Gummy Material Research Articles

Effects of Different Light Conditions on Anatomical and Histological Features of Galls in Bacterial Gall Disease of Cerasus × yedoensis.

Cerasus × yedoensis (cherry 'Somei-yoshino' Fujino) is affected by bacterial gall disease caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. cerasicola (PSC). C. × yedoensis is often infected with PSC under weak light intensity, which indicates that susceptibility of C. × yedoensis to PSC is affected by light. To evaluate the effects of white light intensity and different light qualities, white or blue, on bacterial gall disease development, we quantitatively assessed the anatomical and histological features of bacterial-inoculated sites on branches of 2-year-old potted C. × yedoensis seedlings grown under different light intensities and qualities. The stronger the white light intensity, the less severe the gall symptoms. Gall formation was suppressed more by blue than white light of the same intensity. The validity of a simple gall index for assessing gall development with the naked eye, via quantitative evaluation of gall shape by measuring gall height, width, and volume, showed that the gall index could be used as a practical method for on-site assessments of gall development. The ratio of degeneration area in the gall remained constant, suggesting the presence of some regulatory mechanism preventing PSC from affecting the entire gall within the plant. Microscopy showed that the gall tissue is composed primarily of callus cells and has voids containing gummy material that is exuded from cracks in the gall, and the periderm develops at the gall foot but not at the gall apex, so the cells at the gall apex were necrotic or collapsed.

Combined effects of organic solvent and ultrasonic pretreatments on cellulose fiber extraction from hemp

Extracting pure cellulose fibers from hemp bast for potential textile industry applications requires the removal of non-cellulosic gummy materials. However, traditional degumming methods are largely limited because of the long procedure time, high energy consumption, heavy environmental pollution and insufficient efficiency. Organic solvents have been proved to be an innovative method for lignocellulose extraction. Herein, ethylene glycol solvent combined ultrasonic pretreatment was explored to degum hemp fibers without any further treatment. The purified hemp fibers were systematically characterized using analytical test techniques. Results revealed that the combined degumming could effectively remove non-cellulosic components without damaging the cellulose, and reducing the reaction temperature by 10 ℃ for reaction process. Comparing to the traditional method, the fibers by ultrasonic pretreatment-ethylene glycol process had superior average yield of 68.32 %, higher thermal stability (maximum degradation temperature reached 395 ℃), higher breaking tenacity of 6.13 cN/dtex, higher crystallinity of 78 % and the cellulose content of over 91 %. Moreover, the degumming time and chemical usage were reduced to 40 % and 51.8 %, respectively. Besides, the changes of fibers chemical structure were further investigated and verified by FTIR, EDS, and 13C NMR analysis. Featured with less chemical and energy consumption, eco-friendly and short time-consuming, this treatment has a broad application scope for hemp cellulose fiber extraction.

Study of Extraction, Treatment and Characterization of Pineapple Leaves Fibers as Potential Utility in Textile Industry

Extraction, treatment and characterization of pineapple leaves fibres was achieved. The study revealed that water retting is the best way to extract fibers as it is easily controlable which reduces the chance of reducing the strength of fibres. Also,it was observed that dried pineapple leaves fibres take longer time to ret compare to fresh leaves.The fibers were treated using NaOH for scouring while bleaching was carried out using H2O2. The treatment of fibers was conducted to get rid of fat, wax and other impurities as well as undesired colors bonded to fibers that could not be removed through water retting. The best scouring concentration of NaOH was found to be 1.25 % while the best bleaching concentration of H2O2 was found to be 10 %. More so, FTIR was carried out for both treated and untreated fibers and it was shown that wax, fat and other impurities can be removed by fibres’ scouring and bleaching. This was further confirmed by the use of Soxhlet to extract ethanol-benzene extract from both treated and untreated fibres, where untreated fibres showed a considerable weight loss while the treated fibers did not show any weight loss. Thereafter, mercerization was carried out and it was found out that the best mercerization concentration for pineapple leaves fibres is NaOH is 10%. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis of pineapple leaves fibers revealed that the fibers have, ethanol-benzene extractives of 2.6 %, pectin content of 1.53%, Lignin content of 12%, cellulose content of 79% and ash content of 2.15 %. The fibers showed a water, oil and vapor absorption of 82%,32 % and 29% respectively. Also, the thermal analysis showed that the degradation temperature is 400 0C while the fibers started to display thermal instability at 350 0C. Moreover, SEM and XRD analysis showed that the treatment of fibres participated in removal of wax and oil as well as other gummy materials, which also is in line with FTIR results obtained. Keywords: Extraction, Pineapple Leaves Fibers, Scouring, Bleaching, Mercerization, Characterization, Textile

