High Content Research Articles

Investigation of the sorption activity of native coals to air oxygen

The influence of the gaseous medium during sample preparation, the granulometric composition, the duration of contact with air and the stage of metamorphism on the process of oxygen sorption from the air was established. It is shown that conducting sample preparation in an air atmosphere leads to primary oxidation of the outer surface of the coals, which introduces an error in determining the oxygen sorption rate constant. Fine coal fractions (0-0.2 mm) with a more developed outer surface have increased oxygen absorption activity. The rate of oxygen sorption is maximal at the initial moment of the interaction of active carbons with air and decreases with the duration of contact. The least metamorphosed hard coals of the D brand with a high content of reactive functional groups and a developed porous structure are characterized by the greatest chemisorption activity.

Enhancing Broccoli growth by bacillus rhizosphere bacteria

This study examines the enhancement of broccoli growth by Bacillus Rhizosphere. Bacteria Broccoli is a nutrient-rich vegetable known for its high content of polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and low calorie count, making it a recommended daily food. Tropical regions grow broccoli in mountainous areas. Sustainable agriculture emphasizes minimizing chemical fertilizers, and biofertilizers like Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR), such as Bacillus, can reduce their use. Bacillus improves plant growth by fixing nitrogen, solubilizing phosphate and potassium, and producing phytohormones. Understanding Bacillus growth dynamics is vital for optimizing its agricultural application. This study aimed to analyze growth curves of different Bacillus species and investigate their potential role in promoting broccoli growth. This study was carried out in January–April 2024 at the Soil Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran, and Bumi Agro Technology Company, Lembang. The research was divided into 3 stages: growth curve determination, Bacillus liquid inoculant preparation, and application of treatment to plants. The findings showed that isolates of B. safensis strain MDL5, B. altitudinis strain RPW2, B. subtilis strain YPS4, and Bacillus sp. strain SZ057 reached the highest point in their growth curves after 4 and 5 days of incubation. After that, the curves slowly went down. Inoculating Bacillus into broccoli plants resulted in an increase in plant height by 43.28–58.75% compared to the control.

Controlled Growth of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Films by Iron-assisted Floating Solid Catalyst Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) films, with exciting electronic properties are increasingly important for next-generation technologies. Here, an Iron-assisted floating solid catalyst chemical vapor deposition (IA-FSCCVD) method is developed for the controlled growth of high-quality and high-purity SWNT films. Titanium carbide nanoparticles with a high melting point are used as the solid catalysts, which provide a stable template for SWNT growth through the perpendicular growth mode. Trace amounts of iron are introduced to increase the efficiency of SWNT growth. Gas chromatography measurements and density functional theory show that the gas-phase iron acts as a pre-cracking assistance for the carbon source, promoting the growth of SWNTs. Carbon nanotube films with a high quality (average IG/ID = 166) are successfully prepared, a small diameter deviation (mean diameter of 1.6nm), and a high content of SWNTs (97%) using the IA-FSCCVD platform. This work provides a powerful way to prepare the carbon nanotube aggregates with a controlled structure.

Brazilin Content, Color Stability, and Antioxidant Activity of Sappan Wood (Caesalpinia Sappan L.) Traditional Drink by Different Blanching and Drying Methods

