Volume Of Ethanol Research Articles

Acute and Long-Term Scar Characterization of Venous Ethanol Ablation in the Left Ventricular Summit.

Venous ethanol ablation (VEA) can be effective for ventricular arrhythmias from the left ventricular summit (LVS); however, there are concerns about excessive ablation by VEA. The purpose of this study was to delineate and quantify the location, extent, and evolution of ablated tissue after VEA as an intramural ablation technique in the LVS. VEA was performed in 59 patients with LVS ventricular arrhythmias. Targeted intramural veins were selected by electrograms from a 2F octapolar catheter or by guide-wire unipolar signals. Median ethanol delivered was 4mL (IQR: 4-7mL). Ablated areas were estimated intraprocedurally as increased echogenicity on intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and incorporated into 3-dimensional maps. In 44 patients, late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaged VEA scar and its evolution. ICE-demonstrated increased intramural echogenicity (median volume of 2mL; IQR: 1.7-4.3) at the targeted region of the 3-dimensional maps. Post-ethanol CMR showed intramural scar of 2.5mL (IQR: 2.1-3.5mL). Early (within 48hours after VEA) CMR showed microvascular obstruction (MVO) in 30 of 31 patients. Follow-up CMR after a median of 51 (IQR: 41-170) days showed evolution of MVO to scar. ICE echogenicity and CMR scar volumes correlated with each other and with ethanol volume. Ventricular function and interventricular septum remained intact. VEA leads to intramural ablation that can be tracked intraprocedurally by ICE and creates regions of MVO that are chronically replaced by myocardial scar. VEA scar volume does not compromise septal integrity or ventricular function.

A Modified Method of Total RNA Isolation for Mango Leaf Tissues

Complex metabolic components in mango leaves lead to high difficulty in RNA extraction. In order to improve the quality of total RNA extraction, on the basis of the existing methods reported in the literature, an RNA extraction method combining acetone washing liquid nitrogen abrasive material with 0.3 mol/L lithium chloride (LiCl) solution and 2 times the volume of anhydrous ethanol as the second precipitator was developed. The experimental results showed that the improved method significantly reduced the amount of impurity precipitation in the RNA extraction process. The electrophoretic bands of total RNA extracted were complete. The absorbance ratio of OD 260/280  was about 1.9, and the average was 329.8 g/g FW±11.2 g/g FW. Further validation experiments of RNA reverse transcription and the polymorphic amplification of double-stranded cDNA related sequences (RAP-PCR) obtained clear polymorphic bands, showing that the total RNA from mango leaves had high quality and was suitable for molecular biology experiments.

Protocol for the High-quality Plasmid Isolation from Different Recalcitrant Bacterial Species: Agrobacterium spp., Rhizobium sp., and Bacillus thuringiensis.

High yield of good quality plasmid DNA from gram -ve bacteria (Agrobacterium tumefaciens, A. rhizogenes, and Rhizobium sp.) and gram +ve bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis) is difficult. The widely used plasmid extraction kits for Escherichia coli yield a low quantity of poor-quality plasmid DNA from these species. We have optimized an in-house modification of the QIAprep Spin Miniprep kit protocol of Qiagen, consisting of two extraction steps. In the first, the centrifugation after adding neutralization buffer is followed by ethanol (absolute) precipitation of plasmid DNA. In the second extraction step, the precipitated DNA is dissolved in Tris-EDTA (TE) buffer, followed by an addition of 0.5 volumes of 5 M sodium chloride and 0.1 volumes of 20% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulfate. After incubation at 65 °C for 15 min, the plasmid DNA is extracted with an equal volume of chloroform:isoamyl alcohol (CIA). RNase (20 mg/mL) is added to the upper phase retrieved after centrifugation and is incubated at 37 °C for 15 min. The extraction of the plasmid DNA with an equal volume of CIA is followed by centrifugation and is precipitated from the retrieved upper phase by adding an equal volume of absolute ethanol. The pellet obtained after centrifugation is washed twice with 70% (v/v) ethanol, air dried, dissolved in TE buffer, and quantified. This easy-to-perform protocol is free from phenol extraction, density gradient steps, and DNA binding columns, and yields high-quality plasmid DNA. The protocol opens an easy scale up to yield a large amount of high-quality plasmid DNA, useful for high-throughput downstream applications. Key features The protocol is free from density gradient steps and use of phenol. The protocol is an extension of the QIAprep Spin Miniprep kit (Qiagen) and is applicable for plasmid DNA isolation from difficult-to-extract bacterial species. The protocol facilitates the direct transformation of the ligation product into Agrobacterium by skipping the step of E. coli transformation. The plasmids isolated are of sequencing grade and the method is useful for extracting plasmids for metagenomic studies. Graphical overview Overview of the plasmid isolation protocol (modified QIAprep Spin Miniprep kit) of the present study.

