CHARACTERISTICS OF THERMOPHILIC ANAEROBIC ACIDOGENESIS OF STARCH WASTEWATER

Acidogenic dissimilation of synthetic starch wastewater (1 000～10 000 mg COD·L -1 ) was studied in a thermophilic (55 ℃) upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor.The production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) was proportional to the chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate.The yield of VFA was around 0.28 g VFA/g COD over the COD loading rate from 1.25 to 30 g COD·L -1 ·d -1 and the hydraulic retention time from 8.8 h to 24 h.Distribution of organic acids,the contents of propionic and butyric acids in the effluent in particular were also dependent on the COD loading rate.The thermophilic UASB reactor showed a stable performance on hydrolysis and acidogenesis of starch as well as suspended solid removal at short hydraulic retention times and high influent pH(10～11),during the operation of 110 d.

Influence of starch sources and dietary protein levels on intestinal functionality and intestinal mucosal amino acids catabolism in broiler chickens

Background: There is growing interest in carbohydrate and protein nutrition to enhance the efficiency of animal production.Reduced-crude protein diets depress environmental pollution and feeding cost,but the challenge to their adoption is maintaining digestive function and growth performance of birds.The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of different dietary starch sources and protein levels on intestinal functionality and mucosal amino acid catabolism.Methods: Six dietary treatments,based on maize and soybean meal,were offered to 360 AA+male chicks from 6 to 35 d post-hatch as a 3 × 2 factorial array.Either waxy rice or amylose was added to a conventional maize-soy diet to provide three sources of starch with different digestion rates and relatively high and low dietary protein levels.Growth performance,parameters of intestinal functionality and concentrations of free amino acid in the portal circulation were determined.Results: In the grower phase,starch source influenced(P < 0.02) weight gain as diets containing amylose supported significantly higher weight gains than waxy rice.Significant increase of ileal ATP concentrations and Na^+/K^+-ATPase activity were found in amylose treatment.Also,amylose decreased BrdU positive cell numbers and down-regulated m RNA expression for CASP-3.GOT activity in the ileum was higher(P < 0.01) in birds offered low protein diets and there was a trend(P = 0.057) for waxy rice as a starch source to increase ileal GOT activities.There was a significant influence on the concentration of seventeen amino acids in the portal circulation with tryptophan the one exception.Waxy rice as a starch source generated 13.6% and 22.4% numerically higher concentrations of non-essential amino acids than maize and amylose,respectively.Conclusions: Amino acid catabolism in the gut mucosa is subject to nutritional regulation.Given that amino acids can be spared from catabolism in the gut mucosa by supplementation of amylose,it follows their post-enteral availability would be improved and intestinal energy would be derived more efficiently from glucose.

Exogenous Application of Abscisic Acid or Gibberellin Acid Has Different Effects on Starch Granule Size Distribution in Grains of Wheat

Granule size distribution of wheat starch is an important characteristic that can affect its chemical composition and the functionality of wheat products. Two high-yield winter wheat cultivars were used to evaluate the effects of the application of exogenous ABA or GA during the reproductive phase of the initial grain filling on starch granule size distribution and starch components in grains at maturity. The results indicated that a bimodal curve was found in the volume and surface area distribution of grain starch granules, and a unimodal curve was observed for the number distribution under all treatments. The exogenous ABA resulted in a significant increase in the proportions （both by volume and by surface area） of B-type （〈9.9 Ixm in diameter） starch granules, with a reduction in those of A-type （〉9.9 ~tm） starch granules, while, the exogenous GA3 led to converse effects on size distribution of those starch granules. The exogenous ABA also increased starch, amylose and amylopectin contents at maturity but significantly reduced the ratio of amylose to amylopectin. Application of GA3 significantly reduced starch content, amylopectin content but increased the ratio of amylose to amylopectin. The ratio of amylose to amylopectin showed a significant and negative relationship with the volume proportion of granules 〈9.9 μm, but was positively related to the volume proportion of granules 22.8-42.8 μm.

