2025-04-18 2025, Volume 5 Issue 2

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  • Payal Mukherjee, Sanjana Pal, Senthilkumar Sivaprakasam

    This study aims to augment the D-lactic acid biosynthetic capacity of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus ATCC 11842 through random mutagenesis. The mutant strain, Mut_N23, developed through synergistic application of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and chemical mutagenesis using N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG), exhibited 97% increase in D-lactic acid production and 37% enhancement in glucose uptake rate at flask level. Mut_N23 consistently produced optically pure D-lactic acid across seven generations, efficiently metabolizing lactose and sucrose to yield 4.47 g L− 1 and 3.38 g L− 1 of D-lactic acid, respectively. Optimal conditions identified through One-Factor-At-a-Time (OFAT), and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) facilitated maximum D-lactic acid concentration of 7.88 g L− 1 (300% increase) from lactose-MRS (deMan Rogosa Sharpe) with specific productivity of 0.110 g g− 1 h− 1. When lactose was replaced with whey permeate as an application, 4.89 g L− 1 (140% increase) of D-lactic acid was obtained, with specific productivity of 0.066 g g− 1 h− 1 in lab-scale bioreactor setups, achieving 99.09% optical purity. Transcriptomics and enzymatic activity analyses substantiated enhanced performance of Mut_N23 signifying beneficial random mutations. Furthermore, characterization of purified D-lactic acid derived from whey permeate using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy demonstrated parity with commercially available standards. This study highlights Mut_N23’s potential for efficient D-lactic acid production exploiting a spectrum of carbon sources, providing a foundation for future metabolic engineering to enhance biosynthetic productivity.

  • Zhengshan Luo, Xupeng Guo, Yilin Chen, Zhaopeng Yang, Yijian Rao

    Cytochalasans are a class of hybrid polyketide-peptide natural products with diverse activities, including anti-tumor, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and anti-HIV properties, demonstrating significant application potential and broad market prospects. With the development of microbial metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, microbial synthesis of cytochalasans has emerged as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional extraction and chemical synthesis methods, facilitating green and sustainable production. To better understand and promote the efficient heterologous biosynthesis of cytochalasans, this review systematically summarizes and discusses the research progress on the biosynthesis of cytochalasans. Firstly, an overview of the classification, application and biological activity of cytochalasans is provided. Subsequently, we systematically review the relevant gene clusters, enzymes, and biosynthetic pathways involved in the biosynthesis of cytochalasans. Additionally, the latest progress in the design of microbial cell factories for producing cytochalasans and the strategies to enhance their performance are summarized and discussed. Finally, the current challenges in developing efficient cell factories for producing cytochalasans with renewable biomass as a substrate and the corresponding strategies are proposed, aiming to achieve higher-efficiency green biomanufacturing of cytochalasans.

  • Jayashree Niharika, Ravindra Pal Singh

    Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a crucial ingredient in mother’s milk for infant health. These are a structurally diverse group of soluble bioactive glycans having antiviral and anti-bacterial properties and promote the growth of probiotics, particularly Bifidobacteria. They modulate the immune system and are important for infant’s brain development. Not all infants are fortunate enough to receive mother milk, and rely on industrially produced infant formulas which lack HMOs. Thus, synthesizing HMOs through different methods is becoming more appealing form an industrial perspective. Despite huge efforts to obtain predominant HMOs through chemical, chemo-enzymatic, enzymatic, and whole-cell biotransformation of microorganisms, a limited number of HMOs could be produced in sufficient quantities due to lack of canonical enzymes that can add different metabolic pathways together to produce several HMO. Particularly, lacto-N-neotetraose and 2′-fucosyllactose are being added to infant formula and are well-tolerated by infants. Amide other methods, enzymatic and whole-cell biotransformation of microorganisms are promising approaches, but it requires intervention of innovative methodologies of synthetic biology. This review highlights innovative approaches, such as using plant system, and employing synthetic biology including redesigning of enzyme structure for producing HMOs at the industrial level. An interesting approach for synthesizing whole milk components in mammary cell lines is also mentioned.

  • Qingbo Zeng, Shuo Ha, Ming Chen, Chunzhi Zhang, Hua Yang

    Fruit wine is a widely accepted alcoholic beverage, which is favored by consumers because of its unique taste and rich nutrition. Acidity is a key determinant of fruit wine quality, which is closely related to the type and concentration of organic acids present in fruit wine. The optimum level of acidity effectively harmonizes the taste of the fruit wine and prevents deterioration; however, excessive acidity adversely affect the flavor profile. Understanding the common organic acids and deacidification methods in fruit wine has important guiding significance for wine making process. This paper reviews the main organic acids in fruit wine, including tartaric, citric, malic, and lactic acids, and discusses their influence on the sensory properties of fruit wine. Additionally, the traditional deacidification method and biotechnology deacidification method were described in detail, and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods and their practical application in the field of deacidification of fruit wine were evaluated, aiming at providing reference and guidance for the production of high quality fruit wine.