ESTUDO DE GASOLINAS PREMIUM E COMUM COMERCIALIZADAS NO BRASIL ATRAVÉS DO MÉTODO ERETIC-RMN E QUIMIOMETRIA

STUDY OF PREMIUM AND REGULAR GASOLINES MARKETED IN BRAZIL THROUGH THE ERETIC-NMR METHOD AND CHEMOMETRICS. Gasoline is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons whose detailed study of its chemical profiles is a challenging task. This type of product of great commercial importance has its quality measured in Brazil from classical physicalchemical tests. Although robust, physical-chemical analyses generally require large amounts of assays, solvents, and samples, in addition to not being indicated for the detection of small compositional changes. In this work, NMR and chemometrics were used in the quantitative study of different samples of gasoline with varying ratings of octane and ethanol contents. The results demonstrated the usefulness of NMR spectroscopy both to characterize as well as to distinguish the chemical profiles of regular and premium gasoline. With the application of the ERETIC, the chemical profiles mentioned were quantitatively differentiated and the proportions between hydrocarbons were determined for both types of gasoline. The application of the ERETIC was also successful in the quantitative determination of ethanol contents in regular and premium gasoline. The aforementioned method, which dispenses with the use of quantification standards inserted directly into the sample of interest, was unequivocal in accounting for the volume of ethanol, in addition to showing excellent agreement with the method currently adopted by the Brazilian government.

Extraction Optimization, Preliminary Identification, and Bioactivities in Corn Silk.

For thousands of years, corn silk has been widely used as an antidiabetic, antioxidant, and antihyperlipidemic and for other effects, but there is a lack of studies that correlate the extracts of flavonoid composition with their biological activities. Thus, the objectives of this study were to optimize the conditions for extracting flavonoids, identify flavonoids, and correlate the flavonoid composition with the biological activities in corn silk. The response surface experiments showed that the highest flavonoid content was predicted at 45.321 min, 57.349°C, 26.089 mL/g, and 71.269%, respectively. The verification experiment results under these optimized conditions showed an ultrasonic time of 45 min, an ultrasonic temperature of 57°C, a liquid-to-material ratio of 26, and an ethanol volume fraction of 70%. No significant differences (the relative error is 4.378%) were observed between the theoretical and experimental TFC values, indicating that the developed models were accurate. Under these optimum extraction conditions, 20 major compounds were identified and quantified by UPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap MS. Furthermore, these optimum ethanol extracts of corn silk are effective against Bacillus subtilis and hypoglycemic activity compared with the traditional heating reflux extraction method. Six corn silk components seem to be the main contributors to the inhibitory effect against Bacillus subtilis and hyperglycemia activities. These results are useful for the application of corn silk in the food or pharmaceutical industry.

Optimization of enzymatic-assisted ultrasonic extraction process of total flavonoids from Sedum aizoon L. and its antioxidant activity

In order to optimize the enzymatic-assisted ultrasonic extraction method of total flavonoids from Sedum aizoon L., the effects of solid-liquid ratio, ethanol concentration, extraction temperature, extraction time, and ultrasound power on the extraction rate were investigated by single factor experiment. The optimum technological conditions for enzymatic-assisted ultrasonic extraction of total flavonoids from Sedum aizoon L. were as follows: solid-liquid ratio 1:55 (g/mL), ethanol volume fraction 60%, extraction temperature 45°C, extraction time 2 5 min, and ultrasound power 150 W. Under these conditions, the extraction rate of total flavonoids from Sedum aizoon L. could reach 10.77%. The antioxidant activity of flavonoids from Sedum aizoon L. was positively correlated with the concentration, and the greater the concentration, the stronger the antioxidant capacity. At a concentration of 0.96 mg/mL, the scavenging rate of the DPPH• radical reached 67.5%. The scavenging rate of the ABTs+• radical reached 55.8% at a concentration of 1.92 mg/mL.