Caesalpinia sappan L (CS) heartwood is used as a natural red colorant in several Asian ethnic traditional drinks both as sole ingredient or mixed with other herbs. However, the pigment is unstable and easily degraded during storage which affects consumer acceptance. This research aimed to investigate the effect of different blanching and drying methods on the color stability, brazilin content, and antioxidant activity of CS heartwood drinks. Steam blanching, water blanching, sun drying and cabinet drying were examined in this study. The most common method applied in traditional production, without blanching and sun drying, was used as a control. The experimental design used was complete randomized design with triplicates. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation and analyzed by SPSS statistics version 20. The results showed that blanching and drying methods affected the color intensity. For a pure CS heartwood herbal drink, the sample prepared with water blanching and cabinet drying (BCD) showed the highest red value, leading to a 48 % improvement compared to the control. This red value is in accordance with the brazilin content. Sample BCD showed the highest brazilin content, which was 376 % higher than that of the control. Similarly, the BCD sample had the highest antioxidant activity and total phenolic content, with IC50 values of 98.99 ppm and 213.12 mg GAE g–1, respectively. This result revealed that brazilin might act as an antioxidant. Similar to the pure CS drink, the highest quality of mixed herbal drink was obtained by BCD sample. The results suggest that the combination of water blanching and cabinet drying (BCD) was the best method to improves the quality of CS heartwood drink both in pure and mixed herbal drinks as a functional drink. HIGHLIGHTS Samples treated with blanching and drying had higher brazilin content of Sappan heartwood drink There is a correlation between brazilin content and color intensity as well as antioxidant activity Blanching and cabinet drying improved the color stability of Sappan heartwood drink Blanching and cabinet drying increased the total phenolic and flavonoid content of Sappan heartwood drink GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Sedimentation characteristics of surficial sediments in Baiyun Canyon area, Northern South China Sea

The Baiyun Canyon area on the Northern Slope of the South China Sea is a potential hotspot for oil and gas resource development, but the sediment characteristics and sedimentary environment in this region present challenges for offshore engineering. This study comprehensively analyzed the physical, and mechanical properties of sediments in the area using geophysical exploration, engineering geological investigation, fixed-point sampling and hydrological observation. The engineering geological characteristics and sedimentary environment of surface sediments in the Baiyun Canyon area were studied, and the relationship between physical and mechanical properties and sedimentary environment was explored. The study revealed that the sediments in this area consist mainly of organic soft clay with high water content, low density, high pore ratio, high liquid limit, high plasticity and low strength. The physical and mechanical properties of the sediments vary, with the mechanical properties exhibiting higher variability than the physical properties. The research findings offer a scientific basis for understanding the seabed soil properties for designing submarine engineering structures in the deep waters of the northern South China Sea. This study holds significant theoretical and practical implications for oil and gas exploration and offshore engineering construction.

Second Generation Zwitterionic Aza‐Diarylethene: Photoreversible CN Bond Formation, Three‐State Photoswitching, Thermal Energy Release, and Facile Photoinitiation of Polymerization

Diarylethenes are a well‐studied and optimized class of photoswitches with a wide range of applications, including data storage, smart materials, or photocontrolled catalysis and biological processes. Most recently, aza‐diarylethenes have been developed in which carbon‐carbon bond connections are replaced by carbon‐nitrogen connections. This structural elaboration opens an entire new structure and property space expanding versatility and applicability of diarylethenes. In this work, we present the second generation of zwitterionic aza‐diarylethenes, which finally allows for fully reversible photoswitching and precise control over all three switching states. High‐yielding photoswitching between the neutral open form and a zwitterionic Z isomer is achieved with two different wavelengths of light. The third zwitterionic E isomeric state can be reached up to 87% upon irradiation with a third wavelength. Its high energy content of >10 kcal/mol can be released thermally by deliberate solvent change as trigger mechanism, rendering aza‐diarylethenes into interesting candidates for molecular solar thermal energy storage (MOST) applications. The third state further serves as locking state, allowing to toggle light‐responsiveness reversibly between thermally labile and thermally stable switching. Further, irradiation of the zwitterionic states leads to highly efficient photopolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA), directly harnessing the unleashed chemical reactivity of aza‐diarylethene in materials applications.

Second Generation Zwitterionic Aza-Diarylethene: Photoreversible CN Bond Formation, Three-State Photoswitching, Thermal Energy Release, and Facile Photoinitiation of Polymerization.

