Janaína Teles de Faria

Use of response surface methodology to evaluate the extraction of Debaryomyces hansenii xylose reductase by aqueous two-phase system

Xylose reductase (XR) from Debaryomyces hansenii was extracted by partitioning in aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) composed of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 in the presence of different salts, specifically sodium sulfate, lithium sulfate and potassium phosphate. Batch extractions were carried out under different conditions of temperature (25-45 degrees C) and tie-line length (TLL) for each system, according to a central composite design face-centered of 36 tests, and the response surface methodology was used to evaluate the results. Quadratic polynomial models were adjusted to the data to predict the behavior of four responses, namely the XR partition coefficient (K(XR)), the selectivity (S), the purification factor (PF(T)) and the activity yield (Y(T)) in the top phase. The optimal extraction conditions were found using the PEG 4000/sodium sulfate system at 45 degrees C and TLL=25.1, which ensured PF(T)=3.1 and Y(T)=131%. The ATPS proved effective for partial purification of D. hansenii xylose reductase in cell-free crude extract, and the response surface methodology revealed to be an appropriate and powerful tool to determine the best dominion of temperature and ATPS composition.

Pear Drying: Thermodynamics Studies and Coefficients of Convective Heat and Mass Transfer

Abstract The objective of this work was to study the convective drying process used for cylindrical samples of two different pear varieties, one originating from Europe (Pyrus communis) and the other from Asia (Pyrus pyrifolia), submitted to two blanching treatments, as well as determine some coefficients referring to heat and mass transfer and thermodynamic parameters of the process, being: enthalpy (ΔH*), entropy (ΔS*) and Gibbs energy of activation (ΔG*). All samples were dried in a forced air oven at temperatures of (62, 76, 84 and 92)°C until reaching a constant mass. The heat and mass transfer coefficients referring to the constant and falling-rate drying periods were obtained by adjusting the experimental data to wet bulb temperature and liquid diffusion models, respectively. The heat and mass transfer coefficients varied linearly with temperature. Blanching altered the drying behavior of the two varieties in relation to the non-blanched samples, mainly at the elevated drying temperatures of 84°C and 92°C. ΔH* and ΔS* decreased while ΔG* increased with the elevation of drying temperature; therefore, it was possible to verify that variation in the diffusion process in pears during drying is dependent on energetic contributions of the environment.

Statistical investigation of Kluyveromyces lactis cells permeabilization with ethanol by response surface methodology

The aim of our study was to select the optimal operating conditions to permeabilize Kluyveromyces lactis cells using ethanol as a solvent as an alternative to cell disruption and extraction. Cell permeabilization was carried out by a non-mechanical method consisting of chemical treatment with ethanol, and the results were expressed as β-galactosidase activity. Experiments were conducted under different conditions of ethanol concentration, treatment time and temperature according to a central composite rotatable design (CCRD), and the collected results were then worked out by response surface methodology (RSM). Cell permeabilization was improved by an increase in ethanol concentration and simultaneous decreases in the incubation temperature and treatment time. Such an approach allowed us to identify an optimal range of the independent variables within which the β-galactosidase activity was optimized. A maximum permeabilization of 2,816 mmol L−1 oNP min−1 g−1 was obtained by treating cells with 75.0% v/v of ethanol at 20.0 °C for 15.0 min. The proposed methodology resulted to be effective and suited for K. lactis cells permeabilization at a lab-scale and promises to be of possible interest for future applications mainly in the food industry.

Emulsifying Properties of β-Lactoglobulin and Quillaja Bark Saponin Mixtures: Effects of Number of Homogenization Passes, pH, and NaCl Concentration

ABSTRACT The effects of number of homogenization passes, pH, and NaCl concentration on the formation and stability of oil-in-water emulsions comprising a mixture of a biosurfactant (Quillaja bark saponin) and a globular protein (β-lactoglobulin) were investigated. The emulsions were characterized as to visual appearance, droplet size, droplet surface charge, and rheology. The emulsions obtained by different conditions (4, 6, or 8 passes; pH 7, 8, or 9; and 0, 100, or 200 mmol L−1 of NaCl) were polydisperse, presented relatively small average droplet sizes (z-average < 323 nm) as well as negative droplet charge (between –20 and –79.6 mV) in all evaluated conditions. Regardless of the number of homogenization passes, the emulsions exhibited low apparent viscosity and pseudoplastic behavior with small yield stress. Viscoelastic behavior was also observed, thus the emulsions were characterized as weak gels. Four homogenization passes were enough to obtain small droplets in the evaluated conditions. Droplet size was not significantly affected by NaCl concentration and pH (p > 0.05). On the other hand, the absolute ζ-potential values significantly decreased and increased upon increased NaCl content and pH, respectively. Regardless of the tested conditions, all emulsions had good stability against phase separation and droplet aggregation, since no significant changes in average droplet size were observed throughout storage (p > 0.05). In the presence of NaCl, in which droplet charge significantly decreased, emulsion was also stable. Thus, we can conclude that electrostatic repulsion as well as steric repulsion was responsible for stabilization.

Bioenergetic Aspects of Xylitol Production from Lignocellulosic Materials

With the aim of identifying the best experimental conditions able to optimize the industrial production of xylitol from lignocellulosic materials, this chapter provides a review about the present knowledge on the use of material and bioenergetic balances implied in xylose-to-xylitol bioconversion by yeasts. To this purpose, xylose metabolism was investigated in three different pentose-metabolizing yeasts, namely, Pachysolen tannophilus, Candida guilliermondii and Debaryomyces hansenii, using different lignocellulosic hydrolyzates as carbon and energy sources. The main hypotheses on which material and bioenergetic balances were based are (a) fermentative assimilation of xylose, (b) semi-aerobic xylose-to-xylitol bioconversion, (c) biomass growth from pentoses, (d) catabolic oxidation of xylose and (e) NADH regeneration by the electron transport system. Similar approaches could be proposed to investigate and model other semi-aerobic processes.