Oxalate Content Research Articles

ANTINUTRIENTS IN HERBAL PRODUCTS: AN ASSESSMENT OF NITRATE, PHYTATE, OXALATE, AND CYANIDE IN COMMONLY CONSUMED HERBAL SNUFFS IN SOKOTO, NIGERIA

Background: Herbs are major players in present day therapy, especially by the locals. However, there are some secondary metabolites present in them that can act as antinutrients when consumed by humans. Thus, it is important to monitor the levels of antinutreints in herbal snuff to save the public, especially in Sokoto (a state battling with challenges of nutrients deficiency and malnutrition). Objective: The objective of this work was to measure levels of cyanide, nitrate, phytate, and oxalate, in herbal snuff in Sokoto, Nigeria. Methods: Snuffs were brought from Sokoto market and subjected to antinutritional analysis according to standard methods and using reagents/materials of analytical grade. Result: The amount of nitrate present in three herbal snuff brands sold in Sokoto, Nigeria show that, nitrate ranges from 18.81 ± 0.9 mg/100g (found in Hajiya Safiya snuff brand) to 21. 82 ± 0.08 mg/100g (found in Hajiya Aisha snuff brand). The concentrations of phytate in 3 brands of herbal snuffs revealed, the highest value (91.164 ± 0.001 mg/100g) was recorded in Hajiya Aisha, and the lowest (4.05 ± 0.04 mg/100g) was observed in Dr Lambo herbal brand. The concentrations of oxalate show that, the highest level (0.0787 ± 0.059 mg/100g) was found in Dr lambo, and lowest (0.0055 ± 0.0001 mg/100g) observed in Hajiya Aisha snuff. Then, levels of cyanide in herbal snuff show, the highest value (25.68 ± 1.45 mg/ 100g) was recorded in Dr Lambo snuff brand, and the lowest level of cyanide was recorded in Hajiya Safiya (19.32 ± 1.04 mg/ 100g). Conclusion: The snuffs contain the assessed antinutrients at levels that are not likely to pose risk.

Reduction of antinutritional factors during Pinus halepensis seeds beverage processing, a focus on phytates and oxalates

The purpose of this study was to screen for the first time, Pinus halepensis seeds for their antinutritional factors (ANFs) and to reduce them through processing. Results of ANF screening showed that Aleppo pine seeds contained negligible amounts of tannins, saponins and alkaloids, and no amylase and trypsin inhibitory activities. However, they contained significant amounts of phytates and oxalates with values of 2.63 ± 0.21% and 1.07 ± 0.09% respectively. A dehulling operation to remove the adhering coat was implemented which contributed to a reduction of 25% of phytates and 46% of oxalates. Soaking seeds were studied and optimized using a Box Behnken experimental design, varying soaking time, temperature, and pH. The desirability study allowed the determination of optimal conditions of 10.6 h soaking time, 57.6 °C soaking temperature and 5.54 pH that decreased oxalate and phytate content by 72% and 61% respectively. Production of a plant-based beverage with these optimal process conditions markedly reduced the antinutrient content while maintaining expected dry matter, color, stability and pH.

Physicochemical Analysis of Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) Accessions

