Ester Fraction Research Articles

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ БЕЛКОВОГО И ЛИПИДНОГО СОСТАВА МЯГКИХ КОПЧЕНЫХ СЫРОВ

The aim of the study is to investigate the protein and lipid profile of Adyghe smoked cheese. Objectives: analysis of the mass fraction of methyl esters of fatty acids; assessment of the biological value of the lipid fraction; study of the protein composition: content of essential and replaceable amino acids; calculation of the main indicators of the nutritional value and quality of protein in samples of Adyghe smoked cheese. The study was conducted according to generally accepted standard methods in the Biotechnology laboratory of the Maykop State Technological University (Maykop) and in the testing center of the Kuban State Technological University (Krasnodar). The following methods and techniques were used: acid method (GOST R 55063-2012) - to determine the mass fraction of fat in terms of dry matter; capillary electrophoresis method, according to the M-04-38-2009 method (2014 edition) in accordance with GOST R 55569-2013, GOST 31480-2012, using the Kapel-105 M system – to determine the total content of amino acids; gas chromatography method (GOST 32915-2014) on a Crystal 5000.1 gas chromatograph – to determine the fatty acid composition of the fat phase. The studies were conducted in three replicates with the results presented as an arithmetic mean at a confidence level of P = 0.95. The study of the protein and lipid profile of Adyghe smoked cheese showed that it includes all essential amino acids and 10 saturated, 6 unsaturated fatty acids, including 2 polyunsaturated. In Adyghe fresh and smoked cheese, the amino acid score exceeds 100 %, with the exception of phenylalanine in fresh cheese. The results of this study will help develop recommendations for integrating Adyghe smoked cheese into a balanced diet.

Maternal cafeteria diet programs fecal microbiota and modulates serum fatty acid and amino acid levels in adulthood rats

Maternal food environment can program fecal microbiota in offspring mediated by the imprint of intrauterine conditions. Gut bacteria play a role in host fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. This study aimed to determine the effects of maternal diet on fecal microbiota, and the impact on fatty acid and amino acid metabolism in male offspring rats. Ten male pups from dams fed standard diet (C-C, n = 5) and cafeteria diet (Caf-C, n = 5) were fed standard chow diet for twenty-three weeks. Fresh fecal samples were collected at three and twenty-six weeks of age for fecal microbiota analysis by metagenomic sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. At the end of the study, serum samples were collected to analyse fatty acids from phospholipid and cholesterol ester fractions by gas chromatography and free amino acids by liquid chromatography. The bacterial abundance from the Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria phyla significantly decreased over time for both groups. Additionally, significant differences were found between C-C and Caf-C groups in these bacterial phyla. In the Caf-C group, Firmicutes and Elusimicrobia phyla increased, while Bacteroidetes decreases in adulthood samples. At the genus level, the abundance of Bacteroides decreased, while Elusimicrobium, Lactobacillus, Turicibacter, Blautia, and Veillonella increased in the Caf-C group. Several metabolites including PL-MCFAs (caprylic acid and capric acid), CE-MUFAs (palmitoleic acid and heptadecenoic acid), and free amino acids aspartate, glutamic acid, and cysteine were significantly higher in Caf-C group. This study underscores the putative programming of offspring fecal microbiota by maternal diet impact. These changes led to alterations fatty acids and amino acids metabolism in adult male offspring rats.

