Percent Glycerol Research Articles

OPTIMIZATION OF EXPRESSION AND EVALUATION OF RECOMBINANT ENTEROCIN-P, AS FOOD BIO PRESERVATIVE ON SOME FOOD SPOILAGE BACTERIA

This study optimized the expression of the enterocin P peptide (EntP) in CHO cells using medium additions. Furthermore, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and anti-biofilm effects of Ent-P were examined against several gram positive and gram-negative microorganisms. The findings indicated that increasing medium with 0.75 percent glycerol and 0.75 percent DMSO boosted Ent-P peptide synthesis by around two times. According to Ent-P antimicrobial evaluations, Shigella disentri (4 g/mL) and Escherichia coli (128 g/mL) had the lowest and highest MIC values, respectively. In comparison to Enterococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli (3+ to 2+), the Ent-P peptide shown a strong ability to suppress the formation of the biofilm generated by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4 + to +1).

Pengaruh Konsentrasi Pemlastis Pada Aplikasi Edible Coating Dari Tepung Pektin Apel Pada Buah Tomat

The edible coating is a protective layer that can regulate the rate of respiration. The purpose of the study is to see the effect of adding a plasticizer to the edible coating application of apple pectin flour on tomatoes. Edible coating was made with 2% apple pectin flour and plasticizers glycerol and sorbitol in concentrations of 0.5 percent, 0.6 percent, 0.7 percent, 0.8 percent, 0.9 percent, and 1 percent (v/v). Plasticizer concentrations of 1 percent glycerol and 0.7 percent sorbitol were found to be optimal. The addition of 1% glycerol resulted in 3.673 percent tomato fruit weight loss with a shelf life of more than 20 days, and the addition of 0.7 percent sorbitol resulted in 5.718 percent tomato fruit weight loss with a shelf life of more than 7 days. The percentage of elongation (2.47 percent and 1.125 percent), tensile strength (17.10 and 6.61 Mpa), water vapor transmission rate (5.955 and 7.070 g/m2/day), and thickness (0.06 mm) of edible coating with 1 percent glycerol and 0.7 percent sorbitol were obtained. The thickness, tensile strength, and water vapor transmission rate all met Japanese Industrial Standards, according to these results.

GLYCEROL TOXICITY AND QUALITY OF FROZEN-THAWED BALI CATTLE SPERMATOZOAS


 
 
 This study aimed to determine the effect of glycerol concentration on motility, viability and abnormalities of frozen thawed spermatozoa of Bali cattle. The study was conducted using a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 6 replications. The treatments consisted of T0 (0% glycerol), T1 (6% glycerol), T2 (12% glycerol), T3 (18% glycerol), P4 (24% glycerol). The results showed that the administration of glycerol had a very significant effect (p<0.01) on the motility, viability, and abnormality of spermatozoa. Six percent glycerol in diluent able to reduce the decrease in motility, viability. and prevent the increase of spermatozoa abnormality. Toxic effects of glycerol were higher in accordance to higher concentration started in 12%.
 
 

Ceramic membranes (Al2O3/TiO2) used for separation glycerol from biodiesel using response surface methodology

The separation of glycerol from biodiesel in accordance with ASTM standards is critical. Conventional separation technology has not proven to be effective. Membrane technology is a viable and environmental friendly method of separating impurities from biodiesel. In this study, application of three different sizes ceramic membranes for separating glycerol from biodiesel is evaluated. The impact of process parameters such as average pore size, pressure and ethanol concentration on glycerol separation is evaluated using design expert software. The main aim of the present study is to address the separation and optimization of free glycerol from biodiesel using response surface methodology in combination with central composite design. Three pore-sized ceramic membranes (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 µm) were used in this study to achieve complete retention of free glycerol from biodiesel. Response surface methodology was used to optimize process parameters such as average pore size, pressure, and ethanol concentration. At a pore size of 0.2 µm, 3 bar pressure, and 10% wt. ethanol concentrations, 99.8 percent glycerol retention was obtained under optimal conditions. The free glycerol was separated from the biodiesel in compliance with international standards.

