Different Degrees Of Polymerization Research Articles

Effects of inulin-type fructans with different degrees of polymerization on inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with several cardiovascular risk factors. Prebiotics were proposed to beneficially affect risk factors associated with metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects of inulin-type fructans (ITFs), as well-studied prebiotics, with different degrees of polymerization, on markers of inflammation, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in PCOS patients. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Seventy-fivePCOS women were randomly assigned to receive 10 g/day of either high-performance inulin (HPI) or oligofructose-enriched inulin (OEI) or placebofor 12 weeks. Biochemical indices and blood pressure levelswere assessed before and after the intervention. In the intent-to-treat analysis, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) decreased in HPI and OEI groups, over the 12 weeks, and the changes were significant in the HPI group, compared to placebo (changes from baseline in the HPI group: -0.11 vs. placebo group: 0.004 mg/L [conversion factor to SI units (nmol/L): 9/5238]; p = .007). Serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) increased, and endothelin-1and total oxidant statusdecreased in HPI and OEI groups, at the end of the trial; however, these changes were not significantly compared to placebo (p = .07, .36 and .22, respectively). No differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were found. Per-protocol analysis (n = 68) yielded consistent results for all endpoints, with the exception that the significant effect of ITFs on serum hs-CRP levels in the unadjusted ITT analysis became nonsignificant in the per-protocol analysis (p = .06). A 12-week supplementation with long-chain ITFs had favourable effects on inflammatory status among PCOS patients.

Rheological properties and in vitro hydrolytic stability of the carboxymethylcellulose–dioxidine composition

The composition of carboxymethylcellulose–dioxydine was obtained and its structural, morphological and rheological characteristics in the processes of heat treatment and chemical hydrolysis were studied. Using IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and viscometry, it has been established that the introduction of dioxidine into a solution of carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt with different molecular weights leads to partial disordering of hydrogen bonds between macromolecules, promotes thermal destruction of the polysaccharide and a decrease in the dynamic viscosity of solutions. Experimental kinetic curves of carboxymethylcellulose hydrolysis in the presence and absence of dioxidine were obtained, and it was shown that they could be described using a first-order equation. The hydrolysis rate coefficients were calculated, and it was shown that, as a result of heat treatment, as well as in the presence of an active substance, the rate of carboxymethylcellulose hydrolysis increased. The change in the rheological properties of carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt solutions with different degrees of polymerization in the presence of an antimicrobial substance should be taken into account when choosing the composition of viscous prolonged forms of biologically active substances.

Relationship Between the Structure and Immune Activity of Components From the Active Polysaccharides APS-II of Astragali Radix by Enzymolysis of Endo α-1,4-Glucanase.

Astragali Radix polysaccharides (APSs) have a wide range of biological activities. Our preliminary experiment showed that APS-Ⅱ (10 kDa) was the main immunologically active component of APSs. However, the characteristic structure related to activity of APS-Ⅱ needs further verification and clarification. In this study, APS-II was degraded by endo α-1,4-glucosidase. The degraded products with different degrees of polymerization [1–3 (P1), 3–6 (P2), 7–14 (P3), and 10–18 (P4)] were obtained using a polyacrylamide gel chromatography column. The structural features of the different products were characterized by HPGPC, monosaccharide composition, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, GC–MS, nuclear magnetic resonance, and UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS analysis. Specific immune and non-specific immune cell tests were used to identify the most immunogenic fractions of the products. The backbone of P4 was speculated to be α-D-1,4-linked glucans and rich in C2 (25.34%) and C6 (34.54%) branches. Immune screening experiments indicated that the activity of P4 was better than that of APS-II and the other three components. In this research, the relationship between the structure of APS-Ⅱ and the immune activity from the degradation level of polysaccharides was studied, laying a foundation for the quality control and product development of APSs.

Pharmacology and toxicology of tannins.

Tannins are an interesting class of polyphenols, characterized, in almost all cases, by a different degree of polymerization, which, inevitably, markedly influences their bioavailability, as well as biochemical and pharmacological activities. They have been used for the process of tanning to transform hides into leather, from which their name derives. For several time, they have not been accurately evaluated, but now researchers have started to unravel their potential, highlighting anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer activities, as well as their involvement in cardiovascular, neuroprotective and in general metabolic diseases prevention. The mechanisms underlying their activity are often complex, but the main targets of their action (such as key enzymes modulation, activation of metabolic pathways and changes in the metabolic fluxes) are highlighted in this review, without losing sight of their toxicity. This aspect still needs further and better-designed study to be thoroughly understood and allow a more conscious use of tannins for human health.

