Water Extraction Method Research Articles

Evaluation of cactus mucilage as a green corrosion inhibitor for copper in sulfuric acid environment

This study investigates the corrosion inhibition performance of cactus mucilage for copper in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. The cactus mucilage was extracted using a pure water extraction method and characterized using FTIR and GC-MS analyses. The inhibition efficiency was evaluated using potentiodynamic polarization and EIS techniques, while surface morphology was analyzed using SEM and AFM. The potentiodynamic polarization results revealed that cactus mucilage acts as a mixed-type inhibitor, with inhibition efficiency increasing from 78.6% at 100 mg L-1 to 94.5% at 600 mg L-1. The EIS measurements showed a significant increase in charge transfer resistance from 0.56 k? cm-2 in the uninhibited solution to 8.26 k? cm-2 with 600 mg L-1 cactus mucilage. The adsorption of cactus mucilage on the copper surface followed the Langmuir isotherm model, with a strong adsorption equilibrium constant of 23.6 × 103 M. Compared to other green inhibitors, cactus mucilage exhibited superior inhibition efficiency and sustainability advantages, making it a promising eco-friendly alternative for copper corrosion protection.

Extraction and characterization of bark fibers from Ethiopian Ficus thonningii tree

The growing environmental pollution issues by synthetic textile products demand sustainable natural textile alternatives. This paper aimed at extracting and characterizing a new fiber called Ficus thonningii fiber from Ficus thonningii trees found in Ethiopia to be used as a source of textile fiber for different applications. The study utilized water and chemical extraction with sodium hydroxide methods. Physical, mechanical, and chemical properties such as length, diameter, fineness, tenacity, moisture content, moisture regain, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash content were characterized. The results revealed that Ficus thonningii fiber possesses comparable characteristics with jute, sisal, and flax fibers that can be used for different applications. The fiber exhibits tenacity of 39.65 cN, an elongation of 2.60%, a moisture content of 10.78%, and a moisture regain of 11.98% when extracted chemically. While it exhibits a tenacity of 37.83 cN, an elongation of 3.02%, a moisture content of 10.35%, and a moisture regain of 11.02% when extracted using water extraction method. Both extraction methods yield a fiber length of 101.50 mm. The chemical composition of the fiber obtained through water extraction consists of 52.35% cellulose, 19.20% hemicellulose, 17.20% lignin, and 1.20% ash. On the other hand, the chemical extraction method results in a composition of 63.57% cellulose, 16.10% hemicellulose, 12.10% lignin, and 0.83% ash. These results confirm the potential use of Ficus thonningii tree as a valuable source of coarse fibers for various technical textile applications.

Extraction of mucilage polysaccharides from chia seed by hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents-based three-phase partitioning system: A phase behavior-driven approach

By incorporating the hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) into the three-phase partitioning (TPP) technique, a TPP-based method was developed to extract the chia seed polysaccharide (CSP) from chia seed. Through a single-factor experiment and response-surface model, the optimal condition for the TPP extraction was determined as DES composed of dodecanoic acid and octanoic acid in a 1:1 M ratio, (NH4)2SO4 concentration of 32.86 %, crude extract–DES ratio of 0.93 (v/v), aqueous phase pH of 4.38, extraction temperature of 35 °C, and extraction time of 10 min. The polysaccharide yield of the constructed TPP method is 8.65 %, which is higher than the conventional water extraction method (yield is 6.96 %). Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the phase behavior of proteins and polysaccharides in the TPP system, showing that noncovalent interactions play a crucial role in the TPP system. The CSP obtained by the TPP method exhibits distinctive composition, structural, physicochemical, and functional properties, leading to improved thermal stability, rheological behavior, and antioxidant performance. Compared with the traditional extraction method, efficient extraction of CSP can be achieved flexibly using the proposed TPP approach, resulting in high yield and quality of CSP, which provides a new path for the large-scale utilization of chia seed.

