Water-insoluble Components Research Articles

日本で2002年春に採取した風送ダストについてその非水溶性成分の化学組成を粒径分布から見た特徴

2002年3月から5月にかけて、那覇、福岡、名古屋、つくばの4地点で風送ダスト試料を採取し、その非水溶性成分中の化学組成を測定した。ほとんどの元素は、その粒径分布の特徴として2.1～7.0μmの粒径に一つのピークを示すことから、主に鉱物エアロゾルに含まれていると考えられる。しかし、Cd, Sn, Sb, Pb, Biなどの元素は1μmよりも細かいダスト粒子に多く含まれ、人為起源の炭素エアロゾルに由来すると考えられた。 Al2O3濃度で各元素濃度を規格化した値の粒径分布の特徴から、風送ダスト中の鉱物組成は1μmを境に変化し、2μmより細かい粒子では人為起源物質の混入率が高くなることなどが明らかになった。次に、Al2O3規格値の空間的及び時系列的な変化に着目すると、一部の元素に系統的な地域差、すなわち観測点周辺からの物質の混入が認められた。しかし、一度ダストイベントが発生すると、ほぼすべての元素の濃度比は試料採取地点に関係なくほぼ一定の値を示し、非常に大量の風送ダストが東アジア地域から日本へ運ばれていることが明らかになった。

Allergie au blé

Wheat flour allergy is infrequent, especially in children. Its clinical manifestations are multiple, including atopic dermatitis, urticaria, and anaphylaxis due to ingestion of wheat or bread, which can also be induced by ingestion of wheat together with physical exercise. Among cereals, cross-reactions occur mainly between wheat, rye, barley and, to a lesser degree, oat. Many allergens are involved, but gliadins 〚water-insoluble components of gluten〛 are likely to be the major allergenic fraction. Characterization of these allergens should improve the assessment of wheat allergy, and identification of the most allergenic epitopes and the reduction of their expression could lead to the production of hypoallergenic wheat.

Human Alveolar Macrophage Responses to Air Pollution Particulates Are Associated with Insoluble Components of Coarse Material, Including Particulate Endotoxin

Inhalation of particulate matter in the ambient air has been shown to cause pulmonary morbidity and exacerbate asthma. Alveolar macrophage (AM) are essential for effective removal of inhaled particles and microbes in the lower airways. While some particles minimally effect AM function others inhibit antimicrobial activity or cause cytokine and growth factor production leading to inflammation and tissue remodeling. This study has investigated the effects of water soluble (s) and insoluble (is) components of Chapel Hill, North Carolina ambient particulate matter in the size ranges 0.1–2.5 μm (PM2.5) and 2.5–10 μm (PM10) diameter, on human AM IL-6, TNFα, and MCP-1 cytokine production and host defense mechanisms including phagocytosis and oxidant production. Cytokines were found to be induced by isPM10 to a much higher extent (>50-fold) than sPM10, which in turn stimulated production better than isPM2.5, while sPM2.5 was inactive. Previous studies have indicated that endotoxin (ETOX) is a component of sPM10 responsible for cytokine production. Here, it is shown that inhibition of isPM10-induced cytokine production was partially achieved with polymyxin B and LPS-binding protein (LBP), but not with a metal chelator, implicating ETOX as a cytokine-inducing moiety also in isPM10. In addition to inducing cytokines, exposure to isPM10, but not the other PM fractions, also inhibited phagocytosis and oxidant generation in response to yeast. This inhibition was ETOX independent. The decrease in host defenses may be the result of apoptosis in the AM population, which was also found to be specifically caused by isPM10. These results show that the functional capacity of AM is selectively modulated by insoluble components of coarse PM, including the biocontaminant ETOX.