The Effect of Addition Glycerol Against Nori Characterization from Gracilaria sp and Ulva sp Seaweeds

Nori is an edible seaweed product and is known to form a sheet. This study involves the production of nori, from a mixture of Gracilaria and Ulva Lactuca seaweeds, at a ratio of 1:1. Besides, glycerol was adopted as a plasticizing biopolymer for food packaging materials. This study, therefore, aims to evaluate the characteristics of nori, following the addition of glycerol concentration (0.4; 0.6; 0.8; 1.0 percent) as a plasticizer on the nori/edible seaweed. The parameters evaluated include elongation percentage, tensile strength, WVTR, thickness, and water content. Moreover, treatments with 0.8 percent glycerol concentration generated edible seaweed films with the following characteristics: elongation percentage of 12.15%, while the tensile strength, WVTR, thickness, and water content were 2,67 M.Pa, 2268 gr/m2 day, 328.93 μm, and 12,75 %, respectively.

Platelet Rich Fibrin Augmented Versus Non-Augmented Glycerolized Bovine Pericardium and Polypropylene Mesh for Repairing of Large Abdominal Wall Defects

This study aimed to evaluate the use of glycerolized bovine pericardium (GBP) compared to polypropylene mesh (PPM) in repairing of large abdominal wall defects in animal model, and to investigate the role of platelet rich fibrin (PRF) in promoting this repair. Fresh bovine pericardium collected from local abattoir were processed and preserved in 99.5 percent glycerol. PRF matrix was harvested from fresh autologous blood (10 ml) after centrifugation. Full-thickness, mid-ventral abdominal wall defects (6 × 10 cm) were surgically created in 36 healthy goats (9 goats/group) and were repaired with an equal size of GBP, PPM, GBP-PRF, or PPM-PRF. Qualitative and gray scale quantitative ultrasonography were adopted at day 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 and 12 weeks post-implantation. Three goats per group were slaughtered at 4, 8 and 12 weeks post-implantation for further gross, histopathological and tensiometric (tensile strength, load at failure and strain percent) evaluations. Ultrasonography revealed significant (P˂ 0.05) improvement of implant gray scale, low subcutaneous edema and reduction of skin implant distance in PRF-augmented groups. Besides, a substantial improvement of connective tissue covering, implant incorporation, new blood vessels formation, and reduction of the inflammatory cells infiltrations were observed. Tensiometric parameters were improved in GBP-PRF group compared to the other groups. In conclusion, the obtained results not only proved the superiority of GBP over PPM, but also the advantage of PRF-augmented over non-augmented implants in treatment of large abdominal wall defects. Ultrasonographic analysis provided a satisfactory tool to evaluate the healing process of the abdominal wall defects.

Bluetongue virus viral protein 7 stability in the presence of glycerol and sodium chloride

PurposeThe Orbivirus Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an economically significant disease that affects mainly wild and domestic ruminants. BTV is most often seen symptomatically in sheep, but is easily carried by goats, cattle, and wild ruminants. To date there are several problems with the vaccines currently available for BTV, and one of the most promising candidates to increase vaccine efficacy is a protein-based vaccine, for which viral protein 7 (VP7) is a great candidate to be included in it. In order to further these studies, the stability of BTV VP7 in common vaccine additives needs to be investigated.Materials and MethodsRecombinant BTV VP7 was expressed in a bacterial cell system and purified before being analysed using spectroscopic techniques including far-ultraviolet (UV) circular dichroism and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. BTV was analysed in a number of different buffer conditions.ResultsWe report here that BTV VP7 maintains its native secondary structure until at least 52℃ and native-like tertiary structure to at least 80℃. Far-UV circular dichroism and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence emission spectra indicate significant secondary and tertiary structure remaining even at 90℃, respectively. Six M guanidinium chloride is able to unfold BTV VP7 while 8 M urea could not.ConclusionTwenty percent glycerol and 300 mM sodium chloride appear to have a protective effect on BTV VP7's structure, as significantly more structure is seen at 90℃ when compared to BTV VP7 without the addition of these chemicals. Both glycerol and sodium chloride are common vaccine additives.