Taro is an important staple meal for rural people in resource-poor nations in sub-Saharan Africa countries. This study looked at the proximate, mineral, and anti-nutrient content of whole taro corm. Understanding the extent and distribution of genetic diversity in taro is critical for creating conservation and enhancement initiatives. The aim of the study was to assess nutritional diversity and construct a taro pre-breeding population for high dry matter and low oxalate levels. One hundred and eighty eight taro accessions were procured and planted in alpha lattice design in 2019 at Ebonyi State University's teaching and experimental fields. The corms were picked from each accession, washed, and shipped to Nigeria's National Root Crop Research Institute Biochemistry Laboratory. The corms were freeze-dried, crushed, and analyzed for physiochemical parameters using the standard techniques of analysis provided by the Association of standard Analytical Chemists. Significant differences were observed among the taro populations in dry matter content at 22.53 %, ash at 2.46 %, crude lipid at 0.60 %, fibre at 1.74 %, crude protein at 7.79 %, carbohydrates at 9.97 %, and energy at 76.48 Kcal. Potassium content was at 638.91 mg/100 g, sodium at 28.39 mg/100g, calcium at 35.18 mg/100g, phosphorus at 117.61 mg/100g, iron at 7.78 mg/100g, zinc at 2.84 mg/100g, and manganese at 2.03 mg/100g. The soluble, insoluble, and total oxalate concentration was at 74.18 mg/100g, 218.76 mg/100 g, and 291.63 mg/100 g, respectively. A hierarchical cluster analysis of taro accessions revealed three distinct groupings, with cluster three distinguished by high dry matter content and an intermediate oxalate level. The findings revealed the existence of a considerable differential in nutritional content among the taro populations analyzed. Taro is divers in its dry matter and anti-nutrient content. Clustering the accessions according to their merit would aid breeders in sorting genotypes for eating quality metrics like high dry matter and low oxalate levels. These results, needs further work for reliability.

Synergistic extraction of valuable metals from cyanide tailings slurry electrolyte and preparation of ferrous oxalate

A cyanide tailings slurry electrolyte (CTSE) was treated using a synergistic extraction system (P204-T) composed of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate (P204, (C8H17O)2PO2H, H2A2), trioctylamine (TOA, ([CH3(CH2)7]3N), R3N), and iso-alkanes, and a collaborative extraction technique involving oxalic acid stripping and photocatalysis was developed to separate and recover valuable metals and prepare ferrous oxalate. The results show that at a pH of 1.5, the P204 concentration of 15 vol%, TOA concentration of 10 vol%, O/A of 1:1, an oscillation time of 10 min, and an oscillation frequency of 190 rpm, the single-stage Fe(III) and Zn(II) extraction efficiencies of P204-T were 99.25% and 99.02%, respectively, and the saturated extraction capacities were 25.01 g•L−1 and 1.20 g•L−1, respectively. TOA destroyed the dimer structure of P204 and promoted the –OH bond and –OP group in P204 to combine with TOA through hydrogen bonding to form N–H+···O–P and N–H+···OP bonds, resulting in the R3NHA·(HA) composite structure. During the collaborative extraction process, ion exchange with FeSO4+ resulted in the formation of FeSO4A·(HA)3 and ion exchange with the intermediate product (R3NH)2SO4 and Zn(SO4)22- formed (R3NH)2Zn(SO4)2, which improves the extraction efficiency of metal ions. In addition, some amount of P204 underwent ion exchange with free Fe3+ and Zn2+ to produce FeA3(HA)3 and ZnA2(HA)2, respectively. At oxalic acid concentration of 1 mol•L−1, an O/A of 1:3, the efficiencies of Fe(III) and Zn(II) stripped from the saturated organic phase reached 99.65% and 99.41%. Zn(II) formed the ZnC2O4·2 H2O precipitate and Fe(III) separation. FeC2O4·2 H2O was successfully synthesized by ultraviolet photocatalysis using iron oxalate complex as the stock solution.

Characterization of Glucomannan and Ca-Oxalate from Porang Flour (<i>Amorphophallus muelleri </i>Blume) as Candidates for Hydrogel Materials

Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume), a plant belonging to the Araceae family, has the main content of glucomannan and calcium oxalate which is quite high. This study aims to determine the characteristic values ​​of glucomannan and calcium oxalate content from porang flour so that it can be used for various applications, especially hydrogel. The characteristics of glucomannan obtained from porang flour will be compared with commercial glucomannan from konjac using 3,5-DNS analysis, permanganate titration method, Fourier Transforms Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the glucomannan content of porang flour was 99.84% dry basic (db) and the calcium oxalate content of porang flour was 0.005% wet basic (wb). The characterization results show that the glucomannan content in porang flour is higher than the commercial glucomannan content from konjac, so that porang flour has good potential as a candidate for hydrogel materials.