Diarylethenes are a well-studied and optimized class of photoswitches with a wide range of applications, including data storage, smart materials, or photocontrolled catalysis and biological processes. Most recently, aza-diarylethenes have been developed in which carbon-carbon bond connections are replaced by carbon-nitrogen connections. This structural elaboration opens an entire new structure and property space expanding versatility and applicability of diarylethenes. In this work, we present the second generation of zwitterionic aza-diarylethenes, which finally allows for fully reversible photoswitching and precise control over all three switching states. High-yielding photoswitching between the neutral open form and a zwitterionicZisomer is achieved with two different wavelengths of light. The third zwitterionicEisomeric state can be reached up to 87% upon irradiation with a third wavelength. Its high energy content of >10 kcal/mol can be released thermally by deliberate solvent change as trigger mechanism, rendering aza-diarylethenes into interesting candidates for molecular solar thermal energystorage (MOST) applications. The third state further serves as locking state, allowing to toggle light-responsiveness reversibly between thermally labile and thermally stable switching. Further, irradiation of the zwitterionic states leads to highly efficient photopolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA),directly harnessing the unleashed chemical reactivity of aza-diarylethene in materials applications.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction vs. microwave-assisted extraction for sustainable development goals: Selecting the ideal lipid extraction and fatty acid profile

The objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) methods for extracting lipids from the green microalga Chlorococcum novae-angliae. This study specifically focused on the fatty acid profiles of the extracted lipids, using ethanol as the solvent and wet biomass as the starting material. Ultrasound-assisted extraction yielded a maximum of 0.026 ± 0.001 g lipid/g wet biomass at a biomass ratio of 1:25 for 2 min with a 1-second cycle at 180 W and 20 kHz, which was 21% higher than that of microwave-assisted extraction conducted at a ratio of 1:30 for 2 min at 300 W and 35 °C. Ultrasound-assisted extraction enhanced saturated fatty acids (SFAs), which were 1.5 times higher than to microwave-assisted extraction, while microwave-assisted extraction significantly increased polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) by 4.4 times. The findings suggest that ultrasound-assisted extraction is more suitable for applications requiring high SFA content, such as in the fuel industry, whereas microwave-assisted extraction is preferable for sectors focused on fatty acid quality, such as food and health. This comparative analysis contributes to the literature by highlighting the impact of extraction methods on fatty acid profiles and supports sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12, by promoting environmentally friendly extraction techniques.

Modeling and Numerical Investigations of Flowing N-Decane Partial Catalytic Steam Reforming at Supercritical Pressure

Steam reforming is an effective method for improving heat sinks of hypersonic aircraft at high flight Mach numbers. However, unlike the industrial process of producing hydrogen with a high water content, the catalytic steam reforming mechanism for the regeneration cooling process of hydrocarbon fuels with a water content below 30% is still unclear. Catalytic steam reforming (CSR) and catalytic thermal cracking (CTC) reactions occur at low temperatures, with the main products being hydrogen and carbon oxides. Thermal cracking (TC) reactions occur at high temperatures, with the main products being alkanes and alkenes. The above reaction exists simultaneously in the regeneration cooling channel, which is referred to as partial catalytic steam reforming (PCSR). Based on the experimental measurement results, an improved neural network correction method was used to establish a four-step global reaction model for the PCSR of n-decane under low water conditions. The reliability of the four-step model was verified by combining the model with a numerical simulation program and comparing it with the experimental results obtained by electric heating hydrocarbon fuels with a pressure of 3 MPa and a water content of 5/10/15%. The experimental and predicted results using the developed kinetic model are consistent with an error of less than 5% in the decane conversion rate. The average absolute error between the fuel outlet temperature and total heat sink is less than 10%. Using the PCSR model to predict the heat transfer characteristics of mixed fuels with different water contents, the convective heat transfer coefficient is basically the same, and the Nu number is affected by the thermal conductivity coefficient, showing different patterns with changes in the water content.

Elucidation of the influence of trinitro-diazinotriazine isomerism on the energetic properties and stability: Insights from DFT approach

The exploration of isomeric energetic molecules with high nitrogen content and the examination of their structure–property relationships remains compelling areas of interest within the field of energetic materials. Energetic isomers comprising the same molecular composition but distinct molecular structures potentially lead to notable variations in performance and properties. This study focused on designing and evaluating different forms of diazinotriazine using two molecular compositions: C5H3N5 and C5N8O6, aiming to generate various isomeric structures and to guide the rational design of new molecules. The electronic configurations, energetic properties, and sensitivity prediction of the optimized structures were investigated using the M06-2X/def2-TZVPP level of theory. The trinitro-diazinotriazine isomers exhibit high heat of formation (>486 kJ/mol), high detonation properties (D > 8.7 km/s, P > 34 GPa), high density (>1.81 g/cm3), and better thermal stability (BDE > 230 kJ/mol) making them promising explosive contenders. Among the designed diazinotriazine backbones, the pyridazine-1,2,3-triazine framework is favourable for the heat of formation and detonation properties. The heats of formation, detonation velocity, pressure, and heats of detonation of A4 and B4 outperform the other trinitro-diazinotriazine isomers.