Extraction and Purification of Flavonoids from Buddleja officinalis Maxim and Their Attenuation of H2O2-Induced Cell Injury by Modulating Oxidative Stress and Autophagy.

Cataracts are an ailment representing the leading cause of blindness in the world. The pathogenesis of cataracts is not clear, and there is no effective treatment. An increasing amount of evidence shows that oxidative stress and autophagy in lens epithelial cells play a key role in the occurrence and development of cataracts. Buddleja officinalis Maxim flavonoids (BMF) are natural antioxidants and regulators that present anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects, among others. In this study, we optimized the extraction method of BMFs and detected three of their main active monomers (luteolin, apigenin, and acacetin). In addition, a model of oxidative damage model using rabbit lens epithelial cells induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). By detecting the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), and OH (OH), the expression of autophagosomes and autolysosomes were observed after MRFP-GFP-LC3 adenovirus was introduced into the cells. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of Beclin-1 and P62. Our research results showed that the optimal extraction parameters to obtain the highest yield of total flavonoids were a liquid−solid ratio of 1:31 g/mL, an ethanol volume fraction of 67%, an extraction time of 2.6 h, and an extraction temperature of 58 °C. Moreover, the content of luteolin was 690.85 ppb, that of apigenin was 114.91 ppb, and the content of acacetin was 5.617 ppb. After oxidative damage was induced by H2O2, the cell survival rate decreased significantly. BMFs could increase the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and decrease the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and OH (OH). After the MRFP-GFP-LC3 virus was introduced into rabbit lens epithelial cells and detecting the expression of P62 and Beclin-1, we found that the intervention of BMF could promote the binding of autophagosomes to lysosomes. Compared with the model group, the level of P62 in the low-, middle-, and high-dose groups of BMF was significantly down-regulated, the level of Beclin-1 was significantly increased, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). In other words, the optimized extraction method was better than others, and the purified BMF contained three main active monomers (luteolin, apigenin, and acacetin). In addition, BMFs could ameliorate the H2O2-induced oxidative damage to rabbit lens cells by promoting autophagy and regulating the level of antioxidation.

Capillary spreading of ethanol-water on hierarchical nanowire surfaces with interconnected V-groove

Compared to micro/nanostructured surfaces, hierarchical structured surfaces have shown outstanding wicking capability due to the excellent combination of capillary pressure and liquid transport channel. However, the capillary wicking process of different working fluids on structured surfaces, especially hierarchical structured surfaces, was not adequately studied. In this work, a group of hierarchical nanowire surfaces with interconnected V-groove were fabricated and their capillary spreading characteristics were studied with semi-theoretical analyses and experimental tests using ethanol-water droplets with different ethanol volume fractions. The effects of surface structural parameters (nanowire diameter and nanowire height) and the ratio of surface tension to viscosity on the wicking coefficient were discussed with dimensionless wicking coefficient, overall structural contribution, Laplace pressure difference, and average volume flowrate. The wicking coefficient is proportional to the 0.5 power of the ratio of surface tension to viscosity. The hierarchical nanowire surfaces with smaller nanowire diameters possess larger Laplace pressure differences in the nanowire clusters to serve as the major driving pressure difference for capillary spreading. The surfaces with larger nanowire height transport larger volume flowrate in the V-groove.

Effect of Marangoni condensation on the heat transfer performance of two-phase closed thermosyphons

A two-phase closed thermosyphon (TPCT) is a heat pipe that effectively transfers heat through a phase change of the working fluid. In the evaporator, the working fluid evaporates and boils, the vaporized fluid is condensed, and the liquid condensate is resupplied by gravity to the evaporator. The thermal performance of the TPCT can be improved by enhancing the heat-transfer ability of the evaporator and condenser. Various studies have been conducted to improve the heat-transfer performance using nanofluids and surface modifications in the TPCT. However, these methods still have durability and economic feasibility limitations. In this study, the Marangoni effect was applied to the TPCT to improve condensation heat transfer by promoting pseudo-dropwise condensation to overcome the limitations of previous studies. Experiments were conducted by changing the ethanol fraction from 0% to 5% with deionized water and filling ratio from 25% to 75%. The results confirmed that the highest condensation heat transfer coefficient (∼45 kW/m2·K) was obtained at a filling ratio of 38% and an ethanol volume fraction of 0.075%, which was approximately 4 times greater than the TPCT with the same filling ratio without ethanol. It was confirmed that the Marangoni effect could improve the thermal performance of the TPCT, and it is expected that this work can be utilized in various TPCT-based applications.