Enhanced photodegradation of p-arsanilic acid by oxalate in goethite heterogeneous system under UVA irradiation.

The widespread used organoarsenicals have drawn attention for decades due to their potential environment risks. In this study, a heterogeneous system of goethite/oxalate irradiated using UVA light (λ = 365 nm) was applied for the removal of ASA, a kind of organoarsenicals used in animal feeding operations as additives, from the aqueous phase through photodegradation. Results showed that the presence of 5 mM of oxalate significantly enhanced the photodegradation efficiency of ASA in the 0.1 g/L of goethite suspended system from 28 to ~100% within 180 min reaction at pH 5. Acid conditions favored the photoreaction rate, compared with neutral and basic conditions. This reaction process was also influenced by the initial concentration of oxalate and ASA. Furthermore, the mechanism study was conducted by quenching experiments and revealed the important roles of·OH in the degradation of ASA in the goethite/oxalate/UVA system. By analyzing the reaction products, both inorganic arsenic (As(III) and As(V)) and ammonia were detected during the photodegradation of ASA. These findings help to gain a better understanding of the geochemical behavior of ASA in surface water and can also provide a potential treatment method for the organoarsenicals contaminated water.

Leaf production and quality of sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima) grown with saline drainage water from recirculating hydroponic or aquaculture systems

The application of greenhouse soilless culture (or hydroponics) and recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) is rapidly growing worldwide as these technologies provide controlled growing conditions for crop plants and aquatic organisms, thus enhancing productivity. The wastewater from RAS and hydroponics is generally rich in many essential plant nutrients and could be reused for crop irrigation, thus reducing the costs for both wastewater treatment and fertilizers. Many wild edible plant species are salt-tolerant glycophytes or halophytes and hence are suitable for cultivation with saline wastewater in cascade cropping systems or decoupled aquaponic systems.The goal of this work was to investigate the effects of drainage water from semi-closed substrate plant culture or saltwater RAS on leaf production and quality of sea beet plants (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima) grown hydroponically in a greenhouse. Two experiments were conducted in autumn with plants cultivated in a floating raft system to compare five different nutrient solutions: standard nutrient solution (CNS, control; EC 2.80 dS m−1, Na 0.7 mM); the effluent from a semi-closed substrate culture of tomato used as such (tomato effluent 100%, TE100; EC 6.49 dS m−1, Na 34.9 mM) or diluted (50:50) with CNS (tomato effluent 50%, TE50; EC 4.50 dS m−1, Na 17.8 mM); the effluent from a saltwater RAS with gilthead sea bream, used as such (aquaculture effluent 100%, AE100; EC 42.00 dS m−1, Na 408.6 mM) or diluted (50:50) with CNS (aquaculture effluent 50%, AE50; EC 25.40 dS m−1, Na 204.6 mM).In both experiments, leaf production was significantly reduced in plants grown with AE50 (−46.8%, on average) and AE100 (−70.4%, on average) compared to CNS; on the contrary, no or minor differences were found between CNS, TE50 and TE100 plants. The reduction of crop yield was due to the higher salinity and not to abnormal concentration of some mineral nutrients in AE. In the first experiment, the use of TE and AE also resulted in higher leaf antioxidant capacity and concentration (both expressed on a fresh weight basis) of total chlorophylls, carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenols. In both experiments, leaf concentration of Na and oxalate (both total and soluble) significantly increased with the salinity of the nutrient solution. Due to the less favourable light conditions, leaf nitrate concentration was much higher in the second experiment than in the first one, regardless of the nutrient solution.In conclusion, sea beet could be grown using hydroponic wastewater with moderate salinity with no or minor effect on leaf production and quality. In contrast, the use of highly saline aquaculture effluents markedly reduced crop yield and negatively affected leaf quality due to increased concentration of sodium, oxalate, and nitrate. In general, sea beet leaves were high in oxalate and their consumption should be limited.

Salinity and nitrogen source affect productivity and nutritional value of edible halophytes.

Saline agriculture may contribute to food production in the face of the declining availability of fresh water and an expanding area of salinized soils worldwide. However, there is currently little known about the biomass and nutrient/antinutrient accumulation response of many edible halophytes to increasing levels of salinity and nitrogen source. To address this, two glass house experiments were carried out. The first to study the shoot biomass, and nutrient accumulation response, measured by ICP-MS analysis, of edible halophyte species, including Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant), Salsola komarovii (Land seaweed), Enchylaena tomentosa (Ruby Saltbush), Crithmum maritimum (Rock Samphire), Crambe maritima (Sea Kale) and Mertensia maritima (Oyster Plant), under increasing levels of salinity (0 to 800 mM). The second experiment studied the effects of nitrogen source combined with salinity, on levels of oxalate, measured by HPLC, in ice plant and ruby saltbush. Species differences for biomass and sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation were observed across the range of salt treatments (0 to 800mM). Shoot concentrations of the anti-nutrient oxalate decreased significantly in ice plant and ruby saltbush with an increase in the proportion of N provided as NH4+ (up to 100%), while shoot oxalate concentrations in ice plant and ruby saltbush grown in the absence of NaCl were not significantly different to oxalate concentrations in plants treated with 200 mM or 400 mM NaCl. However, the lower shoot oxalate concentrations observed with the increase in NH4+ came with concurrent reductions in shoot biomass. Results suggest that there will need to be a calculated tradeoff between oxalate levels and biomass when growing these plants for commercial purposes.

Safety Evaluation on Antinutritional, Bacterial Properties with Sensory Acceptability of Processed Shea (Vitellaria Paradoxa) Pulp Juice

The processing of Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) pulp juice plays a crucial role in its nutritional and sensory attributes, as well as its bacterial composition. This study aims to investigate the antinutritional factors, sensory properties, and microbial activity in processed Shea pulp juice. The study utilized various analytical methods, including proximate analysis, sensory evaluation, and microbial analysis. The findings provide valuable insights into the nutritional quality, taste profile, and microbial composition of Shea pulp juice after processing. The nutritional analysis revealed a substantial amount of moisture of 84.39 to 93.01%, as well as high carbohydrate and caloric values of 5.84 to 8.96% and 33.51 to 67.31%, respectively. It also had a high vitamin C concentration (16.45 - 38.99%). The anti-nutritional analysis shows the presence of phytate (42.80±1.42mg), and oxalate (0.42±0.22mg), it was also found to be very high in tannin (338.80± 1.36mg). Saponin has a low content of 16.59±0.14mg and Cyanide had the lowest quantity (13.23±0.13). Cyanide, oxalate, and phytate concentrations were found to be lower than the reference toxic standard level. In terms of sensory evaluation, all samples were accepted favorably with Sample A and B most preferable to C. This research contributes to the understanding of Shea pulp juice as a potential food source and highlights the importance of optimizing processing techniques to enhance its beneficial properties.

Dramatically enhanced phenol degradation upon FeS oxygenation by low-molecular-weight organic acids

Oxidizing potential of FeS for organic contaminants degradation due to hydroxyl radicals (•OH) production has been recently documented, but the oxidizing efficiency was limited. Here, we revealed that low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) can immensely enhance phenol degradation during FeS oxygenation due to increased utilization efficiency of FeS electron for •OH production. Upon oxygenation of 0.5 g/L FeS, phenol degradation boosted from 7.1% without LMWOAs to 91.5%, 84.6% and 95.0% with the addition of 1 mM oxalate, citrate and EDTA, respectively. Electron utilization efficiency of Fe(II) for •OH production dramatically rose from 0.3% with FeS alone to respective 2.0%, 2.5% and 2.7% in the LMWOAs systems. An increase in oxalate concentrations benefited •OH formation and phenol degradation. Coexisting oxalate led to an additional •OH production pathway from Fe(II)-oxalate oxidation, which expanded the O2 reduction to H2O2 from a two- to one-electron transfer process. Meanwhile, electron transfer from FeS to dissolved Fe(III)-oxalate promoted the redox cycling of Fe(III)/Fe(II), thus supplying the Fe(II) oxidation for •OH production. Moreover, the presence of oxalate decreased the crystallinity and particles size of lepidocrocite generated from FeS oxidation. Consequently, this study shed lights on the LMWOAs-enhanced contaminant degradation in either natural or engineered FeS oxidation systems.

