Ag modified ZnO nanoflower gas sensitive sensor for selective detection of n-butanol.

Ag modified ZnO nanoflowers were successfully prepared by sunlight induced solvent reduction method. The samples were characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM and EDS, and the results confirmed the presence of Ag nanoparticles on the ZnO nanoflower. The gas sensing performance of the materials was studied at different operating temperatures and different n-butanol concentrations. The results showed that the Ag modified ZnO nanoflower sensor responded to 50 ppm n-butanol up to 147.17 at 280 °C, and the Ag modified ZnO nanoflower sensor exhibited excellent repeatability, stability and response recovery time. In addition, different target gases were employed for the selectivity study of the Ag modified ZnO nanoflower. It can be found that the Ag modified ZnO nanoflower had good selectivity for n-butanol. The improved response of the Ag modified ZnO nanoflower sensor was attributed to the catalytic effect of Ag nanoparticles. The results indicate that the Ag modified ZnO nanoflower will become a very promising sensing material for n-butanol gas detection. .

Comparative analysis of a novel N-butanol-prepared antigen vs thermo-resistant and sonicated antigens for human leptospirosis detection.

The diagnosis of human leptospirosis is mainly based on serological assays. Since the extraction by N-butanol has only been studied as an antigen for the diagnosis of cattle leptospirosis, this study aimed to investigate the feasibility of the N-butanol preparation for the diagnosis of human leptospirosis and compare it with sonicated and thermo-resistant antigens in IgM dot-blot test. Paired serum samples from 147 laboratory-confirmed leptospirosis cases were tested. The control group consisted of 148 serum samples from healthy individuals and nonleptospirosis cases. N-butanol antigens from serovar Copenhageni (ButC3) and serovar Patoc (ButP3) showed reactivity with antileptospiral antibodies from patients with confirmed leptospirosis. In the acute phase, sensitivities of IgM dot-blot assay with ButC3 and ButP3 antigens were 47.6% and 51.0%, respectively. In the convalescent phase, sensitivities were 95.9% (ButC3) and 93.2% (ButP3), and no significant differences were observed among the IgM dot-blot tests with other antigens. The specificity of the IgM dot-blot test with ButC3 antigen was good (92.6%), but with ButP3 (83.1%), it was significantly lower than with the other tests. The IgM dot-blot test described in this study is simple to perform and presents reliable visual results. Antigens prepared by N-butanol proved to be valuable diagnostic markers of leptospirosis.

[Mechanism of protective effect of n-butanol extract of Pulsatilla Decoction on vaginal epithelial cells under Candida albicans stimulation through EGFR/MAPK pathway based on transcriptomics].

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and its underlying mechanism of n-butanol extract of Pulsatilla Decoction(BEPD) containing medicinal serum on vaginal epithelial cells under Candida glabrata stimulation via the epidermal growth factor receptor/mitogen activated protein kinase( EGFR/MAPK) pathway based on transcriptomics. A vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC) mouse model was established first and transcriptome sequencing was performed for the vaginal mucosa tissues to analyze the gene expression differences among the control, VVC model, and BEPD intervention groups. Simultaneously, BEPD-containing serum and fluconazole-containing serum were prepared. A431 cells were divided into the control, model, blank serum, fluconazole-containing serum, BEPD-containing serum, EGFR agonist and EGFR inhibitor groups. Additionally, in vitro experiments were conducted using BEPD-containing serum, fluconazole-containing serum, and an EGFR agonist and inhibitor to investigate the intervention mechanisms of BEPD on C. glabrata-induced vaginal epithelial cell damage. Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) assay was utilized to determine the safe concentrations of C. glabrata, drug-containing serum, and compounds on A431 cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was employed to measure the expression levels of interleukin(IL)-1ß, IL-6, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GMCSF), granulocyte CSF(G-CSF), chemokine(C-X-C motif) ligand 20(CCL20), and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH). Gram staining was used to evaluate the adhesion of C. glabrata to vaginal epithelial cells. Flow cytometry was utilized to assess the effect of C.glabrata on A431 cell apoptosis. Based on the transcriptomics results, immunofluorescence was performed to measure the expressions of p-EGFR and p-ERK1/2 proteins, while Western blot validated the expressions of p-EGFR, p-ERK1/2, p-C-Fos, p-P38, Bax and Bcl-2 proteins. Sequencing results showed that compared with the VVC model, BEPD treatment up-regulated 1 075 genes and downregulated 927 genes, mainly enriched in immune-inflammatory pathways, including MAPK. Mechanistically, BEPD significantly reduced the expression of p-EGFR, p-ERK1/2, p-C-Fos and p-P38, as well as the secretion of IL-1ß, IL-6, GM-CSF, G-CSF and CCL20, LDH release induced by C. glabrata, and the adhesion of C. glabrata to A431 cells, suggesting that BEPD exerts a protective effect on vaginal epithelial cells damaged by C. glabrata infection by modulating the EGFR/MAPK axis. In addition, BEPD downregulated the pro-apoptotic protein Bax expression and up-regulated the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 expression, leading to a reduction in C. glabrata-induced cell apoptosis. In conclusion, this study reveals that the intervention of BEPD in C. glabrata-induced VVC may be attributed to its regulation of the EGFR/MAPK pathway, which protects vaginal epithelial cells.

