Organic Extracts Research Articles

Improving inhibition efficiency of 304 stainless steel using an organic extract in acidic and high temperature environment: Experimental and theoretical studies

Many organic inhibitors have been proposed for corrosion protection of 304 stainless steel (SS), but its effectiveness in acidic and high temperature environment is challenged. We utilized Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl) A. grey leaf extract (TDLE) as an eco-friendly organic inhibitor to protect 304 stainless steel (SS) in acidic environment (1 M HCl) at high temperature (65 °C). The performance of TDLE was studied electrochemically using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The surface of the metal was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The theoretical calculation was also studied to understand the inhibition process. The corrosion inhibition efficiency increases reaching 98.48 % at 65 °C in the presence of 3.5 g/L TDLE. The inhibition of TDLE on 304 SS surface was adsorption spontaneously based in Langmuir's adsorption isotherm. The SEM images show significant improvement of the 304 SS surface with TDLE. A theoretical study indicates that methyl 3.5-dicaffeoyl quinate is the most active inhibitor in TDLE. The study revealed that TDLE had good performance for inhibiting in acidic and high temperature environment.

Multifactorial optimization enables the identification of a greener method to produce (+)-nootkatone

The natural aroma compound (+)-nootkatone was obtained in selective conversions of up to 74 mol% from inexpensive (+)-valencene substrate by using a comparatively greener biocatalytic process developed based on modifications of the previously published Firmenich method. Buffer identity and concentration, pH, temperature and downstream work-up procedures were optimized to produce a crude product in which >90 % of (+)-valencene had been converted, with high chemoselectivity observed for (+)-nootkatone production. Interestingly, the biotransformation was carried out efficiently at temperatures as low as 21 ºC. Surprisingly, the best results were obtained when an acidic pH in the range of 3–6 was applied, as compared to the previously published procedure in which it appeared to be necessary to buffer the pH optimally and fixed throughout at 8.5. Furthermore, there was no need to maintain a pure oxygen atmosphere to achieve good (+)-nootkatone yields. Instead, air bubbled continuously at a low rate through the reaction mixture via a submerged glass capillary was sufficient to enable the desired lipoxygenase-catalyzed oxidation reactions to occur efficiently. No valencene epoxide side-products were detected in the organic product extract by a standard GCMS protocol. Only traces of the anticipated corresponding α- and β-nootkatol intermediates were routinely observed.

In situ-floating organic dispersive solid-phase extraction based on putrescine as a new adsorbent for the extraction of ions from crude oil prior to ICP-MS

ABSTRACT Quantification of ions in complex matrices like crude oil is an outstanding issue because of the high complexity of the sample. Herein, a facile, reliable, and precise floating dispersive solid-phase extraction procedure was introduced for the extraction of several ions (B, Ca, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ag, Fe, Mn, Ni, Na, Ba, Mg, Al, Si, Sn, Ti, Mo, V, Pb, Zn, P, and K) in which the need for adding complexing agent for the extraction of ions, centrifugation for separation of adsorbent, and shaker to enhance the contact area of the sample solution with absorbent was eliminated. These advantages were provided by using putrescine as the absorbent for the extraction of the analytes. To reach this goal, a proper amount of putrescine was dissolved in ethanol and injected into a diluted crude oil solution. During this step, putrescine formed stable complexes with the ions and extracted them from the solution and collected on top of the solution easily. The floated phase was collected by a spatula, and the extracted ions were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Validation parameters of this method showed that low limits of detection (0.003–3.62 ng g−1) and quantification (0.009–12.0 ng g−1), broad linear range (12.0–80,000 ng g−1), acceptable relative standard deviation (≤5.3%) for intra- and inter-day precisions and high extraction recovery (72–90%) were the features of the method. The method was successful in the determination of the analytes in real crude oil samples.

Zinc Protects against Swine Barn Dust-Induced Cilia Slowing.

