木聚糖酶水解制取低聚木糖的研究

比较了木聚糖酶和纤维素酶水解木聚糖制备低聚木糖的效果，并在10L酶解罐中研究了搅拌速率和酶解时间等因素对木聚糖酶水解的影响。优化了酶解工艺条件，当木聚糖质量浓度为30g/L，木聚糖酶体积用量为1%，搅拌速率180r/min时，酶解2h低聚糖得率可达35.2%。总糖得率为41.9%。产品酶解液中25.9%固形物是聚合度2-5的低聚木糖。     

重组木聚糖酶生产低聚木糖的实验研究

研究了重组木聚糖酶C0602生产低聚木糖的制备工艺,考察了不同类型底物、底物浓度和酶用量对酶解效率和低聚木糖产率的影响.实验结果表明,低聚木糖生产原料以抽提木聚糖为宜.桦木木聚糖质量浓度30g/L,重组木聚糖酶用量20 IU/g条件下水解4 h,酶解率可达56.05%,低聚木糖产率(C2～C6)为29.76%,产品平均...     

木聚糖相对分子质量分布对里氏木霉合成木聚糖酶的影响

以里氏木霉(Trichoderma reesei)Rut C-30为产酶茵,研究了相对分子质量(Mw)分布不同的木聚糖对木聚糖酶合成的影响。通过SephadexG一100凝胶过滤色谱分级分离发现木聚糖A中低Mw组分较多,木聚糖B中低Mw组分较少,木聚糖C中低Mw组分最少。分别以这3种木聚糖为碳源合成木聚糖酶,最高木聚糖酶活力分别为153．64、120．84和110.84IU／mL,产酶时间分别为60、72和96h。用这3种碳源合成的木聚糖酶酶解粗木聚糖,酶解2h时,产物中低聚木糖分别占总糖的80．70％、68．56％和66．92％。这表明低Mw组分较多的木聚糖不仅有利于促进木聚糖酶的诱导合成,而且有利于促进内切-1,4-木聚糖酶的合成。     

双水相木聚糖酶水解体系制备木二糖及其纯化

采用聚乙二醇6000/柠檬酸钠的双水相木聚糖酶水解体系制备木二糖,以10 g/L桦木木聚糖为底物,木聚糖酶的酶用量为20 IU/g(以木聚糖质量计),在50℃、p H值5.6条件下,水解8 h制备木二糖,木二糖的酶解得率为13.8%。双水相水解体系对木聚糖酶回收率为66.4%,对木二糖回收率为87.2%;采用凝胶层析纯化方法,以葡聚糖凝胶LH-20为分离介质,脱气超纯水为洗脱剂,在柱温35℃、洗脱溶剂流速0.1 m L/min、上样量0.3 m L条件下,分离纯化木二糖,木二糖纯度为98.5%。     

木聚糖酶在膜反应器内的酶解特性

分别研究了粗木聚糖酶和纯化的木聚糖酶在超滤膜反应器(UMR)和常规反应器(CSBR)中的酶解特性。粗木聚糖酶或纯木聚糖酶在UMR中酶解木聚糖时,反应进行了525 m in时所得产品中低聚木糖各组分的质量分数(木二糖~木五糖)均在20%左右,木糖质量分数约为9.5%。在UMR中粗木聚糖酶降解木聚糖时的低聚木糖得率、低聚木糖占总糖的比例和低聚木糖生产能力比纯木聚糖酶在CSBR中分别高19.1%、14.8%和13.5%;而木糖的得率却低55.2%。粗木聚糖酶在UMR中酶解木聚糖时,所得低聚木糖产品中木二糖~木五糖组分含量基本相等;纯木聚糖酶在CSBR中酶解木聚糖时,所得低聚木糖产品中木二糖含量较高。同纯木聚糖酶在CSBR中酶解特性相比,粗木聚糖酶在UMR中酶解木聚糖可以制得高质量低聚木糖。     