Ultrasonic-assisted DES extraction optimization, characterization, antioxidant and in silico study of polysaccharides from Angelica dahurica Radix

In this study, polysaccharides from Angelica dahurica Radix (ADR) were extracted by using ultrasonic-assisted deep eutectic solvent (DES) extraction method. The DES consist of choline chloride (HBA, hydrogen bonding acceptor) and 1, 4-butanediol (HBD, hydrogen bonding donor) with the molar ratio of 1:3 was proved as the best system for polysaccharides extraction. A Box-Behnken design with three factors and three levels was utilized to optimize ultrasonic power, extraction time and temperature for increased polysaccharides yield. The optimal extraction parameters were determined as follows: DES water content of 20 %, liquid–solid ratio of 10:1 mL/g, ultrasonic time of 21 min, temperature at 60 °C, and ultrasonic power of 435 W. These conditions yielded an extraction rate nearly matching the theoretical predicted value of the response surface model, surpassing the traditional hot water extraction method by 1.33 times and requiring less time. The antioxidant polysaccharides was assessed using DPPH,ABTS and Hydroxyl methods, which indicated that ADRP extracted by ultrasound assisted DES had excellent antioxidant capacity and showed a dose–response relationship with drug concentration. Structural analysis identified ADR polysaccharides as a heteropolysaccharide rich in sugar aldonic acids—namely, fucose, rhamnose, arabinose, galactose and glucose—with molar ratios of 0.47:1.99:17.61:64.76:15.17. The polysaccharides’ number-average molecular weight was determined to be 97.422 kDa, with a weight-average molecular weight of 245.678 kDa. Network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis suggest that the monosaccharides Rha and Ara could potentially interact with the proteins GSR and GSTA1, respectively, indicating that ADRP had good antioxidant potential and could be applied in multiple fields with promising development prospects in the future.

Ultra-high pressure assisted extraction of water-soluble polysaccharides from Moringa oleifera seed husks and their antioxidant activities

ABSTRACT The process conditions and antioxidant activity of ultra-high pressure assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Moringa oleifera seed husks were studied. Taking the yield of polysaccharides as the index, the effects of degree of crushing, extraction pressure, holding pressure time and material-to-liquid ratio on the yield of polysaccharides from Moringa oleifera seed husks were investigated. The optimal extraction conditions were determined by single-factor test and orthogonal test: a holding time of 10 min, a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:25, an extraction pressure of 350 MPa, and a polysaccharide yield of 0.264%. Its antioxidant activity can be determined by measuring the total antioxidant capacity and their ability to scavenge DPPH and ·OH radicals. The results showed that the IC50 of Moringa oleifera seed husk polysaccharides on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals were 0.0662 g/L and 0.0844 g/L, respectively. The total antioxidant capacity was 0.1826 mm/g (expressed as the equivalent concentration of ferrous sulfate). Compared with hot water extraction methods, ultra-high pressure assisted extraction methods can shorten extraction time, improve extraction efficiency. The water-soluble polysaccharides extracted from Moringa oleifera seed husks by ultra-high pressure assisted extraction technology also have higher antioxidant activity than that by hot water extraction method at the same concentration.

SPFDNet: Water Extraction Method Based on Spatial Partition and Feature Decoupling