[Mechanism of n-butanol fraction of Wenxia Formula combining with gefitinib in treating non-small cell lung cancer based on network pharmacology and in vitro experiment].

This study combined network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro experiments to explore the potential mechanism of the active components of the n-butanol fraction of Wenxia Formula(NWXF) combined with gefitinib(GEF) in treating non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Orbitrap MS) was employed to detect the main chemical components of NWXF. The active components of NWXF were retrieved from SwissADME, and the candidate targets of these active components were retrieved from SwissTargetPrediction. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM) and GeneCards were searched for the targets of NSCLC. Cytoscape 3.9.0 and STRING were employed to build the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network with the common targets shared by NWXF and NSCLC. Gene Ontology(GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment were performed in DAVID to predict the potential mechanisms. Finally, molecular docking between the main active ingredients and key targets was conducted in SYBYL-X 2.0. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay was employed to evaluate the inhibitory effects of NWXF and/or GEF on the proliferation of human non-small cell lung cancer cells(A549 and PC-9). Additionally, the impact of NWXF on human embryonic lung fibroblast cells(MRC-5) was assessed. The effectiveness of the drug combination was evaluated based on the Q value. The terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick-end labeling(TUNEL) assay was employed to examine the apoptosis of A549 and PC-9 cells treated with NWXF and/or GEF. Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR) was employed to measure the mRNA levels of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR), c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK), and Bcl2-associated X protein(Bax) in the A549 and PC-9 cells treated with NWXF and/or GEF. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of EGFR, p-EGFR, JNK, p-JNK, and Bax in the A549 and PC-9 cells treated with NWXF and/or GEF. A total of 77 active components, 488 potential targets, and 49 key targets involved in the treatment of NSCLC with NWXF were predicted. The results of GO annotation showed that NWXF may treat NSCLC by regulating the biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and protein phosphorylation. KEGG enrichment revealed that the key targets of NWXF in treating NSCLC were enriched in the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT), hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1), and microRNA-related signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that 91.9% of the docking scores were greater than 5, indicating the strong binding capability between main active components and key targets. The cell experiments demonstrated that NWXF combined with GEF synergistically inhibited the proliferation, promoted the apoptosis, decreased p-EGFR/EGFR and p-JNK/JNK values, down-regulated the mRNA levels of EGFR and JNK, and up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of Bax in A549 and PC-9 cells. In conclusion, NWXF combined with GEF can regulate the EGFR/JNK pathway to promote the apoptosis of NSCLC cells, thus treating NSCLC.

[Mechanism of n-butanol extract of Pulsatilla Decoction in treating ulcerative colitis by activating BMP signaling pathway].

