Biodiesel production from soybean oil deodorizer distillate enhanced by counter-current pulsed ultrasound.

Biodiesel production from soybean oil deodorizer distillate enhanced by counter-current pulsed ultrasound was studied. Effect of static probe ultrasonic enhanced transesterification (SPUE) and counter-current probe ultrasonic enhanced transesterification (CCPUE) on the biodiesel conversion were compared. The results indicated that CCPUE was a better method for enhancing transesterification. The working conditions of CCPUE were studied by single-factor experiment design and the results showed that the optimal conditions were: initial temperature 25 °C, methanol to triglyceride molar ratio 10:1, flow rate 200 mL/min, catalyst content 1.8%, ultrasound working on-time 4 s, off-time 2 s, total working time 50 min. Under these conditions, the average biodiesel conversion of three experiments was 96.1%.

Complex Enzyme-Assisted Extraction, Purification, and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides from the Button Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (Higher Basidiomycetes).

Agaricus bisporus polysaccharides (ABP) were extracted by complex enzyme-assisted extraction methodology. The following were optimal conditions for the extraction of crude ABP: complex enzyme amount, 2.2%; temperature, 62°C; time, 3 h; and pH, 4. Under these conditions, the experimental yield of crude ABP was 6.87%. The crude ABP was purified by diethylaminoethyl-cellulose 52 chromatography and Sephadex G-100 chromatography, and one fraction-namely, ABP-1-was produced. The ABP-1 contained 93.67% carbohydrate, 1.46% protein, and 0.62% uronic acid. The constituent monosaccharides were predominantly glucose, galactose, mannose, and xylose. The antioxidant activities of ABP-1 were investigated by measuring its scavenging ability on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and hydroxyl radicals, its ferric-reducing activity power, and the reducing power assay. At a concentration of 1.2 mg/mL, ABP-1 seemed to possess good free radical scavenging activity, with a scavenging value of about 56%. The results indicate that ABP-1 has good antioxidant activity.

Extraction and purification of polysaccharides from pine medicinal mushroom, Tricholoma matsutake (higher Basidiomycetes) fruit bodies.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction, purification, and characterization of antioxidant polysaccharides from Tricholoma matsutake were carried out. On the basis of the results of a single-factor test, three independent and main variables, including extraction time (X1: 130-170 s), ultrasonic power (X2: 340-380 W), and ratio of water to raw material (X3: 45-55 mL/g) were studied by Box-Behnken design. The optimum extraction conditions are as follows: extraction time 160 s, ultrasonic power 365 W, and ratio of water to raw material 53.5 mL/g. Under the optimized conditions, the yield of T. matsutake polysaccharides (TMP) was 7.97±0.31%. The crude TMP was purified by DEAE-cellulose 52 chromatography and Sephadex G-100 chromatography to afford two fractions, TMP-1 and TMP-2. The crude TMP contained 85.76% carbohydrates, 3.57% proteins, and 0.13% uronic acids. The constituent monosaccharides were predominantly glucose, galactose, mannose, xylose, fucose, and glucuronic acid residues.

Biodiesel production from Jatropha oil catalyzed by immobilized Burkholderia cepacia lipase on modified attapulgite.

Lipase from Burkholderia cepacia was immobilized on modified attapulgite by cross-linking reaction for biodiesel production with jatropha oil as feedstock. Effects of various factors on biodiesel production were studied by single-factor experiment. Results indicated that the best conditions for biodiesel preparation were: 10 g jatropha oil, 2.4 g methanol (molar ratio of oil to methanol is 1:6.6) being added at 3h intervals, 7 wt% water, 10 wt% immobilized lipase, temperature 35°C, and time 24h. Under these conditions, the maximum biodiesel yield reached 94%. The immobilized lipase retained 95% of its relative activity during the ten repeated batch reactions. The half-life time of the immobilized lipase is 731 h. Kinetics was studied and the Vmax of the immobilized lipases were 6.823 mmol L(-1). This immobilized lipase catalyzed process has potential industrial use for biodiesel production to replace chemical-catalyzed method.

Immunomodulatory activities of different solvent extracts from Tricholoma matsutake (S. Ito et S. Imai) singer (higher basidiomycetes) on normal mice.

The immunomodulatory activities of different solvent extracts from the culinary-medicinal mushroom Tricholoma matsutake were studied in vivo in normal mice. The extracts were prepared using different solvents in an order of increasing polarity. The immunomodulatory activities were investigated by measuring the thymus and spleen index, phagocytic rate of macrophage phagocytosis, delayed-type hypersensitivity, plaque-forming cell, and proliferation of splenocytes. Results demonstrated that water extract (WE) and n-butyl alcohol extract (BAE) of T. matsutake could enhance the immunity of mice significantly compared with the control group. Main components of WE and BAE were polysaccharides, proteins, and flavonoids; we presume that these may be the main immunomodulating and immuno-enhancing agents in T. matsutake.