Ultrasound assisted three phase partitioning of a fibrinolytic enzyme

Exogenous microbubbles contribute to valorization of microalgal compounds by ultrasound-assisted extraction

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) shows great potential in exploiting microalgal compounds. However, upgrading the extraction system lacks concerns. This study proposes a novel sono-reactor featuring a microbubble distributor for increasing bubble abundance and correspondingly improving microalgal compound extraction. Results indicate that protein concentrations increase with ultrasound powers and extraction time while an optimized gas flow rate exists. The optimal parameters by Box-Behnken design are power 646.0 W, nitrogen flow rate 25.0 mL/min, and time 40.0 min, with an optimal protein concentration of 249.1 mg/L - a substantial improvement over gas-free extraction. The strategic increase in bubble abundance enhances microalgal compound extraction efficiency and extraction kinetics. The system innovation will contribute to the advancement of bioresource utilization and sustainability.

Biochemical biorefinery: A low-cost and non-waste concept for promoting sustainable circular bioeconomy

The transition from a fossil-based linear economy to a circular bioeconomy is no longer an option but rather imperative, given worldwide concerns about the depletion of fossil resources and the demand for innovative products that are ecocompatible. As a critical component of sustainable development, this discourse has attracted wide attention at the regional and international levels. Biorefinery is an indispensable technology to implement the blueprint of the circular bioeconomy. As a low-cost, non-waste innovative concept, the biorefinery concept will spur a myriad of new economic opportunities across a wide range of sectors. Consequently, scaling up biorefinery processes is of the essence. Despite several decades of research and development channeled into upscaling biorefinery processes, the commercialization of biorefinery technology appears unrealizable. In this review, challenges limiting the commercialization of biorefinery technologies are discussed, with a particular focus on biofuels, biochemicals, and biomaterials. To counteract these challenges, various process intensification strategies such as consolidated bioprocessing, integrated biorefinery configurations, the use of highly efficient bioreactors, simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, have been explored. This study also includes an overview of biomass pretreatment-generated inhibitory compounds as platform chemicals to produce other essential biocommodities. There is a detailed examination of the technological, economic, and environmental considerations of a sustainable biorefinery. Finally, the prospects for establishing a viable circular bioeconomy in Nigeria are briefly discussed.

Ultrasound intensification of Ferrochelatase extraction from pork liver as a strategy to improve ZINC-protoporphyrin formation

The enzyme Ferrochelatase (FeCH), which is naturally present in pork liver, catalyses the formation of Zinc-protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a natural pigment responsible for the typical color of dry-cured Italian Parma ham. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using high power ultrasound in continuous and pulsed modes to intensify the extraction of the enzyme FeCH from pork liver. US application during FeCH extraction led to an improved enzymatic activity and further increase in the formation of ZnPP. The optimal condition tested was that of 1 min in continuous US application, in which time the enzymatic activity increased by 33.3 % compared to conventional extraction (30 min). Pulsed US application required 5 min treatments to observe a significant intensification effect. Therefore, ultrasound is a potentially feasible technique as it increases the catalytic activity of FeCH and saves time compared to the conventional extraction method.

Extraction of total antioxidants from Azadirachta indica (neem) using three phase partitioning and its process intensification using ultrasound

The majority of the naturally occurring antioxidants are obtained from plant sources. The antioxidant activity is mostly exhibited by polyphenols present in the plant cells. Azadirachta Indica (Neem) leaves are renowned for their medicinal applications due to their anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, and anticarcinogenic properties. This work aims to optimize the extraction of Azadirachta Indica (Neem) leaf antioxidants using three-phase partitioning (TPP). The optimized conditions are operating time 15 minutes, slurry ratio 1:30 (g/mL), salt concentration 30% (w/v), aqueous to solvent ratio 1:1.5 (v/v), and stirring speed 400 rpm that infer 74.66% extraction yield. Additionally, ultrasonic pretreatment was also employed to increase the extraction yield up to 86.61%. Sonication pretreatment for 4 min operated at 30 W power, and 75% duty cycle was observed to offer maximum antioxidant extraction about 3.3 mg/g.

