Factors affecting skin tannin extractability in ripening grapes.

PubMed

Bindon, Keren A; Madani, S Hadi; Pendleton, Phillip; Smith, Paul A; Kennedy, James A

2014-02-05

The acetone-extractable (70% v/v) skin tannin content of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes was found to increase during late-stage ripening. Conversely, skin tannin content determined following ethanol extraction (10, 20, and 50% v/v) did not consistently reflect this trend. The results indicated that a fraction of tannin became less extractable in aqueous ethanol during ripening. Skin cell walls were observed to become more porous during ripening, which may facilitate the sequestering of tannin as an adsorbed fraction within cell walls. For ethanol extracts, tannin molecular mass increased with advancing ripeness, even when extractable tannin content was constant, but this effect was negligible in acetone extracts. Reconstitution experiments with isolated skin tannin and cell wall material indicated that the selectivity of tannin adsorption by cell walls changed as tannin concentration increased. Tannin concentration, tannin molecular mass, and cell wall porosity are discussed as factors that may influence skin tannin extractability.

Continuous High-solids corn liquefaction and fermentation with stripping of ethanol

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Removal of ethanol from the fermentor during fermentation can increase productivity and reduce the costs for dewatering the product and coproduct. One approach is to recycle the fermentor contents through a stripping column, where a non-condensable gas removes ethanol to a condenser. Previous resear...

Ethanol stimulates ROS generation by mitochondria through Ca2+ mobilization and increases GFAP content in rat hippocampal astrocytes.

PubMed

González, Antonio; Pariente, José A; Salido, Ginés M

2007-10-31

We have employed rat hippocampal astrocytes in culture to investigate the effect of ethanol on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production as well as its effect on [Ca2+]c and GFAP expression. Cells were loaded with the fluorescent probes fura-2 and H2DCFDA for the determination of changes in [Ca2+]c and ROS production respectively, employing spectrofluorimetry. GFAP content was determined by immunocytochemistry and confocal scanning microscopy. Our results show ROS production in response to 50 mM ethanol, that was reduced in Ca2+-free medium (containing 0.5 mM EGTA) and in the presence of the intracellular Ca2+ chelator BAPTA (10 microM). The effect of ethanol on ROS production was significantly reduced in the presence of the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole (1 mM), and the antioxidants resveratrol (100 microM) or catalase (300 U/ml). Preincubation of astrocytes in the presence of 10 microM antimycin plus 10 microM oligomycin to inhibit mitochondria completely blocked ethanol-evoked ROS production. In addition, ethanol led to a sustained increase in [Ca2+]c that reached a constant level over the prestimulation values. Finally, incubation of astrocytes in the presence of ethanol increased the content of GFAP that was significantly reduced in the absence of extracellular Ca2+ and by resveratrol and catalase pretreatment. The data obtained in the present study suggest that astrocytes are able to metabolize ethanol, which induces two effects on intracellular homeostasis: an immediate response (Ca2+ release and ROS generation) and later changes involving GFAP expression. Both effects may underline various signaling pathways which are important for cell proliferation, differentiation and function.

Aqueous Extract of Gynura Bicolor Attenuated Hepatic Steatosis, Glycative, Oxidative, and Inflammatory Injury Induced by Chronic Ethanol Consumption in Mice.

PubMed

Yin, Mei-Chin; Wang, Zhi-Hong; Liu, Wen-Hu; Mong, Mei-Chin

2017-11-01

Gynura bicolor leaf aqueous extract (GAE) is rich in phytochemicals including phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. Effects of GAE upon hepatic injury in mice with chronic ethanol intake were examined. Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet with ethanol was used to induce hepatic lipid accumulation, oxidative, glycative, and inflammatory injury. GAE at 0.25% or 0.5% was added in feeds, and supplied to mice consumed Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet with ethanol for 6 wk. Blood and liver were collected for analyses. Results showed that ethanol increased plasma and hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol content, and affected plasma levels of insulin, adiponectin, leptin, and ghrelin. GAE at both doses decreased lipid accumulation, and at high dose improved hormones abnormality. Histological data revealed that GAE supplement mitigated hepatic lipid deposit. Ethanol increased plasma N ε -(carboxyethymethyl)-lysine and pentosidine levels. GAE at high doses lowered those glycative factors. Ethanol depleted glutathione content, increased CYP2E1 activity and reactive oxygen species production, and reduced the activity of glutathione peroxide, glutathione reductase and catalase in liver. GAE supplement at both doses reversed these alterations and attenuated hepatic oxidative stress. GAE supplement also at both doses decreased hepatic inflammatory cytokines release in ethanol treated mice. These findings support that leaves of G. bicolor is a functional food with liver protective activities against ethanol. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Variability in the primary emissions and secondary gas and particle formation from vehicles using bioethanol mixtures.

PubMed

Gramsch, E; Papapostolou, V; Reyes, F; Vásquez, Y; Castillo, M; Oyola, P; López, G; Cádiz, A; Ferguson, S; Wolfson, M; Lawrence, J; Koutrakis, P

2018-04-01

Bioethanol for use in vehicles is becoming a substantial part of global energy infrastructure because it is renewable and some emissions are reduced. Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions and total hydrocarbons (THC) are reduced, but there is still controversy regarding emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), aldehydes, and ethanol; this may be a concern because all these compounds are precursors of ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA). The amount of emissions depends on the ethanol content, but it also may depend on the engine quality and ethanol origin. Thus, a photochemical chamber was used to study secondary gas and aerosol formation from two flex-fueled vehicles using different ethanol blends in gasoline. One vehicle and the fuel used were made in the United States, and the others were made in Brazil. Primary emissions of THC, CO, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC) from both vehicles decreased as the amount of ethanol in gasoline increased. NO x emissions in the U.S. and Brazilian cars decreased with ethanol content. However, emissions of THC, CO, and NO x from the Brazilian car were markedly higher than those from the U.S. car, showing high variability between vehicle technologies. In the Brazilian car, formation of secondary nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) was lower for higher ethanol content in the fuel. In the U.S. car, NO 2 and O 3 had a small increase. Secondary particle (particulate matter [PM]) formation in the chamber decreased for both vehicles as the fraction of ethanol in fuel increased, consistent with previous studies. Secondary to primary PM ratios for pure gasoline is 11, also consistent with previous studies. In addition, the time required to form secondary PM is longer for higher ethanol blends. These results indicate that using higher ethanol blends may have a positive impact on air quality. The use of bioethanol can significantly reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Given the extent of its use, it is important to understand its effect on urban pollution. There is a controversy on whether there is a reduction or increase in PM emission when using ethanol blends. Primary emissions of THC, CO, CO 2 , NO x , and NMHC for both cars decreased as the fraction of ethanol in gasoline increased. Using a photochemical chamber, the authors have found a decrease in the formation of secondary particles and the time required to form secondary PM is longer when using higher ethanol blends.

Impact of zinc supplementation on the improvement of ethanol tolerance and yield of self-flocculating yeast in continuous ethanol fermentation.

PubMed

Zhao, X Q; Xue, C; Ge, X M; Yuan, W J; Wang, J Y; Bai, F W

2009-01-01

The effects of zinc supplementation were investigated in the continuous ethanol fermentation using self-flocculating yeast. Zinc sulfate was added at the concentrations of 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 g l(-1), respectively. Reduced average floc sizes were observed in all the zinc-supplemented cultures. Both the ethanol tolerance and thermal tolerance were significantly improved by zinc supplements, which correlated well with the increased ergosterol and trehalose contents in the yeast flocs. The highest ethanol concentration by 0.05 g l(-1) zinc sulfate supplementation attained 114.5 g l(-1), in contrast to 104.1 g l(-1) in the control culture. Glycerol production was decreased by zinc supplementations, with the lowest level 3.21 g l(-1), about 58% of the control. Zinc content in yeast cells was about 1.4 microMol g(-1) dry cell weight, about sixfold higher than that of control in all the zinc-supplemented cultures, and close correlation of zinc content in yeast cells with the cell viability against ethanol and heat shock treatment was observed. These studies suggest that exogenous zinc addition led to a reprogramming of cellular metabolic network, resulting in enhanced ethanol tolerance and ethanol production.

Evaluation of Gene Modification Strategies for the Development of Low-Alcohol-Wine Yeasts

PubMed Central

Kutyna, D. R.; Solomon, M. R.; Black, C. A.; Borneman, A.; Henschke, P. A.; Pretorius, I. S.; Chambers, P. J.

2012-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has evolved a highly efficient strategy for energy generation which maximizes ATP energy production from sugar. This adaptation enables efficient energy generation under anaerobic conditions and limits competition from other microorganisms by producing toxic metabolites, such as ethanol and CO2. Yeast fermentative and flavor capacity forms the biotechnological basis of a wide range of alcohol-containing beverages. Largely as a result of consumer demand for improved flavor, the alcohol content of some beverages like wine has increased. However, a global trend has recently emerged toward lowering the ethanol content of alcoholic beverages. One option for decreasing ethanol concentration is to use yeast strains able to divert some carbon away from ethanol production. In the case of wine, we have generated and evaluated a large number of gene modifications that were predicted, or known, to impact ethanol formation. Using the same yeast genetic background, 41 modifications were assessed. Enhancing glycerol production by increasing expression of the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene, GPD1, was the most efficient strategy to lower ethanol concentration. However, additional modifications were needed to avoid negatively affecting wine quality. Two strains carrying several stable, chromosomally integrated modifications showed significantly lower ethanol production in fermenting grape juice. Strain AWRI2531 was able to decrease ethanol concentrations from 15.6% (vol/vol) to 13.2% (vol/vol), whereas AWRI2532 lowered ethanol content from 15.6% (vol/vol) to 12% (vol/vol) in both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon juices. Both strains, however, produced high concentrations of acetaldehyde and acetoin, which negatively affect wine flavor. Further modifications of these strains allowed reduction of these metabolites. PMID:22729542

Lampung natural zeolite filled cellulose acetate membrane for pervaporation of ethanol-water mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iryani, D. A.; Wulandari, N. F.; Cindradewi, AW; Ginting, S. Br; Ernawati, E.; Hasanudin, U.

2018-03-01

Pervaporation of ethanol–water can be cost-competitive in the production of renewable biomass ethanol. For the purpose of improving the pervaporation performance of polymeric membranes, we prepared cellulose acetate (CA) filled Lampung Natural Zeolite (LNZ) membranes by incorporating LNZ into CA for pervaporation separation of ethanol-water mixtures. The characteristics and performance of these filled membranes in the varied ratio of CA:LNZ (30:0, 30:5, 30:10, 30: 20, 20:20 and 40:10) wt% were investigated. The prepared membranes were characterized for pervaporation membrane performance such as %water content and membrane swelling degree. Further, the permeation flux and selectivity of membrane were also observed. The results of investigation show that water content of membrane tends to increase with increase of LNZ content. However, the swelling degree of membrane decrease compared than that of CA control membrane. The permeation flux and the selectivity of membranes tend to increase continuously. The CA membrane with ratio of CA:LNZ 30:20 shows the highest selectivity of 80.42 with a permeation flux of 0.986 kg/(m2 h) and ethanol concentration of 99.08 wt%.

Effects of ethanol on vehicle energy efficiency and implications on ethanol life-cycle greenhouse gas analysis.

PubMed

Yan, Xiaoyu; Inderwildi, Oliver R; King, David A; Boies, Adam M

2013-06-04

Bioethanol is the world's largest-produced alternative to petroleum-derived transportation fuels due to its compatibility within existing spark-ignition engines and its relatively mature production technology. Despite its success, questions remain over the greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of fuel ethanol use with many studies showing significant impacts of differences in land use, feedstock, and refinery operation. While most efforts to quantify life-cycle GHG impacts have focused on the production stage, a few recent studies have acknowledged the effect of ethanol on engine performance and incorporated these effects into the fuel life cycle. These studies have broadly asserted that vehicle efficiency increases with ethanol use to justify reducing the GHG impact of ethanol. These results seem to conflict with the general notion that ethanol decreases the fuel efficiency (or increases the fuel consumption) of vehicles due to the lower volumetric energy content of ethanol when compared to gasoline. Here we argue that due to the increased emphasis on alternative fuels with drastically differing energy densities, vehicle efficiency should be evaluated based on energy rather than volume. When done so, we show that efficiency of existing vehicles can be affected by ethanol content, but these impacts can serve to have both positive and negative effects and are highly uncertain (ranging from -15% to +24%). As a result, uncertainties in the net GHG effect of ethanol, particularly when used in a low-level blend with gasoline, are considerably larger than previously estimated (standard deviations increase by >10% and >200% when used in high and low blends, respectively). Technical options exist to improve vehicle efficiency through smarter use of ethanol though changes to the vehicle fleets and fuel infrastructure would be required. Future biofuel policies should promote synergies between the vehicle and fuel industries in order to maximize the society-wise benefits or minimize the risks of adverse impacts of ethanol.

A novel controlled release ethanol emitter: preparation and effect on some postharvest quality parameters of Chinese bayberry during storage.

PubMed

Mu, Honglei; Gao, Haiyan; Chen, Hangjun; Fang, Xiangjun; Han, Qiang

2017-11-01

Reducing spoilage and prolonging the shelf-life of food materials are both critically important in the food industry. Among the many available preservatives, ethanol has been widely used for the storage of fruits and vegetables. Although a few ethanol emitters are available in the form of antimicrobial packaging, these ethanol emitters demonstrate high volatility, uncontrolled release and other disadvantages, and so the practical applications are limited. A novel ethanol gel with a controlled release rate was prepared by a gelatification reaction between ethanol and sodium stearate to overcome the disadvantage of conventional ethanol emitters. The hardness, adhesiveness and cohesiveness of developed ethanol gels increased, whereas the springiness decreased along with an increase in the sodium stearate concentration. The release rate of ethanol in the gels was controlled by the concentration of sodium stearate, in which a first-order release kinetic was observed. The release rate constant (k) of the gels with 12.5, 37.5, 62.5 g kg -1 of sodium stearate was 0.58 ± 0.029, 0.49 ± 0.035 and 0.41 ± 0.021 h -1 , respectively, at 25 °C. The application of the controlled release ethanol emitter with respect to the storage of Chinese bayberry fruit demonstrated its ability to reduce the decay rate, maintain firmness and inhibit increased malondialdehyde content at 4 °C. In terms of practical applications, an appropriate sodium stearate content can be selected in accordance with the storage period, aiming to achieve precise storage goals. Therefore, the ethanol emitter has potential application prospects as an active packaging for Chinese bayberry fruit, as well as for other perishable products. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

The harmful effects of ethanol on ion transport and cellular respiration.

PubMed

Blachley, J D; Johnson, J H; Knochel, J P

1985-01-01

The deleterious effects of ethanol on a variety of tissues may result largely from altered ion permeabilities and transport. Clinically relevant ethanol concentrations in blood increase the sodium permeability of the plasma membrane and depress active sodium transport by suppressing Na, K-ATPase activity. As a result, intracellular sodium concentration increases. The total tissue content of calcium increases. Important transport mechanisms deranged by ethanol probably include those regulating calcium-sodium and hydrogen-sodium exchange at the plasma membrane and calcium uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum. A modest decline in magnesium content of muscle occurs after chronic exposure to ethanol. This also has been associated with accumulation of calcium. After days to weeks of sustained ethanol intake, sodium pump activity, active sodium transport and tissue oxygen consumption increase. The cell membrane potential, initially lowered by alcohol, increases to supraphysiological levels. This is likely an electrogenic effect of increased sodium transport in response to a sodium leak. Eventually the earlier derangements in tissue composition, including retention of sodium, chloride, and calcium, and reductions in magnesium, potassium, and phosphate, slowly undergo correction. This biphasic response of injury and adaptation appears to depend upon adequate nutrition and the absence of other factors that can adversely affect cell function. That the Na, K-ATPase activity and oxygen consumption remain elevated suggests an ongoing sodium leak of the sarcolemmal membrane. Chronic ethanol-induced cell necrosis may be related to the increased intracellular calcium that accompanies the increase in sodium permeability. Conceivably, critically elevated concentrations of calcium in the cytoplasm may activate autolytic enzymes that in turn may be responsible for structural damage to the cell.

Manufacturing Ethyl Acetate From Fermentation Ethanol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rohatgi, Naresh K.; Ingham, John D.

1991-01-01

Conceptual process uses dilute product of fermentation instead of concentrated ethanol. Low-concentration ethanol, extracted by vacuum from fermentation tank, and acetic acid constitutes feedstock for catalytic reaction. Product of reaction goes through steps that increases ethyl acetate content to 93 percent by weight. To conserve energy, heat exchangers recycle waste heat to preheat process streams at various points.

Heat integrated ethanol dehydration flowsheets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hutahaean, L.S.; Shen, W.H.; Brunt, V. Van

1995-04-01

zA theoretical evaluation of heat-integrated heterogeneous-azeotropic ethanol-water distillation flowsheets is presented. Simulations of two column flowsheets using several different hydrocarbon entrainers reveal a region of potential heat integration and substantial reduction in operating energy. In this paper, methods for comparing hydrocarbon entrainers are shown. Two aspects of entrainers are related to operating and capital costs. The binary azeotropic composition of the entrainer-ethanol mixture is related to the energy requirements of the flowsheet. A temperature difference in the azeotrophic column is related to the size of the column and overall process staging requirements. Although the hydrophobicity of an entrainer is essentialmore » for specification of staging in the dehydration column, no substantial increase in operating energy results from an entrainer that has a higher water content. Likewise, liquid-liquid equilibria between several entrainer-ethanol-water mixtures have no substantial effect on either staging or operation. Rather, increasing the alcohol content of the entrainer-ethanol azeotrope limits its recovery in the dehydration column, and increases the recycle and reflux streams. These effects both contribute to increasing the separation energy requirements and reducing the region of potential heat integration. A cost comparison with a multieffect extractive distillation flowsheet reveals that the costs are comparable; however, the extractive distillation flowsheet is more cost effective as operating costs increase.« less

Enhanced Ethanol Production from De-Ashed Paper Sludge by Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation and Simultaneous Saccharification and Co-Fermentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kang, L.; Wang, W.; Pallapolu, V. R.

2011-11-01

A previous study demonstrated that paper sludges with high ash contents can be converted to ethanol by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) or simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF). High ash content in the sludge, however, limited solid loading in the bioreactor, causing low product concentration. To overcome this problem, sludges were de-ashed before SSF and SSCF. Low ash content in sludges also increased the ethanol yield to the extent that the enzyme dosage required to achieve 70% yield in the fermentation process was reduced by 30%. High solid loading in SSF and SSCF decreased the ethanol yield. High agitation andmore » de-ashing of the sludges were able to restore the part of the yield loss caused by high solid loading. Substitution of the laboratory fermentation medium (peptone and yeast extract) with corn steep liquor did not bring about any adverse effects in the fermentation. Fed-batch operation of the SSCF and SSF using low-ash content sludges was effective in raising the ethanol concentration, achieving 47.8 g/L and 60.0 g/L, respectively.« less

The double peaks and symmetric path phenomena in the catalytic activity of Pd/Al2O3-TiO2 catalysts with different TiO2 contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shen; Guo, Yuyu; Li, Xingying; Wu, Xu; Li, Zhe

2018-06-01

Physicochemical properties of Pd/Al2O3-TiO2 catalysts with different amounts of TiO2 contents were investigated by XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, FTIR, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR and XPS techniques. Catalysts of different compositions were tested in the ethanol oxidation reaction to study the effects of TiO2 contents. Double peaks and symmetric path phenomena were observed at certain temperatures with the increase in TiO2 contents. The symmetric peak phenomena and the diverse activity fluctuations have been ascribed to the controlling factors such as temperature and compositions. With the increase in TiO2 content, the surface area, adsorbed oxygen contents and surface acid quantity decreased gradually. The large surface area and adsorbed oxygen contents were conducive to the performance, while increased acid amounts were not beneficial for ethanol oxidation. At 150 and 175 °C, Pd/AT(X1

Ethanol postpolymerization treatment for improving the biocompatibility of acrylic reline resins.

PubMed

Neves, Cristina B; Lopes, Luís P; Ferrão, Helena F; Miranda, Joana P; Castro, Matilde F; Bettencourt, Ana F

2013-01-01

To evaluate the effect of postpolymerization treatment based on ethanol-aqueous solutions on the residual monomer (RM) content, flexural strength, microhardness, and cytotoxicity of hard chairside reline resins (Kooliner, Ufi Gel Hard). After polymerization, specimens were immersed in water, 20%, 50%, or 70% ethanol solutions at 23°C or 55°C for 10 minutes. Controls were left untreated. HPLC was used for the determination of RM content. Specimens were submitted to Vickers microhardness and 3-point loading flexural strength tests. Cytotoxicity of resin eluates was determined on human fibroblasts by assessing cellular mitochondrial function and lactate dehydrogenase release. Higher concentrations of ethanol promoted lower RM content at 55°C in both materials. The mechanical properties were maintained after 50% and 20% ethanol treatments in Kooliner and Ufi Gel Hard, respectively. Specimens submitted to those treatments showed significant reduction on cytotoxicity compared to immersion in hot water, the treatment of choice in the recent literature. Immersion of relined dentures in specific ethanol solutions at 55°C for 10 minutes can be considered an effective postpolymerization treatment contributing to increase materials biocompatibility. The proposed protocol is expeditious and easy to achieve with simple equipment in a dental office.

Composition and stability of complexes of maleic and succinic acids with Cu2+ ions in water-ethanol solutions at 298 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tukumova, N. V.; Usacheva, T. R.; Thuan, Tran Thi Dieu; Sharnin, V. A.

2014-10-01

The composition and stability of coordination compounds of the anions of maleic (H2L) and succinic (H2Y) acids with copper(II) ions in water-ethanol solutions is studied by means of potentiometric titration at a sodium perchlorate ionic strength of 0.1 and a temperature of 298.15 K. The composition of the water-ethanol solvent was varied from 0 to 0.7 molar parts of ethanol for maleic acid and from 0 to 0.4 molar parts for succinic acid. The stability of monoligand complexes of copper ions with the anions of maleic and succinic acids grows with increase of ethanol concentration from 3.86 to 6.62 for logβCuL and from 2.98 to 6.01 for logβCuY. It is shown that a monotonic rise in stability upon an increase in the content of ethanol in solution is observed, while the values of logβCuL change more sharply. The succinic acid anion forms a stronger complex with copper ions than maleic acid anions do at an ethanol content of 0.4 molar parts. The possibility of the formation of a protonated CuHY+ particle is established.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pihl, Josh A.; Toops, Todd J.; Fisher, Galen B.

Lean gasoline engines running on ethanol/gasoline blends and equipped with a silver/alumina catalyst for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by ethanol provide a pathway to reduced petroleum consumption through both increased biofuel utilization and improved engine efficiency relative to the current stoichiometric gasoline engines that dominate the U.S. light duty vehicle fleet. A pre-commercial silver/alumina catalyst demonstrated high NO x conversions over a moderate temperature window with both neat ethanol and ethanol/gasoline blends containing at least 50% ethanol. Selectivity to NH 3 increases with HC dosing and ethanol content in gasoline blends, but appears to saturate at around 45%.more » NO 2 and acetaldehyde behave like intermediates in the ethanol SCR of NO. NH 3 SCR of NO x does not appear to play a major role in the ethanol SCR reaction mechanism. Ethanol is responsible for the low temperature SCR activity observed with the ethanol/gasoline blends. In conclusion, the gasoline HCs do not deactivate the catalyst ethanol SCR activity, but they also do not appear to be significantly activated by the presence of ethanol.« less

Effect of Extraction Method on the Oxidative Stability of Camelina Seed Oil Studied by Differential Scanning Calorimetry.

PubMed

Belayneh, Henok D; Wehling, Randy L; Cahoon, Edgar B; Ciftci, Ozan N

2017-03-01

Camelina seed is a new alternative omega-3 source attracting growing interest. However, it is susceptible to oxidation due to its high omega-3 content. The objective of this study was to improve the oxidative stability of the camelina seed oil at the extraction stage in order to eliminate or minimize the use of additive antioxidants. Camelina seed oil extracts were enriched in terms of natural antioxidants using ethanol-modified supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ) extraction. Oxidative stability of the camelina seed oils extracted by ethanol modified SC-CO 2 was studied by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and compared with cold press, hexane, and SC-CO 2 methods. Nonisothermal oxidation kinetics of the oils obtained by different extraction methods were studied by DSC at varying heating rates (2.5, 5, 10, and 15 °C/min). Increasing ethanol level in the ethanol-modified SC-CO 2 increased the oxidative stability. Based on oxidation onset temperatures (T on ), SC-CO 2 containing 10% ethanol yielded the most stable oil. Oxidative stability depended on the type and content of the polar fractions, namely, phenolic compounds and phospholipids. Phenolic compounds acted as natural antioxidants, whereas increased phospholipid contents decreased the stability. Study has shown that the oxidative stability of the oils can be improved at the extraction stage and this may eliminate the need for additive antioxidants. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Influence of fiber degradation and concentration of fermentable sugars on simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of high-solids spruce slurry to ethanol.

PubMed

Hoyer, Kerstin; Galbe, Mats; Zacchi, Guido

2013-10-08

Saccharification and fermentation of pretreated lignocellulosic materials, such as spruce, should be performed at high solids contents in order to reduce the cost of the produced bioethanol. However, this has been shown to result in reduced ethanol yields or a complete lack of ethanol production. Previous studies have shown inconsistent results when prehydrolysis is performed at a higher temperature prior to the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of steam-pretreated lignocellulosic materials. In some cases, a significant increase in overall ethanol yield was reported, while in others, a slight decrease in ethanol yield was observed. In order to investigate the influence of prehydrolysis on high-solids SSF of steam-pretreated spruce slurry, in the present study, the presence of fibers and inhibitors, degree of fiber degradation and initial fermentable sugar concentration has been studied. SSF of whole steam-pretreated spruce slurry at a solids content of 13.7% water-insoluble solids (WIS) resulted in a very low overall ethanol yield, mostly due to poor fermentation. The yeast was, however, able to ferment the washed slurry and the liquid fraction of the pretreated slurry. Performing prehydrolysis at 48°C for 22 hours prior to SSF of the whole pretreated slurry increased the overall ethanol yield from 3.9 to 62.1%. The initial concentration of fermentable sugars in SSF could not explain the increase in ethanol yield in SSF with prehydrolysis. Although the viscosity of the material did not appear to decrease significantly during prehydrolysis, the degradation of the fibers prior to the addition of the yeast had a positive effect on ethanol yield when using whole steam-pretreated spruce slurry. The results of the present study suggest that the increase in ethanol yield from SSF when performing prehydrolysis is a result of fiber degradation rather than a decrease in viscosity. The increased concentration of fermentable sugars at the beginning of the fermentation phase in SSF following prehydrolysis did not affect the overall ethanol yield in the present study.

The Effects of Ethanol on the Morphological and Biochemical Properties of Individual Human Red Blood Cells.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Yun; Park, Hyun Joo; Best-Popescu, Catherine; Jang, Seongsoo; Park, Yong Keun

2015-01-01

Here, we report the results of a study on the effects of ethanol exposure on human red blood cells (RBCs) using quantitative phase imaging techniques at the level of individual cells. Three-dimensional refractive index tomograms and dynamic membrane fluctuations of RBCs were measured using common-path diffraction optical tomography, from which morphological (volume, surface area, and sphericity); biochemical (hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and Hb content); and biomechanical (membrane fluctuation) parameters were retrieved at various concentrations of ethanol. RBCs exposed to the ethanol concentration of 0.1 and 0.3% v/v exhibited cell sphericities higher than those of normal cells. However, mean surface area and sphericity of RBCs in a lethal alcoholic condition (0.5% v/v) are not statistically different with those of healthy RBCs. Meanwhile, significant decreases of Hb content and concentration in RBC cytoplasm at the lethal condition were observed. Furthermore, dynamic fluctuation of RBC membranes increased significantly upon ethanol treatments, indicating ethanol-induced membrane fluidization.

Thai plants with high antioxidant levels, free radical scavenging activity, anti-tyrosinase and anti-collagenase activity.

PubMed

Chatatikun, Moragot; Chiabchalard, Anchalee

2017-11-09

Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight induces overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in skin photoaging and hyperpigmentation disorders. Novel whitening and anti-wrinkle compounds from natural products have recently become of increasing interest. The purpose of this study was to find products that reduce ROS in 14 Thai plant extracts. To determine total phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, anti-tyrosinase activity and anti-collagenase activity, we compared extracts of 14 Thai plants prepared using different solvents (petroleum ether, dichloromethane and ethanol). Antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH and ABTS assays. Total phenolic content of the 14 Thai plants extracts was found at the highest levels in ethanol followed by dichloromethane and petroleum ether extracts, respectively, while flavonoid content was normally found in the dichloromethane fraction. Scavenging activity ranged from 7 to 99% scavenging as assessed by DPPH and ABTS assays. The ethanol leaf extract of Ardisia elliptica Thunb. had the highest phenolic content, antioxidant activity and collagenase inhibition, while Cassia alata (L.) Roxb. extract had the richest flavonoid content. Interestingly, three plants extracts, which were the ethanolic fractions of Annona squamosa L., Ardisia elliptica Thunb. and Senna alata (L.) Roxb., had high antioxidant content and activity, and significantly inhibited both tyrosinase and collagenase. Our finding show that the ethanol fractions of Annona squamosa L., Ardisia elliptica Thunb. and Senna alata (L.) Roxb. show promise as potential ingredients for cosmetic products such as anti-wrinkle agents and skin whitening products.

Field findings about milk ethanol stability: a first report of interrelationship between α-lactalbumin and lactose.

PubMed

Fagnani, Rafael; de Araújo, João Paulo Andrade; Botaro, Bruno Garcia

2018-05-01

Milk ethanol stability is not only associated with microbiological acidification, but is a phenomenon with many variables that influence the balance of soluble salts, mainly calcium ion activity. On this basis, we wanted to find out more about milk ethanol stability by studying its relationship with milk protein fractions and others major components. The influence of milk composition on ethanol stability was assessed through a predictive model comprising 180 individual raw milk samples. An additional model was used to assess the ethanol stability status as a response to the proteins fractions quantified by electrophoresis. Of the total samples, 68% were classified as stable and 32% as unstable to alcohol. Milk ethanol instability increased at low values of lactose content and high values of ash percentage. α-Lactalbumin (α-La) was also associated with ethanol stability, and the higher the α-La percentage the lower were the chances of ethanol instability. The lower values of α-La in unstable milk samples might be related to lower content of lactose, as α-La promotes lactose synthesis, a key component for the osmotic balance of milk and thus its ethanol stability. This is the first field report linking ethanol stability indirectly with α-La. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Grain sorghum is a viable feedstock for ethanol production.

PubMed

Wang, D; Bean, S; McLaren, J; Seib, P; Madl, R; Tuinstra, M; Shi, Y; Lenz, M; Wu, X; Zhao, R

2008-05-01

Sorghum is a major cereal crop in the USA. However, sorghum has been underutilized as a renewable feedstock for bioenergy. The goal of this research was to improve the bioconversion efficiency for biofuels and biobased products from processed sorghum. The main focus was to understand the relationship among "genetics-structure-function-conversion" and the key factors impacting ethanol production, as well as to develop an energy life cycle analysis model (ELCAM) to quantify and prioritize the saving potential from factors identified in this research. Genetic lines with extremely high and low ethanol fermentation efficiency and some specific attributes that may be manipulated to improve the bioconversion rate of sorghum were identified. In general, ethanol yield increased as starch content increased. However, no linear relationship between starch content and fermentation efficiency was found. Key factors affecting the ethanol fermentation efficiency of sorghum include protein digestibility, level of extractable proteins, protein and starch interaction, mash viscosity, amount of phenolic compounds, ratio of amylose to amylopectin, and formation of amylose-lipid complexes in the mash. A platform ELCAM with a base case showed a positive net energy value (NEV) = 25,500 Btu/gal EtOH. ELCAM cases were used to identify factors that most impact sorghum use. For example, a yield increase of 40 bu/ac resulted in NEV increasing from 7 million to 12 million Btu/ac. An 8% increase in starch provided an incremental 1.2 million Btu/ac.

Ethanol yield and volatile compound content in fermentation of agave must by Kluyveromyces marxianus UMPe-1 comparing with Saccharomyces cerevisiae baker's yeast used in tequila production.

PubMed

López-Alvarez, Arnoldo; Díaz-Pérez, Alma Laura; Sosa-Aguirre, Carlos; Macías-Rodríguez, Lourdes; Campos-García, Jesús

2012-05-01

In tequila production, fermentation is an important step. Fermentation determines the ethanol productivity and organoleptic properties of the beverage. In this study, a yeast isolated from native residual agave must was identified as Kluyveromyces marxianus UMPe-1 by 26S rRNA sequencing. This yeast was compared with the baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pan1. Our findings demonstrate that the UMPe-1 yeast was able to support the sugar content of agave must and glucose up to 22% (w/v) and tolerated 10% (v/v) ethanol concentration in the medium with 50% cells survival. Pilot and industrial fermentation of agave must tests showed that the K. marxianus UMPe-1 yeast produced ethanol with yields of 94% and 96% with respect to fermentable sugar content (glucose and fructose, constituting 98%). The S. cerevisiae Pan1 baker's yeast, however, which is commonly used in some tequila factories, showed 76% and 70% yield. At the industrial level, UMPe-1 yeast shows a maximum velocity of fermentable sugar consumption of 2.27g·L(-1)·h(-1) and ethanol production of 1.38g·L(-1)·h(-1), providing 58.78g ethanol·L(-1) at 72h fermentation, which corresponds to 96% yield. In addition, the major and minor volatile compounds in the tequila beverage obtained from UMPe-1 yeast were increased. Importantly, 29 volatile compounds were identified, while the beverage obtained from Pan1-yeast contained fewer compounds and in lower concentrations. The results suggest that the K. marxianus UMPe-1 is a suitable yeast for agave must fermentation, showing high ethanol productivity and increased volatile compound content comparing with a S. cerevisiae baker's yeast used in tequila production. Copyright © 2012 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cardiac myocyte exosomes: stability, HSP60, and proteomics.

PubMed

Malik, Z A; Kott, K S; Poe, A J; Kuo, T; Chen, L; Ferrara, K W; Knowlton, A A

2013-04-01

Exosomes, which are 50- to 100-nm-diameter lipid vesicles, have been implicated in intercellular communication, including transmitting malignancy, and as a way for viral particles to evade detection while spreading to new cells. Previously, we demonstrated that adult cardiac myocytes release heat shock protein (HSP)60 in exosomes. Extracellular HSP60, when not in exosomes, causes cardiac myocyte apoptosis via the activation of Toll-like receptor 4. Thus, release of HSP60 from exosomes would be damaging to the surrounding cardiac myocytes. We hypothesized that 1) pathological changes in the environment, such as fever, change in pH, or ethanol consumption, would increase exosome permeability; 2) different exosome inducers would result in different exosomal protein content; 3) ethanol at "physiological" concentrations would cause exosome release; and 4) ROS production is an underlying mechanism of increased exosome production. We found the following: first, exosomes retained their protein cargo under different physiological/pathological conditions, based on Western blot analyses. Second, mass spectrometry demonstrated that the protein content of cardiac exosomes differed significantly from other types of exosomes in the literature and contained cytosolic, sarcomeric, and mitochondrial proteins. Third, ethanol did not affect exosome stability but greatly increased the production of exosomes by cardiac myocytes. Fourth, ethanol- and hypoxia/reoxygenation-derived exosomes had different protein content. Finally, ROS inhibition reduced exosome production but did not completely inhibit it. In conclusion, exosomal protein content is influenced by the cell source and stimulus for exosome formation. ROS stimulate exosome production. The functions of exosomes remain to be fully elucidated.

Evaluation of the fermentation of high gravity thick sugar beet juice worts for efficient bioethanol production

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Sugar beet and intermediates of sugar beet processing are considered to be very attractive feedstock for ethanol production due to their content of fermentable sugars. In particular, the processing of the intermediates into ethanol is considerably facilitated because it does not require pretreatment or enzymatic treatment in contrast to production from starch raw materials. Moreover, the advantage of thick juice is high solid substance and saccharose content which eliminates problems with the storability of this feedstock. Results The objective of this study were to investigate bioethanol production from thick juice worts and the effects of their concentration, the type of mineral supplement, as well as the dose of yeast inoculum on fermentation dynamics and ethanol yield. The obtained results show that to ensure efficient ethanolic fermentation of high gravity thick juice worts, one needs to use a yeast strain with high ethanol tolerance and a large amount of inoculum. The highest ethanol yield (94.9 ± 2.8% of the theoretical yield) and sugars intake of 96.5 ± 2.9% were obtained after the fermentation of wort with an extract content of 250 g/kg supplemented with diammonium hydrogen phosphate (0.3 g/L of wort) and inoculated with 2 g of Ethanol Red dry yeast per L of wort. An increase in extract content in the fermentation medium from 250 g/L to 280 g/kg resulted in decreased efficiency of the process. Also the distillates originating from worts with an extract content of 250 g/kg were characterized by lower acetaldehyde concentration than those obtained from worts with an extract content of 280 g/kg. Conclusions Under the favorable conditions determined in our experiments, 38.9 ± 1.2 L of 100% (v/v) ethyl alcohol can be produced from 100 kg of thick juice. The obtained results show that the selection of process conditions and the yeast for the fermentation of worts with a higher sugar content can improve the economic performance of the alcohol-distilling industry due to more efficient ethanol production, reduced consumption of cooling water, and energy for ethanol distillation, as well as a decreased volume of fermentation stillage. PMID:24206573

Evaluation of the fermentation of high gravity thick sugar beet juice worts for efficient bioethanol production.

PubMed

Dziugan, Piotr; Balcerek, Maria; Pielech-Przybylska, Katarzyna; Patelski, Piotr

2013-11-08

Sugar beet and intermediates of sugar beet processing are considered to be very attractive feedstock for ethanol production due to their content of fermentable sugars. In particular, the processing of the intermediates into ethanol is considerably facilitated because it does not require pretreatment or enzymatic treatment in contrast to production from starch raw materials. Moreover, the advantage of thick juice is high solid substance and saccharose content which eliminates problems with the storability of this feedstock. The objective of this study were to investigate bioethanol production from thick juice worts and the effects of their concentration, the type of mineral supplement, as well as the dose of yeast inoculum on fermentation dynamics and ethanol yield.The obtained results show that to ensure efficient ethanolic fermentation of high gravity thick juice worts, one needs to use a yeast strain with high ethanol tolerance and a large amount of inoculum. The highest ethanol yield (94.9 ± 2.8% of the theoretical yield) and sugars intake of 96.5 ± 2.9% were obtained after the fermentation of wort with an extract content of 250 g/kg supplemented with diammonium hydrogen phosphate (0.3 g/L of wort) and inoculated with 2 g of Ethanol Red dry yeast per L of wort. An increase in extract content in the fermentation medium from 250 g/L to 280 g/kg resulted in decreased efficiency of the process. Also the distillates originating from worts with an extract content of 250 g/kg were characterized by lower acetaldehyde concentration than those obtained from worts with an extract content of 280 g/kg. Under the favorable conditions determined in our experiments, 38.9 ± 1.2 L of 100% (v/v) ethyl alcohol can be produced from 100 kg of thick juice. The obtained results show that the selection of process conditions and the yeast for the fermentation of worts with a higher sugar content can improve the economic performance of the alcohol-distilling industry due to more efficient ethanol production, reduced consumption of cooling water, and energy for ethanol distillation, as well as a decreased volume of fermentation stillage.

Effect of age increase on metabolism and toxicity of ethanol in female rats.

PubMed

Kim, Young C; Kim, Sung Y; Sohn, Young R

2003-12-12

Age-dependent change in the effects of acute ethanol administration on female rat liver was investigated. Female Sprague-Dawley rats, each aged 4, 12, or 50 weeks, received ethanol (2 g/kg) via a catheter inserted into a jugular vein. Ethanol elimination rate (EER), most rapid in the 4 weeks old rats, was decreased as the age advanced. Hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase activity was not altered by age, but microsomal p-nitrophenol hydroxylase activity was significantly greater in the 4 weeks old rats. Relative liver weight decreased with age increase in proportion to reduction of EER. Hepatic triglyceride and malondialdehyde concentrations increased spontaneously in the 50 weeks old nai;ve rats. Ethanol administration (3 g/kg, ip) elevated malondialdehyde and triglyceride contents only in the 4 and the 12 weeks old rats. Hepatic glutathione concentration was increasingly reduced by ethanol with age increase. Ethanol decreased cysteine concentration in the 4 weeks old rats, but elevated it significantly in the older rats. Inhibition of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase activity by ethanol was greater with age increase, which appeared to be responsible for the increase in hepatic cysteine. The results indicate that age does not affect the ethanol metabolizing capacity of female rat liver, but the overall ethanol metabolism is decreased in accordance with the reduction of relative liver size. Accordingly induction of acute alcoholic fatty liver is less significant in the old rats. However, progressively greater depletion of glutathione by ethanol in older rats suggests that susceptibility of liver to oxidative damage would be increased as animals grow old.

Antioxidant Activity of Brown Soybean Ethanolic Extracts and Application to Cooked Pork Patties.

PubMed

Lee, Choong-Hee; Hwang, Ko-Eun; Kim, Hyun-Wook; Song, Dong-Heon; Kim, Yong-Jae; Ham, Youn-Kyung; Choi, Yun-Sang; Jang, Sung-Jin; Jeong, Tae-Jun; Kim, Cheon-Jei

2016-01-01

The brown soybean extract (BE, extracted by distilled water, 50%, 75%, and 95% ethanol) were analyzed for their total phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin content, and DPPH radical-scavenging activity to determine antioxidant activities. Brown soybean extract with 75% ethanol showed significantly higher DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenol and anthocyanin content compared to the other treatments (p<0.05). Then, brown soybean extract with 75% ethanol was applied to pork patties at different concentration (0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2%) and lipid oxidation was evaluated during 15 d of refrigerated storage. Addition of BE significantly increased redness and pH values, respectively (p<0.05). Moreover, TBARS value of pork patties decreased significantly (p<0.05) as BE concentration increased. In sensory evaluation, pork patties with 0.1% BE had significantly higher score than other treatments in flavor and overall acceptability (p<0.05). Consequently, these results indicate that 0.1% BE could be an effective natural antioxidant to inhibit lipid oxidation in pork patties.

Native defects in silver orthophosphate and their effects on photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulaeman, Uyi; Hermawan, Dadan; Andreas, Roy; Abdullah, Ahmad Zuhairi; Yin, Shu

2018-01-01

Native defects in silver orthophosphate could be generated by simple co-precipitation method under ethanol-aqueous solution using AgNO3 and Na2HPO4.12H2O. AgNO3 ethanol-aqueous solution with the ethanol contents of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90% and 100% was reacted with Na2HPO4 aqueous solution. The produced catalysts were characterized using XRD, DRS, FE-SEM, BET specific surface area and XPS. The increase of ethanol content in the synthesis process decreased the Ag/P atomic ratio of Ag3PO4. The native defects of silver vacancy might be generated on the surface of Ag3PO4. The activity of Ag3PO4 for Rhodamine B degradation dramatically increased by 5.8 times higher compared to that of the pristine Ag3PO4. The defect states of Ag vacancies enhanced the separation of electron-hole pairs, leading to the improvement of photocatalytic activity.

Ethanol Postpolymerization Treatment for Improving the Biocompatibility of Acrylic Reline Resins

PubMed Central

Neves, Cristina B.; Lopes, Luís P.; Ferrão, Helena F.; Miranda, Joana P.; Castro, Matilde F.; Bettencourt, Ana F.

2013-01-01

Objective. To evaluate the effect of postpolymerization treatment based on ethanol-aqueous solutions on the residual monomer (RM) content, flexural strength, microhardness, and cytotoxicity of hard chairside reline resins (Kooliner, Ufi Gel Hard). Methods. After polymerization, specimens were immersed in water, 20%, 50%, or 70% ethanol solutions at 23°C or 55°C for 10 minutes. Controls were left untreated. HPLC was used for the determination of RM content. Specimens were submitted to Vickers microhardness and 3-point loading flexural strength tests. Cytotoxicity of resin eluates was determined on human fibroblasts by assessing cellular mitochondrial function and lactate dehydrogenase release. Results. Higher concentrations of ethanol promoted lower RM content at 55°C in both materials. The mechanical properties were maintained after 50% and 20% ethanol treatments in Kooliner and Ufi Gel Hard, respectively. Specimens submitted to those treatments showed significant reduction on cytotoxicity compared to immersion in hot water, the treatment of choice in the recent literature. Significance. Immersion of relined dentures in specific ethanol solutions at 55°C for 10 minutes can be considered an effective postpolymerization treatment contributing to increase materials biocompatibility. The proposed protocol is expeditious and easy to achieve with simple equipment in a dental office. PMID:23971038

Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of ethanolic extract of Caesalpinia bonducella seeds.

PubMed

Shukla, Shruti; Mehta, Archana; John, Jinu; Singh, Siddharth; Mehta, Pradeep; Vyas, Suresh Prasad

2009-08-01

The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro potential of ethanolic extract of Caesalpinia bonducella seeds as a natural antioxidant. The DPPH activity of the extract (20, 40, 50, 100 and 200 microg/ml) was increased in a dose dependent manner, which was found in the range of 38.93-74.77% as compared to ascorbic acid (64.26-82.58%). The IC(50) values of ethanolic extract and ascorbic acid in DPPH radical scavenging assay were obtained to be 74.73 and 26.68 microg/ml, respectively. The ethanolic extract was also found to scavenge the superoxide generated by EDTA/NBT system. Measurement of total phenolic content of the ethanolic extract of C. bonducella was achieved using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent containing 62.50mg/g of phenolic content, which was found significantly higher when compared to reference standard gallic acid. The ethanolic extract also inhibited the hydroxyl radical, nitric oxide, superoxide anions with IC(50) values of 109.85, 102.65 and 89.84 microg/ml, respectively. However, the IC(50) values for the standard ascorbic acid were noted to be 70.79, 65.98 and 36.68 microg/ml respectively. The results obtained in this study clearly indicate that C. bonducella has a significant potential to use as a natural antioxidant agent.

Prenatal ethanol exposure modifies locomotor activity and induces selective changes in Met-enk expression in adolescent rats.

PubMed

Abate, P; Reyes-Guzmán, A C; Hernández-Fonseca, K; Méndez, M

2017-04-01

Several studies suggest that prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) facilitates ethanol intake. Opioid peptides play a main role in ethanol reinforcement during infancy and adulthood. However, PEE effects upon motor responsiveness elicited by an ethanol challenge and the participation of opioids in these actions remain to be understood. This work assessed the susceptibility of adolescent rats to prenatal and/or postnatal ethanol exposure in terms of behavioral responses, as well as alcohol effects on Met-enk expression in brain areas related to drug reinforcement. Motor parameters (horizontal locomotion, rearings and stereotyped behaviors) in pre- and postnatally ethanol-challenged adolescents were evaluated. Pregnant rats received ethanol (2g/kg) or water during gestational days 17-20. Adolescents at postnatal day 30 (PD30) were tested in a three-trial activity paradigm (habituation, vehicle and drug sessions). Met-enk content was quantitated by radioimmunoassay in several regions: ventral tegmental area [VTA], nucleus accumbens [NAcc], prefrontal cortex [PFC], substantia nigra [SN], caudate-putamen [CP], amygdala, hypothalamus and hippocampus. PEE significantly reduced rearing responses. Ethanol challenge at PD30 decreased horizontal locomotion and showed a tendency to reduce rearings and stereotyped behaviors. PEE increased Met-enk content in the PFC, CP, hypothalamus and hippocampus, but did not alter peptide levels in the amygdala, VTA and NAcc. These findings suggest that PEE selectively modifies behavioral parameters at PD30 and induces specific changes in Met-enk content in regions of the mesocortical and nigrostriatal pathways, the hypothalamus and hippocampus. Prenatal and postnatal ethanol actions on motor activity in adolescents could involve activation of specific neural enkephalinergic pathways. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the Average Price and Ethanol Content of Alcoholic Beverages by Brand – United States, 2011

PubMed Central

DiLoreto, Joanna T.; Siegel, Michael; Hinchey, Danielle; Valerio, Heather; Kinzel, Kathryn; Lee, Stephanie; Chen, Kelsey; Shoaff, Jessica Ruhlman; Kenney, Jessica; Jernigan, David H.; DeJong, William

2011-01-01

Background There are no existing data on alcoholic beverage prices and ethanol content at the level of alcohol brand. A comprehensive understanding of alcohol prices and ethanol content at the brand level is essential for the development of effective public policy to reduce alcohol use among underage youth. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively assess alcoholic beverage prices and ethanol content at the brand level. Methods Using online alcohol price data from 15 control states and 164 online alcohol stores, we estimated the average alcohol price and percentage alcohol by volume for 900 brands of alcohol, across 17 different alcoholic beverage types, in the United States in 2011. Results There is considerable variation in both brand-specific alcohol prices and ethanol content within most alcoholic beverage types. For many types of alcohol, the within-category variation between brands exceeds the variation in average price and ethanol content among the several alcoholic beverage types. Despite differences in average prices between alcoholic beverage types, in 12 of the 16 alcoholic beverage types, customers can purchase at least one brand of alcohol that is under one dollar per ounce of ethanol. Conclusions Relying on data or assumptions about alcohol prices and ethanol content at the level of alcoholic beverage type is insufficient for understanding and influencing youth drinking behavior. Surveillance of alcohol prices and ethanol content at the brand level should become a standard part of alcohol research. PMID:22316218

Soursop (Annona muricata) vinegar production and its chemical compositions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Chin Wai; Lazim, Azwan Mat; Fazry, Shazrul; Zaki, Umi Kalsum Hj Hussain; Lim, Seng Joe

2016-11-01

Vinegar is a liquid product that undergoes double fermentations, which are alcoholic and acetous fermentation. Sugar source was converted to ethanol in alcoholic fermentation, meanwhile ethanol was oxidised to acetic acid during acetous fermentation. Soursop (Annona muricata) was the starting material in this study, as it is easily available in Malaysia. Its highly aromatic, juicy and distinctive flavours enables the production of high quality vinegar. The objective of this research is to produce good quality soursop vinegar as an innovative method to preserve and utilise the soursop fruit in Malaysia and to determine its chemical compositions. It was found that the sugar content reduces over time, and it is inversely proportional to the ethanol concentration, due to the production of ethanol from sugar. Acetic acid was also found to increase with increasing fermentation time. pH showed no significant difference (p>0.05) in the reduction of sugar and the production of ethanol. However, significantly higher (p<0.05) production of acetic acid was observed at pH 5.0 and 5.5, compared to that at pH 4.5. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in Vitamin C contents in all soursop vinegar samples produced using different treatments.

Reduction of salt content of fish sauce by ethanol treatment.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Xu, Ying; He, Xiaoxia; Wang, Dongfeng; Hu, Shiwei; Li, Shijie; Jiang, Wei

2017-08-01

Fish sauce is a traditional condiment in Southeast Asia, normally containing high concentration of salt. The solubility of salt is lower in ethanol than in water. In the present study, fish sauce was desalted by ethanol treatment (including the processes of ethanol addition, mixing, standing and rotary evaporation). The salt concentration of fish sauce decreased significantly from 29.72 to 19.72 g/100 mL when the treated ethanol concentration was 21% (v/v). The addition of more than 12% (v/v) of ethanol significantly reduced dry weight, total soluble nitrogen content and amino acids nitrogen content. Besides, the quality of fish sauce remained first grade if no more than 21% (v/v) of ethanol was used. Furthermore, sensory analyses showed that ethanol treatment significantly reduced the taste of salty and the odor of ammonia. This study demonstrates that ethanol treatment is a potential way to decrease salt content in fish sauce, which meanwhile limits the losses of nutritional and sensorial values within an acceptable range.

Ethanol Blend Effects On Direct Injection Spark-Ignition Gasoline Vehicle Particulate Matter Emissions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Storey, John Morse; Lewis Sr, Samuel Arthur; Barone, Teresa L

2010-01-01

Direct injection spark-ignition (DISI) gasoline engines can offer better fuel economy and higher performance over their port fuel-injected counterparts, and are now appearing increasingly in more U.S. vehicles. Small displacement, turbocharged DISI engines are likely to be used in lieu of large displacement engines, particularly in light-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles, to meet fuel economy standards for 2016. In addition to changes in gasoline engine technology, fuel composition may increase in ethanol content beyond the 10% allowed by current law due to the Renewable Fuels Standard passed as part of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). Inmore » this study, we present the results of an emissions analysis of a U.S.-legal stoichiometric, turbocharged DISI vehicle, operating on ethanol blends, with an emphasis on detailed particulate matter (PM) characterization. Gaseous species, particle mass, and particle number concentration emissions were measured for the Federal Test Procedure urban driving cycle (FTP 75) and the more aggressive US06 cycle. Particle number-size distributions and organic to elemental carbon ratios (OC/EC) were measured for 30 MPH and 80 MPH steady-state operation. In addition, particle number concentration was measured during wide open throttle accelerations (WOTs) and gradual accelerations representative of the FTP 75. For the gaseous species and particle mass measurements, dilution was carried out using a full flow constant volume sampling system (CVS). For the particle number concentration and size distribution measurements, a micro-tunnel dilution system was employed. The vehicles were fueled by a standard test gasoline and 10% (E10) and 20% (E20) ethanol blends from the same supplier. The particle mass emissions were approximately 3 and 7 mg/mile for the FTP75 and US06, respectively, with lower emissions for the ethanol blends. During steady-state operation, the geometric mean diameter of the particle-number size distribution remained approximately the same (50 nm) but the particle number concentration decreased with increasing ethanol content in the fuel. In addition, increasing ethanol content significantly reduced the number concentration of 50 and 100 nm particles during gradual and WOT accelerations.« less

Ethanol induces taurine release in the amygdala: an in vivo microdialysis study.

PubMed

Quertemont, E; Dahchour, A; Ward, R J; Witte, P

1999-01-01

The effect of acute IP ethanol injections on the extracellular aspartate, glutamate, taurine and GABA content of the basolateral amygdala microdialysate was investigated in relationship with total brain ethanol. Each acute intraperitoneal injection of ethanol, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g/kg body weight, induced an immediate increase in microdialysate taurine; both 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg ethanol evoked an increase during the first 20 minutes following injection which returned to baseline value by 40 minutes, despite the fact that ethanol was detectable in the brain until 60 or 120 minutes, respectively. After either 2.0 or 3.0 g/kg ethanol there was an increase in taurine of gradual intensity which gradually declined to reach baseline values by 100 minutes. In contrast, the ethanol concentration for 2.0 g/kg remained elevated at the end of the 120 minutes; approximately 25 mg ethanol/mg protein. The stimulated release of taurine within the amygdala could participate in the regulation of ethanoli-nduced changes in osmolarity, since taurine is postulated to act as an osmoregulator in the brain. Taurine could also mediate or interact with ethanol-induced central nervous system effects, as it exerts a modulatory action on cell excitability and neurotransmitter processes.

Multivariate Classification of Original and Fake Perfumes by Ion Analysis and Ethanol Content.

PubMed

Gomes, Clêrton L; de Lima, Ari Clecius A; Loiola, Adonay R; da Silva, Abel B R; Cândido, Manuela C L; Nascimento, Ronaldo F

2016-07-01

The increased marketing of fake perfumes has encouraged us to investigate how to identify such products by their chemical characteristics and multivariate analysis. The aim of this study was to present an alternative approach to distinguish original from fake perfumes by means of the investigation of sodium, potassium, chloride ions, and ethanol contents by chemometric tools. For this, 50 perfumes were used (25 original and 25 counterfeit) for the analysis of ions (ion chromatography) and ethanol (gas chromatography). The results demonstrated that the fake perfume had low levels of ethanol and high levels of chloride compared to the original product. The data were treated by chemometric tools such as principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis. This study proved that the analysis of ethanol is an effective method of distinguishing original from the fake products, and it may potentially be used to assist legal authorities in such cases. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Effect of ethanol-gasoline blends on small engine generator energy efficiency and exhaust emission.

PubMed

Lin, Wen-Yinn; Chang, Yuan-Yi; Hsieh, You-Ru

2010-02-01

This study was focused on fuel energy efficiency and pollution analysis of different ratios of ethanol-gasoline blended fuels (E0, E3, E6, and E9) under different loadings. In this research, the experimental system consisted of a small engine generator, a particulate matter measurement system, and an exhaust gas analyzer system. Different fuels, unleaded gasoline, and ethanol-gasoline blends (E0, E3, E6, and E9) were used to study their effects on the exhaust gas emission and were expressed as thermal efficiency of the small engine generator energy efficiency. The results suggested that particle number concentration increased as the engine loading increased; however, it decreased as the ethanol content in the blend increased. While using E6 as fuel, the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration was less than other fuels (E0, E3, and E9) for each engine loading. The average of CO concentration reduction by using E3, E6, and E9 is 42, 86, and 83%, respectively. Using an ethanol-gasoline blend led to a significant reduction in exhaust emissions by approximately 78.7, 97.5, and 89.46% of the mean average values of hydrocarbons (HCs) with E3, E6, and E9 fuels, respectively, for all engine loadings. Using an ethanol-gasoline blend led to a significant reduction in exhaust emissions by approximately 35, 86, and 77% of the mean average values of nitrogen oxides (NOx) with E3, E6, and E9 fuels, respectively, at each engine loading. The E6 fuel gave the best results of the exhaust emissions, and the E9 fuel gave the best results of the particle emissions and engine performance. The thermal efficiency of the small engine generator increased as the ethanol content in the blend increased and as the engine loading increased.

Ethanol increases GABAergic transmission at both pre- and postsynaptic sites in rat central amygdala neurons

PubMed Central

Roberto, Marisa; Madamba, Samuel G.; Moore, Scott D.; Tallent, Melanie K.; Siggins, George R.

2003-01-01

We examined the interaction of ethanol with the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system in neurons of slices of the rat central amygdala nucleus (CeA), a brain region thought to be critical for the reinforcing effects of ethanol. Brief superfusion of 11–66 mM ethanol significantly increased GABA type A (GABAA) receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) and currents (IPSCs) in most CeA neurons, with a low apparent EC50 of 20 mM. Acute superfusion of 44 mM ethanol increased the amplitude of evoked GABAA IPSPs and IPSCs in 70% of CeA neurons. The ethanol enhancement of IPSPs and IPSCs occurred to a similar extent in the presence of the GABA type B (GABAB) receptor antagonist CGP 55845A, suggesting that this receptor is not involved in the ethanol effect on CeA neurons. Ethanol superfusion also decreased paired-pulse facilitation of evoked GABAA IPSPs and IPSCs and always increased the frequency and sometimes the amplitude of spontaneous miniature GABAA IPSCs as well as responses to local GABA application, indicating both presynaptic and postsynaptic sites of action for ethanol. Thus, the CeA is the first brain region to reveal, without conditional treatments such as GABAB antagonists, consistent, low-dose ethanol enhancement of GABAergic transmission at both pre- and postsynaptic sites. These findings add further support to the contention that the ethanol–GABA interaction in CeA plays an important role in the reinforcing effects of ethanol. PMID:12566570

Recent Advances on Bioethanol Dehydration using Zeolite Membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makertihartha, I. G. B. N.; Dharmawijaya, P. T.; Wenten, I. G.

2017-07-01

Renewable energy has gained increasing attention throughout the world. Bioethanol has the potential to replace existing fossil fuel usage without much modification in existing facilities. Bioethanol which generally produced from fermentation route produces low ethanol concentration. However, fuel grade ethanol requires low water content to avoid engine stall. Dehydration process has been increasingly important in fuel grade ethanol production. Among all dehydration processes, pervaporation is considered as the most promising technology. Zeolite possesses high potential in pervaporation of bioethanol into fuel grade ethanol. Zeolite membrane can either remove organic (ethanol) from aqueous mixture or water from the mixture, depending on the framework used. Hydrophilic zeolite membrane, e.g. LTA, can easily remove water from the mixture leaving high ethanol concentration. On the other hand, hydrophobic zeolite membrane, e.g. silicate-1, can remove ethanol from aqueous solution. This review presents the concept of bioethanol dehydration using zeolite membrane. Special attention is given to the performance of selected pathway related to framework selection.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Bio-Oils From Microwave Pyrolysis of Corn Stover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Fei; Deng, Shaobo; Chen, Paul; Liu, Yuhuan; Wan, Yiqin; Olson, Andrew; Kittelson, David; Ruan, Roger

This study was aimed to understand the physical and chemical properties of pyrolytic bio-oils produced from microwave pyrolysis of corn stover regarding their potential use as gas turbine and home heating fuels. The ash content, solids content, pH, heating value, minerals, elemental ratio, moisture content, and viscosity of the bio-oils were determined. The water content was approx 15.2 wt%, solids content 0.22 wt%, alkali metal content 12 parts per million, dynamic viscosity 185 mPa·s at 40°C, and gross high heating value 17.5 MJ/kg for a typical bio-oil produced. Our aging tests showed that the viscosity and water content increased and phase separation occurred during the storage at different temperatures. Adding methanol and/or ethanol to the bio-oils reduced the viscosity and slowed down the increase in viscosity and water content during the storage. Blending of methanol or ethanol with the bio-oils may be a simple and cost-effective approach to making the pyrolytic bio-oils into a stable gas turbine or home heating fuels.

Physical and chemical properties of bio-oils from microwave pyrolysis of corn stover.

PubMed

Yu, Fei; Deng, Shaobo; Chen, Paul; Liu, Yuhuan; Wan, Yiqin; Olson, Andrew; Kittelson, David; Ruan, Roger

2007-04-01

This study was aimed to understand the physical and chemical properties of pyrolytic bio-oils produced from microwave pyrolysis of corn stover regarding their potential use as gas turbine and home heating fuels. The ash content, solids content, pH, heating value, minerals, elemental ratio, moisture content, and viscosity of the bio-oils were determined. The water content was approx 15.2 wt%, solids content 0.22 wt%, alkali metal content 12 parts per million, dynamic viscosity 185 mPa.s at 40 degrees C, and gross high heating value 17.5 MJ/kg for a typical bio-oil produced. Our aging tests showed that the viscosity and water content increased and phase separation occurred during the storage at different temperatures. Adding methanol and/or ethanol to the bio-oils reduced the viscosity and slowed down the increase in viscosity and water content during the storage. Blending of methanol or ethanol with the bio-oils may be a simple and cost-effective approach to making the pyrolytic bio-oils into a stable gas turbine or home heating fuels.

Effects of Blending Alcohols with Poultry Fat Methyl Esters on Cold Flow Properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The low temperature operability, kinematic viscosity, and acid value of poultry fat methyl esters were improved with addition of ethanol, isopropanol, and butanol in a linear fashion with increasing alcohol content. The flash point decreased and moisture content increased upon addition of alcohols t...

Influence of fuel ethanol content on primary emissions and secondary aerosol formation potential for a modern flex-fuel gasoline vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timonen, Hilkka; Karjalainen, Panu; Saukko, Erkka; Saarikoski, Sanna; Aakko-Saksa, Päivi; Simonen, Pauli; Murtonen, Timo; Dal Maso, Miikka; Kuuluvainen, Heino; Bloss, Matthew; Ahlberg, Erik; Svenningsson, Birgitta; Pagels, Joakim; Brune, William H.; Keskinen, Jorma; Worsnop, Douglas R.; Hillamo, Risto; Rönkkö, Topi

2017-04-01

The effect of fuel ethanol content (10, 85 and 100 %) on primary emissions and on subsequent secondary aerosol formation was investigated for a Euro 5 flex-fuel gasoline vehicle. Emissions were characterized during a New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) using a comprehensive set-up of high time-resolution instruments. A detailed chemical composition of the exhaust particulate matter (PM) was studied using a soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS), and secondary aerosol formation was studied using a potential aerosol mass (PAM) chamber. For the primary gaseous compounds, an increase in total hydrocarbon emissions and a decrease in aromatic BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) compounds was observed when the amount of ethanol in the fuel increased. In regard to particles, the largest primary particulate matter concentrations and potential for secondary particle formation was measured for the E10 fuel (10 % ethanol). As the ethanol content of the fuel increased, a significant decrease in the average primary particulate matter concentrations over the NEDC was found. The PM emissions were 0.45, 0.25 and 0.15 mg m-3 for E10, E85 and E100, respectively. Similarly, a clear decrease in secondary aerosol formation potential was observed with a larger contribution of ethanol in the fuel. The secondary-to-primary PM ratios were 13.4 and 1.5 for E10 and E85, respectively. For E100, a slight decrease in PM mass was observed after the PAM chamber, indicating that the PM produced by secondary aerosol formation was less than the PM lost through wall losses or the degradation of the primary organic aerosol (POA) in the chamber. For all fuel blends, the formed secondary aerosol consisted mostly of organic compounds. For E10, the contribution of organic compounds containing oxygen increased from 35 %, measured for primary organics, to 62 % after the PAM chamber. For E85, the contribution of organic compounds containing oxygen increased from 42 % (primary) to 57 % (after the PAM chamber), whereas for E100 the amount of oxidized organics remained the same (approximately 62 %) with the PAM chamber when compared to the primary emissions.

Protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats

PubMed Central

Chen, Sheng-Hsuan; Liang, Yu-Chih; Chao, Jane CJ; Tsai, Li-Hsueh; Chang, Chun-Chao; Wang, Chia-Chi; Pan, Shiann

2005-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the preventive effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injuries in rats. METHODS: Female Wistar albino rats were used for the studies. We randomly divided the rats for each study into five subgroups: normal control, experimental control, and three experimental groups. The gastric ulcers were induced by instilling 1 mL 50% ethanol into the stomach. We gave GbE 8.75, 17.5, 26.25 mg/kg intravenously to the experimental groups respectively 30 min prior to the ulcerative challenge. We removed the stomachs 45 min later. The gastric ulcers, gastric mucus and the content of non-protein sulfhydryl groups (NP-SH), malondialdehyde (MDA), c-Jun kinase (JNK) activity in gastric mucosa were evaluated. The amount of gastric juice and its acidity were also measured. RESULTS: The findings of our study are as follows: (1) GbE pretreatment was found to provide a dose-dependent protection against the ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats; (2) the GbE pretreatment afforded a dose-dependent inhibition of ethanol-induced depletion of stomach wall mucus, NP-SH contents and increase in the lipid peroxidation (increase MDA) in gastric tissue; (3) gastric ulcer induced by ethanol produced an increase in JNK activity in gastric mucosa which also significantly inhibited by pretreatment with GbE; and (4) GbE alone had no inhibitory effect on gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats. CONCLUSION: The finding of this study showed that GbE significantly inhibited the ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats. We suggest that the preventive effect of GbE may be mediated through: (1) inhibition of lipid peroxidation; (2) preservation of gastric mucus and NP-SH; and (3) blockade of cell apoptosis. PMID:15968732

Thermodynamics of the formation of Cu2+-glycyl-glycyl-glycine complex in water-ethanol solutions at 298 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham Thi, L.; Usacheva, T. R.; Tukumova, N. V.; Koryshev, N. E.; Khrenova, T. M.; Sharnin, V. A.

2016-10-01

The stability constants of monoligand complexes of copper(II) ions with glycyl-glycyl-glycine zwitterions (triglycine, HL±) and triglycinate ions (L-) in a water-ethanol solvent with 0.0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 mole fractions of ethanol at an ionic strength of 0.1 created by sodium perchlorate and temperature T = 298.15 K are determined by means of potentiometric titration. It is found that an increase of ethanol content improves the stability of the investigated complexes, due mainly to the resolvation of ligands.

Effects of acute ethanol administration on nocturnal pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Creighton, J.A.; Rudeen, P.K.

The effect of acute ethanol administration on pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity, norepinephrine and indoleamine content was examined in male rats. When ethanol was administered in two equal doses (2 g/kg body weight) over a 4 hour period during the light phase, the nocturnal rise in NAT activity was delayed by seven hours. The nocturnal pineal norepinephrine content was not altered by ethanol except for a delay in the reduction of NE with the onset of the following light phase. Although ethanol treatment led to a significant reduction in nocturnal levels of pineal serotonin content, there was no significant effectmore » upon pineal content of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). The data indicate that ethanol delays the onset of the rise of nocturnal pineal NAT activity.« less

The Role of Hydrogen Bonds Of The Azeotropic Hydrous Ethanol Fuel Composition To The Exhaust Emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Made Suarta, I.; Nyoman Gede Baliarta, I.; Sopan Rahtika, I. P. G.; Wijaya Sunu, Putu

2018-01-01

In this study observed the role of hydrogen bonding to the composition of exhaust emissions which is produced hydrous ethanol fuel (95.5% v). Testing is done by using single cylinder four stroke motor engine. The composition of exhaust gas emissions is tested using exhaust gas analyzer on lean and stoichiometry mixer. The exhaust emissions produced by anhydrous ethanol were also tested. The composition of emissions produced by that two fuels is compared. The results showed CO emissions levels produced by hydrous ethanol are slightly higher than anhydrous ethanol in stoichiometric mixtures. But the composition of CO hydrous ethanol emissions is lower in the lean mix. If lean the mixer the different in the composition of emissions is increasing. On hydrous ethanol emission CO2 content little bit lower on the stoichiometric mixer and higher on the lean mixture. Exhaust emissions of ethanol fuel also produce O2. O2 hydrous ethanol emissions is higher than anhydrous ethanol fuel.

Changes in oil content, fatty acid composition, and functional lipid profiles during dry grind ethanol production from corn.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Demand for alternatives to fossil fuels has resulted in a dramatic increase in ethanol production from corn. The dry grind method has been the major process, resulting in a large volume of dried distiller grains with solubles (DDGS) as a co-product. This presentation reports our study to monitor ...

Effects of Mid-Level Ethanol Blends on Conventional Vehicle Emissions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knoll, K.; West, B.; Huff, S.

2010-06-01

Tests were conducted in 2008 on 16 late-model conventional vehicles (1999-2007) to determine short-term effects of mid-level ethanol blends on performance and emissions. Vehicle odometer readings ranged from 10,000 to 100,000 miles, and all vehicles conformed to federal emissions requirements for their federal certification level. The LA92 drive cycle, also known as the Unified Cycle, was used for testing because it more accurately represents real-world acceleration rates and speeds than the Federal Test Procedure. Test fuels were splash-blends of up to 20 volume percent ethanol with federal certification gasoline. Both regulated and unregulated air-toxic emissions were measured. For the 16-vehiclemore » fleet, increasing ethanol content resulted in reductions in average composite emissions of both nonmethane hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide and increases in average emissions of ethanol and aldehydes.« less

Dietary Zinc Deficiency Exaggerates Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Mice: Involvement of Intrahepatic and Extrahepatic Factors

PubMed Central

Sun, Xinguo; Song, Zhenyuan; McClain, Craig J.; Zhou, Zhanxiang

2013-01-01

Clinical studies have demonstrated that alcoholics have a lower dietary zinc intake compared to health controls. The present study was undertaken to determine the interaction between dietary zinc deficiency and ethanol consumption in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease. C57BL/6N mice were subjected to 8-week feeding of 4 experimental liquid diets: (1) zinc adequate diet, (2) zinc adequate diet plus ethanol, (3) zinc deficient diet, and (4) zinc deficient diet plus ethanol. Ethanol exposure with adequate dietary zinc resulted in liver damage as indicated by elevated plasma alanine aminotransferase level and increased hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammatory cell infiltration. Dietary zinc deficiency alone increased hepatic lipid contents, but did not induce hepatic inflammation. Dietary zinc deficiency showed synergistic effects on ethanol-induced liver damage. Dietary zinc deficiency exaggerated ethanol effects on hepatic genes related to lipid metabolism and inflammatory response. Dietary zinc deficiency worsened ethanol-induced imbalance between hepatic pro-oxidant and antioxidant enzymes and hepatic expression of cell death receptors. Dietary zinc deficiency exaggerated ethanol-induced reduction of plasma leptin, although it did not affect ethanol-induced reduction of white adipose tissue mass. Dietary zinc deficiency also deteriorated ethanol-induced gut permeability increase and plasma endotoxin elevation. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that dietary zinc deficiency is a risk factor in alcoholic liver disease, and multiple intrahepatic and extrahepatic factors may mediate the detrimental effects of zinc deficiency. PMID:24155903

Beneficial effects of the ethanol extract from the dry matter of a culture broth of Inonotus obliquus in submerged culture on the antioxidant defence system and regeneration of pancreatic beta-cells in experimental diabetes in mice.

PubMed

Xu, Hong-Yu; Sun, Jun-En; Lu, Zhen-Ming; Zhang, Xiao-Mei; Dou, Wen-Fang; Xu, Zheng-Hong

2010-04-01

The antihyperglycaemic and antilipidperoxidative effects of the ethanol extract from the dry matter of a culture broth (DMCB) of Inonotus obliquus were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic mice and the possible mechanism of action was also discussed. In alloxan-induced diabetic mice, treatment with the ethanol extract from DMCB of I. obliquus (30 and 60 mg kg(-1) body weight (b.w.) for 21 days) showed a significant decrease in blood glucose level: the percentage reductions on the 7th day were 11.54 and 11.15%, respectively. However, feeding of this drug for three weeks produced reduction of 22.51 and 24.32%. Furthermore, the ethanol extract from the DMCB of I. obliquus treatment significantly decreased serum contents of free fatty acids, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, whereas it effectively increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, insulin levels and hepatic glycogen contents in livers of diabetic mice. Besides this, the ethanol extracts from the DMCB treatment significantly increased catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, except for decreasing the maleic dialdehyde level in diabetic mice. Histological morphology examination showed that the ethanol extract from the DMCB of I. obliquus restored the damage of pancreatic tissues in mice with diabetes mellitus. The results showed that the ethanol extract from the DMCB of I. obliquus possesses significant antihyperglycaemic, antilipidperoxidative and antioxidant effects in alloxan-induced diabetic mice.

Ochratoxin A removal by Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains: effect of wine-related physicochemical factors.

PubMed

Petruzzi, Leonardo; Sinigaglia, Milena; Corbo, Maria Rosaria; Beneduce, Luciano; Bevilacqua, Antonio

2013-07-01

This study investigated the effect of some physicochemical parameters on the removal of ochratoxin A (OTA) by yeasts. Two wild strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (W47 and Y28) were used to assess OTA removal under various conditions of temperature, pH, ethanol content and incubation time. All samples were analysed for OTA concentration by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, yeast oenological traits were investigated: qualitative and technological traits were assessed on appropriate laboratory media, while the main products of microfermentation (sugars, ethanol, glycerol, acetic acid) were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed OTA reduction by 36-42% in cultures containing 100 g L⁻¹ ethanol incubated at pH 3.5 and 37 °C. OTA removal was affected by contact time, pH and ethanol content, as it was increased at low pH and by 100 g L⁻¹ ethanol. Moreover, the phenomenon was reversible, as OTA was lowest after 4 days, then it was partially released in the medium. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of ethanol on the retention of americium-241 in the baboon liver.

PubMed

Cohen, N; Antonelli, R; Lo Sasso, T; Wrenn, M E

1978-01-01

The oral administration of ethyl alcohol enhanced the excretion of 241Am from the liver of a baboon by 2.5 times that of a control animal. After ethanol administration, increases in the total content of 241Am excreted in feces were accompanied by corresponding increases in fecal volumes, although administration of nonalcoholic cathartics would not be expected to produce a similar effect. The effectiveness of ethanol as a decorporating agent may result from its ability to mobilize intracellularly bound 241Am from the liver, thereby making the nuclide more available for metabolic secretory mechanisms occurring via liver-bile-fecal route.

Application of ultrasound in the dissolution of potential antiophidian compounds from two ethanolics extracts of two species of Heliconias.

PubMed

Estrada, G Sebastián; Jiménez, Silvia L; Alarcon, P Juan C; Vargas, Leidy J

2010-06-01

This study evaluates the favorable effects of using ultrasound during the dissolution process of ethanolic extracts of Heliconia psittacorum and Heliconia rostrata (Heliconiaceae), a family of plants reported to have antiophidic activities. The extracts were subjected to an ultrasound treatment before incubation with venom, and carbohydrate and protein contents were calculated. The ultrasound-treated extracts delayed the clotting effect of venom by up to 45.59 s compared to the positive control (venom). The metabolites content increased to 296.6% and 61.6% in protein and carbohydrate content, respectively. Ultrasound increases the amount of primary and secondary metabolites (potentially antiophidics) released from the extract into the media, and thereby enhances the anticoagulant activity of these plants against the Bothrops asper (mapaná X) venom. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Techno-economic analysis of biodiesel and ethanol co-production from lipid-producing sugarcane: Biodiesel and Ethanol Co-Production from Lipid-Producing Sugarcane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, Haibo; Long, Stephen; Singh, Vijay

Biodiesel production from vegetable oils has progressively increased over the past two decades. However, due to the low amounts of oil produced per hectare from temperate oilseed crops (e.g. soybean), the opportunities for further increasing biodiesel production are limited. Genetically modified lipid-producing sugarcane (lipid-cane) possesses great potential for producing biodiesel as an alternative feedstock because of sugarcane’s much higher productivity compared with soybean. In this study, techno-economic models were developed for biodiesel and ethanol coproduction from lipid-cane, assuming 2, 5, 10, or 20% lipid concentration in the harvested stem (dry mass basis). The models were compared with a conventional soybeanmore » biodiesel process model to assess lipid-cane’s competiveness. In the lipid-cane process model, the extracted lipids were used to produce biodiesel by transesterifi cation, and the remaining sugar was used to produce ethanol by fermentation. The results showed that the biodiesel production cost from lipid-cane decreased from $0.89/L to $0.59 /L as the lipid content increased from 2 to 20%; this cost was lower than that obtained for soybeans ($1.08/L). The ethanol production costs from lipid-cane were between $0.40/L and $0.46/L. The internal rate of return (IRR) for the soybean biodiesel process was 15.0%, and the IRR for the lipid-cane process went from 13.7 to 24.0% as the lipid content increased from 2 to 20%. Because of its high productivity, lipid-cane with 20% lipid content can produce 6700 L of biodiesel from each hectare of land, whereas soybean can only produce approximately 500 L of biodiesel from each hectare of land. This would indicate that continued efforts to achieve lipid-producing sugarcane could make large-scale replacement of fossil-fuel-derived diesel without unrealistic demands on land area.« less

Techno-economic analysis of biodiesel and ethanol co-production from lipid-producing sugarcane: Biodiesel and Ethanol Co-Production from Lipid-Producing Sugarcane

DOE PAGES

Huang, Haibo; Long, Stephen; Singh, Vijay

2016-03-07

Biodiesel production from vegetable oils has progressively increased over the past two decades. However, due to the low amounts of oil produced per hectare from temperate oilseed crops (e.g. soybean), the opportunities for further increasing biodiesel production are limited. Genetically modified lipid-producing sugarcane (lipid-cane) possesses great potential for producing biodiesel as an alternative feedstock because of sugarcane’s much higher productivity compared with soybean. In this study, techno-economic models were developed for biodiesel and ethanol coproduction from lipid-cane, assuming 2, 5, 10, or 20% lipid concentration in the harvested stem (dry mass basis). The models were compared with a conventional soybeanmore » biodiesel process model to assess lipid-cane’s competiveness. In the lipid-cane process model, the extracted lipids were used to produce biodiesel by transesterifi cation, and the remaining sugar was used to produce ethanol by fermentation. The results showed that the biodiesel production cost from lipid-cane decreased from $0.89/L to $0.59 /L as the lipid content increased from 2 to 20%; this cost was lower than that obtained for soybeans ($1.08/L). The ethanol production costs from lipid-cane were between $0.40/L and $0.46/L. The internal rate of return (IRR) for the soybean biodiesel process was 15.0%, and the IRR for the lipid-cane process went from 13.7 to 24.0% as the lipid content increased from 2 to 20%. Because of its high productivity, lipid-cane with 20% lipid content can produce 6700 L of biodiesel from each hectare of land, whereas soybean can only produce approximately 500 L of biodiesel from each hectare of land. This would indicate that continued efforts to achieve lipid-producing sugarcane could make large-scale replacement of fossil-fuel-derived diesel without unrealistic demands on land area.« less

Production of ethanol from winter barley by the EDGE (enhanced dry grind enzymatic) process

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background US legislation requires the use of advanced biofuels to be made from non-food feedstocks. However, commercialization of lignocellulosic ethanol technology is more complex than expected and is therefore running behind schedule. This is creating a demand for non-food, but more easily converted, starch-based feedstocks other than corn that can fill the gap until the second generation technologies are commercially viable. Winter barley is such a feedstock but its mash has very high viscosity due to its high content of β-glucans. This fact, along with a lower starch content than corn, makes ethanol production at the commercial scale a real challenge. Results A new fermentation process for ethanol production from Thoroughbred, a winter barley variety with a high starch content, was developed. The new process was designated the EDGE (enhanced dry grind enzymatic) process. In this process, in addition to the normal starch-converting enzymes, two accessory enzymes were used to solve the β-glucan problem. First, β-glucanases were used to hydrolyze the β-glucans to oligomeric fractions, thus significantly reducing the viscosity to allow good mixing for the distribution of the yeast and nutrients. Next, β-glucosidase was used to complete the β-glucan hydrolysis and to generate glucose, which was subsequently fermented in order to produce additional ethanol. While β-glucanases have been previously used to improve barley ethanol production by lowering viscosity, this is the first full report on the benefits of adding β-glucosidases to increase the ethanol yield. Conclusions In the EDGE process, 30% of total dry solids could be used to produce 15% v/v ethanol. Under optimum conditions an ethanol yield of 402 L/MT (dry basis) or 2.17 gallons/53 lb bushel of barley with 15% moisture was achieved. The distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) co-product had extremely low β-glucan (below 0.2%) making it suitable for use in both ruminant and mono-gastric animal feeds. PMID:20426816

40 CFR 80.1508 - What evidence may be used to determine compliance with the requirements of this subpart and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol Blends § 80... the ethanol content of gasoline shall be determined based on the ethanol level of the gasoline... exclusive use of such evidence or information, may be used to establish the ethanol content of gasoline if...

40 CFR 80.1508 - What evidence may be used to determine compliance with the requirements of this subpart and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol Blends § 80... the ethanol content of gasoline shall be determined based on the ethanol level of the gasoline... exclusive use of such evidence or information, may be used to establish the ethanol content of gasoline if...

40 CFR 80.1508 - What evidence may be used to determine compliance with the requirements of this subpart and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol Blends § 80... the ethanol content of gasoline shall be determined based on the ethanol level of the gasoline... exclusive use of such evidence or information, may be used to establish the ethanol content of gasoline if...

Proline accumulation protects Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in stationary phase from ethanol stress by reducing reactive oxygen species levels.