Iodine biofortification of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris var. cicla) and its wild ancestor sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima) grown hydroponically as baby leaves: effects on leaf production and quality.

About 35-45% of the global population is affected by iodine deficiency. Iodine intake can be increased through the consumption of biofortified vegetables. Given the increasing interest in wild edible species of new leafy vegetables due to their high nutritional content, this study aimed to evaluate the suitability of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris var. cicla) and its wild ancestor sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima) to be fortified with iodine. Plants were cultivated hydroponically in a nutrient solution enriched with four different concentrations of iodine (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg L-1 ), and the production and quality of baby leaves were determined. Sea beet accumulated more iodine than Swiss chard. In both subspecies, increasing the iodine concentration in the nutrient solution improved leaf quality as a result of greater antioxidant capacity - the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) index increased by 17% and 28%, at 0.5 and 1.5 mg L-1 iodine, respectively - the content of flavonoids (+31 and + 26%, at 1 and 1.5 mg L-1 of iodine, respectively), and the lower content of nitrate (-38% at 1.5 mg L-1 of iodine) and oxalate (-36% at 0.5 mg L-1 of iodine). In sea beet, however, iodine levels in the nutrient solution higher than 0.5 mg L-1 reduced crop yield significantly. Both subspecies were found to be suitable for producing iodine-enriched baby leaves. The optimal iodine levels in the nutrient solution were 1.0 in Swiss chard and 0.5 mg L-1 in sea beet, as crop yield was not affected at these concentrations and leaves contained enough iodine to satisfy an adequate daily intake with a serving of 100 g. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Development and Nutritional Analysis of Taro Powder [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott.] Enriched with Natural Colorants

Aims: To prepare an anthocyanin rich food product from Indigenous plant species.
 Study Design: Lab experiments based on CRD statistical analysis.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department biochemistry and agricultural chemistry, Assam Agricultural university, Jorhat, Assam, India between June 2018 and January 2020.
 Methodology: We collected anthocyanin rich plant samples viz. fruits of jamun (S. cumini L. and S. fruticosum Roxb. DC.), full-grown flowers of rose (R. indica L.) and studied the stability of total anthocyanin under pH, temperature and light. Taro powder was selected with low oxalic acid content to prepare an anthocyanin rich food product. The storage duration was also study biochemically for its commercial application.
 Results: total anthocyanin content as 124.87±0.07 mg/100g (S. cumini L.) followed by 115.26±0.09 mg/100g (R. indica L.) and 91.41±0.09 mg/100 g (S. fruticosum Roxb. DC.). The anthocyanin pigments were found to be stable at an acidic pH (up to pH 5) and below 40º C temperature and activity was maintained under a light of 2500 lux for 6 hours. A novel food product was developed by immobilizing pigments extracted from S. cumini L., S. fruticosum Roxb. DC. and R. indica L. on Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. (variety: Ahina) powder.
 Conclusion: Anthcyanins act as potent antioxidant but its stability after extraction is a major concern. By applying different storage condition and suitable carrier material selection it can be stored for long.

Effect of Oxalic Acid on Control of Post-harvest Browning of Litchi (Litchi chinensis L.)

