Spent coffee ground (SCG) is an environmental nuisance material, but, if appropriately processed it can be converted into pellets, and thus, used as an energy source. The moisture content of the final product should be below 10%, to ensure safe storage, and elimination of microorganism growth (particularly moulds). The present study aims to identify the optimal drying process for removing moisture from SCG and to investigate changes to the composition of SCG due to drying, at temperatures around 75 °C, so that the dried SCG to qualify as renewable energy source. Three drying processes were employed for SCG drying (with initial moisture content of about 65%): oven drying, solar drying and open air sun drying, while SCG samples were placed in aluminium trays with thicknesses of 1.25, 2.5 and 4 cm. Based on the experimental results for SCG samples with thickness 2.5 cm, the open air sun drying process required 10 h to reach final moisture content of 37%, while solar drying achieved 10% moisture content in 10 h and oven drying achieved 7% moisture content in 6 h. The solar drying process proved as the most advantageous, due to low energy requirements and adequate quality of dried SCG. Also, experiments indicated that SCG storage at "normal room conditions" resulted to equilibrium moisture content in SCG of 8%, regardless of the initial moisture content. Furthermore, instrumental analyses of the SCG, revealed changes to its composition for a number of chemical groups, such as aldehydes, ketones, phytosterols, alkaloids, lactones, alcohols, phenols, pyrans and furans, among others. It was also identified that the SCG colour was affected due to the drying process.

• MeSH
• fenoly MeSH
• káva * MeSH
• obnovitelná energie MeSH
• teplota MeSH
• vysoušení * MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

To assess the potential role of IL-6 in sciatic nerve injury-induced activation of a pro-regenerative state in remote dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, we compared protein levels of SCG-10 and activated STAT3, as well as axon regeneration in IL-6 knockout (IL-6ko) mice and their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Unilateral sciatic nerve compression and transection upregulated SCG-10 protein levels and activated STAT3 in DRG neurons not only in lumbar but also in cervical segments of WT mice. A pro-regenerative state induced by prior sciatic nerve lesion in cervical DRG neurons of WT mice was also shown by testing for axon regeneration in crushed ulnar nerve. DRG neurons from IL-6ko mice also displayed bilaterally increased levels of SCG-10 and STAT3 in both lumbar and cervical segments after sciatic nerve lesions. However, levels of SCG-10 protein in lumbar and cervical DRG of IL-6ko mice were significantly lower than those of their WT counterparts. Sciatic nerve injury induced a lower level of SCG-10 in cervical DRG of IL-6ko than WT mice, and this correlates with significantly shorter regeneration of axons distal to the crushed ulnar nerve. These results suggest that IL-6 contributes, at the very least, to initiation of the neuronal regeneration program in remote DRG neurons after unilateral sciatic nerve injury.

• MeSH
• imunohistochemie MeSH
• interleukin-6 analýza   nedostatek   metabolismus   MeSH
• intracelulární signální peptidy a proteiny analýza   MeSH
• myši inbrední C57BL MeSH
• myši knockoutované MeSH
• myši MeSH
• neurony chemie   cytologie   metabolismus   patologie   MeSH
• poranění periferního nervu metabolismus   patologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• regenerace nervu * MeSH
• spinální ganglia cytologie   metabolismus   patologie   chirurgie   MeSH
• transkripční faktor STAT3 analýza   MeSH
• western blotting MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

This work investigates the potential bioconversion of spent coffee grounds (SCG) into lactic acid (LA). SCG were hydrolysed by a combination of dilute acid treatment and subsequent application of cellulase. The SCG hydrolysate contained a considerable amount of reducing sugars (9·02 ± 0·03 g l-1 , glucose; 26·49 ± 0·10 g l-1 galactose and 2·81 ± 0·07 g l-1 arabinose) and it was used as a substrate for culturing several lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and LA-producing Bacillus coagulans. Among the screened micro-organisms, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CCM 1825 was identified as the most promising producer of LA on a SCG hydrolysate. Despite the inhibitory effect exerted by furfural and phenolic compounds in the medium, reasonably high LA concentrations (25·69 ± 1·45 g l-1 ) and yields (98%) were gained. Therefore, it could be demonstrated that SCG is a promising raw material for the production of LA and could serve as a feedstock for the sustainable large-scale production of LA. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Spent coffee grounds (SCG) represent solid waste generated in millions of tonnes by coffee-processing industries. Their disposal represents a serious environmental problem; however, SCG could be valorized within a biorefinery concept yielding various valuable products. Herein, we suggest that SCG can be used as a complex carbon source for the lactic acid production.

• MeSH
• Bacillus coagulans enzymologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• bioreaktory mikrobiologie   MeSH
• biotechnologie MeSH
• celulasa metabolismus   MeSH
• fermentace MeSH
• hydrolýza MeSH
• káva chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• kyselina mléčná biosyntéza   MeSH
• Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus enzymologie   metabolismus   MeSH
• odpadky - odstraňování metody   MeSH
• tuhý odpad MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The primary sensory neurons of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are a very useful model to study the neuronal regenerative program that is a prerequisite for successful axon regeneration after peripheral nerve injury. Seven days after a unilateral sciatic nerve injury by compression or transection, we detected a bilateral increase in growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and superior cervical ganglion-10 (SCG-10) mRNA and protein levels not only in DRG neurons of lumbar spinal cord segments (L4-L5) associated with injured nerve, but also in remote cervical segments (C6-C8). The increase in regeneration-associated proteins in the cervical DRG neurons was associated with the greater length of regenerated axons 1 day after ulnar nerve crush following prior sciatic nerve injury as compared to controls with only ulnar nerve crush. The increased axonal regeneration capacity of cervical DRG neurons after a prior conditioning sciatic nerve lesion was confirmed by neurite outgrowth assay of in vitro cultivated DRG neurons. Intrathecal injection of IL-6 or a JAK2 inhibitor (AG490) revealed a role for the IL-6 signaling pathway in activating the pro-regenerative state in remote DRG neurons. Our results suggest that the pro-regenerative state induced in the DRG neurons non-associated with the injured nerve reflects a systemic reaction of these neurons to unilateral sciatic nerve injury.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH