Combination Of Ultrafiltration Research Articles

Purified Pyropia yezoensis Pigment Extract-Based Tandem Dye Synthesis.

Red phycoerythrin (R-PE) is a highly valuable protein found in an edible seaweed, Pyropia yezoensis. It is used extensively in biotechnological applications due to its strong fluorescence and stability in diverse environments. However, the current methods for extracting and purifying R-PE are costly and unsustainable. The aim of the present study was to enhance the financial viability of the process by improving the extraction and purification of R-PE from dried P. yezoensis and to further enhance R-PE value by incorporating it into a tandem dye for molecular biology applications. A combination of ultrafiltration, ion exchange chromatography, and gel filtration yielded concentrated (1 mg·mL-1) R-PE at 99% purity. Using purified PE and Cyanine5 (Cy5), an organic tandem dye, phycoerythrin-Cy5 (PE-Cy5), was subsequently established. In comparison to a commercially available tandem dye, PE-Cy5 exhibited 202.3% stronger fluorescence, rendering it suitable for imaging and analyzes that require high sensitivity, enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, broad dynamic range, or shorter exposure times to minimize potential damage to samples. The techno-economic analysis confirmed the financial feasibility of the innovative technique for the extraction and purification of R-PE and PE-Cy5 production.

Lung fibroblast-derived extracellular vesicles and soluble factors alleviate elastase-induced lung injury

One of the main pathological features of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the loss of functional alveolar tissue as a consequence of impaired regenerative capacities (emphysema). Recent research suggests that the secretome from mesenchymal cells, particularly extracellular vesicles (EVs), may possess regenerative properties beneficial for lung repair. However, the regenerative potential of the soluble factors (SFs) within the secretome remains largely unexplored in COPD. To this extent, we purified EVs and SFs secreted by lung fibroblasts to generate EV-enriched and SF-enriched fractions, and evaluated their effects on elastase-induced lung injury in both precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) and a mouse model. EV- and SF-enriched fractions were concentrated and purified from the conditioned medium of cultured MRC-5 lung fibroblasts using a combination of ultrafiltration and size exclusion chromatography, and were subsequently characterized according to the MISEV guidelines. Treatment with EV- or SF-enriched concentrates prevented and improved elastase-induced emphysema in PCLS, leading to reduced lung injury and upregulated markers of alveolar epithelial cells (aquaporin 5 and surfactant protein C), indicating potential parenchymal regeneration. Accordingly, prophylactic intratracheal treatment with lung fibroblast-derived EV- and SF-enriched concentrates in vivo attenuated elastase-induced lung tissue destruction, improved lung function, and enhanced gene expression of alveolar epithelial cell markers. Here, alveolar repair not only serves the purpose of facilitating gas exchange, but also by reinstating the essential parenchymal tethering required for optimal airway mechanics. In conclusion, this study highlights the therapeutic potential of both lung fibroblast-derived EV- and SF-enriched concentrates for the treatment of lung injury and emphysema.

Long-term trial of a community-scale decentralized point-of-use drinking water treatment system

Two billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services, many of these are in low/middle income countries where centralised systems are impractical. Decentralised point-of-use drinking water treatment systems offer alternative solutions in remote or resource constrained settings. The main aim of this study was to assess the long-term (3 year) operation and performance of a point-of-use drinking water treatment system (POU-DWTS). A biologically contaminated urban drainage pond was used as a water source and the quality of the produced drinking water was assessed over two independent trials. The decentralised POU-DWTS combined ultrafiltration membranes with disinfection from electrochemically generated hypochlorous acid (HOCl). The operational parameters, such as flow rate, free available chlorine and transmembrane pressure, were monitored in real-time and recorded via a remote monitoring system. Water quality from the source and treated water was assessed over two trial periods within the 3-year operational trial: an 11-week period at the start and a 22-week trial at the end. All water samples were assessed for a range of basic, chemical, microbiological and metal water quality parameters. The results demonstrate that the decentralised POU-DWTS is capable of continuously producing high quality drinking water when HOCl is continuously used to dose water prior to entering the ultrafiltration [UF] membranes. Over the 3-year operational study, the continuous dosing of HOCl pre-UF membranes resulted in stable permeability, indicating no occurrences of irreversible biofouling within the UF membranes and that good membrane ‘health’ was maintained throughout. As such, there was no need to replace the UF membranes nor undertake acid/alkaline chemical cleans at any point throughput the three-year study. The POU-DWTS continuously produced high quality drinking water, resulting in 6453 m3 of drinking water produced over the trial period, that met international water quality standards, at a community scale within the location studied.