PSAT323 Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Ethanol Ablation for the treatment of Benign Cystic Thyroid Nodules: Report of Three Cases on The Initial Ecuadorian Experience

Abstract Introduction Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Ethanol Ablation (UPEA) is one of the first-line treatments for benign pure cysts and predominantly cystic thyroid nodules (TN). This non-surgical procedure has been used for years worldwide, however, in Latin America, this was recently adopted. Therefore, the aim of this report is to characterize our initial experience with UPEA in Ecuador. Clinical cases description: We report on the cases of a woman (F1: 49 y) and two men (M1: 38 y, M2: 69 y) that underwent UPEA for three predominantly cystic TN at ITECC (Instituto de la Tiroides y Enfermedades de Cabeza y Cuello) in Ecuador. All nodules were non-functioning and graded as Bethesda II. Our approach in regards to the total ethanol volume injected was approximately calculated at 1/3 of the TN volume, using 75% ethanol. 10 ml of 2% lidocaine was used for anesthetic purposes. Initial volume and change in TN volume were calculated with the ATA calculator. Patient F1 had a 40 mm (23.5 ml) right lobe TN and underwent needle extraction of 5 ml of cystic fluid before the injection of 6 ml of ethanol. At 1-month follow-up, the nodule reduced 78.1% in volume (28 mm, 5.1 ml). Similarly, patient M1 had a 59 mm (44.8 ml) right lobe TN treated with 6 ml of ethanol after 20 ml of cystic fluid was extracted from the TN. At 3-month follow-up, the nodule reduced 99% in volume (7 mm, 0.1 ml). Finally, patient M2 had a 36 mm (14.5 ml) right lobe TN treated with 5 ml of ethanol. At 6-moth follow-up, the nodule reduced 99% in volume (0.5 mm, 0.04 ml). No patients developed complications and only needed one session. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, we are the pioneers in Ecuador and the fourth country in Latin America that implemented UPEA in the management of cystic TN. In this small report, UPEA seems to be an effective and safe treatment option for cystic TN. Patients had &amp;gt;75% reduction in cyst volume along with symptomatic relief and no complications. Our results are consistent with other series. Data on a longer follow-up are needed to confirm long-term efficacy. Presentation: Saturday, June 11, 2022 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Investigation of the Spatial Generation of Stimulated Raman Scattering Using Computer Simulation and Experimentation.

Stimulated Raman scattering is a phenomenon with potential use in providing real-time molecular information in three-dimensions (3D) of a sample using imaging. For precise imaging, the knowledge about the spatial generation of stimulated Raman scattering is essential. To investigate the spatial behavior in an idealized case, computer simulations and experiments were performed. For the computer simulations, diffraction theory was used for the beam propagation complemented with nonlinear phase modulation describing the interaction between the light and matter. For the experiments, a volume of ethanol was illuminated by an expanded light beam and a plane inside the volume was imaged in transmission. For generating stimulated Raman scattering, a pump beam was focused into this volume and led to a beam dump after passing the volume. The pulse duration of the two beams were 6 ns and the pump beam energy ranged from 1 to 27 mJ. The effect of increasing pump power on the spatial distribution of the Raman gain and the spatial growth of the signal at different interaction lengths between the beam and the sample was investigated. The spatial width of the region where the stimulated Raman scattering signal was generated for experiments and simulation was 0.21 and 0.09 mm, respectively. The experimental and simulation results showed that most of the stimulated Raman scattering is generated close to the pump beam focus and the maximum peak of the Stokes intensity spatially comes shortly after the peak of the pump intensity.

Safety and Outcomes of Alcohol Septal Ablation Prior to Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement.

Patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) for mitral valve disease caused by severe mitral annular calcification are at risk of left ventricular outflow obstruction. Preemptive alcohol septal ablation (ASA) can potentially mitigate the risk of this complication and is well established in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HCM). This retrospective study compared procedural characteristics and outcomes in patients who underwent ASA for TMVR vs HCM. In total, 102 patients were included, 22 in the TMVR group and 80 in the HCM group. Echocardiography demonstrated increased septal wall thickness in the HCM group (19​±​3.1​mm vs 12.7​±​2.0​mm; P​<​.001). The mean volume of ethanol injected was higher in the HCM group (1.4​±​0.49​mL vs 0.8​±​0.2​mL; P​<​.001). The average neo-left ventricular outflow tract area increased significantly after ASA in the patients undergoing TMVR (135​±​89​mm2 vs 233​±​111​mm2; P​<​.001). Six patients in the TMVR group did not achieve an adequate increase in the neo-left ventricular outflow tract area and required further procedures after ASA. The incidence of post-ASA complete heart block requiring a permanent pacemaker tended to be higher in the TMVR group (35% vs 21%; P​=​.195). No patients in either group had ventricular arrhythmia or stroke. Major bleeding complications were 4% in the HCM group and 0 in the TMVR group. The 30-day mortality was 4% in the HCM group and 0 in the TMVR group; however, 1 patient died at 37​days in the TMVR group, presumably from late heart block. Preemptive ASA in patients undergoing TMVR demonstrated safety and short-term clinical outcomes similar to patients with HCM.

PENINGKATAN KUALITAS EDIBLE FILM MENGGUNAKAN PATI UWI (Dioscorea Alata L) HASIL MODIFIKASI

The existed edible films made of water yam starch tend to have a low quality which is indicated by high WVTR value and low mechanical strength. Addition of modified starch can decrease the WVTR value and improve the mechanical properties. The purpose of this study is to obtain the ratio of starch paste volume to ethanol volume which produces modified water yam starch and to improve the quality of the edible film by adding modified water yam starch. This research was conducted in 2 stages, which are the modification of water yam starch using the precipitation method and the making of edible films using several levels of modified water yam starch concentration. The first stage of the study was designed to produce modified starch using the treatment of the ratio of starch paste volume to ethanol volume. There are 5 treatment ratios used, which were 1:5, 1:7.5, 1:10, 1:12.5, and 1:15. The results showed that the different ratios of starch paste volume to ethanol volume resulted in different sizes of modified starches. The ethanol volume ratio of 1:5 resulted in a granular starch with the most damage in its morphology, and the smallest particle size detected was 1.135x1.767 µ, with the yield of modified starch was 80.5%. The addition of modified water yam starch of as much as 20%, which was modified using a ratio of paste volume to ethanol volume of 1:5, succeeded in improving the quality of the edible film of water yam starch by reducing the value of the water vapor transmission rate and increasing the compressive compressive strength.

Genetics and epigenetics: paternal adolescent ethanol consumption in serotonin transporter knock-out rats and offspring sensitivity to ethanol

RationaleAlcohol use disorder (AUD) is shown to have an overall heritability of around 50%. One of the genes associated with AUD is SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member A4) which codes for the serotonin transporter (SERT). The study looked at serotonin dysfunction on ethanol consumption in adolescents and the subsequent intergenerational effects of drinking by using a rat model: SERT+/+ (regular functioning), SERT+/− (50% transporter reduction) and SERT−/− (complete reduction).ObjectivesWe investigated sex and genotype differences in ethanol consumption in SERT knock-out Wistar rats (F0) followed by studying behaviour in the offspring (F1) of the male drinkers to assess effects of paternal alcohol consumption.MethodsAn intermittent access two-bottle choice paradigm (IA2BC) was used to yield ethanol drinking behaviour in F0 adolescent Wistar rats. The highest drinking males were mated to alcohol-naive females and their offspring were compared with controls. Drinking behaviour (IA2BC) and ethanol-induced motor coordination effects (via rotarod) were measured in the F1s.ResultsF0 drinking saw no SERT genotype differences in males. However, females consumed higher volumes of ethanol compared to males, with SERT−/− females showing the highest intake. A clearer genotype effect was seen in the F1 animals, with reduction in SERT activity leading to enhanced ethanol intake in both sexes. Importantly, paternal exposure to ethanol significantly reduced the ethanol induced motor side effects in offspring, independent of sex and genotype.ConclusionsThese indicate a difference in the way genetic factors may act across sexes and suggest the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the intergenerational effects of alcohol.

Zostera marina L.: Supercritical CO2-Extraction and Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Chemical Constituents Recovered from Seagrass

Three types of Zostera marina L. collection were extracted using the supercritical CO2-extraction method. For the purposes of supercritical CO2-extraction, old seagrass ejection on the surf edge, fresh seagrass ejection on the surf edge and seagrass collected in water were used. Several experimental conditions were investigated in the pressure range 50–350 bar, with the used volume of co-solvent ethanol in the amount of 1% in the liquid phase at a temperature in the range of 31–70 °C. The most effective extraction conditions are: pressure 250 Bar and temperature 60 °C for Z. marina collected in sea water. Z. marina contain various phenolic compounds and sulfated polyphenols with valuable biological activity. Tandem mass-spectrometry (HPLC-ESI–ion trap) was applied to detect target analytes. 77 different biologically active components have been identified in Z. marina supercritical CO2-extracts. 38 polyphenols were identified for the first time in Z. marina.

