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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Institute of Paper Chemistry, 1964. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-51).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Institute of Paper Chemistry, 1972. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-162).

Cellulose and hemicellulose account for a large portion of the world‘s plant biomass. In nature, these polysaccharides are intertwined forming complex materials that require multiple enzymes to degrade them. Multi-enzyme complexes (MECs) consist of a number of enzymes working in close proximity and synergistically to degrade complex substrates with higher efficiency than individual enzymes. The cellulosome is a cellulolytic MEC produced by anaerobic bacteria that has been studied extensively since its discovery in 1983. The aim of this study was to purify a cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic MEC from an aerobic bacterium of the Bacillus genus. Several bacterial isolates were identified using morphological characteristics and 16S rDNA sequencing, and screened for their ability to degrade cellulose and xylan using a MEC. The isolate that produced a high molecular weight protein fraction with the greatest ability to degrade Avicel®, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and birchwood xylan was identified as Bacillus subtilis SJ01. An optimised growth medium, consisting of vitamins, trace elements, birchwood xylan (as the carbon source), and yeast and ammonium sulphate (as the nitrogen sources), increased the production of CMCase and xylanase enzymes from this bacterium. The removal of a competing bacterial strain from the culture and the inhibition of proteases also increased enzyme activities. A growth curve of B. subtilis SJ01 indicated that xylanase production was highest in early stationary growth phase and thus 84 hours was chosen as the best cell harvesting time. To purify the MECs produced by B. subtilis SJ01 size-exclusion chromatography on a Sephacryl S-400 column was used. It was concluded that (for the purposes of this study) the best method of concentrating the culture supernatant prior to loading onto Sephacryl S-400 was the use of ultrafiltration with a 50 kDa cut-off membrane. Two MECs, named C1 and C2 of 371 and 267 kDa, respectively, were purified from the culture supernatant of B. subtilis SJ01. Electrophoretic analysis revealed that these MECs consisted of 16 and 18 subunits, respectively, 4 of which degraded birchwood xylan and 5 of which degraded oat spelt xylan. The MECs degraded xylan substrates (C1: 0.24 U/mg, C2: 0.14 U/mg birchwood xylan) with higher efficiency than cellulose substrates (C1: 0.002 U/mg, C2: 0.01 U/mg CMC), and could therefore be considered xylanosomes. Interestingly, the MECs did not bind to insoluble birchwood xylan or Avicel® and did not contain glycosylated proteins, which are common features of cellulosomes. This study is, therefore, important in revealing the presence of MECs that differ from the cellulosome and that may have particular application in industries requiring high xylanase activity, such as the paper and pulp industry. The abundant genetic information available on B. subtilis means that this organism could also be used for genetic engineering of cellulolytic/hemicellulolytic MECs.

The relationship between substituent chemistry and melt behavior for xylan derivatives was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and parallel-plate dynamic viscometric measurements. Xylan esters exhibit characteristic Tg values which decrease with increasing size of substituent. However, these materials do not flow at temperatures well above Tg. The ether derivative hydroxypropyl xylan was found to flow at substitution levels higher than 0.5 degree of substitution, with melt viscosity decreasing as the degree of substitution increased. The influence of viscosity ratio and composition on the texture of melt-blends of hydroxypropyl cellulose and polystyrene was studied for viscosity ratios of 0.08 to 0.55. Blends were examined by SEM and TEM. It was found that composition was the determining factor in texture, and not viscosity ratio over the range tested. Extrusion problems limited the range of compositions tested to 40% biopolymer or less. Phase inversion was not observed, although inversion was expected for some samples based on predictive models in the literature. / Master of Science

Throughout the study of polymer adsorption at the air/water and solid/water interfaces, surface tension measurements and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy have been identified as key methods for the acquisition of structural and thermodynamic information. These techniques were used to determine air/water and cellulose/water interfacial properties of pullulan (P) and pullulan cinnamates (PCs), 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium xylans (HPMAXs), and hydroxypropyl xylans (HPXs). Hydrophobic modification of pullulan with cinnamate groups promoted adsorption onto model surfaces of regenerated cellulose. In order to understand the relative contributions of hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions towards PC adsorption, PC adsorption onto self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with different functional groups was also studied. As the degree of cinnamate substitution increased, greater adsorption onto cellulose, methyl-terminated SAMs (SAM-CH3), and hydroxyl-terminated SAMs (SAM-OH) was observed. This study showed that hydrogen bonding alone could not provide a complete explanation for PC adsorption onto cellulose. The adsorption of cationic 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium (HPMA) xylans with different degrees of substitution (DS) onto SAMs and regenerated cellulose was studied by SPR. Surface concentration (Р) exhibited a maximum (Рmax) for HPMAX adsorption onto carboxylic acid-terminated SAMs (SAM-COOH) at an intermediate HPMA DS of 0.10. This observation was indicative of a relatively flat conformation for adsorbed HPMAXs with higher HPMA DS because of higher linear charge densities along the polymer backbone. Рobserved for HPMAX adsorption onto regenerated cellulose and SAM-OH surfaces was relatively low compared to HPMAX adsorption onto SAM-COOH surfaces. Surface tension measurements for aqueous solutions of HPX by the Wilhelmy plate technique showed that surface tension changes ("γ = γwater " γHPX(aq)) increased and critical aggregation concentrations generally decreased with increasing hydroxypropyl (HP) DS. Hence, even though HP substitution was necessary to induce aqueous solubility, excessive hydroxypropylation promoted aggregation in water. SPR studies indicated that HPXs did not adsorb significantly onto regenerated cellulose or SAM-OH surfaces (submonolayer coverage). In contrast, HPX did adsorb (~monolayer coverage) onto SAM-CH3 surfaces. Collectively, these studies showed natural polymers could be chemically modified to produce surface modifying agents with sufficient chemical control, whereby the surface properties of the resulting systems could be explained in terms of chemical structure and intermolecular interactions. / Ph. D.