On the evaluation of surface tension of biodiesel

Over time, with the increase in population and the subsequent increase in energy consumption and also due to the non-renewability of fossil fuels, the study of alternative fuels has increased. One of these fuels is biodiesel, which is a suitable alternative to fossil fuels such as diesel and received much attention from researchers today. For this reason, measuring the physical properties of biodiesel is of great importance. Due to the high cost and time-consuming nature of laboratory methods, numerical methods are used to estimate material properties. The novelty of this research was the use of two white box models, including Group method of data handling (GMDH) and Gene expression programming (GEP), which work on the basis of artificial intelligence. By using these models, two simple mathematical equations with high accuracy were presented to predict the surface tension of biodiesel. These models can be used at different temperatures and molecular weights. To do modeling, 78 laboratory data available in the literature were gathered and the data were randomly divided into two groups, train and test, in a ratio of 80 and 20. The input parameters include mass fraction of fatty acid ethyl esters and temperature (T), and esters are divided into three groups according to their molecular weight: less than 200 (Mw1), between 200 and 300 (Mw2), and greater than 300 (Mw3). The statistical error parameters were calculated for the two models developed in this research and after comparing the results, it was found that the GMDH model estimates the surface tension of biodiesel with a higher accuracy. The average absolute relative error for GMDH and GEP models was reported as 0.97 and 1.89, respectively. Also, other statistical error parameters of GMDH such as RMSE, SD, and R2 for the GMDH model were obtained as 0.444, 0.000233, and 0.9233, respectively. Moreover, sensitivity analysis showed that temperature has the highest impact on the surface tension of biodiesel, which is also an inverse effect. Finally, suspicious laboratory and outlier data points were identified using the Leverage technique. According to this analysis, only five data points were identified as outliers and suspicious laboratory data.

Effect of 2-hexanol and methanol on the <i>one-pot</i> process of dehydration and alkoxycarbonylation for the synthesis of esters

Objectives. To study the possibility of one-pot synthesis (combination of two processes in one reactor) for the following pairs of processes: (1) dehydration of 2-hexanol and isomerizing alkoxycarbonylation of the resulting 2-hexene, in order to obtain 2-hexyl heptanoate, and (2) dehydration of 2-hexanol and isomerizing methoxycarbonylation of the resulting 2-hexene, in order to obtain methyl esters of C7 carboxylic acids. To investigate the effect of the concentrations of 2-hexanol and methanol on the rate of the one-pot synthesis.Methods. One-pot synthesis was studied in a toluene medium in a steel batch reactor designed to operate at elevated pressure and equipped with a glass insert, a magnetic stirrer, a sampler, and gas input and discharge devices. Samples of the reaction mass were taken during the combined process and were analyzed by means of gas–liquid chromatography with a flame ionization detector.Results. The possibility of one-pot combination was demonstrated for 2-hexanol dehydration catalyzed by methanesulfonic acid, as well as for the isomerizing alkoxycarbonylation of the resulting 2-hexene with 2-hexanol and CO, catalyzed by the Pd(PPh3)2Cl2–XANTPHOS–methanesulfonic acid system. The dependencies of the rates of the dehydration of 2-hexanol and the formation of esters of C7 carboxylic acids on the concentration of 2-hexanol were shown to pass through a maximum. The possibility of the one-pot process was proved for the synthesis of esters from 2-hexanol, methanol, and CO with the predominant formation of heptanoic acid esters in the presence of the above catalytic system. The rates of dehydration of 2-hexanol and the formation of 2-hexyl esters of C7 carboxylic acids were found to decrease with increasing the concentration of methanol in the reaction mass. Under mild conditions (temperature 115°C, CO pressure 3 MPa) with the addition of methanol, the total fraction of 2-hexyl and methyl heptanoic acid esters among C7 carboxylic acid esters was determined to be 85.5%.Conclusions. The reactions of intramolecular acid–catalytic dehydration of 2-hexanol and isomerizing alkoxycarbonylation of the resulting 2-hexene, catalyzed by the Pd(PPh3)2Cl2–XANTPHOS–methanesulfonic acid system, can be performed as a one-pot process. Methanesulfonic acid simultaneously functions as a catalyst for the dehydration of 2-hexanol and a cocatalyst for the palladium–phosphine system for the alkoxycarbonylation of hexenes. In the presence of the Pd(PPh3) 2Cl2–XANTPHOS–methanesulfonic acid catalytic system, processes for the synthesis of heptanoic acid esters from 2-hexanol, methanol, and CO can be combined within one reactor. An increase in the methanol concentration negatively affects the rate of the dehydration of 2-hexanol and the formation of 2-hexyl esters of C7 carboxylic acids. A small amount of methanol in the reaction mass leads to an increase in the fraction of heptanoic acid esters among C7 carboxylic acid esters.