选择性控制酶水解玉米芯木聚糖制备低聚木糖

对采用选择性控制木聚糖酶水解条件制备低聚木糖进行了研究,并同时探讨了以两种木聚糖形式--干粉和湿浆为原料造成的酶解结果差异及其原因.结果表明,目前较适宜的低聚木糖制备工艺为以木聚糖湿浆为底物,底物质量浓度20～40g/L,酶用量1%(体积分数,下同),pH值4.8,温度50℃,酶解时间4 h.造成干粉与湿浆酶解制备低聚糖结果差异的原因,可能是由于这两种底物自身结构特性的差异导致了底物可及度,以及酶与底物吸附作用的不同.结果显示当以干粉为底物,酶用量10%,酶解时间12 h,低聚木糖得率最高可达40%(质量分数)左右,而以湿浆为底物,达到同样低聚糖得率的酶用量和酶解时间分别仅需1%和4 h.     

木聚糖酶解反应与膜分离技术研究

过程耦合是应用技术领域研究的热点之一 ,膜及膜分离技术的开发促进了过程耦合技术的发展。如膜超滤、膜萃取、膜蒸馏、渗透蒸发。在超滤膜反应器中木聚糖酶解制备低聚木糖的条件 :酶体积用量1 0 % ,木聚糖质量浓度 3 0 .0 g/L ,稀释率 1h-1,pH值 5 .0 ,反应温度 48℃ ,酶解时间 1 3 5min。在该条件下 ,低聚木糖得率、木糖得率、低聚木糖生产能力及低聚木糖与总糖之比分别为 2 8.5 % ,4.1 % ,3 .80g/ (L·h)和0 .87,并比较了分批加料、浓缩酶、常规反应器中酶解反应效果 ,浓缩木聚糖酶酶解结果表明 :木糖得率很低(0 .2 % ) ,低聚木糖得率为 3 5 .9%。     

选择性控制酶水解玉米芯木聚糖制备低聚木糖

对采用选择性控制木聚糖酶水解条件制备低聚木糖进行了研究，并同时探讨了以两种木聚糖形式——干粉和湿浆为原料造成的酶解结果差异及其原因。结果表明，目前较适宜的低聚木糖制备工艺为：以木聚糖湿浆为底物，底物质量浓度20～40g／L，酶用量1％（体积分数，下同），pH值4、8，温度50℃，酶解时间4h。造成干粉与湿浆酶解制备低聚糖结果差异的原因，可能是由于这两种底物自身结构特性的差异导致了底物可及度，以及酶与底物吸附作用的不同。结果显示当以干粉为底物，酶用量10％，酶解时间12h，低聚木糖得率最高可达40％（质量分数）左右，而以湿浆为底物，达到同样低聚糖得率的酶用量和酶解时间分别仅需1％和4h。     

膜反应器中木聚糖的酶水解反应

以木聚糖为底物、木聚糖酶为催化剂，在木聚糖质量浓度为30．0g/L，操作压力16kPa，进料速度400mL/min，时间12h,pH值5．0，温度为48摄氏度的条件下研究了超滤膜反应器中木聚糖的酶水解反应。结果表明，木聚糖的酶水解总糖得率为60．10％，未水解木聚糖聚合度为10左右，碱溶对聚合度没有影响，未水解木聚糖重新水解，总糖得率为7．50％。     

碱性亚硫酸盐预处理对桉木酶解糖化的影响

为提高按木原料的酶解糖化效果,采用碱性亚硫酸盐对桉木原料进行预处理,并对预处理所得样品进行纤维素酶酶解糖化.通过测定酶解液中的葡萄糖、木糖得率,探讨预处理条件对产糖得率的影响.结果表明:随着蒸煮温度的升高,NaOH用量的增大,桉木酶解液中木糖、葡萄糖得率明显增大;随着Na2SO3用量的增大,保温时间的延长,酶解液中木糖、葡萄糖得率先增大后减小.最佳预处理条件为:蒸煮最高温度170℃,保温时间3h,NaOH用量3％,Na2SO3用量10％.此时,酶解木糖、葡萄糖得率分别可达15.37％和60.79％,比未经处理的1.73％和12.33％提高了7.88倍和3.93倍.     