Distribution, chemical, and molecular composition of high and low molecular weight humic-like substances in ambient aerosols

Abstract. Humic-like substances (HULIS) encompass a continuum of molecular weight (MW) ranges, yet our understanding of how HULIS characteristics vary with MW is still limited and not well established. In this study, a combination of ultrafiltration and solid-phase extraction protocols was employed to fractionate the high MW (HMW; > 1 kDa) and low MW (LMW; < 1 kDa) HULIS fractions from ambient aerosols collected during summer and winter at a rural site. Subsequently, comprehensive characterization using total organic carbon, high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), UV-visible (UV-vis) and fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and negative electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (ESI–HRMS) were conducted. The results revealed that HMW HULIS were dominated by larger-sized chromophores, substantially constituting a higher fraction of total organic carbon and UV absorption at 254 nm than LMW HULIS. While both HMW and LMW HULIS shared similar fluorophore types and functional groups, the former exhibited higher levels of humification and a greater presence of polar functional groups (e.g., −COOH; > C=O). HRMS analysis further unveiled that molecular formulas within HMW HULIS generally featured smaller sizes but higher degrees of unsaturation and aromaticity compared to those within LMW HULIS fractions. This observation suggests the possibility of small molecules assembling to form the HMW HULIS through intermolecular weak forces. Moreover, HMW HULIS contained a higher proportion of CHON but fewer CHO compounds than LMW HULIS. In both HMW and LMW HULIS, the unique molecular formulas were primarily characterized by lignin-like species, yet the former displayed a prevalence of N-enriched and highly aromatic species. Additionally, HMW HULIS contained more unique lipid-like compounds, while LMW HULIS exhibited a distinct presence of tannin-like compounds. These findings provide valuable insights into the distribution, optical properties, and molecular-level characteristics of HULIS in atmospheric aerosols, thereby advancing our understanding of their sources, composition, and environmental implications.

Identification of potential anti-inflammatory components in Moutan Cortex by bio-affinity ultrafiltration coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

Moutan Cortex (MC) has been used in treating inflammation-associated diseases and conditions in China and other Southeast Asian countries. However, the active components of its anti-inflammatory effect are still unclear. The study aimed to screen and identify potential cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors in MC extract. The effect of MC on COX-2 was determined in vitro by COX-2 inhibitory assays, followed by bio-affinity ultrafiltration in combination with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (BAUF-UPLC-MS). To verify the reliability of the constructed approach, celecoxib was applied as the positive control, in contrast to adenosine which served as the negative control in this study. The bioactivity of the MC components was validated in vitro by COX-2 inhibitor assay and RAW264.7 cells. Their in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was also evaluated using LPS-induced zebrafish inflammation models. Finally, molecular docking was hired to further explore the internal interactions between the components and COX-2 residues. The MC extract showed an evident COX-2-inhibitory effect in a concentration-dependent manner. A total of 11 potential COX-2 inhibitors were eventually identified in MC extract. The COX-2 inhibitory activity of five components, namely, gallic acid (GA), methyl gallate (MG), galloylpaeoniflorin (GP), 1,2,3,6-Tetra-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose (TGG), and 1,2,3,4,6-Penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranose (PGG), were validated through both in vitro assays and experiments using zebrafish models. Besides, the molecular docking analysis revealed that the potential inhibitors in MC could effectively inhibit COX-2 by interacting with specific residues, similar to the mechanism of action exhibited by celecoxib. In conclusion, BAUF-UPLC-MS combining the molecular docking is an efficient approach to discover enzyme inhibitors from traditional herbs and understand the mechanism of action.

