How Do Shipworms Eat Wood? Screening Shipworm Gill Symbiont Genomes for Lignin-Modifying Enzymes

Shipworms are ecologically and economically important mollusks that feed on woody plant material (lignocellulosic biomass) in marine environments. Digestion occurs in a specialized cecum, reported to be virtually sterile and lacking resident gut microbiota. Wood-degrading CAZymes are produced both endogenously and by gill endosymbiotic bacteria, with extracellular enzymes from the latter being transported to the gut. Previous research has predominantly focused on how these animals process the cellulose component of woody plant material, neglecting the breakdown of lignin – a tough, aromatic polymer which blocks access to the holocellulose components of wood. Enzymatic or non-enzymatic modification and depolymerization of lignin has been shown to be required in other wood-degrading biological systems as a precursor to cellulose deconstruction. We investigated the genomes of five shipworm gill bacterial symbionts obtained from the Joint Genome Institute Integrated Microbial Genomes and Microbiomes Expert Review for the production of lignin-modifying enzymes, or ligninases. The genomes were searched for putative ligninases using the Joint Genome Institute’s Function Profile tool and blastp analyses. The resulting proteins were then modeled using SWISS-MODEL. Although each bacterial genome possessed at least four predicted ligninases, the percent identities and protein models were of low quality and were unreliable. Prior research demonstrates limited endogenous ability of shipworms to modify lignin at the chemical/molecular level. Similarly, our results reveal that shipworm bacterial gill-symbiont enzymes are unlikely to play a role in lignin modification during lignocellulose digestion in the shipworm gut. This suggests that our understanding of how these keystone organisms digest and process lignocellulose is incomplete, and further research into non-enzymatic and/or other unknown mechanisms for lignin modification is required.

Application of Fiber Made from Bark of Salak (Salacca Zalacca) Tree as Reinforcement in Polymer Matrix Composites

<p class="02abstracttext">Although Indonesia is abundant supply of salak (Salacca zalacca) fruit, bark of salak is not yet advanced utilized. This work therefore chracterized its fiber and process it into polymer matrix composites. The study was conducted using varied chemical treatments. Delignification using NaOH solution with concentration of 1%, 5%, 10% with 3 hours immersion time. Bleaching treatment was using H₂O₂ media with varied immersion time at 30, 60 and 90 minutes. Tensile tests, impact tests, microscopic image test using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chemical composition test using fourier-transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy were carried out in this work. This work showed that optimal delignification treatment can be found when 5% NaOH concentration was used. The corresponding ultimate tensile strength and impact strength were 25.47 MPa and 11.95 kJ/m², respectively. The optimal bleaching treatment was 90 minutes immersion. The results of SEM image analysis showed that the salak midrib fiber composite without treatment has a lousy interface. Meanwhile, fiber with delignification treatment only has reasonable good interface and fiber with delignation treatment followed by bleaching treatment has excellent interface. FTIR test results showed that the salak midrib fiber composite without treatment had a cellulose component although hemicellulose and lignin levels still dominated. The delignification treatment had succesfully broken the lignin-specific C = O bond but still could not eliminated hemicellulose and lignin bond. In comparison, bleaching treatment reduced intensity of OH intensity, CH and CO which are typical hemicellulose and lignin functional groups. Based on the results of the study, salak midrib fiber with delignification chemical treatment using 5% NaOH for 3 hours followed by bleaching treatment using 2% H₂O₂ for 90 minutes was the best treatment.</p>

Utilization of Waste Paper to Manufacture of Hydrogels

Huge volumes of mixed waste paper (MWP) pollute the environment. Nevertheless, it is an abundant, renewable and inexpensive material, so finding a new way of utilization it is very important. In this article, MWP has been used as initial material for the production of hydrogels. It was found that when MWP is treated with a cold solvent, namely with an aqueous solution of 7%NaOH/12%Urea (N/U), at solvent to initial paper ratio R ≥ 5, complete amorphization of the cellulose component of the paper occurs, as a result of which a hydrogel is formed. In addition, if the alkali of the solvent is neutralized with phosphoric acid, then the resulting hydrogel will contain PN-fertilizer and can be applied in agriculture. Studies have shown that this hydrogel promotes seed germination, increases the water retention of the soil, and then completely decomposes in a short time under the action of enzymes secreted by microorganisms present in the soil.

Synthesis and Spectrophotometric Analysis of Microcapsules Containing Immortelle Essential Oil

In this study, microcapsules were prepared by solvent evaporation technique using ethyl cellulose component as wall and essential oil as core material. The synthesis of microcapsules was carried out using different oil masses. The analysis of the microcapsules was carried out using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and UV spectrophotometric analysis using absorption spectrophotometer. The obtained results confirm the regular spherical shape and size of the synthesized microcapsules. The qualitative and quantitative spectrophotometric analysis of the microencapsulated immortelle oil was measured at the wavelength of 265 nm. The calibration diagram was used to calculate the unknown concentrations of the microencapsulated oil. The obtained results confirm the application of the presented method as relevant for the possible determination of microencapsulated oil on textile materials.

