Inhibition of Maillard reaction during alkaline thermal hydrolysis of sludge

Ning Yang1, Shucheng Yang1, Xing Zheng2

  • 1Department of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.

Insights

Adding sulfites during alkaline thermal hydrolysis of sludge inhibits melanoidin production. This process enhances protein recovery by reducing non-biodegradable compounds.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Biochemistry
  • Chemical Engineering

Background:

  • The Maillard reaction (MR) is a significant process during alkaline thermal hydrolysis (ATH) of sludge.
  • MR impacts the yield and quality of proteins recovered from sludge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the inhibitory effects of four different sulfites on melanoidin production during ATH.
  • To evaluate the impact of sulfites on protein recovery.

Main Methods:

  • Alkaline thermal hydrolysis (ATH) of sludge with the addition of four different sulfites.
  • Measurement of melanoidin production and inhibition rates.
  • Three-Dimension Excitation-Emission-Matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy.
  • Protein concentration testing.

Main Results:

  • Sulfites effectively inhibited melanoidin production during ATH, with inhibition rates increasing with concentration.
  • Sodium bisulfite (NaHSO3) achieved a 63.27% inhibition rate at 5.71 g/L.
  • Inhibition of melanoidin production correlated with increased protein concentration.
  • Sodium dithionite (Na2S2O4) resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in protein concentration, significantly enhancing protein recovery.

Conclusions:

  • Sulfites reduce the formation of non-biodegradable melanoidins during ATH of sludge.
  • The addition of sulfites improves the quantity and quality of recovered proteins.
  • This strategy offers a viable method for enhanced protein recovery from sludge.