The study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of the n-butanol extract of Pulsatilla Decoction(BEPD) on ulcerative colitis(UC) via the bone morphogenetic protein(BMP) signaling pathway. C57BL/6 mice were divided into six groups: control, model, mesalazine, and BEPD low-, medium-, and high-dose groups. Except for the control group, the rest groups were treated with 3% dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) freely for seven consecutive days to establish the UC mouse model, followed by treatment with different concentrations of BEPD and mesalazine by gavage. The murine body weight and disease activity index(DAI) were recorded. After the mice were sacrificed, their colon tissues were collected for histological analysis. Alcian blue/periodic acid-Schiff(AB/PAS) staining was used to detect the number and mucus secretion status of goblet cells; immunohistochemistry was performed to measure the expression of ki67, cleaved caspase-3, mucin 2(Muc2), and matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP9) in colon tissues; and immunofluorescence was used to analyze the expression of tight junction proteins in colon tissues, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to quantify the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin(IL)-1ß, and IL-6. Western blot was conducted to evaluate the expression of BMP pathway-related proteins in mouse colon tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the expression of genes related to goblet cell differentiation in mouse colon tissues. In addition, this study also examined the protective effect and underlying mechanism of BEPD-containing serum on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced barrier damages in LS174T goblet cells in vitro. The results showed that BEPD significantly alleviated UC symptoms in mice, restored goblet cell diffe-rentiation function, promoted Muc2 secretion and tight junction protein expression, and suppressed inflammatory factor secretion while activating the BMP signaling pathway. Therefore, BEPD may exert its therapeutic effects on UC by activating the BMP signaling pathway, providing a new strategy for drug intervention in UC.

[Mechanism of n-butanol alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction in treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis based on negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome via PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis].

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of n-butanol alcohol extract of Baitouweng Decoction(BAEB) in the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis(VVC) in mice based on the negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome via PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis. In the experiment, female C57BL/6 mice were divided randomly into the following six groups: a blank control group, a VVC model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose BAEB groups(80, 40, and 20 mg·kg~(-1)), and a fluconazole group(20 mg·kg~(-1)). The VVC model was induced in mice except for those in the blank control group by the estrogen dependence method. After modeling, no treatment was carried out in the blank control group. The mice in the high-, medium-, and low-dose BAEB groups were treated with BAEB at 80, 40, and 20 mg·kg~(-1), respectively, and those in the fluconazole group were treated with fluconazole at 20 mg·kg~(-1). The mice in the VVC model group received the same volume of normal saline. The general state and body weight of mice in each group were observed every day, and the morphological changes of Candida albicans in the vaginal lavage of mice were examined by Gram staining. The fungal load in the vaginal lavage of mice was detected by microdilution assay. After the mice were killed, the degree of neutrophil infiltration in the vaginal lavage was detected by Papanicolaou staining. The content of inflammatory cytokines interleukin(IL)-1ß, IL-18, and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) in the vaginal lavage was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and vaginal histopathology was analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The expression and distribution of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues were measured by immunohistochemistry(IHC), and the expression and distribution of pNLRC4 and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues were detected by immunofluorescence(IF). The protein expression of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra was detected by Western blot(WB), and the mRNA expression of NLRP3, PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra was detected by qRT-PCR. The results showed that compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed redness, edema, and white secretions in the vagina. Compared with the VVC model group, the BAEB groups showed improved general state of VVC mice. As revealed by Gram staining, Papanicolaou staining, microdilution assay, and HE staining, compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed a large number of hyphae, neutrophils infiltration, and increased fungal load in the vaginal lavage, destroyed vaginal mucosa, and infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells. BAEB could reduce the transformation of C. albicans from yeast to hyphae. High-dose BAEB could significantly reduce neutrophil infiltration and fungal load. Low-and medium-dose BAEB could reduce the da-mage to the vaginal tissue, while high-dose BAEB could restore the damaged vaginal tissues to normal levels. ELISA results showed that the content of inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-18, and LDH in the VVC model group significantly increased compared with that in the blank control group, and the content of IL-1ß, IL-18 and LDH in the medium-and high-dose BAEB groups was significantly reduced compared with that in the VVC model group. WB and qRT-PCR results showed that compared with the blank control group, the VVC model group showed reduced protein and mRNA expression of PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues of mice and increased protein and mRNA expression of NLRP3. Compared with the VVC model group, the medium-and high-dose BAEB groups showed up-regulated protein and mRNA expression of PKCδ, pNLRC4, and IL-1Ra in vaginal tissues and inhibited protein and mRNA expression of NLRP3 in vaginal tissues. This study indicated that the therapeutic effect of BAEB on VVC mice was presumably related to the negative regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome by promoting PKCδ/NLRC4/IL-1Ra axis.