Overexpression of ALDOC Promotes Porcine Intramuscular and Intermuscular Fat Deposition by Activating the AKT-mTORC1 Signaling Pathway.

Skeletal muscle fat accumulation, a common complication of obesity, has garnered increasing attention. For livestock animals, intramuscular fat content is a key determinant of meat quality and directly influences consumer preferences for different meat products. However, genes effectively regulating intramuscular and intermuscular fat (IIMF) deposition remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, we employed transcriptome sequencing of muscle from pigs with high and low IIMF contents, uncovering Aldolase C (ALDOC) as a novel key gene controlling IIMF. ALDOC overexpression significantly enhanced the IIMF content both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistic investigations revealed that ALDOC activates the AKT-mTORC1 axis to promote lipid accumulation in myotubes and intramuscular adipocytes. Notably, the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin abrogated ALDOC's proadipogenic effect. Our findings establish ALDOC as a novel key gene regulating IIMF deposition and identify the ALDOC-AKT-mTORC1 signaling pathway as a promising therapeutic target for treating skeletal muscle fat infiltration and improving pork quality.

A survey of the Desulfuromonadia “cytochromome” provides a glimpse of the unexplored diversity of multiheme cytochromes in nature

BackgroundMultiheme cytochromes c (MHC) provide prokaryotes with a broad metabolic versatility that contributes to their role in the biogeochemical cycling of the elements and in energy production in bioelectrochemical systems. However, MHC have only been isolated and studied in detail from a limited number of species. Among these, Desulfuromonadia spp. are particularly MHC-rich. To obtain a broad view of the diversity of MHC, we employed bioinformatic tools to study the cytochromome encoded in the genomes of the Desulfuromonadia class.ResultsWe found that the distribution of the MHC families follows a different pattern between the two orders of the Desulfuromonadia class and that there is great diversity in the number of heme-binding motifs in MHC. However, the vast majority of MHC have up to 12 heme-binding motifs. MHC predicted to be extracellular are the least conserved and show high diversity, whereas inner membrane MHC are well conserved and show lower diversity. Although the most prevalent MHC have homologues already characterized, nearly half of the MHC families in the Desulforomonadia class have no known characterized homologues. AlphaFold2 was employed to predict their 3D structures. This provides an atlas of novel MHC, including examples with high beta-sheet content and nanowire MHC with unprecedented high numbers of putative heme cofactors per polypeptide.ConclusionsThis work illuminates for the first time the universe of experimentally uncharacterized cytochromes that are likely to contribute to the metabolic versatility and to the fitness of Desulfuromonadia in diverse environmental conditions and to drive biotechnological applications of these organisms.

Cell wall remodeling confers plant architecture with distinct wall structure in Nelumbo nucifera.

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera G.) is a perennial aquatic horticultural plant with diverse architectures. Distinct plant architecture (PA) has certain attractive and practical qualities, but its genetic morphogenesis in lotus remains elusive. In this study, we employ genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) for the seven traits of petiole length (PLL), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), peduncle length (PLF), flower diameter (FD), petal length (PeL), and petal width (PeW) in 301 lotus accessions. A total of 90 loci are identified to associate with these traits across 4 years of trials. Meanwhile, we perform RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyze the differential expression of the gene (DEG) transcripts between large and small PA (LPA and SPA) of lotus stems (peduncles and petioles). As a result, eight key candidate genes are identified that are all primarily involved in plant cell wall remodeling significantly associated with PA traits by integrating the results of DEGs and GWAS. To verify this result, we compare the cell wall compositions and structures of LPA versus SPA in representative lotus germplasms. Intriguingly, compared with the SPA lotus, the LPA varieties have higher content of cellulose and hemicellulose, but less filling substrates of pectin and lignin. Additionally, we verified longer cellulose chains and higher cellulose crystallinity with less interference in LPA varieties. Taken together, our study illustrates how plant cell wall remodeling affects PA in lotus, shedding light on the genetic architecture of this significant ornamental trait and offering a priceless genetic resource for future genomic-enabled breeding.

