Production of Cyclodextrins from Cornstarch Granules in a Sequential Batch Mode and in the Presence of Ethanol

The influence of Toruzyme? cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase concentration and the presence of ethanol have been studied for the production of α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins (CDs) from 15% (w/v) cornstarch, at 65 °C and pH 6, with the aim of increasing CD yield. The selected concentrations for a single batch reactor were 10% (v/v) ethanol and 0.1% (v/v) enzyme, yielding after 12 h, 37% total CDs, of which 52.2% was α-CD, 38.8% β-CD, and 9.0% γ-CD. The enzyme specific activities per unit mass of protein for producing α-, β-, and γ-CD were 37.25, 19.61, and 8.63 U mg(-1), respectively. Total CD yield per milliliter of enzyme was 55 g. To increase CD yield per enzyme charge and thus reduce costs, the production of CDs was tested with two sequential batches in which a single enzyme charge was used. At the end of the first batch, the enzyme was adsorbed either on 65 °C pretreated starch granules or on raw starch, and a second batch was run with this material. The best result, in this case, was obtained for pretreated starch, increasing total CD produced by 57.4%, with 53.2% α-CD, 36.1% β-CD, and 10.7% γ-CD. CD yield per milliliter of enzyme was then 87 g.     

Image encryption with chaotically coupled chaotic maps

We present a novel secure cryptosystem for direct encryption of color images, based on chaotically coupled chaotic maps. The proposed cipher provides good confusion and diffusion properties that ensures extremely high security because of the chaotic mixing of pixels’ colors. Information is mixed and distributed over a complete image using a complex strategy that makes known plaintext attack unfeasible. The encryption algorithm guarantees the three main goals of cryptography: strong cryptographic security, short encryption/decryption time, and robustness against noise and other external disturbances. Due to the high speed, the proposed cryptosystem is suitable for application in real-time communication systems.     

Structural dynamics of chiral strings

It is demonstrated that a microscopic model of an antiferroelectric elementary string makes it possible to explain the specifics of the structural macrokinetics and macroscopic dynamics of chiral strings. It is established that the formation of strings is controlled by diffusion, whereas the supercoiling of strings, by Van der Waals interactions between them. Three modes of strings formation were identified: the uniform growth of cylindrical strings, π-assembly of an inverted cone of thin strings, and π-decay. The π-assembly is accompanied by the rotation of the string about its axis, which can cause instability, leading first to a bending of the string and then to the formation of loops.     

Spontaneous Structure Formation in the Products of UV-Initiated Formose Reaction in De-Novo Model

The structure formation in xerogels of aqueous solutions of products of the UV-initiated formose reaction has been studied in the context of the problem of the spontaneous formation of prebiological structures. Of the 11 variants of xerogels, only in the talopyranose xerogel show the presence of anisometric strings with distinct periodic (in particular, helical) structure, which form characteristic elements of biomimetic structures by interlacing. Under the conditions simulating the primitive Earth’s atmosphere (formaldehyde, water, UV), spontaneous formation of anisometric superhelical structures has been modeled and the type of the sugars forming these structures has been identified.     

Difructose anhydride-forming bacterial inulinase II and fructogenic fungal inulinase I

The reserve polymeric inulin from dahlia tuber (>12% or >60% yield, wet or dry basis, respectively) follows as an attractive source for both free fructose or difructofuranose anhydride (DFA III). Although DFA biological activity is not completely understood, there is interest in characterizing other DFA III-producers besidesArthrobacter ureafaciens. The inulinolytic bacterial isolate named “YLW,” owing to the yellow hue in agar slants, is such a producer. Its biochemical characterization showed the presence of galactosylated and mannosylated glycolipids associated with the bacterial cells. Immobilization of fungal inulinase I and bacterial inulinase II, the respective enzymatic catalysts for the production of fructose and DFA III by inulin hydrolysis, was attempted using controlled-pore silica (CPS). The effects of pH, temperature, and incubation time was analyzed and compared for both enzymes in the free and immobilized forms.

     

Wave attenuation in waveguide containing two-layer semiconductor-dielectric structure as a function of conductivity and thickness of semiconductor

The interaction of H₁₀ waves with a two-layer semiconductor-dielectric structure of finite dimensions in a rectangular wave guide is examined. The wave attenuation is calculated as a function of the conductivity and thickness of the semiconductor. It is shown that the use of semiconductor-dielectric structures makes it possible to increase the range of attenuation variation with modulation of semiconductor conductivity.Saratov State University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 35, No. 8, pp. 712–724, August, 1992.     

Modeling fixed and fluidized reactors for cassava starch saccharification with immobilized enzyme

Cassava starch saccharification in fixed-and fluidized-bed reactors using immobilized enzyme was modeled in a previous paper using a simple model in which all dextrins were grouped in a single substrate. In that case, although good fit of the model to experimental data was obtained, physical inconsistency appeared as negative kinetic constants. In this work, a multisubstrate model, developed earlier for saccharification with free enzyme, is adapted for immobilized enzyme. This latter model takes into account the formation of intermediate substrates, which are dextrins competing for the catalytic site of the enzyme, reversibility of some reactions, inhibition by substrate and product, and the formation of isomaltose. Kinetic parameters to be used with this model were obtained from initial velocity saccharification tests using the immobilized enzyme and different liquefied starch concentrations. The new model was found to be valid for modeling both fixed- and fluidized-bed reactors. It did not present inconsistencies as the earlier one had and has shown that apparent glucose inhibition is about seven times higher in the fixed-bed than in fluidized-bed reactor.

     

Stability of immobilized amyloglucosidase in the process of cassava starch saccharification

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology - The half-life of immobilized amyloglucosidase was determined in a fluidized-bed reactor operating continuously with a 30% w/v liquefied cassava starch...     

β-Cyclodextrin production by simultaneous fermentation and cyclization

Production of β-cyclodextrin (CD) with high-dextrose equivalent (DE) starch hydrolysates by simultaneous fermentation and cyclization (SFC) gives higher yields than using only the enzyme CGTase, because fermentation eliminates glucose and maltose that inhibit CD production, while at the same time, produces ethanol that increases yield. A 10% (w/v) solution of cassava starch, liquefied with α-amylase, was incubated with CGTase using: only the enzyme, added ethanol (from 1 to 5%), and added yeast,S. cerevisiae (12% w/v), plus nutrients, the latter being the SFC process. Reaction conditions were: 38αC, pH 6.0, DE from 2 to 25, and 3.3 mL of CGTase/L. The yield of β-CD has decreased with an increase in DE, and maximum reaction yields were found for DE equal to 3.54, reaching 5.6, 14.7, and 11.5 mM β-CD, respectively. For an increase of DE, of approx 6 times (from 3.54 to 23.79), β-CD yield decreased 6 times for the first, and second reaction media with 3% (v/v) ethanol, and only approx 3 times for SFC (from 11.5 to 3.73 mM), showing that this process is less sensitive to variations in the DE     

Response of axisymmetric separated flow to its spatially localized perturbation

The flow past an axisymmetric body with laminar boundary-layer separation in a low-velocity air stream has been studied. The hot-wire technique was employed to identify the variation of velocity field induced by a local stationary perturbation of separation region at the stern of the experimental model. A large-scale influence upon the near-wall flow due to a cylinder roughness element provided on the model surface was observed. The obtained data substantiate the possibility of controlling the laminar boundary-layer separation on an axisymmetric body using a local external forcing.