Les co-produits agricoles, son et paille de blé, sont riches en arabinoxylanes (AX) qui après hydrolyse peuvent fournir des molécules pour des usages variés: xylo-oligosides (prébiotiques), xylose (xylitol), acide férulique (vanilline, antioxydant). L’étude a visé à mettre en place un procédé intégré et éco-compatible, depuis l'hydrolyse enzymatique des AX du son de blé jusqu'à la purification de l'acide férulique. Des cocktails hémicellulasiques produits par culture de la bactérie Thermobacillus xylanilyticus sur paille ou son de blé et mis en œuvre dans des conditions variées ont permis de libérer des glucides (mono- et oligomères) et de l’acide férulique. Afin d’augmenter la monomérisation, deux nouvelles β-xylosidases ont été produites à partir de T. xylanilyticus et caractérisées. Elles ont été testées pour complémenter des cocktails hémicellulasiques complexes issus de T. xylanilyticus et étudiées en mélange avec une xylanase et une arabinosidase pures. Le choix d’une résine anionique faible sous forme base libre pour séparer les fractions glucidique et phénolique et purifier l’acide férulique s’est également inscrit dans une démarche d’éco-conception : la résine Amberlyst A21 a montré une bonne affinité pour l’acide férulique et sa régénération a libéré une fraction très concentrée. La déminéralisation préalable de l’hydrolysat par électrodialyse a permis d’accroître la capacité de la résine pour l’acide et la pureté de la fraction récupérée, potentiellement cristallisable. / Agriculture by-products (wheat bran and straw) are rich in arabinoxylans (AX). These polymers composed of a main chain of β-(1,4) linked xylose ramified by arabinose and ferulic acid, are sources of molecules for various applications: xylooligosaccharides as prebiotics, xylose to synthesize xylitol, a non-cariogenic sweetener, or ferulic acid as a precursor of vanillin or an antioxidant molecule for packaging applications. The aim of this work was to set up an eco-friendly process ranging from wheat bran AX hydrolysis to ferulic acid purification.Hemicellulasic cocktails obtained by growing Thermobacillus xylanilyticus on wheat straw or wheat bran were implemented in various conditions. They released a carbohydrate fraction (mono- and oligosaccharides) and ferulic acid. In order to increase the monomerization, two new β-xylosidases were grown from T. xylanilyticus and characterized. They were tested to supplement the complex hemicellulasic cocktails from T. xylanilyticus and studied in mixture with a pure xylanase and a pure arabinosidase.The choice of a weak anionic resin under free base form to separate the glucidic and the phenolic fractions and to purify ferulic acid was also driven by environnement purposes: Amberlyst A21 resin showed a good affinity for ferulic acid and regeneration allowed a concentrated fraction of ferulate to be obtained. Prior demineralization by electrodialysis increased the capacity of the resin for ferulic acid and the purity of the recovered fraction, potentially allowing crystallization.