Follicular fluid C3a-peptide promotes oocyte maturation through F-actin aggregation

BackgroundImmature cumulus-oocyte complexes are retrieved to obtain mature oocytes by in vitro maturation (IVM), a laboratory tool in reproductive medicine to obtain mature oocytes. Unfortunately, the efficiency of IVM is not satisfactory. To circumvent this problem, we therefore intended to commence with the composition of ovarian follicular fluid (FF), an important microenvironment influencing oocyte growth. It is well known that FF has a critical role in oocyte development and maturation. However, the components in human FF remain largely unknown, particularly with regard to small molecular peptides.ResultsIn current study, the follicular fluid derived from human mature and immature follicles were harvested. The peptide profiles of FF were further investigated by using combined ultrafiltration and LC–MS/MS. The differential peptides were preliminary determined by performing differentially expressed analysis. Human and mouse oocyte culture were used to verify the influence of differential peptides on oocyte development. Constructing plasmids, cell transfecting, Co-IP, PLA etc. were used to reveal the detail molecular mechanism. The results from differentially expressed peptide as well as cultured human and mouse oocytes analyses showed that highly conserved C3a-peptide, a cleavage product of complement C3a, definitely affected oocytes development. Intriguingly, C3a-peptide possessed a novel function that promoted F-actin aggregation and spindle migration, raised the percentage of oocytes at the MII stage, without increasing the chromosome aneuploidy ratio, especially in poor-quality oocytes. These effects of C3a-peptide were attenuated by C3aR morpholino inhibition, suggesting that C3a-peptide affected oocytes development by collaborating with its classical receptor, C3aR. Specially, we found that C3aR co-localized to the spindle with β-tubulin to recruit F-actin toward the spindle and subcortical region of the oocytes through specific binding to MYO10, a key regulator for actin organization, spindle morphogenesis and positioning in oocytes.ConclusionsOur results provide a new perspective for improving IVM culture systems by applying FF components and also provide molecular insights into the physiological function of C3a-peptide, its interaction with C3aR, and their roles in enabling meiotic division of oocytes.

Perilla-Leaf-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Selectively Inhibit Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion.

Breast cancer is a common type of cancer characterized by high mortality rates. However, chemotherapy is not selective and often leads to side-effects. Therefore, there is a need for the development of highly efficient drugs. Recent studies have shown that some extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from cell cultures possess anti-cancer activity and hold great potential as cancer therapeutics. However, the use of mammalian cell cultures for EV production results in low productivity and high costs. To address this issue, extracellular vesicles derived from perilla leaves (Perex) were isolated and investigated for their anti-cancer activity in various cancer cells. Initially, a high concentration of Perex with a low level of impurities was successfully purified through a combination of ultrafiltration and size-exclusion chromatography. Perex exhibited potent anti-cancer activities, inhibiting the proliferation, migration, and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, which have high levels of caveolin-1 compared to other cancer and normal cells. This selective attack on cancer cells with high levels of caveolin-1 reduces unwanted side-effects on normal cells. Considering its high productivity, low production cost, selective anti-cancer activity, and minimal side-effects, Perex represents a promising candidate for the therapeutic treatment of breast cancer.

Application of the second-order fluid model to estimate factors affecting clearance of small and middle uremic molecules using combined ultrafiltration and diffusion processes

Uremic solute transport in a hollow fiber dialyzer is investigated theoretically with combined ultrafiltration and diffusion with the assumption of uniform ultrafiltration velocity and other standard assumptions. A numerical solution for concentration profiles in the blood compartment is obtained by using an implicit finite difference scheme implemented with MATLAB R2018a. The resulting system of linear equations is solved using another Matlab script implementing the Gauss–Seidel method. Uremic clearance of three solutes viz. urea, creatinine, and vitamin B-12 are considered. Different factors affecting Cl were observed and discussed in detail. Those factors include operating conditions (inlet blood flow rate, ultrafiltration velocity, etc.), dialyzer geometry (length, radius, number of fibers), and fluid parameters. The solute clearance can be maximized for a suitable set of values of these parameters.

