Organic Acid Fraction Research Articles

Impact of light on protective fractions of Cu in white wine: Influence of oxygen and bottle colour

Cu(II)-organic acid (fraction I) and Cu(I)-thiol (fraction II) complexes can suppress sulfhydryl off-aromas in wine. This study investigated the impact of light exposure on the protective fractions of Cu of bottled white wine. Fluorescent light-exposed Chardonnay with two initial concentrations of dissolved oxygen (0.5 and 10 mg/L) was stored in different coloured bottles and concentrations of Cu fractions and riboflavin, a photo-initiator at 370–440 nm, were measured during 110 days storage. Light-exposed wines with lower oxygen concentrations resulted in a 100-fold decrease in the Cu fraction I half-life, and a 60-fold decrease for Cu fractions I and II combined. The half-life for Cu fraction I decay during light exposure was extended 30-fold with the use of brown compared to flint glass. Light exposure can rapidly exhaust the protective Cu fractions in wine, and bottles with less light transmission below 440 nm can slow this loss.

Effect of combination of essential oils on in vitro methane production, volatile fatty acid fractions and feed digestibility with goat rumen flora

Different combination of garlic oil (GO from Allium sativum L.), clove oil (CO from Eugenia spp.) and peppermint oil (P from Mentha piperita L.) as GO+PO (1:1), GO+CO (1:1), CO+PO (1:1) and GO+PO+CO (1:1:1) was evaluated in in vitro gas production test for their effect on total gas production, methane production, dry matter organic matter digestibility and volatile fatty acid fractions. The addition level was low (D1) at 0.25 g/L, medium (D2) at 0.5 g/L, and high (D3) at 1.0 g/L of fermentation medium. Concentrate mixture and bengal gram straw (Cicer arietinum L.) in 40:60 ratio was incubated with incubation medium containing goat rumen liquor for 24 h at 39°C in glass syringes. Three goats fed with concentrate pellet and Bengal gram straw served as donor of the rumen liquor. In vitro fluid pH varied between 6.50 to 6.59. Total gas production (mL/g DM) in control group was 154.07, at lower dose level (0.25 g/L) there was increase in gas production which significantly decreased at highest dose level. There was significant (P<0.05) decrease in the methane production (mL/g DM and mL/g DDM) on GO and PO supplementation together. At low dose level (D1, 0.25g/L) there was no statistically (P>0.05) significant difference in in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility with the addition of different EO combinations evaluated as compared to control except PO+ CLO (1:1). At dose level (D2 and D3) GO+PO combination led to a moderate decrease in the in IVDMD and IVOMD along with decrease in in vitro methane production. Fraction of propionic acid was higher on addition of garlic and peppermint oil together. There was relative decrease in the methanogens population with bacteria as housekeeping gene as expressed by RT-PCR amplification with GO+PO addition. Present study concluded that among the EOs combinations in vitro tested, garlic and peppermint oil combination (GO+PO) has better potential in reducing in vitro methane production with lower effect on in vitro digestibility.

Effects of Potassium-Containing Fertilizers on Sugar and Organic Acid Metabolism in Grape Fruits.

To identify suitable potassium fertilizers for grape (Vitis vinifera L.) production and study their mechanism of action, the effects of four potassium-containing fertilizers (complex fertilizer, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate) on sugar and organic acid metabolism in grape fruits were investigated. Potassium-containing fertilizers increased the activity of sugar and organic acid metabolism-related enzymes at all stages of grape fruit development. During the later stages of fruit development, potassium-containing fertilizers increased the total soluble solid content and the sugar content of the different sugar fractions and decreased the titratable acid content and organic acid content of the different organic acid fractions. At the ripening stage of grape fruit, compared with the control, complex fertilizer, potassium nitrate, potassium sulfate, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate increased the total soluble solid content by 1.5, 1.2, 3.5, and 3.4 percentage points, decreased the titratable acid content by 0.09, 0.06, 0.18, and 0.17 percentage points, respectively, and also increased the total potassium content in grape fruits to a certain degree. Transcriptome analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the berries showed that applying potassium-containing fertilizers enriched the genes in pathways involved in fruit quality, namely, carbon metabolism, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, and fructose and mannose metabolism. Potassium-containing fertilizers affected the expression levels of genes regulating sugar metabolism and potassium ion uptake and transport. Overall, potassium-containing fertilizers can promote sugar accumulation and reduce acid accumulation in grape fruits, and potassium sulfate and potassium dihydrogen phosphate had the best effects among the fertilizers tested.