Comparative study of ultrasonic pretreatment and ultrasound assisted three phase partitioning for extraction of custard apple seed oil

Custard apple seed oil is a marketable product extracted from custard apple seed which is a potential agriculture waste. The present work aims to elucidate simultaneous extraction of the custard apple seed oil and proteins using three phase partitioning (TPP). The efficient oil extraction was executed by optimization of parameters including time, slurry ratio, salt concentration, and slurry to t-butanol ratio. Additionally, the application of ultrasound as process intensification tool for TPP was studied that reduces the time of conventional TPP and increases the yield by 2.53%. The work also comprises a comparative study of two modes of ultrasound application, namely ultrasound pre-treatment and simultaneous ultrasound assisted TPP. This work proves ultrasonic pre-treatment followed by TPP as a superior mode of ultrasound application that attributes 33.6 ± 0.56% (w/w) oil extraction with optimized pre-treatment time of 150 s, 30 W ultrasound power and 75% duty cycle. Extraction kinetics studied for conventional, Ultrasound assisted Three Phase Partitioning (UTPP), and Ultrasound Pre-treatment assisted Three Phase Partitioning (UPTPP) were observed to fit Peleg's model.

Microalgal Protein Extraction From Chlorella vulgaris FSP-E Using Triphasic Partitioning Technique With Sonication

Green microalgae containing various bioactive compounds and macronutrients such as lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, have attracted much attention from the global community. Microalgae has the potential to be applied in food industries due to its high protein content, rapid growth rate, and ability to survive in harsh conditions. This study presents a simple yet efficient technique of sonication-assisted triphasic partitioning process, also known as ultrasonic-assisted three phase partitioning (UATPP), for the extraction of proteins from Chlorella vulgaris FSP-E. Comparison studies between three phase partitioning (TPP) and UATPP was conducted to investigate the feasibility of the enhanced technique on proteins extraction. Types of salt, ratio of slurry to t-butanol, salt saturation, sonication frequency, power, irradiation time, and duty cycle as well as biomass loading were studied. UATPP was found to be an improved technique compared to TPP. An optimum separation efficiency and yield of 74.59 ± 0.45 and 56.57 ± 3.70% was obtained, respectively, with the optimized conditions: salt saturation (50%), slurry to t-butanol ratio (1:2), sonication power (100%), irradiation time (10 min), frequency (35 kHz), duty cycle (80%) and biomass loading (0.75 wt%). A scaled-up study was performed to validate the reliability of UATPP for protein extraction. The outcome of the study revealed that UATPP is an attractive approach for downstream processing of microalgae.

Extraction of watermelon seed proteins with enhanced functional properties using ultrasound

Watermelon seed is the potential source of value-added proteins, oils, and carbohydrates. The present study evaluates the extraction, and functional properties of watermelon seed protein (WMSP) obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method from watermelon seed (WMS). The optimization of various operating parameters, such as pH (9), WMS powder to solvent ratio (1:50 w/v), temperature (30 ± 2 °C), ultrasound power (90 W), frequency (25 kHz), and duty cycle (75%) has been carried out. The extraction yield obtained was 87% and the extraction time was lowered down to 9 min from 120 min of conventional batch extraction. It contains all essential amino acids in an adequate amount required for adults as per FAO/WHO guidelines while for 2-5 years old children, the content of valine and isoleucine are above the required range. Methionine and lysine contents are adequate for both children and adults. Functional properties of ultrasonic extracted proteins were found superior to conventionally extracted proteins.highlightsThe UAE method is more efficient for watermelon seed protein extraction.Impact of extraction parameters on the extraction yield was studied.Protein isolate with enhanced functional properties was obtained.Essential amino acid content was determined.

Spirulina platensis based biorefinery for the production of value-added products for food and pharmaceutical applications

In this present study, microalgal phycobiliproteins were isolated and purified via potential biphasic processing technique for pharmaceutical as well as food applications. The algal pre-treatment techniques were studied to enhance the yield of microalgal phycobiliproteins from the biomass. The proposed methods were optimised to obtain the best recovery yield of phycobiliproteins that can be isolated from the biomass. The phycobiliproteins were further purified using liquid biphasic system. The results showed that microalgal phycobiliproteins of high purity and yield was achieved using sonication treatment (20% power, 50% duty cycle and 7 min of irradiation time) with the biphasic system, where the purification fold of 6.17 and recovery yield of 94.89% was achieved. This work will provide insights towards the effective downstream processing of biomolecules from microalgae.