Abstract P3161: Engineering Mesenchymal Stem Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles To Enhance Their Therapeutic Efficacy In Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Extracellular vesicles derived from cardiosphere-derived cells (CDC-EVs) have demonstrated the ability to regulate cardiomyocyte apoptosis and induce cardiomyocyte proliferation in pre-clinical models of acute MI. While CDC-EVs exhibit cardioprotective effects, they require invasive intramyocardial injections to achieve therapeutic efficacy, detracting from their translatability. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) also generate cardioprotective EVs (MSC-EVs), which have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in models of cardiac disease following intravenous administration. However, MSC-EVs lack several of the cardioprotective miRs expressed by CDC-EVs, including miR146a, which has been shown to modulate cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The objective of our current study was to determine the effect of enriching MSC-EVs with cardioprotective CDC-EV miRNA on cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Methods: MSCs were transfected with miR-146a-5p mimics using Trans-IT TKO in serum free growth media. EVs were isolated using a combination of ultrafiltration and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and characterized by size, morphology and expression of surface markers. RT-PCR was performed on EV samples to quantify miR-146a expression. Primary neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes were treated with MSC-EVs, miR-146a loaded MSC-EVs, CDC-EVs or matched volume vehicle control. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was assessed by a TUNEL assay. Results: Treatment with miR-146a loaded MSC EVs reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis compared with cardiomyocytes treated with unmodified MSC exosomes (14±1% vs. 31±3%) (mean ± SEM, p=0.001, one-way ANOVA). miR-146a loaded MSC-EVs and CDC-EVs demonstrated a similar level of reduction in cardiomyocyte apoptosis (14±1% vs. 15±1%). There was no difference in the level of apoptosis between cardiomyocytes treated with unmodified MSC exosomes and cardiomyocytes treated with vehicle control (31±3% vs. 27±1%) (mean ± SEM, p=0.366, one-way ANOVA). Conclusion: Engineering MSC-EVs to express miR-146a enhances their ability to reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vitro . This highlights the potential of cargo engineering as a means to improve the therapeutic efficacy of EVs for cardiovascular disease.

Menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cells: impact of preconditioning on the cargo of extracellular vesicles as potential therapeutics

BackgroundMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been shown to exert their therapeutic effects through the secretion of broad spectrum of paracrine factors, including extracellular vesicles (EVs). Accordingly, EVs are being pursued as a promising alternative to cell-based therapies. Menstrual blood-derived stromal cells (MenSCs) are a type of MSC that, due to their immunomodulatory and regenerative properties, have emerged as an innovative source. Additionally, new strategies of cell priming may potentially alter the concentration and cargo of released EVs, leading to modification of their biological properties. In this study, we aimed to characterize the EVs released by MenSCs and compare their therapeutic potential under three different preconditioning conditions (proinflammatory stimuli, physioxia, and acute hypoxia).MethodsMenSCs were isolated from five healthy women. Following culturing to 80% confluence, MenSCs were exposed to different priming conditions: basal (21% O2), proinflammatory stimuli (IFNγ and TNFα, 21% O2), physioxia (1–2% O2), and acute hypoxia (< 1% O2) for 48–72 h. Conditioned media from MenSCs was collected after 48 h and EVs were isolated by a combination of ultra-filtration and differential centrifugation. An extensive characterization ranging from nano-flow cytometry (nFC) to quantitative high-throughput shotgun proteomics was performed. Bioinformatics analyses were used to derive hypotheses on their biological properties.ResultsNo differences in the morphology, size, or number of EVs released were detected between priming conditions. The proteome analysis associated with basal MenSC-EVs prominently revealed their immunomodulatory and regenerative capabilities. Furthermore, quantitative proteomic analysis of differentially produced MenSC-EVs provided sufficient evidence for the utility of the differential preconditioning in purpose-tailoring EVs for their therapeutic application: proinflammatory priming enhanced the anti-inflammatory, regenerative and immunomodulatory capacity in the innate response of EVs, physioxia priming also improves tissue regeneration, angiogenesis and their immunomodulatory capacity targeting on the adaptive response, while acute hypoxia priming, increased hemostasis and apoptotic processes regulation in MenSC-EVs, also by stimulating immunomodulation mainly through the adaptive response.ConclusionsPriming of MenSCs under proinflammatory and hypoxic conditions affected the cargo proteome of EVs released, resulting in different therapeutic potential, and thus warrants experimental exploration with the aim to generate better-defined MSC-derived bioproducts.