Catalytic Process in Producing Green Aromatics through Fast Pyrolysis of Wood of Five Tropical Fast Growing Trees Species

The generation of liquid fuels and chemicals is potential through a catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) which is a rapid, inexpensive, and promising method utilizing tropical wood biomass as starting material. There is a little known in the potential of wood biomass from tropical fast-growing trees as starting materials for the production of liquid fuel and chemicals. In this study the formation of aromatics by pyrolytic-gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (Py-GC/MS) is evaluated on the effect of wood species with different characteristics and its cellulose component to the formation of aromatics. Fast pyrolysis of eucalyptus wood characterized with low content of ash and high percentages of hollocellulose and α-cellulose produced much high relative peaks of levoglucosan and small relative peaks of lignin derived products. Meanwhile high content of vollatile matter and high crystallinity of cellulose attributed balsa and jabon woods as feedstock for fast pyrolysis. The catalytic process in fast pyrolysis of eucalyptus decomposed the most of oxygenated compound such as levoglucosan and furfural into aromatics in the presence of ZSM-5. Coke formation on the surface catalyst might lead partly of decomposition of levoglucosan and furfural to form aromatics in the catalytic fast pyrolysis of balsa wood. Cellulose component determined on the formation of benzene, toluene, styrene, p-xylene, indane, indene, and naphthalene in catalytic fast pyrolysis of wood.

Conductivity Studies on K-Carrageenan-Methyl Cellulose Blend as Bio-Polymer Electrolyte

Solid polymer-based electrolyte materials are a great interest due to their many interesting characteristics such as flexibility and it is easily prepared into films with a large surface area. Two sets of k-carrageenan-methyl cellulose samples were prepared using the solution casting method. Set 1, the wt% of k-Carrageenan was fixed at 0.1 wt%, while methyl cellulose and NH4I was varied. Set 2, the wt% of methyl-cellulose was fixed to 0.1 wt% and the carrageenan and NH4I was varied. The functional group of samples were studied using FTIR spectroscopy and the ionic conductivity were studied using impedance spectroscopy, EIS at room temperature. FTIR spectra from set 1 show a small hump at between the 1500 cm-1 to 1000 cm-1 spectra’s which O=S=O symmetrical vibration from methyl cellulose component. This hump was shifted to higher wavenumber due to the increasing of NH4I wt% in the samples. The second region of set 2’s spectra shows the wavenumber between of 2000 cm-1 to 1500 cm-1 is the deformation of H-O-H band interactions and its wavenumber decreasing as the addition of salts increasing. The third region of spectra between 1500 cm-1 to 1000 cm-1 represents the band of O=S=O symmetrical vibration. This bands shifted to the lower wavenumber due to addition of salts and it became less intense towards salt addition. On the other hand, the best conductivity is 6.00 x 10-8 S cm-1 which belongs to B2 of set 2 with a composition of 0.3 wt% k-carrageenan with 0.1 wt% methylcellulose and 0.6 wt% NH4I salt and the lowest conductivity is 3.19 x 10-9 S cm-1 which its composition is 0.1 wt% k-carrageenan with 0.4 wt% methylcellulose and 0.5 wt% NH4I salt in sample D1 of set 1. As a conclusion, the optimum component by weight percentage of k-carrageenan: methyl cellulose: NH4I is 0.3:0.1:0.6.

Saccharification of Sawdust with Aspergillus Niger Cellulase

Accumulated sawdust is a major waste product produced by numerous active sawmills around the Lagos Lagoon in Nigeria. The potential of this wood waste as a resource for bio-product development through the hydrolysis of its cellulose component into glucose, a fermentable sugar is not yet appreciated. Not only is the environment exposed to this organic pollutant but the health of humans is also at risk. The cellulose content of wood sawdust from five different tropical tree species dumped along the Lagos lagoon has been saccharified with cellulase from Aspergillus niger. In order to increase the amount of fermentable sugars released from the cellulose content the various sawdust samples have been delignified with the Kraft process and hydrogen peroxide treatment prior to A. niger cellulase catalyzed degradation at incubation temperatures of 30 0C, 400C, 500C and 600C, respectively. The delignification process was successful by triggering an increase in sugar formation during cellulase catalyze hydrolyses of all waste cellulose materials with different amounts of sugar produced from the various celluloses.

Characterization of Bark-Midrib Fibers using Chemical Treatment Variations as Reinforcement in Bark-Midrib Fiber Composites

Bark midrib are not fully utilized. Utilize the characterization of the fiber and process it into polymer composites with natural fiber reinforcement. The study was conducted using a variety of chemical treatments in the form of bark midribs without treatment, delignification treatment that is immersion using NaOH media concentration of 1%, 5%, 10% with 3 hours immersion time and bleaching treatment using H2O2 media 2% concentration with immersion time 30, 60 and 90 minutes. In obtaining suitable properties, tensile tests, impact tests, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images, and Fourier-Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) tests are performed. Optimal delignification treatment at 5% NaOH concentration with a tensile test value of 25.47 MPa (increasing 76.86%) and an impact test value of 11.95 kJ/m2 (increasing 11.45%). The optimal bleaching treatment at 90 minutes immersion with a tensile test value of 35.09 MPa (increased 36.36%) and impact test value of 13.77 kJ/m2 (increased 15.22%). The results of SEM images show that the bark midrib fiber composite without treatment has a lousy interface, delignification treatment with a reasonable good interface, and bleaching treatment with an excellent interface. FTIR test results showed that the bark midrib fiber composite without treatment had a cellulose component but hemicellulose and lignin levels still dominated. Based on the results of the study, bark midrib fiber with delignification chemical treatment using 5% NaOH for 3 hours followed by bleaching treatment using 2% H2O2 for 90 minutes is the treatment with the best results and then applied to a natural fiber composite product.

TASMIMOPANAS : Modified Paper Using Waste of Pineapple as Purifier of Waste Cooking Oil

Cooking oil was necessary of household to used when processed food ingridients. Waste cooking oil was contained free radicals can potentially oxidize organs. This problem overcome with rice straw and waste of pineapple which waste cooking oil was recycled by them. The utilization cellulose component on rice straw and waste of pineapple as natural active carbon can helped this problem. The absoption of subtances in waste cooking oil used paper from rice straw which heat together with Na2SO3 solvent while grinding processed with waste of pineapple to made pulp.