Improvement of ethanol production from birch and spruce pretreated with 1-H-3-methylmorpholinium chloride

Background: Pretreatment is the critically important step for the production of ethanol from lignocelluloses. In this study, hardwood birch (Betula pendula) and softwood spruce (Norway spruce) woods were pretreated with a newly synthesized morpholinium ionic liquid, 1-H-3-methylmorpholinium chloride ([HMMorph][Cl]), followed by enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation to ethanol. Results: [HMMorph][Cl] was synthesized using inexpensive raw materials, i.e., hydrochloric acid and N-methyl morpholine, following a simple process. The influence of pretreatment time (2, 3, 5, and 8 h) and temperature (120 and 140°C) in terms of hydrolysis efficiency was investigated. Glucose yields from enzymatic hydrolysis were improved from 13.7% to 45.7% and 12.9% to 51.8% after pretreatment of birch and spruce woods, respectively, under optimum pretreatment conditions (i.e., at 140°C for 3 h) as compared to those from pristine woods. Moreover, the yields of ethanol production from birch and spruce were increased to 34.8% and 44.2%, respectively, while the yields were negligible for untreated woods. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the ability of [HMMorph][Cl] as an inexpensive agent to pretreat both softwood and hardwood.

Inhibitory effects of crataegus curviseoala, salvia hydrangea, and betula pendula on in-vitro protein glycosylation

Diabetes is one of the most common endocrine diseases spreading rapidly in the world. Diabetes complications are classified into acute and chronic. Non-enzymatic glycosylation of body proteins such as hemoglobin and albumin is the main cause of pathogenesis in chronic complications of diabetes. Protein glycosylation is an oxidative reaction. Antioxidants such as vitamin C may be able to reduce the chronic complications of diabetes through inhibiting protein glycosylation. The inhibitory effects of vitamin C and the polyphenolic extracts of Betula pendula, Saliva hydrangea and Crataegus curvisepala on the extent of glycosylation of albumin, insulin and hemoglobin were investigated in this study. Polyphenolic extracts of the aforesaid plants were prepared at three different concentrations, namely 3.6, 1.8 and 0.9 mg/ml. Vitamin C solutions were also prepared at 5 concentrations, namely 0.5, 5, 10, 50 and 500 micro g/ml. The highest extent of glycosylation inhibition of albumin and insulin was due to S. hydrangea by 100% and 97%, respectively, and that of hemoglobin was due to B. pendula by 80%. At its highest concentration, vitamin C inhibited the glycosylation of insulin, albumin and hemoglobin by 100%, 93%, and 58% respectively [P<0.05]. Based on our findings, the studied plants might be able to prevent the chronic complications of diabetes