Spatial distribution of remaining movable and non-movable oil fractions in a depleted Maastrichtian chalk reservoir, Danish North Sea: Implications for CO2 storage

Depleted oil and gas fields constitute potentially important storage sites for CO2 in the subsurface, but large-scale injection of supercritical (sc) CO2 in chalk has not yet been attempted. One of the risks is the adverse effect of the substantial amount of remaining oil in the chalk reservoirs on scCO2 injection. In order to counter an undesired effect on injectivity, a fundamental understanding of the spatial distribution and quantity of the movable, semi-movable, and non-movable oil, and solid bitumen/asphaltenes fractions of the remaining oil is critical. In this study a combination of organic geochemistry (gas chromatography of the saturated fraction and programmed pyrolysis), and reflected light microscopy was applied to evaluate and measure the spatial distribution, volume, and saturation of different oil fractions in a well-defined reservoir interval of a waterflooded Maastrichtian chalk reservoir in the Danish Central Graben, North Sea. A total of 127 samples from a slightly deviated vertical well and two ∼5 km-long horizontal wells from the Halfdan and Dan fields were analyzed. An original uneven distribution of oil saturation and composition or different production efficiency of different levels in the reservoir may account for variations in the total oil and oil fraction saturations. Gas chromatography shows that the solvent extractable oil is quite similar in composition, characterized by a dominance of polar compounds and a high content of asphaltenes. Extended slow heating (ESH) pyrolysis reveals that most of the remaining oil saturation consists of semi-movable oil and total non-movable oil (non-movable oil plus solid bitumen/asphaltenes). Reduced oil gravity values (API) are related to evaporation loss of the lightest hydrocarbon fraction during core storage and increase of the relative proportion of the heavier oil fractions by waterflooding during production. Microscopy disclosed three forms of oil: i) Patchy distributed lighter, movable oil showing a bluish fluorescence, ii) Brownish staining with a dark orange to brownish fluorescence, and iii) Dark brown non-fluorescing oil and black solid bitumen/asphaltenes occurring in microfossils and along deformation bands and stylolites, constituting the heavy non-movable oil fractions. There is a general correlation between bulk rock porosity and the total non-movable oil saturation. It thus appears that the heavy non-movable oil fractions preferentially occur in association with low-permeability heterogeneities within high-permeability stratigraphic intervals. These intervals appear to favor accumulation of non-movable oil and solid bitumen/asphaltenes and may carry a higher risk for impeding scCO2 flow.

A Comprehensive Assessment of Nutritional Value, Antioxidant Potential, and Genetic Diversity in Metapenaeus ensis from Three Different Populations.

Due to its high tolerance to salinity and temperature, as well as its strong adaptability, Metapenaeus ensis holds an important position in the Chinese aquaculture industry. However, studies on the evaluation of its germplasm resources remain insufficient. This research conducted an in-depth comparative evaluation of M. ensis from three representative farming regions in China: Sanya, Zhuhai, and Raoping. The nutritional analysis of muscle tissue showed no statistically significant differences in crude ash, moisture, and crude protein content among the populations (p > 0.05). However, significant differences were observed in crude fat and total sugar content (p < 0.05). The MeSY and MeRP populations had higher crude fat content than the MeZH population (p < 0.05), while the MeZH population exhibited the highest total sugar content. In terms of amino acid composition, the MeSY population had relatively higher total essential amino acid content and proportion, as well as higher total amino acid content, both of which were statistically significant (p < 0.05). A fatty acid composition analysis further highlighted the advantages of the MeRP population in several key fatty acids (p < 0.05). Physiological and biochemical analyses showed no significant differences among the three populations in total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase activity, or catalase activity (p > 0.05). A genetic diversity analysis indicated that M. ensis has relatively low diversity, with the MeSY population showing higher SNP density and nucleotide diversity. A genetic differentiation analysis revealed significant genetic differentiation between the MeSY and MeZH populations, while differentiation between the MeZH and MeRP populations was relatively smaller. This comprehensive assessment of nutritional components, amino acids, fatty acids, antioxidant capacity, and genetic diversity highlights the advantages of germplasm resources from different regions. These findings provide valuable insights for future research on the genetic characteristics and breeding potential of M. ensis.

