Variations In Chemical Components Research Articles

Deciphering the stability indices using additive main effect and multiplicative interaction model for high yielding registered variety of Lemongrass (Jor Lab L-8)

Cymbopogon flexuosus, commonly known as Lemongrass (Poaceae) is an industrially significant plant due to its fragrant compounds and ability to produce a large amount of essential oil. However, variations in chemical components, agronomical characters and essential oil output can be observed due to grown in different climatic conditions. Pertaining to the economic importance of the crop, the present study was designed to evaluate the stability indices of the developed and registered variety of lemongrass ‘Jor Lab L-8’. In this experiment, cv. Jor Lab L-8 was assessed along with two check varieties at eight different locations of NE India for two years (2021-2022, 2022-2023). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) by regression method revealed that Jor Lab L-8 had a significantly higher herbage yield, essential oil yield, citral content and total essential oil yield than the other two check varieties. Furthermore, AMMI ANOVA was used to confirm the consistent performance of the recorded agro-morphological and quality characters and Jor Lab L-8 was shown to be stable in plant height, herbage yield, essential oil yield, citral content and total essential oil yield. The GC-MS study of the essential oil identified 18 constituents, with citral emerging as the predominant constituent. Additionally, majority of the locations were pinpointed as ideal environments for cultivating Jor Lab L-8, underscoring its resilience across multiple locations and highlighting its long-term industrial promise.

Inter-tree Variation in Chemical Components of North Sumatra Benzoin Gum (Styrax sp.)

Benzoin gum, which is known as Sumatra benzoin (Styrax sp), is widely used as an ingredient in the incense. Although these resins are widely used as flavours and fragrances, no studies have been made on inter-tree variation of its chemical composition. Therefore, benzoin gum samples were tapped from the 30 individual trees (age 10 years, 9~35 cm in diameter) grown in the community forest of Polung, Humbang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra. The gum chemical components were analyzed by GC-MS and identified by comparing the fragmentation pattern with the standard components and literature studies. It was found that the major compounds detected by GC-MS were cinnamic acid (51.48%), cinnamyl cinnamate (62.56%), benzoic acid (1.94%), chavicol (5.18%), benzyl cinnamic acid (7.8%), atropic acid (9.84%), and vanillin (1.47%). Two main constituents that were always detected from 30 benzoin trees were chavicol and cinnamic acid, followed by cinnamyl cinnamate (28 trees) and benzoic acid (14 trees). By cluster analysis, 30 samples of benzoin gum can be classified into clusters I - III based on the average chemical components. Cluster I consisted of 7 individual trees with a higher percentage of benzoic acid and chavicol but lower concentration of cinnamic acid compared to other clusters. Cluster II consisted of 18 individual trees with a high percentage of cinnamyl cinnamate whereas clusters III consisted of 5 individual trees characterized with a high percentage of cinnamic acid. By Pearson correlation, it was observed that no significant correlation between the values of diameter and the amount of chemical components of benzoin gum.

Physicochemical properties of wild and cultivated Saccharina latissima macroalgae harvested in the Canadian boreal-subarctic transition zone

Saccharina latissima is a brown seaweed used as a food ingredient. The aim of this work was to study possible differences between S. latissima chemical composition, color, mode of cultivation, harvesting period and site and its environmental conditions. Water temperature, salinity, radiation, and fluorescence were monitored in each harvesting site. Chemical composition of S. latissima varied greatly with period and site, with a high content of carbohydrates and ash. Crude protein content varied from 3.7 % to 12.8 %, with a higher concentration observed in wild samples harvested in Bas-St. Laurent (11.1–12.8 %). Cultivated seaweed also presented a high crude protein (12.2 %) and ash (52 % against 27 % in wild samples) concentrations, but crude fiber and carbohydrates concentrations were lower, reaching up to 2.7 and 1.9-fold, respectively, than those in wild seaweeds. S. latissima presented a more intense yellow color in June. A trend of darker and more green-colored seaweeds when cultivated in the end of summer was confirmed. Our results suggest that variations in chemical components and chromaticity of this species are probably affected by complex interactions of environmental conditions.

