The promise of a technology revolution in cassava bioethanol: From Thai practice to the world practice

The abundance of low-cost feedstock and the cost-effective technology are of great importance for reinforcing industrialization of bioethanol for fuel use as sustainably-sourced and eco-friendly energy. This paper describes improved techniques that increase the root productivity of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and its conversion to bioethanol by the energy-saving technology being developed in Thailand. The productivity of cassava roots can be significantly increased from 22 to 60 tons/ha simply by applying yield improved varieties and good cultivation practices; important ones are soil plowing, high stake quality, weed control, good planting and harvesting period, land conservation with organic fertilizers and water irrigation. Currently, the world production of cassava is around 220 million tons per annum with the average yield of 12 tons/ha and the total acreage of 18.5 million ha. If the root productivity increases, for instance, by 5 tons/ha, around 90 million tons of roots are produced which can be converted to 15,000 ML of ethanol by Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) process, a current production process of which cooked and enzymatically-liquefied cassava materials are subjected to saccharifying enzymes and yeasts in concert. The promising energy-saving technology for converting cassava chips to ethanol has also been introduced at a pilot scale by using a granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme in an uncooked process.     

Material research for environmental sustainability in Thailand: current trends

This article covers recent developments of material research in Thailand with a focus on environmental sustainability. Data on Thailand’s consumption and economic growth are briefly discussed to present a relevant snapshot of its economy. A selection of research work is classified into three topics, namely, (a) resource utilization, (b) material engineering and manufacturing, and (c) life cycle efficiency. Material technologies have been developed and implemented to reduce the consumption of materials, energy, and other valuable resources, thus reducing the burden we place on our ecological system. At the same time, product life cycle study allows us to understand the extent of the environmental impact we impart to our planet.     

Gas Chromatographic Separation and Identification of Jacaric and Punicic 2-Ethyl-1-Hexyl Esters

The present study demonstrates the separation of a critical pair of conjugated linolenic acid (CLN) isomers—jacaric acid (JA; c8, t10, c12-18:3) and punicic acid (PA; c9, t11, c13-18:3)—on a 60-m conventional Supelcowax 10 column. The alkyl esters of different alcohols (C₁–C₈) of JA and PA were prepared and analyzed isothermally at 220, 230 and 240 °C. The adequacy of their separation was determined from the separation factors (α) and peak resolutions (R _s). Acceptable resolution (R _s = 1.01) of JA and PA was obtained with their 2-ethyl-1-hexyl ester derivatives at a column temperature of 230 °C. In addition, the Gibbs energy of transfer from solution to gas of the three double bonds \((\Delta_{\text{sln}}^{\text{g}} G_{\text{u}}\)) could be used to describe the interactions of the double bond with the stationary phase. Characterization of 2-ethyl-1-hexyl esters of Jacaranda mimosifolia seed oil at 230 °C demonstrates that the oil contains JA and α- and β-calendic acid as a CLN without the presence of PA. The results suggested that JA could be resolved from PA on a 60-m Supelcowax 10 column as the ethyl hexyl ester.     

Development of a new procedure for lipid extraction from Hevea brasiliensis natural rubber

Non‐isoprene components and especially lipids have been reported to be involved in some key properties of natural rubber. Unfortunately, these results are hardly comparable due to different extraction methods. This work aimed to optimize lipid extraction from natural rubber either in the liquid state (latex) or in the dry state (unsmoked sheets). Extraction of unsmoked sheets from the RRIM 600 clone was carried out with different combinations of organic solvents (chloroform/methanol and hexane/isopropanol mixes). Chloroform/methanol (2 : 1 vol/vol) was found to be the most suitable for lipid extraction from unsmoked sheet rubber. The lipid extraction yield was improved by increasing the exchange surfaces by grinding rubber under liquid nitrogen and extracting the ground rubber for 6 h at room temperature, leading to 1.82% lipid extraction yield (versus dry rubber). Concerning latex extraction, the problem of lipid entrapment in the coagulum from immediate coagulation of latex in the solvent was solved by preliminary two times dilution of latex, giving a 3.24% extract (versus dry rubber) containing a minimum quantity of contaminating polyisoprene. Concerning the nature of lipids, dilution increased mainly neutral lipid extraction, which may suggest that neutral lipids were those entrapped by coagulation.     

Antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of sulphated polysaccharides from purple glutinous rice bran (Oryza sativa L.)

This research aimed to extract polysaccharides and improve the property of sulphate‐modified purple glutinous rice bran, cv. Kum Doi Saket. The effects of temperature, ratio of sulphur trioxide–trimethylamine (STMA) to sample and reaction times were studied. The results showed that the degree of substitution (DS) of sulphated polysaccharides was 0.01–0.53. Low molecular weight sulphated polysaccharides were obtained, and the functional groups of the sulphated polysaccharides were confirmed using FT‐IR. No enhancement of the antioxidant activity of the sulphated polysaccharides was observed. Interestingly, immunomodulatory activity, including inducing cytokine production (iNOS, TNF‐α, IL‐1β and IL‐10) via up‐regulated mRNA expression, was significantly increased by 10–86% when compared to the crude polysaccharides.     

MicroRNA–mRNA Networks in Pregnancy Complications: A Comprehensive Downstream Analysis of Potential Biomarkers

Pregnancy complications are a major cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality in humans. The majority of pregnancy complications initiate due to abnormal placental development and function. During the last decade, the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating placental and fetal development has become evident. Dysregulation of miRNAs in the placenta not only affects placental development and function, but these miRNAs can also be exported to both maternal and fetal compartments and affect maternal physiology and fetal growth and development. Due to their differential expression in the placenta and maternal circulation during pregnancy complications, miRNAs can be used as diagnostic biomarkers. However, the differential expression of a miRNA in the placenta may not always be reflected in maternal circulation, which makes it difficult to find a reliable biomarker for placental dysfunction. In this review, we provide an overview of differentially expressed miRNAs in the placenta and/or maternal circulation during preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which can potentially serve as biomarkers for prediction or diagnosis of pregnancy complications. Using different bioinformatics tools, we also identified potential target genes of miRNAs associated with PE and IUGR, and the role of miRNA-mRNA networks in the regulation of important signaling pathways and biological processes.     

Acid adaptation for improvement of viability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae during freeze‐drying

This work was aimed to investigate its adaptation to moderate acid stress and the resulting improvement in its viability during freeze‐drying. When Saccharomyces cerevisiae UP3OY5 strain was adapted to acid condition (pH 3.5), the viability of acid‐adapted cells (79.9%) was significantly higher than that of control cells (40.5%) after freeze‐drying with trehalose as a carrier. Membrane fatty acid profile of acid‐adapted cells changed significantly in comparison with that of control cells. An increase in fatty acid saturation degree that led to 1.76‐fold increase in the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids was shown. Intracellular glycogen content was found to be higher than that of control cells. On the contrary, the trehalose content of acid‐adapted cells was found to be much smaller than that of control cells. The key role of acid adaptation in acquiring cross‐protection mechanism was suggested to permit yeast to better survive to freeze‐drying.     

Tara tannin as active ingredient in electrospun fibrous delivery system

This study evaluated the releasing performance of tara tannin, a cocktail of plant polyphenols, incorporated in submicron fiber, produced by the electrospinning process. Polylactic acid was used as a polymer matrix that carried two loading levels of tara tannin, 14.3 and 22.3% dry weight in the final product. The fiber diameter of composite fibers was in the range 500–700 nm. The release of tara tannin was controlled by material attachment as there was no evidence of chemical bonding between materials. This was further confirmed by FTIR and DSC. From the five combinations of acid that were presented in tara tannin, galloylquinic acid, with the smallest molecular weight composition, was released in the largest proportion (%molar) and exhibited antioxidant activity. This was confirmed by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl assay and HPLC‐MS analyses. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43646.