  • Victoria Enciso-Tenorio, Enaim Aída Vargas-León, José Miguel Angel Castillo-Minjarez, Maribel Quezada-Cruz, Ben Hur Anselmo Espinosa-Ramírez, Francisco Javier Martínez-Valdez

    Keratin-rich by-products from the livestock industry, such as feathers, hair, and nails, present significant environmental challenges due to their resistance to degradation. Traditional disposal methods often exacerbate ecological issues, highlighting the need for more sustainable alternatives. This review explores innovative microbial bioconversion techniques using keratinolytic microorganisms to efficiently degrade keratin waste. These biological methods not only reduce environmental harm but also convert waste into valuable products, such as bioactive peptides and amino acids, which have applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agriculture, and even biofuels. The potential of microbial keratinases to revolutionize waste management by supporting a circular economy and promoting sustainability in various sectors. Moreover, the article explores keratin structure and the mechanisms of microbial degradation, focusing on the enzyme-driven processes that transform waste into high-value industrial products. Through a deeper understanding of these biological pathways, this study advocates for microbial bioconversion as a viable solution to current waste management challenges, offering significant industrial, environmental, and economic benefits.

  • Md Dilshad Karim, Md Abuhena, Lutfur Rahman, Jubair Al rashid

    Scientists are traditionally relied on bacteria to find and generate new natural chemicals. Gene editing research to identify, biosynthesize, and metabolically design natural chemicals is popular. The conventional genome editing relies on host or imported protein recombination. Microorganism’s diverse genetic history makes universal platforms difficult. The genetic variety renders experiments time consuming and useless. The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique offers more functional diversity because to its diverse targeting capabilities, surpassing conventional approaches constrained by sequence homology or site restrictions. This enhances productivity, streamlines trials, and propels the research of natural goods. The CRISPR/Cas9 genetic editing technology may surpass sequence or location related constraints of earlier gene editing methods due to its targeting versatility. This methodology aids researchers investigating natural goods by optimizing and enhancing experimental techniques. This article provides an overview of the CRISPR/CRISPR-associated (Cas) mechanism, a transformative genome engineering technique in molecular biology. This paper aims to highlight and analyze the applications of CRISPR/Cas, particularly CRISPR/SpCas9, in genome editing for the identification of natural products. The creatures discussed embrace bacteria such as, Streptomyces, Bacillus, Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Myxobacteria and Escherichia. In a nutshell we will examine the potential benefits of using CRISPR/Cas in the discovery of natural products.

  • Satchidananda Mishra, Amrita Banerjee, Sourav Chattaraj, Aurodeepa Samantaray, Sagarika Panigrahi, Krishna Pada Bauri, Hrudayanath Thatoi

    The increasing worldwide problem of food waste has a substantial impact on environmental contamination, requiring the implementation of efficient management strategies. Anaerobic digestion is a potential technology for managing food waste, which is frequently more sustainable than traditional disposal methods like incineration and composting. Anaerobic digestion not only reduces the negative effects on the environment but also enables the generation of useful by-products such as biofuels, biochemicals, and enzymes. This study underscores the importance of producing biofuel from food waste, specifically focusing on the process by which anaerobic microorganisms transform organic materials into biogas, predominantly consisting of methane (60-70%), carbon dioxide (30-40%), and small amounts of other gases. Given the biogas industry’s growing emphasis on energy generation, food waste is an excellent candidate for anaerobic digestion due to its substantial energy content and widespread availability. This review paper presents a new viewpoint by combining sophisticated microbial management with state-of-the-art biotechnology methods. It is trying to justify that the digestion process efficiency can be maximized by tackling operational issues and constraints affecting microbial performance. The study demonstrates that an optimal anaerobic digestion environment can be established by optimizing the digestive process in conjunction with integrated continuous surveillance diagnostic tools and biotechnological intervention. This innovative all-encompassing strategy is a solution to the common and practical challenges in anaerobic digestion of food waste, to utilize it as a resource for sustainable biogas generation.

  • Annu Khatri, Krishan Kumar, Indu Shekhar Thakur

    Cave microbiomes, consisting of diverse and often extremophilic microorganisms, represent an underexplored reservoir for bioprospecting, which entails the systematic exploration of biological resources for commercially valuable compounds. These stable and isolated subterranean ecosystems are characterized by distinct microclimates, fostering the evolution of unique microbial consortia. The metabolic versatility of these microorganisms enables survival under oligotrophic and aphotic conditions, and this adaptability is reflected in their production of novel bioactive compounds, including antibiotics, enzymes, and secondary metabolites with significant therapeutic and industrial applications. This review aims to elucidate the distinctive characteristics of cave microbiomes, evaluate their biotechnological, medical, and industrial applications, and address the technical challenges associated with sampling and cultivating these microorganisms. The focus is extended to India’s diverse cave ecosystems, ranging from the historical Ajanta and Ellora caves to the biodiverse Meghalaya caves, which serve as critical reservoirs for microbial exploration. Special emphasis is placed on sustainable and ethical bioprospecting approaches, advocating for the conservation of cave habitats and ensuring equitable benefit-sharing with local communities. By critically analysing the influence of geological formations, climatic conditions, and nutrient availability on microbial diversity, this review highlights the immense potential of cave microbiomes for novel compound discovery. It underscores the need for further research in this promising domain while promoting practices that balance scientific exploration with environmental conservation.

  • Qing Liao, Shuyan Wu, Ziyi Tang, Xi Yang, Ming Huang, Xing Weng, Xia Yu, Xiaoyuan Wang, Mu Zhang, Meijuan Xu, Xiaoqing Hu

    Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis 420 (B420), serving as a probiotic helping in metabolic health, has been extensively studied. Since the lipids produced by Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis 420 (B420) exhibit variable bioactivities, understanding lipid profile alterations across different cultivation phases could offer valuable insights for developing targeted production strategies that enhance both the yield and bioactivity of specific lipid constituents. However, studies elucidating these lipid profile changes throughout various cultivation phases are limited, yet such research is essential for facilitating effective production strategies aimed at optimizing the yield and bioactivity of desired lipid components. Linoleic acid supplementation has been reported to enhance the production of unsaturated fatty acids in Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis 420 (B420). This study aimed to reveal the lipidomics of B420 and its profile change during the cultivation. Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/nano-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry, the investigation revealed a significantly diverse composition and relative intensity of lipids across different cultivation stages. A total of 862 lipids, categorized into 23 distinct lipid classes, were identified in B420. Among these, 683 unsaturated lipids comprised nearly 70% of the total lipid pool. Following linoleic acid supplementation, the total number of identified lipid compounds increased to 891, with unsaturated lipids rising to 701, which included 509 polyunsaturated lipids. Additionally, the relative content of unsaturated lipids at each growth phase demonstrated a significant increase, peaking at 75.69% during the late stationary phase, which is 8.89% higher than observed in the absence of linoleic acid supplementation. The intensity of unsaturated fatty acyls increased to 13.55 times. Notably, linoleic acid induced the production of unsaturated lipids characterized by varying numbers and distributions of double bonds. For the first time, this study enhances our understanding of the lipid profile changes in B420 and reveals the compositional and quantitative variations of unsaturated lipids resulting from linoleic acid supplementation during cultivation. Our research provided a new understanding of the probiotic effects of B420 from a lipidomic perspective and elucidate the mechanisms underlying linoleic acid supplementation during cultivation.

  • Wei Liu, Yue Liang, Xiaomei Zhang, Jinsong Shi, Zhenghong Xu, Zhenming Lu, Hui Li

    Squalene, a long-chain unsaturated triterpene compound, finds extensive applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries owing to its distinctive molecular structure. Traditional methods of squalene production involve extraction from shark liver and plant oils, practices that are neither environmentally sustainable nor economically viable. In light of these challenges, microbial biosynthesis has emerged as a promising alternative, offering significant environmental and economic benefits. In this study, a combinatorial metabolic engineering approach was utilized to modify Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the efficient biosynthesis of squalene. Firstly, by introducing an exogenous NADH-dependent HMGR and enhancing the endogenous synthesis pathways, resulting in a squalene titer of 56.5 mg/L. Subsequently, by integrating the mevalonate synthesis pathway into the mitochondria and introducing the ethanol utilization pathway, the supply of precursors for squalene synthesis was enhanced, resulting in a significant increase in the squalene titer to 312.5 mg/L. Furthermore, the native promoter of ERG1 gene was engineered to reduce the flux through the ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. Following optimization of the culture medium, the squalene titer of the engineered strain was improved to 595 mg/L in shake flasks and 1929.7 mg/L in 5 L fermenters, respectively. This research provides valuable insights into the metabolic engineering of microorganisms for enhanced squalene production.

  • Benzheng Zhou, Guihong Zhao, Jing Yu, Yang Wang, Dezhi Zhang, Xiaoqing Hu, Xiaoyuan Wang

    L-Methionine is widely used in food, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, the L-methionine production in Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC13032 was promoted by eliminating the feedback inhibition of key rate-limiting enzymes, blocking L-threonine biosynthesis, and strengthening the downstream pathway of L-homoserine. ATCC13032 does not accumulate L-threonine, we found that overexpressing the genes lysC and homG378S could accumulate 0.6 g/L L-threonine. Deleting the genes thrB, McbR, and metD in ATCC13032 could accumulate 0.49 g/L L-methionine. Next, enhancing oxaloacetate supply, overexpressing brnFE, and deleting Ncgl2640 that involved in the repression of sulphuric metabolism could accumulate 0.92 g/L L-methionine. Further overexpressing the genes related to L-homoserine downstream pathway, the resulting strain ZBW011/pEC-metYX could produce 1.82 g/L L-methionine. Finally, the gene pyk2 was deleted and the final strain ZBW014/pEC-metYX produced 7.06 g/L L-methionine in a 2.4-L fermenter. The strategies presented in this study would be useful to engineer C. glutamicum for industrial L-methionine production.

