Palmitic Acid Methyl Ester Research Articles

Chemical profiling and anti-breast cancer potential of hexane fraction of Sphaeranthus indicus flowers

Purpose: The current study aimed to determine the phytochemicals and anti-breast cancer potential of Sphaeranthus indicus.Methods: S. indicus flowers were extracted with methanol followed by fractionation using n-hexane. For the chemical composition of n-hexane fraction, qualitative phytochemical and GC-MS analysis were performed. The anti-proliferative activity was measured by MTT assay, whereas, cytotoxic and proapoptotic effects in MCF-7 (breast cancer) cells were determined using propidium iodide, 4′,6-diamidino- 2-phenylindole, dichlorofluorescin diacetate, and JC-1 staining through fluorescent microscopy.Results: The phytochemical analysis indicated presence of phytosterols, oils and resins in the nhexane fraction. GC-MS analysis showed that n-hexane fraction comprises of 11 compounds including methyl esters of caprylic acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, margaric acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and behanic acid. The tested fraction showed remarkable cytotoxic activity against breast cancer (MCF-7) cells while it was found less toxic towards non-cancerous (BHK-21) cells. Furthermore, morphological assessment through fluorescent microscopy revealed cytotoxic and apoptotic effects by improved cell membrane permeability, increased reactive oxygen species level, compromised mitochondrial activity and condensation of chromatin network.Conclusion: The n-hexane fraction of S. indicus contains phytosterols, oils and fatty acid methyl esters and produced apoptotic effect against breast cancer cells.

Production of biodiesel over ZnO-TiO2 bifunctional oxide catalyst supported on natural zeolite

In this paper, biodiesel is produced from palm oil and methanol via the transesterification process over the heterogeneous catalyst. The metal oxide ZnO-TiO2 was impregnated into natural zeolite over the dry impregnation method. The ZnO-TiO2/NZ catalyst was prepared over the dry impregnation method. The catalysts' characteristic was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The biodiesel was analyzed by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed a functional group of methyl ester (C=O, carbonyl group) at 1744.51 cm-1. The components of methyl ester such as hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (C17), cis-9-heptadecanoic acid methyl ester (C18), oleic acid methyl ester (C19), are present in the biodiesel with the percent area of 0.05%, 0.08%, 0.63%, 7.06%, 16.3%, respectively, over ZnO-TiO2/NZ catalyst with a metal ratio of 1:1. This catalyst was successful in the transesterification of palm oil to produce biodiesel.

Bioactive principles in exudate gel from the leaf of Aloe fleurentiniorum, traditionally used as folkloric medicine by local people of Aridah and Fayfa mountains, Saudi Arabia

Abstract Aloe fleurentiniorum is a desert plant that is occasionally used to treat wounds by local people of Aridah and Fayfa mountains in Saudi Arabia. However, medicinal value of the plant has not been scientifically established. The purpose of this study was to determine the bioactive phytocomponents contained in the exudate gel (EG) from the leaves of Aloe fleurentiniorum using GC–MS and FT-IR studies, as well as antibacterial assays. Medicinally important bioactive compounds were identified using GC–MS analysis. The bioactive compounds are “pregn-5-ene-3α,20-diol”, “16α-methyl-pregnane-11,20-dione”, “3-hydroxy-(3α,5α)-, ursodeoxycholic acid”, “1-heptatriacotanol”, “allopregnane-7α,11α-diol-3,20-dione”, “D-arabino-hexopyranoside”, “2-octadecenoic acid methyl ester”, “D-ribo-hexose,2,6-dideoxy-3-O-methyl glucosamine”, “N-acetyl-N-benzoyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside”, “nonyl 1-thio pregnenolone”, “5-cholestene-3-ol, 24-methyl-cholestanol”, and “D-allose hexadecanoic acid methyl ester”. Furthermore, specific groups and their respective chemical compounds were identified via FT-IR spectroscopy studies. The FT-IR spectroscopy of EG showed various functional groups at 3354, 2945, 2832, 2523, 2046, 1707, 1451, 1108, 1031, 880, 737 and 610 cm−1. The FT-IR peaks revealed the likely presence of various compounds such as glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, flavonoids, amino sugars, cutin and isothiocyanate. Moreover, EG produced a wide range of antibacterial effects on some screened human pathogenic bacteria.