Post-harvest browning of litchi is a common phenomenon that occurs due to enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions. Enzymatic browning is primarily caused by polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, leading to the formation of brown pigments. Non-enzymatic browning is caused by the Maillard reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids. Factors such as temperature, humidity, and mechanical damage can accelerate browning. Proper handling, storage, and the use of antioxidants can help minimize post-harvest browning, extending the shelf life and maintaining the visual appeal of litchi fruits. The present investigation was laid out in the post-harvest laboratory of horticulture department, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj during the year 2022-2023. The experiment was laid out in the CRBD with 8 treatments and 3 replications. Litchi fruit, Cv. Purvi (about 80%- matured stage), were harvest from a Local market Prayagraj, fruit was selected for uniformity of size and colour, and blemished and diseased fruit were discarded. The selected fruit were dipped in different oxalic acid concentration solution (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0mM) and Bavistin (0.05mg) as the control) for 10 mint 4 h of harvest, and then air dried. Each 10 fruit of the treated fruit was packed into a plastic punnet and wrapped with a 0.2-mm polyethylene bag, and then stored in an ambient condition. Post-harvest storage studies revealed that under ambient and refrigerated storage conditions T8 Oxalic acid (4.0mM) + Bavistin (0.05%) treatment showed slower rate of reduction on fruit length (cm) and fruit weight (g), browning (%) were significantly affected by treatments. There was significant effect of treatments on chemical parameters like pH, TSS (0Brix), acidity (%), ascorbic acid (mg100g), reducing sugar under ambient and refrigerated storage at different day’s intervals.

Diversity and domestication of mushroom species in the Atewa forest reserve and Bia Biosphere, Ghana

Edible mushrooms commonly found in forest reserves are important for food security but they are underutilized in Ghana. The Atewa forest reserve in the Eastern Region and Bia Biosphere in the Western Region are among the largest forest reserves in Ghana. However, human activities including illegal mining activities pose a threat to the existence of the rich mushroom diversity within these forests. The objective of this study, therefore, was to collect, characterize and domesticate mushrooms from the Atewa forest reserve and the Bia Biosphere. Wild mushroom samples were randomly photographed, collected, dried and stored. Edible and wild mushrooms were characterized morphologically and compared with literature. A total of 86 mushroom samples (comprising 45 from the Atewa forest reserve and 41 from the Bia Biosphere) were collected and identified. The two forest reserves contained a rich diversity of wild mushrooms namely: Cookeina speciosa, Marasmiellua inoderma, Auricularia cornea, Daldina concentrica, Pleurotus sp. Polypores. Cultivated Auricularia auricula strain AUAT recorded the highest ash content (16.70%) while cultivated Ganoderma sp. strain GLB recorded the lowest ash content (5.12%). On the other hand, cultivated Pleurotus ostreatus strain POB recorded the highest fat content of 19.88% and cultivated Pleurotus saju-caju strain PSCAT gave the least value of 12.02%. Cultivated Auricularia auricula strain AUAT again recorded the highest protein value of 33.38% while wild Ganoderma sp. Strain GLB had the least protein value. A total carbohydrate level of 64.22% was observed in cultivated Ganderma sp. strain GLB. The highest oxalate content of 30.93 mg/100 g was recorded in cultivated Pleurotus ostreatus strain EM1 with cultivated Auricularia auricula strain AUAT being the least value of 4.73 mg. A high phytate value of 149.35 mg was observed in cultivated Auricularia auricula strain AUAT and cultivated Pleurotus saju-caju strain PLAT showed the lowest value of 31.60 mg/100 g. The present findings provide considerable data on fungal diversification, conservation and domestication as well as a reference point for future studies.

Phase (1T/2H) dependent electromagnetic wave absorbing performance of flower-like MoS2 nanosheets

A study was carried out to determine the phase-dependent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption performance of MoS2 particles via systematically diversified hydrothermal synthesis conditions such as time, temperature, precursor molarity, and oxalic acid concentration. The formation of mixed-phase structure was verified depending on the presence of the characteristic diffraction peaks belong to 1T (trigonal, P3̅m1 space group) and 2H (hexagonal, P63/mmc space group) phases in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Phase-pure 2H-MoS2 was obtained at 200 °C after 12 h of reaction and using 5 mmol oxalic acid. Microscopic examinations indicate that MoS2 particles formed by assembling several nanosheets to create a flower-like morphology. The size, shape, and the distance between the nanosheets were observed to change with increasing temperature, time, and acid concentration. The band gap was found to be modified depending on the phase distribution and decreased from 1.54 eV (2H) to a minimum of 0.64 eV (1T/2H) with the formation of the 1T (metallic) phase. Finally, the minimum reflection loss was measured as − 67.73 dB (99.9999 % of absorption at 9.05 GHz) with an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 3.52 GHz for the sample composed of 1T/2H mixed-phased structure.