PubMed

Takagi, Hiroshi; Taguchi, Junpei; Kaino, Tomohiro

2016-08-01

During fermentation processes, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells are exposed to multiple stresses, including a high concentration of ethanol that represents toxicity through intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. We previously reported that proline protected yeast cells from damage caused by various stresses, such as freezing and ethanol. As an anti-oxidant, proline is suggested to scavenge intracellular ROS. In this study, we examined the role of intracellular proline during ethanol treatment in S. cerevisiae strains that accumulate different concentrations of proline. When cultured in YPD medium, there was a significant accumulation of proline in the put1 mutant strain, which is deficient in proline oxidase, in the stationary phase. Expression of the mutant PRO1 gene, which encodes the γ-glutamyl kinase variant (Asp154Asn or Ile150Thr) with desensitization to feedback inhibition by proline in the put1 mutant strain, showed a prominent increase in proline content as compared with that of the wild-type strain. The oxidation level was clearly increased in wild-type cells after exposure to ethanol, indicating that the generation of ROS occurred. Interestingly, proline accumulation significantly reduces the ROS level and increases the survival rate of yeast cells in the stationary phase under ethanol stress conditions. However, there was not a clear correlation between proline content and survival rate in yeast cells. An appropriate level of intracellular proline in yeast might be important for its stress-protective effect. Hence, the engineering of proline metabolism could be promising for breeding stress-tolerant industrial yeast strains. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prenatal Ethanol Exposure Up-Regulates the Cholesterol Transporters ATP-Binding Cassette A1 and G1 and Reduces Cholesterol Levels in the Developing Rat Brain.

PubMed

Zhou, Chunyan; Chen, Jing; Zhang, Xiaolu; Costa, Lucio G; Guizzetti, Marina

2014-11-01

Cholesterol plays a pivotal role in many aspects of brain development; reduced cholesterol levels during brain development, as a consequence of genetic defects in cholesterol biosynthesis, leads to severe brain damage, including microcephaly and mental retardation, both of which are also hallmarks of the fetal alcohol syndrome. We had previously shown that ethanol up-regulates the levels of two cholesterol transporters, ABCA1 (ATP binding cassette-A1) and ABCG1, leading to increased cholesterol efflux and decreased cholesterol content in astrocytes in vitro. In the present study we investigated whether similar effects could be seen in vivo. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed liquid diets containing 36% of the calories from ethanol from gestational day (GD) 6 to GD 21. A pair-fed control groups and an ad libitum control group were included in the study. ABCA1 and ABCG1 protein expression and cholesterol and phospholipid levels were measured in the neocortex of female and male fetuses at GD 21. Body weights were decreased in female fetuses as a consequence of ethanol treatments. ABCA1 and ABCG1 protein levels were increased, and cholesterol levels were decreased, in the neocortex of ethanol-exposed female, but not male, fetuses. Levels of phospholipids were unchanged. Control female fetuses fed ad libitum displayed an up-regulation of ABCA1 and a decrease in cholesterol content compared with pair-fed controls, suggesting that a compensatory up-regulation of cholesterol levels may occur during food restriction. Maternal ethanol consumption may affect fetal brain development by increasing cholesterol transporters' expression and reducing brain cholesterol levels. © The Author 2014. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Increased susceptibility of ethanol-treated gastric mucosa to naproxen and its inhibition by DA-9601, an Artemisia asiatica extract

PubMed Central

Oh, Tae Young; Ahn, Gook Jun; Choi, Seul Min; Ahn, Byoung Ok; Kim, Won Bae

2005-01-01

AIM: To examine the effect of DA-9601, a new gastroprotective agent, on the vulnerability of ethanol-treated rat’s stomach to naproxen (NAP). METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with 1 mL of 50% ethanol twice a day for 5 d and then NAP (50 mg/kg) was administered. DA-9601 was administered 1 h before NAP. Four hours after NAP, the rats were killed to examine gross injury index (mm2), histologic change and to determine mucosal levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), glutathione (GSH) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). RESULTS: Pretreatment of ethanol significantly increased NAP-induced gastric lesions, as well as an increase in MDA and MPO. On the contrary, mucosal PGE2 and GSH contents were decreased dramatically by ethanol pretreatment, which were aggravated by NAP. DA-9601 significantly reduced NAP-induced gastric injury grossly and microscopically, regardless of pretreatment with ethanol. DA-9601 preserved, or rather, increased mucosal PGE2 and GSH in NAP-treated rats (P<0.05), with reduction in mucosal MDA and MPO levels. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that repeated alcohol consumption renders gastric mucosa more susceptible to NSAIDs though, at least in part, reduction of endogenous cytoprotectants including PGE2 and GSH, and increase in MPO activation, and that DA-9601, a new gastroprotectant, can reduce the increased vulnerability of ethanol consumers to NSAIDs-induced gastric damage via the mechanism in which PGE2 and GSH are involved. PMID:16437715

Increased susceptibility of ethanol-treated gastric mucosa to naproxen and its inhibition by DA-9601, an Artemisia asiatica extract.

PubMed

Oh, Tae Young; Ahn, Gook Jun; Choi, Seul Min; Ahn, Byoung Ok; Kim, Won Bae

2005-12-21

To examine the effect of DA-9601, a new gastroprotective agent, on the vulnerability of ethanol-treated rat's stomach to naproxen (NAP). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with 1 mL of 50% ethanol twice a day for 5 d and then NAP (50 mg/kg) was administered. DA-9601 was administered 1 h before NAP. Four hours after NAP, the rats were killed to examine gross injury index (mm2), histologic change and to determine mucosal levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), glutathione (GSH) and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Pretreatment of ethanol significantly increased NAP-induced gastric lesions, as well as an increase in MDA and MPO. On the contrary, mucosal PGE2 and GSH contents were decreased dramatically by ethanol pretreatment, which were aggravated by NAP. DA-9601 significantly reduced NAP-induced gastric injury grossly and microscopically, regardless of pretreatment with ethanol. DA-9601 preserved, or rather, increased mucosal PGE2 and GSH in NAP-treated rats (P<0.05), with reduction in mucosal MDA and MPO levels. These results suggest that repeated alcohol consumption renders gastric mucosa more susceptible to NSAIDs though, at least in part, reduction of endogenous cytoprotectants including PGE2 and GSH, and increase in MPO activation, and that DA-9601, a new gastroprotectant, can reduce the increased vulnerability of ethanol consumers to NSAIDs-induced gastric damage via the mechanism in which PGE2 and GSH are involved.

Land-use change and greenhouse gas emissions from corn and cellulosic ethanol

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that may accompany land-use change (LUC) from increased biofuel feedstock production are a source of debate in the discussion of drawbacks and advantages of biofuels. Estimates of LUC GHG emissions focus mainly on corn ethanol and vary widely. Increasing the understanding of LUC GHG impacts associated with both corn and cellulosic ethanol will inform the on-going debate concerning their magnitudes and sources of variability. Results In our study, we estimate LUC GHG emissions for ethanol from four feedstocks: corn, corn stover, switchgrass, and miscanthus. We use new computable general equilibrium (CGE) results for worldwide LUC. U.S. domestic carbon emission factors are from state-level modelling with a surrogate CENTURY model and U.S. Forest Service data. This paper investigates the effect of several key domestic lands carbon content modelling parameters on LUC GHG emissions. International carbon emission factors are from the Woods Hole Research Center. LUC GHG emissions are calculated from these LUCs and carbon content data with Argonne National Laboratory’s Carbon Calculator for Land Use Change from Biofuels Production (CCLUB) model. Our results indicate that miscanthus and corn ethanol have the lowest (−10 g CO2e/MJ) and highest (7.6 g CO2e/MJ) LUC GHG emissions under base case modelling assumptions. The results for corn ethanol are lower than corresponding results from previous studies. Switchgrass ethanol base case results (2.8 g CO2e/MJ) were the most influenced by assumptions regarding converted forestlands and the fate of carbon in harvested wood products. They are greater than miscanthus LUC GHG emissions because switchgrass is a lower-yielding crop. Finally, LUC GHG emissions for corn stover are essentially negligible and insensitive to changes in model assumptions. Conclusions This research provides new insight into the influence of key carbon content modelling variables on LUC GHG emissions associated with the four bioethanol pathways we examined. Our results indicate that LUC GHG emissions may have a smaller contribution to the overall biofuel life cycle than previously thought. Additionally, they highlight the need for future advances in LUC GHG emissions estimation including improvements to CGE models and aboveground and belowground carbon content data. PMID:23575438

Thermodynamics of the complex formation of copper(II) with L-phenylalanine in aqueous ethanol solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burov, D. M.; Ledenkov, S. F.; Vandyshev, V. N.

2013-05-01

Constants of the acid dissociation and complexation of L-phenylalanine (HPhe) with copper(II) ions are determined by potentiometry in aqueous ethanol solutions containing 0 to 0.7 molar fraction of alcohol. Changes in the Gibbs energy for the transfer from water to a binary solvent of L-phenylalanine, Phe- anion, and [CuPhe]+ complex are calculated. It is found that the weakening of solvation of the ligand donor groups in solvents with high ethanol contents is accompanied by an increase in the stability of [CuPhe]+ complex.

In vitro antioxidant and anticancer effects of solvent fractions from Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina.

PubMed

Hwang, Yu-Jin; Lee, Eun-Ju; Kim, Haeng-Ran; Hwang, Kyung-A

2013-11-09

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on exploring the potential antioxidant properties of plant extracts or isolated products of plant origin. Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina is widely distributed in Korea, Japan, China, and Europe, and it continues to be used to treat inflammation, eye pain, headache, and dizziness. However, reports on the antioxidant activities of P. vulgaris var. lilacina are limited, particularly concerning the relationship between its phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anticancer activities of an ethanol extract from P. vulgaris var. lilacina and its fractions. Dried powder of P. vulgaris var. lilacina was extracted with ethanol, and the extract was fractionated to produce the hexane fraction, butanol fraction, chloroform fraction and residual water fraction. The phenolic content was assayed using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. Subsequently, the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract and its fractions were analyzed employing various antioxidant assay methods including DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, SOD activity and production of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the extract and fractions were assayed for their ability to exert cytotoxic activities on various cancer cells using the MTT assay. We also investigated the expression of genes associated with apoptotic cell death by RT-PCR. The total phenolic contents of the ethanol extract and water fraction of P. vulgaris var. lilacina were 303.66 and 322.80 mg GAE/g dry weight (or fractions), respectively. The results showed that the ethanol extract and the water fraction of P. vulgaris var. lilacina had higher antioxidant content than other solvent fractions, similar to their total phenolic content. Anticancer activity was also tested using the HepG2, HT29, A549, MKN45 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The results clearly demonstrated that the P. vulgaris var. lilacina ethanol extract induced significant cytotoxic effects on the various cancer cell lines, and these effects were stronger than those induced by the P. vulgaris var. lilacina solvent fractions. We also investigated the expression of genes associated with apoptotic cell death. We confirmed that the P. vulgaris var. lilacina ethanol extract and water fraction significantly increased the expression of p53, Bax and Fas. These results suggest that the ethanol extract from P. vulgaris var. lilacina and its fractions could be applied as natural sources of antioxidants and anticancer activities in food and in the pharmaceutical industry.

Revisiting the hand wipe versus gel rub debate: is a higher-ethanol content hand wipe more effective than an ethanol gel rub?

PubMed

D'Antonio, Natalie N; Rihs, John D; Stout, Janet E; Yu, Victor L

2010-11-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for hand hygiene state that the use of alcohol-based hand wipes is not an effective substitute for the use of an alcohol-based hand rub or handwashing with an antimicrobial soap and water. The objective of this study was to determine whether a hand wipe with higher ethanol content (65.9%) is as effective as an ethanol hand rub or antimicrobial soap in removing bacteria and spores from hands. In two separate experiments, the hands of 7 subjects were inoculated with a suspension of Serratia marcescens or Geobacillus stearothermophilus. Subjects washed with each of 3 different products: 65.9% ethanol hand wipes (Sani-Hands ALC), 62% ethanol gel rub (Purell), and antimicrobial soap containing 0.75% triclosan (Kindest Kare). A total of 56 observations were analyzed for S marcescens removal and 70 observations were analyzed for G stearothermophilus removal. The rank order of product efficacy for both bacteria and spore removal was antibacterial soap > 65.9% ethanol hand wipes >62% ethanol hand rub. Mean S marcescens log reductions (±SD) for the 65.9% ethanol alcohol wipe, 62% ethanol alcohol rub, and antimicrobial foam soap were 3.44 ± 0.847, 2.32 ± 1.065, and 4.44 ± 1.018, respectively (P < .001). Mean G stearothermophilus log reductions for the 65.9% ethanol wipe, 62% ethanol rub, and antimicrobial foam soap were 0.51 ± 0.26, -0.8 ± 0.32 increase over baseline, and 1.72 ± 0.62, respectively (P < .001). The alcohol-based hand wipe containing 65.9% ethanol was significantly more effective than the 62% ethanol rub in reducing the number of viable bacteria and spores on the hands. Copyright © 2010 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Strawberry Polyphenols Attenuate Ethanol-Induced Gastric Lesions in Rats by Activation of Antioxidant Enzymes and Attenuation of MDA Increase

PubMed Central

Alvarez-Suarez, José M.; Dekanski, Dragana; Ristić, Slavica; Radonjić, Nevena V.; Petronijević, Nataša D.; Giampieri, Francesca; Astolfi, Paola; González-Paramás, Ana M.; Santos-Buelga, Celestino; Tulipani, Sara; Quiles, José L.; Mezzetti, Bruno; Battino, Maurizio

2011-01-01

Background and Aim Free radicals are implicated in the aetiology of gastrointestinal disorders such as gastric ulcer, colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. Strawberries are common and important fruit due to their high content of essential nutrient and beneficial phytochemicals which seem to have relevant biological activity on human health. In the present study we investigated the antioxidant and protective effects of three strawberry extracts against ethanol-induced gastric mucosa damage in an experimental in vivo model and to test whether strawberry extracts affect antioxidant enzyme activities in gastric mucosa. Methods/Principal Findings Strawberry extracts were obtained from Adria, Sveva and Alba cultivars. Total antioxidant capacity and radical scavenging capacity were performed by TEAC, ORAC and electron paramagnetic resonance assays. Identification and quantification of anthocyanins was carried out by HPLC-DAD-MS analyses. Different groups of animals received 40 mg/day/kg body weight of strawberry crude extracts for 10 days. Gastric damage was induced by ethanol. The ulcer index was calculated together with the determination of catalase and SOD activities and MDA contents. Strawberry extracts are rich in anthocyanins and present important antioxidant capacity. Ethanol caused severe gastric damage and strawberry consumption protected against its deleterious role. Antioxidant enzyme activities increased significantly after strawberry extract intake and a concomitantly decrease in gastric lipid peroxidation was found. A significant correlation between total anthocyanin content and percent of inhibition of ulcer index was also found. Conclusions Strawberry extracts prevented exogenous ethanol-induced damage to rats' gastric mucosa. These effects seem to be associated with the antioxidant activity and phenolic content in the extract as well as with the capacity of promoting the action of antioxidant enzymes. A diet rich in strawberries might exert a beneficial effect in the prevention of gastric diseases related to generation of reactive oxygen species. PMID:22016781

Pentoses and light intensity increase the growth and carbohydrate production and alter the protein profile of Chlorella minutissima.

PubMed

Freitas, B C B; Cassuriaga, A P A; Morais, M G; Costa, J A V

2017-08-01

High concentrations of carbon, which is considered a necessary element, are required for microalgal growth. Therefore, the identification of alternative carbon sources available in large quantities is increasingly important. This study evaluated the effects of light variation and pentose addition on the carbohydrate content and protein profile of Chlorella minutissima grown in a raceway photobioreactor. The kinetic parameters, carbohydrate content, and protein profile of Chlorella minutissima and its theoretical potential for ethanol production were estimated. The highest cellular concentrations were obtained with a light intensity of 33.75µmol.m -2 .s -1 . Arabinose addition combined with a light intensity of 33.75µmol.m -2 .s -1 increased the carbohydrate content by 53.8% and theoretically produced 39.1mL·100g -1 ethanol. All of the assays showed that a lower light availability altered the protein profile. The luminous intensity affects xylose and arabinose assimilation and augments the carbohydrate content in C. minutissima, making this microalga appropriate for bioethanol production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extracts of Tectona grandis and Vernonia amygdalina have anti-Toxoplasma and pro-inflammatory properties in vitro.

PubMed

Dégbé, Mlatovi; Debierre-Grockiego, Françoise; Tété-Bénissan, Amivi; Débare, Héloïse; Aklikokou, Kodjo; Dimier-Poisson, Isabelle; Gbeassor, Messanvi

2018-01-01

Tectona grandis (teak) and Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf) are plants used in traditional medicine in West Africa. In this study, we tested ethanolic and hydro-ethanolic extracts of bark and leaves of T. grandis and ethanolic extract of leaves of V. amygdalina for their inhibitory effect on Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis. Ethanolic extract of V. amygdalina leaves had proportional contents of phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. This extract presented the highest efficacy against T. gondii, the lowest cytotoxicity to mammalian cells, but moderate anti-oxidant activity compared to other plant extracts. Ethanolic extract of T. grandis bark also had elevated anti-T. gondii activity, low cytotoxicity on mammalian cells, and one of the highest anti-oxidant activities. However, the phytochemical content of this extract was not very different from the hydro-ethanolic extract, which had no anti-T. gondii activity. In addition, ethanolic extract of V. amygdalina leaves, but not of T. grandis bark, significantly increased the production of TNF-α and NO by antigen-presenting cells. Both extracts had the tendency to decrease expression of major histocompatibility complex molecules at the surface of antigen-presenting cells, while they did not modulate the percentage of apoptotic cells. A study of signalling pathways would help to determine the mechanisms of action of these plant extracts. © M. Dégbé et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2018.

HIGH PERMEABILITY MEMBRANES FOR THE DEHYDRATION OF LOW WATER CONTENT ETHANOL BY PERVAPORATION

EPA Science Inventory

Energy efficient dehydration of low water content ethanol is a challenge for the sustainable production of fuel-grade ethanol. Pervaporative membrane dehydration using a recently developed hydrophilic polymer membrane formulation consisting of a cross-linked mixture of poly(allyl...

Enhancing polyphenol extraction from unripe apples by carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes.

PubMed

Zheng, Hu-zhe; Hwang, In-Wook; Chung, Shin-Kyo

2009-12-01

The effects of process variables such as enzyme types, enzyme ratio, reaction temperature, pH, time, and ethanol concentration on the extraction of unripe apple polyphenol were investigated. The results indicated that Viscozyme L had the strongest effect on polyphenols extraction and was selected to study the polyphenol composition. The ratio of enzyme (Viscozyme L) to substrate (2 fungal beta-glucanase units (FBG)) at 0.02, reaction at pH 3.7, 50 degrees C for 12 h, and ethanol concentration of 70% were chosen as the most favorable extraction condition. Total phenolic content (TPC), reducing sugar content (RSC), and extraction yield increased by about 3, 1.5, and 2 times, respectively, compared with control. The contents of p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid increased to 8, 4, and 32 times, respectively. The enzyme-aided polyphenol extraction process from unripe apples might be applied to food industry for enhancing bioactive compound production.

Enhancing polyphenol extraction from unripe apples by carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes*

PubMed Central

Zheng, Hu-zhe; Hwang, In-Wook; Chung, Shin-Kyo

2009-01-01

The effects of process variables such as enzyme types, enzyme ratio, reaction temperature, pH, time, and ethanol concentration on the extraction of unripe apple polyphenol were investigated. The results indicated that Viscozyme L had the strongest effect on polyphenols extraction and was selected to study the polyphenol composition. The ratio of enzyme (Viscozyme L) to substrate (2 fungal beta-glucanase units (FBG)) at 0.02, reaction at pH 3.7, 50 °C for 12 h, and ethanol concentration of 70% were chosen as the most favorable extraction condition. Total phenolic content (TPC), reducing sugar content (RSC), and extraction yield increased by about 3, 1.5, and 2 times, respectively, compared with control. The contents of p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid increased to 8, 4, and 32 times, respectively. The enzyme-aided polyphenol extraction process from unripe apples might be applied to food industry for enhancing bioactive compound production. PMID:19946955

Pro-oxidative and pro-apoptotic action of defatted seeds of Oenothera paradoxa on human skin melanoma cells.

PubMed

Jaszewska, Edyta; Kośmider, Anita; Kiss, Anna K; Naruszewicz, Marek

2009-09-23

Three extracts of defatted seeds of Oenothera paradoxa Hudziok, aqueous extract, 60% ethanolic extract, and 30% isopropanolic extract, differing by their total content of phenolic compounds and by their contents of individual polyphenols, were investigated in this study. The extracts exerted cytotoxic action on HTB-140 human skin melanoma cells. After 24 h of incubation, IC(50) values of 169.7 +/- 5.9 micog/mL, 72.4 +/- 3.8 microg/mL, and 155.3 +/- 6.3 microg/mL were obtained for HTB-140 cells with the aqueous extract, 60% ethanolic extract, and 30% isopropanolic extract at the tested concentrations (5-200 microg/mL), respectively, while IC(50) for normal fibroblast cells NHDFs was not attained. Moreover, for HTB-140 cells, LD(50) (concentration at which 50% of cells were dead) of 89.2 +/- 4.3 microg/mL and 181.4 +/- 6.5 microg/mL were obtained with 60% ethanolic extract and 30% isopropanolic extract, respectively. In melanoma cells, all three extracts caused a concentration-dependent increase of ROS production, GSH, and ATP lowering, and appearance of phosphatidylserine on the external surface of cellular membranes where it was bound to annexin V-FITC; furthermore, apoptosis without activation of caspase-3 took place. The most effective was 60% ethanolic extract, which had the greatest total content of phenolic compounds and the greatest content of pentagalloyloglucose (PGG).

Use of a flor velum yeast for modulating colour, ethanol and major aroma compound contents in red wine.

PubMed

Moreno, Juan; Moreno-García, Jaime; López-Muñoz, Beatriz; Mauricio, Juan Carlos; García-Martínez, Teresa

2016-12-15

The most important and negative effect of the global warming for winemakers in warm and sunny regions is the observed lag between industrial and phenolic grape ripeness, so only it is possible to obtain an acceptable colour when the ethanol content of wine is high. By contrast, the actual market trends are to low ethanol content wines. Flor yeast growing a short time under velum conditions, decreases the ethanol and volatile acidity contents, has a favorable effect on the colour and astringency and significantly changes the wine content in 1-propanol, isobutanol, acetaldehyde, 1,1-diethoxiethane and ethyl lactate. The Principal Component Analysis of six enological parameters or five aroma compounds allows to classify the wines subjected to different velum formation conditions. The obtained results in two tasting sessions suggest that the flor yeast helps to modulate the ethanol, astringency and colour and supports a new biotechnological perspective for red winemakers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethanol-assisted gel chromatography for single-chirality separation of carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Xiang; Hu, Jinwen; Zhang, Xiao; Zhou, Naigen; Zhou, Weiya; Liu, Huaping; Xie, Sishen

2015-10-01

Surfactants or polymers are usually used for the liquid processing of carbon nanotubes for their structure separation. However, they are difficult to remove after separation, affecting the intrinsic properties and applications of the separated species. Here, we report an ethanol-assisted gel chromatography for the chirality separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), in which ethanol is employed to finely tune the density/coverage of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on nanotubes, and thus the interactions between SWCNTs and an allyl dextran-based gel. Incrementally increasing the ethanol content in a low-concentration SDS eluent leads to successive desorption of the different structure SWCNTs adsorbed on the gel, and to achieve multiple distinct (n, m) single-chirality species. The use of ethanol enables the working concentration of SDS to be reduced dramatically and also avoids the introduction of other surfactants or chemical reagents. More importantly, ethanol can be easily removed after separation. The ability of ethanol to tune the interactions between SWCNTs and the gel also gives a deeper insight into the separation mechanism of SWCNTs using gel chromatography.Surfactants or polymers are usually used for the liquid processing of carbon nanotubes for their structure separation. However, they are difficult to remove after separation, affecting the intrinsic properties and applications of the separated species. Here, we report an ethanol-assisted gel chromatography for the chirality separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), in which ethanol is employed to finely tune the density/coverage of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on nanotubes, and thus the interactions between SWCNTs and an allyl dextran-based gel. Incrementally increasing the ethanol content in a low-concentration SDS eluent leads to successive desorption of the different structure SWCNTs adsorbed on the gel, and to achieve multiple distinct (n, m) single-chirality species. The use of ethanol enables the working concentration of SDS to be reduced dramatically and also avoids the introduction of other surfactants or chemical reagents. More importantly, ethanol can be easily removed after separation. The ability of ethanol to tune the interactions between SWCNTs and the gel also gives a deeper insight into the separation mechanism of SWCNTs using gel chromatography. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Fig. S1-S13, additional discussion and experimental details. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04116c

Antioxidant activity of some Moroccan marine microalgae: Pufa profiles, carotenoids and phenolic content.

PubMed

Maadane, Amal; Merghoub, Nawal; Ainane, Tarik; El Arroussi, Hicham; Benhima, Redouane; Amzazi, Saaid; Bakri, Youssef; Wahby, Imane

2015-12-10

In order to promote Moroccan natural resources, this study aims to evaluate the potential of microalgae isolated from Moroccan coastlines, as new source of natural antioxidants. Different extracts (ethanolic, ethanol/water and aqueous) obtained from 9 microalgae strains were screened for their in vitro antioxidant activity using DPPH free radical-scavenging assay. The highest antioxidant potentials were obtained in Dunalliela sp., Tetraselmis sp. and Nannochloropsis gaditana extracts. The obtained results indicate that ethanol extract of all microalgae strains exhibit higher antioxidant activity, when compared to water and ethanol/water extracts. Therefore, total phenolic and carotenoid content measurement were performed in active ethanol extracts. The PUFA profiles of ethanol extracts were also determined by GC/MS analysis. The studied microalgae strains displayed high PUFA content ranging from 12.9 to 76.9 %, total carotenoids content varied from 1.9 and 10.8mg/g of extract and total polyphenol content varied from 8.1 to 32.0mg Gallic acid Equivalent/g of extract weight. The correlation between the antioxidant capacities and the phenolic content and the carotenoids content were found to be insignificant, indicating that these compounds might not be major contributor to the antioxidant activity of these microalgae. The microalgae extracts exerting the high antioxidant activity are potential new source of natural antioxidants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improved ethanol tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in mixed cultures with Kluyveromyces lactis on high-sugar fermentation.

PubMed

Yamaoka, Chizuru; Kurita, Osamu; Kubo, Tomoko

2014-12-01

The influence of non-Saccharomyces yeast, Kluyveromyces lactis, on metabolite formation and the ethanol tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in mixed cultures was examined on synthetic minimal medium containing 20% glucose. In the late stage of fermentation after the complete death of K. lactis, S. cerevisiae in mixed cultures was more ethanol-tolerant than that in pure culture. The chronological life span of S. cerevisiae was shorter in pure culture than mixed cultures. The yeast cells of the late stationary phase both in pure and mixed cultures had a low buoyant density with no significant difference in the non-quiescence state between both cultures. In mixed cultures, the glycerol contents increased and the alanine contents decreased when compared with the pure culture of S. cerevisiae. The distinctive intracellular amino acid pool concerning its amino acid concentrations and its amino acid composition was observed in yeast cells with different ethanol tolerance in the death phase. Co-cultivation of K. lactis seems to prompt S. cerevisiae to be ethanol tolerant by forming opportune metabolites such as glycerol and alanine and/or changing the intracellular amino acid pool. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Changes in Wine Ethanol Content Due to Evaporation from Wine Glasses and Implications for Sensory Analysis.

PubMed

Wollan, David; Pham, Duc-Truc; Wilkinson, Kerry Leigh

2016-10-12

The relative proportion of water and ethanol present in alcoholic beverages can significantly influence the perception of wine sensory attributes. This study therefore investigated changes in wine ethanol concentration due to evaporation from wine glasses. The ethanol content of commercial wines exposed to ambient conditions while in wine glasses was monitored over time. No change in wine ethanol content was observed where glasses were covered with plastic lids, but where glasses were not covered, evaporation had a significant impact on wine ethanol content, with losses from 0.9 to 1.9% alcohol by volume observed for wines that received direct exposure to airflow for 2 h. Evaporation also resulted in decreases in the concentration of some fermentation volatiles (determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) and a perceptible change in wine aroma. The rate of ethanol loss was strongly influenced by exposure to airflow (i.e., from the laboratory air-conditioning unit), together with certain glass shape and wine parameters; glass headspace in particular. This is the first study to demonstrate the significant potential for ethanol evaporation from wine in wine glasses. Research findings have important implications for the technical evaluation of wine sensory properties; in particular, informal sensory trials and wine show judging, where the use of covers on wine glasses is not standard practice.

40 CFR 80.1506 - What penalties apply under this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol... pertains to the ethanol content of gasoline shall constitute a separate day of violation for each and every... that pertain to the ethanol content of gasoline. (2) For the purposes of this paragraph (b), the length...

40 CFR 80.1506 - What penalties apply under this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol... pertains to the ethanol content of gasoline shall constitute a separate day of violation for each and every... that pertain to the ethanol content of gasoline. (2) For the purposes of this paragraph (b), the length...

40 CFR 80.1506 - What penalties apply under this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Additional Requirements for Gasoline-Ethanol... pertains to the ethanol content of gasoline shall constitute a separate day of violation for each and every... that pertain to the ethanol content of gasoline. (2) For the purposes of this paragraph (b), the length...

Ethanol production from food waste at high solid contents with vacuum recovery technology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ethanol production from food wastes does not only solve the environmental issues but also provide renewable biofuel to partially substitute fossil fuels. This study investigated the feasibility of utilization of food wastes for producing ethanol at high solid contents (35%, w/w). Vacuum recovery sys...

Effects of zinc on the production of alcohol by Clostridium carboxidivorans P7 using model syngas.

PubMed

Li, Demao; Meng, Chunxiao; Wu, Guanxun; Xie, Bintao; Han, Yifan; Guo, Yaqiong; Song, Chunhui; Gao, Zhengquan; Huang, Zhiyong

2018-01-01

Renewable energy, including biofuels such as ethanol and butanol from syngas bioconversed by Clostridium carboxidivorans P7, has been drawing extensive attention due to the fossil energy depletion and global eco-environmental issues. Effects of zinc on the growth and metabolites of C. carboxidivorans P7 were investigated with model syngas as the carbon source. The cell concentration was doubled, the ethanol content increased 3.02-fold and the butanol content increased 7.60-fold, the hexanol content increased 44.00-fold in the medium with 280 μM Zn 2+ , when comparing with those in the control medium [Zn 2+ , (7 μM)]. Studies of the genes expression involved in the carbon fixation as well as acid and alcohol production in the medium with 280 μM Zn 2+ indicated that fdhII was up-regulated on the second day, acs A, fdhII, bdh35 and bdh50 were up-regulated on the third day and bdh35, acsB, fdhI, fdhIII, fdhIV, buk, bdh10, bdh35, bdh40 and bdh50 were up-regulated on the fourth day. The results indicated that the increased Zn 2+ content increased the alcohol production through increase in the gene expression of the carbon fixation and alcohol dehydrogenase.

Metabolic effects of feeding ethanol or propanol to postpartum transition Holstein cows.

PubMed

Raun, B M L; Kristensen, N B

2011-05-01

Eight lactating Holstein cows implanted with a ruminal cannula and permanent indwelling catheters in major splanchnic blood vessels were used to investigate metabolism of propanol and ethanol in the postpartum transition period. Cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 treatments in a randomized design with a 2 by 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Factor 1 was 2.6g of calcium carbonate/kg of dry matter (DM) versus 1.5 g of 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butanoic acid isopropyl ester/kg of DM. Factor 2 was supplementation with 14 g of propanol/kg of DM (propanol treatment; PT) versus 14 g of ethanol/kg of DM (ethanol treatment; ET). Only factor 2 data are presented in the present paper. Treatments were administered in silage-based total mixed rations and cows were fed the experimental total mixed ration from the day of parturition. Daily rations were fed in 3 equally sized portions at 8-h intervals. Eight hourly sets of ruminal fluid, arterial, and hepatic portal and hepatic vein samples were collected at day -15 ± 5, 4, 15, and 29 relative to parturition. Dry matter intake and milk yield increased with days in milk (DIM), but were not affected by treatment. From prepartum to 4 DIM ruminal concentrations of propanol and ethanol increased with PT and ET, respectively. Postpartum, alcohol intake increased 49% in PT and 34% in ET from 4 to 29 d in milk, respectively. Ruminal concentrations of the alcohols remained unaffected by DIM. Treatments did not affect total ruminal volatile fatty acid concentrations, but the molar proportion of acetate increased in ET and the molar proportion of propionate increased in PT compared with the contrasting treatment. Propanol treatment decreased milk fat content at 15 to 29 DIM compared with ET. The net portal release of propanol and ethanol increased with increasing ruminal concentration of the respective alcohol. The portal release of alcohol accounted for 43 to 85% of ingested propanol and 36 to 57% of ingested ethanol. Hepatic uptake of propanol and ethanol equaled the net portal flux and no effect of treatment was detected for net splanchnic release of propanol and ethanol. In conclusion, ruminal metabolism is a major component of alcohol metabolism in dairy cows. The postpartum transition dairy cow has sufficient metabolic capacity to cope with high dietary concentrations of primary alcohols even when alcohol intake is abruptly increased at the day of calving. Alcohol intake affects milk fat content and alcohol composition of silage might be important to improve predictions of milk composition. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tri-fuel (diesel-biodiesel-ethanol) emulsion characterization, stability and the corrosion effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Low, M. H.; Mukhtar, N. A. M.; Yohaness Hagos, Ftwi; Noor, M. M.

2017-10-01

This paper presents the result of experimenting emulsified tri-fuel in term of stability, physico-chemical properties and corrosion effect on three common metals. The results were interpreted in terms of the impact of five minutes emulsification approach. Tri-fuel emulsions were varied in proportion ratio consist of biodiesel; 0%, 5%, 10%, and ethanol; 5%, 10%, 15%. Fuel characterization includes density, calorific value, flash point, and kinematic viscosity. Flash point of tri-fuel emulsion came with range catalog. Calorific value of tri-fuel emulsion appeared in declining pattern as more ethanol and biodiesel were added. Biodiesel promoted flow resistance while ethanol with opposite effect. 15% ethanol content in tri-fuel emulsion separated faster than 10% ethanol content but ethanol content with 5% yield no phase separation at all. Close cap under static immersion with various ratio of tri-fuel emulsions for over a month, corrosiveness attack was detected via weight loss technique on aluminum, stainless steel and mild steel.

Increase in nitrite content and functionality of ethanolic extracts of Perilla frutescens following treatment with atmospheric pressure plasma.

PubMed

Jung, Samooel; Lee, Chul Woo; Lee, Juri; Yong, Hae In; Yum, Su Jin; Jeong, Hee Gon; Jo, Cheorun

2017-12-15

This study investigated the effect of atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) treatment on nitrite content and functionality of plant extracts. Ethanolic extracts of Perilla frutescens (EEP) were prepared and treated with APP for 60min. Nitrite content increased from 0 to 45.8mg/l in EEP after APP treatment for 60min. Antimicrobial activity of EEP against Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella Typhimurium was increased by APP with no influence on antioxidative activity (p<0.05). Lyophilized EEP (LEEP) treated with APP for 60min contained 3.74mg/g nitrite. The control (LEEP without APP) contained no nitrite. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of LEEP for C. perfringens was 200µg/ml. The control did not inhibit C. perfringens growth between 25 and 1000µg/ml. MICs of LEEP and the control against S. Typhimurium were 25 and 50µg/ml, respectively. New nitrite sources with increased antimicrobial activity can be produced from natural plants by APP treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Apocynin protects against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats by attenuating the upregulation of NADPH oxidases 1 and 4.

PubMed

El-Naga, Reem N

2015-12-05

Gastric ulcer is a common gastrointestinal disorder affecting many people all over the world. Absolute ethanol (5 ml/kg) was used to induce gastric ulceration in rats. Apocynin (50 mg/kg) was given orally one hour before the administration of absolute ethanol. Omeprazole (20 mg/kg) was used as a standard. Interestingly, apocynin pre-treatment provided 93.5% gastroprotection against ethanol-induced ulceration. Biochemically, gastric mucin content was significantly increased with apocynin pre-treatment. This finding was further supported by alcian blue staining of stomach sections obtained from the different treated groups. Also, gastric juice volume and acidity were significantly reduced. Apocynin significantly ameliorated ethanol-induced oxidative stress by replenishing reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels as well as reducing elevated malondialdehyde levels in gastric tissues. Besides, ethanol-induced pro-inflammatory response was significantly decreased by apocynin pre-treatment via reducing elevated levels of pro-inflammatory markers; interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase. Additionally, caspase-3 tissue level was significantly reduced in apocynin pre-treated group. Interestingly, NADPH oxidase-1 (NOX-1) and NOX-4 up-regulation was shown to be partially involved in the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced gastric ulceration and was significantly reversed by apocynin pre-treatment. Gastroprotective properties of apocynin were confirmed by histopathological examination. It is worth mentioning that apocynin was superior in all aspects except gastric mucin content parameter where it was significantly increased by 13.5 folds in the omeprazole pre-treated group. This study was the first to show that apocynin is a promising gastroprotective agent against ethanol-induced gastric ulceration, partially via its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic effects as well as down-regulating NOX-1 and NOX-4 expression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

How 'ground-picked' olive fruits affect virgin olive oil ethanol content, ethyl esters and quality.

PubMed

Beltran, Gabriel; Sánchez, Raquel; Sánchez-Ortiz, Araceli; Aguilera, Maria P; Bejaoui, Mohamed A; Jimenez, Antonio

2016-08-01

Olives dropped on the ground naturally sometimes are not separated from those fresh and healthy collected from the tree for harvest and processing. In this work we compared the quality, ethanol content and bioactive components of virgin olive oils from ground-picked olives, tree-picked fruits and their mixture. Ground-picked olives produced 'Lampante' virgin olive oils; these are of a lower quality category, because of important alterations in chemical and sensory characteristics. Ethyl esters showed the highest values, although under the regulated limit. The mixture of ground and tree-picked olives gave oils classified as 'virgin' because of sensory defects, although the quality parameters did not exceed the limits for the 'extra' category. Ethanol content showed a significant increase in the oils from ground- picked olives and their mixture with respect to those from tree-picked fruits. Furthermore, bioactive compounds showed a significant decrease as fruit quality was poorer. Ground-picked olives must be harvested and processed separately since they produce low-quality virgin olive oils with sensory defects and lower concentrations of bioactive compounds. The higher acidity and ethanol concentration observed in oils from ground-picked fruits or their mixture may help ethyl ester synthesis during storage. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synergistic effects of hydrogen peroxide and ethanol on cell viability loss in PC12 cells by increase in mitochondrial permeability transition.

PubMed

Lee, Chung Soo; Kim, Yun Jeong; Ko, Hyun Hee; Han, Eun Sook

2005-07-15

The promoting effect of ethanol against the cytotoxicity of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in differentiated PC12 cells was assessed by measuring the effect on the mitochondrial membrane permeability. Treatment of PC12 cells with H2O2 resulted in the nuclear damage, decrease in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, cytosolic accumulation of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3, increase in the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and depletion of GSH. In PC12 cells and dopaminergic neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, the promoting effect of ethanol on the H2O2-induced cell death was increased with exposure time. Ethanol promoted the nuclear damage, change in the mitochondrial membrane permeability, ROS formation and decrease in GSH contents due to H2O2 in PC12 cells. Catalase, carboxy-PTIO, Mn-TBAP, N-acetylcysteine, cyclosporin A and trifluoperazine inhibited the H2O2 and ethanol-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cell injury. The results show that the ethanol treatment promotes the cytotoxicity of H2O2 against PC12 cells. Ethanol may enhance the H2O2-induced viability loss in PC12 cells by promoting the mitochondrial membrane permeability change, release of cytochrome c and subsequent activation of caspase-3, which is associated with the increased formation of ROS and depletion of GSH. The findings suggest that ethanol as a promoting agent for the formation of mitochondrial permeability transition may enhance the neuronal cell injury caused by oxidants.

Comparative analysis of the Performance and Emission Characteristics of ethanol-butanol-gasoline blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taneja, Sumit; Singh, Perminderjit, Dr; Singh, Gurtej

2018-02-01

Global warming and energy security being the global problems have shifted the focus of researchers on the renewable sources of energy which could replace petroleum products partially or as a whole. Ethanol and butanol are renewable sources of energy which can be produced through fermentation of biomass. A lot of research has already been done to develop suitable ethanol-gasoline blends. In contrast very little literature available on the butanol-gasoline blends. This research focuses on the comparison of ethanol-gasoline fuels with butanol-gasoline fuels with regard to the emission and performance in an SI engine. Experiments were conducted on a variable compression ratio SI engine at 1600 rpm and compression ratio 8. The experiments involved the measurement of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and unburned hydrocarbons emission and among performance parameters brake specific fuel consumption and brake thermal efficiency were recorded at three loads of 2.5kgs (25%), 5kgs (50%) and 7.5kgs (75%). Results show that ethanol and butanol content in gasoline have decreased brake specific fuel consumption, carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emissions while the brake thermal efficiency and oxides of nitrogen are increased. Results indicate thatbutanol-gasoline blends have improved brake specific fuel consumption, carbon monoxide emissions in an SI engine as compared to ethanol-gasoline blends. The carbon dioxide emissions and brake thermal efficiencies are comparable for ethanol-gasoline blends and butanol-gasoline blends. The butanol content has a more adverse effect on emissions of oxides of nitrogen than ethanol.

Wound healing activity of Sida cordifolia Linn. in rats.

PubMed

Pawar, Rajesh S; Chaurasiya, Pradeep K; Rajak, Harish; Singour, Pradeep K; Toppo, Fedelic Ashish; Jain, Ankit

2013-01-01

The present study provides a scientific evaluation for the wound healing potential of ethanolic (EtOH) extract of Sida cordifolia Linn. (SCL) plant. Excision, incision and burn wounds were inflicted upon three groups of six rats each. Group I was assigned as control (ointment base). Group II was treated with 10% EtOH extract ointment. Group III was treated with standard silver sulfadiazine (0.01%) cream. The parameters observed were percentage of wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength including histopathological studies. It was noted that the effect produced by the ethanolic extract of SCL ointment showed significant (P < 0.01) healing in all wound models when compared with the control group. All parameters such as wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength and histopathological studies showed significant (P < 0.01) changes when compared with the control. The ethanolic extract ointment of SCL effectively stimulates wound contraction; increases tensile strength of excision, incision and burn wounds.

[Effect of phenolic ketones on ethanol fermentation and cellular lipid composition of Pichia stipitis].

PubMed

Yang, Jinlong; Cheng, Yichao; Zhu, Yuanyuan; Zhu, Junjun; Chen, Tingting; Xu, Yong; Yong, Qiang; Yu, Shiyuan

2016-02-01

Lignin degradation products are toxic to microorganisms, which is one of the bottlenecks for fuel ethanol production. We studied the effects of phenolic ketones (4-hydroxyacetophenone, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-acetophenone and 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-acetophenone) derived from lignin degradation on ethanol fermentation of xylose and cellular lipid composition of Pichia stipitis NLP31. Ethanol and the cellular fatty acid of yeast were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Results indicate that phenolic ketones negatively affected ethanol fermentation of yeast and the lower molecular weight phenolic ketone compound was more toxic. When the concentration of 4-hydroxyacetophenone was 1.5 g/L, at fermentation of 24 h, the xylose utilization ratio, ethanol yield and ethanol concentration decreased by 42.47%, 5.30% and 9.76 g/L, respectively, compared to the control. When phenolic ketones were in the medium, the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids (UFA/SFA) of yeast cells was improved. When 1.5 g/L of three aforementioned phenolic ketones was added to the fermentation medium, the UFA/SFA ratio of yeast cells increased to 3.03, 3.06 and 3.61, respectively, compared to 2.58 of the control, which increased cell membrane fluidity and instability. Therefore, phenolic ketones can reduce the yeast growth, increase the UFA/SFA ratio of yeast and lower ethanol productivity. Effectively reduce or remove the content of lignin degradation products is the key to improve lignocellulose biorefinery.

α-Chymotrypsin in water-ethanol mixtures: Effect of preferential interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirotkin, Vladimir A.; Kuchierskaya, Alexandra A.

2017-12-01

We investigated preferential interactions of α-chymotrypsin with water-ethanol mixtures at 25 °C. Our approach is based on the analysis of residual enzyme activity and water/alcohol sorption. There are three concentration regimes. α-Chymotrypsin is preferentially hydrated at high water content. The residual enzyme activity is close to 100%. α-Chymotrypsin has a higher affinity for alcohol than for water at intermediate water content. Residual enzyme activity is close to zero in this concentration range. At low water content, ethanol is preferentially excluded from the protein surface. This results in preferential hydration of α-chymotrypsin and significant residual catalytic activity (∼50%) in water-poor ethanol.

Ethanol Dose- and Time-dependently Increases α and β Subunits of Mitochondrial ATP Synthase of Cultured Neonatal Rat Cardiomyocytes.

PubMed

Mashimo, Keiko; Arthur, Peter G; Ohno, Youkichi

2015-01-01

Mitochondria are target subcellular organelles of ethanol. In this study, the effects of ethanol on protein composition was examined with 2-dimensional electrophoresis of protein extracts from cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes exposed to 100 mM ethanol for 24 hours. A putative β subunit of mitochondrial ATP synthase was increased, which was confirmed by Western blot. The cellular protein abundances in the α and β subunits of ATP synthase increased in dose (0, 10, 50, and 100 mM) - and time (0.5 hour and 24 hours) -dependent manners. The DNA microarray analysis of total RNA extract demonstrated that gene expression of the corresponding messenger RNAs of these subunit proteins did not significantly alter due to 24-hour ethanol exposure. Therefore, protein expression of these nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins may be regulated at the translational, rather than the transcriptional, level. Alternatively, degradation of these subunit proteins might be decreased. Additionally, cellular ATP content of cardiomyocytes scarcely decreased following 24-hour exposure to any examined concentrations of ethanol. Previous studies, together with this study, have demonstrated that protein abundance of the α subunit or β subunit or both subunits of ATP synthase after ethanol exposure or dysfunctional conditions might differ according to tissue: significant increases in heart but decreases in liver and brain. Thus, it is suggested that the abundance of subunit proteins of mitochondrial ATP synthase in the ethanol-exposed heart, being different from that in the liver and brain, should increase dose-dependently through either translational upregulation or decreased degradation or both to maintain ATP production, as the heart requires much more energy than other tissues for continuing sustained contractions.

Evaluation of the Simultaneous Production of Xylitol and Ethanol from Sisal Fiber

PubMed Central

Damião Xavier, Franklin; Santos Bezerra, Gustavo; Florentino Melo Santos, Sharline; Sousa Conrado Oliveira, Líbia; Luiz Honorato Silva, Flávio; Joice Oliveira Silva, Aleir; Maria Conceição, Marta

2018-01-01

Recent years have seen an increase in the use of lignocellulosic materials in the development of bioproducts. Because sisal fiber is a low cost raw material and is readily available, this work aimed to evaluate its hemicellulose fraction for the simultaneous production of xylitol and ethanol. The sisal fiber presented a higher hemicellulose content than other frequently-employed biomasses, such as sugarcane bagasse. A pretreatment with dilute acid and low temperatures was conducted in order to obtain the hemicellulose fraction. The highest xylose contents (0.132 g·g−1 of sisal fiber) were obtained at 120 °C with 2.5% (v/v) of sulfuric acid. The yeast Candida tropicalis CCT 1516 was used in the fermentation. In the sisal fiber hemicellulose hydrolysate, the maximum production of xylitol (0.32 g·g−1) and of ethanol (0.27 g·g−1) was achieved in 60 h. Thus, sisal fiber presents as a potential biomass for the production of ethanol and xylitol, creating value with the use of hemicellulosic liquor without detoxification and without the additional steps of alkaline pretreatment. PMID:29320469

Effect of Ethanol on Differential Protein Production and Expression of Potential Virulence Functions in the Opportunistic Pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii

PubMed Central

Nwugo, Chika C.; Arivett, Brock A.; Zimbler, Daniel L.; Gaddy, Jennifer A.; Richards, Ashley M.; Actis, Luis A.

2012-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii persists in the medical environment and causes severe human nosocomial infections. Previous studies showed that low-level ethanol exposure increases the virulence of A. baumannii ATCC 17978. To better understand the mechanisms involved in this response, 2-D gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry was used to investigate differential protein production in bacteria cultured in the presence or absence of ethanol. This approach showed that the presence of ethanol significantly induces and represses the production of 22 and 12 proteins, respectively. Although over 25% of the ethanol-induced proteins were stress-response related, the overall bacterial viability was uncompromised when cultured under these conditions. Production of proteins involved in lipid and carbohydrate anabolism was increased in the presence of ethanol, a response that correlates with increased carbohydrate biofilm content, enhanced biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces and decrease bacterial motility on semi-solid surfaces. The presence of ethanol also induced the acidification of bacterial cultures and the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a ubiquitous plant hormone that signals bacterial stress-tolerance and promotes plant-bacteria interactions. These responses could be responsible for the significantly enhanced virulence of A. baumannii ATCC 17978 cells cultured in the presence of ethanol when tested with the Galleria mellonella experimental infection model. Taken together, these observations provide new insights into the effect of ethanol in bacterial virulence. This alcohol predisposes the human host to infections by A. baumannii and could favor the survival and adaptation of this pathogen to medical settings and adverse host environments. PMID:23284824

Effect of ethanol on differential protein production and expression of potential virulence functions in the opportunistic pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii.

PubMed

Nwugo, Chika C; Arivett, Brock A; Zimbler, Daniel L; Gaddy, Jennifer A; Richards, Ashley M; Actis, Luis A

2012-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii persists in the medical environment and causes severe human nosocomial infections. Previous studies showed that low-level ethanol exposure increases the virulence of A. baumannii ATCC 17978. To better understand the mechanisms involved in this response, 2-D gel electrophoresis combined with mass spectrometry was used to investigate differential protein production in bacteria cultured in the presence or absence of ethanol. This approach showed that the presence of ethanol significantly induces and represses the production of 22 and 12 proteins, respectively. Although over 25% of the ethanol-induced proteins were stress-response related, the overall bacterial viability was uncompromised when cultured under these conditions. Production of proteins involved in lipid and carbohydrate anabolism was increased in the presence of ethanol, a response that correlates with increased carbohydrate biofilm content, enhanced biofilm formation on abiotic surfaces and decrease bacterial motility on semi-solid surfaces. The presence of ethanol also induced the acidification of bacterial cultures and the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a ubiquitous plant hormone that signals bacterial stress-tolerance and promotes plant-bacteria interactions. These responses could be responsible for the significantly enhanced virulence of A. baumannii ATCC 17978 cells cultured in the presence of ethanol when tested with the Galleria mellonella experimental infection model. Taken together, these observations provide new insights into the effect of ethanol in bacterial virulence. This alcohol predisposes the human host to infections by A. baumannii and could favor the survival and adaptation of this pathogen to medical settings and adverse host environments.

Effects of polar solvents on the mechanical behavior of fish scales.

PubMed

Murcia, Sandra; Li, Guihua; Yahyazadehfar, Mobin; Sasser, Mikaela; Ossa, Alex; Arola, D

2016-04-01

Fish scales are unique structural materials that serve as a form of natural armor. In this investigation the mechanical behavior of scales from the Cyprinus carpio was evaluated after exposure to a polar solvent. Uniaxial tensile and tear tests were conducted on specimens prepared from the scales of multiple fish extracted from near the head, middle and tail regions, and after exposure to ethanol for periods from 0 to 24h. Submersion in ethanol caused instantaneous changes in the tensile properties regardless of anatomical site, with increases in the elastic modulus, strength and modulus of toughness exceeding 100%. The largest increase in properties overall occurred in the elastic modulus of scales from the tail region and exceeded 200%. Although ethanol treatment had significant effect on the tensile properties, it had limited influence on the tear resistance. The contribution of ethanol to the mechanical behavior appears to be derived from an increase in the degree of interpeptide hydrogen-bonding of the collagen molecules. Spatial variations in the effects of ethanol exposure on the mechanical behavior arise from the differences in degree of mineralization and lower mineral content in scales of the tail region. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Possible cytoprotective mechanism in rats of D-002, an anti-ulcerogenic product isolated from beeswax.

PubMed

Carbajal, D; Molina, V; Valdés, S; Arruzazabala, L; Rodeiro, I; Más, R; Magraner, J

1996-08-01

D-002 is an anti-ulcerogenic product, isolated from beeswax, which consists of a well-defined mixture of higher primary aliphatic alcohols. It is highly effective against ethanol-induced ulcers. This study was designed to determine if D-002 shows cytoprotective properties on gastric mucosa in ethanol-induced ulcers. The involvement of endogenous prostaglandins in the protective effect of D-002 was also investigated. When a subulcerogenic dose of indomethacin (10 mg kg-1) was injected simultaneously with oral administration of ethanol, oral pre-treatment with D-002 (5-100 mg kg-1) partially inhibited the gastric protection. D-002 (5 and 25 mg kg-1) administered to normal rats significantly increased the soluble mucus content and also prevented its reduction in rats with ethanol-induced ulcers. In addition, D-002 administered at 5 and 25 mg kg-1 prevented the increase of vascular permeability induced by ethanol (60%) and reduced the concentration of thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in gastric mucosa of rats with ethanol-induced ulcers. These results support the hypothesis that the anti-ulcerogenic properties of D-002 could be related to a cytoprotective mechanism.

Inhibitory effect of Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kanehira ethanol extracts on melanin synthesis via repression of tyrosinase expression.

PubMed

Lee, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Chun-Hao; Yu, Chih-Wen; Chen, Hsiao Ling; Huang, Wei-Tung; Chang, Yun-Shiang; Hung, Shu-Hsien; Lee, Tai-Lin

2016-09-01

Melanin contributes to skin color, and tyrosinase is the enzyme that catalyzes the initial steps of melanin formation. Therefore, tyrosinase inhibitors may contribute to the control of skin hyperpigmentation. The inhibition of tyrosinase activity by Cinnamomum zeylanicum extracts was previously reported. In this report, we test the hypothesis that Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kanehira, an endemic plant to Taiwan, contains compounds that inhibit tyrosinase activity, similar to C. zeylanicum. The cytotoxicity of three sources of C. osmophloeum Kanehira ethanol extracts was measured in B16-F10 cells using a methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. At concentrations greater than 21.25 μg/mL, the ethanol extracts were toxic to the cells; therefore, 21.25 μg/mL was selected to test the tyrosinase activities. At this concentration, all three ethanol extracts decreased the melanin content by 50% in IBMX-induced B16-F10 cells. In addition to the melanin content, greater than 20% of the tyrosinase activity was inhibited by these ethanol extracts. The RT-PCR results showed that tyrosinase and transcription factor MITF mRNAs expression were down-regulated. Consistent with the mRNA results, greater than 40% of the human tyrosinase promoter activity was inhibited based on the reporter assay. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the ethanol extracts protect cells from UV exposure. C. osmophloeum Kanehira neutralized the IBMX-induced increase in melanin content in B16-F10 cells by inhibiting tyrosinase gene expression at the level of transcription. Moreover, the ethanol extracts also partially inhibited UV-induced cell damage and prevented cell death. Taken together, we conclude that C. osmophloeum Kanehira is a potential skin-whitening and protective agent. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Use of Mixed Populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. kudriavzevii to Reduce Ethanol Content in Wine: Limited Aeration, Inoculum Proportions, and Sequential Inoculation

PubMed Central

Alonso-del-Real, Javier; Contreras-Ruiz, Alba; Castiglioni, Gabriel L.; Barrio, Eladio; Querol, Amparo

2017-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most widespread microorganism responsible for wine alcoholic fermentation. Nevertheless, the wine industry is currently facing new challenges, some of them associate with climate change, which have a negative effect on ethanol content and wine quality. Numerous and varied strategies have been carried out to overcome these concerns. From a biotechnological point of view, the use of alternative non-Saccharomyces yeasts, yielding lower ethanol concentrations and sometimes giving rise to new and interesting aroma, is one of the trendiest approaches. However, S. cerevisiae usually outcompetes other Saccharomyces species due to its better adaptation to the fermentative environment. For this reason, we studied for the first time the use of a Saccharomyces kudriavzevii strain, CR85, for co-inoculations at increasing proportions and sequential inoculations, as well as the effect of aeration, to improve its fermentation performance in order to obtain wines with an ethanol yield reduction. An enhanced competitive performance of S. kudriavzevii CR85 was observed when it represented 90% of the cells present in the inoculum. Furthermore, airflow supply of 20 VVH to the fermentation synergistically improved CR85 endurance and, interestingly, a significant ethanol concentration reduction was achieved. PMID:29118746

The Use of Mixed Populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. kudriavzevii to Reduce Ethanol Content in Wine: Limited Aeration, Inoculum Proportions, and Sequential Inoculation.

PubMed

Alonso-Del-Real, Javier; Contreras-Ruiz, Alba; Castiglioni, Gabriel L; Barrio, Eladio; Querol, Amparo

2017-01-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most widespread microorganism responsible for wine alcoholic fermentation. Nevertheless, the wine industry is currently facing new challenges, some of them associate with climate change, which have a negative effect on ethanol content and wine quality. Numerous and varied strategies have been carried out to overcome these concerns. From a biotechnological point of view, the use of alternative non- Saccharomyces yeasts, yielding lower ethanol concentrations and sometimes giving rise to new and interesting aroma, is one of the trendiest approaches. However, S. cerevisiae usually outcompetes other Saccharomyces species due to its better adaptation to the fermentative environment. For this reason, we studied for the first time the use of a Saccharomyces kudriavzevii strain, CR85, for co-inoculations at increasing proportions and sequential inoculations, as well as the effect of aeration, to improve its fermentation performance in order to obtain wines with an ethanol yield reduction. An enhanced competitive performance of S. kudriavzevii CR85 was observed when it represented 90% of the cells present in the inoculum. Furthermore, airflow supply of 20 VVH to the fermentation synergistically improved CR85 endurance and, interestingly, a significant ethanol concentration reduction was achieved.

Effect of hydrothermal pretreatment on the structural changes of alkaline ethanol lignin from wheat straw.

PubMed

Chen, Xue; Li, Hanyin; Sun, Shaoni; Cao, Xuefei; Sun, Runcang

2016-12-16

Due to the enormous abundance of lignin and its unique aromatic nature, lignin has great potential for the production of industrially useful fuels, chemicals, and materials. However, the rigid and compact structure of the plant cell walls significantly blocks the separation of lignin. In this study, wheat straw was hydrothermally pretreated at different temperatures (120-200 °C) followed by post-treatment with 70% ethanol containing 1% NaOH to improve the isolation of lignin. Results demonstrated that the content of associated carbohydrates of the lignin fractions was gradually reduced with the increment of the hydrothermal severity. The structure of the lignins changed regularly with the increase of the pretreatment temperature from 120 to 200 °C. In particular, the contents of β-O-4', β-β', β-5' linkages and aliphatic OH in the lignins showed a tendency of decrease, while the content of phenolic OH and thermal stability of the lignin fractions increased steadily as the increment of the pretreatment temperature.

Effect of hydrothermal pretreatment on the structural changes of alkaline ethanol lignin from wheat straw

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xue; Li, Hanyin; Sun, Shaoni; Cao, Xuefei; Sun, Runcang

2016-12-01

Due to the enormous abundance of lignin and its unique aromatic nature, lignin has great potential for the production of industrially useful fuels, chemicals, and materials. However, the rigid and compact structure of the plant cell walls significantly blocks the separation of lignin. In this study, wheat straw was hydrothermally pretreated at different temperatures (120-200 °C) followed by post-treatment with 70% ethanol containing 1% NaOH to improve the isolation of lignin. Results demonstrated that the content of associated carbohydrates of the lignin fractions was gradually reduced with the increment of the hydrothermal severity. The structure of the lignins changed regularly with the increase of the pretreatment temperature from 120 to 200 °C. In particular, the contents of β-O-4‧, β-β‧, β-5‧ linkages and aliphatic OH in the lignins showed a tendency of decrease, while the content of phenolic OH and thermal stability of the lignin fractions increased steadily as the increment of the pretreatment temperature.

Low doses of methylmercury intoxication solely or associated to ethanol binge drinking induce psychiatric-like disorders in adolescent female rats.

PubMed

Belém-Filho, Ivaldo Jesus Almeida; Ribera, Paula Cardoso; Nascimento, Aline Lima; Gomes, Antônio Rafael Quadros; Lima, Rafael Rodrigues; Crespo-Lopez, Maria Elena; Monteiro, Marta Chagas; Fontes-Júnior, Enéas Andrade; Lima, Marcelo Oliveira; Maia, Cristiane Socorro Ferraz

2018-04-30

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental contaminant that provokes damage to developing brain. Simultaneously, the consumption of ethanol among adolescents has increased. Evidence concerning the effects of MeHg low doses per se or associated with ethanol during adolescence are scarce. Thus, we investigate behavioral disorders resulted from exposure to MeHg low doses and co-intoxicated with ethanol in adolescent rats. Wistar rats received chronic exposure to low doses of MeHg (40 μg/kg/day for 5 weeks) and/or ethanol binge drinking (3 g/kg/day at 3 days per week for 5 weeks). Animals were submitted to behavioral assays to assess emotionality and cognitive function. Total mercury content was evaluated in the brain and hair. Oxidative parameters were analyzed in blood samples. MeHg at low doses or associated to ethanol binge drinking produced psychiatric-like disorders and cognitive impairment. Peripherally, MeHg altered oxidative parameters when associated to ethanol. Ethanol administration reduced brain mercury deposit. We proposed that ethanol reduces the necessity of mercury tissue levels to display psychiatric-like disorders/cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Resveratrol suppresses ethanol stress in winery and bottom brewery yeast by affecting superoxide dismutase, lipid peroxidation and fatty acid profile.

PubMed

Gharwalova, Lucia; Sigler, Karel; Dolezalova, Jana; Masak, Jan; Rezanka, Tomas; Kolouchova, Irena

2017-11-03

Mid-exponential cultures of two traditional biotechnological yeast species, winery Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the less ethanol tolerant bottom-fermenting brewery Saccharomyces pastorianus, were exposed to different concentrations of added ethanol (3, 5 and 8%) The degree of ethanol-induced cell stress was assessed by measuring the cellular activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), level of lipid peroxidation products, changes in cell lipid content and fatty acid profile. The resveratrol as an antioxidant was found to decrease the ethanol-induced rise of SOD activity and suppress the ethanol-induced decrease in cell lipids. A lower resveratrol concentration (0.5 mg/l) even reduced the extent of lipid peroxidation in cells. Resveratrol also alleviated ethanol-induced changes in cell lipid composition in both species by strongly enhancing the proportion of saturated fatty acids and contributing thereby to membrane stabilization. Lower resveratrol concentrations could thus diminish the negative effects of ethanol stress on yeast cells and improve their physiological state. These effects may be utilized to enhance yeast vitality in high-ethanol-producing fermentations or to increase the number of yeast generations in brewery.

Electrocatalytic activity and operational stability of electrodeposited Pd-Co films towards ethanol oxidation in alkaline electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsui, Lok-kun; Zafferoni, Claudio; Lavacchi, Alessandro; Innocenti, Massimo; Vizza, Francesco; Zangari, Giovanni

2015-10-01

Direct alkaline ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) are usually run with Pd anodic catalysts, but their performance can be improved by utilizing alloys of Pd and Co. The oxyphilic Co serves to supply ample -OH to the ethanol oxidation reaction, accelerating the rate limiting step at low overpotential under alkaline conditions. Pd-Co films with compositions between 20 and 80 at% Co can be prepared by electrodeposition from a NH3 complexing electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that the ethanol oxidation peak exhibits increasing current density with increasing Co content, reaching a maximum at 77% Co. In contrast, potentiostatic measurements under conditions closer to fuel cell operating conditions show that a 50 at% Co alloy has the highest performance. Importantly, the Co-Pd film is also found to undergo phase and morphological transformations during ethanol oxidation, resulting in a change from a compact film to high surface area flake-like structures containing Co3O4 and CoOOH; such a transformation instead is not observed when operating at a constant potential of 0.7 VRHE.

Effective ethanol production from whey powder through immobilized E. coli expressing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin.

PubMed

Sar, Taner; Stark, Benjamin C; Yesilcimen Akbas, Meltem

2017-03-04

Ethanol production from whey powder was investigated by using free as well as alginate immobilized E. coli and E. coli expressing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) in both shake flask and fermenter cultures. Media with varying levels of whey (lactose contents of 3%, 5%, 8% or 15%) and yeast extract (0.3% or 0.5%) were evaluated with fermentation times of 48-96 h. Immobilization and VHb expression resulted in higher ethanol production with all media; the increases ranged from 2% to 89% for immobilization and from 2% to 182% for VHb expression. It was determined that growth medium containing 8% lactose with 0.5% yeast extract yielded the highest ethanol production for free or immobilized strains, with or without VHb expression, in both shake flask and fermenter cultures. Immobilization with alginate was found to be a promising process for ethanol production by VHb-expressing ethanologenic E. coli.

Effective ethanol production from whey powder through immobilized E. coli expressing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin

PubMed Central

Sar, Taner; Stark, Benjamin C.; Yesilcimen Akbas, Meltem

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Ethanol production from whey powder was investigated by using free as well as alginate immobilized E. coli and E. coli expressing Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb) in both shake flask and fermenter cultures. Media with varying levels of whey (lactose contents of 3%, 5%, 8% or 15%) and yeast extract (0.3% or 0.5%) were evaluated with fermentation times of 48–96 h. Immobilization and VHb expression resulted in higher ethanol production with all media; the increases ranged from 2% to 89% for immobilization and from 2% to 182% for VHb expression. It was determined that growth medium containing 8% lactose with 0.5% yeast extract yielded the highest ethanol production for free or immobilized strains, with or without VHb expression, in both shake flask and fermenter cultures. Immobilization with alginate was found to be a promising process for ethanol production by VHb-expressing ethanologenic E. coli. PMID:27579556

Short-Chain Polysaccharide Analysis in Ethanol-Water Solutions.

PubMed

Yan, Xun

2017-07-01

This study demonstrates that short-chain polysaccharides, or oligosaccharides, could be sufficiently separated with hydrophilic interaction LC (HILIC) conditions and quantified by evaporative light-scattering detection (ELSD). The multianalyte calibration approach improved the efficiency of calibrating the nonlinear detector response. The method allowed easy quantification of short-chain carbohydrates. Using the HILIC method, the oligosaccharide solubility and its profile in water/alcohol solutions at room temperature were able to be quantified. The results showed that the polysaccharide solubility in ethanol-water solutions decreased as ethanol content increased. The results also showed oligosaccharides to have minimal solubility in pure ethanol. In a saturated maltodextrin ethanol (80%) solution, oligosaccharide components with a degree of polymerization >12 were practically insoluble and contributed less than 0.2% to the total solute dry weight. The HILIC-ELSD method allows for the identification and quantification of low-MW carbohydrates individually and served as an alternative method to current gel permeation chromatography procedures.

Ethanol exposure induces oxidative stress and impairs nitric oxide availability in the human placental villi: a possible mechanism of toxicity.

PubMed

Kay, H H; Grindle, K M; Magness, R R

2000-03-01

We undertook this investigation to explore the effects of ethanol exposure on nitric oxide synthase levels and nitric oxide release. Our hypothesis was that ethanol exposure modifies nitric oxide activity within the placenta as a result of oxidative stress. Four 10-g samples of term normal human placental villous tissue were perifused with nonrecirculating Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium and 25-mmol/L N-[2-hydroxyethyl]piperazine-N'-[2-ethanesulfonic acid] with 0-, 50-, 100-, or 200-mmol/L ethanol. After 2 hours of exposure, tissue was removed, fixed, and frozen for analysis. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed for subtype I or neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), subtype II or inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and subtype III or endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) localization. Western blot analysis was performed for eNOS quantitation. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate and copper-zinc superoxide dismutase levels were measured by electroimmunoassay and kinetic assay, respectively. Nitric oxide release was analyzed by a Sievers nitric oxide analyzer. Immunohistochemical examination confirmed that only eNOS was localized to the syncytiotrophoblasts. After ethanol exposure, eNOS protein expression increased 2.5- to 3.0-fold over that of the control. Tissue cyclic guanosine monophosphate content and nitric oxide release into the effluent were decreased, whereas superoxide dismutase levels were increased at higher ethanol levels (P <.05). Ethanol exposure appears to induce oxidative stress, which may account for the decreased nitric oxide release, because nitric oxide may be shunted toward scavenging free radicals. Increased eNOS protein expression may be a response to the increased demand for nitric oxide. Decreased nitric oxide availability could adversely affect placental blood flow regulation, which could, in turn, account for the growth restriction seen in ethanol-exposed fetuses.

The bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of ethanol and ethyl ecetate extracts of Candi Banana (Musa paradisiaca)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laeliocattleya, R. A.; Estiasih, T.; Griselda, G.; Muchlisyiyah, J.

2018-03-01

Banana has various benefits for health. One local variety of banana is candi banana (Musa paradisiaca). The aim of this research was to study the content of the bioactive compounds of phenolics, flavonoids, tannin, carotenoids and the antioxidant activity of extract ethanol and ethyl acetate of candi banana. Powdered candi banana was extracted using ethanol and ethyl acetate in an ultrasonic bath. The results showed that the content of phenolics, flavonoids, tannin and carotenoids in ethanol extract were 58.76 ± 3.19 mg/kg, 416.08 ± 18.79 mg/kg, 209.83 ± 15.87 mg/kg and 74.55 ± 4.31 mg/kg, respectively. The content of phenolics, flavonoids, tannin and carotenoids in ethyl acetate extract were 0.83 ± 0.12 mg/kg, 4.31 ± 0.66 mg/kg, 49.97 ± 2.43 mg/kg and 304.40 ± 16.62 mg/kg. While the antioxidant activity (IC50) of ethanol extract and ethyl acetate were 3374.13 ± 123.46 ppm and 40318.19 ± 1014.90 ppm. This research showed that type of solvents of ethanol and ethyl acetate affected the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of candi banana. The antioxidant activity of ethanol extract was higher than that of ethyl acetate extract. It showed that ethanol was a better solvent than ethyl acetate to extract bioactive compounds in candi banana.

Mechanisms of Gastroprotective Effects of Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Jasminum sambac against HCl/Ethanol-Induced Gastric Mucosal Injury in Rats

PubMed Central

AlRashdi, Ahmed S.; Salama, Suzy M.; Alkiyumi, Salim S.; Abdulla, Mahmood A.; Hadi, A. Hamid A.; Abdelwahab, Siddig I.; Taha, Manal M.; Hussiani, Jamal; Asykin, Nur

2012-01-01

Jasminum sambac is used in folk medicine as the treatment of many diseases. The aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the gastroprotective effects of ethanolic extracts of J. sambac leaves against acidified ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Seven groups of rats were orally pre-treated with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as normal group, CMC as ulcer group, 20 mg/kg of omeprazole as positive group, 62.5, 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg of extract as the experimental groups, respectively. An hour later, CMC was given orally to normal group and acidified ethanol solution was given orally to the ulcer control, positive control, and the experimental groups. The rats were sacrificed after an hour later. Acidity of gastric content, the gastric wall mucus, ulcer areas, and histology and immunohistochemistry of the gastric wall were assessed. Gastric homogenates were determined for prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), superoxide dismutase (SOD), andmalondialdehyde (MDA) content. Ulcer group exhibited significantly severe mucosal injury as compared with omeprazole or extract which shows significant protection towards gastric mucosal injury the plant promotes ulcer protection as it shows significant reduction of ulcer area grossly, and histology showed marked reduction of edema and leucocytes infiltration of submucosal layer compared with ulcer group. Immunohistochemistry showed overexpression of Hsp70 protein and downexpression of Bax protein in rats pretreated with extract. Significant increased in the pH, mucus of gastric content and high levels of PGE2, SOD and reduced amount of MDA was observed. PMID:22550543

40 CFR 80.40 - Fuel certification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... volume percent ethanol, or RBOB intended for blending with 10 volume percent ethanol, that is intended... contain denatured, anhydrous ethanol. The concentration of the ethanol, excluding the required denaturing agent, must be at least 9% and no more than 10% (by volume) of the gasoline. The ethanol content of the...

40 CFR 80.40 - Fuel certification procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... volume percent ethanol, or RBOB intended for blending with 10 volume percent ethanol, that is intended... contain denatured, anhydrous ethanol. The concentration of the ethanol, excluding the required denaturing agent, must be at least 9% and no more than 10% (by volume) of the gasoline. The ethanol content of the...

Effect of Furfural on Saccharomyces carlsbergensis Growth, Physiology and Ethanol Production.

PubMed

Lopes da Silva, Teresa; Santo, Rui; Reis, Alberto; Passarinho, Paula C

2017-06-01

This work described the effect of furfural, a product resulting from the lignocellulosic material pretreatment, on Saccharomyces carlsbergensis growth and ethanol production. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the yeast membrane potential, membrane integrity, reactive oxygen species production and lipid content. Above 0.3 g/L of furfural, a progressive decrease in the maximal specific growth rate was observed, reaching 53% of the value obtained in the absence of toxic when the cells were grown in the presence of 4 g/L of furfural. In general, the yeast biomass concentration and yield were less affected by the furfural presence than the specific growth rate, and a maximum reduction of 25% was observed for the assay at 4 g/L. The ethanol production was even less affected by the furfural presence than the yeast growth. At 4 g/L of furfural, the maximum ethanol concentration was reduced by only 10% relatively to the maximum ethanol concentration observed in the absence of toxic. At 5 g/L of furfural, the yeast cells were barely able to keep metabolic functions and produced a final ethanol concentration of 0.87 g/L although growth was undetectable. S. carlsbergensis membrane potential was affected by the furfural presence, concomitantly with the ethanol production. However, at 4 g/L, most of the yeast cells (90%) displayed the cytoplasmic membrane depolarized. The proportion of cells with increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production levels increased for the experiments at 0-4 g/L. For the experiment at 4.5 g/L of furfural, ROS production was observed for only 11% of the yeast cells. The yeast lipid content was also severely affected by the furfural presence. Both polar and neutral lipids decreased in the presence of furfural, and this reduction was more notorious during the stationary phase.

Lipoic acid protects gastric mucosa from ethanol-induced injury in rat through a mechanism involving aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 activation.

PubMed

Li, Jia-Hui; Ju, Gui-Xia; Jiang, Jun-Lin; Li, Nian-Sheng; Peng, Jun; Luo, Xiu-Ju

2016-11-01

Numerous studies demonstrate that reactive aldehydes are highly toxic and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2)-mediated detoxification of reactive aldehydes is thought as an endogenous protective mechanism against reactive aldehydes-induced cell injury. This study aims to explore whether lipoic acid, a potential ALDH2 activator, is able to protect gastric mucosa from ethanol-induced injury through a mechanism involving clearance of reactive aldehydes. The rats received 60% of acidified ethanol through intragastric administration and held for 1 h to establish a mucosal injury model. Lipoic acid (10 or 30 mg/kg) or Alda-1 (a positive control, 10 mg/kg) was given 45 min before the ethanol treatment. The gastric tissues were collected for analysis of gastric ulcer index, cellular apoptosis, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, and ALDH2 activity. The results showed that acute administration of ethanol led to an increase in gastric ulcer index, cellular apoptosis, 4-HNE and MDA contents concomitant with a decrease in ALDH2 activity; these phenomena were reversed by lipoic acid or Alda-1. The gastric protection of lipoic acid was attenuated in the presence of ALDH2 inhibitor. Based on these observations, we conclude that lipoic acid exerts the beneficial effects on ethanol-induced injury through a mechanism involving, at least in part, ALDH2 activation. As a dietary supplement or a medicine already in some countries, lipoic acid can be used to treat the ethanol - induced gastric mucosal injury. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethanol induced hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction is attenuated by all trans retinoic acid supplementation.

PubMed

Nair, Saritha S; Prathibha, P; Rejitha, S; Indira, M

2015-08-15

Alcoholics have reduced vitamin A levels in serum since vitamin A and ethanol share the same metabolic pathway. Vitamin A supplementation has an additive effect on ethanol induced toxicity. Hence in this study, we assessed the impact of supplementation of all trans retinoic acid (ATRA), an active metabolite of vitamin A on ethanol induced disruptive alterations in liver mitochondria. Male Sprague Dawley rats were grouped as follows: I: Control; II: Ethanol (4 g/kg b.wt./day); III: ATRA (100 μg/kg b.wt./day); and IV: Ethanol (4 g/kg b.wt./day)+ATRA (100 μg/kg b.wt./day). Duration of the experiment was 90 days, after which the animals were sacrificed for the study. The key enzymes of energy metabolism, reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential and hepatic mRNA expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, c-fos and c-jun were assessed. Ethanol administration increased the reactive oxygen species generation in mitochondria. It also decreased the activities of the enzymes of citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential were decreased and cytosolic cytochrome c was increased consequently enhancing apoptosis. All these alterations were altered significantly on ATRA supplementation along with ethanol. These results were reinforced by our histopathological studies. ATRA supplementation to ethanol fed rats, led to reduction in oxidative stress, decreased calcium overload in the matrix and increased mitochondrial membrane potential, which might have altered the mitochondrial energy metabolism and elevated ATP production thereby reducing the apoptotic alterations. Hence ATRA supplementation seemed to be an effective intervention against alcohol induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alkaline-sulfite pretreatment and use of surfactants during enzymatic hydrolysis to enhance ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse.

PubMed

Mesquita, Jéssica Faria; Ferraz, André; Aguiar, André

2016-03-01

Sugarcane bagasse is a by-product from the sugar and ethanol industry which contains approximately 70 % of its dry mass composed by polysaccharides. To convert these polysaccharides into fuel ethanol it is necessary a pretreatment step to increase the enzymatic digestibility of the recalcitrant raw material. In this work, sugarcane bagasse was pretreated by an alkaline-sulfite chemithermomechanical process for increasing its enzymatic digestibility. Na2SO3 and NaOH ratios were fixed at 2:1, and three increasing chemical loads, varying from 4 to 8 % m/m Na2SO3, were used to prepare the pretreated materials. The increase in the alkaline-sulfite load decreased the lignin content in the pretreated material up to 35.5 % at the highest chemical load. The pretreated samples presented enhanced glucose yields during enzymatic hydrolysis as a function of the pretreatment severity. The maximum glucose yield (64 %) was observed for the samples pretreated with the highest chemical load. The use of 2.5 g l(-1) Tween 20 in the hydrolysis step further increased the glucose yield to 75 %. Semi-simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation of the pretreated materials indicated that the ethanol yield was also enhanced as a function of the pretreatment severity. The maximum ethanol yield was 56 ± 2 % for the sample pretreated with the highest chemical load. For the sample pretreated with the lowest chemical load (2 % m/m NaOH and 4 % m/m Na2SO3), adding Tween 20 during the hydrolysis process increased the ethanol yield from 25 ± 3 to 39.5 ± 1 %.

Hepatoprotective effects of pecan nut shells on ethanol-induced liver damage.

PubMed

Müller, Liz Girardi; Pase, Camila Simonetti; Reckziegel, Patrícia; Barcelos, Raquel C S; Boufleur, Nardeli; Prado, Ana Cristina P; Fett, Roseane; Block, Jane Mara; Pavanato, Maria Amália; Bauermann, Liliane F; da Rocha, João Batista Teixeira; Burger, Marilise Escobar

2013-01-01

The hepatoprotective activity of the aqueous extract of the shells of pecan nut was investigated against ethanol-induced liver damage. This by-product of the food industry is popularly used to treat toxicological diseases. We evaluated the phytochemical properties of pecan shell aqueous extract (AE) and its in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant activity. The AE was found to have a high content of total polyphenols (192.4±1.9 mg GAE/g), condensed tannins (58.4±2.2 mg CE/g), and antioxidant capacity, and it inhibited Fe(2+)-induced lipid peroxidation (LP) in vitro. Rats chronically treated with ethanol (Et) had increased plasmatic transaminases (ALT, AST) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels (96%, 59.13% and 465.9%, respectively), which were effectively prevented (87; 41 and 383%) by the extract (1:40, w/v). In liver, ethanol consumption increased the LP (121%) and decreased such antioxidant defenses as glutathione (GSH) (33%) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) (47%) levels, causing genotoxicity in erythrocytes. Treatment with pecan shell AE prevented the development of LP (43%), GSH and SOD depletion (33% and 109%, respectively) and ethanol-induced erythrocyte genotoxicity. Catalase activity in the liver was unchanged by ethanol but was increased by the extract (47% and 73% in AE and AE+Et, respectively). Therefore, pecan shells may be an economic agent to treat liver diseases related to ethanol consumption. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Nanofiltration properties of PTMSP in binary organic solvents mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yushkin, A. A.; Kossov, A. A.; Volkov, V. V.

2016-09-01

In this study, the stability and nanofiltration performance of poly[1-(trimethylsilyl)- 1-propyne] (PTMSP) in ethanol solutions of butylaldehyde, 1-decanal, 1-hexene, 1-decene was evaluated. It was found that PTMSP was insoluble in all aldehyde solutions, but it was soluble at olefin concentration of 80% or higher. Nanofiltration experiments demonstrate that binary mixtures of 1-decanal and ethanol viscosity are not the parameter affecting on membrane permeability and rejection of solute as well as swelling degree. In the case of decanol/ethanol solutions both solution viscosity and molar volume demonstrate the best fit of experimental data. It was shown that with the decrease of ethanol content in the feed, the rejection of anionic solute Remazol Brilliant Blue R (MW 626) increases from 94 up to 97%.

Grain sorghum stillage recycling: Effect on ethanol yield and stillage quality.

PubMed

Egg, R P; Sweeten, J M; Coble, C G

1985-12-01

Stillage obtained from ethanol production of grain sorghum was separated into two fractions: thin stillage and wet solids. A portion of the thin stillage was recycled as cooking water in subsequent fermentation runs using both bench- and full-scale ethanol production plants. When thin stillage replaced 50-75% of the cooking water, large increases occurred in solids content, COD, and EC of the resulting thin stillage. It was found that while the volume of thin stillage requiring treatment or disposal was reduced, there was little reduction in the total pollutant load. Stillage rcycling had little effect on the quality of the stillage wet solids fraction. At the high levels of stillage recycle used, ethanol yield was reduced after three to five runs of consecutive recycling.

The effect of Fe-Rh alloying on CO hydrogenation to C 2+ oxygenates

DOE PAGES

Palomino, Robert; Magee, Joseph W.; Llorca, Jordi; ...

2015-05-20

A combination of reactivity and structural studies using X-ray diffraction (XRD), pair distribution function (PDF), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to identify the active phases of Fe-modified Rh/TiO 2 catalysts for the synthesis of ethanol and other C 2+ oxygenates from CO hydrogenation. XRD and TEM confirm the existence of Fe–Rh alloys for catalyst with 1–7 wt% Fe and ~2 wt% Rh. Rietveld refinements show that FeRh alloy content increases with Fe loading up to ~4 wt%, beyond which segregation to metallic Fe becomes favored over alloy formation. Catalysts that contain Fe metal after reduction exhibit some carburizationmore » as evidenced by the formation of small amounts of Fe 3C during CO hydrogenation. Analysis of the total Fe content of the catalysts also suggests the presence of FeO x also increased under reaction conditions. Reactivity studies show that enhancement of ethanol selectivity with Fe loading is accompanied by a significant drop in CO conversion. Comparison of the XRD phase analyses with selectivity suggests that higher ethanol selectivity is correlated with the presence of Fe–Rh alloy phases. As a result, the interface between Fe and Rh serves to enhance the selectivity of ethanol, but suppresses the activity of the catalyst which is attributed to the blocking or modifying of Rh active sites.« less

Sorption equilibria of ethanol on cork.