Effect of Different Glycerol Levels on Quality of Frozen Semen of Mizo Local Boar

A total of 24 ejaculates were obtained from 3 Mizo local boars (Zovawk), were used by split sample technique for evaluating the effect of four glycerol levels on quality of semen extended with Lactose egg yolk glycerol (LEYG) extender at equilibration and after freezing. The sperm motility at equilibration and after freezing was significantly higher (P<0.01) for 3 percent glycerol levels, than for 2 and 4 percent glycerol levels. The live sperm at equilibration and after freezing was significantly higher (P<0.01) for 3 percent glycerol levels than for 2 and 4 percent glycerol levels, and for 2 percent than for 3 percent glycerol level. The Hypo Osmotic Sperm Swelling Test (HOSST) reacted spermatozoa at equilibration and after freezing was significantly (P<0.01) higher for 3 percent glycerol levels, than for 2 and 4 percent glycerol levels, and for 2 percent than for 3 percent glycerol level. The acrosomal integrity at equilibration and after freezing was significantly (P<0.01) higher for 3 percent glycerol levels, than for 2 and 4 percent glycerol levels, and for 2 percent than for 3 percent glycerol level. In conclusion, preservation of boar semen in LEYG extender using 3 percent glycerol found to be superior.

Development, economic viability and attributes of lamb carcass from confined animals fed on different amounts of crude glycerin

&lt;p&gt;The current study aims to assess the effect from crude glycerin inclusion (0, 7, 14, and 21% dry matter) in the diet of slaughtered lamb on their development, nutrient consumption, biometrical measures, diet economic viability and carcass features. Thirty two (32) non-castrated male Texel lambs were used in the study, they presented mean initial weight 15.9 ± 4.1 kilos and were distributed in casual outlining. They were fed with four treatments, with 8 repetitions. Animals were slaughtered when they reached approximately 35 kilos. The mean total weight gain was 20.72 kilos and mean daily weight gain was 260 grams. No changes resulted from glycerin use. The carcass performance was similar among treatments (P&amp;gt;0.05) and the cold carcass performance (CCP) was 44.68%. There were no effects (P&amp;gt;0.05) on the loin eye area (LEA) and on fat thickness (FT); they showed averages of 13.66 cm2 and 0.84 mm, respectively. Nutrition cost per animal during the whole confinement period varied between R$82.60 (eighty-two Reais and forty-eight cents) to R$92.48. The smallest nutrition amount consisted of 21% crude glycerin. The gross profit ranged from R$30.75 to R$ 34.01 per animal, for feed without glycerin and 21% glycerin, respectively. Animal development was not impacted by glycerin introduction, even with decrease on dry and organic mass consumption. The result showed that crude glycerin inclusion might be used in lambs’ diet. Whenever there are big amounts of feed involved in the process, the 21% crude glycerin addition may be an interesting cost reduction. Seventy eight percent (78%) glycerol crude glycerin to replace corn-based feed in confined lambs’ diet appeared to be nutritionally and economically viable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Development, economic viability and attributes of lamb carcass from confined animals fed on different amounts of crude glycerin

