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Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tbgr20
Stability of complex carbohydrate structures: Biofuels, foods, vaccines and shipwrecks John Mitchell
a
a
University of Nottingham , UK Published online: 24 Jul 2013.
To cite this article: John Mitchell (2013) Stability of complex carbohydrate structures: Biofuels, foods, vaccines and shipwrecks, Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews, 29:1, 110-112, DOI: 10.1080/02648725.2013.801230 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02648725.2013.801230
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/termsand-conditions
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews, 2013 Vol. 29, No. 1, 110–112, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02648725.2013.801230
BOOK REVIEW
Downloaded by [Michigan State University] at 09:46 29 March 2015
Stability of complex carbohydrate structures: Biofuels, foods, vaccines and shipwrecks, edited by Stephen E. Harding, Cambridge, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 31 December 2012, 200 pages + 10 prelim pages, £119.95 (Hardcover), ISBN (print) 978-1-84973-563-6
This book is based on the presentations given at a Discussion meeting of the Royal Society of Chemistry held in conjunction with the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence in September 2011. It contains 13 chapters written by the presenters. In recent years there has been greatly increased interest in polysaccharides. This is related to a wide and increasing range of applications for these materials. In many of these stability is critical. On the biomedical side uses include not only their role in drug delivery, which is represented by a chapter by Gordon Morris and colleagues (University of Huddersfield) on pectin-based drug-delivery systems, but also specific therapeutic benefits. It is becoming clear that some of the claims made by traditional Chinese medicine are justified and can be associated with the polysaccharide component, particularly in herbs and mushrooms, though it will be a long time before the mechanisms are fully understood. Until reading the excellent chapter by Chris Jones (National Institute of Biological Standards, Potters Bar, UK) in this book, I was unaware that polysaccharides are also important vaccines. It can be argued with some justification that the polysaccharide that has the most potential in biomedical applications is chitosan. One reason for this is that its positive charge allows structures to be created by interactions with anionic polysaccharides. A good example of this is given in the chapter by Christine Wandrey and colleagues (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), in which the stability of nanogel particles formed by interaction with pentasodium triphosphate and subsequent decoration with sodium alginate is addressed. It has been recognised for more than 50 years that the consumption of dietary fibre, which can be defined as non-starch polysaccharides, has significant resonances for health. There is an excellent contribution from Peter Ellis and colleagues (Kings College, London) which reviews some of the recent thinking in this area and in particular considers the mode of action within the body, making the important point that dietary fibre very often exists within intact cells walls, so the stability of this complex structure both in the colon and during food manufacture and preparation is an important consideration. One of the important factors influencing behaviour in the gastrointestinal tract and hence food digestion is the presence of mucins. The mucin family is extremely complex and dynamic. For this reason, studies on the sensory properties of foods and attempts to predict food behaviour in the gastrointestinal tract have largely ignored interactions with mucin. The book includes a valuable chapter by Tony Corfield (University of Bristol) on mucin turnover focusing particularly on the gastrointestinal tract.
Downloaded by [Michigan State University] at 09:46 29 March 2015
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews
111
Enzymatic breakdown is of course central to the use of polysaccharides in the body. The chapter by Chia-Long Lin and Richard Tester (Glasgow Caledonian University), entitled ‘Enzymatic stability of starches’, not only considers breakdown but also the role of enzymes in starch synthesis and includes a very useful review of starch structure, which a student about to enter a PhD programme involving the study of starch would do well to read. The action of enzymes on pectin is of major importance in fruit ripening. Greg Tucker (University of Nottingham) in a chapter entitled ‘Enzymatic degradation of cell wall polysaccharides’ considers the consequence of genetically downregulating pectolytic enzymes for ripening tomato fruit. This chapter also gives a useful introduction to the structure of the plant cell wall. Although the above chapters are particularly relevant to the food or biomedical applications, there have been equally important developments in other areas for which stability of complex carbohydrate structures is relevant. These include biodegradable packaging partly or wholly based on polysaccharides, the need to break down lignocellulosic material as part of the process for producing biofuels, the use of polysaccharides particularly guar gum in the fracking process for shale gas recovery, and the regeneration of cellulose to produce different types of textile fibre. These applications are addressed less directly, but the book contains fundamental chapters which are relevant. Michael Jarvis (University of Glasgow) discusses cellulose crystallinity, covering the information that can be obtained by X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), and the measurement and meaning of cellulose crystallinity when the cellulose is a component of a more complex plant tissue. In addition to the relevance to degradation of lignocellulose structures for biofuel production, the use of cellulose whiskers to reinforce composites is briefly addressed. Cellulose interactions with water are important particularly in textile applications and it was good to see a chapter by Colin Hill and Xanjun Xie (Edinburgh Napier University) on interpretation of the cellulose sorption isotherm. In our own research group we have had some experience in this area, and it was refreshing and interesting to see a different approach to the modelling of this isotherm. Central to many aspects of stability is the measurement of size. This is not only the measurement of the primary molecular weight of a polysaccharide as it degrades but also the stability of multicomponent structures maintained by non-covalent bonds. In an excellent chapter, with a wide range of examples, Steve Harding (University of