Article
Polymer Science
Luisa Garcia-Fuentevilla, Gabriela Dominguez, Raquel Martin-Sampedro, Manuel Hernandez, Maria E. Arias, Jose I. Santos, David Ibarra, Maria E. Eugenio
Summary: This study investigated the polymerization of kraft lignin using different laccase sources and analyzed the influence of various variables. The response surface methodology was used to predict and characterize the behavior of the output variables. The results demonstrated that laccase could promote lignin polymerization, with enzyme concentration being the most influential variable.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Justin J. Bernhardt, Bjoern Roessiger, Thomas Hahn, Daniela Pufky-Heinrich
Summary: This study investigated the continuous hydrothermal base catalyzed depolymerization of kraft lignin to phenolic oligomers, establishing a model equation and proposing a three-lump kinetic model to determine rate constants of the reaction. It was found that activation energies for depolymerization varied based on sodium hydroxide concentration, highlighting the importance of temperature and NaOH concentration in the process.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Ana Alves, Jose C. Rodrigues
Summary: There is a significant positive correlation between S/G ratio and acid-soluble lignin (ASL) content in Eucalyptus globulus trees. However, the negative correlation between S/G ratio and Klason lignin is weak, and there is no correlation with total lignin content. The solubilisation of lignin in acidic conditions is not limited to S units but also involves G units, with the effect becoming more pronounced as the percentage of S units increases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yulia Anita, Syelvia Putri Utami, Hiroshi Ohi, Evelyn Evelyn, Akiko Nakagawa-Izumi
Summary: This study identified new catalytic compounds for kraft cooking that improved carbohydrate yield and delignification while reducing mutagenicity, which is crucial for the safety of paper products in contact with food. The addition of 2-methylanthraquinone as an additive in kraft cooking improved lignin removal and carbohydrate yield, making the pulp safe for food-packaging applications and saving forest resources and fossil energy.
Article
Forestry
Jorge Santos, Danilo Escobar-Avello, Cecilia Fuentealba, Gustavo Cabrera-Barjas, Julia Gonzalez-Alvarez, Jorge M. Martins, Luisa H. Carvalho
Summary: One of the most important by-products in the Chilean forestry industry is the bark obtained during the debarking process. The bark of Pinus radiata is a potential source of extracts rich in condensed tannins, while the bark of Eucalyptus globulus has extracts rich in hydrolyzable tannins. This study investigates the potential joint valorization of these by-products and demonstrates the potential application of the extracts in bioadhesive formulation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Ibarra, Luisa Garcia-Fuentevilla, Gabriela Dominguez, Raquel Martin-Sampedro, Manuel Hernandez, Maria E. Arias, Jose I. Santos, Maria E. Eugenio
Summary: The usage of laccases is a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to modifying the Kraft lignin structure for use in certain applications. However, the inherent structure of Kraft lignin, as well as that resulting from laccase modification, still presents challenges for fundamental comprehension and successful lignin valorization.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ana Lourenco, Antonio Velez Marques, Jorge Gominho
Summary: Eight polyhydroxy triterpenoid acids, along with two other triterpenoid acids, were identified and quantified in Eucalyptus globulus wood. The trimethylsilylated polyhydroxy triterpenoid acids showed specific fragmentation patterns in their EI spectra, with sequential loss of hydroxyl groups and specific cleavage in ring E. This study provides a foundation for further research on the chemical composition of Eucalyptus wood.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maryam Arefmanesh, Thu V. Vuong, Saeid Nikafshar, Henrik Wallmo, Mojgan Nejad, Emma R. Master
Summary: In this study, an alkaline tolerant laccase was used to graft acrylate functionalities onto softwood kraft lignin, enhancing its reactivity with isocyanate. The enzymatic grafting under alkaline conditions resulted in lignin products with higher hydroxyl value and reactivity towards isocyanate. This research presents an opportunity for the sustainable valorization of softwood kraft lignin.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian A. Mayr, Raditya Subagia, Renate Weiss, Nikolaus Schwaiger, Hedda K. Weber, Johannes Leitner, Doris Ribitsch, Gibson S. Nyanhongo, Georg M. Guebitz
Summary: Modification of kraft lignin (KL) typically involves harsh and energy-intensive processes. This study evaluated the potential of the bacterial laccase CotA for oxidizing KL under mild conditions, showing that the origin and purity of KL significantly impact the efficiency of oxidation. Under the tested conditions, it was observed that medium ash content hardwood KL (MA_H) showed the highest susceptibility to CotA oxidation, suggesting a potential method for producing sustainable resins and adhesives.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Patricia Henriques, Marta Martinho, Maria de Lurdes Serrano, Antonio P. Mendes de Sousa, Ana Maria Brites Alves
Summary: Xylooligosaccharides (XOS) are emerging prebiotics with various benefits for physical and mental health. In this study, bleached kraft pulp from Eucalyptus globulus was used as a lignin-free material for XOS production. Through alkaline extraction and acid hydrolysis, a maximum conversion rate of xylan to XOS of 30.2% was achieved under specific conditions, with xylobiose and xylotriose prevailing as products.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Ana Henriques, Dmitry V. Evtuguin