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry characterization of the aroma of Ossetian cheeses

The aim of the study was the qualitative and quantitative determination of volatile aroma compounds and their formation pathways in brine Ossetian cheeses. Volatile components of cheeses were isolated by steam distillation and extraction with dichloromethane, with their subsequent determination and quantification by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results of the analysis are presented according to the structural classes of the main chemical components and the corresponding microbial metabolic processes. Four processes were found to be the main contributors to flavor formation: lipolysis, proteolysis, glycolysis, and a number of oxidative enzymatic transformations. Lipolysis of the fatty fraction of cheeses is a source of formation of volatile carboxylic acids and their esters. Proteolysis of the casein fraction yields branched alcohols, aldehydes, and a number of aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds. Glycolysis of the carbohydrate fraction is a source of ethanol formation, which is the main cause of the dominance of ethyl esters in the ester fraction. Redox enzymatic transformations mainly determine the biosynthesis of unbranched aldehydes, ketones and lactones. A clear distinction between retail and homemade cheeses was observed, due to the different technological approaches to the cheese preparation. The structuralchemical and quantitative evolution of the volatile composition of the studied cheese samples during ripening is tentatively shown. From the authors’ point of view, the aromatic composition of the Tib cheese sort is the most consistent with the Ossetian cheese standard. This study represents the first gas chromatographic study of Ossetian cheeses and aims to create objective criteria for controlling technological processes and product quality during production and storage in the food industry.

An evaluation of the spectroscopic properties and drivers for humic acid adsorption to phenanthrene based on humeomics

This study aimed to evaluate the spectroscopic properties and factors affecting the adsorption of phenanthrene by humic acid molecules based on humeomics. The results showed that two water-soluble fractions can be obtained from humic acids based on humeomics: weakly bound ester fractions and strongly bound ester fractions. Both could bind to phenanthrene and produce quenching, and the quenched group was located around 450 nm. Adsorption with phenanthrene was better when humic acid molecules were 12 mg/L. The binding capacity of the weakly bound ester fractions to phenanthrene was much higher than that of the strongly bound ester fractions. A combination of protein-like and humic acid-like content determined the ability of each fraction to bind to phenanthrene. These results revealed the properties of humic acid small molecules adsorbed with phenanthrene and provided a new treatment for phenanthrene contamination.

Phytochemical analysis and evaluation of its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities for different extracts of Casuarina equisetifolia.

Casuarina equisetifolia belongs to the Casuarina species with the most extensive natural distribution, which contain various phytochemicals with potential health benefits. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and biological activities of different extracts of Casuarina equisetifolia. The n-hexane extract was analyzed for its unsaponifiable and fatty acid methyl esters fractions, while chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol extracts were studied for their phenolic components. Six different extracts of C. equisetifolia needles were evaluated for their total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. The n-hexane extract contained mainly hydrocarbons and fatty acid methyl esters, while ten phenolic compounds were isolated and identified in the chloroform, ethyl acetate, and butanol extracts. The methanolic extract exhibited the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content, highest antioxidant activity, and most potent cytotoxic activity against HepG-2 and HCT-116 cancer cell lines. The ethyl acetate extract showed the most significant inhibition zone against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Casuarina equisetifolia extracts showed promising antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. Overall, Casuarina equisetifolia is a versatile tree with a variety of uses, and its plant material can be used for many different purposes.

Analysis of the Lipid Component and the Sterol Ester Fraction for the Detection of Soft Wheat in Durum Wheat Flour and Pasta

Food adulteration consists of changing the original structure of a food, and so, by its definition, it is a process not admitted by law. Adulterations can not only have commercial consequences, but also hygienic and nutritional ones, and in some cases, they can cause a serious danger to public health. Therefore, it is of great interest to understand and identify the modifications that alter the original chemical composition of a food item (nutrition label). Among the food processing sectors, the pasta food chain is a fascinating production process, which finds its roots in a mixture of a few, simple ingredients; in particular, in its basic formulation to produce pasta, exclusively durum wheat mixed with water is used, while soft wheat and therefore the flour obtained from it are destined for bakeries and the confectionery industry. In this work, a procedure was developed that allows the detection of the possible presence of soft wheat in durum wheat-based products, both in the flour and after the pasta-making process. It is to point out that this adulteration is only commercial fraud and there are no consequences for people’s health. In detail, the method was based on the isolation of the lipid fraction of flours and pastas and using the gas chromatographic analysis of the sterol ester fraction, which were not altered during the pasta-making phase, because they have very high boiling points. Based on the evaluation of some specific ratios between sterol esters, it was possible to trace the percentage of soft wheat present in a mixture with durum wheat, both in flour products and pastas.

