Production of polysaccharidases in different carbon sources by Leucoagaricus gongylophorus Moller (Singer), the symbiotic fungus of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens linnaeus

Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the fungus cultured by the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens, produces polysaccharidases that degrade leaf components by generating nutrients believed to be essential for ant nutrition. We evaluated pectinase, amylase, xylanase, and cellulase production by L. gongylophorus in laboratory cultures and found that polysaccharidases are produced during fungal growth on pectin, starch, cellulose, xylan, or glucose but not cellulase, whose production is inhibited during fungal growth on xylan. Pectin was the carbon source that best stimulated the production of enzymes, which showed that pectinase had the highest production activity of all of the carbon sources tested, indicating that the presence of pectin and the production of pectinase are key features for symbiotic nutrition on plant material. During growth on starch and cellulose, polysaccharidase production level was intermediate, although during growth on xylan and glucose, enzyme production was very low. We propose a possible profile of polysaccharide degradation inside the nest, where the fungus is cultured on the foliar substrate.

Desenvolvimento de um compósito de espuma rígida de poliuretana de mamona e fibras de sisal para isolação térmica

The search for sustainable technologies that can contribute to reduce energy consumption is a great challenge in the field of insulation materials. In this context, composites manufactured from vegetal sources are an alternative technology. The principal objectives of this work are the development and characterization of a composite composed by the rigid polyurethane foam derived from castor oil (commercially available as RESPAN D40) and sisal fibers. The manufacture of the composite was done with expansion controlled inside a closed mold. The sisal fibers where used in the form of needlepunched nonwoven with a mean density of 1150 g/m2 and 1350 g/m2. The composite characterization was performed through the following tests: thermal conductivity, thermal behavior, thermo gravimetric analysis (TG/DTG), mechanical strength in compression and flexural, apparent density, water absorption in percentile, and the samples morphology was analyzed in a MEV. The density and humidity percentage of the sisal fiber were also determined. The thermal conductivity of the composites was higher than the pure polyurethane foam, the addition of nonwoven sisal fibers will become in a higher level of compact foam, reducing empty spaces (cells) of polyurethane, inducing an increase in k value. The apparent density of the composites was higher than pure polyurethane foam. In the results of water absorption tests, was seen a higher absorption percent of the composites, what is related to the presence of sisal fibers which are hygroscopic. From TG/DTG results, with the addition of sisal fibers reduced the strength to thermal degradation of the composites, a higher loss of mass was observed in the temperature band between 200 and 340 °C, related to urethane bonds decomposition and cellulose degradation and its derivatives. About mechanical behavior in compression and flexural, composites presented a better mechanical behavior than the rigid polyurethane foam. An increase in the amount of sisal fibers induces a higher rigidity of the composites. At the thermal behavior tests, the composites were more mechanically and thermally resistant than some materials commonly used for thermal insulation, they present the same or better results. The density of nonwoven sisal fiber had influence over the insulation grade; this means that, an increaser in sisal fiber density helped to retain the heat

Selectivity of Workers of the Grass-Cutting Ants Atta bisphaerica and Atta capiguara (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) to Vegetable Oils

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Efeito da adição de diatomita no comportamento reológico e mecânico de argamassas colantes

The mortar is a type of adhesive products used in large scale in construction, it is a function of its variety and ease of application . Although industrialized product and endowed with technology in its production is very frequent occurrence of the same pathology , which causes frequent damage and losses in the construction industry. Faced with this real market situation , the technical and scientific study of the effects of the addition of diatomite on the rheological and mechanical behavior of adhesive mortars are needed. This work back as a suggestion the use of diatomite as a mineral additive in formulations of adhesive mortars for partial replacement of cellulose based additives . The choice of using this mineral occurs through physical, chemical and rheological properties that justify its use in this product line , and is a raw material abundant in our region and can thus contribute positively to the minimization of direct costs cellulose -based additives . Industrial adhesive mortar used for comparison , was type AC1 . Formulations of adhesive mortar with diatomite held constant dosed quantities of sand, cement and the water / cement (w / c ) , or adhesive mortar formulations were developed with levels 10, 20, 30 and 40% of diatomite substituting part of the cellulose -based additives . These mortars were subjected to the following tests that define and evaluate the rheological and mechanical behavior of this type of mortar. The results attest the best performance of the adhesive mortar type AC1 with partial replacement of 30 % of the cellulose-based additive for diatomite

