Mg Of Oil Research Articles

Influence of short-term chronic oral cannabidiol application on muscle recovery and performance after an intensive training protocol - a randomized double-blind crossover study.

Rapid regeneration after intense exercise is essential for competitive athletes. Based on this assumption, supplementation strategies, focusing on food supplements, are increasing to improve the recovery processes. One such supplement is cannabidiol (CBD) which is gaining more attention in competitive sports. However, the evidence is still lacking and there are no data available about the effect of a short-term chronic application. A three-arm double-blind cross-over study was conducted to determine the effects of two different CBD products on performance, muscle damage and inflammatory processes in well-trained athletes. In total 17 subjects took successfully part in this study. Each subject underwent the six-day, high-intensity training protocol three times. After each training session, each subject took either a placebo or a CBD product (60 mg of oil or solubilisate). Between the intervention phases, at least four weeks of washout period was conducted. Before and after the training protocols the performance capacity in countermovement jump (CMJ), back squat (BS), bench press (BP) and 1-mile run were measured and biomarkers for muscle damage (creatine kinase, myoglobin), inflammatory processes (interleukin 6 and 10) and immune cell activity (ratios of neutrophil granulocytes, lymphocytes and, platelets) were analyzed. For statistical analyses, the current version of R and a linear mixed model was used. It could identify different effects of the training protocol depending on performance level (advanced or highly advanced athletes) (p < .05). Regardless of the performance level, muscle damage and a reduction in performance could be induced by the training protocol. Only CBD oil was associated with a reduction in myoglobin concentration (p < .05) in advanced athletes. Concerning immune activity, a significant decrease in platelets lymphocyte ratios was observed in advanced athletes after placebo treatment (p < .05). CBD oil application showed a slight inhibitory effect (p < .10). Moreover, the reduction in performance differs between the performance levels. A significant decrease in CMJ was observed in advanced athletes and a decreasing trend in BS was observed in highly advanced athletes after placebo treatment (p < 0.10). Both CBD products do not affect performance parameters. For inflammatory parameters, no effects were observed. It was found that the performance level of the subjects was a decisive factor and that they responded differently to the training protocol and the CBD application. However, no clear effects of either CBD product were found and further research is needed to identify the long-term effects of CBD application.

Physiological and microbiological hormesis in sedge Eleocharis palustris induced by crude oil in phytoremediation of flooded clay soil.

Soil contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons affects plants and rhizospheric microorganisms. Microbial activity participates in important biochemical processes that stimulate, together with plants, the modification of toxic compounds for organisms. A nine-month experiment was set up to study the effect over time of oil on plant height (cm), formation of new plants, plant matter production (gravimetry), and population of rhizospheric microorganisms (serial dilution) in the sedge Eleocharis palustris. Removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons (soxhlet and gravimetry) from the soil was also evaluated. The means of the evaluated variables registered significant statistical differences (Duncan, p < 0.05) regarding the age of the plant and the amount of crude oil. There was a high correlation between oil and plant height (0.848) and with new plants (0.994). 60 mg oil dose promoted the greatest statistical difference in the amounts of roots and plant biomass (p < 0.05). E. palustris exposed to 60 and 75 mg of oil stimulated high densities of microalgae, actinomycetes, fungi, hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria and Pseudomonas spp; the overall ratio was 2:1 relative to natural attenuation. Plant and microorganism variables evaluated registered physiological and microbiological hormetic indices ≥1, showing a positive linear relationship. Natural attenuation was more efficient in removing crude oil. We conclude that E. palustris is tolerant to oil exposure. It is suggested to combine it with natural attenuation for the optimization of soils contaminated with crude oil.

