Liquid Extraction Method Research Articles

Synthesis, characterization of novel p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene derivatives and its application for extraction of alkali and transition elements

Formation of novel lower rim derivatives of p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene through direct reflux between p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene tetrahydrazides (cone, partial cone and 1,3-alternate conformers) and N-methylisatin in absolute ethanol. The study is clearly showed a facile synthesis of di- and tetrasubstituted p-tert-butylthiacalix[4]arene derivatives (2, 3 and 4) with excellent yields (up to 95%). The novel products were investigated by using the state-of-the-art techniques such as FT-IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopies. Moreover, the potential applications of these derivatives were screened for their ability to detect and remove alkali and transition metals (Li+, Na+, K+, Cs+, Pb2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Ag+) using the liquid–liquid extraction method with promising results.

Antibacterial Activity of Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Passion Fruit Peel (Passiflora Edulis Sims) on Staphylococcus Aureus and Escherichia Coli

North Sumatera is one of the central areas of purple passion fruit production in Indonesia. Processing passion fruit into beverage products (passion fruit juice) produces peel has not been utilized. The use of passion fruit skin needs to be studied so that it can be useful as a raw material for antibacterial drug preparations. The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical constituent screening and antibacterial activity of ethyl acetate fraction of purple passion fruit peel against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Simplicia and ethyl acetate fraction were determinated its phytochemical properties. The extraction process by percolation method using ethanol 96% and continue to fractionation process by liquid liquid extraction method using n-hexane and ethyl acetate. The antibacterial activity were tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using agar diffusion method with paper discs. The result showed that the simplicia characteristic of passion fruit peel were water content of 8.64%, water soluble extract of 31.69%, ethanol soluble extract of 13.02%, ash total of 7.89%, and insoluble ash in acid of 0.816%. The phytochemical screening simplicia and ethyl acetate fraction showed the presence of flavonoids, glycosides, saponins and tannins. The antibacterial activity test showed that the ethyl acetate fraction has an effective inhibition at the concentration of 100 mg/ml against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, it showed dose dependent manner. The ethyl acetate fraction of passion fruit peel (Passiflora edulis Sims) has an antibacterial activity on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

Lab-On-A-Chip Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A novel liquid–liquid extraction method of phenolic compounds from extra virgin olive using microfluidic technique was developed. The microdevice of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was designed in two parts; the first one to carry out the extraction of polyphenols using only an alkaline aqueous solution and the second one to develop the reaction product using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, which was measured at 730 nm at the microchip exit. Hydrodynamic and chemical parameters, such as flowrates of extraction and reaction, length of microchannels, extraction pH, extraction buffer concentration, and concentration of Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, were evaluated. Although all parameters were important, the results showed that pH, carbonate buffer concentration, and the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent concentration were significant factors and that the increase in the length of the extraction coil enhanced the extraction percentage. The results showed higher extraction efficiency by the microfluidic method, between 46 and 67%, than for the other two batch extraction methods.

Strategies for Enzymatic Synthesis of Omega‐3 Structured Triacylglycerols from Camelina sativa Oil Enriched in EPA and DHA

