Learning from hair moisture sorption and hysteresis.

OBJECTIVE: The process of moisture sorption and desorption by human hair was analysed for extracting hints on the hair structure. METHODS: The isotherms of moisture sorption and desorption by hair were recorded for untreated and chemically treated (permed and bleached) hair. Data of swelling were also considered. RESULTS: By examining the swelling and moisture sorption of keratin fibres, it is possible to conclude that hysteresis is quite improbably caused by capillary condensation. The mobility of the protein chains and the strength of the bonds binding water molecules to the active sites inside the matrix are proposed as causes instead. The concept of "breaking symmetry", derived from moisture sorption- desorption data, and the method of evaluating this parameter, is proposed as a way of characterizing the chemical treatment of hair. The results show that bleaching produces a larger breaking of symmetry than perming, and this is suggested to be due to new hydrogen bonds, created as a result of the chemical treatment, replacing the original disulphide bonds, which are of different strength compared to the bonds of untreated hair. The quantitative sorption data matched well to the model of grains of matrix enveloped in layers of water molecules at increasing relative humidity, up to 100%. The analysis suggested that, aside from the glass transition event occurring at around 60%-70% relative humidity, there is another, less examined, transition occurring at around 30% relative humidity, assigned to the opening of the hair inner structure, and accommodation of more water molecules. Both transitions are reflected by corresponding changes in the fibre mechanical behaviour. CONCLUSION: The moisture sorption-desorption by hair was shown to not only allow a quantitative differentiation among various cosmetic treatments of the hair but to also provide valuable information on the structure of the fibre.

OBJECTIF: Le processus de sorption et de désorption de l'humidité par le cheveu humain a été analysé pour en extraire des informations sur la structure du cheveu. MÉTHODES: Les isothermes de sorption et de désorption de l'humidité par les cheveux ont été enregistrées pour des cheveux non traités et traités chimiquement (permanente et blanchie). Les données de gonflement ont également été prises en compte. RÉSULTATS: En examinant le gonflement et la sorption de l'humidité des fibres de kératine, il est possible de conclure que l'hystérésis est très improbablement causée par la condensation capillaire. La mobilité des chaînes de protéines et la force des liaisons liant les molécules d'eau aux sites actifs à l'intérieur de la matrice sont plutôt proposées comme causes. Le concept de "rupture de symétrie", dérivé des données de sorption-désorption de l'humidité, et la méthode d'évaluation de ce paramètre, sont proposés comme moyen de caractériser le traitement chimique des cheveux. Les résultats montrent que la blanchiment produit une rupture de symétrie plus importante que la permanente, ce qui serait dû à de nouvelles liaisons hydrogène, créées à la suite du traitement chimique, remplaçant les liaisons disulfure d'origine, qui sont de force différente par rapport aux liaisons des cheveux non traités. Les données quantitatives de sorption correspondent bien au modèle des grains de la matrice enveloppés dans des couches de molécules d'eau à une humidité relative croissante, jusqu'à 100 %. L'analyse a suggéré qu'à part la transition vitreuse qui se produit à environ 60-70 % d'humidité relative, il y a une autre transition, moins examinée, qui se produit à environ 30 % d'humidité relative, attribuée à l'ouverture de la structure interne du cheveu et à l'accommodation de plus de molécules d'eau. Les deux transitions sont reflétées par des changements correspondants dans le comportement mécanique de la fibre. CONCLUSION: La sorption-désorption de l'humidité par le cheveu permet non seulement de différencier quantitativement les différents traitements cosmétiques du cheveu, mais aussi de fournir des informations précieuses sur la structure de la fibre.

Toxicity of bioactive and probiotic marine bacteria and their secondary metabolites in Artemia sp. and Caenorhabditis elegans as eukaryotic model organisms.