Ultrasound synergized with three-phase partitioning for extraction and separation of Corbicula fluminea polysaccharides and possible relevant mechanisms

Ultrasound and three-phase partitioning (USTPP) were combined to extract and separate polysaccharides (PS) efficiently from Corbicula fluminea crude extracts. The following optimum experimental conditions were established: 20% (w/v) ammonium sulfate concentration, 1:1 (v/v) t-butanol to crude extract ratio, 180W ultrasonic power, 40kHz frequency, 100% duty cycle, 10min irradiation time, and 35°C. The maximum extraction yield of PS obtained from USTPP was approximately 11.22%, which was higher than the maximum yields from conventional three-phase partitioning (TPP; 9.32%) and ultrasound extraction (USE; 6.05%). The extraction time for USTPP was significantly reduced to 10min from 30 and 60min for TPP and USE methods, respectively. The primary chemical structures of PS collected through the three extraction protocols were basically conserved. The synergistic effects of ultrasound and TPP on PS extraction were also determined. Results revealed that USTPP is an effective technique to extract and separate PS from C. fluminea potentially applied in food, cosmetics, and medicines.

Acoustic cavitation promoted lipase catalysed synthesis of isobutyl propionate in solvent free system: Optimization and kinetic studies

The present work highlights the effect of ultrasound on enzymatic synthesis of isobutyl propionate, a rum flavor by esterification of isobutanol and propionic acid in non-aqueous, solvent free system (SFS) using Fermase CALB™10000. The optimization study for different variables in presence of ultrasound showed a maximum conversion of 95.14% at 60°C temperature, 4% w/w enzyme dose, 1:3 acid:alcohol ratio, 40W power, 25kHz frequency, 50% duty cycle and 150rpm speed in 3h as compared to 10h of conventional method. The optimal enzyme loading was reduced to 4% w/w using ultrasound irradiation compared to 5% w/w of conventional. The efficiency of enzyme improved notably and can be reused up to seven cycles preserving its former activity. The application of ultrasound greatly enhanced esterification reactions by maintaining enzyme stability and improving the production yield. Moreover, owing towards a green approach, the synthesis is carried out in SFS for development of lucrative flavor ester. Bisubstrate kinetic models like random bi-bi, ping pong bi-bi and ordered bi-bi were applied to the experimental data using non-linear regression analysis. The experimental data and kinetic study revealed that reaction obeyed Ping-Pong bi-bi model with kinetic parameters, V_max=50.0M/min/gcatalyst, K_A=4.87×10^-2M, K_B=9.06×10^-4M, K_iA=9.8×10^-1M, K_iB=1.05×10^-3M &SSE=2.74×10^-4 for lipase catalysed synthesis of isobutyl propionate under ultrasound with inhibition by both acid and alcohol.

A review of engineering aspects of intensification of chemical synthesis using ultrasound

Cavitation generated using ultrasound can enhance the rates of several chemical reactions giving better selectivity based on the physical and chemical effects. The present review focuses on overview of the different reactions that can be intensified using ultrasound followed by the discussion on the chemical kinetics for ultrasound assisted reactions, engineering aspects related to reactor designs and effect of operating parameters on the degree of intensification obtained for chemical synthesis. The cavitational effects in terms of magnitudes of collapse temperatures and collapse pressure, number of free radicals generated and extent of turbulence are strongly dependent on the operating parameters such as ultrasonic power, frequency, duty cycle, temperature as well as physicochemical parameters of liquid medium which controls the inception of cavitation. Guidelines have been presented for the optimum selection based on the critical analysis of the existing literature so that maximum process intensification benefits can be obtained. Different reactor designs have also been analyzed with guidelines for efficient scale up of the sonochemical reactor, which would be dependent on the type of reaction, controlling mechanism of reaction, catalyst and activation energy requirements. Overall, it has been established that sonochemistry offers considerable potential for green and sustainable processing and efficient scale up procedures are required so as to harness the effects at actual commercial level.