Fatty acids and their derivatives from Chlorella vulgaris extracts exhibit in vitro antimicrobial activity against the honey bee pathogen Paenibacillus larvae

The green microalga Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck (Chlorellaceae) is widely used as a food supplement for humans and animals. In beekeeping practice, Chlorella vulgaris has potential as a pollen supplement. We studied whether Chlorella extracts display antimicrobial properties against Paenibacillus larvae, the causative agent of the honey bee bacterial disease American foulbrood. We identified components responsible for antimicrobial activity and evaluated the added values of Chlorella as a food supplement for honey bees. Different extracts (water, acetone, methanol) were prepared from Chlorella biomass (phototrophically and heterotrophically cultivated) and screened for antimicrobial activity against ERIC I and ERIC II genotypes of P. larvae. Active acetone extracts of phototrophically cultivated Chlorella vulgaris biomass were fractioned via preparative reverse-phase chromatography. Antimicrobial activity was detected for 9 of the resulting 33 fractions. Further analysis revealed the chemical composition of the active fractions. C. vulgaris extracts showed a significant antimicrobial effect against vegetative cells and spores of P. larvae strains of ERIC I and ERIC II genotypes. The lowest MIC of the most active acetone extract was 6.3 µg/mL for both tested genotypes. In the majority of the active fractions, monolinolenin, fatty acid linoleic acid, and methyl esters of linoleic and/or palmitic acid were identified via high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis. Based on our results, we concluded that algal C. vulgaris food supplements not only contain nutritional but also potential prophylactic properties for honey bee health.

Palmitic Acid Methyl Ester Enhances Adipogenic Differentiation in Rat Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells through a G Protein-Coupled Receptor-Mediated Pathway.

Adipogenic differentiation from stem cells has become a research target due to the increasing interest in obesity. It has been indicated that adipocytes can secrete palmitic acid methyl ester (PAME), which is able to regulate stem cell proliferation. However, the effects of PAME on adipogenic differentiation in stem cell remain unclear. Here, we present that the adipogenic differentiation medium supplemented with PAME induced the differentiation of rat adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rAD-MSCs) into adipocyte. rAD-MSCs were treated with PAME for 12 days and then subjected to various analyses. The results from the present study show that PAME significantly increased the levels of adipogenic differentiation markers, PPARγ and Gpd1, and enhanced adipogenic differentiation in rAD-MSCs. Furthermore, the level of GPR40/120 protein increased during induction of adipocyte differentiation in rAD-MSCs. Cotreatment with PAME and a GPR40/120 antagonist together inhibited the PAME-enhanced adipogenic differentiation. Moreover, PAME significantly increased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), but not AKT and mTOR. Cotreatment with PAME and a GPR40/120 antagonist together inhibited the PAME-enhanced ERK phosphorylation and adipogenic differentiation. PAME also increased the intracellular Ca2+ levels. Cotreatment with PAME and a Ca2+ chelator or a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor prevented the PAME-enhanced ERK phosphorylation and adipogenic differentiation. Our data suggest that PAME activated the GPR40/120/PLC-mediated pathway, which in turn increased the intracellular Ca2+ levels, thereby activating the ERK, and eventually enhanced adipogenic differentiation in rAD-MSCs. The findings from the present study might help get insight into the physiological roles and molecular mechanism of PAME in regulating stem cell differentiation.

Antifungal Activity of the Extract of a Macroalgae, Gracilariopsis persica, against Four Plant Pathogenic Fungi.

