• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.459-463
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• 2015

This study evaluated the microbial conversion of coconut oil waste, a major agro-residue in tropical countries, into single cell oil (SCO) feedstock for biodiesel production. Copra cake was used as a low-cost renewable substrate without any prior chemical or enzymatic pretreatment for submerged growth of an oleaginous tropical mangrove fungus, Aspergillus terreus IBB M1. The SCO extracted from fermented biomass was converted into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) by transesterification and evaluated on the basis of fatty acid profiles and key fuel properties for biodiesel. The fungus produced a biomass (8.2 g/l) yielding 257 mg/g copra cake SCO with ~98% FAMEs. The FAMEs were mainly composed of saturated methyl esters (61.2%) of medium-chain fatty acids (C12-C18) with methyl oleate (C18:1; 16.57%) and methyl linoleate (C18:2; 19.97%) making up the unsaturated content. A higher content of both saturated FAMEs and methyl oleate along with the absence of polyunsaturated FAMEs with ≥4 double bonds is expected to impart good fuel quality. This was evident from the predicted and experimentally determined key fuel properties of FAMEs (density, kinematic viscosity, iodine value, acid number, cetane number), which were in accordance with the international (ASTM D6751, EN 14214) and national (IS 15607) biodiesel standards, suggesting their suitability as a biodiesel fuel. The low cost, renewable nature, and easy availability of copra cake, its conversion into SCO without any thermochemical pretreatment, and pelleted fungal growth facilitating easier downstream processing by simple filtration make this process cost effective and environmentally favorable.

• CELLMED
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.11.1-11.7
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• 2016

The aimed of the presence study was to determine the antiulcer potential of virgin coconut oil (VCO), either extracted by wet process (VCO_A) or fermentation process (VCO_B), and to compare their effectiveness against the copra oil (CO) using the HCl/ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model. Earlier, the oils underwent chemical analysis to determine the free fatty acids composition, physicochemical properties and anti-oxidant capability. In the antiulcer study, rats (n=6) were pre-treated orally for 7 consecutive days with distilled water (vehicle), 100 mg/kg ranitidine (positive group) or the respective oils (10, 50, and 100% concentration). One hour after the last test solutions administration on Day 7^th, the animals were subjected to the gastric ulcer assay. Macroscopic and microscopic analyses were performed on the collected rat's stomachs. From the results obtained, the chemical analysis revealed i) the presence of high content of lauric acid followed by myristic acid and palmitic acid in all oils and; ii) the significant (^*p< 0.05) different in anisidine- and peroxide-value, percentage of free fatty acid, total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity among the oils. The animal study demonstrated that all oil possess significant (^*p< 0.05) antiulcer activity with VCO_B being the most effective oil followed by VCO_A and CO. The macroscopic observations were supported by the microscopic findings. Interestingly, all oils were more effective than 100 mg/kg ranitidine (reference drug). In conclusion, coconut oils exert remarkable antiulcer activity depending on their methods of extraction, possibly via the modulation of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.