High efficiency production of astaxanthin in an airlift photobioreactor

In photobioreactors, photosynthetic microorganisms are exposed to certain light/dark cycles caused by light intensity distribution and mixing inside the photobioreactor. In this study, Haematococcus pluvialis was cultivated in an airlift and a bubble column photobioreactor, and the cell growth and astaxanthin production were compared to clarify the effects of liquid circulation.     

Immunomodulatory effect of halophilic lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophilus Th221 from soy sauce moromi grown in high-salt medium

A halophilic lactic acid bacterium, Tetragenococcus halophilus, was found to possess an immunomodulatory activity that promotes T helper type 1 (Th1) immunity in addition to its important roles in soy sauce brewing. Strain Th221 was selected from 151 strains isolated from soy sauce (shoyu) moromi, since it induced strong interleukin (IL)-12 production by mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The relationship between the salt concentration in the medium and the IL-12 production-inducing activity of this strain was investigated, and the activity was found to be strong when the bacteria were grown in medium containing > or =10% (w/v) salt. The Th1-promoting activity was also manifested in an in vivo mouse study, since Th1-dependant contact sensitivity was augmented and Th2 immunity, as evaluated by specific immunoglobulin E production, was suppressed following oral ingestion of Th221. Based on these findings, Th221 administration may be useful for improving allergic symptoms.     

Antioxidative activity of Mungoong,an extract paste,from the cephalothorax of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

The antioxidative activity of Mungoong, an extract paste, from the cephalothorax of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) was studied. Extraction media were shown to affect the antioxidative activity and properties of resulting extracts from Mungoong. Distilled water exhibited the highest efficacy in extracting the antioxidants from Mungoong, as evidenced by the highest ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl) radical scavenging activity as well as ferric reducing activity power (FRAP), compared with distilled water/ethanol mixture (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1) and ethanol. UV-absorbances at both 280 and 295 nm (A₂₈₀, A₂₉₅), browning intensity (A₄₂₀) and fluorescence intensity were also highest in the extract using distilled water. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP of water extract, increased linearly with increasing concentration. Good correlation between ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity; DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP; ABTS radical scavenging activity and FRAP were observed, suggesting that antioxidants in the extract, possessed the capability of scavenging the radicals together with reducing power. Antioxidants in the water extract from Mungoong showed high stability over the wide pH ranges (2–11) and temperature up to 100 °C, in which the activity of more than 80% remained. MALDI-TOF analysis revealed that water extract contained the peptides having the mass ranges of m/z 400–1000 and 4000–7000.     

Room-temperature synthesis of tin oxide nano-electrodes in aqueous solutions

Tin oxide nano-electrodes were fabricated on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates at room temperature. SnO₂ was crystallized from ions in aqueous solutions to cover the substrates uniformly. They were single phase of SnO₂ nano-crystals and about 5–10 nm in size. The surface coatings changed the surface morphology of FTO substrates to increase roughness and surface area. FTO substrates covered with tin oxide had the same transparency as bare FTO substrates in the range from 200 nm to 850 nm.     

A novel patterning technique using super-hydrophobic PTFE thin films by Cat-CVD method

Super-hydrophobic poly-tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films, with a water contact angle of over 160°, are formed by catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) under high catalyzer temperature or pressure. Hydrophobicity of the PTFE films is maintained even after annealing up to 300 °C. We demonstrate a novel method for forming metal lines using super-hydrophobic PTFE films. Water-based functional liquid containing silver nanoparticles dropped on the patterned PTFE film localizes only on hydrophilic regions, resulting in formation of metal lines after annealing up to 150 °C.     