Nowadays, the extract of seaweeds has drawn attention as a rich source of bioactive metabolites. Seaweeds are known for their biologically active compounds whose antibacterial and antifungal activities have been documented. This research aimed to study the profile of phenolic compounds using the HPLC method and determine biologically active compounds using the GC-MS method and the antifungal activity of Gracilariopsis persica against plant pathogenic fungi. G. persica was collected from its natural habitat in Suru of Bandar Abbas, Iran, dried, and extracted by methanol. The quantitative results on phenolic compounds using the HPLC method showed that the most abundant compounds in G. persica were rosmarinic acid (20.9 ± 0.41 mg/kg DW) and quercetin (11.21 ± 0.20 mg/kg DW), and the least abundant was cinnamic acid (1.4 ± 0.10 mg/kg DW). The GC-MS chromatography revealed 50 peaks in the methanolic extract of G. persica, implying 50 compounds. The most abundant components included cholest-5-en-3-ol (3 beta) (27.64%), palmitic acid (17.11%), heptadecane (7.71%), and palmitic acid methyl ester (6.66%). The antifungal activity of different concentrations of the extract was determined in vitro. The results as to the effect of the alga extract at the rates of 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 μL on the mycelial growth of four important plant pathogenic fungi, including Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum, and Pyricularia oryzae, revealed that the mycelial growth of all four fungi was lower at higher concentrations of the alga extract. However, the extract concentration of 1000 μL completely inhibited their mycelial growth. The antifungal activity of this alga may be related to the phenolic compounds, e.g., rosmarinic acid and quercetin, as well as compounds such as palmitic acid, oleic acid, and other components identified using the GC-MS method whose antifungal effects have already been confirmed.

In vitro and in vivo investigation of polypharmacology of propolis extract as anticancer, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and chemical properties

Abstract Numerous compounds derived from natural sources such as microbes, plants, and insects have proven to be safe, efficacious, and cost-effective therapeutics for human diseases. This study examined the bioactivities of propolis, a structural sealant and antibacterial/antifungal agent produced by honey bees. Chinese propolis was extracted in methanol or hexane. Propolis significantly reduced the numbers of viable cancer cells when applied as a methanol extract (IC50 values in μg/mL for the indicated cell line: MDA-MB-231, 74.12; LoVo, 74.12; HepG2, 77.74; MCF7, 95.10; A549, 114.84) or a hexane extract (MDA-MB-231, 52.11; LoVo, 45.9; HepG2, 52.11; MCF7, 78.01; A549, 67.90). Hexane extract also induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells according to activated caspase-3/7 expression assays (17.6 ± 2.9% at 150 μg/mL and 89.2 ± 1.9% at 300 μg/mL vs 3.4 ± 0.4% in vehicle control), suppressed the growth of Candida albicans and multiple multidrug-resistant and nonresistant Gram-positive bacteria, and inhibited croton oil-induced skin inflammation when applied as topical treatment. GC-MS identified hexadecanoic acid methyl ester as a major constituent (33.6%). Propolis hexane extract has potential anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activities.

In vitro cytotoxic, antioxidant, antimicrobial activity and volatile constituents of Coccoloba peltata Schott cultivated in Egypt

Coccoloba peltata Schott (C. peltata) is an evergreen, small tree mainly growing in Brazil. Since there is no relevant report for its biological activities or phytochemical data, this study aimed to assess the volatile components and bioactivity potential of leaves extract and fractions of C. peltata Schott cultivated in Egypt. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis allowed the tentative identification of thirty secondary metabolites including α-tocospiro A (17.20%), α-tocospiro B (12.02%), squalene (7.78%), 13-epi-manoyl oxide (6.80%), nonacosane (5.12%), pentatriacontane (4.17%) and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (3.78%) as major compounds. The crude extract was subjected to in vitro bioassays revealing a promising results against the studied cancer cell lines, HepG-2, MCF-7, HCT-116, PC3 and HeLa (IC50 7.56-14.26 µg/mL) in comparison to doxorubicin while the corresponding fractions exihibited lower activity. The antioxidant assay based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ascorbic acid as a reference, indicated the crude extract as the most active (IC50 32.86 µg/mL) followed by chloroform fraction (IC50 46.05 µg/mL), n-hexane fraction (IC50 57.42 µg/mL) and then butanol fraction (IC50 50.06 µg/mL). Finally, the total extract exihibited potent antimicrobial activity against E. coli B. subtilis and C. albicans with activity indices of 46.1, 73.9, 81.5%, respectively, as compared to ciprofloxacin and clotrimazole. Taken together, the crude extract from Coccoloba peltata displayed higher responses to the various assays, it has been suggested as a synergism among the compounds therefore.