Polyurea Thickened Lubricating Grease-The Effect of Degree of Polymerization on Rheological and Tribological Properties.

Lubricating greases based on urea thickeners are frequently used in high-performance applications since their invention in 1954. One property that has so far been neglected in the further development of these systems due to their low solubility and the resulting difficulty of analysis, is to better understand how the degree of polymerization affect such polyurea lubricating systems. In this work, we prepared three different oligo- or polyurea systemswith different degrees of polymerization (DP) and investigated the influence of DP on rheological and tribological properties. The results showed that the DP has an influence on the flow limit in rheology as well as on the extreme pressure (EP) and anti-wear (AW) properties as examined by tribology measurements. By optimizing the DP for a thickener system, comparable EP and AW properties can be achieved through the use of additives. The DP showed an increasing influence on the flow limit. This could reduce damage to rolling bearings due to lateral loading at rest. Therefore, modifying the DP of the polyurea systems shows similar effects as the addition of external additives. Overall, this would reduce the use of additives in industrial applications.

Effect of inulin with different degrees of polymerization on dough rheology, gelatinization, texture and protein composition properties of extruded flour products

The quality deterioration of extruded flour products has caused serious food waste with huge economic losses. To ameliorate the status, the effect of inulin with different degrees of polymerization on rheology, gelatinization properties of dough, and textural and protein composition properties of extruded flour products was investigated. When short-chain inulin (FS) and long-chain inulin (FXL) were incorporated, the empirical rheological properties of the dough were significantly improved. Besides, the storage and loss modulus of dough dynamic rheology with the incorporation of 8 g/100 g FS or FXL increased to the maximum value and exhibited the best gelatinization characteristics. Textural analysis showed that 4 g/100 g FS and 2 g/100 g FXL extruded flour products yielded minimum hardness and maximum elasticity, with increased moisture content. According to the secondary structure and SDS-PAGE measurement, the protein polymerization increased after inulin addition, which enhanced the strength of gluten. Principal component analysis also showed that there was significant effect of FS and FXL on the dough and extruded flour products. The results obtained can be used to better understand the functionality and food applications of inulin with different degrees of polymerization.

Plasticizing Effect of Ionic Liquid on Poly (vinyl alcohol) with Different Degrees of Polymerization

AbstractThe plasticized poly(vinyl alcohol) (TPVA) was successfully prepared using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide (BMIMBr). Plasticizing effect of the degree of polymerization (DP) on PVA was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and melt flow indexer (MI). It was found that new hydrogen bonds between PVA and BMIMBr were formed, which was confirmed by the‐OH shift of PVA in FT‐IR analysis. XRD analysis showed that the original lattice and more irregular molecular chain structures in the amorphous region of PVA were destroyed effectively, which was conducive to the decrease of degree of crystallinity. Moreover, the plasticizing effect decreased with the increase of DP duo to more molecular entanglements in PVA. TPVA‐1799 possessed the largest thermal processing window and best melt flowability, which was significant for melt spinning in the future.

Formation of genus vesicles in dilute aqueous solution by PtBAx‐b‐PS130‐b‐PEO90‐b‐PS130‐b‐PtBAx amphiphilic pentablock terpolymers

AbstractA series of linear symmetrical ABCBA pentablock terpolymers, poly(tert‐butyl acrylate)‐b‐polystyrene‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐polystyrene‐b‐poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) with constant lengths of PS and PEO blocks but different degree of polymerization x of PtBA block, namely PtBAx‐b‐PS130‐b‐PEO90‐b‐PS130‐b‐PtBAx (x = 40, 75, 100, 165, and 200), were found to form various vesicular nanostructures in dilute aqueous solution as observed by conventional transition electron microscopy (TEM), cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo‐TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Genus vesicles with nanometer sizes and various genus values (g), including individual spherical vesicles, tubular vesicles (g = 0), toroidal vesicles (g = 1) and the vesicles with even larger g values (g > 1) were observed, respectively. The g value of genus vesicles formed by PtBAx‐b‐PS130‐b‐PEO90‐b‐PS130‐b‐PtBAx pentablock terpolymers decreased with the increasing length of PtBA block. The formation mechanism of genus vesicles was preliminarily discussed by the combination of membrane bending energy, the area‐difference‐elasticity and the edge effect.