The Physicochemical, Textural, Microbiological and Sensory Properties of Skimmed Buffalo Milk Yoghurt with Tragacanth Gum During Storage.

In the food industry, research interest in the functional effects of natural polysaccharides from plants has increased in recent years. Tragacanth gum is used in dairy products because of its stabilising, thickening, fat-replacing and prebiotic properties. However, skimmed milk is considered a significant commercial loss in the production of buffalo clotted cream. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the potential of tragacanth gum in the production of yoghurt from buffalo milk residues with different concentrations of tragacanth gum (0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/L). Skimmed buffalo milk with different concentrations of tragacanth gum was pasteurised and, after cooling at 45 °C, a starter culture was added to each sample. All samples were fermented to a pH=4.80±0.2. The gross composition, acidity, water activity, water-holding capacity, whey separation, mass fractions of organic acids and volatile aroma compounds, counts of total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and moulds, Lactococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. as well as sensory and textural properties were analysed during 15 days storage. The results showed that the use of tragacanth gum increased the dry matter mass fraction, water-holding capacity and mass fraction of proteins in the samples, while whey separation decreased as the concentration of gum increased. The addition of gum improved textural properties and hardness of the yoghurt. In terms of consistency, the sample with 1 g/L tragacanth gum was the most reliable. In the control group, the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria count was highest on the first and last day of storage. According to the results of the sensory evaluation, the sample with 0.5 g/L tragacanth gum was the most favourable. Research has shown that the use of stabilisers in varying ratios improves the quality of yoghurt made from fat-free buffalo milk, which is a by-product of industrial production. So instead of ending up as industrial waste, it is recycled and its value is increased.

Pros and Cons of Separation, Fractionation and Cleanup for Enhancement of the Quantitative Analysis of Bitumen-Derived Organics in Process-Affected Waters—A Review

Oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) contains a diverse mixture of inorganic and organic compounds. Naphthenic acids (NAs) are a subset of the organic naphthenic acid fraction compounds (NAFCs) and are a major contributor of toxicity to aquatic species. Thousands of unique chemical formulae are measured in OSPW by accurate mass spectrometry and high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of NAFCs. As no commercial reference standard is available to cover the range of compounds present in NAFCs, quantitation may best be referred to as “semi-quantitative” and is based on the responses of one or more model compounds. Negative mode electrospray ionization (ESI-) is often used for NAFC measurement but is prone to ion suppression in complex matrices. This review discusses aspects of off-line sample preparation techniques and liquid chromatography (LC) separations to help reduce ion suppression effects and improve the comparability of both inter-laboratory and intra-laboratory results. Alternative approaches to the analytical parameters discussed include extraction solvents, salt content of samples, extraction pH, off-line sample cleanup, on-line LC chromatography, calibration standards, MS ionization modes, NAFC compound classes, MS mass resolution, and the use of internal standards.

STUDY OF THE COMPOSITION OF ORGANIC ACIDS IN THE LEAVES OF THE SEA BUCKTHORN OF THE CIR-CULAR (HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES L.)