The proximate composition, amino acid profile, fatty acid content, and mineral content of scale flour from three fish species as potential feeds for fish fry.

Fish scale waste is highly valued both as a functional food ingredient and a potential feed source for farmed fish. This study aimed to analyse the chemical composition, fatty acid profile, and mineral content in fish scale flour of Osphronemus (O) goramy, Cyprinus (C) carpio, and Oreochromis (O) niloticus as potential feed for fish fry. Fish scales were cleaned with 10% w/v NaCl solution at a ratio of 1:10 (w/w) for 24 hours at 4 °C. Agitation was used every eight hours to remove excess protein. Fish scales were evenly arranged in a cooker and cooked at 121 °C for 10 minutes with 15 psi pressure. After cooking, 100 grams of wet fish scales was dried at 50 °C for four hours. Dried fish scales were transformed into flour for proximate composition analysed via standard AOAC method, amino acid and fatty acid assessment employing HPLC and GC-MS, while mineral content was determined using AAS. The examined fish scale flour from three species displayed significant variations in chemical components, amino acids, and minerals (p<0.01). Crude protein content spanned 49.52% to 72.94%, and fat content ranged from 0.11% to 0.23%. Magnesium levels varied between 767.82 mg/kg and 816.50 mg/kg, calcium content ranged from 3.54 mg/kg to 12.16 mg/kg, iron content was within 40.46 mg/kg to 44.10 mg/kg, and zinc content ranged from 45.80 mg/kg to 139.19 mg/kg. Predominantly, glycine emerged as the main free amino acid (FAA), varying from 13.70% to 16.08%, while histidine had the lowest content, at 0.39% to 0.71%. Conversely, fatty acid content was low in all species examined ranging from 6.73% to 9.48%. Flour from three farmed fish types has potential for fish fry feed due to its chemical composition, amino acid, and mineral content. Further validation is needed for amino acid comparison to fish meal.

The physical, mechanical and fire performance of bamboo scrimber processed with thermal-treated bamboo bundles

Thermal treatment is gaining increasing attention for bamboo modification in practical production due to its advantages of simplicity, effectiveness and environmental friendliness, particularly in the production of bamboo scrimber. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of two typical thermal modification methods on the physical, mechanical and fire performance of bamboo scrimber, as well as the related physicochemical properties of bamboo bundles for production purpose. The results indicated that the two types of bamboo scrimber processed distinct advantages in terms of physical and mechanical performances. Specifically, the one processed with bamboo bundles treated by superheated steam at a temperature of 200 ℃ (referred to as the “HL group”), exhibited exceptional dimensional stability and fire resistance, while exhibiting slightly lower mechanical properties. Notably, the HL group exhibited a significantly more pronounced hue compared to the LS group, which was treated with saturated vapor at a temperature of 140 ℃. Both demonstrated exceptional water resistance, with the HL group surpassing that of the LS group in either 24-hour room temperature or a combination of boiling-drying cycling treatments. The MORs of the LS group were determined to be 152.3 MPa and 108.5 MPa under dry and wet conditions, respectively, exhibiting significantly higher values than those observed in the HL group. Conversely, the variation of MOEs was found to be opposite. Both MORs and MOEs of the two groups exhibited a significant decrease in wet condition compared to those in dry condition, with reductions linearly correlated to water absorption of the samples. The failure mode of the LS group demonstrated elastoplastic failure characterized by a “Z-shaped”, while the HL group exhibited with a relatively flat cross-section. Furthermore, the HL group demonstrated superior fire performance in comparison to the LS group, and as evidenced by a significantly denser char residue surface with fewer and wider cracks than that of the LS group. The variations of chemical components and microstructures in bamboo can be attributed to variances in the extent of degradation of hemicellulose, lignin, and even cellulose during the thermal modification processes. The water resistance, dimensional stability and fire performance of bamboo scrimber can be significantly improved through thermal treatment, while resulting in a decrease in MOR, particularly for the HL group. The HL and LS groups of bamboo scrimber both exhibited excellent performances, making them suitable for application as structural engineering materials. The work we conducted offers experimental and theoretical support for improve the pre-treatment procedures of bamboo in the manufacturing of bamboo scrimber for structural utilizations.

