Selection of thermotolerant yeasts for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of cellulose to ethanol

A total of 27 yeast strains belonging to the groupsCandida, Saccharomyces, andKluyveromyces were screened for their ability to grow and ferment glucose at temperatures ranging 32-45°C. K. marxianus andK. fragilis were found to be the best ethanol producing organisms at the higher temperature tested and, so, were selected for subsequent simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) studies.     

Physicochemical Differences in Dehydrated Saccharomyces Boulardii Yeast as a Function of the Dehydration Process

Measurements of the masses of incorporated water and of the heats of hydration have been performed at 310 K, under air atmosphere saturated with water vapour, on three differently dehydrated samples of the Saccharomyces boulardii yeast in order to evaluate differences in physicochemical properties related to the following dehydration processes: cryodesiccation (or lyophilization) and thermodesiccation (spray drying and in-fluidized-bed heating).Thermogravimetric (TG) experiments have shown that the lyophilized yeast contains less residual water than heat-treated yeasts and that it incorporates more water and more rapidly. Isothermal water sorption of a spherical yeast cell has been represented by a two-parameter equation able to take account of a maximum of the hydration rate when this is taken as a function of time. On the other hand, isothermal DSC experiments have shown that hydration-heat values are higher for the heat-treated yeasts than for the lyophilized one. The TG and DSC results have been shown to be consistent with the idea that the physicochemical properties of a dehydrated yeast are related to cell-wall behaviour during desiccation.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Use of Microwave Maceration in Red Winemaking: Effect on Fermentation and Chemical Composition of Red Wines

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of microwave treatment of crushed grapes on the yeast population of the must and on the development of alcoholic fermentation, as well as on the extraction of different compounds from the grapes such as polysaccharides and amino acids that can affect the organoleptic quality and stability of the wine. This study demonstrated for the first time the effect of the microwave treatment of grapes on native yeast species and their diversity, producing an increase in fermentation kinetics and a decrease in the lag phase. The microwave treatment produced a positive effect on the extraction of amino acids and polysaccharides from the grapes, resulting in significantly higher amounts of the main amino acids of the must and some major volatile compounds in the treated samples. The polysaccharides most affected by the microwave treatment were the PRAGs, the main polysaccharides liberated from grapes during the maceration.     

Präparative Darstellung von hochangereichertem 15N-markiertem Hefeprotein

A method of biological preparation of highly-enriched yeast protein labelled ¹⁵N is described. The special relevance of such completely labelled proteins results from their importance for tracer-kinetic investigations of metabolism.     

Antifungal activity of mango peel and seed extracts against clinically pathogenic and food spoilage yeasts

The antioxidant and antifungal (antiyeast) properties of mango (Mangifera indica) peel and seed by-products were investigated. Nine extracts were obtained using three cultivars and two extraction methods. Significant differences between cultivars and extraction methods were detected in their bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. The antifungal property was determined using agar diffusion and broth micro-dilution assays against 18 yeast species of the genera Candida, Dekkera, Hanseniaspora, Lodderomyces, Metschnikowia, Pichia, Schizosaccharomyces, Saccharomycodes and Zygosaccharomyces. All mango extracts showed antifungal activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values were lower for seed than for peel extracts. MICs and MFCs ranged from values <0.1 to 5 and 5 to >30 mgGAE/mL, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed a relationship between antifungal activity, the capacity to inhibit lipid peroxidation and total phenol content. These properties were associated with high levels of proanthocyanidins, gallates and gallotannins in the extracts.     

Purification and Characterization of Extracellular Inulinase from a Marine Yeast <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptococcus aureus</Emphasis> G7a and Inulin Hydrolysis by the Purified Inulinase

The extracellular inulinase in the supernatant of the cell culture of the marine yeast Cryptococcus aureus G7a was purified to homogeneity with a 7.2-fold increase in specific inulinase activity compared to that in the supernatant by ultrafiltration, concentration, gel filtration chromatography (Sephadex™ G-75), and anion exchange chromatography (DEAE sepharose fast flow anion exchange). The molecular mass of the purified enzyme was estimated to be 60.0 kDa. The optimal pH and temperature of the purified enzyme were 5.0 and 50 °C, respectively. The enzyme was activated by Ca²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, Fe²⁺, and Zn²⁺. However, Mg²⁺, Hg²⁺, and Ag⁺ acted as inhibitors in decreasing the activity of the purified inulinase. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride (PMSF), iodoacetic acid, EDTA, and 1,10-phenanthroline. The K _m and V _max values of the purified enzyme for inulin were 20.06 mg/ml and 0.0085 mg/min, respectively. A large amount of monosaccharides were detected after the hydrolysis of inulin with the purified inulinase, indicating the purified inulinase had a high exoinulinase activity.     

Phytase Production by a Marine Yeast <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kodamea ohmeri</Emphasis> BG3

The marine yeast strain Kodamea ohmeri BG3 isolated from the gut of a marine fish (Hexagrammes otakii) was found to secrete a large amount of phytase into the medium. The crude phytase produced by this marine yeast showed the highest activity at pH 5.0 and 65 °C. The optimal medium for phytase production contained oat 10.0 g/l, ammonium sulfate 15.0 g/l, glucose 30 g/l, and NaCl 20.0 g/l, while the optimal cultivation conditions for phytase production were pH 5.0, a temperature of 28 °C, and a shaking speed of 170 rpm. Under the optimal conditions, over 557.9 mU/ml of phytase activity was produced within 72 h of fermentation at the shake flask level. This is a very high level of phytase activity produced by yeasts. We think that the medium and process for phytase production by the marine yeast strain were very simple, and such marine yeast from the gut of natural marine fish may have a potential application in the maricultural industry and marine environmental protection. The results demonstrate that phytate was actively degraded by the crude phytase within a short period.     

Electrodes Potentiometriques Et Amperometriques a Levures Permeabilisees: Determination Du L-Lactate

Abstract

A biosensor using permeabilized yeasts (Hansenula anomala) is described for the determination of L-lactate. The same electrode can be used either potentiometrically or amperometrically. The linear ranges are respectively of 4.10^?5M to 2.10^?3M for potentiometry and 8.10^?7M to 3.10^?3M for amperometry with a reproducibility and a precision of ± 2 to 3%. The parameters involved in the optimization of electrode response, such as pH, temperature, cofactor concentration and ionic strength of the buffers, are discussed in details for both types of measurements. The amperometric technique is suitable for lactate determinations in biological media. In this case, differential measurements are used in order to eliminate interferences of biological redox reactions.     

Microbial inactivation in cloudy apple juice by multi-frequency Dynashock power ultrasound

The study determined the efficacy of Dynashock wave power ultrasound as an alternative processing technique for apple juice against a number of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms. The effects of several implicit, intrinsic and extrinsic properties on the Dynashock wave inactivation of the microorganisms were also investigated. Results showed that acid adaptation increased the resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. but decreased that of Listeria monocytogenes. Spoilage yeast mixed inoculum composed of Debaryomyces hansenii, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Clavispora lusitaniae, Pichia fermentans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to be more resistant than any of the adapted or non-adapted pathogens. Among the individual, acid-adapted E. coli O157:H7, the MN-28 isolate was found most resistant; while three other individual isolates had greater resistance than the composited E. coli inoculum. Increased in pulp content decreased the efficacy of Dynashock waves, but co-treatment with ultraviolet-C rays significantly enhanced inactivation in the cloudy apple juice. The results demonstrated the potential of Dynashock wave technology, together with other antimicrobial hurdles as alternative juice processing technique/s.