PubMed

Lequin, Sonia; Chassagne, David; Karbowiak, Thomas; Bellat, Jean-Pierre

2013-06-05

We report here for the first time a thermodynamic study of gaseous ethanol sorption on raw cork powder and plate. Our study aims at a better understanding of the reactivity of this material when used as a stopper under enological conditions, thus in close contact with a hydroethanolic solution, wine. Sorption−desorption isotherms were accurately measured by thermogravimetry at 298 K in a large range of relative pressures. Sorption enthalpies were determined by calorimetry as a function of loading. Sorption−desorption isotherms exhibit a hysteresis loop probably due to the swelling of the material and the absorption of ethanol. Surprisingly, the sorption enthalpy of ethanol becomes lower than the liquefaction enthalpy as the filling increases. This result could be attributed to the swelling of the material, which would generate endothermic effects. Sorption of SO₂ on cork containing ethanol was also studied. When the ethanol content in cork is 2 wt %, the amount of SO₂ sorbed is divided by 2. Thus, ethanol does not enhance the sorption rate for SO₂ but, on the contrary, decreases the SO₂ sorption activity onto cork, probably because of competitive sorption mechanisms.

Ethanol-assisted gel chromatography for single-chirality separation of carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Zeng, Xiang; Hu, Jinwen; Zhang, Xiao; Zhou, Naigen; Zhou, Weiya; Liu, Huaping; Xie, Sishen

2015-10-21

Surfactants or polymers are usually used for the liquid processing of carbon nanotubes for their structure separation. However, they are difficult to remove after separation, affecting the intrinsic properties and applications of the separated species. Here, we report an ethanol-assisted gel chromatography for the chirality separation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), in which ethanol is employed to finely tune the density/coverage of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on nanotubes, and thus the interactions between SWCNTs and an allyl dextran-based gel. Incrementally increasing the ethanol content in a low-concentration SDS eluent leads to successive desorption of the different structure SWCNTs adsorbed on the gel, and to achieve multiple distinct (n, m) single-chirality species. The use of ethanol enables the working concentration of SDS to be reduced dramatically and also avoids the introduction of other surfactants or chemical reagents. More importantly, ethanol can be easily removed after separation. The ability of ethanol to tune the interactions between SWCNTs and the gel also gives a deeper insight into the separation mechanism of SWCNTs using gel chromatography.

Phenolic Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Malus domestica Leaves

PubMed Central

Viškelis, Pranas; Uselis, Norbertas

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the composition and content of phenolic compounds in the ethanol extracts of apple leaves and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of these extracts. The total phenolic content was determined spectrophotometrically, as well as the total flavonoid content in the ethanol extracts of apple leaves and the antioxidant activity of these extracts, by the ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The highest amount of phenolic compounds and flavonoids as well as the highest antioxidant activity was determined in the ethanol extracts obtained from the apple leaves of the cv. Aldas. The analysis by the HPLC method revealed that phloridzin was a predominant component in the ethanol extracts of the apple leaves of all cultivars investigated. The following quercetin glycosides were identified and quantified in the ethanol extracts of apple leaves: hyperoside, isoquercitrin, avicularin, rutin, and quercitrin. Quercitrin was the major compound among quercetin glycosides. PMID:25302319

Phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of Malus domestica leaves.

PubMed

Liaudanskas, Mindaugas; Viškelis, Pranas; Raudonis, Raimondas; Kviklys, Darius; Uselis, Norbertas; Janulis, Valdimaras

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the composition and content of phenolic compounds in the ethanol extracts of apple leaves and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of these extracts. The total phenolic content was determined spectrophotometrically, as well as the total flavonoid content in the ethanol extracts of apple leaves and the antioxidant activity of these extracts, by the ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays. The highest amount of phenolic compounds and flavonoids as well as the highest antioxidant activity was determined in the ethanol extracts obtained from the apple leaves of the cv. Aldas. The analysis by the HPLC method revealed that phloridzin was a predominant component in the ethanol extracts of the apple leaves of all cultivars investigated. The following quercetin glycosides were identified and quantified in the ethanol extracts of apple leaves: hyperoside, isoquercitrin, avicularin, rutin, and quercitrin. Quercitrin was the major compound among quercetin glycosides.

An Experimental Study on Burning Characteristics of n-Heptane/Ethanol Mixture Pool Fires in a Reduced Scaled Tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yozgatligil, Ahmet; Shafee, Sina

2016-11-01

Fire accidents in recent decades have drawn attention to safety issues associated with the design, construction and maintenance of tunnels. A reduced scale tunnel model constructed based on Froude scaling technique is used in the current work. Mixtures of n-heptane and ethanol are burned with ethanol volumetric fraction up to 30 percent and the longitudinal ventilation velocity varying from 0.5 to 2.5 m/s. The burning rates of the pool fires are measured using a precision load cell. The heat release rates of the fires are calculated according to oxygen calorimetry method and the temperature distributions inside the tunnel are also measured. Results of the experiments show that the ventilation velocity variation has a significant effect on the pool fire burning rate, smoke temperature and the critical ventilation velocity. With increased oxygen depletion in case of increased ethanol content of blended pool fires, the quasi-steady heat release rate values tend to increase as well as the ceiling temperatures while the combustion duration decreases.

MOVES2014: Fuel Effects, Toxics Emissions, Total Organic Gases (TOG) and PM Speciation Analysis

EPA Science Inventory

The report updates fuel effects applied in MOVES2013 for selected fuel content and bulk fuel properties in gasolines containing up to 20% ethanol for gasoline fuel sulfur content and for fuel ethanol content for E85 and similar blends. These adjustments are applied to vehicle exh...

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Released from Tricarbonyldichlororuthenium (II) Dimer (CORM-2) in Gastroprotection against Experimental Ethanol-Induced Gastric Damage.

PubMed

Magierowska, Katarzyna; Magierowski, Marcin; Hubalewska-Mazgaj, Magdalena; Adamski, Juliusz; Surmiak, Marcin; Sliwowski, Zbigniew; Kwiecien, Slawomir; Brzozowski, Tomasz

2015-01-01

The physiological gaseous molecule, carbon monoxide (CO) becomes a subject of extensive investigation due to its vasoactive activity throughout the body but its role in gastroprotection has been little investigated. We determined the mechanism of CO released from its donor tricarbonyldichlororuthenium (II) dimer (CORM-2) in protection of gastric mucosa against 75% ethanol-induced injury. Rats were pretreated with CORM-2 30 min prior to 75% ethanol with or without 1) non-selective (indomethacin) or selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 (SC-560) and COX-2 (celecoxib) inhibitors, 2) nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor L-NNA, 3) ODQ, a soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) inhibitor, hemin, a heme oxygenase (HO)-1 inductor or zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX), an inhibitor of HO-1 activity. The CO content in gastric mucosa and carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level in blood was analyzed by gas chromatography. The gastric mucosal mRNA expression for HO-1, COX-1, COX-2, iNOS, IL-4, IL-1β was analyzed by real-time PCR while HO-1, HO-2 and Nrf2 protein expression was determined by Western Blot. Pretreatment with CORM-2 (0.5-10 mg/kg) dose-dependently attenuated ethanol-induced lesions and raised gastric blood flow (GBF) but large dose of 100 mg/kg was ineffective. CORM-2 (5 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg i.g.) significantly increased gastric mucosal CO content and whole blood COHb level. CORM-2-induced protection was reversed by indomethacin, SC-560 and significantly attenuated by celecoxib, ODQ and L-NNA. Hemin significantly reduced ethanol damage and raised GBF while ZnPPIX which exacerbated ethanol-induced injury inhibited CORM-2- and hemin-induced gastroprotection and the accompanying rise in GBF. CORM-2 significantly increased gastric mucosal HO-1 mRNA expression and decreased mRNA expression for iNOS, IL-1β, COX-1 and COX-2 but failed to affect HO-1 and Nrf2 protein expression decreased by ethanol. We conclude that CORM-2 released CO exerts gastroprotection against ethanol-induced gastric lesions involving an increase in gastric microcirculation mediated by sGC/cGMP, prostaglandins derived from COX-1, NO-NOS system and its anti-inflammatory properties.

In vitro Antioxidant and Pharmacognostic Studies of Leaf Extracts of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.

PubMed

Mahitha, B; Archana, P; Ebrahimzadeh, Md H; Srikanth, K; Rajinikanth, M; Ramaswamy, N

2015-01-01

Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp is one of the second most dietary legume crops. The leaf extracts may be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant. The ash values, extractive values, total phenolic and flavonoid content, in vitro antioxidant activity of various leaf extracts as well as anatomical investigation of Cajanus cajan were carried out. Physicochemical parameters such as total, acid-insoluble and water-soluble ash values and moisture content of the leaf powder of C. cajan were found to be 9.50%, 1.40 g/100 g, 4.15 g/100 g drug and 6.72%, respectively. Percent yield of acetone, aqueous, ethanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform leaf extracts were 9.0, 10.6, 13.75, 8.7 and 5.8 g/100 g, respectively. Significant amount of phenolic and flavonoid content were observed. The results of the antioxidant activity were found to be concentration-dependent. The IC50 values for DPPH assay determined for aqueous and ethanol extracts were 0.69 and 0.79 mg/ml, respectively. Reducing power is increased with increasing amount of concentration in both aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts. The highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity reached up to 83.67% in aqueous and 78.75% in ethanol extracts and in phosphomolybdenum assay the aqueous extract showed strong antioxidant capacity up to 55.97 nM gallic acid equivalents/g. It was found that the aqueous extract possessed highest antioxidant activity in all the assays tested. The antioxidant characteristics of leaf extracts are possibly because of the presence of polyphenols. Microscopic study showed the presence of collenchyma, fibres, xylem, phloem, epidermis, trichomes, palisade tissue, basal sheath, pith and cortex in leaf, petiole and pulvinus.

In vitro Antioxidant and Pharmacognostic Studies of Leaf Extracts of Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp

PubMed Central

Mahitha, B.; Archana, P.; Ebrahimzadeh, MD. H.; Srikanth, K.; Rajinikanth, M.; Ramaswamy, N.

2015-01-01

Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp is one of the second most dietary legume crops. The leaf extracts may be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant. The ash values, extractive values, total phenolic and flavonoid content, in vitro antioxidant activity of various leaf extracts as well as anatomical investigation of Cajanus cajan were carried out. Physicochemical parameters such as total, acid-insoluble and water-soluble ash values and moisture content of the leaf powder of C. cajan were found to be 9.50%, 1.40 g/100 g, 4.15 g/100 g drug and 6.72%, respectively. Percent yield of acetone, aqueous, ethanol, ethyl acetate and chloroform leaf extracts were 9.0, 10.6, 13.75, 8.7 and 5.8 g/100 g, respectively. Significant amount of phenolic and flavonoid content were observed. The results of the antioxidant activity were found to be concentration-dependent. The IC50 values for DPPH assay determined for aqueous and ethanol extracts were 0.69 and 0.79 mg/ml, respectively. Reducing power is increased with increasing amount of concentration in both aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts. The highest hydroxyl radical scavenging activity reached up to 83.67% in aqueous and 78.75% in ethanol extracts and in phosphomolybdenum assay the aqueous extract showed strong antioxidant capacity up to 55.97 nM gallic acid equivalents/g. It was found that the aqueous extract possessed highest antioxidant activity in all the assays tested. The antioxidant characteristics of leaf extracts are possibly because of the presence of polyphenols. Microscopic study showed the presence of collenchyma, fibres, xylem, phloem, epidermis, trichomes, palisade tissue, basal sheath, pith and cortex in leaf, petiole and pulvinus. PMID:26009649

In situ rat brain and liver spontaneous chemiluminescence after acute ethanol intake.

PubMed

Boveris, A; Llesuy, S; Azzalis, L A; Giavarotti, L; Simon, K A; Junqueira, V B; Porta, E A; Videla, L A; Lissi, E A

1997-09-19

The influence of acute ethanol administration on the oxidative stress status of rat brain and liver was assessed by in situ spontaneous organ chemiluminescence (CL). Brain and liver CL was significantly increased after acute ethanol administration to fed rats, a response that is time-dependent and evidenced at doses higher than 1 g/kg. Ethanol-induced CL development is faster in liver compared with brain probably due to the greater ethanol metabolic capacity of the liver, whereas the net enhancement in brain light emission at 3 h after ethanol treatment is higher than that of the liver, which could reflect the greater susceptibility of brain to oxidative stress. The effect of ethanol on brain and liver CL seems to be mediated by acetaldehyde, due to its abolishment by the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole and exacerbation by the aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor disulfiram. In brain, these findings were observed in the absence of changes in the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. However, the content of brain glutathione was significantly decreased by 31%, by ethanol, thus establishing an enhanced oxidative stress in this tissue.

Kinetics of sugars consumption and ethanol inhibition in carob pulp fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in batch and fed-batch cultures.

PubMed

Lima-Costa, Maria Emília; Tavares, Catarina; Raposo, Sara; Rodrigues, Brígida; Peinado, José M

2012-05-01

The waste materials from the carob processing industry are a potential resource for second-generation bioethanol production. These by-products are small carob kibbles with a high content of soluble sugars (45-50%). Batch and fed-batch Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentations of high density sugar from carob pods were analyzed in terms of the kinetics of sugars consumption and ethanol inhibition. In all the batch runs, 90-95% of the total sugar was consumed and transformed into ethanol with a yield close to the theoretical maximum (0.47-0.50 g/g), and a final ethanol concentration of 100-110 g/l. In fed-batch runs, fresh carob extract was added when glucose had been consumed. This addition and the subsequent decrease of ethanol concentrations by dilution increased the final ethanol production up to 130 g/l. It seems that invertase activity and yeast tolerance to ethanol are the main factors to be controlled in carob fermentations. The efficiency of highly concentrated carob fermentation makes it a very promising process for use in a second-generation ethanol biorefinery.

Brain glucose content in fetuses of ethanol-fed rats

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pullen, G.; Singh, S.P.; Snyder, A.K.

1986-03-01

The authors have previously demonstrated impaired placental glucose transfer and fetal hypoglycemia in association with ethanol ingestion by pregnant rats. The present study examines the relationship between glucose availability and fetal brain growth under the same conditions. Rats (EF) were fed ethanol (30% of caloric intake) in liquid diet throughout gestation. Controls received isocaloric diet without ethanol by pair-feeding (PF) or ad libitum (AF). On the 22nd day of gestation fetuses were obtained by cesarean section. Fetal brains were removed and freeze-clamped. Brain weight was significantly reduced (p < 0.001) by maternal ethanol ingestion (206 +/- 2, 212 +/- 4more » and 194 +/- 2 mg in AF, FP and EF fetuses respectively). Similarly, fetal brain glucose content was lower (p < 0.05) in the EF group (14.3 +/- 0.9 mmoles/g dry weight) than in the PF (18.6 +/- 1.0) or the AF (16.2 +/- 0.9) groups. The protein: DNA ratio, an indicator of cell size, correlated positively (r = 0.371, p < 0.005) with brain glucose content. In conclusion, maternal ethanol ingestion resulted in lower brain weight and reduced brain glucose content. Glucose availability may be a significant factor in the determination of cell size in the fetal rat brain.« less

Serotonergic dysfunction in addiction: effects of alcohol, cigarette smoking and heroin on platelet 5-HT content.

PubMed

Schmidt, L G; Dufeu, P; Heinz, A; Kuhn, S; Rommelspacher, H

1997-10-10

The impact of ethanol, cigarette smoking and heroin on serotonin function was evaluated, first in alcoholics during chronic ethanol intoxication and in opiate addicts after long-term heroin consumption, and secondly in both patient groups after detoxification treatment (i.e. a short-term abstinence of 8 days). Our results showed that the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) content in platelets was: (1) increased in the subgroup of anti-social alcoholics; (2) transiently and differently altered in alcoholics compared to opiate addicts; and (3) lowered in drinking alcoholics and normal in alcoholics who were drinking as well as smoking (that may occur via MAO-B inhibition by smoke). The findings indicate that alterations of the peripheral and possibly the central serotonin system may occur as predisposing factors for alcoholism in individuals with anti-social traits; they may also have some impact on the progression of alcoholism due to its lowered function during chronic ethanol intoxication that is substantially modified by smoking.

Wound healing activity of Sida cordifolia Linn. in rats

PubMed Central

Pawar, Rajesh S.; Chaurasiya, Pradeep K.; Rajak, Harish; Singour, Pradeep K.; Toppo, Fedelic Ashish; Jain, Ankit

2013-01-01

Introduction: The present study provides a scientific evaluation for the wound healing potential of ethanolic (EtOH) extract of Sida cordifolia Linn. (SCL) plant. Materials and Methods: Excision, incision and burn wounds were inflicted upon three groups of six rats each. Group I was assigned as control (ointment base). Group II was treated with 10% EtOH extract ointment. Group III was treated with standard silver sulfadiazine (0.01%) cream. The parameters observed were percentage of wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength including histopathological studies. Result: It was noted that the effect produced by the ethanolic extract of SCL ointment showed significant (P < 0.01) healing in all wound models when compared with the control group. All parameters such as wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength and histopathological studies showed significant (P < 0.01) changes when compared with the control. Conclusion: The ethanolic extract ointment of SCL effectively stimulates wound contraction; increases tensile strength of excision, incision and burn wounds. PMID:24130382

Effect of ozonolysis pretreatment parameters on the sugar release, ozone consumption and ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse.

PubMed

Travaini, Rodolfo; Barrado, Enrique; Bolado-Rodríguez, Silvia

2016-08-01

A L9(3)(4) orthogonal array (OA) experimental design was applied to study the four parameters considered most important in the ozonolysis pretreatment (moisture content, ozone concentration, ozone/oxygen flow and particle size) on ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Statistical analysis highlighted ozone concentration as the highest influence parameter on reaction time and sugars release after enzymatic hydrolysis. The increase on reaction time when decreasing the ozone/oxygen flow resulted in small differences of ozone consumptions. Design optimization for sugars release provided a parameters combination close to the best experimental run, where 77.55% and 56.95% of glucose and xylose yields were obtained, respectively. When optimizing the grams of sugar released by gram of ozone, the highest influence parameter was moisture content, with a maximum yield of 2.98gSUGARS/gO3. In experiments on hydrolysates fermentation, Saccharomyces cerevisiae provided ethanol yields around 80%, while Pichia stipitis was completely inhibited. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome analysis of the thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus CCT 7735 under ethanol stress.

PubMed

Diniz, Raphael Hermano Santos; Villada, Juan C; Alvim, Mariana Caroline Tocantins; Vidigal, Pedro Marcus Pereira; Vieira, Nívea Moreira; Lamas-Maceiras, Mónica; Cerdán, María Esperanza; González-Siso, María-Isabel; Lahtvee, Petri-Jaan; da Silveira, Wendel Batista

2017-09-01

The thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus displays a potential to be used for ethanol production from both whey and lignocellulosic biomass at elevated temperatures, which is highly alluring to reduce the cost of the bioprocess. Nevertheless, contrary to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, K. marxianus cannot tolerate high ethanol concentrations. We report the transcriptional profile alterations in K. marxianus under ethanol stress in order to gain insights about mechanisms involved with ethanol response. Time-dependent changes have been characterized under the exposure of 6% ethanol and compared with the unstressed cells prior to the ethanol addition. Our results reveal that the metabolic flow through the central metabolic pathways is impaired under the applied ethanol stress. Consistent with these results, we also observe that genes involved with ribosome biogenesis are downregulated and gene-encoding heat shock proteins are upregulated. Remarkably, the expression of some gene-encoding enzymes related to unsaturated fatty acid and ergosterol biosynthesis decreases upon ethanol exposure, and free fatty acid and ergosterol measurements demonstrate that their content in K. marxianus does not change under this stress. These results are in contrast to the increase previously reported with S. cerevisiae subjected to ethanol stress and suggest that the restructuration of K. marxianus membrane composition differs in the two yeasts which gives important clues to understand the low ethanol tolerance of K. marxianus compared to S. cerevisiae.

The effect of temperature and extraction period of time on the chemicals content of emprit ginger ethanol extract (Zingiber officinale var. Rubrum)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratnaningrum, Diah; Endah, Een Sri; Pudjiraharti, Sri

2017-01-01

Research on extraction method of emprit ginger using ethanol with agitation of 100 rpm at different temperatures (ambient temperature, 40, and 50°C) and various extraction period of times (30, 60, and 90 minutes) was conducted. Analysis of chemicals content i.e. total phenolic and total flavonoid. The objective of this work was to study the effect of temperatures and extraction period of times on the chemicals content of its ethanol extract. Based on the results of the test, the highest content total flavonoid (5.17% w/w) was resulted at 40°C for 90 minutes, while the total phenolic content was not affected by either temperature or extraction period of times used. The content of total phenolic was around 2.39% to 2.65% w/w.

Integrated Process for Ethanol, Biogas, and Edible Filamentous Fungi-Based Animal Feed Production from Dilute Phosphoric Acid-Pretreated Wheat Straw.

PubMed

Nair, Ramkumar B; Kabir, Maryam M; Lennartsson, Patrik R; Taherzadeh, Mohammad J; Horváth, Ilona Sárvári

2018-01-01

Integration of wheat straw for a biorefinery-based energy generation process by producing ethanol and biogas together with the production of high-protein fungal biomass (suitable for feed application) was the main focus of the present study. An edible ascomycete fungal strain Neurospora intermedia was used for the ethanol fermentation and subsequent biomass production from dilute phosphoric acid (0.7 to 1.2% w/v) pretreated wheat straw. At optimum pretreatment conditions, an ethanol yield of 84 to 90% of the theoretical maximum, based on glucan content of substrate straw, was observed from fungal fermentation post the enzymatic hydrolysis process. The biogas production from the pretreated straw slurry showed an improved methane yield potential up to 162% increase, as compared to that of the untreated straw. Additional biogas production, using the syrup, a waste stream obtained post the ethanol fermentation, resulted in a combined total energy output of 15.8 MJ/kg wheat straw. Moreover, using thin stillage (a waste stream from the first-generation wheat-based ethanol process) as a co-substrate to the biogas process resulted in an additional increase by about 14 to 27% in the total energy output as compared to using only wheat straw-based substrates. ᅟ.

Hepatoprotective effects of Arctium lappa Linne on liver injuries induced by chronic ethanol consumption and potentiated by carbon tetrachloride.

PubMed

Lin, Song-Chow; Lin, Chia-Hsien; Lin, Chun-Ching; Lin, Yun-Ho; Chen, Chin-Fa; Chen, I-Cheng; Wang, Li-Ya

2002-01-01

Arctium lappa Linne (burdock) is a perennial herb which is popularly cultivated as a vegetable. In order to evaluate its hepatoprotective effects, a group of rats (n = 10) was fed a liquid ethanol diet (4 g of absolute ethanol/ 80 ml of liquid basal diet) for 28 days and another group (n = 10) received a single intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 ml/kg carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) in order to potentiate the liver damage on the 21st day (1 day before the beginning of A. lappa treatment). Control group rats were given a liquid basal diet which did not contain absolute ethanol. When 300 mg/kg A. lappa was administered orally 3 times per day in both the 1-day and 7-day treatment groups, some biochemical and histopathological parameters were significantly altered, both in the ethanol group and the groups receiving ethanol supplemented with CCl(4). A. lappa significantly improved various pathological and biochemical parameters which were worsened by ethanol plus CCl(4)-induced liver damage, such as the ethanol plus CCl(4)-induced decreases in total cytochrome P-450 content and NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity, increases in serum triglyceride levels and lipid peroxidation (the deleterious peroxidative and toxic malondialdehyde metabolite may be produced in quantity) and elevation of serum transaminase levels. It could even restore the glutathione content and affect the histopathological lesions. These results tended to imply that the hepatotoxicity induced by ethanol and potentiated by CCl(4) could be alleviated with 1 and 7 days of A. lappa treatment. The hepatoprotective mechanism of A. lappa could be attributed, at least in part, to its antioxidative activity, which decreases the oxidative stress of hepatocytes, or to other unknown protective mechanism(s). Copyright 2002 National Science Council, ROC and S. Karger AG, Basel

Influence of Fat/Carbohydrate Ratio on Progression of Fatty Liver Disease and on Development of Osteopenia in Male Rats Fed Alcohol via Total Enteral Nutrition (TEN)

PubMed Central

Ronis, Martin J. J.; Mercer, Kelly; Suva, Larry J.; Vantrease, Jamie; Ferguson, Matthew; Hogue, William R.; Sharma, Neha; Cleves, Mario A.; Blackburn, Michael L.; Badger, Thomas M.

2014-01-01

Alcohol abuse is associated with the development of fatty liver disease and also with significant osteopenia in both genders. In this study, we examined ethanol-induced pathology in response to diets with differing fat/carbohydrate ratios. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed intragastrically with isocaloric liquid diets. Dietary fat content was either 5% (high carbohydrate, HC) or 45% (high fat, HF), with or without ethanol (12–13 g/kg/day). After 14, 28, or 65 days, livers were harvested and analyzed. In addition, bone morphology was analyzed after 65 days. HC rats gained more weight and had larger fat pads than HF rats with or without ethanol. Steatosis developed in HC + ethanol (HC+EtOH) compared to HF + ethanol (HF+EtOH) rats, accompanied by increased fatty acid (FA) synthesis and increased nuclear carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) (p < 0.05), but in the absence of effects on hepatic silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog (SIRT-1) or nuclear sterol regulatory binding element protein (SREBP-1c). Ethanol reduced serum leptin (p < 0.05) but not adiponectin. Over time, HC rats developed fatty liver independent of ethanol. FA degradation was significantly elevated by ethanol in both HC and HF groups (p < 0.05). HF+EtOH rats had increased oxidative stress from 28 days, increased necrosis compared to HF controls and higher expression of cytochromes P450, CYP2E1, and CYP4A1 compared to HC+EtOH rats (p < 0.05). In contrast, HC+EtOH rats had no significant increase in oxidative stress until day 65 with no observed increase in necrosis. Unlike liver pathology, no dietary differences were observed on ethanol-induced osteopenia in HC compared to HF groups. These data demonstrate that interactions between diet composition and alcohol are complex, dependent on the length of exposure, and are an important influence in development of fatty liver injury. Importantly, it appears that diet composition does not affect alcohol-associated skeletal toxicity. PMID:24581955

Effect of D-002 on gastric mucus composition in ethanol-induced ulcer.

PubMed

Carbajal, D; Molina, V; Noa, M; Valdés, S; Arruzazabala, M L; Aguilar, C; Más, R

2000-10-01

This study was designed to determine the effect of D-002, a natural product isolated and purified from beeswax (Apis mellifera), on gastric mucus composition on ethanol-induced ulcer in rats. The morphology of the lesions was analysed histologically, and morphometric analysis of gastric-gland content in total glycoprotein and sulphated macromolecules were done. Oral pretreatment with D-002 at 5 and 25 mgkg(-1)1 before oral administration of ethanol at 60%, produced a significant increase in the amount of gastric mucus and total protein. The histomorphometric evaluation of the gastric damage at the same doses showed a significant increase in neutral glycoproteins and sulfated macromolecules. It is concluded that enhancement of the quantity and quality of the mucus could partly explain the gastroprotective effect of D-002. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

In-Line Measurement of Water Contents in Ethanol Using a Zeolite-Coated Quartz Crystal Microbalance

PubMed Central

Kim, Byoung Chul; Yamamoto, Takuji; Kim, Young Han

2015-01-01

A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) was utilized to measure the water content in ethanol. For the improvement of measurement sensitivity, the QCM was modified by applying zeolite particles on the surface with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) binder. The measurement performance was examined with ethanol of 1% to 5% water content in circulation. The experimental results showed that the frequency drop of the QCM was related with the water content though there was some deviation. The sensitivity of the zeolite-coated QCM was sufficient to be implemented in water content determination, and a higher ratio of silicon to aluminum in the molecular structure of the zeolite gave better performance. The coated surface was inspected by microscopy to show the distribution of zeolite particles and PMMA spread. PMID:26516859

Stability of coordination compounds of Ni2+ and Co2+ ions with succinic acid anion in water-ethanol solvents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tukumova, N. V.; Dieu Thuan, Tran Thi; Usacheva, T. R.; Koryshev, N. E.; Sharnin, V. A.

2017-04-01

Stability constants of the coordination compounds of nickel(II) and cobalt(II) ions with succinic acid anion in water-ethanol solvents are determined via potentiometric titration at ionic strength of 0.1 and at T = 298.15 K. It is found that logβ values of monoligand complexes of these ions and succinic acid anions rise along with the content of ethanol in solution ( X EtOH = 0-0.7 mole fractions). Based on an analysis of the thermodynamic characteristics of the solvation of the reagents involved in complex formation, it is found that the increased stability of succinate complexes of nickel(II) and cobalt(II) ions in water-ethanol solvents is mainly determined by the weakening of the solvation of succinic acid anion (Y2-).

Dose-related effects of red wine and alcohol on hemodynamics, sympathetic nerve activity, and arterial diameter.

PubMed

Spaak, Jonas; Merlocco, Anthony C; Soleas, George J; Tomlinson, George; Morris, Beverley L; Picton, Peter; Notarius, Catherine F; Chan, Christopher T; Floras, John S

2008-02-01

The cardiovascular benefits of light to moderate red wine consumption often have been attributed to its polyphenol constituents. However, the acute dose-related hemodynamic, vasodilator, and sympathetic neural effects of ethanol and red wine have not been characterized and compared in the same individual. We sought to test the hypotheses that responses to one and two alcoholic drinks differ and that red wine with high polyphenol content elicits a greater effect than ethanol alone. Thirteen volunteers (24-47 yr; 7 men, 6 women) drank wine, ethanol, and water in a randomized, single-blind trial on three occasions 2 wk apart. One drink of wine and ethanol increased blood alcohol to 38 +/- 2 and 39 +/- 2 mg/dl, respectively, and two drinks to 72 +/- 4 and 83 +/- 3 mg/dl, respectively. Wine quadrupled plasma resveratrol (P < 0.001) and increased catechin (P < 0.03). No intervention affected blood pressure. One drink had no heart rate effect, but two drinks of wine increased heart rate by 5.7 +/- 1.6 beats/min; P < 0.001). Cardiac output fell 0.8 +/- 0.3 l/min after one drink of ethanol and wine (both P < 0.02) but increased after two drinks of ethanol (+0.8 +/- 0.3 l/min) and wine (+1.2 +/- 0.3 l/min) (P < 0.01). One alcoholic drink did not alter muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), while two drinks increased MSNA by 9-10 bursts/min (P < 0.001). Brachial artery diameter increased after both one and two alcoholic drinks (P < 0.001). No beverage augmented, and the second wine dose attenuated (P = 0.02), flow-mediated vasodilation. One drink of ethanol dilates the brachial artery without activating sympathetic outflow, whereas two drinks increase MSNA, heart rate, and cardiac output. These acute effects, which exhibit a narrow dose response, are not modified by red wine polyphenols.

Ethanol production from food waste at high solids content with vacuum recovery technology.

PubMed

Huang, Haibo; Qureshi, Nasib; Chen, Ming-Hsu; Liu, Wei; Singh, Vijay

2015-03-18

Ethanol production from food wastes does not only solve environmental issues but also provides renewable biofuels. This study investigated the feasibility of producing ethanol from food wastes at high solids content (35%, w/w). A vacuum recovery system was developed and applied to remove ethanol from fermentation broth to reduce yeast ethanol inhibition. A high concentration of ethanol (144 g/L) was produced by the conventional fermentation of food waste without a vacuum recovery system. When the vacuum recovery is applied to the fermentation process, the ethanol concentration in the fermentation broth was controlled below 100 g/L, thus reducing yeast ethanol inhibition. At the end of the conventional fermentation, the residual glucose in the fermentation broth was 5.7 g/L, indicating incomplete utilization of glucose, while the vacuum fermentation allowed for complete utilization of glucose. The ethanol yield for the vacuum fermentation was found to be 358 g/kg of food waste (dry basis), higher than that for the conventional fermentation at 327 g/kg of food waste (dry basis).

Exhaust particle characterization for lean and stoichiometric DI vehicles operating on ethanol-gasoline blends

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Storey, John Morse; Barone, Teresa L; Thomas, John F

2012-01-01

Gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines can offer better fuel economy and higher performance over their port fuel-injected (PFI) counterparts, and are now appearing in increasingly more U.S. and European vehicles. Small displacement, turbocharged GDI engines are replacing large displacement engines, particularly in light-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles, in order for manufacturers to meet the U.S. fuel economy standards for 2016. Furthermore, lean-burn GDI engines can offer even higher fuel economy than stoichiometric GDI engines and have overcome challenges associated with cost-effective aftertreatment for NOx control. Along with changes in gasoline engine technology, fuel composition may increase in ethanol contentmore » beyond the current 10% due to the recent EPA waiver allowing 15% ethanol. In addition, the Renewable Fuels Standard passed as part of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) mandates the use of biofuels in upcoming years. GDI engines are of environmental concern due to their high particulate matter (PM) emissions relative to port-fuel injected (PFI) gasoline vehicles; widespread market penetration of GDI vehicles may result in additional PM from mobile sources at a time when the diesel contribution is declining. In this study, we characterized particulate emissions from a European certified lean-burn GDI vehicle operating on ethanol-gasoline blends. Particle mass and particle number concentration emissions were measured for the Federal Test Procedure urban driving cycle (FTP 75) and the more aggressive US06 driving cycle. Particle number-size distributions and organic to elemental carbon ratios (OC/EC) were measured for 30 MPH and 80 MPH steady-state operation. In addition, particle number concentration was measured during wide open throttle accelerations (WOTs) and gradual accelerations representative of the FTP 75. Fuels included certification gasoline and 10% (E10) and 20% (E20) ethanol blends from the same supplier. The particle mass emissions were approximately 3 and 7 mg/mile for the FTP75 and US06, respectively, with lower emissions for the ethanol blends. The data are compared to a previous study on a U.S.-legal stoichiometric GDI vehicle operating on the same ethanol blends. The lean-burn GDI vehicle emitted a higher number of particles, but had an overall smaller average size. Particle number per mile decreased with increasing ethanol content for the transient tests. For the 30 and 80 mph tests, particle number concentration decreased with increasing ethanol content, although the shape of the particle size distribution remained the same. Engine-out OC/EC ratios were highest for the stoichiometric GDI vehicle with E20, but tailpipe OC/EC ratios were similar for all vehicles.« less

Composition of corn dry-grind ethanol by-products: DDGS, wet cake, and thin stillage.

PubMed

Kim, Youngmi; Mosier, Nathan S; Hendrickson, Rick; Ezeji, Thaddeus; Blaschek, Hans; Dien, Bruce; Cotta, Michael; Dale, Bruce; Ladisch, Michael R

2008-08-01

DDGS and wet distillers' grains are the major co-products of the dry grind ethanol facilities. As they are mainly used as animal feed, a typical compositional analysis of the DDGS and wet distillers' grains mainly focuses on defining the feedstock's nutritional characteristics. With an increasing demand for fuel ethanol, the DDGS and wet distillers' grains are viewed as a potential bridge feedstock for ethanol production from other cellulosic biomass. The introduction of DDGS or wet distillers' grains as an additional feed to the existing dry grind plants for increased ethanol yield requires a different approach to the compositional analysis of the material. Rather than focusing on its nutritional value, this new approach aims at determining more detailed chemical composition, especially on polymeric sugars such as cellulose, starch and xylan, which release fermentable sugars upon enzymatic hydrolysis. In this paper we present a detailed and complete compositional analysis procedure suggested for DDGS and wet distillers' grains, as well as the resulting compositions completed by three different research groups. Polymeric sugars, crude protein, crude oil and ash contents of DDGS and wet distillers' grains were accurately and reproducibly determined by the compositional analysis procedure described in this paper.

Ethanol determination in frozen fruit pulps: an application of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance.

PubMed

da Silva Nunes, Wilian; de Oliveira, Caroline Silva; Alcantara, Glaucia Braz

2016-04-01

This study reports the chemical composition of five types of industrial frozen fruit pulps (acerola, cashew, grape, passion fruit and pineapple fruit pulps) and compares them with homemade pulps at two different stages of ripening. The fruit pulps were characterized by analyzing their metabolic profiles and determining their ethanol content using quantitative Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (qNMR). In addition, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to extract more information from the NMR data. We detected ethanol in all industrial and homemade pulps; and acetic acid in cashew, grape and passion fruit industrial and homemade pulps. The ethanol content in some industrial pulps is above the level recommended by regulatory agencies and is near the levels of some post-ripened homemade pulps. This study demonstrates that qNMR can be used to rapidly detect ethanol content in frozen fruit pulps and food derivatives. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Y.V.; Baghy, M.O.

Sweet potato can yield 1000 gallons of ethanol/acre compared with 250-300 gal/acre for corn. Sweet potatoes of normal, relatively high, and very high dry-matter contents were fermented to ethanol. Pectinase was necessary to decrease viscosity before fermentation for economic processing, especially for varieties of normal and relatively high dry-matter contents. Attained yield of ethanol was 90% of theoretical value. After ethanol was distilled, residual stillage was separated by screening and centrifugation into filter cake, centrifuged solids, and stillage solubles. Filter cake and centrifuged solids had crude protein contents (nitrogen x 6.25, dry basis) of 22-32% and 42-57%, respectively, and accountedmore » for 44-85% and 0-17% of total sweet potato nitrogen. Sweet potatoes and their fermented products had 4.3-7.6 g of lysine/16 g of N and are expected to have good nutritional value. This practical method to ferment sweet potato for ethanol and to recover valuable protein-rich byproducts may have commercial potential. (Refs. 19).« less

Protective influence of hyaluronic acid on focal adhesion kinase activity in human skin fibroblasts exposed to ethanol.

PubMed

Donejko, Magdalena; Rysiak, Edyta; Galicka, Elżbieta; Terlikowski, Robert; Głażewska, Edyta Katarzyna; Przylipiak, Andrzej

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ethanol and hyaluronic acid (HA) on cell survival and apoptosis in cultured human skin fibroblasts. Regarding the mechanism of ethanol action on human skin fibroblasts, we investigated cell viability and apoptosis, expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and the influence of HA on those processes. Studies were conducted in confluent human skin fibroblast cultures that were treated with 25 mM, 50 mM, and 100 mM ethanol or with ethanol and 500 µg/mL HA. Cell viability was examined using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and NC-300 Nucleo-Counter. Imaging of the cells using a fluorescence microscope Pathway 855 was performed to measure FAK expression. Depending on the dosage, ethanol decreased cell viability and activated the process of apoptosis in human skin fibroblasts. HA prevented the negative influence of ethanol on cell viability and prevented apoptosis. The analysis of fluorescence imaging using BD Pathway 855 High-Content Bioimager showed the inhibition of FAK migration to the cell nucleus, depending on the increasing concentration of ethanol. This study proves that downregulation of signaling pathway of FAK is involved in ethanol-induced apoptosis in human skin fibroblasts. The work also indicates a protective influence of HA on FAK activity in human skin fibroblasts exposed to ethanol.

Effect of hydrothermal pretreatment on the structural changes of alkaline ethanol lignin from wheat straw

PubMed Central

Chen, Xue; Li, Hanyin; Sun, Shaoni; Cao, Xuefei; Sun, Runcang

2016-01-01

Due to the enormous abundance of lignin and its unique aromatic nature, lignin has great potential for the production of industrially useful fuels, chemicals, and materials. However, the rigid and compact structure of the plant cell walls significantly blocks the separation of lignin. In this study, wheat straw was hydrothermally pretreated at different temperatures (120–200 °C) followed by post-treatment with 70% ethanol containing 1% NaOH to improve the isolation of lignin. Results demonstrated that the content of associated carbohydrates of the lignin fractions was gradually reduced with the increment of the hydrothermal severity. The structure of the lignins changed regularly with the increase of the pretreatment temperature from 120 to 200 °C. In particular, the contents of β-O-4′, β-β′, β-5′ linkages and aliphatic OH in the lignins showed a tendency of decrease, while the content of phenolic OH and thermal stability of the lignin fractions increased steadily as the increment of the pretreatment temperature. PMID:27982101

An engineering and economic evaluation of quick germ-quick fiber process for dry-grind ethanol facilities: analysis.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Luis F; Li, Changying; Khanna, Madhu; Spaulding, Aslihan D; Lin, Tao; Eckhoff, Steven R

2010-07-01

An engineering economic model, which is mass balanced and compositionally driven, was developed to compare the conventional corn dry-grind process and the pre-fractionation process called quick germ-quick fiber (QQ). In this model, documented in a companion article, the distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) price was linked with its protein and fiber content as well as with the long-term average relationship with the corn price. The detailed economic analysis showed that the QQ plant retrofitted from conventional dry-grind ethanol plant reduces the manufacturing cost of ethanol by 13.5 cent/gallon and has net present value of nearly $4 million greater than the conventional dry-grind plant at an interest rate of 4% in 15years. Ethanol and feedstock price sensitivity analysis showed that the QQ plant gains more profits when ethanol price increases than conventional dry-grind ethanol plant. An optimistic analysis of the QQ process suggests that the greater value of the modified DDGS would provide greater resistance to fluctuations in corn price for QQ facilities. This model can be used to provide decision support for ethanol producers. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of ethanol production performance in 10 varieties of sweet potato at different growth stages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yanling; Fang, Yang; Zhang, Guohua; Zhou, Lingling; Zhao, Hai

2012-10-01

The performance in the ethanol production of 10 varieties of sweet potato was evaluated, and the consumption in raw materials, land occupation and fermentation waste residue in producing 1 ton of anhydrous ethanol were investigated. The comparative results between 10 varieties of sweet potato at 3 growth stages indicated that NS 007 and SS 19 were better feedstocks for ethanol production, exhibiting less feedstock consumption (6.19 and 7.59 tons/ton ethanol, respectively), the least land occupation (0.24 and 0.24 ha/ton ethanol, respectively), less fermentation waste residue (0.56 and 0.55 tons/ton ethanol, respectively), the highest level of ethanol output per unit area (4.17 and 4.17 ton/ha, respectively), and a lower viscosity of the fermentation culture (591 and 612 mPa S, respectively). The data above are average data. In most varieties, the ethanol output speed at day 130 was the highest. Therefore, NS 007 and SS 19 could be used for ethanol production and harvested after 130 days of growth from an economic point of view. In addition, the high content of fermentable sugars and low content of fiber in sweet potatoes are criteria for achieving low viscosity in ethanol fermentation cultures.

Antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts and fractions of Crescentia cujete leaves and stem bark and the involvement of phenolic compounds

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Antioxidant compounds like phenols and flavonoids scavenge free radicals and thus inhibit the oxidative mechanisms that lead to control degenerative and other diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activity in vitro, total phenolic and flavonoid contents in ethanol extracts and fractions of Crescentia cujete leaves and stem bark. Methods Crescentia cujete leaves and bark crude ethanol extract (CEE) and their partitionates petroleum ether (PEF), chloroform (CHF), ethyl acetate (EAF) and aqueous (AQF) were firstly prepared. Different established testing methods, such as 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical, ferric reducing power (FRP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays were used to detect the antioxidant activity. Further, the total yield, total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) of CEE and all the fractions were determined. Ethanol extracts of both leaves and stem bark were also subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening to detect the presence of secondary metabolites, using standard phytochemical methods (Thin layer chromatography and spray reagents). Results Phytochemical screening of crude ethanol extract of both leaves and stem bark revealed the presence of steroids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycosides and terpenoids. All the fractions and CEE of leaves and bark exhibited antioxidant activities, however, EAF of leaves showing the highest antioxidant activity based on the results of DPPH, FRP and TAC assay tests. The above fraction has shown the significant DPPH scavenging activity (IC50 = 8.78 μg/ml) when compared with standard ascorbic acid (IC50 =7.68 μg/ml). The TAC and FRP activities increased with increasing crude extract/fractions content. The TPC (371.23 ± 15.77 mg GAE/g extract) and TFC (144.64 ± 5.82 mg QE/g extract) of EAF of leaves were found significantly higher as compared to other solvent fractions for both leaves and bark. TPC were highly correlated with the antioxidant activity (R2 = 0.9268 and 0.8515 in DPPH test for leaves and bark, respectively). Conclusion The results of the study show that leaves of C. cujete possesses significant free radical scavenging properties compared with stem bark and a clear correlation exists between the antioxidant activity and phenolic content. PMID:24495381

Ethanol extraction of phytosterols from corn fiber

DOEpatents

Abbas, Charles; Beery, Kyle E.; Binder, Thomas P.; Rammelsberg, Anne M.

2010-11-16

The present invention provides a process for extracting sterols from a high solids, thermochemically hydrolyzed corn fiber using ethanol as the extractant. The process includes obtaining a corn fiber slurry having a moisture content from about 20 weight percent to about 50 weight percent solids (high solids content), thermochemically processing the corn fiber slurry having high solids content of 20 to 50% to produce a hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry, dewatering the hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry to achieve a residual corn fiber having a moisture content from about 30 to 80 weight percent solids, washing the residual corn fiber, dewatering the washed, hydrolyzed corn fiber slurry to achieve a residual corn fiber having a moisture content from about 30 to 80 weight percent solids, and extracting the residual corn fiber with ethanol and separating at least one sterol.

Study of alcohol fuel of butanol and ethanol effect on the compression ignition (CI) engine performance, combustion and emission characteristic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, M. A.; Yusop, A. F.; Mat Yasin, M. H.; Hamidi, M. A.; Alias, A.; Hussin, H.; Hamri, S.

2017-10-01

Diesel engine which is one of the larger contributors to total consumption for petroleum is an attractive power unit used widely in many fields. However, diesel engines are among the main contributors to air pollutions for the large amount of emissions, such as CO, CO2 and NOx lead to an adverse effect on human health. Many researches have been done to find alternative fuels that are clean and efficient. Biodiesel is preferred as an alternative source for diesel engine which produces lower emission of pollutants. This study has focused on the evaluation of diesel and alcohol-diesel fuel properties and also the performance, combustion and exhaust emission from diesel engine fuelled with diesel and alcohol. Butanol and ethanol is blend with diesel fuel at 1:9 ratio. There are three test fuel that is tested which Diesel (100% diesel), D90BU10 (10% Butanol and 90% diesel) and D90E10 (10% Ethanol and 90% diesel). The comparison between diesel and alcohol-diesel blend has been made in terms of fuel properties characterization, engine performance such as brake power (BP) and brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) also the in cylinder maximum pressure characteristic. Thus, exhaust gas emission of CO, CO2, NOx and O2 emission also has been observed at constant load of 50% but in different operating engine speed (1100 rpm, 1400 rpm, 1700 rpm, 2000 rpm and 2300 rpm). The results show the addition of 10% of each butanol and ethanol to diesel fuel had decreased the fuel density about 0.3% to 0.5% compared to mineral diesel. In addition, viscosity and energy content are also decrease. The addition of 10% butanol had improved the fuel cetane number however the ethanol blends react differently. In term of engine performance, as the engine speed increased, BP output also increase respectively. Hence, the alcohol blends fuel generates lower BP compared to diesel, plus BSFC for all test fuel shows decreasing trend at low and medium speed, however increased gradually at higher engine speed. Thus, D90BU10 had higher BSFC compared to mineral diesel and D90E10. In general, the addition of alcohol blend in diesel fuel had increase the BSFC. In term of in cylinder pressure, as the engine speed is increased, the crank angle noted to move away from TDC for all test fuel. The maximum cylinder pressure increased at low and medium speed, but decrease in higher engine speed. The addition of 10% of butanol and ethanol in the mineral diesel decreased the maximum cylinder pressure. Meanwhile, O2 emission of D90E10 is higher compared to D90BU10 due to higher oxygen content found in ethanol. The CO2 emission of D90BU10 recorded higher compared to mineral diesel due to the high oxygen contents in the alcohol. CO emission of alcohol blend on the other hand had lower emission at higher engine speed compared to mineral diesel. As engine speed is increased, NOx emission of mineral diesel and D90E10 had decreased gradually. However, D90BU10 had increased of NOx emission at lower to medium engine speed, than gradually decreased at higher engine speed.

A novel non-invasive electrochemical biosensing device for in situ determination of the alcohol content in blood by monitoring ethanol in sweat.

PubMed

Gamella, M; Campuzano, S; Manso, J; González de Rivera, G; López-Colino, F; Reviejo, A J; Pingarrón, J M

2014-01-02

A non-invasive, passive and simple to use skin surface based sensing device for determining the blood's ethanol content (BAC) by monitoring transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) is designed and developed. The proposed prototype is based on bienzyme amperometric composite biosensors that are sensitive to the variation of ethanol concentration. The prototype correlates, through previous calibration set-up, the amperometric signal generated from ethanol in sweat with its content in blood in a short period of time. The characteristics of this sensor device permit determination of the ethanol concentration in isolated and in continuous form, giving information of the BAC of a subject either in a given moment or its evolution during long periods of time (8h). Moreover, as the measurements are performed in a biological fluid, the evaluated individual is not able to alter the result of the analysis. The maximum limit of ethanol in blood allowed by legislation is included within the linear range of the device (0.0005-0.6 g L(-1)). Moreover, the device shows higher sensitivity than the breathalyzers marketed at the moment, allowing the monitoring of the ethanol content in blood to be obtained just 5 min after ingestion of the alcoholic drink. The comparison of the obtained results using the proposed device in the analysis of 40 volunteers with those provided by the gas chromatographic reference method for determination of BAC pointed out that there were no significant differences between both methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shelf life extension of pre-baked buns by an ACTIVE PACKAGING ethanol emitter.

PubMed

Franke, I; Wijma, E; Bouma, K

2002-03-01

The paper reports the influence of an ethanol emitter (Ethicap) on the microbiological condition and the shelf life extension of a bakery product. Pre-baked buns, with a water activity of 0.95, were packaged with different amounts of Ethicap and stored at room temperature. Yeasts and moulds remained largely absent from the core of the pre-baked bun (< 10(2) cfu g(-1)) during storage, independent of the presence of ethanol. The total mesophilic count was low at the beginning of the storage experiment (< 10(2) cfu g(-1)), but increased without ethanol within 1 week to an unacceptable level. In the presence of ethanol, the total mesophilic count stabilizes at a consumable level of 10(5)-10(6) cfu g(-1). The increase of total mesophilic count was caused by growth of a Bacillus spp., probably B. subtilis. Mould growth on the outer surface is limiting for shelf life extension. On the pre-baked buns, the following moulds were present: Penicillium solitum, P. commune, P. corylophilum, Cladosporium sphaerospermum and C. herbarum. These started to grow within 4-6 days. Mould growth can be delayed for 13 days by adding Ethicap. The ethanol probably has to be absorbed by the pre-baked bun to be effective in growth suppression of the Bacillus spp. the moulds. The pre-baked buns absorb most of the ethanol from the package headspace, and the ethanol content of the products is approximately 0.8 weight% after 21 days. This largely exceeds the overall migration limit of 60 mg kg(-1) food (0.006 weight%).

In vitro anti-HIV and antioxidant activity of Hoodia gordonii (Apocynaceae), a commercial plant product.

PubMed

Kapewangolo, Petrina; Knott, Michael; Shithigona, Regina E K; Uusiku, Sylvia L; Kandawa-Schulz, Martha

2016-10-24

Hoodia gordonii products are widely commercialized for anti-obesity purposes; however, minimal research is available on the other health properties demonstrated by this popular herbal plant. H. gordonii crude extracts (ethanol and ethyl acetate) were assayed for in vitro anti-HIV-1 protease (PR), reverse transcriptase (RT) and integrase activity. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assays were used for the antioxidant analysis. In addition, qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses of the extracts were determined using standard methods. H. gordonii extract demonstrated good inhibition against HIV RT with IC 50 values of 73.55 ± 0.04 and 69.81 ± 9.45 μg/mL for ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. Both extracts also demonstrated inhibitory activity against HIV PR with IC 50 values of 97.29 ± 0.01 and 63.76 ± 9.01 μg/mL for ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts. In addition, H. gordonii also showed good antioxidant activity with IC 50 values of 124.6 ± 11.3 and 126.2 ± 3.15 μg/mL obtained for ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. The reducing power of H. gordonii extracts increased as the concentration increased which confirmed the presence of antioxidants (reductants) in the extracts. Phytochemical screening of H. gordonii revealed the presence of phenolics, alkaloids, terpenes, steroids, cardiac glycosides and tannins in the ethanolic extract, while the ethyl acetate extract only showed the presence of phenolics, cardiac glycosides and steroids. The total phenolic content was 420 ± 0.17 and 319.9 ± 0.2 mg GAE/g for the ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. The ethanol extract, which revealed the presence of tannins, had a tannin content of 330 ± 0.2 mg TAE/g extract. This data suggests that H. gordonii has good in vitro inhibition against selected HIV-1 enzymes as well as antioxidant properties, suggesting new potential uses for this commercial plant.

Ameliorative effect of Opuntia ficus indica juice on ethanol-induced oxidative stress in rat erythrocytes.

PubMed

Alimi, Hichem; Hfaeidh, Najla; Bouoni, Zouhour; Sakly, Mohsen; Rhouma, Khémais Ben

2013-05-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of Opuntia ficus indica f. inermis fruit juice (OFIj) on reversing oxidative damages induced by chronic ethanol intake in rat erythrocytes. OFIj was firstly analyzed with HPLC for phenolic and flavonoids content. Secondly, 40 adult male Wistar rats were equally divided into five groups and treated for 90 days as follows: control (C), ethanol-only 3 g/kg body weight (b.w) (E), low dose of OFIj 2 ml/100 g b.w+ethanol (Ldj+E), high dose of OFIj 4 ml/100 g b.w+ethanol (Hdj+E), and only a high dose of OFIj 4 ml/100g b.w (Hdj). HPLC analysis indicated high concentrations of phenolic acids and flavonoids in OFIj. Ethanol treatment markedly decreased the activities of erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and the level of reduced glutathione (GSH). Changes in the erythrocyte's antioxidant ability were accompanied by enhanced oxidative modification of lipids (increase of malondialdeyde level) and proteins (increase in carbonyl groups). Interestingly, pre-administration of either 2 ml/100 g b.w or 4 ml/100 g b.w of OFIj to ethanol-intoxicated rats significantly reversed decreases in enzymatic as well as non enzymatic antioxidants parameters in erythrocytes. Also, the administration of OFIj significantly protected lipids and proteins against ethanol-induced oxidative modifications in rat erythrocytes. The beneficial effect of OFIj can result from the inhibition of ethanol-induced free radicals chain reactions in rat erythrocytes or from the enhancement of the endogenous antioxidants activities. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Fermentation Process and Metabolic Flux of Ethanol Production from the Detoxified Hydrolyzate of Cassava Residue

PubMed Central

Li, Xingjiang; Deng, Yongdong; Yang, Ying; Wei, Zhaojun; Cheng, Jieshun; Cao, Lili; Mu, Dongdong; Luo, Shuizhong; Zheng, Zhi; Jiang, Shaotong; Wu, Xuefeng

2017-01-01

With the growth of the world population, energy problems are becoming increasingly severe; therefore, sustainable energy sources have gained enormous importance. With respect to ethanol fuel production, biomass is gradually replacing grain as the main raw material. In this study, we explored the fermentation of five- and six-carbon sugars, the main biomass degradation products, into alcohol. We conducted mutagenic screening specifically for Candida tropicalis CICC1779 to obtain a strain that effectively used xylose (Candida tropicalis CICC1779-Dyd). By subsequently studying fermentation conditions under different initial liquid volume oxygen transfer coefficients (kLα), and coupling control of the aeration rate and agitation speed under optimal conditions, the optimal dissolved oxygen change curve was obtained. In addition, we constructed metabolic flow charts and equations to obtain a better understanding of the fermentation mechanism and to improve the ethanol yield. In our experiment, the ethanol production of the wild type stain was 17.58 g·L−1 at a kLα of 120. The highest ethanol yield of the mutagenic strains was 24.85 g·L−1. The ethanol yield increased to 26.56 g·L−1 when the dissolved oxygen content was optimized, and the conversion of sugar into alcohol reached 0.447 g·g−1 glucose (the theoretical titer of yeast-metabolized xylose was 0.46 g ethanol/g xylose and the glucose ethanol fermentation titer was 0.51 g ethanol/g glucose). Finally, the detected activity of xylose reductase and xylose dehydrogenase was higher in the mutant strain than in the original, which indicated that the mutant strain (CICC1779-Dyd) could effectively utilize xylose for metabolism. PMID:28878755

Effect of copper doping sol-gel ZnO thin films: physical properties and sensitivity to ethanol vapor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boukaous, Chahra; Benhaoua, Boubaker; Telia, Azzedine; Ghanem, Salah

2017-10-01

In the present paper, the effect of copper doping ZnO thin films, deposited using a sol-gel dip-coating technique, on the structural, optical and ethanol vapor-sensing properties, was investigated. The range of the doping content is 0 wt. %-5 wt. % Cu/Zn and the films’ properties were studied using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The obtained results indicated that undoped and copper-doped zinc oxide thin films have polycrystalline wurtzite structure with (1 0 1) preferred orientation. All samples have a smooth and dense structure free of pinholes. A decrease in the band gap with Cu concentration in the ZnO network was observed. The influence of the dopant on ethanol vapor-sensing properties shows an increase in the film sensitivity to the ethanol vapor within the Cu concentration.

Achieving ethanol-type fermentation for hydrogen production in a granular sludge system by aeration.

PubMed

Zhang, Song; Liu, Min; Chen, Ying; Pan, Yu-Ting

2017-01-01

To investigate the effects of aeration on hydrogen-producing granular system, experiments were performed in two laboratory-scale anaerobic internal circulation hydrogen production (AICHP) reactors. The preliminary experiment of Reactor 1 showed that direct aeration was beneficial to enhancing hydrogen production. After the direct aeration was implied in Reactor 2, hydrogen production rate (HPR) and hydrogen content were increased by 100% and 60%, respectively. In addition, mixed-acid fermentation was transformed into typical ethanol-type fermentation (ETF). Illumina MiSeq sequencing shows that the direct aeration did not change the species of hydrogen-producing bacteria but altered their abundance. Hydrogen-producing bacteria and ethanol-type fermentative bacteria were increased by 24.5% and 146.3%, respectively. Ethanoligenens sp. sharply increased by 162.2% and turned into predominant bacteria in the system. These findings indicated that appropriate direct aeration might be a novel and promising way to obtain ETF and enhance hydrogen production in practical use. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance and emissions characteristics of aqueous alcohol fumes in a DI diesel engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heisey, J. B.; Lestz, S. S.

1981-01-01

A single cylinder DI Diesel engine was fumigated with ethanol and methanol in amounts up to 55% of the total fuel energy. The effects of aqueous alcohol fumigation on engine thermal efficiency, combustion intensity and gaseous exhaust emissions were determined. Assessment of changes in the biological activity of raw particulate and its soluble organic fraction were also made using the Salmonella typhimurium test. Alcohol fumigation improved thermal efficiency slightly at moderate and heavy loads, but increased ignition delay at all operating conditions. Carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon emission generally increased with alcohol fumigation and showed no dependence on alcohol type or quality. Oxide of nitrogen emission showed a strong dependence on alcohol quality; relative emission levels decreased with increasing water content of the fumigant. Particulate mass loading rates were lower for ethanol fueled conditions. However, the biological activity of both the raw particulate and its soluble organic fraction was enhanced by ethanol fumigation at most operating conditions.

Protective effect of bovine milk against HCl and ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in mice.

PubMed

Yoo, Jeong-Hyun; Lee, Jeong-Sang; Lee, You-Suk; Ku, SaeKwang; Lee, Hae-Jeung

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gastroprotective effects of bovine milk on an acidified ethanol (HCl-ethanol) mixture that induced gastric ulcers in a mouse model. Mice received different doses of commercial fresh bovine milk (5, 10, and 20 mL/kg of body weight) by oral gavage once a day for 14 d. One hour after the last oral administration of bovine milk, the HCl-ethanol mixture was orally intubated to provoke severe gastric damage. Our results showed that pretreatment with bovine milk significantly suppressed the formation of gastric mucosa lesions. Pretreatment lowered gastric myeloperoxidase and increased gastric mucus contents and antioxidant enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase. Administration of bovine milk increased nitrate/nitrite levels and decreased the malondialdehyde levels and the expression of proinflammatory genes, including transcription factor nuclear factor-κB, cyclooxygenase-2, and inducible nitric oxide synthase in the stomach of mice. These results suggest that bovine milk can prevent the development of gastric ulcer caused by acid and alcohol in mice. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)-pretreated newspaper for cellulosic ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis.

PubMed

Xin, Fengxue; Geng, Anli; Chen, Ming Li; Gum, Ming Jun Marcus

2010-10-01

Fermentation of enzymatic hydrolysate of waste newspaper was investigated for cellulosic ethanol production in this study. Various nonionic and ionic surfactants were applied for waste newspaper pretreatment to increase the enzymatic digestibility. The surfactant-pretreated newspaper was enzymatically digested in 0.05 M sodium citrate buffer (pH 4.8) with varying solid content, filter paper unit loading (FPU/g newspaper), and ratio of filter paper unit/beta-glucosidase unit (FPU/CBU). Newspaper pretreated with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) demonstrated the highest sugar yield. The addition of Tween-80 in the enzymatic hydrolysis process enhanced the enzymatic digestibility of newspaper pretreated with all of the surfactants. Enzymatic hydrolysis of SDS-pretreated newspaper with 15% solid content, 15 FPU/g newspaper, and FPU/CBU of 1:4 resulted in a newspaper hydrolysate conditioning 29.07 g/L glucose and 4.08 g/L xylose after 72 h of incubation at 50 degrees C. The fermentation of the enzymatic hydrolysate with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pichia stipitis, and their co-culture produced 14.29, 13.45, and 14.03 g/L of ethanol, respectively. Their corresponding ethanol yields were 0.43, 0.41, and 0.42 g/g.

Ultrasound assisted extraction of polysaccharides from hazelnut skin.

PubMed

Yılmaz, Tuncay; Tavman, Şebnem

2016-03-01

In this study ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) of polysaccharides from hazelnut skin has been studied. Optimum sonication time has been evaluated depending on responses such as amount of carbohydrate and dried sample and thermogravimetric analysis. Chemical and structural properties of extracted material have been determined by Fourier transform spectroscopy attenuated-total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy. Pretreated hazelnut skin powders were extracted in distilled water. Mixture was sonicated by ultrasonic processor probe for 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min. The results of UAE showed that maximum ethanol insoluble extracts in 60 min and the highest dry matter content could be obtained in 120 min extraction. Although total carbohydrate content of ethanol insoluble dry extract decreased with time, total carbohydrate in ethanol soluble fraction increased. Polysaccharides extracted from hazelnut skin were assumed to be pectic polysaccharide according to the literature survey of FTIR analysis result. Application time of UAE has an important effect on extraction of polysaccharide from hazelnut skin. This affect could be summarized by enhancing extraction yield up to critical level. Decrease of the yield in ethanol insoluble part could be explained by polymer decomposition. Most suitable model was hyperbolic model by having the lowest root mean square error and the highest R(2) values. © The Author(s) 2015.

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of arabinoxylan hydrolysates from defatted rice bran.

PubMed

Yuwang, Prachit; Sulaeva, Irina; Hell, Johannes; Henniges, Ute; Böhmdorfer, Stefan; Rosenau, Thomas; Chitsomboon, Benjamart; Tongta, Sunanta

2018-01-01

The water unextractable arabinoxylans (WUAX) contain beneficial phenolic compounds that can be used for food rather than for animal feed. The antioxidant activities of defatted rice bran obtained by xylanase-aided extraction is reported herein. The chemical and molecular characteristics of extracted fractions were investigated. The WUAX hydrolysate precipitated by 0-60% ethanol (F60), 60-90% ethanol (F6090), and more than 90% ethanol (F90) had decreased molar masses with increasing ethanol concentration. The fractions of interest, F60 and F6090, contained 75% arabinoxylans with ferulic acid as the major bound phenolic acid, followed by p-coumaric acid. According to chemical-based antioxidant assays F60 and F6090 exhibited higher diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and ferric iron reducing ability than F90 which contained minor contents of small sugars and free phenolic acids. In cell-based antioxidant assays, using the fluorescent 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate probe, all three fractions were potent intracellular scavengers. The high molar mass of WUAX hydrolysates with high amount of bound phenolics contributes to the chemical-based antioxidant activity. All fractions of WUAX hydrolysates showed high potent intracellular scavenging activity regardless of molar mass, content and the component of bound phenolics. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Gastroprotective activity of ferruginol in mice and rats: effects on gastric secretion, endogenous prostaglandins and non-protein sulfhydryls.

PubMed

Areche, Carlos; Theoduloz, Cristina; Yáñez, Tania; Souza-Brito, Alba R M; Barbastefano, Víctor; de Paula, Débora; Ferreira, Anderson L; Schmeda-Hirschmann, Guillermo; Rodríguez, Jaime A

2008-02-01

The gastroprotective mechanism of the natural diterpene ferruginol was assessed in mice and rats. The involvement of gastric prostaglandins (PGE(2)), reduced glutathione, nitric oxide or capsaicin receptors was evaluated in mice either treated or untreated with indometacin, N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or ruthenium red, respectively, and then orally treated with ferruginol or vehicle. Gastric lesions were induced by oral administration of ethanol. The effects of ferruginol on the parameters of gastric secretion were assessed in pylorus-ligated rats. Gastric PGE(2) content was determined in rats treated with ferruginol and/or indometacin. The reduction of gastric glutathione (GSH) content was determined in rats treated with ethanol after oral administration of ferruginol, lansoprazole or vehicle. Finally, the acute oral toxicity was assessed in mice. Indometacin reversed the gastroprotective effect of ferruginol (25 mg kg(-1)) but not NEM, ruthenium red or L-NAME. The diterpene (25 mg kg(-1)) increased the gastric juice volume and its pH value, and reduced the titrable acidity but was devoid of effect on the gastric mucus content. Ferruginol (25, 50 mg kg(-1)) increased gastric PGE(2) content in a dose-dependent manner and prevented the reduction in GSH observed due to ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats. Single oral doses up to 3 g kg(-1) ferruginol did not elicit mortality or acute toxic effects in mice. Our results showed that ferruginol acted as a gastroprotective agent stimulating the gastric PGE(2) synthesis, reducing the gastric acid output and improving the antioxidant capacity of the gastric mucosa by maintaining the GSH levels.

Plants with modified lignin content and methods for production thereof

DOEpatents

Zhao, Qiao; Chen, Fang; Dixon, Richard A.

2014-08-05

The invention provides methods for decreasing lignin content and for increasing the level of fermentable carbohydrates in plants by down-regulation of the NST transcription factor. Nucleic acid constructs for down-regulation of NST are described. Transgenic plants are provided that comprise reduced lignin content. Plants described herein may be used, for example, as improved biofuel feedstock and as highly digestible forage crops. Methods for processing plant tissue and for producing ethanol by utilizing such plants are also provided.

Highly improved ethanol gas-sensing performance of mesoporous nickel oxides nanowires with the stannum donor doping.

PubMed

Wei, Junqi; Li, Xiaoqing; Han, Yanbing; Xu, Jingcai; Jin, Hongxiao; Jin, Dingfeng; Peng, Xiaoling; Hong, Bo; Li, Jing; Yang, Yanting; Ge, Hongliang; Wang, Xinqing

2018-06-15

Mesoporous nickel oxides (NiO) and stannum(Sn)-doped NiO nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by using SBA-15 templates with the nanocasting method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm and UV-vis spectrum were used to characterize the phase structure, components and microstructure of the as-prepared samples. The gas-sensing analysis indicated that the Sn-doping could greatly improve the ethanol sensitivity for mesoporous NiO NWs. With the increasing Sn content, the ethanol sensitivity increased from 2.16 for NiO NWs up to the maximum of 15.60 for Ni 0.962 Sn 0.038 O 1.038 , and then decreased to 12.24 for Ni 0.946 Sn 0.054 O 1.054 to 100 ppm ethanol gas at 340 °C. The high surface area from the Sn-doping improved the adsorption of oxygen on the surface of NiO NWs, resulting in the smaller surface resistance in air. Furthermore, owing to the recombination of the holes in hole-accumulation lay with the electrons from the donor impurity level and the increasing the body defects for Sn-doping, the total resistance in ethanol gas enhanced greatly. It was concluded that the sensitivity of Sn-doped NiO NWs based sensor could be greatly improved by the higher surface area and high-valence donor substitution from Sn-doping.

Impaired Insulin/IGF Signaling in Experimental Alcohol-Related Myopathy

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Van Anh; Le, Tran; Tong, Ming; Silbermann, Elizabeth; Gundogan, Fusun; de la Monte, Suzanne M.

2012-01-01

Alcohol-related myopathy (Alc-M) is highly prevalent among heavy drinkers, although its pathogenesis is not well understood. We hypothesize that Alc-M is mediated by combined effects of insulin/IGF resistance and oxidative stress, similar to the effects of ethanol on liver and brain. We tested this hypothesis using an established model in which adult rats were pair-fed for 8 weeks with isocaloric diets containing 0% (N = 8) or 35.5% (N = 13) ethanol by caloric content. Gastrocnemius muscles were examined by histology, morphometrics, qRT-PCR analysis, and ELISAs. Chronic ethanol feeding reduced myofiber size and mRNA expression of IGF-1 polypeptide, insulin, IGF-1, and IGF-2 receptors, IRS-1, and IRS-2. Multiplex ELISAs demonstrated ethanol-associated inhibition of insulin, IRS-1, Akt, and p70S6K signaling, and increased activation of GSK-3β. In addition, ethanol-exposed muscles had increased 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal immunoreactivity, reflecting lipid peroxidation, and reduced levels of mitochondrial Complex IV, Complex V, and acetylcholinesterase. These results demonstrate that experimental Alc-M is associated with inhibition of insulin/IGF/IRS and downstream signaling that mediates metabolism and cell survival, similar to findings in alcoholic liver and brain degeneration. Moreover, the increased oxidative stress, which could be mediated by mitochondrial dysfunction, may have led to inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, which itself is sufficient to cause myofiber atrophy and degeneration. PMID:23016132

Highly improved ethanol gas-sensing performance of mesoporous nickel oxides nanowires with the stannum donor doping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Junqi; Li, Xiaoqing; Han, Yanbing; Xu, Jingcai; Jin, Hongxiao; Jin, Dingfeng; Peng, Xiaoling; Hong, Bo; Li, Jing; Yang, Yanting; Ge, Hongliang; Wang, Xinqing

2018-06-01

Mesoporous nickel oxides (NiO) and stannum(Sn)-doped NiO nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by using SBA-15 templates with the nanocasting method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometry, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm and UV–vis spectrum were used to characterize the phase structure, components and microstructure of the as-prepared samples. The gas-sensing analysis indicated that the Sn-doping could greatly improve the ethanol sensitivity for mesoporous NiO NWs. With the increasing Sn content, the ethanol sensitivity increased from 2.16 for NiO NWs up to the maximum of 15.60 for Ni0.962Sn0.038O1.038, and then decreased to 12.24 for Ni0.946Sn0.054O1.054 to 100 ppm ethanol gas at 340 °C. The high surface area from the Sn-doping improved the adsorption of oxygen on the surface of NiO NWs, resulting in the smaller surface resistance in air. Furthermore, owing to the recombination of the holes in hole-accumulation lay with the electrons from the donor impurity level and the increasing the body defects for Sn-doping, the total resistance in ethanol gas enhanced greatly. It was concluded that the sensitivity of Sn-doped NiO NWs based sensor could be greatly improved by the higher surface area and high-valence donor substitution from Sn-doping.

Catalyst-free ethyl biodiesel production from rice bran under subcritical condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zullaikah, Siti; Afifudin, Riza; Amalia, Rizky

2015-12-01

In-situ ethyl biodiesel production from rice bran under subcritical water and ethanol with no catalyst was employed. This process is environmentally friendly and is very flexible in term of feedstock utilization since it can handle relatively high moisture and free fatty acids (FFAs) contents. In addition, the alcohol, i.e. bioethanol, is a non-toxic, biodegradable, and green raw material when produced from non-edible biomass residues, leading to a 100% renewable biodiesel. The fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs, ethyl biodiesel) are better than fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs, methyl biodiesel) in terms of fuel properties, including cetane number, oxidation stability and cold flow properties. The influences of the operating variables such as reaction time (1 - 10 h), ethanol concentration (12.5 - 87.5%), and pressurizing gas (N2 and CO2) on the ethyl biodiesel yield and purity have been investigated systematically while the temperature and pressure were kept constant at 200 °C and 40 bar. The optimum results were obtained at 5 h reaction time and 75% ethanol concentration using CO2 as compressing gas. Ethyl biodiesel yield and purity of 58.78% and 61.35%, respectively, were obtained using rice bran with initial FFAs content of 37.64%. FFAs level was reduced to 14.22% with crude ethyl biodiesel recovery of 95.98%. Increasing the reaction time up to 10 h only increased the yield and purity by only about 3%. Under N2 atmosphere and at the same operating conditions (5h and 75% ethanol), ethyl biodiesel yield and purity decreased to 54.63% and 58.07%, respectively, while FFAs level was increased to 17.93% and crude ethyl biodiesel recovery decreased to 87.32%.

Influence of fat/carbohydrate ratio on progression of fatty liver disease and on development of osteopenia in male rats fed alcohol via total enteral nutrition (TEN).

PubMed

Ronis, Martin J J; Mercer, Kelly; Suva, Larry J; Vantrease, Jamie; Ferguson, Matthew; Hogue, William R; Sharma, Neha; Cleves, Mario A; Blackburn, Michael L; Badger, Thomas M

2014-03-01

Alcohol abuse is associated with the development of fatty liver disease and also with significant osteopenia in both genders. In this study, we examined ethanol-induced pathology in response to diets with differing fat/carbohydrate ratios. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed intragastrically with isocaloric liquid diets. Dietary fat content was either 5% (high carbohydrate, HC) or 45% (high fat, HF), with or without ethanol (12-13 g/kg/day). After 14, 28, or 65 days, livers were harvested and analyzed. In addition, bone morphology was analyzed after 65 days. HC rats gained more weight and had larger fat pads than HF rats with or without ethanol. Steatosis developed in HC + ethanol (HC + EtOH) compared to HF + ethanol (HF + EtOH) rats, accompanied by increased fatty acid (FA) synthesis and increased nuclear carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP) (p < 0.05), but in the absence of effects on hepatic silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog (SIRT-1) or nuclear sterol regulatory binding element protein (SREBP-1c). Ethanol reduced serum leptin (p < 0.05) but not adiponectin. Over time, HC rats developed fatty liver independent of ethanol. FA degradation was significantly elevated by ethanol in both HC and HF groups (p < 0.05). HF + EtOH rats had increased oxidative stress from 28 days, increased necrosis compared to HF controls and higher expression of cytochromes P450, CYP2E1, and CYP4A1 compared to HC + EtOH rats (p < 0.05). In contrast, HC + EtOH rats had no significant increase in oxidative stress until day 65 with no observed increase in necrosis. Unlike liver pathology, no dietary differences were observed on ethanol-induced osteopenia in HC compared to HF groups. These data demonstrate that interactions between diet composition and alcohol are complex, dependent on the length of exposure, and are an important influence in development of fatty liver injury. Importantly, it appears that diet composition does not affect alcohol-associated skeletal toxicity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-conventional Yeast Species for Lowering Ethanol Content of Wines

PubMed Central

Ciani, Maurizio; Morales, Pilar; Comitini, Francesca; Tronchoni, Jordi; Canonico, Laura; Curiel, José A.; Oro, Lucia; Rodrigues, Alda J.; Gonzalez, Ramon

2016-01-01

Rising sugar content in grape must, and the concomitant increase in alcohol levels in wine, are some of the main challenges affecting the winemaking industry nowadays. Among the several alternative solutions currently under study, the use of non-conventional yeasts during fermentation holds good promise for contributing to relieve this problem. Non-Saccharomyces wine yeast species comprise a high number or species, so encompassing a wider physiological diversity than Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Indeed, the current oenological interest of these microorganisms was initially triggered by their potential positive contribution to the sensorial complexity of quality wines, through the production of aroma and other sensory-active compounds. This diversity also involves ethanol yield on sugar, one of the most invariant metabolic traits of S. cerevisiae. This review gathers recent research on non-Saccharomyces yeasts, aiming to produce wines with lower alcohol content than those from pure Saccharomyces starters. Critical aspects discussed include the selection of suitable yeast strains (considering there is a noticeable intra-species diversity for ethanol yield, as shown for other fermentation traits), identification of key environmental parameters influencing ethanol yields (including the use of controlled oxygenation conditions), and managing mixed fermentations, by either the sequential or simultaneous inoculation of S. cerevisiae and non-Saccharomyces starter cultures. The feasibility, at the industrial level, of using non-Saccharomyces yeasts for reducing alcohol levels in wine will require an improved understanding of the metabolism of these alternative yeast species, as well as of the interactions between different yeast starters during the fermentation of grape must. PMID:27199967

Distillation-based Droplet Modeling of Non-Ideal Oxygenated Gasoline Blends: Investigating the Role of Droplet Evaporation on PM Emissions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burke, Stephen C.; Ratcliff, Matthew; McCormick, Robert

In some studies, a relationship has been observed between increasing ethanol content in gasoline and increased particulate matter (PM) emissions from vehicles equipped with spark ignition engines. The fundamental cause of the PM increase seen for moderate ethanol concentrations is not well understood. Ethanol features a greater heat of vaporization (HOV) than gasoline and also influences vaporization by altering the liquid and vapor composition throughout the distillation process. A droplet vaporization model was developed to explore ethanol's effect on the evaporation of aromatic compounds known to be PM precursors. The evolving droplet composition is modeled as a distillation process, withmore » non-ideal interactions between oxygenates and hydrocarbons accounted for using UNIFAC group contribution theory. Predicted composition and distillation curves were validated by experiments. Detailed hydrocarbon analysis was applied to fuel samples and to distillate fractions, and used as input for the initial droplet composition. With composition calculated throughout the distillation, the changing HOV and other physical properties can be found using reference data. The droplet can thus be modeled in terms of energy transfer, which in turn provides the transient mass transfer, droplet temperature, and droplet diameter. Model predictions suggest that non-ideal vapor-liquid equilibrium along with an increase in HOV can alter the droplet composition evolution. Results predict that the presence of ethanol causes enrichment of the higher boiling fractions (T90+) in the aromatic components as well as lengthens the droplet lifetime. A simulation of the evaporation process in a transient environment as experienced within an engine cylinder predicts a decrease in mixing time of the heaviest fractions of the fuel prior to spark initiation, possibly explaining observations linking ethanol to PM.« less

Distillation-based Droplet Modeling of Non-Ideal Oxygenated Gasoline Blends: Investigating the Role of Droplet Evaporation on PM Emissions

DOE PAGES

Burke, Stephen C.; Ratcliff, Matthew; McCormick, Robert; ...

2017-03-28

In some studies, a relationship has been observed between increasing ethanol content in gasoline and increased particulate matter (PM) emissions from vehicles equipped with spark ignition engines. The fundamental cause of the PM increase seen for moderate ethanol concentrations is not well understood. Ethanol features a greater heat of vaporization (HOV) than gasoline and also influences vaporization by altering the liquid and vapor composition throughout the distillation process. A droplet vaporization model was developed to explore ethanol's effect on the evaporation of aromatic compounds known to be PM precursors. The evolving droplet composition is modeled as a distillation process, withmore » non-ideal interactions between oxygenates and hydrocarbons accounted for using UNIFAC group contribution theory. Predicted composition and distillation curves were validated by experiments. Detailed hydrocarbon analysis was applied to fuel samples and to distillate fractions, and used as input for the initial droplet composition. With composition calculated throughout the distillation, the changing HOV and other physical properties can be found using reference data. The droplet can thus be modeled in terms of energy transfer, which in turn provides the transient mass transfer, droplet temperature, and droplet diameter. Model predictions suggest that non-ideal vapor-liquid equilibrium along with an increase in HOV can alter the droplet composition evolution. Results predict that the presence of ethanol causes enrichment of the higher boiling fractions (T90+) in the aromatic components as well as lengthens the droplet lifetime. A simulation of the evaporation process in a transient environment as experienced within an engine cylinder predicts a decrease in mixing time of the heaviest fractions of the fuel prior to spark initiation, possibly explaining observations linking ethanol to PM.« less

Protective effect of Opuntia ficus indica f. inermis prickly pear juice upon ethanol-induced damages in rat erythrocytes.

PubMed

Alimi, Hichem; Hfaeidh, Najla; Bouoni, Zouhour; Sakly, Mohsen; Ben Rhouma, Khémais

2012-05-01

Juice from the fruit of the cactus Opuntia ficus indica is claimed to possess several health-beneficial properties. The present study was carried out to determine whether O. ficus indica f. inermis fruit extract might have a protective effect upon physiological and morphological damages inflicted to erythrocytes membrane by chronic ethanol poisoning, per os, in rat. Chemical analysis of the extract revealed the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and betalains. Ethanol administration (3 g/kg b.w, per day for 90 days) induced an increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) and carbonylated proteins levels and a decrease of glutathione (GSH) level in erythrocyte. Ethanol administration also reduced the scavenging activity in plasma and enhanced erythrocytes hemolysis, as compared to control rats. In addition, ethanol intake increased the erythrocyte shape index by +895.5% and decreased the erythrocyte diameter by -61.53% as compared to controls. In animals also given prickly pear juice during the same experimental period, the studied parameters were much less shifted. This protective effect was found to be dose-dependent. It is likely that the beneficial effect of the extract is due to the high content of antioxidant compounds. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multivariate calibration on NIR data: development of a model for the rapid evaluation of ethanol content in bakery products.

PubMed

Bello, Alessandra; Bianchi, Federica; Careri, Maria; Giannetto, Marco; Mori, Giovanni; Musci, Marilena

2007-11-05

A new NIR method based on multivariate calibration for determination of ethanol in industrially packed wholemeal bread was developed and validated. GC-FID was used as reference method for the determination of actual ethanol concentration of different samples of wholemeal bread with proper content of added ethanol, ranging from 0 to 3.5% (w/w). Stepwise discriminant analysis was carried out on the NIR dataset, in order to reduce the number of original variables by selecting those that were able to discriminate between the samples of different ethanol concentrations. With the so selected variables a multivariate calibration model was then obtained by multiple linear regression. The prediction power of the linear model was optimized by a new "leave one out" method, so that the number of original variables resulted further reduced.