Bibliographic Synthesis on the Influence of Cow Mastitis on Fresh Milk Quality

Mastitis in lactating cows lead to a decrease in the overall cow production; make milk unfit for human and calf consumption; deteriorate milk quality. However, data are not updated on the influence of mastitis on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of milk. Therefore, the present review was made to highlight the current state of knowledge on prior research on the impact of mastitis on milk quality, and to identify the shortcomings of these studies. Two themes were addressed to achieve this. We started by reviewing the prevalence, aetiology and factors associated with the occurrence of mastitis in the African continent. Then, we compared the variation of chemical components of mastitis milk in several studies. Our analysis shows that subclinical mastitis is predominant in Africa, with most prevalence higher than 50%. The majority of authors (83.33%) claimed that Staphylococci are the main cause of mastitis. The breed (83.33%) and lactation stage (66.66%) were the two most cited factors contributing to the occurrence of mastitis. Data collected on the chemical components of mastitis milk came mostly from studies prior to the year 2000. Several contrary opinions (increase/decrease/no variation) were stated by authors on the variation of chemical components of mastitic milk, specifically on fat, lactose and crude protein contents. Overall, it is challenging, if not impossible, to draw a definitive conclusion about the influence of mastitis on the chemical composition of milk for most chemical parameters, because the data examined in relation to the chemical components of milk with mastitis seem rather inconsistent.

Temporal variations of urban re-suspended road dust characteristics and its vital contributions to airborne PM2.5/PM10 during a long period in Beijing

Re-suspended road dust RRD as RRD2.5 and RRD10 can even more easily enter the atmospheric environment, showing a kind of significant potential to influence atmospheric environment. A campaign of sampling RRD samples at 53 sites and aerosol samples at a representative urban site in Beijing in October 2014, January, April and July 2015 was accomplished, and combined with RRD in 2003, and 2016–2018 periods to investigate the seasonal variations of chemical components in RRD2.5 and RRD10, long-term evolutions of RRD characteristics in 2003–2018, and source composition changes of RRD. Meanwhile a technique based on Mg/Al indicator for effectively estimating contributions of RRD to PM was developed. It is found that pollution elements and water-soluble ions in RRD were largely enriched in RRD2.5. The pollution elements presented an obvious seasonal variation in RRD2.5, however showed various seasonal variations in RRD10. These pollution elements in RRD, due to being mainly impacted by both increasing traffic activities and atmospheric pollution control measures, almost display a single-peak change in 2003–2018. The water-soluble ions in RRD2.5 and RRD10 presented various seasonal variations, and displayed an evident increase in 2003–2015. The source composition of RRD in 2003–2015 posed a significant change that traffic activities, crustal soil, secondary pollution species and biomass combustion became significant contributors to RRD. The contributions of RRD2.5/RRD10 to mineral aerosols in PM2.5/PM10 presented a similar seasonal variation. The synergistic effects of meteorological factors and anthropogenic activities in different seasons were significant motive force influencing the contributions of RRD to the mineral aerosols. The pollution elements Cr and Ni in RRD2.5 were the significant contributors to PM2.5, however, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb in RRD10 were the important contributors to PM10. The research will provide a new significant scientific guide for further controlling atmospheric pollution and improving air quality.

Chemical components of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex of different origins and with different tree ages before and after being processed with ginger juice:a qualitative and quantitative analysis