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is a promising medicinal plant for harvesting not only fruits, but also leaves as a medicinal plant raw material (MPRМ). Leaf extracts have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, adaptogenic and immunostimulatory properties due to the complex of biologically active substances (BAS) (tannins, organic acids and flavonoids), which confirms their value as MPRM for the development of herbal medicines (HMP) on their basis. The aim of the work was to study the composition of organic acids (including amino acids) of sea buckthorn leaves of various phenological phases of the harvest. The object of the study is the dried leaves of sea buckthorn of three phenological phases of plant life (I – the phase of fruit set, II – the phase of single fruit ripening, III – the phase of mass ripening of fruits) collected on the territory of the Voronezh region and dried leaves of sea buckthorn in 2021. The objectives of the study included a comprehensive study of the composition of the fraction of organic acids in leaves (free and bound) using the methods of chemical and physicochemical analysis. The data obtained showed that, in general, the qualitative composition of the BAS of the group of acids of the studied leaf phenophases is similar to each other, but differs quantitatively. For the harvesting of this medicinal product on an industrial scale, from the point of view of the content of the total organic acids, the harvesting phase can be recommended, since early deleafing can lead to a decrease in the accumulation of valuable BAS groups in fruits – the source of the pharmacopoeial preparation «Oil of Hippophaës».

Ensiling alfalfa of foreign selection with experimental biological preparations

The article considers the results of a laboratory study of the use of experimental preparations Inoculant 1 and Inoculant 2, containing live bacteria and their combinations, in the preparation of silage from the green mass of alfalfa of foreign selection in the budding phase. The mass fraction of moisture, crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), as well as the concentration of the mass fraction of organic acids (lactic, acetic and butyric) were determined. The positive influence of the consortium of microorganisms in the preservation of nutrients and energy of the finished silage has been established. Elevated indicators of dry matter and metabolic energy in experimental samples were revealed, the concentration of which is significantly higher than the control ones in terms of dry matter - by 1.55 and 1.69%, in terms of metabolic energy - by 2.60 and 1.38%.

Research on the effectiveness and material basis of Ligusticum chuanxiong in alleviating acute liver injury

Ethnopharmacological relevanceAs an effective medicinal plant, Ligusticum chuanxiong (L. chuanxiong) is traditionally used in China to treat various kinds of dysesthesia caused by liver qi stagnation, chest paralysis and heart pain caused by liver blood stagnation, and bruises and injuries caused by blood stasis. Recent research has confirmed the efficacy of L. chuanxiong in treating liver injury. Aim of the studyL. chuanxiong has significant hepatoprotective effects, but its material basis and mechanism of action are still ambiguous. This work was to reveal the potential active ingredients (parts) of L. chuanxiong for liver protection and to investigate the pharmacological mechanism of its liver protection. Materials and methodsThe hepatoprotective substance basis and mechanism of L. chuanxiong were investigated using network pharmacology, and the active components of L. chuanxiong extract were studied using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analytical techniques. Molecular docking was adopted to verify the interaction between the active ingredients in L. chuanxiong and the key targets involved in liver injury. To confirm the hepatoprotective effects of the effective part in L. chuanxiong, a carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury model in mice was used. ResultsAs a result, network pharmacological analysis techniques were used to screen out potential active ingredients such as ferulic acid, caffeic acid, and p-coumaric acid, which were concentrated in the organic acid site and acted on 19 key targets related to liver protection. The biological process involved the positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthesis, and various signaling pathways were implicated, including the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, the TNF signaling pathway, and others. LC-MS and GC-MS qualitatively analyzed the effective components from L. chuanxiong extract, and 50 active components were identified. The molecular docking of key components with the core targets showed good activity, which validated the predicted results. In the final analysis, a mouse model of acute liver injury induced by CCl4 further verified the greater protective effect of the organic acid fraction of L. chuanxiong on liver injury in mice compared with other parts. ConclusionThe results reveal that L. chuanxiong may relieve liver damage, and the organic acids were the main active part in it. Its mechanism of alleviating liver injury is related to positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthesis, the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, the TNF signaling pathway, and so on.