Comparation of Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of Aqueous and Ethanol Extracts of Crataegus pinnatifida Fruit in High-Fat Emulsion-Induced Hyperlipidemia Rats

PubMed Central

Shao, Feng; Gu, Lifei; Chen, Huijuan; Liu, Ronghua; Huang, Huilian; Ren, Gang

2016-01-01

Background: Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) is a Chinese medicinal plant traditionally used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Recently, studies indicated free radical scavenging was one of the major pathways to alleviate hyperlipidemia. Moreover, hawthorn fruit is a rich source of phenols, which quench free radical and attenuate hyperlipidemia. However, the phenols vary with processing methods, especially solvent type. Objective: Our aim was to compare hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of aqueous and ethanol extracts of hawthorn fruit in hyperlipidemia rats. Materials and Methods: After a 4-week treatment of high-fat emulsion, lipid profile levels and antioxidant levels of two extracts were determined using commercial analysis. Total phenols content in the extract of hawthorn fruit was determined colorimetrically by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Results: Both ethanol and aqueous extracts of hawthorn fruit possessed hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities. Simultaneously, stronger activities were observed in ethanol extract. Besides, total phenols content in ethanol extract from the same quality of hawthorn fruit was 3.9 times more than that in aqueous extract. Conclusion: The obvious difference of hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects between ethanol extract and aqueous extract of hawthorn fruit was probably due to the presence of total phenols content, under the influence of extraction solvent. SUMMARY Ethanol extract of hawthorn fruit exhibited more favorable hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects than aqueous extract. The higher effects could be due to the higher content of total phenols that varies with extraction solvent. Abbreviations used: TC: Total cholesterol, TG: Triglyceride, LDL-C: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, GSH-Px: Glutathione peroxidase, SOD: Superoxide dismutase, MDA: Malondialdehyde, CAT: Catalase, NO: Nitric oxide, NOS: Nitric oxide synthase, SR-BI: Scavenger receptor Class B Type I PMID:27019563

Comparation of Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of Aqueous and Ethanol Extracts of Crataegus pinnatifida Fruit in High-Fat Emulsion-Induced Hyperlipidemia Rats.

PubMed

Shao, Feng; Gu, Lifei; Chen, Huijuan; Liu, Ronghua; Huang, Huilian; Ren, Gang

2016-01-01

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) is a Chinese medicinal plant traditionally used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Recently, studies indicated free radical scavenging was one of the major pathways to alleviate hyperlipidemia. Moreover, hawthorn fruit is a rich source of phenols, which quench free radical and attenuate hyperlipidemia. However, the phenols vary with processing methods, especially solvent type. Our aim was to compare hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of aqueous and ethanol extracts of hawthorn fruit in hyperlipidemia rats. After a 4-week treatment of high-fat emulsion, lipid profile levels and antioxidant levels of two extracts were determined using commercial analysis. Total phenols content in the extract of hawthorn fruit was determined colorimetrically by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Both ethanol and aqueous extracts of hawthorn fruit possessed hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities. Simultaneously, stronger activities were observed in ethanol extract. Besides, total phenols content in ethanol extract from the same quality of hawthorn fruit was 3.9 times more than that in aqueous extract. The obvious difference of hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects between ethanol extract and aqueous extract of hawthorn fruit was probably due to the presence of total phenols content, under the influence of extraction solvent. Ethanol extract of hawthorn fruit exhibited more favorable hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects than aqueous extract. The higher effects could be due to the higher content of total phenols that varies with extraction solvent. Abbreviations used: TC: Total cholesterol, TG: Triglyceride, LDL-C: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, GSH-Px: Glutathione peroxidase, SOD: Superoxide dismutase, MDA: Malondialdehyde, CAT: Catalase, NO: Nitric oxide, NOS: Nitric oxide synthase, SR-BI: Scavenger receptor Class B Type I.

Biodiesel production from ethanolysis of DPO using deep eutectic solvent (DES) based choline chloride - ethylene glycol as co-solvent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taslim, Indra, Leonardo; Manurung, Renita; Winarta, Agus; Ramadhani, Debbie Aditia

2017-03-01

Biodiesel is usually produced from transesterification using methanol or ethanol as alcohol. However, biodiesel produced using methanol has several disadvantages because methanol is toxic and not entirely bio-based as it is generally produced from petroleum, natural gas and coal. On the other hand, ethanol also has several disadvantages such as lower reactivity in transesterification process and formation of stable emulsion between ester and glycerol. To improve ethanolysis process, deep eutectic solvent (DES) was prepared from choline chloride and ethylene glycol to be used as co-solvent in ethanolysis. Deep eutectic solvent was prepared by mixing choline chloride and ethylene glycol at molar ratio of 1:2, temperature of 80 °C, and stirring speed of 300 rpm for 1 hour. The DES was characterized by its density and viscosity. The ethanolysis of DPO / Degummed Palm Oil was performed at 70 °C, ethanol to oil molar ratio of 9:1, catalyst (potassium hydroxide) concentration of 0.75 wt.% concentration, co-solvent (DES) concentration of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 wt.%, stirring speed of 600 rpm, and reaction time of 1 hour. The obtained biodiesel was then characterized by its density, viscosity and ester content. The oil - ethanol phase condition was observed in reaction tube. The oil - ethanol phase with DES tends to form meniscus compared to that without DES. Which implied that oil and ethanol become more slightly miscible, which favours the reaction. Using DES as co-solvent in ethanolysis resulted in an increase in yield and easier purification. The esters properties met the international standards ASTM D6751, with highest yield achieved at 81.72 % with 99.35 % ethyl ester contents at 4% DES concentration.

Effects of glutamine administration on inflammatory responses in chronic ethanol-fed rats.

PubMed

Peng, Hsiang-Chi; Chen, Ya-Ling; Chen, Jiun-Rong; Yang, Sien-Sing; Huang, Kuan-Hsun; Wu, Yi-Chin; Lin, Yun-Ho; Yang, Suh-Ching

2011-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of glutamine supplementation on inflammatory responses in chronic ethanol-fed rats. Male Wistar rats weighing about 160 g were divided into five groups. Two groups were fed a normal liquid diet and three groups were fed a glutamine-containing liquid diet. After 1 week, one of the normal liquid diet groups was fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet (CE), and the other group served as the control (CC) group. At the same time, one of the glutamine-containing liquid diet groups was continually fed the same diet (GCG), but the other two groups were fed ethanol-containing diet supplemented with glutamine (GEG) or without glutamine (GE). The following items were analyzed: (1) liver function, (2) cytokine contents, and (3) hepatic oxidative stress. The activities of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) and levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β in the CE group had significantly increased. In addition, hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression had significantly increased in the CE, GE and GEG groups. However, the activities of AST and ALT and levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the GE group were significantly lower than those of the CE group. The results suggest that the plasma inflammatory responses of rats fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet for 7 weeks significantly increased. However, pretreatment with glutamine improved the plasma inflammatory responses induced by ethanol. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determination of Ethanol in Kombucha Products: Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2016.12.

PubMed

Ebersole, Blake; Liu, Ying; Schmidt, Rich; Eckert, Matt; Brown, Paula N

2017-05-01

Kombucha is a fermented nonalcoholic beverage that has drawn government attention due to the possible presence of excess ethanol (≥0.5% alcohol by volume; ABV). A validated method that provides better precision and accuracy for measuring ethanol levels in kombucha is urgently needed by the kombucha industry. The current study validated a method for determining ethanol content in commercial kombucha products. The ethanol content in kombucha was measured using headspace GC with flame ionization detection. An ethanol standard curve ranging from 0.05 to 5.09% ABV was used, with correlation coefficients greater than 99.9%. The method detection limit was 0.003% ABV and the LOQ was 0.01% ABV. The RSDr ranged from 1.62 to 2.21% and the Horwitz ratio ranged from 0.4 to 0.6. The average accuracy of the method was 98.2%. This method was validated following the guidelines for single-laboratory validation by AOAC INTERNATIONAL and meets the requirements set by AOAC SMPR 2016.001, "Standard Method Performance Requirements for Determination of Ethanol in Kombucha."

A Classroom Demonstration of Water-Induced Phase Separation of Alcohol-Gasoline Biofuel Blends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Sherry A.; Anderson, James E.; Wallington, Timothy J.

2009-01-01

A significant issue associated with ethanol-gasoline blends is the phase separation that occurs with the addition of small volumes of water, producing an ethanol-deficient gasoline layer and an ethanol-rich aqueous layer. The gasoline layer may have a lower-than-desired octane rating due to the decrease in ethanol content, resulting in engine…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lupoi, Jason

This dissertation focuses on techniques for (1) increasing ethanol yields from saccharification and fermentation of cellulose using immobilized cellulase, and (2) the characterization and classification of lignocellulosic feedstocks, and quantification of useful parameters such as the syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) lignin monomer content using 1064 nm dispersive multichannel Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics.

Collective excitations and ultrafast dipolar solvation dynamics in water-ethanol binary mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazra, Milan K.; Bagchi, Biman

2018-03-01

In order to understand the intermolecular vibrational spectrum and the collective excitations of water-ethanol binary mixture, we investigate the density of states and the power spectrum using computer simulations aided by theory. We investigate in particular the spectra at intermediate to low frequencies (a few hundreds to few tens of cm-1) by calculating (i) the density of states from quenched normal modes, (ii) the power spectrum from velocity time correlation function, and (iii) the far infrared and dielectric spectra (that is, the Cole-Cole plot) from the total dipole moment time correlation function. The different spectra are in broad agreement with each other and at the same time reveal unique characteristics of the water-ethanol mixture. Inverse participation ratio reveals several interesting features. Libration of pure ethanol is more localized than that of pure water. With increasing ethanol content, we observe localization of the collective libration mode as well as of the hindered translational and rotational mode. An interesting mixing between the libration of water and ethanol is observed. Solvation dynamics of tryptophan measured by equilibrium energy fluctuation time correlation function show surprisingly strong non-linear dependence on composition that can be tested against experiments.

Collective excitations and ultrafast dipolar solvation dynamics in water-ethanol binary mixture.

PubMed

Hazra, Milan K; Bagchi, Biman

2018-03-21

In order to understand the intermolecular vibrational spectrum and the collective excitations of water-ethanol binary mixture, we investigate the density of states and the power spectrum using computer simulations aided by theory. We investigate in particular the spectra at intermediate to low frequencies (a few hundreds to few tens of cm -1 ) by calculating (i) the density of states from quenched normal modes, (ii) the power spectrum from velocity time correlation function, and (iii) the far infrared and dielectric spectra (that is, the Cole-Cole plot) from the total dipole moment time correlation function. The different spectra are in broad agreement with each other and at the same time reveal unique characteristics of the water-ethanol mixture. Inverse participation ratio reveals several interesting features. Libration of pure ethanol is more localized than that of pure water. With increasing ethanol content, we observe localization of the collective libration mode as well as of the hindered translational and rotational mode. An interesting mixing between the libration of water and ethanol is observed. Solvation dynamics of tryptophan measured by equilibrium energy fluctuation time correlation function show surprisingly strong non-linear dependence on composition that can be tested against experiments.

Campomanesia lineatifolia Ruiz & Pav. as a gastroprotective agent.

PubMed

Madalosso, R C; Oliveira, G C; Martins, M T; Vieira, A E D; Barbosa, J; Caliari, M V; Castilho, R O; Tagliati, C A

2012-02-15

Campomanesia lineatifolia Ruiz and Pav. (Myrtaceae) is a native edible species found in the Amazon Rainforest, commonly known as gabiroba. In Brazil, Campomanesia species are frequently used in traditional medicine for gastrointestinal disorders. The present study performed phytochemical analyses and determined both the in vitro antioxidant activity of the ethanolic extract of Campomanesia lineatifolia leaves (EEC) as well as its ethyl acetate fraction (EAFC). In this analysis, quercetin was used as a positive control. Gastroprotective activity was also investigated at different oral doses in two experimental models in rats - gastric lesion induced by ethanol and gastric lesion induced by indomethacin. In this analysis, cimetidine and sucralfate were used as positive controls. The area of gastric lesion underwent macroscopic and histomorphometric evaluations, while the mucus content was estimated by applying the periodic acid-Schiff stain. Oral acute toxicity was also assessed. Phytochemical studies revealed the presence of flavonoids and tannins. Catechin and quercitrin were isolated by bioguided chromatographic fractionation of EAFC. EEC and EAFC presented in vitro antioxidant activity. The oral administration of EEC and EAFC at doses 100-400 mg/kg (ethanol model) and at doses of 400-1200 mg/kg (indomethacin model) proved to be effective in preventing gastric ulcerations in rats. Pretreatment with EAFC (400mg/kg) significantly increased the gastric mucus content in the ethanol model. No animals died during the acute oral toxicology test. Results confirm the Brazilian ethnopharmacological use of Campomanesia lineatifolia as a gastroprotective agent and indicate that the anti-ulcer effect is most likely mediated by scavenging free radicals due to the polyphenol content and, at least in part, by increasing the mucus secretion and the mucosal defense. In addition, EEC and EAFC were found to be safe when applied to a 2000 mg/kg single oral dose. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Isopropyl Myristate on Transdermal Permeation of Testosterone From Carbopol Gel.

PubMed

Zidan, Ahmed S; Kamal, Nahid; Alayoubi, Alaadin; Seggel, Mark; Ibrahim, Sarah; Rahman, Ziyaur; Cruz, Celia N; Ashraf, Muhammad

2017-07-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of isopropyl myristate (IPM) on the in vitro permeation of testosterone through human cadaver skin from carbopol gels. Six testosterone gel formulations were prepared using different IPM contents of 0%, 0.4%, 0.7%, 1%, 2%, and 3%. The gels were characterized for drug permeation, matrix morphology, pH, kinetics of ethanol evaporation, and viscosity. Mass balance studies were performed to estimate testosterone distribution among the compartments of diffusion cells. All formulations exhibited pH values of 5.1 and viscosities of 1.25-1.75 Pa.s depending on IPM contents. Under occlusive condition, testosterone flux was found to increase significantly (p < 0.05) by increasing IPM content. Gels containing 2% IPM exhibited 11-fold increase in flux compared with formulation devoid of IPM. Ethanol was found to have a synergistic effect with IPM in enhancing testosterone flux. Mass balance analysis showed that testosterone was in a saturated state in the skin. Conducting permeation experiments under nonocclusive condition was nondiscriminating because of the evaporation of alcohol and consequent precipitation of drugs. Based on demonstrated effect of IPM on product performance, the final IPM concentration should be controlled with minimal variation during manufacturing and shelf life of drug product. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Influence of Cooking Methods on Bioactive Compound Content and Antioxidant Activity of Brussels Sprouts.

PubMed

Hwang, Eun-Sun

2017-12-01

The effects of different cooking methods on total bioactive compound content were determined, and in vitro antioxidant activity in 80% ethanolic extracts of Brussels sprouts was evaluated by spectrophotometric methods. Compared to uncooked, steamed, and microwaved Brussels sprouts extracted with 80% ethanol contained higher amounts of total polyphenols. Uncooked Brussels sprouts contained the highest amounts of total flavonoids. Microwaved Brussels sprouts contained the highest amounts of total carotenoids (0.35 mg/g) and chlorophylls (3.01 mg/g), followed by steamed and uncooked samples. Uncooked fresh Brussels sprouts showed the highest antioxidant activity followed by microwaved and steamed sprouts. Antioxidant activity was measured with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and hydroxyl racial scavenging assays as well as the reducing power activity assay, and antioxidant activity was found to increase in a concentration-dependent manner. Based on these results, cooking or heat treatment may decrease antioxidant activities, although their effect on bioactive compound content remains controversial.

Production of higher quality bio-oils by in-line esterification of pyrolysis vapor

DOEpatents

Hilten, Roger Norris; Das, Keshav; Kastner, James R; Bibens, Brian P

2014-12-02

The disclosure encompasses in-line reactive condensation processes via vapor phase esterification of bio-oil to decease reactive species concentration and water content in the oily phase of a two-phase oil, thereby increasing storage stability and heating value. Esterification of the bio-oil vapor occurs via the vapor phase contact and subsequent reaction of organic acids with ethanol during condensation results in the production of water and esters. The pyrolysis oil product can have an increased ester content and an increased stability when compared to a condensed pyrolysis oil product not treated with an atomized alcohol.

Chronic consumption of distilled sugarcane spirit induces anxiolytic-like effects in mice.

PubMed

Sena, Maria Clecia P; Nunes, Fabíola C; Salvadori, Mirian G S Stiebbe; Carvalho, Cleyton Charles D; Morais, Liana Clebia S L; Braga, Valdir A

2011-01-01

Chronic ethanol consumption is a major public health problem throughout the world. We investigated the anxiolytic-like effects and the possible ever injury induced by the chronic consumption of ethanol or sugarcane spirit in mice. Adult mice were exposed to a two-bottle free-choice paradigm for 6 weeks. The mice in Group A (n = 16) had access to sugarcane spirit + distilled water, the mice in Group B (n = 15) had access to ethanol + distilled water, and the mice in Group C (control, n = 14) had access to distilled water + distilled water. The ethanol content in the beverages offered to Groups A and B was 2% for the first week, 5% for the second week and 10% for the remaining four weeks. At the end of the experimental period, the mice were evaluated using the elevated-plus maze and the hole-board test to assess their anxiety-related behaviors. We also determined the serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. In the elevated-plus maze, the time spent in the open arms was increased in the mice exposed to chronic ethanol (32 ± 8 vs. 7 ± 2 s, n = 9) or sugarcane spirit (36 ± 9 vs. 7 ± 2 s, n = 9) compared to the controls. In the hole-board test, the mice exposed to ethanol or sugarcane spirit displayed increases in their head-dipping frequency (16 ± 1 for the control group, 27 ± 2 for the ethanol group, and 31 ± 3 for the sugarcane-spirit group; n = 9 for each group). In addition, the mice exposed to sugarcane spirit displayed an increase in the aspartate aminotransferase / alanine aminotransferase ratio compared to the ethanol group (1.29 ± 0.17 for the control group and 2.67 ± 0.17 for the sugarcane spirit group; n = 8 for each group). The chronic consumption of sugarcane-spirit produces liver injury and anxiolytic-like effects and the possible liver injury in mice.

Influence of water content on degradation rates for ethanol in biofiltration.

PubMed

Auria, R; Aycaguer, A C; Devinny, J S

1998-01-01

Treatment of ethanol vapor in a peat biofilter with various initial water contents (70%, 59%, 49%, and 35%) was studied. For water contents ranging from 49% to 70%, elimination capacity was about 30 g/m3/h. For a water content of 35%, elimination capacity decreased to 4 g/m3/h. A low mean CO2 yield coefficient (0.35 g CO2 produced per g ethanol consumed) was found for all of the initial water contents. The value was only 20% of the yield coefficient (1.91 g/g) predicted by stoichiometry. When the packing material was dried from 70% to 59% water content during the biofiltration process, elimination capacity dropped from 27 g/m3/h to 4 g/m3/h. After 24 hours of drying, the biofiltration experiment was restarted and run for two more weeks. During this period, the biofilter did not recover. At 59% water content, the rate of water evaporation was estimated at 59.6 g/m3/h. A simplified mass balance permitted calculation of the biological water production rate, approximately 22.1 g/m3/h.

Uniform nanoparticles by flame-assisted spray pyrolysis (FASP) of low cost precursors

PubMed Central

Rudin, Thomas; Wegner, Karsten

2013-01-01

A new flame-assisted spray pyrolysis (FASP) reactor design is presented, which allows the use of inexpensive precursors and solvents (e.g., ethanol) for synthesis of nanoparticles (10–20 nm) with uniform characteristics. In this reactor design, a gas-assisted atomizer generates the precursor solution spray that is mixed and combusted with externally fed inexpensive fuel gases (acetylene or methane) at a defined height above the atomizing nozzle. The gaseous fuel feed can be varied to control the combustion enthalpy content of the flame and onset of particle formation. This way, the enthalpy density of the flame is decoupled from the precursor solution composition. Low enthalpy content precursor solutions are prone to synthesis of non-uniform particles (e.g., bimodal particle size distribution) by standard flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) processes. For example, metal nitrates in ethanol typically produce nanosized particles by gas-to-particle conversion along with larger particles by droplet-to-particle conversion. The present FASP design facilitates the use of such low enthalpy precursor solutions for synthesis of homogeneous nanopowders by increasing the combustion enthalpy density of the flame with low-cost, gaseous fuels. The effect of flame enthalpy density on product properties in the FASP configuration is explored by the example of Bi2O3 nanoparticles produced from bismuth nitrate in ethanol. Product powders were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, X-ray disk centrifuge, and transmission electron microscopy. Homogeneous Bi2O3 nanopowders were produced both by increasing the gaseous fuel content and, most notably, by cutting the air entrainment prior to ignition of the spray. PMID:23408113

Chronic ethanol tolerance as a result of free-choice drinking in alcohol-preferring rats of the WHP line.

PubMed

Dyr, Wanda; Taracha, Ewa

2012-01-01

The development of tolerance to alcohol with chronic consumption is an important criterion for an animal model of alcoholism and may be an important component of the genetic predisposition to alcoholism. The aim of this study was to determine whether the selectively bred Warsaw High Preferring (WHP) line of alcohol-preferring rats would develop behavioral and metabolic tolerance during the free-choice drinking of ethanol. Chronic tolerance to ethanol-induced sedation was tested. The loss of righting reflex (LRR) paradigm was used to record sleep duration in WHP rats. Ethanol (EtOH)-naive WHP rats received a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 5.0 g ethanol/kg body weight (b.w.), and sleep duration was measured. Subsequently, rats had access to a 10% ethanol solution under a free-choice condition with water and food for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of the free-choice intake of ethanol, the rats received another single i.p. injection of 5.0 g ethanol/kg b.w., and sleep duration was reassessed. The blood alcohol content (BAC) for each rat was determined after an i.p. injection of 5 g/kg of ethanol in naive rats and again after chronic alcohol drinking at the time of recovery of the righting reflex (RR). The results showed that the mean ethanol intake was 9.14 g/kg/24 h, and both sleep duration and BAC were decreased after chronic ethanol intake. In conclusion, WHP rats exposed to alcohol by free-choice drinking across 12 weeks exhibited increased alcohol elimination rates. Studies have demonstrated that WHP rats after chronic free-choice drinking (12 weeks) of alcohol develop metabolic tolerance. Behavioral tolerance to ethanol was demonstrated by reduced sleep duration, but this decrease in sleep duration was not significant.

Process simulation of modified dry grind ethanol plant with recycle of pretreated and enzymatically hydrolyzed distillers' grains.

PubMed

Kim, Youngmi; Mosier, Nathan; Ladisch, Michael R

2008-08-01

Distillers' grains (DG), a co-product of a dry grind ethanol process, is an excellent source of supplemental proteins in livestock feed. Studies have shown that, due to its high polymeric sugar contents and ease of hydrolysis, the distillers' grains have potential as an additional source of fermentable sugars for ethanol fermentation. The benefit of processing the distillers' grains to extract fermentable sugars lies in an increased ethanol yield without significant modification in the current dry grind technology. Three different potential configurations of process alternatives in which pretreated and hydrolyzed distillers' grains are recycled for an enhanced overall ethanol yield are proposed and discussed in this paper based on the liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatment of distillers' grains. Possible limitations of each proposed process are also discussed. This paper presents a compositional analysis of distillers' grains, as well as a simulation of the modified dry grind processes with recycle of distillers' grains. Simulated material balances for the modified dry grind processes are established based on the base case assumptions. These balances are compared to the conventional dry grind process in terms of ethanol yield, compositions of its co-products, and accumulation of fermentation inhibitors. Results show that 14% higher ethanol yield is achievable by processing and hydrolyzing the distillers' grains for additional fermentable sugars, as compared to the conventional dry grind process. Accumulation of fermentation by-products and inhibitory components in the proposed process is predicted to be 2-5 times higher than in the conventional dry grind process. The impact of fermentation inhibitors is reviewed and discussed. The final eDDGS (enhanced dried distillers' grains) from the modified processes has 30-40% greater protein content per mass than DDGS, and its potential as a value-added process is also analyzed. While the case studies used to illustrate the process simulation are based on LHW pretreated DG, the process simulation itself provides a framework for evaluation of the impact of other pretreatments.

Therapeutic potentials of Crataegus azarolus var. eu- azarolus Maire leaves and its isolated compounds.

PubMed

Abu-Gharbieh, Eman; Shehab, Naglaa Gamil

2017-04-18

Hyperglycemia is a complicated condition accompanied with high incidence of infection and dyslipidemia. This study aimed to explore the phyto-constituents of Crataegus azarolus var. eu- azarolus Maire leaves, and to evaluate the therapeutic potentials particularly antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic of the extract and the isolated compound (3β-O-acetyl ursolic acid). Total phenolics and flavonoidal contents were measured by RP-HPLC analysis. Free radicals scavenging activity of different extraction solvents was tested in-vitro on DPPH free radicals. The antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extract and its fractions as well as the isolated compounds were evaluated in-vitro on variable microorganisms. Animal models were used to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities of the ethanolic extract along with the isolated compound (3β-O acetyl ursolic acid). RP- HPLC analysis of the phenolics revealed high content of rutin, salicylic and ellagic acids. Six compounds belonging to triterpenes and phenolics were isolated from chloroform and n-butanol fractions namely: ursolic acid, 3β-O-acetyl ursolic acid, ellagic acid, quercetin 3-O-β methyl ether, rutin and apigenin7-O-rutinoside. Ethanolic extract showed the highest DPPH radical scavenger activity compared to other solvents. Ethanolic extract, hexane fraction, ursolic acid, 3β-O acetyl ursolic acid and quercetin 3-O-methyl ether showed variable antimicrobial activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and C. albicans. Administration of the ethanolic extract or 3β-O acetyl ursolic acid orally to the mice reduced blood glucose significantly in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Ethanolic extract significantly reduced LDL-C, VLDL-C, TC and TG and increased HDL-C in rats. Ethanolic extract and 3β-O acetyl ursolic acid reduced in-vitro activity of pancreatic lipase. This study reveals that Crataegus azarolus var. eu- azarolus Maire has the efficiency to control hyperglycemia with its associated complications. This study is the first to evaluate antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic potentials of 3β-O acetyl ursolic acid.

Adjustments for drink size and ethanol content: New results from a self-report diary and trans-dermal sensor validation study

PubMed Central

Bond, J. C.; Greenfield, T. K.; Patterson, D.; Kerr, W.C.

2014-01-01

Background Prior studies adjusting self-reported measures of alcohol intake for drink size and ethanol content have relied on single-point assessments. Methods A prospective 28-day diary study investigated magnitudes of drink ethanol adjustments and factors associated with these adjustments. Transdermal alcohol sensor (TAS) readings and prediction of alcohol-related problems by number of drinks versus ethanol-adjusted intake were used to validate drink ethanol adjustments. Self-completed event diaries listed up to 4 beverage types and 4 drinking events/day. Eligible volunteers had ≥ weekly drinking and ≥ 3+ drinks per occasion with ≥ 26 reported days and pre- and post-summary measures (n = 220). Event reports included drink types, sizes, brands or spirits contents, venues, drinks consumed and drinking duration. Results Wine drinks averaged 1.19, beer, 1.09 and spirits 1.54 US standard drinks (14g ethanol). Mean adjusted alcohol intake was 22% larger using drink size and strength (brand/ethanol concentration) data. Adjusted drink levels were larger than “raw” drinks in all quantity ranges. Individual-level drink ethanol adjustment ratios (ethanol adjusted/unadjusted amounts) averaged across all days drinking ranged from 0.73-3.33 (mean 1.22). Adjustment ratio was only marginally (and not significantly) positively related to usual quantity, frequency and heavy drinking (all ps<.1), independent of gender, age, employment, and education, but those with lower incomes (both p<.01) drank stronger/bigger drinks. Controlling for raw number of drinks and other covariates, degree of adjustment independently predicted alcohol dependence symptoms (p<.01) and number of consequences (p<.05). In 30 respondents with sufficiently high quality TAS readings, higher correlations (p=.04) were found between the adjusted vs. the raw drinks/event and TAS areas under the curve. Conclusions Absent drink size and strength data, intake assessments are downward biased by at least 20%. Between-subject variation in typical drink content and pour sizes should be addressed in treatment and epidemiological research. PMID:25581661

Ethanol content in different gasohol blend spills influences the decision-making on remediation technologies.

PubMed

Vilela Steiner, Leonardo; Toledo Ramos, Débora; Rubini Liedke, Ana Maria; Serbent, Maria Pilar; Corseuil, Henry Xavier

2018-04-15

Gasohol blend spills with variable ethanol content exert different electron acceptor demands in groundwater and the distinct dynamics undergone by these blends underscores the need for field-based information to aid decision-making on suitable remediation technologies for each gasohol blend spill. In this study, a comparison of two gasohol releases (E10 (10:90 ethanol and gasoline, v/v) and E25 (25:75 ethanol and gasoline, v/v) under monitored natural attenuation (MNA) and nitrate biostimulation, respectively) was conducted to assess the most effective remediation strategy for each gasohol release. Microbial communities were assessed to support geochemical data as well as to enable the characterization of important population shifts that evolve during biodegradation processes in E25 and E10 field experiments. Results revealed that natural attenuation processes sufficiently supported ethanol and BTEX compounds biodegradation in E10 release, due to the lower biochemical oxygen demand they exert relative to E25 blend. In E25 release, nitrate reduction was largely responsible for BTEX and ethanol biodegradation, as intended. First-order decay constants demonstrated that ethanol degradation rates were similar (p < 0.05) for both remediation technologies (2.05 ± 0.15 and 2.22 ± 0.23, for E25 and E10, respectively) whilst BTEX compounds exhibited different degradation rates (p > 0.05) that were higher for the experiment under MNA (0.33 ± 0.06 and 0.43 ± 0.03, for E25 and E10, respectively). Therefore, ethanol content in different gasohol blends can influence the decision-making on the most suitable remediation technology, as MNA processes can be applied for the remediation of gasohol blends with lower ethanol content (i.e., 10% v/v), once the aquifer geochemical conditions provide a sufficient electron acceptor pool. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first field study to monitor two long-term gasohol releases over various time scales in order to assess feasible remediation technologies for each scenario. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Extracts from Whole Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) With or Without Microwave Irradiation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of extracting phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity from buckwheat with water, 50% aqueous ethanol, or 100% ethanol using microwave irradiation or a water bath for 15 min at various temperatures (23 – 150 °C). The phenolic content of...

In vitro biological activities and fatty acid profiles of Pistacia terebinthus fruits and Pistacia khinjuk seeds.

PubMed

Hacıbekiroğlu, Işil; Yılmaz, Pelin Köseoğlu; Haşimi, Nesrin; Kılınç, Ersin; Tolan, Veysel; Kolak, Ufuk

2015-01-01

This study reports in vitro anticholinesterase, antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of the n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethanol and ethanol-water extracts prepared from Pistacia terebinthus L. fruits and Pistacia khinjuk Stocks seeds as well as their total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and fatty acid compositions. Ethanol and ethanol-water extracts of both species exhibited higher anticholinesterase activity than galanthamine. Among ABTS, DPPH and CUPRAC assays, the highest antioxidant capacity of the extracts was found in the last one. P. terebinthus ethanol extract being rich in flavonoid content showed the best cupric reducing effect. All extracts possessed no antimicrobial activity. The main fatty acid in P. terebinthus fruits (52.52%) and P. khinjuk seeds (59.44%) was found to be oleic acid. Our results indicate that P. terebinthus fruits and P. khinjuk seeds could be a good source of anticholinesterase compounds, and could be phytochemically investigated.

Moderate consumption of beer reduces liver triglycerides and aortic cholesterol deposit in LDLr-/- apoB100/100 mice.

PubMed

Degrace, Pascal; Moindrot, Bastien; Mohamed, Ismaël; Gresti, Joseph; Clouet, Pierre

2006-12-01

This study was designed to address the effects of a moderate consumption of beer on serum and liver lipid parameters and on the development of aortic lesions in a mouse model associated with a human atherogenic lipoprotein profile. LDLr(-/-) apoB(100/100) mice received each day during 12 weeks either water, mild beer (0.570g of ethanol/kg of body weight) or ethanol-free beer in a single pure dose. Serum and liver lipid parameters were analyzed and atherosclerotic lesions were estimated in heart and aorta through their total cholesterol content. mRNA levels of enzymes and receptors involved in lipoprotein uptake, in fatty acid esterification and oxidation, and in reverse cholesterol transport were also measured in the liver. Serum glucose, triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol levels were altered neither by ethanol-free beer nor by mild beer. Nevertheless, both beer treatments significantly increased HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and VLDL-C levels by reference to controls with no change in LDL-C levels. Liver TG contents were significantly decreased by either beer treatment. Cholesterol accumulation was attenuated in the whole aorta of mice treated with mild beer at p<0.05 and not significantly with ethanol-free beer. Heart cholesterol contents were comparable in the three series. Among the genes studied, only scavenger receptor-B1 was downregulated by both beer-based beverages. LDL receptor related protein, lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 were downregulated only by mild beer. The expression of other genes assayed was not altered. When administered in chronic and moderate dose, unidentified components of beer may exert beneficial effects towards atherosclerosis development through alteration of lipoprotein metabolism in LDLr(-/-) apoB(100/100) mice. This effect was slightly amplified by the presence of ethanol in beer.

Acute toxicity evaluation, antibacterial, antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects of Melastoma malabathricum.

PubMed

Alnajar, Zahra A Amin; Abdulla, Mahmood A; Ali, Hapipah M; Alshawsh, Mohammed A; Hadi, A Hamid A

2012-03-20

Melastoma malabathricum (MM) is a well-known plant in Malaysian traditional medicine, locally known as senduduk. Its ethanol and aqueous extracts have been used in the present investigation to study the immunomodulatory role on human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC), and the DPPH, ABTS and FRAP free radical scavenging activities were also measured. Total flavonoids and total phenolic contents were assayed and the antibacterial effect was tested against four species of bacteria; two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae) and two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsilla pneumonia). The tests were carried out using the disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) methods. Moreover, the acute toxicity was evaluated in vivo on the ethanol extract of MM to establish its safety when administered orally. In our results, both extracts of MM showed abilities to scavenge DPPH and ABTS free radicals, IC(50) values: (11.599 ± 0.84, 10.573 ± 0.58 µmol/L) and (62.657 ± 0.78, 63.939 ± 0.48 µmol/L) for ethanol and aqueous extracts respectively. Indeed the ethanol extract evidenced high phenolic content (384.33 ± 0.005 mg/g), flavonoids contents (85.8 ± 0.009 mg/g) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (33,590 ± 0.038 mmol/g), with high activity against S. aureus and S. agalactiae (11 ± 0.3 and 12 ± 0.6 mm inhibition zones). Likewise, the percentage of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) viability was increased in response to MM, IC(50) values (1.781 ± 1.2 and 6.545 ± 0.93 µg/mL) for ethanol and aqueous extracts, respectively. In addition, our results showed that the MM extract is safe even at a high dose of 5,000 mg/kg and has no oral toxicity. These findings suggest the excellent medicinal bioactivity of MM and explain the popularity of this plant in the folk medicine as a remedy for different illnesses.

Post-irradiation hardness development, chemical softening, and thermal stability of bulk-fill and conventional resin-composites.

PubMed

Alshali, Ruwaida Z; Salim, Nesreen A; Satterthwaite, Julian D; Silikas, Nick

2015-02-01

To measure bottom/top hardness ratio of bulk-fill and conventional resin-composite materials, and to assess hardness changes after dry and ethanol storage. Filler content and kinetics of thermal decomposition were also tested using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Six bulk-fill (SureFil SDR, Venus bulk fill, X-tra base, Filtek bulk fill flowable, Sonic fill, and Tetric EvoCeram bulk-fill) and eight conventional resin-composite materials (Grandioso flow, Venus Diamond flow, X-flow, Filtek Supreme Ultra Flowable, Grandioso, Venus Diamond, TPH Spectrum, and Filtek Z250) were tested (n=5). Initial and 24h (post-cure dry storage) top and bottom microhardness values were measured. Microhardness was re-measured after the samples were stored in 75% ethanol/water solution. Thermal decomposition and filler content were assessed by TGA. Results were analysed using one-way ANOVA and paired sample t-test (α=0.05). All materials showed significant increase of microhardness after 24h of dry storage which ranged from 100.1% to 9.1%. Bottom/top microhardness ratio >0.9 was exhibited by all materials. All materials showed significant decrease of microhardness after 24h of storage in 75% ethanol/water which ranged from 14.5% to 74.2%. The extent of post-irradiation hardness development was positively correlated to the extent of ethanol softening (R(2)=0.89, p<0.001). Initial thermal decomposition temperature assessed by TGA was variable and was correlated to ethanol softening. Bulk-fill resin-composites exhibit comparable bottom/top hardness ratio to conventional materials at recommended manufacturer thickness. Hardness was affected to a variable extent by storage with variable inorganic filler content and initial thermal decomposition shown by TGA. The manufacturer recommended depth of cure of bulk-fill resin-composites can be reached based on the microhardness method. Characterization of the primary polymer network of a resin-composite material should be considered when evaluating its stability in the aqueous oral environment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of acute beer ingestion on the liver: studies in female mice.

PubMed

Kanuri, Giridhar; Wagnerberger, Sabine; Landmann, Marianne; Prigl, Eva; Hellerbrand, Claus; Bischoff, Stephan C; Bergheim, Ina

2015-04-01

The aim of the present study was to assess whether the effects of acute consumption of stout or pilsner beer on the liver differ from those of plain ethanol in a mouse model. Seven-week-old female C57BL/6J mice received either ethanol, stout or pilsner beer (ethanol content: 6 g/kg body weight) or isocaloric maltodextrin solution. Plasma alanine transaminase, markers of steatosis, lipogenesis, activation of the toll-like receptor-4 signaling cascade as well as lipid peroxidation and fibrogenesis in the liver were measured 12 h after acute ethanol or beer intake. Acute alcohol ingestion caused a marked ~11-fold increase in hepatic triglyceride accumulation in comparison to controls, whereas in mice exposed to stout and pilsner beer, hepatic triglyceride levels were increased only by ~6.5- and ~4-fold, respectively. mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c and fatty acid synthase in the liver did not differ between alcohol and beer groups. In contrast, expression of myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88, inducible nitric oxide synthases, but also the concentrations of 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts, nuclear factor κB and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were induced in livers of ethanol treated mice but not in those exposed to the two beers. Taken together, our results suggest that acute ingestion of beer and herein especially of pilsner beer is less harmful to the liver than the ingestion of plain ethanol.

Screening of Bioactive Compounds of Medicinal Mushrooms Collected on Tunisian Territory.

PubMed

Khadhri, Ayda; Aouadhi, Chedia; Aschi-Smiti, Samira

2017-01-01

This study is, to our knowledge, the first to investigate the pharmacological importance of wild Tunisian mushrooms. Ethanolic extracts of 5 Tunisian mushrooms-Phellinus torulosus, Fomes fomentarius, Trametes versicolor, Pisolithus albus, and Fomitopsis pinicola-were collected from the Kroumirie Region (North Tunisia). The dry basidomes of mushrooms were extracted using ethanol and evaluated for total polyphenol, flavonoid, flavonol, tannin, proanthocyanidin, and anthocyanin content. In addition, their antioxidant activities were determined using 3 assays (testing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] radical scavenging, the reducing power of iron, and the iron-chelating power). Their antimicrobial activities were assessed against 8 bacterial species. The results revealed the presence of significant differences between the secondary metabolites and biological activities of the different tested extracts. In addition, significant correlations were observed between antioxidant activities and phenolic contents. Crude ethanol extracts prepared from basidomes of F. fomentarius and Ph. torulosus have higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity per the DPPH and metal-chelating activity assays. The reducing power assay showed that the ethanolic extract of F. pinicola had the highest activity. Ethanolic extracts of the 5 mushrooms have antibacterial activity against the evaluated strains.

Modified Ni-Cu catalysts for ethanol steam reforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dan, M.; Mihet, M.; Almasan, V.; Borodi, G.; Katona, G.; Muresan, L.; Lazar, M. D.

2013-11-01

Three Ni-Cu catalysts, having different Cu content, supported on γ-alumina were synthesized by wet co-impregnation method, characterized and tested in the ethanol steam reforming (ESR) reaction. The catalysts were characterized for determination of: total surface area and porosity (N2 adsorption - desorption using BET and Dollimer Heal methods), Ni surface area (hydrogen chemisorption), crystallinity and Ni crystallites size (X-Ray Diffraction), type of catalytic active centers (Hydrogen Temperature Programmed Reduction). Total surface area and Ni crystallites size are not significantly influenced by the addition of Cu, while Ni surface area is drastically diminished by increasing of Cu concentration. Steam reforming experiments were performed at atmospheric pressure, temperature range 150-350°C, and ethanol - water molar ration of 1 at 30, using Ar as carrier gas. Ethanol conversion and hydrogen production increase by the addition of Cu. At 350°C there is a direct connection between hydrogen production and Cu concentration. Catalysts deactivation in 24h time on stream was studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) on used catalysts. Coke deposition was observed at all studied temperatures; at 150°C amorphous carbon was evidenced, while at 350°C crystalline, filamentous carbon is formed.

In Vivo antiplatelet activity aggregation assay of bromelain fractionate by ethanol from extract pineapple core (Ananas comosus [l.] merr.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musfiroh, F. F.; Setiasih, S.; Handayani, S.; Hudiyono, S.; Ilyas, N. M.

2018-01-01

Processed fruit from pineapple is one of largest commodities tropical fruit production in Indonesia and will bring the waste from the skin and core. This study aims to isolate bromelain from the pineapple core (Ananas comusus) are purified by fractionation using ethanol and continued by activity test as an antiplatelets agent by in vivo method using white mice male ddy type with acetosal as positive control. Fractionation of crude enzyme bromelain with ethanol produces highest specific activity on ethanol 30-60% fraction (fraction 2) 3.107 Unit/mg and the protein content 61.25 mg with the degree of purity of 155 times compared to crude enzyme. Antiplatelet aggregation tests from in vivo method shows that faction of bromelain with doses 70 μg/KgBW, 140 μg/KgBW, and 210 μg/KgBW can increase a meaningful bleeding time. The highest percentage of increase shown by the isolate at a dose of 210 μg/KgBW in the amount of 515.10 ± 182.23%, when compared to aspirin (231.20 ± 140.66), the value is relatively higher.

Interaction between lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in airag, an alcoholic fermented milk.

PubMed

Sudun; Wulijideligen; Arakawa, Kensuke; Miyamoto, Mari; Miyamoto, Taku

2013-01-01

The interaction between nine lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and five yeast strains isolated from airag of Inner Mongolia Autonomic Region, China was investigated. Three representative LAB and two yeasts showed symbioses were selected and incubated in 10% (w/v) reconstituted skim milk as single and mixed cultures to measure viable count, titratable acidity, ethanol and sugar content every 24 h for 1 week. LAB and yeasts showed high viable counts in the mixed cultures compared to the single cultures. Titratable acidity of the mixed cultures was obviously enhanced compared with that of the single cultures, except for the combinations of Lactobacillus reuteri 940B3 with Saccharomyces cerevisiae 4C and Lactobacillus helveticus 130B4 with Candida kefyr 2Y305. C. kefyr 2Y305 produced large amounts of ethanol (maximum 1.35 g/L), whereas non-lactose-fermenting S. cerevisiae 4C produced large amounts of ethanol only in the mixed cultures. Total glucose and galactose content increased while lactose content decreased in the single cultures of Leuconostoc mesenteroides 6B2081 and Lb. helveticus 130B4. However, both glucose and galactose were completely consumed and lactose was markedly reduced in the mixed cultures with yeasts. The result suggests that yeasts utilize glucose and galactose produced by LAB lactase to promote cell growth. © 2012 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2012 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Comparative assessment on in vitro antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts of Averrhoa bilimbi, Gymnema sylvestre and Capsicum frutescens.

PubMed

Rahman, Md Mominur; Habib, Md Razibul; Hasan, Md Anayet; Al Amin, Mohammad; Saha, Ayan; Mannan, Adnan

2014-01-01

Averrhoa bilimbi, Gymnema sylvestre and Capsicum frutescens are medicinal plants commonly used as traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant activities of Ethanolic extract of A. bilimbi, G. sylvestre and C. frutescens. The antioxidant activity of the extracts were evaluated using total phenolic and flavonoid contents, ferric reducing power and the free radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were higher in G. sylvestre (53.63636 ± 0.454545 mg/g gallic acid equivalent) and C. frutescens (26.66667 ± 2.081666 mg/g quercetin equivalent) respectively. Reducing power of the crude ethanol extracts increased with the concentrations of the extracts and all the extracts showed moderate free radical scavenging activity against DPPH. The plant extract displayed moderate phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to gallic acid and quercetin equivalent respectively, whereas also exhibited significant scavenging of DPPH radical and reducing power compared with ascorbic acid as standard. Our study suggests that G. sylvestre has significant antioxidant activity. The antioxidant compound of this plant might be a therapeutic candidate against oxidative stress related diseases. Different sub-fraction of A. bilimbi and C. frutescens should be studied further to assess the effect. Further study is necessary for isolation and characterization of the active antioxidant agents for better treatment.

Carbon supported Pt-NiO nanoparticles for ethanol electro-oxidation in acid media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comignani, Vanina; Sieben, Juan Manuel; Brigante, Maximiliano E.; Duarte, Marta M. E.

2015-03-01

In the present work, the influence of nickel oxide as a co-catalyst of Pt nanoparticles for the electro-oxidation of ethanol in the temperature range of 23-60 °C was investigated. The carbon supported nickel oxide and platinum nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and microwave-assisted polyol process respectively, and characterized by XRD, EDX, TEM and ICP analysis. The electrocatalytic activity of the as-prepared materials was studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Small metal nanoparticles with sizes in the range of 3.5-4.5 nm were obtained. The nickel content in the as-prepared Pt-NiO/C catalysts was between 19 and 35 at.%. The electrochemical experiments showed that the electrocatalytic activity of the Pt-NiO/C materials increase with NiO content in the entire temperature range. The apparent activation energy (Ea,app) for the overall ethanol oxidation reaction was found to decrease with NiO content (24-32 kJ mol-1 at 0.3 V), while for Pt/C the activation energy exceeds 48 kJ mol-1. The better performance of the Pt-NiO/C catalysts compared to Pt/C sample is ascribed to the activation of both the C-H and O-H bonds via oxygen-containing species adsorbed on NiO molecules and the modification of the surface electronic structure (changes in the density of states near the Fermi level).

Autohydrolysis pretreatment assessment in ethanol production from agave bagasse.

PubMed

Rios-González, Leopoldo J; Morales-Martínez, Thelma K; Rodríguez-Flores, María F; Rodríguez-De la Garza, José A; Castillo-Quiroz, David; Castro-Montoya, Agustín J; Martinez, Alfredo

2017-10-01

The aim of the present work was to assess the autohydrolysis pretreatment of Agave tequilana bagasse for ethanol production. The pretreatment was conducted using a one-liter high pressure Parr reactor under different severity factors (SF) at a 1:6w/v ratio (solid:liquid) and 200rpm. The solids obtained under the selected autohydrolysis conditions were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis with a commercial cellulase cocktail, and the enzymatic hydrolysate was fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results obtained from the pretreatment process showed that the glucan content in the pretreated solid was mostly preserved, and an increase in the digestibility was observed for the case with a SF of 4.13 (190°C, 30min). Enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated solids showed a yield of 74.3%, with a glucose concentration of 126g/L, resulting in 65.26g/L of ethanol after 10h of fermentation, which represent a 98.4% conversion according to the theoretical ethanol yield value. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioconversion of paper mill sludge to bioethanol in the presence of accelerants or hydrogen peroxide pretreatment.

PubMed

Gurram, Raghu Nandan; Al-Shannag, Mohammad; Lecher, Nicholas Joshua; Duncan, Shona M; Singsaas, Eric Lawrence; Alkasrawi, Malek

2015-09-01

In this study we investigated the technical feasibility of convert paper mill sludge into fuel ethanol. This involved the removal of mineral fillers by using either chemical pretreatment or mechanical fractionation to determine their effects on cellulose hydrolysis and fermentation to ethanol. In addition, we studied the effect of cationic polyelectrolyte (as accelerant) addition and hydrogen peroxide pretreatment on enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. We present results showing that removing the fillers content (ash and calcium carbonate) from the paper mill sludge increases the enzymatic hydrolysis performance dramatically with higher cellulose conversion at faster rates. The addition of accelerant and hydrogen peroxide pretreatment further improved the hydrolysis yields by 16% and 25% (g glucose / g cellulose), respectively with the de-ashed sludge. The fermentation process of produced sugars achieved up to 95% of the maximum theoretical ethanol yield and higher ethanol productivities within 9h of fermentation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Superhydrophobic perfluoropolymer/polystyrene blend films induced by nonsolvent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gengec, Nevin Atalay; Cengiz, Ugur; Erbil, H. Yildirim

2016-10-01

Statistical copolymers of perfluoroalkyl ethyl acrylate (Zonyl-TAN) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were synthesized in a CO2 polymerization system where a CO2-expanded monomer mixture was formed at 13 MPa, and 80 °C by using AIBN as initiator. Flat and superhydrophobic surfaces were subsequently prepared on glass slides by applying a phase separation process where the synthesized p(TAN-co-MMA) copolymer and polystyrene (PS) were dissolved in THF solvent. Ethanol was added as the non-solvent to introduce superhydrophobicity during film formation. Water contact angle on the flat p(TAN-co-MMA) copolymer was 118° and increased up to 170° with the formation of surface roughness. The ratio of the ethanol non-solvent in the blend solution has an important effect on the magnitude of surface roughness during the phase separation process. Both pits and protrusions of 1-10 μm in size were formed on the surface when non-solvent was used. Surface roughness increased with the increase in the ethanol ratio and the PS content of the blend solution.

Changes in total phenol, flavonoid contents and anti-Lactobacillus activity of Callisia fragrans due to extraction solvent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le, Thom; Cao, Diem Kieu; Pham, Thanh Vy; Huynh, Tan Dat; Ta, Nhat Thuy Anh; Nguyen, Ngoc Thao Linh; Nguyen, Huu Thanh; Le, Hue Huong; Bui, Anh Vo; Truong, Dieu-Hien

2018-04-01

Callisia fragrans is a wonder herb with many medicinal properties such as burn, dental diseases, cancer diseases and arthritis in folk medicine. It is noted that the phytochemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of traditional plants depend on not only the extracting method but also the solvent used for extraction. In this study, the effect of five extraction solvents (i.e., distilled water, 80% methanol, 80% ethanol, 80% ethyl acetate, and 80% chloroform) on yield, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of Callisia leaves was determined. Besides, changes in anti-Lactobacillus fermentum activity of C. fragrans freeze-dried extract was also evaluated using disk-diffusion method. The recovery percentage of extractable yield of fresh leaves are ranged from 11.93% w/w for distilled water extract to 16.60% w/w for aqueous ethanol extracts. The yield of 80% aqueous methanol extract (16.27% w/w) is only slightly less than that of the ethanol extract. Significant differences were observed among TPC and TFC obtaining by 80% methanol (0.0522% and 0.0335% w/w, respectively) compared to other solvents (p < 0.05). TPC and TFC of C. fragrans extracts increase in the following order: distilled water < 80% chloroform < 80% ethyl acetate < 80% ethanol < 80% methanol. The results revealed that 80% aqueous methanol Calissia extracts has moderate inhibition (9.0 mm of inhibition zone for 1.5 mg/mL of extracts) of L. fermentum compared to standard antibacterial agent. Based on the study results, it can be concluded that the yield, TPC and TFC of C. frgrans extract varied with the extracting solvent. It also showed that Callisia extracts can prevent dental caries by inhibiting the growth of L. fermentum, towards new insights for treatment of dental caries.

Analysis of fractionation in corn-to-ethanol plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Camille

As the dry grind ethanol industry has grown, the research and technology surrounding ethanol production and co-product value has increased. Including use of back-end oil extraction and front-end fractionation. Front-end fractionation is pre-fermentation separation of the corn kernel into 3 fractions: endosperm, bran, and germ. The endosperm fraction enters the existing ethanol plant, and a high protein DDGS product remains after fermentation. High value oil is extracted out of the germ fraction. This leaves corn germ meal and bran as co-products from the other two streams. These 3 co-products have a very different composition than traditional corn DDGS. Installing this technology allows ethanol plants to increase profitability by tapping into more diverse markets, and ultimately could allow for an increase in profitability. An ethanol plant model was developed to evaluate both back-end oil extraction and front-end fractionation technology and predict the change in co-products based on technology installed. The model runs in Microsoft Excel and requires inputs of whole corn composition (proximate analysis), amino acid content, and weight to predict the co-product quantity and quality. User inputs include saccharification and fermentation efficiencies, plant capacity, and plant process specifications including front-end fractionation and backend oil extraction, if applicable. This model provides plants a way to assess and monitor variability in co-product composition due to the variation in whole corn composition. Additionally the co-products predicted in this model are entered into the US Pork Center of Excellence, National Swine Nutrition Guide feed formulation software. This allows the plant user and animal nutritionists to evaluate the value of new co-products in existing animal diets.

Saccharification of ozonated sugarcane bagasse using enzymes from Myceliophthora thermophila JCP 1-4 for sugars release and ethanol production.

PubMed

de Cassia Pereira, Josiani; Travaini, Rodolfo; Paganini Marques, Natalia; Bolado-Rodríguez, Silvia; Bocchini Martins, Daniela Alonso

2016-03-01

The saccharification of ozonated sugarcane bagasse (SCB) by enzymes from Myceliophthora thermophila JCP 1-4 was studied. Fungal enzymes provided slightly higher sugar release than commercial enzymes, working at 50°C. Sugar release increased with temperature increase. Kinetic studies showed remarkable glucose release (4.99 g/L, 3%w/w dry matter) at 60°C, 8 h of hydrolysis, using an enzyme load of 10 FPU (filter paper unit). FPase and β-glucosidase activities increased during saccharification (284% and 270%, respectively). No further significant improvement on glucose release was observed increasing the enzyme load above 7.5 FPU per g of cellulose. Higher dry matter contents increased sugars release, but not yields. The fermentation of hydrolysates by Saccharomyces cerevisiae provided glucose-to-ethanol conversions around to 63%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysate by the alternative industrial ethanol yeast Dekkera bruxellensis.

PubMed

Blomqvist, J; South, E; Tiukova, I; Tiukova, L; Momeni, M H; Hansson, H; Ståhlberg, J; Horn, S J; Schnürer, J; Passoth, V

2011-07-01

Testing the ability of the alternative ethanol production yeast Dekkera bruxellensis to produce ethanol from lignocellulose hydrolysate and comparing it to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Industrial isolates of D. bruxellensis and S. cerevisiae were cultivated in small-scale batch fermentations of enzymatically hydrolysed steam exploded aspen sawdust. Different dilutions of hydrolysate were tested. None of the yeasts grew in undiluted or 1:2 diluted hydrolysate [final glucose concentration always adjusted to 40 g l⁻¹ (0.22 mol l⁻¹)]. This was most likely due to the presence of inhibitors such as acetate or furfural. In 1:5 hydrolysate, S. cerevisiae grew, but not D. bruxellensis, and in 1:10 hydrolysate, both yeasts grew. An external vitamin source (e.g. yeast extract) was essential for growth of D. bruxellensis in this lignocellulosic hydrolysate and strongly stimulated S. cerevisiae growth and ethanol production. Ethanol yields of 0.42 ± 0.01 g ethanol (g glucose)⁻¹ were observed for both yeasts in 1:10 hydrolysate. In small-scale continuous cultures with cell recirculation, with a gradual increase in the hydrolysate concentration, D. bruxellensis was able to grow in 1:5 hydrolysate. In bioreactor experiments with cell recirculation, hydrolysate contents were increased up to 1:2 hydrolysate, without significant losses in ethanol yields for both yeasts and only slight differences in viable cell counts, indicating an ability of both yeasts to adapt to toxic compounds in the hydrolysate. Dekkera bruxellensis and S. cerevisiae have a similar potential to ferment lignocellulose hydrolysate to ethanol and to adapt to fermentation inhibitors in the hydrolysate. This is the first study investigating the potential of D. bruxellensis to ferment lignocellulosic hydrolysate. Its high competitiveness in industrial fermentations makes D. bruxellensis an interesting alternative for ethanol production from those substrates. © 2011 The Authors. Letters in Applied Microbiology © 2011 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

ETHANOL, ACETIC ACID, AND WATER ADSORPTION FROM BINARY AND TERNARY LIQUID MIXTURES ON HIGH-SILICA ZEOLITES

EPA Science Inventory

Adsorption isotherms were measured for ethanol, acetic acid, and water adsorbed on high-silica ZSM-5 zeolite powder from binary and ternary liquid mixtures at room temperature. Ethanol and water adsorption on two high-silica ZSM-5 zeolites with different aluminum contents and a h...

Effect of ethanol treatment on physiological and quality attributes of fresh-cut eggplant.

PubMed

Hu, Wenzhong; Jiang, Aili; Tian, Mixia; Liu, Chenghui; Wang, Yanying

2010-06-01

Fresh-cut eggplants, as other vegetables, have relatively short shelf life because of the large amount of tissue disruption and increased metabolism. There is a very rapid onset of enzymatic browning and tissue softening with consequent decrease in sensorial and nutritional quality. To reduce respiration and maintain the quality, various treatments have been applied to find the optimum conditions that provide more fresh and natural fresh-cut produce after minimal processing. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of ethanol vapour treatment on physiological and quality attributes of fresh-cut eggplant during the extension of shelf life. The fresh-cut eggplant treated with ethanol vapour showed that respiration rate and occurrence of enzymatic browning were reduced, and higher total phenol content was maintained during 8 days of storage at 10 degrees C. The polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase in fresh-cut eggplant were also inhibited significantly by ethanol treatment. The ethanol treatment reduced the weight loss and maintained the integrity of cell membranes, as confirmed by the low value of electrolyte leakage. The ethanol treatment applied for fresh-cut eggplant was a practical approach to reduce the activity of physiological metabolism and maintain the fresh quality of fresh-cut eggplant. The experimental results revealed that ethanol treatment was effective for extending the shelf life of fresh-cut eggplant as a cheap, environmentally acceptable method. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Synergy in Lignin Upgrading by a Combination of Cu-Based Mixed Oxide and Ni-Phosphide Catalysts in Supercritical Ethanol

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The depolymerization of lignin to bioaromatics usually requires a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) step to lower the oxygen content. A mixed Cu–Mg–Al oxide (CuMgAlOx) is an effective catalyst for the depolymerization of lignin in supercritical ethanol. We explored the use of Ni-based cocatalysts, i.e. Ni/SiO2, Ni2P/SiO2, and Ni/ASA (ASA = amorphous silica alumina), with the aim of combining lignin depolymerization and HDO in a single reaction step. While the silica-supported catalysts were themselves hardly active in lignin upgrading, Ni/ASA displayed comparable lignin monomer yield as CuMgAlOx. A drawback of using an acidic support is extensive dehydration of the ethanol solvent. Instead, combining CuMgAlOx with Ni/SiO2 and especially Ni2P/SiO2 proved to be effective in increasing the lignin monomer yield, while at the same time reducing the oxygen content of the products. With Ni2P/SiO2, the lignin monomer yield was 53 wt %, leading to nearly complete deoxygenation of the aromatic products. PMID:28405528

A new biocompatible microemulsion increases extraction yield and bioavailability of Andrographis paniculata.

PubMed

Liu, Xiao-Yan; Niu, Xin; Feng, Qian-Jin; Yang, Xue-Zhi; Wang, Dan-Wei; Zhao, Tong; Li, Lei; DU, Hong

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to design and prepare a biocompatible microemulsion of Andrographis paniculata (BMAP) containing both fat-soluble and water-soluble constituents. We determined the contents of active constituents of BMAP and evaluated its bioavailability. The biocompatible microemulsion (BM), containing lecithin and bile salts, was optimized in the present study, showing a good physical stability. The mean droplet size was 19.12 nm, and the average polydispersity index (PDI) was 0.153. The contents of andrographolide and dehydroandrographolide in BMAP, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were higher than that in ethanol extraction. The pharmacokinetic results of BMAP showed that the AUC0-7 and AUC0→∞ values of BMAP were 2.267 and 27.156 μg·mL(-1)·h(-1), respectively, and were about 1.41-fold and 6.30-fold greater than that of ethanol extraction, respectively. These results demonstrated that the bioavailability of and rographolide extracted by BMAP was significantly higher than that extracted by ethanol. In conclusion, the BMAP preparation displayed ann improved dose form for future clinical applications. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synergy in Lignin Upgrading by a Combination of Cu-Based Mixed Oxide and Ni-Phosphide Catalysts in Supercritical Ethanol.

PubMed

Korányi, Tamás I; Huang, Xiaoming; Coumans, Alessandro E; Hensen, Emiel J M

2017-04-03

The depolymerization of lignin to bioaromatics usually requires a hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) step to lower the oxygen content. A mixed Cu-Mg-Al oxide (CuMgAlO x ) is an effective catalyst for the depolymerization of lignin in supercritical ethanol. We explored the use of Ni-based cocatalysts, i.e. Ni/SiO 2 , Ni 2 P/SiO 2 , and Ni/ASA (ASA = amorphous silica alumina), with the aim of combining lignin depolymerization and HDO in a single reaction step. While the silica-supported catalysts were themselves hardly active in lignin upgrading, Ni/ASA displayed comparable lignin monomer yield as CuMgAlO x . A drawback of using an acidic support is extensive dehydration of the ethanol solvent. Instead, combining CuMgAlO x with Ni/SiO 2 and especially Ni 2 P/SiO 2 proved to be effective in increasing the lignin monomer yield, while at the same time reducing the oxygen content of the products. With Ni 2 P/SiO 2 , the lignin monomer yield was 53 wt %, leading to nearly complete deoxygenation of the aromatic products.

Combination pulsed electric field with ethanol solvent for Nannochloropsis sp. extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nafis, Ghazy Ammar; Mumpuni, Perwitasari Yekti; Indarto, Budiman, Arief

2015-12-01

Nowadays, energy is one of human basic needs. As the human population increased, energy consumption also increased. This condition causes energy depletion. In case of the situation, alternative energy is needed to replace existing energy. Microalgae is chosen to become one of renewable energy resource, especially biodiesel, because it contains high amount of lipid instead of other feedstock which usually used. Fortunately, Indonesia has large area of water and high intensity of sunlight so microalgae cultivation becomes easier. Nannochloropsis sp., one of microalgae species, becomes the main focus because of its high lipid content. Many ways to break the cell wall of microalgae so the lipid content inside the microalgae will be released, for example conventional extraction, ultrasonic wave extraction, pressing, and electrical method. The most effective way for extraction is electrical method such as pulsed electric field method (PEF). The principal work of this method is by draining the electrical current into parallel plate. Parallel plate will generate the electrical field to break microalgae cell wall and the lipid will be released. The aim of this work is to evaluate two-stage procedure for extraction of useful components from microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. The first stage of this procedure includes pre-treatment of microalgae by ethanol solvent extraction and the second stage applies the PEF extraction using a binary mixture of water and ethanol solvent. Ethanol is chosen as solvent because it's safer to be used and easier to be handled than other solvent. Some variables that used to study the most effective operation conditions are frequency and duty cycle for microalgae. The optimum condition based on this research are at frequency 1 Hz and duty cycle 13%.

Changes in membrane lipid composition in ethanol- and acid-adapted Oenococcus oeni cells: characterization of the cfa gene by heterologous complementation.

PubMed

Grandvalet, Cosette; Assad-García, Juan Simón; Chu-Ky, Son; Tollot, Marie; Guzzo, Jean; Gresti, Joseph; Tourdot-Maréchal, Raphaëlle

2008-09-01

Cyclopropane fatty acid (CFA) synthesis was investigated in Oenococcus oeni. The data obtained demonstrated that acid-grown cells or cells harvested in the stationary growth phase showed changes in fatty acid composition similar to those of ethanol-grown cells. An increase of the CFA content and a decrease of the oleic acid content were observed. The biosynthesis of CFAs from unsaturated fatty acid phospholipids is catalysed by CFA synthases. Quantitative real-time-PCR experiments were performed on the cfa gene of O. oeni, which encodes a putative CFA synthase. The level of cfa transcripts increased when cells were harvested in stationary phase and when cells were grown in the presence of ethanol or at low pH, suggesting transcriptional regulation of the cfa gene under different stress conditions. In contrast to Escherichia coli, only one functional promoter was identified upstream of the cfa gene of O. oeni. The function of the cfa gene was confirmed by complementation of a cfa-deficient E. coli strain. Nevertheless, the complementation remained partial because the conversion percentage of unsaturated fatty acids into CFA of the complemented strain was much lower than that of the wild-type strain. Moreover, a prevalence of cycC19 : 0 was observed in the membrane of the complemented strain. This could be due to a specific affinity of the CFA synthase from O. oeni. In spite of this partial complementation, the complemented strain of E. coli totally recovered its viability after ethanol shock (10 %, v/v) whereas its viability was only partly recovered after an acid shock at pH 3.0.

Gastroprotective activity of ethanolic root extract of Potentilla fulgens Wall. ex Hook.

PubMed

Laloo, Damiki; Prasad, Satyendra K; Krishnamurthy, Sairam; Hemalatha, Siva

2013-03-27

Potentilla fulgens (Wall.) ex Hook. (Rosaceae) is a potent medicinal plant of the Western Himalayas, known under the name "Himalayan Cinquefoil or Bajradanti", and has been used traditionally to treat ailments including peptic ulcers, mouth ulcers, diarrhea, diabetes and cancer. The aim of the present study was to scientifically evaluate the gastric-ulcer protective effect of P. fulgens ethanolic root extract (EPF) on experimental rats. The gastroprotective activity of EPF was evaluated on four gastric-ulcer models such as pyloric ligation (PL), ethanol (EtOH), cold restrain stress (CRS) and aspirin (ASP)-induced gastric ulcers. The gastric acid obtained from 4h PL-induced gastric ulcer rats was determined for total volume content, pH and total acid-pepsin output. Total carbohydrates and protein ratio, expressed as index of mucin activity, and DNA content were estimated in the gastric juice and gastric mucosal tissue. The microvascular permeability, H(+)K(+)-ATPase activity, gastric mucus and histamine content were also determined. The levels of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione) and malondialdehyde in the stomach tissue (mucosal scrapings) were quantified. A histopathological study of the stomach was evaluated using eosin-haematoxylin stain. EPF (200-400mg/kg, p.o.) showed significant protection against acute gastric-ulcer induced by EtOH, PL and CRS (400mg/kg, p.o.), but was found to be ineffective against ASP-induced ulcerogens. The effect of EPF on gastric juice studies in 4h PL rats significantly produced an increased level in gastric pH, whereas the effect on gastric volume and acid-pepsin output was observed to decrease significantly. However, EPF was found to have no significant effect on the defensive factors, thus revealing its antisecretory property by inhibiting the aggressive factors. EPF, significantly decreased the histamine level, inhibited the H(+)K(+)-ATPase activity and prevented the microvascular injury caused by ethanol in the rat stomach. Moreover, it was also observed to have antioxidant effects by producing a significant increase in the levels of SOD, CAT, and GSH and decreased the LPO activity. Histopathological studies showed that EPF significantly prevented gastric lesions caused by ethanol. The present study showed that EPF has potent gastroprotective and antisecretory effects, thus justifying the traditional usage of this herb to treat gastric ulcers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protective effects of C-phycocyanin on alcohol-induced acute liver injury in mice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Dong; Liu, Bing; Luan, Xiying; Sun, Junyan; Liu, Nana; Qin, Song; Du, Zhenning

2016-03-01

Excessive alcohol consumption leads to liver disease. Extensive evidence suggests that C-phycocyanin (C-PC), a chromophore phycocyanobilin derived from Spirulina platensis, exerts protective effects against chemical-induced organ damage. In this study, we investigated whether C-PC could protect against ethanol-induced acute liver injury. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (CHOL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), liver homogenate malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) content were measured, and pathological examination of liver sections were examined. C-PC showed obvious inhibitory effects on serum ALT, AST, TG, CHOL, LDL and MDA, and SOD content significantly increased in the liver. The structure of hepatic lobules was clear, liver sinus returned to normal, and liver cell cords were arranged in neat rows. Cloudiness, swelling, inflammatory cell infiltration and spotty necrosis of liver cells were significantly reduced. Therefore, C-PC can significantly protect against ethanol-induced acute liver injury.

Betaine Treatment Attenuates Chronic Ethanol-Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Alterations to the Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain Proteome

PubMed Central

Kharbanda, Kusum K.; Todero, Sandra L.; King, Adrienne L.; Osna, Natalia A.; McVicker, Benita L.; Tuma, Dean J.; Wisecarver, James L.; Bailey, Shannon M.

2012-01-01

Introduction. Mitochondrial damage and disruption in oxidative phosphorylation contributes to the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that the hepatoprotective actions of betaine against alcoholic liver injury occur at the level of the mitochondrial proteome. Methods. Male Wister rats were pair-fed control or ethanol-containing liquid diets supplemented with or without betaine (10 mg/mL) for 4-5 wks. Liver was examined for triglyceride accumulation, levels of methionine cycle metabolites, and alterations in mitochondrial proteins. Results. Chronic ethanol ingestion resulted in triglyceride accumulation which was attenuated in the ethanol plus betaine group. Blue native gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) revealed significant decreases in the content of the intact oxidative phosphorylation complexes in mitochondria from ethanol-fed animals. The alcohol-dependent loss in many of the low molecular weight oxidative phosphorylation proteins was prevented by betaine supplementation. This protection by betaine was associated with normalization of SAM : S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) ratios and the attenuation of the ethanol-induced increase in inducible nitric oxide synthase and nitric oxide generation in the liver. Discussion/Conclusion. In summary, betaine attenuates alcoholic steatosis and alterations to the oxidative phosphorylation system. Therefore, preservation of mitochondrial function may be another key molecular mechanism responsible for betaine hepatoprotection. PMID:22187660

Cost of Oil and Biomass Supply Shocks under Different Biofuel Supply Chain Configurations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uria Martinez, Rocio; Leiby, Paul Newsome; Brown, Maxwell L.

This analysis estimates the cost of selected oil and biomass supply shocks for producers and consumers in the light-duty vehicle fuel market under various supply chain configurations using a mathematical programing model, BioTrans. The supply chain configurations differ by whether they include selected flexibility levers: multi-feedstock biorefineries; advanced biomass logistics; and the ability to adjust ethanol content of low-ethanol fuel blends, from E10 to E15 or E05. The simulated scenarios explore market responses to supply shocks including substitution between gasoline and ethanol, substitution between different sources of ethanol supply, biorefinery capacity additions or idling, and price adjustments. Welfare effects formore » the various market participants represented in BioTrans are summarized into a net shock cost measure. As oil accounts for a larger fraction of fuel by volume, its supply shocks are costlier than biomass supply shocks. Corn availability and the high cost of adding biorefinery capacity limit increases in ethanol use during gasoline price spikes. During shocks that imply sudden decreases in the price of gasoline, the renewable fuel standard (RFS) biofuel blending mandate limits the extent to which flexibility can be exercised to reduce ethanol use. The selected flexibility levers are most useful in response to cellulosic biomass supply shocks.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, K.; Hamdy, M.K.

Studies were conducted to establish optimal conditions for the acid hydrolysis of sweet potato for maximal ethanol yield. The starch contents of two sweet potato cultivars (Georgia Red and TG-4), based on fresh weight, were 21.1 +/- 0.6% and 27.5 +/- 1.6%, respectively. The results of acid hydrolysis experiments showed the following: (1) both hydrolysis rate and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) concentration were a function of HCL concentration, temperature, and time; (2) the reducing sugars were rapidly formed with elevated concentrations of HCl and temperature, but also destroyed quickly; and (3) HMF concentration increased significantly with the concentration of HCl, temperature, andmore » hydrolysis time. Maximum reducing sugar value of 84.2 DE and 0.056% HMF (based on wet weight) was achieved after heating 8% SPS for 15 min in 1N HCl at 110/sup 0/C. Degraded 8% SPS (1N HCl, 97/sup 0/C for 20 min or 110/sup 0/C for 10 min) was utilized as substrate for ethanol fermentation and 3.8% ethanol (v/v) was produced from 1400 mL fermented wort. This is equal to 41.6 g ethanol (200 proof) from 400 g of fresh sweet potato tuber (Georgia Red) or an ethanol yield potential of 431 gal of 200-proof ethanol/acre (from 500 bushel tubers/acre).« less

Protective effect of thymoquinone, the active constituent of Nigella sativa fixed oil, against ethanol toxicity in rats

PubMed Central

Hosseini, Sayed Masoud; Taghiabadi, Elahe; Abnous, Khalil; Hariri, Alireza Timcheh; Pourbakhsh, Hamed; Hosseinzadeh, Hossein

2017-01-01

Objective(s): Long term consumption of ethanol may induce damage to many organs. Ethanol induces its noxious effects through reactive oxygen species production, and lipid peroxidation and apoptosis induction in different tissues and cell types. Previous experiments have indicated the antioxidant characteristics of thymoquinone, the active constituent of Nigella sativa fixed oil, against biologically dangerous reactive oxygen species. This experiment was planned to evaluate the protective effect of thymoquinone against subchronic ethanol toxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: Experiments were performed on six groups. Each group consisted of six animals, including control group (saline, gavage), ethanol-receiving group (3 g/kg/day, gavage), thymoquinone (2.5, 5, 10 mg/Kg/day, intraperitoneally (IP)) plus ethanol and thymoquinone (10 mg/Kg/day, IP) groups. Treatments were carried out in four weeks. Results: Thymoquinone reduced the ethanol-induced increase in the lipid peroxidation and severity of histopathological alteration in liver and kidney tissues. In addition it improved the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in liver tissue. Furthermore, thymoquinone corrected the liver enzymes level including alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase in serum and glutathione content in liver and kidney tissues. Other experiments such as Western blot analysis and quantitative real-time RT-PCR revealed that thymoquinone suppressed the expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (both protein and mRNA level), and caspases activation pursuant to ethanol toxicity. Conclusion: This study indicates that thymoquinone may have preventive effects against ethanol toxicity in the liver and kidney tissue through reduction in lipid peroxidation and inflammation, and also interrupting apoptosis. PMID:29085585

Removing tannins from medicinal plant extracts using an alkaline ethanol precipitation process: a case study of Danshen injection.

PubMed

Gong, Xingchu; Li, Yao; Qu, Haibin

2014-11-14

The alkaline ethanol precipitation process is investigated as an example of a technique for the removal of tannins extracted from Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma for the manufacture of Danshen injection. More than 90% of the tannins can be removed. However, the recoveries of danshensu, rosmarinic acid, and salvianolic acid B were less than 60%. Total tannin removal increased as the refrigeration temperature decreased or the amount of NaOH solution added increased. Phenolic compound recoveries increased as refrigeration temperature increased or the amount of NaOH solution added decreased. When operated at a low refrigeration temperature, a relative high separation selectivity can be realized. Phenolic compound losses and tannin removal were mainly caused by precipitation. The formation of phenol salts, whose solubility is small in the mixture of ethanol and water used, is probably the reason for the precipitation. A model considering dissociation equilibrium and dissolution equilibrium was established. Satisfactory correlation results were obtained for phenolic compound recoveries and total tannin removal. Two important parameters in the model, which are the water content and pH value of alkaline supernatant, are suggested to be monitored and controlled to obtain high batch-to-batch consistency.

Model-based optimization and scale-up of multi-feed simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation of steam pre-treated lignocellulose enables high gravity ethanol production.

PubMed

Wang, Ruifei; Unrean, Pornkamol; Franzén, Carl Johan

2016-01-01

High content of water-insoluble solids (WIS) is required for simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) operations to reach the high ethanol concentrations that meet the techno-economic requirements of industrial-scale production. The fundamental challenges of such processes are related to the high viscosity and inhibitor contents of the medium. Poor mass transfer and inhibition of the yeast lead to decreased ethanol yield, titre and productivity. In the present work, high-solid SSCF of pre-treated wheat straw was carried out by multi-feed SSCF which is a fed-batch process with additions of substrate, enzymes and cells, integrated with yeast propagation and adaptation on the pre-treatment liquor. The combined feeding strategies were systematically compared and optimized using experiments and simulations. For high-solid SSCF process of SO2-catalyzed steam pre-treated wheat straw, the boosted solubilisation of WIS achieved by having all enzyme loaded at the beginning of the process is crucial for increased rates of both enzymatic hydrolysis and SSCF. A kinetic model was adapted to simulate the release of sugars during separate hydrolysis as well as during SSCF. Feeding of solid substrate to reach the instantaneous WIS content of 13 % (w/w) was carried out when 60 % of the cellulose was hydrolysed, according to simulation results. With this approach, accumulated WIS additions reached more than 20 % (w/w) without encountering mixing problems in a standard bioreactor. Feeding fresh cells to the SSCF reactor maintained the fermentation activity, which otherwise ceased when the ethanol concentration reached 40-45 g L(-1). In lab scale, the optimized multi-feed SSCF produced 57 g L(-1) ethanol in 72 h. The process was reproducible and resulted in 52 g L(-1) ethanol in 10 m(3) scale at the SP Biorefinery Demo Plant. SSCF of WIS content up to 22 % (w/w) is reproducible and scalable with the multi-feed SSCF configuration and model-aided process design. For simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, the overall efficiency relies on balanced rates of substrate feeding and conversion. Multi-feed SSCF provides the possibilities to balance interdependent rates by systematic optimization of the feeding strategies. The optimization routine presented in this work can easily be adapted for optimization of other lignocellulose-based fermentation systems.

Hypolipidaemic Effect of Hericium erinaceum Grown in Artemisia capillaris on Obese Rats

PubMed Central

Choi, Won-Sik; Kim, Young-Sun; Park, Byeoung-Soo; Kim, Jang-Eok

2013-01-01

In this study, ethanolic extracts from Hericium erinaceum cultivated with Artemisia capillaris (HEAC) were assessed for their ability to lower the cholesterol levels of male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-fat diet. Rats were randomly subdivided into seven test groups. Each group contained eight rats fed a high-fat diet during a growth period lasting 4 wk. Supplementation with the extracts was performed once a day for 2 wk after the high-fat diet. The control group (rats fed a high-fat diet) showed a high efficiency ratio (feed efficiency ratio) value compared to the normal group. Biochemical parameters, including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), and triglyceride (TG) levels dramatically increased in the control group compared to the normal group. High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) content in the control group was also significantly lower relative to the normal group. Two positive control groups, treated with simvastatin and atorvastatin, had lowered TC, LDL-c, and TG levels, and increased HDL-c content compared to the control group. Treatment with the tested extracts, including HEAC, ethanolic extracts from Hericium erinaceum, and ethanolic extracts from Artemisia capillaris reduced TC, LDL-c, and TG levels and elevated HDL-c content in the hyperlipidemia rats. The atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor values for the HEAC-treated group were 0.95 and 1.95, respectively. Simvastatin- and atorvastatin-treated groups showed atherogenic index values of 1.56 and 1.69, respectively, and cardiac risk factor values of 2.56 and 2.69, respectively. These results show HEAC possesses an ability to cure hyperlipidemia in rats and may serve as an effective natural medicine for treating hyperlipidemia in humans. PMID:23874132

Hypolipidaemic Effect of Hericium erinaceum Grown in Artemisia capillaris on Obese Rats.

PubMed

Choi, Won-Sik; Kim, Young-Sun; Park, Byeoung-Soo; Kim, Jang-Eok; Lee, Sung-Eun

2013-06-01

In this study, ethanolic extracts from Hericium erinaceum cultivated with Artemisia capillaris (HEAC) were assessed for their ability to lower the cholesterol levels of male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-fat diet. Rats were randomly subdivided into seven test groups. Each group contained eight rats fed a high-fat diet during a growth period lasting 4 wk. Supplementation with the extracts was performed once a day for 2 wk after the high-fat diet. The control group (rats fed a high-fat diet) showed a high efficiency ratio (feed efficiency ratio) value compared to the normal group. Biochemical parameters, including total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c), and triglyceride (TG) levels dramatically increased in the control group compared to the normal group. High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) content in the control group was also significantly lower relative to the normal group. Two positive control groups, treated with simvastatin and atorvastatin, had lowered TC, LDL-c, and TG levels, and increased HDL-c content compared to the control group. Treatment with the tested extracts, including HEAC, ethanolic extracts from Hericium erinaceum, and ethanolic extracts from Artemisia capillaris reduced TC, LDL-c, and TG levels and elevated HDL-c content in the hyperlipidemia rats. The atherogenic index and cardiac risk factor values for the HEAC-treated group were 0.95 and 1.95, respectively. Simvastatin- and atorvastatin-treated groups showed atherogenic index values of 1.56 and 1.69, respectively, and cardiac risk factor values of 2.56 and 2.69, respectively. These results show HEAC possesses an ability to cure hyperlipidemia in rats and may serve as an effective natural medicine for treating hyperlipidemia in humans.

Characterization of co-products from producing ethanol by sequential extraction processing of corn

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hojilla-Evangelista, M.P.; Johnson, L.A.; Pometto, A.L. III

1996-12-31

Sequential Extraction Processing (SEP) is a new process for ethanol production that has potential to produce more valuable co-products than alternative processes. Previous work determined the yields of oil and protein and evaluated their chemical and functional properties. The properties of the crude fiber and spent solids, however, have yet to be studied. This research was conducted to evaluate the potential of SEP corn fiber to increase ethanol conversion and as replacement for gum arabic, and evaluate the potential of SEP starch and fiber to be fermented to ethanol. SEP hemicellulose from crude fiber was readily dispersible in water andmore » its solution (5%) gave low viscosity despite having high solids content. These properties indicated potential utilization as stabilizers, thickeners, and adhesive for coatings and batters in food and industrial products. Enzyme hydrolysis studies and batch fermentation of SEP starch/fiber indicated that SEP crude fiber was more readily accessible to the action of cellulases. More ethanol (about 10%) was produced from the fermentation of SEP starch/fiber than from undegermed or degermed soft dent corn, particularly when the hemicellulose fraction was absent from the SEP fiber.« less

Adenosine signaling contributes to ethanol-induced fatty liver in mice

PubMed Central

Peng, Zhongsheng; Borea, Pier Andrea; Wilder, Tuere; Yee, Herman; Chiriboga, Luis; Blackburn, Michael R.; Azzena, Gianfranco; Resta, Giuseppe; Cronstein, Bruce N.