This study aimed to investigate the impact of ginger juice on chemical profile of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex(MOC) when they were processed together. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS) was used for qualitative analysis of the chemical component of MOC samples before and after being processed with ginger juice. UPLC was performed to observe the content variation of eight main components in processed MOC. A total of 174 compounds were identified or tentatively deduced from processed and unprocessed MOC samples according to MS data obtained in positive and negative ion mode. After MOC was processed with ginger juice, the peak areas of most phenolics increased, while the peak areas of most phenylethanoid glycosides decreased; as for neolignans, oxyneolignans, other lignans and alkaloids, changes in the peak area were variable, and the peak areas of terpenoid-lignans varied little. Additionally, gingerols and diarylheptanoids were only detected in the processed MOC sample. The contents of syringin, magnoloside A, and magnoloside B decreased significantly in the processed MOC sample while no significant difference was observed in the contents of magnoflorine, magnocurarine, honokiol, obovatol, and magnolol. This study comprehensively explored the content variation of chemical components in processed and unprocessed MOC samples derived from different regions and with different tree ages using UPLC and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, and summarized the variation characteristics of various compounds. The results provide a data foundation for further research on pharmacodynamic substances of MOC processed with ginger juice.

Chemical composition of NR-PM1 in a coastal city of Southeast China: Temporal variations and formation pathways

This study presents the variation of chemical components in non-refractory submicron aerosols (NR-PM1) measured by Q-ACSM in a coastal city of Southeast China in summer and winter during the years 2017, 2018, and 2020. As we know, long-term data on aerosol chemical composition were scarce in this region. The mass concentration of NR-PM1 decreased evidently, but the chemical composition of NR-PM1 showed a minor variation with OA increased and NO3 decreased over the years. PMF/ME-2 models were performed to identify OA factors resolving POA, less oxidized OOA (LO-OOA), and more oxidized OOA (MO-OOA) in this study. Secondary components made dominant contributions of 85.1%–90.7% to NR-PM1, and OOA became more important in aerosols with time. The SOR, NOR, and MO-OOA/LO-OOA ratio as a function of LWC and Ox, combined with the diurnal variation of secondary aerosols (SAs), were performed to explore the main formation mechanism of NO3, SO4, and OOA. The results indicate that SO4 and OOA factors in summer were mainly affected by photochemical reactions, while the characteristics and the main formation pathways of NO3 and OOA factors in winter varied largely across the different years. The oxidized degree of OA had elevated in 2020 compared to 2017 and 2018 as the f44 (ratio of m/z 44 to total signal) of OA increased. Our study on the annual variation of aerosol chemical composition and the dominant formation pathways of secondary components will provide a scientific reference for air quality improvement.

Simultaneous determination of eight catechins and four theaflavins in bottled tea by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for forensic analysis.

Tea, and particularly bottled tea, is widely consumed worldwide and is often encountered at crime scenes in poisoning cases or used in place of urine in drug abuse monitoring. Tea is a rich source of polyphenols, such as catechins and theaflavins, and these compounds are useful for identification of trace quantities of tea samples. However, information on the contents of catechins and theaflavins in bottled tea is limited. In this study, a method was developed for simultaneous analysis of eight catechins and four theaflavins in tea using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The concentrations of these polyphenols were determined in bottled black, oolong, and green teas after a simple pretreatment process by the standard addition method. The developed LC-MS/MS method was rapid and all tested polyphenol compounds were separated within ~14min. All tea types contained all the catechins, at varying concentrations, but not all the theaflavins were present in all the tea types. This indicates that the theaflavin composition reflects the degree of the fermentation and could be used for discrimination among different types of tea. All the green tea samples contained all eight catechins; however, the concentrations of these compounds varied among the tea samples. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were useful for discrimination of samples. It has been unclear whether the variations of chemical components are useful for forensic discrimination. Our results demonstrate that, in addition to identification of tea varieties, catechins and theaflavins can be used for the discrimination of bottled tea samples.

