Showing papers on "Citric acid published in 2006"

New perspectives for citric acid production and application

Abstract: There is a great worldwide demand for citric acid consumption due to its low toxicity when compared with other acidulants used mainly in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Other applications of citric acid can be found in detergents and cleaning products, cosmetics and toiletries, and other. Global production has now reached 1.4 million tonnes and there is annual growth of 3.5–4.0 % in demand/consumption of citric acid. As a result of the adverse market conditions, only big producers have survived. Any increase in citric acid productivity would be of potential interest and hence there is an obvious need to consider all possible ways in which this might be achieved. The production by submerged fermentation is still dominating. However, solid-state processes can create new possibilities for producers. Many by-products and residues of the agro-industry can be used in the production of citric acid. A cost reduction in citric acid production can be achieved by using less expensive substrates. The use of agro-industrial residues as support in solid-state fermentation is economically important and minimizes environmental problems. Other perspectives for citric acid production sector are the improvement of citric acid producing strains, which have been carried out by mutagenesis and selection.

Organic acids: old metabolites, new themes

Abstract: Fumaric, L-malic and citric acids are intermediates of the oxidative tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle which in eukaryotes is localized in mitochondria. These organic acids are synthesized and accumulated in the medium to very high concentrations by filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus spp. and Rhizopus sp. This article reviews basic research on the unusual acid production capability and the associated metabolic pathways operating under defined stress conditions in these specific fungi. In particular, we describe and discuss the importance of the cytosolic reductive TCA pathway, which includes the cytosolic activities of pyruvate carboxylase, malate dehydrogenase and fumarase, for production of fumaric and L-malic acids. This article also describes the differences between fumaric acid, L-malic acid and citric acid production by different organisms (filamentous fungi, yeast, and higher eukaryotes), and the possible application of novel technologies (genetic engineering and bioinformatics) to fungal systems which may offer new industrial potential of filamentous fungi for the production of valuable metabolites. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry

Citric-acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles for biological applications

Abstract: Water-based magnetic fluids, generally intended for biomedical applications, often have various coating molecules that make them stable and compatible with biological liquids. Magnetic fluids containing iron oxide particles have been prepared by a co-precipitation method, using citric acid as stabilizer. The magnetic particles of the magnetic fluids were obtained by chemical precipitation from ferric ( FeCl3) and ferrous salts ( FeSO4 or FeCl2) in alkali medium (ammonia hydroxide). Citric acid was used to stabilize the magnetic-particle suspension. Physical tests were performed in order to determine various microstructural and rheological features. Transmission electron microscopy was the main investigation method for assessing the magnetic-particle size. The dimensional distribution of the magnetic-particle physical diameter was analyzed using the box-plot statistical method while infrared absorption spectra were used to study the colloidal particle structure. The magnetic-fluid density (picnometric method), viscosity (capillary method) and surface tension (stalagmometric method) were measured using standard methods.

Changes in organic acids and sugars during early stages of development of acidic and acidless citrus fruit.

Abstract: Most of the studies on organic acids and sugars in citrus were performed during fruit maturation, and less is known before this stage of development The aim of our study was to investigate acids and sugars in lemon, lime, and orange from fruit-set toward development We chose to compare organic acid and sugar accumulation among acidic and acidless varieties within three species We estimated the acidity by titrimetry and quantified the concentrations of seven organic acids and three sugars by reverse HPLC During the first 50 days of development, quinic acid was the major organic acid whatever the variety Afterward, citric acid predominated in acidic varieties, while in acidless, malic acid exceeded it Fructose substituted citric acid in acidless and could be synthesized either from citric acid or directly from glucose Our results provided the first complete report on sugar and organic acid accumulation during the early stages of fruit development in several citrus varieties

Global analysis of gene expression during development and ripening of citrus fruit flesh. A proposed mechanism for citric Acid utilization.

