Organic waste as a sustainable feedstock for platform chemicals.

Biorefineries have been established since the 1980s for biofuel production, and there has been a switch lately from first to second generation feedstocks in order to avoid the food versus fuel dilemma. To a lesser extent, many opportunities have been investigated for producing chemicals from biomass using by-products of the present biorefineries, simple waste streams. Current facilities apply intensive pre-treatments to deal with single substrate types such as carbohydrates. However, most organic streams such as municipal solid waste or algal blooms present a high complexity and variable mixture of molecules, which makes specific compound production and separation difficult. Here we focus on flexible anaerobic fermentation and hydrothermal processes that can treat complex biomass as a whole to obtain a range of products within an integrated biorefinery concept.

The effect of moderate haemodilution with Fluosol-DA or Hespan on the nonmicrosomal acetylation of sulphadimidine in the rat.

The effects of Fluosol-DA (Fluosol) and Hespan haemodilution on the nonmicrosomal acetylation of sulphadimidine were studied in male rats. Fluosol increased the acetylsulphadimidine percent excreted in urine, the metabolic formation rate constant (kf), and the formation clearance (CLF) for 72 h after haemodilution without any significant changes in the sulphadimidine apparent volume of distribution (Vd) or total body clearance (CL). Hespan haemodilution increased the acetylsulphadimidine percent excreted in urine only at 48 h while significantly decreasing the sulphadimidine clearance, urinary excretion rate constant (ku), and renal clearance (CLR) for 72 h. The enhanced N-acetyltransferase activity after Fluosol haemodilution may have therapeutic consequences for concomitantly given drugs metabolized by this enzyme.

The effect of Fluosol-DA and Hespan haemodilution on S-warfarin elimination in the rat.

Fluosol and Hespan haemodilution in rats did not change S-warfarin elimination within 72 h although previous studies had indicated that Fluosol haemodilution caused an increased cytochrome P450b and P450e activity at 48 h. This study showed that the increased activity at that time was specific for those isoenzymes.

Polycyclic aromatic isothiocyanate compounds as fluorescent labeling reagents.

Polycyclic aromatic isothiocyanates were synthesized in an attempt to produce new fluorescent agents for protein labeling and for use in microanalytical techniques. The relative fluorescence of these reagents, the required intermediates, and the derivatives were established. Of the compounds evaluated, the 9-acridine derivatives were the most promising.