Chemical composition of Prosopis farcta (Banks & Soland) Macbride (Leguminoseae or Fabaceae) fruits

The chemical composition of Prosopis farcta extracts was prepared and analyzed by GC-MS. Ten phytochemical constituents were identified in the fruit of P. farcta . The relative percentage of Palmitic acid methyl ester was high (32.61%) followed by 9-12 octadecenoic acid methyl ester (23.16%) and then stearic acid methyl ester (13.93%), 10-octadecenoic acid methyl ester (13.05), 9-Hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (5.41%), linoleic acid methyl ester (4.13%) and some components present at lower percentages such as pentadecanoic acid methyl ester (1.01%).

Effect of Oak Chips Application on Phenolic Compounds of Wine Vinegars at Different Maturation Times

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of oak chips-supplementations on phenolic compound profiles of grape vinegar samples. Total acidity, volatile acids, non-volatile acids, pH, dry extract, ash, color, alcohol, total phenolic compound, individual phenolic compounds and aroma compounds of un supplemented control (UC) samples and oak chips-supplemented (OCS) samples were analyzed at the 0th, 1st and 3rd months of ageing. Total phenolic compound of UC vinegar samples was measured as 1256.50 mg GAE/L at the end of the 3rd month. Total phenolic compound of OCS vinegar samples was measured as 1521.03 mg GAE/L at the end of the 1st month and as 1470.67 mg GAE/L at the end of the 3rd month. Gallic acid, catechin and vanillic acid contents of UC vinegar samples were respectively measured as 8.43 mg/L, 22.26 mg/L and 1.78 mg/L at the end of the 3rd month. Gallic acid, catechin and vanillic acid contents of OCS vinegar samples were respectively measured as 19.12 mg/L, 17.98 mg/L and 2.58 mg/L at the end of the 3rd month. The 3-hydroxy-2-butanone, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid methyl ester and 9-octadecanoic acid methyl ester quantities increased at the end of the 3rd month with oak chips-supplementation to ageing process. It was observed that oak chips-supplementation increased total phenolic compound and some individual phenolics of grape vinegar samples.

Antimicrobial activity, bioactive constituents, and functional groups in aqueous methanol extract of Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) thwaites leaves

Background: Polyalthia longifolia is an ornamental plant with various applications in traditional medicine. There is a need to identify its bioactive compounds to justify its medicinal use. Objectives: In this study, the functional groups and bioactive compounds in aqueous methanol extract of P. longifolia leaves and its antimicrobial potential were investigated. Materials and Methods: Bioactive constituents of the extract were assayed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and functional groups by Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR), while its phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity were investigated in vitro using standard protocols. Results: Qualitative phytochemical screening showed the presence of therapeutically important phytochemicals, namely, alkaloids, steroidal and cardiac glycosides, saponins, triterpenes, steroids, phytosterols, resins, phenols, flavonoids, tannins, and diterpenes. The extract showed promising bactericidal and fungicidal properties against the test organisms. Staphylococcus aureus was the most resistant of all the test organisms, while other test organisms were significantly inhibited by the extract in a concentration-dependent fashion. FT-IR analysis showed different characteristic peak values confirming the presence of important functional groups, namely, alcohol, alkane, ester, alkene, nitro compounds, amine, carboxylic acid, aromatics, and alkyl halide in the extract. GC-MS analysis identified 25 bioactive compounds in the leave extract. Some of these compounds include 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, copaene, aromadendrene, alpha-curcumene, caryophyllene oxide, palmitic acid methyl ester, cis-Z-alpha-Bisabolene epoxide, phytol, alpha-Santoline alcohol, and linolenic acid ethyl ester reportedly possessing antimicrobial, antioxidant, antigenotoxic, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, cardio-protective, insecticidal, pesticidal, nematicidal, antiandrogenic, antiviral, and analgesic activities. Conclusion: This study underscores the vast therapeutic importance of P. longifolia leaves as an important source of potentially useful bioactive principles.

