Exploring the inhibitory characteristics of acid hydrolysates upon butanol fermentation: A toxicological assessment

Modified Activated Carbon: A Supporting Material for Improving Clostridium beijerinckii TISTR1461 Immobilized Fermentation

This study aimed to investigate the effect of activated carbon (AC) as an immobilization material in acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation. The AC surface was modified with different physical (orbital shaking and refluxing) and chemical (nitric acid, sodium hydroxide and, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES)) treatments to enhance the biobutanol production by Clostridium beijerinckii TISTR1461. The effect of surface modification on AC was evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, surface area analyses, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, while the fermented broth was examined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The chemical functionalization significantly modified the physicochemical properties of the different treated ACs and further enhanced the butanol production. The AC treated with APTES under refluxing provided the best fermentation results at 10.93 g/L of butanol, 0.23 g/g of yield, and 0.15 g/L/h of productivity, which were 1.8-, 1.5-, and 3.0-fold higher, respectively, than that in the free-cell fermentation. The obtained dried cell biomass also revealed that the treatment improved the AC surface for cell immobilization. This study demonstrated and emphasized the importance of surface properties to cell immobilization.

Extracellular expression of agarolytic enzymes in Clostridium sp. strain and its application for butanol production from Gelidium amansii

In this study, Clostridium sp. strain WK-AN1 carrying both genes of agarase (Aga0283) and neoagarobiose hydrolase (NH2780) were successfully constructed to convert agar polysaccharide directly into butanol, contributing to overcome the lack of algal hydrolases in solventogenic clostridia. Through the optimization by the Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and response surface methodology (RSM), a maximal butanol production of 6.42 g/L was achieved from 17.86 g/L agar. Further application of utilizing the butyric acid pretreated Gelidium amansii hydrolysate demonstrated the modified strain obtained the butanol production of 7.83 g/L by 1.63-fold improvement over the wild-type one. This work for the first time establishes a novel route to utilize red algal polysaccharides for butanol fermentation by constructing a solventogenic clostridia-specific secretory expression system for heterologous agarases, which will provide insights for future development of the sustainable third-generation biomass energy.

Reassessment of the role of CaCO3 in n-butanol production from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass by Clostridium acetobutylicum

In this study, the role of CaCO₃ in n-butanol production was further investigated using corn straw hydrolysate (CSH) media by Clostridium acetobutylicum CICC 8016. CaCO₃ addition stimulated sugars utilization and butanol production. Further study showed that calcium salts addition to CSH media led to the increase in Ca²⁺ concentration both intracellularly and extracellularly. Interestingly, without calcium salts addition, intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration in the synthetic P2 medium was much higher than that in the CSH medium despite the lower extracellular Ca²⁺ concentrations in the P2 medium. These results indicated that without additional calcium salts, Ca²⁺ uptake by C. acetobutylicum CICC 8016 in the CSH medium may be inhibited by non-sugar biomass degradation compounds, such as furans, phenolics and organic acids. Comparative proteomics analysis results showed that most enzymes involved in glycolysis, redox balance and amino acids metabolism were up-regulated with CaCO₃ addition. This study provides further insights into the role of CaCO₃ in n-butanol production using real biomass hydrolysate.

Pretreatment of microalgal biomass for efficient biohydrogen production - Recent insights and future perspectives

Biohydrogen is a plausible alternative fuel solution for the contemporary issues regarding global warming and the steadily increasing greenhouse gas emissions, because of its high energy content and carbon-free combustion properties. Hydrogen does not exist in its natural state and the current hydrogen production technologies (steam methane reforming, water splitting) are energy-intensive, accompanied by a huge carbon footprint. Dark fermentative hydrogen production by anaerobic hydrogen-producing bacteria is a green, sustainable and emission-free pathway for hydrogen production. Microalgal biomass is considered as the third generation biofuel feedstock and is receiving academic and industrial research attention for its carbon sequestration abilities. This review discusses in detail about the pretreatment methods that could be adapted for microalgal biomass for effective biohydrogen production. Microalgal cell wall structure and the associated polymeric carbohydrates that offer certain recalcitrance are critically analyzed and future research perspectives are presented.