ChemInform Abstract: Stereochemical Studies on Chiral Systems in Two Dimensions

Structural studies on two-dimensional films of chiral amphiphiles at the air–solution interface, as investigated in situ primarily by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD) using synchrotron radiation, yielded the crystalline packing arrangement at almost the molecular level. Results regarding three different topics are described. (1) It has proven possible to establish whether racemic mixtures of amphiphiles spread on water self-organize into 2-D crystals in which the two enantiomers either form heterochiral domains or spontaneously separate into enantiomorphous islands composed of homochiral molecules. Diastereoisomeric acid–base interactions between two different chiral amphiphiles were also used to achieve spontaneous chiral separation in two dimensions. (2) Ordered binding of solute molecules to the chiral amphiphiles could be applied in order to study their enantioselective interactions with chiral solutes present in the aqueous subphase. (3) Crystalline multilayer films of supramolecular architecture composed of water-soluble and water-insoluble chiral components may be formed at the air–solution interface and their packing arrangement determined by GIXD. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recoverable creep compliance properties of associative model polymer and polyoxyethylene solutions

Hydrophobically modified polymers are composed of water soluble and water insoluble (hydrophobic alkyl end groups) components. They are referred to as associative polymers since their aqueous solutions exhibit enhanced viscosities due to the aggregation of their alkyl end groups into micelle-like structures. The aggregation is attributed to the rejection of the hydrophobic end groups by the water. The rheological properties including the creep recovery behavior of associative model polymer solutions were determined as a function of molecular weight, solution concentration, shear rate, temperature, and solvent type in this investigation. These polymers are composed of a linear water soluble polyoxyethylene backbone chain extended with isophorone diisocyanate and end capped with hexadecyl groups, and have molecular weights ranging from 1.7×104 to 8.4×104 g/mole. For comparison purposes, poly(oxyethylene) resins of various molecular weights were also evaluated. A previously obscured mechanical terminal dispe...

加圧熱水を用いた古紙の加水分解特性

For the purpose of producing saccharides from waste paper, decom-position experiments of several kinds of waste paper such as old news print, flier and paper sludge with hot compressed water were performed by using a batch reactor of 6ml inner-volume. The temperature of water was varied in the range of 250-325°C under the decomposition time of about 60s. After the decomposition, yields of water-soluble and water-insoluble components (WS, WI) in the samples and concentrations of saccharides such as hexose and cellobiose in WS were measured. As the results, the maximum concentration of hexose obtained from old news print under the condition of 286°C and 40s was about 25wt% on WS basis. However, hexose and cellobiose were not obtained from flier, catalogue and sludge from a recycled paper plant. It was found that calcium carbonate in their samples prohibited the saccharification of paper. The addition of phosphate salt was confirmed to be effective for producing hexose from cellulose in the reaction system including calcium carbonate.

Steam pretreatment of Douglas-fir wood chips. Can conditions for optimum hemicellulose recovery still provide adequate access for efficient enzymatic hydrolysis?

Douglas-fir sapwood and heartwood were impregnated with SO2 and steam exploded at three severity levels, and the cellulose-rich, water-insoluble component was enzymatically hydrolyzed. The high-severity conditions resulted in near complete solubilization and some degradation of hemicelluloses and a significant improvement in the efficiency of enzymatic digestibility of the cellulose component. At lower severity, some of the hemicellulose remained unhydrolyzed, and the cellulose present in the pretreated solids was not readily hydrolyzed. The medium-severity pretreatment conditions proved to be a good compromise because they improved the enzymatic hydrolyzability of the solids and resulted in the recovery of the majority of hemicellulose in a monomeric form within the water-soluble stream. Sapwood-derived wood chips exhibited a higher susceptibility to both pretreatment and hydrolysis and, on steam explosion, formed smaller particles as compared to heartwood-derived wood chips.

Coupling of Manganese Peroxidase-Mediated Lipid Peroxidation with Destruction of Nonphenolic Lignin Model Compounds and14C-Labeled Lignins

Linoleic acid, the predominant unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) in the lipids of wood-rotting fungi, was oxidized by manganese peroxidase (MnP) from the white-rot fungusPhlebia radiatathrough a peroxidation mechanism. The peroxidation was markedly stimulated by hydrogen peroxide. UFAs that are substrates for lipid peroxidation and surfactants that emulsify water-insoluble components were essential for the MnP-catalyzed destruction of a nonphenolic β-O-4-linked lignin model compound (LMC). Moreover, both components stimulated the MnP-catalyzed mineralization of14C-labeled synthetic lignin and14C-labeled wheat straw. A high level of destruction was obtained in reaction systems with Tween 80 acting both as surfactant and source of UFAs. The presence of the linoleic acid in reaction systems with MnP and Tween 80 additionally enhanced rate and level of LMC destruction and lignin mineralization. The results indicate that lipid peroxidation may play an important role in lignin biodegradation by wood-rotting basidiomycetes and support the hypothesis of coupling between the processes.