We have previously reported that some strains belonging to the marine Actinobacteria class, the Pseudoalteromonas genus, the Roseobacter clade, and the Photobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae families produce both antibacterial and antivirulence compounds, and these organisms are interesting from an applied point of view as fish probiotics or as a source of pharmaceutical compounds. The application of either organisms or compounds requires that they do not cause any side effects, such as toxicity in eukaryotic organisms. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these bacteria or their compounds have any toxic side effects in the eukaryotic organisms Artemia sp. and Caenorhabditis elegans. Arthrobacter davidanieli WX-11, Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea S4060, P. piscicida S2049, P. rubra S2471, Photobacterium halotolerans S2753, and Vibrio coralliilyticus S2052 were lethal to either or both model eukaryotes. The toxicity of P. luteoviolacea S4060 could be related to the production of the antibacterial compound pentabromopseudilin, while the adverse effect observed in the presence of P. halotolerans S2753 and V. coralliilyticus S2052 could not be explained by the production of holomycin nor andrimid, the respective antibiotic compounds in these organisms. In contrast, the tropodithietic acid (TDA)-producing bacteria Phaeobacter inhibens DSM17395 and Ruegeria mobilis F1926 and TDA itself had no adverse effect on the target organisms. These results reaffirm TDA-producing Roseobacter bacteria as a promising group to be used as probiotics in aquaculture, whereas Actinobacteria, Pseudoalteromonas, Photobacteriaceae, and Vibrionaceae should be used with caution.

Non-native hosts of an invasive seaweed holobiont have more stable microbial communities compared to native hosts in response to thermal stress.

Seaweeds are colonized by a microbial community, which can be directly linked to their performance. This community is shaped by an interplay of stochastic and deterministic processes, including mechanisms which the holobiont host deploys to manipulate its associated microbiota. The Anna Karenina principle predicts that when a holobiont is exposed to suboptimal or stressful conditions, these host mechanisms may be compromised. This leads to a relative increase of stochastic processes that may potentially result in the succession of a microbial community harmful to the host. Based on this principle, we used the variability in microbial communities (i.e., beta diversity) as a proxy for stability within the invasive holobiont Gracilaria vermiculophylla during a simulated invasion in a common garden experiment. Independent of host range, host performance declined at elevated temperature (22°C) and disease incidence and beta diversity increased. Under thermally stressful conditions, beta diversity increased more in epibiota from native populations, suggesting that epibiota from non-native holobionts are thermally more stable. This pattern reflects an increase in deterministic processes acting on epibiota associated with non-native hosts, which in the setting of a common garden can be assumed to originate from the host itself. Therefore, these experimental data suggest that the invasion process may have selected for hosts better able to maintain stable microbiota during stress. Future studies are needed to identify the underlying host mechanisms.

Fermentative lactic acid production from coffee pulp hydrolysate using Bacillus coagulans at laboratory and pilot scales.

In this study, the lignocellulosic residue coffee pulp was used as carbon source in fermentative l(+)-lactic acid production using Bacillus coagulans. After thermo-chemical treatment at 121°C for 30min in presence of 0.18molL(-1) H2SO4 and following an enzymatic digestion using Accellerase 1500 carbon-rich hydrolysates were obtained. Two different coffee pulp materials with comparable biomass composition were used, but sugar concentrations in hydrolysates showed variations. The primary sugars were (gL(-1)) glucose (20-30), xylose (15-25), sucrose (5-11) and arabinose (0.7-10). Fermentations were carried out at laboratory (2L) and pilot (50L) scales in presence of 10gL(-1) yeast extract. At pilot scale carbon utilization and lactic acid yield per gram of sugar consumed were 94.65% and 0.78gg(-1), respectively. The productivity was 4.02gL(-1)h(-1). Downstream processing resulted in a pure formulation containing 937gL(-1)l(+)-lactic acid with an optical purity of 99.7%.

Fermentative utilization of coffee mucilage using Bacillus coagulans and investigation of down-stream processing of fermentation broth for optically pure l(+)-lactic acid production.

In this study, mucilage, a residue from coffee production, was investigated as substrate in fermentative l(+)-lactic acid production. Mucilage was provided as liquid suspension consisting glucose, galactose, fructose, xylose and sucrose as free sugars (up to 60gL(-1)), and used directly as medium in Bacillus coagulans batch fermentations carried out at 2 and 50L scales. Using mucilage and 5gL(-1) yeast extract as additional nitrogen source, more than 40gL(-1) lactic acid was obtained. Productivity and yield were 4-5gL(-1)h(-1) and 0.70-0.77g lactic acid per g of free sugars, respectively, irrespective the scale. Similar yield was found when no yeast extract was supplied, the productivity, however, was 1.5gL(-1)h(-1). Down-stream processing of culture broth, including filtration, electrodialysis, ion exchange chromatography and distillation, resulted in a pure lactic acid formulation containing 930gL(-1)l(+)-lactic acid. Optical purity was 99.8%.