High performance liquid chromatography fingerprint and headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with chemometrics for the species authentication of Curcumae Rhizoma

Curcumae Rhizoma (Ezhu), a multi-origin Chinese medicine, originates from the dry rhizomes of C. kwangsiensis, C. phaeocaulis and C. wenyujin. The three species have great variation in chemical components and therapeutic effects. To improve safety and effectiveness in clinical use, a strategy integrating chromatographic analysis and chemometrics for the species authentication of Ezhu was proposed. Firstly, systematic analysis of chemical compositions in Ezhu was achieved using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint and headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC–MS). HPLC fingerprints showed that seventeen peaks in common for C. kwangsiensis and eleven peaks in common for C. wenyujin both presented a good similarity (> 0.9, only several samples < 0.8). Eleven common peaks in C. phaeocaulis and the similarity values of most samples were higher than 0.700. Additionally, there were ten common peaks in all Ezhu samples and they had relatively poor similarity with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.364 to 0.881. For HS-GC–MS, thirty-six volatile components were identified in the three species of Ezhu, mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Subsequently, chemometrics including unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA), supervised linear discriminant analysis (LDA), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), back propagation neural network (BP-NN) and orthogonal partial least squares-discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) was applied to extract useful information from chromatographic profiles. Based on HPLC fingerprint data, PCA could hardly differentiate Ezhu with the three species, and LDA, KNN and BP-NN models provided more than 85 % correct identification. With HS-GC–MS data, PCA could only distinguish C. wenyujin from the other two species, and LDA, KNN, BP-NN and OPLS-DA models achieved excellent classification with 100 % accuracy. Finally, five volatile components (eucalyptol, humulene, β-elemene, (+)-2-bornanone and linalool) with variable importance for the projection (VIP) values higher than 1 in the OPLS-DA model were selected as potential chemical markers for the species authentication of Ezhu. And the constructed OPLS-DA model using these markers obtained 100 % accuracy. Consequently, a rapid, precise and feasible strategy was established for the discrimination and quality control of Ezhu with different species.

Variation of Chemical Components in Sapwood, Transition Zone, and Heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera and Its Relationship with Heartwood Formation

Heartwood has a high economic value because of its natural durability, beautiful color, special aroma, and richness in active ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the mechanism of heartwood formation remains unclear. Dalbergia odorifera was selected as the object of research to analyze this variation in the chemical composition of sapwood, transition zone, and heartwood as well as to elucidate the relationship between this variation and the formation of heartwood. The variation of secondary metabolites was analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, the variation of lignin was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet visible spectrophotometry, and the variation law of mineral elements was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results demonstrated that contents of characteristic secondary metabolites in Dalbergia odorifera were mainly distributed in heartwood (84.3–96.8%), increased from the outer to inner layers of the xylem, and sudden changes occurred in the transition zone (the fourth growth ring). The Dalbergia odorifera lignin can be identified as typical “syringyl–guaiacyl (S–G)” lignin, and the color darkened from the outside to the inside. The results demonstrated that there were more benzene rings and conjugated C=O structures in the heartwood. Additionally, the variation of minerals in the xylem was related to elemental types; the average concentrations of Mg, Ca, Fe and Sr were higher in the heartwood than in the sapwood, whereas the concentrations of K and Zn were higher in the sapwood than in the heartwood owing to the reabsorption of elements. The concentrations of Na and Cu were similar in the heartwood and sapwood. The composition and structural characteristics of secondary metabolites, lignin, and mineral elements in the three typical xylem regions (sapwood, transition zone and heartwood) of Dalbergia odorifera changed. The most abrupt change occurred in the narrow xylem transition zone, which is the key location involved in heartwood formation in Dalbergia odorifera.

Variation in recent annual snow deposition and seasonality of snow chemistry at the east Greenland ice core project (EGRIP) camp, Greenland

We collected snow samples from two pits with depths of 4.02 and 3.18 m at the East Greenland Ice Core Project camp (75°37′N, 35°59′W), Greenland in the summer of 2016 to estimate recent annual snow deposition and examine seasonal variation in major ion species, stable isotopes of water and microparticles (dust). Dating based on clear seasonal variation in chemical components indicated that the 4.02- and 3.18-m-deep pits included snow deposition corresponding to ten years from 2006 to 2016 and seven years from 2009 to 2016, respectively. The mean values for annual snow deposition for the 4.02-m-deep pit were 138 and 145 mm yr−1 in water equivalent (mm w.e. Yr−1) in 2006–2016 and 2009–2016, respectively. The average deposition for the 3.18-m-deep pit was 149 mm w.e. Yr−1 between 2009 and 2016. Seasonal variation in concentrations of major ion species and dust were similar to those previously reported for Greenland. The maximum Cl−/Na+ concentration ratios in the summer were much higher than the ratios at other sites in Greenland.