Ultrasound assisted enzyme catalyzed hydrolysis of waste cooking oil under solvent free condition

The present work demonstrates the hydrolysis of waste cooking oil (WCO) under solvent free condition using commercial available immobilized lipase (Novozyme 435) under the influence of ultrasound irradiation. The process parameters were optimized using a sequence of experimental protocol to evaluate the effects of temperature, molar ratios of substrates, enzyme loading, duty cycle and ultrasound intensity. It has been observed that ultrasound-assisted lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of WCO would be a promising alternative for conventional methods. A maximum conversion of 75.19% was obtained at mild operating parameters: molar ratio of oil to water (buffer pH 7) 3:1, catalyst loading of 1.25% (w/w), lower ultrasound power 100W (ultrasound intensity - 7356.68Wm(-2)), duty cycle 50% and temperature (50°C) in a relatively short reaction time (2h). The activation energy and thermodynamic study shows that the hydrolysis reaction is more feasible when ultrasound is combined with mechanical agitation as compared with the ultrasound alone and simple conventional stirring technique. Application of ultrasound considerably reduced the reaction time as compared to conventional reaction. The successive use of the catalyst for repetitive cycles under the optimum experimental conditions resulted in a loss of enzymatic activity and also minimized the product conversion.

Purification of serratiopeptidase from Serratia marcescens NRRL B 23112 using ultrasound assisted three phase partitioning

The ultrasound assisted three phase partitioning (UATPP) is a novel bioseparation method for separation and purification of biomolecules. In the present work, UATPP was investigated for the first time for purification of serratiopeptidase from Serratia marcescens NRRL B 23112. Effect of various process parameters such as ammonium sulphate saturation, t-butanol to crude extract ratio, pH, ultrasonic frequency, ultrasonic intensity, duty cycle and irradiation time were evaluated and optimized. The optimized conditions were found to be as follows: ammonium sulphate saturation 30% (w/v), pH 7.0, t-butanol to crude ratio 1:1 (v/v), ultrasound frequency 25 kHz, ultrasound intensity 0.05 W/cm(2), duty cycle 20% and irradiation time 5 min. The maximum purity and recovery obtained from UATPP was 9.4-fold and 96% respectively as compared to the three phase partitioning (TPP) (4.2-fo ld and 83%). Also the process time for UATPP was significantly reduced to 5 min from 1h as compared to TPP. The results indicate that, UATPP is an efficient technique for the purification of serratiopeptidase with maximum purity, recovery and reduced processing time.

Ultrasound assisted lipase catalyzed synthesis of cinnamyl acetate via transesterification reaction in a solvent free medium

Cinnamyl acetate is known for its use as flavor and fragrance material in different industries such as food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic etc. This work focuses on ultrasound assisted lipase (Novozym 435) catalyzed synthesis of cinnamyl acetate via transesterification of cinnamyl alcohol and vinyl acetate in non-aqueous, solvent free system. Optimization of various parameters shows that a higher yield of 99.99% can be obtained at cinnamyl alcohol to vinyl acetate ratio of 1:2 with 0.2% of catalyst, at 40°C and 150 rpm, with lower ultrasound power input of 50 W (Ultrasound intensity 0.81 W/cm(2)), at 25 kHz frequency, 50% duty cycle. Further, the time required for the maximum conversion is reduced to 20 min as compared to 60 min of conventional process. Similarly, the enzyme can be successfully reused seven times without loss of enzyme activity. Thus, ultrasound helps to enhance the enzyme catalyzed synthesis of flavors.

Ultrasonic intensification as a tool for enhanced microbial biofuel yields

Ultrasonication has recently received attention as a novel bioprocessing tool for process intensification in many areas of downstream processing. Ultrasonic intensification (periodic ultrasonic treatment during the fermentation process) can result in a more effective homogenization of biomass and faster energy and mass transfer to biomass over short time periods which can result in enhanced microbial growth. Ultrasonic intensification can allow the rapid selective extraction of specific biomass components and can enhance product yields which can be of economic benefit. This review focuses on the role of ultrasonication in the extraction and yield enhancement of compounds from various microbial sources, specifically algal and cyanobacterial biomass with a focus on the production of biofuels. The operating principles associated with the process of ultrasonication and the influence of various operating conditions including ultrasonic frequency, power intensity, ultrasonic duration, reactor designs and kinetics applied for ultrasonic intensification are also described.

