Parameters Affecting the Cross-Flow Filtration of Dissolved LignoBoost Kraft Lignin

In the kraft pulping process, the lignin-containing by-product kraft black liquor is currently combusted as an energy source. LignoBoost is a technique that extracts lignin from kraft black liquor, resulting in a lignin-lean black liquor, which is returned to the process, and an extracted kraft lignin. To facilitate the use of the extracted kraft lignin in high-value applications, it can be refined via fractionation to produce a more homogeneous starting raw material. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the behavior of dissolved softwood kraft lignin during cross-flow filtration. The effects of the lignin concentration, pH, and ionic strength on the fractionation of the dissolved lignin during cross-flow filtration are investigated. The results indicate that large amounts of low-molecular-weight kraft lignin can be produced from solutions having a low lignin concentration. Furthermore, the effects of pH and ionic strength on the fractionation of low-molecular-weight lignin are identified within the studied ranges.     

Apple Allergy: The cDNA Sequence of the Major Allergen of Apple,Determined by Performing PCR with a Primer Based on the N-Terminal Amino Acid Sequence,is Highly Homologous to the Sequence of the Major Birch Pollen Allergen

Considering the known N-terminal amino acid sequence of the major apple allergen, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer was selected to amplify cDNA encoding this protein. A single PCR product was obtained, cloned into Escherichia coli and subsequently sequenced. The missing 5′-end of the apple cDNA sequence was obtained by a 5′-RACE method. The cDNA sequence showed 72% identity with the coding region of one of the known isoforms of Bet v 1, the major allergen of birch pollen. The deduced amino acid sequence resulted in a 158-residue protein with a calculated molecular mass of 17·5 kDa and 63% amino acid sequence identity to Bet v 1. In addition, further protein alignments showed a high degree of identity with allergens from other tree pollens and some ‘pathogenesis-related proteins’ from food plants. According to international regulations the allergen was termed Mal d 1 for this protein, it being the first major allergen discovered and characterised in fruits of apple (Malus domestica).