&lt;p&gt;The current study aims to assess the effect from crude glycerin inclusion (0, 7, 14, and 21% dry matter) in the diet of slaughtered lamb on their development, nutrient consumption, biometrical measures, diet economic viability and carcass features. Thirty two (32) non-castrated male Texel lambs were used in the study, they presented mean initial weight 15.9 ± 4.1 kilos and were distributed in casual outlining. They were fed with four treatments, with 8 repetitions. Animals were slaughtered when they reached approximately 35 kilos. The mean total weight gain was 20.72 kilos and mean daily weight gain was 260 grams. No changes resulted from glycerin use. The carcass performance was similar among treatments (P&amp;gt;0.05) and the cold carcass performance (CCP) was 44.68%. There were no effects (P&amp;gt;0.05) on the loin eye area (LEA) and on fat thickness (FT); they showed averages of 13.66 cm2 and 0.84 mm, respectively. Nutrition cost per animal during the whole confinement period varied between R$82.60 (eighty-two Reais and forty-eight cents) to R$92.48. The smallest nutrition amount consisted of 21% crude glycerin. The gross profit ranged from R$30.75 to R$ 34.01 per animal, for feed without glycerin and 21% glycerin, respectively. Animal development was not impacted by glycerin introduction, even with decrease on dry and organic mass consumption. The result showed that crude glycerin inclusion might be used in lambs’ diet. Whenever there are big amounts of feed involved in the process, the 21% crude glycerin addition may be an interesting cost reduction. Seventy eight percent (78%) glycerol crude glycerin to replace corn-based feed in confined lambs’ diet appeared to be nutritionally and economically viable.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Nanostructured Lipid Carriers as a Strategy to Improve the In Vitro Schistosomiasis Activity of Praziquantel.

Praziquantel (PZQ) is a pyrazinoisoquinoline anthelmintic that was discovered in 1972 by Bayer Germany. Currently, due to its efficacy, PZQ is the drug of choice against all species of Schistosoma. Although widely used, PZQ exhibits low and erratic bioavailability because of its poor water solubility. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), second-generation solid lipid nanoparticles, were developed in the 1990s to improve the bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate nanostructured lipid carriers as a strategy to improve the efficacy of PZQ in S. mansoni treatment. We prepared NLC2 and NLC4 by adding seventy percent glycerol monostearate (GMS) as the solid lipid, 30% oleic acid (OA) as the liquid lipid and two surfactant systems containing either soybean phosphatidylcholine/poloxamer (PC/P-407) or phosphatidylcholine/Tween 60 (PC/T60), respectively. The carriers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. The safety profile was evaluated using red cell hemolysis and in vitro cytotoxicity assays. The results showed that the encapsulation of PZQ in NLC2 or NLC4 improved the safety profile of the drug. Treatment efficacy was evaluated on the S. mansoni BH strain. PZQ-NLC2 and PZQ-NLC4 demonstrated an improved efficacy in comparison with free PZQ. The results showed that the intestinal transport of free PZQ and PZQ-NLC2 was similar. However, we observed that the concentration of PZQ absorbed was smaller when PZQ was loaded in NLC4. The difference between the amounts of absorbed PZQ could indicate that the presence of T60 in the nanoparticles (NLC4) increased the rigid lipid matrix, prolonging release of the drug. Both systems showed considerable in vitro activity against S. mansoni, suggesting that these systems may be a promising platform for the administration of PZQ for treating schistosomiasis.

Evaluation of Capsule Permeability in the Equine Blastocyst

Recipient pregnancy rates following transfer of frozen-thawed blastocyst stage equine embryos remain low. To date, no protocol has been developed that would allow successful cryopreservation of this stage of embryos. These experiments characterized the amount of glycerol entering equine embryos after incubation in 1.4 M and 3.4 M glycerol solutions using tritiated glycerol and a liquid scintillation counter. Blastocyst stage equine embryos (n = 27) were collected and incubated for 15 minutes in either 1.4 M (n = 14) or 3.4 M (n = 13) tritiated glycerol solutions. Disintegrations per minute were then determined, and the percent glycerol uptake was calculated for each embryo. Percent glycerol uptake for 1.4 M or 3.4 M glycerol treatment groups was not different (P = .68). However, it was higher (P = .05) in embryos with a diameter of ≤600 μm (3.6%) compared with embryos with a diameter of >600 μm (0.4%). We concluded that glycerol more readily permeates into embryos with a diameter of ≤600 μm that do not possess a fully functional capsule compared with embryos with a diameter of >600 μm with a fully formed capsule.