Intelligent use of ethanol for the direct quantitative determination of methanol in alcoholic beverages

A gas chromatography flame ionization detector (GC-FID) method based on the use of ethanol as an internal standard was developed and in-house validated for the direct determination of methanol in ethanol containing products (alcoholic beverages and rectified ethyl alcohol) with ethanol concentrations from 6.5 % to 96.6 % by volume. Validation of the method was performed in terms of linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), recovery, repeatability, intermediate precision, trueness, uncertainty and matrix effect. The method showed satisfactory results, considering the parameters of linearity (R2 ≥ 0.999), LOQ and LOD (0.5 and 1.5 mg/L, correspondingly), recovery (95–105 %), standard deviation of repeatability (2.6 %), standard deviation of intermediate precision (3.4 %) and relative expanded uncertainty (with coverage factor k = 2 and confidence level P = 95 %) of method (7.4 %). The developed method has been applied to 23 samples of different types of alcoholic beverages (brandy, gin, rum, calvados, whiskey, bourbon, vermouth, slivovice, tsikoudia, sake, tequila, grappa, mulled wine, strong drink, grain spirit, nalewka, cocktail, krupnik, bitter and sweet tinctures, sweet, herbal and egg liquors). The absence of matrix effect associated with ethanol volume concentration and presence of non-volatile compounds in studied alcoholic beverages was proven.

Valorization of Spent Sugarcane Fermentation Broth as a Source of Phenolic Compounds

A methodology based on a solid phase extraction (SPE) was optimized for the recovery of phenolic compounds from the spent fermentation broth generated from Biofene® (trans-β-farnesene) production. For this purpose, two resins (XAD-2 and HP-20) and three desorption solutions (water, 50/50 ethanol/water, and ethanol) were tested. The most efficient resin revealed to be the HP-20, using ethanol as desorption solution, reaching an overall total phenolic compound recovery of ca. 80% when 6 BV (bed volume) of both feed and ethanol were applied. The optimization of the resin’s process cycle pointed to 15 BV feed to be treated per cycle and using the same volume of ethanol in the desorption step, with no need for an extra resin regeneration step, stably yielding 48% total phenolic compound recovery from the spent broth for at least 4 cycles, translating into 60 BV of feed being treated per BV of resin, and with the resin being still perfectly active. The extract was characterized using LC−ESI−UHR−QqTOF−MS, and a total of 82 and 15 compounds were identified, in negative and positive ionization modes, respectively. Organic acids were the main class of compounds identified in the phenolic-rich extract, followed by phenolic compounds, saccharides, peptides or amino acids and vitamins. Additionally, the extract revealed a significant antioxidant capacity (914.1 ± 51.6 and 2764.5 ± 142.8 µmol Trolox equivalents/g-dw, respectively, with ABTS and ORAC methodologies), which might be interesting for a wide variety of applications.

Pressurized green liquid extraction of betalains and phenolic compounds from Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii whole fruit: Process optimization and biological activities of green extracts

