Search

Saccharification of lignocellulose is prerequisite for the biorefinery. Clostridium thermocellum is a promising candidate for the hydrolysis of lignocellulose. A study on the saccharification by Clostridium thermocellum combined with surfactant and cellulase addition was investigated. The reducing sugars content increased with increasing substrate loading in the fermentation of C. thermocllum with isooctyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (IAPE) addition. Based on IAPE addition, the glucose content of two-step saccharification was higher than that of the batch saccharification. Besides, the addition of IAPE and Triton X-100 had the same effect on saccharification. The saccharification performance was related to the substrate, especially the lignin content. For the fed-batch hydrolysis of 20 % (w/v) rice straw pretreated by hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAC), 66.9 g/L glucose and 19.5 g/L xylose were obtained by using C. thermocellum DSM 1313 and 1 FPU/g substrate cellulase with 0.1 % (w/v) IAPE addition, and the glucose and xylose yield reached 63.2 % and 37.4 % respectively.

The present work aimed at establishing an efficient degradation and energy recovery system form sugarcane bagasse (SCB) through hydrogen peroxide-acetic acid (HPAC) pretreatment, thermophilic hydrogen production and mesophilic methane production. The degradation ratio of HPAC pretreated SCB (HPAC-SCB, 2%, w/v) exceeded 90% under the biological hydrolysis of C. thermocellum without enzyme addition. The hydrogen yield in the co-culture fermentation of T. thermosaccharolyticum and C. thermocellum from HPAC-SCB (2%, w/v) reached 226 mL/g substrate. The long-term hydrogen fermentation was successfully established with 1.59 L/(L·d), 0.159 L/g substrate for average hydrogen productivity and yield, respectively. Methane production of 0.341 L/g COD (chemical oxygen demand)added was recovered by semi-continuous methane fermentation from hydrogen-producing effluent at 12 days of hydraulic retention time (HRT). Average energy recovery of 8.79 MJ/kg SCB was obtained under the optimal conditions. The present work indicated the promising application of the established process in valorization of lignocellulosic bio-waste.

An efficient ionic liquids (ILs) recycle technology will increase the economic viability of lignocellulosic biorefinery. The availability of recycling 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) for rice straw (RS) pretreatment was conducted. The kosmotropic salt K3 PO4 (TKP) solution was used as anti-solvent for cellulose precipitation and forming a three-phase system consisting of biomass, ILs-rich and salt-rich phases. The upper ILs phase and the bottom TKP phase were recycled without additional purification, which significantly simplifies the process for recovering ILs. Subsequently, the RS pretreated with multiple reusing ILs (RPRS) were investigated by components analysis, structure evolution, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation experiments. The results showed that unpurified reusing ILs led to further delignification and improvement of enzyme accessibility of the pretreated RS. The reducing sugar yield of RS pretreated with 8th reusing IL (8th RPRS) could still reach 98.9%, and the ethanol and succinic acid concentrations achieved 91.9 g/L and 29.3 g/L by simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SScF). The present study demonstrated that the ILs recovered by phase-separation process could be used for RS pretreatment, and achieving high titer ethanol fermentation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

In this study, we proposed a simple and effective sodium perborate (SPB) pretreatment method to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of rice straw (RS). The lignin removal rate reached 45.76% under the optimum pretreatment conditions of 8% SPB and 80 °C for 4 h, and the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of pretreated RS was 84% at a cellulase loading of 20 FPU/g RS. Through simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SScF) of the pretreated RS solid with Saccharomyces cerevisiae SHY07-1, the maximum ethanol concentration was 15.29 g/L at 72 h, with a fermentation efficiency as high as 91.96%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analyses revealed that the RS structure was destroyed by SPB pretreatment, and lignin was effectively removed. The overall data of this study indicate that SPB pretreatment is a promising method to improve enzymatic hydrolysis and bioethanol production from RS by inoculating Saccharomyces cerevisiae SHY07-1.