Abstract: Microarrays of cDNA have been used to examine expression changes of 7000 genes during development and ripening of the fruit flesh of self-incompatible Citrus clementina, a non-climateric species. The data indicated that 2243 putative unigenes showed significant expression changes. Functional classification revealed that genes encoding for regulatory proteins were significantly overrepresented in the up-regulated gene clusters. The transcriptomic study together with the analyses of selected metabolites highlighted key physiological processes occurring during citrus fruit development and ripening such as water accumulation, carbohydrate build-up, acid reduction, pigment substitutions (carotenoid accumulation and chlorophyll decreases) and ascorbic acid diminution. Often, the combined analyses strongly suggested prevalence of specific metabolic alternatives. This observation has been exemplified with the proposal for a mechanism for citrate utilization, a process of much importance in citrus industry. Microarray data validated by real-time RT-PCR suggested that citrate was sequentially metabolyzed to isocitrate, 2-oxoglutarate and glutamate. Thereafter, glutamate was both utilized for glutamine production and catabolyzed through the gamma-aminobutirate (GABA) shunt (GABA → succinate semialdehyde → succinate). This last observation appears to be of special relevance since it links the proton consuming reaction glutamate + H+→ GABA + CO2 with high acid levels. GG-MS determinations showed that glutamate was constant while GABA levels decreased at ripening in agreement with a feasible activation of the GABA shunt during acid catabolism. This suggestion provides a convincing explanation for the strong reduction of both citrate and cytoplasmatic acidity that takes place in citrus fruit flesh during development and ripening.

Effects of the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici and of the biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365 on the composition of organic acids and sugars in tomato root exudate.

Abstract: The effects of the pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici and of the bacterial biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS365, and of both microbes, on the amounts and composition of root exudate components of tomato plants grown in a gnotobiotic stonewool substrate system were studied. Conditions were selected under which introduction of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici caused severe foot and root rot, whereas inoculation of the seed with P. fluorescens WCS365 decreased the percentage of diseased plants from 96 to 7%. This is a much better disease control level than was observed in potting soil. Analysis of root exudate revealed that the presence of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici did not alter the total amount of organic acids, but that the amount of citric acid decreased and that of succinic acid increased compared with the nontreated control. In contrast, in the presence of the P. fluorescens biocontrol strain WCS365, the total amount of organic acid increased, mainly due to a strong increase of the amount of citric acid, whereas the amount of succinic acid decreased dramatically. Under biocontrol conditions, when both microbes are present, the content of succinic acid decreased and the level of citric acid was similar to that in the nontreated control. The amount of sugar was approximately half that of the control sample when either one of the microbes was present alone or when both were present. Analysis of the interactions between the two microbes grown together in sterile tomato root exudate showed that WCS365 inhibited multiplication of F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, whereas the fungus did not affect the number of CFU of the bacterium.

Influence of Glucose and Saturated Free-Fatty Acid Mixtures on Citric Acid and Lipid Production by Yarrowia lipolytica

Abstract: In the present report, the effect of glucose and stearin (substrate composed by saturated free-fatty acids) on the production of biomass, reserve lipid, and citric acid by Yarrowia lipolytica ACA-DC 50109 was investigated in nitrogen-limited cultures. Numerical models that were used in order to quantify the kinetic behavior of the above Yarrowia lipolytica strain showed successful simulation, while the optimized parameter values were similar to those experimentally measured and the predictive ability of the models was satisfactory. In nitrogen-limited cultures in which glucose was used as the sole substrate, satisfactory growth and no glucose inhibition occurred, although in some cases the initial concentration of glucose was significantly high (150 g/l). Citric acid production was observed in all trials, which was in some cases notable (final concentration 42.9 g/l, yield 0.56 g per g of sugar consumed). The concentration of unsaturated cellular fatty acids was slightly lower when the quantity of sugar in the medium was elevated.