Biodiesel fuel production from plant oil catalyzed by Rhizopus oryzae lipase in a water-containing system without an organic solvent

A new enzymatic method of synthesizing methyl esters from plant oil and methanol in a solvent-free reaction system was developed. It is anticipated that such plant oil methyl esters can be used as a biodiesel fuel in the future. Lipase from Rhizopus oryzae efficiently catalyzed the methanolysis of soybean oil in the presence of 4–30 wt% water in the starting materials; however the lipase was nearly inactive in the absence of water. The methyl ester (ME) content in the reaction mixture reached 80–90 wt% by stepwise additions of methanol to the reaction mixture. The kinetics of the reaction appears to be in accordance with the successive reaction mechanism. That is, the oil is first hydrolyzed to free fatty acids and partial glycerides, and the fatty acids produced are then esterified with methanol. Although R. oryzae lipase is considered to exhibit 1(3)-regiospecificity, a certain amount of 1,3-diglyceride was obtained during the methanolysis and hydrolysis of soybean oil by R. oryzae lipase solution. Therefore, the high ME content in the reaction mixture is probably attributable to the acyl migration from the sn-2 position to the sn-1 or sn-3 position in partial glycerides.     

Air Plasma-Activated Medium Evokes a Death-Associated Perinuclear Mitochondrial Clustering

Intractable cancers such as osteosarcoma (OS) and oral cancer (OC) are highly refractory, recurrent, and metastatic once developed, and their prognosis is still disappointing. Tumor-targeted therapy, which eliminates cancers effectively and safely, is the current clinical choice. Since aggressive tumors are substantially resistant to multidisciplinary therapies that target apoptosis, tumor-specific activation of another cell death modality is a promising avenue for meeting this goal. Here, we report that a cold atmospheric air plasma-activated medium (APAM) can kill OS and OC by causing a unique mitochondrial clustering. This event was named monopolar perinuclear mitochondrial clustering (MPMC) based on its characteristic unipolar mitochondrial perinuclear accumulation. The APAM caused apoptotic and nonapoptotic cell death. The APAM increased mitochondrial ROS (mROS) and cell death, and the antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prevented them. MPMC occurred following mitochondrial fragmentation, which coincided with nuclear damages. MPMC was accompanied by mitochondrial lipid peroxide (mLPO) accumulation and prevented by NAC, Ferrostatin-1, and Nocodazole. In contrast, the APAM induced minimal cell death, mROS generation, mLPO accumulation, and MPMC in fibroblasts. These results suggest that MPMC occurs in a tumor-specific manner via mitochondrial oxidative stress and microtubule-driven mitochondrial motility. MPMC induction might serve as a promising target for exerting tumor-specific cytotoxicity.     

D-塔格糖的生理活性及生物合成研究进展

D-塔格糖是一种重要的稀有己酮糖,其甜度是蔗糖的92%,热量只有蔗糖的三分之一;D-塔格糖分别于2001年和2014年被美国食品药品监督管理局和我国卫生和计划生育委员会批准为食品新原料。D-塔格糖具有降低血糖、减少肥胖、改善肠道菌群、抗龋齿、抗氧化等功能。D-塔格糖作为一种理想功能性甜味剂,具有广泛的应用价值,然而塔格糖的生产成本以及产量一直是限制塔格糖发展和应用的重要原因。D-塔格糖的合成方法主要有化学合成法和生物转化法。化学合成法生产D-塔格糖虽然是一种经济有效的方法,但是在生产过程中需要高温高压的条件,并且容易生成山梨糖、甘露糖等杂糖,不利于分离纯化。为了克服这些缺点,生物转化法生产D-塔格糖得到了广泛的关注和研究,因此,系统阐述了以不同底物,如己糖(半乳糖醇、D-半乳糖和D-果糖)、乳糖、多糖(麦芽糊精和淀粉)转化成D-塔格糖的研究进展和优缺点,并对其未来研究趋势进行了展望,以期为D-塔格糖的研发与生产提供借鉴。     

Variation of fractographic appearance for different microstructures in welded joints having the same fatigue crack propagation properties

Fatigue fracture surfaces were examined with a scanning electron microscope to investigate the influence of the different microstructure between weld metal and heat affected zone. The specimens were centre-cracked type transverse butt welded joints. The relationship between macroscopic fatigue crack propagation rate and the stress intensity factor range is the same in spite of the difference in microstructure for both materials. It is shown that the fractographic appearance changes with microstructure even in the very low growth rate region near fatigue threshold. This suggests that fractographic appearance is not necessarily a guide to the rate of fatigue crack growth.