Biological Conversion of Agricultural Wastes into Indole-3-acetic Acid by Streptomyces lavenduligriseus BS50-1 Using a Response Surface Methodology (RSM).

Agricultural waste is an alternative source for plant growth regulator biosynthesis by microorganisms. Actinobacteria are important soil microbes that significantly impact the soil as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and biofertilizers. This study focused on developing low-cost medium based on bagasse to improve indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production by Streptomyces lavenduligriseus BS50-1 using a response surface methodology (RSM). Among 34 actinobacterial strains, S. lavenduligriseus BS50-1 produced the highest IAA level within the selected medium. An RSM based on a central composite design optimized the appropriate nutrients for IAA production. Thus, glucose hydrolysate and l-tryptophan at concentrations of 3.55 and 5.0 g/L, respectively, were the optimal factors that improved IAA production from 37.50 to 159.47 µg/mL within 168 h. This study reported a potential application of leftover bagasse as the raw material for cultivating actinobacteria, which efficiently produce IAA to promote plant growth.

Assessing Fermentation Broth Quality of Pineapple Vinegar Production with a Near-Infrared Fiber-Optic Probe Coupled with Stability Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling.

In this study, the performance of a near-infrared (NIR) fiber-optic probe coupled with stability competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (SCARS) was investigated for the analysis of acetic acid, ethanol, total soluble solids, caffeic acid, gallic acid, and tannic acid in the broth of pineapple vinegar during fermentation. The NIR spectra of the broth samples in the region of 11,536-3956 cm-1 were collected during vinegar fermentation promoted by Acetobacter aceti. This continuous biological process led to changes in the concentrations of all analytes studied. SCARS provided optimized and stabilized NIR spectral variables for the construction of a partial least squares (PLS) model for each analyte using a small number of optimal variables (under 88 variables). The SCARS-PLS model outperformed the conventional PLS model, and achieved excellent accuracy in accordance with ISO 12099:2017 for the four prediction models of acetic acid, ethanol, caffeic acid, and gallic acid, with root-mean-square error of prediction values of 0.137%, 0.178%, 0.637 µg/mL and 0.640 µg/mL, respectively. In contrast, only an acetic acid content prediction model constructed via the conventional PLS method and using the whole spectral region (949 variables) could pass with acceptable accuracy. These results indicate that the NIR optical probe coupled with SCARS is an appropriate method for the continuous monitoring of multianalytes during vinegar fermentation, particularly acetic acid and ethanol contents, which are indicators of the finished fermentation of pineapple vinegar.

Statistical optimization of P(3HB-co-3HHx) copolymers production by Cupriavidus necator PHB-4/pBBR_CnPro-phaCRp and its properties characterization.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(3HB-co-3HHx)] is a bacterial copolymer in the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) family, a next-generation bioplastic. Our research team recently engineered a newly P(3HB-co-3HHx)-producing bacterial strain, Cupriavidus necator PHB-4/pBBR_CnPro-phaCRp. This strain can produce P(3HB-co-2 mol% 3HHx) using crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) as a sole carbon substrate. However, the improvement of P(3HB-co-3HHx) copolymer production by this strain has not been studied so far. Thus, this study aims to enhance the production of P(3HB-co-3HHx) copolymers containing higher 3HHx monomer compositions using response surface methodology (RSM). Three significant factors for P(3HB-co-3HHx) copolymers production, i.e., CPKO concentration, sodium hexanoate concentration, and cultivation time, were studied in the flask scale. As a result, a maximum of 3.6 ± 0.4 g/L of P(3HB-co-3HHx) with 4 mol% 3HHx compositions was obtained using the RSM optimized condition. Likewise, the higher 3HHx monomer composition (5 mol%) was obtained when scaling up the fermentation in a 10L-stirrer bioreactor. Furthermore, the produced polymer's properties were similar to marketable P(3HB-co-3HHx), making this polymer suitable for a wide range of applications.

Biosynthesis of P(3HB-co-3HHx) Copolymers by a Newly Engineered Strain of Cupriavidus necator PHB-4/pBBR_CnPro-phaCRp for Skin Tissue Engineering Application.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polymers synthesized by certain bacteria and archaea with functions comparable to conventional plastics. Previously, our research group reported a newly PHA-producing bacterial strain, Rhodococcus pyridinivorans BSRT1-1, from the soil in Thailand. However, this strain's PHA synthase (phaCRp) gene has not yet been characterized. Thus, this study aims to synthesize PHA using a newly engineered bacterial strain, Cupriavidus necator PHB-4/pBBR_CnPro-phaCRp, which harbors the phaCRp from strain BSRT1-1, and characterize the properties of PHA for skin tissue engineering application. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the characterization of the PhaC from R. pyridinivorans species. The results demonstrated that the expression of the phaCRp in C. necator PHB-4 had developed in PHA production up to 3.1 ± 0.3 g/L when using 10 g/L of crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) as a sole carbon source. Interestingly, the engineered strain produced a 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) with 2 mol% of 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) monomer without adding precursor substrates. In addition, the 70 L stirrer bioreactor improved P(3HB-co-2 mol% 3HHx) yield 1.4-fold over the flask scale without altering monomer composition. Furthermore, the characterization of copolymer properties showed that this copolymer is promising for skin tissue engineering applications.

Mushroom ß-Glucan Recovered from Antler-Type Fruiting Body of Ganoderma lucidum by Enzymatic Process and Its Potential Biological Activities for Cosmeceutical Applications.