Enzymatic production of enriched eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) structured triacylglycerols (STAGs) is done in a two‐step reaction from a new source of omega‐3 α‐linolenic acid (ALA), Camelina sativa oil. A fast‐pressurized liquid extraction method with ethyl acetate as green solvent is used to produce camelina oil with a 39.3% yield in less than 20 min. In a first stage, camelina oil with a 29.7% of ALA is used to enzymatically produce 2‐monoacylglycerols (2‐MAGs) with high ALA composition in position sn‐2 (49.8% of ALA) using Lipozyme TL IM at 25 °C. For omega‐3 incorporation into STAGs, several lipases are studied, with 2‐MAG and omega‐3 FAEEs at different ratios (1:5, 1:10, and 1:20 (w/w)), 10% (w/w) of biocatalyst at 35 °C. STAGs yields reached with EPA ethyl esters are notably higher than using DHA‐EE. Lipase from Candida antarctica B (CAL‐B) and Thermomyces lanuginosus (TLL) incorporate EPA into STAGs in the same degree, 95.1 and 95.5%, respectively. However, for enriched DHA STAGs, maximum reaction yield is reached with CAL‐B (81.0%). The transesterification method of 2‐MAGs from vegetable omega‐3 sources like camelina oil, with marine EPA and DHA FAEEs, opens new approaches for developing VLC‐PUFA fortified functional foods.Practical Applications: Results provided in this research not only demonstrate the efficiency of this enzymatic method for enriching camelina oil in EPA and DHA, but offer a very effective strategy for the development of omega‐3‐enriched products from other vegetable oil sources like chia or echium as ingredients for functional foods with recognized health claims for applications in nutraceutical and food industries. Camelina oil proved to be an excellent source to enzymatically produce 2‐MAGs enriched in omega‐3 ALA. Moreover, lipase screening with commercial biocatalysts establish the most appropriate strategy to reach maximum STAGs yields with direct application in industry. Tested lipases exhibit different degree of substrate specificity toward EPA and DHA, omega‐3 acids not present in natural seed oils. Thus, CAL‐B seems to be the most suitable lipase to produce high content EPA and DHA enriched STAGs from camelina oil as new food ingredients for nutraceutical applications.Enzymatic production of structured TAGs enriched in EPA and DHA is done in a two‐step reaction from a natural source of omega‐3 ALA, camelina oil, studying reaction kinetics and characterizing isolated products.

Levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Water and Sediment of Buffalo River Estuary, South Africa and Their Health Risk Assessment

The incidence and spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Buffalo River Estuary in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were assessed in this study. A total of 60 surface water and 19 sediment samples were collected from 5 sites of the estuary over a period of 6 months (December 2015 to May 2016). Extraction of PAHs from the water and sediment samples was achieved by using liquid–liquid and soxhlet extraction methods respectively, followed by column clean up with silica gel and quantification by gas chromatography–flame ionization detection. Individual PAH levels in the water and sediment samples ranged from not detected (ND) to 24.91 μg/L and ND to 7792 μg/kg, respectively. Total concentrations of the PAHs in the water and sediment samples varied as 14.91–206 μg/L and 1107–22,310 μg/kg in that order. Total levels of the contaminants were above the target values in the two matrices and were higher in summer than autumn. Although the noncarcinogenic risk of PAHs estimated in the water column through dermal absorption was very low compared with the target value, the carcinogenic risk determined was high for both adults and children. Similarly, benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene were found to be of higher carcinogenic and mutagenic risks in the sediments collected from the study area. Diagnostic ratios suggest that the target hydrocarbons are predominantly from pyrolytic sources. It therefore could be inferred that the water body is conspicuously polluted; hence, efforts should be made to control all the activities contributing to such magnitude of pollution at the sites.

Salting-out assisted liquid\u2013liquid extraction for the determination of ciprofloxacin residues in water samples by high performance liquid chromatography\u2013diode array detector

BackgroundThe occurrence of emerging pollutants like pharmaceuticals and related compounds in the aquatic and terrestrial environments is of increasing concern. Ciprofloxacin is one of the pharmaceuticals which is active against a wide range of bacteria. The main objective of this research is to develop a simple method for the extraction and determination of ciprofloxacin residues in environmental water samples.ResultsA salting-out assisted liquid–liquid extraction (SALLE) method for the determination of ciprofloxacin in water samples by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC–DAD) was developed. The calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.1–100 μg/L with coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.9976. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of the method were 0.075 and 0.25 µg/L, respectively. The reproducibility in terms of relative standard deviation (% RSD) was less than 10%. The applicability of the developed method was investigated by analyzing tap water, bottled mineral water and waste water and demonstrated satisfactory recoveries in the ranges of 86.4–120%.ConclusionThe method offered a number of features including wide linear range, good recovery, short analysis time, simple operation process and environmental friendly. The developed method can be utilized as an attractive alternative for the determination of ciprofloxacin residues in environmental water matrices.