A two-stage thermophilic hydrogen fermentation and mesophilic methane production from paper sludge was successfully explored. The maximum hydrogen and methane potential were 0.165 L/g VS and 0.376 L/g CODeffluent, respectively with Clostridium thermocellum augmentation. 63 L of hydrogen and 122 L of methane were recovered from 1 kg Paper sludge (PS, dry weight) with an energy yield of 4.5 MJ/kg PS, 50% higher compared to the single-stage anaerobic digestion (94 L CH4, 3.0 MJ/kg PS). The bacterial community of second-stage process was dominated by genus Propionispira, Mesotoga and Aminobecterium with stability, whereas the bacterial structure in single-stage process presented dynamic changes where genus Acetivibrio and Fibrobacter played an indispensable role. However, Genus Methanosaeta, Methanosarcina, Methanobacterium and Methanospirillum existed stably and predominantly in the archaeal community of single-stage and second-stage processes. The present study suggests the potential application of the established two-stage process in valorization of low-value waste biomass.

A process of simultaneous saccharification and protease production was successfully established from spent mushroom compost (SMC) created through edible fungi cultivation. The combined water extraction and sodium chlorite pretreatment significantly (p < 0.05) improved enzymatic digestibility of SMC, which led to a reducing sugar yield of 0.759 g/g that was 12 times higher than raw SMC. The water extract from SMC was recycled for simultaneous saccharification and protease production from pretreated SMC by Bacillus subtilis DES-59, which promoted the protein concentration and neutral protease activity by 21.9% and 11.6%, respectively. The simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SScF) of pretreated SMC by Bacillus subtilis DES-59 produced 5518 U/mL protease, which was superior to the separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) process. Fermentation residues containing Bacillus subtilis cells could be further converted into fertilizer. The closed-loop utilization of SMC was achieved using established processes, which indicates potential for application in future biorefineries.

Low soil phosphorus (P) bioavailability causes the widespread occurrence of P-limited terrestrial ecosystems around the globe. Exploring the factors influencing soil P bioavailability at large spatial scales is critical for managing these ecosystems. However, previous studies have mostly focused on abiotic factors. In this study, we explored the effects of microbial factors on soil P bioavailability of terrestrial ecosystems using a country-scale sampling effort. Our results showed that soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and acid phosphatase were important predictors of soil P bioavailability of agro- and natural ecosystems across China although they appeared less important than total soil P. The two microbial factors had a positive effect on soil P bioavailability of both ecosystem types and were able to mediate the effects of several abiotic factors (e.g., mean annual temperature). Meanwhile, we revealed that soil phytase could affect soil P bioavailability at the country scale via ways similar to those of soil MBC and acid phosphatase, a pattern being more pronounced in agroecosystems than in natural ecosystems. Moreover, we obtained evidence for the positive effects of microbial genes encoding these enzymes on soil P bioavailability at the country scale although their effect sizes varied between the two ecosystem types. Taken together, this study demonstrated the remarkable effects of microbial factors on soil P bioavailability at a large spatial scale, highlighting the importance to consider microbial factors in managing the widespread P-limited terrestrial ecosystems.

The influence of biochar (BC) on anerobic digestion (AD) of organic wastes have been widely studied. However, the effect of BC on rate-limiting step during AD of lignocellulosic waste, i.e. the hydrolysis and acidogenesis step, is rarely studied and the underlying mechanisms have not been investigated. In this study, the benefits of BC with respect to dark fermentative hydrogen production were explored in a fermentation system by a heat-shocked consortium from sewage sludge (SS) with pretreated sugarcane bagasse (PSCB) as carbon source. The results showed that biochar boosted biohydrogen production by 317.1% through stimulating bacterial growth, improving critical enzymatic activities, manipulating the ratio of NADH/NAD