How enzymatic hydrolysis of polysorbate 20 influences colloidal protein stability

Polysorbates (PS) are esters of ethoxylated sorbitol anhydrides of different composition and are widely used surfactants in biologics. PSs are applied to increase protein stability and concomitant shelf-life via shielding against e.g., interfacial stresses. Due to the presence of specific lipolytic host cell protein (HCP) contaminations in the drug substance, PSs can be degraded via enzymatic hydrolysis. Surfactant hydrolysis leads to the formation of degradants, such as free fatty acids that might form fatty acid particles. In addition, PS degradation may reduce surfactant functionality and thus reduce the protection of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Although enzymatic degradation was observed and reported in the last years, less is known about the relationship between certain polysorbate degradation patterns and the increase of mechanical and interfacial stress towards the API.In this study, the impact of specifically hydrolyzed polysorbate 20 (PS20) towards the stabilization of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) during accelerated shaking stress conditions was investigated. The results show that a specific enzymatic degradation pattern of PS20 can influence the colloidal stability of biopharmaceutical formulations. Furthermore, the kinetics of the appearance of visual phenomena, opalescence, and particle formation depended on the polysorbate degradation fingerprint as induced via the presence of surrogate enzymes. The current case study shows the importance of focusing on specific polysorbate ester fractions to understand the overall colloidal protein stabilizing effect. The performed study gives first insight into the functional properties of PS and helps to evaluate the impact of PS degradation in the formulation development of biopharmaceuticals in general.

Composition and distribution of fatty acids in various lipid fractions in serum and follicular fluid of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology.

Fatty acids (FA) in follicular fluid (FF) are present in an esterified form [triglycerides, cholesterol esters and phospholipids] or as non-esterified FA, which partly originate from blood. However, a comprehensive comparison of blood vs. FF FA in various lipid classes is missing. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of the FA composition in each lipid class of serum and FF, and to investigate their mutual correlations. A total of 74 patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment were involved in the study. Both in serum as well as FF, saturated FA and mono-unsaturated FA were predominant in non-esterified FA and triglycerides fractions while poly-unsaturated FA were mainly present in phospholipids and cholesterol esters fractions, although phospholipids also contained high proportions of saturated FA. Irrespective of the lipid class, the FA proportions differed between serum and FF (P < 0.05). Despite these differences, most of the FA in triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol esters of FF were well correlated with their proportions in serum. Nevertheless, only weak to moderate associations (r < 0.60) were observed for the majority of the FA in the non-esterified FA fraction. Differences in FA product/precursor-ratios were found between serum and FF, such as higher C20:4n-6 to C18:2n-6 and C20:5n-3 to C18:3n-3 in FF. FA metabolism (e.g. desaturation and elongation) takes place in cells of the intrafollicular micro-environment. Moreover, good correlations between esterified FA in serum and FF suggest esterified FA in blood could be representative of esterified FA in FF.

Enzymatic production of sustainable jojoba fatty alcohols: A Biorefinery approach