Growth of Phlebiopsis gigantea in wood of seven conifer species

Heterobasidion parviporum and Heterobasidion annosum are widely distributed root‐rot fungi that infect conifers throughout Europe. Infection of conifer stumps by spores of these pathogens can be controlled by treating fresh stumps with a competing non‐pathogenic fungus, Phlebiopsis gigantea. In this study, growth of three Latvian strains of P. gigantea and the biological control agent ‘Rotstop’ strain was evaluated in stem pieces of Norway spruce, Scots pine, lodgepole pine, Douglas‐fir, Weymouth pine, Siberian larch and Sitka spruce. The growth rates of one H. parviporum and one H. annosum isolate were also measured in the same stem pieces. The growth rate of P. gigantea varied greatly in wood of different conifer species. It was higher in the three pine species, lower in Norway spruce and lowest in Sitka spruce and Siberian larch, and in Douglas‐fir, this fungus did not grow. The largest area of wood occupied by P. gigantea was in lodgepole pine. Growth of Latvian isolates of P. gigantea in the wood of Pinus and Picea species was comparable to that of the Rotstop isolate. Consequently, stump treatment with local P. gigantea isolates should be recommended. However, our results suggest that Douglas‐fir stump treatment against Heterobasidion by P. gigantea may be ineffective and other stump treatment methods should be considered.     

Growth of Mixed Birch-Coniferous Stands in Relation to Pure Coniferous Stands at Similar Sites in South-eastern Norway

Mean age, mean and top heights and yield were studied in 20 mixed stands of birch ( Betula pubescens Ehrh. and B. pendula Roth) and Picea abies (L.) Karst. and nine mixed stands of birch and Pinus sylvestris L. in south-eastern Norway. Each mixed stand and the adjacent pure coniferous stand (control) were growing under the same site conditions and had not been commercially thinned. There were no significant differences in mean age at breast height or in top heights between birch and conifers in the mixed stands, while mean height was significantly higher for birch than for spruce. A growth index was calculated based on total volume and age at breast height. For the spruce sites the growth in young mixed stands (birch < 17 m) was superior to that of pure spruce, while the difference was insignificant in older stands. The growth index correlated positively with the ratio between generatively and vegetatively regenerated birch trees, and negatively with the age of the oldest species in the mixture and with site quality. For the pine sites there was no significant difference in the growth index between mixed birch-pine and pure pine stands. A mixture effect of birch on the volume yield of spruce or pine could not be demonstrated.     

Defoliation by the Needle-shortening Pine Gall Midge,Thecodiplosis brachyntera,on Pines in Central Sweden

An outbreak of the needle-shortening pine gall midge, Thecodiplosis brachyntera , occurred on Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris (L.) and lodgepole pine, P. contorta (Dougl.) in central Sweden during 1995-1998. The larval feeding of T. brachyntera kills current-year needles and heavy infestation causes severe defoliation. A pattern of fluctuating defoliation among years and sites was found on both pine species. Defoliation was evenly distributed in the crown of P. sylvestris during years of high as well as low infestation; apical whorls had as much defoliation as basal whorls. In P. contorta , however, there was a tendency for defoliation to be concentrated on branches in the most apical whorls. Growth ring increments on P. sylvestris with high levels of defoliation (71%) did not differ from trees with moderate levels (26%) of defoliation. Shoot lengths were significantly shorter, however, on heavily infested trees the year after defoliation.     

Decomposition and nutrient loss from prunings of different contour hedgerow species in tea plantations in the sloping highlands of Sri Lanka