Citric acid production from raw glycerol by acetate mutants of Yarrowia lipolytica

Abstract: Three acetate mutants of the yeast species Yarrowia lipolytica were screened using batch cultivation. The strain Y. lipolytica 1.31 was found to be the most suitable for citric acid production from raw glycerol, a by-product of biodiesel production from rapeseed oil. At the initial concentration of glycerol of 200 g dm−3, the citric acid production of 124.5 g dm−3, yield of 0.62 g g−1, and productivity of 0.88 g dm−3 h−1 were achieved.

Evaluation of the effect of EDTA, EDTAC and citric acid on the microhardness of root dentine.

Abstract: Aim To evaluate the effect of citric acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid plus Cetavlon (EDTAC) solutions on the microhardness of human root canal dentine. Methodology Sixteen maxillary human canines were sectioned transversely at the cemento-enamel junction and the crowns were discarded. Subsequently, each root was embedded in an epoxy resin cylinder and their middle third sectioned horizontally into 4 mm thick slices. The samples were randomly divided into three groups according to the chelating agent employed, as follows (n = 6): group 1: EDTA 17%, group 2: EDTAC 17% and group 3: citric acid 10%. Dentine microhardness was then measured with a load of 50 g for 15 s. At the beginning of the experiment, reference microhardness values were obtained for samples without any etching (t = 0 min). The same samples were then exposed to 50 μL of the chelator solution for 1, 3 and 5 min. The Student's t-test (P < 0.05) was used to compare results for different times for each chelator and different chelators for each time. Results Microhardness decreased with increasing time of application of chelating solutions. There were no significant (P > 0.05) differences between initial microhardness for the three groups as well as after 1 min of application of the substances. After 3 min, EDTA produced a significantly greater reduction in microhardness. However, there was no significant difference between EDTA and EDTAC after 5 min. Citric acid caused significantly less reduction in microhardness. Conclusions Overall, citric acid was least effective in reducing dentine hardness whilst EDTA had the strongest effect.

Protective Effects of Organic Acids on Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Acidic Environments

Abstract: Outbreaks of disease due to acid-tolerant bacterial pathogens in apple cider and orange juice have raised questions about the safety of acidified foods. Using gluconic acid as a noninhibitory low-pH buffer, we investigated the killing of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains in the presence or absence of selected organic acids (pH of 3.2), with ionic strength adjusted to 0.60 to 0.68. During a 6-h exposure period in buffered solution (pH 3.2), we found that a population of acid-adapted E. coli O157:H7 strains was reduced by 4 log cycles in the absence of added organic acids. Surprisingly, reduced lethality for E. coli O157:H7 was observed when low concentrations (5 mM) of fully protonated acetic, malic, or l-lactic acid were added. Only a 2- to 3-log reduction in cell counts was observed, instead of the 4-log reduction attributed to pH effects in the buffered solution. Higher concentrations of these acids at the same pH aided in the killing of the E. coli cells, resulting in a 6-log or greater reduction in cell numbers. No protective effect was observed when citric acid was added to the E. coli cells. d-Lactic acid had a greater protective effect than other acids at concentrations of 1 to 20 mM. Less than a 1-log decrease in cell numbers occurred during the 6-h exposure to pH 3.2. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the protective effect of organic acids on the survival of E. coli O15:H7 under low-pH conditions.

Effect of citric acid and glycine addition on acrylamide and flavor in a potato model system.

Abstract: Acrylamide levels in cooked/processed food can be reduced by treatment with citric acid or glycine. In a potato model system cooked at 180 °C for 10−60 min, these treatments affected the volatile p...