To evaluate jojoba oil (JO) in high-added-value products, a new biorefinery strategy was used, consisting of enzymatic transesterification employing a branched 2-ethylhexanol (EH) chain alcohol. The suggested biorefinery approach utilizes an integrated process to produce jojobyl alcohols (JAs) mixture (11-eicosenol, 13-docosenol, and 15-tetracosenol) as the principal product for pharmaceutical applications. Since it meets the European Biodiesel Standard EN 14214 in all tested aspect with the exemption of the viscosity, the remaining fraction of fatty acid ethyl-hexyl esters (FAEHEs) could be a potential alternative to traditional fuels. Factorial design (FD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to investigate and improve the effects of variables such as temperature and catalyst concentration on the production of both fractions. The derived models can be used to estimate the best operating parameters for an up-scaled industrial process with the least number of tests possible, resulting in cost savings. However, from a technical perspective, the best feasible yield for the more valuable JAs fraction should be achieved, using a catalyst concentration of 5.7%, a temperature of 63 °C, and a 6:1 alcohol/oil molar ratio. Conversion rates of 63.5% and 36% for JAs and FAEHEs, respectively, could be produced under these conditions. The crystallization method was used to separate JAs from FAEHEs. The tetrazolium dye reduction (MTT) test was used to assess in vitro cell viability in HEK293T cells. The findings revealed that a 1 μmolL−1 oily liquid mixture of jojobyl alcohols components (cis-11-eicosenol, cis-13-docosenol, and cis-15-tetracosenol) had no influence on cell cycle progression, has no harmful impacts in the examined cells, and could be employed as a therapeutic compound. The product preparation is a green engineering process that is clean, solvent-free, and uses a highly selective catalyst to reduce water and energy utilization, as well as the integrated process's downstream processing.

Fatty Acid Composition of Plasma and Liver Lipid Components as Influenced by Diet in the Growing Chick

The influence of dietary protein and cholesterol on plasma and liver lipids and on their component fatty acid composition was studied in growing chicks. Increased dietary protein decreased plasma and α-lipoprotein lipid levels and increased liver cholesterol. Cholesterol supplementation elevated plasma and liver lipids but decreased α-lipoprotein lipids. In general, feeding a low-protein or a cholesterol-supplemented diet resulted in similar fatty acid changes. Both treatments resulted in significantly increased oleic and decreased arachidonic acid levels in the plasma cholesterol esters, glycerides and phospholipids. The oleic acid level of the liver lipids was also higher in chicks fed the low-protein or cholesterol-supplemented diets. The dietary treatments tended to decrease linoleic acid levels particularly in the cholesterol ester fraction. The cholesterol ester fraction showed the most consistent changes.

Comparative analysis of the composition of sterols in embryogenic and nonembryogenic cell lines of &lt;i&gt;Larix sibirica&lt;/i&gt; Ledeb.

The cell lines of Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.), possessing different embryogenic potential, were studied. Qualitative and quantitative content of sterol components was comparatively analyzed in their tissues with the help of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Significant differences in these parameters were found between both groups of the lines in fractions of free sterols and their esters. In addition to sterol compounds, squalen, which is a triterpenic intermediate in sterol biosynthesis, was revealed. Of free sterols, -sitosterol, campesterol, isofucosterol, and stigmasterol dominated in the embryogenic lines, while -sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol in nonembryogenic ones. The campesterol concentration was 1.31.9 times higher in the embryogenic than nonembryogenic lines. Since campesterol is a precursor of brassinosteroids, it is likely that its level is high due to an embryogenic state of these cell lines. Only the embryogenic lines contained appreciable amounts of isofucosterol. The fraction of sterol esters exhibited wider component diversity in the nonembryogenic than the embryogenic lines. In all the cell lines, among the identified sterol esters, the substances without double bonds, bearing, as a structural fragment, a sterane coreperhydrocyclopenta[a]phenanthrenewere the most abundant. Their content ranged from 52 to 71% of the total amount of sterol esters. The revealed differences in the compositions of sterols and their esters, between the L. sibirica cell lines with different embryogenic potential, witness to the considerable rearrangements in sterol metabolism in the course of embryogenesis. The line-specific differences may indicate the involvement of these metabolites in formation of embryos.

Characterization of the Cafeteria Diet as Simulation of the Human Western Diet and Its Impact on the Lipidomic Profile and Gut Microbiota in Obese Rats.