2009-01-01

Fatty liver is commonly associated with alcohol ingestion and abuse. While the molecular pathogenesis of these fatty changes is well understood, the biochemical and pharmacological mechanisms by which ethanol stimulates these molecular changes remain unknown. During ethanol metabolism, adenosine is generated by the enzyme ecto-5′-nucleotidase, and adenosine production and adenosine receptor activation are known to play critical roles in the development of hepatic fibrosis. We therefore investigated whether adenosine and its receptors play a role in the development of alcohol-induced fatty liver. WT mice fed ethanol on the Lieber-DeCarli diet developed hepatic steatosis, including increased hepatic triglyceride content, while mice lacking ecto-5′-nucleotidase or adenosine A1 or A2B receptors were protected from developing fatty liver. Similar protection was also seen in WT mice treated with either an adenosine A1 or A2B receptor antagonist. Steatotic livers demonstrated increased expression of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, which was prevented by blockade of adenosine A1 receptors, and decreased expression of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism, which was prevented by blockade of adenosine A2B receptors. In vitro studies supported roles for adenosine A1 receptors in promoting fatty acid synthesis and for A2B receptors in decreasing fatty acid metabolism. These results indicate that adenosine generated by ethanol metabolism plays an important role in ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis via both A1 and A2B receptors and suggest that targeting adenosine receptors may be effective in the prevention of alcohol-induced fatty liver. PMID:19221436

Effective depolymerization of concentrated acid hydrolysis lignin using a carbon-supported ruthenium catalyst in ethanol/formic acid media.

PubMed

Kristianto, Ivan; Limarta, Susan Olivia; Lee, Hyunjoo; Ha, Jeong-Myeong; Suh, Dong Jin; Jae, Jungho

2017-06-01

Lignin isolated by two-step concentrated acid hydrolysis of empty fruit bunch (EFB) was effectively depolymerized into a high-quality bio-oil using formic acid (FA) as an in-situ hydrogen source and Ru/C as a catalyst in supercritical ethanol. A bio-oil yield of 66.3wt% with an average molecular weight of 822g/mol and an aromatic monomer content of 6.1wt% was achieved at 350°C and a FA-to-lignin mass ratio of 3 after a reaction time of 60min. The combination of Ru/C and FA also resulted in a significant reduction in the oxygen content of the bio-oil by ∼60% and a corresponding increase in the higher heating value (HHV) to 32.7MJ/kg due to the enhanced hydrodeoxygenation activity. An examination of the FA decomposition characteristics revealed that Ru/C provides a greater increase in the rate of hydrogen production from FA, explaining the efficient depolymerization of lignin in a combined system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of temperature and solvent condition on phase separation induced molecular fractionation of gum arabic/hyaluronan aqueous mixtures.

PubMed

Hu, Bing; Han, Lingyu; Gao, Zhiming; Zhang, Ke; Al-Assaf, Saphwan; Nishinari, Katsuyoshi; Phillips, Glyn O; Yang, Jixin; Fang, Yapeng

2018-05-14

Effects of temperature and solvent condition on phase separation-induced molecular fractionation of gum arabic/hyaluronan (GA/HA) mixed solutions were investigated. Two gum arabic samples (EM10 and STD) with different molecular weights and polydispersity indices were used. Phase diagrams, including cloud and binodal curves, were established by visual observation and GPC-RI methods. The molecular parameters of control and fractionated GA, from upper and bottom phases, were measured by GPC-MALLS. Fractionation of GA increased the content of arabinogalactan-protein complex (AGP) from ca. 11% to 18% in STD/HA system and 28% to 55% in EM10/HA system. The phase separation-induced molecular fractionation was further studied as a function of temperature and solvent condition (varying ionic strength and ethanol content). Increasing salt concentration (from 0.5 to 5 mol/L) greatly reduced the extent of phase separation-induced fractionation. This effect may be ascribed to changes in the degree of ionization and shielding of the acid groups. Increasing temperature (from 4 °C to 80 °C) also exerted a significant influence on phase separation-induced fractionation. The best temperature for GA/HA mixture system was 40 °C while higher temperature negatively affected the fractionation due to denaturation and possibly degradation in mixed solutions. Increasing the ethanol content up to 30% showed almost no effect on the phase separation induced fractionation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measured and Predicted Vapor Liquid Equilibrium of Ethanol-Gasoline Fuels with Insight on the Influence of Azeotrope Interactions on Aromatic Species Enrichment and Particulate Matter Formation in Spark Ignition Engines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ratcliff, Matthew A; McCormick, Robert L; Burke, Stephen

A relationship has been observed between increasing ethanol content in gasoline and increased particulate matter (PM) emissions from direct injection spark ignition (DISI) vehicles. The fundamental cause of this observation is not well understood. One potential explanation is that increased evaporative cooling as a result of ethanol's high HOV may slow evaporation and prevent sufficient reactant mixing resulting in the combustion of localized fuel rich regions within the cylinder. In addition, it is well known that ethanol when blended in gasoline forms positive azeotropes which can alter the liquid/vapor composition during the vaporization process. In fact, it was shown recentlymore » through a numerical study that these interactions can retain the aromatic species within the liquid phase impeding the in-cylinder mixing of these compounds, which would accentuate PM formation upon combustion. To better understand the role of the azeotrope interactions on the vapor/liquid composition evolution of the fuel, distillations were performed using the Advanced Distillation Curve apparatus on carefully selected samples consisting of gasoline blended with ethanol and heavy aromatic and oxygenated compounds with varying vapor pressures, including cumene, p-cymene, 4-tertbutyl toluene, anisole, and 4-methyl anisole. Samples collected during the distillation indicate an enrichment of the heavy aromatic or oxygenated additive with an increase in initial ethanol concentration from E0 to E30. A recently developed distillation and droplet evaporation model is used to explore the influence of dilution effects versus azeotrope interactions on the aromatic species enrichment. The results suggest that HOV-cooling effects as well as aromatic species enrichment behaviors should be considered in future development of predictive indices to forecast the PM potential of fuels containing oxygenated compounds with comparatively high HOV.« less

Bioethanol/gasoline blends for fuelling conventional and hybrid scooter. Regulated and unregulated exhaust emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costagliola, Maria Antonietta; Prati, Maria Vittoria; Murena, Fabio

2016-05-01

The aim of this experimental activity was to evaluate the influence of ethanol fuel on the pollutant emissions measured at the exhaust of a conventional and a hybrid scooter. Both scooters are 4-stroke, 125 cm3 of engine capacity and Euro 3 compliant. They were tested on chassis dynamometer for measuring gaseous emissions of CO, HC, NOx, CO2 and some toxic micro organic pollutants, such as benzene, 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. The fuel consumption was estimated throughout a carbon balance on the exhaust species. Moreover, total particles number with diameter between 20 nm up to 1 μm was measured. Worldwide and European test cycles were carried out with both scooters fuelled with gasoline and ethanol/gasoline blends (10/90, 20/80 and 30/70% vol). According to the experimental results relative to both scooter technologies, the addiction of ethanol in gasoline reduces CO and particles number emissions. The combustion of conventional scooter becomes unstable when a percentage of 30%v of bioethanol is fed; as consequence a strong increasing of hydrocarbon is monitored, including carcinogenic species. The negative effects of ethanol fuel are related to the increasing of fuel consumption due to the less carbon content for volume unit and to the increasing of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde due to the higher oxygen availability. Almost 70% of Ozone Formation Potential is covered by alkenes and aromatics.

[Effect of ensilage on bioconversion of switchgrass to ethanol based on liquid hot water pretreatment].

PubMed

Wu, Wentao; Ju, Meiting; Liu, Jinpeng; Liu, Boqun

2016-04-25

Ensilage is a traditional way of preserving fresh biomass. However, in order to apply ensilage to the ethanol biorefinery, two parameters need to be evaluated: quantity and quality changes of the biomass; and its effects on bioconversion process. To study these two aspects, switchgrass harvested on three different time points (Early, mid and late fall) were used as feedstock. The early fall harvested biomass was ensiled at 5 moisture levels ranging from 30% to 70%. Silage of 40% moisture and 3 other raw switchgrass were pretreated with liquid hot water, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis as well as simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. After 21 days storage pH values of all silages decreased below 4.0 and the dry matter losses were less than 2.0%, and structural sugars contents did not change dramatically. Liquid hot water caused more hemicellulose dissolution in the silage than in unensiled switchgrass. However, ensilage also increased the risk of releasing more sugar degradation products; After enzymatic hydrolysis, silage obtained higher total glucose, xylose and galactose yields than raw materials; After simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, ethanol concentration in silage was 12.1 g/L, higher than the unensiled switchgrass (10.3 g/L, 9.7 g/L and 10.6 g/L for early, mid and late fall respectively). Our results suggest that ensilage helps increase pretreatment efficiency and sugar yield, which increases final ethanol production.

Vitamin B6 metabolism in chronic alcohol abuse The effect of ethanol oxidation on hepatic pyridoxal 5'-phosphate metabolism.

PubMed Central

Vech, R L; Lumeng, L; Li, T K

1975-01-01

Individuals with chronic alcohol abuse frequently exhibit lowered plasma levels of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, the coenzyme form of vitamin B6. Because the liver is the primary source of this coenzyme in plasma and also the principal organ that oxidizes ethanol, the effect of ethanol on hepatic pyridoxal phosphate metabolism was studied in the rat. The chronic feeding of ethanol (36 percent of the total dietary calories) for 6 wk significantly decreased the hepatic pyridoxal phosphate content both in animals given a sufficient amount of vitamin B6 in their diet and in those rendered vitamin B6 deficient. In isolated perfused livers, the addition of 18 mM ethanol lowered the pyridoxal phosphate content of livers from vitamin B6-sufficient animals and deceased the net synthesis of pyridoxal phosphate from pyridoxine by the livers of vitamin B6-deficient animals. Ethanol also diminished the rate of release of pyridoxal phosphate into the perfusate by the livers of vitamin B6-deficient rats. These effects of ethanol, in vitro, were abolished by 4-methyl pyrazole, an inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase. Thus the derangement of pyridoxal phosphate metabolism produced by ethanol is dependt upon its oxidation. These data support previous findings whic indicate that acetaldehyde is the responsible agent which acts by accelerating the degradation of intracellular pyridoxal phosphate. Images PMID:1168205

A study of the stabilities, microstructures and fuel characteristics of tri-fuel (diesel-biodiesel-ethanol) using various fuel preparation methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, K. H.; Mukhtar, N. A. M.; Yohaness Hagos, Ftwi; Noor, M. M.

2017-10-01

In this study, the work was carried out to investigate the effects of ethanol proportions on the stabilities and physicochemical characteristics of tri-fuel (Diesel-Biodiesel-Ethanol). For the first time, tri-fuel emulsions and blended were compared side by side. The experiment was done with composition having 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25 % of ethanol with fixed 10% of biodiesel from palm oil origin on a volume basis into diesel. The results indicated that the phase stabilities of the emulsified fuels were higher compared to the blended fuels. In addition, tri-fuel composition with higher proportion of ethanol were found unstable with high tendency to form layer separation. It was found that tri-fuel emulsion with 5% ethanol content (D85B10E5) was of the best in stability with little separation. Furthermore, tri-fuel with lowest ethanol proportion indicated convincing physicochemical characteristics compared to others. Physicochemical characteristics of tri-fuel blending yield almost similar results to tri-fuel emulsion but degrading as more proportion ethanol content added. Emulsion category had cloudy look but on temporarily basis. Under the microscope, tri-fuel emulsion and blending droplet were similar for its active moving about micro-bubble but distinct in term of detection of collision, average disperse micro-bubble size, the spread and organization of the microstructure.

Comparison of various pretreatments for ethanol production enhancement from solid residue after rumen fluid digestion of rice straw.

PubMed

Zhang, Haibo; Zhang, Panyue; Ye, Jie; Wu, Yan; Liu, Jianbo; Fang, Wei; Xu, Dong; Wang, Bei; Yan, Li; Zeng, Guangming

2018-01-01

The rumen digested residue of rice straw contains high residual carbohydrates, which makes it a potential cellulosic ethanol feedstock. This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of applying microwave assisted alkali (MAP), ultrasound assisted alkali (UAP), and ball milling pretreatment (BMP) to enhance ethanol production from two digested residues (2.5%-DR and 10%-DR) after rumen fluid digestion of rice straw at 2.5% and 10.0% solid content. Results revealed that 2.5%-DR and 10%-DR had a cellulose content of 36.4% and 41.7%, respectively. MAP and UAP improved enzymatic hydrolysis of digested residue by removing the lignin and hemicellulose, while BMP by decreasing the particle size and crystallinity. BMP was concluded as the suitable pretreatment, resulting in an ethanol yield of 116.65 and 147.42mgg -1 for 2.5%-DR and 10%-DR, respectively. The integrated system including BMP for digested residue at 2.5% solid content achieved a maximum energy output of 7010kJkg -1 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antihypertensive potential of the aqueous extract which combine leaf of Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae), stems and leaf of Cymbopogon citratus (D.C) Stapf. (Poaceae), fruits of Citrus medical L. (Rutaceae) as well as honey in ethanol and sucrose experimental model.

PubMed

Dzeufiet, Paul Désiré Djomeni; Mogueo, Amélie; Bilanda, Danielle Claude; Aboubakar, Bibi-Farouck Oumarou; Tédong, Léonard; Dimo, Théophile; Kamtchouing, Pierre

2014-12-17

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of the aqueous extract obtained from the mixture of fresh leaf of Persea americana, stems and fresh leaf of Cymbopogon citratus, fruits of Citrus medica and honey on ethanol and sucrose induced hypertension in rats. Rats were divided into eight groups of 6 rats each and daily treated for 5 weeks. The control group received distilled water (1 mL/kg) while rats of groups 2, 3 and 4 received ethanol 40 degrees (3 g/kg/day), 10% sucrose as drinking water and the two substances respectively. The remaining groups received in addition to sucrose and ethanol, the aqueous extract (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg) or nifedipine (10 mg/kg) respectively. Many parameters including hemodynamic, biochemical and histopathological were assessed at the end of the study. The concomitant consumption of ethanol and sucrose significantly (p < 0.001) increased the blood pressure and the heart rate compared to distilled water treated-rats. The levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, atherogenic index, glucose, proteins, AST, ALT, creatinin, potassium, sodium and albumin increased while the HDL-cholesterol decreased under ethanol and sucrose feeding. Chronic ethanol and sucrose intake significantly decreased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) as well as the contents of reduced glutathione (GSH) and nitrites whereas elevated the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Histological analysis revealed among other vascular congestion, inflammation, tubular clarification and thickening of the vessel wall in rats treated with alcohol and sucrose. Administration of the aqueous extract or nifedipine prevented the hemodynamic, biochemical, oxidative and histological impairments induced chronic ethanol and sucrose consumption. Current results suggest that the aqueous extract used in this study possess antihypertensive activity against ethanol and sucrose induced hypertension in rats by the improvement of biochemical and oxidative status, and by protecting liver, kidney and vascular endothelium against damages induced by chronic consumption of ethanol and sucrose.

Ethanol disrupts chondrification of the neurocranial cartilages in medaka embryos without affecting aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A2 (Aldh1A2) promoter methylation

PubMed Central

Hu, Yuhui; Willett, Kristine L.; Khan, Ikhlas A.; Scheffler, Brian E.; Dasmahapatra, Asok K.

2009-01-01

Medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryos at different developmental stages were exposed to ethanol for 48 h, then allowed to hatch. Teratogenic effects were evaluated in hatchlings after examining chondrocranial cartilage deformities. Ethanol disrupted cartilage development in medaka in a dose and developmental stage-specific manner. Compared to controls, the linear length of the neurocranium and other cartilages were reduced in ethanol-treated groups. Moreover, the chondrification in cartilages, specifically trabeculae and polar cartilages, were inhibited by ethanol. To understand the mechanism of ethanol teratogenesis, NAD+: NADH status during embryogenesis and the methylation pattern of Aldh1A2 promoter in whole embryos and adult tissues (brain, eye, heart and liver) were analyzed. Embryos 6 dpf had higher NAD+ than embryos 0 or 2 dpf. Ethanol (200 or 400 mM) was able to reduce NAD+ content in 2 and 6 dpf embryos. However, in both cases reductions were not significantly different from the controls. Moreover, no significant difference in either NADH content or in NAD+: NADH status of the ethanol-treated embryos, with regard to controls, was observed. The promoter of Aldh1A2 contains 31 CpG dinucleotides (-705 to +154, ATG = +1); none of which were methylated. Compared to controls, embryonic ethanol exposure (100 and 400 mM) was unable to alter Aldh1A2 promoter methylation in embryos or in the tissues of adults (breeding) developmentally exposed to ethanol (300 mM, 48 hpf). From these data we conclude that ethanol teratogenesis in medaka does not induce alteration in the methylation pattern of Aldh1A2 promoter, but does change cartilage development. PMID:19651241

Impact of parameter fluctuations on the performance of ethanol precipitation in production of Re Du Ning Injections, based on HPLC fingerprints and principal component analysis.

PubMed

Sun, Li-Qiong; Wang, Shu-Yao; Li, Yan-Jing; Wang, Yong-Xiang; Wang, Zhen-Zhong; Huang, Wen-Zhe; Wang, Yue-Sheng; Bi, Yu-An; Ding, Gang; Xiao, Wei

2016-01-01

The present study was designed to determine the relationships between the performance of ethanol precipitation and seven process parameters in the ethanol precipitation process of Re Du Ning Injections, including concentrate density, concentrate temperature, ethanol content, flow rate and stir rate in the addition of ethanol, precipitation time, and precipitation temperature. Under the experimental and simulated production conditions, a series of precipitated resultants were prepared by changing these variables one by one, and then examined by HPLC fingerprint analyses. Different from the traditional evaluation model based on single or a few constituents, the fingerprint data of every parameter fluctuation test was processed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to comprehensively assess the performance of ethanol precipitation. Our results showed that concentrate density, ethanol content, and precipitation time were the most important parameters that influence the recovery of active compounds in precipitation resultants. The present study would provide some reference for pharmaceutical scientists engaged in research on pharmaceutical process optimization and help pharmaceutical enterprises adapt a scientific and reasonable cost-effective approach to ensure the batch-to-batch quality consistency of the final products. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ginsenosides from stems and leaves of ginseng prevent ethanol-induced lipid accumulation in human L02 hepatocytes.

PubMed

Hu, Chao-Feng; Sun, Li-Ping; Yang, Qin-He; Lu, Da-Xiang; Luo, Sen

2017-06-01

To investigate the effect of ginsenosides from stems and leaves of ginseng on ethanol-induced lipid deposition in human L02 hepatocytes. L02 cells were exposed to ethanol for 36 h and treated with or without ginsenosides. The viability of L02 cells was evaluated by methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay and the triglyceride (TG) content was detected. Lipid droplets were determined by oil red O staining. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the mitochondrial membrane potential were tested by flow cytometry. The ATP level was measured by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. The expression of cytochrome p450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Ethanol exposure resulted in the increase of TG level, lipid accumulation and ROS generation, and the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production in the cells. However, ginsenosides significantly reduced TG content (9.69±0.22 μg/mg protein vs. 4.93±0.49 μg/mg protein, P<0.01), and ROS formation (7254.8±385.7 vs. 5825.2±375.9, P<0.01). Meanwhile, improvements in mitochondrial membrane potential (10655.33±331.34 vs. 11129.52±262.35, P<0.05) and ATP level (1.20±0.18 nmol/mg protein vs. 2.53±0.25 nmol/mg protein, P<0.01) were observed by treatment with ginsenosides. Furthermore, ginsenosides could down-regulate CYP2E1 expression (P<0.01) and upregulate PPARα expression (P<0.01) in ethanol-treated cells. Ginsenosides could prevent ethanol-induced hepatocyte steatosis in vitro related to the inhibition of oxidative stress and the improvement of mitochondrial function. In addition, the modulation of CYP2E1 and PPARα expression may also play an important role in the protective effect of ginsenosides against lipid accumulation.

Crude ethanol extracts from grape seeds and peels exhibit anti-tyrosinase activity.

PubMed

Hsu, Cheng-Kuang; Chou, Su-Tze; Huang, Pai-Jane; Mong, Mei-Chin; Wang, Chien-Kuo; Hsueh, Yu-Pin; Jhan, Jyun-Kai

2012-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the anti-tyrosinase activities of ethanol extracts from the peels and the seeds of Kyoho grapes and Red Globe grapes (KG-PEE, KG-SEE, RGG-PEE, and RGG-SEE). The total phenolic content in KG-SEE and RGG-SEE was 400 +/- 11 and 339 +/- 7 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, respectively, about 22 times and 13 times that in KG-PEE and RGG-PEE, respectively. Both seed extracts showed significantly higher anti-tyrosinase activity than the peel extracts due to their high total phenolic content. The gallic acid content in RGG-SEE was twice that in KG-SEE, and gallic acid showed high anti-tyrosinase activity; thus, RGG-SEE had higher anti-tyrosinase activity than KG-SEE. Lineweaver-Burk plots revealed that the inhibitory mechanism of the ethanol extracts from the grapes was a mix-type inhibition. Grape seed has a greater total phenolic content and has potential as a skin-lighting agent.

Conversion of distiller's grain into fuel alcohol and a higher-value animal feed by dilute-acid pretreatment.

PubMed

Tucker, Melvin P; Nagle, Nicholas J; Jennings, Edward W; Ibsen, Kelly N; Aden, Andy; Nguyen, Quang A; Kim, Kyoung H; Noll, Sally L

2004-01-01

Over the past three decades ethanol production in the United States has increased more than 10-fold, to approx 2.9 billion gal/yr (mid-2003), with ethanol production expected to reach 5 billion gal/yr by 2005. The simultaneous coproduction of 7 million t/yr of distiller's grain (DG) may potentially drive down the price of DG as a cattle feed supplement. The sale of residual DG for animal feed is an important part of corn dry-grind ethanol production economics; therefore, dry-grind ethanol producers are seeking ways to improve the quality of DG to increase market penetration and help stabilize prices. One possible improvement is to increase the protein content of DG by converting the residual starch and fiber into ethanol. We have developed methods for steam explosion, SO2, and dilute-sulfuric acid pretreatment of DG for evaluation as a feedstock for ethanol production. The highest soluble sugar yields (approximately 77% of available carbohydrate) were obtained by pretreatment of DG at 140 degrees C for 20 min with 3.27 wt% H2SO4. Fermentation protocols for pretreated DG were developed at the bench scale and scaled to a working volume of 809 L for production of hydrolyzed distiller's grain (HDG) for feeding trials. The pretreated DG was fermented with Saccharomyces cerevisiae D5A, with ethanol yields of 73% of theoretical from available glucans. The HDG was air-dried and used for turkey-feeding trials. The inclusion of HDG into turkey poult (as a model non-ruminant animal) diets at 5 and 10% levels, replacing corn and soybean meal, showed weight gains in the birds similar to controls, whereas 15 and 20% inclusion levels showed slight decreases (-6%) in weight gain. At the conclusion of the trial, no negative effects on internal organs or morphology, and no mortality among the poults, was found. The high protein levels (58-61%) available in HDG show promising economics for incorporation of this process into corn dry-grind ethanol plants.

Chronic consumption of distilled sugarcane spirit induces anxiolytic-like effects in mice

PubMed Central

Sena, Maria Clécia P; Nunes, Fabíola C; Stiebbe Salvadori, Mirian G S; Carvalho, Cleyton Charles D; Morais, Liana Clébia S L; Braga, Valdir A

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Chronic ethanol consumption is a major public health problem throughout the world. We investigated the anxiolytic-like effects and the possible ever injury induced by the chronic consumption of ethanol or sugarcane spirit in mice. METHOD: Adult mice were exposed to a two-bottle free-choice paradigm for 6 weeks. The mice in Group A (n  =  16) had access to sugarcane spirit + distilled water, the mice in Group B (n  =  15) had access to ethanol + distilled water, and the mice in Group C (control, n  =  14) had access to distilled water + distilled water. The ethanol content in the beverages offered to Groups A and B was 2% for the first week, 5% for the second week and 10% for the remaining four weeks. At the end of the experimental period, the mice were evaluated using the elevated-plus maze and the hole-board test to assess their anxiety-related behaviors. We also determined the serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels. RESULTS: In the elevated-plus maze, the time spent in the open arms was increased in the mice exposed to chronic ethanol (32 ± 8 vs. 7 ± 2 s, n  =  9) or sugarcane spirit (36 ± 9 vs. 7 ± 2 s, n  =  9) compared to the controls. In the hole-board test, the mice exposed to ethanol or sugarcane spirit displayed increases in their head-dipping frequency (16 ± 1 for the control group, 27 ± 2 for the ethanol group, and 31 ± 3 for the sugarcane-spirit group; n  =  9 for each group). In addition, the mice exposed to sugarcane spirit displayed an increase in the aspartate aminotransferase / alanine aminotransferase ratio compared to the ethanol group (1.29 ± 0.17 for the control group and 2.67 ± 0.17 for the sugarcane spirit group; n  =  8 for each group). CONCLUSION: The chronic consumption of sugarcane-spirit produces liver injury and anxiolytic-like effects and the possible liver injury in mice. PMID:21789394

Refining economics of U.S. gasoline: octane ratings and ethanol content.

PubMed

Hirshfeld, David S; Kolb, Jeffrey A; Anderson, James E; Studzinski, William; Frusti, James

2014-10-07

Increasing the octane rating of the U.S. gasoline pool (currently ∼ 93 Research Octane Number (RON)) would enable higher engine efficiency for light-duty vehicles (e.g., through higher compression ratio), facilitating compliance with federal fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards. The federal Renewable Fuels Standard calls for increased renewable fuel use in U.S. gasoline, primarily ethanol, a high-octane gasoline component. Linear programming modeling of the U.S. refining sector was used to assess the effects on refining economics, CO2 emissions, and crude oil use of increasing average octane rating by increasing (i) the octane rating of refinery-produced hydrocarbon blendstocks for oxygenate blending (BOBs) and (ii) the volume fraction (Exx) of ethanol in finished gasoline. The analysis indicated the refining sector could produce BOBs yielding finished E20 and E30 gasolines with higher octane ratings at modest additional refining cost, for example, ∼ 1¢/gal for 95-RON E20 or 97-RON E30, and 3-5¢/gal for 95-RON E10, 98-RON E20, or 100-RON E30. Reduced BOB volume (from displacement by ethanol) and lower BOB octane could (i) lower refinery CO2 emissions (e.g., ∼ 3% for 98-RON E20, ∼ 10% for 100-RON E30) and (ii) reduce crude oil use (e.g., ∼ 3% for 98-RON E20, ∼ 8% for 100-RON E30).

Effects of Biomass Accessibility and Klason Lignin Contents during Consolidated Bioprocessing in Populus trichocarpa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akinosho, Hannah; Dumitrache, Alexandru; Natzke, Jace

The bacterium Clostridium thermocellum offers a distinct and integrated approach to ethanol production through consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). The Simons’ stain technique, which assays the accessibility of lignocellulosic biomass, has been traditionally applied to fungal cellulase systems; however, its application to CBP has not been fully explored. For this reason, the structural properties of eight Populus trichocarpa with either high or low biomass densities were compared in this paper to determine bioconversion differences during separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and CBP with C. thermocellum. Simons’ staining generally identifies low density poplar as more accessible than high density poplar. Additionally, low densitymore » P. trichocarpa generally contained less Klason lignin than high density poplar. SHF and CBP treatments consistently identified BESC-7 (high density, low accessibility, low surface roughness) as a low ethanol yielding biomass and GW-9914 (low density, high accessibility, high surface roughness) as a high ethanol yielding biomass. Upon further investigation, BESC-7 also contained a high Klason lignin content (~25%), while GW-9914 had a low lignin content (~20%). Cellulose degree of polymerization (DP) measurements exhibited a weak linear correlation with accessibility (r 2 = 0.17). Finally, therefore, the ethanol yields were correlated with accessibility and lignin content extremes but not cellulose DP.« less

Effects of Biomass Accessibility and Klason Lignin Contents during Consolidated Bioprocessing in Populus trichocarpa

DOE PAGES

Akinosho, Hannah; Dumitrache, Alexandru; Natzke, Jace; ...

2017-04-26

The bacterium Clostridium thermocellum offers a distinct and integrated approach to ethanol production through consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). The Simons’ stain technique, which assays the accessibility of lignocellulosic biomass, has been traditionally applied to fungal cellulase systems; however, its application to CBP has not been fully explored. For this reason, the structural properties of eight Populus trichocarpa with either high or low biomass densities were compared in this paper to determine bioconversion differences during separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) and CBP with C. thermocellum. Simons’ staining generally identifies low density poplar as more accessible than high density poplar. Additionally, low densitymore » P. trichocarpa generally contained less Klason lignin than high density poplar. SHF and CBP treatments consistently identified BESC-7 (high density, low accessibility, low surface roughness) as a low ethanol yielding biomass and GW-9914 (low density, high accessibility, high surface roughness) as a high ethanol yielding biomass. Upon further investigation, BESC-7 also contained a high Klason lignin content (~25%), while GW-9914 had a low lignin content (~20%). Cellulose degree of polymerization (DP) measurements exhibited a weak linear correlation with accessibility (r 2 = 0.17). Finally, therefore, the ethanol yields were correlated with accessibility and lignin content extremes but not cellulose DP.« less

Phytochemical screening, total phenolic, total flavonoids contents and antioxidant activity of cinchona ledgeriana leaves ethanol extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundowo, Andini; Artanti, Nina; Hanafi, M.; Minarti, Primahana, Gian

2017-11-01

C ledgeriana is a medicinal plant that contains alkaloids, especially on the barks for commercial production of quinine as antimalarial. The main alkaloids in this plant are cinchonine, cinchonidine, quinine and quinidine. Besides for antiamalarial this plant is also commonly used to treat whooping cough, influenza and dysentery. Compare to other medicinal plants, nowadays only very few studies were conducted in Cinchona species. Our current study aims to determine the content of phytochemical, total phenol and total flavonoids from C. ledgeriana leaves 70% ethanol extract. The extraction was performed by maceration method using 70% ethanol solvent and then fractionated into hexane, ethylacetate and butanol. Phytochemical screening was performed to determine the content of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and saponins. Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extract were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and alumunium chloride colorimetric methods using gallic acid and quercetin as standards. The antioxidant activity was determined by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. The results of phytochemical screening showed that the 70% ethanol extract of C. ledgeriana leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins and saponins. The total phenol and total flavonoids analysis showed that ethyl acetate fraction had the highest total phenol (40.23%) and total flavonoids (65.34%).

Gastroprotective activity of the ethanol extract from the inner bark of Caesalpinia pyramidalis in rats.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Ana Roseli S; Diniz, Polyana B F; Estevam, Charles S; Pinheiro, Malone S; Albuquerque-Júnior, Ricardo L C; Thomazzi, Sara M

2013-05-20

Caesalpinia pyramidalis Tul. (Fabaceae), known as "catingueira", has been used in folk medicine in the treatment of various disorders such as gastritis, heartburn, indigestion, and stomach ache. However, the gastroprotective properties of this species have not yet been studied. The ethanol extract of Caesalpinia pyramidalis inner bark was used in rats via oral route, at the doses of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg. The antiulcer assays were performed using the ethanol- and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced ulcer models. Gastric secretion parameters (volume, pH, and total acidity) were also evaluated by the pylorus ligated model, and the mucus in the gastric content was determined. The anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of the ethanol extract of Caesalpinia pyramidalis was performed using the agar-well diffusion and broth microdilution methods. The ethanol extract (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) produced dose dependent inhibition (P<0.01) on the ulcer lesion index, the total lesion area, and the percentage of lesion area in the ethanol-induced ulcer model. The ethanol extract (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) also reduced (P<0.001) the ulcer index in the indomethacin-induced ulcer model. In the model ligature pylorus, the treatment with Caesalpinia pyramidalis ethanol extract failed to significantly change the gastric secretion parameters. However, after treatment with the ethanol extract of Caesalpinia pyramidalis (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg), there was a significant increase (P<0.05) in mucus production. The ethanol extract showed anti-Helicobacter pylori activity, with inhibition halos of 12.0 ± 1.7 mm at 10,000 μg/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of the ethanol extract were of 625 and 10,000 μg/mL, respectively. Collectively, the present results suggest that the ethanol extract of Caesalpinia pyramidalis displays gastroprotective actions, supporting the folkloric usage of the plant to treat various gastrointestinal disturbances. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Screening of adjunct cultures and their application in ester formation in Camembert-type cheese.

PubMed

Hong, Q; Liu, X M; Hang, F; Zhao, J X; Zhang, H; Chen, W

2018-04-01

The ethanol content and esterase and alcohol acyltransferase activities are the limiting factors in the synthesis of ethyl esters in Camembert-type cheeses. This study aimed to investigate the effects of alcohol, esterase and alcohol acyltransferase activities on ethyl ester formation in Camembert-type cheeses. Five experimental cheeses were prepared with three adjunct cultures with different enzyme activities and two levels of ethanol content (400 or 800 μg/g). The cheeses were aged for 4 weeks and analysed weekly for basic physicochemical, textural, volatile and sensory properties. The results showed that both the enzyme activity and ethanol content were limiting factors in the synthesis of ethyl esters in the Camembert-type cheeses. Variation in the esterase synthesis activity was observed among lactic acid bacteria, and the starter culture Lactococcus lactis MA 14 LYO distinguished itself through its high acidifying and esterase hydrolysis abilities. The addition of CCFM 12, a lactic acid bacteria strain with high esterase and alcohol acyltransferase activity, along with 400 or 800 μg/g of ethanol, notably enhanced the generation of ethyl esters and the corresponding fruity flavour, without causing dramatic changes in the basic physicochemical indices and microbial profile. In addition, cohesiveness was influenced by the addition of 400 and 800 μg/g of ethanol, and more resilience with 800 μg/g of ethanol had been found. The results showed that the addition of CCFM12 with 400 and 800 μg/g of ethanol may be applied in the production of Camembert cheese to enhance its fruity flavour. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Periodic peristalsis increasing acetone-butanol-ethanol productivity during simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of steam-exploded corn straw.

PubMed

Li, Jingwen; Wang, Lan; Chen, Hongzhang

2016-11-01

The acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation of lignocellulose at high solids content has recently attracted extensive attention. However, the productivity of high solids ABE fermentation of lignocellulose is typically low in traditional processes due to the lack of efficient intensifying methods. In the present study, periodic peristalsis, a novel intensifying method, was applied to improve ABE production by the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of steam-exploded corn straw using Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC824. The ABE concentration and the ABE productivity of SSF at a solids content of 17.5% (w/w) with periodic peristalsis were 17.1 g/L and 0.20 g/(L h), respectively, which were higher than those obtained under static conditions (15.2 g/L and 0.14 g/(L h)). The initial sugar conversion rate over the first 12 h with periodic peristalsis was 4.67 g/(L h) at 10 FPU/g cellulase dosage and 15% (w/w) solids content, an increase of 49.7% compared with the static conditions. With periodic peristalsis, the period of batch fermentation was shortened from 108 h to 84 h. The optimal operating regime was a low frequency (6 h -1 ) of periodic peristalsis in the acid-production phase (0-48 h) of SSF. Therefore, periodic peristalsis should be an effective intensifying method to increase the productivity of ABE fermentation at high solids content. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparative assessment on in vitro antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts of Averrhoa bilimbi, Gymnema sylvestre and Capsicum frutescens

PubMed Central

Rahman, Md. Mominur; Habib, Md. Razibul; Hasan, Md. Anayet; Al Amin, Mohammad; Saha, Ayan; Mannan, Adnan

2014-01-01

Background: Averrhoa bilimbi, Gymnema sylvestre and Capsicum frutescens are medicinal plants commonly used as traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the antioxidant activities of Ethanolic extract of A. bilimbi, G. sylvestre and C. frutescens. Materials and Methods: The antioxidant activity of the extracts were evaluated using total phenolic and flavonoid contents, ferric reducing power and the free radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Results: Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were higher in G. sylvestre (53.63636 ± 0.454545 mg/g gallic acid equivalent) and C. frutescens (26.66667 ± 2.081666 mg/g quercetin equivalent) respectively. Reducing power of the crude ethanol extracts increased with the concentrations of the extracts and all the extracts showed moderate free radical scavenging activity against DPPH. The plant extract displayed moderate phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to gallic acid and quercetin equivalent respectively, whereas also exhibited significant scavenging of DPPH radical and reducing power compared with ascorbic acid as standard. Conclusion: Our study suggests that G. sylvestre has significant antioxidant activity. The antioxidant compound of this plant might be a therapeutic candidate against oxidative stress related diseases. Different sub-fraction of A. bilimbi and C. frutescens should be studied further to assess the effect. Further study is necessary for isolation and characterization of the active antioxidant agents for better treatment. PMID:24497740

Effects of Plant Growth Hormones on Mucor indicus Growth and Chitosan and Ethanol Production.

PubMed

Safaei, Zahra; Karimi, Keikhosro; Golkar, Poorandokht; Zamani, Akram

2015-07-22

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and kinetin (KIN) on Mucor indicus growth, cell wall composition, and ethanol production. A semi-synthetic medium, supplemented with 0-5 mg/L hormones, was used for the cultivations (at 32 °C for 48 h). By addition of 1 mg/L of each hormone, the biomass and ethanol yields were increased and decreased, respectively. At higher levels, however, an inverse trend was observed. The glucosamine fraction of the cell wall, as a representative for chitosan, followed similar but sharper changes, compared to the biomass. The highest level was 221% higher than that obtained without hormones. The sum of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine (chitin and chitosan) was noticeably enhanced in the presence of the hormones. Increase of chitosan was accompanied by a decrease in the phosphate content, with the lowest phosphate (0.01 g/g cell wall) being obtained when the chitosan was at the maximum (0.45 g/g cell wall). In conclusion, IAA and KIN significantly enhanced the M. indicus growth and chitosan production, while at the same time decreasing the ethanol yield to some extent. This study shows that plant growth hormones have a high potential for the improvement of fungal chitosan production by M. indicus.

Gastroprotective effect of kefir on ulcer induced in irradiated rats.

PubMed

Fahmy, Hanan A; Ismail, Amel F M

2015-03-01

The current study was designed to investigate the protective effect of kefir milk on ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in γ-irradiated rats. The results of the present study revealed that treatment with γ-irradiation and/or ethanol showed a significant increase in ulcers number, total acidity, peptic, H(+)K(+)ATPase, MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities and MDA level, which were accompanied by a significant decrease in the mucus content, the stomach GSH level, the GSH-Px activity and DNA damage. Pre-treatment with kefir milk exert significant improvement in all the tested parameters. Kefir milk exerts comparable effect to that of the antiulcer drug ranitidine. In conclusion, the present study revealed that oral administration of kefir milk prevents ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in γ-irradiated rats that could attribute to its antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and radio-protective activities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental Assessment of Moringa oleifera Leaf and Fruit for Its Antistress, Antioxidant, and Scavenging Potential Using In Vitro and In Vivo Assays

PubMed Central

Luqman, Suaib; Srivastava, Suchita; Kumar, Ritesh; Maurya, Anil Kumar; Chanda, Debabrata

2012-01-01

We have investigated effect of Moringa oleifera leaf and fruit extracts on markers of oxidative stress, its toxicity evaluation, and correlation with antioxidant properties using in vitro and in vitro assays. The aqueous extract of leaf was able to increase the GSH and reduce MDA level in a concentration-dependent manner. The ethanolic extract of fruit showed highest phenolic content, strong reducing power and free radical scavenging capacity. The antioxidant capacity of ethanolic extract of both fruit and leaf was higher in the in vitro assay compared to aqueous extract which showed higher potential in vivo. Safety evaluation studies showed no toxicity of the extracts up to a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight. Our results support the potent antioxidant activity of aqueous and ethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera which adds one more positive attribute to its known pharmacological importance. PMID:22216055

Detection of ethanol in alcoholic beverages or vapor phase using fluorescent molecules embedded in a nanofibrous polymer.

PubMed

Akamatsu, Masaaki; Mori, Taizo; Okamoto, Ken; Komatsu, Hirokazu; Kumagai, Ken; Shiratori, Seimei; Yamamura, Masaki; Nabeshima, Tatsuya; Sakai, Hideki; Abe, Masahiko; Hill, Jonathan P; Ariga, Katsuhiko

2015-03-25

An alcohol sensor was developed using the solid-state fluorescence emission of terphenyl-ol (TPhOH) derivatives. Admixtures of TPhOH and sodium carbonate exhibited bright sky-blue fluorescence in the solid state upon addition of small quantities of ethanol. A series of terphenol derivatives was synthesized, and the effects of solvent polarities and the structures of these π-conjugated systems on their fluorescence were systematically investigated by using fluorescence spectroscopy. In particular, π-extended TPhOHs and TPhOHs containing electron-withdrawing groups exhibited significant solvatochromism, and fluorescence colors varied from blue to red. Detection of ethanol contents in alcohol beverages (detection limit ∼ 5 v/v %) was demonstrated using different TPhOHs revealing the effect of molecular structure on sensing properties. Ethanol contents in alcoholic beverages could be estimated from the intensity of the fluorescence elicited from the TPhOHs. Moreover, when terphenol and Na2CO3 were combined with a water-absorbent polymer, ethanol could be detected at lower concentrations. Detection of ethanol vapor (8 v/v % in air) was also accomplished using a nanofibrous polymer scaffold as the immobilized sensing film.

Life of Sugar: Developing Lifecycle Methods to Evaluate the Energy and Environmental Impacts of Sugarcane Biofuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gopal, Anand Raja

Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) is undergoing a period of rapid change as it strives to become more policy-relevant. Attributional LCA, the traditional LCA category, is beginning to be seen as particularly ill-equipped to assess the consequences of a policy. This has given birth to a new category of LCA known as Consequential LCA that is designed for use in LCA-based policies but is still largely unknown, even to LCA experts, and suffers from a lack of well developed methods. As a result, many LCA-based policies, like the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), use poor LCA methods that are both scientifically suspect and unable to model many biofuels, especially ones manufactured from byproduct feedstocks. Biofuels made from byproduct feedstocks, primarily molasses ethanol from Asia and the Caribbean, can contribute significantly to LCFS' carbon intensity targets in the near-term at low costs, a desperate need for the policy ever since US corn ethanol was rated as having a worse global warming impact than gasoline. In this dissertation, I develop the first fully consequential lifecycle assessment of a byproduct-based biofuel using a partial equilibrium foundation. I find that the lifecycle carbon content of Indian molasses ethanol is just 5 gCO2/MJ using this method, making it one of the cleanest first generation biofuels in the LCFS. I also show that Indian molasses ethanol remains one of the cleanest first-generation biofuels even when using the flawed methodology ratified for the LCFS, with a lifecycle carbon content of 24 gCO2/MJ. My fully consequential LCA model also shows that India's Ethanol Blending program, which currently subsidizes blending of molasses ethanol and gasoline for domestic consumption, can meet its objective of supporting domestic agriculture more cost-effectively by helping producers export their molasses ethanol to fuel markets that value carbon. However, this objective will be achieved at a significant cost to the poor who will face a 39% increase in the price of sorghum because of the policy.

Studying biofuel aerosol evaporation rates with single particle manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corsetti, S.; Miles, R. E. H.; Reid, J. P.; Kiefer, J.; McGloin, D.

2014-09-01

The significant increase in the air pollution, and the impact on climate change due to the burning of fossil fuel has led to the research of alternative energies. Bio-ethanol obtained from a variety of feedstocks can provide a feasible solution. Mixing bio-ethanol with gasoline leads to a reduction in CO emission and in NOx emissions compared with the use of gasoline alone. However, adding ethanol leads to a change in the fuel evaporation. Here we present a preliminary investigation of evaporation times of single ethanol-gasoline droplets. In particular, we investigated the different evaporation rate of the droplets depending on the variation in the percentage of ethanol inside them. Two different techniques have been used to trap the droplets. One makes use of a 532nm optical tweezers set up, the other of an electrodynamics balance (EDB). The droplets decreasing size was measured using video analysis and elastic light scattering respectively. In the first case measurements were conducted at 293.15 K and ambient humidity. In the second case at 280.5 K and a controlled environment has been preserved by flowing nitrogen into the chamber. Binary phase droplets with a higher percentage of ethanol resulted in longer droplet lifetimes. Our work also highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each technique for such studies. In particular it is challenging to trap droplets with low ethanol content (such as pure gasoline) by the use of EDB. Conversely such droplets are trivial to trap using optical tweezers.

Period 2 gene deletion abolishes β-endorphin neuronal response to ethanol

PubMed Central

Agapito, Maria; Mian, Nadia; Boyadjieva, Nadka I.; Sarkar, Dipak K.

2010-01-01

Background Ethanol exposure during early life has been shown to permanently alter the circadian expression of clock regulatory genes and the β-endorphin precursor proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene in the hypothalamus. Ethanol also alters the stress- and immune-regulatory functions of β-endorphin neurons in laboratory rodents. Our aim was to determine whether the circadian clock regulatory Per2 gene modulates the action of ethanol on β-endorphin neurons in mice. Methods Per2 mutant (mPer2Brdml) and wild type (C57BL/6J) mice were used to determine the effect of Per2 mutation on ethanol-regulated β-endorphin neuronal activity during neonatal period using an in vitro mediobasal hypothalamic (MBH) cell culture model and an in vivo milk formula feeding animal model. The β-endorphin neuronal activity following acute and chronic ethanol treatments, was evaluated by measuring the peptide released from cultured cells or peptide levels in the MBH tissues, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Per2 mutant mice showed a higher basal level of β-endorphin release from cultured MBH cells and a moderate increase in the peptide content in the MBH in comparison to control mice. However, unlike wild type mice, Per2 mutant mice showed no stimulatory or inhibitory β-endorphin secretory responses to acute and chronic ethanol challenges in vitro. Furthermore, Per2 mutant mice, but not wild type mice, failed to show the stimulatory and inhibitory responses of MBH β-endorphin levels to acute and chronic ethanol challenges in vivo. Conclusions These results suggest for the first time that the Per2 gene may be critically involved in regulating β-endorphin neuronal function. Furthermore, the data revealed an involvement of the Per2 gene in regulating β-endorphin neuronal responses to ethanol. PMID:20586752

Development of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strain with Enhanced Resistance to Phenolic Fermentation Inhibitors in Lignocellulose Hydrolysates by Heterologous Expression of Laccase

PubMed Central

Larsson, Simona; Cassland, Pierre; Jönsson, Leif J.

2001-01-01

To improve production of fuel ethanol from renewable raw materials, laccase from the white rot fungus Trametes versicolor was expressed under control of the PGK1 promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to increase its resistance to phenolic inhibitors in lignocellulose hydrolysates. It was found that the laccase activity could be enhanced twofold by simultaneous overexpression of the homologous t-SNARE Sso2p. The factors affecting the level of active laccase obtained, besides the cultivation temperature, included pH and aeration. Laccase-expressing and Sso2p-overexpressing S. cerevisiae was cultivated in the presence of coniferyl aldehyde to examine resistance to lignocellulose-derived phenolic fermentation inhibitors. The laccase-producing transformant had the ability to convert coniferyl aldehyde at a faster rate than a control transformant not expressing laccase, which enabled faster growth and ethanol formation. The laccase-producing transformant was also able to ferment a dilute acid spruce hydrolysate at a faster rate than the control transformant. A decrease in the content of low-molecular-mass aromatic compounds, accompanied by an increase in the content of high-molecular-mass compounds, was observed during fermentation with the laccase-expressing strain, illustrating that laccase was active even at the very low levels of oxygen supplied. Our results demonstrate the importance of phenolic compounds as fermentation inhibitors and the advantage of using laccase-expressing yeast strains for producing ethanol from lignocellulose. PMID:11229906

Development of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with enhanced resistance to phenolic fermentation inhibitors in lignocellulose hydrolysates by heterologous expression of laccase.

PubMed

Larsson, S; Cassland, P; Jönsson, L J

2001-03-01

To improve production of fuel ethanol from renewable raw materials, laccase from the white rot fungus Trametes versicolor was expressed under control of the PGK1 promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to increase its resistance to phenolic inhibitors in lignocellulose hydrolysates. It was found that the laccase activity could be enhanced twofold by simultaneous overexpression of the homologous t-SNARE Sso2p. The factors affecting the level of active laccase obtained, besides the cultivation temperature, included pH and aeration. Laccase-expressing and Sso2p-overexpressing S. cerevisiae was cultivated in the presence of coniferyl aldehyde to examine resistance to lignocellulose-derived phenolic fermentation inhibitors. The laccase-producing transformant had the ability to convert coniferyl aldehyde at a faster rate than a control transformant not expressing laccase, which enabled faster growth and ethanol formation. The laccase-producing transformant was also able to ferment a dilute acid spruce hydrolysate at a faster rate than the control transformant. A decrease in the content of low-molecular-mass aromatic compounds, accompanied by an increase in the content of high-molecular-mass compounds, was observed during fermentation with the laccase-expressing strain, illustrating that laccase was active even at the very low levels of oxygen supplied. Our results demonstrate the importance of phenolic compounds as fermentation inhibitors and the advantage of using laccase-expressing yeast strains for producing ethanol from lignocellulose.

Reversing gastric mucosal alterations during ethanol-induced chronic gastritis in rats by oral administration of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage

PubMed Central

Vázquez-Ramírez, Ricardo; Olguín-Martínez, Marisela; Kubli-Garfias, Carlos; Hernández-Muñoz, Rolando

2006-01-01

AIM: To study the effect of mucilage obtained from cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae) on the healing of ethanol-induced gastritis in rats. METHODS: Chronic gastric mucosa injury was treated with mucilage (5 mg/kg per day) after it was induced by ethanol. Lipid composition, activity of 5’-nucleotidase (a membrane-associated ectoenzyme) and cytosolic activities of lactate and alcohol dehydrogenases in the plasma membrane of gastric mucosa were determined. Histological studies of gastric samples from the experimental groups were included. RESULTS: Ethanol elicited the histological profile of gastritis characterized by loss of the surface epithelium and infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) decreased and cholesterol content increased in plasma membranes of the gastric mucosa. In addition, cytosolic activity increased while the activity of alcohol dehydrogenases decreased. The administration of mucilage promptly corrected these enzymatic changes. In fact, mucilage readily accelerated restoration of the ethanol-induced histological alterations and the disturbances in plasma membranes of gastric mucosa, showing a univocal anti-inflammatory effect. The activity of 5’-nucleotidase correlated with the changes in lipid composition and the fluidity of gastric mucosal plasma membranes. CONCLUSION: The beneficial action of mucilage seems correlated with stabilization of plasma membranes of damaged gastric mucosa. Molecular interactions between mucilage monosaccharides and membrane phospholipids, mainly PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), may be the relevant features responsible for changing activities of membrane-attached proteins during the healing process after chronic gastric mucosal damage. PMID:16865772

Reversing gastric mucosal alterations during ethanol-induced chronic gastritis in rats by oral administration of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage.

PubMed

Vázquez-Ramírez, Ricardo; Olguín-Martínez, Marisela; Kubli-Garfias, Carlos; Hernández-Muñoz, Rolando

2006-07-21

To study the effect of mucilage obtained from cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae) on the healing of ethanol-induced gastritis in rats. Chronic gastric mucosa injury was treated with mucilage (5 mg/kg per day) after it was induced by ethanol. Lipid composition, activity of 5'-nucleotidase (a membrane-associated ectoenzyme) and cytosolic activities of lactate and alcohol dehydrogenases in the plasma membrane of gastric mucosa were determined. Histological studies of gastric samples from the experimental groups were included. Ethanol elicited the histological profile of gastritis characterized by loss of the surface epithelium and infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) decreased and cholesterol content increased in plasma membranes of the gastric mucosa. In addition, cytosolic activity increased while the activity of alcohol dehydrogenases decreased. The administration of mucilage promptly corrected these enzymatic changes. In fact, mucilage readily accelerated restoration of the ethanol-induced histological alterations and the disturbances in plasma membranes of gastric mucosa, showing a univocal anti-inflammatory effect. The activity of 5'-nucleotidase correlated with the changes in lipid composition and the fluidity of gastric mucosal plasma membranes. The beneficial action of mucilage seems correlated with stabilization of plasma membranes of damaged gastric mucosa. Molecular interactions between mucilage monosaccharides and membrane phospholipids, mainly PC and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), may be the relevant features responsible for changing activities of membrane-attached proteins during the healing process after chronic gastric mucosal damage.

Sequential high pressure extractions applied to recover piceatannol and scirpusin B from passion fruit bagasse.

PubMed

Viganó, Juliane; Aguiar, Ana C; Moraes, Damila R; Jara, José L P; Eberlin, Marcos N; Cazarin, Cinthia B B; Maróstica, Mário R; Martínez, Julian

2016-07-01

Passion fruit seeds are currently discarded on the pulp processing but are known for their high piceatannol and scirpusin B contents. Using pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), these highly valuable phenolic compounds were efficiently extracted from defatted passion fruit bagasse (DPFB). PLE was performed using mixtures of ethanol and water (50 to 100% ethanol, w/w) as solvent, temperatures from 50 to 70°C and pressure at 10MPa. The extraction methods were compared in terms of the global yield, total phenolic content (TPC), piceatannol content and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts. The DPFB extracts were also compared with those from non-defatted passion fruit bagasse (nDPFB). Identification and quantification of piceatannol were performed using UHPLC-MS/MS. The results showed that high TPC and piceatannol content were achieved for the extracts obtained from DPFB through PLE at 70°C and using 50 and 75% ethanol as the solvent. The best PLE conditions for TPC (70°C, 75% ethanol) resulted in 55.237mgGAE/g dried and defatted bagasse, whereas PLE at 70°C and 50% ethanol achieved 18.590mg of piceatannol/g dried and defatted bagasse, and such yields were significantly higher than those obtained using conventional extraction techniques. The antioxidant capacity assays showed high correlation with the TPC (r>0.886) and piceatannol (r>0.772). The passion fruit bagasse has therefore proved to be a rich source of piceatannol and PLE showed high efficiency to recover phenolic compounds from defatted passion fruit bagasse. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethanol production from lignocellulosic byproducts of olive oil extraction.

PubMed

Ballesteros, I; Oliva, J M; Saez, F; Ballesteros, M

2001-01-01

The recent implementation of a new two-step centrifugation process for extracting olive oil in Spain has substantially reduced water consumption, thereby eliminating oil mill wastewater. However, a new high sugar content residue is still generated. In this work the two fractions present in the residue (olive pulp and fragmented stones) were assayed as substrate for ethanol production by the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process. Pretreatment of fragmented olive stones by sulfuric acid-catalyzed steam explosion was the most effective treatment for increasing enzymatic digestibility; however, a pretreatment step was not necessary to bioconvert the olive pulp into ethanol. The olive pulp and fragmented olive stones were tested by the SSF process using a fed-batch procedure. By adding the pulp three times at 24-h intervals, 76% of the theoretical SSF yield was obtained. Experiments with fed-batch pretreated olive stones provided SSF yields significantly lower than those obtained at standard SSF procedure. The preferred SSF conditions to obtain ethanol from olives stones (61% of theoretical yield) were 10% substrate and addition of cellulases at 15 filter paper units/g of substrate.

Complex effect of lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid on various aspects of ethanol and fumaric acid production by immobilized cells within SSF.

PubMed

Dotsenko, Anna S; Dotsenko, Gleb S; Senko, Olga V; Stepanov, Nikolay A; Lyagin, Ilya V; Efremenko, Elena N; Gusakov, Alexander V; Zorov, Ivan N; Rubtsova, Ekaterina A

2018-02-01

The pretreatment of softwood and hardwood samples (spruce and hornbeam wood) with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) was undertaken for further simultaneous enzymatic saccharification of renewable non-food lignocellulosic biomass and microbial fermentation of obtained sugars to ethanol and fumaric acid. A multienzyme cocktail based on cellulases and yeast or fungus cells producing ethanol and fumaric acid were the main objects of [Bmim]Cl influence studies. A complex effect of lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment with [Bmim]Cl on various aspects of the process (both action of cellulases and microbial conversion of hydrolysates to target products) was revealed. Positive effects of the pretreatment with [Bmim]Cl included decreasing the lignin content in the biomass, and increasing the effectiveness of enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial transformation of pretreated biomass. Immobilized cells of both yeasts and fungi possessed improved productive characteristics in the biotransformation of biomass pretreated with [Bmim]Cl to ethanol and fumaric acid. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation, purification and physicochemical properties of polysaccharide from fruiting body of Hericium erinaceus and its effect on colonic health of mice.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao-Yin; Yin, Jun-Yi; Nie, Shao-Ping; Xie, Ming-Yong

2018-02-01

Hericium erinaceus was extracted with boiling water to obtain the crude polysaccharide (HECP) and refined polysaccharide (HERP). HERP was further purified using gradual ethanol precipitation to obtain five sub-fractions. Their physicochemical properties were evaluated, including chemical components, monosaccharide composition and molecular weight. Meanwhile, the effect of HERP on colonic health of mice was investigated by oral administration at dosages of 100, 200 and 400mg/kg of body weight (mg/kgbw), comparing with that of HECP. Results showed that the gradual ethanol precipitation could remarkably increase polysaccharide purity. HERP, HECP and the five purified fractions had different monosaccharide compositions, while the main monosaccharides were Glc and Gal. They all showed similar structure with amorphous appearance. Short-chain fatty acids productions in colonic and cecum contents, and feces of mice were increased in polysaccharide treated groups. Mice administrated with HERP at 400mg/kgbw showed significant reductions in pH values while obvious increases in moisture amounts. This study suggests that gradual ethanol precipitation is available for purification of polysaccharide from Hericium erinaceus and the extracted polysaccharide could improve colonic health. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of Temperature on Chinese Rice Wine Brewing with High Concentration Presteamed Whole Sticky Rice

PubMed Central

Zhang, Hong-Tao; Xiong, Weili; Hu, Jianhua; Xu, Baoguo; Lin, Chi-Chung; Xu, Ling; Jiang, Lihua

2014-01-01

Production of high quality Chinese rice wine largely depends on fermentation temperature. However, there is no report on the ethanol, sugars, and acids kinetics in the fermentation mash of Chinese rice wine treated at various temperatures. The effects of fermentation temperatures on Chinese rice wine quality were investigated. The compositions and concentrations of ethanol, sugars, glycerol, and organic acids in the mash of Chinese rice wine samples were determined by HPLC method. The highest ethanol concentration and the highest glycerol concentration both were attained at the fermentation mash treated at 23°C. The highest peak value of maltose (90 g/L) was obtained at 18°C. Lactic acid and acetic acid both achieved maximum values at 33°C. The experimental results indicated that temperature contributed significantly to the ethanol production, acid flavor contents, and sugar contents in the fermentation broth of the Chinese rice wines. PMID:24672788

Phytochemical screening and in-vitro evaluation of pharmacological activities of peels of Musa sapientum and Carica papaya fruit.

PubMed

Siddique, Sarmad; Nawaz, Shamsa; Muhammad, Faqir; Akhtar, Bushra; Aslam, Bilal

2018-06-01

Aqueous, absolute and 80% ethanolic extract of fruit peels of Musa sapientum and Carica papaya were investigated for their antibacterial activity, measured by disc diffusion method and antioxidant activity, measured by four different methods. Papaya and banana peels were found to contain terpenoids, tannins, alkaloids, saponins steroid, phenols, fixed oils and fats. 80% ethanolic extract of banana peel was found to contain highest total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activity but in papaya peel, highest TPC and reducing activity was shown by water extract while, TFC and radical scavenging activity was given by 80% ethanolic extract. In banana, water extract showed highest antibacterial activity against tested bacteria while in case of papaya, absolute ethanolic extract showed highest antibacterial activity. The present study revealed that peels of banana and papaya fruits are potentially good source of antioxidant and antibacterial agents.

Effect of temperature on Chinese rice wine brewing with high concentration presteamed whole sticky rice.

PubMed

Liu, Dengfeng; Zhang, Hong-Tao; Xiong, Weili; Hu, Jianhua; Xu, Baoguo; Lin, Chi-Chung; Xu, Ling; Jiang, Lihua

2014-01-01

Production of high quality Chinese rice wine largely depends on fermentation temperature. However, there is no report on the ethanol, sugars, and acids kinetics in the fermentation mash of Chinese rice wine treated at various temperatures. The effects of fermentation temperatures on Chinese rice wine quality were investigated. The compositions and concentrations of ethanol, sugars, glycerol, and organic acids in the mash of Chinese rice wine samples were determined by HPLC method. The highest ethanol concentration and the highest glycerol concentration both were attained at the fermentation mash treated at 23 °C. The highest peak value of maltose (90 g/L) was obtained at 18 °C. Lactic acid and acetic acid both achieved maximum values at 33 °C. The experimental results indicated that temperature contributed significantly to the ethanol production, acid flavor contents, and sugar contents in the fermentation broth of the Chinese rice wines.

One step transesterification process of sludge palm oil (SPO) by using deep eutectic solvent (DES) in biodiesel production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manurung, Renita; Ramadhani, Debbie Aditia; Maisarah, Siti

2017-06-01

Biodiesel production by using sludge palm oil (SPO) as raw material is generally synthesized in two step reactions, namely esterification and transesterification, because the free fatty acid (FFA) content of SPO is relatively high. However, the presence of choline chloride (ChCl), glycerol based deep eutectic solvent (DES), in transesterification may produce biodiesel from SPO in just one step. In this study, DES was produced by the mixture of ChCl and glycerol at molar ratio of 1:2 at a temperature of 80°C and stirring speed of 400 rpm for 1 hour. DES was characterized by its density and viscosity. The transesterification process was performed at reaction temperature of 70 °C, ethanol to oil molar with ratio of 9:1, sodium hydroxide as catalyst concentration of 1 % wt, DES as cosolvent with concentration of 0 to 5 % wt, stirring speed of 400 rpm, and one hour reaction time. The obtained biodiesel was then assessed with density, viscosity, and ester content as the parameters. FFA content of SPO as the raw material was 7.5290 %. In this case, DES as cosolvent in one step transesterification process of low feedstock could reduce the side reaction (saponification), decrease the time reaction, decrease the surface tension between ethanol and oil, and increase the mass transfer that simultaneously simplified the purification process and obtained the highest yield. The esters properties met the international standards of ASTM D 6751, with the highest yield obtained was 83.19% with 99.55% of ester content and the ratio of ethanol:oil of 9:1, concentration of DES of 4%, catalyst amount of 1%, temperature of reaction at 70°C and stirring speed of 400 rpm.

Multiparameter rodent chronic model for complex evaluation of alcoholism-mediated metabolic violations.

PubMed

Shayakhmetova, Ganna M; Bondarenko, Larysa B; Kovalenko, Valentina M; Kharchenko, Olga I; Bohun, Larisa I; Omelchenko, Yuliya O

2015-01-01

Despite of the wide spectrum of alcoholism experimental models, the majority of them are very specialized on the short list of investigated parameters and could not provide reproduction of complex metabolic changes in the rats. The aim of the present study was to estimate whether rats selected by high alcohol preference, allowed free access to 15% alcohol for 150 days, develop simultaneous multilevel disturbances of cell macromolecules structure, metabolism and oxidative/nitrosative stress. Wistar albino male rats were divided into groups: I - rats selected by preferences to alcohol were used for chronic alcoholism modeling by replacing water with 15% ethanol (150 days), II - control. Contents of amino acids in serum, liver mRNA CYP2E1 and CYP3A2 expression, DNA fragmentation and lipid peroxidation levels, the reduced glutathione content, superoxide dismutase, catalase, iNOS and cNOS activities were evaluated. In serum of ethanol-treated rats contents of aspartic acid, serine, glycine, alanine and valine were decreased whereas contents of histidine, methionine and phenylalanine were increased. Liver CYP2E1, CYP3A2 mRNA expression, DNA fragmentation levels significantly elevated. Level of cNOS in ethanol-treated rat's hepatocytes was within the normal limits, whereas iNOS activity was raised 1.6 times. Liver pro- and anti-oxidant system alterations were shown. Rats' chronic 15% alcohol consumption (150 days) led solely to complex metabolomic changes at different levels, which simultaneously characterized cell macromolecules structure, metabolism, and oxidative/nitrosative stress. Rodent model of chronic alcoholism in the proposed modification could be an adequate and reasonably priced tool for further preclinical development and testing of pharmacotherapeutic agents.

Calcification resistance for photooxidatively crosslinked acellular bovine jugular vein conduits in right-side heart implantation.

PubMed

Lü, Wei-Dong; Wang, An-Ping; Wu, Zhong-Shi; Zhang, Ming; Hu, Tie-Hui; Lei, Guang-Yan; Hu, Ye-Rong

2012-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of decellularization plus photooxidative crosslinking and ethanol pretreatment on bioprosthetic tissue calcification. Photooxidatively crosslinked acellular (PCA) bovine jugular vein conduits (BJVCs) and their photooxidized controls (n = 5 each) were sterilized in a graded concentration of ethanol solutions for 4 h, and used to reconstruct dog right ventricular outflow tracts. At 1-year implantation, echocardiography showed similar hemodynamic performance, but obvious calcification for the photooxidized BJVC walls. Further histological examination showed intense calcium deposition colocalized with slightly degraded elastic fibers in the photooxidized BJVC walls, with sparsely distributed punctate calcification in the valves and other areas of walls. But PCA BJVCs had apparent degradation of elastic fibers in the walls, with only sparsely distributed punctate calcification in the walls and valves. Content assay demonstrated comparable calcium content for the two groups at preimplantation, whereas less calcium for the PCA group in the walls and similar calcium in the valvular leaflets compared with the photooxidized group at 1-year retrieval. Elastin content assay presented the conduit walls of PCA group had less elastin content at preimplantation, but similar content at 1-year retrieval compared with the photooxidized group. Phospholipid analysis showed phospholipid extraction by ethanol for the PCA group was more efficacious than the photooxidized group. These results indicate that PCA BJVCs resist calcification in right-side heart implantation owing to decellularization, further photooxidative crosslinking, and subsequent phospholipid extraction by ethanol at preimplantation. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Improving the performance of industrial ethanol-producing yeast by expressing the aspartyl protease on the cell surface.

PubMed

Guo, Zhong-peng; Zhang, Liang; Ding, Zhong-yang; Wang, Zheng-Xiang; Shi, Gui-Yang

2010-12-01

The yeasts used in fuel ethanol manufacture are unable to metabolize soluble proteins. The PEP4 gene, encoding a vacuolar aspartyl protease in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was either secretively or cell-surface anchored expressed in industrial ethanol-producing S. cerevisiae. The obtained recombinant strains APA (expressing the protease secretively) and APB (expressing the protease on the cell wall) were studied under ethanol fermentation conditions in feed barley cultures. The effects of expression of the protease on product formation, growth and cell protein content were measured. The biomass yield of the wild-type was clearly lower than that of the recombinant strains (0.578 ± 0.12 g biomass/g glucose for APA and 0.582 ± 0.08 g biomass/g glucose for APB). In addition, nearly 98-99% of the theoretical maximum level of ethanol yield was achieved (relative to the amount of substrate consumed) for the recombinant strains, while limiting the nitrogen source resulted in dissatisfactory fermentation for the wild-type and more than 30 g/l residual sugar was detected at the end of fermentation. In addition, higher growth rate, viability and lower yields of byproducts such as glycerol and pyruvic acid for recombinant strains were observed. Expressing acid protease can be expected to lead to a significant increase in ethanol productivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Structural and electrochemical characterization of carbon supported Pt-Pr catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells prepared using a modified formic acid method in a CO atmosphere.

PubMed

Corradini, Patricia Gon; Antolini, Ermete; Perez, Joelma

2013-07-28

Pt-Pr/C electrocatalysts were prepared using a modified formic acid method, and their activity for carbon monoxide and ethanol oxidation was compared to Pt/C. No appreciable alloy formation was detected by XRD analysis. By TEM measurements it was found that Pt particle size increases with an increasing Pr content in the catalysts and with decreasing metal precursor addition time. XPS measurements indicated Pt segregation on the catalyst surface and the presence of Pr2O3 and PrO2 oxides. The addition of Pr increased the electro-catalytic activity of Pt for both CO and CH3CH2OH oxidation. The enhanced activity of Pt-Pr/C catalysts was ascribed to both an electronic effect, caused by the presence of Pr2O3, and the bi-functional mechanism, caused by the presence of PrO2.

Facts on the Effects of Alcohol. Clearinghouse Fact Sheet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milgram, Gail Gleason

Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is one of the few alcohols that humans can drink. This alcohol is a byproduct of yeast's reaction with the sugars in fruit or vegetable juice and the process stops naturally with about an 11 to 14 percent alcoholic concentration, although distillation can greatly increase the alcoholic content. Once ingested, most alcohol…

The application of non-Saccharomyces yeast in fermentations with limited aeration as a strategy for the production of wine with reduced alcohol content.

PubMed

Contreras, A; Hidalgo, C; Schmidt, S; Henschke, P A; Curtin, C; Varela, C

2015-07-16

High alcohol concentrations reduce the complexity of wine sensory properties. In addition, health and economic drivers have the wine industry actively seeking technologies that facilitate the production of wines with lower alcohol content. One of the simplest approaches to achieve this aim would be the use of wine yeast strains which are less efficient at transforming grape sugars into ethanol, however commercially available wine yeasts produce very similar ethanol yields. Non-conventional yeast, in particular non-Saccharomyces species, have shown potential for producing wines with lower alcohol content. These yeasts are naturally present in the early stages of fermentation but in general are not capable of completing alcoholic fermentation. We have evaluated 48 non-Saccharomyces isolates to identify strains that, with limited aeration and in sequential inoculation regimes with S. cerevisiae, could be used for the production of wine with lower ethanol concentration. Two of these, Torulaspora delbrueckii AWRI1152 and Zygosaccharomyces bailii AWRI1578, enabled the production of wine with reduced ethanol concentration under limited aerobic conditions. Depending on the aeration regime T. delbrueckii AWRI1152 and Z. bailii AWRI1578 showed a reduction in ethanol concentration of 1.5% (v/v) and 2.0% (v/v) respectively, compared to the S. cerevisiae anaerobic control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activity of Tephrosia purpurea: a seasonal study.

PubMed

Pandey, Madan Mohan; Khatoon, Sayyada; Rastogi, Subha; Rawat, Ajay Kumar Singh

2016-11-01

Tephrosia purpurea (Linn · ) Pers. is widely used in traditional medicine to treat liver disorders, febrile attacks, enlargement and obstruction of liver, spleen, and kidney. In the present study, investigations were carried out to determine the seasonal impact on the content of flavonoid glycosides and on antioxidant activities so as to identify the optimal time of harvesting. The plant materials were collected in different seasons during 2013-2014. Air-dried, powdered plant materials were extracted with 95% ethanol and ethanol: water (1:1) by ultrasound-assisted extraction process. Their chemical composition in terms of total polyphenol and flavonoid contents (TPCs and TFCs) was determined using modified colorimetric Folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminum chloride colorimetric assay respectively. To determine the in vitro antioxidant activity, diphenyl-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay and total antioxidant capacity by phosphomolybdate antioxidant assay were carried out. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/photo-diode array (PDA) analysis was used to quantify the flavonoid glycosides in the samples collected in different seasons. Correlation studies were also carried out between antioxidant activities and TPCs. The highest TPC and TFC were found to be in the 95% ethanolic extract of the August sample and the lowest in the 50% hydro-alcoholic extract of the plant sample collected in winter season. It was observed that in both the assays used to determine the antioxidant activity, the 95% ethanolic extracts in all the seasons showed a higher activity than their respective 50% hydro-alcoholic extracts with an increase in activity as we go from cold to hot to rainy seasons. Based on correlation analysis, DPPH radical-scavenging activities as well as the spectrophotometrically measured phosphomolybdenum complex were also strongly correlated with TPC of the extracts. The most abundant flavonoid glycoside was quercetin-3-O-rhamnoglucoside in all the seasons. The content of all flavonoids was observed highest in the 95% ethanolic extract of the plant collected in August (TP-3). The 50% hydro-alcoholic extract of the plant collected in December (TP-6) showed the lowest amount of flavonoids and antioxidant activity. The findings of this study confirmed that the metabolism and production of flavonoids in T. purpurea are vigorously affected by seasonal factors. Significant differences were observed in the TPC, TFC and flavonoid glycoside composition in the 95% ethanolic as well as 50% hydro-alcoholic extracts of T · purpurea collected in different seasons. Since the 95% ethanolic extract of the August sample (TP-3), which also happens to be its flowering season, exhibited the highest TPC, TFC and antioxidant activities in both DPPH and phosphomolybdate assays as well as contained the highest content of all flavonoids, it could be recommended as the optimal season of harvesting T · purpurea with respect to its pharmaceutically important constituents, i.e., flavonoids.

Grapefruit-seed extract attenuates ethanol-and stress-induced gastric lesions via activation of prostaglandin, nitric oxide and sensory nerve pathways.

PubMed

Brzozowski, Tomasz; Konturek, Peter C; Drozdowicz, Danuta; Konturek, Stanislaw J; Zayachivska, Oxana; Pajdo, Robert; Kwiecien, Slawomir; Pawlik, Wieslaw W; Hahn, Eckhart G

2005-11-07

Grapefruit-seed extract (GSE) containing flavonoids, possesses antibacterial and antioxidative properties but whether it influences the gastric defense mechanism and gastroprotection against ethanol- and stress-induced gastric lesions remains unknown. We compared the effects of GSE on gastric mucosal lesions induced in rats by topical application of 100% ethanol or 3.5 h of water immersion and restraint stress (WRS) with or without (A) inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 activity by indomethacin and rofecoxib, the selective COX-2 inhibitor, (B) suppression of NO-synthase with L-NNA (20 mg/kg ip), and (C) inactivation by capsaicin (125 mg/kg sc) of sensory nerves with or without intragastric (ig) pretreatment with GSE applied 30 min prior to ethanol or WRS. One hour after ethanol and 3.5 h after the end of WRS, the number and area of gastric lesions were measured by planimetry, the gastric blood flow (GBF) was assessed by H2-gas clearance technique and plasma gastrin levels and the gastric mucosal generation of PGE2, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) concentration, as an index of lipid peroxidation were determined. Ethanol and WRS caused gastric lesions accompanied by the significant fall in the GBF and SOD activity and the rise in the mucosal MDA content. Pretreatment with GSE (8-64 mg/kg i g) dose-dependently attenuated gastric lesions induced by 100% ethanol and WRS; the dose reducing these lesions by 50% (ID50) was 25 and 36 mg/kg, respectively, and this protective effect was similar to that obtained with methyl PGE2 analog (5 microg/kg i g). GSE significantly raised the GBF, mucosal generation of PGE2, SOD activity and plasma gastrin levels while attenuating MDA content. Inhibition of PGE2 generation with indomethacin or rofecoxib and suppression of NO synthase by L-NNA or capsaicin denervation reversed the GSE-induced protection and the accompanying hyperemia. Co-treatment of exogenous calcitonine gene-related peptide (CGRP) with GSE restored the protection and accompanying hyperemic effects of GSE in rats with capsaicin denervation. GSE exerts a potent gastroprotective activity against ethanol and WRS-induced gastric lesions via an increase in endogenous PG generation, suppression of lipid peroxidation and hyperemia possibly mediated by NO and CGRP released from sensory nerves.

Grapefruit-seed extract attenuates ethanol-and stress-induced gastric lesions via activation of prostaglandin, nitric oxide and sensory nerve pathways

PubMed Central

Brzozowski, Tomasz; Konturek, Peter C; Drozdowicz, Danuta; Konturek, Stanislaw J; Zayachivska, Oxana; Pajdo, Robert; Kwiecien, Slawomir; Pawlik, Wieslaw W; Hahn, Eckhart G

2005-01-01

AIM: Grapefruit-seed extract (GSE) containing flavonoids, possesses antibacterial and antioxidative properties but whether it influences the gastric defense mechanism and gastroprotection against ethanol- and stress-induced gastric lesions remains unknown. METHODS: We compared the effects of GSE on gastric mucosal lesions induced in rats by topical application of 100% ethanol or 3.5 h of water immersion and restraint stress (WRS) with or without (A) inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 activity by indomethacin and rofecoxib, the selective COX-2 inhibitor, (B) suppression of NO-synthase with L-NNA (20 mg/kg ip), and (C) inactivation by capsaicin (125 mg/kg sc) of sensory nerves with or without intragastric (ig) pretreatment with GSE applied 30 min prior to ethanol or WRS. One hour after ethanol and 3.5 h after the end of WRS, the number and area of gastric lesions were measured by planimetry, the gastric blood flow (GBF) was assessed by H2-gas clearance technique and plasma gastrin levels and the gastric mucosal generation of PGE2, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malonyldialdehyde (MDA) concentration, as an index of lipid peroxidation were determined. RESULTS: Ethanol and WRS caused gastric lesions accompanied by the significant fall in the GBF and SOD activity and the rise in the mucosal MDA content. Pretreatment with GSE (8-64 mg/kg i g) dose-dependently attenuated gastric lesions induced by 100% ethanol and WRS; the dose reducing these lesions by 50% (ID50) was 25 and 36 mg/kg, respectively, and this protective effect was similar to that obtained with methyl PGE2 analog (5 μg/kg i g). GSE significantly raised the GBF, mucosal generation of PGE2, SOD activity and plasma gastrin levels while attenuating MDA content. Inhibition of PGE2 generation with indomethacin or rofecoxib and suppression of NO synthase by L-NNA or capsaicin denervation reversed the GSE-induced protection and the accompanying hyperemia. Co-treatment of exogenous calcitonine gene-related peptide (CGRP) with GSE restored the protection and accompanying hyperemic effects of GSE in rats with capsaicin denervation. CONCLUSION: GSE exerts a potent gastroprotective activity against ethanol and WRS-induced gastric lesions via an increase in endogenous PG generation, suppression of lipid peroxidation and hyperemia possibly mediated by NO and CGRP released from sensory nerves. PMID:16425415

The Antarctic yeast Candida sake: Understanding cold metabolism impact on wine.

PubMed

Ballester-Tomás, Lidia; Prieto, Jose A; Gil, Jose V; Baeza, Marcelo; Randez-Gil, Francisca

2017-03-20

Current winemaking trends include low-temperature fermentations and using non-Saccharomyces yeasts as the most promising tools to produce lower alcohol and increased aromatic complexity wines. Here we explored the oenological attributes of a C. sake strain, H14Cs, isolated in the sub-Antarctic region. As expected, the cold sea water yeast strain showed greater cold growth, Na + -toxicity resistance and freeze tolerance than the S. cerevisiae QA23 strain, which we used as a commercial wine yeast control. C. sake H14Cs was found to be more sensitive to ethanol. The fermentation trials of low-sugar content must demonstrated that C. sake H14Cs allowed the cold-induced lag phase of growth to be eliminated and also notably reduced the ethanol (-30%) and glycerol (-50%) content in wine. Instead C. sake produced sorbitol as a compatible osmolyte. Finally, the inspection of the main wine volatile compounds revealed that C. sake produced more higher alcohols than S. cerevisiae. In conclusion, our work evidences that using the Antarctic C. sake H14Cs yeast improves low-temperature must fermentations and has the potential to provide a wine with less ethanol and also particular attributes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrated process for extraction of wax as a value-added co-product and improved ethanol production by converting both starch and cellulosic components in sorghum grains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grain sorghum is a potential feedstock for fuel ethanol production due to its high starch content, which is equivalent to that of corn, and has been successfully used in several commercial corn ethanol plants in the United States. Some sorghum grain varieties contain significant levels of surface wa...

Protective role of ellagitannins from Eucalyptus citriodora against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats: impact on oxidative stress, inflammation and calcitonin-gene related peptide.

PubMed

Al-Sayed, Eman; El-Naga, Reem N

2015-01-15

The gastroprotective activity of an ellagitannin-rich fraction obtained from Eucalyptus citriodora (ECF) was investigated against ethanol-induced gastric ulceration in rats. The rats were pretreated with ECF (25, 50 and 100mg/kg) 1h before the administration of absolute ethanol to induce acute gastric ulceration. The gastric lesions were significantly reduced by all doses of ECF. Notably, pre-treatment with ECF (100mg/kg) conferred 99.6% gastroprotection, which is significantly higher than that produced by omeprazole. Moreover, ECF administration markedly increased the mucin content in a dose-dependent manner. The potent gastroprotective effect of ECF could be partly mediated by attenuating ethanol-induced oxidative stress. ECF-pre-treatment markedly increased the depleted GSH and SOD levels in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, ECF significantly decreased the elevated MDA tissue levels induced by ethanol administration. The results demonstrated that ECF administration exerted a powerful anti-inflammatory activity as evidenced by the reduction in the pro-inflammatory markers; IL-1β, TNF-α, 5-LO and COX-2. Additionally, the caspase-3 tissue levels were significantly reduced in the groups pre-treated with ECF. These results suggest that ECF could exert a beneficial gastroprotective effect through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties. Furthermore, ECF pre-treatment significantly attenuated the ethanol-induced decrease in CGRP expression, which has a protective role against gastric ulceration. Histopathological examination revealed intact mucosal layer, absence of hemorrhage and necrosis in groups treated with ECF. Ellagitannins were identified as the major active constituents responsible for the marked antioxidant and gastroprotective properties of ECF. The HPLC-PDA-ESI/MS/MS technique was employed to identify the ellagitannins of E. citriodora. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

PERSPECTIVE: Learning from the Brazilian biofuel experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Michael

2006-11-01

In the article `The ethanol program in Brazil' [1] José Goldemberg summarizes the key features of Brazil's sugarcane ethanol program—the most successful biofuel program in the world so far. In fact, as of 2005, Brazil was the world's largest producer of fuel ethanol. In addition to providing 40% of its gasoline market with ethanol, Brazil exports a significant amount of ethanol to Europe, Japan, and the United States. The success of the program is attributed to a variety of factors, including supportive governmental policies and favorable natural conditions (such as a tropical climate with abundant rainfall and high temperatures). As the article points out, in the early stages of the Brazilian ethanol program, the Brazilian government provided loans to sugarcane growers and ethanol producers (in most cases, they are the same people) to encourage sugarcane and ethanol production. Thereafter, ethanol prices were regulated to ensure that producers can economically sustain production and consumers can benefit from using ethanol. Over time, Brazil was able to achieve a price for ethanol that is lower than that for gasoline, on the basis of energy content. This lower cost is largely driving the widespread use of ethanol instead of gasoline by consumers in Brazil. In the United States, if owners of E85 flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) are expected to use E85 instead of gasoline in their FFVs, E85 will have to be priced competitively against gasoline on an energy-content basis. Compared with corn-based or sugar beet-based ethanol, Brazil's sugarcane-based ethanol yields considerably more favorable results in terms of energy balance and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. These results are primarily due to (i) the dramatic increase of sugarcane yield in Brazil in the past 25 years and (ii) the use of bagasse instead of fossil fuels in ethanol plants to provide the heat needed for ethanol plant operations and to generate electricity for export to electric grids. Advancements in technology associated with both sugarcane farming and ethanol production have definitely played an important role in yielding the significant benefits associated with sugarcane ethanol. The United States produced about 4 billion gallons of ethanol from corn in 2005. Production was expected to increase to about 5 billion gallons by 2006. Corn-based ethanol achieves moderate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In the long run, the great potential of fuel ethanol lies in its production from cellulosic biomass, which is abundant in many regions of the world and can yield much greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy benefits. Figure 1 presents reductions in greenhouse emissions of several ethanol production pathways that were evaluated at the Argonne National Laboratory. Bagasse, a cellulosic biomass type already available in sugarcane ethanol plants, will certainly offer an opportunity for economically co-producing cellulosic ethanol and sugarcane ethanol in existing sugarcane ethanol plants. Greenhouse gas emissions per million Btu of gasoline and ethanol produced and used Figure 1. Greenhouse gas emissions per million Btu of gasoline and ethanol produced and used. Despite the encouraging progress of Brazil's ethanol program some issues will still need to be addressed. Figure 4 of [1] shows a significant drop in ethanol production in the 2000/2001 season. A steady supply of ethanol will be a key factor for the success of a fuel ethanol program. Consumers are not going to tolerate fluctuations in ethanol production. Instead, they will turn to conventional fuels for fueling their FFVs as a result of supply fluctuations, which can be detrimental to the success of the ethanol program. In addition to this, other environmental effects of biofuels in general, and sugarcane ethanol in particular, need to be assessed. Some have debated and speculated that Brazil's sugarcane ethanol program has caused (i) soil erosion and biodiversity problems by converting rainforests into sugarcane plantations and (ii) local air pollution problems as a result of burning in plantations before harvest. Also, as interest in biofuels heightens worldwide, environment-conscious practices are needed to avoid adverse environmental effects of biofuel production and use. For instance, if feedstock production (sugarcane in Brazil, corn in the United States, and palm oil in Malaysia [for biodiesel production]) moves into virgin or marginal land, carbon in both soil and vegetation could be decreased and diminish the benefits associated with biofuels, and cause other environmental problems, such as soil erosion. Societies need to pay close attention to these potential detrimental environmental effects to ensure that biofuel production will, indeed, be on a sustainable path. © US Government References [1] Goldemberg J 2006 The ethanol program in Brazil Environ. Res Lett. 1 014008 (doi:10.1088/1748-9326/1/1/014008) Photo of Michael Wang Michael Wang has been working in the Center for Transportation Research of Argonne National Laboratory since 1991. He is the manager of the Systems Assessment Section in the center which evaluates energy and emission effects of advanced vehicle technologies and new transportation fuels. He developed the GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation) model, with which he has conducted several major studies for government agencies and industries. Since 1996, he has examined energy and emission benefits of bio-ethanol. His results for bio-ethanol have been cited by many. Michael Wang received his PhD in environmental science from University of California at Davis.