Using of Different Kinds of Aromatic Oils with Feeding on Some Productive Traits in Awassi Lambs

This study was conducted in the animal farm of the College of Veterinary Medicine/Tikrit University for the period from 01/10/2019 to 31/12/2019 to investigate the effect of using different kinds of aromatic oils on some productive traits in Awassi lambs. Twenty Awassi lambs aged between 5-6 month and divided according to weight into four group and hens in an individual cages, the study lasted for 90 day. concentrate diet provided to the lambs at 3% of their body weight. the treatment were as follows : T1 was a control group without drenching, T2 drenched with sage oil, T3 drenched with clove oil and T4 drenched with laurel oil. drenching process was done manually by using water-soluble capsules each one contain 500 mg of oil, each lambs was given one capsule/day. which is pushed by using a plastic tube in to the beginning of esophagus. to study the effect of these oils on weight characteristics, body dimensions and wool characteristics. The results showed that there was no significant effect of the treatments on body weight characteristics. As for the measurements of the body dimensions after a month of the experiment, laurel oil, clove oil and sage oil had a significant effect on the chest circumference, the width of the body at the front, the width of the body at the back and BCS, and also the parameters had a significant effect on the measurements of body dimensions At the end of the experiment, the characteristics of the height of the body at the front, the height of the body at the back, the circumference of the chest, and the length of the body. As for the characteristics of the wool, the oils used led to a decrease in the percentage of clean wool and an increase in the length of the fiber compared to the control.

The two-step asynchronous vitrified-thawed blastocyst embryo transfer strategy. The impact on multiple pregnancy rate

To compare clinical and multiple pregnancy rate among women who underwent two-step asynchronous blastocyst embryo transfer (TSABET) versus DET in the frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle with patients who had at least two vitrified blastocysts. Retrospective single-center cohort study. All patients (534 consecutive IVF/ICSI cycles ) at NADIYA Clinic from 6/30/2015-12/31/2018 who met such criteria as age <38, good quality day 5-6 blastocysts, had at least 2 remaining cryopreserved blastocysts and subsequently underwent FET, were included in this study. Exclusion criteria were preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) cycles and donor oocyte cycles. Primary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate per transfer and multiple pregnancy rate. Secondary outcomes were miscarriage rate, ectopic pregnancy rate. All women received estradiol for the preparation of the endometrium. The administration of progesterone (50 mg in oil, daily) was initiated when endometrium thickness exceeded 8 mm. In the DET group (433 cycles), on day 6 (P+6) or 7(P+7) after the initiation (P+1) of progesterone treatment, two blastocysts were transferred. In the TSABET (101 cycles), on day P+6 and day P+9 the blastocysts were transferred twice. The results between the DET and the TSABET cycles were compared (see Table below). Chi-squared tests and t-tests were used to compare demographic, cycle characteristics and outcome data between groups. Demographic characteristics were similar between DET and TSABET patients. TSABET patients had a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate than DET patients (70,3% vs 57,0%). However, DET patients had a significantly higher multiple pregnancy rate (44,1% vs 9,9%). There was no difference in ectopic pregnancy and abortion rate seen between groups.Tabled 1DEТ (n=433)TSABET (n=101)PAge, mean±σ31,6±3,5 (19-37)31,7±3,1 (23-37)0,975Clinical pregnancy247 (57,0%)71 (70,3%)0,015Multiple pregnancy109 (44,1%)7 (9,9%)<0,001Ectopic pregnancy2 (0,8%)1 (1,4%)0,646Miscarriages <20 w48 (19,4%)12(16,9%)0,631 Open table in a new tab To our knowledge, this is the first study of using two-step vitrified-thawed blastocyst transfer strategy with 72h interval between transfers.

Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Italian Monovarietal Extra Virgin Olive Oils.

In the last years, the interest in Italian monovarietal oils has increased due to their specific organoleptic qualities. Extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) are rich in phenolic compounds, secondary metabolites well known and studied for their nutraceutical properties. However, among EVOOs, there is great variability in phenolic composition due to the origin, the production technique, and mainly, the genotype. The aim of this work was to evaluate the different phenolic profiles and the antioxidant activities of monovarietal oils. The results confirm this variability. In fact, the overall content of oleuropein varies up to four times between the different genotypes (from 33.80 to 152.32 mg/kg oil), while the oleocanthal content is significant only in two oils. The antioxidant activity, determined with 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays, is correlated with the content of total phenolic substances, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for the DPPH test ranging from 160 to 91 mg of oil, while the ORAC test shows values between 5.45 and 8.03 μmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/g oil.

