Sweetener and flavor compositions with improved taste profiles are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making and methods of using such sweetener and flavor compositions.

Methods and compositions are provided for ionic liquid processing of biomass.

A process for the conversion of a solid material containing hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, which process comprises the following steps:

(i) hydrolyzing, at a temperature equal to or less than 40 C., preferably equal to or less than 30 C., at least part of the hemicellulose of the solid material by contacting the solid material with a first aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, which first aqueous hydrochloric acid solution has a hydrochloric acid concentration in the range from equal to or more than 15.0 wt. % to less than 40.0 wt. %, based on the weight amount of water and hydrochloric acid in such first aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, yielding a remaining solid material and an aqueous first hydrolysate product solution;
(ii) displacing aqueous solution from the remaining solid material with a non-aqueous displacement fluid;
(iii) hydrolyzing, at a temperature equal to or less than 40 C., preferably equal to or less than 30 C., at least part of the cellulose of the remaining solid material by replacing the non-aqueous displacement fluid with a second aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, which second aqueous hydrochloric acid solution has a hydrochloric acid concentration in the range from equal to or more than 40.0 wt. % to equal to or less than 51.0 wt. %, based on the weight amount of water and hydrochloric acid in such second aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, yielding a residue and an aqueous second hydrolysate product solution.

Methods for producing refined xylan from a biomass solution, including: (i) providing a biomass solution, which comprises xylan; (ii) concentrating or separating said biomass solution to obtain a xylan concentrate comprising xylan and impurities; (iii) washing and/or extracting the xylan concentrate with a solvent to obtain refined xylan and a solvent stream comprising the solvent and impurities; and (iv) collecting the refined xylan.

The present invention provides the use of neuregulin protein for the preparation of medication for preventing, treating or delaying heart failure in humans and methods for preventing, treating or delaying heart failure in humans using said medication.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a sugar and/or fermentation product from lignocellulosic material.

Methods of forming cellulosic sugars from the stalk or roots of a plant of the Nicotiana species are provided herein, the methods including i) receiving a tobacco material including at least one of a stalk material and a root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species; ii) delignifying the tobacco material to form a tobacco-derived pulp; and iii) hydrolyzing the tobacco-derived pulp to form a hydrolyzed tobacco product including residual solids and a liquid including at least one tobacco-derived cellulosic sugar. A cellulosic sugar derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material including at least one of a tobacco stalk material and a tobacco root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species is also provided herein. Tobacco products incorporating the cellulosic sugars derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material or products derived from the cellulosic sugar are also provided.

Sweetener and flavor compositions with improved taste profiles are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making and methods of using such sweetener and flavor compositions.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a sugar and/or fermentation product from lignocellulosic material.

Methods are disclosed for the continuous treatment of biomass comprising a pretreatment step, wherein said biomass is contacted with a first supercritical, near-critical, or sub-critical fluid to form a solid matrix and a first liquid fraction; and a hydrolysis step, wherein said solid matrix formed in said pretreatment step is contacted with a second supercritical or near-supercritical fluid to produce a second liquid fraction and an insoluble lignin-containing fraction. Also disclosed are apparatuses for the continuous conversion of biomass comprising a pretreatment reactor and a hydrolysis reactor associated with said pretreatment reactor.