Characteristics of laterally vibrating resonant microcantilevers in viscous liquid media

The characteristics of microcantilevers vibrating laterally in viscous liquid media are investigated and compared to those of similar microcantilevers vibrating in the out-of-plane direction. The hydrodynamic loading on the vibrating beam is first determined using a numerical model. A semi-analytical expression for the hydrodynamic forces in terms of the Reynolds number and the aspect ratio (beam thickness over beam width) is obtained by introducing a correction factor to Stokes’ solution for a vibrating plate of infinite area to account for the effects of the thickness. The results enable the effects of fluid damping and effective fluid mass on the resonant frequency and the quality factor (Q) to be investigated as a function of both the beam’s geometry and liquid medium’s properties and compared to experimentally determined values given in the literature. The resonant frequency and Q are found to be higher for laterally vibrating microcantilevers compared to those of similar geometry experiencing transverse (out-of-plane) vibration. Compared to transversely vibrating beams, the resonant frequency of laterally vibrating beams is shown to decrease at a slower rate (with respect to changes in viscosity) in media having higher viscosities than water. The theoretical results are compared to experimental data obtained for cantilevers completely immersed in solutions of varying aqueous percent glycerol. The increases in resonant frequency and Q are expected to yield much lower limits of detection in liquid-phase chemical sensing applications.

The effects of cryopreservation on red blood cell microvesiculation, phosphatidylserine externalization, and CD47 expression

Since the 1950s, cryopreservation has been used in transfusion medicine for long-term storage of phenotypically rare red blood cells (RBCs). Recent reports have identified phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, loss of CD47 expression, and membrane microvesiculation as important indicators of RBC storage lesion and in vivo survival. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of RBC cryopreservation and prefreeze storage length on these novel markers of membrane injury and to correlate them to traditional RBC quality indicators. Leukoreduced RBC units were collected in citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD)-saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGM), hypothermically stored (1-6 degrees C) for 2 to 3 days or 13 to 14 days after collection, and then cryopreserved in 40 percent (wt/vol) glycerol. In vitro RBC quality was assessed before freeze, after thaw, and 24 hours after thaw by evaluating RBC recovery, hemolysis, sterility, residual glycerol, adenosine triphosphate, extracellular potassium, RBC indices, and morphology. RBC membrane microvesiculation, PS externalization, and CD47 expression changes were evaluated using flow cytometry. Leukoreduced CPD-SAGM RBCs showed acceptable in vitro quality after deglycerolization, according to conventional assays. Cryopreservation alone did not induce significant changes in PS exposure, CD47 expression, and membrane microvesiculation. Prolonged prefreeze storage, however, resulted in a significant increase in RBC PS exposure and microvesiculation after 24 hours of postthaw hypothermic storage (1-6 degrees C). No significant changes in CD47 expression were detected. High-glycerol cryopreservation does not induce microvesiculation, PS exposure, and loss of CD47 expression in RBC membranes. Since prolonged prefreeze storage can result in RBC membrane injury during the postdeglycerolization storage period, more defined criteria for this variable should be adopted.

Sonophoretic Delivery for Contrast and Depth Improvement in Skin Optical Coherence Tomography

Our previous studies demonstrated the feasibility of using a sonophoretic delivery method to enhance skin light transmittance with topical application of optical clearing agents using spectroscopy. In this study, we examined the effect of ultrasound [surgeon-performed (SP)] on optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging depth and contrast of in vitro and in vivo skin. Sixty percent glycerol (G) and SP with a frequency of 1 MHz and a power of 0.75 W over a 3 cm probe was simultaneously applied for 15 min. We find that 60% G/SP results in a twofold increase in achievable OCT imaging depth for in vitro porcine skin and induces 11% shrinkage of the skin. For in vivo human skin, OCT imaging depth and contrast is significantly improved within 30 min of treatment. Imaging depth is increased from 1.4 to 2 mm, and dermal vasculature is clearly visualized in the deeper tissue. OCT imaging of the skin treated with 60% glycerol shows little enhancement in contrast or imaging depth over 60 min. We first demonstrate the superb ability of sonophoretic delivery for in vivo human skin optical clearing, particularly in accelerating the clearing rate. The greater clearing efficiency of glycerol implemented with ultrasound may be attributed to more effective dehydration.