  • Hao Xu, Wenwen Yu, Xuan Zhou, Jiaheng Liu, Xianhao Xu, Yanfeng Liu, Jianghua Li, Guocheng Du, Long Liu, Xueqin Lv

    Itaconic acid (ITA) is an unsaturated organic acid used in industrial production due to its versatility as a polymer building block. Engineering microbial cell factories for ITA biosynthesis from cost-effective and renewable raw materials has gained significant attention. Here, we performed combinatorial engineering using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to improve ITA production. First, exogenous cis-aconitic acid decarboxylase (CAD) was integrated into S. cerevisiae to construct the ITA-producing chassis. Then, the rate-limiting step was eliminated by changing the promoter that drives CAD expression to optimize ITA synthesis. A mitochondrial cis-aconitate transporter MTTA was also expressed to facilitate the transport of precursor, which resulted in an ITA titer of 244 mg/L. Furthermore, with overexpression of truncated citrate synthase tCIT2, an increased titer of 409 mg/L was obtained. Finally, the transport protein Qdr3 was overexpressed to enhance the export of ITA, resulting in a production of 578 mg/L in shake flask. In a 5-L bioreactor, the ITA titer reached 1.2 g/L, representing the highest reported level in S. cerevisiae. Overall, an advanced recombinant yeast strain was constructed for the efficient production of ITA via combinatorial metabolic engineering.

  • Minglei Hou, Shengqi Gao, Jing Wu, Sheng Chen, Kang Zhang

    L-tryptophan is an essential aromatic amino acid, which is also a precursor for the synthesis of multiple important bioactive compounds and is widely used in food additives, medicine and animal feed. There are many studies on the synthesis of L-tryptophan by microbial cell factories; however, further development has been limited by problems such as low conversion rates from glucose to L-tryptophan and dependence on antibiotics and inducers during the fermentation process. In this study, to enhance the L-tryptophan synthesis level for increasing demands, combinations of feedback-resistant enzymes AroG, TrpE and SerA were optimized, 13 synthesis-related genes (including ppsA, yddG and etc.) were overexpressed. And then the optimized aroGS211F, trpEQ71K/S94N/C465Y-trpABCD and serAH344A/N364A expression cassette was integrated into the genome with the CRISPR-associated transposases system. The copy numbers of the expression cassette were optimized to balance the cell growth and L-tryptophan synthesis, yielding a producing strain without plasmids. To further optimize carbon flux and facilitate L-tryptophan biosynthesis, the yddG and prsL135I was knocked in, and poxB was knocked out with CRISPR-Cas9 system. Finally, the accumulation of L-tryptophan reached 5.1 g/L in shake flask culture for 48 h, the total L-tryptophan production of the optimal strain reached 43.0 g/L (extracellular production was 30.9 g/L) under conditions of no antibiotics, inducers and other extra addition at 35 h in a 3 L bioreactor, and the total conversion rate reached 0.180 g L-tryptophan/g glucose.

  • Zhi-Mian Bai, Dan Wu, Su Yan, Jun Wang, Yan Xu, Xiao-Wei Yu

    Endo-1,4-xylanase II from Trichoderma reesei is highly sensitive toward grain proteinaceous inhibitors, which remains a major bottleneck for its industrial applications. In this study, the mutant TrXYNIIDT_TX1 (T2C-T28C, G21W, N124A) was engineered to gain resistance to two types of xylanase inhibitors, TAXI-I and XIP-I. Compared with the wild-type, the sensitivity of TrXYNIIDT_TX1 toward TAXI-I and XIP-I was decreased by 2.0-and 11.3-fold, respectively. After interaction with two types of inhibitors TAXI-I and XIP-I simultaneously, the residual activity of TrXYNIIDT_TX1 was 3.4-fold higher than that of the wild-type. During grain saccharification, the reducing sugar released by TrXYNIIDT_TX1 was 4.3-fold greater than that of the wild-type. In addition, TrXYNIIDT_TX1 was also more thermostable than the wild-type. All these properties make TrXYNIIDT_TX1 attractive for potential applications in the feed and brewing industries.

    Graphical abstract

  • Aqsa Shafique, Hafiz Abdullah Shakir, Muhammad Irfan, Shaukat Ali, Muhammad Khan, Chaman Ara, Noor Khan