Effect of sand content on adhesion and cohesion of municipal sludge during drying practices: The characteristics and modification

Stickiness is a phenomenon observed widely in sludge drying practices, which negatively impacts the sludge drying efficiency. This paper was aimed at evaluating the stickiness characteristics of sludge when the sand content of sludge increases during the rainy season, and carrying out stickiness modification experiments on high sand content sludge. The results indicated that the sand content was significantly positively correlated with the stickiness of sludge. During drying process, the adhesion force and cohesion force of sludge decreased with the increase of drying temperature, and the adhesion force was consistently greater than the cohesion force in every group. The sludge stickiness was reduced after ultrasonic treatment and calcium oxide modification, but the reduction effect of sodium dodecyl sulfate on sludge stickiness was not good. This study confirmed the effect of sand content on sludge stickiness, and the stickiness of sludge with high sand content can be reduced by modifier. These findings contribute to our understanding of the stickiness of sludge with high sand content in the rainy season and provide valuable insights for the optimization of sludge drying process.

Utilization of Hibiscus, Tamarind and Carob in Production of Low Calories Healthy Soft Drinks

The demand for carbonated beverages is increasing, offering opportunities to develop drinks with significant health benefits. Beverages containing carob, tamarind and hibiscus offer multiple nutritional and functional benefits and can serve as healthy alternatives to other soft drinks on the market. This is particularly important given the high sugar and calorie content of traditional soft drinks, which has been linked to increased issues associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease globally. The focus of the current work is to evaluate low-calorie soft drinks made from hibiscus, tamarind and carob and sweetened with erythritol that cater to diverse consumer segments, including diabetics and health-conscious individuals. Hibiscus, tamarind and carob extracts were sweetened with 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g erythritol sugar/200 ml carbonated beverage. The results showed that the alcoholic extract from hibiscus cups gave the highest content of phenols and flavonoids (70.3 mg gallic/g on DW and 7.8 mg catechin/g on DW), followed by carob pod alcoholic extract (19.3 mg gallic/g on DW) and tamarind alcoholic extract (11.6 mg gallic/g on DW). Tamarind gave a higher content of flavonoids (2.3 mg/g) than carob (1.2 mg/g); however, carob pods had the highest antioxidant activity (91.92%), followed by tamarind pulp (87.66%) and hibiscus cups (79.76%). The soft drinks of hibiscus and tamarind sweetened with erythritol at 1.5 g/200 ml gave the best sensory properties compared with control (adjusted by sucrose at 12% brix) and others concentrations used of erythritol sugar at (0.5 and 1.5 g /200 ml carbonated beverage). Carob pods soft drink sweetened with 0.5 g erythritol /200 ml gave the best sensory characteristics compared to the control sample and others concentrations of erythritol sugar at (1 and 1.5 g /200 ml carbonated beverage), which may be due to the high content of sugars in carob. Hibiscus carbonated beverage outperformed tamarind in terms of overall acceptability and carob carbonated beverage was the least acceptable in terms of sensory properties. Carob carbonated beverage recorded the highest antioxidant activity (90.9%) and phenolic content while representing the second highest in terms of flavonoids. Tamarind carbonated beverage ranked second in terms of antioxidant activity (86.0%) and phenolic content although it ranked first in terms of flavonoids. Hibiscus carbonated beverage recorded the lowest content in terms of antioxidant activity (79.36%), phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Hibiscus, tamarind and carob are a great choice for the production of carbonated beverages because they give the beverage desirable nutritional, cosmetic and medicinal qualities. Moreover, the simplicity of production and availability of raw materials allows for the stimulation of the economy by reducing dependence on multinational companies offering unhealthy or industrialized soft drinks.