Gas Chromatographic Determination of Fatty and Organic Acid Composition in Selenium-Protein Dietary Supplement

Topicality. The use of selenium-protein dietary supplements (SPDS) is relevant from a medical and economic point of view, as it can provide consumers with the required amount of selenium, and increase the value and attractiveness of food products. The diet of a modern person is very diverse in the composition of fatty ingredients. Of all natural fats, dairy is the most complex and unique one in its chemical composition. SPDS “Syvoselen Plus” contains up to 10% fat in its composition, therefore, studies of its composition are of certain scientific interest in view of the above. In many scientific studies, gas chromatography is used to determine the composition of not only the fat fraction of additives containing vegetable oils and animal fats, but also organic acids. The study of the fat fraction and the fraction of organic acids of additives by this method allows determining and predicting the composition of similar fractions in the final product from SPDS. This, in turn, allows for comprehensive control of the quality and composition of such final products. The aim of the article is to determine the quantitative and qualitative composition of fatty and organic acids in the SPDS “Syvoselen Plus” by the gas chromatography method, and to compare the results of the determination with the indicators of a hypothetical ideal fat. When writing the article, statistical and physico-chemical research methods were used, namely, the gas chromatography method, with the help of which the following problems are solved: the composition of the fat fraction of SPDS is determined quantitatively and qualitatively; the degree of correspondence of the main indicators of the fat “Syvoselen Plus” to the hypothetical ideal is established; the composition of organic acids in the additive is determined. Results. The fatty acid composition of milk fat, milk whey and SPDS was studied. Dietary supplement “Syvoselen Plus” contains a significant amount of palmitic (3117.71 mg/kg), stearic (1618.61 mg/kg), oleic (1397.95 mg/kg) and meristic (1296.69) mg/kg) fatty acids, which is confirmed by chromatograms of fat fractions of milk fat and SPDS. The main indicators of hypothetically ideal, milk, whey fats and DDBS were presented. As a result, it was established that the composition of fat, which is most similar to the ideal one, among the objects of the study, has SPDS “Syvoselen Plus” (the indicator of the ratio of the sum of oleic and linoleic acids to the sum of pentadecanoic and stearic acids coincides with the indicator of ideal fat, and the indicators of the ratio of linoleic to linolenic acids and linoleic to oleic acids are close to the values of the indicators of ideal fat). The study of the composition of organic acids of SPDS was carried out. Fractions of succinic, azelaic, and levulinic organic acids are predominant, which may be due to the type of dairy products from which the serum was obtained, the storage conditions of dairy products and the serum itself, the type of microorganisms that carry out the fermentation process and can produce various organic acids, and the production process of dairy products and their composition. Conclusions and discussion. The analysis of the fatty acid composition and the quality content of organic acids in “Syvoselen Plus” dietary supplement confirmed the feasibility of using a dietary supplement in health food technologies, since the latter contains enough polyfunctional fatty and organic acids.

ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИ БЕЗОПАСНЫЙ ЖИДКИЙ СМАЗОЧНЫЙ МАТЕРИАЛ ДЛЯ ПИЛЬНЫХ ЦЕПЕЙ НА ОСНОВЕ КОМБИНИРОВАННОЙ ДИСПЕРСИОННОЙ СРЕДЫ

The realization of the synergistic effect is shown on the example of creating of the composite liquid lubricant with improved properties using the combined dispersion medium obtained by mixing of the vegetable and mineral oils. The lubricant for the saw chains and the method of its production are developed. The highly purified mineral oil of group III of the NS-4 brand is added to the rapeseed oil in the amount of 20.0…25.0 wt.%, and the complex of the calcium sulfonate with calcium carbonate in the amount of 1.5…2.0 wt.% is used as a multifunctional additive in the manufacture of this lubricant. The developed lubricant has the following characteristics: kinematic viscosity at 40 °C — 61…63 mm2/s; solidification temperature is –29 °C; flash point — 242…246 °C; welding load — 2,764 N; wear index — 0.39…0.41 mm; mass fraction of free organic acids — 1.3...4.7 mg KOH/g; degree of biodegradability — 88–89 %; warranty period of storage in an open container — 12 months.

Identification and characterization of organic and glycosidic acids in the crude resin glycoside fraction from the leaves and stems of Calystegia japonica.