Carbon dots and MnO2 nanosheet nanocomposites sensing platform for sensitive detection of oxalate in urine samples of urolithiasis patients

In the human body, oxalate tends to form calcium oxalate with calcium ions, which can trigger the formation of stones in the urinary system. Therefore, oxalate in urine is usually utilized as a crucial biomarker in clinical urolithiasis diagnoses. In this work, a turn-on fluorescent nanoprobe was developed based on nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) and MnO2 nanosheets (NSs) nanocomposites for oxalate sensing in urolithiasis patients. MnO2 NSs is a good sensing platform with high extinction coefficients and rich redox chemistry. The fluorescent N-CDs can be quenched efficiently by MnO2 NSs through the inner filter effect (IFE) to form N-CDs-MnO2 nanocomposites. The reductive oxalate could operate the decomposition of MnO2 NSs to Mn2+ resulting in the dissociation of the N-CDs-MnO2 nanocomposites and fluorescence recovery of N-CDs. Under optimal conditions, the developed sensor revealed good specificity toward oxalate with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.69 μM. The developed sensor was successfully applied to quantify oxalate content in 47 urine samples (41 urolithiasis patients and 6 healthy persons). The results showed great consistency with clinical diagnostic reports and computed tomography images. This novel method retains several unique advantages, including affordable, rapid, and validating potential clinical application.

Characteristics of Whole Wheat, Red Kidney Bean and Defatted Coconut Flour Blends and Its Application in Bread Production

Aim: To evaluate the functional, proximate and anti-nutrient content of flour blends and sensory properties of bread produced from blends. Methodology: Flour was prepared from whole wheat (WW), red kidney bean (RKB) and coconut fruit (CF). It was than blend as follows: S1 (100% refined wheat), S2 (100% WW), S3 (90% WW, 5% RKB and 5% CF), S4 (85% WW, 10% RKB and 5% CF), S5 (80% WW, 15% RKB and 5% CF), S6 (75% WW, 20% RKB and 5% CF). Blends were subjected to functional, proximate and anti nutrient content analyses. Also the sensory attributes of breads produced from blends were determined. Results: Water absorption, oil absorption, swelling, foaming, foaming stability and emulsification capacity increased respectively from 0.62±0.06g/ml (S1) to 0.92±0.01 g/ml (S6), 0.96±0.02g/ml (S1) to 1.42±0.03 g/ml (S6), 1.05±0.01 (S1) to 1.73±0.01 (S6), 11.47±0.02% (S1) to 13.20±0.05% (S6), 50.93±0.01% (S1) to 53.47±0.01% (S6), 41.43±0.03% (S1) to 43.36±0.01% (S6) while bulk density decreased from 0.84±0.01g/ml (S1) to 0.60±0.02g/ml (S6). Moisture, ash, fat, fiber, and protein content increased respectively from 12.23±0.03% (S1) to 13.44±0.01% (S6), 0.66±0.01% (S1) to 1.66±0.02% (S6), 0.22±0.3% (S1) to 2.57±0.01% (S6), 0.67±0.26% (S1) to 4.34±0.02% (S6), 10.70±0.12% (S1) to 13.06±0.03% (S6) while carbohydrate decreased from 75.52±0.33% (S1) to 64.93±0.04% (S6). Phytate, oxalate and tannins content increased respectively from 0.03±0.00mg/100g (S1) to 1.09±0.01mg/100g (S6), 0.02±0.02mg/100g (S1) to 0.14±0.01mg/100g (S6), 0.01±0.01mg/100g (S1) to 0.09±0.01mg/100g (S6). In term of overall acceptability sample S1 and S3 showed no significantly different (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Addition of red kidney beans and coconut flour into whole wheat had significant (P<0.05) impact on the functional, proximate characteristic of flour. There sensory scores showed S3 to be suitable for bread.

