Micro and macroalgal biomass: A renewable source for bioethanol

Protein–polymer conjugates are widely used as therapeutics. All Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved protein conjugates are covalently linked to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). These PEGylated drugs have longer half-lives in the bloodstream, leading to less frequent dosing, which is a significant advantage for patients. However, there are some potential drawbacks to PEG that are driving the development of alternatives. Polymers that display enhanced pharmacokinetic properties along with additional advantages such as improved stability or degradability will be important to advance the field of protein therapeutics. This perspective presents a summary of protein–PEG conjugates for therapeutic use and alternative technologies in various stages of development as well as suggestions for future directions. Established methods of producing protein–PEG conjugates and new approaches utilizing controlled radical polymerization are also covered.

Therapeutic protein-polymer conjugates: advancing beyond PEGylation.

Quantification of Thiols and Disulfides

Microalgal oil is a potential energy source because it can be easily converted to fatty acid methyl ester or hydrocarbon type of diesel, and it is produced with relatively higher productivity compared with oil from plants and animals. Heterotrophic growth of microalgae is superior due to its high final product concentration; however, the cost of the raw materials is unacceptable if sugar is utilized as the carbon source. The aim of this study is to optimize the lipid accumulation of Chlorella protothecoides by using carbon sources other than glucose in heterotrophic and mixotrophic cultures. Different factors such as different carbon sources, carbon to nitrogen ratio, initial pH level, salinity, and rotational speed are studied in affecting the cell growth and the oil accumulation. Our experiments revealed that the heterotrophic and mixotrophic cultures of C. protothecoides grew better than autotrophic cultures. C. protothecoides can grow on glycerol or acetate, as well as on glucose. Several stress factors were confirmed or discovered to significantly increase the lipid content of microalgae cells. The replacement of glycerol and acetate as carbon sources for microalgae cultivations provides potential for waste utilization: glycerol from biodiesel industry and acetate from biohydrogen production.

Oil Accumulation via Heterotrophic/Mixotrophic Chlorella protothecoides

Site-specific modification and PEGylation of pharmaceutical proteins mediated by transglutaminase.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the biochemical characteristics of tomato in different maturity stages and ripening conditions. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) fruits (cv. Ruma VF) were harvested at the three maturity stages viz., mature green, half ripen and full ripen and stored at three condition control (without covering), straw covering and CaC2 + straw covering. At that time ascorbic acid, pH, titrable acidity, sugar (reducing, non-reducing sugar and total) percentage, TSS and TSS and acidity ratio were measured at every three days interval during storage. The highest value of reducing sugar percentage total sugar percentage and TSS percentage were shown by full ripe tomatoes, non-reducing sugar percentage, TSS and acidity ratio by mature green tomatoes and vitamin-C and titrable acidity by half ripe tomatoes at final day observation (15 or 12 days of storage). The percentage of total sugar, reducing sugar, titrable acidity, pH, TSS, TSS and acidity ratio were found to increase with gradual advancement of time, irrespective of maturity stages while percentage of vitamin-C and non reducing sugar were found to decrease with progressing time of storage. The highest values of titrable acidity were recorded in tomatoes of uncovered treatment and reducing sugar non reducing sugar, total sugar, and TSS was recorded by CaC2 + straw covering treatment and vitamin C, pH, TSS and acidity ratio by simple straw covering treatment at final day of observation. The value of all the above parameters except vitamin-C and non reducing sugar were found to increase gradually with the advancement of ripening process irrespective of different keeping conditions. The tomato was placed over CaC2 and covering with straw gave highest titrable acidity, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar.

Effect of Stages of Maturity and Ripening Conditions on the Biochemical Characteristics of Tomato

The study was conducted to undertake the effect of harvesting stage and storage conditions on the post harvest quality of tomato cv. Roma VF ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill ) during the process of ripening in storage. Fruit of three maturity stages such as mature green (mature but green in color), half ripen (breaker stage when fruit turns to yellow) and full ripen (yellow and soft, edible stage) were kept under three different conditions; open condition (control), covering with white polythene and finally treatment by CaC 2 + polythene. High and significant variation was observed in quality characteristics under different harvesting stages, storage conditions and their combinations. The highest value for rotting and total sugar content was distinguished in full ripens tomato. The highest weight loss and shelf life was measured in mature green. The half ripen tomato showed the highest value of vitamin C and titrable acidity. The percentage of decay (rotting) and weight loss, pH, titrable acidity and total sugar were increased with gradual increasing of storage time, irrespective to maturity stages while the percentage of vitamin C was decreased with progressing time of storage. The highest value of weight loss, shelf life and titrable acidity was recorded in control treatment. The high decay (rotting percent) and total sugar content was recorded under CaC 2

http://www.cropj.com/Moneeruzaman_3_2_2009.pdf

Effect of harvesting and storage conditions on the post harvest quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) cv. Roma VF