Teores de lignina e celulose em plantas de cana-de-açúcar em função da aplicação de maturadores

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os teores de lignina e celulose em plantas de cana-de-açúcar após a aplicação de dois maturadores para a colheita. O experimento foi conduzido em uma área de cana-soca, cultivar SP 803280, no município de Igaraçu do Tietê/SP. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos constituíram-se da aplicação de dois maturadores: sulfometuron-methyl (Curavial) e glyphosate (Roundup original). As doses utilizadas foram: glyphosate a 72 g e.a. ha-1; glyphosate a 144 g e.a. ha-1 ; glyphosate a 72 g e.a. ha-1 + sulfometuron methyl a 10 g p.c. ha-1; glyphosate a 108 g e.a. ha-1 + sulfometuron-methyl a 12 g p.c. ha-1; sulfometuron-methyl a 20 g p.c. ha-1; e a testemunha sem aplicação de maturadores. As análises de lignina e celulose foram realizadas pelo método lignina em detergente ácido modificado. O glyphosate e o sulfometuron-methyl alteraram os níveis de lignina no momento da colheita, e esse efeito foi observado também durante o crescimento da cana-de-açúcar (meses após a aplicação desses produtos). O glyphosate a 72 g e.a. ha-1 promoveu reduções nos teores de lignina, na colheita e durante o crescimento da cana-de-açúcar, quando comparados com os da testemunha, enquanto o sulfometuron-methyl isolado na menor dose (10 g ha-1) promoveu aumento nos teores desse biopolímero na soqueira da cana-de-açúcar.

Estudo da influência de pré-tratamentos de dois resíduos lignocelulósicos (bagaço do pedúnculo de caju e casca de coco) utilizados como substrato na indução à síntese de enzimas celulolíticas

Nowadays generation ethanol second, that t is obtained from fermentation of sugars of hydrolyses of cellulose, is gaining attention worldwide as a viable alternative to petroleum mainly for being a renewable resource. The increase of first generation ethanol production i.e. that obtained from sugar-cane molasses could lead to a reduction of lands sustainable for crops and food production. However, second generation ethanol needs technologic pathway for reduce the bottlenecks as production of enzymes to hydrolysis the cellulose to glucose i.e. the cellulases as well as the development of efficient biomass pretreatment and of low-cost. In this work Trichoderma reesei ATCC 2768 was cultivated under submerged fermentation to produce cellulases using as substrates waste of lignocellulosic material such as cashew apple bagasse as well as coconut bagasse with and without pretreatment. For pretreatment the bagasses were treated with 1 M NaOH and by explosion at high pressure. Enzyme production was carried out in shaker (temperature of 27ºC, 150 rpm and initial medium pH of 4.8). Results showed that T.reesei ATCC 2768 showed the higher cellulase production when the cashew apple bagasse was treated with 1M NaOH (2.160 UI/mL of CMCase and 0.215 UI/mL of FPase), in which the conversion of cellulose, in terms of total reducing sugars, was of 98.38%, when compared to pretreatment by explosion at high pressure (0.853 UI/mL of CMCase and 0.172 UI/mL of Fpase) showing a conversion of 47.39% of total reducing sugars. Cellulase production is lower for the medium containing coconut bagasse treated with 1M NaOH (0.480 UI/mL of CMcase and 0.073 UI/mL of FPase), giving a conversion of 49.5% in terms of total reducing sugars. Cashew apple bagasse without pretreatment showed cellulase activities lower (0.535 UI/mL of CMCase and 0,152 UI/mL of FPase) then pretreated bagasse while the coconut bagasse without pretreatment did not show any enzymatic activity. Maximum cell concentration was obtained using cashew nut bagasse as well as coconut shell bagasse treated with 1M NaOH, with 2.92 g/L and 1.97 g/L, respectively. These were higher than for the experiments in which the substrates were treated by explosion at high pressure, 1.93 g/L and 1.17 g/L. Cashew apple is a potential inducer for cellulolytic enzymes synthysis showing better results than coconut bagasse. Pretreatment improves the process for the cellulolytic enzyme production