Extraction, Treatment and Characterization of Banana Pseudo-Stem Fibers as Potential Utility in Textile Industry

Extraction, treatment and characterization of banana pseudo stem fibres was achieved. The study revealed that water retting is the best way to extract fibers, however the gummy materials bending fibres together must be weakened by boiling the fibres rich material prior to retting where the fibres were able to be extracted at 14th day of retting. The fibers were treated using NaOH for scouring while bleaching was carried out using H2O2. The treatment of fibers was conducted to get rid of fat, wax and other impurities as well as undesired colors bonded to fibers that could not be removed through water retting. The best scouring concentration of NaOH was found to be 17.5 % while the best bleaching concentration of H2O2 was found to be 2 %. More so, FTIR was carried out for both treated and untreated fibers and it was shown that wax, fat and other impurities can be removed by fibres’ scouring and bleaching. This was further confirmed by the use of Soxhlet to extract ethanol-benzene extract from both treated and untreated fibres, where untreated fibres showed a considerable weight loss while the treated fibers did not show any weight loss. Thereafter, mercerization was carried out and it was found out that the best mercerization concentration of NaOH is 15%. Furthermore, the quantitative analysis of the banana pseudo-stem fibers revealed that the fibers have, ethanol-benzene extractives of 4.2 %, pectin content of 3.07%, Lignin content of 18%, cellulose content of 68.3% and ash content of 4.2 %. The fibers showed a water, oil and vapor absorption of 71%,59 % and 8% respectively. Also, the thermal analysis showed that the degradation temperature is 370 0C while the fibers started to display thermal instability at 290 0C. Moreover, SEM and XRD analysis showed that the treatment of fibres participated in removal of wax and oil as well as other gummy materials, which also is in line with FTIR results obtained. Keywords: Extraction, Banana Pseudo-stem Fibers, Scouring, Bleaching, Mercerization, Characterization, Textile

Pomegranate peel: Bioactivities as antimicrobial and cytotoxic agents.

This is a comparative study to evaluate the effectiveness of six pomegranate peel extracts (PPEs) as antibacterial and antiproliferative agents. The Six PPEs were prepared using four solvent systems and each filtrate was concentrated to a gummy material to be used in the evaluation. The well-diffusion method was used to evaluate their antimicrobial activity against bacteria typically associated with food spoilage: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and three Bacillus species. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTT) was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity against colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT116), prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3), ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3), and fibroblasts (MRC-5). The antioxidant evaluation was done using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay. The pH of the water-containing extracts was acidic and almost the same over 6 weeks. The six PPEs inhibited the bacterial growth in a comparable level to standard antibiotics. The effectiveness of each extract was dependent on the bacterial strain, and the Listeria showed a remarkable inhibition when exposed to the aqueous extract prepared at room temperature (RT). The aqueous (RT) and methanol PPEs had a significant antioxidant scavenging capability and a remarkable cytotoxic activity against the PC3 with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.1 μg/mL. The boiled aqueous extract exhibited antiproliferative activity against HCT116 with an IC50 of 21.45 μg/mL. The effect on SKOV-3 and fibroblasts was insignificant. With the exception of butanol, the antioxidant screening shows an inverse correlation between the polarity of the extraction solvent and the IC50 exhibited by the PPEs. The variation in the effectiveness of PPEs is suggested to be due to variable soluble bioactive compounds that may interact differently with different cells, though water-containing extracts are promising antibacterial agents. The findings clearly show that pomegranate peel possessed the potential to be an eco-friendly novel source for natural compounds that can be implemented in the food industry as a natural antimicrobial and natural food additive to prevent foodborne illnesses.