Simultaneous quantification of marine neutral neoagaro-oligosaccharides and agar-oligosaccharides by the UHPLC-MS/MS method: application to the intestinal transport study by using the Caco-2 cell monolayer.

A sensitive and robust ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was established for the first time to simultaneously quantify marine neutral neoagaro-oligosaccharides (NAOS) and agar-oligosaccharides (AOS) with different degrees of polymerization (DP) in Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS). The separation was achieved on a BEH amide column using a mobile phase of acetonitrile-10 mmol L-1 ammonium acetate (58 : 42, v/v) with an isocratic elution program. The total analysis time was 3.5 min. The mass spectra were acquired in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) pattern by using a heated-electrospray ionization (H-ESI) source operating in the positive ionization mode. The linear range was 40-20 000 nmol L-1. The accuracy and precision ranged from 91.5 to 110.0% and 0.9 to 10.4%, respectively. The extraction recovery was consistent and reproducible. The stability was within 90.3-110.8%. The matrix effect, carryover, and dilution integrity were all satisfactory. Moreover, the validated method was successfully applied to the intestinal transport study by using the Caco-2 cell monolayer in vitro. The results revealed that neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose, neoagarohexaose, agarotriose, agaropentose, and agaroheptose were transported by a paracellular pathway.

Effects of PVA-GTA-I radiochromic gel dosimeter components on optical dose-response

In recent years, a novel radiochromic gel dosimeter was developed that utilizes the color development of a polyvinyl alcohol-iodide (PVA-I) complex. In this study, we explore the effects of different iodide salts (LiI, NaI, KI, CsI, NH4I, CaI2, and ZnI2) and PVAs with different degrees of polymerization (500, 1000, and 1500) and saponification (80, 88, and 98 mol%) were investigated on a PVA-GTA-I gel dosimeter using PVA that was chemically crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (GTA) as a matrix. The results showed that these substitutions had negligible effect on dose-responses, such as sensitivity and dose-rate independence.

Периодическая система стеклообразования

The article proposes the periodic system of glass formation which is based on the model of glass formation where the possibility of forming glasses based on simple substances and simi­lar alloys is associated with the features of the electronic configurations of atoms, such as sta­ble electronic configurations s0, s2, p0, p3, p6, d0, d5, d10, f 0, f 7 and f 14. It results in primary and secondary periodic dependence of the tendency to glass formation of substances of differ­ent nature. Presumably, the glass formation in alloys is promoted by structural-configura­tio­nal equilibria, which are formed in vitrifying melts at the glass melting tempera­ture between clusters of different degrees of polymerization, which are formed due to the fact that the elec­tronic configurations of atoms in different chemically bonded states are close in terms of ener­gy and correspond to both low — and high-molecular states of molecular groups in melts. The author proposes the parameters of glass formation, which are determined quanti­tatively, char­acterizing the ability of the atoms of the chemical elements that make up the melt to form a glassy network. The dependence of these parameters on the charge of the nucleus of the ele­ments proves the primary and secondary periodicity of the tendency to glass formation in the case of sulfide, selenide, telluride, oxide and halide systems. The electronic configura­tion mod­el turned out to be applicable to diamond-like and metallic systems. On the basis of the propo­sed theoretical concepts and data on the regions of glass formation of binary and ternary sys­tems, a periodic system of glass formation of substances is proposed, i. e. the ability of simple substances and their alloys to form massive non-equilibrium non-crystalline objects.

Tuning the Au–Au interactions by varying the degree of polymerisation in linear polymeric Au(i) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes

Gold(i) N-heterocyclic carbene (Au(i) NHC) polymers were successfully synthesised with alkyl and alkoxy spacers, wherein polymers with different degrees of polymerisation were isolated for the first time by varying the reaction time.