    Tannase has vital importance in several industries. However, tannase production employing tannic acid as a substrate is costly. This study optimized medium components, concentration of medium components and physical parameters to yield maximum tannase production from Bacillus licheniformis AS1 in submerged fermentation utilizing low-cost agri-waste Citrus limetta (Mosambi) peels as a substrate. Tannase activity and stability parameters were also optimized. The produced crude tannase and partially purified tannase were used to reduce the bitterness (tannin content) from pomegranate juice and to remove the dye. B. licheniformis AS1 produced 0.361 U/mL under un-optimized conditions. During screening of medium components, Mosambi peels, yeast extract, potassium nitrate and sodium chloride was selected. The concentration of medium components (0.8% Mosambi peels, 0.2% yeast extract, 0.12% potassium nitrate, and 0.06% sodium chloride) was optimized using central composite design which yielded tannase up to 27.809 U/mL. Then, physical conditions were optimized (agitation, 100 µl inoculum size, 40 °C temperature, pH 3, and 72 h of incubation) and yielded tannase up to 43.83 ± 0.82 U/mL. The optimal conditions for tannase activity appeared at pH 8, at 40 °C, and 10 min incubation period with 0.3% substrate concentration. The tannase showed highest stability at 40 ºC and at pH 7. The maximum partial purified tannase activity was recorded at pH 8 and at 40 °C, while enzyme stability was at pH 7 and a temperature of 40 °C. The reduction in tannin content of pomegranate juice was noted after 2 h incubation at 37 ºC. This enzyme was also effective for the partial removal of crystal violet dye. The tannase produced in this study was cost-effective due to utilization of low cost agri-waste and showed potential in various industrial applications.

  • Yajing Zhang, Xupeng Cao, Wangyin Wang, Can Li

    Yeast single cell protein (SCP) is a nutritious protein supplement of artificial feed and food. It is expected that yeast cells grow on nonfood feedstocks instead of agricultural sugars for synthesizing high-quality proteins. Herein, the protein content and quality of the edible yeast Candida utilis were investigated on utilizing ability of carbon and nitrogen sources. We found that dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a feedstock that can be chemically or enzymatically generated from one-carbon (C1) compounds such as methane, methanol and even CO2, was comparable with glucose but superior to acetate for C. utilis protein production. The essential amino acid score (EAAS) of DHA-cultured C. utilis protein not only met FAO/WHO (2013) standard, but also surpassed that of benchmark soybean and fish feed. Fed-batch fermentation of C. utilis utilizing DHA feedstock in a 5 L fermenter performed a growth rate of 1.3 g DCW L−1 h−1 and a total of 34.8 g L−1 biomass with the protein content of 60.1% DW, validating scale-up production. This work highlights that C. utilis SCP derived from low-carbon source is a high-quality protein for advancing sustainable feed and food supply.

  • Xueshan Wang, Guizhen Liu, Yenan Chen, Weijie Dong, Zhongrui Su, Minwan Liu, Na Xu, Xinli Song, Hui Lv, Xiaohui Feng, Zhongguan Sun, Wei Tan, Yufu Zhang, Hongxia Zhang, Xuesen Pan, Yan Xu

    Sauce-flavor Baijiu, a traditional Chinese liquor with deep cultural and economic value, derives its unique aroma from microbial metabolic activities. However, low pyrazine content limits its functional properties and market competitiveness. In this research, a multi-omics approach was employed to investigate the succession patterns of microorganisms during the fermentation process of sauce flavor Baijiu. Concurrently, the dynamic variations of pyrazines and other flavor-contributing compounds were analyzed. By integrating core microorganisms’ abundance, flavor-producing potential, and interaction patterns, we constructed a synthetic microbial community. This community is composed of Pichia kudriavzevii, Saccharomyces cereviceae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Lactobacillus acetotolerans, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, and Bacillus subtilis. Synthetic microbial community inoculation increased total pyrazines by 2.1-fold (P < 0.01) and esters by 35%, with sensory evaluations confirming enhanced ‘sauce aroma’ and ‘lingering fragrance.’ This work has constructed a synthetic microbial community for enhancing pyrazines metabolism in sauce-flavor Baijiu. This construction of the synthetic microbial community provides a novel and effective strategy for enhancing the quality of sauce flavor Baijiu, thereby playing a pivotal role in promoting the optimization and development of the sauce flavor Baijiu production process. Moreover, this strategy offers a novel paradigm for precision modulation of traditional fermented foods.

  • Xianglin Wang, Qingyang Li, Guolin Cai, Dianhui Wu, Guangfa Xie, Jian Lu

    As a vital microorganism during Huangjiu fermentation, fungi have not been thoroughly evaluated for their potential relationship with total purine levels in Huangjiu, which is a major contributing factor to hyperuricemia (HUA) and gout. In this study, we revealed the correlation between the succession of fungal communities and total purine content during Huangjiu fermentation. Our results demonstrated a continuous increase in total purine content during fermentation, rising from 13.08 to 72.12 mg/L. We observed significant dynamic changes in fungal community composition and diversity throughout the fermentation process, with the highest fungal species richness occurring on the third day. At the phylum level, Ascomycota dominated throughout fermentation (92.5–97.4%). At the genus level, the predominant taxa were Aspergillus (42.5–73.5%), Saccharomyces (0.0–41.1%), and Paecilomyces (0.0–16.9%), with Aspergillus dominating during the initial phase (0–3 days) and Saccharomyces becoming predominant in later stages (6–18 days). Correlation analysis revealed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae showed a strong positive correlation with total purine levels (r = 0.73), while Aspergillus intermedius (r = − 0.79) and Aspergillus flavus (r = − 0.70) exhibited significant negative correlations. Furthermore, we identified that predominant fungal genera participate in purine metabolism. This study enhances our scientific understanding of purine formation mechanisms in Huangjiu and provides a foundation for developing targeted strategies to regulate purine content in future industrial production.

