An ultrafiltration membrane reactor for obtaining experimental reaction rates at defined concentrations of inhibiting sugars during enzymatic saccharification of alkali-pretreated sallow: Formulation of a simple empirical rate equation.

The kinetics of the enzymatic hydrolysis of sodium hydroxide-pretreated sallow were studied in an ultrafiltration membrane reactor in the presence of different concentrations of glucose. In the UF membrane reactor low-molecular-weight products were continuously removed at a low dilution rate and replaced by a buffer solution that contained different concentrations of glucose, which made it possible to keep the inhibiting product concentration constant throughout an experiment. The reaction rate was related to the degree of substrate conversion and a mathematical relationship was formulated that describes the influence of the product concentration on the rate coefficient.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of sodium-hydroxide-pretreated sallow in an ultrafiltration membrane reactor.

An ultrafiltration membrane reactor was used to investigate the recovery of biocatalysts during enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated sallow. Product inhibition could be eliminated by continuous removal of products through the ultrafiltration membrane, thus retaining the macromolecular substrate and enzymes. In this way, the degree of conversion was improved from 40% in a batch hydrolysis to 95% (within 20 h), and the initial hydrolysis rate was increased up to seven times. The recovery studies were focused on mechanical deactivation and irreversible adsorption on to the nonconvertible fraction of the substrate. Cellulase deactivation during mechanical agitation was not significant, and the loss of activity was attributed mainly to strong adsorption of the enzymes onto undigested material. This process was studied in semicontinuous hydrolyses, where fresh substrate was added intermittently. The amount of reducing sugars produced in this experiment was 25.7 g/g enzyme, compared to 4.7 g/g enzyme in a batch hydrolysis.

Effects of metrizamide, a new nonionic contrast medium, on cardiac function during coronary angiography in the dog.

Metrizamide is a new non-ionic radiopaque agent with low osmolarity and low intravenous toxicity. Hyperosmolarity is one of the factors involved in the decrease of myocardial contracility, alterations of aortic pressure, and disturbances in the cardiac rhythm which contrast media induce during coronary angiography. Metrizamide has been compared to other commonly used contrast media and was shown to produce fewer changes on the cardiac functions recorded.