Contour hedgerows of multipurpose tree species in the sloping tea lands of Sri Lanka are expected to reduce soil erosion and also add significant amounts of plant nutrients to the soil via periodic prunings. The objective of this experiment was to characterize the biomass decomposition pattern and quantify the amount of nutrients added through prunings of six tree species (Calliandra calothyrsus, Senna spectabilis, Euphatorium innulifolium, Flemingia congesta, Gliricidia sepium and Tithonia diversifolia) currently being used in hedgerows associated with tea. Withered leaf and stem prunings (50 g) were enclosed in 2-mm litter bags, placed at 5-cm depth and retrieved after one, three, six, nine and 12 weeks. Loss of initial dry weight, N, P and K was measured. Single exponential decay function adequately described both dry weight and nutrient loss. Tree species differed significantly in their rate of breakdown with decomposition constants (k) varying from 0.0299 to 0.2006 week⁻¹ for leaves and from 0.0225 to 0.0633 week⁻¹ for stems. Gliricidia showed the highest k for leaves with the rest in the following descending order: Senna > Tithonia ≥ Euphatorium > Calliandra > Flemingia. A similar pattern was observed for loss of all nutrients with Calliandra and Flemingia always having lower k values than the rest. Although N immobilization was not observed, immobilization of P and K was observed during the first week of incubation in some species, particularly in stem prunings. Annual biomass of prunings differed significantly between tree species in the following descending order: Calliandra > Senna > Flemingia > Tithonia > Gliricidia > Euphatorium. Calliandra added the greatest amount of nutrients annually to the soil with Euphatorium adding the least. Calliandra prunings provided the annual total K requirement and 49% of the N requirement of mature tea. However, none of the species provided more than 5% of the P requirement. It is concluded that among the tree species tested, Calliandra and Flemingia are the most suitable for contour hedgerows in tea plantations of this agroclimatic region because of their higher soil nutrient enrichment capacity and slower decomposition rates which would minimize leaching losses. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Seed Weight and Seed Type on Early Seedling Growth of Pinus sylvestris under Harsh and Optimal Conditions

The effects of seed weight and seed type on seedling growth of Pinus sylvestris (L.) were studied by seeding individually weighed orchard and stand seed in different mixtures under harsh (direct seeding in field) and optimal (seeding in nursery) conditions. In the nursery experiment an increase in the seed weight from 3 to 7 mg increased the seedling height by 10-27% and total weight by 27-113%, and decreased the height/diameter ratio by 5-6% after 2 yrs. With elimination of seed weight effects, orchard seedlings were 2% taller than stand seedlings in year 2. Without elimination of seed weight effects, orchard seedlings were 7-13% taller. In the field experiment an increase in the seed weight from 3 to 7 mg increased seedling height by 18-65%, stem volume by 81-274% and the number of top-buds by 23-34% in year 5. After elimination of seed weight effects, orchard seedlings were 7-13% taller than stand seedlings and without elimination of seed weight effects 20-21% taller after 5 yrs. Even after elimination of both seed weight and genetic effects orchard seedlings were 3-9% larger than stand seedlings in the field experiment. In conclusion, the influence of seed weight and seed type on growth traits and slenderness is highly significant and the influence seems to be greater in harsh conditions.     

Modelling of adequate pretwist for obtaining straight timber

Abstract

Wood in general and wooden studs in particular are often distorted owing to uneven shrinkage during the drying process in the sawmill. Twist is often the most detrimental of all types of distortion, and it is caused by spiral grain in combination with variations in moisture content. For sawmills, the objective is to produce dried, straight boards, and one method of dealing with boards with excessive spiral grain is to sort them out and then dry them in a pretwisted position to obtain straight boards after drying. A model using the finite element (FE) method for the simulation of drying twist distortions was first calibrated against laboratory experiments in which boards were dried with and without restraints and pretwists. After the calibration, the FE results were compared with industrial test results for boards that were dried without restraints or with restraints with zero pretwist, i.e. straight restraints. The FE model used an elastic–ideally plastic material model to obtain permanent deformations. The calibration was to set the yield stresses so that there was a good match between FE results and results from the laboratory experiments. The comparison between the industrial test results and the FE results showed that the FE model is capable of realistic simulations of drying boards with and without restraints and presumably also pretwists.     