Application of mixed modal resin for purification of a fibrinolytic enzyme

Recent advances in purification technologies for therapeutic molecules have stirred the research consortium. Mixed mode chromatography, having multiple interactions with the solute molecule, has drawn significant attention due to its overall advantage over traditional ion-exchange and reverse-phase chromatography. Capto adhere, a mixed mode chromatography resin with strong anion-exchange and reverse-phase interaction with solutes, was explored for purification of fibrinolytic enzyme from Bacillus sphaericus MTCC 3672. Static and dynamic resin binding study revealed that 30°C temperature, pH 8, and 0.5 mL/min flow rate were optimum for maximum binding of fibrinolytic enzyme. Maximum static dynamic binding and breakthrough capacities for Capto adhere were 249 and 196 U/mL of resin, respectively. Final purification with Sephadex G 100 gel chromatography resulted in 38-fold purity of fibrinolytic enzyme with 39% enzyme recovery. Purified enzyme was further characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis to homogeneity, and molecular mass was found to be around 55-70 kD. Like most of the serine alkaline proteases, purified fibrinolytic enzyme was stable in a temperature range of 25-40°C and pH range of 7-9. Offshoots of our research findings have revealed a broad application area of mixed mode chromatography.

Ultrasound assisted enzyme catalyzed degradation of Cetirizine dihydrochloride

Cetirizine dihydrochloride, a pharmaceutical drug of the class antihistamines is frequently detected in wastewater samples. In the present work, the degradation of Cetirizine dihydrochloride is carried out using a novel technique of laccase enzyme as a catalyst under the influence of ultrasound irradiation. Effect of various process parameters such as enzyme loading, temperature, power, duty cycle, frequency and speed of agitation has been studied along with identification of the degradation intermediates. The maximum degradation of 91% is achieved at optimized experimental parameters such as 0.02% enzyme loading (w/v), 50°C temperature, power input of 100 W, 25 kHz frequency and 50% duty cycle with agitation speed of 200 rpm. It is observed that enzymatic degradation of Cetirizine dihydrochloride under the influence of ultrasound irradiation not only enhances the degradation but also reduces the time of degradation as compared to conventional enzymatic degradation technique.

Ultrasound assisted production of a fibrinolytic enzyme in a bioreactor

The present work illustrates ultrasound assisted production of a fibrinolytic enzyme at 1L bioreactor scale from Bacillus sphaericus MTCC 3672. To alleviate the shortcomings of one factor at a time method of optimization, central composite rotatable design of response surface methodology was employed for optimization of ultrasound assisted production. Different process parameters such as irradiation time, duty cycle and power of ultrasound were varied in 3 different levels in 11 experimental runs. For evaluating mass transfer enhancement effect of ultrasonication on production, control non sonicated fermentation was optimized by varying different agitation speed (300-500rpm) and aeration rate (8.33-33.33cc/s). Optimized ultrasonication protocol resulted in 1.48-fold increase in fibrinolytic enzyme yield as compared to non sonicated fermentation, which comprised of ultrasound irradiation at 25kHz for 10min with 40% duty cycle and 160W power on 12h of growth phase in 1L bioreactor operated at 400rpm agitation speed and 16.66cc/s aeration rate. Declined glucose concentration from 0.1% w/v (non sonicated control run) to 0.05% w/v and breakage of cells cluster emphasized on increased substrate utilization potential and enhanced convection of ultrasound assisted fermentation in a bioreactor. Deliverables of current studies will provide significant insights for enhancement of productivity of various enzymes at a bioreactor level.

Ultrasound assisted enzyme catalyzed synthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate

The present work illustrates the transesterification of glycerol to glycerol carbonate (GlyC) from dimethyl carbonate (DMC) using commercial immobilized lipase (Novozym 435) under ultrasonic irradiation. The experiments were performed in a batch reactor placed in an ultrasonic water bath using a sequence of experimental protocol to evaluate the effects of temperature, molar ratios of substrates, enzyme loading, duty cycle and ultrasound power on the conversion of glycerol to GlyC. It has been found that ultrasound-assisted lipase-catalyzed transesterification of glycerol would be a potential alternative to conventional alkali-catalyzed method, as high conversion (99.75%) was obtained at mild operating conditions: molar ratio of DMC to glycerol 3:1, catalyst amount of 13% (w/w), lower power input (100W), duty cycle 50% and temperature (60°C) in a relatively short reaction time (4h) using Novozym 435 as catalyst. Ultrasound reduces the reaction time up to 4h as compared to conventional stirring method (14h) catalyzed by Novozym 435. The repeated use of the catalyst under the optimum experimental condition resulted in decay in both enzyme activity and product conversion.