Physical, functional and structural characterization of the cell wall fractions from baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The yeast cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important source of β-d-glucan, a glucose homopolymer with many functional, nutritional and human health benefits. In the present study, the yeast cell wall fractionation process involving enzymatic treatments (savinase and lipolase enzymes) affected most of the physical and functional characteristics of extracted fractions. Thus, the fractionation process showed that β-d-glucan fraction F4 had significantly higher swelling power and fat binding capacity compared to other fractions (F1, F2 and F3).

Structural Characterization, Technological Functionality, and Physiological Aspects of Fungal β-D-glucans: A Review.

β-D-glucans are a (1→3)-linked glucose polymer with (1→6)-linked side chains and a major component of fungal cell walls. They exhibit structural integrity to the fungal cell wall. In addition, β-glucans are widely used as food adjuvant in food and pharmaceutical industries because of their physico-chemical properties.

Enzymatic process for the fractionation of baker's yeast cell wall (Saccharomyces cerevisiae).

β-Glucans, homopolymers of glucose, are widespread in many microorganisms, mushrooms and plants. They have attracted attention because of their bioactive and medicinal functions. One important source of β-glucans is the cell wall of yeasts, especially that of baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Water soluble exo-polysaccharide from Syncephalastrum racemosum, a strong inducer of plant defence reactions.

This study examines the production, characterization and bioactivity on plant cell cultured in vitro of exopolysaccharides (EPS) from Syncephalastrum racemosum CBS 443.59. Firstly, the influence of the fungus culture condition in shake flasks (pH, temperature and different carbon and nitrogen sources) on EPS and biomass production was evaluated.

Comparative biochemical analysis during the anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass from six morphological parts of Williams Cavendish banana (Triploid Musa AAA group) plants.

We studied banana lignocellulosic biomass (BALICEBIOM) that is abandoned after fruit harvesting, and assessed its biochemical methane potential, because of its potential as an energy source. We monitored biogas production from six morphological parts (MPs) of the "Williams Cavendish" banana cultivar using a modified operating procedure (KOP) using KOH. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) production was measured using high performance liquid chromatography.

Effect of new synthetic PEGylated ferulic acids in comparison with ferulic acid and commercial surfactants on the properties of wheat flour dough and bread.

Background: Ferulic acid esterified with poly(ethylene glycol) with three different average molecular weights (200, 400 and 1000 g mol(-1)) was studied in bread-making. The effects of these antioxidants on the properties of wheat flour dough and bread were analysed and compared with those obtained with ferulic acid and two commercial surfactants, the diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides and sodium stearoyl lactylate. Farinographic and alveographic methods as well as weight, volume and bread firmness measurements were used for this purpose.

Influence of homogenization treatment on physicochemical properties and enzymatic hydrolysis rate of pure cellulose fibers.

The aim of this study is to compare the effect of different homogenization treatments on the physicochemical properties and the hydrolysis rate of a pure bleached cellulose. Results obtained show that homogenization treatments improve the enzymatic hydrolysis rate of the cellulose fibers by 25 to 100 %, depending of the homogenization treatment applied. Characterization of the samples showed also that homogenization had an impact on some physicochemical properties of the cellulose.

Evaluation of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for second-generation lignin analysis.

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry is evaluated as an elucidation tool for structural features and molecular weights estimation of some extracted herbaceous lignins. Optimization of analysis conditions, using a typical organic matrix, namely α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA), in combination with α-cyclodextrin, allows efficient ionization of poorly soluble lignin materials and suppression of matrix-related ions background. Analysis of low-mass fragments ions (m/z 100-600) in the positive ion mode offers a "fingerprint" of starting lignins that could be a fine strategy to qualitatively identify principal inter-unit linkages between phenylpropanoid units.

Influence of steam explosion on physicochemical properties and hydrolysis rate of pure cellulose fibers.

The aim of this study is to compare the effect of different steam explosion treatments on the physicochemical properties and the hydrolysis rate of a pure bleached cellulose. The results showed that moderate steam explosion treatments (severity factor below 5.2) did not appear to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis rate of the cellulose fibers.

Synthesis of microsphere-loaded porous polymers by combining emulsion and dispersion polymerisations in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Highly porous materials were produced by acrylamide polymerisation templated by supercritical CO(2)-in-water emulsions using new fluorinated glycosurfactants. Properties of the resulting polymer scaffolds were tuned by performing dispersion polymerisations within their cavities filled with supercritical CO(2).

(Trans)esterification of mannose catalyzed by lipase B from Candida antarctica in an improved reaction medium using co-solvents and molecular sieve.

Four co-solvents (dimethylformamide [DMF], formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO], and pyridine) were tested with tert-butanol (tBut) to optimize the initial rate (v₀) and yield of mannosyl myristate synthesis by esterification catalyzed by immobilized lipase B from Candida antarctica. Ten percent by volume of DMSO resulted in the best improvement of v₀ and 48-hr yield (respectively 115% and 13% relative gain compared to pure tBut). Use of molecular sieve (5% w/v) enhances the 48-hr yield (55% in tBut/DMSO [9:1, v/v]).

Liquid crystalline phases induced by the hydroxyl group stereochemistry of amphiphilic carbohydrate bicatenary derivatives.

Liquid crystals (LCs) may exist in different phases depending upon the orientational and positional orders of molecules in the material. Here, we demonstrate that the class of LC state induced by amphiphilic carbohydrate bicatenary derivatives is strictly hydroxyl group stereochemistry-dependent. This statement results from the experimental and theoretical investigations of surface film (2D) and bulk solid (3D) thermal behavior of synthetic stereoisomers n-tetradecyl (α-D-n-tetradecyl) galacto- and gluco-pyranosiduronate, with an axial (GalA-C(14/14)) or equatorial (GlcA-C(14/14)) hydroxyl group at the fourth carbon, respectively.