Environmental and economic evaluation of implementing membrane technologies and struvite crystallisation to recover nutrients from anaerobic digestion supernatant

The present study investigates the environmental and economic feasibility of implementing membrane technologies and struvite crystallisation (SC) for nutrient recovery from the anaerobic digestion supernatant. To this end, one scenario combining partial-nitritation/Anammox and SC was compared with three scenarios combining membrane technologies and SC. The combination of ultrafiltration, SC and liquid–liquid membrane contactor (LLMC) was the less environmentally impactful scenario. SC and LLMC were the most important environmental and economic contributors in those scenarios using membrane technologies. The economic evaluation illustrated that combining ultrafiltration, SC and LLMC (with or without reverse osmosis pre-concentration) featured the lowest net cost. The sensitivity analysis highlighted that the consumption of chemicals for nutrient recovery and the ammonium sulphate recovered had a large impact on environmental and economic balances. Overall, these results demonstrate that implementing membrane technologies and SC for nutrient recovery can improve the economic and environmental implications of future municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Protein Biomarker Discovery Studies on Urinary sEV Fractions Separated with UF-SEC for the First Diagnosis and Detection of Recurrence in Bladder Cancer Patients

Urinary extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an attractive source of bladder cancer biomarkers. Here, a protein biomarker discovery study was performed on the protein content of small urinary EVs (sEVs) to identify possible biomarkers for the primary diagnosis and recurrence of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The sEVs were isolated by ultrafiltration (UF) in combination with size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). The first part of the study compared healthy individuals with NMIBC patients with a primary diagnosis. The second part compared tumor-free patients with patients with a recurrent NMIBC diagnosis. The separated sEVs were in the size range of 40 to 200 nm. Based on manually curated high quality mass spectrometry (MS) data, the statistical analysis revealed 69 proteins that were differentially expressed in these sEV fractions of patients with a first bladder cancer tumor vs. an age- and gender-matched healthy control group. When the discriminating power between healthy individuals and first diagnosis patients is taken into account, the biomarkers with the most potential are MASP2, C3, A2M, CHMP2A and NHE-RF1. Additionally, two proteins (HBB and HBA1) were differentially expressed between bladder cancer patients with a recurrent diagnosis vs. tumor-free samples of bladder cancer patients, but their biological relevance is very limited.

Inhibition mechanism of α-glucosidase inhibitors screened from Tartary buckwheat and synergistic effect with acarbose

Tartary buckwheat has been shown to provide a good antihyperglycemic effect. However, it is unclear which active compounds play a key role in attenuating postprandial hyperglycemia. Presently, acetone extract from the hull of Tartary buckwheat had the best effect for α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 0.02 mg/mL). Twelve potential α-glucosidase inhibitors from Tartary buckwheat were screened and identified by the combination of ultrafiltration and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Myricetin and quercetin exhibited the highest anti-α-glucosidase activity with IC50 values of 0.02 and 0.06 mg/mL, respectively. These inhibitors manifested different types of inhibition manners against α-glucosidase via direct interaction with the amino acid residues. The results of structure–activity relationships indicated that an increase in the number of –OH on the B-ring greatly strengthened α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, but glucoside and rutinoside replacement on the C-ring obviously weakened this influence. Furthermore, a synergistic effect was observed between inhibitors with different inhibition manners.

Differences in the spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter binding to Cu(II) in wetland soils with moisture gradients

The environmental behavior of heavy metals in soil is significantly regulated by their binding with dissolved organic matter (DOM), which is affected by soil moisture contents. However, the mechanism of this interaction in soils with varying moisture is still not well understood. Using a combination of ultrafiltration, Cu(II) titration, and multispectral (ultraviolet-visible absorption, 3D fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared) analysis techniques, we studied the differences in the spectral characteristics and Cu(II) binding properties of soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its different molecular weight (MW) fractions with moisture gradients. We found that the abundance and spectral characters of soil DOM changed with increasing soil moisture, i.e., the increase in abundance while the decrease in aromaticity and humification index. The components of DOM, shown by Fluorescence region-integration (FRI) analysis, also changed, with an increase in the proportion of protein-like substances and a decrease of humic-like and fulvic-like substances. The overall Cu(II) binding potential of soil DOM diminished with increasing soil moisture, as indicated by the fluorescence parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. This is aligns with the changes in DOM composition, as the humic-like and fulvic-like fractions exhibited higher Cu(II) binding potential compared to the protein-like fractions. The low MW fraction of the MW-fractionated samples showed a stronger binding potential for Cu(II) compared to the high MW fraction. Finally, the active binding site of Cu(II) in DOM, as revealed by UV-difference spectroscopy and 2D-FTIR-COS analysis, decreased with increasing soil moisture, with the order of preferentially functional groups shifting from OH, NH, and CO to CN and CO. This study emphasizes the impact of moisture variations on the characteristics of DOM and its interaction with Cu(II), providing insight into the environmental fate of heavy metal contaminants in soil in areas with alternating land and water conditions.