Chemistry of dry and wet atmospheric deposition over the Balearic Islands, NW Mediterranean: Source apportionment and African dust areas

Wet and dry aerosol deposition samples were collected from September 2010 to August 2012 at a remote background site in the Mallorca Isle (Western Mediterranean). Ions and major and trace elements were determined in soluble and insoluble fractions. Temporal variations of chemical components are discussed and interpreted. The overall pattern associated to long-range-transport air masses is studied: Dry/Wet deposition ratios, charges and composition depend clearly on the meteorological scenario. E.g. Dry/Wet ratio is 1:1 when air comes from North Africa, in contrast to a 1:9 ratio under the mainland Europe influence.Moreover, an innovating source apportionment study was conducted integrating both dry and wet deposition samples. Six sources were revealed, including marine aerosols (32%); two different mineral factors, African dust (15%) and regional dust (12%); two anthropogenic factors, one related to road traffic (8%) and another to regional sources (17%); and a mixed factor having biomass burning emissions and others sources (17%). Temporal variations and influence from long-range-transport air masses are also investigated.Fertilization deposition trends have also been explored, observing nutrients settling, as well as nitrate and sulphate, due to their agricultural interest. An important peak during January–February 2012 is studied in depth.Having in mind the strong impact of African dust on the global deposition budget, the analysis of elemental ratios between key dust components was investigated in order to identify major source areas affecting Western Mediterranean: Western Sahara, Algeria-Hoggar Massif and Tunisia-Libya. Differences among these regions are evident. E.g. the impact of industrial emissions is well-detected under outbreaks from Tunisia-Libya, with relatively high content of Ni and Pb.

Influences of natural and anthropogenic processes on the groundwater quality in the Dagujia River Basin in Yantai, China

Abstract Groundwater plays an important role in water supply and economic development for Yantai city, China. However, the groundwater quality has degraded due to the increase and expansion of agricultural and industrial development. It is urgent to acquire groundwater characteristics and distinguish impacts of natural factors and anthropogenic activities on the groundwater quality. Forty-six groundwater samples collected from different wells showed a great variation of chemical components across the study area. Most wells with higher total dissolved solids, total hardness, K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl− and SO42− concentrations were located relatively close to the coastal zone. The factor analysis (FA) and hierarchical cluster analysis results displayed that seawater intrusion was the primary mechanism controlling the groundwater quality in the coastal areas. A three-factor model was proposed based on the FA and explained over 85% of the total groundwater quality variation: Factor 1, the seawater intrusion; Factor 2, the water–rock interaction and Factor 3 (NO3−), the human activities. Furthermore, the geographical maps of the factor scores clearly described the spatial distributions of wells affected by natural processes or human activities. The study indicated that both natural processes and human activities are the major factors affecting the chemical compositions of groundwater.

Variation in pathogenicity of different strains of Xenorhabdus nematophila; Differential immunosuppressive activities and secondary metabolite production

Xenorhabdus nematophila, an entomopathogenic bacterium, is mutualistic with the nematode Steinernema carpocapsae. The bacterium produces secondary metabolites to inhibit target insect phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and induce immunosuppression, which is required for the pathogenicity of this bacterium-nematode complex. However, it was unclear if immunosuppressive intensity of the bacteria was correlated with their insecticidal potency. We compared six different X. nematophila strains inhibiting the immune responses of the beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua) to explain their virulence variations. In addition to four known strains obtained from the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection, we identified two new strains (SK1 and SK2) of X. nematophila from two different isolates of S. carpocapsae. Although all six strains were virulent, they showed significant variation in median lethal bacterial dosage (LD50). The LD50 of most strains was 15–30 CFU/larva, however, the LD50 of the SK1 strain was more than two-fold higher against S. exigua larvae. Immunosuppressive activities of the six strains were measured by comparing hemocyte-spreading behavior and nodule formation; the SK1 strain was significantly less potent than other bacterial strains. These suppressed hemocyte behaviors were recovered by adding arachidonic acid (a catalytic product of PLA2) into all six strains. Bacterial culture broth was fractionated with different organic solvents and the ability to inhibit immune response and PLA2 activity were assessed. All organic extracts had immunosuppressive activities and PLA2-inhibitory activities. GC-MS analysis showed that these organic extracts possessed a total of 87 different compounds. There were variations in chemical components among the six bacterial strains. Organic extracts of SK1 strain, which exhibited the lowest virulence, contained the least number of secondary metabolites.