Biobutanol production from sustainable biomass process of anaerobic ABE fermentation for industrial applications.

The growing population increases the need to develop advanced biological methods for utilizing renewable and sustainable resources to produce environmentally friendly biofuels. Currently, energy resources are limited for global demand and are constantly depleting and creating environmental problems. Some higher chain alcohols, like butanol and ethanol, processing similar properties to gasoline, can be alternate sources of biofuel. However, the industrial production of these alcohols remains challenging because they cannot be efficiently produced by microbes naturally. Therefore, butanol is the most interesting biofuel candidate with a higher octane number produced naturally by microbes through Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol fermentation. Feedstock selection as the substrate is the most crucial step in biobutanol production. Lignocellulosic biomass has been widely used to produce cellulosic biobutanol using agricultural wastes and residue. Specific necessary pretreatments, fermentation strategies, bioreactor designing and kinetics, and modeling can also enhance the efficient production of biobutanol. The recent genetic engineering approaches of gene knock in, knock out, and overexpression to manipulate pathways can increase the production of biobutanol in a user friendly host organism. So far various genetic manipulation techniques like antisense RNA, TargeTron Technology and CRISPR have been used to target Clostridium acetobutylicum for biobutanol production. This review summarizes the recent research and development for the efficient production of biobutanol in various aspects.

Nephroprotective effect of persimmon leaves (Diospyros kaki L.f.) against CCl4-induced renal toxicity in Swiss Albino rats.

Diospyros kaki L.f. fruit and leaves are traditionally used for the treatment of hypertension, angina, internal hemorrhage, antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects.In the current study, the protective effects of ethyl acetate (Per-1), n-butanol (Per-2), and aqueous (Per-3) fractions of Diospyros kaki leaves against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced nephrotoxicity in Swiss albino rats were tested. Animal were divided into nine groups; each group consists of six animals. The groups were : group I was untreated and kept as control, group II was treated with CCl4 only, group III (silymarin with CCl4); group IV (Per-1 100 mg/kg with CCl4);group V (Per-1 200 mg/kg with CCl4); group VI (Per-2 100 mg/kg with CCl4); group VII (Per-2 200 mg/kg with CCl4); group VIII (Per-3 100 mg/kg with CCl4); and group IX (Per-3 200 mg/kg with CCl4). Silymarin was used as standard drug. All tested fractions were found active (except Per-1 at low dose of 100 mg/kg) with significant value (p < 0.001) compared to CCl4 only group. Serum creatinine, malondialdehyde (MDA), and uric acid were significantly (p < 0.001) lowered in group VII-IX as compared to CCl4 only group. Similarly, total protein (TP) and non-protein sulfhydryls(NP-SH) level in kidney tissues were significantly (p < 0.001) elevated in the same groups compared to CCl4 only group. Further to check the cardio-protective potential, biochemical parameters such as LDH, creatine kinase, TP, MDA, and NP-SH levels in myocardial tissues were also estimated.These findings confirmed that the n-butanol and aqueous fractions are active and recommended for further bioactive phytoconstituents screening. Repeated column chromatography on silica gel G and sephadex-LH-20 of the active n-butanol fraction, four flavonoids were isolated. Based on the spectroscopic NMR data, compounds were identified as kaempferol (1), quercetin (2), astragalin (3), and rutin (4).

Highly Sensing and Selective Performance Based on Bi-Doped Porous ZnSnO3 Nanospheres for Detection of n-Butanol.

In this study, pure zinc stannate (ZnSnO3) and bismuth (Bi)-doped ZnSnO3 composites (Bi-ZnSnO3) were synthesized via the in situ precipitation method, and their microstructures, morphologies, chemical components, sizes, and specific surface areas were characterized, followed by testing their gas sensing properties. The results revealed that Bi-ZnSnO3 showed superior gas sensing properties to n-butanol gas, with an optimal operating temperature of 300 °C, which was 50 °C lower than that of pure ZnSnO3. At this temperature, moreover, the sensitivity of Bi-ZnSnO3 to n-butanol gas at the concentration of 100 ppm reached as high as 1450.65, which was 35.57 times that (41.01) of ammonia gas, 2.93 times that (495.09) of acetone gas, 6.02 times that (241.05) of methanol gas, 2.54 times that (571.48) of formaldehyde gas, and 2.98 times that (486.58) of ethanol gas. Bi-ZnSnO3 had a highly repeatable performance. The total proportion of oxygen vacancies and chemi-adsorbed oxygen in Bi-ZnSnO3 (4 wt%) was 27.72% to 32.68% higher than that of pure ZnSnO3. Therefore, Bi-ZnSnO3 has considerable potential in detecting n-butanol gas by virtue of its excellent gas-sensing properties.