Synergistic arsenic removal using chitosan-based nanocomposite beads and cross-flow ultrafiltration: A significant reduction of membrane fouling

Hybrid adsorption-membrane processes provide a suitable alternative for treating large volumes of arsenic-contaminated water by combining the specificity of adsorption with the membrane process’s flexibility in terms of scale-up. The performance of such processes, with respect to removal efficiency and effluent flow rate, largely depends on the characteristics of the adsorbent used. In the present study, we have evaluated the use of in-situ precipitated iron oxyhydroxide chitosan beads (IICB) in combination with cross-flow Ultrafiltration (UF) for the treatment of arsenic-contaminated water. The performance of the combined adsorption-UF process was assessed at three different TMP (0.2–0.6 MPa). Combined Hermia’s model modified for cross-flow UF was found to be a good fit for permeate flux profiles of contaminated groundwater treated using the IICB-UF process. The effect of adding IICB on membrane fouling was evaluated using the resistance-in-series model and XDLVO theory (through contact angle measurements). For arsenic-spiked groundwater, at a dose of 2 g/L IICB, the combined UF process could bring down arsenic to permissible limits (<10 µg/L) and reduce irreversible fouling by up to 32 ± 2%. The reduction of free energy of adhesion and UV254 absorbance values indicated an overall decrease in fouling potential of contaminated feed. Thus, arsenic adsorption using bionanocomposite beads followed by UF (without separation of adsorbent beads prior to UF step) has operational advantages over either of the standalone treatment processes. A similar hybrid technology by varying suitable adsorbents can be successfully applied to remove other toxic pollutants as well.

Изучение влияния пептидов продуктов пчеловодства на поведение крыс в условиях хронического стресса

Chronic stress is one of the causes of depression. Various daily factors, accumulating, can lead to the formation of a constant state of stress and anxiety. In this study, we measured the ability of peptides of royal jelly, drone brood, and bee honey up to 5 kDa to reduce anxiety under chronic stress conditions in male Wistar rats. To do this, the animals of the control and experimental groups were subjected to random stress factors for 14 days (2 factors per day), while simultaneously receiving 0.9% NaCl solution (control group) or aqueous solutions of the corresponding peptides intranasally at a concentration of 300 μg/kg of body weight (peptides were obtained by a combination of ultrafiltration, ion exchange chromatography and gel-filtration). After 14 days, the level of anxiety in animals of all groups was measured using such behavioral tests as “Open field”, “Forced swimming” and “Light-dark box”. It was found that in the OF test, animals treated with royal jelly and drone brood peptides show shorter freezing time, higher horizontal and vertical locomotor activity, spend more time on research activities and grooming; in the FST animals of the same groups spent more time actively swimming; in the LDB test animals of the same groups spent more time in the illuminated part of the experimental setup and crossed the border between the dark and light parts more times. The results indicate that rats treated with royal jelly and drone brood peptides have lower levels of stress and anxiety compared to animals that received 0.9% NaCl solution (control group) or a solution of bee honey peptides. After conducting behavioral tests, the animals were withdrawn from the experiment and the concentration of corticosterone and ACTH was determined in the blood serum. It was found that there is no any changes in hormone concentrations between rats from control or experimental groups. Probably, the peptides of drone brood and royal jelly have an anxiolytic effect, without affecting the work of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, but acting through intracerebral molecular targets.

Purification of pectin by ultrafiltration in combination with sodium citrate

Ultrafiltration is an effective method to improve the purity of pectin, but membrane fouling is an urgent problem to overcome. In this work, trisodium citrate, sodium caseinate and calcium caseinate were combined with ultrafiltration to separate and purify pectin extract. The molecular weight cutoff (MWCO) of the ultrafiltration membrane and the sodium citrate concentration were optimized using the color and clarity of the pectin extract as indices, and the influence of sodium citrate on the pectin particle size and zeta potential was further studied. Finally, the pectin extraction yield, some physicochemical indices, including galacturonic acid (Gal A) content, esterification degree, and ash content, and the surface morphology of the pectin particles were measured. The results showed that the ultrafiltration membrane fouling was effectively controlled and that the steady-state flux increased by 2-fold when the pectin extract was treated with a polyether sulfone (PES) UF membrane (100 kDa) in combination with sodium citrate at a concentration of 0.25 mg/ml. The pectin extraction yield increased to 16.4%, and the resulting pectin was a higher-ester refined pectin with a Gal A content of 89.7%, DE content of 77.42%, and ash content of 0.63%. The combination of sodium citrate and ultrafiltration was beneficial not only for improving the permeability and separation performance of the ultrafiltration process but also for providing an example of a monovalent salt as a precipitation agent.