Different dietary starch sources alter the carcass traits, meat quality, and the profile of muscle amino acid and fatty acid in finishing pigs

Background: With increasing health awareness among consumers, the demand for healthier, tastier, higher quality and nutritional value pork is increasing. It has been shown that different dietary starch sources can alter the carcass traits and meat quality. However, research on the effects of different starch sources with clear different amylose/amylopectin ratio on the amino acid and fatty acid composition in Longissimus thoracis(L. thoracis) muscle of pigs is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different dietary starch sources on carcass traits, meat quality, muscle amino acid and fatty acid composition, and the mRNA expression levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism and muscle fiber characteristics in finishing pigs. A total of 72 Duroc × Landrace × Large White barrows were randomly allocated to 3 different dietary treatment groups with 8 replicate pens/group and 3 pigs per pen.Tapioca starch(TS), corn starch(CS), and pea starch(PS), with amylose/amylopectin ratio of 0.11, 0.25, and 0.44,respectively, were used as their dietary starch sources for 40 days.Results: Results showed that the PS diet significantly increased(P < 0.05) the final body weight, average daily gain,loin-eye area, and fat-free lean index compared with the TS diet, but significantly decreased(P < 0.05) the feed to gain ratio and backfat thickness. Compared with the TS diet, PS diet also increased(P < 0.05) the pH45 min, marbling scores, the content of intramuscular fat and inosine monophosphate in the L. thoracis, and decreased(P < 0.05) the drip loss and shear force. In addition, compared with the TS diet, PS diet increased(P < 0.05) the proportions of flavor amino acids, DHA, EPA, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA) in the L. thoracis compared with TS diet,but decreased(P < 0.05) the ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFA. Furthermore, compared with the TS diet, PS diet also upregulated(P < 0.05) the lipogenic genes(FAS, LPL, SCD, ACCα) and myosin heavy-chain(MyHC)-IIa mRNA expression levels compared with the TS diet, but downregulated(P < 0.05) the CPT1 B and MyHC-IIb mRNA levels.Conclusions: In conclusion, these results provided compelling evidence that the different dietary starch source altered the carcass traits, meat flavor and quality in finishing pigs, and consumption of a diet with higher amylose/amylopectin ratio results in the production of a healthy, higher quality, and nutritional value pork.

Biodegradation and Mechanical Property of Polylactic Acid/Thermoplastic Starch Blends with Poly (ethylene glycol)

The effects of adding poly （ethylene glycol） （PEG） into polylactic acid/thermoplastic starch blends （PLA/TPS） on the properties were investigated by DSC, SEM and mechanical property-testing. The blends of PLA/TPS blended with increasing content PEG exhibited lower temperature of glass transition （T） and lower temperature of melting （T） as well as higher melt flow index （MFI）, which indicates the plasticization and proeessability of the composites were dramatically improved. The tensile strength, flexural strength and izod impact strength of PLA/TPS （80/20） increased at first and then decreased with increasing content of PEG due to stronger interfacial adhesion. The optimized mechanical property can be obtained for the blend with 3 wt % PEG. The samples containing PEG after soil burial for 5 months showed quicker degradation being accompanied with large weight loss and mechanical properties loss.

Effect of Starch/Polylactic Acid Ratio on the Interdependence of Two-Phase and the Properties of Composites

Starch/polylactic acid(PLA) composites were prepared by melt extrusion, with corn starch and PLA as raw materials, glycerol as the plasticizer. Effects of starch/PLA ratio on the interdependence of two-phase and other properties of the composites were studied. The combination of results of TGA with SEM indicated that the interdependence between starch and PLA was increased gradually as the starch/PLA ratio reduced. DSC results showed that the glass transition temperature(Tg), melting temperature(Tm) and degree of crystallinity of PLA in composites were increased gradually, whereas the cold crystallization temperature(Tc) was gradually decreased as the starch/PLA ratio reduced. The rheological properties of composites were closely related with the interdependence of two-phase, with reducing starch/PLA proportion, the interdependence was increased, and then the strain for storage modulus was firstl reduced and then gradually increased. Frequency scanning showed that the storage modulus and complex viscosity were decreased with reducing starch content. As the starch/PLA ratio reduced, the matrix phase PLA was increased, so that the strength of composites was increased gradually, whereas water absorption rate was decreased gradually.