An Experimental Study on Combustion and Cycle-by-Cycle Variations of an N-Butanol Engine with Hydrogen Direct Injection under Lean Burn Conditions.

This study experimentally investigated the effects of hydrogen direct injection on combustion and the cycle-by-cycle variations in a spark ignition n-butanol engine under lean burn conditions. For this purpose, a spark ignition engine installed with a hydrogen and n-butanol dual fuel injection system was specially developed. Experiments were conducted at four excess air ratios, four hydrogen fractions(φ(𝐻2)) and pure n-butanol. Engine speed and intake manifold absolute pressure (MAP) were kept at 1500 r/min and 43 kPa, respectively. The results indicate that the θ0-10 and θ10-90 decreased gradually with the increase in hydrogen fraction. Additionally, the indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP), the peak cylinder pressure (Pmax) and the maximum rate of pressure rise ((dP/dφ)max) increased gradually, while their cycle-by-cycle variations decreased with the increase in hydrogen fraction. In addition, the correlation between the (dP/dφ)max and its corresponding crank angle became weak with the increase in the excess air coefficient (λ), which tends to be strongly correlated with the increase in hydrogen fraction. The coefficient of variation of the Pmax and the IMEP increased with the increase in λ, while they decreased obviously after blending in the hydrogen under lean burn conditions. Furthermore, when λ was 1.0, a 5% hydrogen fraction improved the cycle-by-cycle variations most significantly. While a larger hydrogen fraction is needed to achieve the excellent combustion characteristics under lean burn conditions, hydrogen direct injection can promote combustion process and is beneficial for enhancing stable combustion and reducing the cycle-by-cycle variations.

Efficient production of n-caproate from syngas by a co-culture of Clostridium aceticum and Clostridium kluyveri.

In recent years, the possibility of merging technologies for waste recovery such as those based on syngas fermentation and chain elongation has been studied for the production of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and bioalcohols, in an attempt to integrate the concept of circular economy in the industry. Nevertheless, one of the main issues of this approach is the pH mismatch between acetogens and chain elongating microorganisms. This work reports, for the first time, the suitability of a co-culture of C. aceticum and C. kluyveri metabolizing syngas at near neutral pH in stirred tank bioreactors. For this purpose, bioreactor studies were carried out with continuous syngas supply. In the first experiment, maximum concentrations of n-butyrate and n-caproate of 7.0 and 8.2 g/L, respectively, were obtained. In the second experiment, considerable amounts of n-butanol were produced as a result of the reduction, by C. aceticum, of the carboxylates already formed in the broth. In both experiments, ethanol was used as an exogenous electron agent at some point. Finally, batch bottle assays were performed with a pure culture of C. aceticum grown on CO in presence of n-butyrate to assess and confirm its ability to produce n-butanol, reaching concentrations up to 951 mg/L, with a n-butyrate conversion efficiency of 96%, which had never been reported before in this species. Therefore, this work contributes to the state of the art, presenting a novel system for the bioproduction of MCFAs by combining syngas fermentation and chain elongation at near neutral pH, as opposed to the acidic pH range used in all previously reported literature.

Elsholtzia rugulosa: Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant, Anti-Alzheimer's Disease, Antidiabetic, Antibacterial, Cytotoxic and Hepatoprotective Activities.