Evaluation of Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Fish and Water from Lake Geriyo in Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria

Pesticides usage in agricultural fields to control pests is extremely toxic to non-target organisms like fish and affects fish health through deterioration of metabolism, and sometimes leading to death. The present study was carried out to determine the level of organochlorine (OC) pesticide residues in, water and fish (Catfish and Tilapia) from Lake Geriyo, in Adamawa State, Nigeria, in order to find out the extent of pesticide contamination and accumulation in the lake. Soxhlet extraction process was used for the extraction of fish using a mixture of hexane and acetone, while water sample was extracted using dichloromethane liquid- liquid extraction method. The extracts were cleaned-up and analyzed using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The result shows that organochlorine pesticides residues such as endrin, aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor were detected in the water and the fish samples of the study area. Dieldrin was the predominant residue in all the fish samples analysed, at the concentration range of 0.36mg/kg to 0.57mg/kg and 0. 051mg/kg to 0.047mg/kg in Tilapia and catfish respectively, while Lindane was of higher concentration in water samples, (0.33mg/L) in point p1 upstream and 0.27mg/L in point p2 downstream. The lowest levels of OC pesticides were related to Endrin, Aldrin and Heptachlor in which Endrin and Heptachor were not found in water samples. The result of the investigation shows that matured fish contain higher concentration of the OC pesticide residues than the immature fish. Dieldrin and Lindane were found to be the predominant pesticide residues in all the analysed water and fish samples. Therefore the result indicates that Lake Gariyo is contaminated by pesticide from the nearby vegetable gardens which affects the water quality and non target organisms like fishes thereof. Keywords: Organochlorine, Pesticides, Lake Geriyo, Adamawa State, Fish and Water DOI : 10.7176/CMR/11-2-03

Complexation of Plutonium(IV) with trans-1,2-Diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic Acid (CDTA) in Acidic Solution

Understanding the interaction of Pu(IV) with complexing agents present in the nuclear fuel cycle is important for predicting the performance of used nuclear fuel separations. The complexation of Pu(IV) with trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (CDTA) was studied in acidic solutions of 0.10–0.50 mol·L−1 HClO4 with 1.00 mol·L−1 (Na,H)ClO4 total ionic strength by a liquid–liquid extraction method using tracer quantities of 238Pu. The acid dissociation constants of CDTA and the autoprotolysis constant of water were determined via potentiometric titrations in 0.10–2.00 mol·L−1 NaClO4 and 25.0 ± 0.1 °C. The variation of the dissociation constants with ionic strength was modeled with the Specific ion Interaction Theory (SIT) and the associated SIT parameters were obtained. The thermodynamic dissociation constants at zero ionic strength for water and CDTA were determined from this analysis as $${\text{p}}K_{\text{w}}^{\text{o}}$$ = 14.00 ± 0.03, $${\text{p}}K_{\text{a2}}^{\text{o}}$$ = 1.52 ± 0.04, $${\text{p}}K_{\text{a3}}^{\text{o}}$$ = 2.78 ± 0.05, $${\text{p}}K_{\text{a4}}^{\text{o}}$$ = 4.17 ± 0.04, $${\text{p}}K_{\text{a5}}^{\text{o}}$$ = 6.75 ± 0.02, and $${\text{p}}K_{\text{a6}}^{\text{o}}$$ = 10.64 ± 0.04 at 25.0 ± 0.1 °C. The results of the liquid–liquid extraction experiments indicated the formation of a 1:0:1 complex, PuCDTA0, and the presence of additional protonated species, Pu(HCDTA)+ and Pu(H2CDTA)2+, at these acidities. The corresponding stability constants in 1.00 mol·L−1 (Na,H)ClO4 and 23 ± 1 °C were determined to be log10 β101 = 24.2 ± 0.3, log10 β111 = 25.4 ± 0.2, and log10 β121 = 25.8 ± 0.1.

