal violet for applications in food irradiation

Aqueous solution of crystal violet has been evaluated spectrophotometrically as a gamma-ray chemical dosimeter. The response of the chemical dosimetric system has also been investigated under different environmental conditions, such as light and temperature. In the present study the response has been measured at two wavelengths; 588 nm (λ_max of the irradiated solution) and 500 nm. The response of the crystal violet dosimeter was linear in the dose range of 50–550 Gy at pH 5.6 when absorption measurements were made at 588 and 500 nm. The response of the crystal violet dosimeter during post-irradiation storage at room temperature in dark showed slight decrease in absorbance at 588 and 510 nm but the response was almost stable at 460 nm. For higher doses, the change in the response was greater as compared to the low doses. Post-irradiation stability during diffused sunlight showed significant decrease in the response for higher dose at 588 and 510 nm and slower decrease in the response for lower dose at the above mentioned wavelengths. However the response was almost stable up to 97 days at 460 nm for higher and lower doses. At 4 °C, the decrease in the absorbance was slower at 588 and 510 nm while the response was almost constant at 460 nm. At higher temperatures, such as 40 °C, the decrease in the absorbance was greater at 588 and 510 nm while at 460 nm the absorbance was almost constant for about 3 months.