  • María Daniela Rodríguez, Ricardo Martínez García, Noelia Malena Schröder, Lucila Anahí Salcedo, María Isabel Fonseca, Laura Lidia Villalba, Pedro Darío Zapata

    Laccases are extensively studied by researchers because they can efficiently catalyze phenolic and non-phenolic compounds, as well as extremely recalcitrant environmental pollutants such as textile dyes. Between all carriers available for enzymatic immobilization, magnetic nanoparticles have the advantage of easy bioseparation by an external magnetic field from the reaction medium. Cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized and functionalized to immobilize laccases produced by Phlebia brevispora BAFC 633. The functionalization was made with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane followed by glutaraldehyde. The biocatalyst was employed to bioremove thymol blue from an aqueous solution. Magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by FTIR, TEM, DRX and magnetism, before and after immobilization. Immobilized laccases removed 86% of thymol blue in 23 h, and showed the same bioremoval capability even 3 cycles. The Michaelis-Menten constant was determinate, and immobilized laccases exhibit higher affinity to thymol blue and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol than free laccases. Regarding stability, immobilized laccases kept 78% of activity at 28 days while it was maintained in the refrigerator against free laccases, which reached 63% of initial activity at 28 days under the same conditions. The effective concentration 50 from Lactuca sativa was near 100% when the effluent was diluted at least 1:1 in water. Thus, the biocatalyst obtained has a potential approach in the bioremoval and detoxification of dyes such as thymol blue.

  • Jinpeng Yu, Kai Cui, Xiaona Hu, Hong Zhang, Gaoyuan Shang, Yuhan Guo, Kun Guo

    Coupling water electrolysis with hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria (HOB) fermentation is a promising approach for single-cell protein (SCP) production. However, this inorganic-biological hybrid system is hindered by low efficiency, primarily due to the inhibition of electrochemical reactions on microbial activities and low hydrogen utilization. Here, we report an electrolytic gas lift reactor designed to improve the efficiency of this hybrid system for HOB-SCP production. By integrating the cathode of the electrolyzer with a gas lift reactor, the setup mitigated the inhibition of anodic reactive oxygen species on HOB and enhanced hydrogen utilization efficiency. By gradually increasing the current (1-2-4-6 A), the reactor achieved a maximum biomass yield of 0.20 g cell dry weight/L/d, a protein content of 58.3%, and a hydrogen utilization efficiency of 100%. The microbial community was dominated by HOB such as Ancylobacter (74.4%) and Xanthobacter (8.2%). These results indicated that the innovative reactor design effectively improved the performance of HOB-SCP production by inorganic-biological hybrid systems. The electrolytic gas lift reactor demonstrates substantial potential for scaling up and practical applications.

  • Yujue Wang, Qiang Wang, Kaiheng Wang, Xianru Sun, Teng Bao, Mengkai Hu, Meijuan Xu, Zhiming Rao, Xian Zhang

    Corynebacterium glutamicum is a safe strain with great potential for industrial applications, but more research is needed on secretory expression systems. Here, we constructed a non-inducible secretory expression system of the strain. By building a signal peptide library, we screened several Sce-type signal peptides and analyzed the relationship between their constitutive properties and secretory efficiency. To further meet the safety requirements in industrial applications, fifteen constitutive promoters were screened, and protein expression was optimized by promoter tandem strategy. In the WYJ1, WYJ2, WYJ3, and WYJ4 engineering strains, we confirmed that the modification of cell permeability favored protein secretion. The engineering strains WYJ2P35SP35 and WYJ4P35SP35 were scaled up for culture, and their extracellular enzyme activities and proteins reached 26.42 U/mL and 19.65 mg/L, and 23.97 U/mL and 13.84 mg/L, respectively. This secretory expression system increases the potential of industrial applications of Corynebacterium glutamicum and lays the foundation for applications.

  • Bishal Pun, Santa Ram Joshi

    Endophytic fungi associated with medicinal plants are reservoirs of compounds with therapeutic properties. The present study focused on the isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from an ethnomedicinal orchid, Vanda cristata Wall. ex Lindl., and the assessment of their bioactive potential through screening their phytochemical content, antioxidant property, antimicrobial activity, and cytotoxicity, followed by metabolite profiling of the promising isolate extract. Colletotrichum taiwanense BPSRJ3 extract showed the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content. Although all isolate extracts showed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, C. taiwanense BPSRJ3 extract showed the widest zone of inhibition and lowest MIC against the test pathogens. It also exhibited cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and A549 human cancer cell lines while having no discernible cytotoxic impact on the HEK-293 human normal cell line. Metabolites of C. taiwanense BPSRJ3 extract were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy and GC–MS analysis, providing insights into the biologically active compounds contributing to its bioactivity. It is the first study to report C. taiwanense isolated from V. cristata as having bioactive potential. The findings of this study provide opportunities for more investigation into using the advantages of this fungal endophyte in the pharmaceutical sector.