Properties and Determinant of Chemical Cement and Effect of Variations in Chemical Components

As we know that cement a famous binding material. It is a significant structural building material. Raw materials for cement creation are limestone, sand or clay, bauxite, and iron mineral, and may incorporate sheets, chalk, marl, shale, clay additionally impact blast furnace slag. Chemical analysis of cement raw materials gave knowledge into the substance properties of cement.

Potential of Insect Meals as Protein Sources for Meat-Type Ducks Based on In Vitro Digestibility.

Simple SummaryThere has been a dramatic increase in duck meat consumption. As a result, ducks are an interesting alternative type of livestock. Animal-based proteins such as fishmeal and animal by-products are valuable nutrients with high digestibility, but they are associated with cost fluctuations, pathogen contamination, and environmental impacts. Therefore, plant-based proteins are used, but they have the disadvantages of inappropriate amino acid profiles, anti-nutritional factors, and mycotoxin contamination. Insect meal contains favorable nutrients and low production costs and is environmentally friendly; however, there is a large number of insect species. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is to screen insects for their potential use as a protein source in the duck diet. Insect meal with a high proportion of low-digestible components was shown to have low digestibility. In conclusion, yellow mealworm larvae, giant mealworm larvae, lesser wax moth larvae, house fly larvae, mulberry silkworm pupae, and American cockroach nymph have the potential to be alternative protein sources for ducks.There has been a dramatic increase in duck meat consumption. As a result, ducks are an interesting alternative type of livestock. Animal-based proteins such as fishmeal and animal by-products are valuable nutrients with high digestibility, but they are associated with cost fluctuations, pathogen contamination, and environmental impacts. Therefore, plant-based proteins are used, but they have the disadvantages of inappropriate amino acid profiles, anti-nutritional factors, and mycotoxin contamination. Insect meal contains favorable nutrients and low production costs and is environmentally friendly; however, there is a large number of insect species. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation is to screen insects for their potential use as a protein source in the duck diet. Insect meal with a high proportion of low-digestible components was shown to have low digestibility. Yellow mealworm larvae, giant mealworm larvae, lesser wax moth larvae, house fly larvae, mulberry silkworm pupae, and American cockroach nymph have the potential to be alternative protein sources for ducks. Insect meal has been widely studied and is used in animal nutrition to replace common protein sources that have several disadvantages and to promote sustainability in animal production. Two-step in vitro digestibility using crude enzyme extracts from digestive tracts of meat-type ducks (Cherry Valley) was performed on general protein sources and insect meals to compare the in vitro digestibility of organic matter (OMd) and crude protein (CPd). Variation in chemical components between different types of insect meal was found. A positive correlation was found between OMd and the ether extract composition in insect meal, whereas a negative correlation was shown between crude fiber and acid detergent fiber. Contrasting relationships were found between CPd and crude fiber and acid detergent fiber in insect meal. In conclusion, the yellow mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), giant mealworm larvae (Zophobas morio), lesser wax moth larvae (Achroia grisella), house fly larvae (Musca domestica), mulberry silkworm pupae (Bombyx mori), and American cockroach nymph (Periplaneta americana) are potential protein sources for ducks based on OMd and CPd digestibility after screening with an in vitro digestibility technique.