Extracting water information from remote-sensing images is of great research significance for applications such as water resource protection and flood monitoring. Current water extraction methods aggregated richer multi-level features to enhance the output results. In fact, there is a difference in the requirements for the water body and the water boundary. Indiscriminate multi-feature fusion can lead to perturbation and competition of information between these two types of features during the optimization. Consequently, models cannot accurately locate the internal vacancies within the water body with the external boundary. Therefore, this paper proposes a water feature extraction network with spatial partitioning and feature decoupling. To ensure that the water features are extracted with deep semantic features and stable spatial information before decoupling, we first design a chunked multi-scale feature aggregation module (CMFAM) to construct a context path for obtaining deep semantic information. Then, an information interaction module (IIM) is designed to exchange information between two spatial paths with two fixed resolution intervals and the two paths through. During decoding, a feature decoupling module (FDM) is developed to utilize internal flow prediction to acquire the main body features, and erasing techniques are employed to obtain boundary features. Therefore, the deep features of the water body and the detailed boundary information are supplemented, strengthening the decoupled body and boundary features. Furthermore, the integrated expansion recoupling module (IERM) module is designed for the recoupling stage. The IERM expands the water body and boundary features using expansion and adaptively compensates the transition region between the water body and boundary through information guidance. Finally, multi-level constraints are combined to realize the supervision of the decoupled features. Thus, the water body and boundaries can be extracted more accurately. A comparative validation analysis is conducted on the public datasets, including the gaofen image dataset (GID) and the gaofen2020 challenge dataset (GF2020). By comparing with seven SOTAs, the results show that the proposed method achieves the best results, with IOUs of 91.22 and 78.93, especially in the localization of water bodies and boundaries. By applying the proposed method in different scenarios, the results show the stable capability of the proposed method for extracting water with various shapes and areas.

Satellite observations of surface water dynamics and channel migration in the Yellow River since the 1980s

Study regionthe Yellow River (YR) in China. Study focusDue to climate change and human activities, YR channel morphology has undergone significant spatiotemporal variations. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of channel migration in YR and its driving factors remains unclear. Here, we developed a multi-index water extraction method to track the changes in surface water and river channel migration of YR based on Landsat imagery since the 1980s. New hydrological insights for the regionWe find that the average surface water area of YR over the past four decades is 4013 km2, with 73.5 % of permanent surface water. Notably, the surface water extent has experienced a 9 % increase since the 1980s, while the river channel has undergone a 12.2 % decrease. The YR channel’s centerline exhibits diverse change patterns across the entire basin, which can be broadly categorized into six types ranging from unchanged to reverse migration. We identify that climate, particularly temperature and precipitation, contributed 71 % of channel changes in the upper reaches, while 65 % of changes in the lower reaches are from human activities, including reservoir operations and water management policies. Our results unveil the variations in water extent and channel migration of the YR, offering new insights into the interactions between channel migration and climate change and human activities in the YR over the past four decades.

Optimization of the Cold Water Extraction Method for High-Value Bioactive Compounds from Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) Flower Heads Through Chemometrics.

This study focused on optimizing a cold water extraction method to obtain bioactive compounds from chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), addressing increasing consumer demand for natural products and nutraceuticals. A full-factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of temperature, time, and chamomile amount on the polyphenolic profile of extracts. The samples were characterized by HPLC-DAD and UV-Vis coupled with chemometrics; the analysis showed that extraction time negatively affected extract quality, as did the interaction between time and temperature. In addition, a significant positive quadratic effect for temperature and a positive coefficient for chamomile amount was found. ASCA was used to assess the UV-Vis profile, offering an alternative untargeted method for understanding the variable effects. The optimal extraction conditions (25 °C, 32 min, and 2.5 g of chamomile) produced samples high in hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanol derivatives. Using A face-centered design, this study also monitored antioxidant activity via a DPPH scavenging assay, confirming that the optimal conditions yielded samples within the range of maximum antioxidant activity in the studied experimental domain.

Applying Subcritical Water Extraction to Obtain Bioactive Compounds and Cellulose Fibers from Brewer Spent Grains

Of the three types of waste generated in beer processing, brewer’s spent grain (BSG) is the most abundant and has a high potential for valorization. In this work, defatted BSG (DB) was subjected to an extraction process with subcritical water at different temperatures to obtain extracts rich in phenols and the cellulosic fractions, which were also purified by using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The results showed that the dry extracts obtained at 170 °C were richer in phenolics (24 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE) g−1 DB), but with lower antioxidant capacity (71 mg DB·mg−1 2,2-diphenyl-1-pikryl-hydrazyl). This extract also showed the highest antibacterial potential against L. innocua (80 mg·mL−1) and E. coli (140 mg·mL−1) than those obtained at lower temperatures. The purification of cellulose from the treated residues, using hydrogen peroxide, revealed that DB is a limited source of cellulose material since the bleached fractions showed low yields (20–25%) and low cellulose purity (42–71%), even after four bleaching cycles (1 h) at pH 12 and 8% H2O2. Despite this, the subcritical water extraction method highlights the potential of a simple process as a technological option to convert underutilized side streams like beer bagasse into added-value, potential ingredients for innovative food and pharmaceutical applications.