GC-MS analysis of volatile oil and fatty acids composition of Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet leaves

The Volatile oil of Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet leaves extracted by a Clevenger approach and the fatty acid content of this species as a result of petroleum ether extraction were investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. GC-MS analysis of the volatile oil revealed the presence of 63 compounds, with (2E,6E)-farnesol (6.56%), E-caryophyllene (4.68%), caryophyllene oxide (4.37%) and βcopaen-4-α-ol (3.51%) as the major components. On the other hand, 8 fatty acids of which three were identified as linolenic acid methyl ester, which was the major identified fatty acid methyl ester (38.74%), followed by palmitic acid methyl ester (29.09%) and linoleic acid methyl ester (18.14%). The identification of the compounds depends on the retention time and mass spectrum.

Cultivation of microalgae on unhydrolysed waste molasses syrup using mass cultivation strategy for improved biodiesel.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02823-7.

A comparison of microbial communities and volatile compounds in wheat Qu from different geographic locations

Wheat Qu contains various microorganisms and is the fermentation starter for rice wine. The impact of geographic location on the volatile compounds and microbial communities in wheat Qu remains unknown. This study demonstrated significant differences in the volatile compound profiles of wheat Qu from different regions of China. Phenylethyl alcohol, hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, 9-octadecenoic acid methyl ester, and 2-octanone were the main volatile compounds detected. The bacterial and fungal communities in wheat Qu also differed significantly according to geographic location with both communities explaining the variation in volatile compounds (bacteria making the greater contribution). The bacterial community was dominated by Pediococcus, Weissella, and Lactobacillus while the fungal community was dominated by Saccharomycopsis and Rhizopus. Bacteria exhibited more significant associations with volatile compounds than fungi did. Prediction of metabolic function demonstrated significantly different profiles for the bacterial communities from different regions. These data showed that geographic location considerably affects the composition of volatile compounds and microbial communities in wheat Qu, with the bacterial community being the main contributor to variation of volatile compounds.

Guttation droplets of sugarcane red rot pathogen Colletotrichum falcatum: Formation, toxigenic properties, and composition

ABSTRACT Production of guttation droplets in the cultures of Colletotrichum falcatum was often noticed. Hence, formation of guttation droplets, exudation of toxin in guttation, and guttation droplet chemical composition were assessed to find the ecological importance of guttation. Among the tested culture media, more guttation was noticed in oat meal agar medium and host extracts broth medium. Assessing the effect of five different carbon sources on guttation of C. falcatum showed that among solid media, sparse guttation droplets were noticed in glucose-, fructose-, and starch-amended media, whereas in broth cultures except fructose-amended media no other carbon sources induced guttation in mycelium. The guttation phenomenon was noticed only in sporulating mycelia, and it also followed a specific pattern in connection with sporulation. Bioassay of guttation exudates on sugarcane leaves produced pronounced necrotic lesions with large, yellow halo similar to positive control, thus confirming the presence of toxin. The guttation fluid initiated browning symptom on sugarcane leaves at a concentration of 1000 ppm and produced pronounced necrotic lesions of 3.7 cm at 10 000 ppm. The toxicity of crude fraction was thermostable up to 60 C. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of crude guttation droplets identified the presence of 24 compounds belonging to fatty acids, derivatives of fatty acids, flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, sterols, quinone derivatives, amides, and glycol ethers, and among them fatty acids were dominant. The two compounds, viz., hexadecanoic acid methyl ester and 9-octadecenoic acid (Z) methyl ester, were abundant (18.14% and 17.98%, respectively) and identified as probable toxic compounds.