Integrated membrane-based processes to obtain organo-mineral fertilizer, water, and energy from sugarcane vinasse

This work presents three integrated systems to obtain organo-mineral fertilizers, water, and biogas from sugarcane vinasse. The first system (a) combined ultrafiltration (UF) and a two-stage anaerobic bioreactor (2S-AnMBR); the second (b) UF, 2S-AnMBR, and reverse osmosis (RO), and the third (c) UF and nanofiltration (NF). The reuse of RO and NF may reduce by 10.5 % the water uptake from primary sources and all systems equipped with the 2S-AnMBR presented a positive energy balance. The organo‐mineral fertilizer production from vinasse membrane concentrate presented technical and economic advantages compare with raw vinasse direct application via fertigation, especially in the granulated form. Theoretically, the organo-mineral fertilizer would be capable to attain the nutritional demand of sugarcane crops, differently from what was observed in fertigation, besides the lower transportation and production cost. It was estimated an organo-mineral fertilizer production from 0.2-0.68 m3per m3 of vinasse processed, which would be capable to fertilize an area of 44,260–150,503 ha annually. The organo-mineral fertilizer production is directly linked with the flowrate of each system (raw vinasse: 527 m3/h, UF: 105.4 m3/h, NF and RO: 168,6 m3/h). Overall, both economic and environmental gains were obtained from the integrated systems, with the potential to promote a higher valorization of vinasse beyond the treatment for disposal.

Techno-economic assessment of microalgae production, harvesting and drying for food, feed, cosmetics, and agriculture

The objective of this techno-economic analysis is to define the costs for an industrial microalgae production process, comparing different operation strategies (Nannochloropsis oceanica cultivation during the whole year or cultivation of two species, where Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Tisochrysis lutea alternate), production scales (1 and 10 ha), harvesting technologies (centrifugation or ultrafiltration) and drying methods (freeze-drying or spray drying). This study is based on an industrial scale process established in the south of Portugal. The strategy of cultivating N. oceanica all year round is more attractive from an economic perspective, with production costs of 53.32 €/kg DW and a productivity of 27.61 t/y for a scale of 1 ha, a 49.31% lower cost and two-fold productivity than species alternation culture strategy. These results are for biomass harvested by centrifugation (10.65% biomass cost) and freeze-drying (20.15% biomass cost). These costs could be reduced by 7.03% using a combination of ultrafiltration and spray drying, up to 17.99% if expanded to 10 ha and 10.92% if fertilisers were used instead of commercial nutrient solutions. The study shows potentially competitive costs for functional foods, food, and feed additives, specialised aquaculture products (live feed enrichment) and other high value applications (e.g., cosmetics).

Visible LED photocatalysis combined with ultrafiltration driven by metal-free oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride for sulfamethazine degradation

A novel visible light emitting diode (LED) photocatalysis combined ultrafiltration (UF) system driven by metal-free O-doped C3N4 was established for sulfamethazine (SMZ) removal in environmental remediation. Among different O-doping ratios, 8%O-C3N4 exhibited the optimal SMZ degradation efficiency (89.36%) and the flux of 8%O-C3N4/LED/UF system could reach up to 38.92 L/m2/h. Benefitting from the O-doping, the synergetic effect of the expansion of visible-light absorption, enhancement of electron redox capacity, and improvement of e--h+ separation efficiency could produce the intensified photoactivity. Superoxide radical (O2•-) and single oxygen (1O2) were proved to be the primary active species by EPR and quenching tests. Moreover, the influence of several parameters such as photocatalyst dosage, SMZ concentration, raw turbidity and humic acid concentration in 8%O-C3N4/LED/UF system on SMZ removal were systematically studied. Under simulated surface water matrix, 8%O-C3N4/LED/UF system could also remove 96.88% SMZ and stable membrane flux stabilized as high as 33.36 L/m2/h. This study makes a demonstration for applying highly-effective powdery photocatalysts in the actual wastewater treatment and designing future photocatalytic reactors.