Agricultural workers exposed to organic dust from swine concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have increased chances of contracting chronic lung disease. Mucociliary clearance represents a first line of defense against inhaled dusts, but organic dust extracts (ODEs) from swine barns cause cilia slowing, leading to decreased bacterial clearance and increased lung inflammation. Because nutritional zinc deficiency is associated with chronic lung disease, we examined the role of zinc supplementation in ODE-mediated cilia slowing. Ciliated mouse tracheal epithelial cells were pretreated with 0-10 µg/mL ZinProTM for 1 h, followed by treatment with 5% ODE for 24 h. Cilia beat frequency (CBF) and protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) activity were assayed. ODE treatment resulted in cilia slowing after 24 h, which was reversed with 0.5 and 1.0 µg/mL ZinPro pre-treatment. No zinc protection was observed at 50 ng/mL, and ciliated cells detached at high concentrations (100 µg/mL). ZinPro alone produced no changes in the baseline CBF and showed no toxicity to the cells at concentrations of up to 10 µg/mL. Pre-treatment with ZinPro inhibited ODE-stimulated PKCε activation in a dose-dependent manner. Based on ZinPro's superior cell permeability compared to zinc salts, it may be therapeutically more effective at reversing ODE-mediated cilia slowing through a PKCε pathway. These data demonstrate that zinc supplementation may support the mucociliary transport apparatus in the protection of CAFO workers against dust-mediated chronic lung disease.

“Shadowy Objects in Test Tubes”: Gene Fetishism and Racialized Biocapital in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go

ABSTRACT This paper engages with the entwined questions of science and ideology through a symptomatic reading of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005), studying how power, racism, and capital intervene into the genetic enterprise of tampering with the limitations of the human and produce a supplicant race of clones for organ harvest and extraction. I commence by drawing on Donna Haraway’s concept of gene fetishism and Evelyn Fox Keller’s notion of gene talk to trace how an elision of the ideological frameworks of race and capital subtending genomics in Ishiguro’s dystopian world instrumentalizes the creation of the clones as racialized products. I bring into dialogue the clones’ obsessive quest for familial origins with Deborah Bolnick’s exploration of the reification of race as biology through ancestry tests to analyze how technology can be used to create and legitimize racism. Deploying Kaushik Sundar Rajan’s theorization of biocapital and James Doucet-Battle’s analysis of the intersections of race, capitalism, and time, I study how the clones are discursively defined as fungible commodities in service to a futurity from which they are precluded. I conclude by positing the call for “slow science” as a potential strategy against the accelerationism and market-ready speculations that dictate biotechnical enterprises today.

Anti-tumor withanolides as signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3)-inhibition from Withania obtusifolia

The Solanaceae family and the Withania genus specifically are rich sources of medicinal plants. Liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS) revealed a predominance of withanolides from an organic extract of Withania obtusifolia. A constructed molecular network uncovered the presence of potentially novel withanolides. A series of withanolides were then isolated and structurally characterized from the extract including two new withanolides (withafolia A and withafolia B) and seven previously reported metabolites. Of the isolated compounds, cytotoxicity of withanolide J, physaperuvin G, and a commercial STAT3 inhibitor (S3I-201) were assessed against a human leukemia HL-60 cell line resulting in IC50 values of 26, 29, and 120 μM, respectively. In silico molecular docking simulations indicate that withanolide J and physaperuvin G can bind as an inhibitor in the active site of STAT3 with docking scores comparable to the selective STAT3 inhibitor, S3I-201.

Vitifolignans, 3,4-dibenzyltetrahydrofuran lignans from Anemone vitifolia Buch.-Ham

Anemone vitifolia is a small herb found in Asia that is used to treat a range of diseases in Chinese traditional medicine. GNPS-based molecular networking of an Anemone vitifolia specimen revealed the presence of a network containing numerous ions indicating the presence of lignans, several of which suggested that there might be previously undescribed compounds in the extract. Fractionation of the organic extract yielded five undescribed lignans, the vitifolignans, together with one known. The structures were identified based on extensive spectroscopic data analysis (NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and UV), coupling constant calculation and comparison with reported data. Their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of experimental ECD spectra with calculated spectra. Compounds 4/5 showed weak inhibition of LPS-induced NO production in mouse mononuclear macrophages.

Bilateral Germectomy in Pediatric Patient: Clinical Case Report

Germectomy is a surgical treatment that consists of the extraction of the tooth germ; indicated when there are morphostructural alterations, ectopic impactions or eruption not permitted due to dysplastic alterations of the tooth germ. It is a surgical procedure of choice that involves the extraction of a dental organ with all its embryonic attachments when it is in the early stages, the prevalence of impactions and pathologies of the mandibular third molar can be avoided with this surgical treatment. Objective: To perform a careful cost-benefit evaluation to evaluate the indications of early third molar extraction. Methods: An observational and descriptive study was carried out in the operating room of the dental clinics of the American University from September 2023 to November 2023. An 12-year-old patient was evaluated, surgically intervening on two tooth germs of mandibular third molars. Evaluating the position, location, and morphostructural change of the third molar germ; as well as trans and postoperative complications and the evolution.