Altered processing of thawed red cells to improve the in vitro quality during postthaw storage at 4°C

The use of a functionally closed system (ACP215, Haemonetics) for the glycerolization and deglycerolization of red blood cell (RBC) units allows for prolonged postthaw storage. In this study, the postthaw quality of previously frozen, deglycerolized RBCs resuspended in saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGM) or additive solution AS-3 was investigated. Leukoreduced RBC units were frozen with 40 percent glycerol and stored at -80 degrees C for at least 14 days. The thawed units were deglycerolized with the ACP215, resuspended in SAGM or AS-3, and stored at 2 to 6 degrees C for up to 21 days. The mean +/- standard deviation in vitro freeze-thaw-wash recovery was 81 +/- 5 percent. During storage, hemolysis of deglycerolized cells remained below 0.8 percent for 2 days in SAGM and for 14 days in AS-3. This difference was explained by the protective effect of citrate, which is present in AS-3. Cells stored in AS-3 showed a lower glycolytic activity and a faster decline in adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) than cells in SAGM. Increasing the internal pH of cells before storage in AS-3 by use of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) in the deglycerolization procedure resulted in elevated lactate production and better maintenance of intracellular ATP content. After 3 weeks of storage, the ATP content of PBS-washed cells amounted to 2.5 +/- 0.5 micromol per g of hemoglobin (Hb), whereas for saline/glucose-washed cells this value was decreased to 1.0 +/- 0.3 micromol per g of Hb. Leukoreduced, deglycerolized RBCs can be stored for 48 hours in SAGM. Improved ATP levels during refrigerated storage can be observed with thawed cells, resuspended in AS-3, when PBS is used as a washing solution.

Overnight storage of whole blood: a comparison of two designs of butane‐1,4‐diol cooling plates

Whole blood (WB) can be stored overnight before processing, provided that it is quickly cooled to room temperature (20-25 degrees C), for example, with butane-1,4-diol plates. A new design of cooling plates became available (CompoCool-WB, Fresenius HemoCare), where WB must be placed vertically against the plates, versus placing of WB under plates in the current version (Compocool). This study compared cooling efficiency and in vitro quality of plasma and of stored white cell (WBC)-reduced red cells (RBCs) from overnight-stored WB, cooled with either of the systems. Temperature curves following cooling with Compocool or CompoCool-WB were studied with a 25 percent glycerol solution as simulated WB. WB from voluntary donors was cooled with Compocool or CompoCool-WB, stored overnight at room temperature, centrifuged, and separated into components. WBC-reduced RBCs in SAGM were stored until Day 42 with measurement of in vitro parameters (n=23/group). Simulated WB reached a temperature of less than 25 degrees C after 2:15+/-1:04 hours for Compocool versus 1:39+/-0:38 hours for CompoCool-WB (p=0.02). On Day 35, RBCs had a hemolysis of 0.3+/-0.2 percent in both groups, and ATP levels were 3.3+/-0.5 and 3.6+/-0.5 micromol per g hemoglobin for Compocool and CompoCool-WB, respectively (not significant). Factor VIII content in plasma was 1.05+/-0.25 and 0.97+/-0.18 IU per mL for Compocool and CompoCool-WB, respectively. WB can be cooled to room temperature within 2 hours with both Compocool and CompoCool-WB butane-1,4-diol plates, improving temperature uniformity in WB donations. Application of either design for overnight storage of WB at room temperature had no adverse effects on the composition of subsequently prepared blood components.