The Opuntia Stricta var. Dillenii's prickly pears are an underutilized fruits, which provide a great source of betalains (mainly, betacyanins) and phenolic compounds (phenolic acids and flavonoids) that could play an important role in health-promotion. This study focuses on the optimization of process for the green extraction of betalains and phenolic compounds from Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii's whole fruits by Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), using a response surface methodology (RSM) by a central composite design (CCD) in order to obtain rich extracts in betalains and phenolic compounds with the similar profile of the original one found in O. dillenii fruits (avoiding any degradation of these compounds during the extraction process) with proven biological activities. For PLE optimization, the ethanol volume in water (0–100%, v/v) and the temperature (25–65°C) were selected as independent variables. The identification and quantification of the individual bioactive compounds of the obtained green extracts were done by HPLC-DAD-ESI/MS and HPLC-DAD-ESI/QTOF and their biological activities were determined by in vitro tests, as: the antioxidant activity by the ORAC method and the anti-inflammatory activity by the hyaluronidase inhibition method. Ethanol volume in water (%, v/v) was the variable with most significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect in the target responses (bioactive content and biological activities). The best results were obtained at 50% ethanol in water (v/v) and 25°C temperature (run 10) obtaining extracts with betalains as 2.34 ± 0.18 mg of betanin/g dry weight, 2.51 ± 0.04 mg of 5′´-O-E-sinapoyl-2′-apyosil-phyllocactin/g dry weight, 2.32 ± 0.19 mg of neobetanin/g dry weight and phenolic compounds, 2.08 ± 0.07 mg of piscicid acid/g dry weight and 0.25 ± 0.02 mg of isorhamnetin glucoxyl-rhamnosyl-pentoside (IG2) /g dry weight. The betalain and phenolic profile of the PLE extracts was quite similar to the profile from the conventional extraction, but PLE extraction process enhanced the extraction of some bioactives as neobetanin (39%) andpiscidic acid (124%). All employed PLE process CCD combinations significantly upgrade the in vitro biological activities (antioxidant and anti-inflammatory) of the Opuntia stricta var. Dillenii's PLE green extracts.

Key prospects and major development of hydrogen and bioethanol production

Cheap Production of bioethanol from renewable lignocellulosic waste has the imperative potential to economically cut burgeoning world dependency on fossils while reducing net emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), a principal greenhouse gas (GHGs). This paper highlights key benefits and status of bioethanol production technologies, aiming mainly on recent developments and its key potentials in Pakistan. Most sector of Pakistan economy heavily rely on the energy and power that is being produced using traditional approaches like from oil and hydel. However, the sedimentation in dams cut-down the energy generation and overwhelmed severe energy crisis that are witnessed since last decade. Thus, Pakistan must go to avail alternative sources of energy like hydro, biomass and solar so that energy security can be ensured to recover the tremendous loss of economy. Renewable biomass is abundantly available in Pakistan which can be used to produce bioethanol and electricity. Currently, 22 distilleries are producing the ethanol from sugar cane bagasse and out of these only 8 distillation units are producing motor fuel grade ethanol. The current bioethanol production of country is about 403,500 tons/year along with 2423 tons of biodegradable waste available in major cities. In addition, Pakistan produces 6.57, 0.5, 0.66, and 2.66 million tons of sugarcane, corn, rice, and wheat straw per annum, respectively. This biomass can produce 1.6 million liters of bioethanol which can produce approximately 38% of Pakistan's electricity annually. Despite having large potential, Pakistan is still producing a few volumes of ethanol from sugarcane bagasse. The production of bioethanol can be boosted using (I) pretreatment of agricultural biomass by alkali (II) enzymatic and bacteria-based hydrolysis of the biomass (III) post-hydrolysis using pressurized steam above 100 °C (IV) Fermentation of the biomass@ 7–10 h and (V) and (VI) distillation of bioethanol. This study recommends (1) increase R&D capacities mainly in the west and central regions of Pakistan, (2) initiate mega-projects to promote integrated bio-ethanol production at agriculture farms by providing 1/3 subsides, (3) purchase of bioethanol directly from the major agricultural farms, (4) produce bioethanol related manpower from the key research institutes as specified in this study.

A novel atmospheric pressure hydrolysis without stirring and combustion–calcination process for the fabrication of magnetic Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterostructure nanorods

Atmospheric pressure hydrolysis without stirring and a combustion–calcination method were utilized to fabricate magnetic Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods. First, the β-FeOOH nanorods were fabricated via hydrolysis, and the concentration of Fe3+, hydrolysis temperature, and hydrolysis time were optimized. The optimal fabrication conditions were as follows: a 0.1 M FeCl3 solution was hydrolyzed at 90 °C for 2 h. The average length and diameter of the β-FeOOH nanorods fabricated under the optimal conditions were approximately 216 and 58 nm, respectively. Subsequently, Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods were fabricated via a combustion–calcination process. The volume of absolute ethanol, calcination temperature, and calcination time were investigated to optimize the fabrication conditions of Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods under the following conditions: absolute ethanol: 50 ml; calcination temperature: 300 °C; and calcination time: 2 h. Magnetic Fe3O4/α-Fe2O3 heterogeneous nanorods fabricated under optimal conditions were characterized with an average length of 199 nm, an average diameter of 51 nm, a zeta potential of +17.2 mV, and a saturation magnetization of 13 emu·g–1.