Potential to harness superior nutritional qualities of exotic baobabs if local adaptation can be conferred through grafting

Baobab leaves form an important part of the local diet in Sahel countries and elsewhere in Africa. Existing leaf nutritional data and agroforestry performance information are based solely on Adansonia digitata L., the baobab of continental Africa. The introduction potential of Adansonia species from the center of diversity in Madagascar and from Australia remains untapped. To assess this potential, the mineral contents and B₁ and B₂ vitamin levels of dried baobab leaves were determined for five-year old trees of A. digitata, A. gibbosa (A. Cunn.) Guymer ex D. Baum, A. rubrostipa Jum. & H. Perrier (syn. A. fony Baill.), A. perrieri Capuron and A. za Baill. grown in an introduction trial in Mali. Nutritional data were evaluated against survival and vigor to identify promising germplasm. Leaf vitamin and crude protein contents were highest in the Madagascar species, especially A. rubrostipa (B₁ 88 mg 100 g⁻¹, B₂ 187 mg 100 g⁻¹, protein 20.7% dry weight). However, the local species far outperformed the introductions in survival, tree height, basal diameter and resistance to termites. We suggest grafting as a way of harnessing the vigor of well-adapted local baobab varieties to the superior nutritional profiles of A. rubrostipa and others. Cross-species grafting tests in Adansonia were successful, thus creating new agroforestry possibilities with different scion/rootstock combinations.     

Boron in forest trees and forest ecosystems

This review critically examines the role of boron (B) in forests in view of recent findings on B nutrition and the continuing occurrence of B deficiency. Many perceptions about the role of B in plants and its uptake and mobility have been altered since the last review on B in forest trees in 1990. Now there is evidence for a fundamental role of B in the formation of the pectic structure in primary cell walls in plants, and further roles in membrane function are being explored. In plants, channel-mediated B uptake, active B uptake and B uptake by mycorrhizas have been shown, B transporters have been identified, and B retranslocation has been shown. We explore these findings and their consequences on forest trees and on ecosystems that they dominate. Particular emphasis is placed on B retranslocation and B in mycorrhizal symbiosis, given their importance in trees.     

Survival and Growth of Picea abies Regeneration after Shelterwood Removal with Single- and Double-grip Harvester Systems

Three stands in Sweden were followed for 7 yrs to study the survival and growth of Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] regeneration after shelterwood removal with single- and double-grip harvester systems. The height of all seedlings within circular plots was recorded before and after final cutting. The tallest seedling and one randomly selected seedling on each circular plot were permanently marked and their annual height growth was measured each year during the period 1993-1999. No significant differences between single- and double-grip harvester systems were found with respect to their effects on regeneration density, survival or annual height growth. The annual height growth of the individual seedlings after shelterwood removal was significantly correlated with seedling height before shelterwood removal. Significant differences were found in annual height growth between seedlings with high and low vitality. Logging damage did not affect the annual height growth. Several practical conclusions were drawn. First, the choice of harvester system does not affect seedling height growth or survival after shelterwood removal. Secondly, the removal of a 200 m³ shelterwood with 200 stems ha^-1 does not seem to constitute a serious problem for seedling survival and growth. Finally, estimated vitality and seedling height both seem to be fairly good predictors of postrelease survival and growth.     

Development of Pinus sylvestris Main Stems Following Three Different Precommercial Thinning Methods in a Mixed Stand

Reducing competition by point cleaning may be an attractive alternative to conventional precommercial thinning in forestry. In this study, survival and development of main stems of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) following point cleaning were examined in a mixed stand of mainly Scots pine and birch (Betula pendula Roth and Betula pubescens Ehrh.) in northern Sweden. Treatments studied were: no precommercial thinning, conventional precommercial thinning, point cleaning of all secondary stems, and point cleaning of only the secondary stems that were higher than the main stem, within a radius of 0.8 m from the main stem, respectively. A randomised complete block design with three replicates was used. Measurements taken 13 growing seasons after these treatments showed that conventional precommercial thinning was the best treatment for retaining Scots pines as main stems. However, conventional precommercial thinning resulted in the poorest timber quality of the remaining Scots pines in terms of stem taper, thickest branch diameter and relative live crown height. In conclusion, point cleaning has to be followed by a complementary cleaning operation if the objective is to retain Scots pines as main stems in such mixed stands.