The alkaline hydrolysis of the crude resin glycoside fraction from the leaves and stems of the plant Calystegia japonica Choisy (Convolvulaceae) yielded organic acid and glycosidic acid fractions. The organic acid fraction was esterified with p-bromophenacyl bromide to obtain p-bromophenacyl 2R-methyl-3R-hydroxybutyrate (1) and p-bromophenacyl (E)-2-methylbut-2-enoate (2).By treating the glycosidic acid fraction with trimethylsilyldiazomethane-hexane, seven new methyl esters of glycosidic acids, namely calyjaponic acid A methyl ester (3) calyjaponic acid B methyl ester (5), calyjaponic acid C methyl ester (6), calyjaponic acid D methyl ester (7), calyjaponic acid E methyl ester (8), calyjaponic acid F methyl ester (9), and calyjaponic acid G methyl ester (10), were isolated along with one known ester (4). Their structures were characterized based on spectroscopic and chemical analyses. Compounds 3-8 had the same sugar moiety, α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-[O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 6)]-O-β-D-glucopyranose, and the aglycones of 3-8 were methyl 3S,11S-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, methyl 3S,12S-dihydroxyhexadecanoate, methyl 11S-hydroxyhexadecanoate, methyl 11S-hydroxypentadecanoate, methyl 3S,11S-dihydroxypentadecanoate, and methyl 3S,12S-dihydroxypentadecanoate, respectively. Compounds 9 and 10 were derivatives of 3 and 4, respectively, in which the C-6 of the second glucosyl residue was methylated. Compounds 6-8 contained methyl esters of unusual odd-carbon fatty acids as aglycones. The cytotoxicity of the crude resin glycoside fraction and 3 against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells was evaluated further; both were either weakly active or inactive compared to the positive control, cisplatin.

CONTENT AND COMPOSITION OF SUGARS AND ORGANIC ACIDS IN STRAWBERRIES, GROWN IN THE RIGHT-BANK FOREST- STEPPE ZONE OF UKRAINE

Garden strawberry is a valuable berry crop in Ukraine, the harmonious taste of its berries depends on the ratio of sugars and organic acids. Among the factors affecting the quantitative and qualitative composition of sugars and organic acids in berries, the area of cultivation and the pomological variety are distinguished. The article presents the results of studies of strawberry berries of Dukat, Honey and Polka varieties grown in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine for the content and composition of sugars and organic acids using the methods of high-performance liquid chromatography on an Agilent Technologies chromatograph (model 1100) using a carbohydrate chromatographic column size 7,8×300 mm, "Supelcogel-C610H". It was found that the sugar content in strawberry berries of the Dukat, Honey and Polka varieties during the research period ranged from 5.0 to 8.6%. Berries of the Honey variety were distinguished by a significantly higher level of sugars – 8.6%. The content of reducing sugars in berries, according to the average data, was 4.9-7.7%. Among the investigated varieties, Polka berries had the lowest minimum amount of reducing sugars – 3.2%. The mass fraction of fructose was 2.1-4.4%, which is 42.0-51.1% of the sum of sugars, while glucose was 1.1-3.5% (22.0-40.7%) for a small amount of sucrose - 0.3-1.3, which is 6.0-15.1% of the total sugar content in berries. According to the results of the dispersion analysis, no significant influence of the pomological variety of berries on the content of reducing sugars was found. The mass fraction of organic acids in the berries of three strawberry varieties during the research period fluctuated within the limits 0.9-1.4% and significantly depended on the pomological variety of berries. The maximum amount of organic acids was found in Dukat berries - 1.4%. Organic acids in strawberries are represented by citric and malic acids with the dominance of citric acid – 57.0-68.1% of the total acid content. A higher level of citric acid was noted in strawberry berries of the Honey variety, while berries of the Ducat variety were distinguished by the level of apple acid. The sugar-acid index in all studied varieties of strawberry exceeded the value of 5.3, which made it possible to determine the taste of the berries as sweet and sour. In berries of the Dukat variety, it was lower due to the high content of organic acids.

THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF BLACKBERRIES GROWING IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN AND THEIR DEPENDENCE ON THE SPECIES AND REGION OF GROWTH

The work shows the biological and nutritional value of Rubus, which grows in Azerbaijan. It was found that the highest content of sugars is the wild blackberry of the Rubus sanguineus Friv species (8.75±0.19%), while it contains little sucrose, glucose (from 3.10±0.12 to 4.87±0.16%) and fructose (from 3.08±0.28 to 3.40±0.09%) predominate. The content of the mass fraction of organic acids is greater in the species Rubus caucasicus forche (1.94±0.10%) than in the species Rubus caesius and Rubus sanguineus Friv (1.85±0.15 and 1.62±0.12%, respectively). The content of pectin substances in blackberries ranges from 0.26±0.01 to 0.30±0.04%, and the mass fraction of ash from 0.42±0.08 to 0.58±0.11%. In terms of vitamin C content, the species Rubus sanguineus Friv is superior (32.1±1.20 mg/100 g) to the species Rubus caesius and Rubus caucasicus forche (23.76±0.58 mg/100 g and 29.35±0.47 mg/100 g, respectively). In the polyphenol complex of blackberries of the species Rubus sanguineus Friv, Rubus caucasicus forche and Rubus caesius, catechins and anthocyanins are present with a clear predominance of the latter. The results of the studies show that the main indicators of the chemical composition of blackberries depend on the type of raw materials and on the soil-climatic and ecological-geographical conditions of the growing region. The biological and nutritional value of blackberries of various types allows us to consider them as an additional source of physiologically active substances and raw materials for the production of various soft drinks based on them, including tonic energy drinks.

Suppression of reductive characters in white wine by Cu fractions: Efficiency and duration of protection during bottle aging

Cu in wine can suppress sulfidic-odours, but the active forms and duration of protection are uncertain. Additions of 0, 0.3 or 0.6 mg/L Cu(II) were made to Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio at bottling. Throughout a 12- or 14-month storage period, Cu fractions were determined by colorimetry, and sulfhydryl compounds by gas chromatography with sulfur chemiluminescence detection. After Cu(II) addition, the dominant Cu fractions were associated with Cu(II)-organic acids (fraction I) and Cu(I)-thiol complexes (fraction II), and over 8-months their concentrations gradually fell below 0.015 mg/L. During this time, a fraction of Cu, predominantly attributed to sulfide-bound Cu, increased in concentration. Suppression of free hydrogen sulfide was assured when the combined Cu fractions I and II concentrations were above 0.015 mg/L, while free methanethiol suppression required Cu fraction I concentration above 0.035 mg/L. Decay rates for Cu fractions demonstrated that the duration that Cu can actively suppress sulfidic odours is wine-dependent.

Effect of Defatting and Extraction Solvent on the Antioxidant and Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitory Activities of Extracts from Hermetia illucens and Tenebrio molitor.

Simple SummaryThe food industry is notably investing more resources on the production of nutritious, healthy, safe and sustainable products derived from edible insects. In this sense, natural extracts (or concentrated forms of compounds from natural sources) are usually food ingredients with added value for human health. This is due to their intrinsic beneficious biological activities; however, bioactive extracts from edible insects have been scarcely explored. Due to that and considering that the bioactivities of extracts might be conditioned by parameters of the technological process, we assessed how different extraction conditions, such as the defatting of the raw insect flours or the extraction solvents employed, affected two bioactivities of the resulting extracts from insects: the blocking of the digestion of fats from the diet by evaluating the inhibition of the responsible enzyme (pancreatic lipase), as well as their antioxidant activity. T. molitor and H. illucens were used, as they are two of the most known edible species for both feed and food. We observed a multibioactivity for all the extracts. Both tested processing factors differentially modulated the bioactivity of extracts from both species. We also analysed the composition of the H. illucens extracts and detected amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, sterols and organic acids.The production of specific insect extracts with bioactive properties for human health is an emerging and innovative field for the edible insects industry, but there are unexplored extraction factors that might modulate the bioactivity of the extracts. Ultrasound-assisted extracts from T. molitor and H. illucens were produced. Effects of defatting pre-treatment and extraction solvent were evaluated on extraction yield, antioxidant activity and pancreatic lipase inhibitory effect. Chemical characterisation of defatted extracts from H. illucens was performed by GC-MS-FID. Non-defatted extracts showed higher extraction yields. Defatted extracts had similar extraction yields (around 3%). Defatted extracts had higher antioxidant activity, T. molitor being stronger than H. illucens. Antioxidant activity of T. molitor methanol extract was higher than the rest of solvents. Aqueous ethanol improved the antioxidant activity of H. illucens extracts. All extracts inhibited lipase, but no significant effect of defatting and solvent was observed for T. molitor. A significant higher inhibitory activity was observed for H. illucens, the strongest being defatted 100% and 70% ethanol H. illucens extracts. H. illucens extracts contained free amino acids and disaccharides, together with minor fractions of lipids, sterols and organic acids. These results evidence the potential of extracts obtained from edible insects as antioxidants and inhibitors of the pancreatic lipase, a simultaneous multibioactivity that might be favoured by the defatting pre-treatment of the samples and the solvent of extraction.