The present study evaluated the individual and synergistic effects of eight lignocellulose-derived inhibitors on biohydrogen fermentation and their inhibitory mechanisms. The growth of Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum MJ1 (T. thermosaccharolyticum MJ1) was completely inhibited by 1.5 g/L ferulic acid and 0.5 g/L p-coumaric acid, while other inhibitors (≤2 g/L) exhibited the weaker inhibition. The inhibition on biohydrogen by vanillin and syringaldehyde was much stronger than growth, which was different with other inhibitors. At 2 g/L vanillin and syringaldehyde, the relative maximum OD600 values were 64.7% and 78.2% respectively, however the relative biohydrogen productions were only 12.6% and 33.6% respectively. The lag phase of biohydrogen production was significantly prolonged by 0.3 g/L p-coumaric acid (7.5 times higher than control). Metabolite analysis showed that the metabolic flux had been redirected by vanillin and syringaldehyde. The increased lactate production and decreased production of acetate and butyrate contributed to a lower biohydrogen production. The synergistic effects of inhibitors on growth and biohydrogen production were studied. The main functional inhibitors in mixture were vanillin and syringaldehyde, which were further demonstrated by metabolite analysis. The present work provided a comprehensive insight of inhibitors on biohydrogen fermentation.

Emerging environmentally friendly materials with ultrahigh-temperature thermal insulation, high fire resistance, and cost efficiency are in high demand in the fields of aerospace and high-rise buil...

Pretreatment is a necessary step in the process of biorefinery of lignocellulosics. Here, a novel sequential sugarcane bagasse (SCB) pretreatment method was developed based on potassium peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and alkaline deacetylation (AD) under mild conditions. The co-pretreatment could efficiently remove the lignin and acetyl groups, resulting in a holocellulose-rich (83.5%) solid with superior degradability and a high overall recovery of holocellulose (81.2%). Meanwhile, the highest ethanol titer of 120.77 g/L and succinic acid production of 34.84 g/L were obtained by simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF) without the sterilization process for the pretreated SCB (equivalent to an ethanol yield of 0.36 g/g and a succinic acid yield of 0.10 g/g from the holocellulose in raw SCB). These results demonstrated that a high level of bioethanol and bio-based succinic acid can be achieved by the combination of the newly-developed SCB pretreatment method and the robust yeast strain.

The pretreated sugarcane bagasse (SCB) was detoxified by laccase, NaBH4 and washing before anaerobic degradation. The detoxified SCB was used for biohydrogen fermentation by MJ1. The biohydrogen productions from the detoxified samples by laccase and NaBH4 were low (below 7 mM). As for detoxification by washing, the biohydrogen production reached 44 mM, nearly 10 times higher than the non-detoxified sample. Co-culture strategy (DSM 1313 and MJ1) was further adopted to enhance the biohydrogen production. The biohydrogen production of 119.7 mM was reached by optimizing the fermentation conditions, which was 2.7 times higher than monoculture and 25 times higher than non-detoxified sample. The biohydrogen productions from detoxified sample indicated that the detoxifications of acid pretreated SCB by laccase and NaBH4 were not suitable for biohydrogen fermentation by MJ1 and washing was an effective detoxification method. Co-culture of DSM 1313 and MJ1 was an efficient fermentation strategy for biohydrogen production from pretreated SCB. The present study provides a new insight into the detoxification research on biohydrogen production.

In this study, the astaxanthin from Phaffia rhodozyma was encapsulated with carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC-Na) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) by freeze-drying and used in yogurt. The encapsulation improved the stability, solubility, and antioxidation activity of the astaxanthin and increased the extent of its potential industrial application. The encapsulated efficiency and solubility of the microencapsulated astaxanthin were 58.76% and 52.88%, respectively. In comparison with non-encapsulated astaxanthin, the microencapsulation did prevent the astaxanthin from dramatic degradation, with an astaxanthin retention value of 80.86% in the microencapsulated astaxanthin at 55 °C in 16 h. Non-encapsulated astaxanthin was much more stable in acid than in neutral phase, but the microencapsulated astaxanthin showed no significant difference in stability under both conditions. The astaxanthin yogurt showed an attractive orange-red color as well as a significantly higher DPPH-scavenging activity and stability than the plain yogurt.