Gasohol Quality Control for Real Time Applications by Means of a Multimode Interference Fiber Sensor

PubMed Central

Rodríguez Rodríguez, Adolfo J.; Baldovino-Pantaleón, Oscar; Domínguez Cruz, Rene F.; Zamarreño, Carlos R.; Matías, Ignacio R.; May-Arrioja, Daniel A.

2014-01-01

In this work we demonstrate efficient quality control of a variety of gasoline and ethanol (gasohol) blends using a multimode interference (MMI) fiber sensor. The operational principle relies on the fact that the addition of ethanol to the gasohol blend reduces the refractive index (RI) of the gasoline. Since MMI sensors are capable of detecting small RI changes, the ethanol content of the gasohol blend is easily determined by tracking the MMI peak wavelength response. Gasohol blends with ethanol contents ranging from 0% to 50% has been clearly identified using this device, which provides a linear response with a maximum sensitivity of 0.270 nm/% EtOH. The sensor can also distinguish when water incorporated in the blend has exceeded the maximum volume tolerated by the gasohol blend, which is responsible for phase separation of the ethanol and gasoline and could cause serious engine failures. Since the MMI sensor is straightforward to fabricate and does not require any special coating it is a cost effective solution for real time and in-situ monitoring of the quality of gasohol blends. PMID:25256111

Development of a Solid-State Fermentation System for Producing Bioethanol from Food Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honda, Hiroaki; Ohnishi, Akihiro; Fujimoto, Naoshi; Suzuki, Masaharu

Liquid fermentation is the a conventional method of producing bioethanol. However, this method results in the formation of high concentrations waste after distillation and futher treatment requires more energy and is costly(large amounts of costly energy).Saccharification of dried raw garbage was tested for 12 types of Koji starters under the following optimum culture conditions: temperature of 30°C and initial moisture content of 50%.Among all the types, Aspergillus oryzae KBN650 had the highest saccharifying power. The ethanol-producing ability of the raw garbage was investigated for 72 strains of yeast, of which Saccharomyces cerevisiae A30 had the highest ethanol production(yield)under the following optimum conditions: 1 :1 ratio of dried garbage and saccharified garbage by weight, and initial moisture content of 60%. Thus, the solid-state fermentation system consisted of the following 4 processes: moisture control, saccharification, ethanol production and distillation. This system produced 0.6kg of ethanol from 9.6kg of garbage. Moreover the ethanol yield from all sugars was calculated to be 0.37.

Environmentally triggered genomic plasticity and capsular polysaccharide formation are involved in increased ethanol and acetic acid tolerance in Kozakia baliensis NBRC 16680.

PubMed

Brandt, Julia U; Born, Friederike-Leonie; Jakob, Frank; Vogel, Rudi F

2017-08-10

Kozakia baliensis NBRC 16680 secretes a gum-cluster derived heteropolysaccharide and forms a surface pellicle composed of polysaccharides during static cultivation. Furthermore, this strain exhibits two colony types on agar plates; smooth wild-type (S) and rough mutant colonies (R). This switch is caused by a spontaneous transposon insertion into the gumD gene of the gum-cluster, resulting in a heteropolysaccharide secretion deficient, rough phenotype. To elucidate, whether this is a directed switch triggered by environmental factors, we checked the number of R and S colonies under different growth conditions including ethanol and acetic acid supplementation. Furthermore, we investigated the tolerance of R and S strains against ethanol and acetic acid in shaking and static growth experiments. To get new insights into the composition and function of the pellicle polysaccharide, the polE gene of the R strain was additionally deleted, as it was reported to be involved in pellicle formation in other acetic acid bacteria. The number of R colonies was significantly increased upon growth on acetic acid and especially ethanol. The morphological change from K. baliensis NBRC 16680 S to R strain was accompanied by changes in the sugar contents of the produced pellicle EPS. The R:ΔpolE mutant strain was not able to form a regular pellicle anymore, but secreted an EPS into the medium, which exhibited a similar sugar monomer composition as the pellicle polysaccharide isolated from the R strain. The R strain had a markedly increased tolerance towards acetic acid and ethanol compared to the other NBRC 16680 strains (S, R:ΔpolE). A relatively high intrinsic acetic acid tolerance was also observable for K. baliensis DSM 14400 T , which might indicate diverse adaptation mechanisms of different K. baliensis strains in altering natural habitats. The results suggest that the genetically triggered R phenotype formation is directly related to increased acetic acid and ethanol tolerance. The polE gene turned out to be involved in the formation of a cell-associated, capsular polysaccharide, which seems to be essential for increased ethanol/acetic tolerance in contrast to the secreted gum-cluster derived heteropolysaccharide. The genetic and morphological switch could represent an adaptive evolutionary step during the development of K. baliensis NBRC 16680 in course of changing environmental conditions.

Ethanol Pharmacokinetics in Neonates and Infants

PubMed Central

Marek, Elizabeth; Kraft, Walter K.

2014-01-01

Introduction Ethanol has been used for years in neonatal and infant liquid medications, yet the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety of ethanol in this vulnerable population have not been well characterized. The purpose of this review is to raise awareness of ethanol use as an excipient in neonatal and infant medications and to provide insight, based on the available evidence, into clearance rates of ethanol in babies. We also discuss ethanol pharmacokinetics in adults, theoretical pharmacokinetic changes in neonates and infants as it may apply to ethanol disposition, and case reports involving ethanol exposure in neonates and infants. Materials and methods This study was a narrative review in which relevant papers were selected using databases and scientific search engines such as PubMed with the key words ethanol, infant, and newborninfant. Results It remains unclear what ethanol exposure is safe for neonates and infants. The Food and Drug Administration and American Academy of Pediatrics have both taken action, by either setting limits of ethanol content in over-the-counter medications or by recommending restricted exposure to ethanol-containing pediatric formulations. Conclusions Until the short- and long-term health effects of chronic ethanol administration can be further characterized, ethanol-containing medications should be used with caution. PMID:25379066

The Effect of Compression Ratio, Fuel Octane Rating, and Ethanol Content on Spark-Ignition Engine Efficiency.

PubMed

Leone, Thomas G; Anderson, James E; Davis, Richard S; Iqbal, Asim; Reese, Ronald A; Shelby, Michael H; Studzinski, William M

2015-09-15

Light-duty vehicles (LDVs) in the United States and elsewhere are required to meet increasingly challenging regulations on fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as criteria pollutant emissions. New vehicle trends to improve efficiency include higher compression ratio, downsizing, turbocharging, downspeeding, and hybridization, each involving greater operation of spark-ignited (SI) engines under higher-load, knock-limited conditions. Higher octane ratings for regular-grade gasoline (with greater knock resistance) are an enabler for these technologies. This literature review discusses both fuel and engine factors affecting knock resistance and their contribution to higher engine efficiency and lower tailpipe CO2 emissions. Increasing compression ratios for future SI engines would be the primary response to a significant increase in fuel octane ratings. Existing LDVs would see more advanced spark timing and more efficient combustion phasing. Higher ethanol content is one available option for increasing the octane ratings of gasoline and would provide additional engine efficiency benefits for part and full load operation. An empirical calculation method is provided that allows estimation of expected vehicle efficiency, volumetric fuel economy, and CO2 emission benefits for future LDVs through higher compression ratios for different assumptions on fuel properties and engine types. Accurate "tank-to-wheel" estimates of this type are necessary for "well-to-wheel" analyses of increased gasoline octane ratings in the context of light duty vehicle transportation.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube-Supported Pd Catalyst for Improved Electrocatalytic Performance toward Ethanol Electrooxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Ying; Zhang, Xinyuan; Luo, Zhiyong; Tang, Dian; Chen, Changxin; Zhang, Teng; Xie, Zailai

2017-07-01

In this study, hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) was applied for surface functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the presence of glucose and urea. The HTC process allowed the deposition of thin nitrogen-doped carbon layers on the surface of the CNTs. By controlling the ratio of glucose to urea, nitrogen contents of up to 1.7 wt% were achieved. The nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube-supported Pd catalysts exhibited superior electrochemical activity for ethanol oxidation relative to the pristine CNTs. Importantly, a 1.5-fold increase in the specific activity was observed for the Pd/HTC-N1.67%CNTs relative to the catalyst without nitrogen doping (Pd/HTC-CNTs). Further experiments indicated that the introduction of nitrogen species on the surface of the CNTs improved the Pd(0) loading and increased the binding energy.

Hawthorn ethanolic extracts with triterpenoids and flavonoids exert hepatoprotective effects and suppress the hypercholesterolemia-induced oxidative stress in rats.

PubMed

Rezaei-Golmisheh, Ali; Malekinejad, Hassan; Asri-Rezaei, Siamak; Farshid, Amir Abbas; Akbari, Peyman

2015-07-01

The current study was aimed to determine the bioactive constituents and biological effects of the Crataegus monogyna ethanolic extracts from bark, leaves and berries on hypercholesterolemia. Oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, quercetin and lupeol concentrations were quantified by HPLC. Total phenol content and radical scavenging activity of extracts were also measured. The hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective effects of the extracts were examined in hypercholesterolemic rats and compared with orlistat. The highest phenol content, oleanolic acid, quercetin and lupeol levels and free radical scavenging potency were found in the bark extract, and the highest ursolic acid level was found in the berries extract. Orlistat and extracts significantly (P<0.05) lowered the hypercholesterolemia-increased serum level of hepatic enzymes and lipid peroxidation level. Hawthorn's extracts protected from hepatic thiol depletion and improved the lipid profile and hepatic damages. Data suggested that hawthorn's extracts are able to protect from hypercholesterolemia-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injuries. Moreover, the hypocholesterolemic effect of extracts was found comparable to orlistat.

Optimisation of pressurised liquid extraction of antioxidants from black bamboo leaves.

PubMed

Shang, Ya Fang; Kim, Sang Min; Um, Byung-Hun

2014-07-01

To develop an efficient green extraction approach for recovering bioactive compounds from natural plants, the potential of using pressurised liquid extraction (PLE) was examined on black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) leaves, with ethanol/water as solvents. The superheated PLE process showed a higher recovery of most constituents and antioxidative activity, compared to reflux extraction, with a significantly improved recovery of the total phenolic (TP) and flavonoid (TF) content and DPPH radical scavenging ability. For a broad range of ethanol aqueous solutions and temperatures, 50% EtOH and 200°C (static time: 25min) gave the best performance, in terms of the TP and TF (75% EtOH) content yield and DPPH scavenging ability (25% EtOH). Under the optimised extraction conditions, eight main antioxidative compounds were isolated and identified with HPLC-ABTS(+) assay guidance and assessed for radical scavenging activity. The superheated extraction process for black bamboo leaves enhanced the antioxidant properties by increasing the extraction of the phenolic components. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential for thermochemical conversion of biomass residues from the integrated sugar-ethanol process - Fate of ash and ash-forming elements.

PubMed

Dirbeba, Meheretu Jaleta; Brink, Anders; DeMartini, Nikolai; Zevenhoven, Maria; Hupa, Mikko

2017-06-01

In this work, potential for thermochemical conversion of biomass residues from an integrated sugar-ethanol process and the fate of ash and ash-forming elements in the process are presented. Ash, ash-forming elements, and energy flows in the process were determined using mass balances and analyses of eight different biomass samples for ash contents, elemental compositions, and heating values. The results show that the ash content increases from the sugarcane to the final residue, vinasse. The cane straw, which is left in the field, contains one-third of the energy and 25% of the K and Cl while the vinasse contains 2% of the energy and 40% of the K and Cl in the cane. K and Cl in biomass fuels cause corrosion and fouling problems in boilers and gasifiers. Over 85% of these elements in the straw are water soluble indicating that water leaching would improve it for utilization in thermochemical conversion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of sugarcane bagasse variability on sugar recovery for cellulosic ethanol production.

PubMed

Andrade, Liliane Pires; Crespim, Elaine; de Oliveira, Nilton; de Campos, Rafael Carinha; Teodoro, Juliana Conceição; Galvão, Célia Maria Araújo; Maciel Filho, Rubens

2017-10-01

In the context of cellulosic ethanol production, special attention must be given to the raw material, as it affects final product yield. As observed for sugarcane, bagasse variations may derive from several elements, for instance edaphoclimatic factors, seasonality, maturation stage and harvesting techniques. Therefore, in the present work, to investigate the impact of raw material characteristics on process performance, sugarcane bagasse from four harvests from October/2010 to October/2011 was pretreated by steam explosion and had its soluble and insoluble solids contents measured, following enzymatic hydrolysis to assess glucan conversion. As confirmed by ANOVA, glucose concentration was related to the solids content in the reactor, whereas glucan conversion was related to the enzymatic load. Variations in raw material composition were indeed observed to significantly interfere in the final sugar recovery, probably due to the increase in the impurities observed as a result of the type of harvest performed in 2011. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TOTAL PHENOLIC CONTENT, ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE EXTRACT OF EPHEDRA PROCERA FISCH. ET MEY.

PubMed

Dehkordi, Naser Vahed; Kachouie, Mehrdad Ataie; Pirbalouti, Abdollah Ghasemi; Malekpoor, Fatemeh; Rabei, Mohammad

2015-01-01

Ephedra prcera belonging to the family Ephedraceae is a poison and medicinal plant. The main aim of present study was to determine total phenolic content and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of ethanolic extract from the aerial parts of E. procera collected from a natural habitat in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, Southwestern Iran. The total phenolic content of the extract by Folin-Ciocalteu method and the antioxidant activity using DPPH assay were determined. The antibacterial activity, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the extract were evaluated against five bacteria, including Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enteobacter aeogenes, Bacillus ceirus and Staphylococcus aureus. Total phenolic content in the extract of E. procera was 0.718 mg tannic acid/g dry weight extract. The results indicated that the ethanolic extract of E. piocera exhibited radical scavenging activity. In addition, the results of this study confirmed that the ethanolic extract of E. procera exhibited antibacterial activity. In conclusion, the extract of E. piocera could be an important source of phenolic components with antioxidant capacity and antibacterial activity.

Microscopic Analysis of Corn Fiber Using Corn Starch- and Cellulose-Specific Molecular Probes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Porter, S. E.; Donohoe, B. S.; Beery, K. E.

Ethanol is the primary liquid transportation fuel produced from renewable feedstocks in the United States today. The majority of corn grain, the primary feedstock for ethanol production, has been historically processed in wet mills yielding products such as gluten feed, gluten meal, starch, and germ. Starch extracted from the grain is used to produce ethanol in saccharification and fermentation steps; however the extraction of starch is not 100% efficient. To better understand starch extraction during the wet milling process, we have developed fluorescent probes that can be used to visually localize starch and cellulose in samples using confocal microscopy. Thesemore » probes are based on the binding specificities of two types of carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs), which are small substrate-specific protein domains derived from carbohydrate degrading enzymes. CBMs were fused, using molecular cloning techniques, to a green fluorescent protein (GFP) or to the red fluorescent protein DsRed (RFP). Using these engineered probes, we found that the binding of the starch-specific probe correlates with starch content in corn fiber samples. We also demonstrate that there is starch internally localized in the endosperm that may contribute to the high starch content in corn fiber. We also surprisingly found that the cellulose-specific probe did not bind to most corn fiber samples, but only to corn fiber that had been hydrolyzed using a thermochemical process that removes the residual starch and much of the hemicellulose. Our findings should be of interest to those working to increase the efficiency of the corn grain to ethanol process.« less

Alteration of adenyl dinucleotide metabolism by environmental stress.

PubMed Central

Baker, J C; Jacobson, M K

1986-01-01

Exposure of cultured mammalian cells to a variety of conditions that induce the synthesis of stress proteins, including hyperthermia, ethanol, cadmium, and arsenite resulted in an increased cellular content of adenyl dinucleotides including diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A). Exposure to other agents that cause metabolic perturbations not known to induce the synthesis of stress proteins, such as cyclohexamide, cytosine arabinoside, hydroxyurea, and ultraviolet irradiation did not alter the content of these nucleotides. It is proposed that these unique nucleotides may mediate adaptive responses of mammalian cells to environmental stress. PMID:3458199

Phytochemical analysis and differential in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of root extracts of Inula racemosa.

PubMed

Mohan, Shikha; Gupta, Damodar

2017-05-01

The root of Inula racemosa is known for its antifungal, hypolipdemic and antimicrobial properties in traditional Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese system of medicine. The biological efficacy of Inula species is mainly due to the presence sesquiterpene lactone (Isoalantolactone and Alantolactone), which are reported to be inducers of Nrf2 antioxidant pathway. The investigation of properties and efficacy of root extracts of I. racemosa and their comparison was done with a view to find most efficacious extract for use at cellular level (both normal and transformed). In the present study different extracts of root of I. racemosa (aqueous, ethanolic, and 50% aqueous-ethanolic) were prepared and compared for their antioxidant potential, reducing capacity, polyphenol content and flavonoid content. Our investigations suggested that the aqueous extract possess highest antioxidant capacity and reducing potential. The polyphenol content was found to be highest in aqueous extract in comparison with other two extracts. However, all the three extracts showed less flavonoid content. Further, the preliminary phytochemical screening of all the extracts revealed the presence of terpenoids, phytosterols and glycosides. The TLC profile of ethanolic and 50% aqueous-ethanolic extracts showed the presence of alantolactone while aqueous extracts did not exhibit its strong presence. This warrants the need of more stringent techniques for characterization of aqueous extract in future. The in vitro cell based toxicity assays revealed that the aqueous extract was less toxic to kidneys cells while ethanolic extract was toxic to cells even at low concentrations. Hence, the current investigations showed better efficacy of the aqueous extract with respect to other extracts and found to be promising for its future application at in vitro levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Ethanol/water pulps from sugar cane straw and their biobleaching with xylanase from Bacillus pumilus.

PubMed

Moriya, Regina Y; Gonçalves, Adilson R; Duarte, Marta C T

2007-04-01

The influence of independent variables (temperature and time) on the cooking of sugar cane straw with ethanol/water mixtures was studied to determine operating conditions that obtain pulp with high cellulose contents and a low lignin content. An experimental 2(2) design was applied for temperatures of 185 and 215 degrees C, and time of 1 and 2.5 h with the ethanol/water mixture concentration and constant straw-to-solvent ratio. The system was scaled-up at 200 degrees C cooking temperature for 2 h with 50% ethanol-water concentration, and 1:10 (w/v) straw-to-solvent ratio to obtain a pulp with 3.14 cP viscosity, 58.09 kappa-number, and the chemical composition of the pulps were 3.2% pentosan and 31.5% lignin. Xylanase from Bacillus pumilus was then applied at a loading of 5-150 IU/g dry pulp in the sugar cane straw ethanol/water pulp at 50 degrees C for 2 and 20 h. To ethanol/water pulps, the best enzyme dosage was found to be 20 IU/g dry pulp at 20 h, and a high enzyme dosage of 150 IU/g dry pulp did not decrease the kappa-number of the pulp.

Ethanol and Methanol Can Improve Huperzine A Production from Endophytic Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ES026

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xin-Mei; Wang, Zhang-Qian; Shu, Shao-Hua; Wang, Wen-Juan; Xu, Hai-Jie; Ahn, Young-Joon; Wang, Mo; Hu, Xuebo

2013-01-01

Huperzine A (HupA) is a plant alkaloid that is of great interest as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. However, the current production of HupA from plants in large quantity is unsustainable because the plant resource is scarce and the content of HupA in plants is extremely low. Surprisingly, this compound was recently found to be produced by various endophytic fungi, which are much more controllable than the plants due to simpler genetics and ease of manipulation. However, it might be due to the innate properties of endophytic symbiosis, that production of this chemical in large quantity from endophytes has not yet been put into practice. Endophytic Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ES026 was previously isolated from a HupA producing plant and the fungi also proved to produce HupA. In this study, various fermentation conditions were tried to optimize the production of HupA from C. gloeosporioides ES026. Optimization of these parameters resulted in a 25.58% increase in HupA yield. Potato extracts supplemented with glucose or sucrose but not maltose facilitated HupA producing from the fungi. A final concentration of 0.5–2% ethanol stimulated the growth of fungi while methanol with the same treatment slightly inhibited the growth. However, both methanol and ethanol greatly increased the HupA production with the highest yield of HupA (51.89% increment) coming from ethanol treatment. Further analysis showed that both ethanol and methanol were strong inducers of HupA production, while ethanol was partially used as a carbon source during fermentation. It was noticed that the color of that ethanol treated mycelia gradually became dark while methanol treated ones stayed grey during fermentation. The present study sheds light on the importance of optimizing the fermentation process, which, combined with effective inducers, maximizes production of chemicals of important economic interest from endophytic fungi. PMID:23613930

Ethanol and methanol can improve huperzine A production from endophytic Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ES026.

PubMed

Zhao, Xin-Mei; Wang, Zhang-Qian; Shu, Shao-Hua; Wang, Wen-Juan; Xu, Hai-Jie; Ahn, Young-Joon; Wang, Mo; Hu, Xuebo

2013-01-01

Huperzine A (HupA) is a plant alkaloid that is of great interest as a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. However, the current production of HupA from plants in large quantity is unsustainable because the plant resource is scarce and the content of HupA in plants is extremely low. Surprisingly, this compound was recently found to be produced by various endophytic fungi, which are much more controllable than the plants due to simpler genetics and ease of manipulation. However, it might be due to the innate properties of endophytic symbiosis, that production of this chemical in large quantity from endophytes has not yet been put into practice. Endophytic Colletotrichum gloeosporioides ES026 was previously isolated from a HupA producing plant and the fungi also proved to produce HupA. In this study, various fermentation conditions were tried to optimize the production of HupA from C. gloeosporioides ES026. Optimization of these parameters resulted in a 25.58% increase in HupA yield. Potato extracts supplemented with glucose or sucrose but not maltose facilitated HupA producing from the fungi. A final concentration of 0.5-2% ethanol stimulated the growth of fungi while methanol with the same treatment slightly inhibited the growth. However, both methanol and ethanol greatly increased the HupA production with the highest yield of HupA (51.89% increment) coming from ethanol treatment. Further analysis showed that both ethanol and methanol were strong inducers of HupA production, while ethanol was partially used as a carbon source during fermentation. It was noticed that the color of that ethanol treated mycelia gradually became dark while methanol treated ones stayed grey during fermentation. The present study sheds light on the importance of optimizing the fermentation process, which, combined with effective inducers, maximizes production of chemicals of important economic interest from endophytic fungi.

Pilot-scale conversion of lime-treated wheat straw into bioethanol: quality assessment of bioethanol and valorization of side streams by anaerobic digestion and combustion

PubMed Central

Maas, Ronald HW; Bakker, Robert R; Boersma, Arjen R; Bisschops, Iemke; Pels, Jan R; de Jong, Ed; Weusthuis, Ruud A; Reith, Hans

2008-01-01

Introduction The limited availability of fossil fuel sources, worldwide rising energy demands and anticipated climate changes attributed to an increase of greenhouse gasses are important driving forces for finding alternative energy sources. One approach to meeting the increasing energy demands and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is by large-scale substitution of petrochemically derived transport fuels by the use of carbon dioxide-neutral biofuels, such as ethanol derived from lignocellulosic material. Results This paper describes an integrated pilot-scale process where lime-treated wheat straw with a high dry-matter content (around 35% by weight) is converted to ethanol via simultaneous saccharification and fermentation by commercial hydrolytic enzymes and bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). After 53 hours of incubation, an ethanol concentration of 21.4 g/liter was detected, corresponding to a 48% glucan-to-ethanol conversion of the theoretical maximum. The xylan fraction remained mostly in the soluble oligomeric form (52%) in the fermentation broth, probably due to the inability of this yeast to convert pentoses. A preliminary assessment of the distilled ethanol quality showed that it meets transportation ethanol fuel specifications. The distillation residue, which contained non-hydrolysable and non-fermentable (in)organic compounds, was divided into a liquid and solid fraction. The liquid fraction served as substrate for the production of biogas (methane), whereas the solid fraction functioned as fuel for thermal conversion (combustion), yielding thermal energy, which can be used for heat and power generation. Conclusion Based on the achieved experimental values, 16.7 kg of pretreated wheat straw could be converted to 1.7 kg of ethanol, 1.1 kg of methane, 4.1 kg of carbon dioxide, around 3.4 kg of compost and 6.6 kg of lignin-rich residue. The higher heating value of the lignin-rich residue was 13.4 MJ thermal energy per kilogram (dry basis). PMID:18699996

Improved ethanol yield and reduced minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) by modifying low severity dilute acid pretreatment with deacetylation and mechanical refining: 2) Techno-economic analysis

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Our companion paper discussed the yield benefits achieved by integrating deacetylation, mechanical refining, and washing with low acid and low temperature pretreatment. To evaluate the impact of the modified process on the economic feasibility, a techno-economic analysis (TEA) was performed based on the experimental data presented in the companion paper. Results The cost benefits of dilute acid pretreatment technology combined with the process alternatives of deacetylation, mechanical refining, and pretreated solids washing were evaluated using cost benefit analysis within a conceptual modeling framework. Control cases were pretreated at much lower acid loadings and temperatures than used those in the NREL 2011 design case, resulting in much lower annual ethanol production. Therefore, the minimum ethanol selling prices (MESP) of the control cases were $0.41-$0.77 higher than the $2.15/gallon MESP of the design case. This increment is highly dependent on the carbohydrate content in the corn stover. However, if pretreatment was employed with either deacetylation or mechanical refining, the MESPs were reduced by $0.23-$0.30/gallon. Combing both steps could lower the MESP further by $0.44 ~ $0.54. Washing of the pretreated solids could also greatly improve the final ethanol yields. However, the large capital cost of the solid–liquid separation unit negatively influences the process economics. Finally, sensitivity analysis was performed to study the effect of the cost of the pretreatment reactor and the energy input for mechanical refining. A 50% cost reduction in the pretreatment reactor cost reduced the MESP of the entire conversion process by $0.11-$0.14/gallon, while a 10-fold increase in energy input for mechanical refining will increase the MESP by $0.07/gallon. Conclusion Deacetylation and mechanical refining process options combined with low acid, low severity pretreatments show improvements in ethanol yields and calculated MESP for cellulosic ethanol production. PMID:22967479

Bio-ethanol Production from Green Onion by Yeast in Repeated Batch.

PubMed

Robati, Reza

2013-09-01

Considered to be the cleanest liquid fuel, bio-ethanol can be a reliable alternative to fossil fuels. It is produced by fermentation of sugar components of plant materials. The common onions are considered to be a favorable source of fermentation products as they have high sugar contents as well as contain various nutrients. This study focused on the effective production of ethanol from Green onion (Allium fistulosum L.) by the yeast "Saccharomyces cerevisiae" in repeated batch. The results showed that the total sugar concentration of onion juice was 68.4 g/l. The maximum rate of productivity, ethanol yield and final bio-ethanol percentage was 7 g/l/h (g ethanol per liter of onion juice per hour), 35 g/l (g ethanol per liter of onion juice) and 90 %, respectively.

N-acetylcysteine treatment blocks the development of ethanol-induced behavioural sensitization and related ΔFosB alterations.

PubMed

Morais-Silva, Gessynger; Alves, Gabrielle Cunha; Marin, Marcelo T

2016-11-01

Ethanol addiction is a serious public health problem that still needs more effective pharmacological treatment. A key factor in the development and maintenance of this disease is the advent of neuroadaptations in the mesocorticolimbic brain pathway upon chronic ethanol abuse. In general, these neuroadaptations are maladaptive and affect numerous neurotransmitter systems and intracellular molecules. One of these molecules is ΔFosB, a transcription factor that is altered after chronic drug use. Behavioural sensitization is a useful model for the study of the neuroadaptations related to addiction. Recent works have shown a role for the imbalance of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the symptoms found in addicted people. In this sense, the treatment with N-acetylcysteine, a l-cysteine prodrug that acts by restoring extrasynaptic concentrations of glutamate through the activation of cystine-glutamate antiporter, has shown promising results in the treatment of addiction. Thus, an animal model of behavioural sensitization was used to evaluate the effects of N-acetylcysteine treatment in the behavioural and molecular alterations induced by chronic ethanol administration. Swiss mice were subject to 13 days of daily ethanol administration to induce behavioural sensitization. Two hours before each ethanol administration and locomotor activity evaluation, the animals received intraperitoneally N-acetylcysteine injections. Immediately after the last test session, their brains were removed for ΔFosB and cystine-glutamate antiporter quantification. It was found that N-acetylcysteine treatment blocked ethanol-induced behavioural sensitization, the increase of ΔFosB content in the prefrontal cortex, and its reduction in the nucleus accumbens. The results suggest a possible use of N-acetylcysteine in ethanol-related disorders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Responses to Sorghum bicolor (Poales: Poaceae) Tissues From Lowered Lignin Lines

PubMed Central

Dowd, Patrick F.; Sattler, Scott E.

2015-01-01

The presence of lignin within biomass impedes the production of liquid fuels. Plants with altered lignin content and composition are more amenable to lignocellulosic conversion to ethanol and other biofuels but may be more susceptible to insect damage where lignin is an important resistance factor. However, reduced lignin lines of switchgrasses still retained insect resistance in prior studies. Therefore, we hypothesized that sorghum lines with lowered lignin content will also retain insect resistance. Sorghum excised leaves and stalk pith Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (Poales: Poaceae) from near isogenic brown midrib (bmr) 6 and 12 mutants lines, which have lowered lignin content and increased lignocellulosic ethanol conversion efficiency, were examined for insect resistance relative to wild-type (normal BTx623). Greenhouse and growth chamber grown plant tissues were fed to first-instar larvae of corn earworms, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and fall armyworms Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), two sorghum major pests. Younger bmr leaves had significantly greater feeding damage in some assays than wild-type leaves, but older bmr6 leaves generally had significantly less damage than wild-type leaves. Caterpillars feeding on the bmr6 leaves often weighed significantly less than those feeding on wild-type leaves, especially in the S. frugiperda assays. Larvae fed the pith from bmr stalks had significantly higher mortality compared with those larvae fed on wild-type pith, which suggested that bmr pith was more toxic. Thus, reducing lignin content or changing subunit composition of bioenergy grasses does not necessarily increase their susceptibility to insects and may result in increased resistance, which would contribute to sustainable production. PMID:25601946

High-shear, jet-cooking, and alkali treatment of corn distillers' dried grains to obtain products with enhanced protein, oil and phenolic antioxidants.

PubMed

Inglett, G E; Chen, D; Rose, D J; Berhow, M

2010-08-01

Distillers dried grains (DDG) have potential to be a nutritionally important source of protein, oil and phenolic antioxidants. DDG was subjected to high-shear and jet-cooking, with or without alkaline pH adjustment and autoclaving. Soluble and insoluble fractions were analyzed for protein, oil and ash. Extracts were analyzed for phenolic acids and antioxidant activity. Protein contents were significantly elevated in the insoluble fractions after treatment and the oil content was drastically increased in the insoluble fraction after high-shear and jet-cooking without pH adjustment. Alkaline pH adjustment resulted in a soluble fraction that was highest in phenolic acids, but not antioxidant activity. The highest antioxidant activity was found in the 50% ethanol extract from DDG that had been subjected to high-shear and jet-cooking. These results suggest that high-shear and jet-cooking may be useful processing treatments to increase the value of DDG by producing fractions high in protein, oil and extractable phenolic acids with high antioxidant activity. The DDG fractions and extracts described herein may be useful as food and nutraceutical ingredients, and, if used for these applications, will increase the value of DDG and ease economic burdens on ethanol producers, allowing them to compete in the bio-fuel marketplace.

Effect of anhydrous ethanol/gasoline blends on performance and exhaust emissions of spark-ignited non-road engines.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Camilo Bastos; Martins, Kelly Geronazzo; Gueri, Matheus Vitor Diniz; Pavanello, Guilherme Pozzobom; Schirmer, Waldir Nagel

2018-06-12

Ethanol is a renewable fuel and it is considered an alternative to gasoline in Otto-cycle engines. The present study evaluated the behavior of exhaustion gas carbon monoxide (CO) and total hydrocarbons (THC) according to the levels of anhydrous ethyl alcohol (AEA) added to gasoline in different proportions (E0, E10, E20, E27, that is, pure gasoline and its blends with AEA at 10, 20, and 27% v/v) in the use of non-road single cylinder engines of different powers (13 and 6.5 hp), to the loads applied to engine-generators and the air-fuel ratio (A/F) admitted to the engine cylinders. Also, the performance of engine-generators was verified in terms of mass, specific and energetic consumption and efficiency of the evaluated systems for the same blends and loads. The results showed that an increase in the AEA content in the blend resulted in significant drops in CO and THC concentrations for both engine-generators, while fuel consumption showed a slight upward trend; the increases in applied loads resulted in an increase in CO and THC concentrations and fuel consumption. In general, a higher AEA content (oxygenated) in the blends had a greater effect on gaseous emissions compared to the effect on consumption and system efficiency.

Antioxidant mechanism is involved in the gastroprotective effects of ozonized sunflower oil in ethanol-induced ulcers in rats.

PubMed

Zamora Rodríguez, Zullyt B; González Alvarez, Ricardo; Guanche, Dailén; Merino, Nelson; Hernández Rosales, Frank; Menéndez Cepero, Silvia; Alonso González, Yaima; Schulz, Siegfried

2007-01-01

This research was performed in order to determine the potential protective effects of ozonized sunflower oil (OSO) in the injury of rat gastric mucosa induced by absolute ethanol and as well as to elucidate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, and some important constituents of antioxidant defense such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) in these effects. OSO was administered to rats intragastrically by a cannula and it was applied during four days to animals. The doses of OSO administered daily to each group of rats were 4, 12, and 24 mg/kg, respectively, and one hour after the last treatment, absolute ethanol (1 mL/200 mg body weight) was administered. Our results showed that gastric ulcer index was significantly reduced in rats pretreated with OSO as compared with ethanol-treated controls. However, in rats pretreated with OSO, no significant reduction of TBARS content in gastric mucosa was found as compared to those rats treated with ethanol alone. In contrast, SOD and GSH-Px activities were significantly increased in gastric mucosa of OSO-pretreated rats with respect to those treated with ethanol alone. In summary, our results demonstrate that OSO pretreatment exerts protective effects in ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Furthermore, these results provide evidence that these protective effects of OSO are mediated at least partially by stimulation of some important antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and GSH-Px, which are scavengers of ROS and therefore prevent gastric injury induced by them.

Antioxidant Mechanism is Involved in the Gastroprotective Effects of Ozonized Sunflower Oil in Ethanol-Induced Ulcers in Rats

PubMed Central

Rodríguez, Zullyt B. Zamora; Álvarez, Ricardo González; Guanche, Dailén; Merino, Nelson; Rosales, Frank Hernández; Cepero, Silvia Menéndez; González, Yaima Alonso; Schulz, Siegfried

2007-01-01

This research was performed in order to determine the potential protective effects of ozonized sunflower oil (OSO) in the injury of rat gastric mucosa induced by absolute ethanol and as well as to elucidate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, and some important constituents of antioxidant defense such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) in these effects. OSO was administered to rats intragastrically by a cannula and it was applied during four days to animals. The doses of OSO administered daily to each group of rats were 4, 12, and 24 mg/kg, respectively, and one hour after the last treatment, absolute ethanol (1 mL/200 mg body weight) was administered. Our results showed that gastric ulcer index was significantly reduced in rats pretreated with OSO as compared with ethanol-treated controls. However, in rats pretreated with OSO, no significant reduction of TBARS content in gastric mucosa was found as compared to those rats treated with ethanol alone. In contrast, SOD and GSH-Px activities were significantly increased in gastric mucosa of OSO-pretreated rats with respect to those treated with ethanol alone. In summary, our results demonstrate that OSO pretreatment exerts protective effects in ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Furthermore, these results provide evidence that these protective effects of OSO are mediated at least partially by stimulation of some important antioxidant enzymes such as SOD and GSH-Px, which are scavengers of ROS and therefore prevent gastric injury induced by them. PMID:17497036

Reducing bacterial contamination in fuel ethanol fermentations by ozone treatment of uncooked corn mash.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Mary L; Koziel, Jacek A; Jane, Jay-lin; Pometto, Anthony L

2015-06-03

Ozonation of uncooked corn mash from the POET BPX process was investigated as a potential disinfection method for reducing bacterial contamination prior to ethanol fermentation. Corn mash (200 g) was prepared from POET ground corn and POET corn slurry and was ozonated in 250 mL polypropylene bottles. Lactic and acetic acid levels were monitored daily during the fermentation of ozonated, aerated, and nontreated corn mash samples to evaluate bacterial activity. Glycerol and ethanol contents of fermentation samples were checked daily to assess yeast activity. No yeast supplementation, no addition of other antimicrobial agents (such as antibiotics), and spiking with a common lactic acid bacterium found in corn ethanol plants, Lactobacillus plantarum, amplified the treatment effects. The laboratory-scale ozone dosages ranged from 26-188 mg/L, with very low estimated costs of $0.0008-0.006/gal ($0.21-1.6/m(3)) of ethanol. Ozonation was found to decrease the initial pH of ground corn mash samples, which could reduce the sulfuric acid required to adjust the pH prior to ethanol fermentation. Lactic and acetic acid levels tended to be lower for samples subjected to increasing ozone dosages, indicating less bacterial activity. The lower ozone dosages in the range applied achieved higher ethanol yields. Preliminary experiments on ozonating POET corn slurry at low ozone dosages were not as effective as using POET ground corn, possibly because corn slurry samples contained recycled antimicrobials from the backset. The data suggest additional dissolved and suspended organic materials from the backset consumed the ozone or shielded the bacteria.

Genetic and physical fine mapping of the novel brown midrib gene bm6 in maize to a 180 kb region on chromosome 2

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Brown midrib mutants in maize are known to be associated with reduced lignin content and increased cell wall digestibility, which leads to better forage quality and higher efficiency of cellulosic biomass conversion into ethanol. Four well known brown midrib mutants, named bm1-4, were identified sev...

Synthesis of mesoporous SAPO-34 molecular sieves and their applications in dehydration of butanols and ethanol.

PubMed

Jun, Jong Won; Jeon, Jaewoo; Kim, Chul-Ung; Jeong, Kwang-Eun; Jeong, Soon-Yong; Jhung, Sung Hwa

2013-04-01

Microporous SAPO-34 molecular sieves were hydrothermally synthesized with microwave irradiation in the presence of tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAOH) as a template. SAPO-34 molecular sieves with mesoporosity were also prepared in the presence of carbon black as a hard template. By increasing the content of the carbon black template in the synthesis, the mesopore volume increased. Dehydration of alcohols (butanols and ethanol) was carried out with the synthesized SAPO-34 molecular sieves, and the lifetime of the catalysts for the dehydration reaction increased as the mesoporosity increased. Moreover, the performance of the microporous catalyst synthesized with microwave was better than that of the catalyst obtained with conventional electric heating. The relative performance of the catalytic dehydration may be explained by the mesoporosity and the crystal size. Therefore, it may be concluded that small-sized SAPO-34 molecular sieves with high mesoporosity can be produced efficiently with microwave irradiation in the presence of carbon black template, and the molecular sieves are effective in the stable dehydration of alcohols.

Effect of halotolerant starter microorganisms on chemical characteristics of fermented chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) sauce.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, Shuji; Kurihara, Hideyuki; Kawai, Yuji; Yamazaki, Koji; Tanaka, Akira; Nishikiori, Takafumi; Ohta, Tomoki

2010-05-26

Chum salmon sauce mash was inoculated with barley koji (barley steamed and molded with Aspergillus oryzae ) and halotolerant microorganisms (HTMs), Zygosaccharomyces rouxii , Candida versatilis , and Tetragenococcus halophilus , in nine different combinations under non-aseptic conditions similar to the industrial fish sauce production and fermented at 35 +/- 2.5 degrees C for 84 days. The changes in the chemical components, color, and sensory properties during fermentation were investigated. Free amino acid content was increased, and the browning of fish sauce was enhanced by the usage of barley koji during fermentation. The halotolerant yeast (HTY) produced ethanol and repressed the browning by consumption of reducing sugar. Inoculated Z. rouxii in the fish sauce mash produced 2-phenylethanol (2-PE) and 4-hydoxy-2(or 5)-ethyl-5(or 2)-methyl-3(2H)-furanone (HEMF), and C. versatilis in the fish sauce mash produced 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG), known as characteristic flavor compounds in soy sauce, adding soy-sauce-like flavor to the fish sauce. Thus, inoculation of HTMs and barley koji was effective for conferring the soy-sauce-like flavor and increasing free amino acid and ethanol contents in fish sauce product.

Effect of Microwave-Assisted Extraction on the Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Blackthorn Flowers.

PubMed

Lovrić, Vanja; Putnik, Predrag; Kovačević, Danijela Bursać; Jukić, Marijana; Dragović-Uzelac, Verica

2017-06-01

This research was undertaken to investigate the influence of extraction parameters during microwave-assisted extraction on total phenolic content, total flavonoids, total hydroxycinnamic acids and total flavonols of blackthorn flowers as well as to evaluate the antioxidant capacity by two different methods (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging capacity and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays). The investigated extraction parameters were: solvent type and volume fraction of alcohol in solvent (50 and 70% aqueous solutions of ethanol and methanol), extraction time (5, 15 and 25 min) and extraction temperature (40, 50 and 60 °C) controlled by microwave power of 100, 200 and 300 W. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to evaluate the differences at a 95% confidence level (p≤0.05). The obtained results show that aqueous solution of ethanol was more appropriate solvent for extraction of phenolic compounds (total flavonoids, total hydroxycinnamic acids and total flavonols) than aqueous solution of methanol. The amount of phenolic compounds was higher in 70% aqueous solution of ethanol or methanol, while higher antioxidant capacity was observed in 50% aqueous solution of methanol. Higher temperature of extraction improved the amount of phenolic compounds and also antioxidant capacity determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging capacity assay. Extensive duration of extraction (15- to 25-minute interval) has a significant effect only on the increase of total phenolic content, while specific phenolic compound content and antioxidant capacity were the highest when microwave extraction time of 5 min was applied.

Chronic ethanol consumption disrupts diurnal rhythms of hepatic glycogen metabolism in mice

PubMed Central

Udoh, Uduak S.; Swain, Telisha M.; Filiano, Ashley N.; Gamble, Karen L.; Young, Martin E.

2015-01-01

Chronic ethanol consumption has been shown to significantly decrease hepatic glycogen content; however, the mechanisms responsible for this adverse metabolic effect are unknown. In this study, we examined the impact chronic ethanol consumption has on time-of-day-dependent oscillations (rhythms) in glycogen metabolism processes in the liver. For this, male C57BL/6J mice were fed either a control or ethanol-containing liquid diet for 5 wk, and livers were collected every 4 h for 24 h and analyzed for changes in various genes and proteins involved in hepatic glycogen metabolism. Glycogen displayed a robust diurnal rhythm in the livers of mice fed the control diet, with the peak occurring during the active (dark) period of the day. The diurnal glycogen rhythm was significantly altered in livers of ethanol-fed mice, with the glycogen peak shifted into the inactive (light) period and the overall content of glycogen decreased compared with controls. Chronic ethanol consumption further disrupted diurnal rhythms in gene expression (glycogen synthase 1 and 2, glycogenin, glucokinase, protein targeting to glycogen, and pyruvate kinase), total and phosphorylated glycogen synthase protein, and enzyme activities of glycogen synthase and glycogen phosphorylase, the rate-limiting enzymes of glycogen metabolism. In summary, these results show for the first time that chronic ethanol consumption disrupts diurnal rhythms in hepatic glycogen metabolism at the gene and protein level. Chronic ethanol-induced disruption in these daily rhythms likely contributes to glycogen depletion and disruption of hepatic energy homeostasis, a recognized risk factor in the etiology of alcoholic liver disease. PMID:25857999

Eurycoma longifolia in Radix for the treatment of ethanol-induced gastric lesion in rats.

PubMed

Qodriyah, H M S; Asmadi, A Y

2013-12-01

The effect of treatment with Radix on ethanol-induced gastric lesions was investigated. The main ingredient of Radix is Eurycoma longifolia. Twenty-four rats of the Sprague-Dawley species were randomly divided into four groups. Three groups were given 0.5 mL 100% ethanol orally. Another group was used as a control and was given only distilled water orally (control). After 6 h all the rats were fed with normal diet. One group that was administered with ethanol was only given distilled water orally (no treatment). Another two groups that were administered with ethanol were treated with oral Radix 0.128 mg g(-1) b.wt. (Radix) and oral ranitidine 21.4 mg kg(-1) b.wt. (Ranitidine), respectively. After one week, all the rats were fasted overnight and sacrificed. The stomach was isolated and examined for the presence and severity of gastric lesions. Measurements for malondialdehyde content and gastric acid concentration were also done. It is found that the ulcer index was lower in the Radix and ranitidine group compared to the no treatment group whereas in the control group there was no lesion. There was no difference in ulcer index between the Radix and ranitidine group. The gastric MDA content was significantly higher in all the groups that were induced with ethanol compared to the control group but no difference between all the ethanol-induced groups. There was no difference in the gastric acid concentration in all groups. Hence it is concluded that Eurycoma longifolia in Radix is as effective as ranitidine in the treatment of ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats.

Characterization of metal and trace element contents of particulate matter (PM10) emitted by vehicles running on Brazilian fuels-hydrated ethanol and gasoline with 22% of anhydrous ethanol.

PubMed

Ferreira da Silva, Moacir; Vicente de Assunção, João; de Fátima Andrade, Maria; Pesquero, Célia R

2010-01-01

Emission of fine particles by mobile sources has been a matter of great concern due to its potential risk both to human health and the environment. Although there is no evidence that one sole component may be responsible for the adverse health outcomes, it is postulated that the metal particle content is one of the most important factors, mainly in relation to oxidative stress. Data concerning the amount and type of metal particles emitted by automotive vehicles using Brazilian fuels are limited. The aim of this study was to identify inhalable particles (PM(10)) and their trace metal content in two light-duty vehicles where one was fueled with ethanol while the other was fueled with gasoline mixed with 22% of anhydrous ethanol (gasohol); these engines were tested on a chassis dynamometer. The elementary composition of the samples was evaluated by the particle-induced x-ray emission technique. The experiment showed that total emission factors ranged from 2.5 to 11.8 mg/km in the gasohol vehicle, and from 1.2 to 3 mg/km in the ethanol vehicle. The majority of particles emitted were in the fine fraction (PM(2.5)), in which Al, Si, Ca, and Fe corresponded to 80% of the total weight. PM(10) emissions from the ethanol vehicle were about threefold lower than those of gasohol. The elevated amount of fine particulate matter is an aggravating factor, considering that these particles, and consequently associated metals, readily penetrate deeply into the respiratory tract, producing damage to lungs and other tissues.

Effects of cold temperature and ethanol content on VOC ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Emissions of speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including mobile source air toxics (MSATs), were measured in vehicle exhaust from three light-duty spark ignition vehicles operating on summer and winter grade gasoline (E0) and ethanol blended (E10 and E85) fuels. Vehicle testing was conducted using a three-phase LA92 driving cycle in a temperature-controlled chassis dynamometer at two ambient temperatures (-7 °C and 24 °C). The cold start phase and cold ambient temperature increased VOC and MSAT emissions dramatically by up to several orders of magnitude compared to emissions during other phases and warm ambient temperature testing, respectively. As a result, calculated ozone formation potentials during the cold starts were significantly higher during cold temperature tests by 7 to 21 times the warm temperature values. The use of E85 fuel generally led to substantial reductions in hydrocarbons and increases in oxygenates such as ethanol and acetaldehyde compared to E0 and E10 fuels. However, the VOC emissions from E0 and E10 fuels were not significantly different. Cold temperature effects on cold start MSAT emissions varied by individual MSAT compound, but were consistent over a range of modern spark ignition vehicles. This manuscript communicates APPCD research activities on air toxics VOC emissions from mobile sources from the EPAct dynamometer study. Speciated VOC emissions from light-duty vehicles running on gasoline and ethanol blends at cold tem

Effect of leaf extracts of Taraxacum officinale on CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity in rats, in vivo study.

PubMed

Gulfraz, Muhammad; Ahamd, Dawood; Ahmad, Muhammad Sheeraz; Qureshi, Rehmatullah; Mahmood, Raja Tahir; Jabeen, Nyla; Abbasi, Kashif Sarfraz

2014-07-01

Taraxacum officinale L is a medicinal plant, which has enormous medicinal values against various types of liver disorders and it has traditionally been used for the treatment of liver problems by people from the South East Asia. Previously we have screened the crude methanolic extract of T. officinale against cytotoxicity induced by CCl4. Present study was designed to compare the protective effect of ethanolic and n-hexane extract of leaves in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver toxicity in rats. The extract (200 mg/kg and 400mg/kg body weight) along with silymarin (100 mg/kg) a standard drug was administered to experimental animals. It was observed that ethanolic plant extract has significantly reduced the negative effect of CCl4 as compared to n-hexane extract and effect of extract was increased with increasing dose level. Although both leaf extracts decreased the concentration of TBARS, H2O2 and nitrite contents which enhance due to CCl4 toxicity but effect was higher in ethanolic extract. The results clearly indicated that Taraxacum officinale ethanolic leaves extract has better protective effect against CCl4 induced liver tissues toxicity. This claim was also supported by histopathological results obtained during this study and this might be due to presence of various polar phytochemicals that might be more prevent in this extract.

Chronic alcoholism-mediated metabolic disorders in albino rat testes.

PubMed

Shayakhmetova, Ganna M; Bondarenko, Larysa B; Matvienko, Anatoliy V; Kovalenko, Valentina M

2014-09-01

There is good evidence for impairment of spermatogenesis and reductions in sperm counts and testosterone levels in chronic alcoholics. The mechanisms for these effects have not yet been studied in detail. The consequences of chronic alcohol consumption on the structure and/or metabolism of testis cell macromolecules require to be intensively investigated. The present work reports the effects of chronic alcoholism on contents of free amino acids, levels of cytochrome P450 3A2 (CYP3A2) mRNA expression and DNA fragmentation, as well as on contents of different cholesterol fractions and protein thiol groups in rat testes. Wistar albino male rats were divided into two groups: I - control (intact animals), II - chronic alcoholism (15% ethanol self-administration during 150 days). Following 150 days of alcohol consumption, testicular free amino acid content was found to be significantly changed as compared with control. The most profound changes were registered for contents of lysine (-53%) and methionine (+133%). The intensity of DNA fragmentation in alcohol-treated rat testes was considerably increased, on the contrary CYP3A2 mRNA expression in testis cells was inhibited, testicular contents of total and etherified cholesterol increased by 25% and 45% respectively, and protein SH-groups decreased by 13%. Multidirectional changes of the activities of testicular dehydrogenases were detected. We thus obtained complex assessment of chronic alcoholism effects in male gonads, affecting especially amino acid, protein, ATP and NADPH metabolism. Our results demonstrated profound changes in testes on the level of proteome and genome. We suggest that the revealed metabolic disorders can have negative implication on cellular regulation of spermatogenesis under long-term ethanol exposure.

Phytochemical composition and antioxidant capacity of Cordia dichotoma seeds.

PubMed

Tian, Shuge; Liu, Feng; Zhang, Xuejia; Upur, Halmuart

2014-09-01

This study aims to determine the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of air-dried Cordia dichotoma seeds. Total polyphenolic content was analyzed via the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Total triterpenoid content and amino acids was analyzed colorimetrically. The rosmarinic acid content was examined using high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The ethanolic extracts contained polyphenolic compounds (1.0%), triterpenoids (0.075%), amino acids (1.39%), and rosmarinic acid (0.0028%). The results from this study indicate that C. dichotoma seeds are a rich source of polyphenolic compounds and amino acids, which can be used for quality assessment. The ethanolic extract of C. dichotoma seeds has good antioxidant capacity.

ANALYSIS OF PHENOLIC AND FLAVONOIDS OF WILD EPHEDRA ALATA PLANT EXTRACTS BY LC/PDA AND LC/MS AND THEIR ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY

PubMed Central

Al-Rimawi, Fuad; Abu-Lafi, Saleh; Abbadi, Jehad; Alamarneh, Ayman A.A.; Sawahreh, Raneen A.; Odeh, Imad

2017-01-01

Background: Ephedra is among Palestinian medicinal plants that are traditionally used in folkloric medicine for treating many diseases. Ephedra is known to have antibacterial and antioxidant effects. The goal of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant activity of different extracts from the Ephedra alata plant growing wild in Palestine, and to analyze their phenolic and flavonoid constituents by HPLC/PDA and HPLC/MS. Materials and Methods: Samples of the Ephedra alata plant grown wild in Palestine were extracted with three different solvents namely, 100% water, 80% ethanol, and 100% ethanol. The extracts were analyzed for their total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity (AA), as well as phenolic and flavonoids content by HPLC/PDA/MS. Results: The results revealed that the polarity of the extraction solvent affects the TPC, TFC, and AA of extracts. It was found that both TPC and AA are highest for plant extracted with 80% ethanol, followed by 100% ethanol, and finally with 100% water. TFC however was highest in the following order: 100% ethanol > 80% ethanol > water. Pearson correlation indicated that there is a significant correlation between AA and TPC, but there is no correlation between AA and TFC. Simultaneous HPLC-PDA and UHPLC-MS analysis of the ethanolic plant extracts revealed the presence of Luteolin-7-O-glucuronide flavone, Myricetin 3-rhamnoside and some other major polyphenolic compounds that share myricetin skeleton. Conclusion: Ephedra alata extract is rich in potent falvonoid glycosidic compounds as revealed by their similar overlaid UV-Vis spectra and UHPLC-MS results. On the basis of these findings, it is concluded that Ephedra alata constitutes a natural source of potent antioxidants that may prevent many diseases and could be potentially used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. PMID:28573229

Fuel Economy and Emissions of a Vehicle Equipped with an Aftermarket Flexible-Fuel Conversion Kit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, John F; Huff, Shean P; West, Brian H

2012-04-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants Certificates of Conformity for alternative fuel conversion systems and also offers other forms of premarket registration of conversion kits for use in vehicles more than two model years old. Use of alternative fuels such as ethanol, natural gas, and propane are encouraged by the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) produce emissions-certified vehicles capable of using alternative fuels, and several alternative fuel conversion system manufacturers produce EPA-approved conversion systems for a variety of alternative fuels and vehicle types. To date, only one manufacturer (Flex Fuel U.S.) has received EPAmore » certifications for ethanol fuel (E85) conversion kits. This report details an independent evaluation of a vehicle with a legal installation of a Flex Fuel U.S. conversion kit. A 2006 Dodge Charger was baseline tested with ethanol-free certification gasoline (E0) and E20 (gasoline with 20 vol % ethanol), converted to flex-fuel operation via installation of a Flex Box Smart Kit from Flex Fuel U.S., and retested with E0, E20, E50, and E81. Test cycles included the Federal Test Procedure (FTP or city cycle), the highway fuel economy test (HFET), and the US06 test (aggressive driving test). Averaged test results show that the vehicle was emissions compliant on E0 in the OEM condition (before conversion) and compliant on all test fuels after conversion. Average nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions exceeded the Tier 2/Bin 5 intermediate life NO{sub X} standard with E20 fuel in the OEM condition due to two of three test results exceeding this standard [note that E20 is not a legal fuel for non-flexible-fuel vehicles (non-FFVs)]. In addition, one E0 test result before conversion and one E20 test result after conversion exceeded the NOX standard, although the average result in these two cases was below the standard. Emissions of ethanol and acetaldehyde increased with increasing ethanol, while nonmethane organic gas and CO emissions remained relatively unchanged for all fuels and cycles. Higher fraction ethanol blends appeared to decrease NO{sub X} emissions on the FTP and HFET (after conversion). As expected, fuel economy (miles per gallon) decreased with increasing ethanol content in all cases.« less

Expression of a mutated SPT15 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae enhances both cell growth and ethanol production in microaerobic batch, fed-batch, and simultaneous saccharification and fermentations.

PubMed

Seong, Yeong-Je; Park, Haeseong; Yang, Jungwoo; Kim, Soo-Jung; Choi, Wonja; Kim, Kyoung Heon; Park, Yong-Cheol

2017-05-01

The SPT15 gene encodes a Saccharomyces cerevisiae TATA-binding protein, which is able to globally control the transcription levels of various metabolic and regulatory genes. In this study, a SPT15 gene mutant (S42N, S78R, S163P, and I212N) was expressed in S. cerevisiae BY4741 (BSPT15-M3), of which effects on fermentative yeast properties were evaluated in a series of culture types. By applying different nitrogen sources and air supply conditions in batch culture, organic nitrogen sources and microaerobic condition were decided to be more favorable for both cell growth and ethanol production of the BSPT15-M3 strain than the control S. cerevisiae BY4741 strain expressing the SPT15 gene (BSPT15wt). Microaerobic fed-batch cultures of BSPT15-M3 with glucose shock in the presence of high ethanol content resulted in a 9.5-13.4% higher glucose consumption rate and ethanol productivity than those for the BSPT15wt strain. In addition, BSPT15-M3 showed 4.5 and 3.9% increases in ethanol productivity from cassava hydrolysates and corn starch in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation processes, respectively. It was concluded that overexpression of the mutated SPT15 gene would be a potent strategy to develop robust S. cerevisiae strains with enhanced cell growth and ethanol production abilities.

[Study on extraction process of Radix Bupleuri].

PubMed

Zhao, Lei; Liu, Benliang; Wu, Fuxiang; Tao, Lanping; Liu, Jian

2004-10-01

The orthogonal design was used to optimize extraction process of Radix Bupleuri with content of total saponin and yield of the extract as markers. Factors that have been chosen were ethanol concentration, ethanol consumption, extraction times and extraction time. Each factor had three levels. The result showed that the optimum extraction condition was 80% ethanol, 4 times the amount of material, refluxing for 4 times, 60 minutes each time. The optimized process was stable and workable.

Investigating the potential of under-utilised plants from the Asteraceae family as a source of natural antimicrobial and antioxidant extracts.

PubMed

Kenny, O; Smyth, T J; Walsh, D; Kelleher, C T; Hewage, C M; Brunton, N P

2014-10-15

Antimicrobial properties of ethanol and water extracts from eight Asteraceae species were investigated against three Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA and Bacillus cereus) and two Gram negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium) bacterial strains. Ethanol extracts from Centaurea scabiosa, Arctium minus, Taraxacum officinale, Centaurea nigra and Cirsium palustre demonstrated antimicrobial activity against strains of S. aureus, MRSA and B. cereus (MIC=187.5-365μg/ml). Ethanol extracts also had higher antioxidant activities and phenolic content demonstrating a link between these compounds and the bioactivity of these extracts. Further investigation into the phenolic content of ethanol extracts using UPLC-MS/MS lead to the identification and quantification of numerous phenolic compounds in all species including; 18 from Cirsium arvense, 16 from Cirsium vulgare, 19 from C. palustre, 15 from C. nigra, 17 from C. scabiosa, 14 from Sonchus asper, 17 from A. minus and 11 from T. officinale. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of hardwood species on production cost of second generation ethanol.

PubMed

Santos, Ricardo B; Treasure, Trevor; Gonzalez, Ronalds; Phillips, Richard; Lee, Jung Myoung; Jameel, Hasan; Chang, Hou-min

2012-08-01

The present work targeted the understanding of the influence of nine different hardwood species as feedstock on ethanol production yield and costs. It was found that the minimum ethanol revenue (MER) ($ per gallon to the producer) to achieve a 12% internal rate of return (IRR) on invested capital was smaller for low lignin content samples and the influence of species characteristics remained restricted to high residual lignin content. We show that if the pretreatment being applied to the feedstock targets or is limited to low lignin removal, one can expect the species to have a significant impact on overall economics, playing important role to project success. This study also showed a variation of up to 40% in relative MER among hardwood species, where maple, globulus and sweet gum varied the least. Sensitivity analysis showed ethanol yield per ton of feedstock had the largest influence in MER, followed by CAPEX. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability of monacolin K and citrinin and biochemical characterization of red-koji vinegar during fermentation.

PubMed

Hsieh, Chia-Wen; Lu, Yi-Ru; Lin, Shu-Mei; Lai, Tzu-Yuan; Chiou, Robin Y-Y

2013-07-31

Red-koji vinegar is a Monascus -involved and acetic acid fermentation-derived traditional product, in which the presence of monacolin K and citrinin has attracted public attention. In this study, red-koji wine was prepared as the substrate and artificially supplemented with monacolin K and citrinin and subjected to vinegar fermentation with Acetobacter starter. After 30 days of fermentation, 43.0 and 98.1% of the initial supplements of monacolin K and citrinin were decreased, respectively. During fermentation, acetic acid contents increased, accompanied by decreases of ethanol and lactic acid contents and pH values. The contents of free amino acids increased while the contents of other organic acids, including fumaric acid, citric acid, succinic acid, and tartaric acid, changed limitedly. Besides, increased levels of total phenolics in accordance with increased antioxidative potency, α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl scavenging, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory (XOI) activities were detected. It is of merit that most citrinin was eliminated and >50% of the monacolin K was retained; contents of free amino acids and total phenolics along with antioxidant and XOI activities of the red-koji vinegar were increased after fermentation.

Opuntia ficus-indica cladodes as feedstock for ethanol production by Kluyveromyces marxianus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Kuloyo, Olukayode O; du Preez, James C; García-Aparicio, Maria del Prado; Kilian, Stephanus G; Steyn, Laurinda; Görgens, Johann

2014-12-01

The feasibility of ethanol production using an enzymatic hydrolysate of pretreated cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear cactus) as carbohydrate feedstock was investigated, including a comprehensive chemical analysis of the cladode biomass and the effects of limited aeration on the fermentation profiles and sugar utilization. The low xylose and negligible mannose content of the cladode biomass used in this study suggested that the hemicellulose structure of the O. ficus-indica cladode was atypical of hardwood or softwood hemicelluloses. Separate hydrolysis and fermentation and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation procedures using Kluyveromyces marxianus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 40 and 35 °C, respectively, gave similar ethanol yields under non-aerated conditions. In oxygen-limited cultures K. marxianus exhibited almost double the ethanol productivity compared to non-aerated cultures, although after sugar depletion utilization of the produced ethanol was evident. Ethanol concentrations of up to 19.5 and 20.6 g l(-1) were obtained with K. marxianus and S. cerevisiae, respectively, representing 66 and 70 % of the theoretical yield on total sugars in the hydrolysate. Because of the low xylan content of the cladode biomass, a yeast capable of xylose fermentation might not be a prerequisite for ethanol production. K. marxianus, therefore, has potential as an alternative to S. cerevisiae for bioethanol production. However, the relatively low concentration of fermentable sugars in the O. ficus-indica cladode hydrolysate presents a technical constraint for commercial exploitation.

Flavonoids, Phenolics, and Antioxidant Capacity in the Flower of Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.

PubMed Central

Zhou, Chunhua; Sun, Chongde; Chen, Kunsong; Li, Xian

2011-01-01

Flavonoids and phenolics are abundant in loquat flowers. Methanol had the highest extraction efficiency among five solvents, followed by ethanol. Considering the safety and residue, ethanol is better as extraction solvent. The average content of flavonoids and phenolics of loquat flower of five cultivars were 1.59 ± 0.24 and 7.86 ± 0.87 mg/g DW, respectively, when using ethanol as extraction solvent. The contents of both bioactive components in flowers at different developmental stages and in the various flower tissues clearly differed, with the highest flavonoids and phenolics content in flowers of stage 3 (flower fully open) and petal, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was measured using FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS methods. The values of ABTS method was highest, followed by DPPH, the lowest was FRAP, when using vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity (VCEAC) as unit. Correlation analysis showed that the ABTS method showed the highest correlation coefficients with flavonoids and phenolics, i.e., 0.886 and 0.973, respectively. PMID:21686159

A rapid method for simultaneously determining ethanol and methanol content in wines by full evaporation headspace gas chromatography.

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Yun; Lin, Neng-Biao; Chai, Xin-Sheng; Zhong-Li; Barnes, Donald G

2015-09-15

This work reports on a full evaporation headspace gas chromatographic (FE HS-GC) method for simultaneously determining the ethanol (EtOH) and methanol (MeOH) content in wines. A small sample (10μL) was placed in a headspace sample vial, and a near-complete mass transfer of ethanol and methanol from the liquid sample to the vapor phase was obtained within three minutes at a temperature of 105°C, which allowed the measurement of the EtOH and MeOH content in the sample by GC. The results showed excellent precision and accuracy, as shown by the reproducibilities of 1.02% and 2.11% for EtOH and MeOH, respectively, and recoveries that ranged from 96.1% to 104% for both alcohols. The method is efficient, accurate and suitable for the determination of EtOH and MeOH in wine production and quality control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Total body water and lean body mass estimated by ethanol dilution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loeppky, J. A.; Myhre, L. G.; Venters, M. D.; Luft, U. C.

1977-01-01

A method for estimating total body water (TBW) using breath analyses of blood ethanol content is described. Regression analysis of ethanol concentration curves permits determination of a theoretical concentration that would have existed if complete equilibration had taken place immediately upon ingestion of the ethanol; the water fraction of normal blood may then be used to calculate TBW. The ethanol dilution method is applied to 35 subjects, and comparison with a tritium dilution method of determining TBW indicates that the correlation between the two procedures is highly significant. Lean body mass and fat fraction were determined by hydrostatic weighing, and these data also prove compatible with results obtained from the ethanol dilution method. In contrast to the radioactive tritium dilution method, the ethanol dilution method can be repeated daily with its applicability ranging from diseased individuals to individuals subjected to thermal stress, strenuous exercise, water immersion, or the weightless conditions of space flights.

[Optimization of fuel ethanol production from kitchen waste by Plackett-Burman design].

PubMed

Ma, Hong-Zhi; Gong, Li-Juan; Wang, Qun-Hui; Zhang, Wen-Yu; Xu, Wen-Long

2008-05-01

Kitchen garbage was chosen to produce ethanol through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) by Zymomonas mobilis. Plackett-Burman design was employed to screen affecting parameters during SSF process. The parameters were divided into two parts, enzymes and nutritions. None of the nutritions added showed significant effect during the experiment, which demonstrated that the kitchen garbage could meet the requirement of the microorganism without extra supplementation. Protease and glucoamylase were determined to be affecting factors for ethanol production. Single factor experiment showed that the optimum usage of these two enzymes were both 100 U/g and the corresponding maximum ethanol was determined to be 53 g/L. The ethanol yield could be as high as 44%. The utilization of kitchen garbage to produce ethanol could reduce threaten of waste as well as improve the protein content of the spent. This method could save the ethanol production cost and benefit for the recycle of kitchen garbage.

[Study on antioxidative activities of Psidium guajava Linn leaves extracts].

PubMed

Wang, Bo; Jiao, Shirong; Liu, Hengchuan; Hong, Junrong

2007-05-01

To study the antioxidative activities of the extracts from Psidium guajava Linn leaves (PGL). The PGL was submersed with distilled water, 65% ethanol and 95% ethanol respectively. The 3 extracts were obtained after the solutions were filtered, concentrated and dried. The scavenging rate to hydroxyl radicals and inhibiting rate to lipid peroxidation were analyzed for the 3 extracts. Their contents of total flavonoids were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, and the components of total flavonoids were primarily identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrometry (UV). The extracts from distilled water, 65% ethanol and 95% ethanol respectively showed effects on scavenging hydroxyl radicals and inhibiting lipid peroxidation in the dose-dependent manner, had 50% effective concentration (EC50) on scavenging hydroxyl radicals of 0.63, 0.47 and 0.58g/L, had EC50 on inhibiting lipid peroxidation of 0.20, 0.035, 0.18g/L and had total flavonoids contents of 3.28, 30.71 and 55.98g/kg respectively. The aquatic and the ethanol extracts from PGL possess the potential antioxidative activities in the study. The flavonoids may be one of their antioxidative components.

Antioxidant property of aerial parts and root of Phyllanthus fraternus Webster, an important medicinal plant.

PubMed

Upadhyay, Richa; Chaurasia, Jitendra Kumar; Tiwari, Kavindra Nath; Singh, Karuna

2014-01-01

In present study free radical scavenging potential of aerial parts and root of Phyllanthus fraternus was investigated. Extraction was done in water and ethanol. Total antioxidant capacity was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging method; ethanolic extract of aerial part was most potent in activity with 50% inhibition at 258 μg/mL concentration. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) was measured in terms of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) by using egg-yolk homogenates as lipid-rich media with EC₅₀ of aerial part (ethanolic) 1522 μg/mL which was found to be most active. Superoxide (SO) radical scavenging activity was measured using riboflavin-light-nitroblue tetrazolium assay. Ethanolic and aqueous extract of both aerial part and root was almost similar in superoxide radical scavenging activity. Reducing power was determined on the basis of Fe³⁺-Fe⁺ transformation in the presence of extract. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also measured by spectroscopic method. Results showed that the ethanolic fraction of aerial part is most active towards antioxidant potential and this activity is related to its polyphenolic content and reducing potential. Thus, P. fraternus extract can be used as potent natural antioxidant.

Continuous high-solids corn liquefaction and fermentation with stripping of ethanol.

PubMed

Taylor, Frank; Marquez, Marco A; Johnston, David B; Goldberg, Neil M; Hicks, Kevin B

2010-06-01

Removal of ethanol from the fermentor during fermentation can increase productivity and reduce the costs for dewatering the product and coproduct. One approach is to recycle the fermentor contents through a stripping column, where a non-condensable gas removes ethanol to a condenser. Previous research showed that this approach is feasible. Savings of $0.03 per gallon were predicted at 34% corn dry solids. Greater savings were predicted at higher concentration. Now the feasibility has been demonstrated at over 40% corn dry solids, using a continuous corn liquefaction system. A pilot plant, that continuously fed corn meal at more than one bushel (25 kg) per day, was operated for 60 consecutive days, continuously converting 95% of starch and producing 88% of the maximum theoretical yield of ethanol. A computer simulation was used to analyze the results. The fermentation and stripping systems were not significantly affected when the CO(2) stripping gas was partially replaced by nitrogen or air, potentially lowering costs associated with the gas recycle loop. It was concluded that previous estimates of potential cost savings are still valid. (c) 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acute Toxicity and Gastroprotection Studies with a Newly Synthesized Steroid

PubMed Central

A. Ketuly, Kamal; A. Hadi, A. Hamid; Golbabapour, Shahram; Hajrezaie, Maryam; Hassandarvish, Pouya; Ali, Hapipah Mohd; Majid, Nazia Abdul; Abdulla, Mahmood A.

2013-01-01

Background Synthetic steroids, such as 9α-bromobeclomethasonedipropionate, have shown gastroprotective activity. For example, the potent glucocorticoid steroid, beclomethasone dipropionate, has been used for treatment of bowel ulcerations. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a synthetic steroid, (20S)-22-acetoxymethyl-6β-methoxy-3α,5-dihydro-3′H-cyclopropa[3α,5]-5α-pregnane (AMDCP), on ethanol-induced gastric mucosa injuries in rats. Methodology/Principal Finding Rats were divided into 8 groups. The negative control and ethanol control groups were administered Tween 20 (10%v/v) orally. The reference control group, 20 mg/kg omeprazole (10% Tween 20, 5 mL/kg), was administrated orally. The experimental groups received 1, 5, 10, 15 or 20 mg/kg of the AMDCP compound (10% Tween 20, 5 mL/kg). After 60 min, Tween 20 and absolute ethanol was given orally (5 mL/kg) to the negative control group and to the rest of the groups, and the rats were sacrificed an hour later. The acidity of gastric content, gastric wall mucus and areas of mucosal lesions were assessed. In addition, histology and immunohistochemistry of the gastric wall were assessed. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were also measured. The ethanol control group exhibited severe mucosal lesion compared with the experimental groups with fewer mucosal lesions along with a reduction of edema and leukocyte infiltration. Immunohistochemical staining of Hsp70 and Bax proteins showed over-expression and under-expression, respectively, in the experimental groups. The experimental groups also exhibited high levels of PGE2 as well as a reduced amount of MDA. AMDCP decreased the acidity and lipid peroxidation and increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes. Conclusion/Significance The current investigation evaluated the gastroprotective effects of AMDCP on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesions in rats. This study also suggests that AMDCP might be useful as a gastroprotective agent. PMID:23516624

Acute toxicity and gastroprotection studies with a newly synthesized steroid.

PubMed

Ketuly, Kamal A; Hadi, A Hamid A; Golbabapour, Shahram; Hajrezaie, Maryam; Hassandarvish, Pouya; Ali, Hapipah Mohd; Abdul Majid, Nazia; Abdulla, Mahmood A

2013-01-01

Synthetic steroids, such as 9α-bromobeclomethasonedipropionate, have shown gastroprotective activity. For example, the potent glucocorticoid steroid, beclomethasone dipropionate, has been used for treatment of bowel ulcerations. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a synthetic steroid, (20S)-22-acetoxymethyl-6β-methoxy-3α,5-dihydro-3'H-cyclopropa[3α,5]-5α-pregnane (AMDCP), on ethanol-induced gastric mucosa injuries in rats. Rats were divided into 8 groups. The negative control and ethanol control groups were administered Tween 20 (10%v/v) orally. The reference control group, 20 mg/kg omeprazole (10% Tween 20, 5 mL/kg), was administrated orally. The experimental groups received 1, 5, 10, 15 or 20 mg/kg of the AMDCP compound (10% Tween 20, 5 mL/kg). After 60 min, Tween 20 and absolute ethanol was given orally (5 mL/kg) to the negative control group and to the rest of the groups, and the rats were sacrificed an hour later. The acidity of gastric content, gastric wall mucus and areas of mucosal lesions were assessed. In addition, histology and immunohistochemistry of the gastric wall were assessed. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were also measured. The ethanol control group exhibited severe mucosal lesion compared with the experimental groups with fewer mucosal lesions along with a reduction of edema and leukocyte infiltration. Immunohistochemical staining of Hsp70 and Bax proteins showed over-expression and under-expression, respectively, in the experimental groups. The experimental groups also exhibited high levels of PGE2 as well as a reduced amount of MDA. AMDCP decreased the acidity and lipid peroxidation and increased the levels of antioxidant enzymes. The current investigation evaluated the gastroprotective effects of AMDCP on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesions in rats. This study also suggests that AMDCP might be useful as a gastroprotective agent.

Protective Effect of Origanum majorana L. 'Marjoram' on various models of gastric mucosal injury in rats.

PubMed

Al-Howiriny, Tawfeq; Alsheikh, Abdulmalik; Alqasoumi, Saleh; Al-Yahya, Mohammed; ElTahir, Kamal; Rafatullah, Syed

2009-01-01

'Marjoram,' Origanum majorana L., a culinary aromatic medicinal herb is known to possess various therapeutic properties. We evaluated the antiulcerogenic activity of the ethanol extract in hypothermic restraint stress-, indomethacin-, necrotizing agents- (80% ethanol, 25% NaCl and 0.2 M NaOH) induced ulcers and basal gastric acid secretion using pylorus ligated Shay rat-model. Marjoram at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg of body weight, significantly decreased the incidence of ulcers, basal gastric secretion and acid output. Furthermore, the extract replenished the ethanol-induced depleted gastric wall mucus and nonprotein sulfhydryls (NP-SH) contents and significantly lowered the increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA). Ulcer preventing potential was further confirmed by histopathological assessment. An acute toxicity test showed a large margin of safety of the extract in mice. The phytochemical screening of aerial parts of marjoram revealed the presence of volatile oil, flavonoids, tannins, sterols and/or triterpenes.

Pretreatment with ethanol as an alternative to improve steviol glycosides extraction and purification from a new variety of stevia.

PubMed

Formigoni, Maysa; Milani, Paula Gimenez; da Silva Avíncola, Alexandre; Dos Santos, Vanessa Jorge; Benossi, Livia; Dacome, Antônio Sergio; Pilau, Eduardo Jorge; da Costa, Silvio Claudio

2018-02-15

Leaves of a new variety of Stevia rebaudiana with a high content of rebaudioside A were pretreated with ethanol. The ethanolic extract showed high antioxidant potential and 39 compounds were identified, by UPLC/HRMS, among them one not yet mentioned in the literature for stevia leaves. From the in natura leaves and pretreated leaves, the conditions of aqueous extraction of steviol glycosides were investigated using response surface methodology. The aqueous extracts obtained were purified by ion exchange chromatography techniques and membrane separation methods. The recuperation of steviol glycosides was 4.02g for pretreated leaves and 2.20g for in natura leaves. The level of purity was, respectively, 87% and 84.8%. The results obtained demonstrate that pretreatment increases the yield and purity level of stevia sweeteners by the use of environmentally friendly methodologies and the final product presented acceptable sensory characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in oral ethanol self-administration patterns resulting from ethanol concentration manipulations.

PubMed

Slawecki, C J; Samson, H H

1997-09-01

A variety of initiation procedures have been used to develop oral ethanol consumption. Using the sucrose-substitution procedure, oral self-administration of ethanol-water solutions with ethanol concentrations as high as 40% can be initiated in food- and fluid-sated rats. An important question for these models is the relationship between ethanol concentration and self-administration patterns after initiation. This study examined the differential patterns of ethanol self-administration maintained by a range of ethanol solutions (10 to 30%) over a 5-week period, compared with rats maintained on 10% ethanol for 5 weeks. In 43 male Long Evans rats, the sucrose-substitution procedure was used to initiate responding maintained by 10% ethanol on a Fixed Ratio 4 schedule of reinforcement. The ethanol concentration presented was then increased to 30% in stepwise fashion and then returned to 10% [Ethanol Concentration Manipulation (ECM) group, n = 32], or 10% ethanol was maintained as the reinforcer for 5 weeks [Control (Con) group, n = 11]. Significant increases in ethanol intake and decreases in responding were associated with increased ethanol concentration. Although no overall differences in total session responding were observed in either group between week 1 and week 5 (10E vs. 10E), examination of changes in initial low responders of the ECM group revealed significant increases in responding that were not observed in the initial low responders of the Con group. Significant increases in momentary response rates were observed on both the ECM and Con groups, independent of the ethanol concentration presented. Increases in response rate in the ECM group were the result of increases in initial low rate and high rate responders; however, the increased response rates in the Con group were the result of increases only in the initial low rate responders. These data suggest that the ECM procedure can aid in the initiation of ethanol self-administration and may be particularly useful in rats of heterogeneous stock.

Entropy-driven complex formation of malvidin-3- O-glucoside with common polyphenols in ethanol-water binary solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunsági-Máté, Sándor; Ortmann, Erika; Kollár, László; Nikfardjam, Martin Pour

2008-09-01

The complex formation of malvidin-3- O-glucoside with several polyphenols, the so-called "copigmentation" phenomenon, was studied in aqueous solutions. To simulate the copigmentation process during fermentation, the stability of the formed complexes was examined in dependence of the ethanol content of the aqueous solution. Results indicate that stronger and larger complexes are formed, when the ethanol content exceeds a critical margin of 8 vol.% However, the size of complexes of malvidin/procyanidin and malvidin/epicatechin is drastically reduced above this critical concentration. Fluorescence lifetime and solvent relaxation measurements give insight into the particular processes at molecular level and will help us comprehend the first important steps during winemaking in order to recommend an optimized winemaking technology to ensure extraordinary colour stability in red wines.

How does technology pathway choice influence economic viability and environmental impacts of lignocellulosic biorefineries?

PubMed

Rajendran, Karthik; Murthy, Ganti S

2017-01-01

The need for liquid fuels in the transportation sector is increasing, and it is essential to develop industrially sustainable processes that simultaneously address the tri-fold sustainability metrics of technological feasibility, economic viability, and environmental impacts. Biorefineries based on lignocellulosic feedstocks could yield high-value products such as ethyl acetate, dodecane, ethylene, and hexane. This work focuses on assessing biochemical and biomass to electricity platforms for conversion of Banagrass and Energycane into valuable fuels and chemicals using the tri-fold sustainability metrics. The production cost of various products produced from Banagrass was $1.19/kg ethanol, $1.00/kg ethyl acetate, $3.01/kg dodecane (jet fuel equivalent), $2.34/kg ethylene and $0.32/kW-h electricity. The production cost of different products using Energycane as a feedstock was $1.31/kg ethanol, $1.11/kg ethyl acetate, $3.35/kg dodecane, and $2.62/kg ethylene. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the price of the main product, feedstock cost and cost of ethanol affected the profitability the overall process. Banagrass yielded 11% higher ethanol compared to Energycane, which could be attributed to the differences in the composition of these lignocellulosic biomass sources. Acidification potential was highest when ethylene was produced at the rate of 2.56 × 10 -2 and 1.71 × 10 -2 kg SO 2 eq. for Banagrass and Energycane, respectively. Ethanol production from Banagrass and Energycane resulted in a global warming potential of - 12.3 and - 40.0 g CO 2  eq./kg ethanol. Utilizing hexoses and pentoses from Banagrass to produce ethyl acetate was the most economical scenario with a payback period of 11.2 years and an ROI of 8.93%, respectively. Electricity production was the most unprofitable scenario with an ROI of - 29.6% using Banagrass/Energycane as a feedstock that could be attributed to high feedstock moisture content. Producing ethylene or dodecane from either of the feedstocks was not economical. The moisture content and composition of biomasses affected overall economics of the various pathways studied. Producing ethanol and ethyl acetate from Energycane had a global warming potential of - 3.01 kg CO 2 eq./kg ethyl acetate.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of some cereal milling by-products.