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  • Vivek Manyapu, Neha Maheshwari, Arti Sharma, Indu Shekhar Thakur, Shaili Srivastava

    Among the 16 prioritized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), naphthalene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, and pyrene have been used for bacterial degradation study. From the free-air CO2 enriched (FACE) soil, five Bacillus strains were isolated and used to utilize the four model toxicants at different concentrations as the sole carbon source. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens has great resistance to different PAHs and better degradation capability. B. amyloliquefaciens can degrade naphthalene (0.5 mg mL− 1), fluoranthene (0.1 mg mL− 1), and pyrene (0.1 mg mL− 1) up to 94%, 65%, and 56% respectively, while B. cereus mineralized phenanthrene (0.5 mg mL− 1) up to 71% within seven days of incubation. B amyloliquefaciens and B. cereus have the capability of ring cleavage and they can convert PAH compounds into less toxic compounds. Based on the metabolites obtained through GC-MS, the biodegradation pathways for each PAH have been predicted to end up in the tricarboxylic acid cycle.

  • Fernando Méndez-González, Octavio Loera, Gerardo Saucedo-Castañeda, José Juan Buenrostro-Figueroa, Ernesto Favela-Torres

    There is a growing worldwide demand for biopesticides based on fungal conidia produced in solid-state culture bioreactors. Packed bed column bioreactors (PBCBs) have gained prominence due to their high productivity. In traditional PBCBs, scaling up by increasing the bioreactor diameter is considered an effective strategy. However, this approach presents challenges as the bed porosity diminishes, impeding mycelium propagation, gas exchange, and heat removal. Therefore, this study introduces a novel PBCB design to improve the solid matrix structure for conidia production from Trichoderma harzianum and Metarhizium robertsii. The proposed PBCB design incorporates channelled internal cylinders (ChICs) to elevate the ratio between the wall surface (WS) in contact with the substrate and the working volume (Wv). The conidia production obtained in 28 cm diameter PBCB with ChIC versus that reached in conventional 2.5 cm diameter PBCB were compared to evaluate the effectiveness of design for the diameter increase. The results demonstrate that increasing the WS: Wv ratio significantly enhances porosity, facilitating an almost 172-fold increase in the working volume for conidia production from T. harzianum and M. robertsii without compromising microbial growth or conidia volumetric production (> 6 × 108 conidia cm− 3). This underscores the effectiveness of adjusting the WS: Wv ratio as a viable strategy for increasing diameter. Incorporating channelled internal cylinders into packed column bed bioreactors enables the expansion of the bioreactor diameter for conidia production from T. harzianum and M. robertsii. This innovative approach should be explored for its potential application in obtaining biomass, enzymes, and metabolites from other microorganisms.

  • Svetlana Yu. Gorbunova, Anna L. Avsiyan

    An automated system for the real-time measurement and control of the optical density of the microalga Tetraselmis viridis and cyanobacterium Limnospira platensis has been developed based on the open-source Arduino Nano electronics platform. The system consists of a main unit, an optical density sensor, a relay unit, a temperature sensor, and associated software. The optical density sensor consists of light diodes (with a maximum emission spectrum in the infrared region at 940 nm) as a light source and photodiodes as receivers; the culture density is estimated based on the attenuation of radiation passing through it. The proposed method exhibited high accuracy (R2 = 0.995, with root mean square error being approximately 0.1 g L−1) in a wide range of biomass concentrations, from 0.27 to 0.97 g L−1 for T. viridis and from 0.035 to 1.25 g L−1 for L. platensis. The registered biomass productivity at the linear stage of batch cultivation reached 0.15 g L−1 day−1 for T. viridis and 0.17 g L−1 day−1 for L. platensis. The sensor readings were found to be dependent on air temperature, with a coefficient of 0.0136 V/°C. This suggests that the system has the potential for use in a changing outdoor environment, provided that temperature correction is applied during calculations. Furthermore, the measuring system does not require sampling from the photobioreactor or dilution of high cell concentrations prior to measuring dense microalgae cultures. This eliminates the risk of dilution error and contamination. The experimental application of the system for the studied species demonstrated its potential for use with microalgae species exhibiting diverse pigment compositions, including those prone to sedimentation and filamentous forms.

  • Milad Parchami, Bengt-Ove Rustas, Mohammad J. Taherzadeh, Amir Mahboubi

    The scientific interest in volatile fatty acids (VFAs) as an energy source and chemical precursor in ruminant diets has been longstanding, as it has significant implications for animal physiology and well-being. The present study explores the substitution of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) derived from agro-food residues via acidogenic fermentation as an alternative energy source in ruminant feed. Utilizing the gas production method, rumen digestibility assays were conducted, wherein the recovered VFA effluent from the acidogenic fermentation of apple pomace and potato protein liquor was substituted for 10%, 20%, and 30% of the total mixed ration (TMR) energy. Various parameters such as gas, VFA yield and composition, VFA peak intervals, changes in pH, and ammonium nitrogen content were investigated. Based on the results obtained, provision of 20% and 30% of the energy with VFAs did not increase methane production or did not cause significant pH alternations. Nevertheless, such supplementation resulted in increased production and accumulation of VFAs in the rumen media. The bioconversion of agro-food side streams into VFAs opens a new path in sustainable nutrient recovery and feed production from low value agro-industrial residues.