Mushrooms are incredibly valuable macro fungi that are an important and integral part of the ecosystem. In addition to being used as cuisine, mushrooms have been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. This research applied a process for recovering ß-glucan (BG) from the antler-type fruiting body of Ganoderma lucidum as well as tested the biological activities related to cosmeceutical applications. The characterization of complex structure was performed by fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (MNR) spectroscopies. The obtained extract contained 40.57% BG and 7.47% protein, with the detectable bioactivities of anti-tyrosinase and antioxidation. Consequently, it showed the activity that can be used to whiten the skin by reducing or inhibiting the process of skin pigmentation. The BG also showed moderate activities of anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, and anti-hyaluronidase. The test by the HET-CAM confirmed no skin irritation of the complex extract. Based on human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) test, the BG had no significant inhibiting effect on cell viability. In addition, the obtained BG had functional properties higher than commercially available BG, especially oil-binding capacity. These findings provided new insights into the potential application of G. lucidum BG as a polymeric material in the cosmeceutical industries.

Functionality of Yeast ß-Glucan Recovered from Kluyveromyces marxianus by Alkaline and Enzymatic Processes.

ß-Glucan (BG), one of the most abundant polysaccharides containing glucose monomers linked by ß-glycosidic linkages, is prevalent in yeast biomass that needs to be recovered to obtain this valuable polymer. This study aimed to apply alkaline and enzymatic processes for the recovery of BG from the yeast strain Kluyveromyces marxianus TISTR 5925. For this purpose, the yeast was cultivated to produce the maximum yield of raw material (yeast cells). The effective recovery of BG was then established using either an alkaline or an enzymatic process. BG recovery of 35.45% was obtained by using 1 M NaOH at 90 °C for 1 h, and of 81.15% from 1% (w/v) hydrolytic protease enzyme at 55 °C for 5 h. However, BG recovered by the alkaline process was purer than that obtained by the enzymatic process. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy confirmed the purity, the functional groups, and the linkages of BG obtained from different recovery systems and different raw materials. The results of this study suggest that an alkaline process could be an effective approach for the solubilization and recovery of considerable purity of BG from the yeast cells. In addition, the obtained BG had comparable functional properties with commercially available BG. This study reveals the effectiveness of both chemical and biological recovery of BG obtained from yeast as a potential polymeric material.

Simultaneous Monitoring of the Evolution of Chemical Parameters in the Fermentation Process of Pineapple Fruit Wine Using the Liquid Probe for Near-Infrared Coupled with Chemometrics.

This study used Fourier transform-near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy equipped with the liquid probe in combination with an efficient wavelength selection method named searching combination moving window partial least squares (SCMWPLS) for the determination of ethanol, total soluble solids, total acidity, and total volatile acid contents in pineapple fruit wine fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. burgundy. Two fermentation batches were produced, and the NIR spectral data of the calibration samples in the wavenumber range of 11,536-3952 cm-1 were obtained over ten days of the fermentation period. SCMWPLS coupled with second derivatives searched and optimized spectral intervals containing useful information for building calibration models of four parameters. All models were validated by test samples obtained from an independent fermentation batch. The SCMWPLS models showed better predictions (the lowest value of prediction error and the highest value of residual predictive deviation) with acceptable statistical results (under confidence limits) among the results achieved by using the whole region. The results of this study demonstrated that FT-NIR spectroscopy using a liquid probe coupled with SCMWPLS could select the optimized wavelength regions while reducing spectral points and increasing accuracy for simultaneously monitoring the evolution of four chemical parameters in pineapple fruit wine fermentation.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Pineapple Rhizome Bromelain through Downregulation of the NF-κB- and MAPKs-Signaling Pathways in Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells.

Bromelain is a mixture of proteolytic enzymes derived from pineapple (Ananas comosus) fruit and stem possessing several beneficial properties, particularly anti-inflammatory activity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of bromelain are unclear. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and inhibitory molecular mechanisms of crude and purified rhizome bromelains on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. RAW264.7 cells were pre-treated with various concentrations of crude bromelain (CB) or purified bromelain (PB), and then treated with LPS. The production levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators, including nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were determined by Griess and ELISA assays. The expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs)-signaling pathway-related proteins were examined by western blot analysis. The pre-treatment of bromelain dose-dependently reduced LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators, which correlated with downregulation of iNOS and COX-2 expressions. The inhibitory potency of PB was stronger than that of CB. PB also suppressed phosphorylated NF-κB (p65), nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor alpha, extracellular signal-regulated kinases, c-Jun amino-terminal kinases, and p38 proteins in LPS-treated cells. PB then exhibited potent anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cells by inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPKs-signaling pathways.

Bio-synthesis of itaconic acid as an anti-crease finish for cellulosic fiber fabric.

Itaconic acid is an organic acid with a wide range of applications in the fields of polymer chemistry, pharmacy, agriculture, textile industry, etc. A bio-synthetic process of itaconic acid production in this study was carried out with Aspergillus terreus K17 having empty palm oil fruit bunches as a feedstock. Bio-synthesis of itaconic acid was compared with commercial maleic acid, itaconic acid and 1, 2, 3, 4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) as anti-crease agents with sodium hypophosphate (SHP) as an esterification catalyst for cotton fabric finishing. The results showed that mechanical properties of cotton fabrics treated with bio-synthesized itaconic acid were better than those treated with the commercial ones whereas their whiteness index was lower. The best conditions for crease recovery were obtained from 8% w/v itaconic acid with 8% w/v SHP applied on cotton fabrics with a technique of 2-dip-2-nip, dried at 85 °C for 3 min and cured at 180 °C for 2 min. Even though the anti-crease properties of cotton fabrics treated with bio-synthesized itaconic acid were still lower than those treated with commercial maleic acid and BTCA, the finished cotton fibers retain the mechanical properties of cotton fabric. This study would be beneficial in producing itaconic acid as an eco-friendly anti-crease agent for cotton fabrics from waste empty palm oil fruit bunches by a bio-synthesis process.