PubMed

Smuda, Sayed Saad; Mohsen, Sobhy Mohamed; Olsen, Karsten; Aly, Mohamed Hassan

2018-03-01

The present study was performed to evaluate the phytochemicals profiles of some cereal milling by-products such as wheat (bran, germ and shorts), rice (bran, germ and husk) and corn (bran, germ and germ meal) to assess their potentiality as bioactive compounds sources. Distilled water, ethanol, methanol, and acetone separately were used as solvents for the extraction of phytochemicals compounds. The antioxidant activity (AOA), total phenolics content (TPC), and total flavonoids content (TFC) of the extracts were investigated using various in vitro assays. The results showed that tannins content was ranged from 113.4 to 389.5 (mg/100 g sample).The study revealed that TPC and TFC of cereal by-products extracts were significantly different for various solvents. TPC content varied from 366.1 to 1924.9 mg/100 g and TFC content varied from 139.3 to 681.6 mg/100 g. High carotenoids content was observed for corn germ meal and minimum for wheat bran. Distilled water, ethanol and methanol extracts showed significantly different antioxidant activity. Significant variations were observed with regard to AOA of different cereal by-products by using various solvents. The ethanol and methanol were observed to be the best solvents to extract phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity, while acetone extract showed less efficiency. Also, the cereal milling by-products were rich in bioactive compounds and could be used as a value added products.

Solvent-induced synthesis of nitrogen-doped hollow carbon spheres with tunable surface morphology for supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Feng; Yuan, Ren-Lu; Zhang, Ning; Ke, Chang-Ce; Ma, Shao-Xia; Zhang, Ru-Liang; Liu, Lei

2018-04-01

Nitrogen doped hollow carbon spheres (NHCSs) with tunable surface morphology have been prepared through one-pot carbonization method by using melamine-formaldehyde spheres as template and resorcinol-based resin as carbon precursor in ethanol-water solution. Well-dispersed NHCSs with particle size of 800 nm were obtained and the surface of NHCSs turn from smooth to tough, wrinkled, and finally concave by increasing the ethanol concentration. The fabricated NHCSs possessed high nitrogen content (3.99-4.83%) and hierarchical micro-dual mesoporous structure with surface area range of 265-405 m2 g-1 and total pore volume of 0.18-0.29 cm3 g-1, which contributed to high specific capacitance, excellent rate capability and long cycle life.

Water-based sol-gel synthesis of hydroxyapatite: process development.

PubMed

Liu, D M; Troczynski, T; Tseng, W J

2001-07-01

Hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramics were synthesized using a sol-gel route with triethyl phosphite and calcium nitrate as phosphorus and calcium precursors, respectively. Two solvents, water and anhydrous ethanol, were used as diluting media for HA sol preparation. The sols were stable and no gelling occurred in ambient environment for over 5 days. The sols became a white gel only after removal of the solvents at 60 degrees C. X-ray diffraction showed that apatitic structure first appeared at a temperature as low as 350 degrees C. The crystal size and the HA content in both gels increase with increasing calcination temperature. The type of initial diluting media (i.e., water vs. anhydrous ethanol) did not affect the microstructural evolution and crystallinity of the resulting HA ceramic. The ethanol-based sol dip-coated onto a Ti substrate, followed by calcination at 450 degrees C, was found to be porous with pore size ranging from 0.3 to 1 microm. This morphology is beneficial to the circulation of physiological fluid when the coating is used for biomedical applications. The satisfactory adhesion between the coating and substrate suggests its suitability for load-bearing uses.

Cosputtering crystal growth of zinc oxide-based composite films: From the effects of doping to phase on photoactivity and gas sensing properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yuan-Chang; Lee, Chia-Min

2016-10-01

ZnO-In2O3 (InO) composite thin films were grown by radio frequency cosputtering ZnO and InO ceramic targets in this study. The indium content of the composite films was varied from 1.7 at. % to 8.2 at. % by varying the InO sputtering power during cosputtering thin-film growth. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis results show that the high indium content leads to the formation of a separated InO phase in the ZnO matrix. The surface crystallite size and roughness of the ZnO-InO composite films grown here increased with an increasing indium content. Furthermore, under the conditions of a higher indium content and InO sputtering power, the number of crystal defects in the composite films increased, and the optical absorbance edge of the composite films broadened. The photoactivity and ethanol gas sensing response of the ZnO-InO composite films increased as their indium content increased; this finding is highly correlated with the microstructural evolution of ZnO-InO composite films of various indium contents, which is achieved by varying the InO sputtering power during cosputtering.

[Surface display of phytase on Saccharomyces cerevisiae for efficient bioethanol production from corn starch].

PubMed

Xiao, Yan; Chen, Xianzhong; Shen, Wei; Yang, Haiquan; Fan, You

2015-12-01

Production of bioethanol using starch as raw material has become a very prominent technology. However, phytate in the raw material not only decreases ethanol production efficiency, but also increases phosphorus discharge. In this study, to decrease phytate content in an ethanol fermentationprocess, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered forheterologous expression of phytase on the cell surface. The phy gene encoding phytase gene was fused with the C-terminal-half region of α-agglutinin and then inserted downstream of the secretion signal gene, to produce a yeast surface-display expression vector pMGK-AG-phy, which was then transformed into S. cerevisiae. The recombinant yeast strain, PHY, successfully displayed phytase on the surface of cells producing 6.4 U/g wet cells and its properties were further characterized. The growthrate and ethanol production of the PHY strain were faster than the parent S. cerevisiae strain in the fermentation medium by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Moreover, the phytate concentration decreased by 91% in dry vinasse compared to the control. In summary, we constructed recombinant S. cerevisiae strain displaying phytase on the cell surface, which could effectively reduce the content of phytate, improve the utilization value of vinasse and reduce the discharge of phosphorus. The strain reported here represents a useful novel engineering platform for developing an environment-friendly system for bioethanol production from a corn substrate.

Protective effect of mannitol, glucose-fructose-sucrose-maltose mixture, and natural honey hyperosmolar solutions against ethanol-induced gastric mucosal damage in rats.

PubMed

Gharzouli, K; Gharzouli, A; Amira, S; Khennouf, S

2001-06-01

We have previously shown that natural honey is able to protect the rat stomach against acute ethanol- and indomethacin-induced lesions. The present investigations were undertaken to examine the role of intraluminal osmolality in this protective effect. Mannitol, glucose-fructose-sucrose-maltose mixture (GFSM) and natural honey (300, 600, 1800 mOsmol/kg water) were given orally to rats 30 min before administration of 70% ethanol for a further 15-min period. Lesions area of the excised stomachs were evaluated. Pylorus-ligated stomachs were filled with mannitol, GFSM mixture and honey (1800 mOsmol/kg water) to test the effect of the hyperosmolar solutions on gastric fluid content and acid secretion. The rate of gastric emptying of the three test solutions (1800 mOsmol/kg) was measured by the phenol red method. Intragastric administration of mannitol, GFSM mixture or honey prevented the formation of mucosal lesions in an osmolality-dependent manner. Using the pylorus-ligated stomach model, the test solutions led to a net increase of luminal fluid volume without affecting acid content. Hyperosmolar solutions presented a delayed gastric emptying if compared to a nonnutrient solution made of carboxymethyl cellulose. The observed results suggest that hyperosmolar solutions can prevent the formation of hemorrhagic lesions by luminal dilution of the necrotising agent and acid, an effect which may be potentiated by a lowered gastric emptying rate.

Beer Is Less Harmful for the Liver than Plain Ethanol: Studies in Male Mice Using a Binge-Drinking Model.

PubMed

Landmann, Marianne; Wagnerberger, Sabine; Kanuri, Giridhar; Ziegenhardt, Doreen; Bergheim, Ina

2015-09-01

Mechanisms involved in the less damaging effects of beer in comparison to hard spirits have not yet been fully understood. The aim of the study was to determine if the effect of beer intake on the liver differs from that of plain ethanol and if so to determine mechanisms involved. Male C57BL/6J mice received either ethanol, beer (ethanol content: 6 g/kg body weight) or iso-caloric maltodextrin solution. Markers of steatosis, lipogenesis, activation of the toll-like receptor-4 signaling cascade and lipid export in liver and tight junction proteins in duodenum were measured 6 and 12 h after acute ethanol or beer intake. Alcohol ingestion resulted in a significant increase of hepatic triglyceride accumulation 6 and 12 h after ingestion, respectively, being markedly lower in mice fed beer. Expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c mRNA was significantly lower 12 h after alcohol or beer exposure, while fatty acid synthase mRNA expression was induced in livers of ethanol-fed mice and to a lesser extent in mice fed beer 6 h after acute alcohol ingestion. Protein levels of tight junction proteins in the small intestine were similar between groups while expression of myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 in livers was significantly induced in ethanol- but not in beer-fed mice. Concentrations of 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein were also only induced in livers of mice fed ethanol. Protein levels of apolipoprotein B were induced in livers of beer-fed mice only. Our data suggest that beer is less harmful on the development of acute alcohol-induced liver damage than plain ethanol in male mice. © The Author 2015. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Environmental and economic evaluation of bioenergy in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Zhang, Yimin; Habibi, Shiva; MacLean, Heather L

2007-08-01

We examined life cycle environmental and economic implications of two near-term scenarios for converting cellulosic biomass to energy, generating electricity from cofiring biomass in existing coal power plants, and producing ethanol from biomass in stand-alone facilities in Ontario, Canada. The study inventories near-term biomass supply in the province, quantifies environmental metrics associated with the use of agricultural residues for producing electricity and ethanol, determines the incremental costs of switching from fossil fuels to biomass, and compares the cost-effectiveness of greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions abatement achieved through the use of the bioenergy. Implementing a biomass cofiring rate of 10% in existing coal-fired power plants would reduce annual GHG emissions by 2.3 million metric tons (t) of CO2 equivalent (7% of the province's coal power plant emissions). The substitution of gasoline with ethanol/gasoline blends would reduce annual provincial lightduty vehicle fleet emissions between 1.3 and 2.5 million t of CO2 equivalent (3.5-7% of fleet emissions). If biomass sources other than agricultural residues were used, additional emissions reductions could be realized. At current crude oil prices ($70/barrel) and levels of technology development of the bioenergy alternatives, the biomass electricity cofiring scenario analyzed is more cost-effective for mitigating GHG emissions ($22/t of CO2 equivalent for a 10% cofiring rate) than the stand-alone ethanol production scenario ($92/t of CO2 equivalent). The economics of biomass cofiring benefits from existing capital, whereas the cellulosic ethanol scenario does not. Notwithstanding this result, there are several factors that increase the attractiveness of ethanol. These include uncertainty in crude oil prices, potential for marked improvements in cellulosic ethanol technology and economics, the province's commitment to 5% ethanol content in gasoline, the possibility of ethanol production benefiting from existing capital, and there being few alternatives for moderate-to-large-scale GHG emissions reductions in the transportation sector.

Lignans from Opuntia ficus-indica seeds protect rat primary hepatocytes and HepG2 cells against ethanol-induced oxidative stress.

PubMed

Kim, Jung Wha; Yang, Heejung; Kim, Hyeon Woo; Kim, Hong Pyo; Sung, Sang Hyun

2017-01-01

Bioactivity-guided isolation of Opuntia ficus-indica (Cactaceae) seeds against ethanol-treated primary rat hepatocytes yielded six lignan compounds. Among the isolates, furofuran lignans 4-6, significantly protected rat hepatocytes against ethanol-induced oxidative stress by reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, preserving antioxidative defense enzyme activities, and maintaining the glutathione content. Moreover, 4 dose-dependently induced the heme oxygenase-1 expression in HepG2 cells.

Fetal ethanol exposure increases ethanol intake by making it smell and taste better

PubMed Central

Youngentob, Steven L.; Glendinning, John I.

2009-01-01

Human epidemiologic studies reveal that fetal ethanol exposure is highly predictive of adolescent ethanol avidity and abuse. Little is known about how fetal exposure produces these effects. It is hypothesized that fetal ethanol exposure results in stimulus-induced chemosensory plasticity. Here, we asked whether gestational ethanol exposure increases postnatal ethanol avidity in rats by altering its taste and odor. Experimental rats were exposed to ethanol in utero via the dam's diet, whereas control rats were either pair-fed an iso-caloric diet or given food ad libitum. We found that fetal ethanol exposure increased the taste-mediated acceptability of both ethanol and quinine hydrochloride (bitter), but not sucrose (sweet). Importantly, a significant proportion of the increased ethanol acceptability could be attributed directly to the attenuated aversion to ethanol's quinine-like taste quality. Fetal ethanol exposure also enhanced ethanol intake and the behavioral response to ethanol odor. Notably, the elevated intake of ethanol was also causally linked to the enhanced odor response. Our results demonstrate that fetal exposure specifically increases ethanol avidity by, in part, making it taste and smell better. More generally, they establish an epigenetic chemosensory mechanism by which maternal patterns of drug use can be transferred to offspring. Given that many licit (e.g., tobacco products) and illicit (e.g., marijuana) drugs have noteworthy chemosensory components, our findings have broad implications for the relationship between maternal patterns of drug use, child development, and postnatal vulnerability. PMID:19273846

Fetal ethanol exposure increases ethanol intake by making it smell and taste better.

PubMed

Youngentob, Steven L; Glendinning, John I

2009-03-31

Human epidemiologic studies reveal that fetal ethanol exposure is highly predictive of adolescent ethanol avidity and abuse. Little is known about how fetal exposure produces these effects. It is hypothesized that fetal ethanol exposure results in stimulus-induced chemosensory plasticity. Here, we asked whether gestational ethanol exposure increases postnatal ethanol avidity in rats by altering its taste and odor. Experimental rats were exposed to ethanol in utero via the dam's diet, whereas control rats were either pair-fed an iso-caloric diet or given food ad libitum. We found that fetal ethanol exposure increased the taste-mediated acceptability of both ethanol and quinine hydrochloride (bitter), but not sucrose (sweet). Importantly, a significant proportion of the increased ethanol acceptability could be attributed directly to the attenuated aversion to ethanol's quinine-like taste quality. Fetal ethanol exposure also enhanced ethanol intake and the behavioral response to ethanol odor. Notably, the elevated intake of ethanol was also causally linked to the enhanced odor response. Our results demonstrate that fetal exposure specifically increases ethanol avidity by, in part, making it taste and smell better. More generally, they establish an epigenetic chemosensory mechanism by which maternal patterns of drug use can be transferred to offspring. Given that many licit (e.g., tobacco products) and illicit (e.g., marijuana) drugs have noteworthy chemosensory components, our findings have broad implications for the relationship between maternal patterns of drug use, child development, and postnatal vulnerability.

The ethanolic extract of ashitaba stem (Angelica keskei [Miq.] Koidz) as future antituberculosis

PubMed Central

Kusuma, Sri Agung Fitri; Iskandar, Yoppi; Dewanti, Mutiara Ayu

2018-01-01

Considering the easy contagion of tuberculosis (TB) disease spread and the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB, which directly impacts the failure of therapeutic goals and mortality rates increasing, TB disease control remains to be the main concern of continuous health development effort. Therefore, the discovery of new TB drug is needed. This research assessed the new natural anti-TB drug from the ethanolic extract of Angelica keiskei stem obtained from Lombok, Indonesia. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the sensitivity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) H37Rv strain to A. keiskei stem extract and to determine its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The extraction methods of A. keiskei stem were done using a maceration method. In addition to phytochemical screening and water content analysis using standard method, the phytochemical parameters were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. Ethanolic extract of A. keiskei stem was assayed for their Mtb inhibitory activity using the proportion method. The phytochemical analysis result showed that the secondary metabolites contain in the extract were flavonoid, polyphenol, tannin, monoterpenoid and sesquiterpen, quinon, and saponin. The anti-TB test result showed the active activity of ethanolic extract of A. keiskei against Mtb H37Rv strain with MIC ranging from 6% to 8% w/v. In conclusion, ethanolic extract of A. keiskei is a prospective natural anti-TB for the future. PMID:29441323

Physicochemical characteristics and biological activities of polysaccharide fractions from Phellinus baumii cultured with different methods.

PubMed

Li, Tingting; Yang, Yan; Liu, Yanfang; Zhou, Shuai; Yan, Meng Qiu; Wu, Di; Zhang, Jingsong; Tang, Chuanhong

2015-11-01

Nine polysaccharide fractions were obtained from the fruiting bodies, submerged mycelia, and solid state fermented products of Phellinus baumii using different concentrations of ethanol precipitation. The chemical characteristics and in vitro immunological activities of the nine polysaccharide fractions were compared and studied. Results indicated that the fractions precipitated with 50% ethanol had higher yields of polysaccharides and submerged mycelia contributed to high extraction yields of polysaccharides and possessed higher polysaccharide contents. HPSEC-MALLS-RI analysis showed that the molecular weight (Mw) of polysaccharide fractions from these three materials decreased with the increasing of precipitated ethanol concentration. The Mw of fruiting body polysaccharide fractions ranged from 1.98×10(4)Da to 1.89×10(6)Da. Large-molecular-weight polysaccharides (from 2.11×10(6)Da to 2.01×10(7)Da) were found in submerged mycelia. Some lower-molecular-weight polysaccharide components were found in solid fermented products. Different culture methods contributed to significant differences in monosaccharide components and molar ratios. The 50% ethanol precipitated fractions exhibited more complexity on monosaccharide compositions comparing with fractions precipitated with 30% and 70% ethanol. Polysaccharide fractions derived from submerged mycelia exhibited higher macrophages stimulation activities. Submerged culture was found to be a suitable method to prepare active polysaccharides because of its short culture span and reasonable cost. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flavonoid content in ethanolic extracts of selected raw and traditionally processed indigenous foods consumed by vulnerable groups of Kenya: antioxidant and type II diabetes-related functional properties.

PubMed

Kunyanga, Catherine N; Imungi, Jasper K; Okoth, Michael W; Biesalski, Hans K; Vadivel, Vellingiri

2011-08-01

The present study evaluated the flavonoid content, antioxidant as well as type II diabetes-related enzyme inhibition activities of ethanolic extract of certain raw and traditionally processed indigenous food ingredients including cereals, legumes, oil seeds, tubers, vegetables and leafy vegetables, which are commonly consumed by vulnerable groups in Kenya. The vegetables exhibited higher flavonoid content (50-703 mg/100 g) when compared with the grains (47-343 mg/100 g). The ethanolic extract of presently studied food ingredients revealed 33-93% DPPH radical scavenging capacity, 486-6,389 mmol Fe(II)/g reducing power, 19-43% α-amylase inhibition activity and 14-68% α-glucosidase inhibition activity. Among the different food-stuffs, the drumstick and amaranth leaves exhibited significantly higher flavonoid content with excellent functional properties. Roasting of grains and cooking of vegetables were found to be suitable processing methods in preserving the functional properties. Hence, such viable processing techniques for respective food samples will be considered in the formulation of functional supplementary foods for vulnerable groups in Kenya.

Optimization of VFAs and ethanol production with waste sludge used as the denitrification carbon source.

PubMed

Guo, Liang; Zhang, Jiawen; Yin, Li; Zhao, Yangguo; Gao, Mengchun; She, Zonglian

2015-01-01

An acidification metabolite such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and ethanol could be used as denitrification carbon sources for solving the difficult problem of carbon source shortages and low nitrogen removal efficiency. A proper control of environmental factors could be essential for obtaining the optimal contents of VFAs and ethanol. In this study, suspended solids (SS), oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and shaking rate were chosen to investigate the interactive effects on VFAs and ethanol production with waste sludge. It was indicated that T-VFA yield could be enhanced at lower ORP and shaking rate. Changing the SS, ORP and shaking rate could influence the distribution of acetic, propionic, butyric, valeric acids and ethanol. The optimal conditions for VFAs and ethanol production used as a denitrification carbon source were predicted by analyzing response surface methodology (RSM).

Respiratory depression in the intoxicated trauma patient: are opioids to blame?

PubMed

Shenk, Eleni; Barton, Cassie A; Mah, Nathan D; Ran, Ran; Hendrickson, Robert G; Watters, Jennifer

2016-02-01

Providing effective pain management to acutely intoxicated trauma patients represents a challenge of balancing appropriate pain management with the risk of potential respiratory depression from opioid administration. The objective of this study was to quantify the incidence of respiratory depression in trauma patients acutely intoxicated with ethanol who received opioids as compared with those who did not and identify potential risk factors for respiratory depression in this population. Retrospective medical record review was conducted for subjects identified via the trauma registry who were admitted as a trauma activation and had a detectable serum ethanol level upon admission. Risk factors and characteristics compared included demographics, Injury Severity Score, Glasgow Coma Score, serum ethanol level upon arrival, urine drug screen results, incidence of respiratory depression, and opioid and other sedative medication use. A total of 233 patients were included (78.5% male). Patients who received opioids were more likely to have a higher Injury Severity Score and initial pain score on admission as compared with those who did not receive opioids. Blood ethanol content was higher in patients who did not receive opioids (0.205 vs 0.237 mg/dL, P = .015). Patients who did not receive opioids were more likely to be intubated within 4 hours of admission (1.7% vs 12.1%, P = .02). Opioid administration was not associated with increased risk of respiratory depression (19.7% vs 22.4%, P = .606). Increased cumulative fentanyl dose was associated with increased risk of respiratory depression. Increased cumulative fentanyl dose, but not opioid administration alone, was found to be a risk factor for respiratory depression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Beer increases plasma antioxidant capacity in humans.

PubMed

Ghiselli, A; Natella, F; Guidi, A; Montanari, L; Fantozzi, P; Scaccini, C

2000-02-01

The positive association of a moderate intake of alcoholic beverages with a low risk for cardiovascular disease, in addition to ethanol itself, may be linked to their polyphenol content. This article describes the effect of acute ingestion of beer, dealcoholized beer, and ethanol (4.5% v/v) on the total plasma antioxidant status of subjects, and the change in the high performance liquid chromatography profile of some selected phenolic acids (caffeic, sinapic, syringic, and vanillic acids) in 14 healthy humans. Plasma was collected at various times: before (T0), 1 hour after (T1), and 2 hours after (T2) drinking. The study is part of a larger research planned to identify both the impact of brewing on minor components potentially present in beer and their metabolic fate in humans. Beer was able to induce a significant (P < 0.05) increase in plasma antioxidant capacity at T1 (mean +/- SD: T0 1,353 +/- 320 microM; T1 1,578 +/- 282 microM), returning close to basal values at T2. All phenolic acids measured in plasma tended to increase after beer intake (20% at T1, 40% at T2). Syringic and sinapic acid reached statistical significance (P < 0.05 by one-way analysis of variance-Fisher's test) at T1 and T2, respectively. Plasma metabolic parameters (glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric acid) and plasma antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol and glutathione) remained unchanged. Ethanol removal impaired the absorption of phenolic acids, which did not change over the time of the experiment, accounting for the low (and not statistically significant) increase in plasma antioxidant capacity after dealcoholized beer drinking. Ethanol alone did not affect plasma antioxidant capacity or any of the antioxidant and metabolic parameters measured.

Effects of cold temperature and ethanol content on VOC emissions from light-duty gasoline vehicles

EPA Science Inventory

Emissions of speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including mobile source air toxics (MSATs), were measured in vehicle exhaust from three light-duty spark ignition vehicles operating on summer and winter grade gasoline (E0) and ethanol blended (E10 and E85) fuels. Vehicle...

Technique of ethanol food grade production with batch distillation and dehydration using starch-based adsorbent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widjaja, Tri; Altway, Ali; Ni'mah, Hikmatun; Tedji, Namira; Rofiqah, Umi

2015-12-01

Development and innovation of ethanol food grade production are becoming the reasearch priority to increase economy growth. Moreover, the government of Indonesia has established regulation for increasing the renewable energy as primary energy. Sorghum is cerealia plant that contains 11-16% sugar that is optimum for fermentation process, it is potential to be cultivated, especially at barren area in Indonesia. The purpose of this experiment is to learn about the effect of microorganisms in fermentation process. Fermentation process was carried out batchwise in bioreactor and used 150g/L initial sugar concentration. Microorganisms used in this experiment are Zymomonas mobilis mutation (A3), Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mixed of Pichia stipitis. The yield of ethanol can be obtained from this experiment. For ethanol purification result, distillation process from fermentation process has been done to search the best operation condition for efficiency energy consumption. The experiment for purification was divided into two parts, which are distillation with structured packing steel wool and adsorption (dehydration) sequencely. In distillation part, parameters evaluation (HETP and pressure drop) of distillation column that can be used for scale up are needed. The experiment was operated at pressure of 1 atm. The distillation stage was carried out at 85 °C and reflux ratio of 0.92 with variety porosities of 20%, 40%, and 60%. Then the adsorption process was done at 120°C and two types of adsorbent, which are starch - based adsorbent with ingredient of cassava and molecular sieve 3A, were used. The adsorption process was then continued to purify the ethanol from impurities by using activated carbon. This research shows that the batch fermentation process with Zymomonas mobilis A3 obtain higher % yield of ethanol of 40,92%. In addition to that, for purification process, the best operation condition is by using 40% of porosity of stuctured packing steel wool in distillation stage and starch-based adsorbent in adsorption stage, which can obtain ethanol content of 92,15% with acetic acid percentage of 0,001% and the rest is water. This result is qualified for ethanol food grade specification which is between 90 - 94 % of ethanol with maximum percentage of acetic acid is 0,003%, and passes in fusel oil and isopropyl alcohol test.

Catharanthus roseus flower extract has wound-healing activity in Sprague Dawley rats

PubMed Central

Nayak, BS; Pinto Pereira, Lexley M

2006-01-01

Background Catharanthus roseus L (C. roseus) has been used to treat a wide assortment of diseases including diabetes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and wound healing activity of the flower extract of Catharanthus in rats. Methods Wound healing activity was determined in rats, after administration (100 mg kg-1 day-1) of the ethanol extract of C. roseus flower, using excision, incision and dead space wounds models. The animals were divided into two groups of 6 each in all the models. In the excision model, group 1 animals were topically treated with carboxymethyl cellulose as placebo control and group 2 received topical application of the ethanol extract of C. roseus at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight/day. In an incision and dead space model group 1 animals were given normal saline and group 2 received the extract orally at a dose of 100 mg kg-1 day-1. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelization, tensile strength (skin breaking strength), granulation tissue weight, and hydoxyproline content. Antimicrobial activity of the flower extract against four microorganisms was also assessed Results The extract of C. roseus significantly increased the wound breaking strength in the incision wound model compared with controls (P < 0.001). The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialize faster, and the rate of wound contraction was significantly increased in comparison to control wounds (P < 0.001), Wet and dry granulation tissue weights, and hydroxyproline content in a dead space wound model increased significantly (p < 0.05). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated sensitivity to C. roseus Conclusion Increased wound contraction and tensile strength, augmented hydroxyproline content along with antimicrobial activity support the use of C. roseus in the topical management of wound healing. PMID:17184528

Biofuels, vehicle emissions, and urban air quality.

PubMed

Wallington, Timothy J; Anderson, James E; Kurtz, Eric M; Tennison, Paul J

2016-07-18

Increased biofuel content in automotive fuels impacts vehicle tailpipe emissions via two mechanisms: fuel chemistry and engine calibration. Fuel chemistry effects are generally well recognized, while engine calibration effects are not. It is important that investigations of the impact of biofuels on vehicle emissions consider the impact of engine calibration effects and are conducted using vehicles designed to operate using such fuels. We report the results of emission measurements from a Ford F-350 fueled with either fossil diesel or a biodiesel surrogate (butyl nonanoate) and demonstrate the critical influence of engine calibration on NOx emissions. Using the production calibration the emissions of NOx were higher with the biodiesel fuel. Using an adjusted calibration (maintaining equivalent exhaust oxygen concentration to that of the fossil diesel at the same conditions by adjusting injected fuel quantities) the emissions of NOx were unchanged, or lower, with biodiesel fuel. For ethanol, a review of the literature data addressing the impact of ethanol blend levels (E0-E85) on emissions from gasoline light-duty vehicles in the U.S. is presented. The available data suggest that emissions of NOx, non-methane hydrocarbons, particulate matter (PM), and mobile source air toxics (compounds known, or suspected, to cause serious health impacts) from modern gasoline and diesel vehicles are not adversely affected by increased biofuel content over the range for which the vehicles are designed to operate. Future increases in biofuel content when accomplished in concert with changes in engine design and calibration for new vehicles should not result in problematic increases in emissions impacting urban air quality and may in fact facilitate future required emissions reductions. A systems perspective (fuel and vehicle) is needed to fully understand, and optimize, the benefits of biofuels when blended into gasoline and diesel.

[Studies on the extraction and purification of total saponins from Parched Semen Ziziphi Spinosae].

PubMed

Wu, Yulan; Ding, Anwei; Bao, Beihua

2005-03-01

To study the extraction and purification process of the total saponin from Parched Semen Ziziphi Spinosae with ethanol and macroporous resin. The total saponins were extracted with ethanol and purified with macroporous resin by orthogonal design, taking content and purity of jujuboside A as guideline. The optimum extraction condition was adding 6 times amount of 80% ethanol and refluxing 3 times, for 30 minutes each time. The purification process with macroporous resin HPD-100 was using 0.5% NaOH (150ml), 30% ethanol (150ml) to wash out impurity, and 70% ethanol 50 ml to wash out saponin. The purity of jujuboside A was up to 17.9% and the eluted ratio 72.8%.

Antilipogenic and hypolipidemic effects of ethanol extracts from two variants of Artemisia princeps Pampanini in obese diabetic mice.

PubMed

Jung, Un Ju; Baek, Nam-In; Chung, Hae-Gon; Jeong, Tae-Sook; Lee, Kyung Tae; Lee, Mi-Kyung; Choi, Myung-Sook

2009-12-01

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the ethanol extract of two variants of Artemisia princeps Pampanini, Sajabalssuk (SB) and Sajuarissuk (SS), on lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic animals. Male C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice were divided into control, SB ethanol extract (SBE) (0.171 g/100 g of diet), SS ethanol extract (SSE) (0.154 g/100 g of diet), and rosiglitazone (RG) (0.005 g/100 g of diet) groups. Supplementation of SBE and SSE significantly lowered the plasma levels of free fatty acid, triglyceride, and total cholesterol compared to the control group. The hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol contents and hepatic lipid droplets accumulation were also significantly lower in the SBE- and SSE-supplemented db/db mice than in the control or RG-supplemented db/db mice. Reductions of hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol contents in the SBE and SSE groups were related to the suppression of hepatic lipogenic enzyme activities, fatty acid synthesis (fatty acid synthase and malic enzyme), triglyceride synthesis (phosphatidate phosphohydrolase), and cholesterol synthesis (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase) and esterification (acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase). The RG supplement lowered plasma and hepatic lipid levels compared to the control group. However, RG significantly increased the white and brown adipose tissue weight and epididymal adipocyte size, whereas SBE and SSE lowered the brown adipose tissue weight and epididymal adipocyte size compared to the RG group. Together, these data suggest that supplementation of SBE and SSE partly improves lipid dysregulation and fatty liver in db/db mice by suppressing hepatic lipogenic enzyme activities.

Effect and mechanism of evodiamine against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in mice by suppressing Rho/NF-кB pathway.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhongyan; Gong, Shilin; Wang, Shumin; Ma, Chunhua

2015-09-01

Evodiamine (EVD), a major alkaloid compound extracted from the dry unripened fruit Evodia fructus (Evodia rutaecarpa Benth., Rutaceae), has various pharmacological effects. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible anti-ulcerogenic potential of EVD and explore the underlying mechanism against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in mice. Administration of EVD at the doses of 20, 40mg/kg body weight prior to the ethanol ingestion could effectively protect the stomach from ulceration. The gastric lesion was significantly ameliorated in the EVD group compared with that in the model group. Pre-treatment with EVD prevented the oxidative damage and decreased the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) content, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). In addition, EVD pretreatment markedly increased the serum levels of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), decreased malonaldehyde (MDA) content in serum and activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in stomach tissues compared with those in the model group. In the mechanistic study, significant elevation of Rho, Rho-kinase 1 (ROCK1), ROCK2, cytosolic and nucleic NF-κBp65 expressions were observed in the gastric mucosa group, whereas EVD effectively suppressed the protein expressions of Rho, Rho-kinase 1 (ROCK1), ROCK2, cytosolic and nucleic NF-κBp65 in mice. Moreover, EVD showed protective activity on ethanol-induced GES-1 cells, while the therapeutic effects were not due to its cytotoxity. Taken together, these results strongly indicated that EVD exerted a gastro-protective effect against gastric ulceration. The underlying mechanism might be associated with the improvement of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory status through Rho/NF-κB pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gastroprotective potentials of the ethanolic extract of Mukia maderaspatana against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats.

PubMed

Gomathy, G; Venkatesan, D; Palani, S

2015-01-01

This study investigated the protective effects of the ethanolic extract of Mukia maderaspatana against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Gastric ulceration was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of indomethacin (30 mg/kg b.wt.). M. maderaspatana extract produced significant reduction in gastric mucosal lesions, malondialdehyde and serum tumour necrosis factor-α associated with a significant increase in gastric juice mucin content and gastric mucosal catalase, nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 levels. The volume and acidity of the gastric juice decreased in pretreated rats. The plant extract was evaluated in the gastric juice of rats, untreated has showed near normal levels in pretreated rats. The M. maderaspatana was able to decrease acidity and increase the mucosal defence in the gastric area, therefore justifying its use as an antiulcerogenic agent. Ranitidine significantly increased pH value and decreased pepsin activity and gastric juice free and total acidity. The anti-ulcer effect was further confirmed histologically.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction and bioaccessibility of saponins from edible seeds: quinoa, lentil, fenugreek, soybean and lupin.

PubMed

Navarro Del Hierro, Joaquín; Herrera, Teresa; García-Risco, Mónica R; Fornari, Tiziana; Reglero, Guillermo; Martin, Diana

2018-07-01

The efficient production of saponin-rich extracts is of increasing interest due to the bioactive properties that have being demonstrated for these compounds. However, saponins have a poor bioavailability. In this respect, the knowledge about the bioaccessibility of saponins as a first step before bioavailability has been scarcely explored. In this study, the production of ultrasound-assisted extracts of saponins from edible seeds (quinoa, soybean, red lentil, fenugreek and lupin) was carried out with ethanol, ethanol:water or water. Extraction yield, total saponin (TSC), fat and total phenolics content (TPC) were determined. Then, the bioaccessibility of saponins after the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the extracts was determined and the effect of TPC and fat in the extracts on bioaccessibility was evaluated. The highest saponin-rich extracts were obtained by ethanol, being fenugreek and red lentil the richest extracts (12% and 10%, respectively). Saponins from ethanol:water extracts displayed variable bioaccessibility (from 13% for fenugreek to 83% for lentil), but a bioaccessibility closer to 100% was reached for all ethanol extracts. Correlation studies showed that TPC of the extracts negatively affected the bioaccessibility of saponins, whereas fat of the extracts enhanced this parameter. As summary, ultrasound-assisted extraction is shown as an efficient method for obtaining saponin-rich extracts from edible seeds, being ethanol the most advantageous solvent due to the richness of saponins and the successful bioaccessibility from these extracts, likely caused by the co-extracted fat with ethanol. Regardless of the extracts, phenolic compounds or fat may hinder or enhance the bioaccessibility of saponins, respectively. Additionally, an adequate balance between saponins to lipids has shown to be relevant on such an effect. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Running increases ethanol preference.

PubMed

Werme, Martin; Lindholm, Sara; Thorén, Peter; Franck, Johan; Brené, Stefan

2002-07-18

Wheel running performed by rats is reinforcing, rewarding and possibly addictive. In this study we analyzed if wheel running could affect ethanol preference. Lewis rats, known to be both addiction-prone and to develop an excessive wheel running behavior, were given access to ethanol in a two-bottle free-choice paradigm. The animals reached a high and stable ethanol intake after 5 weeks. In the next phase, rats were subjected to ethanol withdrawal for 1, 2 or 4 weeks with or without access to running wheels. Finally animals were again given access to ethanol in the same two-bottle free-choice paradigm, combined with access to running wheels. The rats that ran in running wheels during 1 or 2, but not 4, weeks of ethanol withdrawal increased both ethanol intake and preference as compared with the control group that did not have access to the wheels. Previous studies have demonstrated that low doses of morphine increases ethanol preference. Here we show that also running potentiates ethanol intake and preference. Thus, running which shares many of the reinforcing properties with addictive drugs appears to potentiate rats to an increased preference for ethanol. Our results describe a behavioral interaction where running increases ethanol consumption.

Chronic ethanol consumption induces erectile dysfunction: Role of oxidative stress.

PubMed

Muniz, Jaqueline J; Leite, Letícia N; De Martinis, Bruno S; Carneiro, Fernando S; Tirapelli, Carlos R

2015-11-15

Investigate the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on erectile function and on the corpus cavernosum (CC) reactivity to endothelin-1 (ET-1). Male Wistar rats were treated with ethanol (20% v/v) for six weeks. Ethanol-treated rats showed impaired erectile function represented by decreased intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) responses. Ethanol consumption increased the contractile response induced by ET-1 in the isolated CC. Tiron increased ET-1-induced contraction in CC from control and ethanol-treated rats. No differences in the maximal contraction to ET-1 were observed after incubation of CC with PEG-catalase. SC560 and SC236 increased ET-1-induced contraction in CC from ethanol-treated rats. Y27632 reduced the contraction induced by ET-1 in CC from control and ethanol-treated rats. Ethanol increased plasma TBARS, superoxide anion (O2(-)) levels and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the rat CC. Reduced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels in CC and increased catalase (CAT) activity in plasma and CC were detected after treatment with ethanol. Ethanol decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the rat CC. Increased expression of COX-1 was observed in CC from ethanol-treated rats. Treatment with ethanol decreased COX-2 expression but did not alter the expression of Nox1, RhoA and p-RhoA (ser(188)) in the rat CC. The major new findings of our study are that ethanol consumption induces erectile dysfunction (ED) and increases the contraction induced by ET-1 in the rat CC by a mechanism that involves decreased generation of H2O2 and vasodilator prostanoids as well as increased activation of the RhoA/Rho-kinase pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Allelopathic Effects, Physiological Responses and Phenolic Compounds in Litter Extracts of Juniperus rigidaSieb. et Zucc.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Li, Dengwu; Wang, Dongmei; Liu, Yu; Song, Huiying

2017-08-01

The allelopathic effects of Juniperus rigida litter aqueous extract (LE) on wheat and Pinus tabuliformis were studied, as well as the physiological responses to the extract. High concentration LE (0.10 g Dw/ml) significantly inhibited the seed germination and seedling growth in receptor plants. The chlorophyll content and root activity in the wheat seedlings were reduced significantly across all treatments; however, those were more prominently reduced at high concentration (0.10 g Dw/ml) but received little stimulation at low concentration (0.025 g Dw/ml) in P. tabuliformis. The content of malonaldehyde (MDA) increased with increasing concentrations of LE, except at 0.025 g Dw/ml. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (POD, CAT and SOD) in receptor plants were all significantly inhibited at high concentrations but stimulated at low concentrations. These results demonstrate that the aqueous extract from J. rigida litter has allelopathic potential. Various phenolic compounds were identified in litter aqueous extract and litter ethanol extract by HPLC. The phenolic compound content in the aqueous extract was significantly lower than that in the ethanol extract. Chlorogenic acid and podophyllotoxin were the predominant phenolic compounds in both types of litter extracts. These findings suggest that the seed germination and seedling growth of P. tabuliformis and wheat would be inhibited when planted near large amounts J. rigida litter. © 2017 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

G cells and gastrin in chronic alcohol-treated rats.

PubMed

Todorović, Vera; Koko, Vesna; Budec, Mirela; Mićić, Mileva; Micev, Marjan; Pavlović, Mirjana; Vignjević, Sanja; Drndarević, Neda; Mitrović, Olivera

2008-02-01

Numerous reports have described gastric mucosal injury in rats treated with high ethanol concentrations. However, to the best of our knowledge, ultrastructural characteristics of G cells and antral gastrin levels have not been previously reported, either in rats that chronically consumed alcohol or in human alcoholics. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of ethanol consumption (8.5 g/kg) over a 4-month period, under controlled nutritional conditions, on antral and plasma levels of gastrin, ultrastructure of G cells, morphometric characteristics of G cells by stereological methods, and analysis of endocrine cells in the gastric mucosa by immunohistochemistry. The chronic alcohol consumption resulted in a nonsignificant decrease in gastrin plasma levels and unchanged antral gastrin concentrations. A slightly damaged glandular portion of the gastric mucosa and dilatation of small blood vessels detected by histological analysis, suggests that ethanol has a toxic effect on the mucosal surface. Chronic alcohol treatment significantly decreased the number of antral G cells per unit area, and increased their cellular, nuclear, and cytoplasmatic profile areas. In addition, the volume density and diameter of G-cell granules, predominantly the pale and lucent types, were increased, indicating inhibition of gastrin release. Ethanol treatment also decreased the number of gastric somatostatin-, serotonin-, and histamine-immunoreactive cells, except the somatostatin cells in the pyloric mucosa, as well as both G: D: enterochromaffin cells (EC) cell ratios in the antrum and D: ECL cell ratios in the fundus. These results indicate that the change of morphometric parameters in G cells may be related to cellular dysfunction. Our findings also suggest that regulation of G-cell secretion was not mediated by locally produced somatostatin in ethanol-consuming rats, but may involve gastric luminal content and/or neurotransmitters of gastric nerve fibers.

The reinforcing properties of ethanol are quantitatively enhanced in adulthood by peri-adolescent ethanol, but not saccharin, consumption in female alcohol-preferring (P) rats.

PubMed

Toalston, Jamie E; Deehan, Gerald A; Hauser, Sheketha R; Engleman, Eric A; Bell, Richard L; Murphy, James M; McBride, William J; Rodd, Zachary A

2015-08-01

Alcohol drinking during adolescence is associated in adulthood with heavier alcohol drinking and an increased rate of alcohol dependence. Past research in our laboratory has indicated that peri-adolescent ethanol consumption can enhance the acquisition and reduce the rate of extinction of ethanol self-administration in adulthood. Caveats of the past research include reinforcer specificity, increased oral consumption during peri-adolescence, and a lack of quantitative assessment of the reinforcing properties of ethanol. The current experiments were designed to determine the effects of peri-adolescent ethanol or saccharin drinking on acquisition and extinction of oral ethanol self-administration and ethanol seeking, and to quantitatively assess the reinforcing properties of ethanol (progressive ratio). Ethanol or saccharin access by alcohol-preferring (P) rats occurred during postnatal day (PND) 30-60. Animals began operant self-administration of ethanol or saccharin after PND 85. After 10 weeks of daily operant self-administration, rats were tested in a progressive ratio paradigm. Two weeks later, self-administration was extinguished in all rats. Peri-adolescent ethanol consumption specifically enhanced the acquisition of ethanol self-administration, reduced the rate of extinction for ethanol self-administration, and quantitatively increased the reinforcing properties of ethanol during adulthood. Peri-adolescent saccharin consumption was without effect. The data indicate that ethanol consumption during peri-adolescence results in neuroadaptations that may specifically enhance the reinforcing properties of ethanol during adulthood. This increase in the reinforcing properties of ethanol could be a part of biological sequelae that are the basis for the effects of adolescent alcohol consumption on the increase in the rate of alcoholism during adulthood. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Increased intracellular localization of brain GLUT-1 transporter in response to ethanol during chick embryogenesis.

PubMed

Carver, F M; Shibley, I A; Miles, D S; Pennington, J S; Pennington, S N

1999-10-01

Fetal exposure to ethanol is associated with growth retardation of the developing central nervous system. We have previously described a chick model to study the molecular mechanism of ethanol effects on glucose metabolism in ovo. Total membrane fractions were prepared from day 4, day 5, and day 7 chick embryos exposed in ovo to ethanol or to vehicle. By Western blotting analysis, ethanol exposure caused a mean 7- to 10-fold increase in total GLUT-1 and a 2-fold increase in total GLUT-3. However, glucose uptake by ethanol-treated cells increased by only 10%. Analysis of isolated plasma (PM) and intracellular (IM) membranes from day 5 cranial tissue revealed a mean 25% decrease in GLUT-1 in the PM and a 66% increase in the IM in the ethanol group vs. control. The amount of PM GLUT-3 was unchanged but that of IM GLUT-3 was significantly decreased. The data suggest that GLUT-3 cell surface expression may be resistant to the suppressive effects of ethanol in the developing brain of ethanol-treated embryos. The overall increase in GLUT-1 may reflect a deregulation of the transporter induced by ethanol exposure. The increased IM localization and decreased amount of PM GLUT-1 may be a mechanism used by the ethanol-treated cell to maintain normal glucose uptake despite the overall increased level of the transporter.

Changes in biomolecular profile in a single nucleolus during cell fixation.

PubMed

Kuzmin, Andrey N; Pliss, Artem; Prasad, Paras N

2014-11-04

Fixation of biological sample is an essential technique applied in order to "freeze" in time the intracellular molecular content. However, fixation induces changes of the cellular molecular structure, which mask physiological distribution of biomolecules and bias interpretation of results. Accurate, sensitive, and comprehensive characterization of changes in biomolecular composition, occurring during fixation, is crucial for proper analysis of experimental data. Here we apply biomolecular component analysis for Raman spectra measured in the same nucleoli of HeLa cells before and after fixation by either formaldehyde solution or by chilled ethanol. It is found that fixation in formaldehyde does not strongly affect the Raman spectra of nucleolar biomolecular components, but may significantly decrease the nucleolar RNA concentration. At the same time, ethanol fixation leads to a proportional increase (up to 40%) in concentrations of nucleolar proteins and RNA, most likely due to cell shrinkage occurring in the presence of coagulant fixative. Ethanol fixation also triggers changes in composition of nucleolar proteome, as indicated by an overall reduction of the α-helical structure of proteins and increase in the concentration of proteins containing the β-sheet conformation. We conclude that cross-linking fixation is a more appropriate protocol for mapping of proteins in situ. At the same time, ethanol fixation is preferential for studies of RNA-containing macromolecules. We supplemented our quantitative Raman spectroscopic measurements with mapping of the protein and lipid macromolecular groups in live and fixed cells using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering nonlinear optical imaging.

The anti-diabetic effects of ethanol extract from two variants of Artemisia princeps Pampanini in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice.

PubMed

Jung, U J; Baek, N-I; Chung, H-G; Bang, M-H; Yoo, J-S; Jeong, T S; Lee, K-T; Kang, Y J; Lee, M K; Kim, H J; Yeo, J Y; Choi, M S

2007-10-01

The anti-diabetic effects of two variants of Artemisia princeps Pampanini, sajabalssuk (SB) and sajuarissuk (SS), were investigated in type 2 diabetic animal using their ethanol extracts. Male C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mice were divided into control, SB ethanol extract (SBE), SS ethanol extract (SSE), or rosiglitazone (RG) groups and their age-matched littermates (db/+) were used. Supplementation of the SBE (0.171 g/100g diet), SSE (0.154 g/100g diet), and RG (0.005 g/100g diet) improved glucose and insulin tolerance and significantly lowered blood glycosylated hemoglobin levels, as compared to the control group. Plasma insulin, C-peptide and glucagon levels in db/db mice were higher in the db/+ mice, however these values were significantly lowered by SBE, SSE or RG-supplement. Hepatic GK activity was significantly lower in the db/db mice than in the db/+ mice, while hepatic G6Pase activity was vice versa. Supplementation of SBE, SSE and RG reversed these hepatic glucose-regulating enzyme activities. In addition, SBE and SSE markedly increased the hepatic glycogen content and muscle ratio as compared to the control group, but they did not alter the food intake, body weight and plasma leptin level. The RG group, however, showed a significant increase in the food intake, body weight and plasma leptin. These results suggest that SBE and SSE exert an anti-diabetic effect in type 2 diabetic mice.

Modulation of ethanol toxicity by Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) in Japanese ricefish (Oryzias latipes) embryogenesis.

PubMed

Haron, M H; Avula, B; Khan, I A; Mathur, S K; Dasmahapatra, A K

2013-04-01

Alcohol consumption by women during pregnancy often induces fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in children who have serious central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular, and craniofacial defects. Prevention of FASD, other than women abstaining from alcohol drinking during pregnancy, is not known. A limitation of the use of synthetic anti-alcoholic drugs during pregnancy led us to investigate herbal products. In particular, many plants including Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) have therapeutic potential for the treatment of alcoholism. We used Japanese ricefish (medaka) (Oryzias latipes), an animal model of FASD, for identifying herbal medicines that can attenuate ethanol toxicity. Fertilized eggs in standard laboratory conditions were exposed to ginseng (PG) root extract (0-2 mg/mL) either 0-2 (group A) or 1-3 (group B) day post fertilization (dpf) followed by maintenance in a clean hatching solution. The calculated IC50 as determined 10 dpf in A and B groups were 355.3±1.12 and 679.7±1.6 μg/mL, respectively. Simultaneous exposure of embryos in sub-lethal concentrations of PG (50-200 μg/mL) and ethanol (300 mM) for 48 h disrupted vessel circulation and enhanced mortality. However, PG (100 μg/mL) may partially protect trabecular cartilage (TC) deformities in the neurocranium in B group embryos induced by ethanol (300 mM). To understand the mechanism, embryonic ethanol concentration was measured at 2 dpf and adh5, adh8, aldh2, aldh9a, catalase, GST, and GR mRNAs were analyzed at 6 dpf. It was observed that although ethanol is able to reduce adh8 and GST mRNA contents, the simultaneous addition of PG was unable to alter ethanol level as well as mRNA contents in these embryos. Therefore, antagonistic effects of PG on ethanol toxicity are mediated by a mechanism which is different from those regulating ethanol metabolism and oxidative stress. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Comparison of ethanol production from corn cobs and switchgrass following a pyrolysis-based biorefinery approach.

PubMed

Luque, Luis; Oudenhoven, Stijn; Westerhof, Roel; van Rossum, Guus; Berruti, Franco; Kersten, Sascha; Rehmann, Lars

2016-01-01

One of the main obstacles in lignocellulosic ethanol production is the necessity of pretreatment and fractionation of the biomass feedstocks to produce sufficiently pure fermentable carbohydrates. In addition, the by-products (hemicellulose and lignin fraction) are of low value, when compared to dried distillers grains (DDG), the main by-product of corn ethanol. Fast pyrolysis is an alternative thermal conversion technology for processing biomass. It has recently been optimized to produce a stream rich in levoglucosan, a fermentable glucose precursor for biofuel production. Additional product streams might be of value to the petrochemical industry. However, biomass heterogeneity is known to impact the composition of pyrolytic product streams, as a complex mixture of aromatic compounds is recovered with the sugars, interfering with subsequent fermentation. The present study investigates the feasibility of fast pyrolysis to produce fermentable pyrolytic glucose from two abundant lignocellulosic biomass sources in Ontario, switchgrass (potential energy crop) and corn cobs (by-product of corn industry). Demineralization of biomass removes catalytic centers and increases the levoglucosan yield during pyrolysis. The ash content of biomass was significantly decreased by 82-90% in corn cobs when demineralized with acetic or nitric acid, respectively. In switchgrass, a reduction of only 50% for both acids could be achieved. Conversely, levoglucosan production increased 9- and 14-fold in corn cobs when rinsed with acetic and nitric acid, respectively, and increased 11-fold in switchgrass regardless of the acid used. After pyrolysis, different configurations for upgrading the pyrolytic sugars were assessed and the presence of potentially inhibitory compounds was approximated at each step as double integral of the UV spectrum signal of an HPLC assay. The results showed that water extraction followed by acid hydrolysis and solvent extraction was the best upgrading strategy. Ethanol yields achieved based on initial cellulose fraction were 27.8% in switchgrass and 27.0% in corn cobs. This study demonstrates that ethanol production from switchgrass and corn cobs is possible following a combined thermochemical and fermentative biorefinery approach, with ethanol yields comparable to results in conventional pretreatments and fermentation processes. The feedstock-independent fermentation ability can easily be assessed with a simple assay.

Effects of High Octane Ethanol Blends on Four Legacy Flex-Fuel Vehicles, and a Turbocharged GDI Vehicle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, John F; West, Brian H; Huff, Shean P

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting engine and vehicle research to investigate the potential of high-octane fuels to improve fuel economy. Ethanol has very high research octane number (RON) and heat of vaporization (HoV), properties that make it an excellent spark ignition engine fuel. The prospects of increasing both the ethanol content and the octane number of the gasoline pool has the potential to enable improved fuel economy in future vehicles with downsized, downsped engines. This report describes a small study to explore the potential performance benefits of high octane ethanol blends in the legacy fleet. There aremore » over 17 million flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the road today in the United States, vehicles capable of using any fuel from E0 to E85. If a future high-octane blend for dedicated vehicles is on the horizon, the nation is faced with the classic chicken-and-egg dilemma. If today’s FFVs can see a performance advantage with a high octane ethanol blend such as E25 or E30, then perhaps consumer demand for this fuel can serve as a bridge to future dedicated vehicles. Experiments were performed with four FFVs using a 10% ethanol fuel (E10) with 88 pump octane, and a market gasoline blended with ethanol to make a 30% by volume ethanol fuel (E30) with 94 pump octane. The research octane numbers were 92.4 for the E10 fuel and 100.7 for the E30 fuel. Two vehicles had gasoline direct injected (GDI) engines, and two featured port fuel injection (PFI). Significant wide open throttle (WOT) performance improvements were measured for three of the four FFVs, with one vehicle showing no change. Additionally, a conventional (non-FFV) vehicle with a small turbocharged direct-injected engine was tested with a regular grade of gasoline with no ethanol (E0) and a splash blend of this same fuel with 15% ethanol by volume (E15). RON was increased from 90.7 for the E0 to 97.8 for the E15 blend. Significant wide open throttle and thermal efficiency performance improvement was measured for this vehicle, which achieved near volumetric fuel economy parity on the aggressive US06 drive cycle, demonstrating the potential for improved fuel economy in forthcoming downsized, downsped engines with high-octane fuels.« less

Effect of surface hydrophobicity on the formation and stability of oxygen nanobubbles.

PubMed

Pan, Gang; Yang, Bo

2012-06-04

The formation mechanism of a nanoscale gas state is studied on inorganic clay surfaces modified with hexamethyldisilazane, which show different contact angles in ethanol-water solutions. As the dissolved oxygen becomes oversaturated due to the decrease in ethanol-water ratio, oxygen nanoscale gas state are formed and stabilized on the hydrophobic surfaces so that the total oxygen content in the suspension is increased compared to the control solution without the particles. However, the total oxygen content in the suspension with hydrophilic surfaces is lower than the control solution without the particles because the hydrophilic particle surfaces destabilize the nanobubbles on the surfaces by spreading and coagulating them into microbubbles that quickly escape from the suspension solution. No significant correlation was observed between the nanobubble formation and the shape or roughness of the surfaces. Our results suggest that a nanoscale gas state can be formed on both hydrophobic and hydrophilic particle surfaces, but that the stability of the surface nanoscale gas state can vary greatly depending on the hydrophobicity of the solid surfaces. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Food grade microemulsion systems: Sunflower oil/castor oil derivative-ethanol/water. Rheological and physicochemical analysis.

PubMed

Mori Cortés, Noelia; Lorenzo, Gabriel; Califano, Alicia N

2018-05-01

Microemulsions are thermodynamically stable systems that have attracted considerable attention in the food industry as delivery systems for many hydrophobic nutrients. These spontaneous systems are highly dependent on ingredients and composition. In this work phase diagrams were constructed using two surfactants (Kolliphor RH40 and ELP), water, sunflower oil, and ethanol as cosurfactant, evaluating their physicochemical properties. Stability of the systems was studied at 25 and 60 °C, monitoring turbidity at 550 nm for over a month to identify the microemulsion region. Conductivity was measured to classify between water-in-oil and oil-in-water microemulsions. The phase diagram constructed with Kolliphor RH40 exhibited a larger microemulsion area than that formulated with Kolliphor ELP. All formulations showed a monomodal droplet size distribution with low polydispersity index (<0.30) and a mean droplet size below 20 nm. Systems with higher water content presented a Newtonian behavior; increasing the dispersed phase content produced a weak gel-like structure with pseudoplastic behavior under flow conditions that was satisfactorily modeled to obtain structural parameters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hawthorn ethanolic extracts with triterpenoids and flavonoids exert hepatoprotective effects and suppress the hypercholesterolemia-induced oxidative stress in rats

PubMed Central

Rezaei-Golmisheh, Ali; Malekinejad, Hassan; Asri-Rezaei, Siamak; Farshid, Amir Abbas; Akbari, Peyman

2015-01-01

Objective(s): The current study was aimed to determine the bioactive constituents and biological effects of the Crataegus monogyna ethanolic extracts from bark, leaves and berries on hypercholesterolemia. Materials and Methods: Oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, quercetin and lupeol concentrations were quantified by HPLC. Total phenol content and radical scavenging activity of extracts were also measured. The hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective effects of the extracts were examined in hypercholesterolemic rats and compared with orlistat. Results: The highest phenol content, oleanolic acid, quercetin and lupeol levels and free radical scavenging potency were found in the bark extract, and the highest ursolic acid level was found in the berries extract. Orlistat and extracts significantly (P<0.05) lowered the hypercholesterolemia-increased serum level of hepatic enzymes and lipid peroxidation level. Hawthorn’s extracts protected from hepatic thiol depletion and improved the lipid profile and hepatic damages. Conclusion: Data suggested that hawthorn’s extracts are able to protect from hypercholesterolemia-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injuries. Moreover, the hypocholesterolemic effect of extracts was found comparable to orlistat. PMID:26361538

Dry elixir formulations of dexibuprofen for controlled release and enhanced oral bioavailability.

PubMed

Kim, Seo-Ryung; Kim, Jin-Ki; Park, Jeong-Sook; Kim, Chong-Kook

2011-02-14

The objective of this study was to achieve an optimal formulation of dexibuprofen dry elixir (DDE) for the improvement of dissolution rate and bioavailability. To control the release rate of dexibuprofen, Eudragit(®) RS was employed on the surface of DDE resulting in coated dexibuprofen dry elixir (CDDE). Physicochemical properties of DDE and CDDE such as particle size, SEM, DSC, and contents of dexibuprofen and ethanol were characterized. Pharmacokinetic parameters of dexibuprofen were evaluated in the rats after oral administration. The DDE and CDDE were spherical particles of 12 and 19 μm, respectively. The dexibuprofen and ethanol contents in the DDE were dependent on the amount of dextrin and maintained for 90 days. The dissolution rate and bioavailability of dexibuprofen loaded in dry elixir were increased compared with those of dexibuprofen powder. Moreover, coating DDE with Eudragit(®) RS retarded the dissolution rate of dexibuprofen from DDE without reducing the bioavailability. Our results suggest that CDDE may be potential oral dosage forms to control the release and to improve the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble dexibuprofen. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of extracts from Morus alba L. leaves, stems and fruits.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Zu, Yuangang; Fu, Yujie; Efferth, Thomas

2012-01-01

In this study, the aqueous and ethanolic extracts (leaves, stems and fruits) from Morus alba L., a traditional Chinese medicine, were evaluated for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Ethanolic extracts showed higher contents of both total phenolics and flavonoids than aqueous extracts. The total phenolic content was in the order of: leaf extracts > fruit extracts > stem extracts, whereas the total flavonoids was: leaf extracts > stem extracts > fruit extracts. Using DPPH assays, the concentrations providing 50% inhibition (IC(50)) values of aqueous extracts from leaves, stems and fruits were 7.11 ± 1.45 mg/ml, 86.78 ± 3.21 mg/ml and 14.38 ± 2.83 mg/ml, respectively, whereas the IC(50) values of ethanolic extracts were 3.11 ± 0.86 mg/ml, 14.62 ± 2.45 mg/ml and 12.42 ± 2.76 mg/ml, respectively. In sum, the antioxidant activities of ethanolic extracts from M. alba L. were stronger than the aqueous extracts, and in the order of: leaf extracts > fruit extracts > stem extracts. The ethanolic extracts exhibited moderate antimicrobial activities, whereas the aqueous extracts showed poor antimicrobial properties in our test system. This study validated the medicinal potential of M. alba L.

Inhibition of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Nitric Oxide (NO) by Gelidium elegans Using Alternative Drying and Extraction Conditions in 3T3-L1 and RAW 264.7 Cells.

PubMed

Jeon, Hui-Jeon; Choi, Hyeon-Son; Lee, Ok-Hwan; Jeon, You-Jin; Lee, Boo-Yong

2012-06-01

Gelidium (G.) elegans is a red alga inhabiting intertidal areas of North East Asia. We examined anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of G. elegans, depending on drying and extraction conditions, by determining reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in 3T3-L1 and RAW 264.7 cells. Extraction yields of samples using hot air drying (HD) and far-infrared ray drying (FID) were significantly higher than those using natural air drying (ND). The 70% ethanol extracts showed the highest total phenol and flavonoid contents compared to other extracts (0, 30, and 50% ethanol) under tested drying conditions. The scavenging activity on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitrite correlated with total phenol or flavonoid content in the extracts. The greatest DPPH scavenging effect was observed in 70% ethanol extract from FID and HD conditions. The production of ROS and NO in 3T3-L1 and macrophage cells greatly decreased with the 70% ethanol extraction derived from FID. This study suggests that 70% ethanol extraction of G. elegans dried by FID is the most optimal condition to obtain efficiently antioxidant compounds of G. elegans.

Inhibition of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and Nitric Oxide (NO) by Gelidium elegans Using Alternative Drying and Extraction Conditions in 3T3-L1 and RAW 264.7 Cells

PubMed Central

Jeon, Hui-Jeon; Choi, Hyeon-Son; Lee, OK-Hwan; Jeon, You-Jin; Lee, Boo-Yong

2012-01-01

Gelidium (G.) elegans is a red alga inhabiting intertidal areas of North East Asia. We examined anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of G. elegans, depending on drying and extraction conditions, by determining reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in 3T3-L1 and RAW 264.7 cells. Extraction yields of samples using hot air drying (HD) and far-infrared ray drying (FID) were significantly higher than those using natural air drying (ND). The 70% ethanol extracts showed the highest total phenol and flavonoid contents compared to other extracts (0, 30, and 50% ethanol) under tested drying conditions. The scavenging activity on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and nitrite correlated with total phenol or flavonoid content in the extracts. The greatest DPPH scavenging effect was observed in 70% ethanol extract from FID and HD conditions. The production of ROS and NO in 3T3-L1 and macrophage cells greatly decreased with the 70% ethanol extraction derived from FID. This study suggests that 70% ethanol extraction of G. elegans dried by FID is the most optimal condition to obtain efficiently antioxidant compounds of G. elegans. PMID:24471073

Bifunctionalized organic-inorganic charged nanocomposite membrane for pervaporation dehydration of ethanol.

PubMed

Tripathi, Bijay P; Kumar, Mahendra; Saxena, Arunima; Shahi, Vinod K

2010-06-01

Chitosan was modified into N-p-carboxy benzyl chitosan (NCBC) by introducing an aromatic ring grafted with acidic -COOH group and highly stable and cross-linked nanostructured NCBC-silica composite membranes were prepared for pervaporation dehydration of water-ethanol mixture. These membranes were tailored to comprise three regions namely: hydrophobic region, highly charged region and selective region, in which weak acidic group (-COOH) was grafted at organic segment while strong acidic group (-SO(3)H) was grafted at inorganic segment to achieve high stability and less swelling in water-ethanol mixture. Cross-linking density and NCBC-silica content in membrane matrix has been systematically optimized to control the nanostructure of the developed polymer matrix for studying the effects of molecular structure on the swelling, and PV performance. Among prepared membranes, nanocomposite membrane with 3h cross-linking time and 90% (w/w) of NCBC-silica content (PCS-3-3) exhibited 1.66×10(-4)cm(3)(STP) cm/cm(2) s cmHg water permeability (P(W)), while 1.35×10(-7) cm(3)(STP) cm/cm(2) s cmHg ethanol permeability (P(EtOH)) of developed membrane and 1231 PV selectivity factor at 30 °C for separating water from 90% (w/w) ethanol mixture. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 80.65 - General requirements for refiners and importers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... % Olefins content 2.5 vol % Benzene content 0.21 vol % Ethanol content 0.4 vol % Methanol content 0.2 vol... the property at one additional independent laboratory. If this second independent laboratory obtains a... representative sample from a batch of reformulated gasoline, to: (A) Obtain the refiner's or importer's assigned...

40 CFR 80.65 - General requirements for refiners and importers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... % Olefins content 2.5 vol % Benzene content 0.21 vol % Ethanol content 0.4 vol % Methanol content 0.2 vol... the property at one additional independent laboratory. If this second independent laboratory obtains a... representative sample from a batch of reformulated gasoline, to: (A) Obtain the refiner's or importer's assigned...

Impacts of kafirin allelic diversity, starch content, and protein digestibility on ethanol conversion efficiency in grain sorghum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Seed protein and starch composition determines the efficiency of ethanol conversion in the production of grain-based biofuels. Sorghum, highly water- and nutrient-efficient, has the potential to replace fuel crops with greater irrigation and fertiliser requirements, such as maize. However, sorghum g...

Reduction of biogenic amines in sufu by ethanol addition during ripening stage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The aim of this study was to investigate the contents of biogenic amines (BAs) in different types of sufu samples obtained from different producers, and also the possible effect of addition of ethanol on reducing the levels of BAs during sufu ripening. The levels of BAs in sufu samples were analyze...

Effects of ethanolic extract of Jasminum grandiflorum Linn. flowers on wound healing in diabetic Wistar albino rats

PubMed Central

Hirapara, Hiren; Ghori, Vishal; Anovadiya, Ashish; Baxi, Seema; Tripathi, Chandrabhanu

2017-01-01

Objective: To evaluate wound healing activity of ethanolic extract of Jasminum grandiflorum Linn. (J. grandiflorum) flowers in diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups (n=6).Three groups – diabetic control, positive control (that received Glibenclamide) and treatment (that received J. grandiflorum Linn. Flower extract) were operated for excision wounds (EW). These groups were evaluated for wound contraction and re-epithelization. The other three groups were operated for incision wounds (IW) and dead space wounds (DW). Incision and dead space wounds were produced in the same rats. IWs were analyzed for wound breaking strength and the granulation tissues from DWs were analyzed for dry weight, hydroxyproline content, and histology. Results: IWs and DWs showed significant improvement in wound breaking strength (265.8±10.4 vs 332.5±8.2; p<0.05), granulation tissue dry weight (26.1±0.6vs 40.4±0.3; p<0.01) and hydroxyproline content (19.3±0.5 vs 32.6±0.8; p<0.01) in treatment group as compared to control group. Neo-angiogenesis was also high in treatment group. Wound contraction was earlier (day 14) in treatment group compared to diabetic control (day 20). No significant improvement was seen in re-epithelization in treatment group. Conclusion: Ethanolic extract of J. grandiflorum Linn. flowers increases granulation tissue formation as well as neo-angiogenesis. It also enhances wound contraction; however, re-epithelization was not significantly affected. J. grandiflorum Linn. flowers could be potentially effective in promotion of diabetic wounds healing by increasing granulation tissue formation and enhancing wound contraction; however, further studies are required for its clinical application. PMID:29062801

Effects of ethanolic extract of Jasminum grandiflorum Linn. flowers on wound healing in diabetic Wistar albino rats.

PubMed

Hirapara, Hiren; Ghori, Vishal; Anovadiya, Ashish; Baxi, Seema; Tripathi, Chandrabhanu

2017-01-01

To evaluate wound healing activity of ethanolic extract of Jasminum grandiflorum Linn. ( J. grandiflorum ) flowers in diabetic rats. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar albino rats were divided into six groups (n=6).Three groups - diabetic control, positive control (that received Glibenclamide) and treatment (that received J. grandiflorum Linn. Flower extract) were operated for excision wounds (EW). These groups were evaluated for wound contraction and re-epithelization. The other three groups were operated for incision wounds (IW) and dead space wounds (DW). Incision and dead space wounds were produced in the same rats. IWs were analyzed for wound breaking strength and the granulation tissues from DWs were analyzed for dry weight, hydroxyproline content, and histology. IWs and DWs showed significant improvement in wound breaking strength (265.8±10.4 vs 332.5±8.2; p<0.05), granulation tissue dry weight (26.1±0.6vs 40.4±0.3; p<0.01) and hydroxyproline content (19.3±0.5 vs 32.6±0.8; p<0.01) in treatment group as compared to control group. Neo-angiogenesis was also high in treatment group. Wound contraction was earlier (day 14) in treatment group compared to diabetic control (day 20). No significant improvement was seen in re-epithelization in treatment group. Ethanolic extract of J. grandiflorum Linn. flowers increases granulation tissue formation as well as neo-angiogenesis. It also enhances wound contraction; however, re-epithelization was not significantly affected. J. grandiflorum Linn. flowers could be potentially effective in promotion of diabetic wounds healing by increasing granulation tissue formation and enhancing wound contraction; however, further studies are required for its clinical application.

Enhancing Phenolic Contents and Antioxidant Potentials of Antidesma thwaitesianum by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction

PubMed Central

Poontawee, Warut; Natakankitkul, Surapol; Wongmekiat, Orawan

2015-01-01

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has increasingly gained attention as an alternative technique for extraction of natural products without leaving toxic residues in extracts. Antidesma thwaitesianum Muell. Arg. (Phyllanthaceae), or ma mao, has been reported to exhibit antioxidant health benefits due to its phenolic constituents. To determine whether SFE technique could impact on phenolic contents and associated antioxidant potentials, ripe fruits of Antidesma thwaitesianum (Phyllanthaceae) were extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) and conventional solvents (ethanol, water). The results showed that the SC-CO2 extract contained significantly higher yield, total phenolic, flavonoid, and proanthocyanidin contents than those obtained from ethanol and water. It also demonstrated the greatest antioxidant activities as assessed by ABTS radical cation decolorization, DPPH radical scavenging, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. Further analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-DAD/MSD) revealed the presence of catechin as a major phenolic compound of Antidesma thwaitesianum (Phyllanthaceae), with the maximum amount detected in the SC-CO2 extract. These data indicate that SFE technology improves both quantity and quality of Antidesma thwaitesianum fruit extract. The findings added more reliability of using this technique to produce high added value products from this medicinal plant. PMID:25977832

Clay-Alcohol-Water Dispersions: Anomalous Viscosity Changes Due to Network Formation of Clay Nanosheets Induced by Alcohol Clustering.

PubMed

Kimura, Yuji; Haraguchi, Kazutoshi

2017-05-16

Clay-alcohol-water ternary dispersions were compared with alcohol-water binary mixtures in terms of viscosity and optical absorbance. Aqueous clay dispersions to which lower alcohols (ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butanol) were added exhibited significant viscosity anomalies (maxima) when the alcohol content was 30-55 wt %, as well as optical absorbance anomalies (maxima). The maximum viscosity (η max ) depended strongly on the clay content and varied between 300 and 8000 mPa·s, making it remarkably high compared with the viscosity anomalies (2 mPa·s) observed in alcohol-water binary mixtures. The alcohol content at η max decreased as the hydrophobicity of the alcohol increased. The ternary dispersions with viscosity anomalies exhibited thixotropic behaviors. The effects of other hydrophilic solvents (glycols) and other kinds of clays were also clarified. Based on these findings and the average particle size changes, the viscosity anomalies in the ternary dispersions were explained by alcohol-clustering-induced network formation of the clay nanosheets. It was estimated that 0.9, 1.7, and 2.5 H 2 O molecules per alcohol molecule were required to stabilize the ethanol, 2-propanol, and tert-butanol, respectively, in the clay-alcohol-water dispersions.

Fenofibrate--a lipid-lowering drug--reduces voluntary alcohol drinking in rats.

PubMed

Karahanian, Eduardo; Quintanilla, Maria Elena; Fernandez, Katia; Israel, Yedy

2014-11-01

The administration of disulfiram raises blood acetaldehyde levels when ethanol is ingested, leading to an aversion to alcohol. This study was aimed at assessing the effect of fenofibrate on voluntary ethanol ingestion in rats. Fenofibrate reduces blood triglyceride levels by increasing fatty acid oxidation by liver peroxisomes, along with an increase in the activity of catalase, which can oxidize ethanol to acetaldehyde. UChB drinker rats were allowed to consume alcohol 10% v/v freely for 60 days, until consumption stabilized at around 7 g ethanol/kg/24 h. About 1-1.2 g ethanol/kg of this intake is consumed in the first 2 h of darkness of the circadian cycle. Fenofibrate subsequently administered (50 mg/kg/day by mouth [p.o.]) for 14 days led to a 60-70% (p < 0.001) reduction of 24-h ethanol consumption. When ethanol intake was determined within the first 2 h of darkness, the reduction was 85-90% (p < 0.001). We determined whether animals chronically allowed access to ethanol and subsequently treated with fenofibrate, would a) increase liver catalase activity, and b) increase blood acetaldehyde levels after a 24-h ethanol deprivation and the subsequent administration of 1 g ethanol/kg. The oral administration of 1 g ethanol/kg produced a rapid increase in blood (arterial) acetaldehyde in fenofibrate-treated animals versus controls also administered 1 g/kg ethanol (70 μM vs. 7 μM; p < 0.001). Liver catalase activity following fenofibrate treatment was increased 3-fold (p < 0.01). Other hepatic enzymes responsible for the metabolism of ethanol (alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase) remained unchanged. No liver damage was induced, as measured by serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) activity. The effect of fenofibrate in reducing alcohol intake was fully reversible. Overall, in rats allowed chronic ethanol intake, by mouth (p.o.), fenofibrate administration increased liver catalase activity and reduced voluntary ethanol intake. The administration of 1 g ethanol/kg (p.o.) to these animals increased blood acetaldehyde levels in fenofibrate-treated animals, suggesting the possible basis for the reduction in ethanol intake. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance of dairy cows fed high levels of acetic acid or ethanol.

PubMed

Daniel, J L P; Amaral, R C; Sá Neto, A; Cabezas-Garcia, E H; Bispo, A W; Zopollatto, M; Cardoso, T L; Spoto, M H F; Santos, F A P; Nussio, L G

2013-01-01

Ethanol and acetic acid are common end products from silages. The main objective of this study was to determine whether high concentrations of ethanol or acetic acid in total mixed ration would affect performance in dairy cows. Thirty mid-lactation Holstein cows were grouped in 10 blocks and fed one of the following diets for 7 wk: (1) control (33% Bermuda hay + 67% concentrates), (2) ethanol [control diet + 5% ethanol, dry matter (DM) basis], or (3) acetic acid (control diet + 5% acetic acid, DM basis). Ethanol and acetic acid were diluted in water (1:2) and sprayed onto total mixed rations twice daily before feeding. An equal amount of water was mixed with the control ration. To adapt animals to these treatments, cows were fed only half of the treatment dose during the first week of study. Cows fed ethanol yielded more milk (37.9 kg/d) than those fed the control (35.8 kg/d) or acetic acid (35.3 kg/d) diets, mainly due to the higher DM intake (DMI; 23.7, 22.2, and 21.6 kg/d, respectively). The significant diet × week interaction for DMI, mainly during wk 2 and 3 (when acetic acid reached the full dose), was related to the decrease in DMI observed for the acetic acid treatment. There was a diet × week interaction in excretion of milk energy per DMI during wk 2 and 3, due to cows fed acetic acid sustained milk yield despite lower DMI. Energy efficiency was similar across diets. Blood metabolites (glucose, insulin, nonesterified fatty acids, ethanol, and γ-glutamyl transferase activity) and sensory characteristics of milk were not affected by these treatments. Animal performance suggested similar energy value for the diet containing ethanol compared with other diets. Rumen conversion of ethanol to acetate and a concomitant increase in methane production might be a plausible explanation for the deviation of the predicted energy value based on the heat of combustion. Therefore, the loss of volatile compounds during the drying process in the laboratory should be considered when calculating energy content of fermented feedstuffs. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increased expression of the yeast multidrug resistance ABC transporter Pdr18 leads to increased ethanol tolerance and ethanol production in high gravity alcoholic fermentation

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The understanding of the molecular basis of yeast tolerance to ethanol may guide the design of rational strategies to increase process performance in industrial alcoholic fermentations. A set of 21 genes encoding multidrug transporters from the ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Superfamily and Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) in S. cerevisiae were scrutinized for a role in ethanol stress resistance. Results A yeast multidrug resistance ABC transporter encoded by the PDR18 gene, proposed to play a role in the incorporation of ergosterol in the yeast plasma membrane, was found to confer resistance to growth inhibitory concentrations of ethanol. PDR18 expression was seen to contribute to decreased 3 H-ethanol intracellular concentrations and decreased plasma membrane permeabilization of yeast cells challenged with inhibitory ethanol concentrations. Given the increased tolerance to ethanol of cells expressing PDR18, the final concentration of ethanol produced during high gravity alcoholic fermentation by yeast cells devoid of PDR18 was lower than the final ethanol concentration produced by the corresponding parental strain. Moreover, an engineered yeast strain in which the PDR18 promoter was replaced in the genome by the stronger PDR5 promoter, leading to increased PDR18 mRNA levels during alcoholic fermentation, was able to attain a 6 % higher ethanol concentration and a 17 % higher ethanol production yield than the parental strain. The improved fermentative performance of yeast cells over-expressing PDR18 was found to correlate with their increased ethanol tolerance and ability to restrain plasma membrane permeabilization induced throughout high gravity fermentation. Conclusions PDR18 gene over-expression increases yeast ethanol tolerance and fermentation performance leading to the production of highly inhibitory concentrations of ethanol. PDR18 overexpression in industrial yeast strains appears to be a promising approach to improve alcoholic fermentation performance for sustainable bio-ethanol production. PMID:22839110

Acute ethanol intake induces superoxide anion generation and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in rat aorta: A role for angiotensin type 1 receptor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yogi, Alvaro; Callera, Glaucia E.; Mecawi, André S.

Ethanol intake is associated with increase in blood pressure, through unknown mechanisms. We hypothesized that acute ethanol intake enhances vascular oxidative stress and induces vascular dysfunction through renin–angiotensin system (RAS) activation. Ethanol (1 g/kg; p.o. gavage) effects were assessed within 30 min in male Wistar rats. The transient decrease in blood pressure induced by ethanol was not affected by the previous administration of losartan (10 mg/kg; p.o. gavage), a selective AT{sub 1} receptor antagonist. Acute ethanol intake increased plasma renin activity (PRA), angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity, plasma angiotensin I (ANG I) and angiotensin II (ANG II) levels. Ethanol inducedmore » systemic and vascular oxidative stress, evidenced by increased plasma thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS) levels, NAD(P)H oxidase‐mediated vascular generation of superoxide anion and p47phox translocation (cytosol to membrane). These effects were prevented by losartan. Isolated aortas from ethanol-treated rats displayed increased p38MAPK and SAPK/JNK phosphorylation. Losartan inhibited ethanol-induced increase in the phosphorylation of these kinases. Ethanol intake decreased acetylcholine-induced relaxation and increased phenylephrine-induced contraction in endothelium-intact aortas. Ethanol significantly decreased plasma and aortic nitrate levels. These changes in vascular reactivity and in the end product of endogenous nitric oxide metabolism were not affected by losartan. Our study provides novel evidence that acute ethanol intake stimulates RAS activity and induces vascular oxidative stress and redox-signaling activation through AT{sub 1}-dependent mechanisms. These findings highlight the importance of RAS in acute ethanol-induced oxidative damage. -- Highlights: ► Acute ethanol intake stimulates RAS activity and vascular oxidative stress. ► RAS plays a role in acute ethanol-induced oxidative damage via AT{sub 1} receptor activation. ► Translocation of p47phox and MAPKs phosphorylation are downstream effectors. ► Acute ethanol consumption increases the risk for acute vascular injury.« less

Involvement of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in chronic ethanol-mediated liver injury in mice

PubMed Central

King, Adrienne L.; Swain, Telisha M.; Mao, Zhengkuan; Udoh, Uduak S.; Oliva, Claudia R.; Betancourt, Angela M.; Griguer, Corrine E.; Crowe, David R.; Lesort, Mathieu

2013-01-01

Chronic ethanol consumption increases sensitivity of the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pore induction in liver. Ca2+ promotes MPT pore opening, and genetic ablation of cyclophilin D (CypD) increases the Ca2+ threshold for the MPT. We used wild-type (WT) and CypD-null (CypD−/−) mice fed a control or an ethanol-containing diet to investigate the role of the MPT in ethanol-mediated liver injury. Ca2+-mediated induction of the MPT and mitochondrial respiration were measured in isolated liver mitochondria. Steatosis was present in WT and CypD−/− mice fed ethanol and accompanied by increased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP-mediated nick-end label-positive nuclei. Autophagy was increased in ethanol-fed WT mice compared with ethanol-fed CypD−/− mice, as reflected by an increase in the ratio of microtubule protein 1 light chain 3B II to microtubule protein 1 light chain 3B I. Higher levels of p62 were measured in CypD−/− than WT mice. Ethanol decreased mitochondrial respiratory control ratios and select complex activities in WT and CypD−/− mice. Ethanol also increased CypD protein in liver of WT mice. Mitochondria from control- and ethanol-fed WT mice were more sensitive to Ca2+-mediated MPT pore induction than mitochondria from their CypD−/− counterparts. Mitochondria from ethanol-fed CypD−/− mice were also more sensitive to Ca2+-induced swelling than mitochondria from control-fed CypD−/− mice but were less sensitive than mitochondria from ethanol-fed WT mice. In summary, CypD deficiency was associated with impaired autophagy and did not prevent ethanol-mediated steatosis. Furthermore, increased MPT sensitivity was observed in mitochondria from ethanol-fed WT and CypD−/− mice. We conclude that chronic ethanol consumption likely lowers the threshold for CypD-regulated and -independent characteristics of the ethanol-mediated MPT pore in liver mitochondria. PMID:24356880

Study to find the best extraction solvent for use with guava leaves (Psidium guajava L.) for high antioxidant efficacy.

PubMed

Seo, Jongkwon; Lee, Soojung; Elam, Marcus L; Johnson, Sarah A; Kang, Jonghoon; Arjmandi, Bahram H

2014-03-01

The effects of guava leaves extracted using solvents of water, ethanol, methanol, and different concentrations of hydroethanolic solvents on phenolic compounds and flavonoids, and antioxidant properties have been investigated. The antioxidant capability was assessed based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical-scavenging abilities, reducing power, and nitric oxide-and nitrate-scavenging activities. The results demonstrated that the antioxidant ability of guava leaf extracts has a strong relationship with phenolic compound content rather than flavonoid content. Phenolic compound content of water extracted guava leaves was higher compared to pure ethanol and methanol extracts. However, phenolic compound content extracted using hydroethanolic solvent was higher than water, whereas 50% hydroethanolic was observed to be the most effective solvent showing high antioxidant ability.