Continuous recovery of high-grade prebiotic ingredient from crude galacto-oligosaccharides using a simulated-moving-bed technology

Galactotriose (G3), which is contained in a crude galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) mixture coming from enzymatic transgalactosylation reactions, is known to have potential as a high-grade prebiotic ingredient. This has aroused an interest in the high-purity recovery of G3 from a crude GOS mixture, which included monosaccharides (galactose and glucose), disaccharides (G2), and GOS components with different degrees of polymerization (G3, G4, and G5). To settle this problem, we aimed to develop an efficient simulated-moving-bed (SMB) process for high-purity recovery of G3 from the crude GOS mixture. It was found first that the appropriate column temperature and ionic form of the adopted adsorbent in consideration of both G3-G2 and G3-G4 resolutions were 65 °C and K+ form respectively. Under such adsorbent conditions, the equilibrium constants and mass-transfer parameters of the crude mixture components were determined and then exploited in the design of the G3-recovery SMB, which was carried out with a priority focus on the stable maintenance of high purity for G3 product throughout the SMB operation. The separation performance of such designed SMB was verified on the bases of the column profiles from simulations and the outlet-concentration data from the relevant SMB experiment. Overall, it was confirmed that the designed SMB could recover G3 from the crude GOS mixture in a continuous mode with a purity of more than 98.9% while keeping the overall loss of G3 below 7.3%.

Characteristics and ethylene encapsulation properties of V-type linear dextrin with different degrees of polymerisation

The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of preparation method on the characteristics and ethylene loading capacity of V-type linear dextrin (LD). LD with different degrees of polymerisation were obtained from debranched starch by gradient ethanol precipitation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of samples obtained by precipitation and anti-solvent precipitation presented A + V-type crystalline structure. However, the percentage of V-type structure of samples obtained by anti-solvent precipitation was significantly higher than for samples prepared by precipitation, which was further confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and molecular dynamics simulation supported the XRD and NMR results. The ethylene encapsulation capabilities of samples fabricated by different methods were in range of 1.15–4.68 cm3/g. Ethylene release from V-type LD was a physical process at different storage temperatures, and the higher percentage of V-type structure, the slower release rate. Thus, a higher V-type structure content was beneficial for encapsulation of gaseous molecules.

An innovative strategy of recycling miscellaneous waste carbohydrates from high-fructose syrup production for Pichia pastoris fermentation

Recycling waste carbon source for fermentation is of great interests and high practical value. However, the process suffered some problems like unclear carbohydrate composition, low nutrition content, presence of various contaminants and high cost for pretreatment. Currently, the high-fructose syrup (HFS) production industry in China generates a large amount of waste liquid containing miscellaneous waste carbohydrates (MWC), which has a notable environmental impact. To recycle MWC for Pichia pastoris fermentation, the composition of MWC was analyzed and the fermentation processes were optimized. The composition of MWC was determined as 802.3 g L−1 total carbohydrate, 480 g L−1 glucose, 92 g L−1 fructose, 103.6 g L−1 maltose, 36.8 g L−1 maltotriose and 89.9 g L−1 other oligosaccharides with different degrees of polymerization (DPs 4–16). After the fermentation medium and conditions for pGAP/pAOX1-P. pastoris were optimized, MWC were employed as the alternative carbon source to culture the two strains to produce endo-β-1,3-glucanase in 7-L bioreactors. Using MWC for pGAP-P. pastoris culture, the dry cell weight (DCW) and endo-β-1,3-glucanase activity reached 69.1 g L−1 and 171.8 U mL−1, respectively, which were the same levels as in the batch using glucose as the carbon source. When using MWC and the self-designed DO-Stat-Time feeding strategy for pAOX1-P. pastoris culture, the maximum DCW and enzyme activity reached 83.6 g L−1 and 212.3 U mL−1, which improved 41.4% and 34.9%, respectively compared with the control group. This study established cleaner production procedures for both HFS and P. pastoris fermentation industries by considerably reducing environmental pollution and decreasing the production cost.

Characterization of Gold Nanorods Conjugated with Synthetic Glycopolymers Using an Analytical Approach Based on spICP-SFMS and EAF4-MALS.

A new comprehensive analytical approach based on single-particle inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometry (spICP-SFMS) and electrical asymmetric-flow field-flow-fractionation combined with multi-angle light scattering detection (EAF4-MALS) has been examined for the characterization of galactosamine-terminated poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide)-coated gold nanorods (GNRs) in two different degrees of polymerization (DP) by tuning the feed ratio (short: DP 35; long: DP 60). spICP-SFMS provided information on the particle number concentration, size and size distribution of the GNRs, and was found to be useful as an orthogonal method for fast characterization of GNRs. Glycoconjugated GNRs were separated and characterized via EAF4-MALS in terms of their size and charge and compared to the bare GNRs. In contrast to spICP-SFMS, EAF4-MALS was also able of providing an estimate of the thickness of the glycopolymer coating on the GNRs surface.