La biomasse lignocellulosique est au cœur du développement de la bioraffinerie de par l’intérêt de fractionner ses composants avec divers procédés pour la production de biocarburants, de molécules d’intérêt et de matériaux agro-sourcés. L’objectif de cette thèse visait à étudier la transformation des xylanes du son de blé en molécules tensio-actives (esters de pentoses). Cette transformation a été envisagée en deux étapes : une première étape d’hydrolyse du son de blé par des hémicellulases pour la production de xylose et d’arabinose, suivie d’une seconde étape d’acylation de ces glucides par une lipase pour accéder aux esters de pentoses. La thèse s’est principalement focalisée sur l’étude de la transestérification de D- xylose et de L-arabinose (purs ou issus d’un hydrolysat de son de blé) et du laurate de vinyle par la lipase immobilisée N435. L’influence de divers paramètres réactionnels a été étudiée. Des mono- et diesters lauriques de D-xylose et de L-arabinose, dont la structure a été caractérisée, sont produits par la lipase. Les propriétés physico-chimiques de ces esters lauriques de pentoses, originaux et nouvellement décrits, ont été évaluées et ont montré l’intérêt de ces molécules en tant que tensio-actifs. Une approche préliminaire a également été développée pour étudier la synthèse d’esters lauriques de xylo-oligosaccharides par la lipase N435. Nos résultats montrent que cette production a lieu mais qu’elle est moins efficace que dans le cas des monosaccharides. La transestérification catalysée par la lipase N435 reste dans ce cas à optimiser, de même que la purification et la caractérisation de ces esters lauriques de xylo-oligosaccharides. / Lignocellulosic biomass is at the center of biorefinery development. This development is achieved by the fractionation of the main components of lignocellulosic biomass (cellulose and hemicelluloses) in order to produce biofuels, molecules of interest and agromaterials.This PhD thesis had the objective to study the transformation of wheat bran xylanes into pentose based surfactants. A two steps system was studied, a first step of enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat bran with hemicellulases (to produce xylose and arabinose) and a second step of sugar acylation catalyzed by a lipase to produce pentoses based surfactants.The PhD thesis mainly focused on the transesterification of D- xylose and L-arabinose (pure or obtained from wheat bran hydrolysate) by the immobilized lipase N435 with vinyllaurate. Several parameters were studied. Lauryl mono- and diesters of D- xylose and L-arabinose were produced by the lipase and their structures were elucidated. Physico-chemical properties of the original and newly produced pentoses based esters were investigated and shown the surfactant potential of these molecules. A preliminary approach was also developed to study the enzymatic synthesis of lauryl xylo-oligosaccharides esters by the lipase N435. Our results showed that such a production is possible but is less efficient than with monosaccharides. The production by transesterification of xylo-oligosaccharides with the lipase N435 needs to be optimized as well as the purification and the characterization of lauryl xylo-oligosaccharides esters.

Le fractionnement du bois est un processus faisant appel à des méthodes encore non éco-compatibles. L’étape-clé de ce fractionnement est la délignification, qui utilise des composés chlorés, donc nocifs. Ainsi, des procédés originaux de délignification des sciures de bois de châtaignier ont été développés, utilisant des catalyseurs de type phtalocyanine et porphyrine. Ceux-ci, en milieu oxydant,permettent d’oxyder la lignine et donc de la détruire. Cette délignification a été caractérisée par différentes techniques, notamment par spectroscopie FT-IR et UV-Visible et par la mesure du nombre Kappa. Les résultats se sont révélés globalement décevants mais nous avons tout de même souhaité extraire les 4-O-Méthylglucuronoxylanes (MGX), les hémicelluloses majoritaires du châtaignier, à partir de sciures délignifiées par le système phtalocyanine/H2O2. Ceux-ci ont été extraits par simple traitement à l’eau chaude, ce qui a permis d’obtenir un MGX original porteur de résidu phénolique prouvant la délignification incomplète des sciures. Ces résidus phénoliques confèrent aux MGX un pouvoir antioxydant intéressant mesuré face au radical stable 2,2-diphényl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) par Résonance Paramagnétique Electronique (RPE) dont la CI50 a été mesuré à 225μg.mL-1, qui, comparé à des références, peut se placer comme un alternatif crédible en tant qu’antioxydant dans l’industrie alimentaire ou cosmétique. Nous avons enfin caractérisé plus précisément un fragment du polysaccharide afin de remonter à sa structure native dans le bois. / Fractionation of wood, essential for the development of its molecular constituents, generally includes non eco-friendly steps. The key-step of the fractionation, the delignification, is generally based on the implementation of aggressive conditions, using harmful reagents, particularly chlorinated. In this work, we developed a new method of delignification of sawdust chestnut, emblematic species of the Limousin region, using phthalocyanine or porphyrin as a catalyst and hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. Lignin degradation was characterized by various techniques, including FT-IR spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption and by measuring the kappa number. Then we showed that the use of phthalocyanine, less effective that porphyrins in terms of degradation mass yields of lignocellulosic material are however more selective to lignin oxydation. It was then possible, from residues only partially delignified, to extract by a simple hot water a hemicellulose with a similar structure to the 4-O-M¨¦thylglucuronoxylans classically extracted from hardwood. This polysaccharide is characterized by the presence of phenolic residues providing it an interesting antioxidant activity, measured against the radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and its IC50 is estimated at 225¦Ìg. mL-1. This value, compared to reference products such as vitamin E, allows to classify this compound among good candidates for development as a natural preservative for food or cosmetic industries.

Résumé confidentiel / Résumé confidentiel