Isolate B17 from Kombucha was estimated to be an efficient producer of bacterial cellulose (BC). The isolate was deposited under the number P 1463 and identified as Komagataeibacter rhaeticus by comparing a generated amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP™) DNA fingerprint against a reference database. Static cultivation of the K. rhaeticus strain P 1463 in Hestrin and Schramm (HS) medium resulted in 4.40 ± 0.22 g/L BC being produced, corresponding to a BC yield from glucose of 25.30 ± 1.78 %, when the inoculum was made with a modified HS medium containing 10 g/L glucose. Fermentations for 5 days using media containing apple juice with analogous carbon source concentrations resulted in 4.77 ± 0.24 g/L BC being synthesised, corresponding to a yield from the consumed sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose) of 37.00 ± 2.61 %. The capacity of K. rhaeticus strain P 1463 to synthesise BC was found to be much higher than that of two reference strains for cellulose production, Komagataeibacter xylinus DSM 46604 and Komagataeibacter hansenii DSM 5602, and was also considerably higher than that of K. hansenii strain B22, isolated from another Kombucha sample. The BC synthesised by K. rhaeticus strain P 1463 after 40 days of cultivation in HS medium with additional glucose supplemented to the cell culture during cultivation was shown to have a degree of polymerization of 3300.0 ± 122.1 glucose units, a tensile strength of 65.50 ± 3.27 MPa and a length at break of 16.50 ± 0.83 km. For the other strains, these properties did not exceed 25.60 ± 1.28 MPa and 15.20 ± 0.76 km.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with ratiometric sensing properties are desirable for many applications due to their intrinsic self-calibration. We report the re-assessment of the sensing properties of a MOF, originally reported as containing europium(III) and 2-hydroxyterephtalic acid, and having fluorescent ratiometric iron(III) sensing properties. Synchrotron single-crystal X-ray diffraction and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy revealed that the MOF is composed of 2-methoxyterephthalate, not 2-hydroxyterephthalate as originally reported. We found that the MOF exhibits a sensor turn-off response towards Fe3+ ion concentrations in the range 0.5–3.7 ppm (band 425 nm), and a turn-on response towards a decrease of pH from 5.4 to 3.0 (band 375 nm), both resulting from the addition of acidic Fe3+ salt solution to a MOF suspension. Thus, the ratiometric sensing properties and the originally proposed mechanism no longer apply; our work reveals a dynamic quenching mechanism for the fluorescence turn-off response due to the presence of Fe3+ ions, and a ligand protonation mechanism for the turn-on response to a decrease in pH. Our work highlights the importance of a thorough investigation of the structure of any newly synthesized MOF, and, in the case of potential sensors, their selectivity and any environmental effects on their sensing behavior.

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Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have generated increasing attention in the past few years as potential sources of innovative bionanomaterials. This study focuses on an alternative method of nanocellulose particle preparation, using ammonium persulfate, and compares this to existing techniques. Nanoparticles were prepared using 4 different methods: thermocatalytic method, TEMPO oxidation, the acid hydrolysis and oxidation with ammonium persulfate. With the ammonium persulfate method, the grinding time of the oxidised cellulose is reduced drastically to only 0.5h, and results in an average nanoparticles size of 404.5 nm, zeta potential of -26.4 and crystallinity degree of 80%. Based on comparison of these parameters to results from existing techniques, oxidising cellulose using ammonium persulfate appears to be a promising alternative.

The technique of in situ particle film attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FTIR) has been used to probe the adsorption and coadsorption (sequential) of a common food protein (β-lactoglobulin, BLG) and two representative bile salts (taurocholic acid and glycocholic acid, abbreviated as TCA and GCA) onto the surface of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. Evaluating of binding interactions between commonly used (historically now, in some countries) food additives and food components, as well as the body’s own digestion chemicals, is a critical step in understanding the role of colloidal phenomena in digestion and bioavailability. TCA is found to adsorb onto TiO2 but without any significant ability to be retained when it is not present in the aqueous phase. GCA is also found to adsorb via two distinct binding mechanisms, with one type of adsorbed species being resistant to removal. BLG adsorbs, is irreversibly bound, and has altered conformation when adsorbed at pH 2 (stomach conditions) to the conformation when adsorbed at pH 6.5 (small intestine conditions). This altered conformation is not interface-dependent and is mirrored in the solution spectra of BLG. Sequential coadsorption studies indicate that TCA and GCA adsorb onto TiO2 nanoparticle surfaces and display similar degrees of reversibility and binding in the presence or absence of preadsorbed BLG.