Antibacterial activities of hexadecanoic acid methyl ester and green-synthesized silver nanoparticles against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Antibacterial drug resistance is considered one of the biggest threats tohuman health worldwide, and the overuse of antibiotics accelerates this problem. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are becoming harder to treatas the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate novel methods to control MDR bacteria. In this study, 40 bacterial isolates were collected from diabetic patients. The sensitivity of 40 bacterial isolates to seven antibiotics was evaluated. Four bacterial isolates were resistant to all antibiotic groups. The MDR pathogenic bacteria were selected and identified morphologically and biochemicallyand confirmed by VITEK® 2 system as follows: Staphylococcus aureus W35, Pseudomonas aeruginosa D31, Klebsiella pneumoniae DF30, and K. pneumoniae B40. Identification of the most resistant P. aeruginosa D31 was confirmed by the sequencing of a 16S ribosomal RNA gene with an accession number (MW241596). The inhibitory activity of eight types of native grown plant extracts against MDR bacteria was studied. Clove alcoholic extract (CAE) showed the highest inhibitory activity against MDR bacteria. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of partially purified CAE at 0.9 Rf detected by thin-layer chromatography showed an active compound named hexadecenoic acid methyl ester with the highest antimicrobial effect against clinical pathogenic bacteria. The formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by CAE was studied. Evaluation of AgNPs was investigated by X-ray diffraction, UV-Vis, and transmission electron microscopy. The antibacterial effect of AgNPs after 2, 4, and 6 days in light and dark conditions was evaluated. Finally, the AgNPs synthesized using CAE possessgood inhibition activity against the tested pathogenic bacteria. As a result, the bactericidal components listed above were promising in reducing MDR bacteria and can be used for treatments of bacterial infection and in the development of safe products with a natural base.

Biocontrol Activity of Bacillus megaterium BM344-1 against Toxigenic Fungi.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of some fungal species and represent important contaminants of food and feed. This study aimed to explore the biological control activity of Bacillus megaterium BM344-1 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the growth and mycotoxin production of single representatives of the toxigenic species Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus carbonarius, Penicillium verrucosum, and Fusarium verticillioides. In vitro co-incubation experiments indicated the P. verrucosum isolate as the most sensitive one, with a growth inhibition ratio of 66.7%, followed by A. flavus (29.4%) and F. verticillioides (18.2%). Exposure of A. flavus, P. verrucosum, and F. verticillioides to BM344-1 VOCs resulted in complete inhibition of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFG1, and AFG2), ochratoxin A, and fumonisin B1 (FB1) synthesis on artificial media, respectively. In vivo experiments on maize kernels showed 51% inhibition of fungal growth on ears simultaneously infected with A. flavus spores and exposed to BM344-1 volatiles. Likewise, AF synthesis by A. flavus was significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited (25.34 ± 6.72 μg/kg) by bacterial volatiles as compared to that in control maize ears (91.81 ± 29.10 μg/kg). Gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry-based analysis of headspace volatiles revealed hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (palmitic acid) and tetracosane as bioactive compounds in the BM344-1 volatilome. Bacterial volatiles have promising potential to control the growth and mycotoxin synthesis of toxigenic fungi and may present valuable aid in the efforts to warrant food and feed safety.