Analysis of fatty acid profiles of free fatty acids generated in deep-frying process.

During the deep fat food frying process, the frying media, oil, continuously degenerates when exposed to high temperature, oxygen and moisture. This leads to physical and chemical changes including the formation of hydrolysis products such as free fatty acids (FFAs) which are associated with undesirable darkening in colour, off-flavouring and a lowering of the smoke point. This study was aiming to develop a method capable of identifying and quantifying individual free fatty acids within oil using a small sample size (100mg of oil). We used liquid/liquid extraction technique to separate FFAs from the rest of the oil followed by esterification using boron trifluoride (BF3) and then gas chromatography analysis. Various extraction conditions were tested. A mixture of 0.02M phosphate buffer at pH 12 and acetonitrile at solvent: buffer ratio larger than 2:1 showed the highest efficiency in extraction of FFAs. The method was capable of producing accurate fatty acid profiles of FFAs and showed good precision on medium rancidity oil samples. It also captured the differences induced by adding free fatty acids to samples. An interesting discrepancy was found between the new method and the traditional titration method in terms of overall FFA content, which suggests further optimisation and investigation are required.

Effect of Corexit 9500A on Mississippi Canyon crude oil weathering patterns using artificial and natural seawater.

During the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil well blowout in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM), the application of 6.97 million litres of chemical dispersants was used at the well-head and on the sea surface to promote oil degradation and weathering of the Mississippi Canyon 252 (MC252) crude oil. Chemical dispersants encourage microbial degradation by increasing the surface area of the spilled oil, which also increases its bioavailability. However, the net beneficial effects of using chemical dispersants on spilled oil and their effects on weathering are not completely elucidated in contemporary literature. The use of simulated environmental conditions in replicate laboratory microcosm weathering experiments were employed to study the weathering of oil and the effects of dispersants on oil weathering. Fresh MC252 oil was evaporatively weathered 40% by-weight to approximate the composition of oil seen in surface slicks during the 2010 spill. This surface oil was then well mixed with two types of seawater, autoclaved artificial seawater, the abiotic control, and Gulf of Mexico seawater, the biotic experiment. Four different weathering combinations were tested: 10 mg of oil mixed in 150 ml artificial seawater (OAS) or natural (i.e., GoM) seawater (ON) and 10 mg of oil with dispersant mixed with 150 ml of artificial seawater (OASD) or natural (i.e., GoM) seawater (OND). For the treatments with dispersant (OASD and OND), the dispersant-to-oil ratio (DoR) was 1:20. The experiment was carried out over 28 days with replicates that were sacrificed on Days 0, 0.5, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28. For the OAS and OASD treatments, abiotic weathering (i.e., evaporation) dominated the weathering process. However, the ON and OND treatments showed a dramatic and rapid decrease in total concentrations of both alkanes and aromatics with biodegradation dominating the weathering process. Further, there were no identifiable differences in the observed weathering patterns between microcosms using oil or oil treated with dispersant. In the biotic weathering microcosms, the relative degree of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) depletion decreases with an increase in rings and within a homolog series (increased alkylation). The n-C17/pristane and n-C18/phytane ratios rapidly decreased compared to the abiotic weathering experiments. The C2-dibenzothiophenes (DBT)/C2-phenanthrenes (D2/P2) and C3-DBTs/C3-phenanthrenes (D3/P3) ratios initially remained constant during the early stages of weathering and then increased with time showing preferential weathering of the sulfur containing compounds compared to similar sized PAH compounds. These ratios in the abiotic microcosms remained constant over 28 days. Additionally, twenty-four quantitative MC252 oil biomarker ratios were evaluated to determine if their usefulness as oil source-fingerprinting tools were compromised after significant weathering and dispersant augmentation.

Evaluation of Culture Conditions to Obtain Fatty Acids from Saline Microalgae Species: Dunaliella salina, Sinecosyfis sp., and Chroomonas sp.