Comparison of the optimum conditions of alkaline-catalyzed transesterification process for biodiesel production from pure sunflower cooking oil (PSCO) and waste sunflower cooking Oil (WSCO) through transesterification process using alkaline catalysts was studied. To obtain a high quality biodiesel fuel that comply the specification of standard methods (ASTM D 6751 & EN 14214), some important variables such as volumetric ratio, types of reactants and catalytic activities were selected. The highest approximately 99.5 biodiesel yield acquired under optimum conditions of 1:6 volumetric oil-to-methanol ratio, 1 KOH catalyst at 40(sic)C reaction temperature and 320 rpm stirring speed. Result showed that the biodiesel production from PSCO and WSCO exhibited no considerable differences. The research demonstrated that biodiesel obtained under optimum conditions from PSCO & WSCO was of good quality and could be used as a diesel fuel which considered as renewable energy and environmental recycling process from waste oil after frying.

Biodiesel production from waste sunflower cooking oil as an environmental recycling process and renewable energy

In the present work, the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic, ethanolic and chloroform crude extract of leaves and barks of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza were investigated. The antioxidant activity of the crude extracts were evaluated using the enzymatic and non enzymatic methods namely superoxide dismutase determination, reducing power assay and 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil free radical scavenging assays. Folin-ciocalteu reagent method was used to estimate the amount of total phenolic compounds of the extracts. Ethanol extract of barks showed the best result in all antioxidant assays which was positively co-related with the total phenolic contents. There was no significant difference between the IC 50 value of ethanol extract of bark and the ascorbic acid. Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus were used as the test pathogenic bacteria in this study. Both ethanol and methanol extracts could inhibit the growth of all pathogenic bacteria while chloroform extract of leaves showed no activity against any bacteria. Antimicrobial effect of ethanol extract of barks was higher than all other extracts.

http://eprints.um.edu.my/10775/1/Total_phenolic_contents%2C_antioxidant_and_antimicrobial_activities_of_Bruguiera_gymnorrhiza.pdf

Total phenolic contents, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza

Biomass and agricultural derived materials have been suggested as alternative energy sources and the use of biodiesel as fuel presently a promising potential that grows rapidly due to its great contribution to the environment and to its role as a strategically source of renewable energy in substitution to diesel oil and other petroleum-based fuels. It is non-toxic, biodegradable and contributes a minimal amount of net greenhouse gases. A study was conducted to produce biodiesel from waste oils to reduce the waste and pollutions. Several important variables such as volumetric ratio, catalyst types and concentration were selected to obtain a high quality biodiesel fuel with the specification of American Standard for Biodiesel Testing Materials (ASTM D 6751) and European Norm (EN 14214). The highest biodiesel yield was obtained (68.5% ) under conditions of 3:1 oil-to-methanol molar ratio, 0.5% NaOH catalyst at 55 C reaction temperature and 250 rpm stirring speed. The results showed that biodiesel production from different oil to methanol molar ratio, catalyst types and concentrations exhibited considerable differences. Biodiesel yield was higher in NaOH than in KOH while used 0.5% as catalyst and the highest yield was obtained having 1% NaOH compared to 0.5 and 1.5% NaOH.. There was little difference in viscosity, acid value and chemical elements (Fe, Mg, Ca, Na, P etc.) at different parameters. The research investigated that biodiesel could be obtained under optimum conditions and catalyst concentrations from completely waste oil which considered as recycled of waste cooking oil.

/pdf/effects-of-catalyst-types-and-concentrations-on-biodiesel-3dzznt9pxt.pdf

Effects of catalyst types and concentrations on biodiesel production from waste soybean oil biomass as renewable energy and environmental recycling process

A. B. M. S. Hossain

Papers

Effect of Stages of Maturity and Ripening Conditions on the Biochemical Characteristics of Tomato

Effect of harvesting and storage conditions on the post harvest quality of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) cv. Roma VF

Biodiesel production from waste sunflower cooking oil as an environmental recycling process and renewable energy

Total phenolic contents, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza

Effects of catalyst types and concentrations on biodiesel production from waste soybean oil biomass as renewable energy and environmental recycling process