Evaluation of the Bioactive compounds and its Functional role in the Aquatic weed Pistia stratiotes

Pistia stratiotes (L.) is an invasive aquatic weed known as water lettuce, belonging to the Araceae family. It is commonly used for its therapeutic potency against a number of ailments. This study's purpose is to analyze the pharmacognostical characteristics, screening of phytocompounds, fluorescence evaluation and scavenging activity of the leaf powder of P. stratiotes. The acid insoluble ash (3.22±0.17) was found to be less than total ash (21.85±0.19), water-soluble ash (11.18±0.05) and sulphated ash value (9.63±0.35). The hydro-ethanolic extract was fractionated with solvents of different polarity as per increasing order (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-Butanol and aqueous). The moisture content of the leaf powder was 1.70±0.01 gm and the extractive value in aqueous (25.106±1.41) was quantitatively more than that of other solvents. The presence of carbohydrates, phenolic substances, alkaloids, gummy materials, tannins, flavonoids, saponins were revealed by phytochemical studies. The n-Butanol fraction of hydro-ethanolic decoction of leaf powder showed 360±0.01 mg GAE/gdry weight for TPC and 680±0.26 mg RE/g dry weight for TFC. The lowest IC50 value for DPPH was observed in n–Butanol fraction of hydro-ethanolic extract of leaf powder extract having 246.826±17.14 µg/ml, showing the highest free radical scavenging activity.

What We Know About Propolis, and Its Potential Role in Obesity and Diabetes

Propolis, a resinous, dark-colored product produced by honeybees has been gaining attention in terms of its multiple proven health benefits. This natural product has different types and varieties but close to similar chemical compositions according to the environment and location where it is produced, as well as its plant source. It is mainly composed of resinous, balsamic, and gummy materials, waxes and essential oils, and pollen from the plants. Propolis contains plenty of polyphenols and it’s a rich source of magnesium, calcium, iodine, potassium, sodium, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron as well as thiamin, riboflavin, vitamins B6, C, E, D, and provitamin A. It has been proven that propolis may help to reduce diet-induced obesity through its caffeic acid content. Studies proved the antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antifungal, and antitumor effects of propolis and positive outcomes on diet-induced obesity, and diabetes. In this review, we aim to explain propolis extensively in terms of its types, chemical composition, bioactive compounds, digestion, health benefits on obesity and diabetes, as well as possible drug interactions, dosage, and safety.

Sustainable traditional grass cloth fiber dyeing using the Taguchi L16 (4^4) orthogonal design

For many centuries, traditional grass cloth has been used as an important raw material for home textiles in China, but its market can be expanded by incorporating color. Reactive Red 2 (R2), Reactive Blue 194 (B194), and Reactive Orange 5 (O5) were used in this work to explore the dyeing behavior of sustainable traditional grass fiber using industrial dyeing methods. Initially, an L16 (4^4) orthogonal design was schematically applied to carry out the dyeing process and it was determined that the total dye fixation rate (T%) of B194 dye was the best among the three dyes. Accordingly, a statistical Taguchi technique was analyzed on a larger scale to optimize the dyeing process parameters (salt concentration, fixation time, fixation temperature, and solution pH) of B194, in which solution pH was found to be the most influential factor in achieving the highest T%. This phenomenon was also verified using analysis of variance (ANOVA), where the solution pH was found to be the biggest contributor (50%) and statistically significant (p < 0.05). Finally, confirmation tests were conducted under optimized conditions and a higher T% (53.18%) was determined compared to initial conditions (48.40%). Later, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the structural characteristics and found that grass cloth was chemically stable, yet gummy materials were still observed on their surface, which was also confirmed from digital photographs. Generally, the color coordinates and fastness properties were also satisfactory.

Degumming of hemp fibers using combined microwave energy and deep eutectic solvent treatment

Hemp bast fibers were degummed using combined microwave energy (MWE) and deep eutectic solvent (DES) to generate pure hemp cellulose fibers for potential textile applications. The properties of the degummed fibers were investigated and compared with those of the alkali-treated fibers using several analytical techniques. Results revealed that hemp fiber surface underwent dramatic structural disruption during the pretreatment, due to the removal of “gummy” compounds (i.e., pectin, oil, wax, etc.), lignin, and amorphous cellulose. The treated fibers had much enhanced thermal stability due to the removal of the gummy materials. The reduced enthalpy (171.34 J/g) of MWE-DES treated fibers at 1:20 fiber-DES ratio as compared to that of raw hemp fibers (272.09 J/g) also confirmed the higher thermal stability of MWE-DES treated fibers. Chemical composition analysis showed that the holocellulose content in the treated fiber samples at 1:20 fiber-DES ratio increased to 98.63% which was comparable with the holocellulose content (98.87%) of the alkali-treated fibers. The Ultraviolet (UV) protection factor (UPF) of MWE-DES treated fibers at 1:10 and 1:20 fiber-DES ratio was, respectively, 118.11 and 114.19, meeting the requirement of UV resistant textile fibers. The study demonstrates a potentially effective, less time-consuming, and environmentally sustainable protocol for manufacturing purified hemp cellulose fibers using combined MWE-DES treatment.