The use of the saline microalgae, Dunaliella salina, Sinecosyfis sp., and Chroomonas sp., was explored as an alternative source for the production of fatty acids using fertilizer and glycerol as culture media. The nutrient medium used contained “Nutrifoliar,” a commercial fertilizer, and/or glycerol, in natural sea water. The microalgae were placed in cultures with different conditions. The parameters that favored the largest production of fatty acids were 24 hours of agitation and illumination, 1620 L/day of air supply, 2.25 L of air/min, and a temperature of 32°C using “Nutrifoliar” as the culture media. Results indicated that, from 3 g of microalgae in wet base of Chroomonas sp., 54.43 mg of oil was produced. The chromatographic characterization of oil obtained revealed the presence of essential fatty acids such as 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid (omega-3) and 4,7,10-hexadecatrienoic acid (omega-6) from the species Dunaliella salina. On the other hand, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (omega-6) and cis-11-eicosenoic acid (omega-9) were identified from the species Chroomonas sp. The temperature variations played an important role in the velocity of growth or the production of the algae biomass, the amount of oil, and the ability to produce fatty acids.

Recyclable Hybrid Inorganic/Organic Magnetically Active Networks for the Sequestration of Crude Oil from Aqueous Environments

Hybrid inorganic/organic composite materials have been synthesized from the coupling of amine-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (amine-IONs) and pre-established shell cross-linked knedel-like (SCK) polymer nanoconstructs. The magnetically active hybrid networks (MHNs), composed of several interconnected SCKs bound to magnetically active amine-IONs, were designed for their application in the sequestration of hydrophobic contaminants from polluted environments. Initial assessment of the ability of the MHNs to capture complex pollutants, such as crude oil (oil), determined a loading capacity in the range of 3.5–4.5 mg of oil sequestered/mg of MHNs. The magnetic component of the hybrid nanoconstructs was exploited as a facile method of manipulation of the loaded networks, which allowed for the recovery of ca. 93% of the MHNs deployed in water, as well as ca. 90% recovery of the oil originally sequestered. Reutilization of these materials exhibited comparable efficiency after three cycles of remediation,...

Robust Magnetic/Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles Designed for Crude Oil Entrapment and Recovery in Aqueous Environments

Well-defined, magnetic shell cross-linked knedel-like nanoparticles (MSCKs) with hydrodynamic diameters ca. 70 nm were constructed through the co-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers of PAA20-b-PS280 and oleic acid-stabilized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles using tetrahydrofuran, N,N-dimethylformamide, and water, ultimately transitioning to a fully aqueous system. These hybrid nanomaterials were designed for application as sequestering agents for hydrocarbons present in crude oil, based upon their combination of amphiphilic organic domains, for aqueous solution dispersibility and capture of hydrophobic guest molecules, with inorganic core particles for magnetic responsivity. The employment of these MSCKs in a contaminated aqueous environment resulted in the successful removal of the hydrophobic contaminants at a ratio of 10 mg of oil per 1 mg of MSCK. Once loaded, the crude oil-sorbed nanoparticles were easily isolated via the introduction of an external magnetic field. The recovery and reusability of these MSCKs were also investigated. These results suggest that deployment of hybrid nanocomposites, such as these, could aid in environmental remediation efforts, including at oil spill sites, in particular, following the bulk recovery phase.