Pretreatment plays a key role in biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, the main factors of peroxyformic acid (PA) pretreatment were optimized in the light of enzymolysis efficiency and composition analysis of pretreated sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Lignin was significantly removed (59.0%) and a complete saccharification level (103.6%) was obtained for the pretreated SCB with slight cellulose loss (9.2%) under the optimized pretreatment conditions. The effects of PA pretreatment on the structural characteristics of SCB were also studied and the digestibility of pretreated SCB was also evaluated by dark fermentative hydrogen production with an enriched anaerobic cellulolytic microbial consortium MC1. The hydrogen production increased by 195.5% (based on initial SCB) and the abundance of dominant hemicellulose-degradation genus Thermoanaerobacterium increased from 23.8% to 40.2% due to the remaining and accessible hemicellulose in PA pretreated SCB.

The feasibility and performance of hydrogen production from paper sludge without inoculation was investigated under thermophilic conditions. The maximum hydrogen production reached 64.32 mM with 7.4% PS. The dynamic changes in bacterial community structures during hydrogen production were investigated by analyzing 16S rDNA gene sequences using high throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that microbial community was dominated by order Clostridiales and Thermoanaerobacterales. Genus Thermoanaerobacterium and Ruminiclostridium played a leading role in the fermentation process, which was responsible for the hydrolysis of PS and hydrogen production. Effect of inoculation with Clostridium thermocellum on hydrogen production from PS was also studied. The results showed that C. thermocellum supplement significantly increased hydrogen yield and holocellulose degradation rate by 96.80% and 32.95%, respectively. In addition, inoculation of C. thermocellum enhanced VFA generation and shortened the lag phase of hydrogen production. The present study lays the foundation on the valorization of waste lignocellulose.

Anaerobic digestion, an attractive process for generation of hydrogen, involves complex microbial processes on decomposition of waste biomass. Here, efficient biohydrogen production (277.4 mM (6.2 L-H2/L)) from non-detoxified sugarcane bagasse (NDSCB) was accomplished through a novel two-stage anaerobic fermentation, which to our knowledge, is the first utilization of NDSCB for biohydrogen fermentation. Interestingly, the hydrogen production of the second stage fermentation (167.8 mM) was significantly higher than that of the first stage fermentation (108.6 mM). Metabolite analysis showed that the metabolic flux had been redirected and Butyrate/Acetate ratio was enhanced in the second stage fermentation. Simulation of the second-stage fermentation condition indicated that acetate and butyrate generated in the first-stage fermentation could significantly enhance the hydrogen production from NDSCB by 51% and 28%, respectively. More interestingly, the stimulatory effect of butyrate was influenced by substrate. The present work provided a comprehensive insight of metabolite on biohydrogen production and an environment-friendly process for lignocellulosic biohydrogen production.

Jerusalem artichoke extract or powder was used for astaxanthin production using Phaffia rhodozyma without acidic or enzymatic inulin hydrolysis. The culture medium containing Jerusalem artichoke as carbon source was optimized, and feeding strategies, including constant, exponential, pH-stat, and substrate feedback fed-batch fermentations, were also compared for enhancing the cell biomass and astaxanthin synthesis by P. rhodozyma. Substrate-feedback fed-batch fermentation resulted in the highest dry cell weight of 83.60 g/L, with a carotenoid concentration and yield of 982.50 mg/L and 13.30 mg/g, respectively, under optimized medium components using Jerusalem artichoke extract as carbon source in a 3-L stirred-tank bioreactor. Moreover, 482.50 mg/L of carotenoids and 253.10 mg/L of astaxanthin were obtained by continuous feeding of Jerusalem artichoke powder, which was used as carbon source. Astaxanthin essence with high DPPH-scavenging activity was obtained from the extracted astaxanthin, and the DPPH free radical scavenging rate of 40 ppm astaxanthin essence reached 76.29%. When stored at 4 °C, astaxanthin essence showed the highest stability, with a minimum k value of 0.0099 week−1 and maximum half-life (t1/2) value of 70 weeks.