Elsholtzia rugulosa Hemsl., a species of the Labiatae family, has a long history of use as a honey plant, herbal tea, and folk medicine in China. However, little is known about its composition and biological activities. The present study aimed to investigate the total phenol and flavonoid contents, phytochemical composition, and multiple biological activities of this plant. The total flavonoid content of the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) was higher than those of the petroleum ether fraction (PEF), n-butanol fraction (NBF), and water fraction (WF). The EAF also had much stronger antioxidant, cytotoxic, hepatoprotective, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities than the PEF, NBF, and WF. More importantly, the IC50 values of the EAF and NBF against α-glucosidase were much lower than that of the positive control acarbose, indicating their potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The isolation of the EAF led to the acquisition of 9 compounds, four of which (ß-daucosterol, methyl rosmarinate, betulinic acid, and oleanolic acid) possessed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Maltol 6'-O-(5-O-p-coumaroyl)-ß-D-apiofuranosyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside and rosmarinic acid were the major phenolic compounds in the EAF according to the HPLC-DAD analysis. All these findings indicate that the EAF, NBF, and some isolated compounds have the potential to be developed as antidiabetic drugs. Moreover, the dual inhibition of AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) of certain fractions indicates their potential in the development of anti-Alzheimer's disease drugs. The present study provides a new understanding of the phytochemistry and bioactivity of E. rugulosa.

Engineering Clostridium cellulovorans for highly selective n-butanol production from cellulose in consolidated bioprocessing.

Cellulosic n-butanol from renewable lignocellulosic biomass has gained increased interest. Previously, we have engineered Clostridium cellulovorans, a cellulolytic acidogen, to overexpress the bifunctional butyraldehyde/butanol dehydrogenase gene adhE2 from C. acetobutylicum for n-butanol production from crystalline cellulose. However, butanol production by this engineered strain had a relatively low yield of approximately 0.22 g/g cellulose due to the coproduction of ethanol and acids. We hypothesized that strengthening the carbon flux through the central butyryl-CoA biosynthesis pathway and increasing intracellular NADH availability in C. cellulovorans adhE2 would enhance n-butanol production. In this study, thiolase (thlACA ) from C. acetobutylicum and 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase (hbdCT ) from C. tyrobutyricum were overexpressed in C. cellulovorans adhE2 to increase the flux from acetyl-CoA to butyryl-CoA. In addition, ferredoxin-NAD(P)+ oxidoreductase (fnr), which can regenerate the intracellular NAD(P)H and thus increase butanol biosynthesis, was also overexpressed. Metabolic flux analyses showed that mutants overexpressing these genes had a significantly increased carbon flux toward butyryl-CoA, which resulted in increased production of butyrate and butanol. The addition of methyl viologen as an electron carrier in batch fermentation further directed more carbon flux towards n-butanol biosynthesis due to increased reducing equivalent or NADH. The engineered strain C. cellulovorans adhE2-fnrCA -thlACA -hbdCT produced n-butanol from cellulose at a 50% higher yield (0.34 g/g), the highest ever obtained in batch fermentation by any known bacterial strain. The engineered C. cellulovorans is thus a promising host for n-butanol production from cellulosic biomass in consolidated bioprocessing.

One-dimensional In2O3nanorods as sensing material for ppb-level n-butanol detection.

Effectively and quantificationally detecting hazardous gas n-butanol is very significant in daily life, which can bring about a safe living condition for humans. In this study, the one-dimensional In2O3nanorods were successfully synthesized via hydrothermal route and post-heat treatment. Noticeably, one-dimensional nanorods structures were obtained and the products presented a superior growth orientation along with (222) plane. Additionally, systematical gas-sensing measurements of the sensor made from In2O3nanorods towards hazardous n-butanol gas were conducted. Results exhibited that the fabricated sensor showed excellent n-butanol sensing properties, with aspects to a superior response value of 342.20 with concentration 100 ppm at 240 °C, remarkable selectivity, fast response/recovery times (77.5/34.2 s) and good stability. More interestingly, the detection limit of sensor as low as 500 ppb and a good linearity relationship between response values and n-butanol concentrations was presented. Gas-sensitive properties of this sensor are better than previously reported in n-butanol detection. All results demonstrate that one-dimensional In2O3nanorod is a promising sensor material to practical applications in effectively detecting n-butanol gas.

Assessing emission and power tradeoffs of biodiesel and n-Butanol in diesel blends for fuel sustainability.