    Graphical Abstract

  • L. Thamanna, P. Chellapandi

    Anaerobic digestion (AD) systems generate biogas from protein-rich waste, with certain anaerobes modulating gene regulatory networks (GRNs) to manage ammonia toxicity. This study reconstructs GRN models for five key anaerobes—a hyper-ammonia-producing anaerobe Acetoanaerobium sticklandii H1, an anaerobic sulfur-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough, a hydrogenotrophic methanogen Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus ΔH, a heterotrophic methanogen Methanosarcina mazei Gö1, and a methylotrophic methanogen Methanoculleus bourgensis MS2T—using genome-wide data to understand their metabolic regulation in AD processes. These GRNs integrate gene regulatory elements, thereby revealing species-specific adaptations that facilitate ammonia tolerance, substrate metabolism, and methane production. Regulatory elements, such as ExsA, PtxR, and GadW, influence pathways for carbon, nitrogen, and energy metabolism. A. sticklandii and M. mazei were crucial for carbon source utilization, whereas M. bourgensis adapted to ammonium-rich conditions without a typical ammonium uptake system. The results of our study provide insights into the metabolic interactions and regulatory roles within biogas-producing communities. This work proposes a framework for designing synthetic microbial communities to enhance biomethane yield from protein-based substrates, supporting AD efficiency improvements.

  • Vanny Mora-Villalobos, Marcy González-Vargas, Carolina Cortés-Herrera, Carmela Velázquez-Carrillo, María E. Koschny, Natalia Barboza

    Agricultural wastes are characterized by bioactive compounds that can be used to produce different byproducts, including enzymes, which are obtained through solid state fermentation (SSF). The goal of this study was to evaluate the initial pH and moisture conditions of a substrate composed of carrot peels and corn husk residues (tusa) by SSF to obtain cellulase enzymes. Carrot and corn wastes were characterized to determine their physicochemical properties, confirming their suitability for the fermentation process. It was found that endoglucanase enzyme activity increased with time and was favored at a humidity of 75% and a pH of 5.2, reaching values above 300 U/mg protein. However, no significant trends were observed in exocellulase activity related to the study´s factors. Although the use of agro-industrial wastes to obtain high-value molecules has been widely studied, combining carrot and corn wastes as a substrate for cellulase production using Cladosporium sp. _V3 (GenBank No. PP931187) isolated from pineapple wastes has been poorly characterized.

  • Aman Choudhary, Archana Tiwari, Hina Bansal

    Laccase is an enzyme rich in copper and abundantly present in white rot fungus Trametes versicolor, which can degrade a wide range of pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater that conventional treatment methods cannot fully remove. In this paper, we performed molecular docking studies on laccase (Pdb id: 1GYC) with 10 selected pharmaceutical compounds (2,2′-azino-bis- (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid (ABTS) taken as control, carbamazepine, tetracycline, indomethacin, fenoprofen, celiprolol, metoprolol, diclofenac, sulfisoxazole, sulfapyridine) commonly present in wastewater. The study aims to understand the binding interaction and stability of enzyme-substrate complex to mediate the bioremediation of these pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater. Docking analysis was performed using the Maestro Schrödinger suite. The result revealed a significant binding affinity of laccase with pharmaceutical pollutants ranging from − 5 to − 6 Kcal mol⁻¹. Further, the 2-D analysis of ligands and polar amino acid residues unravels the involvement of hydrophobic interactions and stability of enzyme-substrate complexes. The study suggested an effective laccase-mediated bioremediation method for wastewater treatment.

  • Yu Shi, Huifan Li, Yuqi Lu, Ming Chen, Hua Yang, Dongmei Fu

    A simple and robust reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography procedure was developed with only an aqueous H3PO4 solution (pH 2.1) as the mobile phase for the simultaneous determination of nine organic acids (oxalic, formic, malic, lactic, acetic, citric, succinic, fumaric, and gallic acids) in beer based on a polar-copolymerized 3-chloropropyl C18 column. The proposed method was validated according to linearity, limits of detection, accuracy, precision, repeatability, and reproducibility. Quantifications of the nine organic acids in 12 commercial Chinese beer samples from five different brands were conducted only after degassing and filtration of the samples. In all beer samples, the most abundant organic acid was succinic acid; its concentration was in the range of 907.99–3557.22 mg/L. This was followed by malic acid (170.39–936.78 mg/L). Principal component analysis was used to compare the different brand of beers according to organic acid concentration, and results may provide a reference for the evaluation of beer quality and taste.