Blends of Poly(lactic acid) with Thermoplastic Acetylated Starch

Blends of poly（lactic acid）（PLA） and thermoplastic acetylated starch（ATPS） were prepared by means of the melt mixing method. The results show that PLA and ATPS were partially miscible, which was confirmed with the measurement of Tg by dynamic mechanical analysis（DMA） and differrential scanning calorimetry（DSC）. The mechanical and thermal properties of the blends were improved. With increasing the ATPS content, the elongation at break and impact strength were increased. The elongation at break increased from 5% of neat PLA to 25% of the blend PLA/ATPS40. It was found that the cold crystallization behavior of PLA changed evidently by addition of ATPS. The cold crystallization temperature（Tcc） of each of PLA/ATPS blends was found to shift to a lower temperature and the width of exothermic peak became narrow compared with that of neat PLA. The thermogravimetry analysis（TGA） results showed that the peak of derivative weight for ATPS moved to higher temperature with increasing PLA content in PLA/ATPS blends. It can be concluded that PLA could increase the thermal stability of ATPS. The rheological measurement reveals the melt elasticity and viscosity of the blends decreased with the increased concentration of ATPS, which was favorable to the processing properties of PLA.

The UV Aging Properties of Maleic Anhydride Esterified Starch/Polylactic Acid Composites

Esterified starch/polylactic acid（ES/PLA） blending composite was prepared by melting extrusion with maleic anhydride esterified starch and PLA as the raw materials. The composite was accelerated aging by using UV aging box, and its properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD）, thermo gravimetric analysis（TGA） and mechanical testing machine. FT-IR and SEM results show that the infrared absorption peak intensities of C-O, C-H, and C=O in aged samples decrease gradually with increasing aging time. The damage degree of surface and internal of aged samples increases gradually. XRD analysis results show that after aging treatment, the crystalline diffraction peak of thermoplastic esterified starch at 2θ = 21° disappears and the diffraction peaks of PLA at 2θ = 16.5° appear, indicating that the hydrolysis rate of esterified starch is greater than that of PLA. The crystallinity of PLA in aged sample shows an increasing trend at first followed by a decreasing one along with the increasing time of aging treatment, suggesting that the hydrolysis of amorphous regions of PLA is more preferential than its crystalline regions. Because of the influence of crystal structure and the change of composition structure, the initial decomposition temperature of aging test specimen gradually increases with the extension of aging time. The maximum decomposition rate temperature and residual mass increases at first, and then decrease after the aging time extending to 1600 h. As the aging time increases, the damage degree of combination interface between esterification starch and PLA is exacerbated, resulting in the tensile strength and bending strength of aged specimen decreasing gradually.

Effect of hydroxamic acid starch on reverse flotation desilicate from diasporic bauxite

It is important to depress diaspore effectively in order to remove silicates from diasporic bauxite. A new water soluble polymer hydroxamic acid starch (HA-starch) was prepared. The effects of the product on the diaspore and kaolinite flotation were investigated and its reactive mechanism was studied by zeta potential measurement and FTIR. The results show that HA-starch can depress diaspore while make positive effect on kaolinite flotation at low pH value(pH below 6). The flotation recovery of diaspore was sharply decreased with the increase of concentration of HA-starch. The chemical adsorption of HA-starch on the surface of diaspore was revealed.