A mesoporous polysulfonic acid-formaldehyde polymeric catalyst for biodiesel production from Jatropha curcas oil

A highly reactive acid-functionalized polymer is prepared by the simple condensation of aqueous formaldehyde and p-phenolsulfonic acid and used as a solid catalyst in concerted (trans)esterification. This yields biodiesel from Jatropha oil without the need to remove water by-product from the reaction mixture. An isolated biodiesel yield of 98 ± 2% is achieved using a catalyst loading of 10 wt %, methanol:oil ratio of 12:1, temperature of 90 °C, and reaction time of 6 h. The high activity of our catalyst is attributed to its porous nature and the co-inclusion of reactive SO3H sites and phenolic OH groups. Advantageously, these groups are hydrophilic, allowing the catalyst to remain highly active in the presence of H2O. Nine methyl ester components are identified in the biodiesel product, with 9-octadecanoic acid methyl ester (C18:2, 64.92%) and hexadecanoic acid methyl ester (C16:0, 16.44%) as the major constituents. The catalyst is evaluated over 4 cycles, maintaining a 92 ± 2% isolated yield. Physicochemical analysis of the spent catalyst by SEM-EDX suggests this decrease is due to some loss of mesoporosity and sulfur content.

Bioactivity assessment of ethanolic extracts from Theobroma cacao and Cola spp. wastes after solid state fermentation by Pleurotus ostreatus and Calocybe indica

The use of agro-industrial residues for production of bio-functional products has aroused the interest of scientists as a positive step towards ecological sustainable. In this study, Pleurotus ostreatus or Calocybe indica was used in solitary and were combined in solid state fermentation to improve bioactivities of extracts from cocoa pod husk (CPH) and kolanut pod (KP). The bioactive compounds in extracts were revealed using Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GCMS). Phenolic and flavonoid contents of studied extracts were within 34.80–56.9 mg/g Gallic acid equivalent and 11.50–31.5 mg/g Quercertin equivalent, respectively. Extracts from unfermented and fermented pods of Theobroma cacao and Cola spp. displayed notable antimicrobial activity against indicator microorganisms with zones of inhibition ranged from 5.0 to 18.0 mm. Minimum inhibitory concentration of the extracts against microorganisms ranged from 2.5 to 10.0 mg/ml. IC50 of extracts against free radicals ranged from 0.3 to 1.7 mg/ml, 0.4–1.7 mg/ml and 0.4–1.8 mg/ml for DPPH, Fe and OH−, respectively. Some of bioactive compounds identified using GCMS were phenol, glycerine, pimelic ketone, D-ribonic acid, methyl myristate, palmitic acid methyl ester, oleic acid ethyl ester, lauramide, oleic acid amide, 1,2-cyclododecanediol, resorcinol, phytol and others. The bioactivities of extracts from unfermented and fermented CPH and KP can be attributed to the presence of assorted bioactive compounds, which can be exploited as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antitumor promoting agents and therefore, useful for production of functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Untargeted Elemental and Metabolomic Profiling of Some Poaceae Species Using LIBS and GC-MS Methods

ABSTRACT Grasses are an underestimated repository of unique medicinal properties on the planet. Present study was designed to ascertain compositional analysis of ten Poaceae species via laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. LIBS spectra showed the presence of Na, Mg, K, Ca, and Fe nutritional elements and Al, Ti, Sr, Ba, Si, Al, Ar, Cs, and Li toxic elements. The intensity of most of the elements was high in I. cylindrica, D. annulatum, S. halepense, E. indica, and O. compressa. GC-MS analysis revealed the existence of almost 70 different compounds including aldehydes, fatty acids, phenols, monoterpenoids, and hydrocarbons eluted at different retention times. Among these, m-cresol, 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, 1-pentadecene, 2,2ˈ,5,5ˈ-tetramethyl-1,1ˈ-biphenyl, 1-heptadecene, hexadecanoic acid-methyl ester, and fluoranthene were detected in all species in varying concentrations. All-inclusive, hexadecanoic acid was found as a major component (20–30%) in most of the species. Data of this study suggest that these species are a valuable source of elements and compounds that can be utilized in foods as well as in preparing drugs for treating various ailments. In the end, the biological significance of the observed compounds has been reported. Perhaps, this is the first study on the selected grasses using LIBS and GC-MS techniques.