Enhanced Extraction of Tanshinones from Salvia miltiorrhiza Using Natural-Surfactant-Based Cloud Point Extraction

Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) contains the tanshinones, a compound with various pharmacological effects, and has been extensively studied as a pharmaceutical material. However, conventional methods for extracting tanshinones face challenges such as environmental hazards and high cost. In this study, we aimed to effectively extract tanshinones from SM using cloud point extraction (CPE) with lecithin, a natural surfactant. By optimizing various extraction conditions including the solid-to-liquid ratio, lecithin concentration, NaCl concentration, pH, and equilibrium temperature, the optimal extraction efficiency was achieved using 20 mL of solvent per 1 g of sample, 3% lecithin (w/v), 2% NaCl (w/v), pH 6, and room temperature (25 ± 2 °C). The CPE method, which minimizes the use of organic solvent and is eco-friendly, demonstrated improvements in extraction efficiency, with a 4.55% increase for dihydrotanshinone I, 8.32% for cryptotanshinone, 15.77% for tanshinone I, and 6.81% for tanshinone IIA compared to the conventional water extraction method. These results suggest that CPE is a promising, environmentally friendly, and efficient approach for extracting hydrophobic components from pharmacologically active materials such as SM, with potential applications across various fields of natural product extraction.

Methods for a Non-Targeted Qualitative Analysis and Quantification of Benzene, Toluene, and Xylenes by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry of E-Liquids and Aerosols in Commercially Available Electronic Cigarettes in Mexico.

The chemical components of the e-liquids and aerosols contained in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDSs), better known as vapes, were evaluated. The analytical technique used was gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, where the extraction and injection methods were established in this study. The work consisted of the analysis of twenty samples of disposable electronic cigarettes prefilled with new e-liquid, of a known brand, flavor, volume, and, in some of them, the percentage of nicotine and the number of puffs per device were indicated on the label. We detected the presence of many substances (at a qualitative and semi-quantitative level), and we achieved the quantification of benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX), dangerous substances that cause severe damage to health. Several of the e-liquids and aerosols present BTX concentrations above the permissible exposure limit (PEL), recommended by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): benzene in aerosol samples 80% > PEL, and toluene in aerosol samples 45% > PEL. The number of chemical compounds found in the samples increases from 13 to 167, the average being 52 compounds for the water extraction method, 42 compounds for the methanol extraction method of e-liquids, and 107 compounds for the direct aerosol analysis. It is a fact that many of those compounds, especially BTX, can cause serious effects on human health, affecting the respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and immune systems, as well as the brain. Therefore, the use of these devices should be considered with caution, since the substances and their chemical nature may pose significant health risks to both users and those exposed to secondhand emissions.

Multi-Scale Variation in Surface Water Area in the Yellow River Basin (1991–2023) Based on Suspended Particulate Matter Concentration and Water Indexes