Phytochemical Investigation and Determination of Antibacterial Activity of Solvent Leave Extracts of Carissa spinarum.

BackgroundAmong many traditionally used medicinal plants, Carissa spinarum (Agam) is a well-known indigenous plant in Ethiopia. It is used in its raw form to treat different diseases in different parts of the country. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate extraction, isolation, and determination of the antibacterial properties of the solvent leaf extract of Carissa spinarum.MethodsIn this study, 800 g of powdered leaves of Carissa spinarum were macerated with 2500 mL of methanol and yielded 58 g (7.25%, w/w) of gummy material. The extract was then further partitioned by using ethyl acetate and chloroform. The extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening test. The antibacterial activity of the three solvent leaf extracts of Carissa spinarum were evaluated using disc diffusion method. The methanol extract was subjected to column chromatography silica gel (60–200 mesh) by mixing methanol:petroleum ether (4:1). Then fractions were collected and investigated by TLC and finally identified using spectroscopy.ResultsThe three extracts (methanol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform) of Carissa spinarum were presented to antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion method against four bacterial species using gentamycin and ampicillin discs as positive controls and DMSO as a negative control. All extracts had a relatively antibacterial effect with different extent zones of inhibition. However, the methanol extract showed superior antibacterial activity compared with DMSO and ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts. These could due to variation of the phytoconstituents. The most probable structure of the compound isolated was 5-(2’,3’,4’,6’-tetrahydroxy-5’-methoxycyclohexyloxy)-2,3,4 trihydroxypentanoic acid.ConclusionData obtained from this study collectively indicated that the three solvent extracts of Carissa spinarum have a promising antimicrobial activity which supports the traditional claim of the plant for treatment of infection.

A new strategy to improve ramie degumming based on removal of the xylan branched structure

Ramie fiber is known as the “king of natural fibers,” and the key to its wide application is efficient and green manufacturing. Microbial degumming has gradually become a hot area of research due to its environmental protection and mild operating conditions. However, some gummy materials remain after microbial degumming. Xylan is the main component of residual gums; its acetylated branched chains create the space barrier that makes the removal of hemicellulose difficult during ramie degumming. An acetyl xylan esterase (AXE) was obtained from Bacillus pumilus and characterized to solve this problem. Its optimum temperature and pH were 35°C and 8.0, respectively, and it had good temperature and pH stability. These properties were consistent with the conditions of ramie degumming and they laid a foundation for the application of AXE in ramie degumming. Besides, an engineered strain with a high activity of AXE was constructed successfully on the basis of the wild-type degumming strain Pectobacterium carotovorum HG-49 and used for ramie degumming. The removal rate of hemicellulose and total gums by the engineered strain increased by 4.89% and 2.53%, respectively, compared with that of the wild-type strain. Moreover, the role of this AXE in ramie degumming was further proven by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. This study showed that AXE played an important role in the removal of hemicellulose in the degumming process of ramie fibers, thus providing a promising degumming strategy for ramie and other bast fiber plants.

Response of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Genotypes against Collar Rot Disease Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.