Nottingham) shows how a combination of chromatography, light scattering, viscometry and ultracentrifugation can be used to provide information on both size and shape. The developments in the interpretation of sedimentation results are particularly interesting. It might be argued that these approaches have become less important as a result of the development in proximity microscopies, in particular atomic force microscopy, but this is not the case. The hydrodynamic and microscopic approaches are complementary. The book starts off with a challenging fundamental chapter by Felix Franks (Bioupdate Foundation, London) entitled ‘Carbohydrate: First cousins of water’. This partly covers the important area of kinetics verses thermodynamics, one aspect of which is the realization that carbohydrates can be kinetically trapped in an amorphous glass. As a result of advances in techniques such as positron annihilation spectroscopy and molecular dynamic simulation, there are opportunities to move this important aspect of biomaterial science further forward. As Felix Franks states, major developments on this and other aspects of polysaccharide properties and
Downloaded by [Michigan State University] at 09:46 29 March 2015
112
Book review
behaviour were the result of work carried out within the Unilever Research Colworth Laboratories in the 1970s and 1980s. It is unlikely that we will again see the same extent and level of fundamental science emerging in the published literature from an industrial laboratory. The world has changed! The book concludes with two chapters related to lignin stability. Lignin stability is central to the use of wood as a structural material, but a reduction in stability would facilitate the processing of biomass in applications such as biofuel and paper manufacture. Professor Claire Halpin and colleagues (University of Dundee) offer hope that it will be possible to modify lignin structure in crops by genetic modification or plant breeding to produce biomass where the protective action of lignin against degradation is reduced. In the final chapter, Nanna Bjerregard Pedersen and colleagues (University of Copenhagen) discuss the remarkable stability of wood in anaerobic water-logged environments. In these environments wood structures can survive for thousands of years. The degradation mechanisms are complex and not fully understood, though it is clear these structures survive because of the lignin rather than the cellulose component. In his Introduction, Steve Harding expresses the hope that this well-produced and indexed book will provide a useful interdisciplinary insight of value to researchers from across the wide diversity of fields in which the stability of carbohydrate and carbohydrate complex structures is important. In my view, this hope has been realized. John Mitchell University of Nottingham, UK [email protected] Ó 2013, John Mitchell
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tbgr20
Stability of complex carbohydrate structures: Biofuels, foods, vaccines and shipwrecks John Mitchell
a
a
University of Nottingham , UK Published online: 24 Jul 2013.
To cite this article: John Mitchell (2013) Stability of complex carbohydrate structures: Biofuels, foods, vaccines and shipwrecks, Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews, 29:1, 110-112, DOI: 10.1080/02648725.2013.801230 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02648725.2013.801230
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/termsand-conditions
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews, 2013 Vol. 29, No. 1, 110–112, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02648725.2013.801230
BOOK REVIEW
Downloaded by [Michigan State University] at 09:46 29 March 2015
Stability of complex carbohydrate structures: Biofuels, foods, vaccines and shipwrecks, edited by Stephen E. Harding, Cambridge, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 31 December 2012, 200 pages + 10 prelim pages, £119.95 (Hardcover), ISBN (print) 978-1-84973-563-6
This book is based on the presentations given at a Discussion meeting of the Royal Society of Chemistry held in conjunction with the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence in September 2011. It contains 13 chapters written by the presenters. In recent years there has been greatly increased interest in polysaccharides. This is related to a wide and increasing range of applications for these materials. In many of these stability is critical. On the biomedical side uses include not only their role in drug delivery, which is represented by a chapter by Gordon Morris and colleagues (University of Huddersfield) on pectin-based drug-delivery systems, but also specific therapeutic benefits. It is becoming clear that some of the claims made by traditional Chinese medicine are justified and can be associated with the polysaccharide component, particularly in herbs and mushrooms, though it will be a long time before the mechanisms are fully understood. Until reading the excellent chapter by Chris Jones (National Institute of Biological Standards, Potters Bar, UK) in this book, I was unaware that polysaccharides are also important vaccines. It can be argued with some justification that the polysaccharide that has the most potential in biomedical applications is chitosan. One reason for this is that its positive charge allows structures to be created by interactions with anionic polysaccharides. A good example of this is given in the chapter by Christine Wandrey and colleagues (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), in which the stability of nanogel particles formed by interaction with pentasodium triphosphate and subsequent decoration with sodium alginate is addressed. It has been recognised for more than 50 years that the consumption of dietary fibre, which can be defined as non-starch polysaccharides, has significant resonances for health. There is an excellent contribution from Peter Ellis and colleagues (Kings College, London) which reviews some of the recent thinking in this area and in particular considers the mode of action within the body, making the important point that dietary fibre very often exists within intact cells walls, so the stability of this complex structure both in the colon and during food manufacture and preparation is an important consideration. One of the important factors influencing behaviour in the gastrointestinal tract and hence food digestion is the presence of mucins. The mucin family is extremely complex and dynamic. For this reason, studies on the sensory properties of foods and attempts to predict food behaviour in the gastrointestinal tract have largely ignored interactions with mucin. The book includes a valuable chapter by Tony Corfield (University of Bristol) on mucin turnover focusing particularly on the gastrointestinal tract.