Pressurized liquid and ultrasound-assisted extraction of α-bisabolol from candeia (Eremanthus erythropappus) wood

Alpha-Bisabolol is an optically active sesquiterpene applied in various commercial products and obtained at high concentration in essential oil extracted from candeia (Eremanthus erythropappus (DC.) Macleish) wood. In this study, the non-conventional pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) methods were employed to evaluate candeia oil quality in terms of yield and α-bisabolol content in comparison with Soxhlet and hydrodistillation techniques. The extractions with n-hexane, ethanol, and ethyl acetate (Soxhlet and PLE) showed the affinity of the compounds for polar solvents and the positive effect of temperature on the yield. However, the highest purity in terms of α-bisabolol was obtained with the apolar solvent n-hexane (up to 64.23%). Besides the α-bisabolol, α-bisabolol B, and isovaleric acid were found in the composition of the essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation, while the oil extracted with n-hexane also presented the sesquiterpenes eremanthin and costunolide. The UAE was performed using a Box-Behnken experimental design to evaluate the effect of the variables temperature, volume of n-hexane to wood mass ratio, and amplitude percentage on the yield of oil. In 7 min of extraction, up to 83% of the yield obtained in the conventional technique in Soxhlet (360 min) were obtained, with a solvent volume 2.5 times smaller, as well as a high yield of α-bisabolol (up to 8.90 gα-bisabolol kgwood−1).

Effect of triple pot still distillation on the volatile compositions during the Rakı production

Rakı is a traditional alcoholic spirit that distills from grapes/raisins distillate so-called suma with aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) in the copper pot still distillers. During distillation, middle-cut fractions are separated and used for Rakı productions. Lately, triple pot still distillations as a new process is also used for production. In this study, effect of distillation numbers on volatile compounds of middle-cut fraction during the Rakı production was investigated. Minor volatiles were extracted with liquid–liquid extraction method and analyzed with GC-MS/FID. Major volatiles were analyzed by direct injection with GC-FID. Odor-active compounds are also identified by GC-O technique. While the number of distillations increased, the amount of volatiles from aniseed and suma decreased and the amount of higher alcohols, esters, and aldehydes of middle-cut fractions are decreased. The highest amount of volatiles based on aniseed are determined as trans-anethole, estragole, cis-anethole, and γ-himachalene. Odor-active compounds were identified as anethole, estragole, linalool, ethyl-2-methyl-butanote, γ-himachalene, and p-anisaldehyde. Practical applications Rakı is produced by distillation of “suma (grape distillate)” with aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) in traditional copper distillers (pot still) having volume of 5.000 liters. Suma is the distillate originating from grapes/raisin that is distilled up to 94.5% v/v alcohol by column still distillation with the purpose of keeping the flavor and smell of grapes. Rakı is a reach product in term of volatile compounds coming from grape distillate and aniseed. Despite of simple (traditional) pot still distillations, triple pot still distillations as a new process is also used in order to improve the quality for Rakı production. While the number of distillations increased, the amount of esters, terpenes, and aldehydes and volatile phenols are decreased. Off-flavors coming from suma as like pungent, woody, fishy smells are separated with increasing the number of the distillations. So perceptions of odor-active compounds that is desired become more powerful in triple distillation.

Liquid–liquid extraction of mercury(II) from aqueous solution using furosemide in benzyl alcohol

A simple, efficient and economical liquid–liquid extraction method has been developed for quantitative extraction of mercury(II) from aqueous buffer solution using furosemide in benzyl alcohol. The effect of various parameters and of various anions and cations on the extraction of mercury(II) was investigated. The separation factor of mercury was quite high in the presence of a number of transition and rare earth metals at pH 3.5. Among strippants, sodium thiosulphate was found most suitable, and the recovery of mercury was noted to be 98%. The stoichiometric composition of the extracted species was found to be [Hg(FS)2].