New strategy for patients with repeated implantation failure

To evaluate the effectiveness of two-step (day 4 and day 6) vitrified-thawed blastocyst transfer in patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF). Retrospective analysis. Twenty-four patients who were failed in spite of several attempts of vitrified-thawed blastocyst transfers were included in this study. The average number of failed cycles among the 24 patients was 3.5±1.4 times. Two-step vitrified-thawed blastocyst transfers were performed for these patients. All women received estradiol for the preparation of the endometrium. The administration of progesterone (50 mg in oil, daily) was initiated when endometrium thickness exceeded 8 mm. In the previous cycles, on day 5 after the initiation of progesterone treatment, the blastocysts were transferred. In the two-step cycles, on day 4 and day 6 after the initiation of progesterone treatment, the blastocysts were transferred twice. The results between the previous cycles and the two-step cycles were compared. The average embryo transfer number of the two-step cycles and the previous cycles was 2.0±0.0 and 1.2±0.4, respectively. The good-quality blastocyst rate in the two-step cycles (51.9% 27/52) was comparable with that in the previous cycles (50.5% 50/99). The implantation rate by the two-step cycles (13.5% 7/52) was comparable with that by the previous cycles (5.1% 5/99). However, the pregnancy rate (positive fetal heart movement) by the two-step cycles (23.7% 6/26) was significantly higher than that by the previous cycles (3.8% 3/80). Moreover, the abortion rate in the two-step cycles (42.9% 3/7) was significantly lower than that in the previous cycles (100% 8/8). No dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy was occurred in the two-step cycles. Two-step vitrified-thawed blastocyst transfer is presumably one of the effective clinical approaches for patients with RIF in terms of defective endometrial receptivity such as premature or overmature endometrium. Further evaluation is recommended.

Prostaglandin E1 or E2 (PGE1, PGE2) prevents premature luteolysis induced by progesterone given early in the estrous cycle in ewes

The objective of this study was to determine whether prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) prevents premature luteolysis in ewes when progesterone is given during the first 6 days of the estrous cycle. Progesterone (3 mg in oil, im) given twice daily from Days 1 to 6 (estrus = Day 0) in ewes decreased (P < 0.05) luteal weights on Day 10 postestrus. Plasma progesterone concentrations differed (P < 0.05) among the treatment groups; toward the end of the experimental period, concentrations in jugular venous blood decreased (P < 0.05) compared with the other treatment groups. Plasma progesterone concentrations in ewes receiving PGE1 or PGE1 + progesterone were greater (P < 0.05) than in vehicle controls or in ewes receiving PGE2 or PGE2 or PGE2 + progesterone. Chronic intrauterine treatment with PGE1 or PGE2 prevented (P < 0.05) decreases in plasma progesterone concentrations, luteal weights, and the proportion of luteal unoccupied and occupied LH receptors on Day 10 postestrus in ewes given exogenous progesterone, but did not affect (P > 0.05) concentrations of PGF2α in inferior vena cava blood. Progesterone given on Days 1 to 6 in ewes advanced (P < 0.05) increases in PGF2α in inferior vena cava blood. We concluded that PGE1 or PGE2 prevented progesterone-induced premature luteolysis by suppressing loss of luteal LH receptors (both unoccupied and occupied).

Effect of Added Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Iodine Concentrations on Conjugated Linoleic Acid‐Rich Soy Oil Oxidative Stability

