Cellulolytic and Ethanologenic Evaluation of Heterotermes indicola's Gut-Associated Bacterial Isolates.

Cellulose is the basic component of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) making it a suitable substrate for bioethanol fermentation. Cellulolytic and ethanologenic bacteria possess cellulases that convert cellulose to glucose, which in turn yields ethanol subsequently. Heterotermes indicola is a subterranean termite that causes destructive damage by consuming wooden structures of infrastructure, LCB products, etc. Prospectively, the study envisioned the screening of cellulolytic and ethanologenic bacteria from the termite gut. Twenty six bacterial strains (H1-H26) based on varied colonial morphologies were isolated. Bacterial cellulolytic activity was tested biochemically. Marked gas production in the form of bubbles (0.1-4 cm) in Durham tubes was observed in H3, H7, H13, H15, H17, H21, and H22. Sugar degradation of all isolates was indicated by pink to maroon color development with the tetrazolium salt. Hallow zones (0.42-11 mm) by Congo red staining was exhibited by all strains except H2, H7, H8, and H19. Among the 26 bacterial isolates, 12 strains were identified as efficient cellulolytic bacteria. CMCase activity and ethanol titer of all isolates varied from 1.30 ± 0.03 (H13) to 1.83 ± 0.01 (H21) umol/mL/min and 2.36 ± 0.01 (H25) to 7.00 ± 0.01 (H21) g/L, respectively. Likewise, isolate H21 exhibited an ethanol yield of 0.40 ± 0.10 g/g with 78.38 ± 2.05% fermentation efficiency. Molecular characterization of four strains, Staphylococcus sp. H13, Acinetobacter baumanni H17, Acinetobacter sp. H21, and Acinetobacter nosocomialis H22, were based on the maximum cellulolytic index and the ethanol yield. H. indicola harbor promising and novel bacteria with a natural cellulolytic tendency for efficient bioconversion of LCB to value-added products. Hence, the selected cellulolytic bacteria can become an excellent addition for use in enzyme purification, composting, and production of biofuel at large.

Pomegranate peels waste hydrolyzate optimization by Response Surface Methodology for Bioethanol production.

Unwanted agricultural waste is largely comprised of lignocellulosic substrate which could be transformed into sugars. The production of bioethanol from garbage manifested an agreeable proposal towards waste management as well as energy causation. The goal of this work is to optimize parameters for generation of bioethanol through fermentation by different yeast strains while Saccharomyces cerevisiae used as standard strain. The low cost fermentable sugars from pomegranate peels waste (PPW) were obtained by hydrolysis with HNO3 (1 to 5%). The optimum levels of hydrolysis time and temperature were elucidated via RSM (CCD) ranging from 30 to 60 min and 50 to 100 °C respectively. The result shows that optimum values (g/L) for reducing sugars was 61.45 ± 0.01 while for total carbohydrates was 236 ± 0.01. These values were found when PPW was hydrolyzed with 3% HNO3, at 75 °C for one hour. The hydrolyzates obtained from the dilute HNO3 pretreated PPW yielded a maximum of 0.43 ± 0.04, 0.41 ± 0.03 g ethanol per g of reducing sugars by both Metchnikowia sp. Y31 and M. cibodasensis Y34 at day 7 of ethanologenic experiment. The current study exhibited that by fermentation of dilute HNO3 hydrolyzates of PPW could develop copious amount of ethanol by optimized conditions.

Effects of maternal exposure to phthalates and bisphenol A during pregnancy on gestational age.

OBJECTIVE: Phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are ubiquitous environmental toxicants, present in high concentrations in numerous consumer products. We hypothesized that maternal exposure to phthalates and BPA in pregnancy is associated with shortened gestation. METHODS: Urinary phthalate and BPA metabolites from 72 pregnant women were measured at the last obstetric clinic visit prior to delivery. Using linear regression models, we estimated the change in gestational age associated with each interquartile range (IQR) increase in phthalate and BPA metabolite concentration. RESULTS: IQR increases in urinary mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) and BPA concentrations were associated with 4.2 and 1.1 d decreases in gestation, respectively. When stratified by gender, these alterations were found only in male infants. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that MEHHP and BPA (free + glucuronide) are associated with reductions in gestation, with effects observed only in males. Our findings are consistent with the idea that these agents induce gender-specific alterations in signaling via PPAR-γ transcription factor, androgen precursors and/or inflammatory mediators during the initiation of labor.