Biobased gelatins were used to improve the compressive properties and flammability of poly(vinyl alcohol)/montmorillonite (PVA/MMT) aerogels, fabricated using a simple and environmentally friendly freeze-drying method. Because of the excellent compatibility and strong interfacial adhesion between PVA and gelatin, the compressive moduli of aerogels were enhanced dramatically with the incorporation of gelatin. PVA/MMT/porcine-gelatin aerogels exhibit compressive modulus values as much as 12.4 MPa, nearly 300% that of the control PVA/MMT aerogel. The microstructure of the PVA/MMT/gelatin aerogels shows a three-dimensional co-continuous network. Combustion testing demonstrated that with the addition of gelatin, the self-extinguishing time of the aerogel was cut by half and the limiting-oxygen-index values increased to 28.5%. The peak heat-release rate, obtained from cone calorimetry, also decreased with the incorporation of gelatin. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the gelatins slowed the sharp decomposition of the PVA matrix polymer and increased the thermal stability of the aerogels at the major decomposition stage of the composite aerogels. These results indicate that as a green, biobased material, gelatin could simultaneously improve the mechanical properties and the properties of flame retardancy.

As a by-product of thermal power plants, a large amount of fly ash (FA) was produced every year. The comprehensive utilization of fly ash has been receiving increasing attention around the world. In this paper, FA simply modified with NaOH was used to enhance the flame retardancy of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/Laponite (Lap) aerogels via an environmentally friendly freeze-drying method. From the cone calorimetry test, it was obvious that the heat release rate, total heat release, smoke produce rate and total smoke production of the composite aerogels were decreased significantly with the addition of FA. When the content of fly ash exceeded 63.6 wt%, the limiting oxygen index exceeded 60.0%. All the PVA/Lap/FA aerogels reached V-0 ratings in vertical burning test. The thermal stabilities of the PVA/Lap/FA aerogels improved compared with PVA/Lap aerogels by thermogravimetric analysis. The addition of FA can effectively reduce the calorific value of aerogels, and achieved 2.50 MJ/kg when the FA content reached 76.5 wt%. After disposed with ultrasonic cell crusher, the PVA/Lap/FA mixtures became more homogeneous and form the more regular microstructures after freeze-drying, meanwhile, the pore size became smaller with the increase of FA. The PVA/Lap/FA aerogels exhibited stronger mechanical properties, which compression modulus and strength enhanced a lot than PVA/Lap aerogels. The introduction of FA into PVA/Lap aerogels improved their flame retardant properties successfully, demonstrating it a fire safety product. The content of FA has been achieved more than 50 wt% which provided a new method for efficient utilization of FA.

