Effects of lignin on indigo-reducing activity and indigo particle size in indigo dye suspensions.

Microbial indigo reduction is a key reaction in indigo dyeing; however, the mechanism of the interaction with indigo remains unclear. We hypothesized that lignin is a candidate substance that supports this interaction. The addition of lignin effectively enhanced the indigo reduction.

Pressurized microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment with various salts for efficient production of monosaccharides from rice straw.

This study proposed a two-stage pressurized microwave hydrothermal treatment with a catalyst, followed by enzymatic saccharification, as a pretreatment method for efficiently converting cellulose and hemicellulose from rice straw into glucose and xylose. The use of various inorganic salts and dilute sulfuric acid as catalysts enhances sugar production. Using 1 wt% sulfuric acid as a catalyst at 150 °C for 5 min for the first-stage and then 180 °C for 5 min for the second-stage yielded the highest sugar production from rice straw compared with other inorganic salts tested.

Effect of hydrothermal treatment on organic matter degradation, phytotoxicity, and microbial communities in model food waste composting.

Hydrothermal treatment (HTT) as a pretreatment method for compost raw material has multiple benefits such as enhanced solubility of organic material, improved bioaugmentation, and reduced biohazard by killing harmful microorganisms. In this study, we pretreated food waste via HTT at 180 °C for 30 min to investigate its effect on food waste composting. HTT generated 8.

Structure-Activity Relationships of UTX-121 Derivatives for the Development of Novel Matrix Metalloproteinase-2/9 Inhibitors.

Celecoxib, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been reported to have antitumor and antimetastatic activities, and it has potential for application in cancer treatments. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/9 is strongly correlated with cancer malignancy, and inhibition of these MMPs is believed to be effective in improving the antitumor and antimetastatic effects of drugs. We have previously revealed that UTX-121, which converted the sulfonamide of celecoxib to methyl ester, has more potent MMP-2/9 inhibitory activity than celecoxib.

Erratum: TGF-β1 facilitates MT1-MMP-mediated proMMP-9 activation and invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (BBREP_101072).

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.

TGF-β1 facilitates MT1-MMP-mediated proMMP-9 activation and invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, also known as gelatinases or type IV collagenases, are recognized as major contributors to the proteolytic degradation of extracellular matrix during tumor invasion. Latent MMP-2 (proMMP-2) is activated by membrane type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP) on the cell surface of tumor cells. We previously reported that cell-bound proMMP-9 is activated by the MT1-MMP/MMP-2 axis in HT1080 cells treated with concanavalin A in the presence of exogenous proMMP-2.

Production of spiculisporic acid by Talaromyces trachyspermus in fed-batch bioreactor culture.

Spiculisporic acid (SA) is a fatty acid-type biosurfactant with one lactone ring and two carboxyl groups. It has been used in metal removers and cosmetics, because of its low propensity to cause irritation to the skin, its anti-bacterial properties, and high surface activity. In the present study, we report an effective method for producing SA by selecting a high-producing strain and investigating the effective medium components, conditions, and environments for its culture.

Cellulose-binding activity of a 21-kDa endo-ß-1,4-glucanase lacking cellulose-binding domain and its synergy with other cellulases in the digestive fluid of Aplysia kurodai.

Endo-ß-1,4-glucanase AkEG21 belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 45 (GHF45) is the most abundant cellulase in the digestive fluid of sea hare (Aplysia kurodai). The specific activity of this 21-kDa enzyme is considerably lower than those of other endo ß-1,4-glucanases in the digestive fluid of A. kurodai, therefore its role in whole cellulose hydrolysis by sea hare is still uncertain.

Production of cellulose nanofibers from Aspen and Bode chopsticks using a high temperature and high pressure steam treatment combined with milling.

Holocellulose was generated from Aspen and Bode chopsticks by high temperature, high pressure steam treatment combined with milling. The steam treatment conditions were increased, the holocellulose component ratio in the treated sample as well as its molecular weight decreased. The treated holocellulose was subjected to grinder treatment to obtain cellulose nanofibers (CNF).

Chemical characteristics and enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass treated using high-temperature saturated steam: comparison of softwood and hardwood.

This study investigated the effect of high-temperature saturated steam treatments on the chemical characteristics and enzymatic saccharification of softwood and hardwood. The weight loss and chemical modification of cedar and beech wood pieces treated at 25, 35, and 45 atm for 5 min were determined. Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction analyses indicated that solubilization and removal of hemicellulose and lignin occurred by the steam treatment.

Epoxy resin synthesis using low molecular weight lignin separated from various lignocellulosic materials.

A low molecular weight lignin from various lignocellulosic materials was used for the synthesis of bio-based epoxy resins. The lignin extracted with methanol from steam-exploded samples (steaming time of 5 min at steam pressure of 3.5 MPa) from different biomasses (i.

Conversion of steam-exploded cedar into ethanol using simultaneous saccharification, fermentation and detoxification process.

In this study, we investigated the simultaneous saccharification, fermentation and detoxification SSDF process of steam-exploded cedar using a detoxification microorganism, Ureibacillus thermosphaericus A1, to facilitate efficient ethanol production. Steam explosion was applied as a pretreatment before enzymatic saccharification followed by alcohol fermentation. The highest glucose conversion rate was observed in the sample pretreated with a steam pressure of 45atm for 5min.

Steam explosion treatment for ethanol production from branches pruned from pear trees by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation.

This study investigated the production of ethanol from unutilized branches pruned from pear trees by steam explosion pretreatment. Steam pressures of 25, 35, and 45 atm were applied for 5 min, followed by enzymatic saccharification of the extracted residues with cellulase (Cellic CTec2). High glucose recoveries, of 93.

Extraction of arbutin and its comparative content in branches, leaves, stems, and fruits of Japanese pear Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Kousui.

Arbutin is a tyrosinase inhibitor and is extensively used as a human skin-whitening agent. This study investigated the optimum conditions for extracting arbutin by ultrasonic homogenization from discarded branches pruned from Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia cv. Kousui) trees.

Direct hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose using ultra-high temperature and pressure steam explosion.

Hydrolysis of two cellulosic materials, i.e. microcrystalline cellulose powder (MC) and cuprammonium rayon fiber (BEMCOT), to glucose was carried out by steam explosion treatment with ultra-high temperature and pressure steam aiming at an effective usage of unutilized cellulosic materials.

Characterization of the steam-exploded spent Shiitake mushroom medium and its efficient conversion to ethanol.

Spent Shiitake mushroom medium was subjected to steam explosion followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) using Meicelase and Saccahromyces cerevisiae AM12. Water extraction of the medium exposed to steam at 20 atm for 5 min enhanced the saccharification rate by about 20% compared to steam-exploded medium before water extraction and resulted in the production of 23.8 g/l ethanol from a substrate concentration of 100g/l.

Methane production from steam-exploded bamboo.

To convert unutilized plant biomass into a useful energy source, methane production from bamboo was investigated using a steam explosion pretreatment. Methane could not be produced from raw bamboo but methane production was enhanced by steam explosion. The maximum amount of methane produced, i.