Extraction of glucomannan from porang (Amorphophallus muelleri Blume) with freeze-thaw cycles pre-treatment

Amorphophallus muelleri Blume tuber, which is called porang in Indonesia, is one of the biggest glucomannan sources next to the konjac tuber. Glucomannan is commonly produced by ethanol extraction technique. This study aimed to propose the freeze-thaw cycles (FTC) pre-treatments with two factors including freezing time and the number of cycles before the glucomannan extraction step and investigated the impact on the physicochemical and morphological properties of the extracted glucomannan. The obtained data were statistically tested by means of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and post-hoc Duncan tests at a significance level (P) of 0.05. The treated samples were statistically compared with the control sample (without FTC) by means of the Dunnett’s test. The result showed that FTC pre-treatments changed the morphology of glucomannan from smooth to become porous globes showing more fissures on its surface. Generally, the freezing time treatments affected the physicochemical properties of glucomannan except for its protein and calcium oxalate contents. The number of cycles did not significantly affect the protein, starch, and calcium oxalate contents. The Dunnett’s test results indicated that the ash, carbohydrate (glucomannan), and color of the glucomannan obtained by the FTC pre-treatments were significantly different from those of the control sample.

Seasonal changes in foliar calcium oxalate concentrations in conifer and hardwood trees: a potentially bioavailable source of cellular calcium and/or oxalate under stress

The present study compared seasonal changes in the concentrations of calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals and total calcium (Ca) in the foliage of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), white pine (Pinus strobus L.), black oak (Quercus velutina L.), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) trees. Samples were collected from the same four replicate trees of each species starting in June 2014 through September 2015 for a total of six times for conifers and four times for hardwoods. Calcium oxalate was extracted from tissues using a method developed in our laboratory in 2015. The purity of the extracted CaOx was indicated by an r2 of 0.98 between Ca and oxalate (Ox) for the data pooled across all species and all sampling times. As expected, the concentrations of CaOx varied between species. We hypothesized that the only role of CaOx crystals is to bind excess Ca, so based on this hypothesis the concentrations of CaOx would increase over the growing season both in conifer and hardwood trees, and in conifers, its quantities would be higher in the older relative to the younger needles. However, we found, that for most species, CaOx concentrations were not significantly different from each other for all collection times. In addition, relative to total Ca, the percent of Ca that existed in the form of CaOx varied widely with species, time of collection within a species, and needle age. Thus, no specific trend was observed for CaOx accumulations with changes in seasons. Concentrations of CaOx were indeed higher in older spruce and pine needles. Based on the available literature on this topic and our data, this could mean that CaOx amounts are dynamic and are continuously being adjusted according to the metabolic needs of cells for either Ca or Ox while still performing the function of shedding off excess Ca.

Effect of Porang Flour (Amorphophallus Muelleri) as A Fat Replacer on the Acceptability and Characteristics of Cookies

Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri) is a tuber plant that contains a lot of glucomannan fiber. Glucomannan is a soluble fiber that can form a gel that mimics the characteristics of fat so that it has the potential to be used as a fat replacer in high-fat products such as cookies. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of using fat replacer on the sensory acceptability and characteristics of cookies. The steps carried out in this study were to determine the concentration of porang flour in fat replacer (5 and 7.5%). Fat replacer with firmness that is closest to margarine at a concentration of 5%. Furthermore, cookies were made with fat replacer substitution (25, 50, and 75%). The cookies were then tested for their organoleptic properties using the hedonic method on the parameters of color, aroma, taste and texture. The best cookie formulation was obtained at 25% substitution, which was then compared with the control formulation by testing the parameters of proximate, crude fiber, texture, and oxalate content. The results showed that cookies with fat replacer had lower levels of ash, fat, protein, calories, and hardness than the control, although the difference in fiber and protein content was not significant.