Surface water is a crucial part of terrestrial ecosystems and is crucial to maintaining ecosystem health, ensuring social stability, and promoting high-quality regional economic development. The surface water in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) has a high sediment content and spatially heterogeneous sediment distribution, presenting a significant challenge for surface water extraction. In this study, we first analyze the applicability of nine water indexes in the YRB by using the Landsat series images (Landsat 5, 7, 8) and then examine the correlation between the accuracy of the water indexes and suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations. On this basis, we propose a surface water extraction method considering the SPM concentrations (SWE-CSPM). Finally, we examine the dynamic variations in the surface water in the YRB at four scales: the global scale, the secondary water resource zoning scale, the provincial scale, and the typical water scale. The results indicate that (1) among the nine water indexes, the MBWI has the highest water extraction accuracy, followed by the AWEInsh and WI2021, while the NDWI has the lowest. (2) Compared with the nine water indexes and the multi-index water extraction rule method (MIWER), the SWE-CSPM can effectively reduce the commission errors of surface water extraction, and the water extraction accuracy is the highest (overall accuracy 95.44%, kappa coefficient 90.62%). (3) At the global scale, the maximum water area of the YRB shows a decreasing trend, but the change amount is small. The permanent water area shows an uptrend, whereas the seasonal water area shows a downtrend year by year. The reason may be that the increase in surface runoff and the construction of reservoir projects have led to the transformation of some seasonal water into permanent water. (4) At the secondary water resource zoning scale, the permanent water area of other secondary water resource zonings shows an increasing trend in different degrees, except for the Interior Drainage Area. (5) At the provincial scale, the permanent water area of all provinces shows an uptrend, while the seasonal water areas show a fluctuating downtrend. The maximum water area of Shandong, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Qinghai increases slowly, while the other provinces show a decreasing trend. (6) At the typical water scale, there are significant differences in the water area variation process in Zhaling Lake, Eling Lake, Wuliangsuhai, Hongjiannao, and Dongping Lake, but the permanent water area and maximum water area of these waters have increased over the past decade. This study offers significant technical support for the dynamic monitoring of surface water and helps to deeply understand the spatiotemporal variations in surface water in the YRB.

Impacts of Vitis coignetiae Pulliat extract on the physicochemical properties in dry-fermented sausages during storage

The present study was designed to compare different extraction methods in meoru (Vitis coignetiae Pulliat). The effect of meoru extract on the quality characteristics of dry-fermented sausages was also evaluated. Ground pork sausages were assigned to different groups: control without meoru hot water extract, M1 (with 0.01% meoru hot water extract), and M2 (with 0.02% meoru hot water extract). Antioxidant yield, phenolic compound content, and antioxidant properties such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power were highest in groups with the meoru hot water extract. Both groups with meoru extract had significantly lower pH and moisture content at all storage times compared with the control. The inclusion of 0.2% meoru in sausages resulted in similar meat color values compared with the control. The rate of lipid oxidation significantly decreased in the groups with meoru extract addition. When the amount of meoru extract was increased to 0.02%, lactic acid bacteria was significantly enhanced. Therefore, 0.02% meoru addition using the hot water extraction method showed effective antioxidant performance, increased lactic acid bacteria, and color consistency in dry-fermented sausages during cold storage.

Intelligent classification of water bodies with different turbidity levels based on Gaofen-1 multispectral imagery

The turbidity of water is crucial for the health of river and lake ecosystems, necessitating efficient monitoring for effective water management. Existing methods for studying water turbidity's spatial and temporal distribution rely mostly on measured data. There is limited research on the classification of water bodies with different turbidity levels. The main challenge lies in determining the boundaries of liquid water bodies at various turbidity levels, making it challenging to classify them accurately using traditional remote sensing image classification methods. This paper proposes and validates an intelligent turbidity classification method based on deep learning using GaoFen-1 multispectral remote sensing imagery. An adaptive threshold water extraction method based on the Normalized Difference Water Index is proposed to capture water boundaries more accurately to improve the accuracy of extracting nearshore water bodies. A semi-automatic semantic annotation method for water turbidity is introduced to reduce manual labeling costs. The paper applies mode filtering to address edge noise issues and establishes a high-quality training sample dataset. After comparing the accuracy of various neural network models, DeepLab V3+ is selected for intelligent turbidity classification. The results show high accuracy, with mean intersection over union (MIoU), mean F1 score (MF1), and overall accuracy (OA) reaching 94.73%, 97.29%, and 97.54%, respectively. The proposed method and experiments demonstrate the feasibility of intelligent classification of water bodies with different turbidity levels using deep learning networks. This provides a new approach for large-scale and efficient remote sensing water turbidity monitoring.