Gas-Phase Chlorine Radical Oxidation of Alkanes: Effects of Structural Branching, NOx, and Relative Humidity Observed during Environmental Chamber Experiments

Chlorine-initiated oxidation of alkanes has been shown to rapidly form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) at higher yields than OH-alkane reactions. However, the effects of alkane volatile organic compound precursor structure and the reasons for the differences in SOA yield from OH-alkane reactions remain unclear. In this work, we investigated the effects of alkane molecular structure on oxidation by chlorine radical (Cl) and resulting formation of SOA through a series of laboratory chamber experiments, utilizing data from an iodide chemical ionization mass spectrometer and an aerosol chemical speciation monitor. Experiments were conducted with linear, branched, and branched cyclic C10 alkane precursors under different NOx and RH conditions. Observed product fragmentation patterns during the oxidation of branched alkanes demonstrate the abstraction of primary hydrogens by Cl, confirming a key difference between OH- and Cl-initiated oxidation of alkanes and providing a possible explanation for higher SOA production from Cl-initiated oxidation. Low-NOx conditions led to higher SOA production. SOA formed from butylcyclohexane under low NOx conditions contained higher fractions of organic acids and lower volatility molecules that were less prone to oligomerization relative to decane SOA. Branched alkanes produced less SOA, and branched cycloalkanes produced more SOA than linear n-alkanes, consistent with past work on OH-initiated reactions. Overall, our work provides insights into the differences between Cl- and OH-initiated oxidation of alkanes of different structures and the potential significance of Cl as an atmospheric oxidant.

New insights into the fractionation of effluent organic matter on diagnosis of key composition affecting advanced phosphate removal by Zr-based nanocomposite

The influence of effluent organic matter (EfOM) on phosphate removal by adsorption plays an important role in evaluating the applicability of adsorbents. Currently, molecular understanding of EfOM regarding its impact on adsorption is insufficient due to a lack of appropriate EfOM fractionation/characterization protocols, as associated with the specific structure-function property of adsorbents. In this work, a combined method coupling DEAE/XAD fractionation with molecular characterization was proposed, targeting the versatile structure-function characters of nanocomposite, to reveal the composition of EfOM as well as its impact on phosphate removal by nanocomposite during long-term adsorption/regeneration runs. Zirconium-based polystyrene anion exchanger (HZO-201) was selected as a representative nanocomposite, featuring with porous networking matrix, positively charged surface and multiple adsorptive sites. The EfOM samples from three biologically treated sewage effluent sources were separated into fractions of negatively charged organic acid (OA) and hydrophobic-, transphilic-, hydrophilic-neutral/base (HPO-n/b, TPI-n/b and HPI-n/b). The combined method enables effective differentiation of the charge, aromaticity, molecular weight and functionalities of the fractions, matching the multiple structural/surface characteristics of HZO-201 and favoring the evaluation on the impact of the EfOM fractions. The interference sequence of the EfOM fractions on phosphate removal followed an order of OA > HPO-n/b > TPI-n/b > HPI-n/b. The OA fraction, characterized by negatively charged, aromatic functionalities and broad molecular weight distribution (1–5 kDa and 14 kDa), was recognized as the key interfering fraction, presumably due to its multiple adsorption pathways (i.e., ion exchange, π-π interactions and pore filling). Particularly, the low-molecular-weight OA moieties (1–4 kDa) progressively accumulated onto the nanocomposite via irreversible adsorption, causing a continuous phosphate-capacity loss by 32.70% over multiple cycles. We believe the combined fractionation/characterization method may be extended to other complex water systems to identify key influential organic matters in polishing treatment of various pollutants by adsorption.