Anti-oomycete activity of asparagus and olive by-products with potential to control Phytophthora cinnamomi root rot

AbstractThe development of environmentally friendly control methods to mitigate the severe damages caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi in the Mediterranean climate-type ecosystems is essential. In this way, crop waste and by-products which represent between 13 and 65% of agriculture production, are a rich source of bioactive compounds with antifungal and biocide activity. The main objective of this work was to determine the biocide activity against P. cinnamomi of three organic extracts. These extracts enriched in bioactive compounds come from residues of asparagus (Asp) and olive crops (Oliv and OH, from fruits and leaves respectively). They were evaluated at two doses (0.15 and 0.10%) on the mycelial growth and sporangial production of P. cinnamomi by in vitro experiments. Mycelial growth and sporangial production were significant reduced from the three plant extracts at the two doses tested, reaching a total inhibition with Asp at both doses. In general, no phytotoxicity symptoms were observed on seed germination and plant development, except for a plant yield reduction in the substrate treated with Oliv and Asp at the highest dose. In experiments performed in artificially infested soil, Asp induced a reduction of chlamydospores viability greater than 75% compared to unamended soil. Additionally, in planta experiments showed a significant reduction in plant mortality in substrate amended with OH. These results suggest that soil application of Asp and OH can limit P. cinnamomi infectivity and survival, setting the first steps to develop a sustainable method to control the root disease based on agricultural waste circular economy.

Hibiscus acid and hydroxycitric acid dimethyl esters from Hibiscus flowers induce production of dithiolopyrrolone antibiotics by Streptomyces Strain MBN2-2

Plants and microbes are closely associated with each other in their ecological niches. Much has been studied about plant–microbe interactions, but little is known about the effect of phytochemicals on microbes at the molecular level. To access the products of cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters in bacteria, we incorporated an organic extract of hibiscus flowers into the culture media of different Actinobacteria isolated from plant rhizospheres. This approach led to the production of broad-spectrum dithiolopyrrolone (DTP) antibiotics, thiolutin (1) and aureothricin (2), by Streptomyces sp. MBN2-2. The compounds from the hibiscus extract responsible for triggering the production of these two DTPs were found to be hibiscus acid dimethyl ester (3) and hydroxycitric acid 1,3-dimethyl ester (4). It was subsequently found that the addition of either Fe2+ or Fe3+ to culture media induced the production of 1 and 2. The Chrome Azurol S (CAS) assay revealed that 3 and 4 can chelate iron, and therefore, the mechanism leading to the production of thiolutin and aureothricin appears to be related to changes in iron concentration levels. This work supports the idea that phytochemicals can be used to activate the production of cryptic microbial biosynthetic gene clusters and further understand plant–microbe interactions.Graphical

Extraction of Lipids and Functional Properties of Defatted Egg Yolk Powder Obtained Using a One-Step Organic Solvent Lipid Extraction Process.

A one-step organic solvent lipid extraction method was used to separate lipids from spray-dried egg yolk. Organic solvents tested were chloroform:methanol (CM, 2:1, v:v), methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE), or hexane:isopropanol (HI, 3:2, v:v). The resulting defatted egg yolk powder had between 21 and 30% more protein and between 22 and 25% less lipid than the initial spray-dried egg yolk powder (p < 0.05). The solubility of the powder decreased from 20% to 4% (p < 0.05) when CM was used as the organic solvent, likely due to protein denaturation by the chloroform. Gels made from MBTE and HI-extracted protein concentrates had similar hardness (p > 0.05) and were both harder than gels made using the initial egg yolk powder (p < 0.05). MTBE gels were springier, more cohesive, and gummier (p < 0.05) with similar resistance to the initial egg yolk powder (p > 0.05). The results of this study showed that the functionality of the protein in the defatted egg yolk powder was best retained when MTBE was used as the lipid extraction solvent.