A highly robust and flame retardant borate-crosslinked poly (vinyl alcohol)/montmorillonite aerogel is fabricated through a novel melt-crosslink method. In this way, the PVA/MMT hydrogel was prepared by immersing the frozen PVA/MMT sol into a borax solution, inducing crosslinking between diols of PVA and borate exactly during the ice melt. As a result, rearrangement of the polymer chains and subsequent expansion result in finer and more compact network. The corresponding aerogel is obtained by freeze-drying. The optimal crosslinking conditions, including the borax concentration and crosslinking time, are determined by rheology of the hydrogels. This method provides a new idea for the preparation of crosslinked aerogels and improvement of mechanical and flame retardant properties simultaneously. The mechanical strength of the crosslinked aerogel is relatively high among the existing fire safety polymer/nanoclay composite aerogels with 30%–60% loading of inorganic matters at a low density level. The flame retardant properties are indicated by significant improvements of limiting oxygen index (LOI) to a value of 27.6% and achievement of UL-94 V-0 rating and remarkable decrease of the fire indexes in cone calorimetry (CC) test. The combustion behaviors are further studied by the results of SEM, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Spent mushroom compost (SMC), waste cultivation medium of mushroom, is a potential lignocellulosic substrate. The characteristics of Clostridium thermocellum growing on SMC were investigated to provide practical guidance for better utilizing the SMC. SMC could be utilized without any pretreatment by C. thermocellum, and grinding, washing and mild chemical pretreatment could improve the fermentation performance of SMC, and consequently improved the hydrogen production. Grinding, washing and NaOH pretreatment increased hydrogen production by 48.48%, 62.09% and 2.61 times, respectively. Compared with washing method, neutralizing the alkali pretreated SMC with waste acid had no significant effect on hydrogen production, while could save a lot of water. Besides, fermentation without sterilization and medium simplification were feasible for the fermentation of SMC. The present study shows that SMC is a feasible substrate for consolidated bioprocessing, but pretreatments are needed to degrade the SMC more effectively.

The influence of biochar (BC) on anerobic digestion (AD) of organic wastes have been widely studied. However, the effect of BC on rate-limiting step during AD of lignocellulosic waste, i.e. the hydrolysis and acidogenesis step, is rarely studied and the underlying mechanisms have not been investigated. In this study, the benefits of BC with respect to dark fermentative hydrogen production were explored in a fermentation system by a heat-shocked consortium from sewage sludge (SS) with pretreated sugarcane bagasse (PSCB) as carbon source. The results showed that biochar boosted biohydrogen production by 317.1% through stimulating bacterial growth, improving critical enzymatic activities, manipulating the ratio of NADH/NAD+ and enhancing electron transfer efficiency of fermentation system. Furthermore, cellulolytic Lachnospiraceae was efficiently enriched and electroactive bacteria were selectively colonized and the ecological niche was formed on the surface of biochar. Synergistic effect between functional bacteria and extracellular electron transfer (EET) in electroactive bacteria were assumed to be established and maintained by biochar amendment. This study shed light on the underlying mechanisms of improved performance of biohydrogen production from lignocellulosic waste during mesophilic dark fermentation by BC supplementation.

Tibetan sheep are the most common and widespread domesticated animals on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and have played an essential role in the permanent human occupation of this high-altitude region. However, the precise timing, route, and process of sheep pastoralism in the QTP region remain poorly established, and little is known about the underlying genomic changes that occurred during the process. Here, we investigate the genomic variation in Tibetan sheep using whole-genome sequences, single nucleotide polymorphism arrays, mitochondrial DNA, and Y-chromosomal variants in 986 samples throughout their distribution range. We detect strong signatures of selection in genes involved in the hypoxia and ultraviolet signaling pathways (e.g., HIF-1 pathway and HBB and MITF genes) and in genes associated with morphological traits such as horn size and shape (e.g., RXFP2). We identify clear signals of argali (Ovis ammon) introgression into sympatric Tibetan sheep, covering 5.23–5.79% of their genomes. The introgressed genomic regions are enriched in genes related to oxygen transportation system, sensory perception, and morphological phenotypes, in particular the genes HBB and RXFP2 with strong signs of adaptive introgression. The spatial distribution of genomic diversity and demographic reconstruction of the history of Tibetan sheep show a stepwise pattern of colonization with their initial spread onto the QTP from its northeastern part ∼3,100 years ago, followed by further southwest expansion to the central QTP ∼1,300 years ago. Together with archeological evidence, the date and route reveal the history of human expansions on the QTP by the Tang–Bo Ancient Road during the late Holocene. Our findings contribute to a depth understanding of early pastoralism and the local adaptation of Tibetan sheep as well as the late-Holocene human occupation of the QTP.