Aims: Collar rot is a fast spreading and destructive disease and is becoming more serious at seedling stage causing rot at collar region especially in area where paddy based cropping system is followed. Lack of sources of resistant in present cultivar against Sclerotium rolfsii cause serious threat to chickpea production. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate the chickpea genotypes against S. rolfsii to the identification of resistant sources for further breeding program.&#x0D; Study Design: Randomized Block Design (RBD) with two replications were used.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Regional Rice Research Station, Navsari Agricultural University, Vyara, between October 2019 to April 2020.&#x0D; Methodology: Pathogen was isolated from infected collar region of chickpea plant by directly transfer of sclerotia and infected bits on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. After purification, pathogen was identified by observed the colony character and sclerotia formation. The morphological characters viz., mycelial growth and mycelial characteristic were studied under high power magnification (40X) and sclerotia formation, shape and colour were studied under low power magnification (10X) from 10 days old culture. 39 chickpea genotypes were used for the studies. A field experiment was conducted during Rabi -2019-20 season. The inoculum was thoroughly broadcasted in soil @ 10g/ row. Germination per cent and disease incidence were observed.&#x0D; Results: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) collar rot disease caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. was exhibited initial white fluffy mycelium appearance on potato dextrose agar medium. Microscopic view of mycelium was hyaline, branching, compact with septate and had a clamp connection. White sclerotia were formed after 4th days of incubation and later within 10 days after incubation it became mature and colour changed from brown to dark brown. Sclerotia appeared shiny due to presence of gummy material. Out of 39 chickpea genotypes only five viz., GJG-1713, GG-6, GJG-1509, Phule Vikram and JGK-1 were identified as moderate resistant against collar rot disease caused by S. rolfsii under inoculums inoculated rice fellow cropping system.&#x0D; Conclusion: Chickpea genotypes viz., GJG-1713, GG-6, GJG-1509, Phule Vikram and JGK-1 were showed moderate resistant reaction against collar rot disease caused by S. rolfsii.

Effect of tri-hybridized metallic nano cutting fluids in end milling of AA7075 in minimum quantity lubrication environment

The current paper is concentrated on the mechanical and machining process exploration of metallic nano-lubricant with the concept of tri-hybridization with improved lubricative and cooling properties by using TiO2, ZnO and Fe2O3 metallic nano particles with neat cold-pressed coconut oil in a fixed volumetric proportion (10:90). End milling of gummy material like aluminium requires a solution to the conventional dry and wet machining due to high productivity requirement and to obtain good surface quality. So, the prepared nanofluids were tested for their rheological behavior and latter introduced into milling of AA7075 as a solution to the above stated problem. Overall, the nanofluids gave good performance when compared to conventional methods. Furthermore, the results obtained from the experiments confirm that the trio-hybridized lubricant has reduced the cutting force, tool wear and surface roughness in an improved way when related to monotype nano fluids. The response surface methodology is performed to evaluate the interaction of process parameters in minimum quantity lubrication environment with nano fluids. The results show that the cutting forces, surface roughness, tool wear was minimized while machining with hybrid cutting fluids and well within the desirability.

Chemical characterization of Saudi propolis and its antiparasitic and anticancer properties

Propolis, is a gummy material produced by honey bees from different parts of plants and is enriched with varied biological active compounds like flavonoids, phenolics and phenolic acids with wide applicability in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The current report is focused on the characterisation of propolis collected from Asir region, South-west of Saudi Arabia and its effect on Trypanosoma brucei (the causative organism of African sleeping sickness) and cytotoxic effect against U937 human leukemia cells. The Chemical composition and spectral characteristics of Saudi propolis was studied by Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS) and High-performance liquid chromatography–evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC–ELSD).The two main active compounds isolated from Saudi propolis via column chromatography and size exclusion chromatography were fisetinidol and ferulic acid. High resolution electrospray ionization–mass spectrophotometer (HRESI–MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used to elucidate the structures of the isolated compounds. All crudes extracts, fractions as well as isolated compounds were subjected for biological testing against Trypanosoma brucei (S427 WT), and their cytotoxicity against U937 human leukemia cells. Amongst the various samples investigated, S-6 fraction demonstrated highest anti-trypanosomal activity at 2.4 µg/ml MIC followed by fisetinidol at 4.7 µg/ml reflecting that the anti-trypanosomal activity is attributable to the presence of fisetinidol in the fraction. Similarly, all the tested samples exhibited cytotoxicity with an IC50 > 60 µg/ml. S-6 fractions exhibited highest cytotoxic activity against U937 cells with an IC50 of 58.7 µg/ml followed by ferulic acid with an IC50 87.7 µg/ml indicating that the cytotoxic effect of propolis might be due to the presence of ferulic acid. In conclusion, the biological activity of propolis could be attributed to the synergistic action of the two active compounds-ferulic acid and fisetinidol. The data obtained in the study is thus indicative of the role of propolis as potential anti-trypanosomal and anticancer agent for effective cancer therapy.