Downloaded by [Michigan State University] at 09:46 29 March 2015
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews
111
Enzymatic breakdown is of course central to the use of polysaccharides in the body. The chapter by Chia-Long Lin and Richard Tester (Glasgow Caledonian University), entitled ‘Enzymatic stability of starches’, not only considers breakdown but also the role of enzymes in starch synthesis and includes a very useful review of starch structure, which a student about to enter a PhD programme involving the study of starch would do well to read. The action of enzymes on pectin is of major importance in fruit ripening. Greg Tucker (University of Nottingham) in a chapter entitled ‘Enzymatic degradation of cell wall polysaccharides’ considers the consequence of genetically downregulating pectolytic enzymes for ripening tomato fruit. This chapter also gives a useful introduction to the structure of the plant cell wall. Although the above chapters are particularly relevant to the food or biomedical applications, there have been equally important developments in other areas for which stability of complex carbohydrate structures is relevant. These include biodegradable packaging partly or wholly based on polysaccharides, the need to break down lignocellulosic material as part of the process for producing biofuels, the use of polysaccharides particularly guar gum in the fracking process for shale gas recovery, and the regeneration of cellulose to produce different types of textile fibre. These applications are addressed less directly, but the book contains fundamental chapters which are relevant. Michael Jarvis (University of Glasgow) discusses cellulose crystallinity, covering the information that can be obtained by X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), and the measurement and meaning of cellulose crystallinity when the cellulose is a component of a more complex plant tissue. In addition to the relevance to degradation of lignocellulose structures for biofuel production, the use of cellulose whiskers to reinforce composites is briefly addressed. Cellulose interactions with water are important particularly in textile applications and it was good to see a chapter by Colin Hill and Xanjun Xie (Edinburgh Napier University) on interpretation of the cellulose sorption isotherm. In our own research group we have had some experience in this area, and it was refreshing and interesting to see a different approach to the modelling of this isotherm. Central to many aspects of stability is the measurement of size. This is not only the measurement of the primary molecular weight of a polysaccharide as it degrades but also the stability of multicomponent structures maintained by non-covalent bonds. In an excellent chapter, with a wide range of examples, Steve Harding (University of Nottingham) shows how a combination of chromatography, light scattering, viscometry and ultracentrifugation can be used to provide information on both size and shape. The developments in the interpretation of sedimentation results are particularly interesting. It might be argued that these approaches have become less important as a result of the development in proximity microscopies, in particular atomic force microscopy, but this is not the case. The hydrodynamic and microscopic approaches are complementary. The book starts off with a challenging fundamental chapter by Felix Franks (Bioupdate Foundation, London) entitled ‘Carbohydrate: First cousins of water’. This partly covers the important area of kinetics verses thermodynamics, one aspect of which is the realization that carbohydrates can be kinetically trapped in an amorphous glass. As a result of advances in techniques such as positron annihilation spectroscopy and molecular dynamic simulation, there are opportunities to move this important aspect of biomaterial science further forward. As Felix Franks states, major developments on this and other aspects of polysaccharide properties and
Downloaded by [Michigan State University] at 09:46 29 March 2015
112
Book review
behaviour were the result of work carried out within the Unilever Research Colworth Laboratories in the 1970s and 1980s. It is unlikely that we will again see the same extent and level of fundamental science emerging in the published literature from an industrial laboratory. The world has changed! The book concludes with two chapters related to lignin stability. Lignin stability is central to the use of wood as a structural material, but a reduction in stability would facilitate the processing of biomass in applications such as biofuel and paper manufacture. Professor Claire Halpin and colleagues (University of Dundee) offer hope that it will be possible to modify lignin structure in crops by genetic modification or plant breeding to produce biomass where the protective action of lignin against degradation is reduced. In the final chapter, Nanna Bjerregard Pedersen and colleagues (University of Copenhagen) discuss the remarkable stability of wood in anaerobic water-logged environments. In these environments wood structures can survive for thousands of years. The degradation mechanisms are complex and not fully understood, though it is clear these structures survive because of the lignin rather than the cellulose component. In his Introduction, Steve Harding expresses the hope that this well-produced and indexed book will provide a useful interdisciplinary insight of value to researchers from across the wide diversity of fields in which the stability of carbohydrate and carbohydrate complex structures is important. In my view, this hope has been realized. John Mitchell University of Nottingham, UK [email protected] Ó 2013, John Mitchell
