Abstract: Aureobasidium is omnipresent and can be isolated from air, water bodies, soil, wood, and other plant materials, as well as inorganic materials such as rocks and marble. A total of 32 species of this fungal genus have been identified at the level of DNA, of which Aureobasidium pullulans is best known. Aureobasidium is of interest for a sustainable economy because it can be used to produce a wide variety of compounds, including enzymes, polysaccharides, and biosurfactants. Moreover, it can be used to promote plant growth and protect wood and crops. To this end, Aureobasidium cells adhere to wood or plants by producing extracellular polysaccharides, thereby forming a biofilm. This biofilm provides a sustainable alternative to petrol-based coatings and toxic chemicals. This and the fact that Aureobasidium biofilms have the potential of self-repair make them a potential engineered living material avant la lettre. Key points: •Aureobasidium produces products of interest to the industry •Aureobasidium can stimulate plant growth and protect crops •Biofinish of A. pullulans is a sustainable alternative to petrol-based coatings •Aureobasidium biofilms have the potential to function as engineered living materials.
Dietary fibers are at the forefront of nutritional research because they positively contribute to human health. Much of our processed foods contain, however, only small quantities of dietary fiber, because their addition often negatively affects the taste, texture, and mouth feel. There is thus an urge for novel types of dietary fibers that do not cause unwanted sensory effects when applied as ingredient, while still positively contributing to the health of consumers. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a novel type of soluble dietary fiber with prebiotic properties, derived from starch via enzymatic modification,yielding isomalto/malto-polysaccharides (IMMPs), which consist of linear (α1 → 6)-glucan chains attached to the nonreducing ends of starch fragments. The applied Lactobacillus reuteri 121 GTFB 4,6-α-lucanotransferase enzyme synthesizes these molecules by transferring the nonreducing glucose moiety of an (α1 → 4)-glucan chain to the nonreducing end of another (α1 → 4)-α-glucan chain, forming an (α1 → 6)-glycosidic linkage. Once elongated in this way, the molecule becomes a better acceptor substrate and is then further elongated with (α1 → 6)-linked glucose residues in a linear way. Comparison of 30 starches, maltodextrins, and α-glucans of various botanical sources, demonstrated that substrates with long and linear (α1 → 4)- glucan chains deliver products with the highest percentage of (α1 → 6) linkages, up to 92%. In vitro experiments, serving as model of the digestive power of the gastrointestinal tract, revealed that the IMMPs, or more precisely the IMMP fraction rich in (α1 → 6) linkages, will largely pass the small intestine undigested and therefore end up in the large intestine. IMMPs are a novel type of dietary fiber that may have health promoting activity.
This project has received funding from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 720726LIBBIO is a European research project on Andes Lupin (Lupinus mutabilis, tarwi) cropping in marginal lands for enhanced bio economy. Lupin has the ability to fix nitrogen, mobilise soil phosphate and has low nutritional requirements for cultivation. Varieties will be chosen that give high yield of green silage or high yield of seeds which contain more than 20% oil, more than 40% protein and the remaining materials are carbohydrates, mainly oligosaccharides characterized as “prebiotics”. Andes lupin will be grown as a summer crop in N-central Europe and as winter crop in Mediterranean conditions. Pre-industrial processing is developed and optimized for the lupin, properties of the different fractions analysed, their advantage for different industrial use evaluated, and a few products developed as an example. Social and environmental impact will be evaluated as well as techno-economic viability and effect on farm and biorefinery income.This project has received funding from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 720726
Nieuwe UV-blokkers voor zonnebrandcrèmes zijn nodig. Traditioneel gebruikte UV-blokkers tasten het aquatisch ecosysteem aan (koraalbleking). Rood zeewier, zoals Porphyra (nori) is zeer effectief in zijn bescherming tegen zonnestraling. UV-blokkers in roodwieren zijn Mycosporine-achtige aminozuren (MAA’s) maar ook andere componenten zijn relevant in de bescherming. Het gebruik van roodwier als grondstof in cosmetica is toegestaan maar vanwege prijs en regelgeving niet gangbaar. Samen met het werkveld gaat Hanzehogeschool de kansen voor Europees Porphyra als marien-cultuur gewas onderzoeken. Een drietraps benadering wordt uitgevoerd. 1) De teelt van het in de Nederlandse Delta groeiende Porphyra wordt onderzocht. In West-Europa wordt Porphyra niet op grote schaal geoogst en geteeld. Vegetatieve vermeerdering zal worden opgezet met als richtlijn een zo’n optimaal mogelijk MAA’s gehalte. Dit kan bereikt worden door te variëren in abiotische factoren, inductie van Porphyra. 2) Het doel is om een ingrediënt voor cosmetica te ontwikkelen dat beschermd tegen zonnebrand. Zeewier fracties worden ontwikkeld bestaande uit zowel MAA's als polyfenolen die elkaar aanvullen in UVA en UVB bescherming. 3) Dit zonnefilter moet ook technisch en economisch haalbaar zijn. Dit laatste kan alleen als wordt uitgegaan van een circulair zero-waste totaal bioraffinage waarin ook alle andere componenten worden gevaloriseerd. Hierbij wordt gekeken naar eiwitfracties geschikt voor food en feed applicaties en naar hoogwaardige koolhydraten zoals wateroplosbare voedingsvezels (prebiotica). De aangesloten consortiumpartners zijn expert in het realiseren van de beoogde verwaardingskansen. De aangesloten MKB-ers hebben ambitie in het formuleren van producten (feed, food, non-food en cosmetica) met duurzame ingrediënten uit rood zeewier en het ontwikkelen van de bijbehorende business cases.