Concentration of linoleic acid from cottonseed oil by starch complexation

The extraction of linoleic acid from fatty acids(FA) of the cottonseed oil using starch–FA complexes was developed for the first time. We showed that starch can form inclusion complexes of different strengths with FA and that the different strengths stem from the differences in chain length, degree of unsaturation, and position of double bonds of FA. The optimal separation conditions were determined as follows: The inclusion temperature is 69 °C, the inclusion time is 30 min, the starch/FA mass ratio is 10:1, and the ratio of the volume of methanol–water solution and the mass of FA is 18:1. Compared to urea inclusion complexation, starch complexation has milder reaction temperature and shorter reaction time. Under these conditions, linoleic acid can be concentrated from 38.9% to 70.04% by one-off extraction. Moreover, the experimental results demonstrate the almost perfect reusability of starch. These results show that starch complexation is a promising method that can be used to obtain highly concentrated linoleic acid from cottonseed oil.

The Crystalline Changes of Starch from Rhizoma Dioscorea by Acid Hydrolysis

The changes in crystalline properties of starch from Rhizoma Dioscorea by acid hydrolysis was characterized by X-Ray diffractometry （XRD）. The results revealed that the crystalline type of Rhizoma Dioscorea starch changed from C-type to A-type after 16 days of the acid hydrolysis. This phenomenon was different from that of other starches subjected to the acid hydrolysis. The results revealed that the B-polymorphs of C-type starch constituted the amorphous regions while the crystalline areas were mainly composed of A-polymorphs. The degree of crystallinity of the acid-thinned starch increased gradually with the time of acid hydrolysis.

Preparation of superabsorbent by graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto corn starch using K_2S_2O_8 and rare earths as initiators

K2 S2 O8 and rare earths （RE） were used as initiators to prepare superabsorbents by graft copolymerization of acrylic acid （ AA ） onto corn starch. The effects of monomer concentration, initiator K2 S2 O8 concentration, cross-linker concentration, reaction temperature and the concentration ratio of RE and K2 S2O8 on the graft copolymerization were studied in terms of the water absorption capacity of superabsorbents. Results indicate that the optimum conditions obtained for the grafting of AA onto 5g starch are as follows： AA of 75. 773 g/L, K2S20s of 0. 437 g/L, RE of 0. 874 g/L, cross-linker of 0. 381 g/L and temperature of 70 ℃. The maximum water absorption capacity obtained is 740 g/g. The new method of graft polymerization is easily proceeded and controlled. The graft copolymers were characterized by infra-red spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and TG. Results characterized by IR and SEM give strong evidence for grafting of AA onto corn starch, and those characterized by TG reveal that the grafting of AA improves the theimostability of corn starch.

The Optimized Synthesis of Starch-g-Lactic Acid Copolymer with High Grafting Degree Catalyzed by Sulfuric Acid

The starch-g-lactic acid copolymer was synthesized with catalysis of sulfuric acid by onestep process, and the structure of starch-g-lactic acid copolymer was characterized by means of IR, 13C-NMR, HMBC, XRD, and SEM. The experimental results show that the maximum grafting degree of starch can reach 75% when the starch-g-lactic acid copolymer is activated at 80 ℃ for 2 h and reacted with lactic acid at 90 ℃ for 4 h in vacuum.

静置法合成starch/AM/AMPS共聚高吸水树脂

以N,N′-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺(NMBA)为交联剂,通过静置水溶液聚合法制备了淀粉/丙烯酰胺(AM)/2-丙烯酰胺基-2-甲基丙磺酸(AMPS)共聚高吸水树脂。研究了反应条件对树脂吸水性能的影响,所合成的树脂最高吸蒸馏水为1561倍。并通过FTIR、SEM等技术对树脂的分子结构及表面形态进行了表征分析。

Research on Physical and Chemical Properties of Corynebacterium glutamicum in Fermentation Process of the Glucose of Wheat Starch