Evaluation of skin optical clearing enhancement with Azone as a penetration enhancer

In order to find a non-invasive way to improve the efficacy of skin optical clearing with topically applied optical clearing agents (OCA), we evaluated the effect of Azone as a chemical penetration enhancer on optical clearing of intact skin in vitro. Fresh porcine skin with topical application of glycerol (G) mixed with various concentrations of water-soluble Azone (A w) or propylene glycol (PG) mixed with oil-soluble Azone (A o) was investigated. We measured changes in optical transmittance and diffuse reflectance of the skin under treatment with a near-infrared spectrophotometer. Light transmittance at 1276 nm increased by 37.3% and 41.1% at 60 min after the treatment in the cases with 40%PG5%A o and 40%G5%A w, respectively. Diffuse reflectance at 1066 nm decreased by 20.6% and 29.3% at 60 min after the treatment with 40%PG5%A o and 40%G5%A w, respectively. Forty percent glycerol or propylene glycol with the addition of Azone could achieve the same optical clearing effect as 80% glycerol. The results indicated that skin optical clearing with the topical application of glycerol and propylene glycol was markedly enhanced by both water-soluble and oil-soluble Azone. Skin penetration enhancing effect of Azone accounts probably for the skin clearing enhancement. In addition, Azone itself has shown optical clearing capability.

Thermally processed levan polymers

Levan polysaccharide used in this study was microbially produced from Bacillus sp. Levan was first blended with glycerol and a concurrent change in glass transition temperature ( T g) using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was observed. Levan was made into films by pressing the levan/glycerol blends on a heated compression molder. It was found that films with 20–30 weight percent (wt%) glycerol made cohesive, pliable films. However, films with less than 10 wt% glycerol were too brittle to handle and test. Films with greater than 30 wt% glycerol were not cohesive and were more “liquid”-like than “solid”-like. It was found that 20 wt% glycerol was a critical point for effective levan plasticization. Based on the compression-molding data, levan was extruded using optimal glycerol contents and heating regimes. Efficient extrusion of levan/glycerol blends required at least 35% glycerol, indicating extrusion may better incorporate glycerol into the levan structure over room temperature mixing and heated compression-molding. Adding water to the blend, either by replacing glycerol or levan, greatly reduced extrusion viscosity.

Cryopreservation of cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) spermatozoa in a chemically defined extender

To establish a method for cynomolgus monkey sperm cryopreservation in a chemically defined extender. Semen samples were collected by electro-ejaculation from four sexually mature male cynomolgus monkeys. The spermatozoa were frozen in straws by liquid nitrogen vapor using egg-yolk-free Tes-Tris mTTE synthetic extender and glycerol as cryoprotectant. The effects of glycerol concentration (1 %, 3 %, 5 %, 10 % and 15 % [v/v]) and its equilibration time (10 min, 30 min, 60 min and 90 min) on post-thaw spermatozoa were examined by sperm motility and sperm head membrane integrity. The post-thaw motility and head membrane integrity of spermatozoa were significantly higher (P0.05) for 5 % glycerol (42.95 +/- 2.55 and 50.39+/- 2.42, respectively) than those of the other groups (1%: 19.19 +/- 3.22 and 24.84 +/- 3.64; 3%: 34.23 +/- 3.43 and 41.37 +/- 3.42; 10%:15.68 +/- 2.36 and 21.39 +/- 3.14; 15%: 7.47 +/- 1.44 and 12.90 +/- 2.18). The parameters for 30 min equilibration(42.95 +/- 2.55 and 50.39 +/- 2.42) were better (P0.05) than those of the other groups (10 min: 31.33 +/- 3.06 and 38.98 +/- 3.31; 60 min: 32.49 +/- 3.86 and 40.01 +/- 4.18; 90 min: 31.16 +/- 3.66 and 38.30 +/- 3.78). Five percent glycerol and 30 min equilibration yielded the highest post-thaw sperm motility and head membrane integrity. Cynomolgus monkey spermatozoa can be successfully cryopreserved in a chemically defined extender, which is related to the concentration and the equilibration time of glycerol.