Crystalline architectures at the air-liquid interface: From nucleation to engineering

The air-liquid interface is a convenient medium to obtain monolayers or multilayers. The molecular structure of such crystalline films can be established by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD), complemented by spectroscopic techniques and lattice energy calculations. Formation of two-dimensional clusters using GIXD may provide insight into the first stages of crystal nucleation. Langmuir monolayer can serve as a template for induced nucleation of bulk crystals or to be a model system of natural membranes. A host of architectures composed of water-insoluble molecules can be formed on liquid surfaces. The number of layers and the polymorphism can be controlled. The concept of supramolecular design was applied in two-dimensions with the use of water-insoluble and water-soluble components.

Characterising semi-refined iota-carrageenan networks by atomic force microscopy

Samples of PNG iota carrageenan have been studied by X-ray diffraction and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Aqueous preparations of PNG iota carrageenan can be fractionated into water soluble and water insoluble components. The water soluble component is largely composed of iota carrageenan containing small amounts of cellulose. AFM studies reveal that this component forms network structures very similar to those obtained for refined iota carrageenan. Some swollen cellulosic networks were observed in the PNG samples. The water insoluble fraction has been shown to be predominately partially crystalline cellulose I. AFM reveals that the cellulose is present as a fibrous network similar to that found for bacterial cellulose or the cellulosic component of plant cell walls. In the PNG samples the lateral ordering of the cellulose microfibrils has been disrupted presumably during the extraction of the PNG carrageenan from the seaweed. The AFM imaging conditions used to study the insoluble component would not permit imaging of any iota carrageenan networks which may be present in this sample.

Chemical composition and rumen degradability of protein of browse and shrubs fed to sheep in Ghana

The chemical composition and protein degradability of Antiaris africana, Delonix regia, Milletia thonningii, Khaya senegalensis, Griffonia simplicifolia, Ritchea reflexa and Securinega virosa as well as treated or untreated rice straw were studied. The rice straw was treated with either sodium hydroxide (4.42 per cent w/w) or urea (7.55 per cent w/w) was used in the treatment of the straw. Wethers averaging 23.2 1 0.60 kg liveweight and fitted with rumen canulae were fed with the straw and browse and 5 g sample placed in a nylon bag and incubated in the rumen. Data were fitted to the equation P = a + b(1-e-et) where P is extent of degradation at time t, a is percentage loss of water soluble component, b is percentage loss of water insoluble component, c is rate of degradation of component b, and (a + b) is the maximum percentage loss of protein. Significant differences (P

Conversion of water-insoluble components of the basidiocarps ofGanoderma lucidum to water-soluble components by hydrolyzing with chitinase

We investigated the optimum conditions for conversion of water-insoluble components of basidiocarps ofGanoderma lucidum to water-soluble components by hydrolyzing with chitinase. We also tried it withGanoderma lucidum residue remaining after extracting hot water-soluble components ofGanoderma lucidum. After hydrolyzing under optimum conditions (20 ppm chitinase, 2%Ganoderma lucidum or 6%Ganoderma lucidum residue, at pH 3 and at 35°C), the contents of total water-soluble components (polysaccharide or protein) were measured, and it was found that the contents of water-soluble components increased to 1.5∼2.7 fold. Michaelis constant, Km and maximum rate, Vmax calculated by Lineweaver-Burk plot for hydrolysis ofGanoderma lucidum were 1.75% and 0.02%/min respectively and those for hydrolysis ofGanoderma lucidum residue were 53.15% and 0.53%/min respectively. The protein-bound polysaccharide was isolated after hydrolysis and molecular weights were measured by Sepharose CL-4B gel filtration and compared with the molecular weights of polysaccharide before hydrolysis.