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the physical and chemical char- acteristic of Corynebacterium glutamicum in fermentation process of the glucose of wheat starch. [Method] The purity of glutamic acid in fermentation period, optical density and cell viability of bacteria were detected as indicators for regression com- parison and analysis. [Result] The relative error d=-3.316 6% within the experimental range of Warburg trace breathing apparatus and double function analyzer. The linear relationship was s1=（1-d）s2. During the fermentation process of the glucose of wheat starch, the average cell activity was 6.24 μA and the maximum cell activity was 6.61 μA. [Conclusion] Compared with optical density, cell viability can more accurate- ly reflect the physical and chemical properties of Corynebacterium glutamicum in fermentation process of the glucose of wheat starch. There was certain correlation between cell membrane phospholipids and cell viability.

The Optimization of Synthesizing Graft Copolymer of Starch with Vinyl Monomers

The graft copolymerization of acrylamide （ AM ） / acrylic acid （ AA ） onto starch （ St- g-pAA and St-g-p（AA-co-AM） ） was carried out using an orthngonal test method. The combined effects of different reaction conditions on the water absorbency of the graft copolymers were optimized through mathematical statistical methods of range and square variance analysis. The maximum water absorbency was obtained when the ratio of dried starch to distilled water was 1 ： 8 （ w/w ）, the ratio of starch to monomer 1 ： 6 （ w/w ）, the initiator concentration 4.40 × 10^-3 mol/L, the crosslinker concentration 10.86 × 10^-2 mol/L, and the basicity to AA 0. 70（ mol/mol ）. Both the graft copolymers have an excellent water absorption capacity in distilled water aact in 0. 9wt% NaCl solution. It was also found that in distilled water the water absorbency of St-g-pAA was higher than that of St-g-p（ AA-co-AM） , while in 0.9wt% NaCl solution, the situation was just the reverse. The correlation between the water absorbeacy anct the nature of the solution anct the properties of the copolymers, which is related to the properties of the monomers, was discussed. The grafting of AA ancl AM onto starch was confirmed by the IR spectra of St-g-pAA and St-g-p（ AA-co-AM）.

Transformation of Sucrose to Starch and Protein in Rice Leaves and Grains under Two Establishment Methods

Six rice varieties, PR120, PR116, Feng Ai Zan, PR115, PAU201 and Punjab Mehak 1 were raised under aerobic and transplanting conditions to assess the effects of planting conditions on sucrose metabolising enzymes in relation to the transformation of free sugars to starch and protein in flag leaves and grains. Activities of sucrose synthase, sucrose phosphate synthase and acid invertase increased till flowering stage in leaves and mid-milky stage（14 d after flowering） in grains and thereafter declined in concomitant with the contents of reducing sugar. Under aerobic conditions, the activities of acid invertase and sucrose synthase（cleavage） significantly decreased in conjunction with the decrease in non-reducing sugars and starch content in all the varieties. Disruption of starch biosynthesis under the influence of aerobic conditions in both leaves and grains and the higher build up of sugars possibly resulted in their favoured utilization in nitrogen metabolism. Feng Ai Zan, PR115 and PR120 maintained higher levels of sucrose synthase enzymes in grains and leaves and contents of metabolites（amino acid, protein and non-reducing sugar） under aerobic conditions, while PR116, Punjab Mehak 1 and PAU201 performed better under transplanting conditions, thus showing their adaptation to environmental stress. Yield gap between aerobic and transplanting rice is attributed primarily to the difference in sink activity and strength. Overall, it appear that up-regulation of sucrose synthase（synthesis） and sucrose phosphate synthase under aerobic conditions might be responsible in enhancing growth and productivity of rice varieties.