Characteristics and Interannual Variation of Chemical Components in Typical Road Dust in Beijing

Samples of road dust were collected from selected representative roads in Beijing in September 2004 and May 2013, and then re-suspended on filters using a NK-ZXF sampler to prepare road dust PM10 and PM2.5 samples. The concentrations of the chemical components in the road dust PM10 and PM2.5 were analyzed, and source profiles of the road dust in Beijing in 2004 and 2013 were established. The characteristics and interannual variation of the chemical components in the road dust in Beijing were analyzed and discussed. The results showed that the chemical components in the road dust PM10 and PM2.5 in Beijing were Ca, Si, organic carbon (OC), Al, Fe, K, Mg, SO42-, and elemental carbon (EC). The total content of these chemical components in the PM10 in 2004, PM2.5 in 2004, and PM2.5 in 2013 were 46.7303%, 56.9198%, and 38.7478%, respectively, and the total content of these chemical components accounted for 95.9%, 94.3% and 94.7% of the total content of all components tested, respectively. In 2004, the contents of Si and Al in the road dust of ring road were significantly lower than those of other road types, and the influence of soil dust on the ring road was the smallest. The content of Ca, a characteristic element of construction dust, was the highest in main road, and was the lowest in the expressway entrance to Beijing. The content of EC in the road dust from the expressway entrance to Beijing was significantly higher than that in other road types. However, in 2013, the total content of all components tested and the contents of Si, Al, and Ca in the road dust PM2.5 of secondary main roads were significantly lower than those for other road types. Due to the implementation of dust, motor vehicles, and combustion source control measures in Beijing and the relocation of the Shougang corporation, only the content of SO42- in the road dust PM2.5 in Beijing increased slightly by 2.0% in 2013 compared with in 2004; the contents of the other components decreased significantly. The contents of Ca, Si, OC, Al, Fe, K, EC, and NO3- decreased by 45.1%, 31.5%, 17.5%, 20.3%, 55.6%, 33.3%, 30.0%, and 50.3%, respectively. The results showed that the ratio of[NO3-]/[SO42-] did not accurately reflect the changes in the relative contributions of fixed sources and moving sources. The[OC]/[EC] ratios of PM10 in 2004, PM2.5 in 2004, and PM2.5 in 2013 were 9.77±3.88, 9.36±3.25, and 14.41±10.41, respectively. Secondary organic carbon (SOC) pollution was present in road dust in Beijing, and the SOC was an important component in the road dust PM10 and PM2.5. The source profiles of different urban road dust samples and the source profiles of road dust of different sizes in the same city were not very similar, so the corresponding source profiles should be established and updated in a timely manner.

Phytochemical profiles and screening of α-glucosidase inhibitors of four Acer species leaves with ultra-filtration combined with UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS

Understanding of the phytochemical profiles and bio-active compounds is extremely important for the application of new plant resources in health food and medicinal industry. This research was designed to elucidate the phytochemical profiles of Acer palmatum Thunb (APT), Acer truncatum Bunge (ATB), Acer mono Maxim. (AMM) and Acer buergerianum Miq. (ABM) leaf extracts by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadruple time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), content of polyphenols and α-glucosidase inhibition were measured, the α-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) were also screened by ultra-filtration combined with UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. The similarity and variation in chemical components and AGIs profile were evaluated by principle component analysis. The richest total phenolics, total flavonoids and hydrolysable tannins content was found in APT, ATB and AMM leaf extract, respectively. The IC50 values of α-glucosidase inhibition in vitro were 167–433 fold of that of acarbose. In total, 80 compounds were identified, among which 48, 51, 41 and 32 compounds were proposed from APT, ATB, AMM and ABM leaf extract, respectively. A total of 39 potent AGIs including 28 flavonoids, 6 tannins, 2 phenolic acids and 3 others were screened. Glucosides of kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin and apigenin constituted the predominant AGIs. The major phytochemical and AGIs profiles of APT and ATB leaf extract were similar, but they distinguished greatly among AMM, ABM and APT/ATB extracts. Flavonoids were the predominant chemical components and AGIs of the four tested Acer species, tannins come to the second. This study can provide important chemical information for the application of APT, ATB, AMM and ABM leaf in health food and pharmaceutical industry, specially as an new source of natural AGIs.