Exploration on the corrosion inhibition performance of Salvia miltiorrhiza extract as a green corrosion inhibitor for Q235 steel in HCl environment

Salvia Miltiorrhiza, extensively distributed and commonly employed as a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has garnered significant attention. In this study, the Salvia Miltiorrhiza extract (SME) was prepared by one-step water extraction method, and was firstly used as a novel corrosion inhibitor for Q235 steel in 1 mol/L HCl solution. As identified via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, the findings reveal that Salvianic acid A, tanshinone II A, danshenxinkun D, dihydrotanshinone, and methylene tanshinquinone are the primary constituents of SME. The optimum corrosion inhibition efficiency reached 92.8 % at 200 mg/L and maintained at 90.4 % after 72 h. Based on in-situ scanning vibration electrode technology (SVET) monitoring, the adsorption of inhibitor molecules on metal surface greatly retarded the propagation of localized corrosion. AFM examination of the corroded surface reveals that the samples supplemented with SME exhibit a smoother surface compared to the blank group. The force curve graph for the SME-added group demonstrates a more evenly distributed point array and an elevated average adhesion force, indicating that the addition of SME improves the corrosion resistance of the metal surface. XPS characterization illustrated that SME interacted with iron ions to form insoluble precipitate. This work investigated the application of SME as an eco-friendly corrosion inhibitor for carbon steel in acidic medium, providing a new approach for the high value-added utilization of Salvia Milliorrhiza.

Investigation of Anti-Diabetic Properties of Ceylon Cinnamon Bark Extracts by In-Vitro α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase Inhibition, Molecular Modeling, and Postprandial Blood Glucose Regulation for Potential Nutraceuticals

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) can appear due to the absence of insulin (DM1- type 1) or poor response of cells to insulin (DM2-type 2). Even though DM1 cannot be controlled using general treatments, DM2 can be easily controlled or prevented using pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, or dietary practices. Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) is one such natural remedy that has been consumed against elevated blood glucose levels in the past. Cinnamon and different types of cinnamon extracts have been scientifically tested for their activities on the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes that are responsible for carbohydrate metabolism and are effective in blood glucose regulation. However, the combined effect of aqueous and ethanol extracts of cinnamon bark on blood glucose regulation is still lacking. In this study, Water Extract of Cinnamon (CWE), Ethanol Extracts of Cinnamon (hot ethanol extract of cinnamon-CHEE, cold ethanol extract of cinnamon-CEE, and 50% ethanol extract of cinnamon- CEE-50) were studied for their sugar-controlling properties. Objectives: This study was performed to identify the efficacy of different cinnamon extracts on the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes, followed by animal studies to confirm the use of the extracts in nutraceutical formulations. Methods: Water and ethanol-based extraction method was used to prepare cinnamon extracts. These extracts have been scientifically tested for their activities on the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. Molecular docking studies were used to identify the binding of the active molecules to the substrate binding sites of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. In-vivo time dependence postprandial blood glucose regulation studies have been performed with healthy Wistar male rats. Results: Yields of the CHEE, CEE, and CWE were 14±2%, 12±2%, and 8±1% respectively. According to the LCMS data, the major component in the CEE was cinnamaldehyde. Both CWE and CEE were subjected to the Total Polyphenol assay (TPC) and Total Flavonoids (TFC) assays. The TPC of CWE and CEE were 117±1 mg (Gal)/g and 170±10 mg (Gal)/g, while the TFC of CWE and CEE were 359±1 mg (Qc)/g and 254±4 mg (Qc)/g, respectively. In the α-amylase inhibition assay, Acarbose; a known α-amylase inhibitor, and CEE showed IC50 values of 65.4 ppm and 2.6 ppm, while CWE failed to show inhibition against α-amylase. In the α-glucosidase inhibition assay, Acarbose; a known α-amylase inhibitor, CEE, and CWE showed IC50 values of 312 ppm, 4.5 ppm, and 1.3 ppm, respectively. In-vivo time dependence postprandial blood glucose regulation studies that have been performed with healthy Wistar male rats showed a lowering of blood glucose concentrations by 22%, 11%, and 10% of glucose at 30 min, 60 min, and 90 min compared to the control group. Conclusion: The CEE contains polyphenols and flavonoids and is effective in inhibiting both α- amylase and α-glucosidase. The CWE also contains polyphenols and a comparatively higher level of flavonoids and is effective in inhibiting α-glucosidase while not affecting α-amylase inhibition. Overall, the IC50 data, TPC data, and TFC data proposed that the inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes by polyphenols may depend on the polarity of particular polyphenols. Based on the rat trials, it can be concluded that the 1:1 combination of CWE and CEE may be useful in formulating postprandial blood glucose level-regulating nutraceuticals.