Purification of Starch from Cadmium-Contaminated Rice and Development of Functional Recombinant Rice

In order to provide a new utilization method for cadmium-contaminated rice,a preliminary study of the removal of rice starch cadmium by water,calcium hydroxide,sodium hydroxide and citric acid was conducted,the damage degree of starch was compared by SEM,and then the recombinant rice was obtained by a twin-screw extruder using the starch which met the safety standard.The physical and chemical properties of recombinant rice were analyzed by acid hydrolysis and texture analyzer.The results showed that citric acid was a good rice cadmium removal agent.The quality of recombinant rice prepared from cadmium-removed rice starch was improved;the acid resistance was increased.Heavy metal contaminated rice can be a staple food with better quality and higher value through processing.

Preparation and Characterization of Thermoplastic Starch from Sugar Palm (Arenga pinnata) by Extrusion Method

Sugar palm(Arenga pinnata)starch is considered an important renewable,biodegradable,and eco-friendly polymer,which is derived from agricultural by-products and residues,with great potential for the development of biocomposite materials.This research was aimed at investigating the development of TPS biocomposites from A.pinnata palm starch using an extrusion process.Palm starch,glycerol,and stearic acid were extruded in a twin-screw extruder.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)analysis of TPS showed that the starch granules were damaged and gelatinized in the extrusion process.The density of TPS was 1.3695 g/mL,lower than that of palm starch,and the addition of stearic acid resulted in increased TPS density.X-ray diffraction(XRD)results showed that palm starch had a C-type pattern crystalline structure.The tensile strength,elongation at break,and modulus of elasticity of TPS were 7.19 MPa,33.95%,and 0.56 GPa,respectively.The addition of stearic acid reduced the tensile strength,elongation at break and modulus of elasticity of TPS.The rheological properties,i.e.,melt flow rate(MFR)and viscosity of TPS,were 7.13 g/10 min and 2482.19 Pa.s,respectively.The presence of stearic acid in TPS resulted in increased MFR and decreased viscosity values.The peak gelatinization temperature of A.pinnata palm starch was 70°C,while Tg of TPS was 65°C.The addition of stearic acid reduced the Tg of TPS.The thermogravimetric analysis(TGA)analysis showed that the addition of glycerol and stearic acid decreased the thermal stability,but extended the temperature range of thermal degradation.TPS derived from A.pinnata palm starch by extrusion method has the potential to be applied in industrial practice as a promising raw material for manufacturing bio-based packaging as a sustainable and green alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

Preparation and characterization of resistant starch type 3 from yam and its effect on the gut microbiota

Background:Yam(Dioscorea opposita Thunb.)has been consumed as a food and used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.Resistant starch(RS)3 is of particular interest because it is heat-resistant,safe and non-toxic,and retains good nutritional benefits;it is therefore used in a wide range of traditional and emerging foods as a heat-stable prebiotic ingredient.In our previous study,we found that yam RS includes strong lipid-lowering and anti-constipation activities.Methods:Yam RS3 was prepared by autoclaving-retrogradation and pullulanase debranching to yield autoclaving-retrogradation yam RS and pullulanase debranching yam RS,respectively.First,the physicochemical properties of both RS3s were analyzed.Second,the structures of the RS3s were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray powder diffraction,and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.Finally,the regulatory effects of the RS3s on the gut microbiota were evaluated using an in vitro fecal fermentation model.Results:The RS content of the RS3s decreased after processing,but was higher in pullulanase debranching yam RS(35.67%)than in autoclaving-retrogradation yam RS(28.71%).Compared with native yam starch,RS3s lost their original granular shapes and instead exhibited irregularly shapes with continuous phases.The crystalline structure of the RS3s was completely altered,with pullulanase debranching yam RS exhibiting B-type patterns.Both RS3s,and especially pullulanase debranching yam RS,promoted a significant increase in short chain fatty acid content after in vitro fermentation(all P<0.05).Moreover,pullulanase debranching yam RS significantly increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Escherichia and Shigella(all P<0.05).Conclusion:Our findings show that yam RS3s can regulate the composition of the gut microbiota and promote the production of short chain fatty acid,especially butyric acid.Pullulanase debranching was a more effective method for producing functional yam RS3.