The use of renewable biodiesel and additives diversifies transportation fuel supply. Combustion tests on neat ultra-low sulfur No.2 diesel (D100) and its blends with biodiesel and the n-butanol additive were conducted to investigate environmental impacts and tradeoffs in engine emission and power output. The testing results show measurable changes in power output and engine emission, particularly in diesel particulate matter (DPM) size distribution and black carbon compositions. The binary diesel-biodiesel blend D80B20 (80% D100 and 20%B100 by volume) offers reduced PM and black carbon emission, but higher NOx in engine exhaust. Comparatively the tertiary diesel-biodiesel-butanol blend B15Bu5 (80% D100, 15% B100, and 5% Bu100 by volume) shows superior environmental tradeoff in the black carbon and NOx emission than D80B20. Both fuel blends suffer a 3.0-5.6% increase in brake-specific fuel consumption. At higher combustion temperature, the butanol-oxygenated diesel fuel produces DPMs of smaller size, higher number concentrations, greater OC fractions, and more amorphous black carbon particles. The peak DPM aerodynamic size dp max for D80B20 and B15Bu5 blends is 0.20-0.32 µm, smaller than > 0.40 µm dp max for D100 and the 0.30 µm cut-off size of regular DPM filters. For an internal combustion engine capable of accommodating biodiesel and water fraction in the fuel mixture, the B15Bu5 blend offers a viable fuel alternative according to the comparative testing results. The use of biodiesel and butanol additive in petroleum diesel can decrease the DPM emission, while the undesired NOx formation in tradeoff can be managed through optimizing the tertiary composition of petroleum diesel, biodiesel, and fuel additives.

Issues in assessing the health risks of n-butanol.

A literature review and health effects evaluation were conducted for n-butanol, a chemical that occurs naturally in some foods, which is an intermediate in the production of butyl esters and can be used as a gasoline additive or blend. Studies evaluating n-butyl acetate were included in the review as n-butyl acetate is rapidly converted to n-butanol following multiple routes of exposure. The primary n-butanol health effects identified were developmental and nervous system endpoints. In conducting the literature review and evaluating study findings, the following observations were made: (1) developmental findings were consistently identified; (2) neurodevelopmental findings were inconsistent; (3) evidence for nervous system effects was weak; (4) comparing internal doses from oral and inhalation exposures using physiologically based pharmacokinetic models introduces uncertainties; and (5) a lack of mechanistic information for n-butanol resulted in the reliance on mechanistic data for ethanol, which may or may not be applicable to n-butanol. This paper presents findings from a literature review on the health effects of n-butanol and proposes research to help reduce uncertainty that exists due to database limitations.

A review on genus Millettia: Traditional uses, phytochemicals and pharmacological activities.

The genus Millettia belongs to Fabaceae includes 200 species which are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Plants belong to this genus are used as folkloric medicine, for the treatment of different ailments like in wound healing, boil, sores, skin diseases, snake bite, muscle aches, pains, rheumatic arthritis, and gynaecological diseases. The aim of the review is to provide updated, comprehensive and categorized information on the aspects of ethnobotanical, phytochemical, pharmacological uses and toxicity of genus Millettia in order to identify their therapeutic potential and generate space for future research opportunities. The present study comprises of isolated flavonoids, phenolic compounds, phytosterols, saponins, alkaloids, polysaccharides, terpenoids and resins and pharmacological activities of various Millettia species. The relevant data were searched by using the keyword "Millettia" in different scientific databases like, "Google Scholar"; "NISCAIR repository"; "Pub Med"; "Science Direct"; "Scopus" and the taxonomy is validated by "The Plant List". This review discusses the existing information of the traditional evaluation as well as phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of the extract and active constituents of the genus "Millettia". This review confirms that several Millettia species have emerged as a high-quality medicine in a traditional system for arthritis, wound healing, inflammation, skin diseases. Numerous conventional uses of Millettia species have been validated by modern pharmacology research. Intensive investigations of the genus Millettia relating to phytochemistry and pharmacology, especially their mechanism of action, safety, and efficacy could be the future research interests by the researcher in the area of phytomedicine.

Metabolic characterization of the chitinolytic bacterium Serratia marcescens using a genome-scale metabolic model.