Improved retting methods of jute to enhance fibre quality and retting waste management

The quality jute fibre production entirely depends upon the process of retting not only on the production of jute. Retting is a rotting process generally preferred to separate the fibre from woody stem without damaging the fibre cellulose. Retting microbes consumes pectin and hemicellulose mainly that are non fibrous cementing materials. Over retting causes degradation of fibre cellulose while under retting does not allow removal of gummy materials completely that are pectic substances. Over retting as well as under retting causes production of low grade jute fibre. Moreover, jute fibre retting and extraction are also labour-intensive, depending upon productivity and the level of technology used. Production of quality jute fibre depends on the process of retting in presence of good quality water. Microbial retting and the extraction of the fibre from the woody core are important primary operations in the processing of jute crops for fibre production. This involves the immersion of bundles of plants in open water, lakes, rivers, ditches, canals and ponds and the controlled decomposition of the non-fibrous materials connecting the fibres to the bark of the plants by using aquatic microbes. Ribbon retting also reduces time of normal retting by 4-5 days, saves water, space and the cost of retting process up to 50% over the traditional method. These improved methods of jute retting able to produce higher quality of jute fibre.

Study of the Antibacterial Activity of a New Prolonged-Release Dental Dosage form Containing Doxycycline and Lidocaine

A dental infection, Gingivitis is a common and mild form of gum disease (periodontal disease) that causes irritation, redness and swelling (inflammation) of your gums. Gingivitis is able to escort to much more grave gum disease (periodontitis) and eventual tooth loss. To treat dental problems painkillers along with antibiotics and some dental paints are the commonly prescribed But the common side effects of most of the painkillers are hyperacidity and gastric irritation most antibiotics due to slow onset of action and hepatic “first-pass” effect fail to produce prompt and prolong actions. Moreover, most of the dental formulations are washed out by saliva within a few hours of application. Hypothesis of the study is that if a soft moldable gummy material containing analgesic as well as antibiotic drugs is attached to an offending tooth and sustained drug release occurs from it, a extended local action of the drugs is achieved. Ethyl cellulose, gum tragacanth, hydroxyl propyl cellulose, PEG-400 and carbopol 934 were used to prepare denticap containing Doxycycline hydrate and lidocaine.

Thermostable and alkalistable exopolygalacturonase of Bacillus pumilus dcsr1: Characteristics and applicability

The bioactive form of thermostable and alkali stable pectinase of Bacillus pumilus dcsr1 is a homodimer of the molecular mass of 60 kDa with a pI of 4.6. The enzyme is optimally active at 50 °C and pH 10.5, and its Michaelis constant (Km), maximum rate of reaction (Vmax), activation energy (Ea), and temperature quotient (Q10) values (for citrus pectin) are 0.29 mg mL−1, 116 μmole mg−1 min−1, 74.73 KJmol−1 and 1.57, respectively. The enzyme has a shelf life of one and a half years at room temperature as well as 4 °C. The activity of the enzyme is stimulated by Mn2+ and Ca2+ and inhibited by Hg+, Cd2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Fe2+, Pb2+, EDTA and urea to a varied extent. The conformational studies of the enzyme revealed a high β–sheet content in the bioactive dimer, and high α-helix in the inactive monomer. The Circular Dichroism (CD) spectra of the dimer in the presence of inhibitors suggested a marked decrease in β-sheet, and a significant increase in α-helix, suggesting a key role of β–sheets in the enzyme catalysis. Based on the end product analysis, the enzyme is an exopolygalacturonase with a unique ability of transglycosylation. When ramie fibers were treated with the enzyme, removal of gummy material (pectin) was visible, confirming its applicability in the degumming process.