Proinflammatory properties of molluscum bodies.

Molluscum contagiosum, a condition characterized by benign viral tumours, occasionally becomes inflamed and regresses spontaneously, an event probably initiated by a host cell-mediated immune rejection against the lesion, but it inevitably involves the disruption of the epidermal tissue to expose the molluscum bodies to the tissue fluids of the dermis. It has been suggested that the molluscum bodies induce inflammation by a mechanism similar to that involved in ruptured epidermal cysts or in acne. Despite the occasional development of inflammation in molluscum contagiosum, the proinflammatory properties of molluscum bodies have never been studied in vitro. Thus, in the present study we sought to determine whether molluscum bodies exert a proinflammatory effect by inducing neutrophil chemotaxis. When exposed to fresh serum in vitro, water-insoluble components of molluscum bodies activated the alternative complement pathway to produce chemotactic C5a/C5a des Arg. We also found that an aqueous extract of molluscum bodies exerted potent chemotactic activity for neutrophils. Remarkably high amounts of the immunoreactive proinflammatory cytokines IL-8 and GRO alpha were present in the extract even when compared with psoriatic scale extracts. Gel filtration HPLC of the extract demonstrated the presence of neutrophil chemotactic activity over a wide range of molecular mass. These data suggest that disruption of the epidermal wall of molluscum bodies induces acute inflammatory changes by activation of the alternative complement pathway on exposure to the tissue fluids, and that the molluscum bodies themselves release proinflammatory cytokines and other neutrophil chemotactic factors on decomposition.

Enhanced antibody response to a detergent-soluble antigen in human filariasis after treatment with diethylcarbamazine

An antigen fraction has been isolated from the water insoluble component of cattle filarial parasiteSetaria digitata by detergent NP-40 solubilization, precipitation with ammonium sulphate and fractionation on sephadex G-100. Immunoglobulin G response to the isolated antigenic fraction was selectively suppressed in asymptomatic microfilaraemic people in comparison to the amicrofilaraemic groups of endemic normals and chronic patients. However, treating microfilaraemic people with diethylcarbamazine enhanced the antibody levels by 10-fold. These results suggest that active infection suppresses the response induced by the isolated antigenic fraction which is elevated after clearance of microfilariae.

Health benefits and practical aspects of high-fiber diets

Over the past 20 y dietary fiber has emerged as a leading dietary factor in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. High fiber intakes are associated with lower serum cholesterol concentrations, lower risk of coronary heart disease, reduced blood pressure, enhanced weight control, better glycemic control, reduced risk of certain forms of cancer, and improved gastrointestinal function. Dietary fiber can be categorized into water-soluble and water-insoluble components. Dried beans, oat products, and certain fruits and vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber. Most plant foods are good sources of insoluble fiber and wheat bran is a concentrated form of insoluble fiber. Current guidelines advise a doubling of dietary fiber intake for Americans. Inclusion of ample servings of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dried beans and peas will help individuals meet these guidelines.

PIXE analysis as a tool for dating of ice cores from the Greenland ice sheet

Sections from the 2037 m long Dye 3 ice core drilled in 1979–1981 in the ice sheet of Southern Greenland were analysed with PIXE. The seven selected sections were from depths between 1778 and 1813 m, which corresponds to a time interval between about 8500 and 10 000 years B.C. at the end of the last Ice Age. During this time period, fast climatic changes of several degrees centigrade per century are known to have taken place. The exact time scales of these changes need yet to be verified by renewed measurements using nonconventional stratigraphie dating techniques such as PIXE. The problem is highly relevant for the prediction of climatic changes in our present age. A new sample preparation technique was developed which enables the determination of annual thicknesses of the parts of the ice core representing 10 000–40 000 years before present, where the thickness of the annual ice layers are believed to be less than 2.5 cm. More commonly used techniques of dating, such as measurements of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes δ 18O and δD, nitrate, acidity or conductivity all have difficulties in resolving annual cycles in thicknesses of less than about 2 cm. The new technique involves sublimation of 18 cm long ice sections, after which the material contained in the ice is deposited on a thin backing. In this way, the material to be analysed is preconcentrated through the removal of the H 2O, while still retaining the spatial distribution pattern of the various water soluble and insoluble components along the ice core. The resulting spatial resolution of the sublimation technique is estimated to be ±1 mm. A PIXE analysis was performed in contiguous millimeter steps across the sublimated ice sections. Estimations of annual ice layer thicknesses were based on the patterns of seasonal variation along the ice sections for several major and minor elements quantified with PIXE. For the seven ice sections studied, annual ice layer thicknesses between 1.2 and 2.5 cm were found.