Continuous production of algicidal compounds against Akashiwo sanguinea via a Vibrio sp. co-culture

Using biological treatment to deal with harmful algal blooms is highly potential over the physical and chemical methods due to its species specificity and eco-friendly characteristics. In this study, algicidal broth were produced from a Vibrio sp. co-culture composed mainly of V. brasilliensis and V. tubiashii. The productivity of the algicidal compounds was optimized under a dilution rate of 0.1 h^-1 with a minimum algicidal broth dosage of 0.3% for 100% algal lysis. The algicidal threshold and EC₅₀ of the spray-dried algicidal broth were 0.17 and 0.68 g/L, respectively. Treatment with the algicidal agents led to an increase in cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level that causes membrane damage as supported by the increase in Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. and a further inhibition to the antioxidant system as indicated by a sharp decrease in the catalase (CAT) activity. The algicidal compound was identified as hexahydro pyrrolo[1,2-a] pyr azine-1,4-dione.

Clostridium strain selection for co-culture with Bacillus subtilis for butanol production from agave hydrolysates

In this work, three Clostridium strains were tested for butanol production from Agave lechuguilla hydrolysates to select one for co-culturing. The agave hydrolysates medium was supplemented with nutrients and reducing agents to promote anaerobiosis. Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 had the highest butanol production (6.04 g/L) and was selected for further analyses. In the co-culture process, Bacillus subtilis CDBB 555 was used to deplete oxygen and achieve anaerobic conditions required for butanol production. The co-culture was prepared with C. acetobutylicum and B. subtilis without anaerobic pretreatment. Butanol production in co-culture from agave hydrolysates was compared with experiments using synthetic medium with glucose and a pure culture of C. acetobutylicum. The maximum butanol concentration obtained was 8.28 g/L in the co-cultured hydrolysate medium. Results obtained in the present work demonstrated that agave hydrolysates have the potential for butanol production using a co-culture of B. subtilis and C. acetobutylicum without anaerobic pretreatment.

Recent trends in biobutanol production

Finite availability of conventional fossil carbonaceous fuels coupled with increasing pollution due to their overexploitation has necessitated the quest for renewable fuels. Consequently, biomass-derived fuels are gaining importance due to their economic viability and environment-friendly nature. Among various liquid biofuels, biobutanol is being considered as a suitable and sustainable alternative to gasoline. This paper reviews the present state of the preprocessing of the feedstock, biobutanol production through fermentation and separation processes. Low butanol yield and its toxicity are the major bottlenecks. The use of metabolic engineering and integrated fermentation and product recovery techniques has the potential to overcome these challenges. The application of different nanocatalysts to overcome the existing challenges in the biobutanol field is gaining much interest. For the sustainable production of biobutanol, algae, a third-generation feedstock has also been evaluated.

A Holistic Approach to Managing Microalgae for Biofuel Applications

Microalgae contribute up to 60% of the oxygen content in the Earth’s atmosphere by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen during photosynthesis. Microalgae are abundantly available in the natural environment, thanks to their ability to survive and grow rapidly under harsh and inhospitable conditions. Microalgal cultivation is environmentally friendly because the microalgal biomass can be utilized for the productions of biofuels, food and feed supplements, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics. The cultivation of microalgal also can complement approaches like carbon dioxide sequestration and bioremediation of wastewaters, thereby addressing the serious environmental concerns. This review focuses on the factors affecting microalgal cultures, techniques adapted to obtain high-density microalgal cultures in photobioreactors, and the conversion of microalgal biomass into biofuels. The applications of microalgae in carbon dioxide sequestration and phycoremediation of wastewater are also discussed.

The effect of oxalic and itaconic acids on threo-Ds-isocitric acid production from rapeseed oil by Yarrowia lipolytica

The effect of oxalic and itaconic acids, the inhibitors of the isocitrate lyase, on the production of isocitric acid by the wild strain Yarrowia lipolytica VKM Y-2373 grown in the medium containing rapeseed oil was studied. In the presence of oxalic and itaconic acids, strain Y. lipolytica accumulated in the medium isocitric acid (70.0 and 82.7 g/L, respectively) and citric acid (23.0 and 18.4 g/L, respectively). In control experiment, when the inhibitors were not added to the medium, the strain accumulated isocitric and citric acids at concentrations of 62.0 and 28.0 g/L, respectively. Thus, the use of the oxalic and itaconic acids as additives to the medium is a simple and convenient method of isocitric acid production with a minimum content of citric acid.