Ethanol Extract from Ulva prolifera Prevents High-Fat Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation Response in Mice

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xuelei; Li, Yan

2018-01-01

Ulva prolifera is the major causative species in the green tide, a serious marine ecological disaster, which bloomed in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea of China. However, it is also a popular edible seaweed and its extracts exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The present study investigated the effects of ethanol extract of U. prolifera (EUP) on insulin sensitivity, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in high-fat-diet- (HFD-) treated mice. HFD-treated mice obtained drinking water containing 2% or 5% EUP. The results showed that EUP supplementation significantly prevented HFD-induced weight gain of liver and fat. EUP supplementation also improved glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in HFD-treated mice. Moreover, EUP supplementation prevented the increased expression of genes involved in triglyceride synthesis and proinflammatory genes and the decreased expression of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation in liver of HFD-treated mice. Furthermore, EUP supplementation decreased reactive oxygen species content, while increasing glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase activity in HFD-treated mice. In conclusion, our results showed that EUP improved insulin resistance and had antilipid accumulation and anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects on HFD-treated mice. We suggested that U. prolifera extracts may be regarded as potential candidate for the prevention of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. PMID:29511669

The Impact of Low Octane Hydrocarbon Blending Streams on Ethanol Engine Optimization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Szybist, James P; West, Brian H

2013-01-01

Ethanol is a very attractive fuel from an end-use perspective because it has a high chemical octane number and a high latent heat of vaporization. When an engine is optimized to take advantage of these fuel properties, both efficiency and power can be increased through higher compression ratio, direct fuel injection, higher levels of boost, and a reduced need for enrichment to mitigate knock or protect the engine and aftertreatment system from overheating. The ASTM D5798 specification for high level ethanol blends, commonly called E85, underwent a major revision in 2011. The minimum ethanol content was revised downward from 68more » vol% to 51 vol%, which combined with the use of low octane blending streams such as natural gasoline introduces the possibility of a lower octane E85 fuel. While this fuel is suitable for current ethanol tolerant flex fuel vehicles, this study experimentally examines whether engines can still be aggressively optimized for the resultant fuel from the revised ASTM D5798 specification. The performance of six ethanol fuel blends, ranging from 51-85% ethanol, is compared to a premium-grade certification gasoline (UTG-96) in a single-cylinder direct-injection (DI) engine with a compression ratio of 12.9:1 at knock-prone engine conditions. UTG-96 (RON = 96.1), light straight run gasoline (RON = 63.6), and n-heptane (RON = 0) are used as the hydrocarbon blending streams for the ethanol-containing fuels in an effort to establish a broad range of knock resistance for high ethanol fuels. Results show that nearly all ethanol-containing fuels are more resistant to engine knock than UTG-96 (the only exception being the ethanol blend with 49% n-heptane). This knock resistance allows ethanol blends made with 33 and 49% light straight run gasoline, and 33% n-heptane to be operated at significantly more advanced combustion phasing for higher efficiency, as well as at higher engine loads. While experimental results show that the octane number of the hydrocarbon blend stock does impact engine performance, there remains a significant opportunity for engine optimization when considering even the lowest octane fuels that are in compliance with the current revision of ASTM D5798 compared to premium-grade gasoline.« less

Biological Activities of Asteraceae (Achillea millefolium and Calendula officinalis) and Lamiaceae (Melissa officinalis and Origanum majorana) Plant Extracts.

PubMed

García-Risco, Mónica R; Mouhid, Lamia; Salas-Pérez, Lilia; López-Padilla, Alexis; Santoyo, Susana; Jaime, Laura; Ramírez de Molina, Ana; Reglero, Guillermo; Fornari, Tiziana

2017-03-01

Asteraceae (Achillea millefolium and Calendula officinalis) and Lamiaceae (Melissa officinalis and Origanum majorana) extracts were obtained by applying two sequential extraction processes: supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide, followed by ultrasonic assisted extraction using green solvents (ethanol and ethanol:water 50:50). The extracts were analyzed in terms of the total content of phenolic compounds and the content of flavonoids; the volatile oil composition of supercritical extracts was analyzed by gas chromatography and the antioxidant capacity and cell toxicity was determined. Lamiaceae plant extracts presented higher content of phenolics (and flavonoids) than Asteraceae extracts. Regardless of the species studied, the supercritical extracts presented the lowest antioxidant activity and the ethanol:water extracts offered the largest, following the order Origanum majorana > Melissa officinalis ≈ Achillea millefolium > Calendula officinalis. However, concerning the effect on cell toxicity, Asteraceae (especially Achillea millefolium) supercritical extracts were significantly more efficient despite being the less active as an antioxidant agent. These results indicate that the effect on cell viability is not related to the antioxidant activity of the extracts.

Kernel analysis of partial least squares (PLS) regression models.

PubMed

Shinzawa, Hideyuki; Ritthiruangdej, Pitiporn; Ozaki, Yukihiro

2011-05-01

An analytical technique based on kernel matrix representation is demonstrated to provide further chemically meaningful insight into partial least squares (PLS) regression models. The kernel matrix condenses essential information about scores derived from PLS or principal component analysis (PCA). Thus, it becomes possible to establish the proper interpretation of the scores. A PLS model for the total nitrogen (TN) content in multiple Thai fish sauces is built with a set of near-infrared (NIR) transmittance spectra of the fish sauce samples. The kernel analysis of the scores effectively reveals that the variation of the spectral feature induced by the change in protein content is substantially associated with the total water content and the protein hydration. Kernel analysis is also carried out on a set of time-dependent infrared (IR) spectra representing transient evaporation of ethanol from a binary mixture solution of ethanol and oleic acid. A PLS model to predict the elapsed time is built with the IR spectra and the kernel matrix is derived from the scores. The detailed analysis of the kernel matrix provides penetrating insight into the interaction between the ethanol and the oleic acid.

NADPH Oxidase Plays a Role on Ethanol-Induced Hypertension and Reactive Oxygen Species Generation in the Vasculature.

PubMed

Marchi, Katia Colombo; Ceron, Carla Speroni; Muniz, Jaqueline J; De Martinis, Bruno S; Tanus-Santos, José E; Tirapelli, Carlos Renato

2016-09-01

Investigate the role of NADPH oxidase on ethanol-induced hypertension and vascular oxidative stress. Male Wistar rats were treated with ethanol (20% v/v). Apocynin (10 mg/kg/day, i.p.) prevented ethanol-induced hypertension. The increased contractility of endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded aortic rings from ethanol-treated rats to phenylephrine was prevented by apocynin. Ethanol consumption increased superoxide anion (O2 (-)) generation and lipid peroxidation and apocynin prevented these responses. The decrease on plasma and vascular nitrate/nitrite (NOx) levels induced by ethanol was not prevented by apocynin. Treatment with ethanol did not affect aortic levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or reduced glutathione (GSH). Ethanol did not alter the activities of xanthine oxidase (XO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Ethanol increased the expression of Nox1, PKCδ, nNOS, SAPK/JNK and SOD2 in the rat aorta and apocynin prevented these responses. No difference on aortic expression of Nox2, Nox4, p47phox, Nox organizer 1 (Noxo1), eNOS and iNOS was detected after treatment with ethanol. Ethanol treatment did not alter the phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK, p38MAPK, c-Src, Rac1 or PKCδ. The major new finding of our study is that the increased vascular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by ethanol is related to increased vascular Nox1/NADPH oxidase expression. This mechanism is involved in vascular dysfunction and hypertension induced by ethanol. Additionally, we conclude that ethanol consumption induces the expression of different proteins that regulate vascular contraction and growth and that NADPH oxidase-derived ROS play a role in such response. The key findings of our study are that ethanol-induced hypertension is mediated by NADPH oxidase. Moreover, increased vascular Nox1 expression is related to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by ethanol. Finally, ROS induced by ethanol increase the expression of the regulatory vascular proteins. © The Author 2016. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Optimization of process parameters for supercritical fluid extraction of cholesterol from whole milk powder using ethanol as co-solvent.

PubMed

Dey Paul, Indira; Jayakumar, Chitra; Niwas Mishra, Hari

2016-12-01

In spite of being highly nutritious, the consumption of milk is hindered because of its high cholesterol content, which is responsible for numerous cardiac diseases. Supercritical carbon dioxide using ethanol as co-solvent was employed to extract cholesterol from whole milk powder (WMP). This study was undertaken to optimize the process parameters of supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE), viz. extraction temperature, pressure and volume of ethanol. The cholesterol content of WMP was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. The impact of the extraction conditions on the fat content (FC), solubility index (SI) and lightness (L*) of the SCFE-treated WMP were also investigated. The process parameters were optimized using response surface methodology. About 46% reduction in cholesterol was achieved at the optimized conditions of 48 °C, 17 MPa and 31 mL co-solvent; flow rate of expanded CO 2 , static time and dynamic time of extraction were 6 L min -1 , 10 min and 80 min respectively. The treated WMP retained its FC, SI, and L* at moderate limits of 183.67 g kg -1 , 96.3% and 96.90, respectively. This study demonstrated the feasibility of ethanol-modified SCFE of cholesterol from WMP with negligible changes in its physicochemical properties. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Ethanol-induced erectile dysfunction and increased expression of pro-inflammatory proteins in the rat cavernosal smooth muscle are mediated by NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species.

PubMed

Leite, Letícia N; do Vale, Gabriel T; Simplicio, Janaina A; De Martinis, Bruno S; Carneiro, Fernando S; Tirapelli, Carlos R

2017-06-05

Ethanol consumption is associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction (ED), but the molecular mechanisms through which ethanol causes ED remain elusive. Reactive oxygen species are described as mediators of ethanol-induced cell toxicity/damage in distinctive tissues. The enzyme NADPH oxidase is the main source of reactive oxygen species in the endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells and ethanol is described to increase NADPH oxidase activation and reactive oxygen species generation. This study evaluated the contribution of NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species to ethanol-induced ED, endothelial dysfunction and production of pro-inflammatory and redox-sensitive proteins in the rat cavernosal smooth muscle (CSM). Male Wistar rats were treated with ethanol (20% v/v) or ethanol plus apocynin (30mg/kg/day; p.o. gavage) for six weeks. Apocynin prevented both the decreased in acetylcholine-induced relaxation and intracavernosal pressure induced by ethanol. Ethanol increased superoxide anion (O 2 - ) generation and catalase activity in CSM, and treatment with apocynin prevented these responses. Similarly, apocynin prevented the ethanol-induced decreased of nitrate/nitrite (NOx), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and SOD activity. Treatment with ethanol increased p47phox translocation to the membrane as well as the expression of Nox2, COX-1, catalase, iNOS, ICAM-1 and p65. Apocynin prevented the effects of ethanol on protein expression and p47phox translocation. Finally, treatment with ethanol increased both TNF-α production and neutrophil migration in CSM. The major new finding of this study is that NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species play a role on chronic ethanol consumption-induced ED and endothelial dysfunction in the rat CSM. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term alterations in vulnerability to addiction to drugs of abuse and in brain gene expression after early life ethanol exposure.

PubMed

Barbier, Estelle; Pierrefiche, Olivier; Vaudry, David; Vaudry, Hubert; Daoust, Martine; Naassila, Mickaël

2008-12-01

Exposure to ethanol early in life can have long-lasting implications on brain function and drug of abuse response later in life. The present study investigated in rats, the long-term consequences of pre- and postnatal (early life) ethanol exposure on drug consumption/reward and the molecular targets potentially associated with these behavioral alterations. Since a relationship has been demonstrated between heightened drugs intake and susceptibility to drugs-induced locomotor activity/sensitization, anxiolysis, we tested these behavioral responses, depending on the drug, in control and early life ethanol-exposed animals. Our results show that progeny exposed to early life ethanol displayed increased consumption of ethanol solutions and increased sensitivity to cocaine rewarding effects assessed in the conditioned place preference test. Offspring exposed to ethanol were more sensitive to the anxiolytic effect of ethanol and the increased sensitivity could, at least in part, explain the alteration in the consumption of ethanol for its anxiolytic effects. In addition, the sensitivity to hypothermic effects of ethanol and ethanol metabolism were not altered by early life ethanol exposure. The sensitization to cocaine (20 mg/kg) and to amphetamine (1.2 mg/kg) was increased after early life ethanol exposure and, could partly explain, an increase in the rewarding properties of psychostimulants. Gene expression analysis revealed that expression of a large number of genes was altered in brain regions involved in the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse. Dopaminergic receptors and transporter binding sites were also down-regulated in the striatum of ethanol-exposed offspring. Such long-term neurochemical alterations in transmitter systems and in the behavioral responses to ethanol and other drugs of abuse may confer an increased liability for addiction in exposed offspring.

Co-downregulation of the hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase and coumarate 3-hydroxylase significantly increases cellulose content in transgenic alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

PubMed

Tong, Zongyong; Li, Heng; Zhang, Rongxue; Ma, Lei; Dong, Jiangli; Wang, Tao

2015-10-01

Lignin is a component of the cell wall that is essential for growth, development, structure and pathogen resistance in plants, but high lignin is an obstacle to the conversion of cellulose to ethanol for biofuel. Genetically modifying lignin and cellulose contents can be a good approach to overcoming that obstacle. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is rich in lignocellulose biomass and used as a model plant for the genetic modification of lignin in this study. Two key enzymes in the lignin biosynthesis pathway-hydroxycinnamoyl -CoA:shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) and coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H)-were co-downregulated. Compared to wild-type plants, the lignin content in the modified strain was reduced by 38%, cellulose was increased by 86.1%, enzyme saccharification efficiency was increased by 10.9%, and cell wall digestibility was increased by 13.0%. The modified alfalfa exhibited a dwarf phenotype, but normal above ground biomass. This approach provides a new strategy for reducing lignin and increasing cellulose contents and creates a new genetically modified crop with enhanced value for biofuel. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Granular starch hydrolysis for fuel ethanol production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ping

Granular starch hydrolyzing enzymes (GSHE) convert starch into fermentable sugars at low temperatures (≤48°C). Use of GSHE in dry grind process can eliminate high temperature requirements during cooking and liquefaction (≥90°C). In this study, GSHE was compared with two combinations of commercial alpha-amylase and glucoamylase (DG1 and DG2, respectively). All three enzyme treatments resulted in comparable ethanol concentrations (between 14.1 to 14.2% v/v at 72 hr), ethanol conversion efficiencies and ethanol and DDGS yields. Sugar profiles for the GSHE treatment were different from DG1 and DG2 treatments, especially for glucose. During simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), the highest glucose concentration for the GSHE treatment was 7% (w/v); for DG1 and DG2 treatments, maximum glucose concentration was 19% (w/v). GSHE was used in one of the fractionation technologies (enzymatic dry grind) to improve recovery of germ and pericarp fiber prior to fermentation. The enzymatic dry grind process with GSHE was compared with the conventional dry grind process using GSHE with the same process parameters of dry solids content, pH, temperature, time, enzyme and yeast usages. Ethanol concentration (at 72 hr) of the enzymatic process was 15.5% (v/v), which was 9.2% higher than the conventional process (14.2% v/v). Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) generated from the enzymatic process (9.8% db) was 66% less than conventional process (28.3% db). Three additional coproducts, germ 8.0% (db), pericarp fiber 7.7% (db) and endosperm fiber 5.2% (db) were produced. Costs and amounts of GSHE used is an important factor affecting dry grind process economics. Proteases can weaken protein matrix to aid starch release and may reduce GSHE doses. Proteases also can hydrolyze protein into free amino nitrogen (FAN), which can be used as a yeast nutrient during fermentation. Two types of proteases, exoprotease and endoprotease, were studied; protease and urea addition were evaluated in the dry grind process using GSHE (GSH process). Addition of proteases resulted in higher ethanol concentrations (15.2 to 18.0% v/v) and lower (DDGS) yields (32.9 to 45.8% db) compared to the control (no protease addition). As level of proteases and GSHE increased, ethanol concentrations increased and DDGS yields decreased. Proteases addition reduced required GSHE dose. Ethanol concentrations with protease addition alone were higher than with urea or with addition of both protease and urea. Corn endosperm consists of soft and hard endosperm. More exposed starch granules and rough surfaces produced from soft endosperm compared to hard endosperm will create more surface area which will benefit the solid phase hydrolysis as used in GSH process. In this study, the effects of protease, urea, endosperm hardness and GSHE levels on the GSH process were evaluated. Soft and hard endosperm materials were obtained by grinding and sifting flaking grits from dry milling pilot plant. Soft endosperm resulted in higher ethanol concentrations (at 72 hr) compared to ground corn or hard endosperm. Addition of urea increased ethanol concentrations (at 72 hr) for soft and hard endosperm. The effect of protease addition on increasing ethanol concentrations and fermentation rates was more predominant for soft endosperm, less for hard endosperm and least for ground corn. The GSH process with protease resulted in higher ethanol concentration than that with urea. For fermentation of soft endosperm, GSHE dose can be reduced. Ground corn fermented faster at the beginning than hard and soft endosperm due to the presence of inherent nutrients which enhanced yeast growth.

N 2 gas is an effective fertilizer for bioethanol production by Zymomonas mobilis

DOE PAGES

Kremer, Timothy A.; LaSarre, Breah; Posto, Amanda L.; ...

2015-02-02

A nascent cellulosic ethanol industry is struggling to become cost-competitive against corn ethanol and gasoline. Millions of dollars are spent on nitrogen supplements to make up for the low nitrogen content of the cellulosic feedstock. In this paper, we show for the first time to our knowledge that the ethanol-producing bacterium, Zymomonas mobilis, can use N 2 gas in lieu of traditional nitrogen supplements. Despite being an electron-intensive process, N 2 fixation by Z. mobilis did not divert electrons away from ethanol production, as the ethanol yield was greater than 97% of the theoretical maximum. In a defined medium, Z.more » mobilis produced ethanol 50% faster per cell and generated half the unwanted biomass when supplied N 2 instead of ammonium. In a cellulosic feedstock-derived medium, Z. mobilis achieved a similar cell density and a slightly higher ethanol yield when supplied N 2 instead of the industrial nitrogen supplement, corn steep liquor. Finally, we estimate that N 2-utilizing Z. mobilis could save a cellulosic ethanol production facility more than $1 million/y.« less

Production of cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane bagasse by steam explosion: Effect of extractives content, acid catalysis and different fermentation technologies.

PubMed

Neves, P V; Pitarelo, A P; Ramos, L P

2016-05-01

The production of cellulosic ethanol was carried out using samples of native (NCB) and ethanol-extracted (EECB) sugarcane bagasse. Autohydrolysis (AH) exhibited the best glucose recovery from both samples, compared to the use of both H3PO4 and H2SO4 catalysis at the same pretreatment time and temperature. All water-insoluble steam-exploded materials (SEB-WI) resulted in high glucose yields by enzymatic hydrolysis. SHF (separate hydrolysis and fermentation) gave ethanol yields higher than those obtained by SSF (simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation) and pSSF (pre-hydrolysis followed by SSF). For instance, AH gave 25, 18 and 16 g L(-1) of ethanol by SHF, SSF and pSSF, respectively. However, when the total processing time was taken into account, pSSF provided the best overall ethanol volumetric productivity of 0.58 g L(-1) h(-1). Also, the removal of ethanol-extractable materials from cane bagasse had no influence on the cellulosic ethanol production of SEB-WI, regardless of the fermentation strategy used for conversion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

N2 gas is an effective fertilizer for bioethanol production by Zymomonas mobilis

PubMed Central

Kremer, Timothy A.; LaSarre, Breah; Posto, Amanda L.; McKinlay, James B.

2015-01-01

A nascent cellulosic ethanol industry is struggling to become cost-competitive against corn ethanol and gasoline. Millions of dollars are spent on nitrogen supplements to make up for the low nitrogen content of the cellulosic feedstock. Here we show for the first time to our knowledge that the ethanol-producing bacterium, Zymomonas mobilis, can use N2 gas in lieu of traditional nitrogen supplements. Despite being an electron-intensive process, N2 fixation by Z. mobilis did not divert electrons away from ethanol production, as the ethanol yield was greater than 97% of the theoretical maximum. In a defined medium, Z. mobilis produced ethanol 50% faster per cell and generated half the unwanted biomass when supplied N2 instead of ammonium. In a cellulosic feedstock-derived medium, Z. mobilis achieved a similar cell density and a slightly higher ethanol yield when supplied N2 instead of the industrial nitrogen supplement, corn steep liquor. We estimate that N2-utilizing Z. mobilis could save a cellulosic ethanol production facility more than $1 million/y. PMID:25646422

p-Aminophenylacetic acid-mediated synthesis of monodispersed titanium oxide hybrid microspheres in ethanol solution.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongye; Xie, Yun; Liu, Zhimin; Tao, Ranting; Sun, Zhenyu; Ding, Kunlun; An, Guimin

2009-10-15

Monodispersed TiO2 hybrid microspheres were prepared via the hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) in ethanol solution containing p-aminophenylacetic acid (APA). The effects of the APA:TTIP molar ratio, water content, reaction time and reaction temperature on the morphology of the resultant spheres were investigated. The products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. It was demonstrated that the diameters of the resultant TiO2 spheres could be tuned in the range of 380-800 nm by changing the APA:TTIP molar ratio (1:3 to 3:1) and water content (1-3 v/v%) in the reaction medium, and that increasing the APA:TTIP molar ratio led to larger TiO2 hybrid spheres while increasing the water content decreased their size. The loading content of APA in the hybrid spheres could reach 20 wt.% as they were prepared with the APA:TTIP ratio of 3:1. The possible formation mechanism of the hybrid spheres was also investigated. It was found that APA slowed down the hydrolysis rate of the titanium precursor so that resulted in the formation of the TiO2 spheres. In addition, the APA present in TiO2 spheres acted as a reducing agent to in situ convert HAuCl4 into metallic Au on the surface of the TiO2 spheres. The catalytic activity of the resultant Au/APA-TiO2 composite was examined using transfer hydrogenation of phenylacetone with 2-propanol, and it was indicated that the catalyst displayed high efficiency for this reaction.

Targeting the subthalamic nucleus in a preclinical model of alcohol use disorder.

PubMed

Pelloux, Yann; Baunez, Christelle

2017-07-01

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) has only recently been considered to have a role in reward processing. In rats, inactivation of the STN by lesion or high-frequency stimulation (HFS) decreases motivation for cocaine but increases motivation for sucrose. For ethanol, the effect of STN lesion depends on the individual's baseline intake; decreasing motivation for ethanol in rats with lower ethanol intake, while increasing motivation for ethanol in rats with higher-but still limited-ethanol intake. However, the involvement of the STN in behaviour more closely resembling some aspects of alcohol use disorder has not been assessed. This study aimed to determine the effect of STN lesions on the escalation of ethanol intake, subsequent increases in the motivation to "work" for ethanol and the choice of ethanol over a non-drug alternative. We found that STN lesion prevented increases in ethanol intake observed during intermittent ethanol access and after a long period of ethanol privation. STN lesion also decreased the motivation to work for ethanol after escalated intake. Surprisingly, STN lesion increased the choice of alcohol over saccharin. This was associated with a blunting of the hedonic responses to the taste of the reinforcement alternatives. These results evidence the involvement of the STN in different ethanol-motivated behaviours and therefore position the STN as an interesting target for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.

Elucidating the Structural Changes to Populus Lignin during Consolidated Bioprocessing with Clostridium thermocellum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akinosho, Hannah O.; Yoo, Chang Geun; Dumitrache, Alexandru

During consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), Clostridium thermocellum hydrolyzes several plant cell wall components. Cellulose hydrolysis, specifically, liberates sugars for fermentation, which generates ethanol, acetate, hydrogen, and other products. While several studies indicate that C. thermocellum hydrolyzes carbohydrates in biomass, the structural changes to lignin during CBP remain unclear. In this paper, the whole plant cell walls of untreated and C. thermocellum-treated Populus trichocarpa were characterized using NMR and FTIR. The results suggest that C. thermocellum reduces the β-O-4 linkage content and increases the lignin S/G ratio. Finally, this investigation indicates that C. thermocellum not only modifies lignin in order to accessmore » cellulose but also leaves behind a suitable lignin substrate for value-added applications in the cellulosic ethanol production scheme.« less

Elucidating the Structural Changes to Populus Lignin during Consolidated Bioprocessing with Clostridium thermocellum

DOE PAGES

Akinosho, Hannah O.; Yoo, Chang Geun; Dumitrache, Alexandru; ...

2017-07-20

During consolidated bioprocessing (CBP), Clostridium thermocellum hydrolyzes several plant cell wall components. Cellulose hydrolysis, specifically, liberates sugars for fermentation, which generates ethanol, acetate, hydrogen, and other products. While several studies indicate that C. thermocellum hydrolyzes carbohydrates in biomass, the structural changes to lignin during CBP remain unclear. In this paper, the whole plant cell walls of untreated and C. thermocellum-treated Populus trichocarpa were characterized using NMR and FTIR. The results suggest that C. thermocellum reduces the β-O-4 linkage content and increases the lignin S/G ratio. Finally, this investigation indicates that C. thermocellum not only modifies lignin in order to accessmore » cellulose but also leaves behind a suitable lignin substrate for value-added applications in the cellulosic ethanol production scheme.« less

What proof is in your Christmas pudding? Is caring under the influence possible?

PubMed

Brieger, Daniel G; Amir, Amaleena B; Punch, Gratian J; Lim, Christopher S H; Toh, James

2014-12-11

To determine the ethanol concentration of commonly available Christmas puddings, and to extrapolate the blood alcohol content (BAC) of typical health care professionals after Christmas lunch at the hospital. We conducted fractional distillation of Christmas puddings and analysed the distillate for ethanol content. We then applied standard pharmacological and physiological assumptions to assess predicted BAC in typical male and female health care professionals at our hospital. Ethanol concentration of each pudding; estimated BAC of health care professionals after ingestion and at the end of a 30-minute lunch break. The concentration of ethanol in common Christmas puddings ranged from 0.260 to 1.685 g per 125 mg slice. The concentration of ethanol per pudding was not greater than the stipulated specifications on the packaging, where shown. After pudding ingestion, the theoretical BAC of a typical 70 kg male and 60 kg female health care professional ranged from 0.001 to 0.004 g/dL and from 0.001 to 0.006 g/dL, respectively. Neither male nor female staff had a predicted BAC > 0.000 g/dL by the end of the lunch break. Christmas puddings contain ethanol that does not all evaporate during the cooking process. However, the rise in BAC after ingestion of a typical slice of Christmas pudding was negligible and unlikely to affect work performance or safety or impair a health care worker's ability to make complex decisions.

Increase of medium-chain fatty acid ethyl ester content in mixed H. uvarum/S. cerevisiae fermentation leads to wine fruity aroma enhancement.

PubMed

Hu, Kai; Jin, Guo-Jie; Mei, Wen-Chao; Li, Ting; Tao, Yong-Sheng

2018-01-15

Medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) ethyl esters, as yeast secondary metabolites, significantly contribute to the fruity aroma of foods and beverages. To improve the MCFA ethyl ester content of wine, mixed fermentations with Hanseniaspora uvarum Yun268 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were performed. Final volatiles were analyzed by gas solid phase microextraction-chromatography-mass spectrometry, and aroma characteristics were quantitated by sensory analysis. Results showed that mixed fermentation increased MCFA ethyl ester content by 37% in Cabernet Gernischt wine compared to that obtained by pure fermentation. Partial least-squares regression analysis further revealed that the improved MCFA ethyl esters specifically enhanced the temperate fruity aroma of wine. The enhancement of MCFA ethyl esters was attributed to the increased contents of MCFAs that could be induced by the presence of H. uvarum Yun268 in mixed fermentation. Meanwhile, the timing of yeast inoculations significantly affected the involving biomass of each strain and the dynamics of ethanol accumulation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential establishment and maintenance of oral ethanol reinforced behavior in Lewis and Fischer 344 inbred rat strains.

PubMed

Suzuki, T; George, F R; Meisch, R A

1988-04-01

Oral ethanol self-administration was investigated systematically in two inbred strains of rats, Fischer 344 CDF (F-344)/CRLBR (F344) and Lewis LEW/CRLBR (LEW). For both strains ethanol maintained higher response rates and was consumed in larger volumes than the water vehicle. In addition, blood ethanol levels increased with increases in ethanol concentration. However, LEW rats drank substantially more ethanol than F344 rats. The typical inverted U-shaped function between ethanol concentration and number of deliveries was observed for the LEW rats, whereas for the F344 rats much smaller differences were seen between ethanol and water maintained responding. For the LEW strain, as the fixed-ratio size was increased, the number of responses increased almost in direct proportion to the fixed-ratio size increase, so that at least at the lower fixed-ratio values the rats were obtaining similar numbers of deliveries at different fixed-ratio sizes. However, a decrease in ethanol deliveries and blood ethanol levels was observed at higher fixed-ratio sizes. Similar results were obtained in F344 rats, but the amount of responding was lower and less consistent. LEW rats showed significantly higher response rates, numbers of ethanol deliveries and blood ethanol levels. Ethanol-induced behavioral activation also was observed in LEW rats, but not in F344 rats. These results support the conclusion that ethanol serves as a strong positive reinforcer for LEW rats and as a weak positive reinforcer for F344 rats, and that genotype is a determinant of the degree to which ethanol functions as a reinforcer.

Amelioration of alcohol-induced hepatotoxicity by the administration of ethanolic extract of Sida cordifolia Linn.

PubMed

Rejitha, S; Prathibha, P; Indira, M

2012-10-01

Sida cordifolia Linn. (Malvaceae) is a plant used in folk medicine for the treatment of the inflammation of oral mucosa, asthmatic bronchitis, nasal congestion and rheumatism. We studied the hepatoprotective activity of 50 % ethanolic extract of S. cordifolia Linn. against alcohol intoxication. The duration of the experiment was 90 d. The substantially elevated levels of toxicity markers such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transferase due to the alcohol treatment were significantly lowered in the extract-treated groups. The activity of antioxidant enzymes and glutathione content, which was lowered due to alcohol toxicity, was increased to a near-normal level in the co-administered group. Lipid peroxidation products, protein carbonyls, total collagen and hydroxyproline, which were increased in the alcohol-treated group, were reduced in the co-administered group. The mRNA levels of cytochrome P450 2E1, NF-κB, TNF-α and transforming growth factor-β1 were found to be increased in the alcohol-treated rats, and their expressions were found to be decreased in the co-administered group. These observations were reinforced by histopathological analysis. Thus, the present study clearly indicates that 50 % ethanolic extract of the roots of S. cordifolia Linn. has a potent hepatoprotective action against alcohol-induced toxicity, which was mediated by lowering oxidative stress and by down-regulating the transcription factors.

Intermittent high-dose ethanol exposures increase motivation for operant ethanol self-administration: possible neurochemical mechanism.

PubMed

Li, Zhimin; Zharikova, Alevtina; Vaughan, Cheryl H; Bastian, Jaime; Zandy, Shannon; Esperon, Leonardo; Axman, Elyssia; Rowland, Neil E; Peris, Joanna

2010-01-15

We investigated the neurochemical mechanism of how high-dose ethanol exposure may increase motivation for ethanol consumption. First, we developed an animal model of increased motivation for ethanol using a progressive ratio (PR) schedule. Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to administer 10% ethanol-containing gelatin or plain gelatin (on alternate weeks) in daily 30-min sessions under different fixed ratio (FR) and PR schedules. During FR schedules, rats self-administered about 1 g/kg ethanol, which was decreased to 0.4+/-0.03 g/kg under PR10. Rats then received four pairs of either 3 g/kg ethanol or saline injections during the weeks when the reinforcer was plain gelatin. During subsequent ethanol gel sessions, breakpoints and ethanol consumption rose 40% in the high-dose ethanol group by the fourth set of injections with no change in plain gel responding. Alterations in amino acids in the ventral striatum (VS) during PR10 responding for 10% ethanol gelatin and plain gelatin were measured using microdialysis sampling coupled with capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence detection. There was greater release of taurine, glycine and glutamate in the NAC of the high-dose ethanol rats during 10% ethanol-containing gelatin responding, compared to the control rats or during plain gel responding. An increase in the release of glycine in this same brain region has recently been shown to be involved with anticipation of a reward. Thus, it appears that intermittent high-dose ethanol exposure not only increases motivation for ethanol responding but may also change neurotransmitter release that mediates anticipation of reinforcement, which may play a key role in the development of alcoholism. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acute and chronic hypoglycemic activity of Sida tiagii fruits in N5-streptozotocin diabetic rats.

PubMed

Datusalia, Ashok Kumar; Dora, Chander Parkash; Sharma, Sunil

2012-01-01

Herbal prescriptions have been recognized as potentially valid by the scientific medical establishment, and their use has been increasing. Sida tiagii Bhandari (Sida pakistanica; family-Malvaceae), a native species of the Indian and Pakistan desert area, popularly known as "Kharenti" in India; is used as a folk medicine. In the present study, various fruit extracts of Sida tiagii were investigated for it's hypoglycemic and antioxidant potential in neonatal streptozotocin-induced (type 2) diabetic rats. Grinded fruits were extracted with 90% ethanol and partitioned with n-hexane (n-hexane extract; HS) and ethyl acetate (Ethyl Acetate Extract; EAS) successively. The residual ethanol fraction (residual ethanol extract; RES) was dried on water bath separately. All three extracts were administered orally at a dose of 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg. Blood glucose level, cholesterol, GSH (glutathione), elevated thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), glycated hemoglobin and liver glycogen contents were measured after 19 days treatment. The residual ethanol extract of Sida tiagii fruits significantly improve glycemic parameter and showed antioxidant activity in diabetic rats. The results of the present study indicated that the active fraction of Sida tiagii (i.e., RES) is suitable for development of a promising phytomedicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Potential of agroindustrial waste from olive oil industry for fuel ethanol production.

PubMed

Georgieva, Tania I; Ahring, Birgitte K

2007-12-01

Olive pulp (OP) is a highly polluting semi-solid residue generated from the two-stage extraction processing of olives and is a major environmental issue in Southern Europe, where 80% of the world olive oil is produced. At present, OP is either discarded to the environment or combusted with low calorific value. In this work, utilization of OP as a potential substrate for production of bioethanol was studied. Enzymatic hydrolysis and subsequent glucose fermentation by baker's yeast were evaluated for OP from 10% to 30% dry matter (i.e., undiluted). Enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in an increase in glucose concentration by 75%, giving final glucose yields near 70%. Fermentation of undiluted OP hydrolysate (OPH) resulted in the maximum ethanol produced (11.2 g/L) with productivity of 2.1 g/L/h. Ethanol yields were similar for all tested OPH concentrations and were in the range of 0.49-0.51 g/g. Results showed that yeast could effectively ferment OPH even without nutrient addition, revealing the tolerance of yeast to OP toxicity. Because of low xylan (12.4%) and glucan (16%) content in OP, this specific type of OP is not a suitable material for producing only ethanol and thus, bioethanol production should be integrated with production of other value-added products.

The Origin of Alcohol Proof

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, William B.

2004-01-01

The origin of the "proof" system for measuring the ethanol content of alcoholic beverages is presented. The proof system was originally established for purposes of taxing liquors according to their alcohol content and is different in different countries.

Physicochemical factors affecting ethanol adsorption by activated carbon.

PubMed

Bradley, K J; Hamdy, M K; Toledo, R T

1987-03-01

Powder and granular activated charcoal were evaluated for ethanol adsorptivity from aqueous mixtures using an adsorption isotherm. Ethanol adsorption capacity was more pronounced at 25 degrees C as compared to 5, 15, and 40 degrees C. When pH of the ethanol-buffer mixture (0.09 ionic strength) was changed from acidic (2.3) to neutral and then to alkaline (11.2), ethanol adsorption was decreased. Increasing ionic strength of the ethanol-buffer mixtures from 0.05 to 0.09 enhanced ethanol adsorption but a further increase to 0.14 showed no significant effect. Ethanol adsorption was more efficient from an aqueous ethanol mixture as compared to semidefined and nondefined fermentation worts, respectively. Heating granular charcoal to 400 degrees C for 1 h and 600 degrees C for 3 h in N(2) increased ethanol adsorptivity and heating to 1000 degrees C (1 h) in CO(2) decreased it when ethanol was removed from dilute solutions by simple pass adsorption in a carbon packed column. Granular charcoal was superior to powdered charcoal and an inverse relationship was noted between the weight of the granular carbon bed in the column and ethanol adsorbed/g carbon. Decreasing the column feed flow rate from 7.5 to 2.0 L aqueous ethanol/min increased the adsorption rate.

Headspace analysis of volatile organic compounds from ethanolic systems by direct APCI-MS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aznar, Margarita; Tsachaki, Maroussa; Linforth, Robert S. T.; Ferreira, Vicente; Taylor, Andrew J.

2004-12-01

Measuring the dynamic release of aroma compounds from ethanolic solutions by direct gas phase mass spectrometry (MS) techniques is an important technique for flavor chemists but presents technical difficulties as the changing ethanol concentration in the source makes quantitative measurements impossible. The effect of adding ethanol into the source via the sweep gas (0-565 [mu]L ethanol/L N2), to act as the proton transfer reagent ion and thereby control ionization was studied. With increasing concentrations of ethanol in the source, the water ions were replaced by ethanol ions above 3.2 [mu]L/L. The effect of source ethanol on the ionization of eleven aroma compounds was then measured. Some compounds showed reduced signal (10-40%), others increased signal (150-400%) when ionized via ethanol reagent ions compared to water reagent ions. Noise also increased in most cases so there was no overall increase in sensitivity. Providing the ethanol concentration in the source was >6.5 [mu]L/L N2 and maintained at a fixed value, ionization was consistent and quantitative. The technique was successfully applied to measure the partition of the test volatile compounds from aqueous and 12% ethanol solutions at equilibrium. Ethanolic solutions decreased the partition coefficient of most of the aroma compounds, as a function of hydrophobicity.

Antioxidant activity of insect gall extracts of Pistacia integerrima.

PubMed

Eshwarappa, Ravi Shankara Birur; Lakshmikantha, Ramachandra Yarappa; Subaramaihha, Sundara Rajan; Subbaiah, Sujan Ganapathy Pasura; Surendranath, Austin Richard; Dhananjaya, Bhadrapura Lakkappa

2015-01-01

Pistacia integerrima (P. integerrina) insect galls are widely used in ayurveda and siddha system of medicine as karkatasringi. The use of leaf galls as a rejuvenator may be attributed to antioxidant property, however there is less scientific evidence. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and the antioxidant potential of leaf gall extracts (aqueous and ethanol) of P. integerrina, which is extensively used in the preparation of traditional medications. The antioxidant activities of aqueous and ethanolic leaf gall extracts were examined using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl scavenging and ferric reducing power (FRAP) methods. The presences of phenolics, tannins, phytosterols, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids and reducing sugars were identified in both the extracts. In comparison to the aqueous extract, the ethanolic extract had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content at 234 ±2.4 mg of GAE/g d.w. and 95.5 ±3.2 mg of QUE/g d.w., respectively. This higher content of total phenolics and flavonoids found in the ethanolic extract was directly associated with higher antioxidant activity. This study demonstrates the poetnet antioxidant activities of P. integerrima leaf gall extracts. Further, there was a strong association between the higher antioxidant activities with that of higher total phenolic and flavonoid content in the ethanolic leaf gall extracts of P. integerrima. The results encourage the use of P. integerrima leaf gall extracts for medicinal health, functional food and nutraceuticals applications, due to their antioxidant properties. Future work will be interesting to learn the chemical composition and better understand the mechanism of action of the antioxidants present in the extract for development as a drug for therapeutic application.

Toxicological assessments of rats exposed prenatally to inhaled vapors of gasoline and gasoline-ethanol blends.

PubMed

Bushnell, Philip J; Beasley, Tracey E; Evansky, Paul A; Martin, Sheppard A; McDaniel, Katherine L; Moser, Virginia C; Luebke, Robert W; Norwood, Joel; Copeland, Carey B; Kleindienst, Tadeusz E; Lonneman, William A; Rogers, John M

2015-01-01

The primary alternative to petroleum-based fuels is ethanol, which may be blended with gasoline in the United States at concentrations up to 15% for most automobiles. Efforts to increase the amount of ethanol in gasoline have prompted concerns about the potential toxicity of inhaled ethanol vapors from these fuels. The well-known sensitivity of the developing nervous and immune systems to ingested ethanol and the lack of information about the neurodevelopmental toxicity of ethanol-blended fuels prompted the present work. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were exposed for 6.5h/day on days 9-20 of gestation to clean air or vapors of gasoline containing no ethanol (E0) or gasoline blended with 15% ethanol (E15) or 85% ethanol (E85) at nominal concentrations of 3000, 6000, or 9000 ppm. Estimated maternal peak blood ethanol concentrations were less than 5mg/dL for all exposures. No overt toxicity in the dams was observed, although pregnant dams exposed to 9000 ppm of E0 or E85 gained more weight per gram of food consumed during the 12 days of exposure than did controls. Fuel vapors did not affect litter size or weight, or postnatal weight gain in the offspring. Tests of motor activity and a functional observational battery (FOB) administered to the offspring between post-natal day (PND) 27-29 and PND 56-63 revealed an increase in vertical activity counts in the 3000- and 9000-ppm groups in the E85 experiment on PND 63 and a few small changes in sensorimotor responses in the FOB that were not monotonically related to exposure concentration in any experiment. Neither cell-mediated nor humoral immunity were affected in a concentration-related manner by exposure to any of the vapors in 6-week-old male or female offspring. Systematic concentration-related differences in systolic blood pressure were not observed in rats tested at 3 and 6 months of age in any experiment. No systematic differences were observed in serum glucose or glycated hemoglobin A1c (a marker of long-term glucose homeostasis). These observations suggest a LOEL of 3000 ppm of E85 for vertical activity, LOELs of 9000 ppm of E0 and E85 for maternal food consumption, and NOELs of 9000 ppm for the other endpoints reported here. The ethanol content of the vapors did not consistently alter the pattern of behavioral, immunological, or physiological responses to the fuel vapors. The concentrations of the vapors used here exceed by 4-6 orders of magnitude typical exposure levels encountered by the public. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Increased ethanol self-administration after a period of imposed ethanol deprivation in rats trained in a limited access paradigm.

PubMed

Heyser, C J; Schulteis, G; Koob, G F

1997-08-01

A predominant feature in human alcohol abuse is the reported desire or "craving" to consume ethanol along with frequent episodes of drinking after periods of abstinence. These and other factors may be responsible for relapse to uncontrolled ethanol drinking. When relapse occurs after a period of abstinence, ethanol drinking has been shown to be temporarily increased. Two aspects of drug dependence could contribute to these increases. One may be the development of a need state; the other may involve changes in the perception of the positive reinforcing effects of ethanol when reinforcer access is limited. To investigate this phenomenon further, the present study was conducted to examine in nondependent rats the effect of forced time-off on oral ethanol self-administration in a limited access paradigm (30 min/day). Male Wistar rats were trained to respond for ethanol (10% w/v) or water in a two-lever, free-choice condition using a saccharin fading procedure. After the establishment of stable baseline responding for ethanol, various ethanol deprivation periods (3, 5, 7, 14, or 28 days) were imposed, during which no ethanol was available. Responding for ethanol increased as a function of the duration of the deprivation period when compared with baseline levels. This increase was temporary and returned to baseline levels within 2 to 3 days. Given that the shortest time-off period was 5 days and the rats showed no signs of withdrawal, this transient increase in ethanol responding does not seem to be related to the manifestation of dependence and withdrawal, and may be related to changes in ethanol's reinforcement properties. These results with rats may provide a useful tool to elucidate mechanisms underlying human alcohol seeking behavior and relapse.

14-Methoxymetopon, a highly potent mu opioid agonist, biphasically affects ethanol intake in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats.

PubMed

Sabino, Valentina; Cottone, Pietro; Steardo, Luca; Schmidhammer, Helmut; Zorrilla, Eric P

2007-07-01

Increased opioidergic activity is thought to increase the propensity to consume ethanol. However, the dose monotonicity and receptor subtype for this effect remain uncertain. 14-methoxymetopon is a centrally acting, selective micro opioid receptor agonist with greater systemic antinociceptive potency than morphine and a putatively improved therapeutic index. To determine whether 14-methoxymetopon influenced voluntary ethanol intake in Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats. Male sP rats with continuous 2-bottle choice access to ethanol (10% v/v) or water were subjects. The effects of systemic 14-methoxymetopon administration (2, 5, 12.25, 30 micro/kg, s.c.) on 4-h ethanol intake were determined. The ability of naltrexone (50 micro/kg, s.c.), an opioid antagonist, to block actions of 14-methoxymetopon (12.25, 30 micro/kg, s.c.) was examined as were the effects of 14-methoxymetopon (12.25 micro/kg, s.c.) on self-administered blood alcohol levels (BALs) and clearance of a passive ethanol bolus (1 g/kg). Finally, the effects of central 14-methoxymetopon administration (0.0003-100 ng, i.c.v.) on 4-h ethanol intake were evaluated. Systemic 14-methoxymetopon very potently and dose-dependently suppressed ethanol and food intake for 30 min, followed by a greater, longer-lasting, and behaviorally specific increase in ethanol intake. The increased ethanol intake led to threefold higher BALs, was naltrexone-reversible, and not due to altered ethanol clearance. Intracerebroventricular 14-methoxymetopon administration rapidly altered ethanol intake per an inverted U-shaped dose-response function, increasing it at a 10 pg dose, while suppressing it at a 10,000-fold higher dose. The novel mu analgesic increases ethanol intake, a potential therapeutic liability, and results suggest a non-monotonic influence of brain mu opioid receptor stimulation on ethanol intake.

Bioethanol production from the nutrient stress-induced microalga Chlorella vulgaris by enzymatic hydrolysis and immobilized yeast fermentation.

PubMed

Kim, Kyoung Hyoun; Choi, In Seong; Kim, Ho Myeong; Wi, Seung Gon; Bae, Hyeun-Jong

2014-02-01

The microalga Chlorella vulgaris is a potential feedstock for bioenergy due to its rapid growth, carbon dioxide fixation efficiency, and high accumulation of lipids and carbohydrates. In particular, the carbohydrates in microalgae make them a candidate for bioethanol feedstock. In this study, nutrient stress cultivation was employed to enhance the carbohydrate content of C. vulgaris. Nitrogen limitation increased the carbohydrate content to 22.4% from the normal content of 16.0% on dry weight basis. In addition, several pretreatment methods and enzymes were investigated to increase saccharification yields. Bead-beating pretreatment increased hydrolysis by 25% compared with the processes lacking pretreatment. In the enzymatic hydrolysis process, the pectinase enzyme group was superior for releasing fermentable sugars from carbohydrates in microalgae. In particular, pectinase from Aspergillus aculeatus displayed a 79% saccharification yield after 72h at 50°C. Using continuous immobilized yeast fermentation, microalgal hydrolysate was converted into ethanol at a yield of 89%. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antimicrobial activity of grapefruit seed and pulp ethanolic extract.

PubMed

Cvetnić, Zdenka; Vladimir-Knezević, Sanda

2004-09-01

Antibacterial and antifungal activity of ethanolic extract of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf., Rutaceae) seed and pulp was examined against 20 bacterial and 10 yeast strains. The level of antimicrobial effects was established using an in vitro agar assay and standard broth dilution susceptibility test. The contents of 3.92% of total polyphenols and 0.11% of flavonoids were determined spectrometrically in crude ethanolic extract. The presence of flavanones naringin and hesperidin in the extract was confirmed by TLC analysis. Ethanolic extract exibited the strongest antimicrobial effect against Salmonella enteritidis (MIC 2.06%, m/V). Other tested bacteria and yeasts were sensitive to extract concentrations ranging from 4.13% to 16.50% (m/V).

Chemopreventive effect and HPTLC fingerprinting analysis of Jasminum sambac (L.) Ait. Extract against DLA-induced lymphoma in experimental animals.

PubMed

Kalaiselvi, M; Narmadha, R; Ragavendran, P; Vidya, B; Gomathi, D; Raj, C Arul; Starlinraj, T; Gopalakrishnan, V K; Uma, C; Kalaivani, K

2013-02-01

The anticancer activity of the ethanolic extract of Jasminum sambac against Dalton's lymphoma ascites-induced lymphatic cancer in Swiss albino mice was investigated. The anticancer activity of J. sambac was studied against lymphoma using lipid profiles, biochemical parameters, and membrane-bound marker enzymes by standard procedures. A high-performance thin-layer chromatography fingerprinting analysis showed the presence of terpenoids and flavonoids. The levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, VLDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol were significantly decreased in tumor-induced mice, while HDL cholesterol showed increased levels compared with those profiles. On treatment with J. sambac, the levels were brought back to near normal. The albumin, creatinine, total protein, urea, and uric acid contents were also approaching normal values. There was s significant increase in the levels of ATPase in group II. These levels were brought back to normal upon plant extract treatment of mice. DNA fragmentation occurred in the tumor-induced group of tissue, and treatment with ethanolic extract reduced the DNA damage caused by lymphoma. Expression of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes shows an increase in the levels of LDH-4 and LDH-5 in cancer-bearing animals which is brought back to near normal. Histopathological investigation showed normal sections of liver tissues in the treatment group. The results found in mice treated with ethanolic extract 100 mg kg(-1) body weight quite promising and were comparable with the standard drug 5-fluorouracil. The statistically processed results support the conclusion that the ethanolic extract of J. sambac flower (100 mg kg(-1)) possesses a dose-dependent significant anticancer activity against lymphoma.

Antiulcer mechanisms of Vernonia condensata Baker: A medicinal plant used in the treatment of gastritis and gastric ulcer.

PubMed

Boeing, Thaise; da Silva, Luisa Mota; Somensi, Lincon Bordignon; Cury, Benhur Judah; Michels Costa, Ana Paula; Petreanu, Marcel; Niero, Rivaldo; de Andrade, Sérgio Faloni

2016-05-26

The leaves from Vernonia condensata Baker are broadly used in folk medicine for the treatment of gastric ulcers and dyspepsia. The Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) describes this species as having the potential to serve as a new herbal product with therapeutic benefits. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the gastroprotective activity and gastric healing properties of a crude ethanolic extract from leaves of V. condensata (CEEV) in different animal models. In order to assess the gastroprotective potential of CEEV, ulcer models were established using ethanol and indomethacin. The gastric healing effect was then evaluated in the acetic acid-induced ulcer model, where the tissue was used to assess oxidative levels (reduced glutathione and lipid hydroperoxide levels, as well as superoxide dismutase and catalase activity), inflammatory [myeloperoxidase (MPO)] parameters, and mucin content. Furthermore, the ligature pylorus model, with and without secretagogue stimuli, was employed to investigate the mechanism of action of CEEV. In addition, H(+)K(+)-ATPase activity, MPO activity, and antioxidant activity through the DPPH assay were examined through in vitro trials. Phytochemical analyses were also performed. The ethanol/HCl-induced gastric ulcer method was employed to verify the gastroprotective effect of the main compound in CEEV. CEEV (30 and 300mg/kg, p.o) exhibited gastroprotective activity and prevented both gastric lesions induced by ethanol or indomethacin in rats. The gastric healing effect of CEEV (300mg/kg, p.o. taken twice a day for a duration of seven days) was confirmed by examining the macroscopic and microscopic appearance of chronic gastric ulcers induced by acetic acid in rats. The restorative effect of CEEV was accompanied by a significant increase in mucin content (PAS staining) and by a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammatory parameters at the site of the ulcer. Moreover, CEEV (300mg/kg), administered via an intraduodenal route, significantly reduced the volume, pH, total acidity and pepsin activity of gastric content in the pylorus ligature model in rats. The gastric acid antisecretory effect of CEEV was maintained even in the presence of cholinergic and gastrinergic, but not histaminergic, stimuli. In vitro, CEEV (1-10µg/ml) was able to scavenge free radical DPPH, but did not promote inhibitory effects on MPO or H(+),K(+)-ATPAse activity. Phytochemical analysis of CEEV indicated that luteolin is the main compound present in the extract. However, luteolin (1, 3 and 10mg/kg, p.o or 1mg/kg, i.p.) did not promote gastroprotection against ethanol/HCl in mice. It is also important to mention that oral administration of CEEV did not produce any sign of acute toxicity in animals. V. condensata extract demonstrates gastroprotective effects through the inhibition of gastric secretion via cholinergic and gastrinergic pathways. Furthermore, it exhibits cytoprotective effects, involving antioxidant activity, an increase in mucin content and inhibition of neutrophil migration. Thus, this medicinal plant may be a suitable natural source for the prevention and treatment of gastric lesions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Vigabatrin, an Irreversible GABA Transaminase Inhibitor, on Ethanol Reinforcement and Ethanol Discriminative Stimuli in Mice

PubMed Central

Griffin, William C.; Nguyen, Shaun A.; Deleon, Christopher P.; Middaugh, Lawrence D.

2012-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that the irreversible gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) transaminase inhibitor, γ-vinyl GABA (Vigabatrin; VGB) would reduce ethanol reinforcement and enhance the discriminative stimulus effect of ethanol, effectively reducing ethanol intake. The present studies used adult C57BL/6J (B6) mice in well-established operant, two-bottle choice consumption, locomotor activity and ethanol discrimination procedures, to examine comprehensively the effects of VGB on ethanol-supported behaviors. VGB dose-dependently reduced operant responding for ethanol as well as ethanol consumption for long periods of time. Importantly, a low dose (200 mg/kg) of VGB was selective for reducing ethanol responding without altering intake of food or water reinforcement. Higher VGB doses (>200 mg/kg) still reduced ethanol intake, but also significantly increased water consumption and, more modestly, increased food consumption. While not affecting locomotor activity on its own, VGB interacted with ethanol to reduce the stimulatory effects of ethanol on locomotion. Finally, VGB (200 mg/kg) significantly enhanced the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol as evidenced by significant left-ward and up-ward shifts in ethanol generalization curves. Interestingly, VGB treatment was associated with slight increases in blood ethanol concentrations. The reduction in ethanol intake by VGB appears to be related to the ability of VGB to potentiate the pharmacological effects of ethanol. PMID:22336593

Phytochemical Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Dianthus Thunbergii Hooper and Hypoxis Argentea Harv Ex Baker: Plants Used for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Eastern Cape, South Africa.

PubMed

Akinrinde, Akinleye Stephen; Afolayan, Anthony Jide; Bradley, Graeme

2018-01-01

Inhabitants of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa use the roots of Dianthus thunbergii and corms of Hypoxis argentea to treat diabetes mellitus and other ailments. The objective of this study was to analyze the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activities of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the roots and corms of two plants. Total phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, proanthocyanidins, tannins, and alkaloids were determined by standard methods. The scavenging activities of the extracts against 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and their ferric-reducing antioxidant potentials (FRAPs) were measured. The ethanol extract of H. argentea had the highest content of phenolics (66.71 ± 2.71 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) and tannins (1.18 ± 0.07 mg TAE/g), while the ethanol extract of D. thunbergii gave higher contents of flavonoids and proanthocyanidins (62.21 ± 1.75 mg Qe/g and 432.62 ± 2.43 mg Ca/g, respectively). Flavonols were the most predominant in the aqueous extract of H. argentea (25.51 ± 1.92 mg Qe/g). We observed a concentration-dependent response in the ABTS- and H 2 O 2 -scavenging activities and FRAP values of the extracts and standards (Vitamin C, butylated hydroxytoluene, and rutin). The ethanol extracts of both plants generally demonstrated better antioxidant activities against H 2 O 2 , NO, and ABTS while also possessing better reducing power than the aqueous extracts. The aqueous extract of D. thunbergii , however, showed the best DPPH scavenging activity. The higher content of phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity obtained for the ethanol extracts of D. thunbergii and H. argentea may prove to be valuable information in selecting suitable extraction solvents for the medicinal applications of both plants. Ethanol extracts of Hypoxis argentea had the highest levels of phenolics and tanninsEthanol extracts of Dianthus thunbergii had the highest levels of flavonoids and proanthocyanidinsEthanol extracts of both plants possess better antioxidant activityagainst hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide, and ABTS as well as higher reducingpower than the aqueous extractsAqueous extract of Dianthus thunbergii had the highest free radical scavenging activity as measured with DPPH. Abbreviations used: ABTS: 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid); BHT: Butylated hydroxytoluene; DPPH: 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; DTA: Dianthus thunbergii aqueous extract (16.6%); DTE: Dianthus thunbergii ethanol extract (2.4%); Fe 3+ -TPTZ: Ferric tripyridyltriazine; FRAP: Ferric-reducing antioxidant potentials; GAE: Gallic acid equivalent; HAA: Hypoxis argentea aqueous extract (3.2%); HAE: Hypoxis argentea ethanol extract (1.8%); Qe: Quercetin equivalence; ROS: Reactive oxygen species; TBA: Thiobarbituric acid;TCA: Trichloroacetic acid.

Gastroprotective effect of Piper betle Linn. leaves grown in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Arawwawala, L D A M; Arambewela, L S R; Ratnasooriya, W D

2014-01-01

Piper betle Linn. (Piperaceae) is used as a remedy for gastric ulcers in traditional medicinal systems in Sri Lanka. However, the gastroprotective activity has never been proven scientifically using betel leaves grown in Sri Lanka. To evaluate the gastroprotective activity of hot aqueous extract (HAE) and cold ethanolic extract (CEE) of P. betle in rats as the experimental model. Three doses (200, 300, and 500 mg/kg/bw) of both extracts were evaluated for the gastroprotective activity against ethanol induced gastric ulcers in rats. The parameters evaluated were (a) effects of HAE on mucus content adhering to the wall of the gastric mucosa, (b) acidity (total and free), (c) volume and (d) pH of the gastric juice. ORAL ADMINISTRATION OF HAE AND CEE PROVIDED MARKED DOSE DEPENDENT (HAE: r (2) = 0.97; CEE: r (2) = 0.96) and significant (P ≤ 0.05) protection against gastric damage caused by absolute ethanol. The gastroprotective effect of CEE was comparable with that of HAE. Further, gastroprotective activity of the highest dose of both extracts were significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) than that of misoprostol, the reference drug. The HAE significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased the mucus content adhering to the wall of the gastric mucosa and inhibited the volume of gastric acid. However, acidity (total and free) and pH of the gastric juice remained unaltered. It is concluded that both HAE and CEE of P. betle leaves have a strong gastroprotective activity.

Optimizing on-farm pretreatment of perennial grasses for fuel ethanol production.

PubMed

Digman, Matthew F; Shinners, Kevin J; Casler, Michael D; Dien, Bruce S; Hatfield, Ronald D; Jung, Hans-Joachim G; Muck, Richard E; Weimer, Paul J

2010-07-01

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) were pretreated under ambient temperature and pressure with sulfuric acid and calcium hydroxide in separate experiments. Chemical loadings from 0 to 100g (kg DM)(-1) and durations of anaerobic storage from 0 to 180days were investigated by way of a central composite design at two moisture contents (40% or 60% w.b.). Pretreated and untreated samples were fermented to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae D5A in the presence of a commercially available cellulase (Celluclast 1.5L) and beta-glucosidase (Novozyme 188). Xylose levels were also measured following fermentation because xylose is not metabolized by S. cerevisiae. After sulfuric acid pretreatment and anaerobic storage, conversion of cell wall glucose to ethanol for reed canarygrass ranged from 22% to 83% whereas switchgrass conversions ranged from 16% to 46%. Pretreatment duration had a positive effect on conversion but was mitigated with increased chemical loadings. Conversions after calcium hydroxide pretreatment and anaerobic storage ranged from 21% to 55% and 18% to 54% for reed canarygrass and switchgrass, respectively. The efficacy of lime pretreatment was found to be highly dependent on moisture content. Moreover, pretreatment duration was only found to be significant for reed canarygrass. Although significant levels of acetate and lactate were observed in the biomass after storage, S. cerevisiae was not found to be inhibited at a 10% solids loading. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the packing density of calcium phosphate coating on a magnesium alloy for enhanced degradation resistance.

PubMed

Kannan, M Bobby

2013-05-01

In this study, an attempt was made to improve the packing density of calcium phosphate (CaP) coating on a magnesium alloy by tailoring the coating solution for enhanced degradation resistance of the alloy for implant applications. An organic solvent, ethanol, was added to the coating solution to decrease the conductivity of the coating solution so that hydrogen bubble formation/bursting reduces during the CaP coating process. Experimental results confirmed that ethanol addition to the coating solution reduces the conductivity of the solution and also decreases the hydrogen evolution/bubble bursting. In vitro electrochemical experiments, that is, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization showed that CaP coating produced in 30% (v/v) ethanol containing coating solution (3E) exhibits significantly higher degradation resistance (i.e., ~50% higher polarization resistance and ~60% lower corrosion current) than the aqueous solution coating. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of the coatings revealed that the packing of 3E coating was denser than that of aqueous coating, which can be attributed to the lower hydrogen evolution in the former than in the latter. Further increase in the ethanol content in the coating solution was not beneficial; in fact, the coating produced in 70% (v/v) ethanol containing solution (7E) showed degradation resistance much inferior to that of the aqueous coating, which is due to low thickness of 7E coating. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Conversion of Gasoline Engines to Use Ethanol as the Sole Fuel. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mishler, Glenn; Spignesi, Bill

This instructor's guide contains materials that are intended for use as part of the regular auto mechanics curriculum and that provide information necessary to convert a gasoline engine with a niminum of modifications to successfully be operated on ethanol alcohol. It accompanies a student guide that is available separately. Contents include a…

Conversion of Gasoline Engines to Use Ethanol as the Sole Fuel. Student Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mishler, Glenn; Spignesi, Bill

This student guide is a learning packet that is intended for use as part of the regular auto mechanics curriculum and that provides the information necessary to convert a gasoline engine with a minimum of modifications to successfully be operated on ethanol alcohol. Contents include an introduction, objectives, procedures, list of tasks to be…

75 FR 68044 - Regulation To Mitigate the Misfueling of Vehicles and Engines With Gasoline Containing Greater...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-04

... (RVP) to accompany the transfer of gasoline blended with ethanol and a national survey of retail... Addition 3. General PTD Requirements C. Retail Fuel Dispenser Label and Fuel Ethanol Content Survey D.... Labeling Costs 2. PTD Costs 3. Survey Costs 4. Avoided Motor Vehicle and Nonroad Product Repair Costs G...

Antiemetics With Concomitant Sedative Use in Civil Aviation Pilot Fatalities: From 2000 to 2006

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-01

Unclassified Unclassified 13 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized iii CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...sedative hypnotics , and ethanol. Antiemetics and drugs with antiemetic properties such as metoclopramide, diphenhydramine (a sedating...antihistamines, ethanol, barbiturates, serotonin modulators, and/or sedative- hypnotics . Antihistamines such as diphenhydramine are commonly used. The

Chronic plus binge ethanol exposure causes more severe pancreatic injury and inflammation.

PubMed

Ren, Zhenhua; Yang, Fanmuyi; Wang, Xin; Wang, Yongchao; Xu, Mei; Frank, Jacqueline A; Ke, Zun-Ji; Zhang, Zhuo; Shi, Xianglin; Luo, Jia

2016-10-01

Alcohol abuse increases the risk for pancreatitis. The pattern of alcohol drinking may impact its effect. We tested a hypothesis that chronic ethanol consumption in combination with binge exposure imposes more severe damage to the pancreas. C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: control, chronic ethanol exposure, binge ethanol exposure and chronic plus binge ethanol exposure. For the control group, mice were fed with a liquid diet for two weeks. For the chronic ethanol exposure group, mice were fed with a liquid diet containing 5% ethanol for two weeks. In the binge ethanol exposure group, mice were treated with ethanol by gavage (5g/kg, 25% ethanol w/v) daily for 3days. For the chronic plus binge exposure group, mice were fed with a liquid diet containing 5% ethanol for two weeks and exposed to ethanol by gavage during the last 3days. Chronic and binge exposure alone caused minimal pancreatic injury. However, chronic plus binge ethanol exposure induced significant apoptotic cell death. Chronic plus binge ethanol exposure altered the levels of alpha-amylase, glucose and insulin. Chronic plus binge ethanol exposure caused pancreatic inflammation which was shown by the macrophages infiltration and the increase of cytokines and chemokines. Chronic plus binge ethanol exposure increased the expression of ADH1 and CYP2E1. It also induced endoplasmic reticulum stress which was demonstrated by the unfolded protein response. In addition, chronic plus binge ethanol exposure increased protein oxidation and lipid peroxidation, indicating oxidative stress. Therefore, chronic plus binge ethanol exposure is more detrimental to the pancreas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Autoshaping of ethanol drinking in rats: effects of ethanol concentration and trial spacing.

PubMed

Tomie, Arthur; Wong, Karlvin; Apor, Khristine; Patterson-Buckendahl, Patricia; Pohorecky, Larissa A

2003-11-01

In two studies, we evaluated the effects of ethanol concentration and trial spacing on Pavlovian autoshaping of ethanol drinking in rats. In these studies, the brief insertion of an ethanol sipper conditioned stimulus (CS) was followed by the response-independent presentation of food unconditioned stimulus (US), inducing sipper CS-directed drinking conditioned responses (CRs) in all rats. In Experiment 1, the ethanol concentration in the sipper CS [0%-16% volume/volume (vol./vol.), in increments of 1%] was systematically increased within subjects across autoshaping sessions. Groups of rats received sipper CS-food US pairings (Paired/Ethanol), a CS-US random procedure (Random/Ethanol), or water sipper CS paired with food US (Paired/Water). In Experiment 2, saccharin-fading procedures were used to initiate, in the Ethanol group, drinking of 6% (vol./vol.) ethanol in 0.1% saccharin or, in the Water group, drinking of tap water in 0.1% saccharin. After elimination of saccharin, and across days, the duration of access to the sipper CS during each autoshaping trial was increased (5, 10, 12.5, 15, 17.5, and 20 s), and subsequently, across days, the duration of the mean intertrial interval (ITI) was increased (60, 90, 120, and 150 s). In Experiment 1, Paired/Ethanol and Random/Ethanol groups showed higher intake of ethanol, in terms of grams per kilogram of body weight, at higher ethanol concentrations, with more ethanol intake recorded in the Paired/Ethanol group. In Experiment 2, the Ethanol group drank more than was consumed by the Water group, and, for both groups, fluid intake increased with longer ITIs. Results support the suggestion that autoshaping contributes to sipper CS-directed ethanol drinking.

Optimisation of lactic acid fermentation for improved vinegar flavour during rosy vinegar brewing.

PubMed

Jiang, Yujian; Guo, Jianna; Li, Yudong; Lin, Sen; Wang, Li; Li, Jianrong

2010-06-01

Rosy vinegar is a well-known traditional Chinese product whose flavour is affected by its lactic acid content. In this study, Lactobacillus bacteria were employed to increase the content of lactic acid during the ethanol fermentation stage. The optimised fermentation parameters were determined as an inoculation amount of 3% (v/v), a temperature of 30 degrees C and an initial pH value of 4.0. Fermentation under these optimal conditions resulted in an alcohol degree of 6.2% (v/v), a total acidity of 49.5 g L(-1) and a lactic acid content of 4.14 g L(-1). The content of lactic acid (4.14 g L(-1)), which approached the level achieved by solid state fermentation, was 3.56-fold higher than that in vinegar fermented without lactic acid bacteria (1.16 g L(-1)). The results indicate that mixed fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains greatly increases the lactic acid content and improves the flavour of rosy vinegar. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of Phosphate, Potassium, Yeast Extract, and Trace Metals on Chitosan and Metabolite Production by Mucor indicus.

PubMed

Safaei, Zahra; Karimi, Keikhosro; Zamani, Akram

2016-08-30

In this study the effects of phosphate, potassium, yeast extract, and trace metals on the growth of Mucor indicus and chitosan, chitin, and metabolite production by the fungus were investigated. Maximum yield of chitosan (0.32 g/g cell wall) was obtained in a phosphate-free medium. Reversely, cell growth and ethanol formation by the fungus were positively affected in the presence of phosphate. In a phosphate-free medium, the highest chitosan content (0.42 g/g cell wall) and cell growth (0.66 g/g sugar) were obtained at 2.5 g/L of KOH. Potassium concentration had no significant effect on ethanol and glycerol yields. The presence of trace metals significantly increased the chitosan yield at an optimal phosphate and potassium concentration (0.50 g/g cell wall). By contrast, production of ethanol by the fungus was negatively affected (0.33 g/g sugars). A remarkable increase in chitin and decrease in chitosan were observed in the absence of yeast extract and concentrations lower than 2 g/L. The maximum chitosan yield of 51% cell wall was obtained at 5 g/L of yeast extract when the medium contained no phosphate, 2.5 g/L KOH, and 1 mL/L trace metal solution.

Effects of Cold Temperature and Ethanol Content on VOC Emissions from Light-Duty Gasoline Vehicles.

PubMed

George, Ingrid J; Hays, Michael D; Herrington, Jason S; Preston, William; Snow, Richard; Faircloth, James; George, Barbara Jane; Long, Thomas; Baldauf, Richard W

2015-11-03

Emissions of speciated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including mobile source air toxics (MSATs), were measured in vehicle exhaust from three light-duty spark ignition vehicles operating on summer and winter grade gasoline (E0) and ethanol blended (E10 and E85) fuels. Vehicle testing was conducted using a three-phase LA92 driving cycle in a temperature-controlled chassis dynamometer at two ambient temperatures (-7 and 24 °C). The cold start driving phase and cold ambient temperature increased VOC and MSAT emissions up to several orders of magnitude compared to emissions during other vehicle operation phases and warm ambient temperature testing, respectively. As a result, calculated ozone formation potentials (OFPs) were 7 to 21 times greater for the cold starts during cold temperature tests than comparable warm temperature tests. The use of E85 fuel generally led to substantial reductions in hydrocarbons and increases in oxygenates such as ethanol and acetaldehyde compared to E0 and E10 fuels. However, at the same ambient temperature, the VOC emissions from the E0 and E10 fuels and OFPs from all fuels were not significantly different. Cold temperature effects on cold start MSAT emissions varied by individual MSAT compound, but were consistent over a range of modern spark ignition vehicles.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Eucalyptus globulus Bark—A Promising Approach for Triterpenoid Production

PubMed Central

Domingues, Rui M. A.; Oliveira, Eduardo L. G.; Freire, Carmen S. R.; Couto, Ricardo M.; Simões, Pedro C.; Neto, Carlos P.; Silvestre, Armando J. D.; Silva, Carlos M.

2012-01-01

Eucalyptus bark contains significant amounts of triterpenoids with demonstrated bioactivity, namely triterpenic acids and their acetyl derivatives (ursolic, betulinic, oleanolic, betulonic, 3-acetylursolic, and 3-acetyloleanolic acids). In this work, the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of Eucalyptus globulus deciduous bark was carried out with pure and modified carbon dioxide to recover this fraction, and the results were compared with those obtained by Soxhlet extraction with dichloromethane. The effects of pressure (100–200 bar), co-solvent (ethanol) content (0, 5 and 8% wt), and multistep operation were studied in order to evaluate the applicability of SFE for their selective and efficient production. The individual extraction curves of the main families of compounds were measured, and the extracts analyzed by GC-MS. Results pointed out the influence of pressure and the important role played by the co-solvent. Ethanol can be used with advantage, since its effect is more important than increasing pressure by several tens of bar. At 160 bar and 40 °C, the introduction of 8% (wt) of ethanol greatly improves the yield of triterpenoids more than threefold. PMID:22837719

Two-stage pervaporation process for effective in situ removal acetone-butanol-ethanol from fermentation broth.

PubMed

Cai, Di; Hu, Song; Miao, Qi; Chen, Changjing; Chen, Huidong; Zhang, Changwei; Li, Ping; Qin, Peiyong; Tan, Tianwei

2017-01-01

Two-stage pervaporation for ABE recovery from fermentation broth was studied to reduce the energy cost. The permeate after the first stage in situ pervaporation system was further used as the feedstock in the second stage of pervaporation unit using the same PDMS/PVDF membrane. A total 782.5g/L of ABE (304.56g/L of acetone, 451.98g/L of butanol and 25.97g/L of ethanol) was achieved in the second stage permeate, while the overall acetone, butanol and ethanol separation factors were: 70.7-89.73, 70.48-84.74 and 9.05-13.58, respectively. Furthermore, the theoretical evaporation energy requirement for ABE separation in the consolidate fermentation, which containing two-stage pervaporation and the following distillation process, was estimated less than ∼13.2MJ/kg-butanol. The required evaporation energy was only 36.7% of the energy content of butanol. The novel two-stage pervaporation process was effective in increasing ABE production and reducing energy consumption of the solvents separation system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protective effects of bilobalide against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in vivo/vitro.

PubMed

Hui, Shi; Fangyu, Wang

2017-01-01

Bilobalide (BI) has been widely known as a unique constituent extracted from Ginkgo biloba. The aim of the current study was to reveal the potential efficacy as well as the underlying mechanism of the action of BI on ethanol-induced lesion in gastric mucosa in vivo/vitro. Ethanol (0.2ml/kg) was applied to induce gastric ulcer mice model. Our results indicated that treatment with BI markedly decreased the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in vivo. Additionally, BI intervation exhibited elevated myeloperoxidase (MPO) level in stomach, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decreased malonaldehyde (MDA) content in serum and stomach when compared with those of the model group. It could be also observed that inhibited MAPK/NF-κB pathway expressions occurred after BI treatment both in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, BI exerted a gastro-protective effect against gastric ulceration, which was presumed to be associated with MAPK/NF-κB pathway. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Responses to Sorghum bicolor (Poales: Poaceae) Tissues From Lowered Lignin Lines.

PubMed

Dowd, Patrick F; Sattler, Scott E

2015-01-01

The presence of lignin within biomass impedes the production of liquid fuels. Plants with altered lignin content and composition are more amenable to lignocellulosic conversion to ethanol and other biofuels but may be more susceptible to insect damage where lignin is an important resistance factor. However, reduced lignin lines of switchgrasses still retained insect resistance in prior studies. Therefore, we hypothesized that sorghum lines with lowered lignin content will also retain insect resistance. Sorghum excised leaves and stalk pith Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (Poales: Poaceae) from near isogenic brown midrib (bmr) 6 and 12 mutants lines, which have lowered lignin content and increased lignocellulosic ethanol conversion efficiency, were examined for insect resistance relative to wild-type (normal BTx623). Greenhouse and growth chamber grown plant tissues were fed to first-instar larvae of corn earworms, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and fall armyworms Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), two sorghum major pests. Younger bmr leaves had significantly greater feeding damage in some assays than wild-type leaves, but older bmr6 leaves generally had significantly less damage than wild-type leaves. Caterpillars feeding on the bmr6 leaves often weighed significantly less than those feeding on wild-type leaves, especially in the S. frugiperda assays. Larvae fed the pith from bmr stalks had significantly higher mortality compared with those larvae fed on wild-type pith, which suggested that bmr pith was more toxic. Thus, reducing lignin content or changing subunit composition of bioenergy grasses does not necessarily increase their susceptibility to insects and may result in increased resistance, which would contribute to sustainable production. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America 2015. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Lesion of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus increases voluntary ethanol consumption and accelerates extinction of ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion.

PubMed

Sheth, Chandni; Furlong, Teri M; Keefe, Kristen A; Taha, Sharif A

2016-10-01

Ethanol has rewarding and aversive properties, and the balance of these properties influences voluntary ethanol consumption. Preclinical and clinical evidence show that the aversive properties of ethanol limit intake. The neural circuits underlying ethanol-induced aversion learning are not fully understood. We have previously shown that the lateral habenula (LHb), a region critical for aversive conditioning, plays an important role in ethanol-directed behaviors. However, the neurocircuitry through which LHb exerts its actions is unknown. In the present study, we investigate a role for the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a major LHb projection target, in regulating ethanol-directed behaviors. Rats received either sham or RMTg lesions and were studied during voluntary ethanol consumption; operant ethanol self-administration, extinction, and yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking; and ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA). RMTg lesions increased voluntary ethanol consumption and accelerated extinction of ethanol-induced CTA. The RMTg plays an important role in regulating voluntary ethanol consumption, possibly by mediating ethanol-induced aversive conditioning.

Evaluation of wound healing property of Caesalpinia mimosoides Lam.

PubMed

Bhat, Pradeep Bhaskar; Hegde, Shruti; Upadhya, Vinayak; Hegde, Ganesh R; Habbu, Prasanna V; Mulgund, Gangadhar S

2016-12-04

Caesalpinia mimosoides Lam. is one of the important traditional folk medicinal plants in the treatment of skin diseases and wounds used by healers of Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state (India). However scientific validation of documented traditional knowledge related to medicinal plants is an important path in current scenario to fulfill the increasing demand of herbal medicine. The study was carried out to evaluate the claimed uses of Caesalpinia mimosoides using antimicrobial, wound healing and antioxidant activities followed by detection of possible active bio-constituents. Extracts prepared by hot percolation method were subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis followed by antimicrobial activity using MIC assay. In vivo wound healing activity was evaluated by circular excision and linear incision wound models. The extract with significant antimicrobial and wound healing activity was investigated for antioxidant capacity using DPPH, nitric oxide, antilipid peroxidation and total antioxidant activity methods. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also determined by Folin-Ciocalteu, Swain and Hillis methods. Possible bio-active constituents were identified by GC-MS technique. RP-UFLC-DAD analysis was carried out to quantify ethyl gallate and gallic acid in the plant extract. Preliminary phytochemical analysis showed positive results for ethanol and aqueous extracts for all the chemical constituents. The ethanol extract proved potent antimicrobial activity against both bacterial and fungal skin pathogens compared to other extracts. The efficacy of topical application of potent ethanol extract and traditionally used aqueous extracts was evidenced by the complete re-epithelization of the epidermal layer with increased percentage of wound contraction in a shorter period. However, aqueous extract failed to perform a consistent effect in the histopathological assessment. Ethanol extract showed effective scavenging activity against DPPH and nitric oxide free radicals with an expressive amount of phenolic and moderate concentration of flavonoid contents. Ethyl gallate and gallic acid were found to be the probable bio-active compounds evidenced by GCMS and RP-UFLC-DAD analysis. The study revealed the significant antimicrobial, wound healing and antioxidant activities of tender parts of C. mimosoides and proved the traditional folklore knowledge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of ethanol on metabolism of purine bases (hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid).

PubMed

Yamamoto, Tetsuya; Moriwaki, Yuji; Takahashi, Sumio

2005-06-01

There are many factors that contribute to hyperuricemia, including obesity, insulin resistance, alcohol consumption, diuretic use, hypertension, renal insufficiency, genetic makeup, etc. Of these, alcohol (ethanol) is the most important. Ethanol enhances adenine nucleotide degradation and increases lactic acid level in blood, leading to hyperuricemia. In beer, purines also contribute to an increase in plasma uric acid. Although rare, dehydration and ketoacidosis (due to ethanol ingestion) are associated with the ethanol-induced increase in serum uric acid levels. Ethanol also increases the plasma concentrations and urinary excretion of hypoxanthine and xanthine via the acceleration of adenine nucleotide degradation and a possible weak inhibition of xanthine dehydrogenase activity. Since many factors such as the ALDH2*1 gene and ADH2*2 gene, daily drinking habits, exercise, and dehydration enhance the increase in plasma concentration of uric acid induced by ethanol, it is important to pay attention to these factors, as well as ingested ethanol volume, type of alcoholic beverage, and the administration of anti-hyperuricemic agents, to prevent and treat ethanol-induced hyperuricemia.

Combined substrate, enzyme and yeast feed in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation allow bioethanol production from pretreated spruce biomass at high solids loadings

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Economically feasible cellulosic ethanol production requires that the process can be operated at high solid loadings, which currently imparts technical challenges including inefficient mixing leading to heat and mass transfer limitations and high concentrations of inhibitory compounds hindering microbial activity during simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process. Consequently, there is a need to develop cost effective processes overcoming the challenges when working at high solid loadings. Results In this study we have modified the yeast cultivation procedure and designed a SSF process to address some of the challenges at high water insoluble solids (WIS) content. The slurry of non-detoxified pretreated spruce when used in a batch SSF at 19% (w/w) WIS was found to be inhibitory to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Thermosacc that produced 2 g l-1 of ethanol. In order to reduce the inhibitory effect, the non-washed solid fraction containing reduced amount of inhibitors compared to the slurry was used in the SSF. Further, the cells were cultivated in the liquid fraction of pretreated spruce in a continuous culture wherein the outflow of cell suspension was used as cell feed to the SSF reactor in order to maintain the metabolic state of the cell. Enhanced cell viability was observed with cell, enzyme and substrate feed in a SSF producing 40 g l-1 ethanol after 96 h corresponding to 53% of theoretical yield based on available hexose sugars compared to 28 g l-1 ethanol in SSF with enzyme and substrate feed but no cell feed resulting in 37% of theoretical yield at a high solids loading of 20% (w/w) WIS content. The fed-batch SSF also significantly eased the mixing, which is usually challenging in batch SSF at high solids loading. Conclusions A simple modification of the cell cultivation procedure together with a combination of yeast, enzyme and substrate feed in a fed-batch SSF process, made it possible to operate at high solids loadings in a conventional bioreactor. The proposed process strategy significantly increased the yeast cell viability and overall ethanol yield. It was also possible to obtain 4% (w/v) ethanol concentration, which is a minimum requirement for an economical distillation process. PMID:24713027

Combined substrate, enzyme and yeast feed in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation allow bioethanol production from pretreated spruce biomass at high solids loadings.

PubMed

Koppram, Rakesh; Olsson, Lisbeth

2014-04-08

Economically feasible cellulosic ethanol production requires that the process can be operated at high solid loadings, which currently imparts technical challenges including inefficient mixing leading to heat and mass transfer limitations and high concentrations of inhibitory compounds hindering microbial activity during simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process. Consequently, there is a need to develop cost effective processes overcoming the challenges when working at high solid loadings. In this study we have modified the yeast cultivation procedure and designed a SSF process to address some of the challenges at high water insoluble solids (WIS) content. The slurry of non-detoxified pretreated spruce when used in a batch SSF at 19% (w/w) WIS was found to be inhibitory to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Thermosacc that produced 2 g l-1 of ethanol. In order to reduce the inhibitory effect, the non-washed solid fraction containing reduced amount of inhibitors compared to the slurry was used in the SSF. Further, the cells were cultivated in the liquid fraction of pretreated spruce in a continuous culture wherein the outflow of cell suspension was used as cell feed to the SSF reactor in order to maintain the metabolic state of the cell. Enhanced cell viability was observed with cell, enzyme and substrate feed in a SSF producing 40 g l-1 ethanol after 96 h corresponding to 53% of theoretical yield based on available hexose sugars compared to 28 g l-1 ethanol in SSF with enzyme and substrate feed but no cell feed resulting in 37% of theoretical yield at a high solids loading of 20% (w/w) WIS content. The fed-batch SSF also significantly eased the mixing, which is usually challenging in batch SSF at high solids loading. A simple modification of the cell cultivation procedure together with a combination of yeast, enzyme and substrate feed in a fed-batch SSF process, made it possible to operate at high solids loadings in a conventional bioreactor. The proposed process strategy significantly increased the yeast cell viability and overall ethanol yield. It was also possible to obtain 4% (w/v) ethanol concentration, which is a minimum requirement for an economical distillation process.