Determination of Plant Growth Regulators in Chinese Herbal Medicine: A Comparison of Liquid (QuEChERS) and Solid (MSPD) Extraction Methods

This work aimed to compare the methods for the determination of twenty plant growth regulators (PGRs) from Chinese herbal medicines by applying liquid and solid extraction methods simultaneously. Quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) and matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) were chosen as the liquid and solid extraction methods, respectively. Due to the complex matrix of herbal medicine, carbon nanotubes were selected as the solutions/sorbents for the extraction and purification. The extracts were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Both methods resulted in good efficiency for the extraction and purification. The recoveries fell in the range of 71-117% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 19%. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.01 to 3 μg kg-1 with the two methods. The standards were prepared using the matrix matched standards due to the considerable matrix effects of the herbal medicines. Compared to the liquid method, the solid method required a smaller amount of sample, which is critical for PGR analysis of rare valuable herbal medicines. The two methods were applied for the determination of the twenty PGRs in different Chinese herbal medicine successfully.

Optimization of infrared-assisted extraction of bioactive lactones from Saussurea lappa L. and their effects against gestational diabetes

Background: Saussurea lappa (S. lappa, Asteraceae) have immunomodulatory effects and used in the management of many metabolic disorders. Gestational diabetes is one of the metabolic disorders affecting globally one in seven pregnant women. Objectives: The aim of the current study is to optimize an infrared-assisted extraction (IR-AE) method for S. lappa bioactive constituents, phytochemically investigate its content, isolate its most active constituent, and to assess their biological effects against gestational diabetes. Materials and Methods: To optimize IR-AE conditions, four main factors were studied including solvent concentration, extraction time, powder size, and IR power in the yielded extract (SL-IR). Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with bio-guided fractionation and isolation procedures using 1H and 13C NMR method were utilized. Solid–liquid (SL-SLE) and ultrasound (SL-US) extraction methods were also done. Results: The optimal IR-AE extraction conditions were found to be 20% aqueous phase concentration, 60-min extraction time, 70 mesh powder size, and 70 W IR power. Phytochemically, four major lactones were identified, including costunolide, dehydrocostuslactone, isoalantolactone, and alantolactone (ATL). ATL was the most active lactone. SL-IR, SL-US, SL-SLE, or ATL showed a significant (P Abbreviations used: IR-AE: Infrared-assisted extraction; SL: Saussurea lappa, S. lappa; SL-IR: Saussurea lappa infrared extract; SL-US: Saussurea lappa ultrasound extract; SL-SLE: Saussurea lappa solid–liquid extract; ATL: Alantolactone; NDC: Nondiabetic control; DC: Diabetic control; MTF: Metformin; TBARS: Thiobarbituric acid; GSH: Reduced glutathione; CAT: Catalase; APA: Adequate for pregnancy age; LPA: Large for pregnancy age; SPA: Small for pregnancy age.

Fe3O4 nanoparticle-modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the determination of synthetic pyrethroids in human blood

In this study, a sensitive and rapid magnetic solid-phase microextraction (MSPE) procedure based on Fe3O4 nanoparticle-modified, multi-walled carbon nanotubes combined with a gas chromatography/electron capture detector (GC/ECD) was developed to quantify pyrethroids in human blood samples. This study compared liquid–liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction methods and found that the MSPE-GC/ECD method had many advantages, such as high recovery rate, high extraction efficiency, high detection sensitivity, low limit of detection, and simple operation. It can meet the actual requirements for the determination of synthetic pyrethroids in human blood.

Ionic Liquids Applied to Extraction of Xenobiotics from Food, Environmental, and Biological Samples and for Analysis by Liquid Chromatography.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a class of unique substances composed purely by cation and anions. Because of the unique properties of ILs (e.g., electric conductivity, low volatility, thermostability, and tenability), their use has attracted considerable interest, including an increasing number of publications on their use in analytical separation techniques. ILs applied as extraction solvents in liquid-liquid extraction methods and promote interactions between the analyte and solvent because of their unique chemical functional groups. In solid-phase extraction, ILs are usually used for the modification of stationary phases. ILs in LC are applied as mobile phase additives to obtain a better peak shape and high system efficiency for the analysis of ionic, especially basic, compounds. This review highlights some of the applications of ILs to extraction and analysis by LC of xenobiotics in food, environmental, and biological samples.

