Biomedical subjects

Seigo Sato

Publications and source records attributed to Seigo Sato.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A mycelium with polyelectrolyte complex-bunched hyphae: preparation and fermentation performance.

We studied the immobilization of a mycelium (Aspergillus niger) using the working hypothesis as follows: (a) when polycation was added to the cell suspension, a few parts of it would bind on the surface of a hypha, allowing to gather the hyphae in part but not all; (b) upon further addition of polyanion, such a gathering of the hyphae is tightly bunched by the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) which is resulted from the remaining polycation; (c) as a result, a mycelium with partially bunched hyphae can be obtained. Potassium poly(vinyl alcohol) sulfate and trimethylammonium glycol chitosan iodide [6-O-(2-hydroxyethyl-2-(trimethylamonio)-chitosan iodide) were used as the polyanion and the polycation, respectively. The optical and electron microscopic analyses showed that our immobilized cell contains many of PEC-bunched hyphae. The sedimentation rate increased with the weight ratio of PEC to dry cells and leveled off at the weight ratio larger than 0.5. The gluconic acid production from glucose was studied by a semi-large scale (1l) cultivation of the imobilized and free cells using a jar fermentor. It was found that an apparent specific activity of the immobilized cells for glucose oxidation becomes 1.44 times that of the free cells even at a high cell density of 40 g/l.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2005

Formation of intra- and interparticle polyelectrolyte complexes between cationic nanogel and strong polyanion.

Polyelectrolyte complex formation of a strong polyanion, potassium poly(vinyl alcohol) sulfate (KPVS), with positively charged nanogels was studied at 25 degrees C in aqueous solutions with different KCl concentrations (C(s)) as a function of the polyion-nanogel mixing ratio based on moles of anions versus cations. Used as the gel sample was a polyampholytic nanogel consisting of lightly cross-linked terpolymer chains of N-isopropylacrylamide, acrylic acid, and 1-vinylimidazole; thus, the complexation was performed at pH 3 at which the imidazole groups are fully protonated to generate positive charges. Turbidimetric titration was employed to vary the mixing ratio. Also employed for studies of the resulting complexes at different stages of the titration were dynamic light scattering (DLS) and static light scattering (SLS) techniques. It was found from the titration as well as DLS and SLS that there is a critical mixing ratio (cmr) at which both the size and molar mass of the complexed gel particles abruptly increase. The value of the cmr at C(s) = 0 or 0.01 M (mol/L) was observed at approximately 1:1 mixing ratio of anions versus cations but at lower mixing ratios than the 1:1 ratio under conditions of C(s) = 0.05 and 0.1 M. At the mixing ratios less than the cmr, the molar mass of the complex agrees with that of one gel particle with the calculated amount of the bound KPVS ions, indicating the formation of an "intraparticle" KPVS-nanogel complex, by the aggregation of which an "interparticle" complex is formed at the cmr. During the process of the intraparticle complex formation, both the hydrodynamic radius by DLS and the radius gyration by SLS decreased with increasing mixing ratio, demonstrating the gel collapse due to the complexation. At C(s) = 0 or 0.01 M and under conditions where the amount of KPVS bindings was less than half of the nanogel cations, however, the decrease of the hydrodynamic radius was very small, while the radius gyration fell monotonically. These results were discussed in connection with a collapse of dangling chains attached to the nanogel surface by the binding of KPVS.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2003

Improvement of the yield of physiologically active oligosaccharides in continuous hydrolysis of chitosan using immobilized chitosanases.

The continuous production of chitosan oligosaccharides using a packed-bed enzyme reactor was investigated as to the effects of the operation conditions on the yield of pentamers and hexamers of chitosan oligosaccharides. A column reactor packed with immobilized chitosanases prepared by the multipoint attachment method was used for continuous hydrolysis of chitosan. In this reactor, the decrease of the yield of the target intermediate oligosaccharides due to axial mixing was negligible. The surface enzyme density of the support and flow rate of the substrate solution significantly affected the maximum yield of pentamers and hexamers. These effects were summarized as a correlation with the Damköhler number (Da), defined as the ratio of the maximum reaction rate to the maximum mass transfer rate. The optimum condition was determined based on Da. Under the optimized condition (Da = 0.12), pentamers and hexamers could be produced continuously for a month with a yield of over 35% (7 kg/m(3) in concentration).

Bioreactors↗

PubMed2002

Immobilization and stabilization of chitosanase by multipoint attachment to agar gel support.

Highly stable chitosanase immobilized on an agar gel support was prepared by the multipoint attachment method. The optimum pH range was broadened to between 4 and 6, whereas for free chitosanase, the pH was only 5.6. The optimum temperature was also increased from 60 degrees C to 80 degrees C after the immobilization. The activity of immobilized chitosanase remained at 95% of its initial activity level after 225 h of incubation at 50 degrees C, whereas for free chitosanase, it decreased to 20% after 1 h of incubation. The immobilization markedly increased the thermostability of chitosanase. These changes in the reaction characteristics are favorable for the practical use of chitosanase in industrial processes. The effect of glycidol concentration in the activation of agar gel was also examined. The surface density of the aldehyde residue increased with increasing glycidol concentration. A maximal activity of 11.9 U/g-support was obtained when the glycidol concentration was 0.7 M. At concentrations higher than this, thermostability was almost the same. It was therefore proven that the optimal glycidol concentration in this system is 0.7 M. The effects of glycidol concentration on the activity and the thermostability of chitosanase are discussed in relation to the number of covalent bonds between the chitosanase and its support. Chitosan oligosaccharides were continuously produced using a column reactor packed with the immobilized chitosanase. The percentage of hydrolyzed chitosan after 28 reaction days was 44%. This was a slight decrease from the 48% observed on the first day. The total concentration of pentamer and hexamer ranged from 1.3 mg/ml to 1.5 mg/ml during the 28 reaction days. This was approximately 30% of the chitosan concentration in the supplied substrate solution.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Factors affecting the composition of oligosaccharides produced in chitosan hydrolysis using immobilized chitosanases.

The hydrolysis reaction of chitosan using immobilized chitosanases with regard to the composition of its products and the yield of the intermediate target products, pentamer and hexamer of chitosan oligosaccharides, was investigated. Chitosanase was immobilized onto agar or agarose gel particles by the multipoint attachment method. In batch experiments, surface enzyme density, support particle size, temperature, agitator speed, and initial substrate concentration significantly affected the composition of the oligosaccharides produced. It was believed that these factors all related to the reaction rate and mass transfer rate at the surface of the support materials immobilizing the enzymes. These effects were summarized as a correlation with Damköhler number (Da), defined as the ratio of the maximum reaction rate to the maximum mass transfer rate. The result showed that the reaction conditions that give a low value of Da provide a high yield of pentamer and hexamer oligosaccharides.

Agar↗