Metabolite Profiles and Biological Activities of Different Phenotypes of Beech Mushrooms (Hypsizygus marmoreus).

Beech mushrooms (Hypsizygus marmoreus) are edible mushrooms commercially used in South Korea. They can be classified into white and brown according to their pigmentation. This study analyzed the metabolites and biological activities of these mushrooms. Specifically, 42 metabolites (37 volatiles, two phenolics, and three carbohydrates) were quantified in white beech mushrooms, and 47 (42 volatiles, two phenolics, and three carbohydrates) were detected in brown mushrooms. The major volatiles detected were hexanal, pentanal, 1-hexanol, and 1-pentanol. Brown mushrooms contained higher levels of hexanal (64%) than white mushrooms (35%), whereas white mushrooms had higher levels of pentanal (11%) and 1-pentanol (3%). Most volatiles were more abundant in white mushrooms than in brown mushrooms. Furthermore, brown beech mushrooms had a higher phenolic content than white mushrooms. Biological assays revealed that both types of mushroom demonstrated anti-microbial activities against bacterial and yeast pathogens and weak DPPH scavenging activity. The extracts from both mushrooms (50 μg/mL) also exhibited strong anti-inflammatory properties. Brown mushroom extracts showed higher antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties than white mushroom extracts. This study reported that the differences in phenotype, taste, and odor were consistent with the metabolite differences between white and brown beech mushrooms, which have high nutritional and biofunctional values.

Potential for the Recovery of Selected Metals and Critical Raw Materials from Slags from Polymineral Zn–Pb Ore Metallurgy—Part I

Slags from the Silesia–Cracow Upland (Poland), including ten historical slags (deposited in waste dumps) and four contemporary slags (from current production), were examined to compare their chemical and mineralogical properties as well as to assess their potential for the recovery of selected metals and critical raw materials. The historical slags associated with the smelting of polymetallic ores originating from Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits consisted primarily of gypsum. The contemporary slags, obtained from industrial waste rich in zinc and lead, were predominantly spinels (magnesium-aluminate and ferric) that exhibited higher iron content (up to 46.6 wt% of Fe2O3) compared to the historical slags (up to 26.1 wt% of Fe2O3). The zinc content was similar for both the slag types (3.5 wt% Zn). The average titanium and arsenic contents in the old and contemporary slags were at the same level as well, with 0.21 wt% (Ti) and 0.13 wt% (As), respectively. The contemporary slags contained higher levels of critical raw materials, such as cobalt, nickel, copper, and manganese, compared to the historical slags. Rare earth elements (REEs) were also more abundant in the contemporary slags, with an average content of 212 ppm, while the historical slags averaged 124 ppm. These findings underscore the potential for recovering valuable metals and critical raw materials from such slags, presenting opportunities for resource optimisation and environmental management.

Effects of polyunsaturated fatty acid and diacylglycerol on the crystallization behaviors of palm-based oil

Diacylglycerol (DAG) is a novel functional structural lipid, but its application in base oils remains underexplored. This research investigated the effect of three liquid oils (groundnut oil, corn oil, and flaxseed oil), with varying polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (39.60, 69.50, and 77.65 %) and DAG content (0.00, 40.00, 80.00 %), on the crystallization behaviors of palm-based oil. DAG (40.00 %), obtained through enzymatic glycerolysis and molecular distillation, was found to stabilize the binary system with good compatibility and fine crystal structure. “Liquid” DAG played a dual role: diluting solid lipids, and promoting crystallization. Increasing DAG content led to larger crystalline domain size, while higher PUFA content accelerated crystallization and increased crystal orderliness, though decreasing crystal density. These results demonstrated the clear influence of PUFA and DAG content on palm-based oil crystallization. This knowledge can guide the utilization of different unsaturated DAGs for tailored fat crystallization in food application.