The obesity pandemic has been strongly associated with the Western diet, characterized by the consumption of ultra-processed foods. The Western lifestyle causes gut dysbiosis leading to impaired fatty acid metabolism. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate shifts in gut microbiota and correlate these with serum fatty acid profiles in male Wistar rats fed a cafeteria diet. Ten male rats were fed with standard diet (CTL, n = 5) and cafeteria diet (CAF, n = 5) for fifteen weeks. Body weight and food intake were recorded once and three times per week, respectively. At the end of the study, fresh fecal samples were collected, tissues were removed, and serum samples were obtained for further analyses. Gut microbiota was analyzed by sequencing the V3-V4 region of 16S rRNA gene. Serum fatty acid profiles were fractioned and quantified via gas chromatography. The CAF diet induced an obese phenotype accompanied by impaired serum fatty acids, finding significantly higher proportions of total saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and C20:3 n-6, and lower C18:1 n-7 and C18:3 n-3 in the phospholipid (PL) fraction. Furthermore, circulating C10:0, total n-3 and n-7 decreased and total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), including oleic acid C18:1 n-9, increased in the cholesterol ester (CE) fraction. The obesity metabotype may be mediated by gut dysbiosis caused by a cafeteria diet rich in C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 n-9 and C18:2 n-6 fatty acids resulting in a 34:1 omega-6/omega-3 ratio. Therefore, circulating C10:0 was associated with several genera bacteria such as Prevotella (positive) and Anaerotruncus (negative). Two classes of Firmicutes, Bacilli and Erysipelotrichi, were positively correlated with PL- C20:3 n-6 and CE- 18:1 n-9, respectively. TM7 and Bacteroidetes were inversely correlated with PL-SFAs and CE- 18:2 n-6, respectively.

Fruit scent as an honest signal for fruit quality

BackgroundFleshy fruits evolved to be attractive to seed dispersers through various signals such as color and scent. Signals can evolve through different trajectories and have various degrees of reliability. The strongest substrate on which reliable signals can evolve is when there is an inherent link between signal and reward, rendering cheating costly or impossible. It was recently proposed that aliphatic esters in fruit scent may be predictive of sugar content due to their synthesis from products of sugar fermentation. We test this hypothesis on a case study of wild fig species (Ficus tiliifolia) from Madagascar, which relies on seed dispersal by lemurs.ResultsWe found a strong positive correlation between signal (esters) and reward (sugar). We also found that non-esters, including direct fermentation products, in fruit scent do not indicate sugar levels, which implies that this relationship is not simply a product of fruit maturation wherein more mature fruits emit more scent and contain more sugar.ConclusionsWhile based on a single taxon, these results strongly support the hypothesis that a biochemical link between ester synthesis and sugar may render the ester fraction of fruit scent an honest signal for fruit quality, with consequences for animal sensory and feeding ecology, and the evolution of plants in the context of seed dispersal.

Distribution of organophosphate ester fractions in sediment of the Eastern China Marginal Seas and the influencing factors.

Organic pollutant fractions should be closely investigated because of their different ecological risks. In this study, we examined the distribution of organophosphate ester (OPE) fractions (labile, stable-adsorbed, and tight-adsorbed fractions) in sediments from Eastern China Marginal Seas (ECMSs) and assessed the influencing factor of the fractions. The mean values of total OPEs in ECMSs are 13.70 ± 6.16μg L-1 in seawater and 32.04 ± 14.31μgkg-1 in sediment. The results showed that OPE concentration decreased from the northern to the southern ECMSs, and tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate and tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate were the primary OPEs. The mean contents of labile, stable-adsorbed, and tight-adsorbed fractions in the ECMSs were 9.50, 11.29, and 11.71μgkg-1, respectively. Labile OPEs were predominant in offshore waters; the percentage of stable- and tight-adsorbed fractions increased progressively with offshore distance in ECMSs. The specific surface area and surface functional groups of sediment were not consistent with the fraction concentrations from the correlation coefficient, but the gross domestic product per coastline agreed well with the fraction distribution. Based on this, we conclude that human activity, rather than physicochemical characteristics of sediments, may be the primary influencing factor of the relative distribution of different OPE concentration fractions in ECMSs.