Refining process for production of refined palm-pressed fibre oil

Palm-pressed fibre oil (PPFO) is rich in natural phytonutrients such as carotenes and tocotrienols (vitamin E), which makes it worth further development to enhance its quality. Crude PPFO is currently extracted using solvents without further refining. This study aimed to refine crude PPFO using a combination of processes including degumming, bleaching, and deacidification. Various doses of hot distilled water at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 v/v% were applied during water degumming to remove soluble and hydratable gummy materials in crude PPFO. Degumming with acids at doses ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 wt% were tested to obtain oil with low phosphorus content. Bleaching earth doses ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 wt% were used to absorb trace metals and other impurities. The bleached PPFO was subjected to deacidification to remove free fatty acid (FFA). The optimum refining conditions were using 5.0 v/v% of hot distilled water at 90 °C for 20 min for water degumming, 1.0 wt% of phosphoric acid at 90 °C for 10 min for acid degumming, 0.1 wt% of natural bleaching earth at 105 °C for 15 min during bleaching, and deacidification at 110 °C at 0.1 mtorr. The refined PPFO (RPPFO) showed a 98% reduction of phosphorus content (from 565 ppm to 13±2 ppm) and FFA removal of 97% (from 5.94% to 0.15%), while deterioration of bleachability index (DOBI) increased by 44% (from 1.99 to 2.87±0.17). In addition, RPPFO was rich in carotenoids (1208±23 ppm) and vitamin E (904±8 ppm) that can be developed into high value products. The RPPFO meets the quality specifications of refined, bleached, and deodorised palm oil (RBDPO) while maintaining the heat-sensitive phytonutrients.

Design and Characterization of Edible Soft Robotic Candy Actuators

ABSTRACTOne of the goals of soft robotics is the ability to interface with the human body. Traditionally, silicone materials have dominated the field of soft robotics. In order to shift to materials that are more compatible with the body, developments will have to be made into biodegradable and biocompatible soft robots. This investigation focused on developing gummy actuators which are biodegradable, edible, and tasty. Creating biodegradable and edible actuators can be both sold as an interactive candy product and also inform the design of implantable soft robotic devices. First, commercially available gelatin-based candies were recast into pneumatic actuators utilizing molds. Edible robotic devices were pneumatically actuated repeatedly (up to n=8 actuations) using a 150 psi power inflator. To improve upon the properties of actuators formed from commercially available candy, a novel gelatin-based formulation, termed the “Fordmula” was also developed and used to create functional actuators. To investigate the mechanics and functionality of the recast gummy material and the Fordmula, compression testing and biodegradation studies were performed. Mechanical compression tests showed that recast gummy materials had similar properties to commercially available candies and at low strain had similar behavior to traditional silicone materials. Degradation studies showed that actuation was possible within 15 minutes in a biologically relevant solution followed by complete dissolution of the actuator afterwards. A taste test with elementary aged children demonstrated the fun, edible, and educational appeal of the candy actuators. Edible actuator development was an entry and winning submission in the High School Division of the Soft Robotics Toolkit Design Competition hosted by Harvard University. Demonstration of edible soft robotic actuators created by middle and high school aged students shows the applicability of the Soft Robotics Toolkit for K12 STEM education.

FTIR characterization ans chemo-mechanical distinction of reted kenaf fibres

Inadequate information on the binding characteristics of kenaf biomass at the molecular level has adversely affected the modifications of its cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin structure. This study was undertaken to assess the characteristic features and chemo-mechanical properties of kenaf fibres retted under three different media namely: tank, stream and ribbon. Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectra analysis as well as the ASTM standard for tensile tests were applied. The results showed that the broad bands occurred at the range of 3312- 3420 cm−1 for all the retted fibres were due to the presence of hydroxyl (–OH) group while the peaks were obtained at 1635.76, 1635.34, and 1730.69 cm−1 for stream, tank and ribbon retted fibres respectively. However, tank retted fibres had the most broad band intensity at 3419.78cm-1 while ribbon fibres had the highest absorption peak of 1730.69cm-1 corresponding to C=O stretching of the acetyl group in hemi-cellulose. Stream retted Kenaf fibres had the highest tensile strength followed by the tank retted fibres while ribbon fibres had the least. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between stream and tank retted Kenaf fibres in terms of tensile modulus and this was significantly higher than that of ribbon fibre. The α-cellulose content of stream retted fibres was slightly higher than that of ribbon fibres while tank retted fibres had the least. From the results, tank retted Kenaf fibre was ranked as ‘the best fibre’ with the most intensive broad bands and least in lignin and hemi-cellulose content which were regarded as the impurities, gummy and waxy materials, responsible for an easy deformation of the fibre cellular networks.