Putative ABC Transporter Responsible for Acetic Acid Resistance in Acetobacter aceti

Abstract: Two-dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis of the membrane fraction of Acetobacter aceti revealed the presence of several proteins that were produced in response to acetic acid. A 60-kDa protein, named AatA, which was mostly induced by acetic acid, was prepared; aatA was cloned on the basis of its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence. AatA, consisting of 591 amino acids and containing ATP-binding cassette (ABC) sequences and ABC signature sequences, belonged to the ABC transporter superfamily. The aatA mutation with an insertion of the neomycin resistance gene within the aatA coding region showed reduced resistance to acetic acid, formic acid, propionic acid, and lactic acid, whereas the aatA mutation exerted no effects on resistance to various drugs, growth at low pH (adjusted with HCl), assimilation of acetic acid, or resistance to citric acid. Introduction of plasmid pABC101 containing aatA under the control of the Escherichia coli lac promoter into the aatA mutant restored the defect in acetic acid resistance. In addition, pABC101 conferred acetic acid resistance on E. coli. These findings showed that AatA was a putative ABC transporter conferring acetic acid resistance on the host cell. Southern blot analysis and subsequent nucleotide sequencing predicted the presence of aatA orthologues in a variety of acetic acid bacteria belonging to the genera Acetobacter and Gluconacetobacter. The fermentation with A. aceti containing aatA on a multicopy plasmid resulted in an increase in the final yield of acetic acid.

Acidity adjustment of HZSM-5 zeolites by dealumination and realumination with steaming and citric acid treatments.

Abstract: This article describes a novel method for acidity adjustment of HZSM-5 zeolites with steaming and citric acid treatments and demonstrates the realumination effect of citric acid on HZSM-5 zeolites dealuminated by steaming. A series of modified HZSM-5 zeolites were prepared by streaming and/or acid treatments and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), 27Al MAS NMR spectroscopy, hydroxyl infrared spectroscopy (OH-IR), pyridine-adsorbed infrared spectroscopy, and N2 adsorption in the present investigation. The results showed that compared with single HCl or citric acid treatment, steaming treatment, and steaming/HCl treatments, citric acid treatment after steaming exclusively increased the amount of framework Al due to reinsertion of extraframework Al into the defective sites of the steamed HZSM-5 framework. This realumination effect of the citric acid treatment on the steamed HZSM-5 zeolite, which is reported here for the first time to the best of our knowl...

FTIR-monitoring of a fast setting brushite bone cement: effect of intermediate phases

Abstract: The setting reaction of an equimolar β-tricalcium phosphate/monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (β-TCP/MCPM) cement was monitored in real time with ATR-FTIR at 23 and 37 °C using powder to liquid ratios (PLRs) of 2.0 and 3.3 g ml−1 and aqueous retardant citric acid concentrations of 800, 1000 and 1500 mM. The final set products, for PLRs of 2.0 to 3.3 g ml−1 and citric acid concentrations of 300 to 1500 mM, were characterised with regard to phase composition, compressive strength, density and relative porosity. FTIR provided evidence for the formation of an intermediate dicalcium phosphate–citrate complex (DCPC). As the concentration of citric acid in solution increased so did the maximum level of citrate intermediate. Decreasing the PLR reduced the rate of citrate removal, but had no effect on its rate of formation or maximum level. FTIR also indicated a time delay before formation of any observable dicalcium phosphate (DCP) in solution. This delay increased as the citric acid solution concentration was raised or the temperature reduced, but was less affected by the PLR. There was then an additional delay between DCP formation in solution and its precipitation. Both Rietveld analysis of XRD patterns and density measurements 24 h after setting confirmed that the final product was primarily dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD or brushite) when the citric acid concentration was less than 1000 mM, irrespective of temperature or PLR. On the other hand, with 1500 mM citric acid significant levels of dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA or monetite) also present, this led to increased porosity and a dramatic decline in strength. As the levels of the intermediate phase increased, the final wet compressive strength of the resulting cements also deteriorated. It is therefore proposed that strength reduction may be due to formation of the intermediate at early stages of setting or DCPA formation in the final product, both causing increased material inhomogeneity. This study thereby illustrates that real time ATR-FTIR monitoring of a setting reaction clearly indicates that there is an upper limit to the use of citric acid as a setting retardant for a fast setting brushite-forming cement system, a limit that can also be expected for the use of other setting retardants, and that ATR-FTIR monitoring comprises a useful complement to the traditional before–after investigations.