Biochemical Engineering Journal 

About: Biochemical Engineering Journal is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Fermentation & Chemistry. It has an ISSN identifier of 1369-703X. Over the lifetime, 5222 publications have been published receiving 175375 citations. The journal is also known as: BEJ.

Acylated anthocyanins from edible sources and their applications in food systems

Abstract: There is considerable demand for food colorants from natural sources that can serve as alternatives to the use of synthetic dyes due to both legislative action and consumer concerns over the use of synthetic additives. Interest in anthocyanin-rich foods and extracts has intensified because of their possible health benefits. Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants and may be chemoprotective. Optimizing health and performance through the diet is believed to be one of the largest and most lucrative markets in the US, and throughout the world. Findings of acylated anthocyanins with increased stability have shown that these pigments may impart desirable color and stability for commercial food products. Examples of suitable acylated anthocyanin sources may be radishes, red potatoes, red cabbage, black carrots, and purple sweet potatoes. Among these, radishes and red potatoes stand out as potential alternatives for the use of FD&C Red No. 40 (allura red). Maraschino cherries with bright attractive and stable red color were obtained with radish extract. Radish and potato extracts imparted color characteristics to model juices extremely close to those of allura red. Other potential applications for acylated anthocyanins may include other challenging systems such as dairy products. The increased stability of these pigments together with their added value due to potential beneficial effects opens a new window of opportunities for use of these extracts in a variety of food applications.

Recent advances in solid-state fermentation.

Abstract: Solid-state fermentation (SSF) has built up credibility in recent years in biotech industries due to its potential applications in the production of biologically active secondary metabolites, apart from feed, fuel, food, industrial chemicals and pharmaceutical products and has emerged as an attractive alternative to submerged fermentation Bioremediation, bioleaching, biopulping, biobeneficiation, etc are the major applications of SSF in bioprocesses which have set another milestone Utilization of agro-industrial residues as substrates in SSF processes provides an alternative avenue and value-addition to these otherwise under- or non-utilized residues Innovation is the key to success and it is imperative to be up-to-date with the changing demands of the industries and meet their needs for better product and services Better understanding of biochemical engineering aspects, particularly on mathematical modeling and design of bioreactors (fermenters) has made it possible to scale-up SSF processes and some designs have been developed for commercialization, making the technology economically feasible In future, SSF technology would be well developed at par with SmF if rationalization and standardization continues in current trend This review describes the state-of-art scenario in totality on SSF although the focus is on the most recent developments of last 5 years or so on SSF processes and products developments

Bacterial adhesion: From mechanism to control

Abstract: Bacterial adhesion is the initial step in colonization and biofilm formation. Biofilms can, on the one hand, be detrimental to both human life and industrial processes, for example, causing infection, pathogen contamination, and slime formation, while on the other hand, be beneficial in environmental technologies and bioprocesses. For control and utilization of bacterial adhesion and biofilms, adhesion mechanisms must be elucidated. Conventional physicochemical approaches based on Lifshitz-van der Waals, electrostatic and acid–base interactions provide important models of bacterial adhesion but have a limited capacity to provide a complete understanding of the complex adhesion process of real bacterial cells. In conventional approaches, bacterial cells, whose surfaces are structurally and chemically heterogeneous, are often described from the viewpoint of their overall cellular properties. Cell appendages such as polysaccharide chains and proteinous nanofibers have an important function bridging between cells and the substratum in conventional adhesion models, but sometimes cause deviation from the models of cell adhesion. In reality, cell appendages are responsible for specific and nonspecific cell adhesion to biotic and abiotic surfaces. This paper reviews conventional physicochemical models and cell appendage-mediated cell adhesion. State-of-the-art technologies for controlling microbial adhesion and biofilm formation are also described. These technologies are based on the adhesion mechanisms.

Antagonistic fungi, trichoderma spp.: panoply of biological control

Abstract: Trichoderma spp. have been widely used as antagonistic fungal agents against several pests as well as plant growth enhancers. Faster metabolic rates, anti-microbial metabolites, and physiological conformation are key factors which chiefly contribute to antagonism of these fungi. Mycoparasitism, spatial and nutrient competition, antibiosis by enzymes and secondary metabolites, and induction of plant defence system are typical biocontrol actions of these fungi. On the other hand, Trichoderma spp. have also been used in a wide range of commercial enzyme productions, namely, cellulases, hemicellulases, proteases, and β-1,3-glucanase. Information on the classification of the genus, Trichoderma, mechanisms of antagonism and role in plant growth promotion has been well documented. However, fast paced current research in this field should be carefully updated for the fool-proof commercialization of the fungi. The aim of this review is to sum up the BCA activity potential of these fungi and to shed light on commercial production processes. In this regard, this review focuses on Trichoderma spp. discussing different aspects—pest control, growth promotion, bioremediation, production processes and market values. Nevertheless, more research and review of the information regarding these biocontrol agents are needed to exploit their actual potential, which is the salient objective of this review.

Current developments in solid-state fermentation

Abstract: Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a three-phase heterogeneous process, comprising solid, liquid and gaseous phases, which offers potential benefits for the microbial cultivation for bioprocesses and products development. Over the last two decades, SSF has gained significant attention for the development of industrial bioprocesses, particularly due to lower energy requirement associated with higher product yields and less wastewater production with lesser risk of bacterial contamination. In addition, it is eco-friendly, as mostly utilizes solid agro-industrial wastes (resides) as the substrate (source of carbon). This article aims to present and analyze the current development on SSF taken place mainly during the last five years, linking the developments with earlier two papers published in this journal in 2003 (Pandey, 2003 [1] ) and in 2009 (Singhania et al., 2009 [2] ). The article reviews the current state-of-art scenario and perspectives on the development of bioprocesses and products in SSF and also discusses microbes employed in these processes, the types of bioreactors used for these and also presents the modeling and kinetics aspects.