Effect of physicochemical characteristics of cellulosic substrates on enzymatic hydrolysis by means of a multi-stage process for cellobiose production.

The effect of two types of cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose and paper pulp, on enzymatic hydrolysis for cellobiose production was investigated. The particle size, the relative crystallinity index and the water retention value were determined for both celluloses. A previously studied multistage hydrolysis process that proved to enhance the cellobiose production was studied with both types of celluloses.

Interaction of hexadecylbetainate chloride with biological relevant lipids.

The present work investigates the interaction of hexadecylbetainate chloride (C(16)BC), a glycine betaine-based ester with palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC), sphingomyelin (SM), and cholesterol (CHOL), three biological relevant lipids present in the outer leaflet of the mammalian plasma membrane. The binding affinity and the mixing behavior between the lipids and C(16)BC are discussed based on experimental (isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and Langmuir film balance) and molecular modeling studies. The results show that the interaction between C(16)BC and each lipid is thermodynamically favorable and does not affect the integrity of the lipid vesicles.

Lipase catalysis and thiol-Michael addition: a relevant association for the synthesis of new surface-active carbohydrate esters.

A novel class of surface-active carbohydrate esters is prepared by a two-step strategy that takes advantage of the selectivity of enzymatic catalysis and the versatility of the thiol-Michael addition reaction. The surfactant performance of the produced aliphatic, fluorinated and silicon based sugar esters are evaluated by surface tension measurements. The novel thiolated mannose, made available in this work, appears as a powerful building block for the incorporation of unprotected sugar moieties into complex molecules.

Monolayer properties of uronic acid bicatenary derivatives at the air-water interface: effect of hydroxyl group stereochemistry evidenced by experimental and computational approaches.

By screening uronic acid-based surfactant interfacial properties, the effect of the hydroxyl group stereochemistry (OH-4) on the conformation of bicatenary (disubstituted) derivatives at the air-water interface has been evidenced by experimental and computational approaches. Physical and optical properties of a monolayer characterized by Langmuir film balance, Brewster angle microscopy, and ellipsometry at 20 °C reveal that the derivative of glucuronate (C(14/14)-GlcA) forms a more expanded monolayer, and shows a transition state under compression, in the opposite to that of galacturonate (C(14/14)-GalA). Both films are very mechanically resistant (compression modulus > 300 mN m(-1)) and stable (collapse pressure exceeding 60 mN m(-1)), while that of C(14/14)-GalA exhibits a very high compression modulus up to 600 mN m(-1) like films in the solid state.

Penetration behaviour of alkylbetainate chlorides into lipid monolayers.

In this paper, the penetration behaviour of the alkylbetainate chloride surfactants (C(n)BC, n=10-16) into lipid monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylserine (DPPS), dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid (DPPA), dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE), palmitoyoleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) and cholesterol (CHOL) is investigated using the Langmuir trough technique. The penetration of C(n)BC is followed by measurement of the surface pressure increase (Δπ) at a constant surface area after the injection of C(n)BC into the aqueous phase, underneath the lipid monolayer previously spread at the air-water interface at 25°C and at different initial surface pressures (π(i)). The influence of both the lipid head group and the surfactant hydrocarbon chain length on the effectiveness of C(n)BC penetration into these monolayers is discussed.

Will isomalto-oligosaccharides, a well-established functional food in Asia, break through the European and American market? The status of knowledge on these prebiotics.

This critical review article presents the current state of knowledge on isomalto-oligosaccharides, some well known functional oligosaccharides in Asia, to evaluate their potential as emergent prebiotics in the American and European functional food market. It includes first a unique inventory of the different families of compounds which have been considered as IMOs and their specific structure. A description has been given of the different production methods including the involved enzymes and their specific activities, the substrates, and the types of IMOs produced.

Ripening influences banana and plantain peels composition and energy content.

Musa sp. peels are widely used by smallholders as complementary feeds for cattle in the tropics. A study of the influence of the variety and the maturation stage of the fruit on fermentability and metabolisable energy (ME) content of the peels was performed using banana (Yangambi Km5) and plantain (Big Ebanga) peels at three stages of maturation in an in vitro model of the rumen.

A multistage process to enhance cellobiose production from cellulosic materials.

Cellobiose, a disaccharide, is a valuable product that can be obtained from cellulose hydrolysis. In this study, a simple methodology is presented to enhance the production and improve the selectivity of cellobiose during enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. The approach consisted of a multistage removal of filtrate via vacuum filtration and resuspension of the retentate.

Enzymatic interesterification of anhydrous milk fat with rapeseed and/or linseed oil: oxidative stability.

Blends of anhydrous milk fat (AMF) and linseed oil (70:30) and of AMF, rapeseed oil (RO), and linseed oil (LO) (70:20:10) were submitted to enzymatic interesterification. The oxidative stabilities of the blends, the interesterified (IE) blends, and IE blends with 50 ppm of alpha-tocopherol added as antioxidant were studied. Samples were stored in open flasks at 60, 25, and 4 degrees C and periodically submitted to peroxide, p-anisidine, and TBA value determinations and UV measurement at 232 and 268 nm.

Study of Thermomyces lanuginosa lipase in the presence of tributyrylglycerol and water.

The Thermomyces lanuginosa lipase has been extensively studied in industrial and biotechnological research because of its potential for triacylglycerol transformation. This protein is known to catalyze both hydrolysis at high water contents and transesterification in quasi-anhydrous conditions. Here, we investigated the Thermomyces lanuginosa lipase structure in solution in the presence of a tributyrin aggregate using 30 ns molecular-dynamics simulations.