Cryogenic vacuum distillation vs Cavitron methods in ecohydrology: Extraction protocol effects on plant water isotopic values

Stable isotope ratios of hydrogen and oxygen in plant water are widely used for water tracing in ecohydrology studies. In this approach, plant water is extracted for isotopic analysis of δ2H and δ18O. Among the extraction methods, cryogenic vacuum distillation (CVD) has been the most popular, but its impact on the isotopic composition of plant water is currently under debate. Newer Cavitron method have been proposed to replace CVD method for xylem water extraction. These recommendations have been largely based on comparisons between Cavitron-xylem water with low temperatures CVD-xylem water. However, the CVD protocol (extraction temperature and time) varies widely across laboratories, and no direct, systematic comparison has yet been made between extraction temperature and time protocols vs. the Cavitron approach. Here we compared the isotopic values of xylem water from the same tree obtained through CVD extraction at 60 °C (60, 120, 240, 360 min), 100 °C (30, 60, 120, 240 min), 140 °C (15, 30, 60, 120, 240 min), and 200 °C (15, 30 min). Subsequently, we compared the results of CVD-xylem water with Cavitron-xylem water. Our data show that isotopic values for CVD-xylem water became more positive with increasing extraction time under the same extraction temperature. Such extractions also became more isotopically positive with increasing extraction temperature for the same extraction time. When total extraction efficiency exceeded 98 %, there was no δ18O difference in CVD-xylem water among any of the different protocols (p > 0.05). However, lower extraction temperatures resulted in more negative δ2H when compared to higher temperature extraction (p < 0.05). Cavitron-xylem water was close to CVD-xylem water (average difference of 3 ‰ for δ2H and 0.5 ‰ for δ18O, n = 79) when total extraction efficiency for CVD was below 98 %. But for extraction efficiencies beyond 98 %, the Cavitron-xylem water was more negative in δ2H (17.3 ‰, n = 70) and δ18O (1.7 ‰, n = 70) than CVD-xylem water. Compared to Cavitron-xylem water, CVD-xylem water at 200 °C with extraction efficiency > 98 % was closer to the soil water. Further study is necessary to conduct a complete cross-comparison between Cavitron and CVD at different temperatures with different species at various water and salt stress conditions. But our results suggest that abandoning CVD for plant water maybe premature until such complete comparison work is done.