Validated Method for the Detection of Three Phthalates Derived from Marine Invertebrates

This study represents, detailly, the validated method for the extraction and quantification of widespread phthalic acid esters (PAEs) bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) from solitary ascidians collected from a marine environment. The extraction was based on a pressurized liquid extraction method, using n-hexane as the solvent to extract the target PAEs from dry biological tissues, and was performed in an accelerated solvent extraction instrument. The average recovery of 89.2% was obtained from samples subjected to a pressure of ~1500 psi and 120°C in two 10-min cycles. GC-MS was used for quantification, conducted in single-ion monitoring mode. Following careful and rigorous cleanup procedures to prevent cross-contamination from laboratory glassware, PAE standards showed signals with good specificity. The obtained limits of detection were 130, 122 and 89 ng/g for DEHP, DBP and DnOP, respectively. Accordingly, the calculated limits of quantification were 394, 370 and 270 ng/g for DEHP, DBP and DnOP, respectively. The obtained linearity ranged from 5.4 to 269 ng/ml (equivalent to 135 - 6725 ng/g dry weight), with R2 ≥ 0.998. Concentrations in the range of 200 to 9000 and 400 to 5000 ng/g sample dry weight, for DEHP and DBP, respectively, were obtained from the ascidians. No DnOP was detected in any of the samples. These results indicate that the method presented in this study is applicable for detection of low and trace concentrations of the target PAEs in samples collected from a marine organism, which can serve as a bioindicator of plastic contamination.

Development of UPLC–MS/MS method for quantitative analysis of curcumin in human plasma

A specific, very rapid, and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method for quantitative analysis of curcumin in human plasma has been developed and validated. Diazepam was used as internal standard (IS). The analytes were isolated using liquid–liquid extraction method with the mixture of ethyl acetate–methanol (95:5). The organic solvents were evaporated, reconstituted in mobile phase, and injected to UPLC completed with UPLC BEH C18 column 1.7 μm, 2.1 × 100 mm Acquity® Waters as stationary phase, mixture of 0.15% formic acid–acetonitril (50:50, v/v) as mobile phase, and flow rate of 0.5 mL/min and detected in positive ionization mode tandem mass spectrometer operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The MS/MS ion transitions monitored were m/z 369.05 → 176.95 and 284.95 → 193 for curcumin and IS, respectively. The retention times for curcumin and IS were 1.7 and 1.4 min, respectively, and the linearity range was 1–100 ng/mL with a coefficient correlation (r) of 0.999 and lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 1 ng/mL. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of the intra- and inter-assay precisions of the method were below 8.3% and 12.7%, respectively, while the accuracy ranged from 89.5 to 98.7% and the extraction recovery of curcumin and IS was up to 86.6%. The data presented show that the method provides specific, very rapid, sensitive, precise, and accurate measurements of curcumin concentrations in human plasma.

Isolation of two novel purple naphthoquinone pigments concomitant with the bioactive red bikaverin and derivates thereof produced by Fusarium oxysporum.