Global climate change has a significant effect on extreme environments and a profound influence on species survival. However, little is known of the genome-wide pattern of livestock adaptations to extreme environments over a short time frame following domestication. Sheep (Ovis aries) have become well adapted to a diverse range of agroecological zones, including certain extreme environments (e.g., plateaus and deserts), during their post-domestication (approximately 8–9 kya) migration and differentiation. Here, we generated whole-genome sequences from 77 native sheep, with an average effective sequencing depth of ∼5× for 75 samples and ∼42× for 2 samples. Comparative genomic analyses among sheep in contrasting environments, that is, plateau (>4,000 m above sea level) versus lowland (1500 m) versus low-altitude region (600 mm), and arid zone (400 mm), detected a novel set of candidate genes as well as pathways and GO categories that are putatively associated with hypoxia responses at high altitudes and water reabsorption in arid environments. In addition, candidate genes and GO terms functionally related to energy metabolism and body size variations were identified. This study offers novel insights into rapid genomic adaptations to extreme environments in sheep and other animals, and provides a valuable resource for future research on livestock breeding in response to climate change.

Chemical composition, anti-inflammatory activity, and cytotoxicity of essential oils obtained from the aerial parts of Trachydium roylei were investigated in this study. The chemical composition of T. roylei essential oil was analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Fifty-nine components, representing 98.87% of the oils, were characterized. The oils were predominated by aromatic compounds and monoterpene hydrocarbons, and the main components were myristicin (25.35%), β-phellandrene (22.95%), elemicine (7.69%), isoelemicin (5.48%), and cedrol (5.26%). The anti-inflammatory activity of the oil in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine RAW 264.7 cells was evaluated. The oils downregulated the production of proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, and significantly increased the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 levels. Results indicated that the oils effectively inhibited the secretion of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages. Western blot analyses were performed to determine whether the inhibitory effects of the oils on proinflammatory mediators (nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2) were related to the modulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. These findings suggest that T. roylei essential oils exert an anti-inflammatory effect by regulating the expression of inflammatory cytokines.

We demonstrated the preparation of a novel aerogel simply by cross-linking a gelatin physical gel with formaldehyde (cGel) and using a subsequent freeze-drying procedure. A hydrophobic absorbent material (MTCS-cGel aerogel) was further obtained by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of methyltrichlorosilane (MTCS). Rheological tests were carried out to investigate the cross-linking between gelatin and formaldehyde. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and wettability of oil and water results proved that successful silanization occurred on/in the aerogels. These results also indicated that the MTCS-cGels had low densities (5–8 kg m−3), high porosities (>95%) with uniform pore sizes, and unique laminar/fibrous 3D networks. The oleophilic aerogels possessed high oil absorption capacities of 70–123 times that of their dry weights. Furthermore, the absorbents exhibited excellent elasticity and ultrasoftness with a stress of only 2.0 kPa at 60% strain. This property endowed the aerogels with super-recyclability where 83–85% of their full absorption capacity was maintained after 5000 times of compression. The high oil absorption performance, super-recyclability, sustainability, biodegradability and cost-efficiency make this novel absorbent a promising candidate for large-scale oceanic oil contaminant removal.

Nonflammable materials based on renewable ammonium alginate and nano fillers (nanoscale magnesium hydroxide, nanoscale aluminum hydroxide, layered double hydroxide, sodium montmorillonite, and Kaolin) were fabricated through a simple, environmentally friendly freeze-drying process, in which water was used as a solvent. A simple and economic post-cross-linking method was used to obtain homogeneous samples. The microstructure of the cross-linked alginate aerogels show three-dimensional networks. These materials exhibit low densities (0.064-0.116 g cm(-3)), low thermal conductivities (0.024-0.046 W/m K), and useful mechanical strengths (0.7-3.5 MPa). The aerogels also exhibit high thermal stabilities and achieve inherent nonflammability with limiting oxygen indexes (LOI) higher than 60. Related properties were conducted and analyzed by cone calorimeter (CC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These results combine to suggest promising prospects for use of these aerogel nanocomposites in a range of applications.