Jain and Proctor [1] reported pilot scale production of 20 % conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in soy oil by photoisomerization of soy oil linoleic acid (LA) in oil triacylglycerides to CLA using an iodine catalyst. Recently, we reported in a food oil oxidation study of freshly produced CLARSO that the pro-oxidant effect of CLA and iodine was independent of concentration [2]. However, the study did not distinguish between the effect of CLA and iodine on CLA oxidation. Removal of iodine may be important if iodine is identified as prooxidant. However, if CLA is the major pro-oxidant, storage conditions and added antioxidants may be very important after iodine removal to protect against oxidation. The objective of the following study was to distinguish between the effect of added CLA and added iodine concentration on soy oil oxidative stability. Commercial RBD (Refined, bleached, and deodorized) soy oil was obtained from Riceland Foods (Stuttgart, AR) containing 52 % linoleic and 6 % linolenic acid. Resublimed iodine crystals were used as a catalyst (Alfa Aeser, Ward Hill, MA). Commercial CLA triacylglyceride (Tonalin TG80) consisting of a 50:50 mixture of cis-9, trans11 and trans-10, cis-12 was obtained from Cognis Nutrition and Health (Cincinnati, OH). Nine RBD soy oil treatments containing combinations of 0, 0.175, and 0.35 % iodine; 0, 10 and 20 % commercial CLA triacylglyceride (Tonalin TG80) were prepared. CLARSO oxidative stability was studied by gravimetric analysis [3] and headspace oxygen determination. The 500-mg samples of soybean oil treated with combinations of CLA and iodine were weighed into aluminum pans. Samples were stored in an oven in the dark at 65 C for 10 days and weighed daily. Results were expressed as change in weight (mg per 500 mg of oil). To measure headspace oxygen, 3 g of oil was weighed into 10-mL amber colored glass vials and the vials were stored in an oven in the dark at 65 C for 10 days. The headspace oxygen content in each vial was determined daily by using Oxygen Analyzer-Quantek Model 905 (Quantek Instruments, Grafton, MA). Data were analyzed as a full-factorial design by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and mean comparison of triplicate runs was done by a student’s t test (p 0.05) using JMP 9.0 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). RBD soybean oil was used in this study in place of CLARSO because the CLA in CLARSO may not allow for the effects of iodine to be determined independently. Figure 1 shows the effects of iodine and CLA concentration on weight change of RBD soy oil. The presence of iodine in the oils resulted in shorter induction time, more rapid weight increase, and therefore greater oxidation. However, there was no increase in induction time with increasing iodine levels. At 0 % CLA, both 0.175 and 0.35 % iodine had an induction period of 1 day. However, at 10 % CLA, 0.175 % iodine had an induction period of 0 days, and 0.35 % iodine had a 1-day induction period. At 20 % CLA, the two iodine concentrations again showed similar behavior with a 1 day induction period. The main general observation was that the presence of iodine increased oxidation but increasing the concentration did not. This agreed with our previous finding in CLARSO [2]. In the absence of iodine in the oil, there was increasing oxidation with an increasing CLA concentration with the 20 % CLA oil weight increase being most rapid followed by 10 % CLA oil. The change in weight was affected by iodine concentration, CLA concentration, time (day), and all interactions (p 0.05). The % iodine 9 % R. R. Yettella C. Castrodale A. Proctor (&) Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, 2650 N. Young Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA e-mail: aproctor@uark.edu

Effects of flaxseed oil supplementation and FADS genotype on declarative memory abilities in toddlers

ObjectiveDocosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is integral to neuronal function and subsequent cognition. Biosynthesis of DHA from its precursor alpha‐linolenic acid (LNA) is controlled by the FADS gene complex. Previously unobserved genetic differences may be a confound in studies of biosynthesis. This intervention was designed to determine the cognitive effects of providing substrate (flaxseed oil) to a system with little exogenous DHA intake (human toddlers).Methods16‐month‐olds (n=65) were enrolled in a 4‐month double‐blind intervention and randomized to flaxseed or corn oil. Parents squeezed 2400 mg of oil into their toddlers’ food daily for 180 days. Memory was assessed at 0, 7, 180, and 187 days using a non‐verbal declarative memory paradigm. Toddlers were exposed to 4 new imitation events and were tested for memory immediately, after 20 min, and after 7 days at baseline and end (total events = 8). Genotype at rs174575 on the FADS2 gene was determined.ResultsBaseline, 20‐min delay, and 7‐day delay results indicate no differences in memory performance when analyses are based on participant genotype. However, when analyses are completed with maternal genotype, children of homozygous recessive mothers earned lower scores on the memory tasks.ConclusionMaternal genotype needs to be considered instead of or in addition to the participants’ genotypes when assessing the effects of fatty acid supplementation.

Comparison of chemical composition and antioxidant potential of volatile oil from fresh, dried and cured turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes

The present work was conducted to assess and compare the chemical composition of volatile oils from fresh, dried and cured turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes from a selected single source. In addition, their antioxidant and radical scavenging potentials were correlated with chemical composition. Major components were ar-turmerone (21.0–30.3%), α-turmerone (26.5–33.5%) and β-turmerone (18.9–21.1%). Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values were 38.9, 68.0 and 66.9μM at 1mg of oil/ml for fresh, dried and cured rhizome respectively in ABTS assay. IC50 values for fresh, dried and cured rhizome oil to quench DPPH radicals were 4.4, 3.5 and 3.9mg of oil/ml respectively. Fresh, dried and cured rhizome oils showed antioxidant capacity of 358, 686 and 638mM of ascorbic acid equivalents per 1mg of oil respectively. The rhizome oil shows good reducing potential and was concentration dependent. It is inferred that the cured rhizomes provided high yield of volatile oil with appreciably high antioxidant potential.