Filamentous fungi have gained growing interest as sources of diverse pigmented secondary metabolites. Some specific polyketides from Ascomycetous species have demonstrated a wide range of industrial applications in food, cosmetic, textile, and in the design of pharmaceutical products. The formulation of recipes containing fungal polyketides has increased over recent years. Fusarium strains were proven useful to mankind in a variety of technologies. Nevertheless, there is still need of new isolates of Fusarium for use in emerging and already existing fields. In this article, we report the concomitant production of the bioactive red bikaverin along with two novel purple pigments by the phytopathogenic Fusarium oxysporum LCP531 strain isolated from soil. In literature, the production of purple pigment had only been described in cultures of Fusarium Fujikuroi, Fusarium verticillioides, and Fusarium graminearum. The production of these naphthoquinonic pigments, their distribution (either produced in mycelia or excreted in liquid medium) and their chemical profiles were investigated with respect to nutrient composition. The pigments were extracted by using a pressurized liquid extraction method, monitored by colorimetric analysis and characterized by HPLC-DAD chromatography. To our knowledge, this is the first report of these two novel wild-type purple naphtoquinones pigments along with bikaverin, where additionally, the culture conditions were put into perspective to optimize fermentation cultures and extraction process accordingly to the pigment/biomolecule desired. These colored naphthoquinones should be promising fungal functional compounds which could be expected to have a place of choice, along with other antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, and antineoplastic derivatives. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 35: e2738, 2019.

Distribution pattern and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the water and sediment of Algoa Bay, South Africa

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are amongst the pollutants of major concern in the terrestrial and aquatic habitats. They are mostly characterised by carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects. Distribution and potential health risks of sixteen priority PAHs in the water and sediment samples collected between December 2015 and June 2016 from Algoa Bay, South Africa, were evaluated. Water and sediment samples collected were extracted with liquid–liquid and soxhlet extraction methods, respectively, and then cleaned up using glass column loaded with silica gel. Final concentrations of the target PAHs were determined by gas chromatography interfaced with flame ionization detector. Results indicated that individual PAH concentrations in surface water, bottom water and sediment samples ranged from not detected (ND) to 24.66 µg/L, ND to 22.81 µg/L and ND to 5.23 mg/kg correspondingly. Total PAHs concentrations varied as 12.78–78.94 µg/L, 1.20–90.51 µg/L and 1.17–10.47 mg/kg in the three environmental matrices in that order. The non-carcinogenic risk was generally below 1, whereas risk indices (dermal contact) were above the acceptable limit of 1 × 10−4 in the water column, suggesting possible carcinogenic effects to humans, with adults being the most vulnerable. Similarly, highest contributions to TEQs and MEQs in the sediments were made by benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, the two most toxic congeners, signifying the possibility of carcinogenicity and mutagenicity in humans. Diagnostic ratios of PAHs reflect a prevailing pyrogenic input all through. The pollution was albeit moderate, yet regular check is recommended to ensure safe and healthy environment for human and aquatic lives.

Production of omega 3-rich oils from underutilized chia seeds. Comparison between supercritical fluid and pressurized liquid extraction methods

Chia seeds constitute a promising source of α-linolenic acid (ALA). In the present work, an underutilized and cheaper set of chia seeds, which were discarded after the harvest according to quality criteria - named in this work as low oil content seeds (LOCS) - have been evaluated as a potential source for obtaining PUFA-enriched oils against the commonly studied high-quality chia seeds denoted as high oil content seeds (HOCS) in this study. Two efficient and environmental friendly techniques, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), were evaluated to optimize the extraction process of chia oil. At 60 °C, by using pressurized food-grade ethanol, recoveries close to 100% were achieved from both sets of seeds in a short extraction time (10 min). By using SFE, the greatest oil extraction yield (>95%) was attained at the highest pressure and temperature conditions (45 MPa and 60 °C) after 240 min. At the early stage of SFE extraction, both LOCS and HOCS exhibited a similar kinetic behavior, reaching oil extraction rates of 0.59 g oil/min and 0.64 g oil/min, respectively. No differences were found between the fatty acid profile of the oils extracted from LOCS and HOCS both by PLE and SFE. ALA and linoleic acid (LA) concentrations ranged between 65‐68% and 17–23% respectively, and a predominance of high molecular weight triglycerides (≥ CN50), was found in all extracted oils. In conclusion, LOCS might constitute a new suitable raw material for the production of ALA-enriched oils. Concerning the extraction methods assayed, the oil was almost entirely recovered by both PLE and SFE at the used conditions.