In-reactor tritium release experiment from molten lithium-lead alloy (Li 17Pb 83)

An in situ tritium release experiment from molten Li 17Pb 83 alloy was performed under neutron irradiation at 300–700 °C to investigate the chemical form and release rate of tritium. The dominant chemical form of the released tritium ( > 99.9%) from fresh Li 17Pb 83 was the water-insoluble component (HT, T 2), irrespective of the H 2 concentration in He carrier gas (0, 100, 1000, 10000 ppm). After 10 runs, however, the fraction of the water-insoluble component decreased considerably, and depended strongly upon the H 2 concentration in He carrier gas. The tritium release rate was affected by the carrier gas composition and flow mode (sweeping or bubbling). These results suggest that the tritium release is affected by a surface reaction on the molten alloy as well as diffusion and convection in the melt.

Behavior of ingested concanavalin A in the gastrointestinal tract of the rat.

The present study was undertaken to define more precisely the mechanisms involved in the toxicity of ingested concanavalin A (Con A) in rats, by observation of its behavior in the gastrointestinal tract. Con A was observed to have a high affinity for water-insoluble components of feces. The addition of a massive amount of the water-insoluble components to a high sucrose diet (HSD) containing Con A did not ameliorate the adverse effect of ingested Con A on the adaptive response of the intestinal sucrase activity to dietary sucrose. The addition of Con A bound feces to HSD also prevented the adaptive response of the intestinal sucrase activity to dietary sucrose. The luminal pH of the stomach 5 hr after HSD administration was 3 to 4, which extremely reduced the affinity of Con A for carbohydrate moieties of the cell membrane, whereas those of the jejunum and cecum ranged from 6 to 7. These results substantiate the proposed mechanism, that is, that the toxicity of ingested Con A involves its binding to the l...

Tritium Release from CTR Solid Blanket

In-situ tritium release behavior from Li2O powder has been investigated under neutron irradiation at high temperatures. It was found that the chemical form of the released tritium depended strongly on the experimental conditions such as pre-treatment (dehumidification) of the sample and the H2 addition to the sweep gas of helium. Water-soluble component was observed to be a main species from the sample pre-dried in N2 stream at 800°C for 3 days, while water-insoluble component had fairly large proportion on the sample pre-dried for 5 days. In the case of He-4%H2 sweep gas, more than 90% of released tritium was water-insoluble even for the sample pre-dried for 3 days. Tritium recovery rate was also accelerated by H2 addition. These experimental results showed that the oxygen activity of the experimental system essentially affected to tritium release behavior from Li2O sample.

Tritium release from CTR solid blanket

In-situ tritium release behavior from Li/sub 2/O powder has been investigated under neutron irradiation at high temperatures. It was found that the chemical form of the released tritium depended strongly on the experimental conditions such as pre-treatment (dehumidification) of the sample and the H/sub 2/ addition to the sweep gas of helium. Water-soluble component was observed to be a main species from the sample pre-dried in N/sub 2/ stream at 800/sup 0/C for 3 days, while waterinsoluble component had fairly large proportion on the sample pre-dried for 5 days. In the case of He-4%H/sub 2/ sweep gas, more than 90% of released tritium was water-insoluble even for the sample pre-dried for 3 days. Tritium recovery rate was also accelerated by H/sub 2/ addition. These experimental results showed that the oxygen activity of the experimental system essentially affected to tritium release behavior from Li/sub 2/ sample.