Summary: The effect of active alkali charge on the properties of tissue paper from Eucalyptus wood chips was evaluated. Changes in active alkali levels during cooking affected the chemical composition, intrinsic viscosity, and fiber morphology of the pulps, thereby influencing the properties of laboratory-produced tissue papers. Higher active alkali led to softer paper with lower tensile strength, but not significantly improved absorptivity, potentially due to lower water retention in pulps from higher active alkali cooking.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaoxiao Wei, Yi Liu, Yadan Luo, Zheng Shen, Shuangfei Wang, Mingfu Li, Liming Zhang
Summary: In this study, three lignin fractions were extracted from eucalyptus kraft lignin using different solvents and characterized for their antioxidant activity. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the highest antioxidant activity with high homogeneity and phenolic hydroxyl content. Solvent extraction was found to be an effective way to obtain lignin fractions with high antioxidant activity and potential higher value applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiangdong Yu, Xuewen Xu, Chen Miao, Penghui Li, Guolin Tong
Summary: This study analyzed the effect of lignin side chain spatial configuration on cooking performance and compared the structural characteristics of eucalyptus and acacia during cooking using ozonation, GC-MS, NBO, and 2D NMR techniques. The changes in lignin content during the cooking process were studied for four different raw materials using ball milling and UV spectrum analysis. The results showed a continuous decrease in lignin content during cooking, with stability reached only in the late cooking stage. The E/T and S/G ratios of residual lignin followed a similar trend. Different raw materials exhibited variations in cooking efficiency and transformation rules during the cooking process, suggesting the potential for improving pulping efficiency through different technological means.
Article
Materials Science, Paper & Wood
Saad Nader, Nicolas Brosse, Malek Khadraoui, Cecilia Fuentealba, Isabelle Ziegler-Devin, Fabienne Quiles, Sofiane El-Kirat-Chatel, Evelyne Mauret
Summary: This study proposes a novel approach of using steam explosion for the production of lignin-containing micro- and nano-fibrillated cellulose, using Eucalyptus globulus bark as the raw material. The results show that steam explosion produces pulps with higher lignin content, shorter fibers, and more fines.
Article
Polymer Science
David Rodriguez-Escribano, Felipe de Salas, Rocio Pliego, Gisela Marques, Thomas Levee, Anu Suonpaa, Ana Gutierrez, angel T. Martinez, Petri Ihalainen, Jorge Rencoret, Susana Camarero
Summary: Lignins released in black liquors from kraft pulp mills are a valuable but underutilized source of aromatics. Enzymatic depolymerization of kraft lignins using alkaliphilic fungal laccases has been made possible by our recent enzyme-directed evolution approach, which generated laccases with high activity and stability at pH 10. Our study demonstrates the ability of these tailor-made laccases to oxidize, demethylate, and depolymerize eucalyptus kraft lignin at pH 10. However, in high enzyme and lignin concentrations, repolymerization of the oxidized products becomes dominant. To overcome this, we successfully conducted the enzymatic reaction in a bench-scale reactor coupled to a membrane separation system.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Veronica Poza-Nogueiras, Angela Moratalla, Marta Pazos, Angeles Sanroman, Cristina Saez, Manuel A. Rodrigo
Summary: In this research, a bench-scale installation was tested for the heterogeneous electro-Fenton treatment of clofibric acid. The use of a pressurized-jet aerator and iron-containing alginate beads as catalysts showed promising results in enhancing the efficiency of pollutant removal and reducing energy consumption. However, further increase in pressure did not lead to significant improvement. The integrity of the catalyst was not compromised by pressure. A mathematical model was also developed to better understand the behavior of the reaction system.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Sara Caruncho-Perez, M. Prado-Comesanana, Maria Arellano, Marta Pazos, M. Angeles Sanroman, Elisa Gonzalez-Romero
Summary: Water quality is crucial for human and ecosystem health. This study aimed to develop a sensitive and selective methodology to create a customized portable device that can detect emerging pollutants in water. The results showed that this methodology allows for simpler and cheaper decentralized analysis without losing sensitivity. It also enables real-time electrochemical measurements without the need for sample treatment. The portable device offers comfort and high specificity in monitoring and improving water quality.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antia Fdez-Sanroman, Marta Pazos, Angeles Sanroman
Summary: This study evaluated the removal of persistent emerging and dangerous pollutants (pharmaceuticals and pathogens) in synthetic wastewater using heterogeneous Advanced Oxidation Processes. The results showed that increasing the concentration of PMS and Basolite (R) F-300 improved the treatment efficiency.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Gabriela Lama, Jessica Meijide, Angeles Sanroman, Marta Pazos
Summary: Water pollution is a serious global environmental issue, with emerging pollutants posing risks to human and animal health. Advanced oxidation processes have been proposed as an effective technology for removing these pollutants. Recent research focuses on the use of different types of heterogeneous catalysts to overcome limitations of conventional treatment methods.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Esin Balci, Emilio Rosales, Marta Pazos, Aysun Sofuoglu, Maria Angeles Sanroman
Summary: This study investigated the use of bionanocomposites for the removal of phthalic acid esters from the environment. The immobilization of Bacillus subtilis esterase onto halloysite supported in chitosan and alginate beads showed promise as a green approach. The chitosan-based bionanocomposite exhibited the best performance in batch tests and continuous flow reactor experiments, effectively degrading DEHP and DBP.
BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
H. Mkaddem, E. Rosales, M. Pazos, H. Ben Amor, M. A. Sanroman, J. Meijide
Summary: Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) containing Mg:Al (molar ratio 3:1) were synthesized and characterized for their potential application as eco-friendly adsorbents for diclofenac removal from wastewater. The results showed efficient adsorption of diclofenac onto LDHs, with the main mechanism being anion exchange between layers. Thermodynamic studies indicated spontaneous and endothermic adsorption, with increasing randomness at the solid/solution surface. However, long-term stability of the material was limited, and calcination was required to improve its resistance for continuous operation.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
A. Puga, J. Meijide, M. Pazos, E. Rosales, M. A. Sanroman
Summary: This study used carbonaceous aerogel pellets as adsorbents to remove ionisable drugs from aqueous solution through conventional adsorption. The presence of multiple drugs in the solution led to a depletion of the adsorbed total mass. Therefore, the authors proposed enhancing the traditional adsorption process with an electric field to improve the adsorption capacity of fluoxetine to the aerogel. The effect of the water matrix on the process was also analyzed, and it was found that the effluent treated water achieved the complete removal of all pollutants.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Abdelmageed M. Othman, Angeles Sanroman, Diego Moldes
Summary: This study proposes an efficient method of immobilizing enzymes on modified Immobead 150P, which shows high protein loading and immobilization yield. The oriented immobilized enzyme exhibits superior activity, thermal stability, and pH stability compared to free and random immobilized enzymes. It also demonstrates effective removal of phenolic compounds in water. These findings suggest that oriented immobilized enzymes may offer a significant new approach for wastewater treatment.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Abdelmageed M. M. Othman, Angeles Sanroman, Diego Moldes
Summary: In this study, it was found that the multi-point covalently immobilized laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila on the modified immobilized carrier (Immobead 150P) showed the best immobilization characteristics, retaining 95% of its initial activity after 10 cycles of operation at pH 3.0 and temperature 70 degrees C. The thermodynamic parameters of thermal inactivation demonstrated the positive impact of immobilization. The immobilized enzyme exhibited enhanced stability in alkaline conditions and the ability to provide hydrophobic properties to wood.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aida M. Diez, Marta Pazos, M. Angeles Sanroman, Helen Valencia Naranjo, Joachim Mayer, Yury Kolen'ko
Summary: This study successfully synthesized and characterized fluoride-doped-TiO2 and demonstrated its applicability in solid-phase photodegradation of polyethylene films for the first time. After three weeks of UV A radiation using a low consumption LED lamp, the polyethylene films containing only 2% of the photocatalyst experienced nearly 50% weight loss, surpassing previously reported data. The results suggest the potential for future production of self-photodegradable plastics for environmental and wastewater treatment applications.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Antia Fdez-Sanroman, Barbara Lomba-Fernandez, Marta Pazos, Emilio Rosales, Angeles Sanroman
Summary: Three CuFe-MOFs with different structures were synthesized successfully by varying the ratio of solvents, salts, or temperature. CuFe(BDC-NH2)(D) and CuFe(BDC-NH2)(S) exhibited improved PMS activation for Rhodamine B removal, achieving a removal rate of around 92%. The best degradation system for a mixture of antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drugs was the photo-assisted activation of PMS using CuFe(BDC-NH2)(D) and CuFe(BDC-NH2)(S), resulting in complete degradation within 1 hour. CuFe(BDC-NH2)(R)/PMS showed higher antibacterial activity due to its higher copper content.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Anton Puga, Emilio Rosales, Marta Pazos, Maria Angeles Sanroman
Summary: The synthesis of an iron catalyst (Fe-DES) was proposed in this work, which was characterized physically and chemically. The Fe-DES was shown to be a multipurpose catalyst that can be applied in various processes for the removal of pharmaceuticals in wastewater.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Esin Balci, Emilio Rosales, Marta Pazos, Aysun Sofuoglu, Maria Angeles Sanroman
Summary: This study investigated the degradation of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) using esterase and lipase enzymes from different microorganisms, and examined the feasibility of immobilizing the most effective enzyme on a clayey material. The results showed that esterase from Bacillus subtilis had the highest degradation efficiency and immoblization improved thermal and storage stability. Additionally, the immobilized enzyme composite maintained high catalytic activity after 7 continuous cycles.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Silvia Escudero-Curiel, Alba Giraldez, Marta Pazos, Angeles Sanroman
Summary: Agri-food residues and by-products are recognized as valuable products that can be used in other industries, such as environmental remediation. These materials, transformed into biochar and hydrochar through engineering techniques, have substantial potential as versatile adsorbents in wastewater treatment and promising alternatives in various environmental and energy-related applications. This sustainable approach provides cost-effective and satisfactory solutions, addressing environmental concerns and paving the way for a more eco-friendly and resource-efficient future.