INFLUENCE OF MAIN PROCESS VARIABLES ON THE TREATMENT OF WASTEWATERS USING A NEW TECHNOLOGY (MSPI)

The prototype of a device on a semi-industrial scale to treat wastewaters from the oil industry has been widely studied as a viable alternative to conventional equipment. The device, called Mixer-Settler based on Phase Inversion (MSPI), uses the phase inversion method as operating principle. Using experimental planning (24 factorial with four repetitions in the central point), it was determined the influence of the main variables on the oil/water separation process for waters containing between 30 and 100 mg of oil per liter of water. The following variables were evaluated: specific throughput, organic/aqueous phase ratio, agitation in the mixing chamber, and coconut oil concentration. The response variable was the oil/water separation efficiency. The results show that the separation efficiency of the device is a function of the effective throughput and the organic/aqueous phase ratio.

Composition of the Volatiles of Citrus macroptera var. annamensis and Evaluation of Bioactivity

The distillation and subsequent extraction of the distillate obtained from the fresh peels of the fruits of Citrus macroptera var. annamensis afforded 120 mg of oil (yield 0.12 %). Analyses both by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of the sample resulted in the identification of 25 terpenoids, predominantly monoterpene hydrocarbons, accounting for 97.0 % of the total oil, and limonene (73.5 %) as the major component. While the oil did not exhibit any in vitro free-radical-scavenging (DPPH), it showed considerable antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus, B. subtilis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with the MIC values ranging from 1.25 to 5.0 mg/mL.

Efficacy of three different progesterones for luteal phase and early pregnancy support in older women with high implantation potential embryos undergoing IVF-ET

OBJECTIVE: A recent large trial showed a numerical difference in pregnancy rates in women > age 35 using different formulations of vaginal progesterone. We compared the efficacy of three progesterone preparations: 1.Vaginal gel containing 90 mg micronized progesterone in a polycarbophil base (PG) administered once daily, 2. Vaginal micronized progesterone 200 mg in capsular form (PC) administered three times daily, and 3. Intramuscular progesterone 50 mg in oil (PIO) given once daily, in women > age 35 undergoing IVF-ET.

Performance and molecular evaluation of an anaerobic system with suspended biomass for treating wastewater with high fat content after enzymatic hydrolysis

The effect of a lipase-rich fungal enzymatic preparation, produced by a Penicillium sp. during solid-state fermentation, was evaluated in an anaerobic digester treating dairy wastewater with 1200 mg of oil and grease/L. The oil and grease hydrolysis step was carried out with 0.1% (w/v) of solid enzymatic preparation at 30 °C for 24 h, and resulted in a final free acid concentration eight times higher than the initial value. The digester operated in sequential batches of 48 h at 30 °C for 245 days, and had high chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies (around 90%) when fed with pre-hydrolyzed wastewater. However, when the pre-hydrolysis step was removed, the anaerobic digester performed poorly (with an average COD removal of 32%), as the oil and grease accumulated in the biomass and effluent oil and grease concentration increased throughout the operational period. PCR-DGGE analysis of the Bacteria and Archaea domains revealed remarkable differences in the microbial profiles in trials conducted with and without the pre-hydrolysis step, indicating that differences observed in overall parameters were intrinsically related to the microbial diversity of the anaerobic sludge.

Residual stress in Ni-Mn-Ga thin films deposited on different substrates

Four series of Ni51.4Mn28.3Ga20.3/substrate thin film composites, where the substrate is either Si(100), MgO(100), alumina or Mo foil, and two series of Ni53.5Mn23.8Ga22.7/substrate composites where the substrate is either alumina or Mo foil, with different film thicknesses varying from 0.1 to 5 μm have been studied in the cubic phase by XRD stress measurements. The values of residual stresses are found to be dependent on both substrate and film thickness. In the submicron range, a correlation between thickness dependencies of residual stress and transformation temperatures is experimentally obtained. The temperature dependence of the d-spacing d220 is studied for the films deposited on Si(100).