Chemical composition of organic extracts of Phyla nodiflora L. in Syria by GC-MS

IntroductionPhyla nodiflora L. is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Verbenaceae family. It is widely used as an herbal drink to treat many diseases. It has antioxidant, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. In traditional medicine, it is used to treat skin infections. However, there is little information on the chemical composition of organic plant extracts. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of organic extracts of P. nodiflora L. MethodsIn this study, organic extracts were prepared using a continuous Soxhlet extractor and four different solvents with increasing polarity from nonpolar to polar solvents (petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and isopropanol) to ensure the possibility of extracting a wide range of compounds. GC‒MS analysis was performed to determine the chemical constituents of the organic extracts. ResultsNineteen compounds were identified in the petroleum ether (Et) extract, 14 in the chloroform (Ch) extract, 18 in the ethyl acetate (Ea) extract and 15 in the isopropanol (Is) extract. The most important compounds in the Et extract were 1,1-diethoxyethane (33.9 %) and nonadecane (19.9 %). The most important compound in the Ch extract was octacosane (37.4 %). The most important compounds in the Ea extract were 3-hydroxy-dodecanoic acid (17.7 %) and geranyl isovalerate (15.5 %). The most important compound in the Is extract was behenic acid alcohol (18.6 %). The chemical structures of the major compounds were confirmed by mass spectrometry by studying their fragmentation mechanism and comparing the molecular weights of the resulting fragments with the molecular weights of the peaks present in each mass spectrum. ConclusionsThe results of this study show that the dominant compounds in nonpolar extracts (petroleum ether and chloroform) are hydrocarbons, ethers, epoxides, and silicon compounds, while the dominant compounds in moderately polar extracts (ethyl acetate and isopropanol) are alcohols, carbonyl compounds, and oxygenated terpenes.

Effect of some Organic Acids and Plants Extract on Growth of Aspergillus flavus

Effect of some Organic Acids and Plants Extract on Growth of Aspergillus flavus

Novel buffer for long-term preservation of DNA in biological material at room temperature.

The collection and preservation of biological material before DNA analysis is critical for inter alia biomedical research, medical diagnostics, forensics and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we evaluate an in-house formulated buffer called the Forensic DNA Laboratory-buffer (FDL-buffer) for preservation of biological material for long term at room temperature. Human saliva stored in the buffer for 8years, human blood stored for 3years and delicate animal tissues from the jellyfish Pelagia noctiluca comb jelly Beroe sp., stored for 4 and 6years respectively consistently produced high-quality DNA. FDL-buffer exhibited compatibility with standard organic, salting out and spin-column extraction methods, making it versatile and applicable to a wide range of applications, including automation.

Enhanced process for efficient extraction of oxygenated monoterpenes from thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) using subcritical water

Subcritical water extraction (SWE) is a highly effective technique for extracting monoterpenes at elevated pressures and temperatures using only water solvent. This study investigated SWE of monoterpenes, including γ-terpinene, p-cymene, thymol, carvacrol, and thymoquinone, under varying extraction conditions of temperature (110–200 ℃) and time (5–20 min). The extract was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography. The maximal extraction conditions of p-cymene (0.11 ± 0.03 mg/g), thymol (0.40 ± 0.02 mg/g), carvacrol (5.28 ± 0.19 mg/g), and thymoquinone (1.28 ± 0.11 mg/g) were obtained at temperature/time of 150 °C/5 min, 200 °C/5 min, 200 °C/5 min, and 110 °C/5 min, respectively. Non-oxygenated monoterpenes, such as γ-terpinene and p-cymene, were either undetected or extracted in small quantities using SWE and were found to be more suited for organic solvent extraction. Oxygenated monoterpenes, such as thymol, carvacrol, and thymoquinone, exhibited optimal extraction when using SWE. By identifying the optimal conditions, SWE can be an efficient technique for selectively extracting target compounds from thyme. The selectivity of SWE could have practical applications in extracting desired compounds from a variety of industrials. SWE technology can be easily implemented on an industrial scale.

Utilization of Organic Waste as A Natural Detector of Formaldehyde on-Campus Snacks

The aim of this research is to reduce household organic waste through the use of organic waste as a natural detector of formaldehyde content in food snacks. The organic waste used in this study was red garlic skins, dragon fruit skins and purple sweet potato skins. This research is an experimental research. The stages of the research started with the extraction of anthocyanins from the three organic wastes, direct detection of formalin and detection of food ingredients. The formalin concentrations tested were 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 5% and 25%. Detection ability can be seen from the color change between control and formalin treatment. Garlic skin produces a red extract, dragon fruit skin produces an orange extract, and purple sweet potato skin produces a deep red extract. Test results on 20 samples of food snacks around the campus using the three organic waste extracts proved that all samples contained formaldehyde in varying concentrations. The highest 50% formalin content was found in yellow noodles and meatballs. The conclusion is that purple beetle skin, dragonfruit skin, and red garlic skin can be used as natural detectors for formalin in campus snacks.

