The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of galacto-oligosaccharides, lactulose, apple fiber and sugar beet pectin on the composition and activity of human colonic microbiota of lean and obese healthy subjects using an in vitro model of the proximal colon: TIM-2. Substrate fermentation was assessed by measuring the production of short-chain and branched-chain fatty acids, lactate and...

BACKGROUND Two economic factors make watermelon worthy of consideration as a feedstock for ethanol biofuel production. First, about 20% of each annual watermelon crop is left in the field because of surface blemishes or because they are misshapen; currently these are lost to growers as a source of revenue. Second, the neutraceutical value of lycopene and L-citrulline obtained from watermelon is...

BACKGROUND Sugar production via pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic feedstock, in this case softwood harvest residues, is a critical step in the biochemical conversion pathway towards drop-in biofuels. Mild bisulfite (MBS) pretreatment is an emerging option for the breakdown and subsequent processing of biomass towards fermentable sugars. An environmental assessment of this proc...

An efficient conversion of lignocellulose into fermentable sugars is a key step in producing bioethanol in a cost effective and eco-friendly manner. Alternative source like water hyacinth biomass (WHB) (Eichhornia crassipes) may be used as a supplement for the routine feedstocks. The enzyme loading for optimum yield of total reducing sugar was investigated and the enzyme-substrate interaction o...

The potential of fungal pretreatment to improve fermentable sugar yields from wheat straw or Miscanthus was investigated. We assessed 63 fungal strains including 53 white-rot and 10 brown-rot fungi belonging to the Basidiomycota phylum in an original 12 day small-scale solid-state fermentation (SSF) experiment using 24-well plates. This method offers the convenience of one-pot processing of sam...

Apple pomace extract (APE) in aerobic variable fed batch culture under standardized fermentation parameters was evaluated for the production of baker’s yeast. The substrate was fed at a flow rate of 0.39 dm h to regulate fermentable sugar concentration between 1-2 % in bioreactor. An average specific growth rate of 0.24 h and cellular yield coefficient of 0.48 g/g sugar was obtained during bake...

The most effective method for producing fermentable sugars (FSs) from biomass is thermochemical pretreatment assisted by enzymatic hydrolysis. However, the hydrolysis-assisted limited formation of fermentation inhibitors, and it time-consuming. There growing interest in using a microwave (MW) due to its uniform rapid heating. This study aimed determine, perform data-driven modeling, optimize ef...

Sugar beet pulp, a byproduct of sugar beet processing, can be used as a feedstock in second-generation ethanol production. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of pretreatment, of the dosage of cellulase and hemicellulase enzyme preparations used, and of aeration on the release of fermentable sugars and ethanol yield during simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (S...

Indigestible but fermentable materials are widely used in the world mainly as sugar substitute for their many functional effects in nutrition and disease prevention. The appropriate evaluation of the functional effects of the above materials is very important before their application for consumption by human beings. It is sure that a wide range study of the effects of above materials directly i...