Physicochemical characterization and trait stability in a genetically diverse ex situ collection of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) germplasm from Cyprus

Proximity to the center of origin and geographical isolation shaped a unique genetic diversity of pomegranate in Cyprus that constitutes a valuable resource for the crop. Physicochemical characters and trait stability were studied for three years in an ex situ collection of 29 pomegranate accessions from Cyprus. Accession signature traits with exceptional yearly stability were titratable acidity and the citrate/malate ratio. Overall, the Cypriot germplasm was characterized by juice of low anthocyanin content (x¯ = 20.6 mg/L) and moderate phenolic content (x¯ = 613.0 mg/L) with glucose (x¯ = 69.1 g/L) and fructose (x¯ = 74.2 g/L) as predominant sugars. Juice antioxidant capacity was associated primarily with total phenolics and less so with juice color and anthocyanin content. Total sugar content was higher in large-fruited accessions with darker juice. In most accessions the titratable acidity was low (<0.50% w/v), with citric (x¯ = 44.7%), malic (x¯ = 39.1%) and succinic (x¯ = 15.8%) being the main organic acid fractions detected. Based on the maturity index (SSC/TA), six accessions were sweet-sour or borderline sweet-sour and 23 accessions were sweet. Cluster analysis of phenotypic characteristics and genetic data revealed a core group of thirteen genetically and phenotypically close accessions constituting the Cypriot pomegranate landrace, characterized by moderate fruit weight, high juiciness, thin rind, moderately hard seeds and light-colored juice low in acidity, anthocyanins, phenolics and antioxidant capacity. The present work advances the understanding of genetic and environmental contribution to the configuration of pomegranate physicochemical fruit composition.

Reduce recalcitrance of cornstalk using post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater pretreatment

Hydrothermal pretreatment (HTP) using an acidic catalyst is known to be effective for reducing lignocellulosic biomass recalcitrance. Post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater (PHW) from hydrothermal liquefaction of swine manure contains a large fraction of organic acids and thus was introduced to improve the HTP of cornstalk in this study. The response surface methodology was performed to optimize operating parameters of HTP for preserving structural polysaccharides while removing the barrier substances. A remarkable co-extraction of cell wall polymers was observed during PHW-catalyzed HTP at 172 °C for 88 min. The analysis of particle size, crystalline cellulose, the degree of polymerization (DP), mole number (MN) and SEM suggested that the co-extraction effect could distinctively alter lignocellulosic structures associated with recalcitrance and thus accelerate biomass saccharification. Additionally, the biodegradability of PHW was improved after HTP as a result of balanced nutrients and increased acids and sugars suitable for biogas production via anaerobic fermentation.

Comparison of the Chemical Composition of Dissolved Organic Matter in Three Lakes in Minnesota.

New information on the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in three lakes in Minnesota has been gained from spectral editing and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods, indicating the effects of lake hydrological settings on DOM composition. Williams Lake (WL), Shingobee Lake (SL), and Manganika Lake (ML) had different source inputs, and the lake water residence time (WRT) of WL was markedly longer than that of SL and ML. The hydrophobic organic acid (HPOA) and transphilic organic acid (TPIA) fractions combined comprised >50% of total DOM in these lakes, and contained carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM), aromatics, carbohydrates, and N-containing compounds. The previously understudied TPIA fractions contained fewer aromatics, more oxygen-rich CRAM, and more N-containing compounds compared to the corresponding HPOA. CRAM represented the predominant component in DOM from all lakes studied, and more so in WL than in SL and ML. Aromatics including lignin residues and phenols decreased in relative abundances from ML to SL and WL. Carbohydrates and N-containing compounds were minor components in both HPOA and TPIA and did not show large variations among the three lakes. The increased relative abundances of CRAM in DOM from ML, SL to WL suggested the selective preservation of CRAM with increased residence time.