Analysis and preparation of phenolic and alkaloid compounds from Moroccan Berberis vulgaris organic extract: Molecular docking and optimization by UHPLC/DAD/ESI-MS

Analysis and preparation of phenolic and alkaloid compounds from Moroccan Berberis vulgaris organic extract: Molecular docking and optimization by UHPLC/DAD/ESI-MS

Identification of Axinellamines A and B as Anti-Tubercular Agents.

Tuberculosis remains a significant global health pandemic. There is an urgent need for new anti-tubercular agents to combat the rising incidence of drug resistance and to offer effective and additive therapeutic options. High-throughput screening of a subset of the NatureBank marine fraction library (n = 2000) identified a sample derived from an Australian marine sponge belonging to the order Haplosclerida that displayed promising anti-mycobacterial activity. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the organic extract from this Haplosclerida sponge led to the purification of previously identified antimicrobial pyrrole alkaloids, axinellamines A (1) and B (2). The axinellamine compounds were found to have a 90% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) of 18 µM and 15 µM, respectively. The removal of protein and complex carbon sources reduced the MIC90 of 1 and 2 to 0.6 and 0.8 µM, respectively. The axinellamines were not toxic to mammalian cells at 25 µM and significantly reduced the intracellular bacterial load by >5-fold. These data demonstrate that axinellamines A and B are effective anti-tubercular agents and promising targets for future medicinal chemistry efforts.

Yolk-shell MOF-on-MOF hybrid solid-phase microextraction coatings for efficient enrichment and detection of pesticides: Structural regulation cause performance differences

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based composites with different structure-activity relationships have been widely used in the field of organic pollutant adsorption and extraction. Here, two MOF-on-MOF composites with different structures (yolk-shell and core-shell) from homologous sources were prepared by a simple in-situ growth synthesis method and structural regulation. In order to verify the effect of composite structure on the extraction capacity, the adsorption performance of the yolk-shell structure (YS–NH2-UiO-66@CoZn-ZIF) and the core-shell structured (NH2-UiO-66@CoZn-ZIF) material were compared by using them as coating material of direct immersion solid-phase microextraction (DI-SPME) to enrich six pesticides in five matrices. The results showed that because of the unique hollow hierarchical structure, high specific surface area (930.68 m2 g−1), abundant and open active sites, and synergistic and complementary adsorption forces, YS-NH2-UiO-66@CoZn-ZIF composites had the maximum adsorption amount of 36.01–66.31 mg g−1 under the same experiment condition, which was 6.81%–34.26 % higher than that of NH2-UiO-66@CoZn-ZIF. In addition, the adsorption mechanism of the prepared materials was verified and elaborated through theoretical simulations and material characterization. Under the optimized conditions, the YS-NH2-UiO-66@CoZn-ZIF-coated SPME-HPLC-UV method had a wide linear range (0.241–500 μg L−1), a good linear correlation coefficient (R2 > 0.9988), a low detection limits (0.072–0.567 μg L−1, S/N = 3) and low quantification limits (0.241–1.891 μg L−1, S/N = 10). The relative standard deviations of individual fibers and different batches of fibers were 0.47–6.20 % and 0.22–2.48 %, respectively, and individual fibers could be recycled more than 104 times. This work provided a good synthetic route and comparative ideas for exploring the in-situ growth synthesis of yolk-shell composites with reasonable structure-activity relationships.

Extraction Strategies from Black Alloy Leachate: A Comparative Study of Solvent Extractants

Recycling spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is crucial to prevent environmental pollution and recover valuable metals. Traditional methods for recycling spent LIBs include hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy. Among these methods, solvent extraction can selectively extract valuable metals in spent LIB leachate. Meanwhile, spent LIBs that underwent pyrometallurgical treatment generate a so-called ‘black alloy’ of Ni, Co, Cu, and so on. These elements in the black alloy need to be separated by solvent extraction and there have been few studies on extracting valuable metals from black alloy. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the extraction behavior of elements in black alloy and optimize the solvent extraction process to recover valuable metals. In this paper, four types of organic extractants are used to extract metals from simulated black alloy leachate: di-(2ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), bis-(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinic acid (Cyanex272), 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC88A), and neodecanoic acid (Versatic acid 10). Based on the pH isotherms, D2EHPA would be the most reasonable for Mn extraction and impurity removal. Cyanex 272 would be more suitable for Co separation than PC88A, and Versatic acid 10 is preferred for Cu extraction over other metals. In conclusion, the optimal combination of extractants is suggested for the recovery of valuable metals.