Enhanced hydrophobicity of polyurethane with the self-assembly of perfluoropolyether-based triblock copolymers

The self-assemblies of poly(isobornyl methacrylate)m-b-perfluoropolyether-b-poly(isobornyl methacrylate)m (BCPm) in mixed 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane/N,N-dimethylformamide (F113/DMF) solvent were used to improve the surface hydrophobicity of polyether-based polyurethane (PU). With the loading of BCPm micelles into the PU, the surface roughness and the fluorine content in the surface were effectively enhanced, leading to the significant increase of water contact angle (WCA) from 73° to 140°. This improvement was much more pronounced than that of PU containing only perfluoropolyether units at the same fluorine content level due to higher surface roughness. For the hybrid coatings prepared from BCPm with different degrees of polymerization (DP) of poly(isobornyl methacrylate) blocks, the water repellency reached the maximum at the DP of 10. In addition, the hybrid coatings exhibited excellent mechanical durability and acid-alkali resistance, which is beneficial for broadening the application scenarios of cotton fabrics. Altogether, the self-assembly of perfluoropolyether based copolymers with high surface hydrophobicity shows potential applications in the protection of polymeric materials.

Chitooligosaccahrides: Digestion characterization and effect of the degree of polymerization on gut microorganisms to manage the metabolome functional diversity in vitro

Consumption of chitooligosaccharides (COS) prevents intestinal microecological disorder. The mechanisms for the effects of different COS on the gut microbiota are currently unclear. This study examined the impact of COS with different degrees of polymerization (DPs) on the gut microbial community and metabolic profile. COS significantly promoted the growth of Bacteroidetes, and inhibited that of Proteobacteria, which were significantly correlated with DPs. COS3 and COS2 enriched the butyrate production in microbial communities composed of Clostridium and Parabacteroides. Microbial communities enriched by DPs 4–6 COS displayed increased diversity in differential metabolite function. Several biomarkers were distinguished significantly, including unsaturated fatty acids, bile acids, indoles and amines, which are mainly related to processes such as fatty acid synthesis and decomposition, bile acid modification, and tryptophan metabolism. The results display the relationship among COS structure-gut microbes-metabolomics, providing a new perspective for COS as a functional food to improve intestinal health.

Starch-digesting product analysis based on the hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry method to evaluate the inhibition of flavonoids on pancreatic α-amylase

An accurate hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (HILIC-MS) method is presented to characterize starch digestion by α-amylase and measure the inhibition properties of flavonoids against α-amylase in vitro. Eleven products were found as 1 → 4 linkage glucose oligosaccharides with different degrees of polymerization (DPs) from 2 to 12. The products with DPs of 2, 3, 6, 7, and 9 had higher yields. The product with DP of 9 had the highest yields, which first increased and then decreased with the reaction time. Pelargonidin has the best inhibition activity on all enzyme products. The 3′-hydroxyl of B-ring enhanced the inhibition activity of flavonol and flavone but weakened that of anthocyanin. The C-ring 3-hydroxyl increased the inhibition effect of flavonol on maltose but decreased that on the products with higher DPs than flavone. The HILIC-MS method can provide more detailed information on enzyme products for the study of flavonoids inhibiting α-amylase.

HepParser: An Intelligent Software Program for Deciphering Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin Based on Mass Spectrometry.

Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) are considered to be the most successful carbohydrate-based drugs because of their wide use as anticoagulants in clinics. The efficacy of anticoagulants made by LMWHs mainly depends on the components and structures of LMWHs. Therefore, deciphering the components and identifying the structures of LMWHs are critical to developing high-efficiency anticoagulants. However, most LMWHs are mixtures of linear polysaccharides which are comprised of several disaccharide repeating units with high similarity, making it extremely challenging to separate and decipher each component in LMWHs. Here, we present a new algorithm named hepParser to decipher the main components of LMWHs automatically and precisely based on the liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) data. When tested on the general LMWH using hepParser, profiling of the oligosaccharides with different degrees of polymerization (dp’s) was completed with high accuracy within 1 minute. When compared with the results of GlycReSoft on heparan sulfate samples, hepParser achieved more comprehensive and reasonable results automatically.