BACKGROUND: Serratia marcescens is a chitinolytic bacterium that can potentially be used for consolidated bioprocessing to convert chitin to value-added chemicals. Currently, S. marcescens is poorly characterized and studies on intracellular metabolic and regulatory mechanisms would expedite development of bioprocessing applications. RESULTS: In this study, our goal was to characterize the metabolic profile of S. marcescens to provide insight for metabolic engineering applications and fundamental biological studies. Hereby, we constructed a constraint-based genome-scale metabolic model (iSR929) including 929 genes, 1185 reactions and 1164 metabolites based on genomic annotation of S. marcescens Db11. The model was tested by comparing model predictions with experimental data and analyzed to identify essential aspects of the metabolic network (e.g. 138 essential genes predicted). The model iSR929 was refined by integrating RNAseq data of S. marcescens growth on three different carbon sources (glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, and glycerol). Significant differences in TCA cycle utilization were found for growth on the different carbon substrates, For example, for growth on N-acetylglucosamine, S. marcescens exhibits high pentose phosphate pathway activity and nucleotide synthesis but low activity of the TCA cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that S. marcescens model iSR929 can provide reasonable predictions and can be constrained to fit with experimental values. Thus, our model may be used to guide strain designs for metabolic engineering to produce chemicals such as 2,3-butanediol, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and n-butanol using S. marcescens.

Improved n-Butanol Production from Clostridium cellulovorans by Integrated Metabolic and Evolutionary Engineering.

Clostridium cellulovorans DSM 743B offers potential as a chassis strain for biomass refining by consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). However, its n-butanol production from lignocellulosic biomass has yet to be demonstrated. This study demonstrates the construction of a coenzyme A (CoA)-dependent acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) pathway in C. cellulovorans by introducing adhE1 and ctfA-ctfB-adc genes from Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824, which enabled it to produce n-butanol using the abundant and low-cost agricultural waste of alkali-extracted, deshelled corn cobs (AECC) as the sole carbon source. Then, a novel adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) approach was adapted to strengthen the n-butanol tolerance of C. cellulovorans to fully utilize its n-butanol output potential. To further improve n-butanol production, both metabolic engineering and evolutionary engineering were combined, using the evolved strain as a host for metabolic engineering. The n-butanol production from AECC of the engineered C. cellulovorans was increased 138-fold, from less than 0.025 g/liter to 3.47 g/liter. This method represents a milestone toward n-butanol production by CBP, using a single recombinant clostridium strain. The engineered strain offers a promising CBP-enabling microbial chassis for n-butanol fermentation from lignocellulose.IMPORTANCE Due to a lack of genetic tools, Clostridium cellulovorans DSM 743B has not been comprehensively explored as a putative strain platform for n-butanol production by consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). Based on the previous study of genetic tools, strain engineering of C. cellulovorans for the development of a CBP-enabling microbial chassis was demonstrated in this study. Metabolic engineering and evolutionary engineering were integrated to improve the n-butanol production of C. cellulovorans from the low-cost renewable agricultural waste of alkali-extracted, deshelled corn cobs (AECC). The n-butanol production from AECC was increased 138-fold, from less than 0.025 g/liter to 3.47 g/liter, which represents the highest titer of n-butanol produced using a single recombinant clostridium strain by CBP reported to date. This engineered strain serves as a promising chassis for n-butanol production from lignocellulose by CBP.

First recognized n-butanol concentration may be simple and useful index for assessing olfactory dysfunction in geriatric patients.

The KVSSII is widely used to evaluate olfactory function in the Korean population. We evaluated the usefulness of the first recognized n-butanol concentration, which is obtained at the beginning part of KVSS II, in predicting olfactory dysfunction. Three hundred seventy two subjects were enrolled in our study. The results of KVSS II and the demographic characteristics were statistically analyzed. The first recognized n-butanol concentration was positively correlated with the result of KVSS II. The mean value of first recognized n-butanol concentration was 5.59 ± 1.42 in normosmia, 4.10 ± 1.40 in hyposmia, and 0.84 ± 1.68 in the anosmia group. By ROC curve, cut-off value of 2.5 showed sensitivity of 85.9% and specificity of 90.6% for anosmia, and cut-off value of 4.5 showed sensitivity of 77.6% and specificity of 69.8% for hyposmia. Consequently, we suggest that it may be useful in assessing olfactory function, in geriatric patients who are not able to tolerate conventional KVSS II.