Fruit Microbial Communities of the Bisucciu Sardinian Apricot Cultivar (Prunus armeniaca L.) as a Reservoir of New Brewing Starter Strains

Local fruit cultivars may improve the originality of specialty beers both directly, by conferring peculiar tastes and flavors, and indirectly, as a reservoir of new starter strains. Accordingly, the fungal and bacterial communities of Bisucciu fruit, a Sardinian apricot cultivar used to produce a local fruit beer, were here investigated by culture-dependent methods. From the 16S rDNA and ITS sequence analyses of 68 epiphytic isolates, 5 bacterial species and 19 fungal species were identified. Aureobasidium pullulans and Rhodotorula glutinis were the dominant fungal species, while Enterococcus mundtii (Firmicutes) and Frigoribacterium faeni (Actinobacteria) were the most represented species among bacterial isolates. Enrichment cultures of fresh apricot puree, followed by fermentation trials in beer wort and beer wort added with apricot puree, allowed the selection of four isolates of Pichia kudriavzevii, Hanseniaspora uvarum, H. pseudoguilliermondii, and H. clermontiae able to dominate over the Bisucciu native microbiota and to produce from 0.57% to 0.74% (vol/vol) of ethanol. HS-SPME-GC/MS analysis highlighted a significant increase in the ester and alcohol fractions as well as a reduction in terpenes after fermentation with the selected yeasts. Results obtained suggest that the yeast isolates may contribute to the definition of the taste and flavor of beers when used in mixed fermentations with Saccharomyces.

Assessment of density and kinematic viscosity of two methyl ester blends at elevated temperatures

Fuel properties are essential components in the performance and emission of internal combustion engines. To measure density, viscosity and other properties of methyl esters and two methyl esters blends in the temperature range of 25°C-95°C. Experimental investigations is carried out using standard equipments and methodology. Test fuels considered are Pongamia, Jatropha and Simarouba biodiesels and blends of two biodiesels in different volume fraction of 0% to 100%. Density of Pongamia-Jatropha and Pongamia-Simarouba biodiesel blends increases linearly with increase in volume fraction of Pongamia methyl esters at all the temperatures. Density of Jatropha-Simarouba biodiesel blends increases with increase in volume percentage of Jatropha in the blends. The kinematic viscosities of blends are found to reduce almost logarithmically with increase in temperature. Viscosity of the blends lies between the constituent fuels. The measured value of density and viscosity is correlated as function of blend percentage and temperature through an empirical relation. The correlations developed are unique and are model equations. The maximum % density variation between the experimental results and estimated results is 0.4%, where as percentage viscosity variation between experimental results and estimated results from correlation is 5%.

Natural Competence for Transformation in Lactobacili

Natural Competence for Transformation in Lactobacili

Aurones and Flavonols from Coreopsis lanceolata L. Flowers and Their Anti-Oxidant, Pro-Inflammatory Inhibition Effects, and Recovery Effects on Alloxan-Induced Pancreatic Islets in Zebrafish.

(1) Background: Many flavonoids have been reported to exhibit pharmacological activity; a preparatory study confirmed that Coreopsis lanceolata flowers (CLFs) contained high flavonoid structure content; (2) Methods: CLFs were extracted in aqueous methanol (MeOH:H2O = 4:1) and fractionated into acetic ester (EtOAc), normal butanol (n-BuOH), and H2O fractions. Repeated column chromatographies for two fractions led to the isolation of two aurones and two flavonols; (3) Results: Four flavonoids were identified based on a variety of spectroscopic data analyses to be leptosidin (1), leptosin (2), isoquercetin (3), and astragalin (4), respectively. This is the first report for isolation of 2–4 from CLFs. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis determined the content levels of compounds 1–4 in the MeOH extract to be 2.8 ± 0.3 mg/g (1), 17.9 ± 0.9 mg/g (2), 3.0 ± 0.2 mg/g (3), and 10.9 ± 0.9 mg/g (4), respectively. All isolated compounds showed radical scavenging activities and recovery activities in Caco-2, RAW264.7, PC-12, and HepG2 cells against reactive oxygen species. MeOH extract, EtOAc fraction, and 1–3 suppressed NO formation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and decreased iNOS and COX-2 expression. Furthermore, all compounds recovered the pancreatic islets damaged by alloxan treatment in zebrafish; (4) Conclusions: The outcome proposes 1–4 to serve as components of CLFs in standardizing anti-oxidant, pro-inflammatory inhibition, and potential anti-diabetic agents.