Retrieving lost Li in LIBs for co-regeneration of spent anode and cathode materials

Direct regeneration of spent Li-ion battery electrode materials has garnered considerable attention due to its streamlined procedure, low energy consumption, and high economic viability. Typically, an Li source is required to address the vacant Li defects in spent cathodes for regeneration, while the removal of residual Li is crucial for regenerating spent anodes. Here, given our discovery that approximately 65 % of the residual Li in spent graphite demonstrates reactivity with water, we propose a straightforward water extraction method for purifying and regenerating spent graphite anode. By carefully controlling the concentrations of OH- and Li+ ions in the obtained Li-rich solution, it can be directly used to relithiate spent NCM cathodes. In this method, Li+ ions lost from the cathode during electrochemical cycling were reintroduced back into the cathode via aqueous relithiation, eliminating the need for additional Li sources to repair the Li deficiencies in spent cathode, effectively reducing recycling costs and minimizing the environmental impact associated with raw materials. The regenerated NCM cathode and graphite anode demonstrated specific capacities of 163 mAh/g and 386 mAh/g at a rate of 0.1C, respectively, both reaching the performance levels of pristine materials. Importantly, compared to traditional direct recycling methods, the Li-retrieving regeneration method reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 16 %, energy consumption by 17 %, water consumption by 17 %, and overall recycling costs by 12 %.

Reducing Washout of Proteins from Defatted Soybean Flakes by Alkaline Extraction: Fractioning and Characterization

Human health, sustainable development, numerous environmental issues, and animal welfare are increasingly driving research and development of plant-based protein products that can serve as meat substitutes. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years due to growing consumer awareness, with people gradually shifting from animal-based foods to more sustainable plant-based options. Soy proteins are a valuable source of plant proteins and are widely used in human and animal diets due to their nutritional value and health benefits. In this study, soybean protein extraction by two methods was compared: water extraction (lower salt content) and Tris-HCl extraction (higher salt content), aiming to characterize the resulting protein fractions. These fractions were studied using differential precipitation based on the isoelectric point. Protein identification by SDS-PAGE, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for cellular structure assessment, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to determine residual protein left in the solid fraction after extraction using the two methods. Electrophoresis assays revealed the presence of the four main protein fractions (2S, 7S, 11S, and soy whey proteins) in the defatted soybean flakes, establishing the protein profile of Brazilian soybeans and for the two main waste streams of the production process—spent flakes and whey. The separation of fractions was carried out by differential precipitation. FTIR analysis indicated higher residual protein levels in solid residues after the water extraction method compared to the Tris-HCl extraction method. SEM analysis revealed the removal of protein bodies in both extraction methods and the presence of residual oil-containing bodies. Both methodologies are viable alternatives for the industrial separation of soybean protein fractions. Differential precipitation could be implemented to produce isolated products and improve the nutritional profile, increase process yield thus generating less industrial waste and driving the process towards environmental sustainability.

A spectrophotometric analysis of extracted water-soluble phenolic metabolites of lichens

Main conclusionRainwater most probably constitutes a relatively effective solvent for lichen substances in nature which have the potential to provide for human and environmental needs in the future.The aims were (i) to test the hypothesis on the potential solubility of lichen phenolic compounds using rainwater under conditions that partly reflect the natural environment and (ii) to propose new and effective methods for the water extraction of lichen substances. The results of spectrophotometric analyses of total phenolic metabolites in rainwater-based extracts from epigeic and epiphytic lichens, employing the Folin–Ciocalteu (F.–C.) method, are presented. The water solvent was tested at three pH levels: natural, 3, and 9. Extraction methods were undertaken from two perspectives: the partial imitation of natural environmental conditions and the potential use of extraction for economic purposes. From an ecological perspective, room-temperature water extraction (‘cold’ method) was used for 10-, 60-, and 120-min extraction periods. A variant of water extraction at analogous time intervals was an ‘insolation’ with a 100W light bulb to simulate the heat energy of the sun. For economic purposes, the water extraction method used the Soxhlet apparatus and its modified version, the ‘tea-extraction’ method (‘hot’ ones). The results showed that those extractions without an external heat source were almost ineffective, but insolation over 60- and 120-min periods proved to be more effective. Both tested ‘hot’ methods also proved to be effective, especially the ‘tea-extraction’ one. Generally, an increase in the concentration of phenolic compounds in water extracts resulted from an increasing solvent pH